The sound of rushing water filled the cavern, the clanking sounds as junk fell deep into the abyss echoing around the humid cave.
Alphys sat on the wet tiles, her feet hanging over the side of the cliff, her tiny sobs drowned out by the sounds of the dump.
The tiles were slimy after years of weathering from the constant drip of the ceiling. She should have dug her claws in so she wouldn't slip, but instead she found herself hoping she would just slide ever so slightly forward, and find herself hurtling into the gulf of blackness below.
She wondered when she would be noted as missing. She wondered when someone would investigate. They'd find the lab, they'd find the truth. Everyone would hate her then. No one would even care that she was gone. In fact most would be happy they were rid of her.
It would be so easy, just to lean forward, just a couple of seconds then she would be gone. Life would go on, probably better off without her presence and she could just... Stop existing.
It would be so easy...
She'd come here so many times before. The first time she had just stood there. The second she had sat down, her claws deeply stuck in the tiles, her heart pounding in fear of falling. She'd started coming here nearly every day, and somewhere along the way she'd just stopped caring. And just last month it came to her.
What would be so bad about falling?
At first she was terrified at the thought, but the more she sat in the blackness of the lab, guilt consuming her, she'd began to soften to the idea.
It had just been a cowardly plan, an easy way out, a comforting dream she thought of before she managed to fall asleep. But the idea grew and grew, she thought about it long and hard.
She knew a few would be shocked and upset at first, but after they knew the truth she doubted anyone would mourn her.
Then she'd started sitting with her legs over the edge, her bodyweight shifted forward, the watery void offering to swallow her up and end her miserable existence.
It would be so easy...
She was so startled she nearly fell when she heard rustling from the garbage further back in the cavern.
In all the time she'd spent in the dark cave she had never seen anyone else, so naturally when she heard movements she jumped so high she felt the brief adrenaline rush from the sickening drop below.
And god someone else was there.
She wondered if she would be able to get past this person without being spotted. Slither back to her lab like the coward that she was. Probably not. She wasn't very good at running away.
Maybe she could hide in one of the rubbish piles that dotted the area. After all, trash belongs in the trash right?
The most likely possibility was that Alphys had to get past the other monster. She doubted they would let her past without asking her why she was here.
She could just say she was looking for anime or something, any excuse would do. Its not like they would have a reason to pry-
Her breathing hitched as the thought came, her stomach clenched and suddenly she felt very sick.
What if they were one of the family members?
And then suddenly she was breathing again, faster, too fast, she couldn't get any air, oh god the air was so damp, what if they were one one the families, what if they recognised her, what if they asked her where their relative was, what if they were angry, what would they do when they knew, oh god she couldn't face them she couldn't she couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
She gasped for air, the crashing of the water so far below her crushing her. She brought her hands to her head, claws digging in.
Oh god they were sure to know her, they would recognize her, confront her, they would hate her, they would be so so angry, and hate her so much, and shout and sob and scream and hate her and oh god she couldn't breath and she couldn't face them she couldn't she couldn't she couldn't she couldn't she-
She inched closer to the edge. It had to be now. She couldn't wait. She couldn't face them. She couldn't even face herself.
She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
All she had to do was lean ever so slightly forward.
She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
It could all be over. She'd just be gone.
She leaned foward a little.
She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
And a little more.
She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
She was so close.
She couldn't she couldn't she couldn't-
It was so easy...
There was a thud and the tiles creaked beneath her.
"Where d'ya think it goes?"
Alphys jerked backwards with an undignified squeak, gasping for breath as the loud voice pulled back into reality.
Oh no.
There was a curious and kinda amused looking fish monster sat beside them.
Did she know them? No, no, no she didn't recognise them... Wait no, she did, didn't she work for the king too... Alphys just tried to get her breathing back on track as the buff girl apologized.
"Oh, er, sorry for scaring you there. Ha ha..." The girl rubbed the back of her neck.
Her nerves were wrecked and tears still stung in her eyes but she managed a weak but stutter filled response. "O-o-oh n-n-no i-its o-o-okay..."
"Cool. So, where do you think it goes?"
