Howdy, I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower.

You may also know me as Asriel Dreemurr.

Former GOD of Hyperdeath.

Your very best friend.

It’s been a while since everyone went up to the Surface. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve been watching the developments from afar.

I’m glad Frisk had a happy life. If they’re happy, Chara should be happy too.

…Or so I thought.

Things got a little funky. I’ve seen the usual drama multiple times now, but this takes the cake. It’s like all that stupid ‘human history’ stuff Alphys used to collect. Except believable.

Well, let’s just say both of my best friends ended up dead.

I tried to help. Uh, but, I kinda forgot that the Surface is chock-full of humans. And Frisk isn’t the only human with the power to SAVE and RESET.

Farewell time traveling ability.

Then, the Smiley Trashbag appeared.

Extract my Determination?

Turn the floor into sand??

Collapse the entire stadium??

He’s. AB-SO-LUTE-LY. NUTS!

NUUUUUUUTS!

There’s a reason why I warned them NEVER to let him know ANYTHING!

And also why I made sure he’s knocked out cold when I captured everyone. If I give him even a tiny bit of chance, he’s going to milk the heck out of it!

That’s just the kicker.

It turns out EVERYONE knew my true identity. All my hiding and solitude and crying was for nothing!

…but Mom saved me from her dumb and clearly lethal joke buddy.

I thought she would choose him over me. Well, because I’m not exactly her son anymore. Still Mom is Mom: she’s tough on what she decides on.

I tried to flee, the sky’s falling down, and then… Poof.

RESET.

I found myself back in hiding under Doctor Alphys’ couch. I was so confused.

Who did it? Are they at the stadium? Maybe Frisk or Chara managed to push the button beyond the grave or something?

Things went downhill from there. Papyrus tried to be a hero and he got himself killed. After all, I -- of all people -- know what’s the sound of a monster turning into dust.

Sooooo how is that supposed to help? I know Papyrus is sweet, and frankly I can’t bring myself to hate him, but he’s too dumb to live.

All I saw was Doctor Gaster holding the door with the help of a dead human. That just got surreal, like seriously.

Then HE appeared.

The guy with the RESET button! He’s some… some… old human dude with weird fancy fashion? What’s with his flappy tail coat thing? What’s with the stick? Everything about him reminds me of a Mettaton show for some reason.

The two old guys had their old magic talk. Boring.

Then the RESET happened again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Idiots. Don’t they know that as long Frisk has Determination, nothing’s ever gonna work? Believe me. I’ve tried.

………………

Okay.

Papyrus got… smarter? He made it out alive after what, two hundred tries? I stopped counting after ten.

And he told Frisk to do nothing.

I almost wanted to jump out from my hiding spot and slap him, but in hindsight it’s brilliant.

Of course Frisk had to do nothing! It’s the only way to deal with Determination! I think everyone else is major dumb for not thinking of that sooner.

Then, the REAL game started.

As a flower, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for Chara’s creativeness in the art of killing. Not like it helped because we’d get RESET sooner or later, but boy. It’s fantastic. Like anime. Maybe that’s where they learned some of those moves?

………………

Wow. I still don’t really get what’s going on, but with every RESET Papyrus comes back stronger.

And extra smarter.

He’s learning new magic too! I think it has something to do with a glowing red butterfly. If I pay close enough attention, I’d see it flying away from his dust.

………………

Ooookay. I think I’ve seen everything now. A glowing Papyrus. Right. Maybe if I smack my head on the ground hard enough, I’ll wake up from this dream.

He tried to capture Chara. By wedging them in a corner. And told them if they ran away, they’re gonna risk having a bad time.

He’s too nice. Of course Chara won’t listen to him. They don’t really listen to anyone if you tell them to stay put.

Chara?

Chara?

Where are you going Chara?

NO CHARA STOP! THE SMILEY TRASHBAG IS AT MOM’S HOUSE!

STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP!

YOU IDIOT!

