Alice in Undertale
By Lolitafreak88
Chapter 24 Judgement First, Promise Afterward
Wearily, Alice carried on the path, finding that the floor design changed back to that of Muffet's. She had never felt quite so mentally exhausted before and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. What she heard just now from Alphys did clear things up a bit. Alphys seemed to have suffered from a lack of self-confidence for some time before Alice came down here. Considering her social awkwardness, lack of consideration towards one's privacy, and strange interests in promoting false history, it made a lot of sense to her. Alphys must've saw Alice's arrival as a chance to make herself feel fulfilled as either the Royal Scientist or just as Alphys in particular. After all, if every other monster was hunting Alice, why shouldn't she have some fun with the human girl herself? This perfectly explains how and why she orchestrated this scenario with Mettaton and why she seems in control as opposed to Mettaton, Alice concluded with the finesse of a detective. Alphys had spoken genuinely with that confession and Alice did feel a bit bad that Alphys felt so low of herself at one point but going through with this plan was inexcusable. No human's life should be toyed with like some kind of game and Alphys was very likely deceiving her and possibly leading her into a far worse scenario than dealing with Mettaton. Not to mention that this would reflect badly on the king if he were to find out Alphys was abusing the power of her position for a fairly trivial thing rather than help break the barrier.
"Oh…! It's you again!" Alice gasped with some relief when she saw some familiar faces.
First she spotted the Nice Cream Guy once again with his stand and the two Royal Guards from earlier standing side by side. Considering how things had went with both of them and Alice was more than delighted to speak with them again. It was the Nice Cream Guy who had noticed her fist and sent a send-off towards her way.
"Hey! It's you again! Business is excellent here! These two fellas bought ALL my ice cream! I've actually sold out of everything!" He exclaimed.
"That's wonderful! Congratulations on your success!" Alice said cheerfully, clapping her hands.
"Aww thanks… I'll definitely find some way to make it up to you who were one of my first big buyers. As for now, I've still got something for you! … a big smile! How about that!" The Nice Cream Guy grinned.
"Certainly a sweet smile. Thank you."
Alice then turned to the two Royal Guards in question, curious about how their outing went.
"Oh, hey. We're, like, taking a rain check on that killing-you thing. Like, don't tell Undyne about this, ok?" RG 01 requested.
"I haven't run into her around here so I'm positive your secrets safe with me. How did the date come along?" Alice asked, putting a finger to her cheek in anticipation.
"Oh it was really sweet… and romantic. Like, everything I've dreamed of and more… I could stay like this forever... " RG 01's blush practically oozed out from the armor.
RG 02 nodded in silent agreement, looking fairly happy with the situation as well. Alice giggled with delight, finding an unusual joy in helping others find romance and happiness thus far. Normally she would often indulge in her own imagination and happiness and couldn't be bothered with people and things she didn't understand. Slowly but surely, Alice could recognize that she was starting to change as a person. I've already changed so many times since that morning, Alice thought, and I still have a whole lifetime to change much more. Deciding to leave the Royal Guards be, she kept on her way, noticing a stairway that seemed to lead to a tall building. As she climbed up the stairs, she saw something absolutely shocking.
"No way… Sans is here again…" Alice gasped.
First and foremost was the setting, a big purple brick building with large gold windows, matching doors, a beautiful orange and white checked cloth overhang, and pretty potted plants. Above the overhang was a very distinct sign with the design of two Mettaton's and the letters 'MTT' with an underline underneath. There were also four elegant sticks holding what appeared to be a red ribbon between each pair of them on two sides of the entrance way. Lastly was a piece of paper lying on the ground and Sans, standing in front of one of the potted plants, hands in his pockets, and seemingly static. Alice was confused as to why Sans was here as this was above and beyond the furthest from a sentry post and from Snowdin. In addition, last time they had spoken, he hadn't let Alice known he was going to be up ahead again. Rather he had told her to run along. For some reason this gave Alice an eerie feeling…
"Perhaps he wants to speak to me again…? But of what? And why…?" Alice asked herself as quietly as she could.
Desperate to find a distraction from this, she turned to the piece of paper lying on the ground. 'Hey! Go up to the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!' Sounds like another store, Alice decided as she eyed Sans with reservation. Sans seemed to be daydreaming to himself for he hadn't noticed Alice at all, and he showed no signs of moving beyond an occasional breath. She was questioning why she was feeling nervous seeing him again but perhaps it was the fact she realized that she didn't have as good a read on him as she once thought and he kept reappearing throughout this journey. If he was secretly aiding King Asgore that'd make sense but he had let her go so it just made the whole thing even more mysterious. Deciding to ignore him for the time being, she went into the alleyway, marked by a red arrow painted on the ground. What she failed to realize was that once her back was turned, Sans looked into the direction she headed off to.
