PLDF Chapter 32

> Chapter 32: "The Start of Many Adventures Together" (Sub-Entries 311-320)
>
>

## Sub-Entry 311:  "First Assignment":

Being that they were rookies, I insisted starting off with a C-rank mission.  B-rank at most.

Something easy-peasy to ease them into it.

I didn't want to repeat what happened with Mitzi and her first mission, barely hours if even one hour after her flight to Miranda City had touched down.

She didn't even have time to unpack let alone get to her grand opening ceremony for Rock-Afire Pizzeria.  Much less get changed out of her outfit.  She only had time to slip on the Jet Anklets and figure out how to use her Hybrid Ability to make weapon constructs.

One thing I was glad of was that everyone was of legal age to be UCIAT agents.

I'm sure in some alternate or parallel dimension, Asriel's first mission probably ended up being before he even turned the minimum age of 15.  Though...ours was technically 115 by his first mission so...

Let me abandon this train of thought an worry.  It's all good now.

"Just to be clear don't feel like this is going to be a huge undertaking.  I'm not going to drop you in the middle of a firefight off the bat.   This is an introductory mission.  That said, I also know you've been training on Undertale as part of your own task force to deal with problems on your own world.  Much in conjunction as other UCIAT cell factions across the globe.  We're now taking this operation multi-versally.

We've had long-standing alliances in the past two generations.  As far back as Grandpa Giovanni Marco Arcade.  And rest assured even then they had more to work with than tin cans and a length of string when it came to communications and gear.  But it still pales compared to what we have now.  My point is...we knew who our friends were and we made sure to take care of them."

I led to the gateway room.

"So.  Where we off to?"  Chara was the firs to ask.

"Nowhere special."   I was nonchalant.  But I was also severely downplaying it.  No need to get them wound up this early.

"No.  Not that one."  I led them away from the gate that M.K. was sure was the right one.

"That one."

I instead...pointed to a green pipe leading into the wall.

"You're joking."

"Nope.  Wouldn't joke about something like this."

I handed Asriel the letter.

"Make sure this gets delivered.  And...don't let them pull that "another castle" ploy on you.

Okay.  Hint number one.  Probably a spoiler, already.

"What!?"

Frisk just shrugged.

"Undyne or Papyrus not coming with us?"

"They got separate assignments."

Elsewhere...

Papyrus'...er...eyes lit up as he left the gateway and arrived in Cooking Mamma.  And the order of the day was...spaghetti.

"I am in paradise!  Nyeheheheheh!"

Elsewhere...

Undyne clanked out in full armor right as the voice of Zelda warned of the blood moon.

That ominous hum just before the flash in her visor...

...and then the laughter as she grabbed her blade and went to work...

"She's...not going to rack up any excessive EXP on that world is she?"

"Probably not.  That version of Hyrule shouldn't have an EXP system.  It does have an intricate weapon suit and item-crafting...er...cooking mechanic.  And besides.  You're not on Undertale anymore.  Even if you were...not sure the rules of the game are even in play anymore."

"She's just getting warmed up for Tears of the Kingdom."

"For what now?"

I'd talk to Vi about knowing too much about upcoming assignments.

"That said.  This is a simple diplomatic mission.  Easy peasy."

"Gotta love those tutorial quests, huh?"

"Yeah.  If you're into being hand-held."  M.K. flicked his tongue.

"What?  You think you got game, boy?"  Chara snickered.

"Violet put you up to that one didn't she?"  I deadpanned at her pun.

The creepy smile.

"Would you grow up?"  Frisk shook her head.

"Give my best to her.  And if you see "them", tell them Pit's okay with meeting up again sometime.  Maybe their world?  I hear that Punch-Out Pizza place is pretty good."  I said with a sly smirk.

"Mamma mia...."  Chara rolled her eyes.

"You guys good?"

"Good?  We're the best."  M.K. winked.  Did he channel a certain Mushroom Retainer just now?

"All set, Commander Volt."

Asriel faced the pipe.  "Mushroom Kingdom here we come!"

And he dove first in right as the suction began.  And low and behold...there was that familiar triplet sound cue.

ZOOMP-ZOOMP-ZOOMP

"See you on the other side!"  Frisk dove in next.

"Uh...really?  Our way there is a sewer pipe?  I better not come out smelling worse than Dente..."

And that left M.K.

"Dino-bungaaaaa!"

Eesh.  That gave me flashbacks of Oog-tarr.  Darn it.  I swore I'd never speak of him and the inhabitants of the Vanilla Domed City again...

And the four of them were swept up in a twisting, turning, coiling shaft of rainbow light and pulled through the cosmos.

Eventually Asriel was the first to spill out, taking a tumble roll and barreling though a line of unsuspecting green-shell Koopa Troopas before landing in a sit, only slightly dizzy.

Frisk was next but made a more graceful...far more floaty landing.  Almost familiar.

"Heavens to Subcon!  That was great, Frisk!"

"You think so?"

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

\*SPLAT\* Chara landed flat on her back...on top of a goomba, squishing it out of existence.

"Oh no...!"  Frisk had a moment for the poor mushroom kingdom traitor.

"Oooga-bungaaaaaaaaah!"  M.K. was last to pop out, flying past a bush and snagging some berries.

"Mmm!  Delicious!

"Monster Kid!  Don't just go grabbing random fruit!  How do you know those things aren't poisonous!?"  Frisk scolded.

"Nah.  They're okay.  I already checked the guide before going.  Hey if you snag enough of those you get a free powerup."

"Really?  Coooooool."

"Well here we are.  What do you think?"

".........it's...a lot of mushrooms."  Chara said dryly.

"It's beautiful!"  Frisk held Azzy's hands.

"I could get to like a place like this."  M.K. munched on the berry cluster.

"Okay, some ground rules.  Being that we're on a completely new world, there are new laws of physics and new "game" rules that apply."

"Really?  Like what?"

"Well..."  Asriel shrugged before he grinned and made a powerful jump into the air.

"Whoooooooah..."

"You doing that ninja thing again!  Showing off in front of us?"

"No ninja tricks required.  See for yourself."

Frisk tried jumping a bit.

"Wheee!  I feel so light!"

"I know right."

"Greeeat.  We can jump.  Let's form a basketball team."

"Duude!  Can we?"

"Maybe another time.  Mission now.  We gotta deliver this...to its tenant way over there."

Off in the distance on a massive mountain town...at its peak...a very pink castle with stained windows amidst a town of mushroom-themed inhabitants.

"Ohhhhhh...other castle.  Right."  Chara remembered my earlier jab.

"Let's get going."  Asriel led the way.

A while down the road...

"Sooo...bricks and blocks just...hover.  For no reason."

"You want to question it?  Be my guest."  Asriel chuckled.

"Probably wouldn't like the answer.  If there is one."

A moment of pondering before Chara decided to investigate.

"Hey!  Don't get distracted!"

"Sorry!  Can't hear you way up here!"  Chara managed to find her way to a cluster of blocks.

"So...you float just all willy-nilly.  Let's see if I can knock you off your perch."

"Come on!  This place isn't your home!  Don't deface it!"

Too late as Chara gave the block a swift kick.

"Take that--"  She stopped short as the Question Mark on the side stopped circling around and the block went blank and a gurgling noise sounded out.

"Oh NOW you've done it."  Frisk put her hands to her hips.

"Chara's in trouble!  Chara's in trouble!"  M.K taunted.

"What?  Are you like six again?"  Chara wrinkled her nose as she dove to catch what fell out of the box.

"Greeeeeeat.  Another mushroom."   Chara rolled her eyes again.

She hopped back down to the ground.

"So.  Gonna scold me about the fungus now?"

"What good would that do?"  Asriel  shrugged.

Chara put on the creepy face again.

"Oh no!  No, Chara.  Whatever you're up to--"

"Hey!  Dare ya to taste test!"  Chara suddenly shoved the mushroom in M.K.'s mouth.

After about choking for a moment.  "Dude!  What's wrong with you!?"

"Uh...I think you mean...what's wrong with you, Frisk noticed.

"What do you--?"  M.K. looked down.  "Uh...were my feet always this big--"  And then he looked at his mechanical hand...which suddenly swelled up a few size.

"What?!"

And then before we knew it we had a super-sized Monster Kid.

"Dude!?"

"DUDE!"

"Duuuuude!"

"DUDE!?"

And Asriel and M.K. did that back and forth.  Somewhere Peter Parker and his friend Ned were experiencing deja-vu.  No way home, indeed.

"So..."  M.K. lifted Chara up by the back of the shirt.  "You think it's cool to risk my stomach on random mushrooms, huh?"

"Hey...it was just a joke!"

"Yeah...a very little one."

Frisk facepalmed.

"Okay, okay, you two.  Knock it off."

"Just funnin'.  You know.  Like Chara was doing."

"Ha haa."  Chara crossed her arms as M.K. set her back down.

"Okay, before you guys get into any more trouble, maybe I should consult the guide that Pit gave us?"  Asriel put his knuckles to his hips.

"Probably a good idea."

"Those are super mushrooms.  They increase your size and give you strength."

"Dude, check it!"  M.K. jumped up and hit the undersize of a brick...but with his head.

Pieces of brick scattered everywhere.

"Didn't even hurt!"

"Come on.  Don't trash the place!  We just got here."

"And we're getting off track.  Mission, people?"  Asriel shrugged.

"Right.  Let's move it."

Some time later.

"Ooh, how pretty!"

"Wait, Frisk!"

"Heh.  After all that talk about getting distracted."

Frisk snagged the curious-looking flower.

"Huh?"  She blinked as she suddenly spied the flames coming off the petals...and the flamed swooped down the stem and up her arm.  As they did, her outfit began to change color.

"Whoah...red and white!?"  Frisk tugged at the fabric.  "I'm more of a blue and purple gal."

"Frisk, I think you should be careful with your hands for a bit."

"Why's---"  Frisk whirled around, not minding how she was gesturing.

"GAAAAH!"  M.K. ducked to the ground as Chara about fell over trying to dodge the sudden fireball.

"That's why."

"Oh."  Frisk hurriedly clasped her hands shut, snuffing the flames.

"This is going to make eating Nice Cream a lot harder..."  She sweatdropped.

"Let me look this up."  Asriel thumbed through the book.

"Oh check it!"

We all heard the magical noise ring out and turned in M.K.'s direction.  His shirt was now blue and white and he was grasping a--

"Is that a boomerang--"

And off it flew.

"Duck!"

They all hit dirt...but the boomerang didn't entirely miss.

"Uh-oh..."  Frisk gaped as the rather angry Wiggler caterpillar got a bit mad about that...and it quickly charged M.K., bowling him over.  In a poof he had shrunk back down and his colors went back to normal.

"Ah.  Here it is.  Magic mystery boxes like those often contain powers-ups, yes.  But if you get hit, you lose the power."

"Yikes!"  Frisk yanked her arm out of the mouth of a hungry Piranha Plant that popped out of its pipe and mistook her for a snack.

And in that instant her clothes returned to normal.

"Good thing it didn't have a chance to sink its teeth in.  Apparently it's spit was enough to knock the firepower out of me."

Azzy had taken a moment to rest his feet and slip his sandals off while the group recovered.

Asriel shrugged.  "I guess we all should be a little more careful about--"  He started before his foot landed on a  large conspicuous leaf.

\*POOF\*

"Uh..."  Asriel blinked.

Frisk tried to cover up her laughter.

"Well I know goats eat anything but now we're going to have to seal up the garbage cans at night."

"I know I'm going to regret asking about THAT wisecrack.  Also I strangely feel very warm....and fuzzier than usual."

Frisk opened her compact mirror.

"Whoah."

"Dude...you got like...brown furry pajamas with a striped tail and a hood with ears."

"I think it's a full-suit.  Like a--"

"I'm a racoon."  Asriel said, still grasping his sandals.

Azzy handed them to Frisk and looked around for the guide he dropped.

"Let's see.."  He tried thumbing through it.  "Ah.  Here it is.  Oh.  Ohhh!  That's what it does.  And yeah..it's coming back to me, now."

"You've encountered this before?"

"Yeah.  It was during Vi's recreation of Video Armageddon.  Which means if this is what I THINK it is...then I can do...THIS!"

Asriel spun the raccoon tail and took to the air.

"IT FLIES!?!"  The other three said in unison.

'It flies."  Asriel gave a thumbs-up.

"Well now.  As team leader...I guess I have the high ground advantage now."

"Oh brother..."  Chara groaned.

"It's very cute, Azzy."

"Yes, yes.  But you know...we're still wasting time.  But maybe with this..."

"Hey!  Wait up!"

And off they went to chase after him.

After more antics with power ups, it wasn't long before the group got to town and intermingled with the Toads.

"Huh.  Wonder what these blocks--"  Chara said deciding to punch it instead of kick it.

A metallic ring sounded out as something dumped into her hands.

"........."

"Oh no..."  Frisk moaned as she spied the devilish grin that seemed to emanate from Chara's very silhouette as she was in a well-shaded area, making her features hard to see...all except that greedy-looking grin.

"Chara, are you getting ideas again?"

"You know...I do have some debts to pay off in the Soul Society..."

And punchy-punchy to the block until she had a towering stack of giant gold coins.

"How was this an easy mission again?"  Asriel asked with a shrug.

Frisk rubbed the back of her head.

Some time later...

"...okay.  Let's put this to a vote.  All in favor of NEVER risking that pipe maze again?"

Everyone held up a hand.

"Opposed."

No takers.

"Next time we're taking the elevator."  Chara stuck her out tongue.

"Yeah...but look where we're at.

"Wow..."

"Now THAT'S a castle."

"Even bigger than ours back in Undertale."  Asriel put his hand to the level of his eyes and shaded them from the overhead sun.

"I wonder if it's common place for the sun in this world to wear dark sunglasses and a furious scowl?

"And I thought Undertale lived by weird rules."  Frisk looked away from the hovering ball of fire.

"Well, Volt wasn't kidding about the sentries."  Asriel noted.  By this time he'd managed to ditch the racoon suit and put his footwear back on.

In fact the whole quartet managed to ditch their power-ups by this point.

"I better not end up in a cat suit or a penguin suit next."  Chara stuck her tongue out.

"Well...about that..."  Asriel flipped through the guide.

"Don't want to hear about it.  Let's just find our jobs as over glorified mail persons...before I decide to go "postal"."

"Always finding a way to put a dark spin on a joke, huh?"  Frisk sweatdropped.

A couple hours later.

"...why didn't they believe us?"

"We're lucky they didn't have us sent to the dungeon."  Frisk grumbled.

"Naw.  Those little guys?  What can they do?  They're...ADOREABLE."  Chara snickered in a mocking, childlike tone as she described the mushroom people.

Asriel facepalmed.

"It would have gone smoother if we'd just shown then the UCIAT seal on the dossier with our ID cards."  Frisk reminded.

"What's done is done.  Now let's get to the throne room already.

And so...

Princess Peach read through the letter thoroughly.

"Of course.  We'd be glad to rejoin the Videoland Coalition in the future."

"So...just like that?"  M.K. blinked.

"Well now that wasn't such a chore now was it?"  Chara mused.

"It speaks to alliances.  You should honor your old ones just as much as new ones."  Asriel reminded, sounding very prince-like int he moment.

"Well.  I'm glad that the Arcade family is still as prominent as ever.  It will be good to work with the Ultra Crew institute again."

"Then I guess...mission accomplished."  Frisk beamed.

"I know the Mushroom Kingdom has been through a lot in the years, post League of Chaos/Darkness.  You sure asking you to rejoin the Coalition isn't too soon?  I mean...is it good timing?"  Asriel channeled a little of me in the moment.

"It's-a-perfect!  WOO-HOO!"  Came an high-pitched voice with a thick Italian accent.

"Guys!  Look!  It's him!  It's...!"  Asriel had his rare moment of geeking out.

"It's-a-me!  Mario!"

Yup.  There he was.  Red overalls, blue shirt, big handlebar moustache, white gloves, and personalized cap with his initial on the front.

The Man.  The Myth.  The Legend.

Well I'm sure Asriel had plenty to talk about outside of what he included in his report.  But as far as a mission went...it wasn't too difficult, was it?

"We should come back here again."  Frisk prompted.

"And not just visit here.  There's a lot of other lands to check out.  Ice Land, Kong City, Yoshi Island...and so many other places."  Asriel finally had a chance to read over the guide.

"There's a lot of galaxies out there."  Peach acknowledged.

"Well.  I guess we have to get going.  But...before we do.  I'd...like to make a request, if it's not too much trouble."

"Oh?"

And there we were watching as Azzy took his place...and took off like a shot through the obstacle course; breaking bricks...dodging mechanical Piranha Plants...sliding under Fire Bars...and even jump-kicking through a Bowser target.

A run up a staircase of flying Bullet Bills...and he was home free.

"Sorry...no snack for you!"  Asriel suddenly shifted his momentum away from the lunging Piranha Plant before quickly grabbing onto the flagpole and sliding down, pulling the flag down with him.

Peach and Frisk clapped as Chara just gave a cocky chuckle.

"Duuude!  You were on FIRE!"  M.K. congratulated.

"I always wanted to do that."

"Keep-a practicing!"

"I intend to."  Asriel shook the plumber's hand.  "And give your best to Luigi.  I'm sure he's around her somewhere, right?  I mean you and your brother aren't apart for very long, right?"

That was when Mario and Peach looked at each other.

"Mamma mia...!"  Mario exclaimed as he suddenly remembered something.

Elsewhere in a Mansion...

"MARIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

And the chitter of Boo Diddleys drowned out the rest of his scream.

"Uh...overtime, you guys?"

"I'm all for using the Continue Code."  Frisk gave a grin.

"Game on."  Chara smashed her first into her palm.

"This is gonna be AWESOME!"

"Well then.  Bonus game time..."  Asriel hurried toward the pipe leading into the spooky forest area.

"Here we go again."  Frisk shrugged.

"Finally some REAL action."

"Duuuude."

Can I blame them for wanting extra credit on this assignment?

Oh well.

I could go for a pizza right now.

## Sub-Entry 312:  "A Spot of Tea With Gerson?  That's Frisk, Baby."

If you recognize the context of a certain iced tea that once employed stop-motion puppets of celebrities before switching to the tagline that it "sells itself", then Asriel's idea for a pun as the title of this entry hit the mark.

An easy first assignment for our Ultra Crew institute recruits could only be celebrated with a low-key moment of tea and meditation.

Bunnie and Grand Master Splinter were hosting.

Megami and Shishiko were on hand to serve.

Frisk and Gerson were among the guests invited.

"Hee hee hee.  I sure do like these Jang customs ; so polite and all."

