Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dark.

Darker.

Focus.

There is order hidden in entropy.

Without something, there can be no nothing.

The right values. The right tones. The right frequencies. Focus.

I am. I have been. I will be.

I will be here.

I will be now.

When is now?

Where is here?

Focus.

201̕͢҉̢͡X̕͢͞. 000000. 3a3949. 5f5e79. c8c1e5.

Light.

Lighter.

The static of nothing began to give way.

36b237. d9b300. 7b6b00. f9f200.

Focus. Push through. Focus is important when trying to tease out one thread of timespace in the reaches of infinity. No matter how frayed the particular spot on the thread may be.

ffffff. fe0606. 0dff49. fe0606.

254 6 6

I am here.

I am now.

Dr. Gaster opened his eyes.

The gesture, of course, was meaningless when one technically didn’t even have a body, but centering his senses and perceptions around a self-image of some kind helped stabilize his focus. One had to cling to something in the vast void between time and space to maintain some semblance of sense of self.

He ‘flexed’ his ‘fingers.’ Two hands. Always start with two hands. Skeletal, with round holes through the palms; scars, naturally formed, however they came to be, they were a mark of individuality that he clung to. The rest always came more easily once the hands were stabilized. Even if nothing else came, he could feasibly do almost anything with just two hands.

Provided the right attunement and any number of variables, of course.

Frustrating. But I am here. I am now. I am G A S T E R.

He made the letter signs with his hands, a centering set of gestures, as the haze began to ease into sharper focus. It was never completely clear. There were always hazy pre-images, after-images, and possible images flitting through his ‘vision,’ but he’d grown used to it over the relative decades. It was enough. He could function now, and recognize common patterns.

Flowers… golden flowers. Not many, just one single patch… Not the Royal Gardens, then. Everything was relatively still -- no rushing water. So, the Ruins, then. Beneath Mt. Ebott, the place where Humans had fallen before. Was that it? Was another Human due to arrive?

He expanded his senses. 201̕͢҉̢͡X̕͢͞. So, not one he had ‘seen’ before. A new fraying in spacetime, a massive one. There had been others, usually accompanying the stay of a new Human in the Underground -- but never quite on this scale before.

And yet, something seemed familiar --

“Hey Doctor Ass-turd! Think fast!”

Ah. That was it.

He didn’t even bother moving. FA͞IL̕U҉̸҉R̨͘͜E̛͘ ̵̵͞ņ̵̨o͟p͏͟e̡̡ ̢͡A҉̡͞b̧͞͠s̢o̧r҉b̷̢͠ed͜҉ ͢B̶̕u̴҉t͘ ̛i҉̸t͞ ҉̕͝d̕҉i̸̛d̨n̡͏’̶̕͠t͜ ̵̨wo̕͜r̷̨k͞.̷

It would never work.

“Awwwwww come onnnnnnn! At least flinch or something! You used to jump through the ceiling!”

His focus slid straight past the ‘knife’ that was ‘stuck’ in his ‘face.’ “Why would I?”

The ‘knife’ jerked back, as though pulled by a hand expecting resistance that wasn’t there. It would never be there, and yet, the remnants of the Human child floating nearby always reacted as though he expected some sensory feedback. On some level, Gaster understood -- he once was much the same, before he became acclimated to the Void. But Prince Chara Dreemur had always been one to push boundaries and expect reality to bend to his will, even in life -- why would that stop after death?

“Because it’s more fun that way. Duh.” The prince’s shade pouted, folding his arms and dangling the spectral kitchen knife in midair. “You’re no fun anymore.”

“I never was your court jester.”

“Ugh, even your voice is monotonous and boring.”

“And…”

“.... And what? Come on. No comeback? No jokes? No anger? Be frustrated or something!” Chara leaned closer to where Gaster suspected the prince perceived the scientist’s ‘body’ to be.

Gaster said nothing. He slid his focus back to the flower patch, and the hole in the cavern ceiling above.

“Hey!” The ‘knife’ kept poking at Gaster’s ‘shoulder. “Do something!”

“Why? We both know nothing will happen.”

“But I’m bored .”

