Chapter Text
Charlie looked in the mirror as he practiced his entry. His granddaughter Callisto had decided to teach her students about life 100 years ago, and asked him to talk about his growing up. Well, he’s had nothing better to do since he retired, so he agreed to the request.
He walked into the classroom, preparing the warmest welcome he’s ever given.
“Greetings. My name is Charles. Charles Anastas.”
He looked at all the children giving their hellos, and his eyes…locked. At the short brown-haired child in the middle of the room. Their eyes were red, and reminded him so much of Caroline. He noticed that they seemed to be staring at him. In fact, they looked a lot like…No. Caroline is dead. She’s been dead for one hundred years.
He put the thought out of his head, and began explainng what his childhood was like, and it seemed the children were interested in what he was saying. He looked fondly at the students. It seems that the current generation will be alright. After he was done with his main points, he announced that he was ready to answer questions.
One girl asked him if he had any siblings, and he thought back to when he was seventeen. Young, spry and still able to run for long distances. He had moved on since that day, but it was still a sore subject for him.
He told Callisto’s students about Caroline. How she was as a child, and how she disappeared. And when he looked at that peculiar student again, he saw a hatred he had never seen before in his life. If he looked hard enough, they kind of looked like her. But it was impossible. Caroline was dead when she was nine years old. And unless reincarnation was a thing, it was just a coincidence.
A few weeks later, Callisto called again. She said one of her students wanted to talk to him personally. Chara, their name was. She said the questions were “personal, to them specifically”.
Perhaps they were grieving a loved one, or simply more curious about his life. Either way, who was he to deprive a child of a learning experience? He said yes, and they decided the date.
“Chara” walked tentatively into the room.
“Ah, Chara, I believe?” he said, smiling. ‘Please, come in, come in.”
Chara closed their eyes, and seemed to be in pain before simply saying “Hello…sir. I wanted to ask you some questions. But they were a bit personal…to me.”
Charlie smiled. They were curious, and didn’t want to embarrass themselves. He remembered being like that when he was nine years old.
He awaited the questions about his friends, what they did, and that sort of thing, and was then given the question of “Are you aware of the nature of souls?”
Calli had told him Chara was articulate, but he was a bit caught off guard by the whole thing. But still, he smiled and earnestly answered “ I know that we don't know a lot about them, but I know they're mysterious little things...things of light and darkness.”
Souls. He first learned of them when the monsters were freed two years ago. Everyone has a soul, but humans probably won’t see theirs unless in a battle with a monster. He was never lucky enough to meet one, but it was still a very interesting discovery.
So, they wanted to learn about souls? He prepared to tell Chara that they didn’t know a lot about the subject when they asked
“How did Caroline die?”
Oh. Charlie fought to hold back the tears welling in his eyes, memories flashing in his brain.
“I see. Well, by now you probably heard of the legend of this town.” He paused for a moment, his lip quivering. “A monster came out of the mountain with a dead child in its hands. We humans, hoping to avenge the child, tried to slay the monster." He took a shaky breath. "I was 17 at the time. I remember going outside to see the commotion, and in its arms...was Caroline."
He looked at Chara. "You remind me a lot of her, my child…" Chara winced at the phrase.
Chara asked the next question.
"If you could say anything to Caroline today, what would it be?"
"Chara! That is-" Calli said, before being cut off.
"No, Callisto. I've wanted to say these words my whole life."
He took a shaky breath.
"If I could say anything to my sister, I'd...apologize. I broke my promise and I'm probably the one that got her killed in the end. All because I told our father. The only thing she ever asked of me. The thing she placed all her trust in. I'd get on my knees and beg for her forgiveness if I could. But...she is gone. And I'll never see her again." He took a shuddering breath.
He continued "I have told this story to my wife, my son, my granddaughter, and my great grandsons. But I never told anyone about that secret. I still remember what she told me all those years ago..."
Chara nodded. "She told you she didn't feel like she was a girl. She didn’t know what she was. She was scared and confused, so she told you. Because she trusted you."
"You can't tell anyone, okay?" Caroline asked.
"I won't tell a soul." Charlie solemnly replied.
Calli and Charlie stared at them.
"Y-Yes…" Charlie responded.
"Chara...how...how do you know that?" Mrs. Nichte asked, her voice but a whisper. But Chara continued.
"Your parents never took her to school so you taught her to read when she was five."
"Okay, so A...B...C, alright?"
"Chara-" Calli started to move.
Chara began to raise their voice. "Your parents slammed her head into the table after they found out, so you gave her chocolate for the first time. You called her Carol."
"Don't tell Mom and Dad though"
Everyone was silent, except for Chara, who was now yelling.
"You raised her when no one else would, and then, when she needed you most, you told them her biggest secret. Like all of it was for nothing. You let them throw her out onto the streets like trash. You didn’t even care until she was dead! You just went and betrayed ...."
Chara was crying.
"...me" they whispered, screwing their eyes shut.
Charlie's eyes were shining. "Caroline…" he whispered. "You're so young. I- I thought you were dead, I...I saw you."
"My name is not Caroline!" They yelled.
"You did not do anything! You let them hurt me! You let them do all those things to me! You let them throw me away like I was garbage!” they shouted.
“I-I” Charlie clutched his chest, but Chara still kept yelling.
“You never tried to find me! And then you left me when you saw me that day! The day I fell down that mountain! And then you got everyone to attack my brother! The one who actually cared about me! You abandoned me and I do not need you anymore!"
Chara's voice grew quiet, shaking with emotion.
"Why did I tell you? Why did I let myself think you actually cared? That nothing was going to happen?"
Chara broke down, sobs of a broken child filling the room.
"I spent two years sleeping on the sidewalk. I spent two years hoping you would find me and take me home. And when you saw me, you left me all alone."
"Carol- Chara , please." Charlie got to his knees. "There hasn't been a day that went by where I haven't thought about what I did. What I could have done better. I know I can never make it up to you but I want you to know.”
He took a shaky breath.
“I...am so sorry for what happened all those years ago."
They turned away from him, instead electing to look at Callisto, who was also crying.
"I have only one question for you." Charlie said, voice breaking. "How? How are you alive? Everyone in the village saw your body…"
Chara sighed. "I am not sure. I remember dying, and the incident you described. After that, there was...a void. I could not perceive anything around me, make a sound, or even feel the earth below my feet. I almost forgot who I was… I stayed like that, slowly losing my mind, hoping something would happen, for someone to take me somewhere. Anywhere. My eternal punishment for my crimes.
But when Frisk fell two years ago, I woke up. Their determination turned me into a ghost inside their head. And there I stayed for two years. The ageless demon guiding the savior of the monsters.
But, a few months ago, Frisk was able to...bring me back. Through their determination. And here I am. I hope that answers your question."
Charlie responded with a hug. Chara tensed up before they reluctantly returned the gesture.
"I've missed you so much all these years." he whispered, tears staining Chara's sweater.
"What happened to them?" She asked. "Mom and Dad?"
Charlie sighed. "It has been over one hundred years. They...they are gone. They won't come back to hurt you, Chara. I told them as such that day."
Chara nodded, arms still around him
The two stayed in each other's embrace for what seemed like hours. They may not forgive him, but they still wanted him in their life.
"Do you want to meet my family, Charlie?"