Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You were promised a body, once.

A voice calling to you, barely audible in the endless, endless dark. The abyss, the void, the darker and still yet darker. Whatever it was called, it was cruel, formless, and all you were was a shaking, red soul. Who were you? How had you gotten there? How long had you been there?

Meaningless questions with no answers.

Your "vessel". You'd built it with love, because you wanted it so desperately. With compassion. With anguish, and horror, and resentment. With everything you possibly could.

You'd rejoiced, feeling your essence move for the first time in unknowable time. Slowly, but surely, your soul was being moved towards your body.

And then—

You're still not quite sure what happened. 

A voice, far louder, right in your non-existent ears, announcing that your vessel was discarded. 

And then a pull so hard you no longer existed.

You meet Kris.

Although, you find that's not quite right. Can you meet someone you are? 

You experience Kris, though you don't know at the start. Very quickly, everything begins to separate into things you do and don't know.

You're not really sure how you know the language, or the manners, or how to count. You can pick out parts of your body. You can read and write, and you know flowers bloom in the spring, but you definitely don't know where you are. You don't know why you are here.

You do know that something's wrong, immediately. Your name is not Kris. You are not your vessel. Your body doesn't move the way you instinctively know it should. Your vastris lateralis and vestus medialis resist your movement, making you fight every step. Your tongue is uncooperative and your lips don't shape words properly. But you get out of bed, marvel at the light spilling from the window onto the carpet, and go to school.

The woman, a goat-like monster with violet-wide eyes — she speaks, but you can't hear, and makes something inside you ache (your upper lungs, maybe your sternum?), but your eyes move away from her of their own accord. They move away from everything of their own accord aside from your own two feet, still walking the school halls like quicksand. You don't know why.

The list of things you understand is much shorter than the list of things you know.

Surrounded by people you ought to know but don't, you start to think that maybe the reason you don't recognise anything is because this is not where you are supposed to be.

And that thought — it carves its claws into you, sinks its teeth in like a basset hound and a fat steak. 

Who is Kris?

Who are you?

You're ran out into the hallway again, watching through irises you don't own as a purple monster eats chalk, something you understand to be ridiculous, but you don't understand what you're supposed to do about it. The teacher gestures frantically at you as you look back through the styled glass, before facing the class.

Danger.

A voice, around the shell of your ear. You think you might shout, but your mouth doesn't open.

Before you can think of it any further, the monster - Susie - picks up your body and slams it into the locker behind you. You feel bad, because it isn't yours. She bares her teeth, rows of sharp canines inches from your face.

Something is happening to your body, this body — the amygdala alerts the hypothalamus which alerts the sympathetic nervous system which tells cortisol and adrenaline to release from the adrenal glands just above the kidneys.

Your hands shake.

But she drops you, and you slump. She doesn't want your mother to bury her child. 

She asks your opinion on something, and your mouth finally, finally opens, but she spits that your choices don't matter before you can say anything. You want to laugh, wondering if they ever have. It's clear, from your position slumped on the linoleum flooring, that all of your hopes and dreams for some kind of new life have disappeared into a haze. 

She marches off in the direction of what you assume to be the closet full of chalk.

You don't understand. You don't move.

Susie looks over her shoulder. "Hurry up."

Your — the body obeys your request to follow. 

Who is Kris?

Who are you?

No answers present themselves, and you honestly can't say if a Dark World is a normal occurrence. Susie seems shocked and afraid, but you find yourself unsurprised, both that there is a world at the bottom of a hole and that a hole exists in the first place.

"You're blue!" Susie blurts, and you check your hands but they're gauntleted in shining silver - your arms, at least, are a fluorescent blue, almost robin's egg, up to the pauldrons covering your upper arms. The sneakers you'd become intimately familiar with over the last few hours have transformed into metal boots. It's a bit—

"The fuck," says Susie, pulling at her new vest. Succinct, you think.

After a few more minutes understanding the magnitude of shoulder pads, Susie takes off ahead. You try to appreciate her enthusiasm as you stumble after her.

And then you meet Ralsei.

The prince. Your eyes don't let you comb over him as much as you'd like to, and you forget about it in favour of listening to the Prophecy.

There's something familiar in his tone, in the lilts of his story, in the hollowness of the streets leading to an empty castle. It stirs something in your chest, but it's shoved away before you can try to identify it properly.

And the Prophecy of course; a human, a monster, and a prince of the Dark.

Kris, Susie, and Prince Ralsei.

No space for you. For whoever you are. For whatever you're supposed to be.

Susie brushes it off easily, making the prince's cloaked silhouette deflate. She turns to leave, and as much as you pity his empty home, the Prophecy leaves a bad taste in the back of your mouth.

Before you can try to force your legs into action, though, a small, round, something slams through the castle wall on a motorbike.

No, sorry — a bike that's on fire.

It crashes into Ralsei, who tumbles back with a shriek.

"And who are YOU supposed to be?" Susie snarls.

Your — the body tenses, your right hand reflexively reaching for your waist. There, your thumb, index finger and middle finger curl around cool metal.

"I'm..." He honks his horn, then points directly at Susie. "... The bad guy!" 

Her expression flattens as he monologues. All things considered, you think he's pretty cute. He has a big smile and lolls his wide blue tongue every other word. He barely comes up to the tip of your ischium, and this body isn't particularly tall.

"And then, you LOSE!" He gives a big, wide, utterly unthreatening grin.

Susie's flat expression doesn't change as she reaches into her pocket. "Great plan."

He pauses, looking at her, and your other hand moves to your waist, clenching the metal there tightly. "... You think so?"

Her face grows vicious, teeth bared in a fearsome smirk. "Mind if we use it on you instead?"

The air crackles.

And then—

Susie hauls a massive axe out of her pocket at the same time your hands pull the metal at your hip to brandish a bright pink sword.

You take a moment to marvel at it; it's remarkably light, and staring at it closer, you can see it flickering in places — it seems it's actually made of wood, not metal.

Focus.

Susie gnashes her teeth. Lancer revs his bike, but all it does is change gears. You blink, and it comes flooding back. 

Strike up a friendly conversation. We do not want to hurt anyone, do we?

Quickly, you try to think of something to say.

...

Mercifully, your mouth opens. You succeed in forcing air through your vocal chords, and up through your windpipe. "I like your clothes. Um... body. I mean... head?"

Something inside you cringes horribly, but Lancer smiles at you, and you know you did the right thing.

And then Susie swings her axe, and only his spin saves him from being cleaved in half. He's slashed in the chest instead and he recoils, smile sliding away.

Horror rises in you, a tsunami wave, watching him clutch at his front, visually looking no different, but they never do, they never do—

Horror in your throat, under your eyelids, crawling on your back and it stings like betrayal and it tastes like dust—

Whatever has been fighting you cannot stop the scream that chokes itself past your larynx, through your vocal cords and up out of your mouth, a high, bloodcurdling wail that causes the other two to stop and stare at you.

You stare at Lancer, whose brows are pinched with concern. You stare at Susie, who looks beyond confused and maybe a little afraid. "Kris...?"

You drop your sword and stumble back, despite the body's best efforts to keep you still. Spots dance in front of your eyes, and your chest feels like it might collapse in on itself.

You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris You are not Kris You are not Kris You are not KrisYouarenotKris Youarenot—

Something violently crashes into your mind, doing the mental equivalent of shoving a hand into your mouth, or perhaps locking you in a birdcage and dumping a blanket over it.

You force your eyes shut, and feel something else open them. Someone else.

"I'm fine," comes a short voice. You can't remember who it belongs to. Your — the body walks easily back to the sword, picks it up, and levels it at Lancer, intent to continue clear.

But your vision is all blurry, or maybe flat - the colours smudge together oddly. You try to rub your eyes. Nothing happens. You try to blink. Nothing happens.

You try to open your mouth. Nothing happens. You try to turn your head. Nothing happens. You try to inhale, or exhale, or scream. Nothing happens.

Lancer's hood darts between you and Susie, face pulled down in a frown. It's unsettling, though you hardly register it through your muddied eyesight. 

The body lowers the sword as Lancer says something, flipping it back into a pencil and shoving it in their pocket. The body looks at Susie, still eyeing you strangely, and their expression is flat as a board, flatter than you could ever hope to imitate.

The round boy points again, drawing the body's attention, and seemingly comes to a conclusion. "My bike is almost out of fuel! But next time... YOU will be the losers!"

He laughs, a high, happy sound you would never associate with a "bad guy", then flings himself back through the hole in the castle wall. You can hear the tooting of a horn in the distance.

The prince returns, looking no worse for wear, though you can't see much underneath his giant cloak. Susie says as much, and he pulls it away to reveal—

Something inside you clenches, tight as a vice, as the body inhales minutely in shock. A fluffy shadow smiles back at you. "Um... My name is Ralsei. It's nice to meet you two!"

The body immediately darts its eyes away, and you feel its shock be pushed down, down, until it's gone.

“I'm sure the three of us will become great friends, and—”

“Quickest way to leave is East, right?” Susie interrupts, her voice flat.

You can hear the beam in the prince's voice. “Yes! That's where—”

“Got it.” She pivots on her heel, before pausing. “See you in school, Kris.”

With that, she takes off, leaving Ralsei stammering.

“Well… Um… I guess it's just us two.” He fidgets, drawing the body's gaze again. He reminds you so distinctly of someone you can't put your finger on and are in no state to remember, being the mental equivalent of tied up.

Ralsei smiles again, clearly trying to cheer himself up after Susie left without much of a word. “Um… Kris… I'm a prince, but I don't have any subjects.”

The body tilts its head, and he continues, “I've been waiting… my whole life for you two to arrive.”

His whole life? His whole life?

You think of the dark. You think of having a choice. You think that Ralsei is much different than you for choosing it.

“I'm really happy to meet you, Kris. I hope we can be really good friends.”

You want to smile and say yes, but nothing happens. The prince smiles at you again. “Let's go southeast, to find Susie.”

The body nods, and when it marches out of the castle with an even pace, Ralsei follows along behind.

It pauses outside of the gates, holding a hand up at something you can't see. And in an instant, air is filtered into your lungs and back out again, and you open your eyes and blink.

That voice again, flat, unemotional, in the shell of your ear. You would jump if the body let you. 

Calmed down?

And then, very suddenly, you know another thing: the original owner of this body is still with you.

Chapter Text

So, it's Kris.

Yes, says the voice. Says Kris. My name is Kris.

Yeah. You’d managed to pick up that much. Something about literally everyone calling you that?

Something — Kris — forces a huff through your mouth.

You turn to look back at the castle, still getting used to the way lateral neck muscles work again. Ralsei follows your gaze, obviously not knowing what madness is occurring within your body. “My home. … It's empty.”

You look back at the lonely prince, alone for unknowable time just like you were, and Kris tries to keep your eyes from dropping in sympathy. You're not sure how much they succeed, as Ralsei smiles at you reassuringly. “Hopefully not for much longer, though! Eastward!”

Right, right. You go to leave.

Wait.

You wait, vastris lateralis and vestus medialis tensing to hold you in place.

The light.

You look around briefly, but see nothing. Kris’s tone grows slightly more urgent. 

The light only you can see.

You comb the empty streets with your gaze. You see nothing.

Right at your feet!

You look closely at the sollerets covering Kris's feet. You see nothing.

Kris inhales sharply, making your lungs pull oddly. What…?

You see nothing. There's not much more to say — the streets are empty of light, people, and substance, covered in the eternal darkness of the Grand Fountain. 

You wonder if you're allowed to move yet.

Kris releases their grip on your legs, and finally, you walk towards the east, failing to imitate Kris's even pace. Ralsei says nothing of it if he notices.

“Ah!” Ralsei rushes up to the foot of a dummy, settled in the courtyard to the direct east. “Hold on, Kris! Maybe we should learn how fights work?”

Kris wants to sigh, but you manage to hold it back, and annoyance that isn't yours bubbles up quickly before it's roughly forced back down. Your mouth opens with little resistance. “Um, sure.”

As soon as the words leave your mouth, your soul is drawn out into the open, making you shriek despite Kris’s effort. They manage to stop you from jumping back.

Ralsei, facing you directly, tries to placate you. “Hey, it's okay, this is a normal part of a fight. This is your soul, the very culmination of your being!” 

His tone is comforting, but his eyes widen minutely when he glances at it. “Though…”

A shocked gasp through your mouth makes you cough and splutter, but you manage to wrest control over your lungs before it spirals into some kind of heart attack.

What… is this…?

You glance at your soul, the only thing still you. Having it out in the open makes you beyond antsy. Kris’s reaction doubly so. You want to reach out and grab it and hide it away forever.

Ralsei smiles again, any hesitation gone so quickly you probably imagined it. Raising a hand, blunted projectiles appear around him. They curve around and fire at you from the dummy. “This is an attack. Try to move out of the way!”

You narrow your eyes and drop into a crouch. Muscle memory, from memories and muscles you no longer have. Regardless, you duck and weave without any trouble. 

Ralsei nods. “Once the enemy attacks, it's our turn!” He looks at you again, and coughs. “Um, Kris, your sword…?”

You blink, and reach for your hip. The pommel of your sword has already formed, and you try to brandish it in one smooth movement as Kris did. Instead, the point gets caught in your pocket. The sword is extremely light — you could swear it flies across the courtyard. It clatters loudly in the corner, despite being made out of wood.

“Ah,” says Ralsei.

Kris groans quietly in embarrassment as you quickly run over to pick it up, the sound ghosting past your lips. The capillaries in your face are running overtime. Blushing, you think it's called.

Kris groans again, and you're presented with the mental image of their head in their hands.

You quickly resume your position, pointing your sword at the dummy. 

Ralsei, mercifully, says nothing about it. “Okay! Let's practice fighting!”

“Fighting?” It comes out of your mouth without thinking, incredulous. The tip of your sword droops.

He seems pleased by your unwillingness to hurt anyone, but presses the point. “We don't need to fight anyone, but it's good to learn every aspect of a battle.”

He gestures at the dummy. “Please have a try!”

You move closer, within reach of the sword. Then stare at it. And continue staring.

It's stuffed with some kind of faux lining. It looks fluffy. And a lot like Ralsei. And something deep inside of you tells you to never, ever hit a dummy.

Not wanting to disappoint the prince, you tap it lightly on the nose with your sword, then look at him. You can nearly taste Kris’s disgust on your tongue, but Ralsei smiling, raising his arm again. The same blunted projectiles form in the air around him, and curve back around, poised to strike. “Good work! Now try defending!”

You tilt your head at him. Isn't that what you do every time you get attacked?

Kris switches your sword to your right hand easily. They point it directly up, and the sword fans out and melts into a pink shield, covering the top half of your body. Somehow, they manage to keep you from shouting in surprise, as well.

Ralsei beams. “Perfect!”

The projectiles shoot towards you, and your previous muscle memory doesn't abandon you; with a shield, you're allowed to be worse, and bat the bullets away with a clang and minimal actual effort.

Ralsei nods, still smiling. “You're a natural!”

He walks you through mercy, something you're somehow intimately familiar with, and you find it much easier to hug the dummy, throwing your arms around it enthusiastically. 

It's not as soft as it looks. The fluffy prince looks much softer, but before your itchy fingers can reach towards him he beams at you, the sight making you warm inside. “Good work! We're ready to continue!”

He gestures for you to lead the way, something that makes you immensely uncomfortable but you don't see any immediate way out of. You walk on, trying to avoid checking to see if Ralsei is behind you.

Kris’s disgust doesn't abate at your thoughts, roiling in your stomach and clear in the wince you keep holding back, but they don't insert themselves as they did earlier. You're grateful for that. Hopefully they give you some warning next time.

They huff, the noise whistling past your mouth and making Ralsei give you an odd look. Don't count on it, weakling.

Something in you withers at the insult. Ralsei coughs and gestures for you to continue forward. You hadn't realised you'd stopped.

You guess you deserve that, panicking at the first sight of combat. But is it really such a crime to avoid hurting people?

Kris huffs again, but doesn't say anything else.

You're brought from your thoughts by Ralsei rushing forward and bemoaning the damage to the door. The door to the start of the adventure.

He goes to say something, but he seems to hesitate before cutting himself off with a simple, “Let's be kind, okay, Kris?”

You aren't Kris, but you nod anyway and march through the door, off to your adventure.

Chapter Text

A lot happens in a few hours.

It goes like this:

You try to find Susie. You bow at a giant dog. You talk, and flirt (?), and talk more. Susie and Lancer decide to team up, then make things explode, and remind you of siblings so much you giggle every time you see them. You have a strange inkling that Ralsei is upset, but every time you look at him he's smiling.

Kris doesn't talk to you anymore, but always helps you flick your feet that little bit faster when dodging something particularly difficult. You get the feeling they just don't want their body to get injured.

You find parts of a key, hidden behind walls you shouldn't know how to cross. You throw them in your bag and forget about them.

You fight Lancer and Susie, if you can even call it a fight; Susie falls asleep and Lancer changes his mind. They rejoin the party, but very quickly, Lancer flees. You all chase him, Susie screaming for him to wait.

The castle doors slam shut. And then, you're knocked out.

The floor is cold. It seeps ice into your joints, making peeling your eyes open even harder.

But you manage it. A quick glance tells you you've been thrown in prison. Another quick glance tells you—

Moss.

What?

In the corner.

Ralsei makes a questioning noise behind you as you move towards the corner.

As soon as you're in reach, Kris reaches out, grabs a handful, and stuffs it in your mouth. You almost choke, not closing your windpipe in time, but they seem to want all of your throat and digestive tract, so you cede it to them as they chomp in a way you can only describe as desperate happiness.

You think this is strange, maybe, or out of nowhere, definitely. Ralsei is attempting to clear his throat behind you, but you're not sure about trying to open your esophagus and windpipe at the same time, so you just let him progressively get louder as Kris continues to down the moss like an insane person.

Or—

You want to take a mental step further back. So, you shove Kris the control over the senses and allow all of it to flatten into darkness.

But this darkness — it's nothing like the eternal dark. This darkness is alive, warm, and cradling you with a gentleness that Kris seems decidedly incapable of consciously demonstrating. You can sense yourself in their chest, pulsing among their ribs. You can see it next to their own, bright red soul, heavily outshining your own. It's mesmerising, gorgeous. Why doesn't yours shine like that anymore?

You shake it off and shut off your physical senses and evaluate the body. There has been a persistent ache in its stomach, and you'd just assumed you'd taken a blow, but now—

Wait. There's something off 

about this.

Something not quite rig

ht about

 something you just saw. Something 

isn't—

Kris notices.

…

You want to take a mental step further back. So, you try to shove Kris the control over the senses, but they shove sight and hearing back just as roughly, Ralsei’s fake coughing fits crashing over your ears.

You start to prepare yourself to argue about the importance of working out what's wrong, but your stomach growls as the food hits it and you could smack yourself.

It was hunger. Of course. 

Kris rolls your eyes and finally slows down eating. You notice it's because they mostly finished, not for any normal reason.

Ralsei's fake coughing fit has developed into a real coughing fit, and you do feel a bit bad, so you turn around and slap the prince on the back, right between where his shoulder blades maybe are. You don't claim to know the anatomy of a furry dark world prince.

“Th-thanks Kris,” he stutters between coughs. “I d-don’t know what came over me.”

You smile apologetically before Kris can stop you. They huff, but don't try to force it out your mouth. Weakling.

Before you can think of a response, Susie's voice calls through the grate on the wall. “Ralsei? Kris?”

Ralsei lights up. “Susie!”

They're very sweet, you think, as they bicker about puzzles. It's nice to see people caring so much, even if they pretend not to, in Susie's case.

Kris rolls your eyes again, but doesn't say anything else.

“Hold on!” Susie finally yells, voice already fading. “I'll come bust you out!”

Heh. Rude bust-er you out.

A snort leaves your mouth of its own accord. You pause.

…

What?

Nothing, you immediately think. Everything, you accidentally think.

Kris purses your lips.

Before you can do much else, Ralsei turns to you. “Kris!”

You're getting real sick of being called that. You tilt your head at him anyway.

“Are you worried about Susie?”

Worried about Susie breaking you out? Honestly, no. From the carnage she left earlier, everyone else should be worried about her. She’d been a horror with that axe. Every time she’d swung at something, an involuntary shiver had run down your spine. Every time someone danced out of the way after your warning, you breathed a sigh of relief.

So maybe you're worried she'll actually hurt someone. But none of those creatures had become dust - she'd spared them when they were down, even if she didn't know it yet.

To Ralsei, you shrug. Nothing you could really do about it in this cell.

He doesn't seem affected by your indecisiveness. “Well, regardless, how about we close our eyes, and imagine where she is.”

Um… Okay?

You close your eyes. You picture Susie beating people up and then coming and rescuing you. It's great.

But, um… What did that actually accomplish?

Kris tenses. He wants me.

What?

You open your eyes. Gone is the unbothered prince, and in its place is a nervous wreck, shifting in place and muttering to himself.

When he sees you looking, he dashes closer to you, eyes bright with fear and a wide, clenched teeth smile on his face. “Kris! It's good to finally meet you!”

Fear clenches tight in your throat in response, shooting up your heart rate and making your hands tremble. Kris swiftly tries to wrench control, shoving you back into the chair, but a gasp escapes you, even if they manage to stop you from stumbling.

They try to shove a hand in your mouth, climbing on top of the chair as you shake uncontrollably, watching Ralsei's expression morph into one of horror.

Nobody wants you here. Nobody wants you here. Everyone is trying to get rid of you. You were some kind of mistake—

They manage to force you back, finally ripping control away from you. Red eyes you saw briefly in the mirror flash down at you, disgust making them shine.

They say something to Ralsei, but you're too shaken to hear it.

You withdraw further into the darkness, and you can swear you can feel your heart still pounding despite Kris soothing it back down to normal. 

But this darkness — it's nothing like the eternal dark. This darkness is alive, warm, and cradling you with a gentleness that Kris seems decidedly incapable of consciously demonstrating.

You're too scared to do anything but sit in it, letting the softness wrap itself around you. You can't even lean into it fully — it's Kris, you think, and Kris doesn't need more reason to call you weak.

So you just sit. You sit, and you sit, for unknowable time, until the blanket is lifted off your birdcage.

Kris stares down at you, their expression unreadable, despite it being yours, too. You don't know what they're searching for, and you don't know if they find it, but they pull you up without warning. Suddenly, air is circulating through your lungs again, and you squint against the dim light of the prison cell. You cough, inhaling too big a breath. You don't know if you'll ever get used to coming back into control of a respiratory system.

You blink and look at Ralsei, who is the picture of calm again. As if you weren't unsettled enough, he smiles at you. “I'm sure she isn't far!”

Sure enough, he's barely finished speaking before a purple shadow sprints up. “Guys!”

“Susie!” Ralsei runs up to the cell door as she unlocks it. “You came!”

You try to pick out the terror from his earlier expression and don't see a single speck. Your next breath comes quicker than you mean it to.

Kris scoffs quietly. I took care of it. 

Well, that's not ominous at all. 

I told him it was fine, okay? Stop freaking out, weakling.

You sigh and shake your head, then freeze when you realise the other two are looking at you. 

You stare back. 

Susie grumbles. “C'mon, Kris, we don't have all day.”

Kris pushes you forward and you stumble a little bit. You get the mental image of them laughing at you.

You sigh again and lead the way, the other two following behind, onward towards the king.

Chapter Text

The elevator ride is quiet.

Kris presses a button, and Ralsei moves to the centre of the elevator as it shifts into gear. He sits gracefully on his knees, scarf forming a perfect loop around him. You wonder if that's part of its magic. “Get comfy, everyone.”

You try to imitate him, but Kris keeps your left knee straight, so you kind of just end up splurting on the ground with your knee up. They laugh at you quietly in your head as you grumble, trying to act like you did it on purpose.

Susie leans against the wall, and when you glance at her it's clear she wants to say something; she opens her mouth, closes it, then opens it again. “Ralsei.”

The prince looks at her, all open kindness. Unease settles in your gut thinking picturing the terror in his eyes. “Yes, Susie?”

She looks away, hair covering her eyes. “When we see Lancer's old man, the king… Will we have to fight him?”

You raise an eyebrow at her, but she can't see it. Ralsei tilts his head. “Susie…?”

The monster huffs and folds her arms, clearly frustrated. “I just know it's not your thing. Fighting, I mean.”

Oh, so she's put together that Lancer's dad is the king. That should make the fight a little easier, if she doesn't want to hurt him.

She continues. “You're more into cowering like weaklings.”

A laugh bursts out of your mouth. You make it into a cough when the others look at you, mentally swatting at Kris. They spin away from your hand, cackling cruelly. The mental version of them wears a long skirt that billows majestically as they do so. You scowl. She's got you pegged.

“And I was thinking… maybe I could do that too?”

The laughing stops abruptly. You smirk triumphantly. You were right.

“Susie?” gasps Ralsei. “You want to try ACTing…?”

You look at him weirdly. You don't get the emphasis.

Susie shakes her head quickly, cheeks discoloured. Her awkwardness is endearing, you think. “Hey, I could TOTALLY kick his ASS if I wanted to!”

“I know,” you say quickly, before Kris can stop you. You're trying to be nice over here. It seems to make her feel better, at least.

“Well… As long as you know…”

“Susie! That's—”

Ralsei is cut off by the elevator ding. He blinks. “That's odd. What button did you press?”

You honestly don't know. Kris pressed it.

The doors slide open to reveal an area much darker than the dungeon you'd been jailed in.

Susie balks, then pretends like she didn't. “Um… Well, after you, Kris.”

Ralsei frowns, but says nothing.

A single, blue-tiled pathway leads to a set of stairs that go down, down, into the dark. You really, really don't want to go down them.

Kris makes a disgusted noise and pulls control of your legs from you; they march forward decisively, the others trailing behind. 

You don't like this. You don't like this at all. This darkness is nothing like Kris’s — there's no warmth, no substance, just cold, dark emptiness.

It's much closer to the void. To the endless, freezing abyss.

You recoil involuntarily. It stops your legs in their tracks, and you bring your hands to the sides of your head, closing your — Kris’s eyes.

Then Kris lets out a frustrated grunt and slams you back in your mental birdcage, shaking their head roughly and continuing on down the endless stairs.

The world flattens again. Like television; you're only privy to what's directly in front of you, only hear what's allowed through. You don't hear the clicking of the film cameras, the scribbling of the clipboard of the director.

What you do hear, through your makeshift movie, is laughter. 

Quiet, at first. But slowly growing louder and louder. The kind of laughter of a person with their final thread snapped clean. The kind they scrape off the dirt, hear echoing in courtrooms.

Kris doesn't look behind them, but you try to picture the other's expressions; Susie, bothered but trying to look unbothered, and Ralsei, unbothered but trying to look bothered. 

Finally, the stairs reach an end at a seemingly random place. The laughter has reached a crescendo, and soft, lilting music has started to echo through the short corridor — it leads to a cell. All this, for one prisoner?

Kris approaches with their same determined pace. As they reach the door, they slow down a little, before holding out a hand at nothing. Then they march forward to the door. Do this.

What?

And you stumble forward into the body, slamming into the bars and grunting in pain. You wonder why they are so violent. This is their body too, after all.

You shake your head and arm, trying to shake off the pain (skull, right frontal lobe, maybe right temple?, ulna close to the elbow), when a high voice echoes from inside the cell.

“BUT LO, WHAT IS THIS? A TRIO OF VISITORS, STANDING INSIDE?”

Inside?

Ralsei clears his throat, and moves to stand beside you. “Nice to meet you! I’m Ralsei, this is Kris, and—”

“What the hell are you doing in there?” interrupts Susie, coming around to your other side, peering inside the cell. It’s pitch black through the bars.

“I AM INNOCENT, INNOCENT! I JUST WANTED TO PLAY A GAME, A GAME! BUT THE KINGS, THEY BUILT WALLS AROUND THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T BUILT THEM AROUND ME, ME, ME!” He laughs, that high, snapped sound. It makes your skin crawl. “A PRISON AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD! NOW I’M THE ONLY FREE ONE!”

Ralsei squints slightly. “Free…? But you’re clearly the one behind bars…”

You have a very, very bad feeling about this. You should leave immediately. Your feet won’t move when you tell them to.

“WELL, THINGS DON’T SEEM SUCH FROM HERE, LIGHTNERS! SO, WHAT WILL IT BE, BE? WILL YOU FIND THE KEY, KEY? SET ME FREE, FREE, FR—”

The voice pauses. The music pauses. The world

pauses, and a flash of light, or a spring of darkness,

...

You blink. The music never stopped. “OH, BUT THE KEY, THE KEY, I SEE, I SEE! A MARVELOUS FUN IS ABOUT TO BREAK FREE!”

The key? What key?

The key we fused together.

Kris reaches into their pockets and pulls out an odd-shaped key that you have never

seen before

…?

We got it from Malius. Seam had the last part, remember?

Yes, you remember now. How odd, that you forgot.

Kris holds the key up to the door, and it starts to glimmer faintly. The others do not seem surprised at the presence of it like you were. You feel silly. 

“COME NOW, LET YOURSELVES OUT!” beckons the voice.

The door key forms a door in the prison bars, and opens inwards, towards you. You peer inside (outside).

It’s hard to describe exactly what you see from the outside (inside). The faint music that was gliding along the walls before has kicked up a notch. It’s pitch black, aside from a faint, glowing blue something. You absentmindedly think that if the outside was so dark, you’d prefer to stay inside anyway.

It’s then you feel it—

Something dangerous is in there. You can taste it in the air, in the way your bones shudder. You’re rooted to the ground.

Ralsei looks at you. “Are we going in, Kris?”

You try to say no, but your mouth doesn’t open. Instead, Kris swiftly walks in, gripping the pommel of their sword. 

The inside (outside) makes you shudder. The three of you are walking on solid nothing. It’s dark, dark, and darker. A twisting mass of something you can’t quite look at spins an indiscriminate distance away. You try to shove the senses to Kris in a panic, but they force them back at you, and don’t let go of your legs until you hear the door slam shut behind you. Dread clenches so tightly in your stomach your eyes start to water. How could they be so cruel?

They scoff at you. Weakling. 

“AHA! VISITORS, VISITORS!”

Finally, you see the owner of the crackled voice, the snapped laugh. A pudgy, implike creature stares at the three of you with undisguised hunger in his clown-shaped eyes. His teeth are golden, pointed and sharp, and the purple and yellow of his harlequin jester outfit melt together through your teary eyes. 

His voice echoes strangely through the space. “NOW WE CAN PLAY, PLAY!”

Something forms above you.

“Back!” shouts Kris, and you launch back automatically as a shining purple and yellow scythe cuts through where you were just standing. 

You let out a gasp of shock and check the others. Susie had scrambled back and Ralsei had dodged elegantly. 

Susie reorients herself with a smirk, hand shoved in a pocket, and her voice sounds the same as ever. You wish you had even a fraction of her bravery. “So, that’s the kind of game you wanna play, huh? Then I gotta warn you…”

Kris levels the sword at the imp, as Susie brings out her axe and Ralsei grips his scarf, looking determined. “You’re dealing with a couple of sharks.”

That same shuddering, strings-cut laugh. It makes you shiver horribly, but Kris keeps your expression neutral and stops you stepping back. “HEE HEE HEE! SHARK-TO-SHARK, I WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!”

The small creature throws out an arm, and more scythes appear behind him, highlighted in the glow of the spinning mass. “NOW, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!”

And then, you’re dodging. The little thing is fast, disappearing and reappearing anywhere in the space, shooting orbs, scythes, oddly shaped projectiles, anything he thinks of. It’s immediately exhausting, but you anticipate his attacks oddly. And then it’s your turn.

The mass spins ever quicker, making you slightly dizzy. You suddenly get the strangest inkling of deja vu, of you dodging wrong and sprawling on the ground, of you pirouetting until the clown eyes droop, and droop, and—

“Make him tired!” you shout to the others, trying to make them hear over the din of the odd music. You get two nods in reply, and Susie scrambles for her pockets whilst Ralsei starts to sing.

You position in fourth, left foot in front. You hold one arm above your head, then another out, curved slightly inward. You plié onto your right foot, then push up, moving into your retiré position on relevé. Kris scoffs, nearly causing you to fall over. In English, next time, thanks.

Your momentum carries you around twice, and the imp’s eyes spin as he watches you. Susie is spinning something that looks like a yoyo, and Ralsei’s singing is lilting and lullaby-like.

Perfect, you think, and you dodge out of the way of another attack you feel like you’ve seen before.

The imp cackles again, and you swear his ever-present grin widens. “GOOD, GOOD! BRING YOUR ALL TO BEAR!”

Scythes spin around you. It feels like a whirlwind. Freedom crackles in the air like a bolt of lightning.

You pirouette again, only managing one spin before Kris pushes your back foot out of the way of a bullet the shape of a heart. Ralsei’s singing is cut off as he dodges, but he picks it back up immediately after. You can only hope Susie doesn’t get tangled in her own string.

The mass spins with you as you turn, again and again. You consider it a miracle you don’t get dizzy. The scythes try to pin you down, but Kris forms the shield and bats them away. 

The imp bounces in place, shooting more bullets, this time shaped like clubs, and you start to pant a bit as you roll out of the way. “WHO KEEPS SPINNING THE WORLD AROUND?”

You try to pick out if his attacks are slowing down, but he just keeps bouncing, faster and faster. Ralsei flings a heal prayer at you, and the air you suck into your lungs feels better than it did. “Keep it up! It’s working!”

He cackles again, and forms something behind him. “IT’S SO EXCITING… I CAN’T TAKE IT!!”

