Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.
"Speaking"
Thinking
The girls carried the shiny metallic limbs behind Alphys, who carried Metatton's head and torso in her own arms. The lizard monster looked over her shoulder, checking on them, before focusing back on their destination. "I'll set up a table once we get back. There, y-you can lay those down next to it. It shouldn't be too much trouble reattaching Metatton's limbs."
"Thank goodness," Andi sighed, readjusting her grip. "I don't think he could handle going without them." He definitely seemed proud of that new form of his. It would've been a shame to have it destroyed. And they were metal too, so... they were starting to get heavy. My arms hurt. "How long do you think it will take to mend him?"
Alphys mumbled over some numbers as the sight of the lab finally came into view. The walk back was... weird. Taking the elevators and passing through the hotel, the trio had gotten some confused and pitied looks from watching monsters. One, thankfully, was kind enough to open the door as they reached the front of the lobby. Andi smiled behind Metatton's severed arms at the thought, readjusting her hold again. Everyone's so nice here. Even if they don't have to be, when they know what Frisk and I are. None of them blame us for what happened.
"O-okay. Just set them down he-here." Andi lowered the arms on a chair, already covered in the legs Frisk had been carrying. A small pillow sat on the operating table, with Mettaton's head resting peacefully on it. "It should be an easy fix, splicing the wires back together."
"You'll need more metal," Andi added. "And, um, whatever it is you charge him with." Where do you even charge Metatton's battery? Open up his chest? Frisk, her hands on the edge of the table, studied the robot's 'sleeping' face. He definitely looked human, mimicking the facial muscles nearly perfectly. His uncovered eye had lids that covered the pink pupil, and his mouth was in a small smile. Like he's having a good dream.
"Andi?" Frisk looked up at the older human, retracting herself from the table. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Alphys had started shuffling through a drawer, pulling out different baggies full of various sized screws, and the two backed towards the front entrance. "What's up?"
"Remember Papyrus' call?" Oh... forgot about that. It was a spur of the moment call, and after everything else that had happened, she had completely forgotten it. "Andi, could... could you go and meet with him? By... by yourself?" I... what? Andi's throat felt dry, and she gulped at what she was hinting at. Go with Papyrus... to meet Undyne. "B-but," Frisk waved her hands defensively, "it's not that bad! All that will happen is cooking and tea!"
"Frisk, last time I checked, nothing is entirely going according to what's considered 'normal'," she whispered back, not wanting Alphys to hear them. Her, visit Undyne? "Frisk, is it absolutely important that one of us goes to befriend her?"
"If we want the perfect ending, yes." Andi straightened up. Frisk had delivered the line with absolute seriousness. There was no joking in her voice. Perfect ending... dang it, Frisk. If the kid said that, and if they had been through this journey as many times as she suggested, then there was no other option. It was... like a variable. She could not go, but to achieve what they were hoping to reach-getting everyone out of the Underground-she would have to do it. She... she would have to visit Undyne.
"... fine. I'll go. I'll bring the phone with me, and give you updates on how it goes to Alphys." She looked to the door, and glanced back at Frisk. "Um... how exactly do I... get back there?" Frisk giggled, and pointed at the door.
"Take a left down the stairs. It will lead you to the River Person, and you can ride back up river to Waterfall." River Person. Got it. Andi opened the door, the hot air blowing into her face, and she stepped back out into Hotland. "Good luck!"
The door closed behind her with a clang, and she began making her way in the direction Frisk instructed, moving closer to the base of the cavern. Befriend Undyne, huh? How would that go? What happened with Frisk when she did it? "Tra la la." She stepped off onto dark grey soil, the temperature shifting to almost match Waterfall's. A tall figure in a grey cloak looked up at her, standing in a small boat with an oar in their covered hands. "Care for a ride?"
"Yes, please." Stepping carefully down into the ride due to the lack of railings, the boat dipped at the extra weight, but straightened itself once she sat down. "Can you take me to Waterfall?"
"Of course. Then we're off..." their voice was quiet, soft. With the hood, it was impossible to tell what type of monster they were; no visible signs of hands, or feet. They were a mystery. Not one that I should be concerned about. The red walls of Hotland were long behind them, the glowing crystals of Waterfall appearing around them and lighting their way. "Tra la la. Don't snoop behind people's houses..."
