PATCHWORK SOUL - NEW MEDIUM

by Spark the Barkivist

DIRECT SEQUEL TO "PATCHWORK SOUL" — A few months later. A family of monsters and their little human kid try to start life anew beyond the confines of a giant mountain. Maybe they find something. Maybe they lose something. Time flows ever onwards, but sometimes it goes sideways, and it's heavier than they thought.

99. Owie ooch my eyeballs

Owie ooch my eyeballs Chapter 99

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Even after scouring just a few rooms, it was plainly obvious to Frisk how Gaster had gotten lost in the huge castle. A hall near the library lead into a closet, which opened into an open-air garden, with a door in a hedge that led to a large laundry, so close to a massive, watery basin that if Frisk had been any bigger, she wouldn't have been able to fit through the space.

.

There weren't many monsters on her path, but she stopped to ask each of them if they'd seen a tall skeleton in a dark coat anywhere nearby— possibly mumbling to himself or buried deep in the pages of a book. Nobody had.

.

Finally coming to a dead-end inside another closest, Frisk backtracked. Within two rooms, though, something changed— she could feel it in the air. When her fingers touched the next doorknob, a tingle of magic passed through her like a static shock. On the other side, she found a long, vacant hall before her. Her face scrunched in confusion, she turned back, but the room behind her had shifted, too. No longer a pantry filled with extra plates and packages of dry kitchen staples, it was stuffy, book-lined study.

.

She hummed to herself and stepped out into the hallway The carpet looked familiar, but it was hard to say exactly where she was. All the way at the end, there was a window beaming in bright, clear light. She scampered over, bounced up on her tip-toes, and peeked outside. She didn't see much that was recognizable, except to say that she was somehow on the second floor.

.

She explored ahead, peeking through a few more doors, but none lead to a garden or a basement this time— instead, there were a few guest rooms, none of which had the entry positioned behind the bed or inexplicably next to a window. Struck with puzzlement, Frisk stood in place for a second until it occurred to her that it must have been Toriel's Mirror Mod. Or, rather, that her Mirror Mod was coming undone. Frisk smooshed a hand against her face. Now she wasn't even sure where the library was supposed to be. It was possible the original version wasn't even on the first floor.

.

She walked the halls for a bit longer until she came upon a spider guard in shiny black armour wandering about on patrol. He pointed her towards a portal's pedestal. There were stones in the walls on the first floor with a faint, silvery tint that would lead the way to public spaces when touched, she was told. Perfect for a tour guide, or for someone who was a little lost.

.

The kid used her ring to grant her passage back downstairs, however she very quickly realized that figuring out where the library was wasn't helpful in the least. Everything had moved back to where it belonged, and she had no idea where that would have taken Gaster. In fact, she wasn't sure if he knew anything about the Mirror Mod at all, unless Papyrus had mentioned it to him.

.

The halls below were crowded with wandering monsters, chatting with light-hearted bemusement. Frisk asked around again and still, nobody had seen the missing skeleton. Someone had seen Papyrus rushing around, but that was it.

.

The sting of anxiety sped Frisk's steps. She kept going, peeking in every door that would open until that gave way to a garden, like the one Chara had shown her a little after learning her true name.

.

Finally, in a sheltered alcove of pale stone, Frisk found him. She might have missed him for a while longer if he hadn't been muttering, but she would have recognized his deep voice and the lilt of his accent anywhere.

.

The skeleton stood alone in a small, rounded room, before the statue of a great dog with a blazing diamond on its brow and curved horns with a sharp spike on the outside of their arcs, almost like a halo. He was bent, a hand wrapped around its leg, fingers locked in a desperate grip.

"—none of this. If they just could have… Why was this the path? It isn't right. It shouldn't be me; it should never have been me. It should have been them who came to this world. They could have made a life here, they could have… They wouldn't have…" He let out a sigh that shook his bones. "It should have been them. Not some old, bloody fool." He cursed softly in words Frisk didn't understand.

.

The kid gulped softly. His sentiments made her heart thump and a prickle of familiar guilt ran beneath her skin. She bit her lip and edged towards him, gently tapping on the wall.

"Gaster?"

.

The skeleton stiffened up, but he turned to face her. He looked exhausted. He had a little, dog shaped charm squeezed in his fingers, which he promptly slipped away into his pocket. "You. Ah. I apologize, it wasn't my intention to run off. I figured I should stay put once I realized—"

"I know, everything got all moved and weird, don't worry 'bout it," she assured him. "Glad I found you, though." She tilted her head and peered up at the statue. "You, um…? You okay?"

"Fine," he said stiffly.

Frisk nodded. She considered turning and simply leading him out, maybe towards the library's real spot, but something stalled her. Her tongue felt heavy. She ran her words over in her head swiftly before opening her mouth. "I, um… Sorry, I… I heard you? A little. You… feel really guilty, huh?"

"…Of course," he said quietly. "My sons are trapped. How could I…?"

"How could you even think of having a nice time. Right? When they're back there," she said quietly. "I know. I… I feel like that all the time, basically." She scrunched up her face. "E-Especially when I met Avenir."

Gaster's brow furrowed. "…Why?"

"Well, like… I'm not… Um. You know. I guess just 'cause I'm not my brothers. I'm… a human." She couldn't help a small, crooked smile. "But, she was still happy, and I learned a lot. And… if I wasn't human, I would never have gotten to meet her at all. So I tried not to feel so bad. I… I hope you can, too. It's not your fault this stuff happened, y'know?"

The old skeleton remained silent, but it looked as if he wasn't sure how to respond, rather than that he was upset or uninterested.

.

Frisk perked up. A strange thought crossed her mind and her fingers brushed the phone in her pocket. Maybe it was the worst idea in the world; it'd definitely blow through any doubt that she and this skeleton man weren't much more deeply connected, but maybe it was worth it if it could give him any sort of peace.

"Hey, um," she continued. "I… have a recording. On my phone. Of Avenir. Would you wanna see it?"

"You…?" His voice cracked. "How?"

Frisk pulled out the phone and queued up the video Avenir had made for her father. "I, um… I didn't watch it. She made it for… someone else. Back home." She offered the device to him. "I dunno what it says, but I think maybe you'd wanna see? Um." Her cheeks flushed. "But, um, if she mentions me, just ignore it, okay?"

.

Gaster's fingers reached out uncertainly. Paused. It was as if calculations were speeding behind his eyes. He carefully grasped Frisk's phone and held it up, then set it to play. His eyes instantly flared with colour, even before Avenir's silvery voice flowed from the speakers and echoed in the statue's chamber. Frisk didn't know the words— it was all in Creatlach— but she thought she heard her name in amidst the quick, steady bluster of excited sentences. It was nice to hear the Lord of Crios Cnàmh again, though. She could have listened to her for hours.

.

The old skeleton had become as still as the statue at his side. After some time, he began to sink, his shoulder pressed against the stone pedestal until he came to sit on the ground. His eyes were still fixed on the screen, his body stiff. Slowly, his hand clasped his face. Shimmering tears slid down his cheeks. Frisk hoped she hadn't made some horrible mistake.

.

As soon as the recording finished, Gaster's broad shoulders sagged. It took him a moment to drag his eyes from the screen, but when they did, they settled steadily on Frisk.

"…Could you understand a word of that?" he asked hoarsely.

She shook her head. The old skeleton snorted out a mirthless laugh and pinched his brow. The kid gulped.

"S-Sorry, did I make it worse again?"

"It, uh…" The skeleton shook his head and her heart skipped. He swiped his hand over his eyes. "You didn't."

Frisk perked up. She wanted desperately to give him a hug. She didn't, but she edged a little closer. He wiped his eyes again.

"She… looks tired, in this," he said quietly, staring down at the screen. "But, strong."

"Yeah. Um." Frisk cautiously sat down close to him. "She was. Both of those."

He smiled faintly, then scoffed at himself. "What a bloody foolish universe this is, that I would only hear her voice again because of…" He closed his eyes and rubbed at his brow. "Thank you."

"Oh! N-No problem," Frisk said. "D… Do you, um, have a phone? I could send you a copy."

"…Uh." He fished an old, battered, brick of a phone from deep in his pocket.

Frisk held out her hands and he passed it over, along with hers.

.

