Chapter Seven: Besties?
Frisk now easily made his way back through the dark cavern easily enough. It seemed brighter than before. Maybe his eyes had gotten used to the dim light. Regardless, he continued on, managing to not trip once. Quite a feat, given how dim it was. Frisk wound his way through the darkness, including a room where the lights were continually dimming. While a bit annoying, he was able to get through it quite easily. He found himself in a watery cavern was was just as dark, but, thankfully, there was nothing to trip over. At the end of it, he found an Echo Flower. What it said, though, startled him.
"Behind you." He whirled. Sure enough, there was Undyne, glowering at him as she stalked forward, her heavy, armored footfalls echoing in the cave. Frisk furrowed his brows. There was nowhere to run, and no way out except past her. This was going to get ugly. She stopped in front of him, and, to his surprise, spoke.
"Seven." He registered shock, not at her words, but that she actually spoke to him. It was a rather deep, but still feminine voice. "Seven human souls. With the power of seven souls, our King, King Asgore Dreemurr . . . will become a god." This shocked Frisk. Maybe the King wasn't as nice as his subjects believed. Toriel did warn that Asgore would kill him. "With that power, he will finally be able to shatter the Barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity. And give them back the suffering and pain we've been forced to endure." Frisk frowned. So, the monsters didn't just want freedom, but revenge as well. More of the pieces were falling into place. "Understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul, or I'll tear it from your body." He lifted his head and glared back at Undyne. He couldn't tell, with her visor down, but it looked like she was watching his eyes.
"I'm beyond redemption," Frisk replied flatly, as cold as an Arctic wind. She nodded her armored head.
"So be it," she replied, spear materializing in her hands. She charged forwards, Frisk standing his ground, but not at all looking scared. Indeed, he more looked like he was ready to fight, his brows furrowed, body tense, stance one of readiness.
"Undyne! I'll help you fight!" said the monster kid as he came charging out of some high grass. The monster kid looked at Undyne, then Frisk, excited. "Hey, you did it! Undyne is right in front of you! I've got front row seats to her fight!" He looked back and forth between the two frozen combatants. "Wait a minute . . . Who's she fighting?" Frisk couldn't say he wasn't surprised when Undyne grabbed the monster kid by the ear, and dragged him off. "Hey! Ouch! You're not gonna tell my parents about this, are you?" Frisk sighed and quickly looked for a way out, before she came back. He found it in the form of vines growing up the side of a cliff. He hurried and climbed them as quickly as he could, but knew it was only a matter of time before she was on his heels again. He had to keep moving. He made it to the top quickly, pulling himself up and cracked his neck and back as he got up.
Frisk found himself among many more Echo Flowers, and listened to the conversations and wishes, most of them were of monsters wishing to see the stars and sky, but one got his attention:
"Where oh where could that child be? I've been looking all over for them." He was shocked. That was Toriel's voice! Oh, how wonderful it was to hear her sweet, kind, motherly tone again. His joy was short-lived, though, as another familiar voice followed.
"Hee hee hee That's not true. She'll find another kid, and instantly forget all about you. You'll never see her again . . ." Frisk felt his face contorting at the sound of Flowey's voice, anger welling up inside. He leaned down and spoke clearly into the flower.
"Well see about that, stinkblossom!" he snarled before hurrying on.
Frisk was angry, not just at the nasty taunt, but the fact Flowey was following him and taunting him. Frisk's movements were angry and brisk. He fully intended, the next time he saw the cursed flower, he was going to rip it out of the ground and throw it into the nearest fire or garbage disposal. Frisk was almost stomping across the narrow bridge that lay ahead.
"Yo!" called a familiar voice. He turned, and sure enough, the monster kid was back, looking uncertain. "Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but . . . I wanted to ask you something. Man, I've never asked anyone this before, but . . ." He looked around and then back at Frisk. "You're a human, right?" Frisk smiled gently and nodded. "Man, I knew it! Well, I mean, I know now." The monster kid chuckled nervously.
"And? Do I scare you? Do you hate me?" The kid smiled.
"Nah! You're too nice!" The monster kid looked uncertain, his eyes darting around as he looked at hit feet. "But, Undyne told me "stay away from that human". Man, I'm so confused. Does this, like . . . make us enemies or something?" Frisk closed his eyes and sighed.
"That depends on what you want. Do you want to be enemies with me?" The monster kid frowned, still looking at his feet.
"Uh, not really. I kinda stink at that. Um, maybe you could, uh, say something mean, so I can hate you?" Frisk shook his head.
"No." The monster kid sighed.
"Great, so, like, I have to do it?"
