Welp, this took forever. And I mean, it was rough for me to do this. I know what I wanted to do AFTER this, but for some reason the starting point was quite a struggle to put down.

Geez. Sorry for the wait, regardless. Might not be the best despite many proofreadings, but hopefully I did a bit of good regardless.

Oh by the way, birthday's passed. So that's kinda neat.

Chapter Start!

"Hnn..."

"Uh...?"

"Hmmm..."

"Um..."

"Grrrrr..."

"...Red?"

"Red-Dearie, do speak your mind. I don't believe our dear Prince can properly interpret your growls." Muffet smiles while casually sipping her tea. "Use your big girl words. You can do it.~"

"Shut it!" Red grumbled before looking at Asriel with a nervous pout. "Asriel, I mean this with much seriousness! No matter where we're going or what we come up against, you gotta let me by by your side! We've fought too many times separately! Not this time! You stick to me and I stick to you! Got it?!"

"Golly, Red. We haven't even left yet."

"Asriel..." Red glared slightly. Asriel lifted his paws in placation.

"Okay okay, you'll be by my side the whole expedition this time. I'll do my best to keep that true." Red glared harder, while Asriel smiled more nervously. "You have to understand, Red. Things can get unpredictable very quickly, you know? So we usually have to adapt to the changes in a situation. And sometimes those changes...involve...splitting up...?"

"Grrrr..."

"I'm sorry...!"

"She sounds pretty peeved, dude." MK mumbled while casually stuffing his face. Needed to bring his energy up for a cool adventure with the Prince of Monsters.

"I-It's not entirely my fault! Those things just happen!"

Red growled. Muffet gingerly patted her shoulder with a light shake of her head. Red grumbled, before she calmed herself and sighed. "...No. I'm sorry. I'm being a bit unfair right now. I just want more opportunities to fight with you, as in, by your side kind of with you."

"I understand that, really. I want to try my best to get us paired in battle." Asriel lightly scratched his cheek. "Of course, my best preference would be for us not to need to fight at all...better safe than sorry, I guess."

"Exactly! That's all I'm asking! To actually be there by your side whenever you need me in stuff like that." Red blushed while curling some of her pink hair around a finger. "I just...worry about you a lot when we're apart and a fight's going on. It's not that I don't have faith in you, but I'd worry a lot less if I was there to lend you a paw if you need it, is all. I'm one of your bodyguards, after all. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I understand, Red. Really. Let's both do our best."

"See? Now was THAT so hard to work out?" Muffet smiles while sipping some tea. "Then again, we can chalk it up to Rude Baby Red striking again.~"

"I wish people would knock it off with that nickname! I'm not THAT rude!"

"What do you call that just now, hm?~"

Red's ears lowered nervously. "...W-Well...I...uh..."

"And there you go babbling, like a precious baby.~"

Red's face glowed crimson. "I...t-that's...um..."

"And now your face matches your namesake! Three strikes, guess who's out? YOU are! Yes you are!~"

"Shut up shut up SHUT UP! Bark bark! Ruff!"

"Yo, they're goin' at it, again." MK said while lightly prodding Asriel's shoulder. "It's kinda crazy, the frequency which they go at it, only to stay best buds."

"Yeah. Let's hope things don't get any more...ruff." Asriel and MK snickered at the pun, only stopping when Red snarled at them in annoyance.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Dreemurr."

"Eh...ehehehe...sorry.~"

"Eesh. You'd better throw her a bone, dude. She's all bark and prepared to bite." That was completely accidental on MK's part, given his oblivious expression. Red growled again, while Asriel sighed nervously.

"MK...please don't make it worse."

"Are you kidding? This is fun! Keep going!~" Muffet clapped gleefully.

Asriel groaned, before proceeding to dramatically facetable. Because a regular faceplam just wasn't enough.

Meanwhile, in another part of the establishment...

"Okay, so what do we have on this?" Undyne muttered with her cheeks full of food, making a slight mess. Nearby, Alphys and Toriel sighed at this, while Asgore and Gerson simply let it be.

"Right. Got some info on your Seloms Archipelago culprit." Elvira hummed as she was shuffling through what appeared to be a magitek tablet of her own, tilting her witch hat up...while wearing a long t-shirt which only went slightly past her hips, with the words 'Nine Lives Matter' on the front and 'Jinx' on the back.

...No immediate sign of anything covering her slender, black-furred legs.

"Sister..." Eloise sighed.

"Lay off, will ya? I'm recovering from a hangover, after I went into-hunting in unsure territory." Elvira waved off. "I think I can be forgiven for showing up in only a shirt and panties for once. It's not like anyone will notice."

The numerous male eyes on her that weren't Asgore and Gerson would like to disagree...though that might be the point. Eloise could tell she was doing this just because.

"But we have guests and it was SO much more than once! Plus I'm pretty sure that last statement was a deliberate lie!"

"Not important."

