Her eyes widened as she tried to move. "What is going on?!"

"..Ahuhu.. you think your tastes are too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie?"

"What..? N-No, I don't have any money with me!" Yumi cried out. "I swear I would have bought something if I had the money!"

"...Oh, would yo-"

She caught sight of the crown.

"Ooooh.. maybe that crown will be equal payment.."

She looked down at the crown and back at Muffet. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this doesn't belong to me," she said softly. "Something happened to my friend and I need to find her. This belongs to her."

"..Happened to-... Oh, dear, whatever do you mean? What do they look like, I'll keep an eye out."

The webbing suddenly got less sticky.

"I'm not sure," Yumi responded. "I found this crown that belonged to her outside my home. It's dented, and she wasn't anywhere in Waterfall. She has short red hair and green eyes, and her name is Kiara," she told Muffet.

She nodded softly but gasped.

"Wait.. crown.. girl.. is she a princess?!"

They gasped softly.

She thought about it and then realized that it would make sense. "I think so..." she said in wonder.

"Oh dear, I will be sure to keep an eye out!"

"Thank you," she smiled and let out a sigh of relief. She hoped she had someone else on her side.

"I do hope she turns up safe and sound.."

Yumi nodded. "I do too," she replied.

"She sounds rather important.."

They murmured, seeming to get an idea.

"Yeah. I just hope I can find her before anything too bad happens..."

"...What do you think happened to her?"

"I don't know," Yumi replied honestly.

"You should run along now and try to find her, dearie. I'll tell my spiders to look for her."

"Thank you again," Yumi said gratefully. She waved at Muffet and began walking towards the other end of the hall.

There was a soft giggle from Muffet as she began to whisper to her spiders.

Yumi didn't think it was odd. She then left the room.

...Almost to the core.

RG01 was walking around, seemingly looking for someone.

"Like, 02! Where do you keep goin, bro?!"

He called out.

Yumi tilted her head. "Who's that?" she asked herself.

..Looked like just another royal guard..

"02, this ain't, uh, funny anymore!"

He seemed a bit confused now, looking around.

Not feeling afraid at all, she approached the guard. "Hello!" she said cheerfully.

They glanced at her.

"Oh! Yo, monster chick! Whatcha need?"

They asked cheerily, as if nothing was wrong.

Deciding she didn't have the time to explain that she was a human if she was going to try and help the guard, she just asked, "Are you alright? You seem to be looking for someone."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine! Lookin' for my patrol partner is all!"

"Who's your patrol partner? Maybe I can help!" She smiled.

"Um, I dunno his actual name, but he's a dragon monster. Number is 02."

"Hmm... I haven't seen him. Where would he normally be?"

"Mostly 'round the core, outer edges of hotland.."

"Alright... where haven't you looked?"

"In the core, actually. This is the last part of hotland I've got."

"Oh, then I can definitely help you! I'm going to the core as well!"

"You are? Why?"

"I'm..." she laughed. "Looking for my friend as well, actually."

"Who are they? You know what they look like?"

"She has short red hair and green eyes," Yumi said. "Oh, and she might have a fire bat with her," she added, though didn't think it was likely.

"Fire bat.. Oh, one in armor?! That's 03! I know that guy!"

"Really?" she asked curiously. "His names Travis, and he's supposed to be protecting a girl named Kiara, who's actually the one I'm looking for."

"Kiara, huh..? Don't know her, I'm afraid.. but Travis is really overprotective of some people. Maybe she's with him."

"I hope so," Yumi said softly.

"..Anyway, I'm sure she won't be injured. Not with him around."

"Alright," she replied, though didn't seem quite convinced. "Anyways, I should probably go head towards the Core."

"I'll come with!"

He chirped, turning towards the core.

She smiled. "Awesome! Hopefully we'll find your friend too!"

"Hopefully, yeah!"

The pair began to move towards the core.

She looked around, marveling at just about everything. "Wow..."

"Heh, have you never seen this side of hotland?"

She shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"It is really nice, but not as gorgeous as waterfall."

"True," she agreed. "Waterfall is amazing."

"Mhm.. Snowdin is p cool, too."

She nodded. "Yeah. Everything here is pretty awesome," Yumi laughed.

"I'm sure it can't beat the surface, though.."

"Watching the sunrise is amazing on the surface."

"..On.. the surface?! Bro, you've been there?!"

She nodded. "Yeah, I used to live there!"

He gasped in awe.

She was about to say something when she spotted the Core. "Wow..!"