John woke up groggily.

"...what...uh...where..." he murmured, straightening up and rubbing his head.

"Seems the hit to the head knocked and calmed him down a bit", Klyde noted. Simon, who was hovering besides the orange ghost, said: "I'm so sorry I hit you so hard, but I couldn't see any other way to save Flowey." "Flowey?!" Johnathan quickly got up and looked around. "Where is he? And what are you all doing here?!" His eyes fell on his little sister. "Especially you, Lizzie!" The little ghost girl flinched, as her brother said her name a tad to loud. She could tell that he was far from happy, but she still glided towards her big brother a little. "We wanted to talk to you. About your behavior…"

John didn't meet her eyes. "I don´t know what you mean. I'm just trying to protect you and put an end to an evil creature!"

"You almost killed someone innocent!" Emma yelled. "What are you talking about? Flowey is…"

"Flowey managed to develop part of a soul." Everyone explained to the yellow ghost what had happened. He shook his head.

"He may have part of a soul back, heck, he even showed me his soul fragment, but it doesn´t mean anything. He's still a flower!"

"So what!" Emily exclaimed. Johnathan turned towards her. At first his firm look made her flinch. But then she forced herself to meet his hard stare. She clenched her fists and moved closer towards John. While Emily always found the older boy to be intimidating (especially during his bad moods) she still promised Flowey to do everything in her power to make it up to him that she just exposed his secrets. And standing up towards someone with harmful intend, changing his mind about the flower, well, Emily saw it as a good start.

"Asriel may still look like Flowey, but his inner nature has changed significantly. Yes, at times he acted a bit aggressive and it scared me too, but after that, the regret and other feelings, they were genuine through and through. I saw how he was given a new chance to get his old life back and was dying to take it. Kind of like us. That's why I'm willing to forgive him, despite the horrible things he's done. But maybe YOU can't because you can't forgive yourself!"

Now it was Johnathan's turn to flinch. "That's not true! I… I just want to make everything better!"

That excuse sounded weak, even in his ears.

„Oh really? Then why are you leaving your own little sister pretty much alone? Do you know how much she misses spending time with you? How she feels like you don´t want her around? No, of course not! Because you are busy plotting some sort of revenge plan instead of taking care of your family!"

At the end of her rant, Emily was breathing heavily. Of course, her being a ghost, she didn´t need to, but she was just so furious at the yellow ghost. She spends a lot of time with Lizzie together and considered her a close friend. So the ghostly ballerina knew how much she suffered of being pushed aside by her older brother. Said purple girl opened her mouth, like she wanted to correct something, but Simon laid a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He knew this was something Johnathan needed to hear.

The rest of the ghosts looked at her in surprise. Even Emily herself seemed, judging by the sudden loosening of her pose and her surprised blinking, a bit perplexed by herself. But she stood to what she said and waited for Johnathan's answer.

After a few seconds he looked down. "You just don't know what it's like", he murmured.

"What?"

"You don´t know what´s it like… TO FAIL YOUR FAMILY!" Everyone hovered away from the suddenly shouting ghost. He gritted his teeth. "I failed to protect my sister from the bullies. Failed to bring her back to our parents! Fail to save her life."

"But I'm here, Johny. We're both here now."

"Yes, but not Ma and Pa! They lost their two children because of me. It's all my fault." John looked towards Emily, towards everyone. "Maybe I just don´t like being close to my sister… because she doesn´t deserve to be around such a loser like myself."

Lizzie shook her head. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "No it is not! When are you going to realize that this is all MY fault!"

Everyone focused on her, shocked at what she just said. "Lizzie..."

The little ghost girl completely started to cry. "We both fell down here because of me. Because I was so stupid and let my emotions get the better of me, I jumped down the hole. All these bad things happened because of me. Ma and Pa ended up alone because of me. And now you hate yourself because of me! B-but you´re not a loser… I…"

John rushed over to her, past Emily, and knelt down on her level. Gently he took her head and lifted it, so Lizzie look at his face.

"Hey, listen to me. It wasn´t your fault. No matter how smart you are, you're still a kid. It's okay if you do something wrong. And that's not why I hate myself… wait a minute, did you think I was mad at you?"

Lizzie sniffed. "Yes."

"No, for God's sake no! I'm mad at the people who were so mean to you. I'm mad at our teachers because they didn't do anything. I'm mad at Asgore for what he did to us. And I'm mad at Flowey for being such a disgusting as... bully who hurt his family. But I've never been mad at you, even for a second."

John hugged his little sister. "You're way too important to me for that."

Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you. I missed you the way you are now."

"I… I´m sorry. I didn´t mean to make you feel this way. I just… I was just so angry when we returned. But I didn't really know who exactly to be angry at. I figured if the anger went away, that lump of bitterness inside me would go too. That I could protect you now when I couldn´t back then. I'm sorry I let you down."

