[Halloween event; open] I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

[justletmewin]

Asriel loved the island.

Maybe not everything about it. The changing layout of the castle will always be a pain in the neck, but it's something he's grown used to. The Graveyard terrified him, but all he had to do is stay away. Everything else about the island is amazing: the gardens. The ballroom. The towers with their giant comfy beds and lovely paintings and beautiful clothes. The variety of colorful birds at the aviary. Even the Edge had an odd sense of beauty about it. Almost... calming. Many of the people were kind and willing to look out for each other, with the not-so-nice residents--the Floweys of the island--few and far between. The literal Flowey on the island didn't seem so bad anymore. Frisk is here--more than one, actually! So is Chara. Even his mother... if Dad ever arrived here and made up with her, it'd be perfect.

He didn't know why he didn't change back into a flower. But he accepted maybe the blind Frisk was right. If an entire month went by without transforming, shouldn't he take it as a sign he got a second chance? Asriel didn't need to hide or be afraid anymore. He can be a kid again. With that revelation, he started gaining the courage to talk to people outside of Chara and Frisk. Learning to make friends. It's almost as if... he'd been reborn here.

Then he figured it out. Every time Asriel touched his chest, he felt nothing. The goat monster recalled the warmth of his own soul, which he still doesn't have to this day. Yet he felt love and compassion. He's still himself.

The castle's magic is literally keeping him alive.

But people come and go from the island, don't they? Some of them never return. It's safe to assume they went back to their own worlds. What'll be there for Asriel if he goes home? (No. This island is my home now. Forever.) He'd be sentenced to a life Underground all alone as Flowey. All his friends... gone. He'd be left with nothing but his memories. But what if he can't keep those either? What if his entire life at the castle is erased? Asriel would've never changed for the better. Never addressed his demons. Never comforted and helped those who needed him. Always be that same helpless child. Always isolating himself from everybody for their own good. Always afraid.

He's sick of it.

He won't let it happen. He won't let everything he loved be taken from him again. He won't give up his love and compassion. He won't be imprisoned back in this hell. Fate won't dare snatch this life away from him. Fate won't dare snatch anything from him.

Asriel Dreemurr: God of Hyperdeath stood in the fog at the Edge, a fanged grin marking his expression. All he had to do is control time on the island... that way, he'll be in charge of who leaves and who stays. Nobody he cares about will vanish. Neither will he. Unfortunately, his magic is too weak to take over the island in his current state... He'll need to get his powers back first.

Nothing a few souls can't fix.

Comments

[oldmantiger]

Kotetsu didn't really react to the sight of Asriel. He'd seen stranger things already in this place. A tall...goat monster? Yeti monster? Either way, compared to some of the other sights populating the castle as of late, Asriel didn't look especially threatening. And besides, he didn't really expect to be seen or regarded otherwise. Virtually no one else had been able to see him, since this strangness had started.

Even so, he nodded at Asriel as he walked over to the Edge, a nod that was more out of habitual politeness than any expectation that it would be returned. Then he moved to stand on the edge itself, staring pensively up into the mist, and yet again trying to psyche himself up to fly.

"Wonder if these clouds ever clear up..."

[justletmewin]

As a god, Asriel can see everything including why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So he takes notice of Kotetsu's presence and nods back to acknowledge him. He doesn't recognize this human around the island... this must be one of the newer residents.

"These clouds have been here as long as I remember." he answers. "It's what the Edge has come to be known for, after all."

[oldmantiger]

Kotetsu replies without thinking, at first, not entirely registering that he's just been replied to. "Even I know clouds don't work like that. There must be something..."

And then he falls silent. His eyes go wide. Because it's only then that it does sink in that the monster standing beside him did, in fact, reply to him.

He whirls around to face Asriel, tapping a finger against his own chest. It takes him a few false starts of stumbling and stammering, but eventually he manages to force out a coherent sentence.

"You can see me?!"

[justletmewin]

"Of course I can." Asriel says matter-of-factly. How odd that no one seemed to know this human existed. But strange things are happening on this island lately; it's best to take advantage of them while he still can. "I assume you also have your soul."

[oldmantiger]

...that's an odd enough question that even Kotetsu, in the midst of his celebrating, can't help but take notice of it. He settles slightly and stares at Asriel with his head slightly tilted. "I...guess so?" How would one go about telling such a thing? With a shrug, he adds: "I mean, in a way, I guess I'm pretty much a walking, talking soul right now." At least in terms of his understanding of the word.

Maybe Asriel is asking because he's worried? So Kotetsu hastens on to add: "But don't worry! I'm not one of those angry ghosts. I'm really just looking for my partner!"

