Alice in Undertale
By Lolitafreak88
Chapter 18 Almost Alphys
"... Hah…" Alice wiped her mouth with her apron after drinking her second glass of cold water.
She felt relieved, she felt excited, but she also felt rather exhausted from the the climactic conclusion of the chase. There had been a number of close calls after all and the heat of this HOTLAND wasn't helping too much. Nonetheless, Alice was thankful for being allowed to have her peace of mind and not feel as though she was going to be chased again. Sitting down, she looked over and noticed that Sans was no longer at his sentry post, presumably having left during the time she was resting or helping Undyne. It appeared he worked as a sentry here too, which wasn't all that far-fetched given his teleportation capabilities. Still, Alice couldn't shake the feeling something fishy was going on with all this. Sans always appeared to be at the right place at the right time, always there when Alice was about to show up. What kind of powers does he possess? Does he have some sort of sense on where I am at in the Underground? Or is it simply a coincidence? Alice inquired to herself. Either way, her curiousity was more important to her at the moment and now that she had the freedom to explore to her heart's content again, she was only thrilled to do so.
"I suppose I- gasp!" Alice was about to narrate her next action but was interrupted when she spotted something standing around that wasn't there before.
If Alice had to be as specific as she could, she would've described the figure as a strange, lean blue body with extremely long arms that were folded and a strange head. It seemed to appear to be like a clamshell as though there would be some sort of an opening within the head that would unveil something else. It looked strange and creepy but Alice decided she could do far worse in a world of her own.
"Who are you…?" She asked the figure.
"O, k, k, k, k, k… I was thirsty, so I came over from Waterfall to get a drink!" The figure said in a voice that sounded smooth and like some sort of jazz musician.
His face also appeared to blossom like a flower, revealing a round head with sunglasses, a grin, and a green crown of sorts. Alice was slightly impressed although…
"I thought Waterfall had plenty of water. I'm sure there's a place to get a fresh drink from there wouldn't you say?" She asked, raising her pointer finger up.
"Uhhhhhhhhh… well it's hard to tell if the water is fresh there since it pours, it's in the river, and there are puddles… at least the water cooler can help make the temperature j, u, u, u, st right…" He replied.
"That's true… very well then. Goodbye." Alice curtsied quickly and then decided to proceed into Hotland.
To her amazement, she saw several things of great notice. There were three paths, one to the left, one to the right, and the other that led straight to one of the most curious buildings Alice had ever seen. First it was quite large, possibly rivaling some of the rooms in the Ruins, and it a strange door that seemed to hold no handle, screws on the side, two unusual metal things that looked like railings above the door, and a sign below that which read 'LAB'. Furthermore, there were two monsters suited in armor that appeared to stand in the way of the left path. One appeared to have floppy ears and a more shield-like helmet while the other had ears that looked like bat wings along with horns and a more jagged helmet. They were both tall and appeared to have a lot of muscle on them. While the armor did look very much like the armor Undyne had been wearing, Alice felt these two would be a little bit more level-headed than the fiery fighter had been. Not to mention neither of them seemed to react to Alice's appearance. She approached them and asked,
"Are you two associated with the Royal Guard?"
"Yeah, in fact we're two of her best ones… um… sorry… UNDYNE, like, told us there was totally a human in the area. So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators right now. Ngah! Even if the elevators aren't working anyway, we'll do our best, Ms. UNDYNE!" The floppy eared Guard spoke in a somewhat goofy but also pleasant to hear tone.
"Elevators…? Hmm… is the Hotlands made up of elevators then?" Alice asked.
"Well not exactly… it's a lot of undeveloped ground but what has been developed is really high-tech stuff. Kind of hurts my head… and our goal is to stand guard over this area since Undyne can't really handle the heat well."
"I uh… well I find it very hot myself… so I think I can relate to that..." Alice had to stop herself from giving away that she was the exact human Undyne had mentioned to them, or else risk them possibly attacking her.
How careless of me, she thought as she blushed slightly. The other Guard seemed to be completely silent and hadn't said anything at all. It made Alice a little nervous that he was onto her.
"Excuse me, what do you know about Hotland?" She asked him.
"..." There was no reply, much less movement.
"You must know something, or are you trying to play some sort of joke on me?"
"..."
"At least say something productive like 'Hello' or-" Alice's beginnings of a tirade was abruptly interrupted by the floppy eared guard who stood in a surprisingly protective position in front of the silent guard.
"C-calm down ma'am! There's no reason to antagonize him ok?!" He spoke extremely passionately.
"I'm terribly sorry sir… I just haven't really met someone before who was so muted when somebody was speaking to them." Alice apologized humbly but made sure to back away slightly as she was intimidated by the floppy-eared guards sudden fury.
"He's just quiet… but he's really a smart guy… and we have amazing teamwork together!"
"..." The other guard didn't seem to think much of this however.
"Oh I see. Well then, I'll just be on my way." Alice curtsied quickly again and awkwardly ended the conversation as she didn't want to tempt anymore unexpected reactions.
Those two might face me later on if they realize I'm the human Undyne was talking about, Alice considered, I shouldn't lower my guard. Still, she had to admit that it was odd that the sharper guard hadn't said a word, even when he was being defended by his partner. Was it some sort of shyness like Napstablook had? Or was he mute? It just seemed baffling to her that Undyne would hire such a guard to watch over an area like this. Even stranger to have him partnered up with someone so vocal and strong-willed when he could be. As Alice decided to check the other path before going to the LAB, she found herself climbing down a small flight of stairs and found a curious sight. She appeared to be at some sort of dock and by this dock was a long, elegant gondola. On this gondola however was a strange, hooded and robed figure with an unclear identity. It was a bit unnerving to see someone like this, someone Alice couldn't approach with confidence or an idea in mind of what to say. Surprisingly, the figure spoke first in a voice that seemed entirely different and deeper from what Alice had heard thus far in the Underground,
"Tra la la. I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman…? It doesn't really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?"
