EPILOG 1.1

AN and here is one of the first epilog chapters I said may come your way. Of course it doesnt answer all the question you guys had but its a start. Enjoy~

"Frisk, wait. Do you want to buy flowers?" Gaster asked looking towards a flower shop in front of the gate. The kid froze in place and stared at the various flowers in return. Gaster watched the blank expression for a moment. He became familiar with that one over the last few knew that Frisk was debating with themself, and maybe Chara as well. Questioning and arguing.

He turned away from the kid and walked up to the florist. He could imagine what was troubling the kid. A hypothesis, so to say.

"Hello, I would like one bouquet."

"Of course, which kind?" The woman asked politely. Frisk looked up and approached Gaster silently. The man rubbed his chin in thougth and said.

"Which flowers have the meaning of thank you for failing at your child, because it made the kid change me and mine family lives for better?" Frisk head snapped up at him. There was a glint of something before it was drown out by guilt. The florist blinked for a moment, before she moved and made a bouquet without question. Gaster was impressed, the woman must have seen a lot of strange and irrational people in her life to not eve raise a eyebrow at that. He took the flowers, paid and looked at Frisk. She reached out to take them, but Gaster used his tall figure to full advantages and raised the flowers over his head and out any possible reach of Frisk.

"This are mine, I dont see a point for you to take them." And with that Gaster marched towards the gate entering the graveyard. It was a strange thing to see Frisk have so much doubt in their movement. How much questioning what is right and what is wrong to do was so clear in their posture. It was different now that they couldnt explore every option before settling for one choice. Only stepping after him, because they were determined enough to go through this. The last time he saw the kid like that was around the time they were getting ready to kill with a plan for the first time.

Saying it was an uphill battle was a heavy underestimation.

Gaster made a few turns and arrived to their destination, he placed the flowers on the two graves and sat down in front of them on the ground. Legs crossed he watched the two white grave stones. They were nothing special, but cheap were they not either. There was care put in maintaining this plot. The person he payed to do it, was doing a satisfying job.

Good.

Gaster could see Frisk in the corner of his eye. They were moving slower the closer they were getting to the gravestones. Only to finally stop in place 3 meters away from them. Just standing and waiting. Gaster wasnt planning on moving away until this was completed. He promised to himself and the determination curling around his soul that he would be there for Frisk in this place.

A week ago, Gaster was carrying a stack of papers about his research findings about adequate materials able to resist magical electricity, with a special set of testing phosphor nanotubes as a valid base. Alphs was already waiting for him, as they planned to take a day off administration and id issuing for monsters to not lose their minds.

Kings order.

To do what they loved for a bit. Sans and Papyrus went fishing to a nearby lake, for some brother bonding time. If he and Alphs get bored from inventing and sciening how Undyne puts it, which is hard to happen, but everything has a possibility...so if it does happen... Gaster prepared a camera drone with prerecorded puns to annoy/amuse the brothers.

Gaster in his head was already replaying all the possible conversation starters for that topic to Alphs, including a few puns he had test run on Papyrus. He was sure she would like that idea after a good pun. A hand on his black sweeter nearly made him lose balance. As it ripped him out his head to pay attention to the world he was marching in. Jumping in place to balance the load he was carrying he looked down and found the kid looking up at him.

"Oh Frisk, didnt see you there. How about a glass of milk..."

"Could you take me there?" Frisk blurted the sentences fast, looking away. Gaster felt the tug of determination in his chest.

"Where?"

"..." There was a grim expression, mixed with a puzzled and doubtful one. It spoke volumes. And he got a really good guess.

"...Oh... you want me to take you to see their..."

"Yes, my parents grave. I decided that I want to see them...it." Gaster nodded, he did offer it to show it to Frisk so she could finally put an end to a chapter in their life. One that was haunting them silently for quite some time. Especially now that the adoption papers would became official any day now. What Gaster didnt await was to have Frisk insist it to be just the two of them, no Toriel, or Sans and Papyrus or Undyne or anyone. Just Frisk and the human looking monster Gaster.

He arranged a day off a week later for them to go. And during the ride there was a no lack of silence coming from no conversation. He opted to fill it with an audiobook Frisk showed interest, Gaster had to wonder if Frisk wanted a stranger with them. Someone who they do not know perfectly done to the bone to predict most of their actions.

Gaster wasnt sure how long he sat unmoving but finally Frisk joined him sitting down beside him.

They sat beside each other in front of the grave stones, the flowers placed in front of them already attracting ants. The wind blowing over them.

"You are not a bad person, you know that Frisk?" Gaster spoke not looking away from the ant that was running up and down the flowers petals and then away from the flowers to tell her friends all about the sweet flower nectar she spotted.

"You have a full basement with recordings proving otherwise." Frisk stated.

"And yet they are in the locked basement, and not spreading on the internet or used in a courtroom." Gaster stated imitating the flat tone Frisk just used. The child still avoided to look anywhere at all. Eyes simply closed. That decision was a hard one, he wanted to destroy the proof of his son suffering, burn the videos of his sons dying. Yet... they were too precious to do exactly that. The amount of information and data about timelines behaviour and soul science was unbelievable...and... it was a leveraged in the slim chance Frisk and Chara ever change their mind about peace.

Pappy wanted to burn it all down, while Sans wanted to keep it even if his nightmares got worse. The middle ground was to lock it all away and only in the presence of all 3 of them open in case of research.

