Just Cause
An Undertale Fanfiction
Chapter 14: Spear of Torment
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Looking For a Bad Time
Chapter 2: What The Killer Gave Up
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Path
Chapter 4: Fatal Mistakes
Chapter 5: Surrendered Memories
Chapter 6: Revenge?
Chapter 7: The Person I Was
Chapter 8: Leaving Hope Behind
Chapter 9: Seeking the Source
Chapter 10: Uncertain Friendship
Chapter 11: Dating WTF?!
Chapter 12: I Don't Know How to Feel
Chapter 13: Mutual Protection
Chapter 14: Spear of Torment (You are here)
Chapter 15: Saved by Fire
Chapter 16: Welcome to the Show
Chapter 17: Nostalgia
Chapter 18: The Only Two I Thought I Had
Chapter 1: Looking For a Bad Time
Chapter 2: What The Killer Gave Up
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Path
Chapter 4: Fatal Mistakes
Chapter 5: Surrendered Memories
Chapter 6: Revenge?
Chapter 7: The Person I Was
Chapter 8: Leaving Hope Behind
Chapter 9: Seeking the Source
Chapter 10: Uncertain Friendship
Chapter 11: Dating WTF?!
Chapter 12: I Don't Know How to Feel
Chapter 13: Mutual Protection
Chapter 14: Spear of Torment (You are here)
Chapter 15: Saved by Fire
Chapter 16: Welcome to the Show
Chapter 17: Nostalgia
Chapter 18: The Only Two I Thought I Had
In this world…
As the smoothness of the carefully-carved path gave way to the harsh edges of a small mountain, and a gust of wind turned the tunnel ahead into a shrieking maw, a surge of adrenaline and dread turned Frisk’s pulse into a pounding tide.
The dull red glare of the firelit ceiling loomed high above, turning the towering buildings and machines into ominous silhouettes, and closer – far, far too close – a smaller but vastly more perilous figure stood motionless on the mountaintop, her back turned toward Frisk as she stared into the distance.
“Seven.” Undyne’s solemn, stony voice drifted down like a death sentence. “Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That’s how many we have collected thus far.”
Frisk’s throat strained in an attempt to swallow with a mouth gone dry. They’re close. They want to attack the people on the surface, and they’re so, so close…
“Understand?” the stern, steady voice continued. “Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed.”
So that’s why Toriel didn’t want me to leave. The image of a wounded, kneeling mother flashed through Frisk’s mind, and their breath froze. That’s the plan that can’t succeed.
If I lose, people will die for my mistake.
I can’t let her get my soul.
“First, however,” Undyne’s voice cut through their racing thoughts, “as is customary for those who make it this far… I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people.”
But I just read it on the walls. Is there more?
“It all started, long ago…”
Curiosity urged them to stay and listen, but the need to escape spoke louder. Maybe I can slip away while she’s distracted.
The monster drew a deep breath, clearly preparing to bring forth a tale of oppression, suffering and eventual triumph.
Then she paused, and the tension in the air seemed to change, quickening from a warning simmer to a roaring flame. “No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE!?! NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
So much for that plan. Frisk’s foot froze in midair, their toes curling in their ballet shoes and gripping the footwear like a lifeline. Guess I’ll have to run again.
Their legs bent slightly, bracing to spring, only to freeze as Undyne’s helmet slammed into the ground in front of them. Their eyes snapped up from the discarded armor to the gleaming eye that dominated their enemy’s flame-haired blue head, and their trembling fists clenched tighter in tandem with Undyne’s.
“YOU!” the fish monster roared. “You’re standing in the way of everybody’s hopes and dreams! Alphys’ history books made me think humans were compassionate… BUT YOU? You’re just a remorseless criminal.”
What? A spark of anger flared through the fog of fear, and this time the curl of their toes whispered of a desire to use the shoes they gripped for a purpose other than running away. I just risked my life to save a monster right in front of you! A monster you were letting fall!
“You wander through the caverns, attacking anyone in your path,” Undyne continued, the wrath in her voice rising in tandem with the indignation it stoked in Frisk. “Self-defense? Please. You didn’t kill them because you had to. You killed them because it was easy for you. Because it was fun for you.”
Easy?! Fun?! Frisk’s teeth ground together, their fists tightening with incredulous rage. I died over and over before I killed the people who were killing me! And I cried and threw up afterward!
I didn’t want to kill them, but they were never going to stop killing me.
In this world…
“Do you think it was fun when I found out? Do you think it’s fun when people’s family members never come home? Is that fun?!”
Five seconds ago, Frisk wouldn’t have thought there was anything Undyne could say that would justify her words or dim their wrath.
But the edge of pain in the monster’s voice cut through the haze of rage like a spear, and the memories that followed it warped what remained of their indignation into gut-twisting guilt.
