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Kris gripped their sword tighter in their hand as they looked at their fallen friends. Susie and Ralsei lay bloody and beaten on the snowy ground, just barely breathing. Kris gritted their teeth and took a deep breath, ready to strike another blow on the knight that had hurt their friends.
Screw this knight. Susie and Ralsei mattered more to Kris than any "promise" they ever made.
Kris swung their blade at the knight at full force, dealing an insignificant amount of damage. It left a tiny scratch on the knight's shadowy form. They smiled and laughed at Kris's fruitless efforts.
The knight raised their arms and summoned large bullets and knives towards Kris. They dodged with every bit of energy they had left in them.
After a harrowing attack from the knight, Kris felt their hand burning with indescribable pain. They looked down and saw a knife piercing through their hand. Their blood coated the knife and dripped down their arm. They gripped their wrist and screamed in agony.
The knight let out a hearty laugh. Kris whipped their head towards them with fire in their soul. They ripped the knife out of their hand and charged at the knight, aiming it directly at their head. Before Kris could hit them, they shrunk their body into a white ball and flew away in the opposite direction.
Kris stood motionless. They dropped the knife next to their feet. Dark blood spilled from their hand onto the snow.
"Kris?" Susie lifted her head from the ground and looked at Kris.
Kris turned towards her and sighed. "I couldn't do it," they said.
"That's okay," Susie said while hoisting herself up. "We’ll get 'em next time! I know it!"
Kris bowed their head and closed their eyes. "Yeah."
"Kris! Susie!" Ralsei scrambled to stand up. "You're okay!"
"Of course we're okay!" Susie grinned. "Nothing can stop us!"
"Oh god, Kris! Your hand!" Ralsei cried.
Kris lifted their bloody hand to get a better look at it. The knife formed a hole in the middle of their hand. If there hadn't been so much blood, Kris could look through the hole. Their index finger was missing, and they struggled to move their other fingers.
"Holy shit, dude!" Susie ran towards Kris and cradled their injured hand in hers. Kris's breathing became jagged and their body trembled.
"Ralsei!" Susie turned towards him. "Can you heal them?"
Ralsei walked over and inspected their hand. After a few seconds, he put it down and sighed.
"I can't," Ralsei said. "Their hand is far worse than anything I can repair. The best I can do is temporarily relieve the pain."
"What?" Susie shouted. "Why can't you heal it?"
"I can't heal what isn't there. Bits of their flesh and bone are gone, and their finger was chopped off. I need all parts of their hand before I can heal it."
"Well let's look around!" Susie walked back towards the battlefield. "It's gotta be around here somewhere."
"It's not," Kris said with a weak voice. "I think it's gone."
Susie and Ralsei looked over at Kris. Their vision blurred and they began to sway.
"Kris?" Ralsei grabbed their shoulders to steady their body.
Before they could respond, their vision spun and faded to black. The last thing they heard was Susie shouting their name before they dropped to the ground.
The memory replayed in Kris's mind as they lay motionless on their bedroom floor. They tried to move their body, but to no avail. They simply didn’t have the energy anymore.
As they stared at their ceiling, the popcorn pattern swirled in their vision and pulled them into another memory.
"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything we can do."
Kris shivered in their seat while the doctor spoke to Toriel. She had her hand over her mouth and gasped.
"Their hand is unsalvageable."
"Can I play piano again?" Kris whispered.
The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid not, Kris. At least not with your left hand."
Kris's ears filled with a ringing sound that blocked out the rest of the conversation. They drew shallow breaths as they processed the weight of the doctor's words.
"There isn't anything we can do."
"There isn't anything we can do."
"There isn't anything we can do."
Kris found themselves speaking the words out loud as their mind returned to the present moment. They lifted their injured hand above their head. It was completely covered in white bandages. It was a miracle they didn't have to cut it off.
Still, this injury left them in a state beyond repair. Because of this, they could never play piano again. It may seem inconsequential to the average person, but to them, it was devastating. Their main form of self expression was ripped away from them the second the knight's blade pierced their hand.
