Acknowledgements:

I got to thinking about PieQuest, a choose-your-own-adventure style of story written by YetAnotherPersona, which takes place on the fateful day Chara and Asriel decided to make a pie. What might have happened after that? This story is one possible answer.

Thanks go to TakaiWolf for her formidable editing powers, and to KoboldKing for his help in reading through the story with a fresh set of eyes.

Such Pretty Little Things

"Goodbye for now, dear one. We will be just down the hall. Please call your mother or I if there's anything you need."

Asgore pulls himself up from the chair next to your bed. He stands there a moment and smiles down at you. You can tell it's meant to be reassuring, but it doesn't mask his anxiety that has grown steadily worse all day. He reaches down to take your hand in his. His massive paw engulfs your whole hand, but his touch is gentle. You weakly squeeze his paw back. Toriel steps forward, murmuring softly to herself as she gently removes the damp, lukewarm washcloth from your head. Her paws feel like velvet, but it's still difficult not to wince.

"Would you like another cool cloth, dear? Your forehead is still so warm."

It's so strange to feel like your head is burning up while the rest of your body keeps switching from sweating to shivering. You give a small nod.

"I'll be back in a little while then, my child." She straightens up and turns to her son, standing just off to the side. "Asriel, you may stay with Chara, but please let her rest, and do not stay if she wants to sleep. And call us if-"

Her worried eyes flick back to you for a moment. "…if there is any change."

"OK, mom," he says with a smile and a few bobs of his head.

Toriel gives you a final watery smile that causes something inside you to break. Her concern has grown substantially throughout the day, and she looks really worried now. Fearful, even. Why did you think she wouldn't? asks a small part of your brain that you try to ignore. The two adults step out of the room, shutting the door quietly.

You don't say anything as they leave. The cramping in your stomach makes it painful to do much of anything at this point. There's no comfortable position you can lie in. The last spoonful you had of the disgusting mixture hidden in a container under your bed was about half an hour ago, and you've become rather an expert of when to expect the waves of nausea and sickness that follow. This cycle of pain will last a little longer, and (assuming Toriel and Asgore aren't in the room) you'll take another dose in another half-hour or so.

Another dose of medicine. The thought is so awful that it almost makes you laugh, but you fight it down. Laughing will just frighten Asriel more. And besides, even small spasms of chuckling would hurt an awful lot.

The cheerful mask falls away from Asriel the moment he's sure your parents – no, his parents – are not returning. He slumps into the chair where Asgore was sitting. You can't bear to look at him. You know what you'll see if you do – the sniffling is already starting.

"Chara…." His voice is small and pleading. "Chara, I don't like this plan anymore."

You open your mouth to say something encouraging, but your tongue is so thick. The wretched aftertaste of the flower mixture in your mouth only makes you feel sicker. All throughout the day (how long has it been since you collapsed into bed this morning? Has an entire day passed?) Toriel has encouraged you to try to drink something. Your favorite tea, in a cheerful rainbow-colored mug on your night table, and a bowl of broth soup, both still magically warm, are waiting for you. But you haven't touched either one. Vomiting is one of the main results of ingesting buttercups, according to the book on your night table, and you've been fighting that urge all day with all the determination you can muster. You hoped that keeping away from liquids would reduce the chance of that happening, and maybe help speed the process up.

But really, though, it doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't even matter whether you'll be strong enough in a little while to spoon more of the mashed paste into your mouth. That will bring your pain to an end sooner but forgoing the flower mixture at this point won't reverse anything. According to your measurements, you hit the point of lethal toxicity after the first six doses. Maybe seven, since you hadn't been able to stop yourself from throwing up most of the first one. That was in the early afternoon, hours ago. You've eaten plenty more since then. It's just a matter of time now.

So there's no point in thinking about stopping.

They're going to be free.

Their greatest wish is about to be granted.

This is what they want.

You can do this. You're used to saying goodbye. All throughout your childhood, you've been forced to say goodbye, over and over, to everything good in your life. You can do it again. Just lock the happy memories of the last couple of years away, like you've always done before. Don't think about them anymore. Don't think about them.

"I would never doubt you, Chara," your brother is saying. You finally roll your head in his direction. The part of you that is broken feels another sharp stab as you watch the tears dripping down his soft cheeks. You try to speak again and manage something between a grunt and a sigh. You wiggle the fingers of your left hand a bit, and Asriel immediately seizes your hand between both of his paws.

