Yo, it was just so cool! She'd touched his face! His FACE! He was never washing again! His mother would never get him to. Never! He was shaking, beyond exited. Oh- but his friend seemed a bit too still-

"Hey, yo- don't worry! We can keep trying! I'm sure we'll see her again!" He told the other kid (you could tell for certain they were another kid by their stripped shirt). The other kid only nodded, a small smile on their face. They didn't seem to say much, the other kid. Almost as if they weren't sure what to say. But that was okay! They were still a good listener, and he was certain that they were enjoying themself. Not everyone was a chatter box like his sister. "Besides! You already got her 'ttention before! We can do it again! For sure! Ha ha." They only nodded again. "C'mon!"

They were off, but then he planted head first into the ground. His friend was there in an instant, helping him up.

"Yo, thanks."

"You should be more careful, you know..." They told him, their voice soft and they seemed... sad.

"Yeah, yeah! You sound like my mom." He chided. Their face was even funnier after he'd said that- And they'd let him run off alone, their face covered in shadow when he looked back briefly.

He somehow had an uneasy feeling. It was weird. His mom also told him he never seemed to notice anything. Oblivious. And idiot and thick, his sister sometimes said. But it was kind of hard to not notice that shadow. Even if he didn't understand it. Well, best just keep goin'.

The next time he saw them, he had seen zilch of Undyne again, and now he was surrounded by dripping but lucky him! They had an umbrella!

"Yo, you got an umbrella?" He called. "Awesome!" He stomped over through the puddles and their smile widened as he joined them. "Let's go!" They walked in silence, but he could tell that they were enjoying his company. They walked slowly so he could keep up without tripping and they kept him in the corner of their sight. He was kind of glad they were out here with him. It was almost nerve racking to think of what his parents would do to him knowing he was out here on his own. But with them here he could claim honestly he wasn't really alone! And if they thought it worth risking their parents' wrath too, then it was sure to be fine! It was all worth it. Cuz- "Man, Undyne is soooooo cool! She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses. If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night... knowing she was gonna beat me up! Ha ha."

Immediately, he had to wonder if he had perhaps said something wrong. The smile faded, their grip on the umbrella tightened.

"Y-yeah..." They all but whispered. Huh? But it was nothing. They kept walking, and he followed along. But then he saw an echo flower, reminding him of somethin'.

"So. One time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower." He started at the memory. The other kid had walked a bit ahead and water was dripping down his face but he didn't mind. He was too caught up in his story, in his formulating idea! "The king- we had to call him 'Mr. Dreemurr'- volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff." He continued, trying to build up to his point. "That got me thinking... YO! How COOL would it be if UNDYNE came to school?! She could beat up ALL the teachers."

The other kid didn't seem as impressed with his idea as he'd thought they would be. You know... He had thought the other kid had come out here for Undyne too, but they didn't seem to hold the same enthusiasm as he did. They actually seemed kinda scared. But ha! Who were they to be scared of Undyne? Who were they to hold the umbrella that tight with their knuckles turning white as they walked ahead, almost leaving him behind and having him need to run to catch up, even though before they had been at ease letting him set the pace. They were nobody to be afraid-

"Umm, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers... She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!" He assured. He tried to calm them... They stopped wakling briefly, staring at him, their face strange again, but a different sort of strange. It was as if they were looking at him for the first time. But that was funny. They'd been seeing him this whole time? The other kid started walking again, but at least they seemed to have calmed down a bit. But maybe not in the assured way he'd hoped. They seemed to be thinking.

He bounded ahead excitedly as they came upon the opening, the castle set in the distance beneath the shimmering 'stars'...

"Woah..." He breathed. The other kid joined him, stil holding the umbrella, letting the handle rest against their shoulder. Their eyes were wide, taking in the sight.

"It's as breath taking as I remember..." They told him softly. There was a moment of silence... "I could live here forever."

"Heh." He watched their face, a brow raised. They were a strange one that's for sure. "Most people are tryin' to get out!" They laughed, but it didn't seem all that happy. In fact, it was sad again. It was kinda familiar now that he thought about it.

