Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: X-Changed Will
Chapter 2: The First Cracks
Entry Number 0, Timeline Number 2
It was a long time after the timeline was overwritten…
It was back to just me tending to Chara and Frisk, while Gaster went out on his journeys of observations through the other worlds.
Ever since that overwrite, Gaster and I… were growing more and more distant, and the changes in his personality were showing.
Where had the fatherly Gaster went? All I can see is a jaded researcher who is devoting himself towards perfection. Could he be going on the same road that Clementia Foerster, that sociopathic bitch, went down?
...No, I can see the regret and remorse in his eyes. He's hesitating, but he believes that it's the right thing to do.
As much as I want to tell him that what he's doing is wrong… I know that critiques at this point wouldn't move his mind on the matter effectively.
I only hope that he can become a better person, once this is all done. I want to hope…
Hope that he doesn't need to be saved, in that there will be nothing wrong soon.
"Hello there, pal! Howzitgoing!" Ink cheerfully declared.
"Ink…! Nice to see you again, dear friend." Gaster stated with a ghost of a smile on his lips, as both of them were standing beside a tree, as Gaster was leaning against it.
"I just came to visit you for a while and make sure you're doing good with your creations. I have seen you did something here. Was it a RESET? You don't seem very motivated." Ink asked, as concern crossed his face.
"No. I did something else. I think I am a bit of a perfectionist…" Gaster answered back, before placing a hand on his face with a pained expression on his face. "I-I am very sorry, it's just... I want to use all the potential of my power for something I was thinking about before-"
"Which power?" Ink asked back with curiosity in his eyes.
"... Are you sure you want to see it?" Gaster asked with hesitation, lowering his hand with a worried expression on his face.
Ink nodded, before Gaster sighed, and revealed the OVERWRITE Button, as Ink's eyes were focused on it, while he rested his arms on the tip of his paintbrush.
"OVERWRITE. The power to completely change a Timeline... The reality of itself is an Alternate Universe. T-That's how it will work with my future experiment. This is just like a game I want to explore" Gaster explained calmly.
Chara held Asriel's heart locket in his hand, the one that Richard gave a while ago back, slowly turning towards the two with a sad look on his face, before Richard walked over and pat Chara on the shoulder.
"It's alright… I'm sure that Gaster will make the world better than before. This will likely be the only OVERWRITE that will ever be done with that cursed power." Richard tried to assure Chara.
"...I'm not sure…" Chara muttered with a regretful look in his eyes.
"Changing everything..? I don't know. I don't think that's okay…" Ink admitted hesitantly.
"This won't break the Truce you made with that person.." The two looked over at Chara, and Frisk, who were being occupied by Richard, as Frisk had a bouquet of yellow flowers in his arms, as Richard smiled and arranged them cleanly for them, splitting it into three even bundles, which eased the children's hearts slightly, even the depressed Chara. "I.. want the best for them. Please, I need you to understand…"
Richard then placed a hand each on Frisk's and Chara's head, as he gave them a confident smile.
"...No matter what happens, I'll always stick by your side. I'll always be there as a brother to trust, as a shoulder to cry on, as a friend for you to share the good-times. And nothing will change that… I swear on the gods themselves." Richard stated.
Frisk let out a warm smile, while Chara hesitated for a moment, before he then faintly smiled with a quiet 'Thanks'.
"I've always dreamed about creating something like this and... thanks to you I got the perseverance I needed. I am sure both of us will have fun with it. We can play anytime, anywhere. It will be the best thing you have ever seen." Gaster declared, as he looked back to the OVERWRITE button in his hands.
Entry Number 1, Timeline Number 2
The timeline has been created anew… The same world, the same crowd, but some variables have been changed, although that's not evident right now.
Once again, Toriel and Asgore greeted Chara and Frisk, although this time… the both of them were less enthusiastic. And I can understand that, considering what happened.
"Not again." Were Chara's words, soft but strong, towards Gaster and me.