"... I dont feel anything. "

Gaster turned his head now towards the child. "I am positive that not true, you had laugh and been overjoyed two days ago when you were with Undyne. And you definitely feel regret when you look at Sans."

"That is not what I meant. " As Gaster moved his hands to indicate for the kid to expand what they meant. Frisk sighed and looked up to the blue sky. "I know I should be sad now, or angry or anything...but... I am simply... not being bothered by it." Frisk said finally turning the head to face Gaster. The eyes were worried and slightly red.

"You are thinking you are a bad person for not feeling sad over your parents dead, correct?" Frisk nodded, but before they could get a single word out Gaster raised his hand.

"I can understand. I didnt feel anything when I heard my biological human father passed away. He left me this scars." He tapped the two scars over and under his eyes. He reached out and placed his hand on Frisk shoulder.

"But... family should matter... regardless of..." Frisk trailed away, the red eyes from the determination all but shined. Chara must be quite upset. He reached out with a hug to the determination in him and felt the reluctant weight of a kid hugging him back around his soul. Accepting comfort.

"You are a great dad to Sans and Papyrus. I bet their mom would be proud how you are taking care of them." Frisk smiled and it took Gaster a long moment before things snapped in prospective. He blushed and started waving his hands. "No, no. No. They dont have a mother. I mean technically my mother would be theirs mother as well... but that was so long ago... She passed even before the war..."

Frisk tilted her head, trying to make sense out of the waving of Gasters hands around. "If you are brothers, why are they calling you dad?"

"We arent brothers."

"Half brothers?"

"No, Frisk... its they are special monsters. They are me." Gaster explained with a smile as if that cleared everything up. It didnt, Frisk stared at him as if he lost a few marbles. Or at least it looked like that to Gaster, he was partially used to getting that expression in his both life times.

"Funny, Asgore had the exact same expression when I introduced them to him the first time." He watched as a bit of a smile tugged on Frisk lips. Hints of pride surfing up before it disappeared and the child shock their head.

"Explain. How can they be you, when you are you? Are they clones or...?"

"No they arent clones, but me...Ah you see it all started..."

With the discovery of timelines...

It was a fascinating idea, and one he pursued because he wanted to nap. Yes, sometimes he was driven by simple goals in life. He was the great Gaster, but ever so often a less grandiose goal was acceptable. He was swamped with work and task after task. He wished to do them all, his assistance and followers were not skilled enough to take over the burden. They tried, and anything they could take over and do they already did...

He worked fast.

He worked with extra hands.

Even so his work pile was growing faster and faster. He wished there was a second him to help him handle it all. So in a true fashion of a scientist he made himself more work so he could fulfill a dream of working less. And it appears, he wasnt the only Gaster who was thinking like that. The idea was simple, if two universes were near identical, especially identical in the work that has to be completed, then the task completed in one would be from help to both. Meaning one Gaster could nap while the other works his bones off and vise versa.

He was positive he could work out a timetable with himself.

Time passed, and many more missed naps later...

A machine blinked and the timelines sync up perfectly. On the screen a Gaster appeared.

"It worked!" Both of them throw their hands up in victory... They assigned a number to make a difference between each other. The 1 was just a tad bit more assertive, while 2 was a tad bit more of a follower. It was only a shade of difference when everything else was exactly the same...but it lead to some of the biggest difference down the road. The butterfly effect in full show.

Weeks passed by and it worked perfectly, 1 would take charge and 2 would fall back to follow. And... it felt nice to have someone who could understand him on a level not even his friends could. Have someone who would have a nostalgic moment together with him... It felt less lonely. Like being part of something familiar and bigger. Asgore was there and his own followers were there as well but...they had their own hands full. Their own families they returned to after the work day... They shouldnt waste time on a old skeleton lost in the number world. That little timeline chat project was kept a secret between the skeletons.

They both were a lot happier in their lives now. It wasnt all due the extra naps.

The two of them... It felt like they had once more a family. A long lost skeleton brother their mom forgot to tell them about. It was nice even if they just sit beside the monitor watching each other in silence eating dinner. His lab space didnt felt empty any longer.

There come a point in their research when both were stuck at the same point. Maybe if they are in the same room they could work it out faster. Meeting a friend that thinks like you is always fascinating. They even joked it will be a family reunion. Both of them wanted to give bone crushing hug to the other.

And the pranks they could pull off. It made them jump giggly and undignified in place, as if they were young and clueless once more.

Both build a new machine to allow crossing between the timelines.

A new idea was born, they didnt have to wait for 7 souls they could wait for only 4 on each side. Then move from one side to the other to break the barrier in both timelines. That was their inspiration to give their all into the project, they had each four souls by this point, they could be already set free. The fourth soul collected only days before this realisation was born.

Both imagined the king's face when they come up to him and tell him how they are ready to break the barrier. The surprise and joy he goatta feel was worth keeping it a secret till the moment they have completed everything. Make sure nothing goes off the rails.

Gaster 1 took charge, and he will travel to 2 universe first. Gaster 2 was fine with it and followed the lead preparing to have a skeletal guest. And if someone walked on him he would hide him a closet for all the skeleton in a closet puns. It would drive him and the other mad how inpopirate that would be...But those what ifs that kept the grin on his face unflattering.

Preparation were done over the curse of the next several days. They were ready and 1 stepped in the machine.

They will be free.

