Chapter 34: Lemonbread
After he had finished at work one evening, Sans had gone home. Papyrus however was nowhere to be seen. Usually he'd be in the living room working on some puzzles.
"Papyrus?"
He went upstairs to check his brother's room but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Papyrus, where are you?" he called out as he headed back downstairs.
Sans heard faint whispering coming from the lab. Aster should still be working on the CORE so who could have been in the lab?
As he headed in the lab, he spotted Papyrus in the middle of unlocking the cage.
"Papyrus, what are you doing?!"
Papyrus turned his face flush.
"I HEARD A VOICE COMING FROM DOWN HERE. THIS MONSTER JUST WANTED TO TAKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR SO I OPENED THE CAGE SO THEY COULD LOOSEN THEIR JOINTS."
"That's probably not a good idea."
"WHY?"
Sweat beaded down his skull.
"I just have a bad feeling."
"I SEE. WELL I WAS CURIOUS WHY THEY WERE LOCKED UP. YOU KNOW WHAT'S STRANGE, THEY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW THEY GOT THERE. DID OUR FATHER CREATE A MONSTER ALL BY HIMSELF?"
"I guess you could say that."
"I MADE THEM SOME FOOD TO EAT. THEY SEEM TO LOVE THAT LEMONBREAD MOM MADE SO I NAMED THEM LEMONBREAD."
Suddenly the door slammed open.
"There you are. What are you doing?" Aster asked, his eyes narrowed at them. "Are you releasing the amalgamate?"
"NO THEY JUST-"
"I fed them some lemonbread. Sorry," Sans said.
Aster glared at Sans.
"Don't let it happen again," he said curtly. "Now be a good boy and lock her up."
Sans frowned but didn't argue opening the cage and ushering the monster inside.
As Papyrus was heading out, Sans attempted to follow him.
"Sans, I need to talk to you."
He shivered slowly turning around to face his father.
Sans didn't even manage to turn around all the way when Aster punched him across the face.
"What were you trying to do, hmm?"
"Sorry."
"What was that?!"
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you should be. You're a major disappointment to me. Still it doesn't matter in the end they'll be no need for weaklings like you."
Sans glanced at him with confusion.
"Y'know those ends to every timeline in existance. Those are dead timelines. It's really quite fascinating when time just suddenly stops with no end in sight and no existance isn't influenced by a human's determination."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm merely adjusting the machine. I've figured out how to use energy harvested in souls.
"Y'know every timeline a human has done can be accessed from this machine even dead timelines. By gathering human souls from dead timelines. I'll be unstoppable not even humans will be able to stop me.
"There's no need to change anything after getting all that power."
"You don't get it. I wouldn't expect you to understand. Everything I did was for Asgore, do you realise how much Arial had to suffer because of it? It's all his fault. I don't need him anymore. He's nothing but a crybaby."
"You're crazy. You can't kill them just because those timelines are dead."
"It's your fault she'd dead. You're the one who made me like this."
Aster lunged for Sans and punched him across the face. Sans wiped the blood from his cheek.
Papyrus burst in.
"DAD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Just taking out the trash."
Papyrus stood in front of Sans much to his horror.
"THAT'S NOT TRASH. SANS IS MY BROTHER."
"You'd protect this monster even after everything he's done. You disgust me."
Aster's left hand swung towards Papyrus.
Suddenly with newfound strength, Sans grabbed his hand before it could reach Papyrus.
"Don't lay a finger on my brother."
Suddenly Sans heard the sound of a laser coming from behind him.
It was Suzy.
"What are you doing?" Sans asked.
"Saving your life."
"How did you get here?"
"The same way you do. I can teleport," she said.
"You used some kind of laser attack."
"I just summoned a gaster blaster. My uncle taught my how to do it y'know in case I run into trouble with my grandfather."
Suzy summoned a magic circle and held on to Sans' hand.
"Sans grab Papyrus."
Sans held onto his brother's hand and with that the three vanished.
The two arrived right outside the dump in Waterfall.
"Who are you and how did you summon that thing?"
"You mean this?" Suzy asked conjuring her gaster blaster. "Well that's not very nice."
The creature yipped.
"She prefers the name Skully."
"I see."
"Well then say it," Suzy snapped.
"HI SKULLY."
"Hi," Sans said waving at the gaster blaster.
Papyrus elbowed him in the ribs causing him to sputter.
"S-Skully."
Skully barked.
"Ah, see she likes you."
Skully stared expectantly at Sans.
"I think she wants to be petted."
Papyrus and Sans patted it on the head.
