Chapter 25: Muffet
Kopi and Frsk glanced ahead as they saw a stand coming up. On closer inspection the small stand was actually a small bakery, run by spiders.
"It's just like the spiders back in the Ruins!" Frisk cried as they ran over to them.
"Guess spiders have the pastry market covered." Kopi figured as they followed them.
As Frisk fawned over the spiders, Kopi walked in front of the stand, where the only person around their size stood. She also was a spider as evident from her six arms and five eyes, whilst wearing a red velvet outfit as her black hair was tied into two ponytails.
"Uhh, hey there." Kopi waved.
"Welcome to our parlour, dearies!" She greeted them. "Interested in some spider pastries?"
Kopi stared at the items on display; a croissant that for some reason made a bracelet pop into their head, and a rubbery spider donut. "Did you make these yourself, miss...?"
"Muffet. And yes, I did, you have keen eyes." She answered with a smile. "Everything you see was lovingly handcrafted by myself and my spiders."
'Yeah, I remember the ingredients to the donut...' Kopi shuddered. 'I wonder if Frisk still has that? Is it still edible?'
"We're making money to support all spiders." Muffet continued. "If we get enough, we'll be able to open a bakery together and all make a living! When King Asgore is able to open the barrier, we'll build it up on the surface, in the sunlight, and make pastries for everybody!"
'So you have a reason as well, huh? Everybody seems to have one...' Kopi nodded.
"By the way, I don't think I've ever seen you before." Muffet pointed out. "Are you two new around here?"
"...Kinda." Kopi coughed awkwardly.
"...What's your name?" She persisted.
"Kopi. And that's Frisk." Kopi pointed to their friend talking to the spiders.
"Are you a good cook, Kopi?" Muffet asked.
"Um...maybe? I think I've done it before..." Their mind seemed to wander a bit, but nothing came up.
"Really? Maybe we should bake together some time!" She suggested. "I'd love to try recipe ideas with you!"
"Okay, sounds, fun." Kopi responded hesitantly.
"Great!" Muffet seemed overjoyed. "Do you, have a phone?"
'What is happening right now?' Kopi thought. "Frisk has our phone."
"Oh." She sounded almost disappointed. "Well then, why don't you drop by again sometime instead? Our non-existent door is always open!"
"Cool, cool. Thanks." Kopi made to leave, only to find some spiders on their feet. "Oh, uh, excuse me, guys..." They carefully stepped around so as not to step on them, before jogging over to Frisk. "Hey, um, can we leave now?"
"Awwww, I wanted to talk to the spiders some more." The human pouted. "I wish I could've bought some of their pastries, but..." Kopi's eyes widened when they saw the price.
"Jeez! Let's go!" The monster hurriedly pulled them along.
"You're in a hurry." Frisk noted.
"I think a spider just flirted with me." Kopi told them.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?" Frisk gasped. "Tell me all the details!"
"She...asked if I could see her again." Kopi mumbled.
"...Is that it? That's boring." Frisk huffed.
"B-Boring!?" Kopi cried.
"That's nothing to be so flustered about! You should've gotten down on one knee or something!" Frisk suggested.
"Nonono! That was embarrassing!" Kopi denied, face red. "I had no idea what to do!"
"Not the romantic type, huh?" Frisk figured. "Don't worry, Kopi! There's someone out there for everyone! Jut believe in love and you will find it!"
"Mmmmmmmm!" Kopi buried their head in their hands.
The two of them continued on, passing through another puzzle door, until the area around them began to darken, and cobwebs began to appear across the walls and ceiling.
"This is getting...kinda spooky..." Frisk trembled.
"Don't worry, we've been through worse, right?" Kopi shrugged. "Darkness? Psh, we've faced flying spears and armed dogs and-what's up with the floor?"
They both stared down at their feet to find the ground was white and sticky. "...Cobwebs?" Frisk deduced.
"Maybe we should hurry along." Kopi suggested as they did just that, but stopped before they could reach the end. "...I'm uh...I'm stuck."
