Chapter Text
The first time you see it surprises you. Well, not seen, but found . A strange file within the depth of game code. Strange really. You were curious about the game you enjoy so much, a delight from your break in life. Willing, you drove into the files of code searching for what? You don't know really. Curious and determination drove you to explore its contents. This secret language seems like some ancient dialect, you were slowly learning and understanding. The more you look, the more interesting it is. Finding it was something, to say the least in your part. Strange characters surrounded by unknown codes, a complete mystery that drove you onto playing around the coding. Slowly, you gain the courage to test the water. You were curious, looking to see what work or what had not. It took time. Yes, including your sweats, tears, and frustrations spent editing and rewriting the game's code. You swore to heaven and back prayed that nothing would break after a few edits. It was strange how fervor this hobby had become.
Or were you the strange one? You couldn't tell.
It felt like a miracle you finished the code this time. Somehow. You wrote down the changes you did. Hopefully, everything will not crash and burn. Finger-cross. You were tired of having your window full of pop-up errors. This is your moment. Before you could talk yourself out of more edits, you cleared your schedule for a gaming-fest you were ready for. Everything went black as soon as you clicked on Undertale's icon.
You let out a curse. A blackout. Really? At this time! Where is the electrician when you need one? You have a game to play! Fumbling in the dark, you dig into your pockets and pull out your cell phone, letting the tiny screen luminosity the area. As far as your eyes could see, it is still dark out. So, you advent what you expected as your small living room hoping for some kind of exit.
How come it is so dark? So quiet? Empty?
After a while, you realize the darkness was endless. More spacious than your small yet homey apartment. There is a chance you may not be inside your home. Yet, just where are you? You let out a sigh and continue moving forward. There was a faint light up ahead, you weren't hesitant to go there. Walking closer, you notice a dark figure slouching as they bath in the brightness. The person reminds you of the skeleton's brother back in Snowdin except for the melting appearance and the cracks among its upper left socket and right socket on the right side of his lip. Its pin eyes staring blankly and hopeless farther in the distance. You hate that expression, hate on its face. You wave hoping the figure would notice, but it didn't.
You stopped about a few feet away and the figure still didn't notice you. "Hello?" Immediately, the figure moves its head toward you and flinches toward your entry. It shifts its gaze at your cell phone and you.
"Ho-Who are you?"
The black figure spoke to you, and how its sounds took you in surprise. Not by how someone could be in your possible living room, but how it spoke to you. To you, it sounds static, yet there was a masculine undertone in their voice.
Slowly, the black figure tilted his head, "A human...Curious. How did you get here? " He gestures to our surroundings.
"Hi, I'm F/N, L/N." You replied, hoping your introduction would calm him. It was a bit difficult for you to understand him, but you were willing to try. "This place is different, you know?" You peek around the darkness between them and shift your glance to him. You know you are definitely at home anymore, but were now.
He stood in silence watching you wary, and you waited patiently for him to finish inspecting you. Carefully, he moves his arms and begins making signs. It takes a few moments for you to realize what he was doing sign language. The figure quickly notices you didn't understand him. His eyes dim and frown toward you. "Gaster..." He spoke softly and shifted his gaze to your phone before you again. "I'm W.D. Gaster."
You try to pronounce his name. He shakes his head negative and repeats it.
You try to mimic a few more times incorrectly, he smiles as you attempt it.
"Gaster?" He nods, you smile brightly when you finally got it right. So the mysterious skeleton has a name. Why does it kinda remind you of fonts and skeleton brothers?
Gaster's smiles grew dim as he looked at the darkness. "This is nowhere, F/N. Stuck we're all forgotten." He moves his hands toward the vast obscurity. "It's been a while since I have any guests or talk to anyone." You notice something about his hands as he gestures.
You were curious about how a skeleton can have holes in his hands. "Ok...What's wrong with your hands?" You lean closer, but he flinches again and tries to move away from you. Something odd caught your eyes, your eyes trailed after a fast-moving glowing print which bound his arms.