"How did you summon her anyway?"
"According to my uncle to use gaster blasters efficiently you have to possess the lowest level of violence. Gaining more LOVE as he calls it weakens it's power. Only skeleton magic can summon it and it only comes with the intent of the person using it."
"Why are they called Gaster Blasters. Were they named because of my father?"
"Possibly, my uncle never really said anything about it."
"WHERE ARE WE? I DON'T REMEMBER THERE EVER BEING A HOUSE DOWN HERE."
"Well I live here right next door to Clam and Pearl."
"Why did you save us anyway and how did you know something was gonna attack us?"
"That wasn't something. That was Dr Aster or should I say Dr Gaster. I don't know why we call him that, he never really took to the nickname. He's always tried to kill you though."
"So he's my father then. Is he immortal or something?"
Suzy frowned.
"I don't know my father wouldn't tell me. He only told me to stop Dr Gaster from killing anyone else."
"So you're time travelers then?"
"Not quite. I couldn't go back in time to save YOUR mother even if I wanted to."
"You're half human though and you possess determination."
"My determination never takes precedence over human souls. I can only use the power to SAVE when other humans don't exist in the timeline. That's the disadvantage of being half- human and half monster."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Since the fifth child came down here, I was worried about you two especially after you had a run in with the child. Dad told me not to worry about it. If I wasn't around though, you two would have died."
"Yeah I reckon you're right, kiddo. So teach us how to summon those blasters."
By evening, Sans summoned a blaster but it crumbled to dust.
"Damn."
"Did you really expect to do it the first time? It takes time. Years even."
"You can't be anymore than a five year old human, monster or whatever you are."
Suzy scoffed.
"I'm 60 years old in human years. I'll have you know."
"We might not have that long," he snapped.
Suzy sighed.
'Alright. Hold still then."
Suddenly Sans and Papyrus vanished.
"WHERE ARE WE NOW?"
"I transported us back in time exactly a couple of weeks before I brought you here. If mom ever finds out that I've used my powers on you, you'll be sorry."
"Why is it so bad if your mother finds out?"
"You'll see. We'll have to teleport somewhere else though. We can't afford to be seen or your timeline will be overwritten."
One they teleported, Sans and Papyrus looked around.
"This is the dump isn't it?"
"Yeah, as long as I don't overwrite my SAVE in the present we can continue going back to this timeline to practice."
"RIGHT," Papyrus said.
"So let's get started again."
Two weeks passed after Suzy and the skeleton brothers had finished their training.
Dr Aster was in the lab. His fingers were tapping against the table. He was frowning.
Gabby came inside with a clipboard.
"Doctor?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"Well you look worried. I mean you only tap the desk like that when something is on your mind."
Aster scowled at her.
"Leave me alone I'm fine."
Gabby sighed before she left.
'Where are those stupid kids? They've been gone for weeks.'
Something black and goopy seeped up from the ground materialising as a copy of Aster.
"You're being very foolish doctor, letting those three escape. They could tell the king everything about what you've been doing.
"Sans wouldn't," Aster said.
"Yeah, because you threatened him right? Now Papyrus knows. That monster hybrid has also escaped because of you."
"You asked me to capture her. You didn't say for how long. If you had wanted me to keep her longer you should have said so and I would have used that MD device on her again."
"This isn't my problem anymore. I offered to help you if you choose to back out it's not my problem but what will the king do if he finds out everything that you've threatened to hurt your sons and you've been draining determination from monsters and humans from the other dead timelines?"
"Cr-p," Aster said, slamming his fist on his desk before going outside to take a walk. He went to Waterfall to fetch his horse.
As he headed through the CORE, he spotted Asgore taking his daily walk through the underground. He was heading for one of the steam rooms.
Quickly he hopped off his horse.
"Asgore!"
Asgore turned just as Aster fired a barrage of blue bones around him.
"What the-Wing Ding, what is the meaning of this?"
"You know what I'm doing here. I know what my son has been telling you. I'm not a fool."
"What are you talking about?" Asgore asked.
"This ends today. Even if you know, it changes nothing. You're a fraud," Aster said. "If you don't step down from your position I'll be forced to intervene."
"You can't be serious, Wing Ding. We both know you wouldn't stand a chance against me."
Aster chuckled. His chuckles evolved into laughter.
"That's where you're wrong."
He clutched the MD device behind him.
Suddenly Aster took it out and fired it hitting Asgore in the chest.
Asgore looked down but there was no sign of him being damaged by the blast.
"Now we're evenly matched," Aster said.
