My creative streak always happens at the worst possible times. I swear its like * has nothing to do* brain is dryer than the Sahara Desert. Then its like *has a literal mountain of work* brain overwhelmed with plot bunnies. And I'm like...brain...you need to get your damn priorities straight. Anyone else has this problem? Anyway...lets get on with this...
Trigger warning: Brief Mention of Suicide and PTSD
EDIT: I changed some of the dialogue between Frisk and Gaster because it messed with what I had planned in the future chapters. It was contradictory, and not in a way that was relevant to the plot.
For a moment, Frisk was blanker than a new slate. Unable to give a reaction. They didn't know how or what to feel. For a moment they felt a glimmer of something before it vanished completely. On the other hand, Gaster was freaking out. He couldn't even form a coherent sentence for he was overwhelmed with so much emotion. He stammered and cried, briefly flickering in and out of existence. It was obvious that mentioning the Override had triggered some particularly nasty memories for the melted skele-scientist. Frisk frowned, finally managing an expression on their otherwise neutral face. They took a calm breath and reached for the panicking monster. Frisk gently took Gaster's face in their hands and pressed their two foreheads together.
" I'm...sorry but you need to calm down. Freaking out isn't going to drive the car straight or however that saying goes. In order for me to help you...I need you to calm down. Breathe. Inhale and Exhale." Frisk said calmly.
The skeleton held Frisk's hands in his own, the tears receding. He sniffled before wiping his eye sockets. He gave a pathetic and miserable laugh.
" I'm sorry...god...I'm such a child."
" Well...these events happened when you were a kid so...maybe that's why the reaction was so bad. Maybe you have some underlying PTSD?" Frisk shook their head. " Whatever the case may be...we'll solve it together."
Frisk drew their head back but remained holding the skeleton's hands. " Now...tell me what you know about the Override."
The teen felt the skeleton tense but he relaxed shortly after. His eyes still went pitch black.
" Override. The power worse than a Reset. It was the reason monsters lost the war. The mage who had the ability re wrote everything. He manipulated the codes. Added and deleted variables. He changed everything in favor of the humans. The weather, weapons, the leaders. Every. Single. Thing."
" How do you know though? If an Override is a mutated version of Reset, then shouldn't your memories have been completely erased?" Frisk asked, raising a brow.
" My soul. My soul protected me. It was stronger since it had some color. Monster souls were pure white. Mine had a purple sheen around it." Gaster answered.
" How do you know this is the case?"
" My best friend. The human named Arthur. The two of us engaged in battle. I...killed him. I watched his blood drain through the snow like a river. His eyed glassed over and his body went limp. I watched him until rigamortis took a hold of him. Then suddenly the world stopped and started. We were on a grassy field instead. He sliced right through my chest. It hurt. The world stopped and started. We were in a rainy valley. I paralyzed him and he cut my face...that is where I got this scar under my right eye...the world stopped restarting after that. I guess the mage was satisfied." Gaster sighed, hugging his body close to him.
" You sound as his you knew this mage personally."
Gaster nodded his head but it was barely visible." He was the one who made last years of my life on the surface absolutely miserable."
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. In most cases this sort of deal would be a relief , a miracle from heaven. However, it was not, it was bad. Very, very bad. Jake was not, repeat, not picking on Gaster anymore.
" He's gone now! Aren't you glad. That asshat's been picking on you for two years now. TWO! It was time for him to stop." Arthur said to his friend.
" I suppose...no. It's better that he picks on me rather than someone else. I'm strong enough and can hold my own ground. What if he chooses someone else? Remember Rebecca? She hung herself because Jake told her that everyone pretended to like her because her father was paying them. He told her that on one would really care or remember her when she was gone. Or what about Emelia? Emily's older sister who jumped in the front of a horse stampede the month before? I cannot let Jake cause another student to kick their own bucket. That's why I have to be Jake's punching bag."
