PLDN Epilogue

"Chapter 42: A True Pacifist Happy Ending At Last!  Dreams Are Forever!"

Sub-Entry 411: "My Time in Undertale's True Ending Continues Without Goat Son":
"Someone check on the Doctor!  We have to tell him the news...!"

My head...!

"Doctor!  You're finally awake!"

"Huh...?  Wha...?"

"It is a miracle!  Frisk woke up!"

Alphys...? Toriel...?

"Get a move on, nerd!

What is this place...? Wait...I remember, now...

Toriel left Alphys to tend to me while the others gathered around Frisk.

"Doctor...the Barrier is--"

"Gone.  Yeah.  They did it.  They all did it together."

"The first fallen...the prince...?  And...what about--"

"In order?  Gone back to the Soul Society.  My Asriel probably couldn't stay on this plane of existence; he used an unconventional method to astral project here...I think.  It's the only way I could think of to bypass this world being separated from all time and space and the Axis of Reality itself.

As for...your Prince Asriel......"  My ears drooped.

"...it's...better than no one else knows about him.  I owe him that much.  So...for what it's worth...keep his secret."

"You really trust me to...?"

"Yes.  The Amalgamates?  One less problem for you.  Flowey and Asriel?  The last confession I'll hold you to.  Take as much time as you need."

"But what about--"

"Alphys!" Undyne called her over.

"Another time, Alphys.  Incidentally, with the CORE shutting down...or...rather going into energy-saving mode, I guess my sub-lab in Hotland can...just be a time capsule for now.  Please don't disturb any of what's in there until I return.  Okay?"

Alphys nodded and joined the others.

...that was when felt the boney hand on my shoulder.

"Am I supposed to jump out of my skin?  Because if the goal was to scare me out of my skull, Sans--"

"Heh.  I'm not gonna hassle ya.  But...it seems you've kept almost all of your promise, Arcade."

"Yeah...there is one last thing to take care of...and...I don't know how to do it."

"You got us this far."

"I can offer a bit of insight though.  I think...this victory may have made Madam Fate rage-quit for a while.  How ironic that your plan from the last time line worked...just...not on who you thought it would."

"Imagine that." Sans said with a wink.

"Sans...if we can't permanently break the loops once and for all...are you going to be okay with this?"

"Arcade, I've been avoiding responsibility for so long it's put me in the worst place.  I tried doing things my way and nothing worked.  At least by doing it your way I got some closure and some answers out of all this."

"Are you really okay with this?"

"No.   But maybe that's the problem.  Maybe if I look at it from a different perspective I'll...learn to accept it.  Kinda like how you've learned to accept--"

"Don't you start thinking you know what it's like living forever and watching people around you fade into history as new people end up replacing them.  Trying to keep every last one of them in my heart and soul...I'm surprised I haven't gone crazy from trying.  This is the kind of thing they don't teach you in the Highlander movies."

"..."

"Right.  I'll tell you guys about it some other day."

"Anyway...why don't you stick around and...make sure the kid gets to the entrance to the Ruins okay."

I realized our AU had two different paths to the outside of Ebott. One in the throne room...and one at the mouth of the mountain.

Though I wondered...in some AU's...did one lead to the other in a circular loop somehow? I'd have to check that phenomenon out some other year.

For now...I thought I'd peek in on Frisk and follow them back...try to keep track of all of the goodbyes she had for everyone she'd met...or at least the ones I could fit into this log.

I decided to listen in on things. I found a pillar in the dark corners of the room, leaned up against it and crossed my arms...while I hung back and let the timeline take its new but familiar course.

"Oh!  You are awake!  Thank goodness!"

"W-we were so worried...!  It felt like you were out forever."

"Yeah!  Any longer and I would have freaked out!  Tell us the next time you decide to take a nap, okay?!"

"yeah, you made papyrus cry like a baby."

"WHAT?!  I DIDN'T CRY!  I DON'T CRY!  I JUST...CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE."

"what did you catch?"

"TEARS!"

I muffled my chortle.

"Now, now.  The important part is that Frisk is alright.  Here, Frisk.  Why not drink some tea?  It'll make you feel better."

"Err...how about we give them space, first?  They must be very exhausted.  Though from what, I am not certain.  Frisk...we do not remember exactly what happened.  There was a flower...  And then everything went white.  But now the barrier is gone.  When you are ready, we will all return to the surface.  It seems the door to the east will lead us there now.  But before then...  Perhaps you may want to take a walk?  You can say goodbye to all your wonderful friends.  Do as you wish.  We will wait for you here."

I knew her too well. But first...a talk with all the Boss Monsters.

"Howdy, Frisk.   Sorry about almost trying to take your soul...  I feel very bad about it.  I hope we can still be pals."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Asgore." Undyne spoke up. "I think everybody's tried to kill Frisk at least once."

Not...helping.

"Oh!  I see!  Well in that case, I'm not sorry, Frisk..."

...darn it all. Shouldn't have said anything, Undyne.

"ASGORE!  That's not what I meant!"

A talk with Alphys...

"Psst...Frisk...  Um,  you've got to tell me.  D...do you think Asgore and Toriel are...?  Uh, ever gonna get back together."

It was touch and go in many a timeline...but somehow this one...?

Frisk gave an overwhelming YEAH! before giving both Goat Mom and Goat Dad a pleading look. Okay...cuteness and guilt-trips were kinda playing dirty...but I think she definitely tipped the scales.

"Y-yeah!!  That's what I hope, too!  Just think about how cute they must've been together.  It's quickly becoming my number one ship of all time!  Tori and Gorey...  My...old boss and his ex-wife.  ...uh, that sounds a lot less cool all of a sudden."

Undyne had this to say...

"So, Alphys.  What do you want to do now that we're all free?  We have the whole world to explore now."

"W-well, of course I'm going to go out and...  Um... No, I should be honest!!   I'm going to stay inside and watch anime like a total loser!!"

Again it was hard to suppress my chuckle. I really should have flipped the Spectre function back.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!  EVERYONE!!!   A CELEBRATION!!! TO BEING LOSERS!!!"

So...at the risk of incurring the unsaid wrath of Stephen King...does that make them all the new Losers Club? Ohhhh boy. I suddenly want to stay away from storm drains and red balloons every 27 years...or chances are we'll ALL float, too.

"Heh.  Papyrus has the right idea.  Losing to Frisk is the best thing that ever happened to me.  So I'm glad that we...  Huh?  What is it, Asgore?"

"Umm...what's an...anime?"

How could I forget this question? Frankly I was just glad Violet wasn't here to answer it. Buuuuut...

".... (Oh my god?  Frisk.  Help me explain what anime is to Asgore.)  Y-you see it's like a cartoon, but..."

"With swords!" Frisk cut in.

"So it's like a cartoon...but with swords?  Golly!  That sounds neato!"

Suddenly I understood where Goat Son got his rather earnest 1960's Dennis the Menace manner of speaking when he was 8 years younger...

"Where is this?  Where can I see the Anime?"

"H-hold on, uh... I think I have some on my phone.  Here, look at this...  ...  ...Oh, uh...um...that's the...that's the wrong... Uh, never mind."

Uh-oh...I forgot about this part. What, Alphys, don't--

"Golly, were those two robots...?"

"...kissing?"

"Boy!  Technology sure is something, isn't it?"

Laugh it up, Violet. Wherever you are right now.

Somewhere I was convinced that KOMMAND had in fact tuned in at that moment and was laughing her sandals off.

"Eheheh...yeah, it sure is."

Pappy. I know what's on your mind.

"SO, ASGORE... HOW ABOUT MAKING ME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD?"

"Well, Papyrus, now that the war is over...we might not need the Royal Guard anymore."

"WHAT!?" That expression. Priceless. And also too sad for me to take...seriously.

"THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE HUMAN'S QUEST!?  THEY JOURNEYED ALL THAT WAY...AND I'M STILL NOT A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!?  TRULY THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE ENDING!"

So, Sans. What words of wisdom does the lazybones have to impart?

"frisk, tori was telling me how she made b'scotch pie for you."

"Oh!  I should bake it for everyone some time!"

"..." Asgore's speechless expression was something to see.

"... (O-oh, that sounds REALLY good...)"

"COOKING???  CAN I HELP?"

"Wait a second...can I help too!?"

"Certainly!  It would be fun to cook together!"

"...(O-on second thought, maybe I'll o-order a pizza.)"  Now see what I started by importing Mitzi's pizza to Alphys' lab?

Good to see that in this AU, monsters can eat normal food, not made of magic.

Okay, Tori. Close this out.

"Hello, Frisk.  Alphys upgraded my phone.  I am having a lot of fun with the "texting" feature.  Sans, "check out" this one."

"oh man, tori.  that's brutal."

I almost wish I didn't know what that was about. On that note, I'm swearing to secrecy. No one but the three of us was going to know what that text was.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED...AND ALSO THAT SHE'S A HUGE DORK!"

Dork?

"YOU TWO ARE TWO FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!!!  WHY ARE YOU TEXTING!?"

Oh...that's what he meant. Yeah, texting from that close is...kinda moot and stupid. I feel like this is a HUGE millennial stereotype unfolding before my eyes.

"Worry not, Papyrus.  We are texting for a good reason."

"WHY IS THAT?"

"well.  cause we're huge dorks."

"Sans.  Please do not say that.  You are not a dork.  You are more of a bonehead."

"HAHHAHA, WOW!  THOSE PUNS ARE EVEN LESS FUNNY COMING FROM HER!"

"then why are you smiling?"

"IT'S A PITY SMILE!"

Well...I guess that wraps that up.

Out through the throne room...wait, where are you going, Frisk--

"Oh...I see."

The coffin room.

The coffin is...empty? Frisk didn't notice before but...there's something like mummy wrappings at the bottom of it.

"Chara..." My face fell at the first one. Actually...this one was going to be for Frisk but...I wonder if it did in fact hold Chara's body, once. The other coffins were pried open. It seemed that...Asgore had already relinquished the bodies and with Toriel had arranged proper burials.

Well. Back we went. It took a while to backtrack through the castle...and then through New Home. Frisk stopped before the mirror.

I think by that point she know I was following her. But she didn’t' say anything...and she let me do so, almost as if she was encouraging me to.

It had be said.

"Despite everything, it' still you." I placed a hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and nodded, semblance of a sniffle filling my ears.

I let her go on my way and continued on. Huh...were the golden flowers always this...golden? The whole place still looked like a black and white photo...but those yellow flowers were the only color piercing it all.

