Chapter Eleven: Open Hearts

Frisk sat outside the lab in deep thought. Alphys' reaction shocked him. He thought back on what little he knew about the Mirror of Elde. He knew it was powerful, but also spoken of with fear. He had always assumed that fear was from the fact that anyone who found it could wish for pretty much anything. There was no end to the kinds of nightmares that could unleash. Perhaps, though, there was something else about the mirror. Something legends and history didn't mention or know.

Frisk was brought out of his reverie by his cell phone ringing. He brought it out of his pocket and answered.

"Hey! It's Undyne!" He couldn't help but smile at the gruff voice.

"What's up?" He heard her try to cover the phone as she shouted at Papyrus.

"Shut up! This was your idea!" Frisk suppressed a snicker at that. "I, uh, need you to deliver something for me. Please?" He smiled and stood up.

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Meet me in front of Papyrus' house. See ya there, punk!" He smiled as he headed for the river.

XXX

After a short ride with the ever-enigmatic Riverperson, he was back in Snowdin, and it was nice to be back. Snowdin seemed quiet, quaint, calm and nice. It had a comfortable atmosphere that he very much enjoyed. Sadly, small villages like it were becoming rare on the surface. He shook those thoughts away as he headed into town, and, sure enough, Undyne was there in front of Papyrus and Sans' house, waiting for him. She smiled and waved as soon as she saw him. "Hey! Long time, no see!" Frisk smiled at her.

"Good to be back. How're things going for you?" She grinned.

"Great! I get to hang with my best student!" she said as she grabbed Papyrus and rubbed her fist against his bare skull.

"Please don't noogie the skeleton!" he whined. She laughed and let him go. Frisk gave Papyrus a sympathetic smile. "It's good to see you again, human! Things have been going well. The Great Papyrus is becoming an even better chef by the day!" Frisk smiled, not about to make any comment on that. He looked at Undyne.

"So, what did you need me to deliver?" Undyne looked a bit embarrassed as she brought out a letter and held it close to her chest. "I, uh, need you to deliver this to Dr. Alphys." Frisk stared at her a moment, and gave a soft smile. From her body language, and her tone, he knew what this was about, and it made him happy and warm inside.

"And I will deliver it quickly, today, and without fail. You have my word, on my Honor." She grinned widely at him, looking at the letter like a mother watching her child head off to school for the first time. He carefully took the letter and put it into his bag.

"Oh, and if you read it . . ." Frisk held up his hands and smiled.

"I wouldn't dare. Beyond that, it's against the law. A felony, if I remember right." She looked surprised.

"Really?" Frisk nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll deliver it as soon as possible."

"Thanks so much! You're the best!" He smiled and waved as he headed back to the river.

XXX

Back in Hotland, Frisk smiled as he looked at the letter, and approached the door of Alphys' lab. He noticed there was no mail slot, but if he went in and gave it to Alphys, he would be sure it was safely delivered. However, the door did not open. He sighed gently, recalling how upset Alphys was when he last saw her. He put that thought out of his head and slid the letter under the door. She was sure to find it, and he doubted anyone but her regularly entered the lab. He gave it a gentle knock, and was about to turn and leave, when he heard her voice, muffled through the door.

"Oh, no . . . Is that another letter? Oh, I can't. Can't I just slide it back under the door?" Frisk raised an eyebrow at this. There was a soft sigh. "No. I can't keep doing this. I'll read this one." There was a long pause, but he thought he could hear her mutter about how strongly it was shut. He was just about to leave, when the door swished open. "If this is a joke, I don't . . ." She froze when she saw him.

"Alphys, I wanted to apologize for before, about putting you on the spot, and-"

"Oh my god! D-did you write this letter? It wasn't signed, so I have no idea who could have . . ." Frisk stared at her. Not signed?

And she called me a weenie . . . he thought of the letter's author.

"Oh my god . . . that's adorable." Frisk stared and blinked like an owl. "I-I had no idea y-y-you wrote that way . . ." Was this for real? She looked embarrassed, shifting in place and twisting the hem of her lab coat. "It's so surprising, too. After all the gross things I did to you . . ." Frisk sighed and stepped up to her.

"Hey, did you forget what I said last time? There was no harm, and I wasn't hurt. I still stand by that, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. Please, stop beating yourself up, Alphys." She looked stunned. She blushed a bit, looking totally abashed.

