Escape the Ruins

She sat there on her knees. In the middle of a grassy patch, where a certain flower was looking at her before and taunting her for not knowing how to fight, there was a little child with short, brown hair and a long-sleeved, blue shirt with lilac stripes. The shirt was too big; the sleeves were way too long for her tiny arms, which were full of cuts because of the flower's sticky seeds. Even though the yellow flower showed quite a dislike for her and everybody else, she didn't hate him. In fact, she felt compelled to develop a fondness for the creature with six bright petals. It was the first creature she saw after falling down the mountain, after all.

She felt a small tear slide down her cheek. She felt terrible for doing this to the only friendly monster she knew and instantly grew to love. Frisk got her blessing. But she didn't want to leave, all of a sudden. She wanted to return and stay, but the goat monster told her not to return. It would probably break her soul, so she just stayed on the grassy patch, silently sobbing.

It didn't take a long time before a certain flower decided to show up yet again.

*Howdy, crybaby!* Flowey exclaimed upon entering the scene, but his grin soon faded away as he saw that the child wasn't responding. Instead, he angrily frowned.

*Hey, what's with that attitude? I thought you wanted to escape from here.

Frisk just sobbed and hid her youthful face from the flower as she didn't want anyone to see her cry. Flowey rolled his eyes.

*Heh. You really ARE an idiot. Thinking you'll solve anything with tears. TEARS!* Flowey burst into loud, sinister laughter. Seeing that it wasn't affecting her, he decided to stop his menacing laugh and just frowned again instead. Staring at the human for a few seconds made him reconsider his options.

*Look, kid. I've been keeping an eye on you for some time and I've gotta say you have… a talent. A special one. Don't let that go to waste. You could, I don't know… help someone with it…?

One of the small girl's tears fell straight into his face, so he quickly shook it off. He let out a small growl before returning to an apparent calm state.

*Someone out there needs you, you know? You're not alone in this world*, he said and widely smiled to appear friendlier.

She removed a hand from her red, wet face and looked at the flower whose smile disappeared for a second as he saw the situation she was in. He seemed to remember something.

*Don't think that Toriel is the only friendly monster here! There's plenty of 'em hiding outside. You know, I bet if you open that door that leads to the outside world, a pack of friendly monsters will already be waiting for you, arms wide open!* Flowey looked away for a second, *if… they have any.

Frisk removed the other hand from her eye as well. She barely opened them, only to see the flower better.

*Do you need more proof? I mean, I'm here, right? Your best friend, Flowey!* he smiled and started to swing left and right, like he danced some kind of happy flower dance, *Flowey the flower!

Frisk looked down and Flowey's eyes widened as he went frustrated. Clenching his teeth, he tried again.

*What's that look supposed to mean? Don't you like you best buddy bud? 'Cause I like you very much, kid*, those words hurt especially. He almost went sick from that sentence.

*You're… like… my only friend, Cha- um, Frisk!* he looked aside for a moment before returning his eyes to face hers, *I just… wanted to show you how to survive this world if it gets… you know, hard. Basics.

Frisk's tears finally subsided.

*There you go,* Flowey cutely smiled, *much better. Now, why don't we start by helping each other?

Frisk was looking at the flower for some time before she sweetly smiled back at him, making him flinch. She positioned herself so that her head was at her knees. She wrapped her arms around her legs and her cheeks became rosy.

"I like you", she said and closed her bright, lively eyes, and the flower's smile faded as he was filled with terror. He didn't think of the fact that she could actually grow fond of him at her young age. He was a terrifying flower, after all, with an echoic, high-pitched voice and a horrible grin which showed his teeth which he, as a flower, wasn't supposed to have at the first place. He looked around before he went on with the act.

*Yeah, I like you… too… I guess*, he said and looked away.

She was looking at him for some time before he decided to focus her attention at something else, rather than at him. He artificially smiled again and turned to face the child which was looking at him with care and friendliness in her eyes. He hated her expression, but wasn't bored by it, for some reason.

*So… What is your wish?* Flowey asked and happily wiggled his leaves.