Asgore glared at him and took out something from his robes. The object formed a red pitchfork in his hand. It glowed orange as he slashed at the bones with the pitchfork.
A white glow formed beneath Asgore's feet and he jumped just as bones appeared below him.
Aster's eyes glowed a bright white as Asgore felt his soul being dragged back to the ground.
Asgore saw some buildings behind the skeleton. He tried to summon some fireballs to propel him backwards.
"What?!"
Asgore found he couldn't summon fireballs at all.
"Surprised. That's what this gun does. It doesn't kill, it's drains the recipient of all their magic," Aster said. "Don't worry though. It isn't permanent. Besides we'll finish this long before then."
Asgore placed his pitchfork in the ground and used it to propel himself backwards instead.
"Oh is that what it did? I guess that's fair. Wouldn't want to kill you after all."
Aster scowled.
He fired bones at him which Asgore easily side stepped. Bones came from below and he jumped before running backwards as more began to appear.
Aster found it strange that no attacks were directed at him. He turned and saw the Meat Factory behind him.
'He's trying to draw us away from the other monsters so they won't get hurt.'
Aster smirked before summoning a wall of bones behind Asgore.
Asgore turned.
On the wall of bones hundreds of blue lights appeared where Aster's summoned bones would form.
'Sh-t.'
Again Asgore embedded his pitchfork behind him. Asgore once again felt the pull on his soul drawing him closer to Aster but held on to his pitchfork with all his might.
"You're deliberately doing it aren't you. You don't care who gets hurt as long as you win. How cowardly."
"Like you're one to talk. I wonder what would happen if everyone found out that after you killed the first human soul you could have gone to the surface to retrieve the other six but simply chose not to."
As time passed Asgore felt his grip slipping. He had hoped with time that his powers might return but he couldn't feel any of his magic return.
Around this time, RG01 and RG02 had caught sight of the fight as they were walking through the CORE.
"What's going on?" RG01 asked.
"Looks like someone's trying to fight the king," RG02 said.
"We gotta do something."
RG02 took out his phone from his suit of armor.
"Captain, we have a situation."
RG01 and RG02 explained everything to Undyne.
"I'll send RG03 and RG04 to help."
As this was going on, Sans and Papyrus had been staying at Suzy's home in Waterfall.
Both had been taking a much needed sleep. Even though the timeline had been rewound countless times so they could practice their magic, most of the timelines had been used to get sleep to maximize their energy.
It was towards the evening when Suzy had dropped by. As part of the errands she had been given, Suzy was in charge of ensuring the stability of the timeline. That meant watching things and making sure things weren't out of place.
Even if Aster hadn't deserved her mercy, if he was allowed to continue his ways it would destroy everything. She was certain that he would have to stop if Sans and Papyrus was there.
Suzy hoped their presence would be enough.
She shook Sans.
"Sans wake up."
"What is it?"
"The king is in trouble."
"Alright, alright I'm up. Wait...what?"
"What happened?"
"He's in a battle with Dr Aster. I seen them battling near the CORE."
Sans vanished.
"SANS! SANS, WHAT'S ALL THIS COMMOTION ABOUT? WHERE DID YOU GO?"
Suzy looked horrified. She told Papyrus everything.
"He just teleported to the CORE."
"WHAT? WE GOT TO HELP HIM. WHAT IF ASTER TRIES TO KILL HIM?"
"What? Why would you think Aster would try to kill him?"
Papyrus frowned before explaining everything to Suzy.
"Sh-t, we gotta help him."
Aster looked up at Asgore who was still clinging to his pitchfork with all his strength. His grip completely slackened and his soul was pulled forward until he was standing in front of Aster.
"Why are you doing this, Wing Ding?" Asgore asked.
"After everything I've done for you. I've never received one thank you. All this research to rescue the human souls and protect you from every human that falls down here. I've never spent one minute with my wife unless I was eating. You pleaded and begged me to get this done. I felt I had to and now my wife is dead."
Aster fired a series of bones below him. Asgore jumped to the side.
He fired a barrage of blue bones at him.
Asgore pulled his head back just barely as one of the bones grazed his cheek.
"You didn't have to y'know. I would have been grateful to you either way."
"SHUT UP! This isn't the time for apologies. I want retribution."
Suddenly Aster was slammed into the wall of the Meat Factory.
"You won't have it."
Sans appeared between them.
"Oh it's you. I knew you would appear."
"It's my duty to protect the king but you would know that if you weren't blinded by your grief."
"Is that why you came? To slander me in front of the king? HOW DARE YOU?"