"... N-no thank you… um…" Alice was finding great difficulty in deciding what to refer this person by.
"Then perhaps another time. Or perhaps not. It doesn't really matter." They said somewhat passively.
Alice was feeling very insecure all of a sudden. It was as if she was suddenly having difficulties speaking to people clearly and getting an understanding of them. Her chances to prove herself as a person were dwindling and the last time she recalled something like this happening was in her daydreams. Once the conversation in Wonderland started getting away from her, it made everything so much more of a hassle and made Alice want to go home badly. Something told her though if that happened here, the consequences would be much more severe. I really hope I can meet someone I can open up to in the Hotlands, she thought nervously. Alice decided to bid farewell to the river person and climbed up the stairs, lifting her skirts gracefully to do so. Back at the crossroads, she knew that only the LAB remained and that she had to see what was inside. She had her hunches of what awaited her inside but you could never really count your chickens before they hatched. Seeing such a strange laboratory in a place like this… filled her with determination. As she approached the lab, the doors suddenly mysteriously opened, sliding inward and opening the entrance for Alice.
"...! D-does this mean whoever's inside can operate the door at will…?" Alice asked herself flabbergasted.
Normally Alice would've been a little flattered but after everything she had been through it was a little bit troubling. It was like the poem of the Spider and the Fly, someone inviting Alice into their parlor to do something malevolent in the end. Thouh if Alice's suspicions were correct, this lab belonged to the Royal Scientist Alphys. After all, Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans all spoke of her and what she could create so such a lab only seemed fitting for this 'Alphys' to use and reside in. The real question was though, what was Alphys like and what would her intentions be with Alice?
"Well I have nothing to lose and all to gain so… let's investigate shall we?" Alice encouraged herself with a thoughtful statement and entered the Lab.
The lab itself appeared to be a little dimly lit, as if someone had turned off the lights but for some odd reason, Alice appeared to be under a directed light. A sort of spotlight similar to what Undyne had casted over her earlier when she had found the Echo Flower. With this light, Alice could make out a mint green wall, a pastel blue and yellow checkered floor, and then a big room with a number of different and strange objects scattered about. First, Alice noticed an extremely unusual flight of stairs where the steps seemed to be in constant motion. They sunk into the ground at the very bottom before re-emerging at the very top. I've never seen such a device before… Alice thought with wonder. Next she noticed an incredibly big T.V with an unusual shape and what appeared to be a small keyboard and controls on it. On second thought, it was very possible for it to be a computer but it seemed to be projecting an image at the moment much like a T.V. It appeared to be of Alice herself and she could see her baffled expression on the very screen itself.
"What on earth…? Is this some sort of recording device…?" She asked, gasping and putting a hand to her mouth.
The Alice on the monitor had mimicked the very same action so it was clear this computer was tracking and showing Alice's actions to whoever was watching it. Alice also realized this was the first time she had saw herself without the use of mirror in quite awhile. She looked surprisingly well put-together though her hair did seem slightly frazzled and her ribbon was slightly crooked. Alice quickly groomed herself to the best of her abilities and looked satisfied with the results once she saw herself on the screen again. Continuing her investigation of the lab, Alice found a relatively big desk that was stacked with countless papers in a rather messy fashion. There was a normal-sized computer and monitor with what appeared to be notes taped delicately onto it and a trash can to the left of it. Makes sense for a scientist to have such a tool, Alice figured in her head, and I suppose it also makes sense for them to try an organized chaos management style. Lastly, Alice spotted a refrigerator and a strange purple bag. As she approached the right side of the room though, she suddenly heard a noise. It was coming from an area that wasn't illuminated by the spotlight so Alice couldn't see a thing. Then she heard what she suspected was some sort of switch and suddenly she could see everything. There, standing in the middle of the room, was a remarkable monster. It appeared to be some sort of dinosaur or lizard-based monster with three horns, a somewhat beautiful golden skin tone, glasses, a long white lab coat, and a somewhat sweet expression. She hadn't yet noticed Alice and appeared to be stretching slightly. This left Alice free to remark,
"Eh…? A dinosaur…? O-or perhaps a lizard…? Excuse me… who exactly are you?"
The monster suddenly looked delightfully puzzled by Alice's voice and turned to look at Alice. Their eyes went wide and they put their hands on their ears as though in complete disbelief.
"Oh. My god. I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and…" Speaking in a very dorky, gentle yet anxious voice, the monster shuffled about from where they stood as though trying to find an exit.
From the tone of voice it was clear this monster was a female. Alice was now 90% sure this was Alphys but she decided it would be more appropriate to get confirmation from the monster herself. She felt a little bad for startling the monster like this as they looked very flighty and unprepared. Speaking up gently, Alice said,
"I'm terribly sorry for barging in here and leaving you unprepared. The door appeared to open as soon as I approached the lab so I thought you had welcomed me inside. May I have your name?"
"O-oh… that's just the automatic door… it opens when it… uh… senses someone approaching the door. U-u-usually, cause otherwise I can keep it locked but I was expecting some company and well… anyways. H-h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm ASGORE's royal scientist." The monster replied a bit shyly.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Alphys, my name is Alice. I heard a lot about your extraordinary capabilities from my friends." Alice complimented Alphys in an attempt to help the scientist feel more at ease while she curtsied gracefully.
"T-thank you… and it w-was really great to see all that… I have really amazing friends. B-b-but, ahhhh, I'm not one of the "bad guys"! Actually, since you stepped out of the RUINS, I've, um… been "observing" your journey through my console." Alphys then suddenly dropped a bombshell that made the entire atmosphere feel tense.
