Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: X-Changed Will
Chapter 5: Embers of Rebellion
Entry Number 0, Timeline 8
...It's been months after that incident.
X-Gaster started educating Frisk… No, Prototype 2 about his duties.
...How could I see Frisk in him? Chara's SOUL is a component of him, in Frisk's body…
I don't know whether to say that it was either Frisk or Chara… But for my own sake… I'll keep to Frisk for now… He seems to be the dominant personality.
The pain has taxed me greatly. After I wept until my lungs went sore… I secluded myself.
How could I be in X-Gaster's presence after he done such a horrible thing!?
I wished I could hate him… But everytime I look back at his face, I see flashes of what he used to be.
He deserves a chance to redeem himself before it's too late. I don't, since it's far too late for me.
Although this might seem vain… It is better than wallowing in misery for the rest of eternity here…
I don't even know if I can leave this world anymore… And if my team never found me at this point…
No, it's better this way. They shouldn't see what atrocities have been done here. They shouldn't see what X-Gaster has become…
I can save him… I will SAVE him, no matter the cost.
But for now… I can only bide my time familiarising myself with Frisk again. At least I have someone to commune with… and that gives me enough solace to continue in this bleak reality.
"Close your eyes. Let the darkness embrace your Soul. You will find a small fragment of light. Give it a form, a texture... Any single detail you can think of. Once you are done, release the power of your Soul in your hand…" X-Gaster instructed, as he created a butterfly with glowing purple wings on a ginger. "...and you will have created something. This is how you use the OVERWRITE button."
The butterfly then flittered off X-Gaster's finger, before it then moved onto Frisk's nose, as he flinched slightly, before it then flew towards Richard, who let it rest on his finger, as he gently petted it with another finger, with a weak smile on his face.
"I created this timeline for you to explore your powers to its fullest." X-Gaster stated, keeping his eyes on Richard, before rising up to his height. "You can do your homework while I am absent."
"Where are you going?" Frisk asked.
"I need to visit a few places for… personal research." X-Gaster responded back, looking out into the distance. "Alphys will assist you in case you need something. Take your time, and most importantly…"
X-Gaster then turned to Frisk with a smile, as Richard looked at the smile, as it seemed genuine, which gave Richard a sense of hope, before X-Gaster then disappeared from the world.
Richard then let the butterfly go, as it flew into the distance, before turning to Frisk.
"Frisk…" Richard stated with a solemn look on his face.
"...I'm glad that you're fine." Frisk responded back with a neutral tone.
"...You don't sound like you are." Richard answered back with sadness in his tone. "...Do you think that this is the best we can have?"
"...Perhaps this was the only way this could have been resolved for us in the best way possible." Frisk admitted. "We merely just needed to understand each other. Everything is better now. We're finally happy, don't you think so?"
"...Do you?" Richard asked back.
"That's why we gotta do our best to make X-Gaster proud. Thanks to him, we're not in hell anymore." Frisk declared.
Richard thought back to the preceding timelines, as he considering this timeline to be far closer to that of the first timeline in terms of tranquility, as he nodded slowly. "...True. Do you think that you have a good idea to mind?" He asked Frisk.
"...Well, I need a moment." Frisk admitted, before he then left in a hurry.
Richard couldn't help but let out a slight smirk and a quiet 'hmph', before he then noticed that Alphys was behind him.
"Alphys…" Richard stated, as he turned to face her.
"...Remember that X-Gaster is forgiving your actions, because of your use." Alphys stated, as her voice turned cold and logical, which sent pangs of emotional pain through his heart, hearing each word.
"...I know." Richard stated. "...As much as both of you are concerned… I have no intentions to rebel again like I did in the fifth timeline… Why would I, it's an exercise in futility. I lost you, I lost Frisk, I lost Chara, I lost the only chance to stop X-Gaster. Now that everything is predetermined… I have no say on the matter anymore. You could slaughter everyone in the next timelines… and I wouldn't blink. What's the point… It's going to be overwritten one way or another. There might or might not be an end to it… I don't know…. And frankly, I can't bring myself to care."
Alphys was silent, as he then knelt down to look her in the eyes.
"...You know, despite the fact that you're overwritten to be only just a loyal assistant… I'm still relieved that there is still enough decency in X-Gaster to leave everything else intact." Richard said. "It means that I can at least re-build bridges with you… I know that you see me in disdain, as the insolent rebel I am… But you heard me before… I understand now that it's better this way. I might not like it, but I won't defy it. I only hope that once this is all done and dusted… X-Gaster will become like he was before… and all of this pain and suffering will be just a bad dream to everyone."
Richard then stood up, and turned to leave. "...Just consider my words. That's all I ask." He answered back. "...I think that I've blabbered too much to you. You must have more important duties than supervising a good-for-nothing like me... Take care of yourself… don't end up throwing your life for something meaningless again… alright?"
Richard then slowly walked away, as Alphys watched him do so. After he disappeared, she slowly lowered her head, and closed her eyes.
"...I wish there was a better way." Alphys remarked, as there was a hint of remorse in her voice.
Richard walked into the small laboratory, as he saw that there were various machines operating at the moment, before he then found Frisk standing before a deactivated robot, consisting of only a torso and a head, with cables jutting out of various points on the torso, including the limb joint themselves, as the head was human, with black matted hair, and part of his face was grey metal.
