True to his words, when Lara crossed the bridge (and tried not to look down into the abyss below), Flowey had already popped up on the other side. He and the humans surrounded Goner Kid who was still on his knees and looked down on the ground.
"What are you all waiting for? Go ahead. Finish me of and trow me back into obscurity."
This startled everybody.
"Look, you attacked us and all, but I don´t think anyone wants you to be gone for good", Emily said softly.
"Why?" the gray Monster child asked. He still didn't move his head upwards.
"We know how it is to die, and since you are honest about not existing, that sound even more messed up", Klyde said. The other ghosts and Flowey nodded. Lara didn't say anything. While she did feel pity for the gray child, she couldn't forget how painful it felt when the electricity had hit her. Or how it hurt her friends. This whole situation was also kinda overwhelming for her as she was still new to the magic-and-other-supernatural-stuff-being-real thing. So she let the others do the talking.
"Like I said, there is maybe hope for me", Flowey began. "So maybe with enough time-"
"You don't get it!", Goner Kid interrupted with a choked voice. He looked up. His used to be emotionless face was filled with sadness. "There is no time. Out of million possibilities this one moment here was the only time the space-time continuum was stable enough for me to manifest a body and magic. Soon this will no longer be this case and I…" The goners voice broke for a moment. "If I don't get any external strength, I will be gone. I don't know if I ever get any other change like this."
"If could, I would give you strength, power, but I don't have anything I to offer" Flowey said.
"And you shouldn't have to offer anything." Lara looked at her flowery friend in concern. Flowey shook his head. "Look. You may think what Goner did was extreme, but he still deserves a happy end more than me. I did way worse than him."
"But that doesn't mean you should sacrifice yourself for it! Not when you yourself said that there is hope for a better ending for you!"
Suddenly Goner Kid gasped as the words of Lara gave him an idea.
"Maybe there could be a possibility for us both…" he muttered. The gray Monster child stood up and looked at Flowey. "Asriel…"
The soulless flower looked away in discomfort. "Please don't call me this name. In this form I am not Asriel."
"Are you sure?" Goner Kid used some magic and summoned a tiny, white glowing speck in front of the flower. Everyone gasped at this.
"Is… is that… a piece of a soul?"
Goner Kid nodded.
"When you said how you changed after your battle with Frisk, I had an epiphany. The life force of all these souls inside you must have given you enough energy to recreate a piece of your own soul. And I know how strengthen it further. Absorb what is left of my soul."
"WHAT?" everybody yelled in surprise, not expecting that turn of events.
"But… look I am mad at you for attacking us, but the stuff I said about not sacrificing yourself for someones else happy end? That also includes you."
Goner Kid turned to Lara, giving her a slight smile.
"I appreciate your concern for me, but this is the only way."
And almost as if to underscore his point, his body began to flicker.
"My time is running out. But if As- I mean Flowey absorbs my soul leftover, I could continue to exist trough him. And he also would be a step closer of becoming Asriel again."
The group was silent. Klyde was the one to interrupt the silence.
"That is kind of a quick turn around. First you wanted to take our souls, now you are offering your own."
"I know it seems sudden, but…" The flickering became stronger "… I don't have any other option. My time has almost run out and I can´t beat you. This… this is my only option. So please Flowey."
The gray Monster child kneeled in front of Flowey. He summoned the leftover of his own soul: a white shard.
"I´m begging you. It would be the best for the both of us."
Goner Kids voice sounded genuinely hope- and dread full. He feared of what would happen to him if Flowey didn't take his offer. Said flower looked at the soul shard with a mixture of longing and reluctance.
"I… if I´m going to do this, can you at least tell me how you know about my true identity? And how did you end up erased from existence in the first place?"
"Being outside of reality is a blight. But it has some advantages. I could see glimpses of past, present and possible future. So I pieced together many truths. But as for how exactly I became like this… I don't really remember. My memories are fuzzy and… cracked?"
"Is there anything you remember clearly?" Emma asked.
"There is the cold feeling of metal on my head… followed by an intense pain. I guess that is why I have these."
Goner Kid turned around and showed everyone the back of his head. There were two vertical scars that almost looked like the holes of a plug. Then the gray child looked at Flowey and offered his soul shard once again. His body was becoming see trough.
"So… that's it? You´re really sure that you want to do this?"
