Though you both had been chased into the Hotlands by Undyne, you were quickly dragged back to Waterfall by Frisk, who refused to continue on until you talked it out with the fish.
Was...Calling her "the fish" offensive?
…
You decided immediately to stop degrading the walking, breathing, talking, thinking, and overall sentient woman to just "the fish".
"I just fought her, and I use "fought" loosely because I ran away the whole time." You say as Frisk tugs on your good hand, your bad one quickly moved out of the kids reach when they reached out. "I think I should give her some space, even if Papyrus is super excited about it." The kid, of course, ignored you.
Basically, you hadn't even said a single word about the phone call, which you had honestly forgotten about. Frisk, though, knew about it because, you assume, Papy had called them back when they were doing all of...this by themselves.
You, of all people, were always up to giving people chances. You were just like that, even if the person didn't deserve it. Obviously, Undyne, who seemed to pride herself on being a royal guard who saved the monsters, which was by stealing you or Frisk's soul, wasn't some bad person. She meant well…. For the monsters, at least. You don't know how'd she'd handle seeing you and Frisk immediately after the incident. Plus, what about how'd you feel seeing her after all that? You didn't tell Frisk, but Undyne had killed you and hadn't looked upset in the slightest! Yeah, you reloaded (somehow. You were still confused to how it happened), but it didn't change that in some weird parallel she had taken your life- brutally.
Wait, had Frisk noticed the reset?
You glance to the kid in front of you. They hadn't looked disturbed in the slightest nor were they overly worried, so maybe the reloads were only remembered by the one who did it? The whole "Reset", "Save", and "Reload" thing confused you to no end.
"I don't remember seeing her house in Waterfall." You say glancing around the area. It was quiet, only the gentle sounds of water flowing under your feet sounded. Though it was more of a white noise than anything else.
"It was next to Napstablook's." They sign just as you both pass the turn to go to said spirits house. See, there was no way for Frisk to sign the name "Napstablook", and it was way too long to fingerspell, so they used the sign for ghost, except backwards, which reminded you almost of tears falling.
Turning, you both come up to, well, multiple things. Firstly, you immediately spy Papyrus, who's waving his arms crazily in the air to gain your attention. Next you see the giant fish house behind him. It was...literally painted as and in the shape of a fish. A very angry fish. Then, to the left of it all, was a single dummy. You eyed it wearily as Frisk continues to pull you forward.
"OHO! THE HUMANS HAVE ARRIVED!" Papyrus shouts once you're close. Too close. He could've used that sort of volume when you and Frisk were still in the Hotlands and you would've heard him quite clearly. "ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE? I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU THREE GREAT FRIENDS!" However, just before he is able to usher you both inside, Frisks stops him. "LITTLE HUMAN?" You watch as the kid takes Papyrus gloves hand and pulls him off to the side. You give the smiling kid a look as they turn their back to you so they can secretly sign to tall the Skeleton.
You still don't know how all the monsters in the underground conveniently knew sign language. And Specifically ASL.
"OH!" Papy barks, after the two are done...chatting. He then turns large sockets your way with a grin much larger than before. They both hurry back to you by the door. You raise a curious brow, even though you know neither of them are going to spill what they had just discussed.
"OKAY! STAND BEHIND ME!" Papyrus says, nudging Frisk behind him so he can face the door. Yet, before he knocks, he looks over his shoulder at the both of you. "PSST." You give him a look. "MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!" He hands frisk a bone tied with a red ribbon. "SHE LOVES THESE!"
"She can probably hear him through the door." You mutter.
"I'm surprised we can't hear her through the door."
Quickly the both of you smother your giggling as the front jaws- er, door, opens.
"Hi, Papyrus!" You try not to be too obvious as you peek around the skeleton. "Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?"
"YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT FRIENDS!" He dips away, revealing you and Frisk. It also lets you fully take in Undyne.
The woman is armorless and much smaller than her shiny outfit from before would let on. However, she was still quite thick. There was obvious muscle definition in her arms and her legs reminded you of the soccer players you argued with back in highschool over which team could use the field for practice. She was also taller than you, though not as tall as the seven foot skeleton.
