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It was dark. Everything was dark. Darker than dark, darker than he’d ever seen. Far, far darker than their dark world had been. This was something else entirely.
Still, Flowery could see the world in silhouette, just barely. He could see the soil coating the ground, the unfamiliar glass forming a greenhouse-like mosaic above him. He could see a sun, snuffed out, high above.
Underneath him was a bed of golden petals. Right. He had just woken up. That’s what those spots of colour were, in the corners of his eyes. Eyes that he had…
As if by instinct, his fingers tensed - fingers that he had - and he noted a much stronger pain in one side. The reason didn’t quite register in his mind yet.
In an attempt to figure things out, Flowery sat up. Tried to sit up. He was humbled, almost instantly, by a sharp pain that ripped through his torso and up into his shoulder. He hissed. Now that the initial sting had hit, every part of him began to ache - some areas worse than others, but not many parts of his body didn’t hurt at least a little. His limbs felt numb, save for his right arm.
Flowery’s memories were hazy, if only from the disorienting awakening. Last time he was a human he… The Knight had…
Cut him in half. But he was still alive. Of course he was; he’d been clinging on desperately for the past few days, hadn’t he? And Susie had been so hopeful, so gentle - it was the least he could do to not die on her. Not to mention-
The others. The other flowers. Where were they? Did they know what happened? From this position, he couldn’t see them, couldn’t tell if they were here. He’d spent so much energy trying to heal, he’d not been able to communicate with them.
…Flowery was exhausted. It had taken everything he had to stay alive. His breathing was still shallow, but now that he’d acclimated somewhat, it was beginning to slow again.
Slowly, carefully, he lifted himself up into a sit, wincing the entire time. God, he never knew how much something could physically hurt before. Asgore had taken such good care of them all that time, he’d never…
No, this was manageable. Bad, but manageable. Though still weak, his stem had fused. Somehow, the memory of actively being split in half was less painful, but he’d probably just been in shock. It was the residual, ever-present sting that had been worst. And he was used to it now.
His good arm clutched his abdomen. Wrapped around it was a plasticy-smooth bandage, tight and rigid. He’d have worn it tighter, if he could; the pressure helped at least a little. A similar one wrapped around his upper arm. And sure enough, the cut in his face, where one of his petals had been grazed by a sharp blade, was still there, though it was only a dull burn. That one probably wasn’t going to heal. Hopefully it didn’t ruin his winning smile.
This was… okay. It wasn’t good, but Flowery could work with it. He’d made it this far.
At his new angle, his location became a little clearer. It was reminiscent of how they’d all first arrived in their original dark world, except back then, they’d all been together. They’d emerged, just simple flowers with newfound will and being, and formed themselves into existence.
…Flowery had been first, unrooting himself from the ground, desperate to understand what had happened. Asgore had told them about the dark worlds, of course. He’d spoken at length about them, especially recently. But the experience was unlike anything he could have ever imagined.
He’d forced his own roots from the ground, willed them into moving, broke his body into a new shape, grown himself a face to call his own. Done the impossible, because he couldn’t not.
He helped the others after that. Carefully digging them out of the soil, talking to them, listening to them, just as Asgore had. Answered their questions, took the initiative, worked to make their dreams a reality. Helped them find forms that felt natural.
And Flowery… he really did like what he’d come up with for himself, too. It felt comfortable. It felt right. Having a body that felt like a perfect fit… What a privilege it was. If only everyone could find that freedom.
…Some use it was right now, injured as it was, though. Flowery reassessed the walls containing him. It was Blue’s glass - he could see that now. It was hardly visible, but something shimmered against it, a slight hue that wasn’t present in Flowery’s now-shattered container. Blue and Yellow must be together, then. At least those two had each other. If the other flowers were all alone right now, then…
The glass edges were rather far out, upon further observation. But he had to reach his friends. He had to make sure they were okay. They… needed him. Using his good hand, he shifted forward, using all his strength to put weight on one foot, and…
Nothing. He had no strength in his legs right now. He tried again, and again, and each time, they would give way, and another twinge would ripple upwards. On his last attempt, his foot slipped, almost sending him face-first into the dirt. Standing up on his own, let alone walking, was out of the question right now.
Crawling, one-armed, a great distance with very little strength? That wasn’t sensible either. No, right now, all Flowery could do was… stay put.
What a laugh. He was just as useless as a flower.
(That wasn’t right. Flowers weren’t useless… But like this, with no one to see him, what good was he?)
He sighed, feeling the exhaustion catch back up to him. Shuffling into a comfortable position as best he could, Flowery took one deep breath,
and called for help.
But nobody came.
That was okay. It was fine, actually, fine and dandy. It just meant no one was around to hear him yet. He couldn’t do much at all on his own. He just had to wait for someone, anyone, to be in earshot.
Angel, that was frustrating. He wanted to act decisively and quickly, but in this condition…
He just had to have patience.
“Uee hee hee! Flowery, flowery! I want to play! Let’s play!”
“Aqua, I’d love to, but…” Flowery frowned. Based on the progress the heroes were making last he saw them, he’d have to intercept soon. “I’m real busies right now. Can we play later?”
“But, but! I want to play now! I want to play with Asgore! I want to play with you! Everyone’s busy!” All the while, Aqua jumped in circles around Flowery, around and around.
“...I know. I wish Asgore was around more too.”
“Uuu, what do I do? What do I do when there’s nothing to do?”
“...Hm.” Flowery contemplated for a moment. “Aqua, I have a super-important task for you.”
