Chapter Text
Susie felt rain soak through the old jacket she'd picked up from one of the lost and founds at her old schools.
She sighed as she started to process the events that took place earlier that day. They took down a freaking Titan for starters , revived the dead , hell she'd even stepped foot inside a church and not been kicked out for once.
And the there was Noelle's house.....
Susie replayed the memory in her head , Noelle's nervous demeanor , the empty room upstairs and her mom's hateful expression.
God , was Noelle afraid of her? Is that why she just wanted to talk Kris ? Were they......talking about her? It wouldn't be a first , for someone to think that Susie was nothing but trouble.
Hell most of the kids in her class thought so. Susie hated it , she hated them for hating her but somehow , somehow they were right.
She broke everything she touched , pianos , rules , chalk , hell she even broke people. The darkworld came back to the centre of her mind.
All those troops Lancer sent , all the enemies she had faced in the Cyber World and all Tennas employees. Susie had struck each one down with her axe. She even beat up an old man.
And the result ; a near empty town ran by one of the kindest souls Susie knew. Kris and Ralsei were some of the few people that still had hope in her , that still believed in her.
All that hope just to go to waste on some unlikable screw up that thrashed her way through life. She was always going to be destined for failure , it had already been written in concrete , or well stained glass.
It was all to much to face , Susie couldn't even do one school project let alone have to fate of the world on her shoulders.
Susie couldn't help but aim a kick at the nearest trashcan in frustration. It clattered to the floor , she took a deep breath in.
"Susie ? Is that you?" A small voice asked.
Susie turned around to see Noelle stood there in a white coat , holding a purple umbrella.
"Huh Noelle , what are you doing here?" Susie asked.
"Oh I just.....needed to clear my mind ," Noelle answered , covering her left hand.
Susie had never been good at reading people but Noelle's unusual lack of emotions told Susie that something was up with the usually jolly girl.
"Do you uh....want to talk about it ?" Susie asked , trying to remember how to comfort people.
"Hmm okay as long as your okay with it," Noelle answered nervously.
"Oh yeah sure , do you want to find somewhere to sit for this?" Susie asked
"Sure , how about by the lake ?" Noelle replied.
"Yeah of course ," Susie said.
The two began walking and Susie offered to hold the umbrella for Noelle , who began to explain the 'dream' she had in the libary.
When they reached the metal tables outside Flower King , Noelle added "That wasn't the scary part though, when me and Kris truced , something was off. They didn't act like or sound like themselves."
"What do you mean by that ?" Susie asked.
"Well I dont know if its just me but they've been acting off lately and they haven't really sounded like themselves if that makes sense ," Noelle explained.
"Hmm to be honest their usually pretty quiet and well we've only really been friends for a few days now so I don't have much to go by ," Susie explained.
" Yeah I get that ," Noelle said ," But you know how they always mumble and sound a little robotic ?"
Susie thought back to when she hung out with them at the diner , "Yeah ."
"Well this weird voice was commanding and it kept telling me to freeze people since it'd make me stronger ."
"Stronger ?" Susie asked.
"Oh right , have you ever played Dragon Blazers ?" Noelle said , going off track.
"Only the second one ," Susie replied.
"Have you seen the evil route ?" Noelle asked.
"Yeah I didn't know you could be nice as a kid so I just....." Susie said.
A link formed in Susie's head , Kris had always commanded her and Ralsei to fight despite Ralsie's whole hero morals and honestly, she could see where Noelle's comparison had come from.
But , Kris didn't kill. They weren't a killer , everytime they struck an enemy down, Susie always assumed it was like a warning shot but this seemed very very different.
Noelle continued, "I don't really remember most of it but I do know that Kris gave me a ring and took my watch." Noelle paused for a minute as she attempted to recall something.
"Then ," Noelle continued ," We ran into Berdly, I assumed he was just another foe and Kris told me to use this weird spell. When the snow cleared , Berdly was......"
"I didn't mean to....." She began. She cut herself off as tears began to fall.
"Hey , it isn't your fault ," Susie began.
She moved to the opposite end of the table to sit beside Noelle.
Susie tried to remember how to comfort people and Ralsie seemed to be the first to reach her. 'What would Ralsei do?' Susie thought.
He'd probably conjure up a tea party or something and seeing as that was just pure magic , Susie thought of the other thing Ralsei would do.
"Do you uh want a hug ?" Susie asked awkwardly.
Noelle seemed suprised at this but weakly replied with a yes.
Susie held her arms out and wrapped them around Noelle , almost shielding her from the outside world. Susie felt Noelle bury her face in Susie's shoulder and time felt like it'd froze , in that moment it felt as though nothing else mattered but it was only for a few moments.
She held Noelle a little tighter and to be honest without truly realising it , Susie needed this hug as well after everything today.
After another few moments passed , Noelle broke away , wiping her tears on the sleeve of her coat.
"I'm sorry ," Noelle mumbled.
"Hey , don't be sorry for having feelings okay ," Susie said.
"This time last night , Kris came up to me and said that everything wasnt real and that it was just a prank but if it wasn't real then , why would they still have my watch?" Noelle said rhetorically.
Susie's mind froze as she considered her next sentence. Her two options were
basically lie and keep Noelle from hurting or tell her that darkworlds had an impact on reality and that everything happened.
Susie decided that if she wasn't mentally ready to face all this , then it'd be better for to just lie right ?,
"I think Kris might of took it while you were alseep ." Susie lied.
"Yeah your probably right ," Noelle said,
"But it is kinds weird that they'd go to all this effort no?"
Susie wasn't sure what to say here but then she noticed something, One of Noelle's fingers looked sorta red , like it'd sufferd a few papercuts or something.
"Hey Noelle , can I look at you hand ?" Susie asked.
It took a few moments before Noelle replied, "Hmm , okay ,"
She shakily held her hand out.
"What happened to it ?" Susie asked , observing the bloodstained cuts that cirlcled around her finger , like a twisted carousel. The more Susie looked , the , more she noticed as she now noticed a couple of small green thorns stuck in Noelles hand.
Susie jumped back slightly at this ,
Noelle began to explain ,"In the dream , Kris gave me a Thorn Ring and....."
Susie was too horrified to speak.
"Does it hurt" Susie finally asked.
"A...A little , but don't worry its not bleeding anymore and the thorns'll fall out ," Her voice was shakey.
"Are you sure ?" Susie asked , a sense of concern rising within her.
"Yeah it's..... fine," Noelle said.
Susie still want convinced.
"Here , I can try pull them out if you want ," Susie offered.
"Okay , just tell me when its over ," Noelle said , looking away.
"Okay , three , two , one !" Susie pulled one of the thorns , Noelle flinched slightly chosing to try and focus on the rainfal around her.
Susie then repeated the process for the second thorn , managing to remove it almost seamlessly.
"There , all done ," Susie said,.
"Thanks , Susie ," Noelle said.
"No problem , how are you feeling now ?" Susie asked.
"Better , I mean the pains mostly stopped but still , I want to ask you something ," Noelle answered.
"Yeah sure what is it ?" Susie replied curiously.
Noelle took a deep breathe.
"You were there too in the dream and you were comforting me , kinda like you are now but I just want to know...."Noelle paused briefly ,"Was it real ?"