[justletmewin]

Don't worry, Kotetsu. Asriel isn't at all afraid of ghosts. As he's about to find out, there's far worse things to be frightened of.

"There's a way I can help you find your friend."

[oldmantiger]

A part of Kotetsu - the part that's let him survive as a hero for so many years - is definitely starting to get the sense that he might be in danger. But even those instincts are currently drowned out by relief. He even laughs happily at Asriel's words. "Really? Hey, that'd be great. Even just having someone who could tell him where I've been for the past couple of weeks would be a huge help. Thanks."

[justletmewin]

Asriel isn't stupid; requesting Kotetsu's soul on the spot will get an automatic refusal. Instead, the goat monster continued small talk, never changing his expression.

"First, I need to know more about your friend. What's his name? What does he look like? Does he have any powers I should take note of?"

Kotetsu might feel a little hot as the conversation goes on. Little embers light in Asriel's paw, right beneath the ghost's soul. If you place a frog in boiling water, it immediately jumps out. But if you turn up the heat little by little, the frog will be cooked alive before it realizes what's happening...

[oldmantiger]

And Asriel will get ample opportunity to slowly up the heat for this particular frog. There are few things Kotetsu enjoys discussing more than Barnaby. He brightens visibly to have the chance. "Oh, that's easy. His name is 'Barnaby Brooks, Jr', he's about this high..." He holds up a hand a few inches above his own head for emphasis. "And..."

At which point Asriel will be treated to a description of Barnaby that would be sufficiently detailed to build a police sketch off of. The only thing he doesn't think to mention is Barnaby's Hundred Power - after all, it's not visibly apparent, and he can't imagine why Barnaby would have cause to use it against this nice monster.

It's not until he thinks to mention Toshi that Kotetsu realizes that something is going wrong. He wants to mention Toshi because, of course, Asriel seeing an apparent clone of Kotetsu himself with Barnaby might cause some confusion. He gets as far as mentioning the existence of a robot duplicate of himself and...

...and he can't remember its name.

H-01. He must be talking about H-01, right? Except no, he isn't, he can't be. H-01 isn't here, H-01 is scrap, but someone...something else is. A different unit. And he can't remember its name.

Maybe he could if he didn't feel so unpleasantly warm...and warmer by the second...

Asriel will be able to see the horror dawning on Kotetsu's face as he trails away helplessly, words failing.

He will also be able to see the exact second that horror becomes comprehension. Not exactly about what's going on, but as to who is probably responsible. With a gasp, he tries to step back from Asriel, even as his eyes narrow.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

[justletmewin]

Asriel's face lights up in genuine interest. The way Kotetsu talks about Barnaby reminds him how he would talk about his drawings to Chara, telling them in explicit detail all about the God of Hyperdeath. Where he lived, who his friends are, his wingspan... regarding his list of superpowers, Asriel would need a scroll the length of the entire room. But Barnaby is real. Barnaby is Kotetsu's Chara and Hypergod rolled into one. He's so blessed to have a friend like this...

A twinge of guilt stings his heart as he watches Kotetsu sweat and struggle to remember the names of his other friends. But the goat remembers Barnaby and it tightens his resolve. Become god, take over the timeline, then reunite Kotetsu with his best friend. He won't have to search for him or wander as a lost ghost anymore. Their suffering will end... Kotetsu and Barnaby will go on as many adventures as they please. They'll be never be pulled away from each other due to a force out of their control. Best friends forever.

Seeing the horror on the ghost's face, the twinge turns into a full-fledged knot. Asriel clenches his teeth and the embers burst into a full-fledged flame. Two souls thus far. He needs to keep an eye out for Barnaby... the sooner he can make it up to Kotetsu, the better.

I'm so sorry.

[oldmantiger]

Kotetsu is visibly torn between the urge to fight or fly. Whatever Asriel is doing to him, if he could do it to others...Kotetsu has to stop him. He has to...

A fiery blue glow starts to take hold of the spirit, until all at once he's no longer a ghost, he's quite solid. He stumbles, stares down at himself, but doesn't even have the energy left to feel relief. He just lunges at Asriel, trying to throw a punch...

...until that awful, awful flame starts to burn even hotter, and Kotetsu falls heavily to his knees with a howl of something deeper than agony. For a minute, he's back on the top of Justice Tower, the light and the heat from H-01's laser gun searing him until he knows there will be no surviving that pain. And then he's here again, on the Edge of a castle he can't remember anything about anymore. Kotetsu slumps forward onto his hands and knees and lets out a sound that's equal parts death-rattle moan and sob.

"Bunny..." he croaks, without thinking, without really hearing himself. "Help..."

But nobody came.

It's the last proper thought in his head.