“What is it? Is it a game?”
“Yes! I need you to play something called… Waiting Game!”
“Fun, fun! How do I play?”
“Well…” Flowery looked up. “You see all those bells hanging from the ceiling? Every time one of them chimes, I need you to count in your head! Then, tell me the number you got when I get back.”
Aqua tilted her head. “...Is that it?”
“A-and!” Flowery added, hastily- “come up with a new dance. Then you can show Blue, later. Wouldn’t that be golden?”
“Uuu, would it be Blue? Would it be Golden? I’ll play! I’ll find out!”
“That’s great, Aqua. Thanks! And remember, it’s super important, okay?”
“Okay! Bye, Flowery! Bye-bye!”
Flowery waved behind him as he departed. That… would keep her distracted, at least for a few moments.
And so he continued with his goals, speaking to the heroes, trying to get through to Ralsei, playing it all by ear. Things had taken longer than expected. He had to check up on Asgore, now, and-
Aqua was still there. Right where he’d left her.
“Flowery! Uuu, is the game over?”
“...You’re still here?”
“You told me to play here! Just for Flowery, I played here! It was so hard… but I stayed here!”
He hadn’t expected that. Really. “Aqua…” She tilted her head to look up at him. “I’m… so proud of you!” At that, he scooped Aqua up into his arms, smile beaming.
“Hee hee! I, I…” Aqua’s voice dropped to a tone that almost sounded guilty. “I didn’t count the bells! I forgot! Did I lose? Did I lose again?” She was giggling, but the words still broke Flowery’s heart.
“No, no, no, Aqua! You… You won! You won, because you stayed here, so now…”
…He had to get back to Asgore soon, and make sure he was still enjoying himself. He had to make sure everyone else was doing alright, make sure the heroes were as delayed as they could be, make sure…
…If Aqua could be patient for him, his plans could be patient for Aqua.
“We get to play! How’s does that sound!”
“Yes, yes! I love playing! Let’s play knife throwing game!”
Aqua summoned one of her countless knives into the air, and sent it just barely whizzing past his face. He was used to it by now, dodging out of the way with an exaggerated ‘woah!’, prompting Aqua to giggle louder.
For just a short amount of time, Flowery entertained her, and nothing mattered more. Somehow, after throwing a satisfactory amount of knives, Aqua began to slow down. Her demeanor dropped, and she waddled up to Flowery, staring up at him from the ground. He crouched to meet her level.
“That was fun!”
“Yeah? I’m glad!”
“Uuu, Flowery… When you say we’ll play later, you mean it! We always play! But Asgore says later, and then later again, and we never get to play!” Her smile became smaller. “Why… why does Asgore not want to play? Am I doing it wrong?”
“No! No, Aqua, you’re… You’re doing great.” Flowery grimaced.
“Uuu, is Asgore doing it wrong? Is that why?”
“He…” Flowery sighs. “Asgore’s got a lot going on. He’s not like us. This is… new to him!”
“Uuu, new! It’s new to me, too!”
“But… Asgore is… He’s not a flower, Aqua. And he isn’t a human! So, it’s, it’s…” He searched for the words. “It’s confusing for him. Our dark world… it’s like one big videos game. And ol’ King Asgore doesn’t know how to play yet!” He ruffled Aqua’s hair. “Maybe once he… learns the rules, he’ll want to play.” He ignored the way his voice had turned more wistful.
“Hmm. I don’t know how to play either… Can you teach me?” She spoke so earnestly, so sweetly, he could never deny her request.
“Well, if you want to know how to play… We’ve got to start with rule #1: knife safety!”
…He hoped Aqua was alright. She was so carefree, so joyous… He’d hate for her to wilt in this choking darkness.
There was no reason not to try again, he supposed.
And so Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
A slither of dread began pooling in his stomach. It hadn’t been too long - he would try again, and again, but… It was awfully lonely, like this. With nothing but the creeping darkness. Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him - but, there were patterns in the distance, slithering across his vision.
And a scratchy noise that disappeared whenever he tried to locate its source.
Flowery wasn’t scared. No, he had more resolve than that. But it was unnerving. He couldn’t move. If anything was here, and it was hostile, well…
Deep breaths. He couldn’t do much about it right now, so he just needed to be brave.
“Flowery…?”
“Mhm?” They had just finished some training for Orange’s bullet patterns. She’d improved a lot, and with a bit of support, she really could pack a punch.
“You said, earlier… You said I was your sister! Is that really true?”
“Sure is! My favourite little sister. Couldn’t have asked for a better one.”
“So, then… are we all siblings? Are we one huge family?!”
“Um…” Flowery slows. His mind darts to Blue and Yellow. “No, not… not exactly!” He offers a hand out for Orange to jump on, so that he doesn’t have to talk down to her. “It’s a little complicated, but… We’re all different colours, right?”
“Um, right!” Orange squeaks.
“We’re all the same type of flower, but each colour is a different variety. Except… We’re the same variety!” He flourished a hand, making a show out of it. “Mostlys, anyway. I’m a cultivar that came about from your variety, but that counts in my book!
Orange looked up at him, with some confusion.
“I wouldn’t say the others are our siblings. But sometimes we act like it, and there’s nothing wrong about that. We’re all the same genus, so of course we’re one big family anyhow-”
“Flowery…?”
“Mhm?”
“I… I don’t know what ANY of that means!”
Flowery grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, Orange. Asgore’s real knowledgeable about flowers… I got a bit carried away, huh?”
