A/N: For the best effect, go to youtube and listen to "Gaster's Theme Remix - W. D. Gaster's Megalovania (by amella)" before the battle, and "ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN (W. D. Gaster battle theme)" during the battle. It really adds to the atmosphere. :3 Also try to imagine Frisk can actually hear it because the "Underground randomly generates music"


You were confused. This wasn't the exit from the Underground. You had been certain you had been about to leave, though. Had you taken a wrong turn at some point? This monster is so unfamiliar. You didn't like this room. Darkness was blooming around every corner, but it was completely unlike the darkness you were used to. The darkness in the Underground had things hidden within it: monsters, secret doors, and plants. This darkness was empty. It was nothingness, and that terrified you.

You knew this type of darkness, though. The last time you had been in a place such as this, you'd been confronted by Flowey. This darkness was all-encompassing, but it was still different from the "SAVE" screen. While that darkness seemed to go on endlessly, this one felt more suffocating. The air felt thick with potential energy for, what you could guess, almost anything to occur. You didn't like it at all.

You wanted to move backwards, but you felt as if you could barely lift your legs. Your heart was racing in your chest as the darkness seemed to take a shape. You whimpered a bit, calling out your companion's name before you accurately registered that Sans was still with you. A jumpier part of you worried that he would attack you, but you pushed it away as instinct drove you to his side. You could feel his hand still gripping the back of your shirt. You reached blindly for him and grabbed his sleeve as the darkness settled into a figure you recognized.

Gaster's form seemed much more solid than last time despite the fact that a majority of his body blended in with the darkness. You could only really see his face and hands and maybe the top of what may have been a shirt. The darkness seemed to bore straight through his eyes. Was this entire room made of Gaster? Was this the "void"? How had you gotten here? Your arm stung with phantom pain.

"H Ello S A Ns." His voice was wispy, like the quiet hiss of static from a distance. Sans didn't respond, but he did step up next to you. You didn't release your grip on him yet. "Y ou We R e Not S upp Ose D To Come As Wel L." As Gaster's shape seemed to solidify –black on black− his voice also seemed to solidify.

You glanced at Sans. The smile on his face was tense, but not angry. You wondered if he was hiding his anger for your sake, or if he just wasn't angry. You couldn't tell. His jaw was tight even as he shrugged nonchalantly. "you know i always seem to show up uninvited. it's a bad habit, see, but it ain't right to let a kid go off to meet a strange monster alone."

Gaster, somehow, seemed amused. "We Ar E Acq Uaint Ed, Th Ough."

"yeah, you make great first impressions." Gaster glitched suddenly, half of his body jerking separate from itself. He seemed to struggle to put himself back together. You flinched involuntarily. Sans inched his way a little bit in front of you. He shot a look at you, trying to convey a silent meaning. You stared at him, confused. Sans dislodged your hand a made a quick sign: "shield".

You blinked in agreement, and turned back to Gaster as the monster reformed himself. You reached into your pocket to keep your hand on your shield.

"Ho W Ma Ny Time S Ha Ve I He Ard That?" Gaster asked as the static in his voice lowered to a steady hum. "Cou N T Less, S Ure Ly."

"yet you still find it funny." Sans told him.

"S Omet Imes."

"how've you been, pal? why don't we catch up and let the kid go play somewhere? leave 'em with pap?" Sans suggested, smiling.

"No. I Th Ink No T." Gaster mused. He turned his focus on you. "I Am Afr Aid It's TIME For Pl Ay To En D." You felt a tug on your Soul, and suddenly you were outside of your body. Gaster's form now had a faint white outline. Now that you were better able to sense magic, you realized that some of the white floating within the darkness of Gaster's body was what was left of his Soul, barely kept together by sheer force of will. You had never realized how powerful Determination was until this moment.

