"H-how did you get here?"
Aofil feels their smile widen, "Oh, I just walked here," they answer, "Just a nice afternoon stroll, you know?"
The flower looks around, clearly confused about what's going on. It seems to have also confused Aofil for Chara. Why a monster would know of Chara's name is interesting to say the least. Very interesting to be closer. It said that it was Chara's best friend too.
Very, very interesting.
"Walked?" the flower cocks its...head? It clearly got a face, a quivering, confused, and most importantly, scared face. It's probably well aware how weak it is compared to a human such as Aofil. Great, so it knows its place. Maybe Aofil can ask it some questions about the other monsters. Not for now though, they're gonna enjoy playing with their prey for a while.
"Yeah, I walked," Aofil answers again, "Went from home to here."
"Home?" the flower coughs out violently, "You mean, with our parents? Do they know about you?" the flower lowers its head, averting its gaze as tears starts to form in its eyes, "Do they know about me?" it asks hesitantly.
"Haven't seen your parents."
Aofil isn't lying.
"What about the other child? Frisk? I...I didn't replace you, if that's what you're thinking. It's just," the flower swallows hard as it stumbles on its words. Aofil raises an eyebrow, and beads of sweat starts oozing out of the flower's face.
"Just what?" Aofil pries, making sure to sound as disappointed as possible.
"I..."
Aofil hardens their gaze.
"I've missed you so much!" the flower cries out. Tears are flooding the ground below it. Its sobs echo throughout the empty homes and forest. The pained breathing are nothing short of pathetic.
Aofil scoffs.
What an absolute crybaby.
Aofil should just kill it. One less crybaby in the world, and better yet, one less monster in the world. It's just in their way at this point. Keeping it alive could be more valuable though. It seems to have bonded with Chara, and also seems to believe Aofil to be Chara. That could prove useful. Perhaps Aofil can get some information out of it. If not, then Aofil will at the very least enjoy playing with it for a while before they kill it. Does it even know that Chara has died? Obviously not, how else would it have mistaken Aofil for their twin.
The flower catches Aofil looking down on the silhouetted shape in the wilted flower patch, "I-is that why you're here?" it asks in between its sobs, "Your dead twin?"
Aofil snaps their head towards the flower. Twin? Chara's twin? Aofil? Is it...is it their silhouette in the flowers? No...can't be.
"S-sorry if that sounded harsh, C-Chara. I'm," the flower looks down at its stem, "I'm not used to talking to anyone that I actually care about. Please," the flower grits its teeth hard and closes its eyes equally as hard, "forgive me."
As the flower tries to hold in the awful sounding sobs it produces, Aofil turns back to the outline of a child in the almost rotten flower patch right next to them. Is it them? Is it their own shape? They're alive though. How is it even possible? What about Chara then? Are they still alive? Where then? In the Underground?
How else could they have come in contact with this monster? What did it mean by 'our parents'? Did Aofil have a second sibling? Did they have a monster? This monster? A flower?
"Our parents," Aofil says carefully, "Where are they? Who are they?"
The flower's sobs stop as soon as it hears the question. It glances over silently. Fear stretching over its face like a rubber fabric about to burst, "You," it leans back, "you don't remember? About Toriel? Asgore?"
Aofil doesn't shake their head, nor do they nod. They just move it back to the shape underneath them.
Those names aren't of their own parents. Aofil does faintly recognize the names though. From where though? Aofil puts their hand up to their forehead. They rub it as they think. Toriel. Asgore. They swear they've heard those names before, but from where?
Their eyes shoot wide open.
The paper! They've read something about those names. Something important. Asgore and Toriel were a couple. An important couple.
"The king and queen!" Aofil exclaims while snapping their fingers. Yes, the king and queen of the monsters!
A long sigh of relief bursts out of the flower, "Oh good, you remember, Chara. I guess you came back akin to how I did. Not remembering is pretty scary, but I'll help you remember all the good times we had. It'll be just like before, Chara. We'll be best friends again!" the flower summons a smile so bright it could be renamed a sunflower. The smile fades a bit though, and the flower scratches one of its petals with its leaf, "Why are you an adult though?"