Arthur sighed, adjusting brown rimmed glasses over his emerald orbs. " If suicide wasn't so serious, I would punch you for trying to be a hero...go ahead if ya want. Just...be careful." Arthur put a hand on his best friend's shoulder, a fond smile on his face.
As soon as Gaster gave a single nod, a scream rang out.
" AHHHH!"
" Someone help!"
" Let's go." Gaster tagged his friend on the shoulder and ran towards the source of the noise.
It was Jake, and he had someone, a skeleton girl pinned against a wall. Her human friend was begging and screaming for him to stop but to no avail.
" My, such a pretty thing hanging out at a rundown school like this." Jake cooed, taking the monster's chin up in his hands.
" Let...me...go." the skeleton girl panted. She had been struggling for a while so most of her energy was gone.
" Aw, come on baby. Don't be that way. I know! Let's make up with a small kiss. Oh! That's right. Skeleton's don't have lips do they? Well, I guess lil old me have to do it for the both of us." Jake murmured as he leaned in to kiss her.
" I...said...NO!" the monster shouted as she practically back hand bitch slapped Jake, his head whipping to the side.
Jake stumbled backwards, growling when a red handprint appeared on his cheek.
" Okay, that's it you skele-bitch! No more Mr. Nice Guy."
" NOOO!" the human girl shrieked as she jumped atop Jake's back and started pounding on it. " Leave her alone!"
" Get off me!" Jake shouted as he grabbed the human by the collar of her dress and flung her against the wall. She coughed, groaning in pain.
Jake walked slowly towards the monster, like a cat stalking its prey. " Now back to bus-"
" Enough." Gaster demanded with a firm yet forced calm voice.
Jake turned his head towards Gster, who had an angry look on his face.
" Well well. Look what the cat dragged in. A wimpy ass skeleton who thinks he could stand up to me." Jake sneered
" Human. Go get Miss Toriel." Gaster said quietly, not taking his eyes off Jake.
The skeleton girl's human friend nodded and ran away.
" Heh. What do you think that goat is going to do? Anyway, this will be over before that girl will come back." Jake smiled, turning his head back to the frightened skeleton.
" Noooo..." cried the skeleton, yellow tears streaming down her cheeks.
" Stop!" Gaster screamed, eye sockets blazing purple. He teleported in between Jake and the skeleton, pushing the human back. Gaster stared at Jake with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, the magic funneling in his eyes so strong that some of it leaked out in the form of a small flame. Jake launched himself towards Gaster but got held back by solid hands appearing out of nowhere.
" What the-"
" I'll be holding you here until Miss Toriel comes." Gaster said in a low voice.
" Heh. Do you think these flimsy little eargh!" Jake groaned as Gaster tightened his grip.
" Don't think this is over." Jake growled. " It is no-"
" Do you want to have a bad time? " Gaster growled, summoning bones that flared solid white, translucent blue and translucent orange, his eyes turning into a light swallowing pitch black.
Jake stood still, however, he was staring at Gaster with eyes overflowing with hatred. Hatred for Gaster. Hatred for monsters,
" There Miss Toriel!" a voice said.
Hearing the padding of heavy footsteps, Gaster disperse the bones but still kept his magic grip on Jake.
" My children. Are you alright?" Toriel asked worriedly.
" Yes ma'am." Gaster, the human girl and the other skeleton responded.
" Who's responsible for this?" Toriel frowned.
" He is." Arthur pointed towards Jake.
" Come with me Jake ." Toriel said with a face so devoid of emotion and a voice so cold that you wonder if this was the same kindhearted woman with a smile warm enough to end a war.
" Yes ma-"
" Do not speak."
Jake sealed his mouth shout and followed Toriel as soo as Gaster release his hold. As soon as Toriel and Jake left, Gaster released a breath he did not know he was even holding.
" Are you alright?" Gaster sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and closing his left eye, smiling slightly with a slightly titled head.
" Ya. I'm okie. Just nggh." the skeleton grunted.
