It's been over nine months since Reaper came to the SAVE SCREEN. We've officially upgraded from strangers to best cuddle buddies. Reaper could always be seen physically touching me in some way. From having his head on my lap to draping himself over my back and shoulders. I didn't mind. I'm a very tactile person. I don't know what I would do if I had haphephobia like Error Sans. That would suck. Another thing, the first time I resummoned my ecto-hair after it dismissed, Reaper was obsessed. His eyelights turned to literal stars. I'm not sure exactly why, I haven't asked, but he's constantly messing with it. It got to the point where I sat him down and taught him different hair styles and braiding techniques. If he was going to constantly be handling it, he was going to make it look pretty. So, he will braid my hair different ways and unbraid it over and over again.
Things were going well for Chara. They had been adopted by the royal family and the entire underground loved them. Chara and Asriel were their hope for their future. Chara occasionally touched a save star so they were progressing. Though something seemed to be bothering them. They would occasionally wake up on the middle of the night or look confused when seeing Gaster. Speaking of which, things went bad when Gaster met my mother. She was practically screeching at him about him being a fake and to stay away from her. Gaster was soul broken. Though to him, the love of his life just turned her back on him. Her soul ache had progressively been getting worse. She's been holed up in the lab searching relentlessly for answers to what had happened to him.
Reaper and I are currently watching the two children playing in waterfall by the river."Uh oh." Reaper suddenly said.
"What is it?" I ask, looking down at his head in my lap.
"Just watch." He tells me keeping his eyelights on the window.
I look back up just in time to see Chara trip into the river. *Gasp* I watch in shock as they are pulled under the surface by the current. Asriel is crying at where their sibling disappeared. Just then I feel a shift in the SAVE SCREEN. Chara appears in front of us gasping for breath. I quickly dismiss the window, and head over to them. "It's ok. Your ok. Your safe. It's ok. Your ok. Your safe." I repeat to them, holding their hands, until they've calmed down. They look at me with tears in their eyes and say, "Sans, is it really you?"
I look at them with a relieved smile and said, "I thought I told you to call me Geno now, little heathen."
They launch themselves into my chest. I hold them tight, falling back. The two of us are sobbing messes, as Reaper watches us. We eventually calm down and start to talk about what's been going on. Chara explains to me about how they had been having dreams of us together. While I explained everything from the resets, their death, and what happened to cause it all to reset in the first place. How we had a life together on the surface as a family. How I had been dubbed their big sister. They were especially happy at that tid bit. I told them about Reaper, who they just now noticed Though, the sly bastard had been making himself invisible, not that that worked on me. Eventually, they started talking about their life with the royal family. They were so happy and excited. I just listened, because I didn't have the heart to tell them I had been watching them, so I already knew.
At some point, we ended up in a cuddle pile with Reaper. I was laying my head in Reapers lap as he sat, playing with my hair. Chara was tucked into my side, head against my chest. We just kinda laid there for a long while. Enjoying each other's company in silence. But I knew Chara needed to go back. So with a heavy soul slowly got them up. They didn't want to leave, but they agreed they couldn't stay.
"It's alright. If something happens, I'll always be here for you. The only thing that can keep us apart is nothing short of the work of divine intervention. Even then, it might take a while, but I'd always come back. That's a promise. You can come visit me whenever you want anyways, so theirs nothing to worry. But, do me a favor and be careful. I don't want you dieing." I tell them.
They seemed relieved at my promise. "Alright, I'll try not to die." They said.
"Good and can you do me another and tell my mother that she needs the DETERMINATION to travel the VOID to find what's been lost." I say.
"Sure, who's your mother?" They ask me.
I pull up a window showing my mother in her lab, looking like she hadn't slept in weeks. Chara winces. "That's your mother? She looks awful. What happened?" They question.