"What do you mean?"
"I...maybe your human souls continued to age, or something? I don't know. It doesn't really matter to me. I'm fine with you being whatever age. You should be stronger now , right? Since you're an adult now, and all that. I remember you saying that you could easily wipe the entire Underground out if you wanted when we were about to sleep one night. It was a bit...weird."
Aofil cocks their head.
The sudden tilt sends a ripple through the flower. It bites its lips while staring at Aofil. Almost as if cowering under Aofil's presence. Which is good, as it's supposed too be cowering.
"Hahaha," the flower laughs unconvincingly, "I didn't mean weird as in you being weird, just that what you said kinda came out of left field, you know? We had just come back from the training with the old turtle, Gerson, and you just spurted that out. I know you'd never do it, never without a very good reason, that is. Are…are you planning on doing it now? I'm with you if you want."
The flower waits for Aofil to answer, but Aofil just keeps their eyes hardened, and their head tilted to the side. The flower starts shaking more and more with each passing second, until it finally bursts into a wide and crooked smile fueled by the deepest fear Aofil can imagine. Which again, is absolutely fantastic. If it's this easy to make the monsters cower, then Aofil is gonna have no problem putting the rest of the monsters under their boot, where they belong.
If Aofil has put two and two together correctly, then it appears that Chara had some form of relationship with Toriel and Asgore. The queen and king of the Underground. With Aofil being their twin and all, perhaps they can utilize their likeness. Aofil, ruler of the Underground. It has a nice ring to it. Aofil might be biased, but if you're the ruler, you're allowed to.
Would Aofil want to rule over such a weak race though? Probably not.
"I'm behind you if you want to," the flower reminds, "I'm always behind you, Chara. You just say the word, and I'll do it. Just like before. It'll be just like before! Mom, dad, there's no one that I'll allow to stand in your way. You're the only one I care about in this miserable world, Chara. You and me, no one else. No one else to tell us what do to. You don't even have to make me Asriel again. If you want me to be like this, then I'll be like this. For you, I'll be anyone, and I'll always be your best friend."
Aofil raises an eyebrow at that promise, "Anyone?"
"Yes!" the flower nods ecstatically, "Anyone!"
"Even me?"
The flower freezes, "Y-y-you?" it sputters after a couple of short chokes of its words.
"Show me who Chara was while living with you and Toriel and Asgore," Aofil demands loud and clear. Should give them a bit of an insight into how much Chara meant to the freaking king and queen of the Underground! Aofil's gonna have such a great hand to play when the trial arrives.
The flower's eyes beads left and right, "Y-you mean while you were living with Asriel and his parents?"
"Sure!" Aofil shrugs, "Show me Asriel too. Show me the entire family!"
The flower is hesitant. Its face has frozen in a baffled expression. Aofil throws their arms out sideways, "Well?" they ask, making sure to sound very impatient.
"I-If it's w-what you want, then alright. I'll show you. I h-haven't really tried to do more than one before, and I-"
The flower catches a glimpse of Aofil furrowing their brow.
"B-but for you I'll do anything, Chara!"
Aofil moves their arms towards their chest, crossing them. They stare in surprised wonder as twisted vines start growing up from the soil. The vines aren't like the yellow wilted ones on the houses though, they're thick and green. Just as thorny though, but looking way healthier than the others. They move as if possessed. Is this what magic can do? Aofil has to admit that it's more than they fathomed a monster could do.
Not enough to scare them, but enough to lift a pair of surprised eyebrows.
The flower's face is coiled in deep focus. Its tongue is hanging out as thick drops of sweat run over its face, hanging off its petals for just a moment, and then being shaken away as the flower bounces from its efforts. With each new vine that pops up, its eyes narrow more and more. It's taking a lot out of the flower to create whatever it is doing. If Aofil were to attack now it wouldn't stand a chance.
It's not long before a wall has been erected before Aofil. A wall of green stems trickled with sharp thorns. They sway back and forth in rhythm with the flower trying to catch its breath.
