Chapter Text
all flowers start as seeds. all seeds must bloom to be called flowers. the funny thing about flowers is no matter how much time you take to care for them, no matter how many stories of great knights against evil dragons you may tell them, no matter how many songs you may sing, no matter how many times you may water them, not even the power of seven suns could stop flowers from doing the one thing they all do oneday.
all flowers wither away and rot, into the soil they become one with the earth allowing more to bloom after them. some may live for what seem like forever, some are powered by dreams, some not so lucky. in the end though, no matter how hard they may try, how hard their caretakers may be, all flowers will die oneday.
susie enters the flower king, glancing around for any sign of anyone. seeing nobody she closes the door behind her and starts looking around the place. picking up any large pot and checking under it, still finding nothing she checks the register. searching around the dusty sides of it and right under it, she lifts it up slowly, trying not to break it. her hands shake a little under the metal from how hard shes trying not to break it, that is until someone opens the door. she drops the register and vaults over the desk before hiding behind a rather large potted plant, she peaks over it to see berdly who looks to be panicing, holding out his book and waving it around as he shakes like a leaf.
"whos- whos in here?! im not afffraid to use this! 700 pages!"
he shouts walking over to the now fallen register. susie shifts slightly behind the pot causing it to move forward a little, catching berdly's attention. he quickly lunges at the pot and starts kicking his leg near the pot, making oddly aggressive "hya" sounds as he does so, even if its meant to be scary its still weirdly to aggressive for someone whos just flailing their leg about. susie suddenly jumps out from the pot and holds berdly against the wall, holding her hand over his mouth.
"you're gonna stay quiet, alright?"
berdly nods quickly as susies grip gets stronger around his beak.
"you know where the keys to the back are?"
he nods once again, dropping his book as susie pins his wings to the wall, turning his head to the side so she can do so.
"you know how to press flowers?"
he nods for the final time before susie suddenly drops him.
"then come on dork."
he quickly gets up and runs to the door.
"who said i would?! its the end of the line susan! i won't let you steal asgores money and kill his flowers! your tyranny is over once and for all!"
susie freezes, fear slowly melting into confusion.
"i wasn't trying to do like- any of that. like at all. im like tryna save his cool ones."
"and how am i supposed to believe that?!"
berdly quickly interjects. susie raises her hands in mock defeat before looking away, trying to hide her smirk as she lies through her teeth.
"why else would i have asked you? if i was trying to destroy them, why would i ask.."
she pauses, trying not to bite her own tongue off at the words shes about to say.
"the smartest guy in hometown..to help me press flowers to preserve them for asgore.. i, the "brute" would have just broken the door down and eaten the flowers if i really wanted to cause such...whatever you just said"
berdly suddenly stands up straight at susies boost to his ego, he fixes his glasses, smirking.
"oh of course! i'd be a fool, it's such a jest for me to assume you would think you could trick me into doing something so horrid!"
susie waves him off, dragging him to the other door.
"then jest via getting the damn door open."
berdly then pulls a key out his pocket and opens the door.
"ok so i've had clear orders from asgore to press the gold one first."
"i thought you said this was a gift to preserve them, like you did this via your own orders."
"thats what i said"
she said walking to the flowers before freezing. a hot, firey feeling shoots up her spine as her fingers suddenly feel cooler, her heart beats in her ears as she looks opon the seven flowers. all but flowery, each and every other one, wilted, dead, gone. before berdly can question whats wrong, susies already out the flower king, clutching the glass cases against her chest, trying her hardest not to cry, not the drop them, not to let them down.
she practically breaks down the door to the school as she rushes in and dives headfirst into castletown. she doesn't open her eyes instantly, keeping them squeezed shut for a moment longer as she lays on the ground; but when she does.
she covers her mouth and shoves herself backwards, her nails dig into the side of her mouth, maybe the stop her from throwing up or maybe to stop herself from crying.
corpses, six corpses of what used to be 'humans'. pale, almost gray skin replacing the original vibrant colors of them. bodies that were once so full of life now laying there in a way that only ones with it missing lay.
susie opens her mouth, trying to scream for help, for anyone, but the words refuse to leave her throat as tears begin to pour down her face.
she reaches out her hand just barely, wishing she could just pick them up and they'd be ok.
she wishes. she prays. she begs.
her thoughts are then cut off by a sound, coughing, faintly. so quiet, then followed by movement.
"what 'n carnation..?"
yellow says outloud, adjusting his hat as he stands up. susie stares in shock as yellow looks around, before looking down at blue. panic instantly hits yellow to his knees. he grabs onto blue and starts shaking the wilted flower, crying out.
"blue?! blue! blue what happened tew yah?!"
susie slowly comes closer as yellow holds the other flower to his chest, crying. before susie can say anything, a butterfly comes out of seemingly thin air, landing onto blues face almost like a mask.
--
berdly carefully sets the golden flower in his book before slamming it shut. he doesn't have the proper supplies to really press it at the moment so he makes due with what he has. he carries the book over to where he saw susie run. he enters the school, scanning the area for where susie could have gone. he sees the open door of the closet and heads to it.
"susan..?"
he calls, peeking his head in before taking a step in. the ground 'disappears' under his feet as he suddenly falls.
"uuu, alive and dead! alive and dead!"
aqua exclaims, spinning around the other five flowers as they try to get their bearings. they dont have much time to do so, as berdly hits the ground. the others look over to berdly, seeing hes not alone. the same golden flower lays beside berdly, looking rather rough compared to the others. green is the first one to step forewarn, helping berdly up. berdly stares at the dull green of the person who helped him up, shock clear on his face. before he can ask them anything they're already picking up flowery, flowery doesn't say anything, he just wraps his arms around green as his legs go limp.
--
ralsei looks up in shock at the sight of the flowers, seemingly dead, but alive and well infront of him.
"so..."
susie starts, swaying back and forth on her heels.
"how?"
she asks pointing at the seven as berdly awkwardly steps away from them and beside susie. ralsei raises his hands, trying to come up with an explanation.
"uhm.. maybe them dying makes them objects? letting them, do..this?"
ralsei looks over at flowery, whos being held by green still, just barely conscious. he lets out a sign, grimacing slightly at the thought of having to give up his room.
"i'll get the rooms ready, for now just drop flowery off in my room."
he said vaugly pointing in the direction of where his room is, leaning against the cauldron in the center of the castle.
after the seven including susie leave, ralsei looks over at berdly.
"you have any disinfectant?"