They gonna meet.

They are close as family already.

Gaster 1 was being transferred in the right universe, 2 could see him inside the machine. Just some more and his magical structure would have stabilized, but...

The but is what changes everything.

A moment a unruly feeling in your guts.

Something wasnt right, 1 looked as if he was falling apart, the stability procent was starting to drop. Silently screaming in horror at the idea to lose his family once more... The fields covered in dust a vivid picture in his mind. The dust starting to getting loose of 1 face flying around inside the machine. The soul increasingly being pulled apart. Both universes having their grip on the soul dragging it in both directions that were yet one place. The contradicting pressure would kill 1.

It was that moment 2 took charge and made a decision. Never again... never again he would be as helpless like in that first strike, far back in a life with sunrises and sunsets. He grabbed a wrench and forced open the machine. Dust flu in 2 face, blinding him, the wrench fall to the ground and 2 reached with both his hands into the machine. Feeling bones under his fingers he gripped on them and pulled. Keeping his eyes firmly closed.

The 2's hands started to dust as well, as he was trying to keep the falling body in one piece. Feeling the touch of both timelines assaulting his palms. Seeing his strength alone will not be enough, the pain in his hands ignored in favour of a Gaster blaster appearing and turning it big maw to the power generator of the machine.

Gaster 1 was losing more and more mass of his magical body, the soul torn in half barely connected into one by a thread. Or was it already broken? 2 didnt dare to open his eyes, focusing on sensing the magic alone. The Gaster blaster blasted the energy source to smithereens. A explosion accompanying the act and they were catapulted out the machine. Gaster 2 was knocked out as he hit the ground hard, before he even realized what he was desperately holding in his arms. Shielding from hitting the floor directly.

Gaster finally opened his eyes, he felt lighter, the sensation of the bed under his bone was a familiar one... Often it meant something didnt go as planned...now if just the headache would stop so he could access his memories. His eyes opened, it was dimly lit. Small blessings. First check was the well being of his hands. The hands which were bandaged and so he started to remove them. Circular holes were in both of his hands, and it hurt. He moved each finger, feeling a wave of relief as every finger moved.

He eyed the holes and moved the tip of his bony finger to the rim to touch it.

"dont touch them we already did check. they are stable." Said a voice to his right. He turned his head and was faced with his childhood face and grin. He blinked rubbing his eye sockets. That motion hurt as well.

"You arent imaging it Gaster. Gaster really got Gasters childhood round face." Said a voice to his left. He turned around and was faced with a basically mini him staring him in the face. "Those are mine glasses." He pointed to the small skeleton, who was wearing his glasses, the pair he wore as he was writing something down. And attempting to made it readable to his followers.

"We were out for 2 hours and you were for 5 hours." The glass wearing mini him told him, pushing the glasses up with a magic hand as he looked over what he wrote down. The mini him wore one of his sweaters which hang loosely of his mini frame. He looked over to the kid Gaster who had a shirt, it hung off him as well making him look round. A tug of a smile came to him, cloths always did that to him when he was a kid, only when he grow into a teen cloths stopped being baggy and he found more form fitting outfits...

"we took the time to name our self." Spoke the other, the kid him. "i am gaster 1.1 and he is gaster 1.2 and you already know you are 2." Gaster 2 thought for a moment and nodded. That works perfectly fine for him, for their needs right now.

"What exactly happened to lead to... 1.1 and 1.2?" 2 asked aloud as he slowly sat up, he felt dizzy his head kept on hurting a lot.

"The cracks got quite bigger, there was a moment we thougth it was beyond saving. Luckily you didnt give up!" Said 1.2, not exactly answering his question, but answering his inner trouble. He was quite cheerful. The other one swung around and laid on the bed with his hands under his head. "i think and you would think the same, the machine torn me apart in two. because both universe's got conffused where i belong trying to pull me in and destroy me like an invading virus at the same time. my left side was a bit longer in the steam causing me 1.1 to have a weaker construction. or we just got ripped unevenly... we will have to perform a lot of tests to understand this new state."

"Of course we were thinking that if that was the case, we shouldnt be able to be here. If the universe was so determined to think of us as invaders, for our crossing it should have dusted us. But we both are stable." The mini him 1.2 gaster spoke taking his glasses off.

The oldest looking Gaster looked at his hands and all three of them nodded. But only he spoke. "You both existence must have been mixed with the dust and magic I lost while I reached in. The holes in my hands are there and not recovered with the recovering of my hp because the mass of those bones is no longer inside me but... With you two, masking you to appear as me from this universe. Serving as anchors to this place... but then..."

"We may never be able to return."

"unless we figure a way to turn us back and return the anchoring magic back to you."

"Fascinating." All three Gasters spoke.

The two smaller ones helped the taller Gaster to stand up and all three of them moved to one of the labs. Of course it was then they run into their followers who were not pleased that they wanted to do tests so soon after they had an explosion in their face. They were shooed back to bed for the rest of the day and night.

"So Sans and Papyrus are literally two halfs of the same coin?" Frisk concluded, the wind blowing softly and the ant that found the sweet flowers on the grave was back with friends. Gaster nodded, his smile slowly fall as he remembered what part of the story was coming next.

Frisk waited, and he stayed silent.

A small bird landed on the path and tilted it head towards them before chipping and flying away, onwards.

"What happened next?"Frisk finally asked.

