At another place, inside Mt. Ebott, a young goat monster slowly gazes up into the night sky through the hole that is high above him. Lost in his own thoughts, the little goat monster had wandered far from the spot where his parents, King Asgore Dreemurr and Queen Toriel Dreemurr, were completing the last stages of packing to relocate to 'New Home,' the proposed capital of the Underground.’

Looking up into the clear night sky, the young prince could not shake the feeling that he was meant to meet someone who had fallen.

‘Huh… I think I heard someone over here.’ Asriel pondered quietly as he kept gazing into the abyss thousands of feet above, seemingly anticipating the descent of something or someone. Despite the fact that he was utterly unaware of the reason or purpose behind his anticipation.

The little boy heard his parents calling out to him, so he slowly turned and began to walk home. Meanwhile, Chara was making her way back to her cave, where she had been living in complete solitude...

Over two weeks had passed since Chara last saw Arceus or the babies. She could not put her finger on why she had waited for Arceus to keep his promise. It was beginning to seem to her that he might never show up... What a complete moron she was to think that complete stranger cared about her.

Sincerely, though, she was thriving in her solitary life in the woods. When necessary, she could simply slip into the village and pilfer their supplies. But it was always risky to try. 

She had been sitting in front of her cave, enjoying a couple of chocolate bars that she had stolen, when it finally occurred.

An additional wormhole appeared above her, and Arceus emerged from it. As Arceus gracefully sank to the ground, Chara leapt to her feet in astonishment and tossed the candy wrappers aside. In a mad dash, she hurried back to the spot where she had first encountered the babies.

Arceus glanced over at Chara as she approached, giving her the expression that made her wonder if he could smile.

"Greetings, Chara. It is good to see you once more. My sincere apologies for the delay in my return.”

Upon seeing Arceus standing before her, who appeared much less menacing than the initial encounter she had had with the horse monster twelve days prior, Chara scarcely caught her breath..

"Hello... uh --" Chara whispered again, her face contorted into a smile and tears welling up in her eyes as she realized her dreams had not been in vain.

'He kept his promise...' After giving it some thought, Chara glanced around to see if the three infants were playing somewhere and had not noticed her yet.

When Arceus sees this, he slowly makes his way over to Chara. "If you are wondering where my children are, I decided it would be best if they stay home. I wished to speak to you in private, if that is alright," he whispered softly as he leaned in close, nuzzling his face into her soft hair. 

"Yes, I am fine with that." Chara responded awkwardly, as she was unfamiliar with permissions. She slowly and gingerly reached up to give Arceus’ head a little pet when she felt him nuzzling against her.

"So, Chara, how have you been doing since our last encounter?"

‘Fantastic, in fact. I should have fled home and lived in the forest years ago.’  Chara thought almost right away, before she had a chance to stop. "All right, I guess. How are you doing?"

"I have been fine. Good to hear that you have been healthy.” Arceus replies, as Chara gently starts to stroke his forehead when he leans his head down so she could reach him easier.

"Uh, how about the little ones?" Chara asked with a smile. “Still doing well, I presume?"

With a warm laugh, Arceus closes his eyes. "They are doing splendidly. You have been the center of attention for those younger ones recently. They are enthusiastically looking forward to visiting you again.” Then he opens his eyes wide again and caresses Chara's shoulder, unintentionally exposing an old scar caused by her human parents.

The sight of the scar causes Arceus to recoil in shock, and a look of concern crosses his face. However, Chara swiftly responds by pushing him away and pulling up the collar of her sweater to conceal her injuries, all before he has a chance to speak.

Fear gripped her as she met Arceus's gaze, and she uttered a frightened "S-sorry...!" Chara stutter-talked, her body visibly trembling. Never before had Arceus encountered anyone so terrified.

The next time Arceus "speaks," Chara hears a much more protective and fatherly tone in his voice. Unlike what she had anticipated, he was neither angry nor offended. “Are you okay? I was unaware that you were injured, and I apologize. How did that happen?”

