//------------------------------// // The Present // Story: A Traveling Dreemurr Teams Up with the Fastest Man Alive // by jjb0420 //------------------------------// It’s been two months since the invasion. Supergirl went back to Earth-38, and the Legends left in the Waverider. The suns rising as Lightmare and I walk into the Cortex and see H.R. decorating. “What’s that for?” Asks Lightmare. He quickly turns and spots us. “Asriel, Lightmare. Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.” “Since the Doctor took the TARDIS when he went back to his Earth, everyone’s sleeping in one of the storage rooms. We both don’t really sleep, so..........” I explain. “Ah, I see. Still, maybe you can help me out with this.” “What exactly is this?” “I thought the Cortex could use some Christmas decorating.” Lightmare and I look between each other, and him. “What?” “We........just, had Christmas in Equestria, two months ago.” “Geez these time differences make it hard to match up exact dates.” “Still..............a speedster should have an easy time decorating, right?” “Groan! Fine!” I zoom around the room, hanging up lights and putting a Santa hat on the flash suit. “Sigh. Lightmare, you can help H.R. hang up tinsel.” “How come I have to?” “I need to check up on something.” “Nope, I’m sticking with you.” “Sigh...........you can be stubborn, but I like that about you. One sec.” I zoom around the room again, hanging up tinsel. “Follow me.” We walk into the Speed Lab, and I turn to her. “What I’m about to attempt again, doesn’t leave this room. Okay?” “Why?” I sigh, and wave my hand in the air above us. The air distorts into several different screens, each connected and displaying a different event. She slowly tilts her head in confusion. “What is this?” I turn, and use my magic to bring them down in front of me. “Look closely.” She walks up next to me, and spots me fighting Nightmare Moon in the Castle of Two Sisters, Ayo Kub drinking some water in Ponyvile with Scootaloo, and the Angel of Death fighting Discord. “Is.........that you?” “Close. These are different versions, of me. While I was in Winds of Change, I wanted to watch how everybody was doing..............and I discovered this. This, is the Omniverse.” She gasps. “The same timelines, with infinite possibilities. One where, I was brought into Equestria the night of the Summer Sun Celebration. One where Ayo Kub never releases me, and lives out his life in Ponyville. One where I try to defeat Discord as the Angel of Death. Hell, there’s probably one where you were never brought to Equestria.” “So............these are all versions of our timeline...............but with a different choice or action?” “That’s how the Multiverse works. Time, is like a river. It flows, bends, drops, splits, even stops. With every action we make, we take a path down the river. The multiverse, is those other paths in the river. It is the actions we could’ve done, but didn’t.” “Like if.............I hadn’t seen those signs..............” “There is probably a Universe where you never became her servant, and simply stayed Celestia’s student. There’s probably even a world where right now, you’re still a child. As you clearly learned the day you were brought to my world, time can flow differently between universes. A day or two here, was months for us in Equestria.” “You think you can find worlds ahead of ours, but with the same timeline and people. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I tilt my head. “Why not?” “Think! You would probably become reliant on it, so you can know the future!” “Seriously? I locked essokinesis away, because I was becoming too reliant. Had become too reliant.” “And what if you become reliant on this?” “What if I only used it for knowledge purposes? I have been thinking about seeing other worlds with you.” “Only if we do it together. Sigh.............look, I’m just worried about you. You’ve made bad choices before.............I just don’t want to see you make them again.” “Sigh..............fine.” I snap, causing the screens to vanish. “Let’s go see if the others are up.” We walk into the Cortex, H.R. sipping a cup of coffee. Everyone comes in soon after. “Holy winter wonderland,” says Barry. “Took the words right out of my mouth,” says Cisco. “Well, I guess Earth-19’s Christmas is just like ours,” says Iris. “Some traditions are multi-versal.” “Still find it weird how we had Christmas...........or in my case, Hearthswarming, two months ago.” They all gape at her. “Yeah the different timelines are unsyncing. Two days here, was four months, remember?” They all shrug as Barry walks towards Caitlin. “So, um..........any more info on Savitar?” “Nope, all we know is what Asriel told us, that he’s a speed god, and you’re the only ones who can see him.” “Who’s Savitar?” Asks Lightmare, everyone looking at her. “An evil speedster. For some reason only other speedsters can see him,” I explain. “All right, well, Alchemy is Savitar’s high priest and he gets his power from the stone that he uses to create metas, so I was thinking. If we can find out what that thing is, maybe we can figure out how to stop him.” “I’ll see if I can dig something up,” says Cisco. “Okay.” I look to Lightmare. “How about you go wake the others up?” “Sure!” She runs off as I hear a ping go off. “Hey, uh, I got a dissertation here from Oxford University about the myth of an ancient Hindu weapon called the Brahmastra.” “Mm-hmm.” “Legendary artifact with incredible powers, capable of..........wait for it...........” I facepalm. “Creating metas.” “Creating metahumans.” “Guys, that looks just like Alchemy’s stone,” says Caitlin. “More importantly..........look who wrote this paper.” I walk behind them, and see the author of the paper. “Julian Albert. Ah, it’s more colloquially known as the Philosopher’s Stone. Fitting.” They all look at me. “I mean, come on. Alchemy, Philosopher’s Stone?” Still no response. “Sigh. In mythology, and some worlds, the Philosopher’s Stone was coveted as the end goal of alchemical magic/studies. A stone capable of turning any alloy to pure gold, and creating the Elixir of Life.” “Looks like there’s some fact to that fiction,” says Cisco. “I’ll go see what he knows,” says Barry, heading out as everyone comes in. “so we’re dealing with an evil speedster, and a homocidal reality warper. just not my day.” “At least you can sleep on it, Gems get their energy from our gemstones.” “I’m more worried about the other travelers.” “Sigh.............How was last nights scouting run?” I ask. “A close call. Apparently Infinite gave the Cybermen permission to build armaments. One wrong move and you’re a dead man,” says the Architect. “Have you even considered drones? Because I can hook you up,” says Cisco. “We have, smart guy. It’s how the Architect and I found out about Infinite in the first place.” “But now, they’ve set up aerial sensors on every inch of that quarry. Now, the moment it enters the area, an alarm goes off for every weapons-grade Cyberman in there!” “And said Cybermen run as fast as a speedster. The kicker is they constantly upgrade themselves, so they get faster as you’re running.” “Hmm............maybe we could hook you up with something. There’s two ways for a speedster to artificially get faster.” “Velocity 9, and Tachyon enhancement, I know. Tachyons might not work well with my DT. Besides, I have