PLDF Chapter 35

> Chapter 35: "July is Exploding With Celebration, Crossovers, and Fun!" (Sub-Entries 341-350)
>
>

## Sub-Entry 341: "July Begins!  Princess Violet's Birthday Comes Round Again":

Well, I'm sure you all figured this out but...

Mettaton definitely made sure Violet's birthday would always be a red-letter date on the Undertale calendar.

And even before meeting us...Azzy neglected to say what a big holiday it had become as it rose in popularity.

But it would STILL never overtake Christmas and Tanabata.

More on the latter...later.  Hehehe.

But still.

By this point I need not explain what Violet's birthday entailed on our side of the equation.

However...if you need a refresher, all I need to say is...

When she does it?  She does it BIG.

Bunnie's birthday may fall on Golden Week.  But Violet made sure her birthday was unofficially expanded for a week of celebration; capped off by earlier-mentioned star festival.

That meant that she'd always drag Bunnie and anyone else she could to Little Tokyo to absolutely marathon the biggest of consecutive celebrations.  Whatever form of entertainment you can assign, be it rock concerts, water park extravaganzas, laser light shows, or an all-day gaming experience?  She'd fit it all in there and speed us back to Miranda City to make sure Bunnie and Megami could put on the best of Tanabata star festivals to bring it all to an explosive conclusion.

Violet had made up her mind she'd be celebrating her birthday as big and bold as it could get until her last breath.  The rabbit was that determined to defy her age to the very end.  In her own mind, she was a princess for life.  Even in the event of her and Miyamoto Usagi ever joining in matrimony...yeah.  She would stubbornly refuse to be called "queen".  I think she thought that if that were ever the case it would mean people would start thinking of her as an old crone.

I mean...really, what did the Disney Universe have to offer when it came to characters who carried the title of "Queen"?  Show me Snow White and I'll show you every reason for Vi to turn up her nose.  Especially the part of the Evil Queen using a magic spell to disguise herself as an old, wrinkled woman.  How self-defeating: the one who wanted to be the fairest in the land threw her physical beauty away just to vindictively end the person she had a grudge against...just be being the fairest in the land.

Should...I bring up Snow White was barely 14 and that's what the Evil Queen was competing against?  Doesn't...that kind of make the Magic Mirror a bit of a creeper to make that call?

Darn it.  Vi's making me think like her, now.

I'm getting off topic, anyway.  Back to Violet, making a bigger deal of her birthday than anyone should be allowed...generally or legally, in my opinion.

I wonder how much of a seed she must've whispered to Mettaton during our reunion those years ago when the truth about Azzy was finally revealed to the Boss Monsters?

Well this year...Mettaton wanted to outdo anything and everything ever done.

"It's all for you, darling!"

Mettaton broadcast all over the internet, with Violet as the star guest, via satellite.

"Thank you so much, Mettaton!  Thanks to all of my adoring public!"

And yes...she had to transmit from her family space station just to make it epic.

So once back on terra firma...

The Limo was waiting to pick up its guest of honor and her friends.

"Oh wow!  This feels like such an honor!"  Frisk was dazzled but keeping it pure.

"Duuuuuuude!"

"Yeah, I suppose it's all right.  I guess I'm just used to it after all the times Aunt Vi would drag us to Little Tokyo for her yearly birthday bashes."

"It is rather unusual that it should be Mettaton providing the all-expenses paid vacation to Edoropia."  Bunnie rubbed her chin.  "But I suppose this is the natural progression."

"We should prepare to party until we puke."  I said flatly.

"Yes, that's often a staple of Vi's overblown celebrations.  And with Mettaton co-funding it with her, it's only going to get even bigger."

"Joy."  I deadpanned.

Little Tokyo was the same as ever.

Street Vendors selling fish and straight to video movies on VHS cassettes...gee, who even owned a VCR in this day and age?

An ostrich-looking Yard Bird running up and down the streets, doing his Road Runner impression.

And of course Mother Mutt and son making banterous commentary about what was going on.

And sometimes the occasional over-emotional blow-up of one tea shop owner named Lucille.  Watch for flying missiles.  No joke.  Considering practically everything else often was...

The Gorgonzola gang of Ninja Crows had been disbanded or so the claim was.  The Rude Noise had been locked up for a while now.

Anyone who stepped out of line found themselves exiled to spend an inordinate amount of time with Seymore Cheese's skeleton chained to the palm tree.

Eesh.  And they said Demon King Ganondorf was in a sorry state when Link and Zelda came across him.

By this point Vi had a huge chunk of Newest Home flown out to the palace for the biggest of shindigs.  It was the least she could do to show appreciation for Mettaton covering every other aspect of the very steep bills this whole think must carry.

"That's Princess Violet.  No such thing as overboard."  I lowered an eyebrow.

"I can say the same about Mettaton."  Asriel tugged at his goatee.  "You should have seen what he did for our last Sparkle Sparkle Sparkle Day."

"....eeeww.  Not a fan of the name."

"Preaching to the choir, Volt."

"It's still...kind of cute."  Frisk shrugged.

"Frisk, it's time admit.  There's no saving it.  Hate be cruel but--"

"I know I...just can't risk upsetting Mr. Dad Guy."

"Well...you do have a point."  Asriel looked away for a moment.

"Let's let mom do it."

"Agreed."

That caught a rare smirk from Bunnie.

"The only other thing to complain about is THIS."  Sally looked dismally at her expensive gown.  "I'm a racer, not a Barbie girl."

"Did she really make the condition that every girl in attendance have to wear THESE?"  Willamina tugged at the spaghetti straps of her gel-plastic stiletto-heel sandals.   "She doesn't seem to like toe straps, I've noticed.  They're always some variant of slides."

"You mean like flip-flops?"  Frisk asked.

"Apparently she thinks they 'divide up the merchandise'.  Her words, not mine."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"I can't believe she's that particular about sandals.  And each pair is personalized to our color."  Chara stuck her tongue out.

"That why yours are blood red?"  Honey jabbed.

"And yours are fire-patterned.  Did she 3-D print those designs?"

A long pause.

"Let's...change the subject."  Frisk sweat dropped.

"Well that's fine and dandy but could you be any LESS considerate to those of us who CAN'T EVEN WEAR SHOES!?"  Flowey snapped from his decorated flower pot.  A bowtie actually tied around his stem.

"Ugggggggh."

"You suffer with us, weed boy."  Chara snorted.

"This is REVENGE, isn't it?  I called him rust bucket just once and he hasn't forgotten it!"  Flowey growled.

"Speaking of Violet--"

"Gonna stop you there, Frisk.  She intends to make a massive entrance.  One that Mettaton has signed off on."

"I hope it's not the Lady Gaga one again...where do you get a personalized locomotive with sandal-versions of high-heels on the piston-rails?  Sandals with rabbit feet at that."  Mitzi groaned.

"Oh she's Totally not ripping off that episode of the Simpsons."  Sally snorted.

"Can we stop talking about her weird kinks, already?"  I grumbled.

"I feel like this conversation is playing into a stereotype about girls spending most of a conversation talking about clothes and shoes."  Frisk pointed out.

"And Violet's the one who managed to get us all into the conversation without even being here."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes again.

"Let's just get this over with."  Sally straightened her elbow-length gloves.

"You know...it's not all THAT terrible."  Gadget blinked.

"Oh ye of so much naiveite.."  Chara bit into her chocolate bar.  "At least she affords the GOOD chocolate.  And chilled on ice, too."

'Which goes well with your chocolate soda, doesn't it?"  Frisk followed up.

"Hey now.  You have your fries or burger swimming in ketchup.  I got my edible paradise right here."

"...just one time...and it was kind of Sans' doing."  Frisk sweat dropped.

"Guys.  We're here."

We pulled up to the gates of Little Tokyo Palace.

"So...did Seymore really once turn the whole palace into a giant robot with Emperor Fred's likeness?"

"No comment, Commander."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.  "Besides, he was already long dead before I visited."

"Come on.  You know the ground rules.  Don't bring up any of Vi's triggers."  I reminded.  "Seymore is the number one no-no."

"Right.  We don't need her attempting her take on the ending of Carrie.   Al Dente still considered the Queen of Hearts routine the gold standard.  We don't want her moving on to diamond standard, next."

"I find that movie a bit slanderous to psychics."  Callista lowered an eyebrow.

"Speaking of Dente--"

A moment pause before Frisk suddenly realized she asked a question she'd regret the answer to.

In that moment...all the rest of us...our collective eyes were hidden under that shadow of our hair and/or head fur...and the dark grins underneath told all.

"Oh gosh..."  She shrunk down in her seat.

"He won't be an issue."

"Wh...what did she do?"

"All you need to know is the opening scenes of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1..."

Rotor cringed and inhaled through his teeth, like he just sliced himself with a paper cut.

"Yeah.  But he'll find a way back.  He always does."  I growled.

"From the bottom of the sea!?"

A long pause from all of us.

"Subject change!"  We all said.

"Guys?  We're keeping the valet waiting."  I spoke up.

"C'mon.  Let the chauffeur open the door and we'll do our walk down the red carpet.

And so we did and he did and we each made our entrance...waving and smiling at the giant crowd.

Once inside.

"Anyone instantly regretting this?"

"Oh god...it's like someone puked a rainbow of neon and computer code all over the walls, floor, and ceiling!  I think I'm going to get dizzy from this...!"  Chara shielded her eyes.  "The whole floor is a LIGHT UP DISCO FLORE

"What did Mettaton pay for all those LASERS!?!"  Alphys managed to cry out without her stutter as she joined us.

"And holograms..."  I gasped.

Well, we all took our places and the music cranked up to an obnoxiously loud level

"I don't know about you but--"  I started to speak to Jon when I noticed he was already devouring the buffet table.  Or last a small fraction of it considering it was too big for even HIM to empty off.

"...and he's already forgotten how much his ears are probably hurting."

What seemed like hours transpired of off the wall partying and dancing and whatever until finally...

"Your attention please!  Ladies, Gentlemen, monsters, and hybrids, and all manner of sentient life...!"

"Mettaton..."  Alphys rubbed her temples.

"I, your glorious master of ceremonies welcome you all!"

And out came the rolling clouds of kerosene smoke and flashing lights and sweeping lasers as Mettaton EX's very supple robot leg, kicked out of it, high-heel boot and all with a voluptuous  "OH YEEEEEEEEES!!!"

"We are here on this auspicious July 1st to honor and tribute a special young woman.  A monarch of unimaginable prestige, grace, and beauty!  A humble soul of the highest pedigree!"

"All lies..."  I muttered before Bunnie shot me the look that said "We know that, but don't let anyone hear it."

"I give to you...!!!"

He pointed to the skylight which just pointed upward.

And low and behold in a shaft of cyan light...!

"No, she DIDN'T!!!"  I gaped.

"Th-th-that quantum teleportation technology is still experimental!  Sh-she can't be s-s-s-serious!"

I could tell it was stretching all the way up to the Tokugawa Space Station.  She's...honest to goodness teleporting here like she's coming down from Heaven!?!

And after what seemed like an eternity, I could see her form drift down, spinning like a top in mid-air.  Gussied up in the most obnoxiously loud cyber-gown; filled end to end with raining Matrix Code.  It was her loudest wearable computer, yet.

And she was doing an angel choir chorus as she was descending!?

Do I even need to say what she was wearing on her feet?  Just as loud and just as pseudo-code laden.

And she touched down on the Tokugawa family crest in the center of the room; a distinct yellow crescent moon wrapping around it; like Esteban's Medallion.

"Okay that was pretty cool..."  Chara whispered.

"My wonderful and glorious people!  I am so deeply moved by all the adoration you've afforded little old me this day!  As your gracious princess; a princess of the people, mind you, I welcome all to my birthday party!"

Cheers and applause.

"My liege..."  Mettaton took a knee and planted a kiss to the back of Violet's hand.

"You flatter me, you sexy rectangle you.  I couldn't be happier with all you've done."

"Well, one certainly does one's best to make it all special."

"Charmed."

"Oh!  I almost forgot!  A token of your significant other's affection."  Mettaton presented the jewel box.  The kind that usually has a diamond ring or the like in it.

"What...?"  I raised an eyebrow.  No way that came from Miyamoto Usagi.  He didn't have even a fraction of the money to afford a grain of whatever giant rock was in that box.

Clearly Mettaton paid for it and signed Usagi's name to the card.  But it wouldn't matter one way or another if Vi knew the truth or not.  She knew this was just an additional political show.

"What do you say?  Shall we bring out the charming prince of honor to do the honors?"

"Prince?"  Asriel raised an eyebrow.

"He has absolutely no royal blood in him.  I should know."  Sally crosses her arms.  "No disrespect.  He's a great guy.  But really...they are painting a VERY inaccurate image of our humble ronin samurai."

And sure enough, Vi's retainers and Mettaton's staff escorted Miyamoto Usagi...in the most overblown shogun armor I'd ever seen in my life to the center of the fray.

"I feel soooo sorry for him..."  Mitzi facepalmed.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Mitzi."  Sally patted her shoulder with a lop-sided frown.

I could tell he was forcing his smile and trying to carry himself as regal.

Have I mentioned, lately, how much I hate political anything?  Including fabricated images?

Oh well.  Might as well give her people something to believe in.  Greater good, yes?  Eheh...

I'm not commenting any further.

It's Violet.  Her way.  All day.

And of course the ceremony of Usagi opening the case and presenting the ring.  And my gods and goddesses.  I'd never seen something so obnoxiously gaudy.  This was just screaming "Hey, look how rich I am!"

"At least it makes her happy."  Gadget spoke to be.

"Right as always."  I said with a sigh.

Better a happy Violet than that moody, angsty 18-year-old that almost seceded from Neo Arcadia...that almost broke relations with the Allied Nations over a matter of personal pride and vengeance.  She never did forgive Vorostov.  To this day.

But...if she could cover it up with a day like this...I knew she would always be okay.  Even when she was not.

Violet Usako Tokugawa.

No person more complicated.

And this was her day.

At least she stopped riding the coat tails of the late Princess of Wales, Dianna.

Call it a lame claim to fame, but yeah.  She pounded it into the ground their birthdays were one and the same.  Why do you think she wanted us to call her "Princess Vi" all this time?

As cynical as we've all been this day...sooner or later, we'd all cave in.  We'd all start having a good time.

We'd all forget just how overblown and showy this all was.

But more than that...we'd remember that through thick and thin, she's our friend.  She could always be trusted when it came right down to it.  And yes...underneath the unfathomable ego...she really was a great person.

Here's to you, Violet.

You earned this day.

## Sub-Entry 342: "Cosmic Eternity: STC Agency Orders UCIAT to Assist Unicorn Warriors Eternal"

At the last time I reported on that little issue that Toriel and Asgore have been investigating, I was still undecided if we should get mixed up in it.

Well.

Who could have ever predicted that the Council would come to us with dire news.

In hindsight...I now realize we had not given this potential mission the weight it was owed.  To be blunt?

It escalated.  Considerably.

"...so any chance your mother has calmed down enough to work with Asgore again and pick up where they left off?  We want to find out if this is going to become a thing or if it's just something that will solve itself if we leave well enough alone."

"With Mom?  Toriel?  It's up to her how much her annoyance is still smoldering.  She never did do well around arguments and people not playing nice."  Frisk shrugged.

"That sounds like mom alright.  In ANY Undertale continuum."

"And Mr. Dad Guy is too sheepish to lay it all down and get her on the same page.  Big. molten marshmallow buried deep in eight feet of floof and push-over."  Chara wrinkled her nose.  "Such a puffball."

"Good grief."  I rolled my eyes.

"Best we can do is ask them both collectively to make good on their volunteer work until we know for certain, Volt."

"I agree."  Frisk nodded as Azzy held her hand.

"Well.  Then it's settled.  We--"

I started before...!!!

"Incoming!"  Bunnie suddenly snapped as she appeared and urged us to get back.

And like that...STC ground troops beamed into our meeting room.

"Aww HELL naw!"  I growled.  "I KNOW you fools didn't just step to OUR turf!"

"I'm no more happy about this than you are."  The commanding officer ordered his troops to keep their weapons lowered.

"So I'm guessing that's a no on letting us in on being full-time agents of STCA?"  M.K. taunted.

"Seriously?"  The troop commander deadpanned.

I snickered.

"Well you won't be laughing at what's next."  He narrowed his eyes.

That was about time the whole council beamed in; robes and porcelain masks on.

"And the bar was lowered again..."  I folded my ears back.

"You guys just don't know how to let it go."

"Enough!"  The head chairman growled, still annoyed that I carried the title of vice-emperor of Space-Time and Dimension.

"Just make your offer and I'll gladly raise you a rude gesture before ordering you out of my laboratory."

"Our orders...as they were...come directly from the top."

"....explain."

"Daimyou herself commands this."

I stole a quick glance from Bunnie but...decided not to follow up on it, lest I tip my hat and drop a clue on who Daimyou really was.

But that said...that made me turn very stoic.

"I will hear you out.  But do make the explanation good."

"It concerns the--"

"Cosmic Realm."  Bunnie cut in.

"...yes...how do you know--"

"That is of no concern."

"Wait...we were just talking about Unicorn: Warriors Eternal--"  M.K. cocked his head.

"Surely it's no coincidence."  Asriel stood up, pushing himself up from the table with his palms in a moment of looking very serious.

Yup.  We didn't take this seriously enough.

"She provided this.  For your eyes only."

I accepted the pen drive.

A moment of silence and hesitation.

"Well.  What are you blokes waiting for?  Bugger off."  Jon indicated they scurry off.  That made me smirk.  But really, my son-in-law was pressing his luck."

As it turned out...the info on the drive was....more than a little alarming.

Once we called Toriel and Asgore in for an emergency meeting...

"Whoah...is this REAL?"  M.K. shrunk down in his seat.

"I'm afraid so.  This is a MAJOR update to our collective dossier on the matter.  And unfortunately if it continues..."

Silence.

"Right now...Daiymou and Kommand have it contained within their own universe cube.  But if the Evil consumes enough of the Cosmic Realm it may break out beyond the borders and into the rest of the UltraVerse."

"How did this happen?"

"It was inhabiting Merlin."  Asgore reasoned as he tugged his beard.

"Yeah...we kind of remember that part.  But...the report kind of ended there."

"And so there was a great battle was there not?"  Toriel reasoned.

"See for yourselves."  I replayed the mighty battle.

"So...Otto is in fact--"  Asriel started as he looked upon the body of the genius.

"And the Rakshasa?  That's his corpse on the battlefield."  Undyne growled.

"Oh n-n-no...casualties!"  Alphys shuddered.

"So...it used Seng as a conduit into the Cosmic Realm?"

"And twenty years passed from the time it pulled everyone in with it."  I folded my arms.

"So...?"  M.K. cocked his head.

"Where did things start going REALLY wrong?"

"The Evil...it pulled Melinda's soul out from Emma's body and cast the latter back through time and space into her home in London.  She...had an ordeal before finding a way back--"

"Oh yes.  That."  Lupe pointed to the blood red crystal we had seen from the Elven realm.

"And four more years passed.  In that time...!"

"The Evil became all powerful...and that brings us to now when..."

A dark silence gripped the room before...!

Everyone's collective jaws dropped amidst all our gasps.

"So...that happened and...!"  Asgore tugged at his collar.

"And..."  Toriel tried to find the words.

"And...we have every reason that STC Agency came to us.  There's a level of desperation even Daimyou is reasonably afraid of."  I folded my arms.

"I once warned of this very real danger.  But the council dismissed it as worrisome ramblings with no basis.  Science fiction at best.  Well...I'm going to have a huge I-told-you-so for them later."

Asriel tugged at his goatee.

