PLDN Chapter 40

> Chapter 40: New Hope Arises, Dreams Reborn: Toward the True Pacifist Ending
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## Sub-Entry 391: "New Hope, Dreams Restored":

It's been a couple days and people have stopped looking at me like I brought the end of the world...upon...them... ...okay, maybe I'd better rephrase that.

While many were showing signs of forgiveness, I'd settle for them just forgetting.

But many of my friends and family were going the extra mile.  In fact...I'd come across many an incident.

Brooke was obviously the  most profound.  What I was least prepared for was seeing her in a less formal setting.  Though if I had to picture her in anything besides her royal gown...it would definitely be an old military uniform.  I'd known she'd had history in those lines.

We'd met at the Brown Dog Cafe in the very corner of the room, far from prying eyes and ears.

The city was still experiencing a little "social distancing" as an aftershock of Adonis' genocide run.  But I had no doubt the antisocial curve would...eventually "flatten out" so to speak.  Chaopolis was the worst pandemic we'd ever suffer through.  We'd already been through Hell and hit bottom.  There was nowhere to go but up.  Maybe there would be no "back to normal" but eventually the "new normal" would evolve into something we could all live with and move on from.

"It seems you've brought our young prince back from the brink."

"He's a survivor.  I can relate.  He...didn't struggle alone, though.  We...were in this together.  Since Edge City, he's...bounced back.  Truth be told...he returned the favor while we were both lost in the Axis of Reality."

I'd submitted a report explicitly stamped "TOP SECRET: For Your Eyes Only" to two people.  One was obviously Garfield back home...whose reply seemed to indicate he was...far less surprised about it than I had though.  If Lisa knew the truth about the sub-dimensions past...who else did?  Who else had Lady Destiny bent the rules for?

The other was Brooke.  I felt I owed it to her to understand the full scope of the Hell I'd been through...the past lives I'd led in very similar yet different forms; each one representative of the last couple of eras, stretching back before Asriel was even a twinkle in his birth parents' eyes.  Back before there even WAS an Undertale.

Honestly I still felt like I had a long way before I even began to understand how universes came into existence, suddenly and without explanation other than..."the goddesses did it".  Maybe it would be more accurate to say "the goddesses imported them" into the UltraVerse but who can say who or what the real sources of the diverse number of worlds in our AU mega verse was?

That said.

"You should never have doubts about being forgiven, Doctor.  Mistakes were made that no one could have foreseen, and you have done wonderfully at cleaning up those messes.  Even if they weren't yours."

"Mistakes were indeed made but...I will admit some of them had a...push with ulterior motives."  I glared off to the side, still holding a grudge against Madam Fate.

"Let us not speak of those who are beyond our judgement...for the time being.  Rest assured force will be in motion that will ensure they are not above the consequences."

One of those moments I felt like even Lady Brooke knew something I didn't.  Normally that would have made me very unnerved.  But this time, I knew EXACTLY where she was coming from though I didn't know how she intended to facilitate it.

So...sometime later...

"Dr. Arcade!"

Of all people, Cid Padesh was the one I least expected to approach me.  Honestly...my team always felt like they intimidated him or made him feel...less safe than the actual threats that came to town.  And in many a case I couldn't apologize enough for Violet's antics.

"I just wish to apologize for being distant.  It's...not easy being around members of your team...you do kind of attract trouble."

"Bit of a lop-sided way of apologizing."

"I'm getting to it.  It's just that...well...enough time goes buy you start to realize that things could have been a lot worse without you.  So...I'll...try harder to put up with the headaches I get from this madness.  You're...at least less dangerous than Aurelis' alchemy."

Heh.  There's something he hasn't brought up in ages.

"Look.  Don't worry about it."

"Just...try to keep the noise to a dull roar and......thanks saving all of us from...what happened a couple months ago."

"All in the line of duty."  I brushed it off.  It felt...weird being thanked.  But I'd be a damn fool not to take the compliment and accept the apology.

And it was like this all day from all sorts of people.  Some I knew pretty well...some...not so much.  And others...not exactly buddy-buddy.  Heck, at some point I was about expecting it from down-right enemies.  Though I didn't really have any local ones to speak of...save for the museum curator who had long since been fired 8 or 9 years ago.

I think...for the first time I felt like my job--both my day job and my...real one...were appreciated.  For the first time it seemed to me like people considered me a necessary part of society.  If Chaopolis was the pandemic, then my team was finally being treated like a much-needed cure, following the "blip".

I didn't want to make such comparisons.  It made me feel arrogant and arrogance was the path to hubris.  I was too modest for my own good, or so I'd been told.  Really.  This was something I HAD to do.  It was my mess.  I was going to clean it up and make it up to everyone.

"They really are remembering how to forgive and forget."

It gave me hope for intelligent life.  We weren't so deplorable after all, despite what Chaopolis had tried to convince us.

It had been said by another chaos-bringer that these "so-called people, when the chips were down, that they'd turn on each other and eat each other alive".  The words of someone who claimed to not be a monster...just ahead of the curve.  I say to that...bullcrap.  This wasn't Gotham.  But this city was showing Chaopolis that it built on greater integrity than that.  We all seemed like we were more likely to do the right thing in a pinch than take the easy way out.

Now it was time to put our money where our mouths were.

"Sparks."

"Chameleon?"

"I know you're gearing up for something big.  You're going hunting after those b-- \*CENSORED\* aren't you?"

"Always informed.  That's why you're the best at what you do."

"As much as I appreciate the shout-out, my claws aren't adamantium.  With all due respect, can the compliments and let’s just get down to it."  Chameleon looked me dead in the eyes.

"I want in."

I could have protested or said a hundred things that wouldn't have sat well.  I had about a hundred reservations with dragging ANYONE into this.  But...

"Done.  You're in."

"Like that?"

"Like that, Cham."

"You'll excuse me if I get a little dubious--"

"Not everything is too easy.  Sometimes things really are that simple.  You want payback?  It's all yours.  Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.  But remember...whatever happens is a choice you bring upon yourself.  You already know my crew and I would never let you get thrown to the wolves if you get in a tight spot, which I'm sure is a dent to your pride."

"Don't speak of my pride so casually, Sparks."

"That said, we do have your back."

"Hmmph.  I guess I'll try not to let any of you die on the battlefield."  Chameleon turned and waved nonchalantly, trying not to sound like any of us were his concern.  Heh...keep that heart of gold of yours well hidden away.  I won't tell.  Respect, lizard-man.  Respect.

By the end of the day, everyone had said their peace and I was on good terms with the whole town.  But there was someone who had something to say beyond a thank you for my service.  And it was going to sound the beginning of the end for Chaopolis.

It was the moment every TV and monitor in Miranda City lit up with Dr. Lynx's image.  We'd yell at her for hacking the airwaves--

As soon as I saw Queen Brooke in Dr. Lynx's company, I immediately retracted the unfinished thought.  This confirmed the transmission was authorized.

Brooke had begun with an impromptu state of the kingdom; addressing her people directly before turning the microphone over to Nikita.  Rather than run through the entirety of her grandiose speech and inspirational call to arms, I decided to focus more on the Doctor.

"People of Miranda...  Many of you are aware of a massive undertaking by Ultra Crew Institute to deal with the advancing threat of Chaopolis.  I, Dr. Nikita Lynx, propose a solution to UCIAT's problem of striking at the heart of Chaopolis.  To whom it may concern, I will be waiting at UCIAT headquarters to provide interested parties with the coordinates."

"I have to wonder...how many of us are going to show up at--"

I should have kept my big mouth shut.  For when I reached UCIAT headquarters...I wasn't prepared for how many answered the call.

Brooke got things under control before Nikita addressed those in attendance and tabulated who was headed with us to the agreed upon location.

## Sub-Entry 392: "The Fall of Chaopolis.  The Solaris and the Condor Fuse to Form the Neo Nebuchadnezzar":

We had all gathered at the location that Nikita had provided coordinates to.  A very out of the way place.

Granted...our group was a pretty large chunk of our extended circle.  And yet...despite how many of us there were...Chaopolis still outnumbered us...by a ridiculously impossible number.  So impossible it was unfathomable.  All those lifetimes that had gone by, and I couldn't even count how big Adonis' army had grown; all recruited from the dregs of time and space...all allied with the worst of the worst supervillains.  By extension that mean absorbing the armies of whoever he had in his pocket.  For as long as he had been creating his own dark crossovers, he'd been adding to a collection behind the scenes that I had never even suspected until now.

And now?  I was beyond terrified of how many led back to him and Madam Fate.  In our entire mega verse...our giga verse...our UltraVerse, every world that had intelligent life; he had his meat hooks in them all.

Even with all of us from me to Marcel, Bunnie to Chameleon, Violet to Red Stokes, Gadget to Glenda, Mitzi to one pissed off Hestia with a big meat cleaver...and so on and so on and so on.......the honest truth was, this was a bad idea.  This was going into a massacre.  What was I thinking with a plan like this?  This is the worst possible thing I could do to them.  And yet...I don't think I could stop any one of them from trying.

I'd seen this scenario repeat...from the Old Republic against the first galactic Empire.....to every active Power Ranger during Mission X against Dark Specter...to that moment when the remaining Avengers were up against Thanos and his entire army.

Granted, there was a common cliché among them all that turned the tables and evened the odds...but counting on divine miracles like Zordon's self-sacrifice Purge Wave or Dr. Strange brining EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE to the battlefield at just the right moment.........that's wishful thinking that Madam Fate would allow something so obvious and so tide-turning as that happen on her watch.

"You egghead really knows how to invest her money."  Chameleon swept his eyes over the not-quite-city, but definitely lesser golden complex that stood before us, once we all disembarked the massive freight elevator to an unfathomable distance underground.

"I assure you, this was definitely not built on her salary."  I was just as surprised as he was.

"How did she do this?"  Marcel gaped, with dollar signs in his eyes.

"Nanomachines, son--"  Violet started before Bunnie thwapped her.

"No memes.  No game quotes."

"Jeeze."  Vi wrinkled her snoot.

"She's somehow laid the foundation for this since Sally's recruitment."  Bunnie mused.  "I would not be surprised if tunnels and complexes ran underneath all of the city kingdom."

"Rest assured.  We will discuss this, Dr. Lynx."  Brooke warned.

"I have no doubt we will."  Dr. Lynx seemed unphased.

"I think it's pretty!  It's all so shiny!"  Glenda was finding it hard to stay hovering in one spot.

"Doctor.  Where are you taking us?"  Asriel asked.

"By this point I have made countless contingencies.  Perhaps the Commander is starting to influence my thinking.  However it seems one idea from the days of Lemurinopia is needed to blossom into fruition."

"Tithius hope many apples and berries!"

"Not that kind of fruition, Tithius."  Asriel chuckled.

"Awww."

"Got to say, whatever your planning sounds like serious crap."  Drew frowned.  "You requisitioned the Solaris weeks ago without explanation."

"All part of the plan."  Nikita shrugged it off.

"What is this plan of yours?"

"Since the..."blip"...as Violet insists on calling it; an unnecessary Marvel Cinematic Universe reference at that...I have been working on cracking the space, time, and dimensional coordinates of Chaopolis.  And finally, I have confirmation of their stronghold between realities."

"You found their home base?!"  I sputtered.

"Then what you're really doing is recruiting us for a pre-emptive strike."

"It's sounding more like...a final strike."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"When you put it that way, it sounds like this is a suicide mission."  Marcel glared.

"Well if you'd rather go on living in Miranda City, waiting for the next time Chaopolis decides to impale you on a stake while making you watch what they did to your drake slime--"  Violet shrugged.

"Bring that up again, and you're only going to WISH that Lupin or Catwoman robbed you blind of every last zenny you own."  Marcel was rightfully pissed at Vi reminding him so casually.

"Seriously, Violet.  That's riding a line."  Asriel scolded.  "We don't attack each other no matter what doubts there are.  That's how Chaopolis divided us last time.

"Okay, okay.  Just want to make sure no one's backing out."

"Dude.  You don't even have to say that kind of crap."  Marcel wrinkled his nose.

Jacquinette Vannhaim had joined him at his side.  The youngest of four sisters, during the Sorceress War; she was a Daemon Weapon in the form of a possessed sword who had the alternate form of an undead humanoid body and one of Marcel's most trusted associates.

I had a feeling Violet was deliberately stirring the pot to get us good and focused on venting all of our pent-up anger onto the battlefield.  But there were better ways to do it than just poking the bear among allies.  Honey vs vinegar, after all.

I felt like I was going to have to have Goat Son deliver a motivational speech to undo her verbal damage.

To be honest...I worried that maybe Chaopolis still left lingering traces in her heart, mind and soul after hacking her in Quest World.  If that was true, then Violet was probably fighting with herself to keep herself this balanced on the line, metaphorically.  Bunnie had her work cut out for her to get Violet back to at least...tolerable.

Bunnie placed her hand on Vi's shoulder...but she didn't say a word.

I think that was all that was needed to get them both on the same page.

"Look.  Miranda is constantly in your debt for all the times you've gone above and beyond.  Let us do something for you."  Ivy had joined the group with Vidian, Lulu, Davise, and Lagunov.

"And like Hell we're going to miss out on kicking asses and taking names.  Red Stokes had joined, in the company of Monique, Vermillion, a rebuilt NULL, Sir Alistair DeRosan and Brick, and most of Red's own squad of War Dogs within the Raxis Military.  Which had prompted its own Lord Castillan Jaimas Van Burace to personally join us.

"Finally ditching the icicle palace, King Frosty?"

Jaimas smirked at Chameleon's snipe.

"Don't hold back on the battlefield, Chameleon.  It could cost you your life, you know."

"Just who the Hell do you think you're talking to."

"I have to make sure all our allies keep their swords sharper than their tongues."

"Touché."  Chameleon narrowed his eyes.

It seemed that Violet wasn't the only source of in-game competition.

"Look.  I appreciate all of your zeal, but for the time being, could you all focus and put your personal junk in your trunk."  Goat Son scolded.

"Fine."

Asriel was starting to prove himself as a leader...a better one than me, in my humble opinion...but I'm biased.  Call it my humility being too great for my own good.

We finally reached it....or rather...them.

"The Golden Condor?"  Asriel recognized it as his Medallion of Estbeban started glowing.

"And the Solaris."  Drew noticed the massive ship.

"Dr. Lynx...explain."  Bunnie crossed her arms.

If that had come from anyone else, Nikita would have taken it as a personal verbal attack, at the very least an inexcusable impatience.  But by now she was ready to unveil.

"There are secrets buried deep into Lemuranopia's legacy...secrets I've spent nearly 3 decades unburying and now I'm ready to implement what I have learned...what I have re-discovered."

"Could you stop with being cryptic and tell us straight out?"  Marcel always felt like we were on the clock even before a mission started.  But  I think we were all anxious to know.  What was her big secret.

"Even at Galvan Enterprises...this level of nanotechnology is very much theoretical...bordering on fantasy.  But I assure you...it's very real...and it's going to be our frontline sword in this operation."

"Enough with the flowery metaphors, egghead.  Get on with it."  Chameleon also butted in.

Nikita narrowed her eyes.  "Very well."

Dr. Lynx walked over to the Solaris...and touched her fingers to it...and in moments, the effect was apparent as every nano-circuit track lit up.

Nikita then walked over to the Golden Condor and did the same, touching its frame...and it, too, lit up with nanocircuits.

Nikita then walked to the spot exactly between them and held her arms out...before slowly drawing her hands together in what I described as the Fushigi ball "Prayer Cross" with her fingers and palms...like she was spinning an imaginary crystal ball between both hands.

In that moment I could see photon trails bending and arc-ing in complex light circuit paths from one vessel...to the other...intersecting between her hands.

"What the...?"  My eyes started to widen as the both vehicles started to expand, contract, twist, and shape-shift in weird voxel geometry, gradually stretching toward one another.

Nikita started backing away as the masses began to fuse and the golden light that they were emitting grew ever brighter and more frenzied.  I could see holo-lyths wrap around everything...and holo-windows popping up out of nowhere.