"Of course.  Such is the way of our respective homelands."  Splinter exchanged a formal bow.

"Well gee gumption!  I got to get up to these parts more often!"

Oh the things you say, Gerson.

"It's nice to have a time we can just slow down and enjoy life."  Frisk knelt down at the heated table.

"I know, right!  So many youngin's don't stop to get something so simple."

"At an early point in our life it's a reflex."  Bunnie looked down at her tea.  "Not everyone has an upbringing that drills into you the folly of acting without thinking first.  And yet, sometimes that's exactly what happens because you did not have the proper information going in."

"You are speaking of your father's plan to free the captured Ecotropian refugees in Vortex Labs, yes?"

"Yes, sensei."

"You could not have known about your father's plan if he withheld it from even his own family."

"Part of me believes that maybe he should have trusted us with that information."

"Perhaps.  Like you he made a judgement call."

"All I knew was my one sole duty.  To protect the future of Kingdom Acorn; no harm must come to its living heirs.  I could not allow them to turn Sally into their science experiment."

"That's a good thing."

"No.  It was not.  It was selfish."  Bunnie sighed.

"You feel that the lives of countless Ecotropians were up-ended for the sake of one person."

"Yes."

"You have never properly dealt this this guilt, have you?"

"No, sensei."

"Bunnie...I never knew how you felt."  Frisk had used her first name for the first time.

"My child.  Perhaps it was a personal decision you made.  But it was made with little to go on and with a dwindling time frame before your friend would have been lost forever.   But on the same note you sent forth a messenger.  One who carried a message of hope.  One who sought help from those who finally did liberate you all.

But bear this in mind:  If your father's plan had succeeded and the prisoners had gone free...what was to stop Vortex Labs from simply recapturing you all and punishing you further?  What plan would he have had for that many people to be adequately defended against such a vast, brutal army of hired security."

"That is...a fair point, sensei."

"Take it from someone who's been slave."  Shishiko placed a hand on her shoulder.

"In my case the first step was to finally accept I was a slave.  But after that...finding a way out?  That wasn't even something I thought I could do once Asriel opened my eyes to what I was.  What the other two probably still are if they're even still around...or alive after Master Blaster got done with them.  They were probably punished for my choice.  And even if they weren't...I don't know if they'd ever forgive me.  The last thing Kool Kitty said to me was...that I was a traitor."

"Hmm."

"A lot of baggage going around."  Frisk pondered before nibbling on a rice ball.

"And your story, young one?"

"Well...my before times are...nothing to speak of.  I'd...just rather say that I climbed the mountain and fell down.  Just like seven other children.  Seven who never came back."

"I suppose that is as comfortable a start as any."  Splinter acknowledged.  "Continue."

"So.  By this many timelines after the original me met her first death...I learned of the power of Determination.  The power to turn back time.  And like any naive child...I didn't see any consequences from it.  So I used it.  Again and again.

At some point...versions of me tried to use it for good.  Others...to experiment.  Others...for...not so good reasons.  And others became...obsessed with the power.  I'm not even sure which one of them I am any more.  After so many timelines destroyed or reset...the only identity I have anymore is a child name "Frisk".  I can't say what my birth name is anymore.  I can't say what my reason was for climbing the mountain as...by now it's blurred into many different motivations across space-time.

All I know is...the me that is me now...just had something to finish.  Something to make right.  Something to put an end to and never look back on.  I decided...I'd never use the power again if I could get everyone the happy ending they deserved."

"Whoah."  Shishiko blinked a few times.  "I...don't have words.  I have nothing I can say.  What can I say?  What DOES someone say to the power to control a single universe within a multitude of them?"

"I think...Sans already said what needed to be said so...anything said at this point would be beating a dead horse.  I learned my lesson.  Now and forever."

"You have touched the power of the gods and paid the price for it."

"Not just me.  We all paid for it.  I brought so much down upon many people.  It's why Sans is still struggling to trust me underneath that happy grin.  And I don't blame him.  How...many times did Chara-Wraith convince me to leave Papyrus' skull there in the snow before it turned to dust.  How many times did Sans find that scarf?"

"It is something is it not?"  Bunnie posed the question.

"Hmm."

"What about you, Grand Master?  Do you have things weighing you down?"

"I have...memories of when I was human.  I thought...that was my Halcyon time but...Oroku Saki quickly put an end to my humble life as Hamato Yoshi.

How naive I must have been seeking refuge in America?  Only to find out that...a penniless Ninja Master has fewer...opportunities than I would have believed I had at that time.

And so the sewers were my home."

"Eesh."  Frisk cringed.

"Rent free.  No taxation.  Access to whatever utilities you might find a way to gain use of underground.  And hardly the most healthy environment.  Realistically you probably should have gotten some kind of disease or poisoning.  Yup.  The "American" dream, huh?"

"There are methods of surviving.  A ninja is master of any environment.  Even one so unpleasant."

"The real obstacle was solitude.  All you had were the sewer rats to keep you company, sensei."

"How they didn't make a snack of you, I'll never figure out."  Shishiko crossed her arms.  "Though, once upon a time I probably would have, what with being  a cat."

"And...I continue to work at...overcoming my fear of the feline species."

One could almost see a sweat drop on Splinter's brow.  Almost.

"Relax, grand master.  A tall glass of milk goes down easier."

It's hard to say if Shishiko was serious.  Felicia was always one to tease cat stereotypes.  But some of them often proved to be true.  I should know growing up around 9 zoanthro-sapien cats.

"So...your regret is for what you lost?"

"That goes without saying but it doesn't anchor me down.  I will always miss my beloved Osaka, Japan.  I will always miss being human...but that, too, had its own wake-up call experience."

"Yes.  I am familiar with Donatello's attempt to reactivate the old mutagen and return you to the form of Hamato Yoshi.  But...the original mutagen was too powerful and the retro-mutagen spray...wore off."  Bunnie pondered as she enjoyed a sweet bean pastry from the platter.

"I do not however neglect what I have gained.  I merely learned to balance the two."

"That sounds like that Equivalent Exchange that Azzy is always talking about."

"That's Alchemy.  But yes.  To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.  Though...how do you put a price on a soul.  On humanity itself?  That is for...Truth...to decide a proper toll."  Bunnie noted.

All this time Gerson had been listening and enjoying his provisions.

"Wah ha ha ha ha!  You all have so much on your plate.  Me?  I had just as many but at my age what's the point of dwelling on any of them?"

"You have successfully left your woes behind."

"Not gonna need em when my time comes."

"One who is prepared to leave his mortal coil with no regrets.  What a goal to aspire toward."  Splinter stroked his chin hair."

The others looked at each other before looking back to Gerson.

"It seems we all have a lot more wisdom to seek."

"Perhaps even we elders have much yet to learn."

"Well.  We live in strange times now."  Bunnie nodded.  "But the tea is getting cold.  Megami?"

Megami obliged and was off to provide a fresh tea setup while Shishiko awaited to properly repeat the ceremony before serving.

By the end of the session, a group meditation closed the quiet times out.

And Frisk and Gerson were on their way while Splinter remained behind.

"They are really alright."

"Indeed they are, my student.  Volt-hakase has let some wonderful additions join your ranks."

"The peace is welcome at this point."

"Indeed."

"Well then.  I suppose I should return to my duties.  Will you be staying, sensei?"

"I believe I shall accept that hospitality."

"Then by all means.  Do keep my little trio company while I am occupied."

"As you wish."

And master and student bid their farewells.

## Sub-Entry 313:  "The Boast of the Ghost With The Most":

I'd teased this all the way back since the first Project Lost Dreemurr dossier.  Before my log sub-entries even hit double digits.

What a long way to wait until it finally came full circle.

But here we were.

I closed the door of the DeLorean as Frisk and Azzy exited.  They still insisted on this arrangement even though the time vehicle was technically a two-seater.  But I guess that didn’t' stop Marty and Jennifer when Emmett "gently" broke it to them that something had to be done about their kids.

I turned to where Felicia and Jon had set the Time Train down on the tracks and its passengers disembarked.

Bunnie, Sally, Asgore, Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, and Muffet.

Moments later the EPOCH arrived with its passengers, Alphys, Undyne, Violet, M.K. and Antoine.

"Don't you think we overdid it on the group coming here?"

True.  Fifteen of us was a cumbersome group but we were lucky enough to narrow it down to this small considering how many wanted in on the next adventure-but-not-mission.  One of those classic visits like the old days.  Y'know, like Camp Candy and Jellystone Mall.  Azzy did promise.

Of course it was also commonplace for Madam Fate to toss us a curveball if she was in the mood and we got outings that turned into missions like our stints with the Centurions, our clash with the Pirates of Dark Water, and yes...even the Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa.

Still...I wasn't expecting any unexpected crossovers.  We'd ease into those.  Not ever outing had to be a team-up with two Voltron Forces on Terra while exploring ruins a few nautical miles away from Cattalox Island.

"Well.  Here we are, everyone.  Welcome to Winter River, Connecticut...or wait...are we in the AU which places us at Peaceful Pines....huh...I never can tell with our UltraVerse.  Anyway.  Here we are.   Oh yeah...and where applicable?  Human disguises up."

Overlapping muttering and fiddling with gear, magic items, and whatever means.

"Well now.  Aren't you sight."

"Is this your idea of flirting, Gorey?"

"Is it working?"

"Well.  It's not failing, dear."  Toriel was trying to play it aloof.  "But I'm not telling you it's succeeding, either."

"Harsh!"  M.K.  chuckled.

It has been SO long since I used the Unitrix."  Asriel fixed the long tresses of his white hair.

"So...your cover story is that you're an Albano, right?  Don't you need a championship belt and some rubber bands?"

"That's Albino, not Albano."  Violet corrected.  "But I do appreciate the W.W.F. reference."

"It's W.W.E. now."  Asriel reminded.

"Gotta love his attention to details."  Vi mused.  I was going to have a talk to her about her Harley Quinn cosplay.

"This is so very strange, brother.  I'm not sure I like this."  Papyrus started before he got a look int he mirror.  "Gadzooks!  I have HAIIIIIIR!"

"Seriously, Vi?  Of all the haircuts you could have programmed into his profile, you had to give him the He-Man bowl cut?"  I wrinkled my nose as I fixed my glasses.

"Paps, if she encourages you to do that meme of the most powerful man in the universe singing, DON'T DO IT!"

"But it seems like such an uplifting song!  AND I SAY NYEEEEEEEEEH!   NYEEEEEEEEH!   WHAT"S GOING ON!?!"

I deadpanned.

"Very well.  I'm sure it breaks some kind of taboo."

"Enough of this jibba-jabba!"  Didn't take Undyne long to watch a lot of Mr. T as the A-Team's one and only Bosco Albert "Bad Attitude" Baracas.  Pity the fool.  Then get flown out, knuckle airlines, sucka.

"I th-th-think what Undyne is asking is w-what is this place w-we're going to?"

"The first stop we have to make is a little place that was the very-short-lived home of a deceased married couple.  Though, now it's own by a...unique family of individuals known as the Deetzes."

"Deetz?  I've heard that name before." Sally rubbed her chin.

"Charles Deetz is a real estate developer from New York City.  His second wife, Delia, is a self-proclaimed sculptor.  Of those...new age artists, if you get my drift."

"One of the ones Callista warned me about?"  Asriel asked.

"Eheheheh...the same."

"Yeah, yeah.  They're weirdos. What do they have to do with our not-legally-a-vacation but still not a mission thing?"  Undyne grumbled.

"Well...they have an only daughter named Lydia.  And she's our contact to...well...where we're going."

"Our cover stories are prepared, Commander."

Bunnie fixed the chop-stick like hair ornaments...honestly I don't know what they're called.  All I knows is that she got offended when that's what I called them.  It's kind of offensive to the Jangese to even imply that chopsticks are used for anything other than eating.  Though...how did she explain catching a fly with them?  I guess only Miyagi-san could answer that.

She handed us out our PDA's with our condensed bio's and pseudo-scripts.

"Asgore and I seem to be Frisk's in-laws pending her wedding to our son, Asriel."

"Really...stretched the imagination on that one, huh, Vi?"  Asriel eyed her.

"Everybody's a critic."

"Stick to directing and producing, Vi.  Hire a writing staff."  I snorted.

"Sports rookie and Undyne's my promoter.  I can dig it."

"Volt and I are a research team with ties to the family."  Alphys read.

"Aww dude!  Roadie for Motley Crue!?  Wicked!"

I took a moment to slow turn to Violet and raise an eyebrow.

"And I, the Great Papyrus am Sally Acorn's fitness instructor!  Nyeheheh!"

"I can dig it."

"I am to be zee budding art-eest, no?"  Antoine fastened his beret cap before gawking at the striped shirt.

"I am feeling zis outfit is quite zee stereotype.  I do not know zis France place, mon amie, but I am feeling that this is how you say...trying too hard to fit the archetype?"

"Which is why they'll buy it hook line and sinker."  Violet grinned.

"Well according to Vi's research, France is counterpart to your own Mercia."

"Ah, oui oui.  I will be doing the...rolling with it?"

"You're learning."  Asriel smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Just so we don't overwhelm them we'll be visiting in cycles.  At least until all of us can meet up in Lydia's room, unbeknownst to the parents."

"That...seems kind of convoluted.  Would it not be more proper to simply--"

"Take the direct route?  Yeah.  I have way too many reasons not to."  I dismissed the idea.  "I can't explain the specifics but...the Deetz parents don't know about the...other face of this world.  Even though they and their obnoxious relatives went through that messed up ordeal a while back...let's just call it erased memories stored indefinitely in the subconscious--"

I was cut off as another time vessel arrived at that moment.

"...okay who invited--"

Mettaton.  Of course he invited himself...and his cousin.  This was a complication.

"Violet if I find out you had something to do with this."

"Hey, you KNOW I'd take credit for it if I did."

I was beginning to wonder if EVERYBODY peeked at my notes when I wasn't around.

"Well.  Now he's your responsibility.  You explain the situation to him and figure how you're going to give him and his ghostly cousin a human disguise or figure out how to get him in the house without being seen."

"Piece o' cake."

That stunned me for a moment.  Violet honestly had a way to do that!?  Now I was worried.

"Let's just go."  I said as Papyrus' car and CMD-X rolled out of the back of the Time Train trailer.  Three cars should be plenty, right?

Asgore and Toriel led off our mini convoy and thus arrived at that iconic, idyllic country home.

"Oooh.  This is a very nice place.  We should have found something like this to settle down in--"

"......"

"Er...is something the matter, Tori?"

"Let's just focus on the matter at hand.

"Yes, dear..."

"Awkward."  Asriel muttered to Frisk.

I decided to keep the Delorean parked in the back of the Time Train.  Now that it could dock with it, it was easier to keep our time machines in order.

I opted for beam in the 57 Chevy.  It was just flashy enough that I'm sure they wouldn't question it.  At least I hoped.

"Nervous, Commander?"

"Something about this place ALWAYS makes me nervous, Major."

We eventually caught up with the Dreemurrs, who had a head start and thus made introductions and all.

I think I did a double take after walking in to Toriel shushing Asgore by covering his mouth with a finger and replying to a question I didn't hear asked:

"He likes it."

Deja vu.

"Normally we turn to Mr. Beetleman for our home maintenance and general this-and-that..."  Delia prattled on, while caught up in her multitude of sculptures...

"Good grief..."  I uttered.  Her works managed to get even MORE bizarre than last time.  I let her entertain the Dreemurrs.

"Huh...wonder where Charles is?"

I didn't have to look far.  There he was reading the paper on the sofa.

I paused for a moment...expecting the furniture to take on a...sudden life of its own.

But nothing.

"Guess he's not pranking today..."  I pondered.

"Or...maybe he's just not pranking in the living world."  I narrowed my eyes, wonder who he was scamming in...that place.

I picked up my toolbox and headed to the basement to do my work on the circuit breakers while indicating for Asgore and Toriel to keep them busy.  Frisk and Azzy would sneak off to the upstairs.

I headed down, brushing by their black cat, Percy.  Okay so maybe we're in the Peaceful Pines AU.

But wait, clearly see a framed photo of the Deetzes with Charles' boss, Maxie Dean and the family relative Otho (the Obnoxious) hanging on the wall.  That's clearly the Winter River universe.

"Can't those two goddesses make up their minds?"  I shook my head.

Well at least one thing was constant.  Everything about his house and its surroundings was...Burton-esque.

Outside...

"This sneaking thing isn't my style."

I wish I could have been there to see Undyne in a ninja suit.

"G-g-g-gawsh!  I feel like I'm on T-Team Kakashi!"

Darn it, Alphys.

Bunnie stealthfully arranged for the rest to head up to the window in Lydia's bedroom.

Meanwhile, down in the basement...

"You got this, right, 2-L-B-T?"

My loyal servitor saluted and did his programmed routine while projecting a hologram of my image of being hard at work on the wiring.

"I'll be back before you know it."  I arc-ed into the kilowatt-hour meter and raced my way up into the upstairs wiring.

And like that I managed to reappear out of a wall socket.

"Special delivery."

I hear the stopwatch click.

And there was pale-skinned, short-ponytailed, gothic mid-school student herself, Lydia Deetz.  She was still wearing her school uniform, necktie included.

...huh.  Never noticed she kind of resembled Wynona Ryder...

"Faster than last time."

"Y'know.  I gotta stay relevant in my undisclosed future.  The others are--"

\*knock knock knock\*

"...right here."

I opened the window...and like that Bunnie seemingly rolled herself upward from standing completely straight on the outside wall, to perched on the windowsill...in a smooth motion even I couldn't explain.   Was she...hanging onto the window frame by her toes?

Lydia didn't even blink.

"Heeey, still digging the style."  Vi came in next followed by Undyne and Papyrus...carrying Alphys.

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic."  Lydia crossed her arms.

Honestly, what was wrong with it?  Blue wallpaper with pinkish woodwork, a full queen bed with a hanging covering above it...whatever you call that kind of set-up.  Antique table and chair with doilies and an oil lantern.  A poster and framed portrait or two on the wall...

...right.  I forgot whose room this was.  And whose mother decorated it.

A knock at the bedroom door.

"Can we come in?"

"You've brought a lot more friends than last time."

"We have a lot more recruits and allies.  This has been a long time coming, really."  I shrugged.  "Lydia?  Asriel and Frisk."

"Howdy."

"Hello."

"Bit older than I was expecting.  You sure they're up for this?"

"I've been waiting a long time for it."  Asriel grinned.

"I kind of expected them to be--"

"You think we'd actually come in our real forms?"

"Point taken."

