Reaper's POV weeks later

I frown, sitting beside the bed and waiting. I watch over Geno as he rests. He hasn't woken up once.

"Geno...Please wake up. You have to wake up..."I say

I check his stats and see that his soul wasn't there. What...? But how?

Then his body fades away.

"Geno..."I mutter

I slump back in my chair, the reality of it all sinking in.

Weeks earlier...

I marched through Mettaton's "temple" and after hours of searching, I find of all people, The Collector. He looked at me with a grin. I only frowned, disgusted at the sight of him. Who knew that he had the same taste as Mettaton's.

"Why hello there, Reaper. This must be my lucky day since I've already met Geno to add to my collection."He said

"Where is he? I want him back now!"I snapped at him

"Hmm...He could be around here for now...But you could get him back if you give something for me to collect instead."He said with a smirk

*For now?* I had thought. *What's that supposed to mean? Oh...What could I do to give to get him back safe?*

"What do you want?"I asked

"I'll just take it."He said, digging a syringe into my arm

Something was pulled out of me and I feel the energy get sucked out of me. He put the substance in a weird vial and smiled.

"I'll see what I can do."He said, leaving afterwards.

I felt much weaker and had to sit down. A few minutes passed before I got a call.

"Sans? You there?"One of Mettaton's followers said on the other side

"Yeah..What is it?"I asked

"I just dropped Geno off at your home...He really just wanted to go home...You can go there! He is safe!"He said

I smiled and went home. I had to get Mettaton to get me home because I found that my powers were gone...Mostly. I was so eager to see Geno. But instead I found food set on a table, videos set up on a computer and the bedroom door shut. I went to the door to find it locked and he wouldn't answer my shouts. I busted the door down to find that he was laying there, two rings on his fingers.

Nothing that I did could wake him up and I had so many questions. What could The Collector have done to him? His bones were beautiful, yet cracked and breaking under the wounds. At the same time, it seems to be preserving him. He wore the necklace and it twinkles just as much as the rings. The rings confused me. Was it something with the outfits they forced him to try or from The Collector? I sat there waiting for him to wake up, hoping for him to be okay. Within that waiting period, I saw an engraving on one of the rings while the other was completely silver and blank. It said: Reaper x Geno with hearts around the message. *Is that...a ring for us?* The thought crossed my mind and some fantasies along with it, but I shook it away to focus on his wellbeing.

A knock at the door knocked me out of my thoughts.

I go to the door and frown. His brother is here.

How do I explain this to him?

"Are you done wasting time?"He asks

"What are you talking about?"I respond sharply

"I've been tracking things while you sat here doing nothing. My brother isn't gone, The Collector manipulated things. I found him again but he isn't the same."He says

He opens another orb to show me.

"Welcome to the community! You were newly formed, huh?"A voice says

"Oh dear...Clearly there were some troubles with your formation. How could you perform properly in your condition?"Another says

"Hello...I'm not sure what you mean...Where am I? What is my function or conditions? And...Community? I was already told of my flaws but...They fixed it the best they could. I was hoping someone could explain things to me...They took off my ring and made comments similar to yours. Why would I be made with a ring that they would take? What's the meaning behind my necklace or their comments?"I hear Geno ask

"Well, you'd be classified a misfit since your gem is a mix of a pearl and quartz, which is unnatural. As well as your appearance. None of us are meant to have wounds like yours or clothing formed that are the opposite of your gemstone. We are very color-coded, you see. You stick out like a sore thumb. But yes, this is a gated community of gem folk or monsters. We all have a purpose to please our Keeper and Creator."the first voice says

"Your ring formation was probably an error due to your gem mix. Rings only form if your gem was closely linked with another's but given that you're new that wouldn't be possible. Removal was best or else you'd get corrupted. Your necklace is a part of your form generated from your gem, so it's probably a part deeply connected to you. There's no clear answers of what or why. We'd be happy to guide you."The 2nd voice explains

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that."Geno says

I look over to get a closer look at him. I feel my jaw hang loose. He looked so different, yet I was sure his voice was the same. He still had our necklace around his neck. He had a gem for an eye, dark tannish orange-red skin with orange hair that shined in the light. His body was stubby but with decent height. All his clothes were darker in comparison to his skin or hair. Yet I still love him like this. From his petite lil nose to the tip of his boots, I loved him all the same.

He looks stunning. But then I frown as two strangers lead him away.

"They are brainwashing him? Are you kidding me?"I growl

"Well obviously not completely..."His brother says, pointing to Geno

He held the locket carefully, gazing at it with a smile. His cheeks turn red.

"I want to know who R is...He clearly is special..."He mutters

Geno...

"Oh you shouldn't waste your time with that. Tis only a mistake of the gem like the rest of your state. And the only special one near you shall be your match."One says

"Match?"Geno asks

"A gem that will match yours, making yours glow and you may even fuse."They say

"I bet we'll find you a match within a month!"Another claims

Geno frowns.