Kris sighed when they thought of the knight. Shouldn't they be celebrating? They had all defeated them last week! Everyone else was elated, but Kris remained in a constant state of depression and exhaustion ever since then. All they could focus on were the events that took place the day before. The day they injured their hand.
A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts.
"Kris?" Toriel called out from outside their bedroom. "Are you awake?"
Kris didn't answer. They rested their bandaged hand on their stomach and continued staring at the ceiling.
"It's time for school," Toriel said while opening their door. She visibly deflated when she looked at Kris. "Were you sleeping on the floor again last night?" she asked.
Kris grunted in response.
"Oh dear... w-well, Susie is here. She said you two agreed to walk to school together."
Kris silently gave Toriel a thumbs up with their good hand.
"She is waiting downstairs. Don't take too long, please!"
Toriel left the room and shut their door. Kris closed their eyes and took a deep breath, mustering up as much energy as they could to stand up. They slowly peeled their body off the floor, grabbed onto the bed, and hoisted themselves up. They walked downstairs and saw Susie standing by the door. She smiled when they approached her.
"Yo, Kris! Took you long enough!"
Kris mustered a tiny smile at her comment, but gave no response. Susie's face fell at their underwhelming reaction.
"Whatever dude, don't sweat it. Let's get out of here."
Susie and Kris left the house and headed down the street. They walked a considerable distance while Susie talked the entire time. Kris nodded silently at her words. They were grateful that she didn't pressure them to speak. That is, until she turned to look at them and interrupted her own train of thought.
"Uh, Kris?” she said. “You forgot your backpack."
Kris gazed down at their shoulders. Yep, they left it in their bedroom. Again.
"You wanna go get it?" Susie asked.
Kris paused and seriously considered their options. Did they really have the energy to trek all the way back home, just to get a silly backpack?
Kris shook their head and kept walking. Susie shrugged and followed next to them.
Kris and Susie could see the school just around the corner. As they turned, Susie's foot caught on a rock and her body lurched forward.
"Oh shi-"
Kris caught her just in time before she could hit her head. The sudden motion caused her backpack to fly off and fall to the ground. Her books and papers lay scattered across the street.
"Crap, I forgot to close my bag again!" she shouted.
Kris kneeled down and helped Susie to gather her belongings. They paused when their eyes fell upon one of her books.
"Susie, what is this?" Kris asked, holding the book in their hand.
"Huh?"
"Piano Adventures? Faber?" They looked up from the book at Susie. "Why do you have this?"
"Uh..." Susie avoided eye contact and scratched her head. "I'm, um, learning piano?"
"Are you serious?" Kris whispered. They stared at the book with furrowed brows. Their chest felt hollow and their body trembled.
"I..." Susie hesitated when she saw Kris's betrayed expression.
"Why?"
Susie sighed. "Okay fine! I'll explain everything, I promise."
Kris examined the book's cover. The illustration was of a piano with wings. Their chest burned. It was almost mocking them.
You will never feel freedom again.
"Come with me," Susie held out her hand in front of Kris.
"Where are we going?"
"Well... we are skipping school today!" Susie said. "But you have to trust me, okay?"
"Okay." Kris grabbed Susie's hand and stood up next to her.
"Let's go!" She dragged Kris away from the school and turned the corner. They ran until they stood in front of the church. Susie knocked at the door.
"What the hell are we doing here?" Kris asked.
"I said just trust me, okay?" Susie unintentionally raised her voice.
Kris nodded and looked ahead. The door opened, and Father Alvin stood at the entrance.
"Ah, Kris! Susie!"
"Hey Alvin!" Susie smiled.
"Shouldn't you two be in school?" He squinted his eyes at the children.
"I... uh..." Susie looked at Kris for help.
"We wanted to... pray?" Kris muttered.
Father Alvin laughed. "You don't have to lie to me. Come inside!"
He held the door open for Kris and Susie. They cautiously walked inside the building.
"So what is it you actually want?" Father Alvin asked. "More fruit juice?"