Andi looked to the River Person, a brow raising at the out-of-place sentence. Snoop behind-was it a specific house? Why would she do that? What was the benefit there? Bet Frisk knows what they mean. It wouldn't surprise me. The boat slowed down, and came to a gentle stop in front of another dock. "Thank you." Stepping out of the boat, and back onto stable ground, she bowed her head to the River Person.
"Come again some time. Tra la la." Retreating up the path, leaving the monster behind, she smiled at the sight of Gerson's shop. So that's where we are. Taking a left, and seeing the splitting paths-one she knew led to Blooky's house, she moved to the path furthest from her. Blooky's the middle, right? So Undyne is either left or right. I'll try left first.
"ANDI! YOU CAME!" She grinned, her worry fading a little at the sight of Papyrus. The cavern was rather small, only having a practice dummy on a fish mat in the corner, and a house resembling a fish behind the skeleton. The eyes, sloped to look angry, were its windows, and its fanged mouth was its door. It even has a tail. "I KNEW YOU WOULD MAKE IT!"
"Papyrus, were you waiting for us the entire time?" If they had spent the night in Hotland, and taken the time to do all of those puzzles and the battle with Metatton, then wouldn't that mean Papyrus was waiting for more than a day? Please, tell me you weren't waiting that long.
"OF COURSE NOT. SANS AND I HAD WATCHED YOUR FIGHT WITH METATTON ON TV." They did? Oh, boy. If they saw it, then who else saw it that she knew? "I KNEW YOU WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE. YOUR DODGING SKILLS WERE CLEAR IN OUR BATTLE, AND I HAD NO DOUBT THAT YOU WOULD WIN." He was that confident in them, huh? Andi smiled at that, but the mention of Sans lowered it a little. What did he think, after all of... that? Frisk's breakdown, and everything they talked about in the hotel? Did his trust in the younger human remain stagnant, or did their bond repair itself?
"Th-thanks, Papyrus. Guess that's proof that we were busy. Oh, uh, Frisk is helping Alphys repair Metatton, so it's just going to be me." Though she really wished it was the other way. "Is that okay?"
Papyrus nodded. "NOW, ARE YOU READY?" Ready? She would rather be sprinting in the opposite direction, putting as much distance between her and the Royal Guard. But... she couldn't back out now. I won't... is that dummy glaring at me? Papyrus spun around, and knocked on the upper teeth of the fish house. "STAND BEHIND ME?" Shuffling behind the skeleton, she peaked around his shoulder to watch the door. "PSSST! MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!" He passed her a bone wrapped in a red ribbon, a cleaner and newer version of the one in her hair. A bone... a skeleton thing? "SHE LOVES THESE!"
"Hi, Papyrus!" She looked back up, and instinctively, shuffled backwards. Undyne. She... wasn't as intimidating without her armor. But those muscles... oh, boy. Undyne, instead of the heavy armor from yesterday, wore a pair of dark blue jeans, torn at the knees from possibly exercise, a bright red tank top, and black combat boots. Her red hair was still in its ponytail, reaching her shoulders. Her blue skin was the same scaly complexion as Alphys, and she could make out the royal emblem designed onto her eye patch. Gills, too. Red ones, on either side of her neck. Given that she's a fish monster, that makes sense. "Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?"
"YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT A FRIEND WITH ME!" Papyrus moved to the side before Andi could react, and her shoulders stiffened. Undyne had her eye closed, giving her a pleasant smile as she held out her and for a shake.
"Hi, I don't think we've…" her eye opened, and immediately, her face turned into a grimace, hand falling back to her side. Yep. I'm not happy either. She glanced at Papyrus, receiving a happy smile, and gave the human a forced toothy grin. "Why don't. You two. Come in?" She stepped back into the house, and Papyrus excitedly ran after her, not sparing Andi another look.
"This won't end well," the human muttered, following Papyrus. Undyne's house was quite simple. A wooden dining table was off to the side, and a large kitchen stood across from them, with a door possibly leading to the rest of her house near the end of the counter. Andi also noticed a large sword laying by the table, and a piano by the window to her left.Tune a piano, can't tuna fish... dang it, mind. Lay off the puns.
