‘When the Hero’s quest ended, he fell on his knees. The strain of the journey had at last caught up to him.’
‘While his tired bones rested in a healing cradle, he dreamed of a different story…’
In a world that did not come to pass, there was once a ceremony conducted by The Underground.
King Asgore announced the cancellation of the war. He explained to his citizens that they had discovered a way to bypass the Barrier. However, the human world outside still required more investigation.
He opened the containers of the Six Souls in public. Apologized for the children’s untimely death… and let them free.
At least, that was how the story was supposed to go.
In the midst of the partying, The Great Scientist Papyrus couldn’t find his three-in-one elders. That won’t do. Uncle Gaster was an important figure; he shouldn’t miss out on the best part.
“UNCLE GASTER? UNCLE GASTER!!!” He called out. “MY GELGHETTI ISN’T GOING TO LAST FOREVER!”
“WHERE COULD HE HAVE GONE?”
The Dreamer wondered the same.
“MAYBE HE HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH THE KING?”
“HMM. HMM. CHANNELING MY INNER GENIUS TELLS ME I SHOULD HEAD TO THE ROYAL CASTLE, PRONTO! YES. THAT’S RIGHT. IT IS THE CHOICE OF SKULLS;GOAT!”
It appears that no matter which world he came from, the general thread of Papyrus’ logic remained intact. The other world’s version of him ran all the way there.
Except, the place was empty.
I GUESS WE CAN BE WRONG ON THE SAME DETAILS TOO…
But when he left the castle gardens, Papyrus spotted Gaster. He’s sliding across the trails that led away from New Home, carrying a potted golden flower. He recognized it as the source of King Asgore’s favourite tea.
The youngster called for him, but the uncle carried on. The goopy skeleton headed towards a small cave. Papyrus followed not too far behind.
At the end of the journey lay a secret garden powered by science: artificial sunlight, a water source, and a host of other machines tailored for optimum plant life.
Five other flowers had already been planted. There was a hole left for the sixth.
“UNCLE GASTER?” asked Papyrus.
“Shhh…” The man rested a finger on his lips. “Keep your voice down, son. This is a very delicate experiment.”
The youngster covered his mouth.
“Wait for me outside. There’s something I must explain.”
Wait, he did. He didn’t seem to mind having to call on a bit of patience. Papyrus, however, did sense something off about this situation. It’s enough to make him fidget and jitter.
Once Gaster finished his gardening work, he beckoned Papyrus to follow. They moved farther and farther away from the cave.
The uncle’s face lit up with excitement. He asked: “Did you know that these special flowers have the ability to retain great power? Think of them as self-sustaining batteries.”
“WOWIE!”
“Wowie, indeed. I don’t have any more materials for replacements. That’s why I need all the help I can get to maintain what we have.”
The smile faded to deep concern.
“Papyrus,” said Gaster. “Could you check on those flowers every day for me? I have a bad tendency to get absent-minded when the schedule gets hectic. Disastrous for plant care. This… this is one garden that cannot fail.”
“I THOUGHT WE ALREADY FIGURED OUT HOW TO GROW HUMAN VEGETABLES UNDERGROUND?”
“Different plants have different needs. I’m trying to find the ideal habitat for our little golden ones. Replicate King Asgore’s throne room, you might say. Will you aid me?”
“OF COURSE, UNCLE GASTER! YOU KNOW I’LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN! NYEH!”
“Good, good. One more thing, Papyrus.”
“YES?”
“Please... leave your brother out of this. That poor chap is already leaden with so much responsibility. If we heap one more experiment on his skull, I’m afraid his spine might snap.”
“OH MY GOD, YOU MEAN THIS COULD BE MY SECOND SOLO PROJECT?!”
“Second?”
“WHAT IS A MAD SCIENTIST WITHOUT A PERSONAL ULTRA SECRET PET PROJECT? OF COURSE I HAVE ONE, UNCLE GASTER!”
“WHEN IT’S DONE, IT WILL BEDONGGLE YOUR MINDS! MY MIND! AND MY FUTURE SELF’S MIND! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”
The dream then zoomed forward to the very day that pet project failed spectacularly; the youngster had tried to break the taboo placed upon him and suffered the ultimate punishment for doing so.
When he next woke up, he found himself in a strange, empty space. It’s dark. And fireflies floated overhead.
“Ah. Good. You’re awake.” Said the disembodied voice of Uncle Gaster.
“WHERE AM I?...” Papyrus asked.
“ALSO WHERE ARE YOU? I DON’T SEE YOU ANYWHERE UNCLE GASTER?”
“That is because you’re now a part of me. Living in my inner world. Don’t worry, you are not alone.”
