I'm saying it now, I'll probably be saying it forever, Papyrus is a precious cinnamon roll. He and I hung out after our battle and he gave me spaghetti (I really don't know how to describe that one) and a tour of the two skeleton brothers house. I found Frisk and Sans in Grillbys afterwards, eating fries. They both looked up as I approached them saying,
"Okay I'm jealous now."
Frisk just grinned their toothy grin and continued eating their fries, rather smugly I thought. Sans winked at me.
"Jealous of what? Frisk's date with me?"
I raised an eyebrow,
"No, your food."
I leaned across him to steal one of his fries. Greasy heaven.
"Good gosh! These are amazing!"
The fire elemental working the bar, hummed something at me and Sans translated.
"Grillby said, thank you"
I smiled at him and plopped down on the seat next to Frisk.
"Where to now, kid? Waterfall?"
"Why can't we stay here?"
"Staying in the same place for a long time is never an option anymore. Look where it got us with Mom..."
They looked at the floor and scuffed their boot toe.
"But Allie with Sans and Papyrus as friends we could have protection. Plus we smell like monsters with Mom's coats."
I wanted oh so desperately to tell her that we would stay and be happy but monsters could see souls while in fights, and I was fairly sure Sans could see souls even in our bodies. They would come for Frisk's soul sooner or later and I wanted to be gone from here before Snowdin Town was ever the wiser. Plus, thanks to the stupid spiders, the presence of two humans was known throughout the underground and two strangers like us fit the bill.
"Allie?"
Frisk was waving their hand in front of my face. I had zoned out, thinking. I had been staring without seeing right at Sans.
I flushed in embarrassment as he said,
"see something you like?"
"I spaced out," I snapped, embarrassment translating to annoyance, "I've got a lot on my mind." But looking at Sans jogged my memory of what Toriel had told me.
"Though I do have to tell you something. Toriel, the old lady who takes care of the Ruins and helped us, told us that she had a friend from Snowdin. Someone with a brother named Papyrus."
"Yeah I know her. We tell bad jokes through the door all the time." I smiled, thinking of all the bad puns and knock knock jokes she told us during our time there. Frisk piped up,
"Mom really did like knock knock jokes!"
I chuckled quietly, wishing nothing more than to be back in the cozy home in the Ruins with Toriel.
Sans saw my expression and said,
"Cheer up bud, ice you really need a pick-me-up. My puns to the rescue, snow problem of course."
I snorted in disbelief at how bad those puns were, but they did lift my mood anyway. He told me really very bad knock knock jokes until I finally laughed out loud.
"Thanks Sans."
He grinned.
"I am rather humerus."
I rolled my eyes to heaven, but had to smile anyway. Such was the way with bad jokes.
It helped settle the mood, but I knew Frisk was getting more and more attached to the town and especially the people. and we couldn't stay.
It was late now, I could tell because Frisk started yawning hugely, making me yawn in turn.
"Sans we really need to get going."
"probably a good idea. you humans get tired very easily." He made that statement rather loudly, and the bar was full of the Royal Guard and other citizens.
"Just going yelling out our identities for everyone to hear why don't you."
"okay."
He drew in a huge breath (skeletal lungs? what?). Was he kidding? Would he actually do it? Was he that stupid?
"These two are-!"
He was that stupid! I launched forward, pressing my hand on his mouth as the whole bar looked in our direction. Fortunately, this effectively put a stop to his shouting. Unfortunately, he was not prepared to have me flying forward, and we toppled backwards onto the floor together. If you were wondering, landing on top of a large skeleton at high speeds is not comfortable in any respect. My hand was still over his mouth, and I kept it there.
The whole bar laughed loudly, several woof whistling. Peels of mirth escaped Frisk's mouth, tears actually streaming out of their eyes. Red faced, I hissed at Sans,
"Not a word."
He chuckled behind my hand, and I felt his warm breath on my hand.
I huffed,"Ever heard of sarcasm?"