"HOW is it not important?!"

"Look, our buddies are here for some information, not to listen to you complain about what I'm not wearing." Elvira rolled her eyes. "Geez, sis. You should learn to get your priorities straight, like me."

Eloise's right eye twitched in agitation.

"Anyway, here's the easy stuff. Your girl is in somewhere in Legatum alright. After the Seloms Archipelago's destruction, she's pretty much chilling out there, hiding somewhere, waiting to strike again...or waiting for someone's orders. Either way, she's currently stationary."

"Wait a minute...how do you know the person who did it is female?" Toriel hummed.

"Our buddy Darkness knows who she is. Knows OF her, at least. An earth dragon that goes by the name of 'Terra'. Of course, right? Dragons are pretty powerful. If they worked for it." Elvira hummed. "I myself don't know more about her personally, but he's sure that she's the one who did it. Whether it was on her own accord is yet to be determined."

"Right. Terra is definitely there, and is currently stationary. For whatever reason, she hasn't left the Kingdom. If ya want to catch her, you'll have to it soon, before she's given a reason to run off again. Darkness can fill you in on the rest." Eloise confirmed.

"Understood." Asgore nodded. "In all honesty, we thank you for your assistance, Elvira. And if I may ask, what will you be doing?"

"Spending some much needed mother-kitten time with my boy. It's much needed after so much time forced apart...maybe I can share a drink of coffee milk with him, talk over a few things...mostly how he's doing and adjusting." Elvira waved, stepping up and began moving outside. "In any case, good luck to you."

Toriel smiled fondly towards Elvira. It felt nice, how she was now fully intent on spending time with her son, whom she's been separated from for so long. She could relate, in a way.

From one mother to another, I wish you only the best, Elvira. Toriel thought quietly, nodding towards Elvira's retreating figure...which after a moment observation, she stopped smiling and gasped with her paws to her mouth. Goodness, I nearly forgot that she is barely dressed!

"Elvira!" Eloise must have noticed too, for she stood up immediately and shouted her sister's name, following her slightly.

"Whaaaaaat? What is it?" She said aloud, turning to her curiously.

"You are not about to walk out in just a shirt and your underwear...again. Not today. Just go put on some more clothes...please."

"Oh alright. You're still being a prrrrrrude as usual. But since I'm off to chill with my son, I'll let it go this time. I'll get dressed 'properly'." Elvira air quoted as she moved back inside while Eloise sighed gratefully.

"Thank you. See? It isn't so bad to listen to-"

"Whoops."

Eloise's words died on her tongue as Elvira nonchalantly flips her skirt up while passing by. She gasped as she quickly pushed it back down, blushing profusely. Most male passerbys immediately looked away, with Asgore and Gerson being among them. "Why?! I thought I was safe!"

"That's what happens when you think too much. You left your guard down, you decided to wear a skirt, AND I felt like messing with you. You should have seen this coming." Elvira shrugged as she ascended up the stairs. "One of the perks of being sisters, I guess."

"Those first two sound like excuses while the last was rather blunt!"

"You usually say honesty was the best policy. Sure you wanna keep it?~" Another shrug and smirk as Elvira vanished from sight while going further up their stairs.

"...In any case, getting to your destination might be met with a bit more ease, considering Elvira got you invited." Eloise continued, embarrassed, but her composure returned a little.

"She managed to do that for us...?!" Asgore gasped.

"Indeed. And to reiterate what she said, Darkness will have more details for you as well."

"Well, we are very greatful for her assistance." Gerson smiled. "Looks like we're going on yet another expedition. How about that?~"

"Alright!" Undyne put her now cleared plate down with a narrowed eye. "I've filled my gut, and we've got some initial progress before we even leave! Now all we need to do is reconvene with Darkness and-"

"Unnnndyyyynnnee!"

"Hah? I know that voice." Undyne turned around to see little Nadine approaching, with Nikon slowly following behind. "Oh, it's you, Nadine!"

"Undyne!" Nadine beamed as Undyne picked her up and hugged her happily. "I heard you were going on and adventure...is it true?"

"Yup. Gonna go on a bit of a quest to find someone, and make them apologize for doing something really bad." Undyne explained while setting the girl on her lap.

"They did a really bad thing they need to say sorry for?" Nadine asked.

"Yep. It's likely I'm going to need to...persuade them to apologize genuinely and make up for that really bad thing."

"Ooohhh."

"Yeah, so I'm gonna be gone for a while. In the meantime, I'm gonna need you to be a good girl for Nikon until I get back." Undyne explained. "You think you can handle that, squirt? They say a true test of character begins when you're not being monitored."

"I'll be good! I'll be super good!" Nadine nodded quickly. "But...I wanna see you again really soon! Come back super quick so we can play together!"

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind." Undyne smiled. "I'll make certain to come back as soon as I can."

"You promise?"

