PLDF Chapter 34

> Chapter 34: "A Lack of June Bugs is Blessed With Holy Matrimony. Asriel and Frisk Finally Get Married" (Sub-Entries 331-340)
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## Sub-Entry: 331:  "June in With No Bugs.  Summer is Here!"

I have...waited what feels like far to long for this month.  And that's admitted that the year is about to be half over, already.

But if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times.

I live for summer.

And the month that kicks it off is June.

Let's see what kind of tropes and cliches I can dig up about June.

June.  It's also one of the quartet of months that are also women's names; the other three being April, May, and August.  All comfortably months within spring and summer.  Nice.

Of course there's the simple two-word phrases, "June Bug".  I...have no idea what to do with that fact or what to segue it into.  I said it.  There is.  Do with it what you will.

What else does June mean?

June is the nice comfy place for Father's Day.  But all things in due time.  Please be patient, Asgore...we'll get to it.

June is among the trio of months after my own heart.

Everyone around me says I don't make sense.  I'm a werewolf.  In full, fur-covered morph.  Granted, my fur color being shiny metallic gold is a reflective color so I don't exactly draw heat like a magnet but still...that's a small offset.

On top of that?  I'm always fully clothed.  And that's layers when you consider my favorite outfit.  Silver, metallic karate gi uniform over top of either a white or a powder blue button-up shirt with a nice necktie.  Sometimes I even put one of those fancy "professor" vests on over top of the shirt and tie and still underneath the gi jacket.  And finally add to that your standard run-of-the-mill modern white lab coat.

That's a lot to wear in the summer months.  And you know?  I don't suffer one iota.

I embrace it.

Heck, Elektra even said it.  From my time in Hotland, the only thing I didn’t' come back with was heat stroke.  I should, by all text-book definition, have fainted from the heat.  But I didn't.  I fainted from the exhaustion.  Completely different beast.  I'd been flame kissed but I felt fine up until running out of gas.

Well.  I got a lot to look forward to in this month.

As does Asriel.  But...that would be spoilers.  Let's get to that in due time.

Six long months since the big day happened.  Half a year.  And our world has irrevocably changed so much so fast.

I'm gobsmacked.

That said, I haven't stopped thinking about the future.  Where we're headed.

I feel as if we all have climbed the mountain and reached a plateau that I don't know if we can top.  What could possibly be bigger and/or better?

But on that note...should we be treading lightly?

Madam Fate remains silent.  Lady Destiny continues to reward us.  I am not naive...I know the giving tree isn't as limitless as it may seem.  How long will the good times last?  Are we in fact resting on our laurels too much?  For too long?

Thinking this way is a good way to make myself paranoid all over again.  But...

I don't want to be caught off guard like we did those years ago.  This world doesn't get another reset.  Not if I can help it.

Right now it's just me and my thoughts.  My crew and Azzy's crew are all tending to their respective lives.  Even the missus has duties to attend to.  This is a rare moment of having...maybe too much down time and no one to share it with.

I mean...it's not like it's unbearable or anything.  I'm certainly not bored...the Contract sees to that.  Honestly I don't know how a Goddess Contract and completely eliminate the ability to feel bored.  I just...go from moment to month and have nothing to complain about.

I could just sit here in silence and I guarantee I'd do so indefinitely; but someone would inevitably interrupt and I'd be out of my moment of zone-out.  I mean...you have to be able to do that if you're going to watch and observe land mass changes and flora patterns over several thousand years and log what you see.  Heck, the White Knight Contract even makes it so starving or dehydrating is no longer an issue.

Of course...I'd still catch the occasional lightning bolt during a storm and be full for days or weeks.   Y'know.   The Goddesses made the rules for my extended powers, I didn't.

Okay.  It's getting kind of cringe having nothing but myself to talk about.  I'm the guy that AVOIDS stroking his own ego.  Though...that's up to interpretation.  This could easy be viewed as a rant over what I got myself into the day I discovered the Quasar Pyramid.  Honestly?  It's a strange, infinite life.  And I still want to keep on this endless journey.  Now that Undertale was inseparable from us...I had adventures and experiences a google fold.

Am I trying to say that...this is the life?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

Sheesh.  I started talking about June and now I'm in this existential pondering.  Let's just get back to the fact that it's summer and I couldn't be happier.  And try to ignore that I've padded this entry with a lot to say about nothing.  So...should I apologize if this just wasting the time of whichever unknown reader is seeing this?

I overthink things, don't I?

Well...once again.  It's  June.  June, June, June, June, June...

Half the year is up.

And yet it's never going to get to me how fast time moves sometimes.

Well.

I think I finally exhausted my brain on useless things to say.

Let's try to get more substance in the sub-entries ahead.

Volt Arcade over and out.

## Sub-Entry 332:  "A Tale of Two Zeta's":

It didn't seem like a big deal at the time that Alphys would want to study Nikita's array of support units.

She was of course fascinated by what Nikita had to share.

I had the feeling Alphys even got a look at some of the line that weren't even in production.

That said...it was only a matter of time before Nikita brought a new one online.

SPK-Zeta.

Or...Spark Plug as Violet called him.

Personally I gave my blessings.  I mean...I wasn't showing FAVORITISM or anything......ehehe...right?  It...was coincident it happened to be an electric type support unit.  Y'know...mobile generator.  Just happened to have a passing resemblance to a construction worker.  I mean not Guts Man obvious but...

It did kind of remind me of that Witwicky fellow that was working an oil rig with his son, Spike at the time of the Decepticons' first set of early invasions; bent on securing enough energy sources to convert into Energon Cubes.

By this point it was common place to shorten the Support Units to their Greek Letter.  But that sometimes got confusing as there were some other robotic beings in town that had the same designation so...that's usually when Violet would call them by their Casseticon or Cassettibot nicknames.  The likes of LBK-Alpha, RBT-Beta, and RVG-Gamma became Lazerbeak, Ratbat, and Ravage, respectively.  But that also meant we had to be mindful about confusing them with the actual Decepticons and Autobots that had those names.  And with the whole Cybertron Multiverse out there some bots shared the same name but different factions.

Ergo, it would be  a bad thing if you were relying on Lazerbeak from "Transformers: Armada" and got Lazerbeak from G1 or Michael Bay-verse.   Eeesh.

Back on topic...

Going off world from time to time, we rarely brought the Support Units with us.  But when we did we didn't figure that there would be disambiguation necessary.

Oh for it to be that simple, the day we ended up in the DCAU, a stone's throw from Terry McGinness and his Batman Beyond persona.  In fact...it turned out...somehow they had crossed paths with the machine in question that would require us to be mindful which Zeta we'd be talking about.

So let me spell it out for you if I haven't dropped enough clues.

Yes.

We ended up crossing paths with...the Zeta Project.

Let's start with a little bit of background.

Alphys and I entered the briefing room, both of us with dossier in hand.  Keep in mind...this is a little after first contact so...bear with me.

I dropped my folder full of research onto the table; loud enough to get everyone's attention.

"Well.  We certainly found ourselves in interesting territory."

"H-h-how did we get mixed up in this a-again?"

"The same way we always do, Alphys.  It falls right into our laps when we're not expecting it.  And once again, to the chagrin of Dr. Lynx and her very protective stance regarding her support units--"

Nikita narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing.

"...we've stumbled upon yet another military project gone wrong.  Their words, not ours, and not the subject's in question.

So let's set the stage.

S.A.I.N.T. prototype, Number "Johnny" Five.

C.H.A.P.P.I.E.

The T-800, Cyberdyne Systems Model 1-0-1.

What do these three have in common with our subject in question?"

Silence in the room.

"C'mon, this is an easy one--"

"They're all machines that grew a conscience."  Asriel spoke up.

"Correct, Azzy."

"And f-f-from this s-stack of r-r-research the list goes on and on.  This...H.A.R.D.A.C. supercomputer produced a duplicate of Batman/Bruce Wayne and...it destroyed itself after believing it k-killed the real Batman.  Moments before H.A.R.D.A.C would have successfully uploaded to the B-B-Bat Computer."

"Also true, Alphys.  Hence the hashtag: His Silicon Soul."

I could see this was stirring a reaction in Nikita, underneath the scowl.  She had things to think about, being...essentially an artificial nanotomic construct that also had her own soul.

"There's no common pattern to what instills the divine miracle of life into something that wasn't born of nature."  Lupe. sighed.  "As a druid, I have mixed feelings but...I know I have to accept this.  I have to believe this is as natural as birth, maturing, aging, and dying.  The shell is different but...life is life."

A moment of silence.

"Let's get down to it.  Might as well start with the debrief."  I opened the folder and cleared my throat.

"Infiltration Unit Zeta.  An artificial synthoid designed to carry out assassinations on behalf of the National Security Agency."

"Great.  If it isn't C.I.A. or F.B.I. it's some other suit."  Chara rolled her eyes as she propped her feet up on the table as Vi did the same.

"..."

Bunnie eyed them both dubiously...before smacking Vi's feet with a metal tessan fan.

"Oww."

"That goes for you too, sister, dearest.  Pay attention or I'm using "Soul Glove"."

"Aww man.  Rukia got you one of those!?"  Chara wasn't happy at the prospect of having her soul knocked out of its gigai by force.

Azzy held up his hand.  The fingerless glove with the conspicuous, white flaming eyeball on the back and an ominous sheen to it.

"Okay, okay."

"You two done wasting time?  Pay attention."  Bunnie snapped.

"Proceed, Commander."

I cleared my throat again.

"As you may have guessed without prior knowledge, our friend "Zeta" has been on the run from the military to clear its name."

"Tell me if this story sounds familiar.  A robot prototype made by the military is designed specifically to break Asimov's First Law.   But by some strange chance, it starts becoming self aware and in turn grows a conscience.  Then it gets mixed up with a young woman and drags her into a long string of misadventure; marking her as an enemy of the state and/or cyber-terrorist who's "reprogrammed" the military's death machine to go rogue."

"Sounds like the plot to Short Circuit.  Heck, we name-dropped Johnny Five already."

