"S-so yeah, j-just keep walking!" Alphys instructed her, "Th-the next elevator— j-just press the "L3" button, okay?"
"Okay."
There was a long, uncomfortable pause.
"… Um… s-so… I noticed that you've b-been kinda quiet, lately," she commented, "Are you… are you worried about meeting King Asgore?"
Day didn't answer immediately. A hand drifted up to her arm without her noticing.
"… A little bit," she admitted.
"W-well, you don't have to worry!" Alphys assured, "The king is such a nice guy! H-he's so understanding and g-goofy and patient and kind and… um… b-but anyway, I'm sure you can just t-talk to him and… w-with your human soul, you can pass through the barrier! S-so, uh… no worrying, okay? J-just forget about it and smile! Um, okay?"
Day nodded, "I will." She attempted to follow through with the advice and managed a small smile, "Thank you."
"S-sure! Also, I just remembered; y-you can… um, f-feel free to call me if you ever need a little bit of help with a puzzle! Um, I-I usually don't like j-just solving the puzzles, unless it's super hard, b-but I can still g-give you hints! S-so yeah, just call and I'll do my best to— oh! Actually, wait! I've got a better idea! Let's be friends on Undernet! That way, you can just "ping!" me when you need help!"
"Okay," Day agreed, "That's a good idea."
"Great! S-so, my username is, uh, "alphysaurus." It's like— like how a lot of dinosaurs had the "saurus" at the end? I-I thought it was funny. Um, b-but— but I didn't come up with it, though. Heh, I'm not— heheh, I'm not that funny… b-but anyway, once you find me, just go to my profile page… do you see it, yet?"
"I see it," Day said, "Um… Dr. Alphys? I have a question."
"Oh? What do you need?"
"What does "LMAO" mean?"
Alphys was silent, baffled.
"Wh-what?!" she practically squawked, "H-how did— h-how do you kn— where would a sweet kid like you hear something like that?!"
"You said it in one of your messages… didn't you?"
"… I… I-I…" The truth hit her like a truck, "W-wait. I already signed y-you up on Undernet, didn't I? Y-you've been— g-getting my messages th-this whole time, haven't you?!"
"… Yes?"
…
"… Oh!" Her voice was no more than a squeak, "Well! Um! Good! That's… g-good! Th-that's perfectly okay!" For a while, she said nothing. "W-well! Um!... B-bye then!"
She hung up, then only seconds later, called back.
"Oh, a-and just to let you know, um… "LMAO" means… uh… it m-means "laughing my…" um, it's… "laughing my anxiety off!" Yeah, that's what it means! It's j-just a short way t-to say that you're laughing really hard!"
"Oh. Okay."
"Y-yep! Uh, n-now goodbye, f-for real! I'll just let you g-get back to… yeah. S-so! Good luck!" She hung up again.
Day made her way to the elevator, which was labeled "L2" in large red letters. It opened at her approach, so she stepped inside and pressed the "L3" button.
The elevator hummed lowly as it ascended, providing a white noise backdrop to Day's thoughts.
Toriel had painted Asgore as some cruel… well, monster. Papyrus had called him a big pushover, Alphys a kind goofball, and Undyne a skilled fighter yet… somehow gentle? She wasn't sure who to believe, anymore. She'd need to face Asgore one way or another, to make it to the barrier. Day just hoped that "meeting" was a friendly one.
Day withdrew her phone, almost subconsciously. She still had Toriel's number. How long had it been since she'd left the ruins? She'd only slept once since then, at Sans and Papyrus' house, but it felt like it'd been several days, at least. The thought made her realize just how exhausted she was; her limbs ached, and her head felt fuzzy from exertion and the heat. Day rubbed her eyes to be rid of the sensation, but it made little difference.
She was reminded of the phone. Toriel's number was there, displayed on the screen. Day longed to hear her voice again, but still, she didn't call.
What if she forgot about me?
Day dismissed the thought instantly; Toriel wouldn't forget me! Never!
What if she did?
She wouldn't!
Why wouldn't she?
Because… because she loves me…?
Does she?
This time, Day forced the mental conversation to an end; she was almost afraid of the conclusion she might reach.
The phone in her hand began to ring, and for a brief second, she allowed herself to hope that maybe—
It wasn't Toriel.
She answered regardless, "Hello?"
"Hello human Day! How are you? Are you still in Hotland? If so, where are you in Hotland? And do you need any more fantastic advice from the fantastic and great Papyrus?"
"Uh… hold on: hello, I'm good, I'm still in Hotland, I'm in an elevator, and no, not right now, but thank you."
"An elevator? Which elevator?"
"L2, I think?"
"L2? What does the "L" stand for?"
Undyne cut in from his end, "Well the "R" ones stand for "red," because the lights are red. So "L"'s gotta be… uh… light green!"
"Oh! Of cou— wait, isn't that two words?"
Another voice joined in, "Light sea green."
"Sans, three words don't fix the issue!"
"Gotcha: light sea foam green. And hey, kid. You're not still scared of spiders, are you?"
"Spiders? Why—"
"Four doesn't make it better either, Sans!"
"Light Mediterranean sea fo—"
"SANS!"
Sans' unmistakable chuckle was heard before the line went dead. Day couldn't help but smile, just a little bit.
The elevator sounded and slid open, allowing Day to exit.
This area… was very different from the others.
An unsettling "different."
Instead of being lit by the same warm red glow as the rest of Hotland, the area was completely engulfed in shadow, giving the path a purplish hue. Day glanced over the side of the path to discover the area was suspended hundreds of feet above the ground floor of Hotland. It gave a dizzying effect, so she backed away from the edge with all due haste.
As she continued forward, devoutly in the center, a small stand came into view. It didn't have a roof like Sans' sentry stations, and was vacant an operator.
A green monster was seated across from it, legs dangling over the side of the path. He was staring into space, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. A purple donut was sitting in his lap, untouched.
Day thought it best not to bother him, and passed by without a word.
It was with much disappointment that she beheld the next room: vents with arrows, platforms full of them. They stretched on for several feet, leading off to the sides as well as ahead. She had a bad feeling those paths to the left and right led to more puzzles, and her heart sank.
But it had to be done. Day gathered her determination and began the puzzle, riding the first vent forward.
Her phone began to "ping!" several times in quick succession, so Day stopped at the first platform to read the flood of messages.
alphysaurus: OH! look at that!
alphysaurus: some puzzles just deactivated themselves!
alphysaurus: whaaaaat? weird! guess the human! won't have to solve them! in order to move forward! V.V
alphysaurus: oh noooooooo!
… Oh. I guess I don't have to solve them, now.
Immensely relived, Day focused on making it to the other end of the path directly in front of her. The vents varied in placement, so she found herself leaping in circles around the puzzle.
It took several minutes of random vent-jumping, but at long last, she reached the path.
Day let out a breath, then tried to catch it again. She wiped the film of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand; that task certainly hadn't helped cool her down. Day swallowed in an attempt to quell her parched throat— she should have taken water from the cooler, while she had the chance.