"Yup. Undyne the Undying is not a promise breaker, squirt.~"

The human child thought for a moment before she reached out her hand, curling her fingers except for her little finger.

"You're gonna make me pinky promise on this?" Undyne raised an eyebrow. Nadine remained adamant about it though...which Undyne kind of appreciated. So she rolled her eye and extended her pinky finger, curling it around hers. "I, Undyne the Undying, Captain of the Royal Guard and awesome kicker of butts, shall definitely return to you after my mission so we can play together." She grinned. "But in return, you've gotta keep people's spirits up and happiness high. I'd better come back and see you smiling real big and wide, squirt. Cause nothin' says 'welcome back' more than a happy smile. Got it?"

"Okay!~" Nadine smiled and nodded. Undyne also nodded in approval while gently petting her head, which brought a relaxed hum from the small girl.

"If I may, Undyne." Nikon spoke up, smiling calmly towards the fish monster. "I would also like to make a request."

"Eh?"

"If you do end up having to interact with this 'Terra' and somehow take her into custody, would you allow me the opportunity of personally speaking with her?" Nikon requested quietly. "I simply wish to hear from her, why she did what she's done. To gain an understanding with her."

"An understanding? You really want an audience with her just to hear her out? I figured you'd want nothing to do with the ones responsible for what happened." Undyne blinked.

"Some would suspect that of me, and I would not blame them. But I honestly want to hear what brought her to do such a thing." Nikon said. "Can you promise me this, Undyne? To make the attempt?"

Undyne sighed deeply at this, scratching her scalp, fingers lightly pushing through her crimson hair, before she nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. You are the chief of your tribe, after all. And it was you all that she's wronged."

"My deepest gratitude. You are quite an honorable woman...if an incredibly crass one."

"Thanks.~"

"Fuhuhuhuhu!~" Nadine play-laughed with a smile, for no other reason than she simply could.

Undyne blinked a moment. "...That was stupid cute. You're not just gonna get away with being cute like that outta the blue. C'mere!" Undyne pulled Nadine closer and nuzzled her cheek against hers, prompting a series of laughs and giggles from the child.

"Hehe." Alphys chuckled softly at the display, pawing her cheek as her tail swayed slightly.

"Goodness me." Toriel sighed while smioing iin exasperation. "A part of me does wish that things would stay like this for a bit longer. But alas, we've already made plans and preparations to the best of our ability. We should go through with it as soon as we can."

"I don't disagree. But I have to admit, periods like this are definitely appreciated." Asgore regarded with a smile. "A bit of ease before we...well...throw ourselves into possible danger again. Baha, I'm sure it will be fine."

Toriel rolled her eyes at this. "Well it sounds like quite a fun prelude when you say it like that."

"It beats letting the anxiety take us over before the expedition begins, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps. But pretending we are not anxious at all does not satisfy me either."

"I'm sure we can come up with a compromise." Asgore slid his arms around her waist and lightly rubbed his cheek against her's. "Though for the time being, let's try to be positive.~"

"A simple, if temporary, solution...but if my husband believes it to be suitable, I shall acknowledge and allow it.~" Toriel smiled with a roll of her eyes, before turning to nuzzle Asgore's nose, which he gleefully returned.

"Blegh." Gerson play-gagged. It only caused everyone within the vincity to laugh at his apparent childishness, even for a moment.

Ever a loyal friend and gallant warrior, Gerson was. Snark and all.

It took some time, but Darkness managed to gather everyone together. He had some things organized already. Some was basic, such as the amount of people actually going on the expedition, what items they would be bringing, and possible team divisions. The more advanced preparations would be the set spot in which they would arrive, what time they would arrive, and what to expect when they get there.

Darkness thought about nearly all of it. It brought forth a bit of hesitance from him all the same, though. Sans didn't miss this at all, and mentally saved that observation for later.

"Alright. The expedition is quite close to starting. So there are quite a few critical things I have to go over." Darkness hummed. "First off, a potential enemy."

"You know who we're up against?" Undyne piped up.

"I know of one large cabal with multiple branches that spreads across the entire continent that is sure to be a problem." Darkness hummed. "They're known as Karma. Two things I'm certain of: they're woefully delusional; and they will not be happy to see any of you on their 'turf'."

"They sound like a joy to have at parties." Chara deadpanned.

"How delusional are we talking here?" Asriel asked hesitantly.

"They award getting stronger by any means necessary and award grabs for power, while they punish weakness and/or becoming stagnant." Tempest informed. "If you're not getting stronger, you're becoming or staying weak. Which is where they come in and stir up trouble to force people to either improve themselves...or die. This has a rather unfortunate effect of turning people-regardless of alignment-against each other just so they don't become a target."

"You mean they reward strength born from conflict but punish stagnation caused by peace?" Undyne glared. "Karma, huh. They have a very twisted perspective on that word..."