A floor covered in blood. A body, robbed of its precious soul.
The feeling of knowing that a life that meant everything to them was gone, and the person it belonged to was never coming back.
I made other people feel that.
The angry strength that had screamed through their limbs drained away, leaving limp, heavy shame in its wake. The Vegetoids deserved it. But their families didn’t.
Above them, Undyne was still ranting, her words raining on Frisk’s head like flaming embers. “No. But your time’s up, villain! You won’t hurt anyone else. A knight in shining armor has appeared.
“And all the pain you have inflicted on the fallen… Every hope, every dream you have turned to dust… She’s gonna send right back through her spear! NGAHHH! I’ll show you how determined monsters truly are. Come on! Step forward and let’s end this!”
This is it.
Cold, dull resignation fell like a stone into the churning pool of Frisk’s thoughts, sending waves of emotion rippling in all directions and crashing into each other.
She isn’t going to stop this time, is she? She isn’t like those other monsters who attacked me for a stupid, petty reason. She has a really good reason to want to kill me.
And she’ll keep on trying until one of us is dead.
Should I kill her?
Steel hands of uncertainty gripped their feet, pinning their shoes to the stone, and they glanced at the path from which they’d come.
If I go back, will she follow me?
No, I can’t do that. She’ll definitely keep trying to find me – too much depends on her killing me for her to give up.
I can’t go back to the Ruins – Toriel doesn’t want me anymore. And if I stay in Snowdin, Undyne will just come find me there, and she could even end up fighting me in front of Papyrus.
She might even order Papyrus to help kill me – would he be able to say no?
Would Sans be able to say no?
Their stomach twisted and lurched like a death throe, and Frisk squeezed their eyes shut.
I couldn’t handle that. They’re two of the only friends I have. If she made them try to kill me… that would hurt more than I could stand.
The fish was waiting, bobbing up and down and twirling her spear with impatience in a way that made it clear that she was going to wait until the human made the first move. Still, Frisk hesitated, caught between a retreat that offered no escape and a battle they didn’t know how to wage.
I don’t want to kill her. She’s really mean to me, and it isn’t fair for her to say that I attack everyone in my path when obviously I didn’t, but she really cares about monsters. She just wants to protect them and make their dreams come true.
And I…
Their thoughts shuddered to a halt, and their once-intangible soul suddenly felt like a leaden weight in their chest.
Is it right for me to keep her from doing that?
The wavering voice of a dying monster echoed through their mind, silencing Frisk’s suicidal train of thought and steeling their resolve.
No… I can’t let her take my soul. Toriel said Asgore’s plan couldn’t be allowed to succeed, and she knows him better than I do. I don’t know many people on the surface, but I bet most of them don’t deserve for him to take revenge on them for what people did before they were born.
I have to protect them. I’ll find another way. If there’s a way to break the barrier without dooming humanity, I’ll find it.
Besides, Undyne and I aren’t the only killers wandering around. I still have a murder to report.
I’ll find a way past her.
Frisk’s foot settled on the ground ahead of them, and as Undyne plunged spear-first from her perch, they braced themselves for the blow.
I’ll convince her to stop, or escape her somehow. Then, I’ll keep running. Even if it means being chased all the way to the exit, I’ll find a way to get past.
~*~*~*~
“You’re going to be alright! Chara! Stay determined…”
For the two dozenth time, the voice-haunted blackness of the realm between life and death gave way to the dark of the tunnel ahead of them, and Frisk’s legs trembled as they made the motionless transition from a face-first plunge to standing upright.
She’s too fast… even when I run away, she catches up in no time and keeps attacking.
There’s no way I can make it all the way to the exit while she’s chasing me. Not with just a nice cream and a cup of sea tea.
I wish I hadn’t wasted all those healing items on Papyrus. I should’ve just killed myself and redone that fight without eating after I found out he would spare me.
Again, their foot touched the ground ahead of them, and again, Undyne plunged from the sky, her ironclad fists gripping the spear as it turned the child’s weary soul green.
“For years, we’ve dreamed of a happy ending,” she loudly orated, “and now, sunlight is just within our reach! I won’t let you snatch it away from us!”
The words had begun to blur together, a dramatic speech losing its power through endless repetition. The spears flew toward them yet again, forming a pattern that had grown familiar enough that Frisk could block it by memory, but that still threatened to slip through their defense if they faltered for even a moment.
Could I memorize all her attacks until I could block every last one of them? Could I reach the exit that way, even with only two healing items?
How many hundreds of tries would that take?
The question distracted them just enough, and a spear sliced past their weapon and plunged into their shoulder. Pain tore through their soul as it absorbed the attack, preventing their flesh and bone from being destroyed the way the bridge had been, and a swirl of exhaustion and rising anger swam through their mind.
How many hundreds of tries… and do I really want to?