to figure out how to handle someone who can control reality, without dying.” “How about we help you with that? He’s augmenting himself, we might be able to figure it out,” says Caitlin. “Sigh...............okay, fine. One second.” I zoom off through a breach, returning two seconds later with a suitcase. “Equipment, from the True Lab, and the room on the Doctor’s TARDIS.” “How did you get in without him seeing you?” “I was moving so fast that everything was standing still. He wouldn’t have seen me anyway, he’s in the Byzantium.” “Let’s get started then,” says Cisco. He gets up, and follows me and Caitlin down the hallway. “I’ll see if I can help out. Sans, you and Obsidian see you can find a hole in the sensor grid.” they then follow us. We walk into one of the storage rooms. It’s mostly empty, save for some boxes and light fixtures. “One second.” I place the suitcase on the ground, and slide it forward. I then wave my hand over the surrounding air, glitching the space out and teleporting the contents out. “That’s a new trick,” says Caitlin. In front of us are several tables, each holding different types of equipment on them, including computers and scanners. “Learned it while I was traveling the worlds. Think of it as........I used my magic, like Ray does with the A.T.O.M. Suit.” I duck under the table, and switch on the power. One table folds out to create a holographic display. “Let me guess. Holodesk, for creating manipulatable projections?” We all turn to see the Architect. “Thought I could give you a hand.” “Well then.............the computers contain all the info needed, including what we know about Infinite..........which isn’t as much as I would like.” “Well let’s start with what we know. How does he get his power?” Asks Caitlin, walking up to the holodesk. “Normally, we don’t know. As the Mobian? With this.” I walk up to a computer, and pull up the Ruby on the Holodesk. “The Phantom Ruby. On his own he’s tough to fight. But that sucker amplifies his strength and abilities........unimaginably.” Cisco snaps. “That’s how I heard that name! He takes the form of Infinite the Jackal, from Sonic Forces!” I facepalm. “Great. He kicked my butt as a character from a video game. Fitting.” “Thing is, in Sonic Forces, his ‘essokinesis’ is the result of creating a virtual reality, by feeding false info into the targets brain. Like a dream so real, your sleeping self bruises if you get hurt.” “His natural power must be able to amplify the Rubies illusions...........to control the real thing,” says Caitlin, touching the projection, causing it to bring up different files on it. “Just touch one of the files to open it up, it was designed for hands-on users.” “What I’m curious about, is why you didn’t just use your own essokinesis to take the son of a........sorry, the guy out.” “I locked away that power, remember? Sigh..........a lot of good that’s done me.” I look down at my wrists. “Then I decided to make another one to dampen my power usage, as a precaution.” Cisco turns to me. “Wait, did you just say ‘dampen’?” I tilt my head. “Yes, why?” “Give it to me, I need to see something.” “Why?” “Yes! Cisco, brilliant!” He runs up to me, and disengages the ring. “Hey!” But he doesn’t hear me, and runs off towards a scanner, then turns it on. “Come on...........” The projection of the Ruby is then replaced with one of the ring, with several files and statistics hovering near it. “You made a mistake in creating this ring.” “In the Sonic franchise, Inhibitor Rings regulate the users power usage, not dampen.” “This whole time, you’ve been weakening yourself...........” says Caitlin. “But using the same amount of power each time.” I facepalm. “I created that ring before I went after Frisk............and even then, I had originally built the function into the first essokinesis blocker!” I punch a nearby wall in anger. “Well........maybe we can fix it. Until then, you’ll be using your original power level.......albeit without reality controlling.” “In the meantime, you can go check up on everything.” “Sigh............okay, fine.” I head out the room as they start talking. I put my hands in my pocket, and walk towards the breach room when I hear something over that way. I snap, conjuring up the cloak, and zoom towards the room. I hide behind the frame of the door, and listen in. “So.........Savitar,” a man says. “Yeah,” says Barry. “Apparently, you’ve grown powerful enough to challenge him.” “Who is he?” “Don’t know, never seen him. You’re the first speedster I know of who has. But every story I ever heard about Savitar is basically the same. Savitar was the first man ever granted speed. And over time, he became the god of motion, the fastest of us all.” “A friend told me the same thing.” “But did you hear this? Before Savitar graces an Earth with his presence.......he sends a predecessor, to prepare for his arrival.” “Alchemy.” They both turn their heads as I walk in. I spot the other next to Barry. “Garrick.” “Who are you?” “Uh......this, is Asriel. You can take off the cloak.” I sigh, and take it off, revealing my face to him. “What.......what are you?” “I assume you didn’t tell him about me, when he pulled you out of the time-rift.” “Didn’t really come up.” “Well then.........Jay, I’m a species called a Monster. You wouldn’t know who I am because of your Earths differences, but i’m a character from a computer game.” “How is that possible?” “Just as there are other Earths, their are also other multiverses. Think of it as............Infinite Apple trees, in a massive orchard.” “How are you here then? Did you break the dimensional barrier?” My hand alights with flames.“Okay. One, don’t ever think I would do that. I’m the Traveler, I protect the fabric of space-time. Two, you can blame that on Barry making Flashpoint. Exact moment he did that, an enemy of mine made unstable breaches...........destabilized everything.” “Still, What’s he preparing for?” Asks Barry. “A battle, with you.” “Why me?” “You’re threatening his power.” “How do you know all this?” I ask, skeptical. “Speed Force myths, legends, rumors.” They sit down next to Barry. “If Savitar’s come for you once, he’ll be back.” “Then I’ll be ready.” “We’ll be ready.” “I’m not messing with that, especially since it’s so risky.” “You really can’t do it? It’s just removing the gene...........” “yeah, and damaging your DNA in the process!” “What’s going on?” I ask as I walk in. The Architect turns to me. “We were talking about her cryokinesis, and how it’s genetic. Then out of nowhere, she suggests using this tech to remove it!” “I didn’t ask for this, just as you didn’t ask, for so many to die in your name!” He quickly turns to her. “Don’t. Even. Start. You just want this gone because you’re afraid. I got rid of that name, because millions had died because of me!” “Okay, enough!” They turn to me. “Now’s not the time to fight amongst ourselves. It’s Christmas! Not to mention Barry just came back from Earth-3.” “Jay’s here?” I nod. “Barry asked for his help with Savitar, and hopefully, he can assist with Infinite.” I rub my face in anger. “Groan! great, now I need something cinnamon to calm me down................maybe a hot-chocolate with cinnamon in it.” I then walk out, the two looking at each other in remorse. Barry’s sitting in a chair, surrounded by books. “I’ve read every Hindu textbook there is on mythology