"In a world ruled by monster and humans, where the two races coexist in a delicate balance, a tragedy has caused two friends to run away, now they travel the world looking to bury a dangerous and painful past. One of them wants their happiness, the other wants to forget who he is. But fate rarely gives us exactly what we want, and one can only escape from their fate for so long, sometimes our actions catch up with us in the most unexpected way"
AUTHOR NOTE: This story will include my own interpretation/version of Gaster!Sans created by Borurou, he will be his own character with a name and story of his own, so I'm not gonna call him Gaster!Sans, but you'll know that it's him. ALSO, in this story, Frisk is female, just wanted to clear that up.
Pairings: AsrielxFriskxG
Genres: Drama, Romance, Adventure, Comfort.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story that I've been working on for months, I hope you have a good time n.n
Chapter One
On the run
In the beginning
He reached out to them, taking both of their hands between his. The two girls smiled, imitating his gesture. The three of them stood in the small circle they've created, surrounded by the golden flowers.
-You realize Mom is gonna kill us if we keep stepping on the flowers-said the girl to his right, giving his brother a sarcastic smile.
- And you realize Dad made this part of the Garden specifically so we wouldn't get in trouble with her-answered the little Prince with a smile of his own.
-Point-said the little girl, shrugging.
The boy's eyes grew wide, his mouth open in surprise.
-Did you just…agree with me?
-I believe I did, why?-said the girl, still smiling.
-She hit her head when she got up this morning, maybe that's it-said the other little girl, giggling when her sister snapped her head in her direction.
-Hey! That only happened because you keep pushing to the edge of the bed in your sleep!-she complained-I'm going to tell Mom I want my own room, that way I won't have to wake up on the floor.-She added, letting go of their hands and crossing her own over her chest. Her sister pouted.
-You're mean.
-You're noisy.
The three children stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting into giggles. After a few minutes, the girl with brown eyes bends down to pick one of the golden flowers spread across the area. Its petals seem to shine under the sunlight. She stared at it with nostalgia.
-Remember when I used to hate this flower? But now, after everything that had happen...I think I've grown to like it, now every time I look at it, I don't see their faces, I only see mom's and dad's- she said with a small smile. The other two kids looked at the flower and smiled as well.
-You won't have to think about them anymore-said the little Prince-Nothing about that matters now, you're here with us.
She agreed, they were here now, now and always.
-You promise?-the little girl asked, looking him in the eye, He smiled again, taking her hand.
-I promised.
The three children hold hands, sealing their promise, in a garden of golden flowers.
They would never be the same ever again.
/ / /
14 Years ago
The sound of footsteps was only muffled by the mud and dirt that covered the place. Two small silhouettes climbed the ladder to the second floor, always looking over their shoulders and never letting go of eachother's hands. The house was in pretty bad shape. It has probably been abandoned for more than a decade or so. The glass of the windows were either cracked or completely destroyed, most of the furniture was torn to pieces, some of them lying here and there; there were broken bottles, pieces of paper, rotten food and other garbage spread across the floor. The smell didn't help, either.
The second level wasn't in much better shape than the first one; more garbage was spread across the ground, including glass, a suspiciously liquid substance and rotten food. This level had several bedrooms, including a bathroom. The two silhouettes crossed the large hallway in complete silence, as if they were afraid of awakening some sort of sleeping beast. A ray of moonlight came through a broken window, providing a least some form of light to the crushing darkness, revealing the two small children, one human, the other, a monster with soft, white fur, long ears and small fangs.
The kids reached one of the rooms on the left of the hallway and quickly shut the door behind them as quietly as possible.
The monster kid took a deep breath when he realized he was holding it and looked at his companion.
-What's wrong? –He asked.
The little girl with brown, bright eyes looked at her friend with fear in her eyes.
- Do you think someone lives here? What if they come back...what if someone sees us?- She said with trembling voice, her tiny little hands were shuddering, either because of the cold or fear, He didn't know.