I tried reasoning with her. She thinks I’m evil no matter what, and she doesn’t believe that I time traveled after dying. Even though I saved a kid right in front of her, she thinks I’m a criminal who kills monsters for fun.
Another spear got through, then their soul turned red. With a wild, stumbling motion, Frisk flung themselves into what they knew was an inherently doomed attempt to escape.
Sure enough, Undyne overtook them in just a few strides, and the onslaught resumed.
I can’t outlast her like I did with Papyrus – her stamina seems to go on forever. Can’t outrun her, can’t outlast her, can’t reason with her, and flirting didn’t work…
Their eyes strayed to the path ahead, then back to Undyne.
Even if I could memorize all her attacks, I don’t think I could run all the way without a rest. I guess I could rest during some of my turns, so maybe I could make it to the exit, and then…
But what about when we reach Asgore?
The thought sent an icicle through the child’s chest, freezing their heaving lungs and allowing yet another projectile to hit them.
I still don’t know what Asgore is, or what he’s capable of. But I do know Undyne said killing me is a mercy compared to whatever he’ll do.
Can he take my soul and keep me from time traveling?
The thought sent a fresh wave of terror through them, more intense than any they’d felt since they first discovered their newfound immortality. Repetition had taken some of the edge off of death, but what if that cycle could be interrupted in a way they couldn’t come back from?
Even if I stand a chance against him, is there any hope that I can escape both him and Undyne when I’m already tired?
I can’t risk it.
Cold certainty settled into the pit of their stomach, dragging the strength of their lungs down with it and leaving them briefly unable to breathe. A fourth blow nearly got through, and they deflected it at the last instant.
Their hand settled on the sea tea, and the rush of air that finally pushed its way into their chest brought a wave of grim resolve.
I’ll try to spare her one more time. If she refuses, I have to fight. Maybe if I get her almost dead, then she’ll give up.
Drawing their body up to its unimpressive full height, Frisk stared Undyne in the eye. “Undyne, I don’t want to kill you. But I can’t let you kill me and start a war, and I don’t think I can outrun you all the way to the exit. Stop throwing spears at me, or I’m going to hit you back.”
The fish threw her head back, and her infuriating cackle grated across Frisk’s already-raw nerves. “Mercy! Ha! I still can’t believe YOU want to spare ME! Heh, you’re tough, but even if you COULD beat me, no human-”
“Has ever made it past Asgore. I KNOW, dang it!”
The child’s frustrated yell brought Undyne’s onslaught to a pause, and wary confusion glittered in her eye as her grip tightened on her spear. “How did you know I was going to say that?”
“Because!” Frisk leaned toward her, anger mingling wildly with hope that maybe this time they could get the truth through her thick skull. “You said it the other times when you killed me and I went back in time to stop being dead! Just like I did with those Vegetoids until I realized they were never going to stop killing me!”
Undyne’s eye narrowed, and a jolt of self-reproach briefly dimmed the fire of Frisk’s rage. Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the Vegetoids.
Then the monster tossed her head back again, her fiery hair bobbing with the force of her bitter, derisive laughter. “Ha! Nice try! You had me going for a moment, but there’s no way someone as tough as you would lose to a Vegetoid! You must have been using your human mind powers to read my mind! Ha! What a grade-A FREAK!”
“I’m not reading minds, I’m getting killed!” The child’s frustration rose to a churning boil, and they took an aggressive step toward their tormentor. “And the only reason I got killed was because I waited so long TO DO THIS!”
A tiny foot collided with Undyne’s shin, and the monster jolted slightly as the angry human’s powerful soul sliced off a chunk of her life force.
Another round of spears came close to finishing Frisk off, and fear drove them to spend a turn gulping down the nice cream. Brain freeze seared through their head, but they forced themselves to fight through it as a new hail of magic raced toward them, then kicked Undyne again.
“I’ll stop hitting you when you stop hitting me, but as long as you keep fighting, I’ll fight you back!”
As the child’s voice rang through the cavern, the fish responded with a huge, toothy grin. “Heh, Alphys told me humans were determined – I see now what she meant by that! But I’m determined, too! Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!”
Her words sent a violent flare of something strange and hot through Frisk’s chest, something they’d never felt this strongly before, and never wanted to feel.
Hatred.
No… more than that.
A desire to hurt the person who’d caused them so much pain, and who unconditionally refused to stop.
Is this what being Undyne feels like? Is this what it’s like to want to hurt someone?
Spears and ballet shoes flashed through the air, and once again, Undyne took damage. I don’t know if I’m enjoying this or not. Part of me feels bad for hurting her, but… part of me feels good when I kick her. Like I’m letting some of the pain and anger out through my foot.
Like I’m not helpless anymore.
“NGAHHH!!!” The monster warrior’s throaty roar jolted them from their thoughts, tearing them free of the half-blurred autopilot of half-reflexively blocking her spears. “DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!”