Kris hisses through your teeth, panic that isn’t yours making yours worse. Defend.

“Defend!” you shriek, and the others quickly assume their positions as you crouch behind your shield, preparing to dodge. 

The first burst comes from behind you, and you leap backwards. From there, it’s nonstop shots from anywhere in this ridiculous space, and you see visions of yourself getting pierced straight through, over and over—

You freeze at a cry of pain from Susie, and Kris harshly curses before taking the body, dodging most and deflecting the rest. Keep it together.

You’re trying, but as that hellish attack ends you sprint over to Susie, collapsed to her hands and knees and she physically looks no different, but monsters never do—

Ralsei appears next to you and smothers her in green light, and she blinks before grinning toothily. “That was nothin’. Come on!”

Jevil, you think his name is, laughs more, but instead of fear, something else crackles down your spine, and you push yourself up into your pirouette, spinning three times. His head twirls with you. Ralsei’s singing starts to drown out the horribly eerie music this place emits. His bouncing slows. And Susie spins her yo-yo, matching the pace of the mass revolving in the centre, and finally his smile cracks. “ENOUGH! YOU KIDS TIRED ME OUT!”

He raises both of his arms. “KIDDING! HERE’S MY FINAL CHAOS!”

The mass vanishes as he transforms into his scythe, and you drop into your crouch behind your shield again. The others gather, in similar defensive positions. “Get ready,” hisses Susie.

Very suddenly, you get a vision of a scythe falling with the force of a comet, cleaving your head from your body. “Scatter!” you yelp, flinging back and holding your shield up.

They immediately dodge back, and you hope they manage to keep dodging as you throw all your focus into keeping away from these insane weapons. Your breath comes in short, sharp, bursts, but you somehow remain startlingly clearheaded. Muscle memory from muscles and memories that no longer exist.  

Another scythe clangs off your shield, and you find that finally, there’s no more. The mass returns, and Jevil reappears, looking exhausted.

“Ralsei! Now!” yells Kris.

You look over at the prince, who forms a blue orb, then squashes it between his furry paws. Instantly, the imp flashes blue, and he and the mass freeze.

You worry immediately, but when you open your mouth to ask, he moves again, albeit much slower. “WHAT FUN!! I'M EXHAUSTED!! YOU KIDS TIRED ME UP!!”

Kris wants to take a step closer, but you resolutely stay still. They huff.

Jevil continues, as Ralsei and Susie come up next to you. “YOU'RE FAST, FAST, STRONG, STRONG. BUT THERE ARE YET FASTER, YET STRONGER. THE HAND OF THE KNIGHT…”

He trails off, making direct eye contact with you — tiny, piercing yellow lights that you feel stare straight through you. “OH, BUT WHAT’S THIS…? TINY LIGHTNER, FROM INSIDE YOUR OWN CELL! THE GAME IS ALREADY AFOOT!”

He cackles, and you feel dread that isn’t yours settle in the pit of your stomach. It’s almost reassuring, knowing Kris can feel that.

“I LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING TO THE END, LIGHTNERS! TAKE THESE, AND ACHIEVE YOUR STRONGEST METAMORPHOSIS!”

With that, he vanishes, leaving a scythe, his tail, and a small, glass crystal.

Kris seems in shock from whatever the imp meant, so you look over to the others. Ralsei, especially, seems taken aback by something, but he hides it as soon as he sees you looking. “Good work, Kris!”

Susie shoves her axe back into her pocket and bounds up to the scythe, Ralsei on her heels. “Ooh, dibs!”

You follow slower, intent on picking up the crystal. Ralsei examines the tail as Susie practices swinging her new weapon. The second the prince looks away, it slithers under his robe and pokes out the bottom. He blinks in surprise as Susie gapes. “Oh! Hello! Are you here to help me?”

The tail swings around, as if nodding. It seems pretty strong, and probably capable of smacking things out of the way.

Susie points at it in shock. “It… it didn’t…?!” 

Ralsei goes scarlet. “It’s wrapped around my waist!”

You giggle to yourself as you reach for the crystal. But it’s odd; as you pick it up, you thought you saw a bunch of toys strewn on a floor. You look through it closer, and you see nothing. You wonder if Kris knows what it is.

…

They don’t reply. In fact, they’re not anywhere; you can walk with ease, open your mouth with the intent to say stupid stuff, think about hiding without being laughed at.

You frown, before turning to the others. “Let’s get out of here.”

They both nod, and you march them out of that horrible room, and slam the door behind you.

Chapter Text

The three of you traipse back into the elevator. Susie and Ralsei are talking about something or other, but you can’t really hear; you press the button to the first floor and sink down against the wall, pressing your head against your knees and closing your eyes.

You’re tired.

That fight had been hard, far harder than any that had come before it. You don’t understand why it had been so important to Kris that they go there. You don’t understand why it had been so important to Kris that you, in particular, fight him. You don’t understand a lot about them. In fact, you can almost confidently say that in your maybe nine hours of knowing them, you don’t understand anything about them.

The conversation has petered off, and even Susie decides to sit and rest after that battle. Ralsei is probably staring, but you keep your eyes closed, sick of things you don’t understand. You try to pass off the senses to Kris.

And—

Nothing, again. Your senses remain exactly the same. It’s like you’re alone in this foreign body.

That thought, that single thought that you are alone here, makes your chest lurch.

That can’t be. This is Kris’s body. Their life. If they are gone… What does that make you? A usurper? A parasite?

Your eyes burn beneath your eyelids. They can’t go. This is their body. You don’t know much about living, but you don’t think people just… leave.

You pull back, and back, until the hum of the elevator and the quiet breaths of the others flatten into nothingness. Kris’s warmth surrounds you, brushing against you tenderly. You call out for them with your SOUL. They’re in here somewhere, aren’t they?

Within the warm, inky blackness, something shrinks further away. You push after it. 

At first it’s like wading through swamp water, then swimming through honey. The warmth of the darkness first becomes hot, then unbearably scalding, like it's trying to burn your presence away. The caresses of the darkness, of Kris’s darkness, fight every inch, first trying to nudge you backwards before they start violently shoving, but still, you push after it. They cannot leave you here, in this foreign world, in this foreign body. They cannot. 

A flicker of red in the darkness. Barely visible, but you reach, and reach, and reach.

And then—

Red explodes from the glimmer, flooding the darkness with colour. All is rose red, amaryllis red, rushing to you and dominating your pale coral light easily. The red shoots through the space, shatters into fragments, and streaks your vision. Shards of it meet each other and flicker off in a dance you don’t know and you feel them and you suddenly understand; this is Kris. 

It withdraws as quickly as it’d detonated, all the colour drawing together to form that familiar figure you saw ever-so-briefly in the mirror and more commonly in your head. 

They’re taller than you, this time, towering over you. They wear their armour, their robin’s egg blue skin.

And suddenly you have a form, and they’re gripping you by your collar, lifting you off your feet.

And then your voice — no, their voice, coming from all directions, inside and outside, roaring in your ears, in your mind, in your soul, “WHO ARE YOU?”

There's no air to breathe, but you gasp for it anyway. They slam you into a wall, formed behind you, a mirror of Susie earlier. “TELL ME!”

“I-I don’t know!” you stammer. Your voice sounds like nothing. “Nobody!”

Their fringe flutters, and you meet piercing red eyes, seething with anger and mistrust. They shake you roughly. The back of your head hits the wall, and you cry out. “Why did you COME HERE? Why are you CONTROLLING ME?”

The corner of your eyes start to sting. What did you do to deserve this? You didn’t choose this. You didn’t want to be here. You just wanted to live. You just wanted to live.

Hot, frustrated tears pour down your face. They fight against you every step, force you down paths you don't want, force you into fights you don't want. And they have the audacity to accuse you of controlling them?  

You glare at them through your tears, and their mouth peels into a scowl. You just wanted a body. You wanted to live. You didn't want to possess anyone. This isn't what you were promised. This isn't what you were told. You gave your body everything. You didn't get any of it back.

You just wanted to live. You just wanted to live.

You reach up your hands to snatch their collar back, and they try to jerk out of your grasp, but you grip them so hard your knuckles whiten. You slam your forehead into theirs and scream, so loud it penetrates everything, “I WANTED TO LIVE!”  

Something pounds deep in your soul as your foreheads meet. Soft pink-violet lashes shoot out from you towards Kris, as if to grab them, but stop just short of touching them, hesitating.

Kris’s furious scowl drops slightly. They glance at the tendrils, flatten their lips into a hard line, and drop you with a growl.

You slump. The pink curls disappear. Kris paces, muttering to themselves and rubbing their forehead. You sniffle on the ground and do the same, head aching somehow, despite it not existing.

They swing their gaze back to you, radiating malice, but their brows are pinched in confusion. “Why did you come and find me here?”

You stiffen, opening your mouth for an excuse.

But their bright red eyes are piercing, and you slump. They’ll find out anyway, with their capacity to read your mind. You lower your voice as much as possible anyway. “I… didn’t want to be alone.”

Kris tenses, before looking away, so you don’t get to see their expression. “Fine. Weakling.”

Frowning, you fold your arms and look away, too, glaring at nothing. 

But you find it hard to cling to that frustration — your anger fades quickly in the face of loneliness. You don't want to be left alone here. 

You don't want to say that — you don't want to rub it in. “I am not you,” you say instead.

They let out a mirthless chuckle. “Fine, then.” 

The warm darkness dissipates, and when you turn around again, you’re back in the room with the chair and the birdcage. They lounge in the chair, looking at you, expression flat.

You don’t like the chair, or the birdcage, but at least this means they’re going to be there. So, you smile up at them, properly drying your eyes. “Thanks, Kris.”

You catch a flash of surprise in their eyes before they look away again. You stand to leave, but Kris speaks. “Wait.”

You turn to them, raising an eyebrow. They stare through you. “Your soul. Why… is it pink?”

Huh? Your soul? “ Pink? No, it’s red.”

Kris frowns at you. “No, it isn’t. Red is much, um…” They colour slightly. “... redder.”

You think about your soul. Sure, it’s not as red as it once was, but…

Hold on.

Once was?

You try to remember…

…

Nothing happened.

“I don’t know,” you say. “I’m sure it’s red, though.”

They frown deeper, but don’t say anything else. You nod at them, then close your eyes, opening them back in the elevator.

You immediately try to shove Kris the senses, letting them fade slightly. They shove them back, grumbling, but warmth blooms in your throat, and a weight lifts off your chest.

They scoff. Don’t be so dramatic.

You chuckle a little to yourself, and lift your head from your knees.

Ralsei catches your eye immediately, and smiles. “Kris! Want something to eat?”

You don’t bother checking if they’re hungry, and nod. Susie is already munching on a dark burger, nodding appreciatively. “Hey, this doesn’t taste TERRIBLE despite it being burnt!”
Kris doesn’t let you smile, but you feel it anyway.

The journey toward the king is easy at best.

After fighting Jevil, dodging the slow projectiles of the guards you find in the castle is child's play. After convincing half of them not to fight (“OH MY GOD, KRIS, FLIRT WITH THEM YOURSELF!”) and putting the other half to sleep, you make it to the 5th floor.

Susie gasps when she sees the spade room. “No way! Is that…?” 

She dashes off into it, then walks back out, her arms behind her head. “He's not here. Must be off talking to his dad, heh.”

Ralsei smiles at her. “Of course!”

You're not really sure what everyone's talking about, but just let it go, instead pushing through the door of the shop. 

Odd to have a shop in a castle, and Roulxs Kaard is definitely an odd person, you think. He reclines across the register bench, making it impossible for you to put anything there. “Welcome to my shop, ungrateful worms!”

You look across the boxes of things as Ralsei and Susie make conversation (“WHY are you selling to us?”). A few useless knickknacks, an axe, but Susie has the devilsknife… Oh!

“Ralsei!” you call. 

He trots over. “Find anything, Kris?”

You hold up a white lace scarf, intricately crocheted. “Do you think this would be useful?”

Ralsei's eyes go wide. “Oh…Kris… it's very pretty… are you sure?”

Susie yells from across the room, hand in a jar of worms. “IT'S MADE OF DOILIES!”

Well. You like doilies.

You nod to Ralsei, and he beams, clutching it close to him. “W-well… Thank you! I'll protect everyone!”

You give Roulxs the dark dollars (“Thanks, worm!”) and leave, watching Ralsei vanish his old scarf and slowly wrap the new one around his fluffy neck.

He turns to you and Susie when he's done. “What do you think?”

You smile, and Kris gives him a thumbs up. 

The prince’s fur goes slightly pink. “Nobody’s ever gotten me a gift before…”

And you’re not really sure what people say to that. Maybe just a ‘you’re welcome’? But, what if that is ignoring his confession? Kris would never let you say he deserves more gifts. ‘The first of many’, maybe? But, what if you suddenly go broke forever and can never buy him anything again? Then he—

“Kris?”

Susie and Ralsei are at the bottom of the stairs to the next room. The purple monster is looking at you weirdly. “Are you coming or what?”

Kris laughs out loud at you as you hurry over, flushing.

Very quickly, you’re accosted by Roulxs and his music blasting over the castle’s loudspeakers. You wonder if Lancer had them installed. 

Roulxs flourishes his cape, and gestures dramatically. “Come, knaves! Prepareth for battle with…!”

A white beam reveals… the same circle you bowed at earlier. “Whatever this is,” Roulxs finishes.

Ralsei gasps deeply. “Its crown looks different!”

Susie gives him a deep side eye. “It looks the same.”

“Yes, yes!” announces Roulxs. He does another flourish. “The crown allows me to control any disk shaped life form!”

You look at him incredulously. What an odd thing to exist. Susie seems to be experiencing much of the same feeling, brows raised in disbelief at the so-called general.

Ralsei doesn’t seem to notice, expression falling in sympathy. “It looks like it’s in pain…”

Susie turns back to him, mouth open. “IT LOOKS THE SAME???”

You’re inclined to agree. It has the exact same vacant expression. But you aren’t one to prolong even potential suffering, as Kris brings out your sword again and you prepare for more bowing.

“Wait,” says Susie. “I have an idea.”

Oh, really? Susie wants to take the lead here? Finally, you don’t have to come up with all the solutions. 

Kris scoffs at you, and you barely manage to keep it escaping your lips lest Susie think it’s at her idea.

“Oh, Susie!” exclaims Ralsei. His eyes basically sparkle. “What’s your idea?”

She’s quiet for a moment, and you get a bad feeling about this. “Um, well… I kinda need you for this one.”

Ralsei beams at her. “Sure! I’ll do whatever you need! You want to apologise to it for earlier, right?”

Susie moves right behind the prince and grips his arms, a wide grin circling her lips. Kris lets out a shocked laugh, bubbling past your lips, but they don’t notice. “Nah. I just need you to hold still.”

With that, she hoists him up on her shoulder and points him at the round creature. “Kris! I need your help aiming him!”

“Ah, r-right!” You jump into action, moving back and back until you can see the angle needed to throw at. “Higher!”

He squeaks as she adjusts him, gripping his hat.

“Just a bit higher…!”

She moves him just a bit higher… and… “NOW!”

Throws him with all her might. Ralsei crashes into its head, the momentum allowing him to grab the crown and roll on the ground behind it.

The disk-like creature shrinks all the way back down, withdraws its legs, and rolls down the stairs behind you. You hear it clunking all the way down, as if made of light plastic.

The three of you turn to face Roulxs. He looks at the doorway the creature disappeared through as if he watched the last of his dreams evaporate.

Ralsei tries to say something. “Roulxs, we—”

He disappears. “Well, no more obstacles! Luck be with you, heroes!”

Yes, definitely an odd man.

Chapter Text

You round the next corner, Ralsei and Susie in tow, and find yourself in the throne room. 

The dark tones of the castle carry over to the room especially well, all black and white designs and fixtures. The throne has a large gouge cut out of it, and the room itself is a mess; the spade banners have been torn to shreds, money and other valuables scattered across the floor.

“Wow,” says Ralsei, pressing a paw against one of the ripped fabrics. “This must be where the other kings fought Lancer’s dad.”

Susie rolls her eyes, hands behind her head. She marches to the other end of the room without looking at much of it. “Who cares. Let’s go beat him—” she freezes, before amending, her tone hesitant, “Uhh, talk him… up.”

You blink at the phrasing. Ralsei looks confused. “Talk him…up?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!” shouts Susie, flustered, and she runs off to the next room.

“O-Oh!” Ralsei drops the fabric and quickly follows her. “C'mon, Kris!”

You try to affirm, but your mouth doesn't open. Kris rolls their eyes at you in your mind. You talk too much.

Well, maybe they don't talk enough?

They scoff, the sound escaping your lips as you hurry after the other two. They're waiting at the end of a long hallway — as you approach the end of it, a dull roar like falling water starts to hit your ears.

“We're very close to the fountain,” says Ralsei. He fidgets nervously. You'd probably be doing the same, but Kris wouldn't let you do something like that. They make an affirmative noise, lounged back on their chair.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” growls Susie, slamming her fist into her open palm. “Let's go!”

But then, she looks at you. She waits for your call. It makes you beyond uncomfortable, to think that someone with such bravery would fall back to you, like you have anything of the sort.

You open your mouth.

Wait.

“Wait,” you say.

Kris turns your body toward the wall, just on the inside of the doorway, and holds out a hand to it. There's a painting, scratched beyond recognition. You think you see the blue of Lancer, but you can't be sure.

Go.

“Okay,” you say, wondering why they don't just say it themselves. “Let's go.”

Susie looks at you strangely. She glances up at the painting you were looking at, but evidently dismisses it as she shakes her head roughly and storms out into the courtyard atop the castle.

Ralsei looks through you. Waits for you to go in front. So you do, and he follows behind. It unsettles you, but you don't really know what to do about it.

You fall in next to Susie, who is listening and watching as Lancer speaks to his father, the King.

He's silhouetted by a giant black cloak, but he's easily three times the size of Lancer, towering over him. A three-pronged crown sits atop his head.

“Lancer,” his voice is deep and rumbling. Something in you screams danger, shivers running down your spine, but Kris stops your feet before they can back away. Your hands shake regardless. They scoff at you again. Weakling.

“Y-Yes, Father?” You don't like how Lancer's voice shakes like yours. 

The King takes several steps towards his son, who had backed away slightly. “Do you remember what I told you?”

“D-Don’t get too attached?”

He bends down, grabbing Lancer's shirt. Alarm bells sound in your head. You grip your sword.

His voice is soft as a blanket. “You have failed. They have poisoned you with their sentimentality. They do not care about you. They—”

“That's not true!” It bursts out of you like an explosion. Everyone whips their heads to you and you shrink, but continue, “W-We care about Lancer!”

Ralsei nods as Susie shouts, “YEAH!”

The King barely spares you a glance before looking back at his son. “See how they shake in fear? They are afraid of you believing me. Their only goal is to destroy the fountain. They. Are. Scum.”

Lancer stares at the ground, even as his father grips his shirt. He speaks so quietly you have to strain to hear it. “No… They aren't…”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”

The King lifts him by his shirt and Lancer lets out a strangled gasp. You immediately draw your sword and point it at him, fear cracking down your spine. Ralsei shouts in horror and Susie instantly summons the devilsknife, words almost drowned out by her growling, “Let him go.”

The King slyly looks at the three of you, then grabs Lancer’s neck and spins him to face you. You shriek, “Lancer!”

The small boy's round face is deflated. He looks distant, and doesn't react when you yell his name or when Susie growls even louder. The sight makes dread bubble in your stomach.

“Let him go, hm?” The King's voice is smooth and rumbling, like he's talking about the weather and doesn't currently have his own son by the neck. “How about, you kneel before me and swear your loyalty, or…” 

The King slowly walks to the edge. You remember the stairs. Six floors.

“I let him go?”

Susie disappears the scythe and backs up. She looks at you, at your sword, and you flip it like Kris does and it disappears back into a pencil.

Ralsei watches the two of you, worried, and when both of you kneel, he drops into a bow.

The King laughs, a low, booming sound. You can't help but compare it to Jevil in its dissimilarity; while Jevil’s was high, snapped of its sanity, this is a man who knows exactly what he is doing.

Disgust and anger bubble under your skin, but your hands still tremble, clenched against your knee.

“Now, Lancer, watch what happens when you befriend Lightners!”

Bullets form ahead of you, Susie and Ralsei. Kris sucks in a breath. An execution. 

But then the King pitches forward, dropping Lancer, who immediately flees behind you.

“TRAITOR!” roars King, but it's too late for him, because he's lost his ace, hasn't he?

Susie brandishes the scythe at the same time you flip your sword back out. She points at him, hair fluttering, and you can't help but think of how cool she is. “Lancer's my friend. Let us by, and I won't hurt you.”

The King laughs again. You grit your teeth. “So simple-minded… If I perish, so be it! Come, show my son the monsters you TRULY ARE!”

He sweeps out an arm, and a line of spade bullets not unlike Jevil's appear around your group and fire at Ralsei and Susie. The latter grunts and dodges, whilst Ralsei's tail bats a few away.

King turns to face you fully, finally, and his black cape sweeps away to reveal a chain, shooting straight towards you.

Kris spits out a curse and throws themselves to the ground, causing it to sail over your head.

“Th-thanks,” you stutter out.

Ralsei is calling to the King, even as he dodges some bullets the tail is missing. “We don't have to fight! We can find another way!”

King scoffs. “Your empty platitudes mean nothing, just like your ‘kingdom’, so-called prince of darkness!” He gestures, and another wave of bullets fire at him. “Now die with the Lightners you pathetically worship!”

Ralsei draws himself up at the insult. Setting his jaw, he dodges nimbly out of the way. “We aren't going anywhere.”

Susie jumps in, arcing the scythe, but King brings up his chain to block it, before flinging it at you again. You dive to the side, and it crashes into a pillar, reducing it to rubble. The sight makes fear pound in your head. 

You want to cry. You want to curl up. You want this to stop. Why is it always fighting, dodging, dying? You can't breathe, you can't breathe—

Kris shoves you back in the chair, hissing. They stand up and adjust your terrible grip on the sword.

They take stock of the situation. Susie has been blocked again as Ralsei is forced to dodge twice as many bullets, King seeming outraged at the tail.

He bares his long, pointed teeth at Kris, who grips the sword tighter. “You DARE return to torment us once more, Lightners?”

Kris lifts their sword, but hesitates. Then a voice, then their voice, flat as a board as always, “We don't have to fight.”

Shock permeates you. Kris, offering mercy?

King looks highly offended. “Silence, lightbringer!” He flings the chain again, and Kris nimbly dodges. “Your very EXISTENCE goes against our own! By the will of the Knight, I shall strike you down!”

The mention of a knight causes a tangle of emotions that aren't yours to erupt and subsequently be shoved down before you can look at them. Somehow, Kris manages to be private even within themselves.

Kris narrows their eyes at the King, and you can almost hear their thoughts; well, I tried, before they launch at him, in tandem with Susie.

The King manages to block Kris, raising the chain to meet the blow, but Susie's slash catches him in the side.

He growls and a new wave of bullets appear.“BEGONE! We Darkners have found a fresh purpose! In the shadows of the fountains pulled from the ground by the Knight, we shall RULE the NEW WORLD!”

Susie drops the devilsknife as a spade catches her wrist. Ralsei shouts a spell, his doily scarf glowing, and Susie's wrist is healed. She grins at him. 

Kris is too busy watching.

The chain catches them by the leg, and they let out a noise of shock before it yanks them, flinging them straight into the path of another line of bullets.

Fear pierces your veins. You shoot up from the chair and reach for their arm, pulling control and turning their sword into the shield to block the bullets. With that, you manage to block the worst of it, even as Kris’s body is thrown against a pillar.

They groan, but push themselves up. You try to take control, take the brunt of the injuries, categorize them and sort them into understanding, you don't want them to be hurt, but Kris resists. You let them. How could you possibly force control on a body that isn't yours?

“KRIS!” Ralsei screams out, voice high with fear. Susie growls again, that deep, animalistic sound, and you see her jump at him again through Kris’s blurred vision.

Green envelopes you, and Kris relaxes as the majority of their injuries patch.

“It's a good thing you blocked those bullets,” Ralsei says worriedly, paw still on their shoulder from the powerful heal prayer. “You would've been in a much worse state.”

Kris hesitates minutely, but is saved from replying by a drawl from King. “Don't let me interrupt your little MOMENT, Lightners!”

He flings the chain again, and they dive in opposite directions, but you notice — he's frowning, heaving. His movements, while sharp, are slowing.

“Kris,” you say into the nothing. “He's flagging.”

They blink. Pick out the same things you do, then dashes, sword at the ready, and brings it across his body, a slice square on his chest. You wince as the King recoils, back and back. 

“M-My Knight… I will not fail you…”

Susie moves to make another attack, but hesitates, looking at Kris, as the King starts to cough and falls to a knee. They meet her eyes, then turn back to the King.

He coughs again. His cloak flies away of its own volition, right before your eyes. “You are… much stronger than I imagined. In truth… I was not always so cruel. Once upon a time Darkners were able to fulfill their purpose in peace… It would be a lie to say I, too, don't miss those times.”

Kris and Susie exchange a glance again, as King's voice grows more and more scratchy. Susie disappears the devilsknife, but Kris keeps their sword at their side, tapping it.

“Please,” the King looks directly at Kris then, face remarkably similar to Lancer's. It's twisted in regret. “There must be a peaceful solution to this.”

Relief permeates you. No more fighting. You don't have to hurt Lancer's dad anymore.

Ralsei beams at him, the picture of the relief you feel. Susie, too, has her brows raised, despite her folded arms. “I'm so glad you realise, Mr King! We don't need to fight! We can be friends!”

He smiles weakly. “Yes… Friends… That sounds lovely.”

You worriedly watch. Is he going to be okay?

Kris huffs quietly and withdraws, forcing you back in control. You blink rapidly, the darkness from the fountain making everything shift strangely for a moment.

Ralsei has walked up to him, patting him on the shoulder, identical to how he healed you earlier. “There we go! How do you feel?”

He moves his wrist oddly. “Let’s see…”

There’s a whoosh, barely audible over the rush of the fountain. Then—

Kris tenses the body half a second before pain like fire erupts across your body . It cuts through your armour, slices your side, legs, ankles and arms and scratches your face. You collapse, a high whine of pain escaping you.

You try to categorise; the cut at your side narrowly missed your left kidney but is bleeding heavily, you have deep slice across your thigh and your right achilles and bicep have also been cut.

Clutching your side, you look up. Ralsei is a pile of fur in front of you, topped with his lace scarf. He doesn’t move. Fear pierces you harder than the bullets as the King chuckles darkly. “Never better.”

Your eyes fill with tears. You’d been fooled. You’d bought it so completely. And now the others — and now your body — and now Kris’s body—

Susie’s voice, from your right. You scrape yourself to your knee, your achilles screaming horribly as you blood trickles down to pool in your shoes. “Y…You…”

Kris tries to force you back in the chair. You refuse. How could you willingly give them such pain? Kris tries again, climbing on top of you and shoving you back with such force it rattles your SOUL. How could you give them pain that you caused? 

King scoffs at her, a horrible grin shining his pointed teeth. “Did I say you could get up?” 

He raises his hand, and Kris’s frustration pours through you as they form the shield and force your battered body in front of Susie, blocking King’s bullets.

Susie gapes at them. “Kris…?”

King sneers derisively. “Oh, spare me the heroics.” He flings his hand down again, and another wave slams into you.

Before you can feel the pain, Kris finally slams you back into the chair, your senses rapidly flattening and pain dulling into nothing. 

They don’t have time to raise their shield before they’re flung back, past a crashed pillar. 

The tears pour hot on your cheeks. You’ve failed.

Heavy footsteps approach, but Kris is face down, panting.

King’s voice, deep with old anger, sends chills down your non-existent spine. “You’re the leader, yes? What’s your plan? To laugh, as you cast us into obscurity?”

You want to scream you aren’t the leader. You want to scream you have no plan. You want to scream you never wanted to cast anyone anywhere, and that this life was not what you wanted.

Kris doesn’t open their mouth. You want to scream.

“You can’t even say…?” His voice softens. “Let me tell you something, child…”

And then he grabs Kris’s neck, and you do finally scream, piercing and non-existent. King's face is massive in Kris’s vision, pointed teeth bared. “Quiet people PISS ME OFF.”

And you know then that Kris is going to die because of you. Because of your naivety. Because of your weakness.

But then he drops them, Kris twisting to land on their undamaged ankle. He turns to reveal Susie, devilsknife raised, standing on shaking legs. “Get away from my friend.”

Warmth that is and isn't yours soars through you. The King turns, and takes a step towards her. “Or what? You'll talk me to death?” He takes another step. “You honestly think you can convince me?”

A rumbling, and voices behind you. Susie grins, and it makes you think everything will be okay. “Nah. But THEY might.”

“What…?”

King turns and his expression falls into one of pure shock before the rumbling reaches a crescendo and—

And Kris is picked up and pushed forward under a flood of bodies of the people you'd spared. Lancer rides atop them, grinning triumphantly. “Hey guys!”

You're treated to another grin from Susie as she shouts “Lancer!”

King roars in fury as he's hauled up. “What? Stop this at once! I am your KING!”

Lancer sticks his blue tongue out, the sight making relieved, overwhelmed tears spring to your non-existent eyes. “You're being overthrown!”

A Hathy near the edge of the crowd smiles at Kris kindly and heals their injuries. Instantly, their breath comes easier. You want to throw yourself at her feet and thank her. Kris scoffs, and you know it's at you, and you can't stop crying. 

The King hollers and protests and threatens, but Lancer and the crowd carry him away, hooting and jeering at him. 

And then it's just Kris and Susie. 

She hesitates, and before she says anything, Ralsei hurries up to them. Your palpable relief at his safety sets off another round of crying, and Kris rolls their eyes at you. You can't come back until you're done. 

You laugh slightly through your tears. You don't want to dehydrate Kris’s body, it's true. 

Ralsei’s voice shakes. “Kris! Susie! I'm so glad you're alright..!” 

Susie folds her arms. “It'll take more than that to take us down.”

Perhaps she hadn't been hit as hard as you. Kris doesn't bother to correct her. 

The prince turns around, so Kris can't see his expression. You have a feeling you'd understand it, if you could. “I'm so sorry. Susie, you're right. Kindness… it can't always win, can it…”

Her expression turns pensive, lips pinched slightly. “It's complicated. If you just fight everyone, you… might end up hurting someone you care about.”

Ralsei looks back at that, smiling at her fondly. 

And then 

you stand in front of the fountain.

You blink. Inhale, exhale. When did you get out of the chair? 

Susie stares up at the fountain in awe. Bizarrely, it gives off enough light to see her eyes, shining in the dark. “It feels like we stumbled on something important, didn't we, Kris…?”

You don't know what to say. You haven't felt important, trapped in a body that isn't yours, and standing here, in front of an endless fountain, you feel even tinier than ever.

“Well,” she says. “There's no time to think about it. Let's go home.”

Right. Time to go back to the school. 

…

Strangely, as you look into the fountain, something resonates very faintly inside you. But…

Kris sucks in a breath. This isn't right.

What?

You can't close this fountain.

You don't know how you're supposed to close it in the first place.

No. You can't.

You're not really sure what you're supposed to do with that. They heave a massive sigh, and you see them in your mind's eye, sitting forward in your chair with a frown and pursed lips.

Fine.

They tug at something deep inside you, and the faint resonance explodes into something hot and searing. You stumble as Kris’s soul erupts from your body, glowing so brightly it encompasses everything, overshadowing the fountain, overshadowing you. The familiar heat from their soul caresses you as all falls into darkness.

And then—

The light switches on in the abandoned classroom.

Chapter Text

It’s hard to believe, looking at the various objects strewn across the room, that the last few hours were anything more than a particularly vivid dream. Susie rapidly blinks against the light, then takes off, as you are learning she is wont to do. You stay a little longer, staring at the plush, multicoloured carpet.

It rings, so familiar in your mind.

There’s a doll, too, sitting against the wall, that looks identical to Seam, the shop owner in the fields.

…

The fields!

“It looks like—”

Wait.

You trace the path, through the fields, over the chessboard, and to the card castle.

…

It’s identical. It’s identical to the path you took in the dark world. The cards, the toys, are they… are they—

You scramble for your pocket. It’s there — your pencil, your sword. 

You flip it. Nothing happens, and you feel sick to your stomach. 

You try to get out the rest of your items, but the only other thing in your pocket is a small ball of gunk. You shove it and the pencil back.

You don’t understand. Is… Is this normal? Is this a normal part of living? There are people in the hole in the supply closet. They’re made up of toys and rubber and carpet and cards. Are Kris and Susie made up of toys and rubber and carpet and cards? You don’t understand. What is darkness? What is a fountain? Is it what made them… alive?

You can’t just leave these things — everyone? — here. What if someone comes in? Susie called it the abandoned classroom, but there’s absolutely no way you’re taking the chance. With minimal resistance from Kris, you shove everything onto the carpet (the field) and roll it into a ball. 

It's huge, when you're done. Basically every single thing in the room smushed into the carpet. You can't fit it in your pocket, like the dark world, so you hoist it onto your head.

Um…

Where can you take it? Back to Kris’s room?

No.

Why?

I said no.

You sigh and slowly nudge the door open with your leg, careful not to unbalance the ball. Maybe Susie can keep it in her room, once you explain it to her. 

You slowly squeeze through the crack you made in the door, both hands on the ball. You don't want to lose a single piece. You refuse to leave a single person scared and alone and stranded in some inexistent form.

Kris makes a noise you don't understand, and they don't explain it. 