"Sparks...if she blows us up--"

"Have a little faith, lizard-man.  This is the best digital LSD trip I've ever watched.  I wonder if we can rent this out to Industrial Light & Magic?"

It was then we began to notice the shape was getting bigger and expanding.  I was beginning to see why this area had to be the side of a city...or two.  It had quickly forced us all to get the heck back until we were practically at the gateway entrance to the area.

"And I thought Spaceball-1 was a big ship."  Violet grinned as it started taking shape.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOAH, Doc.  Are you saying...you built a freakin' STARSHIP underground!?"  Red looked up and up and up a the impossibly large behemoth.  At the rate it was unpacking and expanding, Miranda City and Raxis put together would be dwarfed by this.

"Don't you think you made it err...a bit too big, doctor?"  My eye twitched at this point.

Just when I thought it would actually start to crowd us out...it finally completed its transformation.

"What...on...any Earth...is that, Nikita?!"  I gaped with my jaw hitting the ground.

Marcel had the biggest of dollar signs in his eyes.

"I don't think you'd be able to steal let alone sell that."

"Wouldn't stop me from trying."  Marcel looked up at the shiny gold...wait...what was this thing called?

Bunnie gave him a glare before turning her attention to Dr. Lynx.  "You have outdone yourself, Doctor."

"Regretfully...I find myself at a loss to properly christen my work with a fitting name--"

"Neo-Nebuchadnezzar!"  Violet cut in.

This prompted Bunnie, Nikita, Sally,  and myself to slooooowly turn toward Violet and deadpan.

"C'mon.  Give me this one."  She shrugged.

"Very well."  Nikita ignored the fact that it was reference to the Matrix.  It wasn’t' the worst name Vi came up with.

The hatch suddenly opened and Nikita beckoned us to board.

"Wait, Dr. Lynx.  Before we launch...a question.  This vessel...does it have a powerful communication system?"

"Do not insult my foresight."

"I'll take that as a yes, Doctor.  Perhaps a better question...how powerful is it?  Or rather...does it merely transcend space?"

"I follow your line of thinking."

"You do?"  Pit blinked.

"Goat Son...where are you going with this...?"

"Let's face it, Volt.  We're going into the belly of the beast and we're not even a crumb let alone a tasty morsel.  If we're going...then at least we should bank on choking the beast on a feast he can't handle in the least.  Little...wordplay there."

"What do you mean?"  Sarina asked.

"It's time to rely on the kindness of strangers...and hopefully people who might actually be grateful enough to repay some debts."

"Asriel...are you suggesting...?"

And there we were in the communication chamber as I finished rerouting power from the giant-sized trans-warp drive engine, the flux capacitor, and the dimensional rig.  All three routed into the transmitter.

"Now this be a talk-tower that be crankin' the amps!  I could fill the air with dare and rack up the views."  Ripper grinned.

"Don't get any ideas over a stunt too dangerous for Jackass."  Marcel scolded.

"Going to side with Marcel."  Chameleon narrowed his eyes.

"Aww!  Harsh!"

"Your boss has spoken.  Don't backtalk unless you want to start going down the punishment list."

"I comprendo, jefe!"

"Do you really think this is going to work?"  Marcel looked at me.

"The theory is solid."

"It's a very ambitious undertaking, Asriel."  Brooke unfurled her wings, prompting everyone's silence.

"It's just...something I got to do.  I'm not so inclined to lean toward hubris; I've had a good long time to learn my limits and know that I'm only one goat.  So if I'm not going to stand alone...I'm going to bank on everyone else feeling the same."

"A wise leader knows when to ask for help."

"Well then...I just hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears."

"Just so you know, Asriel...this communication is only one-way.  You'll be able to deliver a message...but you won't get a response.  It's too many recipients to take in full-duplex audio-video.  Besides, it's infeasible to have a conversation of this magnitude with this many people, simultaneously.  You would be met with an unfathomable cacophony of overlapping voices and images."

"I only need to ask for their help.  Sadly, the only response we can get is in action...whomever answers the call?  I guess that will be the gauge of faith."

Dr. Lynx and I started up the transmission; holo-cameras and omni-directional microphones on.

"We've connected to Cryptosmasher and linked into A.E.O.N. directly."  Nikita turned to us.

"Well, Cinnamon Roll...do your Zordon thing."  Violet mused.

"Three...two...one...and we're transmitting to every confirmed coordinate in time, space, and dimension that your dossier has ever recorded, Commander.  And priority to everywhere that you and Asriel have visited."

"Along with emphasis on the standing case-files of my S.T.C. colleagues who aren't in the Council's pocket."

However there was one very specific location we were omitting.  Sorry, Undertale...you had to stay in the dark about this.  Once this was over, you'd be the last thing to check off my current bucket list. After that...well...I'd plan for that another day.

Asriel took a deep breath and put on his brave face before addressing...absolutely everyone.

**"Attention all peaceful and decent intelligent life in the InfinityVerse.  I am Prince Asriel Dreemurr.  And I humble myself before you all to bring to you a message as well as a desperate plea for help."**

All over the UltraVerse...and even beyond its borders, Asriel's message came in loud and clear in all of its 8K definition, 3-dimensional holographic, global surround sound glory.

While countless were shocked and completely unprepared for the evidence of intelligent life existing on other planets...just as countless a number recognized Asriel's face and voice and knew EXACTLY where he was coming from.

**"I'm here talking to all of you now because our future...no...our very EXISTENCE is being threatened by people who seek to embody chaos, suffering, and complete anarchic annihilation of the very virtues of kindness, patience, integrity, bravery, justice, perseverance and determination.  The very attributes of all good souls in existence--human, monster, or other.**

**Some of you have already had first contact with them.  Some of you have even been the victims of their schemes.  Some of you have even been turned against others who you would have never met under normal circumstances; good people and heroes on the same side deceived into thinking each other the enemy for the purpose of wiping each other out and paving the way for their evil schemes.   Many have lost their lives.  Many have lost their homes.  Many have lost everything because of them.  There are those of you who have lost your freedom...your security...your semblance of normal lives.**

**What is upon us is much bigger than a few disputes.  A few battles.  A few bruised egos and a few clashes of different cultures and beliefs.  We cannot be poisoned by Chaopolis invoking hatred between genders, races, and even species.**

**Only recently did they attempt to instigate mass genocide of my entire home planet and its people; with indiscriminate culling of all life punctuated by horrible planet-killing technology.  A technology they could turn on any world, any dimension, any point in history at their discretion.  It is only by the truest of miracles that survive.  We will not get another chance if they strike again.**

**I once dwelled in darkness, condemned to an eternal life of never aging, never growing, never escaping because I believed that my fate was set in stone.  I believed that I was thrown away by my own timeline out of necessity.  I believed that my exile from the lives of those I cared about would make things right for a mistake I thought destroyed my world.  I wanted to disappear from the world, because I wanted to escape the horrible reality around me and the unfair hand that Madam Fate had dealt me.**

**But someone believed so strongly that I deserved happiness...a second chance...an opportunity to have my own hopes and dreams so that I might live on and carry the hopes and dreams of my forsaken people with me to a new world.**

**I wasn't handed an easy life...only opportunities to build a life of my own and stand on my own two feet.  I was given a family and the best teachers I could have ever asked for...and more than that...a true best friend who would never abandon me.  And I would never abandon him.  I took what I was given and used every gift, every drop of wisdom, and every chance to rise and reinvent.**

**As I grew and matured I found something much bigger than just myself.  I found a cause.  I found friends far beyond the reaches of my own adopted home.   And I don't want to lose any of this or any of them or any of you--whether we've met or whether you've had absolutely no idea that other beings existed outside of your own world.  I don't want to lose anyone; it doesn't matter what kind of person you are nor what you do or don't deserve.  You are all important to me.  Even if I may never know you as long as I live.**

**This terrorist following of anarchists....they think we're too distracted with our own problems.  They think we don't have the foggiest clue...they think none of us will ever see it coming when they strike.**

**They think we won't put up a fight.  That we're all just  sheep...or goats...for the slaughter!  That we'll all just roll over and die just so they can pave over our bones and unmake all of existence so that there won't be any semblance of law, order, or anything even remotely rule.  Just empty, cold, chaos where there is no law, no love, no life.  Just  broken building blocks of all you see around you colliding endlessly in an incoherent cacophony of bedlam.**

**They built their empire on lies and a cause that is so fundamentally flawed that it's defunct at its very core!  And we're supposed to step aside before laying down to be executed to just hand him the metaphorical Anti-Life Equation!?**

**Well.  I say they're wrong.  Dead wrong.  I won't lower myself to their level and become a murderer to take down murderers.**

**I want to carve into Chaopolis own home doorstep an ultimatum that the seven virtues and the concepts they inspire...peace, freedom, harmony, love, law...but must of all...hopes and dream...that they're not just words...but PERSPECTIVES.**

**Ask yourselves.  Are you willing to risk your own lives for an uncertain future without this cancer on our societies breathing down our necks?  Are you willing to fight and die by your own choice rather than be executed in cold blood without one?  Are you willing to risk it all just to sleep soundly without being kept up by fear-driven nightmares that Chaopolis might turn you to dust the moment you close your eyes?**

**If you see what I see, if you feel, what I feel...if you have the means, the intuitive and the desire to seek us out and stand on the battlefield as our allies...our brothers and sisters...our FAMILY...then find whatever means you can to reach these coordinates in the Axis of Realities and stand with us on their proverbial Planet Doom.**

**I promise...we'll give them an End Game they'll beg us to show MERCY...and let them win.  Let's make them all rage-quit this rigged game that Madam Fate has us in...and take back our lives.  It’s time our hearts beat as one and we all deliver her the one and only message she needs to hear: that our lives are NOT a game and we are NOT her chess pieces.**

**This is our hope.  These are our dreams.  And that is...all of us...our wish."**

A moment passed before we ended the transmission.

And then another moment...before the massive roar of applause started up...beginning with me...and everyone around me...until the entire population aboard the ship had unanimously voiced their support to Goat Son.

By far...this was his most epic speech ever.

## Sub-Entry 393:  "Through Time and Space.  Our Maiden Voyage":

Above us...a few miles above us, the even-more-impossibly-large titanium shutters opened, opening the gargantuan hanger up to surface above......the massive open space in what I only felt like was an endless desert.  But now after seeing this ship in all of its glory...rising out of this underground hanger...I was starting to realize that it was just barely able to contain our megalopolis of a ship underneath.

How...how did she pull this off?  More to the point...how did she make a space underground big enough for it?  It just...it just didn't make ANY SENSE!  None at all!

And yet...I now understood that "impossible" was only a state of mind for those who hadn't devised the means by science or magic.  And well...this was now the zenith of our technological advancement.

I watched as the oxygen envelope wrapped around the whole ship followed by the tachyon field.  And finally I watched Dr. Lynx engage both the Flux Capacitor and the Dimensional Rig.

"This is really happening."  I was still stunned how she not only had technology that our own S.T.C. had...but it had SURPASSED our own.   Or maybe...just maybe her tech was jump-starting our research and remastering it in a self-fulfilling time loop.

"Just so we're clear...if we end up vaporized to milkshake, I'm going to spend my afterlife making yours miserable, Sparks."

"Not to rain on your parade, Chameleon, but you do know he's the only one of us with an immortalizing contract with a goddess." Violet hovered behind, peeking over Chameleon's shoulder.

"You just have all the answers, don't you?"

"Have a little faith, lizardman.  We're going to see the stars and for once I don't mean eavesdropping on the Oscars."  Violet dropped onto Chameleon's shoulders.

"Enjoying yourself, rabbit?"  Chameleon's tone was calm but irate.

"Best seat in the house."

"The fee for that seat is your feet.  So unless you want me to keep them in a box as a bounty--"

"I gotcha.  C'mon.  All this time bantering together and you still got to be hostile."

"You're seconds away from waking up in a chocolate rabbit factory, tied to a chair with your eyes propped open."

"Awww.  You DO care."

"Will you stop provoking him, Vi?  Cham, stop enabling her."  I finally took charge.  About time for me to do my part and pull rank.

"You guys, we should really get below deck and hunker down.  Blast-off is probably going to be...rough."  Asriel reminded.

"You know I'm only winding you up like a spring so we can have you at your best on the battlefield, right?"  Violet chuckled as she headed down below.

"I can't wait to show you all the ways I intend to thank you for it..."  Chameleon mused with a sinister toothy grin.

"Jeeze!  Just have hate se--"  Kalarisis started before Bunnie's tessan fan whapped her.

"Don't become the new Vi."  She warned the gargoyle.  I had to agree.  That rode the line of good taste...and the border between a PG-13 and R-rating.

"Guys, if you would be so kind to get to your seats and strap in....really strap in."  Drew cautioned as he and Nikita prompted Asriel and myself to head to the main bridge.

"Well talk later."  Bunnie followed everyone else down to the residential area.  This ship really was like a city.  No...like multiple big cities put together.  In fact...in some ways it felt like a dwarf planet......but yeah, that was an exaggeration.  Let's just leave it as...it was big.

Asriel stared longingly at the socket.  His medallion was a perfect fit.  He looked at me first...then Nikita.

"Go ahead."  I urged.

And then he fit the medallion in...and everything from bow to stern came alive and a lot of the unlit sections lit up and everyone could see what this city-scape housed.

"You know...this is a lot like Terra-Venture."  Asriel mused, recalling what he studied about the Lost Galaxy Power Rangers.

"Yeah...yeah it is."  I nodded.

From the control room, the monitors showed top-side where a number of masts erected from out of the top-side of the ship...and from the masts, unfurled a multitude of what I could only describe as "solar sails"..........wait a minute.  It all became clear in that moment!  This ship...it wasn't just a merger of the Solaris and the Condor...it was drawing inspiration from the Solar Sailers from the Grid...the world of Tron and Tron Legacy.  But it was also taking cues from Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight/Odin: Starlight Mutiny.

No.  It was EXACTLY like it.  But much bigger.

"Any time you're ready, Mr. White."  Asriel sat down in the chair as the harnesses and protective measures and gravity anchors engaged.

The framework formed around Drew...like a mechanical exo-frame with gravity tech on it, plus a heap of straps and harnesses.

I took my seat as well.

Dr. Lynx stepped over to a drum-shaped platform...moments before a glass cylinder raised up, encapsulating her completely...before filling with a strange luminous but translucent fluid.

"What?"  Drew seemed surprised as he whirled the framework around to get a good look.

"It only makes sense."  I reasoned.  "That she would have to be our navigator...and for that she needs to connect to her creation."

"This just became all kinds of Outlaw Star."  Asriel mused.

"Cute, Goat Son.  Cute."  I chuckled.  Then turned stoic, because I knew what was coming next.

The engines...the REAL ones were about to fire up.

"This is the final call.  Everyone, strap in and do not disregard any of the safety protocols.  This means each and everyone aboard.  No exceptions."  Nikita's voice had an electronic reverb to it as she seemed to almost...telepathically contact every deck of the ship at the same time.

"Well...hope you at lite, Goat Son."

"Volt...let's reach for the stars."  Asriel smiled

"T-minus 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...IGNITION!"

The G-forces were intense.  I felt like my stomach was going to diffuse through my own rib cage, between my muscle masses, around my hair follicles as it was pressed through my own skin.

Everyone else was struggling too much to complain about it.

It's time I made a mental note; the next time we go into space, spend a good few months getting everyone proper astronaut training.  Granted, we didn't have that kind of time to spend with things as they were...but rest assured, we'd learn from this experience.  Oh boy, would we ever.

And the thing was?  This was only lift-off into Geosynchronous Orbit.  We still had to get into position to reach the first jump gate.  At least we wouldn't have to worry much about cryogenic hibernation or all the other sci-fi methods of going from one part of the galaxy to a few hundred lightyears to the other side of it.  Dr. Lynx had revolutionized space-time travel across the stars in a way I would have NEVER dreamed of.  In a way that Emmett wouldn't have even thought possible.