-Shh, it's okay, if someone is here maybe…maybe we can ask them for help, maybe they can let us stay here for a while. Don't be afraid-He said holding her hands between his, she was ice cold. The little boy looked around and guided the girl to the king size bed in the middle of the room; luckily the mattress and the sheets were still there.
-Here, climb on this, you're freezing-he said helping her get into the bed. The mattress smelled awful and there were stains all over it, but it was the best they have had in the last couple of days since they woke up, since they had to run away. The boy shuddered, the memories of the last few weeks echoing in his head, tormenting his SOUL.
They had been happy, they had made a promise, they were supposed to be together but now, everything was gone….
He shook his head, pushing the dark feelings away. Now was not the time for that, he had a responsibility now, he needed to take care of Frisk. He motioned her to lay on the mattress before doing the same himself, and covered them both with the bed sheets. She continued to tremble, so he put his arms around her, keeping her close and she immediately hid her face in the base of his neck. They lay there, motionless, listening to the sounds of the night; in the boy's case, listening to any sound that could mean danger.
But as time passed, a terrifying silence fell upon the house, becoming more crushing as the minutes went by, the boy felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up, his SOUL was beating fast in his chest and even though the night was incredibly cold, he was sweating. Well, maybe that was because of his fur.
After what felt like hours, the girl broke the silence.
-Asriel?
-Yeah? – He answered the boy.
-Was it our fault? Did….did we caused this?-she asked, her voice was muffled due to her hiding her face in his neck, but he could sense her anguish. He bit his lip, hard, trying to stop the tears from falling. He had been asking himself that same question, but every time he did, his SOUL seemed to skip a bit, echoing painfully. The voice inside his head, inside his soul, screamed no, so loud he had to close his eyes for a few seconds and wait for the headache to disappear. When it did, he looked at the girl beside him, she was staring at him with concern.
-I…don't know Frisk.
Frisk's eyes traveled to her friend's chest, placing a tiny hand were his SOUL was. She felt its beating; it was different now, she couldn't figure out exactly how, but it was, she could feel it, and it scared her.
-Are you okay? Ever since it happened you…you changed…
-Don't think about that, it's nothing to worry about, now we have to find a save place- Asriel interrupted her, he gave her a warm smile, patting her in the back.
But Frisk didn't smile back, she looked into Asriel's eyes; they used to be bright purple, but now, blood red eyes were staring back at her.
-And….what do we do then?-She asked.
Asriel looked at the window beside the bed, to the night sky, the moon had disappeared behind the clouds, leaving nothing but darkness, not even the stars would shine now. It was almost funny how fitting it was.
He hugged her tighter, resting his head against hers.
-I don't know
/ / /
The present
-I think that would be a good place.
-Don't you think it's too public?
-No, by this time of day only homeless people pass by.
-Even more reason not to go. We've been through this before; we need to find a safer place.
-There are no safer places Ash; this is our best option for the time being. If we go deeper in the park, the trees will shield us, and if we need to, we can climb one of them.
He looked around; making sure no one was listening to them. Humans and a few monsters walked in every directions, most of them not paying attention to them in the slightest, except one or two, who would cast a look of curiosity. That's right, access to this perimeter was strictly for a few people, mostly the rich and powerful who could afford it, and you had to have a special ID to being allowed to enter, according to what Asriel had heard say to a couple of people. ID they obviously didn't have. Why the police haven't shown up yet was a mystery to him. But that kind of luck was meant to run out.
He took her hand, intertwining their fingers firmly.
-It's still dangerous; we don't know what kind of people had installed themselves there-He insisted, studying the sight before him.
The park was gigantic, a true wonder, the size of a small town. It's was supposed to be located in the center of the city, but it was so big they actually moved the construction site near the edge of the city, right by the coast. An enormous cliff and a ten meters fall separated the city from the ocean and a one meter tall, metal railing kept the citizens from approaching too much at the edge, surrounding the cliff from beginning to end. No wonder you needed a special permission to get in.
Right now, they were a few steps of said railing, sitting with their faces down on a wooden bench, watching carefully the tall, dense trees that made up the place. During the day, this park was a place of fun, calm, beauty and peace,
But, at night, things changed.
