Nick let out a loud yawn, waking up from the bed as he made his way over to the computer. Oh, a new private message notification. The hazel green eyed young man clicked on it, opening up the document…

Eyes bugging out and going wide as saucers.

“Buddy.... I know you won't believe me but.... the story is in trouble.... I don't know how to tell you this but I think that something has been writing it for us. But... now I don't know what to do.

You have to trust me. Gaster was right.... and I should have left well enough alone. But maybe..,maybe you can reach Chara. You did it once before, with Sans and Starlight. But now... now I need your help to get Starlight to finish Chara. To reach through to him like Sans did to her. How would she do it?”

 

Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Edward sounded dead serious. What was he going to do? How could Starlight reach through? COULD Chara be reached? Chara was currently possessed. It wasn’t like with Starlight, who just needed to be confronted with the horrors she’d unleashed. This was different. How…

...an idea came to him. He cracked his fingers and quickly brought up Microsoft Word, typing away before, at last, sending the message he needed out, a grin spreading across his face.

“You’ve got MAIL, motherfucker.” He whispered at the Anomaly.

…

…

…

...Chara raised his knife. Here in this underground library, he expected to find Toriel. And while he did, he did not expect this pony, one who had blasted him like Sans could.

Starlight Glimmer meanwhile had been waiting for him She knew sooner or later he would try to get Toriel, and when he did, based on what Sans told her, she knew this had to be a fight to the death... or to life. Sans told her she had to trap him in a sort of time loop, until he realized the truth. Until he could remember the true past.

As Chara slashed at her with intense force, enough that he could likely have sliced through brick. But she dodged to the side, gritting her teeth.

"What, you think I'll just let you kill me? Come on! I am using SANS'S weapons, so you can bet I will use his dodging skills!"

Chara gritted his teeth, shouting. "Say what you will, I will kill you! You're like the comedian, a glass cannon! A few good slices of my true knife and you’re dead!"

Starlight focused her beam, the blast sending him into the wall. "Yeah... but first you got to hit me Chara." She glared. "Yeah, I know who you are. And my name is Starlight Glimmer....your JUDGE!"

Chara shook his head and went to charge, but Starlight was powerful. She used her magic to send him flying to the ceiling. When she let go, she blasted him head on with the beams. Starlight turned towards the "save point". and watched as Chara rematerialized. In truth it was just a reformation point, and nothing more. As long as Starlight willed it, he would reform time and time again at that point. A little trick of alicorns that Twilight helped her make.

"Shall we try again?" She said, smugly as Chara charged once more, determined to kill. But this pony was stronger than he had first imagined, and fast as well. But he figured if he got close enough she wouldn't use her spells.

BIG MISTAKE. Starlight was after all a former villain, and she did not fight fair as a result. She learned to fight dirty in those days, not just with beams or spell shields. Chara found out one mighty buck of her back legs later, followed by a needed reformation.

*********

The anomaly grew angry. He had lost control of the story, and it was now fully writing itself. He turned to Edward, slowly coming to. The anomaly knew Edward would not be caught off guard again, and would not be easily taken down as weak as the anomaly truly was.

"UURRRGHH! FINE! IF I CANNOT CONTROL THIS STORY FROM ON HIGH, THEN I WILL CONTROL IT DIRECTLY.... WITH ONE MINOR NOTE." He chuckled and typed one final line, before leaping into the computer. Edward was wide eyed, seeing it happen, approaching in fear as he saw the line in the now saved document.

"Suddenly, a dark anomaly possessed Chara, a familiar one to the boy... and when it did, the boy used its power to call on magic himself.”

Edward was wide eyed. This one he could not handle alone. He needed NGrey's help to finish this tale. He knew what Starlight would do to save the boy more than he did. QUickly, he sent the file over his new internet connection, with a message attached.

"NGrey.... you have to save him. Stop the anomaly!"

******************

--------

Chara’s body was cloaked in a shrouded miasma of pure, disgusting violence and hatred. His eyes glowed red, his head slightly tilted to the side as he spun his knife about in one hand, grinning sadistically as he faced down Starlight, who firmly glared back. Chara’s possessed form ran his tongue along the knife before pointing it squarely at her. “Get ready, my dear. Because I’m about to get a look at your blood. I think you’ll look very good in RED.”

“Get some new material, demon.” Starlight snapped.

The Anomaly surged forward, slashing at her with his knife as she leapt back, kicking off the wall and leaping over Chara’s possessed form as he swung at her anew. Twisting around, his foot launched towards her, kicking her as she skidded across the ground, then re-righted herself in the large basement and her horn glowed brightly.

