Beginnings

by Dinocanid

Summary:

An imagining of the story before, slightly during, and maybe after the war. Relations between humans and monsters are beginning to sour, and now Gaster must navigate life in his new, unfamiliar home. Unfortunately for him, himself and everything he knows could end up changed forever...

Notes:

The initial pitch for this fanfic. After a chapter or two I'll continue based on how well received it is.

Chapter 1

Young Gaster had his arms folded on the edge of the ship; staring out into the sunlit open ocean. He didn't bother sleeping last night, he wasn't tired. He was busy wondering about how things were in Ebott. What the monsters were like, and if the humans were nice over there. He didn't want to leave his home in Tenebrae, but his parents worked for the king as researchers and they received a letter stating that they were needed in the capital city. A few weeks at sea later and here they were, not too far from shore.

"Is everything alright? You’ve been out here since yesterday evening."

It was his father, Corbel, checking up on him. He stood proud and tall; he wanted to be like him one day. If only his parents weren’t so into their work...

Gaster didn't avert his gaze from the sea and just simply nodded.

"I know that it's hard leaving everyone behind, but sometimes you have to look at the greater scope of things and understand what is most important." His father said; putting a hand on his child's shoulder.

"I don't understand why we have to move. Why couldn't you and Mum just visit the king and come home?“

"Because, son, it's our job under the king of monsters to help ensure everyone's safety. We’ve been summoned for something more serious and we must be available to report. I couldn't leave my family behind, now could I?"

"No..."

"Of course not. I'm sure you'll really like the capital city. You should find lots of new friends there."

"HeheheheheheheHAHAHA" A muffled chorus of laughter could be heard from the chambers of the ship, and a window slammed open to reveal an angry Snowdrake.

"Skeleton! If you don't come get your demon spawn I swear to the gods...!"

Gaster and his father chuckled at what the bird monster called them.

"I'm on my way, don't get your feathers in a bunch."

The young skeleton was fond of his family's blasters; even if they were a nuisance to...everyone else. They were common companions to skeletons where he came from; it's just that they had so many. 5, in fact. 5 giant skeleton dogs, the size of horses, galloping around the ship and wreaking havoc. The captain would've locked them down in the hold if his father hadn't refused.

When the ship finally docked, the skeleton family was practically thrown off the ship.  They made their way from the port and, just as they did, Verdana and Calibri sped away and galloped off into the city.

"Curse those hounds, they can never seem to stay put. Wingdings, would you be a dear and fetch them? The last thing we need is for our first impression to be ruined." Gaster's mother, Candara, asked.

"Yes Ma'am." He said before running off after them. They left large prints in the dirt, so they wouldn't be hard to find. The prints led into a residential part of the city where their prints were lost in cobblestone paths. His attention was drawn towards telltale cackling and chuckles that said they were close. He rounded the corner and found them eating away at something with stray papers strewn here and there across the street. Another young monster around his age was standing nearby with a defeated look. They were a fire monster with the fire barely flickering about as they usually do.

Okay; first the problem. Questions later.

"Verdana! Calibri! Cut it out! What are you eating?" He shouted; pushing their skulls until he saw some crumbs and a stray piece of lettuce fall from their mouths. Uh oh.

"Ah, gods, that was yours wasn't it? I'm sorry, they're just so greedy..." He said to the fire monster.

Well, there was no getting that lunch back now. He couldn't just leave it at that and go home, it was rude!

"Uh...sorry about my dogs. I could get you something else to eat if you...wanted...to..." 

Gaster trailed off as the kid just looked at him. He wasn't saying anything and this was getting awkward fast. Then, the fire monster shook their head.

"It's fine, I wasn't that hungry anyway. I was just waiting for you to finish; you apologize a lot."

He did? He only did it twice. Was the kid not used to hearing them?

"You said those are dogs?"

"Well, sort of. They're blasters—since they fire lasers from their mouths—but they're like dogs, so they might as well be."

"Sounds...dangerous."

"Says the kid made of fire."

"I guess that's fair."

"I'm Gaster, I just moved here. What about you?" He said, extending an arm for a hand shake.

Wait wait wait the kid's made of fire, abort abort abortabort.

Oh.

It doesn't burn.

"My name's Grillby."

Chapter 2: New Home

Hopefully Grillby hadn't noticed his 2 second panic attack, but something told him that he did and was just being nice about it.

"I have to get these two home, my parents are waiting for me." Gaster said while climbing onto Calibri's back. "I'll uh, see you around I guess?"

"Yeah, I work at the Inn most of the time. I'll see you if you ever stop by." Said the kid before he hurried off somewhere. Maybe to work? Regardless, he didn't have time to follow him now.

"Come on you two, we can't keep mum and dad waiting!"

Calibri garbled and trotted back to the port with Verdana close behind.

His mother was waiting for him on a bench when he arrived.

"There you are! If you were out longer I would have gone looking for you."

Candara picked up her son from the blaster's back and placed him on the ground before holding his hand.

"Come on then. Your father and the other blasters have gone to our new home already."

 

And what a beautiful home it was.

 

It was definitely nothing fancy. A well-built wooden two story house with a front lawn. Right inside the front door was a kitchen with a study down the hallway and the bedrooms up the stairwell. Gaster's room was at the end of the hall. It lacked a window, but he didn't mind. He plopped down on the bed and layed there. Being up all day, he hadn't realized how tired he had been. He didn't even bother asking his parents if he could accompany them to see the king; not that they would have said yes anyway. A scratch was heard on his door, followed by the garbled voice of one of the blasters. They spoke in nonsense, but he heard them long enough to know his name and the nightly routine.

"Gaster?"

"Yes?

"Are you asleep?"

"No."

The doorknob rattled as they fumbled with it. Perhaps he should get up and open it.

 

But he was sure they had it.

 

The door opened after some time and the blaster poked their head through the door so only their nose hole was showing.

"You can come in."

They did that now instead of barging in because one time they did and he wasn't exactly dressed. It was Arial this time and she came to tuck him in for the night. She gently pulled the blanket over him and pressed her teeth on his forehead in a kiss.

"Thanks Arial. Good night."

"Goodnight two-leg child."

 

The blaster then left the room; pulling the door closed behind her. Gaster shuffled around under the covers to get comfortable before finally putting his head on the pillow to rest. His mind wandered to the fire monster he met earlier that day. Grillby, was it? Maybe he would stop by the Inn in the morning; he seemed like an interesting kid.

Notes:

The translated lines from Arial are :
"Gaster?"
"Are you asleep?"
'"Goodnight two-leg child."

If you don't have the WingDings font on your computer or phone then her dialogue will just show up in english anyway. It would be in all caps though. On the bright side, I learned that scissors are quotation marks.

Chapter 3: Visiting the inn

Notes:

*Screams into the 8th dimension*
Okay so it takes me literally forever to write anything. I didn't mean for this to take so long. Unfortunately, this chapter is kind of dialogue-heavy.

That morning, Gaster woke up and got fully dressed, since he intended to leave early. With it being early winter, he settled on a white sweater to stay warm. He then made his bed and looked around to make sure everything else was tidy before he walked downstairs. His mother always made tea early in the morning, and he didn't want to miss her.

While on his way to the kitchen, he spotted Myanmar, another one of the blasters, with his head in the window. It didn't seem like he could get himself out either.

“Uh, Myanmar?”

"Little brother! Is that you?"

“What are you doing there?”

"A conniving bird kept screeching in the window this morning, so I gave him what for! I can't get out though, I'm sorry…"

“I'll tell mum about it.”

"Thank you! " he yipped while wagging his tail furiously. "I knew I could count on you! The others just laughed at me."

Gaster continued on his way to the kitchen and found his mother already inside. She saw him in the doorway and gave a gentle “good morning”, which he returned. She appeared to be making tea, but hadn't started breakfast yet.

"Pull up a chair, I've already got some tea for you," she said.

Gaster sat at the table and watched his mother pour the tea into the two mugs. She was still in her nightgown, and it swung slightly as she walked.

“Myanmar got himself stuck again,” he told her.

“Yes, I'm aware. You father forgot to trim his horns before it could happen again. I'll free him later once he’s awake,” Candara said. She turned around and saw that Gaster was fully dressed already; something he usually doesn't do in the morning.

"You certainly look ready for the day," she placed the smaller mug in front of him before taking a seat herself. "I couldn't even get your father up this morning."

"That's because he can be a lazybones sometimes," Gaster replied, taking a sip of his tea. It was nice and sweet with a bit of milk, just how he liked it.

"Indeed," Candara chuckled. "So where are you off to this early in the morning? The sun's barely up itself."

"To meet someone again from yesterday. He said I could visit if I wanted to. He works at the inn all day, so he'll be there when it opens."

"Is that right? What's he like?"

"He's a fire monster, and he looked around my age. He seems cool to know."

"Well I won't keep you then. Go on, just be back in time for supper."

"I will, thanks mum!"

The boy quickly finished his tea and dashed out the door. He didn't even put the chair back under the table. Before long, Corbel entered the kitchen, who was still trying to ward off the remains of sleep.

"Look who finally rolled out of bed," Candara greeted.

"You took the blankets and I was getting cold. Where's Wingdings off to?"

"Visiting a new friend of his. Dear, have you heard of a child working as young as him? All day?"

"Certainly not all day. It's probably family business, lots of shops are run that way. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

“…I suppose,” she said, half convinced. The way her son described it still sounded strange, but it would be best not to think about it too much and jump to conclusions.

"So where's my tea?"

"You've got arms, don't you? Tea is for early risers, you know that. I've got to go free Myanmar. Poor thing got himself stuck trying to put his big head through the window. He's not the brightest beast you know."

"He's not stupid, just....curious."

Candara gave him a knowing look

"...I'll trim his horns again so you can get him out."

"Thank you."

---

Gaster entered the inn and looked around. There weren't many customers anywhere, was it always like this? Grillby spotted him from the counter and waved to call him over.

“I didn't think it would be so empty.”

"We don't usually get many visitors in the morning, and most of the customers are asleep upstairs. I actually wanted to ask more about you yesterday, but I was in a rush. I've never seen a skeleton in person until yesterday.”

"Really? Not ever?"

"Skeletons just don't live around here.”

"My parents had a job to do with the king, so we had to move over here. I haven't asked you any questions yet though; what's your story?"

“I’m just a kid with a day job, there’s not much to talk about."

"Not much to talk about? You're literally on fire! You can't tell me that's not pretty cool."

"It's not cool when people are usually afraid of you. They always think I'm gonna burn stuff. I mean, I can, I don't like to get that hot though."

"I don't like scaring people either."

There it goes again, that awkward silence. 

"So....do you want anything?"

"Huh? Oh! No, not really. Sorry, I'm just not good at holding conversations..."

"It's alright, it's pretty funny seeing you like that."

Ouch.

"Gee, thanks. It's nice to know that you're entertained by my misery."

"Ah come on, I'm only teasing you," he said while giving the kid a playful shove; then he lowered his voice down to a whisper. "But seriously, I do need to look like I'm working right now."

"So why don't you just actually work?"

"Because I’m here all day, I'm resting now for when things pick up."

“That sounds hard, did you need some help?”

“I'm fine by myself, I've been doing this for a while.”

“I'll go then, I don't want to get you in trouble.”

Gaster said goodbye and made his way back home. Upon entering the front door, he was knocked down by a very happy Myanmar. His parents must have trimmed his horns, since there were now just short nubs where they used to be .

"I have been freed! I sat here waiting for you, because I was lonely."

“Get off!” he said with an annoyed tone. The blaster whined and stood back up with an apologetic look.

"Sorry…It's just that you forgot to pet my face. Marlett pet my face to be nice. It's not the same."

Notes:

Wingdings is Gaster's official name in this story, but he doesn't like to use it since it's an embarrassing first name.
Also in case you were wondering, Gaster isn't Myanmar's brother for real, he just considers him to be. I'll get into it in the next chapter.

Chapter 4: Interrogation

Summary:

Gaster spends some time with his dad and momma gets to work.

 

"Alright, alright, but I won't pet you anymore if you keep pouncing people; you could hurt someone."

Gaster pet Myanmar's face like he wanted. That seemed to soothe him, and he followed Gaster into the living room. His father was inside; he sat in a large arm chair by the bookshelf and was flipping through the pages of some book. Marlett was resting on the floor beside him.

"Where's mum?"

"She had some business to attend to, She'll be home later. Would you care to sit with me? We haven't talked," Corbel asked.

The boy walked over and sat on the arm of the chair, while Myanmar began pestering his brother while he slept.

"How do you like it here?"

"It's different. There are a lot more humans here than the town we came from."

"Then it's good to hear that things haven't been horrible. I just want you to be comfortable here, especially with your mother and I out of the house so much."

"But why? You never told me what you're doing."

"It's highly confidential, so I'm afraid I can't tell you the specifics. But the tension between humans and monsters is very high here, and we need to find ways to keep everyone safe. Understand?"

"Yes..."

"Good. I wish I could tell you more, I really do."

Myanmar had poked Marlett one too many times, and he groaned in frustration.

"If you poke me one more time I'm telling momma!"

"No you're not, because little brother will cover for me!"

" He's not little brother!"

" Momma had a baby, therefore he is little brother!"

"Myanmar, let your brother rest,” Corbel intervened. “You can pester him when he's awake."

Myanmar whined and walked out of the room sulking. Meanwhile, Marlett let out a huff and went back to his nap. Gaster’s gaze was on the entryway where he left.

“He'll be alright,” Corbel sighed. “He always is, remember? Give him a few hours and he'll be running circles again.”

“I know, I just don't like seeing him like that. I think I'll go talk to him, he always likes that, even if I can't understand everything.”

Gaster hopped off the arm of the chair and trotted up the stairs.

---

 

Candara walked purposefully down the hall of the castle with Calibri following close behind. At the end of the hall was the interrogation room, guarded by a minotaur named Bertram. He wore shiny metal armor and held a spear as tall as himself in his hand. He stood up straight in a salute when she approached.

“Morning Inquisitor,” his eyes wandered to the large blaster trailing behind her. No doubt he had never seen one. “If I may ask..”

“She's backup. If all goes well, she won't have to do a thing.”

“Yes, of course. The suspect is right inside.”

Candara nodded and made her way through the double doors. The interior of the room was simple; it had wooden floors with mahogany walls. In the center was a desk with the suspect in a chair on the opposite end. His hands were tied around the back. He looked young, with messy hair and common clothes. He remained silent and refused to make eye contact. The skeleton moved forward and sat to the desk.

“I was informed that you were apprehended on the basis of being a spy for the Opposition. I'm assuming you have nothing to say about that.”

The young man scowled and remained silent.

“The fire titan met an untimely demise a couple years ago. She was greatly loved among monsters…and we have reason to believe your group was behind it.”

She jerked forward, slamming her hands onto the desk with a loud thud. “Speak!”

“I already told you demons that I'm not saying a thing, you can't prove any of it!”

"Don't give me that crap! I hope you know the position you're in because there's a pair of jaws waiting right behind that door for you if you don't."

"You wouldn't sic nothing on me," he said with a hint of disbelief. He was getting cocky now.

With a snap of her fingers Calibri burst through the doors and lunged forward, knocking the man down and destroying the chair in the process.

"The king doesn't care whether you live or die..." Candara walked around the desk and knelt down beside him. Her blood red halos for eyes bore into his with a venomous gaze. "Now, you can tell me what you're planning or she'll paint the floor with your brains."

“T-They're after the titans. Their essence will make our mages more powerful. That’s all I know!”

“You bastards…so it was you.”

“I didn't have a hand in it!”

“You're right; you didn't. You're just a lowly spy aren't you? Cali.” 

On command, the blaster released the spy. His hands were free, so she still growled at him to let him know that it would not be wise to try anything. 

“Get out. If you value your life you'll never come back here. I  won't  hesitate  if  I  see  you  again.”

“Yes-Yes Ma'am!”

The young man scrambled away and disappeared down the hall. Bertram was about to run after him, but Candara stopped him.

“Don't go after him, I let him go.”

“Did he tell you anything about the assassination?” he asked.

“I wouldn't have released him otherwise. They're targeting the other titans to strengthen their mages; I can only fear what for.”

“Well by the gods…Do you really think they can pull something off like that?”

“I doubt the death of Broodmother was a fluke. They can surely do it again given enough time. I’ve got to report my findings to the king, no doubt he’ll want to hear this.”

Notes:

Momma is definitely not someone you'd want knocking on your door in the middle of the night. She's scary D:
And yeah, per my promised explanation, the blasters aren't blood related to the skelefam. They were adopted as puppies and raised for a couple years before Gaster came along.

Chapter 5: Tvtropes

Not a chapter but, we do have a tvtropes now! I was feeling motivated and decided to make one: Link

Sorry for the long wait. I don't plan in advance. The next chapter should be coming soon...I think... *hides in corner*

Chapter 6: Comfort

Notes:

If you don't know by know by now, it best to keep a translator handy when reading this story (Some phones/tablets replace wingdings with caps, so no worries there.)
It isn't required, but it's good if you want the full context of conversations with the blasters.

 

 

"They plan to do what!?"

"It is as I told you, my Lord"

"To think that they would dare do such a thing..."

The King paced back and forth in thought. After a moment, he paused.

"How much longer until the next one falls?"

"We don't know. It would take time, but if they're as strong as we believe then it could be less than before. Might I suggest sending soldiers to aid them?"

"No, I do not think that is a good idea. It would only draw more attention, and I do not want any false alarm.”

