Gaster had incredible knowledge of The Void. It made sense, as he'd been trapped there for so long, so long he could barely remember the feeling of the radiant glow of Hotland, so long he only vaguely recall the war that left him with two unmistakable scars.
He teleported to the edge of the timelines, watching the never-ending flow. Though The Void had a theoretically endless space, he was drawn to these inaccessible timelines. He felt drawn to them of all of the infinite possibilities, despite never existing in a single one. He was a moth to a flame, standing over the only real thing in this Void.
Timelines, like rivers, flowed endlessly across the vast expanse, some ending in pools, others cast off into the Void's endless blackness. Bright colours meshing with the inky darkness, torrential streams falling into nowhere, it was almost beautiful. Voices and whispers called from the river, replaying moments over and over. Gaster sighed, a rough and grating noise. He could sit, and watch these timelines for hours, seeing what he could never have.
Those timelines were of no concern. What he was looking for now was where the machine could possibly be, where it fell out of the timeline. A metallic glimmer caught his eye socket, a pin-prick iris forming in the center of them as he fixated on the object. Yes, this was it.
In its final moments, the machine was scattered far across the Void. Luckily, Gaster was an expert on the Void, it being his prison and all. Following the shimmering shards, the shattered bits of reality left in it's wake, he was led to the metal cube, small words etching the edges. FUN Stabilizer. Here we are! Thought Gaster, bony hands reaching out for the cube-like machine.
His bony fingers ran over the object, gently caressing it as if it were a pet. Gaster heard a noise creak in the shadows, a figure flickering for just a moment in the shadows. Quickly, he stashed it away into his cloak, almost appearing to absorb it into his skeletal form. Another step, another step, one more, and he was gone without a trace.
Frisk let out a sniffling noise, shuffling onto their bed, when they felt a pair of red eyes watching them. "Hi Chara." Frisk's voice was soft and quiet, pretty much the exact noise you'd expect to come out of such a small kid. Frisk's face was slightly red, their eyes still wet with tears.
Grounded? Chara gave a slight sneer.
"Yeah." Frisk looked away, squishing the pillows of the bed between their fingers. Chara swore they saw a tear drop from the kid's eyes.
You're such a crybaby. You're like Asriel, but worse. Chara rolled their eyes. Frisk's head buried itself into a pillow, a soft and wavering noise escaping it's feathery holds. Chara sat (well, could it really be considered sitting if they were just kinda hovering in place) next to Frisk, and looked aside. You should've lied. It actually was pretty entertaining to watch, if counterproductive. The kid had lips sealed tighter than zippers, and Toriel had a miniature panic attack, thinking Frisk might've gone to Mount Ebott to- For a similar reason to Chara.
"You know how bad I am at lying. Besides, it'd just make things worse."
Pfft, look at you, Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Only a blank silence returned Chara's joke. Chara let out a sigh, stretching their ghostly limbs out. The silence of the room was deafening and the emptiness of the room crowding. Frisk had several plush animals they never played with lined among the edges of the room, books to read, a handheld gaming device, and a dresser for their clothes, but the room felt so... empty, with only Frisk in it.
Chara let out a whine. They weren't getting anything done! Yeesh, what were those skeletons even up to?! Alphys should've contacted them by now, or something, or anything! Waiting, even for a few minutes, was like hell in this dreary household. A mother who thought her child was trying to run away, and the child too broken to say a thing. God, it was just like... The past was in the past, and nothing more. Painful memories are for another day.
They could fix this. They just needed to remind those boneheads who's in charge. Chara had no doubt that they could find that machine, and when they did, they could tell Sans and Papyrus, they could all go home and play their games and they would all be oh-so-happy. Then, maybe everything could be normal again. Gosh, Chara never imagined the day they would wish for everything to be normal.
Chara admitted that they had a sick feeling in their mind, a perverted curiosity, as to what would happen if they reset. Who could possibly replace those two wacky skeletons? However, there were very clear reasons why they couldn't, one of them sobbing on the bed right now. Chara felt... a lack of resolve in their soul, a lack of determination. It was almost unfair in a sense, to be so dependant on another's soul.