And just as soon as the chaos had begun...it was over as the ship came to a stop.......unimaginably far from home.

"No turning back now."  Asriel acknowledged.

I nodded and sighed.  "Well.  Let's get a moment to take it in.  Dr. Lynx has begun the charging sequence for the Warp Drive Engines and all of the space-time-dimension rigs connected to them."

This gave us a moment to get top side to enjoy a literal space cruise.  While we wouldn't be sailing through the cosmos of Lylat, I was one hundred billion percent sure that our journey was a lot safer than holding a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament on top of the Great Fox as it went from world to world, through the most impossibly cramped asteroid fields in the world (considering asteroids in an asteroid belt were usually miles and miles and miles apart), to a dog fight with Star Wolf.

And a lot of us did in fact go top side to enjoy the view and get a glance at eternity itself.

"This is the ti--"  Violet started before Bunnie clamped her mouth shut.

"This is some heavy crap, boss."  Drew's voice came over the P.A. to the deck of the ship.

"Yeah...guess this upgrades your tour of duties, doesn't it?"  I contacted him on the walkie-talkie.

Asriel moved to the very bow of the ship, just over its decorative condor ornamental frontside.  Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw hats had both the Merry Go with its sheep face and the Thousand Sunny with its...ahem...lion face.  we had the Neo Nebuchadnezzar with this golden condor motif.

Azzy admired the sails and the towering masts behind him before looking straight ahead into the starfield and nebula before us.

"the ultimate dream come true. I don't know what can ever top this."  Asriel sounded cathartic.  Truly this was pure elation for him.

"If I only I could actually reach out and touch the stars.  But the scientist in me knows better; that a single star would engulphed me several hundred billion times over.  And more than that, every star is basically a different-sized sun.  Even my dust would burn up before I got close."

"Heh...that brain of yours is working as overtime as my own."

"Imagine that."

"Got to say, Sparks.  This is a trillion GP experience of a lifetime.  Not sure how I feel about it.  Typically boats and I don't get along.  And going into space again?  Can't say I'm thrilled about it.  But..."

"But?"

"...revenge is a good motivator."  Chameleon cocked his gun before holstering it, making sure the safety was on.

Chameleon walked off to check in with Valkyrie and Verlaine...and if necessary drag Ripper by the ear away from the door leading to the bridge.  We were totally not letting him Zap Brannigan this ship like it was a steakhouse with rocket thrusters.

Dead silence save for the sounds of the ship and its crew.

I couldn't thank Dr. Lynx enough for the climate control systems.  Even with the oxygen bubble?  We'd all freeze to death in the depths of space without it.  Nikita assured me it was a giant sized version of Mitzi's varia belt...on a super-mega massive scale.  I guess that explained the ringed framework around the oxygen bubble...like a hyper-extended gyroscope frame.

"I've been saving a special song for this."  Asriel said as he turned up the volume on the NX Board and scrolled through playlists before he found it.

My ears perked up as I recognized the song and an old memory ignited of the Ghost Galleon.

"Yeah...I think this will do nicely."  I nodded as I recognized the song of Ron A. Wasserman from the soundtrack of Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.  And it brought me back to the newly formed Turbo Rangers on their maiden voyage through the Nemesis Triangle to the island of Meranthius.

***"Silly little man, it seems that you had...a big idea in your head...to come and conquer me!***

***Well I don't mean to go and wreck your day, but you better turn and run away...***

***Or they'll be a big, big price to pay!"***

Bunnie and Master Splinter stood together.  Bunnie crossed her arms and smiled with a slightly furrowed brow of confidence while Splinter's walking stick thunked into the deck as he thrust it down with both palms overlapped on top of it.

***"Cause' I am the one you should fear the most!***

***Cause' I am the one who'll take you down!***

***And as long as I exist...there's***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!"***

Violet and Sally shared a fist-bump as Red, Monique, Vlad Stokes, Vermillion and newcomers, Bonnie and Zeta joined him them in the company of all of the VARS sisters.

Lupe clasped her hands as she bowed her head, praying to Gaia for protection as Felicia chased a yarn ball through the hallways.

Kid the Cat backstroked his way past onlookers as he hovered as if he had no concept of the force of gravity.

All the while, Glenda was conjuring magical cupcakes for anyone she could offer them too.  Thanks to her magic, whatever cupcake a person was awarded; it would be flavored with his or her absolute favorite food.

***"So the battle field lights your way, if it's what you want, well then okay.  Prepare to disappear!***

***I'm going to crush you down until you're so small, that a mouse will seem like stories tall.***

***If that's what you want, goodbye!"***

Gadget and Gyro wiped their brows as they finished working on their projects in the armory.

In the crow's nest, Pit scouted far and wide.

Brooke stood top-side atop the roof of the main bridge, arms crossed and wings unfurled, looking stoic and incredibly imposing on any who'd DARE cross us.

Marcel passed the time in a game of cards with several of the ship's passengers.  Chameleon idly stood by, polishing his sword while Tithius sneaked some snacks off of the tables of unsuspecting patrons.

***"Cause' I am the one you should fear the most!***

***Cause' I am the one who'll bring you down!***

***And as long as I exist...there's***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!"***

In one of the training facilities, there were some rookie Border Patrol who had volunteered to go along with.

One of them was particularly having second thoughts until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

And there was Antoine there to encourage him.  He had finally found his nerve.  He finally found his soldier's fighting spirit again.

He drew his sword theatrically and pointed it upward, at a 45 degree angle, reaching for the ceiling.

***"Never a time...I fall apart.  I must be strong.***

***Cause' the winners win.  The losers lose.***

***Choose your side.  It's your mooooooooooooove!!!"***

 Port-side I recognized the shape and form of Sky Lynx. He jetted on ahead to wait at the next gate.  I was pretty sure Egon and the others were aboard with Ectronymous.  At least now we weren't alone in this.

"***And  I am the one you should fear the most!***

***Cause' I am the one who'll take you down!***

***And as long as I exist...there's***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!***

***Hope for the World!"***

I rubbed Asriel's shoulder, reassuringly as we just slowly sailed to the coordinates.  It wasn't long before I could see the first O-ring shaped jump gate.

Dr. Lynx's voice rang out everywhere for us to get below deck...and really strap in.  Blast-off was a cakewalk.

The jump to light speed coupled with time and dimension crossing?  That was going to make some of us wish we had stayed home.

Azzy and I hurried to the deck where Drew was already suited up and taking command of the exo-frame driven controls and ship's steering wheel.

We all bucked in with the even heavier-duty harnesses and protective rigs.

"Any time you're ready, Mr. White."

"Agree.  Let's make it so."  I couldn't resist the Jean-Luc Picard reference.

"personally I would have lead off with "Steady as she goes, Mr. Sulu."  Asriel smirked.

"Goat Son's a James Tiberius Kirk fan.  Who’d a thought?"

We joked while we could.  Because Nikita's countdown to the warp drive left us in pretty big suspense.

At first it seemed like it would never happen.

But then...it did.

By the gods and goddesses it did.

**HOLY.**

**SCHNIKEES.**

**JUST.**

**HOLY.**

**SCHNIKEES.**

I was absolutely sure at least some of us aboard lost consciousness.

As to what we experienced?  For months I'd try to go back and try to make sense of my memories of it.  At times it felt too...surreal to be anything but a dream.

But the quantum pandemonium we went through?  No way that was an illusion.

We came.

We saw.

We would conquer.

Space...it really was the final frontier and we were headed toward a galaxy far, far away.

I found myself actually...and actively searching for a quote from any of the 13 Doctors...but nothing came to mind.  What did it say when I actually DID want to borrow from the Time Lords?

Either way...the point of no return was long past now.  Now it was a question for later of whether we'd be able to go back the same way we could.

Was it that presumptuous to believe we'd survive this final battle, even though we were clearly and inconceivably outnumbered, out-gunned, out-powered, and out of time and luck?

Well...I guess that was what faith was.

In the span of the time it took me to write this personal long...we'd traverse so much of the galaxy, it was unfathomable.

And soon...we'd reach the other end of this sea of star streaks and passing nebulae, planets, and celestial bodies.

## Sub-Entry 394: "A Time of Reflection Before Our Day of Destiny":

We had dropped out of...well...lightspeed and were now in a moment between jump gates.  Nikita informed us, the ship would need some time to recharge for the next hyper-jump between jump gates and dimensions.  Which let us actually sail through the cosmos like...well...like every depiction of a space craft or space station.  I wonder if this was what it was like on the Beebop?   I felt kind of like a "Cowboy" at this point.  Just your average bounty hunter, ma'am, indeed.  So says Spike Spiegel.

Which gave multiple factions aboard our ship time to reflect...time to converse...time to worry...time to exercise bluster...and well...whatever came with the territory of drifting through space before we made the jump through time.

Really...it was like normal city life aboard...only it was not.

A portion of the group had made their way to Mitzi's Rock-Afire Pizzeria kiosk.  It was indeed smaller a restaurant than the one in town.  It was more like...what I'd expect inside a mall.

A lot of people had set up shop for the journey and occupied themselves with work or play.  With distractions, or with attempts to find out more about what our plan was.

We had MORE than plenty of resources, plus a way of sustainably keeping those resources and goods well stocked and in circulation among us all.  Nikita had even created sections with self-contained biomes...equivalent of parks and simulated outdoor environments...complete with climate and such.

In some ways...it was like we never left Miranda City...but in other ways...this megalopolis was far newer, cleaner, and in some ways...better than home.  Yet it would never actually BE home.

So how was I taking all this?

Honestly?  I was glad to have a good amount of officers and military aboard...but not so keen on the civilians volunteering for duty.  I felt guilty enough that we were endangering people's lives; but most of them insisted they made their own choice.  I couldn't turn them away.

Though that wouldn't stop my guilty conscience from asking myself...what was I thinking?  I was going to endanger people.  I was going to risk splitting up families and leading so many of us into the bowels of Hell.

I guess Chaopolis' plan to stir the people up worked too well for even them to count on.  Too well to the point that it may very well have become their undoing.  Could we all really win?

To be perfectly blunt, even with this huge chunk of the population, we were almost guaranteed to walk into a total genocide...all but me.  And I'd have to watch it happen all over again, just like Universal City.  And my guilt for living on and on while I let everyone around me get tossed away like scraps on a plate would more than double.  This is why immortality really sucks.  This is why.

"Don't let them get to you, Volt.  They're the enemy.  We all CHOSE this path.  We live together, we die together.  Either way, we'll be free of them and their anarchy."

I sighed as the safety harnesses and restraints unlatched and let us drift about the weightlessness.  The hyperdrive jump had rerouted a lot of the power to the engines and life support so things like the artificial gravity would have to re-energize.

Until then I'm sure there were more than several of us who'd enjoy the new-found freedom.  Though we'd of course have our fair share of those who'd complain about it.

What did I expect?  I took a population aboard this vessel with zero astronaut training.  That was almost as reckless as going into this pre-emptive strike with a populace of volunteers whom I had no idea who among them could even fight?

Was it any wonder why I doubted my leadership skills.  And I apparently lacked the clout to dissuade anyone to stay behind.

Like Mega Man X...I worried too much.   So tell me HOW this showed potential?  Obviously it was a weakness in some cases, but how could this much worry be a blessing?

"It shows true empathy, Commander."  Bunnie had wisped into existence.  And believe me, seeing her BAMF into existence in zero gravity was something to see.

"Can't help that psychic ability, can you?"

"It points me to where I need to be and to who I need to help."

"How are you holding up, sensei?"

"It is not my first rodeo."  Bunnie smirked.

"I see what you did there."  Asriel picked up on her moment of acknowledging her own Southern Belle heritage in addition to her Jangese.  But more to the point, yes...Bunnie had been to space before.

"We have some down time until the engines recharge.  The gravity should be back online long before then."

"Which I should hope comes with a warning to everyone aboard.  Pretty sure we'll get angry letters about broken stuff and broken bones if it kicks on and no one has prepared for it when it all comes crashing to the ground."  I huffed.

"Do try to unwind while we have some moments to ourselves, Commander."  Bunnie propelled herself back toward the doors as Drew unharnessed from the exo-frame and joined us.

"Dinner would be on Mitzi."

"Now that's something even I can get behind.  I won't even hassle Jon about it."  I mused, licking my lips.

"If she's got pizza, then this is by far the coolest moment of all time, space, and dimension."  Asriel grinned widely.

"That goes without saying."  Bunnie chuckled.

"Rock and roll!  Pepperoni inbound!"  He gave himself a boost to soar past both of us.

"One question...how is she going to cook in zero gravity?"

"She...knows someone."

Dook Larue was finally living out his dream of going into space.  And better yet, he was using his gravity hybrid ability to keep Mitzi's entire kiosk and its populace well grounded.

Everyone in the plaza was taking steps to tie stuff down that had been caught up in the zero G.

Honestly, on this level of the ship, it was like a mall.  I could only imagine what the other levels housed.

Elsewhere in the geo-dome, Lupe was amazed that Nikita had brought so much nature aboard.  This ship was going into a fire fight.  However the doctor explained that it was to provide a source of mana and magic to those tuned to nature and life essence.

I suppose that's also why she bothered to exhume a portion of a De Midian cemetery (much, much to Chameleon's objection) to provide Marcel with undead resources.

The sheer scope of what all the doctor HAD brought aboard was...just beyond comprehension.  She had accounted for every one of our powers, abilities, needs, and comforts.  Laboratories and workshops for Prince James, Vanessa Canciarus, Rotor, Gyro, Gadget, and myself to build whatever we needed. An alter and magical artifice for the Mage Academy to draw upon.  Plenty of distractions to keep morale up.  And a self-contained internet that Violet was allllll too eager to be administrator for...remotely.

"Enjoying the new headgear, Vi?"  I wrinkled my nose at the gaudy cyber-tiara with the 360 halo visor that kept her online all the time.

"Finally a crown worthy of  a Tokugawa."  She reveled in it.

"Movie night's on me."

The recharge would probably take a good solar cycle...why not ring it in with a movie night?  But I wasn't going to clutter this log entry up with our banter and MST3K-ing.

Everywhere, something was accommodating someone.  Even the holo-simulator training centers for those who couldn't stand around stuffing their face or playing social networking.  There was more than enough training and sparring to go around with Scott O'Conner as drill sergeant.  And boy did it ever awaken the Arlene in him.

**"FALLLLLLLL INNNNN YOOOOOU MAGGOOOOOTS!!!  MOVE IT!  MOVE IT!  MOVE IIIIIIIT!!!"**

I don't think he'd ever felt this alive in a long time.

And yes...plenty of medical facilities to keep my eldest daughter, Elektra and our chief medical op, Velaska Benikov very busy.  Not to mention give Callista a chance to remind people why she was the best neurosurgeon on the planet.

They're probably be more than they could handle once the war got underway.

The time passed surprisingly quickly and before we knew it, it was night time in Miranda.  It was all relative, though, out in space.  Clocks were just...counting programs out here.  Without a rising/setting sun and moon?  It was like it all blended together.

But even with the time we were taking to get there...I knew that Chaopolis would learn of our approach long before we were ready.

So Nikita and I chose to rectify that with time-travel.  As long as we jumped to a point far enough into the past, we'd give them zero chance to ready themselves for our arrival.

More than that...there was also zero chance that we'd ever come out here again so the chances of causing a major paradox were, for all practical purposes, non-existent.

To that end, we were bringing a lot of people for the ride who were mostly unable to grasp chrono-science and time travel.   We all had to know at least some basics, some cautions, and some of the most rudimentary warnings to abide by.

"Attention, all aboard the Neo Nebuchadnezzar.  This is a public service announcement for all aboard regarding important safety measures while we traverse space, time, and dimension."

Nikita's warning was perfectly timed.  I had instructed everyone aboard some quintessential basics on time travel and agreed that I'd give the final P.S.A. alongside her.