He sighed, and turned back to the Inquisitor with a softened expression.

“You and your husband are dear friends of mine, and I respect your judgement. But, we cannot afford to be reckless with this. I will be sure to discuss this with the human king. You are dismissed, Inquisitor."

She bowed, and promptly left. She did not agree with leaving the other titans on their own, but it made sense that sending armed parties to various locations would raise suspicion, and that was the last thing they needed right now. But what of the killers? They can't go unpunished, and she doubts the human king is so innocent. It must have been arranged; no average group of vigilantes could've done it.

Calibri whined and nudged Candara.

"I'm sorry, darling. I guess I got lost in my thoughts again."

The blaster snorted and gave her a stern look.

"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking anything brash. It's just...if those humans could bring her down, what else are they capable of?" The woman pet Calibri gently. "But I don't want to worry you with that. Luckily that job falls on me."

---

 

"Myanmar, it's okay."

"No it's not! I remember how those people used to bully you! They didn't like you being my brother, but I do..."

"Well, I don't pay them any mind." Gaster said as he scratched the sad creature's mandible. "You shouldn't either."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do!"

"Wow! Thanks little brother...I just wish the others thought the same way. Appearance matters so much to them."

Gaster didn't really know what else to say. It wasn't like he was wrong, in fact he was right. They had this conversation all the time, and despite how redundant it is, he always gets stuck on whenever the past is brought up. He was basically a infant at the time, so of course he couldn't remember how he was treated, nor did he care enough in the present, along with everyone else. He just wanted to make Myanmar feel better, and agreeing to his claims always worked.

After all, brothers are cool. He wasn't going to go around town saying his brother was a dog, but for his sake he was willing to treat him as such.

“So you're better now?”

" As I’ll ever be!”

Myanmar paused in thought for a moment.

"Little Brother, would you care to go frolicking in town with me? I would go myself, but I require a diplomat so I don't look like a savage beast.”

“You don't look very savage to me.”

" But I am still very beastly! I went to a park yesterday and humans threw sticks at me until I left. One got stuck in my ribs, and Momma had to take it out.”

“I didn’t know about that! Are you alright?”

“I am unharmed! I could never be harmed by puny sticks. But would you come with me please? It was unpleasant.”

“Right now? I mean, I'd love to but I just got b-”

"You’ll really take me? Wow! We’re going to have the best day ever; then I can add it to my collection of my other best days ever!”

“Hey, wait!” Gaster called, but he was too late to back out now it seemed. At least he would be able to see more of the city...

---

 

The blaster trotted excitedly down the cobblestone paths with his tail raised high. He looked at everything with heightened interest. Instead of enjoying all the sights as well, Gaster had to spend most of his time steering Myanmar away from trouble. (No, you can't just eat food on street carts.) The boy just kept a firm grip on the beast’s vertebrae to prevent himself from falling, but otherwise he was just along for the ride.

As the two made their way out of the different shops and into the main crossings, Gaster noticed a familiar flaming monster on the opposite side of the road. He appeared to be keeping to himself, and he walked quickly.

“What’s he doing out?” He said to himself.

"Is that your friend?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I will call him!”

Nonononono-

The blaster threw his head back and just started wailing. The noise sounded like a tortured seal, or maybe a deranged dog. It definitely wasn’t the most angelic noise. Gaster quickly wrapped his arms around Myanmar's muzzle to shut him up before he could continue.

“What was that?? People are staring!” He said in a somewhat loud whisper.

"My most noticeable call.” He replied with a muffled voice.

“I see that!”

"Would you prefer if I howled for you instead?”

“No!” He exclaimed.

Much to the young skeleton's embarassment, Grillby had heard the noise, and he recognized him from a distance when he looked.

"See? I have successfully summoned him!”

Gaster shyly greeted his friend after the blaster so gracefully beckoned him over.

“Do your dogs really do weird stuff like that all the time?” He asked.

“Well...Yeah. They do.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “He wanted to see the city, so I had to go with him.”

“I could show you around you know. I've always lived here, so I know my way around.”

“Don't you have work?”

“I’m off early today, so it's not a problem.”

“I say we follow your fire friend!” The blaster yipped.

“That would be a yes.” Said Gaster.

Notes:

I imagine the blasters sounding like hyenas when they aren't speaking, and hyenas make some pretty crazy noises besides their famous cackling. You can just go on youtube and see.

Chapter 7: Despair syndrome

Summary:

In which the reality of things begin to surface.

Notes:

OKAY SO this was not supposed to take 3 months to write. A freakin' blue moon managed to happen before I could update; I hate that. Most of it's due to laziness, my odd writing method where I type a bunch of vaguely connected ideas first and sew it all together somehow, and my complete inability to write filler.
Several parts were cut and saved for later, and bunch were added, etc.
Anyway...onto the story? It's been a while.

 

"Most people live over here, in the residential part of the city. It's busy during the day, but everything's usually quiet when night comes."

Grillby turned around and pointed across the street, towards an avenue of houses and shops.

"Over there is where the most of humans live. You can't see it from here, but it's the way to their king's castle. You probably shouldn't go there."

"Why not?" Gaster asked.

"You'll end up as dust. Some humans are nice; others, they don't like us."

"Humans aren't that bad."

"You're new here. I don't like to talk about it...but I've seen it. They're not gonna kill you for walking over there, but just watch your back."

Gaster almost didn't believe it, maybe he was trying to scare him, but even Myanmar didn't want to go there. His tail stopped wagging and everything, and he just stared at it. He didn't like that place.

"Let's go somewhere else..."

Grillby agreed and led them once again. This time, it was to a large and peaceful park; the only one in the whole city. It had soft, rolling hills with large oak trees spotted around. With winter approaching, the leaves had already changed colors and started to fall, and the grass was a pale color. The paths were simply made of dirt, but were well-kept and neat. In the center of the park was a large pond.

Myanmar whined and kept looking at the ducks swimming in the pond not too far from them. He looked at Gaster expectantly, who just rolled his eyes.

"Go on..."

The blaster yipped and dashed straight to the pond before leaping in; scaring all the ducks away.

He wasn't able to catch any, but what else was new.

"He really likes to play, doesn't he?"

"Almost too much."

"I think he's alright -- you know, for a dog."

He took a seat on a nearby bench and patted the spot next to him so Gaster would sit.

"The only place left is the shops, but that's where we started."

"What about the castle? That's where my parents go every day."

"We'd never get in, only roy-- wait, your parents? What do they do?"

"I think they're researchers. I read their letters a few times, and they always discuss what was discovered and how it can be used and stuff. I don't know, it was all vague. They won't tell me anything themselves either."

"That's rough...Maybe we can take a look in the castle one day. We might see them."

"You just said we could get in trouble for that."

"If we don't get caught, we can't get in trouble for anything." He teased.

 

They spent the rest of the day in the park, talking to each other. They talked about different things until dusk, when the sky had clouded over and flurries of snow began to fall. Grillby sat up on the bench when he felt one touch him, it was like pins and needles.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't be out in the snow." He said as he stood up. "I should head home before it picks up."

"Oh, well I'll see you later then? I promised my mum I would be back in time for supper anyway."

"Yeah, see you." He said as he left.

 

Gaster made his way home as well, with Myanmar close behind. When they returned, they found Corbel inside preparing supper. Or, well, not preparing supper. He appeared to be dividing meat he had bought, but that's all there was. There was one plate where a cooked piece of meat had been place, and Gaster hoped it was his.

"We're home." He greeted. Myanmar had since left his side to swarm around their father with all the other blasters.

It took a moment for him to respond, but he eventually greeted him back.

"Where have you been all day? You were gone before I even got out of bed this morning." He asked.

"With a friend, he was showing me around." Gaster responded.

"Well while you were out having fun, I had to spend the afternoon harassing the butchers. You can't buy this much meat without them wondering what in the gods' name you need it for."

He tossed the large hunks of meat to the blasters, who quickly began to gobble it down.

"It's raw..." Gaster said.

"To be frank, they don't care and neither do I."

Corbel gave Gaster his plate before making his way to the stairs.

"You aren't eating?"

"No worries, I've eaten already." he replied before making his way up the stairs.

The blasters happily ate their food, and Gaster was satisfied (and thankful) with his cooked portion. He cleaned the dishes after he was done and put them away, since his father was too tired to bother cleaning up after himself. By the time he finished, his mother had returned home. Calibri returned too, but her siblings didn't bother to greet her.

"Momma!"

"Hi, Momma! "

"Momma's home! "

The blasters called as they ran to the door with wagging tails, and Candara petted all of them. Gaster walked out of the kitchen to see his mother before he went to sleep.

"Your father's not here?" she asked him.

"He's asleep. He said he was out shopping all day, and he looked really tired."

"Poor thing. I probably shouldn't have left that all up to him."

She looked around before saying goodnight and going to her room. Gaster didn't realize until she left that his father hadn't made her anything.  Hopefully she wasn't too upset by it.

 

In her room, Candara changed into her night clothes and crawled into the bed. Corbel heard her come in, but he was still half-asleep. 

"Did you enjoy your supper?" She asked him.

"Mhm...did you?"

"I wouldn't know."

Corbel just realized he had forgotten, and turned to face her.

"You know I can be forgetful sometimes, it just slipped my mind..." he apologized.

"Oh, so you're so forgetful you forgot your own wife?" She said, and he shrunk back.

"That's not what I meant, I-I just had a lot to do today!" He whimpered.

She just looked at him while he babbled on about explaining himself. Eventually he stopped trying and the room fell silent.

"I'm this close to having you sleep on the floor. You're lucky we had something to eat already before we came home. " she chided.

"Did anything happen today?" He asked. She didn't appreciate him changing the subject like that, but she was tired and  he was trying to save his own bony hide, so she answered him.

"I discovered that Broodmother wasn't the only target; the others are in danger. Unfortunately, we can't take any sort of action. I don't like this."

"I'm sorry dear, I would have helped but I couldn't leave Wingdings alone on his first day."

"I know you had to stay. I don't like leaving him either, but tomorrow you have to go. I'm not covering for you anymore, and I can't be absent." she replied before rolling over to sleep.

She scared him, just a little bit, because she could tell he was still laying there defensively like he messed up. He did, but she pitied him, so she gave him a quick peck on the skull before going to sleep.

---

It had been a week since Gaster spent time on his own. Now he only saw his parents early in the morning and late at night. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it. In fact, he remembers how it was like that all the time back in Tenebrae. They were around as much as they could be when he was little, but as he grew older he saw them less and less.

He spent as much time outside of the house as he could. Grillby made that easier. He visited him at the inn every day, and he appreciated his company. They would spend the days wandering the city until dusk.

That is, until he stopped coming.

 

Gaster entered the inn and greeted his friend like he normally would. He would always visit in the morning so he wouldn't disturb him while he worked. It hadn't been that long, only a week, but he had noticed that he became a lot less enthusiastic about explore in that short span of time.

"Are you able to go outside today?" He asked him.

"Today's not good for me."

"Are you busy?"

"I just don't feel well."

"Well...I hope you feel better! Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

Except he wasn't better tomorrow. For the next few days he was still sick. After that he began to act like he was better, but Gaster could see that he still wasn't well. He thought at first that his flame was dull because he was a kid, but now he could tell that his energy was just...low.

He wasn't as bright and, probably the most concerning, he wasn't warm. At first he could feel his heat from a distance, now he has to be really close.

To say he was worried was an understatement. Grillby was lying about it, but why?

One time he was the worse than any of the other days. Gaster visited him at night, and it was around closing time. He was too busy to talk that day, but he was worried that he might be pushing himself too hard. When he entered, Grillby didn't greeted him. His glasses were off and his hands covered his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"I can't see straight..." he replied in a shaky voice. It wasn't normal.

The skeleton moved from where he was standing and behind the counter where his friend was.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Grillby was shaking pretty bad, and he didn't look too good either. He pushed himself to carry on, but something was off. He swayed, then he collapsed onto the ground unconscious.

"Grillby!"

He rushed to him. Luckily he was still breathing, so he wasn't dead -- at least not yet anyway.

 

Gaster made it home with his friend in his arms. The blasters saw him, but didn't run to his since they knew something was wrong.

"Where's mum and dad?"

Gaster asked.

"Momma's upstairs, but papa isn't here..." Verdana barked.

"Get her, quickly!"

Verdana ran up the stairs and pawed at Candara’s door for her to come out. Before long she was on her way down. 

“He said he was really dizzy, then he just fell. He's been sick for a while but he wouldn't get better…”

She had to share some of her magic with him. She had enough to spare, and he needed it.

She pulled out Grillby's soul and was horrified at the state it was in, but now was hardly the time to stare. Candara cupped the golden soul in her hands and focused. Streams of glowing green magic flowed into the soul from the palms of her hands. The soul regained it's vibrance, if only for a moment, but it otherwise didn't seem to do anything to repair it. Regardless, he began to stir, so she returned it to him.

Grillby opened his eyes, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to sit up, but another wave of dizziness hit him and he layed back down.

"Try not to move, okay?" Gaster said.

 

Not long after, Gaster's father had returned home. He immediately became concerned when he saw Grillby passed out on the couch.

"What's going on?" Corbel asked.

"This child's sick. Wingdings brought him here after he fainted." Candara replied.

"Did you check his soul?"

"I did, it looked awful. It's all malformed and pale..."

"Do you think we should get a doctor?"

"That would be best. I don't want to risk anything by tending to him myself."

"I'll fetch her; hopefully she hasn't gone to bed already."

As soon as he had arrived, he left. All they could do now was wait.

About half an hour passed and the front door opened again to reveal Corbel followed by the doctor; a human woman.

"I should probably introduce myself...I'm Dr. Eliza, I run the clinic on the outskirts of the city. I was just about to close for the night, but I had to be here as soon as I heard what was going on." Eliza as she took off the coat she had been wearing and placed it on the hook by the door.

"I'm guessing this is him?"

She kneeled by the side of the couch so she wasn't towering over him, and gave him a friendly hello. Grillby shrunk back in the couch and eyed her defensively. He was nervous about having a human look at his soul, but Gaster's parents had called her, and he trusted them.

 

To put things lightly, his soul looked awful. It looked scabbed in some places and cracks were everywhere.

"It looks just as bad as you said it was. Using more green magic won't help here, it isn't healing right."

"His soul shows signs of trauma, though it's hard to tell from what. Elementals like him are incapable of showing physical injuries -- unless they're of the earth variety -- so it shows in their soul instead."

"So...What does that mean then?"

"I'll have to remove the odd pieces and let it heal itself. In other words, he'll need surgery, and quickly."

"Will that hurt?"

"I'm afraid so. Souls are very sensitive, and it would be impossible to numb the pain."

"I'll have to get back and prepare. I can have a carriage sent by. It's cold out tonight, and it's not good for him."

Dr. Eliza made her way to the front door and grabbed her coat before returning to the clinic. Gaster turned towards Grillby, who had passed out once again. He couldn't do anything else but wait for the doctor to come back and take him. She would cure him, right? The surgery would work...right?

Candara decided her son had seen enough for one day, so she ushered him to go to bed. He resisted, but she eventually was able to take him to his room and tuck him in for the night while his father looked after Grillby downstairs.

"You don't have to worry, you know.  The doctor said it's not too late."

"But what if something goes wrong? W-what if--"

She hushed him and kissed his forehead.

"He'll be just fine, I promise. She knows what she's doing."

---

 

After a while the carriage arrived; driven by a small mouse monster with big ears that was bundled up like she could trek five miles in the snow. Gaster's parents were surprised to see her and not the doctor, but she handed them a note she had been keeping in her pocket.

 

"I'm Nellie, and I'm Dr. Eliza's trustworthy assistant!

I was sent to retrieve a young fire monster from this house, so he may be treated and hopefully restored to good health."

 

The rest of the note included details about the surgery, recovery times, and other things. All basically proof that this was a carriage the doctor sent.

They carried the young fire monster to the carriage, making sure he would be comfortable, and closed the door. Then Nellie climbed back onto the horse and trotted away.

The ride to the clinic wasn't too long, and they arrived within half an hour. Dr. Eliza took Grillby inside and placed him on the surgical table. By that time he had woken up again, and he was far beyond nervous. The table next to him was covered with all sorts of sharp tools. He knew this part was coming, but he hoped he would still be knocked out; then he could've just slept through it.

The doctor tried her best to calm him, but there was only so much she could do. She preferred that he slept too, and she considered giving him medicine to do so, but all the pain would just hit him when he woke up and she doubted he could endure that in his state.

"I'll go as quickly as I safely can." she said while pulling out his soul. Afterwards she turned to pick up a scalpel and aimed it carefully at the base of one of the growths with a steady hand. In one quick motion she sliced it off, and the piece disappeared into the air. With each cut the doctor made, he could feel a sharp pain shoot through his entire body, and he screamed. It was hell, and it felt like an eternity. By the end of it he was crying.

 

"Shhh...It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you anymore. That was the last one, see?"

Where all the growths used to be, there were holes and indentations where they had obviously been cut.

"Don't worry, they'll fill in by themselves. It's going to take a while though; probably weeks. You'll need to rest until then."

He was too weak to move on his own, so she picked him up and placed him in one of the spare beds. She gave him a warm blanket and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. She couldn't just leave him by himself after something like that, it pained her to even have to do that procedure on a child. Eventually he was too tired to cry anymore, and he slowly drifted asleep.