His phone was old, with icons Frisk didn't recognize, but the meaning of each was still plain as day. She brought up the text chat and entered her own number. A test text to herself, and her phone buzzed in reply. Another little drop of confirmation in an already overflowing pool.

"Nice," she said.

"What?" the skeleton said.

"Text works. The stuff is kinda weird," she said as she set about sending the video over. "Calls don't work here but all the text stuff does, so I think it—"

"Crystals," he said.

"Huh?" Frisk blinked at him.

He wasn't even looking at her, but up at the dog statue. He seemed absolutely exhausted. "The text mechanism is old, based on crystals, while the most recent version of the voice mechanism was reengineered from human tech."

She cocked her head to the side like a curious puppy. "Did you build it?"

He snorted quietly. "I didn't. That was mostly a colleague of mine. A snakebird."

"O-Oh, okay." Frisk racked her brain through Sans's memories, but he had no recollection of that— not Gaster, and not many coworkers at all besides Alphys from his time in the lab. It gave her a little chill. "Cool."

.

Frisk spent a few minutes transferring the video to the old skeleton's phone. It also occurred to her to text Asriel, so she let him know she'd found Gaster, though she wasn't actually sure where she was. She told him she'd meet back at the library, though, wherever that happened to be.

.

"Why didn't you call the guards?" Gaster asked.

Frisk almost jumped. "The…? Uh. Why?"

"Who knows what trouble I was up to, hm?"

The kid scoffed. "No way."

Gaster looked at her with a curious glint in his eye. She shrugged.

"Pretty sure I don't have anything to worry about," she said. "Plus, I mean, I got lost, too, and I been here before, so I don't blame you."

"Hm." A chuckle huffed out of him. He rubbed his forehead. "What the hell am I doing?" he muttered.

.

Frisk's heart heavy with worry. She bit her lip. "I… I know it's such garbage," she said quietly. "But, like… it's not hopeless, right? Over there?"

"I… don't know."

"But there's something you can do," she said quickly. "I'm pretty sure. And I wanna help."

"If there's anything," he said quietly, "it's something I'd have to do on my own."

"Well, duh, it's not like we can go over there with you," she said. "But, when you go home, I… I'm sure you'll get it. You're super smart, right? So. I know you can do it."

Gaster grimaced. He drummed his fingers on the floor and leaned his head back to look up at the face of the statue and breathed out a long sigh.

.

Frisk checked the video on his phone and made sure that it would play. Seeing even just the few quiet seconds of the recording as Avenir settled herself in front of the lens was enough to make her eyes water and her heard beat a little harder. She paused it, then handed the device back to him.

"There," she said quietly. "Something, at least, right?"

He cradled the old phone in both hands for a moment before carefully stashing it away again. "…Thank you. Honestly."

"Yeah, of course, she's your mom," Frisk said swiftly. She smiled sheepishly. "Felt right, y'know?"

"You're a strange little creature, you know that?"

The kid snickered, quickly wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Yeah, I been told that before."

.

Together, they left the huge, regal dog sculpture behind. Using the trick with the stones in the walls, Frisk took them back to the library. Asriel and Papyrus were already there, waiting.

"Good work, Frisk!" Papyrus said brightly. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Paps, a statue down the hall caught my eye," Gaster said.

"Oh, was that all?! Phew! That's good," the younger skeleton said. "Which one?"

"Parhelion, I believe."

"Big dog with a diamond and really sharp horns," Frisk said.

"Oooooh, that is a nice one, fair enough," Papyrus said.

.

"You guys still going to the barracks?" Asriel asked.

"I'd like to, if it's alright," Gaster said.

"Even if they beat you up?" Frisk asked worriedly.

He nodded.

"Whatever happens, I'm sure it'll be fine," Papyrus said. He beckoned to Gaster. "Shouldn't take too long, hopefully! Stay here, you two, I'll send Chara your way if I see her."

Asriel stuck his thumb up.

"Good luck," Frisk said.

.

As the skeletons left, Asriel let out a big yawn, showing almost every sharp tooth in his mouth. He flopped down in the nearest armchair and sunk in. Frisk crept up onto his legs and flopped back against him, rubbing her eyes.

"You been cryin' again?" Asriel asked.

"Juuuust a tiny bit," Frisk said. "S'just 'cause I saw a little of one of the Avenir videos and I'm a baby about it."

"Ah." Asriel's brows shot up. "Wait, did you show him—?"

"Yeah."

"…What did it say?"

"Dunno, it was all in Creatlach. But, I mean, I think we can probably guess a bit, huh?"

Asriel sighed. He pulled the kid up into a hug and sunk farther down into the cushions of the chair. "This has been pretty hard on you, huh?"

"I'm tryyyyin'," Frisk said.

"It's gonna be really good when we get home. And you can see your actual dad. And… And stuff doesn't have to be like this anymore."

"S'getting a little easier." She snuggled into him anyway. "Buhh…"

.

They lazed there, cozied up, until Chara eventually returned, carrying a little sack over one arm.

"Don't tell me you two fell asleep," she said. "Without me. How rude."

Asriel answered with an exaggerated snore and the freckled girl scoffed.

"Heeeyy, Chara," Frisk said.

"I hope you're ready to do a bit of your, uh, Chrono Shift again," Chara said as she passed chocolate croissants out to her siblings. "That old bag of bones offered himself up to the soldiers he tricked."

"Aah, heck," Frisk muttered.

"I'm surprised you didn't stay to watch," Asriel said with a sly smile.

"Oh, I did. For a little," Chara said. "Once again, not fighting back. And…" She sighed and shrugged. "For some reason, seeing him get pummelled isn't quite as fun as it used to be."

"And having to heal him's tiring Frisk the hell out," the boy grumbled, gnawing on the crispy end of the pastry.

"It's fine," Frisk said. "Thanks for the thing."

Chara nodded. She leaned back against the closest bookshelf and crossed her arms. "So, why'd he leave?"

"Dog statue," Frisk said. "I think he was talking to it."

"Ah. That's… fair. Not that uncommon." She frowned thoughtfully and straightened up again. "Hang on." She pointed at the two in the chair. "Stay here. I'll be back."

.

Chara hurried off deeper into the library. Frisk and Asriel shared a puzzled look. The boy shrugged and chomped down the rest of his croissant.

.

They lazed for a while. Asriel grabbed a book off the nearest shelf and flipped through it as Frisk came close to dozing off.

.

It wasn't long before quiet was broken by a call of greetings from a familiar voice. Asriel sat up a little, jostling Frisk awake, and turned in time to see Kid hop into the room, tail wagging.

"Hey!" he said brightly. "Is, uh, Chara still here?"

"Somewhere around here," Asriel said.

.

Frisk couldn't help but pause to take in the sight of her close friend's doppelgänger. He was probably Chara's age here; maybe a little older. She wondered if the Kid she knew would grow up to look more like this Kid— if it was like Chara said and the leftovers from the curse were less prominent on younger monsters, then the changes were probably limited to his stripes and his eye colour. It was an interesting thought.

.

"She, um, said she'd be back," Frisk said.

"Oh, cool!" Kid said. "You guys don't mind me waiting around for her, do you?"

"No, 'course not," Asriel said.

"Good! Uh." The bright-eyed reptile looked between them and smiled sheepishly. "Dang, it's, uh, kinda crazy, right? That you two got here."

"Super crazy," Frisk said.

Asriel's ears perked up a little. "So I guess she mentioned us."

"Oh, yeah, totally," Kid said, nodding quickly. "It's Asriel and… Frisk, right?"

"Yup."

"So, like, you're from where she is, then? Did it blow up?"

"N-No, no, I think it's… okay," Frisk said swiftly. "Or, I mean, it'll be okay soon? Uh…"

"We're just visiting," Asriel said.

Kid tilted his head. His tail swished. "Oh yeah? That's cool. I guess you couldn't come sooner, huh? It's been a few years."

"Yeah, I think we, uh…" The goat boy rubbed his head. "I think we ended up showing up almost literally as soon as we could, right?"

"Pretty much," Frisk said.

Kid's eyes gleamed. "That's really cool. How long're you staying?"

"We don't really know," Frisk said apologetically. She still didn't really like thinking about it.

"Ah, that's okay. It was a whole thing, where she didn't know you guys were alive, and she didn't think you knew she was alive, so I'm real glad that all worked out," he said.