"So...proof that one person can hold that many souls inside.  Then again...we've always had that proof, haven't we, Frisk?"

"Not something I figured you'd want to remember, Azzy."

"That more applies to Flowey than me."  Asriel shook his head.

"What...is actually happening?  I don't get all this mumbo-jumbo."

"In short...time has become unraveled.  Space has lost its boundaries."  Bunnie explained.

"That's...that's r-r-right!"  Alphys looked up from her clipboard.

"What's THAT mean?"  Undyne snapped.

"It means everything that ever was, everything that is, and everything that every will be...is now happening all at the same time.  Time went from being a straight line...into a pool of random all over the place."  Asriel furrowed his brow.

"In other words...their reality is completely broken.  Space?  Time?  The whole cosmic realm is drained of its power and thus nothing is acting as a barrier between one event and the next."

"So...the ultimate crossover?  What's so bad about that?"

"Everything."  I replied.  "We may be swimming up to our eyes in crossovers but...it's the same reason we didn't want Adonis obliterating the Axis of Reality.  We may cross-over with everyone and everything at any time...but we still maintain borders.  Every world still remains its own.  Self contained.  Neighbors but still their own thing."

"Okay, okay!  I get it!  We all need our personal space!  Our own comfort bubbles."

"It's not just a good idea.  It's a rule of the cosmos."  Bunnie clarified.

"Let's just get to the nitty-gritty."  I sighed.

I pulled up the file.

"Are those...?"

"Yes.  Direct orders...to intervene."

"So...it's official.  This is now Ultra Crew Institute business.  Not just a casual observation."

"When it's the potential end of the space-time continuum...well...at the very least THEIR piece of it....at the very most it spread into everyone else's--"

"And that would be bad?"  Undyne narrowed her eye.

"No, Undyne.  Going back in time and preventing your parents from meeting would be bad.  Destroying the Axis of Reality would be REALLY bad.  This?  This is actually worse then worst-case-scenario in a way."

"Much like the namesake of the third party that we deal with when Destiny's Call and Natural Selection were at each other's throats...........this truly would be...Without Borders."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

Silence.

"So...I guess we're going to the cosmic realm?"

"We'll need to prepare before then.  And hope there's something left to save once we do arrive."

"Until then..."

"Yeah."

Meeting technically adjourned.  Or at least...our action was postponed until we could actually deploy.

"What...do you think they'll say to us?  What...do you suppose they'll think of us?"  Frisk rubbed the back of her head.

We all looked at each other.

"Well.  They don't have any ground to stand on if they're going to single US out for being different.  Have any of them seen themselves lately?"  Undyne snarled.  "They're not exactly any more normal than we are."

"A bit defensive, Undyne.  But not wrong.  I think they've learned the value of teamwork.  The more the merrier, right?"  Asriel grinned sheepishly.

"Ugh...I like you better when you're kicking butts."

"You know I'm a lover not a fighter.  Except when I have to be a fighter.  Then I'm a pretty good fighter."  Asriel chuckled.

"Definitely a better lover."  Frisk mused as she pulled him close and planted a big wet one on his lips.

"Well.  Until then.  Rest up and train.  Not even sure how we're going to tackle something this big."  I advised.

We all went our separate ways for now.

For tomorrow, we'd probably be doing something different.

Probably.

## Sub-Entry 343: "Fireworks, yo!  Drew is Gonna Light up the Night!"

Tanabata would be here in three days.  But until then...

We had a Miranda-exclusive holiday to celebrate.

It had become the phantom holiday in Undertale...not officially existing by law or any other method...but unofficial it was the holiday everyone still celebrated on a whim.

To this day Asriel was still lobbying to have the name changed.  Anything but Sparkle Sparkle Sparkle Day.

"Man, I love this day so much."  Asriel smiled.

"We're kind of fond of it, ourselves."  Mitzi cradled Chu-Chu, lovingly.

The party went all day and into the night.

Muffet and Grillby competed to have the more patriotic dishes.

There were no shortage of sparklers.

"GAAAH!"  Cid about jumped.

...and the occasional practical joke in the form of snap-pops coupled with colored smoke bombs.

I could clearly hear some of the members of Rainbow Wing snicker as they escaped.

Well.  Fireworks were a later event.

Right now, in the morning hours?

A parade.

Kind of a new thing started, at the suggestion of the Dreemurr King and Queen.

After pinballing around in both the Newest Home city council and the Miranda Parliament...

It was approved by the rulers on both sides.

"You know I can't say I've seen one of these in a long time, Azzy."

"Really?  When was the last one you can remember?"

"Well, it was my mentors in New York, following a major crisis averted.  Such that the Mayor of New York threw a parade in their honor.

Actually now that I think about it there might have been more than one.  Or two.

But...we usually don't talk about the...\*ahem\*...Murray the Mantis incident.  No, the one I remember clearest is after wrapping up the case of Killerwatt."

"Oh yeah.  The Kremzeek-like ghost.  The Grand Ghoul, the Ethereal Master of Manyyyyyyyy..."  Azzy wriggled his fingers all spooky like.

"Wasn't such a laughing matter what that sparky spook put us through.  I offered to stay behind and power the Containment Unit, but no.  We went with the pedal locomotion device powering the generator from Ecto-1."

"But wouldn't that mean--"

"Battery was history by the time it reach the power plant in Brooklyn."

"So...the other parade?"

"Well...I can't recall the details but...I do remember we left Ecto-1 at home and we walked the parade route.  I remember because about midway through we did this funky dance.  I think it was kind of a nod to one of Ray Parker Junior's videos or something.  Either way..."

I rubbed the back of my head.

"Um...something you don't want to talk about."

"The part where Slimer got in on the act and got tangled up around Peter's leg which resulted in sliming the street and causing us all to fall down.  We didn't take the embarrassment well."

"Chased after him?"

"Til we ran out of street.  By then most of us got over being mad but we still had to hold Peter back from trying to go back for a proton pack and trap..."

"That sounds like Venkman alright."  Azzy shrugged.

"Boy you ran around with a lot of interesting people, Azzy!"  Frisk joined her husband.

"And you can't wait to meet them all, can you?"  Chara prodded.

"Jealous?"

"No.  Maybe.  Oh you know how to take the fun out of things."

"C'mon.  Where's your sense of humor, sis?"

"On vacation."  Chara snorted.

"Well...we kind of are, today.  Over here in Miranda, it actually IS a national holiday!"

"What holiday is it again, dude?"

"Armistice Day, I think."  Frisk thumbed through her Fontraile History book.

"Well I can tell you one thing.  Drew White knows it's his time to shine.  One night a year, he uses all his powers, all his talent, and all his ability to put on the best darn fireworks show you'll ever see in your life."  Asriel rested his head in his interlocked palms, spreading his elbows outward.

"That's a pretty steep check to write, Azzy.  Can he cash it?"

"Can he cash it?  You better be ready to make change for the zero's he's going to put on that check."

"With an endorsement like that, it better live up to your hype, Azzy."

"It will."

I just couldn't find anything to say in the moment.  He completely nailed it.  He completely told it like it was.

Drew was a master pyrotechnician.

And it showed.  Year after year.  From Azzy's own mouth, he admitted, while Drew taught him everything he knew about fireworks, no matter how hard he tried, importing his craft to Undertale, he could never get close to Drew's level.

Violet suggested he try the Coneheads method.

"If he does that, Vi, then every vampire and light sensitive being in the whole country's going to be poofed out of existence!  I swear if Asmirus DOES survive an atomic flash THAT blinding, she'll haunt us into each of our afterlives.  Those of us who aren't immortal, at any rate."

"Ugh.  Fiiiine."  Vi crossed her arms.

"And don't try to get Dan Ackroyd to back you up on this one.  He's not going to endorse your opinion no matter how much crystal skull vodka you offer to buy off him.  And for that matter...didn't we BAN you from alcohol after the Juke Box incident?"

"Was that one where she put "Love Stinks" by J. Geils on repeat after dumping a couple bank rolls worth of quarters into the machine?  You know, after her last break up before she met Miyamoto Usagi?"  Asriel asked.

"Ooooooh.  Something to pry out of her?"

"No."  I said flatly but BOLDLY, to make sure she knew I meant business.

I was getting use to these banterous conversations now.  They felt normal by this point.  Like Undertale had always been part of our world.

I stopped a moment to observe the tidal wave of Temmies rolling through the street.

I wonder how long until Hyperion loses his mind, trying to round them up for their latest public disturbance?

But anyway...as for Drew?

It had been several promotions for him during his time with UCIAT and he'd made sure he'd properly direct his fleet of launching ships that would set off the fireworks from the sea; just a short ways from Miranda's port.

He was captain of his ship though by now he sported the rank of admiral.  And what a tight ship he ran.  Rather...what tight ships, plural, he ran.

When he instructed his workers, he made sure that not a single corner was cut.  He took his safety protocol seriously.  Maybe as much or more than Sally.

In all the time he knew us...in all the time he'd been with us...

...ever since he made that grand speech from a soap box and challenged anyone to get into a debate with him, just to prove his negotiating skills...

...in all that time he'd pretty much kept to himself in our operation.  I mean...I didn't really know much about him outside of what he made obvious.  His talent with debate and negotiation, his skills as a man of the sea, and of course how he'd use those weaponized speaker balls of his to make the very power of sound itself a formidable attack against his enemies.

He'd always call me boss.  I was okay with that.  At least he wasn't like most people in town, who called me by my birth name.

I think Tiemtiaren, the black-scale of Rainbow Wing was the only person who honestly addressed me as "Arcade".  Truthfully being called by my adopted last name...somehow felt a lot less unnerving than being on a first name basis.  And with one I didn't spread around myself.

No, I blamed Violet for leaking my past to everyone in town.  And it frustrated me that I couldn't get her back because she'd long since told everyone her nickname was "Usa-Hime".  Which Bunnie long confirmed translated to "rabbit princess".

For everyone else who did address me on a first name basis...at least within my own operation's ranks and by each of my trusted friends and family...

I was always Volt.  And that was the name I was most relaxed with.

Though with Chameleon?  Yeah, I couldn't object too much to Sparks or Sparky or some variation.

WOW, did I ever go off topic.

I digress.

Drew.

From what I understand, Rotor was on hand to offer assistance if Drew needed it.  He had things well in hand but I figured if anyone was going to be lucky enough to sit in and watch the master of pyrotechnics at work, it would be my most aquatic member.

They didn't really converse.

Drew was too busy to chit-chat.

Rotor rarely had anything to say unless it was important or if he really did have something on his mind.

Once the set-up was complete, Rotor radioed me to confirm all was ready.

That meant I gave the okay to Sally, Violet, and Mettaton for the festivities and the celebrity acts and such leading up to the big fireworks show.

I compared what we did every year to the annual Capital Fourth on Earth.  The heart of the celebration that was Independence Day was always broadcast from some place rich in American history like Philadelphia or Washington D.C.   Honestly I forgot where exactly the big event was when shown on that Public Broadcasting Service on TV.

Either way...we'd adopted the same tradition.  The big display was preceded by popular acts and stars and celebrities who stood the test of time along with a few current faces and such.

Whereas C.F. would have guests like Cookie Monster and Elmo pop up, we made sure Mettaton was the master of ceremonies at this year's.  And boy did he not disappoint when it came to running the whole gambit of acts to keep Mirandians and Undertalers invested.

And of course, just like Capital Fourth...nothing was official without the playing of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky.  All while Drew blew our minds with countless colorful explosions in the air.

"Oh my gosh..."

"See that, Frisk?  That's how it's done PROFESSIONALLY.  That's the master at work."

"Damn!"  Even Undyne had to chime in.

"If only we had something like this to fall in love to back in our day, Tori."

"It would have been something special, would it not have, Gorey?"

From what I understand, Queen Brooke even had the best seat in the house and was completely enamored by this year's display in particular.

It must've impressed so much that she had her staff take a letter to augment Drew's pyrotechnics budget for next year.

I'd wait until after the show to tell him.

"Dude.  This is what freedom must look and feel like, yes?"

"I guess you could say that, M.K."  I agreed.

"Happy uh...Fourth of July?"  Frisk shrugged.

"You know what?  Why call it anything else."  Asriel agreed.

"Beats Sparkle Sparkle Sparkle Day any day, dudes."

"Here here."

Seems like a good place to leave off for now.

## Sub-Entry 344: "Keep Your Shirt (Tales) On!  A Crossover That's No Walk in the Park":

"So.  How'd we end up in a random park, posing as tourists?"  Violet snorted.

"Well, a pen-pal of mine contacted us for help."  Gadget explained.

"Pen-pal?  Seems kind of outdated in this day and age of emails, message boards, and Tik-Tok."  Violet wrinkled her nose.

"Don't knock it until you try it old school."  Asriel cut in.

"You tell her, big little brother!"

"How are we going to recognize our contacts, anyway?"  Violet complained.

"Did she specify a meeting place?"  Lupe asked.

"No.  But her instructions were pretty clear.  Once we get there, Gadget's going to have to shrink us all down a little to fit in the meeting place."

"Wait...how small are your friends?  They're not like those Littles of yours who live in the mouseholes of UCIAT HQ are they?"  Asriel asked.

"Not that small, Azzy.  But small enough to get underfoot."  Gadget explained.

"Two foot or so?"

"Or so."

"So yeah...not as much of a size reduction as I thought."  Asriel rubbed his chin.

"Oh.  One more thing.  We were given these.  It's a bit pre-emptive but they've made us honorary members of the team."

"Team?"  Asriel raised an eyebrow as he was handed a tee-shirt.  A moment of shrugging and he slipped on as did the others.

"It's...different."  Lupe looked it over.

"Yeah.  It is pretty nifty--"  Asriel mused before he heard Lupe gasp.

"What...what is your shirt doing...?"  She pointed.

"It's...flashing...letters...a word?"  Mitzi cocked her head.

"It says..."COOL".

"Yeah.  They do that."  Gadget beamed as her shirt started flickering "Right on!"

"H...how do they do that?"  Lupe shrugged.

"You know?  I have no idea."

"Heh."  Sally grinned as her shirt spelled out "SCHWAY"

M.K.'s shirt spelled out "AWESOME".

"Oh I got a few things I could spell out for--"

"Miss Violet!  No!  Keep it safe for work!"  Gadget protested.

"Unless you want trouble."  Mitzi glared as her shirt flickered "DON'T DO IT"

"This one of those things we don't share with the park ranger we met with, earlier?  What was his name?"  Mitzi asked.

"Probably for the best.  And his name is Mr. Dinkel."  Gadget explained.

"Dinkel?  Sounds almost like Dinkley."  Mitzi pondered.

"I'm pretty sure he's not related to the bespectacled member of Mysteries Incorporated."  Asriel muttered.

"This is going to take some getting used to--"  M.K." said as he took a load off on a large mushroom--

And immediately it started flashing red and sounding a weird alarm!?

"Uh-oh.  That's the Trouble Alert!"  Gadget covered her mouth in shock.  "It looks like they need our help fast!"

She adjusted the controls of the Reduction Belt.

"Let groove!"

And surge enough the group resized.

"Whoah.  Adorable, midget cartoon furry mode go!"  M.K. chuckled.

"Ultra gear!  I look like my SATAM counterpart.  But wearing pants."  Sally posed a bit.  "I think it even matched our morphology to the animal beings of this world.  Check it out!"

"Dr. Lynx added an upgrade or two recently.  She thought it would help us blend into worlds like this better.  Even ones with talking animals, we'd still stick out if we came as we usually are."

"One-hundred megawatt idea, Gadget."  Sally winged.

"Man, as if I wasn't short enough."  Violet finally realized the obvious.

"Feeling a little like your counterpart, "Usa-HIme"?  M.K. looked smug.

"Keep it up, Jax-o-saurus."  Violet dared him.

So.  The team.  Gadget and Mitzi, Asriel and M.K.  Lupe and Sally.   And of course...Violet.  Seven of us off world.

There my crew were in Oak Tree Park in Mid City.  The park was name named so why?  Well.  If it isn't OBVIOUS...

Kidding aside, the great oak tree was the pride of the park.  Home to some small woodland creatures though...they were a bit unconventional.

I suppose it was one of the few worlds I could think of where the park animals could be everything from a tiger to a panda to a mole to a racoon to an orangutan...and most recently a kangaroo.  Even more out of place that they walked bipedal and could speak the human language.  You know.  Cartoon logic.  Yet, we did not consider them Hybrids, per se.

And, yes,  probably the only world where they were at least partially clothed.  But to be specific...each of them had a signature color tee-shirt.

Tee-shirts which flashed short messages, reflecting that person's thoughts.

What most of the world DIDN'T know was that the were a crime-fighting/detective agency, enlisted by the unnamed police Commissioner.  You see, the tree held a greater secret than just being their home.  It was also their secret headquarters, sporting a super crime computer with direct video connection to said Commissioner.

As for who they were meeting up with?

Their team consisted of Rick Racoon, Tyg Tiger, Pammy Panda, Digger the Mole, Bogey the Orangutan, and most recently Kip the Kangaroo (and the youngest of the group).

"This way!"  Gadget led on to the tree's entrance.  A quick scan by the electronic eye and they were okayed...and dropped down the coiling slide...!

"Whoah!"

"Wheee!"

"This is nova!"

"Duuuuuude!"

And once down below...!

"That's always fun!"  Gadget landed on her feet and stepped forward a bit.

"Yeah it was!"  Sally vaulted and somersaulted in midair before landing in a dab pose right out of the Mega Man games.

"Whoah!"  Mitzi landed a bit roughly but regained her balance.  "I'm not going to start saying I'm too old for this...I'm not gonna do it..."

Violet landed face-first in a nasty slide-tackle that almost took Mitzi off her feet.

"Hey!  I know you like to stare at feet, but show some self-control, Violet!"

And like that M.K. took a tumbling roll before landing SPLAT on Vi's back.

"And what do you know?  Instant karma."

"It is to laugh.."  Vi shoved M.K. off and got up.

"Hey!  Not cool!"

"Less cool to land on a princess without asking."

Asriel was last down, slipping his NSX board under his feet as he jumped off the bottom.  He drifted around the others and came to a stop, Marty McFly style.

"Hey...where's Lupe?  I thought she would be down here.  I saw her go down the slide ahead of me..."

Everyone kind of looked around.

"How do you get lost in an oak tree!?"  Mitzi cocked her head.

"Who's there!?"  Azzy heard a voice ahead.

"Kip?"

An in hopped a small tan female kangaroo joey in pale yellow.

"Gadget!"

A quick tackle hug.

"I'm guessing she's the pen-pal."  Sally crossed her arms.

"Oh!  You're here!"

"Sure am.  It's so good to see you!"

"Same here!"

"Oh!  These are my friends!  Asriel..."

"Howdy!"  Azzy waved as the word HOWDY appeared on his shirt.

"...Mitzi..."

"Nice to meet you."  A simple heart emoji.

"...M.K...."

"Pleasure, dudette."  His shirt flashed AWESOME

"...Violet..."

"No autographs from your princess, please."  as her shirt flashed "Glamour Queen"

"...Sally..."

"What's up, yo?"  her shirt flashed "Way past cool!"

"And...somewhere Lupe is around here but she got lost on the way down...somehow."

That was when the ground rumbled a little before something...or someone dug straight up.

"Digger!"  Gadget recognized the slate gray mole in powder blue.

"Oh my!  I didn't know we had company!"

Digger seemed kind of skittish if not a little bit melancholy.  Maybe a little worry wort in him.

"Huh.  I could have sworn that would have been--"  Sally started before the second rumbling.

"Whoaah!  I'm going up in the world...!"

Moments later, Digger found himself riding Lupe, piggyback.

