“Still no mention of him in your records?”
“Only the two times he’s attacked here.” She looks up at me from her throne. “Chrysalis told me what you said.”
I rub my face in exhaustion. “I made a mistake, alright? Sigh............it’s been three weeks, and it’s still biting my tail.” I wasn’t kidding either. Frisk had told Mom what I said to Lightmare as soon as we got home. Both her and Dad were ashamed of me, Lightmare and Chrysalis wouldn’t talk to me, even Sans kept his distance save for our usual meetings in Canterlot. “I thought that..............if I distanced myself from her............Infinite would have no reason to hurt her. I regretted it the moment the first tears came..............and I have to live with it everyday. Literally.”
“Ah, yes. I had.............noticed, something different. I think I figured out the difference between dormant, and active LV. Your dormant LV is like a large unease, whenever I’m next to you.”
“And let me guess...............Active LV is fear?”
“I.......Yes. Whenever I see you, I just feel............irrational, fear. Ever since that day, it’s felt just worse.”
“Sigh. To emotionally hurt someone can be worse than physically doing it............especially when LV is involved. A couple of years of guilt, LV goes down, gain just one EXP................and it just jumps, to catch up again.” I pick up another book. “Honestly, I want to feel bad for doing it, but............I just feel numbed to it. I worry that if I kill someone again............I could sink back to what I was before.”
She snaps a book shut. “I talk from experience when I say as long as you have friends by your side.....................you’ll never lose the light.”
I chuckle at that as a Royal Guard runs in.
“News from Northern Equestria! Uh............your highnesses?” He asks, panting.
I chuckle at being called that as Celestia turns her attention to the guard. “Yes?”
They take off their helmet. “I’m simply to tell you that...........it, has returned.”
She gasps. “Get Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.”
The guard bows as I catch up and realize what they’re talking about. “Yes, your highness.”
They then run off as we look at each other.
“You tell Twilight, I tell Sans?”
“Sounds about right.”
We then both conjure up scrolls, and start writing.
“My dearest Twilight............
Dear Sans.........
You must come to Canterlot at once.
The Crystal Empire has returned, and I believe it’ll need more help than ever.
It is time for you to take a test, to judge if your ready for advanced studies.
At precisely 12:00 today, gather everyone for Portkey to the Frozen North. I will meet you there. And take Chrysalis, Frisk, and Chara with you.
With dearest regards, Princess Celestia.
See you, Asriel.”
We wrap up our individual letters, and I blow magic flames while Celestia lights hers with a spell. The following ashes fly out the window, towards Ponyville.
I look at her. “Tell Twilight and her friends I’ll be taking the train with Shining Armor and Cadence.”
“Agreed..............although, I must warn you. If he truly has returned along with the Empire, then you will be facing against the most vile of substances.”
“HATE. It forms when an entire race hates a single person, or vice versa....................no doubt the hate and fear he cast upon the empire was enough to create it.” I run off, but not before turning my head and shouting, “Thanks for the warning!”
(Two hours later, on the train..........)
“So run by me again why its so important that we protect this place?”
“The empire lives up to its name, Shining Armor.” I pull out a small blue quartz crystal with my right hand. “Picture this as the empire. Depending on the type of emotional magic fed into it, it refracts those feelings everywhere in range.” I light my left hand with rainbow flames, and put it under the crystal. The light from the flames splits inside the crystal, beaming out rainbow light. “If the empire is filled with love and light, those feelings are refracted all throughout Equestria. But if hate and fear take hold................” I close my eyes, the markings forming before opening my right eye to a black flame, and the flame in my hand turns to black smoke. The moment it hits the crystal, it spews out a black shadow over our heads, and two lights shatter from black crystals erupting from within. I wave my hand, overcharging the remaining lights to the point that the black crystals shatter and turn to dust. I turn to them.
“I...........I see why Aunt Celestia wants me and Shiny there. But why did you come?”
“We believe that if the Empire has returned, the unicorn that cursed it 1,500 years ago might return as well.............and all that hate and fear the Crystal ponies felt for him.......................That’s more than enough to create the black trait.”
“And what is this, ‘black trait?” Asks Shining Armor as we start to slow down.
“HATE. It’s a corruptive, yet powerful SOUL trait. It enhances ones natural strength tenfold, at the cost of taking control of your emotions and mind..............I’m only immune because I learned how to control it. The only way to get rid of it is to remove it using love, or to kill the host.” The train comes to a stop in front of a lone station. The moment the doors open we’re hit by a brisk cold. The two ponies shiver while I step outside, and look at them. “We must hurry. The longer the Crystal Empire remains unprotected, the more likely something’s gonna try to get in after dark.”
“What.........kind of things?” Asks Cadence.
“Let’s just say I have my suspicions. I’ll explain later, we gotta go!”
They nod, and we all run off into the snow towards the Empire.
As we got close, Cadence started to slow down. I notice this, stop in my tracks, and turn my head towards her.
“What is it?”
“I...............I can sense something.”
I close my eyes for a second as Shining Armor notices we stopped.
“Why stop, when we’re so close? The cold is probably getting to..........”
“Shh!” He stops talking in confusion. “I sense it too. Do you know about sound canceling spells?”
“I..........may have learnt one from Twilights books before joining the Guard.”
“Cast on on yourself, and Cadence. And keep it down until we get there. The wind carries our voices and sounds, so we have to quickly and quietly.”
They look around before realizing what I meant, and nod. He quickly casts the spell, and we continue onwards at a faster pace.
‘They have no idea what I sensed through Aura. If she’s here, the Crystal Empire will have to deal with more than just their old tyrannical leader....................and they’ve never faced against that kind of threat.’
Right as we see the buildings start to come within view, we all hear a dark roar in the distance which makes us shiver in fear.
“Go go go!”
I start to tap into my speed as the two ponies struggle to keep up. I look to my left for one second, and spot a large shadow coming towards us. Sombra lives. My eyes shrink as we pass over cold grass and I stop.
They turn to me as I get on my knees, and Shining Armor approaches me.
“What are you doing? We have to run!”
“If we run we’ll be in his turf, and will eventually tire out. By doing this, I buy us some time!” I put my hands into the air, and release rainbow colored energy from my hands into the blowing wind as the shadow gets closer. Right as I see their eyes, I shout “BARRIER!” And all the energy quickly snaps into place on the edge of the grass, shrouding the empire in a dome. As it finishes, a bright flash goes off, and we cover our eyes. When we uncover them, we see the magic has turned pure white.
They look at it in awe as I drop to my paws in exhaustion.
“Two.................unnatural feats...............in one day. Not too shabby.”
“Was that...........?”
“I think so.” I grab my chest as I pant harder. “I’m not doing that again for awhile...........and it only bought us time. It’ll fail............in an hour. Get.............get to the castle. Use your magic to spread love and light.”