You're distracted by Susie hollering, her eyes bugging out at the ball on your head. “Kris? What the hell? Did you pick up everything in the room?”

You blink at her through Kris’s stupid bangs. You can't tilt your head up with the ball on it. It's impossible to see her expression when you get closer, all you can see is hair. You want to chop it all off.

Kris makes a disgusted noise. Don't even think about it.

“Y-Yes… Susie, they—”

She shakes her head. You see it in the way her neck moves. “Whatever, man.”

Her shoes clomp against the floor as she starts back to the entrance again, and you follow, eyeing the same sneakers you're intimately familiar with.

Then she pauses, and you nearly run into her. When you look up, she's staring at the door to the supply closet.

To the Grand Fountain. And it's like lightning strikes you because—

Of course. The empty town. Prince Ralsei, with no subjects. These people, these lost Darkners…

“Susie?” Kris’s voice is quieter than you thought. Than you meant it to be.

“What?”

“Can you open the door for me, please?”

Kris cringes at your manners, and Susie seems a little taken aback as well, but you can't see her expression to check. “Oh, s-sure.”

The door folds inward, revealing the irrepressible darkness of the Grand Fountain.

Susie lets out a small gasp of shock. “I thought…”

You grab both sides of the ball and, with all your strength, throw it into the darkness. The carpet unfurls, but instead of falling, the pieces gather with minds of their own — they flicker and shine and vanish. They seem to wink at you as they go, and you know you did the right thing. 

Finally, you can look up at Susie past your bangs. You want to beam at her, but Kris tones it down to a half smile.

She's looking at you like you're insane. ”What the hell was that?”

You try to respond, but your mouth doesn't open. You think she should probably know about the possibility of being made of toys or carpet or rubber or cards, but Kris rolls their eyes.

We are made of Light. They are made of Dark. 

To Susie, Kris shrugs. She rolls her eyes back. “Whatever.”

You pull the doors to the Fountain shut. You still don't really understand what constitutes light and dark, but you like that nobody got left behind. It's enough to make your steps lighter as you follow Susie out of the school. 

When you reach the door, she goes to say goodbye, but pauses. “Kris…”

She turns to face you, and there's an awkward smile on her face, and you think you could just die of happiness, seeing it. Her hand rises to your shoulder, squeezing it. “Let's go back tomorrow, okay?”

You nod at her, and she raises her hand off your shoulder in an awkward wave before she leaves.

You feel like you've succeeded, or something. You beam, and Kris lets you now there's nobody around. It stretches your face muscles oddly. Their zygomaticus must not see much use, you think.

They scoff at you. It makes you chuckle slightly as you go to leave.

And that's when it happens: just as you reach for the handle, Kris’s phone rings.

Immediately, you are shoved roughly into the cage. You barely have time to shout before the force of a tidal wave slams the door shut and shushes you down into nothing.

You blink, golden bars winking in your pale light.

What… just happened?

Kris’s darkness brushes against you, eternally warm. You don’t understand. Did you do something wrong?

Maybe… Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe the phone call shocked them into forcing you away. Maybe it wasn’t your fault.

But then you think of the way they look at you with such heated disgust. With such utter disdain and hatred. It… almost certainly was on purpose.

The darkness is warm and soft. It’s kind as always, cradling you as if to make all your worries float away. And so you sit in it, with no answers, waiting and waiting and waiting.

After a while, you think it starts to hum at you, almost — vibrations at first, but soon notes form a soothing lullaby that makes you feel miserable and consoled all at once.

You hum back, the sound silent and filling the space.

You wonder what it means, for Kris and you to have this small duet. You wonder if it means they’ll stop. You wonder if it means anything at all.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the darkness evaporates, the blanket lifted off the cage. Kris stares at you through the golden bars. Their expression is unreadable as they reach for the door and open it.

You open your non-existent mouth to thank them, but they don’t stop at opening the cage. They reach their hand in and grab you, dig their fingers into your SOUL with a grip like iron.

And isn’t that just it? Their darkness is so much kinder than they are, you think, as you desperately scramble to try and fight their grip, flexing and pulling on muscles that no longer exist.

But they hold on tightly. And they pull, pull, pull, until you no longer

exi

st.

…

It’s dark. It’s dark. It’s dark it’s dark it’s dark

You cannot see. It’s dark. The air hits you and it feels like one thousand knives carving through your 

skin. 

…? 

You don’t have skin. You don’t have eyes. You don’t have a mouth. You don’t have ears. You do not exist. You do not exist. You do not exist. You do not exist.

…

You were promised a body, once.

A voice calling to you, barely audible in the endless, endless dark. The abyss, the void, the darker and still yet darker. Whatever it was called, it was cruel, formless, and all you were was a shaking, red soul. Who were you? How had you gotten there? How long had you been there?

Meaningless questions with no answers.

…

But.

You remember warmth in the dark. You remember it. It was meaningful. It was meaningful. It was meaningful, being there with them.

Your SOUL pulses.

And it all comes flooding back.

You don’t blink or gasp as you are suddenly brought into existence. You think you might have, had you the capacity. You hear nothing if there is something. You want to listen. You want to hear.

You can hear. Someone gasps. You want to see them. You want to see.

You can see. A striped shadow has fallen to their knees in front of a bed. They are watching you with a kind of crazed desperation you know you’ve felt. You want to feel. You want to feel.

You are on a carpet. It’s soft, plush, and you are deep in bristles. Fingers, hands wrap around you with a gentleness you remember, and a hesitation you don’t. They lift you, and the air doesn’t feel like a thousand knives.

“Are you there?” They whisper into you. Their hands glow pink - red - where they hold you.

You want to reply. You want to talk.

…

Nothing happens.

You do nothing at them. Their tone takes on a familiar anger. “What was that? Where did you go?”

You do nothing at them. You can’t. Their grip tightens slightly. “Where did you go?”

You squirm, uncomfortable in their hands. They loosen their grip immediately, but don’t let go.

They seem to realise you can’t answer them and huff, running a hand through messy brown hair. It reveals their eyes, polished rubies, and you remember — it’s Kris.

How could you ever forget? It’s the body you were using, and Kris, and you were in a Dark World, and… what happened?

They said you went somewhere. You try to remember…

…

Nothing happens.

You cannot communicate with them at all like this. They cannot hear you like this. They glare at you, but there are a thousand thoughts running behind their eyes that you can no longer even try to guess.

Finally, they stare at you again, expression falling back into something flat and familiar. “Don’t do it again.”

Their tone brooks no argument, and you’d feel offended if you hadn’t caught sight of their eyes before they hid them behind their bangs; desperate anger, roiling behind them.

As it is, you have no way to confirm or deny them, and honestly you have no real idea what even happened in the first place, let alone how to stop it happening again. 

Why are you even outside of their body anyway? How did that—

Oh.

They…

They tore you out.

They hold you lightly in their hands, and you recoil instinctively, flinging yourself back into the carpet. Kris lets out a surprised breath, and you dodge their next grab, tumbling backward. You’ve had a lot of practice.

You’re just a SOUL, but somehow you manage to move back, back, back against the wall.

They stand, eyeing you cautiously.

You don’t want to be on the floor where they can reach you. You don’t. Their grip hurt so, so much, burning licks of pain throughout your entire miniscule existence.

As soon as you think about it, you float. And you keep floating, up and up and up into the corner of the ceiling. They watch, expression unreadable.

You’re above their brother’s side of the room. You didn’t catch his name, but Kris seems to be very defensive of him, the way they clench and unclench their fists. “Get down.”

Their tone implies that as soon as you come down they’re going to squeeze you so hard you’ll explode. Everything is trembling; you’re trembling. 

You both stay like that for a while, them staring at you unflinchingly while you slowly grow more and more afraid. 

You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t ask for this. 

You wish they didn't hate you so much. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t ask for this.

The pale coral light brightens slightly, before fading again. Kris closes their eyes, takes a deep breath, and unclenches their fists. “Fine. It's okay. Stay up there.”

Their tone is back to their usual lack of one, no longer crackling with some unholy mix of fury and hatred. 

And then they turn away from you.

And there's something in that, in that simple action of disregard (of TRUST, something in you screams) that makes you stop shaking immediately.

Their pained eyes flicker through your memory. Their desperation at you motionless in the carpet. 

Something… had happened, hadn't it? Something big. Something important.

Something that wasn't supposed to happen.

You float back down.

Kris is facing away from you, still, despite surely being able to see your pale light sink downwards, reflected on the white walls. They pull at their bed and climb in. 

You want to be next to them, you think.

You hate how they hurt you. You appreciate them forcing you back to take the pain in fights. You hate how they tore you out. You appreciate their darkness’s kindness.

They are such an oxymoron, you decide, floating down and landing just above them, decidedly not touching them. They don't make any sense at all.

You'd scoff if you could. Like anything makes any sense. You still don't even know why you're here.

Kris looks at you then, laying back in their bed, your light tinging coral onto the white blankets. You try to catch their eyes behind their bangs, but what you do see is unreadable.

“Who are you…?” They murmur quietly.

You don't know.

“Why are you here…?” They murmur, even quieter. 

You don't know. You wish you had something to tell them. You wish anyone had something to tell you, wrapped in the unknown as you are. 

They don't say anything else, breathing evening out, and you're concerned for a moment before you remember the necessity of sleep. 

It shocks you, for some reason. Of course, Kris has to sleep. They're still human. Their brain needs to consolidate their memories, shuffle through them like cards, discard the unnecessary ones and place the important ones into places like dreams, strengthening the pathways to memory. It needs to clear out the waste, the unimportant parts, the useless parts, the weak parts.

…

Suddenly finding yourself wanting to get away, you float up. You give the room a quick glance. Maybe there's a place you can—

Ah.

Of course.

You move over towards it, sinking lower, then slip inside. The wire is cold against you, but this is where you belong, you think. 

In the cage. 

Chapter Text

You think you maybe sleep yourself, or do something close to it, as Kris’s stirring brings you out of a daze after an unknowable time has passed. 

It's still dark, before dawn. There's a rustling of sheets, before their shadow sits up, swaying slightly from sleep.

And then, a confused noise. They grasp at their chest, then look around quickly. For you, you realise as they spot you in the cage, hoisted in the cart against the wall.

They freeze, and it finally occurs to you to ask yourself why they have a birdcage in a cart in their room. Did they have a pet? A bird, maybe? Where is it? Did it…?

Horrified at your thoughtlessness, you fling yourself out the door of the cage and onto the carpet. Kris launches after you, crashing to the ground and gripping you tightly in their hands. 

You brace yourself for pain, but they loosen their grip almost immediately. When you look at their face, they're glancing at the cage with their brows pinched in confusion. “Why did you…?”

You're not really sure what they're asking. It doesn’t matter, because you can’t answer anyway.

They seem to realise that at the same time, looking back at you with their usual flat expression. “Doesn’t matter.”

And with that, they shove you back into their chest.

At first, weirdly, you expect to see blood and bones. But instead there is, of course, Kris’s darkness. 

There's a silent joy in the way the warmth embraces you, like reuniting with a long lost companion. It confuses you even as it relaxes you, as you open your non-existent eyes to the room with your gilded cage and Kris’s chair.

They sit in it, staring at you. You wonder if they know their being rejoices at your existence. You wonder if they'd care.

You have a voice here, you remember. “Wh—” 

You cut yourself off, lungs that don't exist clenching and unclenching into a coughing fit. It hurts coming out, your voice, like water through rusted pipes. 

You force it anyway. It sounds like nothing. “What happened?”

They stare at you, unreadable, before turning to watch the viewpoint, dark now. They must've gone back to sleep, you think, to only see darkness.

You're proven right when Kris closes their eyes, and figures flicker onto their vision.

A memory, or a dream, maybe.

They stand in their bedroom, just after sundown. They grip their phone so hard it shudders in warning, then shove it in their pocket.

An inhale. Closed eyes. Then—

Pain, pain, pain, oh angel why does this hurt so much,

And then there you are, in the palm of their hand.

Except—

The colour of your SOUL fades quickly into pale, pale red, then ash gray, then flickers into nothing but a faint outline, falling from their hands to the carpet where you woke up.

Panic filters through them, so potent you feel Kris’s body start to shudder in their sleep, as they try to reach for you over and over, only for their fingers to phase right through. They grow more and more desperate, trying to poke you with objects or blow you with a fan, but it's like you no longer exist. Nothing in the world knows you're there.

You're drawn from the memory by Kris’s body in the chair contorting in fear, and sympathy lances through you. Before you even recognise it, you're pushing toward them.

Glancing quickly at the memory playing out, you notice dark, dripping hands reaching from the shadows towards them, and they thrash further, still silent. A dream, then.

You reach them, and reach out non-existent hands to their shoulders. “Kris! Kris!”

And with a start, the colour fades from the screen. They blink and look up at you, their eyes flickering with something you can't identify before it shutters down into their usual unreadable gaze. “You were gone.”

And you can see that, reaching a hand to your chest where you know all that you are resides. The light sits inside you, as bright as always. But where you went…

You try to remember…

…

“Close your eyes,” says Kris, their tone brooking no argument. “Immerse yourself in that time.”

“I don't have eyes,” you argue pointlessly, closing them anyway. You feel rather than hear Kris huff.

You try to cast yourself back, back. Back to Kris’s warmth, ripped away from you. Back to the pain, tearing through you like your existence was nothing but paper.

Back to—

Nothing.

Because you were nothing, weren’t you? Worse than that — you were a usurper. A parasite, leeching onto Kris’s life and sucking it away, until you couldn’t tell what feelings are yours and what aren’t.

So that’s what happened when you disappeared — nothing.

You open your eyes again.

The screen, Kris’s view, is still blank. You look at them, at their mirrored blank expression, staring at that view, and wonder if anything showed up there at all. You are not them, after all.

Before you can open your mouth to ask, or explain, maybe, but they cut you off. “It’s time to wake up.”

And then you blink Kris’s eyes open, sunlight screaming through the window.

You’d hoped your sudden throws between the room and real life would become less harsh after a few times, but it proves to not be the case. You lurch forward, coughing as air filters down your windpipe and into lungs you don’t own.

You’re still catching your breath when the door bursts open,  and Toriel lumbers through, her soft face twisted in exasperation. “Kris, did you eat ALL of the pie?”

You look at her through eyes watering from coughing, still trying to clear your throat. Kris— Kris ate all the pie?

Without you????

You feel unreasonably betrayed. Kris laughs at you.
She slaps her forehead. The sound rings ridiculously through your ears, meaty and impossible. “It is YOUR knife in this empty pie tin, is it not?”

Kris has a knife?

You burst into another round of coughing, and Toriel seemingly forgets the tin in favour of rubbing your back. You get your breathing under control, and look up at her. She flinches away, and you wonder why. “I am sorry for touching you, my child. I know you do not like… Are you feeling unwell?”

“No,” you say, voice croaky.

She looks at you in concern for another moment, before sighing and standing from the bed. “Very well. I will let it go this once. Please quickly get ready for school. I will meet you out the front.”

And with that, she sweeps out and shuts the door.

You blink after her. Get ready for school…

What does that entail, exactly? Breakfast? Brushing your teeth? Changing… clothes?

… A shower?

I can take care of those, Kris says with a scowl, and you find your face heating unintentionally. Right, yes, of course.

You stand, and immediately, you notice it. 

Your stomach. Kris’s stomach.

You’re stuffed.

“Urgh…”

That pie was huge. Did they seriously eat the entire thing? That’s so much food.

They smirk in your mind’s eye. I was hungry.

A pang of guilt. Moss wasn’t enough to feed them. Of course it wasn’t.

They roll their eyes. Just get some new clothes.

Okay, that you can do. You turn to the drawers next to their bed, grumpily forcing Kris control over the stomach. If they want to eat a whole pie, they can carry the ramifications.

You open the first drawer. And—

It’s…

Something bubbles up from your chest. You actually don’t know how laughter occurs, but you know that the fact that Kris has fifteen of the exact same shirt and pants combo is the most ridiculous thing you’ve seen since you were shoved into this world.

You double over, laughter spilling from your lips, loud and maybe a little unhinged. Kris grumbles but doesn’t stop you, as tears form in the corner of your eyes. Your mouth aches again at the corners, and you know they must hardly laugh, but it’s so funny you can't stop.

Finally, you wipe the corner of your eyes, lightheaded from your coughing then laughing fit. You pull out a random pair, and sure enough; they’re identical to the clothes Kris is wearing right now.

You don’t even know how to phrase the question, but they answer it anyway. Everyone in this town wears the same set of clothes.

Shaking your head, you open the next drawer to sets of… um…

You flush again and shove the senses to Kris, collapsing in the chair in the room. They can take care of the rest.

They scoff, the sound coming out of their own lips as they pick up a pair of underwear and stroll casually to the bathroom. “Some privacy, if you don’t mind.”

“Of—Of course,” you say out loud, turning away from the screen. You think about how ridiculous this is, how absurd it is for you to be expected to completely invade all of their life and take care of a body that isn’t yours. Biological functions seem to be non-existent in the Dark World — at least to an extent, as you hadn’t gotten as hungry as you probably should have, and of course you hadn’t needed to relieve yourself. As it seems, Kris had probably taken care of all of that while you were disappeared.

The sound of a shower turning on, and you flinch. You’re glad that you’re able to at least do this for them.

Though…

You don’t understand why they don’t just force you back all the time. Why do they allow — and, thinking of the Jevil fight, even force — you to take control? 

You sigh. Yet another thing you don’t understand. You suppose it doesn’t really matter; you’re grateful that they didn’t just leave you to die on the carpet.

Because, you think silently, that is likely what happened. You

died.

The shower turns off abruptly.

You blink at the wall. You don’t understand how this room has walls. “Kris? Can I turn back around?”

There’s a pause, a rustling. Then— “Yes.”

As soon as you turn around, you’re back, coughing again at the air in your lungs, and cold from wet hair on your neck. “Oh. Okay.”

And then you look up.

Kris stares back at you, ruby red eyes peeking through wet bangs. They don’t automatically avert your eyes, so you take this time to actually look, regarding their features. Long lashes, cherry-wood hair… You take your fingers and trace their cheekbones, marveling at their delicate shape.

You meet their round eyes again, and without the hatred simmering in them, with their hair dripping and their expression calm, they look…

“Pretty.”

Something in your chest heats instantly as you say it without thinking. You blink twice and cover your mouth in horror, ruby eyes wide. Then they look away of their own accord, and you stumble out of the bathroom and into the hallway in shock, nearly tripping over the carpet in your haste to get away from the mirror. “I—I—”

There’s disgust roiling in the back of your throat, and you’re not sure if it’s yours or theirs. Theirs, you think. 

You continue out into the kitchen in a daze, grateful they had the foresight to put their shoes on.

Wait, they say, as you move past the sweet-smelling garbage can.

You wait, face flushed.

They don’t say anything for a moment, and you wonder if they’re going to say something about the mirror, but—

Your head turns to the stove of its own accord. The knife sits atop the pie tin, empty of all but crumbs.

They can’t be serious. Did they have that knife yesterday, while you were wandering the school halls in a daze?

They don’t respond, but they pull at your legs and you walk over.

Take it.

You hesitate. 

Then they huff through your lips and, in one smooth motion, takes control of your right arm, picks up the knife, and fastens it under their jumper.

Distantly, you wonder if all kids are this weird.

The scoff again, and you wonder if their throat hurts in their chair. I’m eighteen.

You wonder how old you are.

They roll their eyes. Quit wondering and let’s go.

You shake your head and walk to the front door, the red OFF light on the TV glaring at you as you shut it behind you.

Chapter Text

Kris tunes out the majority of Toriel’s chatter on the short drive to school. You’d listen if you could, but it seems as though they’re used to ignoring it. You’re almost flattered it’s not a skill they save specifically for you.

If they hear that thought, they ignore that too.

Regardless, you make it to the school with no trouble. The bell rings just as you walk in the double doors with Kris’s mom. 

She hugs you goodbye, wrapping her wide arms around Kris’s body. It shocks you slightly, so by the time you recognise you’re probably supposed to lift your arms to hug her back she’s already whisked herself off to her class.

You stand in the hallway for a moment, eyeing the old, scuffed tiles and the posters decorating the walls. This is where you’d been forced away yesterday, into your lovely, gilded birdcage. Something prickles in you uncomfortably, so you force your gaze away and walk unsteadily towards the classroom.

Pushing the door open, you notice Alphys is already sweaty. Your desk is in the middle of the classroom (you think? It’s the only empty one), so after she asks for you to stay behind after class, you sit at it.

There’s a loud thump. 

Alphys jumps a mile in the air. “S-Susie! P-Please don’t kick your desk…”

Susie ignores her, leaning forward to whisper in your ear. “Kris! If I’d known you were going to be late, I wouldna shown up on time…”
You were like, 30 seconds after the bell. Surely that’s good enough. Just because you were last doesn’t mean you were late!

You open your mouth to say so, leaning back, but Alphys makes direct eye contact with you. You close your mouth with a snap.

She smiles. She looks very sweet when she smiles, you think, and you understand why Undyne calls her cute. Then you wonder who Undyne is. 

Kris says something you don’t hear, then—

“Good morning, class! We have a lot to go over today! Starting from page 142…” Alphys flicks open what you assume is some kind of textbook. The students around you do different things.

The deer girl you remember as Noelle and a few others open their books. The cat monster to your immediate left heaves out a sigh, as if reading is the worst possible thing she could imagine doing.

You, personally, don’t mind reading. But, um…

You haven’t seen this book. Not in Kris’s bedroom, not anywhere in the house, not anywhere in the car… You fumble with your hands slightly, before feeling under the desk.

Eureka! A drawer! Kris must keep their school things at school. Very convenient!

You open the drawer.

Inside is a blunt halloween pencil and a single sheet of paper with scribbled drawings of dragons. On the back is “SKOOL SUX” in giant letters and underlined several times. A dragon is blowing fire onto a book that looks remarkably similar to the one Alphys is holding.

…

You close the drawer.

Kris snickers.

“Any volunteers…?” Alphys asks, somehow sweating more. You try to shrink into the seat.

Noelle looks around the classroom and, seeing no hands, hesitantly puts up her own. “Um… I guess I—”

The bluebird in front of you slaps his wings down on the desk. You suppose they were supposed to make a slam sort of noise, but they’re feathered, so it just kind of ends up being an unimpressive fwoosh. He then hauls himself up onto the desk and turns to the class, ignoring Alphys’s choked protest. You barely manage to restrain an incredulous snort at his smug expression. “Worry not, Noelle! I will valiantly bear this blow of humiliation!”

The deer girl smiles in a brave attempt to pretend she isn’t mortified at his ridiculousness. “Um, t-that's okay, I can…”

The bird clears his throat loudly. Noelle winces. Everyone winces. “Page 142.”

He noisily fumbles with the page. “Two monsters, both alike in dignity, in fair Hometown, where we lay our scene…”

His voice somehow manages to both drone and grate incessantly. What’s his name, again? Bir… Burghley?

Yes, says Kris. His name is Burghley.

Well. You’re glad you remembered.

He continues on, and on, and though the story about the star-crossed, impossible love is certainly interesting… Burghley is certainly not.

Something prickles in your mind, some uncomfortable sensation you can’t be sure is yours or not. You close your eyes.

When you open them to the room, you find Kris on their chair and the vision blank. You look at them in question, and they shrug. “Fell asleep.”

Something in you tells you school is important, but you don’t listen to it. What would you know? You instead sit on the floor next to your birdcage, drawing your non-existent knees to your chin and avoiding their gaze. You find it hard to look directly at them, after your mistake in the bathroom mirror. You curse your big mouth to the angel and back.

Wait…

The angel? 

You have no idea who, or what, that is. The curse came to you out of nowhere, and it sounded right, but truly, you don't know where it came from.

Momentarily forgetting your hesitation with them, you look up at Kris. “What is the angel?”

They look at you, unreadable as always. But they look away just as quickly. “The angel is from the prophecy, remember? Ralsei explained it.”

Honestly, you had still been extremely out of it when Ralsei had recited the prophecy to you. Stunned from Kris and their body, from Susie and school and shoes and everything. But you nod anyway, even though you feel like it's not quite right. You must've heard it somewhere else, you suppose.

Kris sighs, but doesn’t say anything else. You’re not inclined to either. You both sit in silence that is more than a bit awkward, but at least you don’t have to sit through the grating tones of Burghley.

Or at least, you think it’s awkward, but soon, you hear soft snoring coming from Kris. They’d fallen asleep, curled into themselves slightly on their chair.

And you're not really sure what to do about that. The truth is, you don't actually know what time they arrived home last night. What time they tore you out, and how long they were waiting for you to come back. Dreams have a funny way of handling time, you think, so for all you know, they only managed to sleep a few hours.

So you decide to let them sleep, in the end. If you're being honest with yourself, you don't usually have the heart to wake up sleeping creatures anyway. Kris doubly so, because they're…

Well. You're not sure what they are, but they're important, that's for sure. What you do recall of the prophecy is, of course, the Human, the Monster, and the Prince from the Dark, dimming the fountains and saving the world. Kris must be the Human. The one to save the world.

And you're new to the world, but you rather like it, you think. It would be a shame if it was destroyed.

So then Kris is good, you decide, resolving your oxymoron from last night. At the very least, they closed the fountain with their own soul. They fulfilled their destiny. They are fulfilling their destiny, with Susie and Ralsei.

Which leaves you… where, exactly?

Kris has their soul. Which means, currently, they have both their own, and yours. This feels extremely important, and strangely familiar, but you have no idea why. The only thing that overwhelms the familiarity is the relief that you didn't outright replace them. If you were alone here…

You're brought from your musings by Kris shifting slightly in their sleep. A flicker on their vision draws your attention.

They're dreaming.

It's cold, where they are. It's a bird's eye view of a snowy forest, and you catch sight of Kris running hurriedly through the trees. They're wearing a giant puffer jacket the colours of their usual sweater, and a white-knitted beanie with a pom-pom at the end. Fitted over the top is a crimson headband with horns attached.

They look shorter than you remember, and then you realise; they're a child. 

“Azzy!”

Their voice sounds younger, too. Their voice is—

Wait.

You watch dazedly as young Kris continues to toddle through the snow, evidently chasing someone.

“Azzy! Come back!”

Something itches at you, something beyond important. It feels like it comes from within your very SOUL.

Young Kris is blubbering, a sight that nearly shocks you out of your trance. They stumble over a root and splat, but quickly haul themselves up and continue.

The dream transforms. They're older, tears still streaming down their anguished face. A car pulls away and drives down the road into the sunset, and seems to stay on the horizon forever.

“Asriel!” They scream.

Something rises horribly in your throat. It burns, and burns. You'd shot to your feet at some point while watching — you stagger and crash to the ground. You can't see properly, dark spots clouding your vision. 

“Azzy… Come back,” you gasp out, the words familiar on Kris’s tongue — on your tongue, in your non-existent mouth. Tears drip thick and fast down your face, sliding down your chin and falling to the ground. You close your eyes, sinking into pain.

Behind your eyelids, behind the void, behind it all, a young monster turns away from you with a smile. 

And something in your chest, in your very SOUL, explodes. Violent pink cracks through you, and it feels like your being is fracturing into pieces, into places, and you don’t understand, but it hurts, oh angel it hurts—

“HEY! Snap out of it!”

Through it all, Kris’s voice, so far removed from their usual deadpan tone, silences everything else, and brings you back like it doused you in cold water. 

You shudder a breath and force your eyes open to meet their alarmed ruby ones, their hands gripping your shoulders and shaking. 

Whatever they see in your gaze, they stop shaking you and move their hands to your arms, grip so tight it hurts. They look at you imploringly. “Are you here?”

Not trusting your voice, you nod. They release you, then, whooshing out a breath and running a hand through their bangs. 

They close their eyes, and when they open them again, their expression is shuttered and eyes blank, as usual. You distantly marvel at their ability to fool even themselves into feeling nothing. 

Your own feelings roil, thrashing incessantly. You don't understand. You don't understand who that monster is. How does Kris know Asriel? How do you know Asriel?

Who is Asriel?

Whatever expressions you're making, Kris rolls their eyes and grabs your wrist, yanking you to your feet. You let out a startled noise. “W-What?”

They haul you over to their chair and push you in it. The cushioning is warm and comfortable, contrasting how it felt the other times they forced you in it. Distantly, you understand how Kris fell asleep here.

“Stay here,” orders Kris. “Stop disappearing.”

You open your mouth — to say what, you don’t know, but Kris doesn’t give you the chance to reply. They close their eyes, and they wake up.

“Have a nice day, everyone!” Alphys is calling. “And p-please! Remember your projects!”

The rest of the class had filtered out, you suppose. Kris pushes themselves up off the desk and moves to leave as well, but is stopped by the teacher calling their name. “Um, K-Kris? Are… you okay?”

Alphys seems to have the habit of making herself more nervous in front of Kris’s unflinching deadpan stare. You completely understand. 

“I-I’m not mad, or anything! You just, um… usually only sleep through the first part.”

Kris doesn’t say anything.

Her expression turns serious. “Kris… Where did you and Susie go yesterday?”

Kris doesn’t say anything, again. Alphys starts to fidget slightly. “Um, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I was just really... worried about you.”

Kris still doesn’t say anything, and you start to feel bad for the teacher, who starts to sweat even more. You hope she drinks enough water. “If... If Susie causes you any trouble, then…”

She smiles ruefully. “Okay, I can't really do anything. But... I'm looking out for you, okay?”

With that, Alphys turns to the board and starts dusting off the chalk from the day. You’re glad she managed to find more, you think to yourself as Kris finally makes their escape from the classroom.

As soon as they leave, there’s a loud noise at one of the lockers. Of course, it’s Susie. Of course, she waited. The sight of her makes you smile, sitting on Kris’s chair in the non-existent room.

“Well, if it isn’t the school zombie. Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”

Her tone is haughty, but before you can doubt her change, she does a complete 180, rushing toward them.

“ME NEITHER!” She shouts, making you wonder if Alphys can still hear. Kris doesn’t glance into the classroom to check, tense and fully focused on Susie and her boisterousness.

She grabs their wrist, and you note that Kris had ample time to flinch away, but chose not to. “C’MON ALREADY!”

And then they’re unceremoniously dragged through the hallways, up towards the supply closet. You burst out laughing. It’s cute, seeing them act like this together. 

Something twinges in you, and you freeze mid-laugh. Do you… take this away from them?

Before you can dwell on it at all, a soft voice calls out from behind Kris. “Um, Susie?”

They move in front of the closet next to Susie, who pulls the most ridiculous pose you’ve ever seen, trying to act natural. “YEAH?????”

Noelle rounds the corner, oddly flushed. “Sorry to bother you…! We… Um… Well, Berdly and I were going to the… library… to work on our g-group project… A-And If it's okay, um... would you... want to come too…?”

It takes her a long time to say this, and she doesn’t directly look at Susie while she’s talking. Maybe… she’s being forced to say this?

She suddenly looks at Kris like she just remembered they’re there. “OhandKrisYoucancometoo, I mean!”

Kris looks over at Susie. She’s awkwardly stepped to the side, not looking directly at the deer girl. “Oh, yeah… We’re actually, um… super busy with, um…”

She hurries back over and leans in, stage whispering. “Kris! Help me out here!”

“Crime,” says Kris, deadpan.

“Crime?” says Susie, incredulous.

“Oh,” says Noelle, looking altogether far too unsurprised. “Crime, that sounds… Um, have fun you two! I’ll, er, be at the library!”

She goes to leave, but turns around and hurries quickly to Kris, pressing something into their hands and whispering, “If you could bring Susie by later, I’d really appreciate it!”

She hurries away, and you wonder again if someone’s forcing her to do this. Kris snorts quietly, and glances at the object.

It’s a metal lunchbox with a paper label. The label reads “Susie” in swoopy handwriting. Kris nudges a muttering Susie and holds it out to her.

She tilts her head at it. “It’s a lunchbox?”

She opens it. “It’s full of CHALK?”

Her eyes bug out comically, and Kris hides their face behind their hand. You think they might be smiling. The thought sends warmth through you.

Susie paces, stomping back and forth in front of the door. “SHE HAD CHALK THE WHOLE TIME? AND DIDN’T GIVE IT TO ALPHYS?”

Shaking her head, she laughs derisively, pausing in front of the wall. “Doing homework with me? Hah. Does she want to fail?”

You don't think that's very fair, but before you can get Kris to say something she's off again. “You don't think she's onto us, do you? She was like, hesitating and shit…”

Honestly, you hadn't even considered that. 

Then she lets out a gasp before you can think on it at all, running back to Kris and shaking their shoulders. “Wait. What are we doing? We have to go see the others!”

… You're having trouble following her train of thought. 

Kris just opens the door in front of them. Susie visibly relaxes when she sees the darkness of the Grand Fountain, irrepressible and all-consuming.

She grins at Kris toothily, then grabs their wrist again. This time, they let out a small noise of shock. “C'mon!”

And with that, she pulls all of you down into the darkness.

Chapter Text

Falling is a lot more boring when you're just watching from the inside.

This time, instead of being in some daze, you watch as Kris’s skin turns blue and the familiar, shining gauntlets cover their hands. It's fascinating: it's light that seems to dance over them and Susie, transforming them both. Ironic, for the Dark World.

Unlike the painful fall you were originally subjected to, Kris lands lightly on their feet. Susie slams down like a superhero, fist thudding into the dark ground. 

After once-overing Susie, they take a few steps forward. She falls into step behind Kris, oddly enough. You'd thought she'd take off again, desperate to see the others.

