They arrived in Flowey's room, awaiting his usual spiel when he turned around-
Except he was already facing them.
Expressionless.

They blinked, not sure what to do when he didn't play his usual part.
"Do you really hate me, Chara?"

... Okay, they were not expecting that.
They were tempted spit out in anger, but thought better of it.
Sans's words echoed in their mind, relentless.
"I.." As soon as the word left them, they lost confidence.

"I don't know. I'm fucking angry at you, but I… or I was mad at you?"
Everyone has flaws, and yes, that allows for bad shit to happen, but that's just the way things are!

The words wouldn't leave them alone. As if Frisk wouldn't let them forget, wherever that one was in their mind anymore.
"I.. think Sans is right."

"You were there!"
"Yeah. I was. And.. I'm tired of this too. Even I got bored with Reset awhile ago, I only used it to find every single possible thing, but you…. I want it to stop. Is this really the last one, Chara?"
They hesitated, knowing Toriel would be arriving soon in spite of it.
"I.. think so." They finally whispered.

Hope gleamed in his black seedy eyes. He nodded, petals shuffling around his face before he tried to smile.
"I guess I'll see you at the Barrier, then."
"I guess so."

He ducked under the soil as Toriel strode into the room, gasping as she spotted them.
"Oh! My child, are you alright?"

. • ° . • ° . • °

Sans was legitimately smiling. Chara had passed him multiple times, they'd gone through the forest and Snowdin without attacking a single monster and on through Waterfall, making friends with everyone with a note of finality that couldn't be ignored.

He feigned sleep in the glowing orange ambience of Hotland as they darted past, shooting him a look he was more than used to before Undyne came stomping by.

As they continued on in their sprint into the volcanic region, Sans leaned over to watch as Undyne slowed down and inevitably collapsed.
Chara glanced down the path to glare at him, then moved to revive the fish woman with the (always convenient) water tank.

He grinned, seeing Undyne struggle to her feet, Chara watching drily as the captain glared. Then he ducked back in to "sleep" as she turned around.

Oh, this was thrilling.
Just imagining being able to spend years on the Surface was almost too much.
He was careful not to let his hopes get up too high, but damnit, it felt like the first time the human had passed through the Underground all over again.
He could finally keep his Super Tricycle.

Oh, Undyne had arrived.
Ah yes, she was not happy with him.
The usual chewing out.

. • ° . • ° . • °

And Undyne was staying in his house thanks to the fire, Chara ferrying letters between her and Alphys, meanwhile Sans was still in his station, grinning madly as events unfolded for the last time.

That is, he was until Napstablook showed up.
"...𝙷𝚒.."
He blinked, sitting up and (somehow) grinning even wider.
"Heya, Nappy!"
"..𝙷𝚒 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚜. 𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎."
"Nah, it happens. How ya feeling, buddy?"
"𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠... 𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢.. 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚒𝚝?"

He wanted to say that they couldn't be entirely sure just yet, but he really didn't appreciate how the ghost had excluded himself.
"We did. And yeah, looks like it."

Sans then grinned again. "I guess some trash really is treasure depending on things."
Napstablook smiled a little, looking down.
"𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜.."
He winked at the ghost. "I wouldn't say it's a guess, but a fact."
"𝙾𝚑.. 𝙾𝚔𝚊𝚢."

There was a moment as Sans studied Napstablook's face, somewhat concerned.
"Hey, Nappy?"
"𝚄𝚑.. 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚑?"
"Are you okay? I know a lot of things were said back there. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"
The blook glanced at him, anxiety in his eyes before he looked away again.
"𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠…"
Sans smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Naps, you can ask."

Napstablook drifted backwards, afraid as he struggled to speak.
"𝙸... 𝙸.. 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝙸..𝚞𝚑.. 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍.. 𝙸.... 𝙸'𝚖. 𝚜..𝚘𝚛..𝚛𝚢…" A few tears slicked down his face as he started to give up.

