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Cronus kicked a rock and took a deep sigh. He was walking, hands stuffed in his pockets, wondering why he was still so lonely. No one could stand him, which was usually just an annoyance, but today it was deeply upsetting. He didn't like feeling unwanted, but he had grown accustomed to it after years in the bubbles. Today, though, Meenah had said some things that really hurt, saying he was faking his identity as human and to stop dressing like an idiot because it was just a cry for attention. Cronus had left then, before he started crying, trying to save as much of his dignity as possible.
He could still hear Meenah's harsh words in his head as he walked through the bubble. The scenery around him was changing until suddenly he was in a neighborhood from Beforus he hardly recognized. The buildings were familiar - high class like he was used to - but it wasn't the seadweller neighborhood he grew up in.
With his eyes staring down at his feet, he didn't see anyone until they were crashing into him. Cronus almost fell over, but managed to catch himself and the other troll before they both fell to the ground.
"Watch it, chief," he said, patting the other person's shoulder as he set them upright.
"Thanks, Cronus. I'm sorry for running into you. I'm late for something," Kankri said, brushing off his sweater and continuing along the street.
"What are you late for?" Cronus asked, following Kankri. "I'll tag along. I don't got nothing better to do."
"I..." Kankri stood straight up and his brow furrowed. "I don't remember where I was going or what I was late for."
"Well, no problem, chief. I'll walk along with you anyway." Cronus started walking in the direction he was before Kankri ran into him. Kankri took a second to catch up, partially because he was still a little stunned by his lack of memory and partially because he was much shorter than Cronus.
"Isn't it weird? That I can't remember where I was going?"
"Nah. Happens to everyone." Cronus turned around and looked at Kankri. He looked about the same age as the Kankri he knew, but there was a youngness to his face that Cronus hadn't seen in a long time. This Kankri didn't look nearly as worn down as his Kankri. "You're new here, aren't you?"
"No, I've lived here my whole life." Kankri was confused and was growing concerned.
"Aw Kan, this ain't your neighborhood. I mean, it is, in a way, but it ain't at the same time." Cronus ran a hand through his greasy hair. "You're in a dream bubble."
"So I'm..." Kankri trailed off, as if he was afraid to finish his sentence. He'd never been afraid of words before.
"Dead," Cronus finished. Kankri stared down, white eyes wide, and there were tears but no sobs. Cronus pulled Kankri into his chest and gently ran his hands through his hair. He half expected Kankri to push him away, but he gripped the back of Cronus' shirt and dug his face harder into his chest.
Cronus held him for a few minutes, and Kankri cried, little soft sobs that Cronus barely heard. When the sobs reduced to sniffles, Cronus released Kankri and grasped his hand, pulling him along as he walked with a determined gait.
"C'mon chief. Let's get you something nice and hot to drink and you can tell me what happened." Kankri followed and didn't ask where they were going until the bubble changed.
"Wait, Cronus, where are we going?"
"My hive," Cronus said, and Kankri should have recognized the shifting dream bubble as the seadwelling neighborhood he had visited often for the purpose of seeing Cronus.
Cronus led Kankri into his hive and set him on a stool by the island in the center of the kitchen. He fixed up some instant hot cocoa and turned back to Kankri.
"Sorry you had to find out that way, Kan." Cronus rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest, it isn't easy for anyone, though."
"Don't feel sorry. It's not your fault." Kankri took a sip of his cocoa. "I would rather have heard it from you than anyone else." Cronus smiled as he took the seat across from Kankri. "So can I ask about this new attire? I mean, I don't want to offend or upset you, but it's quite different from what you usually wear and I'm just wondering why. Unless this is what you usually wear and I'm being insensitive for assuming that all Cronus' dress the same." Cronus smiled. This was the Kankri he knew.
"It is new, thanks for noticing. I'm just getting in touch with different sides of me. Sides I never realized until I got into the dream bubbles." Kankri gave him a look asking him to explain.
"Well you know how we played that game? And we scratched and reset it? Well in the post-scratch universe, our ancestors are younger and they play the game and they actually win and create a new universe. And in that universe, there's these aliens called humans. And they're not gray and they're squishy and generally pretty weak and they don't even have horns. But they play the game and I met some of them in the bubbles and I realized," Cronus paused here for a breath- he hadn't realized how quickly he was speaking, "I was supposed to be a human."
Kankri looked at Cronus, letting the information process. "So you identify as human?" he asked. Cronus nodded. "I see. That still didn't explain the new outfit."
"Oh. Right. Well the new duds are based on a human style. It's kinda outdated on Earth, but I like it a lot and I think it suits me."
"You seem happier than I remember. Then again, you aren't quite the Cronus I know, so your timeline might have been happier, I really don't know. If your timeline wasn't very happy, then I apologize for the erasure of your struggles."
Cronus laughed. "Don't worry about it, Kan. Boy, you're just like the Kankri from my timeline." He shrugged. "I mean, you aren't exactly the same. Obviously you've both got your own life experiences and your own separate thoughts, but you sure do act like the Kankri I knew."
Kankri smiled softly. "I suppose that's a compliment?"
"It's just nice to know that some things are constant," Cronus said, returning the smile. Cronus laid his hand over Kankri's hesitantly. Kankri laced his fingers with Cronus'.
"It's good to see you, Cronus."
"You too, chief."