Emma winced at that sentence. The entire scene remembered the ghost girl about her family and how she left her younger sibling alone. Simon squeezed her hand gently.

"Hey, it's okay. If John and Lizzie can talk it out, I´m sure you will find a solution as well", he whispered to her. Emma nodded slightly, but still hold a sad expression in her eyes. She slowly floated towards John and Lizzie. "Can I tell you something?" The siblings looked at her. "You should know that even if your parents are gone, you still have each other. Take good care of each other and don't let things like… strong negative feelings get between you. To leave the other one alone."

John gave Emma a sympathetic glance and nodded. He gently hugged Lizzie again and stroked her head. She slowly calmed down. "I love you Johny."

"I love you too sis."

Emily floated towards Lizzie and stroked her head as well. Johnathan looked at her. "You and Simon… thanks for taking care of Lizzie. Thank you for being there for her."

"No problem. She is a good friend. But I still stand by what I said. Especially the part about Flowey."

Klyde floated next to Emily. "Yeah, I didn´t want to say anything, as to not ruin the moment, but the topic of this whole discussion went kinda sideways."

Jonathan pulled himself away from Lizzie.

"Look, I admit that I went a little bit overboard with Flowey. Especially of how I treated that other girl…"

"Lara, her name is Lara", corrected Emma him.

"…of how I treated Lara. But it still doesn´t change the fact that Flowey did some really messed up stuff. I mean, we all saw it when he absorbed our souls."

"That is true. But John…" Emma began. "A lot of people did mistakes. I abandoned my family. You… kind of did as well. And many of the Monsters down here also did some terrible things, even if they aren´t bad people. What I´m trying to say is… no one is perfect. Many make mistakes. But if they´re honestly regretting it, shouldn't they have the chance to change? Because Flowey has already proven that he is capable of it. Of becoming better. I can vouch for that."

Emily nodded. "Me too. He… he did threaten me and can still be terrifying. But he can also be apolegetic about it. And he showed clear signs of care towards other people. The Fowey we saw in Asriels memories wasn´t like that."

"Yeah, the guy did overall become more pleasant to be around. Plus he protected us from Goner Kid", Klyde said.

"While I wasn´t really there to see any of the changes, the little guy was still shacken up by his fight with you. And he also seemed to be sympathetic towards your and Lizzies tale." Said purple ghost nodded at Simons statement.

At first, Johnathan didn´t say anything. He thought about what everybody said. He remembered how reluctant to fight Flowey was. How concerned the flower seemed when John tied Lara up. How he pleaded the yellow ghost for mercy. Back then, Johnathan had thought it was just some very convincing acting, even if a part of him told otherwise. But after listening to everyone…

"Alright, I guess he deserves a chance." The yellow ghost sighed. He met the eyes of the others. "But if he ever shows signs of regressing into his old self then… well… someone has to put a stop to him."

"Your´re right. But maybe it doesn´t have to come to this. We… might have a plan how to bring Asriel completely back. But for that we need your full approval."

Johnathan tilted his head in confusion, unsure what Emma meant. But he was listening.

...

"Oh, there you are", Flowey said after popping up besides Lara. His sudden appearance startled her a bit before she calmed down. "I've searched most of the city because I didn't know where the elevator would take you. Did everything went well?"

"As you can see, everything is still there. Were those things... those Memoryheads the same ones you told me about? That Frisk also encountered?"

"Yes. They were exactly the same. But I have no idea why they merged into this monstrosity, nor what they were doing in this secret laboratory."

"What secret laboratory?" Lara and Flowey looked up. Their ghost friends came flying towards them.

"What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost," Klyde said.

"We have. Six of them," said Lara with a tired smile, trying to shake herself free from the horror she experienced a few minutes ago. Klyde cringed when he realized he walked right into that one. The other ghost gave him side glances that said: Think the next time, before we talk to Sans/Toriel 2.0.

Klyde rolled his eyes in response to Lara's smirk.. "Oh hahahaha. I´m DYING of laughter, how do you like that?!" The orange ghost boy calmed down. "But seriously, what happened? You guys look a little disturbed." Flowey recounted what happened after they left the ghosts at Hotland. Lara added a few details here and there, especially where she had been inside the amalgamate. Tough she left the personal part with Frisk out. Lara also told about the AT transmitter and Goner Kid. When the both of them were done, John said: "Well that sounds interesting."

"Interesting? These two have stumbled upon something pretty big." Emma told him. "But besides that, didn't you want to say something to Flowey?"

"Uh? What do you…" But one look at the flower, who watched him warily, the yellow ghost knew what he had to do. He floated toward Flowey.