Chara felt Frisk's weighted heartbeat, and their own fell in turn, sinking into a gathering pool of despair. This wasn't good. If things were to keep going like this, Frisk could lose their determination. Without their determination, Chara was nothing. A phantasm stuck in the long-dead soils of the underground, no soul and stuck underground just like that flower. No, they had to keep Frisk hopeful! Isn't that what they've been doing this whole time!?
You know what! I'll do your job for you! Chara puffed out their small chest, huffing angrily, a gesture that looked ridiculous on such a small child. Frisk looked up from their pillow, a slightly confused look crossing their normally neutral features. I'll go knock some sense into those numbskulls and I'll throw them right out of the Void!
Chara was filled with DETERMINATION.
"This was a bad idea." Gaster looked upon the extra-extra-extra-extra crispy chicken in front of him, a fire stubbornly resisting the water-soaked blanket that Papyrus repeatedly smacked it with. The flame only seemed to burn ever brighter under the pressure. Papyrus smacked the fire again, this time with the full weight of the blanket and his lower arms. With a dull hiss, steam rose to the ceiling, the flame dying off.
"NYEH HEH HEH! THE FLAME HAS BEEN SLAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NOW LET'S EAT!" Papyrus was very springy tonight, even for Papyrus, full of laughter and energy. His enthusiasm was impressive, but it didn't bode well for the likelihood of not burning down the house. Half of the counter was scorched beyond belief, and the other half covered in haphazardly shredded cheese, most of it both melted and burnt by the 's magic reserves could've replaced the counter completely, but he got the feeling that he'd be needing his magic soon.
"As appetizing as that looks, I must say the counter looks in a rather sorry state. How about you clean it up?" Gaster knew that Papyrus would instantly take up the offer. If there was one trait he could definitely respect about Papyrus, it was his enthusiasm.
Papyrus gave a salute, using the blanket to wipe down the counter eagerly. Well, this could be relaxing. Gaster summoned another blanket, already wet, and began to wipe some cheese sauce off of the other side of the counter. This meal was a mess.
Hopely Sans wouldn't mind having a conjured meal tonight. In theory, the food shouldn't taste any different from its cooked counterpart, but Gaster remarked that it lacked the "soul" that went into cooking. The slight imperfections that made the final product all the more delicious. A jolt from his wrist snapped him out of his thoughts, with a slight flinch in his step.
Without much warning, his "watch" had begun to beep, a signal from one of his motion detectors going haywire. Of all times, Chara had to show up now. Great. Just when things were about to fall into tune, a night when he needed everything to be just- No, this is ok. He can fix this.
"WAIT-" Papyrus looked down the hall, only to see that Gaster was already gone.
It was in his study room, oddly enough. They probably chose that room to enrage him all the more when it would invariably be destroyed, or perhaps to isolate him from Sans and Papyrus. That thing was more clever than it looked. Gaster wasted no time in summoning his magic for a quick teleportation, appearing mere feet away from the spirit. Catching his breath from the sudden sharp intake, he let it go in a steady sigh.
The small ghost of a long-deceased child stood atop a pile of books, a small grin accenting their pale face. Honestly, I'm not surprised you are the one who found it first. Chara's eyes gleamed a bright red in the darkness, but as Gaster flicked on the lights, they went back to a sort of rusty brown.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised that you think this your business. I am simply helping Sans repair it, which is none of your business." Gaster wrinkled his imaginary nose, taking a few steps closer to the child. He resisted the urge to summon the blaster immediately, instead focusing on getting closer to the child.
Hand it over. Chara's smile cut across their face like a dagger, a mouth full of small pearly white beads slashing open their rosy cheeks. Their voice had a quality to it that almost made Gaster want to give it, but he easily resisted the temptation with a quick shake of a bony hand. Vile magic was only barely contained by his silent rage. How dare the child ask him to hand over his son's progress?
