Little bit of a different chapter here, set later in the story but taking a look at the normal current time. Let me know what you all think of the format.
Dream1990: And I'm happy you're still enjoying the series.
Fanfic girl of all worlds: Could maybe ask for some other skeleton shenanigans.
Blackit tamer: Thanks for the kind words.
OnePunchFan8: That is odd, it said something similar on my end. I dunno, guess it's just wonky. Hope this one fixes the problem.
Everything was dark. There was no sound, no movement, no light. A seemingly endless expanse of nothing in every direction.
Suddenly, a sound!
Click.
Creak.
Click.
Then, light.
What was a perpetual void turned into a small shed, like the kind behind a house. Said shed had a single narrow tiled path colored purple, with greyblue walls. One wall was set back, creating a work bench with four pull out drawers beneath. Blueprints to a strange machine sat on one side. Along the far wall was a large device covered by a larger blanket, completely hiding the contents. A secret within a secret.
The source of the sounds and light gave a groan and hoisted an object they were holding higher, waddling away from the door and light switch to set the thing down on the bench. It was a television with a built-in video player, along with a small collection of vhs tapes. A bony hand wiped sweat from a bonier brow. Despite the surroundings outside being appropriately named for a cold place, the exertion was more than they were used to.
"smooth move, bonehead. almost dropped the thing. didn't realize I was that out of shape," the figure said, stretching as best they could in their light blue jacket. Not wasting more time, they took the cord from the tv and placed it into a socket by the bench, a little red light appearing on the tv to indicate it was getting power. Reaching out for the tapes next, the person checked the labels of each one.
Kindness Begets Kindness.
Wrong one.
Justice for All.
Not it.
Determination in Time.
Jackpot.
Placing the tape into the deck, it slid in on its own when halfway in, the tv turning on automatically. In the brief moments before the video started, the person's reflection stared back at them. Snow white complexion, wide face to match their body, two small white lights in otherwise black sockets, and a permanent grin that could look disarming or scary given the right context.
"alright. let's start at the beginning and see if we can find where things went wrong. i'll really have to knuckle down to find the solution." With that, they pressed play on the television, the room filling with the sights and sounds of people both here and not.
-X-
Frisk sat on top of a medical examination chair with Dr. Crowley in front of her, checking her vitals and clacking his beak now and then. Frisk looked around as the doctor worked, eyes going over the room and its contents. One doctor doing an exam, one doctor sitting across from her and fiddling with a pen and paper, one video camera recording everyone, and various science stuff.
After a few minutes and several questions, the crow-like monster stepped away, beady eyes moving from Frisk to the tall and slender W. . "That's a clean bill of health as far as I can tell," he said, his jet black feathers contrasting with the white lab coat he wore. "I would say she needs more time in the sun, but then we all do."
"Thank you Crowley. Now it's my turn," Gaster signed, the strange signals appearing from his hands as they moved. The crow monster said the words aloud, acting as translator between Gaster and Frisk now that the actual medical part was over. Instead of standing, Gaster stay seated in a way that left an unobstructed path between Frisk and the door.
"Now Frisk, I want to first make it clear that you are not being forced to say anything. If you don't want to tell us something for any reason, you don't have to. If you want this to end, you may leave at any time. Understood?" Once Crowley finished translating, Frisk nodded her head.
"Very good. Let us begin then." Gaster clicked his pen and put it to the pad, looking at Frisk. "Please tell us about the events that transpired yesterday, and be sure to include anything that may seem out of the ordinary."
Frisk chewed her lip a bit as she thought. She didn't know how much she could safely say. On the one hand, Gaster was probably the only person who could tell her why the LOAD ability had failed at first. On the other, if monsters knew she could turn back time, they could start to mistrust her because any she could always go back and redo things.
However, what scared her most is how everyone would react to Chara. They might not see a sad, heartbroken girl lashing out in grief, but instead see a murderous psycho that got two other people killed. She remembered thinking similarly when she first saw her now sister and felt guilty about it.
There was only one way she would find out if that's how things would play out. Thus, with a deep breath, she began.
"When me, Chara, and Asriel got home, we found out Undyne was already there and waiting for us. It was training day, and Chara was going to practice fighting with Dad first while I tried to make a magic weapon. Neither of us did very well though," she said with a shrug, legs dangling off the edge and swaying back and forth.