"You realize they didnt return home..." Gaster spoke tilting his head towards the child beside him.

"Yeah... you all didnt manage to find a way to turn them back either or?" Gaster sighed moving his hand in a circle motion.

"...There was more... "

Frisk shifted and hugged the human monster. A tingle of determination awoke in his chest. Like a gently, yet annoying probing to continue, even if his throat started to feel dry and the words felt like clumps not wanting to let even air go pass them.

Laying one hand on the soft hair he started petting and returned to the story he started. He was determined to finish telling it.

The followers accepted the plea to not question us as things were time sensitive. They got us all a fresh meal to help our recovery and some of the Asgore tea Gaster had stashed.

They as well helped by bringing materials to us, all it had to be done for it was to promise that in a few days they will get an explanation. They had full trust in Gaster. They would blindly follow him off a cliff if he said he needed them to do it for someone's well being.

The tests showed some unsettling results, they really were on a time limit. The longer their souls stay separated the sooner it will start to heal. Instead of two halfs that can be glued together there would be two souls which cannot be joined together without causing severe damage to both of them.

What 2 didnt know at that moment was that 1.1 and 1.2 hid a portion of the unsettling results from him. One that would show how bad things truly were for the two minds. Even when 2 found out he couldnt bring himself to be angry at them for it... He would have done the same, to protect his family from unneeded pain in face of uncertainty.

Either way, he started to draw plans, the machine was easily enough rebuild in just a matter of a few days. The real problem was that they couldnt find their home any longer. When they started it zeroed in on a befitting gaster, his soul wavelength was the anchor for communication. The machine was supposed to imitate that wavelength so a return trip would be easy, like having a bridge open on both sides.

Sadly it appeared to save the Gaster in the machine, 2 had forcefully shut the door on that side of the bridge with his gaster blaster.

That timeline had no Gaster in it any longer to lock onto, so he started with the second soul he knew the best, Asgore. That was a bad idea, they got strange and twisted timelines, some which didnt even appear like anything their underground was. It was the tenth day from the accident and they knew they had three more days. Before they couldnt be put back together.

Even if they couldnt find their home timeline, yet. There was hope that trying to zero in on different souls would do the trick, maybe the human souls they had on hand. So the more pressing problem was from two to one. And they were not geniuses for nothing, they did figure a way to put them back together while they were searching for the home. They could build a machine to do it, powered with raw magic it would fix them.

They had to build it from scratch.

They had to build it without any sleep.

Like that they would be done in five days, if they skipped testing it.

The three of them stared at the plans they just got done. The blueprints that would transfer their souls into one vessel, took quite a few days to finalize and double check all done in the time they were looking for the home. Of course he wasnt losing hope just yet. Maybe with the followers they could cut the time further down. So they informed them of their dilemma and the need of extra hands. Asked them to help. They all were ready to drop their own projects to help him.

He couldnt express how happy their unquestioned support was making him how much it was meaning to them. Gaster 1.2 could, he cried in happiness, giving hugs out. So they set out to beat time itself. To make the impossible deadline.

Two days passed, 62% of it was done. One day left they could maybe make it, if he just push a bit harder. It wasnt that unusual for the teams in the labs to all but vanish from the underground for several weeks when they were doing delicate or big work, or even detailed manistence. No one from the outside questioned why they were missing.

Gaster 2 was determined, he wouldnt disappoint himself, he would save that monster that felt like family to him. He would not stop, he would give his all for this. Focused as he was on smelting he was way too easy of a target for the kidnapping that followed.

"Kidnapping?" Frisk looked up. The kid someone ended up on Gaster lap as the afternoon sun was warming them up.

"Yes. Well it was more of a Gasnapping." He chuckled slightly having his arms wrapped around to secure the kid in his lap. The determination in his chest was pulsing with nostalgia.

"It was the official start of me being a father. " The monster looked the white gravestones up and down. "But I had quite a few things to learn before I became actually a good father to them..."

"Luckily. Better late than never..." Frisk responded looking from Gaster to the graves for the first time. Actually studying the tombstone and engravings. Gaster let the kid take it in. Closure. After some more time he continued the story from where he stopped. This time Frisk didnt look at him but kept watching the grave. He only knew Frisk kept on listening because of how his hand was gripped and giving a comforting squeeze on the right parts.

One blink later Gaster wasnt in his lab, instead he was in his favorite spot in the underground surrounded by tall echo flowers. The ones where he could lay between them and be nearly unnoticeable, while having a sweet nap. Bad idea to think of naps, as the word triggered a overflowing sensation of tiredness he had to willfully push out his mind.

"What?" Gaster 2 spoke disoriented slightly and not understanding why was he not left to keep working. He had to get back. Any wasted second could cause them to fail.

"was me." Gaster noticed the kid him giving him a goofy grin, one that was betraying worry.

"We have to get back, it really isnt nice of you to pull a prank on us now that we are deep in work Gaster!" The mini him scolded the kid him. He was about to return when he stopped hearing the voice clearly stating.

"we are going to take a nice relaxing nap for the rest of the day." Gaster 1.1 yawned and plopped down on the ground. Of course 1.2 let out a frustrated groan before gripping on the other hand and trying to pull him up. "Stop being a lazy bag of bones! We have to be determined! "

"nah, I am bone tired."Gaster 1.1 spoke between yawns causing the other half to groan in annoyance at the wrong time to tell jokes. "We just have to push a bit harder and we going to make it. We cannot lose hope just yet." Gaster 1.2 enthusiastically explained, just listening to him filled one with inspiration. Therefore the other voice that followed it with a response stood that much more in contrast.

