Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You slowly walked into the spider parlor. You had been craving some spider pastries lately. Even though everything was overpriced in the extreme, you couldn't ignore your sweet tooth. As you walked in, spiders greeted you fondly, waving their front legs before disappearing into the webs and shadows.

"Uhuhu~" A familiar giggle sounded throughout the area. "What's this? It seems our little human friend has made a return."

You look up to see the mischievous spider woman being lowered on a seat made of web. Her upper and lower right arms held on to one connecting web line while the middle held a teapot. Her upper left arm held the other connecting web line while the middle and lower arms held a teacup and saucer. She smiled at you, each of her eyes blinking in turn.

"Well hello there, dearie." She greeted. No matter how warm her intentions were, something about the way she spoke always sent shivers down your spine. "What brings you here today? Could it be that you want some more of our delicious pastries?"

You nodded.

"Uhuhuhu~! I knew their charms were impossible for you to resist. You may have as many as you like, for the right price, of course~"

You had been saving up gold for a while now. You hoped you had enough for at least one pastry.

"Now, what would you like~?"

You were really in the mood for a donut. Whatever glaze Muffet used was heavenly. Just the thought of its sweetness made your mouth water.

"A donut, hm? Coming right up, dearie. That will be 900g, if you please~"

900g? That was it? You had expected a lot more. You gave the spider woman a confused look.

"Hm? Something wrong?" Muffet asked, a spider lowering itself beside her to listen in.

You took a moment to think of how you wished to word the question. You wanted to be as polite as possible, but still wanted an answer.

"Why have my prices dropped? Have you not heard, dearie?" She giggled. "Your continued patronage has helped us raise more than enough money to reunite the spider clans. The spiders from the RUINS will be moving here in just a few short days~"

That was wonderful news. You hadn't realized how much you had helped. You smiled, happy to have helped yet another monster.

She giggled again. "Uhuhu. So, since you helped us reach our objective, you get a special discount."

Another spider lowered itself beside you, offering you a large donut.

"Here you are~" Muffet said.

You accepted the donut and gave the little spider the gold in return. It smiled at you, returning to the mass of webs above. You took a bite of the donut. It was delicious as always.

"We truly cannot thank you enough for all your help, (y/n)." Muffet said, smiling. For once, you actually felt the warmth behind her words and grin. There was no mischief behind either this time, it was genuine. Your heart beat a little faster for a couple moments.

"Did you want something else? Perhaps another playdate with my pet~?"

You quickly excused yourself from the offer, turning to leave the parlor.

"Oh well. Maybe next time~?" With a giggle, her seat began to rise, taking her back to the spider haven above.

You paused just outside the spider lair. You finished the last bite of your donut, licking the sweet glaze from your fingertips. Usually you left Muffet's lair with a chilly feeling of uneasiness, but this time was different. You felt happy and warm. You had helped the spiders of the Underground in their reunion.

After a moment of thought, however, you felt a little sick. That means you spent a lot of gold on pastries. You suddenly felt pretty fat for eating all those sweets, even if you didn't do so all at once. You shot a self-conscious glance at your stomach, but it didn't appear to have changed size. You sighed.

Your mind returned to Muffet. Something about her seemed...Different. Different than the first time you met her. Then, she seemed like a creepy sadist who enjoyed making money while watching you suffer. But now, she was a little sweeter toward you. You didn't feel like a mere plaything to her anymore. You could actually feel a connection of sorts forming between the two of you. Perhaps you were finally growing a friendly bond with her. Now that you thought about it, she didn't seem to talk with anyone but her arachnid family...and you. Were you her only non-spider friend?

You looked back toward the parlor. There was no evidence to prove otherwise. Now you were more determined than ever. You and Muffet were going to build a strong friendship, just as you had done with the other monsters of the Underground.

Your new web-tangled mission filled you with determination.

Chapter Text

You waited a couple days before visiting Muffet again. You hoped the spiders were all reunited by now.

You peeked into the den, the place exploding with activity the moment you stepped inside. The number of spiders had increased quite a bit, way more than you had expected.

Some spiders spotted you, stopping what they were doing. Other spiders began to notice, following the eyes of their paused companions. Soon, every single spider was staring at you.

You tensed up. It was as if you could feel the weight of the literally thousands of eyes that were now glaring at you.

For several moments, nothing moved. All was still. You stood there as the heavy mass of gazes loomed over you.

"Uhuhuhu!" A familiar giggle broke the silence. Muffet suddenly landed behind you, eyes gleaming with mischief.

You slowly turned around, looking up at the spider woman, only to be immediately grabbed by four arms and hugged close.

"We can't thank you enough, (y/n)!" Muffet said. Her voice was full of genuine joy, something you had never heard from her until now. She released you, gesturing toward the collection of spiders above. "The spiders from the RUINS were able to make it here safely! Not a single one of them has been harmed. We are a single clan once more!"

You took a moment to recover from the sudden force of the quick and powerful hug. Holding your head, you managed to regain balance. You looked up at the large collection of gleaming eyes above you, smiling awkwardly.

The spiders all began to cheer, each little voice contributing to the chatter. Though their numbers were great, the sound was not all that loud. It was actually kinda cute, listening to all of them cheer happily with as much force as they could muster.

You smiled more genuinely now. They all looked so happy to be together again. You looked back at Muffet, who was still smiling up at her spiders.

Eventually the cheering died down, and Muffet looked down at you. "We will think of some way to thank you in time." She promised, winking the two eyes on the left side of her face. "But for now, please accept this dozen of spider donuts, free of charge~"

A small group of spiders came crawling up to you, carrying a box on their backs.

At a loss for words, all you could do was accept the box. The spiders smiled up at you. You smiled back. They soon disappeared among the webs.

You looked back at Muffet, thanking her for the donuts.

"Of course, dearie. I think you earned them." She giggled, holding her right middle hand to her mouth.

This was a side of Muffet you had never seen, and you doubted anyone else had seen it, either. She could be really sweet if she wanted to be. Of course, she was also overjoyed at the moment. You remembered that this was the same monster who had tied you up and threatened to feed you to her pet. You shuddered at the memory. But, even so, she did seem pretty grateful for your help.

A spider lowered itself to Muffet's face, whispering something in her ear. Her face lit up, the familiar, more mischievous smile returning to her face as she focused on you.

You tensed slightly, nervous about the unknown conversation.

"Mhm, yes, that is a lovely idea~" Muffet agreed with a nod. The spider shot a glance at you before retreating to its brethren.

You watched it go before returning your nervous gaze to Muffet.

"They think a spider dance would be a handsome reward." She explained. "I have to agree. So, (y/n), may I have this dance~?" She offered her upper right hand for you to take.

You gulped. You had never danced with someone before. Especially not someone with three times as many arms as you had. And, what exactly did a spider dance entail..?

You cautiously put your hand in hers, unsure what to expect.

The spiders above seemed to see that as their cue. They began to stir. At first, it just sounded like noise. But it slowly evolved into a tune. A familiar tune. The same tune they had been "singing" during your battle with Muffet. Only now it was on a large scale, with every spider pitching in.

Muffet pulled you forward, grabbing your other hand with her middle left hand. Her head moved perfectly to the beat. This dance was very one-sided. She tossed you this way and that, while still remaining perfectly in sync with the beat of the song her spiders sang.

You tried to catch up, eventually being released when the song slowed. Muffet danced alone, much slower now. She looked at you expectantly, willing you to mirror her actions with her gaze alone.

You studied her movements for a few moments before attempting to mimic them. You began to get the hang of it, realizing how easy the beat was to follow once you tried. You were actually enjoying yourself. That is, until your dance partner grabbed your arm again, yanking you toward herself. These movements were all new, and she threw you about like a doll once more.

This routine repeated itself several times. Just when you began to get into the rhythm, the spider song began to fade.

Soon it came to a close, and Muffet stopped dancing. She smiled at you. "Uhuhu, not bad, dearie~" She complimented. "I would never have guessed that was your first time doing the spider dance."

You blushed a little at the praise. Was she just trying to be nice? Because, as far as you could tell, you sucked at that dance.

She giggled again. "We'll have to do this again sometime~"

You nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. That sounded like fun...If you could master the dance and keep yourself on your own two feet the next time.

You waved goodbye, Muffet returning the gesture with her upper two left hands. Several spiders waved to you as well.

As you left, you felt even warmer than you did the last time you departed from the spider's lair. You were making excellent progress with Muffet. You two would be great friends in no time at all at this rate!

The bright hope of a new friendship fills you with determination.

Chapter Text

After a week or so, you decided to once more visit Muffet. You hoped your frequent visits were fun for her as well, and not a burden or bother. She always seemed social enough when you entered her parlor, even if it was in her own..."special" way.

You stepped inside, surprised at the significantly less activity compared to your last visit. Of course, everyone was probably still settling in then. By now they were all at home. You called out for Muffet, awaiting a response.

You were suddenly enveloped in an all-too-familiar purple web. You struggled out of shock, but to no avail.

Muffet's girlish giggle rang out as she lowered herself on her spider web swing. "So good to see you again, dearie. It's been a little while."

You smiled, happy to see Muffet again despite being tangled in her web.

Muffet grinned, her eyes full of mischief. "My little pet missed you very much, (y/n)."

You tensed, glancing down at the web that entangled you. Your heart sank as you realized what was happening. This wasn't going to end well for you.

