Author's Apologies: I... just really, really, really hated what I did originally and it all felt wrong and I thought, it will be okay once you get past it but it didn't. And then what I did to fix it, posting a chapter I originally scrapped... That just made it WORSE. And it built up and up... So I deleted them both. For now.

Let's try this again

...

..

.

"Howdy!"

Papyrus stopped mid-stride at the sound of that cheerful voice and immediately... Well, if he'd had any insides to start tearing him up, they would have started to tear him up. Instead there was a tightening sensation of magic in his ribcage. He turned around, trying to seem unshaken.

"FLOWEY, MY FRIEND, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"

Flowey tilted his head and hummed.

"Not the greatest actually." The flower admitted, except then he lifted his head again and offered Papyrus his best smile. "But I have just the idea to cheer everybody up."

"Don't trust him", she had said, no, had begged. But this all had to be one huge misunderstanding. She hadn't thought she could get around Undyne afterall, but she had. She hadn't thought they could make friends either, but look at all of them now. Phone conversations, joking, giving advice.

But still... The way she spoke about Undyne had always been.. sorta sad. The desperation when she spoke about Flowey, though-

"Well arentcha going to ask me what that idea is?" Flowey prompted and Papyrus realized he had been staring a bit too long. "Man, Papyrus what's wrong? You look, I dare say, confused and uncertain. That's not anything like the Papyrus I know. Come on, we're friends, you can tell me."

"RIGHT. WE ARE FRIENDS." Papyrus agreed. Flowey raised a brow. "UH, YOU SEE. NOW, I DON'T MEAN TO SOUND LIKE I DOUBT THAT FACT. WE ARE FRIENDS. BUT, UM, IT IS JUST THAT IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT WHILE WE ARE FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS WHO ARE MY FRIENDS ARE NOT FRIENDS." Flowey took a moment to work through that statement but once he had, his smile returned.

"Hee hee hee, you're so funny Papyrus. Anybody whose your friend is a friend of mine!"

"RIGHT! OF COURSE. BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE FOR MY NEWEST FRIEND. THE.. THE HUMAN."

Flowey made a little 'ah' sound before seeming to make himself more comfortable as he quickly went to explain,

"Well I must admit I probably didn't make the best first impression."

"OR THE SECOND OR THIRD." Papyrus pointed out. Flowey arched a brow again and eyed Papyrus suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that?"

"... YOU SEE, THE HUMAN, NOW I DO NOT MEAN TO IMPLY YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT I TRUST THE HUMAN TOO, SO.. WELL THE HUMAN SAID SHE WENT TO SEE THE KING AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO LET HER GO. BUT THAT YOU... YOU HURT HIM. AND THEN KEPT THE HUMAN TRAPPED."

Flowey looked taken aback but quickly recovered.

"Well now why would they tell you that? The King is just fine. Go and see for yourself!"

"WELL YES, HE IS FINE NOW. SHE TOOK IT BACK."

This time Flowey's shock was unmistakably apparent.

"YES, SHE TOLD ME ABOUT.. THE RESET?"

Papyrus watched Flowey's expression closely, but after a few moments of surprise the flower began to smile again.

"Ha. I didn't... I honestly didn't see that coming. Interesting." There was a... curiously, maybe even.. sinister gleam to Flowey's eyes. But for what it was worth he seemed almost unaffected other than that and he straightened up again. "Well now, you caught me out. It's true. But I'm sure they didn't tell you the full story. I'm not saying that they lied of course, but for sure they couldn't have told WHY I did it."

"No?" Papyrus' Soul fluttered hopefully. This had to be a misunderstanding. It had to be. A bigger picture!

"Well of course! You see, I didn't make a good first impression. I told them a fact of life they didn't really want to get. So we've been at sort of a.. crossroads, you could say. They told you about their power. Did they tell you about me?"

"SHE SAID YOU HAD THAT POWER BEFORE HER."

