Chara woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she looked at her surrounds, trying to get a reminder of where she was at. After she figured out, she noticed Papyrus was nowhere in sight, causing her previous peaceful state to turn into slight fear. Did he get sick of me? Does he hate me? Did he just wait until I slept to leave me without a fight? Chara couldn't decide whether she was more sad or angry. She settled that she had a combination of both feelings coiling deep in her soul.

She sat up and curled into herself on the bench, a frown on her face. She couldn't find it within herself to cry but she knew the emotions she felt were there and that was enough to label herself as human for now. She gave a small sigh as she buried her head to hide herself from the world around her. Her only partner had left her and now she was all alone, in a underground where she was most likely not going to be able to keep her own sanity without help.

She didn't know if the tall skeleton even realized that he was a sort of anchor. He was something that kept her okay enough to continue through without her past hatred for monster and human kind resurfacing. Now, however, her hatred was starting to grow. Papyrus had abandoned her and betrayed her. It was enough to make her hatred for monsters grow.

As she was wallowing in her own negative thoughts, she didn't notice the footsteps coming near her, taking one step on the mushy ground after another. It was only when it was close to her that she became defensive and turned around quickly, pointing her knife at whoever it was. She was not in the mood to be bothered and she made sure her face showed it before she realized who was there.

Papyrus looked at her, then the knife, then at her again. He didn't say anything about her reaction and just smiled at her. "GOOD MORNING, PRINCESS. OR NIGHT... ITS HARD TO TELL DOWN HERE BUT NEVERTHELESS, I HOPE YOU SLEPT WELL!"

Chara's face softened as she lowered her knife, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked up at him. Papyrus was still smiling at her and was still the only sunshine that was there to make her happy again. Her shoulders relaxed as she hung her head low, muttering an apology to him.

"ITS NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR! I HAD SNUCK UP ON YOU, HADN'T I? I WILL APOLOGIZE TOO THEN. I'M SORRY, CHARA," Papyrus said, giving her an understanding smile even if she was sure he didn't understand anything about her. It was somewhat comforting to have someone at least try instead of pretending to.

"Don't apologize for something so stupid..." She muttered, making sure that he didn't hear her. She knew that if she'd allow him, he'd go on a rant on why it's important to apologize for something that you did, even if the thing the other person did was worse. He was a shining example of what everyone should be like, which only reminded him of what Undyne said to her on her genocide run.

"Monsters like him aren't supposed to die!"

She's not going to argue. Chara knew that Papyrus was sparing her and knew that he would never hurt her even if he would've achieved his dream of being in the gaurd if he had. Yet, she still killed him. She betrayed him, in a way, which only made her feel worse. She had been worried about him betraying her when she had betrayed him in countless timelines.

She shook her head, collecting the bag next to the bench and telling him to follow her. "ARE YOU SURE YOU'D LIKE TO CONTINUE? DO YOU FEEL BETTER ENOUGH?"

Chara only nodded in reply. She smiled at him, trying to reassure him that she was fine even if that smile took some energy out of her. "I'm okay, Papyrus. You worry too much,"

"OF COURSE! YOU'RE MY FRIEND," Friend... The last time she had called someone her friend, she had been the cause to his demise. She wouldn't call Papyrus her friend, afraid that if she did, he'd meet the same fate as Asriel. She couldn't loose Papyrus, she just couldn't!

Chara made a silent vow to protect the skeleton at all cost, making sure to keep this small light to safe and alive. Asriel had been that to her and he still is, even if he's making her quest to collect him even harder. Asriel is still the person that she loves the most and yet, Papyrus was quickly becoming another person she was starting to truly love. As much as she says she feels nothing, it takes a big impact on her emotional state to make her realize what she was really feeling.

Determination filled her heart then. Determination to both find Asriel and protect Papyrus. Determination to save the most important people in her world. Determination to get back to her sister (as much as she hates to admit it, she misses Frisk). Determination to get back to the surface to see Toriel and Asgore, to play games with MK and yes, even hear Sans' awful puns.

This time, Chara wasn't playing around. She needed to get Asriel and then her world would be complete. Her world would be perfect, no matter how much anyone hates her. No matter how much she hates anyone.

Chara finally had a goal, had another reason to live and it was refreshing to have the negativity lifted from her soul and finally have a positive outlook. A positive goal.

She finally had a partner that could keep her grounded. Who had stronger will than her and who was still so innocent and nice and happy! Papyrus made her feel safe for the first time in her life.