"Correct on all account.  Only it isn't a single woman who dumped her money-grubbing ex-boyfriend and makes ends meet for herself and her countless stray animals by running a lunch wagon truck."

"Let's leave Miss Speck and Dr. Crosby out of this."  I rubbed my temples.

I'd already promised to do what I could to make sure they stay off the grid and far away from the government's watchful eyes.  Not to mention made sure Nova Robotics continued to believe their fifth S.A.I.N.T. prototype was destroyed, too.  The first three they disposed of.  And...if you recall, Number Four ended up being sacrificed then Adonis invaded the X-Vault.

"Right, right.  Back on task.  Anyway, the young lady in question goes by Ro."

"Actually short for Rosalie Rowan; a fifteen-year-old runaway."

"Taking plenty of cues from Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and the Fugitive I see."  Frisk read through her briefing.

"Good eye.  Azzy got you up to speed on a lot of culture before you guys came here."  I smiled.

"So...what do we know about Zeta...I mean their Zeta?"

"This was taken directly off an online database updated by a mystery net diver, word for word:

Created in a lab just over a year ago, Zeta is like a child in a grown-up's body. He has a high-endurance metal frame, that was built to carry an array of weapons and tools. He can project a hologram around himself and alter his voice, allowing him to become anyone. He was created to fight the United States' enemies, but learned the value of human life and refused to harm a man he believed was innocent, threw away his weapons, and ran from his programmed destiny. Ever since, the government agents that controlled Zeta have been after him, convinced that he's been reprogrammed by terrorists. Zeta hopes that his creator, Selig, will believe that his change of heart is real, and convince the agents to drop their pursuit. But Selig himself is a man on the move, and Zeta hasn't found him yet."

"That's surprisingly detailed."

"And Ro?"

"Also from the same account:

Ro grew up in foster care, and was then assigned to a state-run girls' home. The only thing she even knows about her family is a vague memory of an older brother; the pair were separated by the foster care system years ago. She ran away from the state system at fifteen-years-old and hooked up with a gang just to have a roof over her head. But when she refused to do a hold-up to prove herself to the leader, she burned the last bridge she had. As she and Zeta search for his creator Ro embarks on a parallel journey on her own search for a "family" to belong to. "

"Well.  Isn't she in a familiar boat?"  Asriel crossed his arms.

"You...still think about it, don't you, Azzy."  Chara looked off to the side.  The Plan still wasn't forgotten even though they'd moved on.

"It's the big mistake I never made.  But thinking that I could have...I walked a razor's edge.  I...don't think I'd want to be one of the Asriel's that had to prove their trust to his Chara by...you know."

"Un-aliving the humans?"

"Subtle, Aunt Vi."

"And that brings our briefing at least up to some level of speed."  Sally shrugged.  "So...how exactly did this crossover commence?"

"We were working another case at the time.  Gotham.  Forty years after Bruce Wayne's prime."  I tented my hands.  "Nikita authorized us to bring SPK-Zeta to deal with the Jokerz."

"Ugh.  Clowns."  Vi interjected.

"Ah.  The 'Beyond' years.  Terry McGuiness."  Asriel pointed out, brushing over Vi's comment.

Azzy's research was on point.

"Let me guess.  THEY had a crossover within our crossover?"  Chara mused.

"That's...that's exactly right."

"But wait...how exactly...?"

Alphys turned the page in her dossier and gasped.

"Infiltration Unit 7?"  She looked up at me.

I nodded.  Of course Zeta would have a hunter synthoid after him.

"During an altercation at a mall in Gotham, I.U.7. impersonated Zeta to get close to Ro; hoping she'd reveal the whereabouts of the real Zeta."

"And we got involved how?"

"Ro was attempting to teach Zeta about recreation through video gaming--"

"Say no more."  Azzy slow turned to Violet who looked like that cat that ate the canary.

"The mall was destroyed and while there were no casualties as we assisted with the containment of the destruction...not to our usual effective degree..."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"There was an injury."  Mitzi looked downtrodden.

"Ro?"  Frisk asked.

"Ro."  Asriel nodded.  "We transported her to a hospital but...the destruction of the mall happened on you-know-who's turf."

"And Batman followed up on the lead, right?"

"Absolutely.  In the process of defending the mall, SPK-Zeta got between IU 7 and IU Zeta.  There were shenanigans, some high voltage sparks through this way and that--"

"Wait, WE weren't responsible for Miss Ro...were we?"

"No.  IU 7 was to blame.  Though...we did catch Bruce Wayne's watchful eye from the Batcave."

"Of course we did.  Nothing gets by the O.G. Batman."  Vi shrugged.

"So...?"

"Of course IU Zeta was going to feel responsible.  And conflicted about continuing to allow Ro to travel with him.  He stopped in the hospital to say his goodbye but--"

"But?"  M.K. cocked his head.

"For whatever reason he had his welding tool out."  Our Zeta took that as a violation of Asimov's first law and concluded--"

"He was going to T-800 not-Sarah Conner?"

"And of course Batman showed up and it turned into a...conflict."

"I have no doubt in my mind McGuiness-san would have shown no mercy."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"And that was what was unbelievable."

"Huh?"

"It's true...she woke up at that instant and cleared the air.  Unfortunately it also blew our cover in the process.  Don't ask."

"Yeah...we were supposed to keep a low profile.  Sally had to order our Zeta to stand down."

"And of course there was the fight.  So how did...?"

Asriel smirked.  "You know CAT scan machines are very useful when you couple them with an electric werewolf demigod who knows his way around magnetism...and a support unit that's at least as good a mobile dynamo as Volt Catfish."

"Destroyed him with a magnetic wave?  N-nice."  Alphys gave two thumbs up.

"It was rather clever at the time." I mused.  Then I turned serious.

"So..."

"We let Batman and those two sort things out."  Violet smirked.

"Yeah...we kind of owed them for getting involved so...we repaid the favor."  Mitzi shrugged.

"How did you do that?"  Alphys cocked her head.

I tossed a military personnel file onto the table, the photo glaringly obvious.

"Submitted for your disapproval, Special Agent James Bennet is the leader of the NSA team sent to capture Zeta. He vehemently believes that, regardless of Zeta's behavior, there is some sinister motive behind Zeta's sudden change in attitude and believes that he is working with the terrorist organization Brother's Day. Despite his supposed professionalism, he is seen to disobey orders himself, when it suits him, as well as abuse his authority. Although he overhears Dr. Selig's confession about giving Zeta a conscience, there is no sure sign that he will cease to be Zeta's enemy."

"Huh.  Sounds like some kind of rodent.  But I don't know which."  M.K.  chuckled.

"Oooh.  Subtle reference.  The made-for-TV one."  Asriel  quipped.

M.K. just chuckled.

"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure he has more pull than Pecker."

"He'd remind you his name is PECK."  I decided to close this one.  "But seriously.  This is not the kind of guy you want catching up to you.  I'm pretty sure there will be arrests, inquiries, and most likely I.U. Zeta will end up in many, many dissected pieces being examined by top men."

"What m-m-men?"  Alphys tugged at her lab coat lapel.

"Top............men."

I narrowed my eyes, implying that they could make sure a person ends up in Federal Prison, a rubber room, or relocated to some place like..."North Dakota".  Though I'm not sure what the in-joke of that last one is.  That said.

"So what's he have to do with this?"

"You know...I've always enjoyed being able to pull rank and butt heads with another "responsible" agency.  Do the whole...you're out of your jurisdiction schtick."  I raised my eyebrows and grinned.

"Heroes--"

"Shouldn't gloat.  I know.  But I'm not gloating.  I'm...enjoying the poetic justice of it all."

"Same different, Volt."   Asriel shrugged.

"You're alright, Arcade."

"The Commander is correct.  We incepted a red herring to make sure Zeta-san and Ro-chan could have ample escape time."

"And of course the red tape our two agencies butting heads..."  Violet grinned a Rahuro-grade side-grin.

Just silence for a bit as we all let it sink in.

"So um....that just leaves one last matter."

"What?  I thought we covered everything."  M.K. cocked his head.

"Well..."  Alphys set down the holoprojector and pressed the button.

And there he was; hard to see due to the darkness but that silhouette was unmistakable.  He made sure the Bat Cave was well obscured such that we couldn't find any traceable markers that would let us backtracks let alone triangulate the location of his lair.

"A word of advice, Ultra Crew Institute.  Next time...call first."  The greatly aged Bruce Wayne warned us in a gravelly voice.

And then transmission turned to static.

"I'm pretty sure that's his way of saying we got off easy."

"There was one other thing..."

Asriel presented the very large check endorsed by the Bruce Wayne himself.  The note on it read: "For damages to your machine."

And that was the moment we all addressed the elephant in the room...on a lab table in about a trillion pieces...

...and Dr. Lynx standing over it, arms crossed...forehead throbbing and eyebrow twitching.

"...I suggest we leave the room and give Dr. Lynx her space..."

"I second that notion."

"All in favor?"

We all raised our hands.

"Opposed?"

No one.

"The ayes have it..."  I sidled out of the room with Asriel backing away and tugging Frisk in his direction.

"We apologize but we must take our leave, Doctor."  Bunnie gave her most apologetic bow and drifted out of existence in one of her vanishing jutsus.

"Hey.  Just think of all the upgrades you can give him, Nikki."

"Dude!  Seriously!"  Sally whapped Vi over the head.  "Don't dig our graves any DEEPER!"

"Uh...now much deeper COULD they get...?"  Rotor gulped.

"Don't ask."  Sally replied as the rest of us  left...the lab doors ominously clanking shut.

"She's not going to be on speaking terms with us for at least a week.

"I hope Terry at least had a good excuse for B.W."  Violet sweat dropped.

## Sub-Entry 333: "The Trials of Trios":

Wow.  Triple three's..  Where do I start?

So...

Yesterday's debrief could have gone a little less gruesomely.

So...with a moment of awkward and uncomfortable behind us...

Today was an ordinary day in the lab with Asriel, Frisk, and Chara.  And with very little on the agenda.

"...okay I got another one.  Connect Get Smart to MacGyver."