"Give me one good reason why." Gaster smirked, an expression that fit well on his skull.
I know how to fix it. I can solve all of this now. Give it to me NOW. Chara whispered, their facade dropping fast, a sickly sweet tone turned straight into venom. Chara's hand reached out, in a sort of grasping handshake.
"Do you really think that I trust you?" Gaster snarled, taking two more steps closer to Chara. He had to do this slowly. Too fast, and Chara would know something was up. The floorboards creaked, as his shoes pushed their baseless wooden planks. "I have seen many timelines, many in which you have tricked the child into giving their soul to you."
No, but, perhaps I shall enlighten you more to my reasons. I am going to do what you won't. You won't do it, and I know you won't because you are a complete dingus. Gaster's breath skipped a hitch, his magic flaring into his eye sockets for a moment, flashing a bright purple. So close, just a bit more until he could fire.
"And how do you know that? Between us, I am the intellectual superior here, and I trust that I know myself more than you do." Gaster was losing his patience for Chara's games.
Chara's eyes turned into black gaping voids, their grin turning inhumanly large. Their voice took on a more mocking tone again, losing it's edge. Oh I'm Wingdings and I'm totally omnipresent! Look at me, I know soooooo much! Look, compared to me, Dings, you're a freaking baby bones. You've seen everything from afar. Well, I've experienced it ALL personally. And I've experienced you plenty times before. You won't let them go, because you don't want to go home to that empty Void.
The child spoke only nonsense. Gaster crept closer, only two paces away from the child. "What makes you think I'd rather not return with them?"
Did I forget to tell you that the machine can only transport one Gaster-sized skeleton to the real world? Sans made it for you. It can't sustain anything higher. They'll fit together, but it's you or them. Funny, that reminds me of a saying I really like. Kill or be killed? How about trap or be trapped? How is that for an analogy? It was so easy to make Gaster mad! Chara watched in glee as the shadowy skeleton's face contorted into a stiff frown, though the edges were being to ride up with slightly protruding teeth.
"Then I'll make sure we're together, no matter what." Gaster looked off to the side for a moment, his latent magic quickly picking up steam. A few seconds, and the blaster would be ready to materialize. Gaster looked to the ground, his hands clenched. "It won't matter anyways. Our existence was pointless torture, we were just burdens on everybody else. Always fated to die, or end up back where we began. This is for their own good."
Aah, there it is. Chara took a step back, pointing towards Gaster, almost poking him. You haven't changed a day since you fell from that machine. Always trying to rationalize things for "good", but really, you only care about yourself, don't you? Don't you realise how much Papyrus and Sans miss their family, how much Frisk misses them? They belong out there, with their family.
Gaster felt his bones shake, a rattle echoing through the room, filling the wooden shelves with the rhythmic beating of bone. "My sons belong here with me, they are MY family. They'll be safer here." Gaster let out a deep hiss, crackling noises overlaying his heavy breathing. "This is the only solution."
He'd seen so much, so much dust, so much pain. Standing there, helpless as he watched the two humans cut down monster after monster, before resetting and making friends with them all again. They were the real selfish one, treating everybody's lives as if they were just some game. Judgement had to dealt, vengeance must be- ahem, Gaster's mind cleared, the bright yellow radiance in his eyes dimming slightly, being overtaken by the purple again. Got a slight bit carried away for a moment.
Aw, you're so cute when you're mad, Dings! Hee hee hee! For a man of science, you are very unreasonable. Emotional. Selfish. Judgmental. Chara hurled insults like they were firing a gun, each shot louder and more thunderous than the last. They have friends and family who need them, and you are trying to steal them away for yourself. You know what, Dings? I don't care about your opinion on this. Just let me have it.
"Don't call me Dings." Gaster let out a heaving sigh. Just a few moments, just a few moments...
