Last Things

(Aurora's pov)

I ran towards the Lab thinking. This path was coming to an end soon, and I have only two things left to do, bring back the children and stop the Resets. I was dreading the price I would have to pay for those actions soon. I look at my left hand as I ran, the crack was glowing with a dim purple light, it was a reminder to the price I will have to pay. With a heavy heart I met up with Frisk and together we walked into the Lab, Alphys wasn't there for she had gone to the True Lab. After reading the note she left behind, we followed her down the now open elevator.


~Earlier

(Segoe's POV)

They'll be at the true lab soon, I heard what was going on earlier. That was the only good thing about my "accident," and even the gift was a tiny curse. I was aware of their positions, hearing what they hear, and visualizing what they see.

I sigh, addressing the head in the corner, "Has the skeleton left the lab?" I had to speak in Wingdings, it kinda hurt my throat.

"Yes, Script. He has left our line of sight, although, the one who sent him is displeased."

"I assumed so."

I patch up a few holes in this timeline, disguising little mistakes here and there. The story fell together nicely, but something was wrong. I couldn't see the ending.

I made the plot as smooth as possible, dissolving a few conflicts that would've set us back. Despite my efforts, I could not see the conclusion. It was a fuzzy, blurred spot at the end. So undetermined that I feared it, as though something terrible and unpredictable would happen to ruin everything, and I wouldn't be able to fix it. Something was wrong.

There was a timid air to the room, a sense of dread, and I knew the Gaster Followers felt it, too. It was thick enough to cut through-that disgusting, choking feeling that was helplessness. I couldn't do anything.

"Script! Script!" I turned my head to the one who called me, "You need to see this!" It was the peculiar G-Follower with the markings on his stomach, he was carrying a book. A few pages were folded down, but he opened it to a book-marked passage: "Fracture."

"...Fracture..?"

I took the book, from the monochromatic Monster, wincing as it's color was drained. My eyes found the circled passage. It said, in bold text: Fracture is the result of a nonexistent creature being exposed to existence. It is a risk only taken by those who owe themselves, and can result in dea-

The book fell to the ground, I raced through the Core, tearing through space and time to land just out of sight of the grey door. Aurora was pulling Gaster from the ash-colored plane of existence. I caught sight of her hand-cracked and chipped-as it disconnected with G's.

I tried to call to her, beg her not to go through with this, but I was stopped...forcefully. A hand covered my mouth, shushing me silently. Tears pricked the corner of my eyes-grey and black-as I struggled against my inhibitor's grasp. It was a scratchy, familiar voice who told me softly: "She knew what she was doing.."


(Aurora's POV)

As we got out of the elevator we found ourselves in the True Lab. Alphys was absent, so we let ourselves in.

"Aurora...Do you think Segoe and Sans will be alright in the same room unsupervised? I don't want them to hurt each other," Frisk's eyes squinted against the darkness, giving the appearance of the expression they wore many timelines ago.

I smile, "I think that they will be fine, right now they are working to save this timeline, as long as they share the same interest they will be alright."

"It's rude to talk about someone who's listening," a growl echoed through the shadow, startling Frisk.

"And isn't it rude to listen to other people's conversations?" I counter.

An airy laugh wafts from the room to the left, "Touché. Hello you two. I am pleased to inform that a pacifist ending is approaching, but we have an..." Segoe's eyes glinted in the darkness, "issue to discuss, Void Dragon."

I just look at her, "I will do what I have to."

"This wasn't part of the deal," twin orbs gestured to my wrist.

I laugh, "I knew the price I would pay, I have lived a long time, long enough to wish others happiness over myself."

"What if I find happiness in your presence?!" Segoe's façade shattered, her voice trembled, "Where is happiness th-then..?" The lights bloomed above her, and the lab was a mess. Beds were flung against the walls, papers everywhere, steel equipment bent into sickening shapes. The amalgamations cower at the corners of the room, afraid of her fury.

Frisk hid behind me, "I forgot what she can do..."

I turn to Frisk, "Hey, will you go and find the keys, also take the amalgamations with you?"

"Spare yourself the trouble," Segoe spat, venom lacing her words. Black substance pooled at the corners of her mouth and her right eye, "I got them earlier. Don't worry, their color still exists-" she mumbled something unintelligible under her breath. The amalgams lumbered to Frisk's side. She flung the keys in my direction for me to catch.

I caught them and handed them to Frisk, "Please leave us for a moment Frisk."

He hesitantly obeyed, wary of the tense air between the two void spawn. Snowdrake's mom, Endogamy, and Lemon bread trailing behind.

After Frisk had left I turned back to Segoe "I understand that, but even you will forget me, even if I don't pay the price... I am already fading."

Segoe turned statue, her grey form turned still, but her eyes burned, "How could I forget..?" Her hand rested over where her-whoever's-soul was.