"Hey! Check it out!"
"Yeah! Check it out!" Two energetic female voices greeted at once to the little girl.
Alice looked and saw what appeared to be a small stand and what looked like an apartment against the walls of the MTT building with a sign that said 'Bratty & Catty' with lipstick stains. Behind those stands were two of the most normal-looking monsters she had seen yet. There was a green alligator with blonde hair tied into elegant ringlets and a bold pink, yellow and bright blue shawl over a blue undershirt with yellow and green sleeves. She was wearing noticeable lipstick and had pink eyes. The second monster was a purple cat with a cool black haircut with a tinge of electric blue on the end and an earring on her right cat ear. She was wearing a blue shirt with yellow buttons and yellow torn sleeves. Alice looked dazzled by their appearances as not only was one of them a cat like Dinah, but they seemed rather stylish and she got a sense they had a lot of energy. Alice remarked,
"Oh wow! You two look so lovely!"
"Like thanks! It's hard to get compliments here in the alleyway!" The cat cheerfully exclaimed, holding up her paws.
"We don't really need compliments. Or much of anything really so-" The alligator tried to be humble but the cat seemed enthusiastic.
"Oh my god, can you go get us some Glamburgers? OOH! Or I could pay you 1000G if you can get Mettaton to sign my butt" The cat's tongue stuck out and her eyes turned into noticeable hearts as she swayed dreamily.
"Goodness… Um, well perhaps once I figure out where to buy them I could do so. Um, who are you two?" Alice asked politely, slightly surprised at their very outgoing antics.
"I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty." The alligator said.
"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty." The cat said at the same time.
The two of them looked to one another in surprise at being in sync before chuckling in amusement. Alice looked a bit shy now as she realized the two of them were far out of her comfort zone in terms of mannerisms.
"I kind of had a hunch you were Catty for I have a cat of my very own… so you two went into business together?" Alice offered.
"Oh yeah. The stuff inside, is like…"
"TOTALLY wicked expensive." Catty finished Bratty's thought for her.
"But, like, this stuff we found is like…"
"TOTALLY wicked cheap."
"You should…"
"Like…"
""TOTALLY wicked buy all of it?"" The two monsters offered playfully.
They talk like RG 01, Alice realized from their use of 'like'. She was learning some useful information though, like how it seemed the MTT Resort had a store of its own. As well as the fact that Bratty and Catty seemed to be owning a thrift store. It was charming to Alice and they definitely had the personality to pull it off. She also found it admirable that two best friends were working together to earn an income as she was still at an age where she was to be making her friends that'd last a lifetime. This was a good sign of what she could learn to do with a best friend to make success happen in her life.
"So where did you find these products to sell?" Alice inquired thoughtfully.
"I mean, like, where does anyone get guns, or food, or…" Bratty began.
"We found it in the garbage!"
An awkward silence occurred as Catty covered her mouth from jumping in and Bratty looked to her nervously. Alice's eyes widened.
""It's GOOD garbage. It's like really good garbage."" Bratty and Catty said respectively together.
"T-that doesn't seem sanitary… or legal. I mean what are you even offering at the moment?" Alice asked as she recalled the state of the garbage dump from when she fell in there.
"Like, we get them from the garbage store, duh! It's totally legal." Bratty said.
""..."" Then there was another pause from the two of them.
Alice was beginning to feel mentally tired again, these two were a bit too… flighty? It seemed as though they were quick to act but slow to think and their energy was pretty overwhelming. If anything it was also comedic, like they were a pair of performers directing the audience into several punchlines.
"Waterfall mostly." Bratty admitted with a laugh.
"I found a gun in the dumpster!" Catty shouted.
"..." Alice frowned slightly and folded her arms.
"Oh right! You want to see our fares right? Here you go!" Bratty said, pulling out a selection of items.
Alice saw what looked like some packaged snacks and goodies, an empty gun, a cowboy hat, and most intriguing of all, a key. Alice did show a bit of interest in the key as she believed it could take her somewhere important. So she pointed at it and asked the pair,
"How much for this key? And what door does it open?"
"Like, that'll be 600G, and it's probably to someone's house. LOL." Catty chuckled.
"Wait, if you found this in the garbage dump, why didn't you attempt to return this key to its rightful owner?" Alice asked, suddenly realizing they may have done something selfish.
"There wasn't really anyone around at the time we found it. So, it's totally up for grabs. Besides, we've held onto it for like, EVER! So if the monster it belonged to wanted it, they'd like skedaddle over here." Bratty explained.
"... Well I suppose I'll be the one to return it to them." Alice concluded as she handed her money over and took the key, placing it in her pockets for safekeeping.
"Bratty! We're gonna be rich!" Catty squealed with delight.
"Say, do you know anything about Mettaton or Alphys?" Alice asked, figuring getting some more information would benefit her at this point.
