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Sometimes Ralsei doubted praying would do anything.
Sure, it was something he did regardless of the outcome. But could it actually impact the outcome? He wasn’t quite sure.
He’d prayed when he entered the church dark world. Prayed furiously that Susie and Kris wouldn’t happen upon the final prophecy panel. But they did anyways.
He’d prayed when he met Tenna. Please, Angel, when he gets cleaved, let it be fixable. Let it be an injury he could heal. Thank goodness it had been. Was that the Angel answering? Did it matter?
And before he even met Kris and Susie, he’d prayed until his hands were sore, his eyes shut tight with intention, that they would be the best of friends.
It might’ve been the Angel’s will. Or maybe it was theirs. The three of them, together.
Was that sacrilege? When had Ralsei gotten so bold as to imply he had any power in this situation? The thought made him queasy.
He was kneeling now by the hot springs, that familiar position of repentance and desperation. Doubts aside, should there be any mercy from the Angel, should his prayers have any impact… Ralsei couldn’t afford to waste time wondering. The sooner he tried, perhaps the sooner the Angel might answer.
Or, that was the plan, until a certain head of blonde hair (was it hair? It resembled a mass of leaves) popped out of the spring. Ralsei groaned. If the Angel were listening, hopefully it would spare him this conversation.
Flowery dramatically whipped his head around, water spraying onto Ralsei’s coat. So much for being spared.
“I understand worshipping the ground I walk on, but this is a little intense,” Flowery laughed, as smooth and grating as a body scrub.
Ralsei turned to the side with a huff, refusing to engage with the flower man’s nonsense. He shut his eyes again, and heard a splash.
Flowery was speaking from behind him now. “All jokes, Rals, you know I’m just pulling your leg.” Now he was leaning over Ralsei’s shoulder, loudly jabbering on into his ear. “Or maybe it’s your hoof? Paw?”
“Can’t you see I’m busy?” He snapped while turning towards the flower, quiet but clipped.
“Doing what? Praying to the Angel that your silly ol’ prophecy doesn’t come to fruition? Seems like asking a gardener not to water a plant.” The nerve of Flowery to say such a thing- unbelievable! Even more so, he reached down and ruffled Ralsei’s fur!
“You shouldn’t even know about that.”
“You’re not the only one who knows more than they should. Like the fact that you like milkshakes better than tea.”
Ralsei barked out a disbelieving laugh. It was a foreign feeling, to outwardly mock someone for being incorrect. “Is that really the best you could come up with?”
“Well, I figured saying that Kris can’t stop making dark fountains was a bit heavy-handed.”
“How would you even-“ He paused, blinking, before taking a breath and finishing, “Fine. You’ve proven your point. You can leave now.”
Flowey smiled pointedly at him. Ralsei lightly shook his head in confusion. “What?”
“I like this Ralsei. Very feisty.” In conjunction, Flowery mimicked a cat’s claw with his hand. The unmitigated gall.
“Don’t patronize me.” Ralsei stood up. He could pray anywhere. It most certainly did not have to be here, next to this jerk. Ugh, what was his problem?
No. This wasn’t Flowery’s problem. This was Ralsei’s problem. Why couldn’t he just get along with the flower? What made him so uniquely able to push all of his buttons?
“Seriously! I do.” And Flowery had jumped straight back into Ralsei’s path. “Much better than the saccharine-sweet act you’ve been fronting. You’re becoming your very own little fella. Your own likes and dislikes, your own hopes and dreams.”
With arms crossed, Ralsei scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Because you’re very annoying when you’re just trying to fit the mold of a prophecy,” Flowery mused, inspecting the prince. “‘A lonely prince from the dark.’ Surprising you made any friends back then.”
“That is my role. That is who I am. Even if I wanted to be anything else, that is what I have to be for the prophecy.” A ring of sadness wrapped itself around his throat. Ralsei pushed it away.
For a moment, Flowery considered this. “Hmm, maybe you’re right. We’re both just meant to serve Lightners. I mean, is it any coincidence that you only started growing a personality when Kris suggested you should?”
Ralsei’s heart sank. “I didn’t- it- they just encouraged-“
But as he spoke, he wondered if there were a hint of truth to Flowery’s taunts. Was “being Ralsei-like” just a way of making Susie and Kris happy? Had he just bent over backwards to please them? Was anything he liked real?
