Human-189X

I had already spent ten years here with Toriel. She had invited me to stay with her and Asgore soon after the two skeletons left. Asgore spent most of his days at the royal palace in what Toriel called New Home. I would often hear them arguing during the night and one day Asgore left for the palace and never came back. I didn't think much about it, nor about leaving the underground. I know there were probably people on the surface that were looking for me, but since I couldn't remember them, I didn't really care. I was content in staying here with Toriel. Everyday we would sit in her library and read her large collection of books. Sometimes Gaster would visit to "study" me but he normally just came to socialize. I quickly made friends with him and his two sons, Sans and Papyrus. Luckily the skeleton named Roman never came around again. One day, when Gaster brought his sons over like normal, he let it slip to me that their birthday was coming up soon. He said that they were having their party at his lab in the Hotlands. I found Papyrus a short red cape seeing how he was into heroes and fantasy. I didn't know what to get for Sans so I decided to write him a book full of every joke and pun that I knew. After all, what could go wrong with that?

A few days later, Toriel and I arrived in Hotlands. I had been in the lab before for Gaster's "tests" so we weren't always in the Ruins. Toriel had actually encouraged exploring the Underground, so I had seen most of what there was to see. When we walked through the automatic door, we were met with streamers, party hats and lots of confetti with a rather big pile of presents in one corner. Apparently the skelebros were popular in the Underground because at least half the population was there. Alright, I might have exaggerated a bit but the lab was packed with monsters.

As we stepped inside, Gaster walked up to us, a beaming smile on his face. "Hello friends, I'm so glad you could make it." He said to us. I could understand him this time since after the first year he got tired of bringing a translator and taught me his language. "Hello Gaster. We wouldn't miss it for the world." Toriel replied. I nodded in agreement. He looked down at me. "Now that you're here, it's time for my speech" He said with a wink.

He walked to a podium situated near the far wall and clanged a glass cup. The assembled monsters diverted their attention to him. "Friends, family, acquaintances, and those who just showed up for the cake, it is a my honor to have you all here today to celebrate something very important. Just ten years ago, two very special monsters appeared in my life. My two sons, Sans and Papyrus." He waved the monsters in question over to him and they went to his side. Sans at a brisk walk, and Papyrus practically tackling him in excitement. "Now although I love my sons more than any other, this day does not only celebrate them." He looked towards me.

"The human who fell on that fateful day." All eyes turned towards me and I felt my face turn red. "He has been a great friend to me and my sons and it would be a shame to let him be forgotten. He is living proof that not all humans are like the ones who brought about our imprisonment within this stone." Him and his sons walked towards me and pulled me up to the podium with them.

I was confused as to what he said about imprisonment but my nervousness and excitement soon drowned it out. Having so many monsters focused on me was nerve-wracking. I preferred to sit back and observe the goings on so being the center of attention was frightening to say the least. I noticed that Gaster was looking at me expectantly. I stepped forward and cleared my throat. "So umm… I don't really remember the surface, but even if I did I wouldn't want to leave. The Underground is… well, nothing can beat it. Everyone here is so kind and caring. It's my home now. No pPun intended. All I can really say is thank you all."

The crowd applauded and soon it dissolved back into the normal chaos of a party. I noticed the skelebros looking at me. The now ten year old Sans clapped me on the back. "you're really fun pal. thanks for… you know… falling down a hole." He grinned up at me. I was suddenly grabbed in a tight hug by Papyrus as he began jumping up and down. He released me but continued to bounce. "HUMAN, YOU ARE SO COOL. I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU SOME DAY. NYEH! LOOK AT ALL THE PRESENTS.S!" He began to vibrate so fast that even Temmie would be jealous. I grabbed his arm and attempted to slow him to no avail. Gaster, who still stood behind us, said "Speaking of presents, it about that time" Papyrus, inhaled sharply and with a squeal ran to the pile so fast he was a blur. Not long after, wrapping paper was flying through the air in all directions from both brothers. Gaster walked up. "It's your day, too, remember. Don't you think that there are too many presents for just two monsters?" I grinned and dove into the pile with them.

The first present I had received would be set into my mind forever. Gaster had given several to both me and Sans, opting to give Papyrus something a bit safer. They were blasters that shot what Gaster called a "beam of concentrated plasma". It looked like the skull of a dragon. Something designed to strike fear into its target. Not only that, they were sentient. Biomechanical. He brought them out from a different room and explained them. "These are my own invention. Everyone needs some protection from something every now and then, and these should be perfect for the job. They will imprint onto one being and be bound to them forever." Gaster motioned them into two groups and motioned towards the two of us.

Scared wouldn't be the word to use to describe how I felt. Several large weapons of mass destruction were surrounding me after all. I stood as still as I could as they inspected me. They sniffed at my chest and face and then stared at me as if sizing me up. Determining my worth. Suddenly they all pounced towards me. I wheeled around and ran away as fast as I could, jumping over tables and chairs in my haste.

I screamed as I ran in circles around the lab paying no heed to anyone else in the room. I glanced back and immediately regretted it. They were right behind me. My momentarily lack of focus caused me to trip on a discarded box. The skulls slammed into me and I shut my eyes waiting for the end.