"Really, I wouldn't! And I know we're going to save Mom and Dad and all the rest of the monster kingdom. An-and I know you've promised you're not… not really going to leave me, but that we'll… we'll…" His words choke up. "We'll be together forever. But I don't like this, Chara! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I just don't like this at a-a-all…"

His works break off as he lowers his head, shuddering with sobs that's he trying to hold in, clutching your hand with both paws as if he could keep you alive by force if he just holds on.

I don't like this plan either, says a rebellious part of your brain. You scowl in irritation. All evening, you've been noticing things that you hadn't paid much attention to before. Toriel's fearful eyes. Asgore's usual deep and solid voice quavering. Asriel's growing despair. You fight the feelings down with irritation. Those thoughts are not helpful. It is too late for that.

Far too late.

They don't understand. They're going to be free. This is what they want.

You hadn't counted on having to deal with these thoughts. In your naivety, you had assumed that the hard part would be over now. Sure, you had figured that you'd have to fight down regrets and second thoughts during the first few hours of the process. But you had thought that by now, when there was no turning back, you'd finally be able to let go, accept the inevitable, and drift away peacefully in your final moments of self-sacrifice. You would be giving the Dreemurrs – the closet thing you had ever had to a real family – the thing they most desired. For once in your life, you'd actually be useful to someone. You'd be able to rest, knowing you were finally doing something right.

What you'd gotten was the complete opposite. All your doubts, all your regrets, all your misgivings and worries that maybe – just maybe – this wasn't the best idea were now roaring back. You had suppressed those thoughts for the last two days, and for weeks before that as well, determinedly pushing them away to get to this point. And now that it's too late to do anything about it, your mind is suddenly overwhelmed with all the doubts and remorse you had fought to ignore.

You're never going to see any of your friends ever again.

You can feel your stomach cramping.

Toriel will never read you another bedtime story.
You'll never take another trip through the kingdom with Asgore.
You probably won't even set foot outside this room again.

Stop it!

Asriel hasn't smiled at all today, except those fake smiles in front of Toriel and Asgore.
You're never going to see that happy smile again.

No! I'm going to be joined to his soul and we'll be together and-

Asriel will never hug you again.
Asriel will never play with you again.

STOP IT!

Even a few hours ago you could have still changed your mind.
But now, it's too-

STOP!

With a half-choked cry and an angry jerk, you fight to tear your mind away from that train of thought. You pay for it immediately as your stomach lurches, and you gasp in nauseous pain. Asriel stops rubbing your hand and looks at you with heightened anxiety.

"Are you… is it… is it hurting much?" he asks trembling.

You close your eyes. Poor Asriel. Why hadn't you realized how much of the burden would fall on him? Were you so focused on steeling yourself for the task that you totally ignored the pain you'd be putting him through? Of course, you knew he'd be upset. And yet stupidly you hadn't anticipated that he would be hurting as much as he has over the course of the day. Or Toriel or Asgore, for that matter.

"It's OK, Ree," you mumble, opening your eyes as the wave of nausea passes. "I'm fine. It doesn't really hurt that much."

His emerald eyes don't register any relief. All you can see in them is pain. And guilt.

It was your fault that he had to be the one to prepare your poison.

It wasn't long after the incident with the pie, months ago, that the idea of using buttercups again came into your mind. But in a case of terrible timing, as you were exploring the beds of buttercups and making your plans, Asgore had come by just as you reached out to pick one. His voice had been gentle, but there was steel in his eyes.

"I don't want what happened to me to happen to you, child," he had said. "From what I have read, these flowers are even more dangerous to humans than they are to monsters. I am sorry, but I must ask you please to stay away from them entirely." The tone of his voice told you there would be no further discussion on the matter.

Since then, you had been afraid to venture out to that part of the garden. If you were seen among the buttercups and became sick shortly afterwards, the Dreemurrs might put two and two together and be able to stop you before you ingested a sufficient amount to finish the job.