It's a little too late to go back, now. Better keep going.
She took another breath, a full and energizing one this time, and complied.
The path grew dark… darker… yet darker still. Day was having a hard time seeing the ground in front of her, and just hoped she wouldn't slip up and plummet back to the floor of Hotland.
A wall become visible, smooth and plain, with a simple doorway in the center. Day stepped inside cautiously and continued to walk forward. She could almost distinguish the outline of small, silhouetted objects hiding in the shadows; they were silvery against the black backdrop, but so close together and numerous, Day had no guess what she was looking at.
Soon, however, she paused. The path felt… weird. Day took a few experimental steps to confirm the observation.
It's… smushy?
Indeed, the material gave slightly under her weight; it almost seemed to stick to her shoes as she picked up her foot to take another step. It was like a sticky bounce house. Day stooped down to feel the path with her hand—
"Aieeeee!" she shrieked, recoiling in horror.
Something touched me!
Behind her, there was a high-pitched giggle, accompanied by several more of its kind.
Day spun around fearfully, "H-hello?"
There was another giggle, somewhat muffled, "Ahuhuhu…"
It echoed around the room, giggles coming from every corner. There was nowhere for her to retreat— Day was surrounded.
"Hello? Who's th-there?"
"Ahuhuhu… remember what they said, dearies? They said a human with a stained apron will come through here…"
Oh no.
"I heard they hate spiders… I heard they love to stomp on them. I heard they like to tear their legs off…"
The voice was in front of her— something was moving around in the darkness. Day continued to back up, a shaky step at a time, scanning the shadows.
"I heard…"
Silence.
The only sound came from Day's shaky breathing as she searched frantically, eyes darting side to side like a caged animal. Her heart hammered in her ears, threatening to burst.
Still, there was silence.
…
Day's shoulders were clasped by a pair of thin hands.
"… that they're awfully stingy with their money!"
Day went rigid, at the mercy of the unseen speaker. But to her surprise, the hands released their hold, slid down the length of her arms, then clenched again at her wrists.
"Ahuhuhu!" her captor giggled, the sound still muffled somehow, "You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie?"
Her voice was whispered directly into Day's ear, so close it tickled, "Ahuhu… I disagree with that notion. I think your taste…"
Another pair of hands were placed on Day's waist, and she was spun around to face the speaker.
A monster her height, a girl with bobbed hair and short pigtails, flashed her a sly smile— a smile filled with fangs. She winked with at least three eyes.
"… is exactly what this next batch needs!"
Day beheld her speechlessly, terrified. This girl… was some sort of…
SPIDER!
The girl's smile widened, "Why so pale, my dear? There's no need to fear…" All five of her eyes twinkled mischievously, "Well… perhaps there is. But you should be proud! Proud that you are going to make one delicious cake!"
Day's only thought was to evade the girl's grasp; she struggled, but it made little difference. The monster girl laughed at her once again, covering her mouth modestly with a third pair of hands.
"Oh! But how terribly rude of me to forget!" She shook Day's hand, though Day was given little choice in the matter, "Miss Muffet, dearie. And oho… have we heard about you…"
"W-w-we?" Day squeaked.
Muffet laughed, mouth covered, "Ahuhuhu… why of course! I would never keep such an elaborate parlor to myself!"
It was then, as the strange silhouettes began to writhe and shift, that Day realized what she was surrounded by.
Spiders of every size scurried down the webbing, dangled at the ends of strands extended from the ceiling, and gathered around Muffet like an army. With a yelp, Day finally freed herself from Muffet's hold and retreated— only to be stopped in her tracks by a wall of webs, swarming with spiders.
Muffet giggled, "Oh, silly dear! You won't be getting out that way, I can assure you!"
Day spun around to face her, a new sort of panic setting in.
"Pl-please—" Day begged, already desperate for an escape, "L-let me go—"
"Let you go? Why ever would I do that?" Muffet allowed a wave of smaller spiders to crawl up her arms, decorating her purple skin like polka dots, "After all, your soul is going to make a lot of spiders very happy."
"A-are you—" Day was nearly choking on her voice, "G-going to eat me?"
Muffet just flashed her that same seductive smile, "Mm… we'll see, dearie. Though perhaps a little… bribe would help me make up my mind…"
"B-but I don't have any—" She stopped the sentence short, remembering. Day fished around in her pocket and withheld the gold coin a moment, reconsidering.
It's not technically yours to give away, her conscience pestered, but the mental dilemma was short-lived— Day held out the coin to Muffet, several feet away.
"Th-this is all I have. I promise!"
A fuzzy spider about the size of her hand lowered itself to snatch the coin, then swung over to Muffet obediently. She examined the coin, almost hungrily.
"I see…" Her tone was unreadable, "In that case, it's only fair to be merciful and give you a sporting chance…" The teasing smile returned, "I'll only send out a few spiders to trap you!"
She waved her hand, and with an awful sound like the clicks and clamor of a thousand little legs, a mass of spiders rushed towards her.
Day actually screamed, gripped with terror. She fled the spiders in a blind panic, stumbling hopelessly through whatever lied before her in the darkness. Dozens of spiders' webs streaked across her face, and she wiped them off hastily, afraid they contained their fair share of inhabitants.
She ran out of breath quicker than normal, throat burning painfully. Still Day pressed on, no end in sight.
Directly behind her, there was another clear giggle.
"Going somewhere, dearie?"
Muffet had caught up easily, suspended above Day like a delicate dancer, smiling widely.
"How adorable," she commented, her tone sugary sweet, "Your effort is charming, dearie. It almost makes me want to spare you… oh, but I couldn't possibly do that!" Muffet lowered herself a little, dangling upside down to be at eye-level, "You know what I'm going to do instead? I'm going to send out a few more spiders! Ahuhuhu! Have fun, dearie!"
They poured down from above, launching themselves from the ceiling. Day covered her face, feeling the little fuzzy bodies scurry across her skin.
Panting and yelping, she brushed off as many as she could, from her hands and her arms, then roughly from her hair. She stumbled backwards, trying to evade this spider shower, and nearly missed the fact that there was no longer anything beneath her feet.
"NOOO—!"
Day managed to latch onto a strand of webbing, bringing her free-fall to an abrupt halt. There was only blackness below her.
She didn't remember pulling herself back onto solid ground (or as solid as the webs could get), but found herself there, hardly able to stand. Her legs shook from fear, she could barely catch her breath, her thoughts were jumbled— she had to get out. But where was the exit? Day couldn't see one anywhere— just more webs. She had to get out— somehow—
Muffet was in front of her again, giggling. She had a pink teacup in one hand, a matching teapot in the other.
"You know, it's funny," she commented, giggling in between her words, "The person who warned us about you… ahuhuhu… he offered us a lot of money for your soul. And… ahuhuhu! The dear had such a charming smile…" Muffet's laughter again arose, and for the first time, she didn't bother covering her mouth. "I didn't even find it odd when he slipped off into the shadows without another word… and seemed to… change shape…"
Day had no clue who she was referring to, but was in no state of mind to think of asking.