"C'mon, Frisk.  Give us a hard one.  Dana Eclar was in the movie, Get Smart: the Nude Bomb as he played the chief.  And he played Peter Thorton in MacGyver.  That was a one-step connection.  you aren't even trying!"

"Okay, smart girl.  You show me how it's done."

"Frisk!  Sister!  Please, keep this civil!"

Ohhhh they were both tempted to say "You stay out of this, Azzy."  But...they were to caught up in it.

"Alright.  Try this one.  Your mentors in New York to Cowboy Beebop."

"Oooh.   Now you got my attention."  I swiveled around in my chair."

"I assume this is the route you're going.  So...let's start with Raymond Stantz...who sounds suspiciously like famous voice actor Frank Welker.  Frank Welker was in in pretty much everything from the last forty years, but most significantly one of his voices REALLY nails Megatron's ambitious grit.  And his sworn enemy is Optimus Prime who has that distinct voice that only Peter Cullen has matched.   Both of them reunited in oddly unique forms as two sworn enemies while our friend Coop got swept up in one of his outer space adventures while messing around with M.E.G.A.S. XLR.  And he did so along side his best friend, Jamie.  And who does Jamie sound a lot like?  Spike Siegel of the Cowboy Beebop.  Won and DONE."

I pantomimed a mic drop.

"Very good, boss wolf.  Very good."

"You know I had no idea how much fun it is to be on the other side of the fourth wall, looking in and talking nerd culture about the movies that correspond to real allies, acquaintances, and enemies of ours."  Asriel stroked his goatee.

"You could kill hours a day doing stuff like this."

"How about a couplet?  The Wolf Man to Lost in Space."

"Then you must mean Lon Chaney Junior, the son of the man of a thousand face.  Whose character of Lawrence Talbot appears as "Lonny Talbot"; seeking out Dexter Douglass' help in getting his werewolf transformation under control.  And Freakazoid teamed up with a certain doctor who used to hang around the Robinson family with a robot on Lost in Space. Easy as pie."

"Good."

"Well, I'm out.  I got no more suggestions on connecting worlds and thus setting up weird crossovers down the road."  Chara shrugged.

"Yeah.  Men too."  Frisk shrugged.

"Darn.  And we were doing so well, too."  Asriel leaned back in his computer chair.

"I got nothing."  I shook my head.

"Well...let's transition to something else.  Something maybe we should ponder."

"Well...how about this one."  Frisk, on a whim rolled a trio of Vi's multi-sided dice.

"Threes."

"Interesting probability there." Chara lowered her eyebrow remember her last game of cards in the Soul Society...that didn't end well and left her salary a bit...dented for the week.

"Hmm...things that come in threes...l"  I pondered.

"...like...trios?"  Chara raised an eyebrow.

"Trios?  You mean, and this is an obvious one...the Power Puff girls?"  Asriel suggested.

"Huh. This is actually...something new.  Okay.  I'm game."  Frisk smiled.

"Okay.  Big Bad Beetle Borgs."  I said straight out, matter-of-factly.

"Ahhhh.  Straight for the tokusatsu rubber and spandexers.  You're  bold one, Arcade."

"Boss to you."  I wrinkled my snoot.

"I think I know that one.  Three kids, who a friends and like comic books discover a haunted house and release a phasm from a pipe organ named Flabber.  He grants them their wish to actually become the heroes of their favorite comic book and coincidentally, the villains from said comic book come to life, too.  Led by uh...Vexer?"  Frisk scratched her head.

"He's named after a kind of mess bag?  That's not weird or anything.."  Chara rolled her eyes.

"Okay.  How about Totally Spies?"  Frisk asked.

"Oooh.  Solid one, Frisk!  Sam, Clover, and Alex.  I heard they might be getting back in the game."   Azzy gave a thumbs up.

"Better renew our ties with Jerry, then.  And prepare to draft up a new joint contract with W.O.O.P."  I rubbed my chin.

"Hmm...how about going old school.  The Drac Pack?"

"Never heard of them."  Chara wrinkled her nose.  Frisk shrugged.

"What have you got on them?'

"Three friends who take on the powers of the Universal Monster trio--Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolf Man.  Look em' up some time."

"I will."  Asriel fist-bumped me.

"Newer school, then.  And relevant.  Time Squad."

"Oh god, them? "  I tried to keep from laughing my tail off.

"Okay, okay, okay.  I'll be nice but...well, let's face it.  They're pretty much the butt of EVERY time agency's joke.  S.T.C. made a drinking game out of it.  I stay out of it because I don't drink.  Obviously.  And then there's those stuck-up Time Lords.  As for that group with Miss Minutes as their mascot?  Whom I won't even spell out their initials for reasons...yeah.  I don't think Loki has ever been entertained that much since he turned himself into a snake and surprised his brother...before stabbing him.

A moment of silence.

"Uh...more info than I needed.  But good to see you're familiar with Otto, Bud, and Larry 9000."

"So...I know mom and dad wouldn't want to bring this up..."  Chara slid her gaze to the side.  "But...?"

"Just say it."  I rolled my eyes.

"If you disregard the robot--"

"Chara, have you been looking into my notes?  I expect that from Violet but--"

"Who do you think's been giving me lessons when it comes to...SNOO-PING-AS USUAL!?"

"Chara...no....no....seriously, no."  Asriel facepalmed.

"Uhhh...do I want to know about this meme?"

"No.  You do not.  And don't bring it up around Aunt Sally."

"Alright, I get it.  I'll just say it.  Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.  I heard Mom and Dad are still on the case."

"That's right.  Still investigating covertly.  Still shadowing.  We still have not...officially endorsed this investigation but...right now the scope of it isn't universe-ending."

"Yet."  Chara snorted.

"Yes......yet."  I rubbed my temples.  "But yeah...if you don't count Copernicus then Melinda, Erdred, and Seng are a trio, too."

"Any other trios?" Frisk asked.

"Easy peasy.  Jake Kong, Eddie Spencer, Tracy the Gorilla."

"Oh right!  The "Filmation" Ghost Busters"."  I wagged my tail.  "Peter's still trying to sue for the rights."

"Technically they should be suing your mentors."  Chara snickered.

"Don't start.  It's bad enough Peter wants to sell out to Hollywood for another movie deal."

"I don't know...another Ghostbusters Movie might be worth seeing."  Frisk smiled.

"Y'know there was always that Vigo the Carpathian incident."  Asriel suggested.

"Okay, how many others are trios?"

"Max Ray, Jake Rockwell, Ace McCloud."

"The Centurions.  But only if you don't count the two new recruits."

"Yeah, a lot of our suggestions do have an asterisk at the end due to extended crew."

If we kept at this, we could run through our entire Rolodex.

"Esteban, Zia, and Tao."

And we just might at this rate.

"Guys.  Aren't we overlooking some obvious ones right here?  Volt, Bunnie, and Violet.  The UCIAT skeleton crew core."

"Gee.  Have a little nepotism with your fanboying, Azzy."

"Chara!  Be nice!"

"Heh."  I wagged my tail.

"And that's the second most obvious one."

"Second?"

"Well...you three."

"Us?"

"Well.  Someone's trying to butter us up."

"Well...we're flattered, Volt."

"But...aren't we leaving M.K. out?"

"I think he'll be okay, Frisk.  Right now he's hanging out with Papyrus.  You know he's still a role model, after M.K. kind of stopped following Undyne."  Asriel rubbed his chin.

"Well...if you're sure."

"Positive.  And absolutely no disrespect for Monster Kid.  But really...Undertale really has centered around the three of you.  It may start with Flowey and Toriel may be the introduction to how the Underground works.  Sans may win the popularity contest all around...and let's not forget the Undyne-Alphys shipping."

"Gaaaah..."  Alphys blushed in the cheeks as she passed by the doorway.

"Really.  It began with the first child and the prince and ended with the eighth child and the prince.  And all three of you are still standing."

"But...only two of us are actually alive, per se.  This Gigai body may fool everyone else but those of us who are soul reapers or substitute soul reapers know better."

I tried not to think deep into the semantics behind that.  But she was right.  She was right.

Well.  We kept our little name that trio game going a little longer before we punched out from the lab for the day.

Honestly...while it may be common to say three strikes and you're out?  I subscribed to the third time's a charm club.  And good things really do come in three's.

## Sub-Entry 334: "Missing the Challenge of the Ongoing Saga"

"Stand by to receive.  Three...two...one...!"

With that the portal opened...and Toriel trudged out of the gate, followed by a downtrodden Asgore.

The question to be asked was delayed by hesitation until...

"Uh...how'd it go?"

"M.K., I don't think--"

"We're going to need an extended break from them for a bit."  Asgore sheepishly poked his index fingers together, nervously; like the kid who knows he's in trouble.

Toriel's derisive growl began to build until...!

The explosion didn't happen.  Surprised?  We were.

"And I thought our little faction could be dysfunctional."  She smoldered with a dry deadpan.

"That good, huh?"  Asriel shrugged.

"What happened?"  Frisk asked, genuinely concerned.

"I think Dr. Arcade has a few footnotes he should probably add to the debrief."  Toriel slid her gaze to me.  Uh-oh.  Busted.

Everyone looked at me.

"So...I'm guessing you know what I didn't exactly include in the memo last time you were on recon?"

Toriel folded her arms.

"Okay, okay.  But you should know I got this information after everyone had left the room and gone their separate ways.  Yes.  It's true.  He was bitten by a werewolf.  Guessing he and Erdred got into it?"

"I...don't think they ever got out of it."  Asgore rubbed the back of his head as his human disguise finally wore off, much later than Toriel's.  "By the way, Copernicus is fixed."

Ick.  Ex-fiancé versus ex-beloved.  Really wishing Winston had taken the hint and buggered off, as Jon would put it.  But it was also on Eldred for not taking him to some place far, far away or at least figuring out how to properly diffuse the situation rather than leave a trail of breadcrumbs that vanished at sea...and lead to a wrecked ship inhabited by its lycanthrope captain.

I shook my head.  "The complicated gets even more so."

Oh wait, he said Copernicus is fixed?  Some good news to take the aftertaste out of the report, it seems.

I decided to veer away from the drama-lama and get to the point of the mission.

