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Susie's adventure was going fan-fucking-tastically. Really, just great. Peachy. Wouldn't have it any other day. Because really, who wouldn't want to wake up in the Dark World on some random-ass dock, be primed for adventure and super pumped, and then go ahead and be told that, hey, yeah, one of the only two friends that you've ever had isn't actually goddamn real, and then be popped right into a gameshow before you had the chance to process that fact. That "Ant-Tenna" weirdo was lucky as hell that Ralsei had puppy-dog eyes or all of them would be out in two seconds with a little bit more wear and tear on Susie's axe.
But… he was right, in a way, as upsetting as that was. If Ralsei couldn't go into the Light World, this was one of the few chances she'd have to give him a new experience. May as well have a little fun before sealing the Fountain, right? It was about damn time that an adventure was fun again, what with Noelle and stuff in the last one. She'd been super shaken up, and the castle had been weird, and there had just been a general sense of unease after they'd met back up with Kris in the cyber world. Their skin had been super fucking cold, too.
Maybe, she thought, glancing sideways at them, that's why they were so weird today. They'd been… quiet. Quieter than usual, even, and that was saying something. Walking slowly, not saying a word, not even reacting at that weird truth-bomb. It was a little uncanny. Granted, Kris was always weird. So maybe she was overthinking.
Still…
"We don't have all day, folks!" And there was the nuisance himself, waving his gloved hand with a made-for-TV laugh. "It's three letters— don't tell me you forgot how to spell your own names!"
Well, she'd put in a name (maybe not hers, but a name), and Ralsei was fidgeting with his sleeves, so it was clear he was done. Which left…
"Kris, how slow are you? Jeez, I'd've thought Ralsei was the slowpoke here." She'd have been a little more lax on them if they weren't just sitting there, staring at the blank screen. It had been nearly three minutes already, and she'd only spent one trying to find a way around the censors.
"I'm not that slow," Ralsei defended himself meekly. It went uncontested, over the way that Kris looked over at her.
Their red eyes peeked out at her from under their curtain of dark hair. When they mumbled a reply, it was in that softer, shakier tone that they took on only rarely. A mere, "sorry," before they returned to tapping slowly at the arrows to pick a name. Each button press was slow, deliberate, and they'd only barely put in K before her impatience took over. She leaned over to their podium and typed out "ASS" to match hers, then hit enter.
"Well, we'll ignore that breach of rules! After all, we don't wanna be here 'till morning. It's a late-night show, after all!" Tenna quipped, and the shadow audience laughed in front of him. "Alright! Now, for the introductions…"
Susie tuned him out. It didn't really matter, anyway. This was all for fun, and she was starting to get the feeling that something really was off. "Hey, you okay, dude?"
They took a moment before responding, longer than even usual. "Fine," they whispered back.
"Are you sure?" Ralsei questioned, his voice barely above a whisper, like he was afraid talking too loud would render Kris dead. Which was stupid, they were… fine. Probably just a bit groggy from waking up still. Susie had no idea when they'd slept, but she did know it was after her. Maybe they had like, insomnia or something. That would explain why they always seemed so out of it at the start of school. "You just seem a bit less uh, lively, than usual."
The host's CRT head twisted to look at them, putting both hands on his hips. "Hey, HEY, why all the chatting over here? Did someone turn my volume down again? Mike, can we get a MIC CHECK up in here?"
It was a bad attempt at scolding. Susie had heard a lot worse, with her behavior, but Ralsei looked like he was about to cry being told off.
Susie glared at the show host, getting ready to tell him because-
"It's none of your business."
Everyone in the room paused. Cleary not having expected any sort of outburst from Kris (albeit, one that still sounded so tired and deadpan, but she figured that just added to the intimidating effect). Hell, she wasn't expecting them to say anything at all. They hadn't when they were the one getting chewed out, but one glance at Ralsei's face, holding so much admiration and gratitude, told her all she needed to know. Of course the idiot wouldn't let someone they cared about be talked down too, however good natured it may have been.
"Yeah!" Susie butted in herself, a grin that bore her teeth spreading across her face. "Can't you tell this is a private conversation? Team planning and all that."
"None of my-?" he put a hand on his chest, like he was utterly shocked that they would say that. His screen went black for only a second, before it blinked on and he waved his hand, shaking his head. "Of course! Team planning! HA HA! You three are a real RIOT! Well, if you're that excited, let's get into it! MIKE, the BOARD, please!"
There wasn't exactly much time to talk about Kris, what with him yapping away about controllers and love and points, but Susie had a feeling that things would turn out okay. After all, if they were lively enough to tell Tenna to shut up, what was really that wrong in the first place? It wasn't bad, she told herself. This couldn't be that strange. It wasn't like she had very much friendship experience to tell what was or wasn't a big deal, anyway. So, she settled back into her seat and took a hold of the controller.
The game started, little pixel versions of each of them materializing in a brown room with black borders. Despite how 'state-of-the-art' it may be, it looked like crap, and she said as much. Annoying Tenna was only a bonus to sharing her thought aloud. Quickly, she tested out the controller, pacing the room in circles. And, to her delight, she recognized the pattern immediately.
Oh, hell yeah, Dragon Blazers controls. Easy. I'm gonna win the hell out of this game.
Beside her, Ralsei headed up, testing out his new mini-self with much more caution than her. Kris, meanwhile, stayed still and silent. They hadn't even touched the joystick, it looked like. Ah, well. If they were gonna be slow, she'd pave the way. At least, that's what she thought, until she reached the end of the screen and it didn't change.
"The hell's the deal with this? Your game's broken, dude," she told the host, who only laughed.
"Only Kris can switch rooms!" Tenna explained in that overly-chipper way of his.
She couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. "Of course thats how it works. Ever hear of split screen multiplayer?"
"A whoza-whatzit now?" He looked about as confused as a sentient blank-screen TV could.
" C'mon, Kris, lets get this moving, don't wanna be stuck here forever, do you?" Susie prodded, gently nudging them with her elbow, and pointedly ignoring Tenna. Half because she just didn't care to explain, and half because she wasn't really sure she was smart enough to do so in the first place.
Kris reached out, tentatively grabbing their controller, but their hands seemed to shake. It was so subtle she wouldn't have noticed in any other circumstances, they were acting so off today, she couldn't help but pay close attention to every little thing they did.
"It… feels weird." They finally answered, just barely pressing the buttons enough to move their character around.
"I mean, I guess it is a little different from the typical console controllers, but it shouldn't be that hard to get used to, right?" She tried, hoping that maybe if they just tried playing a bit more, eventually they'd fall into the rythm and start actually having fun instead of looking like they'd rather be anywhere else.
Kris only shook their head. "Not that, it's…" they paused, or maybe they were hesitating, it was hard to tell with them like this. "Nevermind."
"What do you- what, hey, wait up!" She couldn't even question them further before they were rushing through the differen't 'rooms' of the game. Too fast for her to even really get her bearings before the screen switched again. "Kris, slow down! What if there's like- shit in the rooms or something? Shit." She cursed to herself as her character got caught on a stupid cactus. Luckily the maze was just threatening enough that Kris slowed down enough for them all to breathe for a moment.