"Hee hee hee, that's right! So I know how it works!" He winked and stuck out his tongue for a moment before going serious again. "But I also know how The Barrier works. You see The King can't let her go, Papyrus. Unless he dies and I take the Human Souls to weaken The Barrier for them, they're trapped just like the rest of us."

"BUT... BUT I THOUGHT A BEING WITH A STRONG SOUL COULD PASS AND SHE IS MOST DEFINITELY STRONG."

"True, true. But not strong enough."

"... OH. SO...?"

"Ehhehheh, right." Flowey said as if it was obvious. Was it? "So I've been trying to get them not to leave!"

Papyrus wasn't really sure what all of this meant, it was still one big puzzle that he couldn't quite work out. But he had worked out one thing that was definitely important:

"SO! SO THIS REALLY WAS ALL JUST A BIG UNDERSTANDING?! OH WONDERFUL! I AM SO RELIEVED! BUT STILL! YOUR METHODS DO NOT SEEM... TO BE FOR THE BETTER."

"But isn't it better that way? Nobody gets hurt and they get to stay with all of their friends!"

"BUT SHE IS GETTING HURT. YOU ARE HURTING HER." Flowey sighed.. sadly.

"It's not like I want to hurt her, or anybody else. I just don't see any other way. And I know what you're going to say! That friendship is the better path! And I agree! But Dr. Alphys already tried the 'make 'em so happy they don't want to leave' scenario. Your brother tried making them happy too."

Papyrus blinked at the mention of his brother, he could remember how sadly The Human had reacted about Sans, too.

"So if that doesn't work, what's left is me drilling that lesson into their head: if they want to leave... It's kill or be killed. But it seems that a part of them is still okay with that. They really HAVENT reached their full potential, you know? Papyrus?"

"W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"Well like I said, this ending is kill or be killed. And if I don't make them go back to before their Fight with Asgore, then.. well. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. For all of us!"

"... Can you be friends with someone you've killed?"

She had mentioned Undyne... She had not mentioned Flowey... And if she hadn't come back.

"OH." His Soul hurt. Hurt for both of his poor friends. But.. "BUT THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO CHANGE THIS!" Papyrus declared adamantly.

"Well they won't listen to me anymore. Which I understand. But that's why I came here. Because I've come up with a new plan! A better one! You'll like this plan too."

"WILL I?"

"Of course! It involves one of your favorite things!"

"WELL. I HAVE ALREADY OFFERED THE HUMAN MUCH MORE THAN SPAGHETTI."

Flowey laughed again.

"Oh Papyrus. This is why you're my favorite. But no, no, no!" He said. "Not spaghetti. But friendship! Look at what you did with The Human and Undyne! That was amazing!"

"WELL, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS BUT I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. THE HUMAN AND UNDYNE WERE THE TRULY MARVELOUS ONES IN THAT ENDEAVOR."

"Of course, of course. But I've got a plan! You know, they really could have been better friends with Alphys. And if they are, maybe they will be more willing to accept what leaving means! And accept that it isn't worth it."

Papyrus thought a moment... Relieved but anxious. How could you be both, he wondered breifly.

Because The Human had a life on the surface, wanted to go home. But the Human was also his friend. The Human also, he knew deep within him, did not want to hurt anyone. She had made that very clear.

And if there really was no way for her to get past The Barrier...

"I... I GUESS." Papyrus agreed tentatively. But he still thought talking it all out would be the better solution. But making another friend couldn't make things worse. It may also cheer her up! And Alphys! "O... OKAY! I'LL DO IT."

"Don't trust him!", she had begged, begged, begged.

"WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

"Hee hee hee hee! I knew I could count on you, Papyrus!"

...

...

...

*Ring...

"Hey...! Uh, this is Undyne... (Shut up, Papyrus. This was YOUR idea) HUMAN! You have to deliver something for me!... Uh, please?"

...

Author's note: Papyrus is always the answer. Papyrus fixes everything. Papyrus. Precious bean, brilliant Papyrus. Yes I feel a million times better, thanks. Sorry for the crisis, everybody.