"Ah… You're just in time to watch me bring Mettaton online." Frisk remarked with joy. "Come on, come on, you got to see this."
"Now, now… I'm watching it closely." Richard answered back, nodding firmly, as Alphys watched from a corner, as she was fiddling with digital logs with her hands.
Frisk then summoned the OVERWRITE button, as Richard winced slightly on seeing it, due to the bad memories he had of it. Frisk then pressed it, as there was a low hum coming from Mettaton, before his eyes opened, revealing white irises.
"Welcome to life, Mettaton! I'm your creator." Frisk introduced himself.
"HELLO. MY BODY FEELS WEIRD." Mettaton answered back with a robotic male voice.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Frisk stated, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know how to create arms and legs at all… Alphys is helping me with that, so you'll be ready in a few hours-"
Before Frisk could continue further, Mettaton eyed one of the cable connected to his front torso, dangling tauntingly before his head, berfore he then began to nibble on the cables, which made Richard chuckle.
"Looks like your little Mettaton has an appetite for metal, I see." Richard joked.
"Heheh, don't chew on the cables!" Frisk chuckled, "I need you to listen carefully. X-Gaster has high expectations of us. We're gonna make a good first impression, okay? We will show him our creations can be perfect the way they are-"
Suddenly, Mettaton lunged forward, causing his cables to creak, as he moved his head towards Frisk's heart-locket, and snagged it in his mouth, chewing on the tip of it, which flustered Frisk.
"STOP EATING MY HEARTLOCKET!" Frisk exclaimed, as he tried to pry himself off Mettaton, who was happily chewing on the heart locket, as Alphys turned around to see the commotion.
"Alright, guess that's something you'll need to teach Mettaton to overcome." Richard stated, before he then walked forward, and summoned an iron disk from his sukima, yanked the heart-locket out of Mettaton's mouth, and jammed the iron disk in it quickly, as Mettaton paused for a moment, before chewing on the metal disk without pause. "Alphys, we're going to need your help. The main body works fine, we just need the limb attachments."
"...Alright." Alphys answered back, as she dismissed the logs, to help finish Mettaton.
Entry Number 1, Timeline Number 8
To be fair, I never thought that I would have grown fairly attached to Mettaton so quickly.
It's been only a few days since he was finished, and he's been more or less the glue in the relationships between me, Frisk and Alphys.
The fact that his body is extendable and transformable did result in a few amusing scenes.
Not to mention that this robot had a bit of a feminine look, for a masculine entity.
He was a good friend to Frisk, playing with him and keeping him happy.
I suppose that I should be offended that Mettaton is taking away from my role as Frisk's caretaker…
But how could I be angry, when it helped me get a little bit closer to Alphys.
I can tell, considering that her voice is a bit more… closer in terms of amicability. So long as this progress continues… I'll have the old Alphys that I was great friends with, back in no time.
X-Gaster is also coming back very soon after I finish this log… And I sincerely hope that nothing goes wrong.
...Then again, X-Gaster might not look at Mettaton quite well… It's a hunch that I feel.
"Mettaton?" X-Gaster asked, with a sweat-drop, as said robot was carrying Frisk on his shoulder, with Richard beside them.
"Yes! I used some of the data compilation." Frisk responded back. "He likes to dance, eat all the time... "
Mettaton then raised one of his hands, as a saber of purple energy emanated from it, slightly startling X-Gaster. "Oh! And his saber can cut anything! Well, anything that I know of…" Frisk hastily added.
"A weapon… why?" X-Gaster asked, as his tone shifted into one of caution.
"Because he's my friend… and also my guardian!" Frisk grinned brightly back, placing a hand on Mettaton's head.
"Why would you need a guardian?" X-Gaster asked back, as Frisk's smile faded away into worry, as he began to sweat.
"...X-Gaster, considering the terrible things that he might end up facing… it's better that he has someone that can protect him when the going gets tough." Richard explained, keeping eye-contact with X-Gaster. "...Besides, you heard him. He's a good friend in a world where he doesn't have any. Mettaton, after everything I have seen… is a exceptional being."
X-Gaster looked back at Richard, as both of them remained silent, as if they were silently communicating something, before X-Gaster closed his eyes.
"...Not bad for your first attempt, experiment." X-Gaster admitted, as Frisk smiled with joy. "...Now destroy him."
Suddenly, Frisk froze hearing those words, as Richard was stunned as well.
"Wait… what…!?" Richard exclaimed.
"But you just say that-" Frisk tried to argue, before he was silenced by X-Gaster raising a hand.
"I TOLERATE your foolish idea. Your creation… is hideous." X-Gaster answered back. "I am the one in charge. I decide what is useful and what is not. You will be able to keep your creations once your training is completed."
Mettaton then let Frisk down, who was distraught.
"But what if he can't replicate this kind of being again…!?" Richard argued back. "X-Gaster, you can't be serious! Mettaton has a right to live! He's proven himself to be useful by any definition you have! I understand that he may be slightly mis-matched, but he can be improved upon-"
"Is that your choice to make?" X-Gaster coldly warned Richard, as his eye shone.
Richard clenched his fists, before he then swallowed a deep breath. "...No. It's not." He choked as a response.
"I-I don't understand. What did I do wrong?' Frisk asked X-Gaster with a shaking voice.
'Hurry up. We still have more work to do." X-Gaster told Frisk, who merely remained as he was.
"...X-Gaster, don't tell me that you're seriously thinking that this will-" Richard said.