“What about my shield spell?”
“I doubt it’ll work. That spell................is meant for invading forces. Not dark magic. My Barrier works because it’s.............nearly impossible to break. Now, go, i’ll explain everything at the throne room!” They nod, and run off as I face the dome while the ground rumbles.
‘I know what you drove Glitchtale Frisk to doing...............and yet, why are you still here?’ I pull out my locket from my cloak, and stand up. ‘I won’t let you do what you did to Glitchtale the first time.’ I’m about to put the locket back in my pocket..............but look at it again. “My past is not today. Dying doesn’t matter.........I am, and always will be..........” I put it around my neck. Exactly where it should be. “Asriel Dreemurr!” And it turn, and run off through the grass towards the empire.
As the ground below my paws turns from grass to a crystal sheen, I slide to a stop near the center, and take a look around.
“Hmm............it’s like a ghost town.” I close my eyes, reaching out through aura. “I can sense the ponies. They have a unique aura................and yet it feels dulled. Hmm...............I wanted to test something before, never had the chance..........now would be the best time.” I open my eyes, and mutter “SOUL Reveal.” a black haze surrounds me like a dome, turning everything black. Then, like lights turning on in the night, hundred seconds of different colored SOULs appear in the dark, surrounded by grey silhouettes of ponies. Above me are two shining as bright as the moon. Probably Shining Armor and Cadence. I then look more closely at the ones closest to me. The traits are so faded, their nearly grey.
“That’s what it is.................at least it’s nice to put it into terms I can understand. I gotta tell them before Shining Armor heads out!” And I run towards the nearest staircase in.
“Are you sure you can keep this up?”
“I............have to.”
I slide in. “I think I know what’s wrong with the Crystal Ponies.”
“What..........?”
“Natural population of the empire. It appears their SOULs are like Integrity.”
“Isn’t that the SOUL trait that’s easily lost?” Asks Cadence. I tilt my head. “Faust caught Celestia, Luna and I up after the wedding.”
“Sigh. Yes, Integrity is easily lost if ones self-integrity is comprised. Their SOULs are..................faded, almost completely grey. Like they’ve lost what they had before Sombra.”
Shining Armor raises their eyebrow. “And how exactly did you find that out?” His horn starts to charge.
“God you ponies are racist! I just used a spell to view all the SOULs in range!” I hold my face as flames flicker on the floor. “Groan!! And I hoped that assumptions like this stopped at flipping, Celestia. You ponies can make me so peeved.”
Cadence covers her mouth, and steam blows from Shining Armor’s muzzle.
“Watch your language you..........you.......”
“Wait wa..........” he blasts me back towards the hallway. The markings form as my hand ignites in black flames, and I walk towards him.
“Asriel!” I stop in my tracks. I turn to see the group, including Chrysalis, Frisk, and Chara.
I cover my face as I take a breath. “Question, Frisk....................Do ponies have any words that are curse words for them, but normal or weird for us?”
“Well.............yeah. Only ones I know of are peeved, and sassafras.”
“Okay............” I pull a bottle of water out of hammer space, and take a sip. “Okay, for all the ponies in the room, I’m not swearing when I say ‘peeved’. For us it just means to be annoyed, or frustrated. And Shining Armor............sweet flipping Celestia’s cake, would you please, stop assuming stuff about me!? You’re falling into the exact same habit Celestia did until she killed me!”
“Well it’s not my fault if I still have doubts about your agendas! Sigh.........I’m scouting out the arctic, just make sure Cadence keeps her spell going...........and sure up defenses.” He then walks past all of us, heading out.
“Well..............it’s nice to see you all again. Especially so soon after the wedding,” says Cadence.
“i think the pleasures all ours.” He looks over at me. “how does it look?”
“Not good. On the way here, I sensed the presence of not just Sombra. I also sensed............. the pink trait.”
His eyes go black, Frisk and Chara gape at me, and the others get uneasy.
“Isn’t that............what I have?”
“............sort of. Your one of the only good Betty’s out there. The one I sensed..............is Bëte Noire.”
“What are you talking about?” Asks Cadence.
I sigh, and sit down. “Let me tell you a story. The story..........of the two wizards.............The two siblings, both powerful wizards responsible for creating the barrier, had agreed on all during their shared ruling of the kingdom. However, their opinions on monsterkind differed. The soul of Determination wanted to destroy the barrier, while Bravery thought it was a good measure to keep the peace. Confident, Bravery challenged her brother. If he could prove to be more powerful then she, he could destroy the barrier. Bravery’s power was greater................but as the battle continued, she felt an incredible strength within her sibling. His Determination had no limits, leading him to victory. Bravery felt humiliated..........as a consequence of this she lost her trait, and with it...........her magic. She exiled herself, searching for a trait greater then Determination. And alas...............she found it. To change the essence of your SOUL.” Everyone who hadn’t heard the story before gasps. “............A dangerous and forbidden spell. However, she cared not for the laws of magic. She returned to once more challenge her brother. During their final confirmation, #$%#’s power overcame Determination. This time, instead of growing stronger............Determination lost more and more power as the battle progressed. The kingdom fell into ruin from the destruction of the battle. She came out victorious............but her soul could never adapt to the sudden change. Knowing her time was running short, She sacrificed her own soul to create the most powerful and destructive being imaginable. A creature who’s sole purpose, is to ensure that humans and monsters, would never live in peace......................” I stand up, and face Betty, who’s eyes had shrunk from complete shock. “The pink trait. A ‘Bëte Noire’, the SOUL of FEAR.”
“F-Fear? My SOUL trait is..........fear!?”
“Let me e...........” But I was too late. She ran off in tears from the news. I facepalm, and turn to Sans. “Can you please, go talk to her?”
He tilts his head in confusion. “why me?”
“You know the most about what makes her different from her counterpart.........please.”
He sighs, and walks out.
I turn to the rest. “For now, our priority is defenses. Obsidian, you and Chrysalis use your magic and gem creations to create a perimeter. Riolu, your better with Aura than me, so reach out past the shield, and find out what’s out there. Lightmare, you fly around the Empire and check out any areas of suspicion."
“Why me? Don’t you think I’m the coward between me and Nightmare Moon?”
I facepalm. “Sigh. It’s not about cowardice. Your faster than Rainbow Dash, there’s no one else suited to surveillance. Tell Sans that he will get you all in position. Riolu, you’ll have to contact them telepathically. Warn her if anything gets too close. Let’s go!”
They all nod, and run outside, leaving just me, Cadence, Frisk and Chara.
“What about us?”
“Yeah, you gave the others a job. Why not us?”
“Because I have something else in mind.” I smirk at them, causing them to get nervous. “Training, to fight beside me!”
“So let me get this straight. You had Smiley Trashbag bring us..............because you knew Sombra would gain HATE?”