"I," the flower takes a deep breath, "I just need a second to catch my breath. It's hard enough doing for one."
"Take your time," Aofil says. This is becoming really interesting, and they can't help but be curios how it'll look like.
The flower gasps lightly, "T-thanks," it says, relieved, and a bit...proud. Or is it just more relief? Aofil can't tell exactly, but it did sound like Aofil said the first piece of encouragement for a long time for that flower monster.
A couple of seconds later, as the yellow flower takes one final big inhale of air, the vines start bending. Moving through each other, like knots, and shaping four distinct figures out of the vines.
The first shape to form is a small one. Childlike in size, but not a human child. The figure has, what appears to be, a muzzle, and large ears that go from the top of the forming head, all the way down to the appearing chin. Two arms, and two legs.
Next to it forms another small figure. This one more human in its facial feature. To Aofil, it's like seeing a hedge clipping with them as a child for the model.
Behind the two children there is made two large figures. Well, one large, and one enormous. The large one is formed first, with a similar muzzle and pair of ears as the first child. A pair of horns, soft almost, are protruding from its head. The enormous one is almost as wide as the rest of the figures combined. It towers over the large one by at least a head. Its horns are much longer than the large one.
A winded gasp shifts Aofil's focus back down to the flower.
"D-done!" it says, and immediately after gasping greedily for air.
"Neat."
"W-why did you want me to do this, Chara?"
Aofil doesn't hear the question. They just thought of something.
"How did they all sound?"
The flower peeks out from behind the green figures, "W-what?"
"Can you imitate the voices too? I mean, it should be magic for you too, right? I want to hear how they all sound, please."
The flower is a bit hesitant. It narrows its eyes towards Aofil, as if waiting for Aofil to smile and call it all a joke. Aofil's dead serious though. If this monster can imitate sounds too, they might have an unbelievable advantage. If it can imitate the king and queen of the monsters… Aofil's mind starts spinning with possibilities.
"Go on!" they encourage, eager to hear.
"O-okay then, I guess."
Wait…how will Aofil know if it's the real voices of the king and queen. It might be bluffing, and-
"Howdy, I'm Chara."
That's-
"Was it too much?" the flower asks with its head sunk into its shoulders.
Aofil can't believe their ears. They have to hear it again, "Say that again."
"You sure?"
Aofil nods, "Yes."
The flower clears its throat, and the human child collection of vines takes a step forward.
"Howdy, I'm Chara," it says.
With the same voice Aofil had.
Did...did Chara sound the same too? Not only a perfect copy of Aofil visually, but auditory as well. Did Chara act the same as Aofil too? Would it all have been the same if they switched places?
"Are you okay, Chara?" the flower asks with its own voice, "You look a bit pale. Not pale as in…" it averts its eyes while gritting its teeth, "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Aofil notices on their hand that their color has indeed faded quite a bit. They feel it too. To hear their own voice coming from that figure, how it's made out of twisted vines, yet still recognizable, it's a lot for Aofil to take in. That's not even factoring in that it's representing their long gone twin. Aofil's surprised that they're not white as a ghost, if not paler.
The last drops of color still left inside their skin can be chalked up to Aofil now being sure that whatever voice the flower uses for the king and queen will be the right ones. If they can nail Chara's perfectly, then it should nail the king and queen perfectly. Aofil just have to play along.
"Did I bring up some bad memories by doing that, Chara?" the flower asks while slowly building up the courage to look back over to Aofil, "S-sorry if I did. I shouldn't have done it. I should've known that this would happen. I felt just the same when I came back. I could've prevented the same fear I felt. You haven't had time to get used to it, but I have," the figures start unraveling, "I'll get these away from you now."
"No."
The vines stop unraveling, leaving the four figures in an almost melted state that's a bit disturbing for Aofil to look at.
"Bring them back," they say, indicating their request with a nonchalant wave of their hand.
"B-but you-"
"Just do it! I want to hear the rest too."