"Woah, and Kris is going for it! When I said we didn't have all night, I didn't mean you had to go THAT fast!" He paused for a moment, and then asked, "Mike, what does 'speedrun' mean?"
"We might want to be a little more careful," Ralsei suggested, in the way that usually meant it would have been a demand if he weren't so much of a weenie. A loveable weenie, but still a weenie. "I didn't get a chance to finish reading the manuals, but, um, I think touching those cacti is bad. Look at your HP bar, Kris."
They stopped for a moment, seeming to take the the area in for once. "Oh."
"Yeah, 'oh'." Susie huffed. "We're gonna lose the game before we even encounter any actual enemies if you keep dragging us through without even looking like this. What if there are like, hidden weapons or potions or some other useful stuff we missed? Usually you're checking ever nook and cranny. Seriously, what's the deal with you today?"
They seemed more or less annoyed with the way she kept pushing, sending her a look that wasn't quite a glare per-say, but something close to it. "I just don't really like playing video games that much."
Tenna twisted from where he was sitting cross-legged. "Don't like playing VIDEO GAMES?! You and Azzy used to play them on me all the time! You'd spend hours and hours on Dragon Blazers trying to beat the final boss. Don't tell me you FORGOT?!"
"Well- that's okay!" Ralsei smiled from his own beanbag chair. He looked a little uncomfortable. "Um, people change, right? That's not a crime."
Susie shrugged. For once in this whole mess, she actually kind of agreed with Tenna. "Actually it is kinda weird. Like, I understand never really getting into it in the first place, but it's not like playing dolls or something, you can't just grow out of it, can you?"
"Well, I did." Kris replied flatly, seeming to purposefully move their character towards one of the cactuses to run into it and- huh. She knew she was complaining about them not looking for stuff before, but hiding a key under that? How was anyone supposed to figure that out? Well, obviously Kris had, but they seemed as surprised as she was.
"Hey uhh…" She glanced up Tenna, feeling more than a little confused. "What the hell are we actually even supposed to do in this? How are we even supposed to know where to look if you're just hiding all the important stuff under rocks and shit? Hitting everything is going to take forever, and we don't really have that kind of time."
One of his antennae crinkled slightly, a tiny angry symbol appearing in the corner of his screen. Still, he continued smiling. "The three KEYS and the MOONCLOUD STONE you need are hidden around the map! You can 'talk' to me and other NPCs scattered around for hints." Quieter, he muttered, "maybe you'd KNOW that if you didn't skip the tutorial."
"Riiiight, sure, whatever. Let's head back up to the start and look around for a minute, okay Kris?" The only response she got was a heavy sigh and they clutched their controller in a white knuckle grip, looking ready to just throw it at the screen. It was strange to see them so upset, especially over something as simple as a video game. She would have figured they'd be excited to go through all the puzzles. "Look man, we'll get through everything faster if we actually know what we're doing, alright? Once we know where to go, then you can start running through the level like a maniac, sound good?"
This time, they seemed to smile, it was faint, but she saw the way the corners of their mouth quirked up for a second. Whether they were happy to be able to get this over with, or were amused by something she'd said, she wasn't entirely sure, but she would take it as a win anyway. When they set out through the map again, it seemed to be with more purpose, an actual goal in mind instead of just blindly running through and waiting for something to happen. They still didn't seem all that invested, but it was better than nothing.
They continued through the map, talking to various Pippins and taking a glance inside the shop, before heading down again. Now that Kris was getting into it, Susie found herself having fun, too. It was a little boring, not being able to explore as she pleased, but the quizzes were a little bit fun. Nobody was really great at them (especially because Tenna didn't accept her answer that the Ralsei plush was free if she stole it), but it didn't matter. This whole thing was just for fun. No high stakes, no danger, just… a video game. After the crazy adventures she'd had, she couldn't be mad at that.
A quick detour right, and the trio found themselves face-to-face with a puzzle. A simple block-pushing one, like what Rouxles made. Easy as shit, even if it was a little more complicated than the really basic one previously. But still, Kris stopped dead. They put their controller down slowly, placing their head in their hands. Susie could swear she heard a small groan, just barely audible over the game soundtrack.
"…Kris?" Ralsei sounded properly worried now. More worried than he usually did, anyway. "Kris, are- do you need help?"
"Help?" Tenna laughed, backed by the audience. "C'mon, you and Azzy have solved WAY harder puzzles than this one! I even kept your puzzles simple, how you like them! Isn't it fun?"
"Maybe you made it too easy," Susie replied instead, only half joking, because really? The cactus one was more difficult than this. The look Kris shot her way though, like she just said something so utterly insane, made her think twice about that.
"Don't worry, then! There are some MUCH more difficult ones just up ahead!" Tenna replied cheerily.
Kris looked like they were about to scream. Okay, so clearly they weren't in the mood for puzzles. Susie couldn't help but feel just a little bit bad. Sure, she was only joking, and its not like they would have been able to avoid those future puzzles, but maybe she and Ralsei could've calmed them down enough that they could get through this one without much hassle and actually start having fun again.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to try anyway though. She nudged them again, albeit a little more playfully this time, to try and get their spirits up. "Come on, dude, you've got this. Let's kick this puzzle's ass!"
They still looked a bit miffed as they started begrudgingly working on the puzzle, pushing one of the boxes into place, but again, it was an improvement. She just wished she could figure out what it was that was making them so easy to upset. Sure, they might've woken up a bit earlier than they intended, but they were in the dark world for crying out loud! Shouldn't they be having more fun? Yeah, they seemed exhausted after their adventure in the cyber world, and they seemed… off as they walked home with her and even up until the point where she fell asleep on their couch. But what could have possibly happened in the few short times the two of them had been separated?
She was startled out of her thoughts when Kris buried their face in their hands and let out a muffled scream. A quick glance back up at the screen told her exactly why; the second box they had to move was stuck in a corner. One that you couldn't possibly avoid. Now she felt pissed off on their behalf. What kind of rigged bullshit was this?
"O- oh! Kris, I can help! I can turn into a block, see? You can push me!" Ralsei smiled, pressing a button to turn his character into a box. Only, Kris didn't move. Not one bit. The darkner beside them shifted nervously, mumbling out a quiet, "o- or I can go on top of it myself. That's fine too."
This was getting them nowhere. It would take days to close the fountain and get out of the dark world at this rate. Susie needed a plan, some way to get things back on track and fix whatever the hell was going on with Kris. The only problem with that though, was she wasn't exactly great at coming up with solutions for things unless it involved swinging fists and a lot of blood. One look at Kris told her that would probably go to shit fast. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed help.
With as much natural flair as she could muster, she stretched her arms and stood, setting her controller aside. "Whelp, I gotta- uh, go take a shit. Feel free to keep going without me 'til I get back."
Ralsei shot her a confused look. "Wh- but, Susie I don't think that… works in the Dar-"
Without so much as a second thought, she grabbed him by the scarf and covered his mouth to shut him up for just a moment, carrying him along with her as she walked out of the room. "Ralsei does too."