Muffet brought one hand to her mouth, whistling. There was a split second of dead silence before the ground began to tremble. It was very slight at first, but it soon evolved into a massive shaking. The large cupcake with spider legs came crawling up to its owner. It looked at both you and Muffet eagerly.

"Little Tuffet here has been practically begging to have another playdate with you, dearie! I hope you don't mind~"

The large pet, apparently dubbed "Tuffet", stared at you. It didn't seem aggressive like the last time the two of you met. Strangely, it was almost like a loveable dog...Of sorts.

Against your better judgement, you nodded slowly. It was clear Muffet cared very much for her pet, so you were afraid saying no would offend her.

"Excellent!" Muffet chimed happily. The web around you disappeared, allowing you to once again move on your own. "Go on and give Tuffet a little pat."

You slowly approached the large cake spider, offering your outstretched hand.

The two of you stared at each other for a few moments. Then, Tuffet closed its eyes and leaned forward, allowing your hand to touch its face.

The texture was surprising. It wasn't sticky or slimy, as you had half expected. Instead, it was rather fuzzy, like a normal spider. You gently rubbed Tuffet's face.

Tuffet opened its eyes, looking down at you intently. You swore it smiled at you. It opened its mouth, a large tongue suddenly rubbing against you once. Tuffet was nothing more than a big puppy. Its eyes glimmered as it panted and stared at you with admiration.

Muffet laughed. "You see? Tuffet dear absolutely adores you!"

You grinned. Then, you had an idea. You dug into your pocket for a moment, grabbing one of the spider donuts from before. You held it up, shaking it slightly to draw Tuffet's attention.

Tuffet eyed the treat, panting heavily with desire.

You moved the donut from one side to the other, Tuffet's eyes following the sweet. You tossed the donut toward the big pet.

Naturally, Tuffet opened its mouth and caught it with ease. The donut was gone in a single gulp. Once it consumed the treat, it extended its tongue once more, giving you another friendly lick.

Muffet giggled. "How did you know that spider donuts were Tuffet's favorite treat? You must love them almost as much as I do!"

You gave an awkward smile. Truth be told, Tuffet had terrified you up until this point. But you weren't about to tell either of them that now.

"Would you like to see a trick?" Muffet asked.

You nodded, curious about the meaning behind her words.

She waved her hands a few times, getting Tuffet's attention. When the pet looked her way, she spoke again. "Tuffet dearie, show (y/n) your spinning skills!"

Tuffet retracted its panting tongue, turning and quickly crawling away. It jumped onto the wall, climbing up with surprising speed. It then began to spin a web, though you weren't quite sure where the web was coming from exactly. You decided not to ask questions.

Tuffet worked incredibly fast. It dashed this way and that, spinning more and more web. After a few minutes of tireless work, Tuffet stopped, jumping down and landing in front of you and Muffet with a thud.

You looked up at the web, pleasantly surprised. Though it was a bit messy, a picture of a donut and three spiders could be made out in the middle of the web. You grinned, clapping your praise.

Tuffet seemed very excited to receive praise. If it had a tail, it probably would have shaken it off by now with all the excitement.

Muffet clapped as well, admiring her pet's work. "Very good, Tuffet! You're getting better each time!"

Tuffet licked its lips a moment before continuing to pant with joy. It turned its attention back to you, taking several quick steps toward you. It got closer and closer until it loomed over you. And, before you could react, Tuffet grabbed you with its front leg. It lifted you up, placing you on top of its head.

"Oh? It looks like Tuffet wants to take you for a ride, dearie." Muffet explained. "What do you say?"

You weren't quite sure how to respond. You looked down at Tuffet. Tuffet looked up at you eagerly, awaiting permission to do with you whatever it wished. You looked back at Muffet, who was also awaiting an answer. After some consideration, you decided you had been through much worse. You nodded, granting permission.

As soon as it sensed approval, Tuffet launched forward, quickly crawling up the webby wall.

You hung on for dear life. You immediately regretted your choice.

Tuffet took you everywhere, all at a surprising speed. It crawled along walls, across ceilings, down single web lines. You knew every inch of the place by the time Tuffet was done.

Eventually, Tuffet grew tired. It jumped from the ceiling, landing with a thud once more. It lowered its body, folding its legs close to its sides. Within moments, a gentle snoring could be heard from the creature.

You carefully climbed off your wild steed, stumbling back to where Muffet was waiting. It took you a few moments to recover from the ride.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Muffet asked. She didn't give time for you to answer, looking over at Tuffet. "That was the happiest I've seen Tuffet in a very long time." She looked back at you, giving another warm, genuine smile. "Tuffet loves you almost as much as I love them."

You smiled, assuming that was meant to be a compliment. You stumbled back, now feeling how exhausted you were.

"You seem worn out as well. You better get home." Muffet said. "You can come back for another playdate another time~"

You nodded. That sounded like a plan. You waved goodbye, turning and leaving the web-lined nest. Despite being completely exhausted, you felt the warmth that was becoming more and more familiar each time you left. Now you had two new friends, Muffet and Tuffet. You grinned stupidly at yourself. You really enjoyed getting to know Muffet.

The love of a pet fills you with determination.

Chapter Text

You found yourself visiting Muffet more and more often. The two of you were growing quite close. You always had something to do together, be it chatting over tea, playing with Tuffet, or even baking lessons. She had even trusted you with a couple of her secret recipes.

You made your way back to the spider den, eager to spend more time with Muffet. You had put your first meeting with her far behind you. Sure she was still mischievous and unpredictable at times, but she was really sweet under all of that.

"Welcome back, dearie~" Muffet greeted. She was sitting on her web swing, sipping a cup of tea. Her swing lowered until it was hardly above the ground you stood on. "Care for some tea?"

You nodded. Before meeting Muffet, you hadn't been the biggest fan of drinking tea. However, Muffet's tea was unlike any you had ever had. The flavor was indescribably delicious, and even somewhat soothing. You looked forward to it every time it was offered.

You sat on a small clump of web, accepting the teacup and platter Muffet offered you. You eagerly sipped the pleasantly warm beverage.

"So, is everyone still getting along nicely?" She asked, taking another sip while awaiting your answer eagerly.

You nodded. Nothing much was happening. Everyone was the same old same old, really.

Muffet smiled. "You seem to have plenty of friends down here. Perhaps it isn't surprising that you decided to stay."

You gave her a confused look.

"Everyone always seemed so eager to return to the surface...Before you showed up, that is." She looked away, as if she saw something far away. Her voice seemed a little sad. She snapped out of her daze. "Oh, forgive me, dearie. My mind was wandering."

That was the most serious tone you had ever heard from Muffet. You asked if she was okay, genuinely concerned.

She slowly shook her head. "I just never understood the strong desire to return to the surface." She replied simply. "We all live peacefully enough down here. We're all safe and happy."

You took her comment into consideration. She did have a point. You began to wonder yourself. As far as you were concerned, living down here wasn't much different than living up there. Did the other monsters simply want to live amongst humans again?

"I for one would rather not live among many humans." Muffet spat, her tone changing from sad to angry. She took a rather aggressive sip from her cup, pouring more tea afterward.

This was yet another side of Muffet you had never witnessed. You hadn't really noticed such aggression toward humans, even during your first meeting. Suddenly, some of the things she had first said to you began to echo in your head.

"I heard they hate spiders... I heard they love to stomp on them... I heard they like to tear their legs off..."

You felt your heart sink. You began to worry these weren't just rumors she had heard...

There was a long pause between the two of you.

She glanced at you. "Oh dear, I forgot to offer you a spider cookie." She said, breaking the silence. Her tone had lightened significantly all of a sudden.

You shook your head. You were much more concerned about her than your stomach. Even if a spider cookie did sound really good at the moment. You questioned her, even more worried now.

She hesitated a good few moments before responding. "...Spiders don't stay together just because we're a Clan." She finally said, her saddened tone returning. "We stay together to stay safe." She looked away, setting her teacup on its platter and setting both aside.

Your heart sank more. You had never expected to see Muffet so sad. You wanted to help, but you had no idea how.

"We keep to ourselves because that is what everyone else wants. Humans, monsters...Spiders are never the first choice when it comes to socialization." She paused, taking a shaky breath. Was she about to cry? "We have a reputation we did nothing to earn."

Your heart hit the ground, shattering for the poor spider girl and her spider family. You had never considered that even monsters were not fans of spiders. Muffet could quite possibly want friends, but no one gave her a chance until...

A tear escaped Muffet's largest right eye, but she quickly wiped it away. "We believed that things would always be that way. We would only have each other, no matter where we dwelled."

Several spiders had lowered themselves, creating a cloud that looked as if it were about to break into a heavy rain. Tuffet had even made an appearance, occasionally whining as it sensed its owner's sadness and pain.

Muffet held out her hand, one of her spiders crawling onto her hand and down her arm onto her shoulder. It nuzzled her face before looking at you.

Muffet gave you a sad sort of smile. "But, then you came along, (y/n)." She continued. "Despite our first encounter, you came back. And not just once. You continued to return, and you...You gave us a chance that few others have been willing to give."

You looked up at Muffet and her cloud of spiders. They all looked at you gratefully. Not only had you reunited their Clan, but you had become one of their only friends of a different species. Your heart returned to your chest, fluttering a little.