"neither of you noticed." The accusatory tone would freeze over any other monster exposed to it but the two of them. Even when the echo flowers around them started to repeat it. As a choir of shadows, speaking out their crimes.

"the small one fainted from overworking. " 1.1 spoke in the low tone.

"Is he fine?" Both other Gaster jumped eyes flashing in worry.

"yeah, i carried him to a bed to rest. they all were already taking shifts because they were worried about us. asking them to help, made them happy but they cant overwork themself like we can...everyone has their limits. " The way he eyed the other two gaster was carrying a seriousness in it. There was a tinge of power and warning, that the whole Gaster didnt realize he had it in him. Did he look like that in times of crisis, around Asgore? A memory of youth came to his mind, Asgore voice coming to him in a fleeting moment.

...My friend you can be a truly scary monster at times...

"...We will take over. They should rest. There is still hope if we organise it well." The mini him started planning, while the kid him closed his eyes.

"nah, gaster. i told them to go home before i took you both here. you both get a horrible tunnel vision when working..." An uncomfortable silence followed them, the echo flowers not even repeating the last words as if the surrounding itself was waiting for something unsaid to pass. The absence of echoes was louder then the whispers of the flowers ever could be.

The moment broke and gaster 2 pushed his glasses up, about to return to work, even if he had to do it alone.

Then so be it.

He was not giving up on him. His magic collected ready to get him back to the lab when instead he turned blue and was raised in the air.

"Hey!" Was his eloquent worded complain about the situation.

"i did say we ALL gonna nap... "

"Gaster, put Gaster down. This is ridiculous. We can still make it, even if it just the 3 of us putting our all." The mini Gaster explained, while the kid looking Gaster closed his eyes and sighed. His shoulders slumping.

"Put me down, this doesnt even tickle my funny bone." Gaster 2 spoke with barely a hint of laugh.

"but i guess i need more votes on that." With those words spoken the position of the blue changed shifting to focus from holding him up in the air to pulling on Gaster 2 shirt. At that moment the whole Gaster was not paying attention to the signs his soul and body were telling him. For his family he would do everything. Willing all his troubles out his mind.

The shirt pulled up and off him, the pair of glasses falling on the wet ground with a soft tud, the gently cold of the surroundings chilling the bones. The blue was undone allowing the Gaster to land on his feet, which was followed by the gasp of Gaster 1.2.

"You! WHY?! Why didnt you say anything?!" Gaster 1.2 demanded to know. The other half was smiling knowing he won. But what was there to say when they all knew each other down to the bone. Heh.

The echo flowers started to repeat the why, again and again.

"I am fine."

why

i am fine

"huh? so thats how i sound, when i say that."

"This is not a joke! You ribcage started to melt around the edges!" The mini Gaster walked up and started to poke the bone in question causing the taller Gaster to flinch from the sudden pain he couldnt manage to ignore. "You were... you were..." Gaster 1.2 looked lost on words, nearly as if he was betrayed.

"too determined. that what you were trying to say." Finished the 1.1 as he once more lay on the ground hands under his skull and talking to the ceiling.

"we know what determination can do to a monster. "

There was a silence once more, as the situation and it burden started to settle on their souls.

"I am fine."

"Yes, you are now." The cheerful grin on the small skeleton, his mini Gaster face confused the other two. "We are staying with you. And from now on I am taking care of you... and you." He declared pointing the bony finger first at him and then at the skeleton laying on the ground. Who raised his head a bit conffused, at the other skeleton declaration.

"eh?.. me too? why?"

"Because you are too lazy for your own good. And he is putting his well being behind everything else. So you boths well being will be on top of my priority list. Discussion ended." Gaster 1.2 made a heroic pose at that moment.

"you are looking so cool now." Gaster 1.1 grinned to the other dementor.

"Of course I do. I got all the greatness from the two of us. And as it comes in a smaller package its more concentrated. " Pleased that at least one was getting it, Gaster 1.2 nodded determinedly and pulled Gaster 2 to sit down. Which didnt happen as he pulled his hand away and started to half speak in hands pointing and indicating his frustration. Pleading and shouting half form syllables.

No.

They couldnt give up.

They were so close.

With the same tempo they could get to 93%

If they pushed alone just some more on top of taking all work from the followers hands they could finish the 7% in time as well.

So close.

They couldnt just leave their friends and family, their home, their world behind just because he worked a bit harder, and didnt take any breaks in the last two weeks. Just because of his limits...

No.

He couldnt let them give up on everything they were, just so he doesnt get a bit hurt, a tad strained.

"we arent fixing it if it means dusting you."

It wouldnt dust him.

"fine melt, same thing. you die. "

"Would you want to watch us die so we could save you from something that is just different?" Pointed the Gaster 1.2 as he hugged himself eyes big and shadows of past hunting them all. Their past was near identical...

...No.

"I wouldnt want that...but... sacrificing youself just to protect me... saying you would stay with me when we still could find your world... even if you two would be two instead of one..."

"We wouldnt fit in our timeline any longer. You know anchor, even if we can stay in it, we wouldnt be Gaster any longer. Just two skeletons that appeared out of nowhere..."

