Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Kris breathed in frantically. They wasted no time in throwing the blanket back over the cage.

Susie turned toward Kris. Her eyes squinted. She seemed partly intrigued but mostly confused.

“...uh, I still don't understand, Kris,” she exclaimed. 

Kris blinked hard. They began to sweat slightly.

She tried grabbing the blanket once more.

Kris blocked her.

Susie stepped back, confused.

“Uh, dude… wait,” Susie began as her eyes began to widen, “...is that thing your… your SOUL…?”

Kris nudged the cage. They started to sweat more. This… wasn't supposed to happen…!

Kris pointed to the actual location of the game console from earlier in an attempt to change the subject. Susie shook her head quickly.

Kris looked away with a slight frown. They rubbed the sweat from their brow.

The dust in the air seemed to halt as silence echoed about the room.

“...Kris?” Susie asked in a tone Kris had never heard from her before.

Kris opened their mouth, but no sound came out.

“Dude—”

Suddenly, the cage began to shake. They both flinched.

The SOUL's confines flipped over, and the door swung open. Seems the SOUL got bored of being ignored.

A red, heart-shaped object began to slowly make its way out of the cage.

“KRIS!! GET BEHIND ME, I'LL—”

The soul inched towards the two. 

A red glow filled the room. Susie could hear her own heart beating in her ears. 

Susie began to shake a little.

Kris grabbed the pencil Noelle let them borrow from their pocket and walked up to the SOUL.

“KRIS, WH- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Kris rose the pencil and brought it down upon the SOUL, sending it flying into the wall. 

Kris raised their finger and rotated it left to right as if in disappointment. The SOUL went in circles up and down.

Susie was speechless.

“Kris…? Uh, is this like… some sorta messed pet? Wouldn't that be like… animal abuse or something?”

Kris let out a nervous laugh. 

“A darkner? Wait, nah. This is the Light World...”

Susie looked down.

“Uhh… I dunno why, but I guess you didn't really want me to see this thing… uh, so, be honest here with me, Kris. This thing… is it, uh, like, your SOUL or something? I dunno…?”

Kris paused. Hesitantly, they nodded slowly. 

“But you… had it, like, out of your body. Aren't you supposed to keep that in? HOW are you even alive, dude???”

Kris shrugged nonchalantly.

“And, uh… HOW exactly is it moving and stuff without you? It has like… a mind of its own or something??"

Kris ruffled their hair as if they didn't understand themselves. Kris knew the answer, however.

Kris grabbed the soul and held it out to Susie.

“D-Dude! Get that thing AWAY from me. I mean, I just don't want it to like… rub off your weirdness on me or something…”

Kris laughed quietly. A real laugh. They hadn't done that in a while.

Suddenly, it flew out of Kris's hand and stopped right in front of Susie's face.