Both Chara and Sans were in agreement on that. They were acutely aware of one thing regarding this subject, and it's that Karmic Retribution was crippling in large doses. Though in some cases, someone who simply doesn't care, like Jack O'Ripper, reduced it to a minor annoyance despite being a gleeful killer for hire.

This didn't paint a pretty picture for what they'd be dealing with.

"My tribe and I did not grow stronger even after our conflict with Augustine and the three dragons. After a certain amount of time, those people came and destroyed our home...afterwards we did push ourselves to be stronger so that it doesn't happen again..." Nikon frowned sadly, looking at the ground. "Such a worldview isn't so easily shattered...especially when it reaps the results that they want..."

"I'm still saying we should march over there and kick their asses. Letting them get away with that is gonna be a black stigma on my conscience. Besides, I still need to bring Terra in for personally helping cause that." Undyne grumbled, folding her arms under her breasts. "Good thing we prepared and assembled quite a bit of supplies, first. Gotta have some base covered. Can't be too reckless."

"wait...you of all people are saying we shouldn't be too reckless? holy fish, this is a development!" Sans chuckled. Undyne's response was a spear that grazed his hoodie and embedded into the wall behind him. He was silenced quickly, and became a bit sweaty. Undyne smirked.

"What was that? Couldn't quite hear ya."

"did i say somethin'? nah, not me. nope. not at all..."

"The intel we have now has certainly been helpful...but it wouldn't hurt...to gather a little more while we're there, you know?" Alphys smiled, twiddling her fingers. "I mean, that IS what an expedition is all about! Exploring, gathering information, that stuff! Ehehehe...hehe...heh..." Alphys awkward silence was broken by her eating from her bag of potato chisps.

"This will be quite a risky venture indeed. Though I do wonder how we will continue from there?" Asgore wondered. "How will we be able to find them?"

"Oh that's quite simple, my dear King. We let them come to us." Muffet points out.

"I do not follow."

"I kinda do." Frisk raised a hand. "For whatever reason, likely to be a friendly one, the Queen of Legatum has invited us. This isn't like our previous expedition in which we go directly to said Kingdoms uninvited and hope for the best. This time we've actually been allowed entry. We're guests. They offered their hospitality to us. Which means we already have their support, to a degree we can work with."

"Getting warmer.~" Muffet cooed.

"We don't want the Queen to get hurt. Not only because she's likely to be a decent person, but she's the one who invited us over. As her guests, we also have a responsibility to make sure that our visit is bearable for our host." Undyne stated strongly.

"Which means Karma will show themselves to us on their own volition either trying to harm us or the Queen for inviting us, instead of us hunting them down. The Queen's formal invite is our excuse for being there." Toriel rubbed her chin. "They might see our presence as either a nuisance or an opportunity. Either of which we can take advantage of, with proper preparation and adaptibility."

"We should also be sure to consider they may have other plans in store that do not directly involve us. In which case, we should be prepared for such a possibility, to either intervene or stay out of the way, being mindful of others around us." Asgore added.

"Of course, we also have to be wary that any pre-plans can go wrong at any time, so we should be prepared to adapt quickly." Alphys nodded. "I've watched enough anime and experienced a couple instances myself to know that plans very rarely survive first contact completely unless you''re just THAT good at planning for every possibility. We'd best be safe than sorry. Which means if we do split up in teams, we also shouldn't stray too much from each other while in said teams. In new territory, it's risky to do anything that splits us up too far."

"Right. So to finalize, we have several objectives: Explore Legatum, Help protect their Queen, Hunt down this 'Terra'. Get Karma to reveal themselves to us, then capture and kick them out of their territory." Undyne craned her neck. "Let's not split ourselves up until we formally meet their Queen, though. She invited us, after all. The least we could do is all be there to greet her. She might do the same for us."

"AGREED! NOT MEETING HER FACE TO FACE AFTER SUCH A GESTURE WOULD NOT ONLY BE RUDE, BUT A BIT OF A RISK TO HER. NOT THAT WE DOUBT WHOEVER HAS BEEN PROTECTING HER." Papyrus pointed out.

"Still, better safe than sorry. Until we finalize a couple things, we stay together." Alphys nodded.

Everyone nodded. For better or worse, they had their plan going into Legatum. Now all they needed to do was gather up their supplies, some last minute finalizing, and they would be off.

Of course, several people need to see them off.

"I'm still greatly unsure about this whole conclaive of a mess..." Linda muttered as she and Helen were were gently hugging Lisa, who hugged them back. "But as long as you have supervision...and if you say you can do this...then we will believe in you."

"I assure you that I'll be back quite soon...Moms."

"Don't forget to brush everyday!"

"Don't forget to floss!"

"Or to change clothes!"

"But they have to bathe first, Catty!"

"Oh man, that's right! They gotta BATHE! Be sure to bathe!"

"It has to be extra extra EXTRA bubbly and soapy for maximum amount of clean! Don't be filthy like Catty!'

"...It's true."