"The Evil?"

Toriel calmed down by that point.  "Not destroyed.  It inhabited that Otto person who found his way across the world in his...how would Violet put it--"

"Death Egg rip-off?"  Violet popped up suddenly.

Of course she hacked in and read my reports.

"Precisely."  Toriel said rather calmly.

"Invaded a rainforest jungle protected by the Rakshasa.  It did not end well when he and Merlin joined forces to dismantle it.

"Let me take a wild stab at it."

Suddenly Bunnie.

"Things are not as they seem?"

Asgore and Toriel looked at each other before giving us a look.

"And I thought we had it bad dealing with the shapeshifting sorcerer, Aku.  Back when Samurai Jack was trapped in that dystopian future."  I paced.  Why did it not occur to me if the Evil overpowered and vanquished Morgana...then of course it could take over or mimic the greatest wizard of all time.  Or...was it the other way around?  Was the Evil impersonating Merlina?  Darn it.  I should ask but...I think Toriel has had it up to here with the bickering amongst Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.

You know...I really got to ask about Seng some time.  Seriously.  He's the only one of the group I don't have ANY clue about.  Just that he's inhabiting a pre-pubescent named Alfie and...it's hard to say who's personality is dominant.  If anything...it almost seems like their persona's merged.

With Merlina?  Yeah.  Still identity crisis but at least now she and Emma no longer seemed at war with each other.  Still...the memory issue and the fact that she didn't seem...entirely Merlina in her new form was troubling

Eldred, was the only one who seemed like his soul was in complete control of his host body--a street showman named Dimitri Dynamo.  I kind of figured Dimitri wasn't exactly an S-class mind.  Which was probably why Edred's mind was merely...a little clouded rather than suffering from full identity crisis or...completely loopy from being bombarded by the Cosmic Plane.

Officially were still just watching behind the scenes and doing recon.  But I knew Merlin was no fool.  Assuming we straightened this mess out over why he was attacking his own daughter...as if I didn't need another reason to blame the Evil...yeah.  He'd figure out we were interloping.  And probably call us out.  And honestly...I don't know if I want magic mixing with magic.  Or STCA wondering why us "amateurs" are messing in unsanctioned timeline investigations.  Pah.  We're their predecessors.  We were doing this before my mentor even sketched STCA's concept onto a napkin.

"Good work, you two.  Take as much of a hiatus as you need.  We'll let telemetry take over for a bit and send field agents if we need to.  And...I do apologize."

"Apology accepted, Doctor."  Toriel lead Asgore out of the room by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow.  I said I was sorry, dear!"

"Man, that's rough."  M.K. shrugged.

"Is it like this for ever case dropped in our laps?"  Chara nonchalantly asked.

"More often than not.  It does tend to get awkward or intense."  I admitted.

"I could spin stories."  Asriel acknowledged.

"Well right now you should be spinning the story of how you and Frisk are preparing for your big day this month."

"Oh yes!  Of course!"  Asriel's cheeks flushed with a little embarrassment.

"It's going to be absolutely perfect, Azzy.  Just think of it."

"I haven't stopped."  Asriel tugged at his collar.

"What's wrong?  Nervous?"  Chara prodded.

A long pause.

"Yes I am."

"Aww...Azzy!  Why?"

"Frisk.  It's...well...marriage.  You know.  The big one.  There's no event bigger in a man's life than becoming a husband and making his fiancé an honest woman."

And so we get to the meat and the bones.

"Look.  We'll take care of this one step at a time.  Promise.  You got this."

Asriel looked to Frisk who just smiled.

"Yeah...no sense in worrying about it now. The bridge is coming up fast but we'll cross it when we cross it."

I nodded.

"That out of the way...I get the feeling something else is on your mind, Azzy?"

"Well...kind of.  I mean don't get m wrong, I'm happy that mom and dad have been doing well on this ongoing investigation...but..."

"But?"

"It's just not the same."

"The same, Azzy?"  Frisk cocked her head.

"As the old days."

"I think I get where you're going.  And you're right.  We haven't thought about them in a while now."

"Who?"

Asriel took a moment to point directly at his family crest.

"...Delta......Rune."  Frisk concluded.

"Yeah.  Our alternate halves."

Silence gripped the room.

"You have a pretty good point, Asriel.  Not since your episode in this...Chapter 2 have we seen anything come out of that funky dreamscape.  And after leaving off on such a cliffhanger, too."

"You would think that one or both of us might have gotten sucked into their little dream world and we'd be knee deep in Chapter 3.  But..."

"Yeah.  As if we needed to confirm a lack of activity, sightings of the Annoying Dog have been brief but essentially described as moments of seeing him fast asleep.  But also vanishing before anyone could get proof of him."

"And that annoying dog is usually a gauge when something is up in one of our worlds."

"Or a reminder that the fourth wall still exists...as paper thin as we've made it as of these last years."

"So...he's some kind of avatar, right?"  Frisk asked.

"Well...that's the belief but we'll never likely get proof.  Rotor seems to agree with me that he represents your true creator.  At least some side of him.  The one that made  Undertale before the Goddesses imported their own "copy" and started experimenting and modifying it to create the AU timelines within our particular Undertale universe cube."

"A cube filled with broom-straws of varying length and stability."  Azzy brought up my theoretical model.

"Some red-banded, some unrestricted accessibility to your pasts."  I nodded.

I also considered that if these unstable timelines weren't "red band firewalled"...then what was to stop someone from tampering with that part of the past the same as Lady Destiny and Madam Fate did?

"See?  This is just the kind of weird quantum science and string theory we used to investigate back in the day."

"Back when you were finally old enough to learn the truth about the nature of Undertale."  I crossed my arms and nodded.

"And you finally explained that truth to all of us.  Granted...not everyone quite understands but..."

"You already had an understanding to begin with, Frisk."

"Anyway...DeltaRune."  I called up my case pending file on a holo-projector.

We all stared longingly at it as the folder icon slowly rotated in place.

"Well...here it is."  Azzy clicked on the projection, opening up my research.

"And here's my contribution."  He plugged a pen drive into the projector.

"MERGING DATA FILES...DELTARUNE COMPILATION UPDATED."

And thus one folder became two; marked Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, respectively.

"Wow...a world where there's another me.  What's he like?"

"Like you without robot arms...and a bit stuck-up and ruder."  I rolled my eyes.

"Duuuude.  I'm glad I'm not him. "  M.K. poked the folder and accessed the photo.

"What am I...er...what is he wearing around his neck."

"Yeah, apparently everyone lives in a religious community--"

"With sick fruit juice?"  Frisk chuckled.

I turned to Asriel.

"Yeah...that's on me.  Sorry."

"Oh-ho?  What kind of juice now...?"

I wasn't about to say it was code for wine.

I shook my head and opened up Chapter 2's folder.

"Wow...these images are high definition.  How...how did you get these?"

"Alpha-catch."

"That technology from Cowboy Beebop?"

"The final moments of Zebra." Frisk pondered, having seen it recently during Alphys' anime watch party.  "Or was it Giraffe?"

"Yeah.  We reverse engineered it so I could get proof of my time in DeltaRune's dreamscape."

I about did a doubletake when I saw Ralsei without his hat on...then remembered...yeah.  This was kind of a reveal at the end.  He was as white-furred as Azzy.  But...the shadow of the hat and cloak made him look like his fur was black.  So...it was kind of hard to make the connection at first.

"So...Noelle and Berdly.  I vaguely remember them from Chapter 1 but...for them to be swept up in this."

I eyed Queen for a bit.

"It can't be coincidence that she resembles the King and Lancer..."

"Yet, it seems that they exist in separate dark dimensions.  Dark dimensions which are incompatible with one another."

"That explains why Lancer and Rouxls Kaard started turning grey and lifeless."  I rubbed my chin.

"It was an intense moment for us on the outside...seeing what Azzy was going through."  Frisk looked worried.

"And entertaining at times."  Chara did the creepy face.  "Soooo...you going to ask him about the tail?"

"What about the tail?"  I raised an eyebrow.

Asriel squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, in a "I have the onset of a migraine" expression.

"Come on.  I teased him about that already.  Once is enough!"  Frisk rubbed the back of her head.

"And I have only begun to get mileage out of it."  Chara grinned.

I sifted through screen captures until--

I heard Alphys audibly gasp as she about dropped her ramen cup.

"Th-th-th-that's...!"

"Don't let Mettaton see that."  I grimaced.

"How...how does the Power of NEO exist in that world!?"  Alphys was aghast.

I could see Violet eye-ing Spamton dubiously.  Ventriloquist dummies were only a few steps above mimes, jesters, and...straight up clowns.

"What in the HELL is that...?"  I heard her grumble.

"A chance to be a Big Shot."  Asriel mused with an expression like the cat that ate the canary.

I saw Violet mouth the words "not cool, cinnamon roll" before scoffing.

"I admit...he gives me different kind of creeps than Jevil."

I opened the chapter 1 folder and called up Jevil's image.

"We got to get THESE two together."  Chara joked.

"I think that would be extraordinarily dangerous..."  Asriel replied, channeling a little of Egon in the process.

"I second that."  I crossed my arms.

"See?  This is the kind of ongoing investigations we used to have.  And...while they were questionably real...they were real enough to us."

"Yeah...dreamscape worlds like Subcon and Koholint are hard to prove the existence of.  Try as you might, once you wake from the dream, the dream is already erased from existence.  All you have is the vague memories and that's IF you can actually remember what you "dreamed" per se."

I paced a little, holding my arms behind my back like I was carrying a heavy load.

"I believe you, dude."  M.K. peered at the data.

"So do I."  Frisk nodded.

"They really are good people though...I would say there's something edgier about them.  And really...a lot of things coincide with us.  A lot of things parallel us."  Asriel had a kind of pensive look.

"Like...Mom and Dad?"  Frisk looked melancholic.

"Yeah."

"And some things that even I'm trying to wrap my head around...like...who's no longer with them."

Bunnie closed her eyes and bowed her head, obviously thinking of Gerson Boom.

"And some things that...aren't really explained at all.  Like..."  A hesitation.  "Like...Mettaton...and Papyrus."