With a crack like thunder, a magical bolt sailed towards the Anomaly as he calmly sliced through the bolt with a SCHWIP, cutting it in half as the two halves slid to either side of him, exploding and sending dust and smoke cascading all around as Starlight glanced about, peering through the expanse as a mocking voice rang out.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little Starlight...I will fill you up with fright. I’ll hang you from the ceiling high, like a diamond in the sky!”

“Like I said. Get some new mater-” Starlight began to say before realizing she’d given away her position, barely dodging in time as Chara’s possessed body surged out of the smoky haze around her, slashing at the unicorn. She reeled back, gasping, a horrid slash across her chest, cringing as she faced Chara down. The red-eyed child smirked, the Anomaly fading into the smoke again as Starlight looked about, her horn glowing.

Chara shot forth from the smoke again, but bounced off a shield she’d erected around her, Starlight grinning. “Nice try.” She insisted, Chara striking at the shield again and again, Starlight realizing that the shield was collapsing under the weight of Chara’s blows. She jumped back just as it shattered, the Anomaly shooting forward, headbutting Starlight and forcing her back as Chara tried to slash at her again.

Starlight barely managed to duck just in time to avoid his strike, headbutting HIM as she knocked him clear across the floor, panting and heaving.

They had to hurry.  Indeed, Starlight was primarily a distraction. She couldn’t go all out until the other’s work was done. They had thought long and hard about what to do, and it had been incredibly stressful to think up a solution.

“He’s possessed by a dark spirit, isn’t he? A demon or something?” Asriel reasoned as he and the others had sat inside of the castle, all gathered around the table, his eyes pleading for answers. “Well can’t we simply do an exorcism?!”

“Chara isn’t some helpless girl whom we’ve already tied to the bed. They’ve got incredible physical strength and skill. We could never get a priest who could be able to do the ritual, because Chara would kill them in a few minutes. The exorcised has to be tied up and incapacitated first.” Twilight reasoned. “Muffet, I don’t suppose…?”

The spider-lady sighed, shaking her head. “I’m fast, but not THAT fast. And neither are any of my pretties.” She added, as one spider quickly brought her a telegram. “Oh dear. It would appear that Starlight’s putting the plan into motion. We’d best come up with something fast!”

“CAN NOT YOUR FRIEND ZECORA, THE WOMAN WITH THE CHARMING HABIT OF RHYMING, AID US?” Papyrus suggested.

“My powers are great, and I’m talented too. But I know of no spell that for demonic voodoo.” Zecora apologetically admitted, bowing her head and shaking it back and forth.

“I do not believe chaos magic would be able to halt a demon. That’d be like throwing gas onto a fire.” Discord sighed. “Is there not ANYTHING that any of us can do?”

“I don’t suppose anyone’s friends with a spirit of their own that could maybe help?” Spike had asked up, raising a hand up at the table as everyone looked squarely at him. “Like, do we know any friendly ghosts? Or if Chara’s possessed, do we know anyone who’s fought off possession before?”

“Well, I did.” Frisk admitted as he put a hand on his chest and nodded, the Asian American rubbing his chin. “And I remember when the Six Souls had talked to me during my time in the Underground, I’d seen and heard from them instances where Chara tried to manipulate them into doing things for them. Or at least, the Demon that had a hold on Chara’s spirit did.”

“The Six Souls, of course!” Asgore proclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm, the gigantic, goat-like monster looking firmly around at them all. “We must call upon them. They’ve been currently inside of their containers this whole time, we could make use of them to banish this demon that’s befouled my family! Spirit defeating spirit!”

“Wait...you had six kids dead and...and you just had their souls stuck in jars that were just LYING AROUND?” Twilight asked, as the monsters at the table all shamefully looked away, biting into their lips or rubbing the back of their neck, Papyrus blinking slightly, obviously confused.

“WAIT, YOU...THAT’S WHAT YOU WANTED THE HUMAN FOR? THAT’S SO...MEAN.” Papyrus murmured. “I DIDN’T KNOW THAT AFTER FRISK WAS CAPTURED, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO...I MEAN…” He trailed off. “I WOULD NEVER WANT TO ACTUALLY HURT A CHILD.”

“How exactly did this happen?” Twilight quietly inquired, placing her hooves together, her face solemn and quiet. “Why did you order them dead?”

“Well, after Chara had died, and...and my son Asriel had perished as well, thanks to Chara’s plan…”

“Yes, Asriel told us about that…”

“Well, I flew into a rage. I ordered all humans that fell down into the Underground, that...that…” Asgore covered his face with one hand. “That they’d all be killed. And after that, slowly, over a period of time, six humans did. Six...human children.” He whispered out, Sans, who was standing by the table close to Discord, speaking up. His voice was a horrid, throaty croak.