"Nah! Can we go in there?" Susie pointed towards the door on the left side of the wall.
"Ah, you would like to use the piano again!"
Susie nodded sheepishly.
Kris looked at her and tilted their head in confusion. "'Again'?" they whispered at Susie, soft enough that only she could hear.
Before she could respond, Father Alvin unlocked the door and held it open for them.
"Let me know if you need anything!" he called out before closing the door.
Kris and Susie stood in front of the piano. Kris froze at the sight of it. Their hands trembled and their breathing became loud and shaky.
"Hey, it's okay," Susie said while placing a hand on Kris's shoulder. "Lemme show you something!"
Susie retrieved the piano book from her bag and pulled out a white paper that stuck out from the inside of the book.
"What's that?" Kris asked.
"Noelle told me you used to play this song a lot." Susie flipped the paper over and handed it to Kris.
"Oh my god..." Kris whispered. They inspected the paper, which contained sheet music for their favorite song, Don't Forget. Susie had written in the notes for the left hand part, but left the right hand part blank.
"So... this is why I was trying to learn piano," Susie said. "I saw how upset you were that you couldn't play anymore, so I thought you and I could play together! You would play with your right hand, and I'd learn the left hand part and play it with you."
"Susie..."
"I-I mean, only if you want to!" she stammered. "No pressure or anything!"
"I'd love to play with you," Kris said.
"Hell yeah!" Susie took the sheet music from Kris and looked down at it. "I'm still new at this, though. I might need your help. Can I show you my part first?"
Kris chuckled lightly. "Sure!"
Susie sat on the piano bench and placed her left hand on the keys.
"Watch THIS!" Susie turned towards the piano and took a deep breath. She plunked out the notes on the page, slamming each one at full force. She played slowly and carefully, making sure she got everything right. Kris could hear her counting to four under her breath the entire time.
When she finished, she looked over at Kris. "So, what did you think?"
"It was amazing," Kris whispered. They smiled wider than they had all week.
"I know, right?" Susie smiled back.
Kris leaned over next to Susie and examined the page. "You got all the notes and rhythms right!"
"Aw hell yeah!" Susie pumped her fist into the air.
"You did a really great job, Susie."
"So, um..." Susie's eyes darted around the room. "Do you have any suggestions for me?"
Kris hesitated. "W-Well… I think you could relax your body a bit more."
"How do I do that?" Susie asked.
Kris inched closer to Susie and hovered their good hand underneath her arm. "May I?" they asked.
Susie nodded.
Kris gently gripped Susie's arm. "You're tensing up your forearm a lot. And your wrist is kinda low." Kris placed their hand under her wrist and lifted it up. "It should be more straight, like that."
"Like this?" Susie adjusted her arm to reflect Kris's changes.
Kris nodded. “But you also shouldn't keep your elbow so close to your side." Kris lifted Susie's arm away from her body until it remained at a comfortable distance. "A lot of the support comes from your upper arms." They grazed their fingers against Susie's bicep and gave it a light squeeze. A big blush formed across her face.
"Also, your shoulders are kinda tense." Kris added. They rested both of their hands on her shoulders and gently pressed them down. "You should keep them lower and relaxed, like this."
Kris's gentle touch, their calming voice, and their explicit instructions to relax her body helped Susie feel more at ease.
"So, how's this?" Susie asked while maintaining the same position.
"I forgot one last thing," Kris said. "You shouldn’t slouch over like that." They placed their hand against her lower back and pushed lightly, allowing her to straighten up. Susie’s breath caught in her throat.
Kris stepped back and examined Susie’s position.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"You look perfect," Kris said with a smile. "Try playing the song again."
Susie played the notes on the page one more time. Her sound changed drastically. She played with less force, and she had an easier time controlling her volume. She also looked much more comfortable as she played. Her mind relaxed with her body, which allowed her to play some of the notes more accurately.
When she finished the song, she looked over at Kris. "Hey, that wasn't half bad!" she said.
"You did great, Susie!"
"Heh, you're smiling," Susie said. "Haven't seen that in a while."