“That’s okay…” Orange rubbed her hands together. “You should… tell Seth! That we’re all geniuses! I think they’d like that!!”
It took Flowery a moment - but he smirked once he understood. “You got it.”
“I still don’t get the other stuff, but…”
“Basically, we’re almost the same colour. That makes us siblings.”
“Oh! Wait, but… YELLOW! Aren’t you like Yellow? Are you and Yellow brothers?”
“Yellow’s rocking a great hue, no denying that,” Flowery replied, posing for effect. “But to get my golden tones, you won’t get far unless you’ve got a healthy dose-” -he raised a finger in the air- “of orange,” -and booped Orange on the nose. She squeaked.
“If you’re my brother, does that mean… I’m special too?” Orange asked, but before Flowery could reply, she continued, “I… I don’t WANNA be special or different! I just want to be me, and be a human, like everyone else…” Somehow, she’d worked herself close to tears.
“Huh? Orange, I’m not special…”
“Y-you can fly, and do jaronas, and stuff…”
Right. “Orange… Just because I know a few cool party tricks, that doesn’t mean I’m any more special, you know? You’re capable of so much.”
“Even… Sniff… Even a jarona?”
“Even a ja-ORANGE!” Flowery exclaimed, punching the air with Orange riding on his fist, prompting her to squeal with glee. He set her down on a nearby wall.
“You… You say you’re not special, Flowery, but… You’re my hero!”
Oh. His heart was melting.
“N-not like those… OTHER heroes! They’re mean and nasty! They’re BULLIES!!” She looked away, possibly to hide more tears.
Flowery was gathering thoughts for another response, but Orange beat him to it. “Are… Are you gonna fight them, Flowery?”
He had to think about that.
“I… don’t want to, Orange. But if they come for our fountain… I might not have a choice.”
“Then, if that happens… You… You can’t let them bully you, okay?! You need to be brave!! They won’t know what’s coming!”
Flowery smiled radiantly. “You can say that again. Leaf it to me!”
“B-but, Flowery, I… I don’t want to.”
“Huh?”
“Promise me! That… That if you have to fight those BULLIES… I’ll be fighting by your side!!”
Orange really was braver than she knew.
Flowery held out a pinkie, which Orange grabbed with one entire fist. “Promise.”
“Flowery… I’m… I’m the luckiest human alive! ‘Cause I’ve got an amazing big brother AND big sister!”
Flowery stopped, face still stuck in a smile, trying to process what Orange just said. He thought she… understood the sibling stuff…
“...What big sister?”
That had been an interesting revelation.
Pink probably wasn’t around right now to protect Orange. He hoped she wasn’t too scared… She was strong, really, but she needed reassurance to realise her potential.
Flowery sighed, and called for help.
But nobody came.
Angel, he was tired. Even now, preserving energy, weariness was creeping in through his… Bones? Whatever was underneath his skin, in place of bones. He didn’t want to sleep, couldn’t, but it was more than a little tempting. If he could just… lie down a little while longer, and sleep through the end of the world, and not worry about a thing…
…But that wasn’t an option. If Flowery could have any hand in stopping this, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant… If he had even the slightest chance of helping, of living, of seeing them all again… He had to try. If he had any integrity, he had to try.
“Flowery…?”
“Oh, hey, Blue!”
“May I speak with you for a moment?”
“...Is it urgent?” He was waiting for Asgore to arrive any second now.
“It’s a matter I have some… strong feelings on. I’d like to discuss them…”
Flowery had little room to argue with Blue. He was… smart. Not that the others weren’t, that wasn’t the case at all, but… Blue was so in tune with the world. He understood the nature of things. If he had something to discuss, it was important.
“Sure!” Flowery threw the papers he’d been collecting over his shoulder, where they exploded dramatically.
“It’s only that, well…” Blue pressed his hands to his chest. “The heroes…”
Flowery tilted his head.
“They care for Asgore too, you know.”
Flowery crossed his arms, raising his shoulders up, a little defensively. “They might claim to.”
“Then you don’t believe it?”
“I… can’t be certain, Blue.”
Blue hummed. “I know it in my heart. They…” Blue trailed off, refocusing on the main point of discussion. “Kris loves him. I’m certain of it.”
“We’ve both watched them grow up, Blue. Something… changed. They’re not at all how they used to be.”
“Children, like flowers, take time to grow before they blossom into their true selves,” Blue retorted. “I’d like to think that’s just part of being human, no?”
“Even so,” Flowery replied. “They opened our fountain, and now they’re giving their all to seal it. I can’t trust that! I can’t trust that they don’t have bad intentions. Susie’s a sweetheart, and Raly’s… Raly, but what sort of ‘hero’ could be so… hypocritical?”
“A prophesised one, Flowery.”
“Tch.” Blue knew Flowery didn’t care one bit for fate or prophecy. That was no issue at all with the other flowers, who knew snippets at best. But of course Blue knew.
Still, their debate was civil. No raised voices, no hard feelings, no angry faces. They trusted each other to have good intentions.
“Sorry, Blue,” Flowery decided. “I just can’t shake the feeling… I don’t think you’re going to change my mind.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Blue. “I… I wasn’t trying to.”
“You weren’t? Then… Why…?”
“I simply had to communicate my position. I’m on your side, Flowery, but I’m on theirs, too. I’m a lover, not a fighter.” He curtsied.
Flowery was… relieved. The last thing he wanted was conflict to drive them apart. This wasn’t a conflict at all.
“Yet, you have commanded me to stand against them… I had to explain why I might not be… so hard on them.”