"If you can't do it… then I will." X-Gaster stated, as he lowered an arm, as a spike emerged from it, making Frisk turn frantic.
'No, wait! Give him a second chance, please!" Frisk begged, as he held onto X-Gaster's hand. "Why does this always have to end up like this!?"
"Welcome to your lesson number 2: 'Evolution requires sacrifice'." X-Gaster answered back with a cruel smirk.
"STOP IT!" Frisk screamed, as he flung himself off X-Gaster's hand, placing a hand to his head, as the smirk disappeared from X-Gaster's face, while Alphys eyed him from afar. "WHY DO YOU BELITTLE MY EFFORTS!?"
Richard then turned to Mettaton, before noticing that the outburst, was causing black oil to leak from his eye, as it tipped him off to something dangerous.
"WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?" Frisk exploded, before then clutching his head with both arms, as his voice meshed Chara's and his together. "I'M TIRED!"
"X-Gaster, look-" Richard tried to warn X-Gaster, before Mettaton suddenly moved before X-Gaster, before then cutting through his hand with a downwards strike of his saber, as Frisk backed away, before Mettaton eyed X-Gaster with what seemed to be a look of rage on it.
X-Gaster then immediately backed away with a short-range teleportation, as he launched a set of hands that pierced Mettaton's body with red spikes, although that did not deter the robot, as he extended an arm to seize X-Gaster by the neck, and drag him closer, while X-Gaster's SOUL appeared before him without any prompt.
"I'M TIRED OF YOU." Mettaton screeched with a distorted voice, as his mouth ripped open to show his fanged teeth, as his eyes turned red in one eye, and purple in the other.
Frisk watched Mettaton with a expression of disbelief, while Richard was surprised, before a spear of purple energy rushed towards Mettaton, skewering him through the side of his head, as oil splashed onto X-Gaster's face, while Mettaton slumped with the sound of powering down and electricity sparking from where the spear pierced him.
Richard turned towards Alphy, who was holding a glowing page in her hand, with a melted version of Undyne behind him, as her posture shown that she was the one who threw the spear.
Frisk collapsed, clutching his head with his hands. "I-I'm sorry! He wasn't supposed to attack you!" Frisk apologised.
"...Your training will get more intense from now on." X-Gaster stated, wiping the oil from his face with his one hand, before limping away, clutching his torn arm. "Assistant, clean up this mess."
Alphys then warped before Frisk, before eyeing him with disdain. "You're going to be a problem." Alphys told him, before then disappearing with the broken-down Mettaton.
Richard then walked towards Frisk, before producing a handkerchief, and wiping Frisk's black tears away.
"...It's okay, it's not your fault… it must have been some impulse that caused him to glitch like that…" Richard comforted Frisk. "...Although I'm not sure what…"
Entry Number 0, Timeline Number 9
Another timeline was created, and this time, it was a proper timeline, with the others, including a repaired and repurposed Mettaton.
Come to think of it, X-Gaster has been acting weird lately, spacing out from time to time. Every time he does, he either looks anticipating… or fearful.
I have a hunch what he could be seeing… But I can't be sure unless I have a better idea.
The timeline itself was fairly standard, considering that there is no human-monster cordial relationship to start with. It had to be earned this time.
I've been watching Frisk, and he's ended up down in the mood again, thanks to that incident last timeline.
...Ink is coming. I bet he has words to tell X-Gaster.
...Good timing, I have some words of my own to make to him.
...And trust me, none of it is pretty.
After all, I think that I already found my person to blame for all of this messed up shit.
"...You look tired, pal." Ink stated to X-Gaster, who leaned against a tree.
"I have overdone myself this time, it's nothing." X-Gaster answered back. "The First Phase of our game is complete."
"AMAZING! Can't wait to play with…" Ink stated with anticipation, before rubbing the back of his head. "What's its name again?"
"The X Event." X-Gaster answered back with a long sigh.
"Haha, you like that letter a lot, don't ya?" Ink chuckled, as the only response was awkward silence. "...Well… what are you waiting for? Let's go!"
"I can't go with you. I am sorry." X-Gaster apologised, as Ink's face fell. "My only purpose was creating and testing the OVERWRITE button. The second phase depends on you and the experiment."
"Experiment? Oh… the kids, right." Ink remarked with a concerned look on his face.
Suddenly, X-Gaster then leaned off the tree, before pulling a vial out of his pocket, as there was a purple glow to it.
"I know something will happen in the future." X-Gaster remarked. 'Please, keep this safe for me."
"Wait, THIS IS YOUR SOUL!" Ink exclaimed with outrage, as the vial was shoved into his hands. "ARE YOU CRAZY!?"
X-Gaster merely showed his SOUL, as the purple half was now black, which has been placed in the vial in Ink's hand. "I will survive with Chara's half. I can stand his DETERMINATION." He explained. "Let the experiment do as it pleases, follow its game… Be the hero or villain of its own calamity, until I decide when to start Phase 3."
"This is going to be so much fun! When shall we meet again!?" Ink exclaimed, as his concern turned to excitement in a hurry.
"...When the experiment leads me to the future that has cost me so much to find all along." X-Gaster answered back, staring out on the horizon.
Ink was silent, before he then walked away, as he travelled across the plains for a few moments, before he then created a door to the Doodle Sphere, taking him to the same island that he took X-Gaster from the start.
