PLD Chapter 2

"CHAPTER 2: Making Friends and Confronting an Enemy"

Sub-Entry 11: "Sweetheart of the Pizza Pie":
I had told Bunnie that I had terrible nightmares. I dream of Asriel's fall and death, rebirth as a flower, and desperate gambit to gain total control over the timeline in order to reset everything...that obsessive desire to fulfill the promise to Chara as well as his disillusion of Chara seemingly standing in his way at The End. When you're so alone and so desperate to hold onto the person in your life that mattered even more than your own life...why wouldn't you deny the truth that they had been dead for almost as long as you had been?

She would console me to a degree of temporary relief until the next restless night. But at least I could tell myself that he and I were safe and sound now back in good old 1985......wait a minute, I'm thinking of something else. I meant it was good that we we had made it to Miranda City on the continent of Fontraile.

I returned to town. It was before dawn. I drove, unnoticed to my shop and the garage next door to it. I opened the garage door remotely and parked the Deloreon next to my own personal car--the 1957 Chevy Bellaire convertible I considered my dream car since the day I bought, restored, and customized it. As giddy as it made me to admire my favorite classic car which I had given a gold and silver paint job to match my werewolf fur color and gi (just the tiniest bit of ego-stroking when I needed to nurse the cracks in it) there would be time to reflect another day. Off to Rabbotou Dojo.

At the dojo, Bunnie was up and silently motioned that Asriel was still asleep. Usually he was as restless as I was but this time he had his first sound sleep. I guessed even magical child goat bodies had the final say when one too many nights of insomnia was the limit and it was time to recharge. I couldn't help but try to connect the dots as I had in fact had a long conversation with his mother of another timeline. I entertained the notion that UTPR-3224 would be the one I could come back to some day...maybe after the [True Happy End]. But I wasn't even closed to being prepared to make plans for that.

With notes in hand and renewed confidence that Asriel would be okay on this world, I decided that it was time to move beyond specially prepared rice and sushi dishes based on what Sarina and Nikita had come up with and Elektra's assessment of his body processes--metabolic and magic. It was time to bring more people into the circle.

I would start with the most experienced of the first of UCIAT's Miranda-specific extended team and the best professional of the cullinary arts I could get as well as the most brilliant of Miranda City's own master chefs--one who specialized in meals that contained a bit of magic in both the figurative and literal sense. Yup. It was time to head to Rock-Afire Pizza to call upon the Sweetheart of the Pizza Pie. Our own Mitzi Minerva Mozzarella. And from there to her (chuckle) idol and friendly business ally/rival, Hestia Beveloure.

While I knew snail pie was a starting point, I wasn't about to have him on a diet of only escargot-filled confectioneries. And while burgers and/or fries was a pretty obvious choice on what to give a kid, this wasn't Grillby's. And before my mind could suggest silken spaghetti aged in the finest oak cask I stopped myself right there. Did I really need to explain.

Still...spaghetti felt like it was on the right track. And the obviousness of what Mitzi specialized in only drove the point home. Heck, did I even need to remind myself the name of her restaurant?

I dug out my old T.A.O. link communicator and contacted Mitzi. Being that it was on the UCIAT encryption, she'd know immediately that I wasn't just placing a pizza order. I had asked Bunnie to come with and bring Asriel. It would be good for Bunnie to see her favorite martial arts student and future benefactor of the Rabbotou Legacy and its teachings. And I had Mitzi contact Hestia and request for Sarina to fax her the information from reading Asriel's magical aura...essence...whatever it was that mages had to look for. And of course bring whatever magic ingredients she thought would be appropriate. I didn't have to give any warnings. I knew Hestia could be trusted to not accidentally turn the goat boy into a frog or something. I was beginning to ponder if I should bring Cid Padesh in on this; as an alchemist of the Nu Mou race, he'd have some kind of insight to give.

There it was. Rock-Afire Pizza. Designed in the likeness of the old Showbiz Pizza Place of Mitzi's musical past. But small enough to be family appropriate without turning into a corporate engine like her ex-boyfriend. I was tickled pink by the thought that it was breakfast time but our meal sure wasn't going to be on the breakfast menu. There's nothing weird about a kid's first real meal in town to be pizza for breakfast...right?

We stopped in front of the entrance. The glow of Rock-Afire Pizza sign was enough to draw Asriel's eyes to it.

"...?"

Asriel didn't really vocalize let alone speak but I knew that curiosity was getting the best of him. Despite all this time going by...it was completely inconceivable that not one of us had even introduced ourselves to him. Sure he didn't ask us let alone say much beyond his heart-crushing words at the fountain...but what kind of excuse was that?

"Trust me. You'll love it!" I beamed.

"Perhaps you have recovered enough from your ordeal that we may become acquainted. I know it has been difficult for you, Dreemurr Asriel Ouji-sama but things will improve if you allow them the chance."

Bunnie was addressing him quite formally, using the honorific for "prince" I was pretty sure he didn't understand that. It was just Bunnie being her amazing self.

Mitzi was already present as were Hestia and Sarina; the latter two handling the magical aspects that Mitzi couldn't, being that genetic hybrids were magically inert and incapable of mysticism in any form.

At just a little over 5 and a half feet, long blond hair done up in twin bushy pigtails and twin tresses running down each shoulder, eyes as emerald green as Bunnie's and pale grey fur, the hybrid mouse was as girl-next-door as you could get. Red lipstick and a similar color of eye-shadow as Bunnie--the only makeup Bunnie ever wore. Sweet, petite and always neat. But surprisingly...or maybe not so surprisingly capable and spry. She was a cheerleader in her old life after all. Her apparent age was so misleading it defied belief how she could be so much older than Bunnie and myself. Heck, she looked so good, she wore her old green and white cheerleader outfit, green sandals with the gold star buckles and green hair ribbons from when she was in high school as a work uniform.

Pink-haired, slender and incredibly buxom. Hestia was incredibly lovely as far as human women go. I was relieved that Violet wasn't around because the lewd moments would never cease...and Vi would never recover from the inevitable head trauma from getting *ahem*..."disciplined" for bad behavior. But I'm not about to turn this into a discussion about her appearance. There was no better person to partner up with Mitzi than the woman that UCIAT's Photon Combat Specialist held in such high regard.

As for Sarina. To be perfectly honest she was the spitting image of Dark Magician Girl from Yu-Gi-Oh lore. Well...save for the corrupted arm but that's a can of worms for another report. Having her here was probably overkill in the magic department but a scientist like me with next to no understanding of magic, the various ways it manifested itself, and the rules governing it better to be over-prepared than under.

"Welcome back home, Commander!" Really. Did any time pass since I stepped down and passed the torch? Although...it was flattering to have left such an impression.

"Hey, Mitzi."

I nodded to Hestia and Sarina.

"Sensei!" Mitzi bowwed formally to her teacher. Bunnie returned the bow.

It was then that Mitzi immediately spied Asriel holding onto Bunnie's hand. "And who is this?" She crouched down, sliding her hands down her knees with that big-sisterly way.

Asriel uttered a low whimper, dropping his head slightly.

"Aww. Shy thing, aren't you?"

"Mitzi?" I gestured for a private conference. She could tell I had a lot to talk about behind closed doors of the kitchen.

Sub-Entry 12: "Things to discuss":
Once I was sure we weren't going to be overheard I explained everything from the top.

"Oh no...that poor soul." Mitzi covered her heart with both hands. "How long has he been like this?"

"I'm hesitant to give an exact length of time based on that particular Underground timeline but...I'd have to say it's been close to 100 years. Five other children besides Chara had fallen into the Underground and had been cared for by Toriel before leaving the ruins and...meeting their eventual fates. Frisk was the seventh and final. All that time that went by, Asriel spent it all with Wing Ding Gaster."

It would be some time down the road before I recalculated my mistake and realize that Chara wasn't among the initial six. Her soul had been lost after Asriel had fallen into the void. Which actually makes Frisk the eighth child.

"But...how is he the same age?"

"When a monster family is broken apart...the aging process stops. It doesn't resume until the family is reforged.  If he regains his family and grows up, as soon as he comes of age and goes out on his own, he'll stop again again until he has a family with offspring of his own.  Theoretically, as a Monster, he has the capacity to live forever if it ever came to that.  But he wouldn't be immortal.  He can still die." I explained my observations.

"That's terrible! A boy unable to grow up or move on...with such poor company to watch over him." Mitzi didn't cover up her emotions like the Major. When she emoted you felt it.

"It's touch and go, Mitzi. I'm hoping over time we can get through to him. Help him come out of his shell. Get him to a better state of mind and...maybe see him smile for the first time....well...not counting his other selves at the end of the [PACIFIST] timelines."

I could tell Mitzi was trying her hardest to keep up with me.

"So. What's the plan, Commander?"

"Taking it one step at a time, Mitzi. As a father I have a rough draft of what to do but...I've only raised daughters. And you know that Bunnie and I both have too many complications and road blocks for either of us or both of us together to raise him. That's why I'm turning to all of you for help. Everyone in Miranda Ultra Crew Institute. As they say, it takes a village..."

"You already have someone in mind? I mean for the kingdom to recognize his legal right to live here and for a responsible party to care for him until he's of legal age?" Mitzi cocked her head, already on the ball.

"You mean adoption procedures. It's going to be...pretty complicated explaining...but to get to the point, I'm asking Dr. Brighton and Colonel O'Conner to take him in."

"Oh that's a wonderful idea! Callie and Scott are practically engaged at this point! But is it okay if a human family--"

"Stop. Let there be no species issues here. Besides. I have a pretty benevolent sense of irony in the grand scheme of things. I think we can do better with Asriel than Asgore and Toriel did with Chara. Anyway...he won't have any siblings in this setup but...I don't know at this point if that will work for him or against him."