"Hi! I don't think we've-" When he eyes leave Papyrus and find you and Frisk standing in front of her, her sweet voice abruptly cuts off.
The glare is blood curdling.
"Why don't. You three. Come in?" Her voice is harsh and clipped. You and Frisk share a look before following her inside. You had a bad feeling about this visit…
The house is surprisingly cozy. Instead of walls of armor or giant racks filled with sharpened weapons (something you've been imagining since Papyrus first mentioned Undyne's home), it reminds you of well, you grandmothers. The floor is a pastel checker pattern of blue and yellow, the ways a tad darker blue with bubblegum pink dots. There were two carpets, both the same light mauve color, one by a window, the other under the dining table. This seemed like the main room, with the kitchen along the farthest wall and a piano off to the side. There was another door in the far back and you assumed this led to her bedroom.
"HERE, UNDYNE. MY FRIEND BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU ON THEIR OWN!" Papyrus quickly waves for Frisk to trot up so they can hand the bone over. Undyne give it one look before taking it and walking to the kitchen drawers.
"Thanks. I'll, uh, put it with the others." She say, sitting the bone in a literal pile of bow tied bones. Her favorite thing, huh, you muse. When she comes back over she props a webbed hand onto her hip. It was a bit odd to see her in such casual clothes, you think, after watching her chase you around while clad in thick armor. It's just jeans, a black tank top, and red boots.
"So are we ready to start?" She asks, looking more to Papyrus. Obviously they had arrangements before you and the kid were invited and you felt a bit bad barging in. Not like you could've helped it, though.
"ACTUALLY," Papyrus begins, dragging it out. "WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED!" You turn towards him, brow raised as her large hand comes to set of Frisk's head. "I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! YOU TWO HAVE FUN!"
"Why're you taking Frisk, then?" You ask, crossing your arms and sending your best impression of a mother's heated stare. You vaguely think you must look like Toriel.
"FRISK DOES TOO!" Then, with the finesse that only Papyrus could possess, he scoops the giggling Frisk up in his bony arms and literally jumps through the window.
You can only muster a sigh and palm to your face.
"So." Looking up you're met with a glare from the one eyed woman. "Why are you here? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? Is that it!?" Undyne looked furious, and you felt like crawling into a hole.
Actually, scratch that, you didn't want to crawl and fall into any more weird holes.
"No, I wouldn't do that." You say, trying to find the confidence and courage you had back when you were fighting her. Something about the warrior saying they lost, when all you did was run, didn't seem fair. You mean, you definitely won in your damn book, but not in hers.
"Then why are you here?" Then, before you can answer, her eyes go wide and she sneers. "Wait, I get it,"
You don't think she gets it.
"You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?"
Okay...maybe she kind of did.
"I mean… yes?" You say, shrugging.
"Really?" She barks out laughter. "How delightful! I accept! Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship!" If you didn't understand up to this point that her voice heavily dripped in crude sarcasm, her laughter abruptly cutting off "hinted" to it. She begins moving forward, using her height to her advantage as she looms over you. "Why would I ever be friends with you!?" She jabs a finger into you chest and your brow twitches. "If you weren't my house guest, I'd beat you up right now! You're the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams!" She pushes you. "I will never be your friend. Now get out of my house!"
"Look," You start, taking a step forward instead of back. "Why don't you come out with me. That way we won't have to worry about me being a house guest."
"Oho!"
Just as she starts for you, you already making a grab for the spear of hers you still had, a sudden loud, very familiar, voice interrupts.
"DANG! WHAT A SHAME…" Turning an unamused look to your side you spot, none other, than Papyrus. He's ducking back into the window he'd jumped out of, sighing dramatically. "I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS...I OVERESTIMATED HER." His eyes glide to Undyne. "SHE'S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE." He then looks down at something and then back up at you. "AND I GUESS YOU CAN'T KEEP PROMISES?" He then scurries off and you hear the familiar giggling of Frisk following him. You purse your lips, knowing the kid had told him to say that last bit.
"Challenge!?" You jump at Undyne's yell. "What! Papyrus! Wait a second…!"
She runs to the window but the two trouble makers are long gone.
"Darn it." Then, slowly, she turns back around to face you with eyes burning. "He thinks I can't be friends with you!?"