“I already did! I don’t want to again! And if you don’t want to, you should stop right now!”
“Still trying to spare me? Not a chance! I WILL NEVER TAKE MERCY FROM THE LIKES OF YOU!” Undyne twirled her spear dramatically, then pointed it at the sky. “YOU! WILL! NEVER! SPARE! ME!”
I hope that isn’t true.
The horrible fog of panicked, desperate focus settled over their mind again, the entire world shrinking down to spears, shoes, and the pleas they knew better than to say out loud again.
“YOU’RE GETTING IN MY WAY!” The voice roared over their head like a low-flying plane, registering in their senses but failing to connect with them, and Frisk’s heart began to pound harder as the translucent bar that showed Undyne’s health edged toward the brink of oblivion.
Is she going to do what Toriel did, and suddenly take more damage?
Please give up. Please, please give up. “You’re almost dead,” they protested, their voice rising to a pleading wail. “Please, I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know how else to make you stop killing me! Just stop trying to kill me and go away!”
Ferocity blazed like amber fire in the fish’s eye, and her answering snarl bared even more of her horrible, dagger-like teeth.
“HA! As if you really want to spare me! You know you can’t beat me – you’re just trying to worm your way out of the justice you know you deserve. But know this, human – no matter how determined you may be, I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! At the end of this battle, this knight in shining armor will stand triumphant, and monsters will finally claim the freedom that humans have been denying us all this time!”
Tears stabbed the backs of Frisk’s eyes. “I DO want to spare you! Please! See, I’m sparing you now – I’m not attacking you – and if I attack you one more time, you’ll probably die! A lot of people are counting on you, and I don’t want to make them sad, but I’m so… I’m…”
As a fresh barrage forced their aching limbs to move, Frisk’s voice began to break. “Undyne, stop, please, please stop! This hurts so much! I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know how else to get away, so please stop hurting me! I don’t want to die again!”
But I will. I probably will, SO many times.
I wish I could just stay dead. It would hurt so much less than this.
But if I do, then… no… I can’t…
“HA!” The harsh sound of the fish’s fake laugh raked across their ears, and Frisk’s flinch forced the first few tears out of their watering eyes. “Is that all you can do? Beg for your life? Did the monsters you killed beg you, or did you kill them before they could speak?”
Rage flared through Frisk’s chest, injustice upon injustice boiling into a sick, molten geyser. “They DID talk, while they were killing me! They said ‘plants can’t talk, dummy’! They COULD talk, but they just said that, over and over, and they wouldn’t even say why they were hurting me! I didn’t know about the war, I- I didn’t even do anything, until they wouldn’t stop killing me!”
Undyne’s eye narrowed. “Well, now you DO know, so you know why I won’t let you leave. Humans deserve what’s coming to them, and monsters deserve freedom. And when I take your soul, they’ll finally get it!”
Soft silver eyes flashed in Frisk’s memory, framed by dark hair and a warm, sad smile. Terror exploded through their soul, and with a speed and desperation that outpaced their conscious thought, their ballet shoe slammed into Undyne’s thigh, sending her staggering backward.
“I WON’T LET YOU! There are innocent people up there – there have to be – and I… won’t… Undyne?”
Oh, no…
Her HP bar was empty.
“UNDYNE!”
“Ngahhh…” A rough undercurrent of pain ran through the monster’s voice, and a tremor passed beneath the armor that had failed to protect her. “You were stronger…”
“You were stronger…”
“…than I thought.”
“…than I thought.”
The echo of a soft, maternal voice trembled through their mind, and nausea clenched its twisting fist around Frisk’s stomach. Oh, no… no, no… I killed her, just like Toriel…
“So then… this is where… it ends…”
No, I don’t- I didn’t mean- I mean, I did mean to kill you, but I really didn’t want to…
They’d meant to say the words out loud. But their voice had vanished in the fog of their reeling thoughts, leaving only mute horror in its wake.
No… no…
“No…”
The dying warrior’s eye slipped open, darkness filling the space where fiery yellow used to be. A slit of gold shone in place of her pupil, and as a second “NO!” rang from her suddenly smiling mouth, Frisk’s pulse quickened with terror and relief.
She isn’t dead – maybe she isn’t dying? Maybe I didn’t hit her as hard as I thought?
Their eyes flicked between Undyne’s spear and her gleaming black stare, and their voice began to rise from the distant place it had retreated to, only to be chased back down by their opponent’s shout.
“I won’t die! Alphys... Asgore... Papyrus...”
Papyrus…
“Everyone is counting on me to protect them!”
A rock lodged itself in Frisk’s gut. He’s counting on her. My new friend is counting on Undyne, and I almost killed her.
“NNNNAGH!”
