PLDF Chapter 25

> Chapter 25: My Story Isn't Ending. It's Just Bridging the Way to the Next Part/DeltaRune C2 Comes to a Close... (Sub-Entries 241-250)
>
>

## Sub-Entry 241: "The Longest of Roads to See Our Wish Come True"

It's fitting that as I write this with voice-to-text software via my onboard computer, I'm actually am on the road, headed back to town after some public relations.

So.  I did it.  I really did it.  I told the whole town my plans for the next years.  And that plan would surely leak across the globe.  It would mean all eyes could be on us.  It could become a media circus.  The security we'd have to ensure we didn't have any authorized "gate jumpers" go in ahead of us or follow us in afterward would be pretty high. And if Undyne was coming along with us, how would we enforce that?   Hey, I've seen movies like Bio-Dome (which I shouldn't admit to.  Thanks a lump, Aunt Vi.).  I know how air-headed teens who are probably stoned end up letting their curiosity lead to stupid dares and mistaking the wrong place for the wrong public facility.  And the disaster that inevitably follows being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It just would take some group of delinquents to dare each other to pull an "Area 51 Naruto-Run-Past-Security-To-See-Proof-Of-Aliens" to muck-a-doodle things up.

Hey, that meme is still relevant, right?  It's not completely "so-yesterday", yet.  I should hope.  But then again, didn't someone make the mistake of joking to Aunt Vi that the life-span on a new Skrillex music track was two months before it was forgotten? Yeah, she didn't take that well.

Speaking of which, I've actually got Breaking a Sweat booming on my car stereo in this moment. I can't help but think of shark-toothed Red Stokes.  All while wearing a huge "smile-you-son-of-a-b-word-shark" Jaws grin.  I may not be actually breaking a sweat in this air conditioning...but it's all right! HAH!

On  a serious note, I am scheduling a think tank session with Alphys and all of the best minds around the globe in her circle on designing the power systems for the Undertale's Wish gateway and the supportive systems and safety contingencies among other things we'd have to upgrade and install in the coming years.  We'd have our top electrical engineers on this.  We'd have to figure a way to feasibly integrate it into the Newest Home power grid without over-drawing the generators 100 times over and blowing the power plant sky high.

I didn't want to have to take a cue from Space Colony ARK when it used the Eclipse Cannon as a wireless power transfer to energize the gate to send Sonic and friends back home... ....but...it was looking like arranging that on our world's recent orbital space station was going to have to be a possibility.  We'd already doubled and tripled down on the number of solar panels added to it, so it had plenty of main and auxiliary power to spare.  But beaming power directly to the gate?

Man...there was paying homage to Chris Thorndyke and outright ripping his grandfather Chuck's work off directly.

I'd also considered taking a cue from Dr. Wily when he took over an off-shore oil rig to convert into a magma drilling Skull Castle on the water in order to use the geothermal lava to fuel his latest Wily Machine.

While gathering magma wasn't totally outlandish, I was thing more an array of thermocouple networks, to convert heat into electricity.

And then there were the vast number of wind turbines that Frisk and I signed off on that had just recently been completed and made operational on the outskirts of town in a notoriously windy area.

It wasn't just that we were trying to get enough power...we also wanted to make sure we were going green at the same time.  Hey, call me a tree-hugger if you must, but if I may bet slightly political, there ARE some things about the Left Wing I do agree with.  But not as to say on the record what my political stance actually is. Y'know a person doesn't HAVE to be all in one wing or the other.  Seriously. Whatever happened to being actually conservative and compromising on conflicting issues?  Volt would be getting queasy just from reading this paragraph alone.  But he'd at least respect me for playing moderator.

Okay, ugly adult stuff out of the way.

The legal matters were well taken care of; Frisk was a dynamo facilitating that as ambassador between humans and monsters.  Public opinion was STAGGERINGLY positive and all in for the plan.

We'd be pondering the ethics of this in news expose's for months and months to come.  No doubt people would try to make a religious thing out of it.  Not going to get into that.

And boy oh boy was it impacting pop culture.  I think the charts got flooded with songs referencing Undertale's Hope & Dreams.  To which somehow...my "theme song" was still at the number one spot.  Ummm. Meta.

Still...as flattering as it was, I was still proceeding with caution.

I'd done it.  I'd really let the genie out of the bottle. And I'd opened pandora's box.  But no.  I wasn't speaking in the metaphor of getting one of Lady Destiny or Madam Fate's bishop or pawn contracts.  I was speaking in actual metaphor, this time.

I think I finally get how those contracts work.

Each goddess was both king and queen.  They made the rules.

There could only be two knights.  A white one--Volt Arcade, and a black one--Allouicious Adonis.

There could be multiple bishop contracts.  Lesser but still came with a higher degree of autonomy relative to the "net of destiny" and "web of fate" if I may lean a little toward a Sluggy Freelance reference.  Basically, the Knights were unbound...on PAPER.  The reality was they were still part of the song and dance.  They tended to be the unwilling (in Volt's case) controllers held by the King and Queen, while the bishops--the subordinates chosen like Daimyou and KOMMAND--served as the strings. And the strings pulled on the pawns below; whether willingly or subconsciously.  Every decision was marked in the grand scheme of the script. And try as one might...your choices will ALWAYS be part of the script.  Part of the plan.  The sisters...made spontaneity almost a total illusion.  Depressing to think about, isn't it?

And then you had the vast number of pawn contracts which were doled out among STC on one side...and foot soldiers of Chaopolis on the other.  Lesser in every conceivable way but still carrying that immortality angle. It just always felt like the discount dollar-store version no matter how much you had to keep in mind. IMMMORTALITY.

I don't really get what the additional perks are toward Bishop Contracts and Knight Contracts besides what I said about influence from Destiny and Fate...but I'm sure Volt knows what they are.  And probably why the Council wanted the upgraded deluxe versions.  It's probably a pride thing...knowing you're subordinate to YOUR subordinate!  Heheh. Oh, there is justice in the world even if it doesn't quite work the way you want or hope it to.

I can kind of see why the Council was so sore over getting the silver medal over the gold ones. There were only two to spare and...their attempt to be the strings, pulling the controller rather than who they intended to be the puppet backfired drastically.

So yeah.  That was the basic structure of this...Ultimate Game of Games.  I've seen this game played in other forms, too.  Madam Web of the Spider-Man universe has her own take on it with her opponent.  That's my go-to example.  And my go-to model for how it's implemented was their game where they chose Spider-Man to lead a team of Marvel Universe heroes (and ex-villains if you count Curt Conners/the Lizard); a utopian world that never knew war or violence or evil...was that even POSSIBLE? And the game drops the worst villains of the Marvel-verse smack dab into them.  All to prove what?  That good is good?  And evil is bad?  Uh...duh.

And yet beings like Lady Destiny and Madam Fate have to keep proving it.  Like a science experiment.  Over and over and over again, in variations.  That's the nature of the UltraVerse.  That's our unified, combined infinity-verse in a nutshell. The "Crossover Dimension" as we were known.

I know we weren't the first of realities to do something like this and certainly not the last. Certainly not the best.  Certainly not the worst.  But we would proudly counter a declaration of "Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover ever" with "Hold my root beer..." before showing that we had Lego: Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Avengers: End Game, Multi-Versus, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Saturday Morning Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (weird one to admit to), the Laugh-O-Lympics,  Jump Force, and Justice League Unlimited in our many expansion packs.

We crossed over crossovers. Redundant but when your crossovers have crossovers?  Yeah. We didn't like to brag about it but...we knew.  After I just got done saying we weren't the biggest and best and had the most? Yeah.  Life lesson.  Even if you ARE those things...there's always going to be someone better.  There's probably an expanded universe different than our own UltraVerse that is EVEN BIGGER than our innumerable crossover collective.  And...that was fine.  We just had to do what we did and be true about it.

Man...I guess I get existential about anything, anywhere, anytime.  Don't I?

It was about that time I got a call from Frisk on my car's hand-free holo-phone.

That was when the self-driving system automatically kicked in.  Yeah...I'm out in the birthday car from ages ago.  Still runs like awesome and still the highest of the high tech on the road.

"Moshi-moshi. You've reached a goat who would never jump off a Yoshi (while over a pit)."

"Azzy!  You out on the road?"

"I sure am. Self-driving cars are amazing, huh?"

"Yeah, they're really something!  At the rate you've introduced tech into Undertale, 95% of all cars are going to half a self-driving feature in the next decade."

"Annnnd have hybridization for electric/solar."  I pointed out.  Lupe would be so proud of me.

"You are so eco-friendly, Asriel!  I'm impressed!"

"Hey.  Go green or don't leave home."

Yeah.  Like I said.  I did agree with SOME policies of the Left.  But I remind I'm an Arcade and I believe in adoption.  Every heartbeat is precious.  To decide otherwise is hubris.

Okay no more ugly controversial, polarizing topics.  Promise.

"You on your way back to town?"

"You know it. How's things been with getting the ball rolling on...?"

"Well...public opinion is well in favor but...the reality is it's going to be slow getting the ball rolling."

"It's okay.   We need to take our time.  A rushed product is forever bad.  A delayed one is eventually good.  Alphys and I will make sure of that."

"You get that Cyber Gate monument operation and our world is going to change so much."

"Yeah...yeah it will. And...reunions will happen.  They will.  I know it because...I think, while I can't speak for everyone...I need them to."

"Probably the only person would could relate is Chara."  Frisk reasoned.

"Yeah.  Chara's the only other one who's been on VGM-098...and would remember it.  Mom...Toriel doesn't count.  Volt neurolized her after sending her back home.  After Adonis tried to muck everything up."

"Yeah...she still doesn't know she was there prior?"

"We...might break it to her some day.  For now...it's for her own protection.  Though...that protection is lowly reaching an expiration date."

"It's funny.  Our parents spent our childhood, not telling us the whole truth for our protection and here we are...not telling them the whole story for theirs."

"The sins of the fathers/mothers...?"  I rubbed my chin as the onboard navigator steered me down the highway and took the turn-off ramp.

"We all make mistakes. Then we make up for them."

"The essence of second chances, Frisk.  That's why you're going to fit in great when we make it to Miranda City."

"Awww."

A moment of ambient silence, as I didn't have the radio on.

"How's Candi Cane?"

"Oh she's just wonderful!  Say hi, lil' gal!"

Frisk held Candi Cane up to the camera and moved one of her ears. At times you sometimes forgot rabites...don't really have feet.  They're mostly blob of flesh and fur with long rabbit-like ears, buck teeth, and a powder-puff tail.  It's no wonder why they're always hopping about rather than crawling or running. Though...I wonder how they're able to tunnel underground like Wrench does?

Not gonna lie.  Wish I had Spot with me to give an answering ear-wave.

"Well, I just took my exit so I better wrap this call up.  I'll see you soon enough, Frisk."

"I'll see you too, fluffkins."

I think I just got my first pet name!

"Friiiisk!" I didn't really protest but I was turning pink in the cheeks.

"I'll see you then! Ja-ne!"

"Bye!"

And call ended.

You know I really should save the Jangese for when I talk to Alphys.  But...I get the feeling Frisk is learning, too.  At no point did she ask me to translate so that's a good sign.

\*sigh\*

Well...I don't know what movie it was but I remember a car being called a time machine...and it wasn't Back to the Future.  No, I meant in the metaphorical sense.  The road behind?  The past. The road ahead?  The future.

I was speeding toward it as fast as the speed laws would allow.  Not just literally, mind you...

I could see my end goal over the horizon.  And now so could everyone else.

It was coming.

The day was coming.

I just didn't know exactly when.

I chose my path.  And everyone chose with me.

We're going off world.

Somehow, someday.

Undertale's Wish comes true.

## Sub-Entry 242: "Spy the Fan: a Home Something"

That's the last time I ask Dad for advice on naming a journal entry topic.  I'm sure if you sound out the title just right, you'll get movie reference, Michael Keaton not included.  And I know Dad wasn't clever enough to make what sounds like a Mad Magazine satire.  And as you may have guessed, the title has almost nothing to do with my diary thoughts of the day.  Actually...the movie in question is far more relevant, so let's go with that.

I look at mom's school from the parking lot, having ended my teaching shift for the day.  School's out.  Kids are going home, passing by my mini-van.

What's on my mind?

Seeing that we're approaching the Homecoming dance.

I'm just now realizing...my homecoming has been in effect for a year now.  I have come home.  This is, indeed home.

And yet...I don't think I can have a proper homecoming celebration; as a graduating senior or as a returning alumni.  All of that would be relevant back in the Ultra Crew Institute.  My academic career off world was where I left my memories.

It's okay though.

I don't feel much regret on missing out on possibly being named Homecoming King, with Frisk as my Homecoming Queen.  Or then again, maybe I'd be playing football in the big game.....yeah...probably not. I can't say I care for contact sports; especially football.  But for some reason it's the "All-American Past Time" which apparently makes for big college scholarships.  I see it as the cause of too many concussions and head injuries; Volt felt the same.

Okay, enough depressing talk about dangerous sports and their implications.

If anything, I'd be more comfortable in the Marching Band.  I already know how to play saxophone thanks to Volt.  Yeah.  I could imagine coming back as an Alumni Band member, every year in a row just to play a couple songs and the Alma Mater while doing the most basic march routine amongst the actual band members of the current generation.  Then march off the field and get a handful of cookies and sweetened fruit punch or water.  Maybe have time for an aftertime show before heading back for after-game celebration or pizza or something.

Now that thought really lights my fire.

Missed opportunities shouldn't be a reason to feel regret but...you just keep wondering what could have been.

And yet...chances are, if things had been different...I'd still be in the Underground, probably being groomed to take on my eventual duties as King once Asgore and Toriel stepped down.  I'd have to find myself a queen...most likely my own species.

Hey there were others goat monsters in the Underground that don't appear on the Undertale list of characters...probably.  I'm honestly still taking a census of just who else did come up from underground when the Barrier broke.  The apparent "credits" of Undertale seemingly list us all.  But c'mon.  Even a story tells only part of the story, right?  Heck, if our unseen maker--watching through the eyes of Annoying Dog--made us..he/she/it probably has a stack of scrapped characters and sketches of people who miiiight still exist in some shape or form.  Just crumpling a paper up probably doesn't take us out of reality.  Er.....right?

I don't know how it works. That's dangerous thinking. Probably best to leave this thought alone.  Anyway...

A lot of what-if's, and could-have-been's in light of what actually came to be.

Yet, on the other hand it was nice to dream how it could have been like.

I couldn't help but imagine myself in some varsity jacket on a bus ride to some marching band competition...and then have to slip into a marching band uniform and sit with the rest of my fellow classmates; watching the other shows from the bleachers. Y'know sizing up the competition so we had an idea where we stood.

And then we go out there and perform.  And afterward there's that anxiety of hearing our scores announced.  Wouldn't it be something if we got straight 1's (best score) and just killed it with half-time show.  Strangely as I imagine this, the music popping into my head is a medley of Phantom of the Opera.  Oooh. That would be a good one to choreograph to!  I wonder if any high school has actually done something like that?

And heck...as I leave my car, I'm still daydreaming about this.  Sure there was the end result of state band competition finals.  But, wait!  What road got us there?

I smiled as I tried to envision the kind of fun nightmare of a grueling band camp.  Maybe at some college campus.  Staying in a dorm room all week, getting three square a day, having to attend a length music session in an amphitheater or auditorium.  Then having to spend another session out on a field, learning the marching drills.  Maybe a session combining both?  All this all week, with nary a moment in between for recreational stuff. Yes still time for night activities and I don't know...ceremonial camp fire just before the big day we'd have to pack up, leave, go home, and put on a performance in uniform for our own school just to showcase what we worked on for a whole week.  Yeah.

It could have been one heck of a high school experience.

And that's not to say I was leaving out high school life itself.  The usual bevy of classes, starting with a home room.  Maybe there'd be some "Channel One" morning show on a TV in every room for announcements and such.  And then there was the hustle and bustle of going from classroom to classroom, every hour during the eight-hour day.  From English (we called it Common back in Miranda City) to some higher level of math.  Maybe algebra, geometry, or the basics of trigonometry and pre-calculus.  Oh!  Of course those science classes that you first experience a high school lab for; biology, chemistry,  Early introduction to physics.  Don't forget world history, social studies.

Maybe there's an extra curricular activity during the week like...I don't know...the aforementioned marching band in the autumn and concert band in the winter.  Probably a gym class in there.  Maybe something like an art class?  And what would a high school life be without a second language? Parlevous Frances?  Se habla Espanol?  Sprechen Sie Englisch?  Lei parla inglese?

Starting to feel like Nikita quoting all those Earth languages.

