AN OFFICER'S REMINESCE

by Alicorn05

One autumn evening in a village at the town south of Mt. Ebott, Corporal Undyne of the Monster Police Department, witnesses a crime that sends her back to her childhood, her dark past revealing what really happened to her all those years ago.

AN OFFICER'S REMINESCE

UNDYNE'S TALE

Our story begins on a beautiful autumn evening and everyone's favorite lesbian couple, Alphys and Undyne, were walking the streets of their neighborhood. It had been over a year since the two of them had been married, and they were talking about adding a little bundle of joy into their relationship, while Undyne walked her beat as an officer of the law. It was a thing she did, even when off-duty, and Alphys sometimes tagged along, either for fitness or just for the hell of it.

"You know, Alphys, I really do think that adoption is the best way to go at the moment." Said Undyne, as she looked around at the beautiful autumn scenery. Alphys twittered nervously.

"I-I mean it's practical. Because it's not exactly clear how the r-reproduction between a reptilian monster and a fish monster is possible. And since we're both… well, you know…" Alphys said, her face blushing a slight red. "Hmm…" Undyne scoffed and chuckled.

"Heh… Yeah… it is kind of hard, isn't it? But that doesn't really matter, right? I mean, I know that RG01 and RG02 got together, and they were both guys, and they had a kid not too long ago…" smiled Undyne, hoisting Alphys onto her shoulders. "Anything's possible… God, that must have been weird to see at the hospital."

"Well, yeah, but… I don't know. Maybe I'm just overthinking things again… My mom always said I did that." Said Alphys, leaning onto Undyne's head.

"Oh! So you had a mom? I don't think you ever introduced me to her…" asked Undyne, before she noticed Alphys exhale heavily into her red hair. "O-Oh… I-I'm sorry."

"N-No no no! It's fine, Undyne! She went peacefully, about a year after I started working under Dr. Gaster as his apprentice." Stuttered Alphys. "It was sad, and I do miss her a lot. But she never really understood the sciency stuff I did… or my love of anime… or anything about me. She was… plain, to say the least… She was supportive, though! Um… to an extent…Enough about me, though. What about you? What was your family like? Did you have a family…?"

Undyne stopped for a moment, and looked around. She breathed a sigh of contentment at the scenery.

"Well, my family doesn't like it when I talk about them." Said Undyne. Alphys clamored off of Undyne's shoulders and stared up at her.

"Undyne, we've been over this. I don't like you hiding things from me! It reminds me of what I used to be." She said sternly.

"Alphys, I'm not lying. My family business is my own." Said Undyne.

"Dy… come on. You're obviously hiding something. I can tell. You're usually so confident about this stuff! It's almost like, I don't know, it's your job to help people? How can you help the people if you don't understand that they want to help you, too?" questioned Alphys. "Come on… level with me, here."

Undyne sighed, and was just about to speak, when suddenly, she heard a scream ring out from down the street, which was shortly followed by glass breaking, likely a window. Her protective instincts kicked in, and Undyne began to run towards the sound, hand hovering over her gun, leaving Alphys behind on the curb.

"Undyne! Wait! Where are you going?!" Alphys called, trying to catch up with her.

"Stay there! Something's happening down the street, and I don't want you getting hurt!" replied Undyne, as the screaming led her to a house. She took cover beneath the broken window, and peeked over. Through a hole in the window, she could see a tall man, roughly six foot one, bearing down on a tiny girl… She looked no older than ten. Undyne gasped, realizing what was going on, remembering what had happened years ago in the Underground.

"You want to say that again, little missy?!" growled the man. The child, tears in her eyes, gripped at the doll in her hands tightly.

"Stop hurting mommy! She didn't do anything wrong!" she screamed, before the man slapped her across the face. Hard. The child was sent reeling to the floor. Undyne was staring angrily through the window, unable to move as she tried to control her rage. Her breathing was rapid and strained. Realizing this, she closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. She exhaled.

"Come on, kid… get up…" she whispered, as the child struggled to stand up. Her face was bruised, and a red mark was beginning to show on her face.

"You're a monster!" cried the child. The man rounded on her again, swinging his arm around towards her. Her head fell again, and when she looked up again, Undyne saw blood seeping down from a set of large cuts across the bridge of the child's nose. Undyne recoiled, and shut her eyes.

"What are you doing?! Stop this!" Undyne screamed in her mind. "The kid's going to die if you don't do something!" She looked up again.

"Brats like you should respect your elders." Said the man, as he scratched the girl across the eye with his unkempt fingernails. Undyne's eyes widened in rage. She couldn't take it anymore. Making a dash towards the house, Undyne kicked the door in so hard that it flew off the hinges into the kitchen. The man turned, a bottle in his hand; he'd clearly been drinking. Undyne drew her weapon from its holster and pointed it at the man.

"Stop right there, sir…! Drop the bottle, and put your hands behind your back! Now!" shrieked Undyne. But the man didn't budge.

"Who the hell are you, fish face?" asked the man. Undyne moves a hand from her gun, and pulls a badge from her pocket.

"My name is Undyne, officer of the MPD, and you, sir, are under arrest! Now hands behind your back. Or else, we'll have to do this the hard way. Which will it be, asshole?" growled Undyne. The man laughs.

"Isn't it a little early for Halloween?" asked the man, putting the bottle down. "What is it, like September?"

"With a face like yours, I should ask you the same thing, sir." Quipped Undyne, lowering her gun and reaching for a set of handcuffs on her belt.

"That's funny, coming from a smalltime officer like you, guppy." Laughed the man. Undyne's hand freezes over the handcuffs, and slowly balls into a fist.

"Excuse me, sir?" asked Undyne with a dry, angry grin.

"I said-" started the man, who started moving forward just before Undyne shot him in the leg. The man yelped, and fell to the ground, holding his leg, moaning all the while. Undyne moved forward, and placed the handcuffs on the man.

"You bitch! You shot me in the fucking leg!" shrieked the man.

"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace, inciting violence, and for the abuse of a minor, all while under the influence of alcohol. Now you stay put while I call for a black and white… try not to bleed out, will you?" hissed Undyne, her hand slipping towards the radio on her belt.

"Officer Undyne, calling MPD. We have a confirmed 273D, requesting backup. Shots fired. Suspect is detained and awaiting transport. I may need a car and an ambulance, one for the victims and one for the attacker; the victims are a little girl, about ten years old, and possibly her mother. I didn't see the mother, but I heard her screaming and came to investigate. I caught him abusing the child, but the mother was nowhere in sight." Radioed Undyne. "Location is 444 Twin Peaks Lane."

"Roger that, Officer. Any available units in the area to take the 273D in, suspect is cuffed and ready for transport. See about the child, Officer Undyne. Check if she's still breathing." Said the officer on the radio.

"Roger that. Over." Nodded Undyne, replacing the radio on her vest. She moved to the child, and sat her up slowly. The child recoiled, startled by Undyne's appearance.

"Don't worry, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help. Is your mom-" started Undyne, before the child smacked her in the face with her doll out of fear.

"Stay away from me!" shivered the girl.

"Hey, hey… it's alright. I'm a friendly monster... well, mostly. I heard screaming, and I came running. Was that you?" asked Undyne. The child shook her head.

"It… It was Mommy. I wasn't going to just let him hurt her, so I-" started the child, wiping her forehead. She noticed the blood and whimpered.

"You're very brave, standing up to someone twice your size, kid. You got guts… Ooh, but he got you good… How long has this been going on?" asked Undyne.

"Ever since I turned eight. Mommy told me to stay out of it. She was afraid I'd get hurt." Explained the child. "He… I don't know what made him change! He was always so nice before!"

"Maybe something happened to him, or this has been happening longer than you can remember? Ever stood up to him before now?" pried Undyne.

"No. But I've wanted to." Said the child.

"She was smart to stay quiet while she did." said the man. Undyne turned, and snarled at him.

"You stay out of this, sir. You'd best hope that your wife is alright, or else we'll add a manslaughter charge onto your rap." She said.

"Stop! You'll only make him more angry!" said the child. "Who knows what he'll do to us after this!"

"Well, after this, I'm certain he won't see you. I'll make sure of it." Smiled Undyne.

"Thank you…" said the child.

"But… your mom? She was the one who was screaming. Do you know where-" started Undyne, before a woman with auburn hair peeked around the corner. There was a noticeable bruise on her arm and cheek, and her right eye was blackened. Undyne saw her, and shot up.

"Ma'am! Are- Are you okay?" she asked the woman, who shook her head.

"I don't know. How do I look?" replied the woman. Undyne bit her lip, not wanting to be honest, but not wanting to be snarky, either.

"Um… I…" stammered Undyne. She smiled sheepishly. "Better than your husband?"

"Well, good. He's been out of control for a decent part of the last year. I knew I shouldn't have taken him back after he cheated on with that… That… That… Ooh! He just… I mean, I gave him everything! Food! Drink! A bed to sleep in! I even gave myself! But apparently, it wasn't enough for him! I took the abuse to protect her… and now look what's happened…" rambled the woman.

"Ma'am, we'll make sure he's taken care of. But for now, you and your child need to make some arrangements. For safety's sake, you both need to find a place to stay until he's processed down at the station. Any grandparents? Aunts, uncles?" asked Undyne.

"The only family left living are on his side, and they live halfway across the country." Said the woman.

"I'll see what I can do. I might know someone who can help you." Said Undyne. "I'll need you to come down to the station and write a statement while your daughter is sent to the hospital, make sure nothing is broken or damaged. She looks like she took quite a beating before I intervened."

"What about me?" asked the woman.

"We'll get someone to look at you down at the station. Don't worry, she'll be just fine. I'll check up on her after my shift's done." Sighed Undyne, picking the man up off the ground. "As for you… You're lucky I left you alive. You won't see them again."

As the police cars and ambulance rolled around in front of the house, Undyne was surprised to see that Papyrus was one of the officers who had taken the call.

"Undyne? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I should ask you the same thing! I thought it was your day off?" smiled Undyne.

"Well, it was, but I was the closest one, and I always have my radio on. A good officer never rests!" grinned Papyrus. Undyne chuckled.

"I taught you well, Paps." Smirked Undyne, as she pushed the man into the back seat of Papyrus' car. "Careful with this one, though; he's a kiddy beater."

"So that's what a 273D is. Child abuse?" asked Papyrus. "There were so many codes to remember at the academy, I forget sometimes which one's which. That one wasn't on the exam."

"Domestic Abuse. It took me a while, too." Replied Undyne. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get the mother to the station. Can you call the Dreemurrs and tell them what happened? She has nowhere to go, and no one to go to within the state."

"Right-o, Undyne! If anyone would be willing to help a person in distress, it would be them! Especially since they have Frisk! Frisk'll know just what to do to help!" smiled Papyrus.

"Thanks, Paps. You may also want to inform them that the child was involved, as well. Knowing Toriel, she'll… probably want to see the child. Y'know, to make sure she's fine." Continued Undyne.

"No doubt!" Said Papyrus, as he spotted the little girl being carried out in a stretcher, her mother by her side. "That's the child, right? Ooh… she doesn't look good… especially around the eyes… N-No offense!"

"None taken." Said Undyne.

"Don't worry, honey, everything is going to be fine." said the woman, as the little girl was put into the ambulance. One of the officers whistled to Undyne, a short rabbit-like monster.

"Officer Undyne, let me give you and the victim a ride to the station." the officer said quickly.

"Wow… you speak really fast… Uh, sure." Undyne nodded, as the mother got into the car. Undyne flopped down into the front passenger seat, and the officer drove to the station.

"So, not to pry, but why were shots fired?" asked the officer.

"Do you really want to know? Dude was inebriated, and I shot in self-defense when he came at me." said Undyne.

"Fair enough. The guy didn't look nice, but I still had to check. You know, for the report?" said the officer.

Back at the station, Undyne was helping the mother fill out the necessary paperwork, when Frisk ran into the station along with her parents.

"Frisk, wait for us!" cried Toriel, as Frisk made her way to the front desk.

"Excuse me, miss? Do you know where I can find Officer Undyne?" she asked.

"In the back. Room 203." Said the office clerk.

"Thank you! I need to speak with her, urgently!" said Frisk hurriedly, as she pushed through the door next to the enclosed office.

"I just hope she's alright. Papyrus made it sound like Undyne was hurt." Said Asgore, following Frisk.

"Asgore, Undyne is the toughest monster I know! She doesn't-" said Toriel.

"I didn't mean physically." Said Asgore solemnly, a look of concern on his face as Frisk pushed into the room the clerk had told them to go.

"Undyne! Paps called me and told me what happened." Frisk said, as she noticed the mother. "Um… I guess you're the lady Undyne helped?" The mother smiled sadly.

"One of them… The other one was my daughter… She's at the hospital. Um… who are you, Miss…?" The mother asked.

"Dreemurr. Frisk Dreemurr. I'm the Ambassador of Human and Monster Relations, and second in command of the city council." Said Frisk, extending a hand. "My family and I are willing to let you and your daughter stay at our home until we have this whole mess sorted out."

"Oh, Miss Dreemurr, you are far too kind!" said the mother, hugging Frisk as Toriel and Asgore walked in.

"It's no problem at all. Being the eldest daughter of the King and Queen of Monsters, it's my duty to help anyone in need, no matter the species." Said Frisk proudly. "Now, this will have to be taken to court, and the head of the HR department at the council has agreed to take the case. She'll be here shortly, but do you mind if I ask you some questions, regarding the case?"

"N-No. Not at all." Said the mother. "F-fire away."

"Frisk, are you sure? This is Undyne's case, and I'm not sure how she'd feel-" started Toriel.

"It's alright, your Majesty. My shift is almost over, anyway, and I promised the mother I'd check in on her girl." Said Undyne.

"Her daughter was involved?" asked Toriel, her eyes narrowing questioningly.

"Yeah. It wasn't pretty. She had to be taken to the hospital." Replied Undyne.

"Where is he? I wish to have a word with this child offender." Said Toriel huffily.

"Stay out of it for now, Mom. You can speak your mind at the court hearing, but for now, just try to comfort them. They've been through a lot, today." Said Frisk.

"Alright, then… um… Undyne, why don't you come with me to the hospital? According to Papyrus, Alphys was nearby, and she wanted to make sure the child was alright." Suggested Asgore.

"Mom and I will meet you there when I'm done here. I think it's best to wait for the HR officer to get here." Said Frisk. "She might run late, though. There was another case that she was wrapping up, today."

"You're… very mature for a twelve year old." Chuckled the mother nervously. Frisk laughed.

"I try to be, miss. Being a child Ambassador is… uh… interesting. Not a lot of people take me seriously because of my age and quote unquote, "lack of experience". Trust me, it's not easy. But I'm learning!" She snickered, as Undyne and Asgore made for the parking lot. Undyne sighed.

"You okay, Undyne?" asked Asgore.

"That's the first time I've shot that gun since I got it. I never thought I'd have to use it." Replied Undyne flatly, as she opened the door to Asgore's car and sat inside.

"I feel like this case is reminding you of back then. I mean, you haven't been in a situation like that since-" started Asgore, turning over the ignition.

"I know, Asgore!" shouted Undyne, before she caught herself. "I… I know. I'm sorry for shouting. It's just… I… That girl was just like me; brave and stupid."