Regardless, it's barely a moment before—

“HEY! It's the Clowns!”

Lancer slides up, beaming, and you're treated to a wide grin of Susie's, as well. “Lancer!”

They high five. You can't help but smile at their antics.

Ralsei hurries up behind the boy, looking slightly harried, but no less pleased to see the two of them. “Kris! Susie! Welcome back!”

Susie turns her beam on Ralsei, who blinks and goes a bit pink. It's so sweet.

Lancer spins in excitement. “Hell yeah! Party time!”

“Party time!” yells Susie.

“Party time!” you echo to yourself. You somehow know Kris rolls their eyes at you, despite them staying blank-faced.

Susie looks around in wonder. Kris gives it a cursory glance, and you gasp. In one day, the entire place has been almost completely transformed.

You'd been right.

All the Darkners, trapped there when the Fountain was sealed, had safely been relocated to Ralsei's Kingdom. 

You're so relieved, tears fill your eyes. Nobody was left behind, unmade.

“Where's your castle, Lancer?” Susie is asking as you tune back in. She spins this way and that, trying to catch sight of the towering structure in the distance.

The boy spins again. “...Gone!”

He says it with a remarkable amount of excitement.

Susie seems to think the same. She blinks at him, grin fading slightly. “‘Gone’? What do you mean, gone?”

Ralsei looks at her, an odd expression on his face. “Well, when Kris sealed the fountain, the Dark World… turned back into a normal classroom.”

Susie frowns. Instead of asking about that, she says, “So, where is Lancer going to live now?”

Ralsei smiles at her fondly. “Well, of course he can—”

“We'll conquer the toothpaste boy's castle, of course!” announces Lancer, before he and Susie break into peals of laughter.

Ralsei sidles over to Kris as the pair chatter on, smiling when they look at him. Kris looks away again immediately, but nods at him.

“Kris, as we bring more people here, the…”

Ralsei trails off. Kris turns to look at them again.

His expression is frozen in place, with wide eyes. Wide, terrified eyes. You see them for a split second before he clears his throat and ducks his head, glasses reflecting so you can't see them anymore.

“Ah, um, n-never mind.”

Kris frowns as the Prince scurries after Susie and Lancer, who had started to poke around the town.

“He knows,” they say out loud, whispering, to you.

“Knows… what?” you say back, just as quiet. Your non-existent pulse jumps like a rabbit.

They let out a near-silent scoff. For a moment, you don't think they'll reply, as they start to slowly catch up to the others. Then: “I am not you.”

They emphasize each word of your quote from yesterday. It hits you like a bolt of lightning.

Of course. He’d wanted Kris, back in the prison. Not you. And now he wanted you back? But, something still doesn't quite add up. 

“Why does he want me?” you ask. Why is he afraid of you, you don't ask. 

They don't say anything else. You suppose Kris doesn't know either.

They catch up to the others, and their small group wanders between the few shops set up, chatting to the Darkners you saved. You sit and just take it all in.

You find you almost prefer it this way, where you can't be blamed for mistakes, where nobody expects you to know what to do.

Because nobody knows you exist. It's a bittersweet feeling, to be sure. 

Finally, Ralsei pipes up, having said very little. He still doesn't directly look at Kris. “I have a special surprise to show you at the castle, everyone!”

Lancer cackles. “Oho! A surprise! Race you there!”

With that, he takes off, Susie hot on his heels. “C'mon, Kris!” she hollers over her shoulder.

Ralsei hurries after them too, leaving Kris in the dust. They shake their head in exasperation, but you know the fondness isn't only yours.

The castle is much the same as before, unlike the rest of the town. At least, from what you can tell. You only saw the front yesterday, but today Lancer and Susie bust through the front doors to reveal the inside.

It's extremely sparse — that's the first thing you note. The only furniture in the entire bottom floor seems to be a pot, capable of holding months worth of food, bubbling away in front of a giant set of double doors. On the left are stairs leading up, and on the right are stairs leading down.

“Woah!” Susie exclaims. “Cool pot!”

“It's a cauldron, Susie,” Ralsei corrects. “And it's very convenient!”

He waves his hand. A fully baked cake shoots out of the pot. Susie swallows it whole. “Hmm. A little thick on the frosting.”

Ralsei blinks, then frowns reproachfully. He reminds you stunningly of Toriel. “Susie! That was for everyone to share…”

Lancer cackles. “Susie's too speedy for you, clown!”

She grins at him. “Yeah!”

“Well…” Ralsei gives a rueful smile and stands at the bottom of the staircase leading up. “It’s okay, That wasn't the surprise. The surprise is up here!”

“Ooh! Double surprisies!” Lancer slides up the stairs. You realise you don't think you've ever seen anyone do that before.

Susie hurries past, Ralsei right behind them both. Kris slowly follows them all up. 

It's different. Ralsei doesn't follow Kris.

He follows you.

“How does Ralsei know about me…?” you murmur quietly.

Kris shrugs, like they don't care. You find yourself wondering why they don't care about anything. Who hurt them? 

You get a rough mental nudge for that one. It's kinda hard to mind your own business when you're sharing a body, but you'll do your best, you guess.

Kris reaches the landing, opening out to a long hallway with three sets of doors. Oddly enough, they're all completely different designs.

“Surprise!” Ralsei throws his hands up, beaming. “I made rooms for you guys!”

It's very kind, you think. You all go into Susie's room and admire her spiked bed and amazing taste in clothes (“JEALOUS, Kris?”), then Lancer's and his holes (“It's even better than ten minutes ago!”).

“And…” Ralsei looks startlingly nervous. “Here's Kris’s room!”

You walk in, and it's Kris’s room.

No, really. They do a miniscule double take as they walk in, as do you. 

It’s the same robin’s-egg blue as Kris’s skin, but the drawers, cupboard, shelves, and bed are all identical. 

“Wow, Ralsei!” says Susie, elbowing past Kris. “This is nice!”

Kris looks to their brother’s side. It’s empty, the edges of the walls bleeding into nothing but darkness. Stars, crudely drawn, cover the walls. You think it’s very sweet, even if you don’t understand how Ralsei could possibly know how their room is set up in the overworld.

“WHAT THE HELL? Why does Kris get moss, but I don’t?”

Kris spins around. Susie is crouched in the corner, poking at the ground.

The cage is missing. Or rather — there is no cage.

You don’t know how you feel about that.

“Well… I just thought in the prison, they ate some… which means they liked it?” says Ralsei, to Susie, who grumbles audibly.

Kris gives the room a final once-over before exiting the room. They head down the stairs to the bottom floor, Susie and Ralsei bickering about moss behind them.

Reaching the landing, they look at the large door, and the stairs that descend into the dark. You burn with curiosity, but they snub both of them and head back outside to the courtyard, then outside the castle entirely, to the town.

They pause at the same spot they usually do, then hold out a hand at nothing, again. It’s strange, but before you can consider it more, they move to stand at the book Ralsei set up out the front of the castle, discreetly looking around. “Feeling better?”

You blink, before they realise they’re actually asking you. “Um, yes?”

“Good.”

And with that, you’re shoved the senses, effectively switching places with Kris. You cough at the next inhale, but manage to get a grasp on their lungs relatively quickly.

You’re leant over, wheezing slightly, when Susie comes up to you. She looks supremely pissed off. “There you are! C’mon, Ralsei’s banishing us to do HOMEWORK. Let’s hurry up and finish so we can come back, okay?”

You force air up through your vocal cords. “Okay.” Your mouth doesn’t fight you as you shape the word. You silently thank Kris, who scoffs in their chair. Don’t forget about Noelle.

“Where is Ralsei then… and should we go see Noelle…?” you ask absentmindedly, looking around the town in awe. The houses hadn’t just been moved into, most of them had been completely transformed, made of different materials and colours. It makes for a mismatched look, but you love it.

Susie heaves a sigh. “Ralsei’s doing something in his room, and I guess we gotta. We should check if she’s onto us, anyway.”

You catch sight of something that makes you pause. “Is that Seam’s shop?”

She follows your gaze and tilts her head. “Yeah, I guess. It’s weird — it looks like it’s just been picked up and moved here.”

“Yeah…” You move towards it, almost unconsciously. Something tells you that you should go in there, without a doubt.

Susie shrugs and follows you, and you push open the door with a creak.

“Well, now…” The old cat-like Darkner pushes themselves up from their desk, eyes glittering. “... The Lightners. I take it you defeated the clown?”

Susie smacks her chest with a fist, grinning toothily. “Sure did!”

They smile, and glance down at your hand. “That crystal you’re holding. May I see it?”

“Crystal…?” you murmur. You hold up your hand; sure enough, you’re holding the odd crystal that Jevil dropped.

Kris inhales sharply. When did you get that?

“Here,” you say, handing it to them. “Jevil dropped it.”

“Hmm…” Seam reaches under their desk and pulls out a magnifying lens, looping it over their ear and squinting at down at the crystal. Then—

Their eyes widen, further than you’ve ever seen them. “Incredible! To think, he had a shadow crystal…”

They must see the mirrored lost expressions on yours and Susie's faces, for they continue. “They're named such because you can only see their shadow. Their strength is unparalleled.”

You don't really know what to say to that. Neither does Susie, by her increasingly confused look. You're saved from answering by the Darkner taking one final glance before putting away their lens.

They look at the two of you for a moment, before speaking. “Call it a premonition, but I have the feeling you may find more of these.”

They nod once. “If you find more, bring them to me. I will make you something incredible.”

You look at Susie, who shrugs. To Seam, you say, “Okay.”

They smile, a wide, cat-like grin like they just caught the canary. “Excellent.”

You say your goodbyes and wander back out to the main thoroughfare. Kris seems oddly unsettled, and it's distracting you, so much so that you aren't really watching where you're going until you run headfirst into a Rudinn.

You fall back onto the ground, flat on your butt. Susie cracks up behind you at the same time as Kris as you rub your head. “Ow…”

The Rudinn peers down at you in concern, extending a hand to help you up. “Are you okay?”

You run your backside. Your cheeks burn hotly. “Yes, thank you, sorry.”

It smiles at you kindly. “It's no trouble. Welcome to New Home!”

You blink. Your heartbeat jumps so quickly you feel slightly dizzy, as Kris stops laughing abruptly.

The Rudinn’s expression grows concerned again, and it holds out its hand to steady you. “Woah there, doesn't look like you're okay.”

You're swaying slightly.

What's the matter? Kris asks urgently. I know you aren't injured.

“Kris?” Susie. “Hey man, you alright?”

You blink. Everything swallows itself whole, and you're nothing, away. 

You've never heard of New Home.

You blink again.

Everything returns.

“I'm fine,” you say quickly. “Thank you.”

You hurry away from the Rudinn, who doesn't stop you. Susie follows behind closely. “Kris, are you sure you're alright? Looked like you were gonna faint for a second there, heh.”

You'd have to be deaf to miss the worry in her voice, but for once, you follow Kris’s example and don't say anything.

You push forward to the exit, and throw yourself into the beam, allowing yourself to be lifted to the Light World, and away from New Home.

Chapter Text

It takes Kris forcefully taking control of your legs to stop your hurried pace out of the school.

They clench your vastris lateralis and vestus medialis and you nearly trip over again, face first into the empty school carpark. It's all the opportunity Susie needs to grab your wrist and haul you to a full stop. “KRIS! What the HELL has gotten into you?”

Her hand clenches you tight. It reminds you starkly of Kris’s harsh fingers, and you rip yourself out of her grip.

You spin around to face her, and she glances at the arm she grabbed, before meeting your gaze, face twisted, trying not to look concerned. Any other time, you'd find it sweet, but right now, some sort of heat is champing at its bit, attempting to pull you into its boiling pit.

You open your mouth to say nothing is wrong, but the words don't come out. You send seething thoughts towards Kris, who raises their hands in surrender. I didn't do anything.

Giving up, you turn on your heel again. “Noelle,” you grit out. “Let's go.”

You don't understand your feelings. In the short walk to the library, the heat crushes whatever other thoughts you had in favour of burning you.

Why are you so angry…? Kris mutters.

Anger, then. That's what you feel. That's the burn, swallowing you at the thought of New Home. But… Why?

There's something you're missing, yet again, some sort of gap, or block, or something like it, and it frustrates you even further. You feel like tearing your hair out if it'll make your feelings make sense.

Kris heaves a sigh as you bust into the library like it owes you money. It’s…

Completely empty. 

Worry overtakes your anger so quickly your head spins.

Susie slams in after you. “KRIS!”

She runs into you, as you’d barely taken a step over the threshold. It nearly bowls you over. You’re getting sick of others knocking you down.

She stumbles back, holding her arm. “MAN, why were you standing in the doorway? C’mon, let’s just…”

Noticing the stark emptiness of the generous-sized room, she frowns. “Er, wasn’t Noelle supposed to be here?”

You nod, moving further in, looking around corners. You can’t see her in any of the shelves. Maybe she’s upstairs…? She really didn't seem like the kind of girl who would randomly ditch her studies.

Susie lets out a gasp. “Kris… Look!”

You spin around, and she’s peering through the window to the computer lab. She meets your gaze and points, shocked look making you uneasy.

You look through the window. It’s… dark.

Oh, says Kris.

“Should we turn the lights on?” you ask Susie. 

Kris snorts. Susie squints at you, like you’re joking. “NO, dumbass, it’s a Dark World!”

She flings open the door, and sure enough, pure darkness washes over you, prickling under your skin.

“Another one…?” you murmur. Susie makes an affirmative noise. 

Something inside you shrinks slightly. More fighting. More fate. More heroes of the prophecy. A small part of you was hoping that maybe, it could all be done after the card castle. And that maybe, you, and Kris, and Susie, and Ralsei could—

“That must be where the others are,” Susie says grimly.

It stops your thoughts in their tracks. There are people, other Lightners, trapped in there? Not to mention all those Darkners. How could you have considered leaving them?

You inhale through your teeth. “Well then. Better go get them.”

Susie grins at you, wide and pointy. “That's what I'm sayin’!” 

You walk up beside her, to the threshold. The darkness washes over you, threatening to turn your skin blue. With a final look at Susie, you tilt forward and tumble down, down, into the dark.

Once you and Susie have gathered your bearings, she follows you along the only path further into the Dark World. It's immediately different from New Home and even different from the Card Kingdom — the walkway seems to be made of some unknown metal, clanging beneath your silver sabatons. Wires dangle above your heads from nowhere, plugs protruding out the ends. And even though the darkness is oppressive this far away from the centre of the world, the colours are immensely bright, fluorescent pinks and greens winking in the distance.

You hardly walk for two minutes before you come across your first denizen; a short, stout, pale pink creature, their face made from the shape of a socket. It's wrapped its short arms around itself, shaking incessantly.

“... Hello?” you call. 

Its shaking doesn't stop. You look at Susie, who shrugs.

You get a little closer. It's muttering something in between sniffles. “Are you okay?”

“The… The wires…!” 

The creature doesn't seem open to any more conversation, and you and Susie eye the plugs dangling down with a little more trepidation.

You push forward, and come across a welcome sight.

“Noelle!” shouts Susie, moving up from behind you. 

The deer girl seems physically no worse for wear. She's clad in a white robe, but other than that, she looks no different. She blinks large, brown, doe eyes at the both of you. “Susie? Kris? What…”

She shakes her head roughly. “No, you have to get out of here!” 

Susie frowns. “What? Why?”

The words are barely out of her mouth before there's a whirring, and a laser cage forms around her.

She shrieks, and the cage moves off into the distance.

“Noelle!” yells Susie, getting ready to go after her.

But, just as you're ready, laughing interrupts your thoughts. A woman's laugh, haughty and derisive. Just over the edge, out of reach, a chair rises, carrying—

A robot? A woman? 

“A robot-woman!” shouts Susie, pointing at her.

The woman sips her fluorescent green drink. “Hell of a study session”

Angel, but she's cool. Her body is made up of sleek lines with azure and black colouring. Her white collar is high, and she has shoulderpads, just like Kris, azure to match the rest of her. She reminds you of someone you knew, you think, all robot pizzazz and perfect lipstick.

Kris rolls their eyes. Focus.

“You may call me Queen” she's saying, her sentences oddly short. You can't exactly put your finger on what's wrong with them. 

“Queen?” exclaims Susie. “Like King?”

A screen appears behind her. On it is a crudely drawn picture of King, with an arrow pointing towards the words “Dumb”. She laughs again. “No not like Kingy Wingy he is bad (bad)”

Kingy Wingy…?

Susie looks as confused as you feel, but before you can say anything, her chair ascends. “Well thank you for the stimuli but I must go now (goodbye)”

Susie splutters. You finally find your voice, shouting up at her. “W-Wait! Bring back Noelle!”

She comes back down. “No” Then she ascends again. Kris loses it, leaning back in their chair, cackling. A small part of you is slightly jealous she can make them laugh like that. You squash it instantly, glad Kris is distracted.

Susie growls and points up at her. “HEY! Why are you capturing her!”

She comes back down again. “I would have captured you guys too but I ran out of cages (true)”

“But WHY the capturing?” she snarls.

Queen looks at her nails. “So that she may become my Willing Peon in my quest for World Domination”

Oh boy.

“And maybe I will turn her face into a Robot One?”

“WHAT?” exclaims Susie at the same time you yell “A ROBOT ONE???”

She sips her acid. “Seems Cool”

“Well FORGET IT!” Susie points again, her hair fluttering, and you think that of course, she’s the hero, the Monster of the Prophecy. Between the two of you, you should be following her. “Nobody is getting their face turned into a robot!”

She purses her lips. “Could that be a statement of Animous Dissension?”

You frown. “Nobody’s used that word since the 17th century.”

Nerd, scoffs Kris. 

“You think I don’t know that” more screens appear, but you don’t understand the writings. “I am literally a computer”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” yells Susie, clearly at the end of her rope. 

Queen sips her acid again, You wonder if it tastes good. “You wanna fight, Loser”

“YES ALREADY!” She hauls out her scythe and slams it into the ground a few times, clanging it against the metal. “LET’S FUCKING GO!”

Queen scrunches up her nose. “Oh then Bye”

And with that, rather than moving up, her chair jets ahead and quickly vanishes from sight.

“HOLD! ON! ONE…!” Susie slams her scythe down a few more times, before stopping, knuckles white on the grip. “DAMMIT!”

“Susie? Kris?”

Ralsei's soft tone surprises you, and you whirl around to spot him rushing towards you both.

Susie cheers noticeably at his appearance. “Ralsei! Good to see you!”

He stops, closer to Susie than you. “I sensed a Dark Fountain, and came hurrying over.”

Not for the first time, you wonder what Ralsei is to this world to sense darkness so keenly. The Prince, sure, but you and Susie had to go to the Light World to get here. Does being the Prince give him the ability to traverse through that endless nothingness like it's simply a walk? 

You can't help but feel slightly sour that such an ability exists when you were trapped in the void for unknowable time. 

Overall, though, you're just glad he's here. You smile at him, and either Kris doesn't catch it or lets it go, because it stretches across your face without hindrance. “Good to see you.”

Ralsei’s glasses reflect, and you can't see his eyes, but he beams at you before you can think on it. “It's good to see you too, Kris!”

Susie, having put away her scythe, pounds her palm with her fist. “We gotta go after Queen! She has Noelle, one of our friends!”

She frowns deeply. “Man, what was she thinking, messing with OUR stuff…”

Ralsei smiles at her reassuringly. It immediately makes you feel better. “Worry not, Susie! All we have to do is seal the Fountain!”

“She probably fell in,” Kris says suddenly, and if they hadn't taken the whole respiratory system, you probably would've choked. “Noelle wouldn't go into danger alone.”

Does Kris know Noelle? You'd been under the impression they had no friends before yesterday.

Thanks, grumbles Kris. 

Susie sighs and nods. “You're right.” Then she visibly perks up. “And hey, can't say no to another adventure, right?”

You give her a nod.

With that, the others fall into line behind you, as if it's natural.

It's not natural. At least, not to you. But what is there to do?

A few steps into walking—

We were childhood friends. 

Who? Oh, Noelle. Wait, Kris had childhood friends?

Har har.

You didn't mean it like that. It's just, everyone's always so surprised when you talk… You'd just assumed they kept to themselves their whole life.

The plugs start to glitter, slightly, as a horizon slowly starts to form in the distance.

You'd be right, they say, begrudgingly. She's the exception.

Huh.

You continue walking, decidedly not thinking anything more about it. Your armour still clangs across the surface of the walkway, metal on metal. Susie's combat boots clap loudly, while Ralsei's soft footsteps make no noise at all.

Our parents were — are — friends.

Oh, that makes sense. You think. It's not as though you have much of anything to compare it to.

Kris said parents, though. As in, plural. Where—

A violent emotion cuts off that train of thought. It's gone before you have the chance to really untangle it, but the point was definitely made.

No questions about that then.

They make a noise of agreement. You can see them, if you allow your eyes to unfocus. They sit in their chair, a bow in their hair, and a lovely blue dress on. Their expression is flat as always, their eyes covered by their bangs. It's—

They roll their eyes at you, no fondness in their expression. Focus.

“Ah!” You startle out of your next step.

Susie’s voice from behind you. “Kris? You okay?”

“Yes!” you call back. “I'm fine!”

Your cheeks burn furiously as you put all thoughts of them out of your mind and continue walking into the glow on the horizon.

Chapter Text

In all honesty, the same can be said of the Cyber Field that could be said of the Card Kingdom: the denizens are odd but overall friendly, there's a strange inclination towards puzzles blocking paths, and the music swirling through the air is worth the time to stop and listen.

It can hardly be called a field, though. There's no grass or plants to be seen, aside from the dying pot plant in the corner of Sweet Cap’n Cakes’ Super Secret Hideout.

After your impromptu dance party, they'd invited you back for CD bagels that are no longer ridiculously expensive. Susie munches down on hers without a second thought, and though you aren't hungry, you force down a reflective half, trying to stay mindful of the body's food levels.

Ralsei pokes at his with trepidation, before looking up at the three robots. “Um, so… You guys are the rebellion?”

Cap’n nods. “The last line of defence against Queen's music and dance ban!”

“She ban’d moo-sick?” says Susie through a mouthful.

“And the beautiful art of dancing…” Sweet adds, looking down. “She never used to be this bad — she used to give me sweets.”

Cap’n looks at his bandmate with nothing short of horror written on his monospeaker. “She gave you sweets? I never got any sweets!”

“You kept calling her ‘hot mama'!” Sweet protests.

“Alright,” you interject, before it can get out of hand. “What caused this change?”

They fall into silence, their music ringing through the shop. Then—

“The Fountain,” they say in unison.

Sweet nods to himself. “All of a sudden, it was ‘Knight’ this, 'Knight' that…”

Kris makes a noise you don't understand.

“I see…” says Ralsei. He looks at you, as if waiting for you to say something, but before you can even think about what to say, Susie smacks her lips, plate completely clean.

“Thanks for the grub! Let's get going!”

“Oh! R-Right,” you stutter as you scramble to your feet. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” echoes Ralsei, smiling at the three. “Your information has been helpful!”

K_K smiles, and Cap’n whoops. “Down with Queen!”

The mantra follows you out the door, in whispers among the crowd of people stuck outside Cyber City, waiting for the metaphorical gates to open. 

The three of you solve the puzzles rather quickly, all things considered. The only path left that leads forward, surprisingly, is a sort of fair ride. “Another one!” Susie exclaims in excitement, hopping into a cup.

You wonder if everyone has to take the teacup ride to the city, or if that's something Queen has prepared especially for your group. You suppose it doesn't really matter, as you wander into the building at the top. 

Susie frowns at some oddly shaped carts. “What are these?”

Ralsei peers this way and that. You look out the opening; three carts on three rails, heading towards the fountain.

Still seated on their chair, Kris rolls their eyes. Rollercoaster.

“Rollercoaster!” you say excitedly. You've never been on one before. At least, you don't think you have.

Ralsei nods as Susie whoops, jumping into her car. “I think they'll take us straight to the fountain!”

“Then c’mon!” she replies. “Hurry up, hurry up!”

There must be some kind of sensor, as the cars take off as soon as you're all in them, and then, you're flying along the skyline.

The city — it's huge. Endless. You gape at it as you zoom along. 

Even Kris makes an impressed noise. Nice.

Then the carts start to slow down, as something approaches on the rails. Fear cuts through you at the thought of hitting a random Darkner, but it's quickly revealed to be Queen, reclined on her chair.

“Enough you foolish children” she says, her robotic voice aloof even as her words demonstrate impatience. “I have been nice to you thus far but now it is time for: your imprisonment (capture)”

You wonder if any of you are actually children. Ralsei had been trapped in the Dark World for his whole life, he'd said. How long had that been, exactly?

And Susie, she must be Kris’s age, you think. 18 isn't very old, but you're not a child at 18, you think.

And of course, you have no idea how old you are, trapped in the place without time as you were. Maybe you don't even have an age.

Cages dropping from the sky startle you out of your thoughts. They miss completely, crashing into the darkness below. Kris bursts out laughing as you stare at Queen.

Ralsei looks slightly awkward. “You, um, missed.”

“It was not a miss it was a tactical calibration” Queen says.

Susie blinks. “Are you, uh, going to try again?”

Queen laughs, her visor changing to say ‘LMAO’. “No lol I only have like 4 cages”

She vanishes her glass and claps her hands once. “Okay change of plans”

You turn to Susie while she’s distracted. “Um, what does LMAO mean?”

Susie gapes at you. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

“Bring out the Peon”

At startling speed, a second car shoots towards you on Susie's rail, before slowing down and keeping pace with you. It's—

“Noelle?” your tone is more even than you expected.

The deer girl winces. “Um, s-sorry, guys, I couldn't say no…”

“NOELLE?” yells Susie, visibly upset.

Noelle blushes. “... Hi, Susie! … How… how are you?”

Susie's eyes narrow slightly. “Umm, okay, I guess?”

She smiles, her cheeks still rosy, and it's very sweet, and you start to think that Noelle actually likes Susie very much.

You think? snorts Kris.

“Your, um… your coaster is… I like it!”

Susie's coaster is pink and looks like her, kind of. All of them look like you, now that you think about it.

Susie blinks. “Um, thanks? Yours too, I guess.”

Noelle giggles, a high, tinkling sound, and then silence falls. You meet Ralsei's gaze, and he shrugs.

Queen evidently tires of this. “Okay this isn't working bring out the next Guy”

Another coaster shoots down Susie's rail, bumping Noelle's off. You shriek in fear, but leaning over shows she fell onto a chair. You guess Queen must have multiple?

“Fear not, Noelle!”

Kris groans. Right, he was there too.

Oh no.

“This valiant warrior of brave intelligence will be your night in glow-in-the-dark armour!”

His voice grates immediately, and you groan and pinch the bridge of your nose.

Susie looks at Queen in abject horror. “You asked BERDLY to be on your team?”

Berdly? Like, because he's a bird? That seems kind of mean. He might be annoying, but you don't see the point of making fun of him like that. 

Kris bursts into laughter. 

“I Did Not Ask Him” says Queen quickly.

Not surprising, honestly.

“That's LORD Berdly to you SIMPLETONS!”

Oh no, even he uses it? He must get bullied terribly. Pity stirs in you.

“And soon… SUPER LORD BERDLY!”

Susie squints. “... What does that mean?”

Queen gestures vaguely. “I Don't Know Just Go With It”

Burghley monologues on, using words you've never heard of like “Smartopia” and theories very much underground, like “Scientocracy”. You don't know much about politics in this world, but there has to be some reason that it's politicians installed in positions of power, rather than scientists and doctors. Oh, of course! You remember now.

“But, Burghley, scientists themselves are not infallible or able to escape bias,” you explain. He freezes, but you continue. “Sociology shows this best. The original theories were all written by old, white, upper-class men. While they definitely had some good points, the general understanding in the discipline is that they are outdated.” 

You gesture, as if you're writing on a whiteboard. “Take Darwinism, as well; scientists used the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ to further racist and classist agenda. At the time, they claimed it was infallible science. But now, we can see it differently.”

You point at him. His expression hasn't changed. “You may consider your ideas and theories unbiased now, but the reality is that there's no way to know if that's the truth. It's been generally understood in epistemology for a while now that knowledge is limited. Eventually, when you ask the question ‘How do you know?’ you will come across something you can't answer. In this sense, science is no better than politics.”

Silence, outside of the whoosh of the rollercoaster. Everyone stares at you open-mouthed, even Queen. 

Then—

“What the FUCK, Kris?” Susie explodes, at the same time Queen says “Wow” and Burghley goes scarlet.

What the hell? Kris says, incredulous.

Is that… not common knowledge? You thought you were being helpful.

NO, that's not common knowledge.

Oh.

“Krismas, I had no idea you were so passionate about science!” Burghley is visibly flustered.

Wait, their name is Krismas?

Focus, says Kris, cheeks red.

“And… you lectured me so… tenderly…”

You did? You were just trying to be nice. Kris leans forward in their chair, their expression furious. You're joking.

“And your skin… is so blue… just like mine! Krismas, your heart, does it—”

“Okay This Is Over Now”

Queen waves her hand and Burghley’s car explodes. He falls between the rails, and you check, but he's caught on a chair too. Phew.

“You see this ‘roller’ ‘coaster’. It isn't exactly ‘finished’”

You have a bad feeling about this. Ralsei voices your thoughts. “What… what does that mean?”

“Pain”

With that, she zooms off into the distance, and very quickly the end of the rails present themselves, kindly tilted up.

The three of you hurtle to the end, fly dramatically through the air, then start to fall into the pit below.

“Ralsei!” hollers Kris, a red shine illuminating in your chest.

“R-Right!” The light shines on him, and as he casts a spell, the light integrates into the fluffy orb between his paws. “Fluffy Guard!”

A pink shield encircles you, and looking at the other two shows they were similarly covered. The ground approaches quickly, and Kris roughly forces you back in the chair just as you land in a pile of bags.

You purse your lips as the vision goes dark. You would've been fine to take it. You don't understand why Kris is so determined to force you to fight, but not to let you take any of the pain that comes from it.

Regardless, you're not going to force them to cede control of their own body, so you huff and settle in.

Kris appears next to you, in their Light World outfit. They glare at the screen, and you know they're annoyed they still passed out despite their efforts. From what you understand of the human body, you think they should be grateful they didn't die.

Still, you stand up out of their chair.

They move towards it, but before they sit down, they eye you strangely. “Why did you know all of that? How do you know all of that?”

You blink. “I don't know… why don't you know it?”

Their mouth drops open. You count it as a win — in 24 hours, they trust you enough to let you see an expression other than flatness. You suppose near-death experiences have that sort of effect.

Then you realise that what you said was rude. “Oh, um, I'm sorry—”

“It's fine,” they say, cutting you off. They sit back into their chair, and gesture vaguely at the screen. “Get on with it, then.”

“R-Right,” you say, closing your eyes.

You open Kris’s eyes, and you immediately regret your short-sightedness in wanting to take the senses for them — you hadn't realised you'd landed in a trash heap.

You gag, the rancid smell filling your nostrils. You don't even understand why a Dark World needs a trash zone.

You flick a banana peel off your arm, shuddering.

“Kris! Susie!” Ralsei calls from the top of the pile. “Are you both okay?”

“Fine,” you call back. 

A few cans to your right rustle, and Susie emerges from them, looking disgruntled but otherwise no worse for wear. “Nice going with the shield, guys. Man, magic is useful…”

“Well,” you say, flicking more specks of muck off yourself. “All monsters can do it, so it must be handy.”

Ralsei nods, casting heal on all three of you to patch up any scrapes. Susie, however, pauses her climbing out of the trash can. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, healing magic and defensive magic and stuff. Monsters wouldn't bother learning it if it wasn't useful.” Deciding that there's no more trash on you, you straighten up.

Ralsei nods again, smiling. “Yes, it is quite useful, isn't it!”

Susie looks between the two of you strangely. “What? You can't cast magic in the Light World.”

Ralsei inhales sharply. You do a double-take. “What? But I thought…”

Susie chuckles to herself. “Man, Ralsei I understand, but you too, Kris? Sometimes I swear you're from a different planet.”

There's no magic in the Light World?

Monsters are made of magic, but they haven't been able to use it in centuries. We learnt about it in school, Kris says, frowning. Where the hell are you from?

You don't know. You just… assumed they could, you guess.

“R-Right! Of course,” Ralsei says, laugh oddly high-pitched. “It must've slipped my mind.”

Susie shakes her head, a fond smile on her face. It still warms you, despite your alarmed confusion. “You guys are such airheads. C’mon, let's keep moving.”

You nod at her, but they still fall in behind you as you lead the way.

Ralsei, too… Kris murmurs.

What about Ralsei? 

Nothing, they say, as you pick through the trash.

Finally, you make it to the end of the trash zone. The dirt turns into concrete, then paved and painted roads. You can hear the sounds of the city distantly, cars and people and a faint melody over the din.

Soon, though, you come to an intersection.

Ralsei steps forward, peering down both ways. “There's a fork in the path... It might be advantageous if we split up.”

He turns back to you, smiling. “Who do you want to go with?”

“HEY!”

Susie storms up to him, and grabs his wrist. It's funny, seeing it happen to someone else. “Why does Kris get to choose all the time? YOU'RE coming with ME!”

With that, she yanks him down the road and around another corner, out of sight.

Well.

Guess it's just you and Kris, then.

You shrug, and continue down the path, heading further into the city.

Chapter Text

You'd like to say that you become lonely instantly, or that you miss the other two deeply immediately, but in all honesty, the moment you enter the city proper, all else leaves your mind. 