"Yeah...but...if he eventually does accept them as his step-family...doesn't that mean he'll start aging again?"

"I want to say that's the plan. As much as I'd like to bring him back to the King and Queen of a different timeline...it would be incredibly cruel. And especially not as he is. Time...doesn't stop even if aging does. If I bring him to his home...in a stable timeline...to a separated Asgore and Toriel.....if I bring him back to them at the end of Frisk's journey...it won't end well. Someone once said you can't force a happy ending.

So...I won't try. Not until...not until I have a sign that one can come about naturally, Mitzi. Well, naturally with just a slight helping hand. I mean...on the same note you just can't stand by and just EXPECT a happy ending to just happen all on its own. It's the balance that confounds me.

Mitzi looked away for a moment.

"So the only ones who know about him right now are in this building?"

"At least until we bring more people in. Hopefully we can do this without the flood gates blowing open. And there's one key factor I want to put a lock and key on to prevent any chaotic "whoopsies"."

"Violet." Mitzi crossed her arms and she wrinkled her nose. "I get it. Say what you want about the girl but someone who has so much talent, so much going for her, and so many resources for us to rely on...she could be a worse wildcard than this Chara ever was."

"At least we don't have to worry about her doing something reckless and stupid like getting him to agree to absorbing a human soul. Which I don't need to tell you is incredibly bad. There's no seven-souls barrier around here that he would even need a soul to break through. Violet may be easily bored and may push the boundaries...but she's not going to be a total idiot just for her own amusement.

Besides...I do have one hope to bank on: Violet of all people knows what it's like to be alone in the world. Asriel didn't have any friends until Chara came into his life. Violet didn't have any friends until she was 18 and met Bunnie. When we're sure we can keep a leash on Violet...as many concerns as I have...I have no doubt she'll be one of his new best friends. BFF's as they say nowadays?"

I paused before continuing on.

"From here, Asriel has nowhere to go but up. This place is better than any monster in the Underground could ever ask for; a dream come true. In Miranda he will find no segregation and no war for racial supremacy. Miranda is the best case scenario for him to grow up in. Be raised right. And be spared the Hell of a broken family. What we have to worry about is getting him..."

I hesitated.

"...getting him to let go." My gaze fell at the thought of Chara. The more I thought about her the more I realized I didn't have a clue how I'd ever bring her back if that could ever be an option. Loss is a normal part of life but......I couldn't suppress the part of me that felt even "not the best person in the world" could use a second chance.

"Commander. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. First thing's first..." Mitzi turned and slipped on her oven mitts and pulled the pizza out of the oven. "I make sure all my customers get the homemade meal they need and one better than they deserve no matter who they might be. And everything is baked with motherly love just they way he, she, or they like it."

"Don't ever change, Mitzi!" It was the first time I honestly grinned pointy werewolf ear to pointy werewolf ear in a long time.

Sub-Entry 13: "Where a (goat) Kid Can Be a (goat) Kid":
Well all gathered at the table.

"You have many thoughts clouding your mind, Asriel-san. But the time for grieving is not now. Now is the time for new beginnings.  New experiences.  A new life.  It may be hard to accept at times, maybe impossible.  You may may even reject all of this as you long for the world you left behind.

If you wish to be be vocal about your unhappiness do not withhold it from us. If you do not feel up to this, then we will not force you into an uncomfortable situation.

But it would be a great courtessy to us all if you would allow us the honor to finally give long overdue introductions.

It is not right to confine oneself to ignorance. You should at least know where you are and who you share the company of." Bunnie started things off.

Asriel looked up into her green eyes. I began to see...some semblence of life behind them. He was at least paying attention. Toriel had taught him well enough to mind his manners.

I went first. "You know me already, the one who rescued you. My name is Dr. Volt Alessandro Arcade.

There was a hesitation and a scared whimper.

"H...H...Howdy...Doctor Volt. It's nice to meet you."

It was still soft and weak. A little louder than the whispers from before but...still the voice of a broken soul.

"Konichiwa, Asriel. I am Grand Master Bunnie Meiru Rabbotou." Bunnie bowwed her head.

"K...Ko...kon...ichi......wah?" Asriel sounded out the word, clearly a spark of intrigue.

"Konichiwa." Bunnie spoke slower. "That means howdy." Bunnie beamed with a closed eyes smile.

"Oh...ko-nichi-wa to you too." The slowness of his response was reminding me of my encounters with Napstablook. With Napstablook I kinda expected the slow, hesitant speech. I mean...how do you expect a ghost to talk?

"I'm Mitzi. Mitzi Minerva Mozzarella. It's so nice to meet you."

"Howdy, Miss Mitzi." His voice remained soft and gentle but completely submissive. I felt like he was trying to the good...son in a room full of strange people. It was a step in the right direction. I could tell he was far from sure about the whole situation around him. And then the strangest thought to me occured..

Chara...is this how you must've experienced the first time the Dreemurr family sat down with you and broke bread? You must have been confused. It must have been overwhelming. I bet you couldn't understand. I bet it felt like more than someone like you deserved.

"Why were you all being so...nice to me?" You were thinking something like this, weren't you, Asriel? I'll bet Chara said or thought those same words, didn't she?

What a fascinating role-reversal! Come to think of it...this was exactly the same thing Flowey said at the end of the Pacifist Timelines whenever he was spared. I guess that made it a double role-reversal.

"This is Sarina and this is Hestia."

"Hi! We're glad to have you!"

"Welcome to Miranda City, Asriel!"

Mitzi heard the egg timer go off in the kitchen and she excused herself and headed back to the back.

"Okay! Pizza's ready!" Mitzi brought it out to the table. She had given it time to cool just as a precaution, hence the egg timer. I knew for a fact they had burgers, hot dogs and various other similar foods in the Underground as they did on this world. But it completely escaped my attention if they had pizza. You'd think that would be a detail I of all people would have recorded. Oh well..."c'est la vie", as Antoine would say.

Just as a courtesy, Mitzi had made an extra large so we'd all get plenty--half pepperoni, half cheese. In time we'd figure out what Asriel's preferences were. We all proceeded to dig in, except for Asriel. He starred at it a bit, unsure of things. I could tell his mind was abuzz with thoughts and he looked beside himself...like he was debating whether it was really okay or not. Then I heard the unmistakable sound of his stomach rumbling followed by another whimper.

He inched toward a slice of the cheese side..looked to each of us like he wasn't really sure what the proper etiquette was...brought the wedge to his mouth, semi-cringed for a moment, then closed his eyes and opened wide and took a bite. I thought I saw him wince a little like he wasn't used to the temperature but it must've been my imagination.

"Hmm...?"

He opened his eyes...then opened them wide, lighting up with life. No use hiding it, kid. How about that? Azzy likes it. There was no surprise there. I smiled as he began to eat a little faster, trying to cover up the"Mmm's". He was still being quiet but in all fairness he was enjoying his meal. I know he wanted to say how good it was, but he was too polite to speak with his mouth full.

There it was. You just couldn't beat that. It wasn't much. But it was a start.

"Welcome to Miranda City, Asriel."

Sub-Entry 14: "One More Reassurance for the Road":
I had no more doubts about matters concerning Asriel. But the visit to Toriel left me with some lingering issues. For starters...this could technically be considered both integrating with a timeline for personal gain and directly interfering with that timeline.

While I was confident that talking to Toriel and Sans wouldn't screw up the progression of events leading up to Frisk's arrival and beyond, I also realized that professionalism went out the window. This was a personal project underneath the coat of car wax and you know it, Volt. On the off chance that the Council still saw this as a professional assignment and had yet to reprimand you for rule and regulation violations you'd still know

I guess Bunnie must've saw right through me before once again she was by my side with a gentle hand on my shoulder and Jang-ly advice to give.

"You did say you did what you did in the name of peace and sanity. You've done worse in the name of the greater good."

"I suppose so."

"Do not suppose. Believe."

"None of you have taken on the responsibility of immortality and time-space-dimension walking. You're here in this part of my past all the time while I've answering to the "future sequel to the Dragon Council". Speaking of which, I don't always have the resources--technological or friend-wise to shoulder this burden. I guess these are the times I see the world through Asriel's eyes...and Violet's."

"You of all people feel lonely?" Bunnie raised an eyebrow.

"A...difficult thing to admit when you have more friends than you know what to do with to lean on. But still with limitations--mortality and being beyond the gaze of the all-seeing Council of Space-Time-Dimension."

"Volt-san..." Bunnie cleared her throat. "Do you know the meaning of the Jangese saying, ホープは決して一人で歩くことはない. [Hōpu wa kesshite hitori de aruku koto wanai]?

"You know I never learned your native tongue.  I barely make out bits and pieces of it at times."

"ホープは決して一人で歩くことはない. [Hōpu wa kesshite hitori de aruku koto wanai] in translation means: 'Hope never walks alone'."

"That's a good thought, Major."

"Mind cleared?"

"Mind cleared."

"Good."

"Now. The next step. Continuing the path. We'll keep bringing more into the circle and build Asriel's trust and comfort while we adjust him to society. Try to get him down the path to being a normal kid again. Or...as close to normal as it gets. And of course out of the funk of solitude and being unable to let go. Maybe get him to move on from being chained to Chara's plan."

"Have you given any thought as to how to proceed with this...Chara?"

"Not in the least. My opinion of her see-saws between sympathetic and completely bent on sending her to the deepest part of Gehenna."

"I see."

"So...Asriel at this moment?"

"In Rabbotou Dojo's oriental garden. The serenity is doing him some good. He's still...broken. But he's started becoming aware of his surroundings. Perhaps he may find some new companionship..."