"When everyone was done with the first set, we were going to get some snacks since we didn't get any when we first got home. Undyne and Chara stayed behind." At that statement, Gaster made the first note in his paper. "The rest of us had sandwiches and tea. I finished first, so I was going to take some to Chara. Then..." Frisk trailed off quietly, visibly stiffening.
Gaster took a few notes, then gave a wave of his hand. "Please, continue."
"Then," Frisk replied, "I saw saw Undyne with her spear out about to throw it at Chara, who had her soul out. When Undyne pulled her hand back, I dropped the plate and ran in to push Chara out of the way. I saved her, but got hit by the spear myself."
Frisk shuddered as she remembered what happened. "Because I was technically running into a fight, my soul came out, and it was hit directly. It only took one hit to bring me down to zero HP."
"And is that the point when time was reversed?" Gaster asked, Crowley almost forgetting to translate while listening to the story.
"No," said Frisk. "I tried, but it told me 'Load Failed.' That's when Chara took my soul, to keep it from Undyne. Then she...she..." Frisk was finding it harder to breathe, not wanting to say the next part.
Gaster sat there patiently, thinking it unwise to force the human child to say anything she didn't want. "It is alright, Frisk. You don't have to continue."
"No! I have to tell you, but please..." She suddenly sat forward, eyes wide and pleading. "Please don't be angry. It's not her fault. She wasn't thinking straight, it was all out of anger. Don't blame her. Please don't blame her." Frisk's sudden outburst caught both doctors off guard, with Gaster at a loss for words.
"Chara was sad and angry that I was killed. Anyone would be, and she didn't think things through. She lashed out at Undyne and they fought hard. They both almost killed each other, but Chara eventually won and turned Undyne to dust. Then Asriel came, then Mom and Dad, and Dad would've attacked Chara if Mom hadn't stopped him and she was carrying my body..." Frisk's story had become just her droning on with fear and worry, getting it all out in one go.
"...then I wanted to go back more and more and kept hitting Load and eventually it worked so I went back and stopped it all from happening. So don't get mad at her, she didn't do it this time, and please don't tell anyone else cause I no longer want things to be bad for her." Frisk was out of breath by the time she stopped, looking between Gaster and Crowley as she took a deep breath.
After a moment, Gaster adjusted the collar on his shirt and signed. "Alright, that gave us some answers, but even more questions. We'll start with the part at the end where you don't want things to be bad for Chara anymore. There was a time when you did?"
Frisk's face had a deer-in-the headlights look at the question. "Uh...well, I..."she said in a fluster. Then she sighed and looked down at the ground. "When Chara first fell, I found her outside our house in the middle of the night. She was really dirty, had a creepy smile, was a big bully, and had a bloody knife. We had a fight where she cut me, and I stopped her by nearly popping her shoulder out."
Gaster made sure to write down notes while Frisk continued. "I thought I hated her when we first met, but now...well, she's had a hard life, like I did. I know she doesn't mean to do bad things, it's just how she had to live on the surface, and I don't blame her for it. I think we've kinda grown on each other, since we have so much in common. I can relate to her in a way I can't with anyone else in the underground."
"Let's move on to another topic," Gaster said after a moment of silence between the three. "It has long been theorized that not only can humans learn magic in the way monsters can, but that each soul type has its own unique abilities. On the surface, since there is no longer magic, these abilities also do not manifest anymore. In the underground, where magic is plentiful, these abilities could reoccur."
"And my ability is time travel?" Frisk asked, thinking of different possibilities such powers could grant.
"Not exactly. From what you have said, you are only able to go back in time, and though people's memories are erased, it seems there's a lingering shadow of those memories, which are perceived as feelings of familiarity." When he saw Frisk's confused look, he gave a shrug, which was his version of a sigh. "Put plainly, when you use your ability, people get déjà vu."
"Oh, I get it," Frisk said, only partially getting it.
"Now how do you know how far back to go? Are you able to choose any time, or are there set points you can return to?"
"I use the stars," Frisk replied, gaining a quizzical look from Gaster.
"Surely you do not mean the stars in the sky. Those cannot be seen from beneath the mountain."
