Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time you found the strange man, seemingly without any significance, was only a few weeks after you arrived in the Underground.

As soon as you woke up that morning, something felt strange. While Papyrus cooked his newest edible concoction- eggs- for you, he didn't seem off-put at all. It wasn't quite a bad feeling, but you knew that something was... different.

“Human, will you be alright fending for yourself today?” the taller skeleton asked. He was busy taking off his apron that you'd made him, which read “Ultimate Spaghettore,” but you nodded with a bit of egg sticking out of your mouth.

“What a relief! Undyne has invited me to go to the capital with her- hopefully for some kind of secret Royal Guard business,” Papyrus said. He didn't even try to contain his excitement, and you smiled at him.

“That lazybones brother of mine should be up soon- my professional opinion would be for the two of you to go bug-hunting in Waterfall! Undyne told me that it is officially bug-hunting season- which, to be honest, I know almost nothing about, but it sounds neato!”

“Are there snails?”

“A whole farm! Blook Family Snail Farm has more snails than I have knowledge in my vast brain, which is to say, a large quantity of snails.”

That got you excited. You loved bugs.

Papyrus got ready to go after cleaning up the kitchen. It was very odd, living in a house where things were clean and the people were genuinely nice, but you'd take it over the human world any day. Sans talked about Waterfall a lot, but you hadn't been there before. In fact, you hadn't been anywhere except Snowdin since you left the Ruins. But that was okay, because Snowdin was really great.

“Well, I'm off to hopefully be crowned an esteemed member of the Royal Guard!” Papyrus said while standing in the doorway and fixing his scarf. He knelt down and picked you up with his big mittened hands and gave you a skeleton kiss. That is to say, he pressed his forehead against yours while you gave him a hug. You giggled and he put you back down.

“Keep that brother of mine on his toes today, and don't let him sleep past nine! I'll see you tonight!” Papyrus said as he walked out, giving you a wave. You waved back.

You hadn't been happy for a long time. Falling down into the Underground was the best thing that had ever happened to you.

A quick glance at the clock showed that it was only eight thirty. You still felt the strangeness in your gut, but Papyrus seemed fine, so you brushed it off and got yourself ready for the day. Before you woke Sans, you wanted to go find Snowdrake and tell him a pun you'd thought of the night before. He wanted more to use if he ever became a comedian. Hopefully Jerry didn't show up...

Sans found you outside an hour later, playing monsters and humans with Kid. The two of you said your goodbyes and you ran over to Sans.

“Hey kiddo, whatcha got there?” he said.

You were digging in your pockets as he came up, eager to find the prize you'd shoved inside earlier. It was smooth and flat, and it was the same color and shape as Sans's pet rock. You held it up to him in your palm.

“It's a pet rock for your pet rock,” you said.

Sans couldn't help but snort at that. “I love your style, kid.”

“I, uh, found it in the snow... so it's stone-cold,” you said, and looked at Sans for approval.

He laughed.

“Well, poor pet pet rock seems like it's been down a pretty ROCKY ROAD, I bet he'll be glad to have a stable home. Why don't you keep him in your pocket for now?”

“Alright... I SHALE do that.”

Sans barked a laugh, seemingly surprised by your pun. He went on laughing for a while, and you started laughing too, until eventually he had an arm around your shoulder.

“It's too early for this, kid. Is there a reason you know so much about rocks?”

“They teach us in school.”

“Really? Kinda weird that you lived on the surface but you know more about rocks than I do. We literally live in a cave. Surrounded by rocks.”

You laughed and Sans, repeating his brothers actions, ruffled your hair. “So what's on the schedule for today? Rock lessons? Snowboarding? Impressing the dogs at Grillby's?”

“We did that yesterday,” you commented.

“Man, the days fly when you don't do nothing,” Sans said.

“Papyrus said we should go to Waterfall and look for bugs.”

Sans snapped his fingers, which was a much sharper noise than you were used to, and gave you a big grin. “My bro always knows what to do, it's official bug-hunting season now. Since Undyne's in the capital, we can even stop by and visit your pal Blook.”

You reached out as Sans offered you his hand and grinned a bit bigger. You hadn't seen Napstablook since you'd came, because they lived very close to Undyne. Papyrus was still coming up with the best plan to introduce you to his pal, without her getting... well, stabby.

You walked with Sans to Waterfall. It was a quiet morning, and once you got past the chill of Snowdin it was warm, too. You couldn't help the feeling that something was different and it only grew as you made it to Waterfall. But Sans seemed unaffected, maybe even happier than normal. He'd stop you every once in a while to point out something cool, since you hadn't yet been to Waterfall.

“And this is my post,” the elder skeleton said, gesturing to the small sentry post that was nestled in a little corner of the path. There were some echo flowers nearby, which you hurried over to.

“I hope I see Undyne today! Man, she's so cool...”

“Kid's always running around here,” Sans explained, “looking for Undyne. I think they're a little obsessed, but who wouldn't be? She's a big strong warrior with an even bigger mouth, y'know? She's pretty cool.”

“I hope I can meet her sometime,” you said, and suddenly the flowers began repeating your words back at you. It made you laugh.

Sans moved behind his stand to check things. He looked back at you for a second with his hand on the doorknob to some kind of little closet.

“Hey kid, mind if I stop to organize this a bit? Papyrus only stops by this station every few weeks, but if he sees it like this he's gonna have my head...” Sans winked, you snickered at the bad skeleton pun, and nodded.

Sans opened the door and all that lay behind was something like a small storage closet. You watched him for a little bit, but he mostly just pulled things out, rearranging what was left inside, and then putting things back. He had some hot dog buns, which you don't even ask about, whoopee cushions, and what appeared to be basic survival needs.

You looked down the path that you'd travel next and you felt the feeling in your chest grow intensely. It was so strange, it didn't feel bad, it didn't feel good, it just... felt. You put a hand above your heart for a second as you stared. You didn't think you'd ever felt like that before.

Sans didn't really notice when you started walking. You kind of forgot to tell him, too. But there was a slight curve in the path that prevented you from seeing further down, and even though it was lit by the glowing crystals, you couldn't make out what lay beyond.

You walked for a while until you couldn't hear Sans's shuffling anymore. The path was well worn and you didn't feel like you were in any danger. You made it to the curve and found no secrets lying around the corner. You peered back where your friend was, bit your lip, and then continued walking. The air was pleasant and warm and the strange feeling in your chest kept getting more intense. You were too invested to turn back. Five minutes passed and you were getting pretty deep into Waterfall when you saw something on the wall of the cavern.

There was a very strange door standing there. When you saw it, you immediately felt compelled to go inside. But you just stood and looked and let the very unfamiliar feeling wash over you. It was always strange to feel something you'd never felt before. You remembered once when you got a toothache, and even though it hurt, you'd never felt that particular pain, so you were mildly curious about it.

You stepped over to the big gray door and looked up at it. It was very out of place. It seemed almost... unreal. But you reached out and laid a hand on the smooth surface, and it was definitely real. So you gently took the doorknob in your hand and turned it. The door opened smoothly and without a sound. A little rush of cool air hit you, but as soon as you'd opened the door the strange feeling was gone. You stepped inside and shut the door behind you. As you did so, the room lit up with a very soft glow, and you saw that it was just a small white room that led off of the small white hallway you stood in. Except, in the center of the room, there was... somebody.

You stared at them for a moment, unsure of... well, what they were, exactly. It was a hunched over black figure that looked kind of... melty. Their face was frightening, but it also kind of reminded you of the skeletons. It didn't appear to see you at first, but as you took a step closer, the figure's white pupils found you and it seemed startled.

“WHAT? WHO ARE YOU? HOW DID YOU GET HERE?”

The noise was like something a computer would make. It was rough and scratchy and you didn't understand anything that they said, but nonetheless it appeared to be speaking to you. So you took another shy step forward and held up your hand.

“Hi, um... are you okay?”

“CHILD, CHILD YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE.”

You put your hand down for a second, but it was obvious that the monster didn't pose a threat. In fact, he seemed more curious and scared than anything. His eyes were wide and his hands fiddled nervously with each other. You wished you could understand his weird noises, if they were words at all. He looked... sad.

“Is it okay if I come closer?” you asked, pretty quietly.

“NO, PLEASE, GO. IF THIS IS A JOKE IT IS NOT FUNNY. CHILD, GO BEFORE-” but the noises cut off quite suddenly, and whatever the poor thing was trying to say, it seemed that he decided against it. There was a pause for a few moments, in which the figure looked down at his hands- you noticed that they had holes in the palms- only to look back up at you. He nodded, slowly.

You stepped forward again, and this time you walked until you were just a couple of feet from the monster. He certainly looked strange, but the Sans-like grin that had been on his face was faltering. You couldn't help but feel bad for him, whoever he was. He couldn't even talk to you.

“WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR WAY HERE. YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD I SAY, THOUGH.”

You listened to him speak, even if you understood nothing. When he was done, and had looked away from you to stare at the floor, you held out your hand.

“My name is Frisk. It's nice to meet you.”

He regarded your hand silently. You felt strange again, but in a much different way.

“YOU REMIND ME OF PAPYRUS... THIS IS CRUEL. IT HAS BEEN SO LONG...”

He hesitantly reached out his hand and took yours. He was very cold, but you shook his hand nonetheless and tried to give him the best smile you could.

“You look sad, mister...” you said quietly.

“... I IMAGINE I DO, CHILD. YOU ARE SO WARM... YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE.”

He didn't look at you, and he seemed sad to let go of your hand. So when he let his fall out of yours, you took it again.

“I can't understand what you're saying, but it sounds sad. Do you think I could stay here for a while?”

He seemed taken aback, but not in a bad way. For a second he seemed hesitant, but then his body lurched forward, little more than a black pile on the ground, and he put his arms around you. You were surprised and a little startled, but he just hugged you, so you hugged him back. He was very cold, but you still had your hoodie on, and you didn't mind. But soon he began to cry, and that made you pull away and look at his face.

He wasn't just crying, he was sobbing. He didn't make much noise at all, but tears ran down his face. His plastered-on smile had fallen into a deep frown, and his eyes were so sad. You took his hand again.

“Oh, don't cry, it's okay. I-I can't really understand anything you say... so I can't ask what's wrong... but I can stay if you want me to, and keep you company.”

“OH GOD... I'M PATHETIC. I'M WEAK. I SHOULD HAVE SENT YOU AWAY BY NOW, BUT I CAN'T. I DON'T DESERVE THIS, WHATEVER IT IS. YOU ARE A KIND CHILD.”

You hugged him again. You felt tears welling in your own eyes, because you could tell that he was saying something important, but you could not understand. He seemed so sad and lonely, but he was nice. His hands were gentle. You gave a small sob, and immediately he pulled you away from him. His big shaky hands wiped the tears from your face so very carefully, like you were made of glass and he might hurt you.

“DO NOT CRY, I AM SORRY CHILD, PLEASE DO NOT CRY. LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET YOU COME NEAR ME. YOU ARE SO VERY GOOD, PLEASE DON'T CRY."

“I'm sorry,” you said quietly, and sniffled a bit. “I'm a sympathetic crier. I'm okay, mister.”

He didn't say anything, but you reached up as he wiped your other cheek and held his hand with both of yours. “I mean it- I'll come back tomorrow, and the next day, and we can be friends. I'll bring paper so you can write things down, maybe. And some stuff to make the room better. Hows that sound?”

“OH GOD, THAT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T FELT IN MANY MANY YEARS. BUT YOU WON'T FIND THIS PLACE TOMORROW, OR THE NEXT DAY, AND I WILL BE ALONE AGAIN.” The monster stopped whatever he was saying to give you a short hug. “IT IS FOR THE BEST.”

You stepped away from him. You felt awful, not being able to comprehend anything he said. And you could tell it upset him. But you didn't know what to do, so you just stepped back and gave him a smile.

“What do you call a fake noodle?” you asked.

You could all but see the question mark above his head. He seemed very confused.

“WHAT?”

“An im-pasta!”

It was a very harsh barking noise, but you could tell it was a laugh, and you could also tell that a joke was the last thing he was expecting. He wiped the sad tears from his eyes and ruffled your hair- just like Sans and Papyrus- and gave you a smile.

“I've got more, do you want to hear them?” you asked. He nodded, with a bit more enthusiasm, and you clapped your hands together.

“What did one gravestone say to his sick friend?”

“I DON'T KNOW. WHAT?”

“Hey... is that you coffin?”

Once more, he laughed, this time even harder. It wasn't like the way Sans laughed at the jokes, because when your new friend laughed he cried, and you had to hug him to keep him from breaking down. But he was a good listener, and he really enjoyed your jokes. He seemed to find comfort in physical contact, but he also seemed hesitant to seek it. That was okay, though, because you liked being close to people too. So you held his hand and sat beside him, or across from him, for most of your visit. You stayed in there for what felt like hours. You were having fun. By the end, he didn't cry after you told a joke, and his smile was genuine. He seemed... almost... happy.

He was the one who eventually raised his hand and pointed to the door. It wasn't in a rude way, but you understood.

“Do you think I should go?”

He simply nodded. He had stopped trying to speak to you a while ago, even if he still said things to himself every now and again. You knew what 'what' sounded like, though, because of your jokes. You also understood “who's there."

“Will I see you again?” you asked.

His smile shifted and his eyes fell. He was trying to keep a strong face, but you knew the question made him hurt. He held up his hands to show that he didn't know.

“Oh... well I'll come back here tomorrow. If you're here I'll stop by again.”

He smiled. You moved forward and gave him one last hug.

“Can you say my name? I know you can talk, because you're smart, and I know you say 'what' like-” you made a very horrible impression of him as best you could, but he didn't seem offended at all. Instead he held up a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing, and gave you a very amused look.

“FRISK.”

You stared at him. “That's Frisk?”

“YES. FRISK.”

“So that was 'yes, Frisk,' right?”

“YES.”

“Now I know it had to be 'yes, Frisk' because you said the same first word now- and if it had been wrong you would've shaken your head, but I saw you nod a little.”

“YOU ARE VERY SMART. I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN SOME DAY.”

You stared at him, and he seemed to find a little happiness in your blank and concentrated face.

“I didn't understand any of that.”

“I KNOW.”

“This must've been really hard when people who spoke different languages met for the first time... well, not really, because you understand me, right?”

“YES.”

You smiled at him, but he very smoothly eyed the door again, and gave you a sad smile.

“Oh, you're right, Sans is probably worried sick,” you said, and when you mentioned Sans he blinked.

“Do you know Sans?”

Your friend nodded.

“Oh! If I tell him about you will he know you? Should I tell him something to remember you- my 'mister' speak isn't very good, but I'll do my best.”

His eyes were wide, and a strange emotion was in them. Was it... hope? Determination? Whatever it was, he looked at you, held up his hand, and pointed to the hole in his left palm.

“Tell him about the holes in your hand?”

A nod.

“I will. And I'll come back here, I promise. One more thing, though, what's your name? How you say it, obviously.”

“GASTER.”

You imitated the noises he made as best as you could, and he smiled, but nodded.

“YES. GASTER. GASTER. GASTER GASTER GASTER GASTER-”

You shoved him with your elbow and puffed up, but he smiled. He was picking on you by repeating his name. You smiled too.

“Okay. I'd better go, before Sans gets too worried. I'll come back tomorrow, like I said. Goodbye, mister! I'll see you soon!”

You backpedaled towards the door, and your friend waved at you with his hole-y hands. You opened the door to exit and looked back one last time, to wave again, and give him a smile. When you left and shut the door, it vanished into thin air.

You stared at the wall for a long time. You felt all over, just to make sure, but the door had disappeared. When you pressed your ear to the cave wall and knocked, it was just solid rock. You frowned. Your friend had just... went away?

You walked slowly back to the stand and realized that you'd walked much further than you'd originally thought. It took you almost ten minutes to get back to where you'd been, and all the while you would turn back and hope to see the door again. You didn't.

Sans wasn't at his stand, but you sat on the counter until he came running into view. When he saw you, it looked like he couldn't be more relieved. He hugged you like he hadn't seen you in years.

“Holy hell, kid, where did you disappear to? You've been gone for hours, I thought you died or something-” you felt bad immediately, because it was clear that Sans was actually really worried, but you hugged him back.

“I found a door,” you said, and pointed from where you'd came from. “But... when I left... it kind of disappeared. I was inside for a long while.”

Sans pulled you away from him to give you a look. “Kid, you need to work on your excuses. I mean, don't get me wrong-”

“I'm serious!” you said, and maybe the tone of your voice gave away that you weren't making it up. “It was gray and looked really weird, but when I went inside somebody was in there- he was nice- and- and actually, he knew who you were! He had holes in his hands- I couldn't understand what he said, but he seemed to think that-”

You stopped dead, because Sans suddenly gave your shoulders a squeeze hard enough to bruise, and his eyes went completely black.

“Ow, Sans-” but you barely managed to get the words out before he let go of you and started apologizing profusely. But you'd never seen him this worked up before. He made you sit down and he held his head in his hands.

“Shit. Oh god... it's been so long, how...?” Sans looked at you with a very serious expression. “He had black eyes like me, right? And lines-” Sans traced the black lines that had adorned the monsters face- “that went like this.”

“Yeah. So you do know him?”

Sans fell against the wall and stared with black eyes at nothing. You raised a hand, but decided not to touch him.

“What's his name? He said it like-” you imitated the noise of his name, but Sans only blinked.

“Gaster. His name is W. D. Gaster. And he's been dead for ten years.”

Chapter Text

Sans refused to talk to you about Gaster any further. You gave up trying when you saw the haunted look in his eyes.

When you mentioned him, Sans would look away quickly. You stayed in Waterfall for a long while, but Sans didn't say more than ten words after his initial shock. You also had a bit of a hard time trying to piece together what Sans had told you. Gaster had not seemed dead in the least. Well, maybe he'd seemed a little... not fully alive, but he wasn't dead.

The two of you sat in silence for what could have been hours. Sans kept his head down. You made a guess that Gaster wasn't a happy memory for him. You waited patiently.

“Kid...” Sans began, and you perked up immediately. Partly because you were curious, but also because of how defeated his voice was.

“Whatever happened today, it was a fluke. Something that messed up in the space time continuum, I don't know. Maybe it was some kind of trick.” Sans sighed and scratched his head. “For now... lets just forget this happened. And please don't mention it to Papyrus.”

“Is he dangerous?”

“Was.” Sans corrected sharply, and it made you blink and shrink a way a little. He reached out and touched your shoulder. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get snappy with ya.”

He seemed out of it. You watched him for a moment as he sagged and leaned against the cave wall. His eyes were on the sparkling stones above.

“You ever lost somebody you care about, kid?”

He didn't look at you when he said it, so you didn't look at him. You put your hands in your lap and stared at the ground.

“I'm not sure,” you said.

“Well imagine it's like ripping off a bandage. You just want it to be one, two, three, and done. It hurts a lot, but hey, leaving it on can only help for so long.” Sans closed his eyes. “I don't want to talk about what happened, but I knew he wasn't... all dead. Heh... maybe it's selfish, y'know? Pretending like he is. I tried helping, and it didn't work, it was like letting a cut almost heal and then ripping it open again. I couldn't help him, and trying didn't help me. You understand?”

You nodded even though you were still confused. Sans removed his hand from your shoulder and you pretended not to see him wipe a tear from his eye. But you were determined now. You had an idea in your head and even if it might upset Sans, you had to get it out.

“If... I can talk to him, or find him again...” you ventured.

“One step at a time. If you talk to him again, come straight to me and then I'll get these lazybones in gear. For now, though... I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring this up again.”

“I won't.”

Sans looked at you and smiled. “Thanks, kid. You must be up to your armpits in questions. How about we go catch some bugs and forget about this for a little while?”

You nodded, and the two of you were off.

Papyrus found you on the couch, eating a plate of spaghetti while Sans slept. You looked over at him and waved. A little bit of spaghetti was hanging out of your mouth, and you slurped it up.

He crept over and looked at the TV. You were watching Mettaton's show. Alphys had called the same day you arrived in Snowdin. Papyrus knew her through Undyne, which was sort of strange, since Undyne was the only one kept out of the “we have a human living with us' situation. But Alphys knew somehow, and she had introduced you to Mettaton. You hadn't actually met them yet, but ever since, you'd watched his show.

“Is he sleeping?” Papyrus whispered, pointing to Sans. And by whispered you meant said a bit more nasally than usual, because Papyrus wasn't very good at whispering. But you nodded anyways. He sighed and took a seat beside you. You offered him some spaghetti, and he happily accepted.

“How successful was the bug hunt?” he asked with his mouth full of spaghetti.

“We caught a couple of snails. Then we got distracted by the echo flowers and pranked people.”

“Ah, then it was a productive day, I see!”

“Are you a member of the Royal Guard yet?” you asked him.

Papyrus swallowed his mouthful and gave a sour look. “Unfortunately for them, no. I still can't fathom how somebody as great as me cannot get into the Guard! However, King Asgore did compliment my battle body. So although he has no taste in his employees, at least he has a taste for style. Perhaps next time I will bribe him with a taste of my wonderful cooking!”

You grinned, and Sans snored beside you. His brother shot him a look, but Sans was sound asleep.

“Look at this. Unbelievable. He can't even stay awake to read me my bedtime story! He gets worried when he doesn't read to me. It is tradition, after all.”

“We did a lot of running around.”

“Hmm... I suppose I can accept that.” Papyrus put his hand on your head and gave it a solid pat. “He seems so much happier since you arrived, human. More active, too! At this rate we'll need to renovate the capture zone into a room for you.” Papyrus stopped for a second and looked at you. “That is... if you think you want to stay with us. Here. Underground.”

“Can I get something better than a cut up hot dog?”

Papyrus laughed. “But of course! Only the best for my dear friend. You have my fine cooking, do you not?”

“We should learn how to make other stuff, too. Alphys says Mettaton can cook pretty well.”

“Oh!” Papyrus said, and blushed. “He is quite the performer. I can't believe you're acquaintances with the Underground's biggest star! Or that he might offer us cooking lessons!”

“I think he would, he's nice.”

You stopped to watch the aforementioned robot on the screen. He was doing a quiz show, with an added element of drama that he called 'fire ants.' It was pretty funny. Papyrus watched as well.

Part of you thought about mentioning Gaster's name, but if Papyrus reacted like Sans had, you knew it wouldn't be right. The night before you would've been more than happy to sit with your two new skelebros and watch TV, but now you felt a bit guilty. You thought about Gaster, all alone in the white room, with nobody to talk to. Just the thought of it made you scoot close to Papyrus and lean against his side. He put an arm around you but his eyes never left the screen. What would it be like without a friend to talk to when you were sad? You'd only been underground for a few weeks, yet you already felt like you wouldn't know what to do without Sans or Papyrus.

So you didn't say anything, only sat on the couch with them and fell asleep on the bigger skeletons lap. You were happy down here. You had food and friends and a place to live, and you were happy. But now you knew about poor Gaster, and you wanted to find a way to help him.

Chapter Text

When you woke up, you found yourself partaking in a warm pile of pillows and bones. All three of you must have fallen asleep. Papyrus formed the base of your friendship pyramid. He was splayed out over the couch, with one of his feet on the ground and the other hung over the back of the piece of furniture. Sans was laying with his head on the opposite arm, with his body where Papyrus's legs weren't. And you were mostly on top of Papyrus's chest, with a pillow placed under you for comfort, and Papyrus's one arm flopped over your back.

It seemed like you were the first to wake, so you very carefully climbed down from the sleep pile and went to the kitchen. You were thirsty and still a bit groggy, but you thought that making breakfast would be cool. You hadn't done it before, but you knew that Papyrus would eat anything, and Sans liked stuff from Grillby's. You dug around in your pockets and found the gold you'd earned by helping the shopkeeper make cinnamon bunnies. It was enough to get some fries for Sans.

You went there first. Grillby was nice, and he always opened early so that the dogs could come in and eat before they went to their sentry posts. When you slapped your gold on the counter and requested fries for Sans, the owner of the establishment shook his head.

“What would I do without the skeleton family? I do believe the three of you alone make up half of my sales.”

“The only food in their house is spaghetti,” you explained. Grillby chuckled. “Don't tell Papyrus I said that, though. He might take it the wrong way.”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” he replied, and went to make the fries.

It was still very early, so the dogs had yet to arrive for their traditional morning meal. You sat on the bar stool for a bit and swung your feet, but then you felt the feeling in your chest and turned around.

For only a couple of seconds, you saw a faded Gaster sitting at one of the tables. He was staring down at the wood, but he wasn't quite like the Gaster you'd seen before. He wasn't so goopy. He must have seen you look, because he started, and held up a hand, but by then he was fading and within another second he was gone.

You stared at the spot. Was he... trying to talk to you? Following you? You rubbed your eyes. Maybe you'd imagined it. You hopped down off the stool and went to the table, but there was nobody there. But your friend had looked scared.

“Doggo should be getting here soon.” You jumped when you heard Grillby come back out. He gave you a curious look, but you hurried over and took the bag.

“Tell him I said hi!” you said, maybe too quickly, because Grillby seemed a little bit confused. You gave him a smile, but you were uneasy. You left before he could question it.

It was just your imagination, you told yourself. Sans had said to bring it up again only if you spoke to Gaster- which you hadn't. You didn't want him to be sad. You hugged the bag of food close to your jacket to keep it warm while you jogged home.

Neither skeleton had moved since you'd left. You exhaled and took the fries to the kitchen with you. It was almost eight thirty. Papyrus was usually up by now, but he had been gone an awful long time the day before. You took some spaghetti out of the fridge and put it in the microwave.

You kept looking over your shoulder. What if Gaster was there? What if he was trying to talk to you? What had happened to him? The spaghetti got a bit overdone in the microwave, but it was still edible. For Papyrus, anyways.

Papyrus must have known Gaster, too, if Sans had made it a point to you not to tell him about your encounter. Who else did? Grillby? Alphys? Were you the only one he could talk to? Why was he stuck in that room? Was he even stuck there? What was stopping him from just leaving? You stuck a fork in the plate of pasta and stirred it thoughtfully. You were, as Papyrus would have said, thoroughly japed.

But you couldn't talk to Sans about it, and he said you couldn't talk to Papyrus about it. That didn't leave many options, but Alphys came to your mind. She knew lots of things, since she was a scientist. You decided to bring it up to her next time you saw her and were contented.

You put the plate of burning pasta and the bag of fries (with ketchup, of course) on the table and peeped over the arm of the couch. They were both still sleeping, but it was nearing nine. You reached over and poked Papyrus's cheekbone a couple of times. He woke up with a few bleary blinks and looked over at you. These few seconds of first waking up were probably the only moments in his day that weren't filled with action and excitement.

“Good morning, Human,” he said quietly. He flopped his arm over and patted your head. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine,” you said.

Papyrus stretched, prodding Sans with his foot in the process. He yawned, and Sans woke up and groggily looked at you and his brother.

“Sans,” Papyrus said, “look what you've done. Another one of your classic eight hour naps. And I was fooled into taking one with you.” But the taller monster didn't sound upset at all.

“Come on, Pap, naps are the best. Frisk, back me up here.”

You nodded, and Sans clicked his fingers. “See? You're outvoted, bro.”

Papyrus opened his mouth to respond, but then stopped and sniffed. He turned and looked at the table, and so did Sans.

“I made breakfast,” you said, maybe a bit sheepishly. “Well, I didn't really make it but... y'know.”

Both of them looked at you, a bit surprised. Papyrus turned so that he was sitting up, and Sans stood.

“Aw, kid, you didn't have to make us lazybones something to eat,” Sans said, but he was smiling softly and maybe blushing a little.

“You are truly great, human,” Papyrus said, and just like that he stood and scooped you up, holding you like a rescued princess. “Now my brother and I will have to do something super-duper great for you in return.”

Sans had already made it to the table and was inspecting the fries. “Where'd you get the money for this, kid? Don't tell me you wasted your hard earned baking cash on me-”

“Grillby gave me a discount,” you said. It wasn't a lie- he'd knocked a few gold off the price.

Sans pretended to be offended. “I've known that guy forever and he's never given me a discount- you gotta teach me your ways, Frisk.”

Papyrus placed you in one of the chairs, and then sat down himself. You hadn't gotten anything for yourself, which you realized after a second, but Sans insisted you take as many fries as you wanted, and Papyrus shared his spaghetti as well. Maybe you just had really low standards in life, but just sitting and eating breakfast and listening to Sans make bad fry puns made you feel all nice inside. Between the two brothers you probably received twenty 'thank you's in half an hour.

When you were all finishing up, Sans shook his head. “How about you help me clean up my room a little and I'll pay back what you spent on the grub?”

“Oh my god!” Papyrus exclaimed. “You're actually going to clean that garbage dump?”

“No bro, I like the garbage dump as much as the next guy, but I'm just cleaning my room for now.”

The look that Sans received from his brother was cold enough to kill. But you nodded, even if you didn't really need gold for anything.

Papyrus went on to badger Sans about going to work after the cleaning was done, and to recalibrate his damn puzzles. You listened happily as they playfully argued. You wondered briefly what it would be like to have a sibling that genuinely loved you.

“Well! Somebody has to do the sentry work around here,” Papyrus finally said, and posed dramatically. “I'm counting on you again, human. Don't let him boondoggle!”

“Okay,” you said, and Papyrus was contented. He left with a wave, but not before he gave you a pat on the head and gave the pet pet rock some sprinkles. You stared after him for a second.

“He really likes you, kid,” Sans said suddenly. You looked over to see him staring after his brother. “Cares about you a lot, y'know?”

You were blushing, but you nodded anyways. Sans faltered for a moment, but went on.

“And, uh, I do too. But Pap was so set on being a guard- which was really cool- but it just wasn't practical. The guy wouldn't hurt a fly. And with just me an him, he got a bit lonely. Then you showed up, and... uh, you know what I'm saying.” Sans scratched his head and looked down at you. “I like you a lot, kiddo. And I think, in my professional opinion... that if you want to, you should stay with us. Here, y'know. Underground.” Sans finished and seemed to wait for you to answer.

“Okay,” you said awkwardly.

“Uh... kid, that's a little too vague to work with, and I can work with some pretty unclear stuff. I mean, you seem happy, and it would make us sad if you left but we wouldn't force you to stay-”

“I want to stay as long as you'll let me,” you said, and felt compelled to hug Sans. So you did, and he seemed a bit surprised, but he hugged you back.

“Aw man, kid, you're making me all emotional, quit bein' so sappy,” Sans said, but he laughed and pulled you away to look you over. “We'll have to get on that room of yours, huh?”

Sans's room is, as you expected, pretty dirty. The literal tornado of trash was throwing things everywhere, and random garbage littered the floor. Compared to Papyrus's room, which was kept in neat order, Sans's room was like another world.

He walked inside and flopped down on his bed. “Welp. This is as far as I've ever made it before.”

You inspected the tornado for a second before you plucked out a few pieces of trash. You'd brought a bag for the garbage with you, and you stuffed the crumpled papers and empty cups inside.

Sans falls asleep in a matter of minutes. You didn't really mind, though, because all you really had to do was pick up all of the garbage. Once the whirl of trash was taken care of, you moved on to the desk in the corner which was smothered with dirty paper plates and empty water bottles. After all of the obvious trash was picked up, you didn't really know what to do. Sans had papers laying everywhere, but you didn't know what was to be thrown away and what he wanted to keep.

You busied yourself by fishing out all of the random junk that was hiding underneath his desk. Bottle caps, candy wrappers, a few stray fries, and a dried up apple core were only a few of the treasures you found. You reached back to get the 'goods' from the way back, and you felt a piece of paper of some kind nestled between the wall and desk, out of view and off of the floor.

You grabbed it, careful not to tear, and looked. It was a photograph, still in good condition, but crinkled up around the edges. Sans was wearing a short little lab coat and smiling lazily at the camera, with Papyrus stooped down so he could put his hands on Sans's shoulders. The taller skeleton was dressed in a plain black shirt and jeans- which was very odd to you, but your attention was drawn to the third figure in the photo who stood beside the two brothers.

It looked like Gaster, except not. He was tall, even taller than Papyrus, and slim. He wore a white turtleneck and black overcoat, and he was holding up his hands like he was timidly refusing the photo being taken. But he was smiling, and he was definitely Gaster. Except he wasn't all melty and sad looking, and the lines that marked his face weren't so deep, and he actually looked like a normal monster.

“I always forget how damn tall he was.”

You nearly had a heart attack as Sans spoke from behind you, and you spun so fast that you nearly fell over. You felt guilty for looking, but Sans was focused on the picture.

“Sorry! I found it behind the desk and-”

“You didn't do anything wrong, kid,” Sans said, but he just sounded so... unhappy. You relaxed as the adrenaline faded from your blood, but handed the picture to Sans. The skeleton took a moment to look at it before he laid it face-down on the desk and looked away.

“I saw him today- just for a second. He looked really surprised that I could see him, but then he just... faded. I didn't want to tell you because... because...”

Sans nodded, but carefully walked back to his bed and sighed. “Lets forget about cleaning, okay? I'm not really feeling up to it right now.”

“I'm sorry, I... didn't mean to...”

Sans didn't say anything, he just sat down with a heavy breath and patted the bed beside him. You fiddled with your hands, guilty all over, but went and sat.

“Gaster and I worked together,” Sans said, and even though you felt awful you immediately went silent. “He was the Royal Scientist before Alphys, so he was pretty damn smart. I met him twelve years ago, and I thought he was just about the most intimidating person I'd ever met.” Sans shook his head a bit. “He turned out to be this clumsy dork with a soft side that pretty much covered all his sides. Metaphorically speaking, he didn't have a hard side.”

You were silent as Sans spoke. He laughed for a second.

“Well, things happened, and he wanted me to help him work. He'd just finished the Core- he designed that whole thing- and was looking into something new. Back in the day, me and Papyrus weren't exactly living in style. I was only sixteen, and he was twelve. Kinda hard to work with that, y'know? Gaster offered us a place to stay, food to eat, work to do... how could anybody say no to that? God, Papyrus loved that guy. Imagine a little Papyrus, bout this tall-” Sans held his hand up so that it was even shorter than you were- “running around a lab, getting chased by a little Sans, while this high-class royal scientist just watched us and laughed. It was... it was nice...”

Sans kind of broke off. You felt awful for making him remember all this bad stuff, so you scooted closer and gave him a hug from the side. He'd never seemed quite so cuddly as his brother, but just then he was even more so.

“I worked with him for years. At first, it was mostly running papers places and doing simple math, because I was sixteen and didn't know much of anything about quantum physics and the space-time continuum. So Gaster taught me. He was really something else, twenty one and already the Royal Scientist, an established member of society, whereas I was... well, that's besides the point. He taught my bro, too, but that was mostly about puzzles and stuff. Pap never really cared for the whole 'advanced learning' thing. That's okay, though, he was really useful for running errands, because he literally never stopped moving unless he was physically restrained.” Sans smiled. But the smile soon faded.

“And then... well, he died. It was all really sudden, there was a malfunction at the Core, and... well, nobody knows what happened exactly. I don't think I have to tell you how hard me and Pap took it. I didn't sleep, or eat, just stayed in the lab and tried to figure out what the hell had gone so wrong. That's when I found... well... that he might not be completely dead.”

Sans was quiet for a while, and you hugged him tighter. He shook just a little, but he composed himself quickly and continued.

“I nearly killed myself trying to bring him back. I spent a long time failing, and then when I thought I might be close to something, oops, I failed again. I didn't just fail him, I failed everybody. I wasn't there for Papyrus when he needed me, I refused to take Gaster's place and do anything even remotely productive, I was a mess. Heh... maybe I still kind of am. After all, you were the one to finally find him. What would he think if he knew I just gave up? God... I...”

You had never seen Sans cry. It made your heart ache, because you didn't know what to do and you had no idea what to say. He gripped you tight, like you might fade away if he didn't hold tight enough.

“You're not a failure,” you said awkwardly.

Sans laughed, which was nothing more than a choked sob. “I gave up on him, Frisk. I knew he was still out there somehow, and I gave up. He took care of us for years and that's how I repaid him.”

“I... I don't think he's upset with you,” you said in a shaky voice. You were a sympathetic crier.

“Maybe he isn't. I don't know, Frisk, these last ten years I tried so hard to forget about him because it hurt too much to remember, and now... now, if he makes it back, God I can see the look in his eyes- the disappointment-” Sans sobbed.

You didn't know what to do. You couldn't say anything because you had no clue what would make Sans feel better. So you just hugged him while he cried and hoped that it would stop soon. Sans didn't deserve this. You wished that Papyrus was there, because he would know what to do. But he wasn't, so you were all that Sans had.

He only cried for a couple minutes, but it felt so much longer than that. He eventually quieted, but never let go of you. You took the initiative and sat yourself in his lap as he calmed down, and held his hands. He rested his chin on the top of your head and took a shaky breath.

“I'm sorry, kiddo. That was, uh... that wasn't very fun to watch, I bet.”

“I don't mind,” you said gently.

“You're a really good kid, Frisk. I meant it earlier when I said I think you should stay. That, uh, isn't just for my bro, either. I care about you a lot more than you can probably understand. I don't know what I'd do if I lost another person like Gaster... and, well, you're a lot like him.”

You said nothing, and Sans must have taken that to mean something else.

“I mean- shit- it's not just because you remind me of him-”

You stopped him by turning around again and hugging him around the neck. You put your forehead against his, and even if it took him a second, he reciprocated the embrace.

“Nobody's ever said stuff like that to me,” you said as you shed a few embarrassing tears. It felt good to let out the emotions you'd had since you'd met the two brothers. “Nobody's ever cared before.”

To sum up the room cleaning, you both cried and hugged a lot and very little actually got cleaned.

Chapter Text

There was nothing but solid darkness all around you. You looked around but there wasn't anything to see. You felt panic spring to your chest but you pushed it down and kept watching your surroundings. It was a nightmare that you had a lot. Soon another you would come out of the shadows, and they'd tell you horrible things, and then the dream would end and you'd wake up shivering. You knew it would happen. It happened all the time.

Except when you saw a figure moving through the dark and sludgy mist, it was a tall and slender one. It wasn't you that stepped into view, but Papyrus. Sans came soon after, but they both stopped before they reached you. The look in their eyes was haunting. You tried to speak but no sound came out.

“You're pathetic,” Papyrus said. Your breath caught in your throat. He pressed on. “We know what you did- poor Toriel. She thought you loved her- she thought you cared about her.”

“How could ya, kid? Just leave her there, all alone, with nobody but herself. That's cold, Frisk. That's stone-cold.”

You took a step back. Sans shoved his hands in his pockets while Papyrus looked away with disgust.

“How long?” the taller brother demanded. You started shaking your head, but his stare was void of emotion. “How long before you abandon us, Frisk? We've shared everything with you and you're going to repay us by leaving, without a word, without even a goodbye.”

You were crying and shaking your head. No, you wouldn't leave, you wouldn't. You blinked, and suddenly Sans was only inches away from your face. You scrambled backwards and fell. He towered over you with one eye flickering blue and yellow.

