buncha dads tryin their best chapter 57
It was a lovely day outside. The wind was whirling around the peak of Mount Ebott, whistling by the plateau below like a calm, eerie melody. Rain poured from a cozy blanket of grey sky. Dogged raindrops made waterfalls of every crack in the stone.
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The storm had moved in on a gust of wind, materializing as if from nowhere. Asgore breathed in deeply, a smile spreading across his face even as the cool rain plastered his fur to his head and slicked back his golden mane. Undyne's guards would come soon, bringing some monsters from below up and under this cloudy sky. They would be denied the sun for now but, even so, the fresh air and natural light could still do wonders. Every day the barrier was gone was a beautiful one.
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Just as he suspected, it wasn't long before guards in dark, shiny armour escorted a gaggle of monsters from New Home up the stairs. Asgore, sopping wet and beaming, greeted them all jubilantly. To see monsters, young and old, that he'd known from note to soul, finally out and free and basking in the cold rain as he was— it brought a tear to the old monster's eye. Only once they were back inside did he, too, return.
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His first stop, as ever, was to his beloved garden. The flowers were glistening and bright, a welcome pop of colour after the grey sky above. One day, when all this was over, he'd scoop these little ones out of the soil and replant them in a proper field. Maybe he and his son could do it together. He smiled to himself. That was a lovely thought.
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From a pocket inside his long, purple cloak, he pulled an old, curved pruning knife. Holding the the handle and closing his eyes, he could almost feel small, human hands alongside his. This one had been too big for Chara. He'd spent a long time looking for a perfect one for his little gardening partner. He'd never found one, but something close— it hurt his heart that she'd never gotten to use it.
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With careful, gentle paws, Asgore trimmed seven blossoms and left the garden, taking the hallway to the left. He usually did this at least once a day, with the weight of the mountain resting on his shoulders, every step aching as he descended a long, stoney flight of stairs. Today, however, all that earth and stone rested a little lighter on him.
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The chamber at the base of the stairs was a solemn place. Seven coffins rested there, each marked with a brightly coloured, enamelled inlay of a soul. The one in red once held his beloved daughter, though it was empty now. Nonetheless, Asgore lay a flower upon it, and then on each one in turn — orange for the boy who had fought to be free, yellow for the one who left scars upon his chest, green for the innocent succumbed to the heat, blue for a girl who had never made it through the cold, indigo for one filled with inexplicable rage; purple for the one hidden in plain sight for so many years. He'd done this ritual thousands of times, spending his time here and with the shining souls themselves, when they were still around.
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He sat upon the floor and closed his eyes. He'd wanted to make a memorial for them, but the history was so difficult. Undyne, especially, had opposed the idea. What would Waterfall think, she had demanded. There would be riots. She'd lost her mother and her first father there, in her own words. Asgore could remember the anger on her young face as clear as day. So, of course, he'd done nothing.
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"Um. Howdy," he said softly, his voice low in the empty air. He cleared his throat. His soul ached deeply and his eyes watered— they always did. Past that, he never knew what to say. Perhaps it was selfish to say anything. Even if they were here, they would not have wanted to hear from him. He took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am glad you are free. Nothing… Nothing I ever say will make up for the horror I… I'm so sorry. But. Also… I… I thank you."
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Words felt hollow.
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He sat with them awhile, as he often did. He wished it had been different. He wished he had been different. It didn't matter. The wish of an old fool like him was as worthless as his apologies.
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He left after some time in the quiet, plodding back upstairs with the same stone in his chest he always carried.
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In his house, Asgore traded his cloak and armour for more casual attire— a cozy green sweater, most of all. He noticed a few walls remained seeped of colour, while others were as they were supposed to could hear childish giggling a few doors down. It brought a nostalgic smile to his tired, old face.
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He found Boyd sitting in the dining room, a few wide books open on the table before him. Each had different sections of the underground on display. The man's facial hair was a little rougher and unkempt, and he somehow had more hair on his head than he had in the morning— namely, some where there had been none at all. He didn't look young, per se, but certainly not old enough for the silver near his temples.
"Found something to interest you?" Asgore asked.
Boyd nodded, his eyes fixed on the books for a moment longer before he jerked upright and began to bow. Asgore chuckled and put a hand out, gesturing for him to sit again.
"Don't worry," he said. "We don't do that a whole lot around here."
"Ah." Boyd sat down again. "Yeah, just, uh… The maps don't match each other, but I was just tryin' to get an idea of what kinda places we're dealin' with down here." He rubbed his hand through his hair and then froze up. "Uh. Sorry. This, uh…? This magic?"
"I'm not sure. If it's unusual, I'd say it may have been one of these time shifting events," Asgore said apologetically. "I've been told they can affect people physically."
"Ah." He sighed, but he cracked a smile. "I feel like a lunatic here, sometimes."
"Oh?"
"Before the whole government job thing— I heard 'bout the mountain opening and all, I just… y'know, figured I wouldn't actually bump into you since there, uh, aren't that many. Until June told me what she was up to." He rubbed his hair again. "Magic is… bloody strange. And I didn't expect so many of you to be so big. Some of these chairs make me feel like a baby."
Asgore chuckled. "I hope you're finding your time here to be alright, despite the chairs."
Boyd cracked a tired smile. "Yeah. Definitely don't mind it." His face fell. "I… keep wonderin' about what that skeleton said, though. About… time goin' back? About Ellie…" He grimaced. "Hope she remembers this. Hope I do."
"As do I," Asgore said. "You've remembered through the large shift, though. Even the children who are missing, more than the rest of us, for the most part." He tilted his head as a little worry crossed his mind. "…This… might be forward? But may I see your soul?"
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Boyd looked confused. "Uh. Sure, I guess."
Asgore nodded. He reached out a hand, magic tingling in his fingertips. It latched deep into the energy in the human's chest and gently tugged it out into the light. Boyd's grey eyes bugged out at the sight of carnelian red beaming from him.
"What the hell?" he breathed.
Asgore tilted his head. The red was interesting. An uncommon colour. Not too dissimilar to his own. A few months back, he recalled Alphys explaining that it was possible for those with a large amount of the red determination in their soul to have a little timeline recollection or retention— big words to mean they might recall memories that hadn't happened, from a time undone. It was still a little puzzling to him, but he knew for certain he was one such a case.
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"Well! No black spots!" he said with a smile. He allowed the soul to fade. "That's a relief."
"I-Is it?!" Boyd put a hand to his chest. "…Is any of that normal?"
"Yes, fairly normal as far as I can tell," Asgore said. "Thank you."
The man's brow furrowed. He clenched his fingers into his shirt. The King frowned with worry.
"I'm sorry, did it hurt you?" he asked.
"N… Nah, not at all, it's just… weird as all hell, is what."
Asgore smiled. "I imagine much of this is. Golly, even back in the days where we all were sure each other existed, humans among us often had such culture shock."
"…Back when…? Uh. King, wasn't that…?" He looked the huge monster up and down. "You're not sayin' you were around way back then, are you?"
"I have been King for a very, very long time," Asgore said.
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Boyd looked completely at a loss. Asgore quickly pivoted.
"How is your daughter doing?" he asked.
"Oh, she's having a blast," the man assured him. "She doesn't flinch at anything."
