The wind was howling. A bevy of gales flowed down the sierra, as they whistled through the wide fissure of the alp. After Undyne's dramatic swoop from the summit, Papyrus had his guard up, bracing himself for the imminent storm, as he stared apprehensively at Undyne.
The docile skeleton did not want to initiate the fight. At the same time, Papyrus didn't want to get a scratch so early on, worried that it would lower his prestige. With the recent discovery of his older brother's battle prowess, knowing that Sans fought like a fiend was more discouraging than intimidating to the younger brother; Papyrus always put his heart into everything he does, while Sans had no interest in excelling at anything. Yet, Papyrus knew deep inside that he, too, had about the same latent power within - a chance that his hidden abilities were not nightmare-inducing. Papyrus wouldn't know for sure unless he tried.
Antsy from the prolonged stare-down, Undyne brandished her svelte spear, showing off a variety of swings, just because she could. Come on, you dork, engage already! She was hellbent on getting Papyrus to go beyond defending himself, neglecting to consider Papyrus's annoying - and potentially fatal towards himself - clemency. Fatal as it may be, Undyne had unrealistically high expectations for Papyrus. She was a loose cannon, getting too ahead of herself.
She was in it for the thrill. And Sans stood by, letting it happen.
"Alright punk! Ready or not, HERE I COME!" Undyne let out a battle cry, summoning a round of spears. They spun forward erratically, aimed at Papyrus. Without any other choice, Papyrus evoked bones to protect himself from the keen projectiles. The bones collided with each spear, eliminating the danger. For now. Papyrus was officially in the fray.
Undyne bounced back, awaiting his turn. Papyrus was badly shaken already, as he breathed unevenly from his last second attempt to fend for himself. Papyrus finally understood the duel. He was horrified beyond relief, coming to the realization that Undyne was not going to take it easy on Papyrus. Undyne prepped herself for her next move. Sweat beads were accumulating on Papyrus's long face, his mind in great disarray.
Ugh! I can't do this! I can't hurt her! I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home so bad. I want to go back home and make spaghetti. I want to go back to my normal life! Why couldn't things just stay the same!?
Completely and utterly lost in his own despair, Papyrus stumbled on some rocks from a dizzying headache. As he struggled to get a hold of himself, Papyrus spotted his older brother. Sans was waving at him from a distance, grinning as always. Is he... cheering me on? Right then and there, Papyrus's negativity and hopelessness came to a halt.
Wait a moment. Things can't stay the same! I can't keep making spaghetti for all my warrior training. I need to be brave! I need to learn how to take bigger and greater risks! I need to do this - there is no backing out. I have to remind myself why I'm going through with this battle! I am doing this for Sans. I am doing this for my brother! I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER, Papyrus looped through his head.
Then, a burning sensation in his SOUL erupted, more zealous and valiant than ever before. Papyrus gritted his teeth, leering at Undyne, pride coursing through his body. He summoned a myriad of bones, charging and locked onto his foe's proximity. Papyrus then gaudily proclaimed in a forthcoming, profound voice.
"I AM DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER!" Papyrus brazenly unleashed his attacks, rapidly flying towards an unsuspecting Undyne. She gnashed her fangs, grunting in frustration. Undyne bolted aptly, a thunderbolt in the battlefield. She huffed vigorously, her evasion of Papyrus' attacks mildly successful. Papyrus managed to land several hits, the thrashing of the blunt bones heavily marring Undyne's stalwart armor. An enraged cry rung out all through the eminence. Despite her physical distress, Undyne taunted Papyrus.
"UGH! You may have had your share of successful hits, but THESE WILL BE THE LAST ONES TO HIT ME! THIS IS CHILD'S PLAY! Try using your bones once I rend you HELPLESS!"
"OH REALLY? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT!?"
"Like THIS!"
Undyne held out her spear, emitting a magical energy. She took one swing to her left, instantly turning Papyrus' SOUL green.
"You want to be able to defend yourself against a human, RIGHT? Show me how well you can defend yourself with THIS!" Undyne threw a spear, expecting Papyrus to catch it. He barely managed to do so, grasping it with trembling hands. "Use the spear I give you, and HOPE that you don't get stabbed by my AWESOME spears! FUHUHU!" Papyrus was not anticipating this move. Frozen in place, he took a deep, shaky breath, gathering himself and concentrating the best he could. The doughty Undyne was all set to strike. She evoked a rush of spears from all sides, gradually approaching the spellbound Papyrus.
WHAT!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS THING!? I'VE NEVER TOUCHED A SPEAR IN MY LIFE! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? Unsure of how to handle the pointed weapon, he clumsily maneuvered the spear to fend off the sharp strikes from his left. And his right. And his front. And his back. Papyrus was all over the place, completely disorganized. Papyrus was consistently slashed, his injuries worsening his already mediocre handle of his only aegis. He wanted to scream so bad, but refused to show weakness, enduring the thick cuts on his bones. Be that as it may, the widened look in his eyes was evident of the actual pain he was in.
