Chapter Text
They didn’t know.
They swore to themselves, they didn’t know.
How could they have known? It- They… never tried to tell them. Then they were there, walking aimlessly into the darkness that slowly creeped in around them after they had used their last moments here to close the fountain.
Except…
”…Kris? Are you okay…?” Whispered a soft voice, so close but so far away at the same time.
They weren’t moving at all.
”…Did you want to… talk about it?” The comforting voice continued, followed by a warm hand on their shoulder.
They were frozen in place. Unable to react to anything. But they weren’t filled with fear, like they had been before, they were filled with… sorrow.
For them…?
”…”
They said nothing as they slowly regained their senses. They were surrounded by their friends Susie, Noelle, Berdly and Ralsei, his hand on their shoulder providing the comfort they desired.
”…no,” Kris said, barely above a whisper. The gentle squeeze on their shoulder tightened.
”Are you sure?” Berdly asked.
“It’s okay if you’re not well.” Noelle added as she stepped closer, holding her hands close to her chest.
”…I” Kris mumbled, unable to form their words.
“Everything will be fine, don’t you worry…” Ralsei cooed, as he cupped Kris’s hand in his own, “I’m… we’re here.”
Kris looked up at his partner and back down at their hands and squeezed gently.
”I-I…” they stuttered as they fought back the tears building within their eyes, “I do. I want to… talk.”
“E-everything I thought I knew about it…” Kris choked a little as they struggled to fight back tears, “…About them, I… I was wrong.”
They paused for a moment, their breaths were shaky.
”T-They didn’t enjoy what they were doing to me.”
It went quiet for a moment, the sound of Kris’s panicked breathing filling the room.
”…Is that a bad thing?” Noelle asked in a whisper.
“It w-would’ve been so much easier… so much simpler if they were everything I thought they were,” Kris said, pausing to control their breathing, “This entity who wanted to take my freedom away. Just to see what would happen, for their own twisted idea of fun.”
Ralsei squeezed their hand gently, his warmth spread throughout their body like nothing else could.
”I can see… I can understand how that could make things… difficult,” Ralsei cooed, his words gentle and tone understanding.
“I-it’s just I-I hated it, and this entire damn time…” Kris swallowed hard, “they only wanted nothing but the best for me, they wanted me to be… happy,” Kris said, staring blankly into the void in front of them.
”They even… they… oh, angel…” They muttered.
Unable to hold them back any longer, Kris exploded into a mess of tears.
”Oh, Kris!” Ralsei squealed, practically throwing himself around them, nuzzling their cheek as their tears soaked into his fur.
”I, uh- screw it,” Susie said, a rare look of concern plastered on her face as she joined the embrace, soon followed by Noelle, then Berdly.
That moment passed slowly, but as Kris’s tears slowed, they dispersed one-by-one until it was just Kris and Ralsei locked into a warm embrace.
”Why am I like this…?” Kris asked, face stuffed deeply into Ralsei’s chest as they sobbed lightly.
”Like what?” Ralsei whispered as he gently stroked Kris’s hair.
”Why do I always just assume the worst in everyone?” Kris said in a whisper.
”First it was you… I assumed you were helping them control me. I never hated you but, I should’ve been better,” They said, looking up into the goat prince’s pink eyes.
”Then it was Noelle, we just… drifted. She never did anything to me, I was always hurting her. Yet, still, I pushed her away and she couldn’t hurt a fly,” they continued.
”And Berdly…” Kris said, before they paused for a moment.
”Then it was them…”
”The only person I trusted was Susie, if it wasn’t for her… we wouldn’t be here,” Kris said, tightening their embrace around Ralsei.
“Why do I push everyone that cares about me away?”
“Kris, if that really were true-“ Ralsei began but was cut off.
”Dude, how dumb are you?” Susie asked in a firm tone.
”Susie! I don’t think-“ Ralsei tried to intervene, to no avail.
“If you really think that you pushed anyone away, why would they still be here? And don’t believe for a second that I did anything, it was all you,” Susie finished.
”I never thought you hated me, Kris. Nor did you ever do anything that hurt me. I just thought you needed some space, Y’know? We regrew our bond because you came around and checked on me and dad. It meant a lot.” Noelle added, smiling at Kris.
“I understand how you could have disliked me, I was a jerk,” Berdly said, “But I’m glad you changed your mind.”
“And Kris… the reason that I like you is that…” Ralsei pulled away from their embrace, placing his hand in Kris’s shoulders, staring into their ruby red eyes.
“…you’re you.”
”And if being you means you’re slow to trust, that’s just more to like,” he said gently, “I actually think it makes you quite patient.”
”Oh?” Kris mumbled.
“Despite everything, you still gave us a chance. Look at us now. And I’m sure wherever they are… they’re happy you’re happy.”
Slowly, a smile formed on Kris’s face and everything seemed right, except for one thing.
chu~
Kris leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on Ralsei’s lips, leaving the goat boy frozen, blushing and sinking into a scarf cocoon as they pulled him back into a tight embrace.
”Thank you… all of you. That helped more than you think.”
”Obviously!” Noelle teased.
”The fountain should finish closing any second now,” Kris said, gaze fixated on Ralsei, “We’ll all head over to Castle Town as soon as we can.”
”Umm… of course, Kris…!” Ralsei squeaked, quickly darting out of his scarf cocoon to place a kiss of his own on Kris’s lips, smiling wide.
Soon after, the fountain closes and they all convene at Castle Town, happy and free.
Free to make their own decisions and build their own relationships.