Chapter Text
Ralsei stared blankly through the doorway to the fountain and watched on as a blinding flash of light shone through the gap. It seems Kris and Susie had successfully sealed the fountain, which meant that there was no more reason to stay in this world. The vast majority of the Darkners living in this place had already left to embark on their journey to the safety of Castle Town, while the few remaining Darkners sat idly in the darkest of corners.
As time went on, the bright lights and extravagant demeanour of the area continued to grow dimmer and dimmer. The beauty of this Sanctuary was such a stark contrast to the horrific troubles and toils that transpired just mere moments ago, he almost felt like it was taunting him in a way.
Every hallway was eerily silent. No songs echoed through the corridors, no bells rang out their cries, only the sounds of fluffy footsteps could be heard. After every adventure, the Dark World would always turn into a sombre shell of its former self, just like this one. It gave Ralsei much time to reflect on what had happened in the day, as well as to reminisce on the happy moments that brought him the most joy. Unfortunately for him, there were not as many happy memories to come out of this one... only the fears of the unstoppable fate that lied ahead.
After what seemed like endless maze-like pathways and countless window panes passed, at last he had reached a great door similar to ones which he had already seen before... the way out was standing right before his eyes. He pushed on the door hastily with all his strength. Ralsei had no desire to stay in this place any longer. He just wanted to leave. He just wanted to go home.
The door cracked open, revealing the solemn environment that lay just outside. As far as the eye could see spanned purple cliffs pertruding from an endless void below. This land was what lied between every single Dark World. While each fountain-formed Dark World was vibrant and meaningful, the space that separated each one was blank and meaningless. Ralsei tightened his scarf around his neck to face the chilling winds that flowed against him, then began the long walk back to his home.
The grand fountain was visible very far away into the distance. Its dark, gushing nature pierced through the skies as it seemed to flow upwards infinitely into the shadows. The fountain was a beacon of hope for Ralsei. If it still stood tall at the heart of this world, then clearly there was still a purpose to be fulfilled, a goal to be worked upon. Ralsei always promised to himself that if the grand fountain was alive, then he would stay living too. As it pulsated ominously and gushed into the dull sky above him, the Prince knew that he had to keep going. And so he did.
He didn't even have the energy to talk to himself. The only sounds that echoed through his mind were the gusts of harsh winds and the rough crunches that appeared with every single footstep on the frigid, rocky ground. Countless particles of dust flew past his face and fell into the abyss below, some even landing on the lenses of his glasses and blinding his view. Ralsei just wiped his sleeve across each lens and carried on moving. The fountain in the distance seemed to be getting closer and closer. Therefore, he had to be getting closer and closer to his home too. Just a little further...
Half an hour had passed. The cold winds seemed to cease as Ralsei breathed a sigh of relief while looking ahead at a large, black gate. He was finally back at Castle Town! The faint sound of funky music playing from within was incredibly relaxing for him. To know that he could rest for a while and put his excruciating worries aside for a moment was a good feeling, he couldn't help but give a slight smile. The Prince signalled for the gate to open and it rises upwards in response. Home at last.
The town was still bustling with all of the Darkners that had been met on the gang's adventures. Some were conversing with one another while others were standing alone, admiring the views that surrounded them. As their Prince entered the area, the citizens couldn't help but exchange concerned glances with one another. Whenever Ralsei returned from one of his adventures, he always seemed bright, energetic, a joyful force that could never be suppressed. This time, however, was much, much different. His strides were slow, his face was blank and lifeless, his eyes seemed to have lost their hopeful glow. The Darkners also couldn't help but notice the dark, crimson stain that was splattered onto his cheek. Quiet whispers were echoed throughout the town as everybody asks themselves 'what happened out there?' Only Ralsei knows what really happened, but he did not seem like he was in enough of a lighthearted mood to share any stories tonight. Instead, everybody let him walk on without any interruptions, only his own thoughts.
