Halftale - Undertale AU Story

Reunition

     The battle of a timeline had just ended. The stars had stopped, the ground beneath my feet restored. The ghost who followed me, Chara, ran to the crying goat child. Well, floated. I followed, as not to hinder her. We both hugged Asriel, who was babbling but seemed to be apologizing. Asriel collapsed, sobbing. "Oh my god, you're so cute and soft and fluffy..." Those were the first words to exit my mouth since the battle. Addressing the crying goat kid, of course.
     "I'm... I'm so s-s-sorry..." The babbling continued. I stepped away, letting Asriel move. Chara continued the hug for a few seconds before also giving him space. 
     "I...." The poor thing didn't seem to be able to stop crying. I came back and sat down next to him and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
     "It's okay. It's alright. It's over now, okay?" I gave words of comfort. Asriel sobbed harder, his face in his hands with his knees scrunched against his chest. It was dark all around, except for this patch of grass we were all sitting in.
     "I never wanted to h-hurt anyone... I was t-t-terrible!" I stood up, taking one of Asriel's hands from his face and gently helping him up. 
     "It's okay, Asriel. I know you didn't want to hurt anyone. Sometimes an indescribable force washes over you, and... You hurt people you don't want to hurt. I know the feeling. It's okay now." Tears were still streaming down his face as he gasped for air through his sobs and nodded jerkily. He sniffed and the crying slowed down, then came to a stop. He smiled a little but couldn't keep the smile up. 
     "We just wanted to free everyone, but we lost and we died and... and Alphys... then Flowey and Dad and Mom... and I... I never thought..." he trailed off and plopped onto the floor, sitting with his knees up and his hands holding him up behind his back. "Right, Chara?" He looked at the ghost floating beside me, and her eyes widened.
     "You can see me?" Chara was very confused. She cocked her head to the side like a dog.
     "I... I can't hear you." Asriel looked disappointed.
     "She asked if you could see her. Normally nobody can, not even Sans or your parents." Asriel nodded quickly at my words.
     "I can see her, clear as day." He looked closer and stood up, coming closer. He looked on his own neck and on hers. "You... you still have our locket. And so do you, Frisk." I looked on my own neck, remembering that I did have one. I had found it in a gift box in Chara's old home, in the castle. As well as the Real Knife, which naturally I abandoned for the stick. I've had enough drama with that thing before, I didn't need the memories coming back now. "Maybe that's why I can see her." He smiled but faltered again.
     "Asriel... What's wrong?" Chara's voice rings clearly in my ears but for Asriel, her words hit an empty void.
     "She asked what's wrong. She knows you much better than I do, so I guess she sees something wrong with this picture." I translate for my companion.
     "I... I can't keep this form. I need to release the SOULs. After everything I've done, the least I can do is give them back, right? But after I do, I won't be able to keep being... me. With compassion and energy and..." He looked down at his hands. "limbs. I'll trade all that for being a flower again. But I can't keep them all trapped within me for the sake of being me, right?" I nod sadly, and Chara is silent. She's choking up.
     "I... I guess that's right. I'm sorry it has to be like this..." None of us can really say any words to justify this situation. It seems like fantasy to me, and it seems too real to Asriel and Chara. He's such a precious little bun, why does he have to turn back into a flower? In the awkward silence that sits heavily between us all, Asriel straightens his back, looking unsure of how to do this.
     "I have one more mission right now. Right now, with everyone's essences burning inside of me, I can feel all of their hearts beating as one. They all want one thing. And with all the SOULs that have ever come into the Underground, all of their determination, all of their power... I will shatter the barrier, and monsters will go free!" A magical white aura surrounded the goat child and he lifted up, his ears floating to the side. The SOULs of the other children who had fallen swirled around his head, while the rest of the SOULs, every SOUL in the Underground except for mine and Chara's expelled out of him. The white glow burned brighter and brighter until both me and my partner had to look away. Then, it stopped.