PLD Chapter 22

" CHAPTER 22: How Far He Has Come "

Sub-Entry 211: "My Old Works"
I felt myself being shaken.

"Huh...wha..."

"Howdy! You're just a sleepy-head aren't you?"

Asriel beamed with a vibrant smile.

I had fallen asleep at my workbench.

"Hey."

"I see what Mrs. Lisa means by you working yourself to the bone."

"..."

I know you're chuckling out there, Sans. And somewhere Papyrus temper just spiked.

"Yeah. That's mean. Always a busy body. Too much for my own good. I guess...it's a weakness."

"Weakness?"

"I work myself so hard sometimes I pass out form exhaustion. I may be immortal but...I can still pass out if I overstrain or overwork."

"Awww. You gotta take better care of yourself."

"Yeah...yeah I do. It's a hard habit to break, little man."

Asriel patted me on the back.

"Besides. Don't think of it as a weakness. Just...think of it as a reminder that you're only human...er.....hu-monster. You...know what I mean."

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

A moment of silence and smiles.

"So. What did you tire yourself out on?" Asriel looked at the complicated schematics.

"Uhhh...? Your drawings are...strange. Not a lot of color."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"They're schematics. That's how we design electronics on paper. Each part has a unique symbol and measurements. In time I'll teach you about it if you'd like. There's a lot of material to cover."

I rubbed my chin.

"You don't really mind that, do you? You're always so eager to learn."

"Is that odd?"

"Well. For some more than others. But it's a good thing. Trust me."

"I do." He said with a nod.

I rolled over a spare computer chair and offered him a seat. Asriel hopped up but not before spinning it around and around.

"Waaaaaaah! Hahahahahah!"

Such a kid. Not a complaint, mind you.

"Azzy..." I gave a sly smirk.

Quirky was good. But if he started acting like Violet I was not going to be a happy camper.

He looked over my workbench.

"Hmm?" He looked over at my old puzzle cube.

"Is that...a puzzle?"

"Hmm? This? Wel...kinda." I said as I started to remember. "This was...actually one of my early projects during my high school years. Meet RBK-001."

"You made puzzles?"

"Not exactly." I looked closer. "Strange. It looks like it's been moved recently...oh no. Violet, what did you do?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Uhh...?"

"Well. Only one way to find out." I rubbed my eyelids.

"Volt?"

"Bear with me. Got a few moments to watch?"

Asriel's eyes chanced to cyan.

"I'll take that as a yes."

I hacked and cracked my knuckles, interlocking my fingers and getting the metaphorical rust off my joints.

I twisted, turned, and shuffled the cube. I wasn't as genius level with this as Violet. She'd have it solved after a passing glance at all six sides. But I still had all the old trial and error tricks of the trade.

And with enough of my own patience...

"There."

"Ooooh. The colors are all lined up!"

I set the cube on the workbench.

"Huh? What's...?"

Asriel saw at as I had. The neon circuit patterns on each colored square were familiar but the light pulses running through them were different than I remembered.

What did you reprogram him with--

A pair of legs nano-morphically decompressed underneath.

"It's...changing?"

"Here it comes."

Then it unpacked, unfolded, and decompressed. A head...a face. Ears like a goblin. Metallic grey in color. Kinda cute-looking, really.

"Welcome back to the world, Rubik."

"Rubik? Is that his name?"

"Yeah. Rubik is a minibot I built. He's kind of a desktop helper. I used to have him clean up my area. He uses magnetic fields and tethers to move objects--"

"Hello! My name is Rubik!" (Video Link)

"Oh! And he talks!"

"That's...new...." I blinked. "I should have know Violet would give him a virtual intelligence."

Rubik hopped into Asriel's hands. A giggle fest ensued. I decided to let them bond for a bit. It wasn't long before we learned Rubik could also levitated. While I had no doubts about Violet's programming prowess I was a little more dubious when she tampered with the hardware.

Past experience had proven while Violet's a software guru, when it came to hardware...not so much.

I needed only look in the corner of my shop where the powered down form of "Sparky" lay. Built out of things like a waffle iron, a juicer, and other mini kitchen appliances, this "dog" (if you could call it that) might have had decent programming, but the way the machinery was cobbled together...ugh. When it lifted the ole leg, I ended up having to clean up orange juice. No, really. Actual orange juice.

As to how it got its name? Eheh...eheh....ehhhh.......use your imagination. I dare you.

"Do you want me to look after him, Volt?"

"Well. Do you have enough storage in your inventory?"

"You know, I'm glad you mentioned it, Volt..." Asriel accessed his ITEM inventory...and I noticed the interface had changed once he had it open.

"B.O.X. System? BOX-A? BOX-B?"

Wait. I saw this on Frisk's cell phone after they had left Alphys' lab. Did Violet......what am I saying...OF COURSE Violet read my notes an modded Asriel's code inside LYOKO.

"Before you do that, Violet's going to have to teach you how to solve one of these Rubik's Cube puzzles or you'll never be able to reactivate him again."

"Oh! Yeah, I see. That would be a problem. How about I just let him perch on my shoulder for a bit until Violet shows me how."

"Sure. I guess we can drop in on her." I shuffled items around in the back of my workshop until I found it. Another of my old robotics projects strangely disguised as a--

"A toolbox?"

"Yup." Check it out." I set it on the ground and inserted the two startup keys and turned them at the same time. With a series of computerized blips and motor whirs 2LBT-002 sprouted small, squatty, mechanical legs and long, flexible arms like Mettaton's. A movable, mechanical jaw unlatched, accompanied by unintelligible speech. Semblance of a face and what looked like safety goggles wrapped around the electronic eyes that opened up.

"Whoah! Did you make this, too?"

"Yup. This is 2LBT-002. Tool Bot for short."

Here were two very different robotics projects. Tool Bot was expertly crafted with the best parts I could get back in the day. But he was completely hardwired. I couldn't program worth two dead flies.

Sparky on the other hand was slapped together haphazardly. But he his V.I. was nothing short of incredible. Violet was a programming genius but she'd have trouble telling a triac from a SCR from a MOSFET. To put things in better perspective I wouldn't put it past her to ask where the carburetor goes when trying to fix a dish washer. Eheheheheh...

Tool Bot reached up and pulled open its lid, reached in with the other hand and pulled out a snow globe.

"Oh. I wondered where I left that."

Tool Bot handed it to Asriel. "Oh wow!" He gave it a shake. "It's just like Snowdin Town!"

"Got it from Raxis. I'm not a fan of cold places but...beauty in all things."

That was when the alarm clock Emmett and I had rigged up to drive my Spark Man "Jacob's Ladder" went off.

The orange spark plug robot moved its arms from his sides to up in in the air and his metal pylons crackled to life. An arc of electricity jumped between them from the electrodes of the helmet and buzzed upward until it reached the tips of the spikes and sizzled out of existence before the cycle repeated.

"Cool!"

"Not cool. It's my turn to take you to karate practice and you're gonna be late if we don't get our rears in gear."

"Oh! You're right!"

Asriel unpacked his hover board.

"How are you going to get there?"

"Oh, Tool Bot?"

And that's when the robot toolbox switched out his legs for wheels and began transforming until it had become a motor scooter of sorts with jet thruster rockets.

Asriel muffled his giggle.

"Don't laugh. It's...functional."

Okay. So it was ridiculous. All I needed was a red bow tie, a grey suit, and my hair glossed with shoe polish and I could complete the image. Tool Bot wheeled himself outside and I got on while Asriel hopped on his hover board.

"Hey. Race ya' there!"

Oh gods. Chara...what have I done? He's got your competitive streak now, doesn't he?

Well there were two ways to handle this. Protest and cry "Asriel! Slow down! Wait for me!"

Or...

"You're on!"

Nitrous method it was. Well. Eat my dust if you can, little man!

Sub-Entry 212: "Progress":
"Hmm." Bunnie looked Asriel in the eyes.

Asriel looked back, his irises bright orange. Bravery.

"That look. That is the look that tells me you're ready to face me."

Asriel remained silent but steadfast.

"Come then. Show me what you've learned."

Asriel took a deep breath and slipped into his stance.

"Hakkyoi!"

Asriel punched with a straight jab, his fist impacting with Bunnie's padded arm guard.

"Hmm!" Bunnie barely moved from the blow. "Do not let up."

Asriel punched with the the other fist. It had about the same power as the first.

"Again!"

Asriel repeated, a little faster, a little harder. The confidence was low but building little by little. It wasn't without with setbacks which meant rebuilding what got fractured along the way. However, that was when we'd remind him that failure was normal.

"Show me a person who hasn't known failure, and I'll show you a person who hasn't tried anything new." At least I think that's how Bunnie's translation went.

Asriel tried again again, this time following up with a high kick. It had taken him several tries to extend his reach and get his aim right. A few more drills woth of combos before...

"Whoah!" Asriel was so focused, he was nearly unprepared for Bunnie's surprise attack. It was a sloppy dodge but he managed to avoid the hit.

"Good. Still a little tunnel vision mentality, but improving."

The other students had begun to notice Asriel's progress and what had once been whispers and murmurs and looks of doubt pity, or the rare amusement was now slowly building into respect. It had been months since he started. Plus the whole...fame thing didn't hurt either.

"Watch that flip!" I was a little too eager to prevent what happened a couple classes ago when Asriel was caught off guard and Bunnie managed to flip him backwards off his feet, a full 360 degrees into a face-plant.

"No backseat coaching, Commander."

"Sorry, Bunnie. It just slipped out."

Asriel's focus was intense. And yet he remained aware of what was around him. I could tell he was really trying to find the balance between the two. I'd seen the same mental calculation from Mitzi when she was at Asriel's level.

Mitzi had been training under Bunnie since the day she joined UCIAT. Our own Sweetheart of the Pizza Pie was our first recruit in at least a couple decades of setting up shop, post-Ekris War.

Where we had once been a mere five on Fontraile, we'd expanded to somewhere around 4 to 5 times that number in terms of those qualified for field work and several times that number for technicians, engineers, medical, security, or other position.

Asriel's test went on.

"Excellent." Bunnie acknowledged as Asriel managed to counter her strike and lock it into a hold.

"But that's for the NEXT test." Bunnie mused as she reversed the hold into a hold of her own.

"Sorry, sensei. Got a little carried away."

"There is no shame in over-achieving. But do not forget who is the student and who is the master."

"Understood, sensei."

Bunnie stepped back and both exchanged bows.

Megami was on hand with a lacquer case.

"Asriel Arcade, you have completed the requirements for this level in your training. It is my pleasure to award you the rank of yellow belt."

Bunnie opened the case, retrieved the folded belt and handed it to Asriel.

"Awesome!" He beamed. "Arigato, sensei."

The rest of the students applauded. It may have been months but to the rest of us, Asriel's progress had spiked pretty suddenly and pretty quickly since confronting the Wraith and making peace with Chara.

"You have accomplished much. The Warrior's Path is long and winding but as with all journeys, it begins with a single step. You have taken that first step, young one. " Master Splinter's voice spoke up. The rest of the students were quickly on their best behavior.

"As you learn and grow the path may be harder to see but the goal will remain. Even in a world of hope, light may be engulfed by shadow. Beware that you do not become lost as you travel it. Remember those who showed you the way, always. We will be there to be your light to guide you in the darkness."