Unexpectedly, Asriel had come to your rescue. He had hated the plan, of course, but over the course of months you had finally brought him around to the point that he was willing to go through with it. He had never had much interest in gardening, but you told him exactly where to find the buttercups. A scheme had been arranged – you would accompany Asgore and Toriel on one of their royal visits to Snowdin Town, while Asriel would make some excuse to remain behind. That would give him several hours to pick the flowers, grind them together with water and starch into an edible paste, then hide the mixture. In heartbreaking thoughtfulness, Asriel had even asked you if adding sugar would make the flowers go down easier. You would have laughed at his macabre attempt to be kind if it hadn't been so piteous.

The container he had given you, hidden underneath your bed, was about three-quarters empty now.

"I know it's scary," you continue. Your tongue is so dry. It's hard to get it unstuck from the roof of your mouth. "But I don't think I have much time left… No, no, I- I mean-!"

Chara, you idiot! Why did you put it like that!? Asriel's face falls, and sobs begin rolling out of him.

"No, Ree!" You squeeze his paw and give it a little shake. "No, what I meant was, the worst is just about over, and the best part will be coming really soon! It's almost time. We're almost there. Based on what the book says, it won't be long now."

Asgore had been delighted to see your interest in gardening and willingly gave you access to his small collection of faded, waterlogged books on the subject that had been pulled out of the trash that flowed into the kingdom from the human world. The large encyclopedia of plants that now sat on your night table was one of your favorite books in the house. You had spent hours poring through the pages of beautiful plants, almost none of which could be grown in the perpetual gloom of the Underground, but were cheerful to look at nonetheless.

More significantly, the book had been useful in a way none of the Dreemurrs could have anticipated: it had a section on poisonous plants. Your choice of which toxic flowers to use was greatly limited by what was available underground, but fortunately – if you could put it that way – Asgore had chosen to cultivate exactly one of them.

You still kicked yourself that you hadn't bothered looking up anything about buttercups back when you made your incredibly idiotic decision to use the buttery-looking flower in a pie recipe when there hadn't been enough actual butter. The fault was yours entirely – Asriel had been gone the morning you decided to make a pie for the family, and he hadn't joined you for the baking until after you'd already picked and ground the flowers together with water and starch into a slurry. He had wrinkled his nose at the wet, yellowish-gray lump in the bowl when he came into the kitchen, but you had assured him you knew what you were doing. What a pathetic, stupid idiot you were – pulling out each ingredient, arranging each of them in their containers on the counter in the exact order you'd need them, measuring every cup, every teaspoon, every drop precisely so the pie would come out perfect… and then almost killing Asgore with it.

The memory fills you with bitter determination. Just one more reason why you know you're doing the right thing now. Everyone will be better off with you gone.

Perversely, it was that very incident that gave you exactly what you needed to know. At Asgore's weak instructions, Toriel had run to find the encyclopedia and the page that gave details on how to deal with accidental poisoning from buttercups. You and Asriel were by his bedside in tears, and you can still remember the palpable, sobbing relief you felt when Toriel told you that the amount he had consumed would be merely painful, not fatal.

And a few months later, the same page told you exactly how many flowers a young human girl who weighed about seventy pounds would need to consume, over the course of several hours, in order for the toxins to be lethal.

Asriel is still shaking and looking at you with his big liquid eyes. It hurts just to see him.

"Are you… are you sure it has to be like this, Chara? Why can't we just… just not do it? I-I don't want to absorb your– I don't want you to– I-I-I don't–I don't"

"Hey… hey," you force the words out thickly as he begins to gasp and shudder again. "It's OK, Ree," you say quietly as you pat his furry paw. "It's gonna be OK. We can't go back now, you know that."

He shakes his head miserably.

"The worst is over now. Pretty soon I'm going to fall asleep, and then you're going to take my soul, and then we'll be together forever. And you're going to be so strong, Ree..." Your voice is almost a whisper. The effort of talking this much hurts. "You're going to break open this underground prison and set your mom and dad and everyone else free. Just hang on a little longer, OK? It's going to be-"

You pause and screw your eyes up as another wave of nausea overtakes you. You throat stiffens and you breathe deeply, stubbornly fighting your body's attempt to expel the poisonous slurry in your stomach. After a few moments, the urge passes. You relax.

Mercifully, the side effects of the poison have not been as bad as you expected. Toriel and Asgore had poured healing magic into you for hours, of course, but you knew from Asgore's experience with the pie that it would not stop the poison. Whatever Mom and Dad's – no, Toriel's and Asgore's – powers were to heal cuts and sprains, it was ineffective against the buttercups. But the magic must have been enough to prevent the blistering and bleeding that the book warned about. As awful as you feel, you're grateful that it hasn't been as excruciating as you feared.