I simply nodded back with a remorseful look, for taking their happiness away.
Gaster however… that sour look on his face, is as if Chara talked back to him in a way that he truly disliked. What offended him about that? Chara just didn't want that tragedy to repeat.
It doesn't matter. Gaster said that he would try his hand on some direct manipulation to this 'base-line' world. And the way he says it… I feel uneasy about what he might do.
What could he do to make the world happier, more better for the children? Or what if…
No, I can't think about that. If Gaster thinks that perfection lies in the route of ruin… Then I must stop him before he becomes obsessed with it.
Richard was standing beside Asgore, as the two of them watched Frisk and the young Asriel, look towards Chara, who was sulking on one of the stony ledges, his arms around his bent knees, with past-Asriel's heart locket in his hand. Everyone had a sad look on their faces, especially Asgore and Richard.
"...It's hard for him." Richard answered back. "He had a brother a long time ago, and he lost him. Asriel resembles him so much that he can't help but remember the pain and misery that his passing left him with. Especially when his last words were to give hope to him, only for it to be a source of pain for him."
"...I'll go talk to him." Asgore declared.
"...Please do, a good father is the only thing that can break his shell of misery… Even the kind big-brother I am… I'm not close enough to his heart to make him feel better enough." Richard offered with a sad look in his eyes.
Asgore walked over, until he was standing behind Chara.
"This is the perfect day to party with your siblings. Why the long face, dear son?" Asgore asked.
"I wouldn't be upset if at least everyone could remember something that happened long time ago..." Chara mumbled. "It's not fair…"
"About how you lost your brother?" Asgore asked, as Chara whipped around with shock in his eyes. "Your brother, Richard, told me how much pain you were in all these years. You shouldn't be truly upset because of it... Learn from that past, and don't let it happen again. Don't let that make you a prisoner."
Asgore smiled softly. "You're a human child that must be happy. And I'm an old monster willing to be the best father for you. So? What do you say? Can we help you to create some good memories for the future?" He said with a warm and fatherly tone.
Chara smiled at the locket, and Asgore placed a hand on Chara's other shoulder, wrapping his arm around the child's back.
"Of course you can, Dad." Chara responded back with warmth in his voice, as the two of them enjoyed the view of the city from the ledge.
Richard smiled slightly, as he was glad that Asgore managed to help Chara forget about the pain of loss, even for only a moment.
More than a decade passed, as Chara, Frisk and Asriel pursued their own ambassador careers paths again, once again at the age of young adults. They were having some fun in the summer, buying icecream from a stall owned by a cute anthropomorphic male rabbit. Richard enjoyed a three-scoop serving of sorbet ice-cream, while Chara went for a pair of chocolate scoops sandwiching a strawberry one, while Asriel went for a mango ice-pop. Asgore was handed a large chocolate parfait, with a blueberry scoop on top, a glace cherry topping, a strawberry base, assorted wafer rolls, and a pink ribbon with the words 'BEST DAD' written on them in black ink.
"Happy Father's day, Asgore." Richard smiled back, as Asgore choked back a gasp, his eyes glistening with joy. "The four of us cashed in together for this treat. It might not be much monetary-wise, but wealth can't always bring happiness. Pricey doesn't mean jack, if it doesn't go to your liking."
"My sons…" Asgore muttered with an emotional tone.
"Man, this is the hottest summer ever!" Frisk remarked, as he was standing with the shorter of the skeletal brothers, who was dressed with a black scarf, and white light armour. "It feels like burning in hell, right, Sans?"
"Nah. With all those sunscreen bottles I gave you all, you're going to be fine." Sans declared, waving his lemon ice-pop around, as Frisk had the same. "They're tested by myself, heh. It's good to see your bro smiling and getting along with everyone. Asgore is good at encouraging people, isn't he?"
