✱ Chapter 1

The cave filled with an echoing pitter patter that emitted back from the entrance which led from King's old house, to the surface, this sound was oddly familiar to Flowey. He wasn't sure when it started but he had heard it many times before in the months preceding: the echoing pitter patter sound of someone walking. Though it always disappeared before he had a chance to catch up to it, this time it seemed he was going to find out what it was as the sound grew louder.

This helped break his dissociative spell that had caught him since moving up here oh, say, months? Maybe even a year ago from the Ruins, his eyes shot wide open. Scanning the room, he craned his little stem back and forth to look for the source of the sound. His attention laser focused on the details of his surroundings. He quivered, a shy little thing by nature but also keenly aware that he was in no state to resist others who came at him, he had no idea if the source of this sound was a threat.

He ducked his head beneath the surface of the ground as he had done many times before, waiting for the sound of the steps to cease but it continued, growing louder until… it stopped, it was seemingly just above him whatever it was.

Ohh… great…

Quivering beneath the soil he sat in an uncomfortable position, unsure of what to do but curious as it could be his only opportunity to figure out what this was.

I guess it can't get any worse. After all, I'm already dead.

He nearly cracked himself up with that one, and with a deep breath he stuck his head up above the soil and looked around at the surrounding ruined cave - nothing.

He slowly scanned the space moving himself right, then left, but nothing. Same familiar halls and pillars everywhere. He let out a gentle sigh of relief figuring whatever it was must have passed. He then tilted his head down slightly against the soil.

The back of his stem quivered slightly at the feeling of air, this wasn't some breeze, this was something else. A breath. Breathing.

He tilted himself back and up, to his astonishment there was someone here!

Flowey's eyes met a pair of eyes back, they were attached to a great big white fluffy face at the end of a snout looking down on him closely, the monster backed up and nearly stumbled on the rubble immediately behind them. They caught themselves and stood upright with a surprised look on their face that was also shared by Flowey as he drew in a quick breath and attempted to exclaim, but nothing left his mouth.

Able to observe the monster better now, they came into focus now: a frame built very slender, standing a little over 5 and a half feet tall, wearing dark robe of some sort with a big white fluffy face, dropping ears, and two horns - these were the tell tale features of a Boss Monster.

The Boss Monster in question stared back with big curious black eyes, their face full of confusion while looking down at the flower.

"Uhh, Greetings there?" she uttered in a soft high pitched voice, she tilted her head and knelt down slowly onto the dirt as if to get on his 'level'.

"Howdy there! You should watch where you're going lady! You nearly stepped on me!" Flowey expected that to have come out tougher sounding, but his weakness won out and in his delivery there was a noticeable quiver as he was uncertain what to make of her yet.

She giggled, "Howdy! Ah, I always liked that word." she got into a more comfortable position before the flower, rather than just kneeling she sat, crossing her legs and arching her back while maintaining the unbroken stare at him.

"What? Just the word? You're so full of it!" he giggled with her.
The way she talked, there was something familiar about it, but Flowey couldn't quite work it out.

"My apologies! I really thought I was the only one around, I come by here frequently and I've not seen any monsters 'round these parts the last few years…" she brought a finger to her chin,"let alone a flower that could talk." she pointed it down at him.

Years…

That didn't sound right, but it must be true. Flowey grew concerned.

Has it really been years?

"Are there more? Do you have a family?" She asked curiously.

His concern stunned him for a few moments pondering over what she had said, if it was true, that terrified the poor flower. He knew his time keeping skills were bad but that information makes it even worse.

Flowey shot a look up at the Boss Monster realizing he left her unanswered, having broken the informal staring contest while in thought.

"Oh! Uh, Yes! I mean, well, no, there's just me. One-of-a-kind ya know?" he smiled up at her, although not totally in earnest, but then she smiled back at him and nodded. This made Flowey ease up a bit, she didn't seem like a threat of any sort to him.

"I mean there ARE those Echo Flowers, but those just repeat whatever they hear."

She shuddered, and turned her head off to one shoulder, "Those things freak me out!" she stuck her tongue out and made an ich! sound.
"I can't stand walking through the area and I start to think I'm hearing a real conversation only to discover I'm alone." she shook her head, giggling more and turning her attention back to him.

"...and I don't freak you out?" his beady black eyes went wide.

"Not at all!" she exclaimed, "Happy there's another monster around."

"Aw Shucks, I'm flattered!" Flowey let out an exclamation of his own, this one more honest than the first. He was overthinking and it made him a bit shy, but given that this was his first genuine conversation in YEARS apparently… Hey I'm not doing too bad.