"Your three little ones. The rabite trio. How are Houjicha, Bancha, and Kukuicha?"

"They've grown since you last saw them. But they're still the same."

"I've yet to see a child who can resist the charm of a pet as cute as a rabite. And with three of them...I think it's just a matter of time. Anyway...would you object if I brought Gadget and Pit into the circle next?"

"Object? I'd have suggested it myself, Volt-san."

"I guess with nutrition, living, and other comforts at hand...what do we do about education?"

"He was home schooled up until his disappearance, correct?

"Yes. Toriel saw to that personally."

"We may need to collaborate a bit until he is of age that he can be enrolled in the Ultra Crew Institute. Depending on his level of magic and how it develops over time, we may wish to have him to to the Mage Academy." Bunnie paused. "Perhaps we should consider building some structure into his life."

"If you're suggesting karate classes at the dojo, I do have concerns. His world is...kind of a mystery with such things to consider as Level of Violence and Extermination Points. Two little details that make make my skin crawl underneath my fur.

The other Asriels of the other timelines had plenty of time to learn violence and that accursed "kill or be killed" philosophy as Flowey. I honestly don't know if such dirtying of the soul carries over. I saw it happen to the various Frisks of the [GENOCIDE] and [NEUTRAL] timelines. I don't even know if it works both ways."

A deep breath and I continued.

"Either way...I'm also worried by fact that you can just tell by looking at the boy that he's the most gentle creature you'll probably lay eyes on. Anyone who resists the control over his sister, in spite of being evolved and twisted by the power her soul unleashed...anyone who refused to fight back in spite of mortal wounding...that's a special kind of strength there.

I really hope that much about him holds constant in this incranation. Someone who passed up the chance to collect six more souls, shatter the barrier and give monsters their freedom...knowing that it would require human sacrifice to do it."

Bunnie smiled brightly.

"That is the mark of a true warrior. A warrior for peace. And that, my dear Volt-san, is the very thing that will make him an exceptional martial artist one day. To value life is to be alive. To protect it at every cost is the true immortality."

"Wise beyond your years, major. Well...pick him out a gi and white belt and get him started when you is the right time."

"Now that that's settled...let us get him some more friends in his life."

Sub-Entry 15: "An Angel but not THE Angel of Prophecy...":
I wasn't sure who would show up first. I never had to worry about Gadget showing up on time...just worry if her latest make-shifted ride would hold together long enough to get to the square. Sometimes her inventions had a way of falling apart. It was to be expected when you work without blueprints and from recycled junk and broken electronics. And Pit was always prompt as his scouting rounds were a daily regimen.

Bunnie had brought Asriel to the fountain again at the wee-hours of the morning when the square was emptied out. I didn't want to run the risk of someone seeing him and spilling the beans to the wrong people. We still weren't ready to handle the adoption process and I hadn't brought him to meet Callista and Scott yet. Asriel obviously had questions about the kanji on some of the clothes Bunnie had provided but he was still too timid to ask.

A few days had passed since the pizza party in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun hadn't come up yet--dark enough for Rock-Afire Pizza's neon signs and display to leave an impression. Asriel had spent a lot of the evening and night sleeping so getting up early wasn't a problem. As a courtesy, I'd given him my favorite Elec Man alarm clock. Light Labs number 008 was always my favorite. Speaking of, the doctor, besides being a science hero growing up, was the creator and father of one of Pit's partners while he was in the long-since disbanded Ultra Crew Institute's "N-Division". The predecessors of the modern UCIAT. Sorry...getting off track.

Oh yes! That reminded me. Asriel still hadn't seen the sun per se. We'd always taken him out after hours and way before hours. It was actually a short wait until sunrise. I knew that he and every monster in the Underground had always dreamed of a world outside the barrier that they'd never see. And this instance of Asriel never got the chance unlike the other timeline instances. But in all fairness...their experience in the outside world was......deadly unpleasant. *shudder*

We got comfy on the edge of the fountain. I'd noticed Asriel wasn't looking down at the ground as much. Reassuring but he was still in a fragile state. Slow and steady, Volt.

"Doctor Volt?"

"You can call me Volt. Just Volt."

"Volt? Why are we here? At this place again?"

"Well you're going to meet some new people. I hope in time they can be your friends."

A pause.

"...friends..." He looked down like he was debating something.

I considered a couple things at that moment. Maybe it must've seemed to him like we were trying to replace Chara. Maybe he wasn't sure if it was okay to let someone else into his life. Maybe he still felt unworthy.

"Asriel. It's okay to make new friends. You don't have to have just one person in your life." Bunnie offered.

A furrow of the brow. The gears were really turnin' in there, weren't they?

Asriel had said so very little and kept so much to himself. I knew there was more personality and intelligence beneath the surface. He was older than was implied by his manner of speaking. That was just the mental entropy of retreating inside that protective shell.

My watch beeped. My ear twitched by not in the direction of the beep. I could hear it above in the sky. A look toward the clouds confirmed it. The figure of a human-shaped object with...wings. Well. There was no doubt who would make it here first.

In the next few moments the being had begun their descent. I watched and waited for Asriel to take notice. And sure enough, his expression changed to inquisitive as if he sensed or heard something. He looked up with the dull expression...and then as soon as he saw it I watched his eyes begin to widen.

"Wh...what...what is that? Is...is that a human? A flying human? That...that doesn't make sense. Chara never said anything about...flying humans. Wait..."

Asriel looked a little frightened.

"Is....is that...?"

Pit made his final descent and dropped to the ground, landing on his sandal-clad feet. He folded up his wings and saluted.

There he was, taller than Asriel but still small compared to the Major and myself. He was clad with a black body suit which was like shorts at the bottom, underneath his white toga. His layers of golden brown hair looked slightly spiky, adorned with a wreath of olive leaves. A set of leather grieves criss-crossed from his knees to his ankles.

Of course there were the leather sandals. His wings were smaller than most celestials but still had enough wingspan for him to wrap them around himself when he was moody. When he did so and curled up in a ball, it was always adorable. And like the Major and Mitzi, Pit had green eyes--different from his various other dimension counterparts I had come across in other universes during my time as STC.

"Scouting rounds complete, Major-- Oh! Commander! I didn't know you were back in town!"

I was starting to keep a tab on how many times people were going to call me Commander.

"Yeah...safe haven from an ongoing research mission from the Council."

"Volt...is...is that what an angel is?"

"Hmm? Oh a new friend! Hello there, young mortal. What species are you? Where are you from?"

Asriel didn't even blink. Hard to tell if he was in shock or awe. Or both.

"Uh...monster, I guess. Um...the Underground Capital?"

"Underground Capital? I cannot say I've ever heard of that. You don't look much like a monster. You're not very scary. You don't seem very evil. You look kinda...kinda like one of those animals...not a sheep but......a goat!"

"A.....a goat? I look like a goat?" I wasn't sure if Asriel was offended or not.

"Yes! A goat!"

"Um...okay...thank you? (I think.) Er...are you the angel?"

"Why, yes, young mortal friend." Pit replied, not realizing what Asriel meant. I had a suspicion.

It brought to mind overhearing the conversation of an elderly turtle in the Underground. He looked like one of those British explorers, weathered by time. Listening closely I was sure I had caught the mention of an angel in the Prophecy.

While I knew that Prophecy was foretelling Frisk's coming in all of the timelines, the chances of Frisk being an angel of mercy or an angel of death were...impossibly beyond my ability to predict. Every timeline that sprung up beyond what I already had recorded had no discernible pattern. Today's [PACIFIST] became tomorrow's [GENOCIDE].

"But...if you're the angel in the Prophecy...why...why didn't you save us?

Pit's happiness faded

"Save you? Save you from what?"

"Asriel, maybe you shouldn't be thinking about--"

"Is it because of me? Is it because of what Chara was going to make me do? Is it because I didn't stop Chara from--"

"Who is...Chara? What are you talking about?"

Asriel started to tear up a little.

"Chara is my bes--"

"I'm sorry, little guy. Pit isn't the angel from the Prophecy."

"Commander? What Prophecy?  Surely you do not mean the Prophecy of Videoland?  That has already come to pass.  Our Game Master came and fulfilled his destiny long ago.  It has been much time since Captain N returned home."

Yes. This was true. Kevin Keene finally did beat the game.

Our N-Division had gotten off the ground with very fortunate timing. The plea for help came from one of our neighbor worlds, Videoland. We sent our champions to King Charles and war was waged against the League of Darkness...the Forces of Chaos...the villains...whatever they called themselves in a seven-year war. During that time the King was lost and his daughter, Lana carried on his his steed. Despite our intervention we were fighting a losing battle until the Prophecy of Videoland came into play. From the Ultimate Warp Zone, a champion of Earth Prime was chosen to be our Game Master and unite our team, leading them to victory. Kevin Keene and his loyal dog, Duke lead our N-Division to victory. :detemmienation:   (Video Link)

Mother Brain and the League of Darkness disbanded and returned to their normal attempts at causing trouble in the UltraVerse until even they were under control. Long before the Arcades even discovered the remains of my village...and the lone survivors--Lisa and myself.

"I'm sorry, Pit-kun. It seems we have much to discuss...much to brief you on."

"...are you the Angel of Death?" Asriel looked really afraid. "Are you going to judge me? Am I going to be punished? Does...does this mean I'll be with Chara again?"

"N-no! You must mean Reapers. No! I am no such thing! I would never take the life of an innocent!"

"But I"m not innocent. Chara is...because of...I-I-"

Bunnie suddenly got between the two and kneeled down before Asriel and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Shhhhhhh. It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. Pit is a friend. He is not here to punish anyone. You're safe, young one. Everything is calm. Everything is just."

