It’s Monday. The beginning of a new week.
The moment you stepped into the room, your classmates crowded around you. Monster Kid and Snowy included.
“Frisk! You’re okay!”
“I don’t know why, but I’m super duper ultra happy to see you in school!”
“Did you get a good rest?”
“Is your fever gone for real?”
Warmness filled your heart. You smiled back ear to ear and told everyone that you’re in good health.
Your classmates cheered.
Mom shone in bright happiness at the scene. It’s right up to her expectations. “There, there children. Let’s not get too overexcited about this. Frisk missed quite a bit of lessons last week. Maybe you could help them with that?”
The next thing you knew, everyone tried to share their school notes. Chaos abound.
Whoops.
School life resumed as normal. It’s hard to believe that you survived a life-and-death scenario just a day or two ago.
Lunch hour rolled by. After a compulsory visit to the bathroom, you searched for Papyrus. You didn’t even bother getting your food.
He’s mopping. Guess he’s on cleaning duty today. A monster child ran by with a tray of food, unaware of the wet floor.
The kid slipped. Papyrus dropped the mop on instinct, caught the tray and turned the child’s SOUL blue. All in the span of half a second.
You noticed their point of gravity rotated to keep them ‘afloat’. He then set them down on the right side of their feet.
“GOOD THING THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE TO CATCH YOU, NYEH HEH HEH!”
The food had gone a little lopsided, but it could have been a complete mess otherwise. Your tall skeleton friend returned the tray.
“Thank you!” The kid gladly thanked. This time, the fella made sure they avoided the wet zones. Losing a meal sucks for both humans and monsters.
You told Papyrus that was so damn cool.
He picked up the mop without saying another word. That’s odd. The glory hog you knew from Snowdin would have accepted the credit in a heartbeat. Proverbially speaking, of course. Skeletons don’t have a physical heart.
You asked if there’s something wrong.
“I’M STILL TRYING TO GET USED TO MY NEW LEVEL OF COOL. IT FEELS… STRANGE.”
Why? It’s not awesome enough?
“ACTUALLY, IT’S A LITTLE TOO AWESOME. EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME, BUT IT DOESN’T FEEL THE SAME.”
“FRISK, DID YOU EXPERIENCE THE STRANGENESS TOO?”
You nodded. It’s one of the many reasons why you had difficulties coping with your new Surface life.
“CAN WE MEET UP AFTER MY TRAINING WITH UNDYNE?”
That’s right after school. You told Papyrus that you’ll do more than just ‘meeting up’. You’ll join the session. As a spectator, of course.
He cheered up right away. “SPLENDID! I’LL SEE YOU THEN, MY HUMAN FRIEND.”
With your new appointment made, you resumed your day as usual. You decided to have a nice warm bowl of soup noodles today. Ah, a classic winter comfort.
Every meal in this school was made with magic to accommodate the sheer variety of monster species. The bulk of their contents, at least.
Most could digest Surface-made physical food without issue, but some had Napstablook’s… misfortune. It’s not fair for them to go hungry.
In the middle of your meal, you wondered if your unusual diet played a role in the growth of your power. A whole bunch of details stacked up: your Magi parents and your Red SOUL for example.
Now, you literally eat magic. Even when you’re on the Surface. As long you lived in Ebott Town, a large bulk of your daily consumption consisted of these ‘facsimiles’.
The cafeteria did buy human-made seasoning such as the anime curry mix. Even then, they’re already developing replacements for those who cannot eat physical matter.
Doctor Gaster had a good point. Maybe there is a side-effect after all. A positive one, you hoped.
The day continued on as usual until the final bell rang. You first visited the teacher’s office to notify Mom that you’ll hang out with Papyrus.
She frowned out of concern. “Frisk, are you going to ask him about last night?”
You had to. Otherwise, you can’t help anyone. Especially the skeleton brothers.
Mom remained silent for a while, but in the end she gave you her consent. “Alright, my child. He is indeed the best person to ask anyway.”
“Papyrus, he… he bears a very special power. Even by Seer standards. I think it’s best if I let him explain it himself. But, I can say that it takes a lot of heart to be honest after having witnessed all that pain.”
You watched Mom struggle to speak. “In his shoes, I personally might have pretended those events never existed. Much like how I secluded myself in the Ruins in response to Asgore’s plan.”
She uttered a weak, ironic laugh at herself. Then, she said: “Guess, Mister Fluffybuns and I are not so different after all.”
You hugged Mom for good measure. At least she’s taking initiative now. Will she meet up with Cenna over dinner?
“Yes, my child. Perhaps it’s better that you have dinner with Papyrus tonight.”
You don’t need to crack your head over politics, and your tall cinnamon roll friend will have company. Good plan, Mom. Good plan.
