Chapter 17: Restoring Hope-Part 2
Alphys led Gaster to a nearby chair, which he sat down in gratefully. "Thank you, my dear," he said. "I'm afraid my time in the void sapped me of most of my strength."
Sans held out a hand, checking his brother's stats and finding them to be alright except for his HP, which was low due to his time in the void. "You need something to eat, bro," he said.
The seven kids looked at each other before they began pulling some food out of their pockets. "Mom always tells us to have a snack on us at all times," Nathan said as they laid out the food. Three slices of butterscotch cinnamon pie, three apples, and a plate of fries. They brought these over to Gaster, who looked at them all gratefully.
"Thank you, children," he said, beginning to eat slowly to allow his body to get acclimated to eating food again. "Tell me of your adventures, little ones."
While he had been watching over them and knew of some of their adventures, he was curious to learn what they had been up to. The children eagerly began telling him how they met Undyne and Muffet through Sans and Papyrus and the tall skeleton seemed determined to show the fish woman that the kids could be her friends and they got a surprise at the kids calling her an aunt and the skeletons uncles.
Frisk suddenly perked up. "Wait. Gaster, you're uncle Sans and Uncle Papyrus' brother, right?" He asked.
"I am the oldest of the three of us, yes," he said, gently ruffling the boy's hair.
"Then that means you're our uncle too!" Thomas said excitedly.
"He's right," Carmen said, smiling.
Julie and Sarah danced around happily while David grinned. "Man, we're getting uncles and aunts faster than Uncle Sans can tell jokes," the boy said.
"Is that so?" Sans said with a grin. "Why did the skeleton go to the human's barbeque?"
"Why?" Mettaton asked.
"He wanted to get some spare ribs."
Alphys groaned, but was smiling as Gaster chuckled and the kids giggled. Emboldened, Sans grinned again. "Why did the skeleton want friends?" He asked.
"Why?" Julie asked.
"He didn't want to be bonely."
The kids laughed before Carmen grinned, getting an idea. "Knock, knock," she said.
The skeletons grinned. "Who's there?" Gaster asked, playing along.
"You," the eleven-year-old girl answered.
Sans cocked a browbone at that. "You who?" He asked.
Carmen grinned. "You've got my attention," she said.
Getting the joke, Sans laughed heartily at the play on words. "Good one, kiddo," he said.
Alphys and Mettaton smiled too. "That is a good one," the dinosaur said. "I don't think I've ever seen someone almost stump Sans like that."
"Nope," the short skeleton said.
"Very few can stump Sans," Gaster said as he finished eating, feeling better. "Now then, we should get to my lab. The machine we need is in there."
He stood up, glad to see his strength was back, and led the way out of Alphys' lab, coming to a wall and pressing a hand to it. To everyone's shock, the wall parted and there was a door. Gaster entered the code and opened the door. "Come in," he said with a smile. "And don't be alarmed."
The kids stuck together, seeing the lab looked like it hadn't been used in a bit and it looked a bit scary, but they waited for the others to come in. Gaster nodded as he saw everything was in place. Alphys looked around in surprise. "I had no idea Gaster's lab was right behind mine," she said.
"I did," Sans said. "I just never told you. Guess I figured it would be sealed up and never used again after Gaster vanished."
Gaster, hearing that, hugged Sans. "I wish I hadn't been so stubborn on working alone," he said. "I might have been able to send someone for help when I fell into the CORE."
Sarah looked curious and went over to him. "But if the CORE is a powerful machine, then...how did you end up in the void?" She asked.
"I kept asking myself that one and I think it's because I tried to teleport away when I was falling, but teleportation doesn't work so well when you're in a panic," Gaster explained. "I think I was fortunate because not only could I travel everywhere now, but I was able to keep Chara and Asriel from fading away."
The kids looked at each other. "What do you mean?" Nathan asked. "Didn't they...pass away?"
"Not quite," the tall skeleton explained. "Chara was still alive when Asriel took her to the surface to grant her one last wish."
Sans jolted at that. "What?" He asked. "But...we saw her...die."
Gaster gently squeezed his brother's shoulder. "She actually fell into a deep coma," he said. "And she would have died, yes. But when Asriel fell trying to protect her and grant her last wish, I managed to pull them into the void." He paused and shuddered a bit. "For a moment, I was afraid they were both lost, but they've been deeply asleep in the void."
