2 Days Later…

Ring ring!

Napstablook picked himself off the floor and took off his headphones. He flew over to the phone and answered it. "Hello...?"

"Hey, it's Undyne," Undyne answered, sounding really fed up over something. "Just out of curiosity, do you know what's going on today, if anything at all...?"

Napstablook was confused. "No…why?"

"WELL," Undyne began loudly, obviously directing her attention towards an unknown annoyance, "Your cousin keeps spinning around and dancing in my front yard singing something about 'today's the day'." Napstablook could tell she was trying not to lose her temper. "I told him to shut up like five times and he won't stop!"

Napstablook nodded, but then it dawned on him which cousin she was talking about. "Wait…are you talking about MAD...?"

"Well, Mettaton's obviously with YOU, isn't he!?"

Napstablook paused to think about that. He slowly flew over to Mettaton's room and saw that the door was shut, meaning that he was home. The robot was actually very quiet in there, surprisingly…

"…Napstablook?" Undyne's voice broke him from his train of thought. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to yell at you…sorry." She knew how overly sensitive the ghost could be.

"Oh, I'm fine…" Napstablook shook his head. "I'll go tell Mettaton and see if he can help."

"Okay—" Undyne's voice grew faint, and he could hear her screaming at someone. "CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS!? I'M ON THE PHONE!" She cleared her throat and spoke normally again. "Thanks a bunch!" she told Napstablook before hanging up.

Napstablook set down the phone and phased through the door of Mettaton's room. "Metta…I think something's wrong with Mad…"

"Hm?" Mettaton had been hanging upside-down from his bed, reading a magazine. "What do you mean? Is he throwing another tantrum? Cuz that's normal, darling."

"Um…the opposite, actually…" Napstablook still couldn't believe it. "Undyne said he was dancing and singing about 'today's the day'…and she couldn't get him to stop…"

"Today?" Mettaton paused, and a loud gasp suddenly escaped him as he tossed his magazine behind him. "Oh, Blooky! This is BRILLIANT!"

"It is…?"

"You haven't heard!?" Mettaton picked up his cousin and swung him around. "They hit it off! Mad and Muffet are going on a DATE!"

Napstablook was speechless. "Wait…really!? But...how did you—?"

"Oh, I get around, darling!" Mettaton wiggled his eyebrows. "News like this can never get past me! Our little Maddy is growing up!" He wiped a tear from his eye. After he set Napstablook down, he lit up and flashed a grin. "Come on, Blooky! We gotta go out and get things to help him get ready, PRONTO!" He scooped up Napstablook in his arms and bolted out the door.

Alphys and Undyne stood by the window, staring at Mad Dummy as he danced around.

"W-Well, at least he's not destroying the yard, r-right?" Alphys laughed anxiously.

"Yeah, but I'd rather have him slamming his head against a tree stump than PERPETUALLY SINGING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS!" Undyne snapped at the window, but the dummy ignored her.

"Uh...a-actually, I'm pretty sure dummies don't have lungs," Alphys pointed out.

Before Undyne could respond, she caught sight of Mettaton and Napstablook. "THANK GOODNESS!" She yanked the door open. "CONTROL YOUR COUSIN, WILL YA!?"

"Don't worry, darling! We'll take care of him!" Mettaton had an armful of large shopping bags, and Napstablook followed close behind with three hats stacked on his head. "OH, MAAADDY!"

Mad Dummy poked his head out from behind a tree. "STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Mettaton just grinned wildly as he raised his shopping bags. "Guess who just heard the news!~"

It took a second for his words to register, and Mad Dummy's face completely shifted into a look of horror. "No. NO NO NO! You are NOT getting involved in this!"

"Too late, darling!" Mettaton sang. "We're here to get you all fancied up for your—"

"DON'T SAY IT!"

"—Date!"

"Date!?" The door swung open, and Undyne's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "So THAT'S what this was all about!?" She burst into laughter. "Wow, Mad!"

"Oh my gosh...th-that's adorable..." Alphys giggled, and redness consumed Mad Dummy's body as he bared his sharp teeth. Undyne and Alphys got the message and shut the door.

