As Woona stepped out of the lab, the rage that had built up inside her continued to swirl around her. She was ready. She was going to march through the final area, reach the Barrier, and tear it from its foundations, freeing the monsters from their prison. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing would sway her from her mis-
Riiiiing! Riiiiing!
Woona picked up her phone. "Hello?"
"Hey!" Undyne spoke up. "This is Undyne. Uh..." Her voice echoed, as though she'd turned away from the phone. "Shut up, Papyrus! This was your idea!" Undyne's voice then became less distorted. "Pony! You have to deliver something for me! Uh...please?"
"I'll be right there!" Woona replied eagerly. "Where are you?"
"I'm in Snowdin, in front of Papyrus's," Undyne answered.
"See you soon!" Woona replied eagerly as she hung up.
So...so much for nothing stopping us from destroying the barrier? Chara teased.
"This is more important," Woona countered. "The barrier can wait a couple hours." Thinking about how important this would be, she raised her hoof to the Soulstone, filling herself with DETERMINATION.
With that done, she took a shortcut to behind Papyrus and Sans' house, stepping out from behind it to greet Undyne. "Hey Undyne-"
"Gyah!" Undyne yelped out, jumping. "How did you...right, Sans wasn't kidding when he said you learned to use his shortcuts." She cleared her throat. "Right, so...I need to ask a favor of you. Uh..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "I need you to deliver this letter-"
"Is it a love letter to Alphys?" Woona asked hopefully, causing Papyrus - who was standing nearby - to burst into his trademark "NYEHEHEH!" laugh.
Undyne turned bright red. "No!" she snapped out angrily. "It's just...a perfectly ordinary letter...to Alphys...that I don't want to deliver in person because it's embarrassing...and has nothing whatsoever to do with love!"
"Maybe you should ask Tsunderplane to deliver it then," Chara teased. "Seems appropriate for what you're asking."
"GYAH!" Undyne screamed out, glancing around. "Who said that?"
"OH! IT'S THE HUMAN NOT-QUITE SPIRIT INSIDE WOONA THAT IS SOMEHOW HER BROTHER!" Papyrus squealed happily. "I SAW HIM DANCING WITH WOONA, METTATON, ALPHYS, AND NAPSTABLOOK ON THE LAST EPISODE OF METTATON'S SHOW-"
"Wait!" Undyne interrupted. "Alphys was dancing? On TV?"
"WHY YES!" Papyrus confirmed happily. "SHE LOOKED QUITE FETCHING IN THAT TIGHT FITTING BLACK BODYSUIT, IN THE GREAT PAPYRUS' PERSONAL OPINION!" He blinked, staring at Undyne. "UNDYNE, WHY IS YOUR FACE TURNING RED?" He then let off a gasp. "UNDYNE, YOU ARE BLEEDING FROM YOUR NOSE! HAVE YOU INJURED YOURSELF?"
"I'm fine!" Undyne snapped at Papyrus. "Stop laughing!" she snarled at Chara.
"Make me!" Chara teased.
"I'll deliver the letter," Woona spoke up, taking the letter and stepping around behind the house, taking a shortcut to Alphys' Lab.
She stepped out from behind Mettaton, who was still charging. "Letter for you from Undyne, Alphys!" Woona called out happily.
"A-a letter?" Alphys asked, stunned. "F-from Undyne?" Taking the letter, she carefully opened it and began to read.
Woona blinked, staring at Alphys as she hid under a nearby table, blushing bright red and shaking. "Umm...is it bad?"
"N-n-n-no!" Alphys insisted, her stammer worse than ever. "B-b-but...Undyne's asked me on a date!"
Woona clapped her hooves together happily. "That's wonderful!" she squealed happily. Noticing Alphys' reaction, she tilted her head. "...isn't it?" she asked, confused.
"Alphys is terrified she's going to be a total dork on the date and make a fool of herself, resulting in Undyne not wanting to have anything to do with her anymore, leaving her a hopeless friendless recluse with nothing but ice cream and anime to fill the empty void in her heart left by a life that destroys everything she'd ever hoped for," Chara interpreted.
"...did you have to make it sound so bad?" Alphys whimpered.
"Yes, because there's an easy solution," Chara continued. "Quit worrying. It's not like you've been anything less than a total dork any other time you've been with Undyne. Did you ever stop to think that maybe that's what she likes about you? She hangs out with Papyrus, for Toby's sake!"
"Hey!" Woona complained angrily, pouting. "I like Papy!"
"Doesn't make him any less of a dork," Chara countered.
