He had a plan...
He needed to break a promise.
The kid reseted, it was instantaneously. He had limited time now. He could count the seconds down.
"My blasters, I need you to protect me." Both dogs obeying barked at him. Wings dropping his head in Gasters lap, while Ding sitting by his side looking as a picture book guard guard.
Sitting there facing the anomaly walls there in the evening sun Gaster closed his eyes taking slow measured breaths. He apologized to his foster mother. As he pushed his mind to slowly sink. He was determined to succeed in this endeavor... no... Gaster mentally smirked. Cleaver. But he figured that out as a teenager... He let go of the determination, allowed to sink until he gave up on control.
Dark.
Darker.
Yet Darker.
His eyes opened, he looked at himself, no longer he was looking as a human. The black slacks and long coat that wrapped around his form giving a sensation of comfort, he looked nearly as if he was melting into the material. His hands were only skin and bones without the skin. Two holes, each one in each palm. Nearly shyly he reached his bony fingers to his face... to his skull. He traced the ridges of the broken skull, the ridges that were maching his scars. He felt like himself.
After forever he felt like himself. And only himself.
Now.
Gaster looked around the darkness, and started floating through it. It was an interesting feeling. The void was staring back at him as he surged and gently moved. It felt like a long time with no real progress. Limited time. He hoped and remembered the memories from a lifetime ago.
The child found in the ruins by Arsiel. With a broken arm and many bruises new as well as old. His theory of what the kid must have gone thought too, whispered to the kings pair. The happy joy to hear Asgore and Tori were taking the little hopeful thing into their family.
How the kid made its its job to get every single monster to know. To find what would make them happy and try to make it possible with an unwavering determination.
A little flower bed was in his view now. No. Not a flower bed he realized as he came closer. The grass was white and brittle as old bone. In the middle was Chara. Sitting with her legs outstretched, eyes a glowing red and checks poofed in annoyance.
It pulled on his soul. The soul that was floating in Charas hands, held together by small fingers, which wrapped around it. The cracks were visible and seeing your own soul held by another being... it was quite fascinating.
Chara ignored him.
He stepped carefully on the white grass and was surprised to notice that it was soft and bending, even if it appeared brittle in his observation. He sat down beside the child. It was comfortable, simple enjoying the presence.
"...I dont like it." The kid stated after a long while nothing but silence surrounded them.
"Oh? I find this quite interesting." Gaster responded, having Chara huff. The fingers gently curling around the soul that was only kept alive because Chara was determined not to let go of it. It was a protective action.
"I am talking about your plan." His plan, his plan to bring freedom to monsters kind.
"Oh you know what I want to ask you?"
"Uh-huh. I am literally holding the culmination of your being in my palms. So yeah. I do know."
Silence settled again, minutes ticked by as the child with red eyes were staring off into the darkness all around their little spot.
"... Can it work?" Gaster finally asked.
"..."
The kid curled up even more. The soft white shine now barely visible from how the child was trying to shield it away from him.
"Chara?"
"Am I?" The words nearly bitter, and snappish. Challenging him to something. Yet Gaster knew that he owned the truth to them. He didnt back down as he said with no doubt in his voice.
"... No. You arent."
A flinch.
"You are an echo of the moment when I extracted the determination out of Chara. A photograph that feels, thinks and is self aware but...A echo with its own intent and will... not a soul of its own..." Gaster took a depe breath his fingers nervously dancing against each other. " I... I am horrible sorry for what I did to you. All the tests I did on the determination... were you..."
"Aware?... yeah..."
It was the skeleton turn to flinch. He didnt consider the traits to have awareness... how much of a failed scientist was he to not spot the cruelty he was performing on something that was not a thing... How blind was he. He burned, put acid, tested chemical after chemical. Attempted to mix the traits with force, breaking it apart to only try and rebuild a copy...
"I didnt mind it. " The child voice a soft sound. He looked up in disbelief. His hands stopped moving.
"Sure it hurt, and I didnt know what was going on...but... I was aware of the intent. I could feel the intent of everyone in the lab. I tried to help how ever I could. Every drop of me did. So we could save our friends."
