PLDF Chapter 11

"Chapter 11: The Truth Sets Everyone Free (Sub-Entries 101-110)"

Sub-Entry 101: "Finally, the Truth Can Be Told To One and All":
"So...I guess the truth's out in the open.  We will have to prepare a statement for everyone in town...for our monster brothers and sisters that have migrated since then and--"  Asgore started before Toriel covered his lips with her finger, shushing him.

"We will take care of such details in good time."

"It's good that we can be honest with one another." Papyrus chimed in.

"Man, I can't believe it took all this time for this to come out.  All this time we had no idea!"

She thought for a moment.

"But...if this is all happening...then...THEN ANIME MUST BE REAL, TOO!?!"

A bit of laughter among many of us. Others kept straight-faced.

"What!?  What does that mean!?  Are you saying it's not real!?  Or are you saying it is!?  DAMMIT!  YOU'RE ALL PISSING ME OFF!"

"Come on, Lady Di-Di.  There will be time to discuss things like that later.  Right now...we just have so much to settle.  And...we all have to get re-acquainted.   At the risk of making another joke...I've been a fish out of water too long."

A derisive grunt.

"I know.  You're still sore that I learned to swim instead of fight.  Don't worry.  I'll...catch you up on all that I've learned off world."

Alphys had gone quiet after Papyrus had brought up how good it was to be honest. It had

been glossed over but...she was going to have to get it off her chest before long.

"How long have you know about all this, my child?"

"The beginning of this year.  About six or seven months ago it was finally revealed to me.  Hard to believe but...it began with finding this..."

Asriel released the striped jumper and pants from his storage.

"Ohh!" Toriel's eyes widened. They were in mostly good condition...a little worn from the time before the VOID...a little scuffed and faded from the time 100 years later when he first came to Miranda...but...otherwise...he'd taken very good care of them.

"What is that smell?" Undyne winced.

"Oh.  Mothballs.  They keep insects from getting in and eating fabric and...preserve clothing somewhat."

"What a concept!" Asgore tugged at his beard. "I should have had such a thing to preserve that outfit I wore when--"

That got the stink eye from Toriel.

"Yes, dear."

Obviously...his fashion sense was most certainly not considered retro...but dead along with disco music. I had to wonder what abomination he must've worn when courting Toriel.

"This is about all I have left of the before times.  All but..."

Asriel hesitated a moment...then decided to open that can of worms. What he had graced over was...Chara.

Out came the holding case with his and Chara's lockets.

"Oh my!"

"I...remember these.  They were gifts to each other when--"

A hushed silence fell over the room. Undyne soon caught on what suddenly made the Dreemurrs and many of us so somber.

She turned away, holding her tongue over the first fallen.

"You...haven't talked about Chara.  Are you--"

Asriel sighed.

"It's...it's very, very complicated.  And it starts back in my own timeline.  You see...Chara was...well, my Chara was a girl.  Your timeline's Chara was a boy.  Gender aside...mine...was from a broken family though...even I never got the whole story behind it.  I know her time before meeting us was...tragic...unpleasant...the thing that made you feel so much pity for her.

But I never showed her pity. None of us did. I think...we were just...oblivious."

"Dear me."

"Feh." Undyne crossed her arms. "Don't know how having a gender-swapped human sibling changes things."

"Let's not get into that." Asriel rubbed the back of his head.

"But seriously...she was...troubled but...it seemed like in a year things got better for her but...somehow...she still came up with the Plan.  Only."

"Only wh-what?" Alphys asked nervously.

"Only the plan wasn't entirely her idea.  She was...influenced by an outside source...an evil entity which...inhabited her...possessed her...turned her into something she wasn't.  And...because of that...I almost went through with the plan but...Lady Destiny decided she had enough of Asriel copies dying so...I ended up in the VOID and watched my timeline slowly...erode.  With it...my hopes, my dreams...my wishes all died even though I couldn't.

But...Madam Fate wasn't finished with Chara once she had...passed on. Her spirit lingered, still fueled by Determination. So determined...she wouldn't allow her soul to be replaced by a new version. So...I don't quite know how but she left the new Chara soul...your Chara...in limbo...and took his place. And from there...in the previous timeline...UTPR-3224 as Volt calls it...she...rather her possessed self played you all like violins for Madam Fate's amusement. She made Mom attack the eighth fallen...she had both Alphys and Mettaton terrorize Volt while he was in our world...she even took control of Dad.

And...somehow...despite clashing against Sans afterward...she still survived and escaped to Volt's world. To the home I'd made.

Madame Fate saved the worst for last and turned her against me. Against all of us. She did...so much...so many unpleasant things while under the influence of that...that......that Wraith. And she almost killed some of us."

"This is...this is awful!"

"How sad!  Certainly the fallen human could do better...be better if she only tried?"

"That's just it, Papyrus.  She was trying with all her heart to break free but...the Wraith was too strong.  She watched helplessly from inside that thing that had...mutated and become the stuff of nightmares.  In the end I...finally worked up the courage to face her and...reach out to her.  With Volt's help and everyone else's we broke her free and allowed her spirit to pass on to an afterlife where she'd be safe.  But...that's a different story all together." Asriel chuckled.

But his smile quickly faded.

"Then...then we had to confront what was left and...it was not a good experience.  It had...spent so much effort and done so many things to torture us...humiliate us...tear us all apart...even try to kill us.  I was so tempted to seek revenge on it but...I'd had enough of the hurting...the fighting...just all of it.  I wanted to move on.  And so...with Volt's help...we captured it and contained it.  And we put it in a prison it wouldn't escape from.

From there...I chose to do the harshest thing I could......I chose to forget about it. To stop acknowledging its existence if but only exceptions being to tell this story."

"My son..."

"Whoa..."

"Sounds like you gained a lot of love, prince." Sans smiled.

"Yeah.  Love.  But not LOVE." Asriel clarified. "I wasn't about to start raising my Level Of Violence.  Not for the sake of that horrible creature."

"So...that was it?  You lived happily ever after from there?"

"Not quite.  I'd...only beaten Madam Fate's first gambit.  She had...plenty worse in store for us...including her Black Knight.  A far worse, far more vile being.  And...his opening prelude to what was to come almost...tore my friendship with Volt apart."

"It's no fun when feeling abandoned.  Is it?" I asked.

Flowey visibly shrunk down. Hard to say if it was from implying Dr. Adonis about to take charge personally or if it was the comment about...feeling abandoned."

Asriel looked a little downtrodden himself but continued on.

"I'd...rather not dredge up details but...in the end we manage to save Volt from himself...from what had been done to him without his knowledge.  And...we patched up our friendship.  And things were great for the next five years."

"Wowee!  I'm so happy for you, young prince."

"Came out smellin' like a rose, huh?"

"Doooooon't." Flowey growled.

"Definitely "rose" to challenge."

"I hate you both..." Flowey grumbled.

"Over the next few years I grew up...I grew bolder...braver...faster, stronger, and smarter.  I really felt like pulling my own weight as part of the Ultra Crew Institute Action Team.  And before long...I was going on missions.  And then...going on missions off world."

Alphys was holding in her urge to squeal in delight and fascination.

"And many of my missions were to various different alternate dimensions of the planet called Earth.  A world like this but each one vastly different with different humans in different situations.  Like...my friend Ben Tennyson."

"Oh?  Another human?"

"Indeed!  When he was ten he went camping with his grandfather and his cousin on a summer-long adventure.  It was there he discovered a meteorite crash and inside of the meteorite was a strange watch he'd later learn was called the Omnitrix!  And he found out this watch could transform him into different ALIENS!"

"Whoa, prince.  That's a little hard to swallow."

"C'mon, fishy lady.  We're in a room full of aliens.  What's so unbelievable about it?"

"Humans that transform?  Come on!"

I coughed a little to remind her of the elephant in the room from earlier.

"Wait...ais HE a human?  Or a monster?" Undyne pointed at me.

"He's a...hu-monster." Asriel said with a wink.

"Heheheheh.  That's catchy, prince." Sans grinned that grin.

I shrugged. I'd already re-morphed so...

"Well...if you need proof, sometime before that, Volt got me a little...something from the Omnitrix's inventor--"

"Against his wishes." I muttered with a smug grin. Somewhere Asmuth just sneezed and cursed my name.

Asriel opened up the Unitrix unit on his bracer.

"I know it goes without saying but the pun writes itself.  "Brace" yourselves." He said with a grin that Chara would have been proud of.

I think even Toriel recognized the creepy face moment.

One slap of the plunger later...

Jaws hit the floor. Almost at the same time, in fact.

"Just call it my own take on Hotel Transylvania: Transformania!" Asriel nonchalantly coiled a finger around his trailing white hair tresses...or...whatever you called the transformation of his floppy ears into hair that went down to his shoulders like they were floppy rabbit ears.

"Ha...ha...ha......HUMAN!?!" Alphys pointed, completely freaked out beyond words.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Undyne didn't hold back.

"Nyeeeeh?  I am completely japed beyond words!  I didn't know monsters could become human!  But...if monsters can become human...can humans become monsters, too!?  Saaaaans!  I'm completely gob smacked here!"

And for the first time...Sans was speechless. Not even a pun or a quip to give. I think...we broke his brain, too.

"My son...!"

"This....is this...is this real?" Toriel reached out and felt Asriel's cheek.

"It's...not an illusion...you have really become human!?"

"It's only temporary.  But...yeah..."

"It's true ! It's all true!?" I think Asriel had successfully rocked Undyne's world.

"Well...I can see this is a lot to take in so..." Asriel canceled the Unitrix's function and returned to his goat self.

"It comes in handy for...blending in on worlds where monsters don't exist." He said with a shrug and a grin. He was trying...really trying to stay modest about it but...really, just showing it off felt like bragging.

"This is all so impressive but..."

"Oh right!  The story!  Well...we'd enjoyed peace for five years and...it was about to be shattered.  You see...to...do what he did for me...Volt had to sacrifice his career...and...his freedom.  Volt's...already mentioned the time-travel and...his agency.  They...they didn't approve of his methods much less taking me off my doomed world to have a future.  And...there were some other things as well but..."

"I dug my own grave with them.  I'd do it again for the greater good." I turned away, obviously salty about the Council."

"So...we'd technically be living as fugitives." Asriel rubbed the back of his head.

"Arcade..." Undyne turned to me with a fist cocked.

"I'm...sure he had good reasons...!" Asgore stammered.

"I am not so comfortable with my son being an outlaw."

"When the system is broken, it's hard to say what will make you so." Violet wrinkled her nose.

"So...they caught up to us and...it probably would have been the end of Asriel and myself but...my contingency plan went into effect and to be perfectly blunt...the High Empress of Space, Time and Dimension gave us both a full pardon and...strictly reprimanded the council.  I was reinstated and cleared of all charges, thankfully.  And before long...my research could resume.  You see...that was about the time your timeline came into existence."

"Go on." Toriel's scowl softened.

"So...I started investigating this version of your world.  Unfortunately...the Goddess resumed their game and...Fate's Black Knight took command, personally.  And he sent his protégée.  Your Chara.

Through his influence, my enemy wiped out all traces of Chara's existence on this world after they...died and your Asriel absorbed their soul. It gave him the perfect opportunity to sabotage the Eighth Fallen's quest to set all monsters free and get that happy ending you all wished for."

"So that was it." Sans said, rather blank-faced. I could tell there was an anger smoldering in him but...he wasn't about to let it ignite for water under the bridge.

"Our adventures off world continued while Volt met and befriended all of you all over again...in the hopes that he could keep his promise to me and...we'd be able to know the truth someday.   This day.  While Volt struggled against Fate's plan, I grew, matured, and befriended more and more people.  I was happier than I'd ever been.  But I also knew...or suspected that if the peace was shattered once...I knew it would happen again.  So...I prepared this time.  All of us did."

"So when Evil Chara revealed himself during your timeline--"

"You don't have to say anymore, Arcade.  I know.  That was totally my bad."

Sans preemptively shot me down moments before the others figured out what I was going to say. Somehow they'd regained their memories about Sans intent on making sure Evil-Chara was going to "Burn in Hell" in both his words and the words of 80's group, Twisted Sister.

"I…admit I erased all your memories to keep this from...messing up the timeline.  Again...sorry about that."

"You did WHAT?" Undyne snapped.

"Greater good?" Toriel asked, dubiously.

"Greater good."

"So...things went on, we had our winter vacation and all...and then Evil Chara came to our world intent on slaughtering us." I explained.

"But it couldn't have gone worse for him." Sally mused, smugly.

"Aunt Sally.  Heroes shouldn't gloat."

"My bad."

"And it was the first of many attempts.  But she's right.  His first attempt was a total rout.  We'd prepared so well for him that...it was just so easy to feel sorry for the guy.  But...we gave him a chance...and he threw it away.  And he'd be back again and again."

"Seemed like the peace wasn't going to last.  And nothing hammered that home when the Commander's nemesis finally showed his hand." Lupe shuddered.

"It was...traumatic for me." Asriel admitted. "I know Volt's immortal and all but...I really felt like I was going to lose him."

Azzy wrapped his arms around himself in a shiver.

"And it was the first of many sneak attacks, dirty tricks, and...very unpleasant situations.  All the while we were collecting these...Heart Soul Crystals with each brush with Chaopolis with no idea what they were for.  We assumed Adonis wanted them but...now that I think about it, he did make it too easy for us to collect them.  And that was the trap."

"A trap?   N-not a puzzle?"

"No, Papyrus.  These weren't done with intent to capture us.  They were intent on hurting us, humiliating us...and even breaking us; physically, mentally, and emotionally.  And even after I'd finally faced Evil-Chara for the last time...his death was a wake-up call.  That Fate wasn't playing around and we were in for...really bad times."

Sans was ominously silent.

"Dr. Adonis...almost did the same thing to our home...that Madam Fate kept allowing to happen to this world.  He nearly destroyed it.  And all of us with it.  It would...be by the skin of our teeth that we managed to.......*sigh*...reset it back to a point before it all went wrong but...the damage was done.  To all of us..."

"Especially Azzy." Gadget sniffled, eyes full of tears.

Asriel stood there for a moment before he suddenly hugged both Toriel and Asgore. Both, taken by surprise...they weren't sure what to say.

I could hear Undyne's knuckles cracking in both fists. Alphys' breathing had gotten heavier and very nervous. She was on edge to know what happened.

"That's...not good at all.  Little Asgore clone...I don't know what to say.   This fills me with feelings I don't rather like."

"I know, Papyrus.  I know.  It was terrible for all of us.  And it got worse because up to that point, Dr. Adonis had also reacquainted all of my friends and family with their...bitter enemies and rivals.  People they'd...made a lot of effort to get as far away from them as possible.  These times were...not pleasant."

The mood had dropped significantly.

"If I could have prevented any of this I would have moved Heaven and Earth to do so.  But even an immortal Lycan is...just a man." My ears drooped. "It's...the harshest thing to be beaten down and reminded that I don't walk on water."

"But all was not lost!" Mitzi suddenly interjected.

"Yeah.  Can you believe this guy marched right into Madam Fate's chambers in the Quasar Pyramid and socked that b**** right in the kisser?" Honey snagged me in a headlock and noogied me.

"Honey!" Mitzi snapped.

"First.  Language." Asriel scolded. "Second, that wasn't the best way to explain how Volt turned things around.  And third.  RUDE.  Mitzi was still explaining."