All that is just me pondering what I would have been expected to learn as a student. But...what would I have EXPERIENCED as a student?

I know, if things had stayed the same, I wouldn't even be able to daydream any of this; because we'd all still be in the Underground.  I'd be home-schooled.  I'd inherit the throne some day.  And my princess and future queen would be an arranged marriage in a all probability.

And yet I was pondering what things would have been like if we had gotten to the surface without Volt's intervention.  If Chara and I had survived without someone stopping Madam Fate's script from cheating us over and over; if she just...didn't interfere at all.  If the rules of our game just...never happened. If we were....well...normal but without the big tragedy that set all this in motion.

Well...I supposed I MIGHT have gotten interested in girls sooner.  Maybe mom and dad would have given me "the talk".  You know...the birds and the bees one.  THAT infamous one.   Ahem.

I'd figure things out on my own.  Maybe meet a goat monster my own age.  Ask her out on a date, try to impress her after getting my license (and probably my first car from a used dealership).  Go through the motions of high points and low points that eventually ends on going steady.

And that leads of course to the homecoming dance where I just asked Miss Right out and with lucky she says yes.

Then...wishful thinking at that big homecoming game, I don't know...we both get elected king and queen.

And who knows...maybe that would lead to the even-more iconic...prom?

Yeah...wouldn't that be something?  All the while I ponder this, I just can't envision it without seeing my and Frisk in those places.  Like we grew up together the whoooole time instead of...just meeting per chance inside the barrier while the Multiverse was at stake.

I got to my classroom ahead of my students and readied my itinerary for the day.  I was realizing myself how good this generation had it. And I never got to experience it the way they were now.

To this point I'd been thinking about what could have been and it had been grounded in reality.  But as I was waking up to the day and my responsible nature was pulling me toward the real world, I found my fantasy world--within my rent-free head space--start to get a little less real and take on weirder what-if's.  I think it was time to put this line of thought away when the dream high school life turns into a dream high school musical.  Yeah...I'm not ready to live out Mettaton's ultimate fantasy of singing and dancing on the spot at each of life's dramatic moments; all while the rest of my classmates turn it into a choreographed musical number.

Of course...Violet would suggest maybe it could be as outlandish as one of those movie world's Volt showed me. Who wouldn't want to accidentally suck their hometown into a time-space warp vortex after raiding a military scrap yard for a passable science project only to end up having to rescue your fellow classmates from history's intrusions.  Oh boy. You never quite live down taking down an mother-lovin' T-Rex in your high school gymnasium with a heavy machine gun after Cleopatra makes a pass at you and you almost get wasted by "Fred Flintstone" (Not actually Fred Flintstone, mind you but some prehistoric violent dude).

Did I just describe the plot to My Science Project with Fisher Stevens and the late Dennis Hopper? I think I just did.  Oh well..  Like Violet quoted the former, once, while pushing Antoine into a dangerous situation: 'After you, lunch meat'.

Yeah.  Time to wake up to the real world, Azzy.

All this stemming from wondering what a Homecoming life would have been like if I had been around to live it.

"Good morning, class."

The usual bevy of responses and not-quite awake or invested replies mixed in with the ones that were eager and yearning' for learnin'.  So yeah. Not quite a harmonious, every-student-greets-you-with: good morning, Mr. Arcade  But I'll take what I can get.

You don't want me to rattle off the boring times of my class day.  Trust me.  In fact some journal entry ago, I think I might have at least hinted at it.

I might be thinking of the entry I finally asked Frisk out, though.  It's all good.

So...yeah.  This has become another long entry of exposition and pondering reality without much commentary on what's actually going on in my world at this moment.

Hey, it's my journal. I'll do what I want with it.  It's your call if you want to read it, whoever might be on the other side of this.  I just kind of hope you actually are reading it and taking it to heart. Maybe you've had your own experiences you can relate to?  A high school life.  A return for a homecoming reunion?

Yeah...I guess I haven't addressed that while my academic life at Ultra Crew Institute was happy, it was unconventional.  And...call me Agent Cody Banks (now THAT'S a shlock of a teen spy movie reference I've name dropped before) but I didn't exactly learn how to talk to girls so my mind was always in my studies and my nose in the books.  I didn't dedicate much to the social norms of high school.  Yet that was what I was daydreaming about.

I was wondering what I'd be at some class reunion.  Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, or a full thirty years afterward?  I was wondering if I'd dust off my music instrument every year around September and head back up to my alma-mater to jam with the current marching band as a returning alumni.  Get free pizza, chips, and drink before marching up to the stadium. Watch a football game, then be part of the half-time show.  Maybe after-game antics?  Go to some all-night wing joint with your old-school homies and bro-mies (dang it, Aunt Vi).  And post about it on social media and trend for a bit in the days after.

Yeah.  That would have been the total package.  Well....I get to experience it from the other point of view. From the teaching staff's eyes...as part of the facility.

I wonder what Frisk's daydream could-have-been homecoming fantasy would be like?  I wonder if I'd be in it?

Well.  That's the class bell.

Time to call it a journal entry, I say as I finish texting this on my smart phone, having moved it from my car's computer to the cloud.

I guess that's all I have to say for now.

Until then.  Stay in school...and maybe you can dream about going back one day.  Whether for college education or...just visiting as an alumni.  Yeah.  September is the month to be glad I even had some kind of school life...even if it wasn't what I'm dreaming about.  Hey, I'm just glad my name isn't Peter Parker and I got threatened to behave myself around my date by her father...who just happened to REALLY resemble actor Michael Keaton.  And Violet not here to joke about going from bat hero to bird villain.

Really thinking about it...the fact that I remain hopeful after I dreamed it?  Yeah...in a way my fantasy Homecoming was a wish.  And even if only in my mind, it came true.

## Sub-Entry 243: "Thinking of When They Sent Me An Angel, When I Already Was One":

Okay, I am speaking both literally in the former case and metaphorically in the latter case.  So let me explain.

It's September 9th. If you already know what that date means, then this explanation is probably unnecessary.  But if you don't, allow me to break it down for you.

It was the year 1989 on a certain Earth in a certain universe, and unbeknownst to a 15-year-old high schooler living in Northridge, California, this was going to be the date that changed his life forever.

At that same time, seven years to the day, the forces of Mother Brain--aboard the brain-shaped artificial asteroid known as "Metroid" had lain siege to the coalition of video worlds known as "VideoLand".  During that time, the evil alien mass of cerebral matter had shifted the balance of power by accomplishing two things.  1) Uniting all of VideoLands worst villains (both worst in how evil and vile they were...and in some cases how much they fail at life) into one League of Darkness.  And 2) She captured the ruler of VideoLand, King Charles; leaving his son, Prince Lyle, and his daughter, Princess Lana behind.

Five years later, Lyle abandoned his prince hood to settle on the world of Tetris while Lana was left to rule VideoLand, completely by herself.  Prior to that time, Charles had attempted to counter the League of Darkness by founding the N-Team; uniting all of VideoLands heroes under one banner, one cause, one common goal.  Despite how much promise they had combining their talents, after seven years of war, the N-Team found themselves on a downward spiral of losses until they had been driven to the Palace of Power.  As their last stronghold, they waited out the inevitable as Mother Brain's combined forces laid siege to its failing defensive force field barrier.

Two separate worlds with very different states of affairs.  In what was to be the final hours of the N-Team's last stand, a Prophecy was revealed.  Speaking of powers beyond everyone's comprehension, the voice of the spirit within the Power Glove told of a warrior from a distant land who shall "warp to VideoLand" and lead the N-Team to victory.  This warrior was to be known as...Captain N, the Game Master.

With that the Ultimate Warp Zone tore open time and space and dimensions to reach out to Northridge, California and selected its Champion.  That Champion would be Kevin Keene.  Joining him would be his loyal dog, Duke.  The two would arrive in Videoland and meet its finest warriors:

Simon Belmont, Vampire Hunter and hero of the gothic world of CastleVania.  A whip-wielding exorcist of the undead, whose family legacy of defeating the evil vampire Count (we know he's Dracula.)  stretched across generations.

Mega Man, the super fighting omni-wonder robot and greatest creation of Dr. Right/Wright of the futuristic world of tomorrow; the space station collective known as Mega Land. The blue...I mean...aquamarine green bomber that triumphed over the evil, mad scientist, Dr. Wily.

And finally...the one that I'm about to focus on.  The one chosen by the Goddess of Light to defend Mount Icarus (We know it as Angel Land) when it fell under the control of evil, fallen Goddess Medusa.  The winged, sandal-wearing, yellow toga-clad  archer-scout angel with a dirty face, fiery orange hair, and olive green eyes himself...Kid Icarus.  Though...we know his counterpart in our world as simply...Pit.

Their Pit was more like you'd expect an 8-year old kid to be.  Short-tempered, shorter attention span, and somehow still sounding of voice-cracking adolescence, a little ahead of his teen years.  A kid who loved "video-chip cookies" (I won't ask.), for some reason idolizes "Wombat Man" (Adam West is having a good afterlife chuckle), and sports the same cartoonishly rosy cheeks that my sister, Chara has.  It's a thing.

Our Pit had that Sora-like spikey hair and that anime look that felt kind of Final Fantasy-ish? Maybe a little Akira Toyama influence? Tough to nail down his exact style. Underneath his white toga, he had that black body suit that almost looked like shorts at the bottom but a one-sie leotard at the top.  Then there were the grieves on his legs and the gold bracelets on his arms.  The golden olive wreath on his head.  Plus his wings, despite being smaller than the average angel of his realm...were still put together better and far less flimsy-looking that his Captain N counterpart.

Our Pit was more like Starfire of Tamaran.  Naive. Demure.  A bit of a boy scout.  Tended to be a little lost when it came to his place in the world. Trying desperately hard to not offend people.  Yet, still capable of expressing much joy and light.  And unlike his counterpart, we knew he was talented with a lyre-harp. His music practically drew people to him like iron to a magnet!  And of course, our Pit was an experienced scout and map-maker.  He was the perfect choice if you needed a navigator on a ship or if you needed aerial reconnaissance.

But if I really needed to summarize him?  He was a true friend.  Maybe I didn't think of him as a best friend at the time...but...he was probably better than any person close-ish to my own age I was going to find during my vulnerable time.

Alright.  I promise I've gotten through all the backstory exposition.  Please bear with me and try not to skim over too much of my long-winded speech.  I'm talking about my friend here!

Anyway...

For all the things that were different about Captain N's own Kid Icarus when compared to our Archangel Pit "Kid Icarus"...one thing held constant.  His loyalty has and never did diminish.  Both of them.

So, yeah.  I just now mentioned my vulnerable time.  I was most certainly not ready to receive an angel, given what I knew about Undertale's prophecy.  I knew of the two different beliefs--an angel would arrive and the Underground would go empty.  One interpretation...the angel would free us and we could see the sun again and walk with the humans once more...maybe in friendship.  The other...the Underground would go empty for a different reason as the Angel would not be one of mercy....but rather DEATH.  All would be left were our dust as they would usher in the complete destruction of our world...our timeline.  The heralding of...The Nothingness.  I feel like I'm making a reference to the Never-ending Story in this moment.

Given that there was 50/50 chance of either being the case...how willing would a survivor of a Genocide Timeline be to put his faith in the better outcome?  Not very. Catalyst provide, the next step was...the FEAR.  I remember that feeling of being deathly afraid yet...at the same time I was in a state of mind where...I wanted it to end.  I wanted to be punished for breaking my promise and letting my people down...and letting my timeline just end while I went on.  The guilt...that toxic guilt.  It consumed me and...well...

Let's get on to more pleasant talk.

Pit came not when I was ready for him...but when I NEEDED him the most.  Being...forgiven for something that wasn't even my fault was...not something I was ready to do, yet but...he opened the door for me.  It was more so Lupe who helped me step through it.

But yeah...he changed everything I thought I knew about angels when I really didn't know ANYTHING about them.  None of us did.

So...after explaining alllllll of that...what is my point?

September 9th is ceremonial. It marked the fulfillment of VideoLand's prophecy.   It was the turning point.  It was the birth of hope.  The beginning of dreams.  And a princess' wish granted.

Paralleling that...I knew it as a time of celebration as our universe's remembrance of the founding of the N-Division and Ultra Crew Institute's role in facilitating that the Prophecy could even come to pass at all.  Did Neo Arcadia create the Ultimate Warp Zone in our universe?  Well...I never got a yes or no answer.  But I do know our organization expended plenty of effort to supporting the cause.  Some might have asked, why our VideoLand wasn't able to beat back the League of Chaos with our help?

Well...consider this. Both teams were plagued by the same issue: in-fighting.  They didn't, yet, have Kevin Keene to serve as team leader and moderator between clashing egos.  Our side...same problem.  Our heroes couldn't work as a team and even with UCIAT trying to keep the peace and advise...nothing fell into place until our Captain N arrived by ultimate warp zone. You can throw as many resources at an invading army as you wish...it won't amount to anything if your can't get your team on the same page.

I'd like to think, at the time, Garfield knew EXACTLY how this was going to play out.  He'd already reminded our side--several times, in fact--that we weren't here to solve problems for people.  We were their support.  Their crutches.  Were there to make sure the heroes could grow and evolve and learn on their own.  We weren't cheat codes.  We weren't magic wands.  We were there to make them better.

Heck, if you needed proof of Garfield's knack for risky gambits, look no further than him recruiting Aunt Violet.  She could have been the worst mistake we'd ever made during a time she was ready to have Edoropia secede from Neo Arcadia...yet...Garfield didn't have a single doubt bringing her in.  He had that clairvoyance when it came to friendship; and he knew Bunnie was the perfect catalyst.  How he's that clever, we'll never figure out.  Garfield just knew how to capitalize on a risk...on a bet...on a straight-up dare. Anyway, back to us and our role in why we were just VideoLand's NPC's.

Chances are...we didn't have all the answers either.  The N-Division Ultra Crew Institute was learning, too.  We had a lot to teach each other and it all worked out.

Back to topic...September 9th.  The day of Captain N.  But...we decided to make it another day of celebration.

Let's face it.  None of us knew when Kid Icarus' birthday actually was...and by extension when Pit's birthday actually was.  Some have suggested the first actual celebration of the winged, bow-and-arrow-wielding one was July 1st, 1986 (Which...the date also happens to be Aunt Violet's birthday).  So...after deliberation, we all agreed to celebrate his birthday, in Miranda, on September 9th.  The Day of Captain N.

So...here I am, now...starring at a photo that mom (Toriel) had forwarded to me, which Volt had forwarded to her when he was last here on Undertale...eheheh...

If you've kept up, you know what that photo is.

That photo is a me as a child...wearing Pit's spare outfit and some prop angel wings Aunt Vi provided.

How embarrassed should I be right now?  Because...honestly, it's been getting less and less so.  I'm starting to appreciate why this image is such a precious thing to mom.

And let's be real.  It fit like a GLOVE back then and was one of the most comfortable things I ever wore.  It...just would have gotten me too many stares if I tried wearing it to school. But given the context of when this was taken?  No shame. Maybe even a little pride.

So yeah...reflecting on the title of this entry?  I was sent an angel.

But maybe I'm not the person who should be considered a metaphorical angel.  The truth is..it was Flowey.  It was always Flowey...back when he was still me.  Still the OTHER me.  When he made the sacrifice as Asriel Dreemurr, not as the Absolute God of Hyperdeath.  He gave up that power.  And somehow that other self is etched into my soul...something that awoke when Adonis tried to subdue and enslave me as his own personal God of Hyperdeath on a leash. He was like the Nine-tails Fox, the Tailed Beast known as Kurama.  The one bonded with Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki.

We'd come to an understanding.  And yet, he remained dormant.  His choice. While, what was left behind--Flowey--remained in his self-imposed personal exile from everyone around him...even me to an extent.

Nevertheless...Asriel Dreemurr was an angel, once.  He chose to be the one whose heart beat in unison with all monsters and human souls...with the common goal to break the barrier and let monsters go free once more. And he gave up all that power...as well as his chance to walk with his people into the light and see the sun.

That was my destiny at one time...or...it could have been, had my timeline been a true pacifist one.  It was because my timeline was a Genocide one...I was fated to die and be forgotten.  I was not destined for anything beyond that.  Just a passing memory Evil Frisk and the vengeful spirt of Chara dismissed as "being in their way".

Yet, destinies change. Mine took a much bigger, much wilder path.  And I don't regret it.

So, yeah.  This is the day of Captain N.  The Day of the Angel.  The birthday of Pit.

Hard to believe that it's only a day short of being one week away from another birthday.