People disappear, the noise, the laughter disappear and all that was left was an eerie silence and a crushing darkness, an almost shocking contrast.
-It's a good opportunity Ash.
-This place is surrounded by buildings, more people means more security and that means more chances of getting caught, we can't afford that- The young monster said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two women pointing their heads in their directions, making disapproval gestures; it wouldn't be long before someone starts to call the park's security. They had to move.
-They're beginning to suspect, we have to go.
She followed his gaze and a sad look appeared on her pale face. On the other site, the two women were walking towards two men in uniform, while casting careful glances at them, specifically at Asriel. Their luck had run out.
-We're leaving-He said, standing up rather quickly, pulling her with him. They started to walk in the opposite direction of the officers, who had already begun to move towards them.
-Don't look at them Frisk- Asriel said just when his partner tried to look behind her shoulder.
Frisk nodded and kept her eyes up front, though that didn't make her feel any better. People around them who notice their presence would move from their path almost immediately while wrinkling their nose. Well, it had been a few weeks since they were able to have a decent shower; it wasn't something they could afford at this moment. And besides that, it was hard not to notice a homeless monster and a girl walking down a park that was supposed to be private. They obviously had stumbled upon an important sector of the city, where the high class lived. Frisk felt suddenly very self-aware. She rolled up the sleeves of the oversized, old torn black sweater; she had found it when she and Asriel where exploring a nearby town, it was obvious that someone has used it and then discard it without much thought, so she took it for herself and it was the only piece of clothes she had wear in almost two months.
Frisk stumbled with a small rock, she lost her balance and was about to fall to the floor when Asriel pulled her back up with an instinctive movement of his hand wrapped around hers; Frisk cursed under her breath, the military boots she had found were proven to be a real problem, they were too big for her, making her stumble every few steps. However, it was all she had. Beggars can't be choosers.
They continued to walk as calmly as they could, trying to ignore the looks from the people. Frisk began to look around, concern growing fast in her chest.
-Ash they'll catch us, what do we do?
-We can cut across this area, we'll lose them between the trees and the crowd- Asriel said under his breath, his eyes, red as blood, looked around frantically, watching and studying; without warning he heard the voice of one of the park's keeper behind them.
-Hey, you two! Stop.
Damn it.
-When I tell you, you run like hell, don't stop and don't look back, I'll try to distract them. If things get ugly, we can fly.
- You can't fly Ash, you haven't eat anything in days, your magic is not strong enough-Frisk replied.
The park's keepers had begun to walk faster, they were fifteen meters away. If they manage to arrest them, they'll be separated, Frisk would be sent to prison and Asriel...she didn't even want to think about it. She couldn't lose him too.
Abruptly, Frisk felt how a powerful sensation enveloped the air, sparks began to appear on her field of view, as well as little color waves, as if a rainbow just manifested right in front of them. She knew this sensation all too well.
Asriel was using his powers.
Frisk looked up to see his face. The young monster's eyes were glowing, sparkling with magic, the color waves and dots of light dancing across his face. The combinations gave him a pretty intimidating aspect, scary even.
Asriel looked to his left. A woman was standing a few meters away, buying an ice cream from a small ice cream truck, beside it, a human man with brown hair and dark glasses was selling fruits and vegetables from two enormous wooden barrels; there were apples, strawberry, pears, pineapple and melons in one barrel, and carrots, broccoli, zucchini and pepper in the other.
-This will do- the monster said.
Asriel quickened his pace, forcing Frisk to jog to keep up with him and create the distance they needed between them and the two human officers. Asriel closed his eyes, then open them again, his magic scattered in all directions, reaching the wooden barrels.
The guards were getting close.
As quiet as possible, the two barrels began shaking, causing the man with the dark glasses to jump in surprise, as well as few customers nearby; the containers continue to tremble, more violently as the seconds went by, fruits and vegetables alike falling to the ground.
Asriel looked over his shoulder.
-I'm sorry-he said.
