"Wow, it's so hot here. It makes me miss Snowdin," Lara said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"I know exactly what you mean," Flowey said. They walked a rocky path that led over a sea of lava. The air was dry and smelled of smoke. Several yards from the duo rose a massive, square building of white metal. According to Flowey, it was the laboratory of the royal scientist, Doctor Alphys. The two made a short break at a water dispenser. Lara drank several mugs and poured plenty of water over Flowey.
"Is the way through Hotland going to be very long?" she asked.
"Oh yes," said the flower. "After going through the lab, we have to go through several puzzles, the spider cave, more puzzles, then the MTT hotel, through the CORE and then we're out of Hotland."
"Isn't there a shortcut?"
"There is an elevator. But the… odd thing… is that shortly after everyone left it just started to malfunction. Its system seems to be completly glitched out. So we have to go the long way."
Lara sighed but decided to just buckle up and be ready for the tedious journey ahead.
The duo continued and reached the laboratory, which was looming over them almost threateningly. But what was surprising was that the two were expected. A ghost hovered in front of the steely bulkhead that served as the laboratory's front door. This one consisted of yellow light and had a strong glowing soul. The ghost was a grumpy looking boy, some years older than Lara and wore a leather cowboy hat on his head. He eyed Flowey disapprovingly while completely ignoring Lara.
"Well hello there Flowey. Have picked yourself a new victim to torment?" The ghost boy would´ve sounded quite sympathetic if his voice hadn't been filled with anger and disgust. Flowey squirmed under his bitter words and eyes. Still, he tried to be polite.
"Don't worry about... that… it's over. But who are you exactly? Unfortunately, I've never met you in person."
"Don't try to kid me you little weed! I saw your deeds when you absorbed me. All the wrongs you've done. Even people you should love. You are evil personified. You won't fool me with your lies! And to answer your question... my name is Johnathan or John for short. The one who shows no mercy in the face of injustice!"
"Dude, don't you think you're putting it on a bit to much?" John turned to Lara with an annoyed scowl and yelled: „Just shut up. This doesn´t concern you!"
The girl with the white soul flinched because of the sudden yelling. Flowey saw her shaking hands and knew this newcomer probably made his friend remember some unpleasant things from her adoptive `family´.
Redirecting Johnatans attention back to himself, Flowey said: „Hey! If you have issues with me, thats fine. But leave my friend out of this. She hasn´t done anything."
"Like you actually care, but whatever." John held up his right hand. In it, a revolver made of yellow light materialized. He pulled the magical weapon upwards and shot into the air. Balls of energy flew high, formed a circle at their highest point and fell down with full force. The circle, or ring, fell in a way so that Flowey was in the center and the energy balls sank into the ground around him. The flower writhed in pain.
"Not again! Not even an ten minutes ago, someone burned my roots. I had just regenerated the damage. And then you come and…"
"Shut up," John said. "It's so you don't escape. Now hold still so I can finish this quickly." The ghost boy took aim and was about to pull the trigger when Lara blocked his way. Johnathan cursed.
"Ugh, you again. What is your problem? You don't know what you're doing! That spawn of hell might have told you of being your best friend, but believe me. This thing has done despicable things."
"I know. He… told me."
"Then why are you doing…"
"Because Flowey deeply regrets the things he's done and it's really not his fault. Or maybe it is, I dont know. I still have to wrapp my head around a lot of this supernatural stuff. But what I do know is that Flowey deserves a second chance. So stop with this justice-punishment nonsense."
John laughed bitterly: "What? Am I supposed to forgive him? No way. People forgive way to easily and evil creatures like Flowey use that to exploit that and use it to their advantage to keep going. They will never stop until you tell them to stop. The hard way."
"But Flowey isn't just evil. Especially now. He…"
John interrupted her rudely. "I see words don't work with you. Luckily I know a little trick that will disable you without hurting you."