"HERE, UNDYNE," Papyrus said. "ANDI BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU, ON HER OWN." He motioned to the human, and with a nervous gulp, inched forward and held out the bone.
Undyne, with the same amount of confusion, took the bone from her, taking care to touch her hand. "Uhhh… thanks. I'll, uh, put it with the others." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a drawer, revealing dozens of wrapped bones. Despite her concern, Andi couldn't help but smile a little at the contents. "So, are we ready to start?"
"WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! YOU THREE HAVE FUN!" Papyrus announced. Bathro-Papyrus! Wait a second! Not letting Undyne or her get a word in, he ran towards the window and hurled himself through it, breaking the glass and sending shards over the rug.
She would've laughed, had she not been in that situation. Laughed, possibly having tears in her eyes from giggling so hard. But... she couldn't. Not with her there. Andi looked back at Undyne, the woman crossing her arms and glaring at her with anger burning in her yellow eye. "So why are YOU here? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? IS THAT IT?"
Her voice decided to up and go, and Andi furiously shook her head in the negative. Undyne frowned, whether it was from the answer, or from the sudden quietness of her, she couldn't tell. "Then why are you here?" She asked suspiciously. "… wait, I get it. You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?"
"U, um... y-yes?" She wished she sounded more confident in that response. Frisk, kid, you owe me one.
"Really? How delightful! I accept! Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship! NOT! Why would I EVER be friends with YOU!?" She clenched her fist, bearing her sharp teeth. "If you weren't my houseguest, I'd beat you up right now! You're the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams! I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND. Now get out of my house!" Now, that's something I will get behind.
Andi heard movement outside of the house, and Papyrus' skull poked through the window with a disappointed frown. "DANG! WHAT A SHAME… I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS… I OVERESTIMATED HER." Is… is he baiting her? "SHE'S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE." Papyrus...? He could not be baiting her, could he?
"CHALLENGE!?" Just as quickly as he had appeared, Papyrus ran away again, his footsteps getting quieter until they couldn't hear him anymore. "What!? Papyrus! Wait a second…!" She turned back to Andi, hands clenched in tight fists. Yep. That was baiting. "Darnit! He thinks I can't be friends with YOU!?" Undyne let loose a roaring laugh, taking the human by surprise. "Fuhuhu! What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you and that kid any day!" Wimpy? "I'll show him!" Undyne continued. "Listen up, human. We're not just going to be friends. We're going to be…" she raised her hands to her face, grinning. "BESTIES. I'll make you like me so much… you won't be able to think of anyone else!" Think of anyone else? With the stuff I've learned, Frisk and Sans are tied for that right now. "Fuhuhuhu! It's the PERFECT REVENGE!" Undyne clapped her hands together, the smile finally one that wasn't full of annoyance at the sight of her. "Why don't you have a seat?"
"Oh, s-sure." Keeping an eye on Undyne, she walked to the table, taking a seat. Was she comfortable? Far from it. She was downright terrified of being alone with Undyne, and she wanted to smack Frisk for putting her through this.
"Comfortable? I'll get you something to drink." Undyne walked over to the fridge, and took out several boxes and bottles, placing them along the counter. "All set! What would you like?" Andi looked at the ingredients, eyes narrowed. I can't make out some of the labels. She inched back on the seat, ready to stand up and walk over, only for Undyne to throw a spear at the table, cracking it in half. The human yelped in alarm, dropping back down in her seat. "HEY! DON'T GET UP! YOU'RE THE GUEST! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!"
"Y-yes, Undyne!" Andi stuttered, leaning away in reflex.
Undyne threw her a hasty smile, an attempt to ease the woman's nerves when she saw her action. "Um, why not just point to what you want? You can use the spear!"
Andi took the large spear in her hands, finding that it was heavier than it looked. Undyne had broken it in half during their fight like it was nothing. But it's energy, right? It feels like metal, but it's not. She scanned the food on the table, and pointed the weapon at the tea box. Hot chocolate, if that was correct, would have been a nice option. Tea, on the other hand, would help sooth her stress. "Could we have that, Undyne?"