Asriel was shuddering but the Major quickly calmed him down. While she did, I explained the situation from top to bottom to Pit.

"Oh no...he's a forsaken child? That is so tragic!"

"Chara...do you know what happened to Chara? Is she alright? Can you...can you bring her back to life?"

".........I'm sorry. But that is beyond my power."

My face fell at the realization. How deep did you have him wound around your little finger, Chara? I was getting nauseous over the idea that all that time you were just using Asriel. Did you ever really want a family or...?

"...I understand. I'm...sorry. I just thought......" Asriel looked down. "She must really hate me for not keeping my promise.  If I had the chance to tell her...  Pit?  Is...is it ever meaningless to say that you're sorry?"

"Asriel. Never." Pit suddenly smiled. "You are...better than you believe you are. In time I hope you will come to accept that you did nothing wrong.  Whatever your friend wanted you to do, it's probably best that you follow your own path."

"Asriel? Do not be in such a hurry to rejoin those you have lost. Live for now. Live for them. And when you meet again, you will have the best story to share with them. The story of a good life. Don't rush. They'll wait for you." Bunnie said plain as night and day. Speaking of which...

"You have suffered a terrible fate, Asriel. But don't be sad. Let me cheer you up. "

Pit's words sounded...familiar somehow. Not something I heard on his world, mind you, but something...I'd heard on a more...Elfin world. Under the mask of a terrible or even...terminal fate...it seemed like he kind of world of...legend. Why did I suddenly want to imagine Asriel in a green tunic and floppy cap just now?

"You will? But how?"

"With this." Pit produced his favorite golden lyre-harp. And low and behold he started playing.

Asriel began to calm. This was by far the most he had opened up. The most talkative he'd been. And while most of it was panic, fear, and sadness...it was still progress.

Pit played beautifully. It was about that time when who should roll in on that makeshift skateboard but...

Sub-Entry 16: "Big Little Sister...or Is It Little Big Sister?":
"I'm here! I'm here!" Came the sprite-ly voice I knew all so well. The peach-furred, blue-eyed, blond-haired hybrid mouse reached the fountain and quickly stowed her makeshift skateboard into her backpack of holding.

Asriel briefly broke eye contact to see the newcomer.

She immediately hustled up to me, threw her arms around me and hugged, bending one leg and standing on the other like a flamingo. So cute.

"I got here as soon as I could. I hope I didn't keep you waiting!"

"You're right on time."

"Ohh, I'm so anxious to meet your new friend, big brother!"

"Huh...? Big...brother?" Asriel cocked his head.

"I'm sure you are, little sister. I'm sure you are."

"She's...your sister?" Asriel's attention was full on by this point. A familiar chord was resonating.

"Yes, this is my sister, Gadget Tress Hackwrench. She's adopted. It's a long story."

"Golly! You must be who big brother's said so much about! Is he from another of those worlds you explore, big bro?" Gadget cut in, too energetic for her own good.

"Y...yes."

"Oh, I bet it's a wonderful place to be! Can I visit someday? Pleeeeease?"

"...." I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. While she was looking away I shook my head and motioned with a pleading look and waving hand gestures for Asriel not to say anything. Pit seemed to confirm my request with a soulful nod. I gestured with a "Shh"  expression and quickly covered it up as Gadget looked back in my direction. I'd explain another day when Asriel was in a less vulnerable state and I could be sure Gadget wouldn't break into tears, either.

"You're still a bit young, Gadget. Some day."

"Okay! I understand!"

Gadget turned to Asriel.

"Oh look at you! You're so cuuuute!"

Gadget immediately fawned over him, unable to resist petting him and stroking his ears.

"...! C-C-CUTE?" Asriel blurted out.

It wasn't a defensive exclamation. In fact I could tell he was flattered and embarrassed. He shrunk back the tiniest bit. I joked to myself that Asriel was probably going to have trouble speaking to girls when he got to that age. Oh the things Violet would joke about.

"My name is Gadget Hackwrench. Oh wait...you already knew that. Huh...what comes next. Umm...oh yeah! What's your name?" :detemmienation:   (Video Link)

"Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr."

"It's wonderful to meet you! I just know we're going to be besties!" Gadget gave him an unexpected loving hug he wasn't ready for.

Wow. Just wow. He was beyond overwhelmed at this point. I wonder what you were thinking right now. Probably something like Chara was never like this. Chara was always...well...snippy. Always her against the world with a chip on her shoulder. Especially against the human race--her race. Always irate over things and always mischievous.

"I like to build things from junk parts and recyclables. Do you have any hobbies?"

"I...uh...that is..."

Huh. That was something I never thought to ask. What were the kid's interests? Hobbies? Talents? I guess I'd better try and learn that soon.

At this point I was only very slightly worried that Gadget would talk his ear off at some point. While he was definitely making progress and opening up, he was still pretty silent compared to my adorable little mouse sister; the occasional chatterbox when she was really excited. And making a new friend like this sure seemed exciting. Pit began to wrap up his harp practice. And it was at the perfect time, too.

"Asriel. Look. Over there at the sky. Right in that spot."

"Huh? What is...? Ohhh!" That was all he said for the longest time as his eyes just lit up. He had never seen anything like a sunrise before. It was so amazing that it left him speechless. And by extension...it left Gadget speechless too.

"Wow..." Mostly speechless.

"The most beautiful sight to wake up to in the world." I mused.

Bunnie nodded.

"Enjoy your first sunrise, Azzy. There are many more on the way..."

Sub-Entry 17: "Heartache Comes in Many Forms. Some Incorporeal...
From that point I thought that I'd have no further doubts or anxieties about traveling back and forth between the Timelines and Miranda City. The Council had yet to send me a memo let alone reprimand me, though I was waiting for the other sandal to drop. At the very least I'd probably be asked about un-logged commuting.

I'd be tempted to hold the Emergency Recall "st'nank" over their necks like the albatross corpse it was. Whatever punishment that would earn would be worth it. With no reservations about continuing my research on newly manifested Timelines, I would be unprepared for the things to come when I made my return to Timeline UTPR-3224. After being rewarded by Lady Destiny, I shouldn't have underestimated Madam Fate adding a new twist to the stage play she was constantly editing like a Wikipedia page for her own amusement.

During some routine diagnostics on the Deloreon, I discovered problematic readings. According to the Chronometric Analyzer the chromium components in the time circuits had become unstable during the last temporal shift. They would need to be replaced with titanium. What a tell-tale case of bad luck. I didn't want to risk problems in the flux field. This malfunction had come up before for my mentor and his ward during a mishap that spanned the 1930's.

Given the nature of this problem, I wasn't about to risk my arrival time having an 8 hour discrepancy. Eight seconds could be the difference between life and death in many cases. Eight minutes could equate to "very bad". Eight hours could easily turn into "another Big Twinkee"... The thought of Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, or anyone else being a pile of dust because I was late to the party was unacceptable.

Any other field agent would just write it off and abandon the timeline, recalculate, and jump around until they got it right--completely ignoring the instances of lives that just got snuffed out. The Council didn't care, just as long as the job got done. I wasn't any other field agent. I got this right in one shot or I add it to the pile of mistakes I'd made in my eternal lifetime and beat myself up over it another day.

So I was down a time vehicle. Well. That wouldn't stop me but the next choice in line would be a bit...cumbersome. I wasn't confident that I could pilot it around the undertown without at least some kind of complication. And besides...even incorporeal to the Timestream, it would be a lot harder to hide away than the Deloreon.

I picked up more equipment from the labtables; trinkets occupying my own personal Memory Lane over the lifetimes and lifetimes beyond the Institute for Future Technology. Then I headed over to the miniature version of the track switch I had seen on my visit to Macbeth in the Lylat System. I gave it a good shove back and let the rotary carosel rise from the circular hatch in the ground and link up with the rails that unpacked themselves from the floor, leading down the new ramp. In the darkness three letters drove home it home: E.L.B.

Hello, giddiness, my old friend. Time to take the train out.

It didn't take long to heat up the boiler and get the magnets and modifications sparking, turning, churning and glowing. It was a good thing that this pocket universe was abandoned. I'd draw attention from everyone in New Mobotropolis if they weren't alive, well, and rebooted in their new reality. A new reality where they were all existing in some other parallel instance where the shards of this reality had rended the fabric of time and space into swiss cheese and left the planet a case of "Dinosaur Planet Redeux".

Mobius was a case I really needed to get back to when things blew over with my current assignment. Whats a few more decades compared to the few hundred more centuries they'd stick me into criss-crossing? But I digress. I was off to Mount Ebott again.

My goal this time was to make my way to the capital. I put off my chat with Asgore long enough. Though in all likelyhood I was probably going to be diverted by everyone else between the Snowdin and the King's Castle. No shortcuts this time. I was parking her at the mouth of the hollowed-out mountain and descending. That meant braving the puzzles and traps of the ruins. It was okay. It wasn't my first rodeo in these parts. I was feeling laid back so a little time and patience was warranted.

I put the E.L.B. Time Train on lock down and kept it cloaked, outside of reality. I decided to return to UTPR-3224 at a date and time within Frisk's arrival in the Underground rather than earlier on in the timeline as before. I didn't think there was any cause for alarm. As soon as I touched down on the flower bed directly under the mouth of the mountain I could swear I heard the P.K.E. meter chirp. I dug it out and checked. I thought I caught sight of a blip but it must've been my imagination. It was then I noticed the writing had worn away from the levers. That was...new.

There were also un-explainable...discrepancies I sensed in the local fauna. The Froggits seemed...off today. Eventually I reached the tree in front of the humble household that was Toriel's residence of self-exile. I went up to the door, focused, willed my hand solid enough to override my bracer and interact with the outside world, and knocked. No answer. I started to get a creepy feeling. I was sure this wasn't a [GENOCIDE] timeline. Maybe she was just out? Or maybe she was...