This conversation had, and would be played out countless times. Gaster said nothing.

“Nnnnnngh! So boooooooring. Hey! I’m your prince! Entertain me!”  Chara leaned as though he expected the former Royal Scientist’s ‘body’ to hold him up. Fortunately for him, gravity did not apply to shades and remnants.

“That was never my job, Chara.”

“So? You’re the only one around who can do it anymore. Come onnnnn.”

Nothing. Gaster kept his focus on the ceiling.

“Come oooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn .”

Nothing.

“Do somethiiiiiiing.” He was kicking the scientist’s ‘back’ now.

But nothing happened.

“-- Ha! Aha! As your prince, I order you to do nothing!”

If Gaster actually had eye sockets, they would be rolling.

“HEEheeheeheeHAHAHA! I WIN!” Chara did the rolling for him, tumbling to the side in midair in a fit of laughter as though thin air was a solid surface. He even rolled around some on his back, clutching his spectral stomach as though it were actually cramping.

Gaster did nothing. Chara sighed.

“Nothing? Still?” He let his ethereal arms dangle down toward the floor, still laying on his back in midair. The ever-present knife orbited lazily around his head. He sighed again at the lack of response, then rolled onto his stomach. “You used to be fun .”

Nothing out of the usual yet, Gaster mused. The wind from outside was making a faint, deep whistle over the cavern entrance, and the golden flowers’ petals bobbed a little as it ebbed and flowed.

“Well. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

Royal Flame, maybe the child was actually learning something.

“I won’t need you anymore after today.”

Something tugged on the edge of Gaster’s perceptions -- but not from above as expected. His gaze jerked away from the ceiling, the static of timespace interference blurring his senses for a relative second before he regained his focus.

There -- in the hand of the Human’s shade. Something small, white, silvery, shimmering, wriggling like a minnow or a frightened piece of thread. A SOUL. A piece of a SOUL.

A piece of a Monster SOUL.

A piece of MY SOUL.

Gaster stilled, all of his focus on it. Chara smiled.

“ Now I got your attention.”

“Where….” The scientist measured his words. “... did you find…. that?”

Chara toyed with it, pinching it between his fingers to watch it contort and dangle. “Oh, you know~ I was bored. So I decided to go on a little adventure.”

Gaster’s ‘fingers’ twitched -- the child giggled.

“Ooooooh~! Look at it go! It’s wriggling real fast now! You know… it started pulsing really quickly when I came back this way. It still is. I can feel it. Do you think it knows you’re here?”

His ‘jaw’ ‘clenched.’ “Chara,” he said. “Give that to me.”

“Don’t you want to hear about my adventure first?”

“Chara.”

“It was very, very interesting.”

He snatched it away as the scientist made a grab for the silvery cord, grin growing even wider. The fragment writhed and strained through the shade’s clenched fingers, trying to reach for the rest of itself, but the Prince held it firm.

“The Barrier won’t let anyone out of the mountain by themselves, right?” Another swipe -- the child ducked, dangling it just out of reach. “You need both a Human and a Monster SOUL. Turns out, a piece of a Monster’s SOUL works just as well as a whole one. Who knew?”

“ C h a r a . . . ”

“Weren’t you ever curious about what’s changed on the surface? Oh, wait -- you’ve never seen it. My mistake~”

A second pair of skeletal hands materialized from the nothingness behind the Prince. Coordinating seamlessly with the others, they attempted a pincer maneuver -- but the child just laughed, skipping around the grasping fingers.

“A whole lot has changed, you know. You’d barely even recognize the place --”

“ C h a r a . ” A forest of bones and hands springing up in the darkness surrounding him would be a lot harder for Chara to evade.

“Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine~” The child threw up his hands, releasing the spindly SOUL fragment to writhe in midair. “I’m done with it, anyway.”

