Only One Choice (Completed)

Dreams

«Sometimes, a sacrifice is need for the happiest ending.»

Sans is gone. All that remains is a pile of ashes. A long shadow falls on me as Astriel faces me. "I'll make this short."

Invisible hands grab my throat and I struggle for breadth. "Give up, Fris. You saw what I did to Sans and all the others. Give up and you'll save yourself this pain."

"No..."

I cough and choke as the grip tightens. I felt my consciousness slip away and come back again as I bat the invisible bands. Help...someone...But there's no one. No one. Sans. Why did he give me those memories? Why did he fight? Why did I come here when everyone died? And all of a sudden, I understood. I came here, not to avenge all their deaths. Not to defeat Astriel. But to make him understand.

And I knew. At last, at the point of death, I knew that everything he flung at me, every mask he wore was all fake. All just a game.

Through laboured breaths, I choked out,"I know how you feel. Your parents dead. Friends slain. All alone. I know that feeling."

For a moment the grip loosens, and a flicker of something flashes in Astriel's eyes. Then he replies,"Sans showed you his memories..but you know nothing. You think you can help me, but you can't. So accept it. Give up."

The crushing sensation returns, but now I know it's all fake. He can't hurt me. It's just a game. He can manipulate my emotions all he likes, but it's just a game. "Its just a game. You know that. You can't hurt me. And I can't hurt you. So what is it?"

He's stunned. His smiles returns, although I can see he's wavering as I slowly break open his mask. "Smart. You've come further than any other survivor I met, Fris."

I ignore the stinging barb. I focus on my words. "I know why you enjoy watching people suffer. Why you enjoy killing them. Not because you're evil, but because you been through this. You know how it feel like."

Trembling, Astriel shouts,"Enough! You don't know anything!"

"I know you're lonely. You want a friend. You lost everything you had."

"Stop!"

He surrounds me with flaming daggers, which hit me in the chest one after another as I make no move to stop it. The pain is extreme, but I laugh and ignore the burn. "You can't hurt me."

"No! STOP! I'LL KILL YOU."

I continue,"I can help you. You're not alone."

Astriel is still standing as he surrounds me with another circle of fire. "PLEASE. STOP IT."

But nothing happens. He shakes. The fire stands still, the heat so intense I can almost feel the fire eat away at me. But they're not. They're extinguished, the last tendrils of smoke disappearing into the whiteness.

"Why are you still here? Why...why can't I kill you?"

He looks up and gazes at me almost steadily. "You're the one who ever understood me. Even Sans tried, but that's why he isn't here. I cared about everyone. Wants to help them. And everyone died. I'm the jinx, a curse. I'm trying to help you. No one can help me. SO PLEASE...DIE."