Archive of Our Own

  Castle Town is nothing like its usual self. The usual cheery and bustling town is now gone. No one is around, both Darkners and Lightners. During The Roaring, everyone had either escaped or worse.

  Of course, you stopped it with your… Well, you weren’t sure if they saw you as friends in the end. Not that it matters now; it's only a matter of time before you’re banished.

  The faint sounds of a piano cut through the silence, making you stop in your tracks. It seems like someone is attempting to play.

  Taking a few steps further. You spot them, Kris. They’re alone, apart from the rest of the Fun Gang.

  Kris seems to notice you, an exclamation mark popping up above their head. Their sprite turns them around, just enough to stare at you.

  You could say the same, even now, you couldn’t see what Kris was like. Really Toby? No sprite portrait, not even a talking sound effect? Nothing? Maybe there’s a message here.

  Kris turns back around, head cast downwards, staring at the piano. What are they..?

  Ah.

  Right. Their hand. How could you forget? It's been such a popular theory ever since chapters 3 and 4 were released, and now it’s real.

  You step forward, stopping just behind them. Waiting.

  It sucks but… Even after everything, you’ve always wanted to befriend Kris, and you’re not gonna let something like talking stop you.

  You move around the seat and to the piano. Two choices appear before you. Glad to see you still have those.

Plink!

  Kris seems to get the memo.

  Kris’ sits down next to you, hand on the keys. They start playing, and unsurprisingly (or maybe surprisingly), it’s good, but it sounds… Unfinished. Like there’s another half that needs to be completed.

  And you know this song too well.

  Your fingers hover over the piano keys, and soon after, arrows start fading onto the screen. Too many arrows. Oh man.

  It takes a while, it’s not like you’ve memorized the song in fucking arrow keys, but soon you’re matching Kris’ movements. Maybe not perfectly, but if Kris has noticed it, they, thankfully, don’t mention it.

  You notice Kris glancing over at you. You wish you could know what they were thinking about. How did they feel about you? You could never tell with Kris, even after all of this.

Kris’s playing stops abruptly.

  Kris stares at you expectantly, but seems to give up when you don’t speak, or move. You have a vague idea as to what Kris is referring to. Kris has always had an idea of how you controlled them, end of chapter 1 where they stare at you, chapter 4’s weird route in Noelle’s room where—

  You’re getting off track. Point is, Kris must know that they’ve never fully caged you, and that you could’ve left whenever you wanted to.

  You wish you could tell Kris that you just wanted the best ending for them.

  If by some miracle Kris figures out how you feel, they don’t acknowledge it. Instead, they say:

  You could do that.