He met a man there who was almost a mirror image of his magnificent self, and a beautiful woman that he doesn’t recognize. They claimed to be his parents.
He was happy at first. Elated. But then, a big fatigue washed over him. Bedtime had arrived, and his favourite car-bed spawned in this strange space.
They exchanged goodnights.
For the first time in his life… his parents tucked him into bed.
The ebb between lucidity and sleep rolled by. Many a times he tossed and turned, wishing to be awake, only for a breeze to lull him back to slumber once again.
Such was the pattern, until one day he had a rude awakening.
“UNCLE GASTER? WHAT’S HAPPENING?!”
“The worst case scenario, my boy. See for yourself.”
Outside the mindscape, Uncle Gaster hurried into action. Hordes of malformed melting monsters crawled at his tail. They groaned, attempting to latch on to the edges of his clothes.
“A REAL ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?!? JUST LIKE THE MOVIES???”
“Close enough. Accurate, I daresay.”
“WHERE ARE WE GOING?”
“To our backup plan. The fruits of our labour will shine today. First things first, though. We must shake off this creature!”
Gaster summoned his Blaster, firing into the goopy mass. Each pulse of that beam deterred their approach ever so slightly.
“NO! DON’T HURT THEM!”
“Worry not, they’re Amalgamates. My beams are nothing more than inconvenient brooms of hindrance.”
More dripped down from the ceiling.
Even more climbed upwards from the sides of the cliff walls.
They added themselves to the shambling horde.
Papyrus could hear their mumblings.
‘You’re like us.’
‘Come.’
‘Join.’
‘Why do you resist?’
‘Why?’
‘I hate you I hate you I hate you.’
“Argh, you pesky pests.” Gaster grumbled. “Strangers shall not encroach my sanctuary! My body is for the Font family, and the Font family alone!”
The struggle continued until a great crimson lightning flashed from the distance. Thunder boomed through the caverns.
Upon receiving the command, the whole Abomination shifted their focus to a single point.
There, ‘The Last Persona’ emerged from his protection.
Then. Then…
Papyrus’ parents obscured his vision. Though their loving arms covered his sights to save him from witnessing the cruel execution, the loss of life still lingered in the air.
His brother Sans was no more. The shock left the younger sibling muted.
“I’m sorry,” muttered Gaster. “We must make haste.”
They escaped to an offshoot trail. Papyrus recognized this as his daily path to the secret garden.
He wondered. Was there a hidden treasure hidden underneath the bloom? Could that be the experiment?
Gaster pried a piece of fake rock off the wall, exposing a hidden button. He slammed it with the side of his fist.
Light bathed the golden flowers. To Papyrus’ shock, human SOULS floated out of them.
“W-WHAT IS THIS?! I THOUGHT WE SET THEM FREE!”
“Papyrus. These are ‘Ebott Goldenflowers’: otherwise known as ‘Cheaters of Death’. They’re vessels that preserve the life of the departed.”
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“On the day of the ceremony, I used these flowers to re-capture the fallen human SOULS. Away from the rest of the populace.”
“…WHY DID YOU LIE?”
The elder took a deep breath, followed with a heavy sigh. “The numerous reports about the Surface pointed in a dire direction. Your brother believed that something could be done without the Six. I did not.”
“I… I was his partner in crime for this doomed timeline. The responsibility is mine to bear. Therefore, I made this garden behind the backs of the nation.”
Gaster stretched his arms out towards the floating SOULS.
“Children of humanity, I present myself to you as a vessel! Please aid us in subduing that tyrant!”
Except, the SOULS refused to cooperate. They hovered there, stubbornly idle.
“…Well, I understand your hesitation. Still, this is not the time for grudges. Right outside is an evil man controlling a true abomination. If we don’t cooperate, he will devour you!”
The SOULS pulsed. They transmitted their thoughts via magic.
Purple asked for Gerson.
Yellow asked for Grillby.
“I’m afraid they're not here with us. I’d wager that they’re on top of that floating island. No! I’m not talking nonsense! The world has gone haywire over the past year.”
They then asked for their most diligent caretaker.
He watered them.
Checked the lighting.
Pampered their soil.
Every day, without fail.
‘Papyrus’.
“Well. He is right here. Up you go, young man.”
The next thing he knew, his head was perched on Doctor Gaster’s body. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to his parents.
“UM… HELLO?” he said.
The SOULS responded positively, at least. They surrounded him, greeting back.
“YES, IT IS I, THE GREAT MAGNIFICENT SCIENTIST PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH! APOLOGIES FOR THE LACK OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY HANDSOME VISAGE. AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.”
