The anomaly! The whole reason I'm here, the whole reason I dropped myself to the core. To stop them, to stop their Genocide; or so I'd thought. This ended up deleting me from my own existence, but perhaps I can have a chance at my own revival. The one thing I've wanted since the darkness ever swallowed me whole.
"Gaster?" Toriel asked.
"Yes Queen Dreemur?"
"Don't call me that." she said. "It brings back too many," she paused as a tear dropped from her eye; "memories."
"Alright then, Lady Toriel, for what is it that you called me?"
"Please don't be so formal, I am after all an ex queen," she said.
"When did this happen?"
"About when Asgore decided to kill any human that fell underground."
My only thought drifted to the first thoughts of Determination I'd lightly experimented on. My thoughts then jumped to the soul canisters I'd created; should a monster ever get six human souls the results would be catastrophic.
"I'm sorry Miss Toriel, when did this happen?"
She thought for a bit then said, "Around the time you first discovered the anomaly, or rather, around the time I lost my sun and adopted kin.
"Chara." The word had simply slipped my mouth.
"Yes, sometime before Asriel took Chara back to her village, Asgore and I lost Chara to buttercup poisoning."
Ah, so that's what transpired after I'd fallen into my own creation.
"I must ask, have things been rather bleak as far as your subjects go, or rather just the monster population." I said
"Somehow they've all been holding onto hope." Toriel said.
"That's a relief, if there's anyway I'd not like to see the underground it is being in a complete anarchy, or worse completely emptied by a fallen human filled with nothing but revenge."
"You and I both Gaster." Toriel said.
It was late the moon was being heightened in the sky. I remembered my first day here then asked Toriel "I have no place to stay Miss Toriel, would it be alright if-"
"It would absolutely be alright G." she replied cutting me off.
-----
The next morning came birds were chirping and the sun was brightly shining, something after my time in the void I still have to get used to. Down stairs I smelled cooking, and started to go down the stares to see what was for breakfast.
"Ah, good morning Gaster." Toriel said
"Good morning M'lady." I replied.
"We've got toast and oatmeal for breakfast. To be honest, being turned into a pony has made things taste a bit different if I may say so."
This would technically be my first meal so, I wouldn't be able to tell. I took my spoon with my magic and tried a bight of oatmeal. it tasted the same as regular oatmeal to me. Though as soon as I bit into the toast I noticed that there was a bit more flavor to be had in it. this breakfast had rejuvenated me after the few days I was fasting.
"I see you really like the toast G.
"That indeed I do," I replied. I thought for a moment about what Lyra had said to me the previous night, and with that, I remembered that the anomaly's true purpose would be revealed if I went to the element of honesty, though I don't know who that is or even how far it is from here. "Miss Toriel I must be heading out; I need to find the element of honesty to find a way back for the both of us."
"But why G?" Toriel asked somewhat absently.
"Well surely you want to stop Asgore from rampaging to the surface when we get back right?"
"I suppose you're right, though, I've moved on from the throne." she said.
"How can you say that? you're the underground's queen weather or not you're at the throne. surely you must be able to-"
"I've decided that the underground can do without me." Toriel said.
In all my time with lady Toriel I've never heard such a statement, its as though she's not even herself as if-
"You know Gaster you can stay here too; besides this is much better than the underground. I might even apply to be a teacher here its better than being cooped up in the ruins with nothing but snail books to keep me company."
I could tell something has happened to Toriel, though what, I have no clue, perhaps me getting back will be far harder than I'd initially thought. though how to get back to my world from a different one is still beyond me. I must get home to see my sons, see the state of the underground see what I've missed all these years after fell into my creation.
-----
I head out of the house and find that majority of the ponies I'd found since coming here were already out and ready to start the day. Usually I'd sit down to a nice cup of coffee and get to my lab work, though, I doubt I'd be able to do that today. I head over to the Library, and see if Twilight is there, though as of now it seemed as though she was out with Spike in tow.
With no one, Rather no pony to tell me where I must go, I suppose I'll ask around. As I walked about the town, I couldn't help but see three little fillies with out this strange thing that the adult ponies have though I don't know what they're called. I called out to the one in the lead; "Hello there!" I tried though they rushed past me leaving me in the dust. "well, I suppose that was called for. they did have some place to go." I said in a bit of a rough voice under my breath.
As I continued onward into town, I saw that there were many vendors to which I could ask about the element of honesty. I saw one in the middle of town, apples in tow and decided to ask her. "Good morning." I say to the orange colored pony.
"Why howdy there stranger," she said back. "You lookin' to buy some apples?"
"Not really," I'd said. "Rather I'm looking for some information, on some elements of Harmony. Would you know where I could find one?"
"Well, uh, I do know that there are six of em' and that there are each tied to somepony that is pretty true to that element they represent, Though if you don't mind me asking why are you looking for them?"
"I am a long way from home, and the elements are my only way to get back there."
"huh, well tell me where you're from," she said somewhat not believing my story.
"I am a monster from beneath Mount Ebott."
"Quite frankly I've never even heard of Mount Ebott, so I suppose it is true." she said looking at me with shifty eyes. "And you also said that you're a monster, what kind of monster would you be?