and spirits and demigods and nothing. No mention of Savitar, not once.” “In my experience, the answers usually tend to come in time,” says Jay. “Yeah, I can’t just sit back and wait for Savitar or Alchemy to attack.” “You can’t worry about what may or may not lie ahead. Besides.........” He walks up to Barry. “It’s Christmas. A time to be with the ones you care about.” “You know, it’s just, Savitar’s still out there.” “Yeah, but not right now.” “Jay’s right.” They both look over at the hallway and spot me, sipping on some hot chocolate. “It’s Christmas. A time for family, friends............those you care about.” Barry tilts his head in confusion. “I thought that..........” “I might not be able to care for anyone, but I do have a feeling of home, while in Equestria. Besides, even I know how much it means to everyone to at least be there. Before I left to see the worlds, I promised Frisk I would be home for Christmas, and I was.” “I don’t exactly follow what you mean by, ‘you can’t care for anyone’,” says Jay. “He............his world has what is known as ‘SOULs’, the culmination of ones being. Without one, you can’t feel love, compassion, caring, kindness..............it’s considered a fate worse than death.” “The two timelines are unsynced. Two days here, was four months back home...........in that time, I was stabbed in the back, brought back without a SOUL, and met what might be my worst enemy.” “How do you mean, brought back? Were you resurrected somehow?” “..............Not exactly. Our world has different laws, some of which transfer over with us. One of which, is the power to change fate. The resolve to continue. The will to live.................Determination. In high amounts, you can SAVE and LOAD back before death. Only my sister has that power though, so I RESET by using.............unorthodox methods. Now, all that’s keeping me stable is the exact will to live, that put me in this mess.” I put a hand on my face. “We’re getting off track. Look, Jay’s right, Savitar and Infinite aren’t out there yet.” “And your beautiful girlfriend is. Get your head out of the books, and back into your life with your loved ones while you have them.” I walk through the hallway, then start to feel dizzy, and my head starts hurting. I grip the wall, and my head as the pain gets worse. I start to see different things. Garnet searching for Sans. I start to lose my grip on the wall, and slip. Celestia yells at my sister about something. I slip down to the ground, the pain getting worse. Lightmare opens her eyes, one a blue slit, one pure green. “Asriel!” I look to my right and see her running up to me. “What’s wrong?” “Get me............to the beds............” She shakily nods, and lifts me onto her shoulders. She walks down the hallway, enters the room, and puts me on a bed. “I need.........the ring...........” “What do you mean?.......” “Just.....get the Architect, and tell him to bring the ring to me.......” She runs off as I turn, and grip my head harder, and see more visions. Infinite and Klonoa are walking through a jungle. I grab the bed to steady myself. Infinite stabs a changeling through the chest with a black sword. “I have the ring!” She runs in, and snaps it on my wrist. Slowly, the dizziness subsides, and I lay on the bed in exhaustion. “Groan! Last time I’m taking that off until I figure out a way to get rid of that!” “What happened?” “Sigh..........It seems that my body has gotten accustomed to the dampening ring. When I took it off so Cisco, Caitlin and the Architect could look at it...............my powers went out of control. That pain was the result of my mind being flooded with visions of the future.” “Hmm.” She looks at the entrance, then at the wall. “So..........I have a question. In the Cortex, you mentioned things called tachyons, and something called Velocity-9. What are they?” I put my hand on my eyes. “Sigh...........Well, tachyons are these theoretical particles, that............can move faster than light. With the right device, they can safely enhance a speedsters speed, or.........give a former speedster their power back.” “Like Thawne?” I look at her. “..............I asked Barry, when I heard you mention him at the victory party.” “Yes...............The time jump from 2024, to that night in the past, depleted his powers. Hence why he took the identity of Wells, and caused the explosion..............to create the Flash. Eventually he manipulated everyone so he could steal a tachyon prototype, from Mercury Labs. That, combined with a power source in his wheelchair................gave him his speed back. If only temporarily.” “Well.......what about Velocity-9?” “That...........is one in a series of speed drugs, created by Harry to enhance someone’s speed. Unlike the tachyons, it can give a normal human temporary speed.” “Why is it so bad? It sounds useful.” “It has..........bad side effects. The most dangerous being cellular degeneration.” Her eyes shrink. “Yep. Eventually you’d just die, or even burn away from running. The only cure is to take the speed force from a healthy speedster, and put it in yourself. The most surprising side effect though..............is that when you run fast enough with it, it turns a speedsters lightning blue.” “That...........That’s Zoom, right? Rainbow...........she told me about him.” I nod. “1 through 5 were created by Zoom, better known as Hunter Zolomon, to enhance his own speed. Was even able to break the dimensional barrier..............then he discovered the side effect. He tried everything, even manipulating the rules of the Speed Force.” “That’s.........that’s bad, right?” “The Speed Force isn’t simply an energy that gives a speedster power. It’s a sentient being, that doesn’t like the rules being broken. When you break the rules, it sends its enforcers after you, and kills you. And that’s how they defeated Zoom. Barry brought them by making a time remnant, a..............temporal clone created, when you run back moments before you leave, and they went after Hunter instead.” She holds her head, and sits down on the bed. “When did everything get so hectic? The Author.......Jack, created your AU to give you that second chance. I was preparing to watch the dragon migration when I was Displaced to your world, for Faust’s sake!” I look at her quickly. “When you first came to my world that night, you said you knew Gaster from when Twilight Rage-Shifted.” “Yeah.........well, I like to keep a journal. I sometimes have trouble remembering small details, so I write them down so I don’t forget.” I look up at the ceiling. “So............that’s Jack’s play.” “What?........” “You were brought to my world, a couple weeks before the wedding..............Jack’s planned everything!” I stand up as she looks at me confused. “What are you talking about?” “I’m...........I’m done keeping his secrets.” I snap, creating a glitching screen and microphone. On the screen, is Equestria. “What are you?........” I grab the microphone. “To all ponies, Monsters, and other species of Equestria. This is Asriel Dreemurr, son of the Dreemurr monster bloodline, alive and speaking to you all. I kept my resurrection a secret until now, because I wanted to keep the peace that both races finally had. That’s then. Now...........I have some things to say. Both about who I thought was a friend, and your beloved Princess, Celestia.” She