"You . . . really forgive me?" He smiled and nodded. She smiled and giggled. "Okay, I'll do it! It's the least I can do to make it up to you! Yeah, let's go on a date!" Frisk was nodding, until his brain processed that last part. Wait, what? Date? Before he could say anything, Alphys scampered off into her lab, saying she was going to go get ready. Frisk stood there, still as a statue. Undyne was gonna kill him. Slowly. Frisk was brought out of his reverie by Alphys returning, dressed in a black and white polka dotted dress. "How do I look? My friend helped me pick out this dress." Frisk blinked, trying to get his mind working again.

"It looks really nice. The colors suit you just fine!" Frisk was in unfamiliar waters, but tried to be kind, polite, considerate and friendly. Alphys looked embarrassed and a bit shy.

"Um, thanks. So, uh, let's do this thing!" Frisk smiled at her.

"Well, where shall we go?" Alphys looked flustered.

"I . . . Well, I, uh . . ." Frisk smiled gently, coming closer, but stayed far enough away she was comfortable.

"Lady's choice," he said gently and kindly. She looked up in his sapphire eyes, and she felt her mind ease. "Um, why don't . . . we, uh. Well, why don't we go to the garbage dump?" Frisk just smiled and offered her to show the way.

XXX

Alphys sighed as they arrived. "Ah, here we are! This is where Undyne and I come all the time." Frisk smiled.

"So sad people throw away so much. So many items could be fixed or recycled," he mused.

"I know! Just look at that old TV! You could take out the screen, replace any broken parts, and have a perfect monitor! I once found a perfectly good computer keyboard! All it had were a few bite marks in it from a dog! Nothing damaged." Frisk sighed and shook his head at the waste.

"Such a waste."

"Yes, that's what Undyne said, and . . " Alphys trailed off, and the color drained from her. "Oh my god. That's her over there! I can't let her see me on a date with you!" Frisk looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Why?" He knew the reason, but he hoped his gentle push might get her to start admitting her real feelings.

"Huh? Uh, because, she . . . I, uh well. Oh no! Here she comes!" Alphys quickly hid behind a trashcan as Undyne came walking up, dressed in a jacket. She looked surprised to see Frisk.

"Hey, there you are! I realized, uh, if you deliver that thing, I, uh . . . it might be a bad idea."

"You think?" Frisk thought as he eyed where Alphys was hiding.

"So, I'm gonna do it! Gimme the letter!" Frisk held up his hands and shook his head.

"Already delivered, as you asked." She looked flustered, and a bit mad.

"Ngaah! Have you at least seen her?!" Frisk lightly nodded. "You have? Then she's here somewhere. I'll go look. Thanks." With that, Undyne ran off. Frisk watched her go, and looked back at the trashcan that had a yellow tail.

"You can come out, now." She stood and came out of hiding.

"I . . . I guess it's obvious, huh?" Frisk smiled and nodded.

"From a mile away." Alphys looked embarrassed.

"I . . . uh. I really like her. A lot." Frisk smiled.

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" She sighed, a soft smile on her face, that turned into a frown.

"No. But . . . I just figured." She fidgeted in place. "It'd be fun to . . .go on a cute . . .ah, p-p-pretend kind of date . . . with you?" She laughed in an embarrassed fashion. She hid her face in her hands. "Oh, god. It sounds even worse when I put it like that." To her surprise, Frisk laughed, and a real, hearty one.

"Alphys, it's okay. We're friends. I understand. I know how you feel about Undyne, and I don't think any less of you for it." She looked up at him, startled.

"Y-you do?! You don't? I, uh, um, I-I-I-" He walked up to her and gently patted her shoulder.

"Alphys, just relax. I'll help you. Now, tell me what about Undyne makes you happy. But, only as much as you're comfortable talking about-"

"I love her!" The force of her declaration almost knocked him off his feet, and certainly blew his hair back. "Oh, her scales, her hair, her confidence! Oh, just thinking about her, I go all jelly-kneed and I can't think straight, and-and . . ." Frisk smiled. "But, there's no way she'd ever want to be with me."

"Why?" She looked at him, shocked.

"I . . . well, I'm just a . . . loser. I've told her so many lies, and she thinks I'm much cooler than I really am. If she gets closer to me, she'll-"

"Find out?" Alphys sadly nodded. Frisk smiled warmly and watched her. "Alphys, tell her the truth." She looked startled.

"Oh my god! I can't do that! If I do, she'll hate me . . ."

"How do you know?" Alphys looked away.

"Anyway, isn't this better? To live a lie where both are happy?" Frisk stared at her for several long, silent moments. He had asked himself that very question more times than he cared to remember. "They say to be yourself, but I don't like who I am. I don't like myself."