""Oh my GOD. Mettaton."" Both of them looked positively lovestruck at the mention of him.
"He's like… my robot husband. I think we're like… both going to marry him." Bratty said.
"Actually he's like… MY robot husband. We're both like, ALREADY married to him. He just, like, doesn't know it yet." Catty said with a satisfied smirk.
After the way he's been acting, Alice thought, they can take him. Alice then suddenly remembered her promise to Papyrus about trying to help him get introduced to Mettaton. Papyrus seemed WAY too good for Mettaton by this point but Alice decided she didn't want to break Papyrus's trust in her so she reassigned her priorities. Meanwhile, the two friends continued to chatter away,
"So, like Dr. Alphys built Mettaton right?"
"That's like what they TELL you."
"But like… Mettaton always acts like…"
"... being built was his idea somehow." Catty said with a surprised look on her face.
"And even right after he was built…" Bratty went on.
"... he acted like Alphys was an old friend."
"But they're like… Not friends anymore."
"Yeah! Unlike me and Bratty! Best friends for-EVER!"
That was a surprising statement Alice just heard from the two. Alphys and Mettaton weren't friends anymore? Then why were they working together on this strange scheme towards Alice? Was it some alliance or had they made amends with one another without Bratty and Catty knowing about it? Also the idea of Mettaton being that confident in his creation was also puzzling. How can a robot possibly know when it's creator would build it? It seemed fundamentally impossible unless…
"Perhaps Mettaton is more than he seems." Alice said to herself.
""And then there's Alphys. Oh my God. Alphys. She used to live on our street. She was like a big sister." Bratty and Catty continued to elaborate on what Alice had asked them.
"I mean, like, if your big sister…"
"Takes you on trips to the dump."
"She showed us the coolest places to find trash." Bratty remarked.
"She was always collecting these weird cartoons."
"Then she became the Royal Scientist…"
"Yeah, we haven't seen her in forever…" Catty commented a bit sadly.
Yeah that explains then why they aren't aware of her familiarity with Mettaton at the moment, Alice thought. Alice did have to admit that this side of Alphys sounded very nice and she wondered if she did desire to go out and about but her new duties kept her from doing so. It'd explain why she seemed so homely when they first met and also be a sad irony. Getting a better position within the Underground caused her to lose some of her old habits and made her ultimately much more reserved and even meek. Although it does seem very odd people would throw away perfectly good cartoons in the first place, Alice thought with some embarrassment. The little girl decided there was just one more thing she'd like to ask the two of them and spoke,
"So what has it been like for her working as the Royal Scientist?"
"So Alphys has like…" Bratty started answering again.
"Thought ASGORE is a SUPER cutie."
"So, like, I'm pretty sure she…"
"Made Mettaton to, like, totally impress him."
"A robot with a SOUL…"
"That's, like, SUPER relevant to his hobbies!"
"So after seeing Mettaton, ASGORE…"
"Asked her to do all this science stuff with him! But nobody' s like, seen anything from her yet."
"Or… her at all…"
"She must, like, just stay in her lab all day." Catty mentioned.
"... What? How is that even possible? Doesn't she receive letters?" Alice asked.
Indeed what she was hearing was surprisingly interesting. Firstly that Mettaton also appeared to have a SOUL inside him which was probably the anti-human features Alphys mentioned on their first visit. She was hoping it wasn't a human SOUL implanted in him and luckily for her it seemed likely that was the case. But the idea of Alphys not even producing any work or studies or results as the Royal Scientist was truly baffling and offensive. For all Alice knew, Alphys was just using her position to play silly games with people, to watch over them, and to build entertainment robots. She didn't know how long the Royal Scientist had been in power but something like this didn't make any sense. Not to mention Alice had seen that stack of letters on her desk so it was clear people wanted Alphys to stay in touch with them. Maybe I should've read one of them after all, Alice thought, for investigative purposes.
"Like yeah, we know of several monsters who send letters…"
"Including us! But, nobody's gotten a response. It's kind of taboo to talk about it though, cause like… we'd hate to bring down everyone's hope, and it could upset ASGORE."
"Plus it's not like you can, bring it up with someone you haven't seen in, for-ever! It's like geez, live a little, girl." Bratty teased.
"Yeah! Like us!" Catty shouted optimistically.
"Hmm, perhaps if I see her again I'll inquire as to why that is." Alice offered sweetly.
""Thanks girl!"" The two friends exclaimed.
"Now, how much do you know about ASGORE?"
""Oh my God. He's a total goober. He's a big fuzzy goofball! Like, I love that guy. He's like, SO nice."" The two friends gave a reply that was completely unlike what Alice had expected.
"N-nice you say…?" Alice scratched her head.
"God, we're like… SO hyped for the destruction of humanity."