“Blue… If you don’t want to fight them… You don’t have to. I can’t force you! And I wouldn’t want to, anyhow.”
Blue smiled. “I will still stand up for what I believe to be true… I will stand by my beloved, and I will still stand by your side, Flowery. You must only know that I’m not fickle if I aid them, too.”
“‘Course. Your morals are stronger set than anyone, Blue.” There wasn’t a single flower with more integrity. He kept Flowery in check, too. “Besides… It’s all for Asgore, isn’t it…?”
“Quite.”
“Then I trust you to do what you think is right, Blue. I’ll try to do what I think is right, too.”
“...Flowery?”
“Hm?”
“...We both know this dream won’t last forever.”
Flowery’s grin faded. “...Blue…”
“Now, now, I’m not here to say anything miserable…” He pirouetted closer. “In this fleeting chance at living, at loving, at being… We’d be fools not to be our true selves. And you…” He smiled brightly. “You’ve seen to it that we can be. Your efforts aren’t unappreciated.”
“It wouldn’t be a dream otherwise, right?”
“Yes…” Blue’s eyes had been closed, reminiscing, but now, he opened them. “Are you living your dream, Flowery?”
Flowery smiled quaintly. “You know I live to see Asgore happy.” Blue seemed… not entirely placated by that answer. He added, “But, seeing your heartblossoms into the people you are now… Has been a real dream come true for me.” And he meant it.
Blue’s gaze softened. “Thank you for indulging me. I feel… lighter now. I think I shall return to the stage again.” He turned on his heel, but quickly looked behind him. “Do look after yourself too, dear.” With that, Blue disappeared into the halls of the castle.
Flowery watched after him, content. As soon as Blue was out of sight, he unexploded the papers, stacked them back in his hands, and left to find Asgore.
Blue… Blue would be alright. Surely. He was sensible. More sensible than Flowery, really. But he was delicate, and didn’t thrive in negative situations, and…
Flowery sighed, and called for help.
But nobody came.
How much longer, now…? He would keep going, of course he would, but it wasn’t getting much easier. Sat as he was, tense and alone in the dark, didn’t help his aching wounds. Nothing about the pain had subsided.
There was no magic in his fingertips, no strength in his body. But he had his mind. Weary, but still burning with hopes and dreams. He wouldn’t let his mental resolve be worn down, not now. He never faltered.
(That wasn’t true, was it? He had… The moment he’d been cut down, the confidence had vanished. As though he hadn’t known what he was doing. But it was such a shock, to be so full of life, to love being alive so much, and then…)
He was still here. He refused to let that change any time soon. Not this time. No matter how bad things seemed, he would persevere.
“How’s it hanging, Seth?”
Flowery was checking in on Seth’s plans. They’d made… a lot of plans. For stopping the heroes, for making Asgore happy, for renovating the castle into a theme park… (He’d keep that one in his back pocket, in case they had time.)
Seth grumbled before speaking. “Oh, Flowery… It’s… you know. Nothing… Nothing has worked so far. I haven’t stopped the humans. They keep… Getting past.” They sighed. “Argh, and Aqua! She keeps… messing things up!”
Flowery’s expression became just a little more concerned.
“Sorry, sorry, I know it’s not her fault… But… I can’t account for her. She’s so… chaotic!! And even without her, all my ideas fail.” They sigh. “I’m sorry, Flowery.”
“Hey, turn that apology upside down!” Flowery pivoted from his floating stand down into a cross-legged sit, joining Seth on the floor. “Maybe you didn’t stop them entirely, but you sure stalled them! I heard you gave ‘em a great deal of trouble out there.”
Seth smiled, briefly, but it didn’t last long. “...The feather. They got the Petal Feather. I shouldn’t have left Aqua in charge. Maybe, if I didn’t-”
“Hey.” Flowery had placed a firm, but gentle, hand on Seth’s shoulder. “It was really nice of you to put your trust in Aqua. I… know she’s a handful,” he admitted, other hand running through his hair, “but she really looks up to you.”
Seth blushed. “Y-yeah… She’s strong. It’s just hard to work with her, sometimes.”
“You’re doing great. Really. Just keep it up for me, alright?”
“...I don’t think I can.” Seth had said it quietly - whispered it, almost, but Flowery had heard all the same.
“No?”
“Um! I, just… It’s the same thing, over and over. Are we just meant to stall the heroes forever, until they reach the fountain, or…? I don’t… I don’t know how much longer I need to ‘keep it up’.” Seth had curled in on themself, as though admitting some grave sin. If only they could see how much they’d already persevered.
Flowerey rummaged in his pocket, and pulled out a strip of paper, extending it out to Seth. “Take a break, then.” A free drink ticket, on the house.
“Is that… okay?”
“You’ve gotta break things up! Let yourself do something fun for a bit, so that when you get back to planning, you’re all refreshed. Sounds good, huh?”
Seth smiled thinly. “Yeah… Maybe you’re right.”
Flowery moved to leave, but Seth caught him off guard.
“Flowery, do you ever take breaks?”
“Huh? I… Of course!” His words were met by Seth’s skepticism. “You know, I like to take it easy with Asgore, sometimes I hang out with Green at the diner, I-”
“Yeah, but like, do you have alone time?” Seth fidgeted with some papers. “I think… I start to lose it a bit if I don’t have some time to myself. You know, just… reading, studying, without being interrupted.”
It took Flowery slightly too long to answer. “...Being all alone isn’t really for me, Seth.”
“...Oh.”
“But! Every humans are different, right? If it’s what you want, knock yourself out.”