Gaster quickly enveloped it, folding the new piece into his consciousness. It was a small fragment, thank Asgore’s beard -- barely enough to have any sense of awareness of its own. Those were always easier to integrate into his being. The larger ones, the ones which had rolled more environmental magic, soulstuff, and smaller fragments into themselves -- they tended to be more resistant. Tended to try to assert themselves as the dominant consciousness instead of blending smoothly into one being, splintered as that being may be. And the ones that had been starting to develop their own sense of self…

His SOUL shuddered, shivering as the new piece melted into the rest, finding the right places to slot in its own perceptions and memories. This was always a tenuous process, and never went the same way twice -- but it had to be done.

Chara just watched, the smile never leaving his ghastly face.

Focus. Come back. Something is happening. You need to be here, you need to be now. You need to be .

“Ready for the rest of my story now?”

It was in times like these that Gaster most missed having a body. It was much easier to center oneself when one could take deep breaths, or focus on physical proprioceptive sensory input. Or sling magic at an insolent Human prince without worrying about potentially losing pieces of oneself in the process.

“.... You…” Hmm, it was a little easier to speak now. A welcome change, at least. “... found a Human.”

Chara held up a finger. “Not just any Human! That would be too easy. No. The Seventh SOUL needs to be special . There are so many Humans up there now, you know? But Asgore’s been doing such a pretty job with his collection. He’s almost made a rainbow! Who would I be to mess up that pattern?”

Gaster glared. Chara giggled.

“Come on! What color is he missing? You know this.”

“Red. You found a red-SOULed Human.”

“Not just any red-SOULed Human.” Chara leaned close, whispering into the side of Gaster’s ‘cranium.’ “A medium.”

Gaster’s ‘eye sockets’ widened. His ‘jaw’ fell slightly open in spite of himself -- and Chara laughed .

“Another medium?!”

“I know , right?! After all that fuss about how Human magical bloodlines were dying out, and how rare I must have been! A Human with a red SOUL, and one who could actually do red magic! But I found one. They were right near the mountain, can you believe that?” Chara cradled his head in his hands, his spectral kitchen knife pointing at his chin from below for emphasis. “They even look like me. Asriel’s gonna flip .”

“Asriel is dead , Chara.”

The knife flew straight through Gaster. n͘͏o̧̕̕pe҉͝ ̵͢FA͏̧͞I̵̸LU͢R̢E ̷D͘o̸n҉'̷̵̕t͏̴ ̡͘͢w҉o̷͢͠r̢̧r̷y̵҉ ̶͘̕a̶bo̵̡u̕͟t̵̢ i͘͏t̸.҉̡̧

“So are you,” he continued.

“Shut up.”

“So. What is your grand scheme, then? You aren’t possessing them.”

“Duh. Of course I didn’t possess them up there . What would that do? One, I’d have to force your icky little SOUL fragment in there with me, and who would want to share a body with you? You’re old and boring. Plus I wouldn’t get to play with you like I did just now if I did that.”

Gaster frowned.

“Having more than one possessing SOUL in a medium’s body at one time’s always weird, anyway. And I want total control. Not having to deal with backseat drivers. Not making the same mistake twice.”

“Asriel wouldn’t have called it a mistake.”

“ Asriel didn’t know any better. I know what I’m doing this time. I got them to agree to come here and help me, of their own free will, just by asking . Just you sit back and watch, old man. This is gonna be a ton of fun --”

CRASH!!!!

Prince and scientist both flinched as leaves crunched and yellow petals shot up into the air.

“No no no no no no no!!! You idiot!!! I was gonna show you how to climb down!!! Instead you fell like a moro-- ”

“Oh no, oh jeez, oh crud, oh cripes, are you okay?! I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see the hole, oh gosh, oh cripes, oh criminy, can you move?! Is anything broken?! Frisk, can you hear me?! Oh crud --”

Chara froze. Gaster froze. They both heard it. A female voice, that didn’t come from the mouth of the fallen human child. One that didn’t travel through the air -- but could still be heard. Felt.

The child slowly eased themselves up onto their knees, shaking petals out of their hair. They squinted down at the plants for a while. Then, they gave a weak smile, leaning back on their heels and bringing their scuffed hands up in front of their chest.

I’m okay, S A B L E, they signed to thin air. It’s okay. The flowers are very soft. Are you okay, too?