Notes:

Before you go looking for it, Tenebrae is a fictional location. The place is pretty important to the story's universe, so expect so see it around.

This was probably the longest thing I've ever written; my essays aren't even this long. Poor Grillby will be fine, I guess.

Chapter 8: Terra

Summary:

Gaster pays a visit to the clinic, and we get to follow Corbel around for a bit \o/

Notes:

Guess who isn't dead? This guy! (Also half the cast but whatever)
Thanks to everyone that still sticks to this story, even with my terrible schedule, if you can call it that. I really appreciate that people love this story as much as they do! I actually didn't think it would gain much traction when I made the first chapter, but here we are!

Anyway...onto the chapter!

 

 

A few days went by, and Gaster was finally told it was alright to visit him. He wanted to see him sooner, but was told he needed to rest. With all that's happened, he couldn't help but be afraid of something, anything going wrong.

He arrived at the front door of the clinic and gave it a knock. When there was no answer he tried again. It wasn't until after he knocked that he noticed the door had a "be back later" note on it. He was just about to leave, then the door was answered by Nellie. She was still standing on the stool she needed to reach the doorknob. He told her he was here to see Grillby, and she nodded before letting him in. She led him to the room he stayed in before leaving to perform other duties. After knocking on the door and getting a response, he fully stepped inside.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked.

"I'm better than I was. The nurse says I'm still weak though."

"You could've just told me you weren't well."

"It's not that easy sometimes..."

"Why not?" He pryed. He was honestly annoyed with the secrecy -- he could've died!

"Not everyone is trustworthy. Some things you can't tell to just anybody, you don't know what they'll do or how they'll react."

The words stung like bees. He still didn't trust him? He thought they were friends!

"I helped save your life! Do I have to want something? The worst that could've happened was that you were healed sooner!"

"No it's-- nevermind, you don't get it...

"No, I don't! You were my friend, if you even know what that is."

"If course I do, I'm not stupid!"

"You don't act like it!"

 

The room fell silent for a while.

 

"I'm just not used to it." He said quietly.

Gaster suddenly felt guilty for getting upset at him. He moved over and sat next to him on the bed.

"You don't know anyone else?"

"No one..." he wiped his eyes and chuckled. Was he crying? Gaster didn't even know he could. "I haven't had friends in a long time if you haven't noticed."

Gaster sat next to him in silence and let him have his moment. He's had nobody besides his parents in a long while, so he understood some of his actions now. In an odd way, they were alike.

"I guess sometimes I forget to say thank-you, so...thanks for helping me." Grillby finally spoke up after a while before pausing again. "...Can I be alone for a while? I'll see you when I can go...okay?"

Or maybe Gaster didn't understand him at all. If anything, wouldn't he want company? Why be alone if it just makes him feel bad? Maybe he just doesn't like being seen like that. He stood back up and left the room, closing the door behind him. As he moved to the entryway he heard the front door open, and the doctor walked inside as she chatted with someone.

"Well I'm glad you found me," she said. "I don't spend a lot of time in the city, and I wouldn't know the first place to look. You must be worried about him, he probably misses you."

"I'm sure he does! I do wish I could've been there at the time to help, but I was away on business." said the man. "How is he?"

"He's much better, but he won't be ready to go for some time...I want to make sure he's stable first."

"No that's alright, I understand."

"You're free to visit him if you want! I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

"Thank you, I would."

He couldn't get caught eavesdropping, so he casually came through the doorway and headed to the front door. When he looked back, the doctor escorted the man to the room. Was that supposed to be Grillby's dad or something? He wasn't expecting, well, a human. He seemed nice enough at least.

Gaster looked around before leaving, and strangely didn't see Nellie anywhere. He decided not to think much of it, and continued his way outside.

 

---

 

The only reason he was here and not in the castle was because he agreed to help with local crime cases as well. He would be nowhere near as busy as Candara, so he figured he would make himself useful.

Marlett would accompany him, as he usually does, although he made himself less useful. There was a couch in the office, and the blaster preferred to lounge in it rather than provide assistance. He never actually wanted to help, he just liked the office.

Corbel had been giving guidance to the training detectives and occasionally lending his expertise to a case or two, but today was different. It is suspected that a hideout used by The Opposition has been discovered, and he's been tasked to investigate.

"I don't know how long this will take. Keep an eye on things will you?" he said to Marlett as he grabbed his coat and prepared to head out.

"Sure, Papa." Marlett responded.

"If Claire stops by here, those papers on the desk can be taken." He pauses halfway through the door. "And- none of your antics. She's not into you."

Marlett whined.

"I mean it."

 

The building was definitely discrete. It appeared to be just an abandoned home, but there was a door down the alley that could be entered. Corbel opened it as quietly as possible and stepped inside. The interior was full of cobwebs, and you could even hear rats squeaking and scurrying around, but he could tell from the footprints that this place was definitely being used. There was a staircase that led to the second floor, but it was so worn it looked unsafe to use. He doubted any of them had been up there, so he stuck to exploring the first floor. 

Lo and behold, there was a room that showed more obvious signs of use: a large study with plenty of chairs scattered around. This must be a place where some of the meetings were held. The skeleton checked all the shelves; they were empty. He then checked the desk drawers, and they were empty as well-- except for one. Inside were several pieces of folded paper, and he took the time to look through them. They appeared to be brief transcripts of meetings; notes detailing ideas, strategies, that sort of thing. There was no mention of Broodmother anywhere, but that was years ago and they probably discarded such notes. However, a different titan had been mentioned in the notes. Terra.

As far was he was concerned, Terra was still alive, but that doesn't mean he would be for long. This must be when they chose him as the next target. Corbel folded the papers again and stuffed them in the pocket on the inside of his coat before closing the drawer again.

 

He could tell he was no longer alone here.

 

Suddenly, something swooped down at him and he jumped out of the way. It was a bat-like monster with a dark purple body and flattened nose. He wore a cloak with space for his large wings, although it did nothing to conceal his face. Honestly, Corbel was surprised to find a monster here.

"Hand over the notes, skeleton." He threatened.

"You're a monster like us, why would you betray--"

"Those titans are not like us!" The monster interrupted, "We're just giving the justice we deserve." The bat snapped.

"Killing them is justice to you, after all they've done to protect this kingdom?" Corbel retorted.

"I know your type. You come in to defend them, but have no idea what they've done. You haven't been here to know!" The other monster said as he stalked around him, ready to attack once more. "We're saving lives! Can't you see that?!"

"You idiot...they'll kill you too once it's over!"

The bat lunged again. Corbel quickly dodged, and countered by slashing the monster's face with his claws. He screeched and clutched the wound with his hand while backing away.

"They're not trying to save anyone. Did it never occur to you where all that magic was going?" The skeleton began to explain, "You've been tricked. They knew the affect killing Broodmother would cause. The other titans would go mad!"

"Then what would they do, kill us all?" The monster scoffed, "You're forgetting that they're all weak. No powers, no abilities; they're nothing without tools."

"You don't give humans enough credit. Some have monster blood in them, who are just as hellbent on destruction as you."

Corbel kept a tight grip on him and dragged him out of the old, run-down building.

"What are you gonna do, kill me? That wouldn't be a very smart thing to do around here."

"Whatever happens to you is my mate's job."

"And just who the hell would that be?

 

---

 

Back at the office, Corbel had spread out all the notes on the desk to examine them in peace. He spent the next hour or so trying to make heads or tails of it, but unfortunately it was just simply missing key information, like possible opportunities for attack.

"Why wasn't he first?" Marlett yawned as he stretched out on the couch in the office. "I don't mean anything Papa, but he's the easiest. He never moves."

"He never moves, so he could be overgrown by now. Luckily that gives us some time. They can't exactly go traipsing around in the woods attacking every mossy boulder in sight, now can they?"

The other thing that was missing was how they planned on killing a titan like Terra. He wasn't like the others, even a sword couldn't pierce his stone.

Corbel shook his head, he honestly didn't want to know. The most important thing now was reaching him before they could.

Notes:

Wow, what a chapter! Or at least it might be, I'm actually terrible at judging my own writing.
The bat monster looks similar to a scorchbeast from Fallout 76.

Also I didn't forget to translate :P

Chapter 9: Dog Days

Summary:

A Slice of Life chapter where Gaster spends time with each of his skeledogs.
What is a typical day in the household like? What sets the blasters apart from each other?

Notes:

Hey hey hey, what's up duderinos?

Yeah...I'm hoping you're used to the long waits by now. This chapter slows things down a bit, because I felt like we were going a bit fast.

In addition to that, the TV Tropes page will be up to date soon (probably later today). Feel free to edit in your own tropes as well!

"Are you about to leave?"

Gaster had woken up early that day to see his parents off to work, but he didn't see his mother anywhere so she must have left already. Corbel had the front door open and was putting his coat on, while Marlett was patiently waiting outside. The father had noticed his tired son come down the stairs, and he gave a smile to greet him.

"You know how it goes, and your mother left without me this morning." he said as he fastened the buttons on his coat. "You're in charge of the house while we're not here. And uh, about the others..."

Corbel kneeled down to his level, as if to tell him a secret.

"Just keep them out of trouble alright?" He whispered. It was a joke really, and they both understood that.

"I don't think I can."

"I know you can't." he chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll be back later tonight."

"Bye dad!"

And with that, Corbel left the house. Since the blasters were still asleep, Gaster took the opportunity to go back to bed and get some more rest himself.

---

Without knowing how long it had been, Gaster was jolted awake.

A loud crash was heard downstairs, and he quickly rushed to see what was wrong. When he got there he saw Calibri and Myanmar butting heads, with Verdana off to the side barking and howling. It wasn't clear who she was rooting for, she just seemed in the moment. Oh, and the table was broken. His parents weren't going to like that...

A second later Calibri backed up and rammed into Myanmar's head with full force, knocking him down and leaving him extremely dazed. He was probably seeing stars.

"Myanmar!" Gaster exclaimed, rushing to him.

"An eternity rises with the moon..." he slurred, obviously dizzy.

"Are you alright??"

Myanmar blinked, and his shook his head to revive himself.

"Little brother! When did you get here?"

"What are you two doing? You made a mess!"

"Calibri pushed me and stole my breakfast!" he whined. " I decided to give her a piece of my mind! She hits like a golem though..."

Gaster growled and approached Calibri, who had made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Why aren't you with mum?"

"She didn't need me today." she said bluntly.

"You can't keep bullying him like that, you could've hurt him!"

"I didn't hit him that hard, he's just weak." she said, rolling her eyes.

"You know I'm not a fighter..." Myanmar interrupted.

"And you came to me. Grow some horns before you try next time!"

"Alright!" Gaster interjected. "Calibri, he's your brother, and you have to leave him alone!"

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'll uh...I'll fight you!"

A moment passed, and Calibri bursted out in laughter.

"That's funny Gaster, but I don't fight twolegs..." she placed her forepaw on his head mockingly, "Especially little ones."

"It's alright little brother! I'm not harmed too badly..." Myanmar chimed in again.

"But--"

When Gaster looked back she had already left the room, and he groaned in frustration. She wasn't always like this, but when she gets into fights he hated it.

---

The next day was much of the same, except Gaster found himself incredibly bored that day since it seemed to pass by so slowly.
He could see Marlett walking towards the study with a book in his jaws, and he decided to call out to him in hopes that he would want to talk.

"Hey Mar...lett?"

After calling his name he swore he saw him walk away faster. Maybe he just didn't want to talk.

All the other blasters were keeping themselves busy and had wandered off to who-knows-where. That meant the only one left was Verdana, if he could ever find her...

She would usually occupy an empty room, or hide out in some unseen corner of the house. Regardless, he spent a good few moments looking for her before finally spotting her outside, around the side of the house. She was laying there in the grass, and seemed to have gathered a pretty impressive rock collection.

"Oh, hello Gaster...Were you looking for me?" she asked in her usual monotone voice.

"You've been right here all day?"

"I think. What did you need?"

"I wanted something to do, and everyone else is busy...Is this where you always are?"

"No...I usually wait for Calibri to come back, but Papa told me I should keep myself busy," she sighed, and paused for a moment to place another rock at the top of the pile. "So I started gathering rocks...It's kind of boring..."

"So what do you like to do?"

"I would go exploring with Cali."

"But...what do you like to do?" he asked again. Surely she had some interests of her own? At least he hoped she did.

"Well I don't do much but...I swam once..." she replied.

Once? At least it was something.

"Why don't you do that then?"

"You'll swim too?"

"Uh--"

"We can go diving if you like...I could go a while without sinking."

Maybe...this won't be so good.

---

"Did it have to be the ocean?"

"Ocean water is the best water. Just don't go too far..."

After that she trotted up to the waves and...had a swim. She was surprisingly able to stay afloat.

"You're not coming?"

"Verdana, I can't swim...I'll sink, get my clothes wet, and it's the middle of winter." Gaster stated bluntly.

"Oh..."

Now with an idea, she dove under the water. She resurfaced a few moments later with a seashell in her mouth, then gave it to him.

"I got you a seashell, since you can't reach them..."

"Oh--Thanks!"

That was actually kind of sweet. She should do her own thing more often.

---

Gaster noticed that Arial had been walking to that same place every morning for a while. She hadn't said anything about it, and he wondered where she would wander off to every day.

This time he decided to follow her, so he waited for her to leave and followed her tracks once she was some distance ahead. After reaching the forest she stopped, since she had noticed his footsteps.

"You could've just asked to come with me." she chided. "You're not very good at sneaking."

"Sorry..." he said, looking down at the snow.

"I'm not upset, you just could've saved yourself the trouble."

They continued walking, but he was beside her this time. The forest they were in was blanketed in a powdery snow, which crunched lightly with each step. There wasn't much sound besides the wind and the swaying of the trees. After a short while, Arial broke the silence.

"I've been exploring these forests for days. It's calming."

"It's safe?"

"Of course it is, even for twolegs like you," she replied. "If it was dangerous I wouldn't be out here."

Then it was quiet again, and several minutes passed where they walked in silence. Arial seemed to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere, it looked a lot like home, and Gaster enjoyed it as well.

Eventually they arrived at a meadow. The snow had barely touched it, and the trees looked a lot more dense behind the clearing. Gaster was about to continue onward into the woods ahead, but Arial stopped him.

"It's cursed." she told him.

"Cursed?"

"If I go in any further I get lost, like there's no direction in there."

What was the use of a ward way out here? He wondered about that, and was deeply curious, but didn't question Arial's advice to avoid it.

"We should go home now. I can give you a ride if you want it?"

Gaster nodded and climbed onto Arial's back, and she followed their tracks back home.

---

One night, Gaster found it particularly hard to fall asleep. He tossed and turned, but couldn't get comfortable. Grumbling, he reached out and turned on the lamp on the nightstand next to him. With all the things on his mind, he couldn't get himself to rest. Afterwards he got out of bed and walked to the door, turning the knob. Maybe a short walk around the house would help him clear his mind...

The upstairs was dark and quiet, since everyone had gone to bed hours ago. Carefully he made his way downstairs, making sure he didn't accidentally wake anyone. When he made it to the bottom, he noticed the light was on in the study. Marlett was inside, resting on the rug with a book.

"What are you doing up?" questioned Gaster. Marlett froze for a moment--surprised to see him--before answering.

"Reading."

"Can I sit with you?"

"......Sure."

He sat down in the large armchair next to Marlett, and stayed there in silence for a while.

"Why are you still up?" Marlett asked.

"I couldn't sleep...I've just been thinking about a lot of things lately..."

"Hmm."

"What do you usually do at work, when you're with dad?"

"Sleep mostly."

"Huh?"

"I stay in the office. It gets me out of the house."

"Oh..." Gaster said, sighing. He was hoping he would learn something.

"Even if I did have something to tell you, you know what papa said." Marlett spoke, turning a page. "He just wants to protect you."

"I know..." Gaster said quietly. But from what? That's what he wanted to know the most.

This didn't really clear his head at all. He decided to just talk about something else; maybe he would relax enough to be able to sleep.

"What are you reading?" Gaster decided to ask. Marlett had been glued to it for a while, assuming it was the same book he had seen him with before.

"It's a drama from the library, you wouldn't like it." Marlett said dismissively.

"It can't be that bad." he said, taking the book and glancing over the pages. It was kind of...
"Wait--"

Marlett snatched the book back and closed it.
"You know what, you should be sleeping." He said hurriedly.

Gaster agreed and went back to his room. He'll leave him to...uh....that.

Do mum and dad know he has that?

Notes:

There you have it! A nice wholesome slice of life chapter. I'm glad I was able to spend time fleshing out the characters of the blasters more. I was going to split them into several chapters, but knowing my update schedule I spared you all and just made it one long chapter.

And I know what you're thinking. Don't look at me like that! This is rated M with suggestive references and you can expect more of it the further we go into the story!

Also...I am looking for beta readers! I basically need someone to bounce ideas off of and give feedback on my in-progress chapters. Let me know if you're interested!

Chapter 10: The Castle

Summary:

The two friends devise a plan to sneak into the king's castle. It doesn't work out too well...

Notes:

I guess I must be on some sort of writing-high because I was able to start on this chapter immediately after posting the last one (even though it did take forever). Anyway, that break was enough, it's time to really buckle down with the plot.

From this point onwards, things will slowly start to escalate...

 

That morning he rolled out of bed and got dressed before making his way downstairs. It was cloudy that day, so the sky was still somewhat dark. At least the little bit of sun yesterday was able to melt some of the snow.