"We are very grateful, dearie. You have helped us much more than you know." She said, getting off of her swing and walking up to you. "We can never repay you for all you have done." She smiled. This smile was the warmest smile you had ever witnessed. Her joy and thankfulness were so genuine, you felt as though you could feel beams of sunlight warming you from the inside out. Your heart fluttered faster and you felt your face growing warm.

Muffet offered you her hand. "You will always be welcome here, (y/n). Consider yourself an honorary spider." She giggled.

All sadness had faded away, replaced with the warm beams of joy radiating from every which way. It seemed as if the entire den was glowing, despite being as dark as normal.

You and Muffet spent the rest of the day baking and playing with Tuffet. You eventually left, still warm and fuzzy inside.

As you walked back home, you were practically soaring. You couldn't remember the last time you felt this full of pure bliss. You probably looked like an idiot walking around in your joyful daze, but you didn't care. Nothing could bring you down at this moment. It wasn't until you got home that you came down enough to start thinking. Your mind began to spin, starting with a single thought before erupting into a massive tilt-a-whirl of ideas and questions. You grabbed your head, trying to gather yourself. You thought of Muffet, and how you had felt today. How you had been starting to feel for a while now.

Were you...falling in love with Muffet? You couldn't be sure. Suddenly exhausted, you flopped onto your bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Despite your confusion and crazy emotions, you are filled with determination.

Chapter Text

Despite your greatest desires to visit Muffet, you felt it was best to wait a couple of days to get your mind straight. You thought everything over, and you finally decided on how you felt. You slept on your decision, ready to tell Muffet the following day.

You walked with a spring in your step all the way to the spider parlor. Nothing could bring you down today. The very thought of Muffet brought a smile to your face. She was your best friend, maybe even more.

You walked into the parlor, only to have your goofy grin fade away.

It was silent. Dead silent.

You looked around. There was absolutely no movement anywhere. A chill ran up your spine.

You called out nervously.

...But nobody came.

You called again, beginning to freak out. You walked through the parlor, calling for Muffet, Tuffet, anyone.

There was a faint noise from high above your head. You looked up, but couldn't see anything in the mess of webs and shadows.

You nervously called out for Muffet once more.

A form slowly began to lower itself. To your relief, it was Muffet.

You let out a huge sigh. You had begun to assume the worst with this unusual silence. But everything was okay now. You smiled as she came down.

Your smile disappeared, however, when you saw the look Muffet gave you. A look that sent daggers through your heart.

She glared at you with such a powerful mixture of emotions you had to take a step back. Anger, fear, disbelief, sorrow, disgust...It was as if you were looking at a stranger.

You started to ask what was wrong, but she cut you off.

"Don't play innocent, dearie. It really is quite disgusting." She hissed. She tried to maintain her normally mischievous tone and calm composure, but her voice was riddled with anger and pain.

You stared at her, completely clueless.

She jumped off her web line, standing just a pace or two in front of you. "Wipe that look off your face." She demanded. She was rapidly giving way to her emotions. "How dare you return here and mock me!"

You were quite concerned at this point. You couldn't find any words to say, staring at her with confusion and worry.

She stared at you for a moment, as if she expected a futile argument. When no protest arose out of your throat, she continued. "You must think I'm stupid. That I wouldn't find out about what you have done."

You continued to stare.

"I hate to admit that you had me fooled. Pretending to be nice to me, to all of us." She continued, gesturing with two arms to the area around her without looking away. "I should have known better. Had I stuck with my instinct, I could have saved them..." She looked away for a couple of moments. You thought she was about to cry. However, that thought flew away when she turned her attention back to you, giving you a look that could kill. "I will give you one chance to explain yourself. Why did you do it?"

You scrambled all over yourself. What in the Underground was she talking about? What had you done to make her turn on you so suddenly?

She quickly got tired of waiting. "Nothing to say? Well, at least you take being caught with a hint of self-respect." She took a step closer, glaring directly through your eyes into your SOUL. "If I ever catch you here again, you won't escape the battle in one piece." She threatened.

You could feel the coldness of the genuine threat down to your very core. Your head spun as you tried to comprehend the sudden storm raging between the two of you.

"Get out." She hissed, as if she wished nothing more than to pounce at your throat.

Left with no other choice, you turned and quickly made your way out of the parlor.

You ran until you lost it. You dropped to your knees, staring at the ground. What was going on? Why was she so furious with you? You wanted to cry. You wanted to scream. But you couldn't. An overwhelming sense of nothing swept over you. You felt lost within yourself.

You got up. Unable to think straight, your feet began to carry you as you swam through your own head. You didn't even realize you were moving until a chill swept through your body. You snapped awake, looking around. You had walked all the way to Snowdin.

Too numb to care, you made your way to Grillby's. At least that was a warm place where you could sit and think.

You entered the restaurant. Most of the usuals were there, chatting and eating like normal. They hadn't a care in the world, while you were carrying a mountain on your shoulders.

As you lost yourself to your mind, your ears instinctively picked up on a nearby conversation.

"Did you hear about what happened in Hotlands?"

"Hotlands? No, what?"

"Apparently someone attacked that place that sells those spider pastries."

You snapped back to reality, giving the conversation your full attention.

"Attacked it?"

"Yeah. They killed all the spiders runnin' the joint and took whatever pastries they had left!"

Your blood ran cold.

"Apparently the only one who was around to see was Vulkin, and all he saw of the one who did it was a figure about this tall."

You gulped. The monster speaking held up a limb, showing the culprit to be about your height.

"That's terrible..."

"It happened a few days ago. I haven't seen a single spider ever since."

You had heard enough. You ran out of Grillby's. You ran out of Snowdin. You ran until there were no other monsters around to see you. You fell to your knees in the snow, holding your face. How could something so awful happen? Why would someone do this? Worst of all, why did Muffet think it was you who did it? A mere height description wasn't enough to instantly assume that you were the one who did this. She wouldn't think it was you on her own, not when the two of you had grown so close.

There was only one explanation that made any sort of sense...Someone had framed for this spider massacre.

Your mind still spun like a tornado, but you knew one thing for certain.

You had to clear your name.

Despite everything...You hang on to your determination.

Chapter Text

You slowly rose to your feet, dusting the snow from your clothes. You only had one goal now; find the one who did this. You weren't sure how you were going to pull it off, but you had to. You felt your heart pound with determination, the sensation practically surrounding you like a fiery aura. You were going to clear your name, no matter what. Whoever did this was not going to get away with it!

You ran all the way to the river, seeking out the River Person. They were in their usual place, humming to themselves. You hopped onto their boat, asking them to take you to Hotlands.

"Certainly." They replied cheerfully. The boat began to move forward at once. "Dum dee dum..." The River Person sang. "You have been visiting Hotlands a lot lately. How interesting..."

You impatiently looked around as the two of you traveled through the Underground, not paying attention to what your transporter was saying.

"Dee dee dum..." The River Person continued to sing. "A jealous SOUL is not themselves..."

You tensed, looking up at the River person. What were they singing about?

"Dum dee dum...Eat a mushroom every day..."

Still confused, you shook your head. You had much more important matters to be concerned about.

The two of you soon arrived in Hotlands. You quickly hopped off the boat, more than ready to begin your search.

"Come back anytime." The River Person cooed. "Dee dum dee..."

You waved your thanks without looking back, running off.

You made your way to the place where the spider bake sale stand was. Well, where it normally was. There was nothing there now.

Your shoulders sulked a little. There were no clues for you to go off of.

Then a thought struck you. Vulkin!

Vulkin had seen it all! All you had to do was find the Vulkin that had witnessed the incident. Maybe he could remember more if prompted correctly.

You began to wander Hotlands, calling out for Vulkin. You questioned many of his relatives before finally finding the Vulkin you were looking for.

"What happened with the spiders?" Vulkin echoed your question. He seemed hesitant to speak on the matter. "W-Why do you ask?"

You paused. How were you supposed to answer? You didn't want to tell him that you were framed, and you most certainly didn't want to talk about what had happened between you and Muffet.

After thinking for a bit, you decided on an answer.

"You want to confront them? Well, I don't think I can help you too much..."

You decided to start asking specific questions.

"How tall were they? Uhm, maybe a little taller than you?" Vulkin answered. "Or, maybe a lot...They were far away..."

You tried to be patient. It was clear he was trying as hard as he could to remember.

"What were they wearing? Well, I think it had some yellow on it..." He tapped the ground with his front foot.

That still wasn't much to go by, but it was clear Vulkin really didn't know much more.

"Did they have a weapon? Oh, uh...I think I saw something shiny in their hand. But, that could have been anything." He looked down. "L-Look, I'm really sorry, but, I didn't get a good look at them. I only saw them running away. I don't even know if what I thought I saw is what I saw."

You sighed, deciding that Vulkin had given you all the information he knew. You thanked him and went on your way.

You returned to where the stand used to be. You sighed again. This was going to be much harder than you originally thought.

You stood there, contemplating your next move. Someone taller than you, either by a little or by a lot, with yellow on their outfit and armed with a shiny object...

As you pondered your very limited information, you heard footsteps from behind.

You turned to see a figure frozen just a short distance away. They didn't move. They just stared at you for the moment that seemed to take an hour to pass.