"My… wish…?" the kid asked.

Flowey widely smiled, showing his teeth. Then his look went somewhere else, and his eyebrows lowered.

*Yeah, a wish. You know… the thing you want with all your heart and soul, etc. etc.* he said and returned to see her eyes which twinkled at his words.

"I…" the child stuttered and frowned, her eyes getting wet yet again. Flowey's smile disappeared; the rest of his expression stayed the same.

*Hey… you want to… return, don't you? Up there, where your friends are waiting for you, right?* he sweetly smiled again.

Frisk nodded her tiny head and looked at the flower in an innocent way. Flowey thought of a way to completely erase that innocent look she had.

*Oh. I can provide you that. Yeah, I'll help you!* he happily bounced and started to swing left and right again, *Sure, we'll do that!*

Frisk widely smiled and wanted to grab the flower from the joy she felt, but Flowey quickly dodged her "attack" by burrowing into the ground and reappearing behind her.

*But first*, he sadistically smiled and the child turned around to look at him, *you'll have to help me. For you see, I'm just a little, helpless, delicate flower.

Frisk happily nodded and Flowey smiled, closing his eyes.

*Great, let's start!

"What can I do?" the small girl asked and Flowey looked at the stick she had to her right. Then, he looked into the distance and saw a Froggit jumping around carelessly. He smirked and narrowed his eyes.

*You see that Froggit over there?

"The… frogy?"

Flowey remained silent for a moment.

*Yeah. The Froggit. Okay, here's the deal. I want you to take that stick*, the flower said and Frisk nodded her head.

*Go over to that small guy,* he added and Frisk nodded her head. Then, his expression became very different and scary, with huge, sharp teeth and empty eyes.

*And beat the living HELL out of it!

Frisk stared at him as Flowey's face turned normal again. There was silence for a few seconds.

*It's been harassing me the whole day, kid! I don't think I can handle this anymore!

Frisk crossed her arms at her chest and turned away from the flower, raising her chin. Flowey frowned.

*WHAT ELSE?!

"Toriel…"

*Toriel what?* Flowey asked as his expression copied Toriel's face.

Frisk remained silent for a moment, closing her eyes.

"Toriel."

*She's not your mother, Frisk. Deal with it*, Flowey said and stuck his tongue out in a playful way.

As she didn't respond, Flowey frowned and his petals hung down as he sighed.

*You'll do it if I guarantee that she'll be fine?

Frisk frowned and opened an eye to look at the yellow flower.

"Maybe."

The flower just rolled his eyes, took the stick with the vines he had and held it up to her nose. He swung it a few times before pointing it at her, saying: *What would you do if I told you I could erase the past and… start over? Would you help me fulfill my wish then?

Frisk's eyes sparkled as she heard those words come out of Flowey's blabby mouth. The flower straightened and proudly smiled, putting a leaf at his stem.

*It's called… well; let's just call it a… restart power for now. It's something that I, as a really special flower, posses.

"Restart? Power?"

*Gosh, kid, you learn fast! You've earned a sticker.

As Flowey said that, Frisk kept waiting for the sticker which just didn't want to come. The flower then started dancing again and smiled happily at the child's face, making her smile as well.

*Now then. Let's kill this thing.

The battle started. A bright red heart appeared right in front of her and she watched it for a moment. Frisk then looked at the Froggit and then at the stick in her small hand. Then back at the Froggit which was looking at her, confused, for it didn't know what she was doing.

*Okay. Let's start right from the scratch again. See that heart? Yeah, the one you were staring at a few seconds ago. Like you didn't see it an hour ago… Anyways, that is your SOUL, the climax of your being. It starts weak and… you probably know the rest. Anyways, now that I won't be shooting bulle- friendliness pallets at you, I can teach you how to fight. Now, take the stick…

Frisk took the stick.

Flowey sweetly smiled.

*And shove it into its face. Easy peasy.

Frisk decided to compliment the Froggit.

*What the-? Are you brain-dead?! You'll…

Flowey widened his eyes and bended a little.

