Chapter Text
Tenna has been trying to run Castle Town as soon as he entered it. Not in the way where he actually makes important changes, his authority isn't strong without his TV show and studio. But with no Lightner to watch him, he's desperate to have an audience of people smiling. It's just that nobody wants to play his games most of the time.
So, he had to set his pride and family-friendly values aside to...meet halfway. Do something that people want to participate in. Of course, he had to ask the wrong people for suggestions.
"You want to what?!"
"What's the big deal? Didn't we have to shoot those Shadowguys before?" Susie asks, with Kris snickering beside her, as if this was a fond memory for them. "Not like we'll actually die, right? I miss fighting things! Why not do that in the safety of Castle Town? Me and Ralsei's got healing magic, so..."
Tenna stammers, mouth agape. He loved Susie's fiery spirit, but it's times like these where they couldn't be any less alike. It was hard to handle sometimes. But he likes seeing her excited, seeing her smile. Kris too, for that matter.
"'Sides, I think everyone would enjoy it if you hosted it." That causes the CRT's antennas to perk up. Her tone was casual, not too inviting, and that's how he knows she means it.
"...You think?"
"Yeah, man! Nothing ever happens here anymore! Things have gotten way more interesting since you showed up! The audience is gonna eat it up, trust me!" She flashes a smile, showing her sharp teeth. Kris nods in agreement, though hesitantly.
Truly, this old man has no backbone to save his life. Not when he's getting validation like this. He has nothing besides his need to entertain, to make Lightners happy. If this is how he can make his two favorite Lightners happy, and get people to enjoy his company, then...
"I'll think about it." He decides. "But, uh, you should probably ask Ralsei, first! He's the boss, after all!"
"Oh, he's playing too." She added. "He just doesn't know it yet."
-----
"Please don't shoot yourselves." The prince of Darkness pleads, with such sincerity that it makes Susie burst into laughter.
"Jeez, come on! It's not like it's real!"
"You literally specified that you wanted to use real guns!" He yells, like that will get Susie to realize how insane she sounds sometimes. Of course, that was wishful thinking.
"It's the consequences that aren't real!" She clarifies, as if that somehow makes it better. "Nobody is actually gonna die on our watch. And someone's gotta keep Tenna busy! He's like a toddler! He'll cry if he doesn't have something to do and someone to pay attention to him at all times!" Kris, again, nods in agreement. Like they know from experience. And after this last adventure, they all should know that by now.
"So this is what you resort to?" And the monster merely shrugs.
"Nah, it'd just be fun. If things get outta hand then you can always handle it, right?" She asks, like anyone has that much trust in someone so passive and soft, both literally and metaphorically.
"I can't handle everyone shooting loaded guns, Susie." He sighs, "I wish I could help you both have fun, but..." before he could finish, his insistent friend's giant hands were grabbing him by the shoulder, shaking him up and down.
"Please, Ralsei! Think of how fucking sick it would be!" She insists, making his expression turn from shock to offense.
"Language!" He puts his hands gently on her wrists, eventually stopping all movement. Still a bit dazed, he sighs.
"If it's what you really want, then...I'll see what I can do. But there will need to be some serious safety regulations!" Even while trying to sound stern and showing his worry, Susie is too ecstatic to notice, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Hell yeah! Let's go! Thanks, man!" When she pulls away, she turns to Kris, giving them a high-five to celebrate this victory. Which, while making the prince smile, also makes him scared of whatever the hell he just got himself into. Now he HAS to participate, just to make sure his town stays in one piece.
"First of all, I'll handle the gun situation. So hopefully it's less...hazardous." He starts off, waiting for Susie and Kris to put their attention back on him fully. Once they do, he inhales and continues. "Secondly, I think we should split up into teams of two. Just in case something happens, they'll always be someone nearby to get help or call a time-out."
"Oh, okay. That's chill." Susie immediately agrees. "Guess we'll need more players then, huh?" she suggests, and the answer comes to her before anyone can even speak.
"Wait a sec! I'll be right back!" She speeds towards the exit to Ralsei's room, making him call out to her in a useless attempt for things to slow down and be less confusing. With nothing else to do, he looks to Kris instead.
"Wow, Susie is really...high on energy today, isn't she?" He asks with a gentle laugh. Truly, he didn't mind this at all. It made her a pleasure to be around. But man, if it wasn't hard to keep up with at times. He felt his head spinning already.
"Just...Keep an eye out for her, okay?" He's more worried about everyone else then Susie herself in this case, but it's still a frequent concern of his. Kris simply gave a thumbs up in response, and Susie came back just in time, panting like she had just ran a marathon in those ten or so seconds.
"I got Lancer!" She was holding the boy up by his head, who was grinning ear to ear.
"I get to create feelings of danger! Time to be good at being bad! Just for today!" He exclaims, and Susie set him down on the ground while laughing.
"We're already a team, so I guess that leaves you guys together." She shrugs, and the prince can't help but blush slightly at the thought.
"Well, I'd be happy to be on a team with you, Kris!" He smiles, and they give no reaction. As they tend to do.