He gathered his notes together and was pouring over them. Thomas grew thoughtful. "Can we save Chara and Asriel the way we saved you, Uncle Gaster?" He asked.
The tall skeleton smiled at the boy. "In a similar way, yes," he said, gesturing to the seven tall tubes that looked large enough to hold two people. "But...it would take all seven traits to do so. To collect the energy...you would have to step inside and the machine would gather the correct amounts of the seven traits needed to save the two."
He paused in his work and looked at them. "Are you kids sure about helping to save them?" He asked.
The seven children looked at each other. "Everyone really misses them," Sarah said softly.
"Aunt Undyne really got choked up while telling us about them," Nathan said.
"I think that's what got Uncle Grillby too when we first met him," Carmen said.
"Mom was hurt the most by it, since they were her kids before us," Thomas said.
"I bet Asgore was too, from what we were told," Frisk said.
"They're our brother and sister too, right?" Julie asked.
"Yes," David said before nodding and putting out his right hand, palm facing the floor. The other children stacked their hands on his and each other's, all nodding before turning to look at Gaster.
"Yes," Carmen said. "We want to save Chara and Asriel for everyone, especially Mom."
Alphys had tears in her eyes and Mettaton hugged her, also feeling emotional. Sans swallowed hard as a lump had formed in his throat, a few tears escaping his eyes as he was proud of the kids. Gaster was also pleased with their answer and smiled. "Alright then," he said. "Alphys, I'll guide you on what to do. Children, let's get you all settled."
At each large canister, which was tilted at an angle, he helped each child get in. "Uncle Gaster, will it hurt?" Julie asked, a note of fear in her voice.
He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek soothingly. "No, little one. You and your siblings won't feel a thing," he promised. "You'll all be asleep."
"Will we wake up?" Thomas asked.
"You will," the tall skeleton said, ruffling the boy's hair. "You have my word. I won't let anything happen to you, children."
"Promise?" Sarah said.
"I promise."
Feeling reassured, the kids stayed still as the canisters all closed and a sleeping gas filled the canisters for a brief moment, making them fall asleep. "Sans, keep an eye on their vitals, please," Gaster said.
"You got it," Sans said.
Alphys and Mettaton were ready as they had followed his instructions. Seeing everything was ready, the skeleton nodded. "Alright," he said, flicking a few switches. "Let's bring the prince and princess home."
The CORE started up and colorful auras, each one the same color as the main trait the kids each had, moved softly from the kids into a new portal that had just formed. The rainbow colors entered the portal and the others could see two hearts inside. One was red and the others was white and upside down, semi-transparent forms floating around them.
The six colors swirled gently around the two spirits, making them appear more solid until they were restored. Gaster nodded. "They're still deeply asleep," he said as the colorful auras pulled the two closer to the opening of the portal. He gently caught Chara, holding her protectively while Sans caught Asriel, holding the young goat protectively. "Alphys, close the portal."
The yellow dinosaur did so and the seven auras flew gently back to the seven sleeping children. The canisters opened and Mettaton gently picked up the seven children one by one, placing them on the hospital beds nearby, checking their stats and nodding. "They're all doing well," he said as he set the last child, David, down on a bed, making sure the children were resting comfortably.
"They'll sleep for a while," Gaster said. He suddenly felt Chara stir and he looked to see the brown-haired girl open her red eyes and look up at him in surprise.
"G-Gaster?" She asked, her voice a little raspy.
"Chara," he said, tears forming as he hugged her. "Oh, Princess Chara."
Sans looked to see Asriel stir and the goat opened his eyes, gasping in surprise. "Sans!" He said, glomping the skeleton, who hugged him back.
"Asriel," he said, his voice choking. "You're really back."
Alphys burst into happy tears, unable to help herself, but who could blame her? Hope was filling her, Mettaton, Gaster, and Sans once again and Chara and Asriel were back. She couldn't wait to spread the news.
But at the moment, she decided to just stay and she was glad she did as Chara and Asriel hugged her and she hugged them back in a firm hug, a hug that Mettaton and the two skeletons joined as well.
So Chara and Asriel have been saved. :) Next up, Toriel is reunited with them. :)
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