"That's...okay...I think the moment is thoroughly trampled." Mitzi snorted with a huff.

"That's er...very interesting." Asgore replied, noticeably aghast.

"Oh my..." Toriel's cheeks were flushed and her eye was twitching.

"HELL YEAH!  HELLL  YEAH!" Undyne got me in a headlock next while fist-pumping. "I knew there was a reason this nerd was totally cool!"

I just facepalmed once I got a hand free.

"And modest as heck, too!  This dude's the total package!"

"H-h-he is q-quite impressive." Alphys rubbed the back of her head, also flushed in the cheeks and glasses steaming up.

Wait a minute...just how many of the Boss Monsters were trying to FLIRT WITH ME!?!?

Bunnie got us back to attention.

"After that.  Karma seemed to swing the other way and our lives started improving.  But more than that...we started apologizing to one another." Bunnie explained.

"Some of us...weren't in very good places.  Even ones of us who are supposed to inspire hope." Pit wrapped his wings around himself.

"But we are zee' Ultra Crew Institute!  As soldiers we ne-vaire 'zay die!  We press forward!  Adonis may have crippled us badly, but 'zis was not to be our Waterloo!" Antoine managed to sound actually debonaire. Thoooooough...him drawing his sword and pointing it skyward was probably a bit much. "Zuts alore, we would prevail!"

"Eheheh...right.  What Antoine said." Rotor coaxed him back into his seat.

"But...try as we may..." Lupe looked sad.

"One of us was...broken irreparably." Callista draped her arms around her son from behind and embraced.

Asriel nodded sadly.

"If I could have gotten my hands on that creep I would have--"

"Not stood a chance." Drew was rather direct. "I watched all my boats burn and sink...while I was chained to the mast of the largest one with a cutlass through my belly, pinning me to it.  Can't say if I burned first or drowned first.  Not something I want to relive.  Swore I'd pay the scum back, somehow."

"We all suffered what should have been permanent ends." Willie cringed.

"Some of us never got over the experience, even though we had this second chance at life."

"If a human stood no chance against such a person..." Papyrus was in shock. He wanted so much like a few of us to believe that there was good in such a horrible creature but...

"Grrrr..." Undyne was grinding her pointy teeth.

"It was touch.  I was with my best friend...yet without him.  Everything I'd done for him...just trampled, spit on and left desecrated like it was all a big joke to him." I was flushed with so much anger.

"Until finally, without going into details...I snapped out of it.  Things should have gotten better but...not before Adonis had one last dirty trick or two to play on us.  He brainwashed Aunt Violet and tried to have her assassinate us.  Long story short, we had to...basically go inside her mind and fix her from within.  It was...surreal."

"Really!?" Alphys was intrigued. "H-h-how?"

"A virtual reality setup called Quest World.  I'll explain another time in greater detail.  But...after that...Adonis tried banishing Volt and I one last time to another realm and...made Volt suffer a lot of trauma with the big reveal that...he's been basically..."rebooted" several times like we have.  Volt's been reincarnated in different iterations of Destiny and Fate's game and...not many of those versions ended particularly well for him.

It finally came down to me confronting Adonis and...I actually defeated him. After that...we...I mean the entire city of Miranda banded together and went after Chaopolis to take it down once and for all. And...we succeeded. But Adonis got away."

"Dammit!" Undyne cursed.

"We'd catch up to him soon enough.  Because that began the End Game.  The seven-fold cross-rip between other Undertale dimensions."

"I remember that." Sans opened an eye-socket, having kept them both in that weird, closed wink shape like he was sleeping.

"So do I."

"I think we all do." Toriel was starting to catch up.

"And...well...the rest was history for...seven years.  I've...since graduated from college." Asriel decompressed a copy of his diploma."

I could see Toriel's eyes light up with pride. Asgore's as well. And Alphys definitely took notice.

"Our prince a brainiac?  Does this make you a giant nerd, too?"

"Maybe." Asriel mused with pride. How long we've come when nerd was no longer used as an insult and now as a compliment!

"So...a total of fifteen years later and here I am."

Alphys had been keeping it bottled up inside for a long time now and I could tell she was about to blow.

"Man...I can't believe you managed to keep this from us.  From all of us." Undyne practically set her up for that.

"Not...all of us." Alphys finally admitted.

"Wait...what?" Undyne turned to Alphys in shock.

"I have to confess...Volt told me all about this...from the very beginning.  Both me in the last timeline...and me now...we've known since he came to the Lab in Hotland.

I'm sorry, everyone...but I have to confess. I've been keeping all of this from you, the whole time."

And the room got quiet again.

Sub-Entry 102: "Alphys' Final Confession":
"Alphys..."

"I'm serious.  There were many of us who knew.  Not just me.  In both timelines.  I knew.  Dr. Arcade...Volt...told me the whole story...from the very beginning...I was his ally.  I kept this from you.

I kept this from Lady Toriel..."

Toriel clasped her hands, looking solemn.

"I kept this from King Asgore...I defied our king over a gamble."

"Oh my...!"

"I knew Sans suspected but...I kept the whole story from him.  But...likely he figured it out...or learned it from the source.'

"Brother...?"

"Eh.  Guess I'm in hot water too, Alph'."

"This is the last thing I've kept secret.  And that's the honest truth...I just can't sit on this any longer.  I...was part of the plan."

"Yeah.  Yeah, she was.  Even though I didn't know about her until I read Volt's research...she was in our corner...watching...waiting...hoping we'd keep our promise to all of you."

"Alphys, I..."

"I...I d-d-don't blame you if you're mad at me.  I know you've given Dr. Arcade the third d-degree...and....that's why.......you should judge me as well!"

"No.  I think the time for judgement is past." Asgore spoke up.

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Fluffybuns."

"Er...thank you, Sans."

"Bit awkward to hear that from anyone but Tori?" Violet prodded.

Bunnie thwapped her.

"Apologies, Asgore-domou."

"Er...that is...quite alright.  After a while, the whole kingdom seems to be in on that nickname.  Ever since the um...microphone incident."

I was sure I saw Toriel smirk smugly. She may have forgiven him but...she was still going to make him do time in other ways. Tori wasn't going to make it easy on Asgore to earn his way back into her good graces; even if they had reconciled.

Just speculation, but maybe in time she'd let him push the beds back together again.

I was making assumptions again.

"Alphys...we've all got our dark corners.  Maybe someday I'll part with the rest of mine buuuuuut...it's probably better I just keep them on the down low."

"Dr. Alphys.  No one has been harder on your than you.  You've punished yourself far more than anyone could...anyone would.  Far more than anyone should.  And really, Doctor.  Has anyone from your kind...your world been cruel to you for your actions?"

"N...No, Master Rabbotou."

"Then, it's clear."

"I agree, Bunnie." Toriel nodded.

"C'mon, Alphys.  Don't act like you need to do time for the small stuff.  You woke up all the fallen and you brought our prince back...sort of...and you helped bring our...um...other prince back."

"Two princes?  Now that would be a headline." Sans mused.

I think Azzy was debating if he wanted to mention that  Sans' joke also happened to be the name of one of his favorite college rock songs by Spin Doctors.

"Is it too much to ask that you people not act like I'm not in the room!?" Flowey whined.

"Aww.  Flowey's feeling left out!" Gadget observed. Her innocent demeanor was probably not the best follow up to Flowey's rant. Pretty sure the weed felt like he was being mocked when little sister was only trying to help.

"Grr...!"

Sensing the tension, Asriel shifted it back to Alphys.

"Doctor.  All is forgiven."

"Mmn...I s-still feel like I'm getting off t-t-too easy."

"Let's not turn this into the ending of Rocky part 3." Violet mused.

"Huh?"

"Never mind.  She's just being random." And I was trying to avoid Undyne thinking a boxing match would be a good idea to settle things even it if did ultimately settle things between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed.

Wait a minute...were Undertale bosses now starting to inadvertently channel quotes and references from TV, movies, and other media like we did back home? Ohhhh boooy, Sam Beckett. What have I unleashed?

Then again maybe I was reading too much between the lines. Alphys' comment could have just been that--

"C'mon, Alphys.  You know you're a champion around here.  You've got the Eye of the Tiger!" Undyne one-arm hugged her from behind.

Goddammit.

"Err...th-thanks?" Alphys blinked.

"And I was worried this all would blow up in my face." I sighed, rolling my eyes. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not.

"I think our gears are meshing just great, big brother!" Gadget smiled.

Speaking of gears...

"Something wrong, Lady Violet?" Asgore noticed Vi's sour look.

"Well.  Yeah.  This reunion is fine and all but gathering isn't exactly complete."

"Hmm?"

"I th-think I understand.  I w-wonder what's keeping Mettaton?"

"That bucket of bolts?" Undyne was still salty about the times he invite himself over and pose atop her piano, right?

"I'm certain it's perfectly fine!" Papyrus didn't seem worried.

"You of all people, Doctor knows he absolutely must make a grand entrance."

"Y-y-y-yeah.  Th-that s-sounds like Mettaton alright.  H-he always could be w-what he called f-fashionably late."

"Hey, and where there's Mettaton, there's Napstablook and probably Shyren." I reminded Gadget.

"Yay!"

"Sweet." Sally grinned.

"It seems they've been on tour for so long." Asgore tugged at his beard.

"If you're worried that they've forgotten us--"  Sans started.

"Forget us?  Never!" Papyrus cut in.

"True.  A big star who forgets his fans is on his way to falling from grace." Violet said doing what I called a Mozart graceful bow.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not just talking about him?" Bunnie muttered to Vi.

"C'mon, Buns.  That should reassure you.  You should be happy I'm not overlooking the little people that made me what I am today."

Bunnie narrowed her eyes only briefly.

"Gotcha." Vi most certainly set her up for that. It wasn’t easy to bait Bunnie into a verbal trap but Vi certainly got her kicks when she could skirt the line when messing with her.

"Violet.  Cut it out." I laid down the law.

"Heard so much about him but...barely got to see much of him during the Seven-Fold Nexus.  And that was technically an alternate Alphys' iteration."

"Mettaton Ultimate 4000, version 2.0 beta." I rubbed my temples, not sure I was remembering it correctly. "Yeah, the OG version is much more family friendly."

I looked over to Alphys for a moment.

There was an exchange of stares before she figured out what I wanted to ask.

"Y-you can rest easy.  I d-d-destroyed the NEO body.  I'm n-not sure what I was thinking and...I still wonder if I apologized enough to him--"

"It's in the past, now.  Alphys.  You have no more secrets to keep anymore.  And...I should think neither do I."

It was...vindicating reaching this point but...it also left us both in a state of wonder....wonder about an  unknown future for the both of us now that our dirty laundry was out in the open and finally getting washed and drying in the sunlight, metaphorically speaking.

Well, Mettaton was likely going to arrive when he felt like it. When his entrance could be absolutely perfect.

But...

There was someone else not present among us. When all was said and done...what about the trigger herself? What about the answer to the question that released me from my promise?

What about the Eighth Fallen child?

I knew that Toriel and Asgore had adopted her in; her past lift she chose to leave behind. I'm guessing if she had family or a life beforehand...she had no interest in going back to them. A familiar situation among at least a handful of AU's I could name off the top of my head. And AFAC was at the top of that list. Somewhere in that Undertale AU, there was a Frisk, born a boy yet identified as non-binary who left a broken home sometime after their older sister finally had enough of their "not good" parents.

But in this AU? I guess that was up to Frisk to decide if she'd tell us her backstory. I sure as heck didn't know it and I didn't know who could tell it besides her...or if it even SHOULD be told.

My thoughts were interrupted as Pit's eagle eye spied it outside the windows.

"Commander, there's a very large, expensive vehicle approaching the house."

"By any chance would it be a stretched limo with a pink and black color scheme?"

"Er...yes."

I was only guessing, I didn't REALLY know if it would be such a thing but...go, me.

"I think he just arrived."

"Y-y-yeah.  I th-think you're right." Alphys agreed.

My werewolf ears caught the sound of the commotion outside and with the scents I was picking up, I came to conclusion that there were a number of stagehands and assistants setting up for a grand entrance.

My thoughts were confirmed as I caught the definite mention of a red carpet.

And while I didn't specifically hear Mettaton's voice...I was hearing his name dropped. A lot.

My PKE meter was also chirping in my lab coat pocket. By then it already had a recorded signature of every ghost I'd encountered in some form or another in the Underground. That included Hapstablook/Mettaton, Napstablook, Training Dummy, and Mad Dummy.

Violet was already eagerly watching the door. Her rabbit ears were every bit as good as my own wolfy sound-scoopers. Why did I still call them that after all this time? Ahem. No matter.

Inevitability ran its course as I heard the door swing open as a billow of fog rolled in to completely obscure our vision from seeing who was there.

I could hear a sound check moments before the entrance music played.

And low and behold...we were greeted by those familiar two words...

Sub-Entry 103: "Fashionably Late.  Mettaton":
"Ohhhhh yeeeeeees...!"

As his form emerged from the kerosene fog and the suddenly on-the spot lights, I could hear the sound of that smarmy guitar that cued his arrival. The same one that seemed to emanate after he switched to his EX form.

Violet was on the edge of her seat with eyes wide open and chomping (or was it champing?) at the bit.

"Careful, Violet.  Your tongue is going to be mopping the floor if your mouth opens any wider." Sally teased.

"A glaaaaaaaaaaaamorous day to you all, my beauties!" And there he emerged as the posing began.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Mettaton." Toriel didn't seem to mind all the splendor.

"It's always good of you to visit." Even Asgore was downplaying it.

"WOWEE!  Did you see that entrance, Sans?  That is how you do impressive!"

Okay. In this AU, Pappy was still a huge fan.

"Yeah, Paps.  It was a real...gas." Sans poked fun at the fog.

"SANS!  Don't be rude!"

Undyne rolled her eyes while Alphys uncomfortably rubbed back of her own head and hoped that she or Mettaton would make this awkward.

Yet...the two of them reconciled before the Barrier broke, right? Things should still be good. I at least hoped.

"Ahhhh!  Alphys, darling!  I'm so glad you're taking care of yourself finally."

"She has help, you know." Undyne snorted.

Tension? Yes.

"Oh my, Undyne.  Again with the hostility.  Let's let bygones be bygones.  Certainly you can't still be upset about the piano thing?"

"..."

"Undyne?" Alphys pleaded.

"Oh.  Alright.  No, it's fine." Undyne huffed.

"Splendid!"

"Speaking of splendid..." Violet prompted.

"Oh my stars and spotlights!  It couldn't be!  And yet it is!  You have returned Lady Violet!"

"You're daaamn right!" Violet hurried over, arms spread.

Her tone was DEFINITELY channeling Harlene "Harley Quinn"  Quinnzel. Someone explain the paradox of Violet hating clowns but STILL taking every moment to imitate DC universe's most twisted ex-psychologist turned former main squeeze of the Joker?

And Mettaton was eating it up.

"Bring it in, dearie!"

And Vi found herself embraced with Mettaton's very coily arms, the two of them laughing delightfully.

"Oh brother..." I muttered.

I could hear Asriel withholding his giggles.

"I'm absolutely tickled pink that Mettaton has graced us with his presence!" Papyrus' starry eye-sockets definitely told a story.