"I'm glad to hear that," Asgore said. He smiled fondly as a memory warmed his soul. "My daughter was similar. I remember her at first, tugging on my son's ears and wondering if he was real, and then soon enough she was playing with ghosts and grimms and fitting right in. "
"Your daughter? She was human?" Boyd caught his drift. His eyes darted down to the table. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you." Despite the heartache, thoughts of Chara were more than welcome. "It was… a very long time ago. But. It does really seem like children are much more willing to bridge the gap. In both directions, actually. It was always a joy to see."
Humans had taken advantage of that, back then, he recalled. Many of the red-souled wizards sent into battle before the war were children, much to their horror and dismay. He put it aside for now. Humans of today were not like that, he was sure of it.
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"So, uh. I got a question. Totally… out there," Boyd said. "Bathrooms. There's… none?"
"We don't use them," Asgore said. His eyes went wide. "Oh my, you don't—"
"No, no, that's… No. That, uh, lizard lady? Warned us about it. About the magic food and stuff," he said. "But, I mean… no showers or nothin' or…?"
"Oh! That! Well… Still not very common. But! Actually. Alphys— the, um, lizard lady— she should have one back at her laboratory. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you borrowing it," he said, "In fact—!"
"Mister King!" Ellie called from down the hall. "Mister King?"
"Yes, child," Asgore said, turning in his seat. "What do you nee—?" He froze utterly, eyes wide, his soul stuttering in his chest.
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Ellie wasn't alone. She was holding the hand of a young human boy— a little taller than her but not much older. The boy had big, brown eyes, and soft, round features. His skin was a very dark, cool brown and and he had fluffy, curly black hair. He wore torn jeans and a striped t-shirt in green, orange, and black. To Asgore, though, he was a phantom. The monster rubbed his eyes quickly. He had seen this boy before, but not once had he seen him awake.
"Can me and Mak have a snack?" Ellie asked.
"Wh…?! Um! O-Of course!" Asgore said quickly, unable to hide the crack in his voice. "…Mak?"
"Hi again, Mister Asgore, sorry for sleeping in so late!" the boy said.
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Asgore blinked. He put a hand to his mouth. "Um." He turned to Boyd and his eyes darted to Ellie. "My friend, would you mind…? I would just like to speak to… Mak, for a moment. Help yourself to… anything."
"Oh. Sure. El, c'mon, we get to raid a King's fridge," Boyd joked. He looked at the other kid. "Sandwich or something okay?"
"Thank you!" the boy said.
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As Boyd brought his daughter along into the kitchen, Asgore dropped down to one knee, eyes wide. He hardly knew what to say. He reached out and gently held the boy by the shoulder. He half expected his paw to pass through.
"Y-You're…?"
It'd been a hundred years, or even more. He couldn't understand. This child had all but died in the heat of Hotland. He'd never had a chance. And yet, here he was, plain as day. The King's eyes welled up and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"You're alright?"
"Well, yeah! O-Of course," Mak said. "I—"
Overcome, Asgore pulled the little boy into his arms and squished him tight. The kid gladly returned the hug, gently patting the King's massive shoulders. Asgore gulped back a sob, his throat taut.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"W-Why? What's wrong?"
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Asgore sniffled. He drew back, gently patting the child's hair. "What's your name, little one?"
"Oh! Sorry. Makena. Mak. I like the shorter one most of the time," he said. "Thank you for letting me stay in your house. You're sure it's okay, right?"
"Yes. Yes, of course it's okay," Asgore said swiftly. His head was spinning. He hurriedly wiped his eyes. "I-It's… Golly, I'm sorry, little one, my mind is all over the place today. How long has it been since you came to the house?"
"Um. Two days, I think?" He counted on his fingers. "First Snowdin, then Waterfall, annnd… Then Doctor Skeleton…" He smiled apologetically— the canine tooth on his left was missing from his grin. "It's a bit hard to tell here."
"V-Very true!" Asgore chuckled weakly. "You must be hungry! Let's… Oh! Would you like some tea?"
"I'd love some. Thank you," Mak said brightly.
Asgore nodded. He guided the boy to the kitchen with the other humans, put the kettle on, and then hurried back towards the bedrooms.
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He opened the door where the humans were staying. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, though it was a little hard to tell through blurry, wet eyes. He sighed, pressing his back into the door to force it closed. A breath in hitched in his throat. Tears poured down his face and it took him a few moments to regain any sense of composure at all. With shaking hands, he took out his phone. He struggled on who to call for a moment. Gaster didn't answer his phone, so his next pick was Sans. Anxiety welled up like rain filling puddles until he heard the click on the other end of the line.
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"Sup, your Majesty?" Sans answered in a groggy voice.
"S-Sans! Um. Howdy. Are you busy?" Asgore asked.
"Nah, just chillin'," he said. "…You sound pretty bad, you okay?"
"Oh! I'm fine," he said hurriedly.
"Uh-huh." The skeleton clearly didn't buy it. "So. Uh. What's makin' you, uh, fine, there?"
Asgore sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Time can shift… people, can't it?"
"Wuh-oh, you get moved?"
"Not me," he said. "A… A little boy. A human."
"Oh. Shit. Okay," Sans sounded a lot more awake. "Safe?"
"Yes. Yes, I… I think so."
"Who?"
"Th-The…" He gulped. "The one with the green soul. The one who… fell down in Hotland. B-But…! But he's alright! He's up, he's not…" He grimaced and shook his head, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I d-don't know how much your father told you, but we waited for… for months, to see if he would… If he would wake up. But he didn't, he was… He was gone." He gulped. "The boy said something about…? About your father, finding…? Could…? Could this be "sideways" and the past as well?"
"Super possible," Sans said.
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Asgore took a deep breath. He leaned back on the wall, rubbing his head. "Is there any way to… tell how long this lasts?"
"Not really," Sans said apologetically. "Y'alright?"
"I…" He wasn't sure. He still wanted to sob. He rubbed his brows as a headache pressed in at his temples. "I… think so. I'm going to do my best to care for him while he's here."
"That's good," Sans said.
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Asgore drew in a shuddering breath. He rubbed his beard nervously.
"Hey." Sans's voice was low and consoling. "You, uh, wanna talk to my dad?"
"I… I'm alright, son, thank you," Asgore said. His sniffled. "H-How is he doing?"
"Welp. Almost blew himself up again, the usual," he said.
"Oh dear!"
"He's alright. We're prepping for some stuff. Hope it helps."
"I'm sure it will." He gulped. "Would it be alright if…? If we…?"
"Course it is," Sans assured him. "Tori's here. Just so you know."
"Thank you," he said, thinking full well that Toriel was going to roast him alive. "Good luck, my friend."
"Thanks. You too. I'll let them know you're comin'."
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Asgore reluctantly hung up. He clutched his phone tight in both hands and raised it up, pressing his knuckles against his mouth and closing his eyes. His mind was racing. He couldn't believe it. He clenched his fingers into his mane and released a deep breath of air. He tucked the phone away, wiped his eyes, and puffed himself up before heading back out into his deeply changed home.