She moves back across the room, right into your personal space once more. She's laughing again.
"What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day! I'll show him!" She then puts her hands on your chest, prodding you with her claws- er, nails. "Listen up, human. We're not just going to be friends, we're going to be...besties." She hisses the word with so much excited contempt you shiver.
Why had you let Frisk convince you to come here, again?
"I'll make you like me so much… You won't be able to think of anyone else! It's the perfect revenge!" You realize that Undyne might not be completely clear on the term "besties" and what that entails. Then again you're pretty sure you're not super clear on it means either. You didn't have "besties" growing up.
She smiles something sickeningly sweet.
"Why don't you have a seat?" You sigh, taking a long glance around the room before making your way to the single stool in view.
You move to sit down but your side flairs up when you try to.
"What's that?" Her sudden question has you freezing up. Her footfalls are loud and intimidating as she stomps her way over to you. In a second your shirt is pulled up and you flinch, stumbling back.
"What're you-"
"Why didn't you heal yourself!?" Undyne angrily waves at the blood seeping through your shirt and the cut on your waist that was the source of the red. Now that she was prodding at it, the pain was back in full force. You remember getting it, Undyne being the cause, but the pain of your wrist must've outweighed it and you had forgotten.
"I didn't have anything to wrap it with." Her look is dangerous.
"Why didn't you eat?"
"It doesn't work." You frown, eyes leaving her burning stare. "The magic in the food doesn't work the same way as it does with monsters…" When you look back up, Undyne is the one to avoid your eyes.
Was she… feeling guilty?
No way.
"Stay here, can't have my new bestie bleeding out." She spins around, moving into the back door you had spotted earlier.
When she returns, Undyne helps you sit at the dining table, sliding your bag off your shoulder to put at your feet. She also asks you to hold your shirt up. There was a bundle of bandages in her webbed hands, made out of cotton or some other kind of absorbent material.
It's eerily silent as she reaches around you a couple of times to pass the bandage strip between hands. You are trying to keep still as she works.
When Undyne pulls back, looking over her work, she makes a 'come hither' motion with her hand.
"Your wrist." Your eyes go wide.
"My- It's fine it doesn't-"
"Oh shut it," She rolls her eyes hard. She grabs your arm, making sure not to touch your wrist, and brings it into view. At the sight you can't help but grimace.
It wasn't broken. You were sure because you could still move it. There was definitely something wrong with it though. It had turned a sickly yellow color, splotches of black and purple in the shape of sausages branding it. Even the slightest accent of blue veins creeped in and out of the wound like some horror film zombie bite makeup. Undyne pulls it, gently, closer to her and begins working once more.
"Undyne," You say once she's done wrapping your wrist. It looked nice, professional even. In fact, better than most of the bandage wrapping you had gotten in the past. You were very familiar with having to get wounds wrapped by a doctor.
She grunts with a raised brow, so you take that as your queue to continue.
"Back when you cornered me and frisk, before the monster kid jumped out-" Guilt flashes over her features and she scratches the back of her head.
"Sorry about that-"
"No- well, I mean, thanks, but about what you said, about the seven souls and the barrier, what was that? Is that.. What's really going on?" Undyne blinks, seemingly utterly dumbstruck that you were unaware of said "barrier" and "seven human souls". She then takes a deep breath and rubs a hand down her face.
"Look, I can't be specific and technical like Alphys-"
"Alphys?"
"The royal scientist!" You decide to just nod along and not question the title of whoever Alphys was. "Do you even know the story about how the monsters got stuffed into the Underground?"
"I.. I think. The whole war, right? Between humans and monsters. It's a legend where i'm from." Undyne snorts, rolling her eyes.
"More like history! All of that really happened. But down here, there's a way to solve it. The King promised us he would. He's been working on it ever since we got trapped down here by you guys!" She pokes your forehead hard, but she's grinning her shark like grin when she does, so you can't help but stick your tongue out at her childishly. It gets a laugh.
"So i'm guessing the way to solve it is seven human souls?" She nods, frowning. "And he has… six." Again she nods. She stares intently at you, searching for something. "Is breaking the barrier that way the only way out of here?" She narrows her eye, and doesn't nod. But you don't need the confirmation. She found whatever she was looking for on your features, and she didn't like it.
