Chapter 8: Can We Be Friends?

Papyrus' attacks were different than what Kayla had experienced before when she had battled Sans, but she still used her wits and jumped over bones or ducked. Also, when he did something unexpected, like dabbing cologne onto his skull or something else silly, she couldn't help giggling at his antics. Her giggling caught the skeleton's attention.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked her curiously.

She smiled, now getting an idea as to how to end this FIGHT sequence. "Your antics are amusing to me," she admitted. "I like people who make me laugh."

That made Papyrus pause and he looked at her. "How...How do I make you laugh?" He asked, looking very curious now.

Kayla smiled. "When you've sent out some of your attacks, I noticed that the bones formed the words 'Cool Dude', which is not only really neat, but I think is true about you, and your facial expressions when you realized you were putting cologne behind your ears, but you don't have ears," she replied, giggling a bit more.

The tall skeleton looked very deflated at that and looked at her. "Do...Do you think me to be a laughingstock then?" He asked, looking downtrodden.

At that question, the girl's giggles died and she looked shocked at his question. "What?" She asked in shock. "No! No, of course not!"

But not even her vehement denials made Papyrus feel better. "Maybe I'm no good at being a Royal Guard trainee," he said, looking at the ground. "Perhaps that's why I can't seem to get into the Royal Guard, though I try really hard."

Kayla was growing more curious and she didn't like how this skeleton, who she could plainly see had a big heart under all his enthusiasm to be a Royal Guard, was looking like someone had just told him his dreams were worthless and that he wasn't worth training. She was quiet, as was Sans, as Papyrus continued voicing his doubts.

"I want to make Undyne proud," the tall skeleton continued. "I want to show her that I'm a good, loyal trainee and worthy to be one of the Royal Guard just like her, but...how can I be when I can't even strike fear into a human?"

The young girl decided that she had to say something, otherwise she was going to start crying right then and there because of how brokenhearted Papyrus sounded and she didn't like it when someone else was sad. She took a deep breath. "Why do you feel you have to strike fear into a human?" She asked him. "The Underground is a scary enough place for someone from the surface."

She then paused and looked earnestly at him. "Why can't we be friends? I prefer friendship over fighting."

The skeleton looked at her. "Why would you want to be friends with a loser like me?" He asked, his voice soft.

Kayla shook her head. "Papyrus, you're not a loser," she said with conviction. "You seem like a really genuine guy."

He was still looking at her, but his eyes widened a bit at her words and she smiled. "I've learned not to judge monsters by looks, but by actions," she said. "When I first came down here, I had been shoved down here by people who claimed I was part of their family, but in reality, they didn't want me. After I fell, I ran to find a place to hide, fearing that if the monsters down here found me, I'd be dead. But I fell into the river and would have died if it hadn't been for River Person. He saved me and proved that not all monsters are bad."

She paused a moment. "And now he's my dad," she said. "One who cares about me and has helped me in my time down here. Because of him, I've met Grillby and your brother Sans, both who have proven that they're not bad monsters, just as you have been trying to prove to me just now."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

She smiled again. "I can tell that you really don't want to hurt me," she said. "And that's one of the things that makes you likable."

Papyrus' eyes widened. "You...You like me?" He asked. "Like...a friend?"

She nodded. "You're funny in a good way, you look like you just want a friend, and you're genuine," she said. "How could anyone not like a cool guy like you?"

The skeleton's eye actually watered at that, as did Sans as he listened to the kid who was proving that his brother was worthy of her friendship and that she would love to be friends with him. "No wonder Grillby's so fond of her, and River Person is so proud of her," he said to himself. "This kid is worth it and just maybe can help us get to the surface and help ease our transition into the surface world."

Kayla now looked at Papyrus with earnest. "Can we be friends, Papyrus?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded. "I'd like that," he said, sparing her and ending the FIGHT.

Sighing in relief, she spared him before going up to him and hugging him happily. He gladly returned the hug before looking worried. "Undyne won't be happy, but I can't raise my hand against you, Kayla," he admitted.

She looked up at him. "Papyrus, if Undyne chooses to not understand, then she doesn't deserve you as a friend," she said firmly. "A good friend always understands and doesn't judge."

