(*Reading back your previous chapters fills you with DETERMINATION.
*You decide to finish the chapter you've put off for so long.
Deep breath. Last chapter. Hope that it's good enough for you guys.)
POV: Y/N, Chara's Void
"YOU IDIOT!"
Blinking awake, I groaned, propping myself up on a hand and making bleary eyes glare at Chara's quite visibly shaking figure.
"Shut up, knifey girl," I growled. "My head hurts."
She chuckled, a complete switch from herself from before. "Well no duh. You just stabbed yourself. And now you're on MY turf. Welcome to my death screen."
I furrowed my brow, looking around. "Wait a second...so the whole time we were meeting up in a place you go to when you die?"
Chara grinned. "Yep! And soon, you'll be dying in here, too! Just like I was!"
I opened my mouth to ask a question, then shut it. "I'm not going to bother asking."
She swooped aside her bangs again—they kept falling in her face, I noticed. "It's probably for the best," she agreed. "That means I get to kill you faster."
I scowled. "That's not happening, sweetheart."
She tilted her head. "Oh, we'll see about that."
Some kind of unidentifiable, catchy theme music started playing, and a Battle began.
My studies back on the surface had informed me well of how Battles worked, but I wouldn't put it past her if she decided to bend the rules a little.
Chara was swaying back and forth with her music, smirking at me with that sick edge to it.
*The bloodthirsty look SHE gives you makes you feel like Death itself is stalking your back.
*You know that SHE will kill you. Are you simply delaying the inevitable?
The four options I hoped I would never see (again) appeared. Fight, Act, Item, Mercy.
There was only one option.
I pressed Mercy.
Chara's grin widened...somehow. "Oh...my dear, foolish Y/N."
Her eyes turned black.
"SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL?"
She threw her knife at me, straight as an arrow.
I barely dodged to the side before it whizzed just past my arm and boomeranged back into her hand.
"Oops. Guess I'll just kill you next time."
A shiver went down my spine.
I had no chance to win, didn't I?
I was going to die.
But...maybe I could still make her change! There was a chance there, wasn't there?
...Heh. Even my own subconscious was desperate.
But at each opportunity, I hit Mercy.
I would never hurt another soul.
Not again.
I was, surprisingly, a pretty good dodger, considering my lack of physical prowess (I once fell flat on my face because I thought I was awesome enough to skate across an icy sidewalk—but that's a story for another time). But every once in a while, an attack would hit.
Fight, Act, Item, Mercy.
Over and over.
Never stoppi—
My hand slipped and hit the Act button.
New options.
Beg, Ask, Reassure, Mock.
Curious, I pressed *Reassure.
My mouth formed words I didn't come up with:
"I don't think you're evil. Nobody is born that way; they're always made."
Chara gave me a strange look—a combination of annoyance and...something else.
"Sure, sure," she answered sarcastically. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Then she attacked again.
Dodged!
I went into Act and surveyed my options again.
Beg, Ask, Reassure, Mock.
*Ask.
"Why, Chara? Is it because of Asriel?"
This time, pain distorted her features, but it was quickly replaced by rage as she attacked viciously, knife flying.
That one really tore into my HP. Blood came out from my side, but I didn't really notice the pain.
She pointed it at me, a snarl adorning her face.
"NEVER speak of him!"
That order alone made me curious. Asriel used to be her childhood best friend and brother, but talking about him was taboo?
She must still be angry and grieving.
...Heh. Maybe we weren't so different after all.
I went back to Mercy, though.
But while I was dodging, I was stewing on that.
We both are still grieving over our mistakes...and she decides the best way to FORGIVE herself...is to not?
That just didn't sit right with me. Why...why couldn't she just FORGIVE herself?
...Why can't I FORGIVE myself?
I was a hypocrite, through and through. I FORGAVE other people for literally anything, yet the one person I can never FORGIVE is myself.
Even though she did.
Hesitantly, on my next turn, I clicked *Reassure.
"I FORGIVE you, Chara. It was never your fault, and I know you never wanted anyone to get hurt. This is not the way."
Said murderous child seemed to actually pause for a moment on my words. I relaxed for a moment, perhaps believing that she would realize her mistakes—maybe even change.
Nope. She grinned, slashed at me, and didn't miss.
I clutched my arm, swaying on my feet a little. Blood loss was not very kind to me, and the neurons in my brain finally kicked my pain receptors into overdrive. I gritted my teeth. Blood soaked through my shirt, staining it a perfect crimson.