No. Ralsei was becoming Ralsei. Kris and Susie just gave him the push he needed. Whether he liked milkshakes or tea, wearing a hat or a bow- that wouldn’t stop the Prophecy. He could be Ralsei within its confines.
“Unless that shining little personality was budding in you all along. Maybe things aren’t so set in stone after all!”
And, once again, Flowery had lost him through a mixture of condescension and sheer naivety.
“Flowery, you and I both know they are.”
“You aren’t so lonely anymore. And you aren’t much of a prince, if you catch my drift,” Flowey winked. “Things can change.”
“Ugh! Can’t you stop?” Ralsei was about thirty seconds from ripping the flower’s roots out. Tiny flames flickered on his fingertips, which he quickly snuffed out- not before Flowery noticed, though. The blonde’s smile widened.
“I just got a wonderful idea. It took you fighting my siblings to become friends with them, right?”
“Yes…?” He knew exactly where Flowery was going with this.
“They had to get their grievances out of their system to reach a common ground. See, despite what you seem to think, Ral-pal, I want-“
“Don’t call me that.”
“As I was saying, I want to be your friend. And if it takes fighting to befriend you, I’m willing to try!”
Ralsei stared at him, unblinking. Sure, that was the process with gaining recruits. But Flowery was different. The main fight with him wouldn’t come for a little while longer, when they reached the fountain. Fighting a battle would be obsolete.
“I’m sure Green has finished giving Susie the recipe. We’re holding up everyone,” Ralsei explained, trying to step around Flowery. Instead, the step sent him flying backwards, into his usual fighting pose. The options- FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, SPARE- came to life just out of his peripherals.
“I’m not going to battle you, Flowery.” And just as quickly as it had begun, Ralsei ended it, sending both of them back to their previous positions.
“Alright then. I’ll start the battle.” Once again, the two of them were flying- but in the opposite directions. Flowery’s eyes drifted along the options, while Ralsei clasped his forehead in exasperation.
“… you’re on the wrong side.”
A little flower-shaped object hovered over the ACT options. “Might help seeing from a new perspective.”
“Ugh! If you really do insist on fighting, fine. But we’re switching.”
“As you wish, Princess.”
For- hopefully- the last time, they were both flung across to their respective sides. And they stood there awkwardly. Well, Ralsei was standing awkwardly.
Drumming his fingers, he spoke. “I don’t know what you expect me to do without the SOUL.”
“Psh. You don’t need it.” Suddenly, vines were shooting out at Ralsei, fast as whips. He managed to jump out of the way of the first two, but the third grazed his face.
“I don’t… fine! Okay!” Ralsei BLEW with as much strength as he could muster up. Flowery’s hair gently fluttered as he was pushed backwards, but the shit-eating grim didn’t leave his face.
It gave him fifteen percent of a spare- at first- but Flowery blew away the numbers to reset it to zero.
Ralsei gasped, baffled. “What?! You can’t do that!”
“If you really want to ‘blow me away’, might be worth trying out that nifty fire magic!” Flowey winked again, before smiling bright. The glimmer of the smile shot sparks towards
Ralsei, who ducked under some and jumped over others. “Is your TP high enough?”
“No,” Ralsei lied with gritted teeth, before choosing to SPIN. Flowery spun right back, with the wind he’d kicked up in the process blowing back any spare points Ralsei had gotten. They hit the aforementioned prince, making his mercy 5%. Ralsei wanted to swear.
Flowery shrugged. “Lie as much as you like. You’re not gonna ACT your way out of this.”
Then the flower was running at him, kicking him squarely in the chest with a “Jarona!”. Before he even realized what was happening, Ralsei was underwater. He swam back to the surface with a scowl.
“Wowie, I dealt more damage than I realized. I mean, if I did that to Kris or Susie, they’d probably just stumble a little.” The implication of Ralsei’s weakness hung in the air.
“What would you know? You’ve been sending all the other flowers to fight us so you can pester someone who doesn’t really want to hang out with you.” Ralsei said, climbing out of the spring before singing a gentle lullaby at Flowery. The notes bounced off of him with a flick of his wrist.
