Chapter Ten: Death by Glamour

Frisk stepped out of the cafe into a more brightly-lit cafeteria, watching the monsters go about their business. Frisk noticed a familiar face. It was a Snowdrake, but this one was larger and dressed in different clothes. It even had glasses. It was looking unhappy, and, not in any real hurry, Frisk decided to see if he could help.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" he asked the monster, who looked up at him.

"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" replied the Snowdrake in a male voice.

"Because you don't look or sound happy. All of your body language shows distress." The Snowdrake sighed.

"I'm the resort comedian. People come from all over to laugh at my jokes. My son, he wants to be a comedian, like his father." Ah, so this was the father of the Snowdrake he met back in Snowdin. "He's a good boy, but his jokes, well . . ."

"They could be better?" Frisk asked. The Snowdrake nodded.

"Since his mother passed away, he couldn't stand living at home anymore." Frisk listened to what was an all-too-familiar tale, that he had heard so many times, and each time, it hurt to hear. "So, he ran away. I haven't seen him since." Frisk watched as the Snowdrake sniffled and wiped a tear from behind his glasses. "I'm a terrible father, ha ha . . ." Frisk frowned deeply.

"Even very close families argue, from time to time. That's the way of things," said Frisk, getting his attention. The human boy smiled as he put a gentle hand on the Snowdrake's shoulder. "You still love your son, don't you?" The Snowdrake shed another tear as he nodded. "The death of a loved one is always a terrible blow. And it can sometimes drive people apart. But, only if we let it." The Snowdrake looked up at him. "All boys love their mothers, and I assume he was very close to her, wasn't he?" Snowdrake sadly nodded. "His heart and soul were likely hurting, and in such a sensitive state, he couldn't take anymore hurt, even small ones. What, at any other time, would have slid off his back hit him right in the heart." Snowdrake shuddered, more tears flowing. Frisk smiled kindly and patted his shoulder.

"I . . . I didn't mean to. I love my son. He's a good boy."

"And rather funny, I think." Snowdrake looked up at him.

"You've met my son?!" Frisk nodded.

"He's in Snowdin." The father Snowdrake sniffled and wiped his tears. Frisk offered a napkin to wipe his face.

"Don't think it's too late. It's only too late when you're dead." The Snowdrake wiped his eyes, and looked up at Frisk.

"You're right! I'm gonna go to Snowdin, and I'm gonna set things right!" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Go. Find your son, and tell him you love him. Cherish him, not just as your son, but to honor your wife." The Snowdrake smiled further, tears of joy in his eyes and he hurried off. Frisk smiled and felt warm inside. He hoped things went better for them. He continued through the bright lobby, and while he was more intent on heading onwards, he caught various passing conversations, and even spoke to a few monsters. One thing that was universal, and surprised him, was that Mettaton, for all his shameless conceit and boastfulness, was very kind to his employees, and even hired a few who, otherwise, might not have found work. It gave him another view on the robot. Frisk headed for the Core along a narrow bridge, but stopped when he saw some shadowy figures in the distance, heading into it. He stopped and hid, watching. He couldn't entirely see them, but it was better to be safe. Once they left, he carefully followed into the Core.

The inside of the Core was like something out of a science-fiction movie. Blue, metallic walls, circuitry and and all manner of strange, advanced things were all over. It was easily one of the more advanced things he had ever seen. His cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Okay, this is it! You just need to take the elevator up to Asgore's castle from there!" said Alphys. Frisk nodded and pushed the button. Nothing happened. "Huh? The elevator should be working. Okay, try the stairs to the right, then." Frisk went through the doorway, and stopped short, almost falling into a deep, dark pit, where he could see fires burning at the bottom of what he assumed was another elevator shaft. "Huh? You're kidding me. That's not on my map. What the heck? Um, okay, try the other door." Frisk kept the phone to his ear as he went back into the other room, and through the other door, up a small flight of stairs, and into a long room. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. You should just have to go up from there, and you'll get to Asgore's castle!" Frisk hung up and continued into the Core.