For nearly all of us it was going to be a life-changing event that occurred instantaneously with a flash of blue-ish white and electrical discharge; just as the Flux Capacitor-driven wormhole emitter had been designed to do.

"...and for the love of gods--I know most if not all of us are not stupid enough to try it--but please do NOT take any dares of touching the hull of the ship or sticking your tongue to it!  The endothermic reaction of time-travel is something we don't have time to make a re-route to a medical facility for.  Are we clear?"

Yeah.  Everyone was clear.  I wouldn't put it past Vi to dare someone to do something so stupid. But there was a reason Emmett told me about this and I didn’t' take a warning of "it's cold, damn cold" lightly.

We had crossed space.  And now we had crossed time, instantaneously.  All was left was the final jump gate to lead us through dimensions.  And we had to get there first.

There was only a little bit of down time left before then.

Asriel had already gotten top-side before I did, wanting to get a good look at the stars.  But also...there was something gnawing at him that he had to put to bed once and for all.

The sheen of the oxygen bubble around the ship against the blackness of space had somehow generated a reflective effect; enough for Asriel to see himself in, despite the stars and nebulae bleeding through the opacity.

And before him, Hyperdeath stared him down...appearing as though he had been waiting for a very long time.

"We never finished this conversation, Dreemurr."

"No.  We didn't."  Asriel admitted calmly.

"It's time we settled this.  It's time you stopped dodging your fate and abandoned the nice guy act."

"We do need to settle this.  As for the former, I don't bow to fate.  As for the latter, why would I want to do that when it's no act."

"I'm losing patience with you.   It's time you gave me the keys to  the cockpit.  Let--"

"I will not let you in."  Asriel said, not even raising his voice in the slightest.

"What!?"

"You heard what I said.  Honestly, I don't know how anything I say could go over your head."

"You dare to imply my ego is oversized!?"

"Don't have to.  You did it for me."

"Miserable goat!  He showed you the truth and you still continue to lie to yourself!?  You're not Mr. Perfect, you know!"

"I never said I was."

"Why...why don't you understand!?  You had...one role...one thing to do in your miserable life and that was DIE!  You were to become Chara's martyr to finally wake your parents up about the dangers of humans!  You promised her!  YOU PROMISED HER!  YOU LIAR, YOU PROMISED--"

"That promise is void.  She never wanted my life to end.  I should have understood even then that I'd lose her the moment she took her own life...the moment she poisoned herself with those flowers."

"Admit it, Asriel...you lied to her when you said you'd gather the flowers...you lost your nerve.  She had gathered them herself when she saw you lost your nerve."

"I only wish I had realized that...then I could have stopped her."

"You idiot!  You can't go against Fate's plan!  You can't go against what you were supposed to do!  After all those lifetimes the other you's have lived telling...them...that it was just better to forget about you!  All that crap about not letting your parents see you like this!"

"My life.  My choice.  Not my fate...my destiny."

"You...don't...get it!  This isn't just something you can turn your back on.   This goes higher than the Goddesses...you know you have a creator...a REAL creator out there!  You're just a damned copy of their vision!  You're just every other AU's attempt to give you the happy ending that you're never supposed to have!"

"I am me.  To thine own self be true."

"Turn back from this path and do what you were supposed to!"  Hyperdeath raged.

"It's far too late for that.  And besides...why do you want me to do that so badly?  Aren't you sick of playing the game?  Aren't you sick of being a flower?"

"Stop it!  Stop it!  Stop it!!!  STOP IT!!!"

"You're the dead end of a choice that no longer exists.  A path that's long since disappeared.  I couldn't become you if I WANTED to.  And I definitely don't want to.  So I won't be you.  Not now.  Not ever again."

"I AM YOUR TRUE SELF!  I AM YOU FUTURE!  I--"

"Enough!"  Asriel snapped.  "I'm going to make this very, very clear.  Once.  And FOREVER.  Listen up so don't you get the choice to ignore me.

You say you're the Messiah...the Absolute God of Hyperdeath...here to reset it all back to zero.  Our progress...our memories...our friendships...everything we've ever done.  Back to where it was before it all fell apart.  But you're just a puppet with invisible strings.  And what's controlling those strings is self-loathing, guilt, and the small part of me resisting change...resisting the need to move on.

Get one thing straight: you're not defined by who you were born.  Fate is an excuse of the battle worn.  I've made my choice to bring the dark into the light.  Hear my voice as I should to resist madness.

Don't write me off like I'm someone's copy.  You're not the one who gets to define me.  I am my own.  Original.  All of my heart and my soul...inside.  That's me."

Much of Asriel's rant was from Cyril the Wolf's vocal remix of Cannonball from Mega Man Zero 3, "You Don't Define Me" off the X vs. Zero album. Other parts of it were channeling something else.

"But--!"  Hyperdeath actually took a step backward.

"YOU.  DON'T.  DEFINE.  ME."

Hyperdeath's expression softened and broke...like a scolded dog.  Eyes wide.  Jaw dropped.  And just...so...sad.

"It's...not...fair."

"Nor should it be.  That is life.  And I'm done letting it be lived by someone else's design.  Where I go from here is on me and me alone."

Hyperdeath's face scrunched up and he sniffled and sobbed before burying his eyes in his sleeve.

"I don't want to disappear..."

"Don't be said.  We all have a time to go.  You'll always be a part of me.  But it's a part that I've outgrown.  It's a part that can't help me."

"What...are you saying...?"

It was only in Asriel's mind but what happened next...was almost poetry.

"I must do what the only thing I can, now.  Accept you."  Asriel stepped across the metaphorical barrier, visualized in the literal sense, and faced Hyperdeath, eye to eye.  And then...he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Hyperdeath and hugged longingly.

Hyperdeath's eight-ball eyes widened...before his expression scrunched up again and he bawled his eyes out...and hugged back.

"Hey...I'm sorry, man."

"Not...as...sorry as I am..."

"Let's just...leave it in the past."

Hyperdeath sobbed before he got a hold of himself.  "I guess this is...goodbye."  He said as he started to fade and be slowly absorbed into Asriel.

"Goodbye for now.  Should we meet again?  It will be as separate beings...not as one."

Asriel opened his eyes again, seeing his normal reflection in the sheen of the barrier, the digital waves in it washing over and disrupting it for an unobstructed view of outer space before refreshing again.

"Hey."  I gave him a heads-up before approaching.

"Hey."

"You...seem...like you're off on a cloud."

"More like....coming back down from one."

"You good?"

"Yeah.  Never better."

I'd have my own things to reflect on.

"Promise me one thing..."  Lisa's words echoed in my head.  "Don't let her go.  She's my memory, too.  Even if it was a different lifetime, even if I'm a different person. A different soul.  I want to hold onto my past lives as proof that they were even lived in the first place."

"Hmm..."  I reflected on this.  What a unique situation...having a wife and true love who was the opposite of jealous when it came to another girl...another soul mate from who can say how many lifetimes ago, now?  What a contradiction to live by.  Moving on...but holding on.  Destiny had somehow made this dichotomy work.

She would never call me Neil-kun.  But she was still a huge fan of Weird Al Yankovic.  The feline aspect of her was long gone.  Yet she still loved to read Harry Potter books and watch anime like the Slayers.  There were plenty of other differences as well that hammered it home that this Lisa was a completely different soul than Universal Detective.  Still...when she was unmorphed...yeah...it became a whole lot easier to see it.  All these nods to what once was...  Coincidences or subtle touches that Lady Destiny couldn't resist incorporating?

"I bet you're thinking about Lisa right now, huh?"

You really do know me, Azzy."

"You'll see her again."

"You know if she WERE actually Universal Detective Lisa and not my village childhood sweetheart, she would have insisted to come along and fight alongside me.  But...I guess motherhood is the biggest difference of all."

"I can....kind of see the Heart of the Childhood burning in her at some level but...y'know.  It's metaphorical."

"True."

"So...the other thing on your mind has to be Adonis."

"Azzy...there's so much I want to ask you...what.....what happened when you faced him?"

"A losing battle until...I finally decided to stop fighting him and try to save him."

"You found a way to make that code of yours work.  Those virtues?"

"Three sticks together are stronger than one.  Or in this case, seven."

"Heh.  Speedy Cervichi's enlightenment."

"Somehow...I saw it.  I saw what you meant...that in the end he couldn't be true to himself."

"It must...raise questions?"

"No.  Not anymore.  It all makes sense and I don't want to read beyond it.  This DNA archetype is just shell.  Something that I can use to pass as human.  What and who it is doesn't define me any more than Hyperdeath."

"Wow, Goat Son...you've...grown up so much...you've grown so strong and so smart...you've exceeded every possible expectation I had...and you're still going."

## Sub-Entry 395:  "Final Destination: Chaopolis"

We were now in the right time coordinates and approaching the right space coordinates.  All we needed now was the right dimension between dimensions and our hour of destiny would be here.

It wasn't the finality of it all that had gotten to me...but the suspense leading up to destiny and fate's big gambit.

"Hey...you....okay?"

"No.  You?"

"Not in the least.  This goes against...everything that sensei taught me about never rushing to violence."

"But it conforms to everything you believe in about standing up to bullies."  Mitzi placed her hand on his shoulder.  "If we just keep turning the other cheek, we're going to keep living in fear.  Us and everyone we know are just going to be targets for them to keep trolling and hurting until they actually succeed at what they tried to do."

"No more genocide runs.  Not now.  Not ever again.  No more."  Asriel's fury was surprisingly contained but the rage behind those eyes was real.

"I know how you feel.  I've know how you feel now for too many lifetimes for me to count.  The rage explosions I've had should have killed a normal being just from the blood pressure alone.   He's always been able to push my buttons no matter how I would steel myself against his mind games."

"Then let me be the heat sink for your temper.  I'll keep you grounded."

"On this I have no doubt."

"I think it's time we headed back down to the bridge.  The engines should be charged up again."

As I said that, the ship started to move but only one impulse power.  Nikita was getting us in position, lining up our trajectory for our slingshot to the jump gate.  I won't even ask how and when she and Violet managed to assemble these transport rings in our solar system, much less between space and time coordinates that would crack the barrier into Chaopolis.  All I knew was...we'd end up owing them both for probably a long time to come.

Who can say when Violet would come to cash in on it?  But now was not the time to start worrying about her collecting on the debt.

War was coming again.  Technically, the same war we never really finished.  And technically Chaopolis DIDN'T win the Crossover Wars.  They cheated and then the rested on their laurels, not expecting us to make a comeback.  Well it was our turn and we were re-igniting the Crossover Wars on our terms.  We would finish this, once and for all.

Goat Son cranked up the media player in the NX Board one more time just to reprise that song just before he headed back down for our final jump.

"And I am the one you should fear the most!  And I am the one to take you down.  And as long as I exist...

There's hope for the world!  Hope for the world!  Hope for the world!  Hope for the wooooooorld!"

Once we exited the jump ring, the breach between dimensional barriers lay before us.  Evil, chaotic black-light energy pouring out with threatening tentacles of dark red and black lightning.  Just looking upon it invoked a feeling of panic, mayhem, and absolute bedlam without the slightest drop of coherence.  Being near it even aboard the ship made it hard to think straight.  It made it hard to keep organized.  So this was the essence of total lawlessness and anarchy.  It wasn't pleasant to say the least.  It was nauseating and reeked of despair, anguish, and above all...hate.  So much hate and suffering.  If Doom Guy had Hell?  We had this.

Violet finished sharpening her Thunder Spear blade.

She shared a fist-bump with Red before capitalizing on my previous thought.

"Rip..."  She began.

"...and tear."  Red flashed a shark-toothy grin.

"This is it."  Asriel looked down at the at the ever-changing...hard-to-describe...realm of chaos.

"You seeing what I'm seeing?"

"I don't know WHAT I'm seeing, Sally."  Rotor scratched a tusk.

"This is what happens when you strip away law and order and let everything revert to a state of pure chaos.  Not even the laws of physics can agree on what's true and what isn't."

"Because there is no law."  Sally reasoned.

"Right."

"How long until they notice the impossibly-large war machine above them?"

"War machine?"  I looked over at Nikita Lynx.

"Did you not think I would leave our vessel undefended?"

"You...sound as if you are no stranger to war, Nikita."

I took a moment for it to sink in what I just said.

"Oh...retracted."  Of course I was referring to the Vorostov Conflict...however that expression of hers...maybe it was telling me of days past before Lemuranopia's Golden Age?

How many sought to upheave their throne atop the zenith of civilization, I wonder.

"I'm detecting a lot of sudden activity."  Nikita looked over the screens.

"We woke em' up."

"Hope they don't sleep totally commando."  Violet joked.

"Dammit, Vi..."

We had indeed caught them with their pants down.  And they were trying to make up for the time we stole from them.

"Just to be clear...you know that even though they're unprepared...they still outnumber us, Sparks."

"I haven't forgotten...which is why I tried talking all of you out of this."

"Don't play that martyr crap on us now, Sparks.  Just because you can't die and could keep going forever doesn't mean you won't lose and lose big."

"I know.  All they have to do is beat me down and take me to Adonis."

"Then cut the bullcrap and give us a chance to take it out of their asses.  This isn't just business, it's very personal."

"I finally get why you value your pride so much.  I've spent so much of my life denouncing pride I didn't realize it needs to balance out humility just as much as every other set of opposites."

"Smartest wolf in the town didn't even know that much?"

"Albert Einstein couldn't even tie his own shoes and he still meets all the criteria for a genius."

"Now you're standing up for yourself."  Chameleon decided to leave it at that.

I turned to Queen Brooke.

"Are you...really sure you don't want to rally us?  Do you...really think Asriel should spearhead this?"

"The question, Doctor, is why you still believe you shouldn't.   I say to you both, share the leadership.  You are going to be the frontline sword."

"I know but--"

"Did you not hear Asriel's words to countless people?  Complete and total strangers as well as allies.  People who many have no business ever knowing that life exists on other planets.  He has upset the status quo and given a call to arms.  Who answers that call will define the character of every person who heard it.  Then we will know our allies."

I was silent for a moment.

"As you wish, Lady Brooke."

"On the battlefield, I am a soldier as anyone else.  There will be time for royal address after we lay these fools to rest."

"You do have those moments were I could kiss you."  Lord Jaimas mused.

"Do you not take have enough wives as it is?"

"Does my charm offend you, milady?"

"Enticing.  But press it and I may have to void our alliance with Raxis."

"Wouldn’t that be a shame."

Yikes.  The chemistry between these two was hard to figure out.  Did they like each other or hate each other?  Maybe that was the dance on the razor-thin edge of the treaty penned between both countries.

"Flirt at your own risk, Lord of Raxis.  It could cost you your soul."

"Do not revel too much in the bloodbath, Queen of Miranda.  You don't want to get daddy's attention."

A low and dark chuckle.

"Let's keep our parents off the table."

I don't think I feel safe around them...let's see how Marcel was doing?

In the cemetery biome...

I watched Marcel command the dead back to life as De Midian's legion of zombies was now at his and Princess Liliath Anagazzner's command.

"Got all your ducks in a row, Marcel?"

"And a few dukes."  Liliath noted as some of the higher ranks included some De Midian nobles, noted for their ferocity on the battlefield and being gentile in aristocratic life.

"Clever."

I noted his steely-eyed look.

"All business when on a mission as usual."

"No time for crap when the world's at stake, Neil."

"One of these days I'm going to take a head count of how many of you actually use my real name.  That said...you got a handle on all your bindings?"

"You know which ones to keep your distance from."

"Yeah....don't think we want Violet around Lust."

My anime sweat drop could have been used as a bowling ball if it were the right shape; it was most certainly the right size.

I passed by Draigo Stokes, Vlad's undead brother.  Known as a "Stitcher" for his reputation as an undead surgeon.  Even De Midian needed a field medic.  Undead wasn't the same as invincible.

"We'll keep you posted.  And I'm sure you already know this but...any spoils of war are yours for the taking.  Just remember, it's first come, first serve."

"I'll...try to leave a few trinkets for Chameleon to snatch up."

