//------------------------------// // Homecoming // Story: The Moon in the Dark // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// After a time, Napstablook took his leave, and Woona continued her journey through the Ruins. Following Toriel's directions, she took the most direct path, though she promised herself to check out the 'spider bake sale' later, when she felt safer from the evil flower. The next long room had three Froggits in it, though one of them mentioned there were actually four. They all had advice for her that she was certain would be useful someday, if she could only understand its meaning. On the way out of the chamber, her phone rang. Woona hastened to pick up. "Mommy?" "Hello Woona," Toriel greeted warmly. "How are you doing?" "Good!" Woona replied happily. "I've been making fweinds and moving fowahd! I even made fweinds with a ghost called Napstabwook!" "Napstablook?" Toriel asked, surprised. "Oh, he's a nice spirit, if a bit withdrawn. He's not much for socialization. You are truly gifted in making friends if you've befriended him." "I couldn't hug him, though," Woona pouted. "I fell thwough him..." Toriel giggled softly. "It's quite alright, dear one," she reassured her. "I just realized that it's been a while since I cleaned up. I haven't had company in so long...at any rate, there are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up if you like, but keep in mind that you are still young. There's only so much you can carry, and it would be quite awful if you found something you wanted one day that you couldn't carry." "Then I'll just get stwong so I can cawwy more!" Woona proclaimed proudly, making Toriel laugh again. "Not a bad thought, dear. I'll see what I can do about helping you get stronger." As Woona moved to leave the chamber, she found herself in a FIGHT with a Moldsmal and a monster that looked like a large roach with only four limbs. The name above its health bar read 'Migosp'. Unsure what to do, Woona held still, deciding to let the Monsters make the first move. The Moldsmal withdrew on its own, though it didn't leave any gold. Seeing that Woona wasn't hostile, the Migosp relaxed. When Woona continued to take no action, it happily left, leaving behind two gold. Slipping them in her bit pouch, Woona continued onward. The next chamber was large, and contained numerous pitfalls with one way chutes leading back up. Her map indicated that one of the pitfalls led to the switch to open the path onward, but the writing was a bit smudged regarding which pit. Woona decided it was best to start with the closest one. At the bottom, she encountered a monster that looked like a carrot with a face. When the FIGHT began, it was identified as a Vegetoid. Woona wasn't sure how to act, and felt nervous after the last food item with a face monster she'd encountered. However, her stomach decided to speak for her, grumbling loudly. "Eat your greens!" the Vegetoid offered happily, releasing a swarm of vegetables into the air to bounce towards Woona. Noticing only one of them was green, Woona approached to eat that one, evading the others. "Delicious!" she proclaimed happily, making the Vegetoid very happy. The FIGHT lines faded, and it left her four gold. Down the next pit, Woona encountered a monster that looked like a goblin with a large eye instead of a torso. The FIGHT identified it as a Loox. While the appearance made her a bit confused, she decided to be nice, waving happily. The Loox seemed pleased with that as it released some minor magic into the air, which Woona evaded easily as a very small target. When the FIGHT lines faded, the Loox left her 5 gold. Finding a faded red ribbon, Woona decided to tie her mane into a ponytail with it so that it wouldn't get caught on anything. She finished tying it into a bow, hoping it looked good, and glad it didn't clash with her Cartographer's Cap. Woona equipped Faded Ribbon As she continued, Woona found Napstablook at the bottom of a hole. "I fell down a hole," he explained, sounding as though he felt foolish. "Now I can't get up. Go on without me..." "No!" Woona proclaimed fiercely. "Fweinds don't weave fweinds behind!" Focusing her magic, she struggled to lift Napstablook from the ground. Napstablook floated upwards. "...oh yeah. Ghosts can fly..." He floated up under his own power. Releasing her magic, Woona couldn't help but giggle. Napstablook managed a very small smile before he vanished. In the next pit Woona dropped into, she found the switch. Throwing it allowed her to continue onward. The next room indicated that several switches had to be pressed in a specific sequence in order