STOP!!!

………………

I’m not dumb.

I can see that Papyrus tried to save Chara from the Trashbag.

If this was the Underground, I wouldn’t trust Papyrus with his capturing. His head was too much in the clouds to realise that handing a human over to Asgore meant certain death for them: bottled up as a SOUL.

But he's different now. He’s no longer that ignorant. In fact, he probably knows too much. And I suspect it has something to do with his epic glow and orange eye thing.

C’mon Chara, stop running away! Do you need me to talk to you face to face?

………………

Chara ran to Mount Ebott. Tried to flee to the Underground.

I tunnelled around so I can meet them at a halfway point. Then tell them to listen to Papyrus for once.

‘Don’t kill, and don’t be killed’.

That’s the advice I gave to Frisk before I turned back into a soulless flower.

I can’t feel love anymore, but I’m getting darn worried about Chara. Concerned? Out of fear, I’m sure. If they don’t surrender to Papyrus, that Trashbag is gonna kill them over and over.

Then.

The Trashbag found me first.

He cut me down on the spot.

………………

I’m scared.

I’m so scared.

The Trashbag saw me. I’m a target. A big giant target on the radar!

What am I supposed to do???

Huh?

Why am I at the door to the lab?

I had to blink a few times to notice, but this…

This was the moment of the big ritual.

Chara and Frisk, all bound in magic chains.

“You rather believe that goopy mad scientist and a witch over me…? You… YOU MONSTERS ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM THOSE HUMANS!”

No… Are they going to try and kill Chara again?

I-I know they survived but, but they went through so much pain…

Cenna said: “Playtime’s over, kiddo. It’s time for eternal sleep.”

Papyrus, maybe I’ve thought wrong about you. Maybe you’re just like those humans who killed me.

I’m sorry Chara, you’re right. Everyone’s terrible. The world is terrible! Humans, monsters, they’re all the same!

I’m gonna avenge you!

“MISS AUNT, USE THE WATCH!”

The watch? Whatever he meant, it stopped Cenna from continuing the ritual. The witch checked the pocket watch strung around her neck.

Hey, isn’t that the one with a mirrored back? I heard her talking about it when Frisk had breakfast at school. It’s some family heirloom. Normally, the sides tell the same time.

“The heck? It’s desynced hard!”

I just caught a quick glimpse. Each display is different now.

She then pointed the device right at Chara.

WHOA!

WHAT?!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???

The watch shot out like, a ray of red light and… and… and FROZE half of the room?!?!

Chara and Frisk and the chains and the DT Extraction Machine got encased in a bubble of red light. It reminds me of the day I made candied apples with Mom, except this is less sugary and more ‘holographic’. I think that’s the term.

Inside that bubble…

Time has stopped.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

What the heck are you planning, Papyrus???

Cenna stepped away from the massive star. She turned to Papyrus and talked to him. “Holy macaroni. Five hours of time freeze? Just how many weeks did Mez loop before we got to this point, cinnamon roll?”

“I DON’T THINK IT’S WEEKS, MISS AUNT. MY PHONE CAN’T LAST THAT LONG. BUT WE DID REPEAT LOTS. AND THERE’S A DAY EXTRA BEFORE OUR FIRST MEETING.”

“Oh? He ‘Marked’ a means of contact, yeah? Guess that made sense.”

Oooooooh, that watch is a magic device! If I got this right, it harvests extra time based on the number of RESETS. Or the duration passed. Or something like that. It's running on DT at least.

The mirrored side is ticking backwards now. Very cunning, that witch.

She looked at Papyrus, up and down. “Whoa whoa whoa, you achieved Ascension? Get real, sweetheart! So, what’s your conviction to unlock that new level?”

‘Ascension’…? Is that why he’s all glowing?

Papyrus replied, “BY CHOOSING TO FORGIVE EVERYONE DESPITE ALL THE BAD THING THEY’VE DONE. THAT INCLUDES YOU TOO, MISS AUNT. YOU WEREN’T VERY NICE TO SANS.”

“Describe the ‘not nice’ to me, dear cinnamon.”

“YOU ADDED SOME SLEEPY MEDICINE INTO SANS’ KETCHUP. AND TRIED TO CHILDNAP FRISK. EVEN IF YOU’RE REALLY THEIR RELATIVE, IT’S NOT NICE TO SNATCH PEOPLE AWAY.”

She burst into laughter. Not nervous, not afraid, but… glad? Cheerful? What?

“Daaaaaamn. You’re a full-fledged Chronographer now! Yeah, I've done that in at least one of the timelines. I admit it. Full surrender. It didn’t work. That got myself and a few other innocents killed. That’s why we ain’t stooping to that anymore.”

“DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE TIMES, MISS AUNT?”

“Nawh, not at all.” Insert playful wink here. “I go to a good friend to get my info. She’s a Chronographer just like you. Mez? By now, you should know that he’s not the most transparent guy on the block.”

Wow. I think I just gave up trying to understand what’s going on.

Undyne said the best about this situation. “Caaaan somebody tell me what the fu-- heck is going on here?”

“Please allow me,” Doctor Gaster offered to explain.

Papyrus started walking towards the door with Cenna following right behind. I quickly hid under the couch. This hiding spot worked in the past timelines, so it should be okay.

I saw him making a beeline to Alphys’ PC. He grabbed one of those ‘chargers’ and plugged his phone in. Then, he started making a phone call.

It doesn’t look like anyone answered.

“HMM, I GUESS HE’S NOT OUT OF THE TOILET YET.”

Cenna said, “He had Jungle Curry, didn’t he?”

“YUP.”

“That explains a ton. Sheesh. I must have grilled him hard in the last reset.”

“YES YOU DID. YOU WENT ALL GLOWY TOO.”

“Ooookay that’s more than just grilling. I totally flipped out. No questions there. So, what’s your plan?”

“I’M GOING TO SAVE EVERYONE. CHARA AND FLOWEY TOO.”

Save… me?

I thought they wanted to exterminate us…?

“You gotta tell me more than that, cinnamon roll. Maybe I can help?”

“MISTER MAGUS KNOWS WHAT TO DO. I JUST NEED TO REMIND HIM TO MAKE SPACE FOR FLOWEY TOO. AS LONG THEY LIVE WITH HIM, MY BROTHER WON’T BE FORCED TO DO A VIOLENCE.”

Live with… that old human Magus?

Away from Sans?

“Protective custody, huh?” Said Cenna, “Not bad. Hey, let me give you a little police insider. We lock bad guys behind bars not only to protect the public from them, but also to protect them from the public. It goes both ways. Angry mobs are balls of hatred. You don’t wanna see those in action.”

“OH, YOU KNOW HOW TO MERCY CAPTURE TOO?” Papyrus sounded really happy. “THAT’S AWESOME! TO BE HONEST, I WAS WORRIED. I THOUGHT THE SURFACE PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO TALK THINGS OUT.”

“Eeeh prisons aren’t always nice places, cinnamon. Some double as therapy centers, but some of them are pits of darkness by themselves.”

So, the best alternative to getting killed by the Trashbag is to get jailed for life?

That doesn’t sound very appealing. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

“I take it you want something less like a ‘prison’ and more like a ‘house arrest’, yeah?”

“OOOH MISS AUNT, YOU’RE SMART! A HOUSE SOUNDS GREAT! I WANT FLOWEY AND CHARA TO BE COMFORTABLE AND HAPPY, SO THEY TOO CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO HEAL. WHEN THEY HEAL, THEY CAN CHOOSE TO BE GOOD. NYEH HEH HEH!”

“NOW I MUST FIND FLOWEY AND TELL HIM THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.”

Papyrus’ right eye lit up orange. Then, I saw his body shift towards the couch. He got on the floor and peeked under it.

…I never thought I’d be so happy to see that goofy face.

“HELLO FLOWEY.”

“Howdy,” I replied. “Papyrus. Is that true? You’re gonna save me? And Chara too?”

“ABSOLUTELY!”

“Even if we’re… soulless?”

“I -- THE GREAT PAPYRUS -- SWEAR TO KEEP HIS WORD. AS LONG YOU STAY BY MY SIDE, SANS WON’T HURT YOU.”

I started to get teary. Of course Papyrus would never kill us. There’s a reason why I can’t hate him. I feel like an idiot now. A big, massive, humongous idiot.

Frisk and Papyrus are both special. And they’re staying special. Nobody can deny that.

He offered his hand. I crawled out of my hiding spot and climbed on it. He then lifted me up with a sense of kind gentleness. Reminds me of Dad.

“Thanks, Papyrus,” I said.

He smiled back and patted me on my petalled head.

I still can’t feel love, don’t get me wrong. But I’m… I’m so relieved. I don’t need to worry about that Trashbag anymore. I’ll be safe. Chara will be safe too.

Cenna the Vanquisher grinned at me. “A flower DEMON made of monster dust? Dang. Never thought that’s possible.”

I put on my scary face to toy with her: “Oooooh, so what do you want to do? ‘Purify’ me with explosives like what you’re gonna do to Chara?”

Instead of getting scared, her grin curled wider. Twisted, she tilted her head back and stared me down.

“An eager customer, eh? It ain’t smart to buy a service without taking a sample. Let’s see, maybe we can start on one of your cute little petals? Or your fancy leaves? Free of charge, flower boy. Just say the word.”

Ffffffffffffff--- I almost pooped sap out of my roots. I dunno who’s worse anymore: the witch, or the Trashbag.

Papyrus squinted his sockets at the both of us. “NO RUDENESS, PLEASE.”

Cenna switched modes. She acted cute with a catty pout, saying: “Oh cinnamon roll, don’t worry. We’re just teasing each other. Ain’t that right, Flowey?”

I caught the subtext, lady. With a nervous chuckle, I replied, “Y-yeah! Just playing! I mean, friends tease each other. That’s what we do, right?”

Papyrus being Papyrus, took it at face value. “I’M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU MAKING NEW FRIENDS, FLOWEY. I’M SURE FRISK WILL BE SUPER HAPPY TOO!”

Some things just don’t change.

Cenna’s phone started to ring. She answered the call.

“Yo Mez,” she said, “How’s consequences working for ya? Seriously though, you should quit that habit. Anyways. You have four hours and forty minutes. …Not enough? Serious? C’mon, I know there’s the big weekly congestion on the way here, but you ain’t gonna be stuck there forever.”

“…Heh, not taking any risks huh? Yeah. Drunk drivers are a pain. Which means you got an hour or so at max. Okay, noted.”

“You need an Ebott Goldenflower from Asgore? No probs. He keeps a bajillion of those. What about Flowey? He’s with Papyrus. So you don’t need to worry about looking for the flower boy. Anything else?… Sure thing. See you soon.”

Alternative setup number two commenced. Undyne accompanied Dad to fetch a pot of ‘Ebott Goldenflower’. I guess the humans have a specific name for my body.

Of course, being the nice King Fluffybuns of fame… Dad brought an empty soil-filled pot for me. Nicely watered too.

I settled down in there and stayed quiet. None of us talked much. The silence messed with Undyne, I can tell from her frustrated scowl.

It’s all about the tired-yet-anxious waiting now.

Doctor Gaster made coffee for everyone. When he’s done, he stayed far away from the rest of the group. Papyrus tried invite him to join us. He declined.

That behaviour, I know all about it. He must have been bad at some point and he’s now feeling darn uncomfortable.

…Frisk also tried to invite me back to the Surface a few times. I know. Even if I don’t remember every instance, I’m sure it’s in their character to try.

So I kept hiding.

And hiding.

And hiding.

Hide long enough and they will be forced to move on.

I gave them no opportunity to talk to me. Made them think I’m dead for good or something. ‘Cause the moment they start, it’s going to be DETERMINATION all the way to the end.

It worked. They eventually became overwhelmed by other Surface responsibilities and stopped badgering me.

After about an hour, a car stopped in front of Alphys’ lab.

“Finally! God, all that waiting almost drove me nuts.” Undyne opened the door. She did it with so much force, it almost popped off the hinges.

That’s him. The old Magus in all his tailcoat glory. He had this steel box with a skull and crossbones logo on it.

Wait, really? REALLY? I thought we’re supposed to save Chara? Why did he bring a box with a POISON symbol on it?

Nevermind. Papyrus placed faith in these guys, so I’m gonna see where this goes.

“Thank you,” said this Mister Magus. Then he marched like he owned the place. He didn’t even bother to introduce himself.

Papyrus was sooooo happy to see him, though he’s pretty concerned. “MISTER MAGUS, YOU MADE IT! ARE YOU OKAY?”

“I’m fine. Let us end this long night.”

We followed him into the chamber. The red time-freeze stuff still kept everything in place, as if nothing ever happened.

Cenna helped Mister Magus on clockwork.

I asked Papyrus to shift his position so I could take a closer look.

They’re modifying the ritual for Chara. Even if I don’t understand, I want to know every single detail of this procedure.

Okay. First step: place mystery steel box down.

Second step: take out…

A very complicated contraption.

It’s flat: a steel plate with a glass cover. It has one of those ‘Arcanagrams’ carved in. A mysterious silvery liquid flowed in the etches. The whole thing reminds me of a puzzle piece in a way. The amount of symbols and mini-circles on there make my head spin.

I tried counting the number of pointy sections, but I kept messing up.

Doctor Gaster noticed my curiosity. “Seventeen points, Your Highness. Filled with mercury. It’s a very hazardous substance, hence the warning label.”

Great. He knows my real identity too. Figures.

Oh boy, he gets that spark whenever something catches his attention.

“Interesting, interesting…” he muttered, “I suppose it only makes sense. My, my, turning the tables aren’t we?”

I can’t tell what he’s thinking.

I can’t tell what they’re thinking.

But this should save Chara.

There’s some other stuff inside the box: a bottle of blood, flakes of silver, and some fresh buttercups.

Buttercups…

I’ll never forget that day.

I watched Dad place the normal flower pot in the middle of the magic star.

“We’re ready,” said Mister Magus. “Please step back.”

Everyone moved to the back end of the room except for the two experts. Cenna unhooked the key from the handle of her special watch.

“Ready?” She asked.

The old guy nodded. He brought forth his SOUL. It’s red just like Frisk’s.

It shone bright with magic. Then that ‘mercury’ thing started to resonate together with him, taking on his power’s hue.

Cenna inserted the key into the base of the watch and twisted it. The moment she did so, time returned to normal. I could see the confusion on Chara’s face as the flow of time returned.

“What the hell happened?” they asked, “Who are you anyway? Where did you come from?! I thought the witch is in charge!”

I wanted to call for their attention, but Papyrus whispered a ‘shhh’ next to my head.

‘Mister Magus’ finally introduced himself: “My name is Mezil Thyme. If she’s a witch, I’m a warlock. Alas, those are nothing but labels of the ignorant. Shall we have a short session of enlightenment?”

He picked up the bottle of blood. Unscrewed the cap and lifted it to Chara as if he’s having a toast.

He said, “Blood, the component of ‘Life’. My blood. Determination in its liquid form.”

He poured the whole bottle down on the flower pot. Instead of spilling everywhere, the plant absorbed every drop of liquid.

It’s magic at work here. Getting stronger.