Suddenly, Alice froze, speechless. Her mind processed exactly what Bratty and Catty said and practically lurched back. They had specifically said they were excited for the destruction of humanity. Where had that come from? What did that even entail? Was it really what Alice thought they meant?
"... I-I beg your pardon but… what… did you just speak of?" She asked hesitantly, shaking.
"Well, like, the humans kept us down here…" Bratty spoke, without an inch of sympathy.
"Yeah, yeah! I'm pretty sure we'll get like payback on them!" Catty said, without an ounce of consideration.
Alice suddenly felt a great fury overcome her that had been steadily building since Alphys's charade had accelerated.
"...! How dare you wish something so horrible upon my kind! How would you like it if I wished every monster down here dissolved into dust? It's quite frankly off-putting for anyone to wish mass demise upon a group that includes innocent people!" Alice bellowed, pointing her finger angrily at the duo.
Bratty and Catty flinched a bit, Bratty looking less shaken than Catty did. They seemed confused, as if they had no idea they had offended Alice with their statements and were not sure why she was reacting like this. This sort of passive acknowledgement of incorrect logic was what always had gotten on Alice's nerves the most. In Wonderland, everyone's weird ways were fun at first but when they clashed and were deemed superior to Alice's hard-taught thinking, it was when she had the hardest time and wanted to go home. To see that even the Underground was so biased against all humans despite some individuals self-worth and innocence was infuriating and the little girl had had it. She slammed her palms down onto the table hard, knocking the gun to the ground.
"And would you like to know something else?! I've had it with your superiority complex! Your entire species thinks it can do whatever it wants with humans. Humans should be killed upon sight so their soul may be used to break the barrier. Humans should run around playing some mindless game so that I can jump in and help and feel more confident in myself. Humans should continuously do silly puzzles and be watched constantly without a moment's time for themselves. Humans being alive is a crime down here, humans should be used as pawns and so on. If you hadn't killed six poor innocent children then perhaps you could've learned a thing or two about manners from them." Alice went on a scornful tirade.
Catty and Bratty were struck into silence, not the type of characters to even be able to retaliate effectively against this strong-willed attack. Bratty looked a bit more frustrated while Catty looked very sad. They could do nothing at this point but listen to this little girl go off on them.
"Instead you find joy in harming innocent beings, stealing things that don't even belong to you and selling them, falsifying history itself, and making light of murder! You should all be ashamed of yourselves, trying to wish demise upon an entire race you've tormented all these years when you guys are tormentors yourselves! Humph!" Alice took her hands off the table and gripped her skirt.
The two friends once again were had little to say though this time Catty began to sniffle and even shed a few tears. She looked very sad and disappointed in herself and rubbed her eyes. The fragility of her cries though finally seemed to get to Alice and she realized that perhaps she had chosen the absolute wrong people to vent this towards. Sure they had idly and carelessly said they were excited for humanity's destruction but they had no power or authority like Asgore did to achieve it. It was no better than shaming a relative of a criminal instead of the criminal themselves in a formal court. Bratty whispered something into Catty's ear and hugged her friend before leering at Alice with a surprising and justified fury.
"Like, get. Out." She said.
"... Ah… y-yes… I'm-" Alice tried to apologize as she stumbled away from the counter but Bratty reasserted her point.
"OUT!"
Suddenly feeling fairly foolish and disappointed in herself, Alice fled the scene as Bratty began to comfort her crying friend. Alice scurried away from the MTT Resort, not wanting anything to do with that place at the moment. However, she failed to recognize a notable difference from when she entered in her rush. Sans had switched sides, standing closer to where Alice exited from the alley. Also, his pupils were hollow and his body language was trembling with what seemed to be anger or anticipation. He saw the girl run but had no desire to try to call her over. It was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment.
"..." He seethed silently.
"Huff… huff…" Alice panted, tired from what could only be described as a cowardly escape.
She seemed to have found herself at an elevator marked 'R3' with a little flame monster looking over at her curiously. Alice felt as though lately her conversational skills had declined in formality and politeness and decided to leave the monster be. Her mind was feeling less heavy from venting it all out but was replaced with guilt and sadness from doing something so cruel. I don't even know if the very feelings themselves were justified at this point, Alice thought. Desperate to find another topic to think about and perhaps refresh her journey, she recalled the key she had purchased. Pulling it out of her pockets, she wondered if this key perhaps would open an area that had been locked before.
"Now the question lies… what place…?" Alice asked herself.
They said they found it in the garbage dump in Waterfall, Alice thought. So that was when I reunited with Napstablook. What was-
'Eh…? Oh… so then the house on the left must be Napstablook's. But why leave the lights on?'
"The house... the pink one! That must be what this key unlocks…!" Alice exclaimed as she remembered the slight mishap with figuring out which house was Napstablook's at the time.
