Within The Barrier (An UnderTale Fanfiction.)

{Chapter Two: Home}

*A Month has passed.

Construction began with pillars to help keep the cave stable and form hallways for puzzles.

Puzzles were not a new thing to monsters, various riddles and contraptions that were not only used for fun, but we're also used as protection against humans.

Like how humans kept creating bigger and more powerful weapons, monsters kept creating bigger and more complicated puzzles.

"Gaster, I would like you to start designing some puzzles for Home." Toriel was mixing some sugar into some tea for him while she spoke. "Maybe it'll help keep your mind off things as well and take more pride in your home."

"This is not my home." Gaster spat out quickly, a type of growl forming in his voice.

"Then make it your home. Help make it everyone's home. After all that's what you do, is it not? Help people?" She responded softly, setting the tea in front of him.

Gaster sat quietly as he thought over her words, only replying with a soft nod while he drank the tea given to him.

"Then make it your home." He began designing puzzles, a nice calming thing to do while he struggled to accept that they were stuck here for a while.

He began toward the other entrance to the cave, just in case a human did fall and survive they would at least have that puzzle ready.

Not only that, he wanted to be as far away from the door to the ruins as possible. It made him feel even more trapped. So working on the other side of home gave him a little breathing room.

It wasn't long before people began to become restless. As people built their homes and more puzzles began to be added to the ruins not only did they realize the lack of space they began to notice the lack of resources.

*After a few weeks of planning and a few weeks of building.

"And for the hint I was thinking something along the lines of "only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones. Foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road" which would hint to follow the path, then in between the rooms I'll put something down that talks about the rooms mirroring each other and the spike rooms path would match the room before it." Gaster spoke, despite the king and queen's obvious lack of attention as they murmered to themselves quietly.

"That's wonderful Gaster, though we've been wanting to talk about something else." Toriel prompted softly, a look of concern written all over her face.

Gaster made a hand gesture, allowing her to continue as he sipped his tea.

"The people are getting restless here. Mostly they fear the humans, but they also fear the cavern itself. We do not now how safe and stable everything is." Asgore began to explain. "So before I tell anyone anything about leaving home I'm sending you out to do research along with a group of royal guards in case there are humans."

"I don't need to be baby sat Asgore. I can handle a human."

"That's besides the point Gaster. There will be a patrol. Occasionally I will have them go out without you but for now you will accompany them." Asgore stood up with a nod of his head. "If that is all you may go home and rest. Be at the ruin doors by morning." And with that he left.

Gaster talked with the queen a little more about the puzzles, she seemed to love the ideas and wanted to know everything about them.

Later on he returned to his house (still refusing to call it a home in any manner) where he would retire for the night.

At least he tried.

His mind was racing with ideas and possibilities of what he could do with his new found permission to leave the damn ruins people call home.

It was well past midnight by the time he was able to doze off. He was only able to fall asleep then because any time a new thought popped into his head he immediately stopped it with a firm "No." in his head, eventually allowing himself to go to bed.

~•♡•~
*

The next day

He was there the next morning, just barely on time. The guards began to chuckle as he took his sweet time walking over, confidence in his posture as he looked over the group.

The monsters as a whole were heavily cut down on population. Tons of them died while being brought to the mountain so they could be locked underground, but there was significantly less members of the royal guard. Of course it was to be expected, they were fighting the war after all.

It was just sad..

There was a lion like creature among the group, along with one of the hounds, a lizard, and two skeletons, one being the Captain of the Guard.

"Notably late as usual, huh gaster?" His sister poked fun, the other guard members chuckling along aside from the captain who was talking to Asgore.

"To be fair we don't really have alarms or a sun to wake us up down here yet." Gaster responded back, his voice light and teasing to return the tone.

"Yeah yeah blame it on the world." She continued to tease, a hand on her hip to accentuate everything.

"Oh please Arial I thought you would know me better. It's always someone else's fault because I'm the Royal Scientist." Gaster completed his statement with a swoosh of his labcoat.

As she rolled her eyes their little conversation came to an end as the door to Home was opened. "Let's go, the sooner we get back the better." Harrington spoke.

He was a fairly tall Skeleton who seemed to like the colour orange. It was not uncommon for monsters to wear things that matched their aura.

Harrington was typically cheerful in attitude with larges amounts of enthusiasm and an absolute love for jokes. He even knew Gaster when they were younger. Despite how big of a softy he was, he still kept a grudge against the humans. One thing him and Gaster still had in common.

On that note they left, the cold snow revealing a new world to be discovered.

~•♡•~
Welcome to chapter two.
I hope you've enjoyed! Feel free to leave a comment if you'd like. I'm excited for this series to get started and I hope the feeling is mutual.
(1075 Words)