From the bottom of the stairs he looked into the study and saw all of the blasters sprawled out in there, taking up most of the floor space. He made sure to walk by the room quietly so he wouldn't wake them, and he made his way into the kitchen. As usual his mother was the first to wake, and she greeted him. He didn't say much of anything though, and sat at the table silently for a few moments.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no, I'm just thinking about taking a walk." He stood up from his chair and pushed it back against the table. "I'll make sure to be back before it gets too late..."

He walked out of the kitchen and out the front door of the house. When he started walking along the dirt road he kept his gaze forward as he breathed in the cool, crisp air. He took the road into the middle of the city and traveled to the park there. It was still very early in the morning, so the amount of people in the park was minimal. He took a seat on the bench and used the time away from home to relax and be alone with his thoughts.

He was tired of all the secrecy surrounding his parents. Fed up. Exhausted.

He had come to terms with starting a new life in this country, but deep down he was still bothered as to why. What were his parents dealing with that they can't tell him about? Was it dangerous? Did they just not trust him with that information? It could've been...anything. All he wanted to know was why.

"Why indeed..." a voice whispered, and he jumped.

It's sounded like a woman's voice, right near him, but when he looked there was no one. Perhaps he was just...daydreaming. That's all. Still, he took that as a hint that he had spent a little too much time on that bench. Gaster got back on his feet and promptly left the park without a second thought. It was a bit later in the morning now, meaning that more people were going about their day. As he passed by the different buildings and shops he could see monsters and humans alike—shopping, talking, playing; it had a certain harmony to it.
Then he remembered what his father told him, that the relationship between the two were strained. Then there was that part of the city Grillby told him to avoid...

But he saw none of that in what he was looking at now. Gaster didn't quite understand the reasoning behind what he was told, but based on how things were he wasn't exactly worried. Why should they be?

He shook his head and continued past all the figures and buildings. He was going to head back home for the day—That is, until he noticed a familiar form outside the entrance of the inn. He was changing the sign and opening up when he saw Gaster not too far away.

"Hey Gaster."

"You're back! When did they let you go home?" He excitedly responded. Grillby appeared to make a full recovery, he was much more vibrant than the last time Gaster saw him—or more than he's ever seen him for that matter.

"I came back yesterday, since I was finally in good enough condition to leave." Grillby explained while he walked back indoors and stood behind the front counter, and Gaster had a seat on the stool. No customers seemed to have come downstairs yet, if there were any, so the tables around the room were empty.

"And you're alright now?" Gaster inquired.

"As good as I'm going to get."

"What's that mean?"

"It means you're really nosey," he teased, leaning over the counter, "I'm fine! I thought I was never getting out of there."

"A-alright, sorry..." Gaster replied nervously. Grillby accepted it and backed away from him.

"I can get you some tea if you want."

"Oh, I didn't bring any gold with me..." he said while checking his pockets, but when he looked up he had already disappeared into the kitchen.

"It's fine, it's just a cup." Grillby called back.

He spent a few moments back there before eventually returning with the mug in his hands, and he placed it on the counter in front of his friend.

"Wouldn't the owner get upset?" Gaster wondered.

"He's not awake yet, so I'll be alright this time. Just don't mention it."

Gaster gratefully drank it. Grillby did say he didn't normally give "thank-yous", so this must have been his own way of doing it. A few moments later, Grillby got his attention again.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot..."

"What is it?" Gaster asked, looking up from his mug.

"I was wondering, is Wingdings like a nickname or something?"

"...When did you hear that?"

"When I was drifting in and out of consciousness. Your mom called you that."

Several moments went by and Gaster was hesitant to respond, so Grillby came to a quick realization.

"Is that your name?!" Grillby exclaimed.

"N-No!"

"Yes it is, that's why you're so defensive!"

Gaster stared into his mug out of embarrassment, probably wishing he could hide in it. "I-It's not great, okay?" he replied shyly.

"It's alright, I get it," he laughed, "I won't call you that."

Even so, Gaster was not pleased. It wasn't exactly the best name in the world, and the last thing he wanted was someone teasing him about it. Grillby did make a bit of an effort to diffuse the situation though.

"Come on, I was just messing with you, that's not what I wanted to ask. Remember when I said we could visit the castle sometime? How about today?"

Gaster paused. "Huh? You said we weren't allowed in the castle."

"I never said we were going through the front door. Besides, don't your parents work for the king or something?"

"They don't want me there either..."

"Oh, great..." Grillby sighed. "But there's still another way I know about."

"How do you know?" Gaster asked. He did find it a little strange that he knew the proper spots to sneak in, but his friend quickly dismissed it.

"I like to watch the courtyard sometimes. So are you going or not?"

"I want to see my parents but...what if someone sees us?"

"We can avoid the guards and sneak in through the side. It's been pretty peaceful, so I don't think there will be many of them there."

"Alright..."

They both fell quiet when they heard footsteps coming down the stairway. Gaster recognized him as the man from the clinic. He gave a quick "good morning" to the two before he began inspecting the different areas of the room. He must have been the innkeeper, although this was his first time seeing him here. He did hear him mention he had been away, so that was probably why.

"Is that him?"

"Who?"

"Your dad; I thought you didn't like humans?"

"Oh...he's alright. He tries his best to take care of this place, you know?"

"Grillby! I thought I told you to clean the kitchen yesterday!" A voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Y-yes sir!"

"He sounds kind of mad--"

"--It's fine," he said dismissively. "We'll go to the castle later, right?"

"Right..."

---

 

That evening, Gaster followed the road down to the gates of the castle. The front had sturdy iron fencing while the rest was surrounded by tall cobblestone walls. On the inside was a beautiful and well-kept courtyard with two guards stationed by the entrance. He assumed that Grillby would meet him here, so he sat by a nearby tree and waited. Not too long after, his friend came walking by and led him to the side of the castle. There was a hedge running along the side of the wall that Grillby would climb to look into the courtyard. They both peeked over the top to make sure nobody was around, then they climbed over.

There was a door on the side that Grillby tried to open, but it was locked. Looking for another way in, he noticed a trellis leading up to a window on the second floor. It looked like the window could open, but they just needed a way up...

"Uh...are you any good at climbing?"

"W-Why don't you do it?!"

"I can't climb, and I'm too easy to notice. You could get in and unlock the door here. You're smaller, and uh...scrawny."

"Hey--"

"--Look, can you do it?"

Gaster huffed and started to climb the trellis. As long as he didn't look down he would be fine. At the top he managed to push the window open and crawl inside. Luckily the halls were pretty empty, and he was able to unlock the door unnoticed.

After letting his friend inside, they both started their search through the many rooms. The first floor had the throne room, a kitchen, dining room, and many bedrooms of the workers there. The second floor had many more long corridors and was much easier to get lost in. It lacked any open rooms, so they were forced to peek through the doors to see what things were.

Among those doors was a library, with rows of bookcases and shelves, and a fireplace on the wall. They took interest in it, and walked inside. It appeared to be an archive of sorts, and the books contained records of various events rather than fictional stories. Each book was ordered chronologically, dating back for centuries.

Gaster looked through the most recent ones. The books here were incomplete and had mostly blank pages, but they might be able to tell him something...

The books brought up a mysterious faction called "The Opposition", who had been committing treasonous crimes against the monster kingdom; including assassination and endangerment of the masses. They know the group contains humans and monsters alike, but they've yet to find out who exactly they are, their motives, and what their goal is. The thought sent chills down his spine and he put all of the books back. Was all of that really going on? He hadn't even heard anyone talking about it!

Grillby was next to him, looking through the same shelf, and picked up the last one on the row. After reading through the pages, he called Gaster over.

"Hey—Have you heard about this? They're looking for ways to protect Terra..." he asked, examining the details of the report. Gaster looked over his shoulder to read it as well.

"Who's that?"

"What do you mean 'who's that'? He's the earth titan. I didn't know anybody was after him though."

Gaster left his side and continued exploring the room. "Aren't titans really big and powerful? They shouldn't worry about him."

"Yeah, they shouldn't..."

Grillby stared at it for a few more moments before continuing his search through the shelves. Gaster decided to check the door, and immediately retreated back in. There were guards in the hall, and they appeared to be in the middle of a routine check of the rooms.

"Grillby!" he loudly whispered.

"What?"

"Some guards are checking the hall!"

"Shit..." he cursed under his breath while rushing to put all the books and papers he found back in their place. "Help look for a way out!"

Gaster frantically searched around the room for hiding places, although he was unable to find one suitable for both of them. After failing there he started looking for other things, like buttons and switches; with such a large castle it only made sense that it would have a secret or two. Lo and behold, he believed he found one in the fireplace—there were pokers on both sides but the right couldn't be lifted, instead it moved more like a lever.

"Grillby, over here!" he called.

"Very funny."

"No, I think there's a way out here. Hurry up!"

Once he was next to him he pulled the lever completely and a portion of the wall rotated, placing them on the other side. It was dark, aside from the light Grillby gave off, and didn't have the amount of care found in the rest of the castle. It was musty, damp, and full of cobwebs. The two took a moment to gather their thoughts before breathing a sigh of relief.

"How did you know about that?" Grillby said.

"I didn't, but where I came from had lots of secret passages so...I kind of figured. " Gaster replied.

Grillby began to look around the area, which didn't actually seem to lead out. He couldn't exactly see where it went, but it just seemed like a long dark corridor. There weren't even any torches on the wall—wouldn't the monsters using this need to see where they were going?

"And now that we're here..." he started, "How are we supposed to get out?"

Gaster tried pulling the lever on the fireplace, but it no longer worked. After feeling around in the dark there didn't appear to be any other switches on the wall either.

"Oh..."

"You trapped us!"

"I-I'm sure there's another way out!"

"Gaster if there isn't, I swear..." he seethed before walking off. Gaster caught up with him, but didn't say anything else.

Not long after, the stone beneath them sunk down the slightest inch, and before either of them could react it gave way—sending them plummeting below. They fell into a large cell, and Gaster let out a yelp when he hit the bottom. It wasn't until he tried to move his arm he realized he had broken some of it.

"Ow...Are you okay?" Grillby said, propping himself up.

"I don't think so..."

It was hard to tell because of the way Gaster was laying, and how he covered his arm, but he could see a bit of red where it was broken.
"Try to sit still." He said, sitting him upright. He tried to take a closer look, but Gaster winced at the touch.

"It really hurts..." he choked.

"H-hey come on, you're not going to cry are you?" he asked nervously, and his friend responded with a sniffle.

He was definitely going to cry.

Grillby sighed and sat down beside him. Ending up in a dungeon cell was not how he wanted to spend the day, or longer. However he remained somewhat optimistic; the guards must check this place all of the time. They would get caught, but at least they wouldn't be trapped forever.

He then looked to his left, at his friend. He did feel some guilt since it was technically his fault. If he hadn't went to the castle then Gaster would have just stayed home.

"Gaster...I'm--"
Grillby was interrupted by the sound of footsteps and a door opening.

"Wingdings!"
"Mum!"

---

 

They both silently followed Gaster's mother out to the courtyard. Once they reached the gates she commanded Grillby to return home.

"See you, Gaster..." Grillby said before walking past them. Once he was gone, Candara turned to scold her son.

"What were you thinking?! We told you not to come here!"

"I-I know but--"

"What if something happened to you?"

"I'm sorry...!" He cried.

She sighed and examined his arm.

"Can you close your hand?" she asked.

He tried, but he winced as pain shot through him, so he shook his head. It was only a minor fracture, she could fix that. She summoned some healing magic for he son's arm, and as it wrapped around the fracture began to fade away.

"You both never tell me anything. I had to know..." Gaster explained.

"No, you don't!" she snapped, but upon seeing him jump she quieted her voice.

"...Your father and I don't want you getting hurt because of us. You have to see that."

She finished up with his arm and examined it again—good as new, although he was still a bit sore.

"Let's get you home..." she told him, and she led him back to the house. The walk was silent, but Gaster couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He was brought back to the front door and Candara gave him a peck on the forehead before returning to work.

---

 

"I wasn't even aware you had a son." Bertram said.

"Let's keep it that way," Candara responded coldly, "The Opposition likes to fight dirty. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I'd do. What am I going to do with him..." she sighed.

"He seems like a nice boy, and all children get into trouble at some point. He looked like he learned his lesson today."

"That might be true, but that trouble could get him killed."

"Are you sure? He is your son after all."

Candara scoffed. "He's much too sweet, he's like his father."

"Believe me, Inquisitor, he came from you. Once he's old enough, the trouble will be too afraid to harm him."

 

Notes:

Aaand that's it for this chapter. I started this back in January, and thought it would've been done much sooner but nope (it never is). Just like what happens with every chapter, I end up writing a bunch of side stuff that isn't even usable in the current chapter. SO, I've decided that all of the short stories that I made will be uploaded at certain points in the main story to avoid spoilers. No need to worry about updates, since they're literally already complete lol.

As a teaser for you all, I will say that the short stories are usually told from a perspective that you won't get in the main story.

Chapter 11: Shadows

Notes:

I posted this chapter without updating the publish date, like a dummy. If this doesn't show for some ppl, I'm so sorry! The year was set all the way to 2016, and idk if changing the date bumps it up on the list.

The clock on the wall read 4am.

Gaster was restless once again. Not long ago, he left his room and went to the study where he sat, and sometimes paced, for minutes and minutes.

"...Your father and I don't want you getting hurt because of us. You have to see that..."

His mother's words echoed in his mind. He had been thinking about it since that afternoon. He was...hiding, but from what he didn't know. That was when he remembered the archive. Assassinations, murders, treason...what if they knew about all these things?

"They could have told you," said a voice. It was the same one he had heard yesterday. "You're still weak. A child. But you're getting stronger..."

Despite Gaster's best efforts, the source couldn't be found. It was after midnight, he was probably just tired. He shook his head and decided he needed some air. His parents wouldn't be up for another two hours, they wouldn't even notice he left. He silently turned the knob to the front door and snuck outside. It was cold, but he didn't mind too much. Then he wandered into forest nearby, taking the same path that Arial would travel. Being out on his own like this gave him time to think, regardless of that voice he kept hearing. It could've been anything. His conscience, a daydream, a spirit...

...Or early signs of insanity from cabin fever.

Either way, he didn't care. It wasn't something he wanted to think about at the moment. Gaster was here to calm himself, and that's what he was going to do. He spent the rest if the trip walking quietly and listening to the soft crunch of snow beneath his feet. At the end he reached the meadow, with the dense forest up ahead again. Just like before, the snow stopped there in favor of keeping its vibrant colors. He could hear the calls of crickets, owls, and other nocturnal creatures coming from the forest nearby. Maybe he could rest here? The meadow was peaceful, and the lush grass meant he wouldn't be sleeping in the freezing snow. Gaster found a large stone to prop himself against when he sat down, then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

---

 

A little while later he opened his eyes and looked around. It was not yet bright, but the sun had just began to peek over the horizon. It must have been past 6am now. His parents were no doubt awake, but they would just assume he was asleep in his room. He yawned and stretched, staying in that spot for a moment or two before standing. He decided he should probably return before too long. Even if his parents left, the others would eventually notice he wasn't home and worry. Then in the corner of his eye something had moved, but when he turned his head there was nothing. Perhaps it was a squirrel or something...maybe. Even so, he made an effort to begin following the snowy trail home.

No more than a minute later, he was startled by a vicious bark. He spun around again—nothing. It sounded close, as if right behind him, but there were no tracks or sounds of footsteps...Nothing. This was followed up by echoed cackling, not unlike the sounds the blasters would make. They were playing a trick on him, surely. He called out each of their names, but there was no answer. Feeling a bit uneasy, he turned and began to hurry out of the woods; glancing behind him every so often. He spotted something again before he could get too far. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It was a shadow of a beast. He turned his head to see.

But it was only the shadow.

The shadow grasped at the snow around it. It clawed, and pulled itself out of the ground as it took form. The eyes and mouth had a ghoulish white glow, and the shape of the head reminded him of the blasters. However, this creature had flesh and fur, if you could call it that. The way the fur blew in the wind was more akin to a black smoke. The beast snarled as it materialized, and Gaster bolted. He fled through the forest was fast as his legs could carry him, but he could see there were more. There must have been dozens of them. They ran out from the shadows of the trees, as if they had been hiding behind them, giving chase.

Another beast's jaws sprouted out of the ground in front of him, catching him by the ankle and causing him to fall. He furiously kicked until it's grip loosened enough for him to escape, then he scrambled away. They were close now, and he didn't even have time to get back on his feet before another jumped out in front of him. He backed away slowly, but there were more circling him from behind. While his attention was elsewhere, another shadow leaped and tackled him from the side. He tried to fight it off, but then another one jumped in as well. Then another, and another, until all he could see was a sea of black smoke and eyes as he felt his bones getting crushed and torn apart piece by piece. The agony was long and unbearable, until suddenly he felt nothing at all and the world went dark.

---

 

Next thing he knew, he was being nudged awake. He could barely open his eyes, but from what he could see he was able to recognize the figure.

"Myanmar...?" He croaked.

"Little brother! Is that you?"

He sounded so...clear? Gaster attempted to lift his head and get up, but he lacked the strength. In fact, his vision was starting to fade. He felt Myanmar pick him up before he blacked out again.

 

When he opened his eyes, he found himself wrapped in a bed of blankets with Myanmar curled around him. He was back at home, on the floor of the study.