I nod. I’ve taken them out to the fields near the outskirts. “Think about it. Frisk, you gained HATE from a genocide run, in which monsters felt hatred and fear towards you. That HATE spread to me and Chara, through the RESETs. Now, Sombras dark magic is fueled by those emotions, from the Crystal Ponies.”
“If that’s true, how do we beat him without the Crystal Heart?”
“Same way Bëte Noire can be fought, when they have HATE. By raising ones LV.” They gape at me. “And no, I’m not saying that you have to kill again. Remember the trick that I did at the wedding? The words I spoke?”
“Yeah..............what was that about?”
“I sorta.............unlocked my dormant LV. You see, LV is just an abstract measurement used by monsters to measure ones threat to them. Abstract, but effective. EXP is the measurement of SOUL fragments gained when one kills somebody. Normally, a few years of guilt will bring it down. But with the right intent, and incantation................”
“...............You can artificially raise it?”
“Temporarily, yes. It’s risky to do for an extended period of time, ‘cause it can lead to mental, even physical side effects. Also, it’ll only go as high as you physically can, and have done in the past.”
“But how do you actually do it? I know you didn’t just bring us out just to talk.”
“Okay then...............First, focus on the intent for using it, and keep it there. The intent is key. If the intent isn’t for a good cause, or just for power, it won’t work.” They nod to continue. “Second, speak something that rings true, declaring the intention. This acts as a binding contract that seals it away again once it’s finished. We won’t do it now, since we’re not fighting.”
“Why did you choose that phrase anyway? And how did Lightmare know about it?”
“.................I chose it because you said it.” She tilts her head in confusion. “Glitchtale you, was the first to use the trick. Bëte Noire killed that version of me....................and drove them to do it. As for why Lightmare knew, I used it once before. In the Arrowverse.”
“That AU..............doesn’t have a Frisk.”
I sigh out of exasperation. “It did...........it had one once. The process wasn’t perfected until I tried it. And it...............and it left them glitched.” Chara gapes, and Frisk shows confusion.
“How do you mean, ‘glitched’?”
“He means ‘glitching to the point of timeline erasure’ glitched!”
Frisk covers her mouth as I slowly nod.
“If they hadn’t done what they did, they would’ve died...............and the timeline would’ve been ERASED.”
“.............what did they do?”
“...................In the void, there is one more ability Determination provides you. REPLACE. Using the experiment that trapped Gaster in the Void................they replaced themselves with Chara.” She gasps as a tear goes down her face. “We are the only ones who know this. When I died, my code was disconnected from the timeline. That left me immune to not just timeline erasure................but to timeline destruction.” A single tear trails down Chara’s face as they’re looking down, snarling in anger. I sigh. “Bëte Noire drove them to raising their LV...............so REPLACEing themselves with Chara ERASED them. Permanently. Thats the fate you would suffer, if you aren’t careful with this power. The LV must never, ne-ver, touch the SOUL. If it spreads there.....................instant glitching.”
They both slowly nod in their shock. I manage to smirk in satisfaction when I perk up.
“What is it?”
I look towards the shield, and spot nine figures run inside.
“I believe we have some new arrivals.”
We run towards the group as a tenth jumps through.
Twilight and the others spot us. “Asriel?”
“Frisk?” Asks Rainbow.
“Chara-dear?”
“Hi girls.” I spot that Player, and Undyne are getting up. “What are you two doing here?”
“..............I needed to talk with the group.”
“As for me, Toriel wanted me to escort them. As soon as she found out from Player here that you wrote to Sans, and after she couldn’t find Sans, Frisk, or the little devil, she explained to me about this place.”
“Yeah.................Sorry about that. Sans told me that Azzy wrote to him about this place, and to bring us.”
Chara chuckles. “You should’ve seen her Azzy. The moment Sans told her about your letter, she started squealing like a little girl. I didn’t even have time to respond before Sans took everyone with his shortcuts!”
I lightly chuckle as Fluttershy looks at Frisk, worry on their face.
“Aren’t you worried about that...............thing, out there? And your a princess at that.”
She shrugs. “Just because I’m a princess by adoption, doesn’t mean I’m defenseless. Sure I’m a pacifist, but I know when to help out, hence why I used magic books to teach myself how to use my SOUL magic. And as long as we stay determined, I know we can win.” She gives a large grin. “Plus, how could I miss out on seeing the Crystal, Empire!?”
I look over and see Shining Armor slowly recovering. Their horn has black crystals jutting out.
I approach them, and kneel. “Not looking too hot.”
“Well................you try fighting that corrupt excuse for a unicorn......”
“..............I have.” He looks up at me in confusion. “When I first disappeared from this world, I was pulled into an alternate, Equestria. One that’s ahead of ours.”
He tries to wrap his head around it. “So.............you fought against Sombra?”
“Plus one other. Bëte Noire. A creature whose sole purpose is to ensure Monsters and whatever other dominant species, never live in peace.”
“............does Celestia, or Cadence know about this?”
“I just told Cadence. As for Celestia................my dad probably told her what I told my family.” I hold my head. “Look.....................Bëte Noire....................Betty’s doppelgänger, is stronger than everyone, even me.”
“Didn’t you Monsters tell us on day one that Determination is the will to contin.................?”
“Their SOUL can overcome Determination.” Their eyes shrink. “The pink trait. The SOUL of FEAR. They have the power to rather be overcome by it, but weaken DT as time goes on. Sigh...........................I get it. You don’t trust me. Personally, I never got the chance to do so with you. But if we fail, not only will HATE and FEAR spread across Equestria, but so will the power of the traits owners. So please. Can we try not to bicker, or distrust each other for now, and work to defeat them?”
He looks down before sighing, then giving a small nod.
We walk into the throne room, and Twilight instantly spots Cadence. They approach each other.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They both chuckle until a surge of pain runs through Cadence and I. I drop to my knee from it while she quickly recovers.
“One of these days we need to get together when the fate of Equestria isn’t hanging in the balance. Sigh.......”
“Are you okay?”
“Cadence has been able to use her magic to spread love and light. That seems to be what is protecting it,” explains Shining Armor.
“But...............She never slept on the train. Barely ate.”
“I want to help her, but my protection spell is useless, especially with these crystals.”
She breathes in deeply. “It’s alright Shining Armor, I’m fine.”
“She’s not fine................Even I can see that,” says Chara.
He nods. “She can’t go on like this forever, and if her magic were to fade.............Well, you saw what’s out there waiting for that to happen.”
“I can feel it.” They all look at me. “Think about it, Determination is all i’m running on, that and magic. That spell fails, and the one trait capable of beating Determination will flood the place.”
“That’s why we’re here,” states Twilight.
“That’s why we’re all here,” corrects Applejack, everyone nodding.