"Oh hello, dear Papyrus!  It's always delightful that another of my biggest fans is here, too!"

Well, he was still larger than life and boastful as ever with that snooty tone but still not to the point of being completely obnoxious. Somehow he always knew how to balance that and remain very likeable. Given my bias against the overly arrogant and self-absorbed I still never figured out how he pulled it off.

Then it hit me. He was a lot like Elec Man. Maybe a tad less arrogant but still intelligent and charming nonetheless.

While his appearance hadn't changed much I could spot a few upgrades here and there. Some polishes and aesthetic remasters. A bit of streamlining there. Not enough to be a 3.0 but noticeable revamps from version 2.0. I think Alphys had picked right up from where Dr. Light had completely rebuilt him from the schematics I sent him.

In hindsight...that was still a risky gamble using time and space travel to save Mettaton NEO from cashing in his chips. The rules of Undertale were quite wonky about how that almost killed him. And I hadn't forgotten that he's technically a ghost in a machine at that.

Weird rules, man. There ought to be a law against them. Laugh it up, Beetlejuice. I know you want to.

"Soooo.  Trade you a new designer diary for an autograph, yeeees?"

"Anything for the fans!  And how generous!  I get something in return.  You do so know how much I love collecting diaries."

"Even though he never fills them up..." Sally crossed her arms.

The Goddess help me.

I decided to pre-emptively nip Violet's antics in the bug before she could wow him with things that died on the internet at LEAST a year ago.

"Violet, I know you're as excited as Papyrus that Mettaton is here, but don't go flooding the conversation with your stupid memes.  No "We're Number One" or "Change My Mind" or "I don't feel so good, Mr. Stark."  You hear me?  That means no "Distracted Boyfriend", no "Infinity War is the most Ambitious Crossover/Hold My Beer", no "Ultra Instinct Shaggy", and no "Kermit sipping tea", no "Bird Box Challenge", no "Reggie: His Body is Ready For Anything", no "Gru's Plan",  and ESPECIALLY no "Ugandan Knuckles".  And for crying out loud don't even THINK about "Steamed Hams".  Do not bring up "Waluigi for Smash Ultimate", and no "Bongo Cat".  Got it?"

"Oh, Commander.  Those memes are all deader than a doornail.  It's all about Omni Man vs. Homelander, now!  And maybe "Big Chungus" is still fresh.  And can't forget Alligator Loki!"

"Goddammit, Vi..." I muttered too quiet for anyone to hear as I facepalmed.

"Just like Violet to try put those old cheap moves on him." Mitzi wrinkled her nose.

"Oh no, Mitzi.  I got all NEW cheap moves." She said with a wink.

Why, oh why did I not ban her from talking to Peter Venkman?

Bunnie remained silent, arms crossed and eyes closed until.

"Will you not join us, as well?" She opened her eyes and slid her gaze to the left without turning her head. A classic Ryu Hayabusa peripheral vision moment.

"ohhhh.  i didn't want to interrupt my cousin.  he seemed like he was having too much fun to spoil the moment."

Napstablook faded into existence.

"Mr. Blooky!" Gadget hurried over and gave him a little sister-ly peck on the cheek as Mitzi did the same at the same time with the other cheek. The Twice-as-Nice-Mice ended up giving the ghost a double smooch.

"ohhh!" I watched the little specter turn pink in the cheeks. He was timid and shy...but he still got girls.

"Nonsense, Blooky darling.  Family need not worry about spoiling the moment!  You can only add to it"

"if you're sure." Napstablook drifted over. He was still wearing those headphones of his. They must've been ghost headphones because they would have surely fallen off his head and hit the ground without passing through it, otherwise.

I could also see Shyren peeking in through the door. I still wasn't sure if the lantern antenna was actually Shyren and the main body was her manager...or if that theory did actually hold water.

"It is good to see you all again." I finally managed to distract from Vi.

"Ah, dear doctor!  I trust life finds you well on your home world."

"Oh my god!  He really DID know about all this."

"Hmm?  Oh dear me!  It seems the secret is out now!  I do so hope my secrecy hasn't led to a scandal!"

"N-n-no.  N-nothing like that.  Just...the t-t-t-truth can f-finally be t-t-told." Alphys was back to the pangolin apology pose.

"Yeah.  A lot of weight off both our shoulders."

"I suppose if everyone else has come clean, it's good to finally come out smelling like a--"

"D-DON'T YOU SAY IT YOU BUCKET OF BOLTS!" Flowey snapped.

"Gracious!  How rude!"

"S-s-sorry about this, Mettaton."

"Ugh.  This must be that failed creation of yours.  What was his name again?  I want to say Filbert or Finnigan or something.'

"IT'S FLOWEY YOU MECHANICAL MORON!"

"Oh yes.  Flowey.  Pardon, but you do seem pretty........forgettable."

"You did not just go there...!" Flowey seethed.

"Umm!  Maybe we should just let bygones be bygones."

"Hmm?  And who might this be?  He looks awfully familiar.  Asgore!  Toriel!  Don't tell me he's a relation of yours?  And you kept this from me for so long?  For shame!"

"We just learned about him, ourselves."

"It is a most complicated story, indeed."

"Mettaton...this would be the Prince."

"You mean THE prince?  The legendary child that--"

"That led to all this drama in the underground.  Yeah."

"You remember what Dr. Arcade said about the other Prince Asriel?  From he other timeline.  The lone survivor of his world?"

"Oh me oh my yes!  I remember it all now!  It all makes sense."

"At least it does to someone." Undyne grumped.

"Well.  I'm AN Asriel...same as Flowey here...again, you pretty much know the story."

"I feel like I should bow in your presence...then again, as a celebrity--"

"Mettaton...we discussed this, remember?" Alphys facepalmed.

Asriel chuckled in response. "No, it's okay.  Let's just keep it to an informal handshake and acknowledge each other’s greatness.  But you still have to indulge my curiosity of what you have done with the back half of your life thus far.  Tell me it has been interesting.  I hunger for details!"

"You had me at let's keep it informal.  I'll gladly recap my story but at meal time, once we're all settled in and all."

"Agreed."

"Also, I'm glad to meet your friends, too.  Your cousin, Napstablook, right?  And Shyren."

Shyren ducked behind Napstablook.

"No no need to be timid.  I won't hurt you.  Come out.  Let's be friends!" Asriel beamed.

That pleasant smile sold it.

And low and behold he coaxed her out.

"He really does make friends easily." Willie admired.

"Aww, was there any doubt?" Honey gave her partner a slap on the shoulder earning only a moment's worth of ire.

"Well.  This is turning out to be quite nice." Asgore voiced his approval.

"I must agree with you dear."

My mind was put at ease. I think the worst was behind me. Behind all of us.

So...with the plan complete...what was next?

Sub-Entry 104: "A Merciful Path To Move Forward":
"Doctor...you seem pensive.  What's on your mind?"

"To be perfectly frank, Toriel...that's just it.  I don't have anything on my mind.  I didn't...plan anything beyond this.  Everything I've worked so hard for...came to a head in that moment.  To be honest...I'm back a state I'm all too familiar with; thinking about the future.  And...worrying."

"Oh, I see!"

"Toriel, by now you should recognize when my anxieties get the best of me.  As a time-traveler I've seen many pasts and many presents and many futures.  But...I keep finding myself in a spot where...even with that knowledge...I don't know what's next.  And...after all this time it still scares me.  I still worry.  I don't know what's next for us."

"My friend, you should calm your mind.  It is not healthy for you to fret."

"I know.  Even an immortal should be more wary about his health."

"You are a curious anomaly, Doctor.  You seem like you fly by the seat of your pants, for lack of better words...but you are quite through with planning things out.  But perhaps...that is the problem at a moment like this.  There is nothing really to play for.  You have reached your goal."

"I have.  And...it scares me because I...don't know where we go from here."

"Well.  We are all friends now.  We are allies, yes?"

"Yes.  Of course."

"Perhaps we should give thought to some sort of...formal alliance."

"Like a written peace treaty or something?" I scratched my head.

"If only to make it legal." Asgore agreed. "It would be nice to have a sister city.  Even though it seems unlikely we'll make it there to see for ourselves."

"Yeah." I was overlooking the obvious. Deliberately, to be honest. But I had my reasons. It was something I was keeping to myself. Chances are, anyone could figure out where I was going with this for a long time now. But...I just couldn't say out right nor could I think it. I just couldn't. I'd danced around it for so long.

"It might take some time to arrange.  But it's feasible, Commander." Bunnie assured.

"Hell, yeah!  We gonna make it happen!" Violet fist-pumped.

"You guys...!" I had no room to call them out for eavesdropping on our conversation. So I didn't.

"Whatever your reservations are, it's going to work out." Lupe surprised me by speaking up. It was...genuinely reassuring when there was actual joy in her tone rather than reserved, soft-spoken optimism or wistful melancholy.

"Toward the future!" Honey was sounding amazingly like Moroha at the moment. Not sure how so but...who am I kidding? The two of them were totally alike.

I sighed.

"Doctor.  Do not doubt our mercy.  I know your sins still feel like they weigh heavy on you.  Yes, there will be some hurdles to overcome and some time needed to move past all this but...you've unburdened yourself.  And you've lifted us of our own regrets.  Do you not think that you are entitled to some peace of mind as well?" Asgore was surprisingly philosophical in the moment. Proof that he wasn't stupid even though Toriel still outclassed him in the brains and...authority department. He was still a king at heart.

"I don't doubt it.  It's just too easy to doubt myself."

"And yet that isn't the issue, is it?" Toriel asked.

"It's more like...I doubt the Goddesses are finished with us." I narrowed my eyes. "The game may be over but...they can still toy with us.  I backed the lesser of two evils but..."

"Maybe you should have some more faith in Lady Destiny.  She got us this far."

"Maybe." I folded my arms. After so many times she'd let me down in the end, it was so easy to remember the times she didn't. So many times that her sister had played her like a hawk from Hell...and us with her.

"Trust that whatever Fate has in store...Destiny will have our backs.  We'll prevail.  And we'll do it our way." Bunnie again appealed to my optimism.

"With compassion...and mercy." Asriel assured.

"Well said, son."

"You have grown so much, Asriel...I could not be more proud." Toriel sniffled.

"Paps!  You're crying again!"

"I am doing no such thing, brother!  I just have something in my eye socket."

"Yeah?  And what is that?"

"Tears!" Pappy sobbed.

History repeating.

"Well, now that we're all buddy-buddy and all, can we stop all this chatting, already?  It's making my head hurt pounding all this sappiness into it!"

"Is it time to eat yet?!" Jon whined.

I facepalmed.

"I apologize again.  Some of us know how to ruin a moment."

"You need not apologize, Doctor.  The moment has long since passed and I do not believe anything was ruined.  And Jonathan does make a point.  We have delayed this long enough.

"Well then.  I think it only fair that we contribute to the feast." Mitzi smiled.

"You have brought food?  But you are our guests!"

"And what kind of guests would be we if we didn't offer something in return for your hospitality."

"Oh my, Miss Mozzarella!  You are a saint!"

"Well...I wouldn't go that far but...it is an irony that someone who isn't a mother should know a thing or two about being motherly."

"I would think you would become a great mother, someday."

"Well.  For now, I'm happy with being the best aunt I can." Mitzi looked in my direction. I tried unsuccessfully to cover up my blushing.

"And quite frankly...I'm hoping to leave my own mark on this day." Asriel decompressed from his own storage...of all things...a Butterscotch-Cinnamon pie.

"Oh my!" Toriel blinked, realizing she was holding the pie she had gotten out of the oven.

Mother and son exchanged glances at each other’s wares before sharing a hearty laugh.

"I can't wait for you to try it and see how much I've learned a thing or two about being...motherly." Asriel chuckled.

"Dude.  Don't make it weird." Honey stuck her tongue out.

"Nah.  I think it was endearing." Willie shrugged it off.

"Let's not read between the lines.  Goat Son learned how to take care of himself...and us...pretty well in the last fifteen years.  I guess we got double desserts to look forward to, huh?"

"Agreed, Volt Arcade.  Agreed." Toriel smiled.

"Well.  The main course is complete but if Miss Mozzarella wants to add to pit, by our guest."

"It'll be a smorgasbord!" Jon's tongue was hanging out of his mouth.

"I'd...say we'd have leftovers for days, but with Jon here...maybe hours." Violet prodded.

"Hey!"

Laughter all around.

Sub-Entry 105:  "We've Put This Off Long Enough.  Now Let's Eat!":
So. Yeah. I guess it's meal time.

I'd been wondering if we weren't one person short but by this point it became obvious the last person to arrive wouldn't make it in time for the meal. Chances are she'd probably have already gotten her own meal during the trip to the Dreemurr Residence.

Toriel and Asgore assured me, they were coming.

Still didn't make me feel less guilty about starting without them.

Reassuringly, Goat Son didn't invoke her name. I'd instilled patience in him pretty effectively. In fact not only did he not mention her...none of us did.

Was that weird or...was it okay and normal?

We all took our places in a dining room that was more like a dining hall. Did...the Dreemurrs host dinners and gatherings regularly to need something this size and this...convenient?

Granted...I didn't plan on this many of us coming to Undertale, originally but...if anything there were still enough seats with more to spare.

I guess an underground royal treasury has its perks when starting a town and having enough left over for yourself. In fact...now that I think about it...there's something about this residence which almost feels like Castle Dreemurr.

The feast itself was as diverse as it was spread. From delicately roasted turkey and smoked brisket to Mitzi's own signature pepperoni pizza and some of Jon's own blend of barbecued racks of ribs...this is the kind of banquet which we could be eating for days.

Why do I get the feeling Jon convinced everyone else on my team who cooked something that that was the idea?

Each dish was also clearly marked whether it was made with magic or made with traditional methods; seems both Toriel and Mitzi thought ahead of that. I'd still been trying to work out just how much real food monsters could safely ingest at a time ever since Asriel's first pizza in Miranda.

Observations of a certain AU that had earned the nickname "Growth Spurt" was one of the first to warn me of the dangers of "excessively excessive".

The last thing I needed to do was have a Boss Monster fall down after emptying an entire tray of Jon's barbecue ribs by themselves. Though...I really didn't think anyone at the table was that foolish enough to try. And I didn't know of any lesser monsters that might attempt it, either. So...what was I worried about?

As for the magic-prepared...I had nothing TO worry about. All of the eight fallen children had long since proved it was safe for consumption.

"Boy oh boy...we couldn't have put together a better spread." Jon's tongue was already waggling.

"Now if we could just put together some better manners.  Close your maw, son-in-law."

Yeah. That rhyme was intentional.

At this point I was wondering what the tradition was in this instance. Some cultures had at least some kind of blessing beforehand. Honestly this was not something I was particularly versed in. Most of us weren't.

Well. Fake it to make it, right. At least attempt to be polite and inclusive. There's always a chance to apologize later if you screwed up.

As it turned out...the blessing was only a simple shared "Thanks, one and all."

And that was the only thing standing in Jon's way from going to town on the spot.

"Oh boy..." I facepalmed.

And yet I felt unfairly reassured that it only earned a giggle from Toriel followed up with "I see his appetite is as healthy as ever."

"Not so much my son-in-law’s table manners...." I grumbled under my breath.

Bunnie removed a set of ornate chopsticks from her subspace pocket, bowed her head and uttered a quiet "Itakimashita." before feasting.