"I'll stay true to what I've learned, Grand Master Splinter."

"I believe that to be so."

"That concludes today's lessons. Class dismissed." Bunnie bowed and all of her students returned the bow.

Asriel maintained his composure for just a bit longer...before he exitedly ran to Scott and Callie and hugged for all he was worth. There was just no quantifying how much pride we all had for him at that moment.

"Way to go son!"

"You've made us so proud! Mamma's little warrior!" Callista couldn't resist snoggling the snootle.

"Moooooom!" Asriel protested in between laughs.

I smiled.

"So. How do you propose we celebrate your victory, little man?" I asked.

"Well...I kinda want to be able to tell Jon that I'm the same belt color as him now. Annnnd I want to tell Mitzi, too."

"Jon's probably at Computer Valhalla and Mitzi's at Rock-Afire Pizza. What do say? A little fun at the game arcade and a pizza party at Mitzi's?"

Sub-Entry 213: "Video Armageddon Revival":
User Recognized: DR. VOLT ALESSANDRO ARCADE

Password: WISEFROMYOURGRAVE

User Recognized: ASRIEL TOBIAS DREEMURR-ARCADE

Password: THESIXTHANOMALY

User Recognized: JONATHAN LAWRENCE TALBAIN

Password: AGALLONOFLONCHANEYJUNIOR

"Did you have to cram two references together, Violet? And really...I hate that nickname. Why do they call me that in Edoropia again? And blimey...you know how much monster movies about werewolves offend me! I can never forgive what the Twilight movies, alone, did to our image."

User Recognized: PIT

Password: KEEPEROFPARTHENASMIRROR

"Violet, that's...a little personal and not information that should be known by mortals."

User Recognized: COLONEL SCOTT ANGUS O'CONNER

Password: BOBBYYANO

"...don't even ask." Scott muttered.

User Recognized: DR. CALLISTA PENELOPE BRIGHTON

Password: SEXYMEWTWOISONEHOTHUMANMAMMA

"Aunt Viiiii! That's my MOM!" Asriel protested.

"We're going to have a talk about describing my wife in that context."

We went to Violet's. And as expected...boy did she ever milk it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, girls and boys, gentlemen and ladies...welcome to Computer Valhalla's night of totally awesome, sweet Alabama, kicka--(FLOWEY CACKLE) liquid snake! We're gonna jam the joystick til our eyes bleed!"

"Eww." Callista cringed.

"To start things off, we're gonna shake things up with a video game pop quiz. An oldie but a goodie. So we're going to lead off with friendly competition. So for volunteers I see we have three."

Violet pointed to each of her "recruits" in sequence.

"One." She pointed to Jon. "Two." She pointed to Pit. "Three." She pointed to Asriel.

"Wait...I didn't--" Jon started to protest.

"So I give you...Super...Mario Bros.....THREEEEEEE!"

At that three mechanical shutters like air locks on the wall opened at the same time revealing 4K monitors running possibly what our world considered one of the most classic 3rd generation, 8-bit video games of all time. Based on the exploits of legendary N-Division agent code names "M" and "L".

"I.R.I.S., start up the clock and lets see who can rack up the most points before time's up."

It didn't take me long to figure out what Violet was doing with this.

"Violet, I enjoyed the tale of Jimmy Woods as much as the next person from our era, but seriously? You really want to pay tribute to the Wizard?"

"Violet, this was before my era! How do you expect me to even compete?!" Jon whimpered. Well technically that wasn't true. Being that Jon was a Darkstalker, he's been around since the "before times". Though still...I wasn't sure how that worked. I had always suspected there had been some kind of time anomaly from Pyron's visit.

Maybe that was part of the whole reason Jon didn't want to talk about his past? This world's chrono-structure was weird...but it was at least flexible compared to the many rigid timelines I'd been where the slightest thing off could shatter reality itself.

"What are you worried about? Asriel hasn't even played this game before."

"But Pit actually fought along side the guys this game was based off of!"

"Admittedly...I did go along for a few adventures in the Mus--"

"Then it's settled. We got ourselves a game! So I give you Video Armageddon, take two!" Violet put her knuckles to her hips. "Gods, I love sequels."

Asriel took his place before the station, looking over the simple NES Advantage controls. Pit followed suit and Jon reluctantly took the final spot.

"Just do your best, son. We're rooting for you!"

Asriel gave a smile and a nod before his eyes changed to neon red. Oh yeah. It was on.

"Give us a count down, I.R.I.S."

"The option to override Video Armageddon 2.0 has been terminated. Beginning sequence. Counting down. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Ignition."

"Start your games!"

And all three were off on a wild romp through a magical romp through what was once the ultimate platformer of the time.

Pit was off to an early lead. Jon shakily got the hang of the controls after a bit. But it was Asriel who started discovering the most secrets of the game.

"Oh wow! He can fly!"

I smirked. I wonder if this was how it was back in the last days of the N-Division? Asriel was enjoying himself. Pit seemed earnest about it as well. Jon...well, I guess he was humble in his own way. I nearly forgot Violet was dragging us all through another of her nearly shot-for-shot movie scene recreations for her own amusement.

It didn't take long, however, for the three players to deviate from what happened in the movie. Plus I reminded myself Jon, Pit, and Asriel were playing the full version. Not the prototype that had been showcased.

Before I knew it, everyone had cleared the first two levels. Asriel had decided to enter world 1-3 while Jon made the mistake of taking the branch to 1-4. Pit went straight to the fortress.

At that point I noticed Asriel was starting to have a bit of difficulty with the boomerang brother enemies. This was too familiar. It wasn't just deja vu, it really was happening all over again.

Jon fumbled about with way too much platform jumping over bottomless chasm for his taste. Also familiar.

"C'mon, Azzy. You can adapt to this."

After losing two lives in a row, Asriel had somehow discovered the secret of the white platform and found his first warp flute.

Deciding to forego 1-4, Asriel tried to catch up to Pit in the fortress. And that's when he discovered the second warp flute.

I smirked as Asriel, on instinct decided to use them both.

"And Goat Son has found the warp zone!"

"Jeeze, Vi."

Well it wasn't exactly the same as it happened between Jimmy Woods and Lucas Barton and...what was her name again? But still. Violet went through a lot of trouble to reenact this. I felt like we were going to get letters somehow.

Pit was finishing up world 1-5 and entering 1-6 by the time Asriel found himself knee-deep in Dark Land's batallion of tanks. Jon lost his last life by then.

"Tough break, J.T.!"

By the time the timer started getting low Pit had managed to reach the Koopahari Desert while Asriel was fighting tooth, having survived both the tanks and the battleships and crossed the card bridge. The air ships were proving to be a pain in the tail.

Pit on the other hand was finding annoyance by micro goombas and fire snakes.

Finally as time ran out, Pit was midway through the Koopahari Desert while Asriel had reached the end of 8-1 of Dark Land. And with one well-timed jump, Asriel hit the goal box to earn a star card.

"Time's up!"

And with that, Asriel scored a first place finish. Goat son was learning well, though Violet's extra curricular studies were of questionable value. But as long as he enjoyed learning the ways of two and three decade old games based on cases before my time as UCIAT Commander, who was I to judge? Maybe it would come in handy when the real missions started and not just off-world errands.

Congratulations were in order. Celebrations were needed. But first...

"Hey, Jon! Guess what? I got my yellow belt!"

"Good show, my friend!" Good show!"

Jon, could you sound any more like Pops from Regular Show?

Sub-Entry 214: "Celebrate Good Times":
I admit it. I can't stay irate at Violet over her antics for long. If there was any edge left, going to Rock-Afire Pizza took it right off.

"Mitzi! Mitzi! Guess what?"

"What?" Mitzi, like most everyone we bumped into had already figured out the big news. But I ask who would have the gall to rob Goat Son of his chance to show and tell? Someone who deserved a bad time, that's who.

"I got my yellow belt!" Asriel held it up. By that point he had gotten changed back into his regular clothes.

"That's wonderful, Asriel! I knew you could do it!"

"I'm going to keep going until I reach my black belt!"

"That's a good goal to set. Just stay determined."

"I get that advice so often. But it really pays off! It really does!" Asriel smiled brightly.

"You keep at it and we'll be able to spar together before you know it."

Asriel rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. It was obvious he was still uncomfortable with fighting and violence. Still. He'd come so far. Months ago he'd never be able to raise a hand to another student let alone his sensei.

He'd taken his fair share of falls, bumps, bruises and such but injuries and pain were temporary. The life lessons and the experience was forever. He'd be able to take care of himself, one day, at this rate.

"I uh..." Asriel started, then sighed and his eyes turned blue. "...I just can't feel comfortable with fighting a friend. Even if it's only sparring."

"Asriel, you're the most gentle person I know. Even if either of us do get hurt when that day comes, it's nothing that can't be fixed with an apology, a first aid kit, and time."

Mitzi gently brushed Asriel's ears with her fingertips. Asriel closed his eyes and let out a comforting sigh, followed up with...!

"Oh my goodness! Are you...are you bleating? That's so cute!"

"That's my little sunshine!" Callista hugged Asriel from behind and kissed him on the top of the head.

"Well, if we're done embarrassing our little humble bundle, I say we remember why we're here!"

"Let's celebrate!" Asriel piped up.

"Absolutely." Violet mused with a closed-eyes smile and a one-armed hug.

There are few combinations better than pizza and karate. Though Splinter would be inclined to decline. Sushi was more suited to his taste.

"We're living in Halcyon Days, Commander." Callista looked on while more of us gathered for the pizza part.

"Yeah. I hope it doesn't make us complacent."

"Worried again, I see." Scott acknowledged. "Well. I don't blame you for being on guard. I spent a lot of my post-Vorostov life being suspicious."

"I don't...expect any more trouble to find its way to Fontraile. Especially from the Underground. But...I'm going to be watching over my shoulder for anything that resembles funky looking oil slicks."

"Bunnie assured us. Chara is fine. Nothing can get to her in the Soul Society."

"Well that's one absolute I can rest easy on. Plus I won't have to worry about Hollows trying to gobble her up, either." That was definitely not something I wanted Asriel to know about or Chara to er..."live" in fear of.

"Relaxing that mind of your really is a difficult task, isn't it?"

"Impossible."

"Well, Commander. I may be...ahem...an old sol-jah boy (Violet now owes me money.) but--"

"For your sake she better owe you a mint for that street slang. But continue."

"Instead of thinking of what's impossible. Think of what's possible. Right here. Right now."

I paused a moment. A sigh and a smile.

"Good advice. Thanks, Scott."

Speaking of Violet...

"Hey, Vi, aren't you concerned that Al Dente was going to crash our party?" I asked.

"Ohhh, I don't know about that. When I last left him he seemed to be enjoying his drink."

Wait a minute. What drink?

"Drink, Vi?"

"Nothing much. I just replaced his lemon aid with a cocktail of sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and just a hint of magnesium citrate."

I hesitated, stunned for a moment. Then my eyes widened.

Seriously, Violet? What the absolute f--!

"....Violet...that's just mean."

"What? I don't get it." Mitzi scratched her head.