“Well, with Cadence putting all her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic..............”
“And the Travelers patrolling the Empire...........”
“We haven’t been able to gather much information from the Crystal Ponies.”
“Crystal Ponies?! Hahaha, there are Crystal Ponies?!” Exclaims Rarity. Once she realizes we’re all staring, she reasserts a serious composure. “Um, ahem. Please continue.”
“But we have to believe one of them knows how we can protect the Empire without having to use Cadance’s magic.”
“A research paper!” Exclaims Twilight.
“Huh?” Asks a confused Shining.
“That must be part of my test – to gather information from the Crystal Ponies and deliver it to you! This is gonna be great! I love research papers!”
“Yeah, who doesn’t?” Says Rainbow, sarcastically.
“Oh-oh-oh! Lemme guess! Is it Spike? Nono, Fluttershy! Rarity?” Asks Pinkie.
I facepalm as Twilight walks forward. “Don’t worry, big brother. I am really good at this sort of thing.”
They run off out the door as Sans teleports in with Riolu.
“we might have more than sombra, and bete noire to deal with.”
“What do you.............” Lightmare zooms in, her face filled with terror.
“Sans, get back over there, they just broke through the Missiles!”
“shoot!” He warps out as I grow more confused.
“W-What is going on?”
“Sombra’s dark magic is strong enough to open rips!”
I glitch into a standing position. “What.”
“We got a thous............ten th..............no, 30,000 Heartless marching toward us!”
My eyes shrink in fear as Cadence shows tired confusion.
“What are Heartless?”
I turn my head. “Creatures of darkness, created when someone loses their heart. Fall to them, you join their numbers.”
“Mom and I have been keeping them busy so far, but...............Obsidian’s defenses are useless against them!”
Riolu raises their paw.
“Yes, Riolu?” I ask.
“Uh..............before the Heartless came through, I....................sensed something. A third living presence. Sans just dismissed it, but.................”
I hold up a hand. “I’ll check it out, then go help out. Until then, do everything you can to keep, them away, from the Empire. And get Undyne on your way there. Now go, all of you!”
They all run off out the door, including Frisk and Chara as I bring out my water bottle.
“What.............do you think it is?” Asks Cadence.
I take a sip as my age shifts. “I don’t know. But there’s only two things that can bring someone over unwillingly. A rip in space-time................or the death of a Traveler.” She tilts her head. “Sigh..................Picture the fabric of our universe as a quilt. We Travelers are the sewing needles that keep it intact. By.............me dying, A large chunk of the fabric was ripped out.”
“So you’re basically saying...............The rips are like portals?” Finishes Shining Armor.
“One way portals. My death left the timeline vulnerable to magical tampering............and one way portals to here.” I sit down, my legs crossed. “Now, try to keep quiet................I need full concentration for this trick.”
I close my eyes, and start to whisper whilst reaching out into the darkness. From those whispers, fire sparks on the crystal floor, etching different symbols into the ground like writing on a page..............until it goes full circle, and I shout “Astral Projection!!!!!!!!” The fire shoots upwards, and forms a dome around the spell circle.
“Urgh! How do these things keep coming!? Didn’t you say that the blade is designed to cut them down!?” Shouts Chrysalis as she throws her Keyblade like a Frisbee, cutting a circle around her before calling it back.
“Didn’t Sans say these things breed like rabbits in the Realm of Darkness?” Asks Chara.
“Hmm...............Yep, he thinks the rip formed behind the Door to Darkness. As long as darkness lingers in a single heart, these things will keep coming,” says Riolu. He’s acting as a medium between the two groups.
(Meanwhile, with Sans and Betty.........)
“Complicated space-time anomalies multiplied by the power of 10, divided by 40,000................”
“What..............is that?”
They turn. Sans used the Cipher box as an intelligence booster, and is writing out complex equations.
“An algorithim to assess how long the rip will stay open.” They turn towards the approaching army. “The river of Time wants to flow, and that tear in reality is like a dam just got shoved in, stopping the river around it.”
“So..............it’ll close on its own?!”
Her eyes sparkle as he tilts his head at her smile. “Hehe! Smart kid! However, the exact time is difficult to pinpoint without a scan, because it’s being positively, and negatively affected. Pop quiz, what happens when a breach stays open for an extended period of time?”
“..........It starts to become harder to sustain?”
“Exacto! But what most people don’t know, is that the more people cross through, the quicker the destabilization effect occurs!”
“.................But Sombra used dark magic to open it.”
“Which is powered by HATE, yes. HATE multiplies ones power level tenfold, hence two different factors speeding it up, and slowing it down.”
“How’s it going?”
They quickly turn back towards the empire, and spot me floating there. My body is ethereal, almost ghost-like. Every so often my form glitches.
“As...........Asriel? Are you............”
“Dead? I already died twice, not happening again.”
“.........That’s Astral Projection, isn’t it? Difficult spell.”
“It is, unless you boost it with Aura Sight, and Luna’s Dream-hopping spell.” I raise my hand, and snap, warping to the chalkboard. “I can warp and walk anywhere, as along as its close to a living SOUL..................pretty complex algorithim, have you factored in Steven Hawking’s Black Hole theory?”
“And Bill’s added his side of the Nightmare Realm Portal equations. I know you didn’t just come here to chat.”
“Actually, It was that and to check up on things out there.”
“A-According to Riolu, the Keyblade’s are the only thing doing any real damage.”
I hold my ethereal head. “Luna’s spell coupled with the life tether of Aura Sight allows me to split myself. Sans, you have the ability to duplicate one of your Keyblades, correct?”
“..........well ye-ah, but it uses up my reserves pretty quickly? Your Ceremony of Inheritance somehow temporarily Reawakened my SOUL.”
I put my hand down, and look at him in confusion. “Re................awakening?” His eyes shrink to dots.
“It’s okay Sans. It’s time they know.” We all turn, and see Player walking toward us. “After all, I was going to anyway..............just never got the chance. I believe they’re ready. And if you’re listening Riolu, pass this on to the others.”
They hold their head in frustration, and eventually sigh. “.....................Everyone, has an untapped potential in their SOUL. A True Potential. In the Our New Era Timeline, we called it...........................Awakening.”
“But.....................I’ve used my full power, in the True Pacifist timelines..........”
“That was a secondary form created by the Prophecy, and all the power of the SOULs. The Awakening isn’t that simple.”
“..........We all have something that’s holding us back. Personal demons, dark clouds, secrets that can shatter anything...............defeat them, and you’ll be able to unlock your True Potential.”
“What.............is it like?”
“It varies from person to person. It can be a hidden power within you, a way to transform into something new at will.................or just a boost in strength. But what has always been confirmed, is by doing so allows you to get stronger than you could previously.”