It may not be my soul trait, but I have to stay DETERMINED to get her to FORGIVE herself.
I raised my bleeding arm and pressed Mercy.
Chara growled, then attacked again. She didn't seem to like me giving her Mercy. Why?
It fell into that routine again—Mercy, Attack—for a couple more rounds. Then, all of a sudden, she gave a scream and threw her knife at me again, but much harsher than she had before in any attack.
"STOP TRYING TO FORGIVE ME! FIGHT, YOU INSOLENT BRAT!"
Her ruby eyes were glowing with her anger.
*Act.
*Reassure.
"I can't help but FORGIVE you. Besides, everyone deserves to be FORGIVEN. I know how the pain feels."
"You DON'T know pain," she barked. "Not like I do."
I just smiled at her. Now we were getting somewhere.
But I didn't notice the knife from behind.
It sunk itself into my back. I gasped, falling to my knees. My whole body was feeling a bit numb from blood loss, but that—which depleted most of the rest of my HP—still managed to make pain flare up.
*Act.
*Reassure.
But this time I knew what I was going to say.
"I know how the pain feels," I murmured. I looked up at her. "But I learned how to not be so lonely anymore."
*You FORGIVE yourself.
*You are granted an extra turn!
"What is THIS bull(*cough*)?!" Chara yelled.
Two options appeared before me.
One last chance to decide.
*Do you FORGIVE?
•FORGIVE •DO NOT
I took a shaky breath, put on a small yet sincere smile towards her, then...
>•FORGIVE<
It truly was my only option.
Chara chuckled, then began to giggle that nails-on-chalkboard laugh. I shook slightly, staring at her. Her shoulders bounced as she doubled over, still cackling.
She straightened suddenly, pulling her knife back to throw. She smirked at me.
"Wrong answer.~"
And before I could even react, the knife was buried in my gut.
My mouth twitched upwards, and as I fell over and turned to face up, I whispered my last words, yet I still had the feeling Chara was listening.
"I'm sorry, Sans. And Gianna? I'm...I'm coming, sweetie...your sister is...sh-she's coming...home..."
I closed my eyes, and my last breath left my body.
The lilac soul rose out of my chest, cracked, and shattered once more.
Words flashed behind my eyelids.
Don't give up!
Stay DETERMINED to FORGIVE!
And that was the last thing I ever saw.
~{•}~
POV: Omnipresent, Chara's Void
"Ha...haha...hahaha...HAHAHAH!"
The crazy child's manic laughter was chilling.
Well, her sanity had disappeared a long time ago.
Thousands of resets truly can break someone.
Chara, secretly, was shocked how Frisk was able to stand it.
It seemed like forever she laughed—perhaps more like hours. Maybe her mind, fragmented as it was, thought she felt free.
But all her heart was was broken.
Finally, Chara's laughter died down.
"All that," she giggled, "and I can't leave. I can't leave! I'm stuck here now!"
She looked over at Y/N's corpse, and the smile faded off Chara's face. Her bloody, battered, bruised corpse, still smiling that (*cough*) smile as she looked up to whatever heaven she believed she going to.
The grip on her knife loosened, and it fell from her grasp, the sound symbolically ringing through the void—even though it was impossible to do so. Chara dropped to her knees, gritted her teeth, and held her hands over her eyes—as if to block out the image of the body—but the words Y/N said still echoed in the splinters of her mind.
"I don't think you're evil. Nobody is born that way; they're always made."
"Why, Chara? Is it because of Asriel?"
"I FORGIVE you, Chara. It was never your fault, and I know you never wanted anyone to get hurt. This is not the way."
"I can't help but FORGIVE you. Besides, everyone deserves to be FORGIVEN. I know how the pain feels."
"Why did you have to be so nice?" Chara screamed, slamming fists to the 'floor.' "Why couldn't you just be angry? Why couldn't you HATE me?!"
"I know how the pain feels...but I learned how to not be so lonely anymore."
Angry tears began pouring down her cheeks.
"Why, Y/N?" she whispered to herself.
Now the thoughts of her weren't alone. Older memories flooded her brain, too. Of her family. Of her love of monsters. Of her death. Of watching Frisk during the pacifist runs. Watching them get tired of peace. Seeing them start their first genocide runs. Learning that death was the only answer.
She broke.
The guilt, which she'd tamped down for too long, finally flooded her like a tidal wave.
So did more of the tears.
"I'm so sorry, Azzy," Chara sobbed, cries echoing in her void. "I'm sorry, Frisk. I'm sorry, Y/N. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm SORRY!"