I think I actually heard Alphys say the same at nearly the same time.

I looked around the table, kind of hesitating. I think it was the worry in me...the self-consciousness like I was the one who was probably going to end up making a scene.

"Do partake, Doctor.  I assure you it's all quite delicious." Asgore encouraged.

Well. If it was really okay...down the hatch.

"Mmm...!" I think my eyes widened for a moment. I'd had...food from the underground before but...this was the first home-cooked meal that wasn't tea, butterscotch pie, Grillby's takeout or MTT Resort's pricey dine-in experience.

I think the only word I was thinking of at that moment in time was..."home".

That one word summed up just how quickly my anxieties just melted away. As I looked over to Asriel...I could see the word manifested in expression. How relaxed he was...how much he was enjoying this. That look...that absolutely look of finding something that had been lost all his life...and now here it was. A missing piece found. A feeling of nirvana attained. Everything was just so right.

"Now that's what I call food!" Jon managed to speak up after coming up for air.

Moment ruined. But...then again I wouldn't have it any other way. Moments are meant to only last for a moment, right?

Still...it does take away from them when they're interrupted so crudely.

"It is all magnificent, Lady Toriel." Bunnie smiled.

Violet just grinned a silly grin. I could tell she was sold.

"You flatter me!  It was no trouble.  I am happy that you are enjoying it."

"And speaking of enjoyment, Lady Toriel...so this is one of those fabled...pizzas that you spoke of." Papyrus noted his slice. "Like some sort of...distant cousin to spaghetti?"

"You could say that.  They did originate in the same country of origin."

"Splendid!  But...uh...how do you go about boiling such a meal?  I can't imagine it fits in the colander particularly well."

Laughter.

"I'll explain later." Mitzi beamed with pride.

"I have to say, I recommend it highly, Papyrus.  In fact it was the first meal I tried in Miranda City." Asriel pointed out. "I'll never forget that first taste.  And frankly I never want to forget.   It was...probably the first happy memory I had in 100 years."

Mitzi definitely blushed.

I noticed Sans eyeing the spareribs.

"Umm.   You uh...you feeling triggered?" Rotor asked.

"I guess as a skeleton, it does kind of...rattle my bones a bit." Sans winked.

"Ooooh.  Walked right into that one." Rotor shook his head.

"Good one." Asriel quipped.

"Honey, seriously!  Are you still drinking those energy drinks?" Willie eyed the tall, 18-ounce can.

"Got to promote the endorsements, you know." Honey said with a wink.

"Oh brother...I swear if you belch at the table, I'm going to deck you." She warned.

"Better out that in."

"And ban you from hanging out with Violet and Sally."

"Hey, don't lump me in with them, team mate." Sally wrinkled her nose. "I may be fun-loving but for the time I actually had parents, they didn't raise their princess to be a slob."

"Riiiiiight.  Your boyfriend took care of that part, right?"

"Hey, now!  He's not my--"  Sally stopped herself. "We are NOT getting into this discussion again."

"Come on, Honey.  Not cool." Willie scolded.

"My, my...what a lively conversation." Asgore rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly.

"Now girls, no fighting at the table."

"Yeah!  Save it for after.  I want first dibs!" Undyne cracked her knuckles.

"See what you started?" Sally frowned.

"I started?" Honey protested.

Lupe on the other hand was almost completely silent.

"Flowey?"

"Gonna stop you right there, druid.  I don't need or want anything.  Much less anything these idiots have to offer." He said as he crossed a pair of small leafy vines as if they were arms.

"At least some water?"

"Ughh.  Fine." Lupe selected a container of water from her nature preserve and added a bit to the soil.

"Gimme that." Flowey snatched the container and sipped it like a water bottle.

Lupe tried to hold back the chuckle.

"Before you ask, no I'm not accepting the goat's offer.  I just thought this would be the best way to shut him up about it."

"If that is what you believe."

"Why does everyone thing I'm always lying!?"

"I never said anything."

"Psht...just quit staring at me.  It's annoying." Flowey sipped the contents.

I could see Asriel smiling at the situation. And maybe sense some gears turning in his head. It wasn't outlands to ponder...maybe it took an Asriel to care for an Asriel...err...Flowey.

"S-so...um...nice weather we're h-having. right?" Alphys felt on the spot for being so quiet.

"Kind of average, really." Drew shrugged, not really picking up on her nervous cues.

"Oh.  Um...yeah. I g-guess so."

"C'mon, Doc.  Loosen up.  It's a dinner party not a funeral." Violet gave her a gentle but firm fist-pound to the shoulder.

"Gaaah!"

The gesture was definitely enough to freak her out and get a chuckle from Undyne.

"Oh man, Alphie!  You should've seen the look on your face, just now!"

"Eheheheheheheh....eheh..." Alphys was clearly now feeling more on the spot than ever.

"I say, Dear Doctor.  Volt, I mean.  This body's power source is quite amazing.  I don't have to worry about low battery nearly as often as I did from Dr. Alphys' original build."

"Yes, Solar Core reactors are all the rage in Monsteropolis."

"Monsteropolis?  That name sounds quite sexy.  I take it it's a paradise for monsters?"

"Well...not so much monsters...but it is a city were humans and robots live and work together in peace and equality."

"Oh that sounds absolutely divine!  I much see it someday!"

"Well, as soon as I can arrange it, consider it a new place to take the Mettaton experience to tour."

"Splendid, darling!  Splendid!"

Napstablook and Shyren kind of remained furthest from the group due to their...well...shyness. But still within arm's length of Mettaton. And considering Mettaton's flexible Inspector Gadget extendable arms, that was still a fair distance.

Naturally the latter could only enjoy ghost food. I thought I recognized the form of a familiar sandwich which dropped through the floor back at his place when offered to the mice.

In record time, Jon was on his fifth plate of Papyrus' spaghetti. As...much as I wanted to take my son-in-law's word that it had gotten even more delicious than the last time he had it...none of us were going to risk it.

Oh well. I'm sure that Papyrus would be far more delighted how much of it was eaten to notice who actually ate it. We could all definitely hope. Eeesh.

Which brought me to an unrelated thing to consider; subject matter I'd best avoid. Like...I wonder if Undyne ever learned what sushi actually was. And...if the knowledge might actually horrify a fish lady.

Pit had this expression...one I recognized as someone feeling nostalgic.

"Pit?  Is...everything okay?"

"Yes, Commander.  It's just that...it reminds me of the olden times before the N-Division was commissioned.  Rather...the buffer times when our worlds were forming our common coalition."

"Hmm.  I believe I read about those events in the archives.  There were many social gatherings...galas and banquets.  Events to solidify alliances.  Much like this gathering, now, yes?" Bunnie knew what Pit was getting at.

"That is correct, Major."

"While...the attack of the Forces of Darkness came suddenly and shattered the peace abruptly...it is...good to think back to times when we didn't really know each other but we were open to forming alliances."

"Hmm."

"Our...alliances on the battlefield, however...had a rough start."

"Yeah, if alternate Videoland's Kevin Keene's stories about his own experience with meeting the N-Team was any indication...there was...friction among the N-Division at first." I knew my history as well.

"Tell us about your friends!  I'm sure they were delightful people!" Toriel offered.

I had a feeling some dirty laundry was about to be aired out.

Pit started with the bad before moving onto the good.

"Samus...wasn't much of a team player.  Rock and I got along fine.  Simon was almost too quick if not too...reverent before the presence of an angel to be cooperative with me but...he was quite dubious of many of our other members.  Little Mac had this...chip on his shoulder and almost a tunnel vision; always too willing to take the direct approach.  Link?  Always felt like he was unnecessarily compensating like he felt we were looking down on him.  And so sharp-tongued and defensive.  And then there was Mario...I think his fame was already out of control by then and...he was kind of unapproachable.  It was before Luigi started noticing he was living in his brother's shadow.  But...I don' t think that really bothered him because he spent more time jumping at shadows and being dragged along for the ride."

"Uh...that's...interesting." Asgore cocked his head.

"But...despite all that...they were great people.  When Samus and I were on the same team, I knew no woman with more fortitude...more guts on the battlefield.  In a way she was a lot like our friend Chameleon, back home; that one mercenary with a gruff exterior but a heart of gold.

Rock...he was the best friend I could have asked for...once I got over seeing a robot for the first time. We...had no such artificial beings in Angel Land so...it was jarring seeing his extremities removed and opened up for maintenance without spilling blood or causing death.

Simon was...actually pretty pious once you looked past his angry barbarian demeanor. He was always...direct and not one for problem solving. More...problem smashing.

And then there was Link. The young man who taught me the art of banter, one-liners, and being heroic with a bit of style. I'm...still trying to figure out his method to...sarcasm.

Mac taught me never to back down in a fight you know you can win. I think...he was the one who taught me what an  underdog was and to never underestimate the little guy.

And despite being unapproachable and everyone under the impression he was always on a high horse...Mario was amazingly a great guy beneath it all. I think he put it...that his overwhelming reputation was a beast he was barely keeping in check. Rumors were rumors but he was still an adventurer with great determination. His brother Luigi was also quite kind. While he was more timid and reluctant to go into battle, once you got him into one, it was easy to see that his reputation was just as earned."

"This the most you've opened up about them in ages, Pit." Bunnie sipped her tea.

"It's the first time I've felt like I wanted to in a while."

"They all sound crazy strong!" Undyne grinned a toothy grin.

"Yeah...but...they've all gone their separate ways.  Retired...disappeared...some still adventuring like time stands still for them.  The only time I ever meet up with them again is with this giant nexus tournament."

"Right.  Super Smash Bros." Violet mused.

"A fighting tournament?  Now you got me interested."

"As much as I'd love to see you compete, Miss Undyne...it's not up to me to decide who gets invited.  In fact...I don't think any of us know.  But once you get that letter...that invitation with the red wax seal on it...you know you're in." Pit pondered. "I've been invited to the last three.  But passed over for the first two.  The roster was up to somewhere over 80 when I was last brought back for exhibition matches.   The newest addition was this scary guy....Kazuya Mishima.  They say he has something called "Devil Genes"."

Pit looked a little pale at that. "The others say he nearly destroyed them in an eight-way free-for-all."

How'd we get from peaceful times in VideoLand to beating the crap out of each other in nexus fighting tournament?

"Perhaps we should change the subject to something less violent?" Asriel offered pre-emptively before Toriel could speak up.

The conversations continued as the food supply dwindled.

Which brought us to dessert time and...a common conversation that was probably the most meaningful one of the feast.

Sub-Entry 106:  "Renewing Vows and Reforging Friendships":
"Well, I hope you all have saved room."

"I sure have!" Jon's tongue was wagging.

"Jon Talbain.  The werewolf garbage disposal." Violet prodded.

Jon turned to Vi and blew a raspberry.

"Say it, don't spray it!" Vi wrinkled her nose as she wiped off the drool.

"Manners, you two." Mitzi scolded.

We already knew that there was going to Butterscotch-Cinnamon pie but...what we didn't know was...

"Uh...?" Toriel blinked as Nermal presented one...at the same time Asriel presented one...and even Callista presented one.

And the size of each was...intimidating.

A round of laughter.

"Well.  I guess we'll all be taste-testing, right?"

"Sounds good to me."

So...somehow thanks to Jon REALLY encouraging it...each of us had no less than four slices of pie to compare. Oh boy...I don't know how it'll be possible for any of us to breathe let alone move after eating all this...

"It's just like I remember..." Asriel said a little wistfully...that tone that could only come from being reunited with the dearest of friends; and it was just over a slice of his mother's pie.

"Did you...really bake this, Asriel?  It's...incredible." Toriel felt like she was tasting double...it was easily as good as her own.

"Wow.   This is so good even the legendary God Tongue would have trouble telling the four of them apart." Mitzi blinked.

Ah. I wondered if Mitzi actually attended Totsuki Academy. Asriel had mentioned something about it a while back during his own barrage of crossover adventures...but...how would Mitzi Mozzarella know about Erena Nakiri; a whole generation or two after her time?

Is it possible that she'd been visiting as an alumnus? Asriel...did seem like he and Mitzi were in on something that I'd missed.

"I think we've all learned pretty well from the source." Callista had come to her own judgement comparing the others to her own take.

"I've never been prouder." Toriel could feel the lost time being made up. It was years’ worth but it was only feelings that lasted but moments.

"This all could have happened so much sooner but...Destiny had a different plan us all.  These versions of us, at least." Asriel frowned. "But I suppose...having to wait for this happy ending made it much more worth it."

"I think this is a sign...that we're all truly ready to move past our mistakes...our sins...to truly start over.  We've...had seven years to adjust to the new normal but..." Asgore was surprisingly the one being insightful.

"Maybe what we've lived through since then has only been prologue to something bigger and better." Toriel finished.

"So...what do we do now that we know we're not alone in the universe.  That we know we're not the only versions of us in the universe?" Alphys stared at her plate of chilled Pocky sticks.

"This is...going to be a lot of paperwork when it gets back to S.T.C. and the Council." I suddenly realized.

"I know even with the position of vice-emperor of space and time...I'm going to catch a lot of heat for all this.  I've blatantly interfered with the lives of an alien planet...far from the first time and likely will not even be close to the last.  The Council Members will be out for blood."

Asriel scoffed.

"They wanted me erased from space and time.  Like I wasn't worthy of a second chance at life.  Like I was just some mistake of the Goddess' game to be thrown away.  Let them be mad.  The greatest revenge is surviving.  Every day I draw breath...that's enough to settle the score for me."

"Huh..." Asgore tugged at his beard.

"Besides...if I do not want trouble...I dare not ask for it.  It's better that I just turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to their objections.  Rest assured if they come for me, they should know I will not stand alone."

"We'll all be behind you." Sally reached over for a fist bump.

"Yeah."

"And you can count on me to bust a few skulls.  No way they're laying a finger on the prince!" Undyne grinned a toothy grin.

"Um...subject change?  This is getting a little intense." Alphys was getting jittery.

"How will we go about pressing on toward this unknown future, Commander?" Pit asked.

"I've been pondering that for a long time now...I can't say I've come up with much of a plan.   Living one day at a time is how we got this far so...we'll...just have to think of something."

"Perhaps we can start by a...ceremonial pledge of friendship?" Asgore suggested.

"A toast to hopes, dreams, and wishes, Dad?" Asriel asked.

"I think that would be a wonderful start." Callista agreed.

"Seconded." Scott followed up.

"Well then.  A toast...to reforging friendships." Asgore raised his glass as all the Boss Monsters did so in response.

"Here here, your ex-majesty." Mettaton mused.

"And...with friendships restored...I suppose that means we all now have to renew our vows of comradery.  It took a village to raise a Lost Dreemurr...and now that he's bridging two worlds, I swear this oath to continue supporting him no matter where his journey takes him." I raised my own.

"Agreed, Commander.  HIs future is his for the taking and I should hope he has every intention of making it a good one."

"Borrowing from my mentor, Major?" I mused at Bunnie's use of Emmett's advice to Marty and Jennifer.

"It seems you've imprinted upon me the habit of not using my own words.  How carelessly I've become such a hypocrite!"

"I'll give you a pass this time."

"Nah!  I say...say what you want how you want, and in the words of who you want!" Sally one-arm bear-hugged her Ecotropian friend.