widens her eyes. “You’re not..........” “300 years after the Queens death, Celestia cast a spell that’s focal point was ancient magic, that resides in every pony. Their Cutie Mark. The spell gave her the power to quench every rebellion before it even started. It was what I destroyed the day I died. It allowed her to influence, and control those who had them. If you don’t believe me, ask the Queen. She supports my view on Celestia’s treachery. Now, under a mountain near the Everfree Forest lies something Celestia, and a man named the Author knew about for a long time. The Underground. The prison in which Monsters were originally sealed in, still remains to this day. I kept this secret from you all, and my family because.................I used to trust the Author. Now, I’m going to hit the final nail in the coffin for you all. Those who live in a town called Ponyville, will know a small filly named Sweetie Belle.........” “He’s going to ruin everything!” “He doesn’t know about you. However, I’m more worried about how far he’s taking this!” “And you still want him coming back!?” “You knew the consequences to that magic my daughter, and you did it anyway! Now, you’re going to have to pay the price for it, and keeping the Underground secret.” “He’s taking initiative.” “It is too late. The deed has been done. Now then.........I believe we both have something to attend to.” She looks shocked behind me, and a single tear drops from her left eye. “Sweetie Belle................I’m sorry I never told you, or your friends that I was still alive. I was just trying to protect my family. That was no excuse for not telling you all this sooner, which is why I’m making for it now. Sigh..............Remember the day you met Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom? And how you woke up, finding yourself in our house? Well................there’s a reason for that. Before then, there was an accident. You..........you weren’t gonna survive, but..........the Author had Alphys, and Gaster do something. You were roboticized. For those who don’t know, roboticizing is a process where an organic being is turned into a mechanical one................you were converted, Sweetie Belle. You never noticed because your design is incredibly realistic, and.....................you never got into serious trouble. Sure, you’re much more durable, but now it can be risky. Equestria doesn’t have the technology needed to repair any broken parts................Now, if you’re damaged too badly, you could be lost.........forever. I truly am sorry................Sweetie Bot.” I disengage the screen as Lightmare hugs me, crying her heart out. I hear Barry Zoom by the room, and speed off after him, still holding Lightmare. Eventually I catch up to him, stopping in the Cortex. It’s him, Cisco, Joe, and Jay. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Julian lied when I asked him about the Philosopher’s Stone. I think he found it back on that archeological dig.” “You think he’s working with Doctor Alchemy?” Asks Cisco. Barry shrugs as I spot Joe’s holding a cellphone. “He’s not answering my calls.” Wally and H.R. walk in. “Hey, everyone. Gang’s all here, what’s going on?” Asks H.R. “I think that Julian is connected to Doctor Alchemy.” A ping goes off on the computer, and I walk over as Lightmare sits down. “Jay, we got a hit. There’s energy coming from the top of the Schults building.” “That’s the stone.” Jay turns to Barry and I. “Are you ready?” “Ready.” I snap, conjuring the cloak around me. “All right, ready.” “I’m coming, too,” says Wally. “No your not. No,” says Joe. “I’m just gonna get a head start, not getting into this,” I state before running off. I stop near a circular building, and hide as I spot Alchemy and some followers charging the top with energy. “With energy from this stone, and this building as a refractor, I shall restore the powers of all the metas from Flashpoint. They will become the servants of Savitar!” Jay and Barry catch up, and I walk over to them. “It’s over Alchemy!” Shouts Barry. Then I hear the sound, and my eyes shrink. We all turn to see a red glitching breach in the sky. As someone slowly steps out, a flash of white lightning stops in front of us. Savitar. “Please tell me you’re seeing him,” says Barry. Savitar growls as the breach closes, after the figure emerges. Infinite. “We see him..........although, I’d be more worried about who’s next to him.” “You mean.............” I shakily nod. “That, is Infinite. And if he’s here, with Savitar, that’s means...........” “That’s right, Asriel Dreemurr.” They float down next to Savitar. “We...........” “Are working together........... “To destroy you both!” “We have to take them together,” says Barry. “No!” “We’ll cover Savitar and Infinite, you just get that stone!” Jay runs towards Savitar, while I jump and grab Infinite. I manage to spot Savitar grabbing Jay and running off, before Infinite opens a breach behind us and backs us in. We emerge high in the air, and he headbutts me, making me let go and fall for several seconds before recovering. I look up and put my hands forward as Infinite rockets down towards me. “Hmm.................I sense Determination inside you, yet not a single SOUL. Perhaps you became more like a certain flower.” My left eye ignites, and he shoots to my right, surrounded in a rainbow aura. “Don’t talk about that in front of me!” I summon a Chaos Buster on my shoulders, and blast him straight on with a rainbow beam. “Infinity Barrier.” A red shield appears in front of him, blocking the shot. “I thought you would’ve realized by now. If you think you can take me.................y o u s h o u l d g o a n d f o r g e t i t !” His left hand ignites in a black flame, and his eye glows. He then moves his hand across in the air. The flames seemed to shape a black blade out of nothing. He grabs it by the hilt, and slashes the air in front of me, sending a black energy wave straight in my face, and knocking me back several feet. I hear a beeping in his mask as my vision starts to go blurry. “You’re lucky Savitar just lost. I’ll be back!” He then disappears in another breach. I grip my head as my vision starts blacking out. “Sonic............Sonic Breach...........” I fall right into a portal, and land in the middle of the Cortex. “Asriel!” Shouts Lightmare. ”You know, I don’t care about destroying this world anymore! After I defeat you and gain total control of the timeline..........I just wanna RESET everything! All your progress.........everyone’s memories........I’ll bring it all back to ZERO! Then, we can do everything all over again!” I blast Frisk into a wall, and a changeling with green eyes gets in the way. “And the best part.............YOU’LL do it!” I wave my hand, sending the changeling to the left. “Because you want a happy ending...........because you, ‘love your friends’! HAHA! Because you never, give, up!” I summon several blades, two in my hands. “C’mon! Let’s see what good your Determination is against this!” I open my eyes, and find myself laying in a stretcher. I turn my head to the left, and spot Riolu and Lightmare. “Okay................what damage did he do?” They look up at me, and smile. “Oh thank Faust you’re alright!” She looks down. “What.........What exactly happened?” I grip my head. “Groan!.................once again, things are just getting worse. Infinite