Work Text:
I had been working tirelessly for months on my project. My beautiful creation. My Deltarune.
I was almost done, but one piece of the puzzle was missing. Something very, very important. I needed a vessel.
How would I find one? I figured I could create my own. I just needed to gather the right materials and work tirelessly. But the risks were too high. You cannot choose who you are in this world.
The vessel would have to be a real person. Someone who already exists. But who? I couldn't just kidnap a random baby for the sake of my experiment.
After being hunched over at my desk for hours, I decided to take a walk outside. Something about the fresh air clears my head. After decades of living in the underground, the vastness of the sky never fails to astonish me. I closed my eyes and let the warmth envelop me. I took a deep breath, allowing the surface air to fill my lungs.
My eyes shot open when I heard it. An agonizing scream emitting from one of the houses next to me. Whoever it was sounded like they were in excruciating pain.
I ran towards the source of the sound. It came from the lowest window in the house. Definitely a basement. I peered inside, but the window was too foggy to see through.
One of my abilities involves shapeshifting. I can melt my entire body at will and turn myself into a liquid substance. I did just that. I let my essence flow through the crack in the window and drip down the wall of the basement. The sight in front of me shocked me beyond belief.
The room inside had seen better days. It was gray and dusty. Mold and rust coated every surface. There was barely any furniture aside from a rough looking cot, a rickety table, and two small chairs. In the corner of the room were wet buckets and dirty plates and silverware.
It looked like a prison.
A woman was lying on the floor. She covered her mouth with a blanket, but that did nothing to muffle her screams. A man, presumably her lover, sat next to her and held her hand.
"Come on! Keep pushing!" he said.
Ah, so they were giving birth.
The man looked absolutely petrified, but not in the normal way that soon-to-be dads look. Usually, they are scared of the unknown, the daunting responsibilities of fatherhood. It’s exciting, but also terrifying.
He looked different than most dads. He still had an expression of dread on his face, but it seemed like he knew exactly what to expect. He had been through this before, but he was scared of what was to come. He looked tired. They both did.
The woman seemed to harbor a deep sadness within her. She almost seemed reluctant to have this baby. That made sense, considering their... circumstances. It seemed less than ideal to raise a baby.
The woman struggled, but she finally gave birth. The man quickly scooped up the baby and covered their mouth while they cried for the first time. He handed the baby to the woman. She cradled them in her arms.
"They're beautiful," she whispered.
The man held the baby's tiny hand in his fingers. The scene melted my heart.
The woman began to sniffle. Her tears spilled out of her eyes and landed on the baby's face.
"Hey," the man whispered while wiping her tears away. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out."
"Will it really be okay?" she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. "As soon as my brother finds out, this baby is as good as dead."
"I..." The man hesitated. His eyes darted trying to find the right words.
"We've already lost seven children to him. I can't lose another." Her tears flowed faster and she began to sob quietly.
The man sighed and deflated. He looked absolutely hopeless. There was nothing he could say to make the situation any better.
There was one thing I knew for sure at that moment. I could not abandon this family. Not after what I had just witnessed.
When they were looking away, I slid my body through the window and stood up on the grass. I immediately headed towards the river. It was my favorite place to think.
I gazed out at the shore. The waves crashed forward and stopped just before my feet. I took in the salty air and focused on the sun reflecting against the surface of the water.
Seven children. This woman had given birth to seven children, and all of them were murdered.
But how? Why? What would prompt someone to kill these kids? Why hers? And why keep the couple locked in a basement? What does anyone gain from this?
As I tried to answer these questions, even more questions popped up in my head. I must have stood there for hours because the sky became darker. The sun lowered and turned a bright red, just barely touching the water.
I looked across the river. On the other side of it was my creation. An alternate world of experiments and hypothetical scenarios.
I gasped when an idea struck me.
I had been searching for a new vessel to complete my creation. It would be unwise to create one myself, but maybe this baby could be the vessel. They would certainly have a much better life.
They could be the final piece to my puzzle. They would be safe.
The sun had almost set past the horizon. I set off running towards the house. As I ran, I tripped over a stray object. My body lurched forward and hit the ground.
"Ow..." I groaned while rubbing my head. I turned around and saw that I had tripped over a straw basket. It lay upside down on the ground next to me. I picked it up and inspected it. It gave me another idea. I stood up, dusted the dirt from my body, and carried the basket all the way back to the house. I placed it on the ground next to the basement window and slunk inside.
The family lay in their tiny cot fast asleep. They could barely fit, especially with such a small blanket, but they made do. The baby was definitely hidden under the blankets.
I felt a little bad for waking the parents, but I had a job to do. I shook the man’s arm. He groaned a bit and rubbed his eyes. He turned to look over at me and screamed. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
"W-Who the hell are you?" he asked in a hushed yet terrified tone.