"... I-I beg your pardon Alphys but did you just admit you've been spying on me…?" Alice choked out the question after a great pause.
There were a number of thoughts that came to mind. One, she must've seen how the Papyrus encounter had gone which meant she might've found out about Chara. Two, she also must've been keeping track of all her movements which she could then easily pass on to anyone she wanted. Three, that was an extreme invasion of privacy, seeing everything Alice was doing like it was a television show. Alice started feeling quite upset and aggravated and it seemed as though Alphys could tell. The scientist crouched and turned slightly away, as though hiding from Alice's wrath.
"I-it wasn't for any malign or disturbing intent… If anything I was hoping to learn from you… I saw your fights… your friendships… everything! I was originally going to stop you, but…" Alphys began but then left an awkward pause.
"You got afraid. You must've seen how the Papyrus encounter went and suspected me…" Alice finished Alphys's sentence for her in a cold tone.
Alphys looked to Alice with an even greater fear, but Alice couldn't tell if it was because of what she said or how she said it. Granted Alice wasn't even in her right mind when she had confronted Papyrus with the Vorpal Blade but if any viewer had seen that without all the information, then there would be a natural reason to be suspicious of Alice from then on. Even forgiving Papyrus afterward and becoming friends wouldn't shake off somebody's initial impression on Alice from what they were given. But what if Alphys had blabbed about that to the others? Like Undyne? It would not only ruin any chances of Alice trying to befriend monsters from an area she'd never been to but also make her seem untrustworthy overall. That sort of result felt extremely unfair and it made Alice quickly grow suspicious of Alphys.
"... I-I-I… ahh, I did see what happened… but it seemed as though y-y-you were being possessed or under some sort of spell… a-and you broke free from it… plus Papyrus accepted you no matter what and you didn't betray him. I was rooting for you the whole time to do the right and thing and am still rooting for you." Alphys tried to ease the tension with a rather desperate statement but it was clear by her tone it was honest.
"... Did you speak of this to anyone…?" Alice asked, softening her expression.
She considered that Chara had never been spoken by name during that whole encounter so even if Alphys suspected something about Alice, Chara's identity was still a mystery. Alice still believed if Chara was known about by the Underground, it would possibly cause a negative domino effect of mistrust or fear. Also, if Alphys had a monitor, it was probable she wouldn't have gotten it through any of the buildings so the time Alice spent inside a building like Grillby's was a mystery to Alphys. A camera couldn't follow somebody inside the building, much less a populated one without being noticed. She would have only gotten accurate outside footage on me if what she said is true, Alice decided. It also seemed like the most likely one to be affected by such information, Undyne, hadn't mentioned the whole Chara-possessed encounter at all when pursuing Alice. Thus it seemed Alphys did keep this information to herself but Alice still wanted to know.
"Absolutely not… I don't really go out of this lab much to be honest… I'm sorry if I did stumble upon something you didn't want anyone else to know…" Alphys apologized sincerely.
"Well… I suppose if you didn't mean to see that scene it's quite alright. I'm just a bit sensitive about that whole event because I certainly wasn't in my right mind at that place in time. Um… why exactly ARE you observing me though?" Alice asked as she put her hands on her hips.
"W-well you are the first human down here in a long time and… I got a bit curious… S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge. I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to ASGORE's castle, no problem!" Alphys spoke a bit more confidently after gaining Alice's forgiveness.
"Oh, that'd be quite useful actually. I've seen it from far away but I can't imagine what the actual route towards the castle is." Alice confessed, clasping her hands together.
"... Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny issue. A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot-"
"Papyrus told me about that…! He also described him as a 'sexy rectangle'... um… so is that a sort of speciality in your designs?" Alice inquired suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed realizing that she was in front of the designer of that description.
"... O-o-oh… goodness… that was um… w-well… really it was meant to be an appealing design to a widespread audience… I may have gotten a 'smidge' carried away…" Alphys answered with the biggest blush Alice had seen since San's mysterious blue blush.
"Ehehehe… I suppose that does happen with the best of us. But what exactly is the issue with Mettaton then?" Alice asked after laughing a bit.
"Well he was meant to be a robotic T.V star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful. You know, some small practical adjustments. Like um… Anti… anti-human combat features?" Alphys's blush faded only to be replaced with slight guilt as she explained.
"... That's hardly useful Alphys! I thought you were going to say something like 'Anti-barrier features'! Besides, why would you even build something… oh…" Alice was about to go off but then remembered Alphys HAD seen that encounter with Papyrus.
"I mean… j-j-just in case something was to go wrong with a human and they would go rogue…Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided… I have to remove those features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And, um… Now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" Alphys nervously stated.
"You turned him on? Why would you do something so foolish if you knew I was trustworthy and on my way?!" Alice asked angrily.
From what Alphys described, she had only begun to make changes to Mettaton regarding the anti-human features once Alice had pacified Papyrus or some other point around that time. Yet it seemed she had activated Mettaton's anti-human features as soon as Alice neared the lab or maybe as soon as Alice faced off against Undyne. This not only seemed to totally contradict her previous words about not being one of the "bad guys" and rooting for Alice, but it made it look like Alphys was intentionally trying to kill Alice or lure her into a trap. It was definitely fishy and it infuriated Alice that she was dealing with a sketchy scientist who clearly was making decisions that went against what she claimed to be standing for. Instead of trying to find another solution towards the Barrier problem which she could do best in her position as Royal Scientist she's going for the solution that causes more pain, Alice decided angrily. Alphys seemed very aware of Alice's emotions as she once again looked guilty and cowered before the little girl.