"Hey, no, none of that. I'm not judging you for whatever you're asking for. Okay? Just let it out. You helped me, I can help you, yeah?" Sans leaned over to reassure the crying spirit.

Napstablook nodded shakily, more of a tilting bob of his entire body than a nod as he shut his eyes and hesitated.
"𝙲𝚊𝚗.. 𝙸... 𝚞𝚑.. 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞.. 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗?"
Sans paused, considering the thought.

"𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚍𝚞𝚖𝚋 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚜𝚔.." He quickly added, backing away.
"No, no it ain't. I just thought you didn't like that. I don't mind it at all. Hell, I.. I like it." He admitted awkwardly.

"I had never felt so.. safe before, after that first attack. It's like I was invincible, and all my life I've known one wrong move can immediately kill me. -I mean, I guess I technically was invincible…. But yeah. You can. C'mere, buddy." He waved the ghost over, smiling fondly.

Napstablook lit up a little, grateful and clearly sharing a similar sentiment over the situation as he floated over. He phased through Sans's jacket and then both sighed, skeleton sinking down in his seat as the current spread over him, fluctuating between hot and cold before settling into warm.

"Can I ask why you like it, though? Or is that a bit much right now?" He inquired lightly, peering up at the glittering ceiling.
"𝙸.. 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠... 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝.. 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜... 𝙾𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.... 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎.."

"Everyone needs kindness in life." Sans explained, before switching back.
"But it's because you can touch me?" He paused, recognizing how bad that'd sound without context.
Napstablook didn't notice.
"𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚑... 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎. 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢.. 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐."

"I don't think you ruin anything at all. You're actually really nice to hang out with, if only you'd see that. But if you don't feel comfortable interacting with people, then hey. That's the way you are. I'm not gonna pressure you into something you're uncomfortable with." He shrugged, hands in pockets. "Honestly, I used to be like that, too. It's not easy to climb out of."

"...𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞."
"No prob, buddy. Now, if you don't mind.." He stretched his arms over his skull, elongating the spaces between the bones before dropping back in place, hands resting in their usual pockets.
"I think I'm gonna take a little Nappy of my own, if you're okay with that."
"𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍.."
"Thanks." He leaned over the counter, smiling despite himself as he drifted off, electricity mutely fizzling all over in an oddly comforting sense.

. • ° . • ° . • °

"Hey Trashbag! Wake up already!"

He flinched awake, startled by both the voice and the sudden shock he experienced.
"𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢." Napstablook quickly apologized quietly as Sans glanced around.

He scowled slightly when he saw the yellow flower tugging at his slipper.
"What do you want, Flowey?"
Flowey blinked, scowling as well. "Chara's almost at the Judgement Hall and you're still sleeping! I thought you still put some effort in that job. Especially now, of all times!"

"What, they tell you they're quitting?"
Flowey hesitated.
"Yeah, I wanted to check.. but that's not important. The Resets are ending! You can't seriously be slacking now!"

Sans sat up then. "You were watching." Flowey scoffed. "Of course I was. Have been since the first Reset. Well, I stopped for a little while somewhere in the middle, but that doesn't matter. I'm as sick of them as you are. Chara kills me too, except I can't even fight back- or- or- or- I take everyone's Souls and break the Barrier, and I can feel, I can feel everything and- and-"
He cut off, staring at nothing in particular with an unreadable expression.

Then he glared at Sans. "Is your new invulnerability helping you sleep soundly?" He mocked angrily.

The skeleton wasn't even offended, just surprised to learn so much about the former prince so suddenly.
He didn't know the flower gained emotions in that process.
It must have been so overwhelming for him each time, and yet still having to play his part as a kid….
"Oh."
"What do you mean, oh? Get a move on, you smiley trashbag!"

He shook his skull, standing.
"You know what, kid?"
"Oh, you're talking to me?"
"Yeah I am. Since you wanna watch, I'll offer you a shortcut. How's that sound?"
Flowey blanked, incredulous.
"What? Why?"

