Chapter III: Theatre of Many Meanings
"H-Huh? Huh?! HUH?!"
Trace awoke in a panic- One moment, he was hearing the words of an invisible spirit, the next-
He was here. On solid ground. Seemingly made of some kind of black marble; Opulate and glimmering with no stains or scratches.
He raised his head, looking up and around the area. A mist pervaded his surroundings, preventing him from seeing anything beyond a couple feet.
"Hello?" He asked aloud; Receiving only an echo in response.
"Quite brazen, aren't you?"
Trace turned his head to see-
(Queue 'Dark, Darker Yet Darker - Gaster Theme' by Osirois Music)
A tall- freakishly tall humanoid, resembling a skeleton in its frame; However, one socket was closed partially, with the other wide open, a menacing, small orb of light emanating from the pitch-black socket. A grin occupied the extent of its lower mouth, with cracks running along its eyes and jaw; Giving the skeleton a permanently-menacing expression.
It wore a fine black suit over a white turtleneck, its unnaturally long limbs floating by its sides; Holes were bored into its palms, Perfectly circular. Around the figure, many-colored hands shifted and swirled, darting in and out of the thick, unnatural mist.
Needless to say, Trace was horrified. Forcing his body to move, he quickly regained his footing, unsheathing his sword and holding it in a defensive position. The menacing skeletal-like figure seemed bemused by Trace's actions, much more so by something else.
"Enough of that-"
(Stop Current Song | Queue 'Deep Cello Meditation Music' by Greenred Productions)
"Much better."
In that moment, Trace's entire reality was unsettled by whatever had just occurred; He felt as if he had just witnessed something his mind could not comprehend...
"Wh..." He stuttered, unable to find words to form for... for... what he'd just... seen...
"Pay no mind to that."
The figure's demeanor changed- He began to take solid form, whereas previously he was partially-transparent, floating around like a ghost. Now, he was fully manifested; along with a vintage leather chair and a smoking pipe, which he casually began to inhale from. Somehow, the contents inside had already been lit.
"I must speak with you first, before what comes next."
Although the skeletal figure had adopted a more less menacing and more casual demeanor, Trace's fears and shock had not been in any way comforted; He was beginning to receive trauma flashbacks to when he'd first lost his memories in that forest, where Flora had first found him...
"DAMN IT!" He screamed, much to the curiosity of the skeletal figure sitting before him.
"I would ask what plagues your mind," The figure admitted. "But we have much more important matters to address."
He began to speak; It was only then that Trace noticed that the figure 'mouth' was not moving in the slightest, yet words came from its hollow outline, perfectly coherent despite having no lips nor tongue to form words. It was incredibly disturbing.
"I am Gaster." The figure introduced himself. "And I have little time to explain everything- I will tell you the essentials.."
The figure came off his chair, flicking aside the pipe -which immediately dissipated into mist- and stood in front of Trace, who was violently shaking in panic and confusion of what was happening at the moment.
"Very soon, you will reunited with your close friends, as well as with future and past enemies. They will be in the state that you are now, but you must do your best to escort them through the Theatre."
Even in his state of absolute confusion, Trace was trying to pay attention to the figure's words.
"Wh-What? Theatre?"
Gaster nodded, his single eye light glimmering ominously.
"Yes. The Theatre is a passageway I have managed to form between worlds; It is unstable, and a prototype of my future inventions- However, I have no time left to try and develop a more safe measure."
"What the hell do you mean a 'passageway'?!" Trace argued. "I don't want to leave my world!"
It was then that Gaster's permanent smile seemed to erode, instead taking on a more solemn expression.
"I... am sorry, boy. If it did not depend on the future of my world, I would not have forced you on this journey."
Trace felt dread and despair begin to build up in his chest, adding to his already-boiling emotions.
"Trace."
With just one word, however, Trace felt much of his emotions fade for a moment, as he looked to the looming figure that stood over him.
"It would take more time than we have to explain, but... I have seen your journey from the beginning, and I have seen where it will go. I know you are listless in your aim, at the moment... That cannot be helped with your misfortune. But... I ask of you to please, appeal to your heroic self. From what I have viewed, you are of honest intention, if not a little lecherous... I do not want to see you perish. Nor my world. That is why I ask of you..."
(Queue 'Here There Be Soft Rains' by Lucas King)
And there, in that moment, Trace felt an emotion stir within him, as he watched-
This looming, menacing figure, which exuded a measure of intelligence and knowledge far beyond anyone Trace had ever met...
Kneel before him, and bow his head towards the onyx-colored ground with humility.
"Please... help me."
Trace was assailed with unwarranted guilt as the figure spoke in such a deeply emotional and heartfelt way.
"I have tried everything... EVERYTHING... to stop that menace..."
Trace could see the figure was beginning to visibly shake.
"All of my efforts, the millions of lives that remain in a perpetual cycle of death and violence, their emotions trampled upon over and over and OVER..."
CRACK!
He slammed his fist against the black surface, sending webs of cracks across the floor, much to Trace's fright.
"I'm SICK of it. I have found myself stuck in this same cycle, watching those I cared for- slaughtered, butchered, stabbed, stomped, set ablaze, tortured, beaten and shot..."
Trace had no clue what Gaster was talking about, but he was beginning to get a picture of what kind of world Gaster was about to launch Trace into, against his will. And yet, he was also emotionally pulled in by Gaster's words... Whether it was his naivete or his idiotically heroic nature, he could hardly ignore a help for call.
"I...I will help." Trace said hesitantly. "I... don't know what happened to you, but it sounds like a villain who needs to be slain."
Trace was thrown off by the seeming teleportation of Gaster from lying on the ground to standing upright once more. But he was starting to get used to this kind of unpredictability.