Gaster hands twitched, and the hope of monster kind uncurled itself and shifted to give the speechless skeleton an one armed hug. His soul shining brightly in one of Chara hands. He yielded to their mercy. He hugged them back. Just imaging how he will have to explain this to Tori and Asgore... Chara chuckled at his troubled musing.
"Back then... when I got my last memory back... the child I spoke to, that was you as well?"
"Yeah. It was easier to look like that. You would have trusted yourself over a unknown kid."
"Why did you gave me that memory first?" Chara shifted a bit away and looked down.
"... I hoped the pain would scare you away. So you could have a happy human life. But instead it made you obsessed to figure it all out." A heavy sigh left him as he ruffled the soft brown hair.
"Somethings are meant to happen." He offered as a form of comfort. Another spurt of silence enveloped them. He didnt break it. He waited and watched the determination that was also an echo of chara. Like a echo flower...
"Yeah... I think it could work... but... You will fail if I dont help you." The little echo flower responded, and gave him a glare. "I am not an echo flower. " Chara added pointedly fully aware what nickname and puns he was working in his mind. But those could wait there were more important things at hand.
"Could you please help me to help all monster kind and Frisk?"
"Thats not fair. And you know it. Its not fair to ask me like that!" Chara yelled standing furiously up and being more protective of the soul in their hands. "Its not fair... its not... why... "
"Asriel would wish you helped, wouldnt he?" Gaster didnt move from his spot on the white grass, he observed the tears in the edge of the red glowing eyes.
"Of course he would, but he is dead. I am dead. And everyone else will be dead soon enough again. No one will be in pain and everyone can be together again. Even you! I will just have to let go of your soul and you can join everyone. Thats a fabulous idea isnt it! Because your plan would do the same thing to your soul anyway! So why not use a shortcut!"
At this point Chara was shaking violently, clinging to the white heart with its point up. The many cracks having a faint red glow to them. Yet, Gaster didnt feel fear from the words. Instead he spoke calmly as he was noticing an interesting behaviour. "Flowey came to be because a flower with asriel dust received a small dose of determination. Do you think there is a little echo of you in Flowey as well?"
"..." The red eyes were big.
"The dust as well was not just asriel but asriel after he took in his siblings soul. It was their dust."
The red eyes were staring at him, a look similar to of a lost child in them. He opened his own arms in an invitation of a hug.
"I believe even if we can not return the soul back, maybe we can dial up what already inside. Its what would make him happy."
The red eyes were now crying freely allowing tears to fall on the white grass. It moved as if there was wind as Chara moved into the hug, determination the only feeling pulsing warmly in his arms as he hugged back.
"...Life is rarely fair... but thats why hope exist, and it only can ever exist if you let time go on." Gaster whispered, hearing the small hiccups break out from Chara. The echo was experiencing his emotion, and now they were both sad, yet hope existed.
"... You are a cheater, you know that." The small voice spoke back at him. Gaster made a fake hurt expression as he caressed the top of the kids head. At times cheating was the only way, for his king he would do anything, for the two he would do anything.
"You want to really break a piece of your soul and send it in the anomaly? Like a trojan horse. " The heap of child in his arms said after another silence lasted on. And in that moment the doctor knew Echo chara would help him. He felt an annoying huff against his ribs, so he throw away that nickname as well.
"Yes. The anomaly is a layer of determination, alive as Frisk, it was created from the combined determination that is yours and Frisk. If we wrap the piece of my soul in your determination we should be able to sneak it past the anomaly. Trick it into believing its just a piece of Frisk soul."
"I spend decades holding your soul together!" Chara protested, but there lacked the strengths in the kids voice. It felt like a pointedly pout.
"I am not asking for you to let it fall apart just... to let me take one shard out. And its not like I didnt already do such a thing before. My soul being in shards would actually make it less painful for me." Gaster smiled joyfully. He received a slap over his skull, Chara was pouting at him, the soul gently resting in the small palm. He continued speaking his plan aloud even if the red eyed child knew it. Explaining it aloud made it more real. Made them more determined.