He gave me a smug look that seemed to say, "yes but I choose to ignore it." My face could have been a tomato, as I realized that I was currently completely on top of him, faces very close.
I quickly climbed off of him, looking for an escape.
"Come on Frisk. Time we went to the inn."
They were still laughing.
Sighing, I took their hand and led them out of the warm bar into the cold. I couldn't bring myself to turn around to say good bye to Sans. Mostly because I was still blushing like mad.
*Allie's crush on Sans fills you with determination*
When Frisk woke up eight hours later, I was ready for our trip into Waterfall. I had stocked up on food and had the ribbon tied around my ponytail, with the bandanna for Frisk layed out for them. We didn't need any weapons.
"We're really...leaving?"
"We have to Frisk. The only way we're ever going to be perfectly safe ever again is if we leave the Underground."
"What about Undyne?"
"We'll get past her." I reassured them with a fair amount of confidence.
I handed their coat over.
"Come on kid! I've heard Waterfall is beautiful!"
They hummed in agreement as we smiled and waved goodbye at the front desk worker.
It was a nice day outside, just like the day before. If there was an upside to living underground it would be the lack of bad weather. Want it warm? Hotland is your place. Cold? Snowdin. Easy. Each step into Waterfall was warmer and warmer until we shed our coats, stuffing them into our pack. That left me in my flannel, tank top, and jeans. I wondered vaguely if I could buy shorts anywhere. The first larger cavern in Waterfall had a sentry check point with, you guessed it, Sans the skeleton working it. I laced the sarcasm heavily into my next statement.
"Fancy seeing you here."
Sans just grinned cheekily at me and said,
"hoping to meet you on your way into Waterfall. didn't get to talk last night after the incident." I glared daggers at him while Frisk giggled, but I refused to bite.
Instead I tactfully changed the subject.
"What's that?"
I pointed at a large blue flower at random growing next to the sentry station. It reminded me of a sunflower from the surface, but blue. It was as tall as Frisk and only 4 inches shorter than me. But most monsters towered over it, including Sans. He raised an eyebrow (He's a skeleton? how?) at my lame attempt to divert his attention. I noticed and, unbidden, my face grew warm.
"it's an echo flower. repeats last thing it's heard over 'n over."
I touched a petal on the huge flower, and I heard Sans' voice whisper,
"repeats last thing it's heard over 'n over."
"That's actually pretty cool!"
Sans shrugged.
"you can find 'em all over the marsh. I don't like 'em very much."
"Why not?"
"don't like talkin' flowers. I think someone has been playin' a prank on my brother with one. he told me that he was friends with a talking flower that would help him and encourage him. strange huh?"
My eyes widened. A talking flower? That little bitch flower that tried to murder us...maybe? I shook myself mentally. I was over analyzing things.
"That's a mean prank to play. I'll keep an eye out."
Sans looked at me the same way he looked at me when we first met, and I wondered again if he was looking at my soul. I felt slightly violated, I don't know why because every time I got in a fight my soul was visible. But still, when it was in my chest, it was private.
"Done looking?"
It was his turn to flush, his cheeks turning faintly blue. He didn't say anything.
"Let's go Frisk. We've got a long road."
They nodded, and I led the way into Waterfall. I looked over my shoulder at Sans, but he was gone. Sneaky teleporter.
The next room was rather intimidating, I had to say. Rocks rushed down a large waterfall, threatening to push one off into the unknown. I made Frisk wait as I walked forward testing it out. But I was too slow and a rock sent me tumbling. But I didn't die because of the walkway below I fell on.
"Oof!"
The air exploded out of my lungs. Frisk ran to my side, but I waved them off.
"I'm fine. Just a little sore."
I noticed an echo flower at the end of the walk.
"Why don't you check what that says while little old lady Allie gets to her feet?"
And Frisk scampered off, ever curious.
I groaned and stood, checking where the rock had hit me in the left shoulder.
"That's gunna leave a bruise." I muttered.
"It says that it swore it saw something behind the rushing water."