The ghost snapped his fingers. A lasso made of yellow light appeared and bound Lara's arms to her body.
"Hey! Release me!" Lara said angrily. She tried to approach Johnathan, but the still loose part of the lasso wrapped itself around her legs. Lara fell roughly to the ground. Before she could complain any further, a second, smaller lasso appeared and wrapped itself around her mouth.
"Hmph!"
"Yeah yeah. I don't need your understanding. I'll take care of you later. Now it's just you and me Flowey."
John fired several energy balls, but Flowey in turn deflected them with his friendless pellets. The ghost boy fired a few more times, but Flowey was always able to successfully counter. Finally Johnathan said: "All right. Time to use a Big Shot."
He aimed very precisely. His revolver began to vibrate as energy accumulated in its barrel. John pulled the trigger. A powerful energy beam was fired. The beam hit and there was a small explosion. Rock fragments flew through the air and smoke rose from a crater where Flowey had previously been. Lara let out a muffled scream. John smiled triumphantly when suddenly there was a crack. Half a meter beyond the crater, Flowey sprouted out of the rocky ground. He was close to the edge of the bullet circle, which in turn was dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. Lava bubbled below. John approached angrily and said, "I wish I had a solid body to grab you with, rip you out and throw you into the lava."
"...and you're calling me a spwan of hell."
"You've done far worse things. Worse things to your parents, god damn it. Like how you whipped Toriel with the thorned vines... disgusting. But while we're on the subject of whips…"
John snapped his fingers. Two glowing yellow lassos appeared, whipping at Flowey. The flower could dodge one but the other hit him with full force. Two of his petals were ripped off, skin split open and plant sap bled out of his left eye.
Flowey sagged and John shot. Flowey summoned the last of his energy and summoned a ball of friendless pellets that repelled the attack. Then the flower was helpless. Johnathan towered over him in triumph and took aim. Flowey made one last attempt and showed his soul fragment. He hadn't shown it before because he was afraid an attack would hit it before his opponent realized what he was doing. But now the flower had no other choice.
"L-look Jonathan" Flowey said weakly. "Part of my soul is back. I can change. I'm not like before. Please... Please have mercy."
The ghost didn't show the slightest emotion. But then John said with a slight, bitter smile: "Do you think that makes a difference? It's just a part of your soul. You are still a flower. You're still Flowey. Not Asriel. You don't deserve mercy. It doesn't erase your mistakes, you hear me, IT DOESN'T ERASE YOUR FAILURE! So just be quite and die you little fu-."
Before the ghost boy could finish the sentence, a greenish glow came from behind him.
BANG!
John's face sagged, his eyes rolled up and he was knocked out, floating motionless above to the ground. Behind him stood Simon. In his hand he held an energy frying pan, which he had used to knock the yellow ghost unconscious.
"Thank you. Thank you," Flowey said. He began to cry with relief. "I was so afraid it would be over now. I… I don't want to die again. Not when I have a chance again. I…"
"Hey little guy, it´s good now. It's over." Shaking his head, Simon looked at John before reaching out and completely healing Flowey. The flower thanked him again. Meanwhile, the other ghosts had gathered around Lara, who was wriggling angrily in her bonds.
"Hey Emma, can you cut Lara free?" Klyde asked. Said ghost shrugged uncertainly.
"I can try. But I need her to be still." Lara, who had heard her, ceased her wriggling. Emma summoned a knife and carefully cut trough the magical ropes. Once cut trough, they dissolved. Lara gasped. With shaking legs she stood up.
"Thank you. I could barely breathe. Um, I don't want to sound rude but who are these other people, Emma?".
"My name is Lizzie." The purple girl introduced herself. "The green guy who exchanges shy looks with Emma is called Simon and you have already met my big brother Johnathan."
"Big brother? Can you tell me why he wanted to destroy Flowey so badly?"
Lizzie sighed sadly. "My brother has an extremely strong sense of justice. You could say he is very overprotective. Unfortunately, he is often too strict and doesn't know when to stop.".
