"You erased me."

I can think of no other answer. The tears stream silently down my face. There's no reason to act strong now. There's no one to impress, and I've already failed my own expectations. This isn't the way I wanted to die – to be forgotten by everyone and quietly disappear.

"No," you shake your head. "That isn't true. Please do not cry."

For a moment, the faintest flutter of hope stirs in my chest; a small light in a well of darkness. In all of our time together, you've never once lied to me. Your voice is unusually clear and calm, like when you speak to me in your mind, instead of how you normally fumble with words.

With the back of my sleeve, I wipe away the water from my face, trying to steady my breath. "I know you erased something."

"I would never harm you. I know you can still be saved, Chara."

I smile derisively at your words. "Even after all I've done? Destroying all your friends... taking over your body... Won't you ever learn? There's nothing good left in me."

I laugh quietly. I don't know when I came to the realization. Maybe it was a gradual process, and something I never consciously took the time to comprehend.

"Gaster, Sans, Asriel... they're all right. Whatever I used to be isn't the same as what I am. Even if I pretend it's for revenge, even if I get lost in anger, that's not the real reason. I just want everyone to suffer and die. There's no logic behind it. And when you tell me that I can be saved, it just makes me want to prove you wrong."

"I know," you say patiently. "None of my words or actions will reach you... as you are now. That is why... I erased all of your memories."

My breath freezes.

"I have seen moments of your past," you continue. "You were once a kind person, but you died a bitter person. You felt cheated and betrayed, and that everything you had done was worthless. Ever since then, your heart has been frozen in place. It is filled with everything you felt upon your death. Does a single moment of wishing ill mean that the person is evil...? I refuse to believe that. It's why I have to remove your memories. Right now, there is no room for you to feel the kindness or warmth from others."

Now I really am laughing. Laughing and laughing, squeezing the last tears out of my eyes. "D-do you really think it's that simple? That it's just my memories that make me want to hate. There's nothing good left in me. I'll just go back to the way I am now."

"No, you won't. I believe in you."

"You're placing a lot on blind faith," I sneer.

"It's not blind faith."

My smirk falters.

"Before you and I met, I was empty inside," you explain. "I could understand words, but there was no feeling. Then, Gaster gave me a soul. It was like the world opened before my eyes. At first, I just wanted simple things – to avoid pain, and then to not be alone. But the more time that passed, the more I felt the echoes of the hopes and dreams of the previous owner... things like love and mercy; a gentle soul who wanted to be strong and repay kindness."

"Shut up. You think you understand anything about me? I wasn't any of those things."

"You were a good person, Chara. More than a good person. You wanted to be a hero. You didn't want anyone to worry, so you didn't tell them that you were risking your life. You died hoping that you could free everyone."

"That's not me."

"Your heart is so very full, Chara. Full of all the hatred you carried on the moment you died. But I was empty, so I felt the good along with the bad. That is why I know that your goodness still exists. Your heart just needs to become empty again."

"It won't work," I insist. I can't let go of this hatred inside me.

"It will work. I can help you be the hero that you always wanted to be."

"I'll kill everyone."

"We'll free everyone from the Underground. We'll make it past the barrier."

"Even with my memories erased, I'll still be in your head. I'll realize what happened the moment you slip."

"I erased my memories, too," you smile.

I stop. My threats sound hollow, even to me. "You're going to throw away all the memories you made... just to give me a chance?"

I can't help it. You told me not to cry, but here I am again. Your determination... it's unreal. "If we fall into a different timeline, none of your friends will remember you. Your only keepsake of them is your memories. And... now you're throwing them all away, just because you think I might become a better person? For all you know, you could change, too. You might end up even more messed up than me. "

You move closer to me. Without hesitation, you wrap your arms around my body, pulling me into an embrace. Tears are streaming down my face. My hands remain limp at my side, not bothering to return the hug. But I don't push away. I know I don't deserve this.

"Don't worry so much," you say calmly. I can't help but smile wryly through the tears – you, giving me a command. Our roles have reversed so much since when we first met. "There's an infinite amount of possibilities, just like this space we're in. We'll find the right way. I'm sure of it."

We stay like this, for a long while. I don't move, and neither do you. There's no reason for me to fight it. You've already made your choice.

"Frisk..." Your name sounds strange on my tongue. There's still one more reality I need to face, before we lose all our memories. "It... was never really my soul, was it? That's why I couldn't control your body when I first woke up. Why I couldn't do anything unless you let me."

You don't answer immediately. "I'm like your soul's keeper. I'm here to make sure it stays in good condition. Maybe that's why I can see the good things still in your heart."

You finally extract yourself, still smiling at me. "Are you ready, Chara? Whichever new timeline we find ourselves in... We'll make the same friends all over again. You'll finally be the person you want to be." You offer your hand. I look at it, but I can't bring myself to take it. So instead, you grab my hand for me. "We'll do this together."

I close my eyes. We won't in this strange space realm forever. Gaster had said we'd find ourselves to some kind of physical object that tied us to our original timeline. So... what will the new world be like?

And who will I become? I could become a ruthless killer again.

Or I could be the hero from an old dream.

There's nothing left but to move forward.

Notes:

If this was a book, you'd notice that the pages are getting pretty thin...
And as you turn the next page, there's no such thing as a Chapter 19... Just this thing called an epilogue. I'll do my full thanks and plans on the next one, but thanks for reading this far! This was the official last chapter, but the epilogue will be closing a lot of stuff up.