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Toriel’s out of hiding.
Alphys got with Undyne.
Papyrus helps Asgore with his garden.
Mettaton’s back with his family.
Whimsun’s got a small circle of friends.
Snowdrake reunited with his father.
Temmie’s off to college.
Tsunderplane started being more forward.
Muffet’s business is thriving.
Knight Knight’s finally gets rest now.
Everyone is happy.
Everyone.
He’s done this twice now to make sure. This is the happy ending. What is he missing? Everyone has met him by now. He should be happy.
You should be happy, Flowey.
What is he missing? He’s reread every book, just to make sure he isn’t missing some hint. Some big, important, obvious clue. Has there been anyone who’s been in his position? He needs something new. He’s done everything. Everything.
Right?
“FLOWERY?”
Flowey turned back to Papyrus, who had various tools and materials in his pouch.
“OH, IT IS YOU!” Papyrus walked past the trees, going closer to his friend, “WELL, I SUPPOSE THERE ARE NO OTHER GOLDEN FLOWERS IN SNOWDIN. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW, ANOTHER MAY SPRING UP AT ANY POINT!!”
…
“...ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU’RE NOT NORMALLY THIS SILENT!”
Flowey looks at Papyrus, still not saying anything.
Papyrus sits down next to him, putting his bag in his lap, “I’M TAKING THAT AS A ‘NO’, BUT CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG!”
Silence.
Papyrus glances away for a second, seeming a bit nervous. There’s no reason to be, he’s just comforting his friend!
“UM. WELL, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR ME TALK?”
No.
“I’LL TAKE THAT AS A YES!”
Flowey immediately tuned him out. He knows what Papyrus is up to today already. He knows that Papyrus is off to try out a new puzzle design- one with Xs and Os. He may no longer be trying to be a sentry, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still help! That’s what Papyrus is probably saying, anyway. He said it last time. They all just keep saying the same things, over and over. They're all the same. Nothing new.
Papyrus tapped Flowey lightly, “FLOWEY?”
“You said it right.”
“WHAT?”
“My name.”
“WELL, YES. I ALWAYS DO. BUT ANYWAYS, WHAT SEEMS TO BE TROUBLING YOU? YOU SEEMED VERY… NOT-THERE WHEN I WAS TALKING. WHICH IS NEVER THE CASE, YOU’RE ALWAYS SO ENTHRALLED IN- HEY! YOU’RE DOING IT AGAIN!!!”
Whatever.
“Papyrus.”
“YES?”
“Do you ever shut up?”
Papyrus paused for a moment, “WOULD SHUTTING UP HELP YOU FEEL BETTER?”
Flowey looked up at Papyrus for a moment, then looked away with a more frustrated expression, “You can’t help me.”
“I’M SURE I COULD!”
“You can’t .”
“ARE YOU HAVING A BAD DAY? I CAN HELP WITH THAT!”
“I don’t want to hear this again.”
“BUT I’VE NEVER SAID THIS TO YOU!! EVER! I HAVE BRAND NEW ADVICE FOR YOU!!!!!”
That’s impossible. But, just in case…
Flowey saves, reaching out to something Papyrus can’t see, “ Fine . Go ahead.”
Papyrus fiddled with the straps of his bag, “OKAY, WELL… RIGHT!! YOU- YOU’VE DONE A WHOLE LOT!” “I know.” “YOU KNOW!! GOOD. THAT MAKES THIS EVEN QUICKER TO EXPLAIN!”
Papyrus clears his non-existent throat, “YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF!”
Don’t.
“YOU’VE MADE EVERYONE SO HAPPY!!”
Small white bullets pushed Papyrus away, inflicting a little bit of damage, "Shut up."
“WHAT-? I THOUGHT…”
“I don’t need to know how happy everyone else is!” Vines sprout up from the ground, “ I’m not! ” The vines wrap around Papyrus, “All I want is to feel something! Anything!” Papyrus is saying something- “I’ve helped all of you just to get a taste of what you all feel!”
The vines lift Papyrus up, “I can’t even get that! While you all-” -the vines slam down- “-get to live happily , I’m still stuck like this!”
The grip of the vines loosen, “I’m still…”
Papyrus’ bones ache.
“...empty.”
“I’M…” Flowey looks up at Papyrus, beginning to process what his vines were doing, “I’M SURE DR.ALPHYS COULD HELP YOU WITH THAT!”
Flowey lets out a small laugh, “You think I haven’t tried that? Are you serious?” “I- WELL-” “Do you think I’m stupid?” The vines tighten, “I JUST WAS SUGGESTING-”
“I know what you were suggesting! I’ve tried it! I’ve tried it all!”
“-WAIT-”
“You know what happened? She failed!”
“-STOP-”
“She couldn’t find one single thing that even slightly worked! She even tried to make me a new soul!”
“I COULD-”
“You’re all useless!”
Papyrus lets out a pained sound.
“I change all of your lives, and for what?”
His voice gets louder and louder,
“For you all to enjoy what I gave you while I just-”
Crack.
"-Watch!?"
Crunch. Silence follows.
A cloud of dust covers Flowey’s vines.
What?
Is he dreaming? What is this feeling? Dread? Is that what it felt like? Is he really feeling it?
Flowey blinks- oh God, he has dust in his eyes. It’s all over him. Papyrus is almost indiscernible from the snow now. He’s everywhere.
He…
Flowey can go back. He can just…
Papyrus has the straps of his bag in his hands again, sitting still. He blinks, looks back over at Flowey for a moment, then looks away again.
“OKAY, WELL…” This pause is longer, or maybe it just feels longer, “RIGHT. YOU’VE DONE A LOT FOR EVERYONE!” Papyrus pauses for a second, looking down at Flowey, “AND- UM. I’M SURE YOU… KNOW THAT… ALREADY,”
Papyrus keeps talking. Flowey’s looking at him, sure, but he’s not hearing him. That was horrifying. But when did he last feel horrified? It’s wrong, but he’s already done everything the right way. It was something new. It was what Flowey needed, wasn’t it? And he could undo it. He just did .
“-SO, THAT’S WHY YOU SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF YOURSELF, EVEN IF IT DOESN’T FEEL AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD LOGICALLY! AND- AND YOU SHOULD REACH OUT TO US IF YOU WANT ANY HELP WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU’VE DONE A WHOLE LOT FOR US!!! UM…” Papyrus looks back over at Flowey, “...I THINK THAT’S ALL! DOES THAT HELP?”
“FLOWEY?”
Flowey’s gaze has shifted. His dust did blend in well with the snow.
“ARE YOU FEELING BETTER?”
…
No one will know.