"… tea, huh? Coming right up!" She took out a kettle and placed it on the stove, and put the tea leaves inside. "It'll take a moment for the water to boil." The two stood there in an awkward silence, seconds ticking by as they waited for the tea to be readied. Suddenly, a loud whistling came from the pot. "Okay, it's all done!" Undyne grabbed a couple mugs, and filled them up. She walked over and sat them down, one in front of her and one on the other side of the table where she sat. "Careful, it's hot."
Andi glanced at the cup, seeing the slight steam drift off it. I'd rather not burn my tongue. There's no harm in waiting a little, right? "It's not THAT hot!" Undyne yelled. "Just drink it already!" Apparently, there is. She took the cup and brought it to her lips, taking a small sip. The tea was burning, and she was right in that it would burn her tongue… but other than that, it was pretty good. What flavor is this one? She couldn't recall the tea from the types she had on the Surface. Was it one that was specialized in the Underground?
"It's pretty good, right? Nothing but the best for my ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS FRIEND!" Grinning, she took her own sip. Once she lowered the cup, she looked at its contents with an amused smile. "Hey… you know… it's kind of strange you chose THAT tea."
"Really?" Andi asked, giving the cup a quick look. "Why's that?"
"Golden flower tea… that's Asgore's favorite kind." Oh. I-I didn't know that. Besides the few things she had picked up from conversations, MK's especially coming to mind, she did not know that much about Asgore. His goal, yes, but besides that... it was rather small. "Actually, now that I think about it… you and your sister kind of remind me of him! You're all TOTAL weenies!"
"Undyne, if you don't mind me asking," Andi began. "Isn't he the ruler of the Underground? Not that it sounds like you're calling him weak-" because I have no idea why Asgore is a weenie. "-but why use that word to describe him?"
Undyne looked away, drifting off. Andi took another sip from her tea, the heat finally easing up. Or was it that she had already burned her tongue, so the temperature didn't affect her anymore? "Y'know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid, when I was your friend's age. Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on TRIED. I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back!" She looked down at her mug again, frowning at her reflection in the liquid. "I was so humiliated… afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy. 'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?' I said yes, and from then on, he trained me. Year, after year. One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down. I felt… bad." She looked back up at Andi, her smile holding back a laugh. "But he was beaming… I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked."
"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Andi asked.
"I suppose so..." Undyne nodded. There was something else, in that answer, that wasn't said aloud. Training her, knowing her for so long... it would almost seem like Asgore was like a father figure to her. "Anyway, long story short, he kept training me… and now I'm the head of the Royal Guard! So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight! Like, uh, Papyrus."
"Undyne, you... you and I both know that he's not guard material, right?" Andi asked. It was something that lurked in the back of her head for a while, and she figured it did not hurt to ask her. She was the leader of the Royal Guard. "Papyrus, he's just… too innocent. He could never bring himself to really harm someone." When she had fallen during their fight, he had let up on his attacks until she regained herself. His attacks were difficult, exhausting, and he would do well in the Guard, but...
"I know… he's not weak!" Undyne said quickly. "He's actually pretty freaking tough! But you're right. He's… he's too innocent and nice!"
"He'd never be able to do severe harm to anyone," Andi mused. "He can't... do what the Royal Guard had done to humans in the past." The vague description Sans gave them, of what had happened to the green soul... Papyrus would never do that.
"... so you know that much, huh? But yeah, that's sort of what I mean. I mean, look, he was SUPPOSED to capture you two… and he ended up being FRIENDS with you instead! I could NEVER send him into battle!" Undyne frowned, distressed at the mental image. "He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds. That's part of why… I started teaching him how to cook, you know? So, um, maybe he can do something else with his life." Her eyes widened, and looked at the clock up on the wall. "Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long..."
"It's okay, Undyne." Andi placed my empty mug down on the table. "I think it's pretty nice of you to help Papyrus out."
"Thanks... Andi, was it?" She nodded. "You're out of tea, aren't you? I'll get you some more." Undyne walked over to the counter, before coming to a halt. "Wait a second. Papyrus… his cooking lesson… HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW! And if HE'S not here to have it..." oh, no. No, please tell me this isn't going-"YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR HIM!"