Yeah...I think you know whose I mean.  A birthday that coincides with what may have been the first recorded date of Undertale's...well...existence.  Somehow we subconsciously know our maker...our TRUE maker...out there somewhere, mind you...dropped his brainchild into existence and it spawned an infinity-verse of copies across the Axis of Reality.  Of those copies...our sets of timelines wound up in an AU Cube deep in the UltraVerse and intersected the paths of Fontraile and the Ultra Crew Institute.  We live on now as our own thing while countless other AU's do the same.  Their own thing.

Wow.  A year and one month since my online journal entries started. And...I don't think I have much left to write in the chapter.

I can see it ahead.

Lives are going to change.

Worlds are going to unite and expand.

The wish will come true.

And all thanks to an angel setting it in motion.

Which angel?

Yes.

What kind of answer is that? Just.  Yes.

I'm sure you've figured out what I mean.

For now...a nice angel-hair pasta dinner...followed by dessert; a tall glass of milk...with some chocolate-chip cookies.

This one's for you, Kid Icarus.  And you, Pit.

Happy Anniversary, Captain N.  Happy birthday, Pit "Kid Icarus".

## Sub-Entry 244: "All the Leaves are Brown..."

And the sky is gray. So goes the lyrics of a song by an old school music act once known as the Mammas & the Pappas.

I suppose if I have to lead off with that song as my opener I should follow up with 'Do you remember?' Though...the 21st night is still a bit of ways off.  With respect to Earth, Wind, & Fire.

But, I might as well get to the point.  Even from this early on...I can see autumn on the horizon.  Officially the date is like the 22nd when summer ends.

So.

Back the school sales have come and gone (as early as the tail end of July, this year, in fact). Pumpkin spice flavored everything. Renaissance Festivals are taking over this month and the next.

Time goes so fast...and so slow at the same time.  I swear I must've blinked.  For it seemed like I was sweating to the heat and humidity of August in between rolling summer thunderstorms...and the all of a sudden, I realized it was getting dark out--not after 9 PM but now closer toward eight...and earlier and earlier.

I can sense the approach of Daylight Saving's Time Change again down the road.

Summer is ebbing away. Autumn is rising from its wake. The most tangible of proof when you needed to remind yourself...time doesn't stand still.

And another year has passed since my days in Miranda have long been behind me.

It's okay.  It's not depressing when I remember that the days of setting foot in town again are one year closer to fruition.

So.

Apple cider is back in at the supermarket.  Back-to-school specials are transitioning to Halloween (and yes, the Thanksgiving and Christmas items are popping up, already.) as I indicated.   Umm...that's a bit redundant of me.  Huh.

Can I just make a point already?

Well...I guess I didn't really have one.  When it comes down to it, this entry is just...showcasing that the seasons are changing, yet again.

It's not that things have gotten too mundane.  But...when the status quo has become this obvious to me....yeah...it's creating resistance in light of trying to remain patient as we all work toward our goal of going off world for the first time.

Maybe that is my point. I don't...want to become complacent. When we settled into too much of a peaceful norm, time and time again on Miranda, something would come up to shatter the peace.  Where the Council came a-knockin' to arrest Volt as a fugitive after five years of burning him, whether Evil Chara was regularly finding his way onto our world to try to school us over and over, or whether Adonis nearly annihilated us all....or whether it was just doing the Smith-Sanchez thing (forgive, Volt for invoking their names) in adventure-of-the-week on 80's/90's universe of the moment...you can bet something was always keeping things dynamic.

And if nothing around here is challenging us, keeping us on our toes...then we might as well be Tetris, just moments before the Puzzle Wizard completely conquered it.  We're talking about a "square" world that hadn't even HEARD of Mother Brain in the seven years of the VideoLand War. Even with Prince Lyle staying behind to stand up to Mother Brain...of course they would be an eventual target.

I didn't like waiting around for the next big evil to suddenly spot our tranquil paradise and call it "easy pickings".

Maybe that's why I started my own dojo, with Undyne slowly...but surely becoming my most promising student.  And who knows?  Maybe...one day she'd have the position in my dojo that Megami has in sensei's. Assistant instructor.

And it wasn't just that. Against both of my and Alphys' better judgment, I had a complete download of every blueprint for every weapon, armor, and vehicle I'd come across throughout the universe.  To name a few?  K.I.T.T.'s molecularly bonded alloy shell--bullet and laser proof and thermodynamically heat resistant to a crazy degree.  My old Centurion Exo-Frame and weapons grid.  My Mobile Armored Strike Command helmet and vehicle.  Schematics for the Proton Cannon on top of Ecto-1. Every robot master weapon that Dr. Light had a database for.  And so many more.

If it came to it, Undertale would have zero shortage of armaments if we were invaded.  And putting together an army well...I'd worry about that in time.

So why the sudden paranoia?

I wouldn't call it that. More like...vigilance.  I guess you could say Gotham's Dark Knight was a good teacher on contingency plans.  A good supplement, mind you, to Sally's 1st-day, first-moment on-the-spot planning.  Even a basic plan is better than charging in blind.

And in keeping with that...I was prepared to fall back on the old "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" advice.

So...I was just...covering my bases behind the scenes.  More mentally than physical practice.  But you know.

I know what you're thinking. Isn't all this line of thought counter-intuitive to my philosophy of don't kill and don't be killed?  Extend the olive branch?

Well...as Master Splinter once said: "I am compassionate.  Not insane."  Though he was referring to showing mercy...but still tying up an intruder and watching him like a hawk, if memory serves correct.  I think it actually got a smirk out of Bunnie; mostly because of her dealings with Aunt Vi, who rode the border of what is considered insane.

The lesson of course being...at this age and experience level?  Naivete is NO excuse for being caught with your pants down.  But it's a balancing act, right?  If you start suspecting everyone, then paranoia takes over and you alienate even your allies.   Finding that middle ground of trust and caution is an art that I don't think ANYONE can truly master.

Boy did I get off topic, talking about the autumn season!

"So fluff face finally started wising up about the world."

"Give the flower-devil his due."

"Oooh.  New stinger.  I'm soooooo impressed."  Flowey gave that smug look.

"Well goooooooood. I worked on all of 3 seconds to come up with it."

"You really think you can out-sass me?"

"I learn well from the teacher.  Don't forget that."  I challenged.

"I'm so going to blow your little boy scout mind."

"Challenge accepted."

So...I suddenly transitioned from a talk about autumn, to what my plans were in case we got visited first before we went off world to visit...and our visitors ended up being theoretically hostile....to getting into a sarcastic banter with Flowey.

Hey, at least there's some kind of action going on rather than just my colorful commentary, right.

"You think you know me so well, don't you?"  Flowey sneered...then immediately regretted his choice of words.

"I should think I do since I AM you."  I waited a long time to turn that around on him.

The scoff heard 'round the world.

"You going to be tacky enough to bring up how you evolved from who you were then and I can do the same?"

I decided to go to Aunt Vi's collective of Epic Rap Battles of History lyrics for this one.

"Well, I don't know about your evolution, but I can safely say I'm...Sir Charles Dar-winning this argument."

"Gah!  You had to both name-drop AND make a pun!?"

"Winners aren't whiners, little bud.  But if you keep up the sour grapes, you're actually going to exchange a few letters in that word."

"Wha...what the heck does that mean?"

"Pardon the food joke but, bellyaching about it means you lose an N and gain an E...and you know what that means?"

"How the heck would I--"

"Well, let me be frank if you start beef with me over beef franks while I consider reading a book about B. Franks...then...we have a case of a loser trying to be a winner that became a wiener!"

That took a few seconds for it to sink in; for Flowey to sort through my rap bars, filter out the reference to Ben Franklin, and finally figure out the spelling joke.  And it went hard.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Oh yeah.  There are LAYERS to my disses.  And that just burns his photosynthesizing rear end.

"You know I should cut you a break.  I mean the changing of the seasons is coming.  As winter approaches, I know a little murder-flower starts to slow down as the colder climate takes effect."

Both a back-handed dis and an attempt to cut him some slack at the same time?  He did NOT like that.

"Don't you DARE throw me a life-line!"

He had his pride.  He still thought he could take me in intellectual combat.  Maybe if we were the same age.  Maybe if I were still 7 to 10 year old Asriel Dreemurr, we'd be on equal ground.

But I remind, while I went out, got an education, gained almost three decades of experience (I'm not going to count my century in the Void where I learned nothing but how cry and feel sorry for myself while Gaster watched), and got a life of my own...he stayed in the underground and refused to grow up while trying to emulate Chara.

It's kind of an unfair fight, you know.   Though, not to say there were those rare days he actually did win an argument and leave me smoldering or not wanting to talk about it afterward...yeah.  The ratio between our wins and losses was...more than a little unbalanced.

Man, have I started on a talk about Autumn and transitioned on how good it is to have an alternate timeline little brother to bond with?  Although...it was more like making him look like a fool.  Nevertheless.  It was challenging both of us to be quicker-witted.  To get our baggage out and air out our laundry.  Get the closest thing to hostility out of my system and the actual hostility out of his.

Though at the end I did bring up Autumn so, kind of round-about.

"And who do you think you are bringing up winter this early!?"

Yeah, I think Flowey hated winter as much as Volt.  But what did he have to complain about?  I kept him indoors.  If I were cruel, I'd set him outside in the snow.  A jerk move, mind you and I'd have to REALLY be cheesed off at him to even think about attempting it.  I'd never actually do it, mind you.  I couldn't take the risk he might actually freeze to death.  And...even if had no soul, he could still die.  And that would not feel good to me.

Again I say...don't kill and don't be killed.

It's just sensible advice, y'know?

"Nobody saaaaaid anything about winter."  But it WAS implied.  Subtly implied.  I should not revel in this bad boy mentality.  It's habit forming.

Alright maybe a few more quick jabs to see if I can get him to rage-quit and I'll go back to being nice to him.

Because THAT will actually cheese him off more!  Hahahahah. There's just no way to be a total goody-two-sandals on this one, is there?

"Why do you always DO that!?"

"What?"

The wrong thing to say would be "win so many arguments" or some variation.

"You know exactly what!"

It hit me just then. Isn't this dynamic similar to when Sans and Papyrus have instances of sibling rivalry?  I get it!  This is what it's like to HAVE a sibling.  And by god...I was loving it.  Maybe not for alllll the right reasons but, I was loving it.

Even when Frisk wasn't around...I didn't have any more moments of feeling alone in the world.  I had him.  And as much as he wouldn't admit it...he had me.  That's a better deal then he would have had working for Adonis or...just shutting himself off from everything around him.   Killing and torturing things weaker then himself for no other reason than just to see if he could and who would even stop him.

Yeah.  That version of Flowey was slowly smoldering and fizzling out. Sure it wasn't great that he was constantly miserable or...at least putting on an act that he was miserable. But you know.  I said it earlier.  He had his pride.

"Stop pitying me."

"Now, Flowey. When have I ever indicated I pity you?"

"EVERYBODY PITIES ME, GOAT FACE!  I'M A FREAKIN' PLANT WITHOUT ARMS OR LEGS OR EVEN A SOUL!"

"Flowey, not having those things doesn't make you someone to be pitied.  It just means you have more to overcome.  And there's more potential there for you to grow."

"That better not be a pun."

"You'd know if it was."  I let a little smirk slip out.

"Flowey.  Let it go.  You're fighting enemies that don't exist.  You're fighting against life itself.  It may not be a conventional one without a soul...but it's still your life."

"If the next advice you give is do something with it?  How do you propose I do that while stuck in a pot?"

"Well.  That I can't answer.  But.   Isn't it more of a challenge if you find that on your own?  Like I did.  Sure I got a lot of advantages and a pretty big start-up kit but...I wasn't told what it was I was destined to do or what my job would be thirty years down the road. I didn't have any direction.  Only guidance.  That's normal.  And you have the same opportunity.  Use it, little bro."

"Your sunshine-and-rainbows advice only makes it more frustrating.  You telling me to make something of myself only makes me want to do it less and less."

He still doesn't like being told what to do.   Doesn't that sound familiar, Susie?

"Well.  I've done all I can for you, now.  I can tell you don't want to talk any more so...I'll give you your space."

"First.  Good.  Advice. All.  Day."

Flowey turned around and crossed his vines, pouting.

"You know where to find me, bro."

"Don't call me bro."

"You would prefer--"

"Dooooooon't."

"...bud?"

The second scoff heard round the world...before he just pulled himself below the dirt.

"Dinner's the usual time."

Normally he would have make a sarcastic reply like 'Plant food packets.  Yum yum.  The same old thing every day.'

But I think he was just done.

I stopped to pour myself some apple cider from the fridge.  When it got to October, I'd start warming it up rather than putting ice in it like I am now.

I left the kitchen and decided to spend the rest of my time brainstorming over the coming changes; both short-term and long-term, that were coming to Newest Home.

Every so often I'd stop to look out the windows and see if that first leaf was going to fall from one of the trees.  No....not yet.  Nooooot yet. But soon.  Very soon.

I passed by the calendar.

I obviously had my upcoming birthday circled...but I also had another date circled...and it wasn't really a holiday...just a song lyric that was only relevant once every year.

"Do you remember? On the 21st Night of September..." I sung to myself.  Oh yeah.  Callback to Earth, Wind, and Fire.  Didn't think I forgot about that already, did you?]

This feels like a good spot to leave off on.

## Sub-Entry 245: "Happy Birthday, Asriel Arcade":

Deja vu hits hard.

It seems like only yesterday I wrote an entry for this.

It's been a year, now.

We're back to September 15th.  The day I recognize as the year of my birth.  At the same time...the date that Undertale came into existence and thus every copy of it spawned almost instantly throughout the infinity-verse.

It's odd being tied to a date when theoretically everything in your world didn't exist until the moment on that date.  And even then, it feels like I'm just gaslighting myself.  It's just a philosophical thesis without any way to prove it.  It's an existential enigma.  An unanswerable question that adds a layer of depth to my own self-awareness.  My own sentience.  And now...that applied to all of us that were in the know.

Is there honestly...any basis that our very consciousness upgrades when we know the truth about our very existence...and yet we know nothing about it?  Only what we are relative  to other universes where we are just intellectual property in a work of fiction?  Or is there something more abstract?  Or maybe more simple?  Maybe it really is all in our heads, now.

I guess this is what Volt means when you have characters like Deadpool who know they're comic book characters...and habitually break their own fourth wall.  Or characters like the Joker; a clown said to have "super sanity" in spite of being the most insane being in all of Gotham, while claiming to just be...ahead of the curve.

How do I do it?  How do I start with something as simple as a birthday then segue deep down the rabbit hole into the mysteries of our own existence, our own perception of existence, and a theoretical outside universe's perception of our existence?  Somewhere, for some reason, kids are being reminded that video game characters like me aren't real.

And yet...I'm real enough for myself.  I'm As-riel as it gets.  Never gets old, does it?  Joke aside, I am comfortable of what I am and what I might be in the grand scheme of things. That's not something to easily come to grips with when you're eyes are open to a point of view you and your people were never supposed to have in your prime timeline.  And yet...Undertale Prime most likely has at least a fourth wall as flexible as our own.  Meta-jokes and meta-commentary are how we facilitate it.  This very journal entry exemplifies it.

Okay.  You probably want me to get off topic and back to the matter of hand.  One year after my previous birthday celebration.  And boy oh boy has a lot happened!

You...probably don't want me to recap everything and gush all over it like it's the 8th wonder of the world.  So...a TL;DR summary instead?

Came back my birth home, Undertale.  Met the parents and the friends I wish I knew I always had.  Came face to face with my true love.  Had  a wonderful get-together with everyone.  Then had a tear-filled good-bye to my adopted family and friends.  That takes care of the prologue.

I stayed at Casa de Dreemurr until I was able to get a job or two...invest long-term in some things and short term for my own residence.  It didn't take long after Alphys gladly hired me on as an assistant and not-so-silent partner.  If anything I ended up being more of the face of her lab then she did.  Which I still feel like apologizing to her for.  She said it was fine.  Public showings make her nervous.

I gladly took on additional jobs at Mom's school and Dad's flower business.

I got chummy with Sans (still felt like I was on the spot and walking on eggshells) and besties with Papyrus, Monster Kid, and...for some reason Burgerpants.  I think it was some weird connection to DeltaRune that orchestrated THAT.

Over time I introduced new culture, new holiday ideas, and slowly trickled new technology and multimedia into our world.