"No, not those ones. More like yellow lights that turn in place. They are only in a couple places, like in front of our houses in Home and New Home. When I touch them, I can save. I guess when I load, I go back to the last star I touched, when I last touched it." Frisk had a finger on her cheek, trying to think of how it might work.
"And is that all that happens with the stars and these options?" Gaster asked, still writing in his notepad.
"Well, I always feel better after touching one, like I just got a dose of healing magic. Oh, and there's the reset option that I never tried."
At the mention of reset, Gaster stopped writing and looked up, a look of shock on his bony features. "Frisk, it is of the utmost importance that you do not, under any but the most dire circumstances, EVER use that ability." Frisk looked at the doctor, not expecting such a sharp reply.
"If you can only go back to the last star you touched with a LOAD, then a RESET is most likely reversing to the point of the beginning, when you first fell into the kingdom." Frisk grimaced as she remembered the fall and the accompanying pain. "Going back that far may have unintended consequences. Things will be different from people having a vague sense of already having done things that they may do something else. It could be something small, like choosing a different outfit, to something enormous, like changing the way someone interacts with others completely. Even several small changes can add up and create larger changes as time goes on."
"Not only that," Gaster continued, "but even the LOAD ability should be used sparingly at best. That kind of power could seem harmless at first, like being able to undo a mistake or save a life. However, it could easily spiral into something terrible. The temptation to do something horrible, knowing you can undo it at any time, can be a great one."
"But I wouldn't do that!" Frisk said loudly, thinking Gaster was accusing them of something. Gaster himself just nodded.
"I believe you, Frisk. I've been keeping updated on you since you were first brought to my attention, and I have faith that you would use the abilities only when needed." Frisk smiled brightly, happy for the compliment.
"Thank you Frisk. You have given me more information than I initially thought you would. We will conclude this exam here, as I'm sure you're eager to rejoin your family, and I have another patient waiting." With that, Dr. Gaster stood up and held out his hand, Frisk hopping off the exam chair and taking the proffered hand, shaking it. Crowley held open the door, letting Frisk out into the waiting room where the rest of the family was waiting, sitting on two benches opposite the door and three sinks. Gaster walked up to the camera until his head took up most of the screen.
"That was Determination in Time, Frisk interview."
A white bony hand went to eject the video when the screen turned blank, only to pause and retract once it flared back to life. At first glance, one might think it was either a repeat of the last video, or that the human had just changed shirts and was going through everything again. However, the watcher saw the subtle differences and recognized the human was an entirely different one.
The people on screen went through the same routine checks, albeit with the human seemingly reluctant to do so. Dr. Crowley once again gave the okay, letting Dr. Gaster take over the proceedings.
"Now Chara, let us be clear that we are not forcing you to saying anything you do not wish to, and you do not have to stay in the room. You may leave at any time and end this, or have us move on to another question. Understood?"
"Yeah, yeah. What's the catch?" Chara rolled her red eyes as she replied, waiting to hear about how everything she did say was going to be told to everyone, or that her silence would be seen as admissions of guilt. Instead, Gaster got up, moved to open the door, then stood aside.
"There is no 'catch,' child. If you wish to leave now, no one will hold it against you." While Gaster thought that was true, Chara knew better. She would never be able to look Frisk in the eyes again if she just up and left, so with a huff she just crossed her arms and looked at the corner of the floor.
"Very well, let us begin," Gaster began, Crowley again acting as translator. He shut the door softly and sat back down with his notepad and pen, using one hand to sign.
"Can you tell us about events that happened yesterday? Specifically anything that was out of the ordinary?" The doctor then held the notepad steady with his previously free hand, ready to write down anything noteworthy.
"I went to school, came home and trained with everyone, ate dinner, then went to bed. That's it," came Chara's reply. She stubbornly refused to look at either monster so they could not see into her eyes, otherwise they might realize she was lying. Gaster wrote something short on the pad, then freed his hand.
"And there was nothing strange? No feelings of déjà vu, no sense of having done the same thing already, nor any memories of doing something you haven't actually done?" Chara visibly flinched at the last suggestion, indicating to Gaster that he was on the right track.
"Nope. Everything was fine. Nothing at all happened." Chara was getting more defensive, tightening her arms around herself and sinking into a lower slouch.
"So you did not fight the young monster, Undyne, because she accidentally killed the human, Frisk?" Gaster went straight to the point, hoping to prompt some kind of reaction from Chara. Oh boy, did he.