"Undyne, what you did back then was not stupid, nor was what you did tonight. It was valorous, actually… and rather reckless." Smiled Asgore. "But… and this is a huge but…"

"Heh." Chuckled Undyne. "Butt…"

"I don't think you shot him out of self-defense." Said Asgore. "I'll keep quiet if you tell me why." Undyne averted her gaze momentarily, rubbing her arm uncomfortably.

"He… He called me guppy." Sighed Undyne. "Then he moved toward me with that bottle in his hand, and I panicked."

"Hm… I see." Mumbled Asgore, who sighed. "Undyne. What happened back then should not influence your actions now. We've been over this, haven't we?"

"Yes. Yes, we have. But I can't help it. Every time I think I've moved on, some shit like this happens to pull me back under." Replied Undyne irately. "It's getting old, Asgore!"

"Have you talked with Alphys about this?" asked Asgore. "I mean, you know what happened to her."

"Yeah, but… ugh, Asgore, if she knew what I did back then, I don't think she'd look at me the same way again." Said Undyne.

"Well, it's hurting you, Undyne; holding in all these emotions, these insecurities…? Maybe that's the reason they keep coming back. You need to be able to talk about it if you want to move on." Said Asgore. Undyne gulped loudly. She sighed.

"I don't know, Gore… maybe… maybe it's just one of those things." She said.

"Are you afraid?" asked Asgore.

"Wouldn't you be?! I already had one important person in my life turn their back on me because of what happened, and I don't want Alphys doing the same!" shouted Undyne.

"If you keep holding it in, it'll eat at your heart, and it'll eventually kill you. You need to tell her, and if you don't, I will. It'll be worse, coming from me, when she finds out you've been hiding it."

"Alright! Alright! Christ…" groaned Undyne. "You really know how to work someone over…"

"I care, too, Undyne. It's why I'm doing this." Said Asgore, pulling into the hospital parking lot.

"Do you always know how to say the right things?" asked Undyne.

"Years of practice, I guess… heh." Laughed Asgore. "After all, aside from Tori, I've known you the longest."

"Well, here's hoping that I don't have a panic attack. I haven't told it to anyone else, and you're the only one who knows… It's weird." Said Undyne.

"What do you mean?" asked Asgore.

"It's weird, how one of the best things to happen to me happened during the darkest point of my life." Said Undyne. "You were the father I wished I'd had."

"Aw, Undyne, please." Sighed Asgore thoughtfully.

"No, I mean that. You made me the woman I am today. You're more than a teacher, you're my dad." Smiled Undyne. "Even if it never was official, after… I lost... w-we lost… A-" Undyne exhaled shakily, and Asgore laid a great hand tentatively on her shoulder.

"I know. Let's… Let's meet Alphys, huh? She's probably inside already." Said Asgore, opening the car door. Undyne's heart pounded in her chest; she had never felt this nervous about anything. She was going to reveal her deepest, darkest secret; relive a path she had never wanted to relive. Undyne opened the car door, and caught up with Asgore.

"Asgore, wait!" called Undyne. Asgore turned. "I… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" asked Asgore.

"For not doing more for him… Maybe if I'd stayed with you instead of…" said Undyne, rubbing her arm nervously.

"Don't feel guilty. There's nothing you could have done, but be there for him." Asgore said continuing on towards the building.

"Hey! Um… do you think I should wait until after we leave to tell Alphys? I'm not sure the kid would want to hear the story after what happened?" she asked.

"I think the girl'd want to hear it, most of all. It would let her know that she's not alone." Said Asgore, pushing through the revolving doors, as the two of them approached the front desk.

"Officer Undyne, here to check on the girl that came in earlier today?" said Undyne, showing her badge.

"Oh, yes, Officer. She's actually right around the corner. If you follow that hallway to your left and take the first right? It'll be the second door on the right." Smiled the attendant.

"Thank you, ma'am. Come on, Gore, let's go." Said Undyne, following the directions to the child's room. Upon reaching the room, Undyne saw Alphys showing the child one of her favorite manga, Kotoura-San. The child had a small patch over her eye, and Undyne was afraid.

"Hey, you guys! How's the little trooper doing, huh?" she asked.

"U-Undyne! H-Hey! I heard the shot, and I feared the worst, but… You're okay! Ooh… I was so worried!" smiled Alphys, wrapping her flabby arms around Undyne.

"Of course, I am! It'll take a lot more than a lousy drunk to take down the Spear of Justice. But what about her? How's she doing?" asked Undyne.

"Well, aside from the cuts and bruises, she'll be just fine." Said Alphys.

"What about the eye?" asked Undyne.

"Luckily, it only caught her on the eyelid. The eye itself never sustained any serious damage, but the doctor recommended a follow-up after two months. You know, j-just to check." Smiled Alphys, turning to the child. "Isn't that right, Lucy?"

The child nodded and gave Undyne a small twitter of laughter. Undyne grinned.

"I knew she'd be alright." Laughed Undyne. "So, kiddo. Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I… I mean there's not much to tell about me. I'm just a kid. There's about a kajillion others like me in the world." Said Lucy.

"There's only one you, Lucy. Just like there's only one of me. Anything you like? Ice cream? Anime?" asked Undyne.

"Um… Officer…? Can I ask you something?" asked Lucy.

"Sure." Said Undyne.

"Why did you shoot my dad?" asked Lucy. "When we talked, it was like you were afraid."

"It was… a mix of things. Firstly, it was because he threatened my life. Secondly, being in that situation brought up some bad memories of my childhood. And thirdly, feel free to laugh, but… he called me guppy." Explained Undyne, whispering the third reason. Lucy stared at Undyne with her one good eye and cocked her head.

"Why would I laugh? That's like something a bully would do!" said Lucy.

"And what do you mean, bad memories?" asked Alphys.

"I never told you this, Al, but I… wasn't always confident. Or brave. Or anything like I am today… when I was a kid, I wasn't exactly the image of a knight in shining armor. No, I was a scrawny puke. I was picked on quite a bit. Mostly by someone who isn't around anymore. One of the many names they called me was guppy. I was the smallest in my class." Said Undyne. "Most of my problems, though, were right back at home. You know, where you expect to be safe. But I wasn't safe. Not with him around."

Lucy's hand moved towards Undyne's and gripped it tightly.

"Lucy. You're not the only one who had an abusive father… well, stepfather, in my case." Sighed Undyne.

"Undyne, what did he do to you?" asked Alphys.

"It's not just what he did to me. He did it to me, my mom, and my two older sisters. If you really want to know, then I guess… I'll start at the beginning." Replied Undyne.

My story begins when I was about… maybe eight years old. The years before then, it was just me, my mom and my two sisters, Nicoletta and Athena. Times were… tough. After the war, my mom, who was the original Captain of the Royal Guard, quit her job to spend more time with us. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find work. My mom was never really one to give up, but after a good thirty unsuccessful tries… she did, in fact, give up. We were always low on money, barely enough food to scrape by. We almost starved a few times. It wasn't until we got a notice from the guards that we were to be evicted if she didn't pay the bills that my mother caved in and started looking for someone to help support us. The only way to do that was to remarry someone with a whole bunch of dough, and boy, did she know how to choose 'em… I still remember the day he first came home. The guy reeked of hypocrisy and cheap booze. My sisters and I never really thought much of it at the time, but we learned real quick.

(Scene cuts to Undyne's old home in the Underground. It's a small building with siding that's falling apart.)

"Kids? Come down! There's someone I want you to meet!" said a tall fish woman with long orange hair down to her thighs and blue scales. This is Freya, Undyne's mother.

"Coming, mother!" cried the three sisters, as they scrambled down the stairs. Once they were at the bottom, Freya looked around.

"Where's Undyne?" asked Freya. A small Undyne pushed through the two sisters, and waved up at her.

"Down here, Mum!" said Undyne. Freya placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, there you are, my little soldier!" she smiled, ruffling Undyne's hair. Undyne smiled a toothy grin. One of them was missing, recently pulled for the tooth fairy.

"How's life below the clouds, shorty?" asked Athena, the eldest of the three, her white scales glistening with sweat from her workout. She ruffled Undyne's hair, and Undyne giggled.

"Athena, cut it out! We were that short once, too, remember?" said Nicoletta, her orange hair flowing down past her waist.

"Now, behave, you three. Your new father wants to meet all of you, and I want you to get along." Said Freya.

"I still don't get why you had to remarry. Wasn't Daddy nice?" asked Undyne.

"Yeah, when he was alive." Said Nicoletta. "Now he's just floating around on the surface, probably in the ocean."

"Nicoletta! Do not speak ill of your father!" said Freya. "He died protecting us, and now it's my turn to do the same by remarrying. This man is so kind and family-oriented, he'd be just like your old one. Now… I want you to say hello, and be nice. Okay?"

"Yes, mom." Said the three sisters in unison, as a tall, gaunt man with a long mane of white hair stepped through the door frame. There was a scar across his right cheek, and it scared Undyne. She shrank back behind Nicoletta and Athena.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet Herbert Fischmann. Herbert, these are my daughters, the ones I've been telling you about. The white one is Athena, the oldest. Nicoletta is the-" started Freya.

"Who's the little one?" asked Herbert. Undyne clutched at Nicoletta's leg.

"That's Undyne. She's a little shy, but she's nice, once you get to know her." Said Freya.

"Well, come on out, Undyne. Let me see you." Said Herbert coaxingly. Undyne slowly made her way towards Herbert. As she got closer, she smelled something foul on his breath. What it was, she didn't know, but she decided to remain silent on the matter; she didn't want to be rude.

"Well, look at you. You're such an adorable little guppy." Smiled Herbert endearingly. Undyne smiled sheepishly, unsure of how to take the compliment.

"Um… Herbert… I mean… Dad. She… doesn't really like the name guppy. She's always picked on for her size at school, and that's one of the names they use." Said Athena.

"Well, that's how I got tough. Proved 'em wrong. Have the scar to prove it." Said Herbert, tracing his finger over the scar.

"But still, dear, it's not something we should take lightly." Said Freya.

"Well, something's gotta toughen her up. She can't just be a victim all her life." Said Herbert, as he got down on his knees. "Now you listen here, little miss, don't ever let anyone push you around. Got that? It's not their place."

"Okay… D-Dad." Stammered Undyne.

"Ha… How funny you were, Herbert. How funny you were." Said Undyne, back in the present.

"But, I don't get it. He seemed so nice." Said Lucy.

"Keep in mind, this was just him introducing himself to his new family. It was that night after dinner that he showed his real colors." Said Undyne. "He had one of the shortest fuses I've ever seen in my life. Anything could set him off, even the things he did to himself. He found some way to blame it on Mom, my sisters, or even me… especially me. It was after dinner that night, and I was just clearing my place at the table, when…

Crack!

"Undyne! Are you alright?" asked Nicoletta.

"I'm alright! I just d-dropped my plate." Whimpered Undyne. Herbert ran into the room, and saw the broken plate, scattered in pieces across the floor.

"Who dropped that plate?!" yelled Herbert.

"I-I did! It was an accident, I just lost my grip and… it… I'm sorry." Cringed Undyne.

"Well, it's coming out of your allowance!" roared Herbert.

"Hey, it was an accident! Chill out!" screamed Nicoletta.

"Don't you talk back to me, young lady!" snapped Herbert. Nicoletta was stunned into silence at the ferocity of Herbert's tone. Herbert turned to Undyne, who shrank back.

"Are you going to pay for a replacement?" asked Herbert hotly, just as Freya entered the room.

"Herbert, what is going on in here?" she asked.

"Your daughter broke one of your plates!" yelled Herbert.

"Children break stuff all the time, dear! It's just a plate, and we always have more on hand! Calm down! Please, you're scaring them!" pleaded Freya.

"It was an accident! I swear! I-I… I lost my grip!" squirmed Undyne, as Herbert turned back to her.

"Go to your room, Undyne. I'll handle this." Sighed Freya. Nicoletta took Undyne by the hand, and hurriedly fled from the room upstairs.

The rest of the night was filled with loud arguing, followed by only short lapses of silence. Eventually, the arguing stopped altogether, and Undyne slipped out of her room to see if Freya was okay. She crept downstairs, and saw Freya sitting quietly in an armchair, reading a book. Herbert was nowhere in sight.

"Mom? Where'd Dad go?" asked Undyne.

"He went out. I don't know, Undyne, maybe tonight was just a one-time thing, but… I haven't seen such anger since the war." Sighed Freya, closing the book with a shiver.

"I thought you said he was nice!" cried Undyne.

"He is nice. He's probably just under a lot of pressure, being a new dad and all. I don't know when he'll be back, but I think you should stay with Nicki and Athena tonight." Explained Freya. Undyne noticed Freya's arm. It was bruised.

"Mom, did he hit you?!" asked Undyne.

"Hmm? Oh, no, he didn't do that. That's been there since yesterday. I fell in the garden and hit it on a rock I'd dug up." Replied Freya, shaking her head.

"What if he does hit you?" asked Undyne, tears in her eyes.

"No need to worry about me. I'll be fine. I was Captain for a reason. Nothing will snap the Spear of Justice. Now, go on. Get to bed." Smiled Freya.

"You're so brave, Mommy… I wish I could be like you." Moaned Undyne.

"That was the first of many long nights for me." said Undyne, as Lucy nibbled on her chicken and gravy.

"Your Mom was such a trooper, Undyne." Said Alphys. "Did she really fall in the garden, though?"

"No… she was covering up for him, to keep me from getting hurt. I didn't sleep at all that night… heh… mostly because Athena snored like a semi." Laughed Undyne. "But the next day-" Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, officer?" said the nurse. Undyne turned, and saw a small green lady standing in the doorframe.

"Yeah? What's up?" asked Undyne.

"Lucy needs to rest. It's getting to be the end of visiting hours." The nurse said. "Come back tomorrow? …I'd like to hear more, too."

Undyne's eyes widened.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked the nurse.

"The last ten minutes… You were so into it, I didn't want to interrupt." Replied the nurse.

"Please come back tomorrow, Dy-Dy! I want to hear more!" said Lucy. Undyne inhaled sharply, and stood up.

"I'll… I'll be back, kid. Try to get some rest tonight… alright?" smiled Undyne, before turning and leaving the room with Alphys and Asgore in tow. Undyne rubbed her eye and pushed through the revolving door. Alphys stopped her before she got too far ahead.

"Undyne? Is something bothering you? Aside from the obvious?" she asked, before Undyne wiped her nose.

"I'll tell you when we get home, okay? It's hard talking about this stuff." Sighed Undyne through choked tears.

"Oh… I get it. Um… follow me. I parked over here." Said Alphys.

"Okay…" replied Undyne.

As the two of them drove home, Undyne just stared out the window the entire time. The stars glared back at her, as did the moon, which was waning. She sighed.

"He would have loved this… Miss you… Az…" She mumbled tiredly to herself, as she nodded off. Alphys glanced over at Undyne, and then looked back to the road with a nasally exhale of breath.

"Hey, Dy… We're home." Whispered Alphys, as she gently shook Undyne awake. Undyne snorted, and looked around. She wiped the drool from the upholstery, and opened the car door. She trudged up the driveway, and opened the door. The house smelled of green peppers and grass.