"I-i-it was a sincere accident…! Usually I'm much more careful b-but lately I've been really clumsy… ehehehehe… Heh. B-but I did see you have a lot of DETERMINATION in you in the feeds… I really do think that you can fare well against him if you encounter him like this… b-besides maybe we won't run into him!" Alphys tried to diffuse the situation albeit with a weaker argument.
Alice took a deep breath and decided to try a more logical argument,
"... Yes I do have determination but it would be nice not to have to be forced to use it every new area I enter. Furthermore, it's clear you are being very suspicious, saying you are rooting for me but then trying to target me with a robot you just happened to build anti-human features that would only help you break the barrier by using my soul instead of researching another solution that involves no deaths. Do you really think of me as some sort of chess piece that you can play around with? Your friends seem to trust you a lot but so far you haven't given me the same luxury to trust you that they seem to have been given."
"... I-I'm… I see… I understand your point and it's true that what I did wasn't very honest… but I really do want to help you anyway I can and-"
However a very abrupt clanging sound from somewhere outside the lab, or possibly within the lab, and the room shaking interrupted Alphys' defense. Alice also seemed bewildered and looked around confused.
"What was that…?" She asked, slowly walking towards Alphys.
"...?" Alphys looked as though she had noticed it but wasn't sure if it had really happened.
The noise and shaking repeated once more, louder and more violently this time.
"Did you hear something?" The Royal Scientist asked.
"Why yes I did. I was hoping you would know what it was." Alice said with a frown.
Suddenly it happened five more times, with each one being increasingly louder and violent. In fact the third, fourth, and fifth ones lifted Alice and Alphys off their feet briefly. Alphys looked scared and as though she finally figured out what that sound was.
"Oh no." Alphys muttered as the room was suddenly eclipsed by a bright light and then darkness.
"OHHHH YES! WELCOME, BEAUTIES..." Shouted a new, very distorted and even mechanically sounding voice.
"... Beauties?" Alice asked nervously just as a spotlight suddenly appeared and seemed to direct the attention of the room towards the wall.
There, standing in front of a newly formed hole in the wall, was one of the more peculiar things Alice had seen in the Underground yet. It looked like a medium-sized T.V with a yellow screen full of black squares, knobs and dials on it's body, long metallic and striped arms with white gloves over its hands and appeared to be balanced on a firm pole with a wheel on the end. Alice's first reaction was slight confusion at how it was able to break through a solid wall without a visible tool on hand. Then she suddenly realized that this was a functioning robot that was standing in front of her and that it had spoken in a very upbeat, melodramatic tone like it was announcing something. This could only mean one thing… this was METTATON. I can definitely see the rectangle aspect, Alice pondered as she stared in wonder and horror at the machine, sexy… not so much.
"...TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!" It continued with exuberance.
At that moment, a lot of things happened at once. A giant sign dropped down from the ceiling with 'GAME SHOW' in red and pink letters. A rainbow of different lights flashed around Alice and Alphys with matching confetti plummeting down as well as two colorful chandeliers shaped like spheres that were also rainbow colored and twirling about. It was surreal… and a bit silly.
"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT!" Mettaton exclaimed joyfully and then clapped for Alice.
"Hold on a moment… I never signed up for a game show. Besides, I thought you were a superstar, not a host." Alice complained as she had to fend off some falling confetti from getting stuck in her hair.
"SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEVER PLAYED BEFORE EITHER, GORGEOUS. NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE. ANSWER CORRECTLY… OR YOU DIE!" Mettaton's screen flashed a bold red as a strange sort of encounter began.
Mettaton was indeed attacking her, while Alphys was off to the side, eyeing the whole thing with confusion. Alice was unsure of what strategy he would employ through this 'game show' but all the while she couldn't believe how spontaneous he could be. Also on how rehearsed it was, like she was being presented on live television. Somehow Alice doubted Alphys was involved in this particular instance though she knew for certain Alphys was involved in getting Mettaton to go after her in the first place. She was hoping for the Royal Scientist to redeem herself in some fashion though she wasn't quite sure how. Alice observed Mettaton and noted that his metal body renders him invulnerable to attack. Not that I would attack him anyway, Alice thought, I am curious as to why Napstablook wasn't fond of him.
"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!" Mettaton announced.
"...Very well then, I do like a mental challenge once in awhile." Alice responded confidently as she knew there was no way around this.
'What's the prize for answering correctly? A. Money B. Mercy C. New Car D. More questions.' Alice suspected this question was all too easy on the surface, as Mettaton had just said something that would instantly lead her to choose B. But what if it was something else and B was a mere decoy answer? That's when Alice noticed Alphys was making a shape with her hands. Namely a 'D'. Oh! She's giving me the answer without Mettaton noticing! Alice realized as Mettaton was most certainly eyeing only Alice at the moment. She definitely was touched and appreciated such a clever move on Alphys's part and knew that this would help make things go alot smoother in dealing with Mettaton.
"D's the answer isn't it?" Alice proposed.
"RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!" Mettaton cheered as confetti came down.
Alphys gave a thumbs up to Alice for listening to her advice and getting the correct answer. Alice thought that Alphys's actions did prove she genuinely wanted to help Alice and it eased some of her initial suspicions of her. The quiz continued…
"HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE!"
'What's the king's full name? A. Lord Fluffybuns B. Fuzzy Pushover C. Asgore Dreemurr. D. Dr. Friendship.' Alice smiled brightly, not even needing Alphys's sign language to aid her in answering this.
"Oh that's easy. C! Thanks to Monster Kid." Alice answered the question much faster than the previous one as the answer stood out like a painted rose.
"CORRECT! WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER! ENOUGH ABOUT YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!"
'What are robots made of? A. Hopes&Dreams B. Metal&Magic C. Snips&Snails D. Sugar&Spice.' Alphys quickly signed 'B' as the correct answer much to Alice's relief as while she had a hunch it was that choice, she was afraid of this being a trick question.
