//------------------------------// // The Core of the Problem, part 2 // Story: The Moon in the Dark // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Carefully, Woona examined the signs marking the paths to the east and west at the intersection. The sign to the east read "Path of the Warrior". The sign to the west read "Path of the Scholar". "Oh, I recognize this!" Alphys spoke up through the phone. "It's one of the possible configurations of the Core, though one that's been, well, banned because of how dangerous it is, so I don't know how to get through it. What I can tell you is that both paths will lead to the end of the Core. The Warrior Path will have several monsters guarding it, while the Scholar Path will have several puzzles-" "Puzzles!" Woona squealed happily, dashing to the left. Chara chuckled indulgently as they progressed. Noticing something, he called Woona's attention to it. Take a look at that ice! Woona glanced across a gap to where a large block of ice was being carried towards the pit. "Hey, isn't that the ice the wolfman was throwing into the river back in Snowdin?" she asked curiously. Yeah, Chara confirmed. Hasn't melted even after going all the way through Hotland. That's some cold ice- The ice dropped off the conveyor belt into the white that filled the area below the platforms, instantly vaporizing. "...note to self," Woona squeaked out. "Don't fall." To put that out of her mind, she quickly followed the path north. After solving another block-shooter puzzle like she'd encountered in Hotland, Woona continued north. Using her magic to send Chara forward to explore, Woona was able to safely maneuver through the Core to a door surrounded by unusual symbols. "So...this is the path from the Core to the castle?" Woona asked Alphys. "Yup, that's the door," Alphys confirmed. "This is another one of the nodes of the Core that can't be moved, just like the one at the start where the elevator is. The other end of the elevator is there to your right." Alphys hesitated. "Woona...we're going to have to hang up the phone before you go through the door. Security systems don't allow active communications link ups to enter the Core's control chamber, and we might have difficulty reestablishing contact." "I'll be okay," Woona promised. "See if you can get the elevators online in the meantime?" "...yeah, I can do that," Alphys agreed. "Stay safe, okay Woona?" "Will do!" Woona promised, hanging up. She then stepped through the door. The chamber beyond was very dark, only a single platform visible in the shape of a jagged diamond. In the distance, various control computers could be seen, but no bridges connected the platform to them. The only bridges were the ones Woona walked on and one at the opposite side, connected to the exit door. As she stepped onto the platform, she found Mettaton waiting for her, his screen red. "OH YES, THERE YOU ARE, DARLING," Mettaton greeted. "IT'S TIME FOR OUR FINAL SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE "MALFUNCTIONING" ROBOT." Woona sighed. "You're not malfunctioning," she stated bluntly. "And you aren't really a 'robot' either, are you?" "...OH?" Mettaton asked curiously. "I SUPPOSE I CAN HUMOR YOU, THEN. WHAT AM I?" "You're a Blook," Woona replied carefully. "And this 'robot' is a body Alphys built specifically for you. But...now you're a part of it...like Glad Dummy?" Mettaton clapped his hands slowly together. "VERY WELL DONE, DARLING!" Mettaton praised. "TELL ME, WHEN DID YOU PUT IT TOGETHER?" "You got upset...well, not upset but something like it...when I mentioned trying to kiss Napstablook," Woona explained. "And...there's another house like Blooky's next door to his, but locked. He doesn't like looking at it. ...it's your house, isn't it?" "...IT WAS," Mettaton replied. "AND THE WORD YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS NOSTALGIC. BUT TELL ME, IF YOU KNEW FROM THAT MOMENT THAT I WASN'T JUST SOME SOULLESS AUTOMATON, ONE THAT CAN MAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS INDEPENDENT OF PROGRAMMING...WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING? YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN THEN THAT ALPHYS HAD CREATED THIS NARRATIVE SPECIFICALLY SO SHE COULD INSERT HERSELF INTO YOUR STORY, TO 'SAVE' YOU." "...the first time a monster tried to share 'LOVE' with me, all I felt was pain," Woona explained. "I thought...when that happened, I thought it meant I couldn't be loved, that friendship could only hurt. But...but Mama opened her heart to me...worked through my pain to help me...played by my rules to love me." She looked up at Mettaton. "And I promised her I'd befriend every monster in the underground. Could I do any less for Alphys? If she needed to 'save' me in order to have the confidence to befriend me...who was I to deny her that?" Mettaton stared down at Woona. "YOU ARE A VERY INTERESTING SURFACE DWELLER. IF ALL THOSE ABOVE NOW ARE LIKE YOU, I HOPE TO ONE DAY PERFORM FOR THEM AS I HAVE UNDERGROUND." "Speaking of performance..." Woona began, focusing her magic. Behind Mettaton, a switch was thrown, and the platform shot upward with both of them on it, several spotlights shining down. Mettaton glanced back and forth, surprised. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he demanded. "I told you," Woona said as she stepped around behind the robot. "I'm befriending every monster in the Underground. The ones guarding the paths will be watching this grand finale in the audience, since I made it past them. And the whole Underground will be watching. Just like with Alphys, I'm meeting you on your own ground, by your own rules...and I'm gonna befriend the circuits out of you!" Spinning around, she bucked out with her hind legs, flipping the switch on Mettaton's back. "DID...DID YOU JUST...FLIP MY SWITCH?" Mettaton gasped out. "Indeed I did!" Woona proclaimed as white smoke billowed around Mettaton. She stepped to the side as the stage came to a halt and the spotlights locked onto the robotic entertainer. "It's time to show the whole Underground who and what we really are!" Woona stared into the light and smoke, filled with the DETERMINATION to give the greatest performance on or under the earth.