With Undyne's turn at an end, Papyrus dropped to the ground, straining the spear tighter. The friction on his bones stung his hard palms, as if the spear was made of hundreds of pins and needles. Papyrus forced himself up to start his turn. Trapped and tormented by the festering lesions, Papyrus could only manage to fling some weak regular bones at Undyne, his aim unsteady. All his attacks missed. Undyne barely had to veer out of the way. The odds were not in his favor.
"Wow, Papyrus, way to waste a turn! FUHUHU! MY TURN!" Undyne began preparing an attack, buying Papyrus time to regain his strength. He was not prepared for this kind of treatment. Papyrus already braced himself for the worst. Sans couldn't stand seeing his brother like this. He couldn't jump in and fight Undyne; it would defeat the entire purpose of the duel. However, there was no rule against giving advice throughout the battle. Sans had an idea.
"heya papyrus! err," Oh right. No jokes. Sans didn't think this thoroughly. Great. Now what?
"nevermind."
Papyrus groaned from his afflictions. Realizing that Sans yelled out his name from the sidelines, he listened intently, only to be met with disappointment. The role that Sans played as the annoying sibling came into play. Papyrus was frustrated at the lack of content in his words. He had no time for this. Yet, Papyrus took the bait. He was perfect for Sans' japes.
"OH COME ON! YOU ARE ABOUT TO TELL ME SOMETHING WHILE I'M HERE TAKING HIT AFTER HIT, AND YOU SAY, 'NEVERMIND'? SPIT IT OUT! WAIT A SECOND..."
Papyrus's eye sockets narrowed, giving Sans a displeased, annoyed look. The unnerved, happy grin on his face peeved Papyrus to no end.
"WERE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO MAKE JOKES!? ARE YOU SERIOUS SANS? YOU PROMISED!" All the suffering that Papyrus was going through seemed to ease off. His focus turned onto questioning his brother's sly motives. Undyne, perplexed by the brothers' mundane bickering in the midst of a crucial battle, rolled her eyes, distracted enough to delay her attack. "HEY NERDS! What in the hell are you guys doing!? Sans, LAY OFF YOUR BROTHER! Papyrus, you are supposed to fight ME! Not fight with your brother!" They ignored her, as Sans fended for himself.
"woah there. first off, i NEVER promised such a thing. i said i wouldn't. second," Sans took his hands out of his pockets. He raised his arms, giving a big shrug. "i didn't say anything."
"HEY! Are you boneheads even listening to me!?" Undyne barked out, becoming infuriated from being excluded from the conversation to nowhere. "Whatever! I'm starting MY turn, whether you like it or NOT!" Undyne was prompt. Taking advantage of the gusts of wind coming from the jagged peaks, she conjured a tempest of spears, unlike anybody has ever seen before. "I will MAKE you pay attention to me! NGAH!" She released the wild windstorm of her razor-sharp, magic spears, enclosing on the inattentive Papyrus.
The aggravated Papyrus lost all interest in Undyne, unable to give a single care for the match. Now it was about getting Sans to be straight with him - which Sans rarely ever does. Somehow, Papyrus's nagging has improved his senses. The assailing onslaught, despite its striking power, was being taken apart by Papyrus's powerful magic. Undyne was flabbergasted, her right eye twitching from the absurdity of the situation. Without realizing it, Papyrus conjured a skeletal maw similar to Sans' blasters. In less than second, it charged a fluorescent aura emitting from within the back of their jaws. It resplendently burst out violently a screeching, scorching blast, causing the earth below Undyne's feet to quake. Its radius was more than enough to clear Papyrus of all threats. The spears were rendered nothing but a dazzling shimmer in the saturated, humid air. The nagging skeleton brother became intrepid, his hidden potential become apparent. Sans held Papyrus in higher regard as of this fateful day.
"BUT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT! I SAW IT! I KNOW THAT EXPRESSION!"
Sans was trying so hard not to laugh. Not a single giggle. The struggle was real.
"that's nonsense papyrus. why would i tell a joke at a time like this?" Papyrus was at his wits' end.
"BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SANS! HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE GALL TO WANT TO TELL A JOKE!"
"i don't want to tell jokes right now papyrus. please spear me from y-"
The younger brother's upset expression broke Sans. It was too much for him to handle.
"whoops. heh."
"OHHHHH WHY YOU!"
"ENOUGH!" Undyne fearlessly sprinted towards Papyrus. Utilizing her spear, she vaulted herself into the air. As she gained aerial momentum, she aimed her honed weapon at Papyrus, ready to stab him from behind. Suddenly, a compressing magic restrained Undyne in mid-air. Her SOUL turned blue.
"Wha-" Undyne froze, shocked by the familiar force. Is this Sans' doing? He wasn't supposed to interfere! She set her sight towards the skeleton brothers. Undyne was wrong; it wasn't Sans.
It was Papyrus. The once gentle skeleton was absolutely fixated on Undyne, his face cast in a calculated mien. Undyne felt like she was going to have a bad time. Maybe it won't be as one-sided as that one time with Sans. Wait a moment, what's this defeatist talk!? I WILL WIN THIS FIGHT!