You turned your head to the side to see the whiter form of Sans. His Soul too seemed to glow through his body. He was no longer touching you, instead giving both of you a bit of space. Your bright red Soul was the only color you could see. You could only vaguely feel how cold your body was. The Void felt even more suffocating to your Soul. How was it possible that nothingness could feel like you were surrounded on all sides by slime?

"buddy." Sans said, "i don't think you want to do that. com'mon. can't two old pals talk it out?" He shrugged even as bones began to materialize around his body and yours. You pulled out your shield. You didn't know whether to protect your body or your Soul. "after all, we have so much to say to each other."

"Com E Now S A Ns." Gaster wheedled. "It Is No T As If Y Ou Hav E No T Hel P Ed Wit H Thi S Wor K Befor E. Wh Y The Ch An Ge Of Hea Rt?"

"i don't think you get it." Sans said. "this kid is under my protection. i promised a friend a long time ago, after all. and i'm not letting you have them."

"You Would Impede Our Progress?" Gaster's voice dropped almost all signs of static as his body began to tremble. His words were no longer stilted. The fragments of his Soul seemed to glow with a red sheen as for the first time you began to see Gaster as what he really was. The black blob of his body shaped itself into a lab coat and white pants. His face still seemed to glitch as hands and those strange symbols began to materialize around him. You tensed in preparation.

"what progress? you taking the kid's soul?" Sans demanded, his bones moving faster now. His eyes darted around taking in the symbols. Perhaps they were words? You couldn't tell as large hands began to materialize as well. You inhaled. "you're everywhere and when, right? just take another human's soul."

"You Do Not Understand." Gaster hissed. Despite the smile built into his face, he appeared to be becoming angrier. "Our Mission. Our Studies. Our Work. It Cannot Be Done With Just ANY Human Soul." Gaster grinned now, a gaping void where teeth and a mouth should be. The glitches began to appear then. The whole of the Void seemed to twitch sideways. You gasped in shock as your leg disconnected from your body –sliced clean through− only to reattach immediately. You stumbled backwards. Sans grimaced as the line that seemed to cut through the Void sliced his hipbone, only to also reattach immediately.

"all humans have powerful souls. you don't need frisk's."

"Chara's Soul Is Necessary. It Is What I Need." He looked straight at you then. "Give It To Me." The symbols disappeared out of existence only to appear around you. You brought up your shield and dodged sideways, ducking underneath some of the symbols. They flew after you, refusing to let you leave their line of attack. You ducked behind your shield, causing them to crash into the metal and explode outwards. Sans moved to avoid the debris as Gaster made an annoyed noise.

You could sense it was your turn. You looked over at Sans, worried, but his face wasn't giving you any hints as to what to do. You didn't know what to do against Gaster. Everybody told you that you needed to attack the monster. You needed to destroy him in order to save yourself, but why did violence have to be the only answer? Papyrus was right in that Gaster can't be all bad. You didn't want to kill him. Maybe you could reason with him? Every monster could be convinced to stop hurting you. Even Asriel, in the end, just needed someone to talk to.

You decided to Act and told Gaster, "I don't want to fight."

"Do Not Fight Me, Then. It Is Easier That Way."

Sans, however, had different intentions. It was his turn. He threw his hand out which caused the bones he had summoned to fly towards Gaster. Each one went right through him without harming him. Sans cursed under his breath. Your friends had suspected physical attacks wouldn't work, but Sans had wasted a turn testing the theory.

"this ain't chara. if you want that human, you need to go further back on the timeline!" Sans tried.

"Forwards, Backwards . . . These Mean Nothing To Me Any Longer. I Exist At All Points. It Is Hell." The hands, larger than even the tall Gaster, launched towards you. You had yet to see Gaster attack Sans. One of the hands glitched out while the other was somewhat transparent. The holes within them were large enough that your entire body could duck into it, but which one would you go for? Your Soul only had so much room to maneuver, and Gaster was coming to fill up the entire area.