"Pl-please— please, j-just let me go —"
"Oho! Well my my, would you just look at the time!" Muffet withdrew an ornate watch from the pocket of her breeches, "Why, it's past lunch! And wouldn't you know, I've completely forgotten to feed my precious pet!" She whistled loudly, "Oooooh Cupcake! Mummy's calling you, dearie!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to buckle, and Day was forced to latch onto a pillar of webs to remain upright. Something was barreling forth from the shadows… something huge.
Two bright red lights flashed in the distance, and a low, guttural growl was heard. The shaking of the webs became more intense as it grew closer. Day had to crane her neck to spot the lights, now.
And that's when she realized…
They weren't lights at all.
They were two glowing red eyes.
Day could just make out the shape of the beast; it had to be at least twenty feet tall, maybe double that size across. It was an enormous, brown spider.
Muffet reached out to pet it affectionately with all six hands, "Hello there, my angel! Mummy's got the perfect little snack for you, darling!"
It was enough to send Day sprinting into the darkness, refusing to look back. The webs began to jostle again, and she had a feeling it wasn't caused by her.
She could feel the creature's breath as it huffed, tailing her at full speed. It was too fast. Day didn't stand a chance.
Whether it was from a mound of spiders, a gap in the webbing, or her own exhaustion, Day couldn't tell— but the next thing she knew, she was face-down on the ground, earning a mouth full of spider webs.
She spat them out in disgust and hurried to return to her feet—
Something was stabbed into her right leg, through the pants and into her flesh. Day cried out in a mixture of pain and fear. Whatever the object was, it deepened as she was jerked backwards, directly underneath the giant spider.
Pain clouded her reason, and she kicked out with both legs in a desperate attempt to free herself. The left struck something soft, but the right flared up like fire as her movement forced the spider's fangs deeper still into her calf.
Her pained cry was overshadowed by its yelp, and the spider jerked away, releasing her leg and scurrying back to Muffet.
"My poor sweet baby!" Muffet exclaimed, rushing to soothe her startled pet, "Oh my sweet little Cupcake— did that awful human hurt you?!"
Day instinctively tucked the leg up to her chest, trying to stop the pain. It scorched powerfully, unlike any pain she'd experienced before. So strong, Day's senses began to fail; she couldn't feel the gaping hole in her pant leg, or the blood intermingling with a strange purple substance as it oozed down her shin.
Panic was the only thing driving her forward, fueling her with the determination to crawl to her feet and try to flee once again.
She'd only made it a few feet when the pain became unbearable— every step she took resulted in a shockwave of agony, jolting her entire body with the magnitude of it. Day tried to push ahead, but her knee refused to bend. It added fresh fear to her panicked state; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move it, as if it was paralyzed.
Once again, the world began to spin around her. Sounds became muted, and she felt nauseous. Her heart was beating rapidly in her ears— too fast. Something was horribly wrong.
Day tried to move, just a single step, and found herself stumbling forward. She could make out a swarm of blackness beginning to work its way up her legs— the spiders had caught up, and were coming in for the kill. She tried to swat them away, but even controlling her arms now seemed futile. Day could only watch as the layer of spiders rose, passing her knees.
There was no longer reason: only despair.
"H-H-Help!" she cried out desperately, not even aware she was doing so, "Help! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!"
The spiders rose to her waist. Day could feel nothing: no pain, no exhaustion. Only dizziness remained, and it was threatening to drag her down.
"SOMEONE HELP!" she pleaded hoarsely, screaming loud enough to be heard from a mile away.
But no one came.
In between her continued cries, a thought became prevalent, and it did not leave.
I'm going to die, aren't I?
All feeling was beginning to vanish. Day no longer considered the advancing spiders, nor anything else around her. Everything was beginning to blur, almost dream-like. Her head was light, as if it was floating away from her body. Slowly too, her thoughts began to fade with it.
I couldn't make it…
Day's knees made contact with the webs.
I couldn't make it home…
Her hands fell limply, and spiders scurried up them, as well.
I let everyone down…
They were up to her shoulders, now.
I'm going to die like this…
Spiders swarmed at the base of her neck.
I'm going to die…
Still, no one came. The first spider set foot on her cheek.
I'm…
The last thing she saw was the world tilting sideways as she slumped forward, eyes going dark before she hit the ground.
Help…
…ay? Day, can you hear me?!
The voice was far away, and she could barely make out the simple words.
Day?! Oh, please be okay! Please, y-you have to be okay!
Bit by bit, feeling returned. Day felt it in her fingers, down her body, to her—
She cringed, and the pain erupted like a minefield. It went off in her head, her stomach… but her leg outshined the rest. It felt like someone was holding a torch to it, eating away at the skin. It was enough to bring her back to the real world, flinching and moaning weakly.
"—ay?! DAY?! ARE YOU AWAKE?!"
The sensations began to intensify; her dizziness turned to extreme nausea, her headache into a crushing migraine. Even the pain in her leg found ways to reach new heights. Day's cry of protest was brief, but stronger this time.
"DAY! D-DAY YOU'RE AWAKE! OH THANK GOD— THANK GOD YOU'RE ALRIGHT! F-FOR A MINUTE THERE I-I THOUGHT— I THOUGHT YOU WERE—"
Day tried to open her eyes and found the room oddly dark. It was freezing; she shook violently, beyond her control, though a sheen of sweat was evident across her bare skin. Someone was sitting beside her while she laid on… a bed?
The speaker held something shiny in one hand while they wiped their eyes with the other, a mixture of yellow and stark white. It took much longer than necessary for Day to make the connection.
"A… A… Al… phys?" she rasped, unable to find her voice at first.
"Y-y-yep! It's— it's me!" It sounded like she tried to laugh, but was unsuccessful. "I… oh! I guess I should say, before anything else— y-you don't have to worry! Y-you're safe here! Uh, s-safe in the lab! S-so you don't have to be afraid of anything! Y-you're, uh… alright! Alright?"
The lab…
Memories of the fight and her own agonizing collapse flooded back, and Day was unable to handle the sensation; she crushed her temples with tight fists, trying to force it down again.
"N-n-no— d-don't hurt —"
"H-hey! D-don't worry!" Alphys reached out to comfort her, but withdrew her hands quickly, "D-don't worry! I said you're safe! N-no one's going to hurt you here! It's safe!"
The information seeped in at a slow rate, and it felt like hours before Day finally understood. The moment she did, the tension in her body released— and something began to boil threateningly within her stomach.
"Al—phys." Day tried to sit up, still at the mercy of her condition, "I— need to—" She clasped a hand over her mouth on instinct, the burn arising in her throat.
Alphys seemed to understand the gesture, and with a squeak of urgency, scurried away. She returned with a small wastebasket, shoved it in Day's awaiting arms—
And Day emptied the contents of her stomach into it.
