Undertale: The Machine
Chapter 30
An Ending to Things

Frisk opens his eyes to see an array of varying colors flying past his vision. He looks up to see himself falling, seemingly infinitely, into a realm of light below. He looks around, noticing that he's not alone here. Indeed, seven other humans are falling with him. Each of them asleep, the winds blowing their hair as they descend to the light below them.

"Can you hear me… Frisk?" A voice lets out. Frisk looks around.
"You won't see me, I'm not with you. I'm just seeing if you can hear me." The voice continues.
"I… can hear you. What is happening?"
"After your fight with Chara, the world was becoming unstable. You both perished, and at the last second, I managed to activate my machine using your two souls." The voice explains. Frisk now recognizes that the person talking is Gaster, but Frisk closes his eyes.

"Your machine… huh? So we're going to a fake world again?"
"… I actually don't know. I think this might be real this time."
"What…?"
"The amount of Determination within this emulation process is more than that which would be required for a monster to become a god. Asriel's dust formed into a temporary soul for Chara to hold onto. With the seven human souls absorbed, yours included, I am essentially creating a NEW world."

"A… new world? Not a fake one?" Frisk asks, looking at the falling humans, noticing one is Chara.
"That's right. I'm afraid I can't join you in it. After all, someone has to turn this thing on, huh?"
"Gaster… I… I can find you when this is over."
"… Hah. You know, every bone in my body says it's impossible, but I bet you'll find a way." Gaster chuckles lightly. Frisk looks up to see the light getting closer.

"What will this world be like…?" Frisk asks. Gaster pauses for a moment.
"I… don't know. There was a glitch in the program."
"A glitch?"
"Yeah. I don't know what caused it, but I didn't set this world up. I didn't alter any part of it, these specifications are completely unknown to me. But I didn't have a choice. If everything goes right, then that would have to mean what I'm doing will never exist, right…? But I'm sure your universe will be fine. After all, with the power of a REAL God within it, I'm sure something as trifling as a creation loop won't stop it." Gaster reassures.

"Gaster… why?" Frisk asks with a cracky voice.
"Huh?"
"Why are you saving me? After everything I did to you…?"
"… Watching you, watching Chara, watching Asriel… seeing how being consumed by our pasts only harms the future of ourselves and those around us… this was the obvious solution."

"Hah… so you don't want to destroy humanity anymore?"
"There's so much about Determination I don't know. I only briefly skimmed Alphys' notes after I woke up in this weird memory world. Maybe it's even stronger than I think. Being able to create an entire universe… a REAL one… using this fake machine... it's crazy, you know?" Gaster says. Frisk is now only a few seconds from the light.

"I'm… about to go, Gaster."
"I know." Gaster says.

For a while, neither of them say anything.

"Kid."
"Yes?" Frisk asks.
"Take care of the prince for me."
"Huh…? Prince? You mean Asriel? But…" Frisk says, looking around.
"It's just a feeling, kid."
"… A feeling…"
"Goodbye." Gaster says with finality.
"Goodbye, Gaster. Thank you." Frisk says, closing his eyes as he and the 7 children around him touch the light, having it splash like water, enveloping everything.

Rotation 26

24 notes have been deleted. I can see it on the machine. It's a strange machine. A single note now remains on it, from someone calling himself Gaster 25. Another file exists in a tertiary program, something about something called "Determination." Apparently they're from someone called Alphys. That woman who is trying to take my job? Feh. Anyway, Frisk...

Apparently, he, with the help of two humans, created this world. A world better than the one he left off. He mentioned the Monster/Human war. I am sad to admit that the war still occurred in this better world, but he then went on to mention how the fallen child Chara, along with the Monster Prince Asriel died. That did not occur in this timeline. I can only assume it was because of his work, and for that, I am elated. When I woke up in my lab (because I apparently don't sleep anywhere except at my desk) this machine was next to me. I thought it was a gift from Sans, but it was slightly familiar.

Only now it seems so obvious to me. I, along with this human that Gaster 25 kept mentioning, FRISK... both went through intense turmoil, and this world is the payoff. He said that I would awaken with no memory, but that it would be okay, Frisk would help fill in the blanks.

But... who is Frisk? WHERE is Frisk?

"My liege!" A dog soldier in a suit of armor salutes as someone passes by.
"Any news to report?" The white furred commander asks.
"Sir, a human has fallen, just as you predicted!" The solider says. The commander smiles.
"Thank you, I can take it from here."
"Sir!"

The commander, wearing a robe emblazoned with a royal sigil, travels into the ruins of old Home. At the end of the road is a sun kissed grove, filled with yellow flowers he planted himself. He notices someone following him and he turns around.