After some traversing and figuring things out with the elevator, Alice had managed to find her way into Waterfall again using the Riverperson's boat. The ride went by rather easily and smoothly with the Riverperson singing a fairly nonsensical song. She stood in front of the pink house with the light still shining through the window. It was tempting to see if Napstablook was home but she wanted to be discreet and was still not feeling up for conversation. Indeed, the way the pink house was reminded her of a lighthouse, beckoning some sort of great discovery or safety inside. This managed to make Alice feel curious and excited again as she stuck the key into the lock. It managed to unlock the door though mysteriously, the key seemed to vanish from her hands as though it was magic.
"Curiouser and curiouser…" Alice mumbled to herself as she opened the door and stepped inside.
What Alice was astounded to find out about this house was that the pink color was also prominent within the house as the walls and curtains were of different but vibrant pink hues. A star pattern with stripes had been etched onto the walls and a large round carpet on the wood floor shared the same design. There was a purple table in the corner with what looked like a smaller, pink T.V. than the one in Sans and Papyrus's house. The bed looked rather cozy with an extra purple and pink star pillow lying on it. Another prominent part of the room was a very stirring poster of what looked like some theater show with a woman and man dancing and the title being along the lines of 'BIIG BIEH' or something. Can't say that show title makes any sense, Alice thought with some disappointment as the picture itself looked appealing. Most intriguing of all though were six journals lying on the ground and left unopened. Considering the timespan between Alice's visit here and the last and even then it seemed like a fraction of how long these journals were left here. Now Alice knew it was impolite and an invasion of privacy to pry people's private journals but with this house abandoned for an unknown amount of time, she believed it was acceptable this once. So she started with the first journal on the left. 'Dear Diary: Shyren's sister "fell down" recently. It's sad. Without her sister to speak for her… She's become more reclusive than ever. So I reached out to her, and told her… That she, Blooky, and I should all perform together sometime. She seemed to like that idea.'
"... Fall down…? Shyren was the monster that performed that concert right…? And Blooky's name is mentioned here…" Alice analyzed with some alarm.
Granted while Alice 'fell down' the rabbit hole into the Underground, to hear someone else, especially the monsters themselves who were trapped here use that terminology clearly meant some other meaning. The way the writer had noted Shyren no longer had her sister to speak for her implied death or a disappearance. Neither concept was particularly comforting to Alice and in fact made her wonder what had happened. In fact, I recall someone in Snowdin mentioned there were disappearances at some point. Alice remembered hearing that from the rhino monster at the library and she wondered if there was a connection. What did make her feel better was the speaker's obvious kindness and consideration for Shyren and also how they seemed to be on good terms with Napstablook who, to some people, might seem too reclusive in themselves. Reassured, she moved onto the next journal. 'Dearer Diary: I like to buy a new diary for every entry I make. I love to collect diaries.'
"Um… that doesn't seem very practical, and who was even selling these diaries? The library in Snowdin?" Alice asked herself, looking a bit stupefied by such a decision.
Then again it's unfair of me to also judge this writer when I'm snooping through their things, Alice mentally scolded herself. Peering into the next diary, Alice's eyes widened. 'Dearest Diary: Our cousin left the farm to become a training dummy. That just leaves Blooky and I. Blooky asked if I was going to try to become corporeal, too. They sounded so… Resigned… Come on, Blooky. You know I'd never leave you behind. And besides… I'd never find the kind of body I'm looking for, anyway.'
"Oh my god… this writer was a ghost just like Napsta… and that cousin…? Was he the Mad Dummy or the dummy in the Ruins?!" Alice felt a rush of emotions.
Namely she was a bit shocked and sad at the painful irony. Napstablook WAS alone on the farm now and this writer HAD left him behind. The resignation must've been an act of intuition or maybe some sort of measure taken to avoid feeling as much loss from what they thought would and did happen. This diary showed the writer didn't think they would at the time this was written which was reassuring but it seemed they were desiring a body and perhaps the reason they left was due to finding it. Also the idea of a ghost becoming corporal was rather fascinating. To touch Napstablook would be…
"... I-I don't even know how that would function exactly. Is it like some sort of possession?" Alice inquired herself nervously.
That actually sounds a lot like how Chara was able to take over me, Alice realized. But Chara wasn't exactly a ghost, they were rather some sort of cross between that and a human and perhaps a SOUL. Seeing how they stressed SOULS could linger after death that was likely a part of it. Her attention fully captured, Alice read the fourth journal. 'My Darling Diary: I met someone… Interesting today. Last week I posted that advertisement for my Human Fanclub. Today was our first meeting. Only one other person came. Honestly, she's a dork. And she's obsessed with these awful cartoons. But she's kind of funny too… I want to see her again.'
"...It couldn't be could it?" After a long silence, Alice gasped.