Froggit didn't understand what Frisk said, but was flattered anyway. Froggit blushed deeply.

Flowey got angry.

*No, you IDIOT! Didn't you hear me before?! It's KILL or BE KILLED! You'll die!

Frisk was hit by an attack. She opened the bag and ate the Monster Candy she took before. She dodged other attacks coming from the frog.

*Okay, NOW shove it into its face!

Frisk chose the MERCY button. Froggit was spared! Flowey facepalmed. Frisk gained 0 XP and 2 G.

Frisk happily picked up the Froggit and carried it to her best friend who was frowning at her, trembling from angriness. She sat at her shins and shoved the Froggit right into Flowey's face, who quickly shook his head and turned away.

"You'll be friends from now on as well!" she happily exclaimed and cutely smiled. Flowey's eye twitched.

*You don't get it, do you? YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED OUT THERE! And I definitely won't be stalking you while you walk.

"Kiss!" she got the monster closer to Flowey and it croaked. Flowey showed his teeth in anger.

*What?! NO!

Frisk kept shoving the Froggit into the flower's face and Flowey kept dodging her "attacks". Actually, now he wished those were real attacks.

*Why would I do that?!

"When you kiss a frog, it turns into a gorgeous prince. Now kiss!"

Flowey got mad.

*WHAT IDIOT TOLD YOU THAT?!

Seeing that Frisk was getting upset, he rolled his eyes and sighed and explained.

*It doesn't work with flowers.

Upon hearing that, Frisk put the Froggit down. It started hopping around the room and the little child started clapping her hands happily as she watched the monster bounce around. Flowey, not knowing what to do with the kid who didn't want to listen to him at all, heavily sighed. He then tried to reload his safe file, but for some reason, it didn't work. Baffled, he tried again, but nothing happened. The flower felt something similar to fear as it didn't work out, as he suspected what that meant. He looked up at the small, apparently weak child with no will to fight whatsoever, and realized it had the same power as him. The power to reset everything. Luckily for him, Frisk was too young to know how to control it perfectly yet.

*What will it take me? What else do you want?! Just get out of here!* the flower kept trying to convince her to go outside, but the child suddenly widely smiled.

"I don't… really have many friends… up there."

Flowey remained silent and tried to reload the safe file again, just in case.

"And you are my friend!" She happily said and widely smiled. Flowey widened his eyes and burrowed himself into the ground, disappearing without a trace. He didn't show up again.

As Frisk was waiting for him for minutes, she started to sob again as she was left alone. Eventually, she got a response from Toriel who was watching it all in the dark, waiting to see if Frisk is actually going to get out of the Ruins or not. Seeing that the child was helpless, alone and afraid, as well as too young to be on her own, she felt her motherly instincts kick in and couldn't help but to approach the small child. Flowey didn't hear much as he was too far away, but he saw the big goat mom hug the child tightly, picking it up and carrying it away. He narrowed his eyes and silently growled as the Froggit came closer, croaking.

Flowey stared at him for a second before asking: *And what do you want? GET LOST!

*My child… I'm sorry for not stepping in earlier… I just… didn't want you to end up locked in the Ruins forever. It wouldn't be right for a child to grow up at a place like this, little Frisk, I…*, Toriel said with her nice, mild voice and woefully lowered her eyebrows. Frisk, who was lying in her big, white, fluffy arms, put her small hand on the white monster's face and Toriel suddenly stopped talking and widened her eyes. A burst of joy hit her soul as she remembered the time she had a child of her own. She then widely smiled.

*You know… I've always been a little overprotective, don't you think…?*

Frisk cutely smiled, and Toriel smiled back as she saw the child close her eyes.

*Oh, my sweet little child… Why would you wish to stay after all of this…? I realized that it was wrong to try to keep you inside. Whatever happens, I won't stop caring for you, you know how it is with old ladies like us*, she said the last part in a goofy voice.

"I… want to stay… mom…"

As Frisk said that, tears came to her eyes as she remembered the last child she took care of. She softly embraced the slumbering child and carried Frisk into her room.

And Frisk never left. That is… not before that happened…