Before you could say anything, they took off in the direction they had come from. Before they disappeared, you caught traces of yellow on their body.

Without taking time to think, you chased after them. This had to be the culprit, why else would they react to seeing you in such a way?

They remained a good distance from you, too far for you to make out any helpful details. You kept running, but they ran faster. The gap between you wasn't growing or shrinking.

You chased them all the way to the elevator. Before you could catch up, the doors slammed shut.

You pounded on the metal doors, as if that would help you get to them faster. You yelled at them as if they could hear you, asking them who they were, why they did this, what they wanted. You punched and kicked the door until it signaled that the elevator had returned.

Practically punching the button, you squeezed through the doors before they were fully open. You paced around the elevator, praying for it to move faster.

The doors shut and you began to move down. You weren't sure which level you were going to and you didn't care. You were going to find this monster and you were going to give them a piece of your mind!

You stopped pacing, deciding it would be best for you to save your energy for the chase.

Then, the elevator trembled slightly.

The lights flickered.

It shook a bit more.

The lights blinked off and on a few times.

Suddenly everything came to a screeching halt, causing you to fall over.

The lights went out.

You slowly stood up, looking around in the darkness.

It only took you a second to realize what had happened.

The power had been cut off.

You were stuck.

Despite being trapped in darkness, your determination shines brightly.

Chapter Text

You cursed the elevator, punching the wall. After a few moments of anger, you sank to your knees, giving way to despair. Even if you managed to get out of here, how would you find your suspect again? You let out a long sigh of defeat.

You sat there in the darkness, unsure what else to do. You couldn't teleport, and you couldn't get the power back on.

Then, an idea struck you.

You couldn't get the power back, but maybe..!

You fumbled for your phone in your pocket, getting it out and dialing. You held it to your ear, desperately waiting for someone to pick up.

"H-Hello?" Alphys' voice came from the other end.

You quickly started to ramble off everything that had happened.

"S-Slow down!" Alphys said. "You t-totally lost me!"

You took a deep breath. You cut to the chase, deciding she only needed to be aware of your current predicament. As calmly as possible, you told her that the power in the elevator had been cut off and that you were stuck inside. You asked if she could help you out.

"Oh, y-yes, of course!" Alphys replied.

There were a few moments of silence. To your delight and relief, power was soon restored to the elevator.

"Th-There. You should be good to go!"

You thanked her, relieved beyond words to be in a moving elevator again.

"That's weird...Th-The elevator doesn't normally cut out like that...M-Must have been a surge or something."

You weren't exactly up for a chat. You agreed, thanking her again before saying goodbye and hanging up.

You dashed out of the doors before they could open all the way. You looked around wildly, searching for any signs of your suspect.

As you had figured, they were nowhere in sight.

You sighed again, the feeling of defeat returning. You began to walk aimlessly, left with absolutely nothing to follow.

Suddenly, before you had even walked ten feet from the elevator, something hit you on the back of your head. You fell, but were not knocked out. Something was being forcefully shoved over your head. You struggled, arms and legs flailing wildly. Whoever had you had a decent grip. You continued to struggle until they delivered another blow to your head. This time, you could not stay conscious. You slowly slipped into darkness.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You slowly opened your eyes, wincing slightly at the almost dizzying headache you now had. You tried to rub your head, only to find you could not move your arms. You struggled a bit, but it was pointless. You blinked, trying to see where you were. There was a light shining directly above you like a spotlight, but everything else was dark. You looked down, seeing that you were tied to a chair. You groaned, both at the pain in your head and at your current situation. What was happening?

You heard distant mumbling. You were not alone.

You called out, hoping to attract attention.

The mumbling stopped immediately. There was a long silence.

You called again, this time a little louder.

You could hear footsteps slowly getting closer. As they got closer, they slowed down.

You questioned the owner of the footsteps. You asked who they were, what they wanted, why they had tied you up.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." A nervous voice whispered. You could tell the owner was trembling with how shaky the voice sounded. It also sounded vaguely familiar, but you could not put a face to it.

Slowly, they moved into the light, revealing themselves completely.

You gasped.

You gazed upon the monster in front of you. He was noticeably taller than you, making you question Vulkin's ability to see. Putting that thought aside, you studied him further.

He was tall, thin, and wore a long-sleeved yellow sweater that was way too long for his torso. He had yellow boots as well. He was covered in thin green fur and had two, small, cat-like ears on top of his head. He had a terrified expression on his face and was noticeably sweating and trembling.

After a long moment of studying, you questioned him again.

His trembling got worse. "I-I n-never meant for a-any of this t-to happen..." He answered.

Was this monster really the one who had framed you? He was more nervous than Alphys, and that was saying something.

You asked if he could untie you.

"N-No!" He answered with surprising ferocity. "I can't let you leave! N-Not now!"

You stared at him in disbelief. You began to grow irritable, demanding he let you go and explain himself, preferably in that order.

There was a long silence between the two of you as you glared at him and he stared at you.

Eventually, he sighed. "Sh-She was intimidating at first..."

Your annoyance quickly changed to confusion. Was he talking about Muffet? You calmed down a little, willing to listen to his story.

"Th-That spider girl, M-Muffet. She would always stare at me whenever I passed her stand. Sh-She would stare, a-and lick her lips, and j-just creep me out..."

That sounded like something Muffet would do.

"She always tried to get me to buy one of her "spider pastries". S-So one day, I had some gold on me, s-so I offered to buy one, j-just to get her off my back, y-you know..? Well, I w-was completely broke after that decision, b-but she seemed satisfied."

You relaxed a bit more, listening intently.

"W-Well, I still passed by there every so often...Th-Then almost every day...Then every day, even if I didn't have to..."

Was this going where it sounded like it was going?

"L-Like I said, she was intimidating at first, but...S-Soon, I didn't mind it."

You blinked with disbelief.

"I began saving every cent I could, buying a pastry whenever I could afford one. They were sweet, but, n-never as sweet as the smile making a sale put on her face..." He had begun to smile as he recollected the memories. "I-I was her number one customer! She said I was helping her out a bunch, so I was happy to do it, even if it left me with practically nothing! I really liked going to see her every day, I liked helping her, and I liked seeing her smile..."

His happiness slowly faded away. He laid his saddened gaze on you. "But then...You showed up."

You felt a pinch of guilt.

"A-At first, you just passed through. Sure you bought something from her, b-but it was only one thing..." His sadness began to shift into something else. "B-Before I knew it, you had begun to visit every day."

The guilt grew into a gnawing feeling.

"M-Muffet never came to run her stand anymore...She had her spiders do it. I never got to see her anymore...Because she was always with you."

You watched as his nervousness stopped and anger grew.

"You took her away from me. She replaced me with you like I meant nothing to her. And she cared more about you in that short amount of time than she ever did with me!"

The guilt faded. Now you began to grow nervous.

"I planned on confronting you, but then you stopped coming altogether. You didn't come for several days. You snatched her away from me, then left her!"

You protested against the accusation. You tried to explain, but there was no point, he wasn't listening.

"I saw how happy the spiders were. They were praising you instead of me! They gave you credit for uniting their clans when I was the one who had been there from the beginning!" He was quite upset at this point, his eyes glaring at you as if they themselves wanted to strangle you. "I couldn't stand it!"

Suddenly, all rage left him, leaving behind the nervous monster from before. "Then I..." He held his head, staring down at the floor. He began to tremble violently. "I-I wasn't in control of myself. I attacked the spiders w-without any warning at all..! I-I k-killed them...I killed them both..!"

You watched as he fell to his hands and knees, desperate tears dripping onto the floor.

"I killed them...I took their pastries...A-And I ran." He said, voice little more than a choked whisper.

Despite this roller coaster of a tale, you couldn't help but feel bad for this guy.

"I ran, and I hid here...W-Where I have been living ever s-since I went broke for Muffet's sake..." He began to cry a bit more. "M-My jealousy has made me something awful...A creature that is not a monster, n-nor a human..."

You tried to comfort him, gently apologizing. You had no idea how much you had hurt him.

"N-Now what do I do..?" He asked. "She will n-never love me, not now...She will care for you, m-maybe even love you...And she will forget me..."

You tried to speak, but no words came to you. You didn't know what to say. What could you say?

His tears stopped. There was a pause.

"You...You could never love her like I love her..." He said slowly. He, very slowly, rose to his feet, still looking down. "You don't really love her...You don't know what love is. You're just a human..."

He suddenly looked up, an eerie half-smirk on his face. "Humans don't know the meaning of love! They don't have the capacity to feel! You have been lying to yourself just as much as you have been lying to her!"

You tensed. This was going from bad to worse..!

"You don't deserve her! She doesn't deserve to have her precious heart smashed by a selfish human!" He let out an unnerving laugh. "You and I will stay here forever! We will rot in our sorrow until the day we turn to dust!"

You began to struggle against the ropes, trying to get free. You wailed loudly, hoping to attract attention.

"Don't waste your breath, human. No one will hear from down here. We are below ground level, underground in the Underground!"

He had lost it. This must have been the state he was in when he attacked the spiders. His jealousy was driving him mad.

You tried to reason with him. You said that this wouldn't solve anything, that this was crazy.

He didn't listen. He slinked back away into the shadows, leaving an ominous laugh behind.

Your heart raced and you began to breathe rapidly.

Your eyes dashed around, looking for something, anything!