“Heh. Yeah… I don’t always know what I want, to be honest.”
Flowery tilted his head inquisitively.
“You know. Um. Figuring out who… ‘Seth’ is. Everyone else seems so… sure. But I don’t quite… Know, you know? Is there something I’m not doing right?”
Flowery cupped Seth’s cheek with his hand, gently, so full of love.
“I think… That’s the most human thing of all, Seth.”
Seth was silent, for a moment. “...But you’re so confident about everything.” They looked away.
“Guess you’re better at being a human than me, then!” Flowery shrugged casually.
Seth held their arms. “It’s… really okay…?
“Sure. Maybe it’s confusing, but I’m glad you’re talking about it and thinking about it. Being open to change, chasing the dreams of who you might want to be… That’s important!”
“R-right!” Seth smiled so, so sweetly. “Then I won’t give up, Flowery! I’ll keep learning, a-and… I’ll keep growing! Like a flower!”
“And like a human,” Flowery replied.
Seth… Would they know what this was? They could get so panicked if something didn’t go to plan. If only he were there to help.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Maybe… Maybe he could try moving again. He knew what to expect, now. Just small steps, and then, he could…
Flowery shifted one frail leg in front of him. Summoning all his might, he leaned forward, preparing to stand. And then he pushed, and he’d never felt so heavy, but he found the strength, somehow, just barely. But, already feeling his leg losing balance, he stuck his other out in front, and both gave way at the same time.
He fell hard into the dirt.
God, it hurt.
Yeah, that was what being reckless got him. He’d never been one for thinking things through. His luck had ran out eventually, huh?
And it was stupid, going after the Knight like that, but he couldn’t have… stayed there, no. He’d have done anything to keep Asgore safe. He’d have happily died that day if it meant Asgore was safe.
(Was…
was that true?)
But he’d failed, and of course, now he was suffering the consequences. And wallowing in them, when Asgore had been through so much worse. This was all his own fault.
Flowery took shaky, pained breaths, and shuffled back to the petals. Everything stung worse than wasps. Somehow, he felt worse than before. What had changed? He just…
Oh. What was he doing? Putting himself down like that? No, it wasn’t okay when Yellow did that, and certainly not when Flowery did. Blaming himself wouldn’t change anything now. And anyway, he had to have tried. That was just who he was.
Sometimes that meant failing. But he could learn, and try again. Accepting failure was a kindness to himself he had to embrace.
“Heya, Green. The Flowery Special, please!”
Flowery slid into view along the polished floor, spinning onto one of the stools at the counter. He rested an elbow on the countertop and propped up his head, eyes full of admiration, resting on Green.
Green just nodded with a smile, and turned to their kitchen.
The Flowery Special, of course, was a milky drink filled with honey, sugar, butterscotch-cinammon, and love.
And caffeine. So much caffeine.
It tasted like homemade pies, probably.
Green was unmatched in their skills, both as a chef and a barista. Flowery watched them make his drink with care and precision, and they made it look easy. Sometimes, Flowery liked to join them, help them out with a few different recipes. He’d especially enjoyed baking all the pies they’d filled the lake with. But it wasn’t something that came naturally to him, and Green usually picked up his slack.
Green looked at him questioningly, espresso shots unadded. It was a look that communicated, this much caffeine would kill a real human five times over. Flowery just laughed.
“C’mon, Green, I’m here for a pick-me-up! Don’t leave me hanging. The suns never sleeps here, you know,” he explained, leaning back in his seat, “and neither do I.”
Another questioning look.
“College roommates need their all-nighters, right?”
Green shrugged, and finished the drink. They slid it across to Flowery with a deep nod.
“You’re the best, Green,” Flowery beamed, passing them a clean $99 tip. Green returned a thin smile, a little weary, but they pocketed it nonetheless.
…Well, having infinite money made your tips mean a little less, Flowery supposed. But he wasn’t really sure why the others wanted to adhere to their own economy anyhow. If it made them happy, he’d go along with it, of course.
He took a sip from the drink. Infinitely sweet, sappy, and it soothed his throat wonderfully. Flowery had been doing an awful lot of talking, and he hadn’t realised how much strain that could put on his voice. He sort of understood why Green didn’t care to talk.
“Thanks, Green. Perfect as always.” He took another few sips, savouring them. He’d have to run off, soon, but he needed energy for the hour ahead of him.
“Oh, I-”
Flowery had meant to say something to fill the space. He did that a lot with Green. But he saw, now, how their eyes, which had been gazing into the distance comfortably, now snapped to him, followed by their head and then body, affording him full attention. It felt as though a certain peace had been broken.
…He had been doing a lot of talking, hadn’t he.
“I really do mean it. You’re the best.” And at that, Flowery went quiet, drinking his drink and enjoying the ambience. Green relaxed against the counter, watching café-goers come and go.
His drink finished, Flowery placed the cup back down on its saucer, and looked around. Hearing the clink, Green turned to pick it up.
“Wait, I’ve got it.”
He threw cup and saucer high into the air, somersaulted over the counter, and caught his items elegantly on his head, depositing them into the sink.
“Sorry to keep an uncleaned cup in waiting!”
He thought he heard a snicker from Green. A rare occurrence, but always a rewarding one.
His eyes wandered the café while washing up, and landed on the drinks machine. A few thoughts slipped out of his mouth. “Hey, did they come grab their free drinks yet? Raly get the one she wanted…?”