It never came. I opened my eyes and saw them… nuzzling me. They were looking at me with large puppy dog like eyes. All my fear dissolved immediately and I reached out and pet the Gaster blasters. I suddenly became aware of my surroundings and realized all of the monsters there were laughing, some even rolling on the floor with tears in their eyes. I looked at Sans nearby to see his Gaster Blasters doing the same thing as mine, with the same shocked expression on his face. Gaster walked up to us laughing as well. When he could breath again he said. "Ha-ha. They like you. Anyway, if you raise your hand they will disappear. Raise your hand again and they will reappear. As you can see, they make great pets as well." I raised my hand and, as Gaster said, they disappeared.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. I received a cell phone from Toriel, a spaghetti recipe from Papyrus, a stylish leather jacket from Sans, and various other odds and ends from other monsters. T.N. Roman did make a minor appearance to congratulate his grandsons but stayed away from me. He gave Papyrus a racecar bed and he gave Sans a fur lined blue hoodie. My gifts to the skelebros were met with gratitude. Apparently those were perfect gifts that they each would treasure for the rest or their lives.

The party cleared out soon after that. The sugar crash after the cake made most of the monsters return home. The rest were driven half-mad by the still hyperactive Papyrus. Toriel and I made it back to the ruins without incident. "Well my child, you must be exhausted from all that partying. You should head off to bed." She told me. I was about to follow her suggestion but something from the party was nagging at me. "Toriel, during the speech Gaster said something about humans and imprisonment. What did he mean by that?" I asked. She sighed and looked up at me with sadness in her eyes. "I should have told you earlier my child. There's a reason that monsters are stuck in the Underground. I didn't want you to ever find out, but it's time you knew." She led me into the library and took a seat in her large chair. I sat at her feet like I would every day just before we read a book.

She sighed again and began her tale. "Long ago monsters and humans lived together on the surface. Some monsters lived in the Underground as well. It was just another city at the time. A human fell into the ruins. Her name was Chara. I still lived here back then. I took her in while Asgore searched the surrounding villages for her parents. My son Asriel took a shining to her quickly."

Son? I had no idea Toriel had a son. "I tried to be kind, treat her as my own. But I didn't see the signs. She was evil. She wanted to destroy every last monster. But I had no idea. The fall had damaged her so that she couldn't attack us herself. I thought she was harmless. But apparently she had a plan. S-She used my… S-son…"

She broke down and began to cry. I began to panic. Toriel, the powerful queen, the motherly figure, was crying. I had been here for ten years and I had never so much as seen her sad. I was fiercely worried. Whatever happened had to be horrible to damage Toriel so much. She soon pulled herself together and continued. "I-I'm sorry my child. Chara… She used Asriel's friendliness. They went to the pit where she once fell. She played with Asriel for a time and then tried to climb the walls. She climbed three stories. Then she fell. She purposefully fell. She purposefully fell onto a sharp outcropping of rocks that impaled her. Her soul had determination, so she held on long enough to tell Asriel that she wanted to see the flowers from her village one last time. She knew what would happen. She then died and Asriel absorbed her soul."

I could see her begin to tear up again. "He took her body a-and walked to her village. The humans there were frightened. They thought that h-he had killed her. They… They a-attacked him. He did not fight back. He returned to the ruins, gravely wounded. He told Asgore and I what happened. A-and then he…he… d-died… in my arms."

She paused for a moment, quietly crying to herself. At this point I was horrified at Chara's deception and the village's idiocy. She continued again. "Asgore was enraged. He started a war with the humans. Human souls are much stronger than monster souls, but a monster can absorb a human's soul and become stronger than a human. This kept the war evenly balanced, meaning it continued for a very, very long time, both sides constantly experiencing casualties."

I was mortified. More than mortified. Imagining a never ending war between these peaceful monsters and humans… I couldn't bare the thought. She continued, "The monsters eventually gained the upper hand, but they chose to spare the humans. We were tired of the fighting and just wanted peace. But the humans were still afraid. We had laid down our arms but they struck. They slaughtered thousands of us. What remained they forced into the Underground. They then put up a barrier trapping us down here. It needs seven human souls in order to be broken, and one human soul and one monster soul in order to pass through."

Her story having finally come to an end, I began to reflect on what she told me. The humans… they were all so stupid. They senselessly slaughtered hundreds for no reason. Gaster had said that I'm proof that not all humans are bad. Well I doubt that. I'm completely sure that if I still had my memories, I'd be the same way. I may be a human in body and soul, but not in mind. In mind, I'm a monster.

At this moment a blinding rage began to overtake me. I had always though humans just another race. They were the real monsters. They should all be destroyed. No mercy, no kindness. With this thought, my soul popped out of my chest. Toriel and I watched as the color, the kindness, faded to gray with the smallest hint of green on the edges. I could also feel a dull itch in my head and it felt as if my features were contorting. Toriel stared at me in horror. I turned toward a mirror hanging on the wall and saw something else staring back. It looked familiar. I raised my hand and one of my Gaster Blasters appeared next to me.

I looked from it to the creature in the mirror. They were the same. Designed to strike fear into the hearts of their target. Remembering that thought from before, a grin slowly spread across my face. I was now a monster, in mind, body, and soul. I turned to Toriel "I promise you they will pay for what they did." With that, I ran. I didn't stop running until I got to the barrier. I had seen it years before but at the time, had no idea what it was. Now I did. On technicalities I could pass through the barrier alone. I had a human and monster soul. I would go through. Kill six humans. Destroy the barrier. And then continue until every last human was dead. I was just about to step through until a bright flash in front of me made me shield my eyes and step back. Where the flash was stood two disheveled figures. One of them was familiar...