Frisk next faced an electric barrier that blocked the way into a transparent bridge. Frisk looked, and saw various lasers that were deactivated, but the switch, he had little doubt, would deactivate the barrier, but activate the lasers. Alphys called. "Okay, this will be a bit tricky. Flip the switch, and then the lasers will come on. The schematic says they will come on in this order: Orange, orange, and blue. Got it? Stay alert." Frisk nodded and flipped the switch. The lasers began to move, and very quick, but he noticed they were reversed from what Alphys said. He just narrowly avoided a nasty wound by diving through the orange laser. His phone rang again. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I got the wrong order! I-"

"It's okay, Alphys," he said gently. He heard her calm. "I got through unscathed, so don't worry. I heard some monsters saying this place could be changed around, and I guess your schematic was out of date. Not your fault." He heard her sigh.

"You're right. Thanks." Frisk hung up and continued onwards, until he reached a fork in the path. Alphys called again. "Uh oh. Crossroads. Um, which way was . . .?" He heard her muttering to herself and the rustling of papers and the sound of typing. "Umm, I think, if you go straight ahead, you'll be on the right path," she said, but didn't sound too sure. Frisk hung up and went forward. He came running back a few seconds later, looking a little scorched. The phone rang. "Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I had no idea they installed fire traps like that!" Frisk sighed and patted out some soot from his sleeve.

"Quite all right. You obviously were caught out like I was. I somehow doubt your maps will be of much help here. Looks like Mettaton switched everything out on us."

"Oh my god! You're right! He must've switched out every room and puzzle just to spite us!" Frisk muttered and nodded.

"So, just give me what help you can, and I'll wing it from there." He hung up and continued onwards, this time to the left of where he entered. This left him facing a bridge where numerous blue lasers were moving, and an orange laser was sitting still. This was going to be a headache. Alphys called again.

"Ugh, more lasers! He really must love toying with us! I won't fool around with this one. I'm going to turn off the lasers and let you though." There was a pause. "Wait a minute. They won't turn off! Drat, what're you up to, Mettaton?" Frisk looked, and wondered if he could avoid them, or, barring that, how badly he would get hurt running through them. "Okay, time for something drastic! I'm going to turn off all the power to the node!" There was a pause, and the lights, lasers, and everything went out. "Okay, go on ahead," she said. Frisk headed down the path, seeing how many lasers there were.

Suddenly, the phone rang. "Stop!" Frisk did, and the lights and lasers came back on at the same time. He was thankful, as he was right in the middle of a field of blue lasers. "Blast, the power backup kicked in. Okay, this is gonna be tricky. Move a few feet, then stop. I'm going to have to fight with the power backup here." Frisk nodded, and as soon as the power went out, he moved a few feet, stopped, and the power and lasers flicked back on. It took a while, but Frisk finally made it to the other side. The phone rang."See? I've got it under control!" She sounded proud. Frisk smiled.

"Thanks again." he headed for the next flight of stairs. Frisk now came to a four-way crossroads. He glanced around as Alphys called again.

"Um, I have no idea which way to go. This isn't even on my map. Sorry." Frisk smiled.

"It's fine. But I might need you to turn off lasers and things, so stay with me."

"I will." Frisk hung up and looked at the signs, which named the north as the Warrior's Path and west as the Sage's Path. East was labeled as The End. Frisk carefully checked east, and saw the bridge was high over what looked like clouds or mist, towers and pillars vanishing into the swirling mist. He headed north, and found an electric barrier barring the way to a large elevator. He knew the switches to deactivate it were around there somewhere. He just had to find them.

Frisk wandered a bit, and managed to find one of the switches, with a little help from the monsters. Whimsalot and Final Froggit had heard about him from their cousins in the Ruins, and were only too happy to help him. The Sage's Path was not too bad. He then headed to the Warrior's Path to the north. After a bit of winding around, he came to a room with a red glass sheet that covered the last switch. He also was not alone in the room, and the monster inside didn't look friendly. It looked a bit like an odd wizard. This made Frisk nervous, recalling so many memories. Frisk sighed, and made a special sign with his hands.