Green’s face snapped into something stricter. Not mean, never mean. They were the kindest person Flowery knew. But they would sometimes offer a stern look that challenged him, and it usually meant he’d said something wrong. He retraced his own words.
“...Ah, yeah, you’re right. Not my place to say, is it?” Green shook their head. Flowery polished the saucer until he could see his own face shining in it. “I just wish Raly would… you know.” He dried his hands. “Whatever Raly wants, I… I hope they figure it out. …Thanks for the drink. And, uh… Heh. For correcting me.”
Dishes complete, Flowery turned to head out, but Green caught his arm. They held up a sign. Smaller than their usual ones, but no less important.
It read, ‘Thank you too.’
Smiling, Flowery opened his mouth to reply, but caught himself. A different idea. Flowery had watched Asgore learn bits and pieces of signing, for if any customers came into the shop who needed to communicate that way. He’d tried to pick up as much as he could, though he’d never expected to have hands to use it with.
To his best ability, Flowery signed back, “Of course, Green. You’re important to me.” He didn’t know if he’d done it all correctly, or if it was even legible at all. But Green smiled, and seemed to understand, and that was enough.
He really hoped Green had someone with them, right now. He couldn’t imagine them calling for help like he was doing. If no one knew where they were, then…
Flowery shook his head, and called for help.
But nobody came.
He’d make it. He had to make it. He had to see the others again, look after them, see their smiles. Keep them safe. He had to protect them.
What would they think, seeing him in this state? Broken and scarred. His magic was gone, from what he could tell. He’d run out of ‘party tricks’. He didn’t know if he’d ever walk again, let alone fly.
(None of them ever thought they’d be able to walk. To have had that chance at all… That was worth something. Surely.)
More than that, though, did they know what had happened? He was glad they hadn’t been around to witness his clash with the Knight, but he couldn’t hide it in the real world. He hadn’t been able to explain, to tell them anything at all. And he couldn’t remember if Susie had filled them in. Her words had sounded hazy, and blurred together, and he’d not had the strength to focus on them.
…He wanted a rematch. Flowery had nothing to prove, but to lose Asgore like that… to be sliced in two so carelessly…
If the Knight was still around, they’d find themself on the wrong side of justice.
“Flowery…? Can we talk fer a moment?”
“Oh, howdy, Yellow! Sure, sure, come on in.” Flowery was in a room of his own design. Humble, simple, did what it needed to. Framed photos on the walls. Some, photos of the flowers. Most, photos of him and Asgore. He never spent long in here, but occasionally, he had to work things through without distraction. Right now, really, he was preparing for a battle the heroes had deemed ‘inevitable’. His preference was to give up on the idea of battling entirely, but he wasn’t going to be caught off guard, either.
Still, if Yellow needed something, he was more than welcome.
And so Yellow entered, looking sheepish.
“What’s up, ‘pardner’?”
“Uh, see, I’s just… I been tryin’ to talk to Asgore. Jus’ like everyone else.”
Flowery nodded.
“But, he doesn’t wanna watch no cowboy shows or nuthin’. He doesn’t wanna do anything at all with me, really,” Yellow stammered, taking his hat off and holding it nervously.
“Oh, Yellow…” Flowery didn’t quite know what to say.
“Asgore’s… Asgore’s so great. He’s been nuthin’ but great. So, I was worryin’... If he doesn’t wanna spend time with little ol’ me, then…” Yellow looked at Flowery. He was the taller or the two, but he seemed so small right now. “Did I do somethin’ wrong?”
Flowery winced. “Hey, no, not at all! Yellow, you know-”
“Have… Have I dun’ somethin’ criminell?”
“You couldn’t ever, Yellow. You’re as clean as an apple. Promise.”
“But, then, why… Why wouldn’t he wanna see me?”
“...He…”
“If I’s done nothin’ wrong, but Asgore’s still ignorin’ us, then… Does it mean… Asgore’s… a baddun’?” Yellow gasped. “No, but, he can’t be! Right? Say he ain’t!”
“Yellow, Yellow, it’s-,” Flowery took hold of Yellow’s hands, to try and ground him. “It’s okay. Ah, the truth is…” He sighed. “Even the most wonderful, generous, loving person in the world… will still have flaws.”
“...Oh. I wasn’t knowin’ you had floors, Flowery.”
Flowery blushed slightly. NOT who he was talking about. But, well…
He had teased Raly a little too much, hadn’t he? Hyped himself up plenty. Branded every corner of the dark world with his face, because he loved having a face to call his own, and because he loved to be reminded of it.
…That’s what made him Flowery, right? The good and the bad. A package deal like anyone else.
“Flaws, Yellow. The bits and pieces of people that aren’t always… good, or doing the right thing. Everyone has em’.”
“Like… Everyone’s a criminell…?” Yellow was pouting.
“No, no, no. Think of it like… Most people aren’t 100% innocent or 100% criminal. A lot of people are in between those two. And sometimes, someone can do something bad with good intentions.” He dipped his head. “Or do something good with bad intentions.” Their fountain. Their dream.
“S-so then… How’s I s’posed to know who’s criminell or not?”
“You’ve got to use your own judgement. You know in your purest of hearts what’s right. Even if people are nice to you… it doesn’t mean they’re good. If people are mean to you… it doesn’t always mean they’re bad.” Yellow’s eyes lit up at the last sentence.
“Oh! So, so… Asgore doesn’t have to be bad!”
“Um-”
“He’s doin’ things that feel bad, but I’m trustin’ of him, so it’s gotta be fer a good reason!”
Flowery grimaced. “Yeah.”