I look out into the cold, and sigh. “I’ll be investigating the presence if you need me. And Lightmare, if you can hear me...............I know your demons. And I know how much I hurt you by saying what I did..................the first step to your True Potential...........Is me saying, i’m sorry.” And I vanish as she flies towards where I once was.
“Where did he go!?” She shouts, panting.
“............To investigate a third lifesign in the mountains, why..................?” But she zooms off before they can finish.
I slowly gather, like dust in the wind on a mountain top, and land on the cold snow.
“Now then.................What did Riolu sense here?” I slowly walk forward as the wind picks up. I instinctively shiver. “Astral body or not, my basic survival instincts will make this dangerous if i’m not quick.” As the wind blows the other direction, I hear a slight flapping in the distance. I quickly turn my head, and raise my hand, catching a certain pegasus right before impact. “May I ask why you followed me?”
She struggles in my magical grasp as she looks at me with frustration. “Because i’m tired of being considered inferior, because of my race!!”
“What..........?”
“Chrysalis and Sans have been helping me to restore my memories, bit by bit. Bullied in the hive, put down in Canterlot.................I thought you were different Asriel! You know judgement! But what do you sa...............!!”
“I SAID THAT BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!” I cover my mouth, causing her to drop.
She looks at me in confusion as I slowly back up. “What do you mean............protect me?”
I look down. To the untrained eye, one wouldn’t notice what i’m feeling, but she does. Shame.
“I............I think, with logic. Infinite, wants to cause me.............so much pain. I thought that.............If I distanced myself from.........” I grab my face as tears trail down. “I w-was such an i-i-idiot!”
“B-But what about the timeli..........!”
“Truths...........” I look up, and her eyes shrink. tears are streaming down my face. Both in the Empire, and here. “To back a terrible lie..................You, are not a coward Lightmare! You’re the bravest, most talented pegasus.........no, changeling I know...........And I will never, stop loving you! No matter your species............you are the best, you!”
She looks down in thought.
‘He.............He never thought that I was a coward. He............Despite everything...........believes in me.’
‘We both do.’ She gasps. ‘I’ve always been able to speak to you. I just gave you some trust, by keeping my opinions to myself. He’s right. The truth is.............you, are the better half.’
‘What? But your..........’
‘An alicorn? heh! I was created from hatred, denial, grief, jealousy................Even now, I haven’t changed. You’ve seen my memories of when you Rage-Shifted, i’m compulsive, I fixate on those who wronged us...........But you? You strived to do what I nearly screwed up. You united me with my sister. Hmm! I suppose that’s your true gift....................you unite the dark and the light.’
She looks up at me. ‘you’re.............right. Six is great, but seven...........seven unites them. I united my Mane Six, I reunited you with Celestia, I united the Changelings and Ponies...................And my love for Asriel............Could.........no...........WILL, unite Monsters and Ponies!’
Sparks start to light the ground around her as we hear music from the Empire.
“The Mane Six found out about the Crystal Faire.” I look at her. “After hearing that your songs come from dreams..............I realized they are in your heart. I believe you can find it.”
White fire encircles us as she glows white.
“Once I lived in da-ark-ness,
Out there on my own........
Left to brave the wor-r-r-rld..........alone.
Everything seemed hopeless,
No chance to-o break free...........
Couldn’t hear the song in-side........of.........me-e-e-e-e!” a beam of white light shoots up, causing me to cover my eyes.
“And you’re sure there’s no way to close it? That thing feeds into the Realm of Darkness!”
“If there was, don’t you think I would’ve done it?! They kill me, Infinite goes free!”
Betty notices a bright white beam, shooting into the clouds in the distance. “Uh.......Sans?”
He looks in the direction of where she’s looking.
“The only time white magic is created is...........!”
“Is when you overcome your demons for your love.” They look at Player as they walk over to look at the beam. “Lightmare’s found her True Potential...................Lover’s Fusion.”
She looks over at the Empire. Sombra’s spotted the beam along with Bete Noire.
“Once upon a time,
A song inspired them: be brave.
They gave me up because my fate,
Was as the one who’d sa-a-ave,
The world from your dark magic,
And the wicked thi-i-ings you do!
They placed a song in-side my heart,
More powerful than you!” A shockwave of white magic almost knocks me back, but I manage to slowly walk toward her, and grab her hoof. She smiles as we start to dance.
“All the years of run-ning,
No, not any-more!
I know what I’m li-ving for!
I’m no longer sear-ching,
Turns out all alo-o-o-ong!
The answer was in-side me,
With a so-o-o-o-ong!!!!” As she finishes, I move in to kiss. The moment our lips touch, an orb of light appears around us.
Eventually the orb vanishes to reveal a young, female Boss Monster. They appear to be of teenage age with long white hair, and are currently wearing a green skirt, an ocean-blue shirt, and a light blue poncho-top with fleece inside and strings. Around their neck is a white jewel in the shape of a four-point star. They slowly land on the dark cold rocks, and open their eyes. Ruby Red.
They drop to their hands and knees.
“Huh...........I feel............” My eyes shrink, then widen as they smile in happiness. “I-I-I...........I can feel again!” I stand up, and shakily walk forward. That’s when I realize, and stop to grab my throat. “My............My voice. It’s.......different. Changed. Feminine.” I feel my horns, and their design. Much thinner than normal. “Feminine features, actual emotions, girly clothes...........” I look at my body, then where Asriel and Lightmare just stood. “What’s happened to them?” I sigh, and shrug my shoulders in defeat. “Who am I to refuse something new to try out? Squeal! Plus, I can finally feel stuff again!” I smile, and start to skip forward.
“So........if Asriel, and Lightmare disappeared, and I appeared here.............that means i’m a fusion. And a fusion is the sum of it’s parts............Huh, that explains why I can feel, yet have a...........female, Boss Monster body.” I put a hand to my muzzle as I walk further into the mountain. “Let’s see..........I like my friends and both..........both my families, Pinkie scares me a bit, I........enjoy a good joke..........” I look down at my skirt. “Magic must’ve created this outfit for me. Not too shabby. I also like singing, and............dancing, and...........flying. Oh, the freedom of flying in the wind. And I can also feel...........” I raise my right paw. Minutes go by before, with a spark, it alights with a white flame. This puts a big grin on my face. “Magic. I can fly, and feel the rush and power of magic within me.” I hear something rush past me. “W-Who’s there? ‘Ooh! Rather than fear for my life, fear due to uncertainty. Emotions are so great!’ I d-don’t mean any harm. B-But you should know...........T-These aren’t just for show. I can h-hear your heartbeat. I b-believe its best for both parties, to not h-have to hide secrets from e-each o-other?”
Seconds pass by. Then minutes. And then..................
“And what makes you think..............I can trust you?”