“BUT, WHAT UNCLE GASTER SAID IS TRUE. THE BAD HUMAN… HE…”
Tears dampened his eyes. Fresh was the wound in his heart.
“HE ALREADY KILLED MY BROTHER.”
The Six granted him a moment of silence, mourning the loss together.
“THANK YOU, MY FLOATY FRIENDS. I’M GRATEFUL. BUT WE SHOULDN’T DALLY ANYMORE.”
Acknowledging the urgency, The Six set aside their differences and merged with Papyrus. Unimaginable power blessed his being.
His liquid goop body shifted around, remodeling itself to a form more suitable for the task at hand.
…It was none other than his original, pre-dusted shape, battle body and all.
His right Eye -- now restored to its former glory -- burst into a torch. It showed him a vision of what’s happening in present time.
“OH NO! SOMEONE’S IN TROUBLE!” he exclaimed. “WE MUST HURRY BEFORE THEY FALL!”
Papyrus dashed out of the cave.
He will not lose another life under his watch. Not today.
He thus leapt against the walls, ran upside down on the ceilings, and rushed through the Underground’s inverted terrain without a single missed step. He did it in such a natural, great manner, he forgot that he’s now a Six SOUL GOD.
The Abomination noticed his presence. It began to move towards Papyrus, acting on its instinct to assimilate.
In turn, his clairvoyance showed him how to use his Blasters to halt their advances. So Papyrus did exactly that.
The Six cheered on.
When he arrived at the scene, the long-lost striped human friend duelled against a Seer Amalgamate. It had a peculiar mechanical device strapped on its arm.
The inner Uncle Gaster recognized it as Sans’ ultimate weapon: The Seraph System. He raised an immediate red flag, warning Papyrus to confiscate it posthaste.
The Persona meanwhile watched from afar. He must have realised that The System cannot be used by those of flesh and blood. Therefore, he commanded a slave to do his bidding.
Papyrus conjured a femur. Raised it high.
“NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH!!!!!”
Down from the ceiling he dropped. Upon that mighty swing, the liquid skeleton splattered all around.
The Seraph System spun in the air. Papyrus caught it.
When he did so, a surge of images flooded his mind; he struggled to stand as his Eye intensified.
“WHAT IS THIS?” he muttered. “WHO IS THIS OTHER ME?”
The Dreamer knew exactly what the young man saw.
The Fire of Humanity told him tales of a world so foreign yet so familiar.
In that world…
He, Papyrus, didn’t pursue science. Instead, he aspired to be a knight.
He didn’t have a proper job. Instead, he was stuck as a constant trainee.
He didn’t help the family run a water plant. Instead, he befriended a human in a striped shirt.
His social status was so much lower. Yet, the Great Scientist surely must have felt the grief of losing that life.
After all, feelings are memories that transcend time.
When the vision ended, he saw a pair of disembodied hands strapping the Seraph System on his arm.
“W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING, UNCLE GASTER?”
One last tug secured the belt.
‘Leave the controls to me.’ Gaster signed back. The hands then vanished.
“Papyrus?” said the human. “You’re… you’re alive?”
He turned around. It’s a voice that he had heard for the first time in this timeline. It nonetheless invoked nostalgia.
“ANIMATED AND LIVELY, I’D SAY! BUT FORGIVE ME. I DON’T REMEMBER YOUR NAME.”
“Frisk! The name is Frisk. I’m so happy to see you.”
“I’M… I’M HAPPY TO SEE YOU TOO.”
The Last Persona then stepped onto the battlefield to greet his new opponent, cutting their reunion short.
“Another Oracle, huh?”
After a brief scrutiny of Papyrus, he clapped his hands. Slow. Deliberate.
“I see. You monsters did gather those human SOULS after all. My ancestors warned everyone about the dangers all those years ago. Nobody believed it until the Great Ebott Razing.”
“Hmph. Not that I blame you. Power is a wonderful thing, is it not?”
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN.”
“It’s all about enacting your will. Sealing you feeble creatures under the mountain stripped what little autonomy you had.”
“Imagine the festering resentment! Only a matter of time before the pot boils over.”
“Why don’t you show me your true heart’s desire? Your god commands you!”
An oppressive aura of Determination descended upon his skull. It attempted to stir a sense of bloodlust that he never knew it existed.
His mother, insulted.
Uncle Gaster, taunted.
Papyrus, challenged.
The Six scrambled to rein them in. Yet, his temper continued to roil.
“I… I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT. BUT YOU…”
Head, hot and light. A creeping madness muddled his senses. He tried to shake himself out of it.