"The intent I will plant in my soul would pull on the magic in a similar fashion as Undyne was when she denied death. It should create a body and maybe a room. Once Frisk comes up to it the new thing will be something they will not be able to resist. And then when they try to interact with the monster inside the shard will slip past their determination and hide in their soul... Like a small virus of hope and dream."
"What if anyone else comes across that door?"
"If its Sans or Papyrus, they will receive a message. The solution on how I plan to stop and what needs to be done. Any other monster... the virus like behaviour would change their soul to the point where they will be acting and thinking like me. "
Chara moved fully away and sat on the soft grass. Fingers caressing the edges of shards that made his soul. "So the dream to see sunlight and a bit of hope... would it be enough to do a pacifist round?"
"Frisk didnt erase the time yet, precisely because the child wanted to make sure they didnt miss anything... If I am right and I am the great doctor Gaster. Frisk is following whims. So what would it matter to satisfice the run to see the sun before erasing everything. "
"But once on the surface you plan to influence them."
"Yes, Chara. The child would be close enough for me to use the shard in them as a back door to the place of void they go to reset and load. Then I can influence them to finally give it up. To find the will to move on. But it will only work one time. "
"The other me that is by Frisk will not let you do it." Gaster stayed silent. Chara sighed a sensation of giving up pulsing briefly across the pulse of determination. Before it goals reoriented.
"Fine I will come with you. I should be enough of distraction to myself for you to work your magic. I am sure if I see myself holding a monster soul and one that is so broken... I will think its his. Then I will want it."
Gaster nodded, understanding that his soul will be bait, as well the implication if the other Chara get the soul and/or breaks it... he dies. His life will be literally in his Charas hands. And he didnt mind it at all.
"Are you sure you can hand-le the other you?"
"Pffft, I trained with Gerson how to fight. Do not underestimate either of us."
"I believe in you."
Gaster blinked suddenly he was outside. No he was already outside. The dogs were wrapped over him trying to keep him warm. His eyes wandered and sure enough there was a moonless night. The stars were beautifully.
"Soon Sans. Soon Papyrus and I can watch your star struck eyes while you stargaze." It was late in the night but he couldnt waste any time. The procedures for what he planned out needed to be made and tested asap. He shifted Wing eyes opened and licked his face.
"I am fine."
He petted the blasters, and carried Ding who couldnt brother to wake up while Wing was slowly striding after him. Loudly yawning. He feed them once in the lab and throw himself into work.
Two days later he was ready to extract the piece. The determination in him was really not liking this part of plan. He opted to talking to himself to calm its puls down. He needed to plant the right intent onto the shards or everything will be useless.
Soon enough it did calm down enough for him to continue. He laid down, his soul out and special vial on hand. He was about to put the scalpel inside his soul when a knock came on his door. Both blasters barking at the door. He didnt check the calendar it was a Jeremy day. He groaned. The man really had the worst timing.
There was a chuckle in his head. He send a pout towards Chara unsure if it even arrive there. Shirtless and annoyed he opened the door.
"I will give you a improvements for previous inventions and you leave in five minutes. Deal?"
Jeremy raised a eyebrow. "You forgot."
"I really dont have the time."
"Gala evening. We both are supposed to go there. Elliot insisted and made you did he managed to coax you into promising anything is beyond me. And I think I have news that may interest you."
Gaster blinked at Jeremy. He remembered promising something...
"Gala evening?... Away from here?"
"Ah come on! I am getting deja vu here. I even got you a suit to wear... well you are half naked so that helps...When was the last time you eat? You are skin and bones. People will mistake you for a skeleton." The human complained as he gave a look over the skinny doctor in front of him.
The childish giggle echoed in his head.
He ignored it started to do calculations. "Do we have several hours?"
"Yeah I came a day early knowing its impossible to get you out in time otherwise."
Gaster turned around and went directly to his work shop where his machine was set up. "Than at least be useful and help me with this straps. I do not have time to make them automatic."
Sure Frisk didnt leave the ruins yet. Still if the kid wanted they could speed by and all this will be for nothing. Jeremy followed after closing the door after himself and followed Gaster.
