July 6th, 2022: Qurairu
'Gaster, I want to visit~ Guess what we have! = D'
"What does that little candle have in store this time?" Gaster murmured, shaking his head. He waited for the feel of their energy entering the Rift, then pulled them into the Place Between.
The fusion giggled, amusement dancing in their eyes, the magic seeping from it slightly due to their own excitement. "Hi~" they called.
"Little Candle," Gaster greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The child drew their cloak forth, covering their front completely, and when they withdrew, their hands were holding a flowerpot. "Ta-da~"
"Ah, a flower." Gaster sank a little, coming closer to Frisk's level. "I take it there is something… special about this one? I can feel the magic coming from it."
They gave an affirmative hum. "It's a Recital Flower-it permanently keeps what you say," they explained, quickly going through the other rules to the red flower.
"And you wish this… for me?" Gaster asked, tilting his head to the side.
Frisk nodded. "I've given one to everybody else now, so...your turn!"
"You did not have to." Gaster's tone was tinged with light amusement.
The blue eye glowed, a familiar smile showing on their features. 'Uh, since when did 'You did not have to' stop this kid?'
"I must concede that point." Gaster laughed quietly. He reached out to take the plant, then studied it carefully for a moment. "A precious gift," he murmured.
Once it was handed over, the fusion hopped back, drawing the scarf up to cover their mouth while they playfully motioned that they could cover their ears.
Gaster kept staring at the flower, as if deep in thought. Then he spoke a single word.
"Believe."
A small exhalation, and the flower began to repeat his one-word message.
The child crept over, humming curiously at the flower as they rose on tiptoes to look at it.
"If there is any wisdom that is worth leaving to those who have yet to come..." Gaster did not look away from the flower as he spoke. "It is this."
He could hear the collective sounds of thought from the fusion as they smiled, their ear fins twitching to the sound of the flower. The ancient being slowly proffered the pot back to the little fusion.
"Do as you will with this," he said. "Perhaps it will be of use to you someday."
They stared wide eyed at it, before nodding. "I know a pretty place for it," they assured, drawing it close, their magic bringing their cloak around them-before it opened, revealing empty hands.
They seemed to have taken inspiration from Gerson and how he seemed to pull impossible items out of his shell.
"I am glad to hear it, child. But I have something to ask of you, too."
"Oh?" the child asked, tilting their head fully to the side.
Gaster reached out an open hand, the hole in the middle of it dominating most of the white appendage. He hovered it just above the child's forehead.
"I wish to send… a message."
They blinked in bewilderment, and then rose slightly to close the distance. "Okay?" They were confused, but not conflicted.
Gaster's hand touched Frisk's forehead. Power sparked, and then-
In the darkest recesses of Frisk's mind, he appeared, far from the sight of the others. And he stood before another Monster who, though a skeleton, was fairly similar in appearance to the cosmic being.
The other Gaster perked in surprise at the sudden presence before him. Unlike the one who resided in between worlds, he seemed to have more of a form this time, the only battered part of him being his skull.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you detected me," was his initial reply as he held himself formally.
"Within the confines of the child's mind, barriers can be erected," The newcomer folded his white hands into his robe. "They are less useful when detected from the outside. Even my son knows of your existence."
"Sans proves himself to be full of surprises no matter where he's from, it would seem." The other dipped his skull, almost giving a slight bow. "And to what do I owe this surprise visit?"
"Other than to see what my mortal counterpart is like? I wish to deliver a warning."
The working socket narrowed with concern. "A warning?" he asked, his hands folded behind his back.
"You have chosen to hide yourself," the interdimensional Gaster told the skeleton. "And thus deny both yourself and your sons. Ware that you do not tarry too long, lest you lose all opportunity to speak with them."
"You are not the first to draw that to my attention," the hidden one replied. "My sons do not remember me, and that blurs the course that I should set."
A soft laugh from the mask.
"Silence is a siren's call, yet a single word can part the waters."
The other folded his arms. "I think I begin to see why others would be irked at our endless riddles." Though there wasn't any true annoyance in his tone.
"Sometimes, things are best realized for oneself. An idea that comes from within, even after the seeds have been planted, may be more appealing than one that comes from another."
The other shook his head. "For now, I will remain with my current path," he stated simply. "If they learn of me, they'll learn of secrets I have promised to protect."
"Ah, yes. Even the sun has it's spots. Though the little candle would make out to be far worse than it truly is. The decision is yours. But your time is not infinite. And neither is theirs. When the end comes, will you regret the choices you have made?"
"There's already a mountain to get through. The question is which choices will pile it higher."
"And yet a single shift of the earth can bring even the highest of mountains to heel."
"The other risk of venturing forth on uncertain paths," was the response.
"You fear their response." The masked being's fixed smile seemed to sadden a little.
"Even if it is one of joy, it would be taken again when this fusion is no more."
"All things come to an end. Even stars die and immortals fade. The time you have is made all the more precious by the fact that the day will come that it is taken from you."
"And how many times do these souls deserve to suffer?"
"A suffering that is unknown is no less than a suffering that is." Faint pinpricks of light could be seen in the holes of the visiting Gaster's mask. "Tell me honestly. If you reveal yourself, and the time came for you to say goodbye… would they regret the extra time spent with you? The memories restored by your presence? Would they truly wish that you had remained forgotten?"
There was a sigh. "Perhaps not," he admitted.
"I urge you to consider," the visitor told the skeleton. "Sometimes, the desire to protect can cause more harm than good."
"I can at least do that," the soul replied.
The newcomer inclined his head.
"That is all I can ask."
The residing Gaster nodded slowly. "We shall see what roads we follow."
"Even the same roads may lead to different destinations."
With that final riddle, Gaster retracted his presence from Frisk's mind. To the child, only a few seconds had passed since the being had put his hand on them.
The child blinked, and slowly tilted their head in muddled confusion. "Hmm?"
Gaster chuckled and removed his hand.
"You will receive it when the time is right. Seeds require time to sprout, and flowers time to blossom."
The blue eye started to glow again.
'Keep talking like that, and I'll start thinking you have a vendetta against straight answers.'
'Not that my brother is any better,' came Papyrus's response. One could almost feel the glare the taller skeleton had.
"There is a time and a place for straight answers," Gaster replied, folding his hands into his robe. "That time will come, little one."
They shook their head with an amused smile. "Fiiiine," they replied. "We'll wait."
"Patience, is a virtue, child." Gaster moved away a little, still watching the fusion.
"Is there anything else?"
"Mmm. Oh! One more thing!"
Perhaps to no one's surprise, they were suddenly offering yet another slice of pie with that little grin of theirs.
"Every month, child," Gaster replied, taking the slice of pie. "You are turning this into a habit."
They gave a not so innocent sound, and a look that read: 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
"Ever denying, even when the answer is before you." Gaster began to eat the treat slowly, savouring it.
They merely laughed, their tail flicking merrily behind them. "Maybe it's not a habit."
'Then what? A ritual?' Sans teased.
"Stubbornness?" Gaster offered, his smile seeming to widen a little.
'Hah!' was Undyne's response, her grin showing through. 'Glad someone else is on the same page as us with this Punk!'
Frisk folded their arms, grumbling half heartedly at them.
"Stubborn with love, at least," Gaster told them merrily
And with that, they jerked the scarf up to hide their face, the other souls laughing at the child's actions.
'Stubborn Determination,' was the agreed response.