As if her dry throat wasn't painful enough, the added acids didn't exactly soothe the sensation. Without knowing why, Day started to cry, unable to control herself. She continued to vomit, a literal and emotional mess.
This time, Alphys did not withdraw from her instincts; she put an arm around Day's shoulders, patting her back with the free hand.
"It— it's okay," she assured gently, "It's— don't be scared! I-I know it's not fun… j-just get it all out…"
Day involuntarily continued until she was dry-heaving— at least now, she was no longer nauseous. Miserable, but not nauseous.
"There," Alphys said, taking away the trash can when Day was ready, "D-doesn't that feel a l-little better?"
No.
"I'm s-sorry," she whimpered, trying to stifle the crying.
"Oh! D-don't— you don't have to be sorry!" Alphys assured, almost laughing, "It's not your fault at all! D-don't feel bad about it! I— h-how does your leg feel?"
"H— hurts," she was able to force out.
"W-well, that makes sense," Alphys commented, "I-I had to bandage it up a lot, t-to make sure it stopped bleeding…"
Day glanced down at her leg; the pants were rolled up to reveal a mass of white, wrapped time and time again around everything below her knee. A small patch seemed to be splotched red.
"Y-you've got a really bad fever," Alphys informed her, "In case you couldn't tell that already. I-I think the venom caused that, b-but luckily, y-you didn't seem to get too much of it! S-so, y-you'll have to rest for a while, until th-the— until your fever goes away. And, um, your leg is probably going to really hurt… f-for a while… b-but again, don't worry! Th-that should get better, too!"
Day's head was beginning to swim again, so she struggled to pay attention.
"S-so, um, if it's okay with you, um, y-you can go ahead and stay here!" Alphys offered, "I-I know it might not be the most… um… homey, b-but… h-hey, you're shaking a lot— are you okay?"
"C-cold," she stammered.
"You're cold? Really? I would think with your fever, you'd be— b-but, obviously you know you better than me, r-right? Eheh… h-here, you can— maybe l-lay down again…"
Alphys eased her back onto the bed, then draped a fluffy blue blanket over Day's shivering form.
"Th-there you go! Th-that should help!"
Day clutched it unknowingly, clinging to the warmth.
"Th—th—thank y—"
"Oh, it's no problem!" Alphys assured, "D-don't even worry about it! Y-you just stay here, a-and try to get better, okay?"
She could only nod, hoping it was caught. Safely embraced by a pillow, Day's dizziness took hold, and her eyes slid shut…
Day's gurgling stomach woke her up several hours later. This time, it wasn't threatening to erupt; it was just empty. Her head presented less of an obstacle than before, so Day was able to sit up almost painlessly.
The room was still freezing, and Day was shivering before she knew it. As tempted as she was to wrap herself in the enormous blanket, burrito-style for mobile warmth, Day resisted. It wasn't hers; she didn't want to get it dirty.
She threw back the covers to access the sweater at her waist… only to find it wasn't there.
Day searched all around, under the furthest corner of the blanket and beneath every pillow, but produced nothing. Both her sweater and apron were missing, nowhere to be found.
"Oh no…" she breathed, facing the realization that it was lost: probably for good, this time. Who knew where it was, now? It could've been torn up by the spiders, or maybe it fell into the endless abyss below the webs, or…
There were tears stinging at her eyes, and almost stubbornly, Day rubbed them out.
Don't cry about it, she ordered herself roughly, Stop being a baby. It's just a stupid sweater.
...No it's not.
Once the tears had been stifled, Day swallowed forcefully, made once again aware of the dryness.
Okay, just think, she instructed, maybe… maybe Alphys knows where it is— just go ask her about it.
The advice proved sound enough, so Day followed through with it. She swung her legs over the side of the bed—
"Ow!" she hissed, completely forgetting about the leg. Alphys had done… well, a generous job with the bandaging. It covered the area just below her knee all the way down to her heel, wrapped so tightly that her ankle remained firmly in place. Day wasn't sure how big the injury truly was; frankly, the entire area hurt an equal amount.
Her shoes were gone, and Day didn't feel much like searching for them. She lowered her left foot to the tile floor, feeling the coldness, and then gingerly set weight on her right.
It stung… then leveled out. Day attempted to stand, placing her hands on the bed. She kept weight primarily on her left leg, performing a shaky balancing act. There was a doorway on the opposite wall, closest to her, so Day did her best to hobble over to it without support.
Through the doorway was a set of metal stairs, leading down into the main lab. Day couldn't help but sigh; this would not be fun.
Clutching the handrail on the wall, Day took a cautious step with her injured leg—
And the stairs jerked to life, beginning to lower her to the ground floor. Day somehow managed to remain on her feet, caught off guard. They weren't stairs at all; it was an escalator. That was a nice surprise.
When she reached the bottom, the escalator stopped, allowing her to step off easily. The lab was completely dark, save for the blueish glow of a computer screen. It was eerily quiet, and Alphys was nowhere to be found.
Day limped to the desk where the computer sat, displaying a blank log-in screen. She didn't want to snoop into Alphys' private files, so she left it alone. There were papers scattered all over the desk, along with opened pens, empty soda cans, and styrofoam cups reading "Insta-Noodles!"
Alphys was a little… er, unsystematic.
Just then, a door slid open somewhere. Day jumped, causing her unexpected pain, and she yelped.
Alphys yelped too, "AAAH! Wh-who's—" She spotted Day quickly, "… O-oh! It's just you! Eheh… h-heh, wh-who else would it be, right? Uh, s-so, how's your leg?"
"It's… sore," she answered, minimizing the true extent of the pain.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Alphys replied in sympathy, "B-but at least you can walk around! At least a l-little, right? S-so that's… good…" There was an awkward pause, "… Um… d-did you… n-need anything?"
Day opened her mouth to answer, but there was no need; her stomach growled loudly. She wrapped an arm around her middle, trying to stifle the sound in embarrassment.
"Oh! Are you hungry?" Alphys deduced, "I-I can get you something, if you want! I just— the fridge is right over here! Uh, hold on a second!" She dashed over to the fridge, opened the door, and perused its contents.
"Um… I don't think soda would be very good," she remarked, mostly to herself, "Let's see, there's… that would probably be too sugary… now that's definitely too spicy… um… w-well, this might… be okay…" Alphys withdrew an Insta-Noodles cup, "I-I have these? They, um, sh-shouldn't be too strong… on your stomach, I mean! Um, is th-this okay?"
Day nodded quietly.
"Alright, p-perfect!" She took it and a pitcher of water from the fridge, shutting the door with her hip, "Here, there should be a hot-plate under all this… th-this mess here…" Trying to balance the objects in her arms, Alphys shuffled around the papers on her desk until she found what she was looking for.
"Aha! Here it is!" She cleared everything off the hot-plate and turned it on. Next, Alphys pulled the paper flap off the top of the noodle cup, but only halfway. She poured water into the cup, replaced the paper flap, and set it on the hot-plate.
"Um… it'll take a few minutes… t-to get warmed up, all the way."