“How long before you reset again? How long before you get bored with us, kid? How long's it gonna be before you get curious and decide to kill us? Hmm? Come on, Frisk, answer me. I'm your pal, remember-” Sans grabbed you with blue magic and held you aloft. You struggled as the air was squeezed out of your lungs. You couldn't scream.

“We're your friends,” Papyrus said. He was standing there too. “We're your good, dear friends, aren't we? But you're going to reset someday, you're going to die and reset and everything that has happened will be turned into nothing. We'll just be your playthings. You'll kill us. You'll murder us, Frisk.” Papyrus's right eye flickered orange.

“Deny it all you want, kid,” Sans said as the grip on your throat tightened. “You won't be you after so long. You'll kill us. Do you want to kill us? Do you want us to die?”

You clawed at your throat, but there was nothing physical to grab. Your chest was burning and aching. You shook your head feverishly.

“Then die.”

You opened your eyes to see a bone inches from your forehead. You tried to scream, but like dust the dream vanished. Sans and Papyrus turned to ash and swirled out of existence, and you fell to the black floor and gasped for breath. It was so real. You were sobbing violently.

You felt something on your shoulder, and this time when you tried to scream, it worked. You tried to move away, but your chest hurt so much, and you were so tired.

“Shh, it's okay, they're gone. They're gone, Frisk, it was a nightmare,” you head a strange but familiar voice say from behind you. You turned sharply and saw the Gaster from Sans's picture. He was on his knees beside you, taller than Papyrus and even more lanky. His eyes were full of a deep concern.

You sobbed. He held up his hands in hesitation before he offered one to you. “It's me- from the room- I promise I won't hurt you. The nightmares are gone, they won't come back.” Gaster's eyes were so very worried and concerned. “Please don't cry, Frisk, it's okay.”

You attempted to stand, but soon lurched forward and nearly fell. Gaster caught you and sat on his knees. He offered you his arms, and you wrapped yourself around his thin frame while you cried.

“It's okay, Frisk, you're okay. I've got you. It was just a bad dream. You're safe.”

“They- tried to- to-” you attempted to say, but you were wracked with sobs.

“Calm down, it's okay. You're fine. Whatever happened was just a nightmare.” Gaster put one of his big hands on your back. He sounded so young. His voice was comforting. You nodded into his chest and continued to cry.

It took you a couple of minutes to calm down. The familiarly unfamiliar man patted your back and cooed every now and again, repeating that you were safe, and he was there. You appreciated that. When you could compose yourself, you did, and told him about the dream.

“They said I'd try to kill them,” you said. Gaster pulled you away from him for a second to look at you as you wiped the tears from your face. But your lip was quivering. “I wouldn't- I wouldn't hurt them- ever-”

Gaster's eyes softened. “No, of course you wouldn't. It was a nightmare. A very awful nightmare.” he said. He put a hand on your shoulder. “It was Sans and Papyrus, wasn't it?”

You sniffled and nodded.

“It wasn't really them, it was just an image. Whatever they said, it was a lie. Don't believe a word.”

“It was so real-”

“I know. They seem so real, don't they? But believe me, Frisk, they aren't. I had them too.” Gaster squeezed your shoulder just a little bit. “But I know that you can come here now, and I'll protect you from them. Okay, Frisk?”

“Where's here? I don't get it,” you whimpered.

“I don't know. You're the first person to come here, aside from myself a very long time ago. After you interacted with the part of me in the White Room, it must have enabled you to encounter me in this place as well.”

“Part... of you?”

Gaster gently hit himself in the face. “Ah, of course, how would you know? My soul was split and scattered. This must be a realm of the mind, or some kind of isolated plane of existence that is connected to yours through certain fabrics of space and time.” Gaster read the confusion on your face, and once again reprimanded himself with a pap. “Ah, I'm rambling, I apologize, to summarize, there is more than one Gaster out there, and I'm only part of the true ''him” that got scattered.”

You looked at him, and once more he looked frustrated with himself. “Oh, I'm sorry, you're very upset and none of this makes sense right now. Just- remember, it was a nightmare, it wasn't real, okay? They're trying to scare you into resetting, don't let them. Next time this happens I'll be here as soon as I can.”

You swallowed. Them? Who was 'them?' Gaster seemed very flustered as you cried, so he just gave you a hug.

“I'm no good at this, I'm sorry Frisk,” he said kind of sadly. “Papyrus was always so good at it, even when he was no older than you!” Gaster cursed softly. “I'm rambling again. That's what ten years of isolation will do to you, I suppose. Be safe, Frisk.”

You pulled away from him, remembering Sans saying something about him being a huge dork, but before you could compose yourself to speak, you saw him begin to fade into the darkness. You looked down at your own hands and saw the same thing happening. You gasped in panic, but Gaster took one of your hands.

“It's okay, the dream is ending, that's all. You'll wake up.” Gaster gave you a reassuring smile, but you were both fading fast. “If you ever come back, I won't let the nightmares get you again. Goodbye, Frisk, tell Sans-”

But just like that everything snapped to darkness.

You jolted from the couch with a gasp. Your mind was whirling a thousand miles an hour- them? Scattered? More than one Gaster? You barely had thirty seconds to calm yourself and think before Gaster was thrown from your mind.

You heard a creak on the stairs and whipped around to see Papyrus standing on them, looking at you with a very worried expression. He was in his pajamas.

“Frisk? Is everything alright?” he asked.

You couldn't help but stare at him in fear. Your nightmare was still there, so your eyes tricked you into seeing orange magic where there was none. Your throat was still tight and dry from the dream. You'd never hurt them- they'd never hurt you- but your mind wasn't cooperating, and all of your thoughts got jumbled together and made your head hurt. Their words came back, and you jumped off of the couch and ran for the door. You didn't want to think about it. Papyrus was making you think about it.

You heard him shout something as you flung the front door open and bolted. Your feet were bare and you only had on shorts and a large sleeping shirt. You ran for Waterfall. Your lungs burned from the exertion and the crying.

Gaster said it wasn't real, but Gaster was barely real, so how could you trust him? Your mind was clouded with terror. You didn't want to hurt anybody. You didn't want to kill anybody. You also didn't want to die. So you ran.

The snow caught your feet and you tripped multiple times. You couldn't feel your toes even though you'd only been running for a minute or two. What if it had been a nightmare? Why would Gaster lie? You were so confused by the thoughts going through your head. You were sobbing. It was easier to focus on your legs and how the cold froze them. When you finally fell on your face, you just pushed yourself up with your arms and laid there, shivering and sobbing.

Papyrus reached you in seconds. You didn't have it in you to move away. He fell to his knees and put his hands on your shoulders.

“Human, what happened? What's wrong?” he asked. The freezing cold made you come to your senses. You sniffled in the snow but didn't have the decency to look up at your friend. Your breaths were labored and heavy.

“Frisk, calm down, deep breaths,” Papyrus said as though he were going through motions. He brought you closer to him and you hugged his chest and tried to press your face as far into his shirt as you could. It was bony and uncomfortable, but you really didn't care.

“You're alright- it was a nightmare, that's all. I'm here,” he said. His words had a softness to them that caught you a little off-guard. You sobbed and held onto his ribs from the back, and he cradled you in his hands.

“Frisk, you're okay. You'll be okay. Shh, I've got you.”

“I-I didn't know what else to do,” you whimpered.

“...Let's go back inside, okay? You'll freeze out here.”

Papyrus picked you up with ease. He patted your back as he briskly walked back to Snowdin. You kept your eyes shut and held onto him and listened to his body move, because it made you feel safer.

You didn't open your eyes until you'd entered the house and Papyrus had stopped walking. He set you down on the couch and wrapped your blanket around you, taking a moment to wipe the tears off of your face. You sniffled and grabbed on to one of his big hands. He got down on one knee so you were roughly at eye level.

“C-can you stay?” you sniffed.

“Of course I will, human, it would be awful of me to leave you alone as you are,” Papyrus said. The softness of his voice kept you calm, and your little sobs were starting to go away.

“I'm sorry for running...” you said.

“It's quite alright, this wouldn't be the first time I've had to chase somebody down in the middle of the night. Although, usually, that person is Sans, and usually, he is playing a cruel trick on me,” Papyrus said, and you smiled a little bit, and Papyrus smiled back twice as large and shifted you around so that you were leaning into his side and he could keep an arm around you. “I swear, sometimes his sense of humor is simply cruel. Just last month he ran into my room, while I was fast asleep, mind you, and told me that the humans were invading. I got up and ran through the town shouting for everybody to evacuate. I haven't seen him laugh so hard in a long time.”

You breathed a quiet noise, but couldn't really bring yourself to imagine the scene. Papyrus seemed to understand. He reached his other arm over and pulled you into a modified hug.

“Do you wish to speak about it?” he asked.

You shook your head.

“Alright. Do you want to go back to bed?”

You shook your head again.

“Do you have something in mind that would help?” Papyrus patiently asked. You were starting to warm up with the blanket and his big hands on you. You shrugged.

“I don't know...do you think I could... maybe, sleep with you tonight?” you asked.

“That sounds like a fantastic idea, human,” he said, and patted your head. “It will be like a sleepover. Sans is awake- he heard the commotion, but didn't want to overwhelm you. Perhaps he could read us a particularly great rendition of “Fluffy Bunny?”

You nodded, and just like that Sans was standing by the stairs. He caught your eye and waved a little bit before he came over and sat down on the side that wasn't occupied by Papyrus. He looked very tired and worn down. He looked at you in a strange way before he leaned over and doubled the hug.

“Sans, what happened to letting them calm down before you bring your tomfoolery into this?” Papyrus joked.

“It ain't tomfoolery, bro, just a hug. Bad dreams are the worst.” Sans said, but he sounded so exhausted.

Papyrus picked up on it immediately. “Human, what do you think about Sans joining our sleepover?”

“That'd be good,” you said. You wiped your nose and leaned into Sans.

Papyrus scooped you up first, and then in his other arm he grabbed his brother. He held the two of you under his arms and ascended the steps.

Nobody did very much talking while you all snuggled into Papyrus's bed. You were sandwiched between the two brothers, with a blanket of your own to protect from the boniness of your friends. Sans nestled in beside you, careful not to jab you, and offered you a place against his chest. He was still wearing his jacket. You gladly accepted his offer and snuggled as close to him as you could. Papyrus picked up Peek-A-Boo With Fluffy Bunny and flipped it open.

He read the story to the two of you. Sans made commentary throughout, which you found funny, but you mostly just responded with little sighs. You were tired from crying. Papyrus read quietly, but he hardly even had to look at the book because he knew it so well. You tried to stay awake to listen to the whole thing, but you were warm under the blanket and wiped out.

You nodded off listening to the two of them. It happened so smoothly that when you stirred at Papyrus settling in with you and Sans, you couldn't even remember falling asleep. But Papyrus leaned over ever so slightly and gave you a very gentle bonk on the forehead. Sans was asleep but still holding you tight; he made a soft noise at Papyrus's disturbance. You were soon sound asleep again. Your last thoughts were of the nightmare- and with your two best friends snuggling beside you, the idea of them hurting you was impossible to imagine.

You didn't have any more bad dreams that night.

Chapter Text

The households 'angst' capabilities must have been maxed out, because for the next week nothing much of importance happened. Sans spoke very little of Gaster, and Papyrus was, well, Papyrus. You didn't see hide nor tail of the aforementioned mystery monster, but a few times when you turned you thought you caught sight of something standing. It always vanished before you could say anything, though, and strangely enough it was almost never looking at you.

In all honesty, you completely forgot about what Gaster had said after the nightmare until six days after it happened. You were playing outside with Kid one bright afternoon when you were reminded.

Kid made a modified snow angel to go along with yours, and you laughed at their funny imprint.

They snorted but gave you a sidelong glance. “Man, don't laugh at me, I don't have arms! That's uncool, yo.”

“It's still a good snow angel,” you commented. Kid giggled and hopped to their feet with a 'hup!' and stamped around until their angel had wings, too.

“Yo, so what's it like living with the skeletons? I bet its so neato, Papyrus is like, the coolest. Well, okay, Undyne is the coolest, but he's a close second!”

You were sitting in the snow, and absentmindedly formed a snowball as you thought about it. “It's... really nice. They're both so nice. I don't ever want to leave.”

“Aw man, don't even talk about leaving! You're my new and awesome friend, you gotta stay! You can tell me cool secrets about the skeleton bros- yo, do you actually have any?”

You laughed and tossed the snowball at Kid, but they dodged it. “If I did, they're called secrets for a reason.”

“Yo, unfair! I thought we were pals,” Kid complained.

“Well...” you scratched your head. “I guess I can tell you a few little things...”

Kid ran over and fell face-first in the snow, which was something they did quite frequently, before they sat down very close to you. “Yo. I'm all ears.”

“Let me think... well, don't tell anybody, but their kitchen sink is really really tall. Like, unusably tall.”

Kid's eyes were wide. “But, why, man?”

“To hide things underneath. And, you wanna know a secret about Sans?”

They nodded.

“His room is really dirty. Like, really really. And Papyrus is a big cuddler.”

“What! Yo, no way, he's so cool and strong.”

“It's true. When we watch MTT together I sit on his shoulders and use his head as an armrest.”

“Oh my god! You're so lucky, Frisk, those two are, like, celebrities in Snowdin. Okay, not really, but they're well-known, at the least! Everybody knows Sans, he's so funny, and Papyrus is always running around and doing whacky things. One time, he ran around town in his PJ's yelling that the humans were invading! Turns out his bro was just pranking him, but it was still really funny!”

You laughed but remembered that Papyrus had told you that story himself the night of your nightmare.

“I can barely remember before they were here, yo. It was like five or six years ago, I think, they came here from who knows where and things got infinitely more fun.” Kid bit their lip for a second. “Okay, well, for the first few months they just seemed, uh, kind of sad? Haha, maybe I was just imagining things.”

You were interested. “Does anybody know why they came here?”

“Everybody knows, man, but nobody ever talks about it,” Kid said, and looked away for a second. “They used to work for the Royal Scientist, but then, he... he kind of just disappeared one day. The King never came out and said anything, and a couple years later they moved here. Maybe they were good friends with him or something? Nobody knows what happened to him.”

“He was sc-” you stopped yourself before you finished and stood up like lightning. “Oh my god. I have to go.”

“Wha- hey, yo, did you remember something?” Kid asked, but you were already running for the house.

“I'll see you later, I have to go do something right now!” you called back to them and waved. They just looked really confused, but you suddenly remembered that you never told Sans about Gaster and you felt like a complete idiot.

But Sans wasn't home, and neither was Papyrus. You knocked on both of their doors to make sure, but they must have still been out doing sentry stuff. You slapped yourself in the face and went back outside. Was Sans in Snowdin forest, or Waterfall? You looked in both directions, considering which way to go first, when a strange yet familiar feeling hit you.

It was the same feeling from the first day you met Gaster.

Sans was out of your mind faster than you could blink, and your stubby legs were carrying you to Waterfall before you could think anything coherent. You reached into the pockets of your jackets and made sure that the pencil and small notepad were still there. They were.

Sans was not at his Waterfall post. You ran by it and kept going, finding new energy in the thought of finding Gaster again. As you rounded a few corners and passed over a small bridge, you saw a familiar gray door, and you stopped outside of it to catch your breath. You'd ran all the way here, and it had taken more than five minutes. You weren't that athletic.

When you opened it and entered, it was just the same as when you'd been there before. You saw Gaster in the middle, a big goopy black and white mess, and when he saw you his eyes widened and you saw him smile.

“YOU- OH GOODNESS! YOU FOUND ME AGAIN... HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?” He burbled as you ran up to him and he gently grabbed your face in his big hands.

“I came back!” you chirped, and hugged him. His body was a strange consistency, but you didn't mind, and he reciprocated immediately.

“OH GOODNESS... TWICE? CHILD, HOW? THIS SHOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE!”

“I don't have a clue what you're saying, but look!” you said, and pulled away from him to grab the things from your pocket and hold them up. “Maybe now we can actually talk to each other, sir.”

Gaster said nothing for a moment, but then gently rustled your hair. “YOU ARE GOOD. YOU ARE SO VERY GOOD, CHILD. OH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY.”

“Here,” you said, and handed him the things. He accepted them kindly and immediately began to write. You waited patiently. When he was done, he handed the notepad back to you and motioned for you to read it. You looked.

'Hello, Frisk, my name is W. D. Gaster. You are very kind. Thank you so much for suffering through my outburst last time, and thank you for keeping a poor soul like me company for a while.'

You read it twice before you handed the paper back to him. “You're welcome, sir. Sans told me about you- well, not at first, but after I saw one of you at Grillby's, he told me. And I was just on my way to find him before I came here, because a week ago one of you came and stopped me from having a nightmare and told me some things, and I forgot to tell Sans about it and I remembered just a few minutes ago and-” you stopped to breath, because you were rambling and didn't really know where to go from there. Gaster began writing immediately.

'You saw me in a dream?'

“Yes. He said there were a lot of you, he said you got... scattered. And he knew that I met you in here, but you must not have known I met him.”

Gaster seemed a little confused, but began to write again. You sat down on the floor, and he kind of slouched down and formed a more spread-out goopy Gaster pile. He showed you the paper again.

'I knew that there were more parts of me, but I only get small glimpses from them, and do not know any specifics. My soul was split apart, but we still remain connected in some ways.'

It took you a second to make sense of it, but when you did, you blinked and looked his way.

“Is there a way to put them back together? I want to help you. You don't seem happy like this.”

Gaster seemed taken aback by your words, and didn't begin writing for several seconds. When he did, it was slow. He was hesitant to hand you the notepad.

'I don't think it is possible. It would take a power far greater than anything I have encountered before, and I would not wish that task on anybody.'

“But- but you're... all alone here, and...” you let your words fade as Gaster began writing again.

'I am fine here. It is better that I remain here and be unhappy than waste anothers life attempting to fix me.'

“No- that isn't true!” you said, and Gaster was surprised by your outburst. “You aren't happy, and if we can fix it, we will. You're my friend, and Sans and Papyrus miss you a lot. There has to be a way.”

“FRISK...” he said, and you recognized your own name.

“I promise, I'm going to find a way. If I've already met three of you, then... then, I don't know, but it can't be a coincidence, right? I want to help.”

“... FRISK...” Gaster repeated your name and you saw that there were tears welling in his eyes. You immediately hugged him.

“I'm going to help you as much as I can. Sans and Papyrus, they just took me in and gave me everything they had, and... and they're the best family I've ever had. Sans told me that you did that for them. They were alone and scared and you gave them everything you could and changed their lives. You're a really good person. You deserve help.”

Gaster was, by that point, a big blubbery mess. He said things that you didn't understand, but was too unsteady to write much of anything. You hugged him while he cried a little and got it out of his system.

After a few minutes, he calmed down, and wiped the tears from his face. You grabbed his hands with yours and looked up at him. You didn't say anything, but there was a fire burning in your chest. This felt right- it felt like you were supposed to be doing this. Gaster was to the skeletons what they were to you, so that meant that Gaster had meant the entire world to them. So, by extension, he meant a whole lot to you, too. Looking up at his sad face, you wanted to save him more than anything else. And you were going to do it.

You were determined.

You stayed with Gaster for a long time, and he used up nearly the entire notepad with his big swoopy handwriting.

'Frisk, if you want to save me, you need to talk to Sans and Papyrus.' he wrote after you asked him a series of personal questions. His favorite color was teal, he liked tea more than coffee, W. D. stood for Wingdings, he liked to sing in the shower but he wasn't very good, and he had once stolen flowers from Asgore's personal garden because Papyrus wanted to make his brother a crown.

'From what you have told me, the more physicality a Gaster part has, the less stable he is. The one that came to you in your nightmare strongly resembled me before I was scattered, but you can't see him outside of your mind. I, on the other hand, am kind of a mess, but you can see and touch me.'

“Nightmare Gaster could also talk to me,” you said, and Gaster nodded as he jotted that down in his notes, which had been ripped from the pad.

“The one I think I'm seeing looks kind of like a mix between Nightmare Gaster and you. He keeps fading before I can talk to him, though.”

Gaster nodded as he wrote that down, as well. After a moment, he went back to the notepad and began writing.

'You will need to make contact with him if you hope to save me. Its a possibility that there are more than three of us out there.'

“How can I find them?”

Gaster made a face, which was really something considering that his normal face was already a big sloppy mess, but he began writing.

'I can't say for sure, but the first place I would look would be the Core. If an even more physical me is anywhere in the world, it would likely be there. That's where I died.'

You nodded thoughtfully and grabbed the pencil out his hand, writing that down on your own sheet of paper.

“YOUR MANNERS ARE LACKING, FRISK,” Gaster mumbled, but you ignored him until you were done and handed him back the pencil. He took it and wrote on the paper, but shielded you from seeing it until he was done.

It was a small doodle of him sticking his tongue out at you. You snatched the pencil again, which made him say something in protest, but you drew a very bad picture of yourself smiling with "I LOVE YOU" scrawled across the bottom and shoved it in his face.

He looked at it for a moment and tried to pretend to be upset, but instead he made his weird computer-y laughing noise, blushed, and took back the pencil to write.

'Anyways, search the Core. Take Sans or Papyrus with you, maybe both. They're familiar with it. Do you know of a Dr. Alphys?'

You nodded. “Yeah, her and Papyrus are friends through Undyne, who is not my friend yet because she wants to kill me and take my soul.” Gaster gave a small laugh as he wrote.

'She was always very fond of Papyrus, Alphys. But, she might be able to help you. She was my student, and she's extraordinarily bright.'

You held out your hand and he sent the pencil your way so you could write that down on your very scrappy-looking piece of paper.

“Okay, got it.” You handed the pencil back and he began to write.

'The probability of you finding me again is very high, if you've found me twice already. There isn't much else we can do from here now, but if for some reason you can't make it back, tell whatever Gaster you can, and have them try their hardest to send the information to me.'

You read the note. “Okay. I've got a feeling I'll find you again. So, I leave, find Sans and Papyrus, and tell them everything we discussed, and then we go find Alphys, and we investigate the Core for Gaster-bits.”

“THAT IS VERY UNSCIENTIFIC,” Gaster said, and you didn't understand him, but he gave you a warm look.

“Do you want me to tell Sans and Papyrus anything in particular? Sans knows about this, obviously, but Papyrus doesn't have a clue yet.”

He began writing immediately.

'Tell Sans that he was right for abandoning his search for me, and that if he hadn't I would have been very disappointed in him. I'll draw a picture to give to Papyrus- he is naïve and trusting, but I doubt he'll believe you unless I make him something.”

You hummed quietly to yourself as Gaster tore one of the last pieces from the notepad and began drawing. It only took him a minute, and then he handed it to you.

It was a drawing of himself, and one of Sans with a flower crown. It said 'Frisk found me, so don't yell at your brother for beginning the search again.'

“Okay, I'll give it to him,” you said, folding up the sheet and putting it in your pocket. “You keep the notepad and pencil. I'll start carrying around a bag with more stuff in it, just in case.”

'Good thinking.'

He didn't write anymore, and you looked at him with a frown. His eyes went to the door, and then back to you, and you knew that it was time to go.

“Man... I don't like leaving you here,” you said, and scratched your head. “It feels wrong.”

Gaster raised his hand to write something, but he must not have had anything to write. He put the pencil down and folded his hands.

“FRISK,” he said, and you recognized your name.

“Gaster,” you said, and it made him smile. You moved forward and hugged him tightly, and he hugged you back. Even though you barely knew him, you felt deeply connected. You felt safe.

“We're gonna get you out of here,” you said. He squeezed you and he began to shake and you heard him crying.

“Aw, come on, don't cry,” you said, and patted his back. “Cause if you start crying, I'm gonna start crying.”

You loosened your grip and Gaster pulled away and wiped the small tears from his eyes. He smiled at you, and you smiled at him. You stood there for a few moments before he looked at the door again.

“Yeah, I'm going,” you said.

“STAY SAFE, FRISK.” he said, but all you understood was your name. You took a step forward and bonked your head against his, like the skeletons did, and he pulled back in surprise before he started crying again and reciprocated the motion.

He really was a crybaby.

Chapter Text

As soon as you got back home, you ran into the house with your handful of notes and messages and sat them down on the table next to Sans's pet rock and his new pet rock for his pet rock. You looked around but there was nobody in the house. When you decided to look at the clock, you saw that you'd been MIA for almost four hours.

Oopsie.

You ran up the stairs and knocked on Papyrus's door, but nobody answered. You groaned, but you heard Sans open his door a second later.

“You finally back from-”

“No time!” you said, and ran over to him. He seemed a bit taken aback by your interruption, but you just gave him a quick hug (because it felt right) and went on.

“Last week, when I had that nightmare and ran, Gaster was in my dream. Not part of the nightmare, though- part of him was actually there, in my mind, and he chased the dream away and told me some stuff that I forgot about. I just remembered a few hours ago.”

Sans's eyes were wide and confused, but you'd definitely caught his attention.

“... part of him?” Sans questioned, but then he shook his head. “No, forget I asked, you should start from the beginning. Lets go to the couch- it sounds like you've got some important stuff to go over.”

You gave a very very serious nod which wasn't actually serious at all before you trotted the length of the hall and went downstairs. You were full of excitement at the prospect of saving your new friend, but more so, you were filled with determination.

When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you saw Papyrus standing there. When had he gotten home? He was standing near the table and you wondered what he was doing until he turned to look at you and there was a look quite unlike any look you'd seen him wear before.

“Human, wh... what are these?” he asked. He was holding one of the notes in his hands. They were shaking.

Sans was down a moment after you were, but he just gave you a look. You went over to Papyrus and gently took the note from his hand to look at it. It was just the doodling page that you had drawn some stuff on, and Gaster had responded to with other small doodles. He allowed you to take it while he stared down at you, confused and a little... haunted?

“Human, where did you get these? Why is G-” he broke off and looked away. You noticed that Sans was now approaching, but you just set the note back down on the table and sifted through until you found the one for Papyrus.

“He wanted me to give you this one,” you said as you handed him the piece of paper. He took it but didn't look at it. He looked at Sans, who was now standing there, and then back at you.

“What's going on here?” he asked. There was an edge to his voice that made you sad. It was defensive. You remembered what Sans had said- how hard Papyrus had taken it. Gaster had even said that Papyrus may not believe you when you told him. You started putting the pieces together as Sans spoke.

“Pap, listen, please don't get upset, I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a mix-up before I told you- Frisk has... been able to talk to him. Somehow. I...” Sans trailed off. Papyrus still had yet to look at the paper. He stared at his brother with his jaw clenched.

“He... isn't dead...” Papyrus said. His voice was low. It scared you a little.

“Papyrus, I swear, I've only known for a few days, and the kid has seen him multiple times- everything they've said is true. It's all here, look at that handwriting, bro, you know it's his... Papyrus...” Sans didn't finish. He looked ready to comfort his brother, but Papyrus took a step backwards.

“You promised you wouldn't do this,” Papyrus said. There were tears in his voice. “You said you wouldn't anymore, brother.”

Papyrus began to cry. You'd seen him cry before- he was a sap. He'd cried over MTT, he'd cried when you'd fallen and scrapped your knee once, but this was so different. He crumpled the paper in his hands and shut his eyes tight.

“Papyrus, I know, I know I promised and I would've never brought it up again but Frisk saw him, Papyrus, twice, they-”

“He's dead!” Papyrus suddenly exploded. You scrambled backwards at the anger in his voice, because you had never heard him shout like that, and you were scared. He glared at Sans as Sans held up his hands and took a few steps away.

“Papyrus-”

“He's dead, and he isn't coming back!” Papyrus shouted. He threw the ruined paper on the ground before he turned his back on his brother and rested his clenched fists on the table. “I don't want to lose you again!”

Sans froze. You were backed up against the wall, shivering. Neither noticed your tears as they fought.

“You won't! You won't, Papyrus, but he isn't dead! I'm not going to just ignore everything Frisk is telling me, okay, I know you're still upset and I know I treated you like shit but-”

“You nearly died! You put your life in danger trying to bring back a dead man! I won't let you do it again, even if I have to- to stop you myself!” Papyrus said. He turned back to his brother. They were both bristling. Your heart was pounding.

“He isn't dead! Damnit, Papyrus, he isn't dead! Why can't you-”

“Because if he isn't dead then it's my fault you didn't save him!” Papyrus said. He was furious and sad all at the same time. He was standing up tall but he was crying. He towered over Sans, who looked angry, but also something else...

“None of it was your fault, Pap, and you- you know that! I know it's easier to hide from your problems but Gaster is-”

“Don't say his name!” Papyrus roared, and he threw one of his hands back, and the flash of movement made your stomach sink and bad things come back to you.

“Don't hurt him!” you cried. You darted forward and grabbed Papyrus by the leg, as though it could stop him. Your whole body was shaking while your mind whirled with horrible scenarios playing in your head. You'd been crying, but now you were bawling.

Adrenaline was running through you like cold fear. You were scared.

You were crying too hard to notice that both of them went deathly quiet. You trembled as you hugged Papyrus's leg. After a few moments, you looked up at the skeleton and saw him staring down at you in mild horror. Sans's eyes were wide.

“F... Frisk...” Sans said. You sobbed as he came over to you and with shaking hands pried you from Papyrus's leg. “Frisk, no... we wouldn't do that, kid, he wasn't going to hurt me...”

You needed something to hold on to, so you grabbed him around the chest while you shook and the tears fell. There was a pause before gentle hands found your back. “Shh, kid... kid, it's okay. Why... why did you think...?”

“... mom and dad-” you cried, but had to stop because your voice broke. “M-mom and dad, they'd... they would...” you broke off and cried into Sans's jacket.

Absolute silence. The only sound in the house was you sniffling and sucking in sharp breaths.

“They'd hurt each other,” you said. “A-and... and... s-s-sometimes they'd...” you stopped again. This time, you didn't continue. You didn't want to.

You felt rotten. Of course they wouldn't hurt each other- of course they'd never hurt you. There was no need to brace yourself when you'd stopped Papyrus, because he never would have hit you. It was so obvious.

Sans pulled you away from him. You hiccuped and felt guilty- they'd been fighting about something important, and now they were both silent. He looked at you with big, scared eyes, like you'd told him that you'd killed somebody.

“Frisk... we didn't-” Sans stopped to swallow and look up at his brother. “We had no idea- kid, I'm sorry...”

You felt a gentle hand touch your shoulder.

“No more fighting,” Papyrus said. He moved so that he could crouch down beside his brother and look at you. He looked like he was still very much upset, though.

Things must have been really bad if Papyrus got so upset about this. You knew he was trying to be an adult and put aside his own feelings to comfort you, but it made you feel bad, and you didn't want him to do it.

“I-I swear... I've met him... he's really, really nice, and he cries a lot...” you said between your small sobs. Papyrus's eyes went wide, but you went on.

“He... he said you wouldn't believe me...” When you said it, Papyrus looked away. You pressed on, because you couldn't let them fight anymore. “But he said he would've been disappointed if Sans would've searched for him any longer. So, then, that means... that means he wanted you to stop looking for him. So that means it isn't your fault... that means you did the right thing...”

Papyrus was crying again with renewed vigor.

“But there might be a way to save him- that's why I was gone for so long- he got split up into different pieces, and we think that if we can bring them all back together... that he might be able to come back... and Sans said he gave you guys a place to live, and... food to eat. And helped you when he didn't have to... and I thought that meant you guys loved him as much as... as I love you. So I have to try to save him, because if anything ever happened to you guys, I'd... I'd...” your voice broke.

Papyrus was the first to wrap you in his arms and hold you. He was crying. Sans joined in a moment later. For a few minutes, you all three sat there on the floor in varying degrees of tears.

It was like Sans's bedroom all over again.

You told them what had happened, from the beginning, and you included as much detail as you could. You were all three gathered around the table, with you at the head, and Sans and Papyrus on either side. You had tea in your hands and a blanket around you, courtesy of the brothers.

“He said that we should go and tell all of this to Alphys before we go to the Core,” you said. You'd calmed down, and had progressed through the story with growing confidence. Papyrus listened and said very little, and sometimes he'd look away or down at the table and you'd feel bad, but he always looked back to you to continue.

Sans sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh. “The core splits atoms to create power,” he said, “so I guess that sort of makes sense. I didn't think anybody could actually survive falling into it though...”

“Survived isn't really the correct word,” Papyrus said. You looked at him. It was the first thing he'd contributed to the conversation, but he didn't seem too upset.

“Heh, you're right... I knew he was determined, but making it through your body's atoms getting split apart must've taken a miracle.”

“He said Alphys might be able to help,” you said.

“He's probably right,” Sans said.

There was a short pause as the two of you looked at Papyrus. He seemed very deep in thought, but after a short moment he looked up at the two of you.

“I'd like to come with you and provide whatever help I can,” he said. “I know that I am not very adept at your scientific nonsense and babble, but...” he shrugged.

“Gaster said we'd need your help,” you said, and that made Papyrus look up in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah, and he said that Alphys was 'really fond of you' so whatever that means...”

Papyrus sort of blushed a little bit while Sans snorted- there must have been a story there that you didn't know, but you didn't care to ask. Seeing Papyrus upset and down on himself made you very sad, but he seemed over it. That's all that mattered.

“Welp,” Sans said as he stopped laughing, “it looks like we're going to be busy for a while. When he gets back, WD better be groveling at our feet.”

“Sans!” Papyrus said, but it sounded like the 'Sans!' that he said after his brother had made a particularly bad pun. “If anything, we should be groveling at his! He was our caretaker, after all.”

“The one in the room doesn't have feet,” you chimed in. They both looked at you in a mixture of surprise and confusion. “He's kind of like a goop pile-” you moved your hands to exaggerate the shape of his body- “and he doesn't have legs or feet.”

Papyrus put a hand over his mouth, and apparently the mental image was funny, because he laughed a little bit. Sans did too.

Papyrus was now a member of team Save Goopy Gaster. You looked between him and his brother for a moment. At this rate, you'd be able to save him in no time at all. With Alphys helping, you'd have three of the smartest people in the Underground helping you help your new friend.

You were going to get him back- you knew that much from the feeling in your gut. Just like you felt you'd been friends with him for much longer than a few short hours, you knew you were meant to save him. It was like it was written in your DNA or something.

You'd found a new family that loved you, and cared about you, and you'd do anything for them. Belonging was all you needed in your life- and you were going to make sure that the person who'd been there for Sans and Papyrus was part of it. You wouldn't accept failure.

You were determined.

Chapter Text

Everybody agreed that all of you shouldn't go to talk to Alphys. After a brief discussion and little argument, it was decided that Sans would be the one to go, because she knew him arguably the best, and he would be able to talk his science mumbo-jumbo with her. You were quite happy to stay at home, because you were tired after crying and running around all day. Papyrus was content to sit with you on the couch.

When Sans had left, you leaned against Papyrus's arm, and he shifted around so that he could put it around your shoulders. You looked up at him, but he had his eyes closed. You poked his chest and he looked down at you with a 'hmm?'

“Do you wanna talk about it?” you asked him, remembering what he'd asked you when you were upset. The look in his eyes told you that he was aware of your actions, but he smiled a little.

“There is too much to say, human, but... I suppose it would help.” He gave you a little squeeze. “Did Sans tell you what happened?”

You nodded into his side. “A little bit. You can start wherever you want, though, I don't mind.”

Papyrus smiled and used his free hand to ruffle your hair. “I promise I will not bore you,” he said a little playfully, but then he frowned.

“It was about twelve years ago that we met Gaster. You said you saw him in a photo, but I will describe him anyways, to build the story,” Papyrus said, and you giggled a bit. “He was the tallest person I'd ever seen, but he was slim and, to a twelve year old, very frightening. We were living in the capital at that time, and to be blunt, we were not doing so well.”

Papyrus paused for a moment. You didn't say anything, just waited for him to continue.

“I know I say that Sans is lazy quite a lot,” Papyrus began, “and, believe me, he is! But... if it weren't for Sans, I doubt I'd be here today. He is the greatest older brother anybody could ever ask for.” Papyrus's eyes were soft. “He tried so hard to keep a roof over my head and food in my metaphorical belly. But he was only sixteen, and he was... ah, human, how should I say it? He was- is- not well. It started for him when he was young, and despite its improvement, some days I will find him in his room, wrapped up in his blankets... do you understand what I'm saying?”

You nodded. You understood well.

“Then let us not talk about such depressing things!” Papyrus said, but he wasn't all that excited about it. “Gaster found the two of us one day, getting soaked in the rain because we had nowhere to go, and we were both terrified of him. We actually ran away, until we came to a dead-end and could run no longer. Gaster explained that he just wanted to help, and offered us a place to stay until the rain ended.”

“How'd it rain?” you asked quietly.

“It happens at some points, when the world above is flooded,” Papyrus explained.

“Oh, okay.”

“Sans was not quick to trust the man,” Papyrus continued. “He never let me out of his sight, not once, and glared at our host our entire visit. He was rude even then, human,” Papyrus said, and you snorted as you imagined a small Sans pouting at a big tall Gaster.

“But, when the rain ended, we left, and when Gaster next came to visit us, he insisted that we come and stay with him. Sans would have refused had it been only him, he is actually quite stubborn you see, but at that point it had been days since we'd eaten and he would never allow me to starve. This happened multiple times, and soon... well, suffice to say that Gaster had a little room put together in his lab.”

“What was he like?” you asked.

Papyrus sighed. “He was a nerd. A big goofy nerd with no standards at all. He was kind to anybody, even if it was an angry old lady yelling at him on the street for blocking her view. Do you remember how I told you that the King is a big pushover?” You nodded. “Well, the Royal Scientist was twice the pushover that the King was! He'd do anything I asked of him, even if it meant breaking into the castle in the middle of the night and 'borrowing' some flowers from Asgore's garden! We lived with him for a few years, and everything was grand. Sans and I both assisted him in his job. I even got the title of Royal Errand-Runner!”

Papyrus was smiling, but soon it fled his face. “Gaster died very suddenly. Nobody knew how, or why... some suspected foul play, and others... thought it was his own doing. I was devastated. Sans allowed his search for answers to consume him, I could do nothing but drown in my own sorrow for days, and we were both lost without our caretaker. When Sans learned that Gaster might not have been completely dead, as his dust and soul were never found, he devoted everything to bringing Gaster back. It was like watching somebody slowly die, human, it was horrible and unfair. The years he spent trying to bring back the dead were... they were not pleasant.”

Papyrus stopped. His hand was resting on his leg, so you reached over and put yours on top of it.

“You don't have to keep going if it makes you sad,” you said softly.

Papyrus sniffled a bit. “I'm alright human, but it's been a very long time since this has been brought up. I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. I just wanted you to understand, perhaps, why... all those years ago I... thought that I was going to lose Sans, too.”

Papyrus was crying a bit, so you crawled into his lap and let him hold you like a teddy bear. It was short lived, but you hated seeing him sad.