I manage to put on a friendly smile despite my fear.“O-Ooh, a conversation, n-now we’re getting s-something! W-Well............as y-you must be a-able to see, i’m unarmed. A-And magic is new t-to me, so..............i’m d-defenseless to you?”
Seconds go by. “Hmm...............I see your logic. I’ll come out. However, since you confided your secret, i’ll confide mine. I’m the strongest psychic Pokemon that’s ever lived. So...........I catch even a neuron, that you intend to double-cross me.........you’re as good as dead.”
I shakily nod. Toward my left, I spot something grey slowly walk out of the shadows. Their feline in nature, yet stand tall like a humanoid. they have a long pink tail, and a black bracelet on their right arm.
“Horns...........like a Skiddo, or Cobalion...............” He walks around me. “Yet capable of ‘magic’, as you called it............and bipedal like a Braixen, or a Delphox............I guess the first question I should ask is...........” He stops in front of me. Muzzle to Muzzle. “Who are you?”
I put a hand to my muzzle. “........That is a good question. I was created from the union of two people, of different species.....................How about...............Amelia? Amelia, Darkhearth.”
“...........Very well, Amelia. I assumed from you approaching my hiding spot that you knew who I am, but...........”
“I..........believe I might. Tall grey body, pink tail, feline features, psychic abilities............add that to what fragments of memory I have of Asriel’s...................Mewtwo?”
In his hand, a dark purple orb forms. “How would you know that name if you’re not of Team Rocket, or Plasma!?”
I blink once, and grab my head. “Plasma, Plasma Plasma..................Riolu.” I look up at him as he shows confusion. “I know of someone, who was changed, by Team Plasma.”
The Shadow Ball slowly dissipates. “How do you mean ‘changed’?”
“In-In his world............Plasma tried to succeed where Rocket failed. After they failed with another of.........your kind, they tried something else. Mew has the DNA of all pokemon. So.................they used the genetic changing process for something else. To change a human.”
He facepalms. “So Team Plasma did create another!” He looks back at me. “Wait..............a human?”
I slowly nod. “Into a Riolu capable of using every move possible. If..............your sister, hadn’t broken him out, he would’ve been brainwashed into a blank slate. He remembers his humanity, but..............everything else was erased.”
He looks down, and sighs. “So they went one step further. I hated humans because alot of them care too much about themselves. But if what you say is true.................they found humans as useless puppets, like us.” He looks back at me. “I would like to talk to them..............once I find out where I am.”
I smirk. “You were somehow brought to another world. Judging from the fact that you know about Team Plasma..............you know about other universes.” His eyes widen. “No Pokemon, i’m afraid, just Riolu. This world has many more species, including mine.............or, more accurately, the two that made me. Equines, and Monsters.”
He raises a hand to his muzzle. “I am..................curious. I’ll follow you, solely to find out what this world is like. Plus..................you’ve peaked my interest. If they are as nice as you, their may be hope for me and my friends.”
We both feel a rumble that puts us off balance for a few seconds.
“Things must be getting worse then when they left.” I turn my head towards my back, and see a pair of white feathered wings. “”Hehehe! Race ya!” I jump, and start to flap. I head towards where I came from. He smirks, and levitates off the ground, rocketing towards me.
“There has to be another way to seal it! We’ve come so far, just to...............!”
“trust me. if there was another way, i would warp over there, and do it.”
“Coming in for a landing!” The three of them look overhead, and barely move away as I land in the middle. “Woooh!! It’s nice to fly through this wind!”
Betty walks closer. “Who are you?”
I slowly stand up, wiping off my skirt. “”Still trying to grasp that. Now lets see............you must be Betty. Or at least, the good one.”
She looks taken aback. “Y..........Yes, that’s me. How..........?”
“And you.........!” I walk over to the skeleton. “You must be Sans. Or should I call you Bill Sans? Eh, It doesn’t really matter which, your one and the same.”
“o-okay, who are you and how...........!?”
“And finally......” I turn to the child. “You’re Player. Or the Author, or should I call you by your real name, Jack?”
“Okay please..................can someone please explain who this is?!”
“It’s the Lover’s Fusion,” says Player. I smile as the other two look perplexed.
“please explain for those of us who aren’t omniscient.”
“Sigh. Clearly I need to spell it out. Lightmare’s True Potential is the ability to change forms at will. Be it changeling or Rage Shift. Add that to a monster who’s made of nothing but magic and DT.............”
“w-w-w-w-wait.............You’re saying...........that this girl.............is them?”
Sans’ eyes shrink to dots.
I smirk. “To make it easier, i’m a whole new person created by the sum of the parts. Hehehehe! Kinda like Garnet, don’t you think Sans?”
“she’s right. garnet is a fusion of two gems born from love. hehe! welp, who am i to refuse a new pal?” He holds out his hand to me. I look at him. “c’mon bud. don’t you know how to greet an new friend? turn and shake my hand.” I smirk, and put my hand to his. We all hear a whoopie cushion go off as I stifle not to laugh. “whoopie cushion in the hand trick. never gets old!” We both laugh at this as Mewtwo lands.
“I see you’ve been catching up?” They all turn in worry as I walk over.
“I was wondering where you were! What kept ya?”
“Thought I would scope this place out.” He looks over my shoulder. “...........Going to introduce us?”
“O-Oh! Wehere are manners!?” I skip over to the three. “Boys and girls, may I present Mewtwo, of PMDVF-5! A quaint little timeline where Mystery dungeon, and the main timeline are two intersecting dimensions!”
“So..................you’re a Pokemon, like Riolu?”
“.............Sort of. Unlike him, who was a Human turned Pokemon, i’m a Pokemon created by Humans. And you are..........?”
“Oh! My name is Betty, the SOUL of FEAR. If you hear of a.........Bete Noire, that is my...........doppelganger. Evil, doppelganger.”
“i’m sans. sans the skeleton. i just noticed a pattern, ya know. riolu is a human-turned pokemon, you’re an artificial pokemon, i’m a gem-human skeleton hybrid, the kids a glitch, betty’s neither human nor monster...............alot of people who are anomalies these days.”
“And last but not least.........me.” They walk closer to Mewtwo. “I go by different names, but in this form you can call me.............Player. And might I say it’s an honor to have you here.”
“It’s................interesting, to meet you all. I assume by what Amelia’s told me that Sans is a Monster, but what is a ‘SOUL’?”
They look at me in confusion. “Now it wouldn’t be right for me to not have a name, right? Plus............Amelia Darkhearth has a nice ring, don’t you think? Amelia, Lightmare and Asriel?”
Sans shrugs. “eh. it’s better than stevonnie. to answer your question, mewtwo..........” he reaches out his hand, and like smoke, magic gathers to reveal his blue monster SOUL. “this, is a SOUL. it’s an acronym, for Symbol Of Undying Love. in our world, we consider these to be the culmination of ones being: everything you are, were, and ever will be.”