"I know I don't really have the right to, but... I am sorry. The others told me everything, that you're really starting to change, that you're taking your second chance seriously. Meanwhile, I acted like some self-righteous jerk. You tried to talk to me, but I didn't listen and immediately attacked. I was blinded by anger, hate and the belief that I was doing the right thing. I thought I could redeem myself from my mistakes, when all I did was just…" Johnathan struggled to find the right words, so he decided to continue. "I almost did something really unjustifiable. Taking away your second chance. That's why I say again: I'm sorry."

Flowey was silent for a while. Then he took a deep breath and sighed. "I can understand if you hated me. Or still do. I've done so many bad things to so many people. I was... I guess I'm the worst person on this planet. But I take my new chance seriously. And I'm glad you realize it now. We don't have to be friends or anything, but just don't try to shoot me anymore. Okay?"

"Okay."

"And as for your apology… I accept it. After all, I'm in no position to make accusations or anything like that."

"Alright." Johns posture loosened up a bit. Lizzie joined her big brothers side and asked: "Are you feeling better?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yes, a little."

"Could we now talk about this secret laboratory. I don't want to appear insensitive, but I'm really interested in it."

"Yes, you're actually right. I mean a secret laboratory with strange devices. Or the damn Memoryheads that have merged into something even more horrifying. I mean why would these things do that?"

Lara had a hunch. But she had to know something for that. "Flowey, why are the Memoryheads called like that?"

"Well, for one thing, because they're mostly heads and faces. And on the other hand because they can sense and show the memories of other people… You're asking for a reason, aren't you?"

Lara just mumbled: "Being able to sense and show memories…." She looked at the others. "I've heard people talking inside the creatures. They must have been memories. And they all revolved around one person who wanted to hurt other people. I think... that was the builder of the lab. The memory heads were trying to replicate him in some way or something."

"But why would they do that?"

"Because they want to keep the memory of their creator alive", Flowey said. Everyone looked at him. He quickly added: "In one of the laboratory rooms there were glass tanks that were encrusted with a strange substance. It could have been dried amalgam slime. And it was three tanks. The same amount of Memroyheads. So maybe they weren't created during Alphy´s experiments, but long before that."

"That would actually make sense", Emma said. "After all, these creatures are very different from the other Amalgamates. That they have a different origin would explain some things."

Klyde frowned. "While we´re on the subject of amalgamates. If the Memoryheads come from this secret lab, how did they get into the true lab?"

"I have a theory." Lizzie turned to Lara. "Lara, Flowey was there a possible route to the sewer in the lab?" "Well...there was a toilet."

"Then maybe from there they came into the true laboratory. They may have been drawn in by the presence of the other Amalgamates. However, when these disappeared, the Memoryheads returned to the secret laboratory to be close to their creator."

"Or it could have played out very differently and we're on the wrong track in our speculation". Klyde said.

"I think we're forgetting to bring up the most important thing regarding this topic." Everyone turned to Emily. "Who is the builder of the secret laboratory and creator of the Memoryheads? Who would create such creatures or harm other people, such as destroying a monster child's existence. It has to be someone who has a lot of knowledge and had access to the laboratory of the royal scientist."

For a short while no one said anything, humans and flower were deep in thought. Then, Simon seemed to remember something: "When I was still alive in the Underground, I heard things about a royal scientist before Alphys. Or was it a scientist before that one? I don't remember exactly. Anyway, I heard stuff about a royal scientist who studied space and time and the nature of souls. He is said to have lived a very isolated live, shunned from most of society. But I don't know any more on the subject. I'm sorry."

Emma floated over to him and gave him a small hug. "You don't have to be sorry. That is still more than what the others came up with."

"I… uh… I mean not really." Simon stuttered while blushing slightly. But then he said: "We still don´t know that much more. Maybe it was one of the former royal scientists. Maybe not. Flowey do you know of a scientist before Alphys?"

"I… hm…" The flower pondered about the question for a moment. Had there been someone before the monster that brought him back to live? Surely there had to be a predecessor to Alphys, right?

"I believe that the job of the royal scientist became a thing after my death. Because I can´t remember a single person in such a position during my time as Asriel."

The humans and flower discussed the topic for a while, but ultimately they came up with nothing further and decided it would be for the better if they continued their journey.

No one in the group had noticed a figure watching them with an eerie smile for there was standing no one to be noticed.

"Look at them. Trying to figure out the answer to a mystery long forgotten even by space-time itself. But don´t worry little children. In time my secrets of the past will return and become your present. Once that happens… I will be merciful enough to reveal everything to you, just before the end. He He He. But before that… there still need to be two things taken care of. The ghosts are already in the right mindset. Just have to push some toughts here and there in the right direction. As for the escaped anomaly…" The figure looked at the only living human in the group of kids. „…thanks to my plan she managed to awaken the true power of her soul. She will take care of it."