"Ah! A fellow wizard! A Wizard's Duel, then! Abra kadabra!" Frisk barely managed to avoid the glowing spheres. He frowned. He knew there was no way he could attack, as this level of magic would block any physical attack he could make, and using magic himself was out of the question. He doubted that this monster would listen or give up. Madjick was about to cast another spell, grinning, when a shadow moved, and a large mace smacked him in the head with a clang. The stunned monster dropped to the ground and giggled. Frisk looked up, stunned as the shadow moved, revealing its form was that of a huge, armored knight. He tensed up.

"Hi, sweetie," said a deep, husky and feminine voice he recognized. The knight came closer, and knelt down. A large face in the breastplate moved, eyes moving to look at him. Huge horns protruded from the helmet, and a crescent moon was etched on it. Frisk couldn't help but stare, dumbstruck at the owner of that voice. "It's nice to finally meet you." She offered her hand. Frisk looked at the armored gauntlet, then at her. She chuckled. "I won't hurt you. All that on that show was just to make a diversion, so you could keep going." Frisk stared at her. He carefully put his hand in hers. The armored fingers gently closed over his. "I'd seen and heard about you. Heard you want to help us." Frisk nodded, and could feel a smile under her helmet. The large face even smiled. "Here," she said as she gently lifted him up and put him on her shoulders. She walked over, and smashed the red, magic glass with her Morning Star, and flipped the switch.

"Thanks. Uh, I'm Frisk." She chuckled.

"I'm Knight Knight. It's nice to meet you." To his great surprise, she carried him back down the halls to where the elevator was waiting. She gently picked him off her shoulders and set him down. He stared up at her. She was easily the largest monster he had yet seen, but was surprisingly gentle in both her tone, and actions. She looked at the elevator, then Frisk. "Mettaton is waiting ahead. Be careful." Frisk nodded.

"Thank you, Knight Knight." She chuckled and very gently patted his head.

"I hope you succeed. I hope I can meet more nice humans like you, little sweetie." The large face winked, before she turned and headed off. Warmth filled his heart as he turned back to the elevator and headed inside.

The room was dark, but he could see Mettaton waiting for him. He steeled himself for what he knew was not going to be an easy battle, but he hoped he could get through it without hurting Mettaton. Even if a robot, even with everything, he didn't want to fight him.

"Oh, yes! Here you are at last, darling! Finally time to have our little showdown. Time to finally stop the 'malfunctioning robot'. Not!" Frisk watched Mettaton, keeping an eye out for any more tricks, but he felt he was actually telling the truth this time. "Malfunction? Reprogramming? Get real! This was all just a big show! An act." Frisk smiled gently at this, eyes closed.

"I know that." Mettaton seemed genuinely shocked.

"What? You knew all this time?" Frisk chuckled.

"I'm not stupid. I found it rather convenient that any time there was a puzzle, issue or anything else, Alphys was always there with perfect timing." Mettaton was silent for a few moments.

"Yes. As she watched you on the screen, she grew attached to your adventures." Frisk nodded.

"And she wanted to insert herself, to meet someone she liked, to make herself feel more important. To feel wanted and needed." Mettaton seemed pleased.

"Ah, so you see right to the core, then?" Frisk nodded again.

"Yes. And, I have to say, it has been quite fun. Nobody was hurt, and I don't think I've felt so alive in a long, long time." Frisk smiled at Mettaton. "You're quite a showman, no doubt." Mettaton buzzed for a few moments.

"Hmm, Alphys was right about you, it seems. You do care about monsters." Frisk nodded again. Mettaton hummed and crossed his arms. "But, we can't leave this fabulous performance unfinished, can we?" Frisk smiled wider and shook his head.

"The show must go on, yes?" Mettaton lit up.

"You betcha! Right now, Alphys is waiting outside the doors, waiting for her cue. During our "battle", she will pretend to "deactivate" me, and "save" you one final time." Frisk grinned wider.

"What say we throw that old script out, and liven it up, eh?" Mettaton clapped.