"What would you like to drink?" She has the forced smile once again but your mind was already burying itself into your thoughts.
Frisk never told you about this. They… hadn't told you a lot of things. No mention of how the underground really worked, nothing about Asgore or the barrier, or souls. They also wouldn't talk about the time they spent during the month they were gone before they reset to find you. Something was going on with the kid, and it was freaking you out. Frisk had never lied to you before, and now they were doing it every damn time you wanted answers.
You wanted to know- you needed to. You wanted to know everything that was bothering them so you could take it all away. You wanted to be there for the kid, like you had been since their birth. It was your job. You, the older sister, the one who shielded them from their mother's yelling, their father's fists, from the reality of their broken family, from the violent bullies at school, from the shitty community of their neighborhood. You would take away all their pain and put it on your shoulders to carry, so why wouldn't they just tell you?! You could handle it! You always had! Taking care of your mother, ignoring your father, suppressing memories, going to college, working three to four jobs, paying the bills, taking care of Frisk, being there for Frisk, putting Frisk first- you could handle being pacifistic to monsters who wanted to kill you both, protecting Frisk from harm, carrying them through snow and freezing water, hearing the truth about their resets, and you could handle opening a barrier.
Yes. That's it. You decided that if opening the barrier with a seventh soul was the only way to get Frisk home, the only way for them and their friends to escape, the only way to get Frisk to a real family that could love them fully, then you would be that seventh soul.
"I think tea'll be good," You pipe up with a smile. Undyne doesn't move for a second, and then smirks and stands up from her chair, hurrying over to the stove to start up the boiling water.
The silence that follows is filled with Undyne truly mulling over something in her head as she critically looks you over, and you trying to calm your trembling hands as you tried to come with the terms of dying and giving up your soul for Frisk to be truly happy.
The whistle of the pot brings relief to both of you. You move to stand, to help, but suddenly the table before you is broken by a large spear embedding into it's center.
You stare silently.
It's completely snapped in half.
You slowly inch your stool away.
"Uhm…" Undyne blinks slowly, eye flickering away from the slow turn of your head. "You're hurt so just stay put." You silently nod, watching as she pours the liquid and then walks over with a cerulean blue mug. "Here we are." She goes to set it on the table, realizes it's still in splinters, and then gingerly nestles it between your palms. "Careful, it's hot." Undyne then walks around to stand on the other side of the 'table'.
Wearily you stare into the brown liquid. For some reason, it's still bubbling and boiling.
"It's not that hot!" Her hands slam on what's left of her table. "Just drink it already!" You give her a dry look and make a show of taking a slurping sip. Immediately you pull it away though, feeling your tongue and lips burning.
Other than your face melting, you really liked it.
"It's pretty good, right?" Her smile grows mockingly cheesy. "Nothing but the best for my absolutely precious friend!"
You stare at her in mock horror.
You can't tell which is scarier. Undyne when she she stabbing you through with a spear, or being so sweet it's venomous.
"You know…" She begins slowly, eye not meeting yours. "It's kind of strange you chose that tea." You blink, tilting you head in question. "Golden flower tea…" Oh...Haven't you heard something about a yellow flower before? "That's Asgore's favorite kind."
"Asgore...You mean the King?" She nods.
"Actually, now that I think about it, you kind of remind me of him." The giant smirk appears one more. "You're both total weenies!"
"I'm not a weenie." You snap before you can help it and she laughs at you. She then shrugs.
"Sort of."
Her eyes scan you, watching as you blow on your tea to cool it off. They find you wrist, along with the many other bruises or cuts visible. She wouldn't know, but there were worse wounds hidden under your clothes. Undyne takes a shaky breath in before she looks down to her hands she's fisted in her lap.
"Y'know, I was a pretty hot headed kid."
"You?" You fake a gasp. "I don't believe it." You match her smirk from earlier.