"We love you too. We'll be back soon as we can." Lizzie reassured them, while Ace was reassuring Burgerpants and Nice Cream Guy.

"You brats better come back safe. Not that we don't trust ya or have faith in ya, but we adopted you fairly recently. It would be beyond suckish if you never came back." Even though it came with a somewhat sarcastic tone, Burgerpants meant every word. He honestly wouldn't be able to handle losing the child he just adopted in such a manner. He was actually getting used to being a parent, despite all the extra work it meant for him.

"You can bet we'll be back! We're GROUP! And we have each other's backs no matter what!" Ace reassures proudly with a 'Nice Guy!' pose.

"Are you sure you really need to go?" Diana wondered softly while reluctantly letting go of Justin, who tilted his cowboy hat upward.

"We gotta support each other, Ma. It's our first active mission as GROUP." Justin said strongly.

"Well, you'd better be the best supporters of each other, ever. You're gonna come back to us. We forbid you from NOT doing that." Gloria said strongly.

"Pish Posh, Mother! We stand by what we say! Take it from me, one with a soul of Integrity. If I say we're coming back, you can believe we're coming back." Verena said just as strongly, except with a smile.

"Besides. The six of us are a much more cohesive unit than you think. And with Chara and Frisk at the helm, we're definitely gonna be fine." Richard smiles kindly.

"Yeah yeah, be sure not to get hurt too much. I just got a little brother, and I'd very much like to keep him." Fuku said, her flame hand harmlessly petting his head. The amount of control flame elementals like she and Grillby attained was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

"...Best of luck." Grillby said. It was short and to the point. But the amount of warm support that filled those three words was just as awe-inspiring.

GROUP has been entrusted to my care. I'm gonna see to it that they get back home safely. Updated Status: Den Mother! Alphys thought strongly.

"Alright, do you have everything packed?" Tamotsu asked Faryn, who was bouncing in place. "Food is packed? Brushes? Change of clothes? The essentials?"

"All prepped!~"

"Good, very good. Um...have any last minute exploration jitters? Jitters of hesitation? Hesitation that makes you consider...staying home a bit longer, perhaps...?"

"Nope! No anxiety jitters! Only excited jitters!"

"Right. Of course. You've made your decision quite clear." Tamotsu said while scratching his head.

"There's no need to worry, Papa! I've got this!"

"Indeed you do. Of course you do." Tamotsu nodded. "Remember, Faryn. Even if I'm not within the immediate vicinity, I'm always prepared to come to your aid. If something happens, you need only send me a letter or have your friends call me, along with sending me a location. I'll immediately go over to where you are and kill every enemy."

Several who didn't know much about him were chilled by how casually, yet seriously Tamotsu said this. Taking his past into account, it was clear as day that he wasn't bluffing.

Luckily Faryn understood the core message, despite how extreme as the actual words sounded. She nodded quietly as she jumped atop one of his tails, then another, before reaching his fuzzy cheek, lightly nuzzling him. "I'll be alright, Daddy. Have plenty of friends watching my back, after all." She then lightly kissed his cheek. And despite how small she was compared to his current large size, it managed to warm him completely. "Love you.~"

"...I love you too." Tamotsu smiled while gently giving her a hug and a cuddle.

Alvina was moving up to Frisk and company, with Adam and Temmie by her sides and Axel in her arms, to see them off. "Well then, you'll be going on another expedition, huh? Going to yet another land...this time on an entirely different continent. Yeesh..."

"It does feel pretty immense, huh." Frisk nodded.

"In any case, I'm wishing you all the best of luck. While you all are out, I'll be doing what I can to hold down the fort in Ebott. I'll have the other big names backing me up so nothing goes wrong while you're away, so you'll have nothing to worry about." Alvina smiled as she lightly held out Axel in front of her "Isn't that right, Axel?~"

"Mreeeow..."

"I...don't think he cares." Adam noted impassively. "In any case, it's what she said. We can hold the fort here. You all do what you need to do."

"We shall. Do stay safe while we're away. I cannot help but have a sneaking suspicion that there's still trouble to be had around here." Asgore hummed worriedly.

"Simply put, try to stay out of too much trouble." Chara said bluntly. Trouble was simply expected amongst their large group of friends at this point. The only thing of importance is how much would plague them at a time, and how they would get out of it.

"You don't have to worry about a thing. Ebott is in good and capable protection. That's a perk of placing three Kingdoms in an alliance with said city at the center.~" Cleo hissed playfully.

"Powerhouses from all three sides. Yeah, Ebott's pretty safe.~" Leviathan smirks.

"We'll keep everything nice and tidy. Everything will be fine. I'll have several treats ready for you ahen you come back." Valerie smiled.