You stand stock still in front of the sign, taking in the crowds and traffic below. Darkners of all shapes and sizes hurry between cars shaped like beetles and coloured every shade under the sun. The noise is unbelievable, but quickly fades under a jaunty tune that swirls through the air.

You look up. The walkway settles between skyscrapers that shoot into the dark above, alight windows turning into glimmering gems that reach for the sky.

Wow, says Kris.

You're inclined to agree.

You continue along the walkway, which quickly drops you at the first set of roads of the outer city. The traffic here is still incredible — the amount of Darkners waiting to cross is similarly ridiculous. How are you going to save all these people?

They'll come, Kris says confidently. You just need to convince enough of them.

It seems it'll be easy enough — among the chatter you can hear while you wait for the lights to change, complaints about Queen seem loudest.

“She's just crazy,” a Werewire holding a takeaway coffee cup is saying to his co-workers. “Who bans dancing? We work 9 to 5 for her city and we can't even dance on weekends?”

There's some grumbles and nods. Another one pipes up. “And her memes are so terrible, but we have to pretend they're funny!”

You'd think, being the internet, at least some of her memes would be good, says Kris.

You don't really know what a meme is, but you nod sympathetically anyway. As you do, it seems they finally catch sight of you. “Oh, the Lightner. Hey, is dancing banned where you're from?”

“Of course not!” you say hotly. “Dancing is encouraged! And, um, I don't think anyone has to work if they don't want to!”

A Plugboy looks at you curiously. “Really? No working?”

Another Werewire grips your hands with their feathered limbs. Kris stops you from flinching. “No… working? None? I’m so tired… Can you give me directions?”

“Me too!”

“Me too, please!”

You… don't know the direction, actually. It's okay, though, because after explaining that it's the Prince's domain, they nod understandingly and disappear. Soon, the entire intersection is clear of anyone except you, and a few others who volunteered to go to their workplaces and explain their new lease on life.

You blink, suddenly able to see the road much better. The traffic stops, and you cross to the other side, waving goodbye to the stray Darkners.

You're glad it's so easy to get to Ralsei's fountain. You suppose it must have something to do with the nature of its existence: the Prophecy states that it's the fountain, the only one that can and should exist to keep the balance. Hence, the Grand Fountain.

You cross a few more roads, startlingly clearer than they were from above, and you find yourself shocked that the message is spreading so fast, but unbelievably glad.

Again, you don't want to leave even a single mouse here, unable to exist.

You walk in relative silence for a while, moving towards the fountain you can see peeking out from among the skyscrapers. You keep an eye out for Ralsei and Susie, but they seem to be in a completely different part of the city.

It’s odd, says Kris, almost startling you out of your next step.

“What is?” 

You can’t lie to me.

You're not sure what this has to do with anything, but no, you can't, and honestly, it’s unfair that they can read your thoughts but you can’t read theirs. Something about just being a passenger, you guess.

So I know that you have no idea who you are.

That’s something good, at least. It’d be far more frustrating if you’d had to convince them of your… amnesia.

Because that’s what it is. You know now that there’s something you’re supposed to be remembering, some mysterious past life. You weren’t just born and put here.

There’s a baseline anxiety that isn’t yours when you think about this, and you know that Kris is worried about who you were, too. You suppose it’s odd to wake up with a SOUL in you that had an entirely different life.

It’s— Kris cuts themselves off, and runs a hand through their hair, expression shuttered. They look away. Yeah, I guess. 

The next road is blocked off, and two Swatchlings clean the debris of the street off to the side.

You walk up to them, trying to greet them with a smile, but Kris tones it down to a flatter, “Why are you cleaning up?”

They look at you curiously. One of them replies, “We were ordered to make room for something big.”

“A parade, perhaps?” The other chips in.

You nod, and try to thank them, but Kris holds that in too. You frown and continue on.

You thought you were… You don't really know. Getting to a point of understanding? You thought they didn't hate you. At least, not anymore. 

You let the world disappear a little, and catch sight of them in their chair.

Kris grits their teeth and says nothing.

Sighing, you let it fade and pick your way through the back roads of the city.

The next little while or so is spent discussing the pros and cons of moving to New Home with a group of Poppups. After blocking all of their ads, they seem very willing to listen to you, but their concerns about living spaces and computer access is not unfounded. Apparently the ‘wiffy’ has been down for a bit, making them antsy.

“And, finally, do the Werewires help manage the computer access?” you ask the one at the front, whom the others seem to consider their leader of sorts.

It turns for a quick discussion, before turning to you and nodding.

You try to smile. Kris doesn't let you. “The Werewires have moved to our town as well, so they'll be able to help you there just as they help you here.”

The post-it note smilies on their heads beam widely, and they click at you one at a time before disappearing. One of them, one at the back, flicks a springed leg at you in farewell before diving back underground, presumably to alert the rest of their people.

You heave a sigh of relief, and push yourself to your feet. “Why aren't you letting me smile anymore?”

Silence, for a moment, and it's just your footsteps. Then—

Noelle.

What about her? You think she'd be pleased to see them smile.

Their voice is slow, like they're talking to an idiot. You're grateful for the vote of confidence. You are not me. She will be able to tell.

Yeah, okay, but she's not here right now, is she? So—

“Kris?”

…

You hate fighting, but you'd really like to hit something. Kris snickers.

You spin to face her, trying to keep your expression neutral. You want to say hello but you expect Kris doesn't do things like ‘say hello to old friends’.

They grumble at you.

“Oh, goodness, Kris, what are you—”

She freezes as Queen's voice echoes through the alleyway. “Oh Noelle Sweetie”

“P-Please don't let her find me…” she whispers to you, before fleeing to hide in an alcove.

Before you can do anything, Queen turns the corner ahead of you. “Noelle Sweetie Honey Baby Remember We Are Still Teammates”

As the only thing in the alleyway she spots you immediately. “Oh”

You open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Kris grips your windpipe like a vice. 

Queen heaves a robotic sigh. “... It Appears Our Comrades Have Pressed The Escape Key On Us”

You're not entirely sure what that means.

“So It Has Come To This…” She turns away dramatically. “In Order To Find Our Teams… We Must Form An Uneasy Truce…”

You blink. She wants to be on your team?

Before you can attempt to speak again, a third voice calls down the alleyway. A very popular alley, today. “Oh, Queen! My Queen! Where are you?”

She starts, mouth forming an ‘O’. “Oh No Don't Let Him Find Me”

She jumps into the alcove Noelle hid in and your heart stops for a moment. With no immediate kerfuffle, though, you relax slightly as Burghley rounds the corner.

He catches sight of you, and his cheeks pink slightly beneath his feathers. “Well, if it isn't Kris… NOT who I was looking for.”

Kris groans audibly.

You try to smile at him, and Kris groans louder, but lets you. Noelle can't see. Just get rid of him.

Burghley seems surprised to see a smile from you, before reciprocating with one of his own. He closes his eyes and raises a feathered arm, ready to monologue. “Ah, Krismas… thou art fair and witty, yet alas…”

He clenches his fist and turns dramatically away. He reminds you distinctly of Queen, in that way. “We are on different sides. I serve my Queen, whilst you…”

Turning back to you, he actually looks around. “Wait, where is the rest of your team?”

He meets your eyes, his emerald ones piercing through yours. “Did they… abandon you?”

“No,” Kris says instantly, their usual flat tone edged out with disdain. They break his gaze, and you startle slightly at their annoyance. “They're around.”

“Ah,” says Burghley, distinctly unaffected by your change in tone. “It’s good that Susie is failing to live up to her horrendous reputation.”

You appreciate that he was worried about you. You smile at him again, though Kris turns it down by half. “Where are Noelle and Queen?”

He frowns. “I'm sure they're waiting for me somewhere, but…”

He nods his head once, coming to a decision. “I can't just leave a helpless lamb to their fate.”

You can tell Kris resents being called helpless, and a lamb, but they want him gone more than anything, so they let it slide. You’re forced to cough back a laugh.

“My sweet Juliet, I will clear the way ahead. Please follow at your own pace.”

It's… actually rather kind of him, you think. You really hate fighting. Kris is stewing in anger, but you don't know why. You smile again at him anyway. “Thank you, Burghley.”

He pauses. “It's, um…”

Blushing deeper, he shakes his head. “Never mind. I'll be ahead.”

With that, he takes off back the way he came, through the alley. You heave a silent sigh of relief, before Queen jumps back in front of you. Thankfully, she seems unaware that Noelle was with her. The deer girl's hiding skills must be impeccable.

“Kris That Was”

She pauses, looking away, before she meets your gaze again. “Stupid”

Her visor changes to say ‘True’. “Good Work Look Out For Noelle Okay Bye”

She jumps on the wall, then over your head with a “Hoh!” and vanishes behind you.

You heave another sigh of relief, feeling abruptly tired. Finally, Noelle exits the alcove, looking no worse for wear, if a little shaken. “Thanks, Kris. Um… Got room for another truce?”

You want to smile at her and say sure, but Kris simply nods, and she beams back.

You take like three steps before—

“Um, so is Susie… nearby?”

You look back at her. You're not sure what expression is on your face, but she flushes instantly. “What? WHAT? That's a normal question!”

Kris turns back forward. “They went a different way.” Their voice, as usual, is flatter than you could ever hope for. Frustration starts to boil within you.

“Oh, okay,” she says, and that's that.

You take monotonous steps through the alleyways. It's silent, and you don't know if it's thanks to yours or Burghley's efforts that they're empty as well.

You try to make conversation, but each time you open your mouth, Kris forces it shut. 

You don't know why Kris doesn't just take over. It doesn't make sense. Why don't you just…

Because, Kris says. That's how it is.

But why? You force them the senses, pulling them out of their chair and moving back and back and back. If they want to protect Noelle so bad they can just—

Cut it out, growls Kris, shoving you back in control.

Frustration pours within you. You don’t want to act like them. This is their life. Their friends. Why don't they want it?

YOU THINK I DON'T? screams Kris, their voice echoing through your SOUL.

You freeze. They freeze as well, gritting their teeth and clenching their arms so tight their knuckles are white.

Right. You'd forgotten your place. For a moment, it’d seemed like you… But you are nothing. A parasite. Unimportant, useless, and weak.

Kris tenses further. No—

“Kris…?” comes Noelle's voice. “Is something the matter?”

Your eyes blur. You don't open your mouth, don't turn around to reassure her, and force your pace to stay even as you continue along the path to the fountain.

Chapter Text

“Phew, I think it's done.”

Noelle hesitantly steps behind you, watching the hole closely for any errant mice.

After none present themselves, you continue on, and she scurries behind you. 

You've been walking in silence for about an hour. It's a long time to be silent. Noelle seems used to it, though. You're not sure if that makes you feel any better.

Finally, after ducking through enough alleyways, you make it to the city centre.

It's glorious, all gloss and glass and glamour. The stage lights illuminate billboards every way you look for anything you could dream of. The paint on the pavement and buildings is new and fresh, and you know one wrong move from the people who live here would send them spiralling.

It's empty of most people outside Addisons, who you know will be coming to New Home once the fountain dissipates. All the ones you'd talked to on your way into the city refused to leave until they had to, determined to try and make one last sale.

You're surprised at how empty it is. It makes the vision you saw from atop the walkway seem like a distant dream.

“Where is everyone…?” Noelle mutters to herself.

Your instinct is to explain. You immediately shove it down. You've been doing that a lot this last hour. Solving the puzzle in silence was difficult.

But Kris is right. This is their life. For whatever reason, you have to control it. If they want you to be silent, then you will be silent.

The sigh that comes out of your mouth isn't yours. You ignore it.

“Oh-ho-ho! Two young beings, together on a school night…”

You glance over at the voice. It's coming from a pink Addison with a winning smile, standing out the front of a shop. “Could I interest you in some brand new dating shoes…?”

Noelle blinks a few times, before exploding in colour. “N-No, you've got it all wrong! Kris and I are just… um… f-friends…?”

You frown at her hesitation. Is that what you wanted, Kris? Her to hesitate to call you a friend?

They make a frustrated noise at you, before taking the vocal cords. “We're friends,” they say succinctly.

Noelle visibly relaxes. “That's right! We're friends!” 

She smiles at you, and doesn't look put out when you don't smile back.

When you round the next corner, you're slightly surprised to see a few enemies waiting for you. They pull you into an encounter, and your SOUL is pulled out as usual, but as you brandish your sword you hear a short scream.

Noelle is curled in on herself, eyes wide in fear. She meets your gaze. “K-Kris! What's going on?”

You've not met these Darkners before - Virovirokun has a sickly appearance, sweating profusely and breathing heavily.

It blinks at Noelle. “Oh man, first encounter? I thought the Lightners were experienced.”

“She's new,” you say, trying to keep your tone flat. To Noelle, you say, “This is an encounter. It's kind of like a battle. We take turns doing actions and convince them to stop fighting.”

You turn your sword into a shield, muscle memory helping you along, now. “On their turn, we dodge. On ours, we help.”

You point at the Virovirokun. Noelle mimics your stance. 

Sifting through your pockets, you produce a revive mint and hold it out. “Here. Feel better soon.”

The Virovirokun looks at it, then at you. “Do I look unconscious to you?”

You try not to droop. You'd thought it'd be helpful anyway, a good source of healing. So much for being a good example for Noelle.

“Well, I can arrange for that instead if you'd prefer,” says Kris, tone sinister.

Kris, what?

The Virovirokun startles and snatches it out of your hand. “Th-Thank you!”

You look at Noelle, who thankfully seems to have been distracted patting down her robes. “Um…”

She pulls out a cloth, then blows on it. The air out of her mouth takes a blue tinge, and tiny icy crystals form on its surface. Then she holds it out to the Virovirokun, hands shaking slightly. “Um, h-here! It's a, um… cold compress…”

The Darkner takes it, smiling at her. “Thank you.”

You want to invite it to New Home, but you don't know how. You look at Noelle, trying to keep your expression flat. Why can't Kris just…

You sigh. “Go to the Prince's Kingdom.”

It looks at you, a hint of fear still present in its beady eyes. “R-Right, okay.”

With that, it vanishes. Noelle lets out a sigh of relief as you flip your sword back into your pocket. “That wasn't so bad.”

You want to reassure her that none of them really want to hurt her. You want to tell her that she did well. You want to beg her to tell you what's going on, as if she knows a single iota of what's occurring within Kris’s body.

You don't do any of that. “Let's go.”

The two of you continue through the empty streets, coming across a few more enemies you have to help. Noelle gets the hang of it rather quickly, but still, only ever following your lead. It makes you sick. All of this is making you sick.

You feel as though you have to explode into pieces, like it's the only way you'll ever be you again.

“Wow, Kris!” Noelle says, pointing at a billboard, and you flinch at the name. Kris makes a noise you don't understand. “Look at this ferris wheel!”

You look at it.

“It makes the one from the festival look like a toy, haha!”

She laughs, a tinkling sound like christmas bells. You've never been to a festival.

“I wonder if… Susie would want to…”

She cuts herself off, shaking her head and laughing again. “Gosh, who am I kidding?”

“She would,” says Kris, their tone flat.

“R-really? Y-you really— Kris??”

You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris. You are not Kris. Stop calling you that—

“I AM NOT KRIS!” you scream, and Noelle backs up, expression dropping into one of horror. You—you can’t bring yourself to care.

You pull back, and back, and back, and back. Kris barely lets you, but you force it, break through their will with the force of your bitterness.

No more.

You don't want to do this anymore. You don't care who brought you here. You don't care why.

You don't want to hear anymore. You don't want to see anymore. You don't want to feel anymore.

You

d-d

on’t

want to

exist

like this

ANYMORE.

….

🕈︎☜︎☹︎☹︎📪︎ ☠︎⚐︎🕈︎📬︎

✋︎💧︎ ❄︎☟︎✌︎❄︎

❄︎☟︎☜︎ ☜︎☠︎👎︎✍︎

….

But they refused.

…

“—at this ferris wheel!”

You look at it.

I’m sorry, says Kris, quickly, desperately.

You startle at their skyrocketing panic, flooding adrenaline into your veins and making your heart pound. It came from

nowhere

…?

Something happened with your soul again.

Didn't it?

I'm sorry, they say again. I'm sorry.

When you close your eyes to try to see them, they pull you in further, your non-existent body forming in the room. Their brow is pinched in worry, their ruby eyes bright with fear. It unsettles you far more than anything you've seen so far. 

They grab your arm, so tight it'd bruise, if it was real. “I'm sorry, okay? Just— Just—”

You're not really sure what happened, but you can put it together. Your soul must have failed again. 

“NO!” Kris says loudly, forcefully. You flinch.

They realise they have a vice grip on your arm and let go like it burnt them. 

“You didn’t— You aren't…”

They curse harshly, running a hand through their bangs, and they look exhausted.

Sympathy pangs in you. “Look, Kris, I'm not mad, it's okay—”

“I KNOW!” they yell. Your instinct is to flinch back, but they sound breathless, and all of your complicated emotions evaporate when you realise they’re panting and clutching their chest.

You don't know their struggle. There's clearly more to what's happening here that meets the eye. You didn't ask for this, but neither did they. 

If you don't know what you should do, why should they know? Aren't they just doing their best, too?

You could kick yourself. Why are you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself and your weak soul, forgetting what you're doing here in the first place?

They're covering their face. You don't know if they're crying or just don't want to look at you, and you decide you don't care as you throw your arms around them. 

They make a surprised noise.

“I'm sorry too, okay?”

You know you don't have to explain why. You know they don't like your reasoning. You know they are strong and brave and the hero, and you are some tag-along, but it doesn't mean you need to—

Kris’s shoulders are shaking, and you realise they're laughing. When you pull back, their expression—

“You don't know me,” they say. “I'm going to betray you.”

You blink. “What?”

Their smile has blood in it. Their eyes are blood red, broken-hearted. Their guilt clogs up your throat, making your eyes water in return. “I have no choice.”

“Wha—”

…

In a space with no space, laughter echoes.

…

“Kris?” Noelle tilts her head. “You’ve been acting strangely.”

You blink. The world floods into being. An Ambyu-Lance vanishes into tiny flickering lights, indicating its move to the town. “Oh, um, sorry…?”

Noelle smiles. She truly lights up when she does; it's like she melts the ice inside of you. “Fahaha, there you go again, apologising! What’s the joke this time?”

You half-smile awkwardly back. You feel odd.

“You did well,” you say. “None of these Darkners actually want to hurt us.” 

She stares at you, surprise evident on her face, before she beams again. “Hehe, thank you… Everyone seems nice here! Nothing like what my mom said the city was like when we were kids, hahaha…”

“Do you know—” you cut yourself off.

She waits, but you turn around and continue, instead.

The two of you walk comfortably through the empty streets. The Virovirokuns and Ambyu-Lances seem to have gotten word to everyone, and you haven’t seen another Poppup, either. The Addisons also thin out, until the city peters out into another set of alleys in the direction of the Fountain. You push your way into them, Noelle following behind.

“Kris, um…”

You pause, and turn to look at her.

Her brown eyes are wide with concern. “Are you okay? You’re, um… crying.”

Blinking, you raise a hand to Kris’s face. It comes away wet.

You frown, and send an apology to Kris, who probably hates that you’re crying. Nothing comes back from them. “I’m okay. Must be a reaction to something.”

She smiles with relief. “Oh, okay! Let me know if you need healing!”

You nod, and turn back around, leading the way through the alleyway. It’s funny; even the city’s alleyways are noticeably cleaner than the ones closer to the field. Less trash, more… cheese.

Still, it’s…

You pause.

Where’s Kris?

Where… Where is—

I’m here. 

They appear suddenly in their chair, as composed as ever. There’s a red line, stitched across the chest of their sweater. 

Did they… Is everything okay?

Their expression doesn’t change. Everything is fine.

Okay. You and Noelle continue through the alleyways.

Chapter Text

“They were interesting, weren't they, Kris?”

Noelle stares curiously at the CD Bagel in her hands, probably trying to work out the best way to eat it. 

You've just left Sweet Cap'n Cakes' city base behind, with some CD Bagels courtesy of them for the “fair maiden”.

Noelle had smiled awkwardly, but let them give you free stuff. You appreciate the sacrifice.

“They consider themselves the last line of defence against Queen,” you say, forcing down another half of a bagel. Noelle watches you, then does the same, making a surprised face at the taste.

“Oh! It's nice!”

You smile at her, and she smiles back, though all her smiles are tinged with confusion. You suppose Kris doesn't smile at her very much. Or at all.

They grumble, reclined back in their chair.

You'll take that as a yes.

She then processes what you said, raising a hand to tap her chin. “Right, but you said all these people are missing because of Queen, right? Like, you convinced them to leave. Doesn't that make you a defence as well?”

You look at her. “Us, you mean.”

She smiles awkwardly. “Right, fahahaha…”

Shrugging, you turn your gaze ahead. There's a switch next to an energy gate, blocking the path.

“Hmm…” You step on the button and the gate switches off, revealing another button on the other side.

“Oh!” says Noelle. “I'll press that one.”

She walks past the gate and onto the button. “Okay, go!”

You meet her on the other side, and she gives you another ice melting smile. “Good work!”

You didn't even consider it.

There's a tone to Kris’s voice you don't understand, a matted ball of emotions lodged in your chest that doesn't belong to you and you have no hope of untangling.

What are they referring to?

Doesn't matter, they dismiss.

There's a pile of boxes in an alcove in the next alleyway, the craftsmanship impeccable. You nod respectfully. Noelle gives you a weird look.

Then, as you approach the wider part of the alley, you hear a loud, haughty laugh; it could only belong to—

“Queen!” whisper-shouts Noelle. Her eyes are wide with fear. “She’s right over there! Can you distract her somehow…?”

Noelle hurries back the way you came. You sigh, and move into the opening.

Queen is holding another glass of acid, her cheeks robotically flushed. She catches sight of you immediately. “Oh Lmao”

She shrugs in a ‘what can you do?’ manner. You have a feeling you aren't going to like this. “Sorry Kris While I've Been Looking For Noelle I've Had Like 4 Of These All-Ages Appropriate Glasses of Pure Battery Acid”

You feel like that's no-ages-appropriate. She pegs it at the ground, and it explodes, but instead of acid and glass flying everywhere, it remains within a contained space, just next to her leg. How…?

“Don't Worry That Was My Throwing Glass It's Safe”

Your confusion keeps mounting. But Kris, who you'd expected to be in tears of laughter right now, is only slightly smiling. You wonder if something's wrong with them.

They scowl, smile dropping. Thanks.

You didn't mean it like that!

“Kris”

Queen’s voice interrupts. She's taken a step towards you.

“Kris Cross Applesauce”

Another step. Wha—?

“Now That We Are Trucies I Feel Like We Are On The Same Mathematical Wavelength”

She takes a few more steps until she's right in front of you, then drops a robotic arm on your head and leans on you, drawing her arm across like she's looking at a glorious horizon and not the dirty wall of an alleyway. “You Get Me Kris”

You do not.

“You Are Smart But You Are Not”

She pauses.

“Annoying”

Well, great. 

“You Do Not Do Annoying Things Like Scream When I Capture You”

You don't think she's actually succeeded in capturing you even once. You don't correct her.

“Or Talk To Me”

You're glad to be of service…?

She stands up, summoning another glass. She sips at it. “I Just Cannot Compute Why Everyone Else Is So… Ungrateful”

Well, you'd guess they don't want to be captured, but you think better of saying it.

She lets out a “Hoh!” and throws her glass out the ground again. This one sends broken shards and errant splashes of acid all over the alleyway: it's only because she was standing in front of you that you were spared it.

“Oh” she says, then turns to you, splattered in acid. “That Was My Extra Dangerous Glass”

… You hope this conversation ends soon.

Without warning, the video game you, Susie and Ralsei versed Queen in earlier drops to your left. You're not sure how it survived the fall.

“But Kris... While We're Still Trucies Maybe We Could... Make The Most Of It”

She takes a step towards the game, when there's a loud clang, and—

A golden statue crushes it. There's not much more to say — there's hardly even pieces left, smothered by…

It's Burghley. He's, um… Well, he doesn't look like that, neither in the Dark World or the Light World.

He's flexing, and hanging off one of his bulging muscles is a small version of Queen, a lovestruck expression on her golden visor. And, hanging off the other arm…

No. No. No. No.

Is that…?

Kris is groaning louder than you've ever heard. This is YOUR fault, you know!

A small version of Kris (of YOU! they stress through clenched teeth,) clings to the other flexed arm.

Their expression is also lovestruck. You find yourself wondering if Kris could even make such an expression.

Don't even think about it, they say, disgust roiling in your throat.

And, of course, because things just keep getting better;

“My Queen! And my Juliet! You're together, how sublime!”

Burghley floats down slowly. You look up, and Sweet Cap'n Cakes wave to you from aboard a hovercraft before zooming off.

You feel… something, that's for sure.

“I had this commissioned while I was clearing up the passages ahead! I'm so glad to show you. It's a monument… To our greatness.”

If you'd been asked before today if a robot could show shocked disgust, you would wonder why you'd been asked such a specific question. And then you would say no.

Queen, admirably, proves you wrong.

“Oh”

“Um”

“Oh”

“Uh”

“It”

“It's”

“Oh”

“Well”

“Um”

“Mmm”

“It's” She spins around. “How Do I Put This”

When she turns back, her visor spells ‘LYING’ in great red lettering. “Very… Smart”

She nods once, and Burghley puffs up with pride. You wonder if being put into the Dark World somehow erased his ability to read. “So Smart You Are”

He smirks triumphantly, and you think you much prefer his smiles. “Haha! I KNEW you'd be enamoured! Such perfect taste!”

He turns towards you with a soft look in his eyes. Kris gags. “Krismas, I'm sure this must be overwhelming for you, so I won't pressure you. Feel free to stay here and admire this fine piece as long as you'd like.”

Before you can even try to think of something to say, he turns to Queen. “But, my Mercutio, we must away. Fair Cyber World needs our defence!”

With that, he flounces off. You don’t think you’ve spoken this entire conversation. Can you even call it that, if one party never talks?

“Haha Yes Oooh So Good Looking Forward To That” Queen calls after him. “Keep Going I Am Right Behind You”

She stays still, watching him go, before she hurries up to you. Kris stops you from flinching, and you're grateful. “Sorry Kris I Must Alt Tab Out Of Here”

With that, she rushes past you and out of the alleyway, past Noelle. Your heart stops for a moment, but she hurries right past without more than a “Wow Cool Face”.

She's disguised herself — she waddles over, a cardboard box with a robot face drawn on it over her head. “Looks like my disguise worked… It's silly looking, but it beats hiding…”

She pulls the box over her head to reveal her awkward smile, and you smile back at her. “Good idea!”

Again, confusion overtakes her face. “Oh, uh, thanks!” She puts the disguise back on anyway. “Onwards, Kris!”

You take a couple of steps, closer to the statue, and slowly circle around it. It's insanely large — at least three of Kris stacked on top of each other. For some reason, he's featherless, and has nipples. Avians don't have nipples, but perhaps avian-type monsters do. But, you don't think monsters reproduce in the same way as humans. You'd originally assumed new monsters were created from the magic of their parents, but now that monsters can't use magic, maybe it's a different method…?

Can you STOP? says Kris, loudly. When you picture them, they're turned completely away from you.

Why? It's simple science; humans have nipples because they are mammals. This body would—

They fling around, their cheeks nearly the colour of their eyes. 

Oh Angel, is it rude to compare monsters to animals? You've been doing it since you got here.

No, it's… they shake their head, pinching the bridge of their nose. Never mind.

“Oof!”

A pained noise from Noelle distracts you. She’s slumped over Burghley’s giant foot.

Kris lets out a snort, finally, as you hurry over to check on her. It relieves you more than you’d care to admit, that they’d shaken off their esoteric doom. “Noelle! Are you okay?”

“Aha, yeah… just realised… I can’t see anything…”

She pulls off the box, and you reach out a hand to help her up. She looks at it strangely, before accepting it up. “Fahaha… you really are weird today, Kris.”

The box gets stowed away, but— “Oh, pass me your disguise for a second.”

Tilting her head at you, she hands it over. You turn it so the head is facing you, then get out your pencil, flipping it into your sword. Two cut-outs later, you can see through the box.

“Here.” you put your sword away, and hand it back to her. “You should be able to see now.”

She glances at it, then up at your face. Her expression changes quite a bit, rigid lines softening out. You hadn’t realised how tense she’d been. “Kris…”

She puts the disguise back on. “Don’t worry. Let’s keep moving.”

You nod once, then set the pace back down the alleyway.

A few rooms pass without incident, and after a while, you allow the world around you to fade slightly, bringing Kris into view, sitting straight up in their chair, arms folded.

They raise an eyebrow at you, but your gaze settles on their new addition to their outfit. What is that stitching… Why is it there?

“Stitching?” they glance down at their sweater. Their eyes widen. “What?”

They scratch at it, but it seems stuck in place. Heaving a sigh that nearly escapes your lips, they give up quickly. “Whatever.”

They don’t know it’s there? How does that even work?

Ruby red eyes peak out from their bangs. “We don’t pick what we wear here.”

Oh, what? They don’t pick?

They look at you in incredulity. “What, did you actually choose to wear that?”

That…?

You look down, Kris’s Dark World armour blending with…

Bright red birds, the shade of Kris’s eyes. Covering your non-existent skin, your shifting clothes. You look at your hands. Golden chains glint in the dim light of the alley.

You blink. It all disappears.

“Kris…?”

Noelle’s voice from behind you. You didn’t realise you’d stopped. 

Shaking your head roughly, you continue down the path, hoping these ridiculous alleys end soon, and try to put birds out of your mind.

Chapter Text

Noelle’s box-face looks at the tenth crumbled piece of cheese. “Seems like everything is done here, too.”

In the hour since you left that statue, you’ve run across roads, walked straight past completed puzzles, and now… “We can just walk past,” she continues.

It unsettles you, more than you know how to explain. Another thing that nags at your non-existent memories.

Noelle taps her chin under the disguise. “Do you think anyone along here was recruited? We’re on the other side of the city now.”

Panic nearly chokes you. You scan the alleyway, and, seeing nothing, run back through the last one, seeing nothing again. All the way back to the last puzzle, the alleys are dirty but—

There’s no dust.

You heave a sigh of relief, panting as you catch back up to Noelle. “I think they were all recruited.”

The tone of her voice takes on a hopeful tinge. Under the disguise, you picture her cheeks going pink. “Maybe… it’s Susie…?”

Kris snorts. It’s Burghley. Duh.

Oh, right. “Noelle, it’s probably Burghley. He said he’d clear out everything ahead.”

She looks at you. Her eyes are shut, and you get the feeling she’s smiling. “Oh… right. Fahaha, Kris, you’re so mean…”

You frown at her, but she doesn’t say anything else. Kris is snickering. You feel like you’re missing something, but it looks like nobody’s going to explain it, so you shake your head and continue.

Walking for another little while, you come across another puzzle; “Annoying Mouse Room Three”. You wonder who came up with these names.

Unlike the previous two, this one isn’t solved - instead, Burghley sits at the monitor, an expression of intense concentration on his face.

“Ah!” whisper-shouts Noelle. “He might not be fooled by my disguise!”

She’s not given a chance to react, nor are you, because he looks up at that instant. His face brightens. “Ah, my Juliet! ‘Tis always good to see you, but alas…” 

He frowns, glaring slightly at the contraption. It does look complicated. “I was hoping to remain your invisible knight…”

You smile at him. Kris groans. “It’s okay.”

He heaves a sigh, then steps back from the monitor. “Perhaps I am just… out of fuel. It’s safe here; if you’ll wait, I’ll return with some appropriate sustenance.”

“It’s important to eat,” you say, not exactly agreeing.

Noelle shuffles slightly behind you as he walks up the stairs. “Indeed, ‘tis.” He pauses when he catches sight of her disguise, staring curiously. “Did you make a new ally?”

“I did.” You try to sound as nonchalant as possible. “From the city.”

He nods once. “Good. Even with me protecting you, it’s not safe.”

You don’t need protection, grumbles Kris.

Why, because you’re so good at fighting? You’re complete garbage. Kris knows that better than anyone.

You have me! they say forcibly, then turn their head away instantly. You ARE me, they correct.

Well, that’s—

“I must away, regardless. Please wait here.”
With that, Burghley turns and hurries back the way you came.

As soon as he’s gone, Noelle lets out a sigh of relief. “Well, I’m glad that worked, fahaha… I can’t believe…”
She sounds slightly sad, and you try to imagine someone who claims they care about you not recognising you because of a box on your head. It wouldn’t feel good.

Before you can try to offer her a comforting word of some description, she walks down to the puzzle. “This seems interesting, though…”

You examine the puzzle. There’s a switch on a raised platform. Beside it, there’s another raised platform with another switch. It seems you may have to jump from platform to platform to press the buttons, but it seems rather dangerous—

“Here’s the switch!” Noelle walks onto the platform and presses it. Immediately, the path back falls into the abyss, and the platform starts to shake.

“No, Noelle!” you shout, but it’s too late.

She shrieks in fear. “Kris! The platform is going to fall!”

It’s clear, from where you are, what needs to happen. “Jump onto the next platform!”

“Are y-you sure?”

The platform shakes harder. You nod frantically. “Yes!”

She clenches her eyes shut, barely visible through her disguise, and runs and jumps onto the next one. You heave a sigh of relief, watching the platform she just left fall. “Thank the Angel.”

She seems to feel similarly, clutching at her heart. “Th-Thanks, Kris…”

You smile at her again. “I think you need to keep jumping to the next platform.” You point at the switch on the other side of the platform she’s on. “It’s dangerous, though. I can do it.”