"What are you doing exactly? Like around here in the Underground?" she asked him pointedly.

"I'm not really sure what you mean by that, I'm just a flower. My life is… pretty boring." he replied.

"Ah, same, I can relate hard to that, my own life is pretty uneventful." she tilted her head,"Also it's a real pleasure to meet you, my name is Sariel." She stuck out a hand but then slowly retracted it, probably confused as to what to grab exactly.

Her expression turned to one of confusion causing Flowey to burst out into a gentle innocent laugh. I can't shake your hand, how could I?

"Hey at least you got limbs pal! Must be nice to walk around."
He cleared his throat, "I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower." he said with a boisterous delivery, still proud of has-been terror once elicited by his otherwise simple name.

"Are you serious? What a descriptive name!" she prodded his stem with a finger and let out a laugh, he could tell this laugh wasn't so earnest. It frustrated him a little.

Slightly offended now, his tone became more cold, "Hmmph. Hey it fits, alright?" scoffing at her laughter, knowing full well that he had inherited his father's poor naming prowess. He is to blame for this!

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just think it's a cute name," she leaned in for a moment looking around then focused her gaze down on the flower opening her maw, "Well, seeing as how we're the only two here, would you care to be friends?" Sariel rested her arms on her crossed legs, and her head against her knuckles.

Friends…

"A friend huh?" Flowey's voice uncharacteristically quivered again, this was not the development he was expecting. This was so sudden - with times passed Flowey had been unable to feel anything in common and held a distaste for interactions and yet, in this moment, he seemed very comfortable with this monster.

"A friend…" He looked around, and again examined her features, realizing in that moment he never did see another Boss Monster outside his immediate family. Her form and voice were unlike anything he had recognized seeing in the Underground before, despite knowing it so well. He knew they existed, they were often spoken about by his family and his father specifically taught him the names of some of them. They were often great warriors…

…and kings, and queens, and so on! Boring!

He didn't care much for all that royal stuff. But to see another one filled his mind with a special sort of delight he couldn't quite put his non-existent finger on.

One so NORMAL, unlike my family, just doing what monsters do.

He briefly recalled why he was in that area up above New Home waiting by the Underground exit, rather than the Ruins, he was waiting for something… Someone. he had done it before and wanted to wait until it happened again.

But likely it will never happen again if the information given by this monster is correct. All that time was lost as he had been waiting years…

He returned to thinking about this friendly interaction, "Golly… well I'd love that actually!" He straightened his stem and shot up right toward her in what he considered a display of friendliness.

She gave a gentle warm nod and stood up, walking over to a collapsed ruin pillar and supporting her weight on it by leaning while looking down on the flower.

"I think I'm all alone here, and don't really have much of a choice for friends usually now that all the monsters have left the Underground." She lets out a soft sigh, looking at her own hands. They were big and fuzzy, typical fair for what she was, her palms wrapped slightly in a cloth, "It's been so long since I've talked to anyone else come to think of it."

"You and me both." the gears in his head started to turn, and Flowey became slightly concerned about her, but still, an optimism prevailed, "Get yourself involved in some shady business or something?"

"No, not really. It's more like I was born into Shady Business. Want nothing to do with most monsters, so I take to myself." She put her hands back down and looked back at Flowey with a smile.

"I guess I can relate to THAT." he nodded,

Before he could speak up again she asked another question,
"Not that I mind coming over here just to talk to you, but can you move little buddy?" she stood up, and away from the pillar now seemingly getting ready to leave, she stuck her arms up into a long stretch before bringing them back down and after a short yawn, she took a short walk around him to examine him thoroughly.

"Yes I can, but it's a little, uh, unorthodox?" He thought about showing her, but was worried it would scare away his new friend, "It's not really a great way to move at all, come to think of it." he shook his head at her and closed his eyes. She stopped pacing around him for a moment to consider the situation lightly.

"What if I stuck you in some sort of pot? Would that work? I could take you with me that way perhaps. I'd hate to have to leave you here." she spoke of her idea slowly, perhaps thinking it sounded absurd.

"I think that would be fine if there's enough room… Where would you take me anyway?" he asked, excited but curious.

"Just back to my home, down a little into the Underground, you can absolutely say 'no' if the idea of being carried around really makes you uncomfortable." she continued "I just didn't want to leave my new friend here."

Flowey shook his head but it was a bald face lie he was terrified to give up control of himself even if it were for just a few moments.

"Just a moment then! I'll be right back!" Sariel excitedly hopped and skipped, and ran down out of the area and was already halfway out of the immediate vicinity when she nearly had to yell that reply back. Once she ran past the archway she was out of Flowey's immediate view for the time being.