When jealousy has overtaken sanity, will your determination be enough?

Chapter Text

You frantically struggled this way and that, but the ropes only seemed to get tighter. You looked around, but all you could see was darkness. You could see nothing to aid you in your escape.

Then, you heard a noise. A distant sound of a door creaking open. Then came very soft footsteps. They sounded like they were above where you sat.

There was a scream.

The scream was followed by thudding, quickly getting closer. The noise ended with one final thud, sounding no more than three feet away from you. You heard something groan with pain. The voice sounded familiar.

"H-Hey, mister." A small, timid voice called. "Sh-She wasn't there again today. Nobody was. I couldn't get you your..." The voice trailed off.

There was silence.

You heard something inching closer, but couldn't make out what it was. You braced yourself.

A figure stepped into the dim light that surrounded you.

It was...Vulkin?!

You cried out to him, trying to question him, ask him for help, and tell him to run all at once.

Your rival (whom you dubbed "cat man" due to lack of knowing his true name) stepped into the light beside Vulkin, who winced. He smirked. "Anyone can be good at acting if the price is right..."

You looked at him for a moment before staring at Vulkin with disbelief.

"You seem surprised, so allow me to explain..." He was trying to sound menacing, but couldn't change the naturally nervous and pathetic tone of his voice. "Vulkin here saw me when I wasn't in my normal frame of mind. He saw everything...So, the "not me" me threatened to turn him to dust if he didn't keep quiet. I had him act like he only saw the aftermath, and then I had him frame you..." He lowered himself, grabbing Vulkin's chubby face. "I mean...Who wouldn't trust a face like this?"

So that was it. He had forced Vulkin to lie to Muffet, to you, and to anyone else who had inquired about the crime. You gave the cat man a look to kill, calling him disgusting.

He only laughed. "I know...But I had no choice." He let Vulkin go, standing back up and looking down at the monster. "Thank you for your report. We will try again some other time..."

Vulkin looked up at him, then back at you. He had guilt and fear all over his face.

You shook your head, trying to reassure him that you did not blame him for any of this.

"Ahem." The cat man interrupted your silent conversation. "You may go now, Vulkin."

Vulkin nodded nervously. "Y-Yes sir!" He replied timidly before turning and quickly disappearing up the stairs.

You glared at him, asking him how he slept at night.

"I haven't had a wink of sleep with you running around with my beloved!" He spat.

That explained a lot...

He disappeared back into the darkness.

You growled, then sighed. You looked around again. This really seemed hopeless. What's worse, your heart ached for poor Vulkin. He didn't deserve to be wrapped up in all of this...

Eventually, despite your best efforts, you began to nod off. It wasn't like you had much else to do at this point. Before you knew it, you were asleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

You awoke with a start. You tried to rub your eyes, but could not move your arms. You panicked slightly. You looked around, taking a moment to recall where you were. You sighed when realization hit you.

You heard very loud snoring.

Cat man must have fallen asleep as well. You guessed his snoring is what woke you up. You grunted with displeasure. At least sleeping was sort of like an escape from your current situation...

Your eyes wandered around, still unable to see anything beyond the light that shone around you. You sighed again.

Another loud snore.

You grumbled, cursing Cat Man under your breath. Now you couldn't even sleep...

A familiar sound caught your ear. A distant door creak.

Someone was coming.

Step. Step. Step.

The steps stopped when whoever it was reached the bottom.

Your heart fluttered a bit. Someone had come to save you!

But...Who? No one knew where you were except...

Your heart plummeted. Vulkin!

Your fear was confirmed when the nervous little monster stepped into the dim light. He looked like he may pass out with fear, yet had a shimmer of determination in his eyes.

Keeping your voice as low as possible, you asked him why he had come.

"I-I'm here t-to help you!" He replied, his voice so timid you found it hard to put faith in his claim.

Cat man snorted in his sleep. You tensed, expecting him to wake up and catch Vulkin.

But his snoring returned to normal.

You relaxed, exhaling slowly. You told Vulkin to get out of here while he could, that it was too dangerous for him to help you.

But the little monster shook his body in meek defiance. "I can't l-let him do this to you! This is wrong!"

You sighed. He wasn't going to run away. You couldn't help but admire the brave little monster, even if he was being foolish. You gave him a nod.

He nodded back.

You were in this together.

There may be hope yet...stay determined.

Chapter Text

You told Vulkin to help you get untied. Once you were free, the two of you could book it up the stairs and far away from this male Yandere.

Vulkin gave a determined nod, quickly and quietly shuffling into the darkness. You heard some careful shifting here and there.

Eventually, Vulkin stepped into the light again, holding a dulled knife in his mouth.

You wanted to question why such an object was here, but for all you knew you were in a basement store room of some sort. You didn't want to waste precious time on wondering. You told Vulkin he would have to cut the rope.

Vulkin winced. He was clearly uncomfortable to even be holding the weapon, let alone wielding it.

You gave him a calm smile and told him everything would be fine.

He wasn't convinced.

You two were pushing it as it was. Cat man waking up could easily mean the death of one of if not both of you with his mindset and a weapon now present. You tried to stay calm and patient, remembering that Vulkin was about ten times more afraid than you were at the moment.

You suggested he cut near your hands. If your hands were free, you could get yourself out.

Vulkin seemed more confident with the option of cutting near a non-vital body area. He slowly walked behind you.

You soon heard the scraping of a dull blade on rope fibers. Despite trying to remain calm, a blade being used behind you made you a bit nervous. Especially in the mouth of someone who had most likely never even thought of using a knife. You tried to have confidence in the little monster, for both of your sakes.

There was a sudden loud snort, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin.

Vulkin cried out and you heard the knife hit the floor.

You tensed. Was this it?

Waiting for what seemed like forever in the tensest silence of your life, you heard cat man's snoring go back to normal. You exhaled slowly.

Soon, the scraping sound returned.

You began to feel the rope getting looser. Vulkin was doing it!

A sharp pain suddenly came from your hand.

"Ah! I'm s-so sorry!" Vulkin whimpered, his words muffled as he clutched the knife between his lips.

You felt liquid trickle down your hand. You tried to look back, letting Vulkin know you were fine. You told him that the ropes felt pretty loose, that you were almost free.

That seemed to give him his confidence back. He kept cutting away.

Snap.

You pulled your arms forward and the rope fell limp in your lap. You wanted to cheer, but managed to contain yourself.

You quickly leaned down, untying each foot from the chair's legs. Soon you were on your feet, stretching your sore muscles.

Vulkin dropped the knife, grinning even wider than you.

But there was no time for celebrating. Your escape was only halfway completed.

Despite being cautious, you stumbled around in the darkness. You paused to try and let your eyes adjust. There wasn't much light to help, but you did realize how big this room actually was. And, though not super clear, you made out the outlines and shapes of shelves and old tools and supplies. Perhaps this was an abandoned workshop or something.

You shook your head. No time for that now. You didn't plan on staying here any longer, so why bother figuring anything about this place out.

Vulkin called you softly. You followed the sound of his voice, finding the stairs by nearly tripping over the first one. You bit your lip to avoid crying out with pain.

Vulkin quickly, clumsily, made his way up the stairs. You were right on his...Tail? Heels? ...You were right behind him.

You couldn't believe it. You were finally free! Though it probably hadn't been too long, you felt as though you couldn't remember anything beyond that dark, damp, musty prison.

Once the two of you got outside, you took a deep breath. Despite being hot and humid, the air felt like the most refreshing thing you had ever felt.

"We did it!" Vulkin cheered. "We really did it!"

You nodded, grinning. But, it was dangerous to loiter right outside the place. You had no idea what cat man was really capable of, and you really didn't want to find out. You told Vulkin that you should get moving.

He agreed, beginning to walk quickly away.

You started to follow, but stopped short. You turned on your foot, looking back at the building. It looked like little more than a shack in the middle of nowhere. Clearly, the basement was much bigger than the above-ground floor. You studied the area for a moment, for reference's sake. You didn't know why, but you had a bad feeling in the back of your mind that you would have to come back here.

After taking in the sight, you turned back around and quickly followed after Vulkin.

You had managed to get away...But things were far from resolved.

The worst is over...Right? Stay determined.

Chapter Text

The two of you ran for a good while before slowing to a walk.

Vulkin looked like he wanted to say something, but was unsure.

You asked him if something was wrong.

He hesitated. "A-Are you going to tell Muffet? About that guy, and...About me?"

You slowed your pace. You were so excited and relieved to have escaped, you hadn't thought about what you would do to fix things with Muffet. Naturally you were going to tell her every disgusting detail about cat man, but...What about Vulkin?

He had lied to Muffet and you. Granted, he had had a justified reason, but would Muffet understand? She was so hurt by this whole thing, would she be angry with Vulkin for lying about something so serious as a couple of her spiders being murdered over jealousy?

You sighed, shaking your head and telling him you didn't know.

He stopped walking entirely. You stopped as well, turning back to face him.

Tears began to collect at the edges of his eyes. "Muffet w-will never forgive me..."

You quickly knelt down in front of him, placing one hand on the side of his face. You confidently told him that everything would work out. That Muffet would forgive him, and that cat man would get what he deserved.

The little monster sniffled. He didn't seem too sure.

You pulled him into a hug, telling him again that everything would be alright.

He sniffled some more, snuggling close to you.