Rotor, Gadget, and I looked at each other and cringed.

"It's what Velaska prescribes prior to a colonoscopy."

"A...what?" Asriel scratched his head.

"Let's just say...he'll definitely know whether he's coming or...*snicker*...going." Violet smirked.

"Huh?"

"It it were baseball, he'll definitely have the hits...and the runs." Violet joked.

"Goddammit, Vi.  This has to be one of the worst things you've ever done."

"Welllll.  I did far worse to him when I was a kid."

"Ohh?"

With that one statement I knew I just stepped on a land mine.

"Welllllll..." Vi began withe that look in her eyes and that devious grin which always preceded a flashback...

~

A much younger Violet, turned as purple in the face as her name as she yanked her hand out of Al Dente's grasp and suddenly screamed bloody murder.

As soon as all eyes were on her, she pointed at Al and shrieked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!  HE.  TOUCHED.  MY.  BR--"

I slapped my hand over Violet's mouth before she could finish.

Touched her *AHEM*... She didn't even have *AHEM*...

"You lied about that in a public place?!  You are SO going to Gehenna." Mitzi facepalmed.

"Okay, enough, Vi. Before you corrupt the innocent."

"Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me." Asriel wrinkled his snoot.

"Just enjoy the pizza."

"And the music." Mitzi headed over to where yet another or our Support Units, FNZ-Epsilon (nicknamed "Frenzy"). He had converted into his karaoke machine alt form. Mitzi picked up the microphone and got ready for the rest of the band to assemble.

Some space was cleared away to make room for yet another Support Unit, RMB-Delta (nicknamed "Rumble"). Once converted he made an excellent drum set for Gadget.

And finally Jon picked up LBK-Alpha in his guitar form while Violet summoned matching support unit, RBT-Beta (nicknamed "Ratbat") and had him convert into his key-tar form.

What started as a pizza party had become a pizza party with a live band.

"I'd say this was the best day ever but if I know my friends, family and home...there are even better ones down the road."

"I'd say that's a good bet, best friend. That's a good bet."

Which was a bold statement considering I'm not even a betting wolf man.

Nonetheless, it was definitely in Asriel's and my top ten, thus far. As long as things were looking up, maybe it was the sign that I could let go a little of my worries.

Sub-Entry 215: "This Is Why Ripper Was Temporarily Banned from Hestia's..."
Downtime in the square. It was peaceful. Well except for Al Dente running through the streets, whining and looking for...facilities that he didn't have to be a paying customer to use. Besides being so tight he squeaks, he was also a cheapskate.

Peaceful. In fact...too peaceful.

"Quiet day." Asriel said idly.

"Yup."

Okay. Let's be honest. I think this was the first time I'd see him bored. I didn't get bored, thanks to how opening the Genie's Lamp and the Pandora's Box had rewired my very psyche. I had LITERALLY spent millions of years watching grass grow, while outside of time and space, as part of a mission involving observing and recording botanical evolution or something, and it didn't bother me in the least. This feeling. What Asriel was feeling. I couldn't understand this feeling...or even remember it.

But darned if I didn't feel empathy. I know he wasn't Chara and that boredom wasn't going to open the doorway to bad things and letting the Demon Wraith have its way. Through Chara's boredom and Frisk's curiosity...those Genocide runs had run their course, an unspeakable number of times.

A lazy day every so often was one thing but...after saving the city from a wraith, venturing back and forth between the timelines of the Underground...eh...suddenly life slowed to too much of a crawl; especially if you're a kid.

"Some fun, huh, guys?" Skeeter sighed.

"Some fun. Huh." Asriel lay face down on the edge of the fountain, not feeling the motivation to look up.

This was definitely normal child behavior in this day and age. But you knew it was bad when you wanted to feel it, too, just for the sake of sympathy pains.

No missions to go on. Nothing in my history or anyone else's to clean up. Conky had cleaned up the X-Vault to pretty organized.

Computer Valhalla was closed for a mass overhaul on the software, additions to arcade and for Violet to take inventory of all of her sale items in both the game and comic store section. Plus she had additional work to do on the server farms in the basement floor.

No classes at Rabbotou Dojo. Bunnie was due to return today from a pilgrimage to a spirtual sanctuary with Splinter.

Asriel rolled over onto his back and continued to lounge.

A lone leaf had fallen from a tree and landed on his face. Unenthusiastically, he dismissed the fallen leaf with a strong puff of air.

"Nice, Azzy. That was...cool." My response was awkward. Only because I felt like a fish out of water. How do you comfort in this situation?

"I guess."

Nearby, Skeeter moaned. "This day is soooo borinnnnng!"

"Complaining isn't going to do us any good." Asriel responded.

"At least it's something. This bites so much."

I rubbed my eyelids. Isn't this supposed to be the part where I'm supposed to lecture about being pro-active...and...stuff......yeah, I got nothing. At least we were outdoors and not glued to smart phones and HDTV's. But...small consolation all things considered.

This, however, was where the doldrums ended.

Gadget was the first however to break the monotony. And the first to notice what we'd all been too complacent to notice. And all things considering? It was a PRETTY BIG thing to overlook...

"Huh? How long as that ramp been over there...and...are those--"

"Questionably legal pyrotechnics with sub-woofers and surround sound lining the sides of the street--"  Rotor started.

"Uh...tell me those aren't six school buses...!"

"And one giant hoop that reeks of gasoline and..."

* KA-WHUMPH*

"...just ignited."

Oh crap. How in the universe was all this set up without us noticing? Was everyone else really that bored and complacent that this impeding stunt was assembled right under our noses? Had I been distracted by everyone else's reactions so effectively I didn't even notice what had gone one right under my nose? This was...improbable at best!

"Wait a minute...ramp...sound system...colorful explosives. Somebody get Chameleon, quick before--"

And then I heard the "YAHOO!" that segued into the loudest and longest of wolf howls. Like someone was baying at the moon while on an overdose of Red Bull.

"What is that wolf Abhuman up to this time?"

Minor clarification time. Unlike Geno-Hybrids like Bunnie, Violet and the others, Ab-humans weren't born decended from the genetically re-engineered of Project Exodus. These were NEW cases of splices done in countries where genetic manipilution wasn't as outlawed or the scientific community turned a blind eye to it. In some cases mutations done on the black market. The very thing Violet was strongly against as a geneticist.

So overdue introductions. Robert "Ripper" Travason. Stands 6'1", aged 22 years. Officially part of mercenary outfit "Il Vectrus", he was under the employ of Miranda's grittiest, no-BS freelance mercenary, Chameleon. Unofficially he was known in some circles as a stunt daredevil with a deathwish.

Violet described him as "that wolf guy that watered the Royal Palace's garden with helicopter parts" following his first arrival in Miranda...by means of helicopter crash he walked away from with hardly a scratch.

I couldn't describe him without bringing up the motorcycle incident which almost resulted in Hestia adding "wolf steaks" to the menu while Mitzi offered her temporary residence and temporary business until her restaurant could be reconstructed. I'd never seen anyone run that fast from a ticked off woman wielding a meat cleaver before.

That just became one in a series of crazy stunts that made me absolutely positive he graduated from Launchpad McQuack's "crash course" school of aviation. Take that pun as literally as you need to.

"I'll ready the martial science barriers." Bunnie sighed as she prepared to craft multiple failsafes.

Besides seeming to have a death wish need to put on a show, Ripper was also known for his extreme slang--often more confusing than Sally's Technopolis speak.

"Uh...incoming muscle car!"

I looked down the street and sure enough a souped up street racer with the biggest, most obnoxious blowers and custom side exhaust pipes, fenders and add-ons I'd ever seen was heading right for the ramp. And then I noticed how it was tilted on an incline. Oh sh--(FLOWEY CACKLE). He wasn't just going to jump the buses! He was going to flip the car into a corkscrew in mid air.

"What the..." I sniffed the air. That wasn't conventional nitrous oxide he was using. If anything it reeked of spray cheese and other pressurized kitchen cooking items.

"He DIDN'T!" I suddenly whimpered. "This is your fault, Violet!"

"Volt?" Asriel sat up, looking concerned. "What did she do wrong?"

"Explain quickly, Commander."

"I knew there would be repercussions if she let him sit in on movie night when the main feature was the Double Dragon movie. You KNOW which scene I meant."

"He wouldn't do something THAT stupid!" Rotor got to his feet. I gave him a blank look.

"...okay...maybe he WOULD do something that stupid."

"Do what?" Asriel looked concerned.

"You know how Mr. Fusion runs off of mostly organic garbage but I warned you not to put anything pressurized cans of anything, especially spray cheese into its reactor chamber?"

"Yeah...?..........ohhhhhhhh."

"Uh...are the flames coming out of the exhaust supposed to be that unhealthy shade of blue?" Skeeter asked.

"Duck and cover!" I cried as Ripper hit the ramp and sailed through the air over the buses, the car going into a corkscrew like a spinning drill bit......as the engine exploded and somehow the car tore itself apart, splitting down the middle, one half falling to the side in flames, the other half falling to the opposite side in flames.

But the real surprise was that Ripper was shot out of the whole explosive mass atop a modified motorcycle as he let out another loud howl and somehow pulled the bike into a back-flip in midair as it sailed through the flaming hoop.

"OH MY GOOOOOOOODS AND GODDESSES!" Mitzi shrieked.

"Faith and beggorah! Has Ripper gone daft?!" Foxy followed up.

Bunnie completed her jutsus in time as Ripper went flying off the bike, which in turn sailed straight toward Hestia's.

"No no no no no no no nonononononono!" Hestia stormed out and ran for cover.

"縛道の37: 吊星  [Binding Art 37: Hanging Star]" The suspended star net snagged Ripper as he plummeted to the ground.

"Man, I scored extreme vertical that jump! The hit count on the live stream's gotta be breakin' recs! And I did it without a needin' meds and scuffin' my peds! Nothin' but net, eh, Bun-Bun?"

I did mention Ripper's method of slang was...unique...right?

Bunnie didn't reply but instead followed up with:

"縛道の73: 倒山晶  Inverse Mountain Crystal)

The crystal pyramid wrapped around the bike a a couple yards before it would have impacted through Hestia's restaurant. It impacted the barrier with a crash but otherwise that seemed to be the end of it.

"Whew. I owe you, Bunnie."

Bunnie nodded as the jutsu collapsed and dropped the bike to the ground in a metal crash.

Chameleon was quickly on scene with Tithius perched on his shoulder.

"Ripper..." He growled.

"Uh...hey, boss. Scope my moves! I dropped some jaws back there."

"And dodged a bullet right here. I'm not going to be in debt to Hestia paying off the damages you keep causing. Do you know how many city ordinances you broke just now?!"

"Uh...one?"

"Guess again."

"Two?"

Chameleon's scales darkened.

"One and half?" Ripper shrugged sheepishly. "But uh...hey, no major damage."

"Ripper, I warned you about using home energy conversion units as nitrous oxide substitutes. Especially unlicensed ones found on the internet and the black market. That thing could have taken out a city block if it had blown!"

"And I half have a mind to hold you responsible for giving him the idea, Sparks."

"Hey, don't pin this on me."

"You gotta be zen, my fellow wolf. The seller for the fusion cores was on the up and up. Totally legit, man."