This diary's writer… was very likely METTATON. The use of 'darling', the description of who was obviously Alphys, Napstablook being left behind on the farm, the desire of a body, and also the aforementioned performing. It all fit into place like one of Papyrus's puzzles. That was actually even more heartbreaking in a way. Mettaton had formed a Human Fanclub at some point, meaning he liked humans and didn't necessarily want to kill them. Maybe that wasn't the real reason why but this journal opened that interpretation up for Alice and made her feel worse about calling out Bratty and Catty. This fact was also disciplining that lesson into her so she wouldn't make such a mistake again. More importantly, it explained Napstablook's disinterest and uncomfortableness towards the subject of Mettaton. Mettaton was someone very close to him, perhaps family, and they left Napstablook behind for becoming the robotic egotist he was now. Such a series of events felt like a decline.
"This really is a recurring theme down here… monsters losing their way from all the years of imprisonment.." Alice sighed with some pity towards them.
She then opened the pages of the fifth journal. 'Diary… My dear: My diary collection is going fabulously. I have like five now.' Alice grimaced at how this second to last diary was so off-topic and also just not a very good record of events. Although this also built up suspense towards the final journal as there was a very high chance it would be something significant and shocking. Alice bravely began to read it. 'Dear Diary: She surprised me with something today. Sketches of a body that she wants to create for me… A form beyond my wildest fantasies. In a form like that, I could finally feel like… "myself." After all, there's no way I can be a star the way I am now. Sorry, Blooky. My dreams can't wait for anyone…'
"... Oh Napstablook…" Alice said sorrowfully.
Somehow, she felt a bit enlightened by all this as it did explain Mettaton better to her. Alphys hadn't built him from scratch or used a 'sexy rectangle' shape on purpose, but rather she had met Mettaton as a ghost, befriended him, and used her position as Royal Scientist to simultaneously fulfill Asgore's wishes and also Mettaton's wishes. She made a body for Mettaton, presumably added a SOUL to him which was maybe what made him corporal and became the robot that he was today. Then that also explained why Mettaton was playing along with this obvious scheme of Alphys's, they were comrades and despite what Bratty and Catty thought, likely were still friends. After all, why would Mettaton simply call off their friendship if Alphys made all his dreams come true? He willingly left his cousin behind and broke a promise to do so after all. Alice wasn't sure what else to think when a familiar voice spoke out quietly.
"...i see now… i never really came in here out of respect for him…"
"Napstablook…! H-how long have you been floating there?" Alice shamefully rose to her feet and turned around as she saw Napstablook floating in the open doorway.
"i heard the door open… thought it might've been… well you know now." Napstablook looked around the room, as though familiarizing himself with old memories.
"I can't believe this happened to you… I can't believe that I misjudged him so badly… and I can't believe this betraying and playing around with people's feelings keeps happening!" Alice cried in sympathy and frustration
However, it seemed as though Napstablook didn't hear Alice for he did not reply. Rather he continued to look around the room and even peered at a few of the journals. He nodded grimly once he was done with this and seemed teary-eyed.
"... he never kept his promise… i was left behind…" Napstablook lamented.
"..." Alice stood silent.
"left on the farm… taking care of the snails… i'm just a ghost. ghosts aren't the king or the royal scientist or even solid… we're kind of invisible. … when he left, i had predicted it in my mind but i never knew he had promised not to do so. he always talked about stardom though. and... the way he was… he felt he could never be a star... " Napstablook looked over to the poster of the two humans performing.
"I'm… beginning to connect the dots with Mettaton's nature. Part of me does feel bad for him for feeling down about himself and even respects him for pursuing his dream so boldly and accomplishing it. But the fact he betrayed your trust, left you alone in this lonely place when it's already considered a prison by many, and just what he's become and done to me… I don't know if I could forgive him." Alice put her hands to her heart and sighed.
"i think you can forgive him…" Napstablook confessed.
Alice looked up to him in surprise, as she detected something she hadn't seen from Napstablook as profoundly yet. DETERMINATION. She realized that he had something very important to say and she needed to give him his attention as if he was King ASGORE himself.
"alice... you're the first person… the first human... to see me for more than that. knowing the truth about mettaton… i'm sure you can do the same for him. i... do still watch his show after all… i didn't let him go entirely after he left… but if you think he's maybe losing sight of what he wanted… then i'd say go for it." Napstablook bravely smiled as his tears fell.
"... I… well, I would certainly do it for you. I-I already have a promise I have to keep regarding Mettaton so why not add another? Hehehe…" Alice admitted as she felt as though she might cry tears of happiness in a matter of moments.