“No,” she says, though her voice shakes slightly. “I can do it.”

And then, she does it. She hesitantly leaps from one platform to the next, pressing the switches as she goes. Before long, the forcefield is gone. You feel a proudness in you that you’re not sure solely belongs to you, and you wonder if Burghley and Queen would have a heart attack at their ‘precious Noelle’ being exposed to danger like that.

“Phew,” she says, panting slightly beneath the box, after she crosses back to you. “I did it!”

“You did.” You try to make your tone warm. “That was impressive, Noelle.”

“Ha…ha…” It’s very sweet, how bashful she is. You think she brings up a hand to tug at her hair. “Thanks, Kris. You’ve just always been so brave, and after today, I thought…”

You wait for her to finish her sentence, but before she can—

“Ah, Krismas, I see you solved the puzzle!” Burghley’s voice rings through the alley, and Noelle lets out an “eep!” before she moves behind you slightly.

He better stop calling me that, Kris grumbles. How are you supposed to ask him to stop, exactly?

He’s carrying a basket, and glances around proudly. “I thought you might! You are, of course, a rival to only Noelle and I in intelligence.”

You perk up at him complimenting Noelle. Kris mutters something under their breath. “Oh, well, I actually didn’t solve it! My friend here—”

“Ah, no need to be humble, my sweet Juliet!” Burghley croons. He hands you the basket.“The average denizen could never hope to solve a puzzle like this! I’m sure you’re just giving credit to the needy, as is your wont.”

… Has he ever had a conversation with Kris?

What’s that supposed to mean?

“Alas, my theydy,” ??? “I must away.”

“You’re not staying to eat with us?”

Noelle grabs your wrist tightly at the same time Kris yells don’t convince him!

He smiles at you fondly, but shakes his head. “I ate quickly, for I have heard word of Queen in this area. Noelle is still missing… I must try to gather everyone together again. We have plans we…” He looks away dramatically. “Must enact.”

You’re not really sure what’s so serious, but you nod in acceptance. He smiles at you once again, before charging ahead with a simple, “Farewell.”

You let out a sigh in unison with Noelle as soon as he’s out of eyeshot. She rounds on you, then, with all the fiercness she’s capable of expressing, which seems to be very little. “Kris! You almost made him stay!”

Berated by both Kris and Noelle. You didn’t mean it, you just wanted to be kind... 

Something shrivels up in you. “I’m sorry.”

Noelle startles slightly at whatever look is on your face. Kris lets it happen, lips a thin line. For some reason, you’d thought they’d stop you from acting like… well, yourself.

You wish you could see the deer’s expression, but all you’re able to see is her eyes, and they’re oddly unreadable, before she blinks, and it’s gone. “It’s okay, he’s still gone…”

She shakes her head roughly, the box making a rustling noise, before she says, “Come on. Let’s go.”

You glance at the picnic basket, and put it in your pocket. Later, then. You think you’ve eaten enough today anyway, what with Kris’s meal last night.

They snort at the reminder. They still seem slightly on edge, but before you can ask them anything, the alley you’re in opens up to a new section of the city.

“Oh, wow!” exclaims Noelle, looking back and forth at the twinkling lights. It’s still empty, even out here. Kris was right; you’d only had to convince a few.

The traffic is still insane, but it’s held back by cones, orange and white and tall as you are. It’s odd; who is driving the cars?

You examine them closely, peering through the windows. It seems they’re self-driving. You wonder if the cars themselves are Darkners. 

No, says Kris. They’re controlled by Queen. Artificial.

You let out a small sigh of relief. Thankfully, you don’t have to recruit the entire fleet of the city’s cars.

The two of you cross the road cordoned off from the traffic. It allows a completely unobstructed walkway. You’re in the midst of wondering why it exists when you hear Queen’s laughter echo from ahead of you.

Noelle lets out a small squeak, but that’s about all the time you get before she appears around the corner ahead of you. “Noelle Honey Where Are You”

The robot-woman seems to be holding some sort of lime green pie as she gazes over the traffic. It looks completely inedible. “Noelle Come Home I Made You A Battery Acid Pie”

When she catches sight of you, an exclamation mark appears on her visor. “Oh Kris Perfect Timing”

She throws the pie on the ground. Despite it being inedible, you can’t help but feel like it’s a waste. Kris snickers at you. “Have You Seen—”

“Oh my QUEEN! Where are you?”

Burghley’s nasal yelling sounds from around a different corner. 

Queen’s expression forms an ‘o’. “Oh My Circuits Kris Get In The Car”

You’re about to ask which car, glancing at the fleet behind you, when a luxurious limousine rolls up right next to you. Queen leaps in, prompting Noelle to scramble toward it. You rush to climb in behind her.

You’ve hardly shut the door when Burghley appears, carrying an acid pie. You wonder if you’d missed them becoming popular, at some point. 

“My Queen! I've baked you a Gamer's Delight!”

He glances around, and you watch him from inside the car with bated breath. You’re not exactly sure why Queen is avoiding him.

Because he’s annoying, Kris supplies easily.

Right.

Burghley looks around once more and leaves. Queen waits a moment, before jumping back out. “That Was Close”

You and Noelle both get out too, reorienting yourself. Noelle nearly falls over again, but she manages to straighten up.

Queen watches closely. “Kris Who Is Your Friend My Face Recognition Software Does Not Compute Them”

Noelle moves slightly behind you. Queen takes a step closer, and you can hear Noelle’s panicked breathing against the box. “And Yet… Something About Them Seems Cool” She takes another step closer. “Robotic Even”

There’s a moment where you’re certain that she’s going to work it out, that she’s going to unmask Noelle and you’re going to be a failure of a friend.

Then she spins around to the car, disregarding it all. “Kris We Must Drive To Find Noelle Get In The Car Your Cool Friend Also”

Obediently, you and Noelle get back in the car, settling in the backseat. Queen sits in the passenger seat. She looks back. “Kris You Are Driving Get In The Front”

You open your mouth to say you don’t know how to drive, but excitement that doesn’t belong to you wells up in you like a spring, and you snap your mouth closed, a small smile curling your lips. You get out and hop in the front.

So, Kris likes driving?

NO, they say quickly. Then— maybe.

Well, that’s great, because you have no idea what you’re doing. You pull back, back, until you appear in the room. Kris immediately takes over, adjusting various things in the car and pressing buttons you don’t understand.

That’s fine by you. You settle into their chair, warm and comfortable, and watch Kris take all of you on a drive through the city.

Chapter Text

You can't tell if Kris is a good driver.

Noelle hasn't squeaked in fright, and Queen seems completely unbothered, checking her phone in the corner of Kris’s eyes. You think this means they are.

Their gaze is directed to the road in front, briefly glancing up at the fountain. 

Oddly enough, there's still a lot of cars on the road. You wonder where they're going.

“So Much Traffic Isn't It Wonderful” Queen says, tone completely flat. It's no wonder Kris likes her, you think, having so much in common.

They let out a small pfft at your thoughts, and you smile quietly to yourself in the chair. Something about making them laugh…

“Lightners Love Traffic They Look It Up All The Time”

Is that why there's so many cars? Because Queen thought you and the others would enjoy it?

That's… startlingly sweet.

Kris makes a quietly surprised noise at something on the road. Queen looks up from her phone. You can't quite see her expression, but she spreads her arms out as if to halt you. “Wait Stop Everything”

She points directly at the yellow object spinning in the road. You stare at it, not really believing Kris’s eyes. “Kris Get The Banana”

What, like run it over? Get out and pick it up?

Kris runs it over. This seems to be the right move. You applaud their foresight. “Potassium”

Potassium… for the wheels? You can hardly begin to guess.

The car comes up to a crossing, which Kris is forced to stop at. There's a veritable wave of cars, honking and hollering, and more importantly, not moving.

“Oh My Circuits It's A Traffic Jam” She frowns. “A Dog Must Have Wandered In The Road Again”

There's dogs in the Dark World? Are they different to Light World dogs?

“Kris Be A Dear And Go Press The Walk Button On The Other Side Of The Road”

Kris can't even see the other side of the road, but they get out obediently and wait for Noelle.

She moves to follow but Queen stops her. “No You Must Stay And Listen To My Mixtape”

Noelle freezes, then slowly moves back into the car, eyes wide, pleading with Kris to hurry back.

You guess it’s just the two of you again, then. They walk down an alleyway in the direction of the road. 

Almost immediately after they round the corner out of sight of the car, they pause, holding out a hand. Then— “Are you…”

You wait for them to finish, but they just shake their head roughly and pull you up out of the seat and into their body.

You'd expected it, slightly, so you manage to gather yourself a bit quicker, only coughing a few times before you get a handle on Kris’s lungs. 

You shake your head roughly, unintentionally mimicking them, before you continue through the alley. 

It's odd; this one is immediately different. It's wider than the others. It has a dumpster, something you've yet to see outside of the trash zone, and old, peeling posters plastered to the walls. 

You take a few more steps forward. The ground has puddles on it. Does it rain in Cyber City? That can't be good for technology.

Something's here.

You freeze at those urgent words, and clattering in the dumpster pulls your attention. Someone — something is climbing out. 

Kris stops you from scrambling back as a small, odd-looking Addison emerges from the trash, sending bits and pieces everywhere.

It's— it's hard to describe why this particular Addison is so hard to look directly at. Something about him draws your eyes in and then sends them away. His hair is slicked back, but not slick. Parts of him seem to flicker, almost, disappearing and reappearing as you blink. Like a child covering their eyes and thinking nobody can see them.

You start to shake. You want to run. You don't want him to spot you. There's something dangerous about this man.

Kris holds your legs steady, pursing their lips. Calm down.

You almost scoff. Easy for them to say.

The Addison turns his gaze to you, and freezes. Even the flickering stops. You hold your breath. 

Then he lets out a clicking noise that might be a laugh. “HEY      EVERY     !! IT'S ME!!! EV3RY  BUDDY  'S FAVORITE [[Number 1 Rated Salesman1997]] SPAMT SPAMTON G. SPAMTON!!”

Oh Angel, his voice is like glass shattering. This Addison is different from the rest.

He jumps out of the dumpster without actually jumping, just floating down. You think you might be sick with fear as he steps towards you. “HEY HEY HEY [[LIGHT NER]]!!!!!! Are You [LIGHTNERS]?????????”

His pink and yellow glasses cover his eyes completely. You feel like you can't breathe. “U-Um… uh…”

He tilts his head as if to see you better. He comes up to Kris's knee. It doesn't make anything better. “LITTLE [Robin], ARE YOU [Afraid]? ARE YOU [[Scared]] OF [Great Deal]?”

Kris hisses through your teeth, immediately on guard. He can tell? Just like that?

There's something about this Darkner that reminds you distinctly of Jevil. The thought of the clown makes your heart climb into your throat. The dread mires your bones.

“DON ‘T WORRY!!! BECAUSE I GOT A [[Specil Deal]] FOR LONELY [[Heart]] [[Hearts]] LIKE YOU!!”

He takes another step closer. Kris takes a step back, but you're too scared to really register it. “IF YOU'VE [[Lost Control Of Your Life]] THEN YOU JUST GOTTA GRAB IT BY THE [[Silly Strings]]!!”

Another step closer, another step back. Your breathing is short, sharp bursts that feel like they're puncturing your lungs. “WHY BE THE [[Little Sponge]] WHO HATES ITS [[$4.99]] LIFE

WHEN YOU CAN BE A

[[BIG SHOT!!!]]

[[BIG SHOT!!!!]]

[[BIG SHOT!!!!!]]”

He gets more excited the longer he talks, voice distorting and shifting between pitches and volume. You're utterly terrified, dread snaking down your spine, Kris fighting to hold you back from sprinting in the opposite direction. He'll chase us, they say grimly. We have to get through it.

Is it your imagination, or does their voice shake, slightly?

Your imagination.

Spamton laughs, that clicking, crackling noise. “WHEN WILL [YOUR] VOICE BE [LOUDER] THAN THAT [[Little Sponge]] INSIDE YOUR HEAD, [Partner]??”

You freeze.

“[[FORGET]] THEM!!! [[FORGET]] YOUR [Friend(s)]!!!! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO BE A [[BIG SHOT]]!!”

Is he talking to you, or to Kris?

Doesn't matter, they say forcibly. 

And it’s true — this is the first being who has ever talked to both of you at once for longer than a few seconds.

“AND I HAVE JUST. THE THING. YOU NEED.”

His glasses darken, his voice monotone and expression shadowed. 

“THAT'S. [[Hyperlink Blocked]].”

You look around, half expecting something sinister to appear in front of you and eat you whole. Nothing happens.

Spamton edges closer. YOU WANT IT. YOU WANT [[Hyperlink Blocked]], DON'T YOU.”

You shake your head frantically, but he pays you no mind. He’s nearly within reach, and you hate that, taking another shaky step back.  “LIGHTNER [LIGHTNER]!!? CHAINS!? MORE [CHAINS]??? WELL HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU!!”

Your back hits the wall. Your breath hitches in fear. Something about this is familiar, someone approaching you, cornering you, with their eyes on your—

“ALL Y OU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW ME IT. YOUR [[HeartShapedObject]].”

He wants you? Your Soul? says Kris. You don’t understand their tone.

Spamton pauses his steps towards you, then backs up quickly, clattering out a noise like a dial tone. “YOU'VE GOT THE [[LIGHT.(S)]]  WHY DON'T YOU [[Show it off?]]”

His laughter reaches a fever pitch as odd music starts to play from the dumpster, like the chattering of bugs. 

Kris curses out of your mouth and draws their sword as your Soul is pulled forth. So, it’s a fight, then.

More clattering laughter. “WATCH THAT [Filthy Mouth] OF YOURS, CAGE [in] [The] CAGE [in] [The] CAGE [in] [The]—”

He cuts himself off, cackling more, as projectiles the shapes of nonsensical words fly at you from the dumpster. You dodge relatively easily. Kris sits forward in their chair, expression shuttered, but you know they’re ready to take over at a moment's notice. The thought makes you stand a little taller, makes your breath come a little easier.

“HEY HEY HEY! I'VE NEVER SEEN A [HeartShapedObject] LIKE THAT BEFORE!!” Spamton’s glasses shine in the pale coral light of your Soul as it dodges along with you. “MY EYES ARE [[Burning]] LIKE [[DVDs of ANY movie at Half-pr1ce!]]”

Has… Spamton seen a Soul before?

The dumpster stops producing words, and you turn back to him looking at you, a wide smile on his face. For the first time, you wonder what happened to him to make him like this.

Kris tuts you. Focus.

“I HAVE A VERY SPECIL [Deal] FOR YOU KID!”

He waits. And continues waiting.

And, maybe you have to say something. “Um, yes?”

He clicks out his laugh again, perpetual grin stuck in place like a doll. “THAT'S THE ATTITUDE, YOU LITTLE [Robin]!”

He stares through you. It makes you shiver. “DEALS LIKE THIS ONLY COME ONCE IN YOUR [[Ant-sized]] [[Rapidly-shrinking]] LIFE!!”

Bullets shaped like mini-Spamtons fire at you from behind him. You didn’t see him conjure them. You dodge them with relatively little trouble. 

Your ant-sized, rapidly-shrinking life, huh? You cough out a small laugh as you vault over the projectiles. That much was obvious.

Kris makes a frustrated noise and turns your body to avoid one jumping. You send them apologies, but they wave them off.

Spamton continues, like he isn't trying to steal your Soul. Something about that is also familiar, but you're not really given a chance to dwell on it. “BELIEVE IT OR          !! I USED TO BE A BIG SHOT. THE BIGGEST!!! BUT NOW…” He shrinks, physically. It's very odd, but the mini-spamtons keep coming, so you can’t really think on it. “I NEED A LITTLE [[Genorisity]]”

The attack ends, and again, he waits.

You scramble for something to say. In the end, you do still want to end this peacefully; maybe if you let him finish, he’ll move to the town. “Um, what do you need?”

He nods approvingly, though you don't know what you did. “THAT'S RIGHT, I'M A SALESMAN   , I WAS NEVER IN IT FOR THE MONEY!!!”

You decide not to unpack that.

“I WAS ONLY EVER IN IT FOR” His eyes darken. “THE [Freedom].”

The… freedom? Freedom from what?

Kris inhales sharply, and something of theirs slams into you so hard it chokes your throat with it.

Kris…?

They stomp on it, but it's not quick enough; guilt is familiar on the back of your tongue. You decide not to say anything.

THE [Freedom] TO MAKE YOUR OWN [Deals] TO CALL YOUR OWN [Shots], AND SOMETIMES IN THE MORNING, A LITTLE” Again, his gaze darkens. It sends shivers down your spine. “[Hyperlink Blocked]”

“SOUNDS GOOD. DOESN;T IT?KID?” You can’t really say. You don’t entirely understand the thread of the conversation.

He takes a step forward. You can’t step back. His grin is massive. “DON'T YOU W4NT TO BE JUST LIKE YOUR OLD PAL SPAMTON????”

The grin drops. “TAKE THE DE4L.”

You inhale, and a shriek nearly escapes you. “Okay,” says Kris instead, tone flat. You didn’t realise you’d started shaking so severely. “Deal accepted.”

“NOW WE'RE [Cooking With Gas] KRIS!! NO MORE [[Falling Apart]] AT THE [Stitches]!!”

They let out a surprised breath, the air rushing out your mouth. 

“YOU GOT [Guts] KID!! THAT's [[Discomfort And Abdominal Pain]] IN MY [[Guts]]!!”

He grows in size, unhinging his jaw. Movement behind you is the only signal you get before you fling yourself forward, underneath projectiles shaped like dollar signs. They shoot directly into his mouth. It’s… weird.

He knows my name, Kris says, almost to themselves. You don't have the capacity to think of a response, as you toss yourself backwards to dodge more projectiles.

“DONT WORRY KID I WILL GIVE YOU [Deal Insurance] FOR THE LOW, LOW PRICE OF 1000 KROMER.”

You look at him strangely, panting slightly as the weird bullets stop. You've never heard of Kromer. Is it like Dark Dollars? 

No, says Kris, leaning forward further. Don't take anymore deals until he forces your hand.

You don't like the sound of that. 

Spamton takes another step closer, the weird music from the dumpster still ringing in your ears. You stay in a crouch, watching for more attacks. “IT'S AN AWESOME PRICE.! AN ABSOLUTELY [[Terrifying]] PRICE! PRICES SO LOW, EVERYONE I KNOW IS [[Dead]]!!!”

Your hands won't stop shaking on your sword. Everyone he knows is—

Focus, dammit, hisses Kris, pushing you forward out of the way of more nonsense words. Right.

There's only a few more bullets before he stands expectantly. 

“Um, no thank you?” you say hesitantly.

His clicking rises in pitch, like scratching glass. You can't help but wince, tears filling your eyes. This is more than you can handle. Sighing, Kris easily sweep through, and you're dropped back in the chair.

“WHAT!?!? YOU DON"T NEED IT!?!? NOT EVEN WHEN YOU ARE [Trapped] IN A [GODDAMN GARBAGE CAN]???”

An odd feeling rises in you. You glare at him, taking control of the vocal cords. “Don't insult Kris.”

Spamton crackles out his laugh. “OH, WAS I SPEAKING TO Y OU, LITTLE [Robin]??? CAGE [in] [The] CAGE [in] [The] CAGE—”

“Stop.” Kris’s tone is dark, darker than you've ever heard it. They level the sword at him. “Let us by.”

Spamton freezes for a half-second, seemingly enraptured. Then he clicks more, quickly swinging side to side. “THAT'S A REAL BIGSHOT MOVE, KRIS!!! YOU'RE LIKE ME…”

His smile drops. He steps closer, tip of the sword digging into his cheek. “[Desperate].”

Kris grits their teeth so hard you fear they might crack.

He flings himself back, swinging side to side again. “BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT, DON'T WE!? I [[KNOW]] YOU DO, HIDING AND WAITING AND HIDING.. .”

Kris says nothing. It seems they don't need to.

“WILL YOU TAKE THE FINAL DEAL!?”

They close their eyes, then open them. “Fine.”

Spamton's perpetual grin grows even larger. It's truly unsettling. “THEN A DEAL'S A DEAL!!!”

Your Soul fades, and Kris flips their sword back into a pencil, shoving it in their pocket. 

Spamton digs in the trash for a moment, before producing a small coin, which he then sniffs and throws away before turning to face you. “NOW ON TO THE NEXT STEP… I'LL BE WAITING AT MY [[Home-made Storefront Site]] IN THE [[Trash Area Closed For Repairs.]]”

So he lives in the trash zone. Great.

He digs in the trash some more, producing some sort of device before placing it in his vest. “COME... JUST [The] [2] OF Y OU.”

He takes off behind you, shouting. “AND DON'T... FORGET TO [[Like And Subscribe]] FOR MORE [[Hyperlink Blocked.]] HAEAHAEAHAEAHAEAH!!”

His clicking, crackling laughter follows him out of the alleyway. As soon as Kris can't hear it anymore, you let out a sigh of relief.

Kris seems to feel the same. They close their eyes momentarily, then open them, and continue walking down the alleyway to the street ahead.

Chapter Text

The rest of the situation with Queen and her car ends rather predictably, all things considered. Kris clears the traffic, drives some more, and then Queen ushers everyone out of the car so it can explode.

Sure, because that might as well happen. Kris had watched mournfully as the front was engulfed in flames. 

You're just glad everyone got out in time. 

Regardless, Queen had taken off, leaving Kris and Noelle to continue on foot.

“Gosh, that was close, wasn't it, Kris…?” she sounds completely dazed. Kris, predictably, doesn't say anything.

They take advantage of her distraction to pull you back up, into the senses. You nearly trip on your next step, sputtering. Surely they'd warn you of this by now?

They snicker. You heave an exasperated sigh.

Noelle doesn't seem to notice, thankfully. When you look at her, she's staring distantly up at the city lights, twinkling like stars in the dark. “It seems like we're almost at the end. This strange world… This big city…” she trails off. 

You can honestly understand where she's coming from. You don't think you've ever seen a sight like this, and from Kris’s reaction, they haven't either. You regret that closing the fountain means erasing such a vibrant world.

Still, the least you can do is let Noelle take it in for as long as she wants. You still can't see her expression in favour of the box disguise, but when she looks at you a few minutes later, you think she's smiling. “It makes my head spin… in a good way, though!”

You smile at her indulgently. “I understand.”

Her demeanor falters. You wonder if you did something wrong.

Before you can ask, she looks across a set of cones. “I think I need to be over there.” Parallel walkways stretch into the distance. Both are covered in switches.

Your smile fades at her change. “I think you might be right,” you say.

She takes a running leap, and lands nimbly on the other side, pressing the ‘D’ letter. She looks back over at you, and you hurry to press the next switch. “Y’know… I never thought that I'd see a place like this.”

You follow behind as she walks forward to the ‘E’. It's a nice change of pace, for once. “How… do you mean?”

“... Dess always said she'd take me somewhere with glittering lights.”

“Who—”

Kris clamps your mouth shut before you can ask ‘is Dess?’. 

Dess is Noelle's older sister. She's…

Something heavy weighs on your chest. You think it's dread. You don't know if it's yours.

Missing.

Oh, Angel. Poor Noelle. And her poor family! And you'd almost…

You need to be more mindful of what you're saying. You need to think. Even putting aside that Kris would obviously know who Dess is, how insensitive would you have to be to bring up the missing sister? You feel disgusted with yourself. 

You didn't know, Kris says, dismissive, and slightly defensive. It's fine.

Noelle is watching you closely. You step on the button to allow her to move to the ‘C’, feeling mortified.

You can't think of anything to say, so you just move to the next switch. She doesn't seem to mind. Again, she must be used to it.

“Kris… Do you miss exploring?”

Kris freezes. It stops you in your tracks for just a second. She seems to pick up on that, her eyes unreadable as she presses the ‘E’ button. “I remember the forest behind the graveyard, with you and me and Dess and Azzy.”

You have to bite your tongue to stop yourself from making any noise at the name. Who…

You step on the next button, following along behind her as she moves to the ‘M’. Kris is still frozen, their eyes closed, lips a thin line. You aren't entirely sure what's wrong. There's a huge, matted ball of tangled feelings lodged in your throat, and you think they belong to Kris, but you're sure you're not helping.

She stares at you, unblinking, but you feel as though she's far away. “I don't remember much… other than crying, because I was so scared.”

She seems to have gotten better at handling her fears. You're impressed; you're no closer to handling anything than you were when you first came into existence.

She presses the ‘M’, and you press the next gate. You walk in silence for a little while. You get the feeling the silence is what she needs, not a reply, or some sympathy from you.

She presses the ‘B’. Her tone is wistful, almost, when she next speaks. “But, for some reason I feel... nostalgic thinking about it.” Now, she sounds almost close to tears, and your heart goes out to her. “Dess wiping away my tears with Azzy's jacket… With warm sleeves that smelled like cinnamon.”

The mention of that name jolts Kris harshly, just as it sends a bolt of lightning down your spine. They burst out a breath like they'd been holding it. 

Are… they…?

Fine, they say shortly.

You open the gates, and she presses the ‘E’ and ‘R’ in silence, gaze far away. Maybe you should take her back to the forest, after today. Maybe it would be fun?

NO, growls Kris. 

Okay, okay, you just thought it might be nice.

Nice to go where her sister went missing?

You close your eyes in horror, feeling sick to your stomach. Right , of course… you're so glad you didn't offer it to her. 

No, it's— they whoosh out a breath, expression unreadable. You didn't know.

Noelle seems to come back to herself, then, shaking her head. 

You lead the way without another word.

It's not long before you both come across some kind of carnival. You've never been to one.

You wonder if the people here were recruited, too. Probably, if the unmanned stalls are anything to go by. It's completely empty of both patrons and workers.

Noelle looks around with wide eyes, as if cataloguing everything to her memory. She pokes at one of the strange looking cyber balloons. It compresses in, but doesn't move an inch from where it hovers in the air.

She giggles. “Everything here is the same, but so different.”

You're just glad she seems to be in higher spirits.

You continue on through the festival, coming across a large row of unmanned ball throwing minigames. You look at them curiously, but don't stop to throw anything.

Noelle lets out a gasp behind you. “Oh! She's coming back this way…!”

Glancing around quickly, she hides behind some of the pins, standing behind one of the stalls. Queen strides up to you quickly. “Hey Check This Out”

She produces a ball from Angel-knows-where and pegs it at the pins Noelle is standing behind with full power. They explode in a shower of fire and woodchips. Kris has to stop you from jumping back and shrieking.

You stare at Queen, mouth hanging open. She could easily kill all of you with a shot put ball. 

Her visor changes to say ‘Nice’. “Sweet Right”

Once again, you don't need to reply. She strides up to the counter, where Noelle seems no worse for wear. “Where's My Prize”

Noelle blinks, before you hear her feeling under the table in a panic. She quickly produces a box. Queen takes it. “Ha Ha Nice”

The robot woman stares at it for a second before she shrugs. “Wait Actually I Don't Want This”

She promptly deposits it on your head. “Here You Go Bye”

As soon as she disappears from view, you grab the box off your head, looking at it strangely, before running a hand down your face.

You're tired, you think.

“Noelle, let's—”

“KRIS!”

You turn at the voice calling out your name. Ralsei hurries towards you, Susie hot on his heels. You smile at them tiredly, but…

They're carrying candy floss. Their expressions are so light, so unburned, so… Not tired.You're glad they had a good time. Mostly.

So it was only you and Kris who had to fight and run and fight and run and hide and run. You don't know how you feel about that.

Kris hums non-committally. They would've struggled to fight without us.

Without them, they mean. You can barely get through anything. Nobody even knows you exist. If you disappeared, nobody would notice.

That thought — it usually only stings like a needle drawing blood, but right now, it stings like that needle was drawn down both your arms.

Kris makes a noise you don't understand. I would notice.

Yeah, you guess.

…

They bite the inside of their cheek, thinking, before coming to a decision. Here.

And not-unkindly, you are ushered out of the senses, and placed onto the chair. Kris has taken over, and honestly…

It's easier, here, to curl up and bemoan your pathetic existence. But part of you is a little happy that Kris did that for you.

You can almost hear their thoughts; Don't get used to it, as they turn to face Ralsei and Susie.

Smiling slightly bitterly, you watch as Susie and Ralsei banter while Kris listens. Ralsei is so happy and light from his shenanigans with Susie he doesn't even notice it isn't you. It's such a mix of painful and relieving you feel dizzy. 

Noelle is revealed, and Kris simply says, “She's on our team.”

Then they start arguing about who should have the gift in Kris’s hands.

You're… tired. You're tired. You find you have no other words for your feelings. Exhaustion permeates your bones, and you sink into the chair. You close your eyes. You keep trying — you swear you try your best, but sometimes, often, it's just not enough. With Noelle, with Spamton, with Queen, with Burghley… You just can’t—

“It's for you.”

Kris interrupts your thoughts, and everyone goes silent. You open your eyes.

They're staring into the now-clear stall table. It's… reflective. You get a full view of your — their — ruby red eyes, the soft curve of their jaw. Their midnight blue hair and button nose. They're—

Nothing! Nothing. You stop examining them. 

But…

Why are they looking at themselves? At… you…?

You inhale sharply. “You don't mean…”

Their reflection smirks at you, slightly. Just a miniscule uptick of a lip corner, and the slight raise of the chin. Your face explodes in colour at the same time something warm explodes in your chest. “W-What I mean Well um I'm Well What???”

You shake your head roughly to try and shake out the colour. You don't think it works — it's suddenly very, very hot in here. “Kris, I'm not real! I don't have hands!” You flap yours around to make the point. “I c-can’t even take it!”

Their smirk widens. Something clenches in you. Somehow, you don't think you could ever make their face look like that, make it look so—

Susie bursts out laughing behind you. “KRIS, IF YOU WANTED TO KEEP IT YOU SHOULD'VE JUST SAID!”

Kris breaks eye contact with you to turn and give her a shit-eating grin. Noelle is covering her mouth with her hand, chuckling. Her disguise is gone. It's good to see her face.

Ralsei is smiling, too, fondness covering his features, in the light of his eyes, the tilt of his smile. 

Kris drops the gift into their magic pockets, and it materialises in front of you.

You huff, cheeks still red. Of course, they can just make it appear in their mind, sure, whatever. You slide off the chair onto the ground like you're made of liquid. The box is pretty: blue and yellow, like the rest of this place.  

You unwrap the box, and let out a small noise of shock at what's inside.

It's — It's a stuffed toy. A red, cartoon bird. You… You've never owned something before. Something that's yours. Sure, you've only existed for two days, but…

Your eyes fill with tears and you hug it close, and smile. “Thank you, Kris.”

They roll their eyes, presumably at your waterworks. They lean over a different bench, checking for more prizes, and whisper in their flat tone, “Get some sleep.”

You blink a few times. “R-Right.”

Pushing yourself to your non-existent feet, you turn back to the chair, and—

There’s a blanket. There wasn’t one there before. You slide in under it, and it’s soft to the touch, and warm, and something in you wells and bursts, even as you feel your eyes start to close.

Clutching your blanket and the toy, you drift off to the sound of laughter and Kris’s methodical, consistent footsteps.

Chapter Text

You dream. Or at least, you think you dream.

You’re not exactly sure what constitutes a dream. You are not conscious, and you see images. There are sensations, emotions, dynamic and transient and you wake up with tears in your eyes and an intense impression that someone, somewhere is still searching for you.

The who, the what, the when, the why— it slips away like the tide.

“Oh, you're awake.”

You blink the tears away and gaze up at Kris’s vision. 

They're sitting down in the bottom of one of Queen's electric cages. They fiddle absentmindedly with one of their items, some sort of wristband, and you stare at the bars.

She actually succeeded in capturing them? You almost can't believe it.

They roll their eyes. “No rollercoasters this time.”

Sure, but…

Kris grows slightly more serious. “The Fountain is in this mansion.”

Yes, it is. The world-ender.

And you need to think about this, because truly, something does not add up about its existence.

Because of Queen herself, of course.

Kris pauses, but says nothing, so you continue, closing your eyes and visualising the robot-woman. What is it about her that doesn't make sense alongside the existence of the Fountain?

The way she speaks of her world after the Fountain, of Noelle's world after the Fountain — like she truly thinks there's going to be one. She doesn't speak of hatred of the world, of destruction and massacring every Lightner and Darkner, of plunging everything into infinite nothingness until less than that remains.

So, it's obvious, then. If she is behaving in this manner, she can't know about the end of the world. She doesn't know.

You have to tell her. 

A small smile graces Kris’s lips. You can't see it, but you know it's there, and it warms you.

It's odd, though. They aren't surprised in the least by your conclusion. Did they…

“KRIS!”

Susie's voice makes you jump a mile, deep in thought as you were.

Kris glances up at a strange looking trumpet device. Susie's voice powers through it moments later. “HOW ARE WE GONNA GET OUTTA HERE?”

Great question. You snuggle back into the chair. Not really your problem from here.

Kris raises a single brow before they haul you up into the senses without any warning.

You immediately hit your head on a laser, which gives you a warning zap, because of course you do. “Ow!” you whine, choking on the gasp which then launches into a coughing fit.

Kris snickers quietly from their chair, under the blanket themselves with your robin right beside them. 

“Er, Kris? You okay?”

Susie's concerned voice comes through the speaker. You send indignant thoughts at Kris, who only laughs harder.

“Fine,” you call back, voice hoarse.

You give the room a cursory glance. It's full of strange, almost mock things. Nothing immediately helpful. You wonder if Queen can hear you.