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The humans were snacking in the dining room. The kids giggled together, and Boyd was back to his books, but careful with a napkin on the table to avoid messing up the pages. Asgore was glad to see the children were having fun. He wondered if it could be that, for Ellie, Mak had been there the whole time.
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He returned to the kitchen to finish up with the tea. He added extra sugar for the kids and gave them fun mugs— one shaped like a white bunny and another like a green-spotted lizard. They thanked him enthusiastically before getting back to their exuberant chat.
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Asgore sat down near Boyd, watching and yet not processing a thing. It took a few moments before he realized that the human man had to be fairly oblivious to the fact the little boy had turned up from nowhere. He lightly drummed his claws on the table.
"So, uh, I gotta question," Boyd said, snapping the big monster from his daze. "Ways outta the mountain. Doesn't look like much."
"Oh! Um. No. There's only two as of right now," Asgore said. "And the one you came through is really the only… accessible one."
"Oh. That's…" He looked relieved. "That's good. Alright."
"Daddy, they're not coming," Ellie teased.
"Wha…? Who's not?" Boyd said.
Ellie giggled. "I heard you talking to Miss June, silly." She looked at Asgore with a smug glimmer in her eye. "Daddy was worried about the people police, but the mountain's huuuuge! There' no way they can get here, it's way too big and there was way too much fog and ice, I bet they didn't even know."
"It's… still good to be prepared, kiddo," Boyd said, though he looked a little flustered.
"I think you still did a good thing, Ellie's dad," Mak said. "And it sounds super exciting!"
"Yeah, well…" The man laughed hoarsely. "Not so sure I'd take the Papyrus Express again, but—"
"I would!" Ellie said brightly.
Mak snickered. "Me too, it sounds fun!"
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Boyd huffed, massaging his brows with his fingertips, unable to keep a tired smile from his face. Asgore caught himself with a chuckle in his throat. He patted the man on the back.
"Please don't worry so much," Asgore said. He straightened up and got to his feet and lightly clapped his hands together. "Now. When you're all finished, we'll head to my friend Alphys's, alright?" He turned to Boyd. "You can get cleaned up, if you wish."
"Do I ever," Boyd said.
"Ooh, is that where Doctor Skeleton works?" Mak asked. "I'd like to see it!"
"Is it really big?! Is it full of robots?!" Ellie demanded.
Asgore smiled. "Maybe one robot, every once in awhile."
The kid gasped loudly. She shoved the rest of her sandwich into her face and chewed loudly. Mak giggled. He sped up on his snack too, but was much more delicate about it.
"Careful, don't choke," Boyd said.
"M'fine," she assured him.
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As the humans finished up and prepared to leave— Boyd grabbing his new hoodie and Ellie putting her horned diadem back on, Makena pulled Asgore aside with a gentle, cautious tug on his sleeve. Asgore instantly knelt down to the boy's level.
"What is it, my child?" he asked quickly.
"Is this all okay?" he asked shyly. "I thought I wasn't supposed to go out."
"Ah." Asgore stroked his beard. "I'm sorry, little one, that's my fault for the misunderstanding. I just mean, on your own. Without an adult! Since the Underground can be treacherous, sometimes, even for monster children."
The little boy's face brightened and he nodded. "Okay! That's fine."
Though he doubted his own wisdom, the big monster smiled. "Toriel may be there."
"T…" Mak beamed. "Miss Toriel?! Oh! I-I…! I hope so! She was so sweet to me. I hope she's there." He shrunk shyly. "Um. Sheeee warned me about you, though."
"As I would expect," Asgore said with a nod.
"But you're nothing like what she said," he said. "I hope we can tell her. She's going to be so relieved."
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Asgore gritted his teeth. The child was wrong. He was exactly what she'd warned him of. He was glad she had. His crimson soul roiled beneath his fur, and he gently patted the boy on the head.
"She's going to love to see you again," he said.
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Mak looked excited. He went to get his shoes. Asgore sighed to himself. He didn't know what to explain, or how much. If it was even relevant to tell him about the shifting of time. He stood up, rubbing his golden mane. Either way, he was sure he wasn't the right one to do it. Perhaps he'd leave it to Sans— he always had such a way with children. Or, Toriel. The boy would love to be reunited with her, if he wasn't shifted away before then.
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The King was used to some backtracking— some shifts here and there at the behest of others— due to their hand or, sadly, his own. This whole situation was much more than he was accustomed to. He wondered how far it reached. Were humans on the other side of the planet experiencing such things without noticing? And surely it couldn't just be the past being reached for, but the future as well? Alternate pasts, presents, and uncertain futures, all commingling at random. It was enough to make him want to curl up in bed, but of course he would never do such a thing. Asgore'd just go on quietly, keeping the majority of the shifts in time he noticed to himself, as he usually did, and as he had for years. He couldn't have people worrying about the welfare of their King, after all.
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When Boyd and Ellie were ready, too, with a map in hand, the four headed out the door. However, just a few steps more and they were three. Overcome with panic, Asgore ducked back into the house, though he could see Makena beyond the doorframe, he lost sight of the other two. The child looked around with confusion.
"Mister Asgore?" he asked.
"Back here, my child!" Asgore said quickly, beckoning.
"That was really weird!" Mak said, scampering back into the house. "Was that like a magic trick? You all vanished!"
"Um…" Asgore's brows bent apologetically— it dawned on him very quickly what was likely happening. "Little one, I'm so sorry, but… I suppose you may not be able to leave the house after all."
"What? Aw."
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The boy looked so disappointed that Asgore could have cried. He pulled the child into a consoling hug.
"I'm sorry. It's nothing you've done wrong," he said quickly. "It's just…" He sighed heavily. "There is… something wrong. With the world. It's hard to explain. But—"
"Hey." Boyd stuck his head back into the house. "Everything okay?"
"I'm stuck in the house," Mak said with a pout.
"What? Why?"
Asgore rubbed his beard. "It's… How to put this…" He wished there was someone else here to help him explain.
Boyd's brows raised and he folded his arms, leaning against the doorframe. The King took a deep breath.
"The world is… making strange little… bubbles! Yes. Bubbles. Of different… years. Different times." He held the little boy's shoulder. "Inside the house is… at least one bubble. But outside is another. For… some reason, little one, your time and the outside don't match. So, when you step beyond the door…"
"Wait, but…?" Mak's eyes went wide. "I-Is that why Ellie said we could go up out of the mountain?"
Asgore nodded.
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The kid's disappointment was swiftly replaced by curiosity. "Wait, so are you the future then? I get to meet future people?!"
"I…" Asgore cracked a smile. "I suppose you do."
"That's so cool!" Mak grinned. "Oh! Do…? Do you think I can still see Miss Toriel?"
"I believe so," Asgore said. "Though I am sorry we can't show you much else for now."
Boyd frowned thoughtfully. "Hey. Ellie? How 'bout you stay and play with your friend for a bit? It's gonna be pretty boring waitin' for me at the lab, eh?"
"What? Really?" Ellie grinned and bounced back into the house. "No more walking! Oh! Can we go see the garden again, Mister King?" She grabbed Mak's hand and pulled him enthusiastically back towards the bedroom, not waiting for an answer. "Are you really from back in time?! I have a bunch of stuff you're gonna think is super cool, lemme show you!"