"Outstanding, darling! And, when I defeat you for real, and take your soul, I can finally cross the barrier!" This surprised Frisk. "Shocked? See, I don't want to hurt humans. Far from it, actually. I want to go to the surface, and bask in that glorious light of Hollywood! I only want to entertain, and the audience deserves a good show! And what's a good show, without a plot twist, huh?" While Frisk should have been worried, he only grinned further. He heard Alphys knocking on the door behind him.

"Hey! What's going on?! Why's this door locked?" Mettaton brought out his microphone as lights switched on.

"Sorry, folks, the old show's been cancelled! But, we've got a showstopping finale that will drive you wild!" The whole room lit up, monitors everywhere, lights, cameras, the middle of the room rose up to become a stage. Frisk could hear cheers, and they weren't canned ones now, but real. He saw many monsters in the monitors, cheering, some holding toys of Mettaton, some with t-shirts of him. All his loyal fans. "Real drama! Real action! Real bloodshed! All on our fabulous new show! Attack of the Killer Robot!" Frisk smiled with Determination. It was Go Time! Frisk stood back and "glared" at Mettaton, but inside, he was smiling. "Yes, I switched the Core, set up all the puzzles, hired people to kill you!" said Mettaton in a threatening voice, posing dramatically to the cheers of his audience. "But you know what would be so much more fun? Killing you myself! Get ready, human! You're about to meet your end!" Frisk heard the crowd cheering over the monitors.

Frisk whipped up the cell phone and fired several yellow bolts at Mettaton, but they bounced off harmlessly. "That peashooter won't work on me, darling." Frisk knew it wouldn't, but he had to try it. "I've seen you fight, darling, and if you continue forward, Asgore will take your soul, and then humanity is doomed." Frisk dove out of the way as axes fell from the ceiling. "But if I get your soul, I can stop Agore's plan! I can save humanity! Then, using your soul, I'll cross the Barrier, stop Asgore, and I'll become the star I've always dreamed of! Hundreds, no, thousands. Heck, millions of humans will watch me! HBO! Encore! Cinemax! Netflix!" Frisk was trying very hard not to laugh. He never thought he would actually have fun in a fight for his life. He wasn't too surprised when his phone rang.

"Talk to me," Frisk said as Mettaton launched a small TV at him, which exploded as it hit the ground.

"Uh . . . I can't see what's going on in there, but don't give up! There's one last way to beat Mettaton!" Frisk danced out of the way of a massive halberd.

"I'm all ears," said Frisk.

"It's . . . it's um . . . a work in progress, so don't judge too harshly. But, you know h-how he always faces forward?" Frisk thought. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Mettaton turn his back on him. "That's because he has a switch on his backside. S-s-so, if y-y-you can t-turn him around, he'll become . . . vulnerable." Frisk nodded and hung up. He smiled at Mettaton.

"Well, if you're going to be a star, you've gotta look the part! You got stuff all over your face! Better use that mirror to clean up."

"What?! Oh, my! You're right! I can't make my premiere looking dirty! Where's the mirror?" Mettaton turned, and Frisk lunged and flipped the large switch. Mettaton froze. "Did you . . . just flip . . . my switch?" Mettaton began spinning and beeping as he grabbed his casing with his hands. There was a bright flash, Frisk covered his eyes. "Oh, yes . . ." The deep, masculine voice, while it was a bit like Mettaton's was far more real. Frisk opened his eyes, and saw mist on the stage. Lights lit up a shadow. "Ohhh, my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body. How rude. But, lucky for you, I've been itching to show this off for a long while. So, as thanks, I'll give you a lovely reward, by making your last moments-" Suddenly, there was a whoosh, the mist shooting away. "Absolutely beautiful!" Frisk stared at Mettaton's new form.