Gaster and Chara could see it now, too, when they focused. The child’s red SOUL -- and a second, green human SOUL, flittering around nearby, loosely attached to the child by a faint red cord.

Chara growled. Gaster smiled.

Perhaps this was going to be worth watching, after all.

Chapter Text

The child rested their hands on their knees, taking in their environment. The light from above was enough to see with, albeit dimly. They were oddly calm, for having fallen more than two stories into a strange cave on a cursed mountain no human ever returned from. Their hands weren’t even shaky. The tagalong green SOUL seemed more concerned than the child, flitting around inspecting them from all angles.

“Ohmygosh I’m sorry, I’m so sorry --” The form of the green SOUL came more into focus as it adjusted to the higher ambient magic levels. Human, of course -- young adult, appeared and sounded female. “I’m supposed to be helping and guiding you and we barely even started this adventure and you’re already hurt I’m the worst guide ever I am so so sorry!!!”

The green Human buried her face in her hands and long hair, curling into a ball next to the child in the blue-and-purple-striped sweater. The child simply reached over, placing a hand on the SOUL’s incorporeal back as though comforting a flesh-and-blood companion. After a few seconds, they tapped her shoulder, prompting her to look at them.

I’m not hurt, the child signed with their lightly scraped hands. You’re okay.

The green SOUL made a soft whine of protest, reaching for the child’s hand, but the child gently pushed hers down.

I’m okay.

“Are you -- sure? -- Look at me, please? Do you have a headache? Are you dizzy? That was such a long fall…” She cradled the child’s chin in her hand, inspecting their eyes and face, and the child allowed it, adjusting their head even though the green fingers passed straight through it.

A medium. An actual medium -- and so young, at that. What were the chances?

Chara fumed, while the doctor observed.

“Okay, no concussion at least… I wish I could bandage up your hands for you…”

“AH-HEM-HEM- HEMMMMMMM.” Chara forcefully tapped his ghostly foot on the ground, even though it made no noise and went straight through it.

The child noticed anyway. As did the green SOUL, who flinched and leaped back as though she had been struck. The child just gave a soft smile, and waved.

Hello, C H A R A, they signed. I’m here.

“You’re here?! That’s all you’ve got to say?! Look at what you did! I was gonna show you how to climb down safely, but you got impatient and fell down like an idiot!”

The child’s expression barely changed, only letting the corner of their mouth fall into a small apologetic frown. I’m sorry.

“And who the hell is that?!” Chara jabbed his knife at the green SOUL for emphasis, who was studying the prince through her ethereal glasses. “I told you to come alone!”

The child faintly smiled as they signed. Her name is S A B L E, they spelled, indicating the woman. I found her near the mountain. She was lost, but I told her why I was there and she came along to help me. Sable, this is Chara.

Chara glared. The woman, Sable, returned a cold look. The child didn’t seem to notice.

I can still help you, Chara, they signed, expression unchanged. I can help more than one spirit at a time. Who is your friend?

“That’s not the -- wait, slow down, I don’t get that much sign language, use your freaking voi-- what? Who what? Friend?! Who friend?! ”

The child pointed straight at Gaster.

The scientist started. How --

“Hahahahaha what?! What are you saying, there’s nothing over there! Just a big old blob of fat boring nothing, hahaha.” Chara swished over between them, waving an arm like he was trying to disperse a bad smell.

“You….” the scientist quietly croaked, disbelieving. “.... can see me….?” He brought up two hands, signing his words as well.

The child nodded both their head and hand -- yes .

“Can you… hear me…?”

Some, the child signed, tilting their head. Don’t be scared. I am a medium. I’m here to help. I feel your words, even though I don’t hear well. My name is F R I S K. What is your name?

He smiled softly. “... Gaster,” he whispered, spelling it slowly with his fingers. “Doctor W.D. Gaster. Most people… can’t… see or hear me...”

I am a medium, the child repeated, I see and hear a lot of things people don’t. G A S T E R. Nice to meet you, Dr. Gaster.

Clearly, the child didn’t understand the entire enormity of this encounter, he reflected. Then again… he didn’t wholly understand, himself. Probably, no one did.