You both stayed like that for a while.

"Well, isn't that sweet?"

The voice sent a cold dagger into your spine. You looked toward the voice, terror grabbing you and threatening to choke the breath right out of you.

Cat man stood there with his arms crossed, smirking at the two of you. Your fear only increased when you saw he was armed with the same tool that assisted in your escape.

Vulkin quickly pulled away, turning and gasping loudly at the sight of cat man. He quickly scuttled behind you.

"Oh, don't mind me. Go ahead and continue your little moment. I'm in no hurry..."

He had gone even crazier. Had he lost himself for good this time? You could only stare with horror.

"That old door slams shut if you don't close it yourself." Cat man explained. "It could wake up a monster halfway to Waterfall."

You gulped. You two had been so careful. To think that one slip up at the last possible moment caused you to be discovered. You glanced around. You were still in no-monster's land. There wasn't a soul to be seen. Just your luck.

Cat man chuckled darkly. "Now look where you two have gotten yourselves...Had you just stayed, you wouldn't have to die now."

Vulkin winced behind you. You put your hand in front of him, glaring at cat man. You told him that he was disgusting for dragging Vulkin into this mess.

"Tell me something I don't know." He said with a shrug, laughing.

You growled between grit teeth.

"If Vulkin didn't know so much, I'd offer to let him go..." He chuckled again. "But, I think we know I can't do that now."

You clenched your fist, ready to fight if cat man moved an inch.

"Now...How about you two just come home?"

Vulkin peeked around you, but you spat defiantly, exclaiming that you would rather take your chances in a battle than go back to that pit he called a home.

Cat man chuckled. "Have it your way..." He took a threatening stance, knife poised and ready to strike.

You hadn't done much fighting before. You weren't quite sure how to go about this battle, but there was no going back now.

Cat man charged at you, holding up the knife and ready to slash at you.

You jumped back, narrowly escaping.

But he slashed again, cutting your arm.

You cried out, clutching your arm. You barely managed to dodge his third slash.

Your opponent only glared at you with wild eyes. They were glimmering with murderous intent. He really had lost himself.

He didn't give you a chance to counter, charging and slashing wildly again. He managed to cut your face this time.

You stumbled back, feeling your face and discovering you were bleeding. You looked back at cat man, unsure was to do. You had nothing on you, nothing to fight with.

Suddenly, a magic attack that looked somewhat like a lightning bolt shot at cat man. He stumbled back, looking toward the attack's source.

Vulkin was staring at him, looking as if he was prepared to fight. Though, some signs did indicate he was still very much afraid.

Cat man growled, but then smirked. "Fine. I don't really care which one of you dies first!" He lunged at Vulkin, slashing.

Vulkin managed to dodge, shooting another magic attack.

It hit cat man point blank, but did not phase the monster.

His grin only grew more twisted. He grabbed Vulkin, jabbing him right in the side.

You cried out as Vulkin fell on his side, crying in pain.

Cat man turned to you. "Now, let's get back to business..."

You glared at him, now fueled by rage.

He charged at you, slashing at your torso.

You dodged, delivering a punch to his face.

He clearly hadn't anticipated that you possessed such physical strength. He clutched his cheek, stumbling to the side.

You breathed heavily, still glaring at him.

He wiped his mouth, growling.

Vulkin slowly managed to get back to his feet, still whimpering with pain.

You and cat man fought for a while. He would slash, you would dodge. You would go to punch, he would dodge. Each of you managed to get some hits in, but most of the fight was dodging.

"Hold still you pathetic human!" Cat man spat. "Just accept the fact I love Muffet more than you ever could! She will be mine!"

Despite everything, you felt a small hint of pity for this monster. He really had lost himself to jealousy. He was completely insane, no longer in control of himself.

After a few more slashes, he suddenly kicked your abdomen, sending you to the ground.

Before you could move, he stepped on your shoulder, pinning you to the ground.

You were both breathing heavily.

He grinned maniacally at you. "Too bad. Even after all of that, you're still going to lose."

You struggled to get up, but he had you pinned hard.

He leaned slightly closer. "Don't worry. I will make up some sob story. And I will be there to comfort Muffet as she cries away the fake feelings she thought she had for you." He rose the knife.

You struggled even more desperately, now feeling as if the weight of the entire Underground was upon your shoulder, holding you in place as you stared death in the face.

"He he...It's almost a shame no one will miss you..." He rose the knife further. Then, it came crashing down, aim set on your chest.

You braced yourself, shutting your eyes as tight as physically possible.

You heard a loud grunt, the pressure on your shoulder disappearing.

You quickly opened your eyes, sitting up.

Vulkin was on top of cat man!

You scrambled to your feet, running toward the wrestling monsters.

The knife struck flesh.

Vulkin froze.

You froze.

Time itself froze.

You begged for something to move, but everything remained still and lifeless.

Was his determination enough?

Chapter Text

All was silent as time slowly began to tick again. You felt yourself moving, but it felt like you were moving in slow motion. You begged your body to move faster, but it would not obey.

Cat man smirked, looking up at the monster that had gotten between him and his goal. "You should have stayed on my side..."

Vulkin winced, the pain from the stab wound on his side finally registering.

Cat man withdrew his knife, pushing Vulkin off of him. The little monster fell to the side, unable to move due to both shock and pain.

Your heart plummeted as you stared wide-eyed at the brave little monster. You trembled, praying to whoever would listen that the little body would not turn to dust, despite the ever-looming threat of such an event occurring casting a dark shadow on the battlefield.

Your attention snapped to cat man, who had managed to get back to his feet. He wore a wide grin, one eye wide open while the other was twitching. The facial tick displayed perfectly how much insanity had consumed him.

You took a step back. Even if you could stop him now, could he ever be who he was? If there was any hope for him, it was dangling by a thread thinner than any spider could craft. He was teetering dangerously between himself and the person his obsession had created. This had to end now if there was any hope for this monster.

You begged him to stop, despite your head telling you to save your breath.

He lunged at you, swinging.

You managed to dodge, stumbling back. You had to stay on your feet. If you lost your balance, it was game over.

There was no logic to his movements now. He was lunging and swinging at random, his eyes ablaze yet unfocused. He was slipping even faster than you had thought.

You were so focused on avoiding the blaze, you did not realize how far you were wandering back. You took a split second to try and locate Vulkin.

He was laying a good distance away now, still in one piece but also still how he had been left.

Cat man paused, breathing heavily from his flailing. "You are annoyingly stubborn..." He spat between gasps.

You stared at him. His body was wearing down, but he would not give up. Even if he were to collapse, he would attempt to pursue you.

You could feel exhaustion setting in, too. The heat of Hotland and the tension of this battle were both sucking the energy out of you. Soon this battle of endurance would have even higher stakes. Who would drop first?

Cat man suddenly moved with surprising swiftness. He rose his knife, throwing it at you.

You cried out, leaping to the side and hitting the ground.

The knife wizzed past where you had been standing, lodging itself in the ground.

Cat man stood, still breathing heavily.

You scrambled to your feet, running toward the knife.

Cat man, despite not being fully recovered, stumbled quickly in the same direction.

You barely managed to get to the weapon first, plucking it from the ground.

Cat man stopped just a couple of paces in front of you, staring with the same facial tick that displayed his insanity.

What will you do?

*Threaten (FIGHT)

*Toss (MERCY)

Whatever you choose...Stay determined.

Chapter Text

You stared at cat man, occasionally glancing at the knife in your hand.

"Do it." Cat man dared you. "Do it, I dare you! You won't do it! You're a coward!"

You hesitated, at a loss. You didn't want to hurt him, you wanted to help. But how could you? Had he already crossed the line? Was he beyond help? You didn't want to give up on him, but hope seemed all but lost.

You snapped from your daze. You shook your head, giving the knife a hard toss. It landed a good distance away. If cat man went for it, you could get away. He would lose you.

Cat man stared at the rejected weapon for a moment before turning his attention back to you. His face changed for a moment, but only for a moment. For a split second, his nervous demeanor returned. There was still hope! He wasn't completely gone.

However, that look disappeared after that moment, his face twisting back into his maniacal grin. "You really are an idiot!" He said, his voice desperate and exhausted. He laughed, staring at you with a look that struck fear into your heart.

Without warning, he lunged at you.

You didn't have time to react. His weight was suddenly on top of you.

"You will not win!" He cried. He rose his hand, slashing your face with claws that suddenly appeared at his fingertips.

You cried out, the stinging pain taking second place to the initial shock of his weight crashing down on top of you. You felt liquid trickle down your face. He had drawn blood.

He rose his other hand, intending to slash again.

You stared at the hand, petrified with terror. You wanted to cry out, but your voice was not working.

You saw something near his hand, something shiny, but it was like the twinkle of an eye, there and gone before it could fully register as something that happened. Your mind was too overwhelmed for you to give it much thought beyond mere observation.

He went to slash again, but his hand remained in the air. He tried again, but to no avail.

"What the-?!" He growled, looking up at his hand.

Given a moment to process, you looked at his hand.

He struggled to move his own appendage, but he could not. Something was holding it in place, but what..?

Suddenly, his other hand flew into the air, remaining suspended.

He struggled against his invisible chains. "What is this?!" He roared.

All at once, it seemed that string-like projectiles shot from every direction, bounding his body. Soon he was covered in a cocoon of...spider web?!