"DON'T!" The static increase in volume, you winced at the sound holding your ears in pain. "DO NOT TOUCH IT!"
Your eyes widen at what binds him. "I know this!" You blurt and drop your arms from your ears to point at the code. Glaster freeze from the remark which you lean closer to the suspended chain of code surrounding his arms.
How was it possible? It could mean anyone; who has the game probably could find it too. The same code which holds Gaster's imprisonment here. The chains did not seem to defer on the Gaster’s melting appearance. The binds glow eerily blue contrasts against it. The longer you stare at it, the feeling warned you to stay away. Far, far away. You push back that feeling. You couldn't let him be like this.
Gaster snatches your arm and prevents you from touching it. "You- " He holds your hand tighter-looking directly into your eyes. "You know these?" He says in disbelief. "How is it possible for...a human?"
"With determination, you can do anything." You say with a sheepish smile, and Gaster's eyes widen. "If you only let me, I can help." He holds your wrists for a bit before he lets go gently.
Gaster nods and stretches his binds toward you. "Very well."
You inspect the code, it does look similar to the ones from your computer. Maybe. Just maybe. You move your phone, lifting it to touch the stream of code. Instantly, the phone's screen was covered with characters. It works. Your face lit up and set to work. Gaster stood watching you as you edited the codes. A triumph passes through your lips once the code disappears from his arms.
Gaster let out a shaky breath rubbing his bony hand on his free wrist. He let out a few happy chuckles before he lets you do his other arm.
Once it disappears, he stretches his body and gives a bright smile. "Thank you, F/N." Your cheeks burn slightly when Gaster directs his happiness toward you.
"It's nothing." You ruffle your hair, trying to hide your embarrassment. Gaster look amuses at your state. "Shus-" The ground was shaking.
Gaster, and you glance around the area. Shifting darkness moved toward you as if it wanted to engulf both of you. The eerily blue was stirring and turning ready to snap. The ground shakes with avenge. That feeling you were ignored comes back with a chill trailing down your spine.
You didn’t really like it. "What is going on?"
Gaster's face shifted to anguish. "What I fear."
"Huh? What?" You try to balance with the shaky ground.
"I was never meant to be free." You glare at him, you may not understand. You were getting the feeling from the way he was staring at the ground was something regretful.
"I did it not because I want to." You firmly state, your hands were shaking to point a finger to his chest "I did it because it is the right thing to do. You deserve freedom."
Gaster gazed at your finger then at you before his gaze shifted around the area. Following his gaze, you see the darkness was being vaporized by white static surrounding you.
"There's nowhere to run." Gaster whispers, a sad smile stretched across his face when you frown. "Go back, F/N. You have to escape." He gestures at your phone and gently pushes you. "Leave before you can't."
No matter; what Gaster says to you. You're not leaving him behind. You try to reach for him, but Gaster shifted away from you. You frown at this and try again. There is no time being evasive.
"I'm not going anywhere without you."
"How can you? I don't exist anymore." He disagreed. “Please return from where you came.”
You stare at his eyes. "I'm not leaving you behind, Gaster." Instantly, you grab his still hand as you look at your phone. A dozen of codes spews over your phone, you gaze at the whiteness, to Gaster, and to your phone.
One chance.
You let your fingers glide on the screen before the whiteness consumes you.
_____________________________
A gentle heat touches your face. Along with its warmth, brightness covers your body like a blanket. Your body shifts to the warm ground on your back. Sunlight. Your eyes open to see blinding light, you squint and turn your body to sweet-smelling yellow flowers onto your face. Yellow flowers? Not just any flowers...these ones are similar. Not similar, familiar to you. Carefully, you stand to see your center was higher than you expected, which causes you to stumble a bit back to the field of yellow flowers. You realize a bit of a problem. Not your nose stuffed with pollen or smelly flowers. Just when did you become taller? Were you a bit shorter than this? Or this area is smaller than it looks?