He looked at her again. "Do I deserve friends?" He asked softly.

"Yes," she said, her voice sure. "You deserve friends."

To prove that, she reached her gloved hands forward and began tickling him, going for his ribs. Having known that her father knew about tickling as he had tickled her in sparring the other day and would sneak up behind her to tickle her to show how much he loved her as a daughter, she was curious if the monsters knew about tickling, especially where Sans and Grillby had tickled her when the girl had first met the joke-loving skeleton.

She wasn't disappointed. Papyrus squealed and laughed like crazy, squirming, but Kayla didn't let up, giggling as she continued tickling the tall skeleton's ribs before her hands moved to his spine. When her gloved hands touched the vertebrae, Papyrus' eyes bugged out so comically that she had to laugh as she then tickled his spine.

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" He pleaded, a good sign that the girl had found his major tickle spot. She giggled.

"Looks like this skeleton has a very sensitive funny bone," she said, giggling when he squealed as she tickled his spine faster. He collapsed in the snow and she pounced on him. "Tickle, tickle, tickle! I've got you, Papyrus!"

The tall skeleton laughed like crazy before suddenly reaching up, catching Kayla in his arms and moving so that she was pinned down by him, albeit gently, and he raised his gloved hands to her, grinning the whole time. "Let's see if my new friend is ticklish," he said with a laugh before his hands moved to her stomach.

Kayla squealed in surprise before her laughter burst out of her and she squirmed, trying to push the mischievous skeleton's hands away, but he was relentless, chuckling as she laughed her hardest when he removed his gloves and moved her shirt up just enough to expose her belly button and his fingers wiggled mercilessly into her ticklish stomach.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed. "NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NOHOHOHOT THAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT!"

"Cootchie, cootchie, coo, Kayla," he cooed to her in a silly voice. "I've got you, my new ticklish little friend."

River Person was walking through Snowdin when he heard familiar laughter and followed it to find Papyrus and Kayla in a tickle fight as the young girl had managed to retaliate and the two seemed determined to out-tickle the other one. River Person chuckled as he watched, noticing his daughter's hood was away from her face and he could sense the Royal Guard Dogs' magic as well as Papyrus' magic. He moved towards Sans, who was watching the scene. "I sense a FIGHT took place," he said.

"Yeah, Kayla's hood fell off while she was playing with Doggo and Dogaressa's puppies and the dogs called up the FIGHT, but Kayla defeated them with flattery, belly rubs, ear scratches, and back scratches," the short skeleton said. "She's just convinced my bro that they can be friends."

"Is that why they are currently in a tickle fight?" The cloaked being asked, chuckling in amusement.

Sans chuckled. "Yup," he said, seeing the two finally stop the tickle fight with neither one as the victor, but they didn't seem to mind. Papyrus got his strength back and helped Kayla up, picking her up and hugging her warmly before walking over to Sans and River Person.

Kayla grinned at seeing them. "Papa!" She said happily, reaching for him and he accepted her from the tall skeleton, hugging her as she hugged him before looking at Sans. "I heard you when I was battling the dogs. Thanks for the tips."

"You're welcome," he said with a wink. "You're very smart, kid."

"Thanks," she said softly.

River Person looked at Papyrus. "Papyrus...I know this must not be easy for you," he began.

"Never fear, River Person," Papyrus said, smiling. "I'd rather have a genuine friend than be in the Royal Guard. I won't bring Kayla to Undyne, nor will I say a word to Undyne."

"Good, thank you."

Kayla looked at him. "Does this mean you'll keep my secret?" She asked.

He nodded. "As a good best friend, I will keep your secret, Kayla," he promised before shyly holding out a pinkie finger. Seeing this, the twelve-year-old smiled and gently hooked her pinkie finger around his, thus not only cementing their friendship, but as a sign of trust. Kayla hugged the tall skeleton again, happy to have him as a friend.

River Person was also happy that his daughter had made another friend and more, though he did hope word of this wouldn't reach Undyne, because if it did, the fish woman would come after Kayla.

The cloaked being made a silent promise that if it came down to that, he would be beside his daughter in an instant to protect her from Undyne.

Well, looks like Kayla has another friend she can count on, but will Undyne find out about her? Stay tuned to find out!

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