"What time is it?" you croak.

Asriel jumps up and fetches the clock from the night table on his side of your shared bedroom. He places the cheerfully painted clock next to you, where you can just see if it your head is turned.

"A little after 11:00," he tells you.

Late evening, then. Every minute you're awake drags like an hour. You've been dozing on and off throughout the day, more so as evening fell. Each moment you felt yourself slipping into unconsciousness, you had hoped it would be the last time. And each time you had woken up in pain and bitter disappointment. But you know that the final sleep is coming soon.

You hear a soft knock.

"Asriel, could you open the door?" comes Toriel's voice. "My hands are full."

Asriel jumps up and steps over to the door to let his mother in. She comes into the room, smiling gently.

"I apologize for the delay, dear child, but I am finally back. Look what I have brought you!"

She's carrying two objects. In one hand she holds a washcloth, no doubt soaked in cool water to reduce your fever. But it's the object in her other hand that arrests your attention. It's a stoneware vase, painted dark blue. There are a few sprigs of greenery in it, but your eyes are drawn to a cluster of small, very familiar bright yellow flowers. You barely have time to register them before you hear a gasp. Asriel's paws have flown to his mouth. He turns and gives you a look of utter horror before his eyes dart back to the vase.

"I thought perhaps you might like some flowers to cheer you up," Toriel says as she places the vase on your dresser by the foot of the bed, where you can see them without having to crane your neck. "I know how much you love gardening, and I thought that perhaps you might enjoy these while you recover."

Asriel is staring at them in open-mouthed shock. Fortunately, Toriel's back is to him.

"Thank you, Toriel," is all you can think to say. She bends over you and gives you a soft kiss on your forehead, then covers it with the cool washcloth. It is deliciously comforting, and you sigh.

"I think you should get some rest now, dear. It is quite late, and if you are able to sleep, I think it will do you good."

She turns around. Incredibly, Asriel been able to pull himself together. The dismay left on his face doesn't seem worse than usual.

"Asriel, why don't you sleep in the living room tonight, so Chara can rest peacefully? The sofa is quite comfortable, and I will find you some blankets."

"No!" you sputter out. Asriel has to be in the room when your final moment comes. You're not sure how long your soul will last after death, but you can't risk him not being ready. "I, uh… I'd kind of like it if he could stay in here tonight."

Asriel nods quickly, and somewhat desperately, from the door.

"Well," Toriel says slowly, "if you are sure you won't mind?"

You nod.

"Very well, then. Asriel, please go get ready for bed."

"OK, Mom."

Toriel leaves the room again. The minute she's gone, Asriel rushes over to the dresser.

"Chara, I am so sorry! I can't believe Mom brought you a vase of buttercups of all things! It's horrible! Do you want me to get rid of them?"

You open your mouth, but before you can say anything, Asriel bursts out.

"I HATE these flowers!"

You snap your mouth shut, startled at his vehemence and the fire in his eyes.

"I HATE them!" He's almost shouting. "I wish I'd never seen them! I wish Dad had never planted buttercups in the first place." He picks up the vase. "Why did he have to plant these ones? Why were we so stupid to think that we could cook with them? Why did Dad keep them in the garden after that? Why didn't we tear them all up?" He goes quiet for a minute, just staring at the flowers balefully. The look in his eyes is unlike anything you've seen before. It's… frightening.

"I hate them." His voice is barely above a whisper, but full of bitterness.

A long moment passes. Your eyes go from Asriel to the flowers and back again. You don't know what to say. Asriel's anger drains away, but the deep anguish in his eyes remains. He reaches out to softly brush the flowers. Your mind is reeling, but he doesn't notice your thunderstruck face.

"They're such pretty little things," he says quietly. He picks up one of them by the stem and twists it around despondently. "I had to grind up so many of these that I stopped really noticing them after a while, but… they really do look so cheerful and happy." His breathing starts to shudder.

"How can something like this be so evil, Chara? How can something so pretty hur-hurt people so much? How can they do this to-to y-y-"

He's starting to cry again. With a thump he puts the vase down on the dresser and collapses into the chair beside you, bowing his head into his hands.

