//------------------------------// // Along Came a Pony // Story: The Moon in the Dark // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// To the north of the bomb field, Woona found an elevator marked 'L2'. Stepping inside, she levitated herself up to push the Left Three button. As the elevator moved, Chara decided to speak up. You're being rather quiet, he mentioned. Something worrying you? "I've been on TV," Woona explained. "What if...what if Daddy was watching? What if Mommy was watching?" You're worried how Dad will react to you? "No," Woona replied. "I'm worried how he'll react to you." Feeling Chara's stunned silence, she continued. "He's a Boss Monster. If Mettaton can detect human traits in my soul, then Daddy should be able to sense you, too, or have some other way of knowing you're there. I...I don't know what's going to happen." ...I don't think you need to worry so much, Chara offered comfortingly. It might get really emotional, but I don't think anything bad will come of it. As Woona stepped out of the elevator onto a much more mechanical floor, she silently raised something she'd notice. You seem different, Chara, she offered. When I first met you, you were really scary...and really angry. My anger was directed at humans, Chara answered readily. There aren't any more. When you welcomed me into your soul, I thought I could just take you over...but your soul was too strong. And...the gentle purity of that powerful soul has leached away the anger that had consumed my soulless essence. ...being with you reminds me of what it was like to be with Mom...Dad...Asriel... A thoughtful silence descended in Woona's mind for a time. The other fallen humans...I had no thought for them beyond anger, and wanting to twist them into the real monsters of the underground, and gain the power to destroy humanity above. But you...you're my sister. Chara seemed stunned by his own admission. You're...my sister... Woona smiled, focusing her magic inward and managing to hug Chara. I love you too, Big Brother! she told him happily. Chara said nothing in reply, just letting the warmth fill him. Gazing at his astral image, he saw that the shadows he had been made of before were almost totally gone. Instead, only a silvery glow anchored itself in Woona's blue, black, and white soul. Woona paused in her steps, staring at what looked like a smashed food stall. "W...what happened here?" she asked, worried and confused. I don't know, Chara muttered worriedly. Maybe you should ask that monster over there. Nodding, Woona walked up to the green skinned monster dressed in yellow. "Umm...do you know what happened here?" "She...she just smashed her stand," he muttered, staring. "She'd been worried about something for a while...and then she got a call...and she smashed everything! Then she stormed off, enraged. I don't know what's going on anymore..." ...someone's playing games... Chara murmured. Let's keep going, but be careful... Accepting Chara's advice, Woona moved forward, trying not to stare at the shredded spider webs she passed. When she entered the next room, she saw more steam vents running each and every way. She sat down hard. "You're kidding me..." she grumbled. When her phone rang, she picked it up. "Alphys, please tell me you can hack the steam vents and turn them into bridges or something? Otherwise, I'll never get across!" "Umm..." Alphys replied. Woona could hear some rapid tapping. "I have an idea. Push the jetpack button on your phone." "But...it's out of fuel," Woona pointed out logically. "True," Alphys agreed, "but if the new program I sent works right, it should be able to refuel from the steam vents now." Gasping, Woona pushed the button, getting out the jetpack. Stepping onto the steam vent, the steam was sucked into the jetpack to set her afloat instead of propelling her an insane distance forward. "You're the best, Alphys!" Woona squealed happily. Alphys chuckled nervously at the other end of the line. "W-well, I do what I can. There's puzzles to the north and south you'll need to solve to continue east." "Will do!" Woona replied happily, jetting over to the north side first. The puzzle was the same as the ones before, though she only had one shot this time. With careful plotting, she managed to solve it. She then took the steam-powered jet-phone to the south. The path to the puzzle room there involved conveyor belts and blue lasers, which she was careful to maneuver around. As she approached the puzzle room, she received another call from Alphys. "Say...would you like to watch a human TV show with me some time?" she asked. "It's called...Mew Mew Kissy Cutie..." "It sounds adorable!" Woona squealed. "I'd love to!" "Really?" Alphys gasped happily. "It's so good, it's one of my favorites! It's about this human girl named Mew Mew who has cat ears-" "Is that normal for humans?" Woona asked, confused. "No, it's not," Alphys explained. "So she's all sensitive about them." "Aww...poor Mew Mew..." Woona smiled widely. "Looking forward to seeing it all! But for now, I need to keep going. ...something scary is going on out here..." "I'll keep an eye on you from here!" Alphys insisted. "Don't worry too much!" With the southern puzzle solved, Woona made her way back to the steam vent room to make her way east. She soon found a place that seemed covered in spider webs. "This must be where the spiders live!" she squealed happily, reaching into her saddlebags to pull out the pouch with the spiders in it, racing ahead. Woona, watch out! Chara called out in warning. As Woona stepped through the door, spiderweb shot out, binding her against the wall as angry hissing filled the room. "Uh oh..." she squeaked out as she lost hold of the spider pouch.