"Howdy, Chara!"

You close your eyes and try to catch a breath of fresh morning air. No dice. The opening here is too far up to feel much different than the rest of the Ruins.

Padded feet step lightly across the ground, plopping their owner squarely in the grass next to you.

"What are you up to?"

You sigh. Suppose you'll have to give him an answer now.

"Nothing."

The grass crinkles as he lays down. "Can I do nothing too?"

At this, you snort. "You've been doing something since the day I came here."

He gives a brief hum of acknowledgement. Whispers of a sunrise tickle the cavern walls as the two of you slip into comfortable silence.

"It's been a year, you know. Since you fell down."

You open your eyes, catching a brief glimpse of a cavern ceiling in another world - before turning on your side to your new one. Asriel is looking back at you, propped up on one arm.

"Do you ever-?"

"No."

Truthfully, you aren't sure what he was going to say, but you can surmise something close enough. He knows better than to press this sort of topic now, and simply nods.

The silence stretches on for several more moments.

"I was checking on my seeds." You gesture to the surrounding upturned earth. "But they're not getting enough light from the hole. You'd need... super magic fertilizer, to grow down here. Or something."

"I don't need sunlight or fertilizer to grow!" He wrinkles his nose. "And I don't think super magic fertilizer exists."

"You could make it real. When you're king."

"Not if you're monarch first!" he shoots back.

You roll your eyes. "It doesn't work like that, Azzy. I'm pretty sure you've got a month on me. Plus you're, you know, actual royalty."

He cocks his head but doesn't say anything else. Then, after a pause: "Mom and Dad are gonna throw you a birthday party. I know you don't like surprises, so I thought I'd warn you. Just uh, try to act surprised when we get home?"

Your whirl towards him and scramble to your feet. "I told them I didn't have-!"

"Come on, Chara!" he protests. "You know how they are! Besides..." he trails off with a devious smirk and a wink. "Mom's making double-layer chocolate cake."

Your eyes bulge and your mouth waters. "You're joking."

"Nope!"

"But..." you trail off, and gesture wildly for emphasis. "Where'd she even FIND that much chocolate?!"

Asriel bows his head gravely and drops into a sorta-low-you-appreciate-the-attempt monotone. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

You raise an eyebrow. "Magician? I thought you were the Absolute God of-"

"SSH!" he whisper-screams as he lunges for your face. You twist to the side and chuckle as he pulls his snout out of the dirt and glares at you.

He crawls forward, eyes singing ballads of vengeance, and perhaps some hyperdeath.

"You're going to reveal my secret identity," he murmurs solemnly.

You meet his gaze with a glint in your eyes. "Do not fear, Your Majesty. The Demon will ensure any eavesdroppers cannot speak again."

He smiles, seeming pleased with himself, before his eyes widen. "Charraa!" he whines. "Don't say that!"

You slip back into the soil with a fit of laughter, and before long Azzy joins you.

"Do you wanna get back?" he manages, after several minutes of deep breaths from the both of you.

You shake your head slightly, clutching a soft furry paw with your stringy bony human-thing. "Let's stay here for a bit."

"Okay!" He turns and reaches into his pocket. "I actually have something for you. I wanted to get it to you early, so..."

Asriel turns back to face you, a small white and red box in his left paw. He passes it to you gently.

You tilt your head, confusion etched across your features? "Are you sure?"

He returns your befuddlement with his own. "What do you mean?"

"Well... it's gotta be pretty cool if you got it... got it for me, right? So shouldn't you keep it for yourself?"

His face scrunches up all wrinkly-like. "You're being dumb. Open it!"

Well, you suppose you can't argue with that logic. The lid pops off easily.

Inside rests a golden locket on a thin chain, curved down in the shape of a monster SOUL. The Delta Rune is emblazoned on the front.

"Flip it over!" Asriel hisses with bated breath.

You do so, and a short phrase greets you on the back.

"...Best friends forever," you mumble.

"Yep!" Asriel confirms with enthusiasm! "And I got one with a human SOUL, so we match! I know you said gold's special on the Surface, but down here it's just money so if you want something else I can-"

His words are cut off with a bleat of alarm as you tackle him to the ground and bury your face in his chest. He hugs you in return. The two of you lay there for a long moment, as you shake silently.

Finally, you find your words.

"I love you. You know that, right? And Mom. And Dad."

He breaks into a stupid doofy smile. "Of course!"

You pull yourself off him, and he sucks in air before sitting up himself.

"Aren't you gonna open it?"

"What?"

"Open it up! That's what lockets do!"

You snort. "Well, yeah. I knew that. I was just making sure you knew it."

You fumble with the clasp for a moment. Asriel almost looks ready to lean over and help, but it swings open just in time.

A soft melody echoes through the cavern.

You let out a breath. "...this is your song. The one I made up on the piano."

"Yeah, uh... it was kind of hard to get someone to make a music box for a song I only had in my memories. But it all worked out!"

Droplets of liquid from some mysterious, inscrutable source pitter-patter softly against the locket's innards.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou-" you babble, words trailing off into tears. Asriel wraps his hands around your back, and after a moment you return the gesture.

Your soaked face rubs against his shoulder. "You dork." you murmur. "You made me cry again."

"If I'm a dork, you're... a double-dork!"

"That engraving has to be the dorkiest thing to ever dork."

"It's inspirational!"

You cross you arms. "Well, anyway, you can't call me a dork. It's my birthday."

"Sorry," he says with a shrug. "...Wanna go get cake now?"

"Yeah," you manage with a massive smile, a real smile. "Let's."

He darts down the tunnel, and you follow, clutching the locket and its contents close to your heart.

On one side, a family photograph. The day Azzy said he was going to knit a cape. Everyone is smiling.

On the other, a single word, clumsily carved. Accidental claw-marks scar the metal like a war-zone.

Determination!

The human's resting their hand on a golden star, its light cast upon the violet bricks of the Ruins. Mom's watching patiently from not far off, but you hope they don't take too long - you don't think she can see it.

They certainly can though, and it's a good thing - you just felt their HP max out, and yours by extension. Not that healing would be a problem with Mom around, but if there's more of these around that's a massive convenience. Especially if that flower comes back.

You reach for your neck absentmindedly, only faintly surprised when your hand passes straight through your body. No, of course it wouldn't be there. Ghosts stick around because they have regrets, right? That's how it's supposed to work for humans, at least.

Well, you certainly have no shortage there.

The human's still standing there. They scratch the bandage on their cheek a bit, tap their stick on the ground, and oh- oh, their eyes are glistening, they're tearing up. Not that you care, they're a human after all, but they're tiny. This has to be the most stressful day of their life (or maybe not, if your knowledge of the Surface still holds true, and why wouldn't it). They need to get going though, there's things to do, puzzles to solve!

You don't care. You're just stuck with them, it's in your best interest.

With sound logic in your mind, you float down a bit and lay a hand on their shoulder. The world is cold, but you think from them, you feel a bit of warmth. Some part of you hopes they can feel it too.

"The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with determination."