is working with Savitar.” “What!? How........” “I don’t know. I haven’t felt that scared and confused since I discovered I could RESET.” “Well, you weren’t the only one who got hurt.” They both get up, and sit on the stretcher. “Savitar badly injured Jay. He described it like.........him being frozen, while teleporting between places.” “Yeah.........fighting Infinite was no picnic either. Not only can he open his own breaches, but...........his hand, it...........it ignited in this black flame. Created a sword with it.” “That..........That sounds like HATE.” I perk up. “Not a bad theory.” Then I remember, and my eyes shrink. “God I can be such an idiot.” “What?” “When........When I was having those visions. One of them was him using that exact same blade, to stab a changeling in the chest.” “You’re..........You’re seeing the immediate future, aren’t you?” “I think so.” I turn and see Jay in the other room. “What happened to Savitar?” “After Barry put the Philosopher’s Stone in this weird box, he just..........vanished. I saw Cisco try all sorts of methods of scanning it, and he got literally, nothing. It’s like the box doesn’t even exist.” I put a hand on my face. “From what you described, Savitar can only be corporeal when the Stone is uncontained.” I turn to her. “If Barry put the stone in said box, he must’ve defeated Alchemy. Who is he?” “That’s the weird part. It’s...............It’s Julian.” “C’mon, you need to rest!” She shouts as I struggle to get out. “I’m not gonna just sit this one out!” I conjure a cane out of HATE, and carefully walk out into the Cortex, where Cisco and Caitlin are watching screens. “Tell me about the box.” They look up. “Asriel! Sorry, we didn’t know you were awake,” says Caitlin. I struggle over to next to Cisco, and spot something. It’s a sandstone, two lidded box. “So this is the box Lightmare told me about. She told me what you got, but................I need some confirmation.” He turns to me. “It is literally nothing. I’ve run it through every possible test I can think of........MRI, x-ray, mass spectrometer, the photon shifter. Not a single reading. Nothing. It’s like the box doesn’t even exist.” I grab it, and get knocked back into the wall by red waves of energy. They all rush to me. “I’m fine, I’m fine!” I grip my side. “Urgh! I recognize that energy anywhere. Infinite must’ve put some kind of...........protection ward on it, so I can’t touch it!” “This guy really hates you, doesn’t he?” “Considering he’s one of the only people thats knocked me unconscious, and almost killed me once, yes! He’s determined to make me, and anyone close to me suffer. He’s even ERASEd entire universes, just to get the other Travelers attention.” I look over at the screens, and see Barry talking to Julian, who’s in a metahuman cage. “I don’t doubt what Lightmare told me, but..............something just doesn’t sit right with me about Julian being Alchemy.” “He was wearing the mask,” says Caitlin. “It just.......feels, like there’s more to this than we know.” Barry walks in from the other room, and spots me. “Glad to see you’re okay.” “Gonna take a bit more than a homicidal reality warper to kill me.” He looks at Cisco. “What do you think about what Julian was saying?” “I know that every bad guy we’ve ever had has pretended to be our best friend, while really being an evil, murderous bast.......” I look at them in distaste. “.........Bugger, but...........I think if he’s lying, he sure believes the hell out of his own lie.” I look at Barry. “I get that you found him under that mask, but.............Something doesn’t sit right with me about this.” “I don’t get it. He was there, wearing the mask, he was, Alchemy. Yet when I questioned him, he acted like it never happened.” “Hmm................I’m gonna go talk to him.” I snap, conjuring up the cloak, and slowly walk towards the Pipeline. I walk into the room, and find that the doors closed. I look around until I spot a screen, and press a button, opening the door. Behind it is Julian, in a cell. “Back so soon, Flash? I thought you would’ve kept me........” He turns and spots me. “Al-Alyserx? What.............What are you doing here?” “The Flash’s team, told me what happened tonight. I wanted to find out about your side of things. What’s the last thing you remember.............before you woke up in this, cell?” “And why should I trust you?” “Because, I think I know what’s going on. I want to help............something just doesn’t just sit right with me about this. Now...............Please. What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here?” He looks down in thought. “Well............Allen came into my office to ask about a paper I wrote, he left after I answered.................then I woke up here, like from a dream.” I contemplate this when Barry comes in, wearing the cowl. “Have you been losing time? Blacking out? Hours passing, waking up somewhere different? Not being sure of how you got there.” “No.” ‘No?!’ “No?” “No! I’ve had enough of these baseless accusations and ridiculous theories of yours.” “Julian, I’m trying to help you! But you need to trust me.” “Says the man in a mask.” Barry thinks about this, then relents. “No, you’re right.” He then takes off the mask, revealing himself to Julian. Julian laughs. “I should’ve known. I should’ve guessed it. Ah! The unexplained absences, your passion for metas. Your general thumbing your nose at authority. I’m sure you had a good laugh behind my back.” “I actually wish I could’ve told you before.” They look confused. “So why tell me now?” “Because I need you to trust me, Julian. You are Alchemy. I just don’t think you’re aware of it. Now, have you been blacking out?” He relents. “Yes.” “When did it start?” “My sister, Emma, died when I was 20. And it really broke the family up, you know? Mom and Dad weren’t speaking, they wouldn’t even stay at the house. One night, I was there alone, and she came back to me. She stood right in front of me, clear as day............a ghost or a vision, I don’t know, but.........she was real.” “What happened?” “She told me about the stone. She told me where to find it, she told me that if I got it, then it would bring us back together again. And at that point, mate, I would’ve done anything to have her back. I mounted an expedition to India. Days we searched, weeks. Nothing. And then we found it............And the next thing I remember, I woke up in the hotel room. I........didn’t remember anything, and that’s when the blackouts started happening. There was a news report saying that every other member of my team had been found.........dead at the site. I panicked, I thought they were gonna blame me for their deaths, so I ran. I ran to America.” “What happens whenever you black out, Julian? How does it start?” He looks to his right. “I hear the voice. Saying my name.” He looks back at Barry. “So you’re telling me that........that every time I’m blacking out.........” “You’ve become Alchemy.” “That’s impossible. Alchemy is a monster, he’s been terrorizing people for years.” “Look, it’s not you. Just like it wasn’t you back on that dig. I know that this is hard to believe, but you have to start accepting what’s happening to you.” I facepalm. “So that’s how the stone works. It acts as a conduit between the holder, and.............oh man.” “What?” Asks Barry. I grab the screen, and turn on the