"Everyone seems so confident. What a delight.~" Mettaton spun several times, before stopping and striking a pose. "I'll be helping these lovelies keep the morale up while you're away. Entertainment can be it's own kind of reassurance.~"

"...Right. Um...you do that." Alphys smiled sheepishly. She briefly did a headcount on who was joining the expedition. The Dreemurrs would be going, Undyne and herself, the Skelebros, Gaster, Gerson, GROUP, MK, Red, Muffet, Faryn, and the Dragon Trio. Quite a bulky party, but she's relatively confident they can adapt.

Flowey would be staying as well. Not only to be there to keep an eye on Alvina, but also so he could stay with Temmie. He had a feeling that he would he needed with them, at least a little bit.

"WAIT! I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING!" Papyrus raised a hand. "LEGATUM IS A CONTINENT AWAY! NOT VERY CLOSE AT ALL! HOW WILL WE GET THERE?"

"I...I have an idea...if anyone wants to hear it..." Alphys raised a paw. She lightly twiddled her fingers with a sheepish smile. "W...We kinda need some space, though. And I mean a LOT of space..." Everyone looked towards her in confusion. Well, everyone aside from Gaster, Darkness, Asgore, and Toriel.

They eventually found a large enough space outside of Ebott. Alphys takes her phone from her pocket and dials something quickly. Within moments, something managed to materialize in a burst of light, and it indeed took up quite a bit of space. It finished materializing, and landed almost gently on the ground.

Astonishment was what most of the others could manage, with the sight before them.

It was, for lack of a better word, an airship of incredible size. It's of no wonder that Alphys requested that they needed a lot of space; bringing it out within Ebott would cause quite a stir, not to mention more than a bit of damage.

"H-Here we are...!" Alphys presented a bit sheepishly, her arms raised towards it slightly. "S-Should I explain a few things...?"

"That's...that's an airship..." Alvina said dumbly.

"It's so cool...!" Frisk, Asriel, Faryn, and MK beamed, with their eyes sparkling in awe.

"I'll take that as a yes." Alphys sweatdropped. "So to start out, unlike a usual airship, this one doesn't use any gases, but that large green sphere you see is the actual engine and power source, powered by self-generating telekinetic magic. The 'balloon' is purple in color and is painted by a Delta Rune that seems pretty visible and would usually be cylinder-shaped, is instead terminated near the front of a large window."

Alphys took several moments to breathe and sip some water, clearing her throat before continuing on with a paw extended.

"Below the balloon would be the common areas were we can rest from a long day's journey. Along with it carries a cinema, cafeteria, gym with a swimming pool, and several more recreational areas. And you see a balcony area where one can sunbathe if they so desired. And last but not least, the disc-shaped area you see atop the balloon would be the bridge, containing several meeting rooms, a laboratory, and a library. Both sections are connected by an elevator you see running along curved tracks on the outside of the balloon." Alphys breathed out a bit, now officially finished with the description. "Whew..."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Alphys blinked nervously, looking around at the gang.

"W-What? Was my presentation off? Did I have leftover food on my face? Were my glasses off-center?" Alphys listed off semi-oblivously.

"You're not just gonna sidestep this. You've built an airship. An AIRSHIP." Alvina stressed strongly.

"Y-Yeah...I...I did. Heh..."

"Say something more than that!"

"Well you see, I figured that we would be going for a much longer travel time that would require an alternate source of transportation. And since our destination is a Kingdom on another continent...well, I figured we might as well travel this way. Don't wanna stress River Person anymore, ya know? Hehe...heh..."

"How are you being so modest about this?!"

"I-It's not like I did it all by myself! I had Gaster and Darkness help me detail some other functional abilities for it, Dyra helped me finalize the design, and Mettaton used his Metta-Bots to give me several hundred more hands to lend in constructing it." Alphys mumbled, twiddling her fingers.

"Now now, Alphys. You are pretty much the biggest brain of constructing this mystechnological marvel. You had nearly every single fucntion mapped out already." Darkness smiled. "All we did is help you iron out several of the minor details that nonetheless couldn't be ignored in the long run. Such as passive defenses via shielding, with one setting used to offset possible non-magical attacks in order to deflect-reflect them, and another setting for magical attacks which will be absorbed and processed to further power the ship."

"Lightning magic helps powers the ship, and telekinetic magic helps it fly. Both are with their own generators and a great surplus of power. They also have their own defenses as a precaution towards potential sabotage. It also automatically adapts to any possible weather changes via forecasting and alternating flight modes." Gaster included. "It helps to have helpers. We helped smooth some of these details in order to increase the airhsip's efficiency to it's best degree possible." He then smiled. "But make no mistake, Alphys was the biggest genius behind it's construction overall."

"How did you even fit this into the Dimensional Box...?" Chara muttered.

"I've upgraded our personal Dimensional Boxes even further." Alphys smiled sheepishly. "Now they can carry an even greater amount of items, up to thirty at best, regardless of size, shape, weight and mass. And we all have shared access to them, and they can only be accessed by members of the Dreemurr Faction or other approved parties. A security caution. Don't want just anyone rummaging through our things."