"Oh dear!  So sorry.  I somehow ended up falling off the slide and tunneling underground."

"Keep up moves like that, Lupe and you're going to have a reputation for bad directions worse than Roranoa Zoro and Kenpanchi Zaraki."

"Who?"  Kip cocked her head to the side.

"No one you need to know."  Asriel tried to downplay it.

"Nice going, silver tongue."  M.K. muttered to Violet.

"My bad."

Lupe let Digger get down before climbing out of the hole.  Her shirt flashed "APOLOGIES"

"And this is Lupe."

"It's great you're all here."

"But...where are the others."

"That's kind of why I called.  They went to Bosco's.  A new wave disco that just opened.  Mr. Dinkel got a personal invite to go there and he's been practicing his disco dance steps all day.

The others got a call from the Commissioner to go after a prison escapee that's likely to head there."

"A jailbird on the run?"  Asriel blinked.  "Anyone dangerous?"

"Someone named "Big T. the D.J."  Rick said he's an evil disc jockey turned master thief."

"What?"  Sally furrowed her brow.

"Oh no!  That sounds like big trouble."

"And I can tell already that Sally's taking it personally."

"Oh that is way un-schway.  Disrespecting the art of the turntables?  Not on my watch."  Sally cracked her knuckles.

"And I'm with you.  Bullies just get my blood boiling."  Mitzi tightened a fist.

"Let's not go looking for a fight if we don't have to.  Let's try to resolve this peacefully if we can."

"And if we can't, remember sensei's rules about escalating a battle.  Low level armaments if we need them.  Tools and such.  Weapons ONLY if he's actually armed with anything dangerous."  Asriel advised."

"Quick question, dude.  Why are the two of you here and not with the others."  M.K. asked.

"The others said I was too little."  Kip crossed her arms and pouted.

"I think I'd rather stay in where it's safe and listen to my records of Mole-zart."

"Mole-zart?"  Sally arched and eyebrow as her shirt flashed a giant question mark.

Azzy covered up his snicker.

"So we know where they're going.  But how do we get there in time?"  Sally asked.

"That's just it.  They got the S.T.S.S.T. with them."  Kip shrugged.

"S.T.S.S.T.?"  Lupe questioned.

"Shirt Tales Super Sonic Transport."

"Super-sonic you say..."  Sally rubbed her chin.

"I know that look."  Violet grinned as her shirt flashed "LOVING IT"

"Anything with speed."  Mitzi shrugged.  "But seriously.  If we don't have a transport, then a lot of trouble could go down before we make the save."

"Hmm...I wonder..."  Asriel looked at the supercomputer for a bit.

He hopped off his NXS before converting it to tablet mode.

"Wow...that's a fancy looking skateboard!  It doesn't even have wheels!"

"I've never seen a clipboard with its own TV!"

"Eheheheh...should we be showing them future tech so readily?"  Mitzi asked.

"It's okay!  I trust them with this knowledge."  Gadget beamed.

"Hmm..."  Azzy narrowed his eyes before yanking the fire wire plug from the NXS and reshaping it to fit the computer's serial port interface.

"Wow.  Talk about your Radio Shack off-the-shelf."  Vi whispered as her shirt flashed "Antique"

Asriel ignored the comment and plugged in.

"They've got to be in here, somewhere...aha!"

And on screen popped up the schematics for the STSST.

"Wow!  Snazzy vehicle.  Is it a car or a boat or a plane?"  M.K. eyed it.

"Ohhh...should you guys really be doing that?  I mean no one's even seen these before...I know I haven't!"

"Yeah, but where did they come from?  Who invented this?"

After a few moments...

\*DOWNLOAD COMPLETE\*

"A lot of questions that will have to wait another time, M.K.  Let's get top side.  Show me where the vehicle launching bay is!  I'll take it from here."  Azzy's shirt read "LATER"

Kip and Digger looked at each other and shrugged.

A bit later...

Outside of Dinkel's office, right in front of the building, at the wooden bridge over a small creek...

The bridge tilted down as a rectangular opening was revealed...and out flew...!

"You turned a skateboard into another Super Sonic Transport?  Are you a magician!?"  Kip had buckled in with the rest of us.  Her shirt flickered "YAY"

"No...but my family does have a history of the most powerful magic.  But that's another story."  Asriel had taken the wheel.

"Oh dear...!"  Digger covered his eyes.  One could make out "DANGER" flashing on his shirt.

"Very resourceful, Azzy."  Mitzi complimented.

"I pray we are not too late."  Lupe clasped her palms together, touching her forehead to her fingertips.

"We'll make it!  C'mon, Azzy!  Take this up to warp speed!"  Sally jumped out onto the hood and started surfing it like a skateboard.  Her shirt flickered "NEED FOR SPEED"

"Th-that's d-dangerous, Miss Sally!"  Digger protested.

"Ah, she does this all the time."  Violet lay back and grinned as her shirt displayed "JUST ROLL WITH IT"

"Keep those magnets on, Aunt Sally.  Or we're going to be scraping you off the streets."

"This ain't my first rodeo, kiddo!"  Sally gave  a cocky thumbs up as she looked over her shoulder.

"I see Bosco's ahead!"  M.K. looked over the side of the flying craft.

Once inside, though things got a little chaotic and Gadget's report on the matter got a little hard to interpret.  I guess she didn't have much time to take down notes on the fly.  But suffice to say there was a rescue, some shenanigans and such.  But I'll try to sort out the highlights.

"I got a plan.  Resize me, Gadget.  I'm going to done my human disguise and keep Dinkel distracted.  That way we can keep your secrets."

"You got it, Mitzi!"  Gadget said as she wound up her makeshift plunger-harpoon crossbow and aimed toward the ceiling.  Man I hadn't seen her use that classic Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers gear in a while... Her Variant was all too glad to show her how she made hers.

"And I'll tangle with Big T.  I got a few things to get off my chest about using the way of the D.J. for evil!"

"Count me in on that!"  Tyg prompted for a high-five, which Sally coaxed into a fist-bump.  Probably the first one ever given on this world.

"D'OIIIIIING!!!!"  Tyg called out before turning to a blur...and somehow leaving his stripes hovering in mid-air.

"Oh I'm going to like working with him..."  Sally grinned before she turned up her Overdrive Sandals and OverTech.

"We appreciate the assist!"  Pammy complimented.

"You got that right, sweetheart!"  Bogey followed up.

"All in the line of duty!"  Lupe said as she readied some tangle vines.

"Dude!  We gotta get the crowd under control before Big T starts a riot!"

"Then let's give em' a show that's out of this world!"  Asriel mused.

"What's the play?"

"You know the old Spaceman Spiff?"

"Dude!"

"I thought you'd like that.  You got an empty fishbowl in your inventory and some aluminum foil?"

"I totally do, dude!"

"They follow my lead and get ready for a show."

"And I'm gonna do a little handywork on the disco ball and lights."  Violet grinned as she hardwired her wrist computer into the lighting controls backstage.

Suffice to say...this got a little complicated.

But before all was said and done.

"You ready to make an exit, everyone?"

"Ready, Asriel!"  Pammy gave the okay as her shirt read "OK"

"Let's blow this joint!"  Tyg agreed as his shirt read "TIME TO GO"

"Ninja VANISH!"  Asriel throw down the Deku Nut.  In a flash and a smoke cloud...!

The cheers echoed as Mr. Dinkel turned to try to figure out what all the extra commotion was.  He didn't happen to see Mitzi slip away.

Back at Oak Tree Park...

"You really went above and beyond as honorary Shirt Tales."

"Ahh, it was nothing."  M.K. waved it off.

"I'm so glad everything worked out!"  Gadget hugged Kip.

"Me too, pen pal!  Me too!"

"Drop by any time you want, sweetheart!  All the bananas you can eat."

"I might take you up on that if I can provide some of my own."  Lupe mused pulling out a bananas the size of a hockey stick.

"WOWEE ZOWEE!  You just made a friend for life, sweetheart!"

"He's really laying the Humphrey Bogart on real thick isn't he?"  Violet crossed her arms.

"Stop by some time and we'll work out together."

"And have a race, too."  Sally shook Tyg's hand before turning it into a friendly arm-wrestling moment.

"Drop a line of you ever need us to repay the favor."  Rick nodded as Asriel gave a thumbs-up.

"But maybe next time we won't have so much excitement."  Digger peeked between his fingers as he covered his eyes.

"Ultra Crew Institute?  Let's go home."  Asriel gathered everyone up as the gateway opened back up.

## Sub-Entry 345: "The Juggernaut That is Tanabata.  Now it's Double Popular!"

You should know by now the name of this star festival.

Whether you go by the version with Altair and Vega or the one with Hikoboshi and Orihime star-crossed lovers separated by time and distance are the reason we look up to the heavens and wish upon shooting stars.  At least according to Jangese lore.

In Miranda it was insanely popular.

In Undertale it became far MORE insanely popular.

Now with both worlds joined together?

It might as well be immortal.

"It's the star festival again!  YAAAAAY!"  M.K. was already excited.

"Glad we stopped back in Undertale to get Alphys’ professional grade telescope.  You can see everything with this."

"You haven't lived until you tried one of Grillby's star cakesters."  Frisk offered one to each of the others.

"Yeah, they're like Hostess Ding-Dongs, only star-shaped, and lemon-flavored with lemon icing and lemon filling.  They're amazing!"  Asriel licked his lips.

"Eh.  They're no chocolate frosted sugar bombs."

"Record for the unhealthiest breakfast cereal on the market, sister."  Azzy rolled his eyes.

"C'mon.  Try a bite some time."

"I did.  My fangs are still vibrating."

"Getting too old for sugary cereal?"

"Hey, we're the same age."

"Would you stop fighting already?  Siblings shouldn't argue."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"So.  What's the plan for tonight?"

"Not much of one.  Stay up and watch the shooting stars."   Asriel beamed.

I decided to make my entrance right about now.

"Hey, quintessential quartet.  How's the day finding you?"

"With a map and compass.  G.P.S. if it needs to be accurate."  Asriel mused.

"Ugh...really, Azzy?"

I smirked a little at Chara's disdain.

"That was a good one, Azz."

"Don't encourage him."

I just shrugged with a silly grin.

"Drew's really enjoying that boost to his budget.  His fireworks show got such rave reviews Queen Brooke bumped his budget up by another 15% for next year."

"If we Really wanted to boost his budget, we'd get him into one of Vi's bets."

"Nice plan, Chara.  Only if he loses the bet, he'd have to do something incredibly embarrassing."

"Embarrassing like how?"  Chara decided to tempt fate.

I pointed to under a street pose where Al Dente was bound nose to toes in duct tape and Rainbow Wing were taking turns blasting him with  a different element.

"Electrocuted, burned, frozen, spiked with thorns,  and hit with mild acid.  It won't kill him but I'm pretty sure he'll wish he was dead."

"What...did he do this time...?"

A pause before everyone realized then did NOT want the answer to that.  What Dente did was left unsaid and probably NSFW.

And with that the subject was dropped.

"Well, maybe not that."  I shrugged.

"But I am no stranger to losing a bet to Aunt Vi.  Remember the Flash Mob set to O-Zone?"

"The what?"

"Let's just call it the Numa-Numa dance for simplicity's sake."  Asriel tugged at his collar.

"Oh I'm so bribing Violet for details on that."

Asriel facepalmed and sighed.

Frisk just patted his shoulder.

"So that's what it's like having a sibling tease you."  I rubbed my chin.

"You're saying you and Gadget, never once, in your entire lives--"

"No."  I said plainly.  So matter-of-factly there was a dead silence.

"Okay, Mr. Perfect."

"Not perfect.  Just supportive.  And...really good luck with being a good brother."  I shrugged.

Asriel crossed his arms with a smug smirk.

"Heroes shouldn't gloat, Azzy..."  Chara smoldered.

"No rule against smiling."  He mused.

"I never should have taught you how to find loopholes in things."  Chara pouted.

"In all fairness Violet taught me what you didn't.  It's really useful for winning arguments with Flowey.  Not that I TRY to but..."

"The weed just makes it too easy."  Chara smiled.

"Come on, you two.  Don't pick on Flowey."  Frisk moderated.

"Okay, okay.  We had our fun, right?"

"Speak for yourself."

If this was a normal banter between them, what the heck did I miss out on in my childhood?

By this time, M.K. had finished stuffing his face, as he was staying out of the conversation to feed his sugar cravings.

"Duuuuuuude."

"M.K.  Seriously.  You're going to have a BEAST of a sugar crash later on."

"Nuh-uh.  I'm up and ready to party all day!"

Several hours later...

\*SNOOOOOOORE\*

"I won't say I told him so..."

"So I'll do it for ya, Azzy."  Chara chuckled.

"Charaaaaa..."  Frisk warned as Chara raised the air horn.

The next thing we knew, M.K. was spewing out a wand of flame that just grazed Chara's nose and darn near took her hand off.  She did end up dropping the horn, though.

"For the record that was a really bad idea, sis."

"Then why didn't you stop me?"  Chara cried as she ran and flailed from a ticked off Monster Kid.

"If Asriel had to do that you wouldn't learn anything.  So.  Have you learned anything by doing it the hard way?"

Frisk crossed her arms.  I felt like she picked that up from Mitzi.  She was going to make a great mom some day, y'know?

"You're both enjoying this too much!"

"I guess some practical jokes will land a brat in...the hot seat."

Suddenly Sans.

"Hey, Dunkle Sans."  Frisk turned her attention away from Chara and M.K.

"Here to watch the Star Festival?"  Asriel asked.

"Seems like an event I can attend where I don't have to do anything but look up at the sky and lay back on a lawn chair."

"With any luck Papyrus won't catch  you loafing."  Azzy rubbed his chin with a grin.

"Yeah, he'd give me the business."

"Yup.  And he's open for business.  He's in the business of giving you the business.  Don't get caught or business will be booming."

"And if Sarge shows up, he'll be expanding his business.  And I know she'll make sure he's buying."  I warned.

"Eheheheh...business is good enough, thank-you."

I could hear echoes of "Pick up your sock!" in my head.

Which I still keep asking myself...why does a skeleton need socks.  He's not even wearing any underneath his slippers.

Then I remembered...doesn't Toriel have a sock collection?  Why would SHE need any socks?  She goes barefoot.  Or sometimes wears a pair slide sandals.

While the ship didn't happen, they still remained eerily similar in to many ways.  Asgore was a sport for being okay with this.

That was when I recognized what Sans had set up.

After M.K. had calmed down he decided to take a peek through the telescope until Frisk held him back and shook her head while Sans wasn't looking.

"Trust me."

Azzy caught on immediately and it didn't take Chara long to put two and two together.

By this point even Antoine had learned his lesson...and still didn't forgive us for not telling him, mind you.

But as they say...

...there's a sucker born every minute.

"Uh, Burgerpants--"  Azzy tried to warn but he was a little too late.

"Oooooh..."  Frisk cringed.

Chara covered up her chortle.

I motioned for M.K. to not say anything.

"Jeeze!  What a rip-off.  I didn't see anything worth it.  Story of my life.  I was hoping I'd at least have to go back to MTT Resort Turbo Deluxe Plus with something uplifting.  Life just keeps giving me more shovels to dig deeper into Hell!  But hey!  Tomorrow's another day, right?  Another day to suffer endlessly for Mettaton's ego.  Am I right?  Well...you take care now, Little Buddy.  Or you'll end up a burnout like me!"

And he was off.

"Wow.  I think I actually got like 10 percent more depressed since he started talking."  Chara blinked.

"Dude....that's a downer."

"Yeah, it almost makes you forget he fell for Sans'...uh..."

By that point Sans was already snoring in his lawn chair.  He was too lazy to even see his own practical joke in action?  Good grief...

"Someone needs to tell him this clocktower balcony is a no-smoking zone."  I waved away the toxic cigarette smoke clouds.

"Disgusting habit."  Asriel wrinkled his nose as Frisk had a bit of a coughing fit.

Chara just rolled her eyes.  "I'd almost consider him amusing.  Almost."

"Tell you what.  Why don't I get the real one set up.

And before long, nightfall came and the rest of the UCIAT who were up for attending our little top-side barbecue and star-gazing event joined us.

Before that point, though we all stopped at Rabbotou Dojo to see Bunnie's event take place.  It was a yearly show so I figured someone would be in on doing the traditional Tanabata song.  Usually it was Megami.  But I'd heard rumors that Shyren wanted in on this.

And even Mitzi had been painstakingly learning the lyrics in Jangese.

So of course...it became quite a triple surprise to find it had become quite the audible trio.

"Sasa no ha sara-sara (The bamboo leaves rustle)

Nokiba ni yureru (shaking away in the leaves.)

Ohoshi-sama kira-kira (The stars twinkle)

Kingin sunago (on the gold and silver grains of sand.)

Goshiki no tanzaku (The five-colour paper strips)

watashi ga kaita (I have already written.)

Ohoshi-sama kirakira (The stars twinkle,)

sora kara miteru (they watch us from heaven.)"

I could see Bunnie, in lavish empress robes and such.  It was almost too much of a tell; practically announcing her great destiny to the world.

But...if she wasn't worried, then I shouldn't.  Even though I wanted to.

She gave a quick smile to let me know it was all good.

So that brought us back up to the Clocktower Balcony again.

This time there was telescope-assisted star gazing for real.  And we had Papyrus to curb any of Sans' antics.

It was the largest crowd I'd assembled before.

I'd even worried a little that we'd exceed maximum capacity and we'd all get a quick one-way trip to the streets followed by crumbling stonework and such.  But he balcony held.  It was pretty spacious, at that.

When I thought about it, our mighty clocktower easily dwarfed the likes of Big Ben back in Earth's city of London.

What it must've cost the royal treasury to have it commissioned.  It was the pride of Miranda and the envy of many other cities and kingdoms.

And was still just perfect for star gazing.

"It's starting!  It's starting!"  M.K. ran about trying to get our attention.

And we were in for a show.

The best cosmic show on any world when viewed just right.

"Make your wishes, everybody!"

And we did.

Destiny would decide which of them would come true.

For now...the moment was everything.

As it was written...in the stars.

## Sub-Entry 346: "A Mad Mew-Mew Meets Her Match?  Crossing Over With Mew-Mew Power!"

Back when there was a Universal City, I knew of a world of anime cat-girls designated "Tokyo Mew-Mew".  It was a favorite of Universal Detective....but I'm not going to get into that.  Too many memories that would get me worked up.  And too many reasons to re-ignite my grudge against Madam Fate.

When I was last on that world, I unofficially set a timer on myself.  I would await the day the UltraVerse would have its "Localized" A.U. counterpart.

Time passed and nothing ever came of it.  It fell through the cracks really.

Little did I know one would end up existing and go completely unnoticed by me as the cases of both Ultra Crew Institute and S.T.C.A. went by; crisscrossing space-time between when I could actually be back in my "own" time and when I was on missions for the Council; usually observing from outside space-time in SPECTRE form.

It had been...who can say how long.

I never got back to that old research, especially after closing file on Universal City and burying it in my subconscious during the last reboot.  I still wasn't sure how Destiny and Fate facilitated that.  Why it felt like I had lived that life during my current iteration...yet there were no visible "seams" between timelines I could remember.

Yet...Lisa remembered.  And she had yet to tell me how or why.

Rebooting timelines really makes a mess over your own reality.  Which is why I appreciate Sans' dubiousness if not absolute animosity over having to re-live the same timelines over and over with only the most minor of variances at times.

But back to the subject at hand.

Honestly I'd forgotten about Mad Dummy; last seen inhabiting Alphys' old life-size Kissy Cutie Mew-Mew doll.