However, before he could move further, he felt an unnerving presence, and turned to see Richard, who had a stony expression on his face.
"Hello, Ink. In a hurry to leave so soon?" Richard spoke with a cold tone, which made Ink uneasy.
"Ah, yes… H-Hello…" Ink remarked with a stutter, before he then hid the SOUL vial behind his back. "I suppose that you're better now, Richard. It's a good thing that you are-"
"One, drop that mocking stutter of yours." Richard answered back, as his voice took an edge, and he returned an intense glare. "And two, don't think of hiding that damn vial from me. I know you have it, so don't bother lying about it."
Ink was silent, before he then sighed, and put his arm out, as the SOUL vial was held firmly in his hand.
"...So, you got anything to say for yourself?" Richard asked with a frigid tone to his words.
"What do you mean? Isn't everything going along fi-" Ink tried to say, before Richard then seized him by the collar, surprising Ink.
"...Fine? Oh, how very pleasing for you. Because I don't find that little joke of yours funny." Richard growled back, pressing his face close. "...I'm actually slightly impressed that you have the gall to taunt me like this, if it wasn't replaced by my utter disgust in a being like you, and my hatred towards you for what you have done."
Ink remained silent, as he didn't respond back. After a moment of silence, Richard let him go hastily, making some distance.
"Let me ask you a question, Ink: Do you think even the worst person can change...?" Richard asked with a stoic look to his face.
"...I don't get what you're expecting me to say... " Ink admitted. "...Maybe?"
"I actually have two answers, for certain definitions of 'worst people'." Richard answered back, closing his eyes. "...There's the answer for the worst people who ended up so messed up because of circumstances. My answer for them is that yes, they have a chance to change for the better, so long as they have the right motivations and the right help. And then there's the answer for those who were messed up to begin with… and only gotten worse because they enjoy it. In that case…"
Richard then opened his eyes, as there was a dark look in them, as an aura of animosity emanated from him. "...Those kind of people don't deserve a chance to be forgiven. Especially those who think they'll get away with it, and almost succeed." Richard declared with a low voice. "...You know where this is going, isn't it?"
"If you're looking for a fight, I'm not going to let you-" Ink started.
"...Fight? With you? As much as I love to oblige that wish…" Richard smirked back, before he snarled. "...I'm not going to do such a thing. If you think that you're so clever at hiding those tracks of yours on this entire mess, you can think again."
"...I don't know what you're talking about." Ink answered back with a serious tone.
"Hmph, you can say that all you like in my face, but it doesn't shift any blame in my eyes." Richard sneered back. "...You can pretend to be the naive idealistic creator god that you mold yourself as in other people's views… But I can see through that coloured mask of yours, the real Ink behind it. I know that you're far worse than you even let on to X-Gaster himself."
Richard then walked forward, tapping one of Ink's colour vials with a finger. "...Suppose I took those things away from you… How would you be? Would you be the same?" Richard answered back.
"Of course I will be-" Ink protested.
"That's a pathetic lie. I can sense the vibrant emotional energy in it." Richard answered back. "...Just three meetings, and I've already figured out your little dark secret. All it took for me to realise it, is a heavy dose of cruel reality to make me stop being optimistic, and start tearing at the seams of this facade. And guess where it led me."
Ink fell silent, as Richard moved back again.
"I'm going to tell you this straight… Even if your plan may reach some level of completion…. It will never see success." Richard answered back with grit teeth and clenched fists. "...I won't allow you to ruin one of the only things that I can take pride in cherishing and protecting, just because you want to hatch some sort of abomination from it to cause a real mess across this entire multiverse."
"This is for the better-" Ink explained.
"For you, that is." Richard retorted back. "You used X-Gaster like a tool, moulded his entire mindset by exposing him to certain influences, and whispering poisoned words into his ears. Slowly, and slowly, you drove him down this path of perfection. You knew that he would never find perfection, and so he would destroy and ruin everything around him in chase of an impossible dream. Frisk and Chara ended up being trauma victims because of him, and everyone else has ended up becoming miserable under his control."
"So tell me, Ink. How do you feel, knowing that you corrupted a person with good intentions and a power that could have changed this world for the better in this entire multiverse, just so that you could fulfil your own selfish desires?" Richard declared firmly with oozing disdain in his voice.. "Are you going to smile and tell me that nothing I do matters? Or mock me for being a powerless and insolent little shit? Or try to kill me here and now like the sociopath you hide behind that irritating mask of lies? Go on, everything you do only gives me more drive to press on for the mere reason to spite you."
There was only silence, although Richard noticed that for a moment, Ink's face turned blank, as it elicited a smirk from Richard.
"Well, well, seems like you even have a limit to this tomfoolery." Richard stated. "I can't ruin your plans as I am now… And it will be destined to proceed no matter what I try… you weaved your plan far too well for me to dismantle with anything I have at the moment. But know this: I won't give up on X-Gaster. I will not let him fall down the same path I went down, and I certainly will not let him remain your damn pawn. I will SAVE him and everyone in X-Tale… And when I'm done… I'm going to come for you, and collect the payment karma put on your head."
Richard then turned to leave. "...And even if you manage to end me…? Well then, we'll see how far that divinity and godhood of yours stands against an entire organisation of beings who fought and slain gods… as well countless heroes who will see to your plan's ruination. And the Colour Gods? We'll see if the Color God of this little section will turn a blind eye when you cause this chaos. Either way… karma always collects its dues… no matter who the debtor is."