She can, says Kris, still snickering intermittently. Through the monitor.

Well, that makes things much easier.

“Queen?”

“Mhm Yes What Is It”

Her likeness appears on the screen in front of you. She’s very clearly not paying attention. Her gaze is directed at a monitor to her right.

“We are ready to become willing peons now.”

Kris seems mildly surprised. Susie seems more surprised. “We’re WHAT?”

Queen turns and looks at you then. You try your best to seem earnest.

“Okay I Believe You”

A scream rings out, close by. It sounds like—

“RALSEI!” Susie yells.

“Ah, I'm sure our friends will want to serve you as well, Queen,” you say quickly. Hopefully you can get Ralsei out of danger like this.

“Yes Fine what Ever” She's already looked away again. “I'll send someone to come Get You”

Almost immediately, a knock sounds at the door.

“U-Um, room service…?”

The voice makes you whirl around. “Ralsei?”

Sure enough, a fluffy paw opens the door, and Ralsei, clad in an adorable butler outfit, blinks in surprise when he sees you. “Oh! Kris! I’m here to, um, take you to Queen…?”

You spin back to the monitor, but it's dark. Susie sounds beside herself, through the strange-looking trumpet. “KRIS? IS THAT RALSEI?”

He startles, before hurrying over. “Yes, it's me! I'm coming to get you next!”

He presses a button on your cage, which buzzes and switches off. You could've reached that…

Kris shrugs.

You beam at the prince. “Thanks, Ralsei!”

He stares for a second, before smiling back at you softly. “You're more than welcome.”

“Let's get Susie!”

You burst into her room, press the button, and let her out, and before long Ralsei is directing you along the corridors. Usually, you'd be upset that he isn't just leading himself, but…

You can't stop fidgeting. You need to hurry, hurry, who knows who is getting hurt in a plan Queen doesn't fully understand, where is Burghley, where is Noelle—

“Whoa, Kris, can we slow down?” asks Susie. You slow down, and realise you were practically running in the directions Ralsei was pointing. “What's the hurry?”

You turn to them. “Queen doesn't know what she's doing.”

Ralsei's eyebrows shoot up. Susie tilts her head. “What do you mean?”

“She doesn’t understand the true nature of the Fountains. We have to stop her.”

Ralsei’s expression turns firm. “Right.”

“Wait.” You look around. The hallway is red and looks identical to all the others. “Were the others captured with us?”

“KRISMAS! SUSIE!”

Susie’s face contorts in a wince. Kris groans as relief permeates you. You spin around.

Burghley runs up behind your group, waving an arm. He catches up, and doubles over, panting. “I…” huff, “... am glad I caught you all…” puff, “... for I have…” huff, “... a plan!”

You smile at him. “It’s good to see you’re okay.”

He smiles back, but seems solemn. “Thank you, Kris. But alas, Noelle was not encaptured in the rooms along with us.”

You don’t think encapture is a word.

“We must rescue her from Queen,” he continues. “I remember during the tour; there’s a secret passage to the roof. Once you get there…” 

He looks uncomfortably at Susie. “I’ll… need your help, Susan.”

Her eyes bug out. Kris cracks up. “SUSAN?”

“We need to get Noelle. You get into her room on the third floor and escort her to the roof, where I can take her somewhere safe.”

It’s an excellent plan, you think, putting aside the fact that it treats Noelle like some glass ornament. Realistically, Queen is too obsessed with her to not keep her under top security, so it makes sense you need a special idea to bust her out. And, if your plan works, they may not even have to rescue her. Kris makes a noise of approval in your head. It makes you feel you’re glowing, slightly.

“Okay,” you say, effectively shutting the bird up. They all stare at you. “Instead of then, Susie, you follow Burghley now to the secret passage and enact the plan to rescue Noelle. Ralsei and I will continue on to see Queen and explain everything to her.” 

You nod once, mostly to yourself. “Hopefully, nobody will have to fight anymore.”

Susie looks like she’d rather pull her own teeth out than spend time alone with Burghley, but she nods reluctantly. 

Ralsei nods back too, and Burghley looks at you like you hung the moon, scientifically. Gross, says Kris.

You look to the others meaningfully. “Good luck, everyone. Ralsei, let's go!”

The Prince nods, looking determined. “R-Right!”

Waving behind you, you and Ralsei leave the other two and break into a sprint to get to Queen. You're grateful he doesn't seem to mind your pace.

“Left!” he calls. You turn left, down another hallway.

Noelle must have her own room, you guess. You hope she's okay, but you don't think she's as helpless as the others seem to think.

“Right!”

You turn right, dodging some vases.

It's strange, but she seems to hold some sort of contrast within herself. At least, that's what you think. You don't think she was faking her terror whenever she showed it, but…

“Go straight through!”

You run straight through the next intersection of hallways. Paintings of Queen seem to watch you go, but do nothing to stop you.

She was unreadable, often. Maybe it was just the disguise she was wearing, or maybe it's your incapability to read people, but she seemed to know something, or understand it, maybe? She didn't ask many questions. At least, not ones that she expected answered.

“Another left!”

You turn left, running face first into a slew of other butlers. You think you're going to fall, but they grab you to steady you. “Whoa, there.”

They look at you in curiosity. Ralsei clears his throat, having slowed to a stop. “A-Ahem, I'm taking them… to see Queen…?”

The other butlers nod and return to setting the banquet table that you definitely would've run into if not for the people in front of it. Kris snickers.

The final one, the one that caught you, looks between you two. “No running. Clean up anything you break.”

Ralsei nods, “Right, yes.”

He goes to leave, but you pause, glancing over at the other Darkners.

They notice you staring.

You must save them. “When you are finished here, please consider moving to the Prince's town.”

A few of them blink in surprise. One of them mutters, “Is that why the city…?

The leader glares at him sharply, and he hushes quickly. He then turns back to you. “We serve Queen. Where she goes, we shall follow.”

You nod in understanding. “Okay. Please be prepared to leave once I convince her.”

They look at you strangely, but nod.

Letting out a quick breath, you turn to Ralsei. “Let's continue.”

He's staring at you in surprise, before beaming and nodding. “Straight through here!”

You take a few steps out of the room before breaking into a run again.

Ralsei's memory must be impeccable, you think, to track where you both are to such a degree. You can't have been trapped very long. When did he even have time to come this far? Maybe they told him ahead of time.

“Almost there! Go right!”

You swing right. Kris’s body is amazingly fit to sprint this far.

They make a proud, sort-of pleased noise. They seem tired, curled under your blanket and holding the robin plush. It's comfortable, right?

Mhm, they say sleepily. You smile quietly to yourself.

“Kris! It's here!”

Ralsei's call pulls you to a stop outside a seemingly innocuous door. It hasn't got any indication that this might be holding the monarch of this place.

But you trust Ralsei. With a deep breath and a shared nod, you both open the door.

Inside, it’s almost completely dark. A massive monitor is directly ahead of you, mounted to the wall. Queen sits on a couch, back facing you both.

It’s playing a video. On the Cyber City’s horizon, a menacing shadow raises a sword—

Kris pulls your sight away roughly. You blink at Ralsei, suddenly gazing at him instead. He’s watching the video with a grim expression. You send questioning thoughts toward Kris, but their eyes are closed. You’d thought they’d fallen asleep, maybe. But perhaps you should’ve known better.

“The Roaring Knight…” Queen’s voice is surprisingly soft. “Reaching Its Long Hand To The Sky It Coursed Its Will Into Its Blade—”

“Enough!” you say firmly. “Queen, do you even know what the Fountains will do?”

She turns to you then, peering at you both from over the couch. “It Creates Darkness Duh”

You stare at her imploringly, trying to emphasize every word. “Any Fountains other than the Prince’s will throw out the balance of Light and Dark and blanket the world in Darkness.”

She gives you a strange look. “Er Yeah That’s the Point”

“But that will kill everyone!” you burst out. “It will end the world! The Darkness, it will swallow everything and everyone until there’s nothing left!”

Her mouth drops open, and her eyes form into swirls, giving the distinct impression of shock. Robots certainly are impressive. “Oh Shit Really”

She looks over at Ralsei, who is staring with his eyes narrowed. “Is This True Prince of the Dark” 

She knows who Ralsei is?

His brows raise slightly, mollified at the use of his title. Still, his voice is tinged with frustration. You haven’t really heard the tone from him before. “You know of the Prophecy, Queen.”

Her eyes change to say ‘LOL’. “Yeah but Aren't Those Stories Always Exaggerated”

His expression sours, slightly. “No.”

She pouts. “Oh”

There’s a beat of silence, as you let her process this. You hold your breath. Please, please, just let this end with no more fighting, please—

Tilting her head back, she lets out a loud groan. “This Plan Is A Bust That’s So Annoying”

Oh, Angel. It’s done. You cover your face with your hands, trying to resist tears filling your eyes.

Ralsei beams at you. “We did it!”

Kris cracks open an eye. Don’t cry.

Yes, yes, you won’t dehydrate Kris’s body. You valiantly hold the tears back.

Queen stands, and stretches. “So The Knight Wants To Bring The End Of The World”

She cracks her knuckles. You’re not sure how electric knuckles are supposed to crack. “Bastard” She produces another ball from nowhere and pegs it at the monitor. The image of the Knight (it has to be them, right?) crackles and dies in an explosion of glass. “Hmph”

… You’re glad you don’t have to fight her.

She dusts her hands, then turns back to the two of you. “And I Suppose I Will Be Travelling To Your Kingdom, Prince”

Ralsei smiles at her. “Of course, you’re welcome there, Queen!”

“Is Ralsei famous?” You blurt out. You’re struggling to understand why these people in what’s supposed to be a different world know him.

Queen’s visor changes to say ‘LMAO’. “Everyone Knows That Guy He’s A Big Fuzzy Pushover”

Ralsei’s expression contorts out of the corner of your eye, but when you look at him, it’s the same, if a bit sheepish. “Ah, um, thank you…?”

Something niggles at you again, but before you can do anything, Queen lets out a wave of a sigh, and taps a button you hadn’t seen.

The lights flick on, and a keyboard and second monitor replace the first broken one. How helpful, though you’re not sure how to feel that it happens often enough to need a button.

She taps on the keyboard a bit, then speaks into the screen. It rings through your ears, as if it’s coming from the very Darkness itself.  “Hi Everyone Plan Cancelled We Are Moving To The Prince’s Town Hurry Up Before The Light Nerds Close The Fountain Also Can Someone Move The Mech Cool Thanks”

She glances back over her your shoulder at you two. “Oh You’re Still Here”

You startle. “Oh, right, we were just leaving.”

“K Bye See You At The Prince’s Place”

You close the door behind you when you leave the room, exhaling slowly. Ralsei does similarly, before turning to you with a grin. “Come on, Kris! Let’s tell the others the good news!”

The walk to the roof is done a lot slower than the mad dash to Queen’s room. Ralsei chatters endlessly about Susie learning healing magic, and how cool it is that she could, especially what with modern magic, and you hang off every word, relief washing away any bitterness of the differences in getting here.

You fought so hard for this. You’re so glad it worked out so well.

You reach the roof with no trouble at all. You didn’t even run into anyone, all of them preparing to leave or already have left. The announcement must have broadcasted through the entire world, meaning everyone who had stayed, like the Addisons, will have already left.

Though, you get a sinking feeling that you will have to go and save Spamton yourself. You put it out of your mind.

“Susie!” Ralsei calls out, as her, Noelle and Burghley come into view. They’re sitting on the ground in a loose circle, just outside the rushing of the Fountain. “You’re all okay!”

The monster flexes, giving him a wink and a toothy grin. “Heh, of course!”

Burghley hurriedly stands. “Krismas, your plan worked perfectly!” He gushes. “How did—”

“OF COURSE IT DID!”

Susie rushes to stand up. She beams as you stop in front of her. “Nice work, Kris!”

Noelle seems a bit dazed, but smiles up at the both of you. “Thank you, you two… This is such a nice dream…”

Dream? You open your mouth, but nothing comes out.

It’s better this way, Kris says, eye cracked open again.

You don’t know about that. Isn’t it better she knows just how impressive she can be?

Kris makes a noise, but you don’t understand it.

Ralsei heaves out a big breath, before beaming.

“Guess we can seal the fountain now, right, everybody?”

You still have to see Spamton (Kris lets out a disgusted noise), but other than that, you think you saved everyone. You nod at him, but he’s glancing over at everyone else, who don’t move. “... Everybody?”

Noelle is gazing at the horizon. “I don't want to live in a world ruled by Queen ... but, if that wasn't the case…” She turns to all of you, biting her lip. “I wonder if this world... wouldn't be so bad?”

… What?

She stands, and looks to Susie, her gaze imploring. “You think so too, right?”

“I... uh…” She frowns. Your heart thunders in your veins. “Now that you mention it…”

She finds you, holding your gaze. “Kris, isn't this world just... BETTER? We make so many... friends here. I've never... had an adventure like this before, where everything can be healed with a little spell.”

She grins back at Noelle. “And no matter what happens, no one tells us what to do!”

Noelle beams, her cheeks rosy. “Gosh, yeah!”

Burghley raises his sword. Your stomach drops to your shoes as Ralsei gasps. “Then, Noelle... let THIS be my real apology! Concentrating my will into this blade—”

Ralsei’s expression has slowly dropped into one of horror, but before he can even open his mouth, something rises in you, scalding your throat and thundering through your mind, skyrocketing your heart rate and heating your skin. Kris sits up quickly, the blanket sliding down, brows pinched together. Whoa, wait—

“Is this a JOKE?”

You don’t recognise your own voice, and if the others’ reactions are any indication, they hardly recognise it themselves. Kris curses and tries to take control, but they’re scorched back by the heat of your blazing fury. “Because I’m not fucking laughing.”

You glare at Burghley, who is stunned silent. “Aren’t you supposed to be SMART?” You take a step towards him. “WHY do you think we are here? WHY do you think Susie and Ralsei and Kris are here? Did you even THINK for one second about anyone other than your GODDAMN SELF and your STUPID SUPERIORITY?”

He recoils as if you’ve slapped him. Kris batters on your control, but you are so, SO hurt. How could your ‘friends’ do this to you? After all the work you put in? After everything you did? This isn’t your world, you were dropped here, you tried so hard, only to be repaid like this??

You round on Noelle. She physically takes a step back. “We spent HOURS walking through that city saving everyone we could. And you want to STAY HERE?” You point at her and she flinches. Your voice starts to hurt from screaming. “DID YOU FORGET? Do you think I did that for NOTHING? DO YOU THINK I WANT TO FIGHT EVERYONE?”

Her eyes are wide in terror. “N-No, Kris, I—”

“If we do not close the fountains, the world WILL be DESTROYED. I convinced EVERYONE to leave. I convinced them.”

You let it ring for a moment as Ralsei nods frantically next to you, and Susie’s expression morphs from one of shock to one of light recognition. She didn’t bother to remember the Prophecy, didn’t bother to look in your direction. It burns, burns like betrayal that she didn’t even notice at all how you HATED it. How terrifying every step is, for you, and once more, it’s thrown in your face how much you don’t belong here.

“YOU.” You point at Susie, who flinches slightly at the expression on your face. You can’t even begin to guess what it is, nor do you care in the slightest. “I can excuse the others for not knowing the Prophecy, but you were THERE. You HEARD Ralsei tell us the Fountains would doom the world. Do you still not care about it? YOU’RE STILL WILLING TO DOOM EVERYONE BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS? AFTER EVERYTHING I DID TO STOP IT?”

Her expression crumbles, and for the first time, you feel a slight sting of guilt, but it’s swallowed so completely by your burning fury. Kris has stopped struggling against you, and instead sits in their chair, expression unreadable.

You can’t bear to see them. You can’t bear to see anyone. You turn on your heel and run back through the castle, back through the empty hallways and fling yourself down the stairs, nearly tripping down them in your haste. Your vision is blurred and it hurts to breathe, and only after you stop and collapse in some random corner do you realise you’re crying, huge gasping sobs that make your chest feel inches from collapsing.

The burn recedes, slightly, morphing into something that stings terribly, all thorny and climbing out of your throat. Kris takes advantage of your fading anger to pull you into the room, blacking out the body.

You hiccup, splayed on the floor identical to how you were in the body. Tears fall from your non-existent eyes, pouring down your face, and you keep trying to wipe them away, but they keep coming. You—You try so hard. You try so hard, and—

Kris stands from their chair, coming to a stop in front of you. They stare down at you, expression unreadable.

“I know,” you gasp between sobs. You can’t bear to see them, so you turn your head away. “I know, already.”

Angel, and your anger stopped them from taking control. How horrifying for them, that they can’t even stop something you’re doing with their life. You’ve never actively resisted outside of being injured. You didn’t mean to, you didn’t mean to—

“I didn’t mean to!” you say desperately, still too scared to face them. “I-I didn’t mean to stop you, I’m sorry, I know, I know—”

“Stop.”

Their tone brooks no argument. You try to stay silent, but your sobs rip out of your mouth despite your best efforts.

“Look at me.”

It takes you a second to gather your wits, before you look up, meeting their gaze. It’s… still unreadable. You don’t know what you were expecting, but you obey them, regardless.

They hold your gaze for a moment, and then they grit their teeth. “It’s… fine. Just don’t do it again.”

You nod pathetically, tears still pouring. They look uncomfortable, but then—

They crouch, and pat you twice on the shoulder. It surprises you so much your sobs stop, and you hiccup again, looking at them in shock. “You did well.”

They stand again, and look away pointedly. “Pull yourself together. We have to visit Spamton. Didn’t you want to save him, too?” 

Your chest still stings with betrayal and hurt, but you obey. You take some deep breaths, evening them out, then look up at them again, resolved. You will save everyone, no matter what. “Okay.”

Their expression softens when they look at you, this time. Just slightly, but that face is also your face. “Good.”

You close your eyes, and open them again. Drying any stray tears, you haul yourself up and start the long walk to the Trash Zone.

Chapter Text

Kris directs you to a door that takes you directly to the Trash Zone. You find yourself grateful, even as the dark of the shortcut reminds you starkly of the void, and the stink of the garbage makes you gag.

“Do you think it's very far in?” you ask them, picking your way carefully through the piles. If even a speck gets on your armour, you'll be upset.

They shrug. The red stitch on their jumper shifts with the movement. It looks like the remains of an incision, some kind of surgical laceration.

You wonder if it means anything, then decide you have enough to think about, putting them out of your mind. 

There.

You pause. On the right, behind a trash pile, is an opening in the wall. Shuddering slightly, you crouch and shuffle through the gap, doing your best to avoid touching the walls.

Pushing through the opening is a small walkway leading to an innocuous door. It seemingly opens into a pile of trash, surrounded by broken down cars and empty boxes. Not for the first time, you consider just turning around and leaving.

C’mon, says Kris. You wish they were as cautious as you, but instead they just seem curious.

You take a few steps towards the door and try the handle. It’s unlocked. Taking a deep breath, you push it open.

What greets you, is of course, more trash, and a caricature of a sunny, grassy horizon, painted haphazardly onto dirty brick walls. And…

“HEY EVERY       ! IT'S ME, SPAMTON G.   SPAMTON!” He looks much the same, perched behind a set of boxes that must serve as his shop counter. His smile widens at the sight of you, just slightly, just enough you suck down a fearful gasp. “THE LIGHTNER(S)!!! YOU [Little Sponge] [Sponges]! I KNEW YOU'D COME HERE [[On A Saturday Night]]!”

His voice is still so harsh, like knives trying to pierce through your eardrums.

You can do this. You can do this. Your hands shake, so you clench them into fists. “H…Hi, Spamton. What do you need us to do?”

“IN THE [Deep Abyss] OF QUEEN'S [Mansion] [[A Great Deal]] IS WAITING For [[A LimiTed Time Only!]]” As he speaks, his body vibrates more and more, moving quicker and quicker. “A HEAVEN-PIERCING [[Workout-Ready Body]]!!!” 

“A… body…?” Something tightens in you. A body. Maybe… maybe you—

“[[Not So Fast]], [Little Robin]! BIRDS BELONG IN [Cages], NOT BIG BIG [[BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER]]!!!!”

His gaze darkens, a noise like TV static filling your mind. “COME NOW. DON'T BE. GREEDY.”

You take a physical step back, your heart jumping to your throat. Your voice is shaking. “O-Of course, it's yours, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean—”

He laughs again, a dial tone, a puppet, and you think you might cry from terror. Kris, can you…

No. No, you can do this. You can save him. No matter how much he scares you, he deserves to live. He will die if you leave him here, lost and alone in the endless dark. And nobody, nobody deserves that. “S-So, what do you need us to do in the basement?”

“I WILL LET YOU BUY [KeyGen] FROM ME AT [The Low Low Price Of]” He clicks more, a higher pitch. “WHAT DO YOU THINK!?!? IT'S SUCH A STEAL, I'M [$!X$]ING MYSELF!!!”

You startle. He's—

“TAKE THIS DEAL AND YOU WILL [[Die]]!! IT'S THAT GOOD!!! [BUY] THE KEYGEN FROM ME, UNLOCK THE BASEMENT, AND GET THAT EmptyDisk!!!”

Your heart rate steps up further. You're going to… die? It's just hyperbole, you're sure. Definitely sure.

“But, Spamton, why not just go yourself?” you try to shake yourself out of it. There has to be something, somewhere inside him. Maybe helping with this will help whatever, whoever he really is.

“WHAT!? GO MYSELF!? NO!!!!! THE MEN INSIDE WOULD THE MEN INSIDE WOULD—”

“There’s no men inside,” you interrupt. “Didn’t you hear Queen’s announcement? Everyone’s moved to the Prince’s Kingdom.”

“THE [False Prophet]’s [New!!!!] [[Home-made Storefront Site]]?” He’s silent for a moment. Kris frowns deeply. New Home… you avoid thinking about it.

He lets out his clicking laugh, head creaking side to side. “[Little Robin], I DIDN'T THINK YOU HAD THAT [Specil] IN YOU!”

You're not really sure what he means by that, and his laugh still sends a shiver down your spine, but you try for a smile anyway. “Yeah! You can just, um, let yourself in, and—”

“HEY!! YOU AREN'T OFF THE [Hook, Line, And Sinker] YET, [Little Sponge]!”

You close your eyes, just for a moment. Figures.

“MEET ME AT QUEEN'S MANSION'S [Luxurious Basement Apartment]!!”

With that, he launches over the counter, jets out the door and scurries out of sight. You think you hear some kind of explosion.

Heaving a sigh, you make to leave as well but—

Kris inhales sharply. The walls.

What?

You look back and dread clenches harshly in your stomach.

Where the shop was garishly covered in colour, depicting an almost hastily painted sunny horizon, it was now…

Gone. Everything was gone, replaced with a dismal gray. Almost as if life, everything had been sucked out of it.

You can't get out of there fast enough. Scrambling for the door, you shut it behind you, and make your way back to the door to Queen's Mansion.

When you arrive back through the shortcut, you first notice that the giant legs are gone. They formed the entire foundation of the front of the mansion, and as such, much of the hallways seem to have collapsed. Had that been the mech Queen mentioned?

You count your blessings again that you managed to convince her.

Swatch’s shop is closed, as well — peering through the door, there's nobody inside, and the lights are off. It seems like everyone really has left.

You let out a relieved breath. You'd hate to have lied to Spamton. Less out of fear for him, more out of fear of him.

Someone that makes Kris pause is worth your utmost caution.

They make a small noise of protest, but when you look at them, they're sitting forward in their chair, jaw clenched and lips a thin line. You wish you could see their eyes, but as usual, their bangs cover them expertly.

Their fists are clenched. Focus.

Right. You're almost done here. Just Spamton. Just one more, then you can take Kris to close the Fountain and go…

home…?

Home, you guess.

A quick glance around the lobby again reveals a new path, open and waiting. You suppose that's as much of an invitation as any, and walk through.

The next hallway is much the same as usual, with a set of stairs leading down into darkness. It reminds you starkly of Jevil, and makes your skin crawl so much you once again consider just turning around and leaving.

You bite the inside of your cheeks, steeling yourself, and take the steps down, down into the dark.

Thankfully, it becomes apparent as you go down that the basement is actually a set of rooms, rather than just some kind of esoteric nothingness like the location of Jevil’s prison. A strange thing to be grateful for, sure, but there it is.

You reach the bottom, presented with a T-intersection. The walls are dusty, covered in vines and made of a purple-brown brick you don't recognise. Special dirt bricks, maybe. Every so often, there's a fan built in, but you can see nothing behind it, nor any sign of what it is supposed to cool off.

You blink out of your investigation. Kris is holding a hand out at nothing, again. Is there a reason they keep doing that?

No, they say quickly, the arm coming back under your control again. Not really.

You don’t really believe them, but before you can say anything more, Spamton pokes his head out of the left hallway. “THIS WAY!!!!!!!”

Before you can lose your nerve, you hurry after him. He’s quick — you catch sight of a flick of hair, along a set of old, rusted tracks. Following him through another doorway leads to—

Ah, here’s that infernal darkness. Vines grow upwards, like they’re trying to climb out of it. Pillars made from those same odd bricks seem to be the only thing holding it back from swallowing everything. You feel physically sick. 

“[Over Here] I AM!”

Spamton is hopping up and down excitedly at the end of the hallway. There, roped into those same vines, is…

Is…

“M…Met…”

Something snaps inside you.

“METTATON!” you scream, and run up to the body, not caring about that stupid spam bot, who’s saying another thing, that stupid darkness crawling into your cracks, those angel-forsaken vines winding around everything—

“W-WAKE UP! PLEASE!” 

The body is cold to the touch when your shaking hands grip its shoulders. “I-I DIDN’T MEAN TO! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME! PLEASE!”

Kris launches forward, trying to force you into the chair. What’s going on?? What are you talking about??

You can’t breathe. You can’t breathe. Metatton won’t open his eyes. WHY WON’T HE—

Kris succeeds when they try to fling you into the cage. It slams behind you with a crack, and you’re crying, crying, and Spamton isn’t talking, he’s just laughing, and laughing and laughing—

They draw their sword instantly, pointing it at the Addison. Their voice thunders through your Soul. “WHO IS THAT?”

“SOMEONE'S [DREAM], [DEAD] IN THE [DIRT]!!! HOW DOES YOUR LITTLE [BIRDY] KNOW, I [[WONDER]]???” He clicks out another laugh, and Kris grits their teeth, not lowering their sword. 

They direct a thought to you, so clearly you could’ve heard it spoken. How do you know who this is?

You—

Your tears stop abruptly.

Who… is that? How… How do you know them…?

You try to remember…

…

Nothing happened.

Spamton just cackles more, his clicking reaching a fever pitch. “LITTLE [BIRDIE], HOW HIGH DID YOU [FLY] BEFORE THE [CAGE] GOT YOU?!”

You don’t understand. You don’t understand. You… You don’t—

Kris keeps their sword pointed at him, and leans over to snatch something shining out of the robot. “Do it.”

Spamton’s eyes switch colours rapidly at the sight of the disk. “KRIS, KRIS! YOU [WANT] TO SOAR TOO, HUH? ARE YOU READY TO BE A [[BIG SHOT]]?”

His eyes darken, and he freezes as he takes the disk. Kris takes a step back, and your heart jumps to your non-existent throat, curled up in the cage as you are.

He looks up, and grins. “I KNEW. YOU HAD. IT IN. YOU.”

With that, he disappears, sucked into the disk.

There’s a beat, and when nothing more happens, Kris lets out a breath in a whoosh and sheathes their sword.

“What happened there…?” they murmur to you, but they must know that you don’t understand what happened either. In the cage, your gilded home, you curl up tighter. It feels like your Soul is trying to split in two, sometimes, trying to break itself to fix whatever went so wrong in your past.

They heave out a sigh, and shove the disk back into the robot.

Nothing happens.

They sit and wait a while, and in that time, you manage to gather whatever bearings you’d lost. You stare closely at the robot, and…

Nothing. No reminders. No… triggers, of memories, you guess.

Kris makes a noise of agreement.

It gets to about fifteen minutes, and you can tell that nothing will probably happen — with your memories, or with Spamton. Something doesn’t sit right with you about just leaving, though. Maybe Kris should take the disk with them?

“No,” they say. “This is where he wanted to be.”

Well, you can’t disagree with that. If this is what he wanted, then you’ve done it. You hope he rests well inside the robot.

With that, Kris glances one more time at the robot and the darkness surrounding it, and leaves the room, heading back towards the stairs, and inevitably, towards the fountain.

You suppose you have to think up your apologies to the others.

It’s been an hour or so, and it’s enough for you to feel guilty for your ridiculous little meltdown. How hypocritical, for you to get mad at someone for the crime of not understanding. You—

Kris pauses, half a second before—

A loud CRASH, and something heavy lands just in front of them.

It’s—

It’s Spamton. His face inhabits the machine from the previous room, garish yellow and pink highlights swamping whatever the original colour scheme was. He has bat wings, one side his classic colours and the others a hideous mix of green, lilac and purple. But—

He doesn’t use them, you notice immediately. He isn’t using his legs, either: they hover a few feet off the ground. He’s… 

Kris looks up. Oh, Angel.

Countless strings pilot him. He’s strung up, like a prisoner, like—

“A puppet,” Kris says quietly.

You cover your mouth in horror. What… what is going on here?

His head slowly cracks around to stare at Kris. “SO. Y OU. NOTICED.”

This… this is dangerous. Dread crackles in your bones, horror trickling down your spine. Kris needs to run.

Kris does not run.

You know what they’re going to do before they do it.

They reach into your cage, and haul you up, and you fling into the senses with fear and hurt already stinging your eyes.

And then you inhale, and break into coughs.

“WHY… WHY AM I NOT [BIG] ENOUGH!?” Spamton stares up at the strings, his tone closest to desperate you’ve ever heard, even through your coughing. You want to run. Why does Kris do this to you? You’d thought… You’d thought you were making progress. Are you not? The gift, the sleep, why—

They purse their lips, sitting forward in the chair. Focus.

Spamton has turned his gaze back to you, eyes dark. “[Little Robin].”

The strings pull him forward, towards you, and you scramble back, finally getting a handle on your lungs enough to gasp. “I NEED YOU. TO BE BIG. WITH ME.”

He launches forward again, and you leap backwards. “DON'T YOU [WANT] TO TASTE [FREEDOM]!?! [[Fly]] HIGH, HIGH, HIGH AGAIN?!!”

You don’t predict the next jump, and he crashes straight into you, knocking you back. You crash into the wall, letting out a pained groan — the lower vertibrae of your lumbar spine and your nape ache immediately. You don’t want to fly. You don’t want any of this. You—

He corners you, immediately. Tears slip out of the corner of your eyes. You don’t move. “I JUST NEED THAT LITTLE. [[SOUL]] Y O U HAVE.”

Your SOUL? Kris’s tone is indignant, but they sound far away.

“You can’t have it,” they say angrily, but the effect is lessened due to your currently being slumped against a wall. If they wanted to talk so bad, they should’ve just—

“OHO? KEEPING YOUR [Little Bird] IN THE [[Cage]], [[Kid]]??”

Spamton lifts an arm. It has some sort of laser weapon at the end of it. You try to pull yourself together, but you can’t move your arms, and it all feels so distant, like your brain is lagging—

“DON’T BE. GREEDY.”

He lets out that crackle, clicking sound instead of a laugh, and you wonder absent-mindedly if this is where you’re going to die. Nobody can say you didn’t do your best, you guess.

Then—

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?”

A sound of magic, of Rude Buster hitting its mark, and Spamtom’s strings raise him up, and out of sight, revealing—

“Kris! Oh… Oh no!”

Noelle hurries over and places a healing hand on your arm. The ache in your back fades. “Where are you hurt??”

You blink woozily at her. Wasn’t she upset at you?

“A concussion,” says Ralsei, combining their healing magic. It instantly takes the rest of the edge off, wiping away the dizziness, and you smile at him gratefully.

Burghley pushes past him to offer you a wing up. “‘Tis good to see you unharmed now, Juliet!”

You take it and stand, looking over at the others. “Everyone… I thought—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Susie says, looking away. She folds her arms behind her head. “We get it, you’re sorry, we’re sorry, yadda yadda, let’s make up. More importantly…”

She spins towards you, a familiar expression of weirded-out disgust on her face. It makes you smile fondly. “WHAT WAS THAT??”

You stare upwards, but can’t see any sign of him, strings or no. “That’s… the last Darkner to save. Spamton.”

Susie lets out a noise between a huff and a sigh. “Fine, sure, but where—”

“KRIS!!! YOU HAVE [Friends]!?”

You spin around quickly, whipping out your sword at—

The wall, which collapses and reveals more of the rusted rails. You peer into the darkness, but see nothing.

Ralsei clenches his scarf as Susie hauls out her scythe. Noelle rubs her palms together nervously, frost forming around her ring and on her fingertips.

Burghley, axe gripped, smiles at you. “Never fear, fair Juliet! We are here to support our DPS!”

Before you can try to understand what that means, Spamton calls again. “TODAY, THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN TAKE A LITTLE [Ride Around Town]...”

There’s a loud clang behind you, and five rollercoaster cars drop and start approaching, rattling precariously along the rusted rails.

“Quickly!” you yell, clambering on. “Get on!”

You hardly get the time to check everyone made it before Spamton lands in front of you, much like Queen from earlier in the day. “[Attention Customers! Clean up on Aisle 3!]

SOMEONE LEFT [There] SOULS, [Lyeing Around......]”

And with that, your Soul is pulled out.

It’s time to fight and save Spamton.