Hey.  Volt Arcade don't judge.  By this point I was starting to see Alphys' personality quirks as a little endearing.  I'd...worked past the parts that were a bit creeper and cringy. Which she promised she work on, anyway.

So imagine my surprise when after all this time, Mad Dummy...or rather Mad Mew-Mew hadn't been seen among the populous of Undertalers on either side of the Cyber Gate.

It wasn't even Alphys who brought it to our attention...

...rather someone I probably should have expected more.

"Excuse me?"

Napstablook hovered there.

"...it's just that...I think maybe they've wondered off into one of your...?"

"Warp Zones?"

"...yes...those..."

"And you don't actually have proof but...?"

"...they had been acting strange since Dr. Alphys showed one of her anime cartoons back home..."

"Which one?"  Asriel asked.

Out from pocket space hovered the DVD box, hovering by I guess...ghost powers, maybe?

"Mew Mew...Power?"  Asriel looked at it.

"...I know what this is..."  I uttered.

The memories had come back.

"You do?"

"It's...an AU counterpart of something from Universal City."

"Oh."  Asriel looked immediately concerned.  He could tell this was a touchy subject.

"Back in Universal City, I encountered a world called "Tokyo Mew-Mew".  There was this girl named Ichigo--"

"...wait...the same name as that orange-haired 15-year-old in Karakura Town?"

"Bunnie had to clarify once that Ichigo is a unisex name."

"Yeah.  It actually means "strawberry"."

"Sort of like Dr. Cossack's daughter, Kalinka.  Her named means strawberry in Russian."

"No kidding..."

"We should have a discussion with Dr. Lynx over name equivalents across different cultures and countries."

"You mean like Jacques is basically Jon if you compare Antoine's home country of Mercia with Jon's home country--"

"Yeah.  And David in Jang would be Daisuke, according to Bunnie.  But let's bookmark this conversation for later."

"Agreed.  So...this Tokyo Mew-Mew world?  Its protagonist is a cat-girl of sorts, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah but not so much as cat-like like Felicia.  More like a human girl with cat ears and a tail--"

"Just like Mad Mew-Mew.  I see where this is going.  You think Mad Dummy sees competition?"

"She is protective of her new form's image, I guess.  And...I guess Kissy Cutie Mew-Mew DOES have a lot of parallels and such with Tokyo Mew-Mew--"

"It's even in the name."  Asriel shrugged.  "Mad Mew-Mew wouldn't...you know...try to eliminate her competition would she?"

"Well...it is a comic book and manga trope than when you have a very similar rival to feel your image is being infringed upon."

"Yeah...not to use an vastly unrelated comparison but the Ripping Friends did this same trope; getting into it with Man-Man and Boy-Boy."

I facepalmed remembering things from the Spumco solar system.  I think that's where we ran into Ren and Stimpy for the first time, to boot.

"Back to topic.   We should probably confirm that Mad Mew-Mew is actually there before we go chasing after her."

"You know we're generalizing Mad Dummy as a her, simply because of what they're inhabiting.  We never really confirmed back home if they even HAVE a gender."  Asriel shrugged.

"Good point.  But yeah...I think some telemetry and recon is in order.  If we do find our possessed Dullahan doll in question, we should probably bring her...or them...home."

"But before we do that we'll need to research Mew-Mew Power."

"So...you sat in on this "localized" AU.  Can you at least tell me what Ichigo's counterpart is called?"

"Well that's easy."  Asriel shrugged.  "It's Zoey Hanson."

I rubbed my chin.

"Well...I guess we got our start.  Time to brush up on some not-so-furry felines..."

In the research core library of the lab...

"NintendoNet, SegaDyne, SonyCom, and MicroTech got the goods."  Dr. Alphys slid me the five dossiers.

"We were able to cross-index what was left of the Universal City codex in with Madam Fate's tome and then juxtapose it over our own telemetry and records."

"Good job, Doctor."  I opened them up one at a time.

"First...some background.  Keep in mind this is from the old archives, I painfully transcribed to keep pieces of Universal City alive in memory.  But I figured Madam Fate would want this knowledge gone so I made a contingency to ensure this capsule would manifest in the next reboot.  This one.  So...all of the data is based on what Universal Detective, Captain N Neo and I once collected in our past lives.

The Mew Mews are quintuple young girls who have been injected with the genes of endangered species, giving them the ability to transform into Mew Mews. The project chose endangered species because they felt that these species would have the strongest desire to preserve their kind. These superheroes are biological weapons tasked with fighting the chimera anima, the monsters created when alien parasites infect a living host. They are later called on to fight the aliens that were the source of the Chimera Anima invasion. The creation of the first five Mew Mews occurred accidentally. The head of the project, Ryô Shirogane, originally intended to inject a Chimera Anima with the endangered animal genes directly to see if that would reverse the effects of the infection. Instead, it was accidentally injected into five different girls when the earthquake happened.

Those five are:

Ichigo Momomiya (桃宮 いちご, Momomiya Ichigo) is the  main protagonist and the leader of the Mew Mews.   That's what we got from Universal City.  Cross-indexing gets us Zoey Hanson.

She has short red hair which is usually tied up in pigtails.  Zoey is merged with the DNA of the Iriomote Wild Cat, giving her the ability to transform into Mew Zoey, a powerful and heroic cat girl with pink hair. The transformation also causes her to exhibit various feline mannerisms while in her human form.   At first, her cat ears and tail appeared when she was excited, but eventually her cat DNA grew strong enough that when she kisses anything, she turns into a small black cat."

"Huh.  Shades of Fruits Basket..."  I rubbed my chin.

"She remains in a cat form until someone (human or animal) kisses her.  Her ability of transforming into a cat is most likely because of her obsession towards aoyama or sometimes because of her energetic, hyperactive and short temper attitude could lead her engages in a petty arguments with her friends and allies.

"Yeah.  She's easily a target for Mad Mew-Mew."  Asriel crossed his arms.

"Minto Aizawa (藍沢 みんと, Aizawa Minto) is a blue-haired preteen girl who is the second Mew Mew to be introduced. Cross indexing her gets us Corina Buckworth in our neck of the woods.  Rich girl.  Infused with the genes of a Blue Lorikeet she grows a bird's tail and a pair of bird wings when she transforms into Mew Mint, a powerful bluebird.  Initially spoiled, snobbish, and self-centered because of her wealth due to her being born into a rich family, she is shown to be an empathetic person who cares deeply about her friends as the series progresses.   She butts heads with Zoey constantly, referring to her as "vulgar".  Oh, and owns a pet Pomeranian named Miki. Her theme color is blue.

"Heh.  Gotta appreciate a 1%-er."  Violet dropped down from above into an empty seat.  "And a flier."

"I'm going to ban you from using your jetpack in the lab."  I growled.

"Next up...Retasu Midorikawa (碧川 れたす, Midorikawa Retasu, ) is a green-haired preteen girl who is the third member of the Mew Mews formally introduced. Infused with the DNA of a Finless Porpoise, Retasu's legs can change into a porpoise's tail while she is underwater, greatly improving her swimming ability and giving her an appearance of a mermaid.  She's described as a shy and intelligent character lacking self-confidence and is the subject of frequent bullying from three girls. She is afraid of her Mew Mew powers at first, causing them to go out of control at her school until she is calmed by  Zoey and Corina.  The other members of the group consider Retasu to be a kind and selfless person.  Her theme color is green.

"Hmm."  Lupe rubbed her chin.

"Give her a few months with me in Waterfall.  I'll toughen up that powder puff."  Undyne grinned.

"Eheheh..."  Asriel rubbed the back of his head.

"Bu-Ling Huang (黄 歩鈴, Fon Purin, Chinese Pinyin: Huáng Bùlīng; Spelled "Pudding Fong" ) is a golden yellow-haired preteen girl who is the fourth Mew Mew and the youngest of the bunch.  Her counterpart in our universe goes by Kiki Benjamin.  Infused with the DNA of a Golden Lion Tamarin, Kiki grows a monkey tail and ears while transformed, and fights with a pair of rings. Bu-Ling is introduced as being a busker due to her acrobatic skills to earn money for her family. The other Mew Mews agree that her monkey DNA is a perfect match for her personality as she is full of energy and loves having fun, to the point Minto considers her very immature or childish. A running gag when it comes to referencing the Mew Mews' DNA had Kiki thinking that her DNA is a lion where she is always corrected that she has the DNA of a Golden Lion Tamarin. Despite her age, Bu-Ling is raising her five younger siblings and managing the family finances while their father is training in the mountains.  Her theme color is yellow."

"Now that's some monkey business I'd call prime-ate for a comedy chimp-ionship."  Sans winked.

"SANS!"  Papyrus snapped.

Zakuro Fujiwara (藤原 ざくろ, Fujiwara Zakuro) is a purple-haired teenage girl who is the fifth and last of the Mew Mews  and the oldest of the group. Her variant in our universe?  Renée Roberts.  As with the others, she first appears at the endangered animal exhibit without being named.  Renée tends to be a loner and initially refuses to join the other Mew Mews, but changes her mind after they come to her aid. Infused with the DNA of a Gray Wolf, Zakuro has a wolf tail and ears while in her Mew Mew form. Zakuro is a professional model and actress and is presented as a mature character. As her biggest fan Corina describes, Renée as having "long, glossy, raven hair" with "dark, intelligent, yet sensitive eyes" and "long, strong and thin legs".  She is said to be estranged from her family since leaving home two years earlier. She apparently had lost a man she really cared for too. Her theme color is purple.

"Hmm..."  Toriel tented her hands.

"Curious."  Callista pondered.

"So...these things they fight?  Aliens?"  M.K. poked at the various images.

"More or less.  Ironic way to put it in a room full of what they'd consider aliens.  On their world they call them Cyniclons "

"Weird."

"So this is a first contact case.  Likely...we would be mistaken for enemies if we come in our real forms?"  Bunnie pondered.

"Exactly."

"Not those crummy disguises again."  Undyne folded her arms.

"And keep in mind...if we deploy we don't want to bring too big a group."

"Right."  Asriel rubbed her chin.

"Count me out.  I don't even really know Mad Mew Mew that well.'  Chara bit into her chocolate bar.  "Too prissy for me."

"I'll go."  Alphys raised her hand.

"Me too."  Frisk smiled.  "I go where Azzy does."

"How about me, big brother?"  Gadget pointed to herself.

A mouse around cat girls?  Why not.

"Why don't you and Bunnie lead the team, Mitzi."

"Hey!  What about--"

"Fine.  Take Vi with you but keep her out of trouble."

"No fair!  Why do the Mirandians get an extra member?"  Undyne stood up.

"What do you care?  You're not going."  Chara snorted.

"What was that?"

"I will settle this and accompany you as well."

"Toriel?"  I cocked my head.

"I feel...I need something more lighthearted after our Unicorn dilemma."

"Okay.  I’ll allow it.  But if this keeps up you're going to have to officially join our ranks."  I nodded.

"Good luck to you, Azzy."

Asriel saluted.

So the team consisted of Bunnie, Violet, Mitzi, and Gadget on one half; Asriel, Frisk, Alphys, and Toriel.  An Outstanding Octet if there ever was one.

Some prep time and some additional research later and everyone headed into the appropriate Cyber Gate...

"You know maybe Mad Mew-Mew hasn't found them yet."

"It w-w-would be nice if we could d-diffuse this without incident."

"Yeah?  Well it's my experience that saying things like that leads to--"  Violet started before an explosion cut her off.

"...insert curse words here?"  Asriel shrugged as Toriel narrowed her eyes.

"I long for they days when you did not know that I would let an occasional H-bomb slip out, my child."  Toriel smoldered.

"Eheheh...I kind of had a swear jar growing up in Miranda.  Violet alone paid my way through college."

"You don't have to worry about Azzy and myself keeping it G-rated."

"That should go for you too, Miss Vi!"  Gadget warned.

"You guys take the fun out of everything."

"Subject change?"  Mitzi asked.

"Delighted."  Toriel said dryly.

"Come.  We are wasting time and likely Mad Mew-Mew is already causing property damage and injury."  Bunnie waved on.

"It occurs to me I really should have brushed up on my study of Magical Anime Girls.  For professional reasons, I mean."

"Don't play it so straight, Azzy."  Frisk teased.  "You're really trying to avoid sleeping on the couch, huh?"

"Friiiiisk!"  Azzy protested.

"Sorry.   You're right, though.  Chara is a bad influence."

"Seriously, Alphys.  Why do every one of the Earth AU's in this particular galaxy always seem to be a--"

"Western-washed Japan?  Most of them don't even try to cover up the obvious Kanji signs around town.   And I don't think they can get away with calling THAT the Eiffel Tower."  Vi pointed to what was obviously Tokyo Tower.

"If you all are done bantering about irrelevant matters?"  Bunnie scolded as Toriel crossed her arms, and nodded her head.

"Fine."  Violet grumbled.

"S-s-sorry, Bunnie-sensei."

And sure enough on the scene...

"Just as a precaution we might want to wrap this up fast.  Lest we draw the attention of the antagonists on this world."

"You mean Quiche, Pie, and Tart?"

"Alphys has already memorized the data, I see."

"I s-s-see them up ahead!  Oh gosh...!"  I could see Alphys' glasses fog up as she was overtaken by her die-hard anime fandom at work.

"Stay with us, Alphys."

"Some of us will help evacuate the area.  Some of us will still to damage control.  The rest...get in there and separate that Dullahan from that magical girl!"   Asriel led the charge.

"I am exited to be working with you, my son."

"Eheheh...me too, Mom.  But let's keep on task."  Asriel tried not to feel embarrassed.

Mitzi stood tall.

"Sensei?  You up for pounding some sense into that possessed anime doll?"

"Let's."  And with that the two of them did their take on Dragon Ball Z instant transport.

It actually managed to take Toriel by surprise.

"Yeah.  Teacher and senpai do that.  Let's not dawdle."

Elsewhere...

"What's your problem!?"  Zoey bared some fang, her tail whipping about as her cat ears folded back.

"There's only room for one adorable cat girl!"

Yup.  Mad Mew-Mew went off the deep end with jealousy.  How did she even learn about this world, anyway!?

\*cough\*

Alphys twiddled her thumbs nervously, looking away.

Oh.

Yeah.

That makes sense.

"You want the title of Mew Mew?  Fine!  I never even wanted this life!  All I want to be is a normal girl!  But you try talking sense into that stick-in-the-mud, Elliot!  I mean, is it too much to ask to have a normal life?  And maybe...Mark might notice me--"

"Enough!  Enough!  You don't understand the situation here!"

That was about the time...

"Huh? You don't recognize me...?

Ohhh ho ho…

That's all for the better~!

Once I fuse with this PERFECT new body, mew~

A brand new, WONDERFUL life is going to begin!

... but as much as I try to fuse…

IT'S!! NOT!!! WORKING!!!!

MY EMOTIONS AREN'T PURE ENOUGH---!!

I need TENSION! CONFLICT!

Something to bring out my ANGER!!!

... That's it!!!

YOU!!!

Fight with me!!!   COMBAT!! BLOODLUST!! DESTRUCTION!!

It's the perfect emotional cocktail…

To fuse with my new body, mew~

And, with my new special ability…

This battle will be TRULY INTERESTING!!"

Wait...she's still using the SAME SPEECH as before?

It...must've been engraved into Mad Dummy after our battle inside Papyrus' sink.

Reluctantly, Zoey forged the Strawberry Bell; her signature...weapon, I guess?  I really should have researched her counterpart more thoroughly in my old life.  But then again...I left such things to Universal Detective.  This was HER specialty, not mine.

"I guess I have no choice...it has to be done."  Zoey held the artifact aloft.

"Strawberry...Bell...FULL POW--"

Suddenly she felt her wrist being grabbed.

"I do not think you want to do that."

"What...!?"  She looked behind her to see Bunnie..

"Now's my chance--!"  Mad Mew-Mew charged forth before stopping in her tracks...and then falling over headless.

"That's enough."   Mitzi suddenly reappeared with M.M.M.'s head in her grasp.

"What!?  Who are you!?  Unhand me!"

"Not until you vow to call off your attack.  Say it.  Do you yield or no?"

"I'll split your soul--"

The next thing Mad Mew-Mew knew, she had a paper talisman with Jang writing stuck to her forehead.

"...wait...!  Can't...connect...to my...!"

The doll's eyes went glazed before the ghost inside vacated.

"You...!  What have you done!"

"Don't get bent out of shape.  It's only temporary.  Once I remove it you can rebond with your body and become corporeal again."

"But you both will listen."  Bunnie unhanded Zoey.

"A r-r-rabbit!  And m-mouse!?  Who...who are you people!?"

"That's a complicated story.  One we'll explain later."  Bunnie folded her arms.

"Sensei!"  Asriel arrived on the scene."

"Crowd's under control, civilians evacuated."

"And we dealt with our interested parties."

"Ah.  The Cyniclons."

"What?  Our enemies?  Here?"

"Don't worry.  Our team drove them off for now.  But we've no doubt stepped on a few toes and probably invited revenge upon ourselves.  Goes with the job."  Mitzi shrugged.

"Let's condense the explanations as compact as possible.  I'm Master Bunnie Rabbotou and that's my student, Mitzi Mozzarella.  We're here on behalf of a...third party which will remain anonymous until such time as the proper red tape can be cut through behind the scenes."

"It's a thing."

"We're here to retrieve THIS little troublemaker--"

"Waaaaaait!"  That was about the time Alphys waddled in out of breath before tripping and face-planting in a nasty slide.

"Late to the party, Doctor?"  Mitzi mused.

"I'm here, too!"

"What?  Gadget?"

"And Mom, too!?"

"Yes, Asriel, my child.  We needed to be here for an important reason."

"What reason--"

Asriel stopped short as Gadget and Toriel picked up the doll's body and embraced in a hug.

"It is okay, Mitzi.  You may release her to our custody now."

"Uh...okay..."  Mitzi peeled off the talisman as the ghost quickly returned to its body.

"Hey.  Remember me?"  Gadget nuzzled the doll affectionately, her mouse instincts in control.

"And we have not met.  But I am Toriel.  I felt that you could use another friend in this moment.  You just seemed a bit mixed up and confused at the time.  In such a strange place.  And with such feelings of jealousy and confusion."

Zoey blinked then pointed to her face in kind of a dopey manner.

"J...Jealous?  Of m-me?"

Mad Mew-Mew's head returned to its body, reattaching.

"I...remember!

Such... such kindness...!

It's... making me FEEL something!

It may be a while before I can truly fuse with this body.

But, I think this is a start...!

Heh, to think that even though I hid here to be alone...

... I somehow made ANOTHER friend!!!

Thank you.

Thank you!

THANK YOU!!"

"I am...so confused right now."

"Welcome to our world."  Asriel shrugged.  "I'm Asriel, by the way.  That's Gadget, and that's my mom, Toriel."

And right at that moment...!

"And this little beauty is my lovely wife, Frisk."

The expression on Zoey Hanson was...one for the books.

"You would be wise not to judge."  Bunnie muttered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And this is Dr. Alphys."

"It's s-s-so incredible m-meeting you!"  Alphys nervously waved.  "So you're n-not so much as a magical girl but one with powers that r-resulted from a DNA infusion?"

"Uhh...!"

"Yeah, that's the case."  Asriel confirmed.

"I have so many questions!"  Alphys practically squealed.

"Well all's well that ends well."  Frisk beamed after stealing a kiss from Asriel.

"Not exactly..."  Bunnie turned dour.

"What?  Don't tell me there's more trouble!"

"Not exactly."  Bunnie cleared her throat.

"Where's Vi?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Elsewhere at the Mew-Mew Cafe.

"Now THIS is how you cater to a demographic."  Violet propped up her feet as she lay back in the booth.