"They really don't...appear anywhere?"

"It's implied they...exist but...behind closed doors.  Literally."  Asriel shrugged.

"Yeah...I know all too well."  I crossed my arms and thought of the two of them.

"And the even weirder.  Can any of you imagine a world where Bratty and Catty aren't friends?"

Dead silence.

Alphys eyed her photos and notes.  I could see the gears turning but...I couldn't really interpret what was going through her head.  Obviously...her counterpart was a lot to process.

"And so many things teased...like...that locked door on that mound to the south of town."

"But I think the biggest mystery of all is their lack of a Frisk and Chara, per se...and the presence of "Kris"."

We all kind of looked at each other for a bit.

"An agender teenager who may or may not be completely mute."  Asriel cocked his head.

"Well...that feels familiar.  I feel like...other versions of me in other timelines couldn't talk."  Frisk shrugged.  "And...maybe a few of those instead of me might actually be blind."

"The squinting thing."  I reasoned.

"But as you can tell, our Frisk has luscious anime eyes."  Chara came up from behind and grabbed Frisks cheeks and pinched her lips into a pucker.

"Pweeze wet go of my face..."  Frisk managed to utter.

"Chara!"  Asriel snapped.

I did a double take.  I know I heard that exact phrase used to describe Frisk's eyes in another AU.  Maybe it was AFAC?

Chara raised her hands like she was being commanded by law enforcement.

"Glad you find it amusing.  But as you can see, or not see...Kris' eyes are hidden behind their bangs.  And while they're silent the entirety of their adventure...their behavior is honestly disturbing.

And based on the proof Azzy and I both collected?  We're pretty convinced."

At that moment everything just got really intense and just...grim.

"Kris is in fact..."

I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"...yeah..."  Asriel nodded, eyes closed.

I think it was obvious to everyone in the room.  No one needed it to be spelled out.

"And if it is true...then the Lightners are in just as much danger as the Darkners.  They don't know it yet.  But..."

"This is prelude to something big on the horizon."

"But...there's no indication when it will happen."

"That's what you were talking about, Asriel.  Isn't it?  This is the ongoing investigation that maybe. Maybe we're eager for."

"No disrespect to Mom and Dad's mission but...it's just not the same.  And I'm not talking about being on the outside, looking in.  They're in a completely different situation.  In a world we CAN prove exists.  Fighting a danger that isn't hard to figure out...but is far more vile and sinister than the Spade King or the Spade Queen."

"You know...we haven't exactly asked Mom and Dad about it.  What they even think of the mission."

"Yeah.  But...maybe we should ask when they're a little less frustrated."

"Agreed."

A bit of hesitation and I could tell everyone was looking at me.

"Okay...I guess you wan tot know about the werewolf thing.  Well...yeah.  Bitten.  So...slave to the full moon but....something's off about my research on this Winston.  I think...he might actually have something in common with Jon."

"What do you mean?"

"I think...he might have the potential to tame the beast within."

"Meaning?"

"I think he might have the capacity to retain his human mind and thus his ability to speak while transformed.

"Like you and Jon?"

"Exactly.  Which might be an indication he's somehow more evolved than the one that bit him.  And I've never seen that much of a jump in lycanthrope evolution in a single generation.  And from the infected variety rather than born full-blooded."

"So...guessing you might want to explain to Mom and Dad?"

"I guess I better update their briefings.  Besides...he's not the only one of interest."

I spun the monitor around and called up the images of Merlin and Rakshasa.

"First things first...we have to hope that they can get Merlin unpossessed.  Second of all...you know what this potentially means?"

"They've gone up from being just a trio with a robot?"

"That's...that's right, M.K."

"No studying."  M.K. flicked his tongue at Chara who raised him a raspberry.

"Good Peter Venkman reference."  Asriel whispered.

"Well...I guess that covers the meeting for today."  I stood up.

"Then we adjourn for the day?

"Yeah.  And prepare for the holiday.  I'm sure Asgore's going to need it after the grief he must've gotten from Toriel's sour mood."

"Dude, those guys must REALLY squabble like chickens to get Mrs. Toriel all ticked off like that."

"Mom does have a temper but...it's a much more subtle one than Dad's."  Asriel nodded.

"Well.  She'll get over it."  Frisk looked optimistic.  "She has to if she and Dad are going back on mission."

"That is IF they don't ask for a reassignment."  Chara joked.

"Well.  It's their right.  But keep in mind that's not the only ongoing project around here."

I called up the monitor where Papyrus was teamed up with Beetlejuice in some kind of weird adventure."

"Ugh...I can practically smell the rainbow on that one."

"Did you just fire shots at L.J.N.?   Dude.  James Rolfe approved!"  M.K. snickered.

Those two are getting really good at inside jokes and fourth wall humor.

"And not the only one..."  Asriel called up the footage of Undyne's absolute mayhem in Dark Souls.

I actually shuddered a bit, seeing Undyne not have to worry about Extermination Points, Level of Violence, and other restrictions.  I think in a way this was therapeutic.  Getting all that violence out of her system.

And even elsewhere, Muffet was absolutely owning worlds like Let's Dance, Elite Beat Agents, and D.D.R.  Greedy Little Spider could dance...she could REALLY dance.

"I'm actually amazed how many volunteers there actually are from Undertale.  Even if only for E and D rank missions."

I watched the Froggits assist in the world of Super Mario RPG.  Apparently the tadpoles of Frogfucious needed a bit of coaching on how it's done.

And so on.  And so on.

Even Burgerpants thought he could get away from Mettaton's demands... ...unfortunately he drew of all lots...an old video world called Burger Time...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Asriel facepalmed as Frisk sweat dropped at the cigarette-smoking cat running from sentient eggs, pickles, and hot dogs.

"I believe we were adjourning for the day...?"  Frisk spoke up.

"Do I hear a second to that notion?"

"Aye."  We all chimed in together.

"Opposed?"

Silence.

"The ayes have it."

And that concluded that.

## Sub-Entry 335: "Father's Day Redux"

After the hassle Toriel gave him prior to?  Yeah.  Asgore was due for a reprieve.  And the day he looked forward to.

That day.

Father's Day.

And as a fellow dad...who could blame him?

"At last!  I thought this day would never come!"  Asgore was already up and about and sporting his favorite Hawaiian shirt.

And sure enough, guess who he'd run into at breakfast at Hestia's but...!

"Hey."  I waved him over to where Scott, Vladimir and I were grouped together.

"My friends!  What a delightful surprise!"

"Surprise?  We invited him over."  I heard Red say from the booth next to ours.  Seems there were even more of us together than I thought.

"A valid observation."  And there was Emmet Lathrop Brown, my mentor from Hill Valley, California.

"Most certain."  Master Splinter picked up his wooden cup of tea with both hands.

Over yonder I could see King Jakob, incognito; having taken on a nearly unrecognizable disguise.

And there was STILL no shortage of cameos beyond that.

"It is a most auspicious occasion for all of us to be gathered here at the same place."  Thomas Light rubbed the back of his head.  When was the last time I didn’t' see him wearing a lab coat?

But...heck, I was wearing mine so...it...evened out?  You know what...fashion aside, it is what it is.  Sorry, not sorry.

So now that I've listed off SOME of the cameos that showed up...

C'mon, if I listed them all, this journal entry would get to be a stale list of who's who and no substance.

...ahem...after I listed off a portion of them, what next?

Well...the bragging.

Yeah.  Parents GET to be prideful about their kids.

An exception to my rule about pride.

Deal with it!  We've earned it!

"So...my wonderful children were so thoughtful this morning.  Can you believe they greeted me as I left the house and personally handed me these wonderful cards?"  Asgore was fast on the draw.

"You raised some good ones across the timelines, King."

"On the contrary.  WE raised some good ones, yes?"  Asgore acknowledged the Colonel.

"I'd say doing our best wasn't for nothing.  We can proudly own our accomplishments as dads."  Scott agreed.

"My turtles were most kind before my departure to Miranda City.  Truly it is the most wonderful sushi platter I'd ever seen."  Splinter scooped up his egg with the chopsticks.

"I could not believe that even Blues made a momentary appearance.  I was sad that he chose not to stay but...even a teleport followed by a brief salute was...more than I'd seen from him since he ran away from the lab all those years ago."   Light looked down at his plate.

"And Rock and Roll?"

Light suddenly perked up.

"Oh yes!  They completely overwhelmed me with the effort they made making my day truly memorable.  Oh, it most've taken them both so many volunteer work jobs to earn enough collective money to buy....but oh, I needn't bore you with details of laboratory equipment."

"My friend, there IS no bad time to bring up laboratory equipment.  All in the name of SCIENCE!"  Stokes thundered.

"You know I got to say...something about this Father's Day just hits a little different.  In a good way, I mean."

I said as I sipped my double chocolate-chip Frappuccino; sans coffee ingredients.  It was more of a chocolate smoothie than anything else.

"Mmm, that's good."

Just a moment of us enjoying our meals.

"You know it feels a little like the reverse of Hina Matsuri while also mirroring Mother's Day."  I brought up.

"How so, my friend?  Asgore asked.

"Well...basically on Girl's Day we gave them all their space...gave them a break from us for a bit...you know.  Their own personal day to do as they want and have us not expect them to do their daily motherly things."

"That is a good point."  Jacob actually agreed with me.

"Clara and I both can confirm the age-old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Nah.  Not me.  My lovely wife and I can't get enough of each other."  Red grinned a shark-toothed grin.

"Well that more applies to those of us who actually have someone we can make an honest woman out of in our lives."

What?  Benton Quest is here among us.

"My condolences...I'm told my father was one of the few that did actually meet Johnny's mother."

I could tell that time helped ease the loss but...never really make it disappear.  To this day it was presumed that Dr. Zin was still out there in some form; the blood of the late Mrs. Quest on his unremorseful hands.

"Quest-hakase has a point.  Some of us...are not exactly a conventional family."  Splinter nodded.