As Ralsei walked through the centre of the town, he passed by a Zapper and a Swatchling, seated together with their backs against the wall. It was the same Zapper and Swatchling who were sweeping up the floors outside earlier on in the day. The fierce cleaning competition seems to have created a bond between them as they now sat together, gazing up at the teal stars blotted in the night sky. The Zapper noticed Ralsei walk past and raised a hand to give him a quick greeting.
"Evenin', Ralsei!"
Ralsei flinched a little at the voice; he wasn't expecting anyone to say anything to break the silence. He put his hand up and returned a slight timid wave but he chose not to make eye contact, his gaze instead remaining locked onto the cobbled ground. The Zapper and the Swatchling exchanged looks at each other but decided not to question their Prince, instead turning their gazes back towards the stars.
With a parched throat and a burning feeling in his legs, Ralsei decided to take a trip into the Café for a break. He needed something, anything to take his mind off of his worries. Besides, the Café was one of the friendliest and warmest places in the entire town. Ralsei loved seeing all of his new friends that he had recruited along his travels, it provided him with a sense of accomplishment knowing that he had managed to create such a loving community with his fellow heroes. Ralsei adjusted his glasses and headed into the establishment.
The Café was full of Darkners relaxing and grooving with each other, sitting at tables and eating their favourite sweet snacks. The Prince couldn't help but crack a smile upon seeing such a lively place to be. The cozy, orange lighting coming from the ceiling created such a homely atmosphere that comfortably hung in the air. Sweet, K_K and Tasque Manager were all still performing their extravagant music routine at the back of the Café, with each played note echoing off of the wooden walls into Ralsei's ears. The tonal shift from the looming spires of the Dark Sanctuary to this sweet, little Café felt like whiplash to him, but it was a tonal shift that he gratefully accepted.
Ralsei silently walked through the hall, setting his eyes upon a dimly lit table in the corner of the room. Not all of the light seemed to reach this spot, but that's what he enjoyed most about it. It was a place to just lay low while simultaneously enjoying the vibes generated by everyone else that surrounded him. He pulled out his chair from underneath the table and took a seat. The chair had a soft, velvet cushion placed upon its seat which provided a very comfortable rest for any of its occupants. Swatch, the extravagant waiter and manager of the Café, scanned his eyes through the busy establishment while cleaning a glass with a pearly white cloth. Upon seeing the Prince seated at a table, he set the glass down and picked up a fancy clipboard and a sleek ballpoint pen which was engraved with gold markings. It's time to take an order.
Swatch approached Ralsei's lonely table and took a bow in front of him.
"Greetings, Prince. It is good to see you safe and back home." he said calmly, returning to his original position of standing upright once more.
"Thank you, Swatch." Ralsei replied softly. "What do you have in stock tonight? I'm feeling really parched today."
Swatch nodded his head, the warm light shimmering upon the lenses of his flamboyant glasses.
"Ah, I'm glad you asked, actually. The Addisons from Cyber City had some extra tea spare from their shops. The supply has been donated and stored in the back of the Cafe here, ready for distribution."
The teas that were tailored to be flavoured like his friends. Ralsei remembered them thoroughly from one of his past days out. The sweet tastes and aromas of each tea were delightful to him when he had drank them the first time. He would love to experience them again.
"Then I'll take one tea, please Swatch."
The waiter nodded and scribbled onto the clipboard in his hands, saving the request into his memory.
"With pleasure. The teas aren't named unfortunately, but they come in different colours. Would you like your tea in green, blue, purple or yellow?"
Ralsei contemplated for a second as he attempted to remember the specific tastes of each, as well as which of the teas was his favourite. All of them tasted very nice, except for the green tea. That one was definitely not going to be a second-timer. The yellow tea was tolerable, but the blue and purple teas were the ones that stood out to him the most in his mind. It was a difficult choice to make, but ultimately Ralsei made his decision.
"...Blue, please."
"Of course." Swatch hastily finished scribbling onto his clipboard and clicked the bottom of the pen, making sure that it wouldn't dry out while not in use. On the clipboard read: 'TABLE 8 - TEA (BLUE)' in precious cursive handwriting.
"Please wait for just a moment, your order will be ready posthaste."