"You said Asgore taught you 'bout responsibility and stuff?" They continued.

"Yeah!" Oh- You know what... They smiled just like the king!

"What responsibility and stuff?"

"I don't know. Grown up stuff." He answered, but they didn't seemed satisfied with that. Though they didn't seem to have expected anything else from him either. He adjusted his stance awkwardly, they still seemed to be thinking.

"... You really, really like Undyne, don't you?"

"Well DUH!" He exclaimed. "Who wouldn't?! She's the coolest! She protects everyone in the Underground!"

"... everyone." They repeated under their breath. He had to raise his brow again.

"Man, you're really weird. But yeah! Everyone! You! Me!" They laughed a bit, their head lowering.

But then another, louder set of laughter echoed behind them. He turned, his eyes looking left and right curiously for the source of the sound. But the other kid... They had grown rigid in place. Their head lifted, their eyes wide and unseeing as they breathed in frantically.

"Hahahah! She protects everyone the idiot kid says!" A voice called. The other kid had twisted on their feet, a hand suddenly lifting out and he found himself pushed back behind them.

"Y-Yo! What-"

"Oh?! Planning on helping him this time?" The disembodied voice demanded merrily. The other kid glanced back at him with an intense flash of what could have been guilt. But quickly their face twisted into a snarl and they were looking back towards the darkness. Everything about them was tense and he could tell, he knew they were serious.

There was movement in the shadows and he could finally see who the voice belonged to! It was a little yellow flower! Much like the ones the king had given everyone to take care of! Except this one had a face; a very open and mocking smile.

"Oh please! Did you except everything to go the same way? Now that you broke the pattern yourself?"

"I told you: stay out of the way." The other kid said, their voice low and dangerous. Suddenly... he didn't feel as if it was another kid standing there half in front of him.

"Did you think you could scare me?! Your words! Lies!" There was rage on the other kid's face. He felt... scared. There was something around them, something he couldn't understand, they took a half step forward.

"You want to look into my eyes and tell me that I'm lying?" They growled.

Th-They really weren't just another kid standing i-in front of him. There was real heat coming off of them. If he was that flower, if he was the one that gaze was directed to- The other kid's eyes narrowed and they held out the umbrella, as if they were ready for a Fight to begin, as if they were willing to use it.

"Ha! Like you'd have the guts!"

"want to test me again...?" The other kid whispered coldly. It was even more terrifying, he was b-beginning to shake. And so was the flower... "do you want to see if you'll come back this time?"

To his relief... The flower disappeared beneath the earth and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, but then he was staring at the other kid with renewed terror as they lowered the umbrella and looked at him over their shoulder. He flinched, but as soon as he saw their eyes...

They looked just as shaken.

Their bottom lip was trembling even as they tried to keep their back straight. He wasn't... He wasn't sure what was going on, but something in his gut told him-

For a moment they had seemed big and scary, but still... they were still just a kid. Like him. And they were now trembling like one even if they weren't before.

"I'm sorry." They said softly, but not coldly like before. "I'm sorry if I s-scared you." He had to pause a moment, but it was soon decided.

"S'okay...? He scared you." They had that strange look on their face again, and he noticed that an arm had raised to almost... hug themself... as they nodded. "I won't tell anyone." He promised aloud. The other kid was quickly blushing.

"Yeah... Y-Yeah."

And later, when Undyne yelled at him, to "Stay away from that human!" He was entirely surprised. But he could see in the gleam of her eye behind her armored mask, the heat, the intent. But if they were a human... They'd protected him. They'd truly been scared, but they'd protected him.

He wasn't sure what happened. How it happened. But it came out of him, sure and mirroring her fierce tone-

"Stay away from my friend!" The fear rippled through him, surprised at his own actions but... it seemed right.

"Go home." She ordered darkly. But as she walked away, her armor clanking, his heart was racing... He couldn't... He couldn't go home. His little legs were racing him forward, his eyes searching.

He was scared, and Undyne was his hero! But... They were his friend.

And suddenly all their strange faces when he'd talked about Undyne made sense to him.

It was his responsibility as their friend... wasn't it?

To help them when they were scared.