“...Did I get it right?”
“I can’t tell you if it’s right, Yellow.” He squeezed Yellow’s hands. “I can tell you what I think, but it’s just my opinion. Proper crimes have evidence, but if you’re trying to judge someone’s character…” He hummed. “You’ve got to trust your gut’s instinct.” He released Yellow’s hands cautiously.
“Well…” Yellow looked at the floor, deep in contemplation. “My gut… My gut’s sayin’ I trust you, Flowery!” He readjusted his hat. “So if you think someone’s deservin’ of punishment, I’ll believe you. An’ if you think they ain’t, I’ll believe that too.”
“Hey, that works for me, Yellow.” Flowery shrugged. “I’ll try and keep us both on the right path!”
“An’ I’ll serve up a real good justice for any proper criminells, promise.”
“I know you will, Yellow. Say hey to Blue for me, ‘k?”
“Sure thing, pal.” Yellow exited, and Flowery was alone again.
Yellow… He didn’t always have faith in his own judgement, but his pursuit of justice was second to none. He wanted to do the right thing more than anyone.
Flowery… felt he was doing the right thing, too. He felt it very, very strongly. Even if the heroes disagreed. His flowers… His friends… His family… They deserved this dream. He’d fight for it to the bittersweet end.
Yellow had such a pure heart. What would he be thinking right now? Even if he was with Blue, Flowery wished badly that he could reassure him. Tell him he’d not done anything wrong.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
He would keep going. Asgore had kept going. The heroes had kept going. He would keep going.
Even now, in the dark, he could feel Asgore’s fingerprints, hear his gentle voice, see his smiling face. Every single day, he would tell them how proud of them he was. How proud of their colours, their blossoms, their cheerful hues he was.
Every new day was another miracle. Every hour still standing was another testament to their love. If they stayed alive, so would their love. That’s what Asgore thought. That’s what Flowery thought. They couldn’t die. He wouldn’t die. Not now.
He refused to die on them. He refused to give up on them. He refused to give up on himself. Keep going, keep going, keep going. It was dark, it was cold, and everything hurt like hell, but he would keep going.
Since the beginning, they were love.
“Ho ho! Hello there, little one. It’s good to see you at last. You certainly kept us waiting.”
Hello. Hello. Kept us waiting.
“Oh, but, it certainly was worth it. What a handsome flower you are. Golden and bright, and every colour I can name shifting under your petals.”
Golden. Handsome flower.
“Your cultivar was a difficult one to get my hands on, hm? Your seeds are quite the biohazard! After all that, I was worried you might not make it. I’m so happy to be proven wrong.”
Cultivar. Make it. Happy. Hands on. Flower. Hands on flower shifting. Happy flower handsome petals.
“...I was hoping to propose at the festival, but these things cannot be rushed, can they?”
Propose.
“Yes, I think she was expecting it, too… Ho ho. We were crowned again. Flower King Asgore and Flower Queen Toriel. She had such an adorable look of anticipation… But all I could do was kiss her hand, and tell her I loved her.”
King Asgore. Queen Toriel. Loved. Golden flower loved.
“Ah, perhaps she looked a little disappointed, but what could I do? Tell her, ‘Sorry, I really would like to marry you, but one of my flowers is a late bloomer’? Ho ho.”
Late bloomer. Flower disappointed her? Sorry. Sorry. Flower sorry.
“Yes, I could have gotten a store-bought bouquet, and timed it all perfectly… But a Flower Queen deserves much better, don’t you think? Something special. Tori… deserves everything.”
King Asgore loved Queen Toriel. Toriel deserves golden handsome flower.
“I cannot wait to see her beautiful, crooked smile tonight. I really hope she loves you as much as I do.”
Loves. Asgore loves golden flower.
“...I am a little nervous. I hope she says yes.”
Asgore propose to Toriel. Asgore and Toriel. Asgore loves Toriel. Asgore deserves Toriel says yes.
“You are… everything I feel about her. My hopes, my dreams, my love for her… You are that. You are my love.”
Flower is love. Flower is everything.
“Come now. Let’s get you in place. You will be the centerpiece of the bouquet… I hope it’s not too much pressure!”
Flower hope not disappointed Asgore. Handsome flower centerpiece. Special flower.
“You will like the other flowers, I think. They are all so wonderful. You will look like one big family together.”
Flowers is wonderful. Flowers is love.
“You’ll complete them… Proud in the middle. Keep them all together for me, alright? Look after them. Keep them safe and strong. Bring out all their colours, and help them shine…”
Flower look after flowers. Flower look after Asgore. Flower help Asgore propose. Flower make Toriel happy.
“My best friend Rudy teased me for it, you know. He thought it was sappy. But Tori really deserves the best.”
Flowers the best. Best friend. Flower Asgore best friend.
“...Perhaps, if things go well… it would be wonderful to keep you healthy for the wedding. I had not thought of it until now. You were just for the proposal, but…”
Wedding.
“Ah! I have been talking far too long, haven’t I? Let me introduce you to the other flowers now, rather than rambling on again…”
Asgore loves flowers. Asgore loves Toriel. King Asgore is flower best friend. Other flowers wonderful. Golden flower special. Golden flower handsome bright special best.
Asgore loves flower.
Flower loves Asgore.
Flowery would live. He would thrive. He would be everything Asgore wanted. He would be more. For Asgore. For everyone. Flowery would never stop trying.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
It didn’t matter.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help again.
Flowery called for help again and again and again.
