The child didn't have any chance. First their eyes filled with Integrity, then with the sudden realization fear took over their soul. They couldn't react in time, and even if they could have, there was nothing that could protect them from the bones.
As air escaped from their lungs, their body fell, but it didn't reach the floor.
Gaster caught the child's body into his arm. It was so light, so fragile. And yet their soul could have been used for so many things; over the years, and even back in the war he was able to see and study what a single human was capable of.
He held the blue soul in his palm.
How ironic, it had the same colour as his children's'. The ones he wanted protect the most. Blue souls followed his life.
It slowly hovered in his hand, warmed his palm with gentle radiance. So small, so pure, and yet so unspeakably strong. One human soul matched the power of hundreds of monster souls. Each feeling had a unique attack, a unique power, and Gaster had the unfortunate opportunity to see almost all of them during the war.
He wasn't sure how many years ago it all started; at the beginning everybody was so shocked, time hardly mattered at all. It was a miracle that the humans didn't slaughter them all.
And yet, one question never let him rest: were they merciful to not do so or it was out of a sick sense of humour? Did they just want to let the rest of the survivors suffer? Never being able to leave, only remember of the open sky, the warm of the Sun, or the infinite number of stars at night.
He laid the child into the tall grass. Their body was limp, their hands already becoming cold.
Usually, he would walk back with them to his laboratory. Usually, he wouldn't try to hunt a human child down himself, just let the king know its arrival and then try to make it as painless as he could for the king.
But of course, he never succeeded in easing Asgore's anger, and pain. Only he saw how broken he became after the first child was felt by his hands. For days he couldn't even show his face to another monster. For weeks he avoided of visiting the greater underground. And for months he couldn't look into Gaster's eyes. He suffered every day, as he tried to keep the monster's hope up, and when he finally was left alone, he let the darkness creep up on him, and poison his mind and soul.
Three children died since the prince and princess' death. Three tiny souls, and yet they needed four more.
But no one could tell how long Asgore could go like this.
No one else saw the cracks on his soul, only Gaster. Even one more child could cause him to lose himself. A risk that was too high to take for the royal scientist. He couldn't let this go on. Not at risk of the king's life.
He was aware why the king's children died. He caught a glance when they were brought back, he saw their body. Asriel, beaten and broken, his body already starting to turn to dust. And the child, Chara, they didn't move, not when the queen cried out, not when the king begged. The underground lost two souls; the queen and the king lost two children.
Asriel and Chara fused their soul together, so they could gather the rest of the souls needed and free everyone from the underground. But sadly, they couldn't be the heroes of the monsters. Not yet.
The soul gently pulsated in Gaster's hand. Like every other human soul this too felt powerful, almost calling.
He knew what needed to be done. He just needed to get three more souls, even if that meant he would sacrifice his own.
A painful ripple ran around his chest, his own death wouldn't be such a big loss. He left behind his notes to find them, his colleges will understand it. It was a necessary sacrifice.
If only Sans and Papyrus would understand too, but they were still so young. So kind and pure, they didn't deserve to live in a place like this. Gaster just wished he could see them grow up, but of course, there wasn't any happy ending for the monsters here. Maybe on the surface.
Surely, over time, even Asgore would forgive him.
As his thoughts started to trail off, he got a hold of himself. The time of the emotions ended.
"I'm sorry."
'I'm sorry.' The closest echo flower echoed.
How fitting.
He took one last breath and raised the soul closer to his chest.
Only three, he only needed to get three.
His own white soul slowly outlined on his chest. His hand trembled.
For a second time stopped, for a second every noise turned into complete silence, for a second regret flared up in the royal scientist's soul, and for a second he heard a child's faint laugh.
But that second went by. And yet just before he could absorb the soul a bright orange ball of fire flew next to his head, almost grazing his shoulder. Gaster felt the heat on his body and stopped. He knew he was late.
"Gaster!" Asgore's voice roared with anger, and with a glint of desperation.
"Don't try to stop me, sire." He slowly turned around, still holding onto the soul, hands trembling slightly. "We just need three more."
"And we will get them, but not like that!" Asgore didn't dare to look at the child's body as he stepped closer. His eyes were glowing in orange and blue. "If you fuse your soul with a human soul, there will be no coming back from there."
"I know."
"You might not even be able to gather that three more souls without getting seriously injured!"
"I know!"
"And even if you come back, your children will have to see you in a twisted body for the rest of their life!"
"I know!!" Every word struck a deeper wound into Gaster's soul. He couldn't stop his body from shaking. "I know! I know all of these!"
"Then why do you want to throw away everything?!"
"Because I won't just let you suffer even more!"
Asgore stopped right in front of him.
The echo flowers whispered the conversation back to them.
"I couldn't-," Gaster glanced down at the tiny soul, "I saw you becoming more and more broken over the years. You refused to take one of the souls and go out, you chose to punish yourself over the years. But it has to be end," the soul slowly pulsed in his hand.
"Gaster-"
"I can free everyone!" determination echoed in his voice, "I can do it. We can be free!"
'We can be free' the echo flower whispered in the silence.