"Better hope some of our other gentleman and lady thieves don't beat you to it."

Violet had promised some help from Lupin's gang as well as one Selina Kyle from Gotham.

"If I'm generous I'll leave them with a nice accordion solo before I make good on my promise to settle some debts.  Lupin still has a few spoils of war I still intend to collect."

"Heh.  Money talks and cash is keen, listen to the green vaccine.  A penny for your thoughts of green.  Money talks and cash is keen."  I recited the King Cousin's song lyrics.  "Just remember...the quicker it comes, the faster it goes."

"I don't buy my friends or sell my soul."  Touché, Marc.  Guess you already heard this song.

"I better check in and see if Kid's got any ice cream to spare.  And I could use a cupcake so...hoping Glenda's sharing the wealth."

I of course checked in on the Mage Academy Lite where Sarina was readying the Task Mages for the battle ahead.  Sure enough Kid was doing his thing while Glenda was all too glad to dole out a cupcake or two.  A werewolf hasn't lived until he's had a filet mignon favored cupcake.  Twice as sinful.

The Church of Eatos had also set up a small gathering where Sir Alistair was training knights and paladins to crusade in the name of their lord, Eatos.

I made sure all was well before moving on to the next, which happened to be the Border Patrol.  I think Hyperion had actually gotten promoted.  He had temporarily deputized Antoine into their ranks.  It was no soldier to the crown but...at least he'd be doing something that I could finally put field work on his report to Sarge back home.

Before long I'd gotten everyone on the same page, ready to mobilize.

Now the question was...how to get us to the surface without us getting shot down.

"You leave that to us, Big Brother!"  Gadget took a seat at the weapons command module and brought every weapon on the ship online.

With a crack-shot like her behind the guns, what did we have to worry about?  She could shoot the fleas off a dog from 500 yards away and shoot the eye out of a mosquito at double that.  Someday she'd be as good a sniper as Lulu...she was well on her way.

Nikita then unveiled a twist I wasn't expecting.

"Tell me these weren't all just backups for Asriel's NX Gear!?"  I gaped.  Then I kind of took offense at it.  "How irresponsible do you take him for?"

"Easy, best friend."  Asriel assured me it was okay.

"Not backups.  Mass production models.  Eventually I was hoping to patent them in Technopolis...minus the weapon systems...as a recreational implement."

"Son of a gun.  We finally got REAL hoverboards.  And only five years late."  I joked.

"I will ignore that."  Nikita narrowed her eyes.

"Each has its own stasis bubble which should make atmospheric entry a non-issue."

"Wait...you're expecting us to surf our way down to the surface!?"  My eyes widened.

"Good to know I won't burn up to a cinder.  If I wanted to do that, I could ask the Order of Fire to give me a proper cremation."

"Your humor never ceases to temper our friendship, Chameleon."  Dragonius shrugged it off.

"If you need a lesson, Goat Son will be happy to get you some training wheels."

"Hey, leave me out of the snipes, Aunt Vi!"  Asriel protested.

"Actually I might take him up on that."

"You what, boss?"  Ripper about spit out his drink.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"Well...sure.   But now's really not the best time.  We're about to go into battle."

"I intend to get that first lesson, free of charge.  I intend to still have two good legs when this battle is over."

"Yeah.  That's the Chameleon I know and respect."

"Princes got to stick together."  Chameleon mused.  "Don't spread it around or--"

"Yeah...or I'm a cashmere sweater in the morning?"

"You're learning."

"I know to stay on your good side."

"Yeah.  You do.  You really do."  Chameleon mussed his head fur, being careful around the horns.

Asriel stepped aboard his own board.

"Everyone volunteering for the frontlines, with me.  We'll give them a reception so warm they'll have Miranda's name burned into their DNA for generations."

That earned him a thunderous unison of battle cries in agreement.   We all boarded our boards...and jetted down through the atmosphere...

## Sub-Entry 396: "The Crossover Wars Re-Ignite For a Final Battle":

So.  Here we were on the battlefield.  We'd brought with us so much virtue and order just from our very presence.  Enough to influence the environment around us to conform to a landscape we could feasibly interact with.

And yet...we were vastly outnumbered.  It was only a matter of time before Chaopolis' land masses would fuse with terrain we had gathered upon and bring the slaughter to us.

The sentiment of all who had decided to join our cause was comforting...but it was a drop in the bucket.

What was I thinking letting this many people throw away their lives...?

"What you are thinking, Commander is that you and Asriel were willing to martyr yourselves for a noble cause.  But that's not how we do things.  It's like our goat prodigy said: we're in this together.  We stand by one another in live and death."

"Major..."  I wanted to chastise her for reading my mind so callously...but...why complain to her about that now?  If it wasn't the time for this?  When would it be again?

"Bunnie-chan is right.  Life without risk is not living.  This is a risk all of us chose of our own accord."  Splinter rested his palms on the top of his walking stick.  It was...amazing how calm he could be at this moment.

"There is definitely a slim chance we'll survive."  Egon acknowledged.

"Slim is 1%.  We're clearly some decimal below on septillionth of a chance."  I frowned.

"It's not zero."  Violet patted me on the back.

That was right about the time a cyber portal opened on our side of the field and out stepped...

"Ben!"  Asriel gasped in delight.

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"

"Oh, man...you don't know how much this means to me--"

"Move aside, Tennyson."  Kevin Leven pushed Ben aside so he could exit the portal.

"My bad." Ben amused-ly put up his hands, in mock defensive non-confrontation.

Gwen followed behind.  "Kevin!  We talked about bed-side manner."

"Are you bringing the whole Alien Force?"  Azzy asked.

"You might say that.  But uh...you should brace yourself."

"Huh?"

"You got inbound..."  Ben turned around and put his hands on his hips with a smirk.

Asriel looked off into the distance behind us...and then his eyes widened...as did all of us.

Hundreds...thousands...millions......cyber-portals, warp zones, and other tears in time and space opened dup.  I recognized everything from Apokolyptan Boom Tubes--a signature of Victor "Cyborg" Stone-- to Dr. Strange's own portals...to those swirling gateways of VideoLand.

"Whoa."  Asriel gaped.

"Oh yeah.  Very whoa."  My jaw had dropped.

Bunnie placed her hand on Asriel's shoulder and my shoulder after sheathing her blades.

"No man is a failure who has friends."  She smiled.

"Heh...the best advice."  Asriel had managed to perfect the "sexy cry" as Violet had called the movie cliché.  Indeed he was crying...but not like a child...this was like every hero's epic moment of emotion.

Pit suddenly swooped in.  I hadn't noticed he disappeared for a bit but then I soon realized why.

"Commander...I just want you to know..."  He started as the warp zones appeared...and I immediately recognized the Super Smash Bros. emblems sealing each of them, moments before they opened up...and they all arrived in droves.  I immediately recognized the elite eight from days past--Mario, Link, Kirby, Pikachu, Samus, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Fox McCloud.  And directly behind them came waves and waves of others...from Captain Falcon all the way to Terry Bogard.  In other words...

"Everybody's here."  Pit smiled.

Violet let out a chuckle as she approached the red and yellow metal-suited genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist.

"Staaaaark!  Guess it's my turn to bring the party to you, huh?  Save a drink for me afterward.  You know I like my carrot schnapps."

"Your boss and I have a matter to discuss after this over using my ARC reactors to power time machines."

"Aww...does this mean I don't get to be your girl, Friday?"  Vi said with a wink.

"Going to have to decline that offer."

"Cause' I'm more of a Vi and not a Veronica?"

"You are one cheeky bi--"

"Language!"  Captain America warned.

"Again with the keeping it more PG, Cap?"

It was about that time that Iron Man caught sight of someone who had emerged from one of the Boom Tubes.

"Hold that thought."

"This guy..."  Batman narrowed his eyes.

"Ohhhh this'll be gooooood."  Violet rubbed her hands in delight.

"Can you not?"  Mitzi scolded.

And wouldn't you know it, the crossover continued to compound.

"Hold up!  I think I see--"

"It's him, Zack.  It's Batman."

"Seems I'm in for more reunions than I bargained for."  He faced the Power Rangers as they approached.

"Seems we meet on the battle field once again.

"Just glad to be on the same side."  Jason acknowledged.

"Yo, man.  you're not going to remind us about how you got a dinosaur in the Bat Cave again."  Zack followed up.

"Just letting you know the stakes if you should ever go rogue."

"Rangers protect."  Trini assured.

"Prove it on the battlefield."

"Uh, hey!  We didn't finish our conversation."

"Another time, Stark."

"Well, since we're using real names, Mr. Wayne, you really should invest in a butler that can outlive if Alfred ever kicks the bucket."

"J.A.R.V.I.S. is no substitute for a Pennyworth."

"And what is a...Penny-worth?"  Violet trolled.

"Grrr..."  Batman glared at Violet.

\*THWAP\*

"Apologize, Wayne Bruce-san."  Bunnie bowed.

"Violet-hime will be appropriately disciplined."  Master Splinter assured.  "I trust you will keep my Turtles out of trouble."

"You know better than anyone they'll likely have a chance to return the favor."

"I will have harsh words for them afterward if they do not maintain their focus."

"I respect your discipline.  Certain others could learn from your example."

"In the meantime, Master Splinter, we better arm ourselves."  Egon persuaded.

"Indeed, Spengler-hakase."

Ben, Rex, and Zack stood together.

"On more go to see who really holds the title of greatest hero in the world?"

"Oh, it's like that, is it?"  Zack Saturday mused.

"Don't feel too bad, hermano de madre otra.  I'll save a nice shiny space for you on that second-place pedestal."

"Game on."  Ben mused, accessing the Omitrix as Rex selected his Smack Hands build.

"Winner buys tacos for for everyone else."  Rex taunted.

"Oh no.  It's totally going to be all-you-can drink smoothies for everyone."  Ben retorted.

"Not if I get a say in what the victory eats and drinks will be."  Zack gripped the Claw tightly.

The Duck family stood their ground along with Darkwing Duck and his allies.  Plus the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had joined in.

"Is this really necessary, Igor."

"Master Duckula, your ancestors did not earn their reputations by shying away from the battlefield."

"No, they earned it by biting necks and drinking blood!  Eeeew!  I for one am not going to keep perpetuating this dark cloud over my head!"

"Think of your heritage, Master Duckula!  Millions of gallons of blood and gore spilled in many a war by your forefathers!"

"Ooooh, I don't like me Duckie-poo running off to get into fights!  He could get a lot of boo-boos I'll have to tend to."

"Begging your pardon, Nanny, but I'm certain he'll endure more pain and suffering from the treatment than the injuries themselves."

And still others were joining the field.

"POWERRRRRR EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEME!"

Violet grinned as the Voltron Lions appeared.

"Alright!  Voltron Force, REPRESENT!   And this time...don't get totally served!"

I face-palmed.  I looked off at the scores of heroes...and even villains arriving.  It seemed like...a lot of them were on the same page as us.

"Heh."  I smirked at the appearance of ZZ and the B.O.Y.Z. brigade as the Power Team and multiple N-Team incarnations emerged.

Chris gave me a thumbs-up before deploying his ginsu blade take on Wolverine's claws.  I'd have to thank his universe's maker for lending his avatar's strength to our battle.

By the time the gates and warps and portals started to slow in appearance, we had an army as good or better than Chaopolis' legions.

If it wasn't apparent before it was apparent now...this was pretty much how it went down in Ready Player One and Avengers End Game.  No...I think our numbers now EXCEEDED both combined.

"So.  How my more movie and comic book clichés we want to bring to the table?"  Violet interrupted the moment.

"I was always a fan of the walking toward destiny in a straight line.  You know...all Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited?"  Asriel chuckled.

"Eh.  Mystery Men pulled it off better."

"They heck they did."  Sally mused.  "Frankly I'd prefer we do the Avengers rotoscoped ring formation."  She said with a fist-bump.

"I can only guess there will be a few moments of walking away with our backs to an explosion or two."  Mitzi said with a wink.

"Tell you what.  Let's make this an epic homage to everything but the kitchen sink."  I cracked my knuckles.

"I already brought the Iron Giant.  Tell me someone's got a Gundam."  Violet grinned ear to ear.

We all let out a battle cry that grew as each and every last one of us rallied.

The other side matched us with their own battle cry.

Ours for freedom.  Theirs for our blood.

"It's not too cliché of me to say it, is it, Captain Rogers?"  Asriel asked the man with the vibranium shield.

"I think you've earned it this day."

"Go ahead.  Inspire us to victory."  The Man of Steel agreed.

"ULTRAVERSE...!"  Asriel addressed them all.

"Assemble."  He said.  "For truth...and justice."

He added one last thing to hammer it home.

"Our hopes never walk alone.  And our dreams are forever.  Now...let's make our wish come true.  I wish...to be free and live without fear.  This is our universe.  And they're not welcome in it."

And with that, both sides charged each other.

And like vultures, our enemies—especially those of us who had bitter rivalries and unsettled scores—descended on us without mercy.

## Sub-Entry 397: "Rivalries Explode.  Settling Scores Once and For All":

"You shouldn't have come back, Gadget."  Luwhiney's hands had completely frosted over as the ice spikes had formed on her shoulders and up and down her back, arms, and legs.

Gadget was hyperventilating but standing her ground.

"N...no.  I had to come back.  I have to face you."

"You'll be sorry you did.  Because this time you're getting replaced for good.  And this time Volt won't have a CHOICE but to take me as his sister; because you won't survive the freezing you're in for."

"I know you're out there.  Come on out and face me.  We have a score to settle."  Mitzi cracked her knuckles as she called out her own rival.

Helen landed in a crouch in front of Mitzi...and she was immediately flanked by the entirety of Mr. Munch's Make-Believe Band; save for the Big Cheese himself.

"Four on one?  I knew you were too much of a bawk-bawk chicken to face me alone."

"Enough already with the fowl jokes."

"All Pasqually ever told were "foul jokes"."

"Eyyy!  I resent-a that!"

"Reckon' this is the last time we'll have to deal with you, darlin."  Jasper dropped his guitar into his open palm repeatedly just like Baldi with his pointer stick.   It looked like detention for running in the halls was the least of Mitzi's worries.

"I'm hungry for some mozzarella..."  Munch punched the ground with a shockwave.

"There anything you WON'T eat?"  MItzi narrowed her eyes as she bounced on the balls of her feet, having chosen a Muay Thai stance.

"Rock-Afire's flames extinguish tonight and the Showbiz Pizza dies with it."

Mitzi was surrounded on all sides, sweeping her gaze from opponent to opponent.

"Unlike Rolfe's disco?  Our music lives forever!"  Mitzi suddenly put her fingers to her lips and whistled LOUDLY!

And that was when something big and heavy landed behind Munch, grabbed him around the waist and German suplexed him into next week.

"When I get it...I get it goooood.  When I stomp it...I stomp it FLAT.  When I pinch it...I like to make it holler.  Welcome to Louisiana, boy.  Let this spunky monkey welcome you right properly."

"Fatz!"  Mitzi's eyes lit up at the appearance of the big black gorilla in the gold tuxedo.

"Now I know I didn't see you houndin' our favorite starlet, Mitzi.  You want to try to take our legacy away, boy...you just going to have to fooooooold em' up."  Fatz "Salvador Alvarez" Geronimo pushed up his sleeves before balling up his fists.

"That's mighty un-neighborly for you to butt into our fight, banana breath--"

That was all Jasper T. Jowls got out before he suddenly caught the business end of a massive tidal wave...and perched atop its crest was a familiar white-furred polar bear in swim trunks, flip-flops, and a Hawaiian lei.

"Oh heeeey.  Probably should have warned you first, dude...but uh.....y'know...surf's up."

"Beach Bear!"  Mitzi was even more delighted to see her old friend back.

"I have to say, this battlefield's a bit too tense for my liking but...friends supporting friends in their time of need?  I think it sets precedence for contemporary demographics with a marked propensity toward ending obesity and sloth."