As you look at him trembling, you become aware that something is happening inside you. Your whole body slumps. Your head is starting to feel light.

"Ree," you say, keeping your voice under control.

He turns his tear-filled eyes to you.

"Ree, why don't you go get ready for bed? I'll be OK while you're gone."

He sniffs and wipes his muzzle with his sleeve. "OK," he gulps. "I won't take long." He shuffles over to his dresser to get his pajamas, then heads for the door.

"Hey, Ree?" you call.

He stops and looks back at you.

Something is definitely different. You can't be sure yet, but something inside tells you that your suffering will be coming to an end very soon.

"Could you… could you not come back in for a little bit? Could you maybe just wait in the living room for now? I… I want to be alone for a little while."

Fear immediately washes over his face.

"Chara, what… what is it?" He wrings his hands uncontrollably. "Is it… are you… are you about to…" His lip starts quivering. "I don't want to leave! I don't want to leave you!"

"Asriel… please," you say. "I just… I just need a few minutes by myself."

You look at the clock. 11:10.

"How about you come back at 11:45? I'll be… it'll be OK, Ree."

Asriel glances at the clock as well, then fixes his wet eyes back on you. "I-I don't-!"

"Please, Asriel. It'll be OK. Really it will. I promise. Just a few minutes, OK?"

Asriel gives a hard sniffle.

"You… you promise?"

"I promise."

There's a long pause.

"Ok," he finally says, miserably. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Thank you, Ree."

With reluctance, the boy slowly leaves the room, turning his anguished eyes back on you one last time before closing the door softly. You lie under the cool washcloth and close your eyes. Pain still radiates from your stomach, but you ignore it. There's a feverish clarity to your thoughts as you shiver under the blankets. The traitorous part of your brain pushes itself forward again, and this time you don't try to stop it.

Did Toriel and Asgore ever really want this?

Of course they did. After being imprisoned for countless decades, they would give anything to go free. Wouldn't they?

Including letting you die?

Of course – it's not like I'm part of the family. I'm not even the same species. I'm a member of the race that imprisoned them in the first place. They would get their freedom and they'd get rid of a human. A broken and ruined and cursed human. Humans are depraved and wicked, and I'm no exception. Of course they'd do it.

Then why did they look so scared?

Because…

Why did they look so sad?

That-that doesn't matter. They wouldn't be sad once Asriel broke the barrier. They'd be free. Everyone would be free. Everyone would be better off once I'm gone.

Don't they love you?

They only… they're just being nice. They don't really… they can't… it's not possible, I'm not even their real…

And what about your brother?

He's not my brother. And this would be the best thing that could ever happen to him. He'd become more powerful than any monster in the Underground, and he would save everyone. He would never be weak again. Nobody would ever hurt him or make him cry again.

Then why did your brother look so heartbroken?

He's not- He just doesn't understa-

Has he ever looked this miserable before?

But… He's… he's just a big crybaby. He's upset right now, but he's just not thinking ahead, not thinking about how great everything's would be and-

If everything will be so wonderful, why are you so heartbroken?

I'm not! It's just the pain, that's all, this is the best thing this is the right thing nobody's going to miss me and I'm going to save everyone and nobody will miss me and nobody cares and everyone will be-

Won't your family miss you?

…

Won't you miss them?

…

…

You lie there quietly for a while. Your gut twists, but you hardly notice the pain anymore. After a few minutes you gingerly roll onto your side and reach over to the night table. You pick up the plant book and glance through it again for a while, before putting it back.

As you settle yourself again, you look around your room, taking in all the memories you've shared with your brother. Funny how you had never really noticed it all before. The pictures that the two of you had drawn, decorating the walls. The toys in the box by his bed that had provided both of you with hours of entertainment. The adventure books on the shelves that he had read before you arrived, which he couldn't wait for you to read so he could talk about them with you. You can't really see it from where you're lying, but there's a picture of a bright flower hanging just above your bed. Asriel had drawn that one for you. He had been so excited that you liked it enough to tape it to the wall. And right beside it is a crayon picture he had drawn of his parents, and himself… and you. You can't see it, but everyone is smiling.

You were happy.

Everyone was happy.

Everyone loved you.

11:40.

You lick your lips with your dry tongue.

"Asriel?" you croak.

