Work Text:
Despite Susie's cries, Kris continued onward to the railway car, stiffly and steadfastly, as an announcement came over a loudspeaker stating it would soon leave the station.
"Kris! Kris, get the hell back here, what're you doing?!" she called out as she chased him up the stairs toward the platform. Lucky for her, the doors had yet to open, and she had an opportunity to grill him about what exactly was going through that beautiful head of his.
The two of them stood there, black abyss covering everything but the station, train and it's tracks, as tended to be the case with the structures in this very surreal dark world. Kris didn't turn around as she started laying into him.
"Finally, the hell do you think you're doing dude?! What the fuck was all that about?! Why'd you leave everyone behind!?" Susie snarled, baring her teeth.
Still, he didn't turn around "Shoulda stayed with them, Susie."
"Tch. They can handle it, I gotta figure out what's going on with YOU! Now TELL ME!"
Susie could see Kris' hang his head a little as he said "Meant you should stay out of this."
Susie's eyes went wide before they narrowed back down and her expression shifted into a scowl "What? Why the hell should I, freak!?"
She grabbed one of his shoulders and turned him around, then grabbed him by his scarf and pushed him against the train cars. He didn't react.
She sighed and lightly shook her head. Then her expression started to soften up again, showing her concern.
"Just tell me what's goin' on, what's all this about? And is it... is it really true that you made the dark fountain that was in your house?" she asked, look of serious worry on her face.
Kris flinched a little, seeing her do that, hearing her words. She started to wonder if that's why he'd been facing the other way.
Not looking up at her and still hiding his eyes behind his hair, he said "Wouldn't believe me if I told you."
She smirked the way she often did, and told him "C'mon, try me! I've seen all sorts of crazy shit, especially in this one."
The train car doors opened. Kris backed up slightly and stepped over the threshold.
"It's true. I did."
Susie's eyes went wide again "Wh-what? S-seriously? No way, why!?"
"It's complicated."
She started to get angry again "Then explain it! Get the hell off of that train and tell me!"
He waited a few moments, and so did she. Instead of listening to her demand, he sighed and told her:
"Would you laugh, if I told you I was from the future?"
Susie blinked 3 times "Huh?"
"This has all happened before. Everything. We fell into the dark world, we became friends, we sealed the fountains. All of it."
Something inside her began to stir, she just couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
"You're... not pranking me, or something... are you?" She said with a weak smile.
Kris shook his head.
Susie's grip had loosened so he gently removed her hand from his scarf, and placed his own on her shoulder.
"We all knew each other, once before. Didn't go well; we all failed, we all died. The Roaring happened and the Knight and the Titans defeated us. I died, but instead of passing on, I awoke. Back in my room, before any of it."
Susie's hair fell to cover her eyes. She said nothing.
"At first, I didn't remember. It felt like a terrible dream. A few weeks later, it started again. I got a flash, when you pushed me against that locker... and then, when you attacked King, I remembered almost all of it."
Kris' hair moved a bit as he lifted his head to look at her, and one red eye became visible "I remembered when you said 'Get away from my friend.'"
Susie's breathing hitched slightly, her breath caught in her throat.
"That's not all. I remembered what I was told, about something brought here to turn the tides, to keep an eye on it and what to do to keep it in it's place, and what I had to do to make sure things happened the way they needed to this time... the tools had been provided for me... the path forward too."
"So..." she said, being the one to not lift her head this time "... you made that fountain as part of some plan? Because you remembered everything?"
Kris nodded "But YOU didn't."
Now Susie did lift her face, her eyes could be seen again, she looked a bit shaken. But, she kept quiet.
"You didn't remember anything. There was a lot more I remembered, than just that. I remembered how close we were, how much we all cared about each other, how close... you and I were."
Kris looked like he was fighting back tears.
"We..." he choked a bit "We made a promise."
Something stirred again inside her, something deep in her heart. In the smallest voice she'd ever spoke in, she asked "We did?"
Another nod "We promised to always be together. That we'd make it through this, that we'd take on whatever came our way, that we'd be friends... and more."
Her hair fell to hide her eyes again. She really couldn't take this.
"'Don't forget' we said... but you forgot."
Susie choked out "I'm sorry!"
Kris' eye went wide shook his head again "Not your fault. Wasn't necessary for you to remember."
He looked to the side "I'M sorry for saying anything..."
Susie gulped, and then, steeling herself, grit her teeth and said "But, you still haven't told me why you left everyone there! Why are you tryin' to go off on your own!?"
Kris smiled, that cute smile she loved to see but rarely got to. It was unfortunate she couldn't enjoy it this time.
"This is something I have to do on my own. I remember what happened last time, see? Everyone's too important... especially you." his tears broke free.
"K-kris?"
Kris blinked away his tears "From here on, to protect you..." and his expression turned cold, and neutral.
"... this is goodbye."
As the chime signaling the imminent departure of the train sounded, Kris... pushed Susie away.
In her shocked state, she was much easier to push. and she fell back onto her ass as the train car doors closed. As she watched this sight all she could do was yell out "Wait!"
She shook herself and quickly got to her feet as the train car started to pull away.
She chased after it, banging on the door as she did, yelling out Kris' name. He simply turned and walked away, further into the car.
"Kris, no! Come back! Get off that fucking train right now! KRIS!!!" she growled.
Eventually, the car left the station and rode off into the abyss, leaving the poor dragon girl behind.
She stood at the end of the platform for a few moments, arm outstretched as if trying to grab hold of her friend, before she retracted it and, eventually just let her hand fall to her side.
She started laughing and grabbing her head with her other hand, and said "Wh-what the hell? A-are you just gonna abandon me, asshole?"
Slowly, she fell down onto the ground and on her hands and knees. Tears began to fall and stain the cold concrete beneath her.
Three times she punched the ground with her fist, so hard she could have broken her hand.
"You FUCKING ASSHOLE!" she screamed.
She had passed the point of crying, and was now fully sobbing, as she hung her head.
A scream, a cry, excruciatingly guttural, forced its way out of her throat, eventually becoming a loud bellow and then a roar. She roared so long and so hard she almost destroyed her voice. Her eyes were shut so tight the could have become stuck that way. When she finally couldn't roar anymore, she went completely silent.
And she sat there, in silence, for quite some time.
Ever since he told her she forgot, the pieces were starting to reform in her mind. Countless thoughts and feelings rushed through her head as they all fell into place. As they finished, she started to become angry.
Because there was a light inside her soul that was still shining in the cold.
She looked up and in the direction the train car had gone and started chuckling as she said "Kris... you god damn idiot." with a weak grin and melancholy expression in her eyes.
She started to get up with a stomp of one of her legs "I didn't forget!" and then put one hand on her knee as she slowly lifted herself back up "It just... slipped my mind."
She sniffled and wiped away her tears.
Then yelled out "You think I'm gonna let you leave me behind? Fat chance!"
With a growl, and a fierce determination on her face, she jumped off the platform and onto the railway tracks.
She looked onward down them, and closed her eyes as if in deep contemplation.
"I do remember... the truth... the promise in our hearts."
She grit her teeth again, so hard she could break them, and balled her fists, enough that her claws started to tear into her hands "Whatever it is you're doing, I'm NOT letting you do it alone! That's what we promised, jackass!" and started running.
Finally, as she ran off to go find that stupid human boy, who just she remembered was more important to her than anything, she yelled louder than the roar she had just got done letting out in the hopes he might hear it:
"YOU HEAR ME, DREEMURR!? YOU AIN'T DOIN' IT ALONE! DON'T FORGET!!"
She grinned as wide as she could.
"I'M WITH YOU IN THE DARK!!!"