Eventually...we reached the elevator again. And...no sign of Flowey's vines or any semblance of damage. It went right back to the True Lab. And then we found our way through the CORE. It was ominously quiet and...felt colder, now. The lights were still pulsing and glowing but...like a low-power state.

I figured the place was abandoned but...there at a dead end was someone...

"Why do I look like a black sausage and not a knight or a wizard?  Well...everyone has an angle they look best from..."

Let's leave it at that.

Although...maybe it was my imagination but his silhouette kind of resembled Rouxles Kaard...naaaah.

And we ran into another one as we combed our way through again.

"The CORE is made of interchangeable rooms.  Before you came here, the layout was altered do you would get lost and perish.  Yes.  Just for you.  Don't you feel special?"

Comforting. Sarcasm noted. But. Really. It was all in the past, now.

Another silhouette man. It was taking a nap.

And yet another.

"We were hired by Mettaton to destroy you...But since he never paid us we all decided to quit.  No hard feelings."

And another?

"As a youth, I would sneak out to play by this creepy flaming pit.  Since the CORE is always rearranging, it was like a game trying to find it.   Now it is my special place.  It is nice for cooking s'mores and things like that."

Before long...we were back in MTT Resort.

"Sorry.  We aren't allowing guests at this time.  Or ever again." The Hand monster waggled its finger.

Let's talk to Burgerpants, shall we? A few subjects were on our minds.

On Freedom:

"So we're free, huh? Mettaton told us as much.  Then he told me, "don't think that means you're getting out of work early."  Ah... my boss.  I love that guy.  And by that I mean I hate him so, so much."

On Bratty and Catty:

"So we're free now.  Does that mean my double date is cancelled...?  ... I know, it wasn't really a...A date. Here's a trick, little buddy: Lie to yourself all the time.  It makes you feel better.

Again on Freedom:

"Don't tell anybody this, Little Buddy.  (Because they'll make fun of me,) But I... I feel like I played a hand in everyone getting free somehow. Even if it was just working this awful job... I think I did something! I don't know if it's true, but I'll believe it anyway!"

If I were to include EVERY interaction Frisk had, I'd be writing this log into ad nauseum trying to keep up.

But yeah...there were a lot of NPC's with things to say. The Diamond Receptionist, the Hand Receptionist, the Sad Dragon, the Shambling Mass, the Business Manticore,  the Resort Janitor who kept spitting blobs of his own self up on the floor and mopping it back up, the Fish Receptionist, Snowdrake's Father, Charles, Oni, and the Ficus Licker.

Speaking Bratty and Catty...

"So, we're like totally free now, huh?"

"Yeah, like, totally free."

"Like..."

"Cool."

"Yeah, like, cool."

"Like, millennia of being imprisoned finally over?"

"Yeah, that's like pretty chill I guess."

Frisk decided to drop the bomb that she was human.

"Oh, oops, really?"

"Uh, well, when we said, um..."

"We were hyped for the destruction of humanity..."

"We were, just, like, joking, you know?"

"Did we say that?"

"Probably?"

"It's, like, practically our catchphrase."

"Really?"

"I thought our catchphrase was..."

"B-B-Bratty's the best, C-C-Catty's the coolest!"

"Um, no?"

"We've like literally NEVER said that."

"CAN it be though!?"

"CAN it be!?"

Their (eheh...)...thoughts...on the future?

"Hmm..."

"Now that we're gonna be free..."

"OMG, we can finally fulfill our DREAM of having a pet cat!"

Irony. The simplest of irony.

"That's, like, YOUR dream, Catty."

"But Bratty..."

"I don't wanna have a dream without YOU in it...!"

Cheesy...but heartwarming.

"Aww..."

"Catty..."

"And, in my dream, YOU clean up after the cat!"

"Catty!!!"

Frisk had to ask.

"Do You Like Cats?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, I LOVE cats?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, I LOVE cats?"

"They're, like, SO tasty!!"

They're, like, SO cute!!!"

Bratty NOOOO!!!"

I'm just kidding!!"

"Kind of."

"Anyway, when was the last time you even SAW a cat around here?"

"Oh!!"

"JUST the other day!"

"There was this CUTE little white cat walking around..."

"It was, like, SOOOOOO clueless looking."

"I pet it for like an hour!!"

"....."

"....."

"... Catty."

"Yeah, Bratty?"

"I think that was, like..."

"A dog."

"DOGS ARE JUST FIRM CATS!!!!"

Outta here. Like now.

And toward Hotland's entrance, there was Nice Cream Guy and 01 and 02. The former had high hopes for selling his wares on the surface. The latter were melancholy about the Royal Guard disbanding.

A couple  other NPCs later and Frisk passed by the lion that called in to Mettaton's show and was now the proud owner of Mettaton's dress from the balcony performance.

Muffet.

"Bonjour, dearie~  I just finished tallying up all of our donations!   We've finally raised enough to rescue all the spiders in the RUINS!  And we'll be able to afford...a spider football stadium!  We'll play with four balls on the field at once!"

Oh, Muffet...

I'm going to miss that greedy spider.

A couple NPC's later, a zip through the steam jumps and the conveyor belts led us to Tsunderplane.

"I...I'm thinking of going to the surface...  Eeeeeeh?  You're going there, too?  Idiot!  Quit following me!"

I shook my head and waved at Tsunderplane as Frisk went ahead.

She scoffed angrily at me.

Vulkan and a sea green bird creature were by Sans' hot dog stand. A quick chat and further exploration of Hotland took us past all of Mettaton's spots, including the kitchen...heh.

Frisk found their way back to Alphys' lab. I already knew the place by heart by this point.

Once we went past the watercooler, I knew we were Waterfall bound.

To Undyne's crag. Abandoned, as I expected.

It was a long and winding road through a lot of marshland and Echo Flowers and of course the signs...back to Temmie Village.

The Temmies were all ecstatic over the "VERY GOOD" news. All except for the one watching the egg.

A quick stop at Gerson's.

It was some conversation about the origin of Fluffybuns' nickname...if Asgore is actually a goat...and of course the explanation of Tori and Gorey...and yes...Undyne's backstory."

And Gerson had a bit to say to me. He mainly wanted me to pass a message on to Bunnie. I obliged.

By the time I got to the Pathetic Houses, there was Mettaton, fully rebuilt and reunited with Napstablook. For good this time. I think Frisk also stopped to check on the snails.

"There you are, Frisk darling!  Feast your eyes!  Dr. Alphys completed my wonderful new body!  Ooh, and did you hear, the Barrier's open!  I can't wait to see the sun...the greatest spotlight of all!  Oh yes, I suppose I should thank you too, darling.  Before fighting you, I'd forgotten how fun it was to perform with others.  So I've been searching for hot talents to fill up my upcoming troupe.  So far Shyren's agreed to become my backup singer.  And Bl....Napstablook will be my sound mixer.  The three of us performing together...it really feels overdue, doesn't it?"

Napstablook was...shy to speak to us but...yeah, it was conversation I already knew. However something was different. This time...he knew our names. We had changed the timeline. Napstablook wasn't overlooked by Hyperdeath in this run. Among others. He really 100%-ed it.

A visit with Aaron, a talk with Onion-san...

This...ending concept had been done in a lot of other RPG worlds...letting you talk to everyone you've met and befriended. Why did it...still somehow feel like the first time, now?

Washua expressed his anxiety over the surface world being made of dirt...

Frisk of course visited the abandoned quiche.

Before long things turned foggy. Hello, Snowdin.

After all that...Sans' door was still locked. It was okay...Frisk didn't need to see what was inside...they already had in another timeline.

And low and behold. the entirety of the dogs of the royal guard were there...as were the Amalgamates. Alphys came through and told the truth. And just as I assured...she was hailed as a hero for bringing families back together. No one cared that they were Amalgamates. I think...it was the first real time that it really clicked to her that I kept my word.

River Person was no longer giving boat rides. Something HAD changed in this timeline. I suppose now they were preparing to go to the surface so...yeah.

Ice Wolf as now free to buy some pants and get a new name.

Grillby's was serving its last meals before closing to relocate. Also different was the Juke Box was working. This really was a unique timeline my crew and I helped build.

I'd later hear some familiar themes such as...politics being discussed by the bear. Funny...didn't something like this ring a bell in DeltaRune...eh. Who knows.

From Monster Kid I found out that he no longer idolized Undyne, dismissing her as kind of "mean". But it was okay. Now he had a new hero to worship...NYEHEHEHEHEH!

I was tiring out by the time Frisk had a chat with the shop rabbit.

Snowdin town was just a memory, now and we were literally crossing that bridge.

Gyfftrot was overjoyed people were living. Icecap had a few words.

Eventually after examining Doggamy and Doggaressa's outposts......our travels brought us to that snowman who asked to take a piece of him on Frisk's journey. Now that the barrier was open...he requested we take his piece outside to see the outer world. Frisk gladly agreed.

And once again...the door to the RUINS. And for the first time...it was standing wide open.

We picked our way through Toriel's house...and remembered. Frisk and I had to...dry each others' tears at some point. By this time, Frisk was practically dragging me by the hand. I'd never seen her so happy and excited...and her Determination was at an all time high.

We exited and conversed with all the Froggits...and somehow we were able to understand them and not just hear "Ribbit ribbit!"

It felt like...the longest winding road to exit the RUINS.

No reaction from the training Dummy.

I got nervous and my heart started thumping as we climbed down the pillars in that first room with the square pattern of leaves by the SAVE star.

Out the first door...then the second.

One more right turn...just one more...

I think...I had let go of Frisk's hand by that point.

We both could see him.

I knew he'd be here. So did Frisk.

It...didn't really make sense why he would be here if what Frisk had gone through really WAS a dream.

But yeah...his memory had...unfinished business.

Sub-Entry 412: "I Silently Leave the Monsters Behind."
He slowly turned around and looked up at Frisk.

My jaw started to quiver and my eyes started to tear up as I anticipated the words.

I could beg him not to say what he was going to say...but...

It all went back to that one thing that had been said before.

"Don't worry about me.  Someone has to take care of these flowers."

My knees buckled...and I dropped into a kneel, letting my arms go limp, my ears drooping.

The one thing he could have said...he said it....the one and only thing.......that finally broke me.

I just...felt like I couldn't stop crying.

Asriel Dreemurr's words echoed those of Toriel's, after sparing her in all the other pacifist timelines. Going back through the RUINS to this spot...there she'd be, watering them...and giving those same words.

Asriel turned away.

"Frisk.  Please leave me alone.   I can't come back.  I just can't, okay?"

Frisk pressed it a little further.

"I don't want to break their hearts all over again.  It's better if they never see me."

Frisk tried one more time.