"So I guess she told you a lot," Asriel said.

"Eh, I guess so," Kid said with a little shrug. "We're pretty good buds. I was the first one she battled when she got here, you know."

.

Frisk's eyes lit up. "So she, like, woke you up? That's how that worked, right?"

"Yeah! None of us even had a clue that could happen, back then," Kid said. He gave a sheepish smile. "Also, I… wasn't that good a battler back then. Which, I mean, I guess is kinda good, now that I think about it."

"So, like… bubbles, right?" Frisk leaned forward. "Undyne said it wasn't usually battle magic but you were using it really good. So, like, walls and stuff?"

"Area control," Asriel said.

"Oh!" The boy's tail wagged and he grinned. "Yeah! It's a style I invented myself," he said, puffed up with pride. "You gotta get, like, a little buff in your body, too, or it doesn't work, but yeah. You use them as blocks or like, for good knock-back."

"Footing can make or break a fight, sometimes," Asriel agreed. "Good call."

"Thanks! I'm also learnin' how to do an element charge on the inside." He grinned. "So, y'know, they'll pop and it'll be super cool."

"Ooh, that's such a good idea," Frisk said.

"Right?!"

.

"Howdy, nerds." Chara joined them again, carrying a large, wooden case in both hands. "Ah. You found us."

"Hey, Chara," Kid said brightly. He tilted his head. "What's that?"

"Oh. Just… VC stuff." She offered the case to Frisk. "I found a player for you. And… a few of those recordings. You know."

"You did?! Wow." Frisk could hardly hold the thing. She awkwardly set it on her legs and Asriel reached around her to steady it. "Thanks so much."

Chara smiled, but there was a little melancholy in her eyes. "Of course."

"Hey," Kid said. "Could I, uh, ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course," Chara said.

"Just, um, over here?" He took a few steps backwards. "Sorry!"

She raised a brow, but followed him a few bookshelves away.

.

As Frisk searched her phone for something to swap out, Asriel leaned forward curiously, eyes fixed on his sister and her friend.

"Can you hang onto my journal for me?" she asked.

"Ran out of space?" He held out his hand.

"Yeah." She passed the thin book to him, then paused. "Oh wait, I can just…" She pulled out the recording she'd received of her own broadcast encounter, and then awkwardly popped the case open.

There was a big hunk of crystal and some intricate mechanisms inside, as well as a slot that housed many of the little, polished disks. She put hers in with them.

"…Oh, wait, it's okay that she gave that to us, right?"

"I'm sure it was," he said absently. "But, uh… Hang on, I wanna hear."

Frisk clammed up and listened, too, hiding the case and her journal away in her phone again,

.

Though their voices were low, it was not too hard to catch the gist of the conversation. Kid was extending an invitation to Chara to join his family for their celebration dinner. Chara looked a little hesitant, though she was smiling politely. Her eyes darted back to her siblings. Frisk quickly stuck both thumbs up and Asriel nodded eagerly, gesturing as if to shoo her outside. Chara suppressed a laugh and, though she crossed her arms, she accepted the invitation. Kid's tail wagged and he bounced on his toes, but then bashfully apologized for not having more space to extend to her siblings. Frisk waved her hands and shook her head and Asriel stuck his thumb down. Chara put a hand on his shoulder and assured him that no offence was taken.

.

As Kid bounded out again, calling a friendly farewell back to them, Chara rejoined Frisk and Asriel, smiling faintly, though her gaze looked far away.

"Well," she said, "that'll be… interesting."

"More time out of the cave," Asriel said.

"True." She scoffed at herself. "Ah. It'll be fine. They're all very nice."

"So, you'll huff on your way there and then you'll have a good time, like always," Asriel teased.

"Shut up, I hardly do that anymore," Chara protested.

The boy snickered. Frisk hopped down from his lap and took Chara's hands.

"You look worried," she said. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Chara's eyes darted away. "…But, I guess, it's… starting to feel like…" She slipped one hand from Frisk's grip to pat the kid on the head. "Eh. Forget it."

"That's gonna be tough," Frisk said.

"It's fine. I just… need a nap." Chara chuckled quietly. "Wanna see if that old skeleton's done with whatever garbage he was up to? Then head back?"

"Kiiiinda," Frisk said. She turned to look up at Asriel. "You sure you're gonna be okay here?"

"Pfff, oh yeah, fine," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I can just sleep here for a few hours, I bet. If someone says I can't, I'll just go sleep on the lawn."

"Check one of the barracks," Chara suggested. "Tell them you're waiting for Leirak— someone'll let you know when he's back, and I bet they'll let you use a real bed and everything."

"That… sounds okay, actually," he said. "Anyway. Don't worry. Just, uh, maybe come get me when you're done?"

"Sure," she said. "We'll see you later, then. Be careful with those crystals, yeah?"

Asriel leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. "Don't gotta tell me twice."

.

Chara was quiet as she and Frisk traversed the halls, a subtle gloom hanging over her head. The kid stared at the taller girl probingly. She slipped her hand into Chara's and received a little squeeze in return, but no answers.

.

Sparks of magic in the air and the pulse of Chara's tracking crystal guided them far to the other side of the castle, where wide halls bustled with monsters walking to and from an open training field, organizing crates of supplies, or polishing weapons. There was buzz about the squire duels and someone getting pummelled down by the practice room. They headed that way.

.

Around the corner, the only thing that stood out as odd was Gaster. He was on the floor, back to the wall, nursing his jaw as Papyrus knelt at his side, wrapping the man's other arm in cloth.

"Oh, great," Chara said, rolling her eyes.

"Crap," Frisk muttered. She scampered to join the skeletons, dropping onto her knees beside them. "Got hit bad?"

"I've had worse," Gaster said with a dismissive wave of his good hand.

"Hello, Frisk! Sister!" Papyrus said. "Heeeee did get a little clobbered though, yes."

"So. Are you done, then?" Chara asked, crossing her arms. "Or are you going to keep making work for my sister?"

Gaster shot her a confused look. She rolled her eyes again.

"Should she heal you now, or do you want to break a leg or something, first?"

"No, no, I think we're done," Papyrus answered for him. He looked at Gaster with his brows raised high. "Definitely done. Right?"

"…I suppose so," Gaster said.

"Good," Frisk said. She gently grabbed him. "Hang on a sec."

.

Her magic swelled red in her hands before he could say a word, freezing him in place. A quick tug and he was back a couple hours, face un-scuffed; arm un-snapped. Frisk's vision darkened, the edges of her sight speckled like snow on a broken TV screen. Her head swam as she pulled away, embers of her magic drifting to the floor. The skeleton clunked his head against the wall as he jolted out of stasis. He took a deep breath.

"…I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," he said quietly.

"Then stop getting hurt," Frisk teased. She had to hold her head. She was instantly nauseous. "Ah, heck…"

Papyrus reached out to grasp her shoulder, his magic seeping warm through her skin.

.

"Are you two still headed to Alphys's?" Chara asked.

"I would like to," Papyrus said. "Are you going back?" He looked at Frisk and pulled her in a little closer to him. "I think maybe you should."

"Yeeeeah, maybe," Frisk said sheepishly.

"That's the plan," Chara said. "Frisk and I are gonna go collapse at the Soul, and Asriel's sticking around here until he gets our stuff from Leirak."

"Ooh. Good, okay, that works." Papyrus rubbed Frisk's back and then hopped to his feet. He grasped Gaster by the hands and pulled him up, giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "We'll join you in a few hours, probably." He fished inside his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of a glimmering blue potion. He handed it to Frisk and patted her on the head. "There, that should help, at least a little."

"Thanks, Paps," she said. She awkwardly got to her feet, trying to her best not to swoon, and she looked at Gaster. "Careful, okay?"

He smiled tiredly. "My injuries weren't due to not being careful."

"You know what I mean," she said, pouting.

The old skeleton chuckled quietly. He regained himself a fraction of a second later and his expression flattened. He looked to Papyrus. "Lead the way."

"Right! Okay! It's a bit of a walk," the younger skeleton said. "And no more fighting, right?" He stared at him pointedly.

"Unless Alphys would like to."

"She will not!"

xXxXx

Sans was still asleep exactly where they'd left him back in the Soul of the World. Both kids were extremely jealous.

.