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Asgore sighed with relief as he straightened up. He turned to the man and shot him a worried look. "Are you… sure, my friend?"
"Oh. If you mind, I can—"
"No! No no, I don't mind watching them at all," Asgore said. He bent his head. "Thank you. For trusting me with that."
"Uh." Boyd looked confused. "Sure thing."
The King nodded gratefully, despite his mind reeling. He supposed he'd have to call Sans again. He rubbed his head. He wasn't prepared at all for this, but hopefully that was nothing some hot tea and fresh cookies wouldn't remedy.
xXxXx
It took Papyrus longer than he would have liked to get back up to the ground floor of the lab. With a computer under each arm, he'd wandered below for a little while before realizing hallways had shifted under his feet as he'd walked. He had to hurry, though— he'd felt a wonkiness in Sans's soul that was the precursor for a fainting.
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By the time the elevator doors popped open, though, he was greeted enthusiastically by a long-necked blue snakebird and a beaming shadowcat that he only vaguely remembered. The shadowcat grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him up and down before being shoved out of the way by the bird, who embraced Papyrus tightly and then drew back to hold his face in her wings.
"Just look at you!" she said. "Ooh, you grew up so fast!
"It's really nice to see you, kid," the shadowcat said.
"You used to be so tiny! Do you remember Auntie Kio and Uncle Scath?" the bird asked.
Papyrus blinked. He looked between the two. Actually, it did sound familiar. He nodded. "I believe I do! You're…? Oh! You worked with my dad a while ago, right?"
"That's right!" Her eyes brightened. "After this is all done, we need to all get together, alright?"
"Hopefully we'll all actually remember," Scathkath said, taking one of the computers from him and putting it aside. "Your old man went through this junk with us. Sounds like a mess. You holding up okay?"
Papyrus thumped his hand against his chest. "Of course I am! I'm not the great Papyrus for nothing, after all!" He put the computer down with the other and looked around the room. He could see Undyne lounging, fully slumped with her arms dangling, off one of the spinning office chairs near Alphys's computer desk, while Opurl and Flora sat around with her, chatting. "But, um, I really do need to check on Sans right this second. Excuse me?"
"Of course," Kio said, gesturing to the desk. "I think he was over there, last I looked."
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Papyrus nodded and made a beeline for it, waving at Undyne as she stuck a hand up to greet him, only to see Sans's slippered feet poking out from under the desk. He was laying on a nest made for him of lab coats and his sweatshirt as a pillow, with his arm over his eyes, phone dangling from his fingers. Suzy was there, too, with her arms behind her head, looking drowsy.
"Saaaaans, are you okay?" Papyrus said as he squatted down.
"Yup," he said.
"He got dizzy again," Suzy said.
"Probably because the lower level all shifted around," Papyrus said with a sigh. He pulled his gloves off. "Are you sure, brother? I'm sorry it took me longer than expected to return, it was like a maze down there."
"Ah. Might say even a labyrinth, huh?" Sans said.
Suzy snorted. Papyrus made a face and threw his hands up.
"He's fine," he asserted.
Sans snickered.
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"Sans?" June had come down from the upstairs. She held tight to a steaming mug— it was closer in size to a bowl than something that would comfortably fit in one hand, and was decorated with golden and white flowers. She let out a small noise of relief at the sight of the younger skeleton. "Papyrus! Good. Can you tell your brother he needs to slow down and rest for a while?"
Papyrus's face strained to hold back a wide, amused smile until Undyne snorted loudly and began to cackle. The skeleton couldn't help but laugh along.
"What?" June demanded. "He almost fainted again just now!"
"Yes! Yes, you're very right," Papyrus said. He cleared his throat behind his hand. "You are extremely accurate, friend. Sans. You should go to bed."
"Love to," Sans said. "Nobody needs me here, right? I'm basically dead weight."
"Aw, come on, Sans," Flora said.
"Technically," Undyne said with a sideways smile, "we, uh, can't really leave him alone."
Suzy sat up and rubbed her scruffy hair, and then grabbed the skeleton by the arm and helped heave him up so he could take the huge mug June offered him, trading his phone to her to free up a hand. Papyrus grasped onto his brother's skull, lighting up with a warm, amber glow through his fingers
"Yeah, I promised Miss Toriel I'd watch him," Suzy asserted.
"Oh, Suzy, how considerate of you," Opurl said with a fond smile.
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Sans snorted and sipped his tea. "Thanks," he said to the human. "Tori still up there?"
"She's still talking with your father and Doctor Alphys," June said.
The skeleton nodded.
"You worried she's gonna get yoinked again?" Undyne asked.
"Well now I am," he joked. "I, uh, gotta talk to 'er. Guess I gotta get in line."
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"Alright." Gaster leaned over the edge of the second floor to peer down at them. "Sorry for the delay."
"What else is new?" Scathkath asked with a grin.
Gaster brought two fingers to his eyes and then pointed them at the shadowcat, who scoffed and chuckled in reply. The skeleton rolled his sweater's sleeves up and then headed down the nearest escalator. He stood before the group and clapped his mismatched hands together.
"First thing, I would like to thank all of you. So much. For allowing me to interrupt your day with this admittedly bizarre request."
"Again…" Scathkath gestured to him.
Kio elbowed him gently in the side.
"I'm a little excited about it, to be honest," Flora said brightly.
"Some of these monsters are quite young though, aren't they?" Opurl asked. "I sense that… you're concerned."
"I am," Gaster said. "But. We have a room downstairs that is clear to work in, and—"
"And I will be providing an aura of healing," Toriel said as she made her way down to join them. "So you will be perfectly safe." She turned her eyes on primarily the skeleton brothers, but gestured to Undyne and June as well. "If you would like to sit this out and rest, my friends, feel free."
Suzy flinched and pouted slightly.
"Not in a million years would I do that, mom!" Papyrus announced. "Not after this morning!"
Sans cut his eyes at the little crocodaur and shrugged. "And I gotta go where my bodyguard goes, right?"
The kid perked up right away and Toriel chuckled.
"I suppose so."
"Oh, kid's takin' my job, I see," Undyne teased.
.
"Um. Doctor? Is it alright if I watch, too?" June asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Papyrus wondered.
"It's fine. You'll just have to stay back," Gaster said. "It might pose danger to those without the dark spots in their souls." He beckoned towards the elevator. "If you'll follow me."
.
As the monsters and the monster-like-human followed the doctor, Undyne held Toriel's arm for a moment to stop her and checked back over her shoulder. Suzy paused a few steps away, looking on curiously when she noticed they'd stalled.
"Hey, uh, can I… ask you guys something?" Undyne said.
"Of course, dear," Toriel said.
"You sound very worried," Papyrus said as he pulled Sans to his feet.
"Well. Yeah." She folded her arms and growled to herself. She lowered her voice. "Need a favour. If… If I'm on my own, keep that human away from me, okay?"
"Huh? Why?" Papyrus asked.
"It's dangerous," she grunted.
"What do you mean? I'm sure we have nothing to fear from her, after all this," Toriel said gently.
Sans's phone blorped from somewhere. He patted down his pockets. Undyne frowned deeply and shook her head.