Richard then disappeared through a sukima, while Ink remained silent, before a smirk appeared on his lips, as he flicked himself away with a swipe of ink from his brush.
Richard and Frisk walked through the crowd, as there was a ceremony in place, with Richard holding Frisk's hand.
"This place makes me sick." Chara's phantom remarked, manifesting himself beside Frisk, as he was the only one who can hear or see him. The phantom eyed the entire crowd with disdain. "Just look at them… All the work that X-Gaster put on us, just to make this timeline… garbage."
"If this looks perfect to him. Then it's okay." Frisk gently thought to Chara.
"This is not what he wants." Chara answered back with a glare in his eyes. "I've seen some of his memories after we got the other half of his SOUL… He's been visiting the main universe since our training started."
"But… he said that no one is allowed to go there…!" Frisk thought frantically, as his expression shifted, as Richard noticed it.
"...Are you talking to Chara again?" Richard asked Frisk.
"...Yeah." Frisk responded back.
"...Look, I know that you're not happy with all of this… but can you at least try to celebrate this?" Richard answered back, gesturing towards Asgore and Toriel, who were holding a wrapped baby Asriel in her arms, with a fully-armoured Undyne keeping guard for them. "...After all, our dear goat-boy is back again, after all."
"This is why…" Chara tried to argue, before he then stopped. "Who am I kidding? Nothing I say to them can be communicated through, even if I wished to tell him about how sorry I am for causing him this much pain… He's the most hurt from all of this."
"...But that's why we have to do our best… So that this can all stop, and we can be happy together again." Frisk responded back mentally.
"ARGH! Stupid monster!" A male human cried, shoving an anthropomorphic female dog monster away. "Your disgusting hair is all over my food!"
"Hey, leave her alone or I'll kick your butt!" A burly male furred monster threatened with grit teeth.
"...Oh no." Richard stated, as he then rushed to get to the scene.
"Bring it on, stupid dog!" The human taunted, before shoving the dog monster back, as it bumped into Frisk and Richard, as the latter managed to regain his footing, and moved between them both in an attempt to separate them, before the dog monster shoved him down, as humans and monster stampeded towards the scene, knocking Frisk over, as he held his hands over his head in an attempt to protect himself from the countless feet stomping around him.
"Stop this! This isn't the time for-" Richard tried to argue, before a lizard monster slugged him in the jaw, dazing him, before the male dog monster punched him in the stomach, causing him to collapse.
"Enough! I'm tired of this pointless timeline!" Chara screamed in Frisk's head. 'Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!"
Frisk then raised his hand, as red lights formed around him, while his eyes turned red and purple again, as Richard noticed the forming attack.
"Frisk, don't-" Richard tried to stop Frisk.
"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" A skeletal voice stated, familiar to Richard and Frisk, as it was Papyrus, the lanky and tall brother to Sans himself, as he got into the middle of the fight, quickly separating the combatants from each other. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? THIS IS THE LITTLE PRINCE'S CEREMONY! BEHAVE, OR UNDYNE AND METTATON WILL TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS."
Richard then eyed Undyne and Mettaton, as Mettaton had a black ninja mask across the lower part of his face.
The monsters and humans eyed the guards, before then turning to themselves, and apologising, as the tension was being defused.
Papyrus then noticed Richard, as he walked over. "POOR HUMAN… ARE YOU HURT?" Papyrus asked him.
"Ngh, I'm fine. The injuries aren't that serious, trust me… Please take care of Frisk… He's a bit more distressed than I am." Richard answered back, pointing at Frisk.
"OH! LITTLE HUMAN… ARE YOUR HURT TOO?" Papyrus asked, rushing over to Frisk.
"N-No… I'm fine." Frisk answered back.
"THANK HEAVENS! LET ME GIVE YOU A HAND." Papyrus smiled back, putting out a gloved hand, as Frisk looked at it for a moment, before taking it. "I HOPE YOU CAN ENJOY THE REST OF THE DAY!"
"What are you doing. We have to get home." Alphys stated, suddenly appearing behind Papyrus, which startled him, as Frisk turned to her.
"Y-Yes." Frisk nodded back, following Alphys out of the crowd, as Papyrus watched as the two disappeared.
Richard then walked over, and placed a hand on Papyrus's shoulder, as the skeleton turned to him.
"...Thank you for showing the kindness to break this fight up before things could worsen." Richard answered back. "The same for checking up on us. I'm sure that you're a very generous person."
"OF COURSE. WHY, I'M THE-" Papyrus was about to say, before they both noticed Frisk's heart-locket, which was shattered from being stamped to pieces earlier. Richard picked it up.
"...Tsk…" Richard clicked his tongue. "This is a real mess. Frisk's heart locket broke. Sorry he had to go, he had something to do, and he had to deal with it quickly. Don't worry though, I can keep you company in his stead. I can even talk a little about him, if you like."
"WHY, THAT WOULD BE NICE. DON'T WORRY, I CAN FIX IT." Papyrus smiled warmly back.
"...Thank you for your help then." Richard responded with a smile on his own.
The two then immediately made their way to Sans's pie stand, as Sans finished seeing off a satisfied customer, before Papyrus then grabbed one of the tape dispensers on the stand, before he then started working towards taping the pieces together, while Sans noticed Richard's presence.
