|Chara - 24/24 HP| - |Flowey - 20/20 HP|
The duo proceeded past the space where the phantom had been. It seemed leveling healed them, which was good to know However, the aftermath of the fight felt generally unpleasant.
Chara didn't bother to check and see if she got anything from the...demise of the tormenter. After all, all it took was glance to the Flower, to see he was upset with the way things went. Each of her steps all the louder as she walked.
Despite some part of her wanting to, in truth, she couldn't muster any sympathy for the ghost. They had, ultimately, decided on a path of cruelty towards Toriel, and she couldn't forgive that. However, she didn't like being ignored by her companion. It made her feel cold, and alone.
The two came to a fork shortly after passing the phantoms dust. One, was a path to the left which bore very little light. The other, a path that went straight forward to a place that was a bit more lit up.
Drawn to the light, she wandered forward. There, she found a room that was mostly empty, save for a couple boxes, two spiderwebs, and a sign.
Immediately her skin crawled, the sound of movement dragging her attention, as she noticed spiders crawling on the ceiling. Upon witnessing them, she let out a panicked scream, and bolted from the room. This action catching Flowey off guard.
He manifested several bullets, visible alarmed and looking around, anticipating some form of fight. His confusion ending when he noticed her staring, and shivering in the direction of the room. Peering in, he didn't see anything. Then it clicked.
"Are you serious?" He asked.
"D-d-did you see them?" She asked, quivering. "S-so many spiders."
Flowey blinked. "You just fought to the death with a ghost."
"They're all over on the ceiling." She said, voice full of dread. "J-just waiting...eh-ughhhh gross."
She made a whining noise, while covering her eyes. Before turning towards him, the expression on her face being one of honest fear. Flowey didn't quite know how to process it, given he honestly hadn't anticipated the reaction. His confused expression turning into a slight look of amusement.
"C'mon Chara, they're just spiders." He said, as she shivered. "Creepy, crawly-" She paled rapidly. "web designers."
She blinked, taking a moment to recognize the pun. Giving him a glare, not unlike the ones he usually gave her. The Flower snickering to himself.
"T-this is serious!" She noted, in exhasperation.
"I mean, it's kind of an 'itsy bitsy' problem." He grinned. "Isn't it?"
"Flowey!" She huffed, as he laughed more.
"Oh c'mon. They're tiny." He noted. "You wouldn't even notice if one was...right behind you!"
His sudden rise in tone caused her to jump, and spin around. Letting out another brief scream, and subsequent whimper. The flower bursting out laughing at this, the girl glaring daggers at him.
"Y-you jerk!" She huffed, crossing her arms.
His laughter gradually came to a stop, the two left calmed down. The girl turning to observe the room, staring into it while wearing an expression of anxiety. Flowey watched this, and hummed to himself momentarily.
"In all seriousness. I get being a little freaked out by them, I do." He assured. "however, we can always take the other path." He motioned. "Just, avoid them."
"But, what if we have to go in there for something?" She asked.
"Like what?" He asked.
"W-well I dunno." She replied. "But if we did. Then we wouldn't have it, and it'd be because I was afraid."
"Hmm. Interesting dilemma." He noted, with a steady smile. "Can you think of another way to solve the problem, perhaps?"
Chara gave him a little glare. "I-I know what you're hinting at. B-but I was just worried, what'd happen if they ate you."
"Pretty sure spiders don't eat flowers." He assured. "And besides, I can just burrow away, Chara."
"They're spiders, they're evil incarnate-" She declared, sounding slightly unhinged. "they come from the darkest void, to punish the hubris of all creation, for daring seek a days isolation from terror." She continued. "T-to drag us to a place dark, darker-" Her breath chilled the air some, visible to the flower. "yet...darker."
The light from her eyes seemed to drain at the last few words, as she stared blankly ahead. Unmoving, and silent, her heartbeat seeming to have stopped. Enough to cause the Flower concern. A certain dullness to her eyes.
"Chara?" Flowey asked, noticing the way she stared, a thousand yards away. "H-hey, Chara?"
"H-huh?" She snapped from it. "S-sorry, sort of zoned out." She quickly apologized. "B-but my point stands, they're dangerous. They could get you."
Flowey watched the cold air escaping from her, which seemed to warm steadily. That wasn't something he was used to seeing. And he made note of it.
"I'm pretty sure I can handle a couple spiders." Flowey remarked, adding. "Just, stay here, and I'll go figure out what's going on in there."
"B-but-" She began.
"I'll be fine." He assured, again.
The flower released his grasp from her, as she lowered him to the ground. Still looking less than confident about the proceedings. But he wasn't really worried. It was just spiders, after all. And as dangerous as they could be, they were also rather business minded little creatures. So they were probably just trying to hawk some junk.
Burrowing through the ground, he pushed forward. Sprouting up in the room. It was...terribly unremarkable. Looking up, he found that a variety of spiders were indeed present. They appeared to be arguing, debating, and talking over various little graphs. Business monsters, they were such a bore. But boring was safe.
He read the sign. "Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders."
Looking up, he found smaller signs present in each of the webs. And noticed the spiders above him watching his movements. A few hurrying to block the entrance. He rolled his eyes, it was always the same strategy. Buy something, leave safely. Fail to, get attacked. How unoriginal.
"Spider Donut...10 G?" He scoffed. "Wow...20G for cider...you guys are really trying to rip people off, aren't you?" The spiders didn't appear to appreciate the insinuation. "Listen. My friend, out there, only has...I dunno, 12G I think."