"My father fell into the VOID previously. We got him out, but when the PLAYER came and reset everything he was put back. When we true reset everything he didn't come out. The VOID exists outside of the multiverse, it's why I didn't disappear. So, he's still there. The two of them are soulmate bonded. So she knows he's gone, but not why or how. The Gaster you know is just filling his place in the universe." I explain.
"What's a soulmate bond?" Chara asks me curiously.
I look at them nervously. Should I explain? I don't know if this is something I should be telling them? But, I explained it to Pappy. Just as I'm about to open my mouth Reaper cuts in. "There are different types of bonds friendship, romantic, sibling, and parental. Parental and sibling bonds are usually from birth, but can happen with an exchange of magic. Friendship and romantic bonds are fated. They just give a sort of connection to one another. A soulmate bond is a special type of connection between two people who care for each other very deeply. It's not always romantic, but is created with two souls that are perfectly compatible with one another. Though, sometimes it can be more than two people. You can start to create this bond just spending time together, because the souls are so in sync. Though to complete it, you have to do ah.......*clears throat* um, a small test to make sure it's strong enough. You can't always tell when you have a soulmate bond. But, once one starts you can't break it, not like others. Only death can separate them. Their souls are literally unable to do anything to harm their other half. They are destined for one another." He explains. Phew. Saved.
"Do the two of us have a bond?" Chara asks.
"You know what, I'm not sure. But we can check it in an encounter or straight from our souls." I tell them curiously. Reaper seemed to be thinking hard about something, but looked curious as well.
"Let's do an encounter, it's more fun!" Chara exclaims.
We all stand up. Chara pulls me to the side and we stand across from one another. "Ready?" I ask.
"Ready!" They answer.
So the encounter begins.
____________________
Geno LV 4 HP .5/90,500
Fight Act Item Mercy
_____________________
Act
_______________________
*Check
*Hug
*Flirt
_______________________
*Check
________________________
*Even a check acknowledges the strength of your sibling bond.
_______________________
....................
________________________
*Chara chooses to hug you.
_________________________
Geno LV 4 HP .5/90,500
Fight Act Item Mercy
_________________________
Mercy
__________________________
*Spare
*Run
__________________________
*Spare
__________________________
..............
__________________________
*Chara spares you.
__________________________
The encounter ended.
"So what'd you see?" Chara asks me.
"We definitely have a sibling bond. I'm not all that surprised, though. I pumped a lot of magic into your save, so having some of it mix into your soul and my own is understandable. Now little sibling, aren't you going to give me another hug before you go." I tell them, arms wide and smiling.
They smile back and give me a tight hug. They let go and walk over to the load option. Look at me for a moment, then press it. They disappear.
I turn to Reaper. "So what is it that your using your skull so hard for?" I ask him.
"Your mother. Did you know she was half psychopomp monster?" He asks me.
"Ya, she ends up the ferry person of the underground later in the timeline. Destiny is tied closely with Death. Everyone's destined to die in the end, her vessel seems to reflect that. Guiding souls without judgement to their destination. Which is ironic, because I'm a Judge." I tell him.
He seems to be thinking harder. Then he to come to a decision. He looks at me, serious expression on his face. " I want to go pick something up. So I'll be gone a few days. I'll be back, so don't worry."
"Ok, that's fine. I honestly expected you to leave by now to reap souls or something. So it's not a big deal." I reassure him.
"The automatic cycle for souls is currently functional. It stopped working before when the Tree of Life and Death was damaged. So it had to be done manually. There is still the occasional stray soul, but those are few and far between. It might not even happen this time around. But, we can't prevent it since we can't locate the tree."
"Alright. Well, have a good trip and see you soon." I tell him giving him a hug.
He hugs me back, blushing. "Ya, see you soon." He says waving at me as he disappears into black smoke.
I hope he comes back soon. I have a bad feeling in my soul something is going to happen soon. And, it won't be good. So for the time being, I will prepare. I pull a few empty journals and pens out of my inventory and start writing.