"I'm sorry for waking you!" I said. "My name is Dr. Gaster. I would like to help you."
The man's breathing was unsteady and jagged. He tapped his wife on the shoulder to wake her up.
"Hm?" The woman blinked and looked towards him. She then looked towards me and gasped. She instinctively held the baby close to her body away from me. “Who’s this?” she asked.
"This is Dr. Gaster," the man said.
"I noticed your… situation," I said. "This baby is going to die soon, correct?"
The couple looked at each other but remained silent. They neither confirmed nor denied my statement. We all knew the answer, but they most likely did not want to admit it.
"I can help. I can take the baby to a safe place. You just have to follow my instructions."
"How do we know that we can trust you?" the man asked. "We don't even know you! How can we be sure that you're not going to hurt our baby?"
I sighed and hesitated for a moment. "All I can give you is my word. I promise that this baby will stay safe and live a long life."
"Where?" the woman whispered.
"Across the river," I said. "There's a small town on the other side. It's difficult to find, but if you bring your baby there, they will be alright."
The couple looked at each other again.
"Can we... talk about it?" the man asked. "Privately, I mean."
"Of course." I walked away from them towards the opposite side of the room. I even covered my ears to assure them I wasn't listening. Though I knew exactly what they were talking about.
Could we trust him? Will he rat us out? Will he kill our baby? Is this really worth the risk?
I understood their apprehension. They just wanted their baby to be safe. Admittedly, I was not only doing this out of selflessness. This was also for my own experiment. I knew I was not fully innocent. Still, what mattered is that I would ensure the baby’s safety.
After several minutes, they gestured at me to come back. I walked over and awaited their answer.
"We trust you," the man said.
"If there's a small chance that this baby will live, we'll take it," the woman said. "They will certainly die if they stay here, but we don't know what will happen out there. We are willing to take that chance. Anything to keep them safe."
"Thank you," I bowed my head.
The woman picked up the sleeping baby from the bed and held them close to her chest. She gazed down at them with loving adoration and deep sorrow.
"What's their name?" I asked.
"Kris," she said.
"That's a beautiful name." I smiled. "Come with me.”
I walked towards the window and pointed. "I will unlock this window so you can climb out of here. You will see a basket on the ground. Put Kris inside of it and walk towards the river. Once you reach, keep walking. The water is deep, but you will be safe. Let the waves guide you towards your destination."
The couple nodded as I spoke.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
They nodded again. I shifted my hand into the shape of a key and unlocked the window for them. Their eyes widened as they watched me perform my magic. I pushed the window open and stuck my head outside. There was a disheveled looking man out on the front lawn.
"Who is that?" I asked.
They craned their heads towards the window and looked outside with me. All of the color drained from their faces.
"It's him," the man whispered.
"Who?"
"My brother," the woman said. "The one who has been killing all my children. The one who keeps us trapped here."
"I'll go distract him," I said. "When we are out of view, take your chance and leave quickly."
I immediately climbed out the window. The man grabbed my foot before I could leave.
"Wait!" he called out. "I just... wanted to thank you for helping us."
"We really appreciate it," the woman said.
I smiled back at them and nodded. The man let go of my foot, and I crawled out of the window. The brother remained on the front lawn, but didn't see me. I melted my body and slithered away before he could turn around. I then reshaped myself into a presentable "human" form and walked down the sidewalk towards the house, as if I just happened to be walking that way.
"Excuse me?" I called out to the brother.
"Huh?" He looked up at me. "Who the hell are you?"
"Can you help me?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound as weak as possible. "I've been travelling for days and I need some water. Would you please give me a glass?"
The brother stared me up and down for a moment, contemplating if he could trust me or not.
"Sure." He shrugged. He stepped inside his house and gestured for me to come with him. I closed the door behind us and followed him into his kitchen.
His house was... interesting. Piles of trash and dirty clothes lay strewn across the floor. I had to carefully step over it to avoid tripping. There were also large patches of dried bloodstains in several areas. Some looked newer than others.
A large bulletin board hung on his kitchen wall. It had pictures of the man and woman from downstairs, along with several pictures of babies. Seven of them. There were X's over each baby's face. It looked like they were painted with blood. There was some text written next to the last baby's picture.
"One left."
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. The brother handed me the glass of water.
"Thank you," I said. I took a sip as carefully as I could.
"Hey, it's no problem," he said. "Anything to be a good neighbor!"
I found his behavior strange. He was a baby murderer and a kidnapper! Why was he being so polite and welcoming? I tried my best to hide my apprehension.
"Hey, I saw you looking at the board," he said.
I snapped my neck towards him in shock. "Uh, y-yeah," I stammered.
He walked towards it and pointed at the pictures of the man and woman.
"I'm tellin' ya, these guys are bad news," he said. "You know what I heard?"