"Did you cook something before you saw Lucy?" asked Undyne groggily.

"I… might have reheated some leftovers." Said Alphys, sheepishly tapping her fingers together. Undyne yawned and scratched her butt.

"I just want to go to bed. I might not fall asleep immediately, but… I just want this day to be over." She groaned, heading up the stairs to her bedroom. Alphys followed her upstairs. As Alphys watched Undyne dress for bed, she felt antsy. Undyne sensed her unease, and stopped pulling her hair back.

"You want to know, don't you?" grinned Undyne.

"Kind of… Um… into the bed? I kind of like it when you tell stories when we're together in the sack." Chuckled Alphys nervously. Undyne smirked and snorted.

"Well, after you shower, I'll tell you. You must have been sweating a river when you saw me running to that house, today, am I right?" laughed Undyne.

"N-No! … Okay, maybe a little. But… I still want to know!" whined Alphys.

"Alright… alright… Brush your teeth. I can see the ramen. I thought we agreed-" started Undyne.

"It's the first cup I've had since the Underground! Cut me some slack!" shouted Undyne.

"Too loud… head hurts." Sighed Undyne.

"Oh, sorry. I'll be back in a minute." Said Alphys, rushing to the bathroom, leaving Undyne alone. She got into bed, and turned on the TV, just as a news report flashed onscreen. Papyrus was in uniform.

"Oh, boy… he made the news. Greeeaaaaaat…" sighed Undyne, as she flipped the channels. She only paused on Family Feud, but kept flipping, seeing that it was a one-sided game; Nickels family had been on a winning streak, and Undyne knew they were cheating, somehow. Seeing that nothing else was on, she shut off the TV, just as Alphys reappeared in a pink robe.

"Why did I ever think pink was your color? You looked better in moss green." asked Undyne. Alphys shrugged as she climbed into bed and shut off the lights.

"Pink compliments my scales… So… what happened next?" she asked Undyne.

"This is actually the happiest part of the story. It's about Asriel." Replied Undyne with a smile.

"Prince Asriel?" started Alphys. "Oh… you know I never meant to make-

"Mhm. I know what you did to him, you mad genius… but I bet you didn't know that him and I were friends." Said Undyne, sighing. "It seems like so long ago. I remember it was two days after Herbert came into the family… It wasn't just my life that changed. The Dreemurrs, as well as everyone else in the Underground, were about to have a big shock.

"So, Dy-Dy! Word through the grapevine is that you have a new dad! How exciting, right?" smiled Asriel, as he and Undyne got past the Spike Puzzle, the solution to which, they had memorized.

"I wouldn't exactly call it exciting. The guy hasn't exactly struck a chord with me." sighed Undyne.

"What do you mean? Getting a new dad is like getting a new puppy!" grinned Asriel.

"Oh, sure, if by puppy, you mean a ticking time bomb ready to explode." smarted Undyne.

"Puppies don't explode, Undyne! Even I know that!" laughed Asriel. Undyne stared at him seriously. Asriel's face slowly slipped into a worried expression.

"Oh, wow, you're actually serious." said Asriel. "Does he have temper problems?"

"Out the wazoo. Just two nights ago? I dropped a plate on accident, and he came barging into the room like I'd broken a family heirloom or something!" shouted Undyne.

"Really?! A plate?! Come on, I've broken plates before, and I've never gotten in serious trouble… I even broke a vase once, and Dad put it back together with his magic! Did he hurt you?" asked Asriel.

"No… he didn't. But he was really loud. I didn't like it." groaned Undyne.

"Undyne… look… I know you're smaller than me, but you're bigger than you give yourself credit for. You just need to figure out how to be that way." said Asriel supportively. Undyne smiled, and was about to thank him, when out of nowhere, the sound of a child screaming in fear could be heard. Asriel turned, as the sound fell silent.

"Did you hear that?! It sounded like a kid!" asked Asriel, heading in the direction of the sound.

"Azzy, wait! You don't know what's over there!" called Undyne, as she chased after Asriel. Asriel rounded a corner, and Undyne caught him by the shirt. She pulled back hard.

"Asriel, this is the end of the caverns! One of the entrances to the Barrier is here! Your mom made it clear that this place is off limits!" hissed Undyne in a hushed whisper.

"Can't… m-my leg… Agh!" a child's voice cried painfully.

"I don't care, Dy-Dy! Whatever it was, it sounded like it came from over here!" said Asriel, pulling away and continuing to the end of the cavern.

"Please… someone… help me." said the child. Asriel saw her, and ran to her side.

"Oh! Y-You've fallen down, haven't you?" he said, falling to the ground next to her.

"Azzy, get back here!" called Undyne.

"Oh… My head hurts… Ngh! I can't feel my leg!" cried the child.

"Hey, are you okay?!" asked Asriel, attempting to help the child, who recoiled in fear at the sight of Asriel.

"Wah! G-Get away from me!" screamed the child.

"H-Hey! It's okay! I'm nice!" reassured Asriel, raising his hands. He noticed that the more the child moved, the greater the pain she felt. "Please! Don't move, you'll only hurt yourself more, and I-"

Suddenly, the child screamed and pulled out a knife, as Undyne appeared next to Asriel. She pointed it at her.

"Whoa, Azzy! This thing's armed!" cried Undyne, hiding behind him instinctively.

"Don't come any cl- Ow! Don't move! I… I don't want to hurt you." whimpered the girl.

"Then put down the knife. We only want to help you." said Asriel. The girl slowly and reluctantly lowered the knife.

"Asriel, do you know what this is?" asked Undyne, slightly excited.

"No?" replied Asriel.

"It's a human! A real human!" squealed Undyne.

"C-Chara." stammered the child.

"Is that your name?" asked Asriel. The child nodded. "Chara? That's a nice name."

"I like your name, too. Asriel… right?" asked Chara.

"Dy-Dy, help me support her! We have to get her to Mom and Dad. They can help her!" said Asriel, wrapping his arm around Chara and lifting her to her feet. Chara winced in pain, and cried out. Undyne moved to Chara's other side.

"I'm sorry…! Please don't be mad at me, Chara!" said Undyne.

"Don't worry your scales, little fish. You're not the one who fell down a hole. Guh…!" groaned Chara.

"The name's Undyne, by the way. But Azzy calls me Dy-Dy." smiled Undyne.

"It's nice to meet you. Ow… I think I actually broke my leg…" winced Chara, looking down. "Is that my femur?!"

"Don't look down, you might go into shock!" said Asriel.

"Too late… Ooh, that's a lot of my blood." Whimpered Chara.

"Azzy, do you think we can carry her all the way to the capital?" asked Undyne.

"What do you suggest?" asked Asriel hotly.

"I mean, we could always ask the River Person, but that involves going through Snowdin! Seeing as she has exposed wounds, I'm not sure that's such a good idea." said Undyne. "It might get infected! Do you know how many dogs pee in that snow?"

"Um… well… I have an idea… how fast can you run?" asked Asriel.

"Pretty fast. Why?" asked Undyne.

"My godfather, Dr. Gaster, lives in Snowdin with his two sons, Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus is just a few weeks old, but Sans is a few years younger than me. He's advanced for his age, and he can teleport. He'll get the three of us home lickety-split!" explained Asriel.

"The Royal Scientist?! …I think I can make it there. I'll be back real soon! Stay here, and don't move an inch!" said Undyne, removing Chara from her shoulder, and sprinting towards Snowdin, faster than she had ever run before. She knew that this child's life was resting in her hands, and it filled her with energy.

"That was the first time I ever felt determined to see something through to the end." said Undyne to Alphys. "If I'd known what she'd do later, I'd have left her there to bleed. But I ran. All the way to Snowdin. Back then, it wasn't really covered in as much snow as it is now, so the trip was quick. But there were bugs. Big ones that we hadn't hunted to extinction. One almost ate my face on the way. Once I got to his house, I banged on the door, and was greeted by Sans. You think he's big boned now? You should have seen him, then. I told him what happened, and he came with me. But I carried him, cuz… he was inherently lazy. Who knew? He was heavy for his height, but I got him there."

"Was he bigger than you?" asked Alphys.

"I really meant that I was a scrawny puke. Strong, but not as strong as I am now. And no, he was shorter than me. For the first time in my life, I wasn't the shortest one. You have no idea how big I grinned when I saw that little bonehead wearing suspenders and Nice Cream beanie…" smiled Undyne.

"So did you really find a human, or are you just pulling my anklebone?" asked Sans.

"We really did! And they're hurt! Asriel said you can teleport, and that's why I'm taking you there!" grumbled Undyne, sprinting through Snowdin Forest. "God, you're heavy for a skeleton!"

"Well, if you knew about that, you should've said so! I could've taken you there!" laughed Sans. Immediately, Undyne dropped Sans to the ground.

"Ow! What was that for?!" asked Sans.

"For making me your chauffer while a kid is bleeding out, now take me there!" screamed Undyne.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh, with an attitude like that, you'd make the Royal Guard, no problem." groaned Sans, leading Undyne behind a tree. On the other side, was Asriel and Chara, who was having a hard time staying conscious.

"Oh, wow, you really did find one. I shouldn't have made you run. Aw, cripes, the kid's falling down, we need to get them to a healer." said Sans, offering a hand to Asriel and Chara. Chara grabbed at it weakly, before falling unconscious.

"Chara!" cried Asriel, putting his ear to her chest. "Her heart's still beating. Sans, take us to the capital. My mom is the best healer in the Underground!" Sans nodded, and turned to Undyne.

"You should probably get home, Undyne." said Sans. "I heard about the new-"

"No! I'm in this just as much as Asriel is. Take me with you." said Undyne, putting her hand on Sans' head.

"Alright, if you say so. We're taking a shortcut again, so hold your stomach, Azzy." said Sans, snapping his fingers. Instantaneously, the four of them were transported to the throne room of the capital, and found both Dreemurr parents tending the garden. Toriel turned, and saw the child. She screamed.

"No, Mom! Help me! This kid fell in the Ruins, and she's hurt! I'm not even sure if she'll make it!" said Asriel.

"Quickly, my child! Bring them in!" instructed Toriel. "Undyne, Sans? Get home… now. The child will be just fine in our care."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I want to make sure the kid's okay before I head home." replied Undyne. Toriel grinned widely.

"You really are Freya's daughter… Very well. I could use a helping hand, since Asgore's busy." smiled Toriel, as she took Chara in her arms.

"Well, I ain't sticking around! Undyne did all the hard work, I'm just a third wheel!" said Sans, as he teleported home. "See yas."

The others headed inside. Undyne did all she could to help Toriel, fetching water, and getting fresh towels. It was late into the evening before Chara opened her eyes again.

"Mom, Dad, she's waking up!" Asriel shouted, as Chara began to stir.

"Ugh… Asriel, Undyne? Where am I?" Chara asked.

"You passed out, and we brought you to my home, in the capital. You're in my bedroom, as a matter of fact. But that's not important right now. How are you feeling?" Asriel asked with concern.

"Why are we at the capital?" asked Chara, sitting bolt upright. "You didn't take me to the King, did you?! He'd kill me if he found out I was here! I just fell down, I meant no harm!" Chara began to panic, and crawled under the bed. Undyne burst out laughing.

"You serious?! Asgore wouldn't hurt you! The guy's a pushover and a goofball at best!" Undyne said.

"But I'm a human! Monsters hate humans! That's how the war started!" whimpered Chara.

"That's not how the war started! At least, according to Dad. The humans were the ones who declared war, because they were afraid the Monsters would take their Souls! If that wasn't the case, then it was fear of our appearance. Long story short, the Monsters never wanted war!" replied Asriel, somewhat hurt, but more inclined to inform. Chara clamored out from under the bed.

"Ha! I was right! The humans were lying! I knew they corrupted the truth! Those idiots wouldn't know history if it bit them in the butt!" growled Chara. Undyne twittered.

"Tehe… butt…" she laughed.

"Well… Chara… before you meet my parents… there's something you should know about me that I didn't tell you in the Ruins…" said Asriel.

"What is it?" asked Chara. "I can tell from your appearance that you're a Boss Monster, but according to my books, the only surviving Boss Monsters were members of…"

"The Royal Family, darling." Said Toriel, causing everyone to jump. Toriel giggled, and stepped into the room with a slice of pie on a tray.

"Yeah… my… parents are the King and Queen." Said Asriel sheepishly.

"That is so cool! I never thought I'd meet a prince before! Let alone a Monster Prince…!" sighed Chara in amazement. "Lucky it was you, and not…"

"Oh, please… I'm nothing special." Asriel replied modestly.

"Are you kidding, Azzy?! You're the son of two of the strongest Boss Monsters in the history of ever! The future of our kind will be in your hands one day!" beamed Undyne. Asriel scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, gosh… don't remind me." he sighed, taking the tray from Toriel as she made her way towards Chara.

"Do you remember anything from before you fell, child?" asked Toriel.

"…I… I was with my brother. He's three years younger than me. Him and I were being targeted for our beliefs that Humans started the war, and were corrupting the minds of the people to make them think it was all your kind's fault! We had to flee our village to stay alive. My brother got trapped around halfway up the mountain. I tried to free him, but he told me to keep going. I could hear people coming, and, at his request, I ran. I don't know what happened to him, but I remember running into a cave, tripping on some kind of root, and then… I thought I was going to die. I was so… so scared." Explained Chara, before she began crying.

"You fell through the barrier, dear. That means that humans can cross through! But… can they leave, as well?" asked Toriel.

"No… they can't. I learned a bit about the magic of the barrier from an old book. Any human can enter, but once you're across? You can't go back. That's why no other human attempted to climb Mt. Ebott after the war. They were afraid." Continued Chara.

"And you weren't?" asked Undyne.

"Of course, I was! But I had to protect my skin, didn't I? I'm a kid, I don't want to die!" shouted Chara. "Especially not to the people who swore to raise and protect me… God, I was such a fool…"

"There, there, my child. Everything is going to be fine. You're safe, now that you're across. Nothing here will harm you, as long as you don't harm them. Just be careful around Hotland…" said Toriel.

"Yeah, Hotland sucks!" cheered Undyne.

"Yeah, it kind of did, and it still does for the workers that stayed behind." Said Alphys.

"Nice to know we're still in agreement about that, Al." grinned Undyne. "Anyway, eventually, Asgore came in, and we told him everything. Everyone kept saying I was a hero… of course, insecure little me just said Sans was the one who saved her. That was, until Asriel pointed out that I ran all the way through Snowdin Forest, despite the cold and bugs, just to get Sans… so… I finally accepted it. Chara thanked me, and told me that she was eternally grateful for what I did to save her. After a while, my Mom showed up, and took me home. I told her what happened, and she was so proud of me. I'd never seen her smile so big… Haven't seen that smile in years. I'll get into that, at some point… but… uh…"

"He wasn't wrong, though. You were a hero. And you still are, today. Especially to me." smiled Alphys, hugging Undyne tightly. Undyne smiled, and pat Alphys on the head.

"Mmm… Good night, Dy…" mumbled Alphys.

"Night, Al…" replied Undyne, before turning over and drifting off to sleep, Alphys following suit shortly after. However, during the night, Undyne begins to toss and turn.