"B-but what if I'm not dorky enough in a date setting, and all that other stuff you said happens?" Alphys asked, tears in her eyes.
"...okay, I'm out. Woona, you try taking this one."
Woona scratched her chin in thought. "You could...practice?" she offered.
"P...practice?" Alphys asked, confused.
"Yeah!" Woona confirmed, warming to the idea. "You dress up all nice for the date and pick out the spot. I'll tell Undyne when to meet you, and we'll be there half an hour earlier and I can pretend to be Undyne so you can get used to the idea of talking to her!"
"I...I guess that works..." Alphys admitted. "If...it you're sure...I think the best place would be the garbage dump. Undyne and I often hang out there, scavenging surface garbage that falls down for useful items. I should be there in...about ten minutes."
"Okay!" Woona said happily. "I'll tell Undyne to meet you there in 40." Racing out of the lab, she once more put her hoof to the Soulstone, filling herself with DETERMINATION. She then took the shortcut to Snowdin, going up to Undyne. "Alphys wants me to take you to the garbage dump once you're ready for the date!" she told Undyne.
"Uh...alright..." Undyne replied worriedly. "Let me just go get ready." She turned back into the house.
Woona sat outside, waiting for Undyne to be finished. After a time, Undyne stepped out, wearing a white shirt, a black leather jacket, and blue jeans. "Do I look okay?" she asked, positioning her hair over her eye where she wasn't wearing her eyepatch.
"You look great!" Woona replied eagerly. "Doesn't she, Papy?"
"WOWIE ZOWIE!" Papyrus proclaimed happily. "YOU LOOK AMAZING, UNDYNE!"
"T-thanks..." Undyne replied.
"No time to wait!" Woona called out, pulling Undyne through the shortcut.
Undyne glanced around at the dump. "Umm...we usually meet over there..." she pointed out, indicating a nearby garbage can.
"I know," Woona replied. "Just stay here and be quiet, okay?" With that direction given, Woona walked out to wait for Alphys.
Oh...you evil vixen, you! Chara cackled silently.
I gotta get them talking to each other somehow! Woona countered in her mind.
Before long, Alphys arrived, wearing a rather beautiful black sparkling dress and a choker of pearls. "H-h-how do I look, Woona?" she asked worriedly.
"Ah ah ah!" Woona countered. "Undyne, remember?" Fishing in her art supplies, she quickly drew herself an Undyne mask and held it over her face.
Alphys chuckled nervously, even as Undyne covered her mouth in the background to stifle giggles. "R-r-right," Alphys answered. "How do I look, uh, Undyne?"
Glancing over Alphys shoulder, Woona saw Undyne give a thumbs up. "You're looking mighty fine!" Woona replied, imitating Undyne's voice, stifling her own giggles as Undyne blushed.
Alphys blushed, stammering. "T-t-thank you..." she began. "So...I've got a few gifts for you, uh, Undyne...to increase your affection statistic, which will improve the odds of a successful date...right?"
Seeing Undyne shaking her head with a wide grin on her face, Woona waited as Alphys brought out gifts that were very appropriate for Undyne. Metal armor polish, waterproof scale cream, and a magical spear repair kit, all things Woona saw Undyne getting flustered about. "You know me so well!" Woona replied happily, still mimicking Undyne's voice.
Alphys managed to start getting her stammering under control. "Umm...well..." She paused, unsure what to do next.
"Small talk," Chara offered. "Ask her something you want to know about her that you don't know."
"I-I can do that..." Alphys replied. "So, uh...Undyne...why did you ask me out?" Her eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hands in front of her face. "N-not that I'm complaining! I'm overjoyed! I j-just don't understand why you'd pick me of all monsters. I-I'm not strong...or brave...or very good with people...w-why did you choose me?"
Glancing away behind the mask, Woona saw Undyne exaggeratedly mouth 'passion'. Grinning, she turned back to Alphys. "It's your passion, Alphys," she said in Undyne's voice. "It doesn't matter what you're getting into, you are 100% into it. Your human videos, your science, everything! It doesn't matter if anime is history or entertainment or what...even the things I didn't get, you were just so passionate about it...I couldn't get enough of that, seeing the way your face lights up when you talk about it!"
Woona was quite pleased to see that Alphys wasn't the only one blushing brightly from that proclamation. Chara then took over. "Alright," he told Alphys. "Confession time. Time to tell Undyne how you feel about her."
Alphys nodded, swallowing convulsively. "U-u-u-u-undyne...I-i-i..." She shuddered violently. "I can't do it!" she whimpered, covering her face with her hands. "I just...can't get the words out."