" . . . Then change it." She looked up at him. "It's not easy, but you can do it. You can change if you want. But, I think the first step to that is telling the truth. What you asked, about living a happy lie? The problem is that the truth has a funny habit of coming out. The longer you live the lie, the more it hurts when the truth comes out." She looked at him. He frowned. "I'll tell you a story." She looked at him. Frisk looked down at the water. "There once was a woman, whose son was kidnapped. Just a little boy."

"Oh my god!" He didn't respond.

"The police searched all over for him, but they never found any clues at all. Every day she would call them, ask newspapers, place ads, do everything to find her precious son. She never gave up hope." Alphys listened intently, enthralled. "Every time the phone range, she would run to get it, hoping someone had found her baby boy. Every time the doorbell rang, or she heard a knock, she would drop whatever she was doing and rush for it. She was always hoping, always." Alphys was stunned, silent.

" . . . Did . . . did she ever find him?" Frisk didn't look up at her.

"They found a human bone, and made a positive match through DNA. He'd been dead since he disappeared." Alphys' hands flew to her face, covering her mouth.

"Oh, no. That poor, poor mother . . ." Frisk nodded.

"She died not long after she found out. She was crushed. She spent over thirty years, hoping, praying. That's a long time. A long time to grieve, to live with the fear, anguish, regret." He looked at Alphys, who was in tears. "Which is more cruel? To know, one way or another? Or to keep a false hope?" Alphys was stricken. He smiled and offered her a napkin to wipe her tears. She looked at him, saw the gentle kindness in his eyes. She nodded.

"You're right. I can't keep doing this. Every day I'm scared, too. Scared what will happen if people find out on their own. They'll all get hurt because of me." Frisk gently gripped her hand.

"Not if you clear things up. If you're honest, say why you were scared, why you worried, I'm sure most will understand. Even those who don't, they may forgive, in time." She smiled and squeezed his hand. She was glad to know such a kind human.

"B-but how can I tell Undyne the truth?! I don't have the confidence!" Frisk smiled.

"Then we'll roleplay it, of course." She looked surprised at the idea.

"R . . . Roleplay?" Frisk smiled and nodded. She looked thoughtful. "That actually sounds like a great idea! And fun! Which one of us will be Undyne?" Frisk smiled.

"I'm Undyne," he deadpanned, but was amused.

"Oh . . . Right. Obviously." She took a deep breath to calm herself. She smiled nervously at him. "H-hi, Undyne. How're you doing today?" Frisk smiled as he tried to match Undyne's voice.

"I'm fine."

"Oh, uh. That's good. Glad to hear it!" She fidgeted and fussed with her dress, hemming and hawing. "I . . . uh, want to, uh, talk to you, about something."

"What is it, Alphys?" She looked flustered.

"L-look, I. I've got something . . . important to tell you." Frisk tried to mimic Undyne as best he could.

"Hey, calm down. You know you can talk to me about anything. What's wrong?" Alphys began to shake.

"Oh, Undyne I love you! I love you more than life itself! I've loved you since I first met you and I can't take it anymore! Hold me, Undyne! Hold me!" Frisk was blown back a few feet by her outburst. She had some powerful lungs, for sure.

"Say what?" Frisk and Alphys looked up as Undyne came around a corner. Frisk stayed where he was. Alphys looked like a lamb facing down a lion. "What did you just say?" His eyes darted to Undyne, then to Alphys, and back again.

"Oh, uh . . . Undyne. What a . . . surprise to see you down here, he he . . ." Frisk inwardly groaned, hoping Alphys didn't cut and run.

"Hey, cute outfit. What's the occasion?" Undyne looked at him, then Alphys. Her smile faded. Oh boy. "Wait. Are you two . . . on a date?" Frisk's eyes darted between the two of them, then the water, wondering if he could make it before Undyne started hurling her spears at him. He had little doubt she'd hit him at that close range with little trouble.

"Ummm, yes! Ah, no. I mean, well uh . . ." Frisk stared, wondering where this oddball odyssey was going to go. "Well, we were romantically roleplaying as you!" Frisk slapped his hand over his face. Undyne's eye was huge.

"What?" Oh, lordy, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Ah, I mean . . ."

"Alphys, be honest," he said. They looked at him, but his gaze was focused on Alphys. She looked into his deep, sapphire eyes, and felt a calm strength fill her. She sighed, looked at Undyne.

"Undyne, I've been lying to you!" Undyne was shocked.

"What? What about?"

"About, well . . . everything." He watched as Alphys looked down at the ground. She moved closer, and he hoped it went well. "I told you that seaweed was scientifically important, when I really just use it to make ice cream. And those human history books I keep reading? Those are just comic books. And the history movies? Those are just anime. They aren't . . . real. A-and the time I told you I was busy with work? I was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas!" Frisk stared, and wondered if he should leave. However, he stayed. Alphys needed help and support. He couldn't just duck out. "Please, Undyne! I never meant to hurt you! I never meant to lie! I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!" She and Frisk were surprised when she gently wrapped her arms around her and shushed her.