Before long we all managed to gather and I introduced everyone.  Including Mettaton and Napstablook.  How they were pulling off human guises I'll never figure out.

"We should probably hurry this along.  Asgore used the bathroom excuse to get us away."  Toriel deadpanned.

"Eh."  Asgore shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"This is going to be a big group so...let's all stay together until we can get a proper guide."  I warned.

"Good luck enforcing that."  Vi grinned.

"Okay, Lydia.  Take it away.  And everyone?  I hope you didn't eat a heavy meal.  This is gonna get crazy."

Lydia shut the window blinds and took her place before the oil lamp on her  table.

She took a deep breath and recited the chant...the dreaded chant.

"Though I should be wary, I venture some place scary.

Ghostly haunting I turn loose:

BEETLEJUICE!

BEETLEJUICE!!

BEETLEJUICE!!!"

In the span of milliseconds, the light of day outside had gone to darkness and cloudy and stormy...and ominous.

Cascades of thunder claps and lightning strikes raked the sky as the wind picked up out of nowhere.

"Duuude...what's happening....!?"  Monster Kid actually ducked behind Frisk.  Frisk in turn clutched Asriel's arm protectively.

Azzy furrowed his brow and stood his ground.

"Dear me, that came out of nowhere."  Paps was oblivious to the impending supernatural forces.

"Fuh-huh-huh-huh!  That's more like it!"  Undyne's grin was quite toothy at the sudden rise in action.

"Oh n-n-no!"  Alphys had ducked under Lydia's bed.  Her cartoonish bespectacled eyes peered out from the shadow.

"D-don't worry, Tori.  I'll protect you."  Asgore suddenly pulled her close.

"My hero."  Toriel spoke dryly.

Muffet just giggled.

"Courage, my friends."  Antoine tightened his grip on his sword.

"Look at you rarin' to go."  Sally crossed her arms with a smug look.

"And here...we...go..."  Violet mused as Bunnie stood completely steadfast with a dour look.

The storm got even worse until the wind blast was enough to blow the window shutters open and practically tear the curtains off the wall...

But it didn't stop there as the air tingled with some kind of invisible psychokinetic force; the wallpaper being ripped away and the family photos being scattered...as their likenesses actually screamed in terror.

The closet door imploded inwards as the dressings of the room were sucked in.

"What the...!"  M.K. gaped as the ceiling was pulled up and off the walls but...there were bigger walls behind the walls....like walls of a stone castle. Or a DUNGEON.

With that the oil lamp's flame turned an ominous cyan before imploding upon itself as the tablecloth was whisked off and wrapped around Lydia, metamorphing into a spider-web themed cloak without a hood.

Wooden spires pierced out of the stonework as the last of the façade was sucked away and bats suddenly came to roost in the newly formed rafters.

And like that the room's transformation was complete with a spiraling staircase up to its doorway at the top of the tower.

"Oh my...!" Toriel actually did sound a little unnerved.

"How...er...cozy."  She attempted to be positive.

Bunnie bowed her head down with a sly smirk.

"Duuuuuuuude."  M.K. gaped at the chains.

Frisk eyed the stilted bed.

"I bet this is what humans thought how monsters liked to live way back when?"  Azzy asked Frisk.

"Uh...I never gave it thought."

"C'mon.  It's no scarier than anything in the underground."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho."  Muffet looked happy.  "And delightfully decorated."  She admired the cobwebs.

"Well.  Let's not keep our ride waiting."  Lydia let on the closet door which now looked like it emptied out into an endless void.

At least it looked like that until each of us got close and found ourselves yanked onto a convoy of skull-shaped rollercoaster cars...on an impossibly long and winding track into eternity.

"Uh-oh..." Alphys shrunk down in her seat.

"BRING IT!"  Undyne practically leaned over the rail.

"I think I instantly regret this."  Alphys actually managed to duck down into her lab coat.  I'm not even sure how.

And then the screams went up as the cars took off at a speed so fast they constantly bounced on and off of the track.  All the while the void was actually a collage of dark blue supernatural imagery.  I could make out ghosts, spiders, eyes, ears, mushrooms... I think...and twisted shapes.

And at some point I think we crashed through a bill-board that looked suspiciously like a title card.

It as about that time I noticed the towering blue necks with impossibly monstrous toothy mouths sprouting from them but not much else.  And I think they were trying to have a bite to eat...mainly us.

"GAAAAH!"  Alphys ducked down.

"Why you...!"  Undyne slugged one in its incisors, knocking it backward.

Azzy winged a couple Taiyoudamas one trying to make a meal out of Frisk.

"En guarde!"  Antoine stood up in his seat while thrusting his rapier.

"This looks like fun."  Sally mused as she backflipped out of her car and pointed both wrist launchers; firing a pair of ultraviolet tethers.  Which, in turn, snagged two opposite mouths by the tongues.  Sally quicky detached the teethers as she merged them at her launchers and let their elasticity yank the two mouths together, SMASHING the gaping maws together and shattering their teeth.

Sally completed her backflip onto the back of the last car in the row which happened to contain Antoine and Papyrus.

"Sacre Bleu!"

"Good form, Lady Acorn!"

"Heh."  She grinned mischievously.

I yanked another down to the track with a U-magnet summon, clamping it down behind us.

Bunnie vaporized another set with a pair of arm cannon shots before demorphing and Violet got the hat trick with a shot from the Broiler.

By that time we'd caused a cascade  of falling mouth-necks behind us.

"Yee-hah, that was fun."

"Fu-hu-hu-hu-hu-hu."  Muffet cackled.

It was about that time we crashed THROUGH floating double doors as the void had turned to star-filled outer space.

We drifted past an oblivious Delia and Charles, lounging on a sofa and recliner--completely unaware they were no longer in the house.  Moments later their furniture turned into white and black snakes which I found...familiar.  While Delia didn't even notice, Charles was scared out of his skull.

"Okay that reminded me of Al Dente."  I mused.

"Eheheh..."  Frisk rubbed the back of her head.

By now the space had turned into a long, blue-and-green checkboard hallway.

Were we speeding up?

I was starting to lose track of what was inside this corridor.

"Dear me.  Did that look like a skeleton on a rowing machine?"  Papyrus questioned.

"Guess boneheads around here know how to keep...ship shape."

"Sans, you're not even trying."

"I guess I can't come up with anything better.  Can-oe?"

"OH MY GOD!!"

I think Muffet's grin got a little wider when she spied with her five eyes a tap-dancing arachnid.

And then we got about plowed down by a hairy-looking beast in a ten-gallon hat, walking an equally furry...er...dog?

"Oh bother.  I didn't even get to say howdy."  Asgore looked downtrodden.

"Ugh..."  Toriel facepalmed.

"Do watch the TV, your highness."

"Watch the what--"

KLONK!

I'm not sure which got more damage.  Asgore's forehead or the TV as it cracked while displaying a commercial of a skull guy selling...something?  Maybe?

"Uh...did anyone notice it wasn't even plugged in?"  M.K. looked over his shoulder.

"Gaaah..."  Asgore's spiral eyes spoke for themselves.

Toriel sighed and cast a bit of healing magic on him.

"We're almost there."  Lydia's car was the front most.  "I usually ride this with someone but I guess we're meeting him there for a change.  Funny...usually chanting his name three times brings him right to me."

"Good to know."  Frisk pondered that.

"Blech!"  M.K. yanked the bat off of his face after it smacked him right in it.

"Uh...guys...!?"  Alphys was turned around in her seat and looking up at something...ohhhhhhhh crap.

"Sand worm?"  I asked.

"Sand worm."  Bunnie replied.

I think that was the thing that got us ALL screaming this time.

We didn't have time to ponder it long because our cars came to an unexpected crashing stop behind a billboard which turned out to be a pretty solid title card reading...

"WELCOME TO THE NEITHER WORLD"

"Huh.  Kind of expected that to say something else but...I think we burned through the meta-jokes already."  I picked myself up from where I landed after being thrown from the car.

"Ahh!"  Frisk yelped before landing in Azzy's arms.  He was lucky to land on his feet.

"Nyehehehehe!"  Papyrus actually managed to land in a cool pose.  Moments later Sans just teleported next to him.

"NGAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!!!"   Undyne landed in a furious STOMP...seconds after Alphys splatted down in a belly-flop.

Lydia had landed in front and me next to her...somehow with our arms spread out like we were on stage.

"Where did those spotlights come from, I wonder?"  Toriel stood up as she noticed each of us was in his or her own personal spotlight.

Antoine brushed himself off and stuck his nose in the air with a "Hmmph."  A little salty about the rude landing?

"That was the bomb-diggity!"  M.K. 's copter arms lowered him to the ground before converting back.

"Well....guess we're walking."  I shrugged.

"Come on, dear."  Toriel walked past where Asgore was still flat on his back and his eyes were still spiraling.  I think the Undertalers were starting to pick up anime habits.

"I'll help with the king."  Bunnie offered.

"Your friends are certainly a strange bunch.  I like them already."

"Yeah...speaking of which.  I think we can drop the disguises now."

"Very well."

I re-morphed as Bunnie and Violet anime quick-changed in simultaneity.

"Now you're talkin."  Sally slapped her OGPX ICON, resetting her camouflage and converting back to her full Tengu Suit.

Azzy clicked on the Unitrix and resumed his shape and form.  Everyone else dropped their own guises.

"Nyeheheheheh.  Good to be back in the bones."

"Er...how long is that stretch of road...?"  Alphys pushed herself up and her jaw dropped at the looping, winding, impossibly stilted highway road, propped up by the narrowest of land under it.  There was just empty space on both sides of the winding track.  It just seemed way too easy to fall off and into gods know what.

"C'mon.  A little exercise won't kill us."

"And if it does, we're already in our future afterlife residence."  Violet chuckled.

"...what?"  Alphys blinked.

"I guess I haven't told you yet.  We're...kind of in a land of recently departed."

"A what?"

"Well...we're in the Neither World."

"Don't you mean the Nether World?"  Came Mettaton's voice as he drifted down from above while grasping an umbrella.

"No.  Neither World."  I clarified.

"Oh.  Hello."  Napstablook peeked out behind him.

"Oh the adventures we're going to have."  Asriel grinned.

And the road trip began.

I wonder where it was that Sans decided to troll us with 99 bottles on the wall.  Though he did substitute ketchup in place of beer.  Still didn't make it any less annoying.

Which of course was a recipe for Undyne to grab him by the skull and tell him not so subtly to shut it.

"You brought that on yourself, brother."

Sans didn't say anything in response.

"The nerve of him not even sending Doomie to pick us up."  Lydia grumbled.

After what seemed like ages...

"Hmm?"

"Finally."

I took my hands out of my pockets and looked upon the form of that familiar roadhouse.  No not THAT Road House, mind you.  And no fair roundhouse kicking me.  I had enough of that Griffin guy in Quahog doing that.

Asriel was the first to the door.

"He better have a good excuse."

Azzy pressed the doorbell.

"Uh...most off-kilter doorbell I've ever heard."

Something was off about it.  Like deliberately off.  A kind of off you knew that it just fit in a place like this.

"No answer?"  Frisk asked.

"Not in the mood for jokes."  Undyne flexed a bicep and threatened to punch the door down.

"Wait.  I think I might have an idea what's going on..." I looked around and spied the conspicuous Handbook for the Recently Deceased.

I picked it up, thumbed through it and walked over to where there was a wall.  I drew a door on the wall and knocked three times...and the whole brick mass within the outline swung open.

"That's...highly unusual."  Frisk observed.

I shrugged and lead everyone through.

"Uh...what's with this waiting room.  And are those all--"

"Yup.  Caseworkers assigned to the recently departed. Welcome to the central bureaucracy.  I imagine Hermes Conrad will end up in here some day."

I could feel the gaze of Juno piercing me.  I looked in her direction as that cigarette smoke drifted out of the gaping hole in her throat.

"Yeah, yeah.  None of us are departed.  We'll move along.  Just needed a shortcut to some place.  Oh.  By the way, I'll give your ex-protégée your regards."

She scoffed and took a drag from her cigarette.

"Ewww."

"I always said those things would kill people."  Asriel put his hands in his pockets.

"Uh...coach?"  A nearby group of football player corpses addressed the one closest, who happened to be Sally.

"I don't think we're going to make it to the big game today."

"What was your first clue?"  Antoine scoffed.

"Yeah...game's canceled.  Like.  Forever."  Sally shrugged it off as she left them standing where they were.

"Hey...I think...we might not be alive."

"Well there's scholarship money well-spent."  Violet wisecracked.

A few shortcuts later and...

"Wh...where are we n-n-now?"  Alphys had the jitters as she assumed her pangolin pose.

"What the heck...?"  M.K. knocked on one of the trees in the surrounding cemetery.

"Dude!  This is a model!  We're in a giant--!"

"I know.  I know."

"This place again."  Lydia had decided to stick with Asriel and Frisk.

"Again?"  Toriel questioned.

"Oh my...what a depressing place."

Bunnie took only a moment to grab Vi by the ear and yank here away from gawking at the conspicuous Dante's Inferno sexy night club across the street.

"Don't even think about it.  Also...if you bring Blue-Scale here, you're not going to wake up for a week."

"Harsh."

"So...what now?"  Frisk inquired.

"I hate to say it but..."  Asriel hadn't turned around.

"No..."  Frisk's eyes widened.

"My child!  Not that!"

Asriel turned around, grasping a shovel.  And he pointed up at the giant neon sign that read:

"HERE LIES BETELGEUSE"

"Named after a red giant star and derived rom an Arabic word.  I see they went with the European spelling."  I wrinkled my nose.

"Brother...do they intend to...exhume the...not-quite-living...?"

"Bro, even for me that's a line."

"I don't like it any more than you do.  But this is what he wants."

"He?"

"You're about to meet him."

"Oh nooo..."  Napstablook hovered around Antoine.

"Here."  Sally grabbed the other shovel and helped Azzy.  "We are so going to Gehenna for this."

After tunneling through...the artificial ground and layers of model turf and material we struck the conspicuous coffin.

"This...invokes some very uncomfortable memories."  Asgore looked about ready to drop to his knees and bow his head in shame.

Toriel held her tongue.  He'd punished himself enough for that.

Well.  Nothing to do but op--

\* KA-WHUUUUUUMPH \*

The coffin burst open as our white-and-black-stripe suited guest of dishonor flew out and hovered in the air for a bit.

"Really?  Really?"  Lydia crossed her arms.

"BABES!"

"Babes?"  Frisk scoffed, sounded a bit offended.

"Eh.  A nickname of endearment.  You get used to it."  Lydia shrugged.

"This would NEVER fly in our era."  Sally whispered to Bunnie.

"And how."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"Everyone, this is Be--"

"Ah.  Don't say the B-word."

"Yeah, but better the B-word than the--"  Violet started before Bunnie slapped her hand over her mouth.

"DO NOT TAKE IT THERE."  She practically roared in her ear.

"Right...this is a family show.  My bad."

I rubbed my eyelids.  "Tell you what.  Compromise.  We'll call you B.J. or Beej for short.  Deal?"

Beetlejuice flow down to me and grabbed my hand and shook vigorously.  "Deal!"

Well.  it came full circle.  The Ghost with the Most.  I teased meeting this guy all the way back when Asriel was only 10....er...110.

A closer look at the ghost of the hour.  Ghastly corpse blanched skin, yellowed eyes, dirty blond hair, green crooked teeth.  Pink open-collared shirt with white tie.  And a vertical, black-and-white pin-striped suit.  His fingertips were bright red and his eyes sunken in.

And of course...he was doing what Violet called the "manic Michael Keaton impression"

"You mind Beetlejuicing us to your roadhouse?  Not that I have anything against the setting but...some of us aren’t' doing so well in a cemetery."

I eyed Alphys who was face down on her stomach, covering her head with both hands and shivering.

"Yeeeeeah, I was getting kinda cramped in there.  And it's kind of low on protein, if you know what I mean?"

"I'm afraid I do not, strange floating fellow."

"Hold that thought, bony-maroni..."  B.J. looked down before raising his foot and stomping it down on a very large beetle on the ground.

"What the...!"  Frisk started to ask before

\*CRUNCH\*

Frisk cringed.

Antoine's jaw dropped.

Asriel shuddered.

Toriel covered her mouth with both hands.

And Muffet just flat-out shrieked.

"Nice!"  Violet gave a thumbs-up.

"You're gross, Aunt Vi."

"Hey!  Where's my flattery?"  Beetlejuice came up behind Asriel.

A momentary pause and a shrug.

"Wellll, it looks like things are all in order.  Nothing left to do but let y'all bum a ride.  Sure you wouldn't rather...hoof it?"

And with hat Beetlejuice suddenly morphed into a nightmare horse before whinnying and bucking a bit.

"Oh no..."  Papyrus deadpanned.

"Eeee!!!"  Asriel's expression brightened as Frisk covered her mouth.

"And so it begins...."  I said, beginning to keep a tab of how many puns he could go through and go into some kind of transformation or jinx or curse or ironic hex based on it.

"Wellllll, let me call us a ride.  And we'll be on our way."

Beej floated his way out of the cemetery.

"Hey!"  Violet called after him.  He whirled just to see what was up.

"NICE FREAKIN' MODEL--"  She called after him.

Bunnie grabbed her wrist as she was primed to make an obscene gesture.

"Do it and I'll make sure you don't have the use of your hand and wrist for the next 18 months."

"Eheheh...who's arguing?"

And sure enough we were on our way once we loaded up in Beetlejuice's car with a mind of its own--"Doomie".

"Why so glum, Paps?"  Violet smirked.

"Ever since we got on the road it's been an endless sting of puns between the prince, my brother and this beetle person."

"You'd rather be stuck indoors sitting around as Delia makes more of her ugly sculptures?"  Sally mused.

"One bad fate is almost as bad as the next."  Paps moaned.

"Yeah.  Paps isn't into low impact activity.  Y'know watching Lydia's mom sculpt might give him an...art attack."

"SANS!"

"Hey, I'll make the bad jokes around here."

"Sorry for...horning in on the action."  Sans said moments before blowing his trombone.

"Oh, a real stand-up comedian, eh?"

"Let's not turn this into a competition..."  I pleaded.

"Or let's do."

"What!?"  I sputtered, facing Asriel.

"This way we can be sure we get double the puns."

"And I thought it would always be mis-match pitting this guy against the Mask.  Or Freakazoid."

"I'd sit in on that crossover for a dollar.  Heck, I'd pay a dollar to see it."  Azzy grinned.

Seeing as we didn't have all that much room for all of our sizeable group, the rest took unconventional paths to get to Beetlejuice's Roadhouse.

"Here again."  Frisk shrugged.

"Duuuude."