"Hhngh… N-No… Mom… A-Al… Get awa… Run… He'll… He'll hurt you… No… N-No, stop! Stop!" shrieked Undyne in her sleep. Alphys, hearing the commotion, awakens to find Undyne screaming. She shakes her.

"Undyne! Wake up! Wake up!" pleaded Alphys. Undyne's eyes shot open, her breathing rapid and shallow. She sat up and looked around.

"Where… Are you alright, Al?" asked Undyne, holding her face.

"I-I'm fine! What about you?! You were screaming and kicking, like you were having a fit or something!" asked Alphys, concerned. "Are you okay, Dy?"

"He… He had you… and Mom… I… I couldn't do anything! He made me watch while he… Oh, God…!" shivered Undyne. Alphys flipped on the light, and gasped. Undyne's face was wet with tears, something she had never seen before.

"Undyne… are you… crying?" she asked.

"Of course, I'm crying! She and the girls always told me to stay out of it! The one time I chose to stand up for myself… for her… and I… I never saw her again!" wept Undyne. Alphys stared at her, shocked at the sight of the toughest girl she had ever seen crumbling before her eyes.

"Undyne, it was just a dream…! Nothing is going to hurt you! I won't let them!" cried Alphys, wrapping Undyne in a hug.

"Alphys, you don't know what I've done in the past. I'm afraid that if people find out what I did-" stammered Undyne, before Alphys locked lips with her. Alphys pulled back.

"Undyne… whatever you did can't possibly compare to what I did to those poor monsters. I hid the truth for years, and it tore me apart!" sighed Alphys. "I won't watch you go down the same path I did… You're so much stronger than I am."

"Alphys…" started Undyne, before sighing. "Look, the difference between you and me is that I knew what I was doing at the time, and I knew it was wrong, but I did it, anyway! Yours was… simply oversight. You made a mistake, sure, but god damn… you'd never look at me the same way, again…"

"That's exactly what I thought. I never told you about those amalgamates because I was terrified that if you knew the truth, you would leave… You were the only thing that kept me alive… and you still are. I want to help you overcome this fear you have… just like you did for me… It's the least I can do." Smiled Alphys, wiping the tears from Undyne's eye. Undyne smiled, hugged Alphys, and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm so lucky I caught you that day. I never would have known how amazing you are." Sighed Undyne.

"Neither would I." agreed Alphys.

"I'll tell you more, tomorrow, when we visit Lucy. I'm not sure I can go back to sleep…" groaned Undyne, laying back down on the bed.

"I'll be right here." Smiled Alphys, draping her arm across Undyne's chest. Undyne wrapped her arm around Alphys, and eventually drifted back to sleep.

Undyne awoke the next morning, tired, but ready to face the day once again. She rolled over, and was startled to find that Alphys wasn't next to her as usual. She sat up.

"Alphys?" she said, sweat dripping down her forehead. She jumped from the bed.

"Alphys?" called Undyne, running from the bedroom and down the stairs. Alphys turned at the sound of Undyne's rapid footsteps, and stared at her ragged expression.

"I'm right here, Undyne. I just thought I'd make us an omelet for breakfast." Said Alphys, dishing out half of an omelet from the frying pan in her hand. Undyne sighed in relief, and wiped her palm across her face.

"Thank God…" groaned Undyne, as she sat down heavily in her chair at the dining room table.

"Guess you're still spooked from last night…?" asked Alphys.

"A little bit… Heh… Guess there's a first for everything, am I right?" laughed Undyne. Alphys smiled comfortingly and moved to the cabinet to grab a mug. Undyne sighed, and turned to look out the window. In the faint reflection, she saw something that scared her. It was her, but… her hair was an unruly mess, and her eyes were stark black. She blinked reflexively, and the reflection was once again normal.

"You okay, Undyne? You look like you've seen a ghost." Asked Alphys.

"I'm just… tired… tired of being reminded of what I did." sighed Undyne.

"Undyne, you've got to stop beating yourself up over this! It's hurting you… come on, have some coffee with me. You'll feel better after a cup." Suggested Alphys, placing a mug full of coffee in front of Undyne. Undyne pushed the mug away with a sigh. Alphys pushed it back.

"Alphys… stop… I'm not in the mood." Grunted Undyne.

"You always have coffee with your breakfast… this really is bothering you that much, isn't it?" asked Alphys. Undyne slammed her palms on the table.

"Yes, it is!" Cried Undyne, raking her hands through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry if you can't understand the hell I went through, day in and day out, but the one time I took a stand… I lost everything." Alphys averted her gaze momentarily.

"But… he's gone, now! Isn't he?" she asked.

"No… I left him alive… even though I wanted to rip his goddamn head off… I restrained myself… and I regret it to this day." Said Undyne. "I don't know if he is alive today, but if he is, and he comes after me, I'll finish what I started!" Alphys gasped.

"Undyne…? Did you try to kill him?" asked Alphys.

"…Yes. I did." mumbled Undyne. "And I came very close to succeeding."

"Undyne, you know that killing another Monster is a crime-"

"Punishable by death. A life for a life. I know." Sighed Undyne. "Part of me wishes I'd followed through on all the choices I'd made that day… But I didn't."

She and Alphys finished their breakfast in silence. After that, the two of them headed to the hospital to visit Lucy. When they arrived, they saw Toriel talking with the child. When Lucy spotted Undyne, her good eye lit up with excitement.

"Undyne, you're here!" Lucy said, as Undyne entered the room.

"Hey, Lucy! Great to see you're holding up. Always great to see you, too, Toriel!" Undyne said, shaking her hand.

"Likewise, Undyne!" Toriel said in her motherly tone.

"So are you going to tell more of the story?" Lucy asked.

"You bet I am." Said Undyne, as she pulled up a chair. "So, where were we…?" Oh, right… The very next day, I was spending time with a good friend of mine, Asriel, when we found a human child named Chara, who had fallen down from the surface."

"I remember that day. Undyne played a big part in saving that child's life. She was a real hero." Toriel said. Alphys's gaze shifted towards Undyne.

"Wow… so I guess Chara was really grateful for what you did that day." Lucy said. "I'm sure you two became BFFs after that!"

"I wouldn't say that. I mean, for about a month, we were, but… I don't mean to be rude, Tori, but Chara wasn't that much of an angel at school. In fact, of all the kids that bullied me for my size at that school… She was the worst of all of them." Undyne said.

"What?! But Asriel never told us about her picking on other children, especially not you." Said Toriel. "I know she stood up to bullies, but I never imagined her being the bully!"

"He always covered up for her, claiming she didn't know better. I still remember the day it all started. I was so… humiliated." Undyne said. "And Asriel wasn't even around the first time it happened… But if I had to make a guess when it really started… it would be after she took the beating… to protect me from Mako."

Undyne and Chara are on the playground, just talking, when a group of bigger kids approached them. Undyne stood up preemptively.

"What's up, Undyne? Those your friends?" asked Chara. Undyne shook her head.

"Oh, no, definitely not friends. That's Mako and his goons. They're the meanest kids on the playground." Grunted Undyne. "Just ignore them, and they might leave you alone." Chara turned back to her book, and laid back on the bench, as Mako approached them.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the local minnow!" The tallest of the kids, Mako, said, as the others laughed. Undyne tried to ignore them, while Chara remained silent, reading from her book as they continued to pick on her. Eventually, one of the monsters noticed Chara. The first thing he saw was her eyes.

"Hey, boys! Looks like the minnow's got a new friend! Hey, red-eyes! C'mere!" called the monster. "You wanna be a member of our gang?"

"No, thanks. I prefer to hang out with people that actually matter to me." Replied Chara, closing her book and sitting up. "Friendly advice: kids who are mean to other kids never have real friends; they'll only have toadies like you who fear the biggest one."

"Hoohoohoohoooooooo… This girl's got a lip on her… I like that." Said the middle of the two monsters, before punching Chara in the mouth. "You've got some nerve, girly-girl. You know, your kind's the reason we're stuck down here, right?" Chara wiped the blood from her split lip, and licked it.

"Better check your facts… If it weren't for your king surrendering to us, we wouldn't have done it. Besides, back then, the humans would have eliminated every monster if he hadn't. If I were you, I'd be grateful to be alive." She smirked. The monster that had punched her retreated slightly; Chara was making a very creepy face.

"Oh, am I scaring you?" asked Chara sarcastically. "You're lucky I don't have my knife with me today. Then we'd really have a problem."

"Is that a threat?!" asked Mako, grabbing her by the throat.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" screamed Undyne. This got Mako's attention, as she had never spoken to them with such a harsh tone in her voice.

"Are you actually talking to me like you've got some authority, shrimp? Here, boys! Have some fun with the smart mouth. I'm gonna teach gulper-fish here a lesson." Grinned Mako, tossing Chara to the other two monsters. Undyne shrank back as the other two monsters began to beat on Chara. She immediately regretted her decision to speak up.

"Well, if you want me to leave her alone, you'll have to beat me, first. And unless my friends get bored, you won't see her much longer." Growled Mako, pushing Undyne to the ground. She laid there, paralyzed with fear.

"So what's it going to be, shrimp?" asked Mako mockingly. Through a gap in the arms and gnashing teeth, Chara saw Undyne being bullied by Mako. From the depths of her Soul, she felt a surge of power rush through her, and she broke away from the hold of the other two monsters. The smallest one was kicked over the fence, while Chara elbowed the second one in the jaw, sending a pair of teeth flying into the mulch. Chara ran towards Mako, and jumped into the air, leg extended. Her foot connected with his face, and sent him reeling to the ground. He was down, but not out. Mako sat up and spat.

"Oh, you don't know when to quit, do you?" he asked.

"Funny, I'd say the same about you, chum-for-brains." Growled Chara, as she punched him in the face, grabbed his arm while he was dazed, and pulled it behind his back, almost to the point of dislocation. Mako screamed.

"You're gonna regret this, kid! You and your gupp-AAAAGGGGGHH!" Mako said. Chara put her lips next to his ear hole.

"You were saying?" asked Chara, before she sniffed. "Mmm… cinnamon… I like cinnamon." Chara pecked him on the ear, and he shivered.

"What are you going to do to me?! I-I'll leave her alone, just don't hurt me!" cried Mako. Chara smiled widely, and dislocated Mako's arm with a sickening crunch. Mako howled in pain, as he and his friends fled into the school building.

"Let that be a lesson to you!" called Chara, as she wiped the blood from her chin, and moved to Undyne's side.

"C-Chara…? Where'd you learn to-" started Undyne, extending a hand, before Chara slapped it away.

"You big chicken of the sea! I thought you were better than that! I thought you had my back!" shouted Chara. "I thought you were a hero! You're nothing but a wimp who waits for others to fix her problems, and I'm getting sick of it!" Undyne is shocked.

"Ch-Chara…?! No! It's not like that! I've been… I've been dealing with them for years! I've tried fighting back before-" stammered Undyne.

"Well, obviously, you're not trying hard enough! Get up." Commanded Chara. Undyne was scared to look at her.

"I said… Get. Up." Growled Chara, hefting Undyne to her feet roughly.

"Why are you being so mean to me?! I thought we were friends! I saved your life!" cried Undyne.

"Friends?! Ha! Why would I be friends with someone who can't even defend themselves?! At least Asriel knows how to use his fire magic! You're nothing but a runt, and that's all you'll ever be unless you learn to fight back." Chided Chara, poking her finger into Undyne's chest sharply. Chara turned and left the playground with a huff. Undyne stared after her, tears welling in her eyes. She choked… and broke down crying.

"Aww, Undyne…" sighed Lucy.

"I stayed there for at least two hours… I missed the rest of class that day, and even after school let out, I stayed for another two…" said Undyne. "When it finally let out, I saw Chara walking alongside the two monsters she'd hurt. The biggest one was sent home with an ice pack and a silk bandage wrapped around his arm. It was Mako, the big shot bully, taken down by a pint-sized human. They were laughing… if not at the fact that Chara had been made their leader, then at me. Eventually, Asriel came looking for me. He found me next to the swings, crying my eyes out. He asked me why I didn't come in, and I told him. Of course, he didn't believe me when I told him what Chara said to me. But he believed what she did to the monsters. He tried to explain that she didn't know better. What a joke… making excuses for some snot-nosed-" Alphys nudged her. Undyne looked up at Toriel, who was looking down at her feet.

"I can't believe this… I never thought my daughter could have such a cruel side to her." Sighed Toriel.

"Oh, trust me, that day got even worse. Apparently, the news that I was absent from class caught the attention of… you-know-who." Said Undyne.

"Your parents?" asked Lucy.

"My mom didn't care, because I was top of the class, anyway, and she already knew it wasn't the first time I'd left early. Oh, but Herbert…?" Undyne said, before inhaling. "Herbert… It was worse than the plate incident. I remember that I'd walked home alone. Normally, I would have walked home with Azzy, but I was already kind of ticked off with him for not believing me. I just wanted to go home, take a bath, and then go to bed, dinner be damned."

"That's not a nice word, Undyne." Said Alphys.

"I've heard worse." Said Lucy. "That's… mild... compared to what Daddy's said."

"Yeah, Al. She's heard way worse than that, if her dad was anything like mine." Grinned Undyne. "Anyway, it was just as I'd arrived home, dropped my bag by the front door, like always, and he was out looking for me… and I saw from his expression when he got back… heh… he… wasn't very happy to see me home so late."

Undyne dropped her bag at the front door, and pushed through into her home. She saw Athena and Nicoletta sitting around the kitchen table, and when they saw her, Athena immediately noticed the cuts on her arm.

"Mako again? Undyne, you have to learn to stand up for-" she started, before Undyne snapped at her.

"Shut up. Just shut up. I've already had one person tell me I can't hold my own in a fight, and I won't hear it from you!" growled Undyne, surprising them both.

"Undyne, we only care about you. We want the best for you, and if you can't see that, then open your eyes a bit." Smiled Nicoletta.

"Why should it matter to you guys?! You're not runts like me!" screamed Undyne.

"Runt? That's a new one. Usually, they're fish-based. Who said that one?" asked Athena.

"Chara… the kid Asriel and I saved." Sighed Undyne.

"Sweet little Chara?" asked Nicoletta.

"Oh, she's real sweet. Making someone think that you're their friend and then proceeding to hit you where it hurts… She stood up for me, and then just belittled me for not being able to fight back. I was so humiliated!" wept Undyne.

"Athena, we should probably get her upstairs before Herb-" started Nicoletta, before the sound of heavy footsteps came tromping up the porch stairs. Nicoletta took Undyne by the hand and began to climb the stairs, just as the front door opened. Herbert pushed through the doorframe, and immediately spotted Undyne.

"What a goose chase you led us on… Where in the Underground were you?!" boomed Herbert.

"She was at school, serving detention. She got into a fight today. See the marks?" explained Nicoletta, trying to hide the truth.

"Yeah, right. According to her teacher, she hadn't been seen since recess. In fact, she was spotted near the swingsets, but when we got there, she was nowhere to be found! So what really happened?" asked Herbert, his temper rising.

"Please… I don't want to talk about it…!" winced Undyne.

"Talk!" yelled Herbert, before Freya came rushing in behind him.

"Herbert, calm down! She's got a bullying problem at school, and this isn't the first time she's come home la-" she started to explain, before Herbert slapped her to the ground. Nicoletta's pupils turned to slits, as did Athena's.