Nice… to meet you too… F R I S K.

Are you hard-of-hearing or deaf, too, Dr. Gaster?

No -- but my parents were. I think. The old familiar hand motions were coming back to him, and his gestures were becoming much smoother. You aren’t afraid of me?

No -- lots of spirits start looking funny after they die. I see lots of skeletons in clothes. The child stepped closer, gesturing to show lines on their face. You look hurt here, here, and here -- is that how you died? Does it still hurt?

Gaster shook his ‘head,’ flinching back a bit. It’s complicated, he signed. Don’t worry -- about me, Human child. Do you know where you are…?

Mt. Ebott? I fell down a hole…

“Ugh, fine, you know what? You just keep flapping your hands at nothing then. I wanna have a talk with this Sable , anyway.” Chara shoved their way past Frisk, eyes locked on the green SOUL that had been watching the whole conversation.

Frisk nodded slightly. Do you and Chara know each other? they signed to the scientist. He seems angry….

Yes.

Do you know why?

It’s a long story, Human child…

Ignoring them, Chara rushed the green SOUL. She backed up a few paces, clutching her hands close to her chest -- good.

“Howdy.” He tilted his head to the side and smiled.

“H…. hello…” Sable sucked in a breath, looking to the side a little --

“ Look at me. ”

With unnatural speed, the shade darted into her line of sight, grin almost splitting his face in half, eyes dripping red and black ichor.

Heeheehee… the look on her face almost made it worth being dead!

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners , peasant?! Look at somebody when they talk to you!”

“N-n-now you -- now y--”

“Shhhhhh hhhhhhh. Shut up. I’m talking.” Chara crossed his legs in midair and leaned forward into the woman’s face. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

“I-I don’t --”

“And you shouldn’t , because you’re an idiot. Pay reeeeeally close attention, I’ll make it clear for you.” Crackle-crack -- Chara twisted his head sideways a good 120 degrees, drawing an oozing black line slowly across his neck with his knife. “The child. Is. Mine. ”

Sable was starting to shake visibly, clutching her arms, mouth half-forming words with no substance.

“This is your chance to fuck off. ” Snap -- his head jerked 130 degrees the other way. “Or I’ll kill you. Understand...?”

“... ki ra…”

“What?”

“.... rrha ki ra -- mme pa --” She was curling in on herself, shutting her eyes and murmuring.

“Speak up or I’ll kill you!”

“W-was ki ra n- now you listen here! ”

Chara’s lunge for the girl’s face was interrupted by her own , so sudden out of a stance of submission that the prince was momentarily startled. That opening was enough for her to slap the knife handle away with the palm of one hand, and push the pointer finger of the other right up into his face.

“What the fu--”

“No! No, no, no!” Sable jabbed the finger toward Chara’s face with such vehemence that he instinctively flinched back. “You listen here! I don’t know what your game is, you -- you --”

“Let go!” He snarled, sharpening his teeth into needles as he fought to free his knife.

“No! Stop! You -- you -- you’re up to no good, Frisk wants to help you but --”

Chara kicked -- Sable quickly caught it with the side of her forearm, keeping the other hand firmly on the knife.

“Th-they’re not -- they’re not yours! Or anybody’s! So just --”

He snapped his teeth in her face, and she stumbled back, bringing her arms up to --

FWEEEEEEEET~!!!!

They froze in place, looking over at Frisk. The child was hurrying over, a little cheap plastic whistle in their mouth, waving their hands in the air.

Stop! Stop! Stop! They signed sharply, their hand slapping their palm crisply. You two, stop!

Gaster watched. Frisk put themselves between the two spirits, continuing to sign.

Stop -- I know you’re both angry. They lightly touched both spirits’ knees, since that was as high as they could comfortably reach, before continuing to sign. Don’t fight each other. We can help each other. Chara, Sable wants to help -- I want to help you, too. “The more the merrier…” right? Don’t fight. I can help you.

“F-Frisk, I -- he -- I --”

“She’s the problem here!” Chara put on his best wounded face, pointing at the green Human. “She won’t leave me alone!”