As Swatch strode off through a door behind his counter, Ralsei placed his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. While kicking his feet underneath the table, he thought deeply about his friends. The ending of their story together was coming closer and closer to an end, but he didn't want it to end. He wanted to stay with them forever and ever.
Was it selfish of him to think that? He couldn't answer that question, nor any other questions that his doubting mind gave to him. Wallowing over losing his friends was going to make him burst into tears and he couldn't do that in a public space, so instead he opted to watch the musical performance going on up ahead.
A minute later, the door behind the counter swung open, with the waiter promptly appearing from behind it. In his right hand he held a plate that balanced a porcelain cup of tea as well as two sugar cubes sitting beside it. Swatch gracefully marched to Ralsei's corner and placed the plate on the table. The tea rippled in place before coming to a standstill and settling back into a still, blue liquid.
"Your tea, Prince Ralsei."
Ralsei carefully grasped the teacup with two hands. It was a marble white colour and also featured painted patterns of simple green trees and blue stars dotted around its edge. Charming, indeed.
"Thank you Swatch. I appreciate the work you do for us here."
"Do not mention it at all, young Prince. After all, it is my duty and I enjoy every second of it. Also, another thing..."
Swatch placed a hand in his coat pocket and out came a damp cloth for Ralsei to take for himself.
"I noticed you have a stain on the left side of your face. Please, take this cloth so you can clean it up."
"Oh..."
Ralsei placed his hand on his cheek which left it with a slight red tint. It was the blood from Susies injured hand, now mostly dried out from his long, perilous adventure back home.
" I didn't know. T-Thank you."
The flamboyant figure took another bow and fixed the position of his tinted glasses upon rising back up.
"No worries. Please, enjoy the rest of your stay."
With that, the waiter calmly strolled back to his counter and stood upright, ready to serve any Darkners that approached his stead.
Once again, Ralsei was alone with only his thoughts of upcoming, unavoidable dread. It was always harrowing for him to know so much of his existence before he had even experienced it. His knowledge of the foretold prophecy constantly loomed in the back of his mind during every lonely minute that passed by, and yet even after years of recounting every crucial event in his head, he still remained baffled over the fact that it truly was happening. That it wasn't just a made up story after all.
Ralsei slowly cupped both of his hands around the side of the teacup that sat upon the dark, wooden table. The cozy aura of the warm tea heated up his paws in a very comforting way. If only he had something like this to keep him comfortable while travelling through the lands outside of the safety of the castle walls. Peering into the cup, he took a glance at his shining reflection in the unmoving liquid.
*That's me.* the Prince thought silently in his head. He was always happy with how he presented himself, a cute little wizard. But did everybody else like it? Nobody really gave their opinions on how he looked, so it was hard for him to tell. It was as if he was just a blank shadow, ignored by all of those around him. Not that it bothered him much, he always knew that none of this was real. In the end, the way he looked was just another facade, another show to put on for everybody else to see. They didn't care. Nobody did. Nobody.
Nobody except... the Lightners.
Past memories revolving around Kris and Susie appeared in his mind. They were his first real friends. Multiple visions of the pair flashed in front of him, recounts of previous moments that showed that they really cared about him. Susie's first demonstration of her new healing magic, Kris's generous gifting of cute ribbons and adorable plushies, the trio joyfully posing together as a true team. The three of them really were good friends, and that made Ralsei leak a tiny, gleeful smile through his lips.
*Maybe they do like it.* he thought to himself once more.
The dark prince couldn't stop daydreaming about his past adventures, even up to the very beginning of their meeting. His dreams arrived to a specific scene that happened just only a few days ago. Teaching Kris how to battle. It was a very fond memory for Ralsei, being able to spend time with a real person for once was such a liberating moment for him, even if they weren't much for comversation. At last, he was no longer alone. With Kris's every swift action, he soon realised that he had truly met the heroes of the prophecy. The ones fated to become his friends had finally arrived. His tutorial moved on and on, action after action, dodge after dodge...