Frisk's chills had increased with a vengeance, so Chara got out one of tents Papyrus had packed and they made a nest of blankets and pillows within. Cozied up inside like a hibernating critter, Frisk dozed off almost instantly. Chara desperately wanted to sleep, too, but before anything, she returned to Sans.

.

She sat on the couch near his feet and put her face in her hands. She breathed out a long, tired sigh. "Hey. Sans?"

The skeleton shifted. "Hm?"

"I'm, uh… I'm going out for a bit tonight."

"Kay."

"Kid's a squire now. Undyne's."

"Ey. Nice."

"His family's doing a dinner, or something. They invited me."

"Also nice."

"Yeah." Chara grasped the edge of the couch and kicked her feet. "Yeah, it's…"

"Kinda normal?"

The girl grimaced. She flopped back heavily into the couch and folded her arms tight against her chest. "I dunno if I'm ready for normal, yet," she muttered.

.

Sans sat up slowly with a low grunt. He rubbed the back of his head and reached out to put an arm around her.

"Alright. What happened?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened," she said. "I just… I guess… I feel like… maybe we're close? Maybe things are…" She sighed heavily. "I don't know."

"That impending doom again, huh?"

"I guess…"

"That's a symptom of exhaustion, y'know," he said.

"Yeah. I'll… I'll sleep until I have to leave," she said.

Sans nodded. He put a hand on her head and brushed his claws through her hair. "You're doin' good, kiddo."

"Hmph." She scrunched herself up on the couch, only for the big skeleton to lift her up, holding her close to his chest. "Bro, please."

"Heh." He bumped his brow to hers. "Don't worry so much."

Chara sighed. She flopped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face against him. Sans snickered. He rubbed her back.

"If it helps," he said quietly. "I think you're doin' great."

"…I know you do," she mumbled. She heaved out a heavy sigh. "Sans?"

"Mhm?"

"Thanks." She slumped. "I… know I don't say it often, but I'm… glad you found me."

The skeleton squeezed her a little closer. "Same."

.

He held the tired girl a little longer, moving her only when he stood to carefully plunk her back on the couch. He patted her shoulders, then straightened up to stretch.

"Alright," he said. "Where's your buds?"

"Frisk's asleep," she said. "Everyone else is still out."

"Kay." With a flick of his finger, the skeleton fetched a blanket from some of the extras near the bed and let it fall over Chara's head.

She grumbled and squirmed her arm into the air and poked her head out again only for Sans to muss up her hair.

"Take a nap," he said.

"I don't need to take your spot," she said.

"Nah, don't worry," he said. "I'm done anyway."

Chara raised her brows. Sans smiled and whisked a book seemingly from nowhere.

"Want me to read to ya?"

The girl scoffed. She flopped sideways onto the couch and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. "I'm not a little kid, you know."

Sans shrugged. "Suit yourself." He plopped down on the floor, leaning his elbow against the low table. Nonetheless, he began to read aloud.

Chara scoffed quietly and rolled onto her back. Despite what she'd said, the rhythmic words in her eldest brother's deep voice subdued the worried whirring of her own mind. She closed her eyes.

xXxXx

The day, for all but Gaster, remained uneventful and slow, full to the brim with catch-up sleep. The two roaming skeletons returned to the Soul of the World close to dinnertime and, with Papyrus now on duty, Sans slipped off, presumably to meet with Mistral. Not long after, Chara headed out, too, to join Kid and his family in a restaurant in the Inner Circle.

.

Back at the castle, Asriel was finally getting some rest as well. As Chara had suggested, the guards had readily accepted him after he explained what he was waiting for. A gang of spiders welcomed him and lent him a comfy, silk hammock stuck to the ceiling up above the top bunks. There were a lot of monsters coming in and out of the room, but Asriel was far too tired and comfy to be bothered.

.

His dreams, however, were cold. Visions of snow and the cutting chill of wind. He thought he heard his father calling his name.

.

The goat boy jolted, his pale eyes cracking open. Still in a soft spider hammock, beneath a soft spider blanket.

"Asriel?"

His fur bristled. A real voice, though not his father's. He rubbed his face and rolled over. Through the dim light, between the beds packs with other snoozing monsters, Leirak stood with a sheepish smile on his face. He waved a vine.

.

Asriel carefully sat up and slipped out of the hammock and down to the floor, and the two snuck out into the hallway.

"I heard you were waiting," Leirak said, keeping his voice low. "Sorry for taking so long."

"Don't worry," Asriel said, "I, um, needed the rest."

The planty monster smiled sympathetically. He reached under his mane and carefully pulled out a narrow case made of dark, glossy wood. "This is for you."

Asriel accepted it carefully and popped it open. Inside, set in wooden sockets cushioned with fabric, was a set of two crystals: brilliant red with a small, crimson drop suspended in each. Between them sat an enveloped, sealed with wax and addressed to Chara. The boy's pale eyes glimmered.

"Thanks for holding onto it for us," he said as he snapped it closed again.

Leirak nodded. "It was no problem." He cocked his head to the side. "Is it to help you get home? That pesanta who left it told me it was extremely important."

"Oh. Yeah. Definitely important," Asriel said. "I think it's more like… a communicator? Sorta? If it works."

"For… between your home and here?" Leirak's dark eyes sparkled. "Interesting!"

"Yeah, hopefully." Asriel opened up his hoodie and stashed the case inside before zipping it up. "Anyway. 'Prcieate it. Um." His ears pinned back a little. "Hey, so… Toriel's probably here somewhere, y'know?"

.

Leirak stared at him for a moment. He shifted on his talons, but then nodded. "I've been… thinking about her."

"And?" Asriel pressed.

"I…" He gulped. "If you're… leaving—"

"I dunno when I'm leaving."

"Right. So. I… I guess I don't want to whisk you away from something important, or…" He took a deep breath. "Or miss my chance. So. If you have time tonight?"

Asriel's fur bristled up and down his neck. "Whew. Uh. Yeah. Okay. We'll track her down." He smiled awkwardly. "Aaaand, if she's not here, she's at the Soul, so…"

"Good." Leirak clenched his jaw and sturdied himself. "I suddenly feel a bit sick."

"Don't blame you." The boy checked his phone— it was about twenty minutes until midnight. He was a little shocked he'd managed to sleep that long. "Let's try to get it on the first go."

"…Okay?" Though the other monster looked a little puzzled, he nodded. "I'm going to do my best not to faint."

"Hah! Same," Asriel assured him with a pat on the back.

.

As the two monsters wandered the halls, quietly inquiring about Toriel to the castle staff that they met, Asriel tried to rehearse what he would even say to her in his head. It had been hard enough when he'd done it himself. As a flower, it was a nightmare that he was still glad he'd tossed from the timeline. More recently, he'd been thrown into the conversation so abruptly that anything he'd ever imagined about how it would go was made irrelevant in an instant. It'd been frantic and messy, but, if he were honest, he wouldn't have changed it even if he still could.

.

Despite a calm face, Leirak radiated an anxious aura that buzzed in the air like a distant swarm of bees. Asriel couldn't blame him.

.

On the second floor, they found a monster who had seen Toriel: she was up in a tower beneath a glass roof, doing some research, it seemed. Leirak knew exactly the place, and so began to lead the way.

.

Down quiet, dim hallways they went, passing scarce patrols and nighttime snackers. The upper levels of the castle were even quieter, and some passageways shimmered in cool blues and purples, bathed in moonlight through stained glass.

.

A spiral staircase lead them higher into the castle. Emerging from there, a hall with a ceiling seemingly meant for stargazing opened up before them. They'd just barely set foot inside when the sound of soft steps on the tiles paused them. Leirak froze, and was correct in doing so as Toriel emerged into the moonlit halls from a dark room beyond. The plant monster skittered backwards quickly and vanished around the corner and into the stairwell, leaving Asriel alone with the huge monster stalled at the other end of the hallway.

.

The boy gulped. Toriel peered at him curiously, her eyes darting around him to try to follow the movement of a monster she'd only caught the tail-end of. Nevertheless, she turned her attention back on Asriel and smiled gently.

"Ah. Greetings, child. I assume Chara sent you? I apologize," she said as she stepped forward slowly. "The day has been long, and the Mirror Modification's reversal took longer to solidify than I would have liked."