"Not if you don't want to." Frisk smiled gently and put his hand on the kid's shoulder. He looked up into Frisk's eyes. "Follow your heart. What does it say?" The monster kid looked down, thoughtful.
"It says . . ." He looked back into his eyes. "You're not bad." They both smiled. "Yeah, what you said. I guess some humans are bad, but not you. You've been . . . really nice. I'd feel like a real turd if I called you an enemy." Frisk smiled and gently patted his shoulder.
"Follow your heart, my friend. It will never steer you wrong." The monster kid smiled and nodded.
"I should head home, now . . ." The monster kid turned and began to run across the bridge. As before, he tripped, but this time, something bad happened. He landed on a rotten board, which cracked and gave way, leaving him quite literally dangling by his shirt above an abyss. "Help!" Frisk was in action as quick as he could, running across the bridge, diving forwards and catching the shirt of the monster, just as he slipped off.
"Gotcha!" Frisk heard thundering footsteps, looked up, and saw Undyne running at him. Frisk felt the monster kid slipping, and grunted as he fought to pull him up. "Hold on! Ugh!" Frisk could feel his feet slipping on the wet wood. "Hurry! Climb up!" Frisk yelled.
"I can't!"
"Yes you can! Use me like a ladder! Climb! Climb now!" Frisk slipped more. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He put it out of his mind. "If you don't climb, you'll die! Now climb, dammit!" Frisk almost roared, his voice filled with authority. The monster kid squirmed and wiggled around, Frisk trying to swing him up to grab the bridge. The kid slipped again.
"I can't!"
"Yes you can! Think of how sad your mom and dad will be if you die! Doesn't that matter to you?!" The monster kid looked at Frisk, looked into his eyes, he saw the emotion, saw the dedication, the the worry. Instead of a human, he saw a person. With a grunt of effort, the monster kid climbed up Frisk in several, short hops, using his teeth to grab his shirt and feet to hold on. After what seemed like eternity, he was finally back on the bridge, Frisk sitting by his side, breathing hard. Frisk sat and looked at him, smiling softly. The monster kid smiled back, but stopped when he saw Frisk's gaze harden and his smile fade. He turned, and Undyne was less than ten feet away from them. The monster kid got up and stood between them.
"Step off, yo! He saved my life! If you wanna hurt my friend . . . you gotta go through me, first!" He did his best to glare at Undyne. Frisk stared at him, silently awed at his courage. Undyne stared at them for a few moments, and then backed away, disappearing into the shadows. The monster kid sighed and turned to Frisk. "She's gone." Frisk sighed and nodded. He knelt next to Frisk. "You okay, dude?" Frisk smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you." The monster kid nodded, all grins.
"What're friends for, man? You saved me, so I did the same! Ha ha. Feels good." Frisk smiled and nodded.
"Helping others is its own reward." The monster kid smiled at this.
"What's your name?"
"Frisk."
"Cool name, dude. I'm Shaun. Was nice to meet ya. But, uh . . . I gotta get home. My parents are probably worried sick about me." Frisk nodded.
"Just stay safe." Shaun was about to go, when Frisk called out to him. "Shaun!" He stopped and turned back as Frisk got to his feet. "Do me one favor, will you?"
"Sure! Name it!" Frisk smiled, but it had a sadness to it.
"When you get home, hug your mom and dad, and tell them how much you love them." Shaun stared at him.
"Uh, sure, dude. But, uh why?" Frisk looked tired, worn and . . . sad.
"Because, you never know how precious they really are . . . until you lose them." Shaun stared at him for a few moments. He smiled sadly, and nodded.
"I will. I'm . . . sorry, dude." With that, Shaun ran off, leaving Frisk alone on the bridge.
Frisk stayed there for a long while. He knew he should get moving, since Undyne was still after him. Frisk reached into the bag, fished out the cell phone, and called Toriel's number. He hoped, and prayed, but, once again, it just rang and rang. It never even went to voicemail. He sighed, letting his hand drop heavily to his side. A single tear dropped onto the boards. He looked for all the world, like a lost, sad, lonely little boy, which he truly felt like at that moment. He missed Toriel, he missed her dearly. His heart hurt, and he wondered why, and not for the first time, why Fate seemed to hate him so.
"I miss you, Mom . . ." he softly wept. He sniffed, wiped his eyes, and continued on.
Frisk crossed a few small bridges before he came to a huge crag with a hole bored through it.
"Seven souls," said a familiar voice. Frisk growled and looked up, where, sure enough, Undyne was perched on the top of the rock, looking down at him. "Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That's how many we've collected so far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, our world will be transformed." Frisk looked up at her. "But, as is customary to those who make it this far, I will tell you the tragic tale of our people . . ."