"Ha ha." She dead pans. "I was. N' once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on tried!" She snorted. Yet, the woman's face was softening up as the memory was recalled. "I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back! I was so humiliated… Afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy, like, "excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?" I said yes, and from then on, he trained me. One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down. And I...I felt... bad. But he was beaming. I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked! 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!" Her eye found it's way to the window and her saucy smirk dwindled to a somewhat normal smile. "Like, uh, Papyrus."
You wanted to make some kind of comment, but the air around her felt...personal? You were afraid if you spoke you'd snap her out of her more personal, sentimental thoughts.
"But to be honest...Urrgh. I don't know if I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard." her head snaps up and she jabs a finger in your direction. "Don't tell him I said that!" You wave your free hand in a surrendering manner. "He's just… Well, I mean, it's not that he's weak. He's actually pretty freaking tough! It's just that… He's too innocent and nice!" You can't help but crack a smile. "I mean, look, he was supposed to capture you and the smaller human and he ended up being friends with you instead! I could never send him into battle! He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds. That's part of why I started teaching him how to cook, you know? So...Maybe he can do something else with his life."
Then the woman jolts, suddenly becoming self aware of her own voice.
"Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long.. You're out of tea, aren't you? I'll get you some more." She's quick to leave your sight, probably finding the tea an excuse so you can't comment on anything she just said.
Undyne freezes in the middle of the room. She's staring at the kettle, eyeing it with growing contempt.
"Wait a second...Papyrus...his cooking lesson…" Her fists clench. "He was supposed to have that right now!" She screams, turning a wild look onto you. You purse your lips. "And if he's not here to have it…" Her hand snaps out to point a sharp, threatening claw your way. "You'll have to have it for him!" She then literally jumps onto the counter, runs across it, kicking all of the items off. Immediately, there is a mess.
"We're...cooking now?"
"That's right! Nothing had brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson… We'll become closer than you can even imagine! Afraid!? We're going to be best friends!" She begins laughing maniacally and you take that as a queue to gently set you mug down. You don't think you're going to need it…
She jumps off of the encounter and it only takes three of her large strides to get to you. With only one of her muscular arms she wraps it around your chest, picks you up, and takes the three large strides back to the counter where she sets you down. She strongly pats one of her hands onto your head of hair, forcibly turning your head towards her.
"Let's start with the sauce!" Undyne yanks open a draw and rips out tomatos and carrots and slams them onto the counter in front of you. She turns your head towards them. "Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Pound them to dust with your fists!" You give her a look.
"Shouldn't I wash my hands first-"
"Pound your enemies!" She screams louder.
Almost on instinct, as if her voice started you fist, your hand flies out and you smashes a tomato. It's insides fly up and splatter Undyne's face. She pauses. Then she starts laughing crazily.
"Yeah yeah! Our hearts are uniting against these healthy ingredients!" She then slams her arms down, pulling the majority in front of herself. "Now it's my turn!" With a single blow of her fist her half explodes everywhere. You're covered in red and orange. You can't help but laugh.
"Here," You say. "I'll scrape it into a bowl." Undyne quickly tosses one into your arms as she hurries to the stove to get a boiling pot and a box of spaghetti. With your hands you scoop the sauce into the bowl. You've given up all the sanitary rules of cooking ingrained into you from childhood at this point. You just assume that only your two will eat this food, if it's edible.
You realise, as the bowl is filled with "sauce", that you can hear, faintly, the music you had when you fought Undyne.
"Come'ere punk!" Undyne says, a big happy grin on her face as she pulls you over. "Add the noodles!" She's staring, with big excited eyes, fists up by her face like a dad too into their kids soccer game- taking the event way too seriously.
You open the box and you fiercely slam dunk the noodles, and their box, into the pot. Most of them break. Neither of you take the box back out. The sound of the noodles on metal quickly tells you Undyne didn't put any water.
"Yeah!" She screams fist pumping. "I'm into it!"
The music is much louder as she slaps a wooden spoon into your hand, forcing your fingers to closer around it.
"Alright! Now it's time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir, the better it is!"
"Really?" You ask, as if you've never actually cooked anything before.
"Yeah!" She shouts back. So, a little too happily, you smash the spool into the pot and begin stirring the dry, broken noodles as if your life depended on it. She starts hollering and cheering. Then, she stops and raises a webbed hand up towards the ceiling. "Let me do it!"