"How dare you attack our mother!" shouted Nicoletta, sprinting down the stairs towards Herbert, who slapped her down as well. She fell to her right, and banged her head on the corner of the wall. A cut on her head began bleeding.

"That's my sister!" shrieked Athena, moving towards Herbert with an orange spear in her hand.

"Athena, no! Don't kill him!" begged Undyne.

"Run, Undyne! Upstairs and lock the door! You don't need to see this." instructed Athena, raising her spear over her head. Undyne reacted instinctively, and dove between the two of them.

"Stop! I've already seen enough violence for one day! Just stop it! STOP IT!"She shouted, raising her hands. Suddenly, both Athena and Herbert's Souls turned green. Both their bodies locked in place, and Undyne's eyes widened.

"Stop…" whimpered Undyne, shutting her eyes, the tears falling quietly, as her arms fell to her sides. "Please… stop…"

"That was the first time I ever used magic… and it was one of the more advanced spells. Soul Changing is a very rare ability, and to have it be green at my age… It was… a life-changing moment for me." said Undyne. "After I let them go, Herbert just left the house. We didn't see him again for at least three days. I guess he just needed some time to cool down. But that's not even the best part of what happened."

"Undyne…? How did you…" said Athena, as her Soul returned to normal.

"I-I'm sorry, I lost control! Please don't be-" squirmed Undyne, before Athena noogied her sister, while Freya helped Nicoletta to her feet.

"Mad?! Mad?! Why would we be mad?! You just used your first magic attack! This is big!" beamed Athena.

"And at such a young age for Soul Changing… I didn't do that until I was at least thirty! You have some skill, Undyne! Either that, or sheer dumb luck. You know what this means, though, right?" asked Freya.

"N-No? Is it bad?!" asked Undyne.

"Not at all! It means that you'll start magic training soon." Smiled Freya. Undyne's eyes lit up with joy, as she leapt towards her mother in ecstasy.

"I always knew you were destined for greatness, my little soldier." Grinned Freya.

"I think it's safe to say the bullies won't be bothering her much anymore." Groaned Nicoletta, holding her bleeding head.

"Speaking of… was it Mako and his goons again?" asked Freya. "Just say the word, and I'll speak with their parents."

"Oh, no! Please, leave him out of this! He's got enough on his plate with one dislocated arm… thanks to Azzy's so-called new sister." Sighed Undyne.

"What?! Chara dislocated his arm?!" gasped Freya.

"Not to mention that thanks to her, Undyne has a new nickname… which I personally deem more offensive than guppy…" said Athena.

"What did she call you?" asked Freya.

"She called me a runt… and a chicken of the sea for not fighting back." Said Undyne. Freya huffed and stood up.

"Well, you can tell her personally from me that I will not stand for it… You know what? N-No, I'm going to go tell her myself, as well as her parents." Snarled Freya.

"Mom, no! Come on! What if Herbert comes back?!" asked Undyne frantically.

"Knowing him, it'll be a while before he gets back. Athena will be in charge until I return. There's some leftover Grillby's in the fridge." Instructed Freya. "Stay put, and don't answer the door for anyone."

"Eww… I hate that stuff… it's so greasy…!" said Nicoletta.

"Of course, you'd say that, you fitness junky." Laughed Athena. "No worries, I'll fix you a salad."

"Will you two ever get along?" asked Undyne.

"We get along all the time. It's just sisterly bonding!" smiled Nicoletta. "But I won't eat kale, you can't make me!"

"IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" Yelled Athena playfully.

"Inside voices, children. Please. The neighbors will think we're weird." Said Freya, turning to the door.

"Sorry, mom, but they already do." Chuckled Athena, as Freya stepped out.

"I remember that, now. Chara was grounded for two weeks after she told us what happened. I hope that that was the only time she did something like that…?" said Toriel.

"Oh, no… that? That was just the beginning. She wasn't happy with me for tattling to my mom. In fact, that only made it worse… I never told my mom that she was the one giving me bloody noses and black eyes, because… well, let's be honest, here. Being the only human in the Underground probably made her stress out a bit. Not to mention that she had that little angel Asriel on her side, constantly making excuses for her behavior."

"You know, Chara sounded really nice at first. Why'd she turn into such an asshole?" asked Lucy, surprising Toriel with her swearing.

"Child, language! People are trying to heal here." She sighed.

"Sorry, Miss Toriel." Apologized Lucy. "But still! Why'd she change?"

"Honestly, I've asked myself that very thing more times than I can count. Paired with the fact that Herbert was always coming home either drunk, angry, or both, my life was pretty crazy. Don't even start with the magic training, because that made things interesting." Said Undyne. "The Green Soul Change that I performed the first time… for a while, that was the only thing I could do."

"You mean the Spear of Justice wasn't even a thing yet?" asked Alphys.

"Nope. Took me at least a year to do that. And even then, it wasn't really that strong when I first did it." Breathed Undyne, as she summoned a spear in her hands. "This is my spear now… I don't really use 'em that much anymore. And this…"

Undyne's spear began to shrink down, until it was no more than the size of a small broadsword.

"This is how big it was when I first summoned it. It was… I don't know, it's like it was in pieces, not whole like this one. It wouldn't even fly straight if I'd tossed it." Continued Undyne. "Eventually, I started to believe that something was wrong with me. No matter how hard I tried during my training with Mom, I couldn't do it right. All I could do was dodge, and very rarely would I get a spear to materialize."

"It was your self-esteem." Said Lucy. Undyne turned to her, eyes wide. "I'd know… I had the same problem with Dad. All the things that he said about me… eventually, I began to believe them. I began to think that I was nothing but a mistake. Something that shouldn't even exist." Undyne nodded.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think that was it. With the bullying and the problems at home, I had a lot of blocks in my life. For at least two years, I put up with a lot of sh- Sorry, almost said it… A lot of grief. Yeah, sure, there were some times where I'd manage to stand up for myself, but I'd get slapped down every time."

"But with each one, you came back." Said Alphys. "You got stronger, right?"

"Oh, yeah… I got stronger, alright." Said Undyne. "Once I turned ten, things started turning around. I actually started growing up… both mentally and physically. I started getting muscle from training with either Mom or Athena. I started standing up for some of the other kids, and I even won a few fights myself. Though, not everything was a win, I started learning from the losses. Fewer people called me names, or even bothered to come after me… But there was always the one who never seemed to leave me alone… the one I could never beat… even when I'd grown up and gotten stronger… She always found a way to get under my scales."

"Chara." said Toriel.

"Mhm… In fact… she was the reason I summoned my first real spear. Not this little dinky thing. A real… fucking… spear. It was the best I'd ever summoned… shame I never got to really use it. She may have been through a lot, but she had no idea what I even went through at home." Grinned Undyne. "I remember that day… A few days prior, Asriel thought it was a good idea, after he'd witnessed Chara bullying me firsthand, for us to get together, and hopefully, get along… right. Don't get me wrong, I adored the little fluffball with all my heart, but he was such an idiot to think that we could ever get along after all she put me through. He was worse than Papyrus! At least he knows my limits! Asriel? Oh-ho-ho, no. No. He was so keen on everyone getting along, that he put his life on the line for… for…"

Undyne noticed Toriel. She was looking at the floor blankly… sadly. Then she stood up, and left the room. Undyne got up and followed her out.

"Toriel… I'm sorry. I got carried away." Cried Undyne, before Toriel stopped.

"How could you have seen it, but I was so blind to it?" she asked Undyne.

"Tori, don't blame yourself. She pulled the wool over everyone's eyes." Said Undyne. "When we first met, I thought that she was the best thing since Hot Cats. I've no idea what changed her, but-"

"What if she'd never come…? Do you think things would have been different?" asked Toriel.

"Toriel, if things hadn't happened the way they had, we wouldn't be here, having this conversation. We'd probably still be underground!" exclaimed Undyne. "I don't know if what happened to him was intentional or not, but it happened, regardless, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"What do you mean, intentional?" asked Toriel. Undyne looked away guiltily.

"…Please don't hate me… but… The night Chara died, Asriel told me their plan." Said Undyne.

"Plan? What plan?!" asked Toriel, growing agitated.

"Chara getting sick was not natural… it was self-inflicted. Poison by buttercup. From what he told me, she got the idea from Asgore's incident with the… Buttercup Pie… to kill herself off in order for Asriel to absorb her Soul, cross the barrier and obtain six more from the humans to break the barrier. Had he succeeded… There's no telling what would have happened."

"So what you're basically saying to me is that Asriel's death was destined to happen?! She planned my son's death?!" gasped Toriel.

"I don't think that was her intention. I think she planned on Asriel fighting back… but when he didn't… He came back… and you know what happened next. Knowing Chara, she cared too much about him to just let him die like that." Sighed Undyne. Toriel stared at Undyne coldly.

"Why? Why didn't you come straight to us?!" cried Toriel.

"By the time he told me… he'd already absorbed Chara's Soul. There was nothing I could have done, and I hated that fact! The fact that I couldn't help someone who deserved it, more than anyone else in this world, Tori! I've lived with the guilt of that night for years! When I saw what happened, I was both livid… and devastated… That I wasn't strong enough to help him… let alone stop him." Wept Undyne. "I… I let him die. It's my fault it happened. If I'd spoken up, he…"

"Asgore and I would have known what to expect, should he'd returned! We could have planned! We wouldn't have had a ruined marriage! And yet, you said nothing?! Why?! We trusted you, Undyne!" shrieked Toriel.

"BECAUSE HE TOLD ME TO STAY SILENT!" screamed Undyne."The only reason he told me in the first place was because he trusted me to keep quiet about it!"

Undyne leaned up against the wall of the hospital and sank down to the ground.

"I wanted to go. I wanted to tell you. But I gave him my word… and if you remember, I never broke a promise to that little fluffball… I've lived with that guilt for years, Toriel. Years. I never told anyone. Not even Asgore. I was… afraid… afraid of what you'd think of me…" sniffled Undyne.

"You were right to be." Said Toriel, turning to leave. Undyne shot up.

"So what, that's all you've got to say?!" asked Undyne angrily.

"There's nothing left to say." Said Toriel. "You were right. Things might have ended up better if you'd just spoken up."

Toriel leaves the hospital, and Undyne, crying in the hallway.

"Yeah, right, with everyone dead under a mountain. Sure, that's better, isn't it?" asked Undyne to herself through the tears. Alphys looked out of Lucy's room and saw Undyne. She walked over to her.

"What was that all about?" asked Alphys. "I mean, I heard what you said, but-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Sighed Undyne, her voice dry and raspy. "And I don't think Toriel's coming back. Knowing her, she's probably going to go tell Asgore, and that'll be two people that hate me, now. That'll be great. That'll be reeeeeeeal great."

"Undyne, he's known you longer than anyone else. I think he'll understand." Said Alphys.

"I hope so, because Toriel's so mad at me, she probably won't ever talk with me again… Oh, God… What if she pushes me out completely? What if she forces Frisk to stop seeing me? What if-" Panicked Undyne.

"Undyne, calm down! Toriel is known to overthink things and take them the wrong way. She'll come around eventually. Besides, do you really think Frisk will stop seeing you? She adores you!" asked Alphys.

"I don't know…! Maybe I should have stayed quiet, just like back then." Groaned Undyne. Alphys slapped Undyne then.

"Undyne The Undying. The more you hide stuff, the more it'll hurt when they find out. You need to confront your past if you want to move on. It's the only way!" supported Alphys. Undyne glared at her for a moment, and then sighed deeply.

"You're right… I can't hold it in anymore. But… I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me doing this. As it is, Toriel-"

"Undyne, the only person you're truly hurting is yourself. Sure, Toriel will feel a bit betrayed, but if I know her, she won't stay mad at someone forever. She may overthink things, but she knows when she's wrong, and she knows that she can forgive… Asgore, too. The two of them getting back together was something that no one expected, all because Frisk managed to get them together and talk about what happened that day. It made them realize that both of them were at fault. At the end, they both apologized and made up… and out. They're closer than ever, now." said Alphys. "They won't shut you out forever… just until they realize how they reacted."

"For your sake, I hope you're right." Said Undyne, standing up.

"For your sake, I hope I'm right. Heh…" Chuckled Alphys.

"Alphys… promise me that, no matter what you hear about what I did ,that you won't leave." Smiled Undyne solemnly, placing her hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Dy… I wouldn't leave you. Besides, based on what you said this morning, I have an idea of what happened." Said Alphys.

"Well, I'll get to it, but… not now… I'm not feeling up to talking…" started Undyne.

"Undyne, you can't-" Alphys started, before Undyne grinned.

"Mostly because when I get emotional, I get hungry." She laughed. "I want some grub… My tummy hurts." Alphys scoffed, and put her hands on her hips.

"You and your warrior's stomach… I'll let Lucy know we're headed out for lunch, okay? We'll be back, right?" asked Alphys.

"Yeah. We will be." Said Undyne, as Alphys went back to Lucy's room. Undyne felt like she was being watched, and looked over to the nurse's station. The same green monster from the night before was looking at her.

"It wasn't your fault." Said the monster.

"No… it was… I… I just wanted this to go down smoothly, but I ended up pissing people off, instead." Snorted Undyne. "I'm sorry for the drama-"

"Don't worry about it, Undyne. We've heard far worse from some of the humans." Said the monster, as she filed through some documents. Undyne moved over to the nurse's station, and cocked her head to one side.

"Do I… know you? You seem familiar… did you live in Waterfall?" asked Undyne.

"Heh… On the borders of Hotland and Waterfall… little town called Riversteam." Said the monster. "My name's Juniper, but everyone that knew me in the Underground called me-"

"Junie?! My Junie?! From 5th grade! I remember you now! I stood up for you once when Chara and Mako's old gang were picking on you for wearing glasses!" laughed Undyne. "You did well for yourself, to get into this field. The pay's great!"

"Look who's talking, Captain! You get paid at least half a paycheck more than what I get." Laughed Juniper.

"I don't really do it for the money, so much for the safety and satisfaction of the people." Said Undyne. "And I'm not Captain, anymore… I'm just Corporal Undyne, now."

"Well, you're Captain in my book, and everyone else from the Underground's, for that matter. You protected us, Undyne, when no one else would." Smiled Juniper. Undyne blushed and grinned a bit.

"Well… thank you for saying that. It means a whole bunch just to hear someone say it… and it means more coming from you, old friend." She replied, just as Alphys appeared at her side.

"Flirting with old Junie?" joked Alphys.

"C'mon, Alphys. You're the only girl for me. You wanna join us for lunch, Junie?" asked Undyne.

"I would, but my shift doesn't end for another two hours… and I had to work a night shift last night, too, because someone called out sick. Don't worry, I've got some of Muffet's donuts to keep me happy." Smiled Junie.

"Alright, we'll be back." Called Undyne, as the automatic doors opened into the sun-bathed parking lot.

After the couple finished their lunch at Grillby's, the two headed back to the hospital, left Juniper some extra fries and a grilled cheese, and returned to Lucy's room. She was napping, and her mother was sitting next to her, stroking the top of her hand with her thumb. When she saw Undyne, she shook Lucy gently. Lucy stirred momentarily, and when she saw Undyne, she smiled.

"I smell Grillby's… did you bring me any? I can't stand this hospital food…" sighed Lucy.