Goner Kid nodded and gave Flowey a pleading look. The flickering became so strong, the gray child was barely recognizable. Flowey looked at the other, but Lara and the ghosts just gave him unsure and confused shrugs and glances. The not so soulless flower sighed.
"Very well." He grew a vine that gently took the soul shard. Goner Kids body disappeared into it in a smoke like manner. Before his face was completely gone, he gave one last relieved smile. The vine pressed the soul shard against the white whisper of Floweys soul. In a bright light the two became one. They formed the outline of an upside down heart. The soul of a Monster. Flowey gasped for air and let the vine and his new soul fragment disappear.
Lara walked towards him.
"Flowey, are… are you okay? How do you feel?"
"I don't know. But I feel." Flowey couldn't help but smile. "I´m not like how I used to be. But it's like a dam has cracked and water is finally flowing through it into a desert."
Despite the weird and confusing circumstances, Lara returned Floweys smile. She knelt down to him and gently patted his head.
"Who knows? Maybe one day the dam will give completely away."
It was that sentence that gave Emma an idea. But it was something that she to talk about with the others.
"Hey Lara and Flowey. Why don't you guys go to Hotland. Me, Klyde and Emily have something to talk about. We will see us later!"
"Huh?"
"What?"
The light blue girl grabbed the other ghosts and pulled them back in the direction they had come from. "Ow my arm. Watch out Emma! Hey, chill up for a second!" Klyde protested.
"What on earth are you doing Emma?" Emily asked her fellow ghost girl.
And the ghosts were gone.
Flowey and Lara looked at each other in confusion.
"Do you know what they could talk about?"
"Uhhh nope. But I guess, like Emma said, we can meet them up later. So let us not waste any time…?"
The duo was really confused by the sudden antics of the usual calm and collected girl. Still, the flower and the human continued their journey.
…
When there was no one left in the area, on the bridge a gray figure appeared. It was short and humanoid in stature, with an emotionless face and huge eyes. Unlike Goner Kid it possessed pupils. With these it looked around.
"Good," the figure murmured in a distant voice. "The fight with the failed experiment went on just as hoped. And now everything is/will be going according to plan." The small figure took one last look around before disappearing from the bridge because there was no one there.
…
"So what did you want to talk about?" Emily asked. Emma stopped and sighed. She had actually wanted to tell her plan to ALL the other human ghosts. But maybe it was better if she started with Klyde and Emily. So she told them.
For a while there was a short silence, then the ghostly ballerina said: "I see. So that's why we're here. You not only want to discuss this with all of us. You also want to get some more info about this topic from Lizzie, right?"
Emma nodded. She was glad that the others understood enough to get along with it, at least for now.
Klyde murmured critically: "Are you sure you want to discuss that stuff with Lizzie. I mean… she's only ten!"
"And has an amazingly high IQ for a 10-year-old, and was often busy with such topics when she was alive in the Underground. Seriously Klyde, she might be the smartest of us. At least she's definitely smarter than you."
"Hey!"
"Guys, please not now!", Emma tried to defuse the situation. "Let's focus this is serious stuff. Okay? No fights."
"Okay," Klyde said. "But I'm not going to let Emily go Scot-free for her remark."
He playfully nudged Emily on the arm. She slapped his hand away and tried to pinch him back. But Klyde fended her off successfully. So Emily decided to tickle him.
"No, don't tickle. Don't do that. Haha. Emma help me!"
Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance. Couldn't even one thing go easy?
Eventually, though, they were able to find Lizzie.
She was a tiny purple girl, wearing a simple dress and had long hair tied into a ponytail. She was near an underground river, fascinated by a phosphorescent plant whose glow was reflected in her large glasses. But the trio didn't just see the purple glowing figure of the little ghost girl. There was also a person made of green light who let his legs dangle in the water in a relaxed manner. He had short curly hair and whore a short sleeved shirt, a jeans and boots. Most notable about his appearance was a stained apron the green ghost was wearing over his clothes.
Emma's soul jumped at his sight.
Oh my God, Simon is here, she thought excitedly. She quickly asked her friends: "Hey guys. Do I look good?'
Klyde, utterly confused by that sudden question, said: "Uh no. You´re still covered in burns from Goner Kids lighting. And…"
"… what's the point of the question?" Emily added also confused.