"Me too...!" Frisk struggled to free their legs.
"Fuhuhuhuhu..." They both shuddered as a familiar voice rang out. "Did you hear what they just said? They said a human wearing a striped shirt will come through here. I heard that they hate spiders. I heard, that they love to stomp on them. I heard that they like to tear their legs off."
"Not true! Not true at all!" Frisk cried out.
"I heard..." Muffet appeared before them, as spiders surrounded them. "That they're awfully stingy with their money. Fuhuhuhuhu, you think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie?"
"No!...it was just expensive..." Frisk pouted.
"Oh come on! You're not hating them over that, are you!?" Kopi gasped, wobbling on their thin legs.
"Fuhuhuhuhu, I disagree with that notion." Muffet continued. "I think your taste...is exactly what this next batch needs!" Frisk's Soul appeared, indicating a fight.
"Uh oh!" The human panicked.
"C'moooooon, legs!" Kopi pulled at them frantically, but they would not budge.
"Don't look so blue deary!" Muffet poured purple liquid from her teacups, drenching Frisk's Soul in it and causing it to turn purple, before three long purple spiderwebs shot through the Soul and pulled it away from Frisk's body, as the heart was now suspended above them. "I think purple is a better look on you!"
"My Soul!" Frisk tried in vain to reach for it.
"You should be proud, proud that you're going to make a delicious cake! Ahuhuhu!" Muffet laughed, before spiders suddenly started running down the web and ramming into the Soul.
"Ahh!" Frisk gasped as they clutched their chest, a bolt of pain shooting through them each time the heart was hit.
"Frisk!" Kopi cried. 'C'mon, Kopi! There's gotta be something you can do!...Wait!'
"I'll get us out!" Kopi formed their hands into daggers and slashed at the cobwebs binding their feet, tearing them apart and freeing them.
Only for them both to fall with nothing beneath them.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Frisk yelled.
"I didn't think this plan through!" Thinking quickly, Kopi grabbed Frisk's arm, then the monster stretched their other arm upward and grabbed a thick spiderweb, before pulling them both upwards and placing them on the web, as if they were on a climbing wall.
"That was close..." Kopi breathed as they looked upward towards Frisk's Soul. "We've gotta get your Soul back!"
"I'm on it!" Frisk nodded as they both began climbing the cobwebs.
"Let you go? Don't be so silly!" Suddenly, Frisk's Soul rose even higher out of their reach, as more spiders started crawling down the webs. "Your Soul is going to make every spider very happy!"
"Ahhh!" Panicking, frisk waved their hand, causing their Soul to switch between the three webs, and avoid the attacks. "Phew..."
'Remember what Italic said.' Kopi thought. 'Every battle is like a conversation...so what reason does Muffet have for attacking us? She complained that humans were stingy with their money...but that's not a good enough reason, is it?'
"Oh, how rude of me! I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet!" The duo looked at her as she said that. "It's breakfast time, isn't it? Have fun you three."
"Pet?" Kopi echoed nervously.
"M-Maybe it's cute." Frisk suggested.
A loud roar emerged from the darkness below them, and the two of them looked down to see a giant cupcake spider climbing up towards them, giant fangs chewing away at the web beneath them.
"Not cute! NOT CUTE!" Kopi cried as the two of them began to climb faster.
"The person who warned us about you, offered us a LOT of money for your Soul." Muffet said as they climbed. "They had such a sweet smile and...ahuhu. It's strange, I thought I saw them in the shadows...changing shape?"
'Someone's payng her for Frisk's Soul?' Kopi thought. 'Who would do such a thing? That aside, she really likes money, doesn't she? Maybe...'
"Hey, Muffet!" Kopi called won to her, fishing G out of their pocket. "Here, catch!"
Muffet graciously caught the money. "Why, thank you, Kopi! Your proceeds will not go to waste!"
"So, uhh...do you think you could give us Frisk's Soul back now, please?" Kopi requested.