In the back...

"Can you believe that girl!?"   Corina scoffed.  "I only give her a pass because she's genuine royalty and has a respectable bank account.  But how eccentric do you have to be to wear a furry costume out in public like this?"

"Bunny!  Bunny!  Bunny!"  Kiki giggled joyously.

"Well..maybe we're not ones to judge.  I mean...how would she react if she saw us transformed?  We're not exactly um...run-of-the-mill." Bridget meekly brought up.

"Other than having the crassest personality I've ever encountered, I don't see her as a problem."  Renee stroked her chin.

"Ooh!  Zoey should be dealing with this!  Where is she at a time like this!  She is completely late for her shift."

Back at our site.

"Oh no!  I'm SO DEAD!"  Zoey realized it.  "I'm late for work...!  Corina is going to give me the business!  Man!  No other girls have a relationship this rocky!"

Meanwhile on a different Earth...

"Bless you.  What's up with that sneeze, Serena?"

"You got me, Rei.  It was the weirdest thing but...I feel like someone was talking about us behind our backs."

"Hmmph.  Some nerve."

"What do you think they were talking about?"

"Like I'd know, meatball head!"

"Hey!  It's bad enough when Darien calls me that!  Don't you start, too!"

With that the two of them glared at each other, sparks practically meeting between their line of sight.

And so...

"Well.  We shall let you get back to your lives.  And we are sorry this happened."  Toriel gave a formal bow.

"But hey.  No hard feelings, right?  Sensei was just being protective of our friend."

"Yeah, I guess so.  But really.  I can't chat.  I gotta go.  This is...not the weirdest thing that's happened to me by far."  And like that Zoey ran off.

"Come on, you.  We're going home."  Asriel pointed his thumb toward the portal.

"It...wasn't that bad, was it?"

"I've been to worse missions, Frisk.  I've been to worse."

"Tell you what.  Let's pop in to Muffet's.  I'll foot the bill for this one."

"You're too good to me, Frisk.  You're too good to me."

"Nah.  I'm just a good person.  And so are you."

"Aww..."

\*smooch\*

"By the way...you seen Dr. Alphys since we got back?"

"No, why?"

And sure enough...

"I'm in anime heaven!"  Alphys squealed.

"There must be a convention in town?"  Bridget shrugged.

Corina scoffed as Kiki continued to serve up more pastries and pocky for their guest patron.

## Sub-Entry 347: "Unidentified Flying (Dino) Saucers":

Leave it to Alphys and Monster Kid to stumble upon a phenomenon that relates to their reptile species.

For it was on an unscheduled observation of yet another Earth, that our research team encountered some visitors...from out of town.

They were called Dinosaucers.  And stop me if you've heard this one before...but wrapped up in a civil war among their own kind on planet Reptilon.

Optimus Prime just narrowed his optics at me, I'm sure.

That said...

...our contacts were a group of pre-teens that had befriended them and were made the Secret Scouts.  While definitely wearing special rings that gave them powers and abilities, I was going to stop the comparisons to the Planeteers right there.

From what I understand...it was actually them who made first contact to us...and through an unexpected liaison.

"Say again?"

"Well...yeah.  This connects us to them through the Power Rangers.  Specifically--"  Azzy shrugged before I made the connection.

"Solon."  I recalled the cyborg dino.  "Of course someone from Rafkon would have a connection to Reptilon.  And it just happens to be coincidence that she'd bring this to Alphys' attention."

There were times I didn't believe in coincidence.  Only the illusion of them as scripted by the Goddesses.  The pattern was often obvious.  The common link was rarely difficult to figure out.

Crossovers like these?  Not meant to take much thinking.  Just a lot of appreciating how we connected A to C through B.

So...a lot of our missions start off by intervening in a timeline that's been altered or if a situation is far more than our allies can normally handle on their own.  As always, we're the NPC's that level the playing field.  We're not there to play the game in their place.  We're not Walter Melon, (Substitute) Hero For Hire...though I do have to admit he does have reasonable rates.

Well, that name-drop was random as hack but...we already mentioned the Power Rangers and for some reason their universe was not that far from Walter Melon and Bitterbug.

But seriously.   I must be dating myself if I'm thinking back THAT far into our history.  And that's not even the "old" old school.  If anything...the not-quite-new-but-still-newer-than old school.

I really gotta refine my wordplay some time.

Believe it or not?  This mission actually started out...diplomatic.

"Dudes.  Real dinosaurs!"

"I find it ironic that you of all people are taking interest, M.K."

"How's that, Chara?"

"Well.  YOU'RE  a dinosaur.  Aren't you?"

M.K. exchanged confused looks with Asriel before giving a shrug.

"I thought he was more dragon.  He does have fire breath."

"If you don't mind, I'LL be the judge of that."  Tiem brushed past us as he sailed ahead of us.

"It's a pride thing, isn't it?"  Chara offhandedly asked.

"Don't speak of it so casually, brat."  Chameleon narrowed his gaze.

"Still holding a grudge over my past mischief?  C'mon.  That was the old me.  The old, POSSESSED me, at that."

"Don't poke the bear...er...lizardman, Chara.  All of us are on permanent probation with Chameleon.  It's just the way of the Mercenary."

"A wise stance.  But a recipe for isolation."  Bunnie observed.

"Some of us have smaller comfort bubbles than others, Bunnie."  Chameleon kept steadfast.

"So...why did you agree to this?"  I finally asked.

"Certain parties took an interest and were...fairly insistent on meeting our evolutionary, ancestral distant relatives."

"That's a mouthful."  Asriel shrugged.

"Master!  We get to see big dumb old races?"

"Be careful about calling them names, Tithius.  You'll find they're not quite as dumb as you think..."

And at the meeting place, which our allies called the Lava Dome...

"...and yet there's always that moment that proves the rule in spite of my exception..."  I folded my ears back and folded my arms.

"Son-in-law if you don't cease your "stupid" contest with Bonehead, I'm leaving you here!"

I couldn't block out Rainbow Wing's snickering if I drilled my ears out.

"Dino seems pretty dumb to Tithius."

Frisk patted me on the shoulder.  "There there, Doctor."

I turned away from the minor distraction to address matters at hand.

"Well, I'm not surprised that Dr. Alphys wanted to come along, and even less surprised Monster Kid's with us.  But why did you volunteer for this, Rotor?  You're not exactly saurian."

"Well...I'm not saying it exists but...if it did, a certain technology from Ecotropia's science vault may have drawn my interest as it seems to have similarities to this "Dinovolving" technology."

One of these days I'd get Rotor to admit he still had that de-evolutionizing "Devo Gun" in the back of his plumbing van.  Cleverly disguised as a Super Scope 6 bazooka game accessory, no less.

"You're free to ask about it.  But do anything with it and the Neo Arcadia Board of Ethics is going to be breathing down our necks."

"Sorry about this.  They can be a little rambunctious."

One of our four human contacts, Ryan Spencer.  Blond, athletic, the de facto leader of the Secret Scouts.

"I guess when you've seen giant, bipedal dinosaurs that walk, talk, and fight a civil war against the Tyranno's, you're not that surprised by a six-foot werewolf and his crew of anthropomorphs...and a human or two of our own."

Frisk waved why Chara gave the creepy look.

"Believe me.  We've seen plenty of strange things since the Dinosaucers came to Earth."

"Well, are you ready to meet them?"

Sara Spencer; Ryan's younger sister.  Athletic and informative.  Kind of the Roll to the Rock that was Ryan.  Pun intended.

"Great!  We can get formal introductions and formalities out of the way, proper."  Asriel smiled.

"Yeah, yeah.  Let's just get this over with."

"He's sure grumpy."  Sara frowned.

"Don't mind him.  Mercenaries aren't known for being buddy-buddy."  Chara shrugged.

"I'd feel better knowing that we're away from prying eyes.  I'm told the Tyranno’s have an avian among them that likes to spy on your operation."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"Terrible Dactyl?  Yeah, it would be a bad thing if he reported back to Genghis Rex if the Dinosaucers had new potential allies from another world."  Ryan reasoned.

"Personally I'd like to find out how much I can mess with that Quackpot character."

"You'll wish you hadn't."  Sara warned.

I chuckled.

"Or maybe it'll be the other way around.  Violet can be quite..."

"Vexing."  Chameleon narrowed his eyes.

"Mischievous."  Frisk followed up.

"A pain in the--"  I started.

"You guys flatter me so much."  Vi walked past with a silly grin.

The siblings just shrugged as we headed in.

Once inside we met the other Secret Scouts.

Paul; African-American, bespectacled.  Kind of reminded me of a blend of Michael and Bernard from the Maniac Mansion dossier.  I'd come to recognize the brainy type rather easily.

And David.  Black-haired.  The wild card of the bunch.  I think I saw Chameleon's eye twitch at the mention of his name.  Simply because a certain other someone had that name back home.  A certain...Faraskel who was known for showing up and putting the boots to the Septus Prince when it was clear he was...not measuring up to his princely standards, in the Council's opinion.

But this one?  I could tell that I might want to watch him if Violet decided to hang around him.

Yet, they were just the human contacts.  The Ambassadors, if you will.  Frisk was all too glad to befriend them and trade info on the art of facilitating relations between beings of different worlds.

I might as well get straight to the main attraction.  Or rather...the persons of prime interest.

By this point, we'd name-dropped their group enough?  It was time to meet with the Dinosaucers.

In the meeting room we became acquainted with:

Allo.  An evolved Allosaurus and the leader of the Dinosaucers.  Described as calm, collected and serious.  He wore blue and teal armor, a teal helmet, and went barefooted and had brown skin. I'd later learn he has a wife named Vera, a daughter named Alloetta and even a maid named Gatormaid (a play on Gatorade).  He is the nephew of the Dinosorceror and Dinosorceress (rulers of Reptilon).   The idea of spellcasters on a technologically advanced planet was nothing new but it did still stand out given the aliens and spaceships and technology angle.  As a final detail I'm not sure anyone asked about,  his address on Reptilon was apparently "where Palmer Avenue meets Emerson and Lake".  As for Dinovolving?  He could. Dinovolve into a 40-foot Allosaurus.

Dimetro was the next member of the Dinosaucers and Allo's assistant. Dimetro was the scientist/mechanic of the group.  I could tell he and Rotor were going to hit it off just fine.  He wore brown and red armor, a blue mask on his head, had aqua green skin and spoke with a slight Scottish accent. Dimetro was an evolved Dimetrodon;  a basal synapsid or proto-mammal, rather than a dinosaur. He can Dinovolve into a large Dimetrodon.

Bronto Thunder.  An evolved Apatosaurus, despite his name suggesting he's a Brontosaurus.  During the info exchange, it came out that he had a girlfriend back on Reptilon named Apatty Saurus, and was a "rep" for a ceramic tile shop before he became a Dinosaucer.  Bronto Thunder's name is an example of a tautology, as "bronto" means "thunder" in Ancient Greek.  Thank you, Pit, for getting me up to speed on that back home. Physically considered the strongest of the Dinosaucers. He could Dinovolve into an 80-foot Apatosaurus.  I saw him getting into a competition with Jon.

Stego was an evolved Stegosaurus and a rather dim-witted recruit when compared to the rest of the team. He often tried to be brave, but is prone to panic attacks and general cowardice. However, he often managed to get through this and came to the rescue of his friend. Stego could pull his head inside his Dinosaucers' uniform, much like a turtle. Stego also had an armored space ship similar to his race of Stegosaurs. Stego was a very powerful hand-to-hand combatant who still didn't realize his own strength.  He could Dinovolve into a 30-foot Stegosaurus.  Alphys had questions of course.  And certain Rainbow Wing members found him amusing.

Tricero was an evolved Triceratops. He had a history for doing investigative work back on Reptilon, and provided a voice of calm reason. Tricero was a member of the law-enforcing Tricerocops on Reptilon before he became a Dinosaucer.  Already I could see the mutual respect between him and Bunnie.  Tricero had a vibrational super power that emanated from his 2 brow horns. He was considered a mortal enemy to Styraco. He could Dinovolve into a 30-foot Triceratops.   I think Drew would be interested in his sonic-type ability.

Bonehead was Allo's nephew and, as his name suggested, is not particularly bright. However, he sometimes did display intelligence though in a mostly literal way. He had a baby brother named Numbskull (Nummy). Mother Bonehilda is a famous scientist, and Allo's sister. Bonehead was an evolved Pachycephalosaurus.  We found him to be  good natured and innocent, without a doubt the stupidest Dinosaucer, even though he has great combat ability as a Pachycephalosaurus. He can Dinovolve into a 25-foot Pachycephalosaurus.  He instantly became the butt of many of Rainbow Wing's jokes and source of Tithius' amusement.

Ichy, whose name was pronounced "Icky", was an evolved Ichthyosaurus, a prehistoric aquatic reptile. He had a pointed beak, a tail with fins or flukes, grey skin and wore green armor. He also wore dark green flippers on his feet, rather than boots.  Ichy could talk to sea creatures, which got both Rotor and Lupe's attention.  He could Dinovolve into a 30-foot Ichthyosaurus.

And lastly, Teryx was the only female Dinosaucer;  an evolved Archaeopteryx, which is a derived theropod dinosaur, considered to be the first "true" bird.  She was therefore either half-bird, half-reptile or an avian reptile by zoological definition.   She had white, blue, and salmon-colored plumage and unlike the other Dinosaucers, wore a simple backpack in lieu of armor. She could understand and talk to birds. Teryx had a crush on Ichy, but feared it won't work out because she was a flying creature, while Ichy was obviously aquatic.  Teryx immediately bonded with Lupe and was quite impressed by her ability to spirit meld with avian beings.  A flying mammal?  Intriguing.

And so the meeting came to order and there was a lot of boring back and forth as well as plenty of banter and awkward moments.

"So it's settled."

"I second."

"Then this alliance is official.  We're glad to join up among your network for the greater good."

"And we acknowledge you still have the Tyranno's to deal with.  If you need our help, you know how to contact us now."

"Indeed we do."

And we sealed the deal with a handshake.

"So.  Any chance you can get us some burgers from that place you work at?"

That was right about the time we should have expected the very predictable explosion and resulting rumbling of the Lava Dome.

"Well.  That was convenient."  I grumbled as I got back up from where I had been knocked down.

"Genghis Rex?"  Asriel questioned.

"It has to be!"  Ryan furrowed his brow.

And like that, the Tyranno of the hour made his ultimatum on loudspeaker.

"

"How did he find out about our meeting!?"  Frisk was helped to her feet.

"Give me a sec..."  Rotor lowered his goggles and fiddled with the switches.

"Zooming in...I got it.  A few hundred clicks to the south...in a tree...yeah, that's Terrible Dactyl alright."

"Snooping as usual?"  Violet mused.

"Not the time, Vi!"  I scolded, the Dinosaucers and Secret Scouts not getting the inside joke.

"Keep it SFW, Vi."  Bunnie thwapped her.

"Yeah...I'd say that's definitely some kind of surveillance device."

"Then he's spying through the walls!  He can hear and see us!"  Asriel pounded his fist into his palm.

"Very crafty."

"Oh n-n-no!"  Alphys cowered behind the table,  next to Stego, who'd already pulled his head into his armor.

"Relax, Doc.  We'll take care of the big, bad and nasty!"  Chara mused.

"Master!  We fight big bad lizard ancestors?"

"For once, this bit of trouble you got us into, Sparky, might be amusing."  Chameleon mused as I heard him load his weapons.

"I might actually get to shoot something this time."

"You okay with poppin' a cap in your relatives?"  Violet teased.

"Maybe you'd like a history lesson what my "relatives" did back home when I kindly declined the throne.  I have no qualms about knocking a few scales off of some dirtbags who think themselves at the level of dragons."

"Oh this is gonna be fun..."  Violet rubbed her palms together.

"This the part where we get in on the action?"  Chara prompted.

"If you don't mind us grown ups tagging along, maybe we can help out, too."  Frisk offered.

"Sounds good."  Ryan gave a thumbs up.

"Just be careful not to get in the way."  Sara warned.

"Look who that's coming from."  David prodded.

"C'mon.  Our rides are this way!"  Paul lead us to the garage area where the hover vehicles were.

"We got our own rides."  Azzy said deploying the NXS as Frisk and Chara and M.K. dug out their own versions.

And so it became a battle with the usual antics you'd find in these 1990's style Terran pocket worlds.  But not without a few twists.

"Cool ring."  Asriel noticed each scout was wearing one..

"Seems like a good time to show what they can do..."  Sara said as she focused and suddenly gained incredibly enhanced agility and gymnastic abilities.

"Whoah, sweet!"  M.K. was sold.

"My turn!"  Paul's gave him the ability to run at enhanced speed for great distances.

"Hey.  Mind if I join the party?"

"Aunt Sally?  When'd you get here?"

"Things were a little boring after the last race so I hot-footed it over here.  But I didn't expect to meet a speedster out here.  Mind if I ride with you, Paul?"

"By all means, miss."

"Running and jumping might work for them.  But I'm more of  a hands-on guy."  David's ring already had him lifting particularly heavy objects and lugging them.

"Now you got my attention!"  Jon joined in on that.

"Filthy mammals! Working together!?"  Genghis Rex's blood pressure had to be through the roof by this point.

Of course it wasn't just the Secret Scouts we were mixing it up with.  Some of us got directly in on the action.

If Quackpot had hair, he'd be tearing it out by this point.  Violet was already working her voo-doo.

"And that's how I does 'dat, yo!"

"Waak waak waaak!  This fuzzy, long-eared mammal is CRAZY!!!  Get me out of here!"

"How about tickles at 20 paces!"

"No!  Stop!"

"We're out numbered, boss-a-saur!"  Ankylo was freaking out by this point.

"No!  I can't retreat from these...these...FILTHY MAMMALS!"

"Then maybe one-on-one with someone your size is more to your liking!"  Allo confronted him directly.

While that was going on, Styraco was zeroing in with a Fossilizer gun.

"No so fast there."

\*BLAM\*

"Gaaah!"

Chameleon quickly spun the shotgun around on one hand, cocking it in one fluid motion, just like the T-800, but without riding a motorcycle.

"The next one goes through something vital if you get any ideas."

And of course Rainbow Wing and Tithius were getting in on tormenting the Tyrannos.

"Gaah!  Flying baby lizards!?"  Plesio was having a hard time coping with six wyrmlings, each using a different element or magic spell.

"Can't hit Tithius!  Can't hit Tithius!"

"I think he needs a bath.  An acid bath!"  Tiem soon had him screaming as his armor sizzled.

The rest of Rainbow Wing all chattered back and forth in Draconic, each using a different elemental blast in tandem.

Up above, Terrible Dactyl had double trouble from the combined flights of Teryx and Lupe.

"Mayday!  Mayday!  Genghis Rex!  I'm going down!"

"This cannot beeeeee!!!  Retreat!  Retreat!"

"Don't go away mad..."  I finished charging the Corona Buster to full capacity.

"...Just go AWAY!"  Asriel finished as we both opened fire at the ground and the resulting electrical explosion was enough to actually send the Tyrannos through the air and within stone's distance of their ship.

"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF US!  I'LL REMEMBER THIS DAY, ALLO!"

"So will we, Genghis Rex.  So will we."  Allo seemed content.

"I think this alliance is going to work out just fine.

"This one's free, Arcade.  But next time, you want me to tag along, it's going to cost you."  Chameleon headed toward the Cyber Gate.

"Come Tithius.  As for the rest of you, get going or get left behind."

I just shrugged.

"Look us up some time if you ever invent a cyber gate to Miranda City."  Asriel shook Ryan's hand.

"We might have to take a few science classes or two for that to happen."  Paul shrugged.