A mass of black became obvious to you. You realized the area was crawling with spiders.

Cat man struggled wildly against his sticky prison, growling and hissing. He was becoming more like a feral animal caught in a net with every passing second..!

You managed to regain your senses, scrambling to your feet and backing away.

"(y/n)!" A voice called from behind.

You turned, the sight of voice's owner shoving all of the tense exhaustion out of your body and leaving behind an overwhelming sense of relief.

It was Muffet.

Cat man stopped struggling like a beast, staring at the spider woman with disbelief. The insanity was gone in an instant, leaving its exhausted host behind. He stared a few moments longer before passing out from the fatigue. He hung limply in the mess of web.

Muffet approached you quickly, studying your various injuries. To your shock, she hugged you close, so tight you almost winced with pain.

After a few moments of embrace, she released you, staring at the unconscious cat man. Without taking her eyes off of the monster, she offered you a spider donut with her middle right arm.

You all too eagerly accepted the donut, greedily shoving it into your mouth. Your wounds disappeared and energy came flooding back into your body.

Muffet walked up to the monster, cutting the lines that held him in the air with a single chop of her hand.

The cocoon fell to the ground with a thud, its prisoner still out cold.

She stared at him, the air around her suddenly becoming chilly.

You could not see her face, but you knew for a fact that you did not want to be on the receiving end of her current glare.

You tensed, looking around frantically. You spotted a figure on the ground in the distance. You cried out for Vulkin, running to him.

Muffet's glare disappeared and she snapped her attention to you. She followed you until she saw what you had your sights on. She stopped, staring.

You fell to your knees beside Vulkin, who was whimpering with pain and breathing heavily, as if this next gasp could be his last.

You told him to stay calm, that everything would be okay. He just needed to hang on a bit longer.

"I..." He managed to whisper. You had to lean in to listen.

"I-I'm sorry...This was all my fault..."

You quickly shook your head, denying his accusation. You desperately reassured him that this was not his fault and that you didn't blame him.

His breathing slowed, but he smiled.

Was this...The end?

Chapter Text

You stared at cat man, occasionally glancing at the knife in your hand.

"Do it." Cat man dared you. "Do it, I dare you! You won't do it! You're a coward!"

You hesitated, at a loss. You didn't want to hurt him, but what choice did you have? He would pursue you until one of you dropped dead. You refused to outright attack, but what if he came at you? Would you defend yourself and risk ending this fight with dust covering your clothes?

You snapped from your daze. You slowly rose the knife, pointing the blade at him. You told him this fight needed to end. You told him to stay away from you, to run and not come back. You hoped his sanity was not completely gone.

Cat man stared at the weapon for a moment before turning his attention back to you. The corners of his mouth twisted back into his maniacal grin. "You don't scare me! Your threats are empty!"

You felt a hint of doubt creep into your mind. He could see through you. He knew you would do anything to prevent having to hurt him. Your confidence began to slip away.

Then, without warning, he lunged at you.

You closed your eyes tightly, the knife still out and pointed at him. His weight was suddenly on top of you.

There was a grunt, then silence.

You opened your eyes, gasping at the sight.

The knife was lodged in his chest, his eyes wide as he stared down at you.

It was over.

Insanity left its host, leaving behind the nervous monster you had almost forgotten existed. He looked at the knife, then at you, desperation and fear in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to frantically scream with fear while simultaneously cry in pain.

But, he said nothing.

His fear melted away, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

Before either of you could speak, he gave up. He leaned, and before he could even hit the ground, his body crumpled, turning into dust.

You stared where he had been just a moment ago, too shocked to move, too dumbfounded to think.

After a few moments of silence, you managed to regain your senses, scrambling to your feet and backing away. You gingerly brushed the bit of dust off of your clothes, as if it still had feelings.

"(y/n)!" A voice called from behind.

You turned, the sight of voice's owner replacing all of the exhaustion in your body with an overwhelming sense of relief.

It was Muffet.

Muffet approached you quickly, studying your various injuries. To your shock, she hugged you close, so tight you almost winced with pain.

After a few moments of embrace, she released you. She offered you a spider donut.

You all too eagerly accepted the donut, greedily shoving it into your mouth. Your wounds disappeared and energy came flooding back into your body.

Once you had been healed, Muffet, looked at you with great concern. "What happened?" She asked, genuine worry in her tone.

You were about to answer when you tensed, looking around frantically. You spotted a figure on the ground in the distance. You cried out for Vulkin, running to him.

Muffet watched you take off. She followed you, until she saw what you had your sights on. She stopped, staring.

You fell to your knees beside Vulkin, who was whimpering with pain and breathing heavily, as if this next gasp could be his last.

You told him to stay calm, that everything would be okay. He just needed to hang on a bit longer.

"I..." He managed to whisper. You had to lean in to listen.

"I-I'm sorry...This was all my fault..."

You quickly shook your head, denying his accusation. You desperately reassured him that this was not his fault and that you didn't blame him.

His breathing slowed, but he smiled.

Was this...The end?

Chapter Text

You called for Muffet.

She quickly came over.

You frantically asked her for help, trying not to lose it as you did so. Your eyes burned with desperate tears as you practically blubbered your plea.

Muffet nodded, apparently understanding enough to get a grasp on the situation. She knelt by Vulkin. She offered him a small cup of spider cider. "Drink up, dearie." She instructed, holding the cup to his mouth.

Vulkin weakly sipped at the cider. His wound was healed and he began to breathe easier.

You breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away your tears. You felt a slight sting of embarrassment for acting the way you did, seeing as the solution was so simple.

After a few moments, Vulkin managed to get to his feet. "Th-Thank you, Miss Muffet..." He thanked timidly.

The three of you heard a groan.

Cat man slowly regained consciousness, weakly looking around.

Muffet, eyes now solely on her prisoner, silently rose to her feet. She walked toward cat man, one set of hands on her hips, one set of arms crossed in front of her, and the other set calmly resting at her sides.

You shot a nervous glance at Vulkin before quickly following Muffet.

Cat man turned his attention toward the footsteps, his face going pale. He stared at Muffet with eyes filled with horror, visibly beginning to shake.

Muffet stopped a couple of paces from him. You stopped behind her.

No one said a word, the tension so thick it was almost hard to breathe.

You took a shaky breath, slowly stepping between Muffet and cat man.

Muffet shifted her gaze to you, her face softening.

Cat man looked at you nervously.

You exhaled slowly. You began to explain the entire ordeal as calmly and in as much detail as you could manage. About the original attack, how you had had no idea it had even taken place. About how you had gone in search of answers.

As you explained, Vulkin sheepishly approached.

Muffet shot a rather harsh glare at him.

You quickly tried to defend Vulkin, saying she should not be upset just yet.

Muffet relaxed her glare, turning her attention back to you.

You continued to explain, telling her about how cat man had attacked and kidnapped you. You explained how he had threatened Vulkin to lie to anyone who asked about what had happened...or else.

Muffet shot a look to kill at cat man.

You were surprised he could get paler. He really had lost all insanity within him. Now he looked like a cornered mouse on the verge of death from exhaustion alone.

You kept going, finally getting to the bottom of everything. As carefully but honestly as possible, you explained cat man's true motive...His feelings for Muffet.

Muffet's eyes widened a tad with surprise. She glanced at cat man in disbelief.

You then told her about what had just gone down, the fight and how cat man had practically lost his mind. You tried to make it known that a lot of his actions seemed to be those of something else, not the monster she had tied up.

Through the whole story, cat man did not dare to breathe a word. He was completely paralyzed with fear. Even as you finished he remained silent.

Muffet had relaxed as you explained, seeming less cold toward the monsters involved. Well, Vulkin at least. She sighed, walking over to cat man.

Cat man whimpered, still pale and shaking.

With swift and precise chops of her hands, Muffet reduced cat man's prison to mere threads.

Cat man landed with a loud thud, staring up at Muffet with the most horrified expression you had ever seen.

"Thank you for your business." Muffet said, her voice cold and dismissive.

Cat man scrambled to his feet, running quicker than you had ever seen him move. He was gone before you could do anything to protest.

Muffet turned to Vulkin, whom whimpered. She leaned down, offering him a donut. She smiled sweetly at him. "On the house, dearie~"

Vulkin was shocked. After a few moments, he thanked Muffet, eating the donut.

Muffet turned back to you. Her expression shifted to one of sadness.

You felt a sting in your chest.

"(y/n)..." She began. She shook her head slowly. "There is no excuse for the way I treated you..."

The words felt like a knife through the heart. You tripped all over yourself, trying to stutter a reassurance to her. You did not blame her at all, not for anything.

Muffet's expression did not change.

The look of guilt on her face was almost too much for you to bear. You begged her not to blame herself, trying to convince her that her reaction was completely understandable given the circumstances.

She shook her head again. "I should have had more faith in you." She said. "You gave me every reason to trust you...And I still turned on you the very moment there was a hint of doubt."

You shook your head, trying again to reassure her.

"Because of me, you were almost-"

She stopped.

You had cut her off with a tight hug. You could not bear to look at her sad face, you could not bear to hear her blame herself...You could not bear seeing Muffet in pain.

You felt her arms slowly wrap around you, all six of them. They hugged you tightly back.

Neither of you said another word, as if any sort of sound would rip the two of you apart forever.