"Your sweet...but no." She declined.
'Crud, that didn't work...and she flirted with me again!' Kopi cursed.
Frisk meanwhile was focusing on both climbing and trying to move their Soul around, but unfortunately it was still hit. "Ack!"
"Frisk, are you okay!?" Kopi asked.
"Kopi! Look out!" frisk pointed above them, as donuts began raining down on them.
"Ow! Ow!" The pair shielded themselves with their arms as they were pelted with pastries, but during that time, Muffet's pet was right underneath them! "It's too close to climb away from now! What do we do!?"
Looking around frantically, Kopi spotted another set of cobwebs further away, and quickly thought of another idea. "Frisk!" Kopi wrapped their legs around Frisk's waist like a belt and pointed over to the cobwebs. "Jump over there!"
"O-Okay!" The human trusted them and jumped just as the pet snapped where their ankle was. Kopi extended their arms and acted like a glider as they flew across the dark room. "Wowie! I'm flying! This is amazing!"
"Might wanna focus on landing!" Kopi pointed out as they grabbed onto the cobwebs and resumed climbing, whilst Muffet's pet growled in annoyance and retreated back down into the darkness.
"With that money, the spider clans can be reunited." Muffet said, as more donuts and croissants fell on the two of them.
"Huh? Spider clans?" Frisk asked.
"You haven't heard? Spiders have been trapped in the Ruins for generations!" Muffet cried.
'The spiders in the Ruins...that bake sale from before!' Kopi's eyes widened in realisation. 'Muffet wants to free those spiders, so that they can all make a bakery together and support each other!...That's it! That's why she's fighting us! To get that money and save those spiders! But if that's the case, then...!'
"Frisk! Do you still have that Spider Donut!?" Kopi asked them.
"Spider Donut? I am feeling pretty weak..." frisk admitted as they searched their pockets, before triumphantly pulling it out. "Yes!" Kopi then proceeded to snatch it out of their hand. "Hey!"
"Muffet! Look at this!" Kopi held the treat up for her to see.
"Wait...that's...where did you get that?" Muffet asked.
"We bought it! From the spiders in the Ruins!" They called out.
"You..." Just then, a spider appeared carrying a sheet of paper. "Huh? a telegram from the spiders in the Ruins?" She took it and began reading it. "...It appears you're right! Oh my, this has just been a big misunderstanding! I thought you were someone that hated spiders! the person who asked for that Soul, they must have meant a DIFFERENT human in a striped shirt! Sorry for all the trouble, ahuhuhuhu. Here, I'll let give your Soul back." The heart was freed from the webs and turned red again before retreating into Frisk's being.
"That was close..." Kopi admitted, as frisk ate the Spider Donut whilst they descended the web, and they were back on the ground again.
"Quick thinking, Kopi." Frsk complimented them.
"Fuhuhuhu, I must admit, that was fun." Muffet giggled. "I suppose I'll see you around, dearie!"
"Wait, Miss Muffet!" Frisk suddenly called after them. "I have something to ask you!"
"Oh? I usually charge for questions, but I suppose one won't hurt." Muffet figured.
"Why do you like Kopi?" Frisk asked, pointing at the monster.
"FRISK!" Kopi practically screamed.
Muffet stared for a moment, before laughing softly. "Fufufufufufu! Oh my, you didn't take our conversation THAT way, did you?"
"Nope!" Kopi declined, grabbing Frisk.
"I must admit, you're kinda cute in a strange way." She said. "It must be your limbs. They remind me of a spiders."
Kopi stared down at their paper arms. "Uhhh, thank you?"
"In fact, now that I think about it, if you had six more arm you'd be quite handsome." Muffet said.
"Okaythat'snicegoodbyenow!" Kopi said before pushing Frisk out of the room.
"Bye-bye!" Muffet waved them off.
Frisk looked up at Kopi with a cheeky grin as they let their friend push them along.
"Not a word, Frisk." Kopi said. "Not. A. Word."
...
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