Day hardly heard her, unaware that she was staring at the water pitcher with the utmost attention.
Alphys was confused for a moment, but followed her gaze shortly after, "Oh! You're— you're probably really thirsty, aren't you? Of course you would be— ugh, I didn't even think of that! I'm so sorry! I— here, hold on!"
In a matter of seconds, Alphys had collected a yellow mug from her desk, checked its cleanliness, and was filling it with water.
"H-here you go!" She passed it to Day, "S-sorry! I didn't even think about it! J-just— don't be afraid to ask next time, okay?"
She nodded briefly before downing the water, quenching the burn of her throat at long last.
Alphys stood a bit awkwardly again, "… Um… ac-actually… um, Asgore got me that mug. H-he said he saw it and thought of me…"
Day examined the yellow mug; it had a mustache on the front, placed so that every time she took a drink, it sat directly below her nose. She giggled at this.
"Y-yeah," Alphys commented, "He— he got a laugh out of that."
Considerably more comfortable, Day remembered her plan, "Um, Alphys? Do you know where my sweater went?"
"Y-your sweater?"
"It's purple and pink striped… uh, I had around my waist earlier, but I can't find it now…?"
Alphys drummed her fingers together, thinking, "Um… I don't… I'm not sure I-I know. I don't think I saw it, wh-when I found you outside—"
"Found me outside?"
"Oh! D-do you not know— er, I mean… d-do you remember… how you got here?"
Day shook her head, "No… I was covered in spiders, and then…"
She struggled to remember anything more, but the memories she retained were not helpful. A feeling of residual dread began to form a pit in her stomach, and a hand itched to shield her arm from an imaginary threat.
"W-well, that's okay if you don't remember!" Alphys quickly interrupted, as if she could sense the oncoming emotions, "All I know is that— well, I was about to go to bed, s-so I was turning off the monitors, and— and I noticed that I couldn't see you anywhere! I-I'd seen you at the vent puzzle before, b-but… I had no idea where you'd gone! S-so, while I was looking for you, someone knocked at the front lab door. So I went and opened it, b-but didn't see anyone! Or— or I thought no one was there, anyway, until I looked down and— w-well, you were, um, on the ground. A-and you didn't say anything when I t-talked to you, s-so I thought— something bad happened. S-so, um, I just— brought you in here!"
She thought for a moment, "Um, I-I don't think… I don't think you had your sweater with you, then. B-but I'm not sure… s-sorry!"
"It's okay," Day assured, "Thank you for helping me."
"Oh, n-no problem! Yeah! Still… I wonder how you got here, though? I-I mean, th-there's no way you could've walked all the way from Muffet's web to here…"
Day was as clueless as her, and shrugged to say as much.
Alphys checked the Insta-Noodles, "Um, still… a f-few more minutes left…"
Silence returned. Day quietly sipped her water, Alphys let her eyes wander aimlessly.
…
"S-so."
Day returned her attention to Alphys, "Yes?"
Pink had arisen in Alphys' cheeks, impossible to miss, "S-so, um, th-this is totally random, but… um… h-hey?"
"Yes?"
"D-do you think, uh, sometime while you're here… if y-you're ever, um, b-bored enough, you'd want to… maybe… w-watch a sort of… human TV show w-with me? Maybe? Um, it's c-called… um…" Her voice lowered drastically, "… "M-M-Mew Mew Kissy Cutie"?"
Day cocked her head slightly, "What's it about?"
"Oh, w-well, it's actually really c-cool— it l-looks like it's for kids, since it's animated, b-but there's actually a lot of um, d-deep messages in it, too! It's my all-time favorite show! Um, s-so it's all about this human girl named Mew Mew who has pink cat ears! Wh-which humans don't have! S-so, she's like, all sensitive about them— but eventually she realizes that her ears don't matter! That all her friends like her, despite her ears! It's really moving, and— whoops! I-I just spoiled a huge part of it!"
"B-but anyway— s-so this part sounds weird, but she has a superpower that lets her control the mind of anyone she kisses! S-so she kisses people and has them solve all her problems! And the funny part is, um, they don't remember being controlled afterwards, so she keeps doing it! B-BUT! IF SHE MISSES THE KISS! OHMYGOD! Then— uh— I mean— and also—"
Alphys was babbling almost incoherently, trying to get her thoughts back on track.
"And— and of course eventually, she realizes that controlling people is— OKAY WELL I almost gave away the whole show there! Ahaha that would've been bad!" She laughed a little, then quieted once she caught sight of Day's bewildered expression, "Um… s-so yeah… if y-you ever want… we could… w-watch it… sometime... I guess…"
It took Day a moment to collect herself after the explosion of passion from Alphys' end, but eventually, she was able to speak.
"I would like that."
Alphys' sunken demeanor vanished instantly, "Y-you would? Really?!"
Day nodded, "It sounds fun."
"A-awesome! W-wow! Really, that's— I-I hoped you would— I thought you might just— um, c-cool! I— I have all th-three seasons on VHS! Um, w-we can watch it on the monitor— if y-you're not t-too tired, I mean?"
There was no way Day could say no to her excitement— and besides, she was hyped up, now. They had never been able to watch much more than a choice few Disney movies, and in typical Disney princess fashion, she longed for more.
"No, I'm not too tired."
"Great! I'll— I'll go get them now! J-just a minute!" A door slid open at her approach, and Alphys rushed into the next room.
On the hot-plate, water had begun to boil over, sizzling when it touched the scorching surface; Alphys had forgotten about it completely. Day didn't mind.
Within the first three episodes, Day knew the show's theme song by heart. And after three more, she and Alphys had begun to sing along with it.
Alphys was not exaggerating in her praise of the show.
Day was curled up inside the blue blanket, holding the Insta-Noodles cup to her chest; it created a sort of canopy of pleasant-smelling steam. Alphys was in the same position, clutching an enormous purple pillow; she wore a pair of fluffy white bunny slippers (Day liked them only slightly more than Sans' plain pink pair).
They finished the first season that night, but Day dozed off when Alphys rose to switch the tapes. She awoke in bed the next day.
For the first time since entering the underground, she could keep track of the days as they passed. Her "morning person" persona seemed to wear off, as she slept until 11 most of the time. The fever died down bit by bit, but she was constantly cold; every time she shivered, she was reminded of the lost sweater, but tried to ignore the thought.
Alphys would disappear into the same room at least twice a day: the time she stayed ranged from seconds to hours. But each time she emerged, she made sure to check on Day.
When Alphys wasn't working, she invited Day to watch anime with her again. Day never tired of the activity— she never knew how entertaining cartoons truly were.
They finished Mew Mew Kissy Cutie the very next day, and moved on the special hour-long episodes that were kept on two separate VHS tapes. The first was just as good as the show itself, but when the second one rolled around…
"— no one seems to get that it ruins Mew Mew's entire character arc!" Alphys blurted in the middle of a quiet scene, "How could anyone like "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2: Too Cutie!" better than the original?! GAH!"