"...wait. Fusion cores? As in PLURAL? Ripper, you could only fit one core into the car--"

That was when the bike exploded with large blast wave, sending parts into the sky and in every direction. But the part in interest was the large chunk of flaming tech that went pretty far up in the air before arcing back down and landing--

* CRASH*

"Ripper. Was that the other fusion core?"

"Eheh...maybe?"

"And did it just crash through my shack's ceiling?" Chameleon was grinding his teeth.

"Eheheheh...if I say no, that's not going to make it any less true, is it?"

"And was it as unstable as the first core?"

"What are the odds that it would--

* KABOOOOOOOOM*

And with that Chameleon's shack went sky high with an unsightly neon blue mushroom cloud.

We all stood in silence.

"Uh...if it helps, I'm pretty sure there won't be any radioactive fallout since most of the materials were organic waste and trash. But it might smell like a landfill for a week or two." I offered.

Chameleon didn't answer. Instead he grabbed Ripper by one of his wolf ears and dragged him.

"Oww oww oww oww oww! Okay...kinda deserving this...kinda expecting this...but you'll see, the views on MeScreen should rake in at least some kind of donations! Oww oww oww oww!"

"Punishments 76, 99, and 4, Ripper."

"Ohhhhh shhhh...!"

"Not in front of Goat Son." I snapped. "Unless you want to add to the swear jar and increase what you owe for damages.

"Someone get Violet on the horn and have her bring the E.R.R.O.R. team in to clean up this mess."

"Master? We stay at Ally Warrior's?" Tithius asked.

"I can't wait to make you explain to Verlaine about this..." Chameleon seethed, steam practically rising from his darkened scales by this point.

"Uh..." I started. Then clammed up. I didn't want to push my luck. Gadget was hiding behind me. Bunnie was assisting Hestia with making sure the flaming debris didn't get too close to her shop. And sure enough Violet had streamed the whole thing over the Miranda Internet, having hacked the traffic cameras. Ripper soon got the text from Violet as he was getting dragged off. It read: "IT'S OVER 500 K, views!"

"On the bright side...we're not bored anymore, right?" Asriel asked with a sheepish grin, poking his index fingers together, nervously as he held his hands together.

"DUUUUDE!  THAT KICKED SO MUCH BUTT!  DO IT AGAIN!  DO IT AGAIN!" Skeeter was already ten kinds of hyper.

Right.

Sub-Entry 216: "Invitation to the Bone Zone!":
After that insanity I needed to get out of town before Cham decided to take some aggression out on me. Besides. I felt it best to let Undyne know that Chara was no longer a problem. I hoped that knowledge would cool her temper off a bit.

So I took the Time Train up to Mount Ebott, wall-kicked my way down using my magnetism to emulate Metroid Prime 2 and 3's Screw Attack walls as guides.

I kept the Hazard Card in. I really wanted to follow up on Toriel but meeting with her again this soon would feel like smothering her. Anyway with Muffet and Grillby handling her shopping needs, I felt like she was in good hands. I gave them specific instructions to seek me out the next time I was around if there was a problem. If necessary help Toriel out in any way they could.

I phased through the Ruins and Toriel's house, confirming only for a few moments that she was in a better state of mind than I had left her at the Capital a while ago before phasing through the gates and set off through Snowdin.

I thought about it for a bit and decided to take the Riverboat Person's route to Waterfall and head to Undyne's house. That was where I took the Hazard Card out and step into the tangible. But in all honesty, I knew this was kind of a wasted gesture. I've been permanently integrated with this timeline since I had my first chat with Toriel.

"Beware the man who speaks in hands. Tra la la la..."

The message never got any less creepy. I knew he...she...it...was speaking of W.D. Gaster. But really. It was rude to speak about people behind their backs...and ruder when they might be listening in.

Over the different unstable timelines, the Riverboat Person's identity switched around many times. So many times I couldn't nail down a head canon on who they really were in the Prime Universe. I'd come across many possible names with many possible relationships; and not just in the UltraVerse. The other AU's had multiple versions too.

Arial. Harlow. Hermann. Lucida. And other names which...were coincidentally mostly word processor font styles. I mean, yeah, I graced over it a lot. All of the skeletons I'd encountered were named after fonts. Comic Sans. Papyrus. Wing Dings Gaster.

It seemed obvious but maybe that's why I graced over it. Seemed like something anyone could figure out if they were in my position.

I almost felt the presence of micro-glitches. Maybe I did but I didn't see any during my trip down the river.

I arrived at Waterfall and picked my way through through the maze of this and that until I neared Undyne's house. I was looking forward to seeing that fish-shaped residence. (Music Link)

I probably should have spent some time thinking of what I was going to say to Undyne. How to break the ice. How to avoid getting into a fight or at least avoid getting noogied.

"And here we--"

I stopped in my tracks.

"Oh." My voice deflated as I remembered.

"Yeah...that was a thing......I forgot about. Dammit all..."

I looked upon the fish dome as it was wrapped completely in flames. I noticed the window busted out, a Papyrus-shaped hole in the glass.

It escaped my attention that if Frisk had already been to MTT Hotel, and defeated Mettaton, they'd loooooooong since been to Undyne's house, heard her story being trained by Asgore, and then suffered her extreme cooking lessons which turned it into a real "Hell's Kitchen" if you follow. Which culminated into burning Undyne's house down and getting into a rematch battle.

I looked at the fish bones welcome mat and the larger mat off to the left.

"Hmm?" I noticed it on the ground. I picked it up. This was Undyne's letter. Frisk was supposed to be carrying it. Two possibilities. Either they discarded it, which hardly seemed like something Frisk would do (I was making an assumption based on the best possible version of Frisk from the stable timelines)...or they had dropped it. Which was something that had never happened in the other timelines. off to the side where the training dummy that sat atop the left mat.

"Well, I guess I'll--"

My eyes suddenly snapped open as I turned around. It hit me right then and there. I figured it out. This wasn't right. I whirled back around. Undyne's house was on fire but...!

"Frisk hasn't been to Asgore yet!" I blurted out. This was happening out of order. Oh no...

This was beginning to prove my theory that this timeline was made up of patchwork of other time lines. Things were off. Things weren't quite right. Up until now it was mostly minor stuff. Things that I could blame Chara-Wraith for.

Incongruencies such as Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Mettaton, Alphys, (and Napstablook) all meeting before the confrontation in the True Pacifist End.

Out-of-left-field curveballs like encountering Alphys NEO, which never even happened in ANY of the stable timelines (I could only guess it was some kind of AU parallel like the dimensional oddity I called UNI-999 (Unitale).

Even encountering the Mettaton NEO body that should have only appeared in a Genocide Timeline.

This wasn't something I could sweep under the rug. This was a major plot deviation. Was this my fault? Was it Frisk's? Was it...just one of Madam Fate's little a--(FLOWEY CACKLE) pulls?

Did that mean Frisk hadn't seen the True Lab?

"What's going on here...?" I walked off, not noticing I'd stepped on a small hole in the dirt.

This could be a problem. Which opened up a fork in the road in my thought process. The first possibility was problematic but might need only minor retooling to fix. The second possibility being unlikely considering how the Reset worked. It would have far deeper consequences I'd have to map out.

Firstly, if Frisk DID remember everything that happened with each timeline, that mean they were building and refining experience. It was the danger Emmett Brown warned me of about knowing too much about your own future.

It applied here too. It wasn't this power but rather this KNOWLEDGE that Chara-Wraith exploited when they had Chara influence, manipulate, or flat out control Frisk in Genocide runs. It was the secret to their success against Sans once their LV reached 19. Given this possibility that meant that Frisk didn't need to see the True Lab. They already knew what was in there. So, given this was a pacifist timeline were they trying another way to get an even better ending?

Secondly if Frisk DIDN'T remember the other timelines, and I was convinced this couldn't be the case...then that means this timeline would be very screwed up and there was a good chance Frisk couldn't get a True Pacifist End until they delivered the letter to Alphys, saw the True Lab, and learned the horrible truth about Chara and Asriel....the horrible truth about their "partner" and their "best friend".

"Crap."

There were a couple exceptions to this possibility. There was a way this could be the case if this was a new Frisk like there had been a new Asriel and a new Chara (one still existing in limbo somewhere, waiting for THEIR chance at a new timeline). I never found confirmed Chara did in fact have the souls of other Frisks who gave their souls to restart the world after destroying and erasing it. As far as I could tell Chara's soul was alone when she went to the Soul Society. I wondered if that meant the Wraith still had them or they had done something with them. Given this scenario...I had no way of knowing which Frisk this was.

Another possibility was even if it was the same Frisk as the previous timeline, since they never got to offer their soul to Chara-Wraith when my Asriel's timeline collapsed. But for that to be the case and for the second scenario to be possible, they would have to leave their memories behind and start all over from scratch. This current timeline would be as if it were the first run.

Well anyway. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. Okay then. Back to Snowdin. I already knew I'd find Undyne there. She'd bunk with the Skeleton Brothers for a while.

Back to Snowdin, I started past Grillby's when suddenly...

"Stranger Greater Dog person!"

I sighed. "Hello, Great Papyrus. And really...I wish you'd just call me Volt. Or Dr. Arcade."

"Er...very well, er...Dr. Arcade."

I turned around to see Papyrus.

"I'm glad to see you are okay. The strange human ghost hasn't appeared for some time so things have been improving around here."

"Yeah, I actually needed to talk to Undyne about that."

"Oh, I'm afraid Undyne has stepped out for a while. Said something about needing to suplex some boulders. She seemed really agitated about something and was muttering something about when the human would get around to delivering something for her."

Ugh. Looks like I was going to have to plan a return trip here to talk to Undyne. Preferably before Undyne came to the conclusion Frisk flaked on her and decided to revoke the "besties" friendship between them. Besides. I'd need to talke to Alphys again before I had one more meeting with Asgore.

"Well that's unfortunate."

"Anyway. I'm going back to this...place...to pick up my lazybones brother."

You know a stop at Grillby's probably wouldn't be that bad an idea. Maybe I could order a burger or some fries to hold me over.

Once inside I recognized the assortment of Royal Guards--Lesser and Greater Dog, Doggamy and Doggaressa. Doggo. And of course the other monsters I hadn't gotten around to learning the names of......save for Jerry.

Betweem this world and the one I ran into Morty Smith's family, this now made TWO Jerry's that I didn't want to be around.

There was Sans at the counter, slurping away on a bottle of ketchup.

"Sans!"

"Wellllp. My time is up, Grillbz. Put it on my tab."

"..............very well."

I had a seat next to Sans, feeling a chill slide down my spine.

"At least you're cutting down on your visits here, brother. Maybe you're finally realizing that you need more home cooking and less of this greasy junk you gorge yourself on. Er...no offense, good sir."

"..................none taken."

"Well since i"m here--"

"Nonsense, Volt Arcade. I insist you join my brother and me for a proper homecooked meal!"

"Er...!"

"Bro." Sans tried to speak up.

"My mind is made up. You both shall eat hearty! It's the least I can do to repay you for helping Undyne and me out at Castle Dreemurr. Nyeheheheheh!"