He was now humanoid, in fact, he looked like a glam rocker that even David Bowie would be jealous of. Large, armored pads on his shoulders that would have been the envy of any 1980s rocker, sleek black hair, pink high-heeled boots, tight black leather pants. Mettaton struck a pose. "Lights, camera, action!" Frisk watched as Mettaton moved with a dancer's grace, but he saw the razor-sharp stiletto heels as Mettaton swept at him with a kick that looked like a dance move. Frisk leaped back, and noticed a monitor, measuring the ratings, and they were going up. He looked at the others, and saw Mettaton's fans cheering. Frisk smiled and struck a pose. Mettaton was shocked when the ratings went up. Frisk smirked at him, hands on his hips.

Not about to be outdone, Mettaton danced and kicked at Frisk, throwing punches and kicks that perfectly blended in with a dance. Frisk bobbed, dove over and under, striking poses from Ballet, Swing, even some breakdancing. Mettaton could only stare as Frisk did something amazing, and walked backwards from his attack, even though he looked like he was walking forwards, perfectly executing that famous dance called the Moonwalk. The ratings went through the roof, the audience cheering. Mettaton was shocked, then smiled as he danced next to Frisk, both trying to outdance the other. Frisk slid away and stood on the toes of his shoes perfectly, striking a dramatic pose, the audience screaming over the monitors and the ratings skyrocketing. Mettaton grinned and charged, which Frisk dodged by jumping up, landing on his hand, and smooching at him with a wink. The ratings were going higher than a skyscraper. Frisk leaped away as Mettaton swiped at him, Frisk landing and shaking his finger at him.

"A little slow, old darling? I bet you you won't hit me at all this turn," Frisk teased. Mettaton grinned and gave everything he had, throwing out bombs, shooting bolts of lightning, nothing touched Frisk, who posed and winked at the camera. There was a huge cheer, and Mettaton, who was panting, looked up and stared in shocked awe at the ratings. They were at twenty-thousand!

"Oh, my . . . L-look at . . . these ratings!" Frisk was startled when Mettaton fell down. Frisk ran over and gently helped him sit up. Frisk noticed that the heart-shaped indicator in Mettaton's belt was flashing, and dimming rapidly. Mettaton, though, was smiling, looking excitedly at the monitors. "Ooh. Look at these ratings! This is the most viewers I've ever had! We've reached the viewer call-in milestone! One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me, before I leave the Underground forever! Let's see who calls in first!" Frisk looked down as a speaker on Mettaton's own body rang. There was a soft beep as it was answered. Mettaton was all smiles, looking excited. "Hi! You're on TV! What do you have to say on this, our final episode?" There was a soft sigh.

"Oh . . . high, Mettaton." Frisk's eyes widened as he recognized the voice of Napstablook. Mettaton also looked surprised, but also as if . . . he also knew this voice. "I really enjoyed watching your show. My life is pretty boring, really. But . . . seeing you on the screen, brought enjoyment to my life. Vicariously . . ." Frisk was shocked when he saw a look of agony in Mettaton's face. He looked like he was about to cry. "I can't tell . . . but it looks like this is the last show, isn't it?" There was a light sniff from the other line. "I . . . I'll miss you, Mettaton . . ." Frisk saw the genuine emotion in the robot's . . . no, this person's face. "Oh . . . I didn't mean to talk so long . . ." There was a click, and Mettaton's eyes widened, tears at the edges.

"No! Wait! Wait! Bl-" Mettaton stopped as a dial tone was heard. "H . . . They already hung up." Frisk looked at him as Mettaton sagged. The boy held him tighter. Mettaton smiled at him, but it was sad. "I-I'll take another caller!" Mettaton's chest rang again, and the pure, unfiltered emotion flowed forth.

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Please don't go, Mettaton!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you!"

"Oh, Mettaton, I'll miss you so much!"

"Thank you for lighting up our lives!"

"Mettaton!" It was the voice of a girl, who sounded like she was in tears. "There's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart . . ." Frisk smiled sadly at those beautiful, heartfelt words. Mettaton was in tears himself.

"Ah . . . I see . . ." Frisk smiled at him, gently holding his head, the heart dimming even more. "Everyone . . . thank you, so much." Frisk looked up at the monitors, moving Mettaton's head so he could see. Many monsters were in tears, both of sadness, and joy.