"You're alive!" the blaster piped up. He nuzzled him so much he might wear a hole in his skull. "I was so worried about you! I went to give you a morning hug, but when I opened your door you were missing! Arial and Verdana are still looking, but I'd never forget the scent of my little brother, so I found you unconscious in the woods."

Gaster was still groggy and sore, and wasn't entirely listening to everything Myanmar said.

"Were they all gone?" he asked.

"Who?"

"There were these shadow monsters, and they tore me apart."

"You don't look like you're in pieces to me! Did you have a nightmare little brother?" Myanmar pulled him close and stroked his snout. "You were alone in the woods all night, all lost..."

"I wasn't lost—Stop that!— I woke up and--"

Wait.

His snout?

He brought his hands to his face, and definitely longer than he remembered. He didn't remember having head spikes either...He kicked away the blankets and saw that he had a tail as well. How nice.

He shrieked.

"What happened?! How am I supposed to tell mum and dad I got myself turned into...this!"

"I think you look okay!"

Of course he did, he was a dog already. Gaster stood up on unsteady legs and gave himself another look. How did this happen? Those monsters from earlier didn't seem like just a vivid nightmare, it must have been real. Maybe they stole his body, even if it didn't make too much sense.

Soon after, the other two blasters returned home from their search and Myanmar ran to tell them that Gaster had been found. Meanwhile, Gaster slipped up the stairs and into his room while he was away. All of this was too much for him, and he wished that he really was dreaming. Was he stuck like this forever? He couldn't be...right? He crawled into his bed and curled up under the covers, hiding away from the rest of the world.

"Gaster?" Verdana called from his doorway. There was a sniffle in response. She walked over to his bedside and pulled the covers back from over him.

"Leave me alone, I messed up, okay? I didn't listen and now I'm stuck like this..."

"It isn't all so bad, why don't you just wait for momma and papa to help?"

"They don't want me out in the middle of the night, and I did that. And...I was supposed to stay out of trouble, but then I got eaten by shadows."

"They'll know how to turn you back into a twoleg. They know a lot of things."

Gaster wasn't convinced, but he didn't have any other choice. He just stayed and layed there in his bed until somebody could tell him...something. As usual, his parents didn't arrive until late that night, although his father was the first to arrive. He could hear him calling him from downstairs, but he didn't want to answer. He hid himself under his covers again. It never worked, but it did its job at making him feel secure. After a minute or two, he heard footsteps coming down the hall and the click of his door opening.

"Wingdings, I know you're in here. We have to talk," Corbel said, staring at the pile of trembling blankets in front of him. His son poked his nose out from underneath.

"I don't want to!"

"And we're still going too."

Suddenly Gaster yelped when he was picked up from behind.

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't sleep so I went out in the forest, but I fell asleep out there and scary things happened—"

"Wingdings..."

"—and Myanmar found me, but I fainted, and I woke up like this. IknowIsaidIwouldstayoutoftroublebut--"

"Wingdings."

"Y-yes?"

"Hush."

Gaster quieted down before he was placed back on the bed again with his head hanging low. His father had removed the blankets so he could see his full form. He was definitely a blaster, with small, dull horns.

"Now, what is this I hear about you sneaking out last night?"

"I just wanted to be alone for a while, I didn't think anyone would notice. I would've come back..."

"And what if you didn't? Wingdings, sometimes I wonder what's gotten into you," he scolded, "but I'm losing my thoughts here. Right now we need to talk about...this. When did this happen?"

"This morning...I only realized after I woke up at home."

"And nothing like it before?"

"No."

"That's odd..." he heard his father mutter under his breath. "You'll change back on your own in a few weeks. It usually isn't this sudden but..."

"Weeks? That's how long the curse takes to wear off?"

"You're not cursed son, you're approaching adolescence. I had to do the same."

"But I already did that!"

"You've done a lot of odd things. I honestly thought the trait skipped you."

"Wait so, what about mum? And the shadow monsters?"

"I don't know what monsters you're talking about, but your mother's normal. Speaking of which, I'll have to tell her about this..."

"She's not going to like hearing about me sneaking out after what happened yesterday..."

"I'll tell her about your little...adventure some other time, but we'll figure out a punishment for you. Just come downstairs whenever I call."

Gaster nodded, and his father left the room. The door was left open in case he had any trouble with the knob. For the next hour he was left alone with his thoughts. His father didn't know anything about the shadows either. The whole thing felt so real. If he thought about it, he could still remember their crushing bites, but maybe it was just a terrible nightmare. Then there was the fact that he was a blaster now, albeit temporarily. He was stuck with that body for weeks, and he loathed it. Why didn't his parents at least warn him that it might happen? Sure, maybe the gene could've skipped him since his mother was normal, but that's still a 50-50 chance. Some sort of warning would've helped with the shock, possibly.

Eventually he heard the front door open downstairs, and the usual barking and commotion that meant his mother was home. He crept out of his room and down the hall until he reached the top of the stairs, where he watched nervously. They were all in the kitchen. With one leg after the other, he clumsily made his way down the stairs. How did they do this without flipping forward? Once at the bottom, he stuck close to the wall and stayed there, listening.

Inside the kitchen, his father was currently finding a way to bring the news.

"How was your day?" Corbel asked, putting his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Borderline hell, you'd think the guards would be a little more competent. What about you? You're not usually this tenacious without a reason."

"It was eventful to say the least, but I've got something to show you love," he cooed.

"Hmm..." Candara thought for a moment. "Not now Corbel, last time you had something to show me I became a mother."

"N-no no no, nothing like that...Wingdings, come on," he called.

Gaster felt his body tense up, but he had to answer. He peeked his head around the corner first, then he walked into the kitchen. He had to wade through the other blasters who were crowding the area to reach them.

"Oh, Wingdings!" his mother exclaimed.

"Hi mum..."

"My boy...you're growing so quickly," she picked him up to get a better look at him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine."

Gaster didn't think he enjoyed being picked up so much like a baby. Still, he enjoyed her hugs, and figures he might as well since he would be feeling her wrath tomorrow; or whenever his father would get around to telling her.

Chapter 12: Training

Summary:

After staying in the house for several days as punishment, Gaster's father takes him out for some training.

Notes:

So uh, while I was working on this WriteOwl decided to bug out and delete every scene in this chapter while I just wanted to get rid of one. Since these take months to write, I wanted to cry ;-;
I couldn't even remember exectly what I wrote before, so this is my best guess based on my spotty memory.

Gaster's next few days were spent indoors under strict supervision. The blasters may be incompetent most of the time, but they were good at making sure he stayed put. He also no longer had clothes, since his form stopped him from wearing them comfortably. 

That wasn't part of the punishment, but it certainly felt like it.

Whenever he could turn himself back was still a long ways off, and time did not fly. Today, Gaster's father promised to take him out to train. That afternoon when he finally arrived, Myanmar was trying his best to usher Gaster out of the front door while they waited for Corbel to get ready, but Gaster wasn't budging. He just stood there, rooted to the ground with his tail tucked between his legs.

"I'm not going out like this!" Gaster complained.

"Why not?"

"Why not?? What if the beach isn't empty? I don't want anyone staring at me!"

"Ohhh...Is it because you still walk funny? It's ok, you've gotten better!"

"What-- no!" Gaster said. He thought he could walk just fine...

"You'll be alright, now come on." He heard his father say when he was pushed out the doorway onto the grass.

Corbel was slightly larger than the others, and his horns had grown long enough to where they curved towards the front of his head.

"Can I go, papa?" Myanmar yipped.

"It's best we go alone for now." Corbel responded before walking onto the dirt road alongside their house. Gaster followed close behind.

The sun was bright that day, and had melted most of the snow. The ground was still cold and wet, and the chilled wind blew through Gaster's bones. He didn't like it very much.

"We couldn't do this later? Like spring?"

"It's important that you learn to control your powers now while they're still new to you. If this happened earlier, we would've been here earlier."

"When did your parents teach you?"

There was a brief silence.

"I never knew my parents, I was abandoned. But when my clan took me in I was taught at a very young age, even younger than you. You're a late bloomer, and that's alright. If anything were to happen to us, or you, you would have to be able to survive on your own."

"But...nothing is going to happen to you, right?"

"I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I would never miss the chance to see you grow into a gentleman."

 

When the two arrived at the beach it appeared to be empty, much to Gaster's relief. Corbel examined the area for anything that could be used as a suitable target. There was a rock formation down by the waves that seemed pretty sturdy, and it was big enough so missing would be unlikely. He stood back a few paces and instructed his son to watch.

Corbel focused his gaze on the rocks ahead of him and began building up his magic. At first there was nothing, but then there was suddenly a spark in the chest area. The magic whirred as it spun rapidly, and it grew in intensity until he opened his maw and beam of white energy shot into the rocks ahead. The impact left a smoking indent on its surface. He then stepped to the side and told Gaster to try.

Gaster nervously stood next to his father. He didn't know how to do it, and he didn't want to look silly trying.

"Just focus," Corbel said, "We're not in any rush."

Gaster took a deep breath and tried his best to focus on the rocks ahead of him. He could feel some sort of energy shift, but the reaction wasn't happening. Moments later he felt the jolt of the spark and he opened his jaws to release it. However, it just fizzled out.

"Try again."

He attempted a few more times, each with varying results. Although none successful.

"I don't get it..."

"You're firing too quickly, you have to let it build up first."

Gaster sighed and tried again one more time. He closed his eyes, keeping his breathing steady. Moments passed, and he felt the spark in his chest again. The magic whirled and grew in intensity. Just as it began to burn, he released it and a small pellet shot into the rock ahead of them. Less than impressive for the amount of effort it took.

"That was good. It knocks the wind out of you the first few times." Corbel praised.

"That was good?"

"You didn't think you'd be like me in a day did you?" His father asked. Gaster glanced to the side.

"No...but I can try again!"

"No that's enough. I don't want you to push yourself too hard, your magic isn't strong enough yet."

"But--"

"No buts. There will be other days."

Gaster hung his head. It felt like they had just got there.

"So...that's it?" He asked.

"Not quite, I have one more thing for you," said Corbel, "There's a bakery in the city's shopping district, I placed an order to have a treat ready for you today, but, you have to get it by yourself."

His son's excitement was immediately shut down when he heard the requirement.

"What? I can't go to the city like this!"

"Consider it a lesson in humility. Nobody's going to bat an eye at you, you're a beast. I'll be waiting for you at home." Corbel told him before walking off.

Gaster stood there in shock as his father left. Surely he wasn't serious? Walking into the city, with everyone's eyes on him? He could at least spare his pride! If there wasn't someone waiting for him he would've refused to go, but that was probably the point. His father had to spend gold on it, the baker had to spend time on it, and now he had to go or he would be wasting their time. He huffed and swiped at the sand in frustration before walking down the road towards the city.

 

Gaster trotted quickly through the streets with his tail tucked and his head low. Whenever he saw someone glance at him he wanted to run and hide. He didn't even know where he was supposed to go exactly. He would be following his nose if there weren't so many different things, so trying to separate the smell of bread from everything else was difficult. The most he could do was look at each shop for the right one.

Eventually he managed to find a brick building in one of the less populated areas. It had two large windows, one on each side, with a hanging sign over the door. When he opened it, he was met with the sweet smell of freshly baked bread and other baked goods. The bakery wasn't very large on the inside. Most of the space was reserved for the kitchen, which could be seen through an open doorway. The counter was a few steps in, and a shelf on the wall behind it had the most commonly bought items on display. Sitting on the counter was a rabbit monster, waiting on a customer to arrive. She looked very young, like around five years old, and her eyes widened in wonderment when she saw Gaster walk in.

"Mom! Mommy there's a doggie!" She excitedly exclaimed.

"Hold on a minute," said a voice. Soon after, another rabbit walked in from the kitchen. She was much older and wore a flour-covered apron, and was presumably the child's mother.

"What is it dear--oh!" she said in surprise when she saw him.

"My uh...my dad said something was here for me..." Gaster said sheepishly.

"Of course, you must be that boy I heard about! I'll go get it for you," said the mother. What she brought back was a large cheese danish with a strawberry drizzle, which she then wrapped in cloth and handed to him. It was almost the size of his head. Another voice then rang out from the kitchen.

"Mom! The bread is done!"

"Go on and take it out! Abby, go help out your sister." the baker told her daughter, and the youngest ran into the kitchen.

Right before Gaster was about to leave, she called to get his attention.

"I'm sorry to ask sweetheart, but I'm up to my ears in orders. Would you mind making a delivery for me? There's a young boy that really needs it. It's not far, just the old shop a little further down the road. You'll know it when you see it."

He was reluctant, but nodded. As much as he wanted to get home quickly, he didn't want to decline and be denying someone food. It shouldn't take long anyway, he would just drop it off and go home.

"Thank you so much, it breaks my heart seeing that man treat him like that. I ought to give him a piece of my mind." The baker said as she gathered things together. The fresh bread got wrapped, and a small basket was dug-up from behind the counter to carry things in, since Gaster could only hold one thing at a time now. Once the baker handed it to him, he dropped his dessert inside and picked up the basket by the handle.

"Here you go. He's not gonna want it at first, he's stubborn like that, but just leave it there. He'll take it eventually. Don't worry about the basket, they're easy to get."

He took it and promptly exited the bakery. The sooner he did this, the sooner he could get home.

Gaster turned and searched the buildings further down the street. There was a shop way at the end with no sign, and the windows were really high up. It definitely looked old. In fact, it seemed like it had been abandoned for years. The front door was completely boarded up, as were the windows. Was this the right place? It was hard to believe that anyone had been there. Gaster decided to investigate anyway, and found that there was a door slightly ajar on the side near the alley, although it was old and broken so it wouldn't properly close.

He scratched at the door, and it made a loud creaking noise when he poked his head in. The room was dark, and the walls were covered in cobwebs. A light was visible from behind the counter, which shrunk back after hearing the noise. Gaster stood still, watching the glow inch towards the edge of the counter and peek from behind it.

He almost retreated when he saw it was Grillby.

"It's just one of those dogs." He heard him say to himself. "What do you want?" He said in an annoyed tone.

Gaster lowered his head, then stepped inside and over to where he was sitting. Tucked away there was a bed of blankets and...that was about it. He put down the basket and picked up the wrapped bread, placing it in front of him. Grillby didn't recognize him, and that was probably for the best, so he refrained from speaking.

"Let me guess, a rabbit gave this to you?" He sighed. "She does this every time I get sent out. I'm going home in the morning, I can take care of myself."

He pushed the food away, but Gaster quickly nudged it back towards him. He knew he wasn't going to be very accepting, so he picked up the basket and turned to exit the shelter. If the baker was right, he would eat at some point. He would never understand his need to be so distant...

 

When he got home, Gaster was immediately bombarded by blasters hoping he would share with them. Being more brash than the others, Calibri knocked into him and snatched the treat right out of his mouth. Then she proceeded to hold it out of reach of everyone else.

"Cali! Drop it!" Candara commanded as she came down the stairs.

Calibri growled before putting it down on the ground, and the other blasters stood there with their heads hung low. Corbel came down behind her not long after.

"Go to the study, all of you!" Corbel told them, and they quietly walked off.

"Wingdings, are you alright?" he asked his son, and Gaster nodded.

"Corbel, why would you get him something like that? Look at the size of it, he'll eat himself sick." Candara scolded.

"I thought he would like it...It's just a treat for him, he'll be alright."

Meanwhile, Gaster picked up the danish and retreated up the stairs where he could eat in his room in peace. He unwrapped and sank his teeth into his desert. The bread part of the pastry was more mild to balance out the sweetness of the strawberry drizzle and cream cheese center. Once he took a bite out of the danish, he quickly gobbled up the rest of it.

Having finished his desert, Gaster climbed into his bed and pulled the covers over himself before resting his head on his pillow.

 

---

Running.

Gaster fled as the sound of barking closed in on him. It was a dense forest, with tall pines like the ones he would see back at home. It was too dark to see their bodies. All he could see were the ghostly eyes of the shadows stalking him from the trees. No matter where he ran, he could hear their echoes in the distance, mocking him. Then, all of a sudden, it went quiet. He could see an opening in the forest, so he made a dash for it. Once he reached it however, there was a sight that made him stop in his tracks.

He saw...something in the field before him. It was like the shadows he had seen not too long ago, but this one towered over him. The silhouette stood still, it's fur and shadowy tendrils waving in the breeze. The head appeared to have a green glow from within, like a lantern. The eyes were the brightest, but the nostrils and mouth were also hollow and showing the light.

It was watching him.

Notes:

Aaand there were some missing pieces of the chapter I still had to patch up. Those should be fixed now

Chapter 13: Legends

Notes:

I'm back! And definitely in a timely manner! Haha...

*sweats profusely*

As you may have noticed, this fic is in a series now. That's so all related stories are nice and organized together, and easier to find. Until this story ends (which won't be for a long while, we're barely 10% in), the other works in the anthology will be one-shot short stories.

Eyes shoot open.

Gaster took a look around the room, trying to calm his panicked breathing.

What was that?

He was in a cold sweat, and subconsciously gripping the covers. The bedroom was dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly. Relaxing, he let out a sigh and crawled out of bed, making his way to the door before opening it. A faint light entered his dark room from the hallway, and he slowly made his way down the stairs. He caught the attention of one of his "siblings" once he reached the bottom.

"You don't look so good, Gaster." Verdana said.

Her head had popped up from the sleeping mass of bones that was the dog pile currently occupying the study. What could've gave it away? The dark circles under his eyes? His drooping tail? He took a step closer to the doorway before answering.