to anchor the looping enchantment on the chamber, allowing one to pass through the gates. The gates themselves were designed not to open unless the enchantment was properly anchored, in order to prevent anyone inside from being trapped. Since the order was marked on the map, Woona pressed the switches in the proper order. On the way, Woona encountered several more monsters for FIGHTs, all ones she'd previously encountered, though in different groupings. Remembering how she'd addressed each such monster individually, she managed to befriend them all. Entering a large chamber with a tree in the middle, Woona smiled happily as she saw Toriel coming towards her. "Mommy!" she called happily, racing up to her. Smiling, Toriel scooped Woona into her arms. "Don't worry, Woona, you're safe now," she whispered, cuddling her close. As Woona's heart began to slow down with the fading of her fear of Flowey, she found her eyelids drooping. Without even realizing it, she let out a yawn. Toriel chuckled softly. "Tired, aren't you? How about I tuck you in for a nap?" Woona nodded, snuggling into Toriel's embrace. Toriel carried Woona into the neat, tidy house, past pale yellow walls covered with various pictures, towards an unlocked door. Woona could smell something delicious, but she was stuffed on vegetables from the Vegetoids, and hunger could not stir her. She curled up happily as she was tucked into a warm bed with soft sheets, even if the bed was much too large for her. Leaning in, Toriel kissed Woona on the cheek. "Sleep well...my daughter," she whispered softly, before stepping out of the room and turning off the light. After getting the pie out of the oven before it could burn, Toriel cut a slice for Woona. She hoped her equine daughter would enjoy it. Carrying it in, however, she realized she may have overestimated Woona's appetite just a tad, and forgotten just how little the pony was. The slice was nearly the same size as Woona's entire body. Toriel shook her head at that, wondering just how such a small creature would handle the world of the Underground. As she thought of that, painful thoughts entered her mind. The human children...they hadn't fared well at all beyond the door, and they were much bigger and stronger than Woona. If...if her equine daughter passed beyond the door someday... She quickly left the room, not wanting her crying to awaken Woona or give her a bad dream. She went to the one point in the house where she knew Woona would not hear her...the end of the passage in the basement. Leaning against the one-way door to the rest of the Underground, she let herself cry, trying to escape the pain she feared would come...the pain she'd knowingly opened herself to. "hey lady," a familiar voice said from the other side of the door. "you okay?" Toriel managed a small smile. "I...I am not sure, my friend," she replied. "Something...something wonderful has happened...but I fear it opens the door to something truly dreadful..." "quite the ful day then, huh?" her friend replied. "why don't ya tell me a bit about it? sorry i don't have any new puns for you today...but i'm feeling a little horse." Toriel couldn't stop the giggles at that. "Funny you should say that. I...I have a new child. She is a tiny pony, with wings and horn." "oh?" the voice asked, curious. "...how tiny?" "I accidentally cut her a slice of pie nearly as big as her." The voice was silent for a time. "sorry, i just had a mental image of her eating her way out of a pie while using it as a swimming pool." Toriel burst out laughing at the image. "That would be adorable!" she gasped out. Eventually, however, the somber thoughts returned. "But...as small as she is...if...if she ever leaves here, she'd never make it on her own." There was no response from the other side. "...if...if she ever does leave...and I don't leave with her...would...would you take care of her for me?" Toriel's voice was desperate. "I...I don't think I could go on if...if my heart lost another child..." More silence greeted her, followed by a gusty sigh. "cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye...when she's not under your care out here, i'll look after her." Toriel blinked in confusion. "What...?" "it's a Pinkie Promise," the voice replied. "a rather powerful oath, especially for someone like me. if i break it...it won't be you i answer to first." "No, I mean...what's a cupcake?" After a time, she heard her friend's stuttering chuckle. "when we meet face to face, i'll teach you how to make them." As the scent of cooling pie filled her room, Woona knew she had the DETERMINATION to face whatever dreams may come.