microphone. “Get Cisco away from the stone!” Right as I finish speaking an alarm goes off. “What’s that?” Barry walks over. “Guys, what’s going on?” “Cisco’s workshop. Barry, Asriel, he opened the box!” Then the sound goes off, and I back up and trip in fear, causing my hood to come off. “Asriel......” “Just-Just go! I’ll keep him off as long as I can!” Barry speeds off, and I put a Barrier in front of me right as a certain Mobian flies in. “And Savitar didn’t think that trick would work!” A beam of red energy shoots out of his hand, knocking the Barrier closer to me. “He said that Cisco would just think it’s his mind, or leave the room!” “What, did you do!?” He blasts it again, causing it to crack. My eyes shrink. “I didn’t do anything. Savitar uses the stone to manipulate victims, like the Speed Force shows itself. Just as he tricked Julian with his dead sister, he tricked Cisco with his beloved dead brother!” He punches it, and it cracks again. I back up closer to the cell, and Julian backs up to the wall of it. “And the best part? I just had to give him the idea!” “Why? Why do you hate me so much?” “You took, everything from me!” He raises his fist to punch it again, but his arm gets grabbed by a rainbow chain. “No! There’s no way it’s been that long!” Every part of his body gets chained up, and he starts to get pulled into a rainbow breach. “No! Stop! Just let me wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!!!!!” He gets pulled in, and the breach closes. I grab the floor, and my chest as the Barrier breaks. “Th-That..........Tha-a-at was t-too cl-close.” “True mate.” He looks at me. “Who was that?” “Th-That...........was........Infinite. Destroyer of worlds...............and quite possibly, the only thing that scares me these days.” I lean against the wall, and grip my right leg in pain. “What’s wrong?” “’What’s wrong’, is that literally an hour ago that guy kicked my butt! Urgh!” “Look..........clearly, you need help. If you let me out, I can take a look.” I look between him, and the hallway. “Sigh...........fine.” I reach up and tap the screen, opening the cell door. He walks over, and kneels near me. “Just how are we gonna get this.........” “Don’t worry.......I got it.” I take a glove off, and make my hand glitch into claws, then cut a section on the pants. “How........How did you do that?” “Basic structural transmutation. Being a glitch has its uses, one of them being able to change my body on the subatomic level..........takes a lot of energy though.” He inspects it, spotting some bruising. “My next question is how the hell were you able to walk on this.” “What?” “Look at the bruises. That’s caused by internal damage, and........” He lightly presses on it, and I seize up. “There’s some signs of swelling, which could point to trauma to the bone.” I facepalm. “I must’ve cracked the bone when I fell through the breach..............I was only able to walk this long because of the cane, and the cellular regeneration.” “Still, could’ve been worse.” He looks up at me. “How do you have these powers? Are you..........” “No........I’m not a metahuman. I lied to keep my identity secret.............considering you didn’t know Barry was the Flash, I wasn’t sure if I could tell you who I am. Still, not sure if I should.” “C’mon. I can keep a secret.” “You’d probably think it isn’t true.” “Try me.” I look at the hallway again, and take a breath. “Sigh...........You know of the multiverse theory?” “That for every decision we make, there’s a world where we chose differently.” “Well........” I straighten up. “What if I told you, that not only is that theory true, that there is also something called the Omniverse?” “I.....I don’t exactly follow.” “Sigh..........think of this universe as an apple. The skin is the walls, the inside is all the stars, planets, and galaxies within it, including the Earth. The seeds, are alternate dimensions, laying up against our world, but only visible or traversal through special means. The Multiverse on the other hand, is an infinite tree, filled with different universes, all branching from the original timeline. The Core timeline, if you will.” “So, the Omniverse I suspect............is an orchard?” “Not bad. Think of it this way. Out there, there is probably at least one tree, where a tv show, video game, book, movie, or even just legend..........is utterly, and completely real. I come from one of those worlds.” “Which one exactly, do you come from?” “The game where you don’t have to fight anyone. A story of men..........and Monsters. Undertale.” “I.........I’ve heard mention of it. What’s your name then, if not Alyserx?” “Heh! That was meant to be an anagram of my name. I’m............Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr. Prince of Monsterkind.” Lightmare comes in. “Oh thank goodness! Everyone save Barry, Wally and Obsidian saw it all on the cameras.” “Little too close, miss.......” “Lightmare. I’m a different world than his, but we met each other and...........we’re dating.” “Well...........it’s nice to meet you. Like I said, it was very close for comfort.” “A second later and I would be dead. Both of us would.” “Well..........At least you chained him up.” I tilt my head. “I didn’t. The chains were coming from..........some weird breach.” She looks confused. “We all thought that was you.” “Sigh.........Just, help me into the bedroom, I have something there.” She picks me up, when I spot something on the floor. “What’s that?” They both look, and Julian picks it up. “It appears to be some kind of stone, gem............” “A ruby.” I grab it. Same colors, same diamond shape. Same energy. “It must’ve fallen off him when he got pulled through the breach!” “But what exactly is it?” I hand it back to him. “Just..........When Barry comes back, tell him to give that to Caitlin.” I grip my side as my right arm glitches. “I don’t have time.” In Julians hands, as Lightmare helps me walk away, could help me end this. The source, of Infinite’s essokinesis. A jewel, that only exists in one timeline. The Phantom Ruby. She sets me down on the bed, and I reach under and pull out a syringe. “Determination?” I stick it I need my neck, and slowly press down the plunger. “I would’ve needed to take it soon anyway. I take it twice a day, remember?” My leg melts, then solidifies without the bruising. ”What I wonder, is why I haven’t pulled that trick off again with how much of this stuff I inject.” “............Oh, you mean the form you took when you refused your death, fighting Infinite the first time.” “Yes, that’s it. Maybe.............it’s because I haven’t refused my death since then. I died because there was no extra in my system to do it.” “It would make sense, you only ever use that stuff to stabilize yourself. Only RESET once.” “Sigh.............How?” I look up at her. “How are you so fearless? You fought against a demon for goodness sake, without flinching.” She blushes and puts her hands behind her. “I’ve.........I’ve always been with friends, or people by my side. My policy is that the ones I protect, are my inspiration. And when I’m alone? Well................I believe there’s always a way to turn things around. My wish is to give everyone the chance to be happy...............including those who think they don’t deserve it.” “Hmm...............The similarities between worlds still fascinate me. I want to