'This place.' You hear a familiar clear male surprise voice full with awe. 'Amazing...Just who are you, F/N?'
'Gaster?' You yelp, after taking in your scenery. 'Where are you?'
'I'm right here, F/N.'
You gaze around the area again, all you could see was the field of yellow flowers surrounding you, too many bloody rocks, and an entrance. Which leads to you hoping you were thinking what you were almost thinking. You didn't see him. You are not sure what's going on.
"Where are you? I don't see you."
'Look...at yourself...'
Following Gaster’s advice, you glance down to a solid black outfit and...your hands. Where your human’s hands should be instead skeleton hands with a hole on each palm. Disbelieved, you touch your face, to feel smoothness before a few grooves stop you which shutter your breathing.
A scream echoes the area, it took a moment for you to realize that the screaming was coming from you in Gaster's voice. Which leads to you freaking out even more. A soothing feeling bath into you almost like a safety blanket enclosed you, calming you. The feeling stops once you start to feel less like you're losing your shit.
'Gaster, why do I look like you?' You question, should you be in your own body. Not his. Why?
'Not look...I think you are me...' You feel perturbed, no, Gaster being perturbed . "I...don't exist here, but you do...Something had to give...I'm at a loss, F/N." You mentally try to reach out to him as he did to you. Calmly him, but he feels too far for you to reach.
"I...kinda exist here.' You mumble, you try to get your bearings in the field of flowers.
"Kind of? What do you mean, F/N."
You could feel him watching you within your mind. He awaits your response. You have not a clue. How can you tell? You exist in another world and this world...was a game. This was breaking some walls. Serious fourth breaking. Inside a game. A game called Undertale. You don't know whether to cry or not. You could feel Gaster through your mind or bond worrying about you.
"Well...I do exist...Just not physically, but more influenced by the changes."
How can you say it? You thought about the effects you did in the game. That's what you kinda did. Gaster is silent. You can see him thinking about something you leave him be pushing forward. The path leads through the ruin, passing through traps, and realizing something ...no one comes.
You don't know you should be worried about it.
You stop by the sickly tree before reaching Toriel's home. Pressing your palm against the bark, you watch the red leaves fall onto the ground. It was too quiet. It was creepy. Just how long were you in the void? Did you make it into the past or something?
"I see..." Gaster ponders surprise you for a moment. "I have a couple of theories, but I need more data." Gaster went back to thinking, and you were left to explore. The lights were on, yet the silence was still there. You check the calendar on the wall by the stairs to become sick by it.
The date...mark 20XX...that when he fell.
Your body shudder and look away from the calendar. You left with one thought.
Where is Frisk?
Shouldn't they be here?
You check each open bedroom, living room, and kitchen. No one was there. Your heart dropped, and fear began to bubble up. Please no. Instantly, you head down to the tunnel running toward the gate. Please no . You look down to see remains of dust lying on the floor. You kneel on the ground letting your hands brush the dust. No.
You feel a chill down your spine.
You need to find them NOW.
'Gaster? How can we use magic? Possible teleport?!'
"Magic is fundamental for monsters though with our situation..." He replied. "I'm not sure...Possibly. Try focusing our soul."
"How?" You were human, but now you are a monster. You don't know how it would work or at all.
"That could be a problem. Maybe we can do it together." He gestures for you to close your eyes.
For a moment, you could see Gaster. His closed left eye and his right glow brighter luminous across his face. The darkness swirls between him and you. He moves his arm and channels his magic, and you mimic him. Or was it from magic memory the way you mimic him? You don't know, but you were willing to try. You focus on only one location they could possibly be in. Your body felt weightless before weight again with exhaustion hovering over you. You listen to where you are.
You could hear bell rings and birds chirping.
And you gulped.