I remained a celebrity but also gained the status of being a dog-about-town.......well...goat-about-town. You know.  Correcting myself, so as not to trigger Annoying Dog, wherever he...she...it is.  Mettaton has indicated he's aware of him and for some reason keeps calling it "Toby Fox".  I don't know who this Toby Fox is, but Mettaton insists his name is "sexy". I'll meet him half-way and say his name still sounds...pretty cool.  But maybe I'm biased because my middle name is Tobias and well...Tobias is the formal name for Toby.   You know I don't even know how that name was even brought up at all.  It's so...nebulous how it just...exists.  And it feels like it's key to our universe...to every Undertale universe.  What could it mean...?

No matter.

Elephant in the room addressed.  Back to the matter at hand.

I quickly found my finances mostly on the rise, long-term but short-term...constantly drained by a greedy spider.

I established a dojo to see if I could get Undyne's reckless, boulder-suplexing style at least refined, under control, and some degree of disciplined...and maybe reduce the property damage.  To my own and to hers and everyone else's.  The fire department may one day thank me.

After what seemed like an impossible wall to climb, I...asked Frisk out on a date and...well...we're engaged but...holding off on the big day and big announcement until.......yeah...I think you all know when that day is.

We've advanced.  We've celebrated new holidays and traditions. We've moved...not so much as on from the realization that our world is a game...but rather...moved forward toward this unscripted future that I think even Lady Destiny and Madam Fate have lost control of.  It's ours to shape, now.  At least...I'm really hoping it is.  Yet, I'm also prepared for the possibility it never was and might never will be.  We might end up dancing to their tunes and following their Dungeons and Dragons enhanced chess game again.

Oh.  And kind of a big deal...I started dream-walking through a maybe-alternate-universe/maybe-spinoff realm called DeltaRune.  A realm that Volt has traversed in the slumbering plane. Is it a dream world?  Is it a hallucination?  Is it astral projection?  What is it, really?  And what is its connection to Undertale?  And...could there really be five or more chapters ahead of us?  If that's the case I consider the possiblity that maybe my descendants down the road will end up inheriting this dream quest.  While I do see myself and possibly Volt returning, some day...I don't know if we'll completely see it through to the end.  A lot of...unconfirmed things that have me worried. At the top of that list?  The Roaring Knight.  And not that I've forgotten about it...but some alternate iteration of...someone who might be W.D. Gaster has his bony hands in this weird clay of a dream world.

It's been a whole year and this entry will make it an additional month before I consider...putting this diary into sleep mode and just...focus on the road ahead.

So.  Back on topic.  One year older.

A year ago, everybody made a fuss.  I downplayed it as best I could, tried to stay as humble as one should be.

I've already written a good speech about my experiences with birthdays; in this very online journal no less. It was an additional sub-entry to my first ten, in fact.  I could regurgitate all of those points and remind what it was that made birthdays so special for me.  I could speak of the time when the UCIAT and I went out to eat and Antoine caused a commotion which landed a big order of escargot on top of a fresh apple-pie. And it was the best thing I'd ever tasted.  But that's just me, and I am a goat.  Still not sure if I'm perpetuation a stereotype when I'm reminded goats will eat anything.  Well...I still won't eat out of the trash like a real goat.  C'mon.  I have standards, too, if I may quote Papyrus.

But in MY humble opinion, you haven't lived until you've had really good snail.   I'm going to presume that unless you are from France, that image probably made you a little green behind the gills.  Man, I gotta visit France on one of those Earth realms some day. Sounds tres bien.  Antoine would be so proud of me.

Okay I've had my moment of being candid.  What about the day?

Well...I had a feeling something was off when Flowey was incredibly tight-lipped all morning.  He usually can't help himself but insult me at least once.  His record is about 99 in a single rant.  I of course shut him down but telling him that letting it all out is therapeutic. He dove right into the soil and screamed a muffled scream that was as hilarious as you might think it was.

When Chara just stopped by for her shakuhachi flute, which she left at my place, she didn't stop to socialize.  Okay...sister's a little wrapped up in her agenda.  Coincidence?

As I went through the motions and lived the day, yeah...I started to notice I was a bit on the invisible side.

Pretty much every day, I couldn't go five steps without someone saying hello.

Today?  I haven't been greeted once.  Suspicious.

Okay...I've seen this trope before.  It's a pretty obvious play on the "everyone forgot me or my birthday" scenario.  So...any chance of surprise is well...up to chance.  Nine times out of ten in these situations, it leads to a veritable conclusion at the end of the day when the protagonist is at wit's end and is ready to declare he/she/they have been abandoned, forgotten, and written off. And three words make everything suddenly worth it in the end:

Surprise. Birthday.  Party.

Oh come on now...is that really what this situation is?  If it is, then it's not much of a surprise if I'm expecting it.  But...isn't that how things go in real life?  Actual surprises, per se are usually only sprung in cartoon, TV, and movie set-ups.  Because the shock and relief have to be full fledged.  And despite it having to be "real", surprise parties in media are as staged as they get.

But...sometimes...it isn't always the case.

I remember way back when...we managed to spring a surprise birthday on Volt once.  He honestly got so much anxiety over it, he thought we were in danger or something.  I guess he could explain better than me.  He would relate to this better than me.

So that covers pretty much the majority of ways this could turn out.  But...

...what about the miniscule one percent chance that...everyone DID forget?  And let's face it.  It actually HAS happened.

I'm told that in Jump City, three of the Teen Titans (GO) actively ignored Beast Boy's birthday and Raven straight up forgot.  Ouch. Harsh.  Talk about breaking convention!

But seriously.  These things CAN happen.  And when they do, you can pretend like you don't care...but...I can't speak form experience...  But...it hurts.  It really has to.  And I of all people understand that.  It was the punishment I gave to both the Legion Wraith in the Ecto Containment Unit and Dr. Adonis, trapped in the in-between void within the other dimension of the CORE's epicenter.  It was the harshest, cruelest thing for me to do while keeping blood of my hands and keeping my conscience clear.  It was the most effective revenge.  Moving on.

Yet, you don't DO that to your friends.  Enemies you know you CAN'T change...who won't change...who are toxic beyond reproach. Those are the ones that aren't worth your time and attention.  If you reach out to them and they refuse your peace offering?  You tried.  That's all you can tell yourself.

Whoah, whoah, whoah. Where'd all this come from?  I shouldn't be insecure about this day?  I mean...maybe I have inherited a few worries from Volt but...I know my friends and family better than that!

Sheesh.  I managed to connect birthday to Teen Titans GO, the Crossover Wars an circle back to my best friend all while thinking about everything that came to mind when I thought of birthdays--past and present...and maybe future.

Hey.  I've noticed I haven't run into Frisk or Chara, either.

Plausibility of a surprise birthday party...rising.

And heck, by this point, I would have at least had someone interact with me.  I usually have a few gems of Flowey to include in these entries except when I'm going this deep into brainstorming and pondering space, time, and reality like I am now.

Surely a journal entry can't hold a person's attention if all I do is exposition and man-splaining my feelings?  A little bit of action and situational dialogue helps every now and then.

Even a banter session between me and Flowey is good for a read, I'd think.

Okay, okay, okay.  I guess I should stop psychoanalyzing my own work.  I know I'm my own harshest critic and all, but I need to tone down the meta-commentary, right?  It's...not weird that I'm asking for advice from a reader I'm never going to met, is it? \*sigh\*

Birthday blues, am I right?

So...let's get on with it. The day went as typical.  Even lunch break at Grillby's.  But...still ominously without context.   Without conversation.  Not even a "your usual, Asriel"?  It was like my order was already on speed dial and ready to go like...well...mundane routine.  Too routine, it felt like.

Suspicions about that hypothetical party continue to rise; and yet as a scientist, it doesn't mean ANYTHING without proof.  No hard evidence?  No proving the theory.  Gut feelings only work on a personal level, not professional.

And yet, I still trust them. My gut was telling me...something was up.  And my list of people in on it was growing by the minute.

Now of course, anyone actually dedicated to celebrating their birthday would clear out the day of any obligations.  But you know...sometimes even for me responsibility can't take a back seat. What I mean is, I did have one and only one minor responsibility to tend to; and it was a minor meeting about such at the lab as regularly scheduled.  Probably in regards to the next symposium or science expo.  They were so frequent, that of course it wasn't even a possibility of being a location for a surprise party.  I mean, you did have to have some level of clearance to get into the main lab.  And that many visitor's passes would have to pass by my desk in my corner office. So...that ruled that out.

"Well.  Off to work, on my birthday.  That's not at allll lame or anything."

There.  There's my first spoken line of the day.

Though...yeah, a younger person still super hyped about birthdays might consider it the end of the world if you had to do something important or tend to a responsibility on your day of all days.  But...as adulthood goes, the feeling fades and it becomes just another day to do...stuff.

Sad.  Really sad, isn't it?  That's the price of adulthood.

So...to the lab I go. And...was it weird that it looked like Flowey was holding in a taunt just as I was leaving the backdoor to the kitchen...?

Okay...maybe there was something he was hiding.  But come one. If that was the case, the lab would be too obvious.  It was the only place I had to be.  Too many things worked against anyone besides authorized personnel even getting past the gate.  We were contracted by the government and did work for the military at times...not proud of it, but...you know.   Homeland security and all.  It's a necessary part of life and the world we live in.  And it pays the bills.

I'm just glad my plan of building armaments in case of attack was NOT an active project if even known by the higher-ups.  Just...a contingency.  Right, Bruce Wayne?

"Hmm?"

Okaaaaay.  Keycard locks disabled and security is...lax. Have we been breached!?

Okay.  No panicking.

In I went, strongly considering converting my NXS to NX Saber mode...something I hadn't done in years. Did my weapons even still work?

\*FSSHT\*

Oh yeah.  They work.  May the force be with me.

So...slow approach down the hall.  And yeah...suddenly it became very obvious that the lights were out, the doors were all at least locked...good.  But something was still off.

"What the...the main door is an inch off the ground.  Did the servos and hydraulics malfunction?"

Having a security door of this caliber always felt imposing if not...intimidating.  And I freakin' worked here.  If I were some adventuring hero on this world for the first time and I ran into this door, yeah...I'd probably think there was a final boss behind it.

A plug-in with my NXS' own USB cable and a diagnostic should tell me what's up and should give me a quick fix or at least an override.

"Won and done." I smiled at first...then knitted my eyebrows and frowned.  That was too easy a fix.  Someone wanted me to get this door working again.

"Okay...let's see who's behind door number one--

The gate slid up like a shot, with a billow of steam, obscuring the ENTIRE entrance.  Okay, even for Alphys this was over-dramatic.

I held up my phone's flashlight to see if I could get a better look.  And I did spot some movement.

Okay.  Where to go here?  "Freeze!  Put up your hands!  I making a citizens arrest!"  Or "Who's there!  Identify yourself!"  Or some other route?

Dark.  Totally dark.

I could see the silhouette of the Cyber Gate prototype in the room.  Wait...didn't I lower that thing back into the floor before I left the lab last time...?

No.  You are NOT going to raid my life's work!

As I started to re-ignite my sabers, I heard the movement.  I saw a glint in the darkness.  A weapon!?

I opened my mouth to speak and that's when it happened.

On went the lights and my ears were rocked by five words shouted out loud by the largest crowd I could have imagined packed in here.

"SUPRISE!  Happy Birthday, Prince Asriel!"

And then I saw them all. And I mean...ALL.

Gosh darn it...they did it. They really did it.  They threw a surprise birthday party.

"But...how? The--"

And then I realized. Any authorization, clearance or guest passes would go through my desk...unless they bypassed it and went straight to Alphys.  She arranged this!

"Well.  You got me good, didn't you?"  I shrugged as I replaced my gear.

"And you should see the look on your face, Azzy."  Chara grinned.

"Harumph." Flowey growled from his pot, held in Frisk's grasp.

"This was your birthday surprise.  We had to make sure you didn't suspect a thing."

"How...long ago did you plan this?"

"A-actually...it was just before your last birthday.  We wanted to play a year in advance so I m-made sure to arrange th-th-this so that it would be mixed in with real staff meetings within the fiscal quarter."

Clever lizard.

"Happy birthday, my son."  Toriel opened up for a hug.  Yeah. Of course she deserved one.

"Thanks so much, mom."

"We all wanted to make sure it was perfect, my boy."

"And thank you too, Dad!"  And there go the ribs.  Oww. Oww.  Watch your strength.  Ohh, I think I'm going for a ride, being shook about in that mmm-mmm type bear-hug!

Well.  When my pancreas catches up with me, I'm sure I'll have a thank-you--

"Gaaah!"

Noogie alert!  Watch the horns, Undyne!  Watch the horns!

"C'mere you big nerd you!"

"Dy-dy!  Don't break my horns off!  Cut it out!  Staaaaahp!!!"

Even at my size, she still lifts me up and rag-dolls me!  Gods help me if she ever succeeded in taking me to suplex city!

"A festive yearly anniversary to your day of creation, young prince!  Nyeheheheh!"

"Aww, thanks, Pappy."

"What he said."

"Sans!  Put some effort into it!   Don't just go tacking your name onto your brother's greeting and think that passes for thoughtful!  And really...you went for that minimalist approach to your name-tag?"

"Sorry, Paps.  I guess went it comes to being a trouble-maker, I'm --"

"Sans!"

"Definitely labeled!"

"OH MY GOD!!!"

I snickered at that one.

"Aww, this party's gonna be totally crank, dude!"

"I don't doubt it, M.K. Uh...where's Burgerpants.  I don't see him."

"Um...he was asked to leave the room for bringing a lit cigarette into the lab."

"Yeah, that'd do it. Not only is our no smoking policy a good rule of health...it also kind prevents some of the experiments from igniting and exploding."

"Duuuude."

"I know, dude."

And I could go down the list of conversations; which there were MANY, MANY...but...y'know.  It was all about the celebration.  The giving of the gifts and cards and thanking everyone for them.  The singing of Weird Al's take on "Happy Birthday" (Yeah, we replaced that tired old Happy Birthday song with something more...weird and manic.  Nothing like World War III talk and describing the dystopian facets of society to set the mood, eh?   Well...let's get that piece of cake before the planet crashes into the sun! LOL)

I was thankful for so much, certainly not least of all that there were no party clowns.  You're welcome, Aunt Vi, wherever you are.

And on a genuine note...glad that everyone could be here and everyone was this dedicated to being my best friend.  And I could do no less than being a best friend to every one of them.

Birthdays are something else, let me tell you what.

But on Undertale...they felt like EVERYTHING.

Well...another year older. Happy birthday to me.  And happy anniversary to Undertale from...whenever it was supposedly conceived.

I'm just glad my world exists.  And glad I exist in my world.

To another year.

## Sub-Entry 246: "Into the Light.  DeltaRune's Epilogue Begins":

"Blessed are the cracked, for through them the light shines through.  - Groucho Marx"

Not exactly the first thing you expect me to utter to myself after blinking out of the Cyber World...and back into the Lightner World.   But considering I went through a world akin the Alice in Wonderland...yeah...I'd say I left behind a universe where everyone was a little cracked.

Reflecting on this made me appreciate why we needed someone who acted as insane as Aunt Violet.

Maybe a little madness was good from time to time.  Too much sanity...well...I'm sure is toxic is one way.  Finding that balance is probably the best way to live life to the fullest.

Once again, my Unitrix was reset and I was back in my familiar goat hybrid form.  And once again the SPECTRE function was active.  As far as the others knew...I was just a figment of their imagination.

So...where am I?

"The computer lab. The Library!"  I gasped.  Sure enough...that's exactly where we were.  And I was the first one to regain consciousness.

Susie and Kris awoke next. And spoke not a word.  Instead they waited for Berdly and Noelle to come to.

Passed out at the table. Computer terminals were on both sets of tables; all leading to a gigantic power strip between them.  A strip plugged into the far wall.  I could see a pair of plugs in the sockets next to that which went though a doorway...with sparkling lights in the darkness.  Server room?

Pale yellow walls. Drawings hanging up.  A lavender cabinet.  Hanging Christmas lights?  Okay. And green floor.  Pea green floor.

"...H...huh...?" Berdly awoke next.

"What...what happened?"

"Oh.  It was a dream wasn't it?"  Noelle was up next.

"Huh...A dream? That was all...a DREAM?" Berdly's disbelief was real.  A moment of doubt...then...

"...Of...of course!! That MUST have been a dream!!"

Just go with it, already.

"Such feelings! Such thoughts... Oh sweet lady of justice!!  To think, I would ever think Susie would be..."

Choose your words carefully. She's standing right there.

"SUSIE!?"

Annnnnnnnd.  SCENE.

"S...Susie!? Wh...What are you doing here!?"

"...uh...you invited us to study.  Remember."

Real cool, Susie. Real cool.  Keep them eased into the illusion that wasn't really an illusion. But they don't need to know that.

