The Observer surveyed the new world and found it perplexing.
Its structure and composition were difficult to register, as if half of its code came from something foreign, something that didn't belong in the space it recognized. To make sense of the unfamiliar, it turned to something known: The Assistant. But even she had changed. Her appearance had shifted into that of a boy with messy hair and a black bandanna tied around his neck. Adjusting the bandanna, the boy glanced back.
"Took you long enough," he said, his voice still resembling The Assistant's.
The Observer chirped curiously, floating closer.
"I'm guessing you're confused by my body?" he continued. "If I don't overwrite it, my form automatically changes to better match the world I'm visiting." He tugged at his clothes. "Seems like, in this world, I'm a boy. Speaking of which, I saw your first decisions." His eyes scanned you. "Can't believe you picked that defective Chara."
The Observer gave a disapproving sound and shifted its attention to the landscape, now clearer in its sight. The world before them was peculiar, unfamiliar. Green pipes jutted up at various points, some with strange, flower-like creatures peeking out. Floating golden bricks with icons on their sides hovered above, with brown blocky ones beside them, forming odd paths through the air and alternative routes over wide gaps and divides.
"It was just a joke," The Assistant chuckled, seeing the Observer's reaction. "Relax. Besides, I can slice up that code and fix it."
"No," the Observer replied, using one of your voices. "Leave. Alone."
The Assistant just shrugged. "You're taking this too seriously," he said, turning to walk away. "Ugh, creators forbid I have any say in my future world."
The Observer whirred curiously, piecing together words. "Gaster. 'Them'. Ours."
The boy narrowed his eyes. "What, it's yours?" he asked, receiving an affirmative hum. "Yeah, that's what I said, idiot. Wow, so mistrusting. Better watch out, or the Doctor might scrap you."
The Observer gave a small, displeased sound.
"Whatever," The Assistant muttered. Just then, a little beeping noise interrupted. "What was that?" He paused before realizing, "Oh, is the vote done?"
The Observer took a moment to process the results of the vote, finalizing the selections. The Assistant leaned in to inspect them.
Idolizer Role Votes:
Frisk - 2
Monster Kid - 4
Asriel - 2
Trusting Role Votes:
Frisk - 2
Goner Kid - 3
Lesser Dog - 1
The boy closed his eyes, sighing. "Why am I not surprised?" He shrugged. "But that's fine. I expected this. And since we're friends, I'll play along... So, what's the region vote?"
The Observer hummed, waiting for the final vote. It noted the latest submission, from The Doctor, and felt a small surge of satisfaction, taking it as validation it hadn't been abandoned.
Region Votes:
Golden Grove - 2
Meat Forest - 1
Port Town - 3
"A day at the beach, huh?" The Assistant smiled faintly. "What, didn't like the idea of the Meat Forest?" He chuckled as he began walking again. "Personally, I thought it would've been to die for. Oh well… Let's go grab this 'Goner Kid,' then we'll head to your region."
The Observer made a hesitant sound, closing the results, and floated after him through the bizarre landscape. It wondered what kind of being this 'Goner Kid' was to live in such a strange place.
This world felt more stable than the others you'd visited so far. Though it bore the signs of decay—glitches, fading, crumbling—something slowed the collapse, as if the void itself struggled to consume it. Snow crunched beneath The Assistant's feet as they wandered through a forest, vaguely reminiscent of Snowdin. They soon came across a large sign that read "Sherborough," an arrow pointing toward the distant town. The Observer scanned the area and noted a peculiar town on the horizon.
The path, however, looked dangerous. Evidence suggested a bridge once stood there, now replaced by floating platforms that shifted every time a strange sound echoed through the air.
"What—this—place?" The Observer asked, using your words.
The Assistant raised an eyebrow, glancing over. "Oh. This is... 'Undertoad,' I think. It's a crossover world." The Observer chirped in confusion. "I'm not explaining that concept to you," The Assistant smirked, adding, "You can ask the 'good doctor' if you run into him."
Curious, The Observer followed as The Assistant left the road, veering onto a narrow path behind the sign and into a tangle of woods. The trees were strange, with fluffy-looking leaves that had eyes peeking out from between them. The Observer reached out with a mandible, tapping one gently in greeting. The tree, however, didn't seem much for conversation.
Feeling awkward, the drone continued deeper until they reached an isolated clearing. A lone figure stood over a mangled corpse lying broken at its feet. The figure, upon hearing them approach, turned to face the newcomers.
This creature resembled Monster Kid, but its form was monochrome, draped in a grey poncho, with dead, white eyes staring blankly. Two spikes jutted from its head. The Goner Kid. The being looked at you, recognizing some part of you, before examining The Observer and The Assistant.
At its feet lay the twisted remains of something that resembled The Assistant's current body—save for an odd mushroom sprouting from its head like a hat. Bones jutted out from the corpse, jagged and broken, piercing through the skin. Blood, already melting the snow, pooled around it, while a shattered soul slowly burned away into nothingness.
"I thought you were locked away," The Goner Kid spoke, their voice heavy with recognition.