"B." Alice replied.
"TOO EASY FOR YOU. HUH? HERE'S ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU." Mettaton continued to host.
Unfortunately the next question was of a ridiculously long length and seemed to involve complicated math and trains arriving at a specified time but at different speeds. Alice quickly deduced that for some of these more complex and difficult questions, trusting Alphys with her sign language would be much easier and beneficial to her. So when the monster mimed D which was '32,058 minutes', the little girl parroted it easily,
"D."
"WONDERFUL! I'M ASTOUNDED FOLKS!"
"Excuse me Mettaton but how long until this game show is over? Don't you have another program coming soon or something along those lines?" Alice inquired as she was worried about this becoming tedious for her and Alphys.
"DON'T COUNT ON YOUR FREEDOM OR YOUR VICTORY JUST YET!" Mettaton retorted with surprising aggression.
'How many flies are in this jar? A. 54 B. 53 C. 55 D. 52.' A jar of said flies seemed to magically appear as part of Mettaton's question and the flies flew about in a swarm. On one's own, it'd be near impossible to determine how many exact flies were flying about in the jar due to them being so small and easy to blend in with one another. Alphys appeared to believe 'A' was the answer and so once again Alice trusted the Royal Scientist's judgement,
"Is it A perhaps?"
"CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY! LET'S PLAY A MEMORY GAME." Mettaton seemed relentless on the questioning and it was starting to annoy Alice.
'What monster is this? A. Froggit B. Whimsun C. Moldsmal D. Mettaton.' The picture definitely appeared to be the head of a Froggit like the ones in the Ruins so Alice figured she knew the answer. However she noticed Alphys was mimicking the letter 'D' with her hands, suggesting that this question's answer was really Mettaton. Alice looked incredulously at Alphys though as it didn't seem accurate to the image at all. Although he does definitely seem like the type to resort to underhanded manuevers, Alice considered. It was common sense that a murderer would resort to any angle to take down their victim and even more logical considering the desperation displayed thus far in monsters like Undyne and Mad Dummy in trying to defeat Alice. Not to mention Alphys had been completely on point thus far with her answers so she was right now showing a lot more trustworthiness than she had been a few minutes ago.
"I believe that image is of you Mettaton. D." Alice replied.
"I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED!" Mettaton cheered with zeal as the image in question zoomed out to show Mettaton wearing a black T-shirt with the image of Froggit on it.
"Isn't that against the rules to give me an incomplete representation of the image for my question?" Alice pestered Mettaton right after realizing he had fully intended to deceive her.
"YOU STILL GOT IT SWEETHEART, DON'T SEE WHY YOU SHOULD BE COMPLAINING. BUT CAN YOU GET THIS ONE?" Mettaton seemed to challenge Alice head-on.
'Would you smooch a ghost? A. Heck Yeah B. Heck Yeah C. Heck Yeah D. Heck Yeah.'
"... Wait… WHAT?!" Alice did a double take as she not only noticed the answers were all the same but also that the question was completely absurd.
Smooch a ghost?! What kind of nonsense concept is that?! I mean my sister would never approve of such a crazy action and… B-besides Napstablook is my friend… and I highly doubt I would be able to kiss him to begin with. This question is just plain silly… I would never force something like that upon my friend. Alice's head went on a perplexed and highly flustered tangent as she blushed a decent amount from the sheer implications of the question. Looking to Alphys, she was relieved to know that Alphys also was not finding the question amusing. She had an expression that could best be summarized as 'Are you kidding me?' The question still needed to be answered in spite of it's credibility and content and so Alice gave her final answer which had a 100% rate of success.
"I suppose I'll go for A in this case… after my name." Alice grimaced at Mettaton.
"GREAT ANSWER! I LOVE IT!"
"They were all the same answer you crazy computer! A-and how could you even ask such a silly question?!" Alice stomped her foot.
"I BELIEVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE WOULDN'T FIND IT SILLY. ALSO YOU SEEM QUITE FLUSTERED. DOES OUR PLAYER NEED A GLASS OF WATER?" Mettaton seemed to be teasing Alice who was indeed still blushing a bit furiously.
"Not at all… and mind your own business please..." Alice grumbled, folding her arms and turning away with her eyes closed.
"HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE…" Mettaton spoke again.
'How many letters in the name Mettaton?' However, Alice noticed that a series of 'n's appeared right after Mettaton, extending the word to absurd lengths. Even the answer choices, which consisted of numbers, rapidly changed as though it was a slot machine of sorts. By now it was plainly obvious Mettaton really was going to extreme lengths to sabotage Alice's answers and make the difficulty as hard as possible. Luckily it seemed that Alphys was quick on her feet or had memorized Mettaton's quiz on her own time as she once again mimed the answer with her hands.
"C, as in Cheshire Cat." Alice giggled a bit.
"OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU! TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS!" Mettaton seemed ready to finish this quiz, much to Alice's relief.
'In the dating simulation video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" what is Mew Mew's favorite food?" After just the mere question popped up, several things occurred. One, Alice looked at it in great confusion as she had never heard of either a video game or a dating simulation. Why would one even want to simulate something meant to be so intimate? Alice pondered. Second, Alphys surprisingly spoke up while raising her hand and in a voice that was extremely excited,
"OH! OH! I KNOW THIS ONE! IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM! IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH! AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS! BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS IN THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and…"
Alphys's excitable answer quickly lost steam towards the end once she realized she was not only interfering in the quiz show directly before Mettaton, but that she also showed that she was perfectly aware of the answers to this quiz. Thus, unlike Alice's lamp situation in Snowdin Forest, Alphys had blown her own cover in regards to being sneaky in helping her out. Also Alice had to seriously question what kind of video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" was if the main character liked snail ice cream or who in their right mind would make such a flavor. Probably a monster of some sort but it definitely made Alice believe that snails were a beloved delicacy for monsters seeing how this character and Toriel both adored recipes that used snails. It was actually a little depressing to imagine how terrified these snails must've been of being caught by a monster. Alice looked to Mettaton nervously, wondering if he caught onto what Alphys had done. Judging from his next reply he most certainly had,
"ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS. YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANT, ARE YOU? OOOOOOH! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I'LL ASK A QUESTION… YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO!"