"O-oh, right, I, err-- I--"

"What!?  Studying with THEM?  Noelle!!  Heavens to yikes!!  They're...there..."

They're what?

If we went through ALL THAT just so he could UN-LEARN what took him THAT LONG to figure out...  All those confessions, all that humility, all that self-realization!  Urge to be triggered...rising!

"...Well, I guess we could...TRY it..."

Thank you.  Was that so hard?

And suddenly.  Alarm?

"H...Huh?? My...my alarm?  Oh, I'm going to be late for my shift with Ms. Boom!!"

Waaaaaaaaaaaaait...Gerson was MARRIED!?!  There's a Widow Boom?

"Oh no!  How is it that late already!?"

"Well, adieu, everyone. I must gather my booklongings."

Huh.  Like that...it was over.  Shouldn't...I already realize that?

"Ahh, how I love the texture of freshly-picked-up books!  Now let us hasten, my dear Noelle!"

With that they bid us farewell and left.  Berdly's...notably lukewarm.  Noelle's...demure.

"...Good day, Kris. ...  Susie."

"Bye, Kris! And...um...bye, Susie!"

"Umm...see ya."

They are so cute together. Violet would draw comparisons to Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy; with Noelle possibly the former and Susie DEFINITELY the latter.  And then Bunnie would smack her.

As she turned to leave, I noticed Noelle turn around then kind of tilt to the side, like she was looking for something--

Oh snap.

"WHAT!? WHAT!?  Are you looking for something!?"

"N-nothing! B-bye!"  Noelle squeaked...then ran for the hills.

She had to check about the tail.  Oh boy.

"They heck is her problem, anyway?"

I smugly leaned over her shoulder and grinned, thinking to myself how delicious this was.

"Way to treat someone who just saved the WORLD."

Keep that on the down low.

"KRIS!!  Hey, wait a sec, Kris!"  it suddenly hit Susie as she grabbed Kris and shook them like a rag doll.  "We...we just actually saved the world, didn't we!?  Damn, we really are heroes!  And no one even knows!"

Well...almost no one.

"Well.  Guess it's better that way though, right? People'd freak out if they knew the world's in danger.  ...though...kinda sucks that Noelle has to forget, too.

...

Whatever.

Let's get out of here."

So...Susie up and left, leaving Kris...and me.

Kris explored about around. Sure enough they examined the closet. Full of old electronics.  A large person could easily fit inside.

Various posters talking about internet safety.

Cabinet was full of many backup devices, like extra mice, extra keyboards...extra...maracas?  What?

Of course...there were the computers.  Someone tried to check their email but the internet is down......wait, still?

A recycling bin. Looks like someone tried printing off a lot of useless emails.

And a trash can.  You get the idea that it doesn't have any friends. It's hard to explain why you feel that way about a trash can.

And then there was the library's state-of-the-art public laptop.  Looks like somebody left it on.

"Well, Kris.  After you..."  I let them lead the way out of the building...

You know...maybe now I can explore this DeltaRune light world...and see more of what's similar to Newest Home.

Are you ready for this, Azzy?

* sigh\*

Ready, willing, able...and DETERMINED.

Glowing red eyes. That's how you know I was determined.

Before Kris left, they gathered up everything in the room...

## Sub-Entry 247: "Into the Light, Only to Go Back To the Dark, and Back to the Light Again..."

Well.  Back outside the computer room and in the main library. There was the "Teenz-own" shelf.  Everything I'd briefly seen before.

Nothing to see here. Out of the building, I guess.

And outside...

Susie leaned up against the corner of the "LIBRARBY", arms crossed in that loitering, devil-may-care pose.

"Man, it got late, didn't it?

Guess you should go home, huh?"

Well...I guess we could do that.  But...why not explore the town.  Volt did when he went through "Chapter 1".

"Alright, you don't have to say it..."

Don't want to walk home by yourself, huh?"

Well...they wouldn't be totally by themself.  Admittedly, I was a little reluctant about disbanding the team.  Though...it already was with Ralsei no longer with us.

"Well, if you're gonna MAKE me, I guess..."

Now just a passive-aggressive minute here...!

"Let's go."

I guess my say doesn't matter but...oh well.  Not like my choices mattered all THAT much.  If at all.

To the east we went...wait, Kris' house is to the west!  Where are they...!

Back to the school!?

Through the supply closet doors!  Wait a minute--

"Oof!"

"Oh.  You're back again, old man."

Well.  Guess we were visiting the Dark World first...giving everyone our best.  Yeah. There was time to say bye to them all proper.

And who was there at the start but...Queen!?

"So This Is Your 'Castle Town'?

It's

Wait

Where's Nubert

Nubert...Nuby...Where Are You?"

And..down came the talking trashcan...wait was there ever a talking trash can?

"He said he wouldn't come unless everyone else did..."

"Nubert.

A Hero To the End

Kris...

You Truced Your Best I Know...

Oh Well

It Seems Like A Wonderful Town"

And off she went, leading on.  We followed. Ralsei was up ahead.  Not wearing his hat, arms behind his back.  It was still unnerving knowing I had a bespectacled wizard doppelganger.

"Kris, I bet you have a lot of people to talk to..."  He said if on cue.  "But you don't have to do everything all at once.  SAVE and take a break any time you want, okay?"

And that still poked at the back of my mind...wondering if the nature of the SAVE stars were what they appeared to be...or...if our very actions were being seen by these...Titans as they slumbered.  That added a whole new depth of seriousness to this adventure.

"After a long day the town has grown again.  You are filled with a certain power..."

Oh we know.  We know.

There was an unplugged WereWire by Cafe and TopChef's bakery.

"Wh...what a wonderful place...thank you... This town, not that restaurant.  It looks weird. I'm not going in..."

Okaaay.

Well...let's visit once more.  Though...I...don't remember...did we go in before?  How do I have these...preconceived memories of this?

"Ho ho ho!  I am Chef Lancer!  Try my delicious hand-formed cookies!  They are free...for a price."

"What's the price?"

"Zero dollars."

Oh boy.  Nice fake moustache, by the way, Lancer.

I think we took a cookie...or tried to.  Lancer said something about regenerating from the last one?

TopChef had apparently been rejected from his own cafe.  He asked what he was going to do and Kris suggested ..."prize"?

And he said something about...as long as the purple girl is by your side there will be no prizes from me! Mama mi-ba!

Probably because of her destroying the cake in chapter 1.  Right, Volt?

"Who cares. Ralsei can make me a cake."

"B...but my uniqueness! As a chef...!  Don't mind my pastries are extra salty today, everyone." He sobbed with a sniffle.

And there was Malius...just like Volt described.  Guess he got a job here after fixing the broken cake.  You know these are a lot of callbacks that Volt would recognize better than me.  But...I still took good notes from him.

Over yonder, in the cafe, Tasq Manager was now in charge.  And getting suggestions to make it into an animal cafe. A lot of familiar patrons.  One of the butlers from Queen's castle was now addressing her as boss and spoke of some hooligans trying to turn this into a second bakery.

To the party dojo next!

I'd never seen a blacklight disco ball before.  It was...weird.

There was that puzzle-piece looking guy in the center.  And it seems he won't forgive us for sparring with it... unless we beat him in a fight? Whaaat?

A little more exploring...a little ore looking around Castle Town...

And it was back to the Light World.  I waved back as Ralsei waved goodbye.

Back in the school...it was so late the light pouring in through the windows had turned golden amber...the color a sunset.

The whole school was locked up tight.

As a final note, Kris headed to the storage room and crammed EVERYTHING they gathered up into the closet...even the rug.

Visits to Toriel's room...Alphys' room.  All seemed kind of pointless with no one around.

It was getting too dark to see anyway--

Huh?  Temmie is still there?

"tem still study...study harb!  tem get a SMART! go to COLLEG!!!  achieve DREAM!!"

I hear that.

"then tem become....tem become... Hahah--"

Aw, how cute.

"....As if you could envision it!"

...well.  That came out of nowhere.  Volt was right.  Temmies ARE smarter and more coherent they the let on.  Oh boy...I already REGET IT.

Let's just go.

Wait...I just remembered!

I'll bet she's right there, now...

## Sub-Entry 248: "Checking Up On Our Friends":

The Hospital.

One patient named Rudolph "Rudy" Holiday.

Noelle's dad.  In here after they found some...crap.  Let's just...call it THAT c-word and not the other one.  The one that...makes people scared, sad, and...you know......leads to permanent life changes.

"Here to make an appointment?"  Tooth Monster asked.

"Nah.  Here to hang out."  Susie shrugged.

"...I see."

And to the left door...

"Silver Drake? I've never beaten this boss before!"  That's Noelle's voice.  Is she playing a portable video game?  Yeah, that makes sense.  She and her dad bond over gaming.

"Alright, hand it over, honey.  I got this."

Dear old dad.  Laid up.  But his spirit not broken.  Yeah...this is...this is okay.

"No, dad!  This is my battle!

...so umm...how about just telling me what to do?"

"Hahah, sure. How about trying Fireshock?"

"I'd love to, dad, but the mage left the party."

"Oh yeah.  How about one of your 99 blaze potions?"

"Umm...I'm saving those?"

"For what?  Your birthday?  Come on!  Live a little!"

"Okay, dad!  This one's for you!  HIYAH!  ...it reflects fire attacks."

"Hahaha... Whoops--hey, you gotta heal."

"I wish I knew healing magic in real life...then I'd make you better and...it wouldn't just be me and mom."

Oh.  Um.  Gut punch. I....I think I just got something in my eye...

"...

Your mother is...

Hey, it's okay, sweetheart! I'm getting better!

Might even go to church tomorrow!"

Is...that just an empty promise...?  If it is, I can't speak for Noelle...but...I could take it.  R-right, Kris?  Susie? C'mon...one of you say something. \*sniffle\*

I hated just being here, phased out of this plane of existence.  I felt I had to do something but...I also felt like it wasn't my place to interfere with the timeline more than I had, already.

"...really?  Are you sure you're okay...?"

"'Holidays happen when you like it or not!'"  He quoted.

"'Even though everyone likes holidays.'"  Noelle finished.

"Well.  Gotta go home soon or mom will call."

"See you tomorrow, honey."

"Bye, dad.  Love you."  And she turned around and--

"SUSIE!?  WHY ARE YOU HERE!?!"

"(Hell if I know?)"  Susie downplayed it.

"Sorry, you guys. This game is only one player."

I looked at the handheld for a moment.

"Ummm...dad...this is umm, Susie!"   The stammer was real but held back, somehow.

"Ohhhhhhhh!  THIS is Susie!

Susie!  Nice!  Heard a lot about you!

"You uh...have...?"  I could hear the nervous tone, despite how she was forcing herself to still come off as surly.

"COOL.  I THINK I HAVE TO GO NOW."  Noelle about panicked.   And out she ran like a shot from a cannon.

"Susie, huh?"

"...yeah."

"Lay a finger on her and I'll kick your ass."

HELLOOOOOO!

"Huh!?"  That totally took her...and me by surprise.

"Hahahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahahah!  Just kidding!"

He totally got you...and me, too.

"Well.  Kinda kidding."

And then...the coughing fit. Ohhhhhh, you should NOT feel good about tangling with this guy in this state.

I think...after the coughing...Susie didn't have the heart to press it further.  Pretty sure the guilt was even heavier for her than me.

So...we...just decided to leave and check the room to the right.

Wait...Shyren?

Looks like she's resting her voice.

There was a regular sink nearby.  We checked the cupboard...and found a very tiny, obligatory piano inside...? Huhhhhh...

There was the classic 1-to-10 pain scale, using ICE-E as a model.

At 0 pain he's happy. At 10 pain, he's happy and sweating. Right.

So...we left there and headed to the police station?  Weird choice. Outside by a bicycle on the ground...!

"Uh oh. Alphys.  Hell if I'm going any further.  Already close enough to getting banned from school."  Susie grumbled.  "Don't wanna be banned from outside of school, too.  (That's a thing, right?)"

While Susie stayed back, Kris went ahead and engaged.

"Hi, Kris! Getting your project done?  Eheheh...

O...oh, my bike?  It's eh...eheh, totaled...

I...um...had a little crash, er...

You see, there was this police officer and...er...it's complicated.  How are you doing?"

Say no more.  I know who you mean.  Good god...even in THIS world...?  You are something else, weeb lizard.

Well Kris talked about school...right.  "Talked" about school.  Not sure how.

"Er...how's your project going with, er...Susie?"

Pause for reply.

"WHAT?  Y-you went to the LIBRARY!?  TOGETHER!?  With Noelle and Berdly?  Th-that's amazing, Kris!  And while you were there...     And while you were there...and this has nothing to do with me...but the Teen Zone... Seems to have some g-good anime reviews you know?"

Suuuuure it doesn't, Alphys. But I'm still wrapping my head around how this version of you hates the original Mew Mew Kissy Cutie and praises the sequel?  That is TOTALLY opposite of our Alphys.  As if I HAD to spell that out.

"N-not sure if you and the gang were ch-checking that out as you studied?  Next time you go there, you might want to...casually bring that up among your fellow teens."

Okaaaay, Alphys.  We hear ya.  Good gravy.  Sometimes trying to hard to sell themselves without selling themself.

"I know your dad liked Mew Mew 2 at least!!!"

Just.  Stop.

But don't ever change.

"A-again. Nothing to do with me! Eheheh."

Who are you trying to convince you silly pangolin, you?

Kris asked about the police and Alphys went on a tangent about them just being "eye candy"...which turned awkward.  Fast. But she recovered and said something about it because of the mayor that there was no crime and thus the police had nothing to do and if the mayor even NEEDS the police or if they're just getting in her way...?

Gods, where is she trying to go with this?

Let's just to the source, okay?

Inside...

"HEY!  GET OUT OF THE ROAD!

Uh...sorry.  Bad habit.  Anything I can help you with, punk?"

Same old, but somehow different Dy-Dy.  At least this one was able to land a job.  Ours...kinda sucks at pursuing careers in justice.  She just has too much of a...suplex first and ask questions later........umm...how is this Undyne different than ours again?

Also...don't ask about the Dark World, Kris.......you asked about he Dark World."

"Huh?  A super dangerous alternate world in the library?"

I facepalmed.

"More are appearing? People might fall inside?"

And then came the roaring laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAH!  Listen, punk.  You seriously think I'm going to believe that?  Dark World?  Hahahahah...SERIOUSLY?  HAHAHAHH!"

And then came the pounding of the desk with both fists.

"NGAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!"

Well...you don't have to be rude about it.

And Undyne eventually pounded the desk so hard she cracked in in half and busted it in two...causing the key to fly into the jail cell door behind her...and into the hands of the yellow criminal inside...

And the door opened. And yeah...

Jail break--

Wait a minute...was that..!

Greater Dog? Doggamy?  Doggaressa?  In prison stripes?

Uh-oh.

"HEY WAIT!" Undyne got up and ran to the door.

"NGAAAAAAAH  NOT AGAIN!"

Wait...again?

"Looks like I gotta recapture those criminals."

\*sigh\*

"By the way...that yellow glasses lady... Is she your teacher?  She kinda had an accident earlier, with her, uh, bike.   Just wanted to make sure she's feeling better."

Wait...are you...?

"So, uh...give her this."

And Kris was given a heart-shaped box of candies that says 'Get well soon'...?

Shut.  Up.  In this realm, too!?!

Guess it really was written in the stars.  Some things were just...destined.

..then I noticed it said "to your bike" hastily scrawled underneath "Get Well Soon".

It figures.

"LOOK!  GET WELL SOON WAS ALL THE STORE HAD!  OPEN IT AND I'LL ARREST YOU!  LOOK!  I'LL EVEN PUT A NOTE ON IT!  NOW STOP INTERRUPTING ME!  I GOTTA GO!"

And there she goes.

And Deputy Napstablook had to say...?

"oh.  jailbreak?  i'll sound the alarm."

And suddenly...remix of Pathetic Ghost House with sirens?  Umm...I...never knew I wanted this?  Er...I think? Maybe?

"i made the jailbreak alarm my mix tape...it's a nice beat to study or relax to while you break out of prison."

Giving the box of chocolates to Alphys went exactly how I (and probably you) thought it would go.

Next up...sans' grocery store?  Sure why not.

Inside...yeah...I recognized the lazy bones theme music.  Works the same way in this world, too.  I guess.

"hey, what's up?

I guess...ask about buying?

"hey.  welcome to this convenience store.  you wanna buy something, put it in a basket and bring it here.  in case you didn't know what a store is."

Occupation?

