PATCHWORK SOUL - NEW MEDIUM

PHEW!!! Chapter 82

The tiniest star, pulsing an iridescent, blinding white, hovered at the heart of a torrent of time. Magic spun outwards from its centre, carried in the arms of a nebula, dragging trees back to seed and stitching together shattered earth.

Mouth agape, Asriel stammered something that turned into an agonized wail. He raced for the light that was his sister, arm outstretched. "FRISK?! FRISK, NO—!"

The rapid expansion of the magic pushed him back, stumbling over the roots of the forest they'd created before the vortex siphoned them away.

"Get down."

Asriel whipped around. Gaster stood behind him, the long blaster propped up over his shoulder and aimed straight for the star. All the boy could see was red.

Flame bubbling from his mouth, Asriel launched at the skeleton like a frenzied beast. He crashed into him and slammed him to the ground. The boy spewed fire, and Gaster raised the blaster to protect his face.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Asriel yowled. He sunk the claws of one hand deep into the man's coat and the other into the weapon to try to wrest it away. His wristband of vines grew and wrapped it, too, entangling the elongated maw as best he could.

"You are not supposed to remember. It... must not be finished," Gaster said, his voice strained and softly apologetic. He clung to the blaster with all his might. "Let me... Nnh... Let me end this." He pushed against Asriel's paw, trying to aim the jaws of the weapon back towards the starlight.

Asriel lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the skeleton's shoulder. Gaster grunted, flinching— it was just enough for his fingers to slacken. The boy ripped the blaster away and flung it haphazardly with the momentum it already carried. It ripped his vines away and crashed somewhere amongst the tangled roots.

Asriel's soul seized in blue and he was tossed back just enough for Gaster's form to flicker and vanish. The skeleton was on his feet in the blink of an eye and Asriel mirrored him, vision blurring as he oozed heat and rage. The man's eyes widened and he rushed forward, blue magic helping as he grabbed Asriel by the collar of his hoodie and yanked him back, just as the spiral tendrils rippled closer. The boy jerked away, turning to stare into the light.

The magic around where Frisk had been was coalescing into glittery void, a strange pocket of space suspended between the rapidly shrinking trees. Asriel stumbled towards it, only for the skeleton to grab him again and pull him aside.

"Son, please, don't," he said breathlessly.

Asriel grabbed onto Gaster and headbutted him as hard as he could against the nearest tree. Bone cracked. Even so, the man did not release him. He grabbed the boy tight to his body, all but embracing him, his blue magic weighing Asriel's limbs down.

"You can't touch it," Gaster insisted. "It's out of control, everything will be reversed unless I—"

"That's your fault!" Asriel barked. "You're the one who shot her, you're the one who—!"

"You don't understand."

"I don't CARE!" He snarled. His throat tightened and he twisted, trying to get a better look at the light. "Unless you want me to bite your neck," he said through gritted teeth, "let me go right now."

"...Bite me all you want, Prince Asriel, if it'll make you feel better," Gaster said gently.

Asriel froze, back stiff. Flame boiled at the back of his throat, and his eyes got hot with tears. It made him sick, how much like his uncle this man sounded. He growled and stretched his magic down through the ground— felt the roots of the tree, and thrust them upwards as fast as he could.