It seems okay to me… she thought, but kept it to herself. Clearly, Alphys saw something that she had missed.
Their cartoon marathon continued to other shows: "Sally Galaxy," "Anti-gravity Springs," "Help! My Roommate's a Snake!" and a strange series called "Pow Pow Panda Power Hour." The characters, a bunch of martial-art fighting pandas, talked in a language Day had never heard before. As a result, she was completely lost within five minutes of the first episode.
"What did he say?" Day asked Alphys in a whisper, not wanting to talk over the show.
"He said, "You are not strong enough to defeat me, Akiko"!" Alphys translated, with just as much passion as the panda that had spoken.
Akiko responded, and again, Day looked to Alphys for a translation.
Alphys donned a deep, booming voice to match Akiko's and shook a fist, "I am stronger than you realize! I will defeat you for the murder of my father! Prepare to die!"
Day frowned, "Well that's not very nice."
"… W-well… n-no, not really…"
She scrunched up her nose in consideration, "Maybe he could just… forgive him? Maybe Hiroshi feels guilty about it and wants to apologize? Akiko should at least give him a chance to try."
Alphys gave her an interesting look, "… Maybe… I'm not really sure Hiroshi wants to apologize, though…"
Day nodded, agreeing, "I don't think so either. But Akiko still doesn't have to kill him. He can still change his mind and act better, when he sees that Akiko spares him. As a good example, maybe?"
"… Maybe." Alphys laughed a bit, as if she'd heard something funny. Day wasn't sure what she'd said that was so amusing.
Alphys' work comprised of watching the giant monitor in the lab, assuring no trouble was caused.
"Sometimes the core acts up," she explained one day, "And its effects are present all throughout the underground. Most of the time, it's just little fluctuations of temperature, and they can be easily fixed. Nothing serious! But just in case it really goes haywire, someday…" Alphys' voice drifted off, and she forced it into a laugh, "Well, thankfully that's never happened!"
Day longed to further the topic, but Alphys' attention was drawn to something on the screen, making her giggle.
"Oh, l-look!" She pointed out a Snowdin monitor, near the forest outside Sans and Papyrus' house, "They're— they're doing it again."
Undyne had flown through the air and tackled Papyrus to the ground, both screaming.
"SNOW WRESTLING!" Undyne whooped, "I WIN AGAIN!"
Face-down in the snow, Papyrus tried to wriggle out of her hold, "AT LEAST GIVE ME A WARNING, UNDYNE! SNEAK ATTACKS AREN'T FAIR!"
Undyne scoffed, "They're totally fair, if you know they're coming!"
"BUT THEN IT'S NOT A SNEAK ATTACK!"
"But you know I use sneak attacks, so it's fair!"
"Oh yeah?!" Papyrus scooped up a snowball and pelted Undyne with it.
She yelped, an incredibly high-pitched sound, "PAPYRUS! NO FAIR! THAT'S COLD!"
"But you know there is snow around us!" Papyrus retorted, "So it's fair! Nyeheheh!"
The screaming began again, Undyne's a passionate war-cry, Papyrus' one of true terror.
"NO UNDYNE PLEASE NO MORE SNOW WRESTLING!" He sprinted out of view of the camera, "DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"
Undyne cackled as she pursued him, fully planning to continue their battle.
Day was laughing, clutching her sides while doing so. Alphys was laughing too, but… softer. She seemed to be distracted by something else. Her cheeks were bright pink, for some reason.
"— and that's how you make a laser gun in ten simple steps!" Alphys concluded, showing the completed project. Day stared down at her jumble of wires and circuit-boards, lost.
Alphys had brought out a dusty cardboard box from the room she spent time in, saying it was a bunch of junk she'd never gone through, before. They found some old shirts that looked about Day's size, school textbooks with matching workbooks, and— the item of interest— a box of electrical parts.
Alphys had set right to work, teaching Day about electrical currents and machinery, all the while constructing a small laser gun that she now displayed proudly.
"That's really cool!" Day told her, "You made it so fast!"
"Well, j-just practice, I guess!" she reasoned, "It takes a while to really… get handy with it, and all. How are you doing on yours?"
Day held up her unwieldy mess of a project, "Not so good."
She laughed, "Don't worry, you're getting it! Here, let me see…" Alphys mulled over the amalgamation of wires, "Hm… maybe if…" She moved a few around, "That's better, at least. Now if I just connect there two… and this should definitely power this plate here… and…"
A light on the top of the circuit board blinked, and a chime went off to match.
"Tada!" Alphys said, "Got it! Heh, it's not quite as fun as Papyrus' puzzles in Snowdin, but… well, it's still a little fun, right?"
Day nodded, "Just hard."
"Yeah, maybe it's a little complex... but don't worry! You were halfway there! You just had the input wires switched, and the diodes here were… um, well. It's really good for a first try! Really!"
She just nodded, still in amazement, "You're really smart."
"W-well— th-thank you! I-I— that's n-nice of you to say!" Alphys was clearly flustered, "I— th-thanks, Day! B-but of course, y-you're really smart too!"
Day figured the compliment was only to match hers, "Not really. I'm not good at math or science or anything like that."
"Oh, b-but that doesn't make you not smart! I'm s-sure there's lots of things you're good at! Like, um… w-well… d-do you have any special talents?"
"I don't think so."
"O-oh? Well… um… can you… d-do you play sports?"
"No."
"Okay, no sports… um… do you… play an instrument, maybe?"
Day hesitated, "… I can play the piano. But just a little bit."
"Oh, really? Hey, Undyne can play the piano, too! Y-you guys should totally do a duet, sometime! It would be great!"
She smiled a little, "Yeah."
"S-so, see? You're smart at piano playing! So what if you're not a genius at boring old math and science?" Alphys refused to reveal how much those blasphemous words shamed her, "Y-you're good at other things! I mean, everyone's good at something! You just gotta find what that something is!"
Day paid close attention, convinced she was getting valuable life advice from the conversation.
"Okay," she replied, "That makes sense. Thank you, Alphys."
"Any time!"
There was a pause as Alphys fiddled with her new laser gun, and Day carefully observed the fixed circuit-board to determine her previous mistakes.
"… Um… Day?"
"Yes?"
Alphys was still holding the laser gun, but not paying attention to it. She wasn't even looking at Day as she spoke.
"So… th-this may sound a little bit strange, but… c-can I tell you something?" She hesitated, "Something kinda… personal?"
Day put down the circuit-board, "Okay."
"Okay, well… here it goes." There was a long intake of breath, "B-before I met you, um, to be completely honest, I didn't really…"
She started to wring her hands.
"I-I didn't really… um… l-li… like myself. Very much. Or at all. "
There was a long pause. Day did not interrupt. She only stared.
Still, Alphys did not look at her, "F-for a long time, I f-felt like… l-like a total screw-up. L-like I couldn't do anything right… like I c-couldn't do anything without… l-let… without letting everybody down. A-and so, I… I d-didn't do a lot, because… b-because I didn't want p-people to be disappointed in me."