"Oh! Um. That's fine," Asriel said quickly. He could already feel his nerves twisting; his fur prickling. "But, uh, no, Chara didn't… I mean. She's out. With her friend Kid's family, I think. So."

"Oh? That is good to hear," she said. She paused, still keeping a polite distance, and folded her hands into her sleeves and tilted her head. "I am sorry, but, then, I am unclear as to why you have come. Has something gone wrong?"

.

Asriel grimaced; quickly tried to force it into a smile. "N-No. No, nothing's… Nothing's wrong, I, uh…" His will was already faltering under her gaze. He puffed himself up a little. "I just, um, wanted to talk to you about something, if that's okay?"

"Speak."

Asriel stiffened. His mind stumbled and whatever he'd rehearsed in his mind was suddenly a scattered, incoherent mess. He was sure Leirak's eyes were burning a hole in the back of his head. He sucked his tongue. "Uh… I… I guess, I was wondering if we… could talk about… Asriel?"

"Ah." The old monster's expression flattened. "I am… not sure this is the best time."

"I—! I know. I know. But, it's just, I thought maybe you and I could just, like, maybe discuss—?"

"Ah. So my distance has been a harm to you."

"N-No! I mean, sure, I-I'd like you to… not be so distant, but if you're not comf—"

"I do apologize once again, I know it is strange for you as well, but as I said—

"No! No, it's not that at all," he said swiftly. "I get it. I'm…! That's not…" Asriel rubbed his head. "I''m sorry, it's just… Ugh. I just… I just wanna talk."

Toriel nodded, but there was a worried cloud of gloom over her.

.

Asriel gulped. "Did…? Did Chara ever tell you? What happened to me?"

"About your resurrection," she said. "Yes, she did, in parts. Why?"

The boy froze up. He felt as if he'd talked himself into a corner already. He gulped. "Well. I mean, I w-was just thinkin' that maybe—"

"Do you mean to suggest that such a thing is possible in this world as well?" Toriel cracked a small, tired smile. "Child, it has been over two hundred years."

"I-I was dead for like six hundred," he said swiftly. "So, I mean, you can't r—"

"I can see you mean well, boy, but, please," the old monster said quietly. "Unfortunately, this is not an easy topic for me."

"I know it's really tough," Asriel said. "Believe me, I—"

"I am sorry, but I am not sure you can quite understand just how tough it is," she said. Her long ears pressed backwards a little. "Perhaps another time."

.

As Toriel moved forward again as if to pass him, Asriel took a hurried step back and put his hands up.

"C-Could you just wait, one minute?" he said swiftly.

She paused and looked down at him quizzically. "What has you so insistent?" she wondered.

"Th-The magic here, it's so much stronger than what we have where I come from," he said. "And the way souls work, it's—"

"What is it you would want from me?" she asked, a cynical gleam in her eyes. "You wish for me to search? To… spend years on some impossible hunt, combing the grass of the world specks of ancient dust?" She shook her head. "No. Asgore has already pulled me away from my family for long enough."

"Th-That's not what I mean, I—!"

"I do not understand why you are pushing."

"B-Because—!"

"Ah. You must feel as though I have treated you poorly," she said softly. "I apologize, but I do not think this is productive, now—"

"Mom, please!" Asriel blurted.

.

Heat rushed in the boy's ears and a nauseating chill swept through every inch of his body. He clapped his hands to his mouth. Toriel looked back at him, wide-eyed. Her lip was curled enough to show fang and she recoiled as if some horror loomed before her. Asriel could have thrown up. It was the crushing, abject shame of accidentally allowing the word mom to slip out when addressing a tutor, but infinitely worse.

"I'm sorry," he said as swiftly as the words would spew from him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to— It just slipped out, I'm so sorry."

"N-No." She took a deep breath and steadied herself again. "No, child. Do not apologize. I understand. It… was bound to happen, was it not?"

"I'm sorry," he said again. He took a deep breath, trying to set aside the roiling inside him that made him sick to the core "Okay. L-Listen. Please. Um. The… The whole reason I came to see you," he said, "is… Is because you don't have to search."

"…Pardon?" Toriel blinked.

"You d-don't have to search. You don't have to find him."

"I… am afraid I do not understand."

.

Asriel gulped. He tilted his head to look behind him, only for the pit inside him to open again as he didn't see Leirak behind him. "Oh, come on…" he muttered. He whipped back to look at the huge monster and let out a long, deep breath. "I… I think… what happened to me did happen here. But… But different. Better, maybe. Well, no, definitely better, but I—"

"Slow down," Toriel said. "This… spark of hope in you… What in the world would cause you to believe something like that?"

The boy's tongue felt like sand again. He grimaced. Did he have to just spill it all? He wasn't sure he had a choice.

.

"Because it was impossible for him to ignore."

Asriel could have collapsed with relief as Leirak prowled around from behind him and into the hall. Toriel's eyes shot to him, her brow creased with confusion.

"Pardon me? You…?"

Leirak looked up at Asriel, his nerves palpable. The goat boy gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Tell her," he said under his breath.

"…I… still don't know how to say it," he muttered.

"Then I'm gonna," Asriel whispered.

"Say what?" Toriel asked, her voice suddenly a little thin.

"Toriel," Asriel said. "This… This guy, he's your kids."

.

Toriel took a step back as if she'd slipped. She looked petrified. Incredulous. Leirak gulped heavily and moved forward into the light.

"I… I'm sorry to come to you like this," he said.

"Don't…" she said softly.

"Show her," Asriel said quickly. He thumped himself on the chest. "Let her hear it."

Leirak's dark eyes widened and he nodded. He took a deep breath. The red soul in his chest began to gleam between his wooden carapace and, to even Asriel's surprise, the monster reared up.

.

The strange form of the floral monster twisted, skin like driftwood shifting around as he stood on his hind legs effortlessly. Front talons became hands and arms and, as the golden mane of petals flattened a little, floppy ears pulled forward from where they'd been hidden beneath. It was as if a rustic wooden sculpture of an adult, curled-horned Prince, had sprung to life.

.

Asriel's jaw was on the floor. Leirak put his hand to his chest and the red glow of his soul pulsed through the cracks in his body. The melody, warm and nostalgic, seeped through the air like the heat of a hearth. Toriel choked. She rushed forward, a hand clasped around his as she pushed it against his chest. The plant monster smiled awkwardly and wrapped his fingers around hers. Her soul replied in kind, the melody seeping out and curling around him as motes like fire danced between them.

.

Toriel's mouth opened, but no sound would come for a few seconds. Instead, she dragged him into her arms and squeezed him so hard that his body creaked. His black eyes bugged out and he looked over at Asriel. The goat boy's cheeks were wet already, but he grinned and stuck both thumbs up. The twisted Prince cracked a smile and embraced his mother carefully.

"…Howdy, mom." His voice was almost just like Asriel's now, but deeper. Older. "I'm sorry. I missed you."

.

Toriel yanked back, grasping the plant monster by the shoulders and staring up into his face, her eyes gleaming. "How…?" she breathed.

"The Archwizard's magic and Determination wrapped into some of father's seeds, and the Soul of the World brought us back," he said quietly. "We are… I am… Asriel, with Chara's heart. Both of us. I called myself Leirach, for that. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you right away." He chuckled. "I… was nervous, when maybe I shouldn't have been."

"B-Both of…?!" Toriel cupped his face and stared at him, her fingers stroking his gaunt snout. It was no use; she was hugging him again in an instant.

.

Asriel's whole body drooped with relief. He wiped his face and he took a step back, but Toriel's eyes shot over to him again.

"You," she said swiftly. "This is what you were trying to tell me?"

"Uh. Y-Yeah," Asriel said sheepishly. "Sorry, I… I didn't do a very good job, but I—"

Toriel yanked him into an embrace, too, and he bleated with surprise. Leirach snorted and smiled, putting a hand on his younger counterpart's head and gently ruffling his fur.

"It may have been a little clumsy," he said, "but it was perfect."

"A-Ah." Asriel's cheeks flushed and Toriel pulled back, smiling more warmly at him than she'd done since he first met her. "Well, um, g-glad to help, y'know?"

"You silly boy," she chided gently. She whirled on Leirach. "And you! You were hesitant around your own mother?! My darling, the sound of your soul is undeniable, I would have believed you."