As she kicked the door shut behind her, she could hear Tenna awkwardly mumbling something about putting the show on commercial break. Once they were far enough down the hall to not be heard, she set the no-longer-struggling Ralsei down with a lot more gentleness than she had picked him up with. She couldn't help the slight desperation in her tone as she looked down at him. All the confusion and worry and frustration all pouring out of her with a single sentence. "Dude, what the hell is up with Kris?"
Ralsei knew a lot of things. He knew the prophecy and how it would end. He knew each and every item, weapon, and food and what it would do. He was created to know. To be an encyclopedia of knowledge for the heroes to rely on in their quest. It was his single purpose, and his single biggest fear. After all, what good was he if the prophecy was always going to end with tragedy? Just a scapegoat to get upset at when the other heroes realized he'd withheld the fact that the happy ending wasn't so happy after all?
And worse, what happened when his knowledge ran out? What happened when he was left completely in the dark, taken for a turn by fate. What happened when he was face-to-face with one of the only true friends he was allowed to have, the purpose to hie existance, and he didn't have an answer?
What was he supposed to do now?
He knew Kris would be upset. He'd felt what their soul had done to the Angel, understood in part what the cold had been, but… well, it wasn't supposed to go like this. It was supposed to be good for a while, more wasn't it? The Dark World wasn't supposed to go this sour this fast. And now Kris was acting strange, stranger than they were supposed to, and, for once, Ralsei had no clue why.
His one purpose, and he'd failed already.
"I-" he took a breath in, trying to prolong the space where he didn't have to say it. But as the silence grew, he couldn't delay it any longer. "I don't know."
He had an idea, of course. He had a lot of ideas, on the evidence he'd found. Kris was speaking up a little more— Kris themself, not the soul. He desperately wanted to ask them about it, but he hadn't gotten a chance to distract the soul with what might be happening with Susie, and at this rate, he wasn't sure if he could. Susie would be keeping an eye out now, and he couldn't tell her why he needed to be alone to ask what was wrong. She still didn't know about the soul, and it wasn't nearly the right time to let her understand. No, no, that came later.
Or did it? With everything all jumbled like this, what if it had changed? What had Kris done to make it change? What had the soul done? Why wasn't it active? Why hadn't he heard a single peep out of the soul since this Dark World had been created? For once, there were more questions than answers, and it terrified him.
Softer, he whispered, "I don't know."
Susie slumped against the wall, looking defeated. "Of course not. I just thought that- I mean- you seem to know so much about Kris and I, more than we even seem to know about ourselves sometimes. I guess I was just hoping you would have some kind of like, arcane Kris knowledge or something." She admitted with a weak laugh.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you." I wish I could tell you everything. I wish I didn't want to cry right now. Is this how Lighteners feel all the time? How do they handle being so blind of what's to come? "I think… something happened last night. In the Cyber World. They seem upset."
It was torment, to have to be so vague. But would Susie still like him if she knew how much he was hiding? Would things still turn out of he explained? What if one piece of information was enough to turn the tides, to give this story an ending with the least amount of pain possible.
"Yeah, no shit." She huffed, though it didn't seem like she was actually mad at him. "I just wish we knew what. Like, they acted so weird once we closed the fountain in the library, weirder than they usually do. They wouldn't even look at me. You don't think I did something wrong, do you?"
"No." At least he could say that with certainty. "I don't think it's you. I think it might have to do with the friend who got caught up in the Dark World. Noelle, right? You said she was shaken up." Like he didn't already know the Angel's name. Like he didn't know all too much about her.
But why would that affect their soul? Are they trying to resist it? Is it giving them more control? Is it guilty?
"Yeah, she just kind of left right away, and it was weird for Berdly to sleep so heavily too. We tried shaking him but he didn't budge. Picking up a pile of books and dropping it on the table next to him didn't even work." Susie mused. "I hope he got home alright. Like yeah, he's annoying as hell, but… I dunno, everyone seemed kinda off after our last adventure, so bow I'm a little worried, y'know?"
"Maybe something happened. While we were split up, you know. Kris might be upset because of it and trying not to worry us. We can't force them to talk, but we can be there for them now. Help them, you know? Maybe be a little extra patient."
She frowned, glaring at the floor for a moment before looking back up at him. "Are you sure thats okay? I've never seen them like this before. What if it's something really bad?"
"Then what else can we do?"
It was a predicament he'd found himself in for too long. Knowing something was wrong and being helpless to stop it. It never got easier to stand by, but Ralsei was only a hero by name, not by heart. Never by heart.
"I don't know, just-" she buried her hands in her hair with a frustrated growl. "Just tell me if you notice anything else weird, okay? I'm not sure if they'll actually tell us anything, but if they don't then we have to use everything we've got to figure this out. No secrets are gonna help, Kris is obviously keeping enough of those as it is."
Does she know? Is she mad? Would it really be okay if I told her everything even be okay to tell her everything? What if that makes it worse? What if that makes me irrelevant?
How selfish was he, even considering that last part? It was his purpose to tell them everything he knew at the best time. And if now was the best time, then why, why was he hesitating so much? Shouldn't he know what the best time was? He was supposed to know everything, and now, he didn't. It was terrifying. All of this scared him so much, but if he showed that, then Susie would worry. If he told her, things might go wrong. If he didn't, things might go wrong. So what was he supposed to do? What was the best way to get out of this bind? How was he supposed to fulfill his one and only purpose if he was so, so scared all the time?
But, like always, like the coward he was, he just smiled through it (because really, what good was he if he didn't), and lied to her face. "Of course. I'll- I'll see what I can do."
Susie stared at him for a long moment, and he was terrified that she would look right through him, at what he really was, but instead…
"Sure, yeah, okay. We should probably get back inside. It'll look suspicious if we're gone too long."
"I think it already looks suspicious," he laughed. At least that was true.
He just about melted in relief when she flashed him a slight smile. "Oh yeah, like the TV knows how long an appropriate bathroom break is." She said with an air of playful sarcasm.
The tightness in his chest eased as he laughed again. Whatever this was… whatever was going on with Kris and their soul, at least someone as kind as Susie was there to make things better.
Tenna tapped his fingers together, shifting slightly to look to the left and down at where his old favorite audience was. He'd meant for this to be fun, to remind them of exactly how they used to feel. He wanted to see them smile again. It had been so, so long since they'd smiled at him. Even in the darkest moments, when Toriel and Asgore were fighting in the other room, they'd found some solace in him. They'd sit in front of him in their little devil horns, watching cartoons or playing Dragon Blazers, turning the volume up loud enough to drown out their parents' raised voices.
The person next to him now hadn't smiled at him once in this whole show. Had they forgotten how to? Why weren't video games enough to ease whatever burden getting older had put on him? They always liked being entertained by him! Always! It wasn't fair that their tastes had changed! There was no need for that, so why had they done it?
Did they really just… not like him anymore? No, no, they couldn't. TV was always classic. A little more playing and they'd understand. They'd remember what it felt like. They'd smile at him again. He'd make them smile again.
That's all it was. Just a tough customer. Ralsei and Susie liked him fine! He wasn't broken, he wasn't. They liked him. They smiled at him. He just… needed to get Kris on the same page. And what better time to have a heart-to-heart than off-air, on a commercial break?