I at least knew out of the variants of Splinter that were the pet of Hamato Yoshi variants...ones who were the true love of Tang Shin...and the Splinter variants that used to BE Hamato Yoshi...which group THIS Splinter was from.  He never had a love life that I know of.  Just him, his foot school, and his books of Renaissance Art.  And he only kept one of those, no thanks to Oroku Saki.

"Well, it's like we say back home, when we get into non-specifical situations like this.  I tell them my kids the secret to...blah-blah-blah, yakity-shchmakity..."

Okay time out.  Is that...the Tasmanian Devil's father?  From Taz-Mania?

And the cameos continued to increase...and get more unexpected.

"You have a way with words, man.  Wish I had know that while raising Ken."

Ben Ten-Thousand!?

"Even so, there's no instruction manual for parenthood."

And Doc Saturday?  Sounding his most...Khary Petyon-ish.   Well.  Booyah!

We all kind of muttered in agreement.

"But I got to say..."  I chimed in last minute.  "Wouldn't trade a single moment--good or bad--for anything.

"I'll drink to that.'  Vlad raised his glass.

"Here, here."  Emmett agreed.

You know I think it's okay if I make this one a little short.

We dads could use our time to ourselves.

Besides...something bigger was on the horizon.

And there was going to be a LOT of prep work to get it off the ground.

## Sub-Entry 336: "The Day Finally Came.  Prelude to the Ship Finally Realized"

It was the eve of that day.  You know the one.  We'd teased it for some time.  Asriel had extensively mentioned it over and over in his journal entries.

Of course he'd call back to Mettaton's photo shoot some years ago.  The "fake-out" wedding that he and Frisk called it.

Well.  Now he could call that day "practice".

It was about time for the real thing.

Gods...when was the last time I attended a wedding.  And technically...it was a royal wedding.  As much as Azzy didn't want to acknowledge his princely heritage...it was formality.  The title wasn't leaving him no matter how me may try to vacate it.

While the Dreemurr Monarchy was over, royal blood was still royal blood.  It just changed forms and government with it.

Of course there was the other traditions that had to be enforced.  Namely the belief that it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding day.  Or something like that?  It wasn't a problem for any of us in UCIAT that were married so I didn't foresee complications here.  It would just mean that Azzy and Frisk would have to go a day without seeing each other.  Pretty tall order for two so devoted.

There were others as well but they aren't immediately coming to mind.

Then of course there was the bachelor party and bachelorette party.  Ohhhhhhhhhhh boy.  Violet of course arranged at least one of those.

Unfortunately I could only guard one of them against it.

Sorry, Frisk.  But I opted to make sure Azzy didn't do anything he'd regret...even if he swore not to, Violet would most certainly arrange for someone to pressure him into something stupid and NSFW.  A few minutes of hoo-wee, and a life-time of regret.  Consider yourself spared, Goat Son.  We're keeping you pure by hook or crook.

Which left me to wonder what stories Frisk would probably have to tell down the road that Violet likely dragged her into.

It's okay.

I know Azzy would forgive her for whatever.

And that's ALL I'm going to say on this matter.

"Do we even need a dress rehearsal?"

"Nothing but the finest for our prince and princess."

But of course the day had to open with Mettaton making sure every last detail was perfect.  Down to a dress rehearsal for the big day...the big moment.

As large as life as he was making this?  Yeah...I sure as heck didn't want to be the one to say 'hey, whose wedding day is this?'

Though really...I don't think he crossed the line into completely hijacking the celebration.

So...

There I was, of all places...in Queen Brooke's quarters.

"Marriage."  I finally spoke up.

"I cannot even begin to ponder what that means to you.  To see your best friend finally reach this plateau.  Our little village wonder has grown up to leave our expectations so far behind...it almost seems like he'll never peak."

"It's things like this, Lady Brooke...that remind me that no matter how ageless I am...time isn't standing still.  The timeline just passes me by...and moments become memories.  And...that leads to me often worrying about inevitability."

"How heavy it must weigh on you."

Who knew the conversation would get this deep...this...somber.

"There's a point in the future I don't think I can even think about."

As I said so, I had echoes of my New York Mentor, Egon Spengler, running through my brain.

The hardest part of being immortal...of having future information...is looking all your friends...family...mentors...everyone you know in the eye...and withholding the truth.  Withholding how, when, where, and why they'll.....they'll........

I think I worried and depressed myself so much in the moment, I let my ears droop.

"It comes to us all, you know.  The end of the road."

"All except for those of us with a Goddess Contract...or being born a god or goddess."  I remained melancholic.

"Dr. Arcade.  This should not be a day to worry about the terminus of an unknown future.  It would be a day embracing a present about to unfold and change a lot of lives."

"I know.  My worry is getting the best of me.  Thinking about how and when the good times will end...how long they'll last...how we will...or we might not be ready for it."

"You believe seeing him and young Frisk joined in holy matrimony is a reminder of there being no going back."

"A fact I know...but I just don't feel yet.  And when that feeling does come..."

"What a wonderful foster parent you've been to him over the years.  You have long since settled any debts over the strings we both had to pull to integrate Asriel into our world...our society...our kingdom in general.  Every sacrifice his citizenship had us make for the bigger picture."

"And it's always going to feel like...like I should ask if we HAVE done enough.  If there's more we should be doing, even though he's his own man, she's her own woman."  I took a deep breath.  "And the two shall become one."

I'm not sure if I was quoting religious text but...it felt like I was.  I think...the phrase echoed from Gotham City.  It felt exactly like something Two-Face would reflect on.

I wonder...if Grace was still waiting for you, Harvey Dent?

Ahem...let's not get off topic like I usually do.

"If anything I'm not scared of losing him.  Quite the contrary.  He's back in our lives and now once and forever.  He's done wonderfully splitting his life between Miranda and Undertale.

By gods, Lady Brooke....he's successfully become the Prince of Everyone's Future.  And more so...he's the one who honestly can and does have it all."

"Even I could not have foreseen results to your great gamble pay off this much."

"I just trusted my gut.  Like always."

"Continue to do so.  It serves you well."

I nodded.

"So here we are at the top of the mountain.  I...just don't know where we go from here."

"My advice?  Find another mountain and start climbing."

"Heh.  Seek a challenge?  Well.  I'm not against the idea.  But I also subscribe to the notion of don't pick fights if you don't have to.  Don't go looking for trouble if you're comfortable in the status quo. And really...don't bite off more than you can chew.  Though...I've had a little trouble with that last one from time to time."

"When did I say anything about picking fights?"  Brooke mused.

"I'm sure you know what mean."

"I do.  But rest assure, staying in the status quo is only effective for so long.  Even the strongly conservative must make a rare change from time to time or risk stagnation."

"Yeah.  And I'm hoping I will notice the signs when the time is right for me to do so.  Whatever that may be.  Right now...I think we should prepare ourselves.  We've got a wedding to attend to."

"Yes.  Yes we do.  And if memory serves...you have a secondary obligation to fulfill.  Am I wrong?"

"On the nose, your highness.  In fact I'd better make sure his travel arrangements are in order."

So there it was.

The beehive of activity continued on both worlds, readying for the big day.

"Relax, dear."

"If I'm half as nervous as Asriel is..."

"Why be nervous?  Support your best friend."

"I wouldn't be much of a Best Man if I didn't, now would I?"  I made sure my tux was pressed and ready.  Jon had worked overtime for us all; so much so he had to ask Mettaton for additional help getting everything ready.

So there we were.

The night before.

The calm before the storm.  The festivities celebrating "last moments of freedom" as Violet put it...before Bunnie threatened to smack her with an ACTUAL ball and chain.  I think she called it a manriki kusari?

Azzy and the rest of us guys had a low key celebration in lieu of a Batchelor Party.  Vi was disappointed but...it's not like we would let HER attend even if we did have one.

Unfortunately we couldn't offer the same for Frisk so...whatever happened behind closed doors stayed behind closed doors until she was ready to confess to Asriel should she ever have a guilty conscience.

Still.   I trusted her.

If anything?  Should Chara ever get married...that's the time we should worry.  And bar Violet from the bar.  Eeash.  I can only imagine how things were going with the limited alcoholic menu that Frisk insisted on to prevent...future awkward.  You know...reasons to not kiss and tell under penalty of compromising trust.

That's a fancy way of putting it, yes?

C'mon, Volt.   Don't read into it.  It's all good.

Well...I suppose I'd better leave off here or I'll be too tired for the biggest day in my best friend's life.

## Sub-Entry 337: "The Wedding Day"

Man, oh man.

It was here.

It was the big day.

I can't even begin to express what I'm thinking or feeling.  And I have far less right to comment on that than the bride or the groom.

I already had gloom over my head thinking of one ruined wedding on that ongoing case with the Warriors Eternal.  Add to that every wedding in Miranda City that had something go wrong or turn into absolute chaos.  And I was still wondering how brutal it would get once the tossing of the bride's bouquet turned into its never-fails full contact sport.  Eeeeeeesh.  Women in our town could get absolutely cutthroat and bloodthirst for that thing.

I had my own speculation how Asriel's wake-up routine was going...with this very big day looming ahead.

Of course it meant a lot of prep work...from getting his tux from Jon's tailor shop and ensuring it fit properly...to a quick stop at Lupe's jewelry shop to make sure the rings were in order.  She specially crafted the wedding rings for this event.  She promised they'd be her masterpiece.

Every chef we had in town collaborated to make sure the cake was not only perfect...it passed Mettaton's very extensive inspection.

Then...there was the place itself.

The largest cathedral that Brooke confirmed was in our entire city.  And it did not disappoint.

On that note...even despite its size?  It was packed to capacity.

And televised.  Yup...that was Mettaton's contribution.  He went global, of course...and then upgraded to galactic.  Still not satisfied...it became multiversal.  Yeah.  Everyone was going to know.

How did he even afford this much media coverage?

Moving on...

Many of us Neo Arcadians weren't used to religious practice.  But still...holy matrimony was universal in just about every culture.

That, however was secondary to the discomfort.  This expensive tuxedo?  Constrictive.  A little itchy.

But at least I didn't complain about being too hot in it.  That was the part I actually liked.

I tugged at the collar multiple times before Elektra gave me the stink eye.   Lisa just shrugged.