Her spear slashed across their soul, and the familiar grip of green mode rooted them to the ground, sending a sick tide of dread through them.
“Human! In the name of everyone’s hopes and dreams...”
Oh no. She won’t stop. She still won’t stop, and I…
I…
Her feet…?
“I WILL DEFEAT YOU!”
Her feet are starting to dissolve.
Frisk’s eyes snapped up to meet Undyne’s, confusion reeling through their mind and heart.
I don’t want to hit her again. I don’t want to die. I don’t know if I can avoid both.
But maybe it doesn’t matter. The relief returned, darker this time, and stained with sick self-loathing.
It looked like they wouldn’t have to make that horrible choice again, and a part of them they didn’t want to exist was happy about that.
Even if I don’t hit her again, I think she’s still dying.
As the smoothness of the carefully-carved path gave way to the harsh edges of a small mountain, and a gust of wind turned the tunnel ahead into a shrieking maw, a surge of adrenaline and dread turned Frisk’s pulse into a pounding tide.
The dull red glare of the firelit ceiling loomed high above, turning the towering buildings and machines into ominous silhouettes, and closer – far, far too close – a smaller but vastly more perilous figure stood motionless on the mountaintop, her back turned toward Frisk as she stared into the distance.
“Seven.” Undyne’s solemn, stony voice drifted down like a death sentence. “Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That’s how many we have collected thus far.”
Frisk’s throat strained in an attempt to swallow with a mouth gone dry. They’re close. They want to attack the people on the surface, and they’re so, so close…
“Understand?” the stern, steady voice continued. “Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed.”
So that’s why Toriel didn’t want me to leave. The image of a wounded, kneeling mother flashed through Frisk’s mind, and their breath froze. That’s the plan that can’t succeed.
If I lose, people will die for my mistake.
I can’t let her get my soul.
“First, however,” Undyne’s voice cut through their racing thoughts, “as is customary for those who make it this far… I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people.”
But I just read it on the walls. Is there more?
“It all started, long ago…”
Curiosity urged them to stay and listen, but the need to escape spoke louder. Maybe I can slip away while she’s distracted.
The monster drew a deep breath, clearly preparing to bring forth a tale of oppression, suffering and eventual triumph.
Then she paused, and the tension in the air seemed to change, quickening from a warning simmer to a roaring flame. “No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE!?! NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
So much for that plan. Frisk’s foot froze in midair, their toes curling in their ballet shoes and gripping the footwear like a lifeline. Guess I’ll have to run again.
Their legs bent slightly, bracing to spring, only to freeze as Undyne’s helmet slammed into the ground in front of them. Their eyes snapped up from the discarded armor to the gleaming eye that dominated their enemy’s flame-haired blue head, and their trembling fists clenched tighter in tandem with Undyne’s.
“YOU!” the fish monster roared. “You’re standing in the way of everybody’s hopes and dreams! Alphys’ history books made me think humans were compassionate… BUT YOU? You’re just a remorseless criminal.”
What? A spark of anger flared through the fog of fear, and this time the curl of their toes whispered of a desire to use the shoes they gripped for a purpose other than running away. I just risked my life to save a monster right in front of you! A monster you were letting fall!
“You wander through the caverns, attacking anyone in your path,” Undyne continued, the wrath in her voice rising in tandem with the indignation it stoked in Frisk. “Self-defense? Please. You didn’t kill them because you had to. You killed them because it was easy for you. Because it was fun for you.”
Easy?! Fun?! Frisk’s teeth ground together, their fists tightening with incredulous rage. I died over and over before I killed the people who were killing me! And I cried and threw up afterward!
I didn’t want to kill them, but they were never going to stop killing me.
In this world…
“Do you think it was fun when I found out? Do you think it’s fun when people’s family members never come home? Is that fun?!”
Five seconds ago, Frisk wouldn’t have thought there was anything Undyne could say that would justify her words or dim their wrath.
But the edge of pain in the monster’s voice cut through the haze of rage like a spear, and the memories that followed it warped what remained of their indignation into gut-twisting guilt.
A floor covered in blood. A body, robbed of its precious soul.
The feeling of knowing that a life that meant everything to them was gone, and the person it belonged to was never coming back.
I made other people feel that.
The angry strength that had screamed through their limbs drained away, leaving limp, heavy shame in its wake. The Vegetoids deserved it. But their families didn’t.
Above them, Undyne was still ranting, her words raining on Frisk’s head like flaming embers. “No. But your time’s up, villain! You won’t hurt anyone else. A knight in shining armor has appeared.
“And all the pain you have inflicted on the fallen… Every hope, every dream you have turned to dust… She’s gonna send right back through her spear! NGAHHH! I’ll show you how determined monsters truly are. Come on! Step forward and let’s end this!”
This is it.