"You don´t say," Flowey said. "I mean I can understand if someone like him, who knows what I've, done hates me but he was just obsessed with killing me. In a really painful way."
Lizzie looked at her brother sadly. She knelt down next to him and gently stroked his head. "Oh Johny, why can't you let the past be? Why do you have to be so hard on yourself? And others?"
"What do you mean by that?" Lara asked. The little ghost girl looked at her.
"You know… it all started like that. I was constantly bullied because of my glasses. And because I was different. I enjoyed examining plants and animals. The other kids thought I was… gross." The slight pause and the way Lizzie mentioned the word `gross´ suggested that she was called way worse. "My brother tried to protect me as best he could. But one day he was overpowered and the other kids did whatever they wanted with me. They…"
Lizzie hesitated. Ectoplasmic tears swelled in her eyes. Emily laid her hand reassuringly on her shoulder. „hey, you don´t have to say it if it is to painful."
The purple girl shook her head. „no. They deserve to know."
„Are you sure", Lara asked concerned. „I know how uncomftable it is to relive painful memories. I can understand if you don´t want to share the past."
Lizzie shook her head again. „Thank you, but no. What my brother did was wrong, but its not only him that need to confront the past. You see… my bullies… they hit and insulted me. After that I escaped to MT. Ebott, despite knowing better. Johny followed me. We found each other in the Underground, but shortly after I… I was killed by Asgore. My brother was so shocked, so broken, that he just let himself be killed without defending himself. When we came back as ghosts, I was so happy for this second chance. But Johny blamed himself for everything. I told him I wasn't mad at him, that I still care about him, but he didn't listen. He was obsessed with doing anything to make himself feel better, to make up for his mistakes. I think he just wanted to take out his anger and frustration out on Flowey."
Despite trying her best not to, the tears started flowing down Lizzies face. „I-i´m sorry… i-its…" Emily pulled her in a hug.
„Hey its alright. You did good." The dark blue ghost gently stroke the younger girls hair to calm her down. Lara felt bad for the siblings after hearing their story (even if her empathy for John was a bit low). She wished she could conmfort Lizzie in any way, but all she could do was say this: "That's… I'm sorry. I was sometimes bullied myself. Or treated like… like I didn´t deserve any form of love… But it was never as intense like what you went trough."
"I´m sorry as well" Flowey said. "If it weren't for me and Chara´s plan, you two could have lived a nice life in the Underground. But instead you had to go trough hell. I… I am really sorry."
Lizzie turned towards them and gave them a small but thankfull smile.
"That's nice of you, but you'd better move on. Me and the others stay here. I… shouldn't have just put up with this. I should have told Johny how I felt about this."
Klyde flowed at her and Emilys side. "And we´re going to be at your side and help you."
The other ghosts nodded. Lizzie gave all of her friend a smile. Her soul glowed up a little. The support of the others filled her with PERSEVERANCE to see this trough.
„Thank you everybody."
"Can I also help somehow?" Lara asked.
Simon shook his head.
"I think it would be better if you and Flowey continue your journey. I don´t think John will listen to reason as long as he sees Flowey." As if to emphasize this, the yellow ghost boy mumbled in his unconsciousness state: "Flowey...kill...punishment…"
Hearing that, the eagerness to help vanished quickly within Flowey and Lara.
„Yeah… I don´t think I have the strengh for another confronation right now." Flowey turned to Lara. „But if you, yo can stay here and try to help Johnathan to calm down. I would just keep my distance until then."
„Uh… to be honest I rather stay with you than with the guy that tied me up." She turned to the ghost. „Sorry guys, but it looks like me and Flowey will continue our journey. But good luck." Lara gave Lizzie a gently smile. „I hope everything will work out between you and your brother."
The purple ghost girl returned the smile and nodded gratefully.
And with that the duo of human and flower entered the laboratory.