The green ghost, Simon, heard them talking, turned around and happily exclaimed: "Oh! Hello folks. Long time no see. How are you?"
Before Emily or Klyde could say something, Emma blurted out: "I've been great since I saw you. Well, eh, not that I was bad or anything before, but I'm just great now."
She sounded, very unusual for her, super excited. The ghost girl with the patience soul had also taken on a darker shade of blue.
Emily realized what was going on. Emma had a crush on Simon! And judging by Simon, who turned slightly dark green at the sight of Emma, he seemed to have some feelings for her as well.
How cute, Emily thought to herself. Klyde on the other hand didn't notice the romance in the air and loudly proclaimed: "Hi Simon. Nice to see you again. Unfortunately, we don't feel so good."
"Yes I can see." He looked at the trio with concern in his eyes. "You all look like a maniac gave you electroshock therapy. Let me fix that."
Simon snapped his fingers. A green aura enveloped all three of them and healed their injuries. Klyde sighed in relief. "Thanks man. We could have used your healing powers against Goner Kid."
"Who?"
"Oh you know..." Klyde started, but was interrupted by Emily.
"Hey, let's talk to Lizzie. We can give Emma and Simon some time to themselves." With these words, she grabbed Klyde and pulled him with her.
Simon turned to Emma. "So what has happened to all of you?"
"It´s honestly a really long story. You wont believe what has been happening down here, since I went to the ruin to think again about searching for my family. As you can see that didn't really went anywhere. But for what its worth…" Emma smiled. "I´m glad to see you again." The cyan ghost hugged the green one. Simon hugged her back and said: "Me too."
Emma turned almost as blue as Emily. When Klyde saw that, the penny dropped for him too. He grinned widely but said nothing. When Lizzie saw the visitors she got up and greeted them with a wave. Emily hugged her little friend and asked: "And what interesting things have you discovered so far?"
"Not much" the little ghost girl replied. "Exploring isn't that much fun without you."
"Don't worry, I'm here now. And we got some interesting stuff to talk about."
Lizzie looked up to Emily with wide and exited eyes.
"Really?"
"Yeah really."
The purple ghost girl started to excitedly jump up and down in the air. "Oh oh oh, what is it?"
"I didn't know you two had such a close friendship" Klyde said. Lizzie stopped her bouncing, her happiness suddenly gone. She floated up to Klyde and kicked him in the shin.
"Ouch! Why?"
"Because you crushed the Underground bug! He was the last of his kind!"
"It was an accident! Besides, your brother has punished me enough already. Wait a minute, where is he anyway? He's always around you."
Lizzie looked downwards. "Oh, well... he's somewhere in Hotland waiting to kill Flowey."
"Wait WHAT?!"
"Yeah, I know. I tried to make him understand that Flowey couldn't help being… Flowey. That he's actually just a victim. But he didn't listen. He said Flowey was like a rabid dog. There is no help for him. Merely a release through death. He sent me here so I wouldn't interfere with his plan. He forced Simon to stand in as a watchman, which is actually unnecessary because there is nothing… why are you guys looking so shocked and panicky?"
Emily and Klyde told everything. Emma and Simon came over and listened. Finally Simon said: "So what do we do now?"
"We have to go and stop Johnathan. Flowey is definitely on the path of betterment. He doesn't deserve to die now. And don't forget about Lara. She'll definitely try to protect Flowey. Johnathan could attack her as well."
Lizzie crossed her arms. She looked very thoughtful, worried and troubled at the same time.
"If only I knew exactly where Johny is. But even if we did, we would probably never reach him in time."
"Tralala. I think I can be of assistance." Everyone turned around. A wooden boat had appeared on the river. On the boat was a person who was completely covered by a hooded cloak.
"River Person! Do you know where Johnathan is? Can you take us to him?", Emily asked.
"Tralala of course. I know of the location of the humans and the flower. As I know many other things. Get on my boat and I'll bring you to them. Tralala. We're going to be fast as the wind so hold on tight."
True to their word, once all of the ghost settled on the boat, it speed away. River Person hummed about a lonely girl in the dark, but nobody paid any attention to them. Emma went to Lizzie and told her about her plan. Lizzie and the other ghosts listened intently. Then they started discussing the topic in detail. River Person listened intently. Had he a real face, he would have smiled contentedly. Everything went just as planned, heh heh heh.