You jump back as one of her blue spear materialize and begin stabbing and crushing the pot. You swallow when you see it deforms the sturdy metal.
"That's the stuff!" She looks too proud. "Alright, now for the final step: turn up the heat!" She grabs your hand and pushes it onto the correct dial. "Let the stove-top symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into fire!"
Now, being way too into this "cooking lesson" you excitedly start turning the dial, watching Undyne for any sign for you to stop. You have an inkling she's going to do anything but stop you.
The flames begin to flicker a tiny bit out of control.
"Hotter!"
They start licking up the sides of the crush metal.
"Hotter, darnit!"
The flames consume the pot and you can no longer see it.
"HOTTER!"
You have to step an arm's lengths away so the red fire doesn't light your hair or clothes.
Just as the music, the weird, loud music that only happened whenever you got into a fight, this powerful tune being specific to Undyne, peeked, Undyne hip-bumped you out of the way to snatch the dial. Just as you watch her forcibly snap it so far to the right that the fire touches the ceiling, you realize that you probably should've stopped her earlier.
White light fills your vision as her song is interrupted by a loud BOOM.
Heat envelops you, parts burning quite painfully against your skin as you throw your hands up a little too late to protect your face.
You're on your butt when you open your eyes.
The kitchen- no the entire house- is engulfed in flames. Undyne is somehow still standing after the explosion, her entire front covered in black soot. She blinks slowly before turning a look down to you.
"Huh. Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking." There is a pause of silence as you stare, dumbfounded up at the woman, and then you're laughing so hard your gut immediately begins to hurt.
Undyne crouches down to you, a smile too wide on her face as you tried to smother your giggling.
"So what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?" You just start laughing harder and she, seeing even you weren't taking her seriously, finally loses the over the top smile.
"Undyne-" You try.
"Who am I kidding? I really screwed this up, didn't I?" You enjoyment dies at her defeated voice. "I can't force you to like me, human." She plops herself onto her butt in front of you, crossing her arms like a kid getting put into time out. "Some people just don't get along 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… It means I can destroy you without regret!" Your eyes go wide as she lurches towards you and your soul is painfully ripped from your chest.
You don't remember your soul ever hurting when it left you.
You shimmy back, still on your butt. You whip around to grab something from you backpack, but remember too late that she had taken it off of you. Now, in the fiery and smoky haze, you couldn't spot it.
"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 stands up, bright blue, glowing spear appearing in her hands. You can't move from your spot on the floor and an odd feeling of fear whelms up in your throat.
When was the last time you saved?
"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!"
You go to push yourself up on your feet but, forgetting yourself, you push with your bad hand and crumble down again.
"Hey…" You don't give her your eyes and instead slowly get up to your feet.
You were mad.
You can't really explain why. You were just upset. You had actually really enjoyed messing up her kitchen. In fact, it had been fun! It had been...been… Nice. You never cooked for fun. It was always to just feed Frisk or to tie over your mother. Today had reminded you of when you would teach Frisk back home. Of course, you actually knew how to cook but still. Had Undyne just faked being excited? She didn't seem like she'd do that but now...Now she was holding a spear aimed towards you once again, as if nothing had happened. You hated it.
You really did want to hit her.
You pull your fist back, glaring.
You then swing.
...
"What. That's the best you can manage?"
Your knuckles gently bumped against her gut and you heavily frown down at your fist.
"I know you can hit harder than that." She hisses. You know that too. Of course you know that. Many people had learned that. "You...Just can't muster any intent to hurt me, huh?" Your frown deepens and your fist clenches in on itself.
All you can hear is her sigh and the sound of the fire burning around you two.
"You know what?" She finally says. You tense, waiting for a spear handle to come colliding into you, but the only thing that happens is the loud noise of her letting her spear clatter to the ground. You stare and then slowly look up. "I don't actually want to hurt you either." You take your fist back, unsure what is happening.
"At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick but… The way you hit me right now, it… It reminded me of someone I used to train with."
The king?
"Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser. You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!" You snort, shaking your head in amusement at her giant sharky grin. It dies quickly though as he thought go back to her own words. "Just like him… Listen, human. It seems that you and Asgore are fated to fight."