We all squadded up and waved before heading into the gate.

This was certainly one of our better outings.

## Sub-Entry 348: "Sonic Prime Real Estate in the Shatterverse.  The Ecotropians in New Yolk City":

When the Goddesses get bored of previous "expansions" to the game, they usually go on the shelf.  But in some rare cases, something happens that causes a vote.  When that vote passes...

...then that world is permanently removed from the Ultimate Game of Destiny and Fate.

Cases in point:  SATAM-001 (Saturday A.M.), ACM-001 (Archie Comics Pre-Reboot) and ACM-002 (Archie Comics Post-Reboot).  All the major connections between the Ecotropians and the Mobians.  For some reason "prime" or "semi-prime" universes like SAX-000 (Sonic X) and SB-001 (Sonic Boom) remain.

When the latter two were discovered they were assigned to my collegue, Dr. Faraday.  I essentially got out of the game and tried to put the connections between my team members and their Variants out of mind while my faith in the Council of Space and Time Waivered.  Those cases were what made me get out.  I put it behind me.

In hindsight I should have sworn a vow to never be pulled back in.

Then came the words I dreaded.

Sonic Prime.

Not for any reason to its existance but to my own policy with "Prime" universes.

Prime universes were ones I made it my prerogative to never tamper with.  They had to remain pure.  I could observe, perhaps but I had to handle with kid gloves.  I could NOT be discovered.  Period.

So imagine my shock when the Council assigned me...back to a Sonic universe...no...a Sonic Multi-verse.

The Shatterverse.

The name alone gave me ideas what was going on.  While the phenominon had been observed before, the reasons this time were unique.

Could a crystal actually have the kind of power to control the very integrity of reality?  Could simply shattering it break apart existence into...variants?

The concept intrigued me but my past in failing to save the Freedom Fighters from so many dangers...  I was haunted by Mecha-Sally.  I never forgave myself for what happened to Antoine.  I couldn't stop a grieving Bunnie from going down the path that last left her about to rot in a jail cell and eventually be executed by Jack Rabbit.  And even with my medical resources back at UCIAT...there was nothing I could do for a whithering Rotor; failing eyesight and all.

When the orders came, I had the authority, as Vice-Emperor of Space, Time and Dimension to outright refuse the request and order it be given to Dr. Faraday or Dr. Nicodimus.  Even Dr. Persiphone.  That's what I intended to do.

But then...

"Commander."  I heard Bunnie say as she had grabbed my wrist right as I was about to poke the option for REQUEST DENIED instead of REQUEST ACCEPTED.

"Do not walk away from this."

"Major...you have about three seconds to explain why you're pulling rank and forgetting the chain of command--"

"I'm with her on this."

"S...Sally!?  Why aren't you in the OGPX right now?  The season started the day after Asriel's wedding."

"I'm also on board."  Rotor took his place next to Sally.

"As am I, monsieur."

Antoine!?

A long pause.

"You're not budging on this, are you?"

"No."  That came the voice of Miles, UCIAT Co-Commander.

"All five of you, huh?"

"Six."  Lupe was in the room next.  And finally joined by.

"Make it seven and eight."  Honey waved.

I was outvoted.

"So.  I take it a number of you want in on this?  We've...had the discussion about meeting your variants before.  And I remind you most Mobius type worlds don't even have a Sally, Bunnie, Rotor, Antoine, Lupe, or Willamina.  But for reasons unknown, Miles "Tails" Prower and Honey Cat exist on their world as do--"

"Knuckles the Echidna."  Sally interrupted.  "...and that pink hedgehog."  She muttered.

I saw Bunnie smirk.

I sighed.

"You kno what you're all getting into, right?"

No answer but the expressions told all.

"Very well."

I moved my hand to the accept button on the holo projection and was soon sent the additional info and orders.

"Well.  The Shatterverse covers a lot more than where we're headed to.  But for simplicity's sake, STC-A has tracked "Sonic Prime" to New Yoke City.  Oh boy...the Eggman influence is already making me queasy."

"Try to appreciate our stance.  This Eggman is the Vorostov Director's counterpart."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"I guess we'd better get to the briefing and head to the Shatterverse."

Once loaded up...

"So...you're...going to see if those actually work."  I eyed the Power Rings that Sally had collected.

"They're reproductions you know.  There's no guarantee they'll perform the same as Nate Morgan's versions back on ACM-001."  I warned.

"And if what you said about them working for the pure of heart is accurate, it shouldn't matter whether the real deal or just a FAKER."

"You waited forever just to use that word, didn't you?"  I recognized the jab at Shadow the Hedgehog.

"You're going to use that on him if you see him, aren't you?"

"Can you blame me if I feel like messing with him a little?"

"Do not mess with him too much, old friend.  He doesn't do well if he's provoked too much."  Bunnie warned.

Sally just gave that familiar "Oh well" shrug I'd seen other Sonic's pose in before.

"That's IF he's even anywhere near where we end up.  With as unstable as their multiverse got whent he Paradox Crystal shattered...?  The Cyber Gate could land us in any alternate dimension.

Man, Sally.  You're just like him.  Before I made the connection between you and your ACM and SATAM counterparts...that would be something I never would have said...because I wouldn't have even known Sonic even existed.  All I knew him by was "our mutual friend".

Then STC-A changed everything.  I I got my first hint of the reboots of my lives.  And the people I grew up were not as unique as I thought.  And it set in what being caught between opposing goddeses meant.  Who was really the pawn; me or the Council.  And how I'd been played up to that point.

Had this revevlation happened before in the previous reboots?  Did I know the truth then?  Did I figure it out before?  Was this the first.

Well.  This wasn't about my connection to Sonic the Hedgehog, now.  It was about theirs.  And I could tell...it wasn't closure they were going to find.....what they were actually looking for was piece of mind.

Maybe by doing something to help this new Mobius AU...they could save a piece of their own souls.  They could be...on our world...like the Freedom Fighters they never were on their world.

"Alright.  I'm not going to talk any of you out of this.  Well...like the choice one Ethan Hunt was given years ago...I choose to accep this mission."

I just hoped we weren't the ones who were headed for a Dead Reckoning.  Shoehorned references asside...

What happened next struck a familiar chord. Unstable electrical explosions...a spherical wormhole dialation.  Yeah.  This felt like the Deloreon reentry.

"Oh god..."  I looked up at the dark, abysmal city.

"Quick.  Out of sight."  Bunnie grabbed me as the others ducked in an alley.

"Hmm?"  I looked up and saw a hovering neon sign.  I oculdn't make out the...text.  Looked like some new age internet shorthand."

"It says Welcome to New Yolk City...You're welcome."  A bit passive-aggressive for a welcome sign.

"D...Dr. Lynx?  When did you...?!"

"Don't ask questions right now, Commander.  And don't get seen by THOSE."  Sally pointed to the cameras.

"We don't want THEM to find us."

"Them...?"

I'd barely read the dossier but--"  That was when I saw it in Dr. Lynx's hand.  A copy of..!"

"Wait...how...long have you known about this?"  I asked Bunnie.

"Would the truth be more comforting than the protective smokescreen to cover up Rotor's conspiracy?"

"Rotor?"

"Sorry, Doctor.  This was on me."

"You mean one of your conspiracy theories turned out to be true and that somehow got you to an advanced copy of STC-A's file on this Shatterverse?"

"In so many words."  Rotor shrugged.

"Can you feel it?"  Sally asked.

"Yeah, old friend.  This sensation.  It must be what they all felt on a daily basis.  Sneaking into what was once their old city.  Sabotaging Dr. Robotnik at every turn.  Risking getting caught and roboticized."

"In fact..."  Lupe pointed.

"Oh no..."  Sally murmured as she saw the citizens being transported down the moving sidewalks; all in a mundane zombie-like daze.  Ignoring each other.

"It's like being Roboticized without the Roboticization..."  Bunnie squeezed her eye shut.  "It's horrible."

"They're not being mind controlled...but they ARE pretty much brainwashed.  Brainwashed by routine."  Nikita crossed her arms and nodded.

"You know what this is?  The dark side of order."  Lupe looked over her shoulder.  "A perversion of what Lady Destiny stands for.  A form of order that isn't status quo and a happy medium of day-to-day life?  This is autonomous factory life.  Oppression.  Suppression.  And..."

"Yeah."  Sally nodded.  "Everything Sonic HATED.  Being a cog in a machine.  Conforming to standards.  He did his best to stand out and be an original.  He was a free spirit.  When he saw...even bits of that in any of us...it drove him nuts.  It's why he tried so often to get us to drop our homework, get into trouble, and do something...sponteneous."

Quite a speech Sally had.

Honey, Willie, Miles, and Antoine had stayed quiet all this time.  I guess three of them couldn't really relate to what Vorostov put them through.  Miles was the only one who was keenly aware of his many counterparts.

It was strange, though...Miles was unusually off about his take on this.  I had this feeling that...he knew something about his counterpart on this part of the Shatterverse he wasn't telling.

At least...he wasn't telling me.  I could definitely see him and Bunnie exchanging glances every so often.

Then there was Knuckles.  I'd observed many variants of him.  In the timeline he'd first appeared, he was competent, he had a wicked sense of humor that stemed from being boastful with each time he hindered Sonic and Tails' progress through Angel Island...and he had not only matched Sonic, move for move, he had somehow knocked him out of his Super Sonic form upon his arrival.  With a single punch.  And he gathered the Chaos Emeralds and sent them to his island's special zones.

Then there was the pink elephant in the room.  The one Sally avoided.  Amy Rose.

In the SATAM universe, Amy didn't exist.  In the ACM-001 and ACM-002 universes, Amy Rose coexisted with Sally Acorn.  And both had a surprisingly healthy friendship.  I mean would Amy dare do anything against royalty even if it was to chase after Sonic?  Probably not.

Which left our universe's Sally who...always seemed to be annoyed by Amy's presence.  Especially with early discovred Amy Rose variants.  The ones that were especially clingy and determined to force Sonic to marry her got under her fur-covered skin.

Rouge the Bat?  Bunnie had...implied that they had met on our world.  And what few details she revealed was...she got a nasty shiner from tangling with the jewel thief.  But the winged mouse...would leave the battle with a limp that wouldn't go away for several months.

And lastly, Shadow.  Why our world had a Shadow, I couldn't answer.  But rest assured I was checking EVERY countrie's backlog of scientific progress for the keywords "SPACE COLONY ARK" or "PROJECT SHADOW".

Either way...no matter how subtle she was about it...there was no denying that Bunnie and Shadow met.  Whether or not they were on friendly terms was something she hadn't revealed.  And I doubt I'd ever run into Shadow to get his side of the story.

And the final connection?  Dr. Robotnik.  Or...just Eggman.  A guy who looked so terrifyingly like the Vortex Labs director?  I knew it was no coincidence they were connected.

Bunnie owed her invisible scars to him, I say as dryly as possible.

Sally's portable mainframe now had a life of her own as Dr. Lynx because of him.

What connections he had to Rotor and Antoine, I couldn't speculate on but...they seemed to have an axe to grind as well.

And then there was Miles.  The obvious one.  Two-tailed but he was our species.  Not Mobian.  And definteily a few sizes taller and more adult.  More anthropomorphic.  If you didn't look for all the details, you might not even recognize him as  a Tails.  No.  Here he was just Miles Amadeus Prowler.  Prowler, with an L.

Everywhere else...he was Miles Prower.  No L.

That a good enough clarification?  Still a paper think distinction but...it was what it was.

Standing next to Garfield, the two of them were like cousins from another mother.  Even their fur color was similar.  Even their eye color was the same.  It was just one was a fox hybrid with two tails.  The other a tabby cat hybrid whose resemblance to the comic strip character was more than passing...yet his overall appearance was almost anime-ish.

Like all of us on VGM-089.  All of us had that...anime-ish design I'd place halfway between Toyama at his most Chrono Trigger/Dragon Ball Z and Miyazaki's various anime feature films.  And yet each of us still somehow seemed...to have his or her own uniqueness without breaking "art styles".

Sorry.

Once again I've gone on a tangent.  But maybe I needed to in order fo the Ecotropians to form a plan.  Because by the time I snapped out of it...

"Look!"  I heard Antoine whisper before he handed me binoculars.  Wait...when did he have time put on on a different military uniform...and  a beret cap?

I'm getting outpaced by Antoine!  Has the world gone crazy?

...rhetorical question.

I peered through and caught sight of...Knuckles the Echidna and Rouge the Bat?  No...it had to be their variants.

The internal HUD deciphered their lip moments giving me an approximation of what they were saying.  Apparently they were keeping tabs one something...or someone very fast...who hated "the Egg".

I made out the name "Rebel"

"Huh.  Intriguing."

I looked at the group...and noticed Miles was gone.

"Where--"

Bunnie covered my mouth and pointed up.   I noticed the patroling copter Badniks.

It was weird.  It was like they had been doing this all their lives.  But...I know they HADN'T.

Had they...been training in secret?  Were they channelilng phantom images of SATAM-000 and ACM-001 and ACM-002?

And like that we were on the move again.

And so...

"What's this..."

"Rebel" Rouge picked up what was on the ground.

"What is it?" asked "Renegade" Knuckles.

"...a message."

Bunnie's voice, heavily distorted and harmonized left a simple message.

"You are not alone in your fight against oppression.

We should talk.

Don't look for us.

We'll find you."

"We?"  Rebel started to ask--

"Behind--"  Renegade started.

"Shh!  Or we're both captured by the bad eggs."  Sally's voice came from behind him.

"What!?  Who?"

Rebel didn't turn around.

"Clever.  The most effective ambush I've ever encountered."

"You misinterpret.  An ambush serves the purpose of neutralizing one's foes."  Bunnie's vocoded voice continued.  "This is just us saying 'hello'."

"Well.  You're pretty similar to the one I know back home."  Sally chuckled, almost flirting.

"What's with the helmet?"

"It protects my noggin.  But uh...around these parts it does wonders against countering facial recognition."

"You're obviously no amateurs."

"Our organization normally keeps to ourselves...it normally keeps...to our own turf, let's say.  But...a common link has fallen into your world and he doesn't even know it yet."

"Our world?"

"Complicated."  Sally clarified.  "You believe in alternate dimensions?"

Rebel arched an eyebrow.

"Let's talk.  And maybe we can keep him out of trouble..."

And a bit later...

"This is the Plumber.  Confirm eyes on a very big cat...we know who."

"Big."  Sally shrugged.  "The jokes I could make but let's keep serious."

"Commander."  Bunnie saluted.

"You got this, old friend?"

Bunnie nodded.

"Antoine?  Care to relieve me of my post?"  Sally saluted.

"Madamoiselle."  Antoine saluted, stone cold serious.

I got very ominous flashbacks of "Patch" of the Anti-Freedom Fighters...the evil counterparts of Sally and company from Moebius, the alternate Mobius flip-side.

"Wait, where is she going?"  Renegade protested.

"She has an...errand to run."  Bunnie nodded, arms folded.

"Now.  Let's get to very quick introductions, briefings, and whatever else we need to."

And elsewhere...

"Hmm?  Proximity alarm?  Proposterous."  growled the fox.

"You should put more faith in your machines!"

With that the fox spun around in his chair, his seven robotic tails in addtion to his two natural ones armed for battle.

Miles stood in the center of the room, back facing his counterpart..."Nine".

"How did you get into my--"

"Nineteen Ninety-two.  Good year."

"...!!!"

"Grrr...!"

"Make a move if you must.  I know those limbs of yours do more than just complete the kyuubi image.  I appreciate the kitsune symbolism but it breaks my heart knowing what drove you to this.  You and Violet have so much in common...yet...when it came time for her to meet her long-over-due friend...she changed for the better.

How badly did you attack him before Babble got to him?  And...how did you escape.

I know...that wasn't in the original timeline."

"How could you know that?  Who are--"

Miles turned around and stepped into the light, towering over Nine.

"You...!"

"So you picked up on our shared resemblence.  As I figured you would."  Miles fluttered his tails.

"Something happened when your Shatterverse was imported into the UltraVerse.  Something that's signature Destiny and Fate."

"You're not making sense.  How did you get into my lab."

"The picture isn't clear enough?  I know how you ended up this way.  Your piece of the Shatterverse doesn't have a Sonic.  You grew up picked on.  And you didn't have anyone to save you from yourself.  Your intelligence brought you nothing but misery, so you moved your lab down here.  Away from the people of New Yoke.

And you've grown quite bitter, arrogant, and become quite the hermit.  Where I probably would have headed had I not decided to escape Project Alphabet Soup back in Corinth.  I really should drop Dr. K a line some time but...she'd probably think Violet sent me so..."

"Stop talking nonsense and--"

"Get to the point?  You know.  I can forgive how you turned out.  But what I can't understand is...why you let him go out there alone after giving him the stabilizer tech.  In the original timelie, you chased after him and you both got caught by Dr. Babble."

Nine narrowed his eyes.

"It's true, isn't it.  You abandoned him even though he had no clue what was going on.  Even though he did everything he could to try to be the friend your counterpart always knew and loved and respected."

"What do you know!?  You never had to--"

"I'm someone who lost a lot more than you'll ever know.   You may not have grown up with a friend in the world but at least you had your freedom.  Me?  I was appropriated by the government in a Juvenille Reclamation program.  And shipped off to Corinth when my intelligence proved useful during the Vorostov Conflict.  I was barely a newborn when the city I was born in was blown off the map and I was separated from the only person who watched over me like a brother.  He's out there on my world, now.  Doing what he does best.  And I don't hate him for it, I don't blame him for it.  He's fighting the good fight.  What are you doing with your life?"

"What would you have me do--"

"Miles.  The name is Miles."

"Well, Miles.  You know who I am.  You're not from here.  So how do you know so much about us?"

"Not a story to tell right now.  Where is he?"

"Probably in the clutches of the Chaos Council."

"Well then.  You're going to help me get him back and on the path to fixing his world."

"And if I don't?"

"If you're my counterpart...you already know what I'd resort to without crossing a line.  But you...you might actually cross that line.  So.  The choice is yours.  How much of a conscience do you have left?"

Elsewhere...

The clank of robotic footsteps continuded down the hall.

The glow of the single robotic eye and the whir of the augmented hand.

Inside the chest cavity...a lone Flicky suffered as it was continued to be used as a power source.

Rusty Rose.  This world's pink hedgehog.

\*CRASH\*

"Error.  Unknown assailant has engaged this unit.  Calculating immediate retaliation--"

And Rusty found herself flipping through the air and landing face down again.

"I gotta say...that felt pretty good."   Sally cracked her knuckles.  "Finally...an annoying pink hedgehog whose face I CAN smash in."

"You shall regret that.  I will terminate you with extreme prejudice."

"And I'm going to have so much fun watching you try..."  Sally grinned under the helmet as she turned up the speed on her entire overtech.

"If your goal is to intimidate, you fail on every level."

"Oh, no. My job's not to scare the bolts out of you...you'll find out what I'm here to do soon enough. Maybe you'll figure it out in battle?  All I know is...this is going to be race for the ages..."

And...

"...that's a lot to take in."

"Oui.  I am knowing zis is difficult to be believing."

"Difficult?  Practically impossible." Renegade smashed his fist into his other palm.

"This...Sonic?  He's not from your world, either?"  Rebel asked.

"No.  At least not this version of him.  Our world has its own but...this Sonic?  He's in way over his head and has no idea what he's about to embark one."  Rotor explained.

"Yeah...I guess I'm here to play catchup on this assignment, which was hijacked from me before I could even decline it."  I shrugged.

"So.  Rotor.  Antoine.  Your friends?"

"Taking care of certainl loose ends before we converge on the Chaos Council.  Preferably before they start experimenting on him.  Especially in a way that might cause something worse than what broke the Shatterverse apart."