"so why not stay with you?" Finished Gaster 1.1 and as he knew what the other was thinking he cut the doubt before it even was voiced. "and you were a family to us even before we decided to come and visit you. we always yearned to not be alone...so just this one time it shall be fine to be selfish."

That did it, it broke the last bit of determination to keep on going. Just once he was allowed to choose the selfish option. The option neither wanted to admit till it was voiced. He didnt want them to leave, they didnt want to leave him. Finally all three of them sat down between the echo flowers listening to the whispers. Just this one time the flowers soothingly told them... were a family...

They napped, when they woke up they felt terrible hungry. When was the last time they payed attention to what they were eating? Of course the one who proclaimed that he will watch over them, was the one who demanded to stop being lazy and move to a restaurant. The one in Snowdin would be perfect.

One blink later they discovered the bar being in the dark, apparently it was night time. They slept the day away.

Gaster 2 moved to the back room, some rampaging and some really loudly fire cracking later the three skeletons were sitting around one table. A half asleep fire bartender in underwear dropped food in front of them. "Looking hot there, my friend." Gaster 2 spoke and winked, the result was over dose of ketchup on the plate with the french fries. Where the overdose was a understatement the whole bottle was emptied.

"Well someone is steaming." The kid gaster couldnt hold it in as he chuckled adding. "dont start stroking the fire, you may burn."

"Give me a bone here."

"shouldnt you give your bone to the hottest monster in the room."

The two were about to keep going, but a audible groan stopped them. That reaction was extremely amusing to the other two. Even more than the crackling of the flames.

"Oh my! Both of you stop. This is not the time for puns. I am sorry for their behaviour."

The bartender shook his head and went to sleep. They eat in silence, simply being in each other presence. It felt good, Gaster 2 could feel how well the food was doing for his hp. He would recover swiftly.

Once they were done, and to his surprise Gaster 1.2 didnt touch the greasy food while Gaster 1.1 was leaking the plate of the extra ketchup only so they both could enjoy the groans the other was producing at witnessing it.

"Fine, fine! I give up. Next you will start drinking that stuff from the bottle to annoy me." Gaster 1.2 grumbled.

"You shouldnt have said that." Gaster 2 pushed his glasses up a mischievous smile on his face.

"you are the coolest. i am doing that forever now. its a oath." The other half even stood up to make a proper oath on his soul, it was followed by a loud sound of a skull colliding with the table.

"Topic change. Names." The Gaster 1.2 mumbled in the table. And all of them stopped the joking for now. He had a point if they were to stay with him it would be too confusing for monsters to call them all Gaster. As well, it would be wise to pick a name before going to explain the happenings of the last several weeks... half a year nearly to Asgore... neither wanted to end up being named by their king. They loved the goat, and would follow him wherever but neither would allow him to name their children...

Children...

"What are we?" He asked suddenly.

"We are family, we decided on that one. Want to hear the echo flowers remind you of it?" Gaster 1.2 raised his head from the table finally and leaned it on his palms, looking curiously at the tall monster in front of him.

"No what kind of family are we? What is our relation?"

When gaster 2 spoke the two shorter monsters looked at each other. There was a long moment where neither break eye contact. "bro?"

"Works for me. We two are brothers." He explained to the tall monster.

"this is so cool i always wanted a brother."

"I know that, nhyehehe. I am the great Gast-... yeah name issue."

"Its my timeline so I get to keep Gaster, so you two any names you fancy? Bopen is a good skeleton name. Or Jack?" He offered the two halves of himself knowing those names just didnt hit the spot yet.

"No... How about Wing Dings? We could break the name and each use a half of it?"

"nah bro. WingDings is font name, we dont have it any longer."

"Well that what I meant brother dearest. Our fonts broke apart to become simpler...Would you say my font looks like Ding or Wing?"

It didnt look like either actually. After a bit of debating the three concluded that the fonts looked like Sans and Papyrus and that would with Gaster becoming their shared family name. It felt a bit on the head but most monster referred to dr. Gaster by Gaster anyway. So it would work out.

"So you two are my brothers."

"nah I dont think it would work, it will cause monster to ask for explanations where we popped from." Sans declared playing with his fork slightly eyeing the tall monster. He was thinking, Gaster would even say scheming.

"I suppose you have a better idea?" He bite the hook, line and sinker.

"i always wanted to have kids. how about it father?"

"Oh that would work out fabulous as well! He can teach us everything he knows as well! Like any dad would to his skeleton kids!" Papyrus happily clapped in excitement, he always wanted to have kids as well, now a version of him was becoming a dad but and that was fine. Each got a role to fit in. He will make the best son ever... that is until he realised what he said.

The same moment Sans and Gaster realised what he said as well. They were intelligent monster and such a slip up, caused gears to turn.

"Sans, Papyrus. Why would I have to ever teach you anything when you both know everything I do already?" Gaster leaned closer to the two skeletons in front of him eyes narrowing in demand and warning. The lights vanishing as the aura of magic pulsed.

"Huh.. you got the dad voice already done..." Papyrus chuckled weakly, half sweating, attempting to salvage his mistake.

"bro, its fine." Sans placed a hand on Papyrus shoulder and the skeleton sighed. "we would have to tell him sometime anyway..."

"Tell me what?"

Sans and Papyrus explained a fact about their split. It was more then just magic, soul and personality being split. Their talents did as well. Papyrus couldnt blink, but Sans couldnt summon non harmful attacks. But that was just the first things the test showed. The knowledge and memories were split.