"I do believe there isn't even a Mount Ebott in Equestria at all." I replied. "As far as what monster I am, I'm a skeleton scientist, who's only interest is getting home and not to cause trouble to anyone else that I meet.
"And how would you know this sugar cube?" she asked at the first part. "Skeleton pony?"
"Twilight was the first pony who'd shown me where I truly am in regards that I'm not where I'm supposed to be." I replied "I don't suppose you'd be able to help me return to where I'm from? after all, I promise I won't cause much of any trouble."
"I'm not the type of pony to give another a cold shoulder, so I reckon that after I finish my sales for today I'd show you my element of harmony."
"Thank you," I replied.
"Though if there's any funny business I'll let my friends know who done it."
The day passed on as this mare and I were mid town selling apples. Some bought bushels others just one or passed by. It wasn't until those three little fillies from earlier had come by that something of interest had happened.
"Applejack!" I hear the yellow one yell.
"What's up apple bloom?"
"We need a place to hide." Apple bloom said.
"What in tarnation did y'all do this time?"
"we kinda," she started.
"Broke Cranky's roof," the white one said.
"trying to parachute off it." the orange one said.
"Ah, geez, you just couldn't take no from Mrs cake now could you?" she sighed. "You know how long it takes Bic Mac to fix roofs doncha?"
"yes," they all said in unison.
"Now go get Big Mac and take this fine pony to the barn, he has something to do and I'm off in about an hour for a break, I'll getcha what you need during that time ok, Ebott?" that last bit was directed toward me.
"Ok, and the name's Gaster," I replied.
"Aighty, Aster." was all I heard before the little fillies took me with them.
after the introductions, Applejack and I didn't talk all that much due to well the general mistrust, and I don't blame it one bit, had a stranger come through your town and asked for the most valuable thing, you too would be shifty right?
The three fillies and I were all walking along when the three of them lifted my coat to notice something I haven't yet at all.
"Hey Gaster," the orange one asked.
"Yes, what is it young one and I don't know any one of your names except for Applebloom if I recall correctly."
"yep that's right, Gaster dude." Applebloom said.
"Name's scootaloo," the orange one said. "and what is your cutie mark?"
"Cutie mark? what is such a thing?" I asked.
The three of them were shocked.
"Well, that goes to show that he is really out of this world." the white filly said.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, Sweetie Belle," she replied.
"Alright then, Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, I suppose you three are about to tell me what a 'Cutie mark' is." I said with somewhat of a pause when I'd gotten to the two words they said.
"A cutie mark is a fillies' of foal's dream come true." Applebloom said.
"Its a representation of your talent," Scootaloo said right after.
Sweetie finished, "And it also shows off your personality in some way."
"And it shows up on your flank." the three of them said.
"Now that's just weird." I said as the three fillies stopped dead in their tracks.
"No its not," the three of them said catching up to me.
"What's it supposed to mean then?" I ask.
"Its somewhat like a rite of passage. Sweetie belle said.
"Well, how and when do you ponies get it?"
"Well, it all depends." Applebloom said.
"On what?"
"On what the pony's good at and when they find their special talent." Sweetie belle said
"Well, this is quite interesting." I said aloud.
"And very annoying." Scootaloo said.
"How so?"
"Being told by grownups, 'oh don't worry you'll get it some time soon'. Always wondering what it'll be and how you'll get it."
"Ah, I see so, its this reward that at some point everypony gets."
"Yep." they all said sighing.
The city area slowly devolved into rolling hills as I saw that trees slowly came up everywhere. I could tell that this was the place Applejack told me about. "well now that you know about them, how about you tell us what yours means?"
"My cutie mark?" I asked staring at them. they simply nodded.
I lifted my black lab coat and looked at my cutie mark. It had five symbols from the language of the void, or rather the language I can only assume that I both spoke in and wrote in when I came here. My own memory became fuzzy trying to recall those weird symbols and I found that I couldn't. I then after replied to them, "My cutie mark is a mystery to me, I need to figure it out." to which they all let out a synchronous "aww," in disappointment.
As we neared the barn, Apple bloom yelled for someone. "BIG MAC!!!"a few moments and a big red stallion came up to us.
"What happened this time?" He asked his voice very deep.
"We, uh," Apple bloom started
"We broke somepony's roof." Sweetie Belle said.
"Who's roof?" he asked.
"Cranky's…"
"I'll get on it, you three go to your rooms and as for you," he stared at me. "Wait outside the barn."
The power and tone in which he'd delivered those words somehow made us all say "Yes sir."
-----
Time passed slowly as It was only me and an elderly green pony to pass the time outside the barn. we'd shared stories of family and such, then decided to just wait. It took a couple of hours for Applejack to arrive home, though, when she did she greeted her 'granny' with a hug and open hooves. It reminded me of when I'd come home to see Sans and his little brother; it'd been so long that I forgot Sans' brother's name.
"Well uh, Gaster is it?"
"Yes, Ma'am,"
"Let's get done what you need to though, I need to know what's going to happen."
We walked through the inside of the rustic barn as it reminded me of Snowdin inn.