Alice 'embraced' Napstablook, trying carefully not to touch his rather acidic tears and also even remotely resemble a hug as he was still incorporeal and couldn't be grasped. Napstablook seemed to greatly appreciate the gesture as well. Alice then thought up of an idea,
"Napstablook… perhaps you'd like to accompany me on my journey again? I'm nearly at the castle I believe and maybe you could see Meta-"
Napstablook sharply shook his head though. It seemed that he wasn't quite ready to meet Mettaton in person yet and for good reasons. Alice was slightly disappointed but understood his decision and decided not to say anymore. Ultimately, they talked a few more minutes about some of the things in Hotland, the absurdity of Mettaton's puzzles, and about what Alice had heard from Muffet and other creatures in Hotland. Then Napstablook returned to his house and Alice departed back towards the MTT Resort, the next destination in her adventures Underground.
"hey. i heard you're going to core. how about grabbing some dinner with me first?" Sans greeted her this time.
The sight of Sans didn't quite intimidate Alice as much as it did earlier for she felt very inspired and also touched by Napstablook's support and the pride of finding out the whole story about Mettaton and Alphys. Although his offer to her was a bit mixed. Indeed dinner would be delicious but somehow she felt a dinner here was less exciting and less comforting than a dinner at Grillby's. Perhaps he saw this was the only option available? Alice reasoned. Ultimately, Alice gave Sans a small nod.
"great, thanks for treating me." Sans replied.
"... HEY! Wait a moment! We did not discuss who was paying yet so don't force it upon me without asking first!" Alice shouted, flustered at how Sans totally twisted the concept.
"an oldie but a goodie… come here. i know a shortcut." Sans said, walked towards the left alleyway opposite Bratty and Catty's right alleyway.
Alice frowned slightly though was reassured by the use of a proper joke rather than more strained puns. She followed him and soon was led into a rather exquisite dining room. A rich and regal purple color scheme dominated the room with a checkered print of violet and wisteria on the floor and a variety of plants decorating the walls. There seemed to be a small message board pinned to the wall with papers on it. There was a single lit candle on each table and a plate-set on one side of the table. Weirdly enough, Sans happened to have the plate-set and nobody had come yet or seemed to be around serving things. Alice wasn't very pleased with this but decided to settle with the chance to converse with Sans some more.
"well, here we are. so. your journey's almost over, huh? you must really wanna go home." Sans pointed out.
Despite the concerns Catty and Bratty raised, Alice decided to stay true to her heart and the fact that a few monsters deserved what Alice was intending for them.
"Well it's so much more than that, I also want to free all of you… like I promised in Snowdin Forest. I haven't stopped looking for clues." She replied composedly.
"glad to see you haven't called it quits when some might throw in the towel by now. though... maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you." Sans rather friendly tone suddenly sounded noticeably… resigned.
"Sans…?"
"even when you think it's too much to take… down here you've got food, drink, friends… is what you have to do… really worth it?" Sans asked Alice, leaning his arm on the table.
'WELL IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE SHOULD I EVER GET TO THE SURFACE TO DRIVE DOWN A LONG HIGHWAY…'
'I especially loved learning more about the surface. All the wonderful teas to try~'
'swrry... temmie are seekin colleg! CHANGE LIVEZ'
"Yes… because monsters have wanted to do so much more than what they can do down here… and they could really use a spelling lesson once in awhile." Alice chuckled as she recalled that frustrating but still understandable desire from the Temmies.
Sans appeared to be listening to her but then looked away towards the message board. He seemed… somehow conflicted. It wasn't like he was as mad at her when she angrily insulted Papyrus the first time they had encountered, but rather he was almost uncomfortable in Alice's presence. It was this sort of behavior that made Alice have an immensely hard time getting a clear picture and confirmation of who Sans was and what was he about. Sans was still looking away before he seemed to look over his shoulder at her and spoke again,
"let me tell you a story. you may know some of it already but i think you'll like it."
"I would appreciate it Sans." Alice nodded in agreement, smiling politely.
"so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring. fortunately, deep in the forest… there's this HUGE locked door. and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. so one day, i'm knocking 'em out, like usual. I knock on the door and say "knock knock."
"Who's there? Hehehehe." Alice joked.
Sans at this point turned to face her and regarding her with an awkward smile. It seemed that perhaps he wasn't expecting her to play along with him. He cleared his throat and winked at her.
"exactly. and suddenly, from the other side… i hear a woman's voice. "who is there?" so, naturally, I respond: "dishes." "dishes who?" "dishes a very bad joke."
Alice couldn't help but burst into laughter at the hilarious joke and pun. Just the way he was also making his voice more feminine to match the 'woman' was also quite perfect. Alice did indeed know this woman was Toriel as she recalled the goat mother's fondness of jokes and the scenario at the door was exactly how he listened into the conversation Alice had when leaving the RUINS. It was nice to see this side of Sans, the side she felt his brother was secretly proud of underneath his disdain for puns. Come to think of it, Alice realized, I don't even know if Papyrus knows about Toriel. Ultimately that was a question left for another day and Alice listened to Sans continue,
"then she just howls with laughter. like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. so i keep em' coming, and she keeps laughing. she's the best audience i ever had. then, after a dozen of 'em SHE knocks and says… "Knock knock!" i say "who's there?" "old lady!" "old lady who?" "oh! I did not know you could yodel!" wow. needless to say, this woman was extremely good."
