//------------------------------// // The Aftermath // Story: The Moon in the Dark // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// The barrier shattered. Because the magic of the barrier and the souls that had powered it were activated as it happened, and the barrier was broken a layer at a time, the backlash of magic as it shattered was immense, powerful enough to wipe out the entire underground and blow the top off the mountain that contained it. However, Flowey's massively enhanced body absorbed the vast majority of the blast, leaving only a minor shockwave through the Underground that knocked everyone off their feet, and a minor quake through the mountain that confused but in no way harmed any creatures - sapient or otherwise - that lived upon the surface. Unfortunately, as the power of five of the six human souls Flowey had absorbed had been funneled into the others and he'd been using the last of his own power to maintain the link that let them attack the Sages from outside the barrier, he had no magic of his own left to strengthen his body against the blast wave. It still took time for him to realize what had happened, as most of his focus was on ensuring the remainder of Woona's soul was still intact. He didn't realize what was happening to him until he felt his furthest-most roots - and the Echo Flowers sprouting from them - dissolve into dust. "Oh..." he murmured softly to himself. "I...I didn't realize..." "you okay kid?" Sans asked from between Woona and Flowey, now that he no longer held her tight in his vines. "you're looking kinda...wilted." "...funny..." Flowey murmured as he felt more of his body turning to dust, the process moving slowly inward towards the Boundary, where Underground met Overworld, where the focus of his consciousness was. "That's...kinda what's happening. All this power, all this Determination inside me...and I can't change this..." "you could if you wanted to, you know," Sans pointed out. "woona's barely awake. her determination's tapped out. even with only one human soul inside you, you've still got more active determination than anyone else. you could reset." Flowey stared at Sans for a time in surprise, his flower face at the end of his root. "...nah," he murmured softly. "Other than me...this is a happy ending. Woona worked hard on that. I'm...not gonna just erase that. All this time, I wanted to care...I'm not gonna erase that either." "you realize that means you're going to die," Sans pointed out. "and you won't be coming back again. once you're dust...you're gone for good. no soul to bring back." "I...think it's better that way," Flowey murmured as he felt all his sense of Snowdin vanish as everything of himself that was there turned to dust. "The world above...no humans there. No war. It...doesn't really have a place for me. My world is kill or be killed. Thanks to Woona, I found a taste of something more." Sans looked down, chuckling. "she changed all of us," he murmured softly. "i was born to be hope, and yet i'd all but given up on it. i really was the smiley trash bag you called me." Flowey smiled softly as he felt himself lose his grip in Waterfall. "It's...it's happening faster," he whispered as he sensed Asgore, Toriel, and the others getting back to their feet slowly, still dazed from what had happened. "I...I'm not going to get the chance...to tell everyone goodbye." "i'll tell 'em for ya, kid," Sans offered softly. "and hey, don't give up hope. look at this unexpected happy ending we've got here. maybe there's still time for a maker to toss out a miracle." "I don't think there is..." Flowey replied as he lost his sense of Hotland. He could already feel his grip on the Core slipping. "Sans...I..." Sans looked up at the flower before him, smiling sadly as he saw the face shift to that of a young goat. "yeah?" "Did...did I do good?" the dying monster asked, his voice now high and piping, and frighteningly familiar to the King and Queen nearby. Sans reached up and brushed him under the chin. "yeah, kid. you done real good." He smiled softly...and dissolved into dust, leaving behind the dark blue human soul. The dissolution flowed up into the ground above, following the path of the roots, leaving behind only the crystalline structure beyond the barrier, a small tree forever beyond the reach of the sun, standing eternal guard over the gate to the Underground. "huh..." Sans murmured softly, glancing up at the light blue soul floating over his head. "and here i thought he'd actually get one. didn't seem like the thing, to let him die here." The soul floated over to in front of him, spinning somewhat faster. Sans slowly smiled. "oh...i see," he murmured as Papyrus, Undyne, Muffet, Alphys, and Mettaton arrived. "it is time for a miracle...but it's gotta come from us." Holding his hand out, he let some of his magic flow into the soul, remembering the good times that had become Woona's protective barrier. Before his eyes, the light blue soul crystallized into a hexagonal blue topaz, and shot upwards through the earth, phasing through solid matter as pure magic. "THEN WE CAN SAVE FLOWEY, TOO?" Papyrus gasped out eagerly. Reaching into his armor, he pulled out the green soul. "THEN I SHALL!" Following Sans' lead, he focused his magic into the soul as it spun faster and faster before crystallizing into a hexagonal cut pink opal, which soon followed the blue topaz, trailing magical power that sparkled in the air. "I'm not about to abandon someone who stood so strongly by my friends!" Undyne proclaimed firmly, pulling the yellow soul out from behind her eyepatch, pouring her magic into it. It spun rapidly, and crystallized into a hexagonal cut crimson ruby before following the other gemstones. "He gave everything of himself," Muffet murmured softly as she gently held the purple soul between her outstretched hands. "I can give some of myself back." Her magic infused into the soul as it spun, crystallizing into a hexagonal cut purple amethyst that followed the other gems into the sky. "I d-d-did him a great wrong without even knowing it," Alphys stammered out. "I h-have to make it right, if I can!" She held up the orange soul even as Mettaton's hands rested on her shoulders, their magic flowing into the soul together. Spinning, it crystallized into a hexagonal cut orange citrine, leaving a trail of magic light behind it. The dark blue soul spun as it floated above them all, drawing in the trails of light left behind by the other gemstones. As it spun faster and faster, the light was sucked in, drawing in energy from elsewhere before finally crystallizing as a starburst cut magenta tourmaline, which vanished in a blaze of light. High above at the Tree, the six magical crystals gathered, floating around it in a circle. Their magic flowed into the tree, energizing it. Each gem, one by one, anchored themselves in the Tree's branches to eternally be its power, the starburst anchoring itself into the trunk. A blaze of rainbow colored light erupted from the Tree, outshining the sun. And then, the tree put forth a tendril with a single large bud. As the last of the rainbow light touched the bud, it bloomed, revealing its precious burden. And the young Boss Monster inside slowly opened his eyes, as the last light of the setting Moon touched him.