Cold, dull resignation fell like a stone into the churning pool of Frisk’s thoughts, sending waves of emotion rippling in all directions and crashing into each other.
She isn’t going to stop this time, is she? She isn’t like those other monsters who attacked me for a stupid, petty reason. She has a really good reason to want to kill me.
And she’ll keep on trying until one of us is dead.
Should I kill her?
Steel hands of uncertainty gripped their feet, pinning their shoes to the stone, and they glanced at the path from which they’d come.
If I go back, will she follow me?
No, I can’t do that. She’ll definitely keep trying to find me – too much depends on her killing me for her to give up.
I can’t go back to the Ruins – Toriel doesn’t want me anymore. And if I stay in Snowdin, Undyne will just come find me there, and she could even end up fighting me in front of Papyrus.
She might even order Papyrus to help kill me – would he be able to say no?
Would Sans be able to say no?
Their stomach twisted and lurched like a death throe, and Frisk squeezed their eyes shut.
I couldn’t handle that. They’re two of the only friends I have. If she made them try to kill me… that would hurt more than I could stand.
The fish was waiting, bobbing up and down and twirling her spear with impatience in a way that made it clear that she was going to wait until the human made the first move. Still, Frisk hesitated, caught between a retreat that offered no escape and a battle they didn’t know how to wage.
I don’t want to kill her. She’s really mean to me, and it isn’t fair for her to say that I attack everyone in my path when obviously I didn’t, but she really cares about monsters. She just wants to protect them and make their dreams come true.
And I…
Their thoughts shuddered to a halt, and their once-intangible soul suddenly felt like a leaden weight in their chest.
Is it right for me to keep her from doing that?
The wavering voice of a dying monster echoed through their mind, silencing Frisk’s suicidal train of thought and steeling their resolve.
No… I can’t let her take my soul. Toriel said Asgore’s plan couldn’t be allowed to succeed, and she knows him better than I do. I don’t know many people on the surface, but I bet most of them don’t deserve for him to take revenge on them for what people did before they were born.
I have to protect them. I’ll find another way. If there’s a way to break the barrier without dooming humanity, I’ll find it.
Besides, Undyne and I aren’t the only killers wandering around. I still have a murder to report.
I’ll find a way past her.
Frisk’s foot settled on the ground ahead of them, and as Undyne plunged spear-first from her perch, they braced themselves for the blow.
I’ll convince her to stop, or escape her somehow. Then, I’ll keep running. Even if it means being chased all the way to the exit, I’ll find a way to get past.
~*~*~*~
“You’re going to be alright! Chara! Stay determined…”
For the two dozenth time, the voice-haunted blackness of the realm between life and death gave way to the dark of the tunnel ahead of them, and Frisk’s legs trembled as they made the motionless transition from a face-first plunge to standing upright.
She’s too fast… even when I run away, she catches up in no time and keeps attacking.
There’s no way I can make it all the way to the exit while she’s chasing me. Not with just a nice cream and a cup of sea tea.
I wish I hadn’t wasted all those healing items on Papyrus. I should’ve just killed myself and redone that fight without eating after I found out he would spare me.
Again, their foot touched the ground ahead of them, and again, Undyne plunged from the sky, her ironclad fists gripping the spear as it turned the child’s weary soul green.
“For years, we’ve dreamed of a happy ending,” she loudly orated, “and now, sunlight is just within our reach! I won’t let you snatch it away from us!”
The words had begun to blur together, a dramatic speech losing its power through endless repetition. The spears flew toward them yet again, forming a pattern that had grown familiar enough that Frisk could block it by memory, but that still threatened to slip through their defense if they faltered for even a moment.
Could I memorize all her attacks until I could block every last one of them? Could I reach the exit that way, even with only two healing items?
How many hundreds of tries would that take?
The question distracted them just enough, and a spear sliced past their weapon and plunged into their shoulder. Pain tore through their soul as it absorbed the attack, preventing their flesh and bone from being destroyed the way the bridge had been, and a swirl of exhaustion and rising anger swam through their mind.
How many hundreds of tries… and do I really want to?
I tried reasoning with her. She thinks I’m evil no matter what, and she doesn’t believe that I time traveled after dying. Even though I saved a kid right in front of her, she thinks I’m a criminal who kills monsters for fun.
Another spear got through, then their soul turned red. With a wild, stumbling motion, Frisk flung themselves into what they knew was an inherently doomed attempt to escape.
Sure enough, Undyne overtook them in just a few strides, and the onslaught resumed.
I can’t outlast her like I did with Papyrus – her stamina seems to go on forever. Can’t outrun her, can’t outlast her, can’t reason with her, and flirting didn’t work…
Their eyes strayed to the path ahead, then back to Undyne.
Even if I could memorize all her attacks, I don’t think I could run all the way without a rest. I guess I could rest during some of my turns, so maybe I could make it to the exit, and then…
But what about when we reach Asgore?