"Well, let's not just sit around and lollygag!" Mettaton walked up to him with all his bags. "Let's get you all ready!"

"Wait, here? Why can't we just do this at your place!?" Mad Dummy frowned.

"Because Undyne's house is much closer to the bakery, and you don't want to be late! Also, I knew you wouldn't want to wear anything of mine, so I bought you some clothes of your own!" Mettaton gestured to the shopping bags.

"Oh. Joy."

"No need for sarcasm. After all, you wanted to dress up in a fancy shop, didn't you?" Mettaton frowned.

"THAT WAS A JOKE!" Mad Dummy screamed. "WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP BELIEVING THAT RUMOR!?"

"Oh. That makes a lot more sense." Mettaton snickered. "Well! Let's get you cleaned up, darling!" He picked up the dummy and ran into the house, ignoring his threats and shouts. "Blooky, would you be a dear and tell Undyne he'll be in the bathtub for a while!?"

"Oh...okay..." Napstablook nodded and flew inside. He found Alphys and Undyne sitting on the couch. "Hey, Undyne...?"

Undyne faced him. "Oh, hi Napstablook! How's Mad getting' along?" She smirked.

"He'll be in the bathtub for a while...if that's alright...? Just thought I'd tell you, so you don't...um...accidentally walk in on him at an awkward moment..."

"That's fine." Undyne waved it off. Napstablook started to float away, hearing her shout, "Just don't let him go overboard with the shampoo! You have no idea how expensive that stuff is!"

Napstablook phased through the door of the bathroom where, unsurprisingly, Mettaton and Mad Dummy were arguing.

"For Pete's sake, Mad, you literally used to live at the dump! You're way overdue for a bath!" Mettaton was yelling.

"Oh puh-lease! I washed myself off plenty of times in the waterfall back underground!" Mad Dummy retorted.

"Yeah—underground! It's been nearly a month since we've arrived on the surface, Maddy!" Mettaton threw his arms up, but forcefully took a deep breath to calm himself. "Look," he said calmly, placing a hand on his cousin. "I'm not forcing you to do this because I want to see you suffer—I want you to at least look nice for your first date!"

"I know. I know...I KNOW!" Mad Dummy irritably shook his head. "Ugh...let's just get it over with."

"Good. Then just...um..." Mettaton suddenly frowned, glancing over at the bathtub that was full of water. "Hey, Blooky...could you come here?" he muttered, and Napstablook flew over to him with a raised brow. They observed the bathtub, then looked at Mad Dummy, who was sulking in the corner. The two shared knowing glances for a moment, speaking to each other with their eyes. Napstablook immediately shook his head and timidly backed up, not wanting to tell Mad Dummy their idea.

Mettaton cleared his throat. "Mad, I think you're gonna have to phase out." He scratched the back of his head with uncertainty.

Mad Dummy blinked. "I'm gonna have to what?"

"I don't want you to drown yourself, darling! It's...quite difficult to wash yourself without arms..."

It took the dummy a second before he realized what the robot was telling him. He was going to have to phase out of his body. "W...what…" Just the thought of it made him nauseous. "You can't be serious! Are you serious!?" He shrank back, tone dripping with insecurity.

"I'm afraid so. Now, go on!" Mettaton smiled.

(No. NEVER. Not in a million years.) Mad Dummy wanted to scream those words so badly, but the only answer that escaped him was a childish complaint. "C...can't I stay in here just a little longer...?"

"No buts! You want to be all nice and clean for your date, don't you!?" Mettaton placed his hands on his hips. "I know I'm not fond of doing it either, but we don't have all day!"

Mad Dummy refused to look at them and anxiously rocked back and forth. His cousin did have a point, and he hated it. "F-Fine. Just...er..." He stumbled over his words, blushing red. "JUST DON'T LOOK AT ME!" His two cousins instantly whirled around, and they heard the dummy fall to pieces on the ground. "Okay..." Slowly, they turned to face him.

Mad Dummy was now in his original ghost form. He looked a lot like Napstablook, except with a brownish tint. Stitches covered various parts of his body, and his drapes at the bottom looked rather ripped and torn.