Without thinking, I phased through the door. The circuit card in my bracer had been replaced so I wasn't about to charge THAT recklessly into a situation...even though I was charging recklessly into a situation.

I walked down the hallway. Since I was coming from the entrance to the cave and through her house, rather than from outside of the Ruins, I'd have a lot of explaining to do if and when I ran into Toriel. I was about to turn the corner when a mystical fire blast rocket past and dissipated upon impact with the wall, leaving scorch marks. There went my good mood. Looks like I wasn't paying as much attention as I thought I was when I was setting the time and space coordinates. Frisk was already here and fighting goat mom.

I shoved my hands into my lab coat pockets, closed my eyes and shook my head. A neutral or pacifist timeline didn't necessarily mean there would be no battles. I decided to wait out the battle and move on at the aftermath of it. Toriel would either return upstairs...or not at all depending on what kind of timeline Frisk decided it would be. I was prepared for both. This had happened so many times without so much of a single variation--

CRACK!!!

"What the--?!"

I recoiled in horror as I watched Frisk fly past me, and slam into the wall. My expression turned instantly to aghast. This wasn't supposed to happen. Toriel, what the Hell?!

I rounded the corner and my eyes pentupled in size at the sight I had seen before me.

This was goat mom alright. But that was not the same person I talked to before. I saw the flames in her eyes and the rage in her expression.

"You were given a command to return to your room. Did you really think you had a choice in the matter?"

"Whoah, whoah, WHOAH! Where did that come from?" I thought to myself in disbelief.

"You are like every child that comes through here...defiant. You're all always so determined to leave that you'd crush a mother's heart and throw it away. I give you protection from what lies beyond these doors and you reject it so callously."

Wait a minute...I don't think I'd remember Toriel using contractions in her speech. And while I knew she had a lot of...issues...what I was watching was impossible.

I looked to Frisk. Poor kid was dazed and surprisingly not trembling. The bruises and burns however...

"...!" That tears it. I didn't like where this was going but there was only one course of action: either leave things as they were with the very real possibility that Frisk could actually die or...

"C'mon, kid. Reset and get out of there..." I murmured. I could just take the Emergency Recall and start over on a different timeline instance;  even if it meant reforging the couple of relationships I'd made the last time I was here. And yet the interface didn't show. What were you waiting for, Frisk?

More fireballs crashed down around the kid. She walked toward Frisk's helpless form, a complete look of remorselessness making the situation even more nauseating. I felt my muzzle scrunch up and my teeth and fangs gnash. I guess that was it. If I felt bad about making goat my cry, I was going to feel like TRASH kicking her butt. I yanked the circuit card with a spray of sparks and electromorphed, sling-shotting my lighting form toward her. I solidified and cocked a fist and aimed right for the stomach. A lot of sin to go around. Goat mom attempting to kill a child...did it really justify beating up a woman...who happened to be more skilled at pyrokinesis than my daughter, Elektra.

Toriel slid backward, the soles of her bare feet squeaking against the surface of the floor as she steadied to recovery.

"You! Who are you? This is not a matter which concerns you." She didn't recognize me? What was going on?

"What a terrible creature. Torturing such a poor, innocent youth." I turned her own words from dealing with Flowey against her.

"!!!" That pissed her off. A lot.

"You know not what you speak of! I am doing this for this child's own good. This child...this undisciplined child will die at Asgore's hands. Do you not understand the gravity of this situation?!"

"And if I leave things as they are, this child will die at yours." I countered.

"If you interfere then--"

"You'll discipline me as well?"

"Insolent whelp!"

I knew that losing Chara, Asriel, and Asgore had messed her up but this was a whole new level. Had I landed in one of the AU's by mistake? I was sure the Dimensional Rig hadn't strayed from its locked coordinates. The Council would skin me alive if it was the case, though.

"I'm giving you one chance to step aside and let the child go."

"Never."

"Is that so?" I casually said, closing my eyes. Not-so-ironically, talking was not the solution in this situation. "If that is your decision..."

I suddenly charged her, locking grips with her. "PREPARE YOURSELF!" The two of us struggled, attempting to overpower one another.

I'm so sorry, Asriel. Forgive me for what I was about to do. My only comfort is that you won't see what was about to go down. You'll never know the heartache that was going to haunt me. :determination:    (Music Link)

Something was really freaky and it wasn't just the situation. I wasn't exactly a bodybuilder but I was sure I should be overpowering her in physical strength but her grip in each hand was like iron and steel and I felt like I was slowly backsliding. My sandals weren't giving me as much traction as I thought.

It was then pain shot through my hands as I felt the flames ignite in hers. I didn't want to get into an elemental battle but I couldn't have my hands burned off. So I lit mine up with electricity. She squeezed her eyes shut and faltered before intensifying the flames. I raised the stakes causing her to spasm. Infuriated, we both unleashed a surge of fire and electricity at the same time.

The resulting energy backlash threw us both apart. I did what I could to douse the flames. Already the time-space continuum was starting to reject the horrifying injuries; it was the same power that Orihime Inoue of Karakura Town wielded. Toriel back up against the doorway, clutching her arm, which was hanging limply. Residual arcs of electricity seared across her. A healing spell. A crack of bones and her arm was working again.

"You don't understand my pain. You don't know my sacrifice.  It has to be this way!  The only way for this child to survive is to learn submission to their elders."

This many contractions in her grammar. This complete betrayal of her way of life. Her way of speaking remained...ahem...flowery and formal but this was an out-of-place element that was drawing my suspicion. I looked to Frisk again--the kid was out cold. This made things so much easier. If I had to let Frisk watch every gorey detail of this heinous confrontation I'd never have another peaceful sleep again. Just when I was making progress with you, Asriel, I had to go and let you down like this. If you ever knew what I was doing to your poor mother, I wouldn't blame you for whatever you had waiting for me. It would still be too good a punishment.

The flames manifested in the air, like kitsune soul flames. ANd then they shot toward me like comets. Goat mom was a lot tougher than I had given credit for. The only person who could kick Asgore's fluffy-buns and I was up against what I was presuming was her full potential. I dodged like this was one of Violet's import danmaku shooters.

I was hesitant to retaliate back with electric projectiles. Even though my first instinct was to beat her down, I was in the heat of the moment, no pun intended. I didn't want to hurt her even though it was clear she wanted to hurt me. Magnetism it was. I forged a magnet plate and brought it down upon her and pressed her to the floor. Not enough to crush her but enough to keep her pinned.

"Stay down." I ordered.

I thought that would hold her. Wrong again.

"What?!" I watched as her fur seemed to gain a blazing sheen and then I heard the magnetic plate actually crack and shatter into wisps of static. Magnet fields could easily contain plasma and chemicals too caustic for glass. This was a clear violation of the laws of physics. Or...maybe it was just magic. Gods, I didn't understand magic.

As soon as she got up I saw them manifest. The entities of magma...vaguely mitten-shaped at the heads...or maybe they were supposed be stretched out goat heads? And in my confusion, it hit me...there was something about them that harkened back to Gaster Blasters...but these were completely different. I dodged and jumped, firing back with globes of compressed magnetism. They'd knock the wind out of her but they wouldn't harm her the same way my signature V.O.L.T. Strike.

A direct hit to the forehead made her whiplash. "Oh gods, I'm s--"

Before I could get the words out I felt the heat blast pierce through me. And then I was rapidly riddled by them. The battle had turned and she had me on the ropes. It was then I noticed she wasn't doing much talking. In fact what little vocalization I was hearing could be equated to growling.

In desperation I looked about the walls...then sensed behind them. Brick and cinder block...and metal spires re-enforcing them? I didn't have time to contemplate why there were iron rods running though cinder blocks and concrete. Maybe the ruins weren't as ancient as they implied. Either way with a few flexes of a few hundred mega-Teslas I wrenched a few few right out of the walls, let them hover a bit then slingshot them, bending them into boomerangs as they took their maiden flights. I was immediately dumbfounded when they were quickly backhanded and melted in puddles that splashed down on the floor and hardened.

The fight was dragging out. I had to end it somehow. I tried forming compressed magnetic projectiles and winged them in waves. Toriel dodged all but the the last one then gave me an even greater shock when she actually snapped down on one with her jaws and shattered it. Whoah. At what point did she get this feral?! She had dropped into a sprawl on all fours and was staring death lasers though me. I was getting scared now. I couldn't bring myself to put her down.

She made several charges at me like some kind of rabid dog. Some of them actually hard to dodge. This was some quickness for her apparent age.

That was when I heard the unmistakable warbling of the Giga Meter in my pocket and the chirp of the P.K.E. meter. The realization set it. I knew it. There were forces here at work that were unnatural. I dug both out at the same time and switched them on with a small static arc. The readings were off the scale and they were coming from Toriel. I'd seen this kind of valence before...this was clearly the indication of spiritual possession.

Without no further hesitating, I slipped a micro-compressed emergency unit from my pockets onto my gi's black belt and gave it a slap. It quickly unfolded into an apparatus which then expanded around my shoulders, waist, and onto my back, becoming a familiar, modified nuclear accelerator pack. I cycled through the additional modifications and engaged it as the upper left corner of the machine opened up revealing the glass container with the bubbling green plasm. It was just like the 1991 case. I sure wasn't facing down one of Ivo Shandor's followers, though and this was no mandala node.

"Sorry, Toriel. But this is for your own good."

I took aim and squeezed the trigger, unleashing the massive jet blast of psychomagnethric plasm. A momentary distorted cry which quickly turned to a cry of anguish and then the whimper of a goat mother passing out and dropping to the floor with a splat. I looked again at Frisk. Still out. The fight was over. Time for the cover-up.