"You can save your breath. I already know it!" he shouted up at her. She looked down at him. "The humans attacked out of fear and ignorance, even though monsters never did anything wrong. They feared monsters would take their souls, so they attacked first. It was hardly a war, and more of a slaughter! Not a single human died, and they used their seven most powerful wizards to cast the spell that imprisoned you underground, and you've all been here, ever since! The reason why you need seven souls is to equal the power of the seven spellcasters who made the Barrier. Only an equal force can shatter it. But, because even every monster's soul combined is only equal to one human soul, there's nowhere near enough." Undyne seemed shocked.
"So, you know all about it. Good! So I won't have to waste my time with some dumb monologue!" She took off her helmet, and revealed her face to him.
She had blue scales, and fins on the side of her face. One golden eye glared at him with a baleful glow, the other covered by an eyepatch. A long red ponytail hung down her back. "You! You're standing in the way of everyone's hopes and dreams! Alphys' history books made me think humans were cool, with their flowery swordswomen, their giant robots and super technology! But you?! You're just a coward! Hiding behind that kid so you could run away again! And let's not forget that wimpy goody-two-shoes schtick!" Frisk growled at this. "Ooooh! Look at me! I'm making such a big difference by hugging random strangers!"
"Yeah?! I didn't see you lift a finger to help Shaun when he almost fell off that bridge! Hypocrite!" That seemed to make her mad, as her face became red.
"Shut up! What do you know?! Nothing! You're nothing but a criminal, human! Your very existence is a crime against us monsters, and I'll right it, by putting you out of our misery! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!" Frisk would tell her he was trying to free them, but he doubted she would listen, so he wouldn't waste the time, energy or breath. "I can feel everyone's hearts beating together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not afraid! When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! Now, human! Let's end this! Right here! Right now! I'll show you how determined monsters can be!" Frisk could hear the passion in her voice. He knew she would not listen, nor would she reason with him. There was only one way to resolve this.
"Fine then. Come on down and fight!" She grinned ferally.
"All right! Here I come Ngaaah!" she yelled as she brought up her spear and leaped down at him. She landed in front of him as Frisk circled to the right. She grinned at him wolfishly. "So, you finally stopped running away?" Frisk stared at her, betraying no emotion. "Any last words, human?"
"Not really, but- wait. Who's that big guy with the crown?" She stopped and looked behind her.
"Huh? Asgore?" She didn't see anyone, and realized what had happened. "Wait a minute! Hey!" She looked back as Frisk took off like a rabbit. "You coward!" she screamed as she dashed after him.
Frisk ran as fast as he could, and then even faster, hearing her thundering footsteps behind him, her roaring at the top of her lungs. "Stop running away, you little shit!" she screamed as she hurled a volley of spears at him. This time, though, Frisk did something she didn't expect. He grabbed one of the spears right out of the air, swept it around in an arc, knocking the other spears out of the air, and sending her own spear right back at her.
"Catch!" he yelled. She just barely avoided it, darting to the side. He hardly broke stride as he did this, and she had to give him credit, that was pretty good. Be that as it may, she was still angry.
"You're not getting away! Sunlight is just within our grasp and you're not gonna take it away from us!" she yelled as she dashed after him. Frisk pushed his legs as hard as he could, putting as much energy into them as he could spare, but he still could hear her gaining on him. He had to give it to her, she was pretty tough to keep up with him in that suit of armor. "You're just making this harder on yourself!" she panted behind him. Frisk heard more spears behind him, and he again plucked one out of the air, smacked the others away, and then threw it back, this time he hurled it upwards at the ceiling, where, sure enough, it dislodged some large rocks. Undyne just had enough time to look up as several huge boulders came crashing down on her. Frisk heard the noise, and stopped and looked back. He stopped when he saw what had happened.
"Oh no . . . What . . . What have I done?" He didn't mean to do that, he had only meant to throw the spear away. He was about to head back, when the rubble rumbled.
"Urgaaagh!" Undyne shouted as she stood up, a boulder the size of a Volkswagon in her hands above her head, not a scratch on her. She hurled the boulder over the edge of the ledge. She glared at him. "Nice trick, kid. But you'll need more than that to kill me." Frisk dashed off again, noticing how hot it was beginning to get. Frisk noticed a large sign that read: Welcome to Hotland! He had hardly any time to pay it any mind, as, of all things his cell phone rang. Frisk panted as he answered it.
"Hey! It's Papyrus! I just thought that you, me and Undyne should all hang out sometime! I think you would make great pals!" Frisk glanced back, and saw Undyne gaining, glaring at him and drawing her finger across her neck.