The Magus then scattered the buttercup petals over the pot. “Buttercups, your personal ‘Aspect of Death’. What a cruel and unusual way to suicide…”

Here come the silver flakes. “Silver. A ‘Purification’ reagent. When used in conjunction with Mercury’s ‘Corruption’, it becomes a ‘Neutralizer’. Demons gain their strength from the combination of ‘Life’ and ‘Corruption’. Adding silver prevents their empowerment.”

When he poured the silver flakes, the flower glowed brighter and brighter until it’s pure white.

Winds circulate inside the chamber. Globs of dark-red icky stuff began floating out of Frisk’s SOUL.

That’s Chara’s essence.

They struggled in panic. “W-what are you doing to me???”

Mezil answered: “Giving a parasite a permanent body, of course. Please don’t think you can escape to a vessel of your choice. The seventeen points of this Arcanagram serve as the number of destruction. Only the Cheater of Death will host your essence, and your hauntings of Ebott will forever cease.”

“I’ll be a flower? A fucking flower? FOREVER?!? NOOOOO I DON’T WANT TO BE A FLOWER! I NEVER WANTED TO BECOME A FUCKING FLOWER!

“It’s either that, or die in the hands of the blue seraphim. You do not have a choice.”

Mezil the Magus breathed in deep.

Then, with a voice as commanding as Undyne, he yelled:

“Chara, Chara: Warrior of Ebott! I command this vessel as thy body! Cease your wanderings and bind your spirit, now and forevermore!”

Oh, his SOUL created a red glowing butterfly! So he did use his magic on Papyrus after all.

With its flight, the magic activated. The butterfly sucked in every drop of Chara’s oozy essence and gently guided it toward the flower.

Wow.

I can’t believe this is actually happening, but it is.

The transfer of had begun. Chara’s essence failed to resist.

Their screams of protest grow softer and softer, until they’re all gone.

When it landed, it puffed into red sparkly dust.

“Sealing successful. And SAVED.”

It’s done.

When the light faded away, the flower started to move. This is the first time I’ve seen another flower move other than myself.

The other flower started to cry. Just like me when I woke up all alone.

“…No… Noooooo… I can’t feel anything. No hands, no legs…! I’m just a stupid, stupid, STUPID flower!”

It’s Chara’s real voice. Without all that epic demon nonsense.

“SEE?” Papyrus said to me. “MISTER MAGUS SAVED CHARA, JUST LIKE I PROMISED. DO YOU WANT TO SAY HELLO?”

“Of course!” I exclaimed. I’ve never been happier since the Barrier was broken!

Papyrus placed my pot right in front of Chara’s.

They stopped crying and looked at me in surprise.

“Howdy!” I said, “I’m Flowey the flower!”

Then, I changed to my true face. “Your very best friend.”

“Asriel?” Chara muttered.

Ah, I see their famous rosy blush! I danced a bit to welcome them. “Yup! It’s me! I-I understand it’s scary at first. Being a flower and all. But it’s not so bad. There are a lot of cool tricks you can do!”

“Like, we can hitch a ride under the car. Or dig really really really fast underground. Ooooor steal cookies from the cookie jar without anyone ever realising it!”

I’m happy.

I’m so happy.

It’s going to be like the old days again. Just the both of us playing together.

I continued, “As a flower, the sunshine feels so super duper awesome! It’s warm and nice and refreshing and it gives this really energetic buzz and nyooooom! It’s just like a sugar rush, but with a little less crazy.”

Chara drooped their head down. “I’m scared, Asriel. I’m going to be killed. We’re all going to be killed. He’s out there. He’s going to hunt us down. He’s going to bury and drown me alive again.”

Not surprised Chara remembered Sans.

“We’re not going to get killed, Chara. We’re gonna go somewhere far away. He won’t find us.”

“Really?” They asked.

“Really!” I smiled and nodded as confident as I can. “Don't kill, and you won’t get killed.”

I can’t feel love, but I remember what it’s like be a friend.

I’m determined to help Chara adapt to their new life.

“In ‘this’ world, it’s live and let live.”