"So…" He cleared his throat, fidgeting with his tie. "Not a fan of puzzles, huh? That's fine, I can recallibrate it! You liked the quizzes, didn't you? We'll do more of that!"
No response. But no need to freak out! He wasn't like that little mailman, he could take no for an answer.
"Don't want to talk? Alright, that's fine. That's… FINE. How about we change the channel a little? We could do…" He took a clown horn out of his back pocket and squeezed it. "…the COMEDY CHANNEL! Oh, you'd laugh at it all night long. Or, or, the, uh- the NEWS! Since you're so mature now!"
They were barely even looking at him. But why, why? They loved looking at him! There wasn't a problem in the world that couldn't be solved through TV! They didn't not like him anymore. They couldn't.
"S- say, what ever happened to ol' Azzy! I'm sure he'd LOVE it here! Maybe he could do the hard ones for you!"
The way their hair just barely fell away from their eyes, revealing that crimson hue, but none of the mischief they used to hold made him feel unnerved. Like they weren't looking at him, but instead through him. "He left." Their answer was short, not even a hint of emotion. It was like they were a shell of the kid he remembered.
Left? As easy as that? "W- well, I'm sure your buddies can help you out! I'll just… tweak some things. Shouldn't be too hard. Then you'll go back to having fun! Right?"
Right?
"…Listen, Kris-"
He was interrupted by the door opening again, revealing Susie and Ralsei. No time for idle chatter now! It was back to game time! All he had to do was switch around a few things, and then it was no more puzzles for Kris. They could just wander. Watch their friends have fun. And then they'd have fun. It was the perfect plan.
"Well, THERE you two are! Quickly, take your places, or we'll be behind schedule!"
"Do you actually even have a schedule?" Susie asked as she took a seat yet again. "Or are just saying random shit to sound more like some kind of producer?"
Well, it was true, but she didn't have to say it like that! But… "Do I?"
Ralsei laughed politely. "You do sound very official. Don't you think, Kris?"
Kris looked to Ralsei, then glanced at Susie, and for one brief moment, Tenna could see their old characteristic smirk and the mischievous glimmer in their eyes. "Sounds like you're trying too hard."
Well, he couldn't be too mad at that. Not when they were smiling. Maybe some people watched TV just to make fun of it. As long as they were having fun, he couldn't be upset. But just for the appearances, he huffed out some quip about teenagers— right on cue, as the lights dimmed to signal that they were on air.
"And we're back! Sorry for the interruption, folks! Looks like our contestants had to visit the powder room for a quick touch-up— and boy does it show! These contestants look their absolute best. Just look at those smiles, folks! It must be prime time, am I right?" He soaked in the wonderful laughter of the crowd, which died down just in time for his next call of, "now, without further ado, say it with me— IT'S!! TV!! TIME!!"
If he could, he'd live here forever. Here, with contestants and an audience who loved him. With Kris, older but just as spirited as ever. There was nothing wrong.
There was nothing wrong.
They enjoyed it, didn't they? Now that Susie could push the blocks, there was no trouble. Not as Susie got the Power Croissant, not they crossed falling rocks, not as they collected the second key from behind the sphynx, and certainly not as Susie laughed uproariously at Lancer plugging up the oasis. All of this was on-cue. It was good. It was good. There was nothing wrong.
And on-cue, same as everything else, Elnina and Lanino played their parts. The battle was meant to be fun. Challenging. Kris loved fighting! It was their favorite part of Dragon Blazers. They'd had a little bit of a button-mashing phase, but as they got older, they preferred strategy and skill. Until they'd stopped. But how could they stop now, when it was an actual battle? That had to be so much better than the old ones!
Susie and Ralsei raised their respective weapons, at the ready, and he knew they must be skilled at this. All the better, to have some experience under their belts! This had to get Kris's blood rushing. Adrenaline meant smiles, and smiles meant he was doing something right. He had to be doing something right. Please, Angel, let him be doing something right.
"Kris?" Ralsei looked behind him, where the blue-skinned Lightner stayed. They seemed to be swaying on their feet slightly. Surely a sign of eagerness for the upcoming battle, right? Just like a sprite in battle! There was nothing wrong.
They raised their sword, holding it high in the air before it came down. The sound of metal clattering to the floor caught everyone off guard, it seemed. No one in either party had done much as a scratch, and the battle seemed to be coming to a grinding halt before it could even begin.
"Kris- are you- are you okay there, dude?" Susie asked hesitantly. When they looked up at her it was like talking without words, a question unsaid. "You uh… dropped your sword. I know we don't really do a whole lot of actual fighting but you probably wanna hold onto that, just in case."
With as much hesitance as a baby taking its first steps, Kris knelt down and took their sword. This time holding it in an iron grip. However, their hand still shook, and they didn't even attempt raising the weapon again. In fact, they didn't seem too keen on doing much of anything.
Their grip on the blade loosened yet again (though this time not enough for it to fall) and shook their head slightly, seeming offput or maybe a bit unnerved. "I- I don't think I want to fight right now."
Susie stared at them with the same surprise as everyone else, until her shock morphed into a grin. "Alright then, why don't you defend and Ralsei and I can ACT instead? I hardly ever get to show off anyway."
The look they gave her, however brief, was one Tenna wished he could capture. Astonishment and gratitude and all things good, all tied together nicely with a small smile they tried to hide as they bowed their head with a small nod.
Ralsei nodded and, with a sweep of his scarf, green sparkles enshrouded Kris. He gave them his own little smile. "Yeah, we've got this! Just take it easy."
"What a HEARTWARMING turn of events! Doesn't it just make you tear up? Now, for the rules of the battle. All you have to do is-"
"Er, Tenna?"
He whipped around to look at Lanino, who Elnina was clinging to with teary eyes.
"What is it?" He was a little annoyed at the interruption, but it was nothing major. Just a distraction. Nothing was wrong.
"I don't want to fight them!" Elnina wailed. "That was just so sweet, look at them! They're such a good team!"
Lanino nodded as he wiped at her eyes. "My precious cloud is right. How could we top that, even with the best of acting?"
"That's not in the SCRIPT," he chastised. Seriously, they'd been doing so well! What a stunt to pull after all that! He wanted to tell them to do their jobs, to keep it going for the entertainment of the masses, but when his gaze wandered to Kris, bracing miserably for impact, he had to admit that they didn't look very TV-ready. Maybe a change of genre was what they needed. "…but I GUESS I can let it pass. We'll just edit the footage."
Susie was the only one who looked even mildly disappointed at the outcome, complaining loudly about how they "didn't even get to do anything". But Tenna was all about show biz, he knew acting when he saw it. That was to say, even she had some difficulty hiding the way her shoulders initially slumped in relief.
"At least we got the stone thing, I guess." She muttered, glancing at the new item taking space in their shared inventory. "What do you guys say we put these in that door and get the hell out of here?"
"I think I'd like that," Ralsei smiled. As he returned to his chair, he strayed a little closer to Kris, placing a hand on their shoulder. His mouth moved almost imperceptibly. Tenna couldn't hear exactly what was said, but before the other Darkner was even done, Kris pulled away, lips tugging down.
Ralsei hesitated, but jogged to catch up with them. "K- Kris-"
Why did he sound so worried? Nothing was wrong.