“Oh, look, now I'm crying again,” he said, and then laughed. “I'm just as big a crybaby as he was.”

“That's alright,” you said.

“Can I ask you a question, human?”

You looked up at him. He put a hand on your head.

“Has Gaster said anything of me?” His voice was sheepish. He seemed embarrassed to ask.

You nodded. “He said you were really good at comforting people when they had nightmares, and he said he misses you. He told me about the time he stole the flowers so you could make a flower crown. I've only gotten to talk to him two times, though.”

Papyrus nodded. “Thank you, human, for everything. You never cease to surprise me.”

You smiled at him for a second before you leaned back into him. “You're welcome.”

There was a little moment of silence as you enjoyed his presence and his warmth. He didn't have much to say, which was very odd for him, but you could understand why. There was a small thought at the back of your head, and the timing seemed right. Maybe it would cheer him up a bit.

“Hey, Papyrus?” you said without looking at him.

“Yes?”

“If it's alright, I... I think I made up my mind. I want to stay down here, with you guys. Even if that means never getting back to the surface.”

He seemed surprised for a few seconds, but then he hugged you just a little tighter.

“That would make two skeletons very, very happy.”

Sans returned in a couple of hours and found you and Papyrus still sitting on the couch watching TV. You were perched on Papyrus's shoulders and providing commentary on the MTT show going on.

Sans came in with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his teeth chattering. Odd, you thought, the skeletons never got cold. Papyrus took you from his shoulders and sat you on the ground so he could get up himself.

“Sans, is everything alright?”

Sans shook his head but smiled, as he almost always did. “Yeah, I'm fine, bro, there's just something about the lab that...” Sans stopped and looked away for a second. Papyrus seemed to understand, but you were sort of at a loss. You decided not to ask. Sans continued after a second as all three of you re-convened at the table.

“Alphys said she'd help however she can. Said we're going to the Core first thing in the morning, and to meet her at the lab.”

You nodded. Papyrus was getting more comfortable with the situation, but he still seemed restless.

“If I'm correct, we're traveling to the Core in the hopes that Frisk will find a splinter of Gaster?” Papyrus asked.

Sans nodded. “That's what the old man said to do.”

“Sans, he'd only be thirty if he were still alive,” Papyrus said, smiling.

“That's old,” you said, and Sans gave you a sly look while Papyrus groaned. Sans looked to you.

“Kid, you get a say in this, too, since you're kind of the most important player in this cool game of void-chess or whatever. Are you sure you're ready?”

“Yeah,” you said as you patted the tabletop with your hands. Papyrus put a hand on your shoulder from where he sat beside you.

“Human, if the splinters you've met have been progressively more deteriorated the more physicality they possess, there is a good chance that any we find in the Core will be... well, quite unattractive.” Papyrus seemed worried.

“Oh... I didn't think about that,” you said.

“Yeah, me neither, honestly,” Sans said. He looked at his brother with glowing pride. “That's a good point, Pap.”

Papyrus simply nodded. “Yes, it is. I want the human to be prepared for whatever they will face; I would be ashamed if I allowed them to enter a dangerous situation and they were hurt.”

You smiled at the taller brother, and he noticed after a second and returned the gesture.

“Damn, did I miss something?” Sans asked, eying the two of you.

Papyrus snapped his fingers. “Yes, as a matter of fact, and I'd meant to tell you as soon as you arrived home!” he ruffled your hair and kept his hand on your head. “Frisk has made up their mind, and would like to stay with us here in Snowdin.”

Sans's eyes widened and a big grin spread on his face. “Hey, nice choice, kid. This is a very ICE place to live.”

You giggled, but Papyrus glared at his brother. When you'd recovered enough, you thought about family, and how great this was. That made you think about Gaster.

“I'm ready to go tomorrow morning. I want to save him as soon as possible.”

You turned the conversation back to the original topic, and the brothers seemed a bit confused, but did not protest.

“How... exactly are we going to save him, anyways?” Sans asked. You looked over at him, but you'd already considered the question, and found yourself no closer to an answer.

“Well, it seems simple enough,” Papyrus said, and you turned to look at him in surprise. “If his soul is splintered, then we must gather all of those splinters together to recreate the whole.”

Sans was once more melting with pride in his younger brother, but he had to shake his head. “Yeah, that makes sense. But... how are we supposed to glue it all back together once we collect them? And, actually, how are we supposed to collect them in the first place?”

The brothers both sat in contemplation for a moment, but you knew nothing would get done just thinking. You would ask Gaster the next time you saw him, and if he didn't know, you'd just keep asking the different Gasters you knew of, and if none of them knew, you'd just wing it.

You giggled at your thought process. Sans and Papyrus looked at you in worry, but you held up your hands and shook your head.

“Sorry, I made a pun in my head. I think that we should just see what happens, and... wing it. Or,” you paused to laugh at yourself again. “wing-ding it.”

Sans barked with laughter at the unexpected pun, and even Papyrus could only keep the purposeful frown on his face for a few seconds before he cracked up. You grinned, completely shit-faced and awful, and giggled again.

It took a little bit for Sans to recover, but when he did, he reached over and grabbed your shoulder. “Kid, oh my god, that was good. It's been ten years since I've heard any Gaster-related puns. Oh geez.”

“It was impressive, despite also being terrible in every way,” Papyrus said.

“Yeah,” you said in agreement.

Sans leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. “So, tomorrow's the day. We'll call it day one of mission Wing Ding Rescue. Lets do the hand thing they do in sports,” Sans said, putting his hand forward onto the table. Papyrus slapped his on top of Sans, and you stretched forward to pile yours on the very top.

“Mission start!” Sans said, and all three of you threw your hands up. Papyrus was grinning at the sappy gesture of teamwork, and you couldn't help but smile as well.

The next day, you would find the Gaster at the Core, and you would find out what to do from there. Then, you'd save Gaster, and live with all three monsters, and be happy for the rest of your life.

You liked to dream big.

Chapter Text

The Core was hot.

The following morning, you'd headed out as soon as possible. You got a ride with the Riverperson, so you got there in a pretty short amount of time. Alphys had met you at the MTT Resort. In person, she was short, sheepish, easily excitable, and one cute dinosaur scientist. The atmosphere wasn't one for getting to know people, though.

You were all relatively quiet as you made your way to the Core. You figured Sans and Papyrus were reliving some bad memories, but they had insisted on accompanying you. Alphys chattered a little, but it was mostly random things about the Core. She didn't seem hurt when nobody replied.

The trek took a solid ten minutes, but eventually you'd descended enough stairs and an elevator to make it to who knows how far underground. It was warm and dry, and everything had a faint orange haze to it. It was also entirely made of metal, it seemed.

The four of you stood outside of the actual operating room of the Core. Papyrus and Sans looked really uncomfortable, and you'd told them they didn't have to come, but they had anyhow. Alphys seemed a little nervous, but she didn't have the apprehension the two brothers did.

“This i-is the door,” she said. You looked at the big bulky metal slab. “Since the Core is nuclear, we've got to m-make sure that if something g-goes wrong, it won't destroy a-anything,” she explained. You nodded, but you felt the odd feeling that you'd come to associate with Gaster, and you couldn't concentrate very well.

“Here goes...” she said as she lifted her hand and scanned her thumb. There was a moments hesitation before the door slowly slid open, and a rush of heat came out. You followed Alphys inside, but when you looked back, you saw that Sans and Papyrus were both staring in with big, frightened eyes.

You looked into the room once before you went back out to them.

“You guys can wait out here,” you said as you looked from Sans to his brother. Papyrus looked ready to protest, but it died when he looked down at Sans and saw his brother visibly shaking.

Sans looked ready to throw up. You felt bad, so you reached over and held onto his sleeve for a second.

“Me and Alphys can check it out- go back upstairs, okay?”

Sans's eyes found their focus on your face. When you went to move your arm away, he reached out and grabbed it. You blinked in surprise, but it was Papyrus that pried his brother's hand off and knelt down to talk to him.

“The human is right, brother,” he said quietly. Sans looked up at Papyrus before they hugged for a few seconds.

Papyrus led Sans back to the elevator. Alphys had returned to watch, but understood the situation. She waved goodbye to them as the two of you were left alone.

When they had gone, her hand fell, and she let out a deep breath. “Sans was here when it happened,” she said quietly, and it made your heart hurt. “He would've gone i-in to try and save Dr. Gaster but... he sealed himself in the room. It was the only way to s-stop the malfunction from destroying the capital...”

Alphys rubbed her arm. You looked over at her as the sadness weighed on your heart like stones. A short silence followed before the scientist shook herself and looked over at you. She quietly led you into the Core, and the door shut behind you.

It was hot, but Alphys seemed fine. She talked quietly as you walked towards the small hall that lead to another big door, which she had to use her thumb again to open.

“This is where...” she trailed off. There was a window in the door. You could imagine it- Gaster inside, doing what was best for everybody, and Sans out here... you shuddered, but your determination was renewed. Alphys looked at you seriously.

“Frisk, the Core has been stable for a very long time, so the chances i-it has to malfunction a-are small. But i-i-t can be dangerous, so if you feel something wrong, we have to leave i-immediately.”

You nodded. Alphys gave a nod in reply and the door slid open to reveal a large circular room with what looked like an enormous tube of chapstick in the middle

You stared in awe for a few seconds, because the room was so huge and the tube of not-chapstick was so big. A metal circle ran around the outside of the pillar, which stood a good thirty feet away. The metal bridge you stood on was the only one you could see.

Alphys went first, and you followed wordlessly. You stared up at the ceiling far above you, and then down at the floor far below. She led you to the pillar of metal which you assumed was the actual core. What looked like a control panel was installed on the outside close to a small window that was too high for you to see into.

“The metal's i-imbued with magic,” she said, tapping things into some of the control's inputs. “It keeps the radioactivity i-inside. There's three layers of protection, so i-if something goes wrong, nothing but the Core will be damaged.”

You nodded and walked over to see what she was doing. It was science stuff that you didn't understand. When she was done, she looked at you and gave a sad little smile.

“Well, e-everything is stable,” she said. She opened a metal cabinet underneath the control panel and drew out a step ladder to place below the circular window.

“I don't know if this i-is going to work,” she admitted as she wiped her hands free of dust. You looked at her while she sighed.

“I can feel him,” you said. She started as she looked at you with something similar to hope in her eyes, before it shifted to disbelief.

“Feel him?”

“Yeah... maybe you should wait out there,” you said carefully. Alphys narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped. She peered into the small window and it looked like she remembered something.

“O-okay. Good luck, Frisk,” she said. You gave her a soft smile, but the heat of the Core and the weight of the moment prevented it from carrying much emotion. She turned and left without another word.

When the metal door had slid shut again, you stepped onto the ladder and looked into the Core. There wasn't exactly much to see, though. It was glowing white.

For a few minutes, you didn't do much of anything. You walked around the Core a couple times, dragging a hand along the magic metal and tracing little shapes into it. You couldn't quite get your mind off of the horrible scene Alphys had mentioned. Sans had probably pounded on the door, he'd probably tried to force it open. You could see his face, wracked with guilt and agony. It was awful, and it took you a little bit to push it from your mind.

You sat down on the hot metal floor on the side of the Core that was opposite the bridge. It was quiet aside from the mechanical noises and the sound of steam coming from somewhere you couldn't see. You closed your eyes for a little bit.

“I know you're here,” you said quietly. You leaned your head back against the Core. “Do you want to talk to me?”

There was no reply. You opened your eyes but there was nothing there.

“I've met you other places,” you said to nobody. “So even if you don't know me, it's okay. My name's Frisk. I want to help you.”

You felt a presence, but still, no response.

“Can you talk?”

You sighed. If he could, he wasn't saying anything. What if there wasn't another Gaster here? What if you actually couldn't save him? You brought your knees up to your chest and looked ahead at nothing in particular.

“I understand if you don't want to talk,” you said, and left it at that. You shut your eyes again and rested your head on your knees.

“Do not open your eyes... I am not easy to look at.”

Your first instinct, of course, was to open your eyes, but you didn't. You sat up again.

“Thank you, Frisk.” You felt a gentle touch on one of your knees, but it was gone as soon as it had come. “I am here. I will speak.”

“Do you recognize me?” you asked. You moved so you were sitting cross-legged, but Gaster made no further contact.

“No, little one. But I know that you are good. I can feel your soul.”

“I think I can feel yours too,” you said as you touched a hand to your chest. “At least, I think I can... I can feel you when part of you is close to me.”

“And you can feel me now?” he asked.

“Yeah. I felt you before I got in here.”

“That is very interesting. I have not been able to make contact with anybody in what feels like a very long time. Do you know how long it has been?”

“Sans said ten years,” you replied. He was quiet for a second.

“That name is familiar, but I've forgotten many things. I am sorry.”

“That's okay, I understand,” you said, even if you were a little disappointed. “What do you remember?”

“From my life it feels like only unhappy memories,” he said, “but I've seen many things while here in this place, most of which I can remember vividly. What would you like to know?”

“Nothing, really, I came here to talk to you. Don't you get lonely?”

He didn't say anything. You wanted to open your eyes, but you wouldn't risk him leaving. So you just sat and waited for a while.

“More than you can understand,” he said softly. “But my existence is a mistake, child. I am not good company.

“I've had worse,” you said.

Once again, he was silent. You felt bad immediately.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't be joking around...” you said.

“No... it is alright. It was quite humorous, actually,” Gaster said even though he didn't laugh at all. “You are kind.”

“Thanks... it's kind of weird, because I know you a little bit, but you don't know me. Can you see me? If I opened my eyes, could I see you?”

“Please do not,” he said immediately, with something like fear in his voice. “I am frightening to look at.”

“It's okay, I won't open them, just... hypothetically.” You hadn't expected such a reaction, and you felt bad. He paused before he answered.

“I can see you. If you looked, you would see me. We can interact physically here, but I cannot leave this room.”

“Is it possible for you to talk to other people?”

“No. What little part of my soul is left reacts to others, and I would flee back to the Core. But you do not trigger it, for some unknown reason.”

You sat for a second and thought. “If you don't really remember Sans, do you remember how you died?”

“Child... you are young, I don't wish these things upon you...”

“It's okay, sir,” you said. “I think it would help if you told me.”

He seemed hesitant, but you heard him let out a long breath. “I remember sealing myself in this chamber. I remember that the pain was agonizing, but it did what it needed to do.”

You stopped for a second. “What... do you mean? The Core malfunctioned, didn't it?”

“No... I invented the Core. I knew how to overstep its boundaries and cause a brief moment of maximized energy output.”

It took a few slow minutes for you to put together what he was saying. If the Core hadn't malfunctioned, then... then he'd made it explode. That meant...

You swallowed. Gaster said nothing, but you could feel him near you. None of the others knew- how could you possibly tell them this? You could barely handle it yourself. Gaster had done it on purpose. It wasn't an accident.

“Child...?”

You raised a shaking palm and wiped away a tear before it could fall. You heard Gaster let out a sharp little breath, but you didn't say anything.

“Child? Are you okay? If I've made you upset, I apologize... I was under the impression that you knew of my death...”

You weren't actually sure why you were crying, and you sucked in a deep breath to stop yourself as soon as you realized you were. It wasn't like the idea was foreign to you, but knowing that Gaster had caused his own death...

You held out a hand in front of you. For a little while, nothing happened. Then you felt two hands wrap yours in a very gentle palm-sandwich. They were cold and strange, but you were okay with that.

“I'm sorry, I'm kind of a crybaby,” you said, using your free hand to wipe the tears away and smile. Gaster let go of your hand slowly.

“I won't speak of it further. I've been here so long that I've forgotten what others feel like, both to interact with and to touch. It is strange.”

You gave him a small smile, but it faded quickly. “Do you think I could open my eyes?”

“I... would not suggest it,” he said quietly. “I would scare you.”

“But I know that you're not scary.”

There was a pause. You scooted forward just a little bit. “I won't run or anything like that, I promise. Even if you look scary, I know you're a good person. That's all that matters, right?”

“...Yes... yes, you are right, child,” he said softly, but his voice shook ever so slightly and he seemed hesitant. “You may open your eyes.”

You waited a moment. After a few seconds passed, you very slowly opened your eyes.

You couldn't help a little noise from escaping your mouth. You'd thought that Gaster had been exaggerating- that he looked something like the goopy one from the white room, but that was not the case at all.

He had claws instead of fingers, sharp, irregular, jagged teeth and a mouth that stretched from one side of his face to the other. One of his eyes was mostly closed while the other had a small pupil with rings around it, messy and strange. He was bigger than the Gaster in the room, too. To put it bluntly, he looked like something from a very bad nightmare.

When he heard your squeak, he quickly turned around and sunk even lower to the floor. You put your hands over your mouth, because you knew you messed up.

“I'm sorry, Gaster, I just... I didn't expect it. I'm sorry, really, I'm not scared...”

“You are, and rightfully so,” Gaster said quietly. “You'd be a fool if you weren't.”

“I know, but... but it's not really you. I've seen the other Gasters, and Sans showed me a picture, too. And... and I think that... maybe you're scared of yourself.”

When you said it, he visibly flinched, but said nothing. He was still turned away from you. His body was less goopy, but it still sort of formed into a lump on the ground. You scooted a little bit closer, but left him some space. The silence that followed seemed right.

He slowly turned to face you again, but this time you knew what to expect. He was crying- dark, inky tears that ran down his rather flat face and onto the floor, only to dissipate moments later. He looked at you with his good eye for a second, and then looked away.

You stood up and walked over to him. He didn't move away, so you sat down beside him. He turned his head away so that you could barely see his face. His hands were shaking.

“Its okay to be scared...” you said quietly. You put your hands in your lap. “If I were you, I'd be scared. Being all alone would be really awful, but I'm here now. If you want somebody to talk to. Or just... to be around. It helps, y'know?”

Gaster seemed hesitant to speak. When he did, his voice was quiet and sad.

“I'm very scared,” Gaster said. The silent tears continued to fall. “Terrified, really... that I will be here forever. That I will continue to exist even after all else has gone. I am scared of what I've become.”

You stared at your hands for a second.

“I'm... afraid,” he said plainly.

You reached over slowly enough that he could see you do it. He watched your hand as you laid it against his body, and when he looked at you and didn't move away, you moved so that you were almost touching him.

“It's okay to be scared,” you said. It was something Papyrus and Sans had both told you before. Gaster looked at the floor for a moment before he adjusted himself so that he was facing you a little more. His expression didn't change. You wondered if it even could.

He reached over and you held his hand. His was much larger than yours, but he was gentle, and you trusted him.

You leaned against him, and he shifted so his body was pressed to yours. He was still crying, but he melted into your touch, and soon the tears were done and he used his free hand to wipe the inky stains from his face.

You sat like that with him for a long while. You didn't say anything, and neither did he, but the silence was comfortable. The heat of the Core made you drowsy, so when he laid your hand in your lap and gently stroked your hair you hardly even noticed how comforting it was.

You woke up when Alphys re-entered the room. Gaster was gone, but as the scientist approched, you heard him speak.

“If you can, please come back tomorrow,” he said. You couldn't see Alphys yet because of where you were. You looked at the Core for a moment. “There is a lot that I need to tell you.”

When Alphys found you, she hurried over, asking if you were hurt or if anything had happened. For a little while, you just stared at her.

You decided not to tell her that Gaster had committed suicide until you knew more.

Chapter Text

The darkness around you was deafening. They didn't waste any time- the person in green stepped from the shadows with a dark expression.

“Of all the people you could get involved with, it had to be him, didn't it?” they sneered. You took a step back, but they moved forward, and you knew that you couldn't escape them.

They were older than you were. Their emotionless red eyes bored into you as they cocked their head.

“It isn't like it matters that much,” they said, and smiled. “Doc's just not too fun anymore, now that he's split up and soaking in his own self pity.”

You glared at them, but they giggled. It set your hair on end and made your skin crawl.

“I wouldn't trust him if I were you, Frisk. He's got secrets nobody knows- dark, dirty secrets.”

“How would you know about them, then?” you asked.

They laughed. “I know that idiot better than anybody. Even better than I know you.”

They started walking around you with their arms behind their back, like you were a rabbit and they were a fox. “Use your head for a few seconds,” they said, “if he wanted to kill himself, why would he go through the trouble of overheating the Core? A noose or a gun would've done the trick if death was what he really wanted.”

You watched them and continued to feign anger, but you were trembling. They'd been with you ever since you'd fallen underground months before- in your dreams, telling you what you would do, telling you to kill your friends. You didn't want to believe them, but yet... you couldn't put the pieces together.

“See? You're an idiot and even you can understand. He's hiding things from you. He's lying to you, Frisk.”

“He probably has a good reason,” you argued. It just made them laugh again.

“Ah, right, because you know him so well... what if he's hiding it so you save him, and then he turns out to be not so great of a guy in the end? What if he's doing it out of his own self interest?”

They'd planted the seed of doubt, and now you couldn't convince yourself otherwise.
The person in your head ran a hand through their messy brown hair. “Even I don't know what he is now. He isn't a monster, and he's definitely not a human. The Core messed him up real good. But I do know one thing for sure...”

Suddenly they were right in front of you. You stumbled back, but shadowy hands grabbed you and the demon in your head grinned with sharp teeth and burning eyes.

“Dig any deeper and you're going to regret it.”

You woke up with a gasp and clutched at your chest. It was dark and quiet, and you looked around you to make sure none of your nightmare had escaped into the real world. Your breathing was heavy.

As you realized that you were alone, you started to cry. You sat up on the couch and brought your knees to your chest. It was all too much- you didn't know who to believe or what to do or who to go to. Did you believe the voice in your head or the ghost of a man you barely knew? You sniffled and put your head on your knees. You were so lost.

You stayed like that for what felt like hours. Eventually you couldn't take it anymore and you heaved yourself off of the couch and trudged up the stairs. You thought about going to Papyrus, but... you kept walking down the hall.

As you got closer you began to hear small noises coming from Sans's room. You stopped for a second with your hand hanging over the doorknob.

They sounded like little noises of distress... or pain. He hissed, and you knocked on the door.

“Sans? Sans, what's going on?” you said. You were scared. He didn't answer, and you heard something that sounded like a whimper.

You opened the door in a hurry and found him sitting up in his bed with his head cradled in his hands. A bright blue light filled the room. Sans's eye was burning with magic stronger than you'd ever seen, and he was crying. He didn't look up at you or even acknowledge that you were there.

“Sans? What's wrong?” you asked as you stepped forward. His breathing was heavy and labored and he kept making those awful noises like somebody was hurting him. You shook as you got closer to him.

“Sans? Sans? Please wake up, Sans,” you pleaded as you laid a hand on the bed. “Sans, it's okay, i-it's okay...”

As soon as you reached out and touched him, his eyes flashed to you and you saw a deep and burning anger in them. Before you could react, his eyes went black and he hurled you against the wall with a shout.

You heard something snap as you collided with the far wall hard enough to knock the breath out of your lungs. Your arm was suddenly on fire as you fell and stared at Sans in fear. For a few seconds he stood with his hand out and you felt your soul weighed down with strange gravity. Your body shook as you awkwardly tried to stop the flow of blood and hold your arm at the same time. Your head was bleeding.

Sans looked like he was ready to kill you. You let out a strangled sob from the pain and the terror that was coursing through you. As it echoed around the room, the skeleton's eyes widened, and his hand slowly fell. The weight was lifted.

Quick footsteps ran down the hall and soon Papyrus burst in, still in his pajamas.

“What in the world is-”

He stopped when he saw you sobbing against the wall, holding your broken arm, and beheld Sans still staring at you in... in some kind of emotion.

“Hu- Human!” Papyrus gasped. He ran to you and got to his knees. You held your arm as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from your head. He looked at Sans, but you buried your face into his shirt and tried to control your breathing.

He would have killed you- even after he knew that it was you.

“Sans, what the hell did you do?” Papyrus breathed. He held you gingerly, careful of your arm. The room was getting dark as Sans's magic slowly faded.

“I-I-I.... I...” Sans stammered. You looked and saw him staring at his hands in confusion. “I thought... you...”

You sobbed again and looked away. Papyrus held you softly.

“I...” Sans whispered. “I didn't mean to... to...” his voice fell apart. “Oh god... oh-oh my god,” he breathed, and then suddenly he was gone from the room. You couldn't stop yourself from crying.

“Shh, shh, it's okay, Frisk,” Papyrus said, “you'll be okay. The Innkeeper knows healing magic- but I have to pick you up to take you there.”

“I-I didn't- do anything-” you sobbed. Sans's glowing eye was all you really saw. “I swear- I-I just touched him- and-”

Papyrus rubbed your back. “It isn't your fault, Frisk, you didn't do anything wrong. Sans... Sans didn't mean to do it, I promise. My brother would never hurt you intentionally.”

You cried while Papyrus gently picked you up, careful of your arm, and made his way down the stairs and out the door. You continued to cry even as he made it to the Inn and the nice Innkeeper treated your wounds and checked your arm and put a bandage on your cut forehead.

You only stopped when your arm was in a cast and you were sitting next to Papyrus on the couch in the Inn. The bunny who ran it was at the connected Shop, getting some medicine and extra bandages for you. You sniffled into Papyrus's pajamas while he softly stroked your hair and held you like he might break you. When you said anything, you said it very very quietly.

“Is Sans okay?”

You didn't look at Papyrus, just closed your eyes and hugged him. He was boney and uncomfortable but he was Papyrus so you didn't care.

“He'll be alright,” he said almost as quietly as you. His hand paused on the top of your head. “He's had nightmares for a very long time... but I didn't realize...”

Papyrus trailed off, but you knew what he meant. You curled your fingers in his shirt. Sans had seen you- you know it, he'd seen you, he knew it was you that had touched him, but he'd still... the child's voice echoed in your ears. How you'd kill them- how it was only a matter of time.

“Is it me?” you whispered, and it made Papyrus tense up. That was answer enough. You pulled away from him, but he grabbed your unhurt hand in his.

“It isn't you- it just looks like you,” he said, but his voice wobbled. “We both knew as soon as we met you that you weren't the demon from our dreams.”

“You have them too?” you asked quietly. You were kind of numb. You were trying to block out the creeping horror.

“Rarely, anymore, but... yes. They started after Gaster died. Sans was always worse off than I was.”

“... What do I do in them?” you asked.

“Human, I don't think-”

“I need to know,” you said, and maybe it was the desperation in your voice that made Papyrus go quiet.

“The Frisk in our dreams... is not good. They are not like you,” Papyrus said in a low voice. “In mine, they would often... kill me.” Papyrus had to pause before he stumbled through the last two words. “Or... they would kill Sans.”

Your eyes opened. Your body shook. You thought you could hear a child's voice laughing in your head.

“Human, they aren't you. Their eyes are cruel, and they... well, I don't want to describe it, but they-”

You shoved yourself away from Papyrus and stumbled to your feet.

“Human? What happened? Did I-”

You turned back to look at him in fear. Your hands shook- the little voice was taking advantage of your distress and whispering to you- kill him, kill him, kill him- and you were out of the door before Papyrus could do much more than shout.

You didn't make it far. You collapsed in front of the bridge out of town just as Papyrus reached you and grabbed you.

“Human, Frisk- it's okay, it's-”

Kill him.

You viciously shook him off of you and tried to rise to your feet again. He grabbed your arm- the one that wasn't on fire- and he was saying something, but you shut your eyes tight and writhed to get away from him.

“Frisk! Frisk, calm down, stop-”

“Let me go!” You screamed. You saw a knife shoved into Papyrus's chest and heard the sick crunch of bones snapping. Your mind was reeling and you needed to get away from him- kill him- because you couldn't hurt him, he was Papyrus, you- kill him- would never- kill him- kill him-

Your body was wracked with spasms as you fought the demon in your head. They were crying out in anger, and it was directed at you, and they wanted it to be directed at Papyrus. Your mind battled with itself and you didn't know what was happening aside from that. The pain in your arm was reduced to nothing as the searing fire in your head grew greater and greater.

“I won't hurt him! Stop it! He's- my friend-!” you wailed to nobody. The demon laughed and they clawed and tore at your thoughts and tried to fight you inside.

Kill him! It's the only way- kill them all and I'll go away! You want me to go away, so kill him! Snap his neck and his ribs and crush that stupid skull under your foot-

“Shut up! Shut up, I don't care, get out!”

They kept going. You were openly weeping. A far-away hand was clutched on your back and far-away words were drifting into your ears. You didn't understand them. You couldn't.

The demon was describing how you could kill Papyrus when suddenly they screamed, and then they were silent. You couldn't feel your body, and there was something in your mind, but it wasn't the child in green.

Frisk. I don't have much time. Listen to Papyrus- concentrate on him. His words. His touch. Block out everything else. Be strong.

Gaster.

The pain came back like a flood, but in the half-second interim you scrambled to find Papyrus's hands- one grasping each shoulder- and hear his voice. As the burning returned, you refused to listen to the other thing in your head and felt each one of Papyrus's fingers on your shoulder and concentrated on the tone of his voice. It was tight and scared.

Gaster you piece of shit I'll kill you, I'll end everything and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me and there isn't one fucking person you can save-

“...Frisk... okay... speak... to me... please...”

You'll never get rid of me you worthless bastard- no matter how many times you try and no matter what you do- I'll find you and I will end you for good and I'll end everything-

“I'm here... here... Frisk... Human... here... I am... here... Please... say something...”

Die- Gaster- kill you- destroy you- every last piece- again- and again- get out of their head- they're mine- get-

“Frisk please, say something... here, I'm right here, Frisk, I've got you, you won't hurt me, it isn't you- they aren't you-”

Die- Die- Gaster- Again- Kill- Get out-

You cracked your eyes open even though it hurt and you saw Papyrus watching you with tears pouring down his cheeks. The voice in your head faded. You watched his mouth form the words he was saying and felt his grasp loosen and tighten as you blinked up at him.

“Frisk? Frisk, please, say something, anything,” he cried. He still held both of your shoulders but his grip was weakening now that you were looking at him. Still, though, his hands were shaking.

“It isn't you, Frisk, I swear- the one in our dreams isn't you. We love you. We love you, human...” Papyrus said. He waited as you looked at him and fresh tears welled in your eyes.

“I... I'm scared,” you whimpered. He looked relieved to see that it was you, and he flew forward to wrap you in a soft embrace.

“Thanks goodness- thank goodness you're okay, oh, human, I thought-” Papyrus shook his head as he drew away from you and wiped the tears from his face. “Do not be scared, the Great P-papyrus will protect you. Whatever happens, you are not the monster in my nightmares- you are Frisk. Please promise me that you will remember.”

You nodded. Papyrus gave a tearful smile, but he looked very disturbed and distressed. The longer he looked at you, the more the smile faded.

“What... happened?” he asked.

You felt like you were going to be sick, but you held it down. What could you tell him? Should you tell them about the person in your head? You wanted to spare them the horrible thought but as you looked at Papyrus's face you knew it was going to be nearly impossible to hide it any longer.

“I want to help,” Papyrus said quietly, but he was so determined. “I want to help you, Frisk, please allow me to help you...”

You told Papyrus everything.

Chapter Text

Sans clutched at his chest. He'd teleported to Waterfall, where the sounds were quiet and muffled and nobody was around.

He could still hear the crunch of bone as he fell against a cave wall and sunk down to a sitting position. His breathing was sharp and irregular. He'd hurt Frisk- he could've killed them-

“Fuck...” he hissed, but he was crying and he wasn't going to deny it. “Fuck, this isn't fair,”

The dreams were different but they were always the same. The golden corridor, the small body impaled on a floor of spikes, the blood staining his slippers, the rage of the thing he'd killed. Or the dust-covered snow, the sensation of his brother's scarf in his shaking hands, the guilt and the dread and the unbridled hatred he felt towards the human who'd kill him.

“Why do they have to look like Frisk?” he whined at nobody as he let his quiet tears out. “Why the fuck does it have to be them?”

It'd all started after Gaster died. Sans had them, Papyrus had them, and he knew damn well the kid had them. It was bad enough watching somebody else kill his brother- what would it be like to do it himself? He nearly gagged on the thought as he thought about poor Frisk- poor, innocent Frisk, who never hurt a fucking fly-

He had to take deep breaths. His magic was flaring and it was eating away at his strength. He shouldn't have ran but how could he have stayed? There it went again- the snap of a tiny arm- and bile rose in his throat. They'd bled- he'd made them bleed. The same blood in the golden corridor as that tiny frame hung suspended from a bone through their gut. Who was that? Who was it and why in the fuck did it look like Frisk?

“Deep breaths... calm down...” he said quietly to himself. It was hard. Everything was hard and he was tired. Why was he having dreams of Frisk killing him, or his brother, or anything at all? Why did Papyrus have the same dreams? Why had it all started after Gaster had died?

He knew the answers, of course, but they were wrong. They had to be wrong, because how could Frisk be that thing that sauntered around covered in dust with murder gleaming in their eyes? After all the research he and Gaster had done, it was insane to think that their results were wrong, but yet... Sans put his head in his hands.

Timelines, resets, saves. It all didn't make much sense. The Frisk from his timeline hadn't reset, or even went back. He knew because the other Sans-es in his dreams knew what it felt like, and he'd never felt that feeling. What could be so fundamentally different between the Frisks if the Sans-es were all so similar? What drove them to kill others with a grin plastered on their face?

He knew one thing for sure- his Frisk was an anomaly. His dreams and visions had gifted him enough knowledge to know that aggressive Frisks were so much more common than passive ones. He'd never seen another Frisk like his, in any dream, in any timeline.

He supposed that didn't matter just then. He pushed it all from his mind as best as he could, because the bottom line was, he'd hurt his Frisk, and his Frisk was innocent. He didn't like thinking about it but he couldn't run away from the thought. He'd hurt Frisk. He recalled the look of shock and horror decorating their face after they'd collided with the wall. It hurt him.

He stayed in Waterfall for a few hours. He let himself relax, because he'd be no good to anybody worked up like he was. Papyrus would care for them- even if Sans felt like the shittiest person in the entire world, Frisk would forgive him immediately, and so would his brother.

He was thankful for that.

Papyrus held the child while they slept. Back in the house, it was warm, but he felt cold beyond the physical.

Their face was peaceful now, but only hours before, they'd screamed and thrashed as though being burned alive. He winced a little at the thought, because he couldn't bear to think of anything bad happening to such a sweet little human. He idly stroked their hair, sort of like he would a dog.

Their words troubled him more than he had let them know. The longer he thought, the more confusing things became. The only logical explanation for their behavior and their screams was baffling and horrid to think of.

He let out a deep sigh and focused on how warm Frisk was, and how their chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath. He shouldn't have told them about he and his brothers nightmares- it had triggered the reaction, and to know that he'd caused them that pain was almost unbearable. For such a long time, the only person he protected with his life was Sans. Now there was this small, fragile human, and Papyrus knew that he would do anything to keep them safe. But he didn't know how, and that made his chest ache.

He wished Sans would come back. He wasn't angry at his brother, because he knew the lazybones loved Frisk as much as Papyrus did. And he knew that Frisk wouldn't be angry at him, either. But he was probably angry at himself. Papyrus put himself in Sans's shoes and imagined it he'd been the one to break the child. How could he ever forgive himself? He looked down as one of their tiny hands curled into his scarf.

That moment, when he was crouched in the snow grasping the human to stop them from clawing at their head, he'd felt it. How or why, he didn't know, but there was the few seconds of calm when he'd felt it. His long-dead friend and mentor had been there, if only for a moment. Gaster had always exuded a sort of presence, and perhaps Papyrus had simply forgotten it, because it had hit him very hard. It comforted him to know that Gaster was there to protect Frisk from whatever ate at their mind.

There was a knock at the door. It was gentle, and without a reply keys turned in the lock and Sans appeared in the doorway. He looked over at Papyrus with tired eyes- the taller brother knew he'd been crying.

Sans pulled his hood down further over his head and took a few steps towards the couch. When he saw that Frisk was asleep, he hesitantly came over and stood beside the armrest.

“Are they okay?” he whispered without looking at his brother.

“They're going to be fine,” Papyrus said. He wasn't much of a whisperer, but it didn't rouse Frisk, so it was good enough.

“I'm... sorry, bro. M'really sorry,” Sans sat on the armrest but still refused to look Papyrus in the face. Papyrus knew him well enough to know that he was on the verge of tears.

“It was a minor fracture, they should be well again in about a month. Their head was only scratched- it will be fine.”

Sans looked down at the child and saw the cast the arm had been placed in. He hissed through his teeth and looked away.

“I really fucked up...”

“Language, Sans,” Papyrus scolded gently. “Frisk does not blame you... I told them about the dreams.”

Sans looked up sharply, but didn't say anything. As the seconds ticked by, he seemed to think about it before lowering his eyes.

“Okay.”

“More so, I think they blame themself.”

“What?” Sans asked a little too sharply. Frisk stirred in Papyrus's arms, but didn't wake up. The smaller brother shook on the armrest.

“That's ridiculous- they haven't done one damn thing wrong, it isn't like they threw themself against a wall and broke their own arm and-”

“Shh,” Papyrus reminded him, and he was quiet at once. “Something... strange happened, after we visited the Inn. When they learned of our dreams, it was as though... they had had similar dreams from the perspective of the Frisk in our dreams.”

Sans bowed his head. “I've heard them in their sleep- that makes sense, Pap.”

“They were saying very odd things, brother,” Papyrus said quietly. He looked down at the human. “They were telling somebody to shut up and get out. They couldn't hear me speak, and they ran from me again. Shouting “I won't hurt him” or “I'm not going to kill him” and things to that effect. It was... not pleasant.”

“Doesn't sound like it,” Sans said thoughtfully. “Did they tell you anything about it?”

Papyrus shifted slightly in his seat. He very, very carefully rested Frisk on the couch and laid a blanket over them. Their eyes opened for a second, and they looked up.

“Pap... is Sans home?” they slurred in a sleepy voice. Papyrus gave them a gentle smile as he patted their shoulder.

“He will be soon. Go to sleep, little humans must sleep if they wish to get better.”

They mumbled something as they fell asleep again. Papyrus looked at them for a moment longer. They were so good- they didn't deserve to suffer.

When he turned to Sans, he saw that his brother had teleported halfway up the stairs. His shoulders were shaking.

When Papyrus reached his brother, Sans let out a quiet whine.

“This isn't fair, Pap,” he said. “I can't believe I...”

The bigger skeleton led Sans up the stairs and into his room. Sans followed as he calmed himself down again. They both took a seat on Papyrus's bed.

“They told me something after their episode,” Papyrus said slowly. Sans wiped the tears from his eyesockets and listened.

“There is somebody in their head... and that person is telling them to harm others,” Papyrus said. Sans went rigid when he heard it. Papyrus continued on.

“They were crying, and some of it didn't make much sense, but it started when they first fell down. The demon- that's what Frisk called it- is in their nightmares and sometimes makes it into their waking mind.”

“Oh my god...” Sans breathed.