Her tone brightened, but clearly by force, "B-but! Th-that's not what I wanted to stop at! Wh-what I— the whole point of s-saying this is that— um, b-being able to guide you through Hotland… s-so that you can get home… um, it's made me f-feel a lot… a l-lot better about myself! A-and hanging out with you here, a-and hearing all the nice things you say… um… s-so I guess I just want to say… um, th-thanks for letting me help you. It r-really means a lot. S-so… yeah. Th-thank you, Day."
Alphys cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Y-yeah. So… th-that's it."
Neither moved, for at least a minute. Then, Day could take it no longer.
She limped forward as quickly as she could manage and hugged Alphys around the middle, saying nothing.
Alphys seemed to jolt in surprise, though it was short-lived; she returned the hug a second later.
Day thought she heard a sniffle or two, but didn't mention it.
"Th-th-thanks," Alphys told her quietly.
She released the hug first, so Day followed in suit, keeping her eyes down politely.
Alphys removed her glasses covertly, trying not to make a big spectacle, and wiped them off on her lab coat.
"Well, um… n-now that we g-got that out of the way…" She cleared her throat, "Oh boy. That was, um… fun. Heheh…"
Alphys cleared her throat a second time, "Hey, um, I'm gonna go check in, uh, that room for a second… I-I wanna add an adjustment to the laser gun, a-and there's, um, a tool I need, in there. Um, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"
Day nodded.
"Okay, well um… y-yeah. I'll just… b-be a minute." Alphys scurried off down the escalator, leaving Day alone at the work table.
… I always thought she was just shy, Day thought, still in disbelief of it all, I didn't know that… but why wouldn't she like herself? She's so funny and smart and nice!
Suddenly, an idea struck her. Day dug through her pockets, searching for the crumpled collection of nice cream wrappers. She found the one she sought and flattened it on the table. The writing was still visible:
Love yourself! I love you!
It was perfect. Day opened a spiral notebook at the corner of the work table, then placed the wrapper inside so that it was just visible over the top of the cover page. Alphys would find the surprise sooner or later— and when she did, she was sure it would make her… well, day.
After a week, Day had more or less healed; her fever was gone, her head no longer felt fuzzy, and though the leg was stiff and a little sore, it didn't present any unbearable pain. She could move around freely, her limp unnoticeable to those who didn't look for it.
Unfortunately, a pair of visitors came one evening, and they knew exactly what to expect.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Alphys called out, running to lab's front entrance. Someone was knocking frantically and showed no sign of slowing.
"I really should install a call-box out front," she said to herself, unlocking the door and allowing it to slide open, "Hello? Who—"
"HUMAN DAY!"
Day dropped her cup of Insta-Noodles, and her gaze flew up quickly.
In seconds she found herself being spun in the air, held tightly in Papyrus' arms.
"OH HUMAN DAY I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" he yelled, as if she were several feet away and half deaf, "Sans told me that you were here with Dr. Alphys because you were hurt by spiders and I was so worried about you because spiders can be very dangerous sometimes and especially to humans— not to skeletons, because there is little in us that is able to be poisoned— but he said you were very sick and I was worried because I was not here to take care of you in your time of need! Of course Dr. Alphys is also very good at taking care of people and no doubt did a fantastic job—"
As he went on in this manner, Day stared up at him speechlessly.
I might not have ever been able to see him again.
The thought came at the worst possible time and was horribly dark, but that made it all the more potent.
If those spiders had eaten me… I would've never seen Papyrus again.
I would never have seen him again.
Ever.
I could've died… and I would never… have…
It was at this unfortunate moment that Papyrus glanced down at her and stopped mid-sentence.
"… Day? Why are you crying?"
Before the tears could become audible, she buried her face into his scarf, clutching it tightly.
Papyrus was surprised, but it didn't deter him from responding; he just patted her back.
"There there," he comforted, "It is alright! As long as you are not sick and hurt, I am not worried! You don't need to cry… but if it makes you feel better, then you can cry all you need to! The Great Papyrus will always be here for emotional support, and will not turn away in the face of tears!"
Day showed no sign of letting go, and Papyrus no sign of telling her to.
Undyne had decided not to barge in like Papyrus, and instead entered calmly, stopping at Alphys.
She flashed a confident smile, "Hey Alphys! Haven't seen you in a while!"
"H-hi Undyne!" Alphys stammered, "Uh, y-y-yeah! M-me neither! Um, are you… um… d-doing… good?"
"Sure am," she replied, "Papyrus and I have been hanging out in Snowdin— I was sleeping at their house for a while, but then Sans started driving me nuts— that guy gets, like, twenty midnight snacks! In the course of an hour!"
Alphys laughed, "Oh yeah— th-that sounds like Sans, alright! H-he used to… um, s-sometimes when I was sleeping, h-he would sneak in and… um, p-put whipped cream on my hand—"
"He did that to you too?!" Undyne groaned, "God, I hated that! He only did it to me once, though— I chased him halfway through Waterfall in my pajamas, for it! Now he thinks twice before pranking me when I'm trying to sleep!"
She laughed, and Alphys joined in. Both girls were noticeably blushing, and prayed the other wouldn't notice.
"So, I heard about the little trooper over there." Undyne nodded back to Day, who was still contently in the arms of Papyrus, "What happened to her?"
"Oh, what happened to Day?" Alphys clarified, "Well, um, as far as I heard, there was a little… um… a little incident… involving Muffet…"
Undyne's smile vanished, "What do you mean "incident"?"
"W-well I—"
"You mean Muffet beat her up?"
"W-well! Um, not so much Muffet as… um… her pet?"
"Muffet sicked her pet on Day?"
"Um—"
"Did it bite her?!"
"J-just a little—"
"PAPYRUS!" Undyne called over, "Bring the kid over here!"
Papyrus obeyed, though somewhat alarmed by Undyne's tone.
"Hey, kid," Undyne spoke up, "Day."
Day turned to face her, "Yes ma'am?"
"So what happened with you and Muffet? Did you do something to provoke her?"
"Um, I don't think so," Day answered, "I was walking through the room and couldn't see the webs, and then Miss Muffet came and said she was going to bake me into a cake—"
"Bake you into a cake?!" Papyrus blurted, "That would not have been very good!"
"What else?" Undyne encouraged.
"Well she said she was going to send spiders after me, so I tried to run away, but she caught up— and then she told her giant spider pet after me, and it bit me on the leg—"
Papyrus was hugging her even tighter than before, but Undyne still pressed for more.
"Yeah? And?"
"And then I started to feel sick and couldn't run away, so I fell down, and everything started to get dizzy and I couldn't move and I thought I was going to—"
Day forced herself to stop at the last possible second, unwilling to share the dark thought.
Undyne's eye began to twitch at the corner. She did not look happy.
"I— I think I kicked the giant spider, when it was biting me," Day admitted, thinking Undyne was waiting for a confession, "I shouldn't have done that, b-but I wasn't thinking straight, and I got scared—"
"Papyrus," she interrupted, "Why don't you and Day go find her shoes? She and I are going to pay Muffet a little visit."