"Well, I'm not sure if you'd like it, but we brought you a bacon burger with cheese, with a side of his signature Cajun Hot Fries." Said Undyne. Lucy grinned.

"Oh, my God, yes. That's actually my favorite combo!" laughed Lucy, as Undyne placed the Styrofoam container on Lucy's bed. "So what happened with Miss Toriel?"

"Um… she was feeling uncomfortable with the story, and she left." Said Undyne.

"Oh… Okay… So what happened next? You were talking about your first real spear."

"Oh, right! So, it was during recess, two days after Asriel tried to get us to make up, and Chara was picking on some kid… or 'socializing', as she called it. I'd finally had enough of Chara's shenanigans, and I marched right up to her and told her to stop. Now, normally, she would have said something to get me angry, but this time?"

Wham!

Chara punched Undyne in the face, and she fell to the ground. Chara clapped the dust from her hands, and grinned.

"What do I keep telling you, runt? You won't ever beat me. You're nothing but a third-rate, wannabe hero to these kids, and that's all you'll ever be. Now, run along, gups, before you get hurt even more." Mocked Chara, turning back to the kid she'd been picking on.

Undyne wiped the blood from her lip, and stood up quietly. She grabbed Chara by the shoulder, flipped her around, and punched her right in the nose. It crunched as she fell to the ground. As Undyne stood over Chara, Asriel came running to her side and helped sit her up; a river of red trickled from her broken nose.

"Undyne, what the hell?!" cried Asriel.

"Why are you standing up for her?! She was bullying little Junie!" Undyne shot back.

"Azzy, she's making it up!" spat Chara. "Just like she always does."

"No, she isn't!" said Junie, who was attempting to stand up shakily, her eye black. "She stole my change from lunch! Check her pockets!"

"Who are you going to believe, Azzy? These kids, or your best friend?" asked Chara, giving Asriel a sad look.

"If Asriel was smart, he'd actually check your pockets." Said Undyne flatly. Asriel's eyes narrowed, and his hands dove into Chara's pockets. He heard a jingle of change, and he pulled out several gold coins with seashells on them: the division of currency from Waterfall's mint.

"Th-Those are mine!" gasped Chara.

"You're lying! All our money comes from the Capital's division of currency, which has a Delta Rune on it. You're a filthy liar!" shouted Asriel, slamming the money to the ground. "I've been standing up for you! I've been making excuses for your behavior! I even took the blame for the pie incident! Is that all I am to you, Chara?! A scapegoat?!"

"N-No! Asriel! I-" started Chara.

"Well, I'm not! If all you're going to do is be a bully, then you can forget about me being your friend, or even your brother!" cried Asriel, as he moved to Undyne's side. "Are you alright, Dy-Dy?"

"I'm fine. Glad you finally figured it out, fluffybutt." Smiled Undyne. Chara started crying, and then turned to Junie.

"This is all your fault!" she growled, making a move towards Junie, who flinched.

"No!" cried Undyne, just as Junie was knocked back into the chain-link fence with the force of Chara's punch. Chara turned back to Undyne, a burning rage in her eyes.

"And you! You always ruin everything! You used to play the chicken, and now you're a hero?! A runt like you-" Growled Chara.

"Call me runt one more time. See what happens." Said Undyne flatly, as a golden spear appeared in her hands. Chara grins, and pulls her knife from one of her many pockets.

"Well… looks like this runt actually figured out her magic. Took you what, two years?" chided Chara.

"Chara, stop! If you take one more step, we're not friends anymore, and you can give me the locket back!" grunted Asriel.

"She won't have to." Said Undyne, changing Chara's Soul green, and stepped forward.

"Undyne, no!" pleaded Asriel. Just then, a pair of long arms wrapped around both their waists, as their teacher, Tama-To San, intervened. Junie was at her side.

"UNDYNE FISCHMANN! CHARA DREEMURR! INSIDE! NOW!" bellowed the teacher, hauling the two of them inside. Chara looked over at Asriel; she knew he wasn't going to bail her out this time. Undyne looked over at Chara, and saw her expression. She saw something she thought she'd never see in Chara: regret. In her heart, she wanted to smile. But in reality, she didn't know what to feel. Should she feel proud? Should she feel disappointed in herself?

The event got the two suspended for a week. Undyne knew Herbert wouldn't be happy about this, and she was going to get an earful from him later that night… she just wanted to get it over with.

"They called my parents… but both lines were busy. My teacher told me to bring them in first thing the next morning. I agreed to do it, grabbed my bag, and left. I just wanted to get home, and be with my mom." Said Undyne. "But Chara decided to follow."

"Undyne!" called Chara, running up behind her. "Undyne, wait up!"

"Piss off, you filthy human!" growled Undyne.

"No, wait! Listen!" begged Chara. "I know I did a lot, but you have to listen to me!"

"Haven't you done enough?! I don't think I should listen!" yelled Undyne, turning and pushing Chara back, nearly off her feet.

"Dammit, Undyne, I'm trying to apologize!" cried Chara.

"Pfft, yeah, right. Like I'd actually accept it. You're two years too late, bub. If you wanted to apologize, you should have done it, sooner!" said Undyne.

"Why do you think I waited?! Why do you think I did all those things, and said all those things about you?!" asked Chara.

"Because you're a bully!" replied Undyne. "And that's all you'll ever-"

"No! I'm not a bully! I wanted you to learn how to be better than you were!" explained Chara. Undyne scoffed.

"Oh… Oh, I see. So you put me through two years of torture, called me a runt, a guppy, a minnow, a tadpole, and God only knows what else, picked on my friends, and made one of my friends be your own personal scapegoat… just to toughen me up?!" shrieked Undyne.

"It worked, though, didn't it?" sighed Chara. Undyne punched Chara right in her rosy dimples. She fell to the ground, and spat out a tooth.

"Okay, okay, yeah, I deserved that." Admitted Chara. "At least that one was a loose baby tooth."

"You could have figured out another way, you jackass!" Grunted Undyne.

"Look, I know my means of getting you to where you are now were unconventional, and… I'll admit it… cruel. But when I saw you getting bullied by Mako after you showed the bravery that saved my life, I wanted to help you the only way I knew how…" explained Chara. "I'm sorry… I put you through so much, and I know that no amount of apologizing could possibly make up for what I did… But I'm sorry… I really am…" Undyne sighed.

"Chara, I want to believe you. But how do I know you're not just tricking me?" asked Undyne.

"You think I'd lie about this?! I wouldn't even be having this conversation with you if I wasn't completely and totally sorry!" cried Chara, her hands raking through her hair in a fit of stress, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry! Okay?! What, do you want it in writing?! You want a photo for posterity?! Name it, and I'll do it for you, just to prove how sorry I am!" Undyne looked at her, and smiled.

"You really are sorry about this, aren't you? Either that, or Asriel's making you do th-" started Undyne, before Chara punched her in the face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You leave him out of this. I'm already putting him through enough, already." Said Chara, wiping her tears. "We both got in trouble for that pie incident, but Asriel took the blame. I didn't shift the blame, he did. He got in trouble for something I did."

"How did you mistake cups of butter for buttercups?" asked Undyne, rubbing her face.

"I'm dyslexic, alright? And there was flour over the letters, and I assumed that, since they're part goat, they eat buttercups. Little did I know, those things are extremely toxic." Sighed Chara. "Dad's been sick ever since then. He's at least able to walk again, but it really scared everyone. Especially Mom. And now he's over in Riversteam giving some dumb speech, and I'm worried something's going to happen to him, because…"

"Hey, come on… Asgore's the toughest monster I know… Why don't we talk this over at my place?" she asked Chara. "Can't have you ripping out your hair from stress, can we?" Chara shrugged her shoulders sarcastically.

"S-Sure… why not. I mean, I'm already going to be in trouble when I get back home with Mom. Why not add to it?" asked Chara, rolling her eyes with a sniff.

"You think you're going to be in trouble? Ha! My stepdad's going to… Oh… no…" groaned Undyne. "Herbert…"

"That your stepdad's name? Geez, and I thought I had a weird name." laughed Chara.

"His last name's Fischmann." Smiled Undyne. Chara howled with laughter.

"Really?! And you're a fish?! Oh, my God, that is priceless!" she cackled, causing Undyne to laugh; she'd never made the connection before now. Chara helped Undyne to her feet.

"I'm… heh… I'm sorry I broke your nose… and knocked out a tooth." Chuckled Undyne, wrapping her arm around Chara's neck casually, as they began to walk home.

"It's only fair, after all I did… I'm sorry I pulled my knife on you… and punched you in the face…" Said Chara.

"How did you even get it on school grounds?" asked Undyne.

"My biological mother enchanted it so that it would never leave my pocket. But that's nothing compared to that spear you summoned! Did your mom teach you that?" asked Chara.

"Yep. Spear Summoning is our family specialty. Everyone in my family can do it… well, except Herbs, obviously." Explained Undyne.

"Why did your mom marry him? I heard from Azzy that he has temper issues." Asked Chara.

"We needed the money, since my dad died, and mom quit the Royal Guard to look after us. And he had plenty of it, apparently. She said he was family-oriented. Pah! What a joke…" explained Undyne.

"Um, Undyne… he isn't… violent… is he?" asked Chara.

"He can be… why do you ask?" replied Undyne.

"How violent? Has he physically hurt you, your mom, or your sisters?" inquired Chara.

"…Yes." Said Undyne simply. Chara raised an eyebrow. "Okay… yes… several times."

"Then you shouldn't be living with him! That's domestic abuse! On the Surface, that's a crime punishable by law! Sometimes, even death!" Chara cried.

"It would be nice if we could just get out of it, but my mom rarely leaves the house except for food, and she's asked my sisters and I to keep quiet about it." Explained Undyne. "Besides, if he leaves, his money goes with him. We can't live without him!"

"Did you ever think to ask Asgore for help?! Do you even know how many empty bedrooms there are in the Capital? We could help!" pleaded Chara. "Jeez, your Mom used to work for him, and she didn't even think to ask him?" Undyne stared blankly into the distance.

"Dammit, why didn't I think of that? Why didn't my mom think of that?!" asked Undyne. "After what happened with you, I should have thought to ask for help, but I never-"

"Well, if you choose to ask for help, you'll have to bring it up with your mom, first. Herbert doesn't need to know. In fact, he can keep the house you live in, and just die alone there. Place is a shack compared to the Capital… No offense." Sighed Chara.

"None taken… but a little harsh wording, there, don't you think?" asked Undyne.

"Oh, yeah, no, I meant what I said, and I said what I meant… Let's go to my place, and talk this over with my... hey, isn't that your house?" Suggested Chara, as they approached Undyne's house. The door was slightly open.

"Door's open… did I leave it- No, that was hours ago, someone would have noticed… unless…" started Undyne, as she stepped forward quietly, summoning a tiny spear.

"Come on, right when I need it?" whispered Undyne, as the spear slowly grew. "There we go."

"Undyne, what's going-" asked Chara.

"Shh. Take your knife out. Something's wrong… I can feel-" started Undyne, just as a yelp echoed from inside, followed by rapid thumping. Freya tumbled down the stairs, and collapsed at the bottom in a heap. Undyne's jaw dropped, as she ran into the house to her mother's side.

"Mom! Oh, my God, are you alright?!" Undyne asked, turning back to Chara, who was hanging back outside the door. Freya looked up at Undyne, and gasped.

"Undyne, run! Run away from this place and don't look back! He's lost it!" croaked Freya.

"No, Mom! I'm not going to leave you here like this! Come on, get up!" begged Undyne. Freya rolled over, and attempted to stand, but the bottom half of her body refused to move.

"I… I can't feel my legs!" gasped Freya. "Wh-Why is this happening?"

"N-No… He didn't… Ch-Chara, help me out!" said Undyne hurriedly, as she heard footsteps upstairs. "Oh, God, he's still here… Chara, now!"

Chara stepped inside quickly, and helped Undyne lift Freya over her shoulder with immense effort, dragging her outside to the side of the house. As the two laid Freya up against the siding, Undyne saw Nicoletta walking up the road. Nicoletta saw Undyne, who motioned for her to run. Instead, Nicoletta ran towards them.

"Undyne?! What happened?!" asked Nicoletta quietly.

"No time to explain. Herbert's lost his mind. You and Chara need to go get Asgore. Now!" said Undyne hurriedly.

"What about you?!" asked Chara.

"I can't just leave my mom here, can I?! I don't know what more he's going to do to her!" explained Undyne.

"What more? What did he already do?!" asked Nicoletta.

"He pushed her down the stairs. I think he crippled her. She can't walk." Said Undyne.

"FREYA!" called Herbert from inside.

"Go! Now! I'll take care of him!" instructed Undyne.

"Undyne, you can't handle him alone!" cried Nicoletta.

"Neither can you!" Undyne shot back.

"Nicoletta, right? Look, if she can handle me, she can handle him! We have to go!" said Chara, taking Nicoletta by the hand.

"Ch-Chara?! Aren't you the reason-" started Nicoletta.

"No time! Come on! I'll explain on the way, we have to find Asgore! I think he mentioned a meeting in Riversteam today, that's not too far from here!" said Chara, dragging Nicoletta behind her. As they left, Undyne peeked around the corner of the house for Herbert.

"Undyne, please, you have to go with them!" sighed Freya.

"No. Not this time! It's my fault that this happened to you!" hissed Undyne.

"No, it's not…" groaned Freya.

"Yes, it is! You would never have been so submissive if Dad had treated you like this!" shouted Undyne. Freya glared at Undyne indignantly.

"How dare you!" started Freya.

"Am I wrong?!" asked Undyne.

"I had to do something to protect you and your sisters. You three have always been my top priority! And now look at what happened. I failed…" sighed Freya. "He's right… I'm a terrible mother…"

"No, you're not! You are the best Mom I could have ever hoped for! You've done so much for us, but you were afraid to take the stand against him. Well, forgive me for saying, but since you won't, and can't, I will." Growled Undyne, summoning a giant blue spear. "It's the least I can do." Freya huffed, and smiled.

"That's my girl…" smiled Freya.

"Why'd he do that, anyway?" asked Undyne.

"He heard about your suspension. He called me a terrible mother for raising such a hotheaded child." Said Freya.

"He's one to talk… just lay low, and stay quiet, okay? I'll make him pay." Smiled Undyne, as she ran inside, spear in hand.

"HERBERT! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU FILTHY BOTTOMFEEDER!" screamed Undyne, as rapid footsteps came up from the basement stairwell. Herbert looked around the corner, a knife in his hand. Undyne growled as Herbert moved towards her.

"Where's your mother?" asked Herbert drunkenly, the knife hanging loosely from his fingers.

"Wouldn't you like to know, hothead… You'll never hurt her again." Smirked Undyne.

"Who said I hurt her?" asked Herbert innocently.

"Don't you dare act innocent with me, you alcoholic bastard. I know what you did, and you're going to pay for everything you've done to us." Grunted Undyne.

"Cute… You think that you can take me on." Smiled Herbert.

"I know I can. I'm not letting you out of my sights." Said Undyne, pointing her spear at him. Herbert stared down at it, and laughed quietly. He placed his hand against the spear and pushed it aside with minimal effort. Undyne gasped.