"Uh, I'll have to take a raincheck!" Frisk yelled as he hung up. He doubled his efforts as he saw the cave ahead, and the lava everywhere. He dashed past a guardhouse, hardly noticing Sans napping there, dashing out onto a narrow, wooden bridge over a huge lake of lava. He was sweating from both the heat, and the effort. He could hear Undyne's foot steps, but they were further behind, and not as fast. Frisk kept going, running as fast as his legs could carry him, but he had his limits, and when he got to the other side, he finally stopped and caught his breath. He heard her behind him, and looked up.
Undyne was slowly walking on the bridge, panting, her face red, sweat pouring down her face.
"Ugh. Armor . . . so . . . hot," she groaned, falling face-first onto the ground, just a little past the bridge. Frisk watched, and, despite everything, he couldn't just leave her there to fry. He saw a water cooler nearby. He got a cup of water, ran back, and threw it over her face. Her fins twitched, her eye snapped open, and she stood up shakily. She looked around, looked at him, and her face got red again. She gritted her teeth, fins twitching and almost flapping, before she turned back, and stomped back the way she came. Frisk had to say, he was surprised, and had expected her to continue pursuing him until he either fought her, or she caught him. This came as a genuine shock. Frisk sighed, got himself a cup of water, and downed the whole thing. Frisk rubbed his aching legs before he continued on.
Frisk was more than a bit surprised when he saw a towering building that reminded him of laboratory buildings he had seen a few times. He also saw a pair of armored monsters, standing guard near a staircase. He saw them look at him briefly and grunt, before turning back to their guard duties. Frisk headed down the other way, and was surprised to find not only a river, but a boat with a hooded figure on it. He stopped and stared. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Hello."
"Tra la la! I'm the riverman! Or, am I the riverwoman? It doesn't really matter! I love to ride my boat! Would you like to join me?" Frisk looked at the boat, and the river.
"Um, sure I guess? Where are you going?"
"Where would you like to go?" Frisk thought. Suddenly, his phone range. He turned away and picked it up.
"Ah, Frisk! I'm heading to Undyne's! Come with me! I'm sure you and Undyne will be great pals!" Frisk slapped his forehead at Papyrus' proposal.
"Um, Papyrus, I really appreciate what you're trying to do but I really don't think-"
"It would mean the world to her, I'm sure. She seems kind of down about something, and I think making a new friend would be just the thing to perk her up! Also, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help you look for your mirror!" Frisk stopped and thought.
Undyne was the Captain of the Royal Guard. If anyone would know about the Mirror of Elde, and where it was in the castle, she would. Frisk sighed gently, pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing full well he was walking into the lion's den. "Where is her house?" Frisk asked.
"In Waterfall! Do you know where the twin houses are? Where the ghosts live?"
"Napstablook's house? Yeah, I know where that is."
"Undyne's house is right next door! I'll be waiting for you there!" Frisk hung up and muttered. He looked up and gently stepped onto the boat.
"Waterfall, if you please."
"Tra la la! Then we're off!" With that, the boat rose out of the water, and took off. He was surprised both how fast the boat was, and how gentle and quiet the ride They arrived in Waterfall in record time. "Come again some time. Tra la la." Frisk nodded, got out and headed back into the breech.
XXX
Sure enough, Frisk found Papyrus standing in front of what, quite clearly, was Undyne's house, given the fact it was shaped like a fish-like creature.
"O ho! The human arrives! Are you ready to hang out with Undyne?" Papyrus asked, sounding excited. Frisk could hear some jarring piano music from inside, and swallowed
"As ready as I'll ever be," Frisk groaned. His sarcasm went over Papyrus' head as he gave Frisk a golden bone, wrapped in a red ribbon. Frisk took it and raised an eyebrow.
"I've got the perfect plan to make you two best pals!" Frisk wondered what Papyrus was cooking up. "Just stand behind me!" Frisk did as Papyrus asked, wondering just how bad this was going to get. The skeleton knocked on the door, the music inside stopping, much to the relief of Frisk's ears. It sounded to him like someone was bashing a dying cat across the keys, rather than playing piano. "Psst! Be sure to give her the gift. She loves them!" Frisk groaned as the door opened.
Much to Frisk's amazement, she was smiling.
"Hey, Papyrus! Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?" she asked, sounding happy. Frisk knew, though, that was going to instantly change the second she saw him.
"You bet I am! And I brought a friend!" Papyrus moved out of the way, and Undyne began to speak.
"Hi, I don't think . . . we've . . . met . . ." Yep, called it. The look on her face was a mixture of horror, shock, and pure hatred. Yes, this was going to suck no doubt about it. She glanced at Papyrus, who said nothing. Frisk inwardly groaned, wondering if she was going to wait until Papyrus had his back turned, or was going to gut him on the spot. "Why don't . . . you two . . . come inside?"
