Undertale - Reprise Part 6

“...I don’t want to wake up, Frisk.” A familiar voice, a hoarse whisper.

“Huh…?” Frisk was groggy, their head hurt. Everything was blurry and swimming in and out of focus. They had ended up lying down, somehow. There were yellow flowers.

“I… I’ve had this dream so many times, I’ve honestly lost count.”

“A dream? Asriel?” Frisk had been holding the soul, keeping it safe, and then…

“Yeah. I dream that I’m not a flower anymore, that I’m me again, and that everything is finally ok. That it’s finally over. But... I always wake up, and then I’m back to being Flowey.”

Frisk shook the groggy blur from their vision, looking around the room. Asriel was sitting next to Frisk, hugging his knees and facing towards the window. Sunlight was pouring in, clear and bright, illuminating the familiar throne room.

“A-and the worst part is, every time I wake up from the dream, I can’t even be sad about it. Flowey can’t feel sad about things, not really. It’s like… I know I should want to scream, or cry, but I can’t... I can’t make a sound. And... And… I-I don’t…”

Frisk fought the urge to lie back down and sleep for a week, pushing aching limbs into service and managing to shuffle up next to Asriel.

“I don’t wanna wake up again, Frisk! I can’t!” Asriel buried his face between his knees and started to sob hoarsely. Frisk reached out, pulling Asriel up against them. He clutched at Frisk’s hands, and Frisk felt hot tears splash against the skin. “I can’t do it anymore…”

“Shh…” Frisk hugged Asriel tightly, struggling to keep their own voice even. “It’s ok. You’re not going to wake up this time. I promise, it’s real. We made it.”

Frisk held on tight as decades, maybe even centuries of fear and hurt poured out of Asriel. Once the tears started, they kept coming. Frisk just relaxed, resting their face against his neck, occasionally murmuring a word or two of encouragement or reassurance as Asriel apologised for being a crybaby in between sobs.

A few hours later, when someone finally checked the room, they found Frisk with Asriel resting his head in their lap, sleeping peacefully.

***