“i killed two.” He muttered as Undyne folded her arms over her chest and hung her head, biting into her lip, Papyrus gasping in shock. “a little black girl and an Asian girl. the first one I blew away with a couple Gaster Blaster attacks, the second one, she actually fought me almost to a standstill, but…she just looked so pitiful after it all, she broke down and started crying and…” He trailed off. “…i couldn’t let her go, but I hated the fact I couldn’t. she was just so small…”

“One kid committed suicide in front of me, he jumped into the water in Waterfall, evidently he’d done such horrible things he...he felt he needed to make up for it and he died right in front of me.” Undyne whispered. “Then there was Christa, this...this silly little dork. She’d come down to help Alphys and Dr. Gaster and Sans with the time machine.”

“Yes, I remember you mentioning that machine!” Frisk said. “I SAW it back at the Underground, it was in Sans’s private lab, all covered up. He said he couldn’t get it to work, neither of you could.”

“Not after it broke the first time when Gaster fell in, and during the accident, it claimed Christa too.” Undyne sighed, shaking her head back and forth, the fish woman resting her hands on the table as the glasses-wearing human’s soft smile faded into her mind’s eye. “She had this chunk of the machine impaling her through the chest. All she could say was how mad her dad would be cuz...cuz she’d messed up her fancy notebook and gotten it all bloody…” Undyne murmured witha  small laugh. “Funny the things you focus on.”

“Undyne claimed her soul, and another human’s soul not too long after, a girl named Bonnie.” Alphys added, Frisk flinching as he laid his hands in his lap. “She’d evidently caused some of the monsters to get VERY hurt. So hurt I tested out my Determination formula on them and I thought it had worked, but...well, they turned into an even worse state instead. The girl evidently felt so guilty over shooting at them she didn’t even try to fight back when Undyne ripped her soul away from her.”

“And then there was Anthony. He was Chara’s kin, the brother he’d never known.” Undyne added as she held her hands together and bit her lip. “He’d been sent down into the Underground to find her. Her mother had been pregnant with Anthony when Chara vanished, and then she got VERY sick. She managed to stay alive long enough to give birth and to tell the doctors who delivered him that she hoped he could find her. I guess after she vanished, they must have felt guilty over driving her away. Anthony made it his mission to find out what become of her, and I was SO close to killing him, but...but he did something I almost couldn’t forgive.”

“What was that?” Twilight asked.

“...he saved my life.” Undyne sheepishly mumbled. “I’d been...falling apart. I SO wanted him dead I was somehow tapping into Determination of my own, but we monsters can’t handle that. So I was falling apart right in front of him, and he dragged me to Alphys’s lab!  Can you believe it? He was just so worried about me. HIM, worried about ME.” She chuckled, head shaking back and forth. “I couldn’t believe what he’d done. I took him to get something sweet at Muffet’s place, he said he wanted to help her cook and…”

Her expression got cold as her clawed fingers dug into the table. “She poisoned him and took his soul.”

Muffet cringed, slightly looking away. “I just…human souls were worth a lot of money, and my people-”

“Poison is a COWARD’S weapon. I couldn’t believe she’d do that to him, I…I felt ANGRY at that. He’d deserved better.”

“I SAID I was sorry!” Muffet yelled out. “We were all desperate! We’ve all done awful things, all of us at this table! Don’t single me out when you’re one of the worst of the lot!”

“We HAVE all been pretty awful. Those poor kids, they’d all been so scared. Scared of what we could do, b-but they still tried to be nice even after all we did.” Alphys quietly murmured, tapping her claws together. “And sometimes, its like…its like I can see Christa standing next to me and Undyne sometimes.”

“They ARE there.” Frisk said softly as they all looked over in his direction. “I’ve got a very strong sixth sense, I think it runs in the family. I can see them, or at least, part of their souls. They’re standing right by you. Christa has a purple t-shirt with a big ol’ shirt pocket and Neil, that kid with the ballet clothes, he’s there too, and so is…so’s Bonnie. Cowboy hat and all.” He added.  “Sans, Hope and Qiang are right next to you. And Muffet, Anthony’s there by your side, chef hat and everything.”

“They’re standing right by us? Is my hand passing through her head?” Undyne asked, waving her hand in the air.

“Yep.” Frisk said. “Well, actually, it’s kinda sticking out the side of her head and she’s giving the signal for “cut it out” to me.”

“Can they help us with Chara?” Twilight inquired, as Frisk turned back to the souls he could see, who all calmly nodded.

