Given An Unwanted Second Chance

Chapter 13

An extra chapter for you guys for Christmas!

~~~~~

Once Gradient settled into the room next to mine, I collapsed into my bed with a heavy sigh.

"Please...no more freaky, traumatizing memories..."  I murmured.

I closed my eye, the fatigue from the day finally settling over me as I drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~

I opened my eyes, feeling chilly.  There was a breeze, and a night sky with unfamiliar stars shone above me.

I shivered, pushing myself into a sitting position.  I took note easily of the fact that I was human again.  At least I wasn't chained to a bed...

It didn't take more than a moment to realize I was atop that very tall building again.  My heart rate increased as I stayed seated, not wanting to go near the edge again.

"Hello, Eclipse."

I turned slightly, watching Nightmare materialize and approach before sitting across from me.

I bowed my head slightly in greeting.  "Nightmare.  It's...a relief to see you.  I had worried I wouldn't after the events of the past day."

"Whatever do you mean? "

I explained what had happened throughout the past day.  It felt like several days despite the fact I knew it'd only been one.

Nightmare listened quietly before sighing as I finished.  "It is...good that you are taking to your role seriously.  However, you cannot keep up with not killing anyone forever."

I looked at Nightmare.  "Why?  I'm...I can't see myself ever even wanting to take a life.  Adults are one thing, but children?  I can't just let a child die if I can help it."

"You need LV.  As someone with the stats of a pacifist Frisk, you are weak.  You say you have wispy memories that aid you in fighting, but that swapped Sans nearly ended your life with a single blow."

I crossed my arms, looking down.  "Is there not another way to get LV?  Why...why must I kill...?  I don't want to.  Even watching the others kill so...easily hurts my soul."

Nightmare moved a tendril under my chin and made me look at him.  "Eclipse, as the guardian of negativity, you cannot risk wasting an hour every time you dust.  Especially if your dusting causes the balance to shift positive every time."

I frowned, moving my head back a little so he'd stop holding my chin like that.  He pulled back as I spoke.  "Th-Then I...I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"You need to break the truce the brush and the glitch have with each other."

"And how do you propose I do that?"  I asked warily.

"I know you won't kill the kid, and honestly, I wouldn't, either.  If anything, killing Gradient would strengthen their truce in the name of revenge."

"He's probably immortal like his parents, anyway.  NOT...that I'm about to test THAT out."

Nightmare chuckled.  "You need to bait Ink into forcing Error to combine again.  If Error truly was so furious at the idea of having his soul used like that, then their shaky truce will shatter."

I blinked some.  "You...want me...to have them become FUSION again?!  I only escaped because of Gradient!  And...what if fighting that thing perma-kills me??"

"You've dusted twice in a short period of time and have returned afterwards.  I doubt that a pseudo-god/gods combination would make it any worse."