So many untold words lingered around them. There wasn't enough echo flower in the underground, or on the world, to speak them.
Neither of them knew when the secrets started, when was the first time they decided to stay silent about their problems, and wait for those wounds to heal on their own. Maybe it was the first years in underground, maybe during the war, or even before. Mistakes, choices, and consequences of their actions.
There was nothing that could change the past, nor make all those wrongs into right. But of course, neither of them could just give up, it was never an option, not to them. Even if they broke, they had to keep fighting, keep searching, and keep putting blood on their hands if there was no other option.
'We can be fee.' Those words echoed in their souls and in the flowers around them.
"Gaster," Asgore took another step, and slowly took the skeleton-monster hand. For a quick second he lingered like that, feeling the colder fingers, and the wounded hand.
"Yes? Your majesty?"
"Thank you."
The remaining determination drained away from his bones, his body becoming heavy. "You shouldn't thank me anything. I failed you, again." Oh, how unbearable his own voice sounded.
"Failed me? You've never failed me, Gaster. Not once."
"I should have been faster, before you stopped me. I should be outside now, gathering the rest of the souls-"
"Then I'm arrived just in time, so you didn't throw your life away."
"But-," Gaster tried to protest, to hold onto the human's soul, but as he looked into the king's eyes, all his resolve evaporated. Only the cold realisation remained. "I killed a child."
Those words felt like knife, digging deep inside both of their chest.
"I-"
"Gaster," Asgore put one of his hands on the skeleton's shoulder. He had to get the skeleton's to focus on him. "You wanted to help us, help your sons and everyone else to finally get out from this forsaken place."
"Just wanting something is not enough. I didn’t accomplish anything,"
"Sometimes it is," the hand gently reached up, and cupped the skeleton's face, "sometimes wanting to help is enough. It gives others hope, and strength to keep going. I will be forever grateful for all the help you already gave us. Without your inventions we would be still living in the cold darkness."
Faith blue blush spread under the skeleton eyes. He couldn't stop himself from leaning closer into the soft touch. "I just-, I want to help, but there is still a lot..."
"It is enough, for now. You have a family, two sons who love you dearly, and your colleges look up at you, Gaster. I don't want to put more weight on your shoulder, I can't let you take this step," Asgore looked down.
That tiny fragile soul waited, it didn't beat another beat, and yet, as long as they wanted, they could hold it in this world. And even use it.
"How cruel and yet ironic," Gaster too watched at the human soul, "their souls were the key to doom as all, and it's the key to our freedom. Yet even taking this key wounds us all."
They never talked about those children. It was an unspoken rule. Never asked their names, how they ended up down in the underground, or what kind of life they lived beforehand.
"We should go now. You did what needed to be done," Asgore glanced at the tiny body, with sadness in his eyes.
Gaster let out a tired sigh, the thought of how much he failed everyone hung over him like an axe.
"I could have done more."
"There is always more, but you did enough, Gaster," he only continued when their eyes final met. "Please, promise me that you won't try to do this ever again."
"I-" the skeleton needed a second. He hated and yet was warmed by the notion that the king somehow knew all of his thoughts. "I'm not sure-"
"Please, I've already lost most of my family don't make me lose even more."
Gaster couldn't argue with that request, he nodded faintly.
"Let's take this soul to the others." Asgore took a step next to him. With a quick slash from his trident, he separated a piece from his cape. "I'm sorry, little one," he kneeled down and bundled the tiny body into the silk.
Gaster watched the king, but didn't dare to say a word. The blood washed away from the grass and the petals. Eventually everything was the same.
"Come with me, Gaster. The River Person is waiting for us. I made sure no one would see us...or the child." The body weighted almost like nothing, and yet it felt like the heaviest thing he ever held.
"Yes, your majesty." He kept the heart in his hand. After a quick glance behind, he left Waterfall with his king.
Only the echo flowers remained, only they dared to whisper in the darkness and only they knew what happened.
I’ve been gone for years just to return because I’ve falling back into Undertale- Is it because of Deltarune? Might be, but you wont know because I wont admit to anything, you have no proof.
Anyway, have the gaster guy - I’m sort of hoping that as deltarune evolves we learn a little more about him. Hopefully... maybe...
Anyway these were supposed to be transparent but tumblr made the background seem white and I’m not about that life.
Soooo.... My Hand slipped XD
I've been on Vacation this past week... and sick before that, so I haven't had much time to draw much
Anyway, Dr. Gaster may have accidentally gave Enigma(about 2 years-ish) Ketchup instead of milk. Needless to say Sasha isn't amused.
My Skeletons are Fuzzy XD and Baby ones are born very fuzzy and sort of grow into it,
NYEH HEH HEH! UNDYNE AND I HAD A GREAT TIME TRAINING WITH DR ALPHYS WATCHING OVER US AND... WHO IS THAT MYSTERIOUS FACE IN THE BACK? HUH, I DON'T KNOW #cosplay #undertale #papyrus #thegreatpapyrus #undyne #undynetheundying #dralphys #doctoralphys #wdgaster #gaster #aster #drgaster #doctorgaster #nakakon #nakakon2017