"Uh...another time, perhaps, Grillby?" I said with a shrug as Papyrus hefted Sans up into a piggyback ride and pulled me off of the seat.

"..........come again."

I guess I'm off to the Bone Zone. Violet would tell me that sounded so wrong...and that she approved.

"As for you, Sans, I hope you haven't spoiled your appetite."

"Well then I guess when it comes to how much I pack into my belly, I don't get to...pick what I......chews?"

"OH MY GOD, SANS!!!"

Sub-Entry 217: "Bone Appetite/Bonetrousel, Practice Mode":
Here we are again.

Back at the skeleton residence, I recognized the couch and the TV and the staicase. The box filled with the bones of Papyrus' regular attacks The kitchen with the way-too-tall sink where Papyrus kept his Special Attack.

Sans had shortcut-ed inside while Papyrus was talking my ear off about his "heroic acts" in Hotland and the Capital. It wasn't a showboating kind of bragging like I'd expect from Mettaton, but more like the overly-exited kind of thing you'd expect from a big kid having gotten to live his fantasy.

Now that I thought about it...it was exactly the same kind of thing I expected from Monster Kid when he was going on about Undyne. Heh. Okay...honest confession--this was warming my heart.

Sans was already back in his room by that point. Gods I got nervous from the flames pouring out of the bottom of the doorway.

"You just make yourself at home and I'll have our great feast ready! I promise it will be a meal fit for Asgore himself! Nyeheheheheheh!"

Oh boy. I could hardly wait. And if you couldn't already tell? That was rhetorical at best.

How do you clarify describing the taste of spaghetti as "indescribable" when the word itself is a contradiction to any attempt at description?

No. Perhaps the better question is how you avoid explaining your real opinion? How do you keep from being put on the spot? Anything you do or say, on the off chance Papyrus figures out EXACTLY what you mean could have...consequences. How would you ever look the guy in his eye sockets again, without being reminded of what you said?

I could only come up with one way. Lie. And cheat to do it. Yeah. I was Asriel's role model. Pity me. I was trash. But could you blame me for trying to protect Papyrus' self-esteem?

Besides. I'm pretty sure Sans would make SURE I'd have a bad time if I hurt his brother in ANY way.

I had managed to snag a chunk of ice from one of the blocks Ice Wolf tossed into the water flow to the Core. Big enough to put in my mouth but small enough that no one could tell I was eating anything.

The plan was simple. Suck on it like a lollypop. And with enough time, my tongue would be numb to sensation...including taste.

Second, make sure you had a very large portion, large enough that you wouldn't have to ask for seconds.

Finally, eat as fast as you can before your tongue regains its senses. Maybe by then the meal would have digested into magic HP before your stomach knew it was...um...questionably edible?

"Spaghetti is ready! Nyeheheheh! Say when!"

I waited until I had at least a serving PLUS seconds.

"Wowie! I can spot a spaghetti affecianado! You must really like pasta!"

I nodded, not wanting to risk letting speech bring life back to my taste buds.

I hope he didn't consider it rude if I dug right in.

Sans looked at me, those tiny dots in his sockets conveying this eerie feeling of disbelief. Maybe I was overselling it. Maybe my act was TOO convincing--

"Brother! Your food is getting cold!"

"Right as always, Paps."

You know for some reason...I can't quite recall how Sans ate at that point. I know he had a mouth and all...but it was the strangest thing how he ate if I never saw him actually open it.

Before long, I finished first. And then Papyrus. And Sans, dead last.

"Did you enjoy the feast?"

Oh gods...he was doing the watery anime eyes. I was on the spot--

"Of course you did!" He interrupted. "I can tell by how quickly you ate that your taste buds were elevated to Heaven! A master chef such as myself should expect no less than passion that can only be conveyed by true speechlessness! Nyeheheheh!"

Well, with that distraction over with, it was time to--

"With a stomach properly filled, it is only proper we work off those calories in a training session!"

WHAT.

"Undyne would not stand for a Royal Guard in training to be idle after filling up on a fabulous feast! We must be ever vigilant in our duty--"

Sans muffled a chortle.

"Sans! Why are you laughing? Our duty is a serious matter--"

Sans chortled again.

"You're laughing again! Why do you find our duty so amusing? There's nothing funny about doing our duty--"

Oh gods, Sans. If it wasn't bad enough that Violet was channeling you, you had to start channeling her? Well...I guess that's what makes true-crossover. Am I right?

"Ahem. Right. As I was saying, a friendly competition between warriors should burn up those calories in a snap!"

And so...we stepped outside to that area just before the entrance to Waterfall. That place surrounded by fog. My stomach knotted and I'd like to say it was from the spaghetti.

I felt on the spot. I didn't want to make a move against Papyrus with even the slightest possibility that Sans was putting me under a microscope. Just waiting for an excuse to retaliate for even the slightest amount of HP loss Paps would suffer.

And really. I didn't want to fight him. What was I going to do? I wasn't Frisk. Flirting was out of the question. Now it was my turn to do an a--(FLOWEY CACKLE) pull.

* PING* And there was my soul on the line...so to speak.

Papyrus: 8 ATK. 2 DEF. Likes to say "Nyeheheheh." At least that's why I recorded when I watched Frisk's CHECK option the several times I was watching from outside time and space. (Music Link)

My only shot was to use the same method as Sans in the other timelines. Just last him until he tires out. But don't attack. At least don't attack seriously. I might have to resort to a fancy light show without any power behind it.

I started off superconducting over the parade of bones as they came my way.

Already he was rattling his bones.

I can't flirt with him! It would be unnatural and weird! And I sure wasn't going to insult him. So...what if I try something outside of the parameters of the battles I'd seen. I decided to try flattery.

"Sweet moves! Undyne must see a lot of potential in you."

"Nyeh? Well...I am a skeleton with very high standards! And I must work tirelessly to maintain them."

"Well, it may be forward of me to ask, but...do you think a rookie like myself has a chance being friends with such a far more experienced combatant such as yourself?"

"You already like puzzles and spaghetti, so you've met all my standards! Nyeheheh! You already on your way if I say so myself. And I do say so!"

Yeah. That's some good sh--(FLOWEY CACKLE) right there... And by that I mean I was certainly talking a lot of it. Ugh...I wish my sins would stop crawling up my back.

The battle wasn't escalating. Maybe I could get out of it before I did something stupid out of pity.

"I can see I'm no match for--"

"Nonsense! You are mere being modest! You need a proper test rather than this weak normal attacks. I shall test you with my fabled BLUE ATTACK!"

Uh-oh.

And that's when the bones turned as cyan as Violet's kimono and came in crawling waves through the ground and the sky. It's okay. Just stay still. When you see a BLUE attack, think of the blue stop sign and just stop. They'll pass harmlessly through you. Just like that, they did--

* BUMF... *

"Ruh-roh." I felt my soul suddenly feel like a pallet stacked with ingots of uranium--even denser than lead and even heavier when taking up the same volume.

I smashed down in a belly flop.

"You're blue now! That's my attack."

Nope. Still don't feel like fighting this guy. From any other person I'd consider this a real d--(FLOWEY CACKLE) move but...Papyrus was just too nice to get mad at.

Superconductive hovering was off the table. Time to see how well I could jump. So jump I did. They started as normal attacks, the bones slowly increasing in height. And then turning into mixes of normal and blue attacks. From there turning into mixes of both coming from the ground and the sky. Eventually in all directions.

"Whoah...what a workout..."

"Nyeheheheh! This is nothing, good sir! Let me show you how a real Undyne workout is supposed to go."

As he cackled and rattled his bones, I noticed some of his actions and dialogue weren't present like with his battles with Frisk. Well. I shouldn't be surprised. Most of his reactions and such were in response to Frisk flirting. I don't think my mind could handle how many different things he could attempt to dab behind his ear before he realized he didn't have any ears.

"Do not be shy! I have yet to see your attacks, Volt!"

Time for the light show. I decided to lead off with Neon Bulb. I focused my attack with my hand out as the warm, fluorescent yellow domes of electricity formed on the ground in a line of about four or so and each took off in criss-crossing patterns, reminding me of Guitar Hero or D. J. Hero while at the same time looking a lot like Light Cycle contrails as they sped toward Papyrus.

Yet each one missed as they streaked and sharply, wrapping around Papyrus in box formations.

"Very clever, you slippery snail you!"

Whew. It went right past him that I totally missed on purpose.

Again back to dodging and jumping.

So we traded ammo back and forth. Just as a precaution I dialed the current way back on the off chance I'd hit him. It wasn't the voltage--the amount of electric pressure behind each electron--that injures or kills you but how many electrons pass a point with a given resistance per unit of time.

Finally Papyrus managed to score a hit on me; and I had to admit his attacks stung a little. A lot more than anyone would expect. That fractured my concentration a bit so my next Neon Bulb did actually did hit him. To my relief he only slightly flinched.

He looked a little confused so right away I followed up with "Your defense is so high!" I didn't want him to think I was holding back.

"Really? It's only....ahem...I mean...NYEHEHEHEH! I have trained vigorously to bolster my body against even the most brutal of attacks!" But that was enough for him to start laying it on a little thick. "Papyrus, Head of the Royal Guards! Unparalleled Spaghettore! I will make Undyne so proud of me!"

The attacks from both our sides kept coming. And Papyrus kept on daydreaming.

"The king will trim a hedge in the shape of my head!"

I was starting to pant before long. Who was tiring who out?

"My brother will... ...well actually he won't change much."

I backflipped over, under, and through a maze of bones by that point. By this time I'd resorted to adding Arc Bolts to my repetoire, tangling them in formations like the 3-D Pipe screensaver on older school computers.

"I'll have lots of admirers but... ...will anyone admire me as much as you?"

Okay maybe I played my part as a Papyrus fan too well for even my own good?

"A fan like you is really rare..."

I'd really be breaking a sweat if I weren't morphed. If Paps was tiring out he wasn't showing it.

Papyrus rambled on and on until he started talking about the Special Attack. Unbelievable.

And then the Special Attack and just as I thought--

"What the--! Come back with my Special Attack!" Thank you, Annoying Dog. This makes us Even Steven for the artifact. And so came Papyrus' super special...Normal Attack. And by that I described it as everything but the kitchen sink. I swear he launched enough bones for a lot more than one skeleton, considering a human skeleton was comprised over 206 of them, counting the middle ear.

I was sure the annoying dog tried smacking me with Pap's special attack during the barrage.

And of course there were the bones spelling out "Cool Dude", a bone on a skateboard.

One last jump over the tiniest of tiny bones...and I was spent.

"Well...it is clear...we are evenly matched..." By this point my lungs were on fire and Papyrus' skull was soaked in sweat drops. How did that even work?

"So...?" I managed to say.

"I will grant you Mercy!"

"Er...yeah. Same here."

And so the battle ended.

"Not bad, Dr. Volt Arcade. You have earned the Great Papyrus' respect! You are truly a great friend. Who knew the way to prove it was to put you through puzzles, treat you to a meal, and then fight you! I have learned much today! Nyeheheheh!"

"Yeah...what do you know about that? Oh gee. Look at the time! My friends and family will worry!"

"Well then. I need not hold you up any further! Until next we meet strange Greater Dog person."