"Just go up and enter that pyramid tile to face your FINAL CHALLENGE." Lighten the mood, Tenna. It couldn't go off-script any more. Otherwise…
No. No, he was still classic, Kris still liked him, and nothing was wrong.
Susie glanced at the two beside her with concern, shooting a questioning look Ralsei's way before going back to the large screen and taking the reigns to lead their little trio of characters to the large door, entering the keys and the mooncloud stone. "Hope you two are ready for a sick boss fight, or whatever it is that we're gonna have to do here."
Kris just seemed to cringe and curl further into themself at the words. Well, that certainly wasn't a good omen. Hopefully the big finale would finally help change their tune.
"Kids, cover your parents' ears, because after this…" He snapped his fingers, and the world went dark. "There's no turning back."
In the shadows, anything could happen, but he knew exactly what was going on behind-the-scenes. A good old-fashioned set change. And a good one, too. It had to be good. This was his final hurrah, after all! He just had to keep them busy until the knight came. Then, he'd have others to watch him. Others that wanted him. That loved him, like Kris used to.
"What the-" Susie's voice came from the darkness. "The hell did you do to us?!"
When the lights came on, Tenna was pleased to see they'd appropriately changed their costumes. Everyone was wearing appropriately chef-themed garb, with Kris in the cutest little waiter outfit. He would have gushed if he weren't on-air, but he had a show to run. Well, maybe he'd look back at the footage. Then he could appreciate just how adorable they were like this. His little Kris, all grown up!
"Hon hon!! Cool your burners, folks!! Today's PHYSICAL CHALLENGE… is the COOKING CHANNEL!"
"Oh, okay, that actually makes sense," she muttered.
That's right! Oh, she seemed excited! Look at those smiles. The only one who wasn't smiling… was Kris. But all he needed to do was remind them. It was easy to reminisce, speak about their mother and their brother and how they used to love cooking. He watched their eyes for a sparkle, but, as he spoke, drowning out even himself with anecdotes, there didn't seem to be a glimmer of recognition of the joy they used to feel. Not even as he explained the instructions.
But that was okay. They just needed a little push. A little physicality. A challenge. Nothing was wrong.
"Now, are you ready or not?! Don't touch that dial OR that fire, because IT'S!! TV!! TIME!!"
As he'd instructed, they clambered onto the table with no excess of energy, each motion a trembling mess. Goodness, they were going to have to get more into it if they were going to dodge the fire Susie cooked up! Well, maybe once they got going, it would be okay. Nothing was wrong.
They stood, legs trembling like a baby deer. He imagined that had been a little what it was like when they were just learning to walk. They hadn't been adopted young enough for him to see their first steps live, though he was certainly old enough that he was alive when it happened. He hadn't been there when they were little— none of the Dreemurr family had— but they were family. In more ways than one, Kris was his, too. He'd watched them grow. He'd watched them change. And now, they were here. Under his watch. Finally able to meet him properly, and they didn't seem to care. But he was patient. He could withstand the teen years where kids were too cool for their parents just fine. And soon, Kris would understand. They'd love him again.
Under his breath, Ralsei murmured a prayer, and a deluge of green sparkled around Kris. It didn't seem to make them any more stable. It was sweet that their friends cared so much, but really, couldn't any of them see that nothing was wrong?
"Kris- Kris!" Tenna barely had time to process Susie's shout before, in one swift movement, Kris fell.
The entire time they had been in the dark world, Susie knew something was wrong with Kris. It didn't take any sort of genius to figure that out. She just wasn't sure what. But after watching them sway on their feet, unsteady as they stood atop the large food bar, she knew exactly what would happen. It was instinct that drove her forward, diving over those last few steps just to be sure she could actually catch them.
She wasn't sure if they could crack their head open on the floor in the dark world, but like hell she was going to take that risk. There was a long moment where she just sat there, holding them close and breathing heavily. Not out of any real physical exertion, but from the brief moment of sheer terror she had felt, and while that slowly faded with the adrenaline, the initial fear and worry stayed. It had been building the entire day, and now she wondered if she could ever shake it. A traitorous part of her mind thought that if having friends made her feel this utterly weak she wasn't sure she wanted it as much anymore. But the little bit of logic she still had shot that down immediately, if hadn't found friends in Kris and Ralsei, either of them could have died- hell, she could have died. If she was going to be weak, she would rather it be with them instead of without.
She sighed and glanced down at Kris, then froze. Their eyes were screwed shut, their face twisted in an expression that could be described as nothing less than agony as they gripped and clawed at their chest. Their skin looked more unnatural than it already did, the blue becoming an off-putting sickly shade and becoming clammy with sweat.
"Kris? Kris, hey-" Susie scrambled to sit upright and get a better look, shaking their shoulder lightly. "What's going on, dude? Did one of my cuff spikes stab you or something?"
It was a stupid question, there was no blood as far as she could see, but it was the first thing her mind jumped to. They only groaned in response, curling into a tight ball and- shit, were they crying? What the hell happened?
She tried gently prying their hands away, attempting to get a better look, but they fought her the whole way. "Dude- Kris- stop. I'm trying to see what the hell is up. If you're not gonna tell me, at least let look so I can fix it."
"You can't," Kris mumbled through gritted teeth.
"Well, fine. Maybe my heal isn't that great, but Ralsei can probably do something." She argued, and took note of how despite the sweating, they seemed chilled, just barely suppressing a shiver.
They pulled back, away from her arms- away from her, pushing themself to their feet despite the way their legs looked just moments away from giving out. "You can't fix this. You can't fix me."
Susie couldn't help the way her fists clenched in frustration. "So what, you're just gonna give up without even letting me try?! We're… friends, aren't we? You're the one that showed me it wasn't always a bad thing to get help sometimes, so stop trying to be such a tough guy and let me help you dammit!"
They staggered, leaning against the table for support, staring at her with a look she couldn't even begin to decipher before turning their gaze to the floor. "You'll just hate me again."
The words were hard to believe, especially with as little sense as they already made. Susie might not have liked them all that much in the beginning, but at this point she wasn't sure she could say she ever really hated them. She highly doubted that there was much of anything they could've done that could possibly make her begin to hate them now. Even if they lied, she thought that she could probably brush it off- well, maybe not that, but she'd at least forgive them for it if nothing else.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" They weren't the most eloquent words she'd ever spoken, but it was all that she could muster.
Kris stood there for a long moment, looking seconds away from collapsing again. Their mouth opened and closed a few times while they struggled with whatever they wanted to say. Part of her hoped they'd just rip off the bandaid and say whatever bombshell it was that they were holding onto. The other part wished they'd just tell her to fuck off and then have everything go back to normal. They didn't get the chance for either as a soft voice cut into the tense atmosphere.
"It's your soul, isn't it?" Ralsei looked stricken, hands over his mouth. "Kris, where is your soul? How- what did you do?"
She'd heard of souls. Every human and monster had one, but humans' were supposed to have special properties. Susie remembered some old teacher who'd been yapping about it. She hadn't been paying attention— why would she? She wasn't a human. Now, she kind of wished she had, because none of this made any sense. Of course their soul would be inside them, where else would it be? And if that was really something humans could do, why hadn't Ralsei told her?! Did he just think she knew this stuff?