"Maybe not go that far." I sweat dropped. "Before we start owing royalties."

"Bah!  I'll pay off any amount for a license just to drop a few trademarked bars." Vi blew it off.

"Can we chill on getting meta?" I sweat dropped again.

"I'm...still a little unclear on this "meta" thing."

"It'll make sense in time." Asriel shrugged. "...then again maybe it won't.  Not all of it does for me even now."

"Weird." Undyne rolled her eye.

I then remembered I had a few things that had been sitting on my phone for fifteen years.

"By the way, Azzy...we've certainly built you up over the course of this reunion.  How about a little embarrassing moments for posterity?"

"What?" Asriel whirled as I was already showing Toriel the photo of him at the age of ten (110, actually) dressed in Pit's angel attire complete with the wings.

"Ohh my!" That smile went from floppy ear to floppy ear and I think she was holding back tears of joy.

"Your little angel most certainly got all the more angelic in this instance."

"Duuuude!" Asriel whined.

"You know you rocked those wings, toga, and sandals." I slyly mused.

"Wowee!  I suppose the Prophecy really was about the prince and not the human after all!" Papyrus delighted.

"Heh heh heh heh.  I guess when it comes to joy and cheer-ub, Prince Asriel knows how to wing it.  You and the fledgling over there are certain birds of a feather, eh?"

"I totally walked into those...!" Asriel was pink in the cheeks.

"Oh my god!  That is priceless!" And there's Undyne with that goofy laughing face of hers.

"Kawaaaaaiii!" Alphys had her palms on her cheeks as she squealed.

"Dearie, you shouldn't be so modest if you wear it that well."

"Eheheheh...thanks, all of you...I think..." Asriel was definitely uncomfortable.

"Well now that you're thoroughly embarrassed, goat man of the hour, how about a dose of cool.  Show em' pics of that awesome car of yours." Sally gave a thumbs-up.

"R-right!" Asriel was quick to remind of his more cooler teenage years.

"Nyeheheheh!  It seems your car is worthy competition of the Great Papyrus' ride!"

"Yeah, and you ought to see how he drifts in that sucker at top speed on the highways of Jang!   Left that other guy in the dust and racked up hundreds of millions of views on the MeScreen!  He went mega-viral!"

"Honey!" Willie snapped. "That was supposed to be on the downlow!"

"He...what?" Toriel's eye twitched.

"I...I can explain, mom!"

"Yeah, this guy's totally a professional stunt driver in the making.  Fast 9 ain't got NUTHIN' on him."

"Oh boy..." Asriel could feel Toriel burning holes right through him with that protective mother look.

"Yeah, he can burn rubber...so why not tell us about these martial arts of yours?" Undyne unexpectedly got control of the situation.

"Better yet...why not show us?" Undyne grinned as her water spear manifested into existence in her grasp as she stood up.

"What...?" I heard the gasp.

"You're like a black belt, right?  A ninja master?  Hah!  After years of being a scared little puffball, now you suddenly kick butt?  Yeah right!  I want to see it for myself.  So why don't you put your money where your mouth is and prove it to me in a duel!"

Well, I knew THIS was coming sooner or later...

Sub-Entry 107:  "Sparring Session!   Asriel vs. Undyne!"
"I forbid this, Undyne!" Toriel stood up immediately.

"Still with the pacifism!  Ugh!  You gonna feel good about yourself if the Prince gets mugged on the street by some thug and he falls down right then and there--"

"I cannot condone my son to engage in violence!" Toriel remained steadfast.

"Oh my!  Things are certainly getting tense!"

"A keen grasp of the obvious, King-y." Vi stuck her tongue out.

"Papyrus, you know Undyne well.  You must say something!"

"I think it would be a splendid idea!  Nyeheheh!  After all, Undyne put me through rigorous training and I certainly would be worth the title of Captain of the Royal Guards if I backed down from a challenge!  Tiny Asgore has to prove himself as I did, right?"

Toriel scoffed in shock. "I cannot believe what I am hearing!"

Bunnie simply sipped her tea.

"I do not know what kind of training you have put my son through, Master Rabbotou, but--"

"Toriel-sama.  It will be fine.  I assure you, this will work out.  Do have confidence in your son."

"But...someone could get hurt--"

I gave everyone else the stink-eye as a warning not to say anything snide or chuckle. While the situation was nowhere near as dire as Toriel was painting it out to be, I was not going to have my crew make light of how Asriel was very much not in danger and he would not be the easy prey Undyne was expecting.

"C'mon!  You turned a blind eye when Asgore trained me to join the Royal Guard!" Undyne protested.

The irony wrote itself.

"That...that was...!"

"Different, like how?"

"Oh dear...oh dear..." Alphys was going to be no help.

"Oh!  I knew I should have brought my camera crew with me.  This would make for exciting news!  I haven't been in the news casting game in a long while." Mettaton was amused by this prospect.

"This has the makings of being a fabulous pay-per-view event!  I wonder what streaming service would be interested in this.  Oh I simply am not prepared to live-stream this! "

"Mettaton!  You are not helping!"

Finally Tori turned to Asgore.

"I demand you put your foot down on this, Asgore!  This instant!"

"Well...I...er..." Asgore was...also going to be no help. He DID fight Undyne several times before she defeated him.

"Sorry, Tori.  Looks like you're out-voted." Sans shrugged. Yeah, he was going to be a neutral party by complete laziness.

"This can't be happening--"

Toriel felt Asriel's hand on hers.

"Mother...it will be okay.  I promise."

"Asriel...you can't mean--!"

"I accept your challenge, Undyne.  But we should take it to outside.  Out back away from prying eyes."

"Oh bother...what a wasted opportunity." Mettaton sulked.

"Preaching to the choir, MT.  I got one too many thwapping’s for making a spectacle of it back home."

"Just so you know, I'm not going to be happy if you bring up my first experience in the dojo, Vi.  I know you know all about it and as much as I've moved on...it's still embarrassing.  And...I still have a lot to unpack that I haven't dug into yet."

Asriel felt he could take his time with the explanation about his eye color quirk and his virtue powers...which were still dormant. Provided they still existed, on that note.

"Meet me out back after I've had time to prep and put on something better suited to sparring."

"Don't blame me if you get more than a few loose threads.    Just have a problem with holding back."

"Oh no..." Toriel was practically burying her face in her hands.

You know it was pretty mature of Asriel that he wasn't feeling slighted by Tori's panic attack. Really a parent should have more confidence in their son than this but...Toriel was always overprotective. Maybe this would be the wake-up call she needed.

"Sensei.  Your thoughts?"

"You know what is expected." Bunnie didn’t' mention the Grand Master title and she was keeping the "don't call me sensei" urge suppressed. I think she wanted it to be as much a surprise as anyone else who wasn't in the know.

Really. We were the only ones who knew what Undyne was getting herself into.

While Undyne hurried out back to wait for her opponent, going as-is...really, anyone who thought she'd be any less of a threat without the armor was only kidding themselves. Chances were, fighting without it carried Dragon Ball Z logic. Dropping 140 plus pounds of weighted clothes probably would make you faster and probably let you fight a little less confined...but...with a fish lady? Who could say if that was true.

Some moments later...

I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Almost ready." Azzy replied.

"So...umm..."

"It's fine, Volt.  I still don't LIKE resorting to violence but I'm not going to back down from a challenge.  Taking the easy way out is just delaying your next challenge in life, which in all fairness, will probably be all the more harder because you let your skills erode."

"You're sounding like Sarge."

"Good work ethic goes a long way.  And of course...live by hustle, loyalty, and respect."

"Huh.  Didn't think you were still a fan of John Cena."

"He's coming back, you know.  To challenge Roman Reigns."

I shook my head.

"I remember when you only used to humor Violet over WWE fandom; you let her show you those matches with those "sweaty wrestlers" under protest.  Your words, y'know."

"I think I've learned to appreciate it for what it is.  Just like what this is."

"Yeah...but Undyne's sure going to treat it like a real fight."

"You don't think I'm not?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Relax.  I get ya.  You have a little bit of Mom...Toriel in you, too."

"Yeah...listen...just--"

"Volt.   Your notes about intent are absolutely right.  I know you read about them in one of the many other Undertale AU's...probably AFAC, if I had to guess...but it's no less true here than it is there and many other AU's.  If you don't have the desire to kill or be killed then..."

"Yeah.  I hear ya.  Thanks for putting my mind at ease.  But...you're going to have to double your efforts to put Toriel's at ease, you know."

"I know.  She'll come around.  Mom will come around.  As for me..."

The door opened and there Azzy was in his training gi with the Rabbotou Dojo logo and such on the back. His black belt displayed prominently. And his sandals in hand.

"Takes me back to the days of always going barefoot." Azzy lead the way.

"Even grown up, those heart-shaped pads on your soles are adorable."

"Don't start talking like Vi, now." Asriel smirked.

"Perish the thought."

"Oh, and for the match, I'm going to keep these retracted." Asriel said as he pointed to his horns. "That's...also something I should probably explain to the folks as well.  Yes?"

"Ohhh boy yes.  Don't know how you're going to explain having blood and defined internal organs, too."

"Yeah...that's going to open a few eyes.  So...?"

I shook my head. "Sarina and Brooke confirmed there is no chance you can ever revert back to your monster species.  Your change to Genetic Hybrid is permanent.  You'll always be one of us."

"That was never a problem and it never will be.  It'll...just be something for everyone else to adapt to.  Plus..." Asriel said as his own soul emerged, pulsing red.

"Yeah...that, too."

We stopped for a moment in the hall...before accepting each other's manly handshake.

"It would be inappropriate to use the Cobra Kai slogan.  But...it is technically half of my philosophy."

"Cobra Kai. Never die." I shrug.

"Besides...sensei and I are more practitioners of Miyagi-dou."

"Finally his style has an actually name I can put in my notes." I chuckled.

"Hey..."

"I know." Asriel knew what I wanted to tell him. But I feel that would be spoilers of what was to come.

Out back...

You know, it was weird that Azzy described the gi as pajamas or a bathrobe. I mean everyone had a clear look at what I was wearing under my lab coat. I think I was the only one who came in one...and really...it was odd to see Bunnie in anything but her samurai robes and light gear, her training gi, or her ornate kimono or autumn yukata and getas. When she was clad like this, it was easier to believe she had actually spent time in modern Jang and its cities rather than confined to a dojo and temple.

Then again...she did have to strong-arm Violet not to wear that shirt Noodle wore in the Gorillaz video, "Humility"...that inappropriate play on "Hello, Kitty" one... Eeesh.

So. Here we were gathered in the oversized yard; wonderfully gardened by Asgore to be the stuff of national horticulture competitions. I think Papyrus even convinced him to trim a giant bush in his likeness like he did at the school. Nyeheheheh, indeed.

"Don't cry now." Undyne warned with a toothy grin.

"If I do, you can noogie me every day for a month." Asriel slyly sweetened the pot.

"Oh boy..." I rubbed my temples.

"You wear that thing in Snowdin--"

"And you guys will never be able to find me?  I've heard that one before." Asriel mused.

Is everyone peeking into my notes, somehow?

Bunnie had made a quick-change into a kendou training outfit, minus the headgear. Really, in this attire, she looked incredibly like Scott in his Kabuki Quantum Fighter form. She would serve as referee.

"Just so you know I plan to make this last just so you don't get overwhelmed with my awesome might."

"I'll try to afford the same luxury."

I'm sure sensei should mention Hadji Singh’s advice about killing a part of your soul when you lie...but again...I'm trying to adhere to my own orders to my crew about letting on about Asriel's talent.

"You both understand the rules.  This is not a street fight so any illegal moves or dirty moves will not be tolerated." Bunnie explained to them both.

"Understood."

"Yeah, yeah.  C'mon...give me some credit.  I'm the Spear of Justice, not a thug.  I get all that fight with honor stuff.  Toriel would have my head if I broke the rules."

"Okay.  Both opponents bow to each other; hands at your sides."

And they did so, in unity.

Bunnie paused for a moment to examine the look in each competitor's eyes to make sure there were no second thoughts.

Up went Bunnie's hand...

"HAKKYOI!!!" Down it swooped in a chop before Bunnie back-dashed.

"And here it comes--"

It's at this point...I'm afraid I'm going to have to cop out of what happened. Why? Because...well...sorry to disappoint you but...

"Tomare.  Winner: Asriel."

Oh yeah. This was definitely a blink-and-you-missed-it moment.

"Wh...what just happened?" Alphys checked her glasses to make sure she didn't just see what she thought she saw.

"Oh my!" Asgore covered his mouth to hide his obvious surprise.

Toriel was...speechless.

"Wowee!  I had no idea the Prince was so mighty!  Incredible!  He subdued Undyne in only three moves.  And without causing any noticeable injury!  He has truly proven himself worthy of the Great Papyrus' standards!"

"Goodness, dearies!  That was just so...short.  But....so amazingly...elegant!" Mettaton's fast eyes caught every millisecond. "What little I saw of it...poetry in motion.  So fluid.  So balanced.  Certainly the martial arts are comparable to the grandest of dances!"

"Okay...I'll admit...you got lucky...  Best...two out of three...?" Undyne murmured, still face-down.

And two more attempts later...

"Better not make it best five out of seven." Violet advised.

"The only thing hurt this day was Undyne's pride." Honey chuckled.

"Knock it off, you two." Sally thwapped them both like Moe Howard of the Three Stooges.

Violet responded with a Curly "woo-woo-woo" and a "nyuk-nyuk-nyuk" for good measure.

Asriel reached down and offered Undyne a hand up.

At first she almost whapped it away but caught herself, feeling like that would earn Toriel's scorn. Plus it would be bad sportsmanship.

So...she swallowed her pride.

"Well, what do you know...the little wimpy prince can finally take care of himself in a fight.  You know what...I'm gonna take this as a loss as a warrior but a win as a teacher if you can defend yourself now."

Bunnie decided the least she could do was part with a chunk of the credit for Azzy becoming a warrior.

She accepted the hand and let him pull her up.

"Our prince, everyone!  He's finally a badass butt-kicker!"

"Undyne!" Toriel snapped at the language.

"What?  It's true!"

"but remember...the reason we learn the martial arts to fight is so that we don't have to fight.  And right now...this is the highest form of martial arts there is: making a friend...from an enemy."

And thus Trini's words came back again. And I should say...Toriel recognized them quite well.

"I suppose there is nothing to worry about, my son."

"I've grown up in more ways than the obvious."

"Indeed you have.  Now...please explain to me... your horns."

"Ohhh boy.  Now THIS is the complicated part..."

Laughter all around my team and I.

Asgore just blinked, not quite getting it.

I heard Sans chuckle a bit. I knew what he was thinking...and I'd have to thwap Violet for thinking something dirty in response.

For now...maybe Asriel was content on directing his talents in other ways...

Sub-Entry 108: "A Far More Peaceful Demonstration of Azzy's Talents":
"Well, now that we've taking this back indoors--"

"And you didn't even need a shower afterwards." Violet prodded.

"Yes, yes.  I didn't break a sweat." Asriel shrugged it off, his modesty trying not to rub salt in Undyne's wounded pride. C'mon we could still tell she was beside herself inside; unable to wrap her head how Azzy could be this awesome.

Asriel set down his guitar case and saxophone case next to where he decompressed one of Violet's grand pianos now that Jon and I helped Asgore rearrange the furniture to make room for it.