“Definitely.”

…

…

…

…Starlight Glimmer panted and heaved, holding up one hoof as a circular burst of energy shot forth, rushing towards Chara. The possessed boy leapt up through the air, dodging the dark purplish shot of magical power, then landed expertly on his feet, racing towards her. Starlight Glimmer held up both hooves, focusing her power as her two own “Gaster Blasters” rose up, shooting forth beams of magical might at Chara.

They barreled into Chara, Starlight Glimmer grinning in delight as she watched his form wilt and shudder under the horrific assault of her Gaster Blasters, Starlight shaking her head. “It’s over, Chara. You can’t stand up against me.”

But then her smile faded as he stood there, panting a bit, dusting himself off as he pointed the knife at her, demonic energy swirling around him. “I’VE GOT MY OWN TRICKS.” He roared out, as demonic waves of blackish/red energy shot forward, striking into Starlight Glimmer, forming large, skeletal hands that bashed her against the wall again and again.

Glimmer was not having any of that. Gritting her teeth and fighting through the pain, her horn sparked as a inky blot of black magic shot forth, splatting over his face and blinding him as he lashed about, trying to strike at her despite his lack of sight. But his shots kept going wide as Glimmer dipped and dived and ducked, avoiding his many skeletal strikes, the demonic energy all missing.

“You can’t hit me!” She called out with a slight smirk to her tone. But then Chara slammed his fists into the ground with a furious roar, and the dark red and black energy pulsated out. The shield that had been protecting the unconscious Toriel far in the back of the room shattered, Starlight Glimmer being tossed backwards, hitting the wall as Chara sadistically smirked, turning to look at Toriel as he held up the knife.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this. At last, I can truly finish what I started. With this, I’ll gain just the right amount of EXP I need to reach a good, proper level, and then nobody shall stop me.” The Anomaly commented coldly.

“What is your PROBLEM?!” Starlight growled out. “Why your obsession with EXP and Levels?!”

“And you weren’t obsessed with revenge? You cared about control. Control over your own fate which you felt was denied you. So you tried to control others. And what is control if not power over others? Power. POWER is what matters. And when you go the distance, complete everything, DO everything, see all there is to see, DO all there is to do, only then will you be satisfied. It felt exhilarating to come so close to wiping out the whole Underground, but now that I know there’s so many other races here, I can have even more fun!” The Anomaly told Starlight, twirling the knife about. “Call me the Completionist. I leave no stone unturned.”

“Why don’t you use your powers to HELP people?” Starlight asked as the Competlionist chuckled.

“I played the good little boy for a long time. And like I told Azzy, it gets boring only going one route. Pacifist, Genocide, No Mercy, Betrayal...you need to see everything a world has to offer. I feel incomplete without it.” The demon remarked calmly. “You have to go every route, get every ending. In fact, once I’ve finished sharpening my teeth on all your bones, I’ll reset and do this all over again, and be your bestest widdle buddy, and you’ll NEVER know any of this happened.” It said, clasping its hands together, giving a fakey little phony cheery smile. “And I’ll do it again...and again...and AGAIN. And then move on to the next race.”

“You know, good mares have to know their limitations.” Starlight grunted out, struggling to get to her hooves only for Chara to shoot forward, kicking her into the wall with a THRUKKA-THRUD, the faintly purplish-furred unicorn gasping in agony as the Completionist Anomaly smirked.

“Limits exist to be broken. Like bones.” He said, grabbing hold of her hoof. “THIS little piggy went-”

“Don’t…stop this, Chara…” Toriel’s voice wafted out as he turned around, seeing Toriel rising up from up against the wall, panting and heaving, struggling to get to her feet as Chara let go of Starlight, arms hanging limp at his side. “You can’t have forgotten all about us. About the love we gave you.” She said gently. “Don’t you remember me? The nights we’d lull you to sleep? The pies?”

“…you used to smell like bread.” Chara spoke quietly, and for a brief moment his eyes were normal…but then they turned red again, the anomaly smirking.

“Oh, isn’t that just so sweet. You really think you can reach him? This is what Chara wants. They opened their heart to me and I was happy to come on in.”

“And now we’re ripping you out.” A voice rang out.