You hear a scrabbling sound immediately from the other side of the door – the sound of someone who had been sitting there keeping vigil now struggling to his feet. A moment later the door is thrown open. "Chara?" Asriel asks, hurrying over to the chair beside you. "Chara, how are… how are you now?" His voice is trembling.

"Asriel… are we doing the right thing?"

The question catches him off guard. Confusion spreads over his face, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times. "I… know you're doing what you think is best, Chara. I don't want to doubt you…"

"No, Ree, I… what I mean is, do you think this is the right thing to do?"

The confusion only grows in his eyes. He struggles to keep his voice steady. "I… I don't… I mean, I don't know whether… it's not…"

His jumble of words stops for a moment. He tries again. "It's not what I would have… I didn't want you to… but we can't really change anything… it's too…"

You reach out your hand on the bedspread, and Asriel puts his soft paw on top of it. His face is still a mix of anxiety and bewilderment.

"I guess what I'm saying, Ree, is… if we can stop this, do you think we should?"

"If- if we can…"

For a moment his brow is furrowed in confusion. Then, his whole body freezes and his green eyes grow wide. His mouth falls open.

"IF WE CAN STOP THIS?"

"Yeah," you say, "if there's a way we-"

Asriel practically falls out of the chair as he hurls himself forward. He collapses onto his knees beside your bed, digging his claws into the bedspread.

"Chara! Can we… can we…?! Is there a… it's not too late? To stop this?"

He's almost hyperventilating as he searches your face desperately for some sign of hope. He scoops up your hand into both of his paws, clutching tightly.

"I think… I think we might be able to stop it, Ree… if you think that we sh-"

"YES! YES CHARA PLEASE LET'S STOP THIS LET'S STOP IT OH PLEASE YES PLEASE!"

Already the tears are pouring freely down his cheeks again. But all the misery in his eyes is gone, replaced with desperate, wild hope.

"How do we do it? What do we have to do, Chara? What do you need me to do?" In his desperate eagerness he's squeezing your hand uncomfortably hard, but that doesn't stop a small smile from spreading on your face.

"I think… I think you've done everything you need to do, Ree," you tell him.

"What do you mean? Wh-what did I do?" he asks, breathing heavily.

How can you explain this to him? Fortunately, as you fish around in your mind for the right words, Asriel answers his own question.

"Is it your determination?" he asks, with growing excitement. "Is that how you stopped the poison? I heard Dad tell you to stay determined and not lose hope! Is that what he was talking about? I knew human determination was strong, but I didn't know it could do that!"

Your smile is weak but genuine. "I think we did it together, Ree."

"Oh, Chara!" he squeals. His face breaks into a smile, and something inside you unbreaks. "I'm so… I'm so happy! You're not going to die? Really? You promise?" He searches your face with those large, hopeful eyes, and you nod. "I can't believe it! You're not going to die! You're going to stay with me!" He finally releases your hand (now a bit sore) from his death grip and scrambles to his feet. "I gotta go get Mom and Dad!" he says as he starts backing towards the door. "Is there anything you need? Do you need help with anything?"

You lift yourself up from you pillow, but before you can speak, your stomach lurches sickeningly. Your eyes grow wide. No amount of determination is going to save you now. You roll to the edge of the bed and scrabble for the garbage can. As your startled brother cringes, you proceed to loudly and violently vomit the contents of your stomach into the bin. You finish with a convulsive fit of coughing, and shakily wipe your mouth with your sleeve. But no sooner do look up at your brother than you gag, throw your head down and retch again. It takes three times before you are wrung out completely.

Asriel is frozen halfway between your bed and the door. His muzzle is wrinkled in disgust, and his eyes dart between you and the garbage can in your hands.

"Actually, uh, yeah, there is something you could help me with," you say apologetically, holding the garbage can out to him.

Asriel grimaces. "Chara… ewww!"

"Please, Ree? I'm too weak to take it out myself."

He groans, but comes over and takes the bin from you, averting his eyes from its contents.

"Thanks," you say. "Oh, and you might as well take this too."

You flatten yourself and gingerly feel underneath the bed. Your fingers find a metal spoon, which you push out of the way, then a plastic container which you pull out. You open it, and for a moment stare at the revolting, wet, pasty mush inside. Then you dump the contents of the container into the trash can.

"Guess I'm done with that," you say with a little smile.