"Up top or down here?"
They shrugged.
"Let's check both!" And they were off again. Oh to be ten again. I realized that Frisk's birthday must be coming up soon, but without a calendar or a phone (The one Mom gave me was positively ancient and my iPhone had broken in the fall) I couldn't tell time.
"It's another camera!"
Someone must be watching our every move. That wasn't a comforting thought. But who knows? Everything is a suprise in the Underground. Friendly stalkers?
"Let's check up there." I suggested.
Frisk wasn't much better at timing then me, but we managed.
It did look like a door frame when we got up close to the rushing water.
"Ready to get wet kiddo?"
"Born ready!"
I laughed as we plunged in together, and emerged, coughing and spluttering, into a small room.
"Look!"
A old tutu lay on the floor, long abandoned.
"It's really high defense!"
I grinned,
"Good. Put it on."
Frisk looked hesitantly at me.
"I know your trying to keep me safe Allie, but I'm not the one in Fights. You are. I don't want you dead anymore than you want me dead."
"I know." They looked like they were about to cry.
"Come here."
I knelt and hugged them tight.
As they snuggled close to me, just like they would when they were six, I felt Frisk shake in my grip. They were sobbing silently.
"What is it? You can tell me anything."
These were the words I spoke to them when they first told me about their parents.
Frisk sniffed and whispered,
"You're my family and I don't want to lose you. I couldn't do this without you."
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
Life let us have our moment. It was only five minutes, but it felt peaceful. It helped me focus on what was my ultimate goal. Frisk getting out of here alive.
"Let's get this tutu on you." I could see the protest about to come out of their mouth but I beat them to it.
"It's too small for me."
Frisk had to agree with me. It was obviously for a child. It fit them perfectly.
"Nice!"
Frisk untied the bandanna from around their head and offered it to me. Better than the ribbon.
I tied it around my head.
"Now let's get out of here and dodge some rocks."
Frisk laughed happily and led the way out of the small room. Nothing could keep them down.
If it was possible, the next room was even more intimidating than the rock fall. A patch of huge grass that swayed in the slight breeze lay in the path next to towering pillars. But it wasn't the room that intimidated me. It was the lone occupant. A towering monster in full armor. We crept silently through the grass, careful not to make too much noise when Papyrus walked into view. Thanks to his loud voice, we could hear him from were we crouched, motionless.
"UNDYNE!"
Perfect. The most terrifying monster I ever set eyes on was hell bent on our death.
-NO I DIDNT CAPTURE THE HUMANS! BUT YOU DONT-"
Undyne obviously cut him off with a negative reply.
"I UNDERSTAND. ILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN."
He couldn't really betray us! Not Paps...
Then he was gone, leaving only the menecing figure. Frisk tugged at my sleeve and I knew they were right. We had to get out of there. But as we moved through the grass, closer to Undyne, she heard us. Her head snapped around, and she summoned a glowing spear. We froze, hardly daring to breathe. She, hearing nothing else, walked back into the darkness. I felt an over whelmimg sense of dread. How could I have thought Undyne wouldn't be that much of a threat? I was dead. So dead. I looked at Frisk beside me, fear evident in their eyes. I clenched my teeth, setting my jaw. I may be on death row but Frisk wasn't going anywhere. But who's to say what would happen to them when I was 6 feet under? We would get through this. I bolstered my courage.
"Come on."
I whispered. They nodded and we moved through the grass. Before we could move to the next room, the small yellow monster who everyone just calls MK ran out of the grass and gushed,
"Yo! Did you see the way she was staring at you two! That...WAS AWESOME! I'm so jealous! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" He ran ahead, not before tripping on his face. Poor thing didn't have arms to balance. He, of course, didn't realize that we were humans.
Frisk and I stood there for a second, looking at each other in mild shock. A lot had happened in the last few minutes. I searche Frisk's face for emotion, and finding no fear, only determination. I smiled at them.
"Let's freaking do this."
*Allie's bravery, as always, fills you with determination*
