It was a long way down.

Alphys stood on the water tiles that topped the biggest waterfall of the Underground. Dubbed "the abyss", no one knew where it went I if anywhere - or how deep and far it went.

Her feet her just at the edges of the tiles, her claws digging in for purchase. She was trembling, but she didn't move. Not yet.

Everything had been taken care of. By the time anyone - especially Mettaton - knew she was actually missing and not merely hiding, it would be far too late. She had finally written a long, lengthy letter, explaining all of her crimes, and that she had taken it into her own hands to punish herself before before anyone else could.

Everything was in order. Everything would be just fine without her. Better, perhaps.

So why was she still hesitating?

She stared down at the expanse of the water, mystified despite herself by its beauty, its sheer force, as it gushed down, unceasing, relentless in its motion. It would be so easy, so simple. She knew it was the only way, the right thing to do.

She had hurt so many people. Every time she thought of what she had done, she felt white-hot shame and self-loathing consume her, as if it ran through her blood. With stinging eyes but gritted teeth, she took one foot off the tiles, her claws sinking into the muddy ground beneath.

Just one more step. One more. And then she could just fall and fall, and never come back, allowing the waters to decide her fate. And no one, especially the families of those she hurt, would be sad to see her gone. Instead, she was quite certain they would celebrate.

Carefully, her hands clenched together and held over her racing heart, feeling hot tears streak down her cheeks, she began to take her other foot off the tiles.

"Hey!"

The voice was so loud and so unexpected that Alphys instantly jumped backwards and back onto the tiles, trembling with adrenaline and fear. She looked back down, her whole body urging her to just jump, jump now, don't look back and just die...

Heavy footsteps splashed through the water, sounding hurried. Alphys shut her eyes tight, trying to ignore them, willing herself to fall, to finally redeem herself with this one jump...

"Hey! Dr Alphys!"

Her eyes snapped open in shock. Standing beside her was a warrior, donned head-to-toe in the black armour of a Royal Guard. It was only when Alphys saw the long, bright red ponytail, that she realised it wasn't just any guard, but, for her, the only guard that really mattered.

And she was amazed that this guard even knew who she was.

Alphys turned to her, having to look so far up that her neck cracked. "Er," she murmured, her voice wobbly and small.

"I knew it was you!" With a laugh, Undyne pulled her helmet off, sending Alphys into a different kind of heart-racing adrenaline. Undyne was, without question, beautiful to her. Though many would deny it, citing her personality or even her looks against her, Alphys always only saw beauty, both physically and personality-wise.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," Undyne admitted, still grinning her sharp-toothed grin, one hand going to her hair and smoothing it out. Her eye was looking right at Alphys, right into her own eyes, and Alphys never felt so flattered by this attention. "What brings you here?"

Alphys's eyes flicked back towards the abyss without her control, and she saw Undyne do the same. "Doing research on the abyss?" she wondered. "You're always so busy, it's almost weird to see you outside of Hotland!"

Now Alphys was speechless. Undyne spoke as if she had somehow noticed her habits, made note of her actions.

With her helmet under her arm, Undyne hopped up to stand beside Alphys on the tiles, leaning down and peering at the vast expanse of water. "Look at it go!" she breathed out. "It never fails to amaze me. Where do you think it even goes?"

Without thinking, Alphys muttered, "Hopefully far away, with no end."

Undyne turned to her, eyeing her closely. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Alphys said nothing, merely looking down at the waters again, her throat closing up.

A cold, metallic hand suddenly clamped down hard on her shoulder, breaking her from her reverie. The grip was tight, and seemed to hold her in place. She looked up, and saw Undyne staring at her, searching her face closely, no sign of her earlier mirth remaining.

"You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you, Alphys?"

Alphys felt her blood turn to ice. She stared at Undyne, who stared back, her expression hard. "I..." she stammered, unable to say anything beyond that.

Undyne's eye narrowed, and Alphys looked down, back at her feet, unable to keep her gaze. Undyne's fingers suddenly dug in tighter, and Alphys winced.

"Are you?!" Undyne demanded, sounding angrier than Alphys had ever heard her.

Alphys felt her eyes burn. "I just... I can't..."

"Here's a better idea," Undyne said slowly, though her voice was still hard. "Let's go back: why don't you tell me where you think the abyss really goes? I mean, scientifically or whatever."

Alphys hesitated, her mind racing alongside her heart. If she jumped in front of Undyne, it was likely the guard would grab her before she hit the water. Or worse: she would jump in after Alphys and sink to the bottom from the weight of her armour.

That was a nightmare far worse than what she faced if she went back to her lab.

So, instead, swallowing her tears and her sorrow for just the moment, Alphys looked up at Undyne - who kept her hand firmly on Alphys's shoulder the whole time - and began to speak. She spoke slowly at first, in monotone, of one of her theories as to where the abyss may lead. When Undyne kept eye-contact and actually listened, Alphys found herself going on and on, expanding into more theories, including where the abyss may have come from and what life would be like without it. Pretty soon, she was practically rambling, the words tumbling out, and she found her heart slowing down and her shaking ease.

To her shock, instead of looking at her blankly like everyone else did when she spoke, Undyne actually listened to her. She looked amazed by what Alphys said, nodding every once in a while, sometimes asking questions or adding her own ideas to Alphys's.

She did eventually run out of words and ended her final lecture with an awkward pause, especially when she realised more than an hour had passed, but she also found that with it, so did her wish - her need- to jump had also passed.

Undyne, however, was grinning at her, in such a way that Alphys knew, without question, that she was in love with Undyne, perhaps more now than ever before.

And suddenly, with that, she realised that she couldn't die; not yet, not if she could still feel so much for someone so full of life.

"You know something, Alphys?" Undyne was saying, her hand now gentle upon the scientist's shoulder. "You're pretty damn cool."

"Actually, I've been told the exact opposite all my life," Alphys admitted.

"Then you need better friends," Undyne concluded with a grin. Alphys bit her lip, about to say that she didn't really have any friends to replace with new ones, but luckily Undyne added, "I'm starving. Wanna come with me to Grillby's? My treat!"

Alphys nodded, smiling now. "I'd love to, b-but, please, let me pay. I owe you one."

Undyne blinked, looking bemused. "For what?"

In reply, Alphys shook her head and smiled.

Undyne grinned. "Okay, but you're gonna regret it. I LOVE greasy food!"

Together, they stepped down from the tiles and walked towards the way to Snowdin. Alphys, with those steps, Undyne beside her, walked back towards life.