Asriel holds the garbage can as far out from him as he can, but the empty container in your hands causes his eyes to sparkle. His excitement starts to return.

"OK, Chara, but this is super gross. You owe me one of – no, TWO – TWO of those mini-chocolate bars for this. Oh, man… I guess I have to give all of them back to you now, don't I? And all the rest of your stuff you said I could have?" Contrary to his loud groan, he doesn't look disappointed one bit.

You look at him sheepishly. "Well…"

"It's fine!" he chirps, dropping the pretense. Plopping the biohazard container on the floor, he darts back over and enfolds you in a hug, which is awkward given your twisted position in the bed. "I love you, sis, more than all the chocolate in the world!" he gushes.

The smile on your face spreads. "You're the best, Ree."

He lets you go and grabs the contaminated garbage can. "What about these other buttercups," he asks, reaching out a hand to the vase on your dresser. "Want me to dump them out too?"

You wheeze a little bit, the closest thing you can get to a laugh at the moment. "Oh, don't worry about them, Ree," you tell him. "They are pretty after all, and they won't hurt me over there."

"OK then - I'll be back in just a bit!" He practically bounces out the door.

You desperately hope he'll hold the garbage can steady.

You return the empty container to its place under your bed, where it and the spoon can stay hidden until you can wash and return them to the kitchen. Your stomach's not hurting nearly as much now. For the first time today, you actually feel a bit thirsty. Gingerly you pull yourself up into a sitting position and recline your back against your pillow. You reach over to the mug of tea. You remember from long ago that you're not supposed to drink much on an upset stomach, so you just sip it at first. But the magical tea goes down smoothly. You're suddenly aware of the wonderful aroma of the soup on your night table, and you pick up the bowl. It's absolutely delicious.

But of course it's delicious, you realize. The warmth you're feeling isn't just the magical properties of the food. Even a non-magical human girl like you can feel the love radiating from the goat mom who made this for you.

There's the sound of padded feet out in the hallway. You can make out the sound of multiple people hurrying towards your room. You put the bowl back on your night table and lean back against your pillow contentedly.

There's a knock, and the door is pushed open immediately. You're still weak, but you smile at your mom and dad, whose tired eyes are filled with hope for the first time today.

That's because they love you.

Of course. Of course they do. Why did you never let yourself see it? Why did you tell yourself that they wouldn't care if you were gone? You may not understand why they love you, but the fact that they do love you is obvious. So incredibly obvious that you can't believe you convinced yourself they didn't for so long. You've never been so happy in your life to be so wrong about something. It's a mercy of God that here, at the eleventh hour, you've been given another chance. Your thankful you figured it out before it was too late.

And you're especially thankful for your furry brother, bouncing back to your bedside. He's noticed that you're sitting up now and is beaming at you. That goofy smile of his, completely absent for last couple of days, is fully back. You hadn't realized how much you'd missed it.

And like sunshine chasing the clouds away, the sight of your eager, hopeful family burns away all the regrets that have been torturing you for hours.

You're going to wake up tomorrow after all.

You're going to see your friends again.

You're going to get to splash in the pools in Waterfall,
and build snow forts in Snowdin, and visit the town, and pet the Royal Guards.

You're going to get to play with Ree tomorrow.

You're going to have a family.

You're going to stay with them.

You're not going to die.

Your eyes flick over to your dresser, and you wheeze out a small laugh again. In all your preparation, you had always known that the plan would fail if Asriel didn't do his part. You had thought that the important thing was to get him to agree to take your soul. It turned out there was more than one way he could derail the plan. Ree will need a gentle explanation tomorrow, and you're quite sure your goat brother will feel pretty sheepish. Or maybe it'll turn out your instructions weren't as clear as you had thought. Either way, you have no doubt that he will be just as profoundly grateful for the mistake as you are.

You smile at the flowers. They really do taste absolutely terrible, and you're surprised how awful such an innocuous plant can make you feel. Although actually, come to think of it, you suppose anyone would feel sick if they had eaten nothing but ground-up yellow daisies all day long.

In spite of that, they really are pretty little things.

Beautiful, even.

I couldn't be more happy, you tell yourself contentedly. But as a pair of soft arms wrap themselves around you and a furry head comes to rest on your shoulder, you laugh softly. Turns out you can be.