protect my family’s happy ending, Shadow made a promise to Maria to give everyone on Earth the chance to be happy...............and that’s what Sora fights for.” “Riolu told me all the Travelers desire that. I guess................that’s something that links us all together, even you and me.” “Yeah.” I look down, then my eyes shrink in realization. “That’s how he does it.” “What? Who?” “Infinite, that’s how he took control of the others, come on!” I stand up, grab onto her arm, and speed down the halls. “So what am I doing here?” “Okay, Julian, today when Asriel and I were fighting Savitar, it.........he and Alchemy, they had the same voice,” says Barry. “All right, what does that mean?” “I don’t think there is an Alchemy, I think it’s Savitar speaking through you.” “Savitar clearly possesses someone who rallies worshippers. But he’s like a poltergeist, he needs a medium to manifest himself. You,” says Cisco as I speed in, finding the whole group here. “Guys, I think I figured out how Infinite took control of the other Travelers!” Everyone save Julian turns to me. “How’d he do it?” Asks Obsidian. “Okay..........All the Travelers have one thing in common: The will, and wish to fight so everyone has the chance to be happy. What if, he didn’t overwrite, or change anything about their SOULs, but he changed that desire?” “Isn’t that basically the same thing?” Asks Iris. “No, because if it was my SOUL, I wouldn’t have that wish anymore. I believe everyone save Betty, and Julian knows about Discord?” “Considering how much of a headache they gave me, can’t forget,” says Cisco. “Okay, quick question. What does this have to do with Infinite?” Asks Julian. “I’m getting there. All versions of that guy have the abilities to flip.........” I flip my hand to make a point. “Personalities, or at least part of them, around. I believe Infinite, can do the exact same thing!” “So you’re saying that this guy just changed their ideals?” Asks Joe. “it kinda makes sense. i mean, discord was able to change frisk back into the demon i fought,” says Sans. “I believe we’re getting off track.” “Yes, thanks Architect for that timely intervention!” Shouts Cisco. “Anyway.......” Caitlin turns to Julian. “We think we figured out a way to sync your brain to the stone. And it’ll allow us to speak directly to Savitar.” “I thought.......” “If you want to try to be free of this, you need to trust us,” says Barry. “Heh! I’ve never liked you, Allen.” “Yeah.” “Having a little séance with your friends now is not gonna help change that fact. You do know that.” We all look at him. “Fine, I’ll try it.” “I think while we’re on the topic, we should bring something to light.” “We were able to catch a weapons-grade Cyberman,” says Obsidian. “Shut the hell up!” I shout. Sans snaps, teleporting a chair holding a deactivated Cyberman, and spray bottles next to Julians seat. “Okay, how in the world did you do this?!” “with a lot of difficulty. me and obsidian had to hold it in place while the architect here, disabled its neural cortex. he hooked it up to the rock julian gave us, should act a shield a channel to infinite.” “If this goes well, we might finally get some info from both Savitar, and Infinite.” “And we can get some data on their tech, and we have the Windex on standby,” says the Architect. “My planning is that obvious, isn’t it?” They all nod save Julian. “Okay, fine. Now, let’s see if we can get some answers.” The Architect and Cisco hook up Julian an early the Cyberman to the respective stones. “Deep breaths, Okay?” Asks Cisco. “Yeah.” “You’re gonna count backwards from ten.” “Sigh. Te.......” he’s out like a light. “That was quick,” I quip. “Okay, so, um, how long till this works?” Asks Joe. “Not really sure, it may take a minute for his brain waves.......” both of them scream, and I cover my ears for one second before lowering them as I spot the Cyberman is looking straight at me, and the eye-socket she are glowing blood red. Julian is looking at Barry. “Hello Barry.” “Asriel.” “It’s been awhile.” “Savitar?” “Infinite?” “None of you are on your knees. Is a smart move to bow before a deity.” “You’re not God,” says Barry. “To be a god Barry Allen, you just have make people believe you are.” “No one believes in you two,” says Iris. “You should, Iris.” “We hold the power of life and death over all of you.” “How do you know so much about us?” Asks Caitlin. “We know you Caitlin. Joe, Cisco, Wally. The fake Wells.” “Sans, Obsidian, Riolu, Lightmare, Lupé, Architect. The fake Beté Noire.” “We know your fears and we know your weaknesses.” “We know you better than you know yourselves.” “We know your destinies.” I tilt my head. “Two shall betray you.” “Two shall fall.” “Two will suffer a fate, far worse than death.” “This is the knowledge we have for you. About your everlasting damnation.” “Who are you?” Asks Barry. “I am the future, flash.” “I am the future, Asriel Dreemurr.” “What the hell do you want from us?” I ask. “Everything!” “Everything you took from us, we want it back! And we will take it back.” “Then we’ll destroy you.” “Then why haven’t you already?” I ask. “If you’re both all-powerful, why don’t you just kill us and be done with it?” “Because you can’t.” “You did this to us. You trapped me in eternity.” “You trapped me in a void.” “You’re future selves-you did this to us, Barry and Asriel! And now the age of our revenge rises.” “My freedom is at hand.” “You’ll feel our wrath.” “The wrath of Savitar and Infinite!” We both walk up and unplug the two. Julian looks up at us. “Did it work?” We’re all walking into the Cortex, and H.R. Is rambling. “That was so scary. I mean, that was.........was it not truly frightening, what the voice and the prophesies and the... oh, it was... I mean, that a scare-a-thon, wasn’t it? I’m gonna have a mint tea and a coffee and a lay down.” “Please H.R, because I need a break from your rambling!” I shout. They all look at me in shock as H.R. leaves in a hurry. “Sigh. Sorry, H.R!” “Do you think the things that they said about two of us betraying everyone and two of us dying could really be true?” Asks Caitlin. Cisco sits down at the computers. “I mean, if it really was future Barry and Asriel that pissed him off and locked him up somewhere, then maybe they know what happens to future us.” “Infinite, I’m not sure. Savitar.........” “They don’t,” says Barry. “Their never getting out of wherever their trapped.” “So how are we supposed to stop them?” Asks Joe. “The Stone and ruby,” says Jay. “Jay’s right, the stone has been the key to everything. It’s.........it’s how he controlled Julian, it’s how he’s created more metas.” “And the Ruby is the source of his enhanced power,” I state. “Stone first. We destroy the stone, and Savitar is gone for good,” says Ayo Kub. “It’s impossible to destroy. It’s been around forever, there’s a reason for that,” says Julian. “Why don’t we just bury it again, put it back in the ground where you found it?” Asks Wally. “Mm-mm. ‘Jumanji’,” says Cisco. “Someone would just find it, and we’d be right back where we started,” says Joe. “We need to make that box disappear forever. There’s only one thing we can do with it. Throw it into the Speed Force,” says Jay. “Wait, you can do that?” Asks Wally. Oh, yeah. The Speed Force is eternity itself, an endless void of time and energy.” “It’d be like trying to find it after it got lost in space,” says