So! I decided a little while ago to turn my oneshot, Guardian, into a collection of short stories like I'd been considering! I've got multiple partially written at this time, but if any of y'all have anything you'd like me to write, let me know! Just please be aware that I will not write anything that's inappropriate, swears, or has a lot of gore in it.

Anyways, on with the story! Please enjoy, and review if you can! Getting feedback is a huge motivator. ^^

"Nightmare"

Summary: Chara has a harrowing nightmare, but she's soon reminded that she doesn't have to deal with them on her own anymore.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family

Rating: T for violence

Chara ran. It was all that she could do; she was far too tired to use magic. All that kept her going was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the pounding feet of her pursuers behind her, screaming and shouting at her, calling her a demon and commanding her to stop running and "embrace her fate." The fate they spoke of was death, of course, and there was no way she was going to listen to them.

Her throat stung with dehydration as she panted, unable to even pause for fear that they would catch her. She knew it would all be over if they did, and she was too determined to let that happen. She couldn't let that happen.

She weaved in between the buildings of the village, trying everything she could to escape the mob. Evidently, it wasn't enough.

"Gotcha!" someone shouted, and a shadow stepped directly in front of her.

She tried to veer to the side, but they somehow anticipated this and the next thing she knew, she was on her back in pain, coughing and gasping for breath to recover from receiving an elbow to the neck.

Still struggling to breathe and fighting exhaustion, she weakly turned to get up, but it was too late. Hands seized her from behind and she was roughly yanked back to her feet, several people gripping her arms and clothes to keep her in place.

She fought and yelled, but she already knew that no one would help her. She was a demon, after all, and she had broken one of the laws set to keep her in place under the humans. She hadn't meant to, but that didn't matter. There was no sense of compassion or mercy when it came to demons.

Malicious frowns and grins alike surrounded her, and there was nothing she could do but plead as the crowd parted slightly for one man to come forward, his eyes full of darkness despite their light color. He held a sword in both hands as he walked up to her, glaring down at her helpless, shaking form.

Chara didn't stop fighting. She was determined to get out of this. She had to, she had to! Panic invaded her mind, making her struggle even harder. She attempted to draw on her magic, but doing so only succeeded in draining her waning energy further.

Their hands were too strong and they held her tight, forcing her to stand exposed and vulnerable. Someone grabbed her hair, jerking her head painfully back so she couldn't move it. She couldn't get away, and the man finally stopped in front of her. She couldn't do anything, couldn't get away, couldn't escape, and she could only look at him partially from how her head was now positioned.

She knew the penalty for her insubordination. It was over. This was the end.

He slowly lifted the sword, holding it ready to slice horizontally across her unprotected throat, and Chara's desperation to escape increased. She wouldn't give up, but she knew there was nothing more she could do.

With a blood-chilling smile, he swiftly beheaded her.

Chara jerked violently awake in her bed, letting out a blood curdling scream. Hyperventilating, she began sobbing and curled into a ball on her right side, rubbing her neck with one hand to make sure it was still attached and unharmed while the other clutched her hair.

It was the fear. She could still feel it paralyzing her SOUL, still feel all the hands holding her in place, still feel the echoes of the sharp steel ripping through her flesh and brutally tearing the life out of her. It wouldn't go away, and panic and darkness threatened to drown her. She couldn't see or hear anything but the invading memory of the nightmare even while staring ahead at the far wall.

Her mind barely registered hearing a small, desperate voice calling her name, but the angry shouting in her head was louder. They wouldn't go away and she couldn't escape the hands that were pulling on her, forcing her to stay in place. It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't stop, and she couldn't get away. She couldn't do anything but cry and plead and struggle in vain to escape the sword that came down on her—

"Chara!"

A small hand touched her trembling shoulder and she reflexively jolted at the touch, trying to get away. The hand remained though and she soon realized that it felt different; it wasn't harsh and painful, but rather it was soothing and kind and familiar.

"Chara, I'm here! It's okay; it was just a dream! You're here, safe, with me!"

Chara finally fought through the nightmare's images clouding her eyes, and she found herself staring at her brother's worried face. It wasn't the malicious faces of the people who tried to kill her; it was the face of the monster who wanted to help her. She was still hyperventilating, but Asriel's careful touch and face full of concern for her helped her to gradually calm down.

"It's okay," Asriel repeated, giving her a comforting smile. "I'm here. It's okay now. You're safe."