After planting a goodbye kiss on her cheek, it was time to attend to your appointment.
You saw Undyne and Papyrus talking in the school gym. You waved hello to Papyrus and fistbumped Undyne. Then you settled down at one of the many seats.
“HOW’S UNCLE GASTER AND MOM AND DAD?” he asked.
Undyne answered, “Your parents are fine. Gaster? He’s a ton more cooperative than the last time I tried to question him. How in the world did you talk him into a confession?”
“I FORGAVE HIM. UNCLE GASTER KEPT LYING BECAUSE HE’S AFRAID OF BEING ALONE. SO I TOLD HIM NO MATTER HOW BAD HE WAS IN THE PAST, I -- THE GREAT PAPYRUS -- WON’T THROW HIM AWAY.”
“NOW HE HAS THE COURAGE TO ADMIT HIS WRONGS.”
Your strongest fish friend was left in shocked speechlessness.
“IS SOMETHING THE MATTER?” asked Papyrus, oblivious to the reaction as usual.
One blink. Two blinks. Undyne lifted a finger and said: “I’m soooooo gonna need to test your skills, Paps.”
She conjured a spear and shoved it into Papyrus’ hands. Oh, it’s the same one she gave you to defend yourself back in the Underground.
“ARE WE PRACTICING BLOCKS TODAY?” asked Papyrus.
“Yup,” Undyne summoned a series of spears around her, primed and ready. With her trademark growl she yelled, “I’m not gonna hold back!”
Rows and rows of spears rained down on Papyrus. You’re a bit concerned with the density of the attacks. Some stayed true to their path, others changed directions on the last minute.
Up down left right front back front front left right left left left right up front back front left up right down right left front up--
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Okay, you lost track at that point.
Papyrus’ right Eye glowed orange. He then deflected every single spear that came his way.
Every. Single. Spear.
Holy macaroni.
At the end of the assault, Papyrus broke a bead or two of sweat. “W-WOWIE. THAT’S REALLY TOUGH! IT’S BEEN A LONG WHILE SINCE I’VE SEEN YOU STRIKE WITH SUCH GUSTO. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT YOU’RE SO SPIRITED TODAY!”
Undyne walked over to Papyrus and squeezed his shoulder joints tight. She locked a wide-eyed stare at her junior with ‘that face’: from the time when you told her anime isn’t real.
“Papyrus,” she said, “Did you… Bump into a mountain hermit sage? And, trained with him in a magical time-desync realm for a decade? Then slipped back into society? All in one night? Because. I totally want to be his disciple.”
He sweated more from the intense questioning than the training itself. “UH. I DON’T THINK UNCLE GASTER KNOWS HOW TO TRAIN NON-SEERS. AND MISTER MAGUS IS THE MAN WITH THE AWESOME ANIME HIDEOUT.”
“Who?”
“MEZIL THYME. THE PRINCIPAL JUDGE GUY.”
“Can you please strike a deal with him? I’ll do anything. Any. Thing.”
“I… I WILL TRY TO ASK. BUT NO GUARANTEES.”
“Good. Thanks a ton, Paps.”
The training continued. You can’t help but to feel that the roles have reversed: Undyne was the one getting practice, not Papyrus.
The session ended after thirty minutes. Your strongest fish friend showed off her toothy grin.
“Looks like I can’t rest on my laurels anymore, huh? Duel with me more often! You're the only one who’s up to snuff.”
“WHAT ABOUT SANS?” Papyrus asked.
Her grin vanished. You noticed that she glanced off to the side for a moment.
Undyne then said, “Nah. He has the skills, but I understand high-intensity training is dangerous for him.”
“THEN YOU SHOULD TRAIN WITH UNCLE GASTER. HE’S STRONG! NYEH HEH HEH!”
Insert distressed fish noises here.
“Proooobably not a good idea,” she said. “Don’t forget that I pissed him off at least twice. With maybe a third time.”
“IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NOW. I’M VERY SURE YOU’LL LEARN A TON FROM HIM. HE’S A GREAT TEACHER!”
There was a moment of awkward silence.
“I’ll consider it, Paps.” You knew Undyne said that to satisfy Papyrus. “I gotta go back home to update more case files. And stop by at Asgore’s to check up on him.”
“TAKE CARE OF SANS FOR ME, OKAY?”
Undyne nudged her junior with her elbow. “Heh, you don’t need to ask.”
Sans? At Alphys’ place? You hurried off the stands and presented your curiosity to Undyne. Expected him to camp at Grillbys for at least 24 hours.
“Oh man, punk. I don’t think you know this but, Grillby’s the previous Captain of the Royal Guard.”
Whaaaaaaaaaat?!?!
“Yeah, that’s my reaction too. A big chunk of yesterday’s drama happened under his watch, so he needs to iron out the legal stuff together with me.”
Papyrus chipped in, saying: “GRILLBY SAVED MY BROTHER FROM SOME ACCIDENTAL ROOFTOP SHENANIGANS A LONG TIME AGO. THEY’VE BEEN FRIENDS EVER SINCE!”
You told them that the amount of ‘wut’ flung around these past few days is going to break your trademark stoic front.
So, Grillby brought Sans along so that he could keep an eye on your troubled friend?
“Yep,” Undyne nodded. “That’s the plan. Well, we all know Sans could have teleported away anytime. But he respects the ex-Captain enough to comply. For now.”
You hope he’ll be okay.
“Same. Anyways, catch ya later nerds!”
The fish left you alone with Papyrus. This is your golden opportunity: time to ask him what the heck happened last night.
“I’LL EXPLAIN IT ON THE WAY,” he answered.
On the way where?
“TO UNCLE GASTER’S PRISON, OF COURSE! YOU’LL TALK TO HIM WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. FIRST WE NEED TO GRAB THE PORTABLE HEATER FROM THE LOCKERS OR ELSE YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A COLD TIME, THEN WE’LL NEED TO GET SOME COOKIES AND WATER AND SANDWICHES AND TEA LEAVES AND--”
Papyrus, please slow down.
“WHAT’S WRONG? DIDN’T MISTER MAGUS TELL YOU TO TALK TO UNCLE GASTER?”
You froze in place, shocked that Papyrus knew the contents of a confidential discussion that you embarked on alone.
“STAY CLOSE, FRISK.”
You followed him around as he gathered the required supplies. Then, he led you through a shortcut.
The both of you emerged in a secluded trail. You recognized this as one of the many paths that led you to the official entrance of the Underground.
Once he’s sure there are no eavesdroppers, he explained about his powers in whispers. As much as he’s capable of whispering anyway.
Papyrus has the ability to see ‘possibilities’. Past or future, best or worst, it didn’t matter: as long a timeline is still reachable. Sometimes it happens spontaneously, other times he could call for relevant information at will.
He told you that he had seen all the paths you took in the Underground. You squirmed, even when he forgave you for everything you’ve done. It’ll take a while to come to terms with that.
He told you about the wake: about your death. Mettaton’s death. And how the world collapsed without you, both in a figurative and literal sense.
Surreal.
He told you about the breakdown between Sans and Gaster. The lying, the coercing, the loneliness, the despair: all culminated in a complete disaster. For Sans to consider his parents dead twice… it’s too cruel.
He told you about the ‘Core Incident’. It’s a trainwreck tragedy that shook both the Underground and the Surface. In cosmic irony, it paved the path to monsterkind’s freedom.
As if Asriel’s death was not bad enough. Turns out there was a worse follow-up.
You understood why Mom became so worried: many humans lost their lives on that day, including your biological parents. Then there were the six children who fell before you. Their families would want closure too.
It’s too easy to forget that Dad once promised vengeance. War. Decimation of the evil beings who killed their innocent son. When you walked the Underground, the populace whispered hopes of freedom and brutal justice.
You imagined the mass media frenzy that would happen if this revelation reached the ears of humanity. Not even Mezil -- the Supreme Magus Judge -- could hold back the uproar.
If… he would take your side in the first place.
You asked Papyrus why Gaster had to train Sans up to become a weapon? Can’t Dad just zap everything with his godmode powers?
“…I’M AFRAID YOU MUST ASK UNCLE GASTER HIMSELF. I DON’T UNDERSTAND EITHER.”
Papyrus may be able to witness the events, but that doesn’t mean he can comprehend them.
When you arrived at the Underground entrance, Papyrus led you through another shortcut. You emerged in the now-abandoned Snowdin town.
You noticed Endogeny guarded the entrance of Papyrus’ shed. In some timelines, he had placed you in there after he ‘captured’ you.
…That’s the prison? For THE Doctor Gaster? Are they serious about this? The Underground doesn’t have a proper jail?
You let Papyrus know that you had escaped that shed without a single problem. In fact, the lock is on the inside.
And what’s with the guard of choice? What happened to the rest of the Dog Clan?
Papyrus explained, “WE USED TO HAVE A SMALL LOCKUP, BUT IT’S DISMANTLED FOR PARTS TO BUILD EBOTT TOWN. MY GUEST ROOM IS THE ONLY REMAINING STRUCTURE WITH BARS.”
“TO BE HONEST, WE DON’T HAVE ANY MEANS TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN UNCLE GASTER. HE’S TOO STRONG AND SMART AND INVINCIBLE. BUT WE PLACED HIM HERE FOR HIS OWN PROTECTION.”