He shrugged. "It's no harm if you're watching. You've already seen all the other times, anyway. Besides, you're still needed in the capital too, right?"
"But why are you even bothering? We hate each other."
"Hate's a strong word. Besides, you still bothered to find me. Why not return the favor? It's the end, after all."

The flower hesitated, eyeing the outstretched hand in suspicion before studying his face.
"Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
Sans shrugged. "Maybe I had a little change of mind. Besides, what's there to lose?"
"Your life."
"Well, I am pretty invulnerable now."
"Ah-... You actually have a point." Flowey growled, displeased by the fact.

Sans chuckled, crouching down so the flower could take his hand. Flowey shot him a look.
"You know what's at stake here."
"Flowey, just take my hand. At this point you're stalling." He explained, somewhat impatient.

"Okay, okay." A root curled onto his hand, several others following as they twisted around his phalanges, hooking into the metacarpals before the plant heaved himself up, completely tense as he watched the skeleton's every move.
It was a long minute of just more and more roots pouring out of the soil, heaving up a few rocks and piling dirt around them.
"Geez, how much root is there?"
"Enough to grab the entire Underground at once." Came the dry response.

Sans shrugged. "That's fair. Still weird. Tiny flower, big weed."
"Hey!"
"Sorry, big root." He smirked.
Flowey's scowl deepened. "For your information, most of these aren't roots, but vines. I'm mostly a vine plant." He waved one of said leafy vines in Sans's face, a few red thorns bristling.

"Good to know that little botany fact. I'll be sure to remember that when I decide to grow flowers."
"Jerk." The petaled one spat.
"Hey, you're the one who can't take a joke." Sans warned, grinning. Flowey just grumbled incoherently to himself.
"Just go. I hate this."
"I'm starting to like it less myself. You're pretty darn heavy."

Flowey was about to retort, but they had already shifted locations, light snapping from dreamy blue shadows to bright afternoon orange and gold in just a blink.

Immediately, Sans flinched, Flowey leaping off his hand and diving for a loose tile in the corner, skeleton left gripping his shirt, gasping faintly.
"Nappy, you good?" He muttered under his breath, shaking his skull.
"𝙸.. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢. 𝙸𝚝.. 𝚞𝚑. 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢."
"Nah, you're good. First time for everything, and that's a really short shortcut. You okay with it?"

The sharp volts died down to their usual comfortable levels, the odd pressure on his Soul fading.
"𝙸'𝚖 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢... 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢.."
"That was my fault. I should have warned ya." He muttered, rolling his shoulders as footsteps approached.
"But hey. Nick of time." He grinned, stepping out to greet the other across the hall.

They stared at him blankly as they came up, then a foot away they suddenly slid a blade out of their sleeve and stabbed at him-
It bounced harmlessly off, Sans stumbling as Chara grumbled.

"What the hell, kid?"
"Worth a shot."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"You went through the entire Underground just to break your goal by jumping me?"
"Hey, it was an experiment, I was going to bring you back."
"You know, for some reason I highly doubt that."
"What?" They smiled, sickeningly sweet. "You don't trust me, Sans?"

He regarded them drily. "You know I don't. And I probably never will."
"Probably, not definitely."
"I know that things can change. But you'd definitely have to prove that. As much as you've put into this so far, I still have absolutely no faith in you."
"Rude."

Sans just stared. Chara blinked, looking down as they remembered something. It was quiet like that until they glanced back up.
"Aren't you going to judge me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe I already have. Why repeat the speech when neither of us are following our scripts anymore? The reason to even follow them is gone at this point anyway. Go. Everyone will be showing up soon to save your butt from Fluffybuns anyway."

Chara hesitated, then awkwardly started to edge around him, avoiding his gaze before trotting quickly to the door.
"You're really not used to me not following the rules, are you?"
Their hand paused above the handle.
"It.. it's not just you. This last run has been.. really different."
"....Tell me."