"Chara?" He asks.
"Asriel." The person replies.

The commander and follower are revealed to be Asriel: Prince of Monsters, and Chara: The Fallen Human. It's been years, and they've both been doing some growing up.

"So, today's the day?" Chara asks. Asriel nods.
"Yes. Frisk has fallen down." Asriel says. Chara frowns.
"Is… something wrong?" Asriel asks. Chara looks over to the innards of the Ruins.

"We didn't… exactly part on good terms, he and I."
"…Chara, walk with me." Asriel says, turning around, and walking deeper in.
"What?" Chara, surprised, follows him. The ruins are excessively dusty. No one but a few Froggits and Whimsuns call this place home. In this universe, the second war never started, so Toriel never had a reason to run. Because of that, the Ruins have been that much more empty, and unkempt.

"When I saw you dead, back at the last time I ever saw you two… I didn't know what to think. Frisk killed you. Let's not butter things up." Asriel says, matter-of-factly. Chara nods.

"But Frisk did those things because he loved me, as I love you, and as you love our family, Chara. What he did was wrong, what he did was very… very wrong. But because of his selfish, detestable actions, he laid the foundations of a better world for us."

"Are you saying… you forgive him?"
"It's… a difficult question. Asking me to forgive him. Even he must know that. The world he tried to create… it didn't have him in it." Asriel states as they step over broken pillars and walk farther into the ruins.

"So… he wanted to create a world where you were alive, but he was gone? I remember that, though I only remember the fact that "I" was gone from it."

"Do you remember what dad was doing after we both died?" Asriel asks Chara as they navigate puzzles.
"He declared war on humanity, and killed everyone who fell down, so that he could break the barrier."
"Do you believe that even the cruelest, evilest of actions can be forgiven if they come from a good place?" Asriel asks, stopping, and turning around to Chara.

"… I don't know."
"Neither do I." Asriel plainly says. Both he and Chara stand, looking at each other.

"But… I know that Frisk was willing to sacrifice everything for me. And he proved it by sacrificing his friends, his world, his past and future, and himself, all for me. I don't know why…"

"He told me that, with Determination… he could erase his sins with just ONE happy ending."
"… Ha… ha…" Asriel says with a strange choked up laugh.
"Asriel?"
"I don't know what I'm going to say. I've prepared for more than five years with you, knowing he would fall someday. Now he's in here, and when I meet him, I don't know if I want to punch him, or hug him." Asriel says with diverted eyes.

"Could it be both?" Chara says with a cheeky smile, shrugging.
"Haha… maybe, maybe." Asriel smiles, but it fades quickly.

"I'm scared." He says simply.
"Scared?" Chara asks.
"I'm scared that I will do the wrong thing. If I forgive him, then that means that he's right, and that a happy ending is worth any sacrifice… but if I condemn him, then how can I even claim to be anything but grateful that we've both been given this second chance?"

"…" Chara closes their eyes and crosses their arms.
"Chara…?" Asriel asks, his cloak blowing in the Snowdin breeze wafting in from the giant open door.
"We're not the only ones who spent five years thinking of what to say, you know. I'm sure Frisk has thought long and hard on what he's done. It would be impossible not to, right?"

"Haha, yeah… how do you think… he'll react? To… you know, seeing us?"
"Only one way to find out." Chara says, pointing to the doorway out to the rest of the ruins. Asriel nods and they move farther in.

"I still have memories."
"Huh?" Chara asks as they continue deeper in, almost to the end.
"Memories of the "true ending" that Frisk set up. Everyone happy…"
"Yeah."
"Everyone… even Dad." Asriel says with a strange deepness. Chara looks over to see Asriel crying.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm going to forgive him, Chara. He forgave Flowey, didn't he? He forgave Asgore, didn't he?"
"…" Chara says nothing, but instead nods. Asriel wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his robe and they continue inwards. They arrive at the mouth of the Ruins. Just one turn, and Frisk will be there.

"Are you ready?" Chara asks.
"No." Asriel says, as they both continue anyway.

They both enter the room, and within it is a human, one a little bit taller than Frisk used to be, even if it's obviously the same person.

For a while, they all just look at each other without saying a word. Frisk looks over to Asriel, who in turn looks over to Frisk.

"You… you finally showed up." Asriel says, breaking the tension. Frisk nods with a nervous smile.
"Sorry I'm late. But… I'm here now."
"Yeah… Yeah." Asriel says. There is a strange frustration in the air.

"Frisk-"
"Asriel-"
"There's something I want to say-"
"There's something I want to say-" They both say at the exact same time.