"Haven't you noticed?" I gestured at my cloak, it was barley there, I was getting close to the end of my power, "I have been using up my magic at a large rate already."

Segoe's irises swapped for rhombuses, "Can't you replenish it..? I-It can't...Y-You can't!"

"It would take to long to replenish it, though I have enough," I sat down on one of the beds.

Segoe sighed, closing her eyes. Her shoulders trembled, knuckles pale from clenching her fist. She didn't want to cry again.

"I owe you so much...You saved this world, you understand how it feels to be different-not belonging to any universe, and...a-and...You helped me loose s-so many shades of grey. If th-there's any way I can h-help...don't hide it f-from m-me! Please!"

"Hide what? That I am dying? I am only hiding it from Frisk and the other monsters, though I think Sans knows," I pat the bed I was sitting on, "Come here will you?"

She obeys, sitting a safe distance from me, "He knows something is wrong, but not the truth."

"Heh, he is always the most perceptive, how did you find out?" I was a bit curious.

"About Sans' knowledge? Eh, I live with one of them! I could tell by the way he was standing-sorta leaned back, feet facing different directions, and dim pinpricks. Plus, his speech was a little more...quiet," her gaze fell distant, occasionally her eyes changed shape. She was thinking about something.

"I meant about me dying, it isn't very common thing. So how did you learn about it?"

Segoe was snapped from her thoughts, "Oh." She looked a little uncomfortable as she pulled a thick book from her bag, "One of the Gaster Followers found this. Th-This page was bookmarked," she opened to a page labeled "Fracture." Great portions of the book were monotone from her touch.

"Heh, Gaster and his experiments with the nature of the Void..." I smiled sadly, "I should have known they would find that book."

"Yeah.." she rubbed the back of her neck self consciously.

I hugged her, "I know the pain of being left out yes, but you have a family now, and you are happy with them."

"..left out? What do you mean?" she was confused, "Where did that come from?" She tried to wriggle out of the hug, ashamed of the stains left on my form.

"To be the outcast, and I know my fate and I will not run from it," I hugged her harder, "You may have once been that person, the one that people feared and hated, but now you are loved okay?"

Tears brimmed in her eyes, I felt them hot and sticky on my shoulder, "I want you to know th-that..Y-You'll...I-I-I'll never..." she returned the hug with everything she had, "I can't forget you!" She couldn't cover the pain that echoed in that last sentence.

"But you will, not at first soon all of this will seem like a dream and then, like all dreams it will fade."

At that moment, a choked sob echoed from outside the doorway. With red, puffy eyes, wet cheeks, and a quivering lip, Frisk appeared. His milky, brown eyes were covered by a thin film of grief, "I-I-Is it t-true..? Tell m-me it isn't, p-p-please!"

"So, you were listening, I should have known," I close my eyes for a moment, "Yes, I wont be around much longer, I have just enough to keep my promi-"

Frisk cut her off, bowling into her and sobbing into her shoulder. Segoe jumped back just in time to avoid the blue-clad child, she didn't want to interfere any longer.

"It would have been the same result, even if I had returned, I would be a complete stranger to you."

"I don't care!" he bawled into my shoulder as I rubbed circles on his back, "Please, Sis, don't leave! You can't die! You can't..! You can't die..."

My eyes darken, "Are you asking me to break a promise? Especially one to those two?"

"I did not know about this in advance," Segoe spoke up, "This is you and Gaster's decision now, I don't want to be your.." she searched for the right word, "murderer."

"I wasn't talking about you and Gaster."

"Ah," her eyes flashed, "So you can help the Dreemurr siblings?"

"That is the last thing I have left, other than making sure the pacifist ending happens." There is no emotion in my voice, it is almost as if I am just talking about the weather.

Segoe frowned. Frisk sobbed. I stared. The silence was choking.

"So are you still going to try and talk me out of it?"

"No use," Segoe sighed, eyes tired, "You're more stubborn than I am." Frisk was still in too much pain to speak.

"Heh, I'll take that as a complement," I stood up and started to carry Frisk towards the elevator, "You coming?"

"I'll trail behind," she got to her feet, "I haven't made contact with this world's inhabitants since... y'know. Plus, I've already been trying Sans' nerves, so I don't need him hating me more than her already does." She snapped her fingers, ink magic splashed over her features, then made a puddle where her feet should be. All that remained of her was two lights where her eyes would be. "Practically invisible, huh?" They could see her outline as she moved due to the rivulets of air that formed around her.

"That is a neat trick," I look down at Frisk as we make our way to the elevator, "Don't worry about me, alright? You have a race to set free."

Frisk nodded, eyes sparkling with determination, even though his face was still red from crying.

"Good luck, you two..."