The next thing Frisk heard was the strident sound of wood exploding, kindling and crushed fruit, followed immediately by dozens of people's screams. Apples and melons rolled on the ground while pieces of pineapple, broccoli and carrot flew over people's head in all directions. In less than a second, chaos began to rise.
One of the guards trip over a watermelon, falling to the ground in a rather funny twirl, while his partner, not bothering to help, continue the pursuit only to crash hard against a woman who, for his misery, was carrying a baby in her arms. The impact almost causes the woman to drop the small infant and his mother wasted no time in start yelling at the men who was still trying to run pass her….
Perfect.
-Now!
He didn't even had to pull her by the arm. They both started running, straying from the main path towards the deepest part of the park, leaving the ocean behind. The world became blurry, a discordant mix of images and sounds, and yet, Frisk and Asriel moved through the crowd like shadows, avoiding people and obstacles like they weren't there. Frisk kept half of her attention on her peripheral vision, trying to feel if Asriel was still by her side, and she knew he was doing the same. They heard screaming, shouting and cursing, but they didn't look back.
They continued, going deeper and deeper; as they did the people around began to slowly decrease, along with the sunlight. Asriel noticed it first and in a quick movement he reached out his hand, Frisk understood, extending her own hand to him as they both slowed down, taking refuge behind a group of bushes. They took a big breath and looked around. The trees had become so tall and thick, with branches so large, the light could barely pass through, except for a few small sunbeams scattered here and there. The voices, the laughter and the screaming had stopped, swallowed by a rather eerie, sudden silence that was only broken by the sound of the small animals and the shaky breath of the two fugitives.
- I don't think anybody followed us, that went better than the last time, I just hope no one got hurt-Frisk said after a moment.
Her companion inspected their surroundings to make sure she was right. There where one or two passersby walking nearby, but nothing else. It seemed they had reached a more secluded area of the park. They could use that to their advantage.
-Let's stay close to the trees, they'll shield us. We can try and find shelter here-he said, Frisk nodded, taking the hand Asriel offered in an automatic gesture as they resume their walk.
They didn't have any clue of what or who they would find, but then again, they never had before. It was part of the fun.
/ / /
Darkness.
There was nothing but darkness, so dense it almost seemed alive, swallowing them up in an empty void. She couldn't even hear the sounds of any animal, as if the void had gobbled them up too. There weren't even light posts in this area, everything around them was in total silence, the only sounds were their clumsy steps and their irregular breaths.
She felt the telltale of magic in the air right before a small sparkle appeared and a small flame materialized itself in midair, casting its dim light around them. Frisk blinked a couple of times to adjust her vision and watched as Asriel kept the ball of fire in his left hand.
She instinctive pressed herself against his frame, she could feel his warmth, thick fur underneath the worn leather jacket he was wearing, it was a little too small for him, but he hasn't complain. Asriel took her hand in silence and resumed their walk. He had lost track of how many hours they had been walking aimlessly; the main path had disappeared long ago and now it felt like they had just wandered into an infinite maze. The trees were still incredible tall, with trunks so enormous Asriel was sure it'll be impossible to cut them down; he couldn't see the branches, it was too dark, but once in a while he could pick up the faint sound of leaves moving above them.
The ground beneath them was terribly troublesome to say the least; the tree roots rising over the earth were big enough to make them trip over every minute or so, there were giant rocks and branches all over the place and even the soil was unstable. Even with Asriel's fire, it was impossible to avoid all the obstacles.
On top of that, Frisk was having more difficulty keeping the pace thanks to the leather boots she carried, making her trip over nothing every few moments. By this point, it had become an automatic gesture for Asriel to tighten the grip around her hand every time she missed a step.
-Ugg, I hate these boots!- He heard her mumbled under her breath.
-You can always take them off- He said, not bothering to hide his smile, nor the mockery in his tired voice.
-I'm seriously thinking about it, at least I wouldn't trip every five seconds-she said, annoyed.