"What do you mean 'where is their soul'? It's not like they could've just misplaced it! It's…" She trailed off, looking at Kris' face. The way it was twisted in guilt and shame spoke in louder volumes than their voice ever did. "Kris? Don't tell me it's actually not there- we uh- we kinda need it to close the fountain, y'know?"
She tried for a slight joking angle at the end, but it fell as flat as anyone could've guessed. That much was clear in the way they bit their lip in a way that was far too aggressive to just be described as nerves. "I got rid of it."
The horrified gasp Ralsei gave was enough to tell Susie that that wasn't a normal thing for humans to do. And then, in a rare sight, his face contorted into anger. "What were you thinking? You could die if it's out of your body long enough! I told you, Kris, you can't just- just pretend you don't need it!"
Wait. "What do you mean, you told them?"
"I-" Ralsei froze, his scarf covering a little more of his face as his shoulders hiked up. "It doesn't matter right now. Kris, do you know where it is?"
Kris wheezed, and Susie couldn't tell if it was from pain, or a pathetic attempt at a laugh. "Couch, probably."
Okay… okay, Susie could remember where that was. She could probably get there pretty fast. But despite the panic, she felt anger bubble up at Ralsei's words. "It does so matter! You knew about this and you didn't tell me! It already feels like the worst case scenario, but what if it's not? What if they did something stupid like this in the light world and I couldn't do anything because I didn't know! I barely even have healing magic down here!"
"I meant to tell you, I did, it just… wasn't the right time. It's still not the right time. I don't know when the right time is." He hung his head.
She clenched her fists so tight that she felt pain from the way her claws dug into her palms. "That's not the-!" She stopped herself. She wanted to yell, to show all her anger and frustration at the situation. She needed to. But one look at Kris told her she couldn't, they didn't have time for arguments right now. She could chew them both out for keeping something as important as this from her later. Taking a deep breath didn't really calm her, but it was good enough for the moment. "Look, with something like this there's- there's never going to be a good time. But there are better times, like before something bad happens. So… if there's anything else you guys have been keeping from me, once this is all done, just tell me, okay?"
Ralsei didn't look at her when he spoke. "We'll talk about this later. I'll keep healing Kris if you find their soul."
She didn't like it, but she couldn't exactly argue right now. So, she spun on her heel and turned to exit— wherever the exit was. Instead, she came face-to-face with Tenna. In all the chaos, she'd forgotten he was even here, but there he was, watching with his CRT in his hand.
He straightened, towering over her, and, for a moment, she thought he was going to attack. But instead, he threw his arms out. "What a MARVELOUS performance! And here I thought we were in the cooking channel!! Mike, how many points should we give 'em?! 1000 sounds fair, doesn't it? And on top of the physical challenge, too! You three sure are something special, aren't you?"
"What- This isn't about your stupid game anymore!" Susie shouted, feeling seconds away from throttling him. "Kris is- could be- dying! We don't have time for this, I need to find their soul."
"Yes, yes, I understood the plot of your little tele-drama." Tenna was obnoxiously cheerful as picked her up by her underarms and placed her next to Kris and Ralsei. "But we all have roles to play, and you're part of the show."
"Mister Tenna." Ralsei looked up from where he was healing Kris. The strain on his face was obvious. "Please, you need to let Susie go-"
Tenna laughed. "Look, look, I know what's going on here. Kris always plays sick when they don't want to do something. It used to happen ALL the time until Toriel caught wind of it. You three have already gone off-script long enough. How are you gonna remember how great TV is if you don't even give it a chance?"
"Well maybe you don't know them as well as you think. Now get out of my way." Susie growled, pulling out her axe and getting ready for a fight. Going in solo didn't seem like the best option, but she'd do it if she had to. After all, how hard could it be to beat some measly TV?
"Don't know them?" Tenna's screen showed static, hand over his chest. "Of COURSE I know them! I know them better than any of you do! I helped RAISE them! If anyone doesn't know them, it's YOU!!"
Susie could only scoff at that. "Oh please, most parents don't even actually know their kids. They think that just because they're there, means they know it all, but they don't. What makes you think you're any different or- or any better? All you're doing right now is hurting Kris."
"I'm not hurting them, I would NEVER hurt them! Where in the WORLD did you get that idea?"
"Look at them, dumbass!" Susie gestured over at her two friends. Ralsei didn't even look up, too busy whispering prayers of healing under his breath. "You really think keeping them stuck here, making them do shit they obviously hate, and ignoring the fact that they're in pain- and for what?! Your ego? Is doing them any good? If you really care about them, let me find their soul. Or better yet, help me! Otherwise just stop with the stupid game shit, because all you're doing right now is making us hate you."
Tenna remained silent for a long, long moment. His CRT turned from static to black as he hung his head. "I just… wanted to make them happy again. It's been so long since the good old days."
Susie sighed. She knew she was right being upset but admittedly, she still felt a little bad. "Hey, I know it sucks but… things and people change. It's not bad to miss how things used to be, but it's not good to get stuck in the past either. The more you do that, the more good things you'll start missing about today."
"You're a very wise girl, Susie. Has anyone ever told you that?" His screen blinked on again, and, instead of a toothy grin being displayed, there was only a small, sad smile.
"Er, no. They haven't."
"It's true. Well, you're right. I made a real mess of things, haven't I?" He turned from her to backstage, where several Darkeners had gathered to watch. Pippins, Shadowmen, Elnina, Lanino, and a couple ones that she didn't recognize all stared back like they'd been caught in the act. A few tried to scatter, but most stayed as they were. "All of you, change of plans! All hands on deck, search for Kris's soul. Anyone who finds it gets POINTs, on me!"
With that instruction, several Shadowmen and Pippins scattered. One of the crew that Susie wasn't familiar, a red-and-green Darkner with two golden… eyes?… called out, "I'm going to need a little more description. Do you have a photo?"
She realized, all at once, that she didn't actually know what this thing looked like. Was it even something she could see? Or touch? Even if she found the thing, could she get it back? Would holding it damage them? Could she break it if she wasn't careful?
"Ralsei?" Susie called, and again, when he didn't seem to notice. "Hey, Ralsei?"
This time, he acknowledged it. "You're still here? Did you find it?"
"I will," she promised. "We need a description."
"We…?" He seemed to notice all the Darkners. How far out of it had he been? "Oh."
"Yeah, oh. What does it look like?"
"Heart-shaped. And… red, I think? It could be any color, but the prophecy depicted it as red."
Under him, Kris groaned, and he quickly returned to his spells. Healing even once drained her, she couldn't imagine this many times.
We've got to find it soon.
"You heard him!" Tenna called out. "Look for a red, heart-shaped object! Mike, you're on duty, too! Check all the cameras. Leave no channel unchecked!"
Susie cast one more glance at her friends, then set her face to the unknown. She'd find this thing, ready or not.
Far away and close enough to touch, long ago and in the future and in every second in between, a knight shrouded in black stood at a fountain. A large obsidian pillar, darker than dark, and, for once, not made by her. It had taken her a while to get here. Such was the downside of this world not being her own. It was harder to traverse a world when her will had not created it, but the plan had demanded this, and thus, she would deal with it.