"No! Frisk is fine, and so is Undyne! I didn't get them killed, that never happened!" Chara yelled, head turned so she looked straight at Gaster, face turning red. Her arms had come undone, holding onto the legs of her shorts in tight fists.
"I never said anything about you killing them," Gaster replied in a calm manner, though Crowley's delivery was anything but, having been startled by the human's outburst. Meanwhile, Chara's features changed from anger, to shock, back to a quieter anger.
"Of course you didn't, because it never happened. And even if I did do something like that, it was all erased so I didn't end up doing it." Chara went back to looking away from the monster doctors, though now she started having a giggling fit.
"Hmm. Well, moving on. Have you seen a star, Chara? Not the kind in the sky, but a yellow one on the ground?" Gaster thought it best to move on and not antagonize the child more. There were other issues to address.
Chara was silent a moment before she replied. "Once. Maybe. If...something had happened yesterday, I could've seen one just sitting there, perfectly still, just like..." she trailed off, beginning to laugh out loud as she thought of Frisk's lifeless body next to the odd star, hating how that was her go-to thing when she was nervous or afraid.
"Did you touch it, and did anything happen?" Gaster asked, only getting a head shake from the child while they continued laughing.
"Dr. Gaster, perhaps we should end here. She is in no condition to continue." Crowley spoke up, feathered hands starting to wring nervously.
"You are right, Dr. Crowley. Chara, thank you for the information you've given us. We are all glad nothing out of the ordinary happened to you." Gaster motioned to the door when he was done talking, Chara getting the message and hurrying out, the laughter fading away quickly.
"Well, Dr. Gaster, that was...quite the experience. Do you believe everything they said?" Crowley's beak clicked a few times as a nervous tic.
"They both posses the ability to SAVE and LOAD, though only one can use it at a time it seems. As for their intentions, they are human. We can never fully trust their words nor actions. However, they have given me some ideas. I will have to brief the others first thing tomorrow. For now, nothing said here can be repeated, else it may cause monsters to panic unduly." With that, Gaster again moved to the camera, his symbols moving over his face as he peered into the lens.
"That was Determination in Time, Chara interview."
-X-
The figure waited a bit when the last of the tape played, letting the static of the screen mimic his own mind with all manner of thoughts running through it. Despite the blue jacket, he shuddered, bones rattling beneath the garment.
"at least that answered a few questions, but it also brought up some new ones. guess I'm on the hunt again." He let out a breath, a small cloud forming and dissipating in front of him, which was quite a feat for a skeleton, even a monster one.
"SANS! WHERE DID YOU GO, YOU LAZYBONES? THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL BE HERE SOON AND I NEED HELP WITH THE MEAL PREPARATIONS!" The manic shouting popped the squat skeleton from his thoughts. He gave a sigh, pressed power on the television, and stood up, taking a shortcut to pop up behind figure the voice came from.
"sup bro?" He said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen he and brother shared. A brother who turned around from the really tall sink, revealing his taller form and 'battle body' costume that he almost never took off underneath a 'kiss the cook' apron.
"THE NUMBER OF PLATES WE NEED, THAT'S WHAT IS UP. WHILE YOU WERE OFF LOLLYGAGGING AGAIN, I'VE BEEN PREPARING A GREAT SPAGHETTI FEAST FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY THE LIKES OF WHICH THEY'VE NEVER SEEN!" The taller skeleton made a dramatic pose as he spoke, which would have looked awesome, had it not been for the water overflowing from the sink behind him.
"that's using your noodle, pap," The shorter skeleton remarked, grinning ear to ear as his pun caused his brother to lose composure.
"SANS, THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS. YOU FIND ENOUGH ROOM TO SEAT EVERYONE WHILE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, COOK UP A CULINARY DELIGHT!
"sure thing, though finding that much space will be a royal pain," sans said as he shuffled off, grabbing plates and cutlery to spread along the couch and floor.
"THE ONLY ROYAL PAIN WILL BE THE ONE THE KING GIVES YOU FOR YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES AND WORK ETHIC." Papyrus retorted as fire shot out through the doorway. Sans grinned, knowing he'd have to come up with another excuse to not eat the almost edible cooking. However, he was sure he could convince two certain humans to check out some videos he found out back.