Yep, it's going this way. Undyne jumped into the air, and ran across the kitchen counter, knocking over the food. The bottles spilled all over the checkered floor, and a cracked ceramic container fell in front of the table. "That's right! NOTHING has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson… WE'LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!" Undyne laughed, glaring down at Andi with such extreme energy that Andi was more concerned than when she was running for her life. "Afraid!? We're gonna be best friends!"
Undyne jumped off the counter, and landed beside her. She grabbed the top of her head, nails digging into her skull, and leaped over the table to the counter again, taking her with. Dropping her on shaky legs, she grinned at the human. "Let's start with the sauce!" She reached into the fridge, taking out an armful of vegetables and sent them tumbling onto the counter. "Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now! Pound them to dust with your fists!"
"Okay." Frisk said that tea and cooking would result from the hangout, and she wasn't wrong. A little... weird, in how it was going, but it was going according to her plan. Perfect. Andi reared back a fist, and threw it forward full force into the vegetables… and knocked over a single tomato. The fruit was sent spiraling across the counter, and smacked into the wall across from her.
"YEAH! YEAH! Our hearts are uniting against these healthy ingredients! NOW IT'S MY TURN! NGAHHHH!" Undyne slammed her fists into the veggies, splattering them against the wall, and our clothes... and faces. "Uhh, we'll just scrape this into a bowl later," she grinned, swiping at the tomato sauce that got around her eyes. "But for NOW!" She stomped over to the stove, and fished out a large pot with a wooden spoon already inside, and then reached into an above cupboard for a box of pasta. Moving closer to her and wiping at the sauce around her own face, Undyne flashed a fanged eager grin. "… we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best! BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND! THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST!"
"Cheaper, and we don't have the time to make them," Andi added. "Have you tried making homemade noodles with Papyrus?"
"I don't have the right tools. As for the box, uhh, just put them in the pot." She took the box from Undyne, and turned to the pot. Hmm... dunk it. Definitely. With a smirk, she brought the box over her head, and hurled the pasta into the pot as hard as she could, including the box. The noodles clattered in the container, sending the spoon spinning around the edge.
"YEAH! I'M INTO IT!" Undyne cheered. "Alright! Now it's time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir… THE BETTER IT IS! Ready? Let's do it!" She took hold of the spoon, and started stirring. Should she have taken the box out of the pot...? Eh, probably. Nothing about what she was doing was appetizing. Yet... she was having fun. Fun with Undyne. "Stir harder!" Undyne shouted. Giving her a look, Andi grabbed the spoon with both hands, and picked up the pace. "HARDER!" She sped up more, her entire body now following the near-wild motions in stirring the pasta. "HARDER! Ugh, let me do it!" She took the spoon, and threw it behind her back, crashing into the glass shards on the rug. Instead, raising a hand over her head, she summoned a new blue spear. Clutching it with both hands, she smashed it into the pot, over and over, until the metal was crushed and water spilled out over the stove's top. The noodles, not cooked, were broken up into small pieces, and the box was a soggy mess.
"Fuhuhuhu! That's the stuff! Alright, now the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stove top symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire! READY? Don't hold anything back!" Turn up the heat? There-there were two ways this would go. Either she would turn it up, and it would explode in her face, or Undyne would take over, and it would explode in her face.
Either way, this won't end well for me. "Got it." Andi reached for the correct knob on the stove, and started cranking the temperature. Flames, not the normal glow of a red hot burner, jumped out from under the destroyed pot. "HOTTER! HOTTER, DARNIT!" Undyne cheered her on, Andi's face paling at her actions. Please, Undyne, any time now! "Wait, that's too-!" the pot exploded, and she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and throw her to the ground as a burst of heat ripped through the air. Wow. Blinking out the white light in her vision, she gaped at the house around her.
"I... sorry, Undyne." The house was on fire. She... set Undyne's house on fire. "Really, I-I didn't-" a scaly hand was held out in front of her face, and she hesitated before grabbing hold. Undyne lifted her to her feet, and they looked at the ruins of the pot. The metal was a blackened and melted wreck, soot scattered across the counter and wall, and the burnt smell of food met her nose.
"Ah. Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking," Undyne grinned, wiping off the black soot from her face. "Don't sweat about it, human. At least I got you out of the way in time, right?" She had a point. If she had her sweater on, her skin wouldn't have gotten nearly as burnt as she would've in her tank top. Spared me from some pretty bad injuries. "So what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets? … oh, who am I kidding." Her face fell, and she stared at her feet in shame. Undyne? "I really screwed this up, didn't I? I can't force you to like me, human. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me."