"Straps?"
"Yes. Make sure my chest is strapped tightly with zero wiggle room."
"... did I interrupt a kinky session...?" The doctor sat down on the chair and groaned a bit.
"Its a sort of experiment the type that goes under deal. Now are you helping or annoying? Helping means getting things done faster." The human surprisingly just went to do as he was told. Obviously the man learned by this point that Gaster usually got what he wanted.
With his chest strapped he felt a lot more sure with the process, his soul flattered out without a care that Jeremy was in the room. The human yelped again. Demanding Gaster to give him a warning if he was doing such a freaky thing. Gaster right hand was completely free to move so it took the sharp tool and pushed it in the determination surrounding the shard he select to take out.
"What are you doing! What the fuck you doing! God! Stop it! "Jeremy was screaming... no actually the screaming was coming from his own lips. Jeremy was annoyingly panicking as he was extracting some of the determination to ensure the shard didnt fall to dust. His focus becoming perfect, the scientist taking more of the control as it was imprinting his intent, unwavering and determinedly.
The shard was in the viral and secure. He had no idea how long it took to get to this point. The red shined brightly as it shifted to fully envelope the white shard. His soul jumped with a snap back into his chest and Gaster closed his eyes.
Water.
He was up because there was water on his face. Dripping from his hair, and getting everywhere. He coughed.
"Thank god you are alive! Never do that again!"
"I am fine."
"... You are anything but fine!" Jeremy barked out and his dogs growled in warning at the man. Gaster moved his hand and the dog became silent. "How long was I out?"
"A bit shorter than a hour." Jeremy said after he looked at his wrist watch. Gaster eyes shined at the number.
"Perfect, I counted on a three hour black out, because of the shock." The doctor rubbed his chest, the invasion in his soul was still really noticeable and sensitive. It pained him but that was irrelevant.
"Help me stand up." Gaster ordered and Jeremy instantly did as told, aware if he didnt he would stand up anyway. WHich may mean him falling and hurting himself further.
"Can you please tell me what you just did under the deal?" Gaster lead him to the viral and then to another machine starting to do the test to make sure what he created is what he needed. Measuring the intent, dt levels and magic levels.
"Its the most important thing I have created in my human life time." Gaster explained and Jeremy whinned.
"You screamed like a pig on the butcher table..." Jeremy protested, eyeing the small viral with curiosity. Gaster blamed his next words on the light headedness the pain made him feel.
"A skeleton gotta do what a skeleton gotta bone. And I had worse... actually I had it worse a few times. Reason why my followers tended to strap me to the bed when I get hurt."
"... You know I may do that. Its a great idea with your lack of self care." Jeremy said under his breath. In the next hour Gaster recovered enough to get changed and explain to the human that he needed to go outside and put this in a hole he previously dig out.
"You mentioned something about news?" Gaster questioned starting to feel slowly better. Hopeful, after years of unsuccessful attempts and ideas all boiling down to needing the barrier down before he could do anything. He was taking concrete steps that will lead them all to be free. It felt good, it felt glorious. And he wasnt listening to a word Jeremy was saying.
"...Dave kid medical bills."
"What?" Gaster head snapped towards Jeremy, who was still playing support for the doctor that felt a bit unstable on his legs.
"You didnt heard a word I said, did you?"
"I am in the mid of the most important project of my life and real progress is being done. Forgive me for being slightly distracted and hopeful... What about Dave? Did something bad happened to him? Maria told me that his comedian tour didnt go so well. " Gaster questioned and Jeremy was prideful of himself that he managed to move the tall man to sit down, shifting to the kitchen to find some food.
"Yeah, he isnt as funny as he believed to be so his gigs started to become rare and rare and well once his kid got ill, apparently he got into a ton of debt. So I made my lawyer draft a contact for you. I know you want that house he inherited, right? Well you just have to fill in the number you offer. While the guy has to sign and you will be the new owner of the house. I will even not complain if you overpay it this time. Arent I golden?"
"I thougth your credit card was diamond. Are you in trouble my sugar daddy?"There was a defining silence as jeremy froze mid movement. His head slowly turning to face Gaster.