The figures regain their shapes as the vines retract to form them again. This time the child next to Chara steps forward.
"Howdy, I'm Asr-"
The flower looks down, and the child marionette it's controlling slumps over, along with the rest of the other chassis of coppice. The flower sighs heavily before puppeteering the vines again. The thicket filled bodies slither back to an upwards position. The vines strain as they're tensed, and the sound makes Aofil a bit uncomfortable.
"I'm Asriel," the child figure next to Chara says, "Your best friend."
Aofil nods, and the figure takes a step back.
The larger one behind it puts its arms crossed vertically over its body, "Greetings, I am Toriel," it says warmly, "It's been long, my child."
Child?
Aofil looks over to the flower with their brow narrowed in surprise, "What?" they mouth to it.
"S-sorry," the flower says, not realizing that it's also moving the mouth of its puppets. They all mouthed just like he did, like possessed entities.
Granted, they are quite literally possessed. Didn't stop it from being creepy though. Both the vines, and the way they moved all the mouths simultaneously.
Finally, the enormous one speaks, "Greetings, human. I am Asgore, king of the Underground."
The low and booming voice coming from it almost shakes loose Aofil's sinuses. They dry off what leaked out with the sleeve of their shirt. Some dust gets stuck in their nose from their sleeve arm, and they turn around quickly to shoot it out as quickly as possible.
A loud and unnaturally fast mixture of creaking wood and cracking plants forces Aofil to turn their head back around to see what the hell it was that could produce such sound. What they find is nothing. The figures are gone, it's only the flower left. It's heaving heavily, breathing deeply in, and exhaling just as deeply.
"D-did I do good, Chara?" it asks after swallowing hard, "Was it good?"
"Sure," Aofil runs their finger underneath their nose to get the last snot away, "It was good."
"I'm glad that you liked it, Chara. Although it was a bit creepy hearing you wanting to hear your own voice. Is it because yours now sound so-"
"Watch it!" Aofil growls, shutting the mouth of the flower with a scared squeak.
"S-sorry. Still t-trying to w-wrap my head around t-talking to someone I actually w-want to talk with."
"Just keep that in mind, alright?" Aofil asks with a small smile, "I'm your best friend, after all. Aren't I?"
"Y-yes! You are!"
Aofil is gonna be able work this monster like a yoyo. Aw man! This is gonna be amazing! As soon as the pastor comes back, Aofil is gonna start recording evidence against the monsters. They have the voice of the king and queen at their disposal. Ain't no chance in hell, or the Underground, that the monsters are gonna even get the slightest chance in the upcoming trial.
"H-how are you alive, Chara?"
Aofil's ears perk to the point of them almost flying off their head, "What?"
"H-how are you alive?"
"I got better," Aofil answers with a smile.
The flower laughs, but Aofil can tell that it is a plastered one, "Yeah, good one. I guess you don't really want to talk about it."
"Not really, no."
"Alright," the flower nods, "T-that's fine, I don't really like to talk about when I c-came back. The important part is that you're here, and that I'm here, and that we can be best friends again! You and me, Chara."
Aofil nods in rhythm with the flower, "You and me."
The flower looks around, "So, um, is this where you live now, Chara?"
Aofil follows the flower's glance with their own, "No, no. I lived here before. Thought I would visit, and then I ran into you."
"Yeah," the flower smiles warmly, "that you did."
"Do you want to follow me back home?" Aofil proposes while pointing over yonder towards their town, "I have some things I want to discuss with you."
"Yes! There's nothing more I want to do!" the flower exclaims happy as can be.
"You think I can carry you home in a pot or something? To keep your existence a bit lowkey. I got some plans ahead, and I need you to be my ace up my sleeve."
"S-sure!" the flower agrees, although Aofil can hear it not being as ecstatic as it makes itself out to be."
"Great, then let's go, um..."
"Flowey," the flower fills in, "I'm Flowey now. U-unless you want to call me Asriel. Like I s-said, both are fine with me."
"Flowey, ey?" Aofil says while looking to the side to let the name sink in.
Flowey.
What a stupid name.