If this were a bedtime story, it would be written as such:
‘Once upon a time, a scientist had knowledge, opportunity and respect.’
‘But the poor man had no friends. Or rather, he stopped making friends. Grief and loss caused him to close his heart.’
‘He became blind to the emotions of others, hurting them in the name of the greater good.’
‘It cost him everything.’
The rest of the pages were left unwritten.
Papyrus now held the proverbial pen. It will be up to him to continue this story.
He made his way to the SAVE platform, surrounded by gentle streams of digital water. The way Gaster stood at the edge of the grass brought him a sense of unease.
It’s as if he’s ready to jump off the edge.
The opening statement was the hardest. After a long consideration, Papyrus said: “YOU AND SANS WERE NOT VERY NICE TO EACH OTHER.”
Gaster turned around and tried to speak. Each time he tried, he found his voice locked by shame.
Not once he looked Papyrus in the face. He kept his sights indirect: within view yet never in main focus.
[MAYBE WE CAN USE OUR SPECIAL LANGUAGE?] Papyrus wanted to talk despite the discomfort. Be brave.
[It’s not so much about the language,] Gaster signed, [Rather… we cannot bear to face you.]
[WE?]
[The three of us failed in our own ways. Your parents believe they share the blame.]
[I DON’T THINK I UNDERSTAND.] Papyrus knew that he cannot jump to conclusions. Not now. Everything must be crystal clear.
Gaster replied, [I convinced your parents to cooperate with me. I made them see how I see, and thus they let me use despicable methods to control your brother. ‘For the greater good’, I said. ‘We will be free soon enough’.]
[Yes. Your brother and I were terrible to each other. Before another person, I’d justify myself. Push the blame to Sans without even consciously thinking about it. Have others see me as a victim of tragedy. Betrayed…]
[…But, when the DT-Extraction Machine fell on you, I knew my lying days were over. You, Papyrus, would see the truth as it is. Nothing but the truth. We -- no, I -- can no longer defend myself. Guilty as charged, there’s nowhere left to run or hide.]
The once proud man then hung his head low.
[WHY?] asked Papyrus, [WHY WON’T YOU TRY TO DEFEND YOURSELF?]
The elder skeleton replied with a quivering chuckle. [How could I? Even if you were not the living epitome of the Chronograph, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I’ve grown so, so very fond of you.]
[...UNCLE GASTER.]
[Did you know, your parents and I were gripped with nervous excitement after our chance meeting? We discussed for long, long hours on how to approach you.]
[Should we tell you the truth up front? What if you reject us as Sans did? If we hide, how long should we hide? One month? One year? Forever?]
[In the end, we took the cautious approach. I would be the front: this classy, amiable uncle who knew your parents.]
[THAT DIDN’T WORK FOR LONG,] Papyrus commented.
[Oh yes, it did not. Of course. We saw this coming from a mile away, yet we took the chance. It’s impossible to hide from Sans. By logic, we should have remained scattered across spacetime. Talk to you from a different plane like a ghost.]
Stolen story; please report.
[Hah… but since when does emotion follow logic? How can we resist? Your parents never had the chance to watch you grow up. I barely had the opportunity either. The prospect outweighed all the risks.]
[We never regretted that decision. The hours we spent before the fallout were few, but they’re the sweetest in ages.]
Gaster paused to recompose himself. Took deep breaths to prevent himself from breaking down.
[We will be satisfied with any decision you make. Send us back into the Void, punish us, disown us, what have you. We’ll accept it. No grudges, no resentment.]
Papyrus furrowed his brows and raised his voice: “I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! THAT IS JUST TOO SAD!”
“WHY MUST EVERYTHING BE SO DRAMATIC? THERE’S GOOD DRAMA, LIKE METTATON’S SHOWS. THEN THERE’S BAD DRAMA. WE’RE IN THE BAD DRAMA SIDE FOR TOO LONG!”
“IT’S BAD ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT FRISK LOST SO MUCH FOR OUR SAKE. OR KNOWING MY BROTHER WOULD TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES TO PROTECT ME. OR THE FACT YOU HAD NO FAMILY AND ARE SO VERY ALONE.”
The overflow of emotions made his SOUL glow.
“I DON’T WANT OUR LIFE TO BE ANIME FOR REAL!”
[And how will you do that?] Gaster asked back. [Words are easy. But, what would you do to uphold your statement?]
Papyrus declared his words as bold as he could. Though his voice was strong, his posture showed streaks of fear.
“BY FORGIVING YOU. AND UNDYNE. AND ALPHYS. AND FRISK. AND METTATON. MISTER MAGUS AND MISS AUNT. MOM. DAD. SANS. EVEN CHARA!”
He’s fighting against it. Yes, he’s afraid: all the more why he refuses to cower.
Gaster’s sockets widened from shock. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. [After witnessing the worst of me? Of everyone?]
“ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I’VE SEEN THE WORST!”
“EVERYONE’S DROWNED IN SO MUCH NEGATIVITY. GIVING INTO THOSE THINGS WILL ONLY CONTINUE THE SADNESS FOREVER AND EVER!”
“I… I WANT TO BREAK THAT CYCLE! I WANT TO HELP OTHERS BREAK THAT CYCLE! I KNOW THAT IF GIVEN A CHANCE, PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO BE GOOD!”
“YOU CAN BE GOOD TOO. YOU ALREADY ARE. AND WHEN I TALK TO MY BROTHER AGAIN, I WILL TELL HIM THAT HE CAN STILL BE GOOD BEYOND THE PAIN.”
[What if… they betray your kindness?] Asked Gaster, [Take advantage? Harm you?]
“IT DOESN’T MATTER,” Papyrus answered. “I DON’T EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN. IF THEY STILL DECIDE TO BE BAD, I CAN’T STOP THEM. BUT I MUST FIRST GIVE THEM A CHOICE...”
“EVEN IF IT HURTS ME.”
Papyrus made a conscious decision to embrace the very traits that defined his powers.
Courage. Righteousness. Altruism.
Reach. Reinforce. Restore.
He’s now aware he’s the biggest fool in the eyes of the world… Yet, he refused to conform to their standards.
All that hurtful sadness didn’t have to be a constant reality. Things can change for the better, one person at a time.
Magic of the heart coursed through his bones. Emotion and conviction converged into one.
Papyrus’ whole being ignited into dancing flames of warm, magical fire. Soon after, the flares reduced into a steady glow of orange.
Gaster couldn’t believe the sights. Nor did the youngster.
Looking down on himself, Papyrus said, “WHAT’S HAPPENING? I FEEL REALLY… POSITIVE! TINGLY!”
When the surprise faded, the old skeleton started to smile in joy, [My word… those flames… I thought those were nothing more than theory.]
“They are more than mere theory.”
Their attention turned to the Magus with the red butterfly. Mezil stood there with his cane in the center.
He had the air of a satisfied principal.
“We Magi call this ‘The Ascension’. It’s when the SOUL achieves unison with the mind, body, and heart. Potential is magnified, and all limits are broken.”
“WOWIE!” Papyrus squealed. “THIS IS SOOOO AWESOME! I -- THE GREAT PAPYRUS -- IS TOTALLY AWESOME NOW! NYEH HEH HEH!”
“Don’t get carried away, please. Maintenance is the hardest part.”
Mezil stood before the console and brought up his SAVE screen. “Well. We should prepare to end our longest night. Anything else before our next attempt?”
The Seer pondered over it for a moment. Then, he said: “TWO THINGS. FIRST, MISTER MAGUS… CAN WE SPARE CHARA?”
Now that raised some brows.
Papyrus further explained, “I HAVE A FEELING THAT THEY’LL BE POWERLESS WITHOUT FRISK. WE DO NOT NEED TO STOOP TO THEIR LEVEL IF THEY CAN’T DO VIOLENCE. BESIDES, FLOWEY NEEDS HIS FRIEND.”
“...Give me some time to think about your suggestion,” Mezil admitted. “I respect you, but there are safety checks to clear. Like making sure that botched exorcism doesn’t repeat itself. Meanwhile, you finish up your other task.”
He nodded back. Papyrus began walking towards the amalgamation of his uncle and his parents.
Then, he wrapped his entire shining self around them.
“MOM. DAD. UNCLE GASTER. I FORGIVE YOU FOR EVERYTHING. WE CAN’T CHANGE THE PAST, BUT THE FUTURE IS NOT SET IN STONE.”
“LET’S MAKE THE BEST HAPPEN. THAT WAY, THE SAD AND BAD STUFF FROM THE PAST WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING.”
Gaster hesitated to return the hug.
Papyrus held on. He understood that to his uncle, it seemed too easy. The elder expected years and years of penance that may never end.
But, does Papyrus care?
No.
Forgiveness shouldn’t be earned: it should be given. It’s the ‘key’ to start anew. It’s unreasonable for someone to walk a locked path without the means of access.
Roman was the first to reach out.
Followed by his wife Helvetica.
Then, upon the encouragement of his friends, Gaster accepted the gift.
So the elder whispered, “Thank you, my boy. Thank you.”
If this were a bedtime story, it would have continued like this:
‘At the bottom of regret, the hero forgave the scientist for the bad things he had done.’
‘There was no need to suffer any more.’
‘It’s not an easy task. The path to recovery will be long and filled with many setbacks, but it needed to start somewhere.’
‘A new chapter of life begins.’
It’s time to go. Mother, father, and uncle placed their hands on the sides of Papyrus’ cheekbones once more.
Together they repeat their mantra for the night:
‘The future is not set in stone.’