"I… I-I know. Of course," he said. "But, this form— this face…"

Toriel held him by the cheeks, brushing her thumbs beneath his eyes. "My child. There is no face you could come to me with that I would not adore."

Leirach gulped. His dark eyes welled up and his proud shoulders sagged as he collapsed forward against his mother.

.

Asriel gulped down the lump in his throat and couldn't help but smile. He backed away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He afforded himself a little glimmer of pride and turned, tail wagging, as he strolled away to give them some privacy. He knew how it was— they'd probably be up talking until the sun came up.

.

As he started to go back downstairs, a strange twinge in his soul hit him. He paused in the dark stairwell, frowning in confusion, as he put his hand against the wall. A light-headed fuzz pulsed between his ears like a static shock and his soul ached in his chest.

"Wha…?" He grimaced and his head swam. He pressed the heel of hand hard against his brow, and a deep, cold dread ran through him.

.

The edges of his vision darkened.

.

He didn't make it to the bottom of the stairs on his feet.

xXxXx

The Soul of the World was once again warm with song, the strings of a lyra singing sweetly and, late into the night, Gaster stood at the crest of a hill, looking down into the gleaming, incandescent energy coalesced beneath a cradle of stone.

.

The ancient names of people he recognized swirled in his mind, but even so, his thoughts mostly lingered on Papyrus. The boy had been very generous with his time, for which he was very grateful. It would be strange not hearing his voice again. Sans, as well. Most of them, actually. There was a light in this world that he wasn't accustomed to, and it wasn't simply the brilliant sun overhead.

.

He turned around, eyes scanning for any form or movement. Papyrus was still out of sight, closer to the napping time god than to him. Besides those two, he was alone.

.

He steadied himself and patted his pockets. He had everything, from his Delta Rune medallion to the notes he'd pulled down from the walls of his very comfortable cell. The weapons he'd crafted were all that was missing. He sighed. Despite that, it'd have to do. His opportunity was gone once Sans returned. Even so— and despite the young man's ire— he might have liked to say one more thing to him.

.

On careful, quiet feet, Gaster descended the hill towards the gleaming Soul. Its surface shifted and gleamed, a molten star of magic. The vibrations reached through him, resonating with every note in his bones. The time god was correct. He knew what had to be done. He braced his feet on the ground and reached out a hand.

.

A little movement in the grass stalled him. A soft thump. He turned and jolted to see that little time god splat straight onto the grass down the hill, face first. She groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing her cheek.

"Ow, dang," she grumbled.

"What are you doing?" he asked before he could halt his words.

The kid blinked up at him in bafflement and then looked around. "Oh." She snorted at herself. "…Sleepwalkin' again I guess, whoops."

"Best go back to bed, then," he said.

She nodded and got to her feet, brushing off her pants. Then, she paused. Shot him a curious look. "You okay? Whatchu doin'?"

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "Go on."

The kid didn't look entirely convinced, but she nodded. "Kay. Uh. Good night?" She headed back up the slope on tired legs, and Gaster didn't move at all again until he couldn't see her any longer.

.

The old skeleton turned his eyes back on the light. He gritted his teeth and rolled his fingertips over his thumb. Again, he reached out a hand.

"Aah! Wait! Wait wait wait!"

He flinched and turned to see that kid spring up from a prone position at the top of the slope. She sprinted down as fast as she could, bare feet skidding in the smooth grass. She squeaked as she almost fell over again.

"Wait, don't touch it, what're you doing?"

"I'm going."

"…Going?" The kid's eyes bugged out. "Going?! B-But you can't—"

"I've taken up enough of the Kingdom's energy," he said. "And… thanks to you, I know what I have to do."

"What?!" she yelped. "Wait, I don't—?! What?!"

"I'll find my way home. Just as I found my way here," he said. "Sans won't have to waste his time with me, and… And, if I meet my fate, then my world may have more of a chance than none."

"Wait, you CAN'T!" The kid insisted.

"I have to. Goodbye."

.

The kid cried out the names of the other skeletons, but Gaster reached into the light nonetheless.

.

A shock hit him so hard and so fast that he lost himself, utterly and completely. There were no stars to be seen, only darkness.

.

The next thing Gaster knew, he was knocked into a heap on the ground from some blow to his legs. Every cavity in his body burned like it was filled with magma— his eyes oozing dark trails of sludge down his face. His limbs shook with such deep, frozen shock that the rattling hurt his head. Through bleary eyes, he caught that the fingertips on his right hand were worn down as if he'd run them across a sander's belt.

.

"Oh my god, are you okay?!"

The little time god spoke to him, her voice ringing through a maelstrom of echoes in his skull. He squinted at her as she grasped to his leg and stood up awkwardly away from him. One look at his face made her gawk and stammer.

"Ohmigod, oh crap, o-okay, I'll fix you," she said as she stumbled away. "Y-You can't touch that thing w-without Sans, it'll really m-mess you u—"

Her foot caught on his coat and she squeaked and slipped— the back of her head making contact with the light.

.

It was as if time froze. She almost cried out, but the sound vanished in a cacophony of magic, like thousands of instruments failing to agree on a note. Her hands tensed into petrified claws and her eyes beamed blazing starlight.

.

Papyrus's voice squawked out a horrified wail above all the noise and the young skeleton bolted downwards. "FRISK?!" He sprinted past Gaster and reached out for the kid, but the second he came within an inch of her, he shrieked and yanked back, clasping his hands tight together. "Oh no, oh no no no no." He whipped around, his eyes gleaming with magic, tears already streaming down his face. "What happened?! Did you—?!"

"She slipped," he croaked.

Papyrus gritted his teeth and spun around. He raised a hand, letting it glitter with deep blue, and reached out to Frisk's soul. His magic fizzled and sparked to nothing and he yelped, yanking back; shaking his fingers out. "I-I can't—?!"

.

The Soul flared with an unhappy torrent. Papyrus jolted and Gaster staggered to his feet, grabbing the boy and dragging him backwards.

"Frisk, wake up!" Papyrus called. "Pull away from it! You can do it!"

The kid was still stiff as a statue. Papyrus whined and tried to head back to her, but Gaster grabbed him tight.

"Wait."

"I need to do something!" Papyrus protested. "Punch me!"

"Punch…?!" Gaster sputtered. "What?!"

"I have no idea if this counts as the Soul acting weird enough that Sans'll know something awful happened, but hit me and he'll sense both and he'll come! He can save her!"

"I…! You can't ask me to—!"

"Please!" Papyrus begged. "Punch me!"

Gaster hesitated. The boy grabbed his face carefully, then gripped him tight with strong fingers and dragged other skeleton's head into his, smashing their foreheads together. Gaster reeled back, clapping both palms against his skull as Papyrus stumbled over, nyehing in pain.

"Papyrus!" he grunted.

"Th-There." The boy got up, a little dazed. "Ouch. O-Okay, that should— NYAAAH!" He levelled a claw right at Frisk.

.

There was a shimmer in the kid's skin. The scars one her face were starting to gleam. Papyrus puffed himself up, soul beaming, and tried to latch to her again with his magic. It was as if he had done nothing. He wheezed miserably. Gaster gritted his teeth.

"The limiter," he said swiftly. "Can you remove it? I've practiced with magic from the void, let me try."

"I-I can't, I didn't make i…" Papyrus gawked. He scrambled through his pockets and pulled out a small vial that glimmered with tiny metallic bubbles. "Try this, it's s-supposed to negate spells if it touches them!"

.

Gaster snatched the vial from him and quickly unbuckled his armour plating, throwing it to the ground. He lifted up his sweater and dumped the liquid through his ribcage. Glitter in amber and blue shot across his bones and magic called up into his fingertips like a wellspring bubbling up. He whirled on the kid. More lines of light were streaking across her skin— on her cheek and her brow; all across her arms like the marks of a kitten that didn't know its own strength. Even large spots through her t-shirt were starting to glow, but what truly gave both skeletons pause was the trails of red dripping from her face.

.

Gaster took a deep breath and pulled deep into his soul, until gleaming indigo in his ruined fingertips turned black. His eyes began to cloud with much of the same and a dizzying chill ran all up and down his form. He reached forward for the kid, latching into her being and around her body, as tight as he could. Pain rushed up and down his arms and he shuddered. Bracing himself for worse, he yanked her with the magic wrapped around her. She rocketed forward like she'd been shot from a cannon and smacked straight into Gaster's arms. He stumbled back and tripped over the armour he'd dropped, landing heavily on his tailbone and grasping the kid tight to his chest.