"This Eggman sounds like he played your friend pretty hard."

"Oui.  And just like zee impatient fyoo-el 'Zonic eez, he rushed in without zee plan.  And here we are, mon amie."

"Metal Rabbit reporting in.  I have eyes on the Council.  It's like our old nightmare, pentupled."

"Still using Tithius' nickname for her as a code name?  You sentimental fool, old friend."  Rotor grinned.

"Lightrunner checking in reeeal quick.  Can't chat long.  Engaging something pink, metal, and is not a rabbit.  At least she's not carrying a stupid sledgehammer!"

"That'd be Rusty Rose."  Rotor deadpanned.

"MTP here.  I'm on my way.  Table for two at the council."

"You got him to listen to reason?"

"It's complicated--  HEY!"

"Whoever's on the other end of this, I'm doing this out of protest.  If you prove to be more trouble than you're worth, I'm out!  But frankly you make a good argument and that's still better than a whiner."

"Heh.  You actually drove Sonic to tears.  There's one I wish I could have recorded for our mutual friend."  Sally's voice rang out over the conference call.

"Guys!"

"I know.  Stick to the plan.  You don't have to tell me twice."  Sally grinned.  "Lightrunner out!"

"Metal Rabbit out."

"MTP signing out.  Good luck, Freedom Fighters."

"Freedom...Fighters..."  Rebel furrowed her brow as she looked pensive.  "It has a ring to it..."

"You said the magic word."  Rotor mused as he spun one of Sally's power rings around his finger.  "Wanna do the honors, Commander?"

I took a deep breath.  "Let's move.

And sure enough...

To make a long story short, we did manage to curve the timeline back to familiar but...with some wrinkles.

"Okay...how did Nine get himself captured?"  I asked, now up to speed.

"Nevermind that."  Sally pointed at the Chaos Council.

"Five counterparts of the Director of Vortex?"  Rotor gaped.

"A baby, Dr. Babbles.  A snippy apathetic teenager, Dr. Don't.  An old geezer named Dr. Done-that.  A new-age hipster, Dr. Deep.  And of course...the leader, Mister Doctor Eggman."

"Eesh.  Redundant and cumbersome."  Sally cringed.

"Jokes aside...the resemblance is disturbing.  Save for one really glaring detail."  Rotor snorted.

"it's the hair.  It's gotta be the hair."  Miles deadpanned.

"Guys...I think I see something more pressing."

"Sally, you never told me how--"

"Yeah...I delayed her as much as I could...but she figured out my plan to stall her."  Sally pulled off her cracked helmet.

"I loved this helmet, too..."  She narrowed her eyes.  "I have another reason to punch her out."

"Guys!"  I raised my voice a little and pointed.

A collective gasp.

"SONIC!"

And there he was in an oversized hamster-ball; meant to stress test his speed and power.

It was right about that time when Nine took an unfortunate jolt, attempting to protest Sonic's treatment.

"Uh-oh."  Rotor gulped.

"That's not good."  Bunnie narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah...for Eggman."  Sally furrowed her brow.  "They just messed up big...because if Sonic feels the way I feel when someone messes with MY friends..."

"Uh...he's...speeding up...a lot.  And his energy levels are rising and--"

My equipment started giving me warnings.

"Shh!"  I tried to keep it down before we were discovered.  "I do not want to be the one to give us away!"

"I knew it...it doesn't matter what Sonic it is...!"  Miles looked entranced.

"Yeah..."  Bunnie nodded.  "We're about to see a glimpse into his true potential.

The power buildup was alarming.

Lupe suddenly dropped her chameleon spirit meld.

"Nice timing.  But I think Bunnie makes a better Espio than you."  Sally joked.

"This is no time for levity, my friend.  I've sensed familiar energies.  Like that of the Paradox Prism.  The were latent in Sonic's very aura but now they're becoming very active.  And--"

"And it's building to a flashpoint?"  Sally turned serious at the drop of a hat.

"Yes, but how did you..."

"Let's just say we traded cliffnotes very quick, Lupe."  Rotor explained.

"We're going to have to make our move on my mark."  Bunnie advised.

"Give us countdown, old friend.  Rebel and Renegade should make their marks...any time now."

"They have to be to the millisecond."  MIles reminded.  "You understand why, right?"

I nodded.  "Ultra Crew Institute Action Team?  Go."

"Three...two...one...NOW!"

And in the flash of light that swallowed up the whole citidel; the point of origin at where Sonic had gone into super overdrive...

What happened next...I couldn't be sure of.

But one thing was certain...

...we all escaped in one piece.  But what power Sonic had unleashed?  Who could say.  Nor could we know where it would send him.

"Mission accomplished."  We all gathered in to overlap hands.

"Well.  I'll make preparations for our homing beacon to pull us back."  Miles nodded.

"Until then, everyone sit tight."

And that was that.

However...

...there was one last thing to wrap up.  Something only two people would ever know about.

The messenger.

And the recipient.

"I figured you'd have gone back home by now.  Bunnie, was it?"

"..."

"What?  What's the problem?"

"I'll spare everyone else, especially Sonic.  And I am at odds with myself for crossing this line.  Breaking my rule about telling one about his own destiny...or fate."

"You're the type that likes to talk in riddles.  What is this regarding."

"I'm going to make this very, very clear.  This does not leave this room.  I'm essentially trusted this to a very risky gambit...telling you what you don't know yet."

"And what is that?"

Bunnie took a deep breath.

"You're going to betray him."  She narrowed her eyes.  "Time will tell when or where...and especially why.  I want you to think long and hard about this before you weigh the gravity of what he wants with what you want."

Nine glared.

"People...who accidentally stumble upon the impliments of the Gods are entitled to fix their own mistakes.  To get back what they lost.

But with the knowledge of such great power comes the potential for great hubris.  Just because we see the path to a better world...doesn't mean whe should try.  There are no shortcuts to ridding oneself of misery.  Remember this well, Nine.

It's what will divide you two.

Don't play god with the Paradox Prism..."

And with that Bunnie BAMFED out of existence.

Nine lowered an eyebrow and looked confused.

"What was THAT all about..."

I think in the end...Bunnie knew it was futile to try to undo Fate's next prank...

Even when it wasn't directed at us...it still affected us.

"SONIC!  IT'S BROKEN!  IT'S ALL BROKEN!  Shadow the Hedgehog's voice echoed through the cosmos...

## Sub-Entry 349: "No Librarian.  But His Name is Conan.  Helping Him Crush His Enemies":

"I kind of figured you three had something to do with us ending up here..."  I eyed Violet, Jon, and Undyne.

"...but what's YOUR stake in this?"

I turned to Chameleon, Tithius, and the entirety of Rainbow Wing.

"Let's just say...certain reptiles concern me."

"Much like the Dinosaucers?"

"That was different."  Chameleon turned away, trying not to look flustered.

"Tithius still say he and baby phoenix nothing alike!"

"No arguments there."  Frisk petted the pseudo.  Tithius leaned into it.

"Do you mind?  You're being a little too friendly with my familiar."

I turned to the other one I needed answers from.

"So?  What stake do you have in this?"

Pit wrapped his wings around himself.

"I should think it would be obvious, Volt."  Asriel looked stoic.  "The first and third uprisings in his home realm, he dealt with the fallen goddess, Medusa.  Transformed into a hideous gorgon monster for her cruelty and exiled to the Underground pits of Hades."

It clicked at that moment.

"You can't stand by while innocents suffer.  Still not sure what the specific connection is...."

"Yes, Commander.  It'll...it'll become apparent soon enough."

I sighed.

"At least someone here has noble motivation for dragging us to this primitive world."  I folded my arms.

"Primitive is a label for that which adheres to tradition rather than follows the war of progress."  Lupe corrected me.

"This is a pretty big group, y'know."

"But the more the merrier!  Nyeheheheheh!"

Only Papyrus.  And where he went...

"I guess that's the stone-cold facts, eh, Arcade?"

"Sans!  Be considerate of the angel's feelings!"

Okay I have to give Paps that one.  It was a little thoughtless to make a pun in light of people turned to stone.

"Why don't I just get us up to speed on what I downloaded before we left?"  Asriel shrugged.

"I don't think we need to worry too much about disguises on a world like this.  People are going to call us monsters anyway."  I shrugged.

"When did monster first become discriminatory language against beings that aren't homo sapiens but still walk upright and have the capacity to speak and use tools?"  Azzy rolled his eyes.

"Let's not get into a debate that will keep us up all night."  I took the lead with Bunnie and Violet.  Jon and Pit flanked us with Lupe and Sally behind them.  Our group totaled five.

Chameleon stayed on the far right, keeping a mid distance but not straying too far.  Ready to don his human disguise magic cloak.  Tithius and Rainbow Wing circled around him.  His group totaled seven.  Eight if Asmirus decided to leave his shadow.  In this bright sun light?  Fat chance.

Which left Azzy's group to the far left.  Asriel and Frisk held hands as they lead the charge.  Undyne kept behind with the Skelebro's.  Their group totaled another five.

A pretty cumbersome army of 17 to 18 people.  A bit overstaffed for mission.  But with each of our groups vested in this in some way, of course we all had differing stakes in this.

Well...it didn't take long to meet up with the man of the hour and his cohorts.

And for Undyne to get into it with him.

"Oh you want a fight?  Fuhuhuhuhuh!  Fine by me!  Bring it on!"

"Dy-Dy...seriously...!"  Asriel protested to no avail.

"Well, aren't you going to stop her?"

"You should recognize when I don't have a stake in something, kid."  Chameleon crossed his arms and watched the show.

"Besides...it might be entertaining."

"And I complain about Aunt Vi being a bad influence."

"Well I know you're gonna bore us with details so get with it, fuzz butt!  Give the rest of the group the details."

I could see Chameleon's smirk from Undyne's little nickname for me.

"You actually read the dossier, Undyne?  I'm...surprised."  I blinked.  "But...er...okay.  Our person of interest goes by "Conan".

I could see Violet's eyes light up as she was already thinking up some references to spring on him when we would meet up with him.

"Conan lived in Cimmeria with his parents throughout his childhood. While out with his grandfather one night on a trek, "fiery tears" or meteors dropped from the skies. Conan collected them and brought them back to his family. Conan's father, the village blacksmith, used the ore from the meteors to forge Star Metal and used it to create various tools and weapons that would never rust or break or dull. He sold them, but his finest work, a magnificent sword, he kept for Conan. It was laid in a crypt and covered over with a heavy stone slab. Conan's father told his son that only when he was "man enough" (i.e., strong enough) to push off the stone slab, could he rightfully claim the sword."

"Fuhuhuhuhuhuh!  That's the most brutally awesome story ever!"  Undyne flexed.

Meanwhile, the evil Serpent Man wizard Wrath-Amon learned of Star Metal and that in addition to its strength that it possessed the power to open portals between dimensions. He thus sought Star Metal to release his deity Set from "the Abyss" to which he long ago had been banished by the combined powers of virtually every living wizard then on Earth for trying to enslave the human race. As part of his search, Wrath-Amon sought out Conan's family. Conan's father told Wrath-Amon that he had sold all of the Star Metal, but the wizard refused to believe it. The wizard was right for aside from the sword, it was revealed, later, that Conan's father had hidden pieces of Star Metal with other villagers. Wrath-Amon used the spell of living stone upon Conan's family."

I turned to Pit.

"And that's your interest in this.  It rings too much of a bell of Medusa, doesn't it?"

"Painfully so, Commander."

We'd already addressed this but I wanted to make the connection between the two official.

"I don't suppose we can get a hint what Wrath-Amon has to do with you, besides the obvious?"  Violet prodded.

"Keep dreaming, rabbit."

"Can electric wolf leave out details of annoying fire bird?"

"The phoenix you mentioned earlier?"  Frisk questioned.

"If makes you feel better.  I will say the report say its name is Needle."

"Tithius doesn't like needles!  Can give bad medicine!"

"As well as good medicine but that's really an argument for my eldest daughter."

Chameleon narrowed his eyes, tensing up that I might bring up Dead's Paradise.

"I can only guess THEY'RE along for the ride on the promise of treasure?"  I eyed Rainbow Wing circling around Violet.  I could tell she was giving her usual bevy of advice.

"Other contacts worth noting."

"I note this one named Zula.  King of the black tribe of the Vassai, cousin of Horus. A black warrior with the same muscular build as Conan. Zula's face has three multi-colored triangles on both sides - the symbol of the Vassai. Zula's eyes are black, black hair tied with a black elastic band in a ponytail. He wears light clothes made of tiger skin, a belt with a tiger's head and leather boots, a gold bracelet on his left wrist, and a leather one on his right.

Sometimes Zula appears in insulated clothing that covers his head, torso and legs, and during distant wanderings he and others can be seen in clothes that correspond to local traditions. The king's ears are decorated with silver earrings, and his neck is decorated with a necklace of three tiger fangs. Hypnotist. Zula met Conan while being a rowing slave in the galleys of Rath Amon. After his release, he considers the Cimmerian his blood brother. Educated, prudent and wise, he worships the animal spirit of Jebalah. Using his sign, the Vassai prince can summon wild animals for help. Thanks to Jeballu, Zula also mastered hypnosis and acquired his totem animal, the tiger. In battle, he first uses a bolas of star metal, which entangles enemies. Later, due to the inconvenience, he makes himself another throwing weapon - a boomerang. In addition, Zula is a masterful archer. Martial arts master. Zula is also a professional hunter. In the future, he will perform in the circus as a hypnotist."

"Very concise, Lupe.  I see you've already got someone to focus on.  Anyone else?"

Jezmine is an agile and beautiful circus performer who possesses a set of Star Metal throwing stars, she started as a thief but became an honest woman (but is in love with Conan nonetheless) especially where the first point is that Conan and Jezmine are seen climbing a tower when Jezmine attempted to steal some priceless treasures. Her parents are later revealed to be a nobleman and woman in the city of Tarantia. To her horror, she learns that her mother serves Wrath-Amon and her father is the Serpent Man Astivus, making her a half-breed. From that moment, she is terrified her Serpent Man heritage will assert itself. When her father Astivus, who loved Jezmine's mother, sides with Jezmine and her mother against Wrath-Amon, Wrath-Amon banishes her father and mother to the Abyss. A magical potion applied to her Star Metal shuriken allow Jezmine to magically summon the throwing stars to return to her. She shared this potion with Zula. Jezmine hated Astivus, despite his love for her. She and Conan were able to free her mother during a trip to the Abyss, and later Astivus escaped when Set and the Serpent-Men banished over the years were freed from the Abyss by Wrath-Amon. Once again, Astivus chose Jezmine and her mother over serving Set, and it is implied in the final episode that Jezmine might be willing to reconcile with him. Unlike Valeria from the original 1982 film where she was killed by Thulsa Doom, Wrath-Amon doesn't kill her."

"I'd expect nothing less from our scholarly terrain master, Sally.  I don't know how good a student you were in Ecotropia but you haven't lost the touch.

I then looked to Jon.  "And what about you, son-in-law?"

"Uh...a wizard name Greywolf?"  He shrugged as he finished off another turkey leg he had packed.

"....riiiiiiiiiight.  Because his name has absolutely no bearing on why you picked him."

"Uh.  He has a sister named Sasha and a brother named Misha?"

"Useful to know."  Chameleon deadpanned.  Though he was probably just downplaying it.  Any information was valuable to him.

"We have other entries the list;  Snagg and Falkenar."

"We'll examine them on a case-by-case basis if we encounter them, Frisk.  Good job."

"Let's just get out of this damn sun already!"

"Why?  Is something wrong with the Sun on this world, Undyne?"  Papyrus asked.

I didn't intend to explain.

It's probably better that I didn't, anyway.

To my chagrin unfortunate circumstances ended up corrupting my data log.  I would retroactively have Dr. Lynx restore what I could.  But in the end this entry ended up jump-cutting across sections.  It didn't matter.  Most of what was lost was just additional exposition, transitions from place to place and boring stuff.

That said...suffice to say the first surviving message went a little like this.  By the way we ended up on a ship facing off against soulless skeleton pirates.  No biggie.

"...boy, that sure escalated, didn't it?"

Classic Papyrus.

"Excuse me, skeleton brother, but that is very dangerous!  You could hurt our new friends that way."

"What is...going on?  That skeleton is..."

"Yup.  That's Papyrus."

"Oh!  I see!  Wish to train!  A duel is it?  Nyeheh!  The Captain of the Royal Guard welcomes a proper challenge!   Do not take it personally.

"Monsters!  Everywhere!"  Is this Wrath-Amon's doing!?"

"You know I kind of saw this coming a mile away."  I jumped back, Conan's sword nearly bisecting the necktie that Asriel had given me.

"Don't group us with them, meatbag."  Chameleon parried with his blade.

"It matters not how many of your come at me!  I will put down the scourge of Wrath-Amon and all who serve him!"

"Again.  Don't group us in with them."

By chance the magical aura of Conan's sword nullified the effect of Chameleon's cloak.

"What sorcery...!  You are...!"

"Well.  I wish you hadn't seen that.  This just became a lot harder to reach my goals."  Chameleon furrowed his brow.

"Nyeheheh!  I hope you will not consider it an overwhelming use of force if I use my SPECIAL ATTACK!"

Finally we might get to see it!  And with Annoying Dog still in Undertale, I don't foresee anything--

\*STATIC\*

...I stand corrected.  Satellite shutdown followed by Rainbow Wings attacks colliding in a nasty cloud of clashing elements?  Oh boy.

Oh and the ship might be on fire, now.

"Did you see that!?  My Special Attack was even GREATER than I could have imagined!  Nyeyeheh!"

"It was...something, Pappy."  Frisk blinked.

Some of us were lucky enough to see it though.

I wasn't one of them.

"You're the best bro, Paps."  Sans gave a thumbs-up where he lounged on top of a group of water barrels.

"Hmm?  Oh no!  Our new skeleton friends have gone to pieces!  Hurry, Sans!  Help me get them back together!"

"It's no good, Pappy.  They were never alive.  They were just animated by some kind of spell.  I could sense no souls in them."  Asriel extinguished his NXS Sabers.

"That's uh...disturbing to think about.  But at least nobody got hurt.  Still...very morbid to think of skeletons without a soul of their own."  Papyrus held the skull in his gloved hands.

"This...is actually quite disturbing."

"Paps!  Drop the pile of calcium and help us drive off these soulless science lab equipment!"

\*STATIC\*

"By Crom!  You have proven yourselves to be enemies of Wrath-Amon.  And despite attack you, you still came to my aide."

"Yeah.  That's what we do."

"You...dress very strangely for monsters."

"Hey, not all of us are in that category, you know."  Frisk put her hands on her hips.

"My apologies, woman."

"It's cool, dear.  We get it."  Asriel stole a kiss.

"You...are betrothed?"

"I'm going to pre-emptively ask you two not to take offense at whatever he has to say to that."  I advised.

"We...weren't going to."  Asriel rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah.  We get it.  This world hasn't progressed to our level, yet."

"Blah-blah, blah.  When do we get back to more action?"

"Sir Conan."

"A child...with wings?  You are from..!"

"A messenger."

"You...are sent by Crom?"

"Uh, well--"

"Yes, he is.  And he's recruited us for the greater good as well."  I covered Pit's mouth.

"We all have a vested interest in the downfall of Wrath-Amon."  Bunnie confirmed as she adjusted her ninja hood's mouth covering.

"Yes...and he's taken more than just people's livelihood with his accursed Spell of Living Stone."  Lupe tightened her fist.  "He perverses the land with his influence."

"Yeah.  And he's also some things that don't belong to him.  That can...upset the wrong people."  Chameleon slid his gaze to the side.