"Hey, Papyrus. What are you doing here, and who is this new human friend you made?" Sans asked Papyrus.
"SOMEONE LOST A RARE ACCESSORY IN THE MIDST OF A CROWD… IT'S DAMAGED SO I'M TRYING TO FIX IT BEFORE RETURNING IT." Papyrus answered back, turning to address Sans, before then gesturing to Richard. "And this is his friend… Um, what's your name?"
"Just call me Richard. The child whose heart locket you're fixing is Frisk." Richard stated back.
"You're a good role model for this town, bro." Sans remarked, with a hand to the side of his head.
"NOT UNTIL I GET TO FIND FRISK." Papyrus argued back, as he continued to tape the heart locket back together.
"Don't worry, I can help ya with that." Sans winked.
"Oh? That would be really nice. But can we put that off until the heart locket is fixed… Just in case if it's a startling surprise." Richard answered back.
"Sure thing." Sans shrugged back.
"...You know, Papyrus…." Richard told Papyrus. "Believe it or not, someone like you would make Frisk see the world in a better light, with someone kind enough to guide him back."
"...OH? BUT AREN'T YOU HIS FRIEND? ARE YOU UNABLE TO DO THAT?" Papyrus remarked with curiosity.
"...I've lost my connection with him… Even though we seem to be great with each other from a standard point of view… but he's pushing me away because he feels like it's his fault that something terrible happened to me." Richard explained. "...I don't believe that. You can be a better person, if you just try your best and ask for someone to help."
"REALLY!? THAT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD SAY!" Papyrus stopped for a moment, facing Richard with a sparkling expression, as he felt that the skeleton's eyes would be sparkling, if they were not hollow sockets already. "I'M SURE THAT WE CAN FIX YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER! I'M GOOD AT HELPING FRIENDS FORGIVE EACH OTHER."
"...You are the purest light that I ever seen, Papyrus… To have your aid…" Richard declared, before placing an hand over his heart. "...It is something that I am truly grateful for."
After a while, Papyrus finished repairing the heart locket,
"AH, FINALLY DONE!" Papyrus exclaimed with triumph, holding the taped heart-locket in his hands. "NOW THEN, SANS, WHERE WAS THE HELP YOU WERE GOING TO GET?"
Sans merely let out a tuned whistle from his teeth, before there was the sound of approaching panting, before something landed before them, startling Richard, as it was a muscular armoured dog monster with a huge body, although the head poking out of it was petite and cute, as Richard fawned at the adorable tongue-out look it had.
"Here you go. Hop on, and this buddy will find out where that friend of yours is." Sans told Papyrus and Richard.
"COME ON, RICHARD! WE GOT TO FIND FRISK!" Papyrus exclaimed, hopping on one shoulder of the dog, as there was enough room to cling onto on that spot.
Richard looked at the towering dog knight, before he then relented and slowly put himself over the other shoulder, while giving a few pets to the dog's head, as it let out a cute bark which made Richard feel warm inside from how cute the act was.
"ALRIGHT, LET'S GO! FIND THE ONE WITH THIS ACCESSORY!" Papyrus ordered the dog, as it suddenly took off into the air, as Richard was buffeted by the forceful winds from the jump, as they soared tens of metres into the air, as the landing was hard, although it was fairly stable.
The dog kept on jumping from area onto area, before they finally managed to reach where Frisk was, inside a secluded section of the forest, as X-Gaster was sitting on a tree stump, with Frisk and Alphys in front of him, as the dog flattened a part of the wooden fence.
"GOOD DOG! YOU FOUND THEM!" Papyrus complimented the dog. "OH! IT'S FRISK! HEY, YOU LOST THIS IN THE TUSSLE! I EVEN BROUGHT YOUR FRIEND HERE!"
"Sorry, Frisk, had to get some help to fix that heart-locket." Richard answered back, before he then hopped off, while Papyrus threw the heart-locket to Frisk, who caught it, as there was sweat beads coming down his face, while Chara's phantom face-palmed.
"I FIXED IT FOR YOU WITH MY GREATEST TECHNIQUE!" Papyrus declared, before noticing the splintered fence section. "UH-OH, IT SEEMS I GOTTA REPAIR THIS FENCE, TOO! THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF DUCT TAPE! I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"
The dog then took off into the air with a jump, Papyrus in tow, as X-Gaster eyed Frisk and Richard with a glare.
"Experiment, you're grounded." X-Gaster ordered. "As for you, Richard… Don't humour their requests for leave, or I'll discipline you."
"...Understood." Richard stated, as Frisk was escorted away with Alphys. "...X-Gaster. You've been strangely quiet all the sudden. I don't mean verbally, but you've also been keeping yourself hidden from the public eye, and not going out to check everything out. Something the matter?"
"...It's none of your concern." X-Gaster denied.
"It is when you're suffering from it." Richard answered back. "I can tell that you did something rash. I can sense that a part of your power is missing. No, more like a part of your being… If you keep this up, you're likely going to suffer deterioration at this rate. There's only so much magic food you can get for yourself, before that treatment method begins to lose effectiveness. I won't tell you to stop this… but I advise that you stop trying to continue all of this as you are… I fear what might happen if you keep on pushing yourself in this state."
X-Gaster didn't respond, as he merely intensified his glare on Richard, as it gave Richard the message that his opinion was a sore point for the scientist.