"It's only for today, dear."

"I know."  It wasn't my first rodeo.  Nor much of anyone else's save for a young exception or two.

Finally the opening ceremony and such lead things off.

Cue the obligatory: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this day to witness Prince Asriel Tobias Arcade and Frisk Dreemurr joined in holy matrimony."

Then the usual structure that came with holy mass, including the readings from the bible, some hymns, the bread and wine, etc.

That got us to the nitty gritty.

So of course there was a humorous moment when the minister asked about the respective families of the groom and the bride.

Asriel was being given away by Scott and Callista.

"Oh!  I see."

Yeah, his surprise over a goat hybrid with two human parents wasn't all that subtle.

"And the parents of the bride--"

And he did a doubletake as Asgore and Toriel made their presence know.

I know he was moments from asking if by chance he was being pranked, noticing the resemblance to the groom.

But he went with it.

I gestured that all was right with this setup.  Hey, a Best Man has to be there for his best friend, right?

And so, Violet, seated at the mighty pipe organ took a moment to hack and crack before being given the cue to play the song.

It wasn't official until you got Vi's rendition of Here Comes the Bride.

At that...the cathedral doors opened and there Frisk was in full wedding gown, veil, and bouquet.

Vi played away as Frisk slowly walked down the aisle toward the alter.

In that moment, Asriel's nervousness just vanished and his eyes lit up.

The moment was here.

This was real.

It was happening.

At last.

It all came to this.

Once the final note had played, there she was before him.

The hush had stealth fully fallen over the crowd.

And that let us to the moment.

There was of course those lines spoken a thousand times before and respective responses.

"Do you, Frisk Dreemurr, take this man; to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Do you, Asriel Tobias Arcade, take this woman; to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"May we present the rings?"

"Chuuu!"

Spot and Candi Cane, respectively hopped to their positions.  Each had a pillow tied to them and the appropriate rings fastened to them securely but easily removed.

Once presented...

"With this ring, symbolizing my eternal love for you, I thee wed."  Asriel carefully slipped it onto Frisk's finger.

"With this ring, symbolizing my eternal love for you, I thee wed."  Frisk did the same for Azzy.

A bit more of the formalities and it finally came to pass.

"If there is any person who objects to this wedding, speak no or forever hold your peace."

Silence.

Complete and total silence.

"By the power invested in my by the holy church, the kingdoms of Miranda City and Newest Home, I declare you husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride."

And in the moment that many wished could last an eternity, both graciously embraced and planted a long, passionate kiss on each others lips.

A thunderous applause filled the whole cathedral.

I struggled to hold back my misty eyes.

I could even see the Major a little emotional.

If I listed all who had suddenly broken into tears, I'd probably never get done narrating this.

Suffice to say Asgore and Papyrus were at the top of the list.  Even out-weeping a much more subtle Toriel.

"I give to you, Mr. and Mrs. Asriel Arcade!"

Out of everyone here, the biggest smile of all rested on the face of my father figure.

Certainly...this was by far the grandest of birthday presents to him.

Asriel made sure to give him the best of salutes.

"The ceremony has ended, go in peace."

And Asriel graciously walked Frisk outside as everyone followed behind to see them off.

Waiting of course was the very expensive, very lavish limousine that Violet and Mettaton spared no expense for.

"Well everyone.  Let's get ourselves to a wedding reception."  I mused.

"Absolutely."  Garfield gripped my hand in the manliest of bro-grips.  Then he let go and wrapped his arm around me and we headed off.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad."

"Even though this is there day?  You got me the best father's day present ever.  Thanks so much, Neil."

I knew it was special when he called me by my real name.  And he never did that.  That's how I new I'd truly honored him this day.

There was Arlene in full formal five-star general outfit.  She took a moment to salute.

Nermal was there too.  And she rocked that dress like nobody's business.

And in typical fashion, Edward had to come in the most deliberately obnoxious tux he could rent.  Hey, he just had to be himself.

The rest of the founders were there as well.  I could pick Kimiko's formal Jangese attire out from a mile away.  She knew how to rock a formal kimono and getas.

And even B.J. Wizardman made his grand appearance int the most baffling fusion of somehow formal biker attire cross-fused with the most lavish of sorcerer robes and such.  And mix that with the most expensive Valendian three-piece suit and tie that only a mob boss would be seen in...and yeah...that outfit he had defied all sorts of description.  All topped off with what I presume were 5,000 GP sunglasses.  They looked THAT expensive.  I'm told what he was wearing was considered extremely chic and debonaire in the wizarding world.  That said...the fact that he was even around marked this as the rarest of rare days.

And the rest of the founders all had their respective impressive Sunday best.  I don't think I'd ever seen Ariel X. Rastajive an anything but Jamaican colored tank top, shorts and bare feet before.  Even her dreadlocks took it to a new level.

"So.  Commander."

"Bunnie.  I believe we all know where our destiny lies from here."

We watched as the Limo headed off toward its destination.  The great hall where we were promised the biggest of raves...the best of celebrations.  Oh yeah.

It would be a reception to remember.

## Sub-Entry 338: "The Reception"

At last.

It was done.

It was official.

We'd...completely changed the course of an Undertale AU's timeline.  Forever.

Granted we were probably not the only instance of a human and a monster (hybrid, actually) becoming husband and wife.  The ships had been the subject of all kinds of controversial debate across the Undertale-verse.  Well.  This was our story.  Take it or leave.  Like or don't.

I give to you, Mr. and Mrs. Asriel Arcade.  A prince and his princess.

So...yeah.  Sally didn't waste a moment to D.J.  With special assistance from Napstablook, of course.

If we thought the cathedral was large, then it didn't compare to the choice of reception hall....inside MTT Resort Super Deluxe Plus....umm...whatever he named it when it reopened.

And boy...the expenses just kept rollin' in.

I couldn't believe he and Violet sprung for all this.

You know it's fancy when there are sixteen punch bowls...with built in ice-sculpture fountains!?

"You should see the chocolate fondue volcano."  Mitzi warned me.

"I have a feeling Chara already has..."  I sweat dropped.

I had to do a double take to make sure I was seeing correctly...Mettaton managed to have not one but multiple different bands of different genre present for a mega collaboration; including our world's equivalent of John Williams' orchestra merged with Elmer Bernstein's orchestra; our version of Daft Punk featuring Skrillex (as if I needed to explain that was Vi's contribution), to Miranda's take on Mannheim Steamroller, complete with harpsichord, and finally what I think might have been our take on Van Halen.

How all this mashed up together AND left room for Sally and Napstablook to D.J. in between the live music?  I'll never figure out.  When you have both live music and record tracks?  You may have over-engineered things.  But I wasn't going to tell the sexy rectangle.

"So...both the food spread and entertainment are beyond overboard...anything else I should know, Alphys?"

Alphys sighed and hung her head, feeling powerless in light of Mettaton doing what Mettaton does.  And Mettaton does whatever he pleases while tuning out everyone else's suggestions...except for Violet.

"So...Mitzi...do I want to know what the wedding cake looks like?"

Mitzi didn’t say anything but pointed to the towering monstrosity that had just been unveiled.

"Oh.  My.  Gods.  And.  Goddesses."  My jaw hit the floor.

"Happy days are  here again!"  Jon's tongue about rolled out of his jaws and across the floor.

"Stop drooling, son-in-law..."  I grumbled.

"I get nervous vibes around it.  Especially remembering Mario and Peach mention something about an evil wedding cake in Marrymore during that Super Mario RPG adventure of theirs. "  Pit gulped.

"I think my tusks are already vibrating."  Rotor's eyebrow twitched.

"Never mind the teeth...that's enough calories to put your pancreas in diabetic shock."  Sally put her knuckles to her hips.

"Honestly, Hestia and I would have preferred if you had sugar-coated it."

"Save that one for the Groom.  He'll appreciate the pun."

"Oh yeah...let that one slip out."  Mitzi chuckled.

"C'mon.  The guests of honor are about to arrive."

And sure enough, Azzy and Frisk made their grand entrance to thunderous applause and cheers.

There came the speeches of course.

There would be a toast, featuring a joke or two I'm sure we'll end up denying when we remember this day years later.

At least we kept them tasteful and safe for work...mostly.

Which of course led up to the dinner.  Uneventful.

And the ceremonial cutting of the cake and the bride and groom getting the first pieces; feeding each other by exchanging pieces at the same time.  It was endearing.

And as much as it disappointed, no one got any cake shoved in their face.  Not ending up on that home video show this time.

I'm sure the tossing of the bouquet would handle that...eheheheh...

So finally...the entertainment

Asriel and Frisk were first on the dance floor.

So what would be the music selection?  One of Mettaton's hired bands (or all of them in a collab?)  Or Sally and Napstablook's record tracks, with someone making a request?

Well.  It was the latter.

And who should suggest it?

It was kind of an odd choice for Shishiko to suggest as the first dance; between the Bride and the Groom.  But once I did the research I found the match within the Flip Side's lore.  I found when the Master Blaster kidnapped this hot act and imprisoned them in some quasi music video form.  And I found the match of what adventure Kidd Video was on when they encountered it.

Lotus Land.  It was shortly after the Kopy Kats, She-Lion included, stole the instruments of the Mermaids; thus causing them to wail endlessly and wake the god of the sea, Barnaculous.

It was at a moment that Kidd, Whiz, and Ash were trying to come up with a plan while Carla and Glitter's nephew, Glint were kidnapped and taken aboard the Master Blaster's fortress with the Kidd Mobile.

As Glitter had explained, in Lotus Land everyone gets their answers from schools.  When Kidd protected they didn't have time to go to school, Glitter explained that in Lotus Land, the schools come to you.  As in...schools of fish.

And sure enough a school of fish had somehow been infused with the music of Sting and the Police; thus giving advice in the form of a song called: "Wrapped Around Your Finger"...

***"You consider me the young apprentice***

***Caught between the Scylla and Charybdis***

***Hypnotized by you if I linger***

***Staring at the ring around your finger."***

How fitting.  Both were now wearing a ring; as a symbol of their eternal love and devotion to one and other.  I remembered this feeling well on my own wedding day to Lisa.