"...why are you still here?  Are you trying to keep me company?  Frisk...  ...  Hey.    Let me ask you a question.  Frisk...  Why did you come here?  Everyone knows the legend, right...?  'Travelers who come to Mount Ebott are said to disappear.'  ...  Frisk.  Why would  you ever climb a mountain like that?   Was it foolishness?  Was it fate?  Or was it...  Because you...?

Well. Only you know the answer, don't you...?"

A pause before Frisk started to engage him again, but Asriel anticipated it and followed up his words.

"I know why Chara climbed the mountain.  It wasn't for a very happy reason.  Frisk.  I'll be honest with you.  Chara hated humanity."

That was painfully obvious by this point.

"Why they did, they never talked about it.  But they felt very strongly about that." A pause.

"Frisk...you really ARE different from Chara.  In fact, though you have similar, uh, fashion choices...I don't know why I ever acted like you were the same person."

The same reason it was hard for me to act like you and Flowey weren't the same person, Goat Son. That's what I thought to myself. The heart...makes us do things...

"Maybe...the truth is...Chara wasn't really the greatest person."

I wrinkled my snoot. No. Tempting. But no. By this time it's unwarranted, despite being obvious. Evil-Chara made his bed...and in a brief moment he had semblance of...redemption.

"While, Frisk...  You're the type of person I wish I always had.  So maybe I was kind of projecting a little bit. Let's be honest.  I did some weird stuff as a flower."

Weird? Yeah. But uh...let's leave it behind.

I looked up at him. It wasn't that he was ignoring me...he...just didn't have much left to say.

"There's one last thing I feel I should tell you.  Frisk.  When Chara and I combined our souls together...  The control over our body was actually split between us.  They were the one that picked up their own body.  And then when we got to the village...  They were the one that wanted to... ...to use our full power.  I was the one that resisted."

Even in this timeline...there were some things about Asriel Dreemurr that were immutable.

"And then because of me...we...  Well, that's why I ended up a flower.  Frisk...  This whole time, I've blamed myself for that decision.  That's why I adopted that horrible view of the world.  "Kill or be killed."  But now after meeting you...Frisk...I don't regret that decision anymore.  I did the right thing."

I didn't know it at the time...but Asriel...our Asriel. Asriel Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade hadn't left this plane of existence. In fact...he'd gone ahead and was now...hiding in the very corner of the room...leaning up against one of the pillars...listening in.

As his counterpart explained things...he'd gotten misty-eyed, too.

"If I killed those humans...we would have had to wage war against all of humanity.  And in the end, everyone went free, right?  I still feel kind of sad knowing how long it took...so maybe it wasn't a perfect decision.  But you can't regret hard choices your whole life, right?  Well...not that I have much of a life left.  But that's beside the point.

Frisk. Thank you for listening to me. You should really be with your friends now, okay? Oh, and, please...in the future, if you uh, see me... Don't think of it as me, OK? I just want you to remember me like this. Someone who was your friend for a little while. Oh, and Frisk... Be careful in the outside world, OK? Despite what everyone thinks, it's not as nice as it is here. There are a lot of Floweys out there. And not everything can be resolved by being nice."

Asriel Dreemurr took a deep breath...and he spoke that advice.

"Frisk... Don't kill..."

"And don't be killed..." Asriel Arcade silently spoke the words, closing his eyes and holding back the tears.

"...alright?  That's the best you can strive for.  Well.  See you."

See you? Just...just like that?

Yeah...just like that.

Frisk tried to talk to him one more time.

"Frisk...don't you have anything better to do?" That last thing he said was said with him choking up a sob. It was hard for him, too.

With no other choice...Frisk headed back down the corridor and doubled back to find their way back to the Throne Room alllllll the way in New Home.

"I sure gave you a lot of trouble, didn't I?"

"It's...of no consequence." I brushed it aside.

"Mister...I mean...Volt.  I'm so sorry."

"I'm the one who should be sorry.  You...Flowey said it himself.  He knew it and I knew it.  He told me I saved one Asriel already.  Don't try to save another.  Or something to that effect.  Well...he was right.  And despite knowing better, I was still...compelled to at least try.  And...I failed.  It wasn't my place to save you.  It was Frisk.  It was always Frisk.  I realize now...I just can't compete with that.  Nor should I try to.  It goes against the game's rules.  Right?"

"Volt...if things were different...I'd gladly accept your offer.  But I can't.  I just can't."

"How...are you going to go on...knowing there's a world beyond this one that you'll never see?"

"I'll manage."

"Asriel Dreemurr.  No one should ever have to be as lonely as you.  What Fate has done to you billions of times over in billions of copies of Undertale across all these alternate universes...it's unforgivable."

"Don't...cry for me.  I can...cry for both of us."

"Being a crybaby isn't the worst thing in the world.  It just means you empathize.  That's something to take pride in."

A long pause.

"We'll me again, won't we?"

"I'd like to."

"But that's not up to me.  Should we meet again...it's just like  I warned Frisk...and like I warned you earlier."

"I accept the risk."

"...goodbye, Doctor."

And I took a short cut to wait for the others at the East Exit.

A lengthy silence until.

"You know I'm here, don't you?  So...I guess I'm going to be the one to break the silence."

"I am...surprised you stayed."

"Just...waiting on my ride.  I think...maybe they've become invested in this world, too.  They see what I see.  Know what I know.  I...wish you could meet mom...my adopted one...in person.  She's a human."

"No kidding."

"Scout's honor." Azzy held up the Boy Scout salute.

A pause.

"You seem...more willing to talk to me than Volt and Frisk."

"Don't get me wrong.  I...don't really have much to say.  Talking things out has...helped but...it's a..."

"Forgone conclusion.  An inevitability."

"Yeah...those things."

"Every version of us was smart but...even we had our limits, huh?"

"Just as every version of us started off naive.  And..."

"...yeah.  Bad stuff happened to us.  For...the sake of civility...let's not turn it into a contest of who had it worse.  Death and losing your soul is...pretty rock bottom.  But trust me...there are things worse than death.  I've...been down that road.  You don't ever want to go there.  It's...pretty lousy."

Asriel Arcade had a seat next to Asriel Dreemurr. Both sat in the same manner. Both looked longingly at the flowers before them.

"So much trouble from something so frail...something so pleasing to the nose and the eyes.  Your dust spread across what was most precious to you...and you became what you had cherished...only now it was...just awful.

I...I was traumatized by what the buttercups had done to Chara...my Chara. You were right. I was too much of a coward to gather the flowers myself. Maybe...I was just a tad less naive than the average one of us. And...that made all the difference. Anyway...the experience left me...afraid of what I had once loved so much. In another context...it kinda relates to the proverb, don't meet your heroes."

Dreemurr sighed.

"Here we are.  Both of us...having made a similar decision.  I...won't let them see me like this.  I just can't...for the reasons I explained...for the ones you certainly understand."

"And...while Volt won't exactly know...if he were still here...he would know I've decided I don't want to see the surface world of my own home...I don't want to explore it any more than you do.  I'd...just grow attached to it and...the temptation would be too great......and it would make things too complicated for him, despite the broken promise."

A long period of silence. Then both stood up.

"Let's...not keep them waiting." Azzy looked off to the side.

"I know we're destined to meet again.  And...you can try all you want but...he won't be in any mood to listen.  He won't buy what you're selling whatever you offer him.  And...he'll--"

"You know I won't have anything better to do.  And besides...it'll be his Determination against mine.  We'll see who's more stubborn in the end."

The levity was just what Azzy needed to show how confident he was.

"I'd tell you you're going to do a great job but...I'm sure you already have."

A nod, a sigh and a bow of the head. There was nothing else left to say.

Asriel Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade closed his eyes.

"I'm ready."

And slowly my best friend lost his anchor to Undertale and was pulled back to VGM-098...leaving Asriel Dreemurr alone...for now...and forever.

Meanwhile...

We were now on the summit of Mount Ebott...and there was the sun.

They were only the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh monsters to see the sun in our UltraVerse. Every timeline's Asriel in this AU cube was the first. All the others had first seen it when they had absorbed Chara's soul and crossed the barrier at least a hundred years ago or more. Our Asriel had seen it first in Miranda City eight years ago.

I gazed upon the scene that spread out before us. So much foliage below. It was all so many trees.

The left of the sun was a neighboring mountain peak. But not as big as Ebott.

The right of the sun...a castle. Definitely a human-built castle. I looked in the other direction away from the sun and setting...and noticed the human city far, far into the distance.

My speculation was the castle was a relic of times past. If as much time had gone by since Chara first fell...who could say how old it was, now?

I looked about for signs of Chara's old village...but I found no such evidence it ever existed. Time makes fools of us.

But that was of little consequence, as the Major would often put it. The sun. That was the highlight of this newfound freedom...at least at this moment. There would be many more to come.

"Oh my..."

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?"

"Wow...it's e-even better than on TV.  WAY better!  Better than I ever imagined!" Alphys was in as much awe as the next person.

It was strange. I kinda expected them all to be kinda blinded by it, having adjusted to a dark cave for years and years. But...it almost seemed like it was second nature to them--

"Frisk.   You LIVE with this!?  The sunlight is so nice...and the air is so fresh.  I really feel alive!"

Okay...now I was jealous of Frisk's world on the surface. It was certainly cleaner than a lot of the Earths and other planets I'd been to no thanks to pollution and climate change.

"HEY, SANS...WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?"

"we call that "the sun", my friend."

"THAT'S THE SUN!?  WOWIE!!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours..." Asgore, your big softy.

But really. I wouldn't recommend staring at it for too long. Otherwise we'd have to find a cure for monster blindness or at least eye problems.

"Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?  But we should really think about what comes next." Already proving you are still the brains of the Dreemurr family.

"Oh, right.  Everyone...this is the beginning of a bright new future.  An era of peace between humans and monsters.  Frisk...I have something to ask of you.  Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?"

Frisk gave an overwhelming "Yes, of course!"

"YEAH!  FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR!  AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT!  I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!"

And Pappy charged down the mountain.

I shook my head as I watched it play out...with the biggest smile on my maw I'd ever mustered.

"welp.  someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble.  see you guys." *wink*

And he was off but no before flashing me an approving second wink.

"Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING?  Papyrus wait!" And off went Undyne. "Don't stand around all day gawking', nerd!" She hollered at me.

Honestly...I was surprised it took everyone this long to notice I was there.........feh...like heck I was. You just can't beat that sun...err...rise...set?

"Hey!  Undyne!!  Wait up!" But she stopped in her tracks before looking over her shoulder at me. I caught sight of the most relieved but silent "Thank you". Two words which let me know that my secrets were still safe with her...and that she owed me a debt of gratitude.