"...I know that you're doing this for a good reason. I only hope that once this is all over… you'll be back to as you were." Richard stated with a solemn tone, as he moved past X-Gaster. "...Everyone is hurt by all of this, and not in a way that can be simply OVERWRITTEN…"
Richard then left, as X-Gaster merely sighed, before observing the tree-line again.
Papyrus and Richard was sitting inside a bar, as the two of them were sitting on a table, as Richard had a bottle of beer in his hand, while Papyrus opted for a mock-tail, as he was happily sipping on it, while Richard slumped on the table, with a hand to his forehead and a distressed expression.
After a while, Papyrus noticed Richard's expression, before he then stopped drinking. "WHAT'S THE MATTER? ARE YOU WELL?" He asked Richard.
"Papyrus… May I just ask you one question…? Just one, and I beg you… please answer it. I want to know the answer, so that…" Richard stated, before his words faltered, as his eyes fell to the half-empty beer bottle in his hand.
"...IT'S OKAY. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO KNOW, I PROMISE THAT I'LL ANSWER IT." Papyrus responded back with a trustworthy look on his face.
"...Papyrus… Am I a bad person or not?" Richard asked back, as Papyrus frowned, silent for a moment, while contemplating the question.
After a while, Papyrus lowered his drink, and faced Richard. "...I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW ON YOUR OWN IF YOU'RE GOOD OR EVIL, RICHARD." He firmly stated.
"...That's the thing." Richard answered back with a bitter chuckle. "...Despite how old I can be… Inside this hollow shell of a being… I'm still a naive child. I don't know if I'm bad or good anymore. Everything is a canvas of grey, white and black to me."
"HOW COME? YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND, YOU HELP PEOPLE SO MUCH, AND YOU'RE KIND TO EVERYONE." Papyrus declared. "AND I KNOW THAT YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BAD, BECAUSE NO-ONE TALKED BAD ABOUT YOU! SO I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE GOOD, SO YOU CAN BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!"
"...I love to, but my sins go beyond just this world. Before I even came here… I…" Richard stated, before he then sighed deeply. "...I'm not from this world, Papyrus. I'm an outsider. Before I became who I am today… I was the cruelest, most malicious being in the known universe I resided in. I killed many people, innocent or otherwise, manipulated them for my own gains, and tore their hopes and dreams like wet paper before a knife. I only wanted to see suffering be made, and my heart was coal-black… If you met me before then… then you would have hated me so much. I was the very antithesis to the heroic guardian that you make yourself as. A demon invader, to be struck for the hopes and happiness of everyone."
Papyrus was silent, before Richard made a broken smile. "...See, I knew that you couldn't handle it. I know that your opinion of me soured so greatly hearing all of this." He stated. "...It's better that you never met a monster like me, much less befriended one. I got away with everything and it hurts me so badly. So if you want to leave me alone… that's fine, you deserve better-"
Papyrus then embraced Richard gently, as it caused Richard to gasp, as he let go of the bottle he was holding.
"...YOU TOLD ME BEFORE, EVEN THE WORST CAN BE BETTER IF THEY JUST TRY. AND YOU DID TRY. IF YOU WERE SO TERRIBLE BEFORE, THEN THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL TO BE THIS MUCH BETTER." Papyrus comforted Richard. "DON'T GIVE UP HOPE, I KNOW THAT YOU WON'T BE SEEN AS THE BAD PERSON YOU WERE, BUT THE GREAT PERSON YOU ARE NOW. AFTER ALL, EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE."
"...Papyrus…" Richard asked with a few tears in his eyes, before he then wiped them away. "...Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just being over-dramatic. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure that I feel a lot better now that I heard of that after venting everything out. Once again, I'm so glad to have a friend like you."
"LIKEWISE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER GIVES UP ON ANYONE!" Papyrus smiled back, patting Richard's back.
Richard and X-Gaster faced each other, as X-Gaster seemed to be slightly pained, as Richard turned towards him.
"...Ever since that one time, Frisk has been going out on his own over and over again. And unlike that first time…" Richard stated. "...You never even cared about it…. X-Gaster, what are you trying to do? I can see that all of this is affecting Frisk badly… What result are you expecting from all of this?"
"...It doesn't matter to you. You just need to quietly watch." X-Gaster answered back.
"X-Gaster… if you plan on doing something like the fourth timeline, you're only going to end up with a worse mess. You forget that Frisk has had enough control over his OVERWRITE button to cause a real mess. And if he learns of your condition… there will be bloodshed." Richard firmly told X-Gaster in response. "...And if you're not prepared… this might be the last chance you have at your perfection… and if you don't properly plan it out… you're going to end up destroying everything you have, with no chance of rebuilding what is lost."
X-Gaster merely creased his eyes in response, before both of them heard the sound of footsteps in the snow, as they turned towards the wooden fence, as Papyrus showed himself, with a solemn expression on his face, and the taped heart-locket around his neck, which made Richard freeze momentarily, as X-Gaster merely raised an eyebrow.
"Well, so what did it tell you?" X-Gaster asked Papyrus.
"...ENOUGH. " Papyrus asked with a melancholic tone. "I WANTED TO ASK YOU TWO PERSONALLY IF ALL OF THAT IS TRUE."
Richard bowed his head, clenching his fists, while X-Gaster closed his eyes.
"Yes, it is." X-Gaster bluntly admitted.