Well we might as well hang around here.  See what we're in for--

\*CRUNCH\*

"You didn't..."  I whirled as Beetlejuice's slurping sounds and licking his fingers only confirmed it.

"Save that guy for later..."  He jammed something moving into his sport jacket inner breast pocket.

Frisk shuddered.

"If it wasn't for the puns, I'd go running for the hills, Azzy."  She whispered.

"Eheheh..."

"Well, let's hurry this meet-and-greet up.  I got people to see and scams to run."  Beetlejuice unrolled a newspaper with an article about a massive cash prize for a beauty contest.  That had to give him an idea or two that involved cheating and dressing up in drag.

"So what is it you two do around here all the time?"  M.K. asked.

"I have a feeling it's a dynamic of Beetlejuice starting trouble and Lydia getting him out of it."  Sally mused.

"Hmm...I didn't notice the television on when we came in..."  Asgore took a moment to stop and stare...at the weird, primitive CG commercial of that weird skull guy again selling something called the "Party Squelcher."

I think it immediately caught our attention when it turned out to be a portable public address system rated at 900,000 killer-watts of die-namic sound...and all it took was a shout of "QUIIIIIIIIIIIIET!!!"  to permanently silence the house next door.

"The Party Squelcher.  Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Boy, technology is something."  Asgore blinked as he tried to get hearing back in his ringing ears.

That was when we heard the doorbell.

"I shall get it!  Nyeheheheh!"  Papyrus hurried over.  Antoine, out of curiosity followed.

The door opened and they were greeted by a skeleton with a beret cap and a weird moustache and a French accent and........waaaaaaaaaaaaaait a minute...this guy looks familiar.

"Ah, bonjour, strangers I have not met in my life.  I am Jacques LaLean.  French Skeleton and fitness aficionado at your service."

Papyrus and Antoine looked at each other before turning very giddy.

"Oh my god YES!  Finally another skeleton who gets me!"

"And so...how you say...very French, oui?  Zis may be the happiest day of my life I am having."

"I know, right?"

I just watched as Asriel's grin widened.

"Now who could have predicted that would happen?"  Violet mused.

Another ring at the doorbell and this time.

"Well hello there, dearie!"

"Goodness gracious!  Another eight-legged friend!  Tell me...do you like dancing?"

"I positively adore dancing."

"My name's Ginger."

"Muffet.  Charmed."

"What would you say to judging my best tap-dancing steps?"

"Ah-hu-hu-hu-hu-hu...I would say...let the synchronized clapping to the beat begin!"

Admit it.  We practically set ourselves up for both these matches made in...well...it can't be Heaven but it can't be the other place, either.

"Hey...wasn't Asgore watching TV just now?

"Yeah, but he went outside to see if there were flowers to tend to."

"In THIS place?  Only think he'll find are weeds and snap dragons."

"I trust that last one isn't a literal pun--"  Frisk started.

"GAAAAH!!!"  Alphys run past as a potted plant with a leafy version of a dragon grew out of its soil bounced after her.

"...I'm starting to get how this universe work."

"And you're eating it up, right?"

"Poor choice of words, Azzy.  But totally."  Frisk confirmed.

"There he is."  I pointed to Toriel.

"Well let's get him inside before he gets into trouble.

"Oh!  There you are, Tori.  I was just having the most wonderful conversation with this harry person from down the street.  And I learned the most interesting expression just now."

"Oh no.  Not that one."

"Yes, I believe it goes--"

And then we heard it from outside.

"TAAAAAAAAAAARHOOOOTIES!!!!!"

"Goddammit..."  I muttered.

"Asgore.  If you so much as whisper that word I will scorch your beard off."

"But, Tori...!"

Glare of death.

"Yes, dear..."

"Guess he's really in the...dog house!"

Try and guess what Beetlejuice shapeshifted around Asgore at that moment.  Go ahead.  Guess.

Okay, time's up.  Pencil's down.  You're probably right.

And it was crazy stuff like that all day.  From a jam session to "It's the Pits".

"How...exactly is Sans making that sound...?"  Alphys asked Frisk.  Frisk just shrugged as Sans joined Beetlejuice in a duet of armpit music.

Good lord.

To offerings from within Beetlejuice's fridge...

"Check it out...FEET LOAF!"

The pun was obvious.  In fact if I didn't know any better I'd say Violet was putting him up to appealing to her own sense of weird and disgusting.

"Or maybe you're into the latest fashion sense...like say...a Toe-ga!"

Do I NEED to explain this one?

"Control yourself, Vi..."  I grumbled.

And some obscure lore of this world that had surprising ties to past moments on our world.

"No way!"  Violet gasped as soon as she learned one of her favorite bands was the brain child of Lydia and Beetlejuice...I mean "Betty Juice".

"You guys are THE Brides of Funkenstein!?"

"Yes,  Beej, Bertha and Prudence were all part of it."

"More like Burp and Prune."  Beetlejuice chuckled to Vi.

"Now THAT'S what I call Getting Dangerous."  Violet gave a thumbs-up.

You know I still hadn't answered the question: what happened to the Maitlands?  Weren't they supposed to haunt the Deetz estate for the next 125 years until they could get their freedom?

I'd ask Juno about that some time.

"...and then I told Smallhead that it looked like business was...shrinking!  GAH-HAHAHAHAHAH!"

Yikes.  Beetlejuice had one bloodcurdling cackle.

By this time Frisk was getting a little more used to the macabre.  Alphys?  Not so much.

We only had a couple of minor low points in the day.

"...jeeze, who the heck were THOSE clowns?"  Violet grumbled bitterly.

"Scuzzo and Fuzzo.  And their fool-infected funny car."  Beetlejuice actually looked a bit on the ticked off side, too.

"Guess the Neitherworld has it's own batch of ne'er do wells."  Frisk shook her head after wiping the scream pie off herself.

"What?  And like B.J. is the epitome of protagonist?"  Violet grinned.

But if there was one thing that got Violet's spirits back up...pun intended...it was Beetlejuice's capacity...for getting even.

Violet gladly picked up the mallet and tested it out on the two clowns--now turned into one of those carnival test-your-strength meters.

"This is gonna be fun..."

That became an afternoon of her not getting tired of getting ringer after ringer;  which barely covered up Scuzzo and Fuzzo's yelps of pain.

It did end up with only one close call with some of us accidentally being dropped into the door to Saturn.  And there was the one thing that scared even Beetlejuice.

"SAAAND WORRRRRM!!!"

Ohhh boy.

How we got out of that one was a tale for another day.

But finally...

"Guess we gotta go back.  Man it was sure fun, Beej."

"Yeah, Azz.  It was a real...HOOT!"

Yup.  He turned into an owl.

"Please be writing back, mon amie."

"Ah, with great pleasure, my fellow skeleton."

"And we shall be make it quite zee day, no?"

"Don't be a stranger now, ya hear?"  Ginger replied in what I could only describe as an accent somewhere between Lucille Ball and Cindi Lauper.  Actually now that I think of it, it was kind of New York-ish, maybe?  Whatever the case...it was distinct.  A conversation with Janine Melnitz would be interesting.

"Wouldn't dream of it, dearie."

"Tarhooties!  Put er there, par'ner!  You're my kind of folk, Kingy!"

"Likewise I'm sure, Mr. Monster-Across-the-Street."  And Asgore had a new friend.

"Y'all better come an visit some time.  Me and Poopsie will be right neighborly to you."

So yeah.  All the goodbyes were said and we returned to the living world and those of us where necessary snuck out of Lydia's room, while the rest returned to close out our visit.

"You were sure in the bathroom a long time."

"Oh uh...my hand got stuck in the--"  Asgore started before Toriel grabbed him by the lips.

"They do not need to know that, Asgore, dear."

Worst excuse ever, "Gorey".

"Wiring's all fixed up."  I came up after packing up 2-L-B-T and converting him back so they wouldn't notice his robotic alter ego.

"Drop by again any time.  And here's a token of our gratitude."

"Umm...nice."  Toriel blinked as she was given the grotesque sculpture.

"You like it!"  Delia beamed.

"I'd like it too.  I'd like it turned to clay dust."  Vi whispered.

And we got out of there and back to the vehicles.

"That was simply charming, my friends.  Let us do this another time."  Mettaton packed up.

"We hardly saw you on this, MTT."  Violet chuckled.

"I apologize for not gracing you more with my presence.  I'll graciously make it up to you."

"Well.  A fond farewell, guess."

"So.  Who feels like seeing my latest cosplay cafe's performance?"

Asriel looked at Frisk who looked back.  Both grinned mischievously before replying:

"It's showtime."

And at that moment a certain banana-tallying song came on the radio.

"Daaaaaaay-o!  Daaaaaaaay-o!"

Before we knew it we were all compelled to dance the Calypso.

Fade to black before we have a nightmare encounter with shrimp cocktails.

## Sub-Entry 314:  "Where the Power is Turtlefied, Morphing Goes Mutant":

Man oh man.  It did not take long for Asriel to slide right back into form.  Even though he was older it was like he picked up right where he left off...chasing adventure and proving he's still good at it.

So imagine my surprise when the heroes in a half shell and Angel Grove's protectors would cross paths again.

There was clearly more to the story to tell beyond the Power Rangers learning the ninja arts under Splinter's guidance while Zordon had entrusted power coins to April O'Neill and the four Turtles.

But what more can you do in a crossover sequel?

In a word: a lot.

Well...I probably focused too much on the ninja aspect last time and forgot about the mutant aspect.

And since both groups, save for April were teenagers with atittudes...

I was about to get a whole new chapter on what the Morphin Grid was capable of.

So.

What kicked this off?

As a follow-up, Bunnie had headed to New York to check in with Master Splinter, some six months after our original cross-adventures were resolved.

As it turned out, much to our low-key relief things were quiet.  The last we saw of the Shredder...whichever version of him THAT was, mind you...he'd been taken away by Rita Repulsa in their retreat.

Sensei reported back in; in a rare moment of returning empty-handed.  More to her own disappointment any of ours.  I think...we were too anxious to get back to the peace and quiet as well.

That seemed to be all that she had to report.  That allies were very much treating it, in Casey Jones' own words: "As if it were summer vacation".

Which didn't surprise some of us that the hockey-masked vigilante wasn't one to party hardy.

A follow up investigation by Bunnie proved what we already knew.  He was searching for answers.  What was Shredder up to.

Which was when I grew concerned when Bunnie reported that he had been tracking Karai of all people.

"And that was the last contact?"

"Yes.  I'm certain he made contact but...I fear that something did come of it."

"I see.  And our friends in green?"

"Splinter confirms on hiatus in Angel Grove.  My contact confirmed, they were in human disguise while at Ernie's Gym & Juice Bar."

"Hmm..."  Asriel tugged at his goatee.

"Sounds like a typical sequel recipe.  Extended period of quiet usually means it's too quiet."

"You know...Lord Zedd's name came up on a ping not long ago while we were investigating the Sporax case."

"The Dino Fury Rangers encountered Zedd?"

"That's right.  You've been away for a while, Azzy.  You haven’t heard about the Cosmic Fury dossier, yet."

"A lot happens when you plug out of the Morphin Grid, huh?"

"I'm still a little boggled on this...Morphin Grid you spoke of, Azzy."  eyed the images on the computer.

"What...exactly is it?"

"Well.  That's quiet a tale to tell.  The first instance of it was harnessed by an alien sage and protector named Zordon.  He hailed from a world called Eltar.  Some 10,000 years ago his world was embattled with an evil space sorceress known as Rita Repulsa."

"We foresaw this coming because its events shadowed those that had occurred once before in a defunct dimension that used to be known as Universal City.  Rita might be considered a variant of a similar evil sorceress named Bangora."

I didn't know at the time but that name would come up again in the very, very near future.

"For years, Rita waged war on Eltar; using her magic and resources to send down evil space monsters.  We have a file on every one she used in the folder marked Dora-Dora."  I furrowed my brow.

"In a last battle, Zordon managed to use all his power and abilities to seal Rita and her minions away in a space dumpsters.  But the cost of that action ended up sacrificing the stability of his physical form. Since then he could only stay anchored to an one dimension through use of a plasma energy tube designed to create a time warp which could contain his life force and essence in a recognizable form.  That of a giant floating head."

"Since that day, Zordon predicted that the planet that he had the Dumpster buried on would cross orbits with another inhabited planet in 10 centuries time.  So he took the initiative to have himself and his assistant, the robotic Alpha 5 transported to said world.  A familiar planet called...Earth."

"Starting to follow.  Go on."

"From there, he established a command center in an isolated part of a mountain cliffside in a desert that was as stone's throw away from what is now a human city called Angel Grove.  About 6,000 years ago, Zordon would encounter the first threat--an evil native to that planet during a much more savage time.  This evil called itself Ivan Ooze and nearly conquered the world with his Ecto-Morphicon quasi-robobeasts.  But Zordon put to use his plan of action, albeit early--entrusting six young warriors at the time with access to the Morphin Grid through use of special Power Coins that linked the Morphin Grid to their Power Morpher devices.  The implements which would allow them to harness their powers in the form of full-body protective suits with helmets and a bevy of summonable weaponry."

"Wow.  Just like a comic book."  M.K. hovered nearby.

"Easy with those helicopter arms indoors!"  Azzy warned.

"Yeah, well...they succeeded at putting Ivan in the ground.  Literally, via a hyper lock chamber.  And then it wouldn't be that many more millennia until modern times.  When astronauts mistakenly opened the dumpster when the planetoid's orbit crossed paths with the solar system."

"And the let Rita out and she decided to conquer and/or destroy the Earth?"  Frisk asked.

"Exactly."

"So this morphin grid?"

"I think only the Morphin Masters can say for sure what exactly it is.  But Zordon was credited as the first to tap into it.  Since then there have been alternative methods connecting to the Grid.  Whether the Zeo Crystal, the Quasar Sabers, through magic incantation, through the Ener-Gems, through the use of Ninja Steel, even Mojikara......or just some guy who knows a guy and linked them to Solar Morphers...somehow."

"Wow, that's something--"

"Wait.  Mojikara can connected to th Morphin Grid, sensei?"  Asriel's jaw dropped.

"It can.  I personally have not used the symbols which accomplish that but...."

"It's a contingency plan if you ever need it?"

"You are a good student."

"Wait.  The Samurai Rangers?

"Yes.  Why do you think there is a connection to the Shiba Clan?"

"Then...!"

"Yes."

The more Asriel learned about his sensei, it seemed the less he felt he actually knew.  Join the club, Goat Son.  Join the club.

"Okay I guess it's this mysterious power that just...exists."

"Mysterious, perhaps.  But the Power has always existed to protect and defend."

"Amazing."  Frisk beamed.

"And you think this enemy of Master Rabbotou's sensei is out there and is plotting something with this Rita?"  Frisk asked.

"Most assuredly."

"Which is why we're all going to be on standby until they call us in."

At that moment a familiar six-note jingle of beeps sounded out.  I knew that Communicator ring tone.

"Umm...by any chance?"  M.K. asked.

"Yeah.  It's them."

Bunnie was first to pick up. "Moshi-moshi.  \* pause\*  Trini-chan!"

"Wait, is that Trini?"  Goat Son's tail wagged.

"Trini?"

"Mighty Morphin' Yellow Ranger.  Saber-toothed Tiger if you will."  I clarified as I let Bunnie answer the call.

"Where are you now?  Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar with Kimberly."

"That'd be Kimberly-Anne Hart.  Mighty Morphin' Pink.  Pterodactyl, that is.

"And you're hanging with Miss O'Neill?  Wait...who is there?"

Bunnie facepalmed.

"It is no consequence.  I am certain you can handle them.  Well.  We're standing by in case you need us.  Ready to teleport at a moment's notice."

"I know that look."  I muttered.

"Same here.  You know what that means."  Asriel wrinkled his snoot.

"Until then.  Ja-ne."  Bunnie folded up the Shodouphone.

A momentary silence until I spoke.

"Bulk and Skull?"

"Bulk and Skull."

"Who?"

Asriel rubbed his temples and replied.

"Farkus Bulkmeyer and Eugene Skullovich.  On-again-off-again school bullies to the Power Rangers.  Sometimes decent...sometimes cringeworthy.  All the time getting in trouble."

"Yikes.  Wonder how they'd handle Chara?"  Frisk sweatdropped.

"Or how she'd handle them."  I rolled my eyes.

"It'll be fine."  Asriel shrugged it off.

"If you say so."

"We may be deploying before long.  Jones' tracking signal went out about the time you said he might have found Karai.  It'd be my guess that he found her...and something or someone he didn't bargain for."

"Some of us should go down to Angel Grove and find the others, you thinkin?"

Suddenly Sally.

"It might behoof us to divide and conquer if there is trouble."

"Right.  The rest of us will head to the Power Chamber."

"Let's not go looking for a fight.  Just call this pre-emptive reconnaissance."  Bunnie advised.

"I'm okay with that.  The less expected fighting the better."

"Yeah.  Maybe if we hook up with our allies we can learn a little more about what we know now."

"Yeah.  But let's not just deploy down there unannounced.  We should get confirmation before we take action.  Remember.  We're there to assist, not to solve problems for the heroes.  Even if it gets the job done faster, we're not there to take glory.  We're just there to level the playing field."

I felt compelled to remind that we were the NPC's on other worlds.  We were the support.

"Yeah."

"In other words...exercise patience.  They'll call for us."  Asriel said as his eyes turned cyan.

Time did pass and the call did come to us.

Violet and Sally took Frisk and Chara to Angel Grove.

Meanwhile Asriel deployed with Dr.  Alphys, Mettaton,  and me to the Power Chamber where Zordon and Alpha were waiting.

Bunnie went to New York with Lupe, Undyne, and M.K. to see Master Splinter.  Undyne decided to seek out Casey Jones on her own shortly after arriving, citing that:

"Don't take it the wrong way but I don't do that serene setting thing.  I'd probably offend the old man, anyway."

At least she was considerate.  Plus there was a good chance she'd run into Raphael.  Especially since Mikey and Donnie were in Angel Grove.

Which left the question of where Leo was at the time?

Or Tommy Oliver for that matter.  I was hoping he was dealing with the issues of Lord Dharkon in light of his unpleasant undercover work int he foot clan.

So.  Where were you, Jason Lee Scott?

Back at the Command Center.

"...the Morphin Grid can do WHAT!?"  My jaw dropped.

"I don't know if Violet would approve of this."  I paced.

"But maybe it's like my Unitrix."  Asriel pointed to the dial.  "That's only temporary, right?"

"Yeah...but..."

"I assure you, Dr. Arcade.  Zordon would not bring about any risk to the Rangers much less permanent genetic alteration."