"Truthfully I'm closer related to Ice Wolf--"

"Oh my! I did not know he was family! Nyeheheheh!"

I've got to learn to keep my mouth shut around Papyrus.

"Anyway--" Papyrus stopped short. "Oh yes, how clever, Sans. DOODY. Honestly, finding low brow humor in the worst of places."

Should I be surprised it took Papyrus this long to figure out such a lame joke?

Sans chortled again. "Well I guess I'll cut out the toilet humor jokes for now, Paps. I guess I can tell it's not funny when a skeleton--"

"SANS!" Papyrus warned.

"...doesn't really..."

"DON'T YOU DARE!!!"

"Give a sh--"

"OH MY GOD, SANS!!!"

Heh. The worst thing humans must have given to monsters (according to Papyrus) was puns and bad language. Go figure.

Well. I bid farewell and made may way back through the Ruins and back up the mouth of the mountain and through the barrier. To the Time Train and back to the X-Vault.

And maybe...a very long nap.

Sub-Entry 218: "Remembering the Short Existence of the N-Division's Successors"
"These are?"

"These? They're a set of key that activated a fleet of five mighty lion robots on a planet called Arus. Each one was formidable on its own but the five of them held a secret; when they combined together....well..."

I smiled.

"Want to hear the legend?"

"DO I?!"

I cleared my throat and recited with my best Peter Cullen voice:       (Video Link)

"From days of long ago... From uncharted regions of the Universe...comes a Legend--the Legend...of VOLTRON, DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE--a mighty robot. Loved by good. Feared by evil.

As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled throughout the galaxy. On one of the many planet Earth's of our InfinityVerse...a Galaxy Alliance was formed.

Together, with the good planets of the Solar System, they maintained peace throughout the Universe.

Until a new horrible menace threatened the Galaxy.

Voltron was need once again. This is the story of the Super Force of Space Explorers.

Specially trained, and sent by the Alliance to bring back..."

I struck a heroic pose.

"Voltron, Defender of the Universe!"

Asriel rewarded my performance with applause.

"Thank-you, thank-you. I'm also available for birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and other special occasions."

Recovering from Papyrus' workout was no easy task but eventually enough time went by I decided to take Azzy back to the X-Vault. But not to go off world. Just to stroll though memory lane.

"...and this?"

"Hmm. Let's have a look at that, Azzy. Well I'll be...it's Rob Simmons' old Omni-Suit and watch."

"Omni-Suit?"

Time to spin the tale of Mighty Orbots. (Video Link)

Stories about giant super robots was going to become commonplace at this rate.

"Yeah. On an alternate Earth world, it was the 23rd century and humans, robots and aliens were pretty much at peace. It had become a central hub for the galaxy and order was maintained by the Galactic Patrol. However it soon came under attack by an organization called "Shadow". It was led by an evil cyborg-computer named U.M.B.R.A. It was the size of a miniature sun within the husk of a burned out star that had been cyberized into a fortress. Nasty thing."

"Whoah."

"Well the Galactic Patrol's secret weapon came in the form of a powerful super robot the size of a building by the name of "Mighty Orbots". It was a big and powerful dude, but very, very few knew his secret.

In truth he was made up of five individual robots with personalities of their own that transformed into Mighty Orbots' body, while a Beam Car piloted by the Orbots Commander would inhabit its core and orchestrate all of his powers and abilities in battle.

Only the head of the Space Patrol's federation, Randu, knew the secret of Mighty Orbots and the identy of its Commander--a seemingly harmless and nerdry engineer by the name of Dr. Robert Simmons. Rob to his friends. He wore this omni suit in battle to cover up his identity as its commaner."

"Wow. A robot the size of a skyscraper. Where is it now?"

"Unfortunately I wasn't entrusted with that information. I wish I had an answer but the STC-Council ordered me to dissolve correspondence with Rob. Supposedly the research and the five (well, six, actually) Orbots were transferred to a classified party."

It wouldn't be later until I discovered the answers to those questions were with Dr. Lynx. Out of all of us, Nikita had the biggest and the most secrets to keep and she was the best out of all of us at keeping them.

"Hmm." Asriel pondered as he replaced the helmet where he found it.

That was when he spied the framed photo. It was faded. He didn't think much of it until he recognized Garfield shaking the hand of a teenage human boy.

"Huh? Did Garfield know these guys?"

I took a look then I gasped.

"Oh my gods..." I couldn't believe it.

"You know them?"

"No...at least not personally. I know them by reputation but...few even know that much.  It was a different time, a different era."

"Who are they?"

"They...were an alternative to the N-Division when it was disbanded. UCIAT's first attempt at their successors. They...are the Power Team."

"The...Power Team?" (Video Link)

"Sit down. It gets a little complicated." I wheeled some computer chairs over for us both.

"That guy in the photo, shaking Garfield's hand is a young video game master from yet another of the many Earths in the Axis of Realities. His name is Johnny Arcade. No relation, obviously. This photo was known as the meeting fo the Arcades or so I'd been told."

"Wow. Weird coincidence."

"Some of us in Ultra Crew Institute don't believe in coincidence but y'know...I'm not sure what to believe when things like this happen. It began with the discovery of this world. At the time we didn't know what was special about it.

It seemed normal enough and there was no one we could identify as hero or potential ally. Then things changed with the emergence of various heroes from different video game worlds; as they had somehow escaped from the confines fo their game cartridges.

We soon discovered game paks on this world were portals to and from various regions of a mini universe which we considered a cousin galaxy to VideoLand. We called it the Acclaim Quadrant. Similar to the Sega Nebula and such we noticed certain patterns and correspondence to the games of our world...specific commonalities reflected when indexed on this world.

It was the emergence of the villains however that threw this Earth into chaos. Where VideoLand had a lot of world-hopping while battling "inside the game", this was a case of the reverse happening...the threats of the game being released on a single world."

"Ohhh."

"First up, enter Mr. Big and his henchmen, Joe Rockhead and Dr. Spike Rush. A notorious mob boss hailing from the N.A.R.C. game world. His various plots to swallow the world up in his attempts to begin a new crime wave caused a lot more damage and trouble than one would believe possible, considering how low his apparent threat level seemed compared to the likes of Ganon, Mother Brain and Count Dracula."

"Sounds like it was still a problem."

"And he wasn't the only one. There as also Malkil...an evil sorceror. A lot more intelligent, a lot more cunning, and alot more evil. Plus his magic and mastery over the four deadly elementals was nothing to take lightly."

"Scary!"

"And of all things the sentient vegetable villains of a world filled with puzzle mazes--a real jerk named Rotten Roddy Radish and his accomplish, Petunia Parsnip. The former was able to generate dangerous, high voltage explosive bursts called "Hot Roddies". The latter could control her dress to function like grabbing tentacles."

"Weird. Kinda makes me even more uneasy around vegetables."

"And there were other threats as well. But y'know. It was a lesser mission in the long run of things."

"So...how did you combat them?"

"That's where Johnny Arcade came in. He was chiefly responsible for bringing together the various heroes of these video worlds. And that's where we began a short-lived collaboration with them. A joint effort between the Ultra Crew Institute and the Power Team.

First, from N.A.R.C., specially trained police agent, Max Force. He'd been fighting Mr. Big's organized crime syndicate for a long time so it was only right to bring him aboard. He's equipped with a multitude of specially designed weapons and gear accessed from his utility belt. Things like concussive rockets and an automated lock-picking tool called Key-Whiz. This guy was a strategist and a stickler for the rules. Kind of a by-the-book sort.

Second, from Excalibur, the world of Wizards and Warriors was the barbarian knight, Kuros. Despite looking like Fabio...I'll explain who that is another day, mind you...this guy was some heavy duty brawn, weilding the legendary blade, Ironsword. Embued with magic and powers which made him quite a one man force on his own. However his disconnection with the modern world often made him confused about a lot of things, such as the concept of baseball. And of course various forms to technology. He could only relate to things of his own world so if you had to explain things you'd best be able to relate them to things such as dragons and warlocks and magic spells or you were out of luck. Kuros wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed at times.

Third, from the sports world of Arch Rivals, Tyrone was a basket ball player, whose in-your-face-skills and ball-handling made him a surprisingly good shot as long as he had a basketball to use. Tyrone's world was a place of *ahem* basket-brawl where fouls have no meaning; where it's perfectly legal to deck your opponent or even pulls his pants down on the court. Yeah, I know. It's weird. The guy was the straight man of the group and a realist. A bit like Winston. No nonsense and a little cynical but no less a team player.

Fourth, from a world that shared his namesake, Kwirk. A walking, talking, shades-wearing, trash-talking, anthropomorphic tomato with a mohawk and an attitude problem. Kwirk's world was based primarily on puzzle-solving but when it came to taking down the bad guys, Kwirk himself was a weapon. A living, breathing, body-checking, jumping, stomping, wise-cracking weapon who hurled himself into battle. Often literally. Guy was kinda ill-tempered and low on bed-side manner. He and Tyrone were the best of friends. Kwirk however was extremely sensitive about the pronounciation of the word "tomato". If you prounced it like Jon does with a long-A sound, you were BUSTED.

And finally, Big Foot. What we call a monster truck. A four-by-four truck with heavy roll bar lasers, an onboard A.I. computer with a Texas accent and a friendly but rugged personality. With wheels easily taller than you or I am. Similar to our friend, K.I.T.T."

"I know you did not just group me with him." K.I.T.T.'s voice carried from a couple cars down from where the lab tables ended.

"Sorry buddy boy. I tell it like it is." I shrugged.

"And from behind the scenes, Johnny Arcade would direct the action from his game console through his arcade joystick.

"Wow. That's strange and weird. Were they any good?"

"Best we could find during those times. But the times were short and we eventually got the mess cleaned up and back to normal. And unfortunately the couldn't continue their adventures on our world. So once things were back to normal on Johnny's world, they had to disband and we were back to square one."

"Aww."

"Well. My mentors and I still have the memories. I guess the lesson to be learned was that nothing lasts forever. It would be a while before we could get the UCIAT program up and running. And a little bit longer before I would come of age to lead a team of my own."

"Amazing! Do you think those guys are still around?"

"Hard to say. It'd probably take me a while to figure out what the time constants are on each of their worlds. I don't know if time passes at the same speed between them. And even if it does who could say how much they've aged. There's even the possibility that they might not have aged at all."

"I see."

"But. You know. Like Bunnie says: when you're depressed you're living in the past, when you're feeling worried and anxious, you're living in the future. So when you're happy, that's when you're living in the present. Or something like that." I said as I put the photo back in its place.

"Speaking of which, we should get back home. Figure out what we're going to do to have fun."

"You are most certainly correct Asriel. Let's get going." I said as I cleaned up the area then signed for Kommand to bring us home.

Sub-Entry 219: "Ren Faire Represent!/Indoor Skating Rinks Still Exist?"
We decided to make it a double-header that day. Violet talked us into visiting a Renaissance Festival. At first most of us were on the fence about it. Azzy was curious.

But what sold it was the unexpected appearance of--

* ZOOOOOM*

Suddenly Sally.

"Hey ya, guys and gals! Great to be back in town again! What am I in time for?"

"Aunt Sally!"