"Look, I… It's stupid. I can't be alone with her," she said. "It's—"
"I-I'm sorry!" June had come back, holding Sans's phone. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks flushed. "I… I thought… we were getting along okay? I-I can leave you alone, Captain."
.
Papyrus's eyes bugged out. Undyne's scales darkened and she hurried to grab June by the shoulder.
"Wait! Shit, I'm sorry," she said. "It's not 'cause of you!"
June blinked. "Wh—?"
The big monster shook her head quickly. She rubbed her claws through her hair. "Aw, crap, I didn't wanna freak you out." She sighed. "Look, s'just… My memory."
"Oh." Sans's eyes went wide.
"Back in the city," Undyne said. "When I…? When we moved. I forgot what was goin' on. My mind shot back like… before the barrier. If it happens again, I might… I might try to… you know." She drew her finger in a line across her own throat. "Y'know?! 'Cause it was a war! And you're a…" She shook her head again. "I don't wanna do anything stupid."
.
"O-Oh." Even so, June looked relieved. She laughed quietly, a warble in her voice. "Phew! I'm… so sorry that's happening, but I thought I really insulted you or something."
"Pfff, nah," Undyne said. "You're not bad. Which is why I kinda don't wanna, y'know, stick a spear in ya."
"Fair point."
"Eyyy," Sans said, pointing finger guns her way.
Toriel stifled a laugh under her hand while Papyrus rolled his eyes and scoffed. June looked puzzled for a moment, but then blushed and snickered.
"I… didn't mean to do that," she said, passing Sans his phone back. "Sorry, almost ran off with this."
"Eh, didn't run far," he said. "Thanks, bud." He looked at the screen and frowned.
"What?" Papyrus asked.
Sans handed it over. The tall skeleton skimmed the words quickly and he let out a little gasp.
"Is something wrong?" Toriel asked.
"Little shift at the King's place," Sans said. He paused, contemplating for a moment. He took the phone back from Papyrus and slipped it into his pocket. "Not, uh, urgent. Might wanna check it out later, though, Tori."
"Did anyone tell him about the app?" she said in jest. "No matter. I'll go."
"Good! Yes! That's very good! I have one to show you later, too!" Papyrus said shrilly. "A shift, I mean! It's…! It's going to be very cool and interesting!"
.
"Sorry to interrupt," Gaster called from the elevator. "Are you coming?"
"Yes, hun, sorry," Toriel assured him.
"Me toooo!" Alphys scrambled down the escalator, her arms filled with papers.
One slipped from her fingers and she squeaked. A reflexive reach for it had her trip over her own feet. Undyne caught her effortlessly in one hand, and the drifting, lost page in the other. Sheet music. Alphys gawked up at her, starry-eyed, and Undyne couldn't help a fond, smug grin.
"C-Captain," the little lizard breathed, her cheeks flushing.
"Yeah?" Undyne said, leaning in a little.
"I-I…" Alphys squealed and put her face in her hands. "Aaaah, oh n-no I'm s-so clumsy I'm s-sorry thank you f-for c-catching me, aaaah!"
"Relax, Alph!" Undyne said with a laugh.
Alphys only blushed more brightly and stammered incoherently, much to the amusement of her friends. Undyne gently put her down and, upon returning the sheet, Alphys babbled and bowed, and rushed on her way to join Gaster and the others, packed into the elevator.
.
The group travelled down to the most-used level of the lab, then took the special, keycard elevator deeper still. Gaster lead everyone down a hall and past some heavy doors, and through an old control room filled with consoles and keyboards; levers and switches, to a clear, open, greyish room beyond. Sans paused as nostalgia caught him.
.
The last time he'd come here, it'd been with Papyrus, Alphys, and his little sister. They'd received a strange code and a message for the kid to come here and receive an influx of determination. He'd held it back, but he'd been terrified. She collapsed, but only for a moment, and could project a warm, red energy ever since. It was thanks to Gaster, though they hadn't known at the time.
.
Sans sighed quietly and looked at the message on his phone from Asgore again. Had to figure out how to explain it to Toriel. He couldn't wait for his sister and Asriel to get home. It would be so nice to just be able to settle down in front of the TV with some blankets and cocoa and not have to worry about shifting all over the underground, mysterious people from the past appearing, or the couch changing colour under their butts.
.
Inside the open chamber just beyond the control room, Alphys hurriedly passed the sheet music out to all the gathered monsters as Toriel wove a faint shimmer of pale green magic into the air. Sans couldn't hear from where he stood, but his father looked to be explaining more of what was to come to everyone. Suzy was close to the door— she kept turning back to look at him. Checking that he was still there, probably. He raised his hand to wave and she cracked a small smile before looking down at the written music and frowning.
.
Sans rubbed his head and wandered out to join her. "Lookin' kinda confused, pal."
"Yeah, I can't read this junk," she said.
"Don't worry," Gaster assured her. "We'll go through it. Can you cast, little one?"
"I, uh…" Suzy's scales flushed. "I-I can try!"
"There's no need to be ashamed, my child," Toriel assured her. She knelt down and smiled gently. "Many monsters your age can't. At least, not without a little help." She held out her hand. "May I see your soul?"
"Oh. Um." The kid looked nervous. She shot a glance up at Sans.
He patted her reassuringly on the back. Opurl crept over, too, and smiled warmly, sticking both flippery thumbs up. Suzy puffed herself up and then let her bristling soul shine out through her shirt. Toriel touched it carefully and closed her eyes. She hummed softly along with the rough melody, then nodded to herself.
.
She rested her hand against her chest and her own violet soul beamed out, cool and calming. Its tune wrapped around them and she pulled a white light from her magic.
"Oh, beautiful," Opurl said under her breath.
Toriel cupped the magic in both palms and then breathed fire against it. "Let's see what we get," she said softly.
The light shimmered through her fingers and she revealed a white and violet flame crackling harmlessly against her fur. She nodded at it.
"Go on, little one, brush it with your magic."
Suzy hesitated for just a moment. She tentatively poked it with her claw and the flame filled with her soul's warm purple and a deep, cold black. Toriel passed it into her hands.
"Now, against your soul," she said.
Suzy gulped. She drew the flame into the light from her chest and, in an instant, it was replaced in her hands by a guitar in that same purple, black, and gold. It was exactly her size, looked to be made of wood and horn, and was shaped like an ax. The kid gawked. Opurl cooed and gently patted her back.
.
Toriel chuckled and gently ruffled the child's hair. "Well! That's unexpected, hm?"
"Y-You made me this?!" Suzy squeaked. "C-Can I keep it?"
"It's bound to your soul now. You can summon it whenever you like," Toriel said with a smile.
"Looks pretty cool," Sans said.
"Yeah!" the kid agreed shrilly. "Thank you!"
"Thank yourself, my child," Toriel said. "Your soul informs the design."
.
"Hah, a tiny guitar?!" Undyne leapt over, a big grin on her face. "That's pretty cool! Hey! D'you know how to play it?"
"I'm, uh…" Suzy looked confused. She held it tight by the neck and gave it a strum. Her fingers found a G major chord with no problem. "I'm not sure?"
"You look kinda familiar," Undyne said.
The kid shrugged. Undyne went into her phone and whisked out a guitar of her own. Hers was old and patched up in places, and made of wood and stained intentionally with streaks of turquoise blue.