"And what the Sam Hill's that supposed to mean!?"  Jasper sputtered.

"It means it's now, it's wow."  Beach Bear calmly mused.

"We still-a outnumber you!"  Pasqually protested before suddenly...  "Hey!  What's-a-the big idea?!"  He found himself suddenly upside-down and floating.  "Mama mia--!"

"Don't talk 'bout muh mamma, Pasqually."  Came the voice of Dook Larue as he flexed his gravity hybrid ability.

"So...you gonna face me on equal ground or you gonna bring in Un-Cool Chuck?"  Mitzi taunted, with a play on one of her ex's nicknames."

Helen started to advance before she took a step back  and pulled out her cell phone.

"Yeah.  It's me.  We have...complications."

"Disappointing."  Mitzi slid her eyes to the side as the portal opened behind her.  And there he was in his derby had, bowtie, red vest, and cigar-smoking "glory".

"Hello, Mitzi.  Long time no see..."

"Not long enough."  Mitzi narrowed her eyes.

C.E.C. cleared his throat.  His next words dropped out of the friendlier mouse persona he had adopted with his "Corporate Unification" rebranding and back to the gruffer, grimier, rat persona from the days of Pizza Time Theatre.

"Leave us not drag this out any longer, toots.  Don't make me start diggin' out my best insults."  He took a puff off his cigar and crossed his arms.

"So that's how you're going to play it.  Two on-one."

"C.E.C. Entertainment outnumbers youze, doll.  We've lasted longer, we're better managed, we left you in the dust."

"Your former guests really want a word with you."  Mitzi tightened her fists even more.

"Tell them their subpoenas and lawsuits will get thrown out even faster than we could settle out of court.  Now don't leave us be difficult.  Unless youze want to be swimming in debts and serving time behind bars when we sue you into the forgotten pages of history."

"Not even going to give me a chance.  How low can you get?"

"Don't feel bad about bein' a loser.  You should be used to it by now. You were nothing until you started dating me. And if you want to be anything again...well...it's too late to come crawlin' back to me, right, Helen?"

"So.  Ganging up on me is the only way you can win?"

"You're stallin', gal." Helen glared.

"Actually...yes.  Because I needed to give THEM a chance to level the playfield--"  Mitzi got out before Chuck felt something wooden SMASH into the back of his head, sending him snout first into the ground.

"WHAT!?"  Helen gasped, her concentration broken.

"Howdy, everybody! I'm Billy Bob. That's three B's, two L's, an I, a Y and an O."

"Chuck E. Cheese...I think you remember my old friends, Billy Bob Brockali and Loony Bird.  The OG bird and bear due...no offense to Banjo and Kazooie."

Billy Bob rested his guitar over his shoulder.

"I don't reckon' you're bein' right friendly to our friend, Mitzi.  Now we can't have that."

"You're in for a world of hurtin', and that's for certain!"  Loony Bird squawked as he climbed out of the oil barrel that Billy Bob had strapped to his back.

"When was the last time I saw you outside of your oil drum, Looney?"  Mitzi mused.

"This...isn't fair!"

"Fair enough.  But if you really feel like complaining about it..."

A loud couch's whistle sounded out before someone familiar stepped onto the battlefield.

"Then it's official, ah-ah-ahhh!  I declare this a show-down and throw-down between the pizza restaurant venues."

"I didn't think we'd see you again after you disappeared with hundred-million dollar debts in Bingo's Bet-It-All Casino Paradise."

There Rolfe DeWolfe stood, wearing a white and black striped referee's shirt.

"Let's not get into my financial affairs, Mitzi, sweetheart.  As your master of ceremonies and elected referee, it's my pleasure to call this fight like I see it."

"Can the pleasure stuff, Rolfe, and let's just get to the smackdown." Earle Schmerle scoffed.

"Oh, I know, Little Earle.  I knooooow."

"DeWolfe..."  Helen sputtered.

"I thought y'all were on bad terms with your band, flea-bag."

"Hey!  A fellow canine should watch his mouth who he calls flea-bag!  Keep it clean, or I'll disqualify you."

"What make you think you can judge battle!?"  Munch protested.

"Yeah!   This here fight's as fixed as--"

"Like the skeeball machines in your restaurants?"  Beach Bear cut in.

"I want a good clean fight out there.  That means no biting...like this!"  Rolfe said as he grabbed Pasqually's arm and sank his fangs in.

"YEEEEEEEOOCH!"

"Yeah!  And No eye-poking!"  Earle climbed up onto Munch's shoulders and poked him the eyes!

"OOOOOWWW!  YOU HURT MUNCH!"

"Oooh!  And no hair-pulling."  Mitzi grabbed Helen by the pig-tales

"AHHHHHHH!  GET OFF OF ME!"

"And nooooo low blows."  Rolfe said before kicking upward between Jasper's legs while his back was turned.

"TARNATION!  MY--!"

"Now, now.  Keep it PG-rated!"  Billy Bob hoisted Chuck E. up like a barbell.

"You know after all this time I think I understand why you guys like fightin' dirty so much."

Fatz torpedo-ed Pasqually to the ground.

Team Acorn continued to clash against Team Kopy Kat.  And it looked like they were on equal ground.

"Ready to call it quits, hot dog water?"

"Your makeup's running, diva!"  Sally shot back.

"I'm gonna lay you down for the three-second tan!  But you're not getting up from it!"  Kool Kitty butted heads with Willamina.

"You'll lay down all right, you narcoleptic!"  Willie jabbed back at his infamous laziness.

"I eat losers like you for breakfast!"

"And you have more of those than a Hobbit does in a week, blimpo!"  Honey clashed against Fat Cat.

"Team Acorn's glory days are over!"

"You don't get to decide that!  The fans do!"  Sally traded both verbal and physical blows.

"Ghosts will have their revenge!"  Prime Evil had assembled his forces and joined up with King Boo and all of the ghosts that he managed to free from Professor E. Gadd's portrait collection.  Every.  Last.  One of them.

"Yeah, yeah.  Tell it to my positron collider."  Peter waved as he stood back to back with Jake Kong Jr.

"Let's go, Ghost Busters!"

"We're gonna have a chat about copyright trademarks after this, aren't we?"  Peter mused.

"You still on that?  We were here first!"  Eddie Spencer whined.

"We're not changing our names to Ghost Breakers or Ghost Stoppers."  Peter followed up.

"Can't we all just get along!?"  Ray protested.

"Man, I second that.  Keep the battles against the bad guys, man!"  Winston followed up.

"Just remember if any of you don't make it out of this, your salary’s going to be divided up among the bills and utilities."  Janine warned.

"Pretty sure our health insurance will frown at that!  I don't think they cover accidental death due to paranormal event."  Louis Tully whined, barely keeping a grip on his particle thrower.

"Don't even joke about that."

"Worried you won't make your car payment on time, Peter?"  Egon questioned.

"Hey, you have to pay top dollar for wheels that the ladies will beg for a ride in."

"Focus, Dr. Venkman."  Jake reminded as he turned the Dematerializer on the ghost known as the Sleaze after Slimer had done a quick drive-by sliming to its eyes.

"I'm plenty focused."  Peter shrugged as he turned slightly and rested the particle thrower on his shoulder before nailing Haunter and Sir Trancellot with a proton stream after Belfrey came down on them from above with an ear-splitting Belfrey Blast.

And not far from them, the Brown Family and their allies were up to their eyes in Tanen trouble;  namely hordes of his ancestors and descendants brought to the battlefield.

"Alright, punk!  You've dumped me into a pile of manure for the last time!   You're gonna make like a banana, butthead and skedaddle!"

"Wow, is there any saying you DON'T butcher, Tanen?"  Marty continued to speed away from Biff on the hoverboard.

"Old Man Brown can't save you now!"

"He's not my babysitter, flattop!  I can take care of myself!"

Everywhere, everyone who had standing rivalries and grudges to settle, they were going at it in a winner-take-all blood feud.

From two......okay three (grumble, grumble) sets of Thundercats against three sets of Mum-Ra and his mutants to the Silverhawks and their unresolved war with Mon-Starr and his mafia of criminals to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe against Skeletor and his henchmen. Even legions of Teen Titans from who knows how many alternate universes were united again.

"TITANS, GO!"

The entire battlefield...the entire landscape was swallowed up with war..

Mighty Orbots stood tall, flanked by two Voltron iterations one one side, Megazord and the Fallout Boy Fallout Bot on the other.  And they had a few opponents opposing them including Sigma in his X7 second form body,

Cutting back to Gadget, she was doing more running and dodging that fighting back.

"C'mon, Gadget...be brave...be brave...you can do this!"

Gadget whirled and squeezed off several shots with her hot-pepper-in-a-jar flame pistol right out of Kids Next Door 2 x 4 technology.

"You may think that fire beats ice, but without heat, fire extinguish FAST!"  Luwhiney's ice spears and cold breath continued to nip at her.

"We have air superiority, fools!"  The shots rang out and raked the area around Bunnie and Splinter.

"...I know that voice..."  Bunnie braced as she shielded her eyes.

"We cannot withstand those laser weapons."  Splinter kept low.

"Adonis recruited Team Star Wolf."

"We're gonna bust you up REEEEEEEEEEEAL good!"

"You've got a lot of payback comin' for helping those Star Fox losers make a fool of Uncle Andross!"

"I can't wait to see the look on Peppy's face when I show him the skinned pelt of a fellow rabbit friend of his!"

"Even if there's no pay in this, I'd be willing to take this job simply for the fringe benefit."

Bunnie narrowed her eyes, cycling through her weapons.  "Sixty-four different weapons in the MUGEN chip and none of them can touch a Wolfen-II series Drachen."

"Then we use wisdom to buy time until we can mount a proper counterattack."

"The reward for skinning you two is as good as mine!"  Pigma gloated.

"Consider it an honor to be bested by the elite."  Leon followed up, talking down to the two masters.

"We'll make you wish you NEVER set foot in the Lylat System."

"Unworthy prey sickens me.  Now.  I'll put you out of your misery--"  Wolf was suddenly interrupted as an explosion rocked his ship, knocking his force field barrier offline.

"WHAT!?"

"You're not an easy guy to chase down, Star Wolf. Not since we chased you from Atlas."

There was a familiar voice.

"Grrrrr...FOOOOOOX!!!!"  Wolf pulled a desperate somersault to escape the next barrage.

"Eye spy with my eagle eye a lame lizard about to take a plasma shot up the tail pipe!"  Falco Lombardi taunted.

"This one's for James McCloud!"  Peppy Hare called out before his shots raked Pigma Dengar's ship.  "And that's fer' chasin' down a friend o' mine!"

Bunnie smirked briefly at that.

"Gahh!  Get off my six, you slimy frog!  You want a piece of me!?"

"Hey!  That's my line, Andrew!  Oooh...you're gonna get System Crashed now!"

Bunnie gave a salute from her brow as all four pilots flew by in a low buzz bomb, their tail winds ruffling their clothing and fur.  Bunnie caught sight of Peppy's thumbs-up.

All over, rivalries were getting settle.  All over, we were finally tipping the scales.

All we needed was to bring it all home.

Whatever force that Lady Destiny was bringing to the table...keep it up.  May it finally give us a win.

Asriel and I had cut a path through it all.  We'd lost each other and found each other on and off during the bedlam.

By this point we had separated yet again and I had no idea where he could be.

Yet...I didn't worry.  I couldn't worry.

Our hearts really were beating as one.

The two of us felt the same.

The two of us could see hope.  The two of us were holding onto our dreams.

He wished the same thing I did.

We had to end this.

## Sub-Entry 398: "We We All Fight For Our Dreams":

The war had been going on for...who can say how many hours.  Many were falling but amazingly...almost by means of miracle, no one on our side had become a casualty.  Only a few on the other side weren't so lucky.  Chalk that mainly up to mercy.  The ones that weren't lucky weren't afraid to give their own lives...or take their own lives.  Dark.  But such was the Chaos.

Violet had caught up to Asriel.

"Any inspiring words, Cinnamon Roll?"  Violet stood back to back with him.

"I got a few to appeal to your inner comic book nerd, and I think sensei might even look past the fact I'm not using my own words..."  Goat Son cleared his throat.  "In fearful day, in raging night.  With strong hearts full, our souls ignite.  When all seems lost in the war of light, look to the stars for hope burns bright!"

"You would have made the best Blue Lantern."  Vi grinned as the Thunder Spear lit up a shade of hazy neon blue.

Asriel smirked as his NX Zappers energized for a blue aura charge shot in each barrel.

Cutting back to Gadget, she had landed face down before she felt Luwhiney's bare foot stomp into just below the small of her neck.

"AHHHHH!"

"Big brother is about to lose a little sister."

"I'm...sorry....Volt.......I tried."  Gadget squeezed her eyes shut.

"Now...freeze to death--"  Luwhiney started...but then there was the sound of a sudden and abrupt gagging

"I think you're not being right friendly to my friend there, mate."  Came a forceful Australian accent.

Gadget felt the weight lifted off her.  She rolled over to look at her enemy grabbed by the scruff of the neck from behind.

"Let...go...you...!"

"Ya' got spunk there, little lady.  You remind me of the Battle of Bulge when I was up against this feisty deer mouse.  Not a big one, mind ya' but she had the fires of a wild cat in 'er. "

"You dare put your hands on a tribal princess!?"

"I'm not one fur hurtin' little girls but it'd be a real nasty if I just stood by like a bloke with brain freeze and watched a fellow lab mate get her life cut short.  So you're gettin a time out before you hurt someone precious to me."

"You think you can stop me!?"

"Too right I can."

Gadget's eyes focused on the heavy-set, mustached tan mouse in what I could only describe as the world's more extreme mashup of Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee.

"You...you're...you're control subject MJK-045!  But...you were removed from the test group and--"

"Now that there takes me back to me olden days.  Y'know before the eggheads had me transported to some farm upstate to live out my days in comfort.  Y'know because of Neo Arcadia's law against euthanizing living test subjects that aren't contaminated with hazardous chemicals, germs, or genetic anomalies that could spread into future generations and cause problems.  Y'know like those killer bees that turned out to be a reeeeal bad idea.

"Turned out someone in one of Neo Arcadia's competitor countries decided to cut costs on laboratory testing animals so they hired a bunch o’ mercenaries to black ops steal the transport with us aboard and took it to some genetic facility.

They tinkered around with my genes until they got more than what they bargained for.  Broke outta that place and high-tailed it to anywhere that wasn't there.  Spent my time travelin' the world and havin' adventures.  I got so many great stories to spin."

"That's...that's really amazing, MJ--"

"If it's all the same...call me Monterrey Jack.  Or just Monty."

"Okay...Monterrey."   Gadget smiled as she got up.

Luwhiney finally looked like she had enough and let her powers run while, the frost forming on her flesh and fur.

"Oy, mate!  That's downright cold!"

"No schlock, Sherlock..."

"Well, I don't care if you're a lady.  If you want to be taken seriously, then it doesn't matter what gender you are.  You comin' lookin for a fight, you'll wish you hadn't."

"Monterrey...let me help you take her down.  Together.  She's my rival but...I could use all the help I can get."

"I was hopin' you'd say that, Gadget-love. After this, I can't wait to introduce ya' to me mates. I think you might remember them. They go by Chip, Dale, and Zipper now."

"The chipmunks and the fly from back in the lab? Golly, I can't wait to meet them!"

"We're countin' on it, Gadget-love."

At the same time that was going down, Team Acorn was stale-mating against Team Kopy Kat...at least until...

\*WHAM\*

"What!  Willie!"  Honey whirled...then her eyes bugged out.  "No way...am I seeing double!?"  She looked at the snickering form of a second Kool Kitty.

"No way...!"

"Ungh...what...your manager not involved in enough illegal activity so he had to start making genetic clones of you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about, mee-yaaan.  But this world's gonna be divided up soon and the Master Blaster wants his cut.  He's not going to take second best from these wanna-be's."

That was about the time Honey took was grabbed from behind and put in a squeezing bearhug.