Barry. “Meanwhile, I might be able to throw the Phantom Ruby, into the Void. Can’t break the barrier normally, but with your help...............forget space, you’d be better off finding it in..........” “Finding it in the TARDIS,” says the Architect. “But the two are loaded with gravimetric force. I mean, I don’t think you could run fast enough to reach the Speed Force, the Void, and carry them at the same time,” says Cisco. “They can with my help.” Jay turns to the two of us. “We run as fast as we can. You two trail behind me, siphon off some of my speed, combine it with your own, and when you have enough, throw that thing deep into their destinations.” “And that would work?” I smirk. “We need to find out.” We’re about to run in the particle accelerator. A first for me. “Sure you’re up for this, Flash?” You got it, Flash. I’ll let you know when you two reach optimal speed.” We brace to run. “Ready...........go!” And we speed off into it. As we’re running I see two portals start to open. One is a hole into nothingness, one is a swirling, blue and white whirlpool. “Now, Barry! Asriel, Go!” We throw our respective packages into the different portals. As soon as they cross the event horizon, a large explosion goes off, pushing me and Barry backwards. We land in an alleyway, and slowly get up. “What happened? I grip my head. “Urgh! the sheer amount of energy to create the holes, and of said objects must’ve created some...........one way, breach.” “Yeah, but where?” We walk out of the alley towards a small park, and spot a new stadium article going. “In other legal news, the highly publicized trial of Jared Morillo, AKA ‘Plunder,’ comes to a close. Morillo was found guilty of grand theft and aggravated assault after he was caught by the Flash and the Traveler, robbing the Central City Museum earlier this year.” “Don’t! Please don’t!” We quickly turn and see me and Barry. We hide behind a tree. “Don’t do this,” the me says. “Now, finally, I am free of you!” We look to the right and see Savitar and Infinite, holding Iris and Lightmare respectively. “We both are!” “Barry, I love you!” “You too Asriel!” “No, don’t say that, alright? You’re both gonna be alright.” “We’re begging you, just........!” “Barry!” “Asriel!” “You lose, Barry/Asriel!” One of Savitar’s blades unsheathes, and Infinite’s hand starts vibrating. “No!” We both start running, but..........we’re too late. Savitar stabs Iris, and Infinite shreds Lightmare heart. My eyes shrink, and I shake as Barry stands there in shock. The two run off as our doubles grab our loves. “Hey, hey Iris..........Iris, hey.” “No, Lightmare! Please, please! “No, Iris.......Iris, Iris.” We both clutch their bodies in our arms, when we get pulled backwards, landing in the Speed Lab. I turn and see Jay and Sans. “Jay? What the hell was that? Where was I?” “Sans.......please don’t tell me......” “sorry kid. that was.......” “The future.” “I’ve never run to the future. I’ve traveled to the past, but I always came back to the present.” “And a RESET only allows for turning back time, never going forwards!” “We saw ourselves. And Iris, and Lightmare. And Savitar, and Infinite, what..............they killed them.” “That’s five months from now. Is that actually gonna happen?” “I don’t know.” “me neither.” “You don’t.............” I start to pace. “You shouldn’t have seen that. Either of you.” “This doesn’t make sense, we...........we just got rid of the Philosopher’s Stone, and Phantom Ruby. I mean, Savitar shouldn’t have even been there! Oh, my God. This is why the newspaper in the time vault changed. The byline, this is why it’s not Iris, this.............Iris didn’t write that story anymore eight years from now, because...........She’s dead.” “Barry.........” “I just watched her die! I saw myself try to save her, but I wasn’t fast enough! Jay, tell me that this isn’t my destiny.” “What you saw was one possibility of the future. What may be, or may not.” “Okay, then I can stop this from happening. I can run back there.........” “You can’t go back there! Not again, not ever.” “All right, then I’ll figure out exactly how it happened, how we wind up on that street, and I’ll just make sure that we don’t go there. And if we don’t go there........” “Barry! This is why speedsters don’t travel to the future. Nobody should know this much about their own!” “garnet taught me that just as their are infinite earths in the multiverse, there are infinite possibilities to the future. it’s always bending, always changing. every decision you make creates another alternative!” “I won’t let Iris die.” “The future isn’t written yet. And it might not even turn out to be what you saw. You need to focus on the here and now. You have to live your life.” “Oh don’t even start Jay!” I punch a nearby wall. “Why does he hate me so much!?! URGH!” I hold my head. “This is what he meant by two dying, his promise to take everything from me!” “kid..........” “Don’t you dare, Sans!” I grip my head harder as tears drip down my face, both Barry and Sans showing confusion. “thats impossible. kid, you’re.......feeling.” “Ya! I’m feeling angry! Whats the big deal!?” “Okay, considering how you’re reacting, you.......may be feeling feelings.” “here’s a good question. why do you care?” I take a second to breath. “I...........I shouldn’t be able to. SOULless beings are incapable of caring.” That’s when a single tear lands on the floor. “Even...........even after I separated myself from that stupid flower............he bites me in the tail.” Barry tilts his head. “What do you mean?” “Before............before I died, the weed...........he had a small piece of a SOUL. Somehow............somehow, that piece survived.” I drop to the ground. “It.........it’s enough to make me feel anger, and sadness for loved ones, but...........not enough to feel like myself again. That’s why Infinite will kill her. He wants me to suffer, and fall down the furthest, any monster has gone.................all for revenge.” I stand up, and walk off as I wipe my eyes with my sleeves. “Asriel?” Lightmare looks through the doorframe, and finds me sitting on the bed. “There you are. Team Flash left for the West household.” “...........What exactly, do you love about me?” “Oh. Well.............” She sits next to me. “Despite everything that’s happened.............you’re still the monster I met that night. Don’t get me wrong, not feeling anything must be a bummer, but................I can feel it. To quote something your sister said once to me, ‘despite everything, it’s still you’. Not only that, your brave, loyal to your friends and family, and throughout all the hardships we’ve faced, you strived to the right thing. Tartarus, you sacrificed yourself, so your family could have a happy ending!” “And........you’re not worried that one day............I’ll become what Flowey became?” “Do you ever worry that I’ll become what Nightmare Moon used to be? I know that as long as you have your family, and friends by your side, that’ll never happen.” I smirk in satisfaction. “If you want, you can........” A beeping goes off in my pocket. I pull out a watch, and it beeps while flashing green rapidly. “What’s that for?” “This......... is a reminder I created for myself. Get everyone save the Architect, and Lupé, they’re staying here...............it’s time for the wedding.” (To be continued...............)