"I think we can work together."

"Agreed.  But we should ally ourselves with my friends, as well."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."  I crossed my arms with a smirk.

\*STATIC\*

...another jump-cut?  Telemetry is really hazy, this far out from our home world.  It must've been a real chore for AEON to get a planetary probe in this galaxy.

"...your ability to commune with our animal brothers and sisters is impressive, young wolf."

"It is my people's way.  You may call me Lupe.  And you are Zula, yes?"

"You have heard of me."

"We have our sources.  And you have my respect.  Your totem is a lion.  What a coincidence.  Back home I actually have a lion as my trusted companion."

"With the both of us calling upon nature, this alliance will truly be legendary."

"Yes but...perhaps even between the two of us, there is no...pacifying some forms of fauna..."  Lupe looked over her shoulder where Tithius and Needle were going at it.

"Needle not afraid of snake with wings!"

"Overgrown parrot should hold tongue!  Tithius is mighty dragon!  Better than whiny matchstick with wings!"

"Wing Lizard take that back!"

"Never!"

"Ugh...can't you stuff that annoying orange canary back in his shield?"

"Your friend's wyrmling needs to learn his place!"

I just sighed.

"Best drama not on Television!  I gotta film this for the Miranda Internet."

"Pull out that web camera, Violet and you'll be searching for its pieces from one end of the desert to the next."  Bunnie warned.

"Your friend speak in such strange tongues.  What is this...in-ter-net?"

"Probably nothing this world should know about in at least several thousand years.  If even that."  Sally wrinkled her snoot.

"C'mon, Tithius.  Let's not agitate him any further.  I'll get you takeout from Mitzi's when we get back."

"Well.  Since Stripe Child put it that way..."

"Stripe child?"

"Frisk was wearing that adulted sized jumper when she first met Tithius.  She likes wearing that thing because it reminds her of when she first went through Undertale.  I don't know...there's an unwritten rule that says kids always wear striped shirts."

"Don't Wikipedia that." Violet mused.  "Chara owes me money, now."

"Goddammit, Vi."

"You have a...boisterous group at that."

"I know.  We're a tight knit family...with...quirky issues."  Lupe shrugged.

"So.  We got one more recruit on this list, right?"  Sally asked.

"Yes.  A woman."

"By any chance--"

"Let's not freak him out with how much we know, Sally.  We lucked out with Zula.  Let's not get ourselves mistaken for prophets next."  I advised.

\*STATIC\*

...maybe we didn't think this one through...

As I say this, I'm busy with my crew driving back Wrath-Amon's serpent men.

"I'm about to show you what the powers of what's beyond the beyond.  The power known as...SCIENCE!"  I grinned a fang-filled grin as I whipped out the XBTOCLC's and sprayed cover fire, horrifying and scaring off Wrath-Amon's troops.  Clearly they'd never seen plasma laser chain guns in action.  And that's my moment of being...a little smug.

Sometimes I DO enjoy being from an advanced civilization.

"Hmm."  Bunnie examined the metal throwing stars.  "Good craftmanship."  She looked up at Jezmine, who was moments away from demanding the ninja return her weapons.

Without warning...!

\*gasp\*

Jezmine looked over her shoulder at the Serpent Men that would have taken her from behind had Bunnie not unleashed both weapons.

"You...!'  Jezmine barely got out before Bunnie blurred past and smashed the heel of her palms into each of the Serpent Men's chests, sending them flying several yards backward; tumbling end over end until they found themselves sucked up into a portal back to their original dimension.

The stars returned to Bunnie's grasp before she calmly handed them over to Jezmine.  "I believe these are yours."

"You command my weapon like you have trained with them all your life!  Who are you?"

"Just a humble shadow warrior serving a greater good...Jezmine."

"You also know my name."

"We kind of do."  Suddenly Sally.

"it's complicated!"

"Sorcery!  You appeared from midair!"

"No.  Just really fast.  You holding up okay, old friend?"

"Never better, old friend."  Bunnie and Sally shared a knuckle-bump.

"Might we interest you in forming an alliance with Conan?"

"You are friends of Conan?"

"It is indeed complicated.  But yes."

"You in?"

"Yes."

Ultimately, however, it was Conan, Undyne, Chameleon, and myself against Wrath-Amon.

"You dare align yourself with Conan!  This land shall be your GRAVES!"

"I'd like to see you TRY!!!"  Undyne's spear clashed hard against Wrath-Amon's weapon.

Meanwhile two quarrelling familiars found themselves up against.

"FOOLISH CREATURES!  YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT MASTER WRATH-AMON!"

Dregs.  A sneaky Nāga assistant to Wrath-Amon, with a hood like a cobra and a rattle like a rattlesnake. At times he could be considered Needle's nemesis as he frequently tried many times to catch and eat the phoenix.

"You not hurt Conan!  He big, annoying brute but give Needle many delicious pomegranate!"

"Really."  Tithius even called a little B.S. on Needle's shallow allegiance.  "Tithius at least know Master is Master and not because of bribery."

Though in the moment, the Wyrmling decided to be the bigger being and lend his assistance; maybe even making Needle a little jealous with his own mastery of magic abilities.

And before he knew it...Dregs found himself quite pancaked.

"Hmmph.  Will teach ugly cobra imp not to tangle with a phoenix."

"And ugly cobra imp learn hard way not to cross a dragon familiar!"  I could practically see Tithius puffing out his little chest.

Oh well.  As long as they were on the same page about a common enemy.

"Good job, everyone...uh-oh."  Frisk gulped as she looked at tear between dimensions in the sky.

"Uh...we got trouble, yes?"  Tithius landed on Frisk's shoulder and Needle landed on the other shoulder.

"We got trouble maximus."  Pit hadn't lowered his bow.

"What is THAT!?'  Papyrus grasped the giant bone axe he had make shifted...but never actually used.

"That would be Set."  Asriel looked up from his NXS Tablet.  "He makes Gozer look like Little Mary Sunshine."

"As bad as Cthulhu!?"  Violet arched an eyebrow.

"Easily."  Azzy took a step back.

"And now you face my full--"  Wrath-Amon prepared to taken on this new infusion of power.

"Um...nope."  I said as I held up the device I finished putting together from the parts in my lab coat.

I pointed and began sealing the breach.

"What...!?  NO!  Stop that you infernal cur--"

"Hey.  Eyes right here."  Undyne grabbed Wrath-Amon by the back of the neck.

"You DARE TO TOUCH--"

And then came Supplex City.

His shouts of pain were something to hear.

"You...disgusting...gil-covered...!  Suffer the curse of the Spell of Living Stone...!"

"I don't think so."  Azzy's lasers distracted him enough for the flat-edge of Conan's sword striking true.  And with that, Wrath-Amon's true face...true form was revealed.

Those who see the true face of Wrath-Amon must perish!"

I finished sealing the breach at that moment as Conan and Undyne had Wrath Amon covered from both sides.

"I think it's time for me to step in and get what I came for."

"You...do not come any closer, mortal!  You do not know the power of the Serpent--"

"Serpent?  How quaint.  How cute.  How sad.  Do you, really think my race has anything to fear from a few evolutionary steps below us on the ladder of progress?"  Chameleon grabbed his cloak and flung it off.

"What...!  What are--"

"Know this.  You have crossed the Dragon Council this day, Wrath-Amon.  But more importantly you set foot on our world and stole something irreplaceable.  There's a price to pay for that.  And now I come to collect..."

And with that came Chameleon's dragon transformation.

"By Crom...!!!"  Conan's eyes widened.

"You get used to it."  I patted him on the shoulder.

"No...!  No...!  STAY BACK--!"

What happened next was--

\*STATIC\*

...aww, COME ON!!!

Chameleon dropped the unconscious Wrath-Amon to the ground in a heap, taking only a minute to examine the Armor Shard in his grasp.

"The next time you come for my property, I take a piece of you.  And next time it won't be your pride..."  Chameleon turned on his heel, his cloak billowing as he swept it up and put it on in one fluid motion.

"Tithius.  Our job is done here."

"Master!  Will not take revenge on pretender snake person?"

"No.  He's this world's trash.  Let its trash-collectors deal with him.  We're done here.   Sparks?  Ready to go home when you are."

By then Wrath-Amon's forces had dispersed, running for the hills and grabbing their master in the process.

"COWARDS!"  Conan pointed his blade.

"They'll be back."  Asriel powered his weapons down.

"Well, He's right, though.  I’m afraid our mission is finished.  We must return home."

"You cannot stay?"  Jezmine asked.

"We would if we could.  But...our place is not here."  Lupe looked on.  "However if the need arises...."

"Give us a call.  We'll be here faster than lightning."  Sally gave a thumbs-up and a wink.

"And we will welcome you, strange friends."  Conan accepted my hand in friendship.

"Just one more thing."  Violet grinned.

"Name it, my friend."

"Tell me...what is best in life?"

"Hmm?"  Conan was taken back a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"Aww come on!  You gotta say it!"

"What is it I'm to say."

"Don't indulge her--"

And with that, in her best impression...

"TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES, TO SEE THEM DRIVEN BEFORE YOU, AND HEAR THE LAMENTATIONS OF THEIR WOMEN!"  Violet held up an ornate tankard.

"THAT IS GOOD!"   Undyne bashed a tankard of her own against Vi's in a toast.

"............"  Conan just stared blankly.

"But...are you two women?  Aren many of us!?"  Frisk pointed to herself.

"She's totally not listening."  Sally crossed her arms, with a sneer.

"Goddammit, Vi..."  I facepalmed.

"Man, he's no Schwarzenegger."

"Your friend might be quite strange in the head..."

"Preaching to the choir, Conan.  Preaching to the choir."

Bunnie yanked Violet back as Asriel gingerly tried to coax Undyne back to the rest of the group.

"Ultra Crew Institute!"

"Undertale Division!"

"And...whatever we are."  Chameleon snorted.

"Let's go home."

As we vanished into the portal, we all waved back to our allies.

It was a new day.

While Pit didn't find a solution for the Spell of Living Stone, he at least rested easier knowing we could count on this world's heroes to keep it from spreading.  And they could count on us if things got out of hand and they needed allies.

## Sub-Entry 350:  "From Return to Summerville to What Awaits in the Firehouse"

It was on my mind for a while.

I decided I needed a solo outing.  No one from other side of the gateway.

At least...if I really needed to, I'd contact Azzy and have him join me.

But for now...?

I looked up at the water tower that read "Summerville".

"It was so obvious.  Sumeria...Summerville.  Why didn't I see it...?"

I'd donned a proper disguise and took WLS-002.  It was...less conspicuous than Ecto-1.

I then headed toward what I was now calling the Spengler farm.

I had suspicions the time anomalies were still going.

It turned out...I was right.

"When...when did he set these up?"

I was aghast at the readings from the book of Revelations.

"As I looked, he opened the sixth seal...

...behold there was a great earthquake...

...and the sun became as black as sackcloth...

...and the moon became as blood...

...the seas boiled and the skies fell..."

I swallowed hard.

This wasn't like mentor.  Not like him at all.

But what drew my attention...was something new set up outside.

"Sub-station transformers?"

Except they were connected backwards.  Meaning that Egon was attempting to boost the electric energy he was feeding into them.

What on a farmhouse needed THAT kind of power!?

But...what puzzled me is that...the output terminals...the connections just...kind of disappeared.

Were they...buried somewhere?

It would take me all week to dig up the whole place to find where those cables were going.

I shook my head and headed to the shed.

Sure enough just as Asriel's footage had clearly displayed...it wasn't a rope I used to rapple down.

It was a firepole I slid down.

"No way..."

I started to recognize a lot of the equipment from his lab at the firehouse.  There was no way he could have moved this without us noticing...was there?

All the stuff Azzy and I had transported was still there.  In fact it looked like it had been indexed...to a slight degree.

I shook my head before I saw it out of the corner of my eye.

A murder board?  No...a scrapbook collage?  Of what...or whom?

As I looked upon it I found myself squinting to try to get the images in focus--

...wait...I didn't need corrective lenses in my werewolf form?  I should be seeing this...!

I gasped.

"Temporary micro-glitches?"

Sure enough...the images...the photos were obscured...scrambled...out of phase with reality.

I couldn't tell who was in them.

Just that it wasn't mentor.  No...this was a child.  Young.  Female...maybe?

I could make out...what might have been a ballerina outfit in one...in brief bursts of clarity in between the static.

"Who...are you...?  Why does my mentor have...?"

There was...an unexplained resemblance, too.  An...offspring?

I'd thought I know Dr. Spengler inside and out.  When...when did he...?  I'd never known him to have time to settle down.

I couldn't picture him as a homemaker.  Heck...he'd probably have trouble just keeping the power on, let alone raise a family.

Then it hit me.

Was this...was this another of Madam Fate's retcons?  Was she...interloping into the lives of my teachers now?

I'd always felt like the death of Master Splinter's variant in another AU was...almost like a calling card meant for Bunnie.  If it was meant to get my attention, though...

This.

This wasn't nearly as subtle.

I then noticed the dismantled proton pack.  The Cyclotron was opened up.

"Really.  Leaving things unfinished?  Hmm...missing some parts, too."

It would take me all day to search his workbench drawers for the right parts.  But...maybe it wasn't meant for me to figure out.  If not me?  Then who?

Where did that thought even come from?

I eyed my surroundings.  Maybe I was imagining it but I still felt like future events were trying to emerge on present time.

I had to check on something....something in the house.

If I had stuck around long enough...I would have caught it.

Something that wasn't there when I slid down that fire pole.

Something...like a scale-model of the farmhouse, dirt fields and barn that was surrounded by a lot of rusting classic cars.

And something apparently...buried in that dirt field, connected to the transformers and wired up to the house.

What...was he planning?

I should be able to figure this out but...my mind was clouded...in a strange haze I  couldn't grasp.

I passed by the barn...and stopped in my tracks before turning to the large...something under a tarp.

I slowly turned toward it and reached or the covering...!

...then something interrupted my thoughts.

I couldn't remember what I was about to do...but I did remember something in the house I needed to check on.

I...paused then turned and headed toward the house, a momentary breeze blowing enough of the tarp back for a brief moment to reveal a New York City vanity plate...

No.

It couldn't be.

It was still in use at Hook & Ladder 8...the Firehouse. They were...still in business... ...right?

Why did I suddenly have doubts over what year it was?

I had to check.

Those floorboards...!

I stared at the panels...stared and shuffled the image around in my mind.

Then...I got to solving the puzzle and opening it up.

I reached in...expecting to grasp the PKE Meter...

...and instead pulled out a ghost trap.

"No."

I was so shocked, I morphed right then and there and it was like... a presence just spread out away from me.

Sure enough.  The light was blinking red.

I knew better than to open it up and see what was contained.  If I did that there was no guarantee I could put whatever was inside back in again.  Whatever it was...was meant to stay in there.  The trap's main power could likely die out in decades to follow but...its muon containment field would stay in effect for...too long to tabulate.

But...something didn't add up.  Why did he entrust us to hide this here?

Could it be...I was in the middle of a transition of...Madam Fate readjusting the events that led up to this?  Maybe I was...just a stand-in for when Mentor...  Oh god...what DOES happen to mentor in this house!?

As I stared, holding it by its handle I could almost hear Leonard Bernstein’s score blare in my head...the one from that movie adaptation Peter had secured the rights to back in my case file "Take Two"...

That haunting score as Dana and Louis emerged, possessed by the Gatekeeper and Keymaster, following the explosion that had blown her apartment apart and revealed the staircase behind her refrigerator.  What was Gozer doing in your icebox?  Well...mystery solved.

The staircase that Ray brought up.  How did we never put together it was in her kitchen all along?  That it led to Shandor's temple before the gates into Gozer's realm?

Feeling the sound of French Horns and other brass reverberating though my soul I did the only thing I could do...

I put the trap back and reset the puzzle...and slowly backed out of the room.

Why did I need to do this?

Why did I not have closure?

Before I knew it I had traveled back to New York and arrived at Ghostbusters HQ.  Yeah...still in operation.

All four were out on call.   Janine was on her lunchbreak.

Slimer was busy devouring the contents of Louis' lunchbox as his uniform hung nearby a makeshift desk by the staircase.  A note read "Went home sick."

Also, yes, spud.  You did smell like somebody took a big.........well...never mind.

Huh.

I turned to the far wall where a giant painting rest up against...the very portrait of Vigo Von Homburg Deutchendorf from 1989.

I could have sworn I heard him even speak at that moment...

"I see the EVILS of times to come...three far away wars shall come...and they will tarnish the UNDISPUTED glory of the first three."

"Yeah, you totally called it.  But you didn't predict the last three that became the death rasp of the series of far away wars."  I shrugged.

I could have sworn Vigo narrowed his eyes.  Eeesh...get out of there now.

"Funny.  If I were a betting man I would have sworn up and down that the portrait should be of four angels hovering around a new-born baby...

I shook my head.

"Well...I guess it's just you and me, spud--"  I started to say before...!

"What...!"  I felt the energies explode out and wash around me.

When I looked again...the firehouse was abandoned...!  Emptied out.   Stripped down and...the power off.  At least I thought it was.

Another...future event!?

At was at that moment the doors opened and a very dilapidated Ecto-1 rolled in as Winston helped guide it in.

Winston...in an expensive suit...?

"What's going on?"  I said aloud but...he didn’t' hear me.  How did he not hear me!?

And like that the car passed through me...or I passed through it...?

Either way...this was just a vision.  A very....immersive...vision...

In a panic...I ran downstairs.  Only one thing was on my mind.

I had to check on big, red, and metal!

I charged down the stairs...but I didn't hear that familiar hum.

"No...!"

I turned and...!

"Oh."  I blinked as I saw it.  It was still here but...something was off.  Something wasn't right.

I...didn't sense what I should have down here.

The power was on...but the trap lock.  The red light was...blinking.

I looked at the indicator lights.

That dreaded air horn warning wasn't going off.  The red danger light wasn't flashing.  There wasn't a rumbling or a release of steam and blinding light from the containment vault itself.

But this wasn't right.

Was it in...stasis mode?  Egon had designed it to about survive a nuclear war.  So...what was the deal here?

This didn't match anything in the guide I'd written myself for any and all malfunctions.

And then like that...!

Whoosh.

Everything was back to normal.  And that normal hum was reverberating wall to wall.  All lights were green.  And I sensed the massive amount of energy behind the protective grid again.

I stood there for a moment, puzzled.

Then...I could only come to one conclusion.

"There's more to the story."

There was more beyond my mentor's ultimate fate.  Then...if that was the case...what...lay ahead?

No further supernatural occurrences happened.

I left the Firehouse before Janine got back from her break and before Ecto-1B returned.

They'd never even know I was around and Slimer sure didn't pay attention.

Something was coming.  Something I don't know if I'd be prepared for.

The story that lay ahead...wasn't a story.  It was two.  And I'd yet to reach the point in their timelines where the first one would even be told.

This was...the curse of knowing your friends' and/or family's fates.  Of looking them in the eye and pretending you're not withholding information about the future from them.

Great scott.

This was what they don't teach you when you open the genie's bottle and pandora's box.  What comes with outliving everyone around you.

"Firehouse..."  I muttered as I headed back home.

I wonder what else stood to return when the days of destiny and fate would come to the world of the Ghostbusters?

It was hard to keep up with timelines constantly being rewritten.  Things you lived though; things you knew...that suddenly you don't really know what you thought you knew.

This was what made the game...a lot more challenging.

Perhaps...talking it over with Asriel was what I needed right now.

For the present...I'd just let this one sleep like the dead.

Chapter 36

Reload Part 1

Reload Part 2

Continue to Part 3

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