"Whoops.  Should I do something...?"

Toriel looked over at him with an unamused, somewhat...smoldering expression. He was...off her grudge list. But not off the hook."

"Well...gotta go."

He headed to me and gave me the biggest and most Mr. Dad Guy-est of bear hugs before setting me back down on my feet, legs feeling a little like jelly while my ribs felt  a little tenderized.

I didn't mind. Really, I didn't that everyone was kinda minimalist in their goodbyes to me.

Which left Toriel and Frisk alone plus me.

"It seems everyone is quite eager to set off."

And then came the decision. One which would produce one of two true pacifist endings...all Frisk had to do was answer:

"Frisk...You came from this world, right...?  So you must have a place to return to, do you not?  What will you do now?"

Two possible answers. 'I want to stay with you'. Or 'I have places to go'. The latter would mean...only a photograph of all of them together would be Undertale's final legacy.

But was Frisk really that shallow to a silly old goat woman?

"I want to stay with you...Mom."

"What?  Frisk... You really are a funny child.  If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened.  It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind.  Hee hee hee.  Well... I suppose.  If you really do not have any other place to go...I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need.  All right?  Now come along.  Everyone is waiting for us."

Frisk took goat mom by the hand and followed. It was...strange seeing Frisk being led by the hand now that they were almost an adult. But...I guess Frisk wanted to give an old woman a few more years to be the mother she always wanted to be.

And down they went together...but not before...

"Doctor...?"

"Toriel.  Frisk." I addressed them, uncrossing my arms and moving away from the exit out of Ebott.

"What will you do now?"

"It is...regretful to say but...this is where we part ways."

"Doctor..."

"Volt..."

"Come on.  We knew it would come to this at some point.  I have...a family of my own.  A place I need to be.  I...can't leave Lisa, Elektra, Stephanie, and Penelope-Anne waiting.  Maybe now...I can properly explore this world, unrestricted.  And maybe...just maybe some day publish what I've learned."

"I will look forward to seeing your research come to fruition.  Do not be a stranger, my friend."

I offered Frisk a hug. She gladly accepted.

"It was nice to meet you, Frisk." I said aloud.

I whispered in her ear. "Wait for him.  Please."

She knew which one I meant. I think...she felt the same way. I think...I was okay with--

I sighed and picked up my saxophone case, which I had decompressed...just for appearances.

"Well.  Until we meet again." We climbed down the mountain...and took our separate paths.

"You did it.  You really did it." I told myself.

Then...I...lost...conscious...ness............

Sub-Entry 413: "Awakened in the Med Bay":
I moaned, mumbling the Boss Monsters' names.

Wait...I don't get to observe what happened to Frisk and friends after leaving Ebott? I don't get to see them live their hopes and dreams? What a gyp...all because...regeneration...and strength...so low...ugh...

I felt the gentle hand of...

"Huh..." I awoke to the sight of my wife and daughters. Elektra in doctor's coat and a sour expression.

She scoffed and wrinkled her nose at the sight of her old man doing this to her, yet again.

Okay. The silent treatment it was.

"Don't be too hard on our father, daughter dear." Lisa advised as she consoled me.

And then I noticed Asriel clutching my hand with both of his hands, almost in prayer.

I could tell he was worried but his expression...happy. So happy and relieved. But mostly it said that he didn't have a single doubt I'd come back to him.

"Where...am I?"

"Where do you think, dear?" Lisa gave me a lick on the cheek.

"You gave us a bit of a scare when you...didn't come back after sensei and the others returned my astral projection to my body.  I felt like I was one half step away from being Jericho from Teen Titans."

Slade "Deathstroke" Wilson's son? Huh. Not the first comparison I'd draw but...the fact that his powers worked by basically transferring his soul into living people and possessing them...

Maybe this was TOO relevant to be thinking about.

It was then I noticed...just how weak I felt. I felt as thought I could barely get a static spark between two fingers.

"Everyone took the Delorean and the Time Train and more of your time machines that KOMMAND managed to save from Mobius Null to search for you in secret.  It didn't take long to find you near the base of Ebott."

"You're worse off than you were when..."

"Yeah...way back then." I thought back to the horrible scare I gave Asriel the first time I came back from the Underground and collapsed.

"I'm afraid Velaska's and Elektra's prognosis is in agreement.  You're...going to be laid up for a while...and...fairly vulnerable until then.  You'll....only be able to muster sporadic durations of energy and consciousness like now before the chronic fatigue and the strain on your White Knight Contract knocks you out of the waking world.  Between the Crossover War ending and Undertale ending…you’ve racked up a lot of complications that your immortality is working overtime to contend with.  Your powers are really unbalanced and a session in the Raiden accelerator might cause more problems than it would solve." Lisa explained. "It's going to take you some time on a steady feed of electricity before you're back to normal.  You'll--"

"Be comatose for a bit.  In lengthy bursts, right? Yup...kinda expected a callback to those years ago." I was just glad I wasn't in a state of self-loathing and feeling abandoned like last time. Would I have ever snapped out of it if Miles didn't tell me the truth?

"Yeah...so...no action for you.   Heck...even your paperwork's going to be delayed." Goat Son let go of my hand.

"Bummer.  And you know how I just loooooooove paperwork to the Council." I rolled my eyes.

"It's okay if you stay with him, Asriel.  Stay as long as you want.  Watch over him day and night if it comes to that.  He...could use the support after all he's been through."

"I think that would be best." Asriel looked off to the side.

I could tell...he wanted to talk to me about something. Something probably pretty big. Something that absolutely related to what we had just been through...not just back in the Barrier room...but the last 8 years. It all led to this but...it still lead on to an unknown future that...I wasn't ready to face until I felt like myself again. And likely the same was true for him.

"Volt...we're at peace.  Finally, we're at peace." He changed the subject rather deliberately and to something pleasant to think about.

"Yeah.  We are."

"Tell me...of the outside world, Azzy..."'

"Nothing but good news all around." He was all too eager to pad the blow of what was coming with overwhelming but...relevant distractions.

"Imperial Jang has stepped in and definitely put down the Yakuza activity attempting to move on Shiba Temple and the Rabbotou Family.  They were...made an example of.  I'd...rather not describe.  Sensei would not approve of the means despite a favorable end.  The government of Jang formally recognizes Bunnie Rabbotou and an important asset."

I knew that the decree of the Emperor and the royal family put it in the most shallow, materialistic way possible. But...the Major would not take offense. It was as the political-speak was. And of course it sent a message that any Yakuza acting in self-interest to such a public degree would not be tolerated.

"Speaking of the oriental mafia, the Gorgonzola Gang has essentially been dealt a critical blow.  Bad Bird...or...whatever he wants to be called now...his splinter faction of Ninja Crows have broken their ranks and convinced a number to switch sides.  Last Violet heard, Jerry Attrick has vanished from the public eye and he's left his former village of crows vacant without a leader.

On top of that, she's completely restored all her finances."

"She'll never hear it from me.  But she did well." I wrinkled my snoot. I wasn't about to let it go to her head. That compliments she never got couldn't come back to bite us in the rear. Because I know she'd peacock it up.

"Scapelli Industries has...pretty much refused to comment on the absence of their president and C.E.O......much less dignify the rumor that he was turned into a chimpanzee with a de-evolution device that...supposedly was cobbled together from illegal Ecotropian science.  Buuuuuut since it's a dead culture and society with no surviving records, research, or semblance of a science ministry, it's becoming a cold case with no suspects."

I smirked. I wouldn't say it was a given but I really wanted to entertain the notion that Rotor decided to do something Ecotropia would consider taboo one last time. For me to suggest that if we searched his plumbing van we'd find a converted Super Scope 6 accessory that had been re-engineered from the ground up....welll...THAT'S a conspiracy theory in itself.

"Charles Entertainment Cheese has taken an...extended vacation, due to...personal health issues.  Beyond that...he refused to issue a public statement much less be available whatsoever for comment."

"Between a rat and a grizzly bear?  Call me craaaaaaaaazy but my money's on the grizzly bear."

"The...rest of the band has canceled future appearances and pushed up the date of discontinuing the animatronics in favor of almost entirely pre-recorded and animated video shows.  Also, it seems they've rescinded their lawsuit over missing or unacquired Pizza Time Theater assets not accounted for since the Corporate Unification.

That made Mitzi happy, I'm sure. Plus now thanks to Kitty she legally owned the original Showbiz Pizza recipes--lock, stock, and barrel.

"Luwhiney's diplomatic immunity was revoked and she was deported back to her island village.  It looks like she'll have...additional responsibilities and punishments awaiting her.  As well as an iron-clad travel ban.  She's essentially under house arrest until further notice."

"Little sister can breathe a sigh of relief."

"And finally?  Team Kopy Kat was permanently banned from OGPX racing shortly following the announcement that they were also to be stricken from the OGPX hall of fame and any records and awards they had would now include a severely large asterisk at the end."

"Couldn't have happened to nicer fleabags." I crossed my arms. "Sally and Team Acorn's got one less itch to scratch.  I wonder where they'll find worthy competition, now?"

A smile.

"Chameleon raked in (and I quote)...an "obscene amount of bounty" that will keep the bills paid for a very long time.  Tithius is certainly enjoying the rare spoiling."

And down the list Asriel went before giving me the skinny on all our allies. And I mean...ALLLLLL of them. From Bellwood to New York City to Hill Valley to Tamaran to Cybertron...too many to ever hope to list.

I decided to indulge in one little meme since Violet wasn't around to capitalize on it.

"Mah boi...a great peace like this is what all heroes strive for."

"I think I can take a break from fighting Dodongos.  I could use a rest from action."

"You want it?  It's yours, my friend." I chuckled a bit before getting a woozy spell.

"That said..." Asriel looked down at the floor before the awkward silence began.

Then after a while before I was about to drag it out of him, he eased into what he really wanted to talk about. And by golly...I guess it was long overdue.

But where this would go...?

There was no preparing for it.

Sub-Entry 414: "Asriel Wasn't Ready For the Responsibility/Sacrificing His Greatest Triumph":
"Destiny is...crafty isn't she?"

"I've put it other ways.  But yeah."

"She must've had this...penultimate...final test for me from the very beginning."

"Yeah...in no AU I ever came across in my studies has an Asriel lived.  Much less fought Hyperdeath.....or made a 2-player game out of the one-player sandbox RPG world known as Undertale."

"I wish I could see Fate's face when she rage-quit."

"Speaking of...I had a feeling that..there was more to it after you bid your younger self goodbye...the really farewell to him."