"Tenna's the host, so just let him know when to set everything up and when it's good to start playing." Susie adds. After Tenna was fixed and brought into Castle Town, Ralsei didn't expect to really acknowledge him again. Still, it's nice to have someone else do some of the work. He can leave the show-running business to the expert.
"Uh, okay! Will do!" He agrees as confidently as he can, even if he felt anything but.
He had a long night ahead of him, but at least it'll make Susie happy.
-----
It took a day to set things up. Tenna was the eager host of the show, creating a wide and secure place for people to sit and watch as the events unfolded.
How could they watch, you ask?
Well...
"Gather around, everyone! Mike, roll the cameras!" His screen turned on, showing Ralsei hiding the guns around Castle Town before the game officially started. Susie took the time earlier to point out how impressive his craftsmanship was, which embarrassed him greatly. And Tenna had to admit; they did look intriguing.
Instead of a traditional gun, it was a revolver full of hand-crafted, magical bullets that never ran out. The gun was pitch black, with occasional waves of color going from the end of the handle to the top of the barrel. A small warm glow at the top, to help see in the dark. Everyone had their own gun, with different colors in the swirls to represent them. Ralsei was light green, Kris was dark blue, Susie was purple, and Lancer was a baby blue. There were extra ones hidden away, just in case.
"The bullets shoot fast, but they only deal two damage." Ralsei explains to the three of them. "It should feel like a slight electric shock. If it does hurt, just let me know, okay?"
"Ralsei, this is sick! You really made this?!" Susie was holding her gun in her hands, spinning the cylinder around. Even though the gun didn't have real bullets, it still made him nervous how carelessly she was messing with it.
"I-It's nothing, really..." He hides in his scarf, white fur in his cheeks becoming a light pink. "I just wanted to make it special for you, Susie."
"Well you're gonna have fun too, don't you forget it!" She hits him lightly in the shoulder. "Man, I wish Noelle could see how cool I look shooting you guys with this thing." She points the gun around while yearning, and suddenly her eyes go wide.
"Wait a sec! Kris! Do you think we could get Noelle to...?"
"I don't think she would like this idea..." Ralsei interjects weakly. He knew close to nothing about this girl, but they seemed close enough in personality. A bit of a pushover, easily frazzled, and would rather stay on the sidelines when it comes to anything too intense. "Besides, didn't she enter the dark world while thinking it was a dream? There's no way you could convince her of that again."
"Damn, you're right." She sighs, the gun now at her side as she lays her head against a wall. "That sucks. Would've been nice to spend time with her, or whatever." She mumbles that last bit. "Not like we can just make her fall asleep and just drag her into the Dark World." And for a small moment, the awkward silence that fills the room turns into something much worse as the Lightners simply stare at each other.
"Okay everyone, change of plans!" Tenna calls out to the audience. "We have two new players, reluctantly! The lovely girl next door and childhood friend, Noelle Holiday! And her weird friend who is also here to make the teams even! Nobody wanted this!"
"What is happening?? What are we doing??" Susie already had to explain the whole "dream" thing again to the two of them, it was more the activity in general that concerned her. Susie basically just said "Trust me, it'll be fun," and that was it. The efforts she and Kris had to go to just to get these two here without being arrested was certainly a "We'll take this to the grave" kind of thing. Thankfully they were close enough for that after only three days.
"Do not fret, my dear Noelle!" Berdly attempts to soothe his panicked friend, giving her the white colored gun. He was stuck with a red one. "I have an excellent aim, so this will be quite an easy win for us both!" Of course, he neglects to mention that this is only in video games.
"Hey, you guys aren't a team!" Susie snapped, more at Berdly than anything. "You guys are too close! You clearly have an advantage!"
"But...aren't you and Lancer on a team?" Ralsei questions, and Susie shakes her hands around in agitated protest.
"That's different!" She doesn't elaborate. "Ralsei, you're with Berdly! Kris, you're with Noelle!" Nobody is happy with either of these, but they don't object. Kris and Noelle do give each other a soft look of hesitance, maybe even fear, before looking away.
Maybe it's better to be with people you're more estranged with, considering the power levels and intelligence of Noelle and Berdly, surprisingly. Even if magic isn't allowed for much outside of basic defense or healing.
"Tenna, do your speech!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the show of a lifetime!" The star calls out to the crowd. "When the buzzer goes off, all teams will have one minute to hide!" After a few seconds, an alarm sound is heard from his speakers as everyone cheers, and he continues.
"Health bars? What are those? Here, we only have pixel hearts in the form of lives! Get hit three times and you're out! Get out and you can sit and watch the rest of the game, or go do your own thing! Just don't interrupt the remaining players or try to cheat!"
Everyone scrambles to find a good place to hide, whispering plans amongst themselves.
"The only bullets that can be fired are those coming out of your guns! Weapons can only be used to block bullets! Say 'cut' if you're injured or need a break! Make sure to vote for the team you got your eyes on!" The timer goes down to zero, and everyone claps from pure excitement. Tenna makes sure to give a dramatic pause.
"Let the games begin!"