.

Papyrus dropped to his knees and held out his arms. He took the kid, fingers trembling. The glow had faded, but the mark above her eye was bleeding. That wasn't the only one, the spot on her shoulder was starting to stain her shirt, as was more red appearing around her stomach and upper leg. Papyrus gingerly tried to wipe the blood from her face. He hissed with surprise at the touch and waved his hand.

"I-It's so hot," he said shrilly, his voice cracking. "I d-don't remember it being that hot! I…" He winced and drew in a sharp breath, shifting uncomfortably. "Frisk? Frisk, wake up!"

"Give her to me," Gaster said.

"I-It's fine! It's fine." Papyrus stood up, clutching the kid tight to his chest. His eyes watered, but he rushed her up the hill nonetheless.

.

"Paps, wait." Gaster raced after him. "It's hurting you, give her to me."

"I'm fine!" Papyrus insisted. "I just need to get her to my brother," he said, speeding towards where the portal would appear. "I'm a hundred percent sure he has to be on his way, I'll just…" He hissed softly again. "Nyeeehhh, I just have to get her closer to him."

.

Papyrus all but kicked the swirling portal open, racing through it and out into the moonlit field. Gaster followed close behind. A large blaster skull was already barreling across the field towards them, with a dark spot and a blazing blue-and-yellow light that was Sans knelt on top of it. Papyrus sprinted to him, and when they met, Sans leapt down from the draconic blaster and sent it straight at Gaster, its toothy maw wide, a blinding white glow charging at the back of its throat.

"Wait, he didn't do it!" Papyrus yelped.

"Bro, your head," Sans said. "And the Soul—?"

"I did that on purpose," the boy said swiftly. "You have to help Frisk."

.

Sans snapped his fingers and his blaster vanished into blue and yellow sparks, and his attention settled firmly on the kid. His dark eyes were wide, and both lost their light. He held out his arms and accepted Frisk, holding her close to his chest.

"What the actual hell…?" he muttered.

"It was an accident. She touched the Soul. It was all glowing through her," Papyrus said swiftly, grabbing Sans's shoulder and starting to walk again. Just about everything from the neck down was speckled with red. "She needs healing."

"Shit. That's a lotta juice."

"You don't have to tell me!" Papyrus said. "It's not burning you, is it?"

"Nah, I'm good. Why?"

"Never mind, we can talk when she's fixed!"

.

They raced through the field until Sans ground his heels in to stop.

"Mirror Lakes," he said.

Papyrus nodded and wiped his eyes swiftly, wincing as he did. "We'll tell the others."

Gaster flinched. "Sans, I'm sorry—"

.

The old skeleton's hand met Sans's shoulder just as the world shifted around them. A blur of stars and, in the blink of an eye, the two monsters stumbled heavily into a land lit in deep blue. Sans almost tripped, cursing, and Gaster froze utterly, eyes wide.

"Oh. Great," Sans grunted. "Don't touch anything."

.

All around them, shimmering pits painted with the nebula-streaked depths of space covered the ground, leaving only narrow paths of blue grass between them, until it was all consumed by curtains of mist indistinguishable from the night. Sans's eyes scanned the area and he hauled his charge over to one of the larger voids. He cautiously touched the toe of his boot in. Ripples swept across the surface and a faint, blue light shimmered through the darkness. He knelt down and lowered Frisk into it, dipping her carefully into the still pool.

"Where'd it shine?" he asked.

.

Gaster's eyes traced upwards. The night sky beamed with stars above and the ever-watchful moon, disorienting as their mirror images glittered back from the ground.

"What?" he breathed.

"The light," Sans snapped. "Where'd the light come out of her?"

"Her scars," the old skeleton said. "And her eyes."

"Shit." Sans held her carefully and leaned her head back. He brushed a red-stained hand through her hair as he slowly submerged her closed eyes. "Come on, kid."

The skeletons stared. She looked peaceful, somehow, but trails of her blood were wafting into the water like a slow spread of smoke.

.

Sans grimaced. He looked around again and readjusted the kid to rest just barely on the surface. "Shit."

"What?" Gaster asked.

"I gotta get… There's, uh… Look, I need ya to— Damn it, no." He clunked his palm against his forehead. "Y'have no clue where to even look."

"Tell me what to do."

Sans's face hardened. His black eyes stared holes in the other skeleton. "I need ya to hold her. Exactly where she is." He levelled a claw at Gaster's chest. "And if ya even so much as think about doin' somethin' other than that, you're dust. There'll be so little left that not even a time god can undo it, capiche?"

"You don't have to worry, though I know my words mean nothing," Gaster said. He sat down slowly at the end of the pond and took the kid by the shoulders. "Take a limb of mine as collateral, if you want."

"The only bit of ya I'd trust for that is your head," Sans said. "I'll be back." He vanished.

.

Gaster sighed. His shoulders slumped and he looked down at the kid. All of a sudden, it was hard to ignore how young she looked. The skeleton's soul sunk.

.

Very slowly; very carefully, Gaster dipped his legs into the water to help prop the kid up against his knees as he readjusted his grip on her. His damaged fingers began to tingle and he cautioned a look at them. The blunted tips were gleaming with white motes of dust. In the water, they were slowly starting to build up again.

.

He sat as still as he could. The strange water that rippled over his hands was starting to tint his bones. He could feel the kid's breath faintly. A little shiver here; a twitch in her fingers there. One of those fingers looked oddly bruised, as a matter of fact. Why did he feel sick looking at it?

.

The fields around them were still and quiet. A soft, melodic hum was ever-present with focus, like the ringing of crystals filled with water. There was no wind, though, despite air that was gently cool, like a crisp fall afternoon.

.

A little shift almost made Gaster jump, but he keep himself steady and looked down. The kid's face finally moved— just a little wince. Her brows bent with grief and she mumbled something inaudible into the air. Her eyes, gleaming red, opened to slivers. Blurry with tears, she squinted up at him.

"D-Dad," she muttered, her voice vanishingly small. "Dad?"

Gaster turned to ice. He held her as steady as he could.

"Dad, I… I'm sorry. I— I didn't mean t-to… I… didn't mean to—"

"Shush," Gaster said quietly. He rested his fingertips against her temple with a brush of cool magic. "Rest."

The kid's eyelids drooped agains, but her fingers reached upwards. Gaster gritted his teeth and slipped a hand closer. She held onto him, her grip weak but unfaltering.

.

So, Gaster sat, cradling the form of a tiny, unconscious time god in the glassy water. He didn't move. He hardly dared to breathe.

.

Every second stretched for lifetimes.

.

When Sans returned from thin air, his arms were loaded with a bulky travel bag and a large bottle gleaming like moonlight. He tossed it all unceremoniously onto the grass between pools and jumped into the water beside Frisk. He put one hand underneath her and the other against her chest. A spark of his magic drew the red light right out and he sighed and let it dim again.

.

"She wake up?" he asked swiftly.

"Just for a moment," Gaster said.

"Say anythin'?"

"Asked for her father," the old skeleton said quietly. "Apologized. Delirious."

Sans nodded. He ran his hand beneath her bangs and checked the cut across her eyebrow. It still looked stark, but it had closed and the only blood left were the blotches that hadn't been washed off in the pond.

"What the hell happened?"

"It was my fault," Gaster said. "I… foolishly thought…" He sighed. "I touched the light, in the chamber. She pushed me away, but she slipped and fell against it herself."

"You're lucky it didn't just vaporize ya."

"I'm well aware."

"What the hell were ya thinkin'?"

"Nothing sensible, obviously."

Sans glared at him. Gaster frowned at nothing. He hesitated for a long while.

"Everything about this place makes me think of what we lost," he said slowly, his voice low and quiet. "I thought… about how much my sons would love it here. And how… if I don't go back, they'll never feel the sun. I don't know what I can do, but, I've done the impossible before. If it's true that it's not hopeless, if I can just… do what has to be done. I thought, I might leave the way I came in. Spare you of having to deal with me. I figured I could find my own way home."

"Shit," Sans huffed. "It doesn't work like that. Y'can't just hop in and out whenever ya like."