"...I'm sorry, Papyrus. I'm not much better than I was before… Once again, I lied to you…" Richard bitterly stated with self-loathing in his voice. "Everything will not end well… like Frisk might have told you."
"...Then w-what's going to happen now?" Papyrus asked the two again.
"...I don't know." X-Gaster admitted firmly.
"...Uhh, what?" Papyrus remarked, before turning to Richard, whose eyes widened. "Richard, do you…?"
"X-Gaster, you can't seriously be thinking…" Richard remarked, before a flash of realisation crossed his face. "...Now it all makes sense, the pieces click together… ever since the start of this timeline, you had plans for what was going to happen, even though you didn't plan what's going to happen right at this moment…You didn't know what was going to happen in this timeline… But you can predict what comes next after."
"...What are you talking about?" Papyrus asked back, confused at Richard's words.
"...Frisk, you're here, aren't you?" Richard said. "...X-Gaster already knows. That heart-locket tipped him off."
Frisk then revealed himself, as there was a shocked expression on his face, while X-Gaster rose up.
"Everything was going so well, until you ruined it with your melodramatic attitude." X-Gaster mocked Frisk. "What is the matter, experiment? Do something."
"What the hell is he up to…?" Chara's phantom remarked.
"If you think your stupid heart-lockets can change something, then go ahead." X-Gaster goaded Frisk. 'Take responsibility for your actions."
"Hypocrite… I HATE YOU!" Frisk cried, as his eyes glowed in colours again, as his teeth was grit in a expression of fury, as the RESET and OVERWRITE buttons manifested in his hands.
"'Hate' is a pretentious term. You are most likely… afraid of me." X-Gaster chuckled, pushing his glasses with a finger and an arrogant smirk, as Frisk's hands trembled over the button.
"X-Gaster, are you insane, he's not afraid of you, he's afraid of becoming like you!" Richard snapped. "This is worse than a genocide, this is literally corruption! You're going to literally cause a mess beyond just this universe, if this goes through! You have to stop this- He's going to become a time bomb at this-"
"IT'S SAD." Papyrus interrupted with a somber tone, surprising everyone else. "IT'S SAD THAT SOMETHING AS VALUABLE AS A HEART HAS TO CARRY A BURDEN LIKE THAT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE AIR OF SORROW WAS NORMAL IN THESE LANDS… BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE JUST YOUR REFLECTIONS."
Suddenly, tears flowed down the eyes of X-Gaster, Frisk, and Richard, as the latter two were consumed by sorrow.
"Papyrus… We…" Richard started.
"...NEXT TIME, DON'T GIVE US REAL FEELINGS, PLEASE." Papyrus stated. "YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN MESS. WE WILL BE GRATEFUL. THAT'S A PROMISE. AND FRISK, DON'T HATE RICHARD… HE'S HURT JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU…"
Suddenly, X-Gaster froze, as if he saw a vision, while Richard moved towards Frisk, who was trembling with flowing tears.
"Frisk, DON'T-" Richard tried to shout, before Frisk let out a wail of emotional agony, as he slammed a hard fist into the RESET button, causing the entire world to be bathed in light.
When Richard's consciousness returned, he found himself standing with his hand outstretched, as he found himself in a small area overlooking a castle, as he looked around, finding that there were corridors on either side.
"...What… What just happened… Is this an OVERWRITE… Or was that a RESET…" Richard remarked, as he looked at the castle in the distance. "...Strange, something strikes me familiar about that castle…"
Richard then began to walk around, as he began to notice a few familiar things, which caused the unease in his heart to grow, as his walking pace began to increase, before he was running around.
"No, this can't be… This place is much like…" Richard remarked, as he pushed through a hallway entrance, finding himself in a familiar hallway, filled with rows of stone pillars and stained glass windows that allowed sunlight to flow into the corridor. "...The base universe."
Richard then sat down, as he looked ahead.
"...Now I get it, his trips to the base universe… The link between emotions and memories… The goading… All of it was to force Frisk into creating a replica of the base universe…" Richard answered back. "...But why did X-Gaster plan it like this…? We had timelines that were far more better than this-"
Richard then was struck with an epiphany. "...No, wait, this timeline might not be perfect, but to him, it's the closest to the 'perfection' he seeks. The perfection of a proper world with lore that is worth taking pride in." Richard answered back. "...Everything before was manufactured to follow a guided path. X-Gaster intended to create a world in which he still has control over, and the uniqueness of a story that has its own lore that is conceived not by the creator's hand… He wants the perfect story… a story he can change and alter to his needs."
Richard then clutched his head. "But he could have done this sooner, without all of this suffering, without all of this hatred!" Richard screamed. "There was a better way, one far less costly and far more moral! Why did he refuse the choice of it? Because of his pride of perfection made by his own hands!? It's not right! IT'S NOT RIGHT!"
Richard then took a few deep breaths, as he calmed down.
"...Whatever it is… This can only end two ways. One, this entire mess spreads across the Doodle Sphere with disastrous results…" Richard remarked. "...Or two, X-Gaster finally becomes satisfied and this entire nightmare of events will end as it should have been long ago."
Richard then tugged the side of his chest. "...No matter what it costs… The former must not happen… I won't allow my friends to have to deal with a mess that I have created." He declared.
His mind then flashed back to what the solitude period showed him, as there was a sad look in his eyes.
"...I can't." Richard whispered to him with concern, before he then left the halls.