From the twitch in her face, Frisk had misjudged, this wasn't going to suck, it was going to suck and blow. Papyrus followed her inside, and Frisk really considered heading for the nearest exit. With a heavy sigh, he entered the gaping maw of the fish-house. How fitting.
Inside, it looked far more like a normal house than he had been expecting. Tile floors, piano, table, giant sword. Frisk was glancing around, looking for possible escape routes and potential items to defend himself with.
"Oh, here, Undyne! My friend brought you a gift! All on their own! Psst!" Frisk sighed, rolled his eyes, and gave Papyrus the golden bone, who then handed to Undyne.
"Oh, uh thanks. I'll just put it with the others," she said as she opened a drawer full of them and dropped it inside. Frisk crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Undyne seemed to share the sentiment. "So, are we ready to start?" she asked.
"Whoopsy doopsy! I just remembered! I have to go to the bathroom! You two have fun!" With that, Frisk could only stare as Papyrus leaped through the window, shattering the glass. They both stared, silent for a long time. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Frisk wasn't about to be the one who broke the silence, no sir. Undyne groaned, looking at him. Frisk raised an eyebrow, looking at her sidelong.
"So why are you here? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? Is that it?" Frisk sighed at this, dropping his hands to his hips.
"No." She frowned, crossing her arms.
"The why are you here?" Frisk was about to answer, when she stopped him. "Wait, I get it. You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?" Frisk shot her a look that clearly said are you nuts?
"I'm here because Papyrus said you were feeling bad, and you're his friend, and I couldn't let him down. But I'm not so stupid I think that, no."
"Well, good! At least we agree on something! Oh, let's frolic in the fields of friendship!" Frisk stared at her, arms crossed.
"You fried my sarcasm meter, you owe me a new one," he retorted. She glared at him.
"Love to see you make me, shorty!"
"Who're you calling so short he oughta have his own drawbridge?!" Frisk screamed, face red nearly steaming. Undyne looked amused, seeming to have finally found a button to push.
"Oh ho ho! A little hot under the collar there, kid? Good! Now you know how I felt! Now get out of my house!"
"Fine by me!" Papyrus came back, and tsked as he looked in the window.
"Dang, what a shame. I thought Undyne could be friends with you, but I guess . . . I overestimated her. She's just not up to the challenge. How sad." Frisk noticed an instant change in Undyne.
"Challenge?! What?! Papyrus! Ugh! Wait, he thinks I can't be friends with you?!" She laughed. "What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day!" Now, Frisk looked worried. What had Papyrus done? Undyne fixed him with a malevolent grin. "I'll show him! Listen up, human. We're not just going to be friends." Frisk began to sweat, but tried not to give any hint to the cold fear he was now feeling. He hoped beyond hope she wasn't going to say what he thought she was. She growled and chuckled, a very unnerving sound. "We're going to be . . . Besties." Frisk felt a minor measure of relief, but only a bit. Undyne began to cackle. "I'm gonna make you like me so much, your whole world will revolve around me! It's the perfect revenge!"
Oh, what had he gotten himself into? Undyne smiled at him serenely, which was easily the single most scary thing she had done to him yet. "Why don't you have a seat at the table?" she asked, her voice entirely normal and kind. It kind of creeped Frisk out. He had been about to move, but glanced at the broken window. Undyne followed his gaze. "I can't believe he leaped through the window like that. Normally, he nails the landing!" she laughed. Frisk rolled his eyes. He hadn't thought it was possible, but he found someone more crazy than Papyrus. Frisk moved forward, and stopped when he saw the piano. He stepped forward and gently laid a hand on it. "Ah, one time, Alphys', uh, friend came over here and . . . all he did was lie seductively on the piano and feed himself grapes." Frisk gave a little shudder at that imagery.
"Thank you for that disturbing image . . ." he deadpanned. Undyne chuckled at that.
"I really don't like that guy, but, I admire his lifestyle." Frisk looked back at the piano. He walked around and gently caressed the keys.
"Do you play?" Frisk asked. Undyne looked surprised.
"Yeah. Do you?" He nodded.
"Not in a long while, but . . . would you mind?" She motioned for him to try.
Frisk took a breath, sat down, and let his hands gently fall on the keys. It had been a while, but he thought back, and his fingers moved on their own. Undyne watched, her eye widening as the young human began to play. It was a soft, gentle, but sad melody. Haunting, but beautiful.
"Wha-? What is that?" she asked. Frisk kept his eyes closed.