"See? See the lives you touched? You're deeply connected to each and every one, even if you never met them," said Frisk. Neither paid attention to the monsters watching and listening. Or the ratings still going up. "They're more than just your fans. They genuinely care for you, and you them." Mettaton looked into Frisk's eyes, and he too saw what others had, deep within. Mettaton smiled gently.

"Yes. I do. Without them . . . I'd be nothing." Mettaton looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe . . . it's best if I stay here for a while. Humans already have stars and idols-"

"But monsters only have you." Mettaton nodded. Frisk smiled kindly at him. "Many human stars don't care about their fans. But you do, and that puts you head and shoulders above them." Mettaton was shocked at this. "I've heard the wonderful stories, how you've been kind, and helped your employees, given them jobs they might not otherwise have. I can say, such a thing is sadly very rare and precious among humans now. You're truly a diamond among cut glass, Mettaton." The watching monsters were silent as they listened. Mettaton looked surprised, and moved by his words. He looked down, thought on what he said.

"Yes. If I left, the Underground would lose its spark. I'd leave an aching void that could never be filled." "Mettaton looked at Frisk, smiling gently. "I think . . . it's best if I delay my big debut." Frisk nodded. "You've proved to be far stronger than I thought. Maybe even strong enough to get past Asgore. More than that, you've shown how kind humans can be." Frisk looked up at the monitors, and saw images of him helping monsters. It seemed strange to see himself, displayed so. "If there's more good humans like you . . ." He looked down at Mettaton. "Then you have to protect them." Frisk's eyes widened at this. "The King's wrong. Humans aren't all bad. You prove that."

Frisk was struck, hard by those honest words. Frisk vaguely heard some gasps from monsters on the monitors, but he hardly noticed. "Haa, it's all for the best, anyway. This form's energy consumption is . . . inefficient." Frisk looked at the flashing heart indicator. "In a few moments, I'll run out of battery power. And . . ." Frisk looked at him, worried. " . . . I'll be all right. Don't worry." Mettaton flashed him a confident smile. "Knock 'em dead, darling!" Mettaton was surprised when Frisk hugged him.

"I promise I will." Mettaton smiled, tears in his eyes.

"Aaaaawwwwwwwwwwww." This time, the sound was real, and from the hearts of all the moved monsters watching. Mettaton smiled at the camera.

"Thank you, everyone! You've been a great audience!" With this, Mettaton's eyes dimmed, and he slackened. Frisk held him as the door swished open behind him.

"Finally! I couldn't get that stupid lock open, and . . ." Alphys stopped when she saw them. "Oh my god! Mettaton!" She came running over. Frisk looked up at her, but stayed where he was, knelt and holding Mettaton's head.

"Please tell me that . . . running out of battery power isn't . . ." he couldn't finish. She quickly checked him out. She sighed and looked relieved.

"No. He should be fine after a recharge." Frisk visibly relaxed. "Mettaton . . . if you were gone, I . . ." Frisk gently laid Mettaton down, and touched Alphys' shoulder. She looked up at him as he smiled.

"I'll help you carry him back to the lab." She stared at him.

"Y-y-you'd do that?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"I'll get his feet . . ."

XXX

They got Mettaton back to Alphys' lab without trouble, or incident. With a little help from Knight Knight. Alphys offered Frisk some soda, instant noodles, and a place to sleep while she checked over Mettaton and hooked him up to recharge.

Frisk sat on a stool, the noodles long since eaten. He sat in deep thought, on everything that had happened up to that point, and what Mettaton said. He was more than just a robot, and when Alphys had lightly joked she could always build another one, he told her that wasn't true. No one could ever replace Mettaton. That seemed to lift her spirits a great deal.

He looked up as she came back into the main lab.

"He should be fine after a good recharge. I replaced his batteries, just to make sure." Frisk nodded. Alphys sat at her worktable and sighed. She looked physically and emotionally drained. They both were silent for a long while.