"Sup, Azzy?" Sally noticed the flier.

"Huh? What's you got there? Ren Fest? Sweet! I love those things!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! The Ren Faire's got that dark ages kind of mystique I think is pretty cool. Kings and queens, knights and jousting, wizards and warriors!"

"I've never been to a Renaissance festival."

"Then it's time you checked it out. The stunt shows, the full armored jousts, the craftmaking, the chance to cosplay. Eating giant turkey legs! Listening to bards play fifes, lutes, and lyres! Stage comedy with puns and lame jokes with the occasional corny low-brow! Playing giant-sized games of chess! Fire jugglers and circus acts! Archery target practice! Metal-work, glass-blowing, leather-crafting, jewel-making, and so much more! All the fun you can have in a low-tech setting."

Tell me I wasn't the only one who found it ironic that Sally of all people was geeking out over a celebration of more ancient times, a lack of science, and a massive step backwards in progress....when she grew up in Technopolis--the most plugged-in, online, teched-up, science-a-polooza in our corner of the world?

Maybe it just seemed that way.

So we all made plans, cleared it with our loved ones or responsible guardians and set out to the gates of the mock-up castle that served as the entrance to the grounds of a much simpler, less-spoiled time in history. The renaissance.

Like the other Earths of the universe and Earth-like worlds, our world experienced a similar point in our timeline when great strides in art, science, education, philosophy and such were made.

Once inside.

"Oh wow!"

"Did I tell you or did I tell you?" Sally grinned.

"You the gal, Sal." Violet acknowledged, sharing a sis-fist.

We started out walking around once we snagged a map. Going clockwise, we browsed the shops. Everything from costume and jewelry to real weapons.

Naturally Violet and and Sally had to check that out while Asriel and Gadget were a little nervous around sharp and spikey objects meant to stab, cut, slice, and bludgeon.

"Oh, hey, check this bad boy out!" Violet gave the bladed pike a twirl before sliding it back in with the rest."

"I don't know. I kinda like this." Sally held up what looked like a wrist-mounted trio of blades. "A Balrog's Claw kinda suits my style. No wasting time to draw your blade when they're already on you wrist, am I right?"

"What say I get Bunnie something like this?" Violet examined an elegant samurai sword.

"W-Well...you can n-never have too many s-swords." Asriel said a bit timidly. Guess it wasn't the same as Battle Network when it came to real swords. Which I found to be yet another irony when I thought of how adroitly AGOHD wielded those Chaos Sabers.

But as I had to remind myself, yet again...our Asriel wasn't the Absolute God of Hyperdeath, Omega Flowey, or regular Flowey. And I'd make sure he never would be. Put your worries on hold, Arcade.

We continued onward. Violet ended up daring Skeeter to pose for a picture in the faux stockade. It would be cruel to comment on it. And even crueler to show the picture to Rotor.

We all messed around with the various midway-esque games and such.

"Heh." Violet smirked while we watched the "dirty-but-clean humor" of the mud-hole show. Somehow I don't think it was what she was hoping for. Oh well. She'd have her chance to pick out the naughty quips from some of the other comedy shows along the way.

A stop at the pirate ship stage show proved to be a mix of comedy, light-hearted drama, and the most fun with pistols loaded with blanks and slapstick mixed with a triangle of jokes between the English, the French, and the Spanish with only slight game show and reality TV overtones.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

I swear Gadget jumped 10 feet in the air when the first fake shot went off.

For lunch time we each got something different. While most of it was modern food, some of us did partake in the somewhat themed foods.

A steak on a stake for me. A turkey leg for Sally and Asriel.

Skeeter got a hamburger. Mitzi got chicken bites. And Gadget enjoyed barbecued pulled pork. And Pit got pizza at the Da Vinci's kiosk. Yeah, I forgot to mention he joined us a bit late.

We worked our way around.

Gadget enjoyed watching the blacksmith work with metal. Mitzi was more into the glass-blowing.

Violet of course couldn't resist getting a couple pairs of rope sandals after watching them be crafted.

All the while Asriel caught as many opportunities to film videos while I took pictures with my T.A.O. 's camera.

Finally it came down to closing our outting right with the full metal joust. Asriel wasn't sure what to expect but it soon became clear when Sally explained the rules and such. And he got a little nervous when he realized just how dangerous a sport it was.

Believe me, when you factored in the weight of heavy armor, sharp lances, and two riders each charging each other on horseback at the same speeds as two cars on head-on collisions going at municiple area speed limts, this was nothing to take lightly.

We're talking impacting with a combined force of over 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. When consider it only takes 8 to 10 pounds of pressure, properly focused to break bone...do you see the gravity of the situation?

However before the main event, there was a bit of show and presentation with the introduction of the two competitors, the tradition of each side of the audience chearing for their designated champion, and each of them picking their favored maiden from the audience to woo with a rose.

Then came the warm up competitions. First by attempting to collect hanging rings in succession with the dulled lances.

Then both would compete using the sharpened lances to hurl as javelins at hay-bale targets.

And finally the joust. A few passes, with additional passes should the points remained tied after all that. This proved to be a mix of misses, a tag or two of the shoulder plate guard, a couple broken lances, a pauldron knocked off and eventually the un-seating of a rider.

"HUZZZAH!!!" Sally raised her fist to the air. Didn't this happen back at Gravitron Park?

You know in all the excitement I forgot to keep track of the scores, let alone who won. Oh well.

When the day wound down...

"...did you have fun at the Ren Fest?"

"Did I ever!" Asriel walked out, proudly wearing his prince-ly getup.

"Did I tell you or did I tell you?" Sally winked and gave a thumbs up, sporting her knight in shining armor costume.

"I have to admit...it was pretty impressive. Though I'm surprised, Asriel. I figured you'd pick a wizard's outfit instead of a prince--"

"Who says I didn't?" Asriel said as he accessed his ITEM sub-screen and opened BOX-A. Asriel then equipped the Wizard Outfit.

"Whoah!"

"How did you do that, Asriel?" Gadget asked, having fixed her blacksmith costume.

"Aunt Vi's been refining my quantum code to do new things. I think she said something like it works similiar to custom skins for game characters? Whatever that means."

"Typical Vi. I have to give her credit where credit is due, though."

"Well, with this out of the way, how do you propose we spend the other half of our time out? The day's still young. Not even nightfall yet."

"Well as long as we don't stay out too late. I'll get in trouble with Mom and Dad if I make them worry."

"Good point, Azzy."

"I have a solution." Mitzi smiled as she spoke up. Her princess attire suited her. "Anyone feel like doing something really retro?"

"Retro? How retro?" I asked.

"Like 1980's skate party?"

"Ohh! You mean like what we used to do after school at Skate World?"

"That's what we're talking. Heh. Your mother and I enjoyed it just as much as you kids did."

"Skating? They let you bring skate boards indoors?" Asriel scratched his head.

"No, I'm talking about roller skates!" Mitzi said.

"I think I know the place you're thinking of." Sally rubbed her chin. "Tell you what. Violet and I will go on ahead and meet you there." She smirked as she got out her G-50NP E-S System.

This was a modified unit from Dr. K's lab in Corinth, which now served as one of the ignition keys we used for UCIAT vehicles. Similar to Bunnie's Shodouphone, these cell phone like devices could not only serve as ignition keys, but also as remote controls to summon various rides.

Violet and Sally keyed in their codes and low and behold, two of the ZERO cycles auto-piloted their way to our positions.

Sally slapped her OGPX emblem and suited up in her gear and helmet.

Violet access the GTR-084 gauntlet and materialized her suit and helmet.

"Violet have you been making unauthorized tweaks to the plasma induction coils again? That is so not street legal."

"Come on, Commander. You that a hog of this caliber needs only one thing."

"Violet, it's technically not a--"

"MORE POWER!!! ARGH, ARGH, ARGH!!!" Tim Allen now, Violet?

I scoffed. "I don't think so, Vi."

Asriel kind of giggled.

"Ah, you like the Tim 'The Tool Man' Taylor grunt, Cinnamon Roll?"

"It's funny!" He grinned.

"Don't encourage her."

"C'mon, Vi. We're wasting time when we could be shredding velocity!" Sally beckoned as she got on and fit her electronic key into the ignition frame.

"Time to go VROOM!!!" Violet said in her best Bayonetta impression.

"Violet. Don't even think of making that rude gesture. That's now how the ignitions are designed on these--"

And with that Sally and Violet tore off, leaving blue and cyan light contrails behind them, respectively.

"And then they leave, while reenacting the Tron Lightcycle scene."

"Come on. Let's get going before they have too much of a head start on us to tease us about being late to the party once we actually get there. Don't worry, I know the way." Mitzi said as she got out her own G-50NP E-S System and summoned her own method of transportation--the lime green, Corvette-looking prototype vehicle, CMD-X.

We piled into the car and Mitzi drove us to the nearest indoor rollerskate rink.

But along the way, we'd run into a minor inconvenience.

"Sally? I thought Violet was with you?"

We stopped at the intersection.

"Vi had to head back to the vehicle bay and get a spare mode of transportation. MCR-Zero blew a few engine parts so...y'know..."

"Yeah. I know." I shrugged.

That was when Violet pulled up with her "R.V. from Hell". Right off the set of Tango and Cash no less.

"Really, Violet?" I barely protested when I noticed she had one of the laboratory animals in the passenger seat.

"Uh...Violet?"

"Aunt Vi, why are you driving around with a monkey?"

"Oh this guy? This is Clyde. He's one of the laboratory animals. Big ole orangutan with a heart of gold. Say hi to goat son and company!"

A couple of grunts followed a a ridiculously big lip-curling grin. Well. Everything's funnier with primates, am I right?

Asriel waved and chuckled.

"Way shway." Sally gave a thumbs up.

"PRINCESS!!!"

"Oh no..." Mitzi moaned.

Al Dente hurried over to Violet's armored van.

"Princess I protest this unauthorized departure from your responsibilities!"

Again. Al Dente had yet to prove he cared about Violet's well-being or happiness. Just that she grow up and try to be some semblance of a safe and sane monarch. Heh. A Tokugawa? Sane? That's a good one.

"Mr. Dente, we're just having fun. What's the harm in that?"

"Having fun?! It's that kind of thinking that's corrupted our poor princess and distracted her from proper responsibilities! You have a budget to think of, diplomatic relations to tend to, you've got hours of study time to fit in before a proper dinner, public relations to--"

Violet took a deep breath and then spoke the dreaded words.

"Right turn, Clyde!"

Clyde grunted and thrust out his arm, fist and all, smashing Al between the eyes and completely KO'ing him in the middle of the street.

"Light's green. Let's ditch him already." Violet mused.

"I'm all for that." I smirked.

And just like Jerry back in the Underground, we all ditched Alfred without a second thought.

And so we arrived at the indoor rollerskating rink.

Sure enough it was one of those retro 1980's places with generation 2 arcade machines and pinball tables, a D. J. playing music on turntables, and of course...a classic 70's disco ball in the ceiling among the colored lights and display, amped up by the booming sound system.

We of course rented sets of skates. Azzy and I opted for the buckle-on kinds that were basically sandals with wheels. Mitzi and Gadget went with the saddles-shoes like lace-up boot types.