He sat there blinking for a time, stewing in his thoughts thinking about how strange this meeting was. It felt weird, he kept thinking about how he had never seen another Boss Monster, let alone this one previously. It was as if they just poofed into existence today, before him. At the very least he figured he might have seen her while remaining in the Underground on his own after everyone else left, but then again it's not like he bothered to explore much once he lost his powers.

Anything could have changed, everything could have changed. He thought just as he really began to think it all over, Sariel had run back into view carrying with her a small brown pot clutched between her hands, appearing only ever so big enough to fit Flowey.

He let out a sigh figuring he'll just let it go and not press his luck and ask for a bigger one. He nodded at her before she could even open her mouth to speak anything, she took this as confirmation this was okay and lowered the pot down against the soil.

With all his might and soft grunt, Flowey pulled himself above the soil and crawled into the pot, his form not unlike that of a cephalopod on land. Taking a fair amount of dirt with him, he petted himself down into the pot and relaxed as Sariel watched on at this display, utterly astonished.

" Have you ever been in a pot before?" Sariel pulled the pot to her chest and looked down at Flowey, starting to walk slowly now with him clutched between her hands as they went deeper into the cave and into the Underground.

"Yeah, a few times, it's alright I guess…" They weren't pleasant times, he shook his head and dispelled the thoughts again to focus on the present. "Where do you live anyways?"

She paused, letting the question hang in the air and decidedly not making eye contact with him, "Away from everyone, humans and monsters and the like."

Flowey turned around to face Sariel,"That's not exactly a place…"

Her face twitched, she continued to avoid eye contact,
"Just around really. Constantly moving. Right now I've been staying close by, just beyond the castle but before the surface. There's plenty of room now that no one lives here anymore but I try to keep away from the castle and New Home itself."

"How come?"

"Bad memories I guess." She lets out a sigh and finally gazes down at Flowey, instead focusing on walking forward past a collapsed pillar and through another archway.

"That makes two of us." Flowey lets out a dry laugh, before tilting his head to view the scenery that passed by them. There was something to this monster that was telling in the way she was reacting. He ignored his natural curiosity as he thought it was at risk of ruining his enjoyment. Surprising himself, Flowey was enjoying the presence of someone as aloof as him.

He did try his best to package his curiosity in the form of chatter, but knew if he asked anything inappropriate his new company would likely abandon him. "Have you ever stayed in the Ruins before?"

"Once, I didn't like it, that was before it got filled with trash." she replied.

That comment struck Flowey, Trash? From where?

Before he could think more, Sariel turned the corner to a large open area: While not exactly closed off, it was strewn about with items in decorative fashion as well as a few dividers. The last he had seen of this area was not that long ago, it was empty save for several entrances down into New Home and the Castle as Flowey could recall, though he never ventured here that often as it stood between the Castle and the Barrier and was of little note otherwise.

"Hey!" he remarked, "Not bad, seems like you have something going for yourself here." Sariel turned towards him and smiled, placing him down carefully on a table near the centre of the space whilst also turning him to face her.

"Thank you," she took a few steps forward and looked around briefly, as if to think of what to do for her guest next.

Flowey took the time to look at the contents of the room more carefully, nothing really special. On the table with him were some papers and books. The papers were old and stained, they appeared to be torn from books describing magic and the history of it. The Books by them were an eclectic assortment on various subjects: The History of Sailing, Caring for Snails: a pet owner's essential guide, Humans & Other horror stories for children were just a few of the titles he could see. Flowey had read a few of these books before, but had never heard of 'Sailing', his mind briefly considered what it could mean.

On the far side of the room was another divider that Sariel had paced behind several times, sprawled out over it were several cloaks and a few dresses of various colours. Behind it he could see several shirts tossed aside on the ground. He found the untidiness of this place to be unappealing and was totally judging his host.

"Are you hun…", She stops herself and retracts the obvious question for a moment, "Do you eat?" she turns back, her face flushed as though such a minor question brought embarrassment down upon her. Was it really that silly of a thing to ask? Flowey thought,

"Of course I do! Just 'cause I look like a flower doesn't mean I'm not used to eating! I'm still a monster (of some sort)," Flowey could only hope that the last part of that statement was true but even he didn't really know entirely. He didn't seem to have any desire to eat but he had never really questioned that before. There was a time, long ago, when he attempted to live out his days pretending as though he was just fine and had to stomach his overbearing mother's cooking.

It was repulsive, probably what turned him off to the concept for the last… however long it's been since then.

