Chapter Text
A silent, chilling wind blows across the flat planes of darkness at the base of the Cyber City's fountain, carrying the ashes of death along with it.
Susie shakes Noelle's motionless body with both hands as Kris stands above them entire body trembling and on the verge of collapse, slowly coming to realize what has happened. "NOELLE! PLEASE, WAKE UP!" Susie yells frantically, turning Noelle's body over in the process, still shaking her. Her eyes are just slightly open, irises and pupils glazed over like a sheet of ice. Susie looms over her, grabbing her face and pulling her eyelids open, voice wavering, "Noelle... No, no, no... We did what we were supposed to do! WE BROKE THE STUPID RING, JUST LIKE THAT...THING TOLD US TO! IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION! So...why is she...?" She lets go of Noelle's face, instead pulling her into her arms and cradling her.
Ralsei stares down at Susie from behind, himself shaking, but instead he notices Kris and calls out to them, "...Kris? You look like you're about to..." He doesn't finish that sentence, trailing off into dark.
Susie takes his place, demanding of Kris, "JUST SEAL THE DAMN FOUNTAIN, KRIS!" She immediately turns her attention back to Noelle, "Come on, don't let go, stay with us! Just a little longer and you'll be okay! Please..."
On instinct, Ralsei sits next to Susie and gives her an ineffective hug. He fully understands what's happening, but the words do not leave his mouth. They would hurt her. Perhaps even more than the realization itself. No good to say it, no reason. He stays silent, not even a valid platitude present.
And upon Susie's command, Kris stops themself from collapsing to the ground, then looks back to the fountain that had been frozen not even a few minutes ago. They know what they must do. With just the faintest bit of hope that they may not be too late, Kris sprints towards the fountain, spreading their arms out as the Soul exits their body. As if it could read how dire the situation is, it proceeds without any hesitation, shining its light upon the darkness and banishing the dark world.
The two find themselves back at the computer lab moments later. Both stunned into silence as they look around the room. Berdly's alarm breaks the silence, but he doesn't wake up. Neither does Noelle. Susie's heart rate spikes as the alarm ends, only for her to suddenly dart past the motionless Kris and to Noelle's side. She continues to yell her name, "Noelle! NOELLE! Wake up! Come on, we got rid of the dark world! We won! We did it, you have to wake up!"
No response.
Susie lifts her upright, holding Noelle against her chest. She leans down, holding her, pressing a hand against Noelle's chest. But her heart doesn't beat. No breaths escape her body. Susie slowly shakes her head, tears beginning to form, "This... This can't be real... This can't be happening! This has to be a nightmare!" She pulls Noelle out of the chair she was sitting in and drags her to the floor with her, cradling Noelle's body once more, as closely as she can. "Kris!" she cries out "KRIS! DO SOMETHING! Stop standing there and HELP HER!"
Kris takes a single step back, their body lurching like a broken puppet towards Susie, barely even able to stand properly. By the time they reach her, they finally fall to their knees and start to hyperventilate. Hands on the floor, they try to speak.
♥ "I'm sorry."
Susie looks up at them, slowly repeating, "...You're sorry?"
Kris tries to speak again.
♥ "I'm sorry."
Susie grips onto Noelle tighter, "What?"
♥ "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Again and again, it comes out as this. Susie snarls at them, "What... What did you do?"
Kris clutches their chest and tries to stand, drawing closer to Susie, panic written on their face.
♥ "I didn't want this."
Susie pushes herself and Noelle's body away from Kris, voice cracking, "Didn't want this!? Just tell me what you did, dammit! What happened to Noelle!?"
♥ "She became stronger."
Chills run up Susie's spine as those toneless words leave Kris' mouth. Their eyes go wide at those words, and they try to hold their mouth shut, but their voice leaks through again.
♥ "She became too strong."
Susie stares down at the ground, then at Noelle as she processes those words. "Stronger...?" she contemplates, but every second only lets her blood boil over more, overcoming the chills. "Who the hell cares if she got stronger!? Was it that ring!? You gave it to her, didn't you? From that...thing! That insane puppet! Did you give her the ring, Kris!?"
Kris gives up the fight to stop the words from leaving. They sit up and stare at Noelle and Susie, tears streaming down their cheeks, the only safe action left that they can perform.
♥ "Yes."
But its words overlap with theirs, "No." And both reverberate through the silent computer lab.
Susie grits her teeth and grasps Noelle's body tighter. "You..." she nearly whispers, then raises her voice, "You...! Why!? She's..." she looks back down at Noelle, tears continuing to slide down her cheek "She's dead, Kris! She's dead! She's... She's really dead."
While Susie is stunned into rambling, Kris raises their hand up. A single mote of emotion forms in their mind, something tiny but incredibly powerful. Words fail them as they choose...