"It's kinda ironic. Remember what we talked about a couple years ago?" Frisk asked back, as he looked towards Asgore, who was tearing up while eating the celebratory parfait with a small spoon, as Chara and Richard laughed heartily, while Asriel chuckled slightly. "Chara and I couldn't understand XGaster at all., but we're glad he could give us someone better than himself. Not to mention that Richard is trying to help him, as well as taking care of us quite well. He's really a good big brother to the both of us."
"Is it okay I know this, pal?" Sans asked with an amused look in his eyes. "What if he decides to end all of this? What could we do for you two?'
"Chara has someone who is helping him become stronger, I have someone reliable that can listen to me." Frisk answered back. "Plus, we both have someone who sees us as proper little brothers. If anything happens, we can fight the pain. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot make us forget. My brothers and I are not his creations, after all."
Richard looked towards X-Gaster, seeing that there was a dark look written across his face, as Richard's smile faded quickly, as he became concerned about what was going to happen next.
A few months later, Richard was slowly patrolling the streets, as he felt like something was going wrong, like there was a lingering feeling of dread in the air for him.
He passed through a few crowds, slowly shuffling by, before he then found Sans by the hot-dog stand, as he looked fairly lethargic, leaning against the hot-dog stand, raising a weak hand up.
"...Hey." Sans stated softly.
"Sans… Glad to see you around here." Richard stated, before he then noticed Sans's condition. "...You okay? You look as if you've gotten the flu or something. Papyrus would be worried sick if anything were to happen to you."
"Heh… Might be a bit of a lazybones… but I ain't easy to keep down." Sans joked with a slight rasp in his voice, as Richard grew more worried.
"Don't underestimate your own condition." Richard stated, before walking over beside Sans, offering him a shoulder. "Come on, I'll shoulder you all the way back to your house. Ain't hard to lug a sack of bones like you around, no?"
"...Thanks, pal." Sans stated, as he leaned against Richard's shoulder, as the two of them began to walk.
After a while, Richard noticed that Sans was leaning against his shoulder more heavily, as Sans's head was beginning to loll, with a distant look in his socketed eyes.
"Sans… Sans, you okay?" Richard asked, before shaking him a few times.
As he did, Sans immediately collapsed to the ground, as Richard paled, rushing over, and shaking him roughly.
"Sans…! SANS!" Richard shouted, before he then felt something on his hands, as he looked at it, before finding that it was white dust, and then looked back at Sans, who was beginning to have his body flake off the same white dust. "Oh no… No no no….!"
Richard wasted no time in picking up the disintegrating Sans with both arms, as he rushed through the streets.
'Move, MOVE!" Richard shouted, shoving past everyone with frantic force. "Someone's dying! I need a hospital…! I NEED IT NOW! Somebody, help us! HELP HIM!"
As Richard rushed past the crowd, he didn't notice X-Gaster, who watched the situation with cold eyes.
Frisk and Richard was in the hospital, as Sans's body was still disintegrating before their eyes, with both of them watching as Frisk's friend slowly died before their eyes, as any treatments that were tried, failed to slow the process down, let alone prevent it.
"Sans…" Frisk stated with a choked voice.
"Damnit… I should have known… I never saw him for the past few days… and this happened." Richard declared, before he then turned around, and banged his fist against a wall. "FUCK! What use am I!? I can't even protect your friend!"
"Richard…" Frisk tried to say.
"Don't… Just don't…" Richard stated, as he let his head fall. "...It's my fault that I failed to save him… He didn't deserve this… He didn't-"
'No, don't die! PLEASE! I'm here, Okuu! Open your eyes! Look at me! You're going to be fine! I swear! Please! NO!'
Richard immediately froze, as he heard his voice, which sounded so alien to him right now, as his breath began to shudder, and his hands trembled, as if the memory was something terrible for him.
"Richard? Are you alright?" Frisk asked, as he walked over towards Richard. 'Ri-"
Richard then pushed himself against the wall, before immediately rushing out the ward at frantic speed, as the ward door was banged open, as Richard was clutching his head with one hand.