The thought sent an icicle through the child’s chest, freezing their heaving lungs and allowing yet another projectile to hit them.
I still don’t know what Asgore is, or what he’s capable of. But I do know Undyne said killing me is a mercy compared to whatever he’ll do.
Can he take my soul and keep me from time traveling?
The thought sent a fresh wave of terror through them, more intense than any they’d felt since they first discovered their newfound immortality. Repetition had taken some of the edge off of death, but what if that cycle could be interrupted in a way they couldn’t come back from?
Even if I stand a chance against him, is there any hope that I can escape both him and Undyne when I’m already tired?
I can’t risk it.
Cold certainty settled into the pit of their stomach, dragging the strength of their lungs down with it and leaving them briefly unable to breathe. A fourth blow nearly got through, and they deflected it at the last instant.
Their hand settled on the sea tea, and the rush of air that finally pushed its way into their chest brought a wave of grim resolve.
I’ll try to spare her one more time. If she refuses, I have to fight. Maybe if I get her almost dead, then she’ll give up.
Drawing their body up to its unimpressive full height, Frisk stared Undyne in the eye. “Undyne, I don’t want to kill you. But I can’t let you kill me and start a war, and I don’t think I can outrun you all the way to the exit. Stop throwing spears at me, or I’m going to hit you back.”
The fish threw her head back, and her infuriating cackle grated across Frisk’s already-raw nerves. “Mercy! Ha! I still can’t believe YOU want to spare ME! Heh, you’re tough, but even if you COULD beat me, no human-”
“Has ever made it past Asgore. I KNOW, dang it!”
The child’s frustrated yell brought Undyne’s onslaught to a pause, and wary confusion glittered in her eye as her grip tightened on her spear. “How did you know I was going to say that?”
“Because!” Frisk leaned toward her, anger mingling wildly with hope that maybe this time they could get the truth through her thick skull. “You said it the other times when you killed me and I went back in time to stop being dead! Just like I did with those Vegetoids until I realized they were never going to stop killing me!”
Undyne’s eye narrowed, and a jolt of self-reproach briefly dimmed the fire of Frisk’s rage. Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the Vegetoids.
Then the monster tossed her head back again, her fiery hair bobbing with the force of her bitter, derisive laughter. “Ha! Nice try! You had me going for a moment, but there’s no way someone as tough as you would lose to a Vegetoid! You must have been using your human mind powers to read my mind! Ha! What a grade-A FREAK!”
“I’m not reading minds, I’m getting killed!” The child’s frustration rose to a churning boil, and they took an aggressive step toward their tormentor. “And the only reason I got killed was because I waited so long TO DO THIS!”
A tiny foot collided with Undyne’s shin, and the monster jolted slightly as the angry human’s powerful soul sliced off a chunk of her life force.
Another round of spears came close to finishing Frisk off, and fear drove them to spend a turn gulping down the nice cream. Brain freeze seared through their head, but they forced themselves to fight through it as a new hail of magic raced toward them, then kicked Undyne again.
“I’ll stop hitting you when you stop hitting me, but as long as you keep fighting, I’ll fight you back!”
As the child’s voice rang through the cavern, the fish responded with a huge, toothy grin. “Heh, Alphys told me humans were determined – I see now what she meant by that! But I’m determined, too! Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!”
Her words sent a violent flare of something strange and hot through Frisk’s chest, something they’d never felt this strongly before, and never wanted to feel.
Hatred.
No… more than that.
A desire to hurt the person who’d caused them so much pain, and who unconditionally refused to stop.
Is this what being Undyne feels like? Is this what it’s like to want to hurt someone?
Spears and ballet shoes flashed through the air, and once again, Undyne took damage. I don’t know if I’m enjoying this or not. Part of me feels bad for hurting her, but… part of me feels good when I kick her. Like I’m letting some of the pain and anger out through my foot.
Like I’m not helpless anymore.
“NGAHHH!!!” The monster warrior’s throaty roar jolted them from their thoughts, tearing them free of the half-blurred autopilot of half-reflexively blocking her spears. “DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!”
“I already did! I don’t want to again! And if you don’t want to, you should stop right now!”
“Still trying to spare me? Not a chance! I WILL NEVER TAKE MERCY FROM THE LIKES OF YOU!” Undyne twirled her spear dramatically, then pointed it at the sky. “YOU! WILL! NEVER! SPARE! ME!”
I hope that isn’t true.
The horrible fog of panicked, desperate focus settled over their mind again, the entire world shrinking down to spears, shoes, and the pleas they knew better than to say out loud again.
“YOU’RE GETTING IN MY WAY!” The voice roared over their head like a low-flying plane, registering in their senses but failing to connect with them, and Frisk’s heart began to pound harder as the translucent bar that showed Undyne’s health edged toward the brink of oblivion.