"Then you won't mind me doing this." Said Herbert, as he slashed upwards with the knife. Blood splattered up onto the wall, as Undyne screamed in pain and terror, covering her left eye as it dripped blood onto the floor. Her spear clattered to the ground and disappeared.

"M-My eye! I… I can't see…!" whimpered Undyne, as she clawed at the ground for the spear. Herbert stomped on her hand, and she cried out in pain.

"What a failure you and your sisters are. Your mother could've done so much better with any of you. Disrespectful, disobedient, hotheaded cowards, all of you." Reprimanded Herbert. As the blood continued to drain from Undyne's eye, she felt afraid. She thought that her life was going to end here. But then, from deep within her soul, she felt something change. The fear melted into anger, and the anger flared into something new, something that Undyne couldn't even describe.

"You're… wrong…" growled Undyne, her body glowing a bright green.

"What's this? I didn't know your species glowed." Laughed Herbert, just before Undyne lifted his foot off the ground so suddenly that he stumbled over. The knife fell to the ground in front of Undyne's hand, and without a second thought, she grabbed the handle.

"Oh, my God… did you kill him?!" squealed Lucy.

"No… something even better." smiled Undyne.

"What's this feeling…? I've never felt so powerful before!" said Undyne, her hair growing down past her waist, her one good eye gone stark black.

"Th-This isn't normal! You're a devil child!" screamed Herbert.

"The only devil here is you." Said Undyne, pointing the knife at him. "You told me once, not to let people push me around. Prove them wrong… well, Herbert… am I right, now? Am I strong enough?"

"Uh… Um… I see you're having a moment… I think I'm going to g-" started Herbert, before Undyne stomped his chest. Herbert choked on his words, as Undyne placed the tip of the knife on his throat, a cloud of spears hanging over the both of them.

"You're not leaving anytime soon. I won't let you." Hissed Undyne, as she made Herbert's Soul green.

"U-Undyne, please!" begged Herbert. "I-I know I'm a violent person. I know I have a temper. I know that I drink a lot. But I-I have my reasons! I lost my wife during the war!"

"Liar. You never had a wife… I see how your eyes move when you lie. They move to the right, and then to the left, then right again, and back to center. It's… irritating." Smiled Undyne.

"P-Please, no. Have mercy." Begged Herbert.

"Mercy?! MERCY?! Why should I show you mercy when you never did for us?! My mother will never walk again because of you! I'm half-blind because of…!" screamed Undyne, before she pulled the knife back, her grin growing wider with each second.

"U-Undyne?" shivered Herbert.

"An eye for an eye." Smiled Undyne, "So the saying goes… but why settle for just one?"

"N-No! No, please!" pleaded Herbert, as Undyne pressed the blade up against Herbert's eyes and sliced. Herbert screamed as the blood spurted onto the floor. His eyes were leaking a weird silver film as the blood fell to the ground with it. He tried to get away, but Undyne had other plans.

"I'm not done with you." Hissed Undyne, as one of the spears shot towards Herbert, and landed squarely in his right thigh. Herbert screamed as another spear lodged itself in his left thigh. He collapsed.

"So, Herbert? Who's the weak one now?!" Laughed Undyne, raising her hand to finish Herbert off with the rest of the spears, before a massive paw grabbed it. She turned, and saw Asgore holding her hand.

"Undyne. That is enough." Said Asgore flatly. Undyne attempted to pull away, but Asgore's grip only got tighter. He looked into her eye with a strict glare. As Undyne calmed down, her body began to shrink, and her eyes stopped glowing. Her left eye began to bleed steadily again; her blue scales had begun to pale from the blood loss. Before she could even utter another word, she collapsed. Asgore picked her up quickly as other Royal Guards shuffled in behind him.

"We need to get the both of them to the Hotland lab. I'll deal with that foul creature later; this child takes priority." Asgore instructed, as he rushed Undyne out of the house, where Chara and Nicoletta were waiting anxiously. Both of them were shocked when they saw her.

"Undyne? Oh, my God, is she going to be okay, Dad?" Chara said, concern lacing her voice.

"I don't know. Her HP is decreasing rapidly. I think she's falling down." Explained Asgore as he jogged to Hotland lab.

"F-Falling down? Wh-What does that mean? What's going on?!" panicked Chara.

"He means she's dying! Falling down is a state where Monsters have either reached a certain age, taken a fatal blow or depleted their magic." Shouted Nicoletta. "Herbert's going to pay for this… if she dies, I'm going to finish what she started!"

"What about your mom?" asked Chara.

"I don't know! She couldn't have gotten far!" gasped Nicoletta.

"What?! What do you mean?! Wasn't she next to the house?!" asked Chara.

"Yes! That's why I'm worried!" screamed Nicoletta. "Oh, God, I hope she didn't dust."

"You would have seen it. She's alive… but she's not here." Huffed Asgore. "It's likely that someone found her on the road and moved her somewhere safe."

"I want her found!" demanded Nicoletta.

"We'll find her, don't worry." Sighed Asgore, as he pushed through into the Hotland Lab. "Gaster! Gaster, where are you?! We need your help!"

At that moment, a slender skeleton ran into the room, dressed in a grey turtleneck and a black lab coat. His eyes widened.

"What in God's name happened to her?!" asked Gaster.

"No time to explain! Get her to one of the healing tanks!" Asgore said, handing Undyne to Gaster hurriedly. As Gaster disappeared into the back of the Lab, Nicoletta started to follow him.

"No, child. You and Chara must stay behind. You did your part… now let us do ours." Said Asgore, a serious look on his face as he followed Gaster.

"I don't remember much of what happened during my recovery. It was all a blur… both literally and figuratively. I couldn't see anything straight. It was like I had to relearn what I'd known my whole life all over again." Said Undyne.

"When did you come to your senses?" asked Lucy.

"It was about… 2 in the morning, maybe two days later, when I woke up in a healing tank. I didn't know what was going on, but my left eye was numb…" said Undyne. "I didn't realize it at the time that it was already gone. I felt stiff… like I couldn't move. I looked to my right, and saw Gaster and Asgore. Asgore looked like he hadn't slept since the incident. Gaster didn't look much better, but then again, from what I remember, he never looked rested."

"I rarely ever saw him sleep when I was his apprentice." Smiled Alphys.

"Do you remember this, Al?" asked Undyne.

"No… I don't think I'd become his apprentice yet. In fact, I think it was you that led him towards the decision to find an apprentice." Said Alphys.

"Huh… cool… Well, when I woke up in that tank, I could see them both breathe a sigh of relief. I had this feeling like they thought I wouldn't make it… but I did." said Undyne.

"Oh, thank… God…" sighed Gaster. "That girl is stronger than she looks." Gaster moved towards a panel of buttons and presses one of them. The healing tank begins to drain of its liquid. Its door swings up, and Undyne steps out shakily.

"Ugh… what hit me…?" she asked, as she sits back down onto the edge of the tank.

"Don't move so fast, child. You still need to rest. The healing tank only fixes skin-deep injuries." Said Gaster.

"Dr. Gaster? What happened? Why am I here?" asked Undyne, as she held her forehead. Her left eye twinged. "Nngh! My head's killing me…"

"You're lucky it's not your stepfather killing you." Said Gaster. Undyne gasped, remembering what she did, what she became.

"I-I'm sorry! I don't know what happened, I-" started Undyne, standing up suddenly, only to stumble into Asgore's arms.

"Easy… Easy… I do not blame you for harming him. But you must understand that you almost killed him. If I had not stopped you, your life would have been forfeit." Said Asgore. "And I will not execute a child."

"I understand he caused you and your family great pain, child, but the way you reacted was inappropriate beyond measure." Said Gaster.

"I know, I know! But I was just so tired of being pushed around and…" started Undyne, who blinked. "Okay, whoa, hold up… why did everything go black when I closed my right eye?"

Both men looked to each other, and sighed.

"Undyne, your stepfather injured you in that fight; your left eye was cut. By the time we got you here, it was already infected… to avoid any further infections, we were… regrettably… forced to remove it." Explained Gaster.

"W-What? You mean…" said Undyne, tracing her left eye with her finger, only to find a hollow socket. She trembled.

"The likelihood of you ever being able to see perfectly again is almost impossible." Sighed Gaster. "We've started on some technology, but it's in the very early stages of development. It likely won't be finished for another twenty years or so."

"Twenty years?! Are you serious?! How can I do anything when I'm half-blind?!" asked Undyne in disbelief.

"Undyne, this is something you can work with. At least you can see perfectly in one eye. One of our sentries in Snowdin can't see anything unless it's moving. He's completely blind, otherwise." Smiled Asgore. "You should never let a disability define you, Undyne."

"Is everyone else okay? What about my Mom? Is she okay?" asked Undyne.

"We don't know." Said Asgore.

"What do you mean, 'You don't know'?!" questioned Undyne angrily. "She was right outside the house!"

"Undyne, we looked everywhere for her, but we couldn't find her… alive or dead." Said Asgore. "It's like she just vanished. No trace, no note, no nothing."

"How can she just vanish?! She's crippled! She can't walk because of Herbert!" screamed Undyne. "How are you not finding her?!"

"Undyne, we're doing everything we can to find her. We've been looking in every town in every region of the Underground for the last three days. We'll find her eventually, but as of now, she's missing." Said Asgore, nearly on the verge of tears himself, seeing Undyne's heartbroken expression.

"How could this get any worse?! First my eye, now my mother! What's next, huh?!" shrieked Undyne, as she coughed, small drops of blood falling from her mouth.

"Child, calm yourself! Too much stress will kill you." Warned Gaster. Undyne stared down at the drops of blood, and inhaled deeply.

"I should've just run. Mom and Athena always told me to stay out of it… but god damn my stubbornness…" grunted Undyne, tears falling from her eye. "…Where is he?"

"What?" asked Asgore.

"Where's Herbert…?" asked Undyne.

"You're not going after him again, are you?" asked Gaster.

"No… There's no need… besides… I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice… even if I blinded and crippled him…" smiled Undyne. "I just want to know if he's still alive."

"Well, yes… he's alive, but only just. You really did a number on him. He's in that tank over there, though I doubt he'll ever leave. He's been comatose since yesterday, and hasn't moved since." Said Gaster. "Better off there, anyway. Can't believe Freya would marry a crime lord…"

"What?!" started Undyne.

"We've been trying to track him down for years… it's not his first case of domestic abuse. The other times, he'd never been charged… due to him being a shapeshifter and no evidence." Said Asgore.

"You mean, lack of a dust pile from his victims…?" asked Undyne.

"His past victims had never had children… and mysteriously disappeared over time." Said Asgore. "We never found any piles of dust, or even any inkling that he'd done the deeds, though people always seemed to point to him."

Undyne turned towards the tank that Gaster had mentioned, and stared at Herbert's body, legless and eyeless, floating in the tank. She limped over to it, and summoned a spear. She held it loosely at her side, contemplating for a moment whether or not to finish him off… and smiled.

"You know, for all the people you hurt… you taught me one thing… never let people walk over you… I'm not going to be a pushover, anymore. Every day, I'll get stronger… and someday, I might even feel proud of what I did to you." She grinned, setting the spear at the foot of the tank. "Keep it… You may need it if you ever cross my path again."

As Undyne turned to leave, she thought she heard something. She turned back around.

"U…Un… dyne…" gurgled Herbert from within the tank. Undyne grinned.

"You'll fear that name, one day." Said Undyne, limping back to Asgore. She turned to him.

"Undyne, there's something I would like to discuss with you when you fully recover." Said Asgore.

"What is it, Your Majesty?" asked Undyne curiously.

"When you recover… I would like to discuss the matter of your Magic Training." Smiled Asgore. This got Undyne's full attention.

"You think you can train me?!" asked Undyne hopefully.

"I know I can. I saw the potential through the blind rage… You have power, you just need to learn to control it. Unless you'd rather be trained by Ger-" started Asgore, before Undyne hugged him tightly.

"I'll take that as a yes?" laughed Asgore.

"Duh! Of course, I want to train with you!" shouted Undyne. "You only saved my life."

"Not on my own. If not for Chara and Nicoletta, I would not have been able to stop you." Said Asgore.

"Where are they? I want to thank them!" grinned Undyne.

"You realize how late it actually is, don't you? It's the middle of the night." Said Gaster.

"What are you doing up, then?" asked Undyne, turning to Gaster.

"I never sleep… Science does not rest… nor do two rowdy boys… Speaking of, is that the fire alarm I hear? …Oh, dear. I'll be back… Boys!" called Gaster, as he ran from the room. "You'd better not be messing with those prototype blasters again!" In the distance, a loud laser could be heard firing, followed by the laughter of Sans.

"Oh, my… What a troublemaker Sans is…" chuckled Asgore. "We'll further discuss this in the morning. Would you prefer a tank or a bed?"

"I would like a tank as far away as possible from him." Said Undyne. "Hotland doesn't agree with my skin…"

"Understandable. I'll make arrangements with the doctors. Meanwhile… get your last goodbyes in." said Asgore.

"Why…? I don't want to talk to him." Said Undyne.

"He may be dead soon…"

"I don't care. He's not even a real dad! He's a crime lord!" shouted Undyne.

"Well, even criminals deserve last rites." Said Asgore.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty… I don't want a dad. Things were better when it was just me, my mom and my sisters! He ruined everything!" said Undyne.

"He didn't ruin you… at least, not completely." Said Asgore quietly.

"If this is what all dads are like, I don't want it ever again!" cried Undyne.

"Not all fathers are bad… sometimes, you just get the rotten one of the bunch." Chuckled Asgore nervously.

"It's going to take a lot of time before I even consider having a Dad again." Said Undyne, turning her head to look at Herbert. Asgore placed a fingertip on Undyne's chin, and turned her head towards him.

"Just know that I'm here for you, Undyne, and I always will be, whether you need me or not." He smiled. Undyne smiled, and hugged Asgore.

"Thanks…"

"…Dad." Said Undyne.

"Did he train you?" asked Lucy.

"Of course, he did. He did that, and much more. While I recovered, his family visited me every day… Chara and Asriel actually made the eyepatch I'm wearing now. I only ever take it off when it needs to be washed or fixed." Said Undyne.

"What about your Mom?" asked Lucy's mother.

"They never found her." Said Undyne. "She probably dusted… who's to say…?"

"What about your sisters?" continued Lucy's mother.

"…Eeyugh… Nicki and I stuck together for most of our lives in the underground. But Athena… When she heard what happened, she blamed it all on me. We had a huge fight, and Athena tried to leave with Nicki, but she refused to leave with her. Athena tried to take her by force, I got angry, and… I lashed out at Athena… She left with a huge cut on her forehead… I haven't seen or heard from her since." Explained Undyne.

"But things looked up after that, right?" asked Lucy.

"No… No, it, uh…heh… it only got worse." Sighed Undyne.

"What do you mean, worse?" asked Alphys.

"About three months after I recovered… Chara fell incredibly ill. No one knew what was wrong with her; not even the best healers could help. One day… I went to go visit her. She knew she wasn't going to live much longer. On my way there, I saw Asriel sitting in the garden, just staring at one of the golden flowers with a sad expression on his face. I asked him what was wrong… he didn't say a word. I don't even know if he heard me."

"What happened to her?" asked Lucy.