"That's cool. We'll run through it and then you should be alright. What d'ya say, punk?"
"Yeah, okay!" Suzy said with a grin. She strummed the guitar, hard on a D chord— somehow, it sounded electric. "I'm gonna do it for sure!"
"Yeeeaah, that's the spirit!" Undyne said. She mussed up the kid's hair and gestured towards the control room. "Let's take a seat and then just go nuts."
"I can keep time!" Opurl said brightly, a set of opalescent yellow maracas appearing in her hands. She gracefully trotted after them as they headed off, the rattle of beads emphasizing her steps.
.
Sans smiled sideways. Toriel chuckled.
"Always nice to see," she said. "Did you need one when you were a child?"
"Nah," he said.
"Oh? Me neither," she said. "Asgore's was a beautiful lyre. From his sister. The way he used to play…" Her eyes took on a distant, foggy nostalgia. She smiled to herself at the memory of a tune caught in a breeze a thousand years ago. She straightened up and brushed off her pants. "I hope she keeps it when time returns to normal." With a tilt of her head towards the room, she said, "Shall we?"
Sans stretched. "Yeah." He followed her.
.
Meanwhile, Papyrus showed June and Flora around the room, pointing out the strange, skull-like apparatus hanging high above them. Alphys— with Scathkath's help— set up monitoring equipment and a big screen that displayed the data-points in the void, with Asriel's data highlighted in white through the black and red. There was a little delay on the information, since it was being relayed through the heart of the CORE and the NOCTURNE, but the refresh rate was about ten seconds. Not ideal, but the best they could do with the situation as it was.
.
Gaster drew on the floor with chalk. A circle with a plus inside of it marked where he would tear, and he elaborated around it with skeleton runes and a much wider circle. He planned out a five-pointed star and a place for each other monster with a darkened soul to position themselves.
.
"Um! G-Gaster?" Alphys came close and offered him a device that looked a bit like an ancient walkman and a string of earphones, with nodes for at the ends to stick to the body. "I f-figure we get some readings, just in case. It's all set up to go."
"Ah. You're dead on." He took it from her, placing the bulk of the device in his pocket and then threading the cable up his shirt to attach the nodes to the inside of his ribcage. "We're doing everyone?"
"Y-Yep!" She pointed her thumb back over her shoulder, where Scathkath and Kio were hooking themselves up. "I'll monitor from inside the, um, control booth."
"Thank you, Alphys," he said. He smiled warmly. "I swear, there's so many things, if it weren't for you I'd lose my head."
"B-Better not!" she teased, though her voice went shrill. She snickered with a tinge of nerves. "Are you ready?" She cautiously grabbed his blackened hand. "D-Does anything hurt? Is it doing okay?"
"It's fine. Thank you," he said. "Just a couple more lines and I'm ready."
She nodded and stuck her thumb up. "G-Ganbattene."
.
The lizard hurried off, herding Papyrus and June back towards to control room. Toriel moved off, too, but Sans, instead, approached his father.
"Hey," he said.
"Almost there," Gaster said quietly.
Sans nodded. "So. Uh. Look," he said. "If… it feels like it's pullin'. Shout. Alright?"
"I will," he said.
"Anchor yourself to the floor if you gotta."
"I know."
"And just, uh…" Sans rubbed the back of his skull. "Careful, yeah? Don't wanna be down three."
Gaster bent and pulled Sans into his arms, squishing him tight. The bones of his blackened hand were extra chilly.
"We're close. I know we are," he said under his breath. He drew back, holding his son's face gently. "I will return them to you."
Sans's eyes risked a flicker of hope before dimming to normal. He gave a slanted smile. "Just don't do anything stupid."
"Pff, asking the impossible," Gaster joked. He nodded back towards the control room. "Go on. I'll be fine."
.
Sans traded places with Suzy and Opurl. The clam gently held Suzy's hand and took her to the spot Gaster had marked on the floor. The crocodaur looked at the chalk, up at the skeleton, and then back over her shoulder. The monsters closed in the control booth looked at her through the windows. Everyone she could see stuck their thumbs up at her, even the old Queen. Suzy cautiously stuck her thumb up in return.
"I… dunno if I'm ready," she said quietly as she turned around.
"Don't fret, sweet one," Opurl said gently. "Just strum strongly and let your soul follow the tune."
"Yeah. Yeah! Okay." Suzy nodded to herself. "Okay!"
"Don't worry too much, kid," Scathkath said as he positioned himself on one of the starpoints. "There's a bunch of us. You might not have to do anything."
"If you feel at all uncomfortable," Gaster said quickly, "just let me know. You can sit it out."
"No way," Suzy said with a frown. She grasped her guitar tightly. "Miss Toriel even made me a soul instrument and everything, there's no way I'm just gonna back out!"
"Brave little thing!" Kio said fondly, taking a spot beside her husband. "Gaster? Are we ready?"
The skeleton nodded. "If everyone could just take a spot on one of the star's tips."
.
The monsters arranged themselves quickly. Suzy stood between Flora and Opurl and took a deep breath.
"So. What needs to happen," Gaster said, "is I will begin to cast. You all join me— whatever you can do. If it's working, the chalk lines should change colour. Then, I will cut into the… void, I suppose. And, hopefully, with your power, I will be able to manipulate… Well. I'll be able to track the Prince. Do any of you have any questions?"
Suzy stuck her hand up.
"Yes, little one?" the skeleton asked.
"The song's pretty complicated, though," she said, "I can just play a few notes."
"That's just fine," Gaster said. "Listen to the melody a few times first, then push your soul along with it. Use your instrument to help. It's a part of you, after all. They will work together."
"And I sense you will do very well," Opurl assured her with a fond smile.
Suzy gulped, but she nodded.
"Don't worry, sync close to mine if you're nervous," Flora said quietly.
"Anything else?" Gaster asked.
"What are the chances of this killing you?" Scathkath asked.
"Scath!" Kio scolded.
"Um. Fairly low. I hope," the skeleton said with a tepid laugh.
The shadowcat nodded approvingly. "Good! Don't wanna disappoint your sons, now, right?"
.
A speaker somewhere in the room crackled.
"O-Okay," came Alphys's voice. "V-Void Souls Experiment, take one, all instruments rolling. Whenever you're ready."
"Good luck, friends!" called Papyrus loudly. "Dad! Do not get sucked into the weird space outside time again, please! Thank you bye!"
Gaster nodded. He took a deep breath. Suzy did the same.
"I will start," he said.
.
Gaster's soul let out a pulse of melody. It was dark, and slow, and moody. The drifting, green glints from Toriel's aura froze in the air around him. The chalk around his feet turned black like it had burned to a crisp.
.
Scathkath was next. With a hand to his chest, his soul followed the tune. Kio did the same, closing her eyes tight. Streaks of the world between them began to drain of colour.
"Remember to keep breathing," Opurl said quietly. She joined in once the melody repeated.
Flora gulped. She tapped her foot slowly, then looked at Suzy and nodded before letting her soul flow along with the others.
.
Suzy gritted her teeth. Her fingers were numb and nervous. Carefully, she strummed along the most basic of the notes, listening close to the others. Her soul stumbled to keep up. Energy ran through her claws and she breathed out, a dark, tasteless smoke seeping out between her fangs.
