Snowdin

Snow crunching under your quick steps, your hot breath puffing under your mask, you think silently. Gaster was hiding something from you. That other skeleton felt... familliar. You don't know him, but it's like you recognised him back there.

You know, you're almost certain it's not your own feeling. It's his.

You'll respect his decision. You get why he would still want a bit of privacy. After all, you barged into his lonely life so suddenly and have been sharing a good part of his thoughts and emotions without even asking. Even you would want some time for you in that situation AND he had courtesy not to dig in your head so it's only fair.

'What's the average longevity for monsters?'

You'll do your best to keep away from the subjects related to that skeletons. He'll tell you if he wants to.

'You told Toriel I was from just after or just before the war. That's hundred years ago.'

Gaster thanks you silently for you silence. His emotions got the better of him at that time and he's well aware that you're onto something.

It depends on the sub-race of the monster. Skeletons are a very long living sub-race because we, well... we obviously don't have as much physical needs and limitations as others. It does comes with a few others flaw in our system I must admit.

You hum silently. 'I'd like to know more about skeletons, please. If I have to be one, I'd like to play the part.'

He nods in agreement.

Alright then.

Is tone sobers up as he stars pacing , back in the void, around the 'window' showing you to him.

First of all, and most importantly, you should be aware that skeletons are a near extinct sub-race of monsters. Back a few hundred years, when the war still raged, we were one of the most common race in the underground. Now, beside me 'and you', there's only very few individuals left. If you want numbers, it actually is far under three digits.

You nod, having a hard time keeping your balance on the ice while you run. What happened for skeletons to just disapear like that?.

I was about to tell you, please be patient.

He smirks.

Oops, he heard that? You nod bashfully, silently apologizing. You're sure he knows it was unintentional, but it just seem like he has a knack for chastising people. Or maybe was it just you?

It is very hard for a skeleton to produce offsprings because we generaly simply don't have the parts for it.

At that, your heart clenches in sadness. Gaster stops is monologue again to look at you.

Are you alright my dear?

He says cautiously.

'Don't worry Wing, just a bit of empathy there. You can continue.'

It takes a few seconds, but he restarts his speech.

We cannot physicaly produce children, but soul-related magic clears that problem away for us.

You nod, well that's a way to cheat biology. You run by a blue bunny monster.

Hell he's tall. Yes, that's the only thought coursing through you brain concerning him. You don't want to wander too far from the scientist's lecture and you've been running non-stop for a good while now. Concentration means you sacrifice elaborate thoughts.

He salutes you happily and you give a wave in his direction, rapidly getting away.

Centuries back, we were actually breed for the war.

You frown.

The royal army, at the time, was in cruel need of soldiers. Due to our lack of the average physicality, skeletons are gifted with a surplus of magic. In others, that magic would've been used to create and hold muscle mass, skin, nervous system or veins, organs and many other component that you possess in your anatomy.

'Hold on, no nerves? Do you feel the cold?'

I do have "nerves", just not in the same terms as yours and not exactly, no. We do recognize the difference between high and low temperature, but, for example, we are resistant hypothermia.

'That's handy..'

He lets a low laugh pass his lips (teeth?).

'So now I have to act like fire and ice does not affect me. Awesome...'

We do get burned dear.

He corrects.

We are sensitive to touch and even more sensible to injuries, just like everyone else. In fact, if you inflict a crack on a skeleton, you might even get a reaction relatively similar to your human bleeding. Bone marrow fluids will seep out of the wound in a liquid just a bit clearer that blood. Only a trained eye could see the difference between the two.

You hum silently, just passing... a random plate of spagetti? It looks frozen to the table. You're so incredibly confused right now.

Now that I think of it, you picking this skeleton get up might be just what you needed.

'Why so?'

Because you're a human dearest.

He says, just a little bit condenscending. Well, excuse you then.

Even with both of us hiding your soul, you are still incredibly powerful in monster terms. An old skeleton soldier, one who trained for years on ends to master its magic, is probably the only thing close to believable you could get to be as a monster.

You smirk, a bit proud of your luck.

Maybe following your instict was a wise choice after all.

You suddenly pull the breaks on your running, just now noticing the flirty voices and giggles of the two cloak-clad dog monsters in front of you.

They have weapons. Guards then. As your search for a place to hide, the male one turns to you, sniffing the air. You return your glare at them when the female one does the same.

You prepare yourself for a confrontation, making the two dogs growl at the aggressivity in the air. They come closer to you and you notice their eyes lacking any actual tracking movements. Oh.

They're blind, situating themselves only by smell. You quickly jump to the side and throw a couple of rocks and balls of snow as far as you can behind you.

Their bearings all lost due to the dizzying amount of magic cranking in the air, they motion to turn toward you, but decide to continue on their track when they hear your bait hitting the ground. You wait for a moment before dashing away hurriedly, a quick 'Impressive' goes through your head and you smile.

Quick thinking. Gaster compliment.

'All thanks to my training. Soldier one day, soldier always.'

You smirk and he hum in approval.

'Anyway, you have yet to tell me why skeletons just disapeared after the war.'

