(Due to computer issues my notes for the next few chapters were lost. Sorry for the long delay in updates!)
The plan was... so simple, yet so horrible. Asriel had been silent for a while now. There was nothing he could do to change their mind. He knew. He knew what was happening. Chara had told him. Yet he didn't want it to happen like this.
"Ri..." Their voice a whisper, hand trying to reach for him. He grabbed it without a word, without a thought. They needed him. They'd always needed him, since he found them and brought them to Home. They loved him more than anybody else. "We can... save everybody... If I don't... do this, I'll…" Their voice cracked a bit as they cried. They'd called him a crybaby so many times before, and now... he couldn't muster up the tears. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to hurt anybody, but... if Chara wanted this... if they needed this... "I don't want to hurt you…"
"You won't hurt me, Chara," Asriel whispered, his grip on their hand tightening. It had been less than a year, but the two of them had become so close. They depended on each other. They were best friends. They were siblings. And now Chara... was...
"I won't now..." Through their sobs they laughed pitifully, coughing soon after. Asriel had to wipe blood from their hand, the sides of their mouth. He was powerless. He'd watched this for days. There was nothing any of the other monsters could do - even Mom with her healing powers could not cure this sort of illness. "I can't... I can't hurt you now... and we'll free everybody... I'm... so happy..." They opened one eye to look at him, seeing his sad face. "Aren't you... happy?" It changed to an expression of shock. Disbelief. They weakly laughed again. "Aren't you glad? You'll... finally be free... and we'll be..."
Their voice trailed off, and their hand which had so tightly grasped his went limp. For a moment, he panicked, wondering if they'd suddenly... just...
But no, the desperate rise and fall of their chest that continued on and on showed they were still alive. Asriel sighed in some relief, though knew...
It wouldn't be long.
And then they'd be...
"...together, right?" he whispered, leaning over to place his ear against their chest, listening to the frantic heartbeat within. "We'll be together. Always."