Gaster extended a hand. The girl grabbed it and hoisted herself up.
" So uh. What's your name?" Gaster asked casually.
" C-Candara."
" Well, C-Candara. Heh. My name's W.D Gaster or just Gaster for short."
Candara smiled and was promptly tackled by her friend. " Candara! Are you okay! I was so worried. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to do anything."
" Maria. 's okie." Candara assured, wiping tears from her friends eyes.
" I swear. Jake is such an ass. And to think he sounded smart in class too. What a shame." Arthur shook his head.
Maria smiled as Gaster asked. " Candara so uh...what grade are you in?"
" 9. Funny cuz I'm 12. Though I ain't sure that's the way things 'posed to be."
" So you skipped like Gaster too huh?" Arthur asked
" Hmmm?" Candara looked confused.
" Monster finish their education in human school which is about 7-12. Monster have to go to human school age 120 in which they should enter grade 7." Arthur began explaining. He then wrapped his arm around Gaster. " This smarty here got bumped two years ahead because he was too smart. So at 12 cause he was in grade...9"
" Same as me." Candara said.
Arthur nodded as Candara smiled. She seemed to realize she was smarter than the average student. Originally, she thought there was simply a fluke in the system or that she was normal and everyone else repeated a few times. The latter option was most unlikely but she never really cared how the system worked or functioned. When you reached a certain age, you go to human school, do human-y things, graduated and then integrate yourself in the world of adults and the working society. Bottom line. Nothing left to discuss.
" Would this mean that you, Arthur, and that asshole Jake would be in grade 11 now?" asked Maria, putting a finger to her mouth and tilting her head slightly. Her long wavy brown hair that spilt onto her shoulders sliding off with the movement.
Gaster nodded as the bell boy ran through the hall yelling, and waving his cowbell. It was the signal that everyone should make their way back to their mind numbing classes.
" Ugh. Math" Candara groaned, though she had no eye lights to roll, the others could still sense the motion.
" At least you don't have to take physics...yet." Arthur groaned though he smiled a little.
" What's wrong with physics? I love it. And chemistry and math and biology and the Friday afternoons when we get hands on with the blacksmith." Gaster said.
" Of course you would science nerd. Come one." Arthur said, motioning his head towards the direction of the next class. " The desk isn't going to drool on itself." The human patted his skeletal friend on the back.
Gaster laughed at what Arthur was implying then turned around, inviting Candara and Maria to join them for lunch later that afternoon, the two nodding their heads eagerly.
Frisk combined what was a mixture of a groan and a scoff. The folded their arms. " Alright. I knew I was going to hate Jake from the moment I heard his name but I'm saying it. I hate Jake. This sack of shit was the one who basically tormented you? Damn. If he was alive I would ground him so hard into the ground that coffee would be jealous."
The teen stood up, if they weren't already and began pacing back and forth across the monochrome room. " It's funny how assholes usually get the power and use it for their own personal gain. Cliché, almost stereotypical. It disgusts me. I wish there were rocks in this room so I could kick them around. Kicking helps."
The skeleton was silent, having nothing to say at the time. He hugged what was left of himself, eyes and non existent soul hollow and empty. Noticing Gaster's expression, Frisk tried to change the topic.
" So...I can see where this is headed." Frisk said with a smug expression.
" Where what is headed..."
" You know...you and this Candara girl? Did you know her very well. Was she your girlfriend? Is she your wife? The mother of Sans and Papyrus?" Frisk smirked, walking around the melted monster.
" What are you talking about. She wasn't my girlfriend and definitely not my wife. She died before we were old enough for thoughts of a more intimate relationship to even manifest. I never got married."
" What? But doesn't that contradict with what Sans said at Grillby's?" Frisk raised an eyebrow " About your wife dying when giving birth to Papyrus."
" That's absurd. I'm pretty sure I'm still single. Now that I think about it...why did I say that I was married? And gave that message to Sans through you. I...don't remember any of what Sans said coming to pass."