-You can do it, but you'll hurt your feet- He said not taking his sight off the road, his eyes moving around carefully, looking for any sign of danger, or some kind of refuge they could use to spend the night, but there was nothing except trees, bushes and darkness. The goat monster looked at his feet, this place was nothing like the beautiful, carefully crafted place they have been in a few hours ago, Instead it appear to have become something out of a horror movie.
- This isn't the park anymore, I don't think we'll encounter anyone, it's deserted- he said cautiously raising his hands a little more to cast more light around them. There was something about the place that wasn't right, it make him nervous.-Maybe we should try and go back, I don't like this.
He stopped and Frisk mimicked him.
- We're too deep in this forest Ash, I don't think we can go back- she said looking around.
Asriel scanned the area, analyzing their options. They could very well turn back and try to make their way into the park, but with no directions and no clear idea where to go they would end up lost, well, even more than now; he could try fly over the trees and find a way out, but his magic was getting weaker by the second, he wouldn't last long. Climbing the trees was not an option either as the branches were too far up.
They were running out of options.
The young monster looked at the palm of his hand, the fire was a small, weak floating flame that could barely shine enough light. A clear sign of weakness provoked by starvation; other symptoms were beginning to made themselves visible: Asriel was feeling nauseous, a slight headache and oh so tired, his limbs felt numb and his vision was getting blurry.
Contrary to humans, monsters experienced a faster deterioration when they spend too much time without food or water, and they've been roaming around the city for days now. If they continue like this he wouldn't last much longer before passing out...
But Asriel wasn't ready to give up, his entire body was begging him to stop, rest and get food but he couldn't, he couldn't stop, he wasn't going to just leave Frisk alone and unprotected in a place like this.
He would find a way, he knew he could, he had the one thing no one else had.
"Keep moving forward"
-Let's keep moving then- he said with a renovated conviction, pressing forward and pulling Frisk to him, raising his arm to its full high to at least get a more clear vision on their steps as he speeded the pace. Frisk noticed the change in his voice, but she had also noticed how her partner weakened with every second that passed, It made her SOUL tighten with worry; this caused the girl to start altering her gaze between Asriel and the path and, of course, to stumble more often. Asriel didn't take long to figure out why.
-Frisk, I'm fine, stop worrying.
-You're not, you're exhausted, and your magic is barely holding, maybe we should stop for a little bit and rest-she suggested as she managed to elude a fallen branch.
-I don't want us to stay in this dark void for one second; I would rather stop when we find shelter.
-Ash, I think we should consider the possibility that there is no shelter here, you said it yourself, this is not part of the park, I can't even tell if we're still in the city anymore, and if we're not, our only chance is to….
Frisk didn't have the chance to finish her sentence. The next thing Asriel heard was a loud cry, followed by Frisk's hand pulling him down; he tried to stabilize both of them, but suddenly the ground beneath them disappeared. Asriel felt himself fall into nothingness and then rolling down; trunk trees, small rocks and broken branches hit his body as he went down the hill. The flame in his hand died instantly, pulling them into the darkness once more. For what felt like infinite, Asriel couldn't discern left from right or up and down; then, as soon as it started, it ended.
He hit the floor, hard, his back and left arm taking the worst part of the impact, the air was pulled out of him, making him gasp. His body was left in an unnatural position and he was forced to stay that way for a few seconds, as he tried to catch his breath; when he stopped seeing stars he carefully moved his arms around, rolling to his side using his hands and knees for support. He lifted his head and looked to his side, but Frisk wasn't there.
-Frisk? - He asked. There was no answer.
His SOUL jumped.
He stood up in a single movement, no longer worrying about his injuries or the pain; he looked around him frantically but there was nothing to see except darkness.
-Frisk!- He screamed this time, and it felt like his voice was swallowed by the emptiness. He walked a few steps before raising his hand; a small fireball appeared once again, smaller than ever before, He growled under his breath before raising his other hand, he closed his eyes and, with every bit of strength he had, summoned a small group of silver stars that rose above his head, doing circles around him and casting a dim light. It was far from being enough, but it'll have to do; the goat monster felt a sharp pain in his mind, but he paid no attention to it, moving as quickly as he could between the trees, calling his friend's name over and over.
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