"What!?   Fat Cat didn't leave my sight--"

"You had your eyes on the wrong Fat Cat, dummy!"

"What d'ya know?  We got twin brothers."  Rob Towers mused at his counterpart.

"And good looking ones at that."  Kool Kitty replied.

"Got anything to eat?"  Both Marshall and Fat Cat asked in unison.

"Oh Hell no..."  Sally cracked her knuckles.

"Eyes over here, Hot Dog Water.  Unless you're afraid of getting ambushed from behind, too.  But you know you can't watch your back, your front, and your friends at the same time."

"This is seriously mode..."  Sally growled sweeping her weapons from person to person to person.  Five against one with her partners subdued?  This was looking bad.

Sally was backhanded, dropping to a knee.

"Dammit..."

"Team Acorn is finished."  Sue Silo advanced before...her eyes suddenly widened and she lurched forward...and dropped out cold.

"What the...!?"

"You--!"

Sally did a double take when she saw it.  Had Kidd Video arrived?

"Uhh...I think you missed your target.  You were supposed to hit the other one."  Fat Cat pointed.

"She-Lion...?  What are you...?"

She-Lion turned to Sally.

"...."

"That wasn't an accident...that was on purpose!"

"But...w...w...why!?"  Fat Cat sputtered.

"You're on our side?"   Sally  accepted She-Lion's hand as she was helped up.

"Someone once asked me a question.  That question is...who do I want to be?  I've lived my entire life believing I had to be Master Blaster's servant.  But where does that path lead?  We're going to be doing his dirty work for the rest of our nine lives.  We're going to keep mucking it up.  And we're going to be punished for it over and over again."

"What are you saying?"  Kool Kitty demanded.

"I'm saying...why spend nine lives getting constant punishment when I should just break away now and risk getting one punishment to end them all.  And that risk...the promise of a life free from this?  Is worth all the abuse he could ever have for me.   What I'm saying is...I'm done."

She-Lion unshouldered Whiz's net-launcher and fired one at Kool Kitty and another at Fat Cat.

"I think we're in big trouble when his most unholy slave-driver-ness finds us!"

"You traitor!"

"I made my choice.  It's about time you two made yours.  By the time Master Blaster catches up with me?  Kidd Video will have found their way back home."

She-Lion dropped the weapon to the ground and turned and walked away.  "I can't go home...but I can't stay here, either.  It's time to find...somewhere I belong."

"Hey!"  Sally called after her.

"Hmm?"  She-Lion looked over her shoulder.

"Thank-you."

She-Lion didn't say a word.

"If you see Kidd, Ash, Whiz, and Carla...tell them I said goodbye...and thank-you."  She-Lion disappeared into the dust-cloud of battle.

Gadget caught up with Sally just as Mitzi and friends left the Make-Believe Band tied up and on their way to the prison cells that Nikita had informed me made up one of the lower decks of the Neo Nebuchadnezzar.  This was war...but we were taking prisoners;  only because we don't execute them.  Everyone defeated this day would stand trial and face justice.

"Little sister!  I'm going on ahead to find Asriel."

"Good luck."

"Speaking of which...take these for upgrades."

I handed over the red vile of--

"Pymm Particles!"  Gadget's expression brightened.

It had been a long time since we visited Egon's out of the way place in Summerville.  I'd STILL forgotten to deliver these back to Henry "Hank" Pymm...though I wondered if I should get them to Scott Lang, instead?

"And for double-luck in case you run out."

I handled over the fuel cell containing.

"White Dwarf Matter!"  Gadget recognized Ray Palmer's work.  She had correspondence with Ryan Choi.  If anyone could synergize Ant Man's powers with the Atom's, then Gadget could.

I waved and headed off It didn't take before I caught a glimpse of Gadget and Monterrey Jack...towering over the battlefield. Pymm Particles to grow...White Dwarf Matter to shrink. That's my genius sister, for ya.

I passed by Jon...actually battling with ferocity. I think he even managed to surprise Chameleon. But not as much as Antoine actually and SUCCESSFULLY leading a charge.

Marcel and company mowing down more than I could count. Chameleon reaping in a bounty beyond his wildest dreams. Red and the others tearing it up. And Brooke and Jaimas absolutely DOMINATING every inch of the battlefield they crossed.

I charged forth until I was blindsided.  And I immediately knew by who.

"Still hoping Chaopolis will fund your research!?"

"I do what I must."

I grappled with the polar-bear mutated Victor Fries.

"Still trying to save your wife, Nora, disregarding who you step on?"

"Good scientists gain knowledge at any cost."

I knew this set-up.  Shame on me for not using my own words but...to quote the Bat...

"The wise ones have LIMITS."  I glared as my electricity raced down my arms and through his.

"What I do I do for Nora!"

"It's time you got over it."  Harsh thing for me of all people to say...especially after losing countless Lisa iterations over countless lives.

"What kind of a man would she wake up to...you can't even claim to be that anymore!"

I saw the giant ice spike wrap around his entire paw as he drew back.  Probably shouldn't have touched THAT nerve.

"VOLT!"  I heard Asriel's voice and I whirled to see the Delorean barreling toward me, its driver's side gull wing door open and Asriel's NX weapon.  The electro-disruptor pulse based on the VIPER's weapon system fired and Mr. Freeze went flying backward; stunned if not paralyzed.

"I don't even have the foggiest idea how you snuck that aboard!"  I quickly dove into the passenger's side door as it swung open without the car even slowing down.  I pulled it closed as Asriel tore through the center of the ranks; quickly being divided down the middle.

"We'll clear the way for you, Doctor!"  Wildwing said in between puck-launcher shots.

"Get to that pile of garbage and knock him into next week!"  Lieutenant Stone followed up.

I magnetically tore the gates off the palace as Asriel ran down Chaopolis followers.  Most of them weren't even living beings so he had no qualms about hurting them.  It seemed they weren't even programmed or conditioned for self-preservation.  They weren't just martyrs to be thrown to the wolves...and goats.  The ones that were alive, however turned out to value their lives enough to get out of the way.

It wasn't long before the Batmobile, the Turtle Party Van, the Ecto-1B, the A-Team Van, K.I.T.T., and several other recognizable vehicles bust in behind us and formed a barricade around the Delorean to keep it protected.  I wasn't about to explain to Emmett why it might need to be rebuilt yet again.

Asriel and I disembarked and charged ahead while everyone else covered our backs and kept them off us.

They couldn't stop us.  One by one by one they fell.  Asriel described it as re-living that scene from Kung Fury.  Just us and our martial arts against wave after wave after wave of grunts.

And then that brought us to the throne room.

We had waited all our lives for this moment.

So...we went at it as only an 80's action flick could do justice.

"On three..."

## Sub-Entry 399: "The End of Chaopolis.  Adonis is Broken":

\*BLAAAAM\*

"THREEE!"  We both kicked the doors open...and off their hinges.

"It's OVER, Adonis."  Asriel hollered.

"...is that really what we're leading off with?"

"A little lighthearted of you, Volt, considering we're about to take down someone who tortured me for a couple years and you for countless lifetimes."

"Yeah but...I feel like I can finally savor the moment."

"Y'know we really are keeping him waiting."

"Fringe benefit."  I shrugged.  "Okay, okay.  We're doing this for real."

The two of us kept our weapons trained.

"You know...all things considered, even at our best the two of us really stand no chance of beating him."

"But damn sure we're going to try."  I growled, actually getting a little riled now that it was sinking in that Adonis was right in front of us.

"After everything you've done...every sin you've committed...ever life you've extinguished...karma comes after you several decillion-fold."

No answer.

"What?  Werewolf got your tongue?"

"Taunting's not my thing.  I'm more of a direct approach kind of guy.  Surrender.  We're in the heart of your empire, locked, loaded, and ready to rock and roll.   You can spare yourself all of us an unnecessary confrontation if you just do the most determined thing...and give up."

Silence.

"Too soon?  I guess that was a little..."sans" tact."  Asriel shrugged with a Hyperdeath shrug and wink.  Okay, he couldn't help but rub it in, either.

"C'mon...that one was funny."

"You know, you haven't exactly been yourself since the Axis of Realities...what's going on, Allouicious?"

More silence.

As we got closer...I noticed he wasn't moving.

"C'mon.  You can't fool me by playing possum.  I can hear your heartbeat and breathing, and I can smell your body heat.  And even if I couldn't, it would take more than that to mean your Black Knight contract was breached."

"Volt...I got a strange feeling about this."  Asriel started sounding concerned.

We finally got close enough that I could see it.

"What the...?"

"...heck?"

Dead silence.

"Is that...drool...?"  Asriel cringed at the spittle dripping from Adonis' open jaws.

"And glazed-over eyes.

"Is he in a coma?"

I fished out a  pen light and checked his ocular response.

"He's conscious.  His pupils are reacting...and his eyelids instinctively closed."

"I'm not mom so I can't tell what his brainwave activity is."

I snapped my fingers next each of his pointy ears.

"They're twitching so he can hear us."

"If he's technically conscious...why isn't he responding?"

"Well...either he can't...or.......he refuses to."

"He's...ignoring us.  I don't know if that's relieving or unnerving.  At the very least a little insulting after how he's forced us into situations where we couldn't ignore him."

I frowned.

We both looked at each other then at Adonis.

Finally...Asriel got this look on his face.

"Azzy?"

"I...don't think he recovered from...our confrontation in the Axis of Reality."

"Asriel..."

"I know.  I never told you what happened...and I'm sorry.  We...just haven't had a moment to breathe and...now this.  So--"

"So...you saying now's as good a time as any?"

"Well...if I put it in a report, it would still be TLDR."

"Too long, didn't read?  I'm getting up to speed in internet shorthand.  But...condensed version?"

Asriel sighed and sat down, sliding against the side of Adonis' throne.  "Have a seat."

I followed his example, not sure why we couldn't just look at each other.  I think it was a weird attempt to...err..."stand" guard over Adonis in case he woke up.

A long period of silence followed as I got comfortable, back to almost back with Asriel.

Finally he spoke.

"I understand, Volt.  I understand why we're connected.  Why we were destined...and fated for this.  I know.  I know everything."

"Azzy--"

"I know whose DNA is in the Unitrix."

I was...speechless.

"How...can I even begin to explain myself?"  I was all but admitting defeat.

"Volt.  Don't apologize for anything.  This is and always has been part of Madam Fate's game.  The trick she played on us both.  It's weird how she arranged for all this to happen.  And here we are."

"Asriel..."

"I know.  If he were himself, you'd tell him I'm no replacement.  He's not abandoned.  Believe me, I tried to reach out to him."

"Then you know how far gone he is."

"He's completely given up on himself.  On you.  On everyone and everything.  He's only holding onto the memory of your friendship...the actual friendship.  That's...that's the dark side of nostalgia in its purest form  What's past is his anchor and it's dragged him to the bottom of the abyss."

"Yeah.  You have a better way with words than me, Goat Son."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this...but we can't help him."  Asriel sniffled.

"And if we lock him up, he'll...just break free and keep this cycle again.  Even if we win this war...it's always going to be an unwinnable war.  Madam Fate's game goes on.  Destiny has to keep playing it."

"Then...Destiny's kind of a prisoner of this, too?" Asriel looked to a corner of the ceiling.

"A prisoner by choice.  Without her, the game stays unbalanced...in Fate's favor.  It's basically conceding eternal defeat; and Chaos and Cruelty remain masters of all that ever is, was, and will be in every corner of the Ultraverse."

"I understand now...why you call her the lesser of two evils.  The necessary evil.  Paying off a warlord to leave a village alone until the money runs dry for ten years...instead of actually getting rid of them.  The reason being...if you get rid of the disease, you leave a void.  And something worse will move in in its place.  Right?"

"Doing the wrong thing...for the right reason, Goat Son.  Something that I guess the Phoenix Foundation has been struggling with recently.  Gadget was...pretty clear on it."

"What do we do with him, then?"  Asriel asked.

"What CAN we do with him?"  I frowned.  In all this time I hadn't found a solution.  And I didn't have one now.  Nor did I think I'd find one in the conceivable future.

"Well.  All we can do is incarcerate him...and then prepare for his return."  Asriel stood up.

"I guess that's all we can do.  Okay.  Let's put the stasis cuffs on him and--"

\*KER-PLOW!!!\*  I was smashed into the wall by the unexpected plasma blast.

"Volt!!!"  Asriel tried to get around the throne to me before he found himself choke-slammed into the wall.

"...!!!  Dr. Leviathan!"

"Ungh...!  Dr. Benedict!"

By this point I'd lost track of who Adonis had punished and killed...and who might have actually been brought back to life.  He had changed his closest followers on a whim so fast it was impossible to tell who managed to bribe their way, post-mortis, to get a second chance.

"Even if Chaopolis falls, the ideal lives on!"

"We will plant the seed and it will sprout again!  We will push the reset button that ALL life and existence needs!  Back to a time without law and order...and the cancer known as the heart!"

"Adonis is stealing from Serpent and Slither Inc.  That's exactly the same thing said at the end of Mega Man ZX."  I snarled.

"Strip away all the hate and pain, all the suffering and weakness, and what's left?  They exist for us to OVERCOME not to throw away and become empty, unfeeling vessels.  We need our pain in order to reach out to others who've felt the same.  That's how we form bonds."  Asriel lectured.

"Delusional as always."

Dr. Abominous quickly pulled Adonis out of his throne, still unresponsive.

"Do not lay a finger on Lord Adonis.  He is the future.  You are a past that needs to be returned to the dust."

"They've been obstacles too long.  I can take out the goat once and for all.  We'll let Adonis figure out what to do with Arcade once he's fully recovered."

"Then let's--"

\*SLAAAAAAAASH\*

Leviathan screamed bloody murder as he clutched the bloody stump that was his arm.

"No quarter for treason.  So declares Daimyou."  Her katana's pink flames  crackled as the blacked blood dripped off her blade before hitting the floor and sizzling into vapor.

"You dare to oppose--"

\*SLIIIIICE\*

Benedict clutched at his face with both hands, the blood gushing from his mouth.

"The next time someone threatens to cut your lying tongue out, Benedict...take that threat seriously."  KOMMAND's wave matter spear dripped with blood.

"You're too late!"  Abominous opened the gate and threw Adonis in.  "He's beyond your reach!"  He said as the gate closed and he grabbed hold of the gateway double-arch machinery and twisted and crushed it with his bare hands.

He whirled to face us moments before Asriel and my fists smashed him in each temple at the same time.  HARD.

The ground quaked from his massive body falling forward and belly-flopping out cold.

"End of the line, punk."  I snarled.

"Dammit.  I glared at where the portal closed up.  "We had him.  We had him and we let him slip through our fingers."

"That does not matter.  I think it's time we made it all too clear."  Daimyou led us to the balcony of Adonis' palace where the forces of Chaos were slowly dwindling down.

"HEAR ME, CHAOPOLIS!  YOUR RANKS ARE BROKEN, YOUR ELITE GUARD IS DEFEATED, AND YOUR COMMAND RANKS ARE ARRESTED.  YOUR MASTER IS INSANE AND NOW LOST TO SPACE AND TIME!"  Daimyou's words echoed throughout the entire realm, defying the laws of energy; its vibrations possession just as much power as they did up close.

"CHAOPOLIS IS NO MORE!  CHAOPOLIS IS NO MORE!"

A moment of ominous silence followed as everyone had stopped fighting.

"Not that it hasn't been fun!"  KOMMAND called out.

"Ugh..." I face-palmed.

"You killed the moment, KOMMAND."  Asriel shook his head.

The aftermath of this would most certainly span quite a while but...in the end our cleanup soon became absolute.

As our allies thanked each other and reveled in our victory, we all promised a massive celebration at a future point.  For now...we all were exhausted and just wanted to get off the battlefield.

Nikita lead us back to the Neo Nebuchadnezzar and we all packed up and headed back to VGM-098.  It was a miracle.  No casualties from our world.  We'd take a proper census of the UltraVerse to see if there was any loss of life outside of Chaopolis' monsters.