"But...Mutant Rangers?  How does that...even work?"

"V-V-Volt.  You sh-should take a look at th-this."  Alphys worked along side Alpha.

"You know...you seem a lot like someone else who advises a ranger team in Pine Ridge.  A cyborg with ties to Rafkon, I think."

"That sounds like Solon."  Asriel rubbed his chin.

"Th-thanks?  I think."

"Yeah, you can feel flattered.  She's a friend. And actually...that's a pretty good comparison.  You two are a lot alike.  In a good way, I mean."

"Eheheh.."

"Aww.  She's blushing."

I think I actually heard Zordon chuckle.

It was contagious.  At least..temporarily contagious when...I knew his fate but couldn't tell him about it.  But in truth?  I had a feeling...even this early on...Zord must've known it would one day come down to that.  Was he...really...ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the universe at a moment's notice?

Back in New York...

"The Commander has things well in hand in Angel Grove.  He will contact us as needed.  For now.  All we can do is wait until we have an update from Zordon or the other rangers."

"Zordon-san has chosen well.  I see traits of my own sons in his Power Rangers."

"Well, a number of parallels are obvious.  Billy and Donatello compliment each other quite well in intellect.  Leonardo and Jason's leadership skills are unquestionable.  I see much of Tommy in Raphael and vice-versa.  And MIkey?  Well...I can see piece of him in both Zack and Kimberly."

"Indeed.  However, you have not mentioned Trini?"

Bunnie paused.

"Trini...she seems to be the unique one of the group.  I suppose maybe there's something about her that's similar to April but...I seem to have Kimberly as my go-to when consider Miss O'Neill.  Could it be...that maybe it's that I see more of Trini......in myself?"

"You are honest with your question.  Make no mistake that you are equally unique among your own team.  Much as Asriel has Michaelangelo's optimism.  Chara has Raphael's warrior spirit.  Frisk no doubt embodies April's kind heart.  And your Commander has Donatello's staggering intellect."

"I can group Dr. Alphys into that intellect category as well."

"Yet...out of all of us..."

"We seem to be the ones that march to the beat of a different drum?"  Lupe asked.

"In so many words."

"We are introverts.  We are spiritual.  And in some cases...we had to become wise beyond our years well ahead of our time.   Life's...lessons...should not be stockpiled so quickly.  They should be paced."

They each sipped their tea at the same time.

Elsewhere...

"I found you!"

"Huh."

"You must be the fighting one."

"The name's Raphael.  Master of Turtle Strong style.  And you are?"

"Heh.  Undyne the Undying.  Spear of Justice."

"You looking for a fight?"

"I'm ALWAYS looking for a fight.  But getting into it would probably piss Arcade and your Dad off."

"You one of Arcade's group?  What?  Master Splinter doesn't think I can't take care of myself so he sent some rookie to babysit me?"

"Not that I disagree, but say that with respect.  His idea, not mine.  I actually went out on my own because I couldn't sit still at their tea party."

"You don't say...?"  Raphael spun his sais before holstering them.

"Damn right I do.  Anyway I went out to see if I can help you find that friend of yours.  From what they said about him, he seems like my kind of guy.  All action and not a lot of talk."

"Now you're talking my language."

"So how bout it.  You gonna hog all the butt kicking or can I crack some skulls do."

"The more...the merrier.  C'mon.  Let's find that lunkhead, Casey before he gets into real trouble."

"Yeah.  And be on the lookout for that Tommy guy, too."

"So Zordon's all up in arms over his Green Ranger, too.  This just gets more and more interesting."

"Well we ain't doing much standing around here bumpin' gums.  We movin or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

As turned out this would be the beginning of things to come.  Though how soon until something developed?  I couldn't say.

Still.  It seemed like just another crossover with no twists other than what I'd expect when the Goddesses were toying with each other.

As it would later turn out.  I'd learn to keep my big mouth shut when underestimating Fate.

What she had was a twist that not only proved to be a spiteful revenge...it would also be...deadly.

## Sub-Entry 315: "Addressing the Bandora Protocol"

It just seems too soon to be going back here again.  I mean..the very next sub-entry?

We all thought that our first few crossovers would continue our momentum toward plenty of good times ahead.

But...

Sometimes...premonitions should have been heeded when they were first present.

Bunnie acknowledges...perhaps it was too subtle for even her to read into.  And that will haunt her.

The times we had gone to Angel Grove, it was a wholesome experience with drama no worse than an episode of Saved By the Bell...but with the world needing saving mixed in.

Sure there were those moments that had some of us waking up from a momentary nightmare but...to date no permanent losses had ever actually come to pass.  The Power always protected those who were entrusted to it.

While we had seen timelines split and branch even as far back as that fateful day when astronauts accidently opened the dumpster buried on Mars (or Planet Nemesis as it was once known in the Universal City dimension), we were prepared for the possibility of the Legacy Wars being one day kicked off by this Lord Drakkon that had haunted the Green Ranger's nightmares for some time.

There was also that team-up in Gotham City.  It took Nikita and Violet quite a bit of resources to make enough of Donatello and Barbara Gordon's retro-mutagen to cure everyone in Arkham Asylum.  However, Jonathan Crane is still missing from the lineup.  We're well aware that Adonis had...recruited him though...where he vanished still put him on a wanted list by not only the Bat Family but also Ultra Crew Institute and the STC Agency.  Not to mention...there was still talk of a sinister samurai reeking of acid from the destroyed Ace Chemicals foundry and...filling the night with maniacal laughter.

We'd also dealt with Thraxx, the supposed son of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa.  And of course...that nifty little crossover in New York City in which Morphin Time would meet Turtle Power.

Many branches off the main hub and it was hard to tell which parallel was which by now.  It seemed like everywhere in the UltraVerse was it's own multiverse of madness.  And each universe in that was its own set of branching pocket universes and AU's.

Nevertheless, we'd watch Angel Grove continue on into its intended destiny, following Zordon's Z-Wave purifying the universe.  That meant the end of all of the monsters...in a dusting that practically foreshadowed Undertale, mind you...and also the change of many Ranger villains into humans.

Of those was the infamous first Ranger villain, if you don't count Ivan Ooze.  But seeing as how Ivan dated back 6,000 years and Zordon's war with Rita and Zedd dated back 10,000...we're going to go by the chronological numbers.

By all means...it should be impossible for her to return.  Heck.  I've already said her name.

Rita Repulsa.

A space sorceress who clashed with Zordon and brought a wave of terror across Eltar and its united allied planets.  Her reasons for wanting to conquer Eltar and then Earth?  Who could say.

Her counterpart in Universal City had a documented motivation: revenge on the dinosaurs following the death of her son, Kai; a mischievous boy who tormented the "terrible lizards" for his own amusement until he went to far and it cost him his life.  From her ranks came many monsters and beasts at her call which forced the ancient tribes of 10 millennia past to unite and battle her until she and her minions could be imprisoned in a space dumpster on Planet Nemesis...a world which would leave the solar system's orbit and only return after 10,000 years.

How things parallel one another.

We'd closed the book on Rita's chapter.  Her palace had been overtaken by the Machine Empire then reoccupied following King Mondo and Prince Gasket being blown up by Zedd's parting gift.  Only for them to re-emerge during "Turbo".  And then again during Mission X as Dark Specter had united all of the fallen; from Rita and Zedd to a reconstructed Machine Empire, to the recently victorious Divatox...to the new Queen of Evil, Astronema.

Fast-forward after Mission X ended with Zordon's sacrifice to "Forever Red".  With the generals of the Machine Empire put out of business and Serpenterra destroyed, all remnants of the Mighty Morphin era's nightmares were said to be gone.

Then...cue other incidents across timelines and other parallel Ranger realms where Mighty Morphin members made their momentary returns.

Dino Thunder was its own chapter.  No need to explain Dr. O.

From Adam Park and Alpha 5 in "Once a Ranger" to a little cross-dimensional incident where I only need to say: "Master Morpher".

And of course...the Legendary Team-up during Mega Force with EVERY ranger.

Not to mention...that little thing with the return of the O.G. himself, Jason Lee Scott when going up against Goldar Maximus.

In ever iteration, though rangers might have been down for a bit but never out.

So...

"Major?"

She turned toward me as she grasped the photo of Trini Kwan.

"What is it, sensei?"

She didn't answer...but only let a tear roll down her face.

Oh no.  The last time something like this hit her emotionally...was when Master Splinter's variant had met his end at the blades of the mutated Super Shredder...

"Oh no."  Asriel knew that look.  It was the look that was accompanied by a strong psychic vision.

"We can expect to hear from Angel Grove soon.  Major...do you...need some time?"

"I believe I will."

Frisk and several of our other friends were nearby and...clearly not in the loop but...they could sense the energy was...melancholic.

Azzy of course understood immediately, as did I.

I'd...need to open up my dimensional research to find out where in the timeline this was happening.

"Sensei wouldn't be this disheveled unless it wasn't--"  Asriel started.

"Yeah...not by natural causes."  I tried to keep it sugar-coated with Papyrus in the room.

"What can we do?"  Mitzi asked.

"Not...a lot until they call us."  I looked down.

"If they call us."  Violet shrugged.

Someone really should have scolded Vi for that but...

"Major.  Do whatever you need to."

"I will be contacting Master Splinter.  Beyond that...I really can only meditate...and mourne."

It was heartbreaking.  It didn't seem like that long ago when Bunnie wished her happy birthday while we were in the Command Center.

And heck!  It practically WAS yesterday we went down to their world and tied up that whole second Power Ranger/Ninja Turtle crossover.  Keep in mind I wasn't counting the one which Astronema had brainwashed those Ninja Turtle variants with the fifth turtle, otherwise I would have called this the third one.

Right.  Back on task.

As I figured...it would take more time than a day or two before we started getting answers.

As luck or lack thereof would have it...I'd get AN answer before anyone else.  And that came from my Dimensional Research Mainframe computer delivering a message with only a single code phrase:

"Bandora Protocol".

I turned about as white as my lab coat.

I knew what this meant immediately.

The time-stamp told exactly when.  Thirty years from our last meeting in their timeline but...barely much time at all in ours.  We'd gone from practically still in the 90's...to the 2020's like that.  It was the same place but deeper into their future.  Though...now it was their present.

However the time period was only second.  We'd ponder what happened in Angel Grove for three decades on our own time.  What mattered...were those two words.

And now I had name to ascribe the blame to.

What I didn't have was a story.

"Bandora Protocol?"  Alphys questioned.

"Yeah...a contingency plan that's been dormant all this time.  Zordon was far more clever than we could ever know.  I think...even with his Z-Wave purifying things...even he didn't believe that would be the end of Rita Repulsa."

"I saw some familiar entries on the screen caps in the memo you sent to me."  Asriel tugged at his goatee.

"Turtle Cove...Astral Megaship...an entry for Space Patrol...Alpha?  SPD's predecessor?"

I nodded.

"None of this crap makes any sense.  You talking about those guys and girls in the rubber rainbow suits?"  Undyne scoffed.

"Yeah."  Asriel eyed his bracer.  While I had restored a lot of functions there were some things I purposely left out.  Like the morphing hardware for the Goat Ranger.

"So you're saying all this is because kung-fu bunny got all weepy?"

"It's more like her sixth sense is giving her psychic warnings."

"Oh...like that spider...boy's danger sense or whatever."

Asriel would correct her later on how Spider-Sense worked.

"Close enough."  He shrugged.

"What is this Bandora Protocol?"  Frisk asked.

"The specifics are classified and...the only person who knew every aspect of it is...gone."  I addressed the absence of Zordon.

"He did leave behind his aide, the robotic Alpha 5."  Asriel reminded.

"And if 30 years are any indication, he's still operating the Command Center.  Or...at least newly built one."

"Newly built?"

"The original Command Center was blown up by Zedd and Rita's implosion bomb.  Zordon hid a secondary command chamber underneath which became active after the outer shell reconstructed according to protocol.  But then down the line, Divatox completely destroyed the Command Center, forcing the Turbo Rangers to disband and try to head to Eltar."

Asriel learned his Ranger history well.

"If there are any of the surviving team left, we'll have to hope they contact us sooner or later."  I crossed my arms.  "If this is Bandora Protocol, then we may be needed for some Cross-Over action.  And...to put old headaches back in their pill bottle."

"Is there anything we can do?"  Frisk asked.

"Currently, no.  Not until we hear from them. And...that's IF they want to involve us."

"Midoriya syndrome, huh?"  Violet spoke out of turn.

"Violet!"  I scolded.

"Huh?"  Monster Kid cocked his head.

"It's basically a superhero mentality.  Trying to carry a burden alone because you fear involving others will endanger them."  Asriel explained.

"It's why Izuku Midoriya left U.A. temporarily.  A lot of his mentors got messed up bad and a lot of his friends got hospitalized.  And All-For-One and Shigaraki are out for Deku to steal his quirk and will go through anyone to get to him."

"That old story.  Can't say villains have gotten any more creative in the years I've walked as the Hammer of Justice."

"Gerson-sama!"  Bunnie was surprised the old turtle had gotten into our lab so easily.

"You have to get up pretty early in the morning for your techy security doo-dads to outsmart this old geezer.

"Well.  They're just going to have to learn that Ranger business is family business."

"Yeah.  And Arcades certainly value our family; whether by blood or bond of friendship."  Asriel traded a fist pound with me.

"Agreed.  We'll keep our ears open and be ready to deploy the first call we get from anyone with a Command Center electronic I.D. or a Power Coin signature."

"In the mean time, lil lady.  Let's get you cheered up a little.  No sense in frettin' over what can't be done about.  Don't worry.  You'll get the chance to get your personal affairs in order.  Your friends over yonder know you're here if they need help."

"Such wisdom......yes.  Yes you're right, Gerson-sama.  I will meditate as needed and keep my spirits up."

Time would tell when we would get an actual crossover with the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers again, especially after we had only just seen them...or...variants of them with the four turtles and Master Splinter and company.

No sense in worrying about it now.

All we could do was distract our attention until the proper time.

And speaking of distractions, Mitzi's old school friend, Dottie Dog; the anchor-woman for Channel 256 in Neo Arcadia City was in a rush to get the story on something else.

"Hmm?"

"Nuts!  She's already on the scene!"  Dottie grabbed the TV remote and turned my dimensional TV's broadcast to New York City.  Specifically Channel 6 news.

"Is that April O'Neill?"

"How does she always get ahead of me?"  Dottie crossed her arms and fumed.

"And she's interviewing...!"  I blinked and did a double take.

"Janine Melnitz?"

Sure enough, April was indeed interviewing Janine as she confirmed that she has "proof that ghosts are real".  Wait, had the whole crossover between the Power Rangers and the Ninja Turtles blown over already!?  We were just THERE.

"That's not news."  Mettaton rolled his eyes.  "Everybody knows about ghosts, right, Blooky?"

"....uh-huh...."

"Looks like the boys in beige are getting another push into notoriety again."  Asriel shrugged with a smile.  "And now an endorsement by the Turtles' friend and ally.  Wonder what Burne Thompson's going to say when she gets back to his office?"

"Hey, you think Peter finally sold Hollywood on that sequel to the movie they made based on the Manhattan Cross rift of 84?"  Violet snickered.

"Last I heard Pete was holding out until he could get Brad Pitt to agree to play him."  I shook my head while trying to contain my laughter.

"Maybe he'll have better luck getting Chris Hemmingsworth."  Violet chuckled.  "Personally he should be so lucky they make it an animated movie and have Chris Pratt voice him."

Oh boy.  Can we cut the meta commentary already?

"What do you think?  Jack Black as Peck?"  Vi followed up.

Laughter all around...at least those of us who were in the loop.

Papyrus cocked his head a little unsure what the joke was.

"C'mon.  Let's all head out and get some comfort food at Grillby's.  That'll perk you up."  Asriel volunteered.

"It's a deal."  Bunnie nodded.

We all headed out but...Bunnie was the last one to leave.

Long enough to pull out her photo of her and Trini posing together.

"We only saw each other days ago for that incident between New York and Angel Grove.  The adventures we had while you are all still young.  Now...now that's the distant past.  What must've gone on in your life all these years apart?"

Bunnie headed out.  "Rest, my friend.  You've done a great service.  Now..."

Bunnie swept her gaze around to make sure no one else was nearby before slipping the letter out of her gi jacket.  It was written in Mandarin Chinese.

And there was a photo enclosed.

Bunnie finished as only she could; not using her own words but the worlds of All-Might.

"Now...it's her turn."  She furrowed her brow staring at the unknown teenager in the picture.

## Sub-Entry 316: "Usagi no Omatsuri (Festival of the Rabbit)":

Oh boy.  This old favorite has come around again.  And simultaneously celebrated on both sides of the gate.

"Land sakes alive..."  The inn keeper mused as she watched the hustle and bustle.  Things had certainly changed since a lost human stayed the night at her Snowdin Inn.

Flattering, no doubt.

But new to the fold were...

"Chuu!"  "Chuu!"  "Chuu!"  "Chuu!"  "Chuu!"

Yup.  The rabites had multiplied considerably since Candi Cane had found her way into Azzy's test portal.

Oh boy, Spot.  I'm sure your master has things to say about that.

At about that time at the Dreeemurr residence.

"Ready, Frisk?"

"Any time you are, Azzy."  Frisk adjusted her bunny ears headband as Asriel propped up his floppy ears with the extensions of his own design.

"The noses would be a bit much."  Azzy head up one of the plastic prosthetics.

"True.  But the whiskers are just adorable."  Frisk put one on.

"Mine might have a little trouble fitting."  Azzy pointed to his snoot.

"You look the part without it."  Frisk draped her arms around him.

"Now now, dear.  There will be time for that...later.  G-rated stuff now.  What we don't talk about behind closed doors..."

"Of course."

Before you get your hopes up, they're talking about cuddling up under a warm blanket and sharing a bowl of popcorn on their own personal movie night with a not G or not PG-rated movie.  Yeah, their dates were still very wholesome.

And thus the car headed out to the express gate.

Within a few months we now had more than one working gate.  A couple for traffic and a couple for pedestrians.  And a working main one, now relocated to travel centers on each world.

Boy, technology is something.  Eh, Asgore?

That morning, both worlds awoke to the annual egg hunt.

"Takes me back."  Azzy smiled as he watched the kids scurry about.

"Nothing like this on our world until you imported it."

"Glad I did?"

"I think everyone is."

On the Miranda side, in lieu of breakfaster with the Easter Bunny like on Earth, we of course hosted a celebrity meet and greet.  And our go-to was always Team Acorn.  There year was no except.