You took a risk and dodged for the hand that hadn't glitched. You ducked into the hole in the hand just in time for the other hand to expand and overlap the hand you were in. Only the spot you had hidden in was safe. Your instincts saved you yet again. The hands shrunk and warped back to Gaster.

Shaken, you tried again to Talk to him, "Why my Soul?"

"Is It Not Obvious?" There was scorn in his voice, treating you like a young child asking tedious questions. You swallowed at the sound. "Apparently Not. Sans, You Always Did Have Such . . . Interesting . . . Friends."

"some of us like to be friendly." Sans responded. He tried again to attack, this time applying magic to his bones. They spun rapidly around Gaster, trapping him and closing trembling momentarily before the suddenly closed the gap. Gaster, however, dodged under them and out of the way. His façade of a smile turned into a sneer.

"Friendly With Those Not Necessary." It sounded like an old argument. "I Need Your Soul To Come Back To Reality. You Must Try To Understand When I Say That I MUST Return. I Cannot Bear It Here Any Longer."

He repeated his attack with the symbols. You were better prepared this time and ducked behind your shield as soon as they shot at you. The explosion sent glitches flying in all directions. Gaster hissed in annoyance, glaring at your shield. His body temporarily jerked backwards, more of a glitch than of its own accord, You wished that you could get closer and maybe force Gaster farther away, but with your shield up you could not move.

You decided to appeal to Gaster's ego. "I know I'm not as smart as you . . . so can you please explain why I am so, um, necessary?" You ducked your head demurely. Sans shot you an unamused look. You could tell he was getting annoyed that you weren't trying to attack at all. Sans's repertoire of attacks were not entirely magic-based, and the ones that were would exhaust him if he went on for too long. Neither of you knew how long you would need to last.

Gaster seemed very put-upon, but he did say, "Very Well. For Ever I Have Been Trapped Here. My Soul Is Shattered, And My Matter Is Gone, Destroyed By My Erasure. The Only Thing That Has Kept Me Alive Thus Far Is My Own DETERMINATION." He paused, thinking to himself. His body grew fuzzy along the edges and his clothes began to form back into an indescribable shape as his anger decreased some. His magic's grip on your Soul did not yet release you. "We Knew About Determination, But Not How Powerful It Was. How Is It That Through Sheer Force Of Will Alone I Can Still Exist? And How Is It That A Child Can Do What Science Could Not?" He began to grow angry again, his body solidifying. "Determination Is What I Have, But I Have Not The Power To Direct It. I Can See All Of Time, But I Cannot Interact With It Like I Wish To. Appearances Mean Nothing. Temporary Access To My Cell Exhausts My Magic." He threw his arms out. "Which Is Why This Game Must End. So That I May Return To My Work. So That I Will Be Able To Alter The World At My Will!"

"you can't!" Sans cried, for the first time sounding upset. You could see the sweat coating his skull, and the fear in his eyes. You shrunk down a little. What had he realized? You still didn't understand why Gaster needed your Soul. "gaster, this is madness. if all of this showed me anything, it's that time isn't something to be messed with. we never should have tried to change anything. don't do this." Sans was begging.

Gaster ignored Sans entirely, instead choosing to attack you again. Hands appeared all around you. They grew and shrunk as they appeared, reminding you horribly of one of the strange amalgamates that had been in the True Lab. The one that had disappeared. You dodged each attack desperately even as they picked up speed. The Void was shaking. Your chest felt strange and terribly wrong.

"Sans!" You cried, realizing that the attack wasn't going to stop. It was still Gaster's turn, but it should've ended by now. The game was breaking. Hands were appearing around Gaster. From what you could see, they looked almost like they were speaking sign language. Sans glanced at Gaster helplessly, and then at you. Your Soul wasn't fast enough for this. You couldn't throw yourself out of the way fast enough.