Is she going to do what Toriel did, and suddenly take more damage?
Please give up. Please, please give up. “You’re almost dead,” they protested, their voice rising to a pleading wail. “Please, I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know how else to make you stop killing me! Just stop trying to kill me and go away!”
Ferocity blazed like amber fire in the fish’s eye, and her answering snarl bared even more of her horrible, dagger-like teeth.
“HA! As if you really want to spare me! You know you can’t beat me – you’re just trying to worm your way out of the justice you know you deserve. But know this, human – no matter how determined you may be, I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! At the end of this battle, this knight in shining armor will stand triumphant, and monsters will finally claim the freedom that humans have been denying us all this time!”
Tears stabbed the backs of Frisk’s eyes. “I DO want to spare you! Please! See, I’m sparing you now – I’m not attacking you – and if I attack you one more time, you’ll probably die! A lot of people are counting on you, and I don’t want to make them sad, but I’m so… I’m…”
As a fresh barrage forced their aching limbs to move, Frisk’s voice began to break. “Undyne, stop, please, please stop! This hurts so much! I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know how else to get away, so please stop hurting me! I don’t want to die again!”
But I will. I probably will, SO many times.
I wish I could just stay dead. It would hurt so much less than this.
But if I do, then… no… I can’t…
“HA!” The harsh sound of the fish’s fake laugh raked across their ears, and Frisk’s flinch forced the first few tears out of their watering eyes. “Is that all you can do? Beg for your life? Did the monsters you killed beg you, or did you kill them before they could speak?”
Rage flared through Frisk’s chest, injustice upon injustice boiling into a sick, molten geyser. “They DID talk, while they were killing me! They said ‘plants can’t talk, dummy’! They COULD talk, but they just said that, over and over, and they wouldn’t even say why they were hurting me! I didn’t know about the war, I- I didn’t even do anything, until they wouldn’t stop killing me!”
Undyne’s eye narrowed. “Well, now you DO know, so you know why I won’t let you leave. Humans deserve what’s coming to them, and monsters deserve freedom. And when I take your soul, they’ll finally get it!”
Soft silver eyes flashed in Frisk’s memory, framed by dark hair and a warm, sad smile. Terror exploded through their soul, and with a speed and desperation that outpaced their conscious thought, their ballet shoe slammed into Undyne’s thigh, sending her staggering backward.
“I WON’T LET YOU! There are innocent people up there – there have to be – and I… won’t… Undyne?”
Oh, no…
Her HP bar was empty.
“UNDYNE!”
“Ngahhh…” A rough undercurrent of pain ran through the monster’s voice, and a tremor passed beneath the armor that had failed to protect her. “You were stronger…”
“You were stronger…”
“…than I thought.”
“…than I thought.”
The echo of a soft, maternal voice trembled through their mind, and nausea clenched its twisting fist around Frisk’s stomach. Oh, no… no, no… I killed her, just like Toriel…
“So then… this is where… it ends…”
No, I don’t- I didn’t mean- I mean, I did mean to kill you, but I really didn’t want to…
They’d meant to say the words out loud. But their voice had vanished in the fog of their reeling thoughts, leaving only mute horror in its wake.
No… no…
“No…”
The dying warrior’s eye slipped open, darkness filling the space where fiery yellow used to be. A slit of gold shone in place of her pupil, and as a second “NO!” rang from her suddenly smiling mouth, Frisk’s pulse quickened with terror and relief.
She isn’t dead – maybe she isn’t dying? Maybe I didn’t hit her as hard as I thought?
Their eyes flicked between Undyne’s spear and her gleaming black stare, and their voice began to rise from the distant place it had retreated to, only to be chased back down by their opponent’s shout.
“I won’t die! Alphys... Asgore... Papyrus...”
Papyrus…
“Everyone is counting on me to protect them!”
A rock lodged itself in Frisk’s gut. He’s counting on her. My new friend is counting on Undyne, and I almost killed her.
“NNNNAGH!”
Her spear slashed across their soul, and the familiar grip of green mode rooted them to the ground, sending a sick tide of dread through them.
“Human! In the name of everyone’s hopes and dreams...”
Oh no. She won’t stop. She still won’t stop, and I…
I…
Her feet…?
“I WILL DEFEAT YOU!”
Her feet are starting to dissolve.
Frisk’s eyes snapped up to meet Undyne’s, confusion reeling through their mind and heart.
I don’t want to hit her again. I don’t want to die. I don’t know if I can avoid both.
But maybe it doesn’t matter. The relief returned, darker this time, and stained with sick self-loathing.
It looked like they wouldn’t have to make that horrible choice again, and a part of them they didn’t want to exist was happy about that.
Even if I don’t hit her again, I think she’s still dying.
Author's note:
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