She’s not why you’re stuck here, Frisk signed. You don’t need to fight her.

“And she’s cheating! ”

“W-wait, what?”

“You heard me! Go away, you big green cheater! We don’t need you!”

“H-how am I --?! You came after me!”

“Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!” Chara chanted, pointing at Sable. “We don’t need the help of a cheater like that, Frisk! Come on! Let’s ditch her and go! ”

Frisk looked between the spirits, their face a mask of neutrality.

“Frisk, I -- he’s dangerous, he tried to --” She stammered, clutching her sleeves. “S-something’s not -- something’s not right here, I think --”

He’s hurt. So are you. So is he. Frisk pointed at each spirit in turn. I know it hurts, but don’t hurt each other. I’ll help, but we need to not fight -- okay?

Sable fidgeted. Frisk’s eyebrows knitted slightly with concern.

Don’t make it hurt more, they pleaded.

“Frisk...!”

Sable knelt down to their level, eyes watering. Chara gagged silently behind the child’s back. Gaster watched.

“Ugh… whatever. You keep saying you’re gonna help me, so get to helping.” Chara hovered over Frisk’s head, crossing his arms.

“Um…. um… Frisk?” Sable wrung her hands, looking around nervously. “You do keep saying that… um… how were you planning to… help… him?”

Frisk tilted their head to the side, then after a moment signed, I don’t know.

“Y-- you don’t know?!” Sable jumped up and flitted over to the child, pushing Chara aside.

“Hey, watch it!”

I don’t know. They shrugged with a small smile.

“A stranger’s ghost asked you to come up a scary mountain alone at the crack of dawn to help them and you don’t know what they wanted help with?!” She gestured rapidly and meaninglessly with her hands, fluttering around in erratic circles.

Frisk shrugged again. Yes?

“Oh my gosh Frisk --”

Lots of spirits don’t know what they need right away -- they just want help. That’s what mediums do.

“Frisk, stranger danger, did nobody ever teach you about stranger danger --”

Frisk just smiled a bit and patted Sable’s leg. It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.

“Frisk oh my gosh.”

I brought a backpack with my blanket, juice boxes, some snacks, my whistle, some bells, a ball, a stick, a pack of bandaids, a notebook, and crayons -- I’ll be okay. They patted the worn little backpack they wore. I even packed a peanut butter sandwich and a stuffed bunny!

“Friiiiisk --” She flailed her hands as she fumbled for words. Gaster rubbed the bridge of his nasal cavity with his fingers.

“See? The kid knows what they’re doing.” Chara nodded. “Only thing they could have done better is bring some chocolate.”

I couldn’t find any. I’m sorry.

“Rrrrrrrrrrgh…!” He folded his arms and pouted. “I knew it would have been too good to be true!”

“Clothes, did you even bring any spare clothes, oh my gosh Frisk --”

“A toothbrush…?” Gaster added in a near-whisper, signing.

“Soap? A towel? A hairbrush, socks, a change of underwear, shoes, pajamas --?!”

Frisk reflected, then shrugged. Oops.

“Did you just say ‘oops?!’”

It’ll be okay. That’s why it’s good you’re helping me too.

Sable buried her face in her hands. “Friiiiiiiisk!!!!”

“We’ll…” Gaster hesitated, trying to remember the signs. “... try to find you some…”

Thank you -- where? Frisk was still smiling faintly, as though nothing about this situation was the slightest bit odd or disconcerting.

Sable’s gaze darted around the dim cavern. “Uh… w… where is right…” She subconsciously wiggled a finger in the sign as she looked. “I don’t see any way out except up…”

“What are you, blind? There’s a passage, like, right over there.” Chara jabbed his knife toward the gloom. “Come on, follow me.”

Sable looked in that direction, then at Frisk, then at Gaster. The scientist just pointed the same way.

“It’s… the only way out of this room,” he said and signed. “Once you’re down… the Barrier…”

Frisk was already wandering after Chara, their sneakers softly crunching on the rocky soil.

“H-hey wat! Frisk! I’m coming!” The green woman dashed after the children, holding her arms. “Wait for me!”

Dr. Gaster followed.