On Undertale's side?  Mettaton put on a show with Napstablook D.J.-ing.

"You know you've never really explained why they celebrate on Earth."

"It's a religious holiday on Earth.  I don't know the specifics.  But here and Undertale?  Basically the dawn of spring and the sign of new life returning to the world.  The rabbit, and by extension, the rabite, is a universal symbol of life and fertility."

"Might explain why we're up to our knees in them on both worlds, now."  Frisk giggled, hugging Candi Cane tight.

"Chuu!"

"But the thing with eggs?  Rabbits don't lay eggs."

"Yeah...gets a little confusing but...I guess eggs are also a symbol of new life.  How they connect to rabbits?  I'm going to have to ask sensei some day."

"There is another aspect of the holiday to bring up."

"Yeah.  Chara's whole reason to be here."  Asriel showed his passport to the gate security and he was prompted to drive on through.

On the other side of the gate, back in Miranda...

"Ahhh.  Second-home-sweet-second-home."

Asriel drove the car to the UCIAT HQ building and parked in his "Reserved for: Asriel Arcade" location.

"By the way.  New summer bonnet, dress and sandals?"

"You noticed!"

"Of course I did.  Very fetching."

"Awww.  You're such a sweetie."

And so...

"Speaking of Chara..."  Frisk pointed to where Chara had a towering stack of chocolates.

"I don't know what the general maintenance is on a gigai body but if it's close to a living human one?  Pretty sure you're going to be shelling out for a dentist bill or two."

"Jeeze, Azzy.  Hello to you too."

"Hi, Chara."

"Frisk."

"At least it's once a year.  I don't want to think what a daily deity of those would do to your blood sugar levels."

"What's it gonna do?  Kill me again?"

"Not funny."  Asriel frowned.

"Oh, don't tell me part of you still worries about losing me again."

"Just because I deal with it doesn't mean it doesn't still bother me from time to time."

"I'm not going anywhere.  Seriously.  You need to relax."

"He's just looking out for you.  Like a good brother."

"Yeah, yeah.  As soon as you two are done lecturing me about my chocolate intake, we gonna actually have some fun today?"

"Depends.  You in line to get a photo op and autograph with Sally?"

"Oh sure.  It's completely not weird if another OGPX racer asks her competition for an autographed photo."

"Just call it good sportsmanship.  Besides are we really rivals yet if we haven't even raced each other?"

"You're taking our competition too lightly, Azzy."

"On the contrary..."  Asriel was next in line.

"Make it out to......Solar Blossom."

"Well, well, well."  Sally's grin went practically ear to ear.  And that's something to envision considering they were on top of her head.  "I spy with my little eye a fanboy acknowledging me."

"But of course, my Tribal Princess."

"Hey now.  Leave the royalty thing off the table."  Sally mused.

"What?  Can't royalty acknowledge royalty?"

"You know what I mean."

"Who messes with you when Azzy's not around?"  Chara peaked over his shoulder.

"Obviously not someone carrying  what looks like 100,000 calories all willy-nilly."

"Hey, leave the chocolates out of it, Acorn."

"Just sayin.  Don't hit the cocoa too much before our big race in June."

"Come on.  Can't we just have a friendly photo op?"  Frisk waved.

"Well, since they're asking nicely..."  Willie prompted.

"Aww what the hey.  It'll be good press."

"Say cheese!"

And low and behold Azzy had an 8 x 10 glossy to frame.

All the while I was looking on.

"I always feel like I don't have enough of these."

"Enough of what, Commander?"  Bunnie sat next to me.

"Moments where the both of us can take part in a common holiday."

"You do.  But--"

"They're all past memories now."

"I believe you're letting your first two experiences cloud your mood a little."

"It is true Asriel had to miss his first one.  And...I had to miss his first because..."

"Please leave his handiwork in the past."  Bunnie scowled at the memory of Adonis sick plans.

"They echo as loud now as they did a day after then."

"Memories only hurt you if you remain chained to them."

"Very true.  Sorry to rain on your special day, Major."

"You are not.  It is good for you to talk about what ails you.  Only then can we help to alleviate the burden of guilt and regret."

"Yeah.  Thanks.  Now...don't let me get in the way of the festivities."

"You credit yourself too little.  Come.  Be part of our day."

"You know we really need a Festival of the Wolf."

Bunnie actually chuckled.

"So.  Violet actually convinced Miyamoto Usagi to join her on her family space station?"

"She wouldn't be caught dead on the planet's surface while this holiday is going on.  You know her."

"I know that for some reason she associates this holiday with cannibalism."

"They're rabbit-shaped.  That doesn't mean anything."

Bunnie said, before nibbling on the ears of a hollow chocolate rabbit.

"She's like Jon.  The silliest things offend her."

"So...you do not find anything wrong with the remake of that werewolf movie?"

"You kidding?  It's great comedy."

"Comedy?"  Bunnie arched an eyebrow.

"I'm too thick-skinned for something like that to get to me.  I mean come on...a werewolf even losing the ability to speak after transform?  That whole thing with the pentagram mark?  And really.   Who came up with that Gypsy poem about the wolfsbane?"  I grinned.

"It cracks me up."

"Jon does not find the portrayal amusing."

"Yeah well...he's thinking too much like this generation, despite the fact he should probably be classified as baby boomer."

"And despite the immortality, you're still classified as Generation X."

"Respect the 80's baby, Major.  So...what do you fall under?"

"Let us keep that off the table."

"And replace it with a nice plate of Cadbury Eggs?"

"An offer I make take up."  Bunnie  mused as she snagged one from the platter I'd picked up from a nearby candy spread.

"I'm just glad we're patching our wounded friendship up since--"

"Commander.  It's past.  We've forgiven you.  And you've forgiven us."

"But one thing we won't do...forgive Madam Fate any time soon."

"I would not call it an outright grudge."

"Just...eternal probation without any leeway."  I followed up.

"Appropriate."

That's about when we decided to join up with Asriel and company.

"Hey ya, Best Friend."

"What's up, Goat Son?"

"Well...I'd say my ears."  Azzy pointed to how they were propped up like a rabbit's.

"You know if you wear them down, you can pass for a lop rabbit."

"Yeah...but the Easter Bunny doesn't wear his down.  It's a symbolic thing."

"Got me there."

"How do you do, Sensei Rabbotou?"

"All is well with the world.  It is indeed a well-gifted event from the grace of Amaterasu."

"I notice the firecracker isn't around.  What, someone not deliver her carrot cake on time."

Bunnie, Asriel and I looked at each other.

"Violet's...history with this day is...complicated."

"Ohhhh?"

"Maybe we should respect Princess Vi's wishes and not talk about it behind her back?"  Frisk volunteered.

"Ohhhh now I'm GONNA find out what's eating her."

"Very, very poor choice of words..."  I muttered.

Bunnie facepalmed.

"Anyway.  I see you already ran into Sally."

"This is going in a frame."

"Yeah, Azzy's going to remember it as the last time our competition were our betters.  Cause when he next sees it, they'll be asking for OUR autographs."  Chara snickered.

"Let's not get presumptuous.  We haven't challenged them yet!"  Frisk reminded.

"A technicality for an inevitability."

"Oh brother.  You really have to do something about that overconfidence of yours, Chara."

"And you need a confidence booster, goat boy."

"Just a precaution.  Getting a swelled he now is going to make a defeat hurt that much worse."

"You all are fired up.  Looking forward to June when we're not even out of April?"

"Hard to sit still when we have so much training left to do."  Asriel looked at the readout holo-projection from his bracer.  Seems he linked it to his NXS Switch Board.

"We'll be ready.  Don't worry about it.  Come and let's entertain the children for a bit."

"Yeah, we're getting kind of famous, too, ya know."

"I know, Chara.  I know."

"Well.  The Major and I won't hold you up.  You know where to find us if you need us."

"Take care, Doctor.  And you too, Master Rabbotou."

"Stop by again and we may consider some horseback riding later."

"Hinohoshiko could use some exercise."

"Sounds fun.  Pencil us in.  Now...I need to get this to a refrigerator, stat.  Or I'm going to be DRINKING my assets."  Chara hustled her way to Rock-Afire Pizzeria.  "Hope Mitzi's got room!"

"Oh boy...we'd better keep her out of trouble."

"Ja-ne!'  Asriel waved and headed off with Frisk in tow.

"This may be one of the best Festival of the Rabbit turnouts in years."

"Yeah.  Especially now that we can celebrate them all together again."

Bunnie looked on.  "Might I offer a chocolate or two in exchange for the Cadbury Eggs?"

"Delighted."  I picked one of the triple chocolate ones.  Sinfully filled with molten chocolate within a milk chocolate shell and dusted with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips.

"It is easy to see why Chara likes this holiday."

"Yes...but personally...I lean toward the other reasons."  Bunnie watched the Rabite Trio scamper about.

"Those are three good reasons."  I smiled.

"Is it too early to start planning for next year's, Major?"

"We'll talk."  Bunnie led me into Rabbotou Dojo for some tea.

## Sub-Entry 317: "A Night at the Opera.  Violet Lights up the Pipe Organ"

I wonder how many boyfriends willingly take their date out to a night of the opera?  Lisa always preferred a Weird Al concert, to be honest, but...to each his own.

But to be honest, I'm actually talking about Asriel and Frisk.

Yet, it was a hard opera to hold a torch to.

And the fact that Vi recommended it?

What do I even say to that?

Curiously...it was one of the times Vi was on the up and up.  Sometimes we forget she DOES actually have non-mischievous interests.

And I'd alluded to this interest alllll the way back to the first time I described her personal lab.

After all...if she'd spend so much effort teaching goat son how to play any type of keyboard instrument, it was no surprise that a pipe organ would be at the front and center of it.

If you haven't figured out what opera I'm alluding to you yet, you might not be familiar with opera at all so you get a pass.  Otherwise, color me disappointed.

I think this was one that even drew Napstablook's attention.  It was only natural...or...supernatural that a ghost should be drawn in by a title like...Phantom of the Opera.

If not a more romantic tale of mystery, tragedy, and an unrequited love gone very toxic by the end.  And frankly it spoke to me on the very fragile relationship between student and teacher.  And in this case...a teacher who was an outcast.  A genius of many performing arts, methods of showmanship, a playwright, and a prodigy of music and theater.  Outcast for his garish disfigurement.

"So what is this story about, Asriel?"

"A tale of an opera house under new management that is about to pay the price when they ignore the demands of a mysterious presence that has haunted it in rumor but has a very real secret patron.

It's an aspiring tale of a young, ordinary chorus girl chosen to replace an opera diva who's stormed out after being pranked by the production cast.  As this girl reaches superstardom, she is reunited with her childhood friend; now a wealthy young man and love interest.

It's a tragic tale that is marred by the complication of this chorus girl who hides a secret...the secret of the mysterious teacher who has trained her to surpass the greater of opera divas...the very phantom that haunts the opera house.

And it's a sad tale of a love triangle that's about to turn violence and murder when compounded with the Opera house's defiance of the Opera Ghost's demand.  And ultimately what happens when an unrequited love reaches its toxic boiling point.

You're going to be absolutely enthralled, Frisk.  It's one of my favorites and Aunt Violet actually introduced me to the score."

"You've got me curious, Azzy."

"I offered for the others to watch the show as well, but they insisted on giving us a private night out."

"Well, in Chara's case, I think it was more a matter that she showed absolutely no interest, Azzy."

"She's gotta be herself.  And orchestras and choirs don't spark her interest.  Personally, she doesn't know what she's going to miss."

"M.K?"

"He said he'd wait for the movie to come out."

"I promise I'll make it up to him with more bro-centric guy stuff."

"You're a good friend to him."

"You know some of the others around UCIAT thought you and M.K. would--"

Frisk giggled.  "Oh my gosh..!"

"Frisk..."  I gave her a look.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it.  He's a good guy and all but...there just wasn't anything between us beside a friendship.  I won him over and got him to stand up to Undyne.  It was innocent.  Really."

"Yeah, I get it.  People had the same rumors about me and Mina Scalnistro.  There just wasn't a spark there.  Just someone glad I stood up to some bullies at a time her mom wasn't doing so hot."

"It's almost like we lived parallel lives, y'know, Azzy?"

Asriel nodded.  Then he followed up with:

"Not to say you and M.K. might not have something in another universe?"  He poked the bear a little.

"Are you talking about that A.F.A.C. alternate universe?"

"I'm not saying with certainty...but I'm not denying it either."

"Now that would be something to see.  Well if it is the case for younger versions of us, I'm happy for them."

"What do you suppose Chara and I are to each other in their universe?"

"Sure you want to go there?  A lot of people back home couldn't resist speculating the ships."

"Good point.  Let's leave it up to others' imaginations and let sleeping Doggos sleep where they lie."

Frisk and Asriel were escorted to their seats in the balcony.

"Wow.  You got the best seats in the house?"

"It was pricey, yes...but I think it was worth it."

Frisk smiled.

And the show soon began with that conspicuous chandelier, covered up.

"...perhaps we may frighten away the ghosts of so many years ago with a little illumination.  Gentlemen!"

Upon the cue and the yanking off of the covering, everything just lit up with an explosive force as the chandelier's electric lights fired up and it was raised by the hoists to its spot in the opera house ceiling.

As it did...Asriel and Frisk were jolted by the powerful pipe organ score of the Overture.

I imagine Frisk's eyes widened by about three sizes.  Maybe by that logic one could finally tell if she wasn't squinting  all the time.

The performance proved magnificent.  Everything was well in order.

Though...Asriel couldn't help but feel there was something about the pipe organ performance that felt...familiar.

"Wait a minute..."  He eyed the Phantom on stage as the vocal theme of the Phantom of the Opera took place.

The female was most certainly a Sarah Brightman sound-a-like.  Good casting, mind you.  And the Phantom sure sounded a lot like Michael Crawford.

As he watched the hand movements.

He finally wrinkled his nose and sighed.  "Aunt Vi..."  He shook his head, realizing she was TOTALLY in costume and most likely lip-synching to an A.I. driven voice modulator.

"Good grief.  Even here she has to stir things up."

Truth be told though...Violet was playing it straight.

"Wait...that's Violet in costume?  But--"

"Leg extension braces.  And she's surprisingly a great master of disguise and voice-work.  I have no idea how she hid her ears and tail.   But...at least with her figure she can pass as a male pretty convincingly."

Ouch.  Goat son inadvertently called her flat.  At least he was being tactful.

"But why would she hijack the..."

"Like she needs a reason to.  Chances are she probably paid someone off so she could show off her pipe organ and acting skills.  The girl just can't keep showbiz out of her veins."

"Well...it is still a great performance."

"I know.  It's just...that's Aunt Vi for you."

"I wonder what she'd do with Peter Pan?"

"Let's not speculate.  Besides we're missing the show pondering Vi's motivations for anything."

And so the show went on, with no one the wiser.

Upon exiting the opera house...

"It's raining."

"Yeah."  Asriel said as he accessed his V.E.H.I.C.L.E. network and got himself and Frisk a pair of umbrellas.  And not a moment too soon after stepping out from under the awning.

"Hey.  Going my way?"

I auto-opened the new mod to the gull-wing doors of the Delorean.

"You two going to have enough room?"

"Sure.  Frisk can sit in my lap."

"Delighted."

"Yeah...well...I always questioned if my mentor could have picked a car that was less cramped."

"It's fine, Volt."

"So...I'm guessing some of that isn't raindrops.  How was the show?"

Azzy and Frisk wiped their tears on their arms at the same time.

"Beautiful."  Frisk said first.

"Yeah.  Yeah it was."

Asriel stopped only a moment to look over his shoulder at the large sign that said "closing night"  The very last show as the production shut down.

It was the end of an era.  How many times had Andrew Lloyd Webber's opus come and gone to the stage?

Was it just our worlds that it was ending?

"How's Antoine taking it?"

"He'll be depressed for a while.  It was the one and only show he ever convinced Sally to attend.  Bunnie went with them.  I can't prove I'm sure it was to serve a third wheel just to make sure Antoine respected Sally's boundaries and all."

"Yeah...we'll find some way to cheer him up, Volt."

"Well.  Let's get back to our own time.  Cool?"

"Yeah.  I think...this one's going to stick with us for a while."

"Not a bad thing."

"We'll find a way to get mom and dad to this.  I mean there can't be that few viable points in history that we can take them to see this, right?"

"Yeah. "

Silence save for the rain coming down on the Delorean’s shell.

"So...Asgore does kind of want to know if we can get him and Toriel to an earlier point in Las Vegas' timeline to see Elvis live."

A snort and a chuckle.

"We'll...talk.  I mean, let's not abuse the power of time travel any more than we have to."  I mused.

I was one to talk.  I'd made my career out of abusing time travel.

"I can't help but feel like we're forgetting something, though..."

After the last person has left the place and the lights turned out and the doors locked...

Violet hustled out of the service entrance, still in her digital holo-costume

She took one look where the DeLorean was supposed to be.

"Really, guys?  Ohhhh this is going to cost you all so freakin' much..."  She mused as she got her cell-phone out.

"Yeah.  Buns?  Gonna have to call in a favor from Daimyou and Kommand if you can swing a telepathic message.  And uh...tell our Commander that he is going to get so pranked for this."

Vi hung up and shrugged before taking a moment to make sure she successfully absconded with another prop.

"Not my first choice but..."  Violet mused at the music box with the figure of a monkey playing the cymbals.

"Man...I really was hoping for lot 666.  But that one would have been WAY to big for me to carry out of the theater without an A.P.B. being put on me.  Oh well."

And who says Vi's antics aren't enough to bring down the chandelier?

## Sub-Entry 318:  "Speeding Toward a Super Turbocharged Birthday":

April 25th.

Do I need to remind whose birthday it is?  If so, then it's Sallys.

If not?  Let's move on.

Okay, that condensed intro taken care of...

What do you do for Ultra Crew Institute's Speed Demoness on her day of birth?

Well, in the past?  The simple answer is: freedom.

Yeah, that word always had a pleasant ring to Sally.  Yet, I don't think I'd ever actually used the phrase "Freedom Fighter/Freedom Fighters" around her.

Save...for that one stint in ACM-001.  Which she's probably forgotten by now.  Though, likely she hasn't.

In fact...just because none of the Ecotropians ever talked about...didn't mean that it was completely out of mind because it was out of sight.

Really.

There was so much complication to meeting their counterparts.

With ACM-001 and ACM-002 wiped from the Goddess' chessboard much like a lot of other things they got bored of...I was surprised that it hadn't left my team's memories.

Given a chance to think about it?  I'm sure Bunnie would confront me directly if she ever saw the need to do so.

But we're not talking about what's past and purged.  This is about what's present and...well...present.