"Th-there...are you happy now?" Mad Dummy—or rather Madstablook—grumbled, still not looking at them. He hadn't phased out of his body in years, so it felt very uncomfortable and awkward.

"Oh, Maddy~" Mettaton placed both hands on his cheeks. "You're just as cute as I remember!"

"I'M NOT CUTE!" Madstablook hollered as he flew up in his face. Although he felt flattered being called 'adorable' by Muffet, it was different coming from his cousin. He picked up the pieces of his body and dropped them into the tub, scowling to himself.

Mettaton chuckled. "Alright, just make sure you clean up nicely! Use lots of soap, and—"

"I get it, Mom. Now, do you mind? Privacy is much appreciated!" Madstablook barked, although he didn't look nearly as threatening as a ghost.

"We'll be waiting outside." Mettaton and Napstablook went out the door and shut it.

After nearly a half-hour had passed, Madstablook opened the door. "Alright, I'm done," he muttered. "Now can I get back in my body?" He fidgeted around, eager to get back in familiar territory.

Mettaton peeked inside and blinked at his cousin's sopping wet body. "Um...I think it's best that you leave it to dry, first..."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Madstablook screeched.

"Well...couldn't we just speed things up by putting his body in the dryer...?" Napstablook suggested.

"THANK YOU! I'm glad someone has some common sense, here!" Madstablook rushed into the bathroom and took no hesitation to grab his body, flying out and looking for the laundry room.

Madstablook groaned loudly and proceeded to pace impatiently by the dryer. He heard footsteps enter the room, and Undyne gave him a glance as she walked past him with a basket full of clothes. She got about a couple steps forward before she came to a screeching halt.

"WHOA—hold the phone!" She whipped her head around to face him again as a spear materialized into her hand. "Who are you and what're you doing in my house!?"

"What?" Madstablook looked up and frowned, but he soon realized she had never seen his ghost form before. "Oh, for crying out loud—it's me, Mad!"

Undyne blinked, trying to see the resemblance. "Wait...what?" She looked him over, and her eyes widened as her mouth dropped wide open in realization. "OH!"

"Are the wheels in your head turning now?" Madstablook rolled his eyes.

"Sheesh, Mad! Don't scare me like that!" Undyne shook her head and started laughing at her own stupidity. "I know you told me you were a ghost inside that dummy all these time, but it's been 15 years and I've never seen you like that before!"

"Yeah, well, believe me...I'm dreading every second of it," he grouched, turning away from her.

"What's wrong with being a ghost?" Undyne asked.

Madstablook crossed his stubby arms. "It's just—just look at me! Do I look even the least bit intimidating to you!?" He shouted.

Undyne looked him over. "What, is being a dummy supposed to be more intimidating?"

"A lot more than THIS!" Madstablook told her.

"Well, why do you feel the need to look intimidating?"

He rolled his eyes and glared at the ground. "Er…it's just…a couple jerks back underground always mocked me over my ghost form, telling me how 'cute' and 'harmless' I looked. Nobody ever took me seriously, and I hated it. That's why I wanted a body so badly. A dummy wasn't necessarily my 'dream' body, but at least it got the point across."

Undyne studied the ghost for a moment, sensing there was a lot more to his story than just that. It was oddly difficult to read him quite often, but nonetheless, she nodded in understanding as she set the basket aside. "Well, I just wanna let you know that, even as a kid, I never found you 'cute' and 'harmless'. Having that mindset for 15 years isn't going to change my opinion on you over some different form."

"I know." Madstablook shook it off. "I'm just...really attached to my body. Being the 'Mad Dummy' feels a lot more like me, y'know?"

Ding! The dryer had finished, and the ghost took no hesitation in jerking the door open. He immediately phased into his body, sighing with relief and feeling nice and warm.

Undyne shook her head and laughed as she walked out of the room. "Whatever floats your boat, Mad."

Besides—whatever he was hiding, it was probably best he didn't think about it, especially on a night such as this.

Yup, my headcanon name for Mad Dummy's ghost is Madstablook. XD Also, I see Undyne and Mad Dummy as childhood friends. You can read my story "Just a Punching Bag" for more info on how they met.

Next chapter is the date! :3