"What was that… WHAT WAS THAT…!? Why… Why does this statement… bring so much fear and pain in my heart!?" Richard shouted. "Tell me… SOMEONE TELL ME!"
Not too long after Sans had perished, Asgore followed soon after, as he was found with a gaping wound where his heart has been, slumped against a tree, with the bloody stain of the deed on the bark.
Richard could clearly remember the misery on Chara's face, as he had to be dragged away by Undyne, the fish-woman, and Asriel himself, from the scene, with tears coming from the eyes of the white-haired man. Toriel herself was weeping at the fate of her husband, as Frisk tried to console her.
At the present time, Richard, Chara and Frisk were standing over the graves of the two fallen monsters, as Richard placed a flower-pot filled with yellow flowers in front of Asgore's grave, while Sans had the funeral gift of a pun book.
"How could this have happened…?" Frisk remarked. "Not just Sans… but dad too…"
"...I swear, when I find the one who did this to Asgore… I will make sure they are punished as they deserve." Richard answered back with a steely tone.
Chara didn't say anything, as he slowly rotated his head towards X-Gaster, who was sitting inside a nearby building, as his eyes glowed red with hatred in them.
Richard and Frisk then left, going their own ways. However, Chara didn't go with Frisk. Instead, he followed Richard from behind. Eventually, they reached one of the hills, as Richard sat on the edge of it for a moment, as he remained there silently for a moment.
"...You can come out, Chara. I know you're there." Richard stated with a dry tone, as Chara walked out with his eyes still red with hate in them. "Chara… That look on your face tells me all that you want from me. All I can say is… go ahead."
Chara then screamed with rage, before he then floored Richard with a powerful hook across the face, as Richard fell onto the ground, with a swollen cheek, before Chara dragged him up, and smashed him in the face with a straight punch to the nose, breaking it, and staggering Richard, before he then seized Richard by the collar, and punched him in the stomach several times, causing Richard to gag a few times, before he then finally collapsed, wheezing and gagging his stomach out, all while Chara stood above him with trembling fists.
"Why… Why did this happen!? I know that X-Gaster had something to do with this… But you… Why did you do nothing!? Why didn't you save them, you bastard!" Chara vented at Richard. "Tell me! TELL ME! WHY DID DAD HAVE TO DIE!?"
"He didn't. HE NEVER HAD TO!" Richard shouted back, rising to his feet, as he had a pained expression on his face, with tears in his eyes. "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW WHY X-GASTER WOULD HAVE DONE SUCH A THING! HOW COULD HE!? HE SWORE TO MAKE THIS WORLD BETTER! BUT THIS ONLY MAKES IT WORSE! WHAT LOGIC IS HE RUNNING ON!? DEATH DOESN'T MAKE THE WORLD MORE UNIQUE! IT ONLY MAKES IT MORE TERRIBLE!"
Chara was silent for a moment, processing Richard's pained expression, before he then threw himself forward, as Richard caught him in a embrace, as Chara let out a pained cry of agony, while Richard sank his head into his shoulder, as the two of them grieved strongly.
Richard slowly walked back into the house, clutching his injuries from Chara's beatings, as he looked for some ice to soothe the sore cheek. However, when he entered the living room, he found Alphys, who was shivering with fear, clutching log reports in his arms.
"Alphys… are you alright?" Richard asked the lizard-woman.
"...No, I'm not fine. And neither are you…" Alphys responded back with a frantic tone. "This isn't right… None of it is right… X-Gaster… he's lost his mind…!"
"What do you mean?" Richard asked back, before Alphy then shoved the log reports in his arms.
"Read! Read them, please!" Alphys begged desperately. "Before he returns!"
Richard was concerned, before he then turned his attention to the log reports, before he froze upon reading the topmost one.
ENTRY NUMBER 1. TIMELINE NUMBER 2.
Too much happiness. At this point, I will not be able to create the best story in the entire multiverse.
Maybe... Death can make this more interesting.