This moment...Fills you with determination.

Chapter Text

You called for Muffet.

She quickly came over.

You frantically asked her for help, trying not to lose it as you did so. Your eyes burned with desperate tears as you practically blubbered your plea.

Muffet nodded, apparently understanding enough to get a grasp on the situation. She knelt by Vulkin. She offered him a small cup of spider cider. "Drink up, dearie." She instructed, holding the cup to his mouth.

Vulkin weakly sipped at the cider. His wound was healed and he began to breathe easier.

You breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away your tears. You felt a slight sting of embarrassment for acting the way you did, seeing as the solution was so simple.

After a few moments, Vulkin managed to get to his feet. "Th-Thank you, Miss Muffet..." He thanked timidly. He tensed, looking around. "W-Where is-?!"

You gently placed your hand on Vulkin, slowly shaking your head.

Vulkin blinked. He didn't know what to say.

Muffet looked between the two of you, confused. "What happened?" She reiterated her question.

You glanced at Vulkin, taking a shaky breath. You exhaled slowly, beginning to walk.

Confused, Muffet followed you. Vulkin remained where he was, still in shock.

You led Muffet toward the pile of dust. You stopped a few paces from it, staring at it blankly. It still hadn't fully registered with you. You had done it...Cat man was dead, and you were the one who had wielded the weapon against him. You tried to reassure yourself that it wasn't your fault, but you still felt a slight guilt. Directly or indirectly, you had still been the cause of another living being's death.

The smile cat man had had on his face for his final moments flashed in your mind, causing you to shudder.

"(y/n)?" Muffet questioned as she stopped beside you. She followed your gaze, tensing at the sight of a monster's remains. "(y...y/n..?) What-?"

You interrupted her question. You told her that you had killed a monster.

She looked at you in utter disbelief.

You quickly began to explain, knowing she would demand more information.

You tried to explain the entire ordeal as calmly and in as much detail as you could manage. About the original attack, how you had had no idea it had even taken place. About how you had gone in search of answers.

As you explained, Vulkin sheepishly approached.

Muffet glared harshly at him, the shock making her anger with him almost out of character.

You quickly defended Vulkin, saying she should not be upset with him.

Muffet relaxed her glare, but only a little. She turned her attention back to you.

You continued to explain, telling her about how another monster had attacked and kidnapped you. You explained how he had threatened Vulkin to lie to anyone who asked about what had happened...or else.

Muffet's anger left, leaving her only shocked and confused now. She shot an apologetic glance at Vulkin.

You kept going, finally getting to the bottom of everything. You told her who the monster was and, as carefully but honestly as possible, you explained his true motive...His feelings for Muffet.

Muffet's eyes widened. She glanced at the ashes in disbelief for a few moments before turning her shocked gaze back to you.

You then told her about what had just gone down, the fight and how cat man had practically lost his mind. How you had tried to turn him away, but he would not listen. How he had attacked...And died.

Muffet said nothing. Her expression was unreadable, making you anxious. Was she afraid of you because you had killed someone? Your heart sank. Would she...Not want to see you anymore?

She walked passed you, kneeling down by the dust. She pulled out a spider donut, gently reaching down and grabbing some of cat man's remains and gently sprinkling them on the pastry.

"Thank you for your business." She whispered. You could not read her tone. You weren't sure how she was feeling.

She set the donut down and slowly rose back up. She turned to Vulkin, whom whimpered. She approached him and leaned down, offering him a croissant. She smiled sweetly at him. "On the house, dearie~"

Vulkin was shocked. After a few moments, he thanked Muffet, eating the offering.

Muffet turned back to you. Her expression changed to one of sadness.

You felt a sting in your chest.

"(y/n)..." She began. She shook her head slowly. "There is no excuse for the way I treated you..."

The words felt like a knife through the heart. You tripped all over yourself, trying to stutter a reassurance to her. You did not blame her at all, not for anything.

Muffet's expression did not change.

The look of guilt on her face was almost too much for you to bear. You begged her not to blame herself, trying to convince her that her reaction was completely understandable given the circumstances.

She shook her head again. "I should have had more faith in you." She said. "You gave me every reason to trust you...And I still turned on you the very moment there was a hint of doubt."

You shook your head, trying again to reassure her.

"Because of me, you had to-"

She stopped.

You had cut her off with a tight hug. You could not bear to look at her sad face, you could not bear to hear her blame herself...You could not bear seeing Muffet in pain.

You felt her arms slowly wrap around you, all six of them. They hugged you tightly back.

Neither of you said another word, as if any sort of sound would rip the two of you apart forever.

This moment...Fills you with determination.

Chapter Text

You and Muffet said goodbye to Vulkin as the little monster went on his way. With cat man gone, he seemed much happier, like the Underground itself had been lifted off his shoulders.

Muffet looked at you. She seemed exhausted, yet she smiled warmly. "Care for something to eat?" She asked. "My treat, of course~"

Anything other than fighting for your life sounded marvelous right about now. You quickly nodded, following Muffet as she turned to lead the way back to her home.

The tension in the spider parlor had not yet faded. The spiders that had not accompanied Muffet glared at you as you entered.

"Everyone," Muffet called. "(y/n) is not our enemy."

Confusion was added to the tension as all gazes shifted to Muffet.

"They were framed, and the monster who was truly responsible has been dealt with."

The confused tension faded.

"We..." She paused, then sighed. "I, should have had more faith." She looked at you, smiling. "(y/n) is a friend to spiders, and I had no reason to doubt them other than my own fear."

You looked at Muffet, suddenly concerned. You questioned her words.

Muffet slowly shook her head. "I had given up on anyone trying to understand us." She explained. "That others may be friendly toward us, but they would never want to be friends with us."

You suddenly recalled the conversation you had had with Muffet (chapter 4, dearies), the last time you had talked with her before the incident that nearly tore her away from you forever.
You remembered the pain in her eyes, and the gratitude in her voice. Cat man's actions suddenly had a brighter, more haunting light to them. Muffet had just poured her heart out to you right before the chaos. She had left herself vulnerable, and to her knowledge beforehand, you had rejected her feelings.
Realization hit you like a brick as your heart shattered into mere splinters. You realized just how hurt she must have felt to hear Vulkin relay what he had "seen" happen to her. Her coldness toward you suddenly felt like an under reaction. She should have killed you right then and there for what she had thought you had done. Why hadn't she..? You could only think of one explanation.

She had feelings for you, too.

Muffet snapped her fingers in front of your face, snapping you awake.

"Are you okay, dearie?" She questioned. "You seemed lost in the dark."

You looked for words to say. Before anything else could happen, before anyone else could ruin this, you had to tell her. You had to tell Muffet how you felt.

Taking a deep breath, you began to express your feelings for Muffet. You told her how you had felt the day she opened herself up to you, how you had felt honored to be the one to break the barrier between spiders and the rest of the world. You told her how you had enjoyed spending time here, spending time talking to her, how you had enjoyed spending time with her. You told her that the reason you had suddenly disappeared was because you wanted to take time to truly decide on how you felt about her.

Muffet was stunned, unable to speak even if she wanted to.

"A-And now..." You stuttered. "I'm sure how I feel..." You slowly reached out for a pair of her hands, your heart pumping so hard you thought it might beat out of your chest. You were so afraid she was going to pull her hands away, that you had read her wrong. That your feelings...Were just yours.

Muffet stared at you. Her hands did not move away as yours gently took them. In fact, her grip tightened a little, accepting your hands.

You took a silent, shaky breath.

"I love you, Muffet."

There was only silence. It was as if reality itself had stopped, allowing the moment to sink in for everyone who was a witness.

You heard a small, distant noise to your side. Slowly, the sound began to grow. It was the melody you and Muffet had danced to before. Only...Slower, more emotional and heartfelt.

Muffet's shocked gaze slowly turned to a warm smile. She gently pulled you closer, repositioning both of you. Guiding you right along with her, she slowly began to dance.

As the lovely melody traveled like a calm breeze throughout the spider parlor, the two of you danced. You had no idea how you were doing any of the steps, even with Muffet being there to guide your feet.

You felt your stomach twist in knots. Your face burned as if you had just had Grillby grab your cheeks. And yet, you almost felt like you were flying.

In this moment...It was just you and Muffet. Even the beautiful spider music seemed to fade as you gazed at your dance partner.

Muffet simply smiled calmly at you.

You kept dancing, eventually not requiring Muffet's guidance any longer.

The two of you danced as equal partners, enjoying each other's company.

The music slowed and softened. The song was drawing to an end.

Suddenly getting a burst of confidence, you took the lead of the dance.

Just as the music faded, you dipped Muffet back.

The two of you gazed into each other's eyes.

You were suddenly stunned, unable to do anything.

Muffet placed a hand on the side of your face.

Faster than you could react, yet not very quickly at all, she pulled you into a kiss.

You tensed, but only for a moment. You did not pull away, letting the spider bite sink in.

After several moments, the two of you separated. Only now were you aware of the spiders happily cheering for their queen.

You and Muffet stood up straight, gazing around at the crowd of joyful arachnids as they expressed their overwhelming approval for Muffet's match.

Muffet finally looked at you, her warm smile somehow calming your soaring heart.

"Care for some tea?" She asked sweetly.

Love is the sweetest pastry of all. Stay determined.