"And if we can't be friends… that's okay… because… if we're not friends…" Undyne glared at her, jumping back and summoning a spear. "IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT REGRET!" Her red and blue drifted out, and Undyne looked down at the ground. "I've been defeated… my house is in shambles… I even failed to befriend you. That's it. I don't care if you're my guest anymore," she snarled. "One final rematch! All out on both sides! IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"
How... how was she to handle this mess!? She didn't want to fight Undyne! She only just managed to get used to being in the same space as her, and now she wanted her to fight her in a burning building!? "I-I... I don't...!"
"...?" Undyne studied her, and her eye widened. What? What was she seeing? "... you're scared of me, aren't you?"
Scared of...? "I... ye... yeah. I am." Undyne's spear vanished, and she walked closer to the human, still leaning back and threatening to dash should she feel the need to.
"Going to take a guess here, and say that this was your friend's idea for you to come here alone." Curse Frisk and her planning, and Undyne and how good she was at reading her. "Why are you afraid of me?" The question, it was not coming off as mean, or forceful. Undyne was genuinely curious.
"I..." Andi couldn't say. She couldn't just... come out, and say that she had killed her in another timeline. Frisk... she must've been killed before, by her friends. How did she not let this get to her? "You were the first person to actively try to harm us. Before... we got through fights with ease. With... laughs, and pets, and singing. You were... the first challenge we faced, and..."
"I must've hurt you pretty bad back there, huh?" She... had no idea. "You know what? I don't actually want to hurt you either. At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but… your refusal to fight, it… reminded me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser." She gave a bright grin, and swung an arm around my shoulders, pulling her into a rough hug. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart! Just like him…" she released her, allowing the air to rush back into her lungs. "Listen, Andi. It seems that you, your friend, and Asgore are fated to fight. But knowing him… he probably doesn't want to. Talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you two go home. Eventually, some mean human will fall down here… and I'll take THEIR soul instead. That makes sense, right?"
"I suppose so. Mercy given deserves mercy in return." She brushed soot off the back of her arms. "Undyne, I... would you like to be my friend? For real?" Would she get over the nervousness she had around Undyne? After what she had gone through with her, chatting over tea and failing to make pasta... perhaps. She was intense, but... she reminded her of herself. Insanely protective of what she cared for, albeit a little scary when push comes to shove. Frisk's idea, not mine.
"Sure, hu-Andi. Heh. I'd like that. Oh, and if you either of you DO hurt Asgore… I'll take the human souls… cross the barrier… and beat the hell out of you! That's what friends are for, right?" How she said that with such a cheerful tone at the end, Andi had no idea, but even with the implied threat, Andi laughed anyway. Guess her plan went well after all.
"Fuhuhuhu!" Undyne laughed, before grabbing my hand. "Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!" She dragged the human to the door and pressed a button on the side, only for it to get stuck halfway. The upper part of the teeth almost went up the entire way, but the lower part hardly budged. Keeping certain that she didn't let her clothes get caught on the fangs, Andi carefully stepped through the gap, Undyne following right behind her. "Well, that was fun, huh? We'll have to hang out again another time…! But, uh, somewhere else I guess."
They looked back at Undyne's house, seeing the flames fly out the broken windows, drying up the damp ground around them. "Yeah… we might have gone a little overboard."
"In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang with Papyrus. So if you need me, drop by Snowdin, okay!? OH! And if you ever need help… just give Papyrus a ring, okay? Since we're in the same spot, I'll be able to talk too! Well, see ya later, punk… OH! WAIT!" Undyne reached into her pocket, and pulled out an envelope. "This is sudden, but… can you deliver something for me? Papyrus suggested that I ask you. But he told me when I still hated you, so… uh! Anyway! Here! Just take it!"
"Sure, I can take it. But who's it for?" She knew some names, but unless it was someone minor, she wouldn't have been able to do much.
"It's addressed to Dr. Alphys..." Undyne trailed off, and they looked towards the cavern's exit, hearing footsteps rush up to them. They're too light to be Papyrus'... huh?