"Yeah...I just had a bad dream. I saw those things again."

No sooner than the words left his maw, another one of them began to stir. Great, now she was awake.

"Are you really still brooding about that?" Calibri groaned tiredly.

"It's worth thinking about isn't it? I just woke up like this, even dad said that doesn't happen!" Gaster argued. Calibri just rolled her eyes.

"He's one person. It was going to happen anyway, and you're here thinking it was because you were seeing demons."

"But I did!" he insisted. "I keep seeing them, and hearing them, like they're following me. Sometimes it's a voice..."

This wasn't happening to her, she didn't know what it was like! She would be very distraught to be eaten alive and wake up in the wrong body. This wasn't just some...game that he was making up.

Around that moment, Arial had been awake and observing the conversation for a short while. The only ones still asleep were Myanmar and Marlett, and they looked dead so they probably weren't waking up anytime soon.

"I'm sure they're just nightmares, Gaster. Eventually they'll go away," she said in a comforting tone.

"Or you could be marked for death," Calibri suggested, sending a chill down Gaster's spine.

"H-huh?" he stammered.

"What if you're seeing the Lich? Sightings of her usually mean it's too late, and she's already close by," she answered.

And was swiftly met with a claw to the snout.

"How could you tell him something like that? You'll scare him!" Ariel scolded.

"What if I'm right? I'm just warning him." she sneered.

The look in her eyes suggested that she was very much just toying with him, but Gaster had a feeling that this information was somehow important. Even if unintentional.

"Who's the Lich?"

The words came out sounding more nervous than he'd like, causing Arial to give Calibri a sharp glare in response.

"It's just an old legend, Gaster. Nobody believes in that stuff," stated Verdana.

"He's the one that wants to believe it so bad," Calibri said, standing up to shake herself. "If he's too scared of the answers he should stop asking questions."

With that, she left the study.

 

Not without bumping into him on the way out of course.

 

If she wasn't a few heads taller than him then he would've wanted to push her back. Heads? Hands? Were blasters measured in hands?

Gaster shook his head, still insulted but decided to let it go. Thinking about what he heard was more important. The fact that the others reacted to it meant that there was some history to the Lich, and Calibri didn't just make it up on the spot. If there was any truth to her words, that was...scary. Terrifying, even.

"What's the legend?" he asked.

"Momma hasn't left yet, you can ask her," Verdana replied. "She's probably in the kitchen."

He nods, and makes his way there. In his stupor, he'd somehow missed the smell of tea when he first came down the stairs.

 

Sure enough, she was in there when he rounded the corner. She was sitting at the table, calmly sipping from her cup while reading some small book. He climbed into one of the chairs and sat at the table, silently watching her drink.

"I can get you a bowl if you'd like," said Candara, noticing his gaze.

"Mum!"

"Alright then, have it your way," she chuckled. "Just don't spill it."

His mother stood up from the table, approaching the cabinet and grabbed a cup to pour him some tea. She prepared it and placed the cup in front of him, and he went to go pick it up. It felt a bit...different trying to hold things but he managed. 

The truth of the matter was that the cup just wasn't appropriately shaped for him to use. He went to go sip, but his teeth were in the way. He tried to lap it up instead, but the cup was too small for his snout. This went on for several minutes, but it ended in defeat. Candara took the cup, poured the contents into a bowl, then carefully slid the bowl in front of him. He was practically seething in annoyance, but he drank it.

"It's not for forever you know. You already managed a week, you'll be back to yourself in no time."

He grumbled in response.

"Now none of that," she said sternly. "There's nothing we can do for you except wait; I know it's stressful."

Did she really? It wasn't as if she was around enough to figure that out.

"You could've told me about it earlier! It's just another thing you're always keeping from me..." Gaster hissed.

"It's a part of your father's life that he would rather leave behind, and when you didn't show any symptoms we didn't think it was necessary. There's no one to blame here, we were all surprised," she replied. He could tell from her voice that she was slightly offended, but decided not to mention it.

Probably best to tone it down a bit.

He sighed and drank from the bowl again, allowing a moment of silence to pass.

"Your magic is awakening, so that should interest you at least. Your father told me you enjoyed yourself," said his mother, a little more encouraging this time.

"I guess..."

"It'll work out, I promise."

 

Things were so much simpler over a week ago, why couldn't he just go back to that? How would he even know how to change back? And when? Would it be automatic?

Gaster drank from the bowl some more, finishing the contents before suddenly remembering that he had walked in here for a reason.

"Mum...Who's the Lich?"

She gives him a strange look.

"That's an odd question to have all of a sudden."

"Calibri mentioned it."

"I see...the Lich is an old titan from our town, she's been long gone for centuries before I was born," said Candara. Her gaze had returned to the small book she was reading.

"What did she do?"

"Kill everyone," she said nonchalantly, "at least in the sense that you and I are both dead. Most of what you'll hear are stories for scaring children, nobody knows what's true or not anymore."

"Did she have black fur...? With smoking tendrils and green eyes?"

"...Yes, did Calibri tell you that?"

"...Yeah."

No.

Candara narrowed her eyes, her red halos scanning him in suspicion, but she didn't pry. She didn't have any reason to not believe him, after all.

She glanced at the clock, and stood up upon seeing that it was time for her to leave. He was given a peck on the skull before she made her exit.

 

Not long after doing so, the hallway was filled with the familiar clacking of bone on hardwood floor trotting down.

"Little brother!" Myanmar greeted, his tail raised high and wagging as he strides towards him. He stops when he notices his demeanor.

"...You seem anxious. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine," Gaster said bluntly.

Not convinced, the blaster nudged and sniffed at him, much to Gaster's annoyance. He found himself growling at him, causing Myanmar to shrink back.

"Ok...you're a bit grumpy...but you just need some fresh air!"

"I don't want-- put me down!" he protested, flailing wildly as he dangled by his cervical.

"It's for your health!" Myanmar replied, his voice a bit muffled from carrying him.

Gaster fought a bit more as he was carried outside, before letting out a huff. His brother's grip was surprisingly unwavering, and he'd most likely just injure himself if he kept up his squirming.

He wasn't placed on the ground until they were a few paces from the house. The ground was dry today, thankfully, and it was cool outside but not too cold. After finally being on his feet again, Gaster was nudged down the road to the city.

"Come, Little Brother, I won't allow you to hide away any longer!"

"But I don't want—"

"Nonsense!"

 

---

 

"Where's your confidence tail, Little Brother?"

"I think that requires confidence," he sighed.

Myanmar encouraged Gaster to keep his head up and his tail high, or else he'll grow up to have a hunch. His brother was determined to get him to stop walking around like a kicked puppy. It wasn't an easy endeavor, but an attempt was made.

He tried to engage him in activities to break him out of his shell, but Gaster wasn't very playful to begin with. He didn't want to romp around in the street, potentially getting in someone's way. He didn't even want to stop by the inn to see his friend. All attempts to try and get him to go inside were met with a hard "no", and when Myanmar himself tried to walk in he was swiftly kicked out.

 

It was silent when he walked in at first, then all Gaster heard from behind the door were things falling over before the inkeeper was angrily wacking the blaster in the face with a broom to shoo him away. Now he was sitting in the street again, sadly holding his snout.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! I barely got past the tables before he was upon me. I don't think he likes me..."

Gaster shook his head. Myanmar was probably making a mess in there.

He stood up and approached the door, carefully poking his head in. The damage wasn't too bad, just some chairs that were knocked over and just as quickly placed back in their normal positions. After taking a few steps in he could notice Grillby behind the counter, and instinctively wagged his tail.

 

Before promptly getting swept up.

 

His friend looked conflicted, if not slightly amused, as Gaster was forced out the door with a couple broom smacks to the ribs. He couldn't completely hear what the inkeeper was grumbling to himself about, although he thinks he called him a hellhound at some point. Myanmar growled when he saw the man sweeping up his brother, but ultimately stood down when the door slammed shut. He wasn't hurt that bad, it was just...unpleasant. Also slightly embarrassing.

"Are you alright, Little Brother?"

"I'm fine...what did you do in there?"

"Just as I said, nothing!" Myanmar reiterated. His snout was pointed up, slightly insulted to be doubted.

What was that man's problem then? He didn't doubt that Calibri or one of the others could've caused a fuss and now he doesn't want any blasters in the vicinity, but if that wasn't the case then he was at a loss for what it could be.

Notes:

If you haven't already, I recommend reading "Shadows" if you're interested in seeing more of the Lich slightly earlier than she appears here.

Chapter 14: Darkness Falls

Notes:

We're finally reaching the point where I can finally use content I wrote ages ago but couldn't yet use.

Also uhh apparently works can't be in a series if they're still ongoing, so that solves that mystery of why I couldn't get it working. You can still find them on my profile anyway, so it's fine I guess.

Days pass, hours pass, and the city was illuminated with faint orange glows from the street lamps. It was late, possibly near midnight.

Gaster had been taken on walks with Myanmar daily for some time, but this time he was encouraged to do so alone. He had spent the afternoon and much of the night out there, admittedly doing a whole lot of nothing. The quiet atmosphere of the city going to sleep on a winter night was somewhat...calming. There was barely a soul in sight. The occasional monster could be spotted mulling about or walking home, and sometimes an owl could be heard in the distance. Upon reaching the main road he watched some humans pass the walls to their side of the city, but besides that there wasn't much else.

 

That is, until he felt a presence.

 

He could see something moving past him, along the wall. A shadow of a beast, without a body in sight to be casting it. Fear enveloped him as he took a few steps back.

"Come now, child...You don't fear us, do you...?"

The voice was everywhere, booming and malevolent, as if it were coming from his own head. As far as he knew, perhaps it was.

"W-who are you?" he stammered.

"Who am I?"

There was a short silence.

"Consider me a guide. Obey my words, or don't...but remember that I never lie..."

Another shadow appeared on the wall. A much taller one that towered over him. It reached out a claw, as if he could grab it, although he obviously could not. Perhaps it was just a gesture to beckon him closer.

"How can I? Those...things, they did this to me!"

"Ah, you're speaking of my children. I apologize for their...impatience."

She observes Gaster for a moment, the darkness staring into his soul. After a moment, she finally speaks up.

"Very well...you require a gesture to earn my trust. Return to sleep, and speak of me to no one. Those are my stipulations."

He wanted to argue, pry her for information on why he should trust her or listen to anything she says, but she vanished. The presence was no more.

Go to sleep and don't tell anyone about her...

Those were simple instructions, and nothing that he hasn't done before completely unprompted, but what would that achieve? Was she going to give him something?

 

---

 

The night passed quickly with a dreamless sleep. 

As the voice requested, Gaster didn't tell anyone about the night prior. He feared what would happen if he didn't obey her more than what could happen if he did. There was no telling what that powerful, and possibly omniscient, monster was capable of. She was like a ghost, and not in the same way as a ghost monster. Outside of his dreams, the beast presumably lacked a physical form, only appearing as a disembodied voice or a shadow on the wall. Her tone, her words, her movement, it was all riddled with an aura of power and authority. An aura of superiority. An aura that said other beings were beneath her. That she was far above any mere, foolish mortal.

He rolled over in his bed, blinking the sleep out of his eyes before lazily stretching under the soft covers. He felt...different. His legs felt longer.

Legs? Arms?

Arms!

He had arms instead of forelegs, and immediately brought his hands up to his head. No snout! No horns! In exchange for his trust, the Lich had returned his form to him. Whether she had anything to do with it couldn't be proven, but he didn't care. Gaster practically jumped out of bed, suddenly overrun with newfound energy. For the longest time he wanted nothing more than to stand on two feet again, and he finally had it.

The cold had never bothered him much, but he cherished the feeling of a warm sweater on his bones again as he got dressed.

 

He ran downstairs and bounded to his parents in excitement, who pulled him into a congratulatory hug. They didn't ask how he managed it, so he kept his promise to not tell. Maybe it was for the best, or maybe it wasn't. It wasn't clear to him which.

The powers he gained appeared to be somewhat permanent. He could still understand the blasters perfectly, but his laser ability was gone without being in that form—something he didn't plan to return to anytime soon. However, he did gain a new ability: bone summoning. It was discovered accidentally and his father helped in his training, which would be held in the woods nearby.

That training was tedious, and he grew tired of it quickly. The few times he did manage to hit the target, he was told it wasn't good enough. Only a bullseye was acceptable. Nothing else.

"But it's so close! I just need to hit them, right?"

"No," his father said sternly, "You're trying to subdue the enemy, not kill them. Other creatures have a lot of vital organs, being even slightly off can be fatal. Understand?"

"Yes..."

"I know it's frustrating, but you need to have precise control over this to avoid unnecessary harm. I wouldn't even use this myself unless as an absolute last resort, that's how dangerous it is."

Gaster couldn't understand the importance of such a skill and was quickly losing patience. He couldn't see himself fighting anyone anytime soon, so what was the point? Sighing in frustration, the boy decided that it wasn't worth it and began walking away. Corbel quickly put himself in his son's path, towering over him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Corbel scolded.

"We've been doing this for hours!"

"We've been doing this for hours because I want to make sure you don't accidentally skewer someone."

"I won't, now can I go?"

"If you go, I want you back here after tomorrow."

"Fine..." Gaster grumbled. He then took the opportunity to put as much distance between him and the training spot as possible.

Notes:

Forgot to update the chapter publish date again omfg. Really wish it automatically used the current date

Chapter 15: The Forest

Notes:

Happy NaNoWriMo! I guess? I can't really work towards the official goal since 50,000 words is way more than I can realistically write in a month. So I've put a new goal, put out at least 2 or (if things go super well) 3 chapters for this story this month.

Also this story is so old as hell (2016! Wow!) that I have to explain some things lol. The titans in this story are completely unrelated to the titans revealed in Deltarune Chapter 2.

I also want to mention that yeah, I've only managed to finish 15 chapters for this fic in 5-6 years, but I am striving to get it finished within at least 2022. We are midway through the first arc, and there are about 4, so we have quite a lot of ground to cover.

Gaster found himself retreating to the small meadow in the woods. Despite his previous encounters there, it was far enough from his father. He had much better ways to spend his time than hitting targets again, and again, and again.

As for his other form, he never wanted to experience that again for as long as he lived. Running around as a naked beast was quite degrading. Admittedly the lasers were interesting—if his disappointing light pellets counted as such—but other than that he failed to see the effectiveness of such a form. Outside of fighting, which he wasn’t fond of, his powers had little use. Why couldn’t he get one of his mother’s abilities, like healing? That was much more practical.

 

But no, fate had a cruel sense of humor.

 

One of the only positives was that ever since he turned back to normal he hadn’t heard any voices from his so-called “guide”, or seen any of the Shadows. Perhaps they finally decide to leave him be, or at least he hoped so.

The boy let out a long sigh, as if his stress would dissipate with his breath. Would things start to calm down again now that he had his old body back? He was used to being left to his own devices all his life, and as much as he wished his parents would be around more...he just wanted to be left alone again. Even though his father was taking valuable time away from his work, it still somehow felt like it wasn’t really for him. Like it was only a necessity.

“Gaster?” He heard suddenly, bringing him back from his thoughts.

“Grillby? What are you doing here?”

His friend stood nearby at the edge of the meadow, having just arrived. He was wrapped in a big sweater he hadn’t seen him wear before.

“I’m not in the city all the time. I need to ask you that, I haven’t seen you in weeks .”

“I’ve been—around. At home. I needed a walk,” Gaster replied. He remembered that Grillby didn’t know about his other form, or that he’d seen him not too long ago. Gaster just had a sixth dog for all he knew, and he’d rather keep it that way.

"I’ve heard some weird things about the forest around here and had to check it out.”

“Whatever you heard, I heard people just get lost in there,” Gaster warned. “...You’re not going in there are you?”

“I didn’t walk here just to look at it. What, are you scared?” Grillby replied, stepping to the edge of the dense forest.

“N-no! I just think it could be dangerous.”

“Whatever. Wait here if you want.”

“Hey—” But he was already gone.

 

Gaster huffed and slumped on a nearby rock. He wasn’t getting in trouble for him again; he could find his own way back.

Time passed, and then more time. And more. He tried calling for him, but never got an answer. Gaster took a deep breath, stepping towards the edge of the forest and staring through the trees. Arial had been in there before and came back just fine. Just don’t walk too far, right?

 

---

 

It was like a whole different season there.

 

The air was slightly warmer, and all the plants were still vibrant and green. He could hear birds singing while the cold woods outside had been quiet. 

Grillby still wouldn’t respond when called, and there was no telling where exactly he’d gone. How big was this forest? More importantly, what exactly was there to see? Everything just kind of...looked like everywhere else. There were no trails, nothing. Gaster felt as if he had been walking for forever. Having to constantly wade through thick foliage wasn’t helping either.

Eventually, he stumbled upon a stream that was much quieter than the rest of the forest. It felt like progress since he had finally found some sort of landmark, but it didn’t mean a whole lot. There were some things littered here and there; which felt odd considering how few people must wander through. A lot of it was hardly noteworthy scrap, although there was one interesting item in the water. With his hands he fished out a sword, thin and not very heavy, from the running stream.

 

It was when he felt himself getting lifted that he accidentally dropped it.

 

In his panicked flailing he managed to break free from what looked like a branch and dropped to the ground with a thud. Groaning, he looked up to see a large snake-like creature in the distance. The body appeared to be made of moss and vines, and it blended in with the surrounding trees seamlessly. Adrenaline took hold and he scrambled away just as the serpent struck where he had been lying.