Chara’s body was tackled, as an African American girl in shabby brown clothes glared down at him, grabbing hold of his right arm, an Asian American girl with black hair and a black karati “gi” keeping his left arm down. A blonde-haired boy in ballet clothes had pinned Chara’s left leg down, whilst a messy haired young lass in a purple shirt too large for her was pinning his right leg. A red-haired Italian American child was holding onto Chara’s left side, trying to pin it to the floor as a brown-haired, cowboy-hat wearing girl held down the boy’s right side. Hope, Qiang, Neil, Christa, Anthony and Bonnie. The Six Souls, all shining brightly, Heart symbols floating about in the air over their heads, circling around Chara, Asgore and the others holding open various containers which had held the souls only moments before as they stood at the bottom of the basement stairs.

“You will leave him NOW.” Hope growled. “We’ve been patient, waiting for our opportunity to end the horrors you’ve unleashed.”

“You’re nothing but a coward, without a shred of bravery, making other people do your dirty work!” Qiang snarled. “Qu Ni De!”

“You’ve no principles, no integrity. You disgusting demon.” Neil grunted.

“All that requires evil to win is for good people to stop persevering in the fight against it. Well we will NOT give up this fight.” Christa proclaimed.

“It’s disgusting how cruel and without kindness you are. But I can’t pity you after all you’ve done to the brother I deserved to get to know.” Anthony spoke softly.

“You…hurt…my family. You WILL face justice.” Bonnie said, Chara’s body shuddering and shivering, all of them glowing brightly in different shades. Aquamarine, orange, blue, purple, green, yellow, the six souls assaulted the dark sludgy miasma that enveloped Chara as he howled and screeched and wailed.

“NOOO! GET OF ME! YOU THINK YOU’RE WINNING?! YOU THINK YOU’RE TURNING THE TIDE?! I’LL BE BACK! I’LL ALWAYS COME BACK! I’LL-”

“Things like you are beyond hell.” The Six Souls all spoke up, and with that, they all TORE at the dark miasma, ripping it into shreds, tiny little chunks that dissolved before everyone’s eyes, leaving an unconscious Chara on the floor, everyone gasping in surprise as the Souls turned back, smiling warmly at them all…Bonnie especially so at Frisk, giving him a knowing smile.

“You be good, kid.” She said knowingly as he wiped a tear away, and watched his mother fade along with the others, the Souls vanishing as they drifted off, high, high into the ceiling, perhaps never to return. Toriel raced over to Chara with Asgore and Asriel, turning him onto his back, Toriel waving a hand in his face.

“Chara? Chara, can you hear me?” She asked.

The boy’s eyes fluttered open and he slowly looked around, staring at everyone. “…uh…who…who are you?” He asked, Asgore shuddering, Asriel’s face falling as Toriel almost wept on the spot, covering her face as Frisk quietly watched on, unsure of what to do.

The next day, Chara was in bed, hands on the big blue comforter before him as Toriel wrung her hands, Asgore and Asriel standing nearby. “Well?” She asked of Doctor Whooves as the good doctor held up the clipboard he had with him.

“I can’t really find anything. It’s like his mind is locked off. I’m sorry. I’ve no explanation.” He admitted sadly. “We can only really keep him here and wait. Give them time.”

“We’ll figure out something. Even if we have to make sure he relearns everything, we’ll make this right.” Asriel offered, gently patting his mom and his dad on the back as they exited the room, Frisk peeking inside, seeing Chara’s face and the clear and obvious recognition in his eyes…along with absolute guilt. Frisk waited until the others were gone from the hospital room, having vanished down the hallway, and then spoke.

“When you’re ready…I’ll wait for you with the others. We can talk to them together, “partner”.” Frisk offered without a hint of sarcasm.

“…I don’t deserve it.” Chara muttered. “…I was sick in my own head. And I needed somebody to take a scalpel and cut out all the bad parts. But I can still feel so much of it left behind, like an awful scar.”

“Scars can be cool.” Frisk reasoned. “And besides, they can fade with time. Just…give yourself some time.”

With that, he slowly closed the door, leaving Chara alone with his thoughts, and a lifetime to think about as he quietly hung his head. A little while later though, a white-furred doctor pony in a long labcoat entered, bringing some apple juice…and a book.

“Here.” He said, putting the apple juice down as he held the book up. “I thought you might like this. It’s “Beauty and the Beast”. A true classic from BOTH worlds, from what I’ve heard. I always enjoy the twist at the end in how the beast is transformed into the beautiful specimen he always could have been inside. It shows you how much a little love can do.”

“Kind of like having a flower bloom, I guess.” Chara admitted. “Could you, um…” Chara bit his lip. “I know you might have a lot to do, but…could you read it for me, Dr…um…”

“It’s okay. My name will come to you.” The good doctor said with his oddly deep, black eyes as he sat down in a nearby chair and opened up the book, beginning to read as Chara leaned back in his bed, and quietly listened as Dr. Gaster just read and read and read.