Everyone looks affected by these losses
Their reactions are worth observing. This atmosphere makes me feel what ▅▅▅ described as "Excitement".
Richard let the paper reports fall from his hands, scattering on the ground, as his eyes were glazed with horror and disbelief.
"No, this… This can't be… story… excitement… too much… happiness…?" Richard remarked with stutters and a cracked voice., as his mind was a mess of emotions. "No, this can't be right… This can't be right… He said… He said…!"
Richard then fell to his knees, as Alphys tried to make Richard respond, although he was catatonic at the moment.
Entry Number 2, Timeline Number 2
Asgore is dead… Sans is dead… Frisk and Chara… Oh gods… They're not well at all.
Neither am I in that regard…
X-Gaster… he… he did all of this, just to make the 'story' more exciting!?
What story…!? Our lives aren't stories where genres can be applied for anyone's liking!
What has he become… What happened to him during those journeys!?
I should have never let him step foot into the Doodle Sphere, had I knew that it would have sown the seeds for all of this tragedy.
But what can I do? I'm not powerful enough to defy X-Gaster. If he really intends for all of this, I have no way to force him to stop this.
I can only hope that this will be a lesson to him, something that he won't repeat.
I refuse to believe that the X-Gaster who took me in, and trusted me with his own children… would have turned into a monster like this, willingly even.
The timeline is being OVERWRITTEN again. I…
I don't know what could happen… And I don't want to know… if my predictions are right...
"Enough! Do you think this is funny?! What else do you want from them?!" He shouted at X-Gaster with a livid look on his face, as X-Gaster looked at him with a cold look, with the former holding the latter strongly by the collar.
Frisk tried to hold Chara back, as Richard had his back turned to the entire conversation.
"I will put it in words that you can understand. If you want to see your friends AGAIN, I must Overwrite this timeline. Can you please let me work?" Gaster declared without emotion in his voice.
After a while, Chara relented, as he turned his head away, while Gaster summoned the OVERWRITE button, with a hand hovered over it.
"Good." X-Gaster declared, with the faint trace of a triumphant smile, as the world was reset once again.
Entry Number 0, Timeline Number 3
X-Gaster reset the timeline once again. But this time, he made different changes to the history.
There was no King Asgore, the ruler was now Toriel herself, Queen of the Underground. Not to mention that Asgore turned caretaker of his children. It could be said that this was only one pair that had their identities swapped.
It was indeed a swapped universe, with the exception of Chara and Frisk. I found it interesting that Chara and Frisk took to their royal matriarch fairly well. Hopefully, X-Gaster doesn't intend to kill her off like he did with Asgore in the last timeline.
While I observed, I studied the effects of the OVERWRITE button, with the help of Alphys, and even some unaware help from X-Gaster himself.
From what I can gather, the difference that it has compared to the main RESET Button, fuelled by the power of the DETERMINATION SOUL, is that it overwrites the universe itself, removing all resulting timelines.
To elaborate further, RESETs tend to create more timelines parallel to the main one. Each AU has a main timeline, and others are variants of it. Pacifist, Neutral, Genocide, Flirter… These are just a few of the categories a timeline can be named under. Attempting to modify any existing timeline of the universe only creates another.
OVERWRITE is a superior ability that erases all branching timelines, pruning the tree so to speak. Not to mention that it has other uses… ones that I hypothesise as turning reality into their own playground.
Such a terrifying power is only wielded by the likes of Yukari Yakumo, and she rarely uses it. X-Gaster, however… he'll likely abuse it, if he goes down this path.
He believes that the excess of timelines is proof of failure, and so the OVERWRITE buttons give him the ability to change his own failures without creating 'useless variations'.
He needs to be reasoned with… there is no other way to turn him away.
Frisk and Chara were standing in the void, as the timeline was OVERWRITTEN once again, with X-Gaster standing opposite of him, and Richard behind him.