.
Gaster pulled their energy out farther and, with a pop, all sound ceased but their souls as a large, grey bubble overtook them, sapping the colour of all but the monsters themselves. The chalk beneath their feet spread with darkness along its lines, but after just a few inches, Scathkath buckled, dropping to one knee, hand clutched to his chest and breathing hard.
"I-I'm sorry, G, that's all I can muster," he grunted.
"It's alright," he assured him quickly. "Deep breaths. Can you—?"
The shadowcat winked. "I'll keep the song going, don't you worry."
.
Just a few seconds more and Kio, too, had to rest. She shook her head. Gaster grimaced.
"Careful, Kio," he said reassuringly, despite a warble of worry in his voice.
"Oof, that's a harsh one," she said quietly.
Suzy looked between the two adults with wide eyes. She wasn't feeling it at all.
.
The black continued along the chalk lines from the monsters still standing, but about halfway, Opurl wilted.
"I'm afraid that's it for me, too," she said apologetically.
Gaster grimaced. "Thank you."
Suzy and Flora looked at each other. The yellow lizard scrunched up her face.
"Up to us," she said. She closed her eyes to concentrate.
Suzy gulped nervously. She kept strumming, trying to keep time. Her soul felt the tiniest of tugs.
"Kids, if it's too much,"Gaster said quickly, "we can st—"
Flora's lines contacted to the main circle with a deep thrum of sound. Suzy gritted her teeth and hers did the same. The circles around both young monsters began to beam shadow upwards, flecks of dark like blackened soot and embers drifted up around their feet. Gaster's eyes shimmered. Opurl clasped her flipper hands together tightly and whispered wishes of good luck.
"You guys…?" Scathkath grinned. "Keep it up!"
"You're doing it," Kio said excitedly.
.
"W-We got this," Flora said.
"Y… Yeah!" Suzy was strumming chords she was sure she didn't know now, but it was if she'd played it a thousand times. "C-Come on!"
"Yeah!" Flora shouted.
As if encouraged by their fervour, black spread, past their sections, filling the rest in an instant. The lines from the star spread into the runes and split like gashes into the night sky. The centre circle cast the dark up like an inverted spotlight, coating the skeleton in cool, shadowy grey.
.
Gaster looked over his bones with wide eyes. The kids' souls were still singing. He hurriedly sliced a star into the air, opening a gap into the void at the tips of his fingers. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through any trepidation and reached his arm out through the rip.
.
Sight from the palm of his hand was blackness, endless and dizzying. He couldn't hear out there, but he could feel the vibrations of the NOCTURNE faintly through his bones. He reached out with his magic, bristling spikes rippling through his body as he latched on and heaved. Something with the weight of the world shifted, then stalled.
"I-It's moving!" Alphys's voice was crackly and muted, hardly piercing through the sound of the spell and the bubble of grey.
.
Gaster braced his feet on the floor. His magic flexed outwards, massive clawed, spiky hands pockmarked with holes crackling in the air around him like burnished obsidian supported his body.
.
Something shifted in the void. He thought he saw a flicker of red. He pulled harder, grasping the NOCTURNE's call and dragging it. He gritted his teeth and shoved his other arm into the void, pouring every ounce of strength into redirecting it. All his thoughts were on his daughter and Asriel and their song. He could feel it vibrating inside him. His arms felt like they might pop out.
.
The vision through every portal he had started to grey. He refused. Dragged back as hard as he could. Black energy burned into the tiles beneath his feet and he yelled, giving one final, desperate heave before collapsing into a heap on the floor.
.
The grey shattered into fragments and the kids finally stopped playing. Opurl ran to them and pulled them into her arms, Suzy's guitar shattering into purple sparks. Scathkath heaved himself off the ground and sprinted to Gaster, lifting him up into his arms. The doctor's bones from wrist to shoulder were laced with cracks, his clothes torn in big holes where his bones had spiked outwards.
"You're insane, do you know that?!" he demanded. "No wonder you keep busting your face open!"
"Tá brón orm," Gaster said quietly.
"D-Doctor Gaster, are you okay?!" Flora yelped.
"Give him to me," Kio said, pushing her way in. Her deep blue magic came to her wings as she touched him, rushing in to mend the cracks. "He'll be alright."
The green glittering in the air returned at the loss of the grey, sparkling along with the snakebird's energy, speeding it and speckling the bone with glowing, green motes.
.
"D-Did it work?" Suzy asked shrilly.
Gaster turned his head for the big monitor. The others looked, too, waiting with bated breath. As the image refreshed, Gaster wilted in his friend's arms. It wasn't enough.
.
"I… I have to try again," he said.
"Wait, or you're going to lose your arms," Scathkath snapped.
"Hey, um, c-can we come back in?!" Alphys asked.
Kio stuck her feather-thumbs up and, in an instant, a hoard of monsters stormed into the room. Toriel and Papyrus were at Gaster within seconds. The old Queen lifted Gaster from the shadowcat and began to heal, as did Papyrus.
"Are you okay?!" he demanded.
"I'll be fine," Gaster assured him. "I need to try again."
"Hang on, h-hang oooonnn…" Alphys stumbled over with a healing gel, as well, and squirted the tube onto the skeleton's arms. "A-Anyone else need any?!"
"We're alright, thank you," Opurl said.
,
"Bad news," Sans said. He, Undyne, and June were with Suzy and Flora, passing out cookies, but he pointed to the monitor.
The line was, very slowly, reverting and spreading wide to where it had been to begin with. Gaster shivered.
"Looks like… it's gotta be all at once," Sans said. "Then, somethin' to lock it."
Gaster tried to sit up, but Toriel held him firm.
"Your arms, hun."
"I have to do something. I need more power," he insisted.
"Is there nothing else we can do?" Kio asked worriedly, gratefully accepting a cookie June passed to her.
"Could you soul-link, G?" Scathkath wondered. "If all this time, it won't matter— it'll be undone, right? You could."
"But who could possibly…?" Toriel said quietly.
.
"What're they talking about?" Suzy said quietly to Sans. "Did we mess up?"
"No way, you did great," Undyne assured her.
Opurl nodded enthusiastically and embraced her. The little crocodaur cracked a smile, but still turned her attention on the short skeleton beside them.
"But what's soul-link?"
"It's like, uh… super marriage," Sans said.
"Super marriage?" Suzy looked confused, tilting her head. "Huh?"
"You stick your soul to another guy's," Flora said. "And you can sorta… share magic? You get like a passive buff if you're like, standing nearby but then you can also shift magic between the two. I think. Right?"
"For a temporary boost, yeah," Undyne said. "But it's, like, kinda hard to do? And it's permanent, I think. Those dogs in Snowdin have that."
"Us, too," said Kio, nodding at Scathkath.
"…So do Tori and Asgore," Sans said.
"I would gladly link," Toriel said. "As I'm sure Asgore would. But… ours cannot be undone."
.
Sans sighed. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, broken only after a few seconds by a J-Pop ringtone on Alphys's phone. She yelped and fumbled with it to answer.
"M-Moshi moshi," she said.