"I...confess I had the Seven Psychics send me back...on the request that I look for you so we could get you back home as soon as possible...but..."

"But..." I already knew where this was going.

"...there was something I felt I had to do besides that."

"You went to find Frisk."

"I...just pulled her away back to Mount Ebott to...take care of something."

"By any chance...?  Did Sans happen to put you up to this?"

"No...but...he did say something about you trying to...well...break the game so that there wouldn't be any more resets..."

"So that time and space could heal back up.  Yeah.  Yeah I get it.  So.  you figured something out, didn't you?  Something I missed?"

"It...wasn't easy but...Frisk and I...decided to crash our own pseudo-code.  I...won't explain how we did it...just that...what we did finally broke our save files.  And...we gave up our powers."

Asriel gestured...but no H.U.D. came up.

"Your promise to Sans has been kept.  No more playing around with timelines using Determination.  No save files.  No judgements.  No worrying about time and space jumping all over.

Sans had teleported out of nowhere and...he wanted me to pass a message on that he's grateful. You finally gave him peace of mind.

After all that...I'm glad to no longer be special.....well...in that way. Having the power to transform time? It's too heavy duty for anyone to play around with...but...as long as you're around, then I have someone I know we can all trust with the power of travelling through space, time, and dimension."

"Then...?"

"I still have this." He said as his eyes cycled though all seven of the virtue colors and back again. Did he control it at will or...was he just feeling all those things at once?

"I don't think my Virtue Summons are gone, but they have gone dormant.  It's weird.  Weird that my power to potentially control our own timeline thanks to the connection to LYOKO's return to the past and my ability to ACT, ITEM, and MERCY...should be gone with the FIGHT button, too.  All those weird powers that Frisk and Chara had...and yet, I still get to keep these."

"I think...it's because those powers are etched into your soul.  Not your quantum code.  What you have now in that Virtue Vessel within your soul...it was born of Undertale but...forged and shaped on this world.  It's part of you...not the game.  And our Undertale AU's game is broken and gone."

Azzy nodded.

"Eight years ago, my life should have ended...but from the moment I took my first bite of pizza...the truth was it just started back up again.  I saw some amazing things as a kid.  And I almost lost my best friend again because of Adonis' cruel deeds.

Then I got older...and the adventures really started taking off. Soon I was going off world...into space...then going through time and crossing dimensions...

And everywhere saving the world. I really did become my own superhero."

"You were always mine, Azzy."

"I never would have thought that when I woke up...I'd be going home...well...a version of home and...saving the world...no...saving SEVEN worlds.

Battling seven gods AND defeating Adonis once and for all."

"A bigger and better destiny...no one could possibly ask for."

"That's...just it.  I...didn't ask for it.  It's...just so much on my shoulders."

"Azzy...it's all behind you now.  Don't feel like more's going to get heaped on you any time soon--"

'Volt...let's just get to the point."

That was when I sensed the impending bombshell. Already my mind was racing; trying to rationalize what it could be. I had many possible answers...but the one that made the most sense was...it was time. He got a taste of home. He was ready to go back--"

"Volt.  I wasn't ready for the responsibility."

All of a sudden he hit me with the complete opposite of what I was expecting in the form of the message left behind with the abandoned quiche. While...my gut was telling me what he was trying to say...I just couldn't make sense of it.

"Asriel, that's not--"

"I didn't intend for it to be a joke.  I'm serious."

"Asriel...what are you trying to say?"

"All these memories...all the trauma all the fame and all the pressure that I've been through.  It's weighing heavily in my mind.  It's all cluttered.  It all makes senses but...it's made things so complicated. And with so many of your memories in here, too?  It's too much."

"Asriel..."

"And at the route of it...is our promise.  Everything all worked out in the end but that.  Adonis' win still persists after he finally lost.  We can't go back to it.  At least...not by conventional means."

"I don't know if I want to know where this is going.  But you're right...there is no going back.  Asriel, please don't talk like these memories are dragging you down.  I lived that way for ages because of Universal City."

"Yeah...I guess you're right.  It's a shame isn't it?  A shame that we just can't make the promise over again.  The only way to fix it would be to reforge the old promise."

I was about to speak when he hammered it home and set it down on my food tray.

My eyes widened and I got a look of shock and fear. He couldn't ask THAT of me!

All I could do was stare longingly at the Neurolizer.

"There is a way for our promise to live again."

"Asriel Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade.......no...you can't...after everything you've been through."

"Don't be mad at them.  But I asked sensei and the other psychics to meticulously make a composite of all the memories I want to keep...but the others...I just...need for them to not be there right now.  The ones that I'm giving up will be preserved when...I'm ready for you to undo this.  The memory tube...I'll entrust to you."

"Azzy, they're PART of you.  Saving seven universes, leading the Crossover Wars to victory...even overcoming our darkest hours--"

"I'm not abandoning them.  They're precious memories.  Irreplaceable.  That's why I'm not throwing them away...just putting them on the shelf for now.  Until...later when I'm ready.  When I've matured.  When we BOTH can agree that it's time.  And right now...I don't agree in the slightest it's time for me to return to Undertale.

You said it  yourself. You can't just stick me back into a surrogate timeline during or directly after the True Pacifist Ending; whether Frisk decided to stay with Mom...Toriel...or if they had places to go. It wouldn't...it wouldn't go well for Mom or Dad. Not without time to heal...time for Frisk to work her magic. Time which they'd have to honor their promise to not tell them about Flowey."

Oh gods. He was right about every single point. I did say that. It was the only way this Ultimate Pacifist Ending could finally come to fruition. It just needed time for the last part to come to pass. An ending that exists beyond any recorded Undertale timeline; proof that the game had been broken. Proof that there would be no resets. Proof that they were free...TRULY free of Madam Fate and Lady Destiny's puppet strings.

I bowed my head and shut my eyes...the tears starting to run down my face.

"Volt.  This is my gift to you.  We've both anguished over Adonis tarnishing the most sacred of the sacred between us.  The best thing I could do is let you reveal the truth to me on your terms, when I'm ready.  And right now I don't feel ready.  If we do this, then the reveal will be new to me.  By then I'll have forgotten where I came from.  That's when I'll need to know my past and my world of origin the most.

Right now...I have college to think of. Possibly a career to look into. I may be out of school now, but I can't just drop everything to go soul-searching. Much less freak my birth parents out so soon after the barrier has cracked and...well...everything's in a state of transition.

Let them have time. Time to settle into an equilibrium. And let us have time. Time to also settle back into semblance of normal. Things...just made more sense and were simpler back when I was 11 and the most on my mind was getting excited for Movie Night or celebrating someone's birthday. Just...simple things. Saving the world is great but...it's gotten overwhelming. I just...I think we all need to step back and remember what things were like before Chaopolis made things a mess."

If I don't do this...you'll just live in regret over what could have been. I know you too well."

My ears drooped. He was right. He knew me better than I knew myself.

"Not to sound like Toriel...but do not grieve over the loss of part of myself.  It's not going to be gone forever.  Just taking one of Sans' naps to age."

"Asriel...you've completely overwhelmed me to the point of...being unable to come up with a solid argument to give.  I'm so scared to concede."

"It's okay.  I'm still going to be the Asriel you know and love.  Just with a lot less baggage.  And if I have less to weigh down...then you'll have less to worry about.  Right?"

I had no defense and he was still giving me reason after reason to go through with this.

"I'm just cutting out the bad.  I'm cutting out the good and the in-between.  Just all the things that when rolled back...I'll remember all of our adventures together during peaceful times and some of the Crossover Wars.  Just enough to know they happened.  Just enough of all of the key incidents that won't having me feeling lost in the years to come.

I'll have forgotten Adonis. When you think about it? It's the same punishment I gave to the Wraith. Only this time I really WILL forget him. Truly the worst punishment I can give the "partner I replaced" in his own words. You'll remember him as he was. Since I never knew him before he became like this...this is the only way I remember him. So...it's better that I don't."

A cleaner slate...I couldn't ask for him. In all honestly part of me wanted nothing more than for him to NEVER have met Adonis. And...really the way he was putting it...this was the closest thing to accomplishing that.

"And lastly...by doing this?  Hyperdeath stays sealed away in me; heart, mind, and soul.  The Return to the Past may have rolled back Adonis forcing me to become him.  Bu the memory and the psyche are still carved into me.  I don't want that darkness to emerge during a moment of weakness."

That was it. He had given me every reason. I had nothing to counter.

"Okay...I'll do it." I sobbed as Asriel slid the ray-ban sunglasses onto me and put the Neurolizer in my hand."

I started to raise it...and faltered. I couldn't stop my arm from shaking. I grabbed onto my hand with my other hand, gripping the Neuralizer with both, trying to steady my aim as I raised it...

Asriel put his hands around mine to steady my grasp and my aim.

"Thank you, Volt.  I know you don't want it to be this way...but it is for the best.  Promise me you'll tell me the whole truth when it's time for me to wake up."

"I promise."

"And there it is.  Our promise is reforged.  Are you excited?   This moment is a moment to remember."

"I am.  And...I will." I closed my eyes. "But you won't."

* FLASH*

It took everything I had left to trigger it.

From there...I slipped out of consciousness just as I sensed Bunnie and Callista entering...the...room. They'd...need.......to...explain....to him....what....just.........happened...

* CRYPTOSMASHER LOGGING SEQUENCE GOING INTO HYBERNATION *

* SUBJECT UNCONSCIOUS *

* TRANSMISSION PAUSED... *

Sub-Entry 415: "Volt Recovers Over the Course of Months":
* CRYPTOSMASHER LOGGING SEQUENCE RESUMING *

* HYBERNATION MODE DISENGAGED *

* RE-EVALUATING SUBJECT'S LIFE SIGNS...75% RECOVERY CONFIRMED *

* SYSTEM RECALIBRATED FOR SPORATIC PERIODS OF CONSCIOUSNESS *

During my time unconscious and letting the electric energy that was piped in from the underground orbital accelerator do its job...I'd slip back into a dream state so convincing I almost believed I was back in Undertale.

For me...it was like I continued from where I left off...secretly watching them, unnoticed.

Papyrus sure looked happy driving that fancy red convertible sports car on the highway.

Not even sure how I was observing him. Maybe I was driving the 57 Chevy?

And I just couldn't help but smile widely as Sans passed him on a tricycle. Pappy didn't take it well...but that expression was just too priceless not to laugh at.

I thought of all the non-boss monsters. I felt like...there were descriptions relating to their own hopes and dreams coming true that weren't there in my notes and database, originally. This was something...new to the game cycle.