"Well, Miss Applejack, I don't entirely know what will happen. All I know is is that your element of harmony will suck me into my world for a little bit of time and I reappear somehow, which may or may not have some repercussive effect here."
"What sort of 'Repercussive effect are we talkin' about?" she asked me.
"I don't know but it'll hopefully be one that I can quickly clean up ma'am.
"Well, so long's you're able to do whatcha need, and clean up after it, I'm good with it."
"Thank you." I replied. We were there, where Applejack had her element of harmony it was an orange necklace in the shape of an apple. I saw that it resembled her 'cutie mark' and wondered what the connection was.
After a moment in thought, I reached out and touched the element of harmony and as I did so, I heard the horrible silence of the void. The darkness started to shave me slowly to pieces. Though, as I came back to a place I remember, I saw that I was in a golden room.
A room that had the delta rune, the judgement hall. The room where someone must go before seeing the King of Monsters. I saw two figures from my vantage point, one looked like a fat skeleton, "Sans." I tried to call to him though my voice couldn't cut through the void I was stuck in. the other a human by the looks of it, A monstrous human by the feel of it. they somewhat resembled Chara, or at least what I remember of her.
Though I couldn't intervene, I could hear the entire ordeal.
"Its a beautiful day out side," there was a pause as sans looked out to the only window that shown what was outside. "Birds are singing flowers are blooming on days like these kids like you…"
the room got a few degrees cooler, as he looked back at this Chara like child.
"Should be burning in hell!" he said angrily his eye sockets turning completely black. this was a fear tactic in Skeleton monsters.
The room got black and white, one of the ways monsters know that they're in a fight.
Gaster Blasters were my patented magic attack, though used so masterfully and so precisely I would say that Sans has outdone himself.
"Huh, always wondered why people don't start with their strongest attack first." he'd said. His strongest attack, I thought that must be why everything was so precise, either that or he was practicing while I was in the void.so, that was his strongest I thought; also I chuckled to myself, no wonder he can only deal one damage and a very rare trait among monsters, Karmatic Retribution, with every hit.
The human charged for an attack their weapon a knife, a real knife. They were going to stab sans, though he dodged out of the way. While most monsters are stuck in place during a duel I'd managed to teach sans how to dodge attacks and such, though it is very tiring. I doubt that this battle will last all that long, as much as I'd like sans to get this monstrous child out of the underground as soon as possible I know that the way he's fighting he can't go for very long.
My next thought went onto King Asgore, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a monster kid and this little Chara look alike. I looked back onto the battle of the wills, 'Chara' kept up their attack, Sans kept dodging. I chuckled,"The way he keeps dodging, it must make him very tired. his brother must call him 'Lazy bones a lot." I muttered. I went back to my thought on the king, he wouldn't last more than a minute with this 'monster human' which is why sans taking care of this is the best for everybody.
The battle lasted a while I'm glad that he'd perfected my techniques for this sort of arena. I could see that the battle was tiring him; even if the signs couldn't be seen at the moment, I could tell. He was starting to sweat when, "hey, buddy, I can see that there's a glimmer of a good person in you, someone who in another timeline could've been a friend? Come on lay down that weapon and well…" sans reached out for a hug. I didn't hear that last part.
The human came closer to Sans, then dropped their weapon and chose to spare him. Though now I can see they're learning tactics that monsters wouldn't even use. they were planning to backstab Sans. I could see slowly that the knife was reached for. It slowly came up to his backbone, I couldn't just sit here any longer.
"SSSSaaaaaaaannnnnsss!!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs for whatever reason I could feel the void somewhat shake in that yelling "they're the anomaly!!" I yelled to him. his eye glowed blue as the knife slowly came to contact his backbone. He brought bones through the floor that stabbed through the human at every angle causing blood to drip out on the golden floor, with that I could tell their soul cracked and burst, something that very rarely happens to human souls.
"GEEEEEETTTTTT DUNKED ON!!!" he said stuttering as angrily as possible.
He started to cry, "If we were really friends… You won't come back."
As I was being pulled back to Equestria, I could hear sans say, "Thanks G, I'll keep better track of all the timelines now."
-----
As I got back to Equestria, I could see only destruction the wake of it coming from Applejack's Element of harmony. The blast seemed as though it was a shock wave; was that me shouting through the void? I looked behind me and all I saw was Applejack glaring at me angrily.
I looked at her and apologized.
"I thought you said it was something you could clean up." she said pointing to a hole in the barn with her hoof.
"I didn't know what repercussions my actions would have had. I had to shout through the void to save my son from death. Tell me, would you not do the same to save someone you love?" I asked.
This question hit Applejack hard as she recoiled at me asking. She looked down as a few tears fell to the ground and she then said, "Mister, you have no Idea what I would do for Them.
I could tell by the way it was said something tragic happened. "I-I'm sorry Ma'am…"
She sighed, "ya know, as much as I want to go back an' change the past, I'm actually quite thankful for what the present and future have to offer me." she said somewhat choked up. "My friends, My family, everypony I know even my parents have all given me the strength I need to move forward."
I was silent for a couple moments. "for once I know someone who feels the same as I do."