It took only minor STC tools to negate the damage that had been done to the room and a switch out to the Poltergust-5000 to vacuum up every drop of the ectoplasm. By the time she woke up, Toriel would be dry. A wave or two of the Ecto Aroma Eliminator and they'd be no lingering scent of the Mood Slime. And finally as one final step I propped her up and carefully used low level electric currents to stimulate the muscles of her eyelids and force open her eyes. She was unconscious but her brain would register this final precaution. I took the M.i.B. neuralizer pen out of my pocket, donned my shades and gave Toriel a calculated dose. She wouldn't remember what happened.

And then I headed over to Frisk and repeated. I couldn't take the chance that my presence would corrupt the timeline. They'd wake up soon enough and things would progress normally enough. And just to be sure I used some healing items. The used bandaid was surprisingly effective. This was by far the most I'd interfered in a timeline. But that was of little concern now.

"Isn't it about time you showed yourself?"

Sub-Entry 18: "Villain":
There was the echo of laughter in the room. "My, my...a new player in the game."

"So it was you." I tried to keep calm despite the fact I was boiling over.

"You don't belong here, do you?" The voice was sing-songy.

"That's a case of the pot calling the kettle black." I slid my gaze around without turning around.

The meters were definitely crackling.

"Isn't this the part where you tell me I'm clever. Very clever. That I spared the lives of two innocent souls?" I smoldered.

"I think you have me confused for something else."

"You call this a game. Is that all this is to you?"

"All the world's a stage." Came the smug giggle.

"And everyone in it is your puppet to command."

"Now you're getting it."

"You're the most paper-thin villain ever. Manipulating people for your amusement. In the end, you're still just a kid."

"Awww...how cute. Puppy dog thinks he's going to bait me into doing something foolish."

"Why don't you cut the crap. You've got a lot to answer for...CHARA DREEMURR!"

I whirled and came face to face with the transluscent, red-auraed apparition that was Chara. That familiar greenish shirt. The red eyes. The cartoonishly rosey cheeks. Definitely older than Frisk. As it stood she was the last person I wanted to see.

"How many times? How many times have you haunted these time streams. How many [GENOCIDE] timelines have you made Frisk your unsuspecting tool?"

"Dunno. Lost track a long time ago. It was starting to get a little stale so--"

"So you decided to change the rules. Did it ever occur to you that you might have taken things too far?"

"What? Just think of it as a much-needed patch for a broken game.

"That's ALL you have to say for yourself?"

"You certain are brave. Talking down to me like every other grown up. You sound like just another worthless human."

"You've no idea."

"Just what do you intend to do to me? There's nothing you can do to hurt me anymore. I don't even have a body for you to attack."

"..." My eyes disappeared underneath the shadow of my bangs.

"So...you possessed your own mother and made her and Frisk your playthings."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing. Mom won't even remember this after Frisk resets again."

"Yes...that power you don't have. That power you lost when you died. That power that you need to leach off of Frisk every time they load a save point or use the RESET. You're addicted to that power. It's the only thing you believe in anymore."

Chara seemed unphased by that. Power was power by any other means.

Flowey used this same method to create his own "save file". It only made sense that Chara did as well...but it seemed that they didn't have complete control over it and needed Frisk's save file to serve as a "master save" before they could follow them into the next life. At least Flowey didn't have total control over his save file until he had absorbed the six human souls. This merited further investigation when I wasn't in a situation like this.

"So what's your point? You gonna lecture me about using people?"

No. That was too good for you.

Forgive me, Asriel. There was only one way to deal with her now.

"Tell me, Chara...was Asriel your plaything too?"

Suddenly the smug grin turned into a dour frown and the wicked red eyes disappeared under their own shadow. Those rosey red circles on her checks burned a little brighter or it seemed.

"You just became a lot less fun." The energy drained out of her voice, replaced with coldness.

"Do you even know the meaning of that gold locket you've stuffed in your pocket. Which you hide from a world that can't even see you?"

An angry grunt.

"Best friends forever. Isn't that what the engraving said?"

The breathing became heavier.

"What kind of best friend takes her own life in front of her brother's own eyes. How much did he agonize over you suffering from the poisoning? How many hours did he stay by your bedside?"

"....."

"You made him absorb your soul...twist into that form...that adult-ish body...those black sclera eyes with the piercing red eyes, the black lightning bolt marks on the sides of his face...the darkened copy of Toriel's robes."

"What are you doing?" Came Chara's derisive response.

"You were in control the whole time. You carried your lifeless body through the barrier, into the human village to its center. It was Asriel's mercy to lay you in a bed of flowers. He knew you were gone. There was no going back into your body. You got your wish, didn't you? You were no longer human. You were a human soul fighting for dominance with a monster's soul in a monster's body."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You wore him like PANTS." I let a surge of anger overwhelm me. "He was nothing more than a living suit to you, like some kind of messed up Kill la Kill life fiber mass. He was not some damn kamui for you to put on and use to slice people to ribbons!"

"S-shut up! Shut up!"

"And then in his grief he wrestled control away from you. But it was too late. You lead him to his own slaughter!"

I saw the crocodile tears start to form under the shadows. The dour scowl had turned into a toothy grimace.

"What did you tell him? 'Do what I say, Asriel'? 'Stop being weak, Asriel'? When you couldn't do the deed yourself you put it all on his shoulders to slaughter and harvest?" I was seething but I was calm, cold, and calculating.

Chara's readings were starting to destabilize.

"What are you doing? What is this feeling....?"

"He told you didn't he? He told you he didn't like the plan anymore. You ignored him. There was no way your plan could fail."

"Stop it! Get away from me!" Chara backstepped.

"Do you hear me? I'll tear you apart!" The knife manifested in her hand.

While her form was questionably tangible the knife was definitely solid. Definitely sharp. Definitely real.

I had heard her cries before. Same words. Similar situation. The thought occurred to me...Asriel...did you behave so strangely and horribly because of Chara's influence? Was a part of her the reason that Flowey was able to be so mean and manipulative? So many things...just seemed to make sense. I guess the only course of action was to bring it full circle and turn the rest of Hyperdeath's words against her.

"I know why you're doing this. Do you know why I am doing this? Do you have any idea how much I'm struggling to find a good person in you? Asriel saw something in you that was worth befriending, worth loving, worth saving. He didn't have a drop of hatred in him. That's why the plan failed, didn't it? He did not believe it was right to kill or be killed."

"You don't know anything about me!!!"

Chara raised her head, showing the stream of tears and the anguished look.

She charged at me and shoved the knife deep into my chest...to no avail. The blood crawled back in and the wound sealed shut. The shirt and tie were ruined.

But the Genie's Lamp and Pandrora's Box had the last say. Sorry, Chara. You weren't going to win this fight. Not this way.

"You were special. He cared about you. You were the only one who understood him. The only one who was any fun to play with."

"Wh-why won't you...why won't you die?"

"Don't you see? Even in his final moments he wasn't ready to let you go. If it was in his power he'd fight to hold onto you. And now...now it's too late. It's over now. So please...stop this and just let me--"

"Give him back." came the response.

"Hmm?"

"I said give him back! You have him, don't you! You're hiding him from me! He's mine! He's mine and you can't have him! Give him back!"

"...you poor, deluded creature. You haven't learned anything."

Chara slashed repeatedly. "Give. Him. Back. Now."

"Chara Dreemurr. As you are now... I cannot allow that. My answer to you is no. You are selfish. You are manipulative. And you just can't stop yourself. Until you understand what I am trying to teach you...you and Asriel will never be together again.  You've lost.  Now go and wander.  Be as sad, afraid, and alone as you made your brother for the last 100 years."

Chara's expression turned to extremely aghast. Like she was completely stunned. For the next few moments all I could hear was her scream. And with that her form exploded in a release of spectral energy. This wasn't that last I heard of her.

Well. This mission had gone off the rails. If I wasn't in a bad mood before I was completely devastated by this point. You tampered with a woman's emotions. Then you beat her to a pulp. And finally you struck at her dead daughter with every low blow you could speak. This was a new low, Volt. This was a setback of untold proportions. And all you could do was walk away. I opened the gate and stepped through and walked out of the ruins, closing the gate behind me.

I knew Toriel and Frisk would be okay on their own. Chara wasn't coming back and they were both healed up. It was time to lick my wounds. It was time to drown my sorrows. The way I was feeling now...I really didn't want to bump into anyone. That was what this adventure was missing up to this point, wasn't it? No story could be complete without a villain. She was wrong. I did hurt her. And despite how much she had it coming? I couldn't have felt more rotten. On top of that I really should have checked Toriel and Frisk more thoroughly. I'd probably screw that up to. The way I was...I didn't really have a reason to believe in myself.

Sub-Entry 19: "Someone Else Believes in You Even if you Don't Believe in Yourself":
What a mess. What an awful, awful, awful mess I was too broken up to even cry. It would take a lot more than fart jokes and bad puns this time around. I really didn't want to run into Sans. I trudged past the faulty "gate thingie". Too wide a gap to stop anything.

I quietly pressed on. I looked off to the left of the path. Heh. Conveniently-shaped lamp. Good times. Good times.

Speak of the lazybones, there he was asleep at his sentry station. Best keep moving. I was sure I could sneak past him without incident. And low and behold I managed to just that. No worries from here. Just a lot of misery and the previously-agreed-upon-beating-myself-up.

I continued on the way. Probably should have stepped out of time and space but what was the point. I was engraved into this Timeline's history now. Even if Frisk did reset, this Timeline would just be replaced with a new one. And who knows what memories would carry over. Sans? Flowey? Gaster? ...Chara?