Azzy had a seat at the bench but away from the piano, as he fit the saxophone together first. That was now I knew he wanted to make the best first impression...with a song I'm sure would leave the biggest impact on his mother.

I knew exactly which one.

The moment he put the mouthpiece to his lips I was counting in my head.

And there it was...from Ronan Hardiman's soundtrack to Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and Feet of Flames......"Fiery Nights".

And with that Toriel just melted over it. The well-spring of emotion came flooding back as the memories rolled forth. Just like that, it took her back to a cold, lonely night in Snowdin Town on a borrowed park bench.

Low and behold, by a sub-conscious urge, she found herself forming the shape of a heart with her hands right about the time I did.

"How I've missed that sound..." I heard Asgore whisper.

"Holy crap!  What do you call that thing?"

"Oh!  It's  called a saxophone!" Alphys was quick to respond to Undyne.

"It does have a rather mellow sound to it.  Not at all like Sans' incidental trombone music..." Papyrus deadpanned at the thought of Sans blowing a few notes after some hilarious situation.

"Heh.  This is the kind of sound to turn anyone into a lazy bones.  Kudos to you, kiddo."

That was Sans' way of saying he liked it.

"I've heard saxophones before since arriving on the surface.  I must say, they are quite versatile.  If ever a more vocal instrument that could match my golden sound, this would certainly come close."

Still vain but, I'll accept the compliment to my instrument of choice.

I think even Napstablook was getting into it.

And once he finished...

"My son...that was..." Toriel was just a sniffling mess at that point.

"Here, here!  Our son is quite the talented one, is he not?"

"I'm just getting warmed up.  Now, normally I'd really like to cut loose with this one but...pretty sure playing it loud is a bit too much to start with.  So...something a little more subdued."

I took the liberty of setting up his amplifier and making the adjustments until he had the right sound going.

And then then he played his song of choice. Yeah...it was "King of Pain" by Sting and the Police. It was not only that Asgore got an ear-full of Asriel's talent for the guitar...but Mettaton was equally wowed by the fact that Mitzi had trained our goat son to have a pretty good set of pipes when he felt like doing a vocal performance.

When the song was finished...

"My boy..."

"Yeah.  You don't have to say anything.  I understand perfectly." It was Asriel's way of letting Asgore know...despite everything...he forgave his father for his dark deeds in the past. It was his way of saying that he understood how Asgore stood alone despite having the support of his people. Without the support of Toriel...it was next to meaningless. The burden of being just one more sin away...one more soul to break the barrier.

"You've all taught him so well.  I cannot believe how incredible Asriel is at music!"

"Well...it wasn't our goal to make him a prodigy but...it just sort of happened." I shrugged.

"But I suspect he had help getting here." Callista said, getting her violin out of her case.

"You know, I was just thinking that we need to turn this party into one Hellacious shindig." Violet elbowed Bunnie.

I could see the anime throbbing vein marks on her forehead.

A sigh and then a sign that she agreed.

"Well, boss.  I don't know if this is on the itinerary, but it sure would liven things up a little."

"Yeah, pity Marcel isn't here with his accordion." Vi mused.

"He doesn't play Weird Al Yankovic songs.  Get over it." I reminded.

A few more songs on the guitar and saxophone and piano and he'd gone around the room and wowed everyone with something personal that would resonate with each. Even surprising Alphys that Violet managed to help him memorize the theme to Mew Mew Kissy Cutie.

But I suppose he had to round out the night with a medley of a few things...which finally culminated with many of us getting our instruments out of E.N.G.I.N.E. storage and building up to a rendition of Hopes and Dreams/Save the World that Asriel felt...was somehow etched into his heart and soul despite having no idea where the song even came from or how he knew it.

And perhaps...that was the trigger that set the stage for our final guest to arrive.

Almost like it was prophesized...yeah. Things shifted again when she arrived.

"I'll get it!" Asriel hopped off the piano seat after Undyne started debating to give in to the temptation to play something herself. Oh boy.

Honestly, he was expecting some of the other monsters who said they'd show up like Grillby and Muffet. So were we. It was said earlier that the Eighth Fallen was likely traveling all the way from a University so we were expecting them super late but...

Destiny wouldn't wait on this one. And by golly...it was a meeting that hit the final punctuation mark.

"Howdy--"  Was all that he got out of his mouth when that door opened...and his eyes...met hers.

Sub-Entry 109: "Frisk Finally Arrives.   At First Sight...Again":
I wish I had a better description to give when that moment arrives where time stands still. It's a frozen moment in mind only while the clocks continue ticking. But it's a moment where all higher brain functions just seem to stop and all you can do is stare. Yet...you're not motionless. Somewhere inside, your heart is racing with millions of different feelings all culminating into a massive surge that you don't know how to alleviate. What is the most proper way to acknowledge the other person without making a spectacle? What if they don't know the answer?

Here we were.

Asriel had the memories of their meeting and team-up in the battle of the 7-fold cross rip. So did she. It's not like they were complete strangers to one another.

So...why did the both of them have so much trouble, making their brains move...making their voices heard... Why could they only gaze at each other?

I think...this was the moment. This was the moment that it all came back to me. Asriel's big weakness around the opposite gender...being sought after but none of those female suitors seeking for the right reasons....

Oh yeah. I recognized it in the words of Marty McFly's explanation of how he knew Jennifer Parker was the one. Far be it for me to say so, considering it was the cause of and answer to his and Doc's time travel problems...but it really was just like lightning. Or an alternative description:  It's a curious thing--makes one man weep, makes another man sing. Changes a hawk into a white dove. More than a feeling...that's the power of--

"I'm in love..." Was what Asriel almost said, much as Kevin Keene had done so upon laying eyes on Princess Lana for the first time.

"Asriel?  Who is at the door?  Do not keep them waiting!  Invite them in!"

A blink or two before he snapped back to reality.

"H-hello..." Frisk returned his greeting, just as delayed as his own reaction.

Another lengthy pause.

It was at that moment the song in my head playing was B.E.R.'s own song, "You're the One" from the second Night Begins to Shine incident that the Teen Titans had experienced.

"YOU’RE THE ONE!"

In that moment...I think the Major, Mitzi, a few others, and I realized it.

"There’s hope

You’ll see

Stay strong hold on tight"

All his hopes and dreams...and now his wish was at hand. This was his reward for choosing to take my hand and leave his doomed world. This was his reprieve for choosing to live. This was what he waited all his life for.

"In time

Someplace

There’s a truth shining bright"

I tried desperately not to jump to conclusions or foreshadow that what I suspected was true all along. But I think anyone sharp enough to read through my logs would have known...this version of Asriel...this version of Frisk. They were…just meant to be.

"Waters that run the rivers of life

Wash away what’s wrong to make it right

Sun is rising for a better day

Nothin’ can stand in your way"

The sun had peeked out from behind the clouds and was shining directly behind Frisk...the way she was standing, her head was framed just so that it was like there was a halo around her.

I had said that Asriel was the Angel of Prophecy all along...but...this was making me think maybe that label could be shared by the both of them.

"You’re the one

You’re the one

You’re the one who fills the night with light in song"

There was no music playing that moment...but I could almost feel the song in his heart at that moment.

"Flying

On high

Seeing all the needs to fill"

If they both had wings...yeah...I think they would be flying right now.

"Waters that run the river of life

Wash away what’s wrong to make it right

Sun is rising for a better day

Nothin’ can stand in your way"

I think it was about that time the fountain that I hadn't noticed in the Dreemurr's yard had switched on.

"You’re the one

You’re the one

You’re the one who fills the night with light in song"

Callista understood immediately. She put her hand on Scott's as he caught on before long, too.

Despite how aware we were of this moment, the Dreemurrs and the other Boss Monsters had yet to notice who was at the door.

"You’re the one bring in the light

You’re the one to make it right

You’re the one bring in the light

You’re the one to make it right

Shining bright"

That dazzle in her eyes. I just had to believe that she felt the same as he did.

Bunnie sensed something stirring in both their souls. Like...something dormant had awakened.

Violet wasn't sure, but she checked her Cyberdrive Gauntlet. No...no sign of the code...but...the two of them were resonating similarly at a wavelength not unlike the code.

Was it just me...or was Asriel's soul cycling through EACH of the seven virtues in regular succession; synchronized to his own heartbeat? My ears were playing tricks on me....or were they?

Perhaps...it was the last line of Destiny's ultimate plan for us. That one last "nice touch", in Garfield's own words when something had that last bit of unexpected presentation that made everything perfect.

"You’re the one

You’re the one

You’re the one who fills the night with light in song"

And finally...they both snapped out of their moment of catharsis. Frisk was first to speak.

"You are...really him...?"

"It is you...you ARE the one...!  The Eighth Fallen...the one this Undertale story has always been about.  You are the answer to the question...the key to the promise."

"You are...the only one who never took a soul...the who never crossed the barrier...the one who never died...and you are...the only one to have a future.  You are...Asriel."

"And you...are Frisk."

The moment lasted for a moment longer before...

"Goodness, Asriel.  What has gotten into you?  You've been standing there without inviting them in!  Hmm?"

Then she noticed.

"Oh my!  Welcome home, Frisk!  Did you have a wonderful day at the University?"

Frisk shook off the moment of bewilderment.

"Oh!  Oh yes, mom!  It was hard work but I'm certainly learning a lot."

"Is that our wonderful Ambassador between humans and monsters?   Goodness, Frisk!  You are growing like the grandest of flowers!"

"Oh.  It's the brat." Flowey muttered.

"Frisk, I know this is going to sound impossible but this is--"

"We've uh...actually already met.  It's...complicated." Asriel rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah...we...kind of met during that ummm...joining of dimensions...what do you call it?"

"Seven-fold Cross rift." I replied. "Hello, Frisk.  We meet again as well."

"Hey ya, kiddo.  Got a hello for your Dunkle Sans?"

A giggle. "There's my favorite skelly."

"Friiiiisk!" Papyrus.

"Well...second favorite?"

"Heh.  My brother is a hard act to follow." Sans shrugged like he didn't care.

"Greetings, my human friend!  You've bounced back quite nicely since we agreed to both be in the friend zone."

Oh. My. Gods and goddesses.

"Hello, Papyrus."

"C'mere, kiddo!  You're not getting off without your customary--"

Uh-oh...

And before I knew it Undyne had already gotten her bestie into a headlock for a noogie.

"Eheheheh...good to see you too, Undyne."

"Oh!  H-hey, F-Frisk.  I'm h-here, too."

"I'm glad, Dr. Alphys.  I missed you, as well."

"Oh!  M-m-maybe some time later--"

"Of course.  Anime night."

"There's our wonderful starlette, now!   Blooky, look!  Frisk has finally graced us with her return!  Isn't it just magnificent?"

"ohhh....hi....i'm...glad you came back..."

Shyren just kinda waved from behind Napstablook.

"Have you a hug for Mr. Dad Guy?"

And yup. Frisk found herself in the biggest and dad-est of bearhugs, rag-dolling only slightly. I was reminded of Kris' same experience.

And finally...

"I see you over there, Flowey!  I can't believe you left the RUINS!"

"Grrr...what is this?  Everybody rub it in to the ex-prince day?  Why can't you just let me have my peace and stop reminding me what I gave up?"

"Just as grumpy as always, aren't you?"

"And you're too cheerful and naive for your own good, brat."

"I'm going to convince you one day that it's okay to lower your guard from time to time.  The whole world's not out to get you.  Not with that horrible person gone and the Goddess' game being over."

"And she'll have help trying to get you to see the lighter side of things." Asriel mused.

"We're all here and...we have quite a few guests.    Frisk, I'd like you to meet Dr. Arcade....and...you have already met, have you  not?" Toriel introduced us or started to.

"Well.  The Doctor did say it was...complicated."

"So...all of this about our world...being a game is...true?"

"Yes.  I'm...afraid it is true.  Mom.  Dad.  The game's been over for a while now.  We can all live our lives.  For real this time.  And like I promised.  No more resets.  No erasing the save.  And especially no genocide runs; though...I can't speak for the other versions of me that came before.  They're...probably long gone now."

"I cannot imagine a human reincarnating so many times...in so many different ways." Asgore tugged at his beard.

"That's the nature of the game...or it was when it was in the Goddess' control." Frisk frowned.

"The truth is we may never know the origin of your game world...and everything and everyone in it.  Like so many others...the Goddesses just downloaded it, imported it, just grabbed a copy of it from its point of origin in the Axis of Realities and made it their own.  Mod-ed it, re-wrote it, changed the very nature of some of its characters...and of course even rebuilt it from the ground up with a very big twist of their own agreed-upon design.  Just like so many other worlds in the UltraVerse.  Many of my crew have prime universe and alternate universe counterparts all over the Axis in different flip side versions of worlds."

"Indeed."

"You said you didn't have much to tell us about the surface world but...from the sounds of it you have several lifetimes of things that you could teach us about our InfinityVerse." Alphys pondered."

"Well...I guess with my cover story no longer needing to be one...maybe I should think about bringing Undertale into the circle of worlds that...well...know the truth." I considered this. "But even scratching the surface could take a lifetime...generations even."

"The possibilities sound endless." Frisk beamed with joy. "And you could help show me around the cosmos, right?" she asked Asriel.

It was then that Toriel noticed the two of them holding hands and.

"Oh my!" She uttered.

"Well...it seems that I have some cleanup in the other room that I have neglected."

"Did you need help, Mom?"

"No, no.  I'd rather you take a load off and get to know our new friends.  Spend as much time as you need.  It would be unfair of me to ask you to do chores so soon after you've had such a full day.  It is fine.  Asgore and I will take care of it."

"But Tori--"

"Now, Asgore..." Toriel yanked him into the other room, growling between clenched teeth.

"Yes, dear..."

Oh boy.

"Don't mind us." Bunnie grabbed Violet by the ear and dragged her into one of the other areas while the rest of us followed.

"What are you--"

Violet took a moment to survey the situation before her mouth twisted into a mischievous grin.

"Don't even think about it." Bunnie tugged a little firmer.

"Oww oww oww!"

And in short order, I don't know how we managed...we ended up giving Frisk and Asriel a bit of privacy.

Sub-Entry 110: "Asriel and Frisk"
"So.  Um..."

"Yeah."

"Well...you first." Asriel offered.

"Okay...um...well...after I came to, Mom and Dad and the others were crowded around me in the patch of grass outside of the barrier room.  We all had some meaningful conversations before I walked all the way through the Underground to say good-bye to everyone.

We...had our talk with the other Asriel...and...afterwards I headed back...got my affairs in order...

I headed to the last door and it reminded me...that if I left here my adventure really would be over and that my friends would follow me out of the underground.

So...there we were...outside the mountain. And there we were staring at the sun."

Honestly...I didn't get a chance to find out if it was sunrise or sunset. It could have been either, really. Either way...a whole new world spread out to them all...some for the first time for the last time........yeah.......Spaceballs moment aside, I was the last one out after Frisk.

"I'm...sorry I didn't really say goodbye to the Doctor."

"Volt understood.  His role in this was ending all the same and...he just wasn't one for long goodbyes."

I would have made an exception if I could.

"So...I agreed to be the ambassador between humans and monsters.  And...I also decided to stay with mom...Toriel."

"That feels like something you would do.  I mean...not that I know what you'd do but...I just--"

"Yeah...I get you."