RG01, RG02, RG03 and RG04 arrived.
RG04 spoke.
"RG01, you and RG02 should take King Asgore back to the castle. We'll settle it from here."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" RG01 asked.
RG04 winked.
"Of course we can handle it."
Aster dusted himself off but not before conjuring bones to attack Sans.
Sans swiftly dodged them and fired a gaster blaster which Aster sidestepped. It created a hole in the wall of the meat factory.
Aster turned and ran inside.
Sans followed him intently heading inside the building.
'Where did he go?"
Aster shot some bones at Sans which he quickly dodged causing it to rupture the gasline.
Sans fired a gaster blaster at Aster.
"Funny but aren't you the one tryin' to kill the king."
Sans peered over at the crack in the meat factory. Below was loads of lava. His father held on a pipe below the foundation for dear life. Having a bit of mercy in his heart and compassion for his father, Sans held out his hand.
"Here take my hand."
Aster huffed.
"No, you think I don't know what I've done. I'm not an idiot. If I take your hand you'll just drop me anyway. I mistreated you and your brother had to pay for the consequences. I don't deserve to live."
"Don't say things like that. Take my hand."
Aster took it yanking Sans forward. Sans stumbled and fell towards the lava.
"You think I'd be so foolish. No matter what happens, I'm taking you all with me."
Luckily Sans managed to grab on to his leg.
Suddenly Sans heard something large crash from above.
"What?"
"You idiots what are you doing?" Aster snapped.
Suzy stepped out of Aster's time machine along with Chica, Pearl, Tommy, Blah and Gabby.
"Suzy told us everything," Blah said. "What were you hoping to accomplish by hurting your sons and killing the king?"
Aster snorted.
"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand."
"Hey, a little help," Sans said from below.
Papyrus looked out from the hole in the Meat Factory.
He felt his heart beat quickly. What was he going to do? Sans could only hold on for so long.
"BROTHER, WHAT HAPPENED?"
"Aster pulled me down here."
"Liar. Sans was the one who pushed me down here. Now Papyrus, be a good boy and help your father."
"Don't listen to him." Sans said. "He's lying. He wants to take us both down with him."
"BUT SANS."
"Don't do it. I don't care if I die but if you die I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
Papyrus walked forward.
Sans looked away.
Suddenly Sans felt himself being lifted.
'What?!'
"SANS, YOU COULD LET GO NOW. I'LL CARRY YOU FROM THERE."
Aster scowled.
"Hmph, figures you'd believe him over me."
"Doctor, that isn't it. We understand your pain. We all came to help you," Gabby said.
"I lost someone important to me so I could understand how it feels to lose someone you love," Blah said.
"No one blames you for trying to kill the king and I know you want to give up on everything but that's not the right way to go," Tommy said.
"Fools, I killed humans and monsters. Even if it wasn't in this timeline, I'm still guilty. I did it to save my wife and I would have succeeded if you morons hadn't interfered."
Clam ran inside surprised at the presence of everyone.
"What? Are you idiots? Run, you all need to get out of here before this place explodes. This place is falling apart."
The ground below began to crumble. Sans teleported away just as the time machine fell below.
Aster fired some bones from his hand at Suzy.
On instinct Sans fired his gaster blaster blasting the bones. Aster's grip slipped from where he was gripping the edge. He screamed as he fell straight into the CORE.
Sans ran towards the hole looking down as he saw his father falling towards the lava.
"ASTER!"
He tried to call upon his magic to summon his father towards him but hands pulled him away.
As the ground below them crumbled away. The place where he had been standing no longer there.
"We gotta go. We can't afford to stay here."
"Aster!"
Sans scrambled to break free on the hands holding him back.
"Sans, knock it off. He's gone."
"No, he's not. He can't be gone."
"Suzy, take Sans and Papyrus and get out of here," Clam said handing him over to Suzy. "This factory is gonna explode any minute."
"Let's go," Suzy said running towards the exit.
The ceiling began to crumble falling to the ground in front of them.
"BROTHER, LOOK OUT."
Then everything went black.
A dog and a creature that had the ears of cat and dog looked on from the darkness.
"Should we destroy this world everyone is dead anyway?" The dog asked.
"Then what was the point in creating it, Toby?" The other creature said.
Toby barked in amusement.
"Good one, Temmie. Still now that the void run rampant it'll corrupt this world unless we can put a stop to it."
"Get rid of everyone's memories. That's the only way to ensure this world doesn't get destroyed."
"I'll seal them there until the void can be destroyed."