"What?" I asked, trying to mask the fear in my voice.
"The sky... it talked to me, man!" He was fully grabbing my shoulders at this point. "It said that one of their kids is gonna kill me!"
I held my breath. Did he really expect me to believe that? Was that why he had been killing all of the woman's babies?
"But they're not gonna get me," he continued. "No one is. I'll make sure of it."
The way he said that last sentence sent shivers down my spine. I hoped that the couple had escaped by now because I wanted to leave immediately.
"That's, um..." My voice cracked. "That's... good you're staying safe, I guess."
He looked at his board in pride. I chose not to ask more questions and handed him my empty glass.
"Thank you for the water," I said. "But I must be going now."
"Okay!" He escorted me towards the door. "I'll see ya around!"
"Goodbye!" I waved back at him. As soon as he shut the door, I sprinted towards the basement window. The basket was gone. I peered through the window. No one was inside.
Our plan had worked.
The man and woman clutched the basket close to their bodies as they walked through the town. They hid it under their ragged blanket. Kris lay quietly sleeping inside. The town was silent. Crickets chirped in the trees, and the cool night breeze blew around them. At least no one would catch them at this hour.
They stopped walking when they approached the river.
"He said to keep walking, right?" the woman asked.
"I guess so." The man took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The couple walked into the river. The water was cold against their skin, giving them goosebumps. It became deeper as they made their way further into the water. It covered their knees, their legs, their stomachs, and then their chests.
They paused for a moment and looked down at Kris. They were awake. They smiled and cooed softly when they saw their parents' faces.
The man balanced the basket on top of his head in an attempt to keep Kris safe from the water. They both continued walking.
The water grew deeper and deeper. The couple's heads were completely submerged. They couldn't breathe, but they remembered Gaster's words. He assured them that they would be safe. They just had to trust him.
Some of the water splashed against the basket. It touched Kris's feet for a brief moment. They giggled at the sudden contact. After that, the water began to lower. The couple gasped once their heads popped out of the surface. They paused for a moment to catch their breath, then they kept walking.
In the distance they saw some land. Was this the destination Gaster was talking about? The couple looked at each other and smiled. They walked closer.
At the edge of the river, Toriel stood silently with her eyes closed. She appeared to be meditating, or maybe just taking in the fresh air.
Her eyes shot open when she heard distant splashing in the water. She squinted and made out the couple in the distance.
"Hello!" Toriel called out to them and waved.
"Hey!" the man shouted back. They headed towards her even faster until they approached the edge of the river. The water was up to their waist, so the woman could hold the basket against her chest.
"Are you alright?" Toriel asked. "Oh dear, you two are soaking wet!"
"We're fine," the man said. "We just... need some help."
Toriel looked down at the basket and noticed baby Kris inside. Her face fell at the sight.
"Is that..."
"Our baby." The woman said while averting her gaze. "We wanted to give them a better life. One that we could not provide for them."
Toriel's heart broke at her statement.
"You must have travelled far," Toriel said. She held her arms out towards the basket. The woman hesitated for a moment, then handed the basket to Toriel.
She looked down at Kris. They gazed up at her with their wide crimson eyes. They instantly captured her heart.
"They're beautiful," Toriel whispered. "What's their name?"
"Kris," the man said.
"Kris," Toriel stroked Kris’s tiny face and smiled. "My name is Toriel. It is very nice to meet you."
"Will you... take care of them for us?" the man asked. "Give them a good life and keep them safe."
"I promise. I will treat them as my own." Toriel bowed her head.
The woman let out a strangled sob. The man wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears drip down his face. Toriel’s heart broke for the grieving couple.
"Would you like to say goodbye?" she asked.
The woman nodded and sniffled. She walked towards Toriel who placed the basket on the ground in front of her. The woman cradled Kris's face and kissed their forehead. The man followed behind her and kissed their cheek. He gently rubbed their shoulder while he spoke.
"We love you, Kris," he whispered. "Please stay safe."
The woman sang softly to Kris.
"When the night is getting cold
And the shadows start to grow
And the places that you know
Seem like fantasy,
There's a light inside your soul
That's still shining in the cold
With the truth, the promise in our hearts.
Don't Forget, I'm with you in the dark."
She hiccuped lightly before giving Kris one final kiss. Their eyelids grew heavy from her soothing voice.
"Thank you," the man said to Toriel, his voice wavering from tears.
The woman nodded at Toriel. She was crying too hard to speak.
"It is my pleasure," Toriel said.
The man and woman turned around and walked away from Kris and Toriel. They clung to each other like their lives depended on it.
Toriel blinked back her own tears that had formed and scooped Kris out of the basket. She stood up and walked away, leaving the basket behind at the edge of the river.
"Come on, Kris," she said. "Let's go meet your new family.”