"So one remembers my first bone attack and the other the time I was trained to a boneless mess?" Gaster urged them on. It wasnt like that.

The split actually spit their every memory more or less unevenly. Some would only remember the emotion and intonation of the voice. While the other would the words or visual setting. One would have the people, the other would remember the responses they gave but not the other side of conversation.

"All our memories are broken dad... I am sorry."

" we already starting to forget them."

"The mind would never keep holding on broken memories,or more correctly half forgoten memories from its perspective. It would clean them out to make room for the new ones. Intact ones... " Papy finished and promoted Gaster to ask.

"... the memories you Sans and Pappy are receiving now ... are they intact?"

"Not quite, but! Hear me out! They dont look so broken, the test we did 2 days ago shows that with our souls healed the memories will start to be recorded properly." Papyrus reached out and gave the first son father hug out. It effectively melted any anger for being kept in the dark on how more serious it was.

"so ... we dont know how long will take but at one moment our minds will be blank like a babies and then we will be able to learn and remember staff how it is supposed to be. like a hard reset."

"...Great I ended up with two literal children at my hands. Fine as your father I will raise you both as best as I can do."

"blink hug." Was spoken out aloud and Gaster and papyrus fall from the bench they were on as Sans blinked into a tackle hug on top of them. Swiftly processing to fall asleep on the pile of bones under him. Causing both Gaster and Papyrus to groan.

"Yes, we weighted our option and decide to be father and sons." Gaster spoke.

"You are a strange family." Frisk spoke and Gaster shrugged.

"You should have seen Asgore face when I walked in his garden for tea. Reminded him how he told me I was married to my work and now my wife gave birth to children. Asking him if he could tell me any tips on being a dad, so I dont fail on my kids upbringing." Gaster grinned, the king stared at him and questioned if he was asking for someone else.

"The punchline then run in and tackled me promptly over the table and Asgore as quick as he could be moved to grab me and my attackers. He stared at 3 skeletons in his arms. I told him I adopted them, as I introduced them. Of course he didnt believe that a second."

"Was he happy?" Frisk asked.

"He was happy for me. It was still hard for him but it cheered him up to have more victims for his spoiling." Gaster explained, watching as the sun was setting. The shadows were growing big and omnivorous.

"You see... for several weeks that followed with each day they would lose a bit more of their mind, They would forget just a bit more. It slowly was getting worse. I watched the greatest mind I know fall apart. Seeing frustration on their features when they forgot the simple task to perform, when they stopped being able to do math like they used too. Feeling everything they were up to that point being taken away from them. The fear that the desperation would make them fall down was never leaving me in those last days.

I still remember vividly the last time they fall asleep knowing who I was and the morning after..."

"No, no... I was suppose to ... something!" Papyrus whimpered holding his skull. He went to curl on himself. It was such a simple thing he forgot how to do. He knew he knew it before, which caused the instinctual fear.

"Hey.. Pa...Pap?... bro. Its okay. I am here." Sans was frowning. They kept forgetting their names by now. The only fact that stuck was that they were bros. Gaster pulled a book, and started reading it. It was a children book they found in the dump. It was a present from Sans to him for their ten day family anniversary. To keep the joke going he read it to them as a bedtime story. It was a surprise to them both when their Pappy fall asleep like a stone during it.

It became an instant tradition. A sure way to calm and relaxed Papyrus. Even now, it worked. The small skeleton unwind... His eyes sleepy looked at them both. Sans who was hugging him and then at Gaster. "...thanks..." His eyes looked conffused, yet filled with comfort. "who you?"

Even the font of Papyrus was disordered, as if the soul itself wasnt sure what it was again. Gaster braced himself, holding himself away from having his voice shake as he said.

"I am your father, you are my children, which makes the both of you brothers. " He repeated

Papyrus nodded, closed his eyes. Sans let go of him and looked over to him. "Who are... who?" His eyes narrowed.

"I am your father..."

"WHO!" Sans demanded raising his voice into that of a chilling echo. Pappy didnt even stir.

"I am Gaster." He changed his answer, the answer Sans was demanding he keeps repeating, hoping it would stick better like that. Now... Now gaster was tired watching the deterioration of a brilliant mind. It made him aware his own being is so much depending on his mind. Without the brilliance of it he ... he loses his sense of self. Asgore slowly entered the room, his friend was there the last two weeks when things started to get much harder. The support was precious to him and both of the kids. Even with their minds slipping they looked up at Asgore in the same adoring way he would when he felt like he was being saved by the king.

Some things went deeper than even their memories did.

"Are you holding up Gaster?" Asgore whispered placing a warm cup of tea on the bedside table.

"i am gaster." Sans spoke up, was it again a burst of memories he was managing to grab on? Or did he simply repeat the sound? Gaster couldnt tell any longer. He reached out and Sans allowed to be cradled.

"N... was." Sans whispered starting to shiver as his body felt like on fire.

"Yes, you were once Gaster. I am Gaster. You were once me." Gaster whispered words falling him and relying on his hands to convey all he was intending to say. The hand done speaking for him moved to raise Sans chin up. Meeting the pleading and scared eyes. Gaster watched the last flicker of recognition slip away. He moved his hand over the eye sockets. He couldnt look at them any longer. Not when they were so broken and empty.

Blank.