Then Kris hugged him? Ralsei remembered being extremely confused when that happened. After all, he had never hugged a real person before. It was a completely different experience to the cold, fabric texture of the practice dummy. The embrace between the two heroes was so soft, so warm, so comforting, something that Ralsei had never felt before in his life.
At the time he couldn't hide his rosy blush at all. It was so embarrassing for him, his first real touch of comfort, all solely from a human named Kris, his new friend which he had made just mere moments ago. Ralsei replayed the memory of this moment on repeat over and over again, it was his first true emotions on display and he was so happy to have felt them. All thanks to his new friend, Kris. All thanks to...
*Kris...*
Ralsei blinked heavily and snapped back to the reality of the Café environment around him. With his head no longer in the clouds and his mind free of vibrant dreams, he clutched the teacup with his fuzzy paws once more and gazed into the cerulean sea of tea. It was still untouched and its warmth had slightly faded now. By moving the cup in a smooth circular motion, he swirled the liquid around, creating a tiny teal whirlpool at its centre.
*Kris Tea.* Ralsei spoke in his head. *Why did that Addison even have flavours of us in the first place?*
He had zero clue and he knew that it was unlikely he would find an answer to his question. Instead, he decided to focus on the taste of the tea. He recalled this one having a very sweet blueberry flavour in the city. It was most definitely his favourite flavour of the four that were bestowed onto him, though the rich grape flavour of the purple coloured tea was a close second.
Ralsei lifted the porcelain cup to his mouth and took a sip of his blueberry flavoured tea, the whirlpool dissipating as it was replaced by an unrelenting flow. This time it tasted... even better? The previous taste of the tea felt like it healed all of Ralsei's scratches and scrapes until he was completely back to how he was before injury. This time, he felt more rejuvenated than ever! Feelings of hope and happiness coursed through his veins. In just one taste, it was as if all of his problems had melted away and had been replaced with infinite whimsy and joy! Ralsei felt like he had healed +400HP just from this tea alone and he was thankful that there was still some more left to consume. Sip by sip, the amount of tea lessened and lessened until only miniscule sparkling drops remained at the base of the cup.
The lonely prince gazed into the now empty container, his mirroring reflection appearing no longer. He started to wonder on what could have changed since the last time he drank the same beverage. Did Swatch change up the recipe? Did he put something new in it? The name of the tea sprang to mind, it was named after one of his closest friends. The bright teal colouring of the tea matched their skin tone after all. Could it be that the flavour corresponded to his true feelings towards them? He had been thinking about them a sincere amount more than usual recently... their hugs, their thoughtful gifts, their kind and reassuring words. So many meaningful memories in such a small timespan, they made his head spin round and round like a flashy carousel. Could it really be?
Ralsei sat upright in his chair, peering at the sepia wooden planks that made up the ceiling of the Café.
*Swatch must have added a lot of sugar to that one.* he comedically remarked to himself.
Playful sounds of jazz from the stage echoed in his ears. He exchanged a glance at Tasque Manager, K_K, Sweet and the lone Shadowguy as they joyfully performed their piece as a bonding quartet. They seemed so happy sharing their tunes to the world and that made Ralsei happy too. He was proud to own a place that every resident and friend could truly call a home.
As he gave a kind goodbye wave to Swatch, he adjusted his scarf and exited the Café, embracing the chill of the outside once more. Looking up at the sky greeted him with a sight of hundreds of neon stars that illuminated the darkness above him. Countless dots of white and blue light that were plotted on an obsidian plane. It really was a beautiful sight and it made him sort of grateful that daytime never occurred in the Dark World, just so that he could take in this view whenever he so desired. However, gazing into the abyss also reminded him of something else that was important. The shadow crystal.
The shadow crystal that was given to them by the old man in the Sanctuary just a few hours before. Ralsei felt bad that he couldn't take the old man back to Castle Town but he knew from the beginning that it was never going to be possible. Even if Susie won't be able to see him again, she will still forever remember the enlightening lessons that he had taught her. For Ralsei, that seemed like all she needed.