"Forgive us, Alphys. This accomplishment is just...it has us speechless." Toriel said politely, still shocked herself. "And...this airship does not take up more than one space in the Dimensional Boxes."

Alphys smiled cheekily, pushing up her glasses. "To repeat, they can now hold a larger amount items regardless of size, shape, weight, or mass. And technically, this airship is one item overall. A very big item...but still a singular item, regardless of what's inside it. And it can easily be put back in the Box once we're done, so no worries about anyone trying to steal it. It won't weigh us down at all.~"

"Oh my..."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why she is such a worthy successor to the title 'Royal Scientist'." Gaster cracked a smile.

"Tch. So it's pretty much a Magitek Box of Holding and Sharing, capable of carrying something like this without weighing us down." Flowey scoffed.

"As usual, my wife is awesome. Which was obvious already, but now it's even clearer. Great job, babe!" Undyne grinned, deciding that the best congratulations she would offer at the moment would be a gleeful smack on the ass, which Alphys reacted to with immense blushing and an 'Eep!' for good measure. She didn't seem to dislike it, though. She simply collected herself and smiled even more sheepishly than before.

"L-L-Lady Undyne! T-That is NOT an appropriate sendoff for our journey!" Red sputtered while pointing in indignation.

"I don't think she cares." Asgore smiled exhaustedly, his eyes relaxed lines, much like Frisk's, who nodded in agreement.

"All right. If we've gotten our usual banter out of our system for the moment..." Asriel began slowly as the others gathered around, intent on stepping through the gate first. "We have an expedition to embark on, so let's get to it...! What should we name it?"

"Well whatever we do, we won't be letting you or Asgore name it." Undyne decided immediately.

"E-Eh? Why?"

"I'm sure you and your Dad can keep forgetting that both of you are bad at naming things, but we sure as hell won't be."

"Now Undyne, that's just a little harsh, don't you think?" Asgore weakly attempted to defend.

"Really. At the top of your heads, what was the very first name that came to you two?" Undyne challenged.

"...Airy the Airship." Asriel admitted dejectedly, staring at his now much more interesting feet. Undyne turned to Asgore daringly. He relented sheepishly.

"...New Skyship..."

Undyne didn't even dignify those responses with a facepalm. "I can't tell if you two unconsciously stopped trying or if you're steadily getting worse."

"I unfortunately have to agree." Toriel sighed.

"Et tu, Tori...?"

"Mom, whyyyy...?"

"Gorey, Asriel. You both are my precious boys and I love you. Truly, I do. But I cannot always bring myself to freely ignore your rather poor taste in names." Toriel shook her head. "And I would describe those names as...rather poor."

"Oh..." Mini-rainclouds appeared over their heads as they stared dejectedly at the ground. "Okay...that's fine..."

"You two are unbelievable." Undyne shook her head. "Alphys, really quick. You oversaw and planned the construction of the ship, you name it."

"Ugh! We don't have time to waste on names! Can we just go?!" Red said in exasperation.

"I was thinking we keep it simple. How's 'Radiant'?" Alphys suggested.

"Don't ignore me!"

"Hmmm...I suppose it's a good enough name. Easy to remember, too. Alright, Radiant it is!" Undune supported, and so did the others. They could always change it if it didn't work out.

"Can we go now? We've wasted enough time already." Red grumbled.

"You're an impatient pup, ya know that?~"

"It's not my fault!"

"Pretty sure it is." Muffet smirked.

"Grrrr..."

Alvina slowly watched the party board the Radiant with Asriel and Asgore's heads hanging in shame. And as Alphys described, it managed to get off the ground not with gases or wind, but with powerful telekinetic magic that was capable of carrying something so large off the ground and keeping it airbone for extended periods of time. Still a strange, yet impressive feat to see in action.

She wasn't aware of why, but she was more worried than usual for everyone, Frisk especially. Maybe it had something to do with visitng another Kingdom on another continent.

"...They'll be fine." Temmie said seriously, gently patting her shoulder. Adam did the same, patting her other shoulder.

Alvina believed that. Truly, she did. But after opening up about just how significant Frisk had been to her life...she still could not help herself. She was just...really worried about Frisk, specifically. Much more than usual. Not that she didn't have trust or faith in Toriel and the others, but it still tugged at her and she dien't know why. She hugged Axel closer to her chest and closed her eyes rather somberly.

Frisk...please come back safe and sound...

(?)

"Milady...it appears that they're heading to Potestas earlier than expected." Valantis informed his superior. "I guess I'll have to adjust a few things for their exploration of Legatum. Set up the appropriate trials for them."

"That so? Cool." Pandora hummed with a hand on her cheek while sipping pink lemonade, and once again soaking comfortably in a cozy bubble bath, the bubbles themselves being both beautiful and colorful. The bubbles get more and more sparkly and shiny!~

"One of the Seven are already waiting in Legatum for them, along with his personal subordinates, and Karma. This is sure to put them through the ringer and truly test their worth and see if said worth truly is as great as it seems."