Gaster took off as quickly as he could, but didn’t know where he was going or how to truly escape this thing that was pursuing him. Either it could control the forest around it, or the trees were a bit more than just trees. He could hear the sound of rustling leaves all around him, and the monster’s long body was visibly weaving through the foliage. A deep hiss resonated around him as the serpent reared its head again.

“Intruder,” it said, “You dare trespass on sacred land?”

“I-I don’t know anything about any land. I’m just looking for my friend!” Gaster pleaded, but it wasn’t listening and continued to slither closer.

“I don’t find bones very palatable, but I’m sure we would appreciate the nutrients of your corpse within the earth…” hissed the serpent.

“Gaster!”

 

Suddenly, the earth monster quickly recoiled. Grillby stood nearby, having startled it with his presence. The monster showed him the same aggression and yet refused to approach. It must have been deathly afraid of fire.

“Demon! Stay back! You cannot devour me, I am of great importance to His Grace!”

“Leave my friend alone and I won’t . We’re trying to get out of here, show us the way and I’ll leave.”

 

The serpent hissed, staring down the both of them. Ultimately, it didn't want to risk injury and complied. Plants shifted and bent out of the way to reveal a direct path. A temporary one, that would get swallowed up again once crossed. The monster then turned away and blended in once more as it made a hasty retreat. Grillby reached out a hand and asked his friend if he was ok, who nodded in response before taking the hand to stand up. Not wanting to stick around any longer, the two promptly started down the path before the serpent could get brave and decide to return. They were rather deep in the forest judging by how long it took them to reach the meadow again. They breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching it, thankful for once to be greeted by the cold.

 

“I thought you were staying outside,” said Grillby, the statement coming off more like a question than anything else.

“I was looking for you ," Gaster snapped. "It’s dangerous here!”

“I was fine, you were the one that needed rescuing. All the earth monsters were either hiding or running away from me anyway.”

“Well it better have been worth it. What were you thinking!?”

"I already told you, there were some things I wanted to see. It got cut short by you almost getting eaten alive, but I saw enough I guess."

 

Before Gaster could pry, Grillby stated that he was going home. Gaster started walking with him, but his friend stopped in his tracks.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the inn with you? If you almost got me eaten then we could at least walk together."

 

There was an awkward silence, and he wasn't sure for what exactly. Finally, he responded.

"...You can't."

"What? Why not?"

"The innkeeper doesn't want you around. I'm...not really supposed to be around you either."

Now that he mentioned it, Gaster did remember him and Myanmar getting kicked out. The situation still confused him though—What was this all about? As far as he knew, nothing had happened personally. Did he just not like skeletons in general? But he'd already met him once, and things weren't exactly hostile…

 

Sensing his disappointment, Grillby continued.

"I never said I'd listen to him; I could still get in serious trouble though. When we're in the city I can't be with you, too many people would see us."

"We can meet outside the city then?"

"Maybe. He doesn't really care where I go so he probably won't notice. Still,  I've been out long enough today. I'll find you tomorrow."

 

After today's events, Gaster decided he had been out long enough as well. He still had all of tomorrow to rest before he had to train again, and he would rather spend it away from that cursed forest. He was lucky enough this time to avoid getting injured, which meant he wouldn't have to explain to his parents that he'd once again gotten himself into danger.

 

---

 

 

"No monster is coming in here for my head!" A voice said sharply."I'd like to see them try."

 

 

"You'll make him do it."

 

 

Chapter 16: Horizon

Notes:

"Wow Dino, I thought this was abandoned. You decided to start writing again?"
So. Here's the thing. I never...*stopped* writing this. Yes, in the year of our lord 2023, I was writing this chapter for two whole years. That's legitimately how long it took me jkdasjadf.

Although winter would soon come to a close, the air grew colder still. The onset of spring was at least a month away, maybe more.

Grillby's mind snapped back to attention at the sound of the innkeeper's voice, noticing he had been staring out the window for some time.

"I don't keep you around to daydream," the innkeeper said sternly. 

"N-no, of course not," he replied, quickly continuing his sweeping before mumbling to himself, "Just thinking..."

"Well it's almost evening. Go get the kitchen ready before patrons arrive."

With that, the innkeeper turned and left without another word. As soon as he was gone from sight, the boy leaned against a wall nearby and let out an exhausted sigh. His arms were sore after cleaning all upstairs and the front entrance, and now he had to reorganize the kitchen as well. It would be worth it in the end though; once everything was cleaned up, he could take off early tonight instead of staying until late like usual. If only the old man wasn't so hard on him…

Grillby shook away those thoughts as they came into mind again, knowing full well how much he owed him. Besides that, at the end of the day he'd have a meal and somewhere to sleep. No one else in town offered such things for free anymore, which meant no other place suited better than this small establishment.

Letting out a sigh, Grillby entered the kitchen with renewed vigor and set about making sure everything was organized and in their proper places. The kitchen was always a bit out of order this late in the day. At least he wouldn't need to worry too much about getting any new dishes washed, that task fell upon the innkeeper. Instead, the freshly cleaned dishes just had to be put away. The cabinet was higher than he could reach from the ground, so he pulled up a small wooden stool to stand on. It wasn't the most sturdy thing ever but did its job. Standing atop it, the boy reached high enough to slide several plates inside, followed by the bowls and then finally the cups. One by one they were tucked away on the shelves until the only dishes that remained were a few pieces of glassware. The stool creaked and wobbled under his weight as he stood there balancing precariously over nothing more than thin, uneven legs. It didn't take much for the balancing act to go awry, a slight shift in the wrong direction causing Grillby to lose his footing entirely.

A loud thud rang through the room as he tumbled backwards onto the floor, knocking the wind right out of him, followed by the crash of shattering glass. A groan escaped his lips when he tried to move, needing to sit up to assess what had happened. 

He froze upon seeing the broken glass lying scattered across the wooden floor, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

 

---

 

The daily training was gradually lessening, mostly due to Gaster beginning to skip lessons. His father wasn't happy about this, but he had work that needed attention. He wasn’t going to take time away for training if his son wasn't going to show.
Meanwhile, Gaster regularly met with his friend on the outskirts of the city. He just wanted to be around someone that wasn't his family for a change. Grillby was running a bit late that evening, but he was content with waiting. Watching the sun setting through the trees was quite beautiful. Even so...

There was a familiar chill running down his spine.

That feeling of countless eyes staring through him. The anxiety.

They weren't back, were they? They couldn't be, he was done with them. Yet still, ominous shadows crept from the shade of the trees with their...ghostly wailing.

Gaster couldn't do anything besides freeze as the shadow creature clawed out of the ground, leering at him. It opened its mouth to speak, but the voice was distorted and unintelligible. Despite this, a single thought appeared in his mind: it wanted him to follow?

"N-no way!" he exclaimed, taking a step back.

A chorus of vicious barks came from behind, and he turned his head to see more of them materializing. His pupils shrank.

The one in front of him uttered something again, more insistently. Although terrified, they hadn't yet attacked him, and he was more afraid of what may happen if they lost their patience. Gaster took a step forward, hesitantly, and the creature sunk back into the ground. It once again became a shadow in the grass, which he followed. It traveled almost too quickly and was difficult to keep up with. With the ones behind him as well, he wasn't sure if he was chasing it or being herded.
The trees eventually receded at the top of the hills just outside of the city, leaving a grassy slope before the stone roads began. 
Temporarily losing track from the change in scenery, Gaster caught a glimpse of it as it slipped between the buildings. When he turned the corner further into the alleyway, it had disappeared. They all had. Granted, it was starting to get a tad dark outside, but those white eyes were unmistakable. Where had it gone?

Just then, his attention was brought to a light entering the alley; it was Grillby. He seemed disheveled, a little frantic. The arm of the sweater was torn as well, which he was quick to cover.

"Woah, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Grillby said shortly.

Gaster wasn't exactly buying it, something was clearly wrong. He reached for his shoulder as a comforting gesture, but the overwhelming response made that a poor choice in hindsight.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!", Grillby shouted, shoving him away.

Gaster immediately recoiled when he was met with a searing pain from the contact. Grillby's expression quickly changed to that of genuine abject horror after realizing what he had just done. He pushed past Gaster, quickly disappearing around the corner and down the road.

"W-Wait!", Gaster called out, but he had already left.

 

---

Gaster slowly rounded the corner and approached the doorway, peering through the door of the old building. Grillby was there leaning against the wall, arms crossed tightly as if he was hugging himself, with his gaze fixed to the ground yet distant. He didn't even look up when he sensed Gaster's presence, instead speaking in a grim tone.

"You don't know how to leave people alone, do you?"

In truth he'd already seen this building some time ago, but he had to act as if this were the first time. The extra light from the evening sun made the disrepair that much more noticeable.

"It looks uh...really cozy," Gaster attempted to say.

"Yeah, for a rat," Grillby scoffed. Still, it was the only alternative he seemed to have. "I come here sometimes but... I don't want to talk right now."

Gaster stepped further into the abandoned shop. Peering past the counter, he saw the spot where Grillby would occasionally sleep. The blankets were layered in a way that surprisingly looked comfortable. He resisted the urge to try and curl up in it; that probably wouldn't go over well. When using the counter as leverage to stand again, pain flared up in his hand again. The resulting reaction was small, but didn't go unnoticed from across the room.

"...how's your hand?"

"O-Oh...I'm fine, I promise!", Gaster responded in surprise. 

It had been so many minutes that he hadn't expected him to talk. His hand still stung a little but it didn't actually get a burn, so that pain would fade away eventually. What he wanted to know was if he was ok. He'd never seen him that distressed before, let alone burn hot enough to hurt somebody. Did something happen?
Looking at him again, he seemed a lot more calm if not a little distant. He always reserved himself, if he hadn't ran into him earlier he wouldn't even have known something was wrong. He looked--

...fine.

Gaster's mind went back to before that night. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, but...

"...Elementals like him are incapable of showing physical injuries...so it shows in their soul instead..."

...was he hurting then too?

"If something's wrong, you can tell me. I'm your friend, remember?"

He didn't respond.

"Right, no talking. Listen...I'm sorry. I can leave you alone if you want."

"I...", his shield faltered, if only for a moment, before he gave a stern response. "Do what you want. I don't care."

Still, that small reaction was enough. Gaster had been careless about reading him before now, and he was going to start. The old wooden floor creaked as he sat down. He understandably had a lot of questions, like how this keeps happening, but knew he wasn't going to get any answers right now. 

They would sit in silence for a long while.

Chapter 17: LV +1

Notes:

Here we are, the culmination of the first arc (that took entirely too long to write honestly). From this point on, the different threads of plot are slowly gonna become less separate.

The next evening, a knock at the door caught Grillby's attention. Peeking in was June, the hefty rabbit monster that ran the bakery. She had light-brown fur and wore a button-up coat to protect herself from the cold, her lop ears drooping over the front of her shoulders.

"I thought I noticed a rip in that sweater. Can I come in?" she asked.

He didn't object to her walking inside, although he found her presence slightly stifling. It felt like she was always checking on him, which he couldn't help but find annoying.

"What are you even doing here?''

"I got that just for you, the least I can do is repair it," she replied, walking into the old shop.

While not enthused, he did sit down anyway. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a pouch she had stored some sewing supplies in. Some simple needle and thread, and a few pins. Then June sat down and started sewing the tear in the arm, trying to make conversation while doing so.

"I'm not here to lecture you or anything like that, but it's too cold out to leave your sweater like this."

"..."

"Abby would love to play with you, you know. She hasn't seen you in forever."

"I'm not interested in kid stuff..."

"You're not that old yourself, you should be having fun. It's not good for you to be doing all that work every day."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're only a child, I'm worried about you."

"Why do you care anyway?" Grillby remarked, clearly irritated.

"I want you to be careful, sweet pea. If he's hurting you--"

"--No, I just...mess up. I'm ok."

June wasn't convinced, but didn't want to upset him further by pressing the matter. Instead, she simply finished sewing.

"...If you need anything then you can come find me, understand?"

"...yeah," Grillby sighed.

"There, all fixed," said June, packing up her things. "I won't take up your whole night, I have to make sure all the little ones are asleep."

After finishing, she got up and started heading back outside. Before she closed the door, she turned to the boy one last time.

"Just please, be careful."

Grillby didn't answer, and instead turned away. After the door shut, he laid on the ground.

"I can take care of myself."

He looked out the window and sighed. He needed a walk before he returned home for the night.

---

On Gaster's way home, he saw Grillby sitting down on a bench on top of a hill just outside the city. The moon was just starting to come up, and there was a chill starting to set in. Why was he out?

"You're still out here? It's getting late, won't your dad be worried?"

"He was meeting with some of his friends earlier, he told me to leave," Grillby responded.

"Oh..."

Gaster settled down next to him on the log. He could tell Grillby wasn't completely comfortable with him just yet. He was still a bit rude generally, but it was unclear if it was that or not knowing how to talk to friends. Ever since his soul got fixed he was less nice, although to be fair he did have...less of a soul than he started out with. Not that it mattered too much at the moment; the two were content with quieting down and watching the city go to sleep from the top of the hill.

Grillby was...warm, and Gaster couldn't help but lean on him a bit to escape the winter air. The soft amber glow was inviting, even if he wasn't. At first it appeared that Grillby was going to say something, but for one reason or another he ultimately didn't. He felt a bit warmer than before.

Sitting there made Gaster wonder why Grillby was out this far instead of the old shop he used for shelter. It wasn't necessarily warm in there but it was indoors and out of the cold, especially when he previously mentioned being uncomfortable in the snow. He decided to ask, but got no real answer.

Of course, Gaster couldn't sit there forever. His family would be worried sick if he didn't return home before everyone went to bed. He sat for a few more moments before standing up.

"I have to go but... I hope you get home ok," said Gaster.

"Yeah... thanks."

---

"If you keep staying out so late, Momma will have a fit."

"I'm here aren't I?"

Calibri blocks Gaster's path up the stairs, staring him down. "You're not listening, you were supposed to be here hours ago."

"Since when have you cared where I've been?" He said, pushing past her.

She growled, but ultimately let him go.

 

That night in his bed, Gaster awoke to find himself in that familiar forest again; a tangle of tall pines almost forming a tunnel to a clearing in the far distance. When he looked up there was nothing to brighten the sky, only darkness, and through the dense thicket of trees he could see the ghostly white eyes of the Shadows.

In the quiet rustling of the wind, he could hear their whispers.

"He returns..."

"She has summoned you..."

As he stepped closer to the clearing, it became easier to make out the details of the creature that lurked there: the large Shadow, The Lich. She was capable enough to appear while he was awake, so why haunt his dreams too? She wouldn't stop watching. Waiting. The smokey tendrils that extended from her back waved in a nonexistent breeze, and her hollow eyes glowed with an eerie green light.

If she was looking to speak with him again then fine, he thought, let her speak.

"You still do not trust me," she said plainly.

"Why should I?" He questioned, her presence still unnerving him.

"I wish to see you prosper, but I can only do so much with no trust. I have another gesture if you will receive it. I'm sure what I have to tell you will make you think differently of me, but again, only if you wish to hear it."

He had to admit, it was tempting. She was confident that whatever she had to say would somehow earn his trust, so did that mean it was something important? He asked if he could have time to think it over, but she shook her head. If he wanted to know then he had to say so now.

"Fine...what's so important?"

"I knew you wouldn't decline. I sense danger approaching a friend of yours...grave danger."

"W-what? He was fine when I left him, where is he now?"

"Before you approach his home, I must warn you: a death is inevitable."

He felt his own blood run cold.

---

He never wanted to be in this form again, he swore himself that he wouldn't, but four legs could carry him faster than two. It was another offer he had to take.

Gaster crept from his room and carefully listened through the house before slowly descending the stairs. Asleep in front of the door was Myanmar, and in that moment Gaster regretted his last attempts at sneaking out; if only because it made doing so now more difficult. He would have to use one of the windows instead, so he turned his attention to the kitchen.

He hoisted himself onto the counter, making sure not to knock anything over as he did so, and lifted the window open before leaping out. He wasted no time running down the path to the city, refusing to slow down until he made it to the inn.

The front doors wouldn't open when he arrived, and the building appeared to be empty when he looked through the windows. For a moment he thought that maybe he should check the old shop instead, but he didn't have time to doubt himself. The Lich said he was at his home, and this was definitely his home. Gaster decided to instead circle the building to see if he could notice something through any other windows.

And he did. In the back there was a window on the lower wall that had been left open, looking down into the cellar. He almost froze when he saw Grillby cornered against a table, the innkeeper approaching with a large knife in his hand.

The next thing Gaster knew, he had leaped down into the room. Sharp teeth were biting down into the innkeeper's shoulder while he clung to his back with embedded claws. Maybe he wasn't thinking, but he didn't have time to think. His friend was going to die if he didn't do something!

The innkeeper let out a shout in pain and, in his attempt to shake him off, the knife fell to the floor with a clatter. Soon afterwards he managed to throw Gaster off, having him hit the ground hard.

"You...it's you. I knew I was right about you," the innkeeper hissed.

"Stay away from him!" Gaster growled, fangs bared.

"Gaster?" Grillby said weakly.

"You're that witch's boy, aren't you? Her puppet? I should have known."

"I'm not a puppet," Gaster said coldly.