“It is troubling, to say the least,” Papyrus said. He folded his legs and put his hands in his lap. “I've never heard of such a thing, and I don't know how to handle the situation.”

“God, Pap, I... I don't know,” Sans said. “If that's true, then... then it might explain a lot of things.”

“What do you mean?” Papyrus asked.

“It's about all the timeline nonsense me and Gaster used to research,” he said. Papyrus blinked, because he never did understand that science nonsense very much, but he was willing to try.

“Go on,” he prompted.

“In some of the timelines going on, the ones we dream about for God knows what reason, Frisk isn't Frisk. If there's something in their head telling them to murder things, then...”

He didn't have to continue, because Papyrus's eyes went wide with the realization.

“Then... they aren't dreams at all.” Papyrus ventured slowly. “But rather insights into different possibilities... ones in which Frisk isn't Frisk anymore.”

“Yeah... ones where the demon has control,” Sans said sadly.

“What's different about this Frisk?” Papyrus asked, but it wasn't so much a question as it was a musing.

The two brothers looked at each other with an awful mix of emotions on their faces. Sans was the first to look away.

“I don't know what to do, bro,” he said as he put his face in his hands for a few seconds. “I don't know how the hell something that evil got into their head, and I don't know how to get it out. And if we don't-”

“Stop. Please, brother... I-I don't want to consider that,” Papyrus said. Sans went silent. Both of them thought about it anyways, and both of them tried to forget as soon as they thought.

“Pap... this is all so much to think about,” Sans said quietly. He rubbed his arm. “First Gaster, and now this... imagine how fucking terrified Frisk must be.”

“They think they could hurt us...” Papyrus whispered. “They're afraid of their own mind.”

Both went silent. Papyrus's thoughts were sad and depressing. Sans looked down at the sheets for a long time, lost deep in thought. Papyrus looked at him and saw that he was crying again.

He moved over and hugged his brother tightly. Sans responded immediately and wrapped his arms around Papyrus's chest.

“It's going to be alright, Sans,” Papyrus said as he patted his brother's back. “We'll get through this. Frisk has the greatest skeleton in the whole Underground to rely on... and... they also have me.”

Sans trembled as he laughed a little but then squeezed his brother tighter. “Damnit Pap, I'll do anything to make that little runt happy. It's like when we were kids and you'd ask for something and I'd give it to ya even if you were acting like a little brat about it, just to see that smile.”

Papyrus let out a breath. “I know what you mean, brother. It has been the two of us for so long, and now that it's three again, it's as though everything I feel for you has been doubled.”

“Imagine if Gaster makes it back. We're going to explode from all of these fucking emotions.”

Papyrus snorted but held his brother close. “We'll figure this out, Sans. Also, please don't use that kind of language around the human.”

“I'll keep it clean as fuck,” Sans said.

Papyrus smacked the back of his head. Sans laughed.

“Love you, bro,” he mumbled into Papyrus's chest.

“I love you too, brother.”

Chapter Text

You woke up softly. You had no idea how long you'd been asleep, but it felt like it was a long time. When you shifted, you felt your hurt arm and grimaced, but the pain wasn't too bad. You saw Papyrus sitting on the couch where you weren't, reading a book. He didn't see you move, so you just lay there and watched him flip through a couple of pages before you felt like talking.

“G'morning...”

Papyrus jumped a little, but then he saw you peeping at him with your blanket half over your face and he melted into a warm smile.

“Good morning, human! How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” you said. You moved your arm around a little. “It only hurts a bit.”

He reached over and gave your hair a ruffle. “That's good to hear! The Innkeeper said you would heal quickly- humans sure are resilient little things.”

You sat there for a moment in silence as you stretched and rubbed your eyes. You were tired still, but you didn't want to lay around and do nothing. You remembered the night before and looked up at your friend.

“Is... is Sans okay?” you asked. “Did he come back?”

“He returned last night,” Papyrus said. He tucked a piece of paper into the book and set it aside. “He is fine.”

“Is he... upset?” you asked.

“Not with you, Frisk,” Papyrus said. “He's upset with himself for hurting you.”

“But it was an accident,” you said quietly. You were actively trying to not think about the night before, but it was forcing its way back to you.

“I know... and Sans knows that, too. Wouldn't you be upset if you were him?”

You didn't have to think about it. You'd already thought about it far more than you could tell him. You did dream about it quite often.

You sat up. You felt something against your neck and reached up to touch it. You looked down to see Papyrus's scarf wrapped loosely around you. You looked at him curiously.

“It's a reminder,” he said. He smiled. “So you won't forget that I'm always here to protect you.”

Your chest blossomed with warmth as you moved forward and wrapped your arms around Papyrus's middle. He hugged you, mindful of your arm, but soon he was chuckling.

“I can't get over how squishy humans are,” Papyrus said, and it made you giggle as he rustled your hair once again. “I also can't get over how us being rather hard and boney doesn't deter you from hugging my brother and I at every possible opportunity.”

“I love you,” you said happily as you pressed your face into his soft-ish chest protector.

“And I you, human,” he said without missing a beat. Before you could tear up, he scooped you into his arms and was carrying you to the kitchen.

“Enough of this tomfoolery!” he declared, and maybe you were just really glad that he was okay and not dead, because you laughed. “It's been quite a long while since you've eaten, and I will not stand for you to go hungry under my roof!”

Papyrus made you some breakfast spaghetti and even let you put the sauce on it when it was done. You ended up with some on your cheek, but it was just within reach of your tongue, so you licked it off. Papyrus found that amusing.

While you ate, you thought about Sans. It ate at you (good pun) until eventually you looked at Papyrus and cleared your throat.

“Can... can I go and talk to Sans?” you asked. His face fell a little, but then he shook it and gave you an optimistic look.

“I suppose now that you've eaten your fill you can go and see my lazy brother. He's upstairs in his room- would you like me to come with you?”

Papyrus asked, but you could tell he already knew the response. You shook your head, and he nodded. He looked... proud. It made you very happy to see somebody look at you like that.

You got up from the table and grabbed a handful of Papyrus's scarf as you ascended the stairs. Your arm seemed to twinge with each step, but you weren't afraid. If anything, you felt really bad about what had happened. You didn't know how Sans would act- him being up alone in his room for so long was already weird. You held a hand over the doorknob for a second, recalling how the last time hadn't turned out so well.

You knocked. There was a shuffling inside and a soft “come in” and so you pushed the door open with hesitant hands and looked inside.

Sans was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed. He had a photo face-down on the floor like he'd been looking at it. It was probably the one of he and Gaster.

“Hey, kiddo,” Sans said. You frowned, because his happiness was obviously forced. You took a few steps forward. You didn't want to overwhelm him. He seemed really nervous, which was another thing Sans almost never was.

He saw your slow footsteps and his eyes fell. “It's okay, I...” he swallowed and smiled at you like he had a gun to his head. “I know what happened last night was scary, but... I-I would never hurt ya on purpose. It's okay if you're scared-”

“Papyrus told me about the dreams,” you cut in. You were nervous like he was and didn't really know what to do. “I have them too.”

Sans blinked. All too suddenly he had tears welling in his eyesockets.

“Aw, Frisk... Frisk, I'm so sorry, kid, I-” he broke off as you hurried over and got to your knees in front of him. He didn't move- his hands twitched like he wanted to, but he just folded them in his lap.

“I'm sorry,” Sans said. He sniffled a little. “I'm real sorry, Frisk, ha... I've been in here preparing myself for this for hours now and I'm still a big old mess.”

You wanted to hug him, but you stopped. Instead, you gently laid one of your hands on top of one of his. He sniffed but refused to look at you. His eyes kept darting to your arm.

“Does it hurt?” he asked quite softly.

“Nah,” you said, even if it was a lie. You moved it around a bit to show him. “It's alright.”

“Heh... you sure are a strong little squirt,” Sans said. His heart wasn't in it.

“It wasn't your fault...” you said. Sans closed his eyes like he'd been expecting it. “It was an accident...”

“Course it was, kiddo. You know I'd never hurt you... right?”

You'd never really associated 'vulnerability' with the cool and composed skeleton in front of you, but just then he seemed more exposed than if he were naked.

You broke and hugged him. He hugged you on the side of your unhurt arm. He was crying like the day he'd told you about Gaster.

“I keep having these dreams... god, they're so bad. I'm not in control- I just have to watch. I have to watch me kill you- sometimes you don't even fight back- god, Frisk, please... I'd never hurt you, not on purpose, I'd rather die than hurt you... I'm so sorry, kid.”

Your sympathetic tears got the better of you and you felt pinpricks in your eyes as you hugged him tight. “It's okay,” you said before you squeezed him. You didn't know what else to say. With everything else going on, Sans didn't need this. After the fight with Papyrus, and the tears over Gaster, and the disappointment of being told you didn't get to talk much with the Gaster at the Core, he didn't need this.

“I love you, kid,” Sans said. It was almost a whimper. “You're so strong and brave, just like Pap. You don't deserve to have this much awful shit in your life. I'm sorry.”

You felt the scarf around your neck. It took you a moment to figure out what words would express how you felt.

“It's okay... it's okay, because I've got you and Papyrus... and... and that makes it not bad.”

Your words were clumsy as you sat on the borderline of 'sad' and 'bawling' but to Sans they must've been far more than that. He started shaking.

“And... and even if things get bad... you guys'll be here to keep me safe.” The material of Papyrus's scarf was worn but soft. “I love you, too.”

When Papyrus came in ten minutes later, Sans was holding you in his arms, and you were happy to be there.

“I checked the r-readings this morning,” Alphys said as you plodded along after her. Sans and Papyrus had been left above at the hotel- you refused to let Sans put himself through what had happened yesterday a second time. Papyrus was hesitant, but he stayed behind with his brother without a fight. You were well on your way to the Core.

“E-Everything's normal, but I'll check them a-again when we go in.” Her voice was not very cheerful, but you assumed it was because you were sort of attempting to talk to the dead here.

“Did you know him?” you asked softly. Alphys stopped walking and turned back to you.

“Gaster?” she asked. She seemed more surprised than anything. You were comfortable around her, she was that kind of person, and you wanted to be friends. You nodded.

“Oh... well, yes, I-I knew him. I was his, uh, apprentice? I guess that's the right word.” She scratched the crest on her head.

“What was he like?”

She started walking again, and you walked beside her. Dr. Alphys was just taller than Sans, so you could keep pace with her pretty well.

“He was cool,” Alphys said. Her eyes got a bit wistful. “We worked i-in different fields. Y'know, I-I built robots and stuff, he was more, uh... philosophical? Theoretical?” Alphys huffed. “I helped him build the stuff he thought up sometimes. I didn't know him for very long... only for about half a year before he... well.”

“He told me you were his student,” you said as you walked. You arrived at the first set of doors and Alphys busied herself opening it, but paid attention.

“That w-works too,” she said. “Did he say a-anything else about me?”

“He said you liked Papyrus a lot,” you said.

Alphys blushed as the door slowly opened. “H-haha, I-I mean... not like that but... y-yeah, I spent lots of time playing with him.”

“Are you older than Sans?”

“By a few years,” she said. She stared off at the ceiling. “I-I liked Sans, too, b-but... he was really smart. Like, genius smart. He cared about his brother more than science, s-so he never gave it his all, but, uh... if he had, he would've been the Royal Scientist.”

“Papyrus is smart, too, just in different ways,” you said.

Alphys blushed again. “Oh, I-I know! I didn't mean to come off like he isn't, he was a-always really intuitive and... he knew how t-to look after Sans when...” Alphys trailed off and watched the tiles go by underfoot as the two of you walked.

You kept quiet. Papyrus had said something similar before- about Sans not being well. You weren't going to press anybody to tell you. Sans would when he felt like he needed to. You trusted him.

You arrived at the final door and Alphys took a second to open it. The wave of heat that came from the large room made you unfold the scarf from your neck and throw it over your shoulder.

Alphys hurried to the panels like she'd said something awkward. You felt like you understood, even if you kind of didn't. Still, she looked guilty, and you didn't like that. You walked up and observed what she was checking on the control panel.

“Papyrus told me that before,” you said. “About Sans being sick sometimes.”

Your words must've been the right ones, because she looked relieved. “I-I-I don't want to say anything else... I-I know he doesn't like people talking about it, so, please don't tell him...”

You were curious in a morbid way, but you just shook your head and mimicked sealing your lips shut and tossing away the key. Alphys giggled as she finished up what she was doing.

“W-Well! All readings are normal.” She looked at you kindly. “Tell Dr. Gaster I said hi, okay?”

You nodded and Alphys smiled before she hurried back up the path you'd entered on and exited through the still-open doors.

You stood there for a moment after she left and took a deep breath through your nose. You smelled the hot air and admired the enormity of the room. You walked around until you reached the place you'd met Gaster here before. You sat down a few feet from the pillar that was the Core so that Gaster could sit in front of you.

“Knock knock,” you said. There was a brief moment of quiet.

“Who is there?”

“Etch.”

“Etch who?”

“Bless you!” you said as a smile spread across your face. You heard a quiet and gentle laugh from inside of the Core.

“I feel as though I've heard that one before, but, granted, it was still humorous.”

“I got it from Sans- the guy I told you about before. He really likes puns and jokes and stuff.”

“Ah, I see. What has this person told you of me?”

“He thinks you're cool, and he told me you were a crybaby.”

Gaster hummed in amusement. “What happened to your arm?” he asked.

“I fell down the stairs,” you lied. You'd already decided it was what you'd say if anybody asked, and it's what you told Alphys.

“I feel as thought you are not telling the whole truth... but I will not press you. I hope you heal quickly.”

You huffed and nodded.

He still didn't show himself, but you understood. There was a sort of pressure in the air, so you didn't let the small-talk last for very long.

“He likes you a lot, I think.”

“Who?”

“Sans... sorry, I got kind of side-tracked. He says you looked after him and his brother for a few years, and taught him some science stuff. He knows I'm down here talking to you- it's kind of like a secret mission.”

“A secret mission...” he repeated thoughtfully.

“The only person who it's really a secret from is the captain of the Royal Guard, because she wants to kill me and take my soul.” You shrugged your shoulders, and Gaster hummed again, but then quieted and became more serious.

“How did this mission originally begin, child?” Gaster's voice seemed curious but also worried.

“Oh, well... I met part of you one day, and talked to him. It's kind of complicated, but I'm pretty sure the Core split apart your soul and scattered it around and messed you up, and for some reason I'm able to talk to the different yous out there.”

Gaster was quiet for a moment. You began to worry that you'd said something wrong.

“I'm going to show myself now. Is that alright?”

You nodded, and after a bit of hesitation Gaster materialized in front of you. He was scary, of course, but you were ready, and you just gave him a tired smile. He looked away and gave a sigh as he put one hand in the other and relaxed on the ground until he was closer to your eye-level.

“Child... why did you come here? What did you hope to learn?”

You were a little nervous, but you just put your hands in your pocket. “Well... we're trying to save you. We thought if we could gather all of the pieces back up...”

Gaster did not look at you while you spoke. His eyes looked sad. You felt some dark growing in your stomach.

“Human... there was a reason I died as I did. While the thought is appealing, I... am not sure that coming back is what I want.”

The demon's words came back to you. What they'd said about the Core, and about Gaster keeping secrets. You looked at the sad ghost in front of you and you were hesitant to ask.

“Why did you do it?” you asked softly. Gaster closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“I have done bad things, child. I have grown since my death, but when I lived, for many years I was... cruel. Heartless. I lived for my work alone and it turned me into a demon. I could pass the blame on to the voice in my head, but despite my parasite it was ultimately me that committed the crimes.”

You stopped. “P... parasite? You mean, like, a person in your head?”

“Yes. They whispered atrocities to me and wormed their way into my conscience. Over many years, their words became an influence. They clouded my morals. Had I not been so alone in my research I may have eventually overcame them, but... I did not.”

“Wh... what did y-you do?”

“When I finally realized what I'd done and how low I'd sunk, I was determined to put an end to the demon's hatred. Simply dying was not an option, as they would follow me across timelines or simply reset. I used the Core to exorcise them from my soul. It was-”

He stopped very abruptly. You grabbed at your chest as the tears fell. He held up his hands as if to do something, but he seemed very confused.

“Human- have I said something wrong? I'm sorry, please, do not cry, it wasn't my intention to...”

I warned you.

Suddenly the searing pain attacked your mind. You screamed and fell to hold your head in your hands as the pain writhed through your body.

“Gaster!” you panted because another wave took you. You shut your eyes as you lost yourself in it- it wasn't like the night before- they were silent. They said nothing. There was only fiery pain.

You felt hands grasp you and lift you up, but the voice didn't make it through. Your ears were ringing. You were probably screaming but you couldn't quite tell.

You remembered Gasters words- you remembered what he'd told you to do. You felt with your hands until they were touching something, and you felt the boney fingers on you, and whatever you could touch. It was hard, and you were crying, but you worked through the pain and concentrated on the panicked voice.

“Child, concentrate on my voice. Listen to me- the pain will ebb, but only if you listen. I am here, I will protect you, and I will keep you safe. The pain is in your mind, and you control your mind. Please, child, concentrate on me...”

You gritted your teeth and opened your eyes to squint up at Gaster. He was holding you tightly to his body- one of your hands was resting on his right eye and the other on his chest. You felt them and the consistency and listened to his words.

“It hurts,” you whimpered, but the pain was slowly ebbing. Still, it would come in waves, and you could hear the demon's shouts of anger.

“I know, but it will be over soon. You will be well again soon, I promise you. I am here. I am here, Frisk.”

You sobbed a little as the pain faded. He said your name a few more times and cooed to you, and soon there was only a dull ache. You were shaking despite how warm it was, and sweating. Gaster took away one of his hands and placed it on top of the one that was on his face. You sniffled, but the feeling of his cold fingers relaxed you.

“I did not know, child... forgive me. I understand now why only you can see me; Chara's empty soul has been a part of both of us. They are trying to hurt you because they did not want you to know that I was once haunted by their cruelty. It's because I can help you. Do not be afraid; I can teach you how to block them out. I will keep you safe, my friend.”

The pain was renewed again, but not nearly as strong. You tensed and let out a small noise of distress, but Gaster allowed you to fall against him. He held you close with one hand and rubbed your back with another.

“They are not you- block them out. Push them away and put up a wall between the two of you. I am here. I've got you.”

Another few minutes ticked slowly by, but eventually you were left with only a scratchy feeling and labored breaths. Gaster held you and you grasped at him to hold yourself down.

“That is very good; you are very good at this, child.”

“A-a-am I going to die?” you cried. You could feel all of Gaster's body tense. You sobbed a bit. “A-am I going to get scattered too?”

“No, oh no, heavens no, child. I would never allow that; I'd rather go through it all again myself than put another through it. Chara is not as strong as they were in my mind. They could control my actions quite easily, and I heard them near constantly. When they were scattered their powers were diminished greatly. Do not be afraid, child, you will not... you will not die. You will be okay.”

His voice was low and sad. You held him as your tears began to slow. He laid his hand on your back and the other behind your head.

“Why me?”

“I do not know. Perhaps they did not have the power to latch on to another monster's soul? Perhaps it was truly just chance.”

“What if I get bad? What if I hurt people- I-I can't- I don't want to-”

Gaster tightened his grip on you. “Shh, child, it will be okay. You are in control, they cannot do anything without your permission. You seem to have many people who care about you. They will help. I will help. I am here. I promise that you will be okay.”

He gave you a few more minutes to finish crying and shaking. You continued to sniffle, because for the idea of having to die to get rid of the thing in your head hurt, and the idea of being scattered like Gaster was horrifying. But the ghost of a man was there, and he stroked your hair or rubbed your back and continued to shush you and comfort you. It was like he'd always been there.

When you calmed down enough to pull away from him and wiped your nose, he folded his hands back in his lap and waited patiently. You glanced at his face for a moment before you looked back at the ground and sniffed.

“I-I... I'm sorry,” you said softly. “I didn't mean to cry that much...”

“Given the circumstances, you are handling everything very well. You are a brave human.”

You didn't do anything, so he let out a long breath.

“Now that I have had some time to think, I have some guesses as to why it was you who came to possess Chara's empty soul.”

You looked at him. However horrified you were, you wanted to know more.

“Well, that is not entirely true. Rather, I may have figured out why this instance of you was able to find this instance of me, and that involves the child in your mind.”

“Chara?” you asked.

“That is their name, yes.”

You nodded. Gaster's face remained stoic. You'd figured out that he couldn't move it very much.

“There are an infinite number of timelines and possibilities,” Gaster said quietly. “And, in a way, all of these are connected. In this case, Chara is the center of these timelines. They were strong enough in life to reset time itself, and to undo what had already been done. Do you understand?”

You gave a small nod. You sort of did.

“They attached themselves to me, and suddenly it was I that was the center. With my soul they had the power to reset, but only if I willed it so. I am ashamed to admit my past sins, but I took advantage of this power. I created what we call “SAVE points” as a fail-safe for my research. The consequences of my experiments did not matter if I could simply travel back before the procedure was performed. I did morbid, awful things, human. I believe Chara was attempting to corrupt me. They wish to kill- why, I do not know, but they would become a god if they could.”

“They talk about it a lot,” you commented. Gaster nodded his head.

“Yes. I was well on my way to becoming a beast such as them, until one night they slipped. They told me what they wanted. They made a miscalculation. They revealed that they wanted to erase everything, and that they would kill anybody in their way to do it. They thought I was theirs at that point, but that was what pushed me to act. I realized what I'd become and the only way to atone for it was to allow death to take me and hope that Chara's soul would die in the process.”

“So... you used the Core...”

“Precisely. But, evidently, I failed. Their soul was scattered and latched on to you, presumably because you were the first human to fall since my death. That would explain your connection to me.”

“But what about Sans and Papyrus?” you asked. Gaster cocked his head. You pressed on. “They said they lived with you and that you were really really nice- wouldn't they remember if you were doing bad things?”

“It is entirely possible that an instance of me was indeed their caretaker. However, in my timeline I was alone. If what I believe is true, then I was the only Gaster to neither overcome Chara nor fall victim to their cruelty. But being split by the Core tore a hole in the time space continuum. It's likely that, as I did it, it altered the timelines of all of the other Gasters and gave them a new fate worse than death.”

“Then... then that's why you can't remember Sans and Papyrus, but the other Gaster's can...”

“You are very quick-witted, child,” Gaster commented with pride in his voice. Even if the conversation was serious, it made you happy.

“The various parts of me that you've encountered were likely some of the strongest of us across the continuum. Or, they could be entirely random. And now, because of Chara latching on to you, we share a connection on a metaphysical level. That would explain why I feel so deeply for you.”

You blinked at him. “I feel like I've known you for a long time,” you said. He nodded.

“When Chara was attacking you, I felt something stir in me. Is a splinter of my soul attached to you somehow?”

“Uhm... well, one Gaster could talk to me in my dreams. And yesterday he stopped the pain for a little bit when Chara was attacking me and he talked to me. He helped me.”

Gaster hummed for a moment in thought. “It is likely that, like Chara, his soul has become attached to yours. However, he is benevolent, and thus you'd barely notice that he was there.”

“How can I save you if he's part of me?” you asked. You were confused about some things, but yet so relieved that others were becoming clear. Gaster's presence was comforting.

“Ah... child, in order to piece the shards of my soul together again, you would need a power far greater than anything you alone could muster.”

“What about the Core?”

“The Core's purpose is to split apart. I'm afraid that a nuclear fusion chamber would take many, many years to construct. Even still, it would take a miracle for that to be successful in returning me to my corporeal form.”

You didn't know what corporeal meant, but you assumed it meant him being alive again. You sat back on the warm metal floor.

“I'm afraid a power more magical in nature would be the only way.”

You couldn't think of anything like that. If Gaster could, he didn't say anything. His face, which was growing on you, was thoughtful. You watched his clawed hands tap gently against each other. You could sense his unhappiness. It was strange, but now that you knew about the other Gaster being close to you, you could feel it a bit. It was warm and caring, like your skeleton friends. How lonely was the one in front of you?

“Can I still come and visit you?” you asked, and it made the man before you start. “I don't think we should give up yet... you're my friend. And, maybe, if you want to, you could talk to my friends. Sans and Papyrus are both really nice. And Alphys is cool, too. She's the Royal Scientist, so she might be able to help us.”

“I... I cannot speak to them myself... I am not sure how appropriate it would be for me to... well, I'm not sure...”

“They all know the you from this time thingy,” you said. “And they all thought you were really great. Sans is the one that would like it the most, though. He... he saw his Gaster die by shutting himself in here. He's really easy to talk to, I promise. He always makes me feel better when I'm upset. He's got a lot of good jokes. And Papyrus is really fun! You could watch us have a practice battle... okay, well, since my arm's broke it might not be as good as it usually us, but it'll still be cool, I promise.”

You moved forward and took both of his hands. “It doesn't have to be right now, but... but I think it would make you happy! And I think it's a good idea, but it's up to you.”

You waited for Gaster's answer. At first, he only blinked. Then his body relaxed and he held your hands a little more snugly.

“I will think about it, child, is that alright? It is a lot to consider when you've been alone as long as I have.”

“That's okay, I get it. But... can I still come and visit? If you don't want me to I'd understand, I know you-”

“Yes. You may visit me as often and for as long as you would like.” Gaster said. He squeezed your hands. “Do not let this influence your stays, but... with you here, I feel happier than I have in years.”

You stared before a smile grew on your face. You lunged for a hug, and he barely had time to react before you pulled away again.

“I'll come as much as I can, I promise. Every day, if I can. I'll tell you all about my friends and you can tell me about your life and whatever else you want.”

Gaster smiled. He hesitantly moved towards your up-tilted head and you closed your eyes as he leaned down and touched his mouth to your forehead. He was about to move away again when you got on your tip-toes and gently pulled his face down to kiss his forehead.

“Sans and Papyrus give kisses the same way as you do,” you said happily. Gaster laughed, such a warm and simple laugh, and it made you happy that he was happy.

“As much as it pains me to say it, you should be on your way for now. Your friends will want to know what we've talked about here, so they can be aware of Chara and the situation.”

“Yeah... you're right. But I'll come back tomorrow, okay? And I'll bring some paper and pencils, the other Gaster is good at drawing, and maybe you could write down some stuff. And some books, if you want. Papyrus likes 'Peek-a-Boo with Fluffy Bunny' but I'll ask Alphys for some other ones.”

“That would be wonderful, Frisk,”he said. “You are a very good person... please take care of yourself, okay?”

You nodded sternly. You lingered for a few more moments, but then smiled and gave him one last goodbye hug. You waved goodbye to him, and he waved back.

You left with renewed determination.

Chapter Text

You gathered all three members of your secret mission and set them down at a table in the MTT resort's restaurant. Alphys had even brought a little notepad to take notes in, which you thought was smart. Sans and Papyrus waited patiently.

You told them everything you could remember. It was a lot easier to tell them that Gaster had killed himself knowing that he hadn't technically done it in this timeline. Alphys scribbled furiously in her notepad. Sans watched with his hands folded in front of his mouth, and Papyrus sat back in his chair and listened with wide eyes.

“Gaster told me I should tell you guys about Chara so you know, in case something happens. I think he needed some time to himself, too. So I'm gonna visit him again tomorrow and talk to him some more, if that's okay,” you finished with a long breath. Nobody had interrupted while you'd spoken, but now they looked ready to.

“Holy hell...” Sans said. He reached up and scratched his skull. “Things just got a lot more complicated.”

“I've never been keen on Sans's timelines and resets and whatnot, but... I agree with you, brother,” Papyrus added.

You looked at Alphys. She finished writing what she'd been writing and considered her notes for a moment before she looked up at you.

“E-everything makes sense, but I only read you and Gaster's notes about timelines,” she said as she looked to Sans. “If everything I read was true, and Chara was the focal point of everything all along, then now Frisk is the focus.”

You looked at Sans. He glanced at you before he nodded to Alphys.

“Yeah, Frisk is the center now. But, this Frisk has more control than the Frisks in other timelines. Me and Pap's dreams never have a Frisk like this timeline's, and I don't think we're missing such a big part of all of this. Could be what me and Gaster called the 'Alpha Timeline," which is just a fancy way of saying the most important one. From what Gaster said, it sounds like that's mostly because of dumb luck, but also because of Frisk here being connected to him through Chara and having a part of him partially attached to them. Y'know, the dream Gaster.” Sans shook his head. “This timeline just had all the right variables to make it how it is, and I think Gaster knows that.”

You and Papyrus looked at each other. You didn't really know what Sans was saying, but Alphys wrote down more notes before she looked up at Sans.

“This timeline is an anomaly, then, but that alone could make it the alpha timeline. One where Chara is destroyed and time is allowed to flow without their interference.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. But how could we get rid of Chara?”

W-well, the only way would be to-”

“No.” Sans's voice was suddenly low and dark, and Alphys flinched away. “We're not splitting Frisk.”

She blinked. “No! I mean, that's what I was going to say, but I-I wouldn't let that happen either. It sounds like Frisk has everything under control right now. Right?”

You nodded. You were very lost in the conversation, just like Papyrus.

“The kid said Gaster would teach them how to handle Chara. He also said they weren't nearly as strong, and as far as I know, Frisk hasn't used their power yet. Maybe they aren't capable of resets anymore?”

“You said they have in other timelines,” Papyrus added hesitantly. Sans looked at him and swore under his breath.

“Damn it... you're right, Pap, I nearly forgot.” Sans looked over at the corner of the room and for a second you saw his eyes take focus. You looked back but all you saw were tables and a potted plant. You gave him a quizzical look despite the darker turn the conversation was taking.

Sans looked doubtful, but he shook his head. “I thought I saw something, I'm probably just goin crazy, heh,” he said. Everybody else followed along, so you knew you weren't the only one who'd seen him go dead serious all of a sudden. You looked at the flower pot one more time before Sans pressed on.

“Anyways, yeah. Frisk can do it in other timelines, Pap.”

Alphys only looked at Sans in confusion for a second more before a lightbulb practically went off above her head. She must have realized something, but then her eyes found yours.

You were holding eye contact with Alphys. She had wide eyes. She bit her lips after a moment and cleared her throat.

“U-uh... have you?” she asked carefully. Sans and Papyrus looked over at you quite sharply. You felt your stomach fall a little and swallowed.

“I... I...”

The look of disappointment in Sans's eyes was enough to make you drop your head and pull your knees up to your chest. Holding them hurt your arm, but you did it anyways.

“Human...” Papyrus began. “Human, have you?”

“I... only one time...” you said hoarsely.

“When?” Sans pressed. You didn't want to talk about it, so you stayed quiet and hid your face.

You didn't say anything. Nobody spoke until Papyrus shifted in his chair. “Human, we are not upset with you. You do not have to tell us when or why, but you are sure you've only reset time once?”

You nodded.

“I'm sorry for getting snippy,” Sans said, “It isn't bad you've reset, I just... I've had a bad time with stuff like this before. I appreciate you being honest with us, kid.”

You looked up at him and he gave you a smile. You nodded.

“I'll tell ya what... how about you and Papyrus go find something fun to do, and me and Alphy'll stay here and talk some science mumbo-jumbo. Sound good?”

“I for one think that is a wonderful idea,” Papyrus said. You looked up at him and saw him grinning.

“Yeah...” you said.

You only looked back at Sans once, but he didn't look at you. It made your chest feel tight. As you left the restaurant you reached up with your good hand and grabbed Papyrus's. He took it without pause.

You sat on Papyrus's shoulders as he mumbled and grumbled about the conveyor belts in Hotland. It was funny how upset he was getting over them- how they were just 'cheap puzzles' that barely even counted as puzzles. You giggled as he stepped onto one and started shaking his head.

“Human, you had best have your fill of Hotland today, because I am never coming back. These puzzles are pathetic! I could solve them in my sleep!”

You laughed and rested your head on the top of his skull. “It's really warm here.”

Papyrus traversed some more conveyors as you spoke. When he was on solid ground again, he stopped for a moment and leaned forward a little to make you lose your balance. He had a hold of your legs, though, so you just wrapped your arms around his head and laughed.

“Nyeh! Snowdin is a much better place to live! Children such as yourself need open air and freedom... and no conveyor belts!”

You reached a place that wasn't too far from the Core, but far enough away that you weren't stuck thinking about resets and saves and all of that nonsense. Papyrus sat down and leaned against a wall before he reached up and plucked you off of his head and plopped you in his lap.

“There, small and tiny friend. Papyrus's lap is likely the best seat you could ever have.”

“You're too boney,” you said.

The skeleton feigned offense.

“I am hurt, human! Every bone in my body is necessary for me to be as great as I am- are you suggesting I remove some of them?”

You shifted so that you were sitting on the ground beside him and leaning into his side. He put an arm around you, but was giving you a playfully angry eye.

“No. You're good the way you are.”

You watched as his angry look faltered for a second. He seemed to try to maintain it, but soon he broke out into a smile. You reached up and papped his face and he responded with a warm and gentle laugh. Even in the Hotland heat your chest felt warmer.

Suddenly there was a noise like thunder that came from the Core. It lasted only a moment but it was loud and deep enough to make panic rise in you. Papyrus jumped and was on his feet in seconds, and you followed. You shared a desperate look before he grabbed you and held you tight and took off for the Resort.

Sans and Alphys weren't inside. All of the visitors stood around chattering about the noise, but none of them seemed to know what had happened. As soon as Papyrus found that your friends weren't there, he continued onwards to the Core.

“No, no, Sans, I can't-” Papyrus moaned as he ran. He kept you pressed to his chest like you were going to suddenly not exist if he didn't. “Not again, please not again, no no... no...”

He rounded corners so fast you thought he was going to fall. A few maintenance workers were inspecting things, but Papyrus brushed by them with his long strides. You hugged him and said nothing. You didn't want to hear the tearful pleas coming from him. There was a big dark pit in your stomach because what if something had happened? What is Sans, or Alphys, was-

You didn't know what you'd do when you reached the first security-locked door, but you didn't have to. Sans and Alphys were both leaning against a wall nearby, doubled-over and wheezing. Papyrus let out a noise and ran to them. He fell to his knees to inspect his brother and you went to Alphys.

“Sans! Sans, what happened, are you okay? Oh my god, brother, please, please tell me you aren't hurt-”

Sans looked up at Papyrus for a second before he coughed. “It's... okay, Pap, we're... just... a little winded...”

“I-I-I didn't think... I-I had no idea he could-” Alphys stopped to heave a breath. They were both sweaty and gross.

“What happened?” you asked, because there was a pit in your stomach and you felt awful.

“He- ch-changed the Core's t-t-temperature and... drove us... out,” Alphys panted. “He opened the doors- I-I-I don't know how-”

“Why? What happened?” You were shaking.

“I-I don't know! We just went i-in there and... a-and Sans wanted to say a-a few things and as soon a-as we started talking he- he did this-”

“I have to go talk to him-” you began.

“No!” Papyrus said so harshly that you flinched away. There were tears running down his face. “Nobody is going in there.”

You looked at him but he wore an expression of desperate anger.

“I have to! What if he keeps making it hotter and-”

“I said no!” Papyrus shouted. He waved a hand viciously through the air, and it was enough to make the words die in your throat. “I'm not losing anybody else in that damn machine!”

You heard a scream and felt a twist in your gut, and you knew it was Gaster. Nobody else reacted to it. You grabbed your chest and felt some of the deep-rooted emotions that weren't really yours- pain, sadness, guilt, hopelessness.

You darted around Papyrus faster than he could stop you. He shouted something, but you were already through the first open set of doors. You looked back and saw him moving to chase you, but the doors slammed shut before he could enter.

You kept running. It was a pain so deep that you could barely comprehend it. When you got to the inner doors you pounded your fists on them.

“Gaster! Let me in! I want to help!”

The door didn't open. You heard a broken sob and pounded harder on the metal, but it wouldn't budge. You hurried to the panel but you didn't have Alphys to open it. Angry tears were welling in your eyes.

I can help, Frisk. You blinked at the strange voice that smoothly blended into your own thoughts. He'll overheat the Core and cause a malfunction. He's hurting. Stand a few feet from the door and imagine grabbing it with your soul.

You did as you were told. Gaster's presence in your mind was enough to calm you down a little bit. You stood away from the door and held up a hand, like you'd seen Sans and Papyrus do. You closed your eyes and you felt Gaster concentrate very hard, which made it easier for you to do it.

The doors were enveloped in blue magic and they slid open with a grating hiss. You rushed forward into the heat of the Core, struggling to remove your hoodie and scarf as you ran across the bridge and made out the warped form of Gaster fallen against the machine.

“Gaster! Gaster, what happened?” you asked as you ran forward, but before you could reach him you felt your soul and body wrapped in a blue magic just like the kind you'd used moments before. You were held in place. You struggled, but it didn't hurt you. Eventually Gaster turned.

He was hideous. His form looked like computer code being ripped apart by viruses. One of his eyes was burning blue. He was holding himself up with one arm against the Core as his chest heaved with panicked breathing.

“I was a fool. You cannot save me, Frisk. I do not deserve to be saved.”

“Please, I want to help! You aren't bad! You're not-”

“You do not know what I've done. You know nothing about me. I was a fool to be tricked by you- fooled by a mere child. I did this for a reason. I will never atone for what I've done.”

You tried to get away from his magic, but it had a firm hold on you, and your Gaster was nothing compared to this one.

“I-I don't understand, I don't understand what happened!”

“And it will stay that way. I have ruined enough lives. I will not ruin yours.”

“Please!” you cried, and it made the poor creature before you tense. “Please let me go, I-I swear I just want to talk, I promise, Gaster, please-”

“You are a fool!” he shouted in anger. You felt the familiar sting of being yelled at, but you couldn't move. “You know not what you ask of me! I am nothing more than a mistake!” Gaster's magic tightened around you and you cried out. It made it hard to breathe. Your body was on fire for only a second.

As suddenly as it had come, the magic released you, and you fell to the floor and gasped for breath. When you looked up at Gaster, you saw him backing away and staring at his hands.

“I... I did not mean...” he began, but then he looked at you and his hands found their way to his head. He grabbed it like it was going to come apart.

“I am sorry. I am so, so sorry, child, I... I...”

You stood up as Gaster fell and clawed at his head. Tears were pouring down his face. You were shaking, but you approached him anyways. When he eventually saw you coming, he only flinched away and looked to the floor.

“Leave me. Leave me, child, I... I am dangerous. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone. Not again.”

You'd never met anybody who was broken before. Gaster's body was no longer splintering apart, but black and inky wounds ran down him where his claws had fallen. You stumbled over to him, and he didn't move an inch as you put your tiny little hands on top of his and drew them away from his skull.

“I've made so many mistakes. I've hurt so many people. I'm pathetic, and weak, and... and you are none of those things. You should not be around me. I am bad. I am very, very bad.”

You put his hands in his lap so he wouldn't hurt himself anymore. He didn't resist at all. He just cried and kept his eyes down.