The crystal was likely to be in Kris's pocket right about now, but they were clearly not going to be coming back any time soon. After the treacherous things the group had been through in that holy place, it was only fair that they could have a lie in. Plus, tomorrow was the day of the festival in the Light World and Ralsei knew that it was something they were not going to miss out on. It would be an important event for all of them, especially Susie and Noelle. It was looking like it would be a long time before any Lightners would be coming back to greet him, so Ralsei instead decided to notify Seam of the gang's past events and the delayed delivery of today's crystal.
The crooked door of the old wizard's shop creaked open with a shrill squeal. The entire building seemed to be so old that it was falling apart, but at the same time it also felt as good as new. Everything relating to Seam felt like an unexplainable phenomenon waiting to he uncovered, but the mystery of the stitched-up cat was far too complex for anyone to come up with an answer for.
Ralsei stepped foot into the building and was met with a familiar gloomy lighting emitted from antique lanterns that hung by steel chains from the ceiling. All around the room were countless shelves and cupboards full of intriguing artifacts and items: golden chalices, coloured leather books, elegant weaponry from another age... the place was packed full of many random objects from possibly countless eras of time.
*Where did they even find all of this?* Ralsei pondered in his mind. *Summoned by magic?* Alas, this would ultimately be another unanswerable question to be added to the ever-growing pile of unexplainable mysteries. Instead, he decided to wipe his glasses clean with his sleeves so that he could perfectly see the odd character that sat idly before him.
Dressed in a brown tattered garb and holding an exquisite oak staff in their right hand, Seam gazed at the figure that had wandered into his domain. Their stitched-up smile perked up and their bright button eye appeared to rotate steadily in place.
"Ah, the Prince from the Dark. How wonderful to see that you have returned. All in one piece too it seems!" they called out gleefully. Ralsei returned a timid wave and nods his head.
"Almost in one piece, thank you Seam."
The cat's eyes darted around the shop, attempting to locate the other two heroes of legend, but to their surprise, neither of them were anywhere to be found.
"Come alone today, have you? Where are the rest of your fellows hiding, eh?"
Ralsei sighed lightly and diverted his eyes to the aged floorboards beneath him.
"They've gone home." he muttered feebly. "It's been a long day today, they really need some rest after what we've been through."
Ralsei tilted his head back up to look at Seam once more, who was still staring quizzically at him with his gloomy eye that looked like a bottomless pit planted into their furred face. It was difficult to tell if it was even an eye at all, considering the lack of any sign of a visible pupil within it. Ralsei spoke up once more, in a slightly more audible tone.
"I just wanted to let you know that we found another shadow crystal. We got it, but Kris is holding onto it right now so you'll have to wait a little while to recieve it."
Upon hearing Ralsei's words, Seam's grin grew even wider and his buttoned eye began to freely spin in rapid succession.
"That is magnificent news! You three heroes somehow impress me more and more each day! In truth... I never thought that you three would be able to obtain even one of the crystals! Now, we are one away from the end... it's astounding in a way. I suppose it shows that even the most cemented beliefs can still be broken and twisted into something new, doesn't it sire?"
Ralsei nodded his head in silent agreement, but his views on belief would not be that easily swayed. He wanted to hope that his own prophesied life could be twisted to have a happy ending. He wanted to go to the Light World and live with his friends forever. He wanted to be free, but was freedom really earned that simply? Could he really shatter his own fate like a pane of glass? He really wanted to believe so, but after years of listening to repeating excerpts of the foretold future beyond, it was just too difficult to shake away.
"Kris and Susie are really special." he softly uttered. "They're so cool and brave... we even defeated a titan today! They've both grown so much and I'm so proud of them. I couldn't have asked for anyone better! I... I want to be happy... but..."
Ralsei's voice suddenly trailed off as he began to uncomfortably fumble with his scarf. Behind the counter, Seam was glaring confusedly at the prince, signalling with their hand for him to continue his monologue. Ralsei let go of his scarf and glanced at at the dusty wall, sighing to himself sorrowfully.
"It's just that... I really care about them. So, so much... but I don't think our time together will last much longer. Susie saw the ending to the prophecy. