Chapter Text
“STOP MAKING MY BODY SAY DUMB THINGS!!!”
The bombs explode behind Ralsei, causing chunks of rock to crumble away.
“Hey, take an easy! I just want to help!”
Ralsei inches closer, and he can see Pink - dressed in something a touch more casual, resembling a schoolgirl’s outfit of some variety - in an aggressive stance. Her body is angled towards - who else, but Flowery.
Pink crosses her arms and looks over her shoulder, blushing. “I’m-! Fine. Just go away.”
“I get you’ve got a NineToFive here, but…” Flowery takes a gentle step forwards. “I haven’t seen you around our Castle at all! Don’t you want to have fun, and meet people? Meet… Asgore?”
Pink scans him cautiously. She hesitates. “It’s… It’s not that! It’s something else… you won’t get it, mew…”
Flowery cocks his head, and grins. “Try me!”
“I… I…! I just… want to drink seawater with you, mew!”
Eyes bulging in surprise, she claps a hand to her mouth, and then stamps a foot into the ground, turning to a deeper anger. “No, no, NO!”
“Wow, I’m charmed! But-”
“SH-SHUT UP!” She lurches forward and jams a finger into Flowery’s chest. “You set it off more than anyone!! You… make it say STUPID things! You’re MAKING it stupid!”
“‘It’…?” Flowery takes a step back.
“My body! The longer I’m here, the more it… it doesn’t… it’s not…!”
“Ah. Having a body like this… can be confusing. But I understand! I can-”
“You don’t,” Pink says, voice significantly lower in volume. She clenches fists, and trembles a little. “You DON’T get it at all! And you CAN’T! So stop-”
Before she can finish her words, her gaze gets caught on something further behind Flowery.
She’s staring directly at Ralsei.
“Of course you’d bring backup with you! T-trying to corner me, mew?! Who do you think I am, some damsel in need of saving? Well, just like the protagonist of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie: Princess Kingdom, I’m INDEPENDENT and can DANCE MY OWN BATTLES!”
“Whuh?” Flowery spins around, confused, not quite spotting Ralsei from his higher elevation.
“In fact-!” Pink twirls a giant staff around in her fingers, and launches it into the air above her. Glitter rains down as it falls, and by the time Pink catches it, she’s transformed into her usual magical girl outfit, complete with tutu and bells. She hits the staff menacingly into her other hand. “I’ll prove it.”
And then Ralsei is- tugged, almost, into a party composition. The world gives way to darkness, and the menu fades into the edges of his vision as a battle begins.
It’s the sort of transition he’d usually pay no mind to, but he’s been slammed into it so suddenly without any prior warning that it makes his stomach churn a little.
Flowery stares at him. “Raly?! Uh, Ralsei-” They’re both on the same side.
Ralsei just stares back, not knowing what to say. What can he say right now?
Pink continues, oblivious. “Ahuhuhu. Don’t worry, dearies, this is all going to turn out meowgnificent! If you can keep up… when you’re pink, pink, PINK!”
She brandishes a dainty teapot, cackles, and brandishes the spout at them. “Um.”
Flowery, recovered from the initial surprise, stuffs hands into his pockets and relaxes. “Hm?”
“It’s…!” Pink cradles the teapot awkwardly. “Th-that bug said this would…! I just need to… HEY, STOP STARING!” She stomps to punctuate her yelling, and Flowery turns his head lazily.
“Go on, princess, do your thing!” he encourages.
“Oh, you’re CONDESCENDING, too!” She bares her teeth.
“No, that was a compliment,” Flowery corrects.
“Then how about some complementary tea?!” Pink lobs the teapot in Flowery’s general direction, where it smashes to pieces on the ground in a puddle of broken china and purple liquid.
“Um.”
“Hm…”
“That… that did something, RIGHT?” Pink demands. “Unless that bug SCAMMED ME!”
“Ohhh!” Flowery exclaims with a snap of his fingers. “It’s because there’s no heart thingy in play.”
“SOUL”, Ralsei corrects. Flowery turns to him with a hint of nervousness, as though he’d forgotten Ralsei was part of the battle until now.
“I- I have hearts! I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!!!” A volley of pink hearts erupt out of Pink’s body. She snatches one and shoves it over to the party.
Flowery touches it with one outstretched finger, and it fizzles away. “Nah, these are for TP’s.”
“T… what?” Pink tilts her head, catlike, in confusion.
“Okay, so, you started a Battle, but there’s no heart thing-”
“-SOUL-”
“-so it functions more like a cut scene.”
“A what.”
“So, any thing goes and we can do whatever.”
Pink’s face contorts. “Then!!! WHAT’S THE POINT!”
“Well,” Flowery muses, “it’s still a Battle, so we can’t run away...”
Ralsei glares at Flowery with the most fed-up expression he can muster.
“Oh.” Pink’s arms disappear behind her back. “Purrfect.”
She launches a giant bomb at Flowery, where it explodes and sends him flying. He thuds to the ground, with a not insignificant amount of HP depleted.
“Ow!” Flowery complains, and hand waves the pain away with healing pollen. “That’s not very in character for Mew Mew!”
“Like you’d know!” Pink sticks her tongue out.
Flowery flicks his hair defiantly. “Of course I do! Asgore read the manga to us!” He approaches, challenging.
“THAT non-canonical drivel?! CLEARLY I’m a byproduct of Mew Mew 2’s darker storyline!”
“Mew Mew’s double agent plotline makes her prone to lashing out… But even when she’s working for both sides, she wouldn’t dare hurt her friends! That’s her entire characterarc.”
Pink squints, eyes full of suspicion. “You… watched the show…?”
Flowery grimaces. “Flowers… take what they can get for entertainment…!”
+1 DOKI!
A giant DOKI-METER materialises next to Pink. “H-huh?!”
“Heh. I did it.”
“Did… what?” Ralsei asks. He doesn’t really feel like he’s part of the battle. It doesn’t even feel like a battle!
“I-it doesn’t matter! I… MEANT for that to happen! Now… EAT BOMBS!”
Okay, there’s the battle.
Ralsei dodges nimbly out of the way as best he can, but he struggles quite a bit - they’re fast-detonating, and the positioning has to be precise, and-
Flowery swerves between them with initial success, before slamming into the bounds of the battle. Bounds that hadn’t existed, not really, until then - the purple tea shoots out in lines, segmenting their arena. Ralsei had been playing into them without even realising.
With rules imposed upon him, Flowery is now remarkably bad at dodging the bombs. His maxxed-out HP is a crutch he now chooses to lean on very, very heavily.
Though he’s healing back to full at the end of every turn, Flowery is still panting. “You’re… tough!”
“That’s… that’s RIGHT! This body… it’s… PURRFECT! Of COURSE! NO FAULTS! HAHAHA! What was I thinking?! It’s even got limited-edition voice clips!”
“Voice clips?” Flowery perks up, suddenly interested.
“Not like yours,” Ralsei replies knowingly.
“I love you, mew! I want yummy milk and strawberries!”
This is stupid.
Except, something’s off. Flowery’s not entirely wrong about her being out-of-character. The strange distinction regarding her body - it’s not something he’s seen a Darkner do before… And then-
“Oh! Goodness, it’s almost time for my show!” She side eyes the pair. “What? You think I can get by as a shopkeep in this economy, mew?”
She winks, and twirls into another costume change - this time into a matching kimono, microphone clutched delicately in her hand as she readies up her next attack.
As Pink opens her mouth, real singing comes out - lyrics to her theme - at full volume. The upbeat tempo, intense attacks, flashing lights and onslaught of dummies don’t help matters. It’s incredibly overwhelming, and Ralsei can hardly keep up.
Wait, dummies?
One of Pink’s ‘fans’ launches headfirst into Ralsei, and he feels the inevitable sensation of becoming DOWNED - collapsing to the floor into a pile of fluff. Fluff and dust and nothingness. Fundamentals of his being.
And as soon as he’s down, he’s back up - Flowery wastes no time with the healing.
“Next times, stand your ground. Don’t let her push you down!” He suggests.
Seriously?! “I-”
“You’re strong enough. I know you are.”
Ralsei pushes the thought aside. Now really isn’t the time. A surprise secret boss fight doesn’t change what happened between them.
“HEY, pay attention to ME!”
Flowery spins around to face Pink once more. “Aww. Does kitty want pets and praises?”
“W-what?! Who the HELL says something like that?!” The catgirl jumps back, some of her hair spiking out and standing on end.
-1 DOKI!
“You’re SO WEIRD!”
“I don’t even know how you got negative DOKI. That’s, um, not possible?” Ralsei contributes.
“Y-you don’t need to rub it in!” Flowery defends, trying and failing to dodge an attack exclusively targeting him.
…Ralsei needs this battle to end.
“Pink!” He calls out. “U-um… your attacks may hit hard, but my heart is beating even harder!”
Pink tries to hide her blush with her hands as the DOKI meter replenishes.
“Didn’t think, uh, she was your type, Ral-” Flowery catches himself, and corrects, “Ralsei?”
Ralsei glares. “I’m just trying to win, okay?” He mumbles. “I’m just flirting the same way you’re… trying to.”
“Wait!” Flowery brings an overdramatic hand to his mouth. “We were meant to be FLIRTING? What is this, a doubledate?”
“It’s-!”
Ralsei stops. A double date. That needs… four parties…
“Yes,” he replies. “...It is.”
Pink isn’t just battling them… She’s battling with herself, too.
“Flowery. Stop messing about and flirt with her!”
“...!” Flowery is stunned for a few moments, before a look of resolve creeps onto his face. “Hah! It’s like I was borned for this! Now watch and find out!”
At the next opportunity, Flowery launches himself up into the air to dodge an attack, and lands artfully into Pink’s arms, somehow being caught by her despite her lack of intention.
He drapes over her hands easily. “Oh, Princess! My saviour… I am indebted to you and your franchise. I promise to keep you happy all times forever.”
The DOKI meter explodes.
So does Pink.
Two figures emerge from the split. One very similar in colouring to before - all pink and glittery - the other, much more muted and dark. The grey one - complete with a spectral lower half - slams her staff across Flowery’s head and flies up into the air.
“No, no, NO! UGH! This is YOUR fault… Stupid body! Now we’re…”
“Wow,” Flowery says, reeling from the impact. “Am I seeing double, or are there two aflorable princesses now?”
“Flowery,” Ralsei explains, while tugging him back to their side of the battle, “that one’s… a Lightner.”
Flowery squints at the ghost above them. “How’s that possible?”
The Lightner continues her ramblings, paying no mind to her opponents anymore. “You were MINE! I found you! ME! You’re meant to do what I say… You’re meant to make me happy! So why don’t you just SHUT UP!”
The Darkner pouts, tears welling in her eyes. “I… I…! I want to date, mew!”
That warrants a sharp and angry expression from the Lightner, but she turns it quickly to Flowery and Ralsei. “You… YOU’RE making it all stupid! Die… die… DIE!”
Another round of attacks, and Ralsei takes a few too many hits yet again. Or maybe a regular amount of hits - but he’s weak, and squishy, like always.
…He wants to be better than that.
He stands his ground. Still downed, but staying upright nonetheless. It’s rewarding, in a way. Some part of him is only doing it to spite Flowery, who likely doesn’t expect him to follow through. And yet, equally, another part really is trying to follow the advice.
Flowery smiles sweetly the next time he revives him, and Ralsei doesn’t really have it in him to be cold about it. He just nods, and… Well, Flowery is rather beat up, too. He casts Heal Prayer, for the benefit of the battle.
“Hey, HAIRBALL! Why the heck are we split?! I… I want to go back!” Lightner-Pink cries out.
“You’re… you’re a ghost Lightner…! And your ‘body’... is a Darkner. A person of its own…”
The Lightner gasps. “N-no! That’s… That’s not fair… That’s not TRUE! It’s ME! It should do ME things! It’s… not allowed to want anything else!”
Ralsei frowns. “B-but, it has its own likes… Its own dislikes… You can’t force it - her - to be someone she’s not!”
Lightner-Pink scowls. “She… she’s acting all funny because of you! She just wants to date you… but…!” She points her staff forcefully. “She can’t date you if you’re DEAD!”
Another onslaught of bombs rains down on them, and Flowery appears to be struggling with the restricted area of movement.
“Stop trying to go against it,” Ralsei advises. “It’s tripping you up. Just… place your feet in the squares, and don’t step on the lines.”
“Huh? Wait… Raly, she wasn’t kidding!”
“W-what?”
“It’s just like a Princess Kingdom dance battle!”
With this realisation, Flowery dances in and out of Pink’s attacks, dodging them with ease and grace. Suddenly Ralsei is the one struggling, by comparison.
“Hold on to this!” Flowery shouts, and grabs Ralsei by the scruff, slinging him onto his shoulders. With the golden flower dodging for both of them, Ralsei has more chances to get through to Pink.
Darkner-Pink cries out, collapsing to the floor. “Want… to date… mew…”
“W-what’s happening to her?! To… to me…?”
“She… she can’t bear being apart from you! All that time you spent possessing her, it made you inseparable…”
“Body!” She yells out. “Just work with me! We don’t want to date, or go to school, right?!”
“D-don’t you think you need to compromise?” Ralsei pleads. “You can’t force her to be someone she isn’t!”
“But…! But she’s ME! She should be… I…!”
“I’m… sorry, mew…” The Darkner murmurs, and the Lightner stops, face in horror. “Not… good enough…”
“Wait, wait, WAIT! No… I’m sorry… body, listen! Green person… help me out… on just one date…”
Pink’s two halves come face to face. Ralsei runs over to help them both; to guide them towards healing and understanding.
Neither of them wanted this. But, maybe, they can find a way to be happy despite their circumstances…
“Body! I… I admit it! My heart really WAS beating…! But, it was only because… when you said things I would never say…”
“...You got scared,” Ralsei finishes.
“Yes… I thought for sure I was finally who I wanted to be. But, after ‘finding myself’, I felt like I was LOSING myself! I didn’t want to change… I just wanted to feel comfortable for once…! But the truth is, I never really wanted you to be more like me…”
“You… wanted to be more like her?” Ralsei asks.
“I… I HATE me. I always felt… wrong. I thought, if I could become something I loved… Wouldn’t that FIX everything?!”
“...But it didn’t. Pretending to be someone you weren’t didn’t change anything,” Ralsei concludes.
“I…” Pink hesitates, and shuts her eyes, thinking. “No… That’s not really true, is it?” She smiles, uneasily. “Since entering this world… I’ve been so happy. I really did feel like… me. For the first time. Everything finally felt ‘right’.” She takes the Darkner’s hands gently. “But I started to feel like… I had to change who I was, to fit my new body. But, I can’t force myself to be like you… and it’s not right to make you more like me either, is it, body?”
“I… I still want to be with you, mew!” The Darkner frowns.
“...If we’re going to be together, then… I can’t just think about the things I wish were different. About you, and about myself. I have to… to…”
“Love both yourselves,” Flowery finishes. “Even when it’s hard.”
A single tear rolls down the Lightner’s cheek.
“I have enough love for the both of us!” Darkner-Pink declares. “I believe…! We can become someone new, together!”
“Oh, me!” The other cries. “Let’s never be apart again!”
They embrace, and in a flash of white, the battle is over.
Pink, whole again, is kneeling on the floor, sniffling and smiling, tears of joy dampening her face.
“Guess they figured it out,” Flowery says. He turns to Ralsei, cheerful but cautious, and opens his mouth. “I’m… sorry,” he starts.
“Later,” Ralsei replies. “I need time.”
He’s not angry. But he’s not ready for that conversation yet.
