Royal Blue

It's Sunny Somewhere Else (Chapter Nine)

Papyrus had been helping to evacuate citizens for nearly an hour now, with no sign as to Undyne, or the mysterious 'Zero' fellow with whom they had been paired.

He knew that they'd be here soon; they had to be.

Monsters don't just... vanish.

Right?

He decided to call up Alphys, asking for Dogaressa to take over for him in helping to load an old woman's belongings into a cart.

She, seeming worried as well, obliged immediately, and told him to take his time; and if there were any news, to tell her immediately.

"Pap-Papyrus? H-Hi!" Alphys voice chimed through the grainy speaker of the phone. She seemed... startled.

"HELLO THERE ALPHYS! I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD SEEN UNDYNE RECENTLY?"

"U-Uh, I-, she left m-m-maybe a-an hour ago? Is-Is she n-not wi-with you?" Alphys asked, her concern growing with every word.

"NO, IN FACT, SHE NEVER SHOWED UP FOR HER POSTING," Papyrus exclaimed, the usual pep to his words slowly dying down to a background hum of worry.

"IT IS QUITE UNUSUAL. THE DOG PACK ARE BEGINNING TO WORRY," he said.

"O-O-Oh stars, I h-hope she's o-okay..." Alphys muttered, the anxiety thick and sharp at the edge of her voice.

"I-I'll look and s-see if I can- if I can find a-any clues f-from my ca-cameras," Alphys exclaimed. Papyrus could hear the clatter of claws on keyboard as Alphys began her search.

"ALRIGHT... I SHALL CALL IF I HEAR ANYTHING!" Papyrus exclaimed, feeling a tad defeated.

"O-Okay. S-S-Same here!" Alphys's hands continued to clatter on the keyboard.

"I WILL TALK TO YOU THEN!"

Papyrus could hear her nod at the other end of the line, and with a defeated tap, he ended the call.

He returned to the group with a sigh.

Dogaressa looked up quickly upon his return, only for her hope to be snuffed. Papyrus shook his head, arms crossed across his sternum.

Papyrus just didn't understand. They had to be somewhere!

He just had... no idea where that was.

"Papyrus!!" Dogamy bellowed loudly. Papyrus's head snapped up to notice nearly all of the Dog Pack huddled in a crowd.

"OH MY STARS!!!" Papyrus exclaimed, darting over toward the center of the commotion where an armored figure, and one familiar head of the guard were barely standing upright.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" Papyrus asked loudly, pulling his scarf from his neck and immediately placing it over Undyne's shoulders. The heavily armored guard at her side took pause.

Papyrus met his gaze, and for a moment the skeleton felt an intense pang of recognition toward the stranger, almost as if a forgotten memory had come back to him.

Papyrus waved it off as deja-vu, but something about that explanation was too simple; and it just didn't fit.

"Sorry to have barge in like this," the armored monster spoke in a gravely tone, "but your Captain is gonna be a fish-icicle if we don't get her somewhere warm," the stout, armored figure spoke quickly.

Papyrus wondered why the figure seemed so.... familiar.

He shook his head and looked back over his friend.

Undyne, who looked completely drenched and drained, shivered as her arm was taken by Papyrus, who lifted his fellow guard up and carried her.

"Pap-Papyrus," Undyne's teeth chattered through the words, "I can walk ya know," she chided.