“So..........rather than Pokemon, and their abilities...........you have these ‘SOULs’, and magic?”
“Not to mention Determination.” He turns to me as I put my hands on my hips, and grin. “SOULs usually have one dominant trait, with a little Determination mixed in like a cocktail. Let’s see.........Integrity, Perseverance, Justice, Bravery, Kindness, and Patience are the normal ones..............but it is possible to have a SOUL that is pure, Determination.”
“But what exactly...............is, ‘Determination’?”
“the strength to persist. the will to continue. the resolve to change fate. that is the power we call..............Determination. monsters are mostly made of magic, so we rarely ever make it ourselves. but other species, at least in this world....................that power gives SOULs to persist after death.” Their eyes widen. “that’s whats so special about the kids family. we call em Boss Monsters, ‘cause their SOULs are so strong, they can persist after death.............albeit for only a few moments.”
“How about a little joke to lighten things up? Sans, why do you act so weird when your around Mom?”
It takes him a second before he realizes which one I mean, and pulls off the biggest grin i’ve seen. “w-why?” He’s stifling not to laugh.
“Oh I dunno, I guess she’s...............got your goat!” We hear a drum bash, and Sans, Betty and I all break into laughter.
“oh god..............geez it’s been awhile since i’ve heard a pun from you kid! bahahahahaha! oh god give me a minute.........” he covers his mouth as he tries to breath.
“Yeah, I didn’t know you liked puns!”
“Who doesn’t love a good joke between friends?! Hey Sans, maybe you should grab the goat, by the horns!” Another drum bashes, causing us to grab our chests as Player and Mewtwo chuckle a bit.
“th.......thanks kid.............thanks for bringing me back...............toriel-ity!” One final drum bash, and we’re all laughing hard.
“UH.............DAD? WHY DO I SUDDENLY FEEL LIKE YELLING AT SANS?”
“Huh.................must’ve told a couple puns. Well, you’ll have full opportunity to yell at him once he gets back.”
I slowly catch my breath as I look into the cold snow, and the Heartless coming from within. “Well................quite the pickle we’re in, aren’t we? I smile at Betty. “Just as well I turned up. Judging from the lack of noise over there, the wind is strong enough to keep any noise from coming here...............So they won’t see me coming.” I wave my long hair in the wind as I stretch. “I’ve made a couple friends, time to be more helpful!”
“...........How?”
I giggle. “By thinning out the herd of course! Oh, and Riolu, if you can hear me...........have Sans warp you here. I have a friend who’d like to meet you!” I start to sprint toward the approaching army, slowly starting to pick up speed until purple lightning trails behind me.
“How much longer must I wait, Bete Noire!?!”
“Patience, King Sombra! The moment Princess Cadence loses control of the spell, we’ll have a clean shot in!”
“Oh.............I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” They turn toward the Empire, and see a purple and white streak charge through a third of the Heartless swarm. The moment I stop, the Heartless I killed release their hearts.
She blinks in surprise. “Hmm...............A new Boss Monster? Who might you be?”
“Hehehe! I’m not sure I should bother, since you wouldn’t understand love.” I duck my head as she tries to throw a pink spear. “Missed me!” Tries to throw a pink blade, I dodge to the left. “Missed again!”
“Hold still!” She tries to slice me with a scythe, but right before it lands, I catch the blade in my hands.
“I don’t know why Asriel was so afraid of you, but this is pretty fun. This is a little trick I call ‘Throwback’!” I pull the scythe around me with her holding on, right at Sombra. He creates a hole in his shadow form from which she tumbles through to the snow on the other side.
“Hmm..................Playful like Bete Noire, so neither Pony, Human, or Monster. Boss Monster form, so you must be related to these ‘Dreemurrs’ she told me about. Serious, and purple lightning................Like Princess Luna’s Nightmare.”
“Well since I know all about you, I’ll give you two hints. Lightmare contained a fragment, of that Nightmare’s SOUL. Also, Asriel was neither of those things, and was the son of Asgore Dreemurr.”
“What your insinuating doesn’t make sense, Asriel always shifted forms before.............” Then her eyes shrink.
“What is it? Tell me!”
“..........................You’re a SOUL Fusion, aren’t you?”
“If I had a prize for you, I would give it to you.”
“What are you two blathering on about now?”
“It’s a theoretical SOUL ability. The union of two SOULs, creating a being from the sum of it’s parts. She’s basically two SOULs merged into one being!” She slowly stands up. “Clever Asriel, actually caught me off guard.”
I giggle to their confusion. “And Asriel thought you were a hypocrite. I’m neither Lightmare, nor Asriel. I’m a new person, who can feel again unlike you two.”
She growls. “Who are you then?!”
I snap, four different Keyblades appearing. Night Terror, Changeling Queen, Dreemurr Heart, and X-Blade. I also summon one Chaos Saber. “I am.............” I spin the Chaos Saber, and throw it into the X-Blade. The two combine as I jump into the air, and grab it. It reforms in a flash of light into a white and purple scythe as I land. “Amelia Darkhearth. The Lover’s Fusion..............and SOUL of HATE!” I give a big grin as I charge towards them.
“Okay I’m here, who’s this friend of.............” Riolu walks over and spots Mewtwo.
They manage to give a small smile. “So...................you’re Riolu, then?”
His eyes widen. “A..............A Mewtwo. Like the one that saved me.”
“...............Not quite. That one was made by Team Plasma. I’m the first, created by Team Rocket. In my world..............In return for info on the weather trio................Team Rocket gave them the data for the genetic editing process.”
He looks down. “That...................explains, how they made me. Ash did eventually explain how Team Plasma made a Pokemo...........”
“You knew Ash?”
He looks up, and smiles. “Knew him? He was one of my best friends! For Arceus sake, he’s one of the reasons why I chose to help people! He always treated me, and other Pokemon as friends, unlike.............a certain other, human.”
“He.................He treated you good? Never as a weapon?”
He slowly nods. “He treats all Pokemon that way. He bonds with them, he fought against Mega Evolution without bonds..............Hell, him and his Greninja had a special bond that made them stronger!”
He looks up as his eyes shrink in fear. “He.................And I..............”
They all feel a blast of wind coming from the army.
Sans turns towards it in shock. “not.............Not a lot of things create that kind of blast.” A red x has formed like a mushroom cloud behind the Heartless.
“I’m gonna have to correct you Sans.” They slowly walk forward. “There’s only one thing that can create a blast like that. She’s not just the Lover’s Fusion.............. She’s the SOUL of HATE. And with HATE, comes..................Resurrection.”
She pushes me away after striking her down to the ground. “Hehehe! You can’t win you know! It’s three against two!”
