Chapter 8: Whispers.
Frisk had kept walking.
Her legs moved, her mind blank. A zombie to her own jittery body. If she sat still surely it would all come crashing down.
She'd been mulling over her feelings. Over and over.
This internal dilemma had almost felt worse than when someone attacked her soul. She had no Determination for this. She wanted to help others…but now… what had happened with Sans…it had complicated things.
Why was love so hard?
She stopped. She took in her surroundings. Darkness. Lots of it. Perhaps a path in the Waterfall she hadn't found before?
She'd ended up in the middle of … nowhere?
Maybe she'd taken a wrong turn… she hadn't recalled any of this. Or maybe it was simply too dark here. Strangely there wasn't' many plants to lead the way.
She sighed. She'd find her way back sooner or later.
Perhaps a bit more alone time was what she needed.
Sans probably hated her.
He probably thought she didn't like it or something.
Friendship was one thing. Being kind was natural.
Knowing how to handle the feeling of her heart pressing against her chest. Her soul crumbling at the thought of losing a friend. Her head spinning with the angst of her own indecision and confusion. Her heart was on fire, and yet at the same time felt as if it was melting.
And now it was bouncing between her throat and the pit of her stomach.
"It could have been much easier you know…"
Frisk stood up. "Who is there?"
"Don't you remember… he, he, he…."
She turned around and looked down.
"It's me … Flowey."
"You-you attacked me when I first came here…"
"I was merely warning you of what was to come…but then again…you never did let it come did you…you ran away from your task…your journey… some Determination you have…."
"It wasn't worth hurting someone."
"And yet you just did?" .
Frisk felt her knees faulter… again.
"Oh, oh but don't get all bent up about it… I would hate to send you down that route…" Flowey rolled his eyes.
"Route?"
"Oh, yes, didn't you know? Sans is not the only one who can see how things might change. In fact, I've lived all possible endings… all but this lovely path which had decidely sprung up when he intervened."
"How?" Frisk stepped backwards.
"Ah, ah, not yet."
She looked down and saw a vine twist around her ankle. Its grasp was a bit harsh. It rubbed into her skin. She didn't remember this before…
She looked back up at the flower with wide eyes.
"You see when all the monsters are interested in one specific human, they don't seem to notice when other humans fall into our pit of despair. I may have managed to consume a soul…but nobody seemed to notice, so it was a temporary form of entertainment as of late…." Flowey's face turned into a diabolical twisted smile. "But you see… then I started to wonder… I have seen that route…all those souls..."
He took her silence as a sign to continue.
"So I let this whole new thing pan out. This new fun avenue. I even tried to get her back but then again…"
"Her?" Frisk asked while silently trying to push away.
"DoN't teMpT mE- you can go find the little BoNeS in my little FLoWER BeD over in the ruins if you'd like?!"
The vice on her ankle tightened. Frisk bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. It had been years since she'd fought. Defended herself. Tried to escape.
"Ahem…Oh her, yes her. But you see, I tried. But then that busy body of bones got in the way… I even whispered to you, doubts about him…tried to show you he was a route manipulator just like me…and then of course it all backfired…"
"Just- I don't want to fight…"
"Oh please of course, give me mercy…." She felt another vine grasp her hand before she could try anything. And another. She was now merciless to this monster's grasp.
"And I don't remember hearing you whisper anything…you're just trying to pull something…"
"Ah, you see…still no anger. You look so much like her and yet so different…it was fun…for a while…oh believe me I even considered resetting again, but what is the fun in that unless I see this whole timeline out…"
"Who-"
"Ah, Chara of course. You see we were good friends, long before I was…this. Almost siblings…but a human and a monster can't be. And I knew that…it wasn't until she was gone, I realized I didn't just admire her…"
"Another…human?"
"Oh, oh, he, he, he! So much to learn! So, much that you haven't been told. And I tried to tempt you. I even wanted you to see your blue-eyed friend was a bold-faced liar. I tried to show you that I could be the one you really wanted on your side but no, every little hint wasn't direct enough. Whispering into your ear at night not to trust him and instead you end up making out with the bone head…"
"Whispering at night…?" Frisk felt her stomach lurch. Her dreams. Did they haunt her because she was looking for affirmation for her feelings? Or was this monster making her doubt Sans…and she had fallen for it? She wondered how much longer she could handle this. She closed her eyes. She was looking for her Determination….but after all that happened today…she just -
"Oh, but if this is going to end up disappointing … I assumed the direct approach was more… fun." Flowey's neck twisted up to her ear and whispered. "I can't feel. I've tried. But hate I can feel. L.O.V.E. I could feel. Love I could not. So, then I wondered… If I longed for the love I felt for Chara…perhaps you could help me…"
Frisk felt a tongue rise up the nape of her neck.
"You see in this new route; mercy isn't an option. And you've just hurt the only person who knew you were around here…so … shall we?"