It's been fun here, but I'm taking what belongs to me and Frisk. Don't fight back, you know how this will end. Chara's voice let out all of it's false charm as Chara let out a mild growl, overlaying the clanking of bones. They reached out for the pockets in Gaster's coat, frisking for the device. The rattling suddenly stopped, as Gaster stilled.
A smile crossed his face.
"You're right. I do know how this will end." Gaster's voice rasped with a deep electronic noise resembling static, as he grasped onto Chara's wrist. With a single motion, he flung them into a bookcase, knocking both Chara and the case over.
Chara quickly rolled out before the shelf could fall on them, summoning a blood-red knife in their right hand. Ok, you want to do this the hard way, huh?
The phantasm weapon hurled itself into the darkness that surrounded Gaster, narrowly missing him. A thread of black cloth was cut, giving the cloak a small tear. No matter, such things can be fixed. Gaster summoned his magic into an onslaught of spiralling bones, keeping the blaster hidden for the current time. He would need to lower Chara's HP first. This proved to be quite a hassle, much more than he expected.
The child was incredibly fast, darting from shelf to shelf, forcing Gaster to expend precious energy to weave his attacks up and down lanes. And with each miss, the child got closer, their hands grasping for another blade, and the Void complying, the power of their SOUL granting them temporary magical prowess. Their shadows turned into mocking doubles, and every bone he threw seemed to only land in the ever-growing darkness surrounding him. This wouldn't be easy, he wasn't expecting that. But this? This was a challenge.
Good thing he had some tricks up his sleeve. Ping! Chara's soul suddenly turned blue, but instead of being flung to the floor, they fell onto the roof. A wave of bones cut across the room, scraping against their left leg before they could move out of the way.
A vicious cry, like cornered animal, escaped the child, as shards of bone wedged themselves into tender flesh, leaving streaks of viscous red liquid falling down their kneecap. The protruding bones pierced right through Chara's nerves, leaving their leg with an oddly numb sensation in their wake. Gaster grinned, his fingers delicately working about another attack to Chara's soul. Chara fell backwards, catching themselves with their arms before rolling out of the way.
The attack narrowly missed, cutting a line across of Chara's sweater, fibers of cloth falling onto the ground. As they got up, ready to fire a barrage of knives at him, Gaster noticed the stumble in their scraped leg. That could come into play later.
Red-tinted knives narrowly missed Gaster's face, leaving small etchings on the surface of his skull. -2 HP. Pathetic. Gaster threw Chara against the wall, a piercing scream echoing through the air. Just a bit more now, and they would be weak enough to drain. Chara got up, clutching at their chest. With a heaving cough, a splatter of blood stained Gaster's pristine white-paged books. Y-you know I can just LOAD. I'll load and load, until you die!
Gaster let out a deep-throated static-like noise that vaguely resembled laughter. A shape materialized behind him, two wicked horns giving way to a split maw. Barbed cables hung down from
"Not this time."
A scream pierced Papyrus' earholes, suddenly sending jolts of adrenaline through his bones. He recognized that scream very well. Too well for his comfort. As distant as it was, he suddenly felt his legs breaking into a dash, and his voice calling out strong and steady. "FRISK!? IS THAT YOU!?" Papyrus shouted, dashing around a corner.
Oh, what could have gone wrong? Were they lost in the void too? Was he just going crazy? Papyrus slammed his gloves against the wall as he pushed himself around a corner. With only the distant scream to go off of, and the frantic panic in his soul, he made his way to one of the closed doorways. A noise that sounded likely like pained growling and mechanical whirrs escaped from the doorway.
Logically, Papyrus would think about how he would get in trouble for knocking down doors, but logic wasn't something he thought about in the spur of the moment. With a thwack of a conjured bone, he knocked down the door, splintering the wood to pieces with the blunt bone. One hit, two hits, and it fell. The bone in his hand dissipated, as he let out a strangled noise of surprise.
Papyrus' eyes widened, his jaw clenching tight. It wasn't Frisk, and it definitely wasn't what he expected.