"Hey, you the boss around here?"  Susie looked suspiciously at the lazy skeleton.

"me? i'm just the janitor."

"There where's the cashier?"

"cashier?  we don't have one."

"THEN WHO DO WE BUY STUFF FROM?"

"me."

Same old Sans.

"Then that makes you the cashier!"

"nope.  i'm the janitor.  i'm just filling in."

"Are there any employees?"

"nope."

Just quit while you're ahead, Susie.

"THEN WHY DON'T YOU HIRE SONEONE ELSE!?"

"whoa.  you think i can afford that on a janitor's salary.

Don't ever change.

Then...there was the question about his brother.

"sorry kid.  the brother thing's gonna have to wait.

how long?

maybe a day.

maybe another two years.

who's keeping track at this point?"

Nothing more to say.

Diamondhead monster said something about a hooved girl who comes in and opens the freezer and just stands there, pondering.  Maybe she likes the cold...or waffles.

And then then there was the yellow alley...creature...thing in shorts and a wife-beater.  ...hefting a milk jug.

"Yeah, I'm the sicko that looks at all the milk jug to find the best expiration date!  You got something about it?"

Let's just back away slowly and get out of here.

I noticed cards around.

"Get well soon. I'm sorry your bike crashed--"

Record scratch goes here. Really.  Undyne couldn't pick THIS card out of all of these?

And there was a magazine for Jockington fans.  Wow, he really is a celebrity around here.

Susie noticed the fridge/freezer was big enough to squeeze inside.  But just as she was about to suggest we try it...!

I turned.  Goat Son senses...are TINGLING.  There's a--

"Damn!  I think someone's looking!"  Susie prompted Kris to hide.

"hey hey.  forgot something?"

M...mom?  I mean...Toriel!

"Why, er, yes.  I think I left my eggs on the counter."

"Guess your memory's not what it's 'cracked' up to be!"

"Hee hee hee... There is really egg on my face now, is there not?"

"eh.  you're egg-scused."

"Now it sounds like you're egging me on."

"egg on or egg off I egg-spect a lot from you."

"Well I am egg-ceptional.  Hee hee..."

Please keep this pun train going--

"And don't forget me, your eggs-husband."

...and the train derails. Nice timing, dad...er...Asgore.  \*siiiiiiiiigh\*

"Err...hello, Asgore."

Lukewarm.  Tepid at best.

"Tori, I didn't expect to see you here and I have some extra flowers, and I was wondering if..."

"Oh, I was just about to go, actually."

"Ah, haha, oh! Sure!  Home is where the heart is!  Haha!"

Cringe rising.

And she brushed past him. Hurriedly.

"Um...so when Asriel comes come..."

I felt like a fly on the wall that shouldn't be here.  It's not to eavesdrop on a conversation that's about you...but not about you. Alternate universe variants really muddy the waters in this case, don't they?

"Yes, we should all discuss that together, soon."

"Onkey donkey. Say hi to Kris for me!"

"Of course.  Have a nice day."  Polite.  But abrupt. It was like my Toriel and Asgore were turned up to...at least three or four.  I'd rather not think about what they'd be like turned up to ten...or gosh forbid...a full ELEVEN.

Once Tori was gone...

"You know what I want, bone man."  Asgore said, rather frank.

"...yep.  free pickles."

"Why thank you!"

...huh.  That did NOT go where I thought it would.

"...Can I ask? What kind of flowers, do you think, would make her remember how she felt before?"

"...uh...maybe you should talk to your plants about that."

And there it is.

"Haha.  Don't worry, they're the first ones I asked! They're such good listeners. Flowers."

Well...not all of them, I said as I remember Flowey's cackle right now.

"well, yeah. nothing like a captive audience."

I'm stealing that one.

"Yes, haha.  I even keep them in glass."

"...uh...like that movie?"

...he can't be referencing...THAT!?

"Yes.  It's very similar to that movie."

Disney's going to sue. Aren't they?

"...well.  have a good one."

"Haha!  I'm trying."

I don't want to say how said I should be inclined to call this.  But...at least it was all civil.  You never want to see what your divorced parents and your mom's maybe-new-boyfriend are like when you're not around.  While there were no red flags, per se...I felt like someone in the room was standing on eggshells.

Heh...eggs again.

Susie was about to ask something...then told Kris to never mind.

We went next door to...I guess Sans' house.  We knocked at the door.

Faintly...faintly...a trousel...growing further away...

Oh man.  What's a world without a Papyrus front and center?

In the alley, we ran into Bratty the second...Bratty Junior?  \*sigh\*  Bratty's kid. And sure enough, like Volt described...this version and this world's Catty...were NOT friends.  So we listened to her trash-talk Catty from her encounter at the beach after first Bratty gossiped about Burgerpants getting a super-hot girlfriend...\*snicker\*...okay. I couldn't type that with a straight face. I mean...i respect my world's Burgerpants but...if I were to buy that?  Yeah...I wouldn't know Burgerpants very well.  This was a dis I could never say out loud, much less to his face.

And then I caught Susie drinking from the milk saucer.

"Hey, Kris.  This free milk is amazing!  it just magically refreshes over night."

Wait...you're the stray cat that Alphys has been feeding!?!

Past the alley and to QC's Diner...weird that there isn't a Grillby's.

"Whoa.  Go in there if you want.  But I'm staying right there.  Catti's working there today.  She hates me."

Can't...imagine...why...or how. But in this world...I'd believe it.

But apparently it was over stealing Jockington's hat.  Oh well.

I soon gathered Catti was incredibly goth, even in uniform.

The vibe I was reading? All of her family were bright and joyous.  She? Not so much.

When talking with her, Kris offered that they're here because they care.  Catti's response?  Then they can care...somewhere else.  Ouch.

I guess crazy relative with Marge Simpson beehive and foam rubber finger wasn't helping, doing a constant supportive cheer.

There was a conversation with the two at the bar over being "bulked up".

Catti's little sister, Catty the second...junior...?...was busy playing a ukulele across from Jockington. Wait...didn't Bratty's kid say something about her at the beach with a uke...?

Overall...a lively bunch.

To...ICE-E Pizza I guess.

Hey...Ice Cream guy standing casually there.

But...the real elephant in the room was the BLUE HULK OF A BEAST kneading the pizza dough at the counter.

"THE PIZZA SAUCE IS BOILING RED!  BURBLING, BURNING, LIKE MY BLOOD BURNS FOR BATTLE! HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Um...intense. Really.  Intense.

"I, THE WARRIOR, SHALL SHOW IT THE WIZARD'S FIST!"  Wait...was that a reference to Ganondorf?

And sure enough...there was Burgerpants and...holy smokes!  HE REALLY DOES HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!

"ASRIEL!  YOU'VE GOT TO TELL ASRIEL, RIGHT NOW!"

Oh boy...I think he knows. Or a version of him does, now.

And then the bomb drops that...he hasn't actually...met her.

Okay.  Now I believe it.

"But from the way she texts..."

Back away from the possible catfishing...

And try as I may the conversation kept going and he even showed an incredibly low-res picture of several pixels depicting his girlfriend wearing a pizza bikini that she supposedly sent him.

Red flags.  Red flags all around.

I think...an actually happy and smug Burgerpants...is a scary, and unpleasant thing.  I should leave this place.  As much as I WANTED to be happy for him.  As much as I was really trying to be mature about this......the feeling.  This was unnatural.  This was a gut feeling and I was begging Kris to please leave this place.  Something about this was feeling like he was being asked to send money to the Prince of Nigeria.

The time to exit was when he says "This is what love looks like, little buddy."

Maybe it was the way he said it...or maybe it WAS the wording...but it made my skin crawl.

And this was coming from someone who HAS a girlfriend.  One I was engaged to.

But maybe it was the faces he was making.  They...defied even cartoon physics.

My gut was telling me...I didn't know who was catfishing who.  And pun intended.  Y'know. Because Burgerpants is a cat. And...he did smell vaguely of anchovies.

Finally Kris talked to Ice Cream Guy.

"Wow, my coworker is really energetic lately.      I don't know what's happened...but seeing him happy makes me happy too!"

And then maybe all I needed was Ice Cream Guy to reassure me I was overreacting.  Hearing it from him at least reeled it in.  Maybe I did have it all wrong.

Though...Volt often told me Ice Cream Guy could look on the bright side of a train wreck.  And that meant his opinion was probably more rose-tinted than it should be.

"Ohh!  A customer!  Would you like a blue soft-serve!"

I'd love one...if I dared to step out of SPECTRE form.

"Double ice-cream pizza!  Great! Ice Wolf big customer. Actually...Ice Wolf maybe only customer."

So you're the legendary Ice Wolf.  Cool, cool, cool.

We went back outside and past the cars and the conversations inside.

Then...a familiar drooping house.  M...Mettaton, maybe?  Or...is it Hapstablook?  A knock and the reply inside thought we were looking for Napstablook.

He...wasn't very social beyond that.  A Hapstablook...without confidence?  He never pursued his dreams.  He really thought himself a nobody.  And...even apparently didn't even want us saying hi to dad...Asgore for him.

And...sure enough. Flower King's shop.  Asgore's place.  Closed for the time being.

That mean, to the east had to be...

Yes!  Onion-san's lake!

But...Onion-san never showed.  Oh well...maybe another time.

Well...back to the house.

And here we are...

## Sub-Entry 249: "Home Sweet Home Never Looked So Good":

"Kris, you going home?"

A yes.

"Alright... Then...I guess it's goodbye for today. See you tomorrow, Kris..."

As Susie started to leave...

The door opened and Toriel came out.

"Kris, how was studying with your..."

Silence.

"Why, Kris!  Is that your friend?  Why don't you invite her inside?"

"U-uh...I mean I... uh..."  Susie at a loss for words?  Also...hi, other goat mom.  Again.

"(Kris, should I probably get going and...)"

"I was going to bake a pie.  Did you want any?"

"...

(Guess I can come over for a bit.)"

And inside...

"Feel free to come in."

That theme song...I know so well.  How was it playing?  What was playing it?  Where was it coming from?  Why did no one else notice this?  Nostalgia vibes, man.  Maybe it wasn't Undertale but this world was connected and shared...so many assets.

Anyway...I guess it could be interesting to see Susie on her best behavior.

...and smiling. Genuinely smiling.

"Oh, excuse me. I am Kris' mother, Toriel."

"Y...yes, ma'am. I...remember."

"Oh, you do.  And you are, Susie, are you not?"

"H...huh?  You remember my name, too...?"

"Of course.  Ms. Alphys is a good friend of mine.  She often talks about you."

"Um...glad to hear it."

Ohhhh boy.

"(KRIS, THE HELL IS ALPHYS SAYING ABOUT ME!?)"

"Susie, why don't you wash your hands over there.  And we can make the pie together."

"Make it...together?"

Wow...I remember my first time making a pie...but it was with Hestia and Mitzi.  It was...different...yet the same as if it has been MY Toriel helping me bake.

"But...I don't know how to..."

"Do not worry.  I will teach you."

"...OK."

Susie went off to do so.

"Kris, Susie seems like a nice girl.  I am very happy that you are friends with her but...  Kris, I heard from Alphys about her...behavior.  If by any chance, she influences you...er.......leave the chalk alone, alright!?"

HAAAAAH!

Oh this is too good.

"Hands uh...washed."  I don't think I'd ever seen her cheeks that flushed before.

"Wonderful! Now we can... Oh, Kris!  How about YOU show Susie how to bake it."

It gets batter...er...better.  Hah. Even I had to drop a pun.

"THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU MADE ME ANY, DUMBASS! You pie-hording piece of--"  Susie started slugging Kris in the shoulder.

"I mean uh...excuse me, ma'am."

And Goat Mom laughing til it hurt just sealed the deal.

"Susie, you can call me Toriel outside of school."

"Oh okay sweet."

"Oh?  Kris?  You need to wash your hands, too?  Then I suppose I shall teach Susie for now.  Susie and I will start getting ready to make the pie.  Uhh...we will?  Wait--"

I'm grinning.  This ending is too much.

"(The Hell are you leaving me with your mom!?  Is this like...what's it called...an introvert thing?)"

Kris went on their own, past the kitchen.

"Hey, what are those metal people shapes in the cupboard?  Like...handcuffs for a little guy's whole body?"

"Hahahah.  Those are for gingerbread, Susie.  Gingerbread men and gingerbread monsters, of course."

"Gingerbread monsters. Cool."

Well...off to the bathroom. I really should stand outside.

But...

Something...something's gnawing at me.

C'mon on.  Not now.  This ending is too perfect.  Surely nothing's gonna happen in the next five minutes.   Right?

\*Sigh\*  I'll regret this later.  But seriously.  Don't become Al Dente.

## Sub-Entry 250: "Happy Ending...Or Is it?"

So.  Kris went in and turned the faucet on.

It...made a lot of noise...

That...noise. Why...is that noise resonating weird with me?

Maybe it was my imagination but I saw Kris...twitch...

Certainly that time in the Dark World and Cyber World wasn't the tiring--

Suddenly Kris dropped to one knee, convulsing a little.

"Kris?  Hey, Kris...!"

I forgot I was still intangible.  I started to go for the SPECTRE function.

They reached out toward the doorknob and....

SUDDENLY THEY PUNCHED THEIR OWN FACE!?

"What the H--!" I was shocked beyond words.

And again. Again.  And again.  Why this self-mutilation?

Then I saw them rip it from their chest...

I gasped at the SOUL in their hand.

And they threw it into the cabinet under the sink!

Wait.  THE BIRD CAGE!

They staggered toward the window...opened it...and climbed out.

"NO!  WHERE ARE YOU GOING--"

I should chase but--

I looked back and forth between Kris and the door toward the kitchen.

"Well...let us get the flour."  I heard Toriel say.

What do I do!?!

"So that's...this bag? And you just...  Oops!"

"Hee hee hee! You have flour on your nose!"

"Uh...I mean to do that."

"Thought you would 'stop to smell the flour', huh?"

"Hahahaha...ugh...achoo!  C'mon!"

"Now onto the next part..."

"So where the He-- Where the heck is Kris?"

"Oh, Kris, er...does this sometimes..."

"Well they should hurry.  I'm getting sleepy."

"Do you know what they call a sleeping Susie?"

Why was I frozen in my tracks and distracted by this conversation.  Surely a lame pun can't have that much staying power--

"Huh...? What?"

"They would call her 'Snoozie'."

"Uh...hahah...then...I guess you'd be...'Snoriel'?"

Oh my god, yes.  Why did I never come up with that one!

Er...I mean...focus, Asriel! This is important!

"Hahahahah! Snoriel!  Snoozy and Snoriel!"

"Uh...you really liked that one, huh?'

I liked that one, to be frank.  No...focus...Asriel...go after Kris...hurry!

Was there...was there a power at work here?  Was something keeping me anchored to this room?

I turned to the kitchen cabinet.  I could feel the soul.

I sensed it. It...didn't want to be...left alone...!?

That feeling...that feeling was just like Chara...and me!

Oh no.  I realized it.  I CAN'T leave.  And I can't explain why.

"Wasn't it funny?"

Eheh...eheh...

Oh gods...

A long pause before I heard the rarest thing in the world.

"...Alright, where the HELL is Kris?"

"...Toriel?" Even Susie was surprised by that one. The rare H-bomb dropped by Toriel.

"The pie is nearly done."

"Oh!  The sugar!  Wait a moment!  I left it in the car!"

"OK!"

"That's it, I'm going after--

And then I saw Kris climb back up.

"You got a lot of explaining to do--"

The collapsed to their knees...shuffled...right through me...!

"Don't ignore--"

Why am I protesting? Just pull the darn Hazard Card!  This is an emergency--

And suddenly Kris turned off the water...and collapsed face first into the sink with a splash...then opened the cabinet, seized the soul...and shoved it right back into their chest!

"What...!!!"

Someone explain this to me. I was in full panic mode at what I had just seen.

I have to turn tangible. I have to--

Kris suddenly got up like nothing was wrong...and left the bathroom.

I narrowed my eyes.

"This isn't over. Who...or whatever you are..."

I'd get to the bottom of this before---

"Ungh..." No.  It was happening.  I was losing connecting to this world...this time was different.  This time...

This time it felt more permanent.

This time I felt like...if I leave now...I was never coming back.  Not my choice.  My choice never mattered.  Something...or someone...was kicking me out.  This time for keeps.  Or...at least until the next chapter of this story.

So...back to the kitchen.

Back to Susie.

"Hey, Kris. Hurry up, next time.  We're already almost done.

You know...Kris disappeared...first...but then Toriel had to go out and get the sugar.  Is there any possibility she could have seen Kris...leave the house and go...somewhere?

