From Darkness, Love Came Through

Part 6: Have Cuteness

"How long ago did he lock himself in there?" Asgore asked as Alphys explained what had happened. When she's told Gaster about the other scientist from the C.O.R.E. project, he'd stumbled up the stairs and locked himself in his room before she'd even had a chance to get off of the couch.

"A-A-About half an h-hour ago." Alphys stammered, "I t-t-t-tried to get h-him to c-c-come out b-but-but h-he won't listen." Alphys started to bite her nails, worry for her old friend seeping in, "I-I've never s-s-seem him so-so u-upset!"

Asgore had...he'd seen the old scientist like this during failed DT experiments...and whenever he had to put a new human SOUL in containment. As good as Gaster was hiding his feelings from others, Asgore seemed to have a sense to see through the façade and to how he was really feeling. The same was true vice-versa, Gaster always being able to tell when the King had to much on his shoulders. That was part of why their friendship had been so important to the, both...and why it has hurt so much to loose.

"Did you call his sons?"

"N-No..." The dinosaur monster admitted with some guilt, "S-Sans and- P-Pa-Papyrus have b-been s-s-so w-worried about h-him already."

"That is true..." Asgore had been worried as well, but his concern for Gaster was nothing compared to the Gaster's sons. Sans, who liked to nap whenever convenient, hadn't slept but an hour or two the entire time Gaster had been unconscious. Papyrus hadn't gone to a single sparring session with Undyne, and couldn't bring himself to cook any spaghetti for anyone. Asgore could understand why Alphys wouldn't want to worry them further if she didn't have to.

"D-Do you th-think h-he'll talk to you?"

"I'm sure I can get him too." Asgore gave a reassuring smile, "Go on to work, Alphys. I wouldn't want you to be later than you already are."

"O-Okay y-your m-m-majesty." Alphys gave a curt nod and quickly left the house, leaving Asgore to deal with the skeleton on the other side of the door.

Asgore sat down, back to the door, "Gaster? It's Asgore."

A moment of silence...then a reply, "I heard..."

"So you know about the others..."

"It's all my fault."

"You has no idea what was going to happen. If you had, you would've prevented that accident altogether."

"That doesn't change the fact that their lives were ruined because of me." Gaster's voice shook, and it sent alarm bells off in Asgore's head. The scientist was crying...

"Gaster-"

"Dead...yet not dead...shadows of what they were...they're forgotten, or at least they were. Now they just have nothing of themselves left. That's what Alphys told me. She told me how the human, Frisk, had taken her to each and every one of them, and how they hadn't even recognized her. They aren't alive...they aren't dead...they're shades...oh god what did I do to them?" Gaster's voice broke into a hitched sob.

"Gaster," Asgore was going to try and reassure the skeleton, but different words came out of his mouth, "If anyone can help them, it's the greatest scientist monsterkind has ever known."

"But I don't know how!"

Asgore felt his stomach drop as an echoing sob came from Gaster's side of the door. Never, in the entire time the King had known him, had Gaster ever admitted to not knowing something. Gaster had always been knowledgeable on everything he's ever discussed with him, and always so sure of what he set his mind to. Hearing him admit that he didn't know honestly scared the goat monster a little, and gave him a view at how much Gaster's mental state had been deteriorated by the whole ordeal he's been through.