"Sleep." He said, with a voice that cracked from emotion. And Sans did, falling asleep. Gaster felt himself being raised and then gently placed beside Papyrus. A blanket quickly followed.

"Its fine, it will be fine." Asgore whispered and Gaster held both of the sleeping kids close to himself.

"I am fine."

A furry finger touched his cheek forcing him to look at his king.

"You are crying." Asgore spoke with such a warm smile it made the falling tears flow even worse. "Oh, oh I am so sorry didnt mean to make it worse..."

"No... you didnt.. I..." Gaster hiccupped and Asgore heavy hand was resting on his skull serving as an anchor and source of comfort.

"You what?" The king gently urged.

"I am scared."

"Of what? They souls healed... with it their minds will be fine as well soon..." Asgore repeated the words Gaster and his kids told him when they explained what was happening to them. He found at the beginning he was being told those words as a comfort and now he was repeating them back to comfort his friend.

"..of so much... What if I was wrong if they do not wake up... what if this happens to me?... I cant lose my mind like this... I wouldnt be able to take it... I ... I am needed for the souls, for the core, I cant leave this two alone... I cannot risk to forget even the simplest formula. It may kill everyone... I cannot... I cannot be alone again." He will start recording all his projects down. He was terrified of the loss. It hurt so much being forgoten, as he couldnt stop it. Only helplessly be there and give comfort out.

"Shhh, shhh." Asgore wrapped his hands around his friend. "You arent going to be alone, your kids will wake up. And I am there for arent going to leave anyone." Gaster all but drunk the warmth of the fur and the flames of the boss monster soul magic.

"You cant, you... are king. All monsters need you."

"Yes, and one of those monsters that need me is my best friend. Come drink a bit of tea, you should try to rest yourself. I will keep an eye on you all..."

"No, I..."

"I am ordering you as my royal scientist, to sleep." Asgore spoke in his official king voice causing gaster to crack a smile, shifting slowly his hand out so he could wipe the tears away and accept the tea.

Gaster woke up to movement, the blanket shifted uncovering him some more. Opening his eyes he saw an awake Papyrus. The child screamed and jumped away from him. Sans groaned and cuddled more into Gaster side.

"Its fine, I am your father Pappy. You remember it?" The blank stare he received was confirming his fears. Speech was forgotten as well. He didnt understood him, and didnt know anything. Gaster raised his hand and before papyrus could have started to run. He grabbed him with blue. Then Gaster watched as Pap calmed down making sounds. He looked happy, as his soul was being gently held. Nothing else could showcase his intention as well as magic in direct contact with the soul.

Sans yawned eyes shining up in absolute wonder and curiosity. He started to poke everything. From Gaster, himself, Pappy. Till the snoring king on the chair beside the bed.

They were able to learn.

They were able to remember from that moment on.

They had some habits that were left over from all the weeks spend together.

They were growing up.

Once they were old enough, and asked where their mom was Gaster explained who they really were.

He awaited hate.

They were relieved.

Sometimes, just sometimes they would sense that they are one monster, a dream of a home they left. A shadow of another monster that was them. They believed it was just them idolizing him and making stuff up. They were so happy to know it was actually something real.

"... Both Gasters had similar fates." Frisk concluded and gaster raised his eyebrow the darkness was now chilling around them, being broken up by a occasional candle light and lamp post.

"Well both of you, lost yourself due an accident, forgot because of it who you were and only receives a portion back, growing up anew." Frisk counted off on their fingers. Gaster hummed rubbing his chin.

"Fascinating you are right, maybe something like this was indeed our fate. some elements of them did repeat."

Gaster concluded, looking up at the slowly blinking stars. Frisk stood up from his lap. Silently the kid walked up to the two gravestones and touched them.

Gaster waited.

Frisk let out a heavy sigh out.

Gaster tilted his head.

"Ok." Frisk said not turning away from the graves just yet.

"You wish to go home?"

"Yeah... could you go warm up the car? I will be right there." Frisk said, and Gaster smiled. He stood up, and walked away from the human. He wasnt sure what Frisk was thinking. If his story about himself and Sans and Papyrus helped, or was nothing more than a distraction. Maybe if he just were silent Frisk determination would have pushed the kid to do it anyway.

Gaster walked up the the car.

The wind blowed in his face, fingers touched his cheeks. He noticed half dried tears.

Even if it were useless or not... he liked to share it with the kid. Opening the car door he stopped. A sound of a small meow reached his ears. The determination inside his soul pounded, but Gaster didnt need it. Nostalgic as he was he stood up followed the sound and returned back in car waiting.

When finally Frisk returned the kid looked relaxed as a weight was finally dropped. Or at least one of the heavy ones.

"huh...what is that on your lap?" Frisk pointed to the bundle that was moving.

"Two kittens abandoned in a trash can."

"Their names are G11 and G12! " Frisk declared to Toriel as she asked about the kittens in their arms.

Sans frowned, looking from the kid and then up at Gaster who had a Papyrus big grin. "i feel there is a inside joke i am suppose to know..." Sans commented and Frisk beamed.

"Maybe, if there are any other pair of kids to be named we may have run out of names! And then Asgore gonna name them!"

Gaster broke into a fit of laughter, unable to contain anything, Papyrus joined in laughing like a maniac as he wasnt to be out done in a laughing competition!

It was a interesting night and the time that followed.

But that is a story for another time.

The End.