"Ah, you go first." Asriel says. Frisk nods.
"W-Well… I could have come down whenever. But… I… I wasn't sure if coming back would have been… appropriate, you know?" Frisk says with a guilty face.

"I felt that… well, you guys have your happy ending… so that I didn't need to show up. So… I didn't!" He says. But then sighs,

"But… well, I'm here now. After having reset the world so many times before, having my fifteenth birthday up on the surface after I already have almost three decades of experience was a wakeup call. I didn't belong up there… so, I came down to meet you guys… and accept whatever comes my way."

"Accept whatever comes your way?" Asriel asks.

"Y-Yeah… I know, there's a giant elephant in the room. The things I did, both before and AFTER the End of Time… Gaster, the world, Chara, you… I have nothing to say in my defense. I wanted a happy ending, I NEEDED one… even if it wasn't for me. I couldn't stand by while someone else sacrificed themselves for a happy ending when I had the power to take even that sacrifice away. So… I put it all on my shoulders, and a lot of bad stuff happened. It got out of hand, and I regret ever having put you through it… I'm sorry, Asriel… I'm sorry, Chara."

Frisk finishes his heartfelt apology and closes his eyes with a genuine anguish upon his face. Chara and Asriel look to each other. Asriel walks over to Frisk, who can hear the footsteps upon the dirt and flowers. He looks up to meet eyes with the neutral-expressioned prince.

"As prince of the monsters… and leader of the royal guard… it's my duty to dispense Justice to those who commit crimes within the Underground. Tell me, Frisk, do you control the timeline? Does your determination give you the ability to Save and Load?"

"No… I lost that ability when I woke up in this world."

"So if you were to die, for the first time in history… the world would continue on without you?"

"I… y-yes… it would."

"I see. If I were to kill you right now, would you consider that Justice?" Asriel asks. Frisk's eyes go wide, but then they relent and he closes his eyes.

"… Absolutely…" He says with somber tones.

"…" Asriel says nothing. Frisk keeps his eyes closed. Soon however, he opens them and looks back. Asriel speaks once more.

"However, that will not do."
"… Huh?"
"One life would not be nearly enough to pay for the things you've done, Frisk. Instead, you're going to save everyone. Save our lives, our hopes, and our dreams."

"W-Wait, you mean-"

"Well, it's a damn shame that you can't save and load, Frisk… b-because we're still trapped down here, haha!" Asriel says, before spitting with laughter! Chara smiles and joins in on it, clapping Frisk on his back.

"Looks like you're stuck with us, Frisk. Maybe you can help Gaster and Alphys out with finding a way to break the barrier without using human souls?"

"I-I would love to!" Frisk says with choked up laughter.

Gaster's Extended Notes

I finally met the infamous "Frisk." I have to say, I'm not that impressed. He doesn't seem that strong, or that smart. Was he really the one responsible for remaking this entire world? Feh.

Regardless, progress on finding a way out is progressing. SLOWLY... but progressing nonetheless. The notes that Gaster 25 left on Determination have sped things along. Alphys seems really impressed at my work, explaining that they were very easy to understand. I didn't want to tell her that it was from her in a previous timeline apparently. Who knows what sort of head explosions would occur. That said, our work within The Core progresses to this day.

The humans... Chara and Frisk... they get along. They get into deep conversations from time to time, and sometimes insist that I come along with them. They speak of the last rotation, rotation 25, and all the things that went on. The things they say make sense, and though they are interesting... I am a very busy man. I am content to do research on the Barrier, finding a way out for Monsterkind. But once we leave... what will await us? Humans, the people who put us down here.

Chara said they'd be an ambassador, someone who would speak on our behalf as a human who was raised by monsters. Would that be good enough? Frisk has gotten me into private conversations from time to time, where he and I would speak about things that he shouldn't know about, further proving that he knows everything from previous timelines. My fantasies about going back in time to stop the first war, he explains to me that this world was left by me when everything was on the line. That for every time we fought, for every time either of us nearly died, we would save each other's lives, and in the end... we created a whole new world. He said that getting humans to accept us into their world is actually the EASY part compared to all that they accomplished.

I'm inclined to agree. What a strange child, Frisk. I enjoy my talks with him, but as I said, I am a very busy man. I'm sure this world is everything he wanted and more. I'll keep my eyes on him and update as I see fit. I don't know why, I just feel like I should. I already have this machine, might as well keep notes on it.

Gaster 26, signing off.

Author's Notes: And that is the ending to Undertale: The Machine. I hope you all enjoyed. On a good day, an update to the story would give as much as 150 or more views! Crazy, right? Anyway. The story is over now, but I may tack a few bonuses onto the end. Some Post-Story content if you will, but no promises. Once again, thank you for reading.