"Neato." Pandora hummed again. "Potestas is kind of your territory, so you can do whatever you feel you need to."

"Why thank you. And what, pray tell, will you be doing?"

"I'm gonna be on a very important personal assignment with Parides that requires my full undivided attention. It's kinda top secret. High on the hush hush. Don't mention this to the others. Not a peep."

"I see...very well. I hope for your success."

Pandora would see Valantis disappear from hologram view, and sigh slightly. "Man. Holograms are cool."

"Hm." Parides hummed while scratching his neck. "I'm surprised you could keep a straight face when mentioning your very personal assignment and making it sound soooo super important."

"How do you figure?"

"All you're doing is going on a picnic with me and Alarielle."

"Which is why I'm bathing. I wanna smell nice and fresh for our picnic outing." She said while lightly kicking her feet up, sipping more of her pink lemonade. "Few things can beat out pre-picnic relaxation than a good soak in warm soapy water.~"

Parides tilted his head. "I'm just saying, half them highly expect you to be sitting in a throne where someone of your stature would be sitting. Not casually soaking in a bathtub."

"That's on them, not me. Valantis can do the whole throne sitting thing if he wants; I'd much rather be lying in a warm and toasty bubble bath than sitting in some crappy, overly glamorous, uncomfortable chair that chafes my butt. It deserves better treatment than that." Pan huffed while blowing several bubbles out of her hands, giggling softly. "You have to admit that bubble baths are a much more fun use of time than sitting around on a throne. Plus it'll catch people's attention much easier. For obvious reasons.~"

Parides raised his paw to argue, only to lower it and smile awkwardly. "Fair enough. Not so sure about the butt part, though..."

"Hey, piss off! My butt's amazing! Glorious, even!"

"Debatable."

"You're just saying that because you're using your wife's as a comparison."

"...Noooo..."

"You looked away when you said that. You're thinking about it right now." Pan puffed her cheeks in annoyance as she splashed water in his face. "Jerk."

"Look who's calling who a jerk. You just splashed water in my face!" Parides chuckled.

"It was well-deserved."

"That is also debatable!"

Pan waved it off as she sipped the last of her pink lemonade, swirling the ice in the glass around a bit. "I gotta make some more pink lemonade. Gonna need about three gallons."

"One for each of us?"

"Nope, all three of them are for me. But I'll consider sharing since you both are my friends."

"How gracious of you..."

Pan soon stepped out of her bath while setting her glass down, dripping wet and lightly shaking some water from her hair, pushes some of it away from her face as she wrapped a red towel around her body, having it be nice and snug. She then proceeded to take a second towel and wrap it around her hair.

"Seriously, Pan. What do you think is going to happen at Legatum?" Parides asked softly.

Pan rubbed her chin with lowered eyes. "Hmmm...if Valantis is sending in a member of the Seven that I think he's sending...then I think that the Dreemurr Faction will have to prepare for things to get really rough really quickly. Both this and Karma will be troublesome adversaries. If they find a way to overcome them, that'll definitely be worth watching. And if they overcome them, that means they got stronger. And if they get stronger, they'll be capable of doing/causing more interesting things. For them to cause meaningful ripples that affects the world that's been still for years...that's what I wanna keep seeing from them. And if they lose...well, they lose. That's that."

"I...I suppose I can accept that." Parides hummed. Sometimes he could never get a proper read on her thought process.

"...Do you think Alarielle will be up for butt comparisons?" Pan asked offhandly while looking herself over in front of a mirror. "Cause I think she'd go along with it for giggles."

"I can't believe that question just left your mouth in a serious manner."

"It's definitely that serious, Parides."

"That's definitely debeatable, Pan."

Pan pouted and very lightly poked his snout. "Is everything I say 'debatable' to you?"

"...I'm quite unsure. We'll leave it for a later debate.~"

"Ohoho! How sheepishly cheeky of you.~" She lightly flicked Parides nose as they both left the room, intending to prepare for their picnic with Alarielle. She went back to her thoughts.

The member of the Seven would give them a rough time, a supremely rough one, on top of Karma occupying bits of Legatum.

And it only adds to her rapidly growing interest in what might happen. Best case scenario? Everyone ends up with a few scratches. Worst case? The entire Kingdom ends up being destroyed. Likely due to Legatum's own folly, or Karma's interference. Or both.

Just like what happened to Kingdom Animus.

...I wonder what kind of picnic dress I should wear? More than that, gotta prepare that pink lemonade!

I've finally gotten this out. Maybe now I can actually progress a bit faster, if real life doesn't try to slow me down further. It being real life, it most certainly will.

But I gotta keep tryin', ya know?

Onwards to Kingdom Legatum, with an awesome airship courtesy of Alphys the Royal Scientist and her amazing friends!