"Swan Lake," he replied as the eerie notes filled the house. Undyne watched as Frisk played the lovely, haunting and heartbreaking melody as if he knew it by heart, as if he had written it. She was stunned, not just at the lovely music, or the skill he played with, but the passion he played it with, how his fingers would almost pound the keys at times, his head swaying with the music, hair flying, eyes closed, lost in his own world. Others, he hardly moved at all, but held a quiet passion, that was no less intense than before. He gently let the last notes fade away, his fingers sliding from the keys.
"Wow . . ." she murmured. Frisk sighed and opened his eyes.
"I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty, but I haven't even touched a piano in years." She looked at him, stunned. He called that rusty? She shook her shock off and smiled, motioning for him to sit down at the table. Frisk stood up from the piano, walked over and gently sat down. He glanced to his right, at the very large sword that sat against a wall. Undyne saw it, and grinned.
"Humans suck, but their history . . . kinda rules. Case in point: this giant sword! Historically, humans wielded swords up to ten times their size! Right?" Frisk glanced at the sword, noting all the inaccuracies to real Great Swords, but smiled and humored her a bit.
"It depended on the culture. Some humans preferred short swords for close combat, others longer ones for more range and power. Also depended on the time period. Swords like these were often used against cavalry, to break a charge." Undyne looked excited.
"I knew it! When I first heard that, I knew I wanted one! So, me and Alphys built one together. She figured out all the specs herself! She's pretty smart, huh?" Frisk smiled at this and nodded.
"Looks like she did a good job, all-told. The balance on these can be tricky for such a big sword, and an improperly balanced sword is little more than junk." Undyne looked impressed and nodded. He looked at her and smiled. "Did you know that William Wallace used one of these with one hand, and a shield in the other?" She looked genuinely surprised at this.
"No. Never even heard of him! Was he famous?" Frisk smiled sadly and nodded.
"Yes, he was. One of the bravest met who ever lived."
"Ooh! I gotta see about him! But, right now, how about I get you something to drink?" Frisk looked at her, and smiled.
"Some tea would be lovely."
"Coming right up!" She got down some boxes of tea. "Which would you like?" He saw one with a yellow flower on the box, and pointed to it. "You got it, buddy of mine!" Frisk smiled. She was laying it on a bit thick. He wasn't a fool, and knew it was really just a charade to show Papyrus she could beat his "challenge". He watched as Undyne put the teat kettle on the stove to boil. "It'll take a moment for the water to boil," she said over her shoulder. Frisk nodded, watching, just in case she tried to slip something into the tea.
As they waited for the water to boil, Frisk's mind was running over a myriad of things, not all of them concerning his current situation. His mind drifted back on his past. People he knew, friends he once had. All of them, gone forever. He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of the teapot whistling. He watched as Undyne poured the tea, added some sugar and creamer, and set it down on the table. "Careful, it's hot." He smiled and nodded, taking the cup and carefully blowing on it a few times, before taking a sip. It was very good tea.
"Thanks. This is pretty good tea." She smiled.
"Thanks. Nothing but the best for my absolutely precious friend!" she cackled. He smiled and closed his eyes. "You know, it's kind of strange that you chose that tea." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Golden flower tea. That's Asgore's favorite kind." This got Frisk's attention.
"Really?"
"Actually, now that I think about it, you kind of remind me of him." She grinned and cackled. "You're both total weenies!" This actually got a bit of a laugh from Frisk. She looked down at her cup. "You know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid," she began. Frisk couldn't say he was surprised, but politely said nothing, just sitting and listening. "Once, to try to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on tried. I couldn't land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back." Frisk's curiosity was piqued. He listened intently. She closed her eye, looking embarrassed. "I was so humiliated." She smiled at him as she opened her eye, then looking away, in memory. "Afterwards, he apologized to me and said something goofy: "Excuse me, do you wanna know how to beat me?" I said "yes", and from then on he trained me." Frisk saw the emotions in her face as she recalled those times. "One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down." He saw regret, anguish even, etched on her face. "I felt . . . bad. But he was beaming. I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked!" She looked happier, recalling a magical moment, intimate in her memory. "Anyways, long story short, he kept training me."
"And that's how you ended up the Captain of the Royal Guard," finished Frisk. She nodded.
"You betcha! So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight! Like . . . Papyrus." Frisk noted the worry, and sadness in her voice. "But, uh, being honest here, he's not really . . . I don't know if I can ever let him into the Royal Guard." Frisk nodded his understanding.
"He's too nice." She looked surprised at Frisk. "He should have captured me, he even almost killed me, but he couldn't do it. He'd never even hurt a mouse." Frisk sighed looking down at his cup of tea. "Some people just aren't cut out for jobs like that." Undyne closed her eyes, sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. He'd get ripped into little, smiling shreds." She looked at Frisk. "Don't tell him I said that!" Frisk shook his head.