Now the question was when to attack. The police officer had to get here, obviously. Which meant that her agent would have to hold them off for a while longer. No fret. She was sure that he could manage that.
With murmured words that transformed into messengers, she informed him. And in return, he told her that it was put off. That they had an emergency. That they needed to find a human soul. Kris's soul.
If any setback was to disturb her, it would be that. Faintly, some part of her protested, insisted that this was more important than any shelter. She knew about souls. It was hard to know Kris and not be informed of the struggles it brought. But where it brought pain, it brought life. If that pain were to be removed, so too would Kris's existence.
It would do her no good to have her ally perish.
It would do her no good to have her friend perish.
She asked if he was searching with all the resources he had. He replied yes. She asked how long the soul had been missing. He said since the fountain was created. She asked where. He replied that it had been lost, like many other things, between the cushions of a couch.
What an unfortunate turn of events. She supposed she had no choice but to intervene.
Her form a raven, she ascended. Far, far above the docks. Above the mountains. Above the theater where her allies and enemies alike wandered. And, a swift kingfisher, she dove for her prey. In the dark such as this, it was easy to locate those that were lost. If only it were that easy to find those that weren't.
She came to a stop next to an old sofa ambling about on worn legs. Within, something determined seemed to beat. With two slashes, she disabled the walking beast and cautiously reached inside to grab a heart that was not its own.
The soul glowed a gentle red in her palms. Against her skin, its light seemed to burn. She was not meant to possess it, and yet, she did. An oxymoron of the highest caliber.
You're far away from home, she told the little light.
The darkness is blinding, it whispered back. Or perhaps it didn't.
What have you done to turn Kris so violently against you? You made them hijack the plan.
I made Noelle stronger.
Noelle. Something deep within her stirred at that. Long black fingers borne of shadow curled around it. She could easily crush it in this state. She would have, were it not the belonging of someone dear to her, and were it not so imparative. What have you done?
I made her stronger. It repeated. Now no enemy could stop her. Not even you. Now with me to help her.
She has no need to be stronger. I can protect her just fine. I let you remain because you do more good than harm. What makes you think that you can so effortlessly disrupt that status quo? A boldfaced lie, but it didn't have to know that. It was better if the soul was kept out of her plans.
What makes you think I answer to you? Besides, it's not like you were there to protect her when she fell into a dark world. It hissed, projected words laced with venom.
She looked at the odd being with disdain. You're as infuriating as Kris said you were. You should be begging me to return you. Instead, you run your mouth.
It's not as if you can kill me. Not permanently. The thing seemed to laugh. The worst you can do to me is let my vessel die, and I can just get them back or find another. I wonder if Noelle could be my next cage?
Her fingers clutched it a bit tighter. She could feel its health draining under her palm. Stay away from her.
Well, if Kris dies, I really have no other choice. So I guess you'd better get a move on. It said, sounding smug despite the injury.
She hated that she had no other choice, but they were at a standstill. Even if it wasn't so important that the soul be left to grow in power, it was true that Kris's time was waning. As much as she could see why they'd taken this wretched thing out, she couldn't very well sentence them to death. With a scoff, she loosened her grip and turned to the theater that lit up the darkness with stage-lights that were just as black as anything around. She wasn't sure if she'd always been a person who accepted defeat, but, like this, she had to. She'd simply keep an eye on Noelle. Maybe tell Kris to try to avoid her. There were ways to prevent destruction. There were ways to change fate.
Taking the form of a bird again and pressing the soul close to her, if only to watch it, she swept forward into the theater. Darkners parted as she passed, but she paid no mind. She only stopped short when she felt the presence of a light— a proper light— in the darkness.
"-Still no sign?" The Lightener, the monster, seemed agitated.
"None." That was a Darkener. If she looked closely, felt in the darkness, she could recognize it as a remote. "Sorry, miss. We've checked everywhere."
The monster let out a slight growl. "What about outside?"
"No one goes outside the set. It's just endless docks and mountains out there. You'd get lost quite fast, miss."
Susie, the soul hummed.
Is she safe to return you to?
Probably, The soul hummed, sounding completely unbothered, but she didn't seem to have caught on about me last time I saw her. So let's just hope she doesn't put me in her pocket and forget about me for the next two hours. Not that I would mind though, she's cool. I like her.
As long as you leave Noelle alone, she told it, but held out her palm to release it. I trust you can move on your own?
It hovered for a moment, shifting back and forth, then up and back down to her hand. As good any soul can without a vessel.
Well. She certainly wouldn't miss it. It wandered into the open, and, a moment before disappear again, the searching monster's eyes landed on her. A good enough cue to disappear as ever. She ignored the demand to wait, slinking back into the shadows that called her.
A ceaseless string of prayers, Ralsei cast the same spell he had been for what felt like hours.
Healing usually wasn't very taxing for him. He'd studied and studied until it came to him as naturally as being a Darkener, and then studied some more. Like a muscle, he'd trained himself to be able to cast with minimal TP, and even without. He simply drew his energy from within himself. The HP drain was usually negligible, but with this many spells, it was starting to take a toll.
And yet, how could he stop? He'd already started too late. Without a soul, the damage on a human body got more and more intense as time wore on. Healing them constantly only set back the timer, and even then, he wasn't fast enough. He wasn't nearly fast enough.
His tongue tripped on a prayer, and he could only take a sharp breath in before starting again. Again and again and again. All his concentration, all his health, was set on Kris's survival. If not for the prophecy, then for his fruend.
Have they even found it? Has it settled on another vessel? What if it's not enough?
Underneath him, Kris shifted, and he pressed gently on their chest to lower them. Between dedicated prayers, he murmured, "don't move."
They took in a shaky breath. "Is Susie-?"
"She's searching alongside everyone. Please, Kris, stay still. Things will only get worse if you don't rest."
"Why? It's- it's horrible," They responded in a hoarse whisper. "I don't want it back. I want to be me again."
With shaky hands, he cast another silent spell. "I know. I know, I'm sorry, but you have to. You'll die if you don't."
Their hand loosened on their chest, and for a moment Ralsei feared the worst, until he registered the apathy on their face, which was quickly matched by their voice. "So what? My only choices are die or let someone else live my life for me and hurt the people I care about?"
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I don't- I don't know how to fix this. I don't know. I wish I did."
If he never saw the color green again in his life, he'd be relieved. The sparkling magic was burned into his eyes. When he blinked, pink remnants danced along his eyelids.
"Why do you even care so much about it? It- it's made me hurt people… Noelle, Berdly- what if it hurts you, or Susie? What if it makes me hurt you?" Fears that had been undoubtedly eating away at Kris for who knows how long came pouring out. "Why do I have to be stuck with some thing like that?"
"Things have gone so far off how they were supposed to, I- I can't tell you how things will go. But Susie's strong, and she's sweet. I trust that she'll know you don't mean any harm. She can protect herself and Noelle." He pulled them a little closer.
"What about you?" Kris asked.
"What about me?"