Alphys had tried shaking her head in denial but now could only waved her hands towards Alice as if saying not to answer. It was clear she was nervous about what Mettaton had asked and indeed the question was 'Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on? A. Undyne B. Asgore C. The human D. Don't know.' Oh gosh, Alice thought in the deepest sympathy for Alphys, what a terribly private question. What was even worse was that Alice had no choice but to answer it or risk Mettaton's wrath. So she quickly analyzed each choice. Based on what she had learned about the relationships between Monsters in Snowdin meant that Undyne wasn't immediately a ridiculous answer as two females could fall in love here and be accepted for that. Still Undyne… didn't really seem easy to warm up to and was clearly out to get humans no matter the costs. As heroic and strong she seemed, it didn't seem like she was the kind who was up for romance. It was true that Undyne had mentioned Alphys as her friend but otherwise Alice had a slight difficulty imagining Undyne as Alphys's crush based on how intimidating the fish woman could be. The last two answers were instantly out of the question as Alice would've been even more irked at the idea of Alphys crushing on the human and yet supporting trying to kill them for their soul and Alice wasn't going to take the cowardly 'don't know' way out. That only left one other answer….
"Could it be B. Asgore?" She offered.
As the Royal Scientist, it was easy for Alphys to have gained close contact and one-on-one interaction with the king and even more likely for feelings to sprout from then on. It wasn't a matter of trying to be a golddigger and take advantage of the king's power and wealth but more so of a level of respect that developed into something more. Also it seemed like a more traditional crush that seemed well suited for someone working in a scientific and professional field. At least that was the basis for Alice's theory on B being the correct answer. Alphys immediately began to blush and covered her face with her arms as she shivered nervously. Mettaton seemed positively enthralled with Alice's answer as he began to speak,
"WHY WOULD SOMEONE OUTFIT AN AMUSEMENT ROBOT… WITH BRUTAL COMBAT CAPABILITIES? SIMPLE. TO IMPRESS MR. ASGORE DREEMURR, OF COURSE! OR AS ALPHYS CALLS HIM… 'MR. DREAMY.' THOSE STRONG ARMS… THAT LUSTROUS BEARD… LIKE ALL THOSE WHO CREATE WEAPONS. SHE CRAVES THE TENDER EMBRACE OF A BURLY MAN. CAN SHE TRULY BE BLAMED?"
"I-I suppose not when you describe him like that…" Alice twirled her hair nervously and looked sadly at Alphys.
Part of her was relieved though to hear the real reason why Alphys had made Mettaton with anti-human features. It seemed as though the king's stern belief and her desire to make him proud as the Royal Scientist had influenced her to take a more proactive stance on trying to break the barrier. So she had upgraded Mettaton to be more capable of retrieving a soul. It made Alice understand the doctor a lot better and sympathize with her enough to lose some of her harboring distrust of Alphys. Right now Alice felt as though Alphys could be understood and thus she should give her the pleasure to be understood by somebody else. Especially since her own creation had just exposed some of Alphys's inner feelings and desires in such a shameful way. It made Alice turn her head to give a cross look at Mettaton as he slid over next to Alphys.
"WELL WELL WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU… THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT. BUT! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS…!" Mettaton concluded the game show with a lot of pizzazz.
"Next time…?" Alice asked nervously as Mettaton suddenly seemed to withdraw into himself like a turtle with a shell.
Then suddenly a flame sprouted beneath him and he took up into the sky and blew a hole through the ceiling in the lab as Alphys watched him go. Alice stepped out of the way as small bits of debris landed on the ground but otherwise the worst was over. Alice sighed, tired not only from the game show but from the fact she hadn't yet had a chance to get some genuine rest that didn't involve scorching heat. She didn't know if a science lab made such a good place to rest either but at this point Alice was quite tempted to ask. However, she knew there were more important things to discuss and so she asked Alphys.
"Dr. Alphys, are you alright?" She asked, using the formal title Mettaton had used.
"...Well that was certainly something. Th-that last question. H-he wasn't supposed to ask that one… but I'm fine." Alphys replied sheepishly.
"I must say I have yet to see what Papyrus seems to see in him. I think he's narcissistic and a bit cruel to openly reveal such private information out to the public. Then it's true you made the improvements to him to appease Asgore?" Alice asked again after venting some of her innermost frustrations.
"... Y-yes… he's really an admirable guy… b-but I'm out of his league and he trusts so much with me that I would hate to let him down... sometimes I feel I already h-have…" Alphys looked quite sad upon admitting to this.
"Well… hmm… I've never been acquainted with royalty so I can't really say what's on King Asgore's mind at the moment but I know your friends think very highly of you. So at the very least you've got people who support you and would definitely approve of your crush and maybe even help it come to fruition." Alice spoke sweetly as she tried to comfort Alphys.
"T-thank you Alice…"
Despite these words, Alphys began to look at Alice with a strange look. It was a look of close examination or perhaps doubt. For some reason it reminded Alice of when Sans had spoken severely to her after she had complained about Papyrus, as if Alphys had or knew more than she was letting on and if Alice did something wrong she would use it. Alice couldn't help but gulp and ask,
"I-is there something the matter?"