"It.. Flowey set it off with ignoring it too and asking.. he watches us here. He was asking if I was really gonna stop. Did you know he watches us?"
"..Yes, but actually no. Found out just minutes before you came in. But what else?"

They blinked, shoulders dropping.
"Toriel let me go more readily than she's ever done before, and Napstablook, this shy ghost, he just let me by instead of confronting me, and later on MK didn't try to defend me the same, but tried to explain that I was.. good..? To Undyne? Not fighting her? And Alphys seemed a little less anxious than usual and Mettaton was somehow less murdery, and Muffet didn't even fight me at all? It's been so weird, I.. I don't get it. I bought spider cupcakes from Muffet."

"Huh." Sans glanced to the side, noticing Flowey frantically waving from around a pillar, gesturing down the hall.
They were coming.

"Go on ahead, we're starting to fall behind schedule with this chat. We'll talk later." He waved open the door with blue magic for them, Chara backpedaling in surprise before cautiously darting inside. He then nodded to Flowey, who was already disappearing under the tile he'd pushed up to get in.

Sans just hid behind his usual pillar, getting comfortable just in time to hear paws running across the tiles, panting as the goat lady raced towards the throne room.

He took the brief moment to talk.
"How ya feeling, Nappy?"
The phantom shifted around him, the intangible form close in and around him sparking invisibly.
".. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢.."
"Good, good. Just checking in on ya."
"𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜.."
"You're welcome, buddy."

Now a group came pounding through the hall, exiting the corridor on the other side as they too, rushed to save their "human friend".
He glanced over at the last of them vanishing into the next room, sighing.
"I should follow them."

Napstablook shifted.
"𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞.. 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘?"
"No, I do, but.. you know what happens next. We probably have to split up."
"𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘?"
"Yeah."
"𝙾𝚑.."
There was a moment where neither did anything.

Then Sans yelped as he was suddenly lifted up and floating through the air, moving towards the throne room.
"Didn't know you could do that!" He exclaimed, grabbing his slippers before they could fall off his feet.
"𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢.. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚢."

He just chuckled. "You're helping me be even lazier."
"𝙾𝚑, 𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗…"
"No, I'm enjoying this! If it doesn't bother you, then please. Carry me, my great lazing enabler."
The ghost snorted weakly, drifting through the darkened space and closer to the low hum of the Barrier.

He paused just before they reached the room, voices calling out on the other side. Sans was standing before he even quite realized it, Napstablook reluctantly phasing out of his side. He smiled at the shy one, who's face lifted a little in response.

Then they both entered the room of the Barrier, to the end of the madness.
The end of monsterkinds' imprisonment.
The end of the Resets.
The unknowable future.

. • ° . • ° . • °

White light enveloped everything, a hum so loud the air was shaking as time outside their little bubble stood still. Chara squinted, waiting for it to die down.

Eventually, it did, fading away as they quickly positioned themselves to dodge and keep whatever weakened dregs of Determination they had left.
But..
It was not the God of HyperDeath that hovered before them.

Well.. it was, but not his usual form, but a boy they were painfully familiar with.
".. Asriel."
Soft green eyes met their red glowing orbs, then turned downcast.
"..Chara."

"I take it you won't be fighting me."
"No, Chara. I won't. I'm.. I'm tired, Chara. It's the same every time. And.. now that I know we never had to follow the same patterns each time, I… I wanted to be honest."

They blinked, the goat boy approaching softly, paws padding on the flowers around them as he came closer, stopping just a foot away.
"I… I'm sorry, Chara."

They gasped softly, caught off guard.
"You're.. you're what?"
Asriel nodded. "I'm sorry. I wanted to say I'm sorry. I fuzzed up a lot, and I know I never should have agreed to take your Soul, I… I should have reminded you how bad an idea it was. I.." His voice cracked, eyes watering.