Protection? You asked Papyrus what he meant by that.
“MISS AUNT ONCE TOLD ME THAT HUMANS LOCK BAD GUYS AWAY TO PROTECT THEM FROM OTHERS, LIKE AN ANGRY MOB. IT WORKED FOR FLOWEY AND CHARA, SO IT SHOULD WORK FOR UNCLE GASTER TOO. HE DOESN’T NEED ANY MORE STRESS.”
Isolated from the Surface? Checked.
Intimidating merged dog entity? Checked.
Someone to watch over the inmate? Checked.
You see the point now. Judging from what went down in the Core Incident, both monsters and humans could act rash against Doctor Gaster. When emotions are high, logic takes a back seat.
The both of you gave Endogeny some pats and dog biscuits. Once satisfied, they shambled aside to let you in.
The run-down shack housed the infamous ex-Royal Scientist: a man of both great intellect and dogged determination.
He stayed well behind the broken wide-gapped wooden bars. A pile of books were his only company, and he’s content with that.
At least Doctor Gaster had garnered enough respect to not be treated like a dog. The tiny bed that once lay here was replaced with one of Alphys’ many futons. And he didn’t have kibbles for his meals. He also had some basic furnishing, such as a stool and a table imported from Grillby’s old bar.
Papyrus’ canine treatment to you was on ignorance. For dog standards, it’s a swell home. It’s just they didn’t know anything about humans.
The prisoner noticed your presence. “Oh… I wasn’t expecting a guest, Papyrus.”
To your surprise, the man was very gentle to your tall skeleton friend. Perhaps it’s further softened by a sense of guilt. “Is… is Sans alright? Your parents asked the same.”
“GRILLBY IS TAKING CARE OF HIM,” answered Papyrus.
“I see. So you don’t know either.”
“SORRY.”
“It’s alright, my boy.”
Papyrus introduced you to his parents. He did so once before at the hospital, but things were kinda in a rush. Now you had the time to greet them.
You shook Times Roman’s hand first, the father.
Then you shook Helvetica’s hand, the mother.
Though they said no words, you knew that they’re happy to meet you.
Doctor Gaster bowed. “Child of mercy, what do you require of me?”
Doctor Gaster’s general behaviour was straight out of the olden days. High-society to boot. It’s a little imposing for a modern-day person, even if he didn’t mean to make anyone uncomfortable. He reminds you of Judge Mezil in a way.
From the other side of the bars, you told Uncle Gaster that you had some questions.
“What would that be?” he asked back.
You wanted to answer, but then you noticed that you had two question prompts.
>Seven Sages.
>Sans.
The conflict. It’s making you vibrate like a pissed off Undyne. Internally. You knew you’d eventually ask about both, but you had a time limit. There’s homework to deal with.
Papyrus patted you on the head and declared: “THAT IS WHY THE GREAT PAPYRUS PREPARED EVERYTHING FOR A LONG STORY SESSION!”
A portable heater kept you warm and boil the tea at the same time. Dinner? Hearty sandwiches. Dessert? Cookies. There’s enough for everyone.
“YOU CAN ASK UNCLE GASTER TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR HOMEWORK TOO. NYEH HEH HEH!”
Oh, that’s right. From what you’ve heard, he’s a very educated man. You didn’t need to rush back home to do them after all. That would save a ton of time.
Wow, thanks Papyrus.
“NO PROBLEM AT ALL!” Then he struck a pose. Some things just don’t change.
Gaster’s expression lit up in gladness. “Well then. If knowledge is what you seek, you’ve come to the right place. Please, make yourself at home.”
The gap between the bars was wide enough to squeeze in. Needless to say, your skeleton friend also had absolutely no issues sidestepping into it.
The three of you surrounded the heater and waited for the tea to boil. You and Papyrus sat down on the wooden floor while Gaster settled on a stool.
In the meantime, the selection between your two choices continued to ping-pong.
It must be obvious because Doctor Gaster then asked you: “May I provide some advice on how to tackle your predicament?”
You nodded.
“Choose a topic that’s quicker to resolve, or one that’s more important to your heart. I’m sure you won’t be still until your anxieties are addressed. If we can’t finish it today, we’ll continue tomorrow. It’s certainly better than standing at the crossroads all night.”
There’s a topic that’s both quick and important. Besides, if you don’t address that now, you might not understand the Seven Sages in full.
You asked Doctor Gaster about Sans.
“…He is indeed very important to you, isn’t he?” Gaster commented. “At this rate, you value him more than he values himself. No, that’s already a given.”
He picked up the kettle and poured the piping hot liquid into three mugs.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”