"Absolutely not. Not my place, not kind, not fair. You have my promise." She looked relieved.
"Thanks. That's part of why I started teaching him how to cook instead. So, maybe he can do something else with his life." Frisk smiled and nodded. He was starting to have a much better picture of Undyne, and it wasn't quite what he was expecting. She noticed that, during their talk, he drank all his tea. "Oh, here, let me get you some more tea," she said, taking his cup, her hand just barely brushing his. Her scales were surprisingly warm. He looked down at the table as she took the cup. She reminded him of someone he knew once, so long ago . . . She suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. Hold the phone! Papyrus! His cooking lesson! He's supposed to be having it right now!" Frisk looked at her, his alarm flaring up once again. "And if he's not here, than you'll have to have it for him!" Uh oh. She jumped up onto the counter, knocking everything off in one motion. "That's right! Nothing's brought Papyrus and me closer than cooking!" Frisk's eyes darted to the shattered window, wondering if he could make it from where he sat in one, or two leaps. As it was, he never got the chance to try, as Undyne jumped over, grabbed him around the waist, and leaped back to the counter. "That's right! This cooking lesson is gonna make us closer than you could ever imagine! Afraid?!"
"Is there any answer I can give that doesn't result in heavy bodily injury and/or the loss of limbs?" he asked in a deadpan voice.
"Nope!"
"Thought as much. Lead on, Kemosabi." She set him down.
"Let's start with the sauce!"
"Pizza, or Philly Cheese?" he asked. She shot him an are you stupid? look.
"Spaghetti!" She stomped her foot, and several tomatoes, onions and carrots dropped down from seemingly nowhere. "Now, envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now, pound them to dust with your fists!" Frisk closed his eyes, rolled up his sleeves, gently brought over a bowl, picked up a tomato, and smashed it into pulp over the bowl, almost every drop falling perfectly into the bowl. "That's it! That's the stuff! Ngaaah!" She pounded the others, splattering them, the counter and wall with tomato, onion and other healthy ingredients. He looked at her, and she looked a bit sheepish. "Uh, we'll scrape this into a bowl and finish it later. But now!" Another stomp, and a pot fell from the ceiling and a package of noodles. Where did she keep this stuff? "We add the noodles!" Frisk calmly walked over, filled the pan with water, whisked it over the the stove, brought up the box, tossed it in the air, the noodles falling out as he held the pot under them, every noodle falling perfectly into the water with hardly a splash. Undyne looked even more excited. "Yeah! Great! Now, he stir the noodles! As a rule of thumb, the more you stir, the better they are!"
"Oui, mon ami!" answered Frisk.
"What?"
"Never mind," he said as he stirred vigorously, but just a tad slow for her tastes.
"Here, let me do it!" She used her spear of all things, Frisk standing back as it dented the pot, and even left a few holes, water sprinkling out in streams. "Oh yeah! That's the stuff! Now, for the final step! Turn on the heat! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion!" Frisk eyed her warily, not sure he wanted her and fire in the same area code, but did as she asked. "Yeah, let your hopes and dreams turn into a raging fire! Don't hold anything back!" Frisk turned the heat up, the flames roaring to life under the pot. "More! More! Hotter!" Frisk eyed her, once again rethinking his take on her, and thinking his earlier notion of her was not too far off the mark. "Here, weenie! Let me!" She turned it up higher, and Frisk smelled smoke.
"Um, I think that might be-"
"Shut up! Who's the teacher here?!"
"Sorry, but where's the fire extinguisher?"
"Huh? Why would-?" There was a sudden explosion of heat and flame. The next thing Frisk knew, the whole house was a raging inferno. Undyne stared at the destruction for a few moments, before sheepishly grinning. "Ah, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking." Frisk wasn't about to agree with her. She looked at him. "So, what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?" He gave her a really? look. She sighed, looking defeated. "Ah, who am I kidding? I really screwed this up, didn't I?" Frisk, again, putting his wisdom to good use, didn't agree with her.
"I'd say we both share blame on this," he said evenly. She sighed again and nodded.
"I can't force you to like me, human. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me . . ." Truth be told, he didn't really. He didn't hate her, and he didn't wish her ill, really. "And if we can't be friends, that's okay." He sighed and scratched his hair. "Because, if we're not friends, it means I can destroy you without regret!" This caught him off guard. He backed away from her, on guard again.
"Not this again . . ." he mumbled as she materialized her spear.
"I've been defeated, my house is in shambles. I even failed to become your friend. I don't care if you're my guest anymore! One final rematch! All out on both sides! It's the only way I can regain my lost pride! I'll even let you have the first move! Ngaah!" Frisk looked at her, gauging it.
"First move to me, eh? No holds barred?"