Chara stared at him for a moment, tears streaming down her face and soaking her sheets. She could still feel the hands and the pain, but they were weak echoes now. Asriel was here, and he reminded her of everything she had now. He would never hurt her. He would always be there for her. She forced her mind to study the details of his face, replacing the terrifying face of the bloodthirsty man with Asriel's gentle, caring expression. She was still shaking and couldn't get herself to move, even though she desperately wanted to.

"It's okay Chara; I'm here," Asriel reminded, placing his other hand over hers that was still clutching her hair painfully.

His soft, calming touch helped her relax, and he coaxed her to let go of her hair and hold his hand instead. He soon had both of her hands in his, and her breathing began to steady. She refused to look anywhere but at him; she could still feel the echoes and lingering terror waiting to overtake her again the second she looked away.

As soon as she realized she could, Chara flung herself up and engulfed Asriel in a tight embrace, being careful to not hurt him and she clutched the back of his nightshirt. A fresh wave of tears made themselves known as she let out a quiet sob, closing her eyes and focusing on his comforting scent and soft fur. He readily returned the hug and they stayed like that in silence for a full minute, before Chara slowly pulled away and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Can Mom and Dad and Frisk come in now?" he asked once she'd looked back up at him. His smile helped soothe her further.

Not trusting her voice, Chara nodded. Asriel's smile widened, and he looked over at the bedroom door.

"You guys can come in now!" he announced, and the door opened to let three figures, two large and one small, enter.

Asgore and Toriel carefully rushed to her, their faces riddled with worry.

"My child, are you alright?" Toriel fretted.

Chara nodded again, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. "Thanks to Asriel," she croaked, her voice hoarse from screaming and crying.

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed from hearing her speak, and Chara adjusted to a more comfortable position, still shaking. She wasn't crying anymore and she could finally control her breathing, but the nightmare was still there, threatening to come back as soon as she let her guard down.

"Sorry to worry all of you..." she muttered, suddenly feeling tired now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

"There is no need to apologize, Chara," Asgore gently reprimanded, smiling with understanding as he sat down next to her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "We are your family, and we are here to help you."

"Thank you." Chara gave them a weak smile, noticing that Frisk was staying behind Toriel. "Frisk, why are you hiding?"

"Oh, uh…" Frisk stepped out from behind Toriel, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I wasn't sure, since I'm a human, if, um..."

"My nightmares aren't about you, Frisk," Chara pointed out, though she smiled at Frisk's thoughtfulness. "You don't have to worry about that. You couldn't scare me if you tried."

"Oh, okay." Frisk visibly relaxed.

"My child, are you alright?" Toriel asked, sitting on the other side of Chara and giving her a side hug.

Chara sighed, attempting to force the remaining echoes of the nightmare from her mind as she hugged Toriel back. She could still feel the raw terror clawing at her insides, trying to push its way in and invade her mind—

She shook her head slightly. "I'll be okay. It was just another nightmare."

"The same one?" Asriel inquired.

Chara subconsciously rubbed the front of her neck as she fought back the images. "Sort of… this one was... worse, though."

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Toriel asked gently, pulling away a little from the embrace.

Chara took a deep breath, annoyed as she fought tears back again. "It's just… they killed me this time. It was… scary."

She wrapped her arms around herself with her knees to her chest, looking down at the floor. Toriel lay a comforting hand on Chara's back, the warmth from it soothing the distressed teenager. She sighed and looked at the alarm clock next to her bed, eyes widening in surprise when she saw it was almost three in the morning.

"... I'm sorry for waking you all up, especially so early," she told them.

"Not at all," Asgore dismissed, waving a hand for emphasis. "We are simply glad that we can help you, Chara."

He hugged her from the side and she leaned into it, feeling sleepiness tugging at her consciousness. At the same time, though, she really didn't want to fall asleep to another nightmare. She didn't want to be alone until she could feel safe again.

"Can I… sleep with Asriel tonight?" Chara timidly requested, glancing at the goatbro in question. He looked happy at her inquiry.

"Of course!" Asgore, Toriel, and Asriel all answered in unison, before they looked at each other and everyone laughed.

Chara smiled and hugged her family tight. "Thank you," she whispered.

They all returned the embrace, and Chara was filled with warmth and love. It chased the darkness in her mind away, and she finally felt at peace. She was safe. She wasn't in the past. She had a family that loved her, and she loved them back.

Chara knew that, as long as she had them by her side, she would never be alone again, and that was the greatest comfort she could ever ask for.