“I'm bad, child... please. Please just go... I don't deserve this. I hurt you. I hurt you, Frisk.”

“I'm okay,” you said, but your voice shook. He glanced up and met your eyes for a fraction of a second.

“Why do you stay? I am terrifying to look at. I've done so much wrong in this world... why do you keep coming back? Why are you trying to help somebody like me?”

His voice was flat and it cracked in a few places. You frowned as you took a seat beside him. His hands were shaking. The wounds on his face were still bleeding. You looked at him and even if he said it, you knew that he wasn't a bad person deep down.

You brought your knees up to your chest and rested your chin on top. You reached over and took one of his hands without looking at him. It took a while for you to find the right words.

“I had a big family on the surface,” you said quietly. “I don't think my parents liked any of us, because sometimes they'd forget about dinner, or hit us, or... y'know,” you said. Gaster's hand had tightened ever so slightly around yours.

“I... I'm not very healthy. I get sick a lot, and, I cry, and... and I was just a burden to them. One day they took me by the mountain... and... and they just left me.” You tried to stop your hands from shaking as you said it. “I waited for a long time. I-I was scared, and hungry, and... I knew they weren't coming back. I climbed the mountain... and... at the top, there was this big h-hole...” you had to stop. You closed your eyes for a second. “And... and... I didn't know what else to do...”

Gaster's hand held yours firmly. You sniffled. His other hand reached over and he cradled you against him. You composed yourself as fast as you could.

“They gave up on me,” you said with a wobbly voice. “I-I don't want to give up on anybody like that. I... I don't want to be like them...”

“Child...” Gaster said as he ran a hand over your hair. He didn't have to say anything else. You wiped the tears off of your face as best as you could.

“I made mistakes, too. I-I... I hurt somebody. I hurt them really bad, and they...” you swallowed. “I reset. But I still did it, even if nobody else remembers.” You looked up at your friend. “T-Toriel told me that making mistakes is okay, as long as you know they're mistakes, and as long as you become a better person from them. And... and I know that you regret doing bad things because you're so sad about it.”

Gaster looked at you for a moment. His eyes seemed dull, but as he beheld you something different seemed to grow in them.

“You can talk to me about the bad things you did,” you offered quietly. “It feels good for somebody else to know... because then you aren't alone.”

Gaster stared off somewhere you couldn't see. He stayed like that for a long time, long enough for the blood that was on his head to dry and then melt back into his strange almost-physical form. He held you tenderly against him.

“I performed experiments on monsters,” he said finally. His words were heavy and slow. You closed your eyes.

“I reset to undo what I had done, but I remember all of them. I wanted to create organic weapons to protect us monsters from the humans above. At first I used already existing monsters. It... it was not pleasant. When the experiments failed and the subjects... passed, I reset.” Gaster paused for a moment. “Staring into the faces of monsters that I had killed only broke my morals further. Chara's frenzy played a part, but... but ultimately I was the one who wanted it. I thought I was doing a good deed.”

Gaster let out a long and shaky breath. “I was the Royal Scientist. I had access to whatever I wanted, so long as the King permitted it. I was certain that, if only I could continue to go back, I could find answers. Monster souls did not yield results, so... I moved to the next best thing. Asgore gave me access to the human souls and remains. So long as the souls remained intact, I had free reign.” Gaster had begun to shake again, but he pressed on. “I buried those memories and tried so hard to forget. But he...”

Gaster trailed off and was quiet.

“Who?” you asked.

Gaster shook his head and let out a quiet little whine. “I used parts of my soul and determination to create life. To create weapons. The human remains were capable of holding everything together, but... but all too well. They developed thoughts, and minds, and unique personalities. They were children, and I'd created them only to be weapons. They were just children...” Gaster's voice was faltering.

“I remember it- I remember the day it all changed. I remember 02 looking at me and asking me... why I was doing any of it. He asked what they'd done to deserve it with tears in his eyes while 01 was begging me not to hurt his b-” Gaster's voice caught on the word. “His brother. Chara egged me on. I snapped. Chara would not allow me to reset. I took the test subjects and used altered determination to wipe their memories to the best of my ability and I went to the Core. It hurt. Everything hurt. I let myself forget after so many years but seeing him made me remember every detail of what I'd done. And now it hurts again.”

Gaster fell silent as you stared at the floor. There was a pause before you said anything.

“Sans and Papyrus...” you whispered.

He was deathly silent. In your chest you felt an ache that wasn't quite yours and recognized it as guilt- Gaster's guilt. You reached out and held Gaster tightly.

“They don't remember anything,” you said, even if you were still in a bit of shock. “In this timeline it was different.”

“We all did it. Every Gaster- even those who could not reset, even the one who lived in this timeline, who composes the rest of the parts you've interacted with. I was merely the first.”

You didn't need to try and talk to the Gaster in your mind. You knew it must've been true.

“But... in this timeline, they remember him, and they liked him a lot...”

“I have seen glimpses of other timelines. They are all very similar, you see. He abandoned them as I did, but without Chara, the guilt was not enough to consume him. He went back when he was ready and found them again. It was the only way to make up for what he'd done.”

“You... know all of that?” you asked softly.

“Not for certain. But it is what I would have done had I not died.”

The ground was suddenly very interesting and easy to look at. You didn't really know what to say. The silence lasted an almost unbearable amount of time. You continued to hold Gaster. He sort of... sunk in on himself until he was only as tall as you were and you were able to wrap all of him in your arms. It was a bit strange, given that he was so old and you were so young, but you just held him while he shook and trembled.

“... What are they like?” he asked in a voice barely audible. It made your chest ache to see somebody so broken, so it was only after a pause that you began.

“Sans is pretty lazy. He's the short one, and his eye glows blue when he uses magic. They're both really really nice, but Sans is more... gentle? He likes to joke around a lot, but he's never mean about it, and he always knows when to stop. Papyrus is really tall, and he's happy, and really enthusiastic. He's loud most of the time, not in a bad way. He pretends to get really upset when Sans makes bad jokes, but I know he likes them. They care about each other a lot...”

You stopped. Gaster gave a sad laugh and covered his worse-off eye with his hand.

“To think that they came from my own soul... I saw 01- Sans, you called him- and it was as though somebody had put a knife through my chest. When I saw him last he was merely a child, even younger than you. Because of the unconventional means of creation, they aged quickly in the early stages of their lives. In a matter of weeks they were speaking, both to me, and to one another. 01 was older by only a few days, and he stopped growing after a month. The other shot up like bamboo and showed no signs of stopping. What is his name?”

“Papyrus,” you said. Gaster was speaking just a bit too fast, but at least he seemed to be calming down.

“02- no, Papyrus, he was much different from his brother, and that frightened me. Theoretically, both should have been identical, as they were both created from equal parts of my soul. I did not take into account that the determination I was using would partially make up for the lack of another half of a soul in them. When monsters have children, each give a bit of themselves and create a tiny soul that is an amalgam of the parent and then some. I meant for them only to be clones of myself. I didn't know that DT could influence the development of a complete soul until the differences began to appear- Papyrus's larger frame and his orange magic, Sans with his smaller stature and magic the color of my own. Neither of them were what they were supposed to be. Creating artificial life was the goal, but children? I never wanted that.”

You didn't understand parts of what he said, but you nodded. He was venting. You wanted him to get it out.

“First I tested their souls for unnatural strength, because of their half-human origin, but they were solely monster in nature and couldn't be used to break the Barrier. I had to monitor them closely to be sure that they were getting enough DT to aid in development as well as advance their magic beyond that of normal monsters. 01- Sans- never felt pain during the injections. His body was overworked, but all that resulted was exhaustion. Papyrus... he did not fare so well. He became addicted to determination. He was in pain for many hours after the injections, but giving him more would have resulted in decomposition. It lasted for near three months before it became too much for me- I did what I could to make them comfortable, but they knew nothing of the world outside, and they were scared. Papyrus always cooperated. Papyrus was sweet and innocent and even attempted many times to talk me out of what I was doing. His brother was a demon. He hated me even more than I hated myself. He attacked me for hurting his brother at every opportunity. He was prone to bouts of uncontrollable magic and anger. Near the end he drove himself over the edge and his right eye stopped glowing- I'm not sure if he ever recovered completely. I'm not sure of anything anymore.”

When Gaster was finished, he was also almost done shaking, and he sort of composed his body enough so that he looked back to normal. Well, Gaster-normal, which wasn't normal at all. You were trying to keep an open mind and you stopped your stray thoughts from wandering.

“Seeing Sans is what made you so upset,” you said. It wasn't a question, but Gaster nodded anyways.

“I'm so sorry for all of this, child. You are young, you don't need to know these things... to think I am an adult and would put you through this...”

You shook your head and did your best to put on a serious face. “No, it isn't your fault, I'm the one who stayed, so you didn't do anything wrong. Besides, I'm almost thirteen, so, I'm not that super young.”

Gaster looked at you. His sadness was beginning to dissipate, which was good, because you were tired of being sad.

“But, I still think what I told you before. Even if you did bad things, everybody deserves a second chance.” Gaster looked at you doubtfully. You took one of his big sharp hands in both of yours and stared up at him. “What if I was you? Wouldn't try to help me if I was stuck in here?”

Gaster made a noise as though he was going to protest, but it died in his throat. He closed his eyes for a while.

“Would it make you happy?” he asked softly. “If I accept this, will it make you happy?”

“Yes,” you replied without hesitation. “It would make Sans and Papyrus happy, too. And... and I think it would make you happy. That's the most important thing.”

Gaster stared forlornly off into space. When he looked back at you, you could've sworn his face was just a tad more well-formed.

“Ask both of them to come in here.”

Chapter Text

When you walked out from the second security doors, Papyrus was on you before you could say anything. You were nervous, of course, because he should've been angry, but instead he picked you up and spun around and held onto you like a lifeline.

“Frisk!” he gasped, and you could feel his boney arms squeezing you tight. “Oh my god, you're okay... I was so worried, human...”

“I'm sorry, Papyrus,” you said quietly, but he only responded by squeezing you a little tighter and shaking his head.

“No, don't say that, all that matters is that you're okay. I shouldn't have shouted- I'm so sorry, human, oh but I'm so so glad you aren't hurt,” he blabbered. Eventually he got down on one knee and set you on the floor, his grasp still firm and comforting on your shoulders. His eyes were bristling with tears but he was smiling. “Please, don't ever scare me like that again. Oh, my heart still hurts, I thought you wouldn't come back out, and-” Papyrus stopped his venting with a deep breath and messed up your hair. “I'm so happy that you're okay.”

You looked at him but out of the corner of your eye you spotted Sans and Alphys approaching.

Sans was visibly shaking. You felt guilt crawl into the pit of your stomach as you remember the picture Alphys had painted- of Sans desperately pleading and pounding to convince Gaster to leave the Core, and of Gaster dying while Sans watched. But when he finally reached you all he did was kneel down and grab you in a fierce hug.

“That was some risky bullshit,” he said slowly, and you dropped your eyes. He was right, of course.

“S-Sans...” Alphys said.
“I'm just glad you're okay,” he said. You let out a breath, but it was obvious that he was still not over it. He put a hand on the back of your head.

“It's okay,” you said quietly, so that only he could hear. It made him tense up and hold you harder. “I'm right here.”

He gave a sad little laugh before he stepped away. You could all but see him pushing the hurt down and ignoring it. But Alphys was beside you, and her eyes were wide and worried.

“Frisk, what happened? Why did he...?”

You looked at the scientist for a second, and something must have registered in her, because the look of curiosity turned much darker.

“He got upset. Really upset,” you said. Papyrus moved so that he was holding one of your hands while the other was on his brother.

“I-Is he...?” Alphys ventured hesitantly.

“He's okay now. He just remembered some really bad stuff... he told me about it, but...” you trailed off.

“Don't worry about it, kiddo,” Sans said. His eyes were dark, but he was putting on a face for you. “If he doesn't know me and Pap like you said, he probably doesn't want some weird strangers to know.”

“Yes, it is understandable,” Papyrus said, but he still looked shaken and a little distraught.

“He wants you guys to go in,” you said. The words made Sans jerk his head up to stare at you while the others just seemed confused.

“Kid, there's no way in hell-”

“He isn't dangerous,” you said immediately. “He just... he wasn't expecting you two, you guys scared him! I told you he... didn't want to talk to anybody...” you said slowly.

Sans was quick to shut up when you said it. He clenched his teeth and you saw the guilt in his eyes. Alphys, too, looked away.

“I-I-I know you said it, but... w-we... maybe thought... t-talking to him, would be... a-a good idea?” she said weakly.

“No, the kids right, Al,” Sans said with a sigh. “They told us not to go, and we did anyways. It's not Gaster's fault.”

“Why would he want to see us?” Papyrus asked. You turned back to him and looked up at his concerned face. “He can't speak to anybody aside from you, correct?”

“I don't think he wants to talk,” you said. “I told him about you guys... he's really lonely. I think he thinks it'll help.”

Papyrus looked to his brother for a moment. Alphys wrung her hands and shifted her gaze between the three of you while Sans just stared.

“I promise he isn't going to hurt anybody,” you said in the silence. Nobody was very keen on replying. They still looked uncertain, but you knew it would help him. When you looked at Sans you knew you wouldn't force him to go in if he didn't want to, knowing what he'd been through.

“Maybe... if only one of you came?” you offered slowly.

“Kid, it's just...” Sans began, but he lost the words and let out a deep breath. “This ain't exactly easy for us, Frisk.”

You felt guilty at once, but Papyrus's hand tightened on your shoulder before you spoke.

“Brother, if it's hard for us, imagine what it's like for him,” Papyrus said gently. Sans looked away.

“Pap...”

“I'll go with the human, Sans,” the skeleton said. He put a hand to his chest. “If anybody can cheer Gaster up, it is I!”

“Y-yeah, Sans, that sounds like a great i-idea,” Alphys spoke up. Sans shot her a look- this isn't your business- but it left as soon as it had come to be replaced with defeat and an almost tangible exhaustion.

“You've done enough for today, brother,” Papyrus said. His eyes were full of worry for his brother. He looked at Alphys, who had obviously seen the displeasure on Sans's face at her comment. “I think a nap would do you well.”

“... You're right, as usual,” Sans said. The smile on his face was so strained, but he did it anyways. “Me and Al could maybe go talk to Gerson, see if he has anything to say about any of this crazy stuff. He's real old,” Sans added when he saw your confusion. But when he looked at you, his eyes went to your arm, and suddenly he didn't look at you anymore.

Papyrus went on to say something, but you sort of spaced out for a few seconds. You wiggled the fingers of your left arm. It occurred to you that the only reason everybody was getting hurt so much was because you'd decided to stay. It was a thought you'd had before, but looking at a defeated Sans made it resurface in your mind.

Before you knew it, Sans and Alphys were turning to walk away while Papyrus stood beside you with a hand on your shoulder. You pulled yourself out of your internal thoughts and ran forward and latched onto Sans's sleeve.

He jumped a little and started to turn, but you hugged him tightly before he could say anything. It took his hands a moment to find your back.

“Whats up, kid?” he asked uncertainly.

“One time there was a Spanish magician, and-”

Sans pulled you away to give you quite the concerned face, but you shook your head.

“There was a Spanish magician, and he was doing a show. And, and so he was on stage and he said to the audience, he said he was going to make himself disappear.”

“Uh...” Sans said quietly.

“So, the Spanish magician said he'd do it on the count of three. He said, uno, dos...”

Sans's eyes had gone big and wide.
“and then, he disappeared, without a tres.”

The grin that split the skeleton's face was enough to make you giddy. Alphys snorted over the growing moan of pain that Papyrus was bellowing. But, at that moment, you just grabbed Sans's hand and smiled, and he was laughing, but he still wrapped his big boney arms around you and buried his head in your shoulder to tease you.

“Thank you, Frisk,” he said just loud enough for you to hear.

Papyrus shooed them both away with his hands on his hips. When Alphys's giggles had faded, he looked down at you with a big frown on his face like he was upset. You grinned and grabbed his hand with both of yours, and that made his face falter.

“I'm certainly happy that you're so talented at cheering up my lazy brother, but that joke was just awful, human.” Papyrus tried to replace his frown, but he failed and ended up sighing. “I suppose it was better than most of my brothers puns.”

“Those are good, too,” you said, but Papyrus had turned his head to stare at the security doors. He fished in his scarf (which he used like a pocket, and you had no idea how) until he drew out a little weird-looking card.

“What's that?” you asked as the two of you headed back to the first set of doors.

“It allows me to access the Core. Alphys gave one to my brother and I in case of emergencies,” Papyrus explained, but then he paused for a second to blink. “Come to think of it, human... how did you get into the Core to talk to Gaster?”

Your walk slowed to a halt until you'd stopped in front of the doors. In the heat of the moment, it'd been easy and you didn't have to think about it, but...

“I... used magic,” you said flatly.

“Magic?”

“I think it was Gaster's. I don't really know.”

Papyrus hummed in suspicion, but after a seconds pause he swiped the card along a groove hidden on the side of the keypad and the doors began to slide apart.

“If it isn't bad, then we'll worry about it later!” he said with a 'nyeh' that made you smile. He beamed. “Is there anything I should know before we go in?”

“He likes jokes,” you said.

Papyrus slapped one of his gloves to his forehead with a groan.

Sans and Alphys didn't go and talk to Gerson. Sans only made it to the outside of the MTT Resort before he went off and found a nice cool wall to lean against. He was tired and confused. Alphys didn't seem to mind. She followed at a respectful distance and took a seat a few feet away from him against the same wall of the Resort.

Sans still remembered how much Alphys loved playing with Papyrus when he was young. He remembered the nights he'd work late with Gaster, putting the finishing touches on a particularly intricate algorithm, and go to his room to find Papyrus already tucked in and sleeping with a cute little note from the mechanic left on the nightstand. It'd been painful to remove Alphys from the equation and relocate to Snowdin, but the skeletons couldn't continue living at the lab. Papyrus especially couldn't deal with having to think about their dead friend every day of his adolescent life. He hadn't stopped Papyrus from reaching out to her many years later, but they'd only spoken through texts and Undernet. Now the scientist was sitting beside him, still shy because of his hateful glare, and he felt very guilty.

“Hey, listen Al, I-”

“N-no! Don't apologize, I-I-I shouldn't have said a-anything,” she jumped in immediately, like she'd been bracing herself for it. That just made Sans feel even worse about the situation.

“Don't be like that, Al, you've been helping us like crazy. I shouldn't have been a jerk like that. Heh... I guess I've still got some bones to pick with bein' down in the Core.”

“Really, Sans, i-it's okay... I didn't know him like you two did.”

“It ain't like we knew him all that well, either,” he said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Alphys didn't protest. She must've known that it was true. Sans had only known Gaster for about two years before he'd died. Sure the scientist might've been his entire world apart from Papyrus, and Sans might've owed him his life and his happiness and his safety, but it wasn't like he'd grown up with him.

“Sides,” Sans went on after a little pause, “that's still not an excuse to be a big ol' meanie.”

Alphys shuffled her feet and wrung her hands. Sans saw her, but tried to ignore her. He knew what was coming.

“Sans... you know, i-i-if you need to... to talk, about anything, that I-I'm here, right?”

“Sure, Al,” Sans said quietly.

“Then... can I a-ask you a question?”

Sans didn't want her to ask him a question. What he really wanted to go to sleep and pretend like the man that he looked up to most in the world except for Papyrus hadn't just driven him out of the Core and nearly caused a radioactive explosion just by seeing him. What he wanted was for his brother and that little runt of a kid to be happy, so that he could be happy. And what Sans wanted most of all was to go back in time and change everything he'd ever done wrong, because then maybe he could've saved Gaster, and maybe Papyrus wouldn't have had his heart ripped to pieces when he was only fourteen. None of this would be happening if Sans had just... been good enough. For anybody.

“What happened to Frisk's arm?” Alphys whispered.

Sans flinched. Was it that obvious?

“I... I don't want to talk about it, Al,” Sans muttered. His voice was raw.

“I-I won't make you. I just... I-I don't know them that well, but... but I can tell that they really really like you. A-and... I know... that pushing people away is easier, but...” Alphys stopped and let out a deep breath. “I don't know where I-I was going with that... if you e-ever need anything, please t-tell me.”

Sans closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I know. Thanks, Al, I really do appreciate it but... right now it's better if Papyrus handles the kid. I...” Sans stopped and swallowed. “Yeah. It's just better that way.”

“No it isn't,” Alphys said, and it made Sans blink. She was looking at him with something like passion in her eyes. “I-if anybody knows about this stuff, i-it's me.”

“Alphys, I know what I'm doing,” Sans said.

“I u-understand you're worried but-”

“I was the one that broke their arm,” Sans said, and it shut the scientist up immediately. Strangely, though, she didn't seem all that surprised. Sans huffed and wrapped his arms around his knees. “They came in to wake me up from a nightmare and I- god, it was horrifying. You'd understand if you'd been there, Al, the sound. What if it'd been their neck, Al? I could've killed them.”

“But you didn't,” Alphys said.

“Does that matter? The nightmares are just getting worse. Pap's so much better at controlling his magic, and my bro would never hurt them. I've seen them kill him so many times but he never fights back. I can't risk hurting them.”

Alphys didn't say anything. Sans looked away and pouted to himself for a little bit. It took a few moments, but a clawed hand found his shoulder.

“I-I can't say I know what you're going through, Sans... b-but, it wasn't your fault that you hurt them. It was a-an accident. A-and... and keeping your distance is only going to make them feel responsible.”

The skeleton murmured something unintelligible in response. Alphys was sitting beside him, and she kept her hand on his shoulder even though Sans refused to look at her.

“Sans... you know that n-none of this is y-your fault... right?”

He buried his head in the arms of his jacket where they sat resting on his knees.

“Yeah, sure, Al,” he said.

“No, I-I'm being serious. Gaster, Chara, Frisk- none of it is your fault. And, without you, where would Papyrus be? And Frisk, too. They n-need you.”

Sans didn't respond right away. She was being so sincere, so motherly, how could he argue with her?

“Thanks, Al,” he said eventually. She gave his shoulder a squeeze before she sighed.

“You're... a really great guy, Sans,” Alphys said as she sat back. Sans could hear the unhappy tones in her voice, and it made him turn to watch her. She caught his eye and gave him a sad smile.

Sans had to look at her for a little bit. She'd grown in the ten years they'd been apart- not just physically. She used to be an awkward girl who needed to be told what to do- and she still was- but he would've never imagined her saying what she was saying before.

It took a lot of effort, but he returned her sad grin. “Al, really, thank you. I'll be dino-sure to remember it.”

She giggled- Sans felt warmth in his chest at the response- and the two of them got up and went to find Gerson.

“How do the numbers look?”

“Okay, I don't really know what they mean, but nothing's beeping.”

“A good sign!” Papyrus said. He sounded nervous, and you could understand why, but he was holding up. You were at the control panel by the Core itself, and even though you had no clue what anything meant, it looked about the same as it had when you'd been in it with Alphys before. You turned back to Papyrus and saw him glancing around the room like he expected to see somebody.

“He can't come out when other people are here,” you said. Papyrus jumped, but then rubbed his neck and grinned sheepishly.

“Am I really that easy to read?”

You huffed in amusement and nodded. He didn't seem too troubled by it, so you walked over and took his hand and led him around the Core to the back.

“Lets go back here,” you said. The room was hot and the air was heavy, but it didn't bother you all that much. Papyrus followed with long and easy strides.

“It's been a long time since I've been here!” he said conversationally. “It looks just as boring as it did ten years ago.”

“I think it's cool. Like a big tube of chapstick.”

“Ah, yes, another thing that a skeleton like myself has no use for...”

“It's okay, you give the best kisses,” you said, and it made Papyrus blush. Maybe that was just because of the heat. At any rate, he unhooked his hand from yours as he walked and roughed up your hair.

“I can't believe I let myself be swindled into a date with a little flirt like you...” he said warmly.

“Could you say... that I'm a little Frisk-y?”

That elicited a laugh, which was sort of strange, because Papyrus just looked down at you with a playfully angry expression. The laugh stopped immediately and you could all but see Gaster throwing his hands over his mouth. You smiled. Sans and Gaster must've gotten along swimmingly.

You sat in your normal spot around the back of the Core, but decided to lean against it this time. Papyrus stood for a little, looking around and touching the railing that ran along the circular cropping of metal scaffolding that the two of you stood on.

“This is... Papyrus?” Gaster asked. Papyrus heard nothing, of course, and continued to observe his surrounds.

“Yeah,” you said softly, but Papyrus heard you. He looked back in confusion for a moment but he seemed to realize quickly what was going on. He shifted nervously before he took a seat in front of you, crossing his legs over one another.

“Is he...?” Papyrus asked quietly. You couldn't help but smile at the situation, because it was so awkward that it was borderline funny. Still, you nodded to him.

“I can hear him talk,” you explained.

“Ah... human, as Great as I am at conversations and being a joy to others, this is rather strange,” he said tightly.

“Just say hi,” you said, and he blinked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh! Yes, hello!” His eyes focused on the Core after looking for somebody to speak to. “I know that this iteration of you doesn't know who I am, so I will introduce myself! I am Papyrus, master chef and future member of the Kings Royal Guard.”

“He's a sentry, too,” you added. “And a big huge dork that plays with action figures and-”

Papyrus leaned forward and covered your mouth with one of his gloves while you laughed. “Human, stop! You're embarrassing me. And you know that the action figures are strictly for hypothetical battle scenario purposes.”

You giggled and pulled his hand away. Papyrus's blush faded as he sat back and you waited calmly for an answer.

“Hello...” Gaster said weakly. You felt bad, but you pushed it away. You'd have to have enough hope for both of you for this to work out.

“He says hi,” you reported. “Well, technically he said 'hello' but it's the same thing.”

Papyrus gave an uneasy smile. “It... it is good to meet you! Even though I'm physically incapable of technically 'meeting you' and I can't hear or see you.”

“Oh, this was a bad idea, human, he isn't comfortable, and I am simply a nervous wreck, and-”

“No, I think this was a great idea,” you said, ignoring Papyrus for a second. “Papyrus is really fun and cool, and he always cheers me up when I'm sad. Maybe, for now, do you just want the two of us to talk?”

“I... yes. Yes, I think that would be a good start,” Gaster said. He then fell silent and you could feel his nervousness vicariously.

Papyrus had a small smile on his face, which you returned. “He's nervous, he wants us to talk for a while first.”

“Of course, I am 'fun' and 'cool' after all,” he said. Maybe hearing that Gaster was nervous himself made him relax. He put his arms on his knees and leaned forward to come closer to eye level with you. “What should we talk about?”

“Tell us about the first time you met Undyne,” you said immediately. You loved seeing his eyes light up talking about his warrior friend.

True to your word, his eyes gleamed. “Nyeh heh! Of course! What a thrilling story, an excellent choice, human.” He adjusted his position for optimum storytelling. You smiled, because Papyrus told the best stories, and there was no better way to get to know him then by listening to him tell a good tale. Well, being forced to do puzzles was, admittedly, the best option, but since Gaster didn't have a corporeal form the stories were a good second-best.

There was something incredibly pleasant about just sitting and listening to your pseudo-brother talk while Gaster would occasionally laugh or add small comments. It left you free to sit and enjoy the unnatural heat and the peaceful knowledge that, even if things seemed bad, somebody would be there to help you through it.

Gaster was opening up. Sans and Papyrus were coming to terms with things. Alphys was ready to help, and you didn't hear Chara the entire time you sat in the Core. You smiled lazily.

Everything was going to be okay.

Chapter Text

All four of you met back up at the ferry in Hotland. Papyrus reported that the meeting had gone well, and Sans said that Gerson wasn't even in his shop. It was subtle, but you swear you saw him glance around. You considered he could be lying, but the conversation was picking up and you didn't have long to think about it.

“Frisk was an excellent mediator,” Papyrus began, putting a hand on your shoulder and waving his free arm emphatically around. “Once again their skills astound me- they are truly taking after their talented and prestigious guardian, who is, as you know, myself.”

You blushed and smacked his femur, but the older skeleton and the scientist just looked amused. Alphys adjusted her glasses while she looked at you.

“How was he?” she asked. You noticed that she and Sans stood closer together than they had at the Core. You didn't say anything, though, just met both of their eyes in turn before you spoke.

“Nervous. So was Papyrus.”

“I was not!” Papyrus protested, but he'd begun to glow orange. “I was, er, unsure of the situation, that's all,” he said, then his eyes lit up. “Oh! Yes, he may be a bit different but he's certainly Doctor Gaster. Frisk tells me he still snorts when he laughs.”

The conversation went on for a little while, but the day had been very long and it was getting late. You waved goodbye to Alphys from the ferry as you traveled home, listening to the Boatperson humming a soft little tune.

The conversation between Gaster, Papyrus, and yourself had gone over well. The tall skeleton had looked happy about the turn of events- in the Core he'd seemed genuinely surprised that Gaster was, well, Gaster. Papyrus hadn't stopped asking questions- his favorite tea, book, color, joke, everything there was to know- and Gaster had seemed equally shocked to find that Papyrus knew these things about him.

You drifted off on the way home, because the water was calm and the melody was soft and soothing. When you awoke to two arms picking you up, you opened your eyes and expected to see Papyrus. Instead, Sans removed you from the boat like you were made of glass, and he was the one that set you down in the soft snow and he was the one that didn't bat an eye when you reached up to hold his hand.

Papyrus and Alphys stayed outside to discuss something, but you were tired and Sans had bags under his eyes the size of baseballs. The taller brother shooed you both into the warmth of the house and you didn't protest as you led Sans to the couch and flopped down face-first.

Sans sat beside your head as you let out a soft sigh at being horizontal. He huffed in amusement before he gave your head a prompt little pat.

“Me too, kid,” he said. “I'm fucking exhausted.”

Sans seemed to catch himself only after your head shot up to look at him in bewildered awe. His eyes went wide and he glanced around in fear of finding his brother.

“Sans you said the-”

“Shhh shh, shush, shh,” he blurted. You sat up and he put a hand over your mouth as you went to say something else.

“Oh my god Papyrus is gonna-” you laughed.

“Kid no please, you don't understand- he'll kill me- Frisk if you love me...”

Sans looked mortified about the slip-up. You laughed and pushed him jokingly. After a second he gave in and his face cracked into a grin.

“You're a little shit,” Sans said as he grabbed you in a headlock and gave you a noogie. You protested to no avail. There was only one way to free yourself. You brought your hands forward and shoved them against Sans's ribcage and wiggled your fingers.

The reaction was exactly what you wanted it to be. Sans gasped and flinched away, but his grip on your head loosened, and you had both hands free to assault his ribs. You cackled as you fell on him and tickled him, because you hadn't known he was so ticklish, and because he was squirming and laughing like a madman.

“Pppf-Frisk- oh my god - please- haha- stop!” he choked out between bouts of near-maniacal laughter. You were relentless, though. He was on the verge of tears by the time he fell off of the couch and onto the floor, which gave him just enough time to snag both of your wrists in his boney fingers. His eyesockets were bright with laughter and maybe tears. You grinned at him and his face mirrored yours.

“If you ever tickle me again, you're gonna have a bad time,” he said like it was supposed to scare you. But he looked about as threatening as an excited puppy.

“I'll tell Papyrus you swore,” you said slowly.

Sans's eyes narrowed. His grip on your wrists tightened ever so slightly, but it wasn’t very much of a threat. You had the advantage of still being up on the couch, while he was sprawled out on the floor.

“You wouldn't. You don't have the guts .”

You giggled at his lame pun. Sans seized your loss of attention and without warning he tugged you off of the couch and caught you in his arms. You squeaked and struggled for a moment as he hugged you, but with a few well-placed tickles he let you go and you rolled away from him to stare up at the ceiling. Sans did the same thing.

“Ah man, kid, you're giving me a work-out. Nap time.”

“You'll drool on the floor. Ew.”

Sans laughed. You smiled up at nothing in particular and let the calm wash over you. You listened to Sans breathing beside you, and your own breaths. You couldn't hear your friends outside, but just knowing they were near comforted you.

You heard Sans shuffling around. You looked over to see what he was doing but before you saw anything a lump landed on your head and blinded you. You instinctively reached up to grab it and pull it off, but Sans was sitting peacefully beside you with a warm look on his face. He'd taken off his jacket and was only wearing a white t-shirt. You put two and two together and lifted up his jacket to stare at it.

“Smells like bones,” you said slowly. Sans chuckled but didn't say anything else. You raised a brow at him. “Why'd you throw it at me?”

“It's yours now. You know I can't let Papyrus one-up me, kid.” He paused for a moment. “Okay, well, I can, but not when it comes to showin how much I care about some lame shrimp like you.”

If your eyes could've turned to stars, they definitely would've. You put the jacket down and looked at your friend with wide eyes. That elicited a blush from him.

“It ain't nothin' special, it's a little worn but I mean, if you don't want to wear it you-”

You cut him off by rushing forward and hugging him tight.

“Oof,” he said. He let out a warm huff and reciprocated your gesture. “Thought this might be your response.”

“Thank you,” you said. You felt like you could cry, but it stayed in your chest and manifested itself as a poorly held-back grin. “It's great.”

“Well, don't say that before you try it on,” Sans chastised. You pulled back and gave him a stern nod before once more holding up the familiar jacket and flopping it over yourself. You tucked your arms in the sleeves and stood up to see how it fit.

“It's a little big, but it looks good,” Sans said. You smiled and straightened it out before shoving your hands in the pocket as best as your cast would allow and leaning back with a lazy smile.

“Guess who I am,” you said, but Sans was already shaking his head and huffing. He stood up with a 'hup' and looked you over again before he went back to the couch and collapsed.

“Somebody way cool,” he finally replied. You stuck your tongue out at him but went to sit down as well. The nonsense was fun, but you were exhausted.

Sans put his arm around your shoulder and put you in a fake headlock for a second before he sighed and relaxed. You leaned back in Sans's jacket and felt the comfy warmth begin to build underneath the already-warm material.

“Hey, Frisk...” Sans began without turning to face you. He sounded a little nervous.

“Hmm?”

“I just.. heh. I wanna make sure you know that what happened last night... you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one that messed up, 'kay?”

He still didn't quite look at you, but that didn't bother you. You nodded to yourself slowly.

“It wasn't your fault either,” you said softly.

“I... I know it makes sense to think about it like that, but, uh... I can't afford to make the same mistake again.” Sans scratched his head before glancing over at you. “And to be honest the first thing I was gonna do was keep my distance and push you away, but... then Al told me how dumb that idea was. She tells it like it is, y'know?”

You looked down at your hands that were folded on your lap and waited for him to go on. You didn't have anything to say.

“But the only way I'm gonna keep close to you is if you're safe. I never want to hurt ya again, Frisk, and I'll do anything to make that happen. So from now on, if that happens, promise you'll go and get Pap first. Okay?”

An affirmative nod seemed to appease Sans. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“Good. You're a good kid.”

You relaxed into the couch and leaned against Sans's shoulder, snuggling up to his side with a happy smile. He seemed amused, but neither of you said anything further. It was warm and comfortable. It wasn't long before Sans nodded off, and his quiet snores lulled you to sleep soon after.

Your dreams weren't quite what they usually were. You came to in a room that wasn't quite familiar, but you felt like you'd been there before. It was a quiet room in Waterfall, with softly glowing fungi that made the crystalline gems in the wall refract with calm light. You looked around in the dim but peaceful lighting and spotted somebody's figure sitting amongst a group of echo flowers.

You approached, but Chara didn't react. They had their back to you, and that made you weary, but as you came upon the patch of flowers they only sat and listened to the gentle whispers.

“You shouldn't be here. This is my place,” Chara said. Their harsh voice cut through the air and made you flinch. When they turned to look, red eyes were diluted by the blue surrounding.

“It's my mind,” you said defiantly.

“You're an idiot. Get out. This is mine .”

You glared at Chara, but they didn't stand. You were terrified of them, but you knew they couldn't hurt you. You sat down in the patch of flowers but kept a rational distance between the two of you.

“You already ruined the next lifetime for me, why don't you fuck off and leave me alone?” they asked. It was a rhetorical question. The words were picked up and repeated by the echo flowers.

“You're supposed to try to scare me,” you said.

“What's the point? With those god awful skeletons and that traitor helping you I can't do shit. I'll just wait this out until you die. I hope it's soon.”

You watched them for a moment. They sat cross-legged and glared at you with those haunting red eyes for a moment longer before they looked back to the glowing petals.

They were acting strange. You didn't know what to make of it, but the room you sat in had to be made from their mind. Even if it felt familiar, you'd been in Waterfall only once before, and you knew you'd never been to this room. It was circular and private, tucked away in some corner that couldn't be seen.

“This is your memory.” It wasn't a question. It was like you said nothing. Chara only gazed at the flowers as your conversation was repeated again and again. There was a third voice amongst the petals, a young voice that you didn't quite know.

“We came here all the time. Wished on those stupid rocks. Before he betrayed me.”

“Gaster?” you asked, but even as the word left your mouth you knew that couldn't be it.

“Asriel.”

You blinked, but the name wasn't familiar to you. Chara said it with a face void of emotion.

“They'll betray you too, Frisk. They'll make promises that they'll break, but then make you the bad guy. There's no other reason for these monsters to help you. They'll get what they want and then throw you away like garbage. You're just too stupid to understand it.”

Chara's words cut deep, but there was something so off about them. They looked you in the eyes when they were finished. The light of the room couldn't make the voids any brighter. They were haunted and dark like a deep, black river.

They were the last thing you saw before the dream turned to dust.

You woke without a sound. The room was dark, and you were alone on the couch with a blanket gently placed over you and a pillow under your head. For a moment you didn't understand what had woken you, but then the haziness of being asleep faded and you felt something in your gut.

When your eyes adjusted, you lifted them to see a faded figure standing close to you. It scared you at first, but you recognized the almost-there Gaster and just stared up at him in confusion.

“The door is there.”

You started at the sudden voice that rang in your head, but just like that Gaster vanished into the air and you were left sitting up on the couch looking around to make sure you weren't still dreaming.

The meaning of the words dawned on you, and you were up in a heartbeat. Papyrus's room was closer so you hurried up the stairs and knocked on it quickly. You heard a sleepy mumble from the other side and opened the door. The room was dark, but you saw Papyrus sitting up in his race car bed rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Human? Is everything alright?” he mumbled before opening his mouth to yawn.

“The door's there- in Waterfall,” you explained quickly. He cocked his head for a moment before he seemed to understand.

“Oh- go and wake my brother, I'll get ready to go,” he said.

You nodded as he was getting up and headed to Sans's room. You knocked a few quick times before hurrying in.

He was still sound asleep, sprawled over his dirty bed, naked from the waist up, and snoring. You stopped, remembering the night prior, but he wasn't having a bad dream. You shook yourself and went over. A poke to his shoulder was all it took for him to slowly open his eyes and see you.