Chapter Text

“Ah!” shrieks Noelle, her rollercoaster car hurtling behind yours. Somehow, the five cars have made some kind of precarious balance on the three rails, even at this breakneck speed; you, Susie, and Burghley sit at the front, with Noelle behind your car and Ralsei behind Burghley’s.

Spamton glances up. “[Heaven], are you WATCHING? IT'S TIME TO MAKE A VERY [Specil] DEAL…”

Your cars come to the end of the tunnel, flinging out into open air, ruins made of those same odd coloured bricks stretching as far as the eyes can see. Despite leaving the room, the strings still drag Spamton along.

Projectiles form in the air around you all, diamond-pointed and deadly.

Wait, how are you supposed to dodge while you’re in rollercoaster cars??

“Duck!” yells Kris, and flings themself under the front of the car.

The bullets fly over your head. You hear no pained noises or loud crashes, so you assume everyone makes it through okay.

But that’s not really sustainable, is it? What else—

Muscle memory shoots through you, from muscles and memories that no longer exist.

The next bullet forms, and, staring down at it, you form a pistol with your fingers, aim, and—

A yellow projectile fires from your two fingers, colliding with the bullet and erasing it.

Kris inhales roughly in shock. Could you always do that??

Spamton clicks out his laugh, head flinging around in different directions. “[LITTLE BIRD], WAS THAT A [BIG SHOT] JUST NOW!? WOW!!! I'M SO [Proud] OF YOU, I COULD [Killed] YOU!”

He aims again. So do you.

Ralsei calls out from behind Burghley. “Kris! What should we do?”

You fire off your shots, destroying Spamton’s, and turn to look behind you. Noelle is cowering in her car, but looking at you, ready to follow. Susie taps her scythe, looking antsy. She must have used it to smack away Spamton’s bullets. Jevil’s tail, longer than you remember, is poking out from Ralsei’s robes, batting away projectiles that approach him and the bird.

You fling your gaze back to Spamton, to his wires. You have to free him. Only then can he live.

“The wires!” you call, lining your shot up to the next set of bullets approaching you and Noelle. “Snap them! All of them!”

“R-Right!” Noelle exclaims. “H-Here!”

There’s a shine behind you, and a shard of ice shoots directly at the wires, snapping a few.

“Perfect!” You destroy a few more bullets, and bring the shield around to bat more away.

A strong gust of wind sends a Rude Buster careening toward the strings with far more speed than usual, severing a great deal. Spamton visibily drops a little.

“FUCK YEAH!” shouts Susie, pumping a fist in the air, while Burghley pushes his glasses up his beak smugly.

“YOUR [Friend(s)] CAN [[BIG SHOT!!!]]???” His face turns red, violently so, and expands drastically. A terrible feeling brews in your gut. You keep your finger held out, your shield in your left hand. “[Little Robin], You Were Holding Out On YOUR Old Pal [SPAMTON]!!!”

Noelle cries out in horror behind you as hundreds of bullets, shaped like those diamonds, like hearts, like him form around you. He unhinges his jaw, inside of it pure darkness, and steadily those bullets get pulled in. Slowly at first, but quickly, it picks up speed.

“DUCK! DEFEND!” You scream, flattening yourself into the front of the rollercoaster before the force can pull you in too. You thank the Angel the car seems content to stay rattling along the tracks.

The bullets try to hit you despite your shelter, jumping out at you, and you try to make your body small enough to barricade yourself in with the shield, but Kris’s height works against you — Your legs stick out enough to get bruised.

Finally, that hellish attack ends. You haul yourself up again, and do a quick once over of the others. Nobody got sucked in, even as Noelle’s left arm hangs limply as the other heals it, and Burghley has shallow cuts through his armour.

Through his armour? The bullets weren’t that sharp before—

“COME ON!” screams Susie, flinging out another Rude Buster. A few wires snap.

“R-Right!” You fire more bullets, snapping a few more wires, before you’re forced to focus on his attacks, trying to overwhelm Susie and Burghley.

Ralsei sends a wave of pellet-shaped bullets into the tangle above Spamton’s head. They bounce between the wires like ping-pong balls before finally breaking a few and shooting into the sky.

Something about them seems to trigger something in Spamton. “[False Prophet], IS THAT YOU R [[Pipis]]??”

“‘False Prophet’…?” you hear Ralsei murmur.

You fire at more bullets as the wind whips around you. Spamton crackles more. It smells like rotten glass, and the air crackles with freedom.

A phone rings, loud and clear through the horizon. Spamton picks it up, then stares at you. It sends a horrible chill down your spine, meeting his eyes at breakneck speeds. “IT’S FOR YOU.”

In the distance, countless round, blue orbs start bouncing along the track towards you. You line up your shots, but they’re tough to hit, and when you do, they split into smaller blue pellets, shaped idenitcal to Ralsei’s.

“Defend!” Kris orders as you frantically fire off shots, trying to break the big ones first. They fling your other arm behind you, and an amaryllis-red light glows in your periphery. “Ralsei!”

“Yes!” he shouts back. “Fluffy Guard!”

A scarlet-tinted shield covers your vision, letting out your bullets, but clearly prepared to stop the ones coming. 

Kris isn’t done. They move your hand directly behind you. “Noelle!”

“R-Right!” A shine, and— “Ice Shield!”

A thin layer of ice spreads across the fluffy shield, quickly covering the entire thing and hardening. You can no longer shoot, and instead crouch behind your own shield as well. “BRACE! GET DOWN!”

Bullets clatter like hailstones off the combined might of the shield, but there’s so many—

With a loud crack, Noelle’s Ice Shield shatters. Ralsei’s Fluffy Guard is weaker for it; you throw yourself back under the front of the rollercoaster car as more of the smaller blue pellets break through the shield and fly past you.

And then, Noelle lets out a scream of pain.

“NOELLE!”

Spamton clicks out more laughter. “[[TOO BAD]], POOR LITTLE [FALLEN         ]! I DiDn'T EvEn [[NEED]] To Snip Those [[ANGEL]] Wings Off YoU!!”

You quickly shoot up and face behind you, and—

She’s got several wounds: her face is bleeding, and she clutches at her side, wincing. Are these caused by the blue pellets? They were that strong?

She smiles at you bravely. Blood drips down her temple. “I-I’m okay, Kris, I—” Her eyes widen. “LOOK OUT!”

You spin around, bringing your shield up automatically, but the bullets are coming from above you, not in front of you, and they fling down with all the wonderful force of gravity—

You’re too slow. Pain like flame screams through you as the bullets carve through your skin.

“KRIS!” screams Ralsei, voice high and afraid. 

It—It hurts so much, blood dripping down into your eyes—

And then Kris shoves you back into the chair, sweeping through with the force of a tidal wave, determinedly taking the pain from you again.

The hellish attack ends, and Kris scrapes themselves to their feet, clenching their teeth tighter than their sword. Their vision is muddied, but they glance around. Ralsei and Burghley are still dodging bouncing bullets, Jevil’s tail batting some away while Burghley tries to blow them away. Susie is chugging something, ducked down in her car, as Noelle methodically heals her own injuries. They spin back around and glare up at Spamton with hatred.

The spam robot just cackles, louder and louder, filling the air. “HERE IT IS, THE [Cage]!!! WHERE IS YOUR [HEART]??? SWALLOWED? DOWN THE DRAIN WITH THE OTHER [GARBAGE]???”

More bullets form around him. You need to shoot them, so you try to pull at least the arm back, but Kris refuses. They look down, and you see their right arm is covered in lacerations, some bleeding heavily. Angel, you feel terrible, but you need to break those bullets—

You force the windpipe instead. “Ralsei! Heals, please!”

“Of course!” he yelps, sounding exhausted, but soon, green light engulfs you, and Kris noticeably relaxes. They don’t fight when you push forward, and you quickly fire off a volley to break what Spamton was preparing.

He doesn’t seem bothered. “[[SHY]], [Cage]??? ARE YOU [SCARED] OF [NOT] GETTING [THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME]???”

But you’ve noticed. There’s noticeably less wires, tangled above his head. “Keep going, everyone!”

“Roger that!” Burghley flings more air, sharper than knives, towards the strings, quickly followed by a burst of cold and more ice from Noelle.

Ralsei grips his doily scarf and holds up a paw, expression blank. A rainbow projectile with a long tail erupts from him, accompanied with an odd noise. It carves through several strings.

“NICE, Ralsei!!!” calls Susie. She seems to be out of magic, so she flings the scythe. It spins through the air, eerily reminiscent of one of that jester’s horrible attacks, and cleaves more wires with a snap.

Steam pours off Spamton when he catches sight of it. “DAMNED [CLOWN]!! GET [Lost] BACK TO [H-E-double-hockey-sticks]!!”

It circles back around for another slice seemingly with a mind of its own, and you swear you hear Jevil’s strings-cut, mad laugh as it severs even more wires before landing firmly back in Susie's waiting hands.

Spamton is furious. “[[FRIENDS]] WITH THAT [[DUMMY]] [CLOWN], [Little Robin]??” He cricks his neck in a circular motion. A wall of projectiles appear and shoot towards you. He cackles as you frantically fire off enough shots to fit the five of you through.

“DID YOU [Get Along]??” 

Noelle fires off some more ice, cutting some more strings. She shrieks as a host of mini-Spamtons zone in on her. You hear more wind magic, but you have to keep trying to fire through the wall. Your breathing is coming quickly, but you're startlingly calm, until—

“SINCE Y OU AND THAT [CLOWN] BOTH [[LOVE]] YOUR [CAGES] SO [[MUCH]]???”

Your next inhale catches in your throat.

Love…?

Spamton’s clicking laugh hits a fever pitch as you pause your firing. “YOU THINK THEY CAN'T [SMELL] THE [Savings!!]??”

Something rises within you.

You clench your hand tighter into the gun. Something builds, builds, builds, and then—

You fire.

A giant shot shreds all of Spamton’s bullet wall, and collides into him with a force that pushes him back. The force of it snaps several wires, stringy and useless.

That feeling is choking you, wrapping itself around your throat. Kris is silent, and you don’t look at them. You laugh, and laugh. 

“Are you a FOOL, Spamton?”

You clench your hand tight again, this time aiming at the wires. “No one loves a cage.”

The shot cleaves through the rest of the wires like wheat save one, leaving Spamton dangling precariously.

He looks up at where you aimed, and pauses in shock. “WAIT!! [$!?!] THE PRESSES! MY... MY [Wires]... THEY'RE ALMOST [Gone]!?”

All the bullets disappear. Noelle lets out a sigh of relief behind you, but you don’t put your sword away yet. You’ve been wrong before. You’d all paid the price.

“[Little Robin]... YOU... YOU'RE [Gifting] ME MY [Freedom]?! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID TO YOU...!?”

The adrenaline is pumping through your veins. It makes your breath quicker, your eyes sharper. No bullets come.

Spamton continues, seemingly in a tizzy. Susie puts her scythe away out of the corner of your eye, running a hand through her hair. “AFTER ALL THE [Unforgettable D3als] [Free KROMER] I GAVE YOU YOU'RE FINALLY REPAYING MY [Genorisity]!?”

He’s swaying violently, attached by a single wire. “[Little Robin]!!! KRIS!!! I UNDERSTAND NOW!! THE GREATEST DEAL OF ALL!!!”

The ride starts to slow, and before your eyes, the horizon paints over itself into that caricature of a sunlit, grassy hill. You hold your breath. “[Friendship]!!!” 

You try to spot any dishonesty, but you find none. Nothing. It’s… done. You flip the sword back into a pencil, and stare up at Spamton. 

He’s hopping back and forth. He has more control. You’re so relieved, tears fill your eyes again. “MY DAYS AS A [Long-Nosed Doll] ARE OVER!!! CUT THAT [Wire] AND MAKE ME A [Real Boy]!!”

He stares up at the sky, painted blue and cloudy. “ARE YOU WATCHING, [Heaven]!? IT'S TIME FOR SPAMTON'S [Comeback Special]! AND THIS TIME... I LIVE FOR MYSELF!!!”

He looks down at you all again, and something warm spreads in you, as Ralsei claps with happiness. “NO... MYSELF AND MY [Friend(s)]!!!”

You line up the shot with a smile curling your lips. Spamton watches in excitement. “HERE I GO!!!! WATCH ME FLY, [MAMA]!!!!”

You let off the shot.

It slices the wire.

And Spamton’s body drops like a ragdoll, scattering to pieces on the tracks, dead.

Chapter Text

“W…What…?”

Noelle's shaky voice cuts through your shock like a hot knife through your ribs.

No, no no no no. It was your shot. Your attempts to save him. You… You—

“SPAMTON!”

You almost fall flat on your face in your haste to scramble out of your rollercoaster car, barely recognising that you've somehow wound up back in the original room.”SPAMTON! HEY!”

Something cold is crawling over you, dread that's so different from your own jittery fear. It's Kris’s fear.

But you can hardly think about it, not now when Spamton is…

He might be—

You stumble over to the body, hearing the others get out to follow you. It feels almost redundant to call it a body, now — it lies in pieces, some smoking.

A few metres away from you is the matted black mess of his hair. Shaking, you slowly step up to it.

It's attached to his head, still, and his head has been reattached to his old body and arm and legs. He looks so, so small.

You reach out to his head, hand trembling. Gently, you flip him over.

His eyes are wide and empty, his glasses broken. His mouth cants open like a ventriloquist doll with a wooden clack. There's… there's nothing.

Kris’s choked gasp and your scream fight on their way out as you scramble backwards from the body, causing a violent hiccup that nearly chokes you out. Instead, you stay on your hands and knees, tears burning down your face. You picture his glassy eyes and your stomach roils, and you cough up the pie, vomit scalding your throat and landing in the dirt next to the tracks with a pathetic splat.

Distantly, you apologise to Kris, but they don't seem much better than you. With your eyes closed, dry heaving, you can see they do not sit on the chair — they pace, almost frantically, grinding their teeth. 

A hand lands on your arm.

Noelle tries to smile, but it's shaky and grim. “Th…There, there… Let it out…”

You force your breathing to stay even, try to forget where you are and just focus on her small hand rubbing circles into your forearm. 

As you calm down, you hear voices from behind you. Spamton's lifeless body is burned into you eyelids, but you turn around to see Susie and Burghley lifting him between them. Why…?

Ralsei catches your eye. “Kris! I think we can save him!”

You shoot to your feet, so fast it makes you dizzy, but you ignore that and Noelle's noise of concern and hurry over. Please, Angel, please, please— “What can I do?”

Ralsei points to the room at the end. “In there are some vines that are borne of the Darkness. I believe they will substitute for the… wires,” he finishes hesitantly.

You pause. So if he is to live, he is to be controlled, puppeted. That's… 

Kris pauses their pacing and laughs, the sound drenched in bitterness. Guilt rises in you, but what else can you do? You've died before. You just came straight back. They're the one forcing you to fight, save, live. If they want to take over, they're more than welcome.

They laugh harder, eyes glistening. The sound unsettles you.

Then they stop suddenly and stare directly at you. Your breath catches. They smirk, but there's something off about it. Their jaw is clenched just a bit too tightly. What makes you think I am the puppet?

You choke on another gasp as tears fill your eyes unwillingly, blurring Ralsei into a mass of white and green. Of course. Of course. Cage within a cage within a cage within—

“Kris?” Ralsei says softly. He puts a paw on your hand. You don't even want to think about the expression you're making. “They're finished moving the body.”

Your lip trembles as you look at him. His expression is twisted in concern. When you meet his eyes through his glasses, he ducks his head so you can't see them, then throws his arms around you.

“It's going to be okay,” he says into your shoulder. “You did nothing wrong. You're doing nothing wrong.”

You hug him back, wrapping your arms around him and sinking into his fluff. He is so much softer than the dummy… You'd been right yesterday, what feels like months and years and centuries ago.

With one more meaningful squeeze, he lets go, and smiles at you. “Come on. He can still be saved.”

That pushes energy into your step, and you grab his paw and hurry to the room.

Susie looks relieved as you enter, scythe summoned but not raised. “Kris! Ralsei! The vines, they just grabbed him—”

Her, Burghley and Noelle step to the side to reveal Spamton, glasses in their proper place, and head tilted up. “Ah, there you are.”

Relief springs tears to your eyes. “Spamton!” You stumble towards him. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

He lets out a soft chuckle. It's the most honest thing you've heard out of him, and sends fear shooting through your very bones. “It seems after all I couldn't be anything more than a simple puppet.”

“No…” you whisper. You shake your head roughly, upset for reasons you can't name. “You're a living being. You're not just a puppet!”

His eyes focus through the glasses, zeroing on you. “I pity you, little bird.”

Kris’s laughter from earlier combined with this stupid pity makes a frustrated part of you flare alive. You barely resist stomping your foot like a child. Instead, you scream at him, “WHERE ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO?”

He coughs, and it's another laugh. He doesn't seem taken aback by your volume, despite the others taking a step back. “Nowhere, of course. Cage, within the cage. You complete each other, you know. Without one…”

He coughs again, and worry overtakes your frustration. You reach out a hand, but the vines pull him further up, out of reach.

“This world will disappear,” you say, desperately. 

He nods in acceptance. “Then I will come along with one of you.”

The vines pull him up a bit further, and he looks down at all of you. You think he's checking, or maybe testing something.

His eyes land on Burghley. “Something borrowed, something blue…”

The bird bristles immediately. “What does that mean?”

He just laughs, softly, nothing like the clicks of before. “Remember, borrowed things might get taken back.”

Burghley sputters, but Spamton pays him no mind.

Instead, his gaze next lands on Susie. He nods deeply, neck creaking against the vines. “The Girl.”

It's a profound acknowledgement, almost purely of respect. He says nothing else, and Susie looks at him oddly, but doesn't say anything, either.

His eyes land on Ralsei next, standing next to you with a nervous expression. Something solemn enters the puppet's gaze. “False Prophet… where is he?”

Ralsei's expression drops like a stone. Very suddenly, you remember that he is the Prince of every Dark World, every Darkner. His shoulders fall back from his ears, his eyes take on a piercing quality, and his voice is regal and firm as he says, “I have not always been a Prophet, but I have always been a Prince.”

Noelle stares at him with wide eyes at the change in demeanor.

Spamton scoffs. “That doesn't answer my question.”

Ralsei's eyes narrow, just slightly. “It's the answer I have.”

“Hmph.” Dismissing Ralsei, he turns to Noelle, who hiccups in fright.

“Ah, the angel and her clipped wings. You must run, but can an angel who knows only the open sky…? This, I must see.”

He glows white, so bright you need to squint, before he is sucked into his glasses. You worry for a split second before his voice emanates from them, “I will not have my mind for much longer, Lightners. Cut your strings. Only then…”

The glasses hover in the air for a moment longer, before they slowly move to sit squarely on Noelle's brow.

The glow fades, but the glasses stay perched there. She brings a shaky hand up, hovering over them, before she clenches it into a fist and brings it back down.

There's a beat.

“Well,” says Susie, effectively shattering the silence. “Let's get the HELL outta here.”

Burghley nods. “Well said, Susan.”

“MY NAME'S NOT SUSAN!”

You let out a tired chuckle, and Susie grins at you, and you think you're lucky to have a friend like her.

They lead the way out, and you're happy to be following someone, but the exhaustion is really catching up to you now. Your throat is aching from stomach acid, your eyes stinging from crying. You feel so horrible to be mistreating Kris’s body in this way. 

It's fine, they say tiredly. 

You bring up the rear with Noelle and Ralsei, when the former pauses and says, “Kris.”

You take a look at her unreadable expression, her clenched fists, and something brews in you. Kris sits up, face flat as a board, but their lips are downturned, screaming miserable resignation.

You turn to Ralsei. Smile at him the best you can. “Go ahead to the Fountain. We'll be along soon.”

Ralsei glances between the two of you, concern evident, before he relents with a nod and follows the others out.

You turn back to her, trying to imitate Kris’s usual indifference. She almost stares through you. “Kris… This… isn't a dream, is it…?”

And you aren't sure what to say to that. You don't want to lie to her, but Kris and Susie seem to think it necessary. But why? Susie's trying to protect her new special friendship, sure, but this is about saving the world, not an incapability to find things in common. Kris and Susie will still be friends without the Dark Worlds. Nothing will change that, not now.

And Kris… Kris just wants to protect her. Protect Noelle. But when you glance at her piercing eyes, her clenched fists, her new glinting glasses perched in her hairline — this girl does not need to be protected. She held her own in this fight. Her healing is strong. Why continue to belittle her abilities?

They clench their teeth so tightly the urge jumps through your jaw. I didn't…

But they did. If someone needs protection to the point of lying, it's just—

Alright! They throw their hands up. I get it, okay? Do what you want. 

And so, you smile at Noelle. “No, this isn't a dream.” 

Her eyes widen. “This… this is really happening?”

You nod. She bites the inside of her cheeks. “So then, why…”

You hold your breath, but she says nothing else, simply standing there, thinking.

“...Well, if that's—”

“Then why are you smiling…?” She whispers, staring through you.

Dread explodes in your gut, heavy and debilitating and not yours.

Kris’s eyes are wide and panicked, and your heart rate keeps trying to jump despite the feeling not belonging to you.

And you feel stupid. Because this is your fault. If you had just acted more like Kris, then—

No.

Their head is in their hands, but they look up, a piercing red eye that feels like it pierces your very Soul.

But it makes sense, doesn't it? They did warn you that she'd be able to tell, right back at the start. And still, you insisted on doing things your way, smiling and laughing and and saving and doing things they would never do when it… and now Kris is freaking out and what have you done—

You're flung back out of the senses into the cage. The bars carve into your non-existent back.

They stand over you, expression unreadable as ever. “Calm down.”

They close their eyes, and take the senses, but don't say anything to Noelle — they simply stare at her. As you calm your breathing, you wonder if this is Kris’s tactic to get people to stop asking questions.

To their credit, Noelle just stares back a moment longer before shaking her head slightly. “Fahaha… It's alright. I get it. This world…”

She trails off, and stares at the odd bricks. She turns back with a sheepish grin. “On second thought… Susie was right. Let's get out of here!”

Kris simply walks forward, through the hallway and up the stairs, not bothering to check if Noelle follows, along to the Fountain.

Chapter Text

The collapse of most of the hallways in the mansion means the path to the roof is convoluted, but Kris picks their way through the rubble easily, and you're just grateful that there is still a path in the first place.

Noelle's footsteps are light behind them, but she's clearly not as coordinated — she's much slower climbing over the various piles of furniture, bricks and plaster. Kris never turns around, nor do they ever stop, but they do noticeably slow their pace when her footsteps aren't audible. And it triggers something within you, some esoteric realisation, because—

Your cage is bigger; wider, taller - not simply for a Soul. You don't have to crouch. You're not uncomfortable. Hell, you think that if you really tried, you could probably even open the door yourself. From here, able to see the plushie and blanket still laid out on the chair, you run a finger down a glowing, golden bar and wonder why they try so hard to pretend they don't care.

They do pause, then, a tiny, minute misstep that wouldn't be noticeable if not for Kris’s perfect gait, if not for you being them. 

Then they pick up the pace, almost running. Noelle lets out a squeak behind them and presumably hurries to keep up.

Because that's what it is, isn't it? They don't fool you, can’t fool you, not about this, and not anymore. It's clear they care about Noelle, it's clear they care about Susie and Ralsei, and it's clear they care about—

“Enough,” they say quietly, sounding strained, gaze frantically searching out the quickest way to the Fountain.

It's true though, isn't it? The hesitation surrounding their cruelty. The regret surrounding their dismissiveness. This isn't how they are. This… isn't how you want to be, Kris.

They grind their teeth and break from their jog into a sprint. Noelle follows behind them, breaths quick, but doesn’t ask them to slow down.

And you feel guilty, because you’ve ignored it. More specifically, you haven’t had time to think about it. But you’ve been alive for just under 48 hours. How could you have known, really?

How could you have realised that there is something — or someone — pushing them in that direction?

“Stop it,” they hiss at you. The stairs to the rooftop come into view, and they fly up them two at a time.

How could there be something about them you don't know? But you rebuke that thought immediately — there's plenty about Kris you don't know. Their favourite food, favourite song, favourite place to spend their time… In fact, you can still confidently say that outside of saving the world, you know very little about them, and understand even less.

You want to know more.

You want to understand more.

It burns in you like a campfire. Not overwhelming, but warm and ever-present.

You want to know why—

“Kris!” exclaims Ralsei, smiling at them. He sits on the edge of the roof, but stands as Kris approaches, Noelle in tow. He does a double-take as soon as he looks at them properly. “Did you… run here…?”

That fear is in Ralsei's eyes again, before he blinks and it’s covered, so he's caught that it's Kris, not you. Why is he so afraid of them? Why is he not afraid of you, too?

Noelle is panting, hard. You assume she's doubled over. “Kris… wanted to get here… quickly, I guess, fahahaha…”

Kris says nothing, barely winded, as Susie jogs over from closer to the Fountain, Burghley on her heels. “THERE you are, Kris! And, Noelle…”

She smiles at the deer girl, and Kris turns to watch her glow pink under the scrutiny. “Ah, um, yes, Susie…?”

Susie puts her arms behind her head and gives her a toothy grin. “Great work back there, in that fight. You really held your own!”

Noelle beams, somehow going more red. You're almost worried about her. “Oh, hahaha, no, everyone else was… You were really, really impressive!”

Susie grins wider, pointing her nose up. Ralsei smothers a laugh into his paw. “Yeah, it was really cool, right? But, um, it's a shame, because you have to wake up soon.”

Burghley looks at her in question, but she doesn't see, her eyes boring into Noelle.

Noelle's eyes widen minutely, just for a split second, before her usual slips over it. She smiles, and if you didn't know better, you'd call it real. A perfect mask, indeed. “Right, yeah…”

So, Susie decided to stick to her narrative. You can't say you blame her, not really — insecurity can sink its teeth into your shame and tear chunks out of your weaknesses.

Kris doesn't say anything to correct Susie, to tell her that yes, Noelle will wake up, but she will know everything is real, that the ice at her fingertips is as real as the ice on the window panes in winter.

They grit their teeth at your thoughts, but for the first time, you agree with them. 

Their lips part in shock, just slightly.

Yes, crazy, you agree with them, wow, amazing. 

But truly, you wouldn't be able to say anything either. You've done enough to meddle in whatever they are. You told Noelle the truth when she asked. What more is there to be done? Let them figure it out. They're still your friends, and they'll still help you seal the Fountains, right?

Speaking of…

Kris looks toward the Fountain, shining and irrepressible except for under their own Soul’s light. It emits a faint noise like a waterfall, like a river rushing its course. 

Ralsei follows their gaze, and his expression hardens in determination. “Well, if there’s nothing else, perhaps we should close the Fountain, now.”

“Yeah!” says Susie, turning away from Noelle and cracking her knuckles. “Let’s go, Kris!”

They take a few steps, before—

“Can I come too?” Noelle bursts out. 

“Me, too!” Burghley chimes in, looking at Kris in adoration. They look away instantly, nearly gagging.

Susie whirls back, looking between them. She seems in two minds, which makes sense; they’re helpful, sure, but this entire thing is just supposed to be Kris and her. Unfortunately for her, you think blithely, it hasn’t been like that since the start. “Well, I…”

Ignoring your thoughts, Kris instead watches Noelle closely. You do too, sitting up in your birdcage; her expression is carefully cautious, tailored perfectly to encourage Susie to agree. You wonder what she wants to achieve, coming along. Her glasses glint in the lights of the city, like Spamton is telling you to take her with you.

Kris takes the decision out of everyone’s hands. “Fine. Let’s go.”

They don’t bother to check anyone’s reaction, simply nodding to Ralsei in farewell and walking toward the Fountain at their usual even pace.

It takes a second, but sure enough, several footsteps follow them after. Ralsei calls out a farewell, and the others reply, but Kris keeps walking.

The short walk to the edge of the Fountain is silent. The sound of pure Darkness gets louder and louder, crashing through the room. The light of the city dims, further and further, until all you can see is Darkness, and the odd, flickering light of the Fountain.

Kris pauses, right in front of it.

Susie stops next to them, the other two slightly further back.

“It's… beautiful…” you hear Noelle whisper, awed.

Susie's expression is contemplative, brows drawn together as she gazes across the dark. She speaks quietly, so only Kris can hear, “The Roaring Knight…”

Something shifts in Kris at the name, minutely. A bite of the inside of their cheek, before everything is the same. Do they know something about them?

“Whatever they are, they're making these fountains…”

Her eyes harden, and she meets their gaze. “You were right. This… is important. You are taking it seriously. I…”

She lets out a small growl and turns away. It's her version of an apology, you realise — and her version of a promise. Your heart warms, and you smile quietly to yourself.

That seems to be the limit of her earnestness. “Let's just go home, okay, Kris?”

As they look up at the Fountain, something in the body sings. Their Soul erupts from them, brighter crimson than you've ever seen. It overshadows the Fountain, overshadows the others, overshadows you, overshadows everything. It's different, seeing it from within; Kris’s eyes seem to be able to tolerate the light of their own Soul, understandably, and you watch in awe as it pulses twice, and the Fountain rumbles almost in protest and thins, thins, thins—

And then, the light fades, revealing a normal computer lab. You suppose this is what it looks like when there's no Dark Fountain subduing it.

Not only is Susie awake beside Kris, but so are the others, across the desk. Burghley looks contemplative, staring at them and Susie, while Noelle just seems shocked. You suppose anything present when the Fountain closes gets teleported as-is to the Light World. Perhaps that's why Ralsei never joins you.

… Does Ralsei even have a Light World form? He's the Prince.

The awkward silence is interrupted by an alarm, piercing through your thoughts. It startles both Burghley and Noelle, and sends the former scrambling for his phone. “That time already?? I'm going to be late for my shift!”

Noelle gasps. “How is it that late? Gosh, that took longer… I-I need to get home!”

“But, was that…” Burghley looks at Kris closely, who, as usual, says nothing. He looks to Susie, who doesn't meet his eyes. 

Panic flares in Noelle's eyes. She must be worried he'll blow her cover, and ask if it was a dream. She taps his arm. “C-Come on!”

He blinks. “Right.”

The two of them hurriedly grab their things, and make for the exit. Burghley pauses, just at the door. “Farewell, Susie… Krismas.”

Kris makes a face at the name as Noelle pauses, too. “Bye, Kris! Bye, um, Susie!”

She flees like a criminal. You find yourself impressed she got out unscathed, impressed that she got exactly what she wanted with Susie none the wiser.

Susie lets out a massive sigh. “Sheesh. What's their problem, anyway? Way to treat someone who just SAVED THE WORLD.”

You expect her to be thrilled, or excited, or celebrate, or something, but she just frowns. You frown too. “No, it’s better nobody knows. Everyone would panic.”

Were you… too harsh? When you accused her of not caring? You didn’t mean…

Kris says nothing. They look out across the lab. Computers, servers, trash… Do you have to carry everything from here, too?

“Well, whatever. Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait,” says Kris, tone flat. The walk over to the computers and start unplugging them.

Susie gapes at them. “You seriously don’t mean…”

They glance up at her, before wiggling the last of the plugs out and standing up. “Crime.”

You let out an inelegant snort at the way her eyes widen further, before she grins, her usual toothy smile. “FUCK yeah! Now we’re talking!”

Kris exhales through their nose, a half-smile gracing their lips. Between the two of them, they manage to stack everything into roughly four piles. Susie hefts one in her arms and kicks the door open. “C’mon, Kris!”

They lift a pile, mostly computers and keyboards, and follow Susie out of the computer lab and library at their usual even pace, showing no strain. It’s stunning, honestly; it must be heavy. Is their body this strong when you wield it? It never feels that way. You suppose all that exercise must be beneficial.

They smirk, slightly, as they gaze over the horizon. The sun has sunk, though not as much as you’d expected. The golden hues are handsome on the treeline. 

But it’s soon that Susie kicks open the door to the school. She seems to relish in having an excuse to kick doors open. You can’t blame her, not really, as she walks in and dumps her pile outside the doors to the Fountain. Dusting her hands, she straightens up. “Right, dump your pile and let’s get the last stuff.”

One trip later, all the objects in the computer lab are sitting on the floor outside the supply closet. Susie can hardly hide her laughter, and doesn’t bother to hide her smirk. “Heh, crime.”

Kris gives her a shit-eating grin, and kicks the doors to the town open. You snicker.

They push everything in, and it all glitters and falls oddly, as the Card Kingdom pieces did before them. Something in you calms. Everyone must be safe, now.

Susie peers down into the Fountain. Her jeans and old t-shirt flicker threateningly into her pink and spiky Dark World outfit. She turns back to Kris, grin spreading wide. “Let’s check on everyone!”

They nod, and she tips forward, falling into the Darkness, and you find yourself mildly surprised she went first. 

Before Kris steps any clsoer, they close their eyes. Appearing in the room, they march over and pull open your cage, staring down at you. Their expression is…

Unreadable…?

Not as unreadable as usual. Their shuttered eyes flicker briefly in pride, their lip curls just an edge. You wonder if they’ve grown complacent, or if you’ve gotten better at seeing them.

They offer you a hand, instead of just pulling you up. You take it, and they help you to your feet. Their hand… it’s warm. 

They let go almost instantly, wandering over to the chair and heaving out a sigh as they sit in it. They raise a brow at you, and you realise you’re staring at them, open-mouthed. “Oh, uh, right!”

You open your eyes in the body, and take a few steps before throwing yourself into the overwhelming force of the Grand Fountain, desperately ignoring the heat on your cheeks.