"hang in there, kid!" Sans told you and threw his arm out. Blue magic wrapped around your Soul as Sans took control of where you were going. He switched the gravity upon you, forcing you towards him. The range of your Soul extended with it much like it had done when you had fought him. He caught you and held you steady now that you were free from the relentless attack. It was officially "your" turn. You were too shaken up to do anything yet. The hands kept signing around the three of you, enclosing you all in like a fence. Symbols began to form words that you didn't doubt Sans could read. He released you, but you both stayed close.

"frisk, buddy, i don't think the pacifist route is going to get you out of this one." Sans muttered under his breath to you. "fire magic is stronger and more durable than my attacks. if he insists on breaking the battle, we can take advantage too."

You shook your head. You didn't want to fight. You didn't even have a weapon, unless your shield somehow counted as one. Sans's eye flashed blue causing you to look away from him. He began to prepare his next attack despite your refusal to fight. You tried to explain to him why he should stop.

"Please," you said, trying to raise your voice above the static that was starting to hurt your ears. The smell of ozone had disappeared, replaced with [ERROR]. Whatever this place smelled like, it was omitted from you. Everything was wrong about this world, "it's not worth it. Changing time . . . only proves to give you the same outcome. Everyone is hurt. I . . . I just want this cycle to end. We're . . . we're going to move forward. No more looking back."

"Yes, I've Heard Your Little Deal." Gaster said. "Time, However, Has Forgotten Me. What Do I Care For Its Desires? No, I Shall Do What I Wish To Do."

"not when i've finally stopped this endless cycle." Sans scowled, startling you. You hadn't seen him so visibly furious in a long time. The eye socket closest to you was empty, but you could see the burning of his magic in the other one. Your hands shook as you feebly gripped your shield for protection. It was the only warning you got as multiple blasters formed behind Sans. Your instincts told you to move away from Sans, but you knew being closer to him was safer. Gaster had yet to attack Sans. "I won't let you send me back to my own hell!"

The blasters erupted with magic, shooting their beams straight at Gaster. He dodged two of their attacks almost effortlessly, but didn't try to avoid the third one. You understood why when the void around you jumped again, and sudden the beam was veering off to the right of Gaster instead of directly at him.

Gaster didn't attack right away when Sans's turn ended. Instead he stared at Sans emotionlessly. Sans panted a little beside you. You bit your lip.

"You Really Have Come To Hate Me That Much." Gaster said quietly. His form was fizzing badly like an old television. His head clicked a little to the side again and again. Sans didn't respond. His usual smile was there, but combined with his blackened sockets he looked positively livid. His cold fury affected even you, burning frozenly in your chest. You pulled your Soul a bit closer to your body.

Gaster seemed to consider his next words before he sighed heavily, as if Sans's hatred was a tantrum his child was throwing. "I Can See There Is Still Much I Must Teach You. I Cannot Do It With That Child With You, So Protective Of The Human Creature That You Are."

"great idea." Sans's voice was falsely jovial. "so let's send frisk here home to their parents and we can have a chat. what'dya say?"

"I Have Used Up Much Power Bringing Them Here. I Cannot Risk Another Chance. No, I Think I Shall Prove My Point To You. You Always Were A Visual Monster. Seeing, I Suppose, Is Believing." He grinned widely, both eyes popping open. Your Soul was released suddenly ending the battle. You only managed to catch a flash of white in the socket of Gaster's face before the darkness lunged at Sans and captured him. You cried out and reached for him, but he was abruptly not there. There was nothing but void in front of you.

You turned sharply to tell Gaster to bring Sans back, but Gaster was gone too. All around you darkness stretched endlessly.

You were alone.


A/N: The next chapter I post will be in "Through Hollow Eyes". The following chapter will be back with TMFF picking up where we left off.

I'm going to ATTEMPT to get all three chapters out over the course of this weekend. I will probably try to close this story by next weekend, but it depends on how much I'm writing. I've had my endings planned for a long time, so hopefully quick! Anyway please leave me a review on how you felt during this chapter because I'm honestly curious about how I did. These kinds of things are difficult and I want to be sure I got the atmosphere right.

Thank you!