"... Where did you hear that phrase, so I can strangle the person who ruined you." Jeremy deadpanned not used to that type of humor from Gaster. And Gaster he blamed that joke on his still dazed mind and sensitive soul that still hurt.
"Internet. Spent a lot of time on it during the campaign."
Leftover spaghetti were pushed in his hands and Gaster started to eat them with a hum. He may have forgotten to eat after his Chara discovery. Actually he may forgotten to eat some time before that as well. The documents and the suit appeared beside him just when he was done wolfing the food down. Wing and Ding went to nap by his side. Pleased that Gaster was eating something. Looking the document over, he thanked Jeremy.
"Once I put the vial in the right place, I would not be able to do anything for at least few days, and worst several weeks. I will have to simply wait. Wait and watch out for the right moment and then do my plan. "
A soft sensation of magic rolled in his bones, all the years it slowly collected, it will be used soon enough. And it would be worth every second of it. Gaster did it, going out he opened the vial and was overjoyed when the little red clothes shard slipped pass. The first moment he thougth the anomaly would still reject it, but it didnt.
In Jeremy car Gaster was watching with fascination as the door appeared in Waterfall. A door that was never there, but to everyone in the underground who wasnt aware of the resets it was always there and always locked.
Frisk still didnt leave the ruins when everything was set up.
Now he had to wait.
While he wait he had things to prepare.
Never before freedom felt this real. The Gala evening all but sneaked up on the doctor. His enthusiasm was overflowing into everything he did. Unintentionally charming several of Elliots close collages.
"How about a dance, doctor?" A elegant clothed female hummed. She was someone's daughter wasnt she?
"I dont do dance." Gaster smiled shaking his head, he was about to shift himself into chatting about some science topic with that uni professor and expert he spotted earlier. Chara had other plans. He felt the determination spiking in his soul.
Home was starting to feel like home. He was proud of his progress as the last housing were finally completed. With light steps he solved the puzzle on his way and set them back up to reach his king and queen and report the good news. The spikes slid in and out, and soon enough he was standing in front of the pair.
"We should celebrate such an accomplishment!"
"Thats a wonderful idea Tori. What do you recommend we do WingDings?" The king hummed caressing his bread.
Gaster stared at the royal pair, he tilted his head bony finger tapping on his chin. "... It would raise the spirit... maybe something like a dance party?"
Tori liked the idea and instantly went into organizing mode, calling the monster that knew how to play instruments or sing. It planning and setting up passed in a flash and most monsters were now dancing the music the most cheerful they had since their Home become the underground.
There was a joyful laughter as the king and queen danced and Gaster was clapping with many of the monsters around. It was such a hope inspiring moment. The pair took a break from dancing and moved to the table where they were seated. "Doctor, I have yet to see you dance." The queen spoke as she sat down for a small break and to drink a bit.
"I dont do dance." He responded but Asgore laughed over his head. A heavy furry palm settled on top of his skull, as the goat monster shook his head. "He is a amazing dancer, Tori."
The amazing dancer in question sunk into his chair, as his king continued. Both hands waving in a pleading, please dont Asgore.
"When we were growing up we had the same dance teacher. I cannot count how often I ended up stepping on his feet. And I am not the lightest fellow." Asgore chuckled at the old memory. A memory that belonged to another life one filled with clouds, sky, moon and stars.
"Sir." Gaster winned, because now Tori was insisting on seeing him dance.
"I dont have a partner." Gaster opted as an excuse. It was a failure because he could see the queen glint in her eyes as she looked up and over his head. Exactly where Asgore was standing. He could feel the husband and wife silent conversation going over his head. He resisted the pun. His hands tapping against the table softly awaiting to hear what his fate shall be.
"Then how about I dance with you. For a simpler time sake. I promise I will try not to step on your feet again! I got better since then." Asgore hummed in a final tone but Gaster still had one ace ready.
"Ah but what will the other monster think. The king should dance with his queen." He nodded knowledgeably. Using his last ace.
"That is perfect we both can dance with you some more~" The queen offered her own cheerful smile an unbeatable argument.
