Lost Soul: Extras

1: The Beginning

For Ink, his creation was not peaceful. Regular monsters and humans come into existence gradually. They start out small, weak, and stupid. They then can grow and learn about the world around them. Isn't that such a wonderful thing? Regular monsters and humans grow into themselves and chose what they want to be. Even residents of the countless AUs start at a point far in the past and then have time to grow before the cycle of resets start. Ink never had the chance to grow into himself, to discover who he is through the different stages of life. At one moment he didn't exist, but in the next, Ink suddenly came into existence.

Gasping in shock, Ink's entire body spasms as he takes in his first breath. The god is curled up on his side in an empty white room. Ink twitches and tries to use his arms to sit up only to slump back over after barley lifting himself off the ground. He pants with the effort and relaxes back on the cool floor. Ink's mind is a jumble of half-formed thoughts with the buzzing of different sensations that he can't explain. Confusion. What is confusion? What is this surprise? There's something else, too. Something that seems to light his will on fire and give him the strength to try and get up. Determination. Ink struggles to work his own limbs and finally forces himself up on his hands and knees. Ink wavers and almost falls back over before straightening.

The roaring mess in his head is finally starting to detangle itself. Ink seems to know the words for lots of things, but he has no idea where it comes from. Ink knows that he's wearing clothes. The t-shirt and shorts are both white. Ink's attention is grabbed by the only other color that he can see: black. Dark, sweeping swirls of black twist around Ink's arms and legs. It's beautiful. There's something warm singing a song through Ink's bones. It pulses outwards from his chest and flows through the rest of his body. Ink realizes that this is his life-force, his magic.

"Whe-", Ink chokes halfway through his first word. His own voice feels jarring and foreign as it breaks the utter silence of the void.

"Yes, you will work nicely for this world."

The sudden voice makes Ink jump. A new presence lingers at the edges of Ink's perception. The air feels heavy. Ink instinctually knows that this is the powerful being who created him. With his young and naive mind, Ink says the first title that comes to him. "Mother?" he asks into the void. The presence remains silent for a few moments, considering Ink's question. The delay to the reaction causes Ink to become strangely nervous.

"That is...... acceptable. Yes, Genesis, I am your 'mother'. I am the deity of Fate."

"Fate," Genesis repeats. 'Ink' is a name that he will not wear for many more eons. When Fate speaks it, Genesis recognizes his first name. Staring to feel more comfortable in his own body, Genesis sits up from his hunched position and sits with his legs bent underneath himself. "Mother, why am I here?" Genesis ask quietly, "Why did you make me?" Genesis doesn't believe that Fate would bring him here without a purpose.

"Turn around."

Obeying, Genesis twists to look at what was behind him. The white space isn't as empty as he thought it was. A single sheet of paper hangs from a string that gradually fades away into the sky. Genesis struggles to rise to one knee before pushing himself up into a standing position. He wobbles for a moment before finding his balance. Becoming a little more steady and confident with each step, Genesis slowly moves to stand in front of the page.

The paper appears blank from a distance. When Genesis stands before it, his vision warps until he can no longer see the surrounding white void. The scenery explodes with color. Genesis is overwhelmed by all the different colors, shapes, and sounds present in the page. No, it's not just paper. This is the original universe: Undertale. Genesis can view the world as a sort of intangible spectator.

"It's beautiful," Genesis mumbles out loud.

"Your purpose is to create more," Fate says simply.

"Create more?" Genesis questions. He looks around in nervousness when Fate's presence pulls away. "Mother?" Genesis calls. Fate is gone. Genesis knows that she must still be watching, but she is done talking to him. His attention turns back to Undertale. Genesis's purpose is to make more? How does he do that?

Genesis spends a very long time watching Undertale. Time doesn't quite work the same in the void as it does in Undertale, and Genesis watches as some months pass in minutes while some moments last hours. Genesis has no idea how long he spent watching. He falls in love with each and every monster in the underground. They're all so unique and beautiful. Genesis has realized very early on that life is very precious to him. He feels fiercely protective of those who are completely unaware of his presence.

There is just one thing that Genesis dislikes about Undertale: the resets. After watching for long enough, Undertale entered a time loop. The monsters are first freed from their prison, and then the world resets. The human then killed them all. It was the first time that Genesis had seen death. He cried the first time it happened. Genesis yelled and screamed at the human, but they couldn't hear him. Nobody could hear him. The Creator cried again when he realized that Sans remembers each reset. Who would make something so cruel? Surely Fate didn't mean to do this?

Genesis finally turns away from Undertale. If Fate made an accident, maybe it's Genesis's job to fix it? To create something better? Genesis still has very little understanding of how his magic works. He can feel the energy simmering inside himself. It comes easily to his fingertips, and Genesis starts to draw. The first line of black paint hangs in the air for just a moment before splattering onto the ground where it quickly fades away. Genesis tries again, and this time, the fragile magic stays in place.

As the shapes take form, Genesis's drawings twist into themselves and become a single sheet of paper. The edges are irregular with the imperfect design. Genesis doesn't mind that it's not perfect. It is all the more beautiful. A long time passes before He finishes. Designs often fail, and some details aren't quite right. The monsters that come to life under Genesis's care seem all the more alive for it. This is a less scripted, more peaceful world, and it becomes the first of Genesis's AUs after he erases the reset button. The warm love that Genesis feels for his creations is overwhelming. Tears come to his eyes as he seems them open their own eyes.

And then the world shudders. Genesis stumbles as the ground beneath him convulses. He falls and lands hard on his side. The universe shatters. Genesis feels as if his own soul is shattering along with it as his first AU is shredded to pieces. The world goes black.

The Creator wakes back up curled on his side. He gasps in shock and looks around the empty space. All that remains is the Original Undertale. Genesis can feel his mother's leering anger.

"The resets will always remain, remember that child. Never abandon this design."

That was the first time that Genesis learned his mother could be cruel.