"You don't-" Kris sighed, staring him down with an oddly sad look. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're… not very strong, and you keep trying to do that- that thing where you distract the soul and talk to me whenever we're alone. I don't want it to hurt you, but I can't protect you from it."
Oh. They weren't just worried about feeling guilty, were they? They were worried about him. "Kris…" He tried to give them a reassuring smile, but there was something about that idea that shook him. Some selfish part of him that wanted to be loved, just like Tenna. "I'm a Darkner, remember? It doesn't matter if it hurts me."
"It matters to me." They insisted, so much conviction seeped into the words he nearly fell over. Or maybe that was from the exhaustion. "It matters to Susie, too. You're our friend, even if you think you shouldn't be."
Don't cry, Ralsei, he told himself. Just keep healing. "You're my friend, too. That's why I'm trying so hard to keep you alive. The risk is worth it."
Kris opened their mouth to speak again, still pale and clammy. Before they could, the door slammed open, revealing Susie holding the object Ralsei had been wanting so desperately to see.
"I have it! I- I think. I don't know, some weird looking Shadowman gave it to me." She said, coming to a stop beside the two of them and looking out of breath, before passing the glowing object to Ralsei with an uncharactaristic amount of delicacy. "Here, I don't really know how to uh, put it back."
"Kris?" Ralsei looked at the soul, then down at them. Ultimately, it was their choice only they could make. "Are you ready?"
They were silent, staring at Susie with a sad look, similar to the one they'd given him. Their mouth opened, like they wanted to say something, but all that came out was something choked, like a wounded animal. They grit their teeth, looking more frustrated and determined than he'd ever seen them. "I'm s-"
"Hey man, don't- don't worry about it, okay? You can say whatever it is once you're better." Susie interrupted, looking more worried every passing second.
"No, I can't! Not while that… thing is-" Kris words were cut off by them choking on a cough that seemed to double as a sob.
Mere moments later, the soul in Ralsei's hands glowed, slowly hovering into the air, then diving down. The last thing he saw before it dove into their chest was a look of absolute terror. How a soul could possibly go so far that it's own vessel feared it, he didn't know, but it filled him a sort of conviction he was unfamiliar with. The feeling wasn't something placed on him by the prophecy, if anything, it went against the prophecy. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to feel such a way, but rules almost seemed to matter less if it meant they hurt his friends. He healed one more time, and then looked up to face Susie.
Maybe this is what changes fate, he thought. Now shouldn't be the right time. Susie wasn't supposed to know for a lot longer.
And yet, he found himself speaking anyway. About the soul. About the prophecy. About the things he had kept deep down. There were some pieces of information that he still held tight to his chest, but if Susie was to be informed, she should know that he was also keeping those, right? With a throat parched from praying, under too-bright kitchen lights, he spoke.
It was hard to tell what Susie was thinking, and even harder to try and gauge Kris's reaction, but he hoped dearly that neither of them would be too mad.
"So… all that's really gonna happen? And Kris isn't…" she trailed off, seeming lost in thought as she stared at them, her expression unreadable. "Okay, yeah, cool. That's totally cool."
It didn't really sound like she meant it. Kris could obviously tell too, judging by the way their lips quirked in the most slight of smiles. Though, Ralsei couldn't tell if that was just them expressing their acceptance, or if they were actually happy by what Susie said.
He wished he could ask them, but he wasn't sure if the answer would be sincere. So instead, he focused on what he could do. And what he could do was heal, even if the thought of healing again made him want to scream. "Kris, can you stand? Do you need me to heal you again?"
They shook their head, pointing at him and then rustling around in their pocket for a minute before pulling out a slightly squished CD bagel and holding it out to him.
That was a good enough signal that they meant for him to have it. So, he took it and tore it in half, passing one side to Kris. They needed to get their strength back up, after all. Seeing them take a bite was enough reassurance to take his own.
Upon the first bite, he realized exactly how exhausted he was. Between the worry and the constant healing, he'd expended even more energy than he thought he had. And instead of feeling re-energized after eating, he just felt… tired. Better than he had been, but still tired and a little dizzy. Now that Kris was sitting up, he let himself lean carefully against them. Not too much weight, in case they were still fragile, but enough to get a little closer to the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Susie slump against the bar counter, sliding down until she was sitting the floor and looking utterly drained. "Hey Ralsei, will everything like, implode or something if don't immediately close the fountain?"
"It's probably not a good idea, but…" Looking around, he wasn't sure if any of them were in proper shape to fight their way to the fountain. And even if they struggled there, he dreaded the idea of having to walk all the way back to Castle Town by himself. "…I think all of us need a break."
"Great," he watched curiously as Susie stood, taking the few small steps over to them and- he didn't even have time to cry out before the air was forced from his lungs with a pathetic wheeze, Kris not seeming to have fared much better, being crushed beneath her as she all but collapsed onto the both of them. "Then we'll stay right here until I wake up. And if anyone tries getting me up before I'm ready, I'll kick their ass."
Despite Susie's weight, this arrangement was actually pretty nice. Susie and Kris were warm in a way Darkners usually weren't, and, before long, he felt his eyes growing heavy with sleep. Darkners didn't need to sleep, though they could. It was a hobby that Ralsei didn't partake in often, for fear of losing time, but he was starting to see the appeal. It was comfortable. Really, really comfortable.
Maybe things will be better soon. Maybe the future's changed.
But right now? He couldn't bring himself to worry too hard about it. After all, he was with his best friends. Whatever happened, they could face it as one.
Tenna sighed. It had been crisis after crisis today, hadn't it? Organizing a set full of Darkners on a full-out search hadn't been easy. Mike— in all three of his outfits this time— had helped tremendously with keeping everyone in check, but it was still quite difficult to manage everyone. In the end, he had to hear that the soul was returned through Ramb, who had apparently only heard it through the grapevine. By the time he'd verified the claim and called off the search, Kris was long since recovered. And, hopefully, ready to play a little more. If they wanted to this time.
"Alright, folks, sorry for that short interruption, we had some TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. Don't worry, don't worry, they're all resolved now. And let's get back to our three wonderful-"
But when he turned, there was an absence of three awake children. Instead, all of them were cuddled up on the floor, out like a light. And after what a day it had been, he could hardly blame them. As long as Toriel was still asleep, it would do no harm for them to have a little nap, right?
But the floor was certainly no place for three growing teens to sleep, let alone the kitchen floor. With a snap of his fingers and a change of set, they were back in the green room, piled on the couch with hardly a disturbance. He paced to the other couch and grabbed a blanket to drape carefully over them. At the motion, Susie's snoring was momentarily replaced with a sleepy grumble, and Kris's hand moved to push her snout away with their own mumble. Through it all, Ralsei remained contentedly asleep in the middle of both of it.
His motherboard melted. It reminded him of seeing Kris, Dess, Noelle, and Asriel all passed out on the couch after a Christmas movie marathon, a tangle of limbs and soft snores. Only, this time, his Kris was more grown up, and among friends that had stopped the world to help them.
Tenna silently saved a small video to rerun to himself. It was the sort of sweet moment that he wanted to keep close, instead of sharing to the world. He dimmed the green room lights, tiptoeing so his footsteps wouldn't disturb the three's peace. The knight could wait a little longer, for all he cared.