"He's not bad . . ." Frisk said, startling Alphys. Frisk didn't look up from his cup of noodle broth. "He didn't want to really hurt me, or humans. I couldn't fight or hurt him." Frisk looked up at her and smiled. "He may be a robot, but he's also a person. And from what I've seen, a pretty good one, too." Alphys smiled a bit and nodded. "And so are you." She blushed and look embarrassed.

"S-so, next stop is Asgore's castle, huh? You m-must be pretty excited about it. Y-you'll finally . . . get to go home." He sighed and looked up at her.

"Alphys, do you know what I'm here?" She looked surprised.

"Um, well . . . I know that you're trying to find your way to the castle, and you fell down, and-"

"I want to free you." She stopped and stared at him. He looked back down at the cup. "I have no home, or family on the surface. They're all long-dead. I really have no purpose. But, if I can help, then I will." Alphys was shocked. She sighed dejectedly.

"The only way for that to happen . . . is for Asgore to kill you and take your soul."

"And then he will destroy humanity if that happens. While I'm not fond of all humans, I don't wish that." She shook her head. She had been over all of that herself, so many times before. He saw a look from her, that she thought he didn't see. He sighed.

"I know what happened, Alphys." She sat up straight and looked shocked.

"What?! H-h-how could you-?" Frisk smiled at her.

"I'm not stupid. I caught on early what you were really doing, setting up puzzles and such." She only looked a tiny bit relieved that was what he was referring to, but she still was flustered, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" She stopped when she felt his hands on hers. She looked up at his eyes.

"It was fun." Now, she didn't know what to say.

"Uh, I-I-I, uh . . ." He gently hugged her. She was shocked, confused, and more than a little warm, her cheeks rosy with a blush. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"I don't hold anything against you, so never think that. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. Besides that, I got a lot of exercise." Alphys laughed at this.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't . . . I just wanted-"

"A friend?" She nodded guiltily. He smiled at her. "Well, you have one." She looked up, and saw he was smiling at her. She hugged him.

"Thank you, Frisk." He smiled as he hugged her back.

"You're welcome, Alphys." He pulled back, and saw she was really smiling, and not the shy smile she often had, but a true one. "But, a dating show? Really?" Alphys looked sheepish.

"Umm, that wasn't me. Mettaton was deviating from my ideas from the start. Even I didn't know some of the answers to his questions!" They both chuckled. "But, seeing your face red as a tomato was kind of funny!" He gave her a mock-glare.

"Yeah, funny, funny. Maybe you and Undyne could be contestants next episode?" Now it was her turn, and she turned bright red. They both laughed again. Frisk inhaled, and felt refreshed. He suddenly remembered something vitally important. "Actually, there is a way you can help me, Alphys." She looked at him. Frisk smiled. "If it works, if I can find it, then it will solve everything. Since you're the Royal Scientist, you must know: Where is the Mirror of Elde?" Frisk was shocked at her reaction. The color drained from her face, leaving her looking white as her lab coat.

"What?! H-h-h-how do you know?! Uh, I mean, I don't know anything about it!" Frisk was startled.

"Alphys, please. This may be the answer to everything! If I can use the mirror, I can break the Barrier, and free the monsters without the need for souls, or hurting anyone. I' pretty sure it's in Asgore's castle, but I need help to find it. Please. If anyone knows about it, you would. Please, help me." She got to her feet and backed away from him.

"No! You don't know what you're asking! You don't know what it does!" Frisk was surprised.

"The mirror grants the wish of the person who uses it, but only humans." She was even more floored. She looked down at the floor, a look of agony on her face.

"Yes . . . but . . . It's . . . it doesn't . . . just . . ." To his shock, she began to cry, covering her face. "Please don't ask that of me! I can't!" She ran from the room, her lab door swishing closed behind her, but she thought she heard her say a name: Asriel.

Author's note: I apologize for a longer wait on this, but I was dealing with a lot in real life.

I want to thank all my kind readers for their patience, encouragement and kind words. Extra big thanks go to Teshy, AlexanderMugetsu, Chaosblackwing and Maxton for their kind words and help when I have been depressed, exhausted or sick. Thanks a bunch!

Read, Review and Enjoy!