He would keep calling for as long as it took. He would shout into the darkness until his voice was coarse and brittle and his eyes were stained red with tears and strain. He would believe, and never stop believing, that someone would find him eventually.
And if it didn’t work, he really would crawl. He’d move in any way he could, no matter how impossible, no matter how painful. He would drag himself one-handed across the dirt in search of someone else, anyone.
He would live. He would keep going until the last petal wilted off his face, until his roots were rotten through, until his stem fell apart and he was nothing more than dead cellulose and chlorophyll. And even then, somehow, he would keep going.
Through pure determination, he would keep going.
Because nothing
was stronger
than a flower’s dream.
He called for help. He cried out. Again, and again, and again.
Another wave of pain was hitting him, going straight to his head, but he didn’t care.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
But nobody came.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for help.
Flowery called for h
“I hear somethin’!”
Flowery heard a voice. Someone. He called for help, again.
“Yes, it’s… ah, so hard to make out, but I hear it too…”
Were they that far away? Or was his voice that quiet?
He called out again. As loud as he could. He couldn’t tell if his voice clips were working. He hoped they were.
“I hear it! I can hear it!!”
He cried out to them.
“Uuu, it sounds like-”
A colourful bouquet appeared on the horizon. He saw them first.
But not by a large margin.
“FLOWERY!”
They were running to him. Something flooded his senses. What was it? Relief, satisfaction, weariness? He didn’t know how he looked, but he assumed it wasn’t great. He knew he didn’t sound great.
They were here. They were here.
“Oh my God! Flowery, are you okay?!”
“Feeling just peachy, Seth,” he replied too weakly, too distracted to see the figure bolting towards him.
“Flowery! Uee hee hee, you won!! You won hide ‘n’ seek!”
Aqua tackled Flowery to the floor, and he let out an involuntary groan, wounds burning and hissing, his voice betraying far too much of it.
“AQUA!” Blue gasped, snatching her away from his body. “You mustn’t, dear, you mustn’t-” He turned back to Flowery, grimaced, and snapped his fingers. A pleasant raincloud appeared above him.
It didn’t help much, but it was refreshing. He’d been so thirsty. So he lay there, taking shaky breaths, trying not to worry them. Because he was fine now. Now that they were here, things were okay.
But they all looked so sad.
“C’mon… Smile again, guys. For me…?”
“W-will you be okay? You… you look HURT! Badly!”
“If you’re here, Orange, how could I not be okay?” He craned his neck from the ground to look at her, but Yellow crouched down in front, bringing his eyes closer to Flowery’s.
“Who did this, pardner?” His voice had resolve. Yellow knew a crime when he saw one. “Whou coulda ever dared to hurt you like that? We saw you on the floor, all cut up and stuff… We was so worried…”
“The knight… took Asgore. I tried to go after them, but…”
“So, Susie was right… He really is gone…?”
“We’ll… Get him back.” They had to.
“But, Flowery… How could the Knight beat you?! You’re so strong!! You… you stand up to bullies like that!”
Flowery squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t wanna talk about it right now.”
“Don’t worry about that… Here, just, um, try and sit up? Aqua, you’ve got to be gentle, okay?”
“Okay! I’ll play with Yellow instead!”
“Huh?- Oof!”
Aqua tumbled into Yellow, clambering up his torso, and he stood up, entertaining her for a moment.
Seth offered a hand out, and Flowery took it, prying himself back off the floor, gritting teeth all the while. “You’re still healing, huh?” They adjusted their glasses. “I don’t know how light world injuries work in the dark world…”
Flowery felt something at his side. Green. They’d been so quiet. Of course they were here, though. They knelt beside him, eyes kind and sad, arms held open for him. So he leaned into them, resting his head on their shoulder. His torso relaxed almost immediately, no longer having to support its own weight.
“Thanks,” he murmured. Then, turning to Seth again, “Me neither. Though, I… I can’t… Walk, right now, heh.”
He said it quietly, but Blue still heard. “Fret not, Flowery. You shall bounce back, I am certain…” Flowery smiled, but only faintly. Blue continued, “This body of yours may not be as quick on its feet, may not dance again, but… The ego persists. You persist, Flowery. That’s all that matters to us.”
“Yeah!” Yellow added. “You's done so much for us. Even if you were just a regular ol’ flower, we’d still want you around.”
While they’d been talking, Green had taken a hand to Flowery’s head, delicately running their fingers through his hair. It was soothing. Comforting. He nodded, wearily but assured.
“Uuu, Flowery! Flowery’s crying! Are we playing crying game?”
Wait, no. “Aqua, I’m not-”
Green wiped a thumb across one of his cheeks. It was damp.
“Ah.”
“HEY!! You… you stop that, Flowery! Tears are for a weddings-day, right? Remember?” Orange hopped onto his lap, her own eyes threatening to well up.
“Orange…” Now he was aware of it, he could hear a waver in his voice. “I’m happier than a marriage right now.” He really meant it.
Green shifted carefully, so as not to aggravate his injuries, and wrapped two arms around him into a hug. It was soft, and warm, and he melted into it, almost embarrassingly so. One by one, he felt the other flowers join in. Wrapping him tight, holding him close.
It was as though all the pain and agony in the world had vanished.
He hugged them back as best he could. How much he owed to them. How much they meant to him. Metrics he couldn’t even fathom.
How much he needed them.
Maybe he could help them, support them, but he was nothing without them. And they loved him so much, and he loved them more than anything. More than… more than Asgore. More than the entire world.
Flower loved flowers.
Wonderful, wonderful flowers.
To the very end, they were love.