After another giggling fit, Alice leaned on the table and listened dreamily to this rather uplifting tale compared to Mettaton's journals. It was all very picturesque and happy to her. It also made her wish she could be perhaps a bit more loose sometimes with her antics and her sense of humor. Yet, in her heart, she felt her formalities were one of the only connections she had left to Dinah and her sister. If she neglected that, it'd be like abandoning them forever in the past. I should really stop making myself feel bad though, Alice realized and pushed that thought down in respect of San's joy.
"we kept telling each other jokes for hours. eventually, i had to leave. papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story. but she told me to come by again, and so i did. then i did again. and again. it's a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door. It rules." Sans said with a grin before suddenly looking away from Alice again.
Alice wondered if he was about to tell some sort of turning point into the story and waited for him to continue.
"... one day, though, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. "if a human ever comes through this door…"
'could you please promise me something? watch over them and protect them, will you not?"
'GRARHHHHHHHHHHHHHhHHHHNGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!'
"... Ah…!" Alice suddenly felt a rush of shock and fear as she suddenly was reminded of that dream.
She hadn't even processed what Sans had actually said as she distinctly recalled what that dream had hammered into her about Toriel's promise with Sans regarding humans. It had been repeated six times and Alice remembered theorizing that it symbolized the previous six humans who died down here. But what had startled Alice most about this recollection was that in this instance she was being retold this story by the same monster who had bashed her head in the dream regarding the story. Something about this suddenly made Alice feel paranoid and nervous again about Sans, despite the fact he seemed fine. Yet he also seemed to be ignoring Alice's sudden gasp and tense expression.
"now, i hate making promises. and this woman, i don't even know her name. but... someone who sincerely likes bad jokes… has an integrity you can't say "no" to." He concluded the story.
"... I-I see…" Alice, desperately trying to regain her composure, cleared her throat and readjusted herself in her seat.
"do you really see?"
"...?" Alice looked puzzled as Sans face suddenly seemed to be right in front of hers…
"do you get what i'm saying? that promise i made to her… you know what would've happened if i hadn't said anything?" The skeleton pulled away from her but didn't abandon his eye contact.
"H-hold on a m-moment…" Alice suddenly felt as though she was in that same situation, pleading for her innocence over by Papyrus's grave.
The atmosphere had instantly gone from light and airy to an incredible intensity. Granted Alice herself had opened the door to that change but even now, even then, this was something only Chara could hope to match. Something was wrong and Alice had no idea what it was. Alice was too afraid to look into Sans eyes so she instead stared at the candle between them, the small flame giving enough warmth to keep her from cowardly leaving.
"... alice… Y o u ' d." He spoke with no expression whatsoever.
"Eeee… Alice whimpered nervously.
She had nothing to say, because she knew it was definitely true. He could and would do just that if it was to protect Papyrus or to defend the Underground. Toriel's promise had been the only thing keeping her alive. She was spooked by that fact, terrified, and almost wondering if Papyrus's friendship was perhaps the only other barrier keeping her alive in this case. However, something even more startling happened. Sans pulled something out of his pockets, hiding it from view in his clenched fist.
"And based on what I know… there's a good chance someone's dead and buried when they shouldn't be. Right?" Sans spoke with a sudden aggression as he clasped his fist onto the tablecloth.
"... I-I beg your pardon…?" The sudden question helped Alice to regain a small amount of composure though she couldn't hide the fear in her voice.
She stared at Sans bony hand as though it was the barrel of a gun, aimed at her and ready to finish her off. What he said didn't make sense. His actions didn't make sense. Sans didn't make sense. Right now she was dealing with something beyond herself. She couldn't pinpoint why and how but Sans was displaying the same power that he had back then,
'... You're not in the position to judge others ALICE.'
"... You seem to know a lot about things and hold it over the other monsters like a weapon… you're thinking but what about? What brought you here? And why do you continue to lie…? Maybe this'll get the answer out of you." Sand lifted his hand away from the table.
Alice, nervously, looked down upon what Sans had pulled out. It was a single piece of fabric, likely from someone's shirt or sweater. It was… Striped. Blue with purple stripes. Nothing Alice had seen before. Nothing she could understand. Yet this was another piece of clothing. Another piece of clothing from a human that came before her. But something was different about this one. And Sans was demanding she speak about it. But she didn't know. She couldn't know. She hadn't been here before.
You felt your sins crawling on your back.
To Be Continued...