"Tch, good luck with that."He says, gripping the necklace

Stubborn as always. So lovable, Geno....

"Okay, so I can get you in that world but it won't let me through. And you won't be near him, you'll have to find your way to the gated community he's in. Be careful."His brother says

I nod.

"I'll get him back."I say

He opens a portal and I march through, set on getting Geno as well as his memories back.

2 Months later, Geno's POV

"No! I don't want to! You can't make me!"I snap

The Jasper gem I was arguing with clenched fists grabs me tightly and throws me against the wall.

"Agh!"I grunt, sliding against the wall

I hold my chest and quickly dodge his fist, but he did manage to claw or dig into my arms.

"You good for nothing pebble! They assigned us to connect! We're going to fuse and you're going to like it!"He snaps

"Like I haven't heard that before! Now get off of me!"I growl, kicking him away

"You can't keep holding onto that crappy R forever!"He snarls

"And you can't make me do anything!"I snap, shoving him away and running out of there

I run beyond the village to a bunch of trees near the golden fences or gates to this community. I've learned that nobody ever goes beyond these gates...among other things over the past few months.

I lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath. I look to the bark of the tree and see my tally so far. I pick up the knife left behind and scratch another line down.

And that makes 12...Stars why can't I be left alone? Why do they "need" me fused? I'm already a mistake by their standards or a mess, why put me with another? And why are they all so violent?

I look down at the necklace still in my hands. I grip it tighter.

I'm not stupid...This isn't a mistake... R is special...I know it....R, whoever they are, they're real...

I start getting hit by flashbacks to my dreams or visions...A house...Pictures...A laugh....Two skeletal hands held together with different clothes covering the arms, indicating two people...A raven cawing...A scythe...The necklace...A shadowy figure in a black robe...A voice saying "I love you, Geno.~"....All that feels so real...It can't be fake.

I bandage my wounded arm and feel my back and head groan in pain. I gently hold my gem, making sure it was unharmed. Then I reach up to a hole in the tree and hold the ring in a cloth. I managed to steal it back without anyone noticing a few weeks ago. I carefully read the engraving on it.

•~♥️Geno x Reaper ♥️~•

Reaper...So that's the name of R....Why isn't he/she/they here? Why do I have these and not the one I'm with? Or....Is it a sign that I have to find R still? I hope....

My mind floated away to fantasies of what this special Reaper would be like...how we'd meet and be together...Then it turned darker...What if Reaper forces me to fuse? Doesn't like me? That I'm not enough? 12 have already failed or hated me, what stops more from being the same?

The thoughts brought me to tears. I didn't want to lose Reaper. I didn't want that with him...But my chances and hopes weren't the best. I sank down against the tree trunk and just sat there, clutching the cloth with the ring and the necklace.

"Now why do I hear such a beautiful voice weeping?"A voice says

I flinch, startled. I wipe my tears, hiding the ring again. Then I peek around the tree to see a short stranger standing on the other side of the gates. They were stubby with a wildly long bundle of hair. Their skin, hair, gem and clothes were shades of blue. The shoes and pants were closer to purple. The gem ripped a hole in the shirt, revealing to be a blue amethyst with a small spinel gem within it shaped like a monster soul.

I stare in disbelief, never seeing someone else with a gem mix like me. I guess it's a more common "mistake" than I was told. And they were outside the gates....Could there be more outside of here? Who is this?

"S-Sorry, what?"I say

"Why are you crying?"The stranger asks with concern obvious in their voice

It was deeper, definitely masculine. I recognized it. It was the voice from my visions and flashbacks...The one that loves me...I shook the thoughts away.

"It's nothing..."I say, waving it away

"It isn't nothing if it made you cry."He says

"Just...Need some space from this community...I can't meet their standards so they seem to be putting me through hell to fix me..."I say

"Is it because of your gem?"He asks

"Mhm..."I sigh, leaning against the tree more

"They don't know the beauty they're messing with."He says sternly

I smile, thinking that he was just saying that because he understood the same problems with his gem.

He is silent, seeming to gaze at me carefully. Then he gets a smug grin on his face.

"You have a name, Beautiful?"He asks

I feel my face burn. This is new. Usually I don't get compliments or called those things. Heck, the opening lines that most that I've been paired with the past two months are along the lines of "Hey Ugly, I got forced to be with you to fuse so let's get this shit over with ok?"

"G-Geno..."I say

He smiles wider.

"Okay, give me a second please. I want to come sit with you."He says

I nod, feeling my gem glow brightly. That got me excited, that means my match is near! Reaper is near!

I hide behind the tree, trying to hold in my excitement.

"Don't run off okay?"The stranger says

"O-Okay!"I reply

TBC