"So...it was an interesting 7 years...making our presence known to the surface...dispelling age-old tales and folklore of the mountain where Monsters were imprisoned...the mountain that swallowed up little children over the years.  I don't think they could have asserted themselves without my glowing endorsement."

Asriel smiled.

"It took time to adapt to the outside...to use what resources we had from the Underground...to make lives for ourselves.  But...somehow in this short amount of time we made great strides...founded a town...and finally made a future.

The last I saw of you was...agreeing to return to this place so we could...permanently break the game."

"Yeah...a pact we formed to never tell anyone how we did it.  Just in case...someone would try to find a way to restore the game."

"And so that you could watch these...twin Goddesses to make sure it stayed permanent."

It was always going to be a cop-out to never explain how they did it. But I understood WHY they did it.

I heard Flowey moan a bit. It may have been what he wanted...something new rather than an endless cycle of repeating timelines. Over and over, either destroying the world only to bring it back...or giving everyone their happy ending...only to take it away. It was finally something different...and he was scared. There was no going back for him, either. He was stuck as a flower now and forever. There was only the way forward. Even though he was neither human nor monster...he was still a living thing. And all living things that weren't immortal like me or the Goddesses had one thing in common: their days were always numbered. Someday...Flowey could very well wilt...wither...and die. And that would be it.

But even I didn't know if that was the case, being infused with so much Determination...so much will to live. Was it possible that he couldn't die until somehow that Determination withered first?

He wasn't powerful enough to tamper with timelines even if he could. He couldn't save. He couldn't load. He couldn't reset. I don't know if he even had the ability to take souls anymore.

Flowey's moan had gotten Frisk's attention.

She...decided to put off asking about him just a bit longer.

"So...what about you?"

"Went back home.  Found a new calling with Mojikara soccer...I'll explain it some kind.   Took the season off to finish up college and all.  So...I spent seven years kind of...pulling back on the reigns and slowing down my adventures off world.

In the time that passed I...started to realize I was becoming like Volt while...he was becoming like me. While he retired and finally stopped worrying. I became self-conscious and...too willing to live up to everyone else's expectations. Kind of made me a nervous wreck and....embarrassing to admit, I kinda spent a lot of time running away from mobs of girls."

"...?"

"It's not what you think.  I'm not....y'know."

"Oh.   Well.  Yeah.  Well, that's good.  I mean...I support your choice."

"Let's not give Aunt Vi awkward conversation to make light of.  There were a lot of girls who...were interested in me but...not for any of the right reasons.  And really...I think I was a late-bloomer if you understand what I mean."

Frisk tried not to giggle.

"You don't have to be shy around me."

Asriel blushed for a moment.

"Anyway...had a few more crossover adventures off world...then one night I found my old sweater and pants...and I had a dream.  And...you were in that dream.  That's...how I knew how to ask Volt the question that...got the ball rolling."

"I see." Frisk cocked her head.

"You were the answer to it all.  And...once he understood that I understood...he took me to his personal Dimensional Research Lab and......restored the memories I asked him to erase after coming back home from my Astral Projection to Undertale.

Then...he bequeathed the D.R.L. and all his research on Undertale and its many, many AU's to me. I spent...days soaking it all in...learning about other versions of us. Of Mom and Dad. Sans and Papyrus. Undyne, Alphys, Mettaton, and Muffet...all of the Underground.

When I...came to terms with it...I came to a decision...that...I wanted to come home. To Undertale. So...here we are."

Flowey rolled his eyes.

"So...how did you get him to...?"

"I outlasted him in a test of wills...of Determination.  He finally backed down and agreed.  And...I planted him in one of Lupe's pots and...came back here.  Fashionably late but...the truth could finally be told about me.  About all of us."

"Wow."

"Yeah.  Wow."

"What a life you must have lived..."

"I think if he hadn't found me...I'd still be in the void...outside of space and time...running away from my destiny as Prince of this World's Future."

"When you say it...it takes on new meaning."

"Yeah...I know what Flowey meant and...it still feels like a double-edged blade.  I didn't decide to accept the title because I wanted it...it's because I needed to.  Because someone else...needed me to be."

A long lengthy pause.

"Chara?"

"Chara."

Asriel had a seat. Frisk followed suit.

"How do I even explain Chara...my version, rather."

"We'll...talk about the other one when we're...when we're up to it."

"Agreed."

"So...you saw her briefly...back then.  You must have a lot of questions."

"Yeah.  But...you don't have to answer them all right now.  Or if you even feel like it.  I understand.  It's...still very personal."

"It is.  However...every iteration of you had them as either a companion or...an echo in the mirror."

Frisk nodded.

"She's still the piece that missing, isn't she?  She should be here with us."

"And yet she cannot." Asriel looked down at his sandals. "She's...found her calling...her redemption.  With it comes...a responsibility she can't duck out of so easily."

"She must be doing some kind of good in the afterlife, right?"

"No doubt." Asriel smiled. "But...she's as much your sibling as she was mine.  And..."

"Yeah...he was as much our sibling despite how he turned and walked away from us."

"He turned his back on everything because of sister's recklessness...her impatience.  In her time being possessed by a horrible creature...in her time acting as a horrible creature, she...ended up spawning a horrible creature.  This timeline's Chara...he lost his way and...Adonis found his pawn."

Frisk sniffled a little.

"He fought me so many times.  And lost every time until..."

"Until...?"

"I think we both know the answer to that.  I sure do...I sure saw.  That was when I learned the truth about him.  That he wasn't just some random punk Adonis picked up and brainwashed.  He was this world's rightful First Fallen.  And my Chara had denied him that right.   My sister had forced him out of timeline, UTPR-3224 only for him to come back in this timeline, UTPR-3235.  I was paying for sister's unresolved sins.  Within a moment, Dr. Adonis made him pay for all Evil-Chara's sins.  In that moment he wanted to apologize but..."

Asriel hung his head.

"Oh no..."

"It was...gruesome."

Asriel felt her hand on his shoulder. Frisk rubbed it slightly to comfort him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?  You didn't cause this."

"But maybe I enabled him.  If I hadn't reset the timeline--"

"Water under the bridge.  I'm sure...somehow he'd find his way back and...things would only get more complicated.  Our parents wouldn't recognize him since...my Chara established herself in that timeline so...he'd forever trying to prove his birthright until Adonis decided to make his move.  Things would still be complicated and..."

"Maybe worse so?"

"Yeah."

Surprisingly, it was Frisk who reached over and wiped Asriel's tears.

"Huh...I thought...I kicked this habit.  I guess...once a crybaby, always a crybaby."

"It's okay.  I like you this way."

"You...like me?"

"Uhhh!!!!  I m-mean I--!" Frisk stammered, turning as pink in the cheeks as Asriel.

"I just think you should be yourself, is all!"

Is he really going to buy that--

"Oh!  I understand.  Yeah. I guess it does show integrity if I don't try convincing myself big boys don't cry."

...he is.

"So um..." Asriel tiddled his thumbs a bit nervously. "I hope this isn't forward of me to ask but...what's the deal with flirting?"

"Uhhh!" Frisk stammered.

"You...didn't really flirt with mom, did you?"

Annnnnnd Frisk buried her face in her hands as she turned as red as Papyrus' scarf.

"Whoah whoah ! I didn't mean anything by it!  I mean it is a little weird but...oh no, I'm not saying you're weird!  Because I have no right to talk about weird when...aww jeeeze!"

Asriel practically flailed, trying to save face.

As soon as I heard Violet whisper to herself "This is DELICIOUS!"...

"Yoink." Drew snatched Vi's phone.

"Hey!"

"Your business if you want to end up in the boss' office in time-out." Drew scolded.

"Most dishonorable, Murasaki-iro-chan." Usagi dragged his girlfriend away.

"Thanks, you two."

"So...how long...?" Rotor started to ask.

"Some would say it was written in the stars.  Some would say at first sight.  I guess only the two of them can answer that but...in order to do that...they both have to realize it, first." Mitzi replied.

"You're speaking as if you're in the know." Honey crossed her arms.

"Someone who's been there and back, yeah.  Granted...I may still be single but...I've learned to recognize what's fake and what's real.  I think...that right there is the real deal."

"Our son is growing up." Callista whispered. She and Toriel shared a closed-eyes smile and tried to contain their happiness. A mother could tell.

Asgore just blinked.

Dense as a brick.

"Your highness...you'll figure it out." Scott patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't hold your breath." Honey stuck her tongue out.

"Hey.  Not cool, partner.  Give Fluffybuns some credit." Sally scolded.

"No catnip for you." Willie prodded.

"Hey now!"

Hard to tell if it was a joke or... ...then again if it were real, pretty sure Honey would be probably suspended or barred from racing for violating the no chemical, mechanical, or genetic enhancement rules.

But I digress.

"Grow up, all of you." I point off toward the kitchen for everyone eavesdropping to get moving.

I took a moment to smile. "Good luck, Goat Son.  I think you find the one.  Miss Right."

And then all was silent until.

"...how much of a dumpster fire is this?"

"Pretty bad."

"They were listening in, you know."

"They were?"

"These goat ears aren't just for looks."

"I bet they think we're going to give them something juicy to talk about."

"Well, we could give them what they want which would be mischievous or we could disappoint them."

"I'm all for teaching them a lesson, Asriel."

"It'll have to wait.  Volt already caught them in the act."

"I guess that works out then.  But..."

"Yeah..."

"So...there's so much I want to ask."

"Same here."

"Well...maybe we should just...chill the rest of the night.  Maybe find another time to get to know each other when we don't have so much company over?"

"I think that would be best, Frisk."

"So...that said..."

Frisk looked outside the window.

"How about...seeing the town?"

"I'd like that."

"Let's discuss it with the others and...I'll give you the grand tour."

"Well then...it's only fair I offer you a ride while we do so." Asriel dangled his key ring on his index finger.

"Isn't it a little cliche to pick up a girl by showing off your car?"

"I don't know.  Isn't it a little cliche that you've already accepted?"

"Presumptuous...but you're right.  I do accept.  Touché, your highness.  Touché."

"I haven't had this much fun bantering with someone in a long time."

"Kind of a first for me.  I think I see what Chara saw it."

"I figured that out a while ago." Asriel smiled.

"Let's make your homecoming official."

"Let's."

Sub-Entry XXX: "Retroactively Telling How We Fixed the Hill Valley/Cybertron Timeline":
With so much going on lately, I can't believe I let this really big detail slip my mind. But I'm sure you've been wondering for a couple months of my mission logs how the heck we put the timeline back on track.

Suffice to say...we've really remastered the timeline yet...somehow we steered events right back into where the belonged with a pair of confident McFly parents, the 4x4 pickup truck that Marty always wanted, and Biff McFly still trying to get away with putting only one coat of wax on the family car. Furthermore, the events of Marty and Jennifer going into 2015 were also back on track. Somehow when sentient robots from another planet jack your time machine...you still don't learn when a sports almanac gets involved. Yeah...the BttF, BttF pt. II, BttF pt. III, and the "TellTales" Citizen Brown timelines were all intact and Marty would still on his way to that Renaissance Faire where he'd knock Biff Tanen into a wooden cart full of manure during a jousting event. Good times.

Okay, enough TL;DR summery of how things worked out. While I give Asriel and Frisk time to catch up...it's time for the explanation of...well...how things worked out. Faster than you can say "Miss Minutes", let's go all the way back to that point in time when we discovered the Hill Valley Courthouse Square clocktower courthouse had transformed into a giant Decepticon...

For some reason I couldn't get this little jingle out of my head...like an opening segue...the first 90 seconds of an Overture composed by Alan Silvestri...

"Looks to me that we need to beat the clock once and for all!"

Yeah. Pretty sure Goat Son appreciated the pun but...now was definitely not the time.

Before we knew it we were exhausting our resources trying desperately and failing to keep the Decepticons at bay.

"Dr. Brown!  You have to get your fellow humans to safety!" Rodimus ordered.

Mentor was adamant about not abandoning his new allies.

"You leave them to us!  We can take care of it."

"You'll be vulnerable on the battlefield.  We can't let the Ionic Nullifier fall into Decepticon hands."

"Whoah, whoah!  Rodimus!  Doc can't go!  He has to fix Gigawatt's Flux Capacitor!"

This was certainly not the time to argue while Autobots were getting shot up and actually dying.

"Go, Azzy!  I'll help with the repairs!"

"Let's go!  Follow the sheep!" George urged.

"I'm a goat." Asriel wrinkled his snoot as he got on the NX Switch Pro. "Sometimes, parents just don't understand..." He shook his head, inadvertently quoting Will "the Fresh Prince" Smith.

It was just as well that Asriel left the battlefield. I don't think he'd want to see what happened next.

I almost dropped my tools as I watched the unnamed clocktower behemoth of a Decepticon open fire and nail Bumblebee with a direct hit.

"Oh slag..." I uttered as I struggled to believe that he was gone. Gone in an instant. One with the Matrix so soon.

"That...didn't just happen..." I uttered.

"Dr. Arcade!  I most certainly don't like to ignore the woes of our falling allies but you need to focus on the work at hand.  This is a delicate procedure and a wrong mistake could vent serious noble gases from the capacitor assembly--"

"Right, right.  Sorry, mentor.  You'd think after the Crossover Wars I'd be used to gruesome scenes by now."

"Crossover what now?"

"Never mind!"

"Let's step this up!" Gigawatt urged. "It's only a matter of time before that thing sees us!"

"Time...the one thing we never seem to have enough of and we're ironically enough working on a time machine.  Certainly the universe has a cruel sense of humor."

"At the very least a pissed off goddess who's been losing the game of Ultimate Good and Evil for the last seven years." I brushed it off.

"Okay!  That does it!  You're good to go...!"

If only his timing were a little better Clocktower beast wouldn't have spotted us and zeroed in and opened fire. I knew I could reconstitute from that blast but Emmett couldn't. Worse, I knew that even trying to shield him, we'd both get swallowed up in the river of death from his weapon.

But we didn't get a word in edgewise because it was Gigawatt who made the ultimate sacrifice by transforming into vehicle mode and taking the blast for us!

"Dammit, NO!  Not after we just repaired--"  I wanted to pound on something.

This damage was pretty bad but the Flux Capacitor and Time Circuits stayed intact. Lucky break. Not so lucky was the fact that the damage meant Gigawatt might not have enough left to accelerate up to 88 MPH.

"Marty!  Get in!" I pushed him into the driver's seat.

"Whoah, whoah, wait!  Doc!  Both of you!"

"There's no time!  There never is!"

"This may be our only chance!  We have to try!" Gigawatt urged while I watched Ectotron out of the corner of my eye. His proton streams weren't doing a thing and I worried that he might not last much longer if a single shot could do that to Bumblebee.

Marty pulled the gull wing door closed and Gigawatt sped off.

But I could already see my fears were confirmed as he was having trouble accelerating up to the necessary 88 MPH.

"Doooc!  He can't make it!"

I tried in vain attempting to magnetically push back on the Courthouse Robot...it was just too big and I didn’t' have NEARLY enough mass to weigh me down. It was going to drag me toward it if I increased the pull and I was going to go flying if killed the magnetism, as I dug in my heels.

"We might not get out of this one, Mentor.   Mentor?"

Where had...?

Oh crap.