I gotta work on my wording.

"Go for Speed Queen on the Scene!"  Sally clicked her helmet's visor."

"Yo, Aunt Sally!"

"Azzy!  What's up?  Appreciate the conference call."

"Out for your daily run, huh?"

"Run as in singular?  Surely you jest.  I'm out for my third one of the day."

"Then you've already had breakfast and lunch, I see?"

"You know it."

"Well, since I know surprise parties for you are an impossibility, I'm just going to go ahead and invite you to Rock-Afire Pizzeria for your annual blueberry fudge cake and blueberry ice cream."

"That time to crash the diet again?"

"Don't sound so disappointed."

"Easy there, Goat Son.  Never jab at a woman's diet and weight if you want to keep your face unslapped."

"Yeah, but never miss a chance to riff on family."

"Always gotta find a loophole, huh?"

"Part of acknowledging your heroes is remembering they're people too.  In your case, a person who happens to be like a big sister or crazy aunt to me."

"I'll take either.  Either works."

"And if you can't rip on your honorary blood, who can you rip on?"

"Got me there.  You learned so well.  In fact I'd feel heartbroken if you didn't take a dig at me every now and then."

"Good to hear because Frisk, Chara, and I are going to dig those championship titles in two months."

"And now you're getting competitive.  You really do know what to get a girl on her birthday."  Sally grinned wider.

"Competition is the cement that bonds, right?"

"Win or lose.  No sour grapes afterward.  Deal."

"Deal and no shame either team.  You close to town yet?"

"Please.  I got to town and I've been spiraling up and down the skyscrapers for the duration of this conversation.  What's your situation on this broadcast station?"

"Ohhhh.  We rhyming?  We rappin' now?  Don't turn this into Space Jam: a New Legacy, Sal.  You don't want me going Notorious P.I.G."

"Man, NOBODY wants to go Notorious P.I.G.  Seriously?  It would have at least been amusing if he had stuttered the whole rap through instead of spit the rhymes straight.  That's some 90's cringe, am I right?"

"I don't know what the 90's were like but it smells like dripping regret in moments like those."

"But we still give the Big Chungus meme a pass?"

"Hey,  multi-decade-old memes are classic!"

It was something when Goat Son and Lightruner bantered like this.

And true to her word, Sally had left coiled up neon spring-shaped contrails around many a building.

"Spoiler-spoiler.  I can see your handywork. Doing your impression of an air-core inductor, at that."

"The only vortex worth its salt is the ones Team Acorn makes with our light trails.  Anything less should stay buried back in Vorostov's desert wasteland."

"Casually bringing up the worst time of your life, huh?  Sounds like you've come a long way to speak so casually about it."

"Move on or fall into the sinkhole called the past, Azzy."

"I take it you meeting...him...had an influence."

"Some day we'll meet again."

"You're not going to ask him to marry you are you?"

"Please.  Do I look like that annoying pink hedgehog with the hammer?"

"Savage Sally!  Those are some shots fired!"

Sally was often candid about it.  But I don't know if she REALLY hated Amy Rose.  But she sure liked to make us think she did.  So much so she never called her by name.

I did keep it under my hat how friendly their relationship was in ACM-001 and ACM-002.  I didn't want to risk it would either shatter the illusion...or prove the truth.

There was something about April 25th...something that sat...strange with me.  I don't know what it was about this date but...I felt like something important...or life-changing happened on this date.  But I don't know what.  I guess if it's true it's probably something Lady Destiny is keeping from me for certain reasons.  Maybe...it was something that happened prior to one of the UltraVerse's reboots?

It's okay.  I've learned enough the secrets that I didn't know she was keeping.  Even if I didn't know for certain if she was keeping one?  Let her.

Things are good now.  Really.  Things are good.

"We got eyes on target, Mitzi.  Birthday girl is inbound."  Pit's voice came over the TAO link.

"Roger, Pit.  Blueberry Fudge cake’s out of the oven and the thermometer confirms it's done and ready for serve.  Icing it now.  It'll still be a little warm when ready to serve and I guarantee it'll be perfectly moist and sweet.

And we got plenty of the blueberry ice cream so don't worry about Jon getting into it."

"Sounds good to me."

"Sally!  Are you listening in on the channel?"

"Hey. Like Azzy said...it's impossible to throw a surprise party in my honor.  So might as well get the juicy details in real time."

"Oh you."

And as Sally neared we made sure the streets cleared the way for her to avoid anyone getting run down.

Asriel nodded to Frisk as he held up the stop watch and she held up the checkered flag.

And with a WHOOOSH...!

"Winner, winner!  Chicken dinner!"  Chara raised her fists to the sky.

"And STILLLLLLLL...!" M.K. prompted.

Sally came to a 1080 burnout before rising into a Michael Jackson "HOO!" post on tippy-toes, right out of the Speed Demon video.

That won over Mitzi in a big way.

"You win the internet, girl!"  Violet lounged on the countertop before Bunnie pushed her off.

"Oww.  I meant to do that!"

"I'll get this one..."  Foxy wiped down the counter.

"Careful, Foxy.  A gal can take offense to that."  Vi said before sticking her tongue out.

"Happy Birthday, Aunt Sally."  Asriel smiled as he followed her in, where we were waiting.

"It feels like it's been so all day."

"We worked our butts off on this so you BETTER give props!"  Undyne gripped Sally's hand in by far the most butch bro-grip I'd ever seen.

"You're DAMN right I will!"

Toriel more or less forgave the salty language.  Not like she had room to talk with those H-words she'd let slip out every so often.

"I gotta say.  Blue is you,"  Sans mused as he looked on from his bar stool.

"I always liked it."   Sally responded.

"With Amaterasu's blessings, old friend."  Bunnie gave a semi-formal bow.

"Always glad to receive divine praise."  Sally spread her arms out moments before pulling Bunnie into a quick hug.

"Oh.  Unexpected public display of affection."  Bunnie raised an eyebrow.

"Too much?"

A pause and a smile.

"Not at all.  It was a long time needed.  I am deeply moved.  Thank you for wanting a friend when I was just doing my duty as your lady-in-waiting."

"Enjoy your day, Terrain Master.  You've earned it."  I gladly shook her hand.

"Since it's an official order...I think I will."  Sally smirked.

And for the duration of the day it was all Sally.

That's all there needed to be for her on this one day out of 365.

The first of the Taurus Trio.  Next would be Bunnie's.  And a week later would be Lupe's.

If anybody appreciated birthdays it was the Ecotropians.

It might not be on a downtime day like today...it might sometimes be during mission time; in which we'd be reminded to keep on task or sometimes be told to focus or someone would tell us that we'd make it up next year.

But unless you're Ecotropian, you probably won't understand.  The reason even knee-deep in the trenches...just saying those three words can't wait for another day.

"Happy Birth Day!"

## Sub-319:  "Clocking in at 200 Years Worth of Mega-Hertz":

"Volt!  Volt!"

"What is it, Azzy?"

"You been checking your messages?  S.T.C.A.'s got an assignment for us."

"A field mission?"

"Yeah.  Guess they're giving us a chance."

"What've we got?"

"We got disrupting the time stream."

"Where?"

"It came in from Echo Ridge before the signature vanished."

"Echo Ridge?  That's Geo Stellar's time period.  The world of Transers, Star Carriers, V.G. Hunters, and the Wave Road."

"Yeah and we better get moving before Vi eavesdrops and makes a crack about "a wizard did it"."

"Let's hope S.T.C.A.'s got a trace going or we're going to have do this the old fashioned way."

"I had you-know-who send a Booth."

"Excellennnnnnnnnnnt!"

"It should be arriving--"

And I immediately heard the thunderstorm brewing outside.  We hurried out of the shop quickly in time to see the clouds swirl, the sky darken and a shaft of white light pierce down in front of a convenience store.

We both entered and Azzy looked the coordinates for Echo Ridge and the circuits of time leading there.

We touched down behind Big Wave.

"Disguises up."

"Right."

We peeked around the corner where Bob Copper was already investigating.

"I got eyes on "not-Zenigata"."

I chuckled at Azzy's wordplay.

"Tap his transer and find out what he's investigating."

A bit of spying and...

"Okay it looks like MegaMan was tailing some NetNavi that's gone rogue across the Wave Road."

"NetNavi?  I thought those were all but phased out by now."

"It must be an experimental one.  The header image lists him as "ClockMan"."

"Clock Man?  I cocked my head.  "I'm not making any Hoop-De-Doo-Dah Day jokes."

"Yeah, I don't think its the same one but it does have the same bad attitude.  I can't quite tell what went wrong with him but he seems to have torn some kind of hole into the cyber world.  It seems to have emptied out somewhere in the past."

"Let's see if we can get there and run a trace on it."

"To the Wave Road?"

"Yeah...gonna have to devise a way to EM Change."

"I actually might have a way...last time I was in one of Vi's simulations I made a recording of the data of one of my opponents and had some free time in the virtual reality lab and the electromagnetic labs.  I did some research on Matter-Waves and came up with a profile in case I ever needed to come down here."

"Let me guess.  By any chance did you use the data from Kung Foo Kid?"

"Eheh...I’m that easy to read?"

"Nah, it's okay.  It fits perfect."

"What about you?"

"I’m going to have to wing it.  The best I have to go on is that WolfWoods guy."

"Maybe you can couple your powers with the data?"

"It's worth a shot.  Just hope we don't break any laws by impersonating EM Wave warriors."

"If we make it to the other side of that time tear it won't matter."

"Right.  Because it empties out into the past.  But..."

"Yeah.  Let's be careful about interacting with people and changing history.

A bit of jury-rigging of our bracers and use of our combined knowledge of Networks, Waves, and electromagnetic science...

"Oh yeah...this will work nicely."  I mused.

"An electrical variant?  What do you call it?"

"Uh...WolfWatts?"

"Nice. Looks like you combined WolfWoods with ElecMan.EXE.  It fits.  WolfWatts it is.  I guess I'll just go by Kung Foo Kid until further notice."

"Might as well have aliases.  But I'm pretty sure if we run into Geo, he's gonna bust us on it."

"We'll just have to ask him to play along."

Once we were at the place.

"Looking down on the world from here..."  I peered over the translucent Wave Road.

"Fear of heights getting to you?"

"A little...but I'll cope.

"The time portal is this way.  Our contact, Boreal is forwarding the data on the Navi responsible."

"Yeah.  I heard his name is ClockMan."  Asriel scrolled through the holo-lyth report.

"Weird seeing a NetNavi go rogue like this after 200 years,."  I crossed my arms.  "If I didn't know any better I'd say World Three's legacy still persists."

"Legacy?"  Asriel arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah...I may have sugarcoated it.  Honestly the phrase I'd use would be the Curse of Wily."

Once at the portal.

"Probe is in,  Once it manifests on the other side we'll know where and when he trouble is."

A bit of waiting around...

"We got a ping."  Azzy showed me the feed.

"Where...rather when?"

"It's...the first World Three incident.  Right after Count Zap attempted to take over Sci-Lab's underground power plant and shut off the ventilation systems."

"So...the next day.  About when Lan and Mega Man started their investigation to find a way into World Three's servers through the Dark Net."

"The net trace shows activity at the Sakurai residence."  Azzy furrowed his brow.

"Maylu's house?"  I cocked my head a little.

"Might be jacked in through the piano synthesizer."

"Let's get there, quick.  And fix this before ClockMan wrecks history."

And like that...we were pulled in by some sort of electromagnetic gravitational force.

"Ever notice how many of these time portals look like an 80's album cover pulled through a vortex?  All wire grid and spinning Dali melty clocks and such?"

"I never really thought about it, Azzy.  Must be some kind of unsaid, universal trope.  I do remember that jacking in tends to look like flying through a sandwiched pair of circuit boards."

"I thought it was like a bunch of Orrery armatures spinning around a crystal?"

"Huh.  Maybe.  Or maybe a bunch of multi-colored diamond-shaped outlines exploding outward?"

"Cyberspace is weird."

"Very weird, Asriel."

The path seemed to go on endlessly. And it was anything but silent around us.

Sounds of videos, live streams, music, and everything under the sun going on around us.  And as we continued down the vortex, there as a noticeable regression in events.  History was definitely unwinding around us.  Years of progress were disappearing into the void as the images and calamitous chaos passed us by.

This was what going back in time meant.  Watching things in reverse.

"If this weren't another world's history, I'd feel really up in arms over seeing so many events that haven’t happened yet pass by us."

"It's still kind of sketchy.  Time and time again a lot of events, people, and places coincide with counterparts all over the space-time continuum."

"Yes.  But, still, Volt.  Past events can't predict future times.   Instances where such happen are only coincidence written by destiny and fate."

"That's a deep thought.  Confucius?  Voltaire?  Lao Tsu?  Maybe Socrates?"

"Nope.  Bunnie Rabbotou."

"Of course."

After a bit...

"I hear voices ahead!"

"MegaMan!  MegaMan, come on!

"W...what's wrong, Lan?  Did something happen to MegaMan...?"

"I don't know, he just suddenly stopped responding."

I furrowed my brow.

"ClockMan."

"We're too late.  He's already done something to the MegaMan of the past."

"Let's put a co-processor on that calculation."  Which, Vi assures me is code for speed things up.

That was when something blue surged past us.

"Hey!"

"I guess we got here ahead of Star Force MegaMan.  But Geo and Omega-Xis just overshot us."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting."

"WHOAH!  THE BLUE NAVI!?

"You're the one from before!"

Before?

"Looks like he actually beat us here."

"C'mon.  Let's see if we can still help."

By the time we actually did reach the other end of the portal...

"AHHH!"

"Uh...hey.  Ultra Crew Institute.  Um...don't mind us."

"This...isn't one of our stealthiest entrances, is it?"

"Nope."

"Why did we accept this assignment again?"

"...I'll get back to you."

One even LONGER explanation.

"So your bosses answer to screwing up the time stream is send more people to muck everything up?"

"Oh put a sock in it, Toothy McArm-Cannon."  I crossed my arms.

"Sensitive spot."

"One other question."  Geo Stelar asked, still wave-changed into MegaMan (Star Force).

"Why do you look like WolfWoods with a substation transformer coming out of your back and he looks like Kung Foo Kid in sandals?"

"Of all things that weren't affected by the Wave Change..."  Asriel looked down and wiggled his toes.  "Aunt Violet is laughing all the way to the bank."

"Time out!  The REAL question is why his ARM is talking!?"  Lan Hikari reminded us that he and Maylu Sakurai were still here.

It was a lot to take in, but once we got our stories straight...

"Volt, you head to Sci-Lab and check on Dr. Hikari."

"Right.  Must've been quite the incident to rock Sci-Lab's networks."

"And you and Geo will take this online and track down that Clock Data we need to undo ClockMan's trap.  That will get MegaMan.EXE's internal software operating again."

"Ready, team?  Break!"

I had to wonder if Lan's P.E.T. could hold two constructs.  But I was relieved when he uploaded without any problems.

"Wait, Dr. Arcade!  You can't go out looking like that!"

"Oh.  Good point."  I canceled the wave change--

"Like that's any better!"  Lan complained.

"Oh good grief..."  I facepalmed before demorphing.

"I suppose a lab coat will stick out in a place called SCI LAB?"  I wrinkled my snoot.

"He's a little grumpy because our bosses put him through the ringer before hand.  They're kind of big jerks."  Azzy covered for me.  Weird having him talk through the PET much less seeing his HD polygon image on a portable terminal.

"Just point me to the Metro Line.  I'm headed to the Government Building where Sci Lab is set up."  I smoldered.

One trip to the subway later...

"He going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine.  Now...where did you say you remember you saw a clock in the real world?"

A momentary pause before Lan remembered...!

"Dex's place!"

Asriel smirked.  Time to pay a visit to the big kid with the tiny mohawk and the voice that reminded me of Eddy from Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

One download later...and an awkward moment with Lan's on-again-off-again bully/rival...

'Huh.  It's exactly what I expected Clock Data to look like."  Asriel cupped his hands around it as the cascade of numbers wrapped around a core that shifted between a digital and an analog format, rapidly cycling through the hours and minutes of the day.

En route to SciLab, I was intercepted by Dentown/DenTech City's number one fish monger...and somehow walked away with a lot of whole fish.

"Maybe Rotor will appreciate the gift of seafood."  I cringed as Masa yelled at me to remember to take my calcium.  Oh boy.

At least he didn't challenge me to net battle SharkMan.EXE.  Though I'd stand a better chance against SharkMan than Saloma/Sal's WoodMan.

Speaking of the locals of DenTech, I hurried to get my bearings and try to get an update on the situation.  That's when shortly after getting back to ACDC town.  That's when I ended up crashing into its number one Battle Chip horder, Mr. Higsby.

And wouldn't you know it?  He made me stay and pick up every rare chip he dropped and insisted I pay for any damages or de-value to his prized collection...before rambling on about everything I never wanted to know about Rare Chips.

Oh boy.

"Volt!  We freed MegaMan.EXE.  But there's more trouble.  ClockMan kidnapped Maylu's Roll.EXE and that friend of Geo's--"

"He has Sonia Strumm?  Great."

With HarpNote out of action, it was up to the two MegaMen with Azzy's help to put things right.

"We got more Clock Traps blocking the net."

"I overheard a lead while the fish monger was hassling me from a florist running a lunch cart.  Green haired girl who was serving rose tea."

"That sounds like Miss Sal."  Lan's voice came in over my bracer.

"She said to check in with the Antique Shop owner."

"Then she must mean Miyu.  She's got a shop in DenCity's square.  Maylu explained.

"We're on it!  Lan, get us there!"  Asriel beckoned.

"We'll get this sorted out."  Geo promised.

I ended up taking the Metro Line to meet up with Lan.

On the way I thought I saw someone who looked like Lan's teacher, Miss Mari.

"Wait a minute...!"  She pushed up her dark sunglasses.

"You're not her..."

That could only be her lost twin sister, Miss Yuri.  I'd heard rumors she was working for someone...less reputable.

"Hey...!"

By the time I turned the corner, she was already gone.

"I hope you know that messing with Net Mafia GOSPEL  is a mistake.  A GRAVE mistake..."  I narrowed my eyes.  Not a very subtle reference but fitting if I was seeing the dawn of future events.

I doubled back, but stopped as I passed by a shop.

"Coming soon...?"

I noted the curry restaurant slated to open.

Then I furrowed my eyes at the likeness of Maharashama/Yahoot.  Was World Three's right hand man and yoga warrior really starting his contingency plan THIS soon?

"Hmm..."