The innkeeper looked down at the knife that had fallen to the floor, and Gaster noticed him eyeing it, stepping between him and the weapon.

"This is all her fault, isn't it? She put a curse on my boy," the innkeeper continued, "I should've known from the start."

"Leave him alone, or I'll-"

"You'll what? Kill me?"

He reached down for the knife, but Gaster lunged, teeth snapping at his leg and sinking in. A swift kick to the ribs knocked Gaster down, and another to the head sent him sprawling across the floor.

"Gaster!" Grillby exclaimed.

All Gaster felt was something slam into his head and a loud crack, making the world spin.

'Get up!' Gaster thought desperately as he struggled to get up, his legs trembling under him.

He bit into the innkeeper's shin in another attempt to slow him down, but he was kicked away again. This time his body collided with a shelf, knocking it over on top of him. The world went dark, but only for a moment. His whole body hurt, his face especially. He could barely focus from the pain, let alone stand, but...he had to.

He had to Get. Up.

He managed to crawl from under the shelf and stand up, although he couldn't even see straight. His vision was blurred, and he could barely stand. But...he wasn't done. He just had to stop him. He took a few unsteady steps forward, stumbling and falling into a table, using it to balance himself. He couldn't give up. Not yet.

"Leave him...alone," he mumbled.

The innkeeper ignored him, his focus was entirely on Grillby now, who was backed into the corner with a look of fear. Gaster tried to take a step forward, but his legs gave out, sending him to the floor again.

The innkeeper had a tight grip on the collar of Grillby's sweater, pinning him against the wall. Gaster felt a dark aura surround himself, he was angry, and his vision was starting to fade.
He felt something inside him. An anger like no other, an intense desire for revenge.

"Get...away!" Gaster shouted, his voice echoing through the room.

There was the sickening sound of piercing flesh, and then silence.

The innkeeper stumbled back, before collapsing face-first onto the old stone floor. Protruding from his back was the weapon used: a sharp bone speared straight through his heart.

Notes:

[LV +1]

Chapter 18: Aftermath

Notes:

Well, the Lich wasn't entirely wrong. Someone DID die, just not who was initially suspected.

Gaster's eyes widened, frozen with shock as the realization of what he had done set in. The magic that held him together increased in power, but he was too frightened to feel it. He found himself unable to tear his vision away from the corpse before him that bled out all over the floor.

'No... No, no, no.'

"I...I didn't mean..." Gaster stuttered.

He was shaking uncontrollably. His entire body felt numb. He could feel tears forming in his eyes.

Neither one of them dared move for some time.

Eventually, Grillby was the first one to move. He slowly walked over to where Gaster was sitting on the ground and knelt down beside him. Gaster flinched, afraid that his friend would be mad, but Grillby gently wrapped his arms around him. He was still scared, and confused, but couldn't bring himself to cry over his old caretaker. If anything he was hesitant to go near him, as if he would get back up and attack them again. Gaster's appearance as a blaster wasn't something he was willing to question at the moment either, he didn't really care, there was too much that was far more important.

You saved my life," Grillby said quietly, holding him tighter. "I thought I was dead."

"I-I just...couldn't let him..." Gaster trailed off, unable to finish his own sentence. His arms slowly wrapped around the flame's back, returning the hug. "...What do we do?"

"W-we have to get out of here, can you walk?" Grillby asked.

Gaster nodded, although he winced while doing so. "I-I think so."

Grillby stood and helped the skeleton up with him, moving towards the open window. They would have to crawl back out from there, since the door at the top of the stairs had been locked. Grillby shuddered, remembering all too vividly the moment he discovered that fact.

He lifted Gaster up to the window first, before pushing a table up to use as leverage for his own escape. Climbing out, Grillby felt relieved when the smell of fresh air filled his senses. The streets were empty this late at night, and not a single soul saw them escaping the grisly scene.

"I...I have to go home," Gaster said weakly.

"What?" Grillby asked in disbelief.

Gaster was clearly injured, and that would be a long walk back home. The old shop was much closer to duck into, there they could maybe process...all of this. But Gaster was insistent.

"If I don't go back then everyone's going to be looking for me, and...they'll know..." Gaster replied, standing up on shaky legs. "I can make it home myself. Just...stay at the shop, ok?"

Reluctantly, Grillby let him go. As much as he wanted to make sure Gaster returned safely, he had to admit that it may be better to stay behind. No one could ask him questions, for instance. He just had to lie low for the moment.

---

Gaster walked stiffly, and his body noticeably trembled. It wasn't clear if it was the cold or anxiety that made him do so. Perhaps both. The trek home seemed endless and the events of the night played over and over again in his head. He hadn't even noticed that he had stopped in his tracks, his thoughts consuming him.

In the distance, a familiar figure emerged from down the path and bounded towards him.

"Little brother! Everyone's been worried sick about you! You...don't look well."

Myanmar was stalled for a moment by the faint smell of blood. Something wasn't right. Gaster was injured and clearly in shock. His usual golden halos were now pinpricks staring aimlessly at the ground in front of him. Unblinking.

"Y-you're hurt, and I bet very frightened! I'll get you home."

Myanmar scooped the younger blaster up with his jaws and began the walk home in as smooth a gait as he could. Gaster barely even registered the trip. He was home before he knew it, and his mother was the first to meet him there.

"Wingdings!" Candara exclaimed, rushing to him. "My baby...! What happened to your face?!"

A jagged crack was present on both eyes, one trailing up and the other down. Her magic wasn't of much help healing either of them. Reluctantly, she had to accept that it was going to scar.

"It's nothing, Mum. I just...got into a fight, I'm fine."

"What? Who did this to you? You aren't in any trouble, are you?"

"No, I said I'm fine!" Gaster snapped, although his tone only made her more upset.

"Can't you tell I'm worried about you?! You keep sneaking out at night, and now your brother finds you like...this! You can barely stand! This isn't nothing, look at yourself! Look at your eyes!"

"I know, but--"

"But nothing, there's people out there that want to hurt you! If--"

"I'm sorry, ok?! I'm sorry...!" Gaster yelled, frustrated and hurting. "It wasn't like that, I promise, just please...I don't want to talk about it anymore..."

His tears began to flow again as he held his head low, avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"Wingdings..."

Candara pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him.

"What are you getting yourself into?" she muttered to herself.

---

Grillby sat behind the counter of the old shop, wrapped in the blankets collected there on the ground. After it had been several hours since the incident, it was just setting in that he had nowhere else to go now. He brought his knees to his chest as he thought about the bits of food he wouldn't get in the mornings and night anymore. The warm shelter. He still remembers the day the innkeeper took him in, something he would be immensely grateful for, but now he was alone.

Again.

Notes:

This is a shorter in-between chapter so it will better flow with the next one. I wanted this one specifically to just focus on what happens later that night.

Chapter 19: Forest of thorns

Notes:

I'm back! This only took...over a year to make ^^;
Here's hoping it doesn't take THAT long again. There's a lot I want to get to.

The next morning Candara tried everything to get her son to respond, but he stayed tucked under the covers, facing away from the rest of the room. He didn’t want to sit up, he didn’t want to speak, he didn’t want to eat. He was even numb to his injuries by the time she had tended to them the night before. Seeing him broken like this made her heart sink. When she finds who did this to him…

She stood up from the chair that she had next to his bed and exited into the hall. Arial and Myanmar were resting on the floor right outside, looking up at her expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” said Candara, shaking her head. “He’s not himself, you don’t want to overwhelm him.”

The two blasters whined in disappointment, standing up and descending the stairs after each other. No doubt they just wanted to comfort their brother, but she had to be delicate right now in his fragile state. Her attention was then caught by the click of a door from the opposite end of the hall.

“How is Wingdings?” Corbel asked, he appeared to have gotten fully dressed already.

“Still shaken up… Corbel I don’t know what to do, he won’t talk to me.”

“We may have to let him rest for now. You should stay with him.”

“You can’t?”

Her husband’s answer wasn’t immediate. He recoiled slightly with his gaze falling to the side, clearly unsure of himself before responding.

“I…no, I can’t.”

“Corbel–” Candara started, her brow furrowing at the idea of her husband leaving so quickly that morning, of all the times.

“A messenger bird was sent tapping on our window quite loudly,” he explained. “I’ve received word that the district’s innkeeper has been murdered.”

“W-what?”, she stuttered. A murder? So close?

“They want my help, I promise I won’t be gone all day,” said Corbel, giving her a peck on the forehead. “I’ll be back to help look after him, alright?”

For a moment she wanted to object, nothing could have been more important than helping their son, but she had to hold herself back. There had been a murder, of course they needed him. She had to remember why they were there. With a sigh, Candara turned her head back towards her son’s room. Corbel was right, it’d be best to leave him alone for a little while to let him rest. She would have to check on him again a little later.

---

The interior of the inn lacked any of the usual warmth that it once carried. It was dim, quiet, and had a faint lingering scent of blood in the air. On the opposite end of the room, a guard was meticulously working on the lock of a door to pick it open. Ramming it down was always an option of course, but they must have wanted to preserve as much of the building as possible. Marlett warbled upon entering the inn, inspecting the room by scent and sniffing for anything useful.

Everything in the main room was still as neat as it usually was after closing. Whatever happened to the innkeeper must have been confined to the basement, since nothing had been displaced upstairs. The only thing Corbel found confusing was the…human? Currently poking around in the kitchen? He could tell by his clothes that he was a detective, but why was he there? A human had died, sure, but the human court was usually satisfied with receiving a report post-investigation. Why did they send someone for this? They had their own district to worry about.

The human exited the kitchen, adjusting his hat before coming to an abrupt stop. He hadn’t noticed that the skeleton was so close to the entryway. Corbel easily towered over him by two heads, but then again he towered over most people. Even if seemingly friendly, this human exuded confidence and wasn’t easily intimidated by his stature. That was fine, Corbel could be nice too.

“It’s unusual for you to have business in this part of the city, isn’t it?”, questioned the skeleton.

“I go where they send me, but yes.”

“I see. Where’s the innkeeper?”

“In the basement,” said the human. “I managed to see some of the body through the window on the side, but it’s obscured. There’s hopefully more to go off of once they get that door open.”

It was understandable that the human wanted to check the body, but Corbel had to politely decline. This man wasn’t supposed to be here, and the protocol still stands.

“This case is outside of your jurisdiction I’m afraid. Being the first to examine the body is my responsibility, but you’re free to search the rest of the building with my assistant here,” Corbel offered, causing Marlett’s head to suddenly perk up.

“I have to help the human sniff around?” complained Marlett.

“You could accompany me down the stairs,” Corbel suggested. “Examining a corpse. In a dark basement.”

“W-well I…would love to. But I’d hate to get in your way, you might need a lot of, um…focus.”

“Upstairs, then.”

Apprehensive but without much choice, Marlett climbed the stairs with the human investigator in tow. Corbel, meanwhile, turned back to the door that led down to the basement. He wasn’t entirely sure what kind of fate the innkeeper had suffered yet. He hadn’t seen the body through the window like the others had, so there was an air of uncertainty that unsettled him. He turned the knob and flinched back slightly as the unmistakable smell of death floated through the now open doorway. The wooden stairs creaked with every step, and upon reaching the stone floor at the bottom he was met with the body lying not too far away. A few rays of sun managed to shine through the window, but the room was still quite dark and damp-feeling, which only added to the dread of the scene.

It was stuck pretty deep and smaller than usual, but there was unmistakably a bone spear in the innkeeper’s back. He got closer to the corpse and dislodged the weapon, turning it over in his hands.

“Wingdings…”

Corbel stared at it in disbelief. It was completely unlike him, there was no way…

Corbel hid the weapon in the interior of his coat, tucking it into a pocket, before examining the rest of the body. As much as he wanted to find evidence of the contrary, every piece he found only further confirmed the reality of things. The man’s arms, legs, and shoulder were covered in bite and claw marks. A harsh burn mark was on his hand and wrist, but nowhere else as far as he could tell. Why this happened was still a mystery, but one thing was for sure: his son had killed.

Behind him, the skeleton could hear someone descending the staircase. It was the human investigator; Corbel must have been down here for some time.

“Having trouble with anything?”

“No, not at all. I was just observing the wounds,” Corbel replied. He had to continue with the search despite his findings, there was a lot he needed to be sure of.

While the human took notes on the body, Corbel opted to check the rest of the room. Under a table by the window was a knife, but there wasn’t a drop of blood on it.

“Found a weapon?” he heard call behind him.

“Not the murder weapon, it’s clean, but I can’t imagine why it’s down here.”

“If it’s not the weapon, the culprit probably took it with them. That’s pretty common for murders.”

Corbel’s mind immediately went back to the spear he had stashed in his coat. He…couldn’t bring himself to present it.

“It’d help if there were witnesses, but we asked around and no one saw a thing.”

“…Where is that boy that lives here?”

“No idea, no one’s seen him since the inn closed on the night of the incident.”

Odd.

He couldn’t be dead at least. His son was quite close to him, he would’ve heard about it. The burns on the innkeeper’s hand must have meant that he was there when the murder happened. As much as curiosity made Corbel wonder where he disappeared to, he promised Candara he would return home before long. He had to promptly return to the office to report his findings.

---

How was he supposed to tell Candara? It would break her, surely. How could they let him do this? What drove him? Their son would never hurt anyone, but that man…he was practically mauled.

His hand stilled mid-sentence, hovering over the page he had to record his official report on. Gripping the pen slightly tighter, he continued with his report.

Suspect(s): unknown

---

The sound of whispers and quiet, rustling pines made it clear where he’d ended up. Gaster’s whole body still hurt with any sort of movement, but he could feel the grass beneath him. Perhaps if he just layed there, he thought, he’d wake up back home. But that wasn’t working, she wanted to talk to him. He slowly stood on unsteady legs, looking out into the shrouded forest and seeing the eyes of the shadow monsters watching him. The feeling of unease never lessened with each time he saw them, but he began his walk towards the clearing.

In the center of the clearing was the Lich, who still towered over him despite laying down in the grass, one paw crossed over the other. Her gaze was observant, scanning him.

“You’re not mortally wounded,” she stated. “I admit I was impressed with your ability, but I sense your regret. I gave you your warning, and you made the choice to trade one soul for another.”

Gaster couldn’t even meet the beast’s gaze, instead staring down at his own claws. “It’s not what I wanted…”, he muttered.

“Isn’t it?” The Lich hummed, her muzzle peeling into a grin. “I can see into your soul, little one.”

His intention was to prevent whatever grim prophecy she had told him, but…was she right? Did he know, deep down, there was a chance that it had to be someone in that room? Gaster lost his urge to talk anymore, memories of that night began to flash in his mind. The deafening silence, the taste of blood, it was horrifying. He wanted it gone. Why did things have to end up like this?

“It seems our meeting is over, your soul can’t yet stay here for long without feeling the cold grip of despair. I will return you to your original body when you awaken.”

Somehow, the boy doubted it was the forest weighing on his mind.

---

Gaster woke up in his bed with a start. He could tell by his lack of a tail that he wasn’t a blaster anymore.

“One day, you will do this yourself,” The Lich’s voice echoed in his mind before quickly fading.

The boy still had his blankets pulled over him, which he held onto tightly while curled into as much of a ball as possible. He faced the wall to avoid having to face anyone else, especially with the scars he had been told he had. His mother’s magic was good but could only do so much. It couldn’t remedy the bit of blurriness in his sight now either.

Seated behind him was his mother, who looked on with concern. Gaster didn’t bother turning around, what could he possibly say?

“You’re back,” Gaster heard from behind him, which was directed at someone else. “He hasn’t moved.”

There was a heavy, sinking feeling that made Gaster want to curl up in bed even more than he already had. He didn’t want to guess where this fear was coming from, but when his father didn’t approach him it felt… Paralyzing.

“Candara, we need to talk—alone.”

If only he could shut out the world.

Chapter 20: Chapter 19b

Summary:

A very short snippet that takes place near the start of Chapter 19, but is here separately since I couldn't fit it in well anywhere. So consider this less a whole new chapter and moreso a bonus scene from the last one.

The clacking of claws against the wooden staircase filled the otherwise silent first floor. At the bottom of the steps, Calibri’s body stretched along the length of the couch as she watched her two siblings return with solemn looks on their faces.

“She turned you away, yeah?”, Calibri hummed.

Arial’s tail drooped low as she spoke, “Momma said he wasn’t himself…”

“Little brother must be so scared!” Myanmar whined. “I knew I should’ve tried harder to stay awake…”

“That twig’s lucky whatever he fought didn’t eat him,” Calibri spat, her tail lashing in annoyance.

If Arial had ears she would’ve pulled them back. With an incredulous look, she clawed at the ground and gnashed her sharp teeth at her Calibri’s face, which her sister pulled her head back to avoid.

“How can you say that?!” Arial growled.

“All he’s done this winter is get himself in trouble and learn nothing. They said he’d get hurt if he kept sneaking out, maybe he’ll listen now.”

“…You were supposed to watch him last night…”, spoke Verdana, who up until that point had been sitting some distance away and keeping to herself.

Her voice was quiet, but just audible enough to catch everyone’s attention with the silent tension of the room. Calibri’s head snapped in her direction, but she didn’t have the usual quick remark. Her claws dug into the couch slightly.

“You’re not listening, you were supposed to be here hours ago.”

“Since when have you cared where I’ve been?”

“I don’t have time for brats,” Calibri mumbled in response, hopping off of the couch and stalking out of the room.