For the first time since the conversation began, Flowery seemed offended. He actually took a couple points of damage (just one or two) from the insult. A part of Ralsei relished in it.
“I’m just giving him what he has given us for all these years.” Flowery ran a hand through his hair, which healed him back up. Well, if Ralsei couldn’t beat him by acting or tiring,
maybe he could insult Flowery to death.
What a cruel thought! Who had Ralsei turned into?
“You’re a fraud.”
“You’re lying to yourself.”
“You’re obnoxious!”
“Please. You’re projecting.”
With every sentence, they sparred, Ralsei matching Flowery’s Jaronas.
“I don’t think it’s really me you hate, Raly. I think you hate that I’m right.”
“Even if you were right, I’d still dislike you.” The ground was sizzling under Ralsei’s feet. Instead of using his turn, he took a moment to meditate.
Flowery launched longed roses at him, thorned arrows coming from every direction. “You don’t have to be a victim of the prophecy.”
“Do you think I like it? That it has to be this way? That I have to be this way?!” Ralsei paused, worried he might’ve slipped a bit too much. One of the roses had hit his sleeve and pinned him to the wall. “It will come to pass, no matter what.”
The flower stared back at him, tilting his head but not ending his onslaught of roses. Another couple fastened him tighter, a taxidermy butterfly. “If it will come to pass anyways, then why don’t you do what you want to?”
“What I want isn’t compatible with the prophecy.” He used his turn to yank one arm free, but the other was still stuck under a bed of rosebuds.
“You won’t know for sure until you try.”
Ralsei winced in preparation for the impact of Flowery’s attack. But the pain never came- rather, it felt like a hug. When he opened his eyes, his eyes widened into saucers.
Flowers had knitted themselves gently across his body, looping into a form-fitting pink and green dress.
“It suits you well, Princess.” Flowery struck a dramatic pose. “I almost forgot!”
A light pink ribbon gently floated down onto Ralsei’s head. He felt a warmth he couldn’t explain, a comfort he couldn’t shake off. It was as though he was seeing himself- really seeing herself- for the first time.
Then he came to his senses, and shook the flowers off. Flowery looked… disappointed.
Anger stirred in Ralsei’s chest. Why was he disappointed? Who was Flowery to be disappointed- no, to decide who he was? Looking so offended at Ralsei’s refusal of the dress. What did he know?
“You don’t know anything.” Ralsei’s voice shook with thinly veiled rage. “Nothing about me, nothing about the prophecy, nothing about my friends!
“If you keep on lying, I’m sure the prophecy will come true. At least, the part of it that says you’re all alone,” Flowery walked up to him and gently patted him on the head. “Poor thing. That’s all you’ll ever be.”
And all of the flowers pinning Ralsei down exploded, and he sent a wave of flames at the flower in front of him.
Flowery looked down, then back at Ralsei in awe, before he seemed to realize that he was- in fact- on fire. He hopped into the spring ungracefully. The sight made Ralsei smile, in spite of the anger still simmering.
“Not bad, Rals,” said Flowery as he reemerged from the water, all confidence again. Until Ralsei giggled. “What?”
“You seem to be missing a few petals, Flowery.” Flowery’s smile dropped, and he peered into his reflection. He had a bald spot.
Flowery couldn’t help but huff. “Guess I earned that, huh?”
“I’d say so. There’s more where it came from, too, though I’d rather not have to use it,” Ralsei grinned, “How’s about a peace treaty for now? Or until Kris brings us to the Dark Fountain.”
Flowery struck another pose as he said, “Deal. Well, don’t keep your friends waiting. I won’t keep you, either. Just do me a favor… keep the ribbon.”
Ralsei hadn’t even realized he was still wearing it. He took it off to inspect it for a moment. It was light pink satin, with lace edges and a green charm of the Delta Rune symbol.
“It… has good stats.” Ralsei lied again. Then, quieter. “Thanks.”
“No prob, bob. See ya soon!” Flowery gave him one last ruffle of the fur, reminding Ralsei that he still didn’t like the flower.
But maybe there was room for an understanding between the two of them. He placed the ribbon back onto his head and knelt down to look at himself in the water.
Flowery had been right- it suited him well. The Ralsei in the water seemed happy. He hoped he could keep her that way.
With a final quick prayer, Ralsei allowed a little bit of hope to bloom.