Thinks like Gyftrot going Christmas display shopping and Doggo now having his own seeing eye dog.

And with Asgore and Toriel out of the running, Dogamy and Dogaressa were finally number 1 nose nuzzle champions.

This and plenty of others.

And elsewhere at the beach...

The feeling of sand between my werewolf toes felt...so real...I almost lost track of my realization that I was just trapped in my own mind...it was all a dream made entirely of the memories I had of the countless other stable timelines I'd observed.

It was there I'd happen across a retired Undyne with newly official main squeeze, Alphys.

Seeing the both of them in swimwear was something different...but was Undyne still wearing her clunky boots to the beach?

While Alphys was busy watching anime on her phone and somehow only getting sunburned on the soles of her feet, she didn't notice her favorite fish lady scoot up next to her...just to plant a big wet one on Alphys' temple. The last time I saw anyone blush a beet red like that was when Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto got...overly friendly with Asriel during our visit to the Soul Society. Two big water balloons, indeed.

I think she actually collapsed with 9999 damage...to her dignity.

Elsewhere...

Of course Mettaton went on tour. He became HUGE in Japan, alone but...worldwide he was a household name and growing more popular by the day.

True as it was said...he joined forces with Napstablook and Shyren and went on so many tours.

You deserve it, you sexy rectangle, you.

And of course Asgore traded in those robes, pauldrens, and heavy gold armor for an understated pair of jeans and a pink, flowery Hawaiian shirt. Where he made his living at the groundskeeper and gardener at a new school.

While trimming hedges into the shape of Papyrus' skull and observing little Monster Kid (M.K.) wiping out en route to school...I came to realize he was living his one and only dream. In a world where he could tend to flowers all day long, I think he was glad to no longer be a king.

Which ultimately lead up to the path where the teacher and headmaster was waiting in front of her new school.

Hi, Toriel. You finally made it happy. I'm proud of you. Now. Go and be everyone and everything you ever wanted to be.

I was also surprised to learn that the Dreemurrs had gotten remarried and were okay were working around each other. While it SEEMED familiar...something about it this time felt less begrudging and more sincere.

You...really worked your magic, Frisk.

I drifted in and out sporadically.

The days passed...then weeks...then months.

I wondered how long I'd be in this unstable state.

I felt like I spent more time in Undertale in this dream state than I had with Asriel.

And just when I thought it would never end...not that I...was all that eager to leave...

I remember finding myself in a dark bedroom. I...worried I might have crossed back over into DeltaRune but...there was only one bed and--

The door opened...and there was Goat Mom...carrying a plate with a slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

She drifted right through me. It must've meant the SPECTRE function was on, right?

She walked to the center of the room...set the plate down far from the bed so Frisk would easily see it and not accidently step on it when they woke up.

The door closed and the light went out.

And that was that. No nasty surprise of Frisk waking up with those ominous red Chara eyes.

No. This was perfect.

And the timing was perfect for in that moment, I woke up in the Med Bay one more time. The monitors on the medical equipment were all green. I wasn't a medical doctor but my analysis seemed to indicate I was cured.

Still...being bedridden this long meant a case of entropy. I'd have to spend more than a few days on the treadmills ad undergoing physical rehab to get back to my old self...but for the first time...I felt like me again. And I felt...accomplished.

More than that. I was in for a bit of a surprise on the TV in my room.

Sub-Entry 416: "Again Volt Awakens to a Special Televised Event":
"...and if you're just now tuning in, welcome to the debut of the first professional world tournament of the newest sport to take the world by storm.  Sponsored in part by a grant from the Tokugawa Royal Family of Edoropia and made possible thanks to the efforts of Rabbotou Dojo and its subsidiaries backed by the Shiba Family, we bring you the debut of World Class Mojikara Soccer."

"What the...?" I pushed myself up as I grabbed the remote to turn the volume up.

"Major...what have you been up to while I've been out...?"

"It's been a long and amazing season for this new twist on a timeless sports classic but it's finally come down to the top two teams to face off for all of the marbles.

For those of you new to the game, many of the rules of traditional soccer still hold true but with a...remarkable set of twists, I don't think this world has ever seen until now.

It has brought into the mainstream the techniques of a eighteen generations of ronin samurai and shinobi ninja; having adapted strange and mysterious mystic arts from their original purpose of espionage and assassination into a more family friendly art of competition. While the exact techniques and jutsus are still closely guarded secrets of only those who've achieved the rank of grand master, for the first time in generations, they are on display for the world to breathe new life into their practice. And now they will be showcased by the most talented mix of martial artists and sports competitors in the world."

"Are you...really okay with this, Bunnie?" I pondered.

I only gave it a moment before I let out a chuckle. "Of course you are.  This has to be your idea."

"We're now joined here by the captain of the Fontraile Hopeful Dreamers--"

My eyes widened.

"No.  Way."

"--prodigy and adopted member of Neo Arcadia's own first family of philanthropy, Asriel Tobias Arcade!"

"Thanks, Tom.  It really is an honor to make it all the way to the finals and here we are at the World Championship for all the marbles.  It really is a dream come true."

"So I understand in this game it's customary to be barefoot?"

"As in a martial arts dojo, yes.  It's necessary to properly focus our mojikara for our special abilities on the field.  But not to say we aren't protected from head to toe.  As our fans, who've stuck with us since the season began know the Mojikara Glyphs serve several purposes including speed, balance, defense, and power.  Not to mention our special abilities."

"I'd like to address the controversy about using ninja magic."

"I've heard all the rumors and I assure you we take safety and precautions seriously, giving the utmost priority on and off the field to ensuring these techniques will not be abused.  Some have pointed out the dangers of adapting these abilities for us in athletes. I understand the opposition, therefore I offer this rebuttal that I may call to mind that there are plenty of contact sports where traumatic head and body injuries are given less weight by comparison and continue to go on despite protests for the health and safety of their players.

In addition to that I'd also like to bring to mind the popularity of the Overdrive Grand Prix which has had its own controversies in the past when it first started out. In the years and years that have followed, it's been refined to an artform and considered now one of the safest powered sports in the world. I can only hope we can achieve that kind of reputation some day with even a fraction of that following.

In summary, we're just starting out, we're just testing the waters. Every one of us is a pioneer in his or own right and we all know what we've delved into, we know what we've signed up for, and we've all accepted the responsibilities and the risks that come with this."

"Indeed.  I do have one last question to point out.  I understand you're dedicating this game to a friend of yours?"

"A best friend, Tom.  He cannot be here due to not being medically cleared since risking his life during the Crossover Wars some months ago."

"I understand you had a part to play in those wars."

"Not nearly as much as he did.  I couldn't imagine myself being on the frontlines!  He's the real hero and I hope to one day make him proud."

"Humble words from a veteran hero so young!  Any closing thoughts before the game gets under way?"

"Yes.  I have to make a shout-out to my best friend.  Volt, please get well soon!  I'm rooting for you!"

"Asriel Arcade, ladies and gentlemen."

And the crowd went wild.

I don't know how it was pulled off but somehow Asriel's role in the Crossover Wars had been deliberately downplayed and in some cases swept under the rug by the media. I bet this was part of Asriel's plan all along, courtesy of Violet and Callista working hand in hand with Nikita with help from Prisma and Wrench to control how the story was spun.

Kudos, Goat Son. You managed to write your own "Greatest Story Never Told" to put next to Scott O'Conner's.

For the two halves of what would shape up to be an extraordinary game, I'd watch Goat Son be at his absolute peak abilities, flanked by a team of equally talented superstars.

It was one Hell of a callback to the ending of my original Project Lost Dreemurr case file and I was eating it up.

Miraculously, I managed to stay completely conscious for the entirety of the game.

When all was said and done, Goat Son had scored the winning goal, managing to take his team's score into the triple digits in the final moments of the game.

Honestly it was mind-blowing to see how the score had racked up so high on both sides, see-saw-ing back and forth. I wasn't a sports guy so...I couldn't say what was a "normal" final score for a sport like this.

Then again...all I needed to know was...Asriel was having the time of his life and it looked like he had a temporary career path until he was ready to take that first step into college life.

I had a feeling he'd be closing out his teen years with the best years of his life in the Ninja Soccer world. Where he went from there, was something even the seven psychics couldn't predict.

When I asked Daimyou about it, she replied cryptically that history was being forged in my present.

I think it was a subtle reminder that even as a Time Traveler, I still shouldn't know too much about a person's destiny...even if they were my best friend.

"Well played, Lady Destiny.  Well played."

There was of course celebration. Asriel had already wished me the best, hoping I'd get well soon. But he still had a few more passionate words to give.

Sub-Entry 417: "Goat Son Dedicates This Win to Everyone":
"This victory is proof of our team's kindness, patience, integrity, justice, bravery, perseverance, and most of all...our determination.  I only hope it inspires teams across the world to rise to the challenge and prove themselves as good or better than we have this day.

No on person made this possible; as the saying goes that there is no I in TEAM, this only goes to show that this win belongs to each and every one of us.

We went forth with our hopes and emerged with our dreams. And doing so, we made our wishes come true.

This win is dedicated to everyone on and off the field. To everyone who helped us get here. And to everyone who made each of us who he or she is."

Asriel was handed the largest trophy I'd seen since Team Acorn's last OGPX win.

"I'd like to give a shout-out to all who helped me get here...my dad and mom, Scott and Callista O'Conner; my sensei, coach, and one of the pillars of this new sport, Grand Master Bunnie Rabbotou...I'd like to thank Violet Tokugawa, my other teacher and sponsor of this amazing tournament.  Oh!  Big shoutout to OGPX's own Sally 'Lightrunner' Acorn, Willamina 'Windshear' Mongoose, and Honey 'Flametrail' Cat!  Good luck in the new season next month!  I'm totally behind you all the way!"

I couldn't help but smile as Asriel listed off all those he gave thanks to.

"But the biggest thanks I have to give is to my best friend and the person who saved my life shy of a decade ago, Dr. Volt Alessandro Arcade.  My best friend and family by name.  You've been my inspiration, my guidance...you've been the wind beneath my wings so long.  I wish you could be here in person and I just know you're going to be bouncing off the walls from all this once you get out of the hospital.  Don't worry about me.  I'll be waiting for you when you're on your feet again!

See you on the outside, best friend!"

I think...I think I just got something in my eye just now. I do believe...they're tears.

Gods......whether or not I deserve someone this amazing...?...I'm just glad I have him in my life.

Asriel Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade...you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. No question.

And we've both truly earned the right to say to one another... "It's me...your best friend." I really believe that, now.

Thank you, so much, Azzy.