Undyne howled in mad laughter, her movement restricted by the skeleton's magical encumbrance. She hectically eyed Papyrus, getting his attention as she verbally retaliated. "So! I see you are perfectly capable to defend yourself! In that case, Papyrus, I see NO point in treating YOU any different from your brother!" Undyne didn't put care into her words. Sans pretended to not mind what she said.
Papyrus, taken aback by the outburst, attempted to speculate the meaning behind her words. "WAIT. UNDYNE? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"
"It means that YOU ARE DONE! You hear me!? DONE!" Undyne yelled out, swiping her spear to her left. Papyrus' SOUL turned green, rendering him immobile once again. His only means of defense magically appeared in his hands, this time gratified with the circumstances. Undyne's horde of magical spears targeted him, with no intent to miss.
As the rush of the sharp-edged projectiles closed in on Papyrus, he harmonized himself with the spear. At last, he wielded his safeguard with confidence. With each deterred strike, Papyrus became more nimble, earning a dexterity unbeknownst to him. One could say his aptitude rivaled his older brother's combat finesse. Even the flux of golden spears that charged at the stationary skeleton stood no chance against his novel, yet excellent, techniques. His personality truly complimented his fighting style.
Papyrus' SOUL broke free from the entrapment, and scrambled to counter. The audacious skeleton surged at the fallow Undyne, still at an impasse from Papyrus's enchantment. His unwavering perseverance had paid off at last. Papyrus attained a new motivation, somewhat contrary to his altruism. His goal was now to show his lackadaisical brother what it's like to fight with passion. Making sure that Sans was watching, Papyrus was avid to wreck havoc, in a way he only knew how.
He stabbed Undyne repeatably with mercurial jabs, each blow more taxing than the next. Agony escaped from Undyne's breath, her harsh scream ringing throughout the passages of Waterfall - the acute weapon's raw cutting damage was more incisive than previously thought. Papyrus granted her no weapon, or movement, to overcome his attacks. Her only option was to take it. Any slight chance that Undyne had to speak up - let alone breathe through the pain - was taken away by the consecutive strikes.
The magnitude of the skeleton's capabilities was driving Undyne mad. She so badly wanted to reciprocate, and took each second in duress as motivation to exact retribution on Papyrus. Her armor was permanently scarred; it would take a master blacksmith to mend it back to normal. The steel lost its everlasting sheen, the uneven rents from Papyrus's piercing attacks making the splendid chest plate look like worn-out aluminum foil. Undyne's life force was endangered from each malady, from deep puncture wounds, to stinging lacerations. In between her shallow breaths, more tenuous from each hit endured, Undyne finally succeeded in articulating herself.
"F-for a... skeleton," she gasped from the throbbing of her physical trauma, "you s-sure have a LOT of g-... guts! I couldn't... be any more p-proud of you!"
Papyrus, ecstatic at the sign of approval from his mentor, flashed his eyes with glee, as he held his hands to the center of his chest. He deeply felt the validity in her commendation, adoring her every word. Despite everything, he was still him.
"REALLY!? OH UNDYNE, THAT'S... THAT'S SO TOUCHING! I... I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK THAT I... I..."
Papyrus lightly sniveled, tears gathering at the corners of his hollow eye sockets, as more rolled down his boney cheeks. This love he felt for Undyne's words knew no bounds. No matter what happened between them, he trusted her unconditionally, the same way he trusted Sans - and literally everybody else. Just like the bleeding heart he is. However, Papyrus did not let his awareness of the situation go. "BUT!" The emotional brother tried to cast aside his natural temperament, yet was unable to stop the waterworks. "I AM NOT GOING TO LET THIS BE MY MOMENT OF WEAKNESS! OH NO, I WILL NOT LET MY GUARD DOWN! WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO!"
"Or do we?" Undyne sneered, as she snuck up behind him.
Papyrus, in his moment of weepy sentimentality, lost control of Undyne's SOUL. Undyne was too caught up in the violent, invigorating rush of the melee, enthralled with the thought of victory within her sight. She was too far gone, shameless in her deceit. Undyne took advantage, brutally cleaving her fine, sharp spear through his skeletal frame. Time slowed down for Papyrus, his eyes broadened, as he fell upon Undyne's shoulder, smitten.
Mangled from Papyrus's relentless hacking and slashing, she was hanging on for dear life. Undyne's headstrong, undying character saw her through, refusing to succumb to her fatal injuries. Her unnerved determination began healing her SOUL, progressively soothing her debilitation - or so she thought at the time being. Papyrus was silent. Something didn't feel right for Undyne. Her SOUL felt, in a way, lighter, much more invigorated than her usual self - a whole new level of vitality. This was no adrenaline rush from battle. She knew better, deep inside, and her heart plummeted at the realization...
Undyne's LOVE increased.
The silence lingered in the air.
"Sans, I-"
Without another word, Sans killed her where she stood.