“Hmm... sup, Frisk?” he murmured with half-lidded eyes. He sat up and started to stretch, his bare bones standing out starkly with the darkness of his room. His bones were thicker than his brother’s, and you’d have to remember to make a joke later about him being big-boned.

“Gaster's doors in Waterfall,” you said. He stopped stretching and looked at you before he brought his arms back down and nodded.

“Is Pap up?” he asked.

“He's getting ready.”

“Okay, lemme just...” Sans shifted his legs off of the bed and made a production of standing up. You huffed in amusement and he chuckled in a tired way.

“You're naked,” you said. He looked at you and raised an eye ridge.

“I'm wearin' pants, kid,” he said. You'd only seen Sans without a shirt or jacket a couple of times. It was weird to see his spine and ribs. He looked a whole lot smaller without his layers.

There was a quiet knock and you turned to see Papyrus standing in the doorway. He'd put his boots on and had replaced his scarf, which you had wrapped around your neck still, with another quite similar, but a deeper shade of orange-red that matched his boots.

“Is he alive?” Papyrus asked. He still sounded tired, but Sans just sighed.

“I'm up, Pap, I swear. You two go on ahead, I'll be right behind ya.”

“If you go back to sleep there'll be no Grillby's for you, brother,” Papyrus warned.

Sans dug around in his dresser until he found a jacket that looked a lot newer than the one he'd given you. It wasn't his signature blue, but rather yellow with blue sleeves and front pocket. He pulled it on, and you were impressed that he didn't get it caught on any of his protruding bones.

Without a warning, Sans tugged his sweatpants off in one fluid motion. You blinked, a little concerned, and Papyrus gasped behind you and before you had a chance to say anything an orange glove was covering your face.

“Sans! You can't just- you- Sans!” Papyrus spluttered. You didn't fight the hand that blocked your view, but you smiled. You heard Sans laughing.

"Don't patella me what to do," Sans said with a shit-faced grin. Papyrus made a noise somewhere between a garbled screech of disbelief and disgusted groan. Sans stopped laughing at himself for a second and continued. “Bro, we're skeletons. The kid knows what skeletons look like.”

“You cannot just strip in front of children, Sans!” Papyrus exclaimed. You were already giggling from the pun, so you pushed away his mitten and saw Sans stepping into the pair of shorts he'd had on the night before. It was very true- it wasn't very inappropriate to see Sans's pelvic bones sticking out from the bottom of his hoodie.

Sans pulled up the shorts and held up his hands. Papyrus fumed, but you thought it was hilarious. Sans winked at you and laughed.

“Okay, I'm ready, lets go. I'll try to keep my pants on this time.”

When he walked by, Papyrus smacked his brother upside the head with an indignant huff. Sans was still laughing, and so were you, but obviously the taller skeleton didn't find it very amusing.

“I can't believe you, Sans. That was just... that was so lewd .” Papyrus groaned to himself as the three of you began the trek to Waterfall together.

Chapter Text

There's an air of desperation that makes your legs go faster while you run to Waterfall. The skeletons must have been aware of it, too, because they don't question you. The feeling in your chest was there again, but was strangled and... excited? All you knew was that you had to get to Waterfall and see Gaster as soon as possible.

You nearly ran by Sans's sentry station entirely, but his hand reached out and caught your arm before you did. You turned, ready to shake him off, but then you remembered what you were doing and the situation.

“We'll wait here...” Sans said, breathing heavily from the exertion. Papyrus stood over his brother, unbothered by the run, but clearly worried for both you and the shorter skeleton.

“Come straight back, human,” the tall skeleton said. You looked at his worried face to see him flash his teeth in a big, reassuring grin. Sans let go of your arm and gave a thumbs up.

“Yeah kid, don't let us get too... bonely ,” he joked between pants. You laughed, he made breathy noises that were probably supposed to be laughs, and Papyrus groaned.

You were off again, past the sentry station and the bends in the path and the glowing wall-crystals. You felt maybe a bit too excited, but you didn't think much about it as the gray door came into view and you practically threw yourself against it.

“Gaster!” you shouted as you heaved the door open and hurried inside. The room was no longer dim- even though there was no light source that you could see, it was brightly lit. That meant you could clearly see the man with his back to you jump and send about three sheets of paper flying as he spun around to find you standing there.

“FRISK!” he shouted even while you were practically jumping on him. You wrapped your arms around what was left of his goopy neck and he held you tightly, babbling something about “it's been so long” and “you won't believe this” and “your hair smells like spaghetti.”

It was then that you noticed that, although his words were garbled and distorted, you could somewhat understand him. At least, you certainly heard 'spaghetti.'

You pulled away from him and he sat you back down on the floor and sunk to your level, but one of his hands remained in yours.

“I can understand you- you sound awful but- I can!”

Gaster's face lit up even more than it was. He wiped the beginnings of tears from his eyes and grinned at you.

“WONDERFUL! OH, FRISK, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE SANS AND PAPYRUS? HOW IS ALPHYS, AND-”

You were absolutely giddy to see him, but you had to slap your hand over his mouth to get him to stop rambling. He blinked with his mismatched, goopy eyes, and then blushed.

“OH, I-I'M SORRY,” he said like a computer might if it was a person and could talk but also had a horrible throat infection. “YOU CAN TALK TO ME MOST LIKELY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A BIT OF ME IN YOUR MIND- IF WHAT I'VE DEDUCED IS CORRECT, THAT IS ALSO WHY I FEEL LIKE I'M ELEVEN RIGHT NOW.”

“I'm twelve,” you huffed, and Gaster's smile faltered for a moment before he broke out into giggles. You did the same.

You had a moment to look around the room and notice that everything was covered in scribbles of some kind. Sitting beside Gaster was the pencil you'd left him- or rather, what remained of it. It was little more than a stub by that point, and the lines of text on the walls told you why. All of the pages you'd given him were filled to the brim with complex-looking math that hurt your head to look at.

For a few minutes the unnatural happiness was all you could manage. You told Gaster how you were, and how his (technically speaking) sons were, and how Alphys was. You told him a concentrated story about the 'him' at the Core, and you showed him your cast and explained that you'd broken your arm.

He lifted a drippy hand and held your arm gently, surveying the damage. “HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?” he asked.

You felt the happiness start to give way as you drew your arm from his soft hold and shifted your feet. “Oh, uh, well... Sans? He didn't mean to, he was having a bad dream and I sort of woke him up and the bad dream was about me so he kind of threw me against the wall.”

Gaster didn't respond for a second. The happiness that had prevailed for the last five minutes was being strangled to death.

“I-it's okay, really! It'll heal up super quick, it already feels a whole lot better. We talked about it. He gave me his jacket.”

Gaster didn't look too convinced, but he let out a breath and regarded your outfit. Sans's old blue jacket was big on you, and so was Papyrus's scarf, to the point that the striped shirt underneath was nearly hidden. Your shorts only made it a few inches past the over-sized coat, right below your knees, but your boots were tall and kept you warm.

“THAT JACKET IS VERY OLD, CHILD,” Gaster said wistfully. He took one of your hands again and you moved closer to sit on what was likely the equivalent of his knee.

“You recognize it?”

“THE SCARF, TOO. PAPYRUS NEVER TOOK IT OFF, IT SEEMED. IT WAS ALWAYS TRAILING BEHIND HIM. HE WASN'T A VERY BIG FAN OF NOT MOVING, YOU SEE.”

You giggled at the image of a tiny Papyrus running around with the big scarf. “Core Gaster told me that, too. He was the Royal Errand-Runner, right?”

Gaster chuckled, a sound similar to the wheezing, dying cough of a kazoo. “ PRECISELY.“

A short pause followed, not at all awkward, but then you remembered the other things the Core Gaster had said that you'd left out of your short summary. You squeezed Gaster's holey hand and looked up at him.

“You... made them, right? Sans and Papyrus, I mean.”

Gaster stayed silent for a moment. You heard him exhale- a raspy, strange sound.

“YES. I'M AFRAID I DID.”

You felt him draw away from you a little, but you reached out and took his other hand from where you sat. You shifted so you were somewhat facing him.

“It's okay, the other one told me about it. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to.”

“I WAS HOPING YOU WOULDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THAT, BUT... GIVEN THE SITUATION, THAT'S HARDLY A REALISTIC THING TO WISH FOR.” He put a hand over one of his eyes and his smile faltered into a deep frown. “HAVE YOU TOLD THEM?”

You shook your head. “No, I wasn't going to. Once you get out of here, I thought you'd tell them if you wanted to. I don't think they'd care that much, though.”

“IF BY THAT YOU MEAN THEY'D LIKELY NEVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN, I WOULD AGREE,” Gaster said with a sad little huff. “NOT ONLY DID I CREATE LIFE TO TURN INTO ORGANIC WEAPONRY, BUT UPON ABANDONING THE PROJECT... I LEFT THEM ON THE STREETS TO DIE.”

“Nuh uh. You went back for them. It wasn't all bad.”

“HA, CHILD... I SHOULD HAVE KEPT THEM. THEY ARE TECHNICALLY MY SONS, AFTER ALL. I WAS A COWARD TO LEAVE THEM.”

Gaster wiped away a tear like you wouldn't realize he was crying. You frowned and bear-hugged him again, much tighter.

“They're happy now. And you did go back for them. That's all that matters.”

Gaster continued to cry, reminding you once more that he was a big baby, but you just held him tight and patted his weird goopy back.

It lasted for a good five minutes. He sounded awful and his sobs were like speakers giving out but you still sat with him and leaned your head against his. Near the end, when he was quieting, you remembered Papyrus.

“I'm here,” you said softly. The words made him tense for a moment, but you snuggled closer and he relaxed. He had sunken so low to the floor that you could put your hand on the back of his head and hold him close. “I'm here, you're not alone.”

“I WAS A MONSTER,” he said tearfully.

“Well, you're still a monster, but not that kind,” you said softly. He laughed but it quickly turned into a little bout of tears.

“I'D TAKE IT ALL BACK IF I COULD,” he said after he'd calmed down. You pulled away from him as he let out a mournful sigh and folded his hands in his lap. “I'D GIVE THEM THE LOVE THEY DESERVE.”

“They've got each other,” you said, and Gaster seemed surprised. “They love each other a whole lot, trust me. They aren't alone. And, I don't think they ever were.”

Gaster said nothing as you hesitantly reached up and wiped one of the last tears from his face. “Besides, they still like you. Sans thought you'd hate him if you came back, since he says he gave up on you. Papyrus does, too, he was so excited about talking to the one of you at the Core. He remembers your favorite tea, your favorite board game, how much you loved echo flowers... he went on about it for a while.”

Gaster smiled. Your mission was a success, but it wasn't enough.

“And, I don't think they'd hate you if you told them. They'd understand I think. They've made mistakes, too. I make a lot of them. So does Papyrus, but those are mostly when he cooks.”

Gaster laughed unexpectedly, and covered his mouth as though he hadn't been expecting it either.

“PAPYRUS'S COOKING IS... SOMETHING I DO NOT MISS,” he said softly, and you grinned.

“It grows on you when you're the kid and he makes spaghetti every day for every meal.”

“I'M SO SORRY,” Gaster said, but even with his awful wheezy dying-computer voice you could hear the playfulness, and you shoved his saggy, sludgy arm.

“Sans sneaks me Grillby's. You'd like Grillby, I bet. He's really nice and doesn't talk a whole lot like they do. He slips me free snacks sometimes.”

“I MISS THEM TERRIBLY,” he said suddenly. He stared at the floor with a sad smile on his face and a strange, longing look in his eyes.

You looked at him. You really really looked at him, and you could tell how awful he felt, because a little bit of him was inside of you, and even if that was strange it made you feel how awful it was. To look back on what could have been. A happy family, two little skeleton kids running around playing while he sat in his lab writing notes. No dying. No lonely years spent in this room, thinking about what he'd done to deserve being here. You had to swallow back a little whimper and pull yourself from the part of him before it became too much.

You gently shrugged the jacket off arm by arm, setting it gently in your lap before unwrapping the scarf from your neck. He looked up at you in confusion. You gave him a patient smile and held them both up in a ball of red and blue.

“You need them more than I do,” you said as the question mark above his head turned into a realization. He held up his hands to refuse.

“OH NO, CHILD, THEY WERE GIVEN TO YOU, YOU SHOULD KEEP THEM,” he said, but his heart wasn't in it. You knew he'd never accept them, but you also knew he could see Sans and Papyrus in the fabric.

“It's okay, they'll understand. You can hold onto them until we get you out. So you won't get as lonely.”

He looked ready to protest again, but his resolution wavered. With shaking hands he reached out and accepted the ball of old clothes from you, the scarf in one hand and the jacket in the other. Soft tears welled in his eyes and he sniffed.

“FRISK...”

“Aw don't start crying again,” you said. “You know I'm a sympathetic crier...” He tried to laugh but he sniffled again and moved forward to give you a massive hug.

“THANK YOU, ” he said. You nuzzled your head into the crook of his neck and closed your eyes for a moment. He felt so much warmer now than he had the first time.

“No prob, Bob.”

The notebook that you'd brought to communicate with Gaster was left for more of his notes. He didn't have anything in particular he'd thought of, and he'd babbled on for a while about his theories, but it was scientific stuff and you didn't understand it but you let him go because he seemed quite excited by his progress. As you walked out of the room again (after hugging for a while, and some more crybaby Gaster tears) you carried a few sheets of lined yellow paper that Gaster told you to give to Sans and Alphys. You carried them with a puffed chest and mission to fulfill.

Sans and Papyrus weren't at the station. You even checked behind the counter, wary that they'd try to jump out and prank you and end up scaring you half to death. But they weren't there. You sat the papers on the outpost and checked the small compartment that Sans was responsible for. No skeletons. A couple bone attacks, but no skeletons.

The faint sound of shifting earth made you jump and turn. It came from in front of Sans's post and you were expecting to see one of the bros standing there. But you saw nothing. You stood and walked back to the path and-

Flowey was there.

You stumbled backwards against the cave wall as a sudden wave of dread washed over you. He smiled up at you as the adrenaline went shooting through your body.

“Howdy! Don't look so scared, Frisk, it's just me. Your good friend Flowey.”

You couldn't speak. Your mouth was too dry. Your breathing was getting heavy. You hadn't seen him since the Ruins- he was the only one that knew about Toriel, and the first time, and how you'd-

“I'd tell you to calm down, but you can go ahead and have a heart attack if you want! That'd make my job a whole lot easier!”

The words made you flinch. Of course he wanted to hurt you. Your thoughts went to Sans and Papyrus and-

“Where are they?” you managed to say without stammering too much. Flowey tilted his head from where it perched on his stem before he blinked in recognition.

“Oh! You mean Smiley and the Idiot. I sent that dumb Dinosaur Kid to distract them so I could talk to you! It's so hard to catch you alone anymore, pal.”

He shouldn't have scared you, but his bright yellow petals amidst the calm blue set every nerve on fire and made your heart sink in your chest. He was barely two feet tall but he seemed to loom over you like a giant.

“W-what do you want?” you said. You'd meant to it sound brave. It came out as more of a squeak.

“Mostly for you to be dead,” he said so matter-of-factly. The smile never left his face as he stared you down and made you cower against the wall. “I want to see my real best friend again... and you're the only thing standing in my way!”

“You were listening, in the resort-”

“Oh I've been listening to much more than that, and if that fat skeleton wasn't so damn observant I would've listened a lot longer.”

You felt something against your foot and saw a small vine begin to creep over your shoe. You let out a shout and smashed it with your sole, and Flowey practically hissed in delight.

“You're so scared, it's hilarious. But wait till she get here. You'll be running back to me in a heartbeat.”

You had to catch your breath and recover from the scare before his words registered in your mind. Her? Who was-

Undyne.

“Please don't-” you began, but another vine wrapped around your ankle and you yelped in fear. It wasn't nearly hard enough to hurt, and you tugged your leg away and snapped it. Still, you were terrified. Flowey was smiling and giggling all the while.

“Please, don't hurt me, oh,” he imitated as he brought a leaf up and feigned to be scared. “You're an idiot. She's already on her way.”

“Flowey, please-”

“Shut up, kid. I know Chara's in there. And I know you aren't letting them go without a fight. So I can either wait until you find a way to kill them for good, or I can kill you, and give them another chance to find a better person to corrupt.”

“No no no, don't, Flowey-”

You saw a vine flash only for a second before you felt a sharp sting on your cheek and your face collided with the wall behind you.

“You really are an idiot,” he nearly purred. “As much as I'd like to hear you beg, I'd rather go make sure those idiot skeletons don't interfere.” He laughed, and his face morphed into that of a monster child. “Soon me and Chara are gonna be best friends again. I didn't think there was anything I could do, but thanks to you and that evil scientist, now I can get them the body they deserve. Good luck resetting without them!”

Tears were running down your face. Another snaking vine wound it's way up your leg and you didn't have the strength to fight it. Sans and Papyrus were gone. Undyne was coming. Blood trickled down your face where Flowey had hit you.

“Why are you doing this?” you whimpered.

Flowey was half in the ground but he stilled at your voice. The question seemed to catch him off guard. He looked at you with his beady, cruel eyes before he laughed.

“You'd do the same for your friends, wouldn't you?” he said with a wink before vanishing into the earth.

It only took you a second to start running. Your breaths were already uneven and your legs were shaking but you had to get back to Snowdin- to the house, or the Inn, anywhere somebody might help you if Undyne came. You just had to run. You were sobbing but you ran as fast as you could.

There was an awful, bone-deep pain coursing through you. It wasn't yours and it wasn't Gaster's but you felt it in your lungs and in your head. Anger. Confusion. Hatred. Cruelty. It wanted to hurt others like it was hurting. You tried to shake your head to get rid of the emotions but you were already beginning to get dizzy and you were just nearing the exit to Waterfall and if you could just make it to the snow then maybe you could outrun her and maybe you'd be okay and you wouldn't die again like you had in the Ruins and-

A searing pain flashed through your ankle but you didn't look down quick enough to see the small vines that tripped you. Suddenly you fell on your face, catching yourself with your bad arm. You were too shocked to scream, but the air went from your lungs as white-hot pain shot through your ankle and forearm.

“Caught ya, brat!” you heard a new voice shout from behind you. “Thought you could get away from me, huh?”

You couldn't move. You stared desperately at the yawning cave mouth in front of you. You were so close. Your heart was going to beat its way out of your chest. Your ankle couldn't have just been sprained- you felt it twisting in a way that it shouldn't, and you could feel hot blood soaking your sock.

The first spear landed mere inches from your face. The bright teal magic blinded you but you were already scrambling for purchase on the rock with your good arm and foot and trying to rise. The adrenaline numbed the pain in your arm and leg. You stood and kept yourself upright long enough to see the tall, armor-clad figure standing over you. Their helmet gleamed maliciously on the ground behind them, discarded and upturned. You stared into the face of Papyrus's friend with tears soaking your shirt.

“You're crying already?” She sneered. Her teeth were huge and pointed like a sharks. The fins on her cheeks were flat against her head. She glared at you with a burning yellow eye. She was horrifying.

You wished you could say that you did something brave.

“Sans! Papyrus!” you screamed. You sucked in a wavering breath to shout again but a heavy kick landed on your stomach and you were sent sprawling closer to the cave exit. Your vision blurred and you couldn't breathe- you ignored the sickening snap you heard when you'd collided with the ground again even though the pain was shooting through your chest. You stumbled to your feet again, the terror driving you to stand and face the assailant.

“How do you know them?” Undyne hissed. “You'd better not have hurt either of those bone-heads or I swear to god I'll kill you twice, you little twerp.”

“N-no, please, I didn't- I wouldn't- please-”

The second spear didn't miss its mark. It hit your thigh and embedded itself a few inches deep before dissipating away into mist. You could do little more than choke out a sob as your leg nearly gave out- both injuries being on the same one.

“Stop talking! You're the seventh soul, and I'll be damned if I let you talk your way out of freeing all of us from this hellhole!”

Where were they? Where were Sans and Papyrus? You couldn't breath because your chest was broken somehow but you were sobbing and spluttering and you fell to your knees as Undyne readied her third spear.

“I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry...” you gasped. “Please stop.”

Hesitation flashed on the warriors face. You saw her eyes dart over you- quick, scanning, untrusting.

“You humans are all so fucking selfish. It's you or us- one soul to free thousands. And you'd sit there on your knees and beg to be spared...”

“Papyrus... S-Sans,” you cried. You couldn't see much through the tears and the fuzziness of pain, but you heard Undyne hiss and the next second a spear hit your shoulder. You cried out and reached up, but by the time you did the magic was already gone. You tried to stop the bleeding, pressing down with a quivering palm.

“Who do you think you are?” she snarled. She was coming closer, her footfalls heavy with anger. “You value your life above ours? Anybody else would've given up. Stop being so damn resilient and die already.”

The final spear appeared in her hands. She was close now, and you could see the glow of the spear reflected on her armour. You knew that when she threw this one, it wouldn't be stopped by a few inches of flesh. You held yourself and cried. When her arm went back you closed your eyes.

The blow hit you square in the chest. The spear embedded itself deep, and you looked down in horror to watch the teal turn blood-red with your own soul's coloring. It felt wrong for something to be there- painful and foreign and terrifying. But it didn't go as deep as it should have. It had touched your soul but not pierced it.

When you tore your eyes away from the quickly-vanishing spear in your chest you saw the flickering of a form in front of you. For a moment it looked like it was going to disappear again, but then it solidified. Tendrils of black swam upwards from their figure like water droplets going against gravity.

Gaster.

“Wh-what-” Undyne spluttered from somewhere unseen. The spear in your chest vanished and you were left bloody but not dead yet.

“YOU WOULD KILL A CHILD-” a familiar but haunting voice said, “YOU WOULD KILL AN INNOCENT HUMAN... FOR NOTHING MORE... THAN TO ESCAPE...”

“You're- you- y-you're not supposed to be-”

“TOUCH THEM AGAIN AND YOU WILL PAY...”

The air went frigid. The light was stolen from the stones around you. Gaster's voice echoed around the cave like silent thunder.

“W I T H  Y O U R  L I F E.”

Whatever happened next, you didn't know. Everything went dark and you were fine with that. It hurt. Everything hurt. You might've been dying. It got darker still.

You felt hands catch you as you fell and nothing more.

Chapter Text

The magic in the air crackled like lightning that had yet to spark to life. Sans felt it deep in his bones and he knew that something was terribly wrong. He knew the magic- it felt deep, dark and purple, heavy and nearly liquid. He stopped and latched onto Papyrus’s arm, but the taller skeleton had stopped dead in his tracks already.

“Woah… what is that?” Kid asked. Even the young and inexperienced monster could feel the potent magic.

“Paps that’s-”

“Frisk,” Papyrus breathed. He looked at his brother for a fraction of a second and Sans knew those eyes- they were filled with unbridled horror.

Kid was left behind but Sans didn’t have the presence of mind to care about the child. They were deep in Waterfall at the monster’s request, but the looming magical potency in the air drove their legs faster than Sans could ever remember running.

Papyrus left the shorter skeleton in the dust. Sans felt an awful and sick feeling in his stomach, because that was Gaster’s magic, and he hadn’t felt so much as a spark of it since the man had died. Now it flowed through the crystal caverns with enough strength to bring Sans’s own magic to life in response. Gaster had never been this powerful- this magic was even greater than a Boss Monster’s.

All Sans could do was run and hope that Papyrus got to Frisk before they got hurt. There was a second magic fizzling out in the air that he could sense, and it made his heart ache and dread fill his rib cage. Undyne.

He ran past his sentry station but not a step further before he heard a noise that make his body go cold and his hopes die.. Papyrus’s wail was enough to shake Sans to his core and spur his depleted magic to life. He gathered the will to flash through space, anything to get the terrible sound of his brother’s sorrow from his ears. There was a flash and then-

It took him a moment to comprehend what was going on. His brother was on the ground, doubled over and clutching something close to him, but he had his back turned. Undyne stood close by, un-armed and backing away. What Sans noticed first, however, was Gaster.

Seeing him was jolting enough, but Sans had never seen such an animalistic rage. He stood over Papyrus with his arms outstretched, eyes quite literally burning with threat and a cruel warning: one more step and I will kill you.

Gaster’s eyes flashed to Sans for a moment as he appeared. His expression didn’t falter- for a moment, the skeleton felt the entirety of his mentor’s anger directed at him, and the raw emotion made him stumble back in both awe and fear. Gaster stood as tall as imposing as he had in life. Sans had never, not once in his life, seen magic like this.

“STAY BACK,” Gaster rumbled in a deep voice that was his own but yet also not. Sans held up his hands, finally able to draw his attention away from the apparition and to the bright stains of red on the cavern floor.

“No… Frisk, oh god…” he murmured. Gaster’s warning was forgotten and he ran forward to his brother.

He felt his soul go deep blue and he was stopped in his tracks. He struggled for a moment, but he wasn’t in pain.

“I SAID STAY BACK!” Gaster shouted. Sans looked sharply at the ghost of the man before him, ready to spit something at him in his desperation, but then he saw the tears running down his face and he went limp.

“G-Gaster, it’s me- Sans- I want to help them-” Sans said. It was hard to keep his voice steady, because the more he stood there the most blood he found splattered on the floor, and the more his brother’s pathetic weeping spurred him on.

“Please, Gaster,” Sans begged.

The magic fell away and Sans stumbled over his own feet to get to his brother. He slid to his knees with a hand on Papyrus’s shoulder so that he could survey the damage. When his eyes fell on Frisk, his heart stopped.

There was so much blood. Papyrus’s gloves and arms and chest plate were covered in it. It came from Frisks’s chest, shoulder, thigh, ankle- it seemed to come from everywhere.

“Sans- Sans-” Papyrus gasped. Sans had to grab his chest to calm his fluttering soul.

“Sans, do something, brother, they’re going to die,” Papyrus wailed. He was clutching Frisk’s body with everything he had. “It can’t happen again- Sans, they can’t die-”

“Fuck,” Sans breathed as he realized that his tears weren’t going to do any good. He stood back up to find Gaster where he’d left him, giving Undyne a look that could and definitely would kill. Sans didn’t have to guess what had happened.

“Sans- I-I don’t understand what’s happening,” Undyne said. “You know that kid? How is he here? What in the fuck is going on?”

“SHUT UP.” Gaster’s magic flared up and Undyne’s words died in her throat.

“Gaster, Frisk needs help- we need to stop the bleeding-”

“WHERE IS TORIEL?” Gaster demanded in a voice that gave absolutely no room for argument.

Sans knew, of course, where Toriel was. She was the woman behind the door- the Frisk in his nightmares had told him that so many times, bragging of how they’d murdered her at her weakest moment.

“She’s in the Ruins, you know that, she hasn’t left in-”

“GO. NOW. THEIR SOUL IS INJURED.”

Sans wanted to curl up and cry, but he pushed himself to take a step towards Gaster.

“She won’t come- she hasn’t left in-”

“SHE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HEAL THEM. GO OR FRISK WILL DIE.”

Sans had never heard Gaster speak like that. Even though the man was crying, he commanded the situation with magic that defied his own capabilities.

Sans gathered up his magic and was gone in an instant.

Frisk’s little body was still. Their small, frail hands hung lifelessly at their sides. Papyrus couldn’t breath properly. He held them as tight as he dared as his brother’s words drifted around him. Gaster’s voice was there too. They didn’t reach him.

“Frisk… please, Frisk, hold on,” he whimpered. He had to close his eyes- they were so sweet. They were hurt so bad.

“STOP THE BLEEDING,” came the voice from behind him. It had fallen from thunder and now sounded more like his old self.

Papyrus couldn’t move. He just held the child in his shaking arms and visions of his nightmares danced in his head, mocking him, laughing at him. He was useless.

“PAPYRUS, STOP THE BLEEDING, ” Gaster repeated. Papyrus let out a strangled sob. He wanted to do as he was told but he was paralyzed.

“I-I-I can’t- Frisk, no no no, Frisk… I’m sorry, Frisk, I-”

“Papyrus! Do what he fucking says!” Undyne shouted.

“I TOLD YOU TO-”

“I know what you told me, and I’m sorry! I didn’t know! Don’t you think I feel bad enough seeing him like this?”

“...WILL YOU HELP?”

“He’s my best friend- I’ll do whatever it takes, even if means helping some damn human!”

“HURT THEM AGAIN AND YOU WILL DIE.”

“Do I look like an idiot? You could kill me right here and now and there’s not one thing I could do about it. I’m not gonna hurt the kid anymore! Just let me help Papyrus!”

Papyrus caught snippets of the conversation that came to him, but when he felt a hand on his shoulder he jerked away and glanced to see Undyne.

He gasped and tried to pull away without jostling Frisk. “No, Undyne, please don’t hurt them, I-I swear they’re innocent, please don’t take them away from me-”

“Papyrus! Shh, Papyrus, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’m not gonna hurt them,” Undyne said. She got down on her knees in front of the two of them and looked at the damage she’d done.

“Please… Undyne…”

“Papyrus, I swear on my fucking life, I’m not going to hurt them.”

“Don’t let them die…” he moaned, but his voice broke and a shuddering sob went through him.

Undyne was too busy looking at the human. She’d trained for this- she knew what to do. She gently picked Frisk from Papyrus’s arms and laid them on the ground, putting a hand over the hole in their shoulder and the other on their chest. The skeleton watched in blatant terror. She’d never seen him this bad before- his breath’s were shallow and if it wasn’t for the heavy magic in the air she could’ve tasted his panic and desperation.

“Papyrus, you want to help them, right?” she asked patiently.

He sobbed.

“Stop the bleeding on their thigh. Put both hands over it and press down.”

“I-I… I…”

“Papyrus, they need you. Put pressure on their thigh and stop the bleeding.”

Papyrus felt what little bit of resolve he had left harden, and he lowered his shaking hands to the child’s leg and placed them over the bloody slash. He pressed down as hard as he dared.

“Good. Stay like that. Do you know any healing magic?”

“A-a little, Undyne, are they going to-”

“Questions are for later,” she said, keeping the weight on the child’s body. “Use whatever you’ve got and heal them. It doesn’t matter if it’s sloppy, anything’ll help with the bleeding.”

Papyrus sucked in a breath. He began to settle down with Undyne’s calm guidance. He saw her scaly hands pressing down firm on Frisk’s ruined clothes and followed her example, reaching within himself and pouring the magic he had in him to Frisk.

“Good job. Hey, G-” Undyne stopped as she looked up at the man, face twisting.

“I CANNOT HEAL WITH THIS MAGIC. THIS FORM IS UNSTABLE. IT WILL DISAPPEAR AGAIN SOON. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS PART OF ME WILL SURVIVE.”

Undyne looked away, but then shook her head and went back to concentrating on Frisk’s wounds. “Damn. You really like this kid, huh? Enough to come back from the dead?”

“THEY HAVE SEEN THE WORST OF ME AND YET HAVE SHOWN ME KINDNESS I WILL NEVER DESERVE.”

“Frisk,” Papyrus said quietly.

“Huh?” Undyne looked at him, and he raised his eyes to meet her confused stare. The fins on her face had risen again, and he could see the teal tinge of magic around her fingertips where she made contact with the child’s body.

“Their name. Frisk.”

“Oh.”

“Are they going to be okay?” Papyrus asked. He was still crying, but the panic was fading as the hostile magic fell away.

“I don’t know. If it was just the wounds they’d have a good shot but…”

“THEIR SOUL HAS BEEN DAMAGED,” Gaster said from behind them. “I WAS NOT ABLE TO INTERVENE IN TIME TO STOP IT.”

“They’d be dead already if it wasn’t for you,” Undyne said. “I’m taking all of the responsibility for this.”

“I should’ve been here… I promised I’d protect them…”

“IT WAS THE FLOWER.”

Papyrus’s head shot up and he whirled to look at Gaster. The tall, slender form of the man was beginning to dissipate against gravity, but it looked like he still had some time.

“Flowey?” Papyrus asked.

“What? That little yellow flower?” Undyne asked.

“YES. HE IS ANGRY. HE WISHES FOR FRISK TO BE DEAD.”

“Why would Flowey do that?” Papyrus asked, searching Gaster’s face for any sort of hint.

“He was the one who told me there was a human near the Snowdin entrance,” Undyne said carefully.

“HE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR SANS AND PAPYRUS’S ABSENCE UPON FRISK’S RETURN. HE TRICKED THE MONSTER CHILD.”

Papyrus slowly turned back, concentrating on keeping the pressure even on Frisk’s bloody body that was so still on the cold rock. It was easier to think about. Nobody really said anything for a few moments.

There was a sudden flash of cyan magic and Papyrus looked up just in time to see his brother return, sweating and flush from overexertion, with an enormous white monster standing beside him.

“Stand aside,” she commanded before Papyrus could understand what was happening. All he noticed was that there was a fire burning in her eyes like there had been in Gaster’s only minutes before, and that she looked like Asgore.

Undyne did so at once, but Papyrus only stared at her and gathered Frisk back up to his chest. This monster was taller than Gaster and thrice as large, with great white paws the size of Frisk’s head.

“Who are you?” he asked, holding the child tight.

“Queen Toriel. There will be time for this later. I must heal them immediately.”

“Paps, she’s the lady behind the door,” Sans huffed. “She’s gonna help.”

Papyrus relinquished his hold on the small human’s body and the massive heap of fur got down on her knees and took them from him with surprising gentleness. She put a large paw on the child’s chest. Papyrus had never seen a monster look so determined before.

“Who has already worked on healing them?” she asked.

“Me and Papyrus,” Undyne responded immediately. She’d reverted to Guard-mode upon seeing another Boss Monster like the King.

“Good work. The bleeding has slowed considerably and they aren’t in immediate danger of bleeding out. But their soul... “

“You can fix it, right?” Papyrus asked. The goat-monster lifted her head and Papyrus was met with two watery red eyes.

“Souls cannot be fixed by anything aside from another soul. I will do what I can and then some, but-”

“USE MINE.”

The four other monsters all lifted their heads to Gaster. His form was continuing to lose its shape, and even though his face was partially melted, determination kept him together and coherent.

“You are?”

“UNIMPORTANT,” he replied. “I AM MERELY A FRAGMENT OF A SOUL. USE IT TO PATCH THEIRS.”

“You are aware that-”

“I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES, YOUR MAJESTY. WHY DO YOU THINK I DEMANDED YOU COME? YOU ARE THE ONLY MONSTER ALIVE WHO STILL KNOWS THIS FORM OF MAGIC.”

“For good reason,” Toriel said sharply, but Gaster didn’t so much as flinch, and Toriel’s stance wavered as she looked down at the child in her arms. They didn’t have a lot of time. Their soul beat dutifully but soon it would fade and shatter.

“Gaster? What are you talking about?” Sans asked. He was shaking and had fallen to one knee, still huffing and panting. “What’ll happen?”

“FRISK WILL LIVE. QUEEN TORIEL, PLEASE.”

“Gaster, what’s going to happen-”

“You can save them?”

Sans stopped immediately at his brother’s quiet voice. Papyrus was staring up at Gaster with tears in his eyes. Nobody had noticed he was crying again.

“YES. I CAN SAVE THEM.”

“He will die in the process,” Toriel added.

“ONLY THIS PART OF ME.”

Toriel didn’t say a word in response. She didn’t know enough.

“The child is dying. I will do it if you wish it of me.”

Sans turned his back for a moment and clenched his fists. Papyrus watched him and felt so so awful for his poor brother.

Papyrus stroked Frisk’s hair. Toriel watched him do it with sad eyes. One of the skeleton’s tears hit Frisk’s forehead and slid away.

“PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DO THIS FOR THEM.”

Nobody said anything for a long while. Sans turned around again to see his brother crying quietly. His heart twisted.

“SANS.”

“Damn it, Gaster, you came back and now you’re leaving again.”

“I AM SORRY, SANS. FOR EVERYTHING.”

Sans said nothing. He sniffled. With heavy footfalls he plodded over and took a seat on the cave floor next to his brother and the dying human.

“It really isn’t your fault, though, Dr. Gaster,” Undyne said suddenly. “If anybody should be offering up their soul, it’s me. I’m the one who did this.”

“NO. I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THAT SACRIFICE. I AM ALREADY FADING AND SOON MY SOUL WILL ONCE MORE BE LOST IN SPACE. USE IT NOW AND HEAL THE CHILD.”

Undyne fell silent again and took a step back. She must have known that this wasn’t her fight.

“If you do this, will we see you again?” Papyrus asked with a forlorn look at his former caretaker.

“I DO NOT KNOW, PAPYRUS.”

He frowned deeply and turned back to the child in the Queen’s arms. “I had just gotten over losing you. I… I don’t want to lose Frisk, too. Poor Frisk… I…”

Sans couldn’t stop an awful little sob escaping him.

“YOU ARE VERY BRAVE, PAPYRUS,” Gaster said softly. “YOU’VE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF YOUR BROTHER.”

“I mostly just tried to be like you,” Papyrus replied.

“YOU WERE NEVER LIKE ME. YOU WERE ALWAYS SO MUCH BETTER. BOTH OF YOU.”

“I’m sorry for not saving you-” Sans blurted as his tears got the better of him. They’d worked for the last few weeks, the hope had burned in him like a flame and now it was dead. “I’m sorry for letting you down.”

Gaster moved closer, but his corporeal form was loosing shape quickly. “YOU’VE EXCEEDED EVERY EXPECTATION BY MILES, SANS,” he said, but his voice was beginning to go. “ LET ME DO THIS FOR YOU. LET ME SAVE THEM.”

Sans said nothing more. Gaster came close and Papyrus moved from Frisk’s side. Toriel, who had been observing quietly, turned her face to Gaster.

“It must be now. They are dying.”

Without a word, Gaster’s soul floated before him. It was a shard of white that didn’t resemble a soul at all, but it shone with magic and even as Toriel drew it softly away from him in her great paw, it kept glowing.

“You care about this human very much,” Torial remarked as she held the stranger’s soul. “This magic is powerful.”

“T HEY AR E GO OD.” Gaster’s voice was falling apart as large pieces of his composition went against the tide of gravity and dissolved into the air. “THE Y DES ERV E T O LI VE.”

“Are you ready?” she asked softly.

Gaster made a sound in response that might have been ‘yes’ but it was too unintelligible to understand. He reached out a gentle, misshapen hand and laid it on Frisk’s forehead.

Toriel’s magic hummed to life, a soft, gentle purple that danced like flames. Gaster’s soul was like wood, fuelling it, turning the purple vivid and deep like the ocean. His body seemed to blow away like dust, yet his soul remained burning brighter than ever. They all watched as a small and bleeding red heart rose above Frisk’s shallowly rising chest.

Toriel laid the child on her knees and held their soul in her other paw. She closed her eyes. The two souls floated together and Gaster’s pitifully small shard filled the crack in Frisk’s.

Sans was sobbing miserably. They were going to save him- they were going to get him back. How could they do that if part of him was dead? But how could he ask Gaster to stay if it meant Frisk had to die? Sans was torn and he felt empty and worthless.