He nods, restarting his own pacing.

During the war, skeletons rapidly became the elite in military staff. The best of the best. We all worked for the royal familly... but when we lost the war... when the humans pushed us back into the underground, there was a massive hunt for skeleton monsters.

Your stomach churn in undertanding.

'A genocide...'

Yes... He nods. As the royal army did everything in their power to protect the people, humans picked skeletons out one by one. Like I previously said, with intensive training, a skeleton can become nearly as strong as a boss monster or something akin to us both when your soul is shadowed. The wizards simply didn't spare any possibility for us monsters to come back.

'This is horrible...'

He hums , probably saddened by old memories.

I was too young to fight at that time and got sent in while my relatives defended everyone.

With everything you can possibly muster, you silently send him all the affection you have. An uncontrollable sad smile find his way on Gaster's face as he stares back at the void.

This soulbond...

He's never shared more in his life than he did with you today. Somehow, he feels a lot more free in this cage of darkness now than he ever did before. Even when he was alive.

His this really the feeling other people get when they soulbond together? Documentation on this truly doesn't do it honor.

He quickly chastsize his own thoughts and looks back at your form going through piles of snow seeming to draw a big skull.

Only a handful of skeletons survived that day, and with the years after that, most of what was left of them fell down due to depression.

'Fell down?'

You ask faintly, pretty sure of what it meant already.

Its a coma-like lethargy monsters go through before they turn to dust. They... all died.

You both take a moment of silence in respect.

Skeleton monsters are a sub-race particularly sociable. Our souls are so very exposed, like a bare nerve, that we physically need another beside us to keep our emotionnal state stable.

Again, you feel terribly sorry for him, for what the void must've done to him. You think, this might also be the reason you felt so connected to the other skeleton earlier. After so long alone, Gaster must've grabbed on the oportunity to bask a little bit in the other's presence.

These skeletons had just lost their families, their loved ones. The emotionnal stress created by this war gave practically all of us some form of PTSD if you will. Many of the survivors never actually recovered and some even became volatile and agressive.

It's truly regrettable, but you should also expect younger monsters to throw empathy your way or show discomfort for that very same reason. Our race is usually a very infamous one.

You nod in understanding. This conversation really turned for the worst didn't it?

'Thank you G.' He nod happily. 'For telling me all this, I'm really grateful you took the time.'

It's no problem dear.

You stop at the edge of a cliff, taking in shallow breaths. Your legs are shaking and your mind is dizzy from the lack of oxygen. When was the last time you ran that much? You look to the other side of the cliff. The space is way too large for you to attempt a jump.

'Damn it.'

Your exasperated gaze looks up further ahead, and you see it. Very far away, your little Frisk is slowly starting to walk on a long hanged wooden bridge. They're just there! In your exitement, you stand closer to the cliff's side and feel the part where you stand dislodging itself from the rest. You kneel quickly to take a hold of the ground, thinking you were falling. Suprisingly, you realise that you are not, you're actually levitating closer to the other side of the cliff. You stand up, impatienly waiting for it to arrive.

About a meter away from the other side, your jump and dash to the bridge. You stop at the extremity when you notice the skeleton from before and another taller one blocking Frisk's path. Sans also take notice of you and is eye sockets widen a bit in shock while his brother babbles beside him.

You where at his sentry post just moments ago. How did you get here that fast? Did you run? You sure do look like you did. You look exausted.

Before you can even put one foot on the bridge, your body go tense when, suddenly, your child is surrounded by weapons threatening them from all sides. You go into panic mode and, without thinking, you run to them. Gaster shouts your name in equal panic.

Wait! The bridge is too-

Sans and Papyrus (who is just now taking notice of you) both tense up.

'What are you doing!?' Sans thought.

This is way to dangerous! With a swift mouvement of the wrist, he take a hold of the kid's soul and moves them off of the bridge swinging dangerously and towards him. You ignore Gaster as he shouts off your name repeatedly. No one will take Frisk away from you. Throught the mask, your eyes begin to shine a deep purple hue.

You're just a meter away! You extend your hand toward their little body, the movement making you lose your balance. Your prothetic foot slides off to the side, making you trip over your own leg. Papyrus take a step foward in fear and Sans take a hold of his scarf to hold him back, positively mortified. Everything is happening so fast, he doesn't have the time to take a hold on your soul too when he's already bringing the kid to the ledge.

The two skeletons watch in terror as you try to take a hold to the rope railing and fail. While you slip over the edge, your mind screaming back at you nothing, but a mess of indecipherable sounds, your heartbeat ponding strong in your ear. You look at their faces. Your hand is still outstreched, as if you still had a chance of having your little baby in your arms, safe.

''OH MY GOD...''

Papyrus puts a hand to mouth in shock, unable to move. Sans lets go of his scarf when the kid finally touches the ground safely, completely unaware of what happened. Now too far away for him to save you, he helplessly looks at your face as you fall silently to your death and disapear in the fog below.

You close your eyes when you can no longer see them, and Gaster finally pulls you back to the void once again.

You failed again.