"We did it, Volt.  We finally ended the nightmare."

"We sure did, Goat Son.  We sure did."

One last thing remained.  It was time to bring an end to the final stage of this game.  It was time to get Frisk and friends their well-deserved happy end.  I'd worry about letting this kettle percolate during the time I'd have to think about a temporary retirement from this gig.  I'd...had one short reprieve.  I was good for another.  This one would be my choice.

## Sub-Entry 400: Finally. A Good Ending Without Reloading Frisk's Save File":

Finally...all that struggle.  All that suffering.  The plan could finally reach fruition.  Once we got this out of the way, I could focus entirely on how to clean up the mess Adonis left with our broken promise.  Somehow...we'd make it work.  Somehow...somehow...

But now was not the time to put my mind into an endless loop.

This was worth celebrating.  I was going to strike while the iron was hot and not give Madam Fate even half a chance to screw things up.  This was my time to shine.  And I wasn't wasting it.

It was...admittedly a...storm of mixed feelings when Goat Son decided to see me off to my final destination; his home of birth.  To his Undertale.

How strong must the temptation have been for him to...ask me to come along...or even to follow the Violet method and just stow away.  But...I knew him better than that.  That Patience virtue wasn't going to lead him down this road pre-maturely.  Even though he knew what it entailed...he completely cast aside his desire to see his home...his parents...his friends...the life he left behind 108 years ago, counting his time with Gaster.  I'm sure...he dreamed about what living in a pacifist timeline would be like.

He wanted to make this work, too.  We were giving each other a chance to do just that.

"We'll...wait a bit longer before I'm ready to discuss it.  Besides...I know what's in your head, best friend.  I understand we have to give them time, too."

This wasn't a bombshell I could drop on them.  They needed to mature, too.  They needed to move on.  They all needed to adjust to life on the surface.  And hopefully...the timeline could finally be left to roll on without reloads or resets.

I didn't get a lot of reprieves leading up to our maiden voyage but I was able to get one moment where I could check in with Alphys.

And what she had to say was relieving.  Frisk had left Waterfall and was practically knocking on her lab door.

By my estimates...when we survived our final battle against Chaopolis...if we survived our battle with Chaopolis...Frisk would be in New Home by the time I caught the first Phone Booth from the Circle K to the doorsteps to Castle Dreemurr.

Before I departed, I had made a quick return trip to my Hotland Outpost to inform Alphys all was well.  I think I lifted a huge weight off Alphys' shoulders.

She did have one last thing for me to check out before I returned home and geared up for me REAL return here to watch Frisk's final run.

She had found something...unusual going on in the CORE and asked me to check it out.  An unusual energy spike that closely resembled...Determination.

I immediately had an idea what it was.  So once I entered the hallway of the CORE, I started tracing energy paths in the main tower.  I traced them until I could find an energy node that shouldn't have been powered.

I had made contact with Dr. Gaster and asked him about it.  He found himself puzzled, as the energy circuit there was never given a sort of power cell or external power source.  Very puzzling indeed.

Upon inspection...sure enough...I had found the seventh and final Heart/Soul Crystal.  I still didn't have a name for it.  But I went ahead and sent it back to the vault.  Finally.  A complete set.

But I still didn't know what purpose they served.

I finalized my research and put my research outpost in energy-saving mode; all of my computers and equipment in hibernation.  I was okay with this.  I'd...reactivate it some other time.  Maybe.  For all the trouble I went to have it built and brought online?  I didn't really use it.  It was...mostly for appearances.  And to give Alphys a crutch to assure Asgore that...there was nothing to worry about.   Seeing as how Alphys had stopped contacting him and the families of the fallen--now the Amalgamates--a long time ago.

I went back to Miranda only long enough for my final prep.

I kept my guard up.  I'd already been burned the last time I reached this point in the last timeline.  Interfere with this at your own, risk, anyone.  This time I had everyone on the same page...even Sans.

But still…it all rested on Frisk's shoulders to capitalize on what I couldn't fully succeed at.  If anyone could convince Goat Mom to leave the ruins...if anyone could get the Skeleton Bros. at the point of destiny...if anyone could get the fish to stop suplexing boulders...and if anyone could finally get the Weeb Lizard to open up to Undyne...as well as confess her darkest secrets...it would be Frisk.

Which meant that the last two factors I was counting on were Dr. Gaster...and Flowey.

Gaster...I was sure would leave this timeline to wrap itself up.  But I still had questions about his research.  Where did he decide to go with it?  Would it be the dark...or the light?  Negative Photons...or Positive Photons?  Or was there a compromise in between?

And since our last meeting?  He'd dropped off the radar.  Maybe...maybe he hit a dead end.

Whatever the case was I don't think I could count on him to help...nor could I expect him to ruin things.

That just left Flowey.  All he had to do was keep his word.  I'd beaten the one who made him an offer and now all that was left was my counter-offer.  Violet would say I couldn't lose at this point.  I really wanted to believe that.  I really did.  Maybe...by this point I had every right to.

Last but not least...the wildcard.  Adonis and Chaopolis.

All of his generals were in custody or dead and never brought back to life, which we found out he was doing thanks to a partnership with the League of Assassins and use of the Lazarus Pit.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't know how many of them had...Black Pawn and Black Rook contracts.  Obviously the ones that did were the one ones that didn't need to use Lazarus Pit.  My guess is they were already on thin ice with Adonis before they even turned traitor.  In some cases, even if they were completely loyal to begin with?  Adonis was already looking for an excuse to off them....just because.  It didn't matter if he liked them or hated them.  It didn't matter if they did something to flatter or offend him.  It didn’t' even matter what his mood was.  It was always on a whim with him.  There was no predicting him.  That was what made him a danger to us...and to them.  No one--not even his own allies--were safe.

"Damn it all."

I still hadn't forgiven the Council for the number they did on him.  I don't...quite know how the combination......the myriad of conflicting and synergizing elements all converged to perfectly destroy his psyche like this.  Some of it was my fault...I had done the same thing with him as Madeline Bergman had done to M.B. and look where that got the Bottle Ship.  The equal and opposite reaction that ensued only WISHED I were Obi Wan Kenobi and I was dealing with Anakin Skywalker, now turned to the Dark Side.

Was I worried he'd come back and spoil this operation?  You're damn right I was.

In fact...I had ordered every asset to form a dragnet so tight, that any remnants of Chaopolis couldn't let a skin-flake drift into our borders without a strike team cocking their weapons one mass cyber-gate-ing later.

II was COUNTING on it.  I was honest to gods counting on it because I was seeing the only obvious target left.  And I was taking it off the chess table once and for all.  No more tricks.  No more games.   I was calling Fate out and any move she makes now...would be expected and PREDICTABLE.  And I know how she and Adonis despise that.  The question is...which situation disgusted them more...letting them have my happy ending and taking the loss?  Or spoiling it with a something I'd see coming a mile away?  My turn to spring the catch-22, Chaopolis.

I bid farewell to Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted Theodore Logan with a shared air-guitar, thanking them for the ride to New Home.

"Be excellent to each other.  And...party on, dudes."

Time for ME to face the music.......heh.

I activated the SPECTRE function and walked my way through the city kingdom.  Honestly...I'd glossed over just how big New Home really was when I disregarded the city itself and just stuck to Asgore's house and the relevant parts of the castle itself.

I questioned if I should drop my guard and walk through the castle without the SPECTRE function...and join the rest of the monster populace as one of their own.  Honestly...I felt so much of a weight lifted off my shoulders now that Asriel and I reconciled...the thought of actually hearing his story from the people again didn’t make me feel dread.

You know what?  The heck with it.  Out comes the Hazard Card.

And the regular ending began.  If my gambit paid off...it would transition into a true pacifist ending.  From Alphys' conversation, all the checkmarks had been taken care of...somehow it had all been done without a reload...without Asgore being dusted...and without Omega Flowey appearing.

The letter had been delivered.  The date had gone off without a hitch. The secret of the True Lab had been shared.   And all without a reload, reset, or anything.  Frisk hadn't touched her save file since this entire adventure had restarted from the beginning.  By all accounts...a death should have set her completely back to the beginning without a single bit of progress made.

But Frisk hadn't died once.  Save for Evil-Chara's interference...the run had gone off, not perfect, yet better than it had in UTPR-3224.  Take that, Fate.

Okay, Volt.  Don't get cocky.

I stepped into the house...and I heard the voices ahead of me.  Frisk wasn't that far ahead.  As I walked the house, I heard Frisk encounter the various monsters of the kingdom.

The Froggits started it off.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS..."

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help."

I continued on.  The Whimsits, next.

"ASRIEL, the king's son,  heard the call."

"He brought the human back to the castle."

And further still, the Moldsmals.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings."

"The King and the Queen treated the human child as their own."

"The Underground was full of hope."

Migosps now.

"Then...one day..."

"The human became very ill."

Vegetoids.

"The sick human had only one request."

"To see the flowers from their village."

"But there was nothing we could do."

Somewhere in the Rukon District of the Soul Society, Chara...suddenly felt very sad all of a sudden.  It was...like she was still somehow connected to the game...and sensed...His Story begin told once more.

The Loox told their part next.

"The next day..."   "The next day..."

"..."  "The human died."

Okay...getting a lump in my throat...getting misty-eyed.

The Snowdrakes...

"ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's SOUL."

"He transformed into a being of incredible power."

Hyperdeath One, I dubbed it--in reference to Chaos of Sonic Adventure.  One soul, one Chaos Emerald.

The Ice Caps were next.

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier."

"He carried the human's body into the sunset."

"Back to the village of the humans."

I had lied to myself.  I STILL felt dread for what was coming.

A trio of Washuas greeted Frisk next.  I could hear Frisk fighting back the tears.  It hit her as strongly as it did the first time she had done this run.  C'mon, kid...let's make this the last time.

"ASRIEL reached the center of the village."

"There, he found a bed of golden flowers."

"He carried the human onto it."

Three Shyrens continued and this is where the story made my heart sink.

"Suddenly, screams rang out."

"The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body."

"They thought that he had killed the child."

I winced, squeezing my eyes shut.  How did they not recognize Evil-Chara?  Had...they really forgotten him in only a year?  Had his horrible reputation faded that much that he was mistaken for an innocent?

It was something that bugged me but...I would probably never find an answer to this; Fate was sticking to her variation of the script and that was that.

The Training Dummies.

"The humans attacked him with everything they had."

"He was struck with blow after blow."

"ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

After all I had worried over when I pondered his state in the VOID within the dimensional space that Gaster's CORE had sucked him into...I'd debated if his world had declared him a throwaway character.  But this...this reminded me that he wasn't just remembered...he was this world's "Iblis Trigger", so to speak.

Knight Knight and Madjick picked up where they left off.

"But..."

"ASRIEL did not fight back."

"Clutching the human..."

"ASRIEL smiled and walked away."

The Final Froggits reminded me of the consequences of doing the right thing...sometimes no good deed goes unpunished.

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home."

"He entered the castle and collapsed."

"His dust spread across the garden."

Whimsalot appeared, three fold.

"The kingdom fell into despair."

"The King and Queen lost two children in one night."

"The humans had once again taken everything from us."

I looked away, cringing.  Gods...it was hard to stomach the half of me that was human at that moment.

Astigmatism, thrice.

"The King decided it was time to end our suffering."

"Every human that falls down here must die."

"With enough souls we can shatter the barrier forever."

It was like Joker had proved.  All it took was for one bad day to drive the sanest man alive crazy.

Moldsmal, Loox, and a Whimsun.

"It's not long, now..."

"King Asgore will let us go."  "King Asgore will give us hope."  "King Asgore will save us all."

Pyrope and two Vulkans.

"You should be smiling, too."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Aren't you happy?"

One last Froggit.

"You're going to be free."

The question is...free as in free to go home...or freed from her mortal coil?"

And finally came that right turn into the Last Corridor.

I didn't need to hear it.  I knew how the conversation would go.  And sure enough...

There he was.  Sans.  And sure enough...he would deliver the final judgement.

I only needed to hear one thing from him:

"...but you never gained any LOVE.  'Course that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive.  Just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart.  You strived to do the right thing.  You refused to hurt anyone.  Even when you ran away, you did it with a smile.  You never gained LOVE, but you gained love.

Does that make sense?  Maybe not.  ... Now.  You're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey.  Your actions here will determine the fate of the entire world.  If your refuse to fight...Asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity.  But if you kill Asgore and go home...monsters will remain trapped underground.  What will you do?

Well...if I were you I would have thrown in the towel by now.  But you didn't get this far by giving up, did you?  That's right.  You have something called "determination".   So as long as you hold on... as long as you do what's in your heart...  I believe you can do the right thing.  Alright.  we're all counting on you, kid.

Good luck."

And there it was.  His blessing.

Frisk went on ahead.

Silence.

"Well.  You ready to be judged, next, Arcade?"

"I wasn't exactly making it hard for you to find me.  I'm ready.  What's your decision.  Where do we go from here?"

"......I already put my trust in the kid.  And the kid put her trust in you.  What do you think that means?"

"Well.  It is the lazier choice to just let me go."

"Heh.  You got a sense of humor."

I hoped that didn't imply--

"Don't rattle your bones over it.  I'm ready to do things your way.  So.  Don't let us down.  You break this game, and this conversation is dropped forever, never to come up again.

I nodded.

"...but...if it does go sour...well...we'll come to that."

"You already know I haven't figured out how to completely break the reset, yet.  But...I've gotten us this far in this run.  I just gave the kid a sporting chance despite how many cheaters were trying to rig the game like dirty little hackers."

"Doesn't mean you're not guilty of hacking yourself."

"I know.  And I did so, ready to accept the consequences."

"Well then, Arcade.  Let's not keep the curtain drawn.  Let's not keep them waiting.  If you really did get this timeline to be different, then Paps will be--"

Sans' phone rang.  I let him answer it and get an ear-full of Papyrus scolding and informing him to meet him in the throne room.

"Heh.  The weed kept his word, too."  I shrugged.  "But, I'm sure you already know what's next."

"After so many resets...it's too imprinted on me to ever forget, Arcade.  And really...I don't think I can take another one."

"Rest easy, Sans.  We're getting out of this.  Promise.   Oops...sorry about that word."

"I'll let it go.  This time.  Welllllp.  I'd best go on ahead."

And with a snap of the bony fingers, he was gone.  I leaned up against the pillars...and I heard the patter of footsteps.  Padded footsteps.  Goat Mom came through.

There it was.  Proof that the normal ending had blended into the true pacifist ending.  I don't know how I did it...I don't know how Frisk did it...but we did it.

She hurried past me but we still made eye-contact.  A momentary smile.

And then came the far less subtle storming in of Undyne.

"What are you  waiting, for, Nerd!?"  She yelled at me as she passed by, trying to catch up to Toriel.

Alphys waddled in in a hurry, wiping out for a moment, spilling her stack of papers.

 I picked them up for her with a friendly smile.  "Go.  Don't keep them waiting.  I'll be right behind you."

And then came Papyrus behind her at full tilt with a hearty "NYEHEHEHEH!"

I already knew that Sans would take his sweet time to show up.

And of course I'd see Mettaton EX...somehow make his way to the throne room, despite still needing repairs .  Crap...really hoped Dr. Light's build would hold up better than Alphys' original parts.  But...wishful thinking.

I took my time to reach the entrance to the Barrier room where everyone was gathered and meeting for the "first" time...heh.

I smiled as I crossed my arms and leaned up against the doorway frame, too elated to spoil the moment.

I'd missed most of the conversation.  It didn't matter.  I had seen this play out over and over and over.

"Hey, that reminds me...  Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right?  Well, besides, uh, her.  Uh...anyway...if I got here before you...  How did you know to call everybody?"

"Let's just say... a tiny flower helped me."

"A...tiny...flower...?"  Alphys blanched.

Okay, Flowey.  You know your role.  Let's bring this to a close.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Chapter 41

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