"It has only been two days, X-Gaster." Richard declared with a firm tone. "...Can you at least try to find something more worthy?"
"I am trying." X-Gaster answered back, before Chara raised his head.
"...You know what, screw you." Chara spoke with vitriol, pointing an accusing finger at X-Gaster. "You're an insecure old man, who can't find something that he can be satisfied with. What was all that talk about something unique and special for us? I think that you don't even care anymore for us! You just want to do what you like! Richard himself is a thousand times more fitting to use that button of yours, because he at least cares for all of us, and those creations you wiped away twice already! Unlike you, he's not making things worse!"
X-Gaster was taken aback by Chara's hateful words, before he then sneered back. "Is that so?" He remarked. "How disappointing then."
Chara then growled, before tugging Frisk along, leaving Richard and X-Gaster behind, as Frisk gave Richard a sad look.
After he was certain that the children were out of ear-shot, Richard walked towards X-Gaster.
"...X-Gaster, we need to talk." Richard stated. "It's about everything that has happened."'
"What is there to talk about? Don't tell me that you actually believe in the opinion of those brats." X-Gaster scoffed.
"Not entirely, but I do believe that some of what they said is true." Richard answered back. "...X-Gaster, it was you who gave Sans that incurable condition, and gutted Asgore, wasn't it?"
"...So what if it was?" X-Gaster answered back without pause.
"...X-Gaster, I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's wrong. I felt like you did that to spite Frisk and Chara, just because they found solace in Sans and Asgore respectively." Richard answered back. "I want to believe that you didn't, I know you're much better than that. There was no death in the first timeline we made, and everyone was happy."
"But it was not perfect." X-Gaster emphasised.
"It wasn't, but the next one was far less perfect, because death only hurt them." Richard answered back. "...Bringing death into their lives won't give them something better. And it'll definitely won't give you anything closer towards perfection. For all I know… you're straying from it by taking such measures."
X-Gaster bristled on hearing about these words, as Richard took note of it.
"I'm doing all I can to help you, X-Gaster. I gave you reports on what can be fixed for a better world next time… But you don't seem to care about my opinions. I thought that you hired me to help you find a way to make the world a far better place?" Richard stated with a sympathetic tone. "You need to believe and trust in me, as I do in you."
"I won't change my course." X-Gaster responded back. "I just need to keep trying."
"...Have you forgotten what the original purpose of all of this was? You said that you wanted to give your children something special and unique. You had it before, but you threw it away, because you weren't satisfied. Didn't you say that you didn't care as long as Frisk and Chara were happy?" Richard stated with a biting tone. "...What happened to you, X-Gaster? Where was the warm and friendly scientist that I helped along? Are you really him, or are you a sociopath pretending to be him?"
"...I am still who I was before. I merely took my lessons in stride." X-Gaster growled back, curling his bony hands into fists.
"...If you say so." Richard nodded back. "Just… please, for my sake, and for their sake, don't do such a thing like this again… and don't make things worse either. We can find your perfection without resorting to the other side that we all want to stay away from. I hope that I have a place enough in your heart for you to at least consider that."
Richard then disappeared through a sukima, heading to where Frisk and Chara is, intent on comforting them.
Entry Number 1, Timeline Number 3
After the talk was done, I played with Frisk and Chara, although my actions weren't as effective as before… They've both changed significantly, and not in a good way.
I feel like that Chara lost his optimism, and traded it for a bitter view of the world, which was reinforced with the loss of Asgore. Not to mention that he's got burning hate for X-Gaster now.
I don't understand… what does X-Gaster even want now?
If he wanted a story of tragedy and suffering, then he could just watch it unfold from other worlds in the Doodle Sphere, why copy after them, if there is no other purpose to it?
I believe that X-Gaster is lost… and I need to keep on trying to help him. There must be something that I can try.
But first, I need to find a way to counter that OVERWRITE Button.
Something tells me that the more he uses it…
The more the old X-Gaster dies away for the new one, the monster he is to become...