"I wanted to take it all back, Chara! We weren't supposed to be doing that, I.. I couldn't kill people. Sans was saying what I couldn't- things just sometimes- they're not perfect! And- and- and- I-" A shudder wracked his shoulders as he sobbed, throwing his arms around the human.

Chara stood there, processing what he'd said as he continued to sob against them.
Frustration, hurt, anger, pain, confusion…
It felt wrong to keep hating what was so obviously good, yet they still felt so angry, so hurt by it all.
Without anything reasonable to hate, Chara just felt.. lost.
Scared.
Something wet dripped down their cheek.

Chara blinked as it fell into the soft white fur.
They were crying too.
"I…"
They shivered, pulling their arms up to hesitantly close around the little Dreemur.
"I'm sorry too…"

….

"Please… no more Resets."
"I.. okay, Azzy. O-kAy.."
Both children slid to the floor, hugging each other as they cried.

There was no telling how long it lasted, as the only thing that existed was their little moment in time, everything else frozen beyond the shadowy borders of their space.
But inevitably, they did stop crying, Asriel shifting back, hiccuping briefly.
"I should uh, probably break it now."

"I.. missed you."
"I missed you too, Chara…" Asriel wiped his eyes, blinking. "But our time is done now. We.. our Souls are gone. We should go soon."
"I…" They hesitated, looking down at the red heart floating in front of their chest.

He was right. This Soul wasn't theirs. All that was left of Chara were fragments, not nearly enough to return to a human Soul- or anything at all, without a vessel of some kind.

They were just something that leeched off of Frisk to the point that the human was forever unconscious in his own mind.
Chara sighed, looking up as Asriel stared sadly at the pale, living light of the Barrier, something sown into the very rock, gathering magic for centuries to lock it inside, to keep monsters caged in the bowels of the earth.

A spell so powerful, it had sucked magic almost entirely out of every corner of the earth beyond to keep an entire civilization hidden, forgotten.
And it was being broken for both the first and the very last time.

Souls began to radiate out from the reanimated monster, circling him in concentric rings, shining brighter and brighter, the white beginning to hurt their eyes as the human Souls began to form a radiant nimbus around the one she had once called Brother.

A great roar shook the cavern, a sound that would have shaken rocks loose from the ceiling, collapsed buildings, and shattered windows had everything not been frozen in time.
A tremendous cracking sounded before them, almost musical as it radiated out like frozen lakes in winter.

Then, like a monster in death, it began flaking away. Petals of light peeled off of the great Barrier, only to be sucked out through the cracks, wind gusting outward as magic was tasted by air that had been starved of it for so many ages.

It took to crumbling, entire chunks blowing out and ripping themselves apart in the strength of the gale, wind ripping at everything present, a cloud of leaves, yellow petals and loose dust being jettisoned out of the mountain, gleaming almost unnaturally in the afternoon sun beyond, cast in the stark contrast of radiance and darkness.

The wind picked up, tearing the air from them as it yanked at their clothes, the air humming louder, vibrating intensely to the point of beginning to cause pain. The light intensified, blinding as their world was enveloped in white and oppressive sound.

Then, cutting through the cacophony was his voice, gentle and sweet, spoken as though they stood on a peaceful hillside with just a light breeze.
"I think this is goodbye now, Chara. Let the future go on now. We should rest."

"...No…" Something occurred to them in that moment, something that shook them to their core.
"Azzy, please. Don't go. I kept playing with you.. I stayed. I… hurt people, but I still stayed. Don't.. don't go... don't leave me. I'm not ready to go yet, don't leave me. Azzy. Azzy? Asriel! Please! Don't leave me! Don't leave me alone! ASRIEL!"

They screamed into the white noise, filled with a cold paralysis as they realized what was left of their Soul had so desperately wanted.
"DON'T LEAVE ME!"
There was nothing but the all consuming roar and white.
"Don't leave me all alone.."

Chara curled up on the ground, shaking as it set in.
They had just wanted him to stay.

But he was gone.