"Thank you, Trace." Gaster said. "I promise you, that once you purge this unnatural evil from our world, I will be able to help you with YOUR world's problem..."
Trace's eyes shot open in surprise as he heard the last sentence.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?"
"I have no time left to explain-"
Even as he said those words, the mist around them began to thicken and swirl violently, with Gaster's presence beginning to dissipate by the second. He stared Trace in the eyes, a grim determination radiating from that single orb in his eye socket.
"You must persevere through the Theatre-"
"The story within will have many meanings, but you must ONLY focus on getting through-"
"Do NOT be distracted or led astray from the Theatre's path-"
"You must ensure everyone else does, as well-"
"It is not nearly as taxing as the challenges that will come once you enter my world..."
Trace felt his conscience begin to slip again- was it some kind of unnatural magic? He was finding it hard to stand, and process the words Gaster was saying-
"-You must keep your group together, no matter what; Everyone in that group MUST survive, if you are to take down the evil that plagues our world-"
Trace felt his knees buckle- he was light-headed, and his he was losing senses to his nerves...
"TRACE!"
Trace's head jerked up for a moment, to hear the words that Gaster spoke-
"YOU MUST KEEP EVERYONE IN MY WORLD ALIVE! EVERYONE! EVEN CHARA! SHE IS NOT THE TRUE... ENEMY... OF... MY... WOR...L...D..."
And with those last words, Trace's mind slipped into unconsciousness...
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"TRACE!"
"H-HUH?!"
Trace awoke again- to the same environment as before. He looked to his right-
"Oh, thank god."
"TRACE! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
Flora fell upon him, hugging him and sobbing.
"It's okay, Flora, I-"
"Who's Flora?"
Trace was confused for a moment, until he looked down to see-
"GAH! WHAT THE HELL?!"
It was not Flora, in fact- but a strangely-familiar blue-eyed stranger who had fell upon him, and was now grinning mischieviously and cackling, pushing Trace back to the ground.
"KIDDING! I gotcha, though, didn't I?"
"Wha- wha-!"
"TRACE!"
Trace's head swiveled to his left, to see Flora -yet again- run up to him, tackling him as she cried in concern.
"Uh... Uh..."
His head swiveled between Flora and the stranger, who was stretching as he looked around the area.
"Wow, this place is empty!" He exclaimed. "And where is everyone?"
"SIRUS? SIRUS, IS THAT YOU?"
From a distance, Trace, Sirus and Flora turned to see an older man with white hair and two hooded figures following behind him. As the older man got closer, his eyes widened in shock as he recognized one of the people there.
"Wha... is that..."
And yet, he didn't seem to finish the sentence. But his fellow Templar, Brahn, seemed to notice for certain, as his outraged expression suggested.
"Oh, no..." He muttered. "This has got to be a joke."
"Are those... Templars?!"
Trace heard another group of voices further left, to see Eric, Natani, Kathrin, Evals and Mike running as a group towards them; They reacted with shock and horror as they saw the Templars, who were staring at them with mixed signals.
"Keidran scum." Brahn spat maliciously.
"This must be a trap." Euchre remarked in suspicion.
"Oh man, I can tell I'm gonna love this." Sirus said with a grin.
Even in his disoriented state, Trace could feel the tension in the air- if he didn't do something in a second, there would be a battle.
"WAIT!" He shouted; It drew everyone's attention, their heads turning towards him. "Erm..."
In this chaotic atmosphere, it was nearly impossible to tell what was happening on the faces of all these people. He could see the suspicion and hostility in the Templars, the confusion and desperation in his friends and acquaintances from the ship. But... remembering what that skeletal figure from earlier had told him...
"You must keep your group together, no matter what..."
Gaster. He would remember that name in whatever was to come.
"I have no idea why we are here." Trace stated bluntly. "But... if there was ever a time to put aside our conflicts, now would be that time."
His words were somewhat received, and they even managed to calm the tensions in the atmosphere for the moment. Now, everyone was beginning to focus on where they were.
"And how are we expected to believe you didn't set this up?" Brahn accused him. Trace sighed inwardly.]
"I wouldn't blame you, but why would I be standing here, talking to you, if I intended to just kill you?"
Brahn didn't care to respond, instead keeping his gaze, full of suspicion, on Trace.
"Hey, hey," Sirus interrupted. "Now I hate to interrupt the bonding time, but has anyone bothered to notice that big-ass set of doors over there?"
He pointed, and everyone's eyes followed-
Indeed, a few dozen meters away, a large set of double doors stood, gleaming despite the pervading mist and darkness; It's color patterns seemed to change within a range of grey to black to white, and some kind of sigil sat in the center of the double doors.
"No, this has to be a trap." Euchre restated. "This is the most obvious setup for a trap I've ever seen."
"Yeah, okay, but..."
Despite everyone's obvious hesitation against approaching the double doors, Sirus swaggered on ahead of everyone else, seemingly without a care. His bold approach seemed to galvanize the others into following him, if only to observe.
He finally came close enough to the doors to get a good look at the symbol. The others stayed a few meters behind him, as if waiting to see what would happen. Even though many of them were courageous and bold in other ways, approaching a strange, ominous door in the midst of darkness and thick mist was simply too bold for any of them.
"Wow, that's a very neat design." Sirus commented, seeing the symbol on the door-
An orb with wings, three triangles with the middle one facing downwards, all within the outline of a heart.
(Queue 'Field of Hopes & Dreams' by Toby Fox)
"Huh, it's even got a handle and everything." Sirus remarked with a grin, grabbing the handle of the door and opening it, his eyes peering through the doors along with everyone else's, to see what was inside...
- PROLOGUE END -