"I am fine!" In a rush, Chara tries to make up a story about how she hurt herself, for fear that Arceus would go to her village and be killed or attacked if she told him the truth. "These are old wounds... I got into a fight with some of the kids in that village not long ago, and those things happened. They got it way worse than I did."

"My dear, are you absolutely sure about that?" While looking downcast at Chara in front of him, Arceus responds with concern shining through. With Chara's nod, Arceus finally gave in. However, his worried expression remained fixed on her face the entire time. Arceus' expression made Chara feel guilty for lying to him, as if she knew he could protect her even if she told him the truth.

"As you say. Should I be aware of any other wounds or scars?"

'Everywhere,' Chara thought, biting her lip as she slowly stood up to avoid Arceus' gaze. . She glanced down as she watched a ladybug slowly climb a tree nearby.

"Um..." Chara reconsiders telling him how badly she would been hurt.

Finally, after a minute, she tells him, thinking it might be good to be honest. "Actually, I bear a fair amount of physical scars... My arms, legs, and back have taken a beating from the whip on occasion when I have gotten into trouble. And I still have some scars from when I was younger, from being poured boiling water on my shoulders and neck for being a brat. Chara responds softly, her voice barely audible, her body trembling as she shies away from thinking about how she obtained them. 

She continued to just silently watch the ladybug slowly making its way up the tree, too afraid to look over at Arceus and know what he was thinking.

Would his heart break for her? Alternatively, would he be furious? Would he come to terms with what transpired and seek revenge in the village? On the other hand, would he just put that guilty face on and want to shield her from harm in some way?

In an effort to trick Arceus into thinking that most of her wounds were caused by her "picking fights" with other children in the village, Chara looks up and gives him her most convincing fake smile.

But Arceus felt right away that this was an outright fabrication. He emitted a startled sound as he perceived the anguish and suffering radiating from Chara's aura. As his worry grew, he peered more closely at Chara and nuzzled her head once more.

A whip wound followed by a bath with boiling water? Upon hearing that, Arceus was astounded even by his own ears. Is this the reason Chara now lived in solitude in the woods? Did she run away? If true, he could not blame her.

Upon realizing Chara required assistance, Arceus required her to trust him and be honest. After all, he did not want to scare her if she was uncomfortable enough to ask for help..

Chara, unaccustomed to kindness, recoils at the sudden touch. A while later, she relaxes and lets him nuzzle her. Though she looks confused and bewildered at Arceus.

Was he not angry with her?

When Arceus sees her flinch, he steps back until he can feel her anxiety easing, and then he nuzzles her softly once more. When he noticed her perplexion, his worry intensified even further. “Please know how sorry I am for what you went through. I wish I had found you sooner...  You must have been suffering for so long….”

"I am used to it. There was nothing you could have done that would have helped. A low murmur comes out of Chara's mouth. She whispered softly so Arceus would not hear, and then she slowly resumed petting him, burying her hands into his soft white fur. “I am sure you are only saying that because your kids love me...  If it were not for them, you would not even bother to talk to me, would you?’

"Sorry, what did you say?" In response, Arceus moves to gently kiss her pink cheeks. His cheeks were rosy as well, but he had green ones instead.

"I-I s...said I will be fine... It is just cuts and scrapes... I mean, the other kids were much worse off than I was. Chara stutters as she fights back tears, visibly moved by Arceus's tenderness, which she does not want to end just yet.

Chara longed for the passage of time once more, this time to remain steadfast by Arceus's side and bask in his tender love indefinitely. Despite the fact that she had only met him a short time ago.  Why did she feel so at ease and protected in Arceus's presence, even though he remained an utter stranger to her? Unlike her biological parents, she felt safe confiding in him and knowing that he would listen without judgment.  Such a feeling had never occurred to her in her human village before... 