Woona ducked out from behind the Undyne mask. "Maybe you could pretend you were Undyne?" she offered. "Say it how Undyne would say it?"
Alphys shook her head. "I know how she'd say it...but I just don't have that confidence!"
"Then say it how Papyrus would," Chara suggested. "Just...without the whole third person bit."
As Woona ducked back behind the mask, Alphys nodded, steeling herself. "Undyne," she began, her eyes closed as she spoke. "We've been good friends for a really long time...and it's been the best time of my life! No matter what I was doing, or how much I...hated myself for some things...you were always there. Always just calling me for any reason, just to keep in contact. I...I really like you Undyne...as more than friends. And...and I want us to be more than friends...that is, you don't mind, I mean..."
Seeing Alphys starting to falter, Woona decided to step in. "Shut up and kiss me, dork!" she called out in Undyne's voice.
Alphys gasped out, startled. "S-s-she wouldn't say that!" she squealed out.
"Actually, I think I would," Undyne spoke up, stepping out from her hiding spot, walking up to Alphys with a small smile.
"U-u-u-u-UNDYNE!" Alphys squeaked out, her face as red as a tomato. "Uh...how long have you been there?"
"The whole time," Undyne replied, smiling through her own blush. "I was giving Woona cues for how I'd act. She...got it just right."
Alphys' eyes widened. "T-t-then...?"
Smiling, Undyne knelt down to Alphys' level. "I think Woona's got the right idea there. So...pucker up, buttercup." She leaned in, her eye closing as her lips puckered.
Closing her own eyes, Alphys leaned in, puckering her own lips.
Woona's eyes widened as she silently squeed as she saw what was about to happen.
"NO!" Papyrus screamed out as he leapt between them. "NOT IN FRONT OF THE TINY PONY!"
As Undyne and Alphys both pulled back, Woona shouted out, "TOBY DAMMIT, PAPY!"
Chara blinked as he realized they were back outside the Lab. "Did...did you just will a reset over that?" he asked, stunned.
"Yup!" Woona replied. "I know how to do it all this time. I just need to keep Papy distracted." Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out paper and pen. "And I know just how..."
While waiting for Undyne to come out of the house dressed for the date, Woona turned to Papyrus. "Papy...while I take Undyne to meet Alphys...could you help me with a puzzle?"
"A PUZZLE?" Papyrus cried happily. "I LOVE PUZZLES! I WILL HAPPILY HELP YOU SOLVE THIS ONE, MY PONY FRIEND!"
Smiling, Woona handed over the sheet of paper she'd prepared. "This one's had me stumped for years...but don't start until I've left with Undyne, okay?"
"WILL DO!" Papyrus proclaimed, stuffing the paper into his armor.
After Woona and Undyne had left, he pulled out the paper and examined the puzzle.
Circle T for True and F for False.
T F 1. Statement 2 is False.
T F 2. Statement 1 is True.
"HMM...I SEE WHY THIS ONE STUMPED THE PONY FOR SO LONG...THIS WILL TAKE SOME THINKING..."
Woona let out a happy squeal as, this time, nothing interrupted Undyne and Alphys sharing a kiss. Deciding that was all they needed her for, she walked off into the junkyard.
To her surprise, Papyrus popped up. "NO! NOT IN FRONT OF...WHERE ARE UNDYNE AND ALPHYS?"
"They already kissed," Chara explained.
"OH, I DID NOT THINK THEY SHOULD DO SO IN FRONT OF WOONA, WHEN SHE'S SO YOUNG!" Papyrus replied. "STILL, I SOLVED THE PUZZLE FOR YOU, WOONA!"
Woona blinked, stunned. "...how?" she asked, confused.
"I USED A THESAURUS! YOU SEE, IF I STUCK DIRECTLY WITH TRUE OR FALSE, THE PUZZLE IS UNSOLVABLE...BUT YOU SOLVED THE WORD SEARCH BY POINTING OUT IT WAS INCORRECT WITHIN THE RULES OF THE PUZZLE, SO I DID THE SAME! A TRUE STATEMENT IS INHERENTLY CORRECT, WHEREAS A FALSE ONE IS INCORRECT, INHERENTLY FALLACIOUS! AND BECAUSE NEITHER STATEMENT COULD BE CORRECTLY SOLVED WITHIN THE RULES AS PRESENTED, BOTH STATEMENTS WERE FALLACIOUS, AND THUS FALSE!" He let out an excited laugh. "BEHOLD THE GENIUS LOGIC OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER OF PUZZLE SOLVING!"
Woona shook her head as Papyrus laughed, his 'logic' filling her with DETERMINATION.