He was already pulled up to his feet by his king and his big warm smile. "Ah... I guess this goat be an interesting night." He let the pun go, as he surrender accepting his fate to dance in front of all the monsters in the underground. Asgore and Torial both laughed at the pun, causing the skeleton to grin skull splittingly wide himself. Surprisingly enough his feet didnt get stepped on that night.
The memory melted away as he spinned the woman around like wind. His bones moving with an elegance nearly forgotten. Not in danger, neither in survival but in simple joy. A childlike giggle echoed in his mind the determination pulsing strong. Gaster could all but feel the echo planning to set him up to dance with the boss monster once they are free. But for now he enjoyed the company of humans, wondering how strange it was in the end.
The evening passed and morning came, determination still strong Gaster was standing in front of the door. The address of Dave home. The document and offer for the house in his hands. This will help Dave more than he could imagine. It would cover al his debt and allow him to start a small business or use the money till he got on his feet.
The house of his grandpa will become the first home on the surface for monsters, fulfilling the old mans wish to help monster for what had their ancestor done. He took a deep breath and knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The door swung open, Dave his cheerful friend was only a stressed shadow of himself. Lack of sleep and healthy meals made the man skin appear sick and pale. His hair long and reaching to his shoulder, appeared unkempt and forgotten. Dave looked older than Gerson.
"...Gaster?! What are you doing here?"
Gaster smile didnt move from his face and without a word he opened the folder and showed the document. His finger tapping the number he was offering. It was several times over the market price. Dave eyes were big, conflicted emotion passing over the man face. From anger, insult to softer ones disbelieve and Gaster hoped that he didnt imagined the brief thank you in the man eyes.
"Darling, who is on the door?"
"No one."
The spiteful response suddenly winning over all the mix of emotions. Gaster flinched, no one. Forgotten, it hurt. It was a punch way way below the waist line. Still he didnt drop his big smile and then he pushed the document into Dave. WHo tried not to take it.
His wife walked out the room and stopped staring as her husband had a glare on his face both hands up in the air. As a tall thin man in black coat and white sweater was pressing a folder int Dave chest. Gaster eyes locked with the wife and he winked at her, stepping away and hearing the folder falling on the floor.
He didnt wave for good bye. He simple left hearing the door slam loudly behind him. It was fine. Dave will not be able to say no. His wife will not say no. They will be covered. Even if Gaster wasnt part of Dave life, he hoped the man does now better. This was the only help he could offer the man. Respecting his wish to not hear him speak.
He returned to his lab. Three days later Dave accepted the offer, the documents send to Gaster lab address. Gaster called the remodeling crew and started prepping the house to be able to accommodate the monsters that follow Frisk out. The following morning Frisk left the ruins, hands covered in dust.
Sans did his joke, they didnt even react.
They went on down the part where every monster fail in their wake. Dust left behind.
Gaster watched, wondering if putting a bunch of posters with spiderman on the walls was a bit on the nose. With great power comes great responsibility. A adecvate role model for the child who held a lot of power at the moment, and didnt felt the consequences of her actions. A hero who lost his beloved and still did good even if it breaks his heart. Even if he couldnt save everyone, when that was what he wanted the most. Still didnt abuse their power.
Gaster ordered more spiderman themed merchandise for Frisk room.
Sans shortcutted to his station in waterfell. It will not take long before Frisk was now facing Papyrus. Hearing his son voice over the past days was so nice. To know this will be the last time he dies, filled the doctor with determination... Even so he opted to watch Sans instead of Papyrus death. He knew how the tall skeleton will die. Sans couldnt stay still as he walked down the various parts. Sans passed the door.
Sans stopped in place.
The short skeleton walked back to be in front of the door.
His eyes analytically going over the simple door. Gaster watched the skeleton about to touch the door. His fingers hover over it.
"... I... remember this magic?...Its ... but how?... You dont exist. Why is your magic here?" A smaller monster run up to Sans, asking him if he saw the human or his brother. Sans twitched. Door forgotten he helped the monster to join the evacuation and then went to where his brother tried to stop the kid.