She hugged her sweater even tighter to herself.
Her gaze was pulled back to Y/N's dead body.
"Please..." she whimpered softly. She had no clue who she was talking to—maybe the voices in her mind, or perhaps just any entity that would care to listen.
"For...for everything I've ever hurt...for Sans...for Y/N..."
She hung her head low.
"Please...let me fix my mistakes. Let me make things right."
She figured that nothing would happen, but it was still painful to receive no response.
Chara tormented herself with her sadness and guilt for an unknown amount of time, wishing how much she could take it all back, like Y/N said she did.
It seemed like there would be no end to the torture...
But then a portal opened.
Her eyes widened as she turned her head to look at it. "Wh...what?"
It just...sat there, slowly floating up and down in some rhythm.
She wiped her tears away with a sleeve as she got to her feet and cautiously stepped over to it.
"What...what is this?"
Chara finally threw caution to the wind and stepped into it.
The portal promptly closed behind her.
From within the code, an old friend nodded solemnly.
"Indeed, the most broken souls are the ones most in need of a second chance."
\_|_|_/
Chara looked around. "What is this place?"
Right in front of her was one big button.
CONTINUE
Y/N, she realized immediately. This has to be her death screen. By pulling Y/N to her plane, she couldn't have any second chance...
...But maybe Chara could give that back to her.
She stepped forward and pressed it.
Are you sure you want to continue?
Two buttons floated in front of Chara, letting her make the decision.
•Yes •No
Was there even an option? She immediately slammed her hand down on the Yes button.
A light came from the CONTINUE button, and it exploded—
-/:(<>):\-
Y/N_L/N.exe file lost.
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File uploaded.
Searching for last available reset file...
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Load last available continue file?
>•Yes<
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-\:(<>):/-
With a gasp, Y/N jerked upwards. Her stomach hurt like a son-of-a-gun, but she was alive.
She tried to remember...
Chara killed her in her void...
But...brought her back to life?
That was the only explanation.
Y/N's mouth twisted upwards. Maybe she did change, after all.
"Y...Y/N?"
She twisted around to see a tearful Sans with a disbelieving look on his face.
She smiled at him, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "My sister says hi."
"Oh thank God..." he sobbed, pulling her into his chest and burying his skull in her neck.
"I thought I..."—hiccup—"...lost you," he whispered.
Y/N wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. "You couldn't get rid of me, even if you tried."
He chuckled at that, then pulled her into a kiss—one that was of such passion she went weak.
"Never do that again," he quietly chastised after breaking away from the kiss.
Y/N laughed, trying to stand. She was wobbly at first, but leaning against Sans, she was able to stay on her two feet.
Then she got a sudden gut feeling. It was that feeling you get when you just know something has happened. This one in particular was pulling her towards...well...
The corner of her mouth turned up, and Y/N gazed up into his sockets. "Could we head to the barrier?"
Sans gave her a confused look. "Why?"
She looked forward. "Just a feeling I have."
Imagine his shock when the barrier was nonexistent. While she giggled at his facial expression, inside Y/N was thanking a certain red-eyed girl she knew had to be behind it.
They ascended the slope (Sans having to support her in her frequent stumbles) to be met with a breathtaking view of the sun. Whether it was a rise or set didn't really matter—it painted the sky in gorgeous hues of every red, orange, and yellow imaginable.
"So that's the sun?" Sans breathed.
Y/N chuckled. "Yes, Sans. That's what we call 'the sun.'"
Unbeknownst to them, a ghost with red eyes and a faded red soul pounding within them floated up and down beside the two. Her face was a bittersweet smile: happy for them, yes, but disappointed that no one was here for—
*Chara?
She whipped around to see a familiar magenta and blue sweater, wavy short brown hair, and sweet smile.
"F...Frisk?"
*Took her long enough.
"To what?"
*To forgive herself. It took someone new to finally fix her.
"...Yes, I suppose it did."
They were quiet after that.
Another ghost appeared—a boy goat, one with kind red eyes and a green and yellow sweater.
"Hi, Chara."
"...Hi, Azzy."
Silently he extended his hand. Hesitantly, she took it, and Frisk took her other.
They were like that for another minute—leaning against each other like old friends, just staring at the glorious sun—before fading into the next life, all of them finally at peace.
Meanwhile, Y/N and Sans were nuzzling each other, blissful and unaware of the event that just took place.
The sun rose higher in the beautifully stained sky—indeed proving it to be a sunrise—and a new day dawned over the horizon.
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>•Yes<
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AFTERTALE.