"Yeah! Gimme your best shot, kid!" Frisk thought for a second, arms crossed. "Well? What're you waiting for?!" Frisk shrugged.
"If you insist . . ." With that, he almost disappeared.
"What the-?!" She suddenly felt small, but rather strong arms grab her around her waist, legs wrapping tight. She was shocked when she felt deft fingers, that had expertly played the ivory keys of the piano, dance across her ribs and under her arms. Undyne began to cackle and laugh. "Ah! What the, ha ha! What the hell, ga fwah! Are you doing?! Hee hee!" Frisk was serious as if he was in deepest combat as he mercilessly tickled her.
"My secret finishing move: Tickle Jutsu! A Thousand Years of Laughs." Undyne fell to the floor, dropping her spear, laughing hysterically.
"No fair! You little dweeb!"
"We never agreed on terms of battle, and you agreed on no holds barred, so all is fair here," he said as he moved his fingers to tickle her sensitive belly.
"No! No, no, no! Hee hee! Not there! You, ha ha! This isn't a battle!"
"Of course it is. Do you submit?"
"Never! Hee hee!" Frisk hummed.
"Then you give me no choice than to unleash my secret weapon; Turbo-Tickle." Undyne nearly screamed when she felt his fingers begin to tickle under her arm and under her chin at the same time. She'd once again underestimated the human. Now she was paying the price! His fingers were a blur, and every time she tried to capture them, they danced away to focus elsewhere, making her a quivering wreck.
"Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Hee hee hee hee! Stop! I can't take anymore!"
"Do you submit?" he asked as he used her own ponytail to tickle her sensitive armpits.
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Yes! I submit! I give up! You win! No more! I can't take it! Hee hee!" Frisk smiled and let go of her. She continued to giggle for a few moments before she got up. She looked at the blue-eyed boy, who was looking at her with a soft, subtle smile. Now, looking at him, she didn't feel anger, but a soft, warm feeling in her chest. It actually felt . . . nice. He offered his hand, and she couldn't help a smile as she took it. "At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but what you did, how you talk, move, it reminds me of someone I used to train with." Frisk smiled at the soft tone to her voice. She smiled and shook her head. "Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser." She looked at him and grinned widely. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!" he actually smiled at this.
"And you're a strong, courageous warrior, with an even bigger heart," he replied.
"Uh . . ." She really didn't know how to respond to that.
"You also remind me of someone. Someone I knew, and loved dearly. So long ago . . ." Undyne looked, and she saw, for the first time, the pain behind those blue eyes. The hurt, the loneliness, they were all on full display, and then gone, just as quickly, like a snowflake in a fiery grip. Replaced by a neutral, calm look, but she had seen under that mask. And it hurt.
"Listen, kid. It looks like you and Asgore are fated to fight. Looks like there's no way around that. But, knowing him, he probably doesn't want to." Frisk nodded.
"I don't want to fight him, either. I don't want to fight anyone. There's enough pain, enough sorrow, enough death in the world. I'm not about to add to it!" She was surprised at his force, and the passion he said those words with. He smiled sadly at her. "There may be a way for me to help everyone, and no need for any more killing. Undyne, you are the Captain of the Guard, so, let me ask you; What do you know about the Mirror of Elde?" She gasped at the name. "So, you do know it?" She looked away.
"I . . . I do. I know a bit. But we were told, specifically by Asgore himself, not to ever mention it to anyone. How do you know about it?" Frisk smiled.
"I have my ways. That aside, if I can find it, I can use it to free all of you guys, and then there's no need to use human souls, no need to kill or hurt anybody." She looked genuinely and truly shocked at this.
"You'd . . . do that for us?" He smiled and nodded.
"Only on the condition you give up on the whole "Wipe out humanity" plan. I may not like humanity as a whole, but I still don't want to see women, children and those who can't fight, or did anything wrong, killed or hurt. That's the kind of stuff the Nazis did." He fixed her with a look, that, for the first time, she saw a hint of danger in. She smiled and shook her head.
"Nah. I doubt Asgore would ever do something like that. He's too nice!" Frisk was about to speak, when a huge fireball exploded, reminding them they were standing in a flaming house. "Well, let's get out of this flaming house before we roast!"
Outside, they watched Undyne's house burn for a few minutes. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it? We'll have to hang out again some time! But, uh, after I find another place . . ." Frisk sighed and nodded. "I'll go hang out at Papyrus' place for a while. If you need me, I'll be there. If you wanna talk, just give him a call! Since I'll be there I can talk too! Well, see ya later, punk!" With that, she ran off. Frisk sighed, shook his head, and laughed. At the same time, it went better, and worse than he expected. With a light grin, he headed off for Hotland, his Determination stronger than ever.