Yeah...this is going to be a short entry...cause I'm drifting...off........again...

Sub-Entry 418: "Back On His Feet, Volt Celebrates With Asriel and Friends at a Campfire":
...stop me if you've heard this before.

Months of being stuck in the medical bay, kept unconscious.

And then you wake up.

And waiting for you is not your best friend but a note that tells you to meet him at these coordinates in space...and time?

Then one day your eldest daughter gives you a clean bill of health while your wife scolds her not to chastise her father for landing himself in here in the first place.

You spend even more time in physical therapy going through Hell, all courtesy of your gym instructor and one of your ten legal guardians for the part of your life pre-dating the date you turned legal and left to make it on your own.

You pay a visit to the "Cemetery"...a collective monument of your failures.

But before I go any further and depress you with where you probably think this story is going...allow me to flip the script. For this time you're not here to add to the collection, wallow in your shortcomings, and get your angst out of your system.

No. This time you're here to put a nice big padlock on the door with the intention of burying this place deep until further notice...ideally you have no intention of ever coming back here.

Yeah...this time the story is far less about bouncing back from rock bottom and preparing to revel in your rise to the top...your friends' rise to the top...your family's rise to the top. And yes...his rise to the top.

It was finally time to sit upon my throne as the King of Crossovers. For the first time in a long time...I wasn't regretting surveying all whom I had brought together or all the timelines I'd irrevocably changed. For the first time I didn’t' feel guilty about whose fate or destiny I'd altered.

"I feel...liberated."

I took a moment to look at my reflection in the silvered one-way glass windows. From inside, you could see out...but from the outside, every window was basically a mirror. Long ago I specifically put these in so that I could always be reminded that what all was in this place I didn't want to see from the outside...my self-loathing only commenced once I stepped through that door.

While I was inside these windows served the purpose to remind me that I never forget what I left outside these walls--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Whatever I saw...this Graveyard of Mistakes lay outside of those borders where they couldn't hurt anyone ever again.

"I'm only locking it away."

If my doubts were truly gone, I'd burn this whole building to the ground and never look back.

But refresh my memory. What is it we say about those who forget their past? Oh yes. We're doomed to repeat it.

Granted, I'd LEARNED from my past mistakes, so just keeping them tangible...keeping them canonized seemed like I was keeping the albatrosses I'd accumulated around my neck just to drag me down. But there is sentimentality in regret. The memories attached to those regrets? You can't throw those away any more than you can throne away your feelings.

"It's like he said in Star Trek part 6, isn't it, Azzy?  To borrow a quote: I don't want to lose my pain.  I need my pain."

Who knew that you'd be able to connect Star Trek part six to Naruto: Shippuden, Goat Son when I never made that connection. But yeah...you can't know you're alive and you've overcome unless you've felt all these negative thoughts, feelings, and memories. They're your badges of experience. Your scars let you know that life couldn't break you. And keeping this place standing was my way of letting myself know that even losing everything and everyone...more than once...wasn't the end of my story.

But more than that...the other half of that which Asriel had come to realize was...that you can't truly know and understand a person until you've felt their pain yourself. When you've been through the same Hell they have...then you can honestly say if you have their friendship, you've truly earned it.

"Wise beyond your years, aren't you, best friend?"

I turned on my heel and walked away, never looking back. Only forward.

I looked at the coordinates in space-time and dimension in my hand.

Not Monsteropolis, Mega World or Capcom World, or whatever we were calling Mega Man's home now.

No, this time called for a trip back to someplace we'd been to before during this slice of Asriel's teenage life...

"Back to Camp Candy again."

Out of all the places we could have done this...I probably wouldn't have guessed one of the 80's most beloved comedy acts turned owner, proprietor, and head (only?) camp counselor would invite us back here after all this hullabaloo. But...maybe they kind of owed us after our contribution to shutting Rex De Forest III down and keeping the camp going for another couple generations. Or at least until the NEXT De Forest wannabe came in here with plans for more condominiums on what was once Native American land.

But yeah...after all was said and done. This made perfect sense.

The humblest of victory celebrations with the InfinityVerse's heroes of the ultimate war between good and evil...take...whatever number game Lady Destiny and Madam Fate were on now.

Honestly they probably had more of these "Ultimate Battle Between Good and Evil" chess matches than there were Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Mega Man games put together with the anthology of "Now That's What I Call Music" and "Kids Bop", put together with all the Fast and Furious movies, Mission Impossible movies, and every Marvel Cinematic movie put together with every DC universe movie.

...wait, what was my point again? Oh yeah...they had a lot of competitions over the eons. Why didn't I just put it that way?

I checked in with John and confirmed our reservation in the site. I'd brought my own tent and all the essentials for gear and accessories and such...and pleeeenty of food so my son-in-law wouldn't whine all night that he was starving.

I pulled up in the 57' Chevy and parked in the spot where everyone else's vehicles were gathered. And it looked like a modest sized group had all gathered to camp together under the stars.

It was still daylight out but dusk was creeping up. Sunset wouldn't be long now.

I could already smell the hot dogs roasting. I'd brought burgers and chicken and ribs and such to really complete the cookout experience.

"There he is!  There's the hero of the hour!" I heard Asriel's voice.

"Heh.  Now this is a pleasant surprise." I mused.

"I knew you'd be able to time-travel back to June and join us."

"Won't this cause like a major paradox or something?" Skeeter asked why trying to get a stubborn bottle of ketchup to pour."

"Dude...I wouldn't--"  Asriel warned too late before Skeeter was soon wearing thick, red sauce.

"Awww MAAAAAAN!!!"

"I'm gonna stop you there.  On the grounds that it'll take too long to explain chrono-science much less how many complicated reasons why that's not an issue for me."

"You mean like how you insisted on using time-travel to go  back to Gadget's and Sally's birthdays?  Violet mused.

"Heh."

So I was abusing the power of space-time a bit. I'm too good a friend and father figure to my crew to let something like a birthday go by uncelebrated. No matter what gets in the way.

"C'mon, Aunt Vi.  Stop teasing him.  He's the hero of the hour."

I was about to protest and give the credit back to Goat Son but...yeah...he'd put that "on the shelf" until he was ready to remember his huge role in the grand scheme. He'd remember contributing and going on missions with me...but beyond that? As far as he was concerned, he was just a normal eighteen...check that...one-hundred eighteen-year-old living life and preparing for an unknown future. Not someone who had tamed the Hyperdeath in him, defeated Dr. Allouicious Adonis TWICE now...and saved SEVEN...count them...SEVEN Undertale alternate timelines joined in an Under-Nexus within the Barrier chamber.

This goat truly was the G.O.A.T. And I couldn't hold a candle to that, nor did I ever want to. This victory, this glory should be his for the taking. And yet he gave it up...he gave it up for my sake...for our promise.

There is no way to top that. None. This was the pinnacle. This was the zenith. This was as amazing as he could ever be at this point in his life and wouldn't know until...who could say how far down he road.

"C'mon...stop embarrassing me.  I'm just a Lycan about to share some burgers with his friends and family." I said as Stephanie and Penelope-Anne tackle hugged me from both sides.

"C'mon.  I saved you a spot." Asriel lead back to the spot where the campfire would be at the center of the grounds where all the tents were gathered.

I could only offer a warm smile as a response. I gladly accepted the hospitality and had a seat.

There Goat Son was, humble and loveable and completely downplaying if not disregarding that just a while ago, he had won the first championship of a sport he played as a kid that had now gained world recognition. Not even an indication that he'd done so many awesome things.

He really was a humble bundle.

He cradled the acoustic guitar rather nonchalantly.

And not only that...he was in the midst of a lot of familiar company who had also tagged along for the trip...including someone he'd been wanting to meet for a while now.

"I believe you know Steven Universe." Asriel turned to where the curly-haired, pink fluorescent-jacket, star-shirt, and pink flip-flops wearing 16-year-old was seated, cradling a ukulele of his own.

"Hello!"

I waved.

Nearby I could see the Crystal Gems in the background bantering and going about their business. From Amethyst horsing around to Peridot scolding people for acting like "clods" to Lapis being introverted with Lupe by the stream and so on.

"He's here, now, Cinnamon Roll.  You know the agreement."

"Oh boy.  I guess I walked into this one."

"C'mon, Azzy.  Play up or welch on it."

"It makes me so uncomfortable self-gratifying like this..."

"Vi.  What did you put him up to do?" I glared.

"Don't worry.  It's nothing naughty or anything.  Just that I agree to play a certain song once you got here."

"What song...?"

Asriel closed his eyes and let out a sighing chuckle, trying to force back the smile.

He strummed the guitar and began crooning an anthem by the music group known as Queen.

"I've paid my dues

Time after time

I've done my sentence

But committed no crime

And bad mistakes

I've made a few

I've had my share of sand kicked in my face

But I've come through!"

Oh you. You know what? I'll allow it. It's quite fitting for you, Asriel. Bask in that greatness that you earned.

And each of us graciously joined in the chorus as Asriel continued on until we were all celebrating. Each of us placed an arm around the person to each side of us in a chain, quickly going into a synchronized sway left and right to the beat.

"We are the champions, my friends

And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end

We are the champions

We are the champions

No time for losers

 'Cause we are the champions of the world!"

Sally squeezed her eyes shut and grinned a silly grin with a big honkin' thumbs-up as the song continued.

"I've taken my bows

And my curtain calls

You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it

I thank you all

But it's been no bed of roses

No pleasure cruise

I consider it a challenge before the whole human (and non-human) race

And I ain't gonna lose!"

Mitzi clasped her hands together over her heart as she sang out with everyone.

Gadget had hopped up onto Jon's shoulders. He gladly gave her a boost so she could have a bird's-eye-view of all of us.

"We are the champions, my friends

And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end

We are the champions

We are the champions

No time for losers

 'Cause we are the champions of the world"

Red playfully gave Antoine a noogie as he had gotten the coyote in a headlock.

It was the first time in a while I'd seen Antoine take it like a man and look so happy doing so.

"We are the champions, my friends

And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end

We are the champions

We are the champions

No time for losers

 'Cause we are the champions"

Asriel sniffled and wiped a tear as he ceased playing his guitar.

"...of the wooooooorld..."  He choked up a heart-felt but definitely happy sob.

I wagged my tail.

"You know...I think it's okay to take a little bit of pride in accomplishment.  And man...you have a lot to take pride in.

"I think this is a moment where I've found the balance between pride and humility.  You agree?"

"I agree."

I mussed his head fur a bit.

"This is nice.  it really is."