I should be on the lookout for Mr. Match, Count Zap, and Miss Maddy.  If Yahoot is nearby, the other members of World Three were likely looking for the Element Programs to construct the Life Virus.  And they'd be up in arms after each of them getting defeated in Net Battle by Lan and MegaMan.

"Azzy reporting in!  We got the second clock data from Miyu's wall clock.  There's one last trap to go but we don't know where to look."

"It has to be one last place that has a clock."  I furrowed my brow.  I decided to get a bit of privacy and WaveChange to WolfWatts and dive the net to get answers from NetNavis or Mr. Programs.

No clues.

Finally after giving up trying to find someone, I jacked out and decided to think at ACDC Elementary.  Surely their library was a quiet place to think.

I stopped at the water fountain where the large statue of Tadashi Hikiari overlooked.

"Dang, he looks just like Thomas Light."  I scratched the back of my head.  "Lan's grandfather..."

That was when I heard it.

"Hmm?"

The school bell...coming from a giant clock above the entrance to the school.

"Lan,  Asriel, Geo, Omega-XiS and MegaMan.EXE!  The last clock is at ACDC Elementary out front!

And sure enough after a bit Lan rollerbladed his way in and Geo pulsed in with Asriel behind him.

Moments later...the third and final clock data.

"Let's undo that trap and Virus Bust the heck out of ClockMan."  I slammed my fist into my palm.

Back to the scene of the crime in cyberspace.

"Jack in!  Battle Routine set!  MegaMan, EXECUTE!"

"Let's go BUCK WILD!"  Omega-Xis rallied for action.

And so they did battle with the nasty netnavi.

"Battle Chip in!  DOWNLOAD!"

"Mess with the Goat and get t he HORNS!"

"Get owned!"

After holding all three at bay for a bit, the number games finally overwhelmed ClockMan.

"CLOCKMAN DELETED."

And with that, Roll and HarpNote were released from their confinement.

"You know this crossover wasn't so bad."  I mused, leaning up against the wall in Lan's room.

We made up excuses to tell Haruka Hikari what her son was up to and running around with weird people.  The I.D. Badge I'd put together from SciLab materials sure made things convincing.

But all in all...we kept the modifications to the time stream minimalized.

"Turned out that ClockMan was hording all of the things he considered "beautiful" and wanted to preserve them for all time."

"Classic Brainiac complex."  Azzy shrugged and shook his head in that Hyperdeath way.

"Well.  Our bosses should be happy with that."  I dusted off my hands.

We let Geo and Sonia get back to their future.

"Hey, look us  up if you ever venture outside of DenTech City."  Asriel shook Lan's hand.

"You can count on it.  And maybe we can have a sweet net battle."

"I guess I'll have to get myself a NetNavi by then."

"Or just use a default one.  I'm sure you can get one standard with a PET."  I shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's not the same as having your own custom NetNavi."

"You can say that again, Lan."  MegaMan agreed.

"Great.  Now that we're on the same page, you can start on my homework."

"Laaan.  If you don't do the work yourself, you'll never learn anything."

"What's that?  Are you disobeying your net op!?  You know you can be reprogrammed!"

And the arguing commenced.

"This is...normal."  Maylu  sweatdropped.

"Well.  Stay in touch.  We'll be around."  Asriel waved as we made the Wave Change and headed back through the Cyber Gate to our world.

## Sub-Entry 320: "Reach For the Stars"

Alphs sighed as she put down the newspaper.

"G-gosh...these other worlds just can't c-catch a break with s-s-space technology."

"Reading about the Space-X thing, huh?"  Vi mused.  "Ole Elon Musk's wallet is probably barely dented."

"And have you seen this report from Terra?  How long have th-those two been t-trying to get that p-p-poor hero of the moon."

"I think we've just about closed the case on Mega Man Legends."  Vi rolled her eyes.  "Don't give it another thought."

"B-B-B-But...so m-m-many wasted materials.  S-so many f-f-failed rocket prototypes.   Th-they must be very worried about this V-Volnutt guy."

"Yeah...but I doubt he's in any trouble up there.  Really...it's down on Terra I'm more worried about."  I turned around in my swivel chair.

"Yuna said it herself.  The Elder System is becoming active again.  I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg with these ReaverBots.  What if there are more things like that giant golden god-beast Reaverbot that Loathe unburied while Tron was trying to get her family out of trouble over the debts of the Gesselschaft?"  Asriel followed up.

"We haven't seen any of them since...that whole thing with the Voltron team up."  I pondered.

"Yeah...but I don't think that's what's really percolating on the backburner with us, Volt."

"Hmm?"

"I think...we're dodging the real theme at hand."

I furrowed my eyes.

"When was the last time...we went to space?"

Out of nowhere, Azzy?

"It's...been a while.  But...space?  Its not something you pick up the phone and call a taxi for."

"Yeah, unless you're the Last Starfighter and get into a car that wasn't a car by a guy who wasn't a guy.  You know what I mean."

"Nice reference."  The goat mused.

"And yeah...I know.  But it's not like we don't know anyone with a space station..."

"You thinking that Violet owes us a favor?"  Asriel grinned.

"Not unless you think you can get us aboard Sky Vault again."

"Well, reaching out to Crystal Kane isn't unreasonable.  But let's go the simpler route."

"Hmm?"

And before long Asriel had made calls to ACME detective agency, Kadic Academy, NASADA, WAXA, WAZA, and practically every entry in our rolodex with a connection to space travel.

And before long...

"Mirandian UCIAT role call!"

"Bunnie."

"Violet, yo!"

"Sally ready to rally."

"Gadget here!"

"Rotor.  I'm present."

"Uh...Pit.  This...reminds me of the Metroid missions."

"Lupe.  Is it wise for us to be doing this?  I don't know if being separated from the natural world is best for my abilities and well-being."

"We all adapt, Lupe.  Callista here, by the way."

"Scott O'Conner.  Reporting in, sir."

"And Jon here.  Just tell me when lunch is served.  I can't wait to try that dehydrated space food."

I rolled my eyes.

"And I too will embark on this journey!"  Antoine was ready to prove how brave he was.

Twelve on our side.

"Undertale UCIAT roll call."

"Frisk!  You betcha!"

"Chara.  Don't get all excited, everyone."

"Duude!  M.K. totally ready for space adventure."

"Toriel is here."

"My word, don't forget Asgore!"

"Nyeheheh!  Space cadet Papyrus is about to get even cooler!"

Sans just held up a sign pointing to himself.

"Minimalist again, Brother?"  Paps scowled.

"Bring on the laser swords and ray guns!"  That could only be Undyne.

"Dr. Alphys!  And I must say this is the ch-chance of a lifetime!  All the scientific d-d-discoveries!  So many n-new frontiers!  I was b-born ready for this!"

"I'm about to make my glorious debut among the stars.   Your shining Mettaton EX  goes beyond the next level!"  Of course, Mettaton.

"Ohhh...I'm here too."   And Napstablook.

"Burgerpaaaaaants!  Don't forget our matched luggage!"

"Kill...meeeeeeee...."  Burgerpants' eyes twitched as the impossible pile of gear was piled up on his back.

"And Asriel, Prince of this World's Future about to take our future to the stars!"

Thirteen on theirs.

Counting myself...a whopping 25 people going to space.

"Stand by the beam up."

"Roger that, Boreal."  I acknowledge WAZA's side of the equation.

"This is Sci-Lab.  We're a go at WAXA."

"Roger, Dr. Hikari."  Asriel mused.

Our group entered the gates of the Orbital Elevator.

"Once you arrive at the top, the Astro Mega Ship will be waiting.  From there the Gate Way will be awaiting your arrival to Terra Venture."

"And from there everywhere all at once."

Asriel shuffled through the dossiers that listed everything from Sky Vault to Starbase (Where No Turtle Has Gone Before).  From the Great Fox to the Watch Tower.

And even a stop at Eggman's Intergalactic Amusement Park to shut it down and free some WISP's.  Plus wherever else we could fit and finally finishing off at the Tokugawa Family Space Station.

"I think it only appropriate we have some fitting music for this."  Asriel clicked on his Bracer and accessed his Crush 40 folder.

"Ohhh...that one."  I grinned, wagging my tail.  "Yes...yes, this will do nicely."

***"TAKE OFF***

***AT THE SPEED OF SOUND***

***BRIGHT LIGHTS***

***COLORS ALL ROUND"***

Indeed, the Orbital Elevator slingshot upward through the diamond-glass tunnel toward the sky.

The chaser lights and LED strips and glowing circuit pattern seams were quite colorful.

***"I'M RUNNING WILD LIVING FAST AND FREE***

***GOT NO REGRETS INSIDE OF ME"***

Sally was running in circles around the chamber, suddenly feeling the cramped space get to her already.

Lupe overlapped her hands over her Spirit Meld Prism, looking remorse.  She could feel her mana connections slipping away.

***"NOT LOOKING BACK***

***NOT GIVING UP***

***NOT LETTING GO...***

***I'LL KEEP ON RUNNING"***

Asriel, Frisk, Chara, and M.K. looked straight up through the class at the sky above as its slowly transitioned from white cloudy ceiling to empty blue...and slowly shifted to blackness and then...!

***"I'M GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS***

***ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK PRETTY FAR***

***I'M GONNA FIND MY OWN WAY***

***AND TAKE A CHANCE ON TODAY"***

Asriel reached out with his open hand, toward the stars.

***"THE SKY WITH STARS SO BRIGHT***

***THE COLORS FEEL SO RIGHT***

***I'VE NEVER FELT LIKE THIS***

***I KEEP ON RUNNING"***

Sally kept speeding about, eye twitching a little.

Asgore held onto Toriel's hand tightly.

***"THE SKY WITH STARS SO BRIGHT***

***THE COLOR FEEL SO RIGHT***

***JUST TAKE MY HAND WE'RE GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS***

***TONIGHT....***

***TONIGHT...."***

At some point Sans fell asleep on the ride up.

By the time it reached the top, Papyrus was giving him the stink-eye.  Where DO his eyes come from anyway?  He's s skeleton.  Usually they're just empty sockets.

***"WAKE UP LIVING DAY BY DAY***

***DO WHAT I WANT AND I'LL DO IT MY WAY***

***THE WORLD IS FIGHTING RIGHT BELOW MY FEET***

***GOT NO REGRETS INSIDE OF ME"***

Undyne gripped her fist, thinking of all the battles she was leaving behind.  Surely if space were anything like the movies there'd be all kinds of evil empires and such to fight somewhere.  Right?

***"NOT LOOKING BACK***

***NOT GIVING UP***

***NOT LETTING GO...***

***I'LL KEEP ON RUNNING."***

At the Astro Mega Ship, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell were ready to bring us aboard.  I noted their Space Patrol Alpha uniforms.  Guess dealing with the Troobian invasion could wait...just a bit.  I'm sure Sirius would be--

Oh no.  I forgot what lead to Anubis "Doggy" Krueger forming Space Patrol Delta.  I hope WE weren't going to be responsible for...!

I'd later discovered if we hadn't taken that detour, then likely Adam and Aisha wouldn't make it back.  The fall of Sirius was inevitable.  And all we really did was save two Ranger lives out of an entire planet that Grumm would destroy.

Uh...right.  We're in the middle of a song!

***"I'M GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS***

***ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK PRETTY FAR***

***I'M GONNA FIND MY OWN WAY***

***AND TAKE A CHANCE ON TODAY"***

As we soared off toward the ring-shaped gate some immeasurable distance away, Asriel, Frisk, M.K. and Chara convinced Alphys to fly with them on the Galaxy Gliders.  Still aboard since the days of Millennial Message and Mission X.

***"THE SKY WITH STARS SO BRIGHT***

***THE COLORS FEEL SO RIGHT***

***I'VE NEVER FELT LIKE THIS***

***I'LL KEEP ON RUNNING"***

Mettaton posed atop the Megaship...and...where did those spotlights come from?  How in the heck were they even EXISTING!?

***THE  SKY WITH STARS SO BRIGHT***

***THE COLORS FEEL SO RIGHT***

***JUST TAKE MY HAND. WE'RE GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS***

***TONIGHT......***

***TONIGHT........................."***

At the Gate Way, we all slingshot our way to Terra Venture II.  The pride of Mirinoi since Earth had set up and established civilization among their new neighbors.

Asriel couldn't help but admire how much it resembled Angel Grove inside.

***"I GOT IT IN MY SIGHT***

***THE COLORS FEEL SO RIGHT***

***GOT MY FEET ON THE GROUND***

***I KEEP ON RUNNING"***

Sally couldn't be happier to be in open space running around again.

***"OH,I CAN FEEL IT NOW. THE COLORS ALL AROUND***

***JUST TAKE MY HAND WE'RE GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS."***

From there we did anything and everything.

Chara and Frisk racing each other on the moon on Lunar Rovers.

Undyne getting her own over-compensating light saber.  Seriously you just NEED to see how many light blade attachments she had us install on it.  It was looking more like a neon set of tree branches.

Alphys passing out in the training centrifuge.

I ended up pulling more G-forces than anyone in the group AND stayed conscious.

Asgore and Toriel going for a space walk...and Tori having to real him back in after he misjudged his jumps.

Scott and Callista even got into a space battle or two with Undyne and Mettaton backing them up.  Yes, really.

And Burgerpants spent his time trying to remove himself from the space toilet.  Yes...really.

***"JUST TAKE A CHANCE.***

***[JUST TAKE A CHANCE]***

***WE'LL DO IT RIGHT AGAIN.***

***WE'RE GONNA REACH FOR THE STARS"***

Aboard the Tokugawa Space Station, while looking out over our own planet...

Asriel looked to Frisk and offered his hand.

Frisk graciously accepted it and gripped firmly.

***"JUST TAKE MY HAND.***

***[JUST TAKE MY HAND]***

***WE'LL TAKE A CHANCE TONIGHT..***

***REACH FOR THE STARS***

***TONIGHT......................***

***TONIGHT....................."***

And so we all gradually, gathered at the viewing deck.

"After so many years of looking up and wishing to see real stars...now..."  Asriel smiled.

"Now...we're among the stars."  Frisk nodded.

"It's the ultimate wish, isn't it, Azzy?"  Chara placed her knuckled to her hips.

"You've done...a wonderful thing this day, my son."  Asgore patted him on the shoulder.

"Agreed.  You did alright."  Scott gave a thumbs-up.

"Doing okay, Lupe?  Alphys checked on her.

"I feel...disorientation and a disconnect but..."  Lupe looked over to the hydroponic lab samples that had been wheeled in.  "These plants are certainly helping a little."

"Nature, and by extension, science finds a way."  She beamed.

"So I got into a lot of space battles!  Fuh-huh-huh!  I guess I'm totally a Jet Spy, right?"

"I think you mean Jedi.  But yeah.  Totally."  Asriel smirked.

"Yeah, yeah.  That too."

"We have boldly gone where no Monster has gone before, my beauties!"

"It was...fun."  Napstablook was actually smiling.

"Heh.  I guess space is the place."  Sans shrugged.

"You are underselling it, brother!  Did you see my vertical leap?  I bet no skeleton has ever jumped that high before."

"I can tell you no goat monster has ever jumped that hi before.  Right, Gorey?"

Toriel folded her arms as Asgore tried to keep his fingers off the conspicuous pair of band aids on his forehead where he had made a slight miscalculation before the artificial gravity was re-engaged in the airlock.

Asgore just moaned a little from the pain.

"It was strange.  A lot of the times outside in space, I didn't have to use my wings.  Not that I'm sure they'd work in a void without air."

"Remind you your time working with Samus?"

"A little."

"I’m going to bring home so many souvenirs!  I can't wait to show Mitzi!"

Gadget carried a pair of boxes, one labeled "moon rocks" the other labeled "space junk".

"What to do about you?"

I turned to where Jon was about passed out with a whole mound of squeeze-tube space food emptied out nearby.

"Man.  Sonic doesn't know what he's missing."

"Perhaps, Sally-chan.  But he always seemed the type to keep his feet on the ground."

"I can't imagine why.  Speaking of...how soon until we can get back on terra firma?"

"Ran through every corridor on the station, huh?  Violet grinned.

"So this is where you spend your Festival of the Rabbit celebrations."

"Better to get away from the implied cannibalism."

"Oh go on."  Asriel waved it off.    Bunnie shook her head after rolling her eyes.

"Well.  This has been quite the spring field trip.  I just wonder what we're going to do for summer vacation?"

Laughter all around.

The sun came up around the horizon of  the planet at about that time.

"Okay everyone.  First sunrise out in space.  Don't miss it anyone!"

And we watched with fascination.

"It looks oddly smaller out here."

"I think it looks bigger."

"Give it a cycle or two and we can catch the Moon's orbit, too."

"We were just there!"

It was something else bringing both our worlds together like this.

Who else could say they formed an alliance with an alien species and solidified the friendship by going to space together?

"Tomorrow’s another day, everyone."

"Yeah.  we gotta get back in time for the second of the Taurus Trio birthdays.  Isn't that right, Bunnie?"

"Kodomo no Hi never looked so inviting."

"And it is also Cinco de Mayo, dear brother."

"Well tickle my ribs, Paps.  So it is."

I suppose I should have ended this log a while ago.  But time flies when you're having fun writing about the fun you were having.

Well.  Our voyage back to our home planet would be uneventful.  Though...it wouldn't be without a...minor complication.

"GET...ME...DOWN FROM HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!"

Poor Burgerpants.  He didn't deserve this.

So...we corrected it by coming back and bringing him home...while leaving Al Dente behind.

Though...eventually it did get to the point Burgerpants wondered if we should have left him up there.

"Burgerpants!  Cleanup in MTT Resort Deluxe Plus' restroom facilities!"

"W...which one?"

"All of them.  Hurry up and get started before the weekend!"

I am not at liberty to comment on the defeat sobbing and crying that followed.

That night, Asriel, Frisk, M.K.  and Chara crowded around his telescope.

"Already back and I miss it."

"We lived the experience of a lifetime."

"We'll go back some day."

"We better.  Jon ate all the chocolate ice cream."

"Ah you didn't miss much.  It was like eating a dried sponge."  M.K. stuck his tongue out.

"Well just ask Vi.  I'm sure she can get you a ton of it."

"On my salary I'll be paying her back until the next space trip."

"Well simple solution.  Don't ask for more than your fair share."  Frisk responded.

"Right.  Like I'm going to do that."

"Hey look!  Quick!  A shooting star!  Azzy passed the telescope.

"Where?  Oh!  I see it!"

"Dude!  Me!  Me!"

"Hey I get next dibs!'

"Make a collective wish, everybody!"

It's been said many times before.

But...

When you wish upon a star...

Until next time.

Chapter 33

Reload Part 1

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