"It was the very next day that I found out she'd died that day. I went to the castle to comfort Asriel and his family, but on my way there… I… I remember it being nighttime, and Asriel was walking towards the barrier, holding Chara. He was… different. I felt a power radiating from him, a familiar strength that I'd seen before. He had absorbed her Soul. I caught up with him and asked him why he did it. His simple response was…"

"I'm going to free everyone." said Asriel.

"Asriel… no…!" whimpered Undyne.

"This was the plan, Undyne. Chara's plan. She would die, I would absorb her Soul, take six more from the humans, and free everyone." explained Asriel.

"They'll think you killed a child! Don't be an idiot, Asriel! If you die, I'll-"

"Everything'll be fine. You trust me, don't you?" asked Asriel.

"Asriel-"

"You trust us, right?"

"I trust you… But Chara…? I don't know if she knows what she's doing, I-I can't…" stammered Undyne.

"Undyne… I can't let her down… I can't let you down… and you can't let me down." said Asriel. "I need your word that you won't tell anyone. Not even my parents. Can you do that for me…?" Undyne stared up at him, and began to cry. Asriel knelt down, and stared at her with eyes as white as stars.

"Just… promise me you'll come back. I already lost my mom and my oldest sister… I can't lose my best friend, too." Sobbed Undyne. Asriel smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her on the forehead.

"No worries, Dy-Dy… I'll see you again when we're free." He said, turning towards the barrier.

"Wait! Azzy…!" called Undyne. Asriel turned back around. She stared at him with tears in her eyes, grabbed a hold of his collar, and kissed him right between the eyes. She hugged him tightly.

"I'll wait right here for you." Said Undyne. Asriel looked down at her, tears welling in his own eyes. Undyne wiped them away.

"Even as a God… You're still a big crybaby…" chuckled Undyne.

"Hehe… S-Some things never change…" Laughed Asriel, crossing the barrier into the Surface. Undyne stared after him, and sat down, clutching her knees to her chest.

"Did you have a crush on him?" asked Alphys.

"For the longest time… yeah… I did… But it was just a schoolgirl crush, nothing… s-serious…" said Undyne, trying to choke back tears. Alphys stared up at Undyne.

"You loved him… didn't you?" she asked. Undyne's face crumpled, and she nodded. "Oh, Dy…"

"Did he make it back?" asked Lucy.

"H-He did… make it home… the next day, b-but… that's as far as he got." Said Undyne. "Like I thought when I saw him holding Chara, the humans thought that he'd killed Chara. When he got back to the Underground, there were several arrows in his back… countless open wounds… and yet… he was still holding onto Chara's body. Desperate to save him, I called for help. His parents realized that he'd left, and were just returning from looking for him… and they saw the injuries, and they knew what had happened. They asked me if I knew about this, and I… I lied… I lied to my King, my Queen, my people… I told them that I knew nothing. I committed treason… at ten years old… and I saw one of my closest friends die because of it…"

Undyne crumbled, and began sobbing.

"The prince died, and it's all my fault!" wept Undyne.

"Undyne! It wasn't your fault. No one could've known what would-" started Alphys.

"I knew… and yet, for how much I loved him… I let him go." Sobbed Undyne. "If I was smart, I'd have dragged him back to his parents. But I didn't. I could've told them what was happening… but I sat and waited for him to limp home, bleeding to death. I could have done so much…" At that moment, Undyne undid her eyepatch and stared at it. The Delta Rune was embroidered in gold thread upon the black leather. She held it to her heart.

"But I did nothing." She sighed. "Why…? Why didn't she ask me? I could've handled it."

"Undyne, no…" started Alphys, before Undyne stood up.

"It should've been me that day… Not him… even if the outcome was the same… The Dreemurrs would've still had their son, and I would've been happy knowing that as I died… But it wasn't." said Undyne.

"Undyne…" whispered Alphys, before Undyne fled the room. Alphys did not chase her; she knew that Undyne wanted to be left alone, and even if she did somehow catch up to her, she'd just tell her to leave. Alphys turned to Lucy and her mother.

"I'm… sorry you had to see that." She said.

"It's fine…" said Lucy, who was wiping tears from her eyes. "I think it's something that she needed to say. It wasn't her fault…"

"It was Chara's." said the mother. "She was the one that planned it. If anything, Chara betrayed everyone… not Undyne."

"If only Undyne could understand that she was right about Chara all along…" sighed Alphys.

Undyne has fled to the nearby park, and sat down upon a bench in front of a large fountain, one of eight. The park in question happened to be Dreemurr Memorial Park, a park erected by the humans after the barrier was destroyed, and had learned what had happened all those years ago, both to Asriel and the children. The fountain where Undyne was sitting had a small statue of Asriel at the top, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. It seemed to stare at Undyne. She looked up at it, and smiled.

"Hey, fluffybutt." She whispered with a somber smile. The statue stared down at her with a smile. She sighed, as the water flowed down into the basin of the fountain. Undyne sniffled, and stood up from the bench, walked over to the fountain, reached up, and pet the statue on the snout.

"I miss you. Wish you were here…" she said.

"As do I…" said a voice to Undyne's right. Undyne jumped, and turned to see Toriel staring at her coldly.

"T-Tori! What're you doing here?" asked Undyne.

"I'm paying my respects to my children. Not that you would care." said Toriel harshly.

"How dare you! You honestly think I don't care that he's gone?!" shouted Undyne.

"Clearly, you don't. If you did, you would have told us the moment you found out instead of hiding it from us. Not only that, but you lied to us about it." continued Toriel, stepping closer.

"Toriel, I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen good. Asriel didn't want anyone to know… not even you. What he did was his choice." ranted Undyne. "I caught him at the barrier, and I warned him that the humans would think he'd killed Chara. But he didn't listen to me. He insisted that Chara knew what she was doing…! It was Chara that planned it all… She didn't tell me anything, which is something I absolutely hate… If it were me, I could have handled it, but Asriel?! …No… No, Asriel wouldn't know how to kill something even if he were given the means to do so…"

"What are you trying to say, Undyne? That my son died because he was tricked into doing so?" asked Toriel.

"I'm saying that it should have been me, not him! Even if the outcome was the same, who would have cared about me?!" screamed Undyne, tears flowing down her cheek. Toriel was shocked.

"You don't mean that, Undyne. You can't possibly-" stammered Toriel.

"I do! I've held this pain and anger in my heart ever since that day. Back then, I had nothing to live for! My mom was missing, I'd lost my eye permanently because of my stepfather, and Asriel was the only one that kept me from wanting to die!" seethed Undyne. "You honestly don't think I cared about him?! He was the first person I genuinely loved! When I lost him… I… I never wanted to go through that again. I never wanted to feel that loss. I swore never to get that close to anyone emotionally ever again… I stayed that way for a long time, Tori…"

Undyne sighed, and sat on the edge of the fountain.

"How can you honestly stand there and say that I didn't care?" asked Undyne.

"I'm more shocked that you think things would have been better if you'd taken his place. It would have been worse." said Toriel.

"How could it have been worse?" asked Undyne. Toriel moved to Undyne's side and sat down next to her.

"Undyne, you and Chara were his only friends. But Chara was family." said Toriel. "If you had died, Asriel would have been crushed. Losing both his sister and his best friend in one night? A loss like that drives someone mad… almost to the point of suicide."

"So two losses would have been three." said Undyne.

"And what about Alphys and Nicki?" asked Toriel. "How do you think they would have reacted?"

"Alphys wouldn't have cared, because she never would have… known me." said Undyne, slowly realizing what Toriel was saying. "That day in Waterfall…! The only reason she didn't jump was because of me… and Nicki… After we lost Mom, all we had was each other. For the first few years, she drank so much… If it wasn't for me cutting her off, she likely would have poisoned herself, or worse, become like him…"

"Not to mention Asgore. You were the only reason he carried on after we lost Asriel. After our fight, when he declared war on humanity and began killing every child that fell, after the second one, I left him." sighed Toriel.

"Why didn't you leave after the first one?" asked Undyne.

"Well, two reasons, actually." Explained Toriel. "One, I thought he wasn't being serious, and two… the first one had a gun and shot three or four Monsters dead. He deserved it."

"Ah… I wondered why that one fountain statue was missing a hand." said Undyne.

"It's the same one he shot with… At least, according to Gerson." sighed Toriel.

"Huh… Oh… look, Toriel, I really am sorry. But he made me promise to tell no one. And you know that I don't break promises." said Undyne.

"I know. I understand that now. And to be fair… I did say some rather unkind things. My moods have been out of whack for the last few weeks, and I think I understand why, now." said Toriel.

"Why? It's not that time of the month, is it?" asked Undyne.

"That's just it. It hasn't happened. It should have started last Thursday, but… nothing."

"Five days late? That's weird…" said Undyne, crossing her arms, before noticing a can of Chocolate Reddi-Whip in her handbag. "That's even weirder."

"What, the whipped cream? I've just been craving it, lately." said Toriel, taking it out and spraying some in her mouth.

"Wow… really going at it, huh?" said Undyne nervously.

"Oh, my gosh, Undyne, it's not that hard!" smiled Toriel. Undyne's face contorted in confusion.

"Wait… Wait a fucking minute… Mood swings, no period, and chocolate whipped cream in your ha- …No… No way. Tori, you are not…!" smiled Undyne.

"Yes, I am. Just found out this afternoon when I got home." sighed Toriel.

"Okay, who's the dad?" asked Undyne. Toriel looked over at Undyne with a snarky expression on her face.

"I'm kidding! Geez, it's obviously Asgore! Does he know?" asked Undyne.

"I was going to tell him at dinner… but… he was called in late with Frisk for something at the Council… again." sighed Toriel. "Third time this week."

"It's probably the paperwork for Lucy and her mom." said Undyne.

"Likely… Anyway… Um… I'm sorry for being such a fool this morning." apologized Toriel.

"It's fine. I'm just glad I got it off my chest… and I'm sorry for not telling you. Both of you." replied Undyne. "I should probably tell him, too. He'll probably take it better."

"Part of me thinks he knew. Why else would he take you in? I mean, you're the only one who found him at the barrier. We never would have known what had happened until it was too late, if not for you."

"I doubt it would have made a difference." said Undyne, looking up into the sky at the stars. One of them twinkled brightly, brighter than the others. Toriel saw it, too, and smiled widely.

"I think it did. You were there for him when he needed it most… right down to the end." said Toriel.

"It's all I could have done for him." said Undyne, turning to the statue of Asriel, which smiled warmly down at her. Undyne smiled back.

"My best friend… I'll see you again, someday, right?" asked Undyne quietly.

"I'm sure he will, dear." Said Toriel, standing up from the bench. "Why don't you join us for dinner, dear?"

"I-I'd love to." Said Undyne.

"But I must require you to stay out of the kitchen." Said Toriel.

"Oh, come on! That was one time, okay! I've gotten better about my outbursts of pride!"

"You literally burned your house down. Do you know that it's still on fire, today?" asked Toriel, replacing the Reddi-Whip in her bag.

"No, I had no idea, but do you really think you should be cooking with your current condition?" asked Undyne. "I'm really not that bad of a cook."

"Everything you cook, you burn." Said Toriel flatly.

"That's only with steaks! I like mine well-done!" said Undyne.

"What about the pies I taught you how to make?"

"Faulty oven. The dial's-"

"It was a digital input, Undyne."

"Okay, yeah, but the 5 button kept sticking."

"Because you press the buttons so hard." Smiled Toriel. Undyne was obviously not going to win this argument, so she sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine. What were you planning on doing for dinner?" she asked.

"Well, Asgore's found a new love for pasta. I think he loves it just as much as my pies." Smiled Toriel. Undyne chuckled, and remembered all the times she watched Asgore try to replicate Toriel's pie recipes.

"Maybe that's what inspired me to start cooking in the first place." Said Undyne.

"Wouldn't surprise me. He could never get it right, because I have a secret ingredient." Said Toriel.

"What's the secret ingredient?" asked Undyne. Toriel turned and put a finger to her snout.

"It wouldn't be a secret, then." She laughed.

The two return to Dreemurr Castle, and after calling Alphys to reassure her that she was alright, Undyne was finally calm. She felt right at home, among friends and family. As Undyne ate the pasta at dinner, Asgore noticed that Toriel wasn't eating as much as she usually would.

"Tori? Are you okay? You're not eating." He asked.

"I'm fine, dear. I- *burp* Oh, excuse me! I might have had a bit too much at lunch today." Laughed Toriel. "Oof... I may need to use the restroom."

Toriel stood up from her chair, and hurried to the restroom, where shortly thereafter, came the sound of vomiting. Undyne continued to eat her pasta calmly as the family rushed to the restroom. She listened as Frisk and Asgore were told the news, and she smiled to herself, as cheers of excitement and giggles of happiness could be heard. Frisk came running back into the dining room, grinning from ear to ear.

"Undyne! Undyne, you won't believe-" started Frisk.

"I already know, kiddo. She told me at the park. Honestly, I'm more surprised that Asgore's still got it in him after all these years." Laughed Undyne.

"I heard that, Undyne!" called Asgore, as Toriel burst out laughing.

"Calm down, Goat-Dad! I'm just ruffling your fur!" called Undyne.

"Did you just call him Goat-Dad?" asked Frisk.

"That's what he is! He took you in just like he did with me… even though I didn't deserve it." Sighed Undyne.

"Undyne, we went over this when you got here. He had a feeling you were lying, and that's the reason he took you in in the first place." Said Frisk. "Forgive yourself, already! That's all I want from you!"

"Kid, look, I can forgive myself for my past actions. But what I did to him… I couldn't begin to forgive myself. If I had done just a bit more, he'd be here today… with us."

"Undyne, there is nothing you or I could have done. By the time you found him, the Soul had been absorbed. There's no going back from that unless you die or willingly give it up. I couldn't save him, either, but I'm… I'm not beating myself up over it." Said Frisk. Undyne stared down at Frisk.

"You hesitated there for second. Are you sure about that?" asked Undyne.

"Okay, fine, I feel really guilty about him not letting me help him. He deserved a happy ending more than any of us… even me. But you know how the old saying goes, right?" asked Frisk.

"Old Saying? There's a ton of those." Said Undyne.

"The one where one door closes and another one opens? I'm going to be a big sister, soon! This is my chance to be there for them when they're born, and when they need me the most. I swear, I will never let anything, or anyone, hurt them like I hurt Asriel. I know I'm not strong… and I know I can't fight… But I want to try for them…" said Frisk. Undyne glared at Frisk as she poured her heart out to Undyne. She grinned.

"How far are you willing to go?" asked Undyne.

"Any distance for them. Why do you ask?" asked Frisk.

"You know… I've been looking for a student to pass on what I remember from the Guard. Would you be interested?" asked Undyne. Frisk was skeptical.

"Um… I'm not sure…" she replied. "Can-Can I get back to you on that?"

"Sure thing, sis." Smiled Undyne. Frisk gasped, squealed, and hugged Undyne.

"Oof! Jeez, kid, for someone who claims weakness, you've got a killer hug!" laughed Undyne.

"Now I've got two siblings!" laughed Frisk.

Undyne laughed and smiled, looking out into the starry night through the dining room window, as a bright and beautiful future laid ahead. No more pain. No more guilt. Nothing more than a memory.