"Alice… I've been thinking about this for a long time since I first s-saw you… and I wanted to a-ask you… are you THE Alice? From 'Alice in Wonderland?'" Alphys inquired honestly.
"... I beg your pardon?" Alice suddenly felt short of breath.
This was the exact feeling she had gotten when she first found out that she was not only in the future but possibly in a different realm after Toriel had talked about Mt. Ebott and showed her the cellphone. It was the feeling of being completely oblivious and vulnerable to something new that seemed common sense for everyone else but Alice. Alphys had not only said 'Wonderland' but she said 'Alice in Wonderland'. A title. Where did that title come from and why was it so accurate to everything Alice had in life? Alphys sensed Alice's confusion and quickly began to explain,
"Alice… I don't m-mean to sound presumptuous or like I'm some strange stalker b-but there happens to be a story by the author Lewis Carroll… a-a-a human… written in 1865 called 'Alice in Wonderland'... and it describes a girl who is practically just like you… a-a curious girl who came up with a world of her own called Wonderland. B-building upon that… that book has inspired countless other pieces of media-"
"I-I never heard of that writer! I don't… how is that possible…? Surely I would've come across it at a library o-or during my lessons…" Alice interrupted nervously as the gravity of what Alphys was implying began to pressure her greatly.
"... T-then… wouldn't you say that supports the idea of you being THE Alice…? I mean… t-thinking it based off an alternate reality sort of logic… maybe there's a world where your story existed as a series of… real events. T-then that story by Lewis Carroll and p-perhaps Lewis Carroll himself never existed there… a-and you somehow stumbled into the Underground and a different universe where the story and the writer existed through that same rabbit hole… l-like a character acting as a human..." Alphys elaborated on the idea.
There was a very long pause after that as Alice seemed to be thinking about what Alphys had said very carefully. It had so many implications that went against what Alice had initially believed. It was almost as it was downright saying Alice wasn't meant to be here or that her entire existence thus far had been a dream or an illusion. It was incredibly destructive reasoning...
"... An alternate universe… that would explain I suppose why I'm in a different time… b-but I couldn't possibly be a character... I-if I was, none of this would feel real to me… or it would've felt more like a dream in which I would've woken up by now since I'm supposedly not meant to exist… and it's been really painful..." Alice hugged herself as though she was cold and couldn't even look to Alphys as she spoke.
Alphys started to bite her lip and realized this was quickly becoming a bad idea. It looked like the little girl was completely distraught and shaken by the idea of her existence being fictional or perhaps that her imaginary world of Wonderland was a concept that existed already. In the past, the Royal Scientist had indeed pursued things almost too heavily in her research and studies which contributed to her being rather insecure about speaking with people. Right now though, Alphys saw she was in the position she could stop her pursuit and instead try to understand the little girl. After all, it wasn't like Alice had done anything to deserve being probed about her reason for existing.
"... W-wait Alice-"
"But maybe you're right… I've been completely in the dark of these new things I've seen down here. The cell phones, the computers, the monsters… but it seems commonplace for everyone else. I'm in another time… I'm all alone… there's nothing resembling Wonderland… and apparently there already was a Wonderland even before I fell down the rabbit hole... Still it all feels quite real to me… I'm being hunted down for goodness sake! H-how can I deny that?" Alice interrupted Alphys, looking like she was slowly agreeing with Alphys for the worse.
Oh no… she's falling into despair! Alphys thought in a panic as she saw Alice's eyes become emptier and darker. Alice was still trying to defend herself but it seemed she had been defending herself all this time and what Alphys has said was what pushed her over the edge. Alphys knew she had to intervene in some form and called out to Alice,
"A-Alice… I think maybe it is real to you… p-perhaps I'm just being a bit too harsh… y-yes you are the spitting image of the Walt Disney 1951 film but-"
"... Walt Disney?" Alice, who had been looking very grim as she began to question her very existence, looked to Alphys curious again.
"O-oh yes um… w-well he's considered one of the pioneers of animation a-a-and made a lot of movies… and his company s-still exists today… it's as great as anime if you ask me. H-he made a film about you and your story and in fact… you look exactly like that 'Alice'. T-tell me… what do you remember before falling down the rabbit hole?" Alphys perked up as she realized she had gotten Alice's attention.
Alice wasn't sure what Alphys was attempting to do. Alphys seemed smarter than Alice ever could be at this moment, and it seemed as though that history wasn't what Alice thought it was at all. If Alice couldn't recall a story that had existed before she had been born that had basically described that cherished world of her own, it must've been the truth that Alice was merely a character of sorts. Alice couldn't argue against that fact with as much confidence as other questions posed to her in the Underground as she didn't have that experience or that knowledge of what happened between the rabbit hole and coming here. Was she 'a' Alice or 'the' Alice? Real or fictional? Still… I have nothing left to lose so maybe I should answer Alphys's questions, Alice thought hopefully. She was greatly losing her will to keep going on in the Underground at the moment and part of her still wanted to see more so she decided to give that part of her a chance.
"Well… it all started when I was sitting on the riverbank with my cat Dinah. W-we had gone to the park with my sister for a history lesson but I had quickly grown bored and wandered off…" Alice recounted what had felt like years ago but seemed chronologically a few days ago.
"Y-your sister… was she dressed in purple perchance with brown hair?" Alphys asked.
Alice nodded in response.
"... That is how the Disney movie opened up… b-b-but come to think of it… your sister didn't really um… h-how should I put it? Show much of herself in the film. What d-do you remember about her?" Alphys asked.