Papyrus watched with silent tears on his cheeks. It was beautiful yet morbid to behold. He couldn’t look away. There was a bitter, hollow feeling in his chest that he knew would stay for a long time.

In an unimpressive flash, the souls melded together and disappeared once more. Toriel handed Frisk back to Papyrus- their wounds had not healed fully, but were no longer bleeding. She moved out of the way and led Sans over so he could look at the human. It was hard for her to do. This child was not hers any longer.

Sans took Frisk in his arms and sobbed painfully. He didn’t know what to feel and everything he felt was wrong.

Frisk was alive, but this was a funeral.

Chapter Text

The familiarity of where you stood concerned you, because you knew you’d never been there before, yet it felt like you were returning after a long journey. It didn’t take long before you could piece together where you were- great tapestries and thrones and the monster kind insignia suggested you were in the King’s Castle.

The edges of everything were a little fuzzy and soft, but for the most part it seemed like it was real. You walked shyly along deserted corridors and brightly lit halls, unsure of yourself or what to do.

You came upon the throne room quite by accident, but once you’d stepped inside you knew it for what it was. Golden flowers decorated the floor but at the same time it was bare- like two conflicting memories. You didn’t pay much attention to them, though, because the familiar form of your demon was sitting comfortably in the large throne at the center of the room.

“The guest of honor arrives,” they deadpanned. Chara’s hands were playing with the petals of a large gold flower, and they barely flashed you a glance before they went back to what they were doing. “It’s about time you got here. He’s been crying for hours.”

He? You opened your mouth to question the child on the throne, but then thought better of it. They were leaving you alone. In the light they looked much different- you could finally see their features clearly. They were taller and lankier than you were, with dull brown hair and rosy cheeks. They cast you one final look with their bright scarlet eyes before they huffed and jerked a thumb to the passageway leading out of the room.

“Back there. I’m too tired to be angry at him anymore. You guys already ruined everything.”

You didn’t question them. You held your arms close as you walked by the throne, scared of the child before you. Before they left your vision, you saw them use their thumb to pop the head off of the flower. You shivered.

Beyond the throne room was a gray room that reminded you strangely of the white room you’d found Gaster in. The lights from the golden flowers and stained glass didn’t reach this place- a dark hall lead away from it, but your eyes caught sight of something small huddled in the corner and you forgot everything else.

“Hello?” you called softly. The shape tensed as the room became less vague and more distinct- you could make out the floor and the walls and not just the gray. There was a pause before a face you’d never seen before looked at you with enormous eyes.

“F-Frisk?” Gaster whimpered. No goop- no mess. His voice was child-like and as you recovered from the shock of seeing him, you noticed that… he was small. Maybe only a few inches taller than you.

“Gaster?” you asked, because this wasn’t any Gaster you’d seen before. He was… he was a kid! As you took a step forward, the little monster got to his feet and ran at you, throwing himself into your arms.

You didn’t even stumble, he weighed so little. You hugged him, at a loss for words and extremely confused, but then he started babbling.

“Oh, Frisk, I didn’t think you’d make it- I thought you were- oh,” Gaster worried, but you were still getting over the fact that his voice was so high and childish and as he pulled away he was maybe three inches taller than you were.

“Why are you…?” you ventured quietly, but Gaster didn’t seem to understand. Without the scars on his face his eyes looked enormous. His teeth had a little gap in them- it was actually very adorable.

“I don’t know- I don’t know why we’re here or what I’m supposed to be doing but you’re okay- that’s all that matters. Oh I was so worried, Frisk…”

“I’m okay,” you said, but your mind was turning and you didn’t really know what was happening. “I just- why are you so small?”

“It’s the best he could do,” Chara’s voice came from behind you, and you turned to see them standing in the golden doorway. Gaster grabbed you and hid behind you like a small child, and even though you were supposed to be the kid you held out an arm to protect him.

“What?”

“He isn’t just hanging out in your mind like me anymore. He’s part of you. So his soul had to take a physical form, and this was the best it could do. A worthless, crybaby skeleton.”

Gaster shivered, and you waited for Chara to do something else, anything to suggest they were going to be a problem, but they just smirked.

“What are you doing here?” you asked.

“I came to give you a little warning. Call it payment, for ruining that idiot flower’s plans.”

“Flowey?”

“No, the other flower that just tried to kill you,” Chara said in a mocking voice. “Yes, him. He’s not going to give up. So I’d watch yourself if I were you, kid.”

Kid? They couldn’t be more than a couple of years older than you were. They grinned at your face, apparently amused, but they held another flower in their hands and snapped off the head with a decisive stroke of their thumb.

“Why would you help us?” you asked with caution.

“Cause I hate you less than I hate him. If he’d left me the hell alone it would’ve been grand but now he thinks he can make up for what he did. So. That’s your answer.” Chara inspected the decapitated flower before tossing the stem to the ground.

“What did he do to you?”

Chara’s eyes found yours and you saw that same burning, raging fire in them, but this time it wasn’t directed at you. It was chilling- such raw power in the eyes of a child.

“He betrayed me.”

You watched as they stepped on the flower head and drug it across the floor with their sole, crushing and smearing it along the gray tile.

“Well. You’ve been warned. Do me a favor and kill that little weed when you get the chance.”

Gaster’s hands tightened on you as Chara turned and departed. You felt ill. His own fear echoed yours as the dream began to fade around you.

The first thing you noticed upon waking was pain. Awful, aching pain that was centralized in your thigh, ankle, shoulder, and renewed in your arm where it had been hurt before. You opened your eyes to the familiar lighting of the skeleton’s home, but you immediately hissed and closed them again.

“Frisk- oh, you’re awake-“ you heard Papyrus say a little too loudly. You flinched and looked to see him bending over you, tears already welling in his eyes. You tried to smile at him, but it hurt just a little too much.

“Hi,” you croaked. That made him give a watery grin and a gentle pat to your head.

“We were all so worried, you’ve been unconscious for almost two days now- it was just awful, human.”

You heard him but didn’t have much to say, so you craned your neck and looked down to survey the damage to your body.

Casts and bandages were mostly what greeted you. Your ankle was wrapped and your arm had been re-done, and even though you had a shirt on over the massive bandages on your shoulder and chest, you could still feel them. You moved your injured leg and winced at the sharp pain it caused.

“I’m sorry, I know it must hurt a lot, we’re doing everything we can…” Papyrus said. He sounded so guilty.

“Thanks,” you said, and this time you managed to smile at him, and he responded by holding your hand in one of his big gloves and touching his forehead to yours.

“You’re so brave, human, I’m very proud of you,” he said, and it made you feel very warm and wonderful, and the pain ebbed just a tad.

“Hey bro, are you talkin’ to yourself again in-“ you heard Sans start, but then he must have seen you, because he blipped into existence beside the couch and looked down at you in what might’ve been happiness, or excitement, or relief.

“Kid, you’re up- oh my god you little trooper, you had us worried to the bone,” Sans said, and he laughed at his own pun, but he gave you a skeleton kiss too.

“Hi,” you said again, and he ruffled your hair with a gentle hand.

“Can it, ya little stinker. How are you? Do you need anything? You’ve been out for, like, five years, what about some water?”

“That’d be nice,” you said, and you tried to move your legs again, and it resulted in you letting out an involuntary hiss at the pain in your ankle and thigh.

“Nope, none of that,” Sans said. Papyrus stood by with a idly happy look on his face. “Till you’re better we’re gonna wait on you hand and foot- or, arm and ankle for you, I guess,” he said.

You giggled a little at the joke, even though Papyrus gave him a gentle smack to the back of the head for it.

They told you what happened. With each word their relief seemed to melt into a sort of gentle melancholy, but you understood. It was hard for you to feel the same, because when you reached out you could feel Gaster’s soul helping yours stay together, and even though he couldn’t talk, it was hard to think of him as dead.

“Toriel’s the one who healed you,” Sans said, and he gave a weak little smile. “If it wasn’t for her…”

“Don’t say such things, brother,” Papyrus scolded.

You swallowed but did your best to put on a smile. It’d been a while since you’d seen Toriel- she was kind and sweet and if you hadn’t watched her die at your own hands maybe you’d feel more at ease around her. Flowey was the only one who knew about it- unless he’d told them, nobody would know. It felt bad to try to hide it, but you weren’t ready to come to terms with it.

“She’s been coming around every day to check on you and heal you up- we offered her a place to stay, but she’s been staying at the Inn. Words getting around that she’s here. And…” Sans stopped. You could see the worry in his eyes even though he forced it down a moment later.

“What?” you asked quietly. He flinched.

“Well, there’s, uhm… word’s goin’ around about Toriel being here, but people are starting to talk about you being here, too.” Sans said softly.

For a moment you didn’t understand to the full extent, but then you remembered Undyne’s words.

“Was she telling the truth?” you asked, looking at Sans and then Papyrus. “Does the King only need one more soul to break the barrier?”

Both looked away for a moment, and it was all the answer you needed.

“Human, nobody is truly being hurt by living here-“ Papyrus began softly, “and you’ve done nothing wrong. Some monsters don’t agree, but… it is wrong to kill humans when we could simply let them live their lives and then take their souls upon death.”

“Yeah, kid. Don’t think too much about it- right now all you need to worry about is getting better, okay?”

You looked at them for a second but nodded. Still, the words were heavy on your shoulders, and you kept thinking about Toriel. Poor Toriel.

“How do you feel, kid?” Sans asked, giving you a worried look. “I mean, with your cool new patchwork soul and all. Does it feel weird?”

You shrugged as best you could with your various injuries. “Not really? But I can tell. I saw him in my dream again, but he was small.”

Both skeletons frowned, and you took the opportunity to take your mind off of Toriel and the way her dust had felt on your hands to tell them about the dream you’d just had.

Nobody had very much to say about any of it, truthfully. Papyrus stayed beside you even when Sans had to leave to go and do something, and it was nice, but Undyne’s accusations kept going through your mind, and so did Toriel’s dying words, and there was only so much Papyrus’s presence could do.

You fell asleep again some time later.

“How does this feel, little one?”

“A lot better.”

“That is good to hear. The wound is deep but clean- if all goes well it should be healed in two weeks time.”

You gave Toriel a small, shy smile, and she returned it in full. Her big, gentle hands were hovering over your wounded thigh, but she then moved down to your ankle.

“How’s that one?” you asked, knowing it was a lot worse.

“Ah, it will take longer to heal, child, but the process is going well. Perhaps once your shoulder is better, a crutch would have you walking again in a few weeks. You are very brave, Frisk,” Toriel said, and you could see the pride in her eyes. It made your stomach twist in guilt, but with each passing day she came to tend to you, that guilt dissipated a little more.

“Now that the un-pleasantries are out of the way, how about lunch?” Papyrus asked. He was close by- he always hung close beside you, and while you appreciated it greatly, it made you wonder what had happened after you’d passed out. Still, as Toriel stood up to her full height, dwarfing Sans, she gave him a gentle smile.

“That would be lovely, Papyrus, if you don’t mind me imposing.”

“Not at all, your highness!” Papyrus chirped, and he gave your head a soft, loving pat before he ran off to the kitchen, probably to make some spaghetti.

“Heh, I hope you like pasta, Tori,” Sans said. They already knew each other- it was weird, but good.

“I wouldn’t dare say I do not, Sans,” Toriel said very seriously, “else I should be labelled a liar and an im-pasta.”

You giggled, earning you a gentle shoulder pat from one of her big paws, and Sans laughed, too. It was nice when Toriel was around. She seemed to make Sans happy. She was a lot better at puns than you were.

Sans helped you to the table when lunch was ready. You moved Sans’s pet rock and the pet pet rock out of the way, because with an extra person you needed a little extra room. They’d explained to Toriel what had happened with Gaster, and why everything was a little strange, but she didn’t seem to fully grasp it. That being said, she also realized it was not her battle to fight.

“So, as much as we’d like ya to stay at home and get better, we’re thinking that maybe a visit to Core Gaster would help us understand what to do next,” Sans said as you finished up your plate of (surprise!) spaghetti. Toriel had brought a pie with her though, and she offered you a slice, which you gladly accepted.

“Yes, human, this complicates matters but we are still trying to hold out hope that Gaster can be helped,” Papyrus said.

“Yeah. You said you saw him in your head, right?” Sans asked. He sounded like he needed some hope- whenever Gaster was mentioned, he would look just a smidge more sad.

You nodded, taking a big bite of the butterscotch-cinnamon pie. It had been four days since you’d woken up but you were still so hungry all the time.

“If you see him again, talk to him about what it would take to heal your soul with his still attached,” Toriel said calmly, her big paws folded in her lap. “While a normal monster’s soul would vanish upon the sacrifice, Dr. Gaster still remains intact inside of you because of his soul already being split apart. There is a chance that your soul could be healed, albeit slowly, and his could then be extracted as yours becomes strong enough.”

You blinked but continued to eat your pie. You gave another nod.

“Human, are you alright? I understand your love for pie but you have been eating much more than usual these days,” Papyrus said. He sounded a mix of worried and amused.

“M’just hungry,” you said with a mouthful of pie.

“It is normal for appetite to increase when injured as badly as Frisk was,” Toriel said, “however the additional magic the soul provides requires a larger amount of energy to sustain, too.”

“Magic?” Sans asked.

“Like at the Core?” you double-asked, looking at Papyrus.

“Oh! Oh, yes, the Core, I forgot to tell you, brother. Frisk used magic to open one of the security doors- Gaster’s, I believe.”

“Having a small part of him would increase that magical capability, given that a monster’s soul is the culmination of their magic,” Toriel said thoughtfully.

“Huh. So you can use magic, that’s pretty neat,” Sans said, giving you a look. “You’re like an honorary skeleton, kiddo.”

You huffed in amusement while Toriel giggled. Papyrus, who was sitting beside you, put a hand on your shoulder.

“Yes! Human, you are officially an honorary skeleton now!” he said, a little excitedly. You gave him a big smile.

Still, you kept thinking about the Barrier, and of Gaster, and of how it had felt to watch Toriel die. It put a damper on the mood.

You didn’t sleep much that night. Not with the memory of the decapitated flowers still fresh in your mind.

Chapter Text

The dream began slowly, not like the other nightmares. It started off with simple things- a patch of yellow flowers, glowing crystals in dark caverns, sunlight shimmering through cracks in the earth above. You’d never seen them before, and as you watched the colors began to bleed together and the scenes changed.

“Papyrus!” Sans shouted, but his voice wasn’t so deep and he was even shorter than you knew him to be. His brother giggled as he loped around what appeared to be a lab- it was clean, white, and tidy. Papyrus was smaller, too- they looked very, very young.

“Look at all of this, brother! Dr. Gaster says we can live here with him!” Papyrus chirped as he ran, sending some papers flying to the floor. Suddenly he was caught in blue magic and came to a halt with an ‘oof’ and a little squirming.

“I’m sorry, sir, I’ll pick those up,” Sans said, and you saw him turn up his head and look at you with such big, round eyes.

“It’s quite alright,” came a voice filled with laughter. It was your voice but you recognized it as Gaster’s.

Sans paused for a moment and then he smiled as he released his magic and Papyrus came bounding over.

The dream shifted. The white of the walls shrunk down to a point beside you, illuminated by glowing blue flowers. You recognized this room- you’d seen Chara in it before.

“I wish we could see the real stars- mom and dad say they were beautiful,” the dot of white spoke. You looked at him and noticed that he was a monster like Toriel- small, with a green and yellow striped sweater. But as he turned to look, you only saw how clean and white his fur was, and how bright his dark eyes were.

“What were they like, Chara?” Asriel- that was his name- asked.

“They were alright, I guess,” you replied automatically. The flowers were picking up your words and tossing them around again. “I prefer the ones down here.”

Asriel laughed- it sounded like a bell, so very innocent and warm. “You’re funny, Chara.”

The white changed again- the blue shifted to gold and red, the hall you’d walked through in your last dream. But you felt the dust on your hands and the knife nestled in your palm.

The swirl of white manifested into Sans- he stood in front of you like a sentinel protecting something, but there was nobody. You saw the glint of red- Papyrus’s scarf- wrapped firmly around his neck.

“Hey. You been busy, huh?”

“You can’t keep dodging forever,” you growled. You rushed forward with the knife and all at once your body screamed to stop, no, you’ll hurt him, and to kill him, turn him to dust, wipe that grin off of his stupid face.

It lasted for only moments, Sans easily side-stepping all of your attacks, before he sent a bone flying and it tore through your thigh- impaling itself, half in and half out the other side.

You screamed, but Sans was suddenly in front of you like a wolf before a lamb.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have killed my brother,” Sans said with a voice like ice. His hand was raised, a bone right above your head. You fell to your knee, but the bone in the leg stopped you from moving out of the way as he waved his hand and it split your skull and you died.

The white turned to red.

You were in a lab. A small skeleton was strapped to the table beneath you, struggling and crying. In your hand was a syringe- in the syringe was red.

“If you do not cooperate I will be forced into drastic measures,” you said in a dead monotone.

The little monster writhed in his restraints. “N-no, it hurts, it hurts so much-“ he pleaded in a small, fragile voice, but you’d brought the red-filled needle to his arm and before he could sob it was inserted and the plunger was pushed down.

Papyrus, because you knew this was Papyrus, screamed.

Red- it was all red. You looked down at the dead body in your arms- how morbid it was to hold your own dead body, how morbid still for it to be covered in your brother’s blood. You felt the phantom pain of what the humans did to you, stabbing and slashing and killing, but you stared down at the body you held.

Your little red soul fluttered. Asriel took the chance and he regained control. He betrayed you- he took your dead body back underground and he died, you both died, for absolutely nothing.

Red- it bled from Sans’s slashed jacket as he staggered backwards and fell. Red dripped from the knife clutched in your hands.

He didn’t say anything. His eyes were enormous, pupils pinpricks of light amongst the darkness. He regarded the red spilling from his body for a moment before he reacted and had the sense to reach up a hand and staunch the flow of blood.

“Heh. Guess that’s it then, huh?”

You watched. You wanted him to turn to dust. You waited, but he stood again, and he hobbled towards you. Red was coming from his smile.

He touched your shoulder as he passed, but you were frozen.

“I’m going to Grillby’s,” he rasped, “Papyrus, do you want anything?”

His dust settled on your shoulder a moment later.

You picked up the scarf and the jacket and put them on. War trophies. Sans had always been your favorite to kill.

Somebody was touching you. You screamed, it was Sans, and for a moment he was covered in red and it was pouring from his mouth and his eye sockets.

The next moment he was thrown away from you and he hit the wall with a harsh thud.

“No- Sans!” Papyrus shouted. You gasped and shuddered as the dream vanished and you realized what you’d done. Sans’s skull had a crack in it.

“Sans, brother, oh god-“ Papyrus cried, but Sans was staring at you with eyes wide as saucers, pitch-black and afraid.

For a second the breath died in your throat. He only had 1 HP. You waited for him to turn to dust and die, but he just lifted a hand up and placed it on the fissure in his head.

“Kid?” he asked. His voice wobbled.

You had to leave- you had to be anywhere but there, you couldn’t watch him die again- you gathered up your magic and before Papyrus’s outstretched hand could deter you, you teleported away.

Your soul fluttered- your head hurt and you felt like your lungs were on fire. You gasped and shook on the ground, barely even aware of your surroundings. You were in Waterfall, it seemed, but all you could see was the crack in Sans’s skull. All of your injuries stung and burned, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to last long on your feet, but you fell to the ground without even trying to stand.

“No… no no no, I-I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…” you sobbed. You had to grab your head to stop the pounding pain from the memories and what you’d just done. You’d killed him- you’d killed Sans- you couldn’t get enough air into your body and a searing pain was all you could really feel.

“Now look what you’ve done,” a voice said beside you. You screamed and caught a glimpse of yellow petals, bright against the dark landscape.

“You killed your friend.”

Papyrus held his brother, breath caught in his throat, but the impact with the wall hadn’t taken his single HP. Sans watched the empty couch where the human had been seconds before, then he looked up at Papyrus.

“P-Pap… oh god, we have to find them-“ Sans said as he tried to stand, but Papyrus held him down as he tried to control his breathing- Sans was fine. His brother was okay, Frisk hadn’t hurt him that bad.

“No, Sans, your skull- I’ll go get Toriel, she’ll-“

“Pap if that flower finds them again he’ll kill them-“ Sans began desperately, but Papyrus held him steady.

“Sans, you’re in no shape to go and search for them. You have to stay here. Toriel and I will find the human, but you must rest. Please, brother.”

“They think they killed me,” Sans said, and tears welled in his eye sockets. Papyrus’s heart twisted, but he knew Sans was right.

“We’ll find them- before Flowey does. We have to.”

Flowey looked at you, but there wasn’t a smile on his face.

“They won’t forgive you for this.”

You sobbed. It couldn’t be true- he couldn’t be dead. You couldn’t have killed him.

“They might pretend to, but they won’t. Imagine how Papyrus will look at you…”

“S-Stop- no, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t mean to-“

“I know you didn’t. Do you think he’ll care? You killed his brother, Frisk.”

“No, no no, no,” you cried. “I-I can’t- I can’t-“

“You did. No amount of apologies is going to be able to fix it, and I know you can’t go back anymore- not without Chara’s help, and why would they help you?”

“Please- p-please, I don’t know what to do,” you bawled. Too many things were going through your mind- you remembered that Sans was the first monster you’d met in the underground. You remembered his stupid whoopee cushion trick that he’d laughed so hard at. You only cried harder.

“Go to the King’s castle.”

You were sobbing, forehead pressed to the ground, but suddenly your eyes widened and your breath hitched.

“He won’t forgive you, but you can free the monsters. You remember what Undyne said, don’t you?”

“I-I… he’ll kill me…” you breathed. The memories from the dreams were still swirling in your head, but the pain of what you’d done outweighed everything else.

“He’ll take your soul and break the Barrier. He has the other six. Papyrus might forgive you if you set us all free.”

You looked at Flowey as his words numbed you.

“What about Gaster?” you rasped.

Flowey gave you such a pitiful look. “Tell Asgore. With the power of seven souls, he could easily piece Gaster together again. You want to make your friends happy, don’t you? Papyrus might not have Sans, but with Gaster back, it would be so much easier, wouldn’t it?”

You stared at him. You didn’t want to die, you hadn’t wanted to die in a while- but you’d killed Sans. Flowey wasn’t being mean anymore- he was only telling the truth.

“Frisk… you know you can’t go back, after what you did,” Flowey said softly. “Not even Gaster would forgive you- you’re a murderer.”

You sobbed as he said it, but he was right. You’d killed Sans. Papyrus was probably crying over his dust. After everything they’d done for you, you killed him. Your LOVE was a reminder, its presence dark and horrible and sickening.

You got to your feet. Everything felt numb; even your soul had stilled and settled.

“Don’t worry- Asgore doesn’t like killing humans. He’ll make it quick if you ask him to.”

“You won’t tell Toriel what I did before, will you?” you asked softly.

“What would be the point?” Flowey said like it was obvious, and you swallowed but nodded down at him.

“C-Could you tell… could you tell Papyrus that I’m sorry?”

“Yeah.”

You opened your mouth to say something else, but what else could you say? You’d killed Sans- god, you’d killed Sans, and the thought hurt you like hell but you remembered the plan and you took deep breaths.

You were beginning to settle, but only because you knew what you had to do. You turned away from Flowey and gathered up your magic again. Maybe it was Gaster’s soul that was letting you use the magic so easily, but you didn’t question it. You teleported as far as you could.

You found yourself in Hotland. The temperature change made you nauseous for a moment, but you held it back and stared at the Core- there was an elevator there that led to the King’s castle.

You should have known better than to stay with them. You knew they could get hurt, but you were a selfish person, and you’d stayed anyways. Now Sans was dead and it was your fault. You’d waited too long and you’d ruined everything- just like you always did. What had made you think you deserved to be happy? Had you forgotten why you’d jumped down that hole in the first place? 

You barely felt your legs moving as you went through Hotland. Your ankle and thigh burned and protested, but you ignored them. What did it matter if you were in pain?

You’d be dead soon anyways.

Chapter Text

Toriel was quick to look at Sans’s injury. Papyrus watched anxiously as she set a gentle white paw on his brother’s skull and closed her eyes.

“The wound is mostly superficial,” she said softly, “but it will scar. You shouldn’t move around too much, my friend, or you could injure it further.”

“I have to- we’ve gotta find Frisk,” Sans said, and the desperation in his voice was hard to ignore.

“Sans-”

“Paps, I’m coming with you- I have to. I can’t just sit here and… and do nothing.”

“You’re hurt, brother!” Papyrus protested, but Toriel had already risen to her feet and was looking down at them.

“So long as the skull sustains no further damage, he will be fine,” Toriel said, “but the same cannot be said for Frisk.”

“Your majesty, he can’t come with us, what if-”

“It is his choice, Papyrus,” Toriel said, but she was looking at the door.

Sans stood on shaky legs, but once he was upright and his brother let him use his arm as something to steady himself on, he seemed okay.

“Paps, call Undyne and Alphys- tell ‘em the kid ran away and that we can’t find them.”

“Do they have their phone with them?” Toriel asked. Sans looked back at the couch and saw it sitting idly on the nightstand.

“No. But we have to hurry, if Flowey finds them first he’ll-”

“He won’t,” Papyrus said definitively. “He won’t find them. How could he know where they are if we don’t? They’re probably scared and hiding-” Papyrus stopped talking as somebody picked up on the other side of the phone. Alphys’s voice could easily be heard.

“Papyrus? Wh- it’s the middle of the night, i-is something wrong?” she asked.

“Frisk woke up from a nightmare and hurt Sans- he’s okay, but they teleported away and we can’t find them. We need your help, please,” Papyrus said.

“O...o-of course! I’ll look on my cameras and tell you if I find anything. Do you know where they m-might be?”

“No, we don’t. But we have to find them as soon as possible. I have to go, now, and call Undyne- thank you,” he said before he hung up. Hope wasn’t lost- if he acted quickly and kept his head, he could save them. This wasn’t like when they were hurt and wounded and he was powerless to help. He dialled Undyne’s number with Sans on his arm as they walked out of the door.

“Ugh, Papyrus? It’s two in the morning.” Undyne said as she picked up. She didn’t sound nearly as upset as she would have before- she was still trying to atone for what she’d done to Frisk.

“I know- I’m sorry,” he said, “but Frisk is missing and they’re using magic. We think it’s Gaster’s, but they don’t know how to control it well, and we have to find them before Flowey does. Can you help?”

The trio was out of the door before Undyne found her voice again. Toriel led the way, and there was a slow fire burning in her eyes.

“I’m on it. Where did you last see them?”

“They were at home when Sans woke them from a nightmare and they lashed out. They gave him a nasty crack, and he’s alright, but we… we think that they think they killed him. They teleported- like Sans does.”

“I’ll tell the rest of the Guard to watch for them, and I’ll search Waterfall. Did you call Alphys? She’s got her cameras.”

“Yes, I did. Thank you, Undyne,” Papyrus said.

“Don’t mention it, it’s the least I can do after roughing them up so bad,” Undyne said. “You guys start looking on your end, we won’t let that little weed get anywhere near ‘em,” she said, getting back into her old spunk. She hung up, and Papyrus put his phone away.

“Let us begin,” Toriel said, and she strode away into the snow towards the forest. “I will search the forest and the Ruins.”

“We should check the Core, Paps,” Sans said immediately. Papyrus nodded.

They split up.

You thought briefly about going to the Core to talk to Gaster, but you didn’t. You paused in the Resort and rested your hurt limbs and stinging wounds.

Gaster would try to talk you out of it. He’d try to tell you something to stop you, you were sure, and you couldn’t have that. He didn’t know what he was talking about- he didn’t know what it was like. Your soul felt like it was on fire- you kept seeing Sans, thrown against the wall, and you kept hearing Flowey’s words. The only comfort came from knowing that it would all be over soon. If… there was anything after death, maybe you’d see Sans. He’d probably forgive you.

You hauled yourself to your feet again when the pain became unbearable. It was easier to tolerate the physical agony than the aching in your soul, so you stumbled on with all of your wounds and duly turned away any monsters that offered you help.

The elevator to the Capital was on its way down. You stood and waited. What would it be like to die, not just in a dream, but for real? Would you be able to feel anything when you were just a soul? What was Asgore like?

You thought about it as the elevator came closer.

Sans and Papyrus made it to the Core in record time, considering that Sans had to hold onto his brother for support. His whole body shook- partially from the injury, but also because of how scared he was.

When the second set of security doors swung open and nobody was inside, Sans wanted to cry.

“Shit- they aren’t here- Papyrus-”

“Sans, calm down,” his brother said softly. “We’re going to find them. Let’s check behind the Core, they might be there.”

They weren’t.

“Papyrus- oh god, Pap, what if he already killed them? What if-”

“Sans, you have to calm down. We don’t know where they are, or if they’re even in danger,” Papyrus said. His mind was focused- they were going to find Frisk.

Sans looked at him for a moment, but then something seemed to strike him and he turned to look at the blank space behind them.

“Gaster, you’re here, right? And you’re somehow connected to Frisk- we have to find them, I know you can’t talk or do shit but… but…” Sans trailed off before he looked away.

Sans might have closed his eyes, but Papyrus stared intently at the space before them. The air shimmered for a moment, and Papyrus grabbed his brother’s arm.

He was more like a ghost, and he looked hellish, but it was certainly Gaster. He averted his face and shrunk away from the brothers, but they could both see the twisted monster.

“Y-You’re here!” Papyrus breathed, but Sans had already stepped forward.

“Do you know where Frisk is? Did they come here?”

Gaster slunk further from the brothers as Sans advanced, but he didn’t disappear. His answer was slow and quiet.

“I… do not know. I can feel them- they are hurt- but I… do not know where they are.”

“How are you able to show yourself?” Papyrus asked, looking at the ghost of a monster that was strange yet obviously his old caretaker.

“I can feel Frisk’s soul. They are strong- so much stronger than I have ever been. I… I believe they’re giving me this power.”

“Well then you should be able to find out where they are, right?” Sans asked. “I’d love to stay and chat about why any of this is happening but Frisk could be dead and we have to find them before they do something stupid.”

Gaster moved yet further away and did not look at Sans. Papyrus put a warning hand on his brother’s shoulder, but Sans seemed to realize how harsh he’d been.

“Sorry… I’m sorry, I know this is kind of weird for you, but if we don’t find them…”

“No, I understand. I will do my best, but I can’t guarantee I will find anything. They will know I’ve tested our bond.”

“We… we think they believe they killed Sans,” Papyrus explained quietly. “We just need to find them so they know he’s okay, before Flowey does.”

Gaster didn’t respond. His form shivered for a moment before his eyes shut and for a few seconds, he became almost corporeal, solid enough to be considered “living.” His soul flashed, a small piece of a full soul that shouldn’t have been alive on its own.

His eyes snapped open and he looked at the two brothers.

“They- they are going to the Capital,” he stammered, backing away again. “They are almost to the King’s Castle.”

Papyrus didn’t understand for a moment. When Sans looked up at him with primal fear in his eyes, he knew something was wrong.

“Their soul- Papyrus- they’re going to give it to Asgore-”

Papyrus’s soul stilled.

Frisk was going to die.

You stood at the entrance to the throne room. You could hear somebody inside- humming, gently, completely unaware of your suffering or the fact that you were stumbling along on legs that barely supported you anymore. You smelled the flowers and saw the light, but you didn’t really feel anything at all.

Papyrus would be upset. Papyrus would never forgive you for letting Asgore have your soul- but maybe he’d understand, eventually. Maybe Gaster could help him understand. You didn’t want to make him upset, you realized quite suddenly, because you cared about him so much, but the tears that sprung to your eyes weren’t enough to deter you.

Even if Sans were still alive, this should have been done a long time ago. You were selfish for keeping everybody trapped when your soul could free them. You’d always known that, hadn’t you? But you’d had so much fun with Sans and Papyrus, and the adventure of trying to save Gaster was exciting and even though it hurt, you knew it would heal your new family.

Asgore could piece Gaster back together again, too. Why hadn’t you thought of that sooner? If seven human souls could make you a god, surely that meant they could make you strong enough to put a broken soul together again. Gaster and Papyrus would be okay- Toriel was there, too, and Undyne and Alphys. They’d all help each other.

A little part of you was protesting violently, telling you so stop, and you knew it was the part of Gaster’s soul reacting on primal instinct alone. You hadn’t been able to talk to that part of him since you’d gotten the soul- you’d seen his memories in dreams, but it wasn’t like when the fragment took up residence in your head. It was more like the essence of him, and he was scared to die.

You pushed the fear and the pain in your body away. You were scared to die, too, but it was for the good of everybody. It was you or them- Undyne’s words came back to you. One soul to free thousands. You couldn’t live with yourself, knowing what you’d done. You couldn’t stand to think of the look in Papyrus’s eyes- he’d try so hard to forgive you, but he never really could, and you would always know.

But maybe finally getting to the surface would help? Seeing the real stars… driving a real car…one soul to free thousands. He’d understand one day.

You took the final step to enter the throne room, the humming growing louder as you went.

Throughout all of it, Chara was silent.

Chapter Text

The throne room was as you remembered from your dreams. There were the same golden flowers, and the same golden light, and the same golden throne. The only difference was the figure standing in the center of the room with his back facing you. You stepped into the room on unsteady legs and stared at his broad back. Asgore was tall- his long, curved horns made him even taller.

You shuffled your feet, and the noise seemed to catch his attention. His quiet humming ceased, but he didn’t turn immediately.

“Oh, is somebody there?” He said in a deep, rumbling voice that would have been very pleasant if not for the circumstances. “One moment, please.”

You didn’t move. You were shaking even though you knew this was the only thing to do. Sans was dead. Papyrus would never forgive you. Gaster could be saved.

“There we are,” came the gentle voice again, and you watched Asgore turn and face you. For just a moment you caught sight of pretty golden hair and white fur and shining eyes, but as he looked at you and seemed to realize what you were he moved away and his gentle face turned to fear.

Would he try to kill you before you even knew what was happening? Would he talk to you first? You’d heard he was a nice King, but you still didn’t know what he would do.

“I-I’m here to give you my soul,” you said, mustering up some false courage and keeping your voice audible.

The imposing monster before you took another step back. “What, child?”

“My soul. It’s the last one you need, right? Y-You can take it.”

Asgore looked at you like you might be joking, but when he understood that you weren’t, he relaxed.

“You do not want to go home?” He asked. His voice really was nice to listen to- so deep and kind.

“No. I-I want you to take my soul and break the Barrier- and… and bring Gaster back,” you said with waning resolve. But you had to keep going.

His face fell at the mention of Gaster. He looked very concerned, and you didn’t allow him time to question you.

“He didn’t die for real- his soul got scattered. I’ve got a piece of it, he used it to heal me. I know where the other pieces are. If you have seven human souls, you’ll be able to put him back together, right?”

Asgore watched you with wide eyes. “Child, why have you come here?”

“I just told you- I-I want you to take my soul- please just take it,” you said. You were on the verge of tears and you knew it wouldn’t be much longer until you started crying.

You held his eyes a moment longer before he looked away. He turned, and you were about to stop him when he looked back to you.

“Follow me. I… I wish I could offer you a cup of tea, but…”

You stayed silent but followed. Gaster’s piece of your soul was crying out to turn back- but you kept going.

You had to keep going.

Sans and Papyrus ran out of the Core- Sans doubled over in pain as they exited, and his brother watched as he gathered up his magic and tried to teleport.

“Sans-” Papyrus warned, but it was too late to stop his brother from trying. He seemed to blip out of existence for a moment, but he didn’t go anywhere, and the crack in his skull chipped a little more.

“Brother, you can’t- you’re hurting yourself-”

“We have to go- god fucking damnit, they- they’re giving their soul to Asgore-” Sans said, the panic nearly tangible. He sucked in a breath and cringed as another bout of pain hit.

“Sans-”

“Go, Pap- you gotta stop them. I’ll call Alphys and Undyne- just hurry.”

“You’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine- I’m fine. Go, Pap, please- we can’t let them do this-”

Papyrus nodded and ran. His long legs carried him back up to the surface of the Core, but every step seemed to take an eternity.

He had to get to Frisk- he had to stop them from letting the King kill them- there were tears in his eyes but he pressed on.

Gaster shivered and held himself tightly. The Core felt so cold- things had only just gotten better. He’d begun to have hope again- and now Frisk was going to die to free Monsterkind and their little flame of hope would be extinguished.

He truly hated himself- he should have done something to stop this. He should have told them not to do this. He shivered, the desperation and hopelessness of the situation settling in his body like the weight of the ocean and then some.

He felt something strange and familiar move in him and without warning there was a flash- another Gaster appeared, his body melted and sludgy and with fear on his drooping face.

He knew that this Gaster was not him- this was a Gaster from this timeline. He was much more innocent than the Gaster in the Core had ever been.

The two stared at each other for some time. No words were said- they hardly needed to be.

If Frisk was going to die, then it would be the end for them, too.

“They are asking Asgore to heal us with the power of the souls,” the other Gaster said. “They are sacrificing themself to save us.”

“It is not worth it,” Gaster said softly. “It is not worth it…”

Neither said anything more- they didn’t need to. Of course it wasn’t worth it. Frisk was everything he wasn’t- they were kind, compassionate, and they were good. And just like they were strong, Gaster was weak. There was nothing he could do. He was weak, and worthless, and a coward.

It was evident that the End was near.

The Barrier was so odd and riveting to look at. You watched it waver and pulse and move with power- Asgore stood close beside. He, too, was watching it.

“If you have any unfinished business… you may go back,” the King said softly. “I understand if you are not ready. I am not ready, either.”

You didn’t move. Could the power of tiny human souls really break something this vast and incredible? Would the monsters be happy when they were free? How long had they waited for this? You kept the questions to yourself.

“Dr. Gaster was very intrigued by the Barrier, as well,” Asgore said. “He wished to break it. He was a very selfless man.”

“You’ll try to save him, right?” you asked.

“If what you say is true, then yes. Where are the other pieces of him?”

“In the Core and Waterfall. The rest is with me.”

“How do you know about Dr. Gaster, child?” Asgore asked.

“I met him. I could talk to him, but nobody else could. Sans and Papyrus knew him.”

“Papyrus wishes to be part of the Royal Guard,” Asgore said, almost like he was calming himself down. “He is a very kind monster.”

You said nothing. Would he still be so nice and sweet now that his brother was dead? Or would he be bitter, and turn into somebody who wasn’t really Papyrus anymore?

“The six before you all asked to go home. They fought me to try and be free of this place. Killing them… hurting children… I would give anything for it to be different.”

“They tried to kill you,” you said softly. It was very odd, talking to the monster who would soon take your life.

“Long ago… a human fell down. They were alone, and scared. My son found them and brought them back to the castle. They, too, were very selfless.”

“Like Gaster?”

“No, child. Like you.”

Something stirred deep down in your core, but you just watched the Barrier and listened to that deep, rumbling voice. The air was heavy with sadness- deep, dense sadness that you could almost taste.

