Chapter 9

After Frisk prepared her no cook pasta sauce and the three of them ate in different rooms, Undyne and Frisk sat at the table by the kitchen while the singing Papyrus washed the dishes. Frisk, not knowing what to do, fidgeted in her chair. Undyne sat with her head resting on her palm and her elbow on the table, her other hand tapping against her thigh.

Finally, Undyne groaned and said, "I can't make you like me and be my friend, can I?"

"Maybe not with the methods you used," Frisk replied. Undyne snorted. Giggling, Frisk tried, "I understand now why you were so determined to steal my face. My face is the last needed to free everyone from the curse, and you want to be the one to get it because you don't want King Asgore to suffer any more than he is already."

As she said this, Frisk saw Chara floating close to her. He did not speak. Frisk had to remind herself that King Asgore, the one who was taking all the human faces, was Chara's adopted father and that this news might have been upsetting to Chara.

When Undyne didn't say anything in response, Frisk swallowed and said, "I'm sorry I stole your tutu, but I had a good reason."

"Oh, really?" Undyne sat up straighter and turned her gaze directly towards Frisk. "And here I thought you were going to try to go through your entire time here not even mentioning that you stole my most prized possession."

"Trust me, I didn't want to."

"Well, what's your grand reason for stealing from me?"

Tensing, Frisk again thought over what she planned to say. There was no way she could tell anyone about Chara, but there was some extent of the truth Frisk could share. The more help Frisk could enlist in collecting the human items, the better.

"I think there's some sort of connection between the human items and the curse," Frisk explained. She then grabbed her pack and began to pull out the human items one by one. The last item was the ribbon Toriel had tied in Frisk's hair, and Frisk pulled it out slowly. "I don't know why, and I can't explain it even to myself, but I strongly believe that something about the items is essential to breaking the curse."

And if collection them helps Chara remember who he is, Frisk thought, then something about his past must connect with the curse in some way.

Undyne tilted her head to the side and studied the items. Gingerly, she reached out and brushed her fingers over the tutu. Her hand then passed over the ribbon then froze over the bandana. She didn't speak, but Undyne thoughts were clear. Undyne looked at the bandana, over her shoulder at Papyrus, then back at the bandana.

Placing her hand back on her lap without taking anything off the table, Undyne asked, "Do you think . . . do you think collecting the human items could help King Asgore?"

"I don't know," Frisk answered, "but I have to try something. There has to be a way to break the curse without causing anymore suffering. It's . . . it's kind of why we came to see you. Erm, we—that is, Papyrus and I were thinking that perhaps Dr. Alphys could help us, but she won't see anyone other than you."

Undyne nodded. "If anyone could figure out if there is a connection, it would be Alphys. But . . . there's no promise I can get her to help you. Every time I go see her, she's disinterested in almost everything. Perhaps this might be the spark to reignite that passion I know burns in her heart . . . , but I'm afraid to get my hopes up, to tell you the truth."

"We have to at least try," Frisk whispered, heart sinking. They could not have come this far only to fall so short. Even though the question she had was answered, the new information Undyne had revealed changed everything.

The silence hung in the air for a moment or two before Undyne wordlessly jumped to her feet, ran towards a counter, and began rummaging through the drawers. She returned to the table with a sheet of paper, an envelope, and a pen. Writing quickly, Undyne got a message from pen to paper and sealed the envelope within minutes of bringing it to the table. She wrote Dr. Alphys's name on the back. Lastly, Undyne ran to where Frisk assumed was her bedroom and returned with a small box in hand.

"Here," Undyne said as she gave Frisk the envelope. "If you give these to Alphys, she will know that I sent you."

"You're not coming with me?" Frisk asked, disbelieving.

Undyne shook her head. "I have a secret mission I need to go on. Well, I and Papyrus."

Dishes clattered into the sink. "You want me to go with you on a secret mission?!" he exclaimed as he ran out to where Frisk and Undyne sat.

"Yes, I will need your help for this," Undyne replied to him. Turning back to Frisk, Undyne handed her the box and said, "There's a shop in central Waterfall Marsh you will need to visit before leaving for Hotland Jungle. It's run by Gerson. You'll know him when you see him: the man's so ancient he should be dust. Give him this box, and I promise he will have something you want to possess."

Accepting the box, Frisk weighed it in her hand. It was small enough to comfortably fit in her palm, but it was heavier than it looked. She would have to switch the sides she carried her pack as she journeyed to the shop lest one side of her body get sore from the travel.

"Thank you," Frisk said, not knowing what else she could say.

"Hey, it's the least I can do after trying to kill you." Undyne scratched the back of her head and stared at the wall. "You're really something, you know? After I spent so much time hunting you down to steal your face, you not only help me cool off when I stupidly wore so much heavy armor in Hotland Jungle, but you also willingly came to my home to try to find ways you can help everyone in the forest. Tell me, why do you want to free an entire race that wants to kill you?"

"I suppose it's because it doesn't seem right," Frisk responded after a moment in thought. "Toriel protected me and took care of me. Sans and Papyrus willingly tried to get me safely through Snowdin Lane despite being on the run. You chose to show me mercy when my act of kindness to you could have been your chance. It's . . . not fair. Why should so many good people suffer as a result of some war fought years ago?"

"Not every one of us is a good person, you know." Undyne snorted. "However, I want to get out of here as much as the next guy, and if you're willing to help us . . . If you can find some way to free us as well as King Asgore, I will help you any way I can. If you can do it all without dying, even better."

"Trust me, I do not plan to die," Frisk said, but her heart sank. Is there a way to break the curse without my having to sacrifice my face?

"Either way . . ." Undyne took a deep breath. "Freedom is finally coming. It's so close, I can almost taste it. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts, beating as one. Our days of imprisonment are almost over."

Undyne reached out, hesitated a moment, then rested her hand on Frisk's shoulder. "You had better fulfill your promise soon, or I swear I'm going to hunt you down again and use your face to free everyone myself!"

Although Undyne may have meant for her comment to be a threat, Frisk still laughed. Throwing herself forward, Frisk wrapped Undyne in a hug. Undyne stood stunned for a moment before she returned the hug.

"I think you're a great friend," Frisk said, meaning every word.

"You're just saying that to butter me up," Undyne replied, but she ruffled Frisk's hair. "Now, get out of here!"

"But not without saying goodbye to me!" Papyrus exclaimed as he bolted back into the room and enveloped Frisk and Undyne in a hug.

Feeling too happy to contain it, Frisk burst out laughing. As the three broke the hug and began to talk about their respective next steps, Frisk couldn't help but feel as if moments like this were what made the journey to breaking the curse worth it. Yet thinking such made her heart turn to stone, and Frisk looked in the corner to see Chara watching from the distance.

The quieter Chara remained, the more Frisk began to forget about him.

Heart sinking, Frisk wondered if that was his plan after all.