"Hey, it's all right." Frisk watched silently.

"I just . . . wanted you to like me, and think I was cool and smart. A-and not some . . . nerdy loser.

"Alphys . . ."

"Undyne, I really like you. I think you're really cool."

"Alphys. Shh. Shhhh," Undyne soothed, gently stroking her head. Frisk smiled at this, feeling all warm inside. He was shocked when Undyne stood, tossed Alphys up into the air, who came crashing down into an open trashcan with a basketball hoop over it. Well, he couldn't honestly say he was expecting that outcome, but shouldn't have been surprised.

"Alphys, I . . . I like you, too. But you've gotta realize, most of what you said to me doesn't matter to me. I don't care if you're watching cartoons, or reading history books. Because, to me, all that stuff is just nerdy crap!" Now there was the Undyne he was familiar with! "What I like about you is you're passionate! You're analytical! It doesn't matter what it is! You care about it! At one hundred percent! Maximum power! Full throttle!"

"Pedal to the metal?" Frisk offered.

"Yeah! So, you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys, I want to help you become happy with who you are." That made Frisk smile. If there was anyone who could do that, it was Undyne. "And I know just the training to help you." The lid of the trashcan popped up, and Alphys peeked out just a bit, only her eyes visible.

"U-Undyne . . . You, you're gonna train me?"

"Pffft! Me?" That was when Papyrus rose up from behind a pile of garbage. Frisk stared. "Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it." Papyrus leaped up and over, landing with a thud.

"Get those bones shakin'! It's time to jog one hundred laps, hooting about how great we are!" Alphys looked nervous. Frisk did not envy her.

"Ready? I'm about to start the timer."

"Um, Undyne? I-I'll . . . do my best!"

"Go!" Frisk was amazed Alphys cold run so fast in a trashcan like that. Frisk spared Undyne a sideways glance, and was hoping he would get out of this unscathed. Undyne's eyes were huge. "Oh my god! She was kidding, right?! Anime's real, right?" She gave him a nervous, but hopeful smile. Who was he to crush hopes?

"Some are. Rurouni Kenshin was pretty good, for the most part."

"Ha! I knew it! I knew the alien-fighting robots and super-fighting fists of Omnidirectional Stars were real!" Frisk wisely said nothing. He liked his head on his neck, thank you. She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks, human. For what you did for Alphys. That was really nice of you." They both glanced away to see Papyrus shouting at a trashcan that was running in front of him.

"Come on and shake the butter off those buns!" That got a laugh out of them both.

"Well, see you later!" With that, Undyne jogged after them. Frisk smiled. While things had not turned out as good as he had hoped, they had gone better than he expected. He turned and headed through the dump to get back to Hotland.

As Frisk walked, he thought on many issues, now that he was alone and could think. There were so many things on his mind. As Sans had said, his adventure was slowly coming to a close. He thought on what Sans has said, and Alphys. What was he going to do? What if he couldn't free the monsters? While he knew the Mirror of Elde was certainly down there, he no longer had any doubts, he wondered on why Alphys was so scared, and saddened. What did they know about the mirror he didn't? Why was it kept a secret? He was Determined to find out. He had to. He was startled when his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it.

"Howdy! If it isn't my good friend the human!" said Papyrus in his deep voice.

"Hey, Papyrus. What's going on?"

"Alphys and I finished our training early. Very early. So I sent her home. Very home." Frisk giggled at that. He could only imagine. Poor Alphys was likely flopped in her bed, feet sore, muscles sore, and wanting to just sleep for a week. Or a month. "Anyways, I feel you should go visit her. I think your presence will do her good." Frisk nodded.

"I will. Be sure and say hi to Sans for me."

"I will."

"And be sure to tell him "knock-knock"." There was a groan and Papyrus hung up. Frisk chuckled. As he neared the river, he stopped and thought. He brought out the cell phone, and one more time, he dialed Toriel's number. The phone rang, and rang, but no response. He sighed and hung up. He had hoped to talk to her, at least one last time. With the way things were going, he had no idea if he would ever see her again. He hoped he could keep his promise, but he knew better than anyone, sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't keep them. That didn't mean, though, that he wouldn't move the heavens and the Earth to try and keep them. Frisk found the Riverperson on their boat, calm as ever.

"Tra la la. Where to?"

"Hotland," he replied. They nodded as he stepped onto the boat, which then turned in the river and headed off.