Did she...know?

Was she...keeping secrets?

I knew for a fact...that Kris had to be adopted.

But...where did they come from prior to?

This was a question I knew this...chapter didn't have the answers to.  I'd spend who knows how much more of my life haunted by this unanswerable dilemma.

"Oh, err, the pie... We already worked quite hard, have we not?  How about we finish it later?"

Excuse me?

Suspicion rising.  It's not like mom...Toriel...to not finish what she started.

"Um...okay!

Then, I guess I'll walk home...?"

"Oh, no, no, no, there's no reason to do that!   Oh, actually!  Susie, would you like to stay over?"

This is sudden.  What are you up to?

"Huh!?  I mean...umm...if it's okay, then..."

"Here, look at this. Our couch is used to being used as a bed."

I wonder how many times Asgore has to sleep here...?  Hmm?

"It's not perfect but we could all sleep out here!"

"That...sounds good to me!  Yeah!"

And if I had a say...I'd agree.  But...I was feeling it slipping away, now.  But no.  I had to fight it this time.  I had to stay a bit longer until I knew what to do!  I had to come up a with a plan!  I had to take action!

I couldn't just leave them in this situation...not after that happened!"

"Splendid!  I will make sure everything is in order!"

"Just...call your parents, will you not?

"Yeah, of course!"

Okay...one less worry.

One call later...

"So, what the hell...a sleepover?  Damn, I haven't had one of those in forever, heh..."

Onto the sofa she crashed.

"(Hey, Kris. It's not like someone has to tell you to sit, right!?)"

And sit they did.

"There, chill out for a sec."

A pause.

"So now what?" Another pause.

"I got it! Maybe...between...the pillows...here?"

What are you--

"THERE!  I knew I'd find the remote in here!"

Oh.

"You can always find good stuff wedged in the couch.

Jeeze, it's dusty. When'd you last use this thing? ...Well, who cares.  Let's just watch TV!

So what are we gonna marathon tonight?   Blood Crushers 3?  Hell Busters? Invasion of the Cat Petters?" \*click\*   "Maybe ICE-E the Movie is more your speed, huh, Kris? HAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHAH!"

No...no TV watching. That's a sure fire way to break my concentration...I have to...hold on...

"Hahahaha....haha...ha...  Heh. It's been a good day, huh, Kris? You, Ralsei, Lancer, everyone...

It's just cool hanging out together, right?

...that's why, y'know...Don't you think we should...

Try to have them come to OUR world...?"

Huh...I hadn't...even thought of...that.......heh...heh......so tired...

C'mon, think about how much better it would be!

Ralsei could do our homework, Lancer could live under your bed...We could all walk to school together...

It'd be perfect, y'know? I mean we'd be unstoppable, is what I'm saying."

And Kris indicated... 'Yeah, let's do it!'."

Heh...a true crossover....beautiful...

"Yeah, that's the attitude!  Ugh...what if Ralsei became a teacher's pet, though.  Or not if.  It just feels like a matter of time, honestly.  Well, whatever.  As long as he brings ME an apple, too."

...

"What?  Apple shampoo?  No, I didn't drink any of that. ...Well, whatever.  Let's just get back to watching.

So the festival is coming up, right?"

Festival?  You wait until now...to bring up...something like that...?

That thing when the town becomes a carnival.  Stupid, right?  But uh...say you had to uh, take someone. Noelle...or Ralsei?

They indicated...Ralsei...?

"WHAT?  WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT SO CONFUSED?  It's not like I meant anything weird.  You know what, forget it."

Maybe they should have indicated Susie?

"LOOK, LET'S JUST GO BACK TO WATCHING TV!"

"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!  A giant monster movie special!  (Always liked them better than the giant human movies).  Now THIS is something we can MARATHON!"

On our world...we...call it...binging........

Just a little more, Azzy...a little more.  I feel like the truth is so close...!

"Are you READY, Kris? For 12 hours of building-bashing, car-crunching ACTION?  Cause we are LOCKED IN!  Got it? I better not see you move until your eyes are bloodshot!  Heheheheh! Now let me just get comfortable here and...there!

Don't...fall a-

\*SNORE\*

Wait...Susie passed out before me...!?

Susie fell asleep.

Right.

And then...Kris dropped.

My lids started to get heavy.  I guess...I was wrong...there...had to be...more to see......uhhh.......

Elsewhere...I could hear Toriel in the kitchen...on the phone.

"Officer? Officer?  Thank goodness I finally got through...I thought I saw someone prowling around outside...And when I checked my car...the tires...looked like they had been SLASHED!"

What!?  Slashed?  No...no....nononononono...  This vibe...this fear in my chest...I knew that SPECIFIC vibe from only ONE THING in the multiverse...

"Officer, if you could please come over...  You will? Soon?  Thank you...

Uh...Toriel...other mom...! In...pajamas and nightcap and...slippers?  Huh...when has a Dreemurr ever worn anything...on their feet...I mean besides me and sandals...

She walked over as I reached out to her.

"They're already asleep..."

And Toriel sat in her chair and picked up her book...

And then...before I knew it...night time.

I felt my eyes close but...I wasn't being pulled back yet.  Was it because I was fighting it?

The TV was off.

The room was dark.

Nothingness...and yet...something felt off.  Very off. And rapidly spiraling into wrongness.

I forced my eyes open just as I saw Kris stir...and convulse.

No. Not..again....not....a...gain...!

Out came the soul. And it was thrown in between the cushions of the couch.

They shuffled---

What's...going on...the everything just keeps going to total darkness...flashing in and out.  And each time they did...Kris jump cut to another part of the room.

First...to the door...

..then to the TV.

Then back to the couch...

Then to the center of the room...to the rug...

And then.

I.

Saw.

IT.

"OH GOD NO!!!"

**THE.  REAL.  KNIFE.**

**Chara's Real Knife.**

"Kris...don't...! I reached out as they raised the blade to the sky...and thrust it into the floor!

And out it poured from the crack in the ground!

DARKNESS.

A black smoke started filling the room.

The last thing I saw was Kris picking up their soul...just before everything faded to black...

...almost everything.

In the blackness...the last thing I saw...

The static of the TV set...as a GIANT.  FACELESS. GRIN.  APPEARED.

Oh my god.

Kris IS the Roaring Knight--

And that was the last image I saw...before my eyes opened...and I saw everyone crowded around...with the same look of pure terror I was wearing.

"Oh, Asriel..." Frisk threw her arms around me.

"I know, Frisk...I know...I know..."

That's all I could say for a while.

"What do we do?" Alphys asked.

"What CAN we do...?"  Chara huffed.

"I'm afraid Chara is right...the connection between worlds...I felt it sever.  DeltaRune is gone.  Again.

I...I can't believe I have to leave them.  In this situation."

It was a harsh reality setting in.  You can't save everybody.  Trying to do so...you won't save anybody.  I'd learned that lesson before.

I had to accept...it was out of our hands.

I don't even know if I ever mattered in that world.  Even trying to make a difference.  All that effort...all those dream sessions.  And where did that get me?

It was bittersweet.

Where was the hope?

Where had the dream gone.

All I could do...was wish. Wish that some day I...or Volt...or both of us would go back.  And we could fix this thing.  At least...help fix this thing.

"There's nothing more to do now, Frisk.  Nothing but move on...and have hope."

"And dream our own dreams...hoping someone will answer their call."

"Yeah.  Let's wish that even if there is nothing we can do...that our support...our hearts beating as one is enough to make a difference. And maybe...maybe our choice WILL matter in the end.

To DeltaRune...I bid a sorrowful goodbye.  And...good luck.

## Bonus Sub-Entry XXX:  "The Power of NEO Rises Again.  {Hyperlink Blocked...FOREVER} Part I"

I don't know how...but the power of the Save Star pulled us back for...One.  Last.  Unfulfilled Promise.  One.  Last.  Thing.

I still don't know how the Save Star was doing this.  We'd wrapped DeltaRune.  I thought the bridge between worlds was severed.

But somehow it was pulling us...me...back in time...no...this time it was FORWARD in time.  Through some unknown power...I was right back here again.  Frisk and Chara each held a hand as I went under.  When I went back...

Back to a point when Kris could...

Kris had to meet...him.  Alone.

Well.  Not totally alone.

Susie was with her.

And ironically...we were still in the Light World.  At that place.  The sealed off doorway on the outskirts of town.  Volt told me about it.

Snowdrake and M.K. were there.  Daring each other to try to open it up and go in.

"You think it's true?  You really think there's..."

"What?  You chicken?  Hahaha.  You got a beak and wings like a chicken?"

"...no...just..."

"I ain't afraid!  Only kids believe that stuff!"

"B-but Kris..."

"You going to be a wiener like Kris?"

Eheheheh...look...to your right.

Or better yet...turn.  Around.

Susie couldn't pass THIS up.

"You wanna say that again?"

Around they turned...and I'm sure they needed dry pants over what happened next.

"Susie.  Didn't see you there."

Go easy on them.  Okay?

"Wow, something really SCARY in there, huh?"

"Uhh---"

"Sounds to me like you'd better worry..."

The two parted ways, getting out of the way moments before Susie let the door have it with a reverberating kick that put the fear of the gods into both of them.

"...ABOUT WHAT'S OUT HERE, FIRST!"  There's that murder-grin.  That toothy, bloodthirsty, you're-gonna-die grin.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A pause once they were gone.

"You okay, Kris?  What's the deal with this place...?  Well you don't gotta talk about it."

It's locked.

Kris just had the ball of junk and the cards in their inventory.  On a whim, they called home.

"Hi, honey.  How was your group project?  I can give you a ride home in a minute...I just...  Oh?  No need?  You are still spending time with a friend?  Oh dear.  Two days in a row, Kris.  Is that a record?  Have fun, honey.  Be back before sunset."  \*click\*

Hmm.

Well more people in town to talk to.

"I'm not Jerry.  I'm Terry.  I'm super cool.  I totally DON'T have to go to the bathroom."

Back to Onion-sans pond.

And Onion-san rose from the water...

"Hey...I thought I told you to come alone..."  Onion-san sunk down a bit.

"..you know what?  Hell if I'm getting involved in this."  And Susie walked off, leaving Kris alone.

And out popped Onion-san again.

"...hey!  Crisper!!"

Crisper?  Oh yeah...I forgot that was a thing.

"I missed you, ya year?  I missed you all day!  Didja miss...me?"  Of course the answer was yes.

"Oh!  I was missed!"

I swear every time Onion-san emoted it was like an anime in action.

"My existence!  Being acknowledged! Feels good, y'hear?  ... Y'hear...y'hear closely for a second.  "Y'hou're my friend.  Right?  As my friend, do you want to hear...a secret?"

Being offered a secret?  Boy!  What responsibility!  Alright.  Let's be responsible with it, Kris.

"Sometimes I hear a song at night.  Just a little piece of a song, y'hear.  It sounds like it's coming from under the water.  Deep. ...  Do...do you think someone's auditioning for my band?'

Hmm...Shyren in the hospital...resting her voice...and she is an aquatic monster from Waterfall where I'm from.  It fits.

"Oh, I'm about to make another friend.  I can feel it, y'hear! ... Do you wanna hear another secret?  I think...that maybe...maybe I've heard that song before...coming from the sea...  The whole thing..  It's not a "new" song.  But I...can't remember.  I can't.... can't remember, y'hear?  I'm going to investigate, y'hear?  Come back here tomorrow, y'here?  Beauty is on the case!  That's my name, right?  See you, Kris!"

Wait.  That was their name!  When did...never mind.

Susie came back.

"So, Kris.  You do weird stuff like this every day after school?"

So...they left the area.

I smiled for the time being...then got that weird feeling.  A feeling like...something was calling us back to the closet...or the library.  Somehow...

I think they both...felt it, too."

"Hey.  You...thinking the same thing I'm thinking, Kris? Dunno what it is...but I really just want to head back to the Dark World again."

...

So soon?  It's only been a day or two.  And...why weren't we hearing about Toriel calling the cops and bringing them out to the house.  Guess she got those tires fixed.

"Weird.  Well.  What's stopping us?  If we have to...let's just break in."

After the talk about being banned from school?  You are a bold one.

But...maybe DeltaRune was bigger than such things.

So...at the school.

I eyed the closet.  Something felt different.  Like something tampered with the internal clock of the game...like something hacked the memory cache of where our save data actually was.

Once in...

Let's not beat around the bush.  I knew this was about Spamton G. Spamton.  We never got back to him.  Kris broke their promise so visit his shop.

My brain was telling me...we had to confront Spamton a second time before completing the "game".  It felt like a cast-iron rule.  Cast in iron and covered in diamond.  Immutable.  Unbreakable rule.  But somehow...I had a feeling Madam Fate and Lady Destiny...just broke the rules.

Somehow.  We were in that part of Queen's Castle again.  In front of one of those doorways that was normally sealed off...but this one had since become active.  And it lead to the three general areas.  The Mansion, the Cyber Field, and the Trash Zone.

"Guys.  What are we doing back here again?"  I asked.

"Back here, old man?  What are you talking about.  This is the first time we've been in this room.  You getting senile in your old age?"

Susie's demeanor hadn't diminished.

"What...?"

What are you..."

On a whim I frowned and yanked the USB cable out of the NXS and decided to shove it into the first patch of pseudo-code I could find.  And considering the very grid-like floor and the nature of this castle and that it was in a Cyber World...yeah.  Easy enough.

"Huh...?"

I'd managed to tap into the Save Star system...and saw our save data had been rolled back.

Or more like...it felt like we'd save-stated within a save-state.  Somehow we'd gone back to where there wasn't a save point.  This went completely against the rules.  This completely broke the game.

I hoped...our progress was still conserved.  Maybe...we just took a detour through a sub-timeline.  Not quite an alternate but still...branching off of the main one and hopefully it looped back into the game where we left off.

We went forward in time...only to go BACK?  What madness is this?  What are you playing at, Madam Fate?

"Never mind...I guess the game is finally getting to me..."

"Game?  You starting to sound like featherhead Berdly."

"Just forget it."

Into the door we went and Kris chose the Trash Zone.  And like that...there we were.

In the Trash Zone...

We walked past the trash heap we landed in...and...went off screen to the left...into an area with hovering holo-windows depicting unfinished Star Fox polygons in wire-frame glory.

And there in a trash heap was a door.

Which only got weird when Kris indicated they wanted to go in alone.

"What?  You wanna go in by yourself...?  Whatever.  Do what you want."

And so they did.

"What is with them....?"  Susie complained.

"Perhaps they do not feel like talking about it.  It is maybe too personal?"

"Whatever."  A long pause.  "Hey wait a minute...where's the old fogey?"

I am so getting her back for that.  But...here's to being glad I can still use SPECTRE function in here even though I already revealed myself.

\*sigh\*  Alright. Spammy.  Talk to us.

"Hey, Every      !  It's me, Spamton G. Spamton!"

Weird how there was empty space where he was addressing us.  It was like his text was corrupted.

Well.  He offered some stuff to buy.  And to buymore.  And talking.  And escape.

Let's buy.

"Deals so good I'll {$!$$} myself?"  I shuddered at the attempt at swearing.

I looked over everything as did Kris.  We both agreed that there was only one item that drew attention.  The one that didn't look like a potion or armor.

And if my thoughts on Volt's account of Seam were correct...always look for something that resembles a key.  Something like a KeyGen, perhaps.

A mere 17,122 Kromer down the drain, later...

Kris of course had to engage in conversation.  Not the whole "sponge" thing again.

"KRIS, YOU {Little Sponge}!  I KNEW YOU'D COME HERE {On a Saturday Night!}  AFTER ALL, YOU WANT TO BE A {Big Shot}! EAHAHAHAHAHAH!  BUT HOW?  HOW CAN YOU BE!  LISTEN.  IN THE {Deep Abyss} OF THE QUEEN'S MANSION  {A Great Deal} IS WAITING For {A Limited Time Only!!}  A HEAVEN-PIERCING {Workout-Ready Body} {Designed BY the Classics You've Come to Expect! (C) 1997!}

KRIS, THAT {Little Nipper} IS OUR {One-Way Ticket} TO MAKE YOU {Big}.  MAKE ME {Big).  BEFORE YOU KNOW IT WE'LL BE TAKING {a Ride Around Town On Our Specil Cungadero}.  VACATIONING IN {Burning Acid}  WHILE YOU SOAK IN THE  {Hyperlink Blocked}

BUT KRIS, DON'T {Breathe} YET.  THE WAY IS BLOCKED BY {High Quality Encryption}  YOU WILL NEVER GET INSIDE.