" Something's not right. That doesn't add up." Frisk said, inadvertently voicing Gaster's thoughts on the matter. " Do you remember the conversation. Let's analyze that see if what he says corresponds with your memory. Being in this void and viewing multiple timelines might have kerfuckled with your memory. You might be mixing a bunch of things up.
" I never told you that I had the ability to view multiple timelines from here." Gaster said, snapping his fingers and making a screen appear. Sans and Frisk were sitting at the bar table in Grillby's.
" You didn't? Oh. Wait. That was when I checked you. I didn't mean to. It just happened when I first walked in. The black panel just slammed into my face like an asshole." Frisk explained, motioning with their hands.
" Hmm...now...let's pick this out."
Gaster allowed the screen to replay the conversation.
" First error. I was not a clutz. I have the grace of a swan. Agile and catlike reflexes in battle. Even King Asgore was impressed by my ninja like stealth and asked me to teach him in the ways of silence. His feet were huge and make a lot of noise despite being padded."
" Mistake number two. You claim that you were never married. This Candara girl who I initially thought would be your girlfriend due to this first encounter died long before you were eligible for marriage am I correct?" Frisk said as Gaster nodded his head.
" Also...Sans said that you could barely speak...but here I am listening to you speak standard English without so much as a slight grammatical incorrection. And then some. I know incorrection is not a real word but it will be in the context I am using it in so Gaster put that finger down and close that mouth."
" Three. I do not have the mouth of a sailor. Remember in the earlier parts of our journey I tried to dissuade you from using strong words. If I was a potty mouth then I would condone that kind of behavior. Yet... he did say I grew out of it. But there was nothing to grow out of. "
" Are you saying you were an angel as a baby bone?"
" Far from it yet the way Sans is describing it... ...I admit I might have been a little hotheaded but that was only when I was upset and irritated. It usually takes a lot to get me riled up. It takes a while to reach the straw that breaks the camel's back." Gaster admitted.
" What about the term...beware of the man who speaks in hands?" Frisk asked.
" Oh. Yes. I remember that phrase very well. That is said about me but for a completely different reason. My sister...she always said that phrase..." Gaster trailed off as if he was remembering a terrible event.
" Do you know the connotations linked with the phrase?" Frisk asked
" Yes I do. I'll explain the specifics later but basically my sister, her boyfriend and I were in a park. Some humans came and attacked her boyfriend with a rock. She got very mad and in no time a fight broke out. She got beaten up very badly. I, well, in short...kicked their asses. The last thing my sister saw and heard before losing consciousness was me beating the humans up as they ran and screamed. " Beware of the man who speaks in hands". She lost her memories and was very afraid of me for a while. The doctors came up with the theory that since last thing Verdana saw was her boyfriend on the ground and the humans yelling the warning she assumed I beat her up as well."
" Did she ever regain her memories?" Frisk asked.
" No. And now she never will." Gaster's eyes were dark.
" I see... Since that had nothing to do with you having a bad temper as Sans said...that's strike four. Damn it Sans...what the hell are you spewing out of that pie hole of yours." Frisk sucked their teeth.
" Alright. We can stop. Everything else is accurate. About the specifics of my death...I'll relinquish that information when I reach the appropriate section of my story." Gaster said, snapping his fingers and making the screen disappear.
" Four. Four pieces of information that says Sans is talking complete garbage. I'll have to talk to him about that. If some memory manipulation shit is going on here then I will get to the bottom of it."
Knowing that you and Sans will have a long talk about this situation fills you with Rebellion.
Gniwonk taht Ksirf si gnikat eht troffe ot pleh uoy sllif uoy htiw ecnarevesrep.
And so...it begins. What exactly? Continue reading to find out. Don't forget to leave a review if you have a burning question or just fill me with encouraging words. Good feels = Faster release of chapters. Constructive criticism is also appreciated.