"Whoaaah..." Asriel opted to get the hang of it in the practice room off to the side of the main rink, just past the line of arcade machines, the air hockey table and pinball machines.

Jon on the other hand plopped himself at the food court and filled up on popcorn before treating himself to hot dogs and burgers.

While Asriel was figuring out how to skate, Mitzi, Sally, Honey, Williamina, and Gadget were showing us how it was done with chorographed skate-dancing on the dance floor to the sounds of "A Fifth of Beethoven". (Music Link)

"Whoah." Skeeter's eyes widened.

"Whoah indeed." Pit agreed.

"Those girls are legendary around here." I mused.

As time progressed we all eventually got our turn on the main skate floor.

Asriel had a few falls onto his rump, a few wipe-outs onto his face, and a little out-of-control flails before he started getting the hang of it.

Before long we were all skating to the beat and staying on our feet.

Wouldn't you know it...time flies when you're having fun. And when the time ran out so did the fun. We had to go our separate ways and call it a night.

But wow. What a day! What a lovely day!

...yes, I'm leaving off with a Fury Road reference. Deal with it.

Sub-Entry 220: "Happy Halloween!"
Was it really October 31st already? Wow. Time has flown so fast.

For most of Miranda City, we knew it as Halloween Night, our one night a year when we all indulged in our best cosplays of ghost, monster, superhero, anime, movie, historical or other costume.

But to Jonathan? He knew it as his date of birth......and Halloween.

Jon and I took great pleasure in explaining the holiday to Asriel. And not that surprisingly...he was completely on board and loving it.

"A holiday where monsters are appreciated and people give out candy?!"

Careful there, goat son. If your eyes get any bigger, anime characters are going to get jealous.

Now when a lot of other worlds thought of Halloween costumes the images that came to mind were usually vampires, witches, and the occasional class 4, free-roaming apparition as described in Toban's Spirit Guide (This one's for you, Junior Ghostbusters). But in Miranda City, in recent years, it had become more of a city-wide Night of Cosplay; Violet considered it free publicity for her cafe.

The reasoning for such, at least for me, was 1) I didn't want Asriel scared out of his skull by costumes that might actually be scary.  My son-in-law had certainly had been traumatized at least once by a costume that looked at little too much like a certain bounty hunter Darkstalker named Baby Bonnie Hood.  Buuut that didn't really count for everyone else.  And 2) I wanted things to be racially sensitive to his species...or former species. I remember at one point wondering why Asriel never asked anyone with pigtails if they were making fun of his ears. Why did I suddenly wonder if some of the Halloween decorations were "offensive to their people"...? And then I felt inclined to look over my shoulder to see if Sans was giving me the "stink eye".

So that night...

I stepped out on the town. Bunnie was there to meet me. While in my human form I decided to pick a cool costume. And my years of watching TV had convinced me no one was cooler than...

"Eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy." I gave a thumbs up as I greeted my favorite second in command.

"And you would be...?"

"Arthur Fonzarelli. But my friends call me the Fonze." I laid on the charm with hints of an Italian accent. I groomed my hair a bit.

"Mitzi will appreciate your choice." She said with a smile.

"And don't think I didn't recognize your outfit. Sakura Shinguji. From Sakura Wars. I remember her from both of the Shinra cases."

"Sharp eye, Commander. A proud samurai of the Shinguji lineage. With the power of Haja, I will use the Reiken-Arataka and master of the Hokushin Itto Ryu sword style as a member of the Flower Division of the Imperial Assault Force."

Had I been morphed my sharp nose would have picked up Asriel's scent and I'd be ready for the inevitable tackle-hug.

As soon as he let go I greeted him.

"Well hello there!"

"Howdy, Volt!"

"Glad you could make it. So...what costume did you pick?" I examined the loose cornflower blue outfit.

"I'm the Little Prince!"

"Well, yeah, of course you--"

"Nooo, I mean THE Little Prince!"

"He means the fictional character, Volt-san. THe young alien boy who lives on a tiny planet called B-6-12? Catches comets with a butterfly net and flies through the cosmos?"

"Oh NOW! I remember. It's been a while since I read those stories. I guess I should know you'd recognize it, "Bunnicula"."

"Now THAT'S a reference for another day." Bunnie mused.

That was right about the time the Tokugawa limo pulled up.

"Well. We knew THIS was coming."

"Violet's always gotta make an entrance."

And the door opened and the red carpet rolled out and out came Vi dressed as...uh...wait, who WAS she dressed as?

"Uhhhh...?"

"You're disappointing me, Commander."

"A hint maybe?"

"Oh! I know! You're Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World!"

"See? Even Cinnamon Roll got that one."

"Wait. You're letting him watch movies like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? Is that at all appropriate?" I leaned over. "I mean the band's name is Sex Bob-Ombs." I whispered.

"You worry too much, Commander. Better to learn it from Aunt Vi than from some perverted deviant on the street?"

"There's a difference?" I muttered.

"I heard that."

At that time Gadget hurried over with Mitzi in tow.

"Hey, Mitzi. Little sister."

"What do you think? Yang from RWBY. Violet suggested it."

"I'm...sure it's appropriate somehow."

"And you, Little Sister?"

"I'm Lucca!"

"Oh yes, Crono's inventor friend." There was no point in asking myself if it had really been that long since I was involved with the Chrono Trigger case.

It was so far into my past as STC......well...I think I as of thist moment I really felt my apparent age.

Speaking of feeling one's age...I neglected to mention this day of the year was double important to that son-in-law of mine. Where were you, Jonathan L. Talbain?

"GOONGALAAAAA!"

...question withdrawn.

I slow turned to see the muscular figure of Jon's human form headed our way with hockey stick in hand, and hockey mask on face.

Casey Jones, the sports vigilante. Yeah, why not? Purse-grabbing pukes beware. There would be a lot of penalties in your future if you committed crimes on his watch.

"Jon-san." Bunnie bowed.

"I don't know how you say that with a straight face, Buns." Violet mused.

"You mean because it rhymes?"

"Because it rhymes."

At least she didn't point out that it sounded like "JonTron".

"Happy birthday, Jon!" Asriel gave him a quick hug and handed him a birthday card.

"Blimey! You're a real mate for remembering my special day. A really chap you are."

"A lucky thing you were born on Halloween, huh, Jonny? Birthday cake and trick or treat candy in one night." Violet elbowed him in the ribs, gently.

"Too right, you!"

As the night went on we caught many familiar faces in disguise. Lupe came as Gaia the Spirit of the Earth from Captain Planet. Sally went full metal as Joan of Arc.

Unfortunately that drew Antoine's attention as he tried to be clever an come as Napoleon Bonaparte...however he got costume advice from Violet and SOMEHOW came to the party as Napoleon Dynamite.

Antoine scoffed as he walked off from Hestia's pumpkin pie kiosk in a huff. He soon found himself tripping over his own feet and landing face first in a freshly-carved Jack-O-Lantern. One which its maker hadn't finished adding the candle to yet.

"Hey!"

Antoine picked himself up and wiped the mess off. "Idiot!" He sneered before walking off, salvaging his pride. The guy was too amused by the mess Antoine had made to protest. Admittedly a lot of nearby people were having a good laugh at his expense.

"Awww." Asriel started to head after him but Sally stopped him and shook her head.

"Just give him his space. He'll think we're pitying him if we try to intervene. I'm not about to make things worse...no matter how much he irks my nerves."

And still others showed up. Pit arrived soon after.

"Hawkman from the Justice League! Clever use of your wings, Pit." Asriel complimented.

"Violet suggested it. I have much to learn about comic books and such but this feels like it was a good match."

On a dare, Rotor came as George R.R. Martin. I think it had more to do with her fascination with E.R.B. than with Game of Thrones.

Willamina came as Jem of Jem and the Holograms. Honey came as Marisa from the Touhou games.

But Asriel and I were really surprised to see Dr. Emmett Brown come as Albert Einstein (easy enough for Doc to pull off), Dr. Egon Spengler as Socrates, and Master Splinter in full samurai armor in the company of Miyamoto Usagi in a ninja outfit. What a clever swap.

Seeing my mentors and Bunnie's teacher in one place filled me with...Determination.

"I can't believe there's a Holiday like this. How in the world did something like this ever get started?" Asriel asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Egon spoke up.

He cleared his throat and explained.

"While there are subtle differences between this world and ours, it's essentially the same. Two thousand years ago, October 31st was the end of the old year. The ancient Celtic priests, all Druids, held a celebration--then known as the Festival of Samhain."

"Samhain? You mean like that pumpkin-headed ghost in the Ecto Containment Unit? Is he the embodiment of Halloween?"

"One and the same. But what you might not know, young Asriel is the reason the festival was celebrated back then.  Why we have Halloween.  Two thousand years ago, the world was infested with demons." (Video Link)

"And not the friendly kind, either." I followed up.

"A most unpleasant world I can imagine." Splinter observed.

"Every major religion has its own myth about the end of the world."

"No offense, Emmett, but we've already driven off this bridge before. Ray and Winston prefer we not bring this topic up again."

"Lest we jinx it and invite another Destructor to drop in on Central Park West and start tearing up the city, eh?"

"If you believe Murphy's Law has any actual bearing on causality itself." Egon lowered an eyebrow before continuing with the story.

"The Druids struck a deal with the Demons; they would vacate to the Netherworld on ONE and only ONE condition."

"Wha...what's that, Dr. Spengler, sir?" Asriel asked.

"That they be remembered. One night a year, on October 31st, the night we now call Halloween, to honor the contract that was forged on that night 2000 years ago, the Festival of Samhain would be held in remembrance of all the spirits and demons that roamed our world.......worlds." Egon explained, correcting himself.

"Great Scott."

"Yeah, it sounds pretty heavy, doesn't it?" Asriel replied.

I held back a chortle at the moment of deja vu.

"Events like what caused the Shadow of De Midian have however allowed an unusual exception for the undead, it would seem." Splinter reasoned.

"True. But on our world Demons and Devils are confined to Gehenna. Brooke might have some insight to that but it's not a pleasant topic."

"It might not be in our best interest to ask for clarification on that." Emmett looked a little unnerved.

"Let's just say Queen Brooke has a lot in common with Rachel "Raven" Roth of Azaroth. There's a reason we avoid the name "Omnitaru" much the same as Raven avoids discussion of Trigon."

Having an all-powerful, world-destroying demon for a father was definitely a hot button topic. Ask her highness at your own risk, so Bunnie said.

Usagi didn't have time to weigh in because at that time Violet snagged him away from our group discussion. Oh well. She waited long enough to hook up with "bae" again.

"What can I say?  He's a babe!  SCHWING!!!" Violet grinned as she placed her knuckles on her hips and let loose with a bold pelvic thrust.

During the course of the night a lot of the town showed up besides the UCIAT. Chameleon, Ripper, Verlaine, Valerie, Marcel, Drew, Kid, Lagunov, Red, Alistair, Brooke and Jaimas to name a few.

And of course we couldn't make it through the night without Violet cranking that one song. (Video Link)

"This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Pumpkins scream in the dead of night! This is Halloween! Everybody make a scene! Trick or treat, til the neighbors all die of fright!"

"Happy Halloween, everyone!"

Chapter 23

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