"A… friendly, non-violent visit?" Papyrus asked meekly.
"We'll see."
He took the hint, "Erm… well then, Day, let's go find your shoes! It would not be very fun to walk around Hotland in only socks!"
Day nodded, "They're upstairs."
Papyrus carried her up the escalator, sat her comfortably on the bed and brought them to her.
"I would offer to help you tie them," he said, "But… well, it is very difficult to tie knots of any kind in mittens!"
"That's okay," she assured, tying the pink laces herself. Her right leg was difficult to bend, but Day didn't admit to it. She didn't want to worry Papyrus any more than he already was. When she was finished, Papyrus scooped her up once again and carefully carried her to the main lab area.
"Lemme see her," Undyne said, "With the leg and all."
"Please be very gentle and careful!" Papyrus cautioned, "Humans are very breakable!"
Undyne scoffed, "What? No way! Humans are frickin' tough!" She held Day under an arm, "Why, I could probably drop her off the top of this mountain and she'd bounce right back!"
Papyrus looked panicked, "Undyne please don't do that!"
"I'm not gonna!" She smiled tauntingly, "Probably."
"Undyne!"
With a cackle, she ran out of the lab, "See ya, Alphys! Don't tire her out too much, Papyrus!"
"Goodbye Undyne and Day! Please be very careful and safe!"
"B-bye Day! I'll— I'll call you later, okay? Um, y-you be careful too, Undyne!"
Day held tightly to Undyne's arm as they flew across Hotland, straight into an elevator near the lab. Once inside, Undyne set Day down on the floor.
"Now kid," she began, "I get that you're planning to stick to the whole "turn the other cheek" and "don't hurt monsters" thing, but if you keep letting people push you around, you're gonna get hurt again! And you're not always gonna have someone there to fight off bad guys for you! You gotta be able to stand up for yourself and say "no," you hear?"
"I tried to—"
"You gotta be more aggressive!" Undyne continued, "You gotta stand your ground for what's right! Now I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't usually take the monsters' side of this whole thing— humans are stronger! They've got no excuse to be losing like this! But you know what I can't stand more than anything?"
Day took a guess, "Losing?"
"No!" she argued, but then reconsidered, "… Okay, so maybe that's number two. But there's something even worse than that: injustice! I don't like seeing people getting pushed around when they didn't do anything to deserve it! So you know what? We're going back to Muffet right now, she's gonna apologize to you, you're gonna apologize for kicking her pet, and then you're gonna go on your merry little way. Got it?"
She froze up at the thought of returning to that horrible place, "B-but—"
The elevator door slid open.
"Too late to argue, now!" Undyne said, hoisted her under an arm once again, and continued to run towards Muffet's parlor.
Before Day had a chance to plead otherwise, they were there.
"Hey! Muffet!" Undyne called out, "Get out here a second! You got some explaining to do!"
Day latched onto Undyne's arm for dear life, shaking violently; she couldn't bear to look.
That all too familiar giggle erupted.
"Ahuhuhu… why hello there, dearie! My, what a pleasant surprise to have the captain of the royal guard in my humble parlor…"
Undyne was unfazed, "You set your pet on my friend Day, here. The thing bit her and made her sick for a week!" In a single motion, she released Day and set her on the webs in front of Muffet, "I think you owe her an apology."
Day made a move to run back to Undyne for protection, but Muffet got there first.
"Oho! Why hello there, you slippery little dearie, you…"
"I-I'm sorry I kicked your pet!" Day blurted before fear could render her speechless, "I— I didn't mean to hurt him— I'm sorry!"
Muffet only giggled, covering her mouth.
"Is that all? Why, there's no need to worry, my dear!" She reached out and patted Day on the head gingerly, "There will be no grudges held at all! I'm sure Cupcake has quite forgiven you for the whole incident!" Muffet flashed her a grin, "Of course, you could always ask him yourself, if that would make you feel better?"
"N-N-no thank you!" she stammered, squeezing her own arm in a vice grip, "N-no—"
"Alright," Undyne cut in, "Now it's your turn, Muffet."
Muffet giggled, "Oh yes, how silly of me to forget! Of course, I am very sorry for the trouble I caused— the person who asked for your soul must've meant a different human wearing a stained apron! Ahuhuhu, what are the odds? Of course, I'd be glad to make it up to you! Here, how about this; you can come back any time you'd like, and for no charge at all… I'll wrap you up and let you play with sweet Cupcake, again!"
Day went pale, on the verge of fainting at the thought alone.
"Just kidding, of course!" she assured, "I do love an occasional joke, ahuhuhu!"
Undyne seemed satisfied, "Sure." She turned back to Day, "You think you can take it from here, Day?"
"B-by myself? You can't come wi—"
"No no, now remember what I told you about," she reminded, "You gotta buck up and fend for yourself, alright? You're strong enough, you just gotta do it! I'm not gonna let you quit just yet!" Undyne grinned, "But you come find me if someone gives you too hard of a time, alright punk?"
Against her true wishes, Day nodded, "Yes ma'am."
"Later, kid. Muffet. Both of you'd better stay out of trouble, or I'm coming after you, ya hear?" She dashed back to the entrance of the parlor, "Keep moving forward, Day! You're getting there!"
As soon as she had bounded out of sight (Undyne didn't seem to want to waste any time), Muffet smiled at Day again.
"Perhaps I could make it up to you in another way," she suggested, "As you can see, my beautiful parlor is a bit on the dark side— hard to navigate with only two eyes, is it not?" Muffet offered a hand, "I can lead you to the exit, if that is what you'd like."
Day kept both hands close to her chest, distrustful of her offer.
Muffet only giggled, "I won't bite, dearie. Those days are long behind us, now!"
She did need to get to the core… and that could only happen if she passed this area. Day had little choice. Shaking, she reached up and took Muffet's outstretched hand.
With a giggle, they were off. Day had to hurry to keep up with Muffet's brisk pace, a task made even more difficult with her added limp. Soon, a light became visible amidst the shadows and webs— for the first time in a week, Day was filled with a sense of determination.
"Here we are!" Muffet announced, "And there you go, dearie! Free to continue on ahead!"
Day nodded politely, "Thank you."
"Ahuhuhu, of course! Come back any time, dearie!" Muffet turned to scurry off, but paused, glancing back, "Oh, and just a parting word— you can tell your friend that elaborate canons are not appreciated in my parlor. The light is very painful to a spider's many eyes, and the damaged webbing took ages to repair!"
"Excuse me?" Day asked, confused, "I don't know what you're—"
Muffet had vanished with a final giggle, disappearing into the darkness.
Canons? She wondered, What did Undyne ever say about canons? What was Muffet talking about?
It seemed she wouldn't get an answer, now. Day took a moment to massage her leg, bending her knee a few times to ease the stiffness, and stood up straight.
To the core, then.
Thank you for taking the time to read! I'd appreciate any feedback you have- that's what keeps me writing! ^-^