"Frisk?" The child slowed to a stop once she got close enough, panting heavily and resting her hands on her knees. "Di-did you run all the way from Hotland to get here?"
"Ran... to the boat... and then to here... repairing robots... is tiring. Metal... heavy." The kid was close to collapsing on the ground, gasping for air. "How... was the... hangout?" Unbelievable. Frisk was that concerned for her that she came out to check on her. A little late, but the thought was there. Hold on. She reached into the bag, taking it off for a second, and handed the kid one of the two water bottles with her. The plastic was squished on one side, but had not broken open. Smiling, Frisk undid the top and drank its contents, before pouring some on the back of her neck.
"What do you think?" Undyne asked. Frisk looked at the flaming fish house, putting the lid back on and handed it back to Andi. "Are you going back to Hotland?" Frisk nodded. "Here. Take this to Dr. Alphys." She motioned to Andi, and the child's guardian handed her the letter. "Well, what are you waiting for, punk!? GET GOING!"
"I... o-okay. Andi... c-catch up with me... later." Frisk took in several deep breaths, and sprinted back the way she came, letter held tightly to her chest towards the direction of the ferry. Undyne and her watched the kid vanish from view, until she focused back on her again. "What are you going to do?"
"Me?" What... what did she want to do next? They had hung out with Papyrus and Undyne. The letter Frisk was delivering to Alphys must have been another variable to achieve the ending. So... after that, is everything ready? "I think I'll head back to their house too." Why? There wasn't anything she wanted to talk to Sans about. Even with the reminder of what Frisk possibly had done, she... she didn't really want to bring that up to him. It'd just be a nice way to waste time until Frisk was ready for them to get going again. It's just a letter delivery, right? How long could that possibly take? "How can I get back there? The Ferry Person?"
"There's two ways, actually. She started off back into the larger cavern, and Andi hurried after her. "You can take that way, or you can go and have the bird fly you over." Bird? She pointed to the right, and on the ground, a tiny yellow bird sat by the edge of the water. The gap from one side to the next was not huge, and she could easily jump over it with a running start.
"The bird... flies you over?" She heard that correctly, right? That bird?
Undyne shrugged. "No one has the heart to break their spirit. It'll NEVER say no, and it'll never give up when someone asks for a lift. Either way will lead you back to Snowdin, but the boat only takes one person at a time. At the same time, it's a walk if you take that direction. See ya!" With a wave, she headed off in the direction of Gerson's shop and the walkway to the river. Andi watched her go, and looked back at the bird.
"No harm, I suppose." She walked over to the animal, its head swiveling around to look up at her with beady black eyes. "Can you fly me over to the other side?"
Its eyes sparkled at the request, flying up with its small wings and landed on her head. Its tiny talons wrapped around ponytail, and furiously flapped its wings. Her boots were lifted up off the ground, heels first, and her toes barely scraped the dirt under her. The bird was determined though, furiously so. Even if it could not lift her up all the way, it started off towards the other side with all its strength.
Andi's feet missed the water by inches, struggling to keep herself from swaying to make things more difficult for her transporter. She breathed a sigh once they were just past the water, and the bird lowered her to the damp soil. Letting go of her hair, it fluttered back down to the ground, chest pumping from its efforts. "Thank you." The bird chirped, giving a happy little hop at her words, and settled down for a well-deserved rest.
It wasn't a new location, like she had imagined. The bird had led her to part of the marsh area where Sans had set up his telescope. Time to start walking then. She wandered past the telescope, and past through the series of tunnels and caves that made up Waterfall. Things were going well. Things were... she was almost through the Underground. She was almost back to the Surface. Her, and Frisk, and everyone else. How would that go, monsters living on the Surface? What world would that be like? "Heh," she shrugged. "Only one way to find out."
Every area of the Underground had a color theme. Snowdin was a combination of dark blue, green, and grey with white; the Ruins were purple; Hotland was red and orange; Waterfall was a series of dark colors, mostly black with the bright blue of the flora. She had gotten used to that by now, knowing how certain areas looked, and the botany and monsters that lived there.
Had she paid the slightest more attention, she would have spotted the yellow and green that lurked just a feet behind her, watching her with a face-splitting grin.
Until next time!
Angel
