Chapter Text
Chapter 17
The upperworld
In every universe, the 'beginning' is different.
Chara walked through the dense forest again. Her legs ached with every step; she had been on her feet for days. A comfortable bed and a warm meal would be nice right now. Her stomach growled at the thought of a delicious chocolate cake. No, Chara, she needed to stay focused. She had been here for too long. She started jogging until she reached a large gate. The gate was made of black wood with silver writing in a language she couldn't read.
Two guards stood in front of the door, dark creatures clad in armor with spears. Both were much taller than her and engaged in a loud conversation in their own languages. "Uhh, hello?" she called up to them, but both continued laughing. Irritated, she growled, "HELLO UP THERE!!" shouting at the top of her lungs. Both guards looked down at her in shock, then leaned closer.
"What do you want?" said one of the guards in her language. Despite being a peculiarly shaped monster with a bulging stomach, he spoke clearly. "I need to go through. Mortimi's orders," explained Chara, mentioning the Queen to make them believe her. However, both guards looked at each other with wide eyes and burst into laughter. Chara crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Haha! She thinks she can fool us too," laughed the second guard, his muscles visible through his armor. The brown-haired girl just rolled her red eyes as a realization struck her. While the two continued laughing, Chara sneaked between them. She pushed open the heavy door, which fortunately didn't squeak, and ran into the unknown.
When the guards finished laughing and looked down again, the chubby one said, "Well, we—where did she go?" confused as Chara had disappeared. "The door's open!" exclaimed the second guard. Both pushed the door open, but Chara was long gone. The chubbier one shrugged, "Whatever. If she dies, she'll come back here anyway," and both burst into laughter, an echo reaching Chara in the distance.
Chara walked through the dark tunnel. Small glowing orbs floated around, illuminating the surroundings. They were everywhere.
"Urgh, you again," growled a familiar voice. It was the golden-haired girl.
"Don't tell me you're Liebidi," said Chara, looking at her annoyed.
"How do you know my name?" asked Liebidi in shock. Of course, she had to be THAT daughter. They really needed to teach their daughter some manners.
"I'm supposed to take you to the surface, per your mother's orders."
"Mother? Tch, since when does she care about me? Once I find my dream prince, I can finally live in peace without constantly hearing my stupid parents nagging behind me. It's always so annoying, you have no idea!" Liebidi continued complaining, but Chara wasn't listening anymore. She didn't have time for this! She grabbed Liebidi by the ear and pulled her along. "Ow! Ow! Owww!! Let me go immediately! I'll tell my parents about this!" screamed the golden girl, but Chara didn't care. She just dragged her along.
On the way, they even encountered a large creature that stared at them both in bewilderment, but Chara shot it a death glare, and it remained silent.
Not long after, they reached the surface, having climbed many stairs until they saw the light. Now they stood on clouds in the sky. Chara looked down and recognized the world, which was already halfway disappearing. Damn! She had to hurry! She noticed Liebidi sneaking away, so Chara grabbed her arm firmly. "Don't even think about it," she threatened.
"How can you treat a princess like this!" exclaimed the golden girl in indignation.
"A princess like you will probably never find a prince. Even I find you too demanding," Chara retorted, giving Liebidi a stern look.
Both continued and saw many spirits again. They sat on clouds or simply floated in the air. Chara wondered why there were so many spirits here; perhaps they were all swallowed by the hole. She shook her head. If she didn't continue, even more would probably die.
They arrived at a large white temple. Angels with white wings and a holy aura flew around. They all looked at them with confusion but let them pass.
The interior of the temple was completely different from that of the Underworld. The walls were made of white stone with golden markings. Everything shone beautifully. An old man stood in the middle of the room, with a long beard and being very small, small white wings coming out of his back. He somehow reminded her of Merlin.
"Liebidi! There you are!" exclaimed the old man in relief when he saw his daughter. "You really need to stop running away all the time!" Liebidi simply ignored his stern look and rolled her eyes. What a brat, Chara thought.
The old man then looked at Chara; he must be Opapi. "Mortimi has already sent me a message that you will come, human child. Give me the pure heart."
Chara handed him the broken heart. He took the pieces firmly in his fist and spoke foreign words. His fist was enveloped in bright light, and the pieces began to fly. They slowly grew back together, forming a heart that glowed beautifully in yellow.
"I- um- thank you!" Chara said, amazed; that was easier than expected. Opapi smiled warmly at her and returned the heart.
"You're welcome. But I'm surprised that you came here alive. Such a thing is actually impossible! Normally, you should-"
Before the old man delved too deep into his thoughts, Chara interrupted him. "Yeah, that surprises me too, but I really need to get back." She REALLY didn't have time for this; she had to go back to the others.
"Oh, of course! I wish you all the best, and don't come back too soon," he said, laughing and touching her forehead with his finger. This touch felt very familiar. The white woman had done the same to her, and then she fell into darkness. The same thing is happening again.