The Assistant chuckled. "Sure was. But 'The Boss' let me out after his little experiments nearly killed him." He paced casually around The Goner Kid, who continued to scan you. "Guess you slipped out during the chaos."
"I was... trying to atone," The Goner admitted. "My death gave me time to reflect."
"Yeah, hate's a bitch, isn't it?" The Assistant giggled, throwing an arm around The Goner. "So, what's with the dead... thing?"
"This world... it's dying." The Goner Kid gestured to the broken body. "Even without a connection to them, it was killing everything. I just wanted their last moments to be peaceful."
The Assistant grinned darkly. "Wow, she really messed you up, huh?"
"Is Chara still—" The Goner began.
"Dead like this one," He interrupted, kicking the corpse and grinning at the sickening splatter. "She tried to 'save me'. But pacifist runs are boring."
The Goner Kid frowned, clearly displeased. "I see you haven't changed, Frisk." They sighed, their tone heavy with resignation. "I presume you're here to clean the slate?" The non-human's name cycling between The Assistant, and Frisk, as he moved to stand before them. "If so, you're welcome to it. But I doubt it will satisfy you."
"See what I've had to deal with?" The Assistant gestured toward you. "And yet, here I am offering you a second chance." The Goner Kid looked doubtful. "They voted for you."
The Observer chirped and moved closer, presenting the results of the vote.
"To what end?" The Goner Kid asked, scanning you. "What's your game, Frisk?"
"I'm not playing games," Frisk replied, a flicker of red in their eyes. "I'm just helping some friends with their world project. So, are you going to cooperate and take the offer, or do you want to keep sulking in this dying world?"
Hesitant, The Goner Kid looked down. "I don't understand... does it even need me?"
"Yeah, totally," Frisk lied. "This role is important. Besides, if you don't take it, I'll find some cheap knock-off to do the job."
The Goner Kid gave him a doubtful glance. "I see. Very well... if my presence matters to you that much, I'll oblige." They bowed slightly. "I'll do my best not to—"
"Great!" Frisk cut them off, clapping. "So, you wanna start the breakdown, or should I?"
The Goner Kid hesitated, opening their mouth as something seemed to press at the edges of their throat. Fingers began to push out from within, grasping the corners of their mouth and tearing at it, breaking the body down as their form leaked code.
That was all The Assistant needed. With a swift, violent slash from the conjured knife, he tore into the being's code, extracting it in a sharp, fluid motion. He turned toward The Observer, clicking his tongue. Obediently, the drone opened its compartment, allowing the fragmented code to flow inside, weaving it into the chosen space alongside the remnants of Monster Kid's code. The two seemed to reverberate, intertwining within the strange vessel.
Yet there was no region for them to exist within. Not yet.
The compartment sealed with a soft click. "And done. See? Easy peasy." The Assistant twirled the knife in his hand, flashing a grin. "Told you I'd help you out. That said, we still need to work on your 'shiny beach region,' or whatever you called it." He paused, rubbing his chin. "Actually, that might take a bit. Tell you what: why don't you think up some ideas while I handle the boring stuff, huh?"
The Observer whirred in agreement.
"Yes, there's more," The Assistant continued. "Snowdin has plenty of... possibilities. But for now, we'll be dealing with the 'less important' roles." He casually made a tear in the void, opening a path. "There's a 'Secret Boss' role, usually filled by Glyde. Oh, and a Restaurant Owner position, often handled by Grillby."
With that, The Assistant stepped through the void tear, leading them to another place, another moment in time.
The Observer followed close behind, finding itself in a familiar location—the same void where it had first encountered The Assistant. The non-human wandered forward, once more wearing the non-distinct body they had previously. Running their hand along the broken monitors scattered about. Some still flickered with fragments of information, which they scanned methodically. Their mouth and eyes were once again sewn shut, a haunting reminder of their true nature.
The Observer stayed close, watching as The Assistant paused to sign a few things—options, choices—beginning with potential candidates for the 'Secret Boss' role.
1. Napstablook
2. So Sorry
3. Temmie
4. Frisk – 1 Vote
5. Grillby
6. Sans
The Assistant signed again, their grin widening, bleeding from the pulled threads. "Since you seem to enjoy options, I've included six for each. Nice of me, huh?"
They moved on to the next role—the Restaurant Owner—making sure to offer another set of six options, with the same single vote preselected.
1. Sans
2. Napstablook
3. Temmie
4. Frisk – 1 Vote
5. So Sorry
6. Glyde
"There you go," They signed. "Something to occupy you while I work on the bigger stuff."
The Observer began calculating the options, its processors humming softly. Meanwhile, The Assistant resumed their task, sifting through the remains of code, grabbing bits and pieces as they went. It was clear they hadn't prepared the region in advance, and now they were scavenging for fragments of information to patch it together.
As The Assistant continued their work, The Observer took another look around the void. Something caught its attention—the absence of something, to be precise. The space where the corpse had been... was now empty. The bodies of the child and the cat had vanished, seemingly sunken into the void itself.
At least, that's what it presumed had occurred. Even as glassy eyes watched them both from the dark. Waiting...