“YOU… YOU KILLED MY BROTHER. AND YOU’RE TRYING TO KILL MY NEW FRIEND.”
But it refused. Every bone on his being rattled.
“I HATE YOU…!”
Persona’s command set alight that inner Hell.
“I’LL… K I L L Y O U--”
A tight slap on the back of his pelvis snapped him out of it. Executed by none other than Frisk, his pint-sized human buddy.
They said: “Don’t. He’s not worth staining your hand. Hating on others won’t solve anything.”
They stepped forward. Intense white flames surrounded the child in a ring of fire, ready to retaliate upon a moment’s notice.
That magic… he realized, belongs to Asgore’s clone: Queen Toriel.
What happened to her?
“Papyrus, take the Six and flee to the Bastion. Don’t worry about me. I have Mom.”
He didn’t understand a lot of things. Why does Frisk possess Queen Toriel’s fire magic? What was Persona’s ultimate mission? Why the Underground, of all places?
However… he had priorities. Frisk’s safety came first.
Papyrus used some of his Blue magic to pull the kid to his side.
With a heroic pose, he declared: “IT’S RUDE TO HOG THE SPOTLIGHT, FRISK! YOU HAVE ONE SOUL AND I HAVE SIX, SO I SHOULD BE THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS PLAY.”
“BESIDES, OUR OPPONENT AND MY MAGNIFICENT SELF ARE GROWNUPS. GREAT ADULTS SHALL HANDLE THINGS THE GREAT WAY!”
Amused by this declaration, Persona laughed. Something went right at least.
“It appears that you’re not as moronic as you look. Indeed, let’s deal with this as true men! Tiny brats shouldn’t get involved.”
“AGREED! LET’S HAVE OUR BATTLE ON THE COUNT OF THREE.”
“Fine by me.”
Frisk tried to object, but Papyrus showed a reassuring hand.
The skeleton conjured a new bone. Persona prepared his battle stance.
“THREE.”
“TWO.”
“ONE!”
“START!”
Papyrus threw his weapon and…
…Scooped Frisk into his arms. He sped towards the nearest shortcut with the kid held above his head.
In truth, that bone was none other than his ‘Special Attack Version Kai’: a flash grenade.
“FLEEING IS A VALID FIGHTING TACTIC TOO!!! NYEH HEH HEEEEEEEEEEEEHH!”
When the bomb set off, the dream of this timeline began to warp. Twist. The record of their journey, lost in the ripples of possibilities.
It was a grey day.
The skies were crying.
The winds were howling.
Wherever they went, the Abomination continued to spill from the cracks and caves of Mount Ebott. Neverending.
There was something warm in his hands. Papyrus looked down.
It was a SOUL. Frisk’s SOUL.
The kid didn’t make it. The Queen, lost forever. Despite all his efforts, a terrible misfortune happened in the midst of their escape.
Tears mixed with the rain, soaking into his gloves.
‘Take them, Papyrus.’
‘It’s too late for the child. But, we still have a chance.’
Uncle Gaster, Father, Mother, and the Six waited for his final decision.
Papyrus absorbed the SOUL in his embrace. With that, he ascended into the mythical figure of a Seven SOUL GOD.
The Dream was then cut short. And The Dreamer awakened.
The next thing he knew, the present day Papyrus struggled amidst warm, bubbling water.
His Eye burned bright. Too bright. The tricolour shades of his being reflected against the smooth glass covers of his healing pod.
He heard Lady Lucidia on the outside. She yelled something, but the keen noise of his people’s magic drowned out the details.
‘Extinguish’? He thought he heard.
WAIT!
A Seer’s Seal attempted to control the flame. Curb it.
NOT YET.
THERE ARE STILL SO MANY IMPORTANT CLUES TO SEARCH FOR!
Papyrus fought back. The Seal broke within seconds as the young Seer set his skull ablaze.
I WANT TO SEE THE END!
At the peak of his power, the cradle that had kept him safe could take no more. The pod exploded. Liquid spilled. Glass shattered. Metal splintered.
Papyrus fell into the mess of brokenness. The bits nicked his bones, his skull throbbed, and his sockets stung from the unceasing burn.
Yet their pain paled compared to his heart.
“I CAN’T SEE IT…” he said.
Papyrus cried and cried.
“WHY CAN’T I SEE IT? WHY???”
The sudden presence of a familiar red scarf snagged his face. All of its magic suppressive features kicked in. At last, the fire in his Eye stopped burning.
With a protesting muffle, Papyrus said: “WHAT IS THIS RUDENESS?!? CAN’T YOU SEE I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VITALLEST OF BUSINESSES???”