I looked over my shoulder, thinking I was in the clear when my thoughts were interrupted by the unexpected cry of--

"SANS!"

Oooooh. I guess I was cautious around the wrong skeleton.

"?!?" I stopped in my tracks as Papyrus skidded in his. :integrity:    (Music Link)

"Hmm? You there! You're coming this way. You passed by the sentry station. You must have seen my lazy brother boondoggling at his post."

Sorry, Sans. I was gonna have to rat you out. What's one more mistake to add to the pile today?

"Yeah, there was a skeleton in a hoodie asleep at a station just behind me."

"Un...be...lieveable. He could at least pretend to care what's at stake. It's been eight days since he's recalibrated his puzzles! Unacceptable! What if a human were to come through here?! I would have to pick up the slack for him! He should be taking initive not relying on my help all the time." Papyrus gripped his fists and stomped his boot repeatedly.

Okay, Volt. Worst thing you could do right now is make a pun...so...don't make a pun.

"Uh...is there--" I started before Papyrus interrupted.

"I must be ready! I will be the one! I must be the one! I WILL capture a human!"

"You okay there? You're getting kinda worked up."

"Why shouldn't I get worked up? The only way to be truly great is to have truly great ambition! And there is no greater ambition than that of I, the Great Papyrus!"

"Err...okay?"

"With the capture of a human I will be on the fast track to everything I've ever dreamed of! All that I utterly deserve! Respect! Recognition! I will finally get into the Royal Guard!" Papyrus stopped ranting and started stroking his mandible, looking quite confident if not a little euphoric in his daydreams. "People will ask to be my...friend?"

It never got any less overwhelming...maybe a little uncomfortable hearing Papyrus spill his life story every time I encountered him. I was really starting to wish I hadn't pulled the circuit card with the frame of mind I was in. Oddly...being this stunned by the flamboyance and naive essence of Papyrus...somehow took the edge off? It was far from fart jokes but...how was it that being caught off guard like this always seemed like the best preventative measure for feeling worse?

He then moved his hand to the chest plate of his "Battle Body" in a way that said right off the bat that he was going to reveal more of his true feelings. I had to wonder...when did his red cape start fluttering? There wasn't THAT much of a cold breeze.

"I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning..."

Okay a little T.M.I. At least he had goals...eheh...

I started to siddle past him while he was on cloud nine. I had almost gotten down the road when--

"You there!" Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I'd seen an yellow-ish orange glow behind me. Oh man...Papyrus does it too?!

I turned around and stupidly pointed to my lip which was hanging open in a "Who, me?" expression.

"Yes, you! You seem to have a lot of anxieties! I should know because, I the Great Papyrus, am a master of observation! My perception skills are second to none. I don't miss a single detail! You look like you are in need of valueable advice!"

A pause. "By the way, when did you change your fur color...and size...and...clothes? My, my...you're certainly the strangest Greater Dog I've ever seen."

Yeeeeeah. Observant.

I could understand if he mistook me for the ice chucking wolf at the edge of Snowdin Town--a canine who kept a constant flow of ice blocks going down the river toward the core; presumably to keep it from overheating. But Greater Dog?

"Well uh, actually--"

"I knew it! Nyeheheheheheheh! You are troubled! Don't be shy! I'll be happy to lend an ear to your troubles."

"Uh...okay."

"Walk with me, talk with me. We'll bond over things. Maybe I could get your input on my latest puzzles!"

"Oh yes. To thoroughly jape any human who comes through here!"

"Wowie! You get me! You really get me! It's like you're reading my every thought!"

The walk took us to a familiar setting.

"Ah yes. The Invisible Electricity Maze!"

Wait. Electricity? As in free electric shocks for an electric element werewolf? Ooooooh. So tempting... Okay. I was going to feel some guilt later but for now. I was going to take advantage of Papyrus. Guess I had to put on an act so he could feel like the smartest guy in the room.

"How does it work?" I feigned ignorance.

"I'm glad you asked! The human must walk the correct path of this maze if he or she wishes to advance onward. But if said human touches the walls of this maze they will receive a hearty zap!"

"Oh I see. It's quite brilliant in conception."

"I know, right?"

"I'm sure any human will find this maze quite...shocking!"

"....ugh." Papyrus' disgust was easy to see.

"I hope you're proud of that pun you just made. I swear my brother's bad humor gets more and more infectious every day."

Wait a minute...Papyrus used that same joke to describe the trap in every timeline! Of all the--!

"What? Is that not okay?"

"As if I would use such a juvenile description to describe such an amazing puzzle!  I treat my work with dignity, thank you very much."

He was going to steal this joke from me, wasn't he? I suddenly became the reason he'd use this same line on Frisk? *sigh* Okay, he can have it. Whatever makes it easier to put on airs. I almost rolled my eyes at the irony.

"Okay, okay. No more puns. I'll try it out." I stepped onto the snow pack and--

ZAAARK!!!! Papyrus was quickly lit up like a neon sign.

"Gaaah! What happened? What did I do wrong?" Okay, I admit it...I was starting to really get into putting on an act for this big lug. It only took a moment for the black soot to dissipate and for Papyrus to get his bearings.

"Heh..." Papyrus looked at my foot which I had yanked away from the snow pack. "Heh." He looked at the orb in his hand. "Heh." He looked back at my footprint. Then the orb. Footprint. Orb. And this went on for a about three more times before... "Maybe you should hold onto this."

I motioned for Papyrus to pitch it to me rather than walk all the way through the snow. I knew that under normal circumstances this would be a cakewalk puzzle but I had...ulterior motives.

I caught the orb and nestled it between my werewolf ears on top of my head. I could sense the potential energy buildup. I already knew where the path was even without Papyrus' tracks in the snow to show the way. I stepped down the path but about half way through I deliberately took a wrong turn and let the high voltage race through me. Not a bad kick to it. After my battle with Toriel and my spat with Chara, it was good to have some fresh electrons running down the nervous system.

To anyone else this would be painful as heck, but after the tussle with Tori...it was just the kind of healing I need.

"Huh...maybe I need to recalibrate it--"

"Oh...I mean oww! Oww! I'm getting zapped! Oww!" I faked electrical spasm and just to make it more convincing, I charged my fur with latent static to cause it to poof up a little.

"Nyeheh heh heh heh! Better luck next time, I suppose!"

"Eheheh...yeah...I suppose so." I stepped off the path and handed the orb back.

"Another successful puzzle fine-tuned by the Great Papyrus! Nyeheh heh heh heh!"

Oh gods... Violet would be joking that Wannabe-Skeletor certainly had no ego deficiency.

"For being a good sport, I offer my ear and humble advice."

Ear? I wasn't going to dignify that with a response.

I sighed. I didn't want to bring down the mood but I guess I had to come clean after those antics did make me crack a smile. I of course gave a...diluted version, leaving out a LOT of details. Especially names and the fact that there was a human child involved. In essence it equated to getting in a fight with someone I had a lot of respect for then getting into an uncomfortable conversation with someone I didn't care for.

"Oh. I see. That is quite the conundrum. Well...let me share with you, monster to monster, some complex feelings."

Oh god...not the speech. Not the speech.

"Feelings like...the joy of finding another pasta lover...the admiration for another's puzzle-solving skills...the desire to have a cool, smart person think you are cool."

"Yeah...those are nice feelings but..."

"No. I get it. This might not be the best advice in this situation." Papyrus slid his gaze to the side...if you could call empty eye sockets a gaze, that is. Then again they did sort of change shape with his expression. Weird.

"Friends...have falling-outs. It happens. I would never admit to how ashamed I feel after having it out with Sans on matters. It's not that we want to be hard on the ones we care about...it's for the own good. I mean...what kind of brother would I be if I let Sans grow up to be unable to fend for himself. I...hate to admit it but I might not always be there for him. That's...not the best feeling in the world."

"Yeah...that's true."

"If that person really is your friend...they will forgive you. It may take some time apart but...it's not the end of the world."

These responses were almost textbook if not cliche...yet...coming from Papyrus...they were an earnest quality that anyone could tell this came from the heart. For all his...personality quirks, Papyrus really was a cool brother. He was definitely the coolest, Sans.

"I know! You could go visit your friend and take some of my finest spaghetti!"

Annnnnd the moment was ruined.

"That's okay. I'll just give it time for things to blow over."

"If you're...sure. It's no trouble. "

"Positive. Thanks for the offer though...I doubt she'd be very hungry anyway..."

I looked down, thinking back to Chara.

"As for the other...well, to be frank it's there loss if they can't acknowledge how great you are."

"Huh?" That kinda caught me off guard. It really wasn't the issue but...it did make sense. Chara did look down upon me until she got an understanding of what she was up against. Arrogant kid.

"What matters is that you acknowledge how great you are. "

"...?"

"And if you recognize that much then it's easy to believe in yourself. And you know what...I barely know you but I believe in you, strange dog person."

That made me smile.

"That's very big of you, Great Papyrus. I think you've given me exactly the advice I need."

"Wowie...I finally have a...fanbase? Er...I mean...of course I have! I am after all...very great! Nyeheh heh heh heh!"

"Well. Thank you for everything, Papyrus. I've got to be on my way."

"Be well, good friend!"

I headed off.

"Wait! I didn't get your name!"

"It's Arcade! Dr. Volt Alessandro Arcade!" I called back.

I was beginning to really take a shine to the skeleton brothers. Okay. Frisk and Toriel should be waking up by now. I had very little time to lose. I switched my bracer to render me out of space and time. I electro-morphed and arced as a streak of lightning back the way I came, flying past an unsuspecting Papyrus. I bolted past Sans' sentry post as the skeleton was waking up. I had moments before he'd use one of his shortcuts to get appear behind Frisk. And I had less time than that to get to the gate in time to speed past Frisk and through the other gate in time to slip past Toriel. Finally I'd have to get through the ruins and back to the mouth of the cave and back to the Time Train. Heh. Piece o' cake.