“I’m ready,” you said, despite the aching in your chest. It would’ve been nice to live down here. To stay with Sans and Papyrus and maybe when you were older you could’ve gotten a job or even moved out, had a life, had a family. It would’ve been really, really nice.

“I will be quick. You will not feel a thing,” Asgore whispered. You watched as the floor rumbled a little and six vessels appeared- the souls inside floating and glowing with magic. You felt their power- felt them resonate with your own core.

Seven human souls. Enough to break the Barrier and free all of the monsters. One soul to free thousands. You closed your eyes and held your breath, trying not to think about how you were going to die.

You heard a gasp just as something wrapped around your wounded ankle and brought you crashing to the floor.

“What- what is this-” Asgore cried, but you saw the vines and the yellow petals and your soul seemed to die.

You heard the sound of shattering glass and haunting laughing.

“You really ARE idiots, huh?”

Chapter Text

     Papyrus made it to the steps of the castle before he felt the entire world rumble underneath him. He stumbled, barely catching himself on a wall as his heart lurched and his breath quickened.

    He felt power. It was a dark, violent sort of power, and it was one he’d never felt before. Where Frisk’s strength was warm and determined, this power was… cruel.

    Fear gripped at his heart as he ran on. He had to get to Frisk- his friend needed him, and he’d already failed them once. He couldn’t do it again.

    Sans felt the Underground shake and the dark magic of human souls filled the air. He had cut through the Core to the King’s Castle but he couldn’t go on- his body refused to listen to him. The dark magic made him nauseous.

    Somebody had absorbed the souls. His breath hitched as he imagined Frisk, dead and lifeless, and their innocent soul being used against their will. He shut his eyes and heaved himself to his feet, every bone screaming at him to stop, but he kept going. His skull throbbed and he hissed, but he kept going.

    Frisk needed him. Papyrus needed him. He’d been a failure long enough. Sans grabbed at his aching ribs and used the wall as a guide as he moved towards the Castle.

    He came upon Papyrus, standing, body stiff and rigid as he stared into what looked like… nothing. Asgore’s home, the throne room, the Hall, they’d all been engulfed in what looked like a void. No light came from it- nothing at all could be seen, but it pulsed with the unforgiving power of souls.

    “Pap-” Sans gasped. Papyrus wheeled around and saw his brother and ran as Sans collapsed- he caught him just before he hit the floor.

    “Something’s in there- something awful, brother,” Papyrus rasped. “It won’t let me in- brother-”

    “It’s the souls- somebody took the souls,” Sans said as Papyrus helped support him. “Oh god, Papyrus, Frisk-”

    “We have to get in- brother, we can’t let them die- I can’t let them die-”

    “Try your magic,” Sans said frantically. “Or- I don’t know-”

    “I did! I tried everything, Sans, Oh, brother, this can’t be happening- Frisk can’t be dead-”

    Sans couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He felt tears well in his eyes as he watched Papyrus sob.

    They both stared at the dark, dark void and shivered.

Chapter Text

    You opened your eyes to darkness. There was no Asgore, or souls, or anything. It was all black as pitch.

    “Aww, don’t worry, Frisk… this is all just a bad dream…”

    There was a noise like the air being sliced and a haze of light. You tried to move out of the way but were far too late to stop the enormous vine that impaled itself in your midsection.

    You tried to gasp, but your lungs were filling up with fluid and blood trickled out of your mouth.

    “And you’re never waking up.”

    You came to with a jolt and grabbed at your stomach, afraid of finding your organs spilled out on the floor and your ribs crushed, but you didn’t.

    “Haha, good! You remember when I reset my saves,” a warped, awful voice said from the darkness. Light flashed into view and you had to look away- it was a TV screen. Flowey’s face glowed on it. You shuddered as you held your chest and saw the outline of things pulsing and writhing in his light.

    “Hi, Frisk! You remember me, don’t you?” the awful thing before you asked. A bright blue light blipped to life behind him, followed by the colors of the other five souls. Flowey was hideous and his face on the screen was gleaming with something unimaginably dark. You felt the blackness pulse with the power of the souls, making your own feel weak and small.

    “Oh man, it sure does feel weird to have a soul inside me again. I can feel them squirming…” Flowey trailed off and the intestine-like pipes that connected to his body convulsed. “Pretty neat!”

    “Flowey?” you breathed. You felt like your lungs were still full of blood and your knees wouldn’t hold your weight.

    “Yup!” he chirped, but it came out cracked and garbled. “And now I’ve got the souls- I could never get rid of that dumb old goat on my own, but what’s the point if he brings the souls right where I can grab em?”

    “D-Don’t hurt him,” you said, but you were so small and the monster in front of you was huge and moving, and sharp red thorns decorated his thick vines and you shivered.

    “You don’t really get it, Frisk,” Flowey said, synthetic voice wavering in cruel amusement. “I’m practically a god now. I can hurt or save anybody I want to. And once I get your soul, I can take Chara back and give them your body.”

    You stared in horror. The shock was beginning to dissipate and cold dread was left in its place.

    “And once we’re back together… we can do anything we want to. We could break the Barrier, or end the world… or kill your friends!”

    “Don’t- please, you can take my soul and break the Barrier, d-don’t hurt them-”

    “Those two skeletons are in the castle right now- they can’t get in here, but they’re sure trying. Sans was always a thorn in my side,” Flowey said with a horrible laugh.

    You froze. Two- two skeletons?

    “You’re really gullible. All I had to do was tell you that Sans was dead and you believed it. You didn’t even bother to make sure I was telling the truth…”

    You stared down at the blackness below you and clenched your fists. Sans… wasn’t dead. You hadn’t killed him. Your stomach settled and you felt numb.

    “Just kill me- leave them alone,” you said. Flowey’s face distorted for a moment, and when it reformed into a pixelated blob you saw that he was frowning.

    “Aww, but where’s the fun in that? Wouldn’t you like to watch them die?”

    “Stop- don’t touch them-” you said as you heaved yourself up and took a step towards the writhing abomination. “Take my soul. Just do it.”

    Flowey laughed. “Oh man, you should see your face. Do you think you could stop me? Even if you weren’t weak and wounded, you’d just get smeared on the floor.”

    You said nothing. You couldn’t think of anything to say. You hated Flowey.

    “Those two are really screaming out there… it’s kind of funny, actually. Why don’t I bring them in? It’ll be a party!”

    “Please-” you began, but one of Flowey’s vines shot out and knocked you over, cutting your side in the process. You fell on your hurt leg and cried out.

    “Two skeletons, coming right up,” Flowey said with a giggle. You opened your mouth to say something, but the void rumbled and suddenly you heard two very familiar voices.

    “Frisk- Frisk-” Papyrus began, and your eyes flew open. Flowey’s vines wrapped tightly around him, tying his arms and legs and his mouth. You stared in horror as Sans was pressed to the ground and held there.

    “Hey guys! How nice of you to join us,” Flowey said. You met Papyrus’s eyes before you looked at Sans- you couldn’t stop the flood of relief that came through you. He wasn’t dead- he was looking at you with fear in his eyes but he wasn’t dead.

    “You stupid fucking flower-” Sans began, but a vine sprang from the darkness and worked as a gag.

    “Now, Sans, there’s a child here! Swearing is bad,” Flowey said. “And it’d be so easy to accidentally push down a little too hard-” Sans cried into his gag as he was pressed down against the floor- “and take away that one little shred of HP.”

    “Stop it- let them go- you can have me but just let them go-” you said. You felt something red and strong growing your chest. He couldn’t hurt them- you wouldn’t let him hurt your friends.

    You used your magic- still so strange- and shot a blast of energy at the monster.

    It did nothing.

    Flowey cackled. “Oh my god! Did you really think that would work?” He feigned wiping a tear from his eye. “Well..., even if it was pointless... I’d better teach you a lesson.”

    You waited for something to come and send your guts flying again, but it didn’t. You heard Papyrus begin to struggle and cry and your stomach bottomed out.

    You turned just in time to see the vine wrapping around his head. You screamed something, anything, but the vines tightened and Papyrus’s cries became frantic before there was a sickening crunch and he went silent. The vines squeezed tighter and his skull cracked like an eggshell.

    You watched him crumble to dust. You couldn’t breathe. Sans was screaming.

    Flowey reset back to his last save. Papyrus and Sans were still in front of you.

    “Try it again and I’ll do it to both of them. Got it?”

    You stared at him. Papyrus couldn’t speak, but his eyes questioned you. He didn’t remember- he didn’t remember. You’d watched him die.

    “Got it?” Flowey repeated with an edge to his voice.

    The red in your chest got deeper. Flowey had killed your friend- you turned to him and met his eyes.

    “What are you-”

    You teleported, the magic strange and unfamiliar and volatile, but it brought you right in front of his screen.

    You pulled your fist back and punched it.

    Flowey reset. A vine came and you moved in time to stop it from ripping you through the middle, but it took your arm from the elbow down. You screamed something and fell, the pain ripping through you in waves as another vine came and tore off your other arm.

    “F… Frisk?” Sans breathed. You had nothing to prop yourself up on- both of your arms were lying in blood nearby.

“Frisk- F-Frisk! No no no, oh god, stop, stop, Flowey you’re killing them-please-!” Papyrus screamed. You turned your head and saw him writhing and struggling against the vines that held him. His eyes were locked with yours. He was crying, but the blood was draining fast and you only had time to look into Sans’s eyes- wide and pitch black and filled with horror- before your vision went black.

    Flowey reset. This time, the vines came, but they brought you to your knees and held you there.

    “You’re an idiot. You think a little borrowed magic can stop me?” Flowey hissed. The vines tightened and the thorns dug into your arm, but they no longer threatened to pull them off of your body.

    “Stop! Flowey, please- you’re hurting them-” Papyrus cried. He was worked up but his voice was no longer raised to a fever pitch as he watched you get dismembered.

    “Shut up, Papyrus,” Flowey growled. He put the vine back in his mouth to keep him from talking.

    “Why are you doing this? Why don’t you just kill me?” you asked as you struggled against the vines. Your body was numb with phantom pain. Your arms felt like they were barely there. Only the stinging agony that pulsed through them reminded you that you were whole again.

    “I’m just trying to have some fun, Frisk. You’re making it a little hard.”

    “Take my soul- I don’t care- don’t hurt them. Please don’t hurt them,” you said. It was pointless. Your determination meant nothing.

    Flowey’s face on the screen twisted. “I really can’t stand people who try to play hero. Do you think it matters? Do you honestly think any of this matters?”

    You looked at the two. They were trying so hard to get free, but they were still watching you. They’d given you everything- a place to live, food to eat… a family. Papyrus was crying as he watched you. Sans was not much better off.

    “They matter,” you said quietly. “I don’t.”

    Flowey said nothing for a moment. You closed your eyes and you wished you could block out the awful noises that were escaping your friends.

    “I’m tired of playing around. You’re pathetic.”

    You decided not to open your eyes when he killed you. You braced yourself.

    “I’m sorry,” you whispered.

    You heard the vine. You were ready.

    There was a noise like thunder and you were thrown backwards. Your thigh burned and protested as it hit the ground, but you weren’t dead.

    Hands touched your shoulder before you could comprehend what was going on. You were raised up and you saw Sans’s face looking down at you.

    Papyrus was standing where you’d been moments before. He shifted the long bone he held as you saw the two massive skulls suspended in the air beside him.

    “You okay, kiddo?” Sans asked, drawing you back to where you were. You looked up and saw that his skull was cracked- but he wasn’t dead.

    “Oh, this is precious. Do you two think you can actually save them? If I wasn’t bored already I’d love to play along,” Flowey said. His voice was cold as he opened his sideways, fleshy mouth and gathered up magic inside.

    The skulls mimicked the movement and the two attacks met in the middle. You watched as Papyrus held out his hand- the skulls were his magic?

    “Flowey! Please stop this- we can work something out, you don’t have to hurt anybody.” The conflicting magics fizzled out and you blinked the afterimage out of your eyes.

    “Shut up,” Flowey snarled. He sent a barrage of pellets flying at Papyrus, but a third skull was conjured and it took the hit.

    “I know you can be better than this, Flowey!” Papyrus said, but his voice wavered. “Please-”

    “I said SHUT UP!”

    Flowey knocked away the two skulls with vines before he charged another beam of energy. Papyrus stumbled backwards, but you were faster.

    You teleported to him and grabbed him. Just before the beam hit and erased you both from existence, you teleported again.

    The souls were pulsing- once Flowey found you again, he attacked, but Papyrus had enough time to conjure a bone and slam the vine into the ground before it reached you.

    “Over here, dick butt!” Sans called from Flowey’s other side. You looked just in time to see him throwing a bone at Flowey’s screen.

    It embedded itself inside with a sharp crack. Flowey shouted something as his two vine arms dug and tried to pry it out.

    You teleported, with Papyrus in tow, to Sans, and then as far from Flowey as you could manage to get. It wasn’t nearly far enough.

    “You better lay off on all that teleportin’ kid,” Sans huffed. You were breathing heavy as well. Papyrus was better off, but he was staring down at the two of you in worry. Flowey flailed nearby.

    “I’m sorry, Sans,” you cried, “I’m sorry Papyrus- I’m so sorry-”

    “It’s alright, human,” Papyrus said softly, and he gave you a smile. “We aren’t dead yet!”

    You stared up at him, and then at his brother, and you wished that you could be as brave as they were.

    Flowey tore the bone out of the screen with a snarl and the moment of peace was over.

    “I’ve had enough of this.”

    You felt a vine wrap around your ankle and before you could do anything, Flowey pulled you back to him and lifted you in the air. He righted you and glared with his horrifying eyes.

    “I’ll take that magic,” he sang as you felt his magic grab you and draw your soul from your chest. You were nearly ill as you saw it- red, pulsing, dripping with magic. A single white shard was wedged into one of the cracks.

    Flowey grabbed it between two thorns and you screamed as the agony ripped through you, but before you could struggle he ripped it out.

    It hurt. For a few moments you forgot about Sans and Papyrus and everything else because all you could do was hurt. It burned through every inch of your body. Your writhed in pain and cried, but Flowey just laughed.

    “You’re an idiot. You’re all idiots,” Flowey said. His voice was pitched and filled with anger. “I’d feel bad killing you without letting you see the idiot that caused all of this.”

    The souls burned bright for a moment as Flowey threw you away like garbage. Papyrus caught you in his magic and you were lowered into his arms, but you could barely keep your eyes open as the light grew and Flowey laughed. He held the soul fragment for a moment before he turned up the vine and allowed it to float free.

    The fragment was joined by another- two that were larger, and countless others that were small or barely big enough to be seen. Little bits of light all gathered together until there was something resembling a soul hanging in the air.

    The souls flashed and everything went white for a moment.

    When your vision cleared you saw Gaster lying on the ground. He was shaking and trembling. Papyrus and Sans both stiffened before the former picked you up and you stumbled towards him. The awful monster before you didn’t allow that- he restrained you and the three skeletons before the shock of seeing Gaster could wear off.

    You felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Gaster, although disoriented, was real- he was actually there. He looked at you, and you wished you could tell him he’d be okay. Sans and Papyrus were staring at him, and they probably would have said something if vines weren’t shoved in their mouths and wrapped around their jaws.

     Flowey had saved Gaster just so he could watch you die. Or, maybe it was so he could watch you die.

    “Well, guys, it’s been fun, it really has,” Flowey giggled. His anger was barely concealed by the thin veil of forced amusement. “But it’s time to die.”

    You would have begged or pleaded, anything to try and save your friends, but there was a vine in your mouth and you couldn’t speak.

     “It’s funny, isn’t it? You guys thought you could beat me, and now I’ve done what you sniveling idiots could never do, and you get to watch Gaster die again! Won’t that be fun, Sans?”

    Sans closed his eye sockets.

    “Papyrus gets to watch his brother and his friends die, and Gaster- well, you’re pretty lucky! Most people only get to die once in their life, but you get to do it twice.” Flowey laughed.

    Something stirred in your chest.

    “Oh? What is it, Frisk? Do you want to call for help?” The vine was removed from your mouth and Flowey grinned. “Go ahead. See if anybody hears you. See if they care.”

    You stared at the ground. You’d never meant to hurt them- you’d never wanted them to get hurt because of you. What would happen to the rest of the monsters? Who would die because of you? You couldn’t bring yourself to look at Sans, or Papyrus, or Gaster- not even one last time.

    “I’m sorry,” you whispered as your tears fell.

    You felt the white magic spring to life in the gaping maw of Flowey’s mouth. You kept your head down and your eyes shut. 

    They didn’t deserve this. They shouldn’t be the ones dying. It was all your fault and you couldn’t save anybody. Maybe if you hadn't been wounded- maybe if you were just a little more brave-

    The whine of Flowey’s magic went silent for a moment as it reached its peak. You braced yourself. You didn’t want to die.

    Something stirred in your chest.

    The magic was hot and heavy around you, but it didn’t hurt. You opened your eyes to the searing, white-hot heat, but there was somebody standing before you. Somebody had saved you. Somebody had saved them.

    Something stirred in your chest.

    As the light faded away, the figure that stood there turned just enough to look at you. You felt something deep and strange bloom in your soul as their dull red eye met yours.

    It was Chara.

Chapter Text

You weren’t dead. You didn’t want to open your eyes because you knew you weren’t dead and that made you so angry.

You decided to just stay there. Your leg was broken, it seemed, and maybe one of your wrists, but you didn’t move so you couldn’t be sure. It was so hilarious, actually, now that you thought about it. Nothing in your life had ever worked out, you’d never been happy and nobody had ever considered what you’d wanted. Yet when you decided to end it all yourself, even that didn’t work.

Hours passed. How many, you didn’t care. Enough to make your stomach turn with hunger and the pain to start becoming dull. You dragged yourself up after a while and looked around. Faint light was shimmering down from the hole you’d jumped in. You stared up at it in contempt. You hated it. You hated everything. You found yourself crying and tried to pretend they were tears of anger, but they weren’t.

Your life was a joke. It was a sick, twisted joke and you’d never once laughed. You were alone in the bottom of a hole with darkness all around you. Seemed like a quick death wasn’t in your cosmic destiny. You dragged your battered body over to the nearest wall and leaned against it. Hopefully some awful cave monster would come and eat you. But, you were a smart kid, so you prepared for the worst. Starving to death didn’t sound so bad.

You nodded off after a while.

You came to and heard faint shuffling noises. The fire in your leg had dulled from a blaze to embers, but it was enough to make you wince when you jostled it in the slightest. You opened your eyes and came face to face with some weird, one-eyed monster.

You shouted. It was a natural instinct, even if you weren’t particularly scared. It was hard to be scared when you wanted to die so much. Still, the one-eyed creature watched you curiously.

“Pick on me,” it said in a raspy, quiet voice.

“Go away.”

“You’re hurt.”

“Yeah, well, that isn’t any of your business. Go. Away.”

The monster blinked and cocked its fat head to the side, but before it could say something else there was the sound of quiet footsteps approaching from the darkness.

“Hello? Is anybody there?”

You groaned. Seemed like a quiet, peaceful death wasn’t in your destiny either. The cyclops-looking thing turned and hurried over to the approaching white blob.

It was a child, it seemed, and at least he had two eyes. He looked sort of like a goat, with white fur and floppy ears that made him look about as threatening as a kitten without claws. He saw you and gasped.

“Oh- Oh my gosh, are you alright?” he worried, skittering around the curious little monster that had been speaking to you. The goat-boy had big brown eyes that were full of worry.

You didn’t say anything, just glared. This wasn’t fair. The monsters underground weren’t supposed to find you alive, they were supposed to find your corpse. The one decision you’d ever made, the only moment where you felt like you had control of your own future, and it’d been taken from you. Tears welled in your eyes.

“Oh, oh no, please don’t cry,” the boy cooed, kneeling down beside you and looking you over with growing concern. “Did you fall down?”

“No. I jumped,” you mumbled.

“Wh-what? That’s-” he shook his head, and you got the feeling that he didn’t understand what you were implying. “No, it’s alright, it’s… what’s your name?”

“Chara.”

“I’m Asriel. Here- I can help you to the castle, my mom’s a real good healer. You’ll be fine.”

You stared into his wide, worried eyes. You nodded.

You looked over yourself in the mirror. You had new clothes on, purple and soft and warm. It was an odd sensation, to be cared for. You looked to the tall monster lady that stood nearby and she smiled.

“They fit beautifully, my child. Do they feel okay?”

You nodded. Toriel was her name, and she was very kind. She’d healed your leg and given you something to eat and she’d comforted you. Asriel was with the king, his father, Asgore. He was kind, too.

Toriel came forward and put both paws on your shoulders. She was so tall, much taller than you were, and her white fur was pristine and soft. She had pretty eyes that were the color of roses. She brushed some of the hair from your face and gave you a warm, gentle smile.

“Asriel told me how you came to be here,” she began quietly. You stared blankly at her. “It is to my understanding that you jumped from the surface with the intent to end your life.”

You nodded. Was there any point in trying to hide it?

Her smile faltered. She shifted for a moment before giving your forehead a soft kiss. When she pulled away, there was more kindness in her face than you’d seen in your entire life.

“You are safe here, child. You can stay with us as long as you wish, and we will do our best to keep you safe and happy.”

“Why?”

“Because it is right.”

Two years passed. Two years of something entirely new. The Dreemurrs were kind and loving in a way you had never known, they cared for you, they never hit you, and they never yelled. Sure, Toriel might have scolded you and Asriel for breaking into the cupboards and eating far too many cookies, and Asgore kept offering you tea that you hated but felt bad refusing, but it was nice.

Monsters were so much better than humans. You hated humans, and you told them that. Asriel never understood, he said that everybody had the potential to be good, but Toriel and Asgore did. You told Toriel about what had been done on the surface. You told Asgore that the only family you’d had on the surface was the shard of glass you’d used to cut yourself. Well, you didn’t say it like that, because things like that shouldn’t be said, but he understood when he saw your wrists and came into the bathroom one night to find you unconscious in a small puddle of blood. He didn’t let go of you for a long time, so gentle and soft and full of love. His arms were warm and strong. You didn’t do it anymore, because you didn’t want him to be sad.

The other monsters cared, too. Everybody was nice. They said hello to you, they asked how you were doing, they listened when you spoke to them. They all said you were the future of humans and monsters, and you didn’t understand, but you pretended to.

Asriel was your best friend. He was younger, but he was smart, and most importantly, he was sweet and innocent and he had a heart the size of the mountain you were trapped under. You would keep him safe. You’d keep them all safe, as best as you could, because they’d given you more than you’d ever had.

You sat, perched at the highest point of the castle with your knees drawn up. You stared at the rocks above and the rocks below and frowned.

“Chara?” Asriel called from the window. You didn’t turn around to greet him, but you heard the tell-tale scrabble of him climbing out. You felt a familiar warmth press into your side and you rested your head on his shoulder.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Dad keeps saying that I’m the future of humans and monsters. I don’t understand what he means. I don’t know what he wants me to be.”

Asriel was quiet.

“I don’t want to be a human. Humans are mean, and bad, and they do awful things.”

“Well, not all humans are like that,” Asriel said softly. He laid a paw on your leg. “You’re not like that.”

“I can’t break the barrier without a monster soul. I don’t know what he wants me to do. He keeps saying he believes in me, and that I’m doing a great job, but I don’t know what he wants. He won’t tell me.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know yet.”

You were quiet. You wanted to free the monsters. They were so much kinder than the beings above, and they didn’t deserve to be trapped and cramped underground. It took seven human souls, you’d been told, and if you could go through the barrier you could certainly find seven humans who deserved to have their souls ripped out and used as a source of power. The ones you’d grown up around, for example. Humans were vile, but they were useful.

“I want to break the barrier,” you said.

“You’d need a boss monster’s soul.”

“You’re a boss monster,” you said, and Asriel paused.

“So are mom and dad… if we combined our souls, we could go across and take six more and break the barrier together.”

You stared out over the underground with Asriel at your side. Combine your souls… break the barrier… free the monsters. They deserved more. They mattered. You didn’t, and Asriel would still be Asriel if he took your soul, even if you ceased to exist. Asriel would be powerful, and you wouldn’t need to protect him, because he’d have your soul with him wherever he went.

You’d tried to kill yourself once before, but you couldn’t jump. Asriel couldn’t see you like that. It had to look like an accident, because the King and Queen would never approve of your plans.

Asgore had gotten very ill when he’d eaten buttercups.

“Asriel… let's do it.”

He looked over at you with big, hopeful eyes.

“Let’s break the barrier.”

He stared at you for a moment. He smiled and held out his paw, which you took.

“Let’s do it together, Chara.”

You’d do it together.

Asriel turned to dust. You hated him- you hated everybody. He’d betrayed you. He’d let you die for nothing . Monsters were just as bad as humans. Everybody in the world deserved to suffer.

Your soul would have faded, but you were burning with rage and sadness and something more. You needed revenge. You would make them suffer like you’d suffered. You’d find Asriel and you’d kill him again. You couldn’t think clearly, everything was clouded in red, red, red. It was all red. Red was what kept you living and red was what made you kill. Host to host to host, you went, because you knew nothing else but hatred. Nobody could stop you.

You were filled with Determination.

Chapter Text

“Enough.”

You stared at Chara for what felt like hours. They stood between your friends and Flowey, watching him, waiting. If anybody was more shocked than you were, it was the monster who’d tried to kill you.

“Ch… Chara?” he ventured in a voice that you could hardly even hear. The vines that held you went slack, but you didn’t dare move. A quick glance showed that your three friends had a similar idea. Your gaze lingered on Gaster for a moment- how real he was.

“Chara… what a-are you doing?” he asked.

They said nothing. The vines around you withdrew and you collapsed, the adrenaline fading and leaving you in excruciating pain, but Sans caught you in his magic and hurried over before you could smash your head off the ground.

“You okay, kid?” he whispered, and you nodded. Flowey was preoccupied. Papyrus helped Gaster over and the four of you huddled together behind Chara, quiet and trying to avoid being noticed. Gaster was naked and shivering and he looked on the verge of passing out, but Papyrus had a firm hold on him.

“I’m trying to help you,” Flowey said. His voice was warped and numb. “Let me kill them and we can be friends again.”

“It’s over , Asriel. We’re both dead.”

Flowey froze. He vines twitched.

“Why are you protecting them?” he growled. “Why aren’t you helping me?”

“Why would I help you? You’re the reason we’re like this. You betrayed me.” Chara’s voice was flat and lifeless. Sans held you tighter and you winced, because your whole body was sore and battered, but you didn’t protest.

“N… No! I was an idiot, but I didn’t mean to-”

“It doesn’t matter ,” Chara growled. Your soul ached and sent shooting pain through the rest of your body, but you were transfixed. Chara was a part of you, somehow- you could feel their anger and their pain. They were shaking. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What is wrong with you?” His voice was sharp with unease. His screen went fuzzy and his vines spasmed. He was horrifying to look at, but you couldn’t possibly look away. “I’ve waited so long for this, and you’re ruining everything!” Flowey’s face glitched out and morphed. A vine sprang to life and smashed the void only inches from Chara’s feet, but they didn’t even flinch.

“Let them go.”

“No! I’ll kill you too you ungrateful human filth! ” Flowey screeched, and his whole great horrible body convulsed as the awful mouth at his center opened, strings of saliva stretched between the two maws. He readied another blast.

Chara didn’t move.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you and these idiots and everybody you’ve ever cared about!”

“Do it.”

It was like Flowey’s mind and body were at war. The human souls grew dim and an awful, awful noise filled the great black space. Sans held you tighter, but this wasn’t your battle. Not anymore.

“Just. Let me. Kill them.” Flowey’s voice was low.

Chara was silent. You felt something stir deep in your chest- somewhere you didn’t even know of before. The six other souls flickered.

“Move. Now.”

“I’m not playing your stupid game, Asriel,” Chara said. “We’re not kids anymore. I don’t have to give you a turn.”

“Shut up!”

“It’s over.”

Flowey screamed something. He moved, too fast to see, and even though Chara was just as quick, he’d acted first.

Sans pulled you back just in time to prevent the sharp, ruthless thorn from cutting your thigh. He didn’t quite manage to pull you away in time to stop it from slicing through your calf.

“Fuck!” Sans cried as he dragged you away, panting and gasping from the overexertion already. You stared down at where your right foot used to be and the blood.You waited for a reset.

It didn’t happen.

“Let me kill them! Let me fucking kill them !” Flowey screamed. His voice hurt your ears and echoed around the blackness. His vines and thorns and claws were flashing, but Chara blocked the attacks- you could feel their determination bubble up in you, more than you’d ever had in your life. Mostly, though, you could just feel the blood pooling around your stump of a leg.

“Frisk!” Papyrus shouted, but Chara was already forcing Flowey back. The souls flickered and blinked, hardly managing to stay alight.

“LET ME WIN!”

The souls blinked out of existence. Chara flashed red- brighter and brighter than your blood- and suddenly the souls fought back against their captor.

Flowey shrieked. His warped voice sounded like nails against metal. There were too many lights and too much pain to really comprehend what was going on.

Everything stopped for a moment. Everything went away except for you, and Chara, and Flowey. Not the awful, awful  monster, but the flower. Chara knelt beside him with a hand on his stem, almost reassuringly. Everything happened too fast. Flowey was crying.

With a small, insignificant pop, Chara used their thumb to tear Flowey’s head off.

“Don’t leave me alone again, Chara.”

“I’m coming with you, Asriel. How about we finish what we started?”

When the colors drained away and the haze lifted, you opened your eyes to see light filtering in through the mouth of a cave. Boney hands clutched your shoulders as the world realigned.

The sun was rising.

Chapter Text

You were shaken awake by gentle hands. You blinked and rubbed your eyes and saw Papyrus standing beside your bed with his apron on.

“I made breakfast!” he whisper-shouted. “To celebrate!”

“Celebrate what?” you asked with a soft smile.

“Three whole weeks since the Barrier was broken!” He ruffled your hair with a grin and was back out of your room before you could say anything else. You could smell the food- pancakes, maybe?

You pulled yourself up with a huff. The cheap alarm clock on top of your cardboard box night stand told you that it was almost nine. You yawned. The mass of blankets on the floor-mattress beside you rustled around for a moment before you saw a familiar head peek out to give you a tired, questioning look.

“What time is it?” Gaster asked, voice muffled by his little blanket nest.

“Nine. Papyrus made breakfast.”

He grumbled something and rolled to the side of the bed. You reached for your prosthetic, but you’d kicked it out of the way the night before and it was out of your reach.

Gaster detangled himself from his sheets and walked over. The two of you shared a room while Sans and Papyrus shared the other one in the small apartment you were renting. The tall monster picked up your fake leg and handed it to you gently.

“Thanks,” you said, and he smiled, but as he sat down on the edge of your bed it faded into a melancholy stare.

You dug your liner out from your sheets and went about putting it on your leg. It was a temporary prosthetic, but it was all you could afford right now. Coupled with human treatment and healing magic, the wound was fully healed after three weeks of care, but there was nothing anybody could do about the loss of your leg. Gaster watched in a combination of sadness and fascination as you slid the liner on and attached the stubby-looking prosthetic.

“Does it hurt?”

You wiggled your leg around before you looked up at the tall, lanky skeleton. “No, it’s fine. You guys worry too much.”

“You nearly died from blood loss,” he reprimanded, but you shook your head.

“I’m fine. How’s your head?”

He grimaced. “It’s… getting better,” he said softly. Ever since he’d been brought back, he’d been plagued with migraines and headaches, and that wasn’t even including the nightmares. He had all of his shard’s memories, all their feelings, and the physical pain of your own wounds wasn’t nearly as great as the emotional trauma he went through. Besides, you were all healed up by then, what with Papyrus and Toriel healing you every chance they got. You put a reassuring hand on his knee and he gave you the biggest smile he could muster.

“Gaster! Frisk! Your pancakes are getting cold!” you heard Papyrus shout from the kitchen. That was all it took for Gaster’s face to soften- but, then again, who didn’t have a soft spot for Papyrus?

Sans was already sitting at the table. He had a tired smile plastered on his face as he folded a pancake in half and shoved it in his mouth, careful to catch the little bits that missed his mouth on his paper plate. Between Sans, Papyrus, and the gold that belonged to Gaster’s name, they’d had plenty to get to the surface and live in relative comfort, but Sans had still elected to find a job right off the bat. It was a challenge, given he was a skeleton and all, but he’d found an open minded human and now he did party gigs and told jokes at bars. Papyrus hated it and you were apprehensive, but Sans seemed to love it. He gave you a big smile with a mouth full of ‘cakes as you sat down at the table and Papyrus hurried around like a bee.

“G’morning,” he mumbled, downing another pancake.

“How’d you sleep?” Gaster asked as he took a seat at the table beside you.

“Like the dead,” Sans said with a wink. You snickered along with the skeleton as Papyrus came over with a fresh plate of pancakes and some syrup and smacked Sans on the back of the head.

“Ha ha, brother, what an original joke. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before.”

“What can I say? I’m a comic.”

You giggled, which elicited a sharp look from Papyrus. He sat down beside his brother.

“Well I hope this ‘comic’ truly did get enough sleep last night. We share a room now, brother, I know you were up late texting the Queen.”

“Come on, Pap, don’t rat me out to doc and the kid like that.”

“If you two get married,” you said, “would you be the King?”

Sans blushed and ducked his head, but he was smiling.

“We already have a King…” Gaster said thoughtfully. “Perhaps he would be the Jester?”

You laughed.

The four of you met Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys near the entrance to the mountain. The King and Queen had their quarrels, but they both were working together to keep monsterkind safe through the transition. You didn't know Asgore well, but you'd had tea together once or twice, and he apologized for taking you up on the whole "kill me" offer, so you liked him. Thus far, it was only you and your three skeletons who lived outside of the Underground- Asgore reckoned that they were human enough not to scare anybody too bad, and would make the start of a healthy and hopefully safe transition to peace with humanity. So far, it had worked well.

“Undyne!” Papyrus called as you came near the entrance of the yawning cavern. Many monsters were staying in ramshackle homes right outside the broken barrier, so they could see the sunshine and the stars. You waved to them as you walked by, Gaster helping you along. You hadn’t gotten used to your prosthetic quite yet, so one of the skeletons usually lent you their arms.

Toriel gave you a big, furry hug. She gave all of you big, furry hugs, even Gaster, who shyly accepted.

“How are you, my child?” she asked you as the skeletons went off in pairs- Papyrus with Undyne and Alphys with Sans. They didn’t stray far, however.

“Good. Papyrus made pancakes for breakfast,” you reported with a grin.

“That sounds wonderful,” she said. “And what about you, Dr. Gaster?”

“I’m doing well, your majesty,” he said, but Toriel waved him away.

“Now, now, there’s no need to call me that. Toriel is fine.”

“Of course,” he said.

Gaster got another hug from Alphys, and they started talking. You let out a contented breath as the group of them all socialized and talked and smiled.

You stared at the mouth of the cave and thought of Chara and Asriel. Calling him Flowey felt wrong, in a way. You couldn’t hate either of them, not really, but it wasn’t like it really mattered. The sunlight was bright on your back as you stared off, eyes not really settled on one thing in particular.

You felt bad for them. You were pulled away from the present by the thoughts of the past until you felt a hand on your shoulder and turned back to see Sans.

“You okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

He hummed. You heard Papyrus carrying on with Undyne behind you.

“I’m surprised, honestly,” Sans said. “Knowing everything I do, seemed like your little head demon hated everybody.” He ruffled your hair, just like he and Papyrus always did. “They musta really liked you.”

“Mmm… maybe. They were really tired.”

Sans didn’t say anything else. You closed your eyes for a second and felt the wind blow around you.

“Oh, Frisk! What’s this one?”

“That’s a butterfly.”

Papyrus huffed. “I knew that! I meant what kind!”

“Looks like the blue kind,” Sans said, earning himself an angry sigh from his brother. Gaster smiled. He didn’t look like a scientist, with his black shirt and jeans that were a little too short. Humans didn’t usually come as tall as Gaster, and since he didn’t have any of his clothes from underground he’d had to make do.

The sun was getting close to the horizon by the time you made it to the top of the mountain. Papyrus laid out the blanket he’d brought with him and sat you down on it.

“I knew I should have carried you- you look like you’re going to pass out,” he huffed as he took a seat beside you.

“I’m fine,” you said, even though you were breathing heavy. Your leg hurt, but it was worth it. You leaned against your friend and closed your eyes for a moment as Sans and Gaster got situated.

It was strange to see them interact at times. Gaster didn’t know what to think of the two brothers, and you didn’t blame him. His conflicting memories made it hard for him to pin down who he was or how he was supposed to act. It got easier as the days turned to weeks, but he was still very much confused. You imagined you would be too, if you’d been dead for ten years.

“It… was in this timeline that I stole the flowers for you, correct?” he asked softly. You looked to see a few yellow flowers near the edge of the blanket.

“Heh, yeah, the ones from Asgore’s garden? You helped Pap make a flower crown,” Sans said.

“Yes, you did! It was very kind of you, although in hindsight it may not have been the wisest choice of foliage. Stealing from the King is likely a crime…” Papyrus put his arm around you.

They did that a lot. Poor Gaster- his head was so muddled with memories. You sighed against Papyrus’s shirt and cuddled up to him. The air was getting chilly, but for monsters from Snowdin it must have felt like a summer afternoon in Florida.

“Are you cold?” Your cuddle companion asked.

“A little bit.”

He quietly unwound the scarf from his neck and draped it over your face. You giggled but wrapped yourself up in the fabric.

“Shh! No snickering, human, it’s about to start!”

You giggled again, but he shooshed you once again and stared intently at the sky. Gaster and Sans did the same, all three captivated by the sight. They all had stars in their sockets, watching the sun. You let out a breath and closed your eyes again, letting Papyrus’s warmth and the scarf keep you toasty and safe.

They watched for a long time. They watched until the sun had set and the last lingering light had faded from the horizon and the stars began to emerge. You peeked out from your cozy scarf nest every once in awhile, but you were content to just sit and rest.

“They’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” Sans said softly. You smiled.

“Language, brother,” Papyrus scolded, but his heart wasn’t in it. “They are quite lovely, though.”

“Never thought I’d get to see ‘em, honestly,” he went on. “Glad I was wrong. Whaddaya think, G?”

Gaster was quiet for a while. You looked over to him and saw the beginnings of tears in his eyes. When he spoke, it was soft.

“I never imagined any of this. It would be enough to simply be alive, but… this is more than I could have ever asked for… thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank us,” Papyrus said. “Without you, my brother and I would likely still be living on the streets… we may have never met Frisk at all!” Papyrus hugged you tighter. “We’re lucky to have you back, sir.”

Gaster was such a crybaby. He mopped his tears up, careful of the cracks in his skull, and smiled.

Things were okay. You looked at your friends, and then at the stars, and you were happy despite the tears in your eyes.

You were a sympathetic crier.