A spider crawled down, and erased the 10, marking it up to 12.
"Yeah no. Her mom's Toriel." Flowey said, the spider pausing, quickly crossing out the 12, moving it down to 8. "How about this...we put in a good word in, and you give her some of that cider?"
A couple of the spiders appeared to debate. One wandering near the entrance, looking out at Chara. While a few more dug around through a cobweb, producing a sketch drawing of a picture.
The one by the door nodding, as the rest panicked. A couple spiders lowered a cider, and a donut. Flowey considered extorting them for more. Normally he wouldn't, but, well, he was hungry too.
"Any chance you could add another donut. For me, ya know, as friends?" The Flower grinned.
Chara waited, pacing outside the room. She could hear Flowey, it sounded like he was talking to someone. But she didn't hear anyone responding.
Panic built, as she debated what to do. Did she go in, and just...start swinging? That would work, right? Maybe, if she avoided attacks just right, she'd get her mana back again? Use that?"
A version of Chara with a yellow sweater, and boots sat at a desk. "Hear ye, hear ye. The court of Chara is in session." She adjusted her suspenders and looked around. "We're open for discussion."
A version of Chara wearing a black dress slammed the desk. "They're eating him, we need to run, and find help!"
The version with the rainbow scarf was sobbing in the corner. "B-burn it all!"
The one with a red and black sweater said. "Everyone we meet suffers. This is all our fault!"
Finally, the version of her wearing the white shirt, and green hoodie said. "I mean, he can just burrow out. We may be overreacting. Right?"
The one in the black dress snatched her up. "All hope is lost!"
"H-hey!" The hoodie one brushed off. "Let's just...calm down, okay?" She added. "There is no way, Flowey couldn't take them."
The one wearing a red shirt, and black jacket spoke up. "Clearly, the only thing we can do, is go in and help. See if our magic works."
"That's a bad idea-" The green hooded Chara tried to say.
The others meanwhile descended into chaos. Some agreeing, some panicking. As all organization failed.
Her breathing became fast, her resolve building. She wouldn't back down. She just had to persevere, had to help from this imagined menace. Mustering her willpower, she grasped the stick tight.
Starting to move forward, the Flower suddenly popped out of the ground in front of her. Chara nearly falling over in the process. Catching herself, with the stick.
"O-oh, uhm, Flowey?" She greeted. "You're okay a-and what is all that?"
Flowey was in the middle of munching on a donut, glancing at the cider and donut held in his off leaf. "Cider and donut."
Chara did her best to process the sudden appearance of a drink, and a treat. This was not one of the scenarios she had imagined in her head. Breaking from her confusion, she straightened herself out.
"Where did you get them?" She asked.
"Spiders." He replied. "They said they hope you have a great day." He held them out to her. "Should be fine. Safe to drink, that kinda thing."
Chara glanced into the spider room, noticing one peeking out. "A-are you sure?" She shivered, watching him eat. "What's...that made out of anyways?"
Flowey responded in monotone, while waving his leaves. "Magic."
"Or don't answer me." She huffed, picking them both up. "Uhm...thank you."
"S'okay. Ready to go?" He asked.
"Yeah." She smiled a little, giving a final glance, and a shiver to the spiders, before- "Wait...did you pay them for this?"
"Na. They were so friendly, they just decided to give it to you." Flowey remarked, noticing her sigh, and start walking over. "What...are you doing?"
Chara stopped by the door. "Uhm, thank you, for the uh, stuff." She carefully set down ten G. "H-have a-" The spider moved, and she screamed, hurrying back to the Flowey. "y-yuck, yuck e-evil, ughhhh."
"Amazing." He snickered, while returning to his perch on her arm.
Leaving the room they traveled into the next, the darkness finding home all around them as they went in. The only light being that which was cast from the former.
Chara was a bit confused that Toriel hadn't lit this place up as she traveled. Briefly worrying that perhaps she hadn't gotten this far. However, she assured herself that her mother must have. Afterall, the ghost wouldn't have passed up an opportunity to taunt if she hadn't.
Pausing, she headed back into the other room, placing her stick up to the fire of one of the torches there. Igniting the end of it, she ventured back into the dark. Quickly discovering it was some sort of long hall.
Moreover, she found a Froggit there, staring up at them. She blinked in surprise, before aiming the stick at the Froggit. The monster examined her for a moment, before looking over the flower.
It let out a series of ribbits, and croaks, roughly translating to. "I'm not dumb. I saw the fight with that ghost. If we couldn't beat them, we can't beat you."
Flowey examined the dark. Watching where the light of the flame revealed. The little reflections of three Froggits in the room. It would be a 'rough' fight, facing them all, but definitely not an impossible one if they decided to try something.
"That's for the best." Chara noted.
It ribbited some. "Some advice, young vessel." She raised a brow. "The dead don't rise, without something making that happen." It croaked. "Be weary."
A chill ran across the duo. The girl staring at the monster, scanning it over for a moment. Flowey sneaking a glance at her, noticing her inquisitive, and semi-worried expression.
It wasn't the kind worn by someone trying to hide something, which was mildly relieving. No, it was more like the look of one who understood but didn't have any answers. As relieving as it was to imagine Chara didn't know, it was just as distressing that she didn't.
She moved the torch and turned away from the monster. Not giving an answer or responding. The others in the dark watching her as she traveled on.
Flowey glanced back. And... for a moment, he swore he saw another pair of eyes in the dark. But it was gone as soon as he blinked. He could feel her heart rate though, rising, faster. Her breathing distressed.
"Stupid frogs." Flowey remarked.