Kris blushed at Susie's words. "Yeah, I guess so."
"So… are you ready to play with me?" she asked.
Kris nodded. Susie scooted towards the left side of the bench, allowing Kris to sit next to her. She lifted her fingers to the keys, straightened her back, adjusted the position of her elbow, and lowered her shoulders. Kris felt a burst of pride as she followed their instructions.
"Okay..." Susie squinted at the music for a moment. "I'll count to three, and then you'll start playing on four."
Kris nodded. Susie counted off, and Kris began to play. Susie joined Kris in the next measure. Even though she was playing the accompaniment, she played significantly louder than Kris. Still, Kris's heart stirred with an indescribable excitement they hadn't felt in a long time. Each note they played came from the depths of their soul. Their own soul.
As Susie was concentrating on playing the notes, she noticed Kris swaying their body to the music. After playing the last chord together, Kris closed their eyes and breathed deeply. Susie gazed at them and remained silent.
"Thank you, Susie," Kris whispered. "That was... really nice."
"I'm glad you had a good time!" Susie beamed.
Kris stood up from the piano bench and sat on the floor. They leaned their back against the wall and closed their eyes.
"You okay?" Susie asked.
Kris nodded and gave her a thumbs up with their good hand. "Just tired," they said.
"Yeah, I'll bet!" Susie sat on the floor next to them. "You probably haven't had a workout like that in ages!"
"Workout?" they asked.
"Well... yeah." Susie scratched her head. "You've been kinda... inactive lately. So walking around like that, talking as much as you did, and concentrating on playing a whole ass song must have been exhausting!"
“I guess you’re right,” Kris said while trying to hide their blush.
"Actually, that's sort of the whole reason I started learning piano," she continued. "I saw how upset you were about not being able to play, so I bought this random beginner piano book and followed the instructions. I wanted to learn enough piano so that I could play the left hand part of your favorite song. Then we could play together, like we just did right now! I thought it could make you feel a little better."
Kris whipped their head towards Susie with their mouth agape.
"It was pretty hard at first!" she chuckled. "You know, because the last time I played piano wasn't... the best. Every time I played, I wanted to quit. I thought I'd never be good enough to learn something so difficult."
"But you did," Kris said.
"Yeah!" Susie grinned. "You just... looked so sad all the time. Whenever I felt like giving up, I'd see those bags under your eyes and your slumped shoulders, and then I remembered why I was doing this. I knew I had to just get over myself. For you."
Kris felt their eyes fill with tears and blinked rapidly.
"You don't deserve to feel so sad all the time, you know?"
"Susie, how..." Kris's voice wavered. "How can you be so kind?"
"I want you to be okay," she shrugged.
Kris squeezed their eyes shut and let the tears fall. Susie looked over at them when they sniffled.
"Hey," she cradled their face in her hands and wiped their tears with her thumbs. "I'm proud of you, okay?"
More tears dripped from Kris's eyes. They leaned towards Susie and rested their head against her shoulder. She gently wrapped her arms around their body and rubbed their back in soothing motions. They melted against her touch.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," Kris said with a shaky voice. "I'm just... really tired."
"I know," Susie whispered. "You can rest if you need to."
Kris nodded and closed their eyes. They sat together in silence, simply taking in each other's presence. Susie's soft strokes against their back slowly lulled them to sleep. She chuckled when she heard quiet snores coming from their mouth.
Susie looked down at her arms and hands. She could still feel Kris's gentle touch on her skin. Her heart raced in her chest the more her mind fixated on their impromptu piano lesson.
She grazed her fingers against the bandages on Kris's hand. She knew how much Kris enjoyed playing the piano. She still remembers the day they sobbed in her arms and soaked her shirt with their tears while telling her the news. Their outburst shocked her at the time, since she had never seen them in so much pain before. Now she wished they could feel any emotion at all.
But today, after so long, the spark in Kris's eyes returned, even if it was just for a brief moment. Although Susie knew she could never permanently get rid of Kris's pain, she could still give them a small break from it.
They deserve this, she thought to herself.
They deserve to feel again.