***"I have come here seeking knowledge***

***Things they would not teach me in college***

***I can see the destiny you sold***

***Turned into a shining band of gold"***

Well...that's one way to put it.  They had both put their hopes and dreams into this lone, circular tangible form.   And yeah...this is something Azzy sure didn't learn about in his college years.  Seemed like only yesterday he waddled away in my industrial trash can to get away from googly-eyed girls who were only interested in his reputation.

***"I'll be wrapped around your finger***

***I'll be wrapped around your finger."***

You know...it was actually kind of a perfect slow song to dance to.  It just worked.

***"Mephistopheles is not your name.***

***I know what you're up to just the same.***

***I will listen hard to your tuition.***

***And you will see it come to fruition."***

In a way...we already were seeing the fruits of all our collective labors.

***"I'll be wrapped around your finger.***

***I'll be wrapped round your finger."***

Then came the lyrics that sparked Shishiko's memory and the point this song made sense to her as the perfect dance number.  The aquatic imagery may not have been wedding related...but it sure spoke to Kidd Video's troubles of the Master Blaster's evil-doing.

Maybe that was the worry in the back of Azzy's mind that she was sensing.  It was superficial to say "for better and for worse".  So what happened when it would come time for the worse to rear its ugly head?  How would they face down adversity?

***"Devil and the deep blue sea behind me.***

***Vanish in the air, you'll never find me.***

***I will turn your face to Alabaster.***

***Then you'll find your servant is your master."***

Okay I have no idea how this lyric related.  Hey, not all of the song can match up to the read of the room, right?

But in that moment I think Asriel found his confidence.  He understood, subconsciously what Frisk was trying to convey without words...with just emotion and with just that pleasant smile.

***"You'll be wrapped around my finger.***

***You'll be wrapped around my finger.***

***You'll be wrapped around my finger."***

And like that, they ended on a grand, graceful note.  It was so serene.   They completely knocked it out of the ballpark with an 80's slow rock ballad.

Well.

After that...everything wound down...

I finally got a chance to take off the bow-tie.

And I finally had a chance to talk to Azzy.

## Sub-Entry 339: "The Rest of Your Lives Lie Ahead.  Together As One, Mr. and Mrs. Asriel Arcade":

"So.  How's it feel to be--"

"I'm still processing it but...pretty good, Volt.  Pretty darn good."

He'd committed.  He'd gone through with it.  And he was looking forward to where this would take the two of them.

"Well.  I guess from one married man to another...if you need advice or anything."

"It's a given, best friend.  And I have more than you to turn to.  There's Jon and Elektra.  Scott and Callista.  Heck, even Asgore and Toriel."

"Which might also provide a road map of what NOT to do."  Violet popped up behind me.

"Maybe someone who ISN'T married shouldn't give advice."

"Give it time and THIS...will be all mine."  Violet grinned as she grabbed a handfull of Miyamoto Usagi's rump.

I'd never seen him jump-blush like that before.

"Eheheheh..."  Azzy tugged at his collar.

"Anyway...I got some time before Mettaton gets our limo readied.  And the local kids finish tying the cans to the bumper."

"Don't forget the "Just Married" sign.  That's a tradition!"  I pounded my fist into my palm to accentuate.

"Of course."

A bit of silence.

"So...I guess in the lyrics of Tears for Fears..."welcome to your life, there's no turning back"."

Asriel quoted the song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World".

Full speed ahead, Goat Son.

"You know...you both have a lot of us to turn to for advice.  Lisa and I have been down this road.  Brooke can tell you things about marriage.

Heck if you want, you can get advice fromt he Lord of Raxis.

"Yeah, someone who gets to be married to multiple wives has to have plenty of--"  Violet butted in.

"Back to the reception with you."  I pushed her back through the doorway and shut it on her.

"Eheheh...it's okay."  Azzy rubbed the back of his head.

Laughter.

"We've crossed a lot of bridges."

"Yeah."

"Makes me wonder how many of them we were supposed to address something we probably worried about earlier?"

"I think I get it.  And right now it feel more like there isn't anything on the agenda.  Just...a moment to pause and reflect.  Look back on the road already traveled."

"While trying to avoid addressing that we're trying not to think about the road ahead because..."

"We all want to live in the moment."  I followed up.

"Absolutely."

I thought about that.

"Well.  it just means that there are more bridges ahead.  Let's cross them together, okay?"

"Yeah."

A fist-bump sealed the deal.

"Well.  Better not keep the little lady waiting."  Azzy excused himself and went back in.

I hung around for a bit longer before rejoining the party.

And before we all knew it...

We were all going home and wishing each other well.

"And like that...it was done and over with."  I said to myself...actually sounding a little sad.

A great day in my life and my best friend's life was now a memory.

I had a head buzzing with thoughts but...I'd get to them another time.

For now...

Time to go home and get out of this tux.

As for you, Asriel...Frisk.  It's going to be a wonderful future for you two.  I just know it.

## Sub-Entry 340: The Unbroken Lineage Continues On.  Asgore and Toriel Can Rest Easy"

So...I really don't know how to comment on this one.  It takes royalty to speak about royalty.  And I'm striking Violet from that list, otherwise we'll get something in the form of a gangsta rap.

But yeah.  The Dreemurr name takes a new form and melds into an even bigger family.  But for all practical purposes?  Asgore and Toriel's legacy lives on in the next generation.

You are the luckiest goat alive, Azzy.  And you have the luckiest human to call your wife, now.  It's just that simple.  It's just that great.

We let them have a couple days...maybe a week or so before things settled down.

As a courtesy, I didn't ask about the honeymoon.  That was for the newlyweds, despite Violet eager for all the details.

That gave Bunnie plenty of reasons to thwap her with a tessan fan.

But all that aside...everything slowly faded from surreal to ordinary business as usual for ordinary days.

It was a bit before Asriel finally caught back up to me.

"I can't remember when I've seen you this happy, Asriel.  The feeling looks like it's still going."

"I wish this feeling would never end."

"Yeah...I know that feeling all too well, all too often.  It's the way it is.  But you know...there are going to be plenty more moments ahead."

"Because time never stands still...even when you use a chrono cube to make it stand still."

I chuckled at Azzy poking light at the tools of S.T.C.A.  Freeze teams in particular

We discussed a few things beyond that before parting ways for the day.

But who I didn't expect to talk to was...Asgore.

"Asgore?"

"Oh.  Howdy.  I...just thought I'd step out for fresh air and maybe see if Miss Lupe has new species of flowers in the nature preserve?"

I had a feeling that he was telling the truth...just not telling what was really on his mind--

"Actually..."

...yet.

"I was hoping I could talk to you about a matter."

"You can talk to me about anything, ex-king.  What's on your mind?"

"Well...it's about...I guess our lineage.  Our...bloodline, I suppose?"

"Despite monsters not having blood."  I mused.

I think that prompted Asgore to check his magic monitoring watch.  He was still well in the green.  I think someone his size with his magic level could probably enjoy an extended amount of time in Miranda City before needing to head back home to prevent magic dissipation.

"So...without making jokes about the Tribal Chief's Island of Relevancy versus the Uso Penitentiary..."

That got a strange look from Asgore before he figured out it was one of those wrestling things.

"What I think is on your mind is that you thought you and Toriel might be the last of the Dreemurr clan until you adopted Frisk into the family.  And then out of nowhere a variant of your late son shows up at your doorstep with your actual son; turned into a flower after losing his life and his soul."

"Err...very astute, dear Doctor."

"Truth be told I kind of pondered the Dreemurr family continuing on somehow.  And here it is though...probably not the way you expected it all those years ago."

"You have?"

"I worry about a lot of things.  But uh...this has me thinking that...maybe this marriage takes the complication out of things.

They're now  both just as much Dreemurrs as they are Arcades.  So...our two families are as one but...not losing their identities, right?'

"Indeed."

"So what it all comes down to is...we'll continue on into more generations thanks to them."

"By jove, that is right!"

"And as I said...them being married actually uncomplicates things.  Asriel was your biological son but...our Azzy came from a timeline that no longer exists.  And Frisk...was an outsider.  A human.

By Lady Destiny's script, one was adopted by human parents while the other was adopted by monster parents.  A crossover that only Destiny could have engineered.

"You do have a way of explaining things so they make a little more sense."

"Both the Dreemurr and the Arcade bloodlines go on.  And let's not forget...the Prince of Everyone's Future and the Ambassador between humans and monsters.  This union should all but completely eradicate whatever grievances or differences human and monsters still have.  This...this is the bridge between worlds.  This is the very symbol of peace."

"Golly!  Maybe I should have you write some of my speeches."

"Probably better if you ask Asriel.  He's better at it than me...after all...he inherited it from you."

Asgore laughed a boisterous laugh.

"You're embarrassing me.  Bu thank-you.  That means a lot.  I feel so much relief since Asriel assured me that he'd always be part of our lives then on."

"He's your son, Asgore.   He's going to have plenty of great lessons to impart upon whoever makes up the next generation."

"Of course."

"Well...I'm kind of running dry on advice.  And I'm sure I don't want to keep Lisa and the others waiting at home."

"By all means, Doctor.  I have two perfectly good ears and they're always open for you."

"And the same is true for me."

"To the future?"

"To the future."

Our toast would have probably been more effective and symbolic if we actually had drinks and weren't just pantomiming clinking glasses together.

Buy you know...maybe I just wanted to hear from the other side.    I already knew Scott and Callista were adjusting pretty easily to new territory.

I don't know how long it will be before the next milestone.  The next red-letter day.

With things still changing slowly and steadily, it stands to reason that we could finally rest on our laurels and enjoy that status quo that I and others felt comfortable in.

Your inherited a legacy, Asriel.  Frisk.  And now it's your turn to carry it.

The lineage of both families goes on.

And that gave me the greatest of hopes and made me aspire for the grandest of dreams.

All our wishes were granted.

So...what's next, Goddesses?

Bring it on.

We're ready.

Chapter 35

Reload Part 1

Reload Part 2

Continue to Part 3

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