This went exactly the same like last time. No one left alive. Frisk was looking in absolute every corner searching the monsters out from their hiding spots. Face a blank mask. Until the kid came in the hallway where his door was. The mask fall and confusion come over them. Of course someone who run up and down the Underground for years, decades would notice if suddenly there was something new.
They bite the bait. Opening the door and walking pointedly up to him. It was surreal feeling to see yourself, as a skeleton in black simple waiting and smiling at the human. Likucily the kid left the door open and with the camera he could observe the events.
"You are the royal scientist, arent you? The one who build the core...The only monster I didnt yet meet... Are you here to stop me?" Frisk questioned the monster in front of them. And Gaster felt a shiver go down his spine. How? Sure there were hints and things that were left in the underground that indicated that time didnt fully erase him from there. The core couldnt be build on its own and Alphys used a lot of his research and blueprints to build a lot of things... The river person warned frisk of him... Would they not try to interact with him? Ignore him? His plan would fail.
He WAS trying to stop them... But... he believed in them...Papyrus did even when his skull was cut of his spine. He trusted in the kid and the memory of another timeline. Frisk could be saved still. Chara could be saved still. Or the echo of them still could. Asriel would want it too.
The silence was heavy, the him made from a single soul shard was simple smiling. Hands slowly opening in a invitations of a hug or try and cut me... It was free to the onlooker interpretations. Frisk attempted to go in a fight with him.
Gaster let a relieved sigh as the skeleton on his screen screeched and vanished. Or at least it appeared so. The shard slipped in when Frisk was caught off the guard by the sudden reaction.
The kid spend next two days entering and leaving the room or simple wandering and returning to it. Gaster was amused to watch the kid crawl on the floor knocking on every millimeter of it. Feeling the walls up and even bringing a chair to inspect the ceiling.
Gaster was ordering a gardener to pretty the back yard up a bit. Not to perfection but to have something for his king to start off with, as Frisk reloaded to just after meeting him and moved on and faced Undyne the monster felt the magic tug from the heroine. She struck them down. The kid returned.
Gaster was putting the bottles of ketchup in one cabinet and in the other he filled with spaghetti in the house he has became the new owner of.
The kid strolled through hotlands and the labs.
Gaster took a nap with his blasters.
Frisk faced Sans.
Briefly it looked like the kid wanted to ask Sans something. But then the kid eyes became determined and the line was crossed.
Sans hold the kid off for only a full two days before Frisk managed to not suffer a single hit. The way the child body moved was eirre. Too perfect, too fast, too sure.
Sans was falling apart slowly become dust.
"Sansy. This will be the last time. Soon, my son. " Gaster spoke as his Sans eyes narrowed half his body gone.
"...if you says it g." Sans responded a bigger smile on his face, as it moment later turned to dust. Gaster stared motionlessly. Could it... the shard was him. Sans was always the more sensitive to changes in magic. Always able to pinpoint even the smallest particles out of order. Of course he would be able to hear the little pulse hidden in Frisk soul. He wanted to comfort his dying son. The man softly smiled, hope filling his soul. This will soon end. Very soon.
And he was ready whatever the consequences turn out to be.
Chara was once more in front of Frisk.
"It has to work." Gaster whispered as he observed.
He felt determined that it will work.
Frisk hand hoovered over the erase option.
"What is it partner?"
No response.
"Ugh, howdy? Anyone home in there?" Chara voice spoke in an annoying tone.
"I didnt see the sun for a really long time." Frisk softly answered, Gaster was pleased to see the shift from blank face to a bit of confused as the shard was influencing Frisk.
"What?"
"I want to see it one more time." The Chara on the screen, twitched. There was something in the way the echo stood. How it watched when Frisk decided not to erase the world. When the kid had a hopeful smile turned towards their partner.
"How curious. You must be misunderstanding. Since when were you the one in control?" The echo attacked Frisk, who side stepped them with a curious ease. It happened all in a split second. Then nothing was happening but the two having a glaring match surrounded in darkness. One with red eyes and one with blank stare. Minutes ticked by.