I giggle as I jump back. “Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind me calling for some HELP.” I raise my hand, and a single Human shaped SOUL appears. Half grey, half dark purple. “Flowey had grown half a SOUL before Asriel’s death, and half of hers had survived in Lightmare. It’s enough to keep them alive.........................All it needs is a little push.” smoke-like tentrils of HATE spew out of my hand, and surround the SOUL. It explodes in a black flame, knocking the snow into the air as they cover their eyes.
Sombra’s the first to look, his eyes shrink as he sees who it is.
“Isn’t this familiar, Sombra!?”
In the darkness, two blue, reptilian eyes open.
“I am still not sure about giving her that book. Frisk told me the spell within, and what you plan.” Mom and Garnet are in Canterlot, speaking to two of the three alicorns.
“Not to mention how this can affect the balance.”
“What do you mean by Balance? I’m Time and Space, Celestia’s the Day, Lulu’s the Night, and Cadence is Love. This merely adds another body to control something essential.”
“We also believe that she has the right traits for it. Time and time again, she’s shown it. She just has to...........” She feels a jolt of pain, and puts a hoof to her chest. Her left eye is glowing orange.
“Cay-Cay!” Faust screams, running over. “What is it?”
“......................Impossible.”
“Sister!” They all turn and see Luna at the main door. Her right eye is glowing light blue.
Celestia tries to charge her horn to teleport, but it cracks halfway.
“There’s too many Alicorns of the Night. None of us will be able to use magic, let alone teleport!”
“We can’t...............But Gaster can.”
“Let’s go!”
Bete creates another scythe, twirling it before pointing the blade at us. “Ha! You think your scythes are stronger than mine?”
“Hmhmhmhmhahahahahaha! I don’t think so..................” She takes the Changeling Queen and Night Terror Keyblades, and slams her scythe into them. They merge into a single, grim-reaper like scythe. “I know so.”
We both phase out of view before appearing behind the two, and knocking them forward.
“You think you found an ally in darkness? Do both of you even comprehend the powers you were gifted with? The powers I was born INTO!?” She blasts Sombra away, and they fight each other while I face Bete.
“You are the product of a twisted minds spell, cast on an innocent child’s corpse.”
“What are you on about no.............!”
“Amber Lightvale, brother to Copper, SOUL of Determination.............and sister of Agate Lightvale, your creator.” She growls, and tries to throw another spear. I dodge to the left. “Asriel slowly pieced it together from timelines where your creation, was happening as he watched. You are the creation of a woman who killed her family, inverted her own SOUL trait, and ruined the peace she herself brought out, all because she was racist and afraid of failure!”
“SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” She throws her scythe straight at me, and I jump into the air. “Infinite warned me about your lies, and you wi............!”
“Infinite?” I land and put my hand out, creating a green shield. “So...................That’s why you’re here, interfering again. Infinite set you up to do his dirty work. He doesn’t have a SOUL, do you know that?” She stops snarling, and shows genuine confusion. “Error took it. This isn’t about Asriel suffering, or your philosophy of us making the same mistakes. I............................I realize it now...................he wants the power to OVERWRITE.”
She drops the scythe, which forms into Kumu. “What do you mean..............OVERWRITE?”
“It’s the power to change reality on an Omniversal scale........................and it’s permanent. Everything you were, are, and ever will be, would be gone, and at their fingertips.” I slowly walk a few inches. “Don’t you see? He’s just using you to get what he wants. Just like you did to Jessica Grey.”
She looks at the empire. “Okay, i’m listening. But you got until that shield breaks. Why should I go against him, when Frisk, Asriel, and everyone else are no different?”
I facepalm. “Come on Betty you’re smarter than this! All you saw in their past was their regrets, their darkest days. No happiness, no love, not even them growing past it!”
We feel a rumble from the north. She looks at the mountains, then back at me. “What do you mean?”
“...............Sure, people make mistakes, they do stuff that can be appalling. But they weren’t acting like it never happened, like they were above the consequences, Infinite does. No..........they feel that regret everyday of their lives. And grow because of it. Frisk regretted the Genocide run, hence RESETing their own memories, and did a Pacifist route instead. And even then, she only did it, to get the happy ending with everyone in it. My dad did kill the children, but only so Monsters wouldn’t give up on hope. He made that declaration out of anger. I mean, Asriel and Chara were just killed in front of them. He’s regretted it ever sense. As for Asriel......................he regretted it everyday he had a SOUL back. He...............Flowey, couldn’t feel anything. The ‘if anything happens, I can just RESET’ stuff was a coping mechanism, that became obsolete once he gained LV. Hell, after losing his SOUL again, he................I, became afraid of it happening again. Sigh.............the point is, they weren’t acting like nothing happened. The Past is not Today. They just moved on, and strived to do the right thing. Infinite, and your creator on the other hand................they are far worse. Agate killed her own family, and ruined what peace Humans already had. Infinite uses people as pawns. He ERASEd multiple timelines, he corrupted the other Travelers, and he’ll stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. He views himself as a god. Isn’t that believing oneself above the consequences?”
She looks up, and sighs. “If your right, and all this.......................has been me being stupid..................Then what now? I can’t bring back the SOULs I drained to get where we are, or.........................bring back the ones I killed.”
I approach her, and raise my hand. “You can do what everyone does. Make up for your mistakes. Work with us, fix the messes you can fix.......................and make sure what you did, never happens again.”
She looks at Kumu. They actually nod. “Sigh....................I always wondered if what we were doing was right. I guess..........................It’s time FEAR worked with Determination.” She shakes my hand.
“That’s a shame. I hoped you would understand my plight.........................Well, good thing you didn’t.” I hear a gasp from over by the Heartless. I look, and see a second Bete Noire has stabbed Undyne, and Infinite near a breach.
Betty turns where I’m facing. “What the..............!?”
“I’m not stupid. And Savitar taught me well, always think ahead. By doing that, you created a timeline where you refused her MERCY.”
She snarls. “Amelia was right...................Infinite, I’ll kill you!!!!!!!!!”
“HEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You think you’re the first to think that?! I hope you aren’t too disappointed when I say that isn’t, going, to happen! Have fun with Sombra and your doppelganger!” And he jumps back into the breach, right as Cadences spell fails.
“We gotta get back there.” She turns, and I put out my hand. “Take my hand, I’ll teleport us there.”
She sighs, and takes it. We Disapparate.
“Trembl-ing within the breeze, I can feel my soul is sha-king,
even with a single blow, everything that is comes un-done!
u-sing ev-ery ounce of strength, just keep myself, from, brea-king,
I, can on-ly watch, you, walk....................b-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y.......................”
She opens her eye. “Hol-ding on to everything, even when my bo-dy sha-tters,
I will never let you pass, even when my te-ears run dr-y-y-y-y-y!
beating with our hearts as one, everyone I know is, pra-ying,
I, will strike you down, do or..............d-i-i-i-i-i-ie!”