Pink clutches a hand to her chest, and calls out to them. “Thank you… Thank you!! Now, I… I can be… a magical girl, forever!”
Ralsei doesn’t have the heart to tell her. Not right now.
“Pink! You always were magical… It’s an intrinsic property of Girls.”
Rather than react to Flowery’s usual nonsense, Pink smiles weakly. “...I wasn't even a girl, though. I was… no-one.”
“But, you wanted to be?” Flowery asks, open eyes shining.
“I… don’t know how to explain it. I guess it feels like this is who I was meant to be all along. Something suddenly made sense in my head, mew.”
“C’mon, Princess. That counts!”
She rises to her feet, slowly, and turns away somewhat. “But, this is what I was saying… People don’t understand. I felt TRAPPED! Without a body, without a life… It was suffocating. This… was my escape. And, ever since I got here… Ever since it became real…!” She shuts her eyes, and bows her head. “For the first time, I felt… alive.”
Flowery, brow furrowed, takes a step forward. “Of course I understand that.”
Pink swivels to face him, confused.
“Being a flower… is a static existence. And yet Asgore gave us something more… respect, stories, love. Now… I can feel the grass between my fingers here. I can feel the winds through my hair. We can all return the love we were shown…! I…” He chuckles slightly, distant. “I never want to go back.”
Pink stares at him with wide eyes. “Maybe… we’re more similar than I thought...” She sighs. “I think… I’d like to go back to the castle now. And, meet everyone…?”
“That’s great, Pink. They’ll love you.”
Shuffling idly in the background, Ralsei’s mind is occupied with other things. He hardly feels like he can contribute now. Instead, he takes notice of something small on the ground. No bigger than the width of his finger, a small, golden petal.
He picks it up and holds it against the sunset. It shimmers with iridescent hues.
“Um, you, dropped this,” he tells Flowery, interrupting the two.
“Oh.” Flowery examines it closely, face unreadable. “Thanks.”
He looks over to Pink and back. “So… See you soon, Ralsei.”
Ralsei nods.
And then Flowery and Pink walk away, up the cliffs towards the shortcut door, and Ralsei is left on their own to think.
The sunset is pretty. They can see why Pink set up shop here. It overlooks a field of endless flowers, an intense jungle of flora. If one’s entire goal in this Dark World was to chase happiness and joy, this was certainly a good place to start.
…He’s not sure what to think of Pink’s situation. Another Lightner here, exposed to the dark.
Ralsei wants to believe she’ll be safe, but he can’t say that with certainty, not when she’s haunting a Darkner. The intricacies of that relationship, even he can’t understand fully.
Only time will tell.
The sound of footsteps against the rocks catch his attention. It’s Pink, running back in a hurry.
“Wait. Wait! WAIT! Look, um,” Pink calls out, panting slightly. “My body, um… She wants to give you something! I don’t know why, but we’ve had THIS since we got here…”
She holds up a nearly transparent crystal.
“We… don’t need it. And I’m NOT giving out freebies to Flowery. So, YOU have it!”
Ralsei takes the crystal and cups it gently in his palms.
“Okay, are we DONE, body? Hmm…” She eyes Ralsei carefully. “Yep! See you later, mew!”
Alone, Ralsei examines it. The Shadow Crystal. He shouldn’t even have this. Kris collected these, and handled the party’s inventory. Pink was their fight, not his.
Even holding it feels wrong. Light trickles through the object, cascading shadows on his hand.
Still, he’s compelled to look through it.
For just a moment, it’s as though he can see the flower shop - the real one, in the Light World. Some of the flowers on display appear to be drooping.
And then the illusion slips away as effortlessly as it had appeared, and all that remains is Ralsei’s reflection.
He’s certain nothing is different with the person he sees, and yet he knows their loneliness. Their longing. The way everyone’s words keep swirling around inside them, restless, tearing away their insides. The spark of personhood, of identity, of wanting more.
The information isn’t new. Ralsei puts the crystal away all the same. The sunset is much nicer to look at.