Sub-Entry 419: "The Ultimate Happy Ending Can Wait For a Little While Longer":
We all dispersed only long enough to go about a few personal activities and have fun on our own time. We'd have plenty of time to just free-style it until we were ready for camp fire activities. Jon had really stocked up on the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars.

This was gonna be sweet. Literally.

That said...

It also gave me time to finally decompress and reflect on the aftermath.

I could finally rest on my laurels.

With Chaopolis in ashes and dust, Adonis finally in a prison that he wouldn't find his way out of...I was looking at retiring all over again. By choice not by being on the run as a fugitive, this time.

I felt like Asriel and I needed to have a sit-down and reflect on it all...

...but now we couldn't. The promise was reforged. Nothing I discuss with him about matters would make sense to him. And anything I said about it would be spoilers; the promise meant that the truth about UTPR-3235 would "stay on the shelf" until he was good and ready.

The moment the promise was broken occurred the moment he asked a single question.

That question I never answered but he did find out for himself. If he asked this question again...I think...I think I would know that that would be the moment.

But...as he was...how could he ever know that name and thus think to ask about her? How could he EVER invoke Frisk's name with his memories of the Underground on the shelf?

And that was when part of my realized...this situation created that same scenario I thought would last forever once before. A situation where...he might never go back to his Undertale.

I was dancing around the issue. The more I brought it up the more I wanted to avoid...that one thing I was still afraid of. That one big worry.

Now it was no longer a worry. It was potentially an inevitability.

But...if he never went back...then our promise would never be fulfilled.

What was I supposed to do in that situation?

And for that matter...how many  years would go by before I got the ugliest wakeup call that only one of us would live forever.

The thought of losing him to time...to age...didn't frighten me in the same way losing him to tragedy or sickness or some other unforeseen consequences.

With what I couldn't control in the moment, that fear was acute and struck like a needle in the flesh. Once you realized it was there it would sting intensely but the pain would be temporary.

With my immortality reminding me just how my people I'd outlived throughout my long and winding road of time-travel...the worry was more chronic. Like an acid that slowly wore you down over time and never stopped. It was always there in the shadows of your mind and when it reached its threshold during those moments you lost another precious person in your life it wouldn't let up in the aftermath. That's when the pain was the greatest and it was only a matter of time before it repeated again.

"Holy schnikees..." I uttered, getting a hold of myself.

I really gotta turn off the doom and gloom. This kind of morbid thinking had no place for times like this.

This was a day of happiness and celebration. Just once, Volt...turn the worry off. There will be other days to dread what was in the back of your mind.

I watched as Bunnie, Sally, and Lupe took the horse trail to enjoy some equestrian escape into nature. Megami had brought Hinohoshiko and the other horses from the stable all the way out here.

Rotor and Skeeter of course engaged in fishing. Between what Jon had brought for the main course and Mitzi delving into her own supply, we'd have plenty of variety for our meals.

Antoine had his own tale to spin about "fending off a bald-headed bear"......waiiiit a minute. This story sounded...familiar. I'd have to ask Counselor Candy about this and see if the coyote's story checked out. Something about the idea of the Bald-Headed Bear of Claire County being here......

Let me finish that thought another time and just enjoy the great outdoors.

"So.  How DID you get Rex Deforest III off his back so that he'd leave them and us alone?" Callista asked. Weird seeing her in camp-friendly attire instead of her lab coat, skirt, blouse, and sandals. But then again seeing Scott in his own wilderness threads was a sight onto itself.

"I left him a little...care package." Violet mused, holding up a scrap of Al Dente's haori.

"Oh you are EEEEEEVIL." Mitzi grinned sadistically.

"To him or to Al?"

"YES." Mitzi chuckled.

"And I supersized their order at no charge."

"What did you do, Aunt Vi?"

"You remember De Forest's nephews?"

"Those horrible children, Freddy and Jason!?" Lupe blanched.

"Isn't a family reunion just heartwarming?" Violet had that side-grin I'd see from Rahuro many times.

Sure enough on the other side of camp grounds, right at the property border...in a multi-deck condominium overlooking the lake...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Demonic child laughter chorused as crashes and explosions could be heard inside.

I shook my head and smiled. And like that my worries took a backseat on the furthest burner on the stove.

Am I actually...THANKING Violet for this?

I supposed this would normally be were someone would chastise Violet for her mischief but...

No one spoke up. No one spoke for Al Dente. No one spoke for Rex De Forest III and Chester. Yeah. But at the same time we weren't gloating...at least not out loud.

"Heh."

You know what? Goat Son was in good hands now. I think he was going to be oooooookay when we came to that bridge.

And the day rolled on.

Sub-Entry 420: "Dreams are Forever":
It was finally dark and the stars were out. Asriel still loved to stargaze and this far from a city, there was no light pollution. The sky was perfectly black with a sea of white dots, twinkling as they may amongst a rare larger white speck that didn't twinkle. We could actually see a planet or two with the naked eye.

This was special.

"I think it's about time for the surprise.  Drew's been setting up."

"Drew?  You mean...oh golly!  Is he going to set off fireworks?"

"I could think of no better way to canonize our victories and to celebrate our well-earned, well-deserved peace."

"Volt...remember what we say about the d-word."

"Just this once, Azzy...I think we all deserve a reward for everything we've been through all this time."

"Well...you are right about needing something to bring this happy ending on home.  But if we're doing this, we're doing this right."

"Hmm?"

"I'm picking the song to set them to."

I blinked a bit. I turned to Bunnie, who quickly let me know she had no idea either. Surprisingly Violet was out of the loop.

It didn't take long. Drew was ready to go and he launched without hesitation.

"It's starting!"

"Shhh!"

"Oh wow..."

And that was when Asriel fired up the sound system. Not too loud and too big to disturb any surrounding camp sites or such, but just enough we could all hear and enjoy it.

To be perfectly honest...Asriel couldn't have picked a better song.

The theme of the last story had always been "Hope Never Walks Alone".

The time of this one was "Dreams are Forever". So on that note...it was only fitting that Goat Son pick Van Halen's own song, from the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers movie (the 1995 one).

Yeah. No better song could some it up than "Dreams".

"World turns black and white

Pictures in an empty room"

I could help but think of Toriel's framed 8 x 10's of her family, Evil-Chara's still blurred out...and the photo she somehow still had of my family that transcended timelines to still exist.

"Your love starts fallin down

Better change your tune, yeah"

Bunnie and Violet shared a quick high-five. A rarity.

"Reach for the golden ring"

Sally grinned as she spun an oversized gold ring on her finger like a hula hoop.

"Reach for the sky

Baby just spread your wings"

Pit did just that.

"We'll get higher and higher

Straight up we'll climb"

Antoine raced up a tree to escape the moose he had somehow angered and was now bashing its skull into the trunk to get him down.

"We'll get higher and higher

Leave it all behind"

I couldn't help but look off at the mountain nearby that resembled Ebott. I did leave it behind...but only temporarily.

"Run, run, run away

Like a train runnin off the track"

Felicia giggled as she put on the railroad conductor's cap and gave a whistle-blow fist pump as she pulled Jon into a friendly one-armed hug, causing him to almost choke on a mouth crammed full of s’mores.

"Got the truth gets left behind

Falls between the cracks

Standing on broken dreams"

Lupe looked down at the ground, the soil reminding her of her people's lost land.

"Never losin' sight, ah

Spread your wings"

Violet fired up her jet pack before Bunnie yanked her back down from her attempt to hover off and do something mischievous.

"We'll get higher and higher

Straight up we'll climb"

Mitzi climbed up the tree to share a spot next to Duke Larue. It was a sturdy enough branch to hold them both. And even if worse came to worse, Duke's hybrid ability of Gravity Manipulation would keep them from any falling mishaps.

"We'll get higher and higher

Leave it all behind"

Gadget quietly set down the flower lei that she had kept all this time from her bad experience with Lawhiney. It wasn't made of real flowers. I guess this was  her way of finally letting the past stay in the past.

"So baby dry your eyes, save all

The tears you've cried"

It was Asriel's turn to wipe Chara's tears. It really was an impressive gigai body that Urahara had given her.

"Oh that's what dreams are made of

 'Cause we belong in a world that must be strong

Oh that's what dreams are made of"

Chameleon leaned up against the back of the tree, trying not to let us see that he had followed us here for...reasons.

We'll get higher and higher

Straight up we'll climb

"Higher and higher leave it all behind

Oh we'll higher and higher who knows

What we'll find"

Tithius wasted know time in climbing into one of the many picnic baskets before fetching a big slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie. Nom-nom-nom!

"So baby dry your eyes, save all

The tears you've cried"

This time it was my turn to wipe Goat Son's eyes and his to wipe mine as we were overcome by emotion over the amazing fireworks display Drew had arranged for us.

"Oh that's what dreams are made of

Oh baby we belong in a world that must be strong

Oh that's what dreams are made of

And in the end on dreams we will depend

 'Cause that's what love is made of"

And Goat Son and I sealed the deal with the biggest and manliest of man-hugs.

"I love ya, man."

"I love you too, Azzy."

"You're still the best friend a Lost Dreemurr could ever ask for.  No offense, Chara."

Chara waved it off. She understood..

"You never stopped being the best friend a space-time-dimension travelling immortal electric demigod werewolf could ever ask for."

"I wish this day would never end."

But as far as that went? Wishes...were another story down the road...

The s'mores were all eaten, the snacks were finished off, anything we could do at this point had been done. All ways left was to pack it in.

And we all slept soundly.

For the next morning we'd pack up and leave.

Memories fresh in our heads. Good feelings all around. A revived hope in each of our hearts. Our dreams honestly did seem immortal at this point.

And then we were gone. Back to Miranda City. Back to our lives. Back to an unknown future that lay ahead.

Asriel was in a good place.

The plan was back on. From defeat eight years ago, we had rising from the ashes to bring about victory. Asriel had given me...to coin a phrase...one more chance...to fulfill our promise on OUR terms. There was another up-side but...I could worry about it later. Maybe seven or more years would be enough time to savor that up side...and then cross the bridge I'd worry about when we came to it.

This was the dream. And it sure felt like it really would last forever.

Our presence in this place had completely vanished with every sign that we had ever been hear.

Every sign...

...except one.

One lone reminder that this happened. One lone reminder that this was real. One lone sing that I could again move on. Just one thing to canonize the end of our second story.

As the scene faded to sepia tone black and white, it could be seen.

Hanging from a lone tree branch...

...was a rather distinct necktie."The End"* TV Static flickers in and out *

* TV STATIC *

* ELECTRICAL SPARKS *

* FSSSSSSSSSSSSHT......! *

A Message From Hyperdeath

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