"I'm sorry," Gaster said. "I didn't realize it would…" He shook his head. His fingers tightened ever so slightly around the little hand in his grasp. "Why did it… do that to her?"

"Guess the skin bits weren't as healed up as we thought," Sans said.

.

He carefully took Frisk from the old skeleton and pulled her out of the water to lay her on the soft, blue grass. The blood from the wounds and in the water had stained most of her clothes but, when Sans checked the large mark just below her collarbone, he could see that, though the scar looked somewhat fresh, no portion of the skin was broken. Propping her up and checking down the back of her shirt showed the same in the matching mark on her shoulder blade.

.

"…Something went through her?" Gaster asked.

"Yup, looks like it. In a few spots." Sans shot the man a cold grin. "Tried to do that yourself, remember?"

"I didn't succeed, though," the old skeleton said swiftly. "What happened?"

"Don't ask me." He let Frisk lean back, holding her up on his arm as his magic called the gleaming bottle to him. He uncorked it and dumped the clear, glowing liquid over the kid's head.

"More of this… moonwater?" Gaster asked.

"Yeah. Charged with crystals. Not even a human reacts slow to that."

.

Just as he was about to pour the remainder down her throat, a whoosh of pale light shimmered around them. Lines of gossamer ghosts faded into reality, oooo-ing disapprovingly.

"Ah, damn," Sans muttered, shoving it into Gaster's hands and heaving himself out of the water.

The man quickly stashed the bottle behind him and held the unconscious kid a little higher.

.

"Oooracle? Oooh, I knew that was yooou!" A large, moonlit phantom, head crowned with little batwing-shaped ears appeared before them, pouting. "What were yooou thinking, sneaking in like this?"

"Emergency," he said.

"But yooou stooole a flask! Yooou can't just dooo that!"

"Emergency," Sans repeated. "It's allowed so long as I give the bottle back, yeah?"

"Why noooot submit a request like a nooormal mooonster?! Oooor even wait at the shrine?!"

"What part of emergency ain't sinkin' in?" Sans said. "Got a kid, skin's all torn up— probably some injuries inside, too."

"A human," someone whispered.

"A human, a human, a human, a human, a—"

"The Demon of Starhome," Sans said bluntly. "You guys heard about that, even up here, yeah? Gimme a break."

"Yooou still can't just dooo whatever yoou want," the large ghost said with a frown. "There's proootooocoools fooor a reasoooon!"

.

"Oracle." Parting the ghosts like curtains, a goat-like creature passed through the darkness to stand before them. White, polished marble draped in translucent, glittery robes, with joints formed in golden gears, corkscrew horns of quartz, and eyes of pink crystal, it was as if a statue of some former queen had come to life and walked before them. "You intrude once again." Her voice was low and solid, filled with the gravitas of something truly ancient.

"Shit," Sans said under his breath. He straightened up and his eye flickered faintly. "Uh. Yeah. Had to. Like I said, emergency."

"The water wanes," she said. "You know this."

"And we never been closer to fixin' it than now," he said. "You can spare a little."

"A little." She gestured to the pond. "Yet, you have tainted one of our pools with the blood of a human."

Gaster flinched. Sans's smile quirked sideways.

"Y'could see it more as blessin' it with the blood of a time god."

.

The ghosts oooo-ed again, but they seemed more curious and worried than upset this time. The statuesque monster drew forward, frowning at the skeletons.

"You may be the Oracle, but I believe you're speaking nonsense," she said. "What mischief are you up to?"

"Mischief?" Sans scoffed. "C'mon."

"A simple come on certainly does not convince me."

"Look, I ain't kiddin' 'bout the time god thing," Sans said, "It wasn't intentional, but I bet it does somethin' interestin'."

The monster's pink eyes gleamed. "…I believe you're bluffing, Oracle. Human blood and this magic do not mingle easily, as we all know." She tilted her head to the side stiffly. "And. It is still oozing, isn't it? Do not move it, it may contaminate others."

Sans glared. "You hardly complained when it was Cha—"

"The Soulbonder is more akin to one of us than to one of those," the stone creature said.

"That's bull, Bahmata, and you know it."

She snorted and folded her arms against her chest as the entourage of ghosts ooo-ed once again.

.

"I apologize," Gaster said swiftly, carefully pulling Frisk up and into his arms. He got to his feet and stood before them. "The… The child was injured protecting me from my own foolishness. If it wasn't for me, this wouldn't have happened. If there's a way I can make amends—"

"The pool is irreplaceable," Bahmata said. "Repayment must be the same."

The ghosts echoed her— the largest one looking at them crossly. Gaster gulped. He gently nudged Sans with his elbow.

"Give her my blaster," he said quietly.

"Uhhh. Huh?" Sans's brows shot up.

"Something irreplaceable," Gaster said.

Sans stared at him blankly for a moment. He pulled the Temporal Blaster out from seemingly nowhere and offered it to the stone monster. "There ya go, y'old goatst."

.

Bahmata accepted the weapon in both hands. She turned it over, inspecting it slowly, stone fingertips tracing the solid ridges and the shimmering chamber. Gaster had a hard time not staring at her golden knuckles and their tiny, gear-like mechanisms whirring.

"And this is…?" she asked.

"A weapon. Filled with temporal magic," Gaster said. "One of a kind."

"And what does this matter to us?" she wondered. "Does this pay for a lost Mirror pool?"

"It ain't lost, it's just… red," Sans said. He gestured to it. "Bet it's gonna be fine. Look." He conjured a spark of magic in his finger and dipped down to touch the surface of the water with it.

The whole pool gleamed like fire and the ghosts erupted into confusion and excitement. Bahmata put a hand up and the rest of them awkwardly fell silent. She wandered past the skeletons, her crystal eyes lingering long on the unconscious child in Gaster's arms, before she circled around to the opposite side of the pool. Placing the Temporal Blaster on the ground, she dipped to one knee and traced her fingers across the surface of the water. Again, the pool gleamed crimson. She stared blankly ahead, lost in focus. The light tinted her quartz horns.

.

"…She didn't actually lose as much blood as that, did she?" Gaster asked Sans at a whisper.

"You care 'bout that kinda thing?" he asked.

The old skeleton looked at him dryly and Sans had to stop a laugh.

"…Nah. Should be okay," he said quietly.

"Oracle," Bahmata said. "You had no idea what would happen, did you?"

"Wasn't really on my mind," Sans said. "Y'know, on account of a kid bleedin' out all over the place."

The ghosts murmured again, but their stone leader raised a hand to pause them once more. "Quiet, please, I must focus."

.

Sans slipped closer to Gaster. "…Suppresser's gone?" he whispered.

The old skeleton nodded.

"…Take the bag, go east." His eye darted in the right direction. "There's a shuttle. Over a lake." He slipped something into Gaster's pocket. "Get her outta here."

"What about you?" Gaster asked quietly.

Sans smiled sideways. "Gotta deal with this or they're gonna show up at my house. So…" Sans winced and preemptively covered the sides of his head.

.

A deafening sound blared and a pulse of light brightened the area like a lightning flash as Bahmata managed to fire off a blast from Gaster's weapon into the pool. The ghosts all scattered in a tizzy like a flock of birds. The water beamed violet for an instant before settling back to red. She dipped her fingers into the water again and her brows raised.

"Hmm."

"Not the end of the world?" Sans asked.

She tossed the Temporal Blaster aside and onto the grass. "We'll see."

"So, no, then." Sans strolled over and picked up the bag. "Okay, so, good chat, see ya later."

"Wait." Bahmata turned her crystal gaze on him. "I wish to speak more with you." She pointed at him. "And do not simply vanish, Oracle, or I will come to your house."

"See?" Sans said to Gaster with a tired grin. He jerked his thumb at him and the kid as he slipped the bag's straps into the man's hand. "These two can go, though, yeah?"

"We shooould handle the treatment," the biggest of the moonghosts said, poking their head out of the ground. "Like always."

"Of a human?" Sans asked.

"I'm sure we can figure it ooout!"

The sharp-toothed skeleton rolled his eyes.

"I agree," Bahmata said. "The human should stay with us."

.

Sans and Gaster shared a look. The old skeleton gritted his teeth, bowed his head, and then took off in a burst of teleports, heading east as directed.

"Oh, oops, there he goes," Sans said with a shrug.

"Oooracle!"