Cage Of Bones

Chapter 37: I'm Not Him

Author's note: Damn...Papychara gave us quite the bomb drop the last time we saw them huh?

Wonder how Toriel's holding up...XD

Trigger Warning(s): Uncensored language, use of an improvised weapon, physical violence against another character, magical violence against another character, implied possession, implied off-screen character death, implied off-screen murder, and racism.

(Updated Edits on 8/2/23)

---

"...Asriel?"

Flowey has said ever since he was brought into the world that he couldn't feel anything. That every emotion other than rage that he's had since coming to the surface was merely a fabrication or a fluke.

It's true that he's moved past denying that the "fake" feelings were there since going on his rampage over them, but he still couldn't accept the idea of them actually being genuine.

However... at this moment...

...the terror in his soul was undeniably real.

And it was apparent that Toriel was feeling the very same way.

The way she stared at him with such genuine shock and confusion was enough to reduce him to a pellet if she really tried. And the way her eyes shifted between him and Chara...as if trying to confirm the conclusion she had just come to...

...what the hell could a person even SAY in this situation?

"T-Toriel I..." he tried, only to lose his words instantly when his eyes met hers.

Toriel was practically shaking in place, both hands to her mouth in shock as her eyes were filled with nothing but undeniable distress.

"I-It's true isn't it...?" she scarcely breathed, sending a chill down Flowey's stem at the sound of her voice.

"It really is you...Y-You're him...you're actually him..." Toriel continued, her tone so appalled and breezy it almost felt as if she had shut down completely.

"Either that or he's known where Asriel's been the entire time and he just didn't tell you," Chara spoke up from the back with a grin.

"Either way...it ain't looking too good for you, you damn weed. What do you have to say for yourself?" they added smugly.

Flowey felt as if he couldn't breathe. Any and all ways he could keep this situation from escalating were on the tip of his tongue but refused to escape.

Toriel was the one to break the silence; extending a hand toward Flowey as if to touch him as she spoke in a broken tone.

"All this time...you were right there...right in front of me...and I never knew. You never said a word this entire time. I...how? How is this even possible?"

Flowey gulped down harshly as he refused to meet her gaze.

"You'd be surprised how much determination can affect monster dust..." he said softly, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Toriel's eyes widened in realization.

"The garden. Th-That's why you're a..." Toriel gasped, unable to finish that sentence.

Flowey nodded.

"One of the doc's experiments. She was trying to see if a soulless thing could be given the will to live. See if artificial souls could break the barrier open. She just so happened to select the flower where all the dust was as her prototype...hence...little ol' me." He replied emotionlessly.

Toriel seemed to be in a haze as she processed that information.

"All those resets you mentioned...all those times you attacked Frisk...your time with Chara...all the time spent up here...with us...with me...that was all you? My son? The whole time?" she breathed.