"Sandwiches for the both of us then?" Sariel enthusiastically offered, pointing a finger to a fridge nearby,

"Absolutely, how can I turn that down? What an excellent suggestion." Flowey remarked.

Once he was done with this little escapade Flowey figured he'd probably leave, hop out of the pot and disappear to another section of the Underground. While his host amused him greatly it was not his desire to stay around anyone for too long. Whether or not it was better to make a formal departure or leave suddenly on his own and leave Sariel to figure it out that he had gone, he was still deciding.
Being around anyone for too long could be detrimental, it wasn't his place to even try and pretend he was capable of caring long enough to be some sort of friend, he'd rather she'd keep a good memory of him.

A loud crack disrupted his silent brooding, in his pot still, Flowey rotated himself over toward the fridge, "Oh! Oh! No…" Sariel cried out, a box that had rested on the top of the fridge had come down, bits of crunched white were strewn about the floor emanating from the box.

"What!" he arched himself over, trying to peek a little closer.

Sariel grabbed a broom and made for the pieces, sweeping them back into the box and letting out a low, disappointed whine clutching her head with her hands. She then threw herself down grabbed the box carefully and walked over to Flowey on the table, holding it with one hand she used the other to grab a small damaged tea cup and hold it out before Flowey,

"A tea set I intended on using! not that I have company at all."

Flowey jerked back slightly, recollection flashed in his eyes, the patterns on the tea cups were too specific he knew where these came from.

"Golly, that's a shame…", he remarked, "Where did you get them?"

"Oh you know I just found them abandoned, just set aside, so I collected the whole set into this box for later. It was my mistake to put it up there but I hate leaving things on the floor." she remarked.

Flowey felt this was disrespectful, why requisition such iconic property from the Royal Family? Looter, thief. He thought. And to pretend as though it was just asking to be used? To be saved by you? What a loser. He was starting to dislike his new company somewhat at this revelation. He believed, among other things, that property of the royal family was his own. Thinking back on the last time he had seen the tea set it couldn't have been more than a year before it happened. He thought about how those were much better times, and here someone was destroying a part of his past with no regard for the fact it belonged to someone.

Broken from his daze again Sariel had returned with a sandwich and placed it before Flowey and had leaned against the table he rested on, she stared down at him in a passive, but curious manner.

Consumed by his own thoughts he paused before staring back up at her,
"What?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" she tilted her head slightly,

"Oh, oh yeah, thanks…" he shook himself, nodded, and turned to his food. His contempt for her had almost made him lose his non-existent appetite.

As a being with no proper limbs, it had been a while since he had attempted it and it was less than glamorous in his opinion: he took several bites of the sandwich before gripping it with his pointed teeth, he tilted himself upwards allowing the last portion of it to fall in. He felt a brief daze before snapping his attention to this Boss Monster still staring down from above, her gaze affixed to his own and her smile, while not wide was there.

"Do you mind?" he said, in a raised tone.

"Sorry! Sorry… I have just never seen a Flower eat something before," she let out a soft giggle, "It's a little amusing."

Flowey craned himself away to avert his stare from hers, feeling irritated, complete with a little Hmmph! After a moment she either lost interest or got the idea and stood up and went back to the other side of the room to clean some more. He didn't care, if anything his host was being a mild annoyance and he was ready to split.

But, at the same time he did think this situation was rather silly. In different times perhaps this would constitute a RESET, and he would simply avoid the events thus far but oh, golly, can't do that anymore!

"It is a shame about this set… Well…"

Flowey began to turn back slightly to face her, having dropped his annoyed posturing to face Sariel, her curious tone catching his non-existent ear,

"Would you like to accompany me through the Underground when I toss what's left of the teacups? You mentioned the Ruins before,"

She stepped closer to him.
"If you're so familiar I don't think it would bother you to see me out there? That's where I toss all my trash."

Oh, well, ain't that something? She's filling the Ruins with trash, he thought.

"Right, makes sense…" not wanting to dwell on that anymore lest some heavily repressed emotions crop up he thought of his reply,

"I guess I could, not like I have anywhere to be." He could not have uttered that any more apathetically, but perhaps his cynicism was too heavy as he could see a concerned look strewn on Sariel's face. He attempted to dial it down with his next response, thinking remorsefully.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to go on a little field trip with my new… friend." He did his best sounding sincere, bonus points for sounding awkward.

Sariel lit up at the sound of that last part, relieved, and nodded at him. She brought the box forward and pressed her hands in to make space for her new friend. Picking Flowey up by the pot she set him down within the box and beside the garbage.

The utter bewilderment he felt at the situation combined with his contempt for this monster, he was trying to be nice but, like always, no one makes it easy.