What would happen if she begged Arceus to rescue her from this place? Would he want to? To ask him seemed absurd.

Still...

Still... 

However, she did not want to burden Arceus either. After all, he was clear he was already raising three children all alone. She could not support her selfishness and wish for his love to be more widespread.  It was circumstantial only. If the babies did not like her, he would. She was just being an idiot, as always….

"Y....do not worry about me..." Chara says, cracking as she forces those emotions into her SOUL and bans them from her mind.

Stupid Chara. Stop fooling yourself like that. He only cares because you saved his children. You ensured their survival so that he could locate them. And he is being generous to you as a gesture of gratitude. It is simply that.

That is all it will ever be.

When Arceus sees that Chara's voice is cracking and she stutters, he gently kisses her cheek again, his eyes still showing sadness and worry. “I am worried about you all the time. There was harm done to you, and I want to make sure you will be okay.”

‘Why, though? You do not know a thing about me... You probably would not have known I existed if I had not discovered your children or happened to be present when you reunited with that trio…’ Chara thinks to herself as she tries to hug Arceus by putting her small arms around his face.

Chara affirms, "I am fine where I am now... I can take care of myself. Dia, Grir, and Parr… They need you far more than I do anyway.”

"Yes..." Arceus says, nuzzling Chara's cheek again. ‘But you seem to need me too…’ Arceus contemplates before spending a few more minutes with her until it gets dark. Then he gently pulls back and carefully kneels down so that he isn't towering over her as much. “I truly do care for your safety….”

“.......” Chara stays quiet as she gently hugs his face while gently running her fingers over his soft white fur.

‘Please do not abandon me if you care about my safety. Take me home with you, and I assure you, I will not make you regret it. I would be happy to pitch in and help with the babysitting if you would like some extra time to yourself.’ Chara mulls it over in her head, but she keeps quiet about it.

She wishes she could express to him how much she despised being here and the people in her hometown who were responsible for her escape, but all she does is draw closer to him in an embrace. However, she would be dishonest if she denied that a part of her was relieved that she had departed from the village; otherwise, she may never have encountered Dia, Parr, and Grir, let alone Arceus. Interestingly, Chara felt a sense of obligation to them for the immense misery they caused her, to the point where she would rather end her life than endure another moment of their mistreatment.  It was because of that she met the most beautiful creatures alive.

And most importantly, she wished the best for Arceus's safety and the safety of his children; she could not bear the thought of him being killed by the villagers or her father, making them all orphans. That was the real reason Chara did not tell the truth then and there. She also felt obligated to shield him from harm;

A simple act of kindness, like Arceus paying her a visit every so then, would suffice... Once that was out of the way, she could continue to endure the forest on her own, secure in the knowledge that Arceus would surely be by her side, and if permitted, she could play with his children and watch them grow up to be wonderful adults one day…

Arceus allows Chara to hug him for a few more minutes while he tenderly nuzzles her cheek. Then, as he watches the moon rise, he carefully pulls away.

"I must go now, Chara, although it has been a pleasure to see you again. Nevertheless, I assure you that I will keep coming back if you desire. The next time I come back, it will be a much shorter waiting time.”

Chara's heart breaks as she looks up at Arceus, despite her best efforts to keep it hidden. "Okay... If you do not mind, I would like to see you again. However, if you are busy, I am willing to wait. I do not want to take too much of your time.”

Arceus gives Chara another look that implies he would smile if he could. "That is absolutely acceptable. When I find some free time, I will return for another visit.”

After a slow nod, Chara hugs him goodbye and bids him farewell. I am grateful that you came to see me. It was enjoyable."

During their embrace, Arceus gives Chara one more tender nuzzle. "It makes me happy that you did. Until then, Chara, I will see you later. When Chara gives him the go-ahead, he begins to back off and takes to the air, eventually vanishing into his own dimension via a portal he built.

Chara watches him go before she slowly returns to her cave and rests for the night.