"Hey, Doc," a tinny voice said loudly. "This is the guards from Hotland North? We found some guy skulking around outside your lab, trying to get in?"
"Wh…?! Um. Wh-Who?!"
"I dunno. Some guy in a hoodie? He said the King said to come here for a shower?"
"A shower?" Alphys repeated. "…What's his name?"
"Boyd, I think?"
"Ah! That's my friend," June said loudly.
"Oh! Th-That's the other…! Okay," Alphys said. "That's f-fine. You c-can let him in, I'll come get him."
"Alrighty, Doc! Over and out!" The guard hung up.
.
June blew out a sigh of relief. Alphys pointed to the door and Toriel nodded. The little lizard hurried away. June flinched. She knelt down beside Gaster and put her hand over her soul spot.
"Doctor Gaster?" she said. "…Can…? I mean… I know I'm not monster, but can I help?"
"What?!" Scathkath yelped.
The skeleton blinked. He sat up a little and Papyrus heaved him into a hug. Gaster chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"What were you thinking?" Gaster asked.
"What do you mean you're not monster?!" the shadowcat asked, wide-eyed.
"Hun, that's a human in makeup," Kio said.
"WHAT?!"
June laughed nervously. "Um! It's nice to meet you."
Scathkath leaned over to Gaster. "Where're these humans coming from?! Did everyone else know this?!"
"Doesn't super matter, does it?" Undyne said, frowning and folding her arms.
The shadowcat's smokey fur bristled and he put his hands up. "Guess not if the Guard Captain doesn't think so!"
.
June blushed a little and smiled sideways. She folded her hands tight. "I just… I know that a human soul is stronger than a monster one. Right? So… I mean. If I could do a soul-link with you?"
Gaster went stiff. Papyrus gawked. Sans almost choked on his cookie.
"I…" The old skeleton stiffly raised an arm to rub his skull. "I… don't even know if that's possible. I appreciate the thought to help, though. Very much."
June sighed. She sat back, folding her arms tight. "Then… Then what about…? If you took my soul? That's real, right?"
.
The monsters made such a sudden commotion, June had to cover her ears.
"WHAT?!" Papyrus yelped.
"You gotta be kidding!" Undyne yelled.
"But doesn't that super kill you?!" Flora asked, as Opurl gasped and clapped her hands over Suzy's ears.
"Human, we aren't at war anymore, we can't!" Kio protested.
"There is absolutely no way! Right?!" Papyrus said.
Gaster frowned, folding his arms. "You do realize that kills you, don't you?"
"But it's not…! It's not like it's staying forever, right?" she said. She clenched her hand into her shirt. "I've sacrificed a lot, making sure children are safe. I don't know. It feels like… I wouldn't mind so much. For that."
.
All eyes turned on Gaster. He gritted his teeth.
"I…" He lowered his voice. "I am grateful, but would like to try again. Maybe something else would—"
.
"HEY!" Boyd was with Alphys, looking sweaty and flushed. He ran over, ducking down and grabbing June. He pulled her back from the monsters, his arms crushing her shoulders. "You're not taking…!"
"Hey, chill, nobody's takin' nothin'," Sans said.
"Boyd, relax," June said, "I just offered—! Wait, when did you get hair?!"
"Who cares?" he said. "What the hell is going on?"
"It would only be for a little while!" the woman said. "He needs it to save his daughter and nephew."
Boyd flinched. Gaster shook his head.
"I have to refuse," he said. "But. Thank you. So much."
"But, uh… Then what do we do?" Scathkath asked at a whisper.
"Do about what?" Boyd insisted.
.
"You know of our search for the missing children?" Toriel asked.
Boyd nodded.
"Part of it requires… a great amount of power. Only Gaster can do the correct magic but, he… is not yet strong enough." Her eyes darted fleetingly to Sans. "And our time… may be running low."
The man looked at June, brows raised. "So, wait, you…? Like those old stories?"
June nodded. Boyd flinched.
"Your daughter, that's…" His eyes turned on Papyrus and then he looked back over his shoulder at Sans. "It's the psychic kid, eh?"
"Yeah," Sans said.
"And the other one is…?"
"My son," Toriel said softly.
.
The man's grey eyes went wide and shimmery. He put a hand to his heart. "Shit." He grimaced. "Can I do somethin'?"
"We are not killing anyone," Toriel said steadily.
"I get that, but… is there…? Could you, like, take… whatever human magic junk is outta my soul or something? Use that?"
"Wait, can…? Can you do that?" June asked, wide-eyed. "A-Are you sure?"
Boyd grimaced, but he nodded. "I… I owe you guys. And I owe that missin' kid everything." A smile strained his face. "Hell, I'm on vacation, right? What am I gonna be doin' that needs a lot of energy? And it's not… permanent, yeah? So. What's the harm?"
.
Alphys's eyes went wide. "Gaster… Maybe we could…?"
"Yeah?! See?!" Boyd said. "And. Okay. I dunno if this is true or what? But the old stories said red's got a little extra oomf, right? King took a look at mine before and it was pretty damn red."
Gaster's eyes lit up. "It's…? I wonder…" He sat up slightly. "Alphys? How close were we?"
"Um…! P… Pretty close?" she said. "Before it, um, drifted back."
"Uh oh. Wait." Sans said. His brows raised and he pointed at his father. "I know what you're thinkin'."
"Why, what's going on? What are you thinking?" Papyrus asked.
"More DT." Alphys said quietly. "…But I… I d-don't know if you can handle—"
"But if I can." Gaster was starting to sound excited. "And if he can… Logically, a red soul should have a surplus, even a small amount drawn away might… If I could. Straight from a human. It might be just enough."
"D…? What?! Determination?! Isn't that…?! DAD! Do not melt. Don't you dare," Papyrus said, squishing him tight.
.
"Oh. Right. Course," Scathkath said. "Buncha red in you; that's how you made your kids, right? Neither of them can—?"
"They can't," Gaster said.
Scathkath rubbed his chin. "We could boost a different monster. Then soul-link?"
"Who could I ask to do such a thing?" Gaster asked swiftly. "That's asking to risk a life. And determination plays strangely with time magic. There's no guarantee on a reversal of that." He shook his head. "It should be me."
The shadowcat bared his fangs. "Again with this."
"There are no other boss monsters," Gaster said, frowning. "There is no other option."
"I don't wanna watch you break yourself again, G!"
Kio held her husband's arm gently. "It's for his daughter. You won't talk him out of it," she said quietly.
Scathkath pouted. "Damn it, I know."
"I'm running out of options." Gaster forced himself to his feet, away from the others and inspected his smooth arm bones. "Kio. Tori. Paps. Thank you. I'm alright." He turned to the others with the void in their souls. "Thank you all. So much. I will… work out the issue. And if you're up for it, we will try once more."
.
"I'M UP FOR IT," Suzy said loudly.
Opurl chuckled and took her hands off the kid's ears. "I'm afraid I couldn't fill my triangle, but I will do my best to help again."
"Same," Flora said. She grinned. "It wasn't so hard!"
Gaster took a deep breath. He nodded, his eyes darting to Sans. Though his son didn't look exactly hopeful, the old skeleton cracked a small smile. "If I can bear it. We will find where they are today."