She was going for an angle that would show the human capacity within Alice. Characters usually only felt, thought, had, or wanted what the script or story wanted them to have. They could have memories but it was up to them and the story they were a part of to reveal those memories. Furthermore, such memories would be very specific and would work to advance the plot or develop that character more. In a nutshell, the memories we see a character having could only be a fraction of the total memories they actually have. Humans often had much more memories or at least could recall much more memories than a character could. So for instance if Alice could recall things that her film or book or media didn't show, that would certainly confirm she was truly a human girl named Alice.
"Well… my sister and I were v-very close… we would have tea parties often, we would sometimes recount riddles or play games, she was always teaching me whatever she could, and I looked up to her often. She always wanted me to be ladylike and taught me how to be the way I am..." Alice seemed to be smiling more and some life returned to her eyes as she replied.
"A-and Dinah?"
"Oh Dinah… s-she was my best friend… sometimes when I was scolded too harshly she would be by my side to comfort me and make me feel less alone. We traveled far and wide… well not quite as far and wide as down here but fairly close… and she… was the one I first opened up to about my Wonderland. S-she didn't quite understand it now that I think about it but the fact that she was listening… made me feel important and comforted."
"... It sounds like you loved them very much." Alphys smiled, knowing now that she had an answer.
Something else was stirring in her head though, an addendum to her theory to work with what she now knew. If the Alice who stood before her was indeed a human and not a character, how was it still possible for the concept of 'Alice in Wonderland' to exist without it not being known to Alice? Or at the very least, how did this young human girl end up being so similar to the character and have her dreams live on into the future to inspire creators and idealists after she fell into the Underground? Alphys needed to get one more significant detail that she felt would crack the code. Alice, who suddenly appeared teary eyed, sniffled
"I-I did… but what's so depressing is… I-I let my curiosity abandon them a-and fell down here… no one would ever think to look for me here… and now I'm beyond my time… my sister and Dinah are gone now… t-they were left behind and m-must've been worried for me and heartbroken up until they p… passed… ngh…"
Alice began sobbing hard, the stress of everything she had underwent thus far, the new revelations challenging her existence, and remembering all she had lost finally being too much for her. She put her hands onto her face and sobbed, wishing she had never followed Chara down here. This confession though… this final, powerful memory… was exactly what Alphys needed. She wasn't used to speaking like this at all, rather she felt like this was out of her comfort zone and something somebody other than her should be doing. But… if she was to atone for her earlier mistakes in some way, then this was definitely her chance. She took a deep breath and spoke as clearly and with as little nerves as she could,
"... A-Alice, I have a theory. As I said before, the novel 'Alice in Wonderland' was made in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. F-for years that story was out and had a mixed popularity before being revered by the end of the 19th century…. That book was about a girl named Alice who stumbled into Wonderland b-but that it was a fiction story... A-and I'd like to think you never got a chance to read it or see it before out of coincidence... When you were born and raised by your sister, you just happened to have that Alice's imagination and curiousity but also differed in several ways from the Alice portrayed in the book... For starters you were a human girl, y-you existed, you could learn and had much more compassion. Y-y-you lived a wonderful life... and unlike Carroll's heroine, you fell down a rabbit hole into the Underground. When you disappeared, I-I believe your sister did everything she could to find you and when she couldn't, she did the next best thing: s-she carried your name on her sleeve throughout the rest of her life... She talked to everyone she knew about the amazing adventures you created in your head, a-about your dreams and appearance, about the future she thought you never got to experience. The similarities between you and that Lewis Carroll story must've sparked a great deal of interest in 'Alice in Wonderland' a-and that's what resulted in things like the Disney film... That Alice and all other movie Alice's after that were fictional but you became their muse. You are a real-life human girl named Alice who is just as imaginative and curious as any fictional Alice before and after your time... a-and it was your sister who immortalized you. Even up to today, even if nobody knew that you still are very much alive after disappearing, your sister let you live on in memory s-so that you wouldn't be forgotten and even though she died, her actions clearly showed how much she cherished you. You're not a character Alice, you're a human."
"I'm… me... My sister… s-she did all that… oh sister... uuu…" Alice sobbed, suddenly feeling completely enlightened and saved in a sense.
Her only mental image of her sister and Dinah up until now was one of despair, of their graves like she had seen in that nightmare where Sans had killed her. But now Alice had a different image of what her sister had done after Alice had disappeared, or at least a far more positive one that showed they hadn't died in vain. Her sister writing a book describing Alice's life and her memories, her sister speaking about Alice to a crowd, her sister possibly gathering people or finding people who had lost a younger sibling to discuss and open up about it, so many imaginative and positive things that showed her sister never forgot Alice and made the most of the rest of her life to keep Alice's memory alive. If anything, it was the greatest sort of favor her sister could've done after that tragedy, making sure Alice never truly was alone. This 'Alice in Wonderland' tale from the human surface might not have entirely revolved around her, but by being connected to it spiritually and it being present in this time, it felt as though Alice had never disappeared and that she was still around even in the future. Alphys had beautifully demonstrated that truth to Alice and so Alice knew there was no more room for doubt. Alice had to keep surviving, she had to stay determined, she had to do for the monsters what her sister did for her; make sure they were free and lived on into the future.
"A-are you feeling better Alice…? I-I'm really not good with these kinds of talks." Alphys admitted as she watched the little girl sob.
Alice took a few breaths of air before wiping her tears away. She knew her sister would still love to know she was being as lady-like as possible and she felt like a giant question that had plagued her was finally solved. While Alphys had brought up the question again, she had also answered it in a sympathetic way that made Alice feel that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and while she had turned on Mettaton to target Alice, Alphys had still helped Alice answer the complicated questions. There was definitely some mystery behind Alphys still and Alice knew she had to be slightly on her guard when asking questions from and talking to her, but overall she was definitely a very likable monster in her own special way and her kindness and wisdom did shine through. So Alice said with a cheerful smile,
"N-no… you're actually quite skillful at them."
To Be Continued...