You stiffen. You have a horrible feeling this speech is going to correlate with Toriel's.
"But knowing him… He probably doesn't want to. Talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home." She shrugs. "Eventually, some mean human will fall down here… And I'll take their soul instead. That makes sense, right?" She laughs, bumping her fist roughly into your shoulder. "Oh, and if you do hurt Asgore…" You purse your lips. "I'll take the human souls...Cross the barrier… And beat the hell out of you! That's what friends are for, right?"
You're sure that if, after all of this, you do fight Asgore and hurt him, you're sure that you would need a slap in the face to snap you back.
"Right." You relent, a little too happy at her choice of words.
"Now let's get the hell out this flaming house!" She wraps a hand around your hand and quickly pulls you out.
You don't forget to scoop your bag up on the way out the door, the flames seeming to follow right at your heels.
Once the front door shuts behind you, another explosion shakes the ground and the fire erupts from the eyes of the fish shaped home. Poor fish.
"Well that was fun, huh?" You snort, dusting the soot off of you. You knew you were probably only smearing it everywhere, but it made you feel better. "We'll have to hang out again another time!" She scratches the back of her head. "But..uhh.. I guess somewhere else." She laughs. "In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang with Papyrus. So if you need me, drop by Snowdin, ok!? Oh and, just call Papyrus if you need help. Since we're in the same spot, I'll be able to talk too!" She picks up your bag, which you'd drop to brush yourself off, and holds it out to you. "Well, see ya later, pun-"
She drops your bag and slaps your shoulders crazily hard. "Wait!"
"I'm waiting!" You yelp back, grimacing when she squeezes your shoulders harder.
"This is sudden, but can you deliver something for me?"
"Sure." You let slip, trying not to give away the pain of her grip. "What is it?"
"Papyrus suggested that I ask you. But he told me when I still hated you, so…" She trails of with a sneer. Then she shrugs, finally letting go of your shoulders. "Anyway! uh...Here! Just take it!" She pulls a envelope from her back pocket, which was slightly burned, and shoves it into your bag at her feet. "Well, what are you waiting for!? Go deliver it! It's...uh...Addressed to Dr. Alphys." That was the scientist that she mentioned earlier, you think. Undyne's blue skin was turning a weird shade of purple and-
Oh. Was...No way, was Undyne blushing?
"Okay! See you!" Just before she sprints out of arms reach you fist a hand into her tanktop and stop her in her tracks. "What?!" She splutters, whipping around. Her entire face was purple now. Kind of looked like she was suffocating. Maybe...She was? Did she need water? Was that...stereotyping?
"Wait wait wait, before you go, here!" You snatch the glowing spear from your backpack's pocket, pushing it into her hands. "I wanted to return it."
"What? Didn't think it was good enough?" Her tone is rough but you can see the humor bouncing in her eyes.
"I just thought my friend would want her stuff that I borrowed back." Undyne stiffens and then deflates, evaporating the weapon in her palms with a small smile.
You were now totally weaponess. You're sure that Frisk would love that when you told them. It's just...Now you felt empty and defenseless. But. Undyne was your...friend. And you were told that you were supposed to return things to your friends.
Something sparks in her eyes then and her head snaps up.
"Oh!" Undyne moves over to the dummy you had spotted when you first arrived. She reaches behind it and-
"My bat!" Your face is practically glowing as you giddily race over to her. She's grinning triumphantly, holding the bat out like a trophy.
"That's right, punk! I scavenged your bat after, uh, we fought." She then hands it to you, fish fins wiggling. "Just say it's for returning my spear." You thank her profusely, sliding the bat into its rightful place on your backpack. It looks good in it's spot. Like a long lost friend finally coming home. The added weight to your back is comfortable and you can't help but sigh in relief.
"Thanks, Undyne."
"No problem! I gotta get going now!" She turns and hurries away from her home. You watch after her and, as soon as you can't see her flying red ponytail, a small save star materializes before you. You stare at the golden glowing star for a long, quiet moment, just taking everything in.
You glance to the house and wonder if Undyne will ever get it back. You're sure fire only lives there now.
You touch the save point.
You feel like you've done something nice by giving the fire a place to live.