Asriel had managed to rush back and get an eye full of everything that happened.

"Oh no..." He lamented over Bumblebee's corpse. I could see him fighting the tears.

"Volt!"

"Azzy!"

"It can't end like this--"

That was when I heard the sudden burst of the Delorean accelerating out of nowhere.

"But how...?"

"Look!"

Marty had been jolted to hard by the acceleration burst, it threw him back against the driver's seat.

Asriel pointed out what had happened. Emmett was riding atop Skilz and the two of them had given them a much-needed surge of speed.

The last hint that Marty and Gigawatt had ever been there was a license plate spinning on its corner in the middle of the street amongst a pair of fire trails, moments before it lost momentum and fell over; the plate reading not "OUTTATIME" but rather "GIGS".

Well. That was one way to keep track of which Delorean was which and we were going to have three of them in the same place once we caught up.

"Ha! This is why you'll never win, Decepticon. Autobots and humans, working side-by-side. Freedom for all!" Rodimus left one last quip of defiance on the battlefield.

"No—destruction for all!!!"

Asriel and I both turned away, cringing in dread as the horrific deed took place and Rodimus was crushed underfoot. Literally.

"We have to get out of here, or we're next."

I didn't come this far to regenerate next to Goat Son's dead body. "Ectotron!  Get us a way back to you-know-what!"

And soon we had  an Ectomobile escort back to where our Delorean was stashed.

"You know we really could have avoided all of this if we'd just lent them--"

"You know why we couldn't do that." I sighed.

There were a lot of reason why we didn't just let Marty head back to the past with ours. But the most pressing reason was the paradox nature of that fact that our Delorean was time-cloned off the lightning strike that hit in 1955 Return and had gone the Citizen Brown incident. It was already on borrowed time and it could fade out at any moment unless we restored the timeline. The ripple effect was catching up to us and I couldn't risk that it would crap out before Marty had a chance to stop Rumble.

I think replacing the Chromium parts with Titanium, as Doc had mentioned during the end of Citizen Brown was buying us time and preventing that destination time discrepancy bug. The one Marty managed to use to "age" young Emmett's spot remover formula as Citizen Brown was attempting to diagnose the Time Circuit problem.

"Yeah.  C'mon, darlin'.  Hold together."

It was the second time...okay actually the first time Asriel had said it, with his trip to Ebott being the second. I felt he was channeling something from...back when we investigated Summerville for my other Mentor's mission to that creepy old farmhouse.

Either way...

"Sorry about this, Ectronymous...but..." I tapped at some new additions to the console I had added to this version. As we hit 88 MPH, the Wormhole Emitter projected not one but two portals through time.

"Hey!  What are--"

"We can't risk the timelines any more than we have!  You're going back to New York!  We'll go it alone from here to make sure Marty's got this in hand!  Tell Egon I'll catch up to him when I can!"

While he headed back to New York in the dawn of the 1990's (yet STILL somehow looking like it hadn't left the 1980's, somehow, let alone crossed into mid 90's "Extreme" territory...weird.)...we were headed back to that fateful night when Rumble was on his way to the Autobot Arc to reactivate Megatron and cause the Decepticons to rise up ahead of schedule.

Speaking of Marty and Gigawatt...

Marty was heartbroken and beside himself with grief.

"I can't believe we left them back there.  Doc, Dad, Mom...Einstein...even Biff."

"Emmett's right.  You really do have trouble thinking fourth-dimensionally.  Don't worry about it.  If we fix this, they'll all be fine when we get back to 1985.  We're going to have to fix this ourselves."

"I hope your right."

"Dr. Arcade's data points out that Rumble's targeted timeline was a year before; 1984."

In that moment they made the displacement to the targeted year.

The year that the Autobots and Decepticons were awakened from stasis. Yeah...and the year of the Cross dimensional rift in New York as visited by Gozer the Gozerian. Though I hadn't actually confirmed that they were one and the same Earth or if they were parallels of each other on different dimensional planes. I'd been meaning to confirm that all my life, yet I'd brought Emmett and Egon together without doing that before. Huh.

Anyway...that meant they had to reach Mount St. Hilary	.

Marty and Gigawatt had a head start on us.

"We're here!"

"Man...this place again." Asriel looked at the desert landscape. We weren't all THAT far from Hill Valley, geographically speaking. Closer to that than New York.

"We have to stop them from reactivating Megatron." Asriel realized the task at hand, gripping his fist. "Not keen on a rematch with him after the clashes we've ALREADY had." He was recalling Evil-Chara's sixth go when his Perseverance Virtue manifest.

Yup. His eyes turned yellow. He was out for justice.

"If Rumble gets to the Arc first, he'll have Teletron-1 reactivate all the Decepticons and reformat them with their Earth alt-forms.  And likely lay waste to the Autobots inside, too."

"C'mon.  Let's put an end to this before it ends us." I worried that time was running out on our Delorean...and if it went so did nearly ALL of our timelines. Not just Project Dreemurr but EVER instance I'd use the DMC-12 after inheriting it. In fact...it would be the end of S.T.C. and the Institute for Future Technology...and by extension...my immortality with it as I'd have never found the Goddess or forged the White Knight Contract. Big. Big. Stakes.

"Look!" Asriel pointed ahead of us.

There was the other Delorean Time Machine with Rumble in the driver's seat...and Biff Tanen following behind in a dump truck full of energy cubes.

"I didn't even consider that...the Decepticons would be energy starved after being buried for 65 million years!  With that many cubes--"

"They'd be at full strength." Asriel finished.

"I don't see Marty.  We have to run them off the road!" Azzy concluded.

"Rumble's the more pressing target."

"Yeah...but two aluminum body vehicles crashing into each other...it's not going to end well for both of us."

"It's a risk we'll have to take.  I know you can repair them both if it comes to that and get the other one back to Doc."

"I already planned for that." I had the synchronizing emitters. "KOMMAND is standing by with a beacon through the Circuits of Time.  Once Rumble is out of the seat, we'll beam it back to Doc in 2015.  He can take care of the rest and put time back on its proper axis.  In the end it'll go through the previous time loops and end up right back in the Institute for Future Technology and ultimately back to the Z-Vault.  The ripple effect will stop before it starts...hopefully."

"But even we're not match for Rumble, aren't we?"

"Seismic piledrivers?  Even we can't maintain our balance with those in play."

I charged ahead.

"Here's hoping we can keep most of her intact--"  I started before something blindsided Rumble.

"Gigawatt!" Asriel gasped.

"They made it!"

Huh...somehow we made it here ahead of them. But...that didn't make sense. Gigawatt and Marty had the head start.

Although...it was funny...I didn't remember seeing a temporal distortion let alone seeing a flash or heard an explosion like I usually recognized... No time to ponder it now. It looked like they'd successfully run Rumble off the road and overturned the DMC-12-A as I was numbering our vehicles; with us being DMC-12-B and Gigawatt being...well, Gigawatt.

"He's still badly damaged from earlier.  He'll never be able to beat Rumble hand-to-hand." I grumbled.

"But he's got Dr. Brown's Ionic Nullifier.  If he can--"

Scratch that idea. Rumble was too quick in Gigawatt's weakened state.

"You outdated audio format--"  I started to challenge before Rumbled had scooped up a large chunk of rock debris and plastered me with what felt like a super-sized cannonball.

"Hey!" Asriel took to the NX-Switch Pro and tried to fly after only to swoop right into an unexpected clothesline that flipped him off the board and onto his back.

"You son of a--"  Marty charged at Rumble. Shades of trying to go against Alternate 1985 Biff Tanen on top of the Casino he made out of Hill Valley Courthouse. While Rumble didn't exactly have a handgun revolver...

Seismic Piledrivers tend to have a much more profound effect.

"Yeah, I remember you.  From back at the Mall.  You're the Doc's friend, ain't ya?  Looks like you have no future, human germ!"

Marty looked up as the heavy piston of the piledriver hovered over his head.

"No...!" I gasped.

"Marty!" Asriel reached out to him.

That's when it happened.

Rumble went flying from an immense electrical discharge. My eyes readjusted once I noticed the smoking barrel of the Ionic Disruptor...in Biff Tanen's hands!?

"You've pushed me around long enough, metalhead. McFly may be a pathetic Earthlet—"

"It's Earthling, you idiot." Marty rolled his eyes.

"Don't push it, McFly."

"If a loser like McFly can fight back against you...so can I--"  *click*

If even Biff could have a heroic moment...Madam Fate was quick to pull the rug out from under him.

"You gotta be kidding me..." I staggered to my feet. "It's out of power!?"

"Tough luck for you!   Rumble aimed his blasters, sending us all scattering before he used the piledrivers to open up a fissure and dive straight down where he breached the Arc's access hatch.

"He's going after the Decepticons!" Asriel gasped.

Marty brushed himself off and crossed his arms with a smirk. "Let him."

"What!?" Asriel gasped.

I was puzzled for but a moment.

"Oh this'll be good..." I hurried Asriel down the hole, promising to explain later.

Once inside...

"Yo!  Wake your pile of transistors up and wake up my buddies!  Get the Decepticons in fighting shape--"

"You'll find yourself greatly disappointed, Decepticon." A voice called out in the darkness.

"What the...oh scrap...it can't be...!"

Multiple sets of headlights flared up in the darkness, revealing...Optimus Prime and all of the Autobots aboard.

"No no no no no!  How did this happen!?"

"We owe a great debt to our human and non-human allies." Optimus crossed his arms as Marty, Asriel, and I emerged from the darkness as I lit up my fur to add to the light.

"They arrived before you did, Rumble."

"Yeah...a little lesson I leaned back from trying to go home early to save Doc's life from Libyan Terrorist." Marty had a cocky edge to his tone. "Doc would be proud that I finally thought fourth-dimensionally."

"Okay!  Okay!  I give!  I give!  You got me!"

"I don't think we should trust--"  I started before he tricked us and caused another distraction with his pile drivers.

"He's gonna get away!"

"You know if there's anything I've learned about Biff, it's that he'd certainly like a bit of come-uppance over ending up in a dump-truck full of manure a few times.  While we don't have one of those nearby..." Marty pulled out the walkie-talkie and contacted Biff, top-side.

"Biff!  Dump it, now!"

As Rumble emerged from the fissure, the last thing he saw was the avalanche of Energon Cubes tumbling toward him...before crushing him under their combined weight.

Wow! Talk about a crushing defeat!"  Bumblebee mused.

"Heh! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy." Brawn grinned.

"Good one." Asriel gave a thumbs-up of approval.

"Wait...Gigawatt!" Marty suddenly realized as he got top-side and reunited with the damaged Autobot.

"You gotta save him!"

"I'm sorry...the wounds are..." Ratchet looked aside.

Don't say fatal.

Marty looked up at me. I shook my head sadly. Even with a constant stream of electricity...he had only seconds before--"

"Good...bye..."

And he was gone.

"He gave his life for us.  You cannot let his sacrifice be in vain, Martin McFly."

"What are you talking about, Prime?"

"There's one last loose end to tie up."

I had finished getting the original Delorean back on its wheels and made the patch-ups it needed. It was good to go and the reactor fueled up.

Asriel already had ours up and running. It was probably wise if we didn't show Marty the hover conversion...yet.

Marty went on ahead as we promised we'd catch up to him.

"I think we have some loose ends of our own to fix." Asriel reminded.

I nodded, deciding to check up on Ectotron in New York before heading to 2015.

And before we knew it...

...back to the workshop behind the Burger King.

"I hope he's okay.  Have I got a tale to tell.  There's no WAY he's going to believe this.  I'm not sure even I believe it!"

And there it was. More than 30 years later, Doc's workshop was still standing in 2015.

"Doc!" Marty parked and practically jumped out of the car. Sure enough Emmett was waiting but...

...was Marty seeing double or was there ANOTHER Delorean parked outside of his workshop?

"What's going on, Doc?  Did I cause one of those major paradox things!?"

"This must be pretty heavy, isn't it?" A familiar voice spoke before the transformation.

"Gigawatt!"

Yeah...it was him, alright. How?

"How!?  I thought you--"

We all did. But then again...Ratchet never actually used the word "fatal". A callback to Perceptor when...no. No need to talk about traumatizing future events in other parallel timelines of Cybertron much less a "giant horned Poke ball of death that sounded like Orson Wells".

But I guess Optimus Prime was right, in a way. A hero can never die.

"It's actually quite simple, my boy.  You see, you've successfully changed history for the better.  For the better part of 30 years, the Autobots have been successfully defending the Earth and its inhabitants thanks to your efforts.  Not only that--"

That was when Hot Rod cut in.

"We also owe some thanks to our other human ally."

And there was old man Biff Tanen. Looks like he was a little more spry, a little more like his dopey self from back in revised 1985 after Marty had repaired the damage to his parents meeting in 1955.

"History is back on course.  And now I can get back to researching the future like I planned to do."

"Like uh...knowing who wins the next 30 or so World Series?"

Okay that was foreshadowing things about to happen if history really WAS changed for the better...and if BttF2, BttF3 and Citizen Brown were still destined to happen... But more importantly...with his new Energon-powered time machine, Dr. Brown could visit the past any time he wanted without restriction now. Not sure if this was good or bad but...A.E.O.N. assured me it wouldn't have a significant impact on the timelines.

With that...Gigawatt and Skilz returned Marty back to 1985...where the next morning...

Marty awoke to find his brother and sister having a nice breakfast, as Dave was hurrying to leave the house on time, explaining two things--that he always wears a suit to the office...and that he's not his sister's answering service. We never did find out if it was "Greg" or "Craig" who called her.

We also found out that George and Lorraine were living pretty successful lives. George being Hill Valley's own successful writer; their own Stephen King of sci-fi. And his first novel just got published.

Truly if you put your mind to it, you could accomplish anything. I'm pretty sure they didn't see Asriel and myself watching through the window.

"History in the making?"

"You know it."

But the payoff to assure us both history was back on track...was that moment Marty was handed the keys and assured it was all waxed up and ready for his date the following night.

The garage door opened...and there was that hot 4x4 pick-up truck.

"How bout' a ride, Mister?"

Yeah, we know how this goes, Jennifer.

Though...there were some things that were slightly different.

"You reckon he's gonna be okay, Gigs?"

"With the Autobots watching out for him? Of course he is, Skilz--Marty McFly is going to have the time of his life!"

"Heh." Asriel put his hands in his jacket pockets and turned away as he headed toward where our Delorean was parked a ways away.

"Where to, Dr. Arcade?"

"Mr. Dreemurr.  Thrill me."

"Couldn't use your own words, huh?"

"Just like your Sensei." I admitted that I was quoting Emmett at the end of the whole Citizen Brown saga moments after multiple iterations of Marty came back to have a word with Marty prime over messing up their timelines.

And we were off before anyone noticed us.

Gigawatt and Skilz headed back to their patrol.

But of course...history had to take its course.

"MARTY!  You've gotta come back with me!"

"Where?"

"Back to the FUTURE!"

Oh boy...here we go again...

And of course.

"...Doc, we better back up.  We don't have enough road to get up to 88."

"Roads?  Where we're going we don't need...roads..."

I'll say it. I love time travel.

And perfect timing, too.

Because it looked like Asriel and Frisk were ready to catch us all up to things.

To Be Continued...

CRYPTOSMASHER LOGOFF

END TRANSMISSION...

Chapter 12

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