"Interesting." Chara on the screen said putting the knife back and starting to walk towards Frisk.
"Quite." Gaster mumbled.
"You want to go back? You want to go back to the world you destroyed." Chara poked Frisk in the chest with a finger.
"We." Frisk responded, and Chara only found appropriately to stare. "The world we destroyed. The world we couldnt save."
Chara looked away from Frisk, there was...hurt? Even with eyes made out of black void, the echo was easy to read to the skeleton. "But you cannot accept it." Frisk spoke softly. "... I hope to see one more sunset before we end it, partner."
"Exactly." Chara sighed. Nodding at the word partner. They were partners... It was curious. "Then it is finally done."
"Yes." Frisk affirmed.
"Well, at least it will be fun to see his confusion when you are super nice to everyone."
The world fall apart as the reset occurred. Everything was set back to the begin. Gaster wide grin was skull splitting. "It will be fun seeing your confusion once its all done."
A pacifist run.
Becoming friends with everyone.
Saving all that can be saved.
He had done it. They were one step closer to the end.
Gaster started dialling numbers. He called Jeremy first telling him he will not be available for the next several days, maybe more. He didnt care for anything, if the human comes to annoy him he will let his blaster on him. He informed Maria to stay in the country as her story soon will come. He gave a call to his foster parents, telling them that he is close to a freeing their grandchildren. He asked them to be patient until he call them again.
With the social put on hold, Gaster moved to the next task. Slipping via a back door he left for himself he used the police files and changed Frisk birth date and other needed facts to make Tori adoption of them that much easier. It was then he spotted a several weeks old police report. Frisk father died in a drunken knife fight in a bar he frequented often. Now the child truly didnt had anyone left or anywhere to go. He moved on with his work.
Gaster was pleased as he kept watching the kid making everyone happy. There were moments Sans frowned watching the kid back. But then he would shake his head going back to his wide smile. Memories of them killing everyone? Yet disbelieves as they were so friendly and merfull... It will be fine.
Gaster walked up the trail and up to the anomaly walls. He prepared the spell with which help he will use the shard to slip in. His blasters Wing and Ding were sitting by his legs watching the clearing where the monsters will see their first sunset. The dogs were old and tired. But they would keep their master safe at all cost.
It was late spring, the doctor noted. "... Nearly twenty years ago, I sat by the campfire when you crossed my path child. You dropped in the underground and left me behind. To watch you try again and again. Soon it will end, and for the first time you will be moving forward with the world." Gaster whispered to the anomaly walls. On his screen he saw the kid was walking up in front of Asgore.
Gaster placed his hands against the anomaly wall and closed his eyes he took deep breaths and allowed himself to slip away, give up on his senses as he sunk, deep and deeper, yet deeper.
He was standing on the white grass. His black coat that wrapped his skeletal self feeling comforting. Chara eyed him with eyes that were the most determined he ever saw them be.
"Are you sure you plan will work, because if this fails, you will die." The kid told the skeleton.
"You starting to sound like Asgore." Gaster informed the kid who blushed happily, before giving an angry pout at being distracted so easily.
"I made my peace Chara. I made my testament to give all my things to Jeremy. The house I recently brought from Dave, will be again inherited by him. I do have to wonder if he will see it as some weird joke..."Gaster chuckled.
" All the video material will be given to my foster parents and Maria. I left instructions for Maria how to spin the discovery of souls and magic to the world. I promised her a story that changes the world. And I will deliver on my promises,regardless of the results of this final experiment... If I die or not, well if I die the next run will be what erase them all..."He took a deep breath. He felt peace, it was strange. It was a strange mix of resignation and hope, determination to let go of the life he had up till now. Embracing the upcoming change. Inviting the unknown."Whatever happens now, it will end with me being with my sons and friends finally together..."
The rush of magic washed over them as the barrier was broken. Gaster was taking it all in. He saw the kid holding onto the soul more strongly. The soul pulsed with hope brightly white.
"Not yet. We have to wait for Frisk to go to the void for the reset." Gaster instructed, his hope was pulsing just as strongly as the determination that was holding him. No do over.