BUT WAIT, KRIS.  HEAR THOSE {Balloons}??? YOU ARE OUR {1000th Customer}!  AS A {Commemorative Ring} I WILL LET YOU BUY THE {KeyGen} FROM ME AT {The Low Price Of}

WHAT DO YOU THINK!?!?!  IT"S SUCH A STEAL, I'M {!$X$}ING MYSELF!

TAKE THIS DEAL AND YOU WILL {Die}!!!  IT'S THAT GOOD!!!

{Buy} THE KEYGEN FROM ME, UNLOCK THE BASEMENT, AND GET THAT EmptyDisk!!!"

Oh brother.

A lot of boring conversation later...

"...what kind of creepy stuff were you buying, anyway?  Nah...like I even wanna know.  Yikes."

"She said that if it was candy, she hoped you'd share it with her."

"SHUT UP!  (Kris?)"

Back through the door to the mansion...

So...to fast-forward though all the levels we'd been through...portrait gallery and after Tasq Manager...

The highways in the halls later...

We found a weird mouse puzzle that when unleashed...knocked all the cars off the street...and cleared the way...that didn't happen before.

Into a gallery of sculptures...of Queen in a Thinker's pose?

We took a bit to gear up...and take the door south to...

A neon firewall across the hallway...with a keyhole in the center?

First...we activated the switch...then Kris used the KeyGen on the firewall...and then...we went into the depths of the basement.

"B1F".  I read.

"Kris...?  You want us to stay here...?"

For the second time.  And I was already on the SPECTRE power.

"Sure.  Whatever.  Me and Ralsei will have fun without you."

A pitch black corridor...without music?

The staircases led down...down...down.

Into a place that looked like...an even more RUINED version of the ruins.  Faded to ugly prune purple.

A force field blocked off the east.

As we went west...Kris was attacked by monster Alligator Clips in the walls?  Springing out like a cross between a snake and a bungee cord.

At the end of the hall...Kris tried to call on the cell phone.  Just nasty noise and static.

A dead end...turned out to have a teacup ride...straight down.

A switch in the wall flipped...and it sounded like a force field powering down.  A ride back up.

Going north lead us to a...subway tunnel with three sets of train tracks.

A bit of exploration in the catacombs and Kris saw it....in the old machine hanging on the wall.

The EmptyDisk.

Wait a minute...that machine...something familiar about it...I've SEEN it before...something...something I feel like I asked Alphys about once...

Huh.

Outside...

Gosh darn it, you two.

"C'mon, Susie!  Give me back my glasses!"

Oh wow...we would be like twins now.

"Oooh! Look at me!  I'm a big dumb dweeb that likes homework."

As soon as they saw Kris back...but I think it was more seeing Ralsei's adorable anime face...!

"Fine. Take them back."

"Thank you!"

So back to Spamton.  Kris gave him the disk.

"KRIS YOU DID IT! YOU {Funky} LITTLE {Worm}!  YOU BROUGHT ME THE DISK!  HOCHI MAMA I CAN FEEL THAT {Smooth Taste} ALREADY!

...NOW KRIS, DON'T BE GREEDY.  HAND OVER.  THE DISK.  THEN WE WILL TRANSFER.  MY {Hyperlink Blocked}.  THEN.  KRIS.  THIS. IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.  GO BACK.  AND PUT.  THE DISK.  BACK.  WHERE YOU GOT IT.

DO THAT...

AND YOU WILL HAVE MY {Specil Guarantee}  I WILL {Pass My Savings Onto You!!}

EVERY {BIG}, EVERY {Shot}, EVERY {Hyperlink Blocked}, ALL YOURS, KRIS.

SO WHAT DO YOU SAY BIG SHOT?

{Warning, If you consent to the terms and agreements,}  {OUR STORE is PERMANENTLY Closing Down}

TRANSFER

"FINALLY!  I KNEW YOU WOULD {Request Accepted}  KRIS HERE I GO!  BEING THE {Transfer}!"

And like that...it was if Spamton and his entire store just...screen-wiped down out of existence.  Like he had been...downloaded.

Well.  We had a deal to keep.

Return again...

There's a slot for the disk here.  Return LoadedDisk....wait...loaded?  Loaded with what...?

Kris put the disk into the broken mechanism.

Nothing happened.  You tapped the machine.  Nothing happened.  You shook the mechanism.  Nothing.  You hit it, you kicked it.  Nothing.  What did we do?  All that for nothing?

Frustrated Kris, started to leave the station when...IT DROPPED DOWN IN FRONT OF US!

"Gahhh!"  I gasped falling back at the silhouette...on...neon green strings.  Oh no...what have we done?

I recognize those pink and yellow eyes...

"HOLY {Cungadero} DO I FEEL GOOD...

HERE I AM, KRIS!  BIG.  BIG.  {Bigger and Better Than Ever}!

HA HA HA...THIS POWER IS

FREEDOM.

I WON'T HAVE TO BE JUST A PUPPET ANY MORE!"

Spamton...what is the meaning of this?

"OR...so...I...thought..."

Eh?

"WHAT ARE THESE STRINGS!?  WHY AM I NOT {BIG} ENOUGH?  IT'S STILL DARK...SO DARK...!

Spamton charged forth, forcing Kris back.

"KRIS.  KRIS.  KRIS.  KRIS.  THAT'S RIGHT.  YOU.  I NEED YOU.  TO BE BIG.  WITH ME.

VERY    VERY    BIG

SO BIG WE'LL STAND TALL AND SEE PAST THE DARK.  STAND UP WITH OUR HEADS IN THE CLOUDS AND LOOK INTO H E A V E N

I.  JUST.  NEED.  THAT.  {Soul}  Y O U  HAVE."

Wait...this body...is this...Mettaton Neo's body, refurbished!  Oh no!  He's pointing that Arm Cannon at us!  Crap!  Pull that Hazard Card, NOW, Azzy!"

And right as he was about to fire on a helpless Kris, while I had my fingers tightened on the Hazard Card...!

A purple slash interrupted Spamton's attack.  Susie!

## Bonus Sub-Entry XXX:  "The Power of NEO Rises Again.  {Hyperlink Blocked...FOREVER} Part II"

"Kris!  The Hell was that weirdo?"

"Kris, we were worried about you."

"KRIS YOU HAVE {Friends}.  WHY DON'T YOU TELL THEM ABOUT MY {3 For One Specil}

TODAY THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN TAKE A {Ride Around Town}...

{Attention, Customers!  Clean up on Aisle 3....

SOMEONE LEFT {There} SOULS,  {Lyeing Around.........}

And like that...we were being attacked by...what looked like the Spamton G. Spamton version of the Sigma Virus heads...lots of them too.  Little energy heads about to smash into us--

Suddenly Kris' soul turned yellow and started...shooting at them!  Like Galaga or Space Invaders...one by one, until it targeted the middle row with a...Mega Man like CHARGE SHOT?

"Kris!?!?  WAS THAT A {BIG SHOT} JUST NOW?  WOW, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU I COULD {Killed} YOU!  {Heaven}, are you WATCHING?  IT'S TIME TO MAKE A VERY {Specil} DEAL..."

Spamtons, spastic head-jerking became erratic as had his laughter.

I pulled the Hazard Card and stood with Kris, Susie, and Ralsei.

"It's time to be a {BIG SHOT}!}

"Everyone...snap those strings."  I ignited my NX Sabres and drew them apart dramatically in a move Leonardo might find familiar.

Everyone snapped wires!

"KRIS!  ISN'T THIS {Body} JUST {Heavenly}?  3X the {Fire}POWER.  2X the {Water}POWER.  AND BEST OF ALL, FLYING {Heads}."

Oh joy.

So.  More of Kris' soul shootout.  Who knew they had a justice soul mode?  Umm...hold and release {Z} to Fire?  What is this, a charge shot...yes, it is, isn't it?

Everyone snapped wires.  Again.  And they kept regenerating.

"WE'LL TURN THOSE {Schmoes} AND {Daves} INTO {Rosen Graves}.  THOSE {Cathode Screens} INTO {Cathode Screams}."

Eheheheh...dark.

Transport vehicles, with stacks of blocks carried more flying heads into battle as they tried to run us down.  More shooting...but also dodging and weaving...and avoiding decoy heads that were actually BOMBS.

"KRIS, DON'T YOU WANT TO BE {Part} OF MY BEAUTIFUL {Heart}?"

Solid pass.

"OR DID YOU NEED A {Specil Tour}?"

And like that his faux heart accordion-ed out of his chest on a folding concertina bellows...as it sprayed diamond shots at us in spread waves.

"Spamton turns to the audience and laughs."

Everyone snapped wires...again...and again.

"ALL YOU HAVE DO IS {Big}!  THEN WE'LL BE THE ONE MAKING THE {Calls}, KRIS!}

And like that he picked up a phone...

"HELLO?  IT'S FOR YOU!"

And out of the receiver sprayed...blue balloons.  Because of course.  Yeah.

And he sprayed even more form his arm cannon.

"IT'S CALLING, KRIS.  MY {Heart}.  MY {Hands}.

And his hands turned into phones...and he suddenly got very...spidery as he climbed around our...action box!?  Sound waves were bouncing everywhere.

"KRS, CAN YOU REALLY LOOK IN MY {Eyes} AND SAY NO? LOOK IN MY {Eyes}!  LOOK IN MY {Nose}!  LOOK IN MY {Mouth}!"

Aww, jeeze.

And suddenly his face turned giant...or maybe we just zoomed in on it...whatever.  Whatever the case, all three of his mentioned body parts attacked.  So...we counter-attacked.

I kept shooting back with the NXS Zappers.

It was then I realized...there WAS no audience!  Who was he performing to?

"I CAN'T STAND IT!  I THINK I'M GOING TO HAVE A [HeartAttack}."

The attacks started to repeat.

"KRIS, I'LL EVEN GIVE YOU A {Free Value}.  {Die Now} AND I'LL THROW IN {50} BULLETS FOR {Free}.}

The floating heads started coming in waves.

The air crackles with freedom.

"KRIS IF YOU GIVE ME THAT {Soul} I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I HAVE!  I WILL GIVE YOU {3 Easy Payments of $9.99!}

The attacks kept coming and repeating.

"KRIS TAKE THE DEAL!  TAKE IT!  DO YOU WAN TO BE A {Heart} ON A {Chain} YOUR WHOLE LIFE?"

Okay now he tripled down on the extendable hearts.

"DO YOU WANT TO BE--"  \*ring ring\*

And he answered the phone.  "WHAT?  IT'S FOR ME--"  And he immediately blasted...himself?  Okay.  That happened.

"KRIS I WON'T FORCE YOU.  I CAN'T.  I CAN'T FORCE YOU.  BUT JUST LOOK, KRIS, AT THE {Power of NEO} AND ASK YOURSELF...WELL DON'T YOU?  DON'T YOU WAN TO BE A {BIG SHOT}?"

Ohhhh...really should have taken that as a verbal cue...because ohhhh boy....he suddenly turned into that very, very BIG SHOT.  LITERALLY.

I looked up at the towering marionette.  And he was sucking in everything.  All the money.  All OUR money!  All the Kromer.  All the {Hyperlink Blocked}!

And then he started spitting...only what I could call giant ghost bullets of himself.

The last one we shot up with so much energy it EXPLODED, turning the whole area white for a bit.

The stage lights are shattered.

"It pulls the strings and makes them ring..."

I said in Buffalo Bill's voice...oh god...Aunt Vi somehow, I channeled a Silence of the Lambs reference?  Not safe for work, yo.

And before we knew it...everything...stopped.

"WAIT!  {$!?!} THE PRESSES!  MY...MY...{Wires} ALMOST...GONE!  KRIS...YOU'RE GIFTING ME MY {Freedom}?  AFTER EVERYTHING I DID TO YOU? AFTER ALL THE {Unforgettable Deals}, {Free Kromer} I GAVE YOU?  YOU'REE FINALLY REPAYING MY {Generosity}?

I panted for a bit.  I wasn't going to argue.

"KRIS!  I UNDERSTAND, NOW, THE GREATEST DEAL OF ALL!

FRIENDSHIP!"

Corny.  But true.  And did the walls just change from black to...kindergarten water color painted murals?

"KRIS MY DAYS AS A {Long-nosed Doll} ARE OVER!   CUT THAT WIRE AND MAKE ME A {REAL BOY}!}

Well...a good Pinocchio story is a good way for this to end.

"ARE YOU WATCHING, {Heaven}  IT'S TIME FOR  {Spamton's Comeback Special! AND THIS TIME I LIVE FOR MYSELF! NO.  MYSELF. AND MY {Friend(s)}!  HERE I GO!  WATCH ME FLY, {Mama}!}

And one last wire cut later and...!!!

Spamton dropped to the ground...and his eyes went out...and he stopped moving.

Oh.

"It seems after all, I couldn't be more than a simple puppet."  His regular body hung there on the wall, tied up by the metal vines.  "But you three.  You're strong.   With a power like that...  Maybe you three can break your own strings.  Let me become your strength."

And like that...we got...a ShadowCrystal.  Wait...didn't....didn't we get something like this when Volt and others defeated Jevil?

"You got Dealmaker."

We backtracked in silence.  All the way until..

"Hey, so...seriously.  Are we seriously...NOT going to talk about any of that?  That was god damn weird.  Puppets...strings...hands...  What the Hell does nay of that mean?  And the way he just...broke."

"I don't think it meant anything, Susie.  It seems, it was just a corrupted program.  He turned into our ally, so let's just accept it.

"(Kris, you've got goosebumps.  You okay?)"

They indicated...no.

"Kris, are you okay?  You're yelling..."

They ARE?  How can you tell?

"There, there.  Everything's alright.  Don't think about what happened too hard, okay?  Just take sone deep breaths and think about...something  you like. Something nice.  Something soft."

"That narrows it down."  I mused.

"I'll be right next to you until you feel better, Kris."

"Guess Ralsei's right.   Whatever happened...I guess... Maybe it just didn't mean anything.  I dunno why you came here, but...  Let's just be glad you didn't get killed."

I'll second that.

"(Just tell us, next time you're gonna do something stupid like this, okay?)"

And off we went...back upstairs...and before we knew it...we were back in the lobby...at the save star...looking up at those legs...

Looking at these legs fills you with a certain power...

And everything played out as before...though our time log showed we'd been at this game longer than before.  Yet, we spoke nary a word about what we just been through.

Fast forward to the end and the next thing we knew...we were outside the closet again.

"What the Hell?  I know we just came from an adventure but.  Damn it all.  Do you...remember why we went in there, Kris?

...

Silence.

I'd never tell.

So...I let them go on with their lives as I turned and walked the other direction...away from the school...and out of town...

...just as everything faded.

And there was Frisk to hug me as I sat up with a smile on my face.

"Yeah.  This felt like a happier note to go out on."

"Yeah.  Hey.  You alright?"

"Hmm..."  I pondered that a moment...then looked up with a smile...then got up and headed out the door.

"Asriel!  Wait!  Where are you...?

I headed into the town square, hands in my lab coat pockets.

"Azzy...?}  Chara and Alphys followed behind.

I reached the Undertale's Wish gate before looking up at it and placing a hand on the framework...admiring the smooth texture of the silvery metal.

"I'm coming.  The wish is going to come true.  The future is coming and I'm ready to be it's prince.  With my princess at my side, right?"

"Yeah.  All the way, Azzy.

I had tears in my eyes.  I wiped them with my lab coat's sleeve.  Like a Dreemurr do.

I kept this going as long as I could.  Now...now I had nothing left to say in my journal.  I think...this is the end for now.  But I'd be dusting this off.  I'd be sharing my story again.

I didn't want it to just be my story.  I needed it to be EVERYONE'S story now.

So.

Project Lost Dreemurr moves on.

The beginning of the end has progressed.

Let's face the next chapter together, my fellow humans and monsters?

Our hearts beat as one.

We already went free.

Now.  It's time for all monsters and humans...to find true freedom.

Next stop...Miranda City.  And...we'll wait as long as it takes to get there.

I am Asriel Arcade.

I am the only one who never took and absorbed a human soul by choice.  The only one who never crossed the barrier.  The only one who never died, much less became a flower.  And I'm the only one who gets to call Volt Arcade my true best friend...but more than that.  I'm the only one who is this ready to call everyone my best friend...and everyone calls me theirs.

Frisk.  Stay by my side.  Chara.  Stand with me.  Everyone.  Walk with me to the future ahead.

This is where I leave off now.  But just wait...we'll all be back.

That's a promise.  One we'll all keep.

***End of Part 2...***

On to Part 3

Back to Part 2

Back to Part 1

Project Lost Dreemurr Final