He tried to pull the scarf down, but a small vine slapped him on his wrist and stopped him without mercy.
The flower chided: “No. Bad. We’re not risking another apocalypse until we figure out what’s wrong with you.”
“FLOWEY…?”
“Yep. Your very best friend. And if we’re friends you’ll listen to me. It’s for your own good.”
In the background, Papyrus heard Chara.
“You okay?” asked the ex-human.
“I-I’m fine,” Lucidia replied. “Please excuse me. I need to run some checks on Sans.”
“I’m gonna call the janitor then.”
“Not yet. Sorry. I… don’t want to scare the staff.”
“Oh, right,” Chara sighed. “Of course. Ignorant humans. This is why I hate them. How about we borrow a mop and a bucket?”
“A better option. Thank you.”
After some clattering on the keyboard, she breathed a sigh of relief. “No errors detected. Integrity, a hundred percent.”
“Even after all of that?” Flowey asked. “Lady, you’re scary strong. I mean. There’s actual metal shrapnel! Piercing the wall!”
“I couldn’t risk damaging the computer. And… I wouldn’t want you or Chara to get hurt either. You’re organic. And shieldless.”
A hum of magic floated towards him. Gently, a woman’s slim fingers pulled down on the fabric. She rewound the scarf. Freed up his left socket so Papyrus wouldn’t be blindfolded.
Lady Lucidia’s Dichromatic Eyes then shifted their colours between her mismatched green and blue to a united purple. The last time she did that, she analyzed him from head to toe.
Her face was filled with worry.
“Unable to complete analysis...” she said.
Papyrus gripped her arm, worried. Almost frantic. “MY BROTHER. SANS. IS HE ALRIGHT? D-DID I HURT HIM???”
Although shocked at first, the woman patted his hand and reassured: “He’s safe. I did not detect any anomalies. Excuse me, I have other priorities to tackle.”
“OH. RIGHT.” He let her go.
“Flowey, please take him to the bathroom and tend to his needs.”
“Okay. C’mon Paps, follow where I point.”
As they walked on, the youngster waded through the result of his accidental destruction. The floor was wet. Slippery. And at times very, very sharp.
The pod? In shambles: broken beyond repair.
They’re alone in the bathroom now. They had folded up towels and hospital gowns, waiting for use.
Papyrus ignored them all.
“Uh, hello?” Flowey waved a leaf before him.
The skeleton insisted on standing before the sink, bones bared.
“Ugh, you-- I know you can’t catch a cold but I got a job to do!”
Flowey tossed a towel over Papyrus. “Dry yourself up already. Sheesh.”
The skeleton draped the fabric over himself, huddling under it.
“MAY I COMPLAIN?” he asked.
Flowey rolled his eyes. Pouted. Then, he begrudgingly surrendered. “Sure. Go ahead. I complain a lot too.”
“OKAY.” Papyrus smiled. “THAT BIG FIERY SUNDAY WAS TERRIBLE.”
“Ahuh,” Flowey nodded. “Worst. Day. Ever.”
“SANS NEVER DID PICK UP THAT SOCK. IT’S STILL IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT ON OUR NEAR-IDENTICAL SURFACE HOUSE.”
“Wow, seriously? That’s trying too hard.”
“ISN’T THAT RIGHT? AND! HIS ROOM IS ALWAYS A MESS. IT’S SO IRRITATING! JUST LIKE HIS BAD PUNS!”
Moments of silence went by.
The Seer whimpered. “I WANT MY OLD LIFE BACK.”
“I knew it!” The flower groaned. “That’s Frisk-level nonsense right there. C’mon, your old life was STUPID! Nobody took you seriously. Like ever!”
“…Then again, you could afford to waste your time on dumb stuff. Not the case anymore, huh?”
Flowey rested on top of his skull. “I know how that feels. Chara and I… We can’t go back to the good ol’ days either. Our fallout proved that.”
“DID YOU MAKE UP?” he asked.
“Call it a work in progress,” the boy admitted. “We’re trying to find common ground. Not getting on each other’s nerves. You know. The logical approach. Whatever.”
“Anyway, give yourself a break. You deserve it more than anyone else. Let us deal with the bullcrap for the rest of today.”
Even though Prince Asriel had much bitterness to deal with, he still chose to be good. Papyrus patted him on his petalled head.
“THANK YOU, FLOWERY.”
“...Now you’re just misnaming me on purpose.”
“OH NO. NOT AT ALL! IT’S A SPECIAL NICKNAME JUST FOR YOU.”
“Aww gee, thanks.”
The two snickered together: sharing a moment of brevity at the end of an otherwise turmoiled Tuesday.