Alphys processed for a second, trembling and weak. Luckily she'd thought about this a lot so she responded quickly. "M-me? U-uhm I-I u-uh w-well I thought t-that m-maybe it uh, it uh well has gotta go down for a long way b-because, uh well y-you c-can't uh hear the junk hitting the bottom, a-and uh it echoes in such a way that u-uh y-you'd probably hear it s-so it might, uh it might even go down f-far enough to be incinerated b-by the heat o-of uh the earths core? T-That would uh explain t-the uh s-steam that uh r-rises f-from the uh... Um... Sorry..."
Her head hurt and her eyes were still teary and she was rambling and god she felt awful. She looked up from her fidgeting claws to the fish girl beside her, surprised to find an awed face.
"Really! Incinerated?! Like with fire and stuff!?"
Alphys gulped and replied "Uh y-yeah cus um the earths core is made of molten iron and nickel, a-and um its really really hot and er that h-heat c-can instantly uh evaporate water and v-vaporise junk... And... Uh..."
"No way, really!?! We're living ontop of a ton of fire?! That's so cool!!" The girl exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Y-Yeah.." Alphys said even though that wasn't completely right "T-That's how w-we uh power the um underground, we er use the natural temperature to uh heat underground p-pockets o-of water and um well u-use the geothermal energy from uh that to... Uh... Power the... Er..."
"Dude that freaking AWESOME!! My house gets lit by a loadda fire underneath us?! Man, you have GOTTA tell me more about this geothingy energy!! It sounds so badass!!" The girls eyes were wide, her expression excited and... Interested?
Alphys was taken aback. Before, when she'd start rambling about science stuff, she'd been met by blank looks, no one at all or polite excuses to leave. But this girl seemed genuinely interested, and before she knew what she was doing the words came tumbling out, one after the other. She explained geothermal energy and the structure of the earth and her theories on the abyss, and all the while the blue scaled monster nodded along enthusiastically and asked her questions.
"But if the pressure is too great then..." She froze mid sentence. She was smiling!? When was the last time she has smiled? Did she even deserve to smile anymore? "O-Oh sorry I-I'm rambling I-I'll uh... Sorry..."
"Huh? What no its okay don't be sorry this is so fun!? Hey do you think it'd be possible to stop some of the trash from falling in?"
Alphys couldn't help but think of that differently from how the girl had meant it. She was trash, she deserved to fall in, why would you want to stop trash from being destroyed? "B-But why would you w-want to do that? It's j-just t-trash? It doesn't deserve to be kept up here?"
"Nah, trash is awesome! Its so useful even though some people don't think so! I come here all the time looking for trash because its so cool, of course trash deserves to be saved!!"
Of course trash deserves to be saved.
And quite unknowingly, the girl had probably just saved Alphys's life.
Her eyes grew wide and she was about to tear up again. "R-R-Really?"
"Of course!! If I could figure out a way to catch it, just think of all the treasures I could find!"
Alphys started to sweat just a little. "W-Well we could always construct a um net a-and uh we could er catch m-most of it.. I mean i-if t-thats w-what y-you meant... Uh..."
The girl jumped to her feet. "HECK YEAH!! Let's do it!! We could make a net and find all the cool treasure!!" She punches the air, before reaching out a hand for Alphys. "Oh and by the way, I'm Undyne, nice to meet ya nerd!"
Blushing furiously the yellow monster took her hand, allowing herself to be pulled up. "O-Oh um I-I'm... Uh.." She swallowed. No, she had to be brave. What were the chances this hot fish girl knew who she was? "I-I'm Alphys.. Ha ha.. Um its.. ItsreallynicetomewtyouUndyne!!" She stuttered awkwardly.
Undyne just threw back her head and laughed, flashing Alphys a very toothy but very sincere smile. "Right punk, let's go back to my place and make this net, then you can show me how to put it up, sound good?" The lizard monster nodded shyly. "HECK YEAH, LETS GO SAVE SOME TRASH!!"
Undyne tugged on Alphys's hand and then they were running out of the cavern.
And all she could think was 'you already have'.