I surged forth past the bridge, being careful to avoid the tree branch.

Sure enough, the gate opened and Frisk trudged out. A sad look but that quickly turned to nervousness. I sped past Frisk a momentary glance-- Huh? That was weird...it almost looked like Frisk had looked in my direction for a second. Did...did Frisk somehow see me? ...no. Just my imagination. I blasted down the hallway past the empty patch of grass and toward the inner door. Toriel was just about to close it before I shot past. A momentary tachyon flux caused a brief change in air pressure.

"Oh my...! Where did that strange wind come from?" Toriel clutched the bottom of her flowing robe dress to keep it from blowing everywhere. "How very curious..."

The brief instance was all the reassurance I needed to know she was going to be fine. It was only a minor task getting past the traps and puzzles and reaching that familiar spot where ever single human had fallen into the Underground. I looked up and gave a cocky smirk as I bolted straight up and up and up. And in moments I was back in the Time Train, setting the coordinates for home. I had a specialized spot at a train yard not far from the a UCIAT storage depot. But I wasn't headed back to HQ or the square. I had arranged for a different meeting spot that was nice an open for Asriel to meet some more crew members...

Sub-Entry 20: "Role Models":
Bunnie and Asriel were already waiting at the station. I had...pulled strings to have the area evacuated for..."safety reasons". I didn't like covering up the truth for the greater good but...how I was feeling now, I was okay with whatever backlash we'd be in for.

Suffice to say it was yet another sight for Asriel to see...a train appearing out of nowhere. I'd have it sent to a secret depot where I could get it back to the X-Vault on Mobius at a more convinient time.

"Oh...!"

It was getting harder for Asriel to supress and cover up his vocalizations. It was taking slightly more effort for him to keep it all bottled up inside. We were making progress with him but...he was still a long way from being okay. I felt in the back of my mind there was something ahead that would have to to happen--I wasn't sure whether it was something good or bad--in order for Asriel to truly move on. I just didn't know what it was or where it might be.

I knew over a gradual time I was narrowing down the list of places Asriel had been at times when he wouldn't be discovered or seen. Maybe I was being over protective. But...this is Asriel, mind you. It might only take one minor landmine, one minor misunderstanding, one...mistake and...and...jeeze, I couldn't even finish that thought. I had so many possible routes. Maybe...I was just trying to see through Asgore's and Toriel's eyes as parents. Did I have what it took to raise their son...without screwing up.

I opened the doors and stepped out.

"Major."

"You are...smiling. Your outing was successful?"

"Yes and no. I didn't quiet make it to..." I hesitated. "...to the person of interest. But I found alternative wisdom and reassurance along the way."

"Hmm?"

"As well as...a craving for spaghetti. Join me at Hestia's later?"

"Commander?"

"Just a business meal." As if I really need to clarify.

"Spaghetti?" Asriel cocked his head.

I gave a reassuring smile.

"You know what spaghetti is, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Asriel didn't seem offended by the question.

"Come on...walk with me, talk with me. We're going to meet a couple more friends."

"Miss...Bunnie got me some...strange new clothes. They're...kinda like pajamas. Hmm? Oh. I didn't notice before but...you're wearing a set, too. Come to think of it, so is Miss Bunnie." As if it was something that escaped his attention.

"You mean our gis. Yeah. They're comfy. They're the clothes of a martial artist."

"Martial...artist?"

Bunnie and I looked at each other. I guess that was one thing I was glad Chara never taught him about. From my encounters watching Undyne, I had learned that she was trained to fight by Asgore. So...at least some concept of self-defense and combat was known in the Underground.

"Miss Bunnie will be teaching you all about that at some point. For now we just have to get you adjusted to things around here. Get stuff set up. And...we'll be getting you a home to live and good people to look after you."

Asriel was kinda quiet about that.

"You mean.....I'm getting a new mom and dad." His gaze fell.

"You know...you don't have to think of it that way if you don't want to."

"..."

"One step at a time. You'll grow into things and we'll all decide together. Okay?"

"Okay, Volt."

A pause. And then he had a question for Bunnie.

"Miss Bunnie? I...can't read the strange writing on some of my clothes. What does this say on my shirt?"

"Well, it is Jangese. The characters on your shirt read 純血 It means "purity" or "pure blood". It's kinda fitting, Dreemurr Asriel Ouji-sama."

"Purity..." Asriel looked very contemplative at that.

"So. Getting along with Gadget and Pit?"

"Yeah...they seem nice. I...like having people closer to my own age."

Still pretty meek. Still inside that shell. A little more social. But not quite the smart, cheery, angel that I'm sure Toriel would describe him as.

We eventually reached that open area. There were some wide concrete steps with a loong series of hand rails leading down to the ground level. The area had been emptied out. I checked the time. As soon as it got to the one minute before the hour mark I smiled.

"Let the countdown begin."

Bunnie mused.

"And one more thing, Asriel-kun." Bunnie had started using the more casual honorific for a male friend around Asriel. The sign of personal familiarity, I guess. I wasn't sure how Jangese honourifics worked.

"What's that, Miss Bunnie?"

"Don't blink." Bunnie gave a slow, confident but mysterious smirk.

"Don't...blink?"

"Don't blink or you'll miss it...!" Bunnie mused.

The clock counted down from the last few seconds.

It was rather quiet.

And no sooner had the thought of silence come... There it was...the sound...something was coming...

Bunnie heard it first due to her nano-assisted hearing. I heard it next thanks to my werewolf ears.

And then...finally...Asriel heard it too.

"Huh? What? What's that sound?"

"Asriel. Don't just listen...look."

And there it was for a moment, searing through the air. A beam of blue light with the sound of the high tech whine of some form of plasma-powered jet engine.

"Ahh!" Asriel took a step back.

The blue beam richochetted between buildings and obstacles, forming a tangled web of blue light contrail.

"Right on time." I mused.

The beam, slowed down enough for its shape and form to become noticeable...a person...female. Brown fur with white sections. Almost squirrel or chipmunk like. Maroon hair. True blue eyes. They were wearing an extremely high tech suit; a mix of strange flexible hardware, neon trim and highlights as well as pseudocircuit paths and piping. And on her feet were metal sandals which were equally tech-ed up, with a dance of chaser lights and display. From the hardware in the back sprouted four blazing cones of flame in the shape of blue moth or butterfly wings.

"Heh."

A cocky grin as the girl took to the rails of the staircase, grinding down them with a spray of sparks. She vaulted off with a series of somersaults before letting the jet thrusters carry her upward for an axle spin like some kind of sky ballerina! She immediately rocketed down, slamming down only a couple feet away from us in theatrical drop. She landed in a crouch identical to Tony Stark in Iron Man.

"Prompt as always, Terrain Master. It's good to see you."

"Ahhh.....ahh....Woooooooow!!!"

If Asriel's eyes were any bigger they would be falling out of his head. There it was. The look of admiration.

"Great to see ya', Commander!" came the reply.

"Sally-chan." Bunnie smiled brightly. This smile was different. This was the smile reserved only for an old friend.

"Bunnie!"

Both extended knuckles for a fist-bump.

"Asriel. This is our Terrain Master and Miss Bunnie's old friend, Princess Sally Alecia Acorn."

Sally was of course our universe's counterpart to another Princess Sally Acorn who was native to Mobius. Much to same as our Bunnie was counterpart to a Bunnie on that same planet of Mobius. It seemed our universe had a lot of parallel versions of people. Sally was the very definition of tomboy. Confident, bordering on cocky. Outgoing and spontaneous. But surprisingly calculative and meticulous planner.

"Are you a...a...a SUPERHERO?" Asriel was starting to sound like a normal kid at that point.

Sally let out a hearty laugh.

"I guess you could say that. I'm a pro-racer in the Overdrive Grand Prix; a powered race on the other side of the world. It's kind of a big thing."

"Sally, this is Asriel Dreemurr. The young one we told you about."

"Hey ya, Azzy"

Are you really a princess?" Asriel asked.

"Are you really a prince?" Sally countered.

"Uh-huh." Asriel nodded.

"Well, I'm definitely a princess. Or...at least I was in another lifetime. But that was a long time ago! Hope we can be good friends."

Asriel nodded.

"That's way shway! It's going to be cray-cray in the hey-hey!"

"Huh?"'

"We'll get you up to speed with Sally's manner of speaking. It's very different in Technopolis."

"Oh...okay."

It was so much for Asriel to take in. But this was a very good thing. It was about that time that a familiar plumbing van should pull up, park and out of the driver's seat came...

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Came the mellow voice of the plumber walrus.

"You're not late at all, Rotor." Bunnie gave a closed-eyes smile.

"You're just in time for an Ecotropian reunion, old friend."

Asriel looked upon the assembly of friends. It was beginning to make sense. It was beginning to chip away at old walls.

"Hey there."

Rotor shyly waved. He wasn't nearly as socially awkward as Alphys. He was laid back rather than high strung. Whatever mistakes and failures he had in the past he had plenty of experience to come to terms with them.

"I'm not that impressive and I can't hold a torch to Bunnie or Sally but...I'll do my best to be my best at what I do. Or...something. I'm just a humble plumber."

Asriel gave a little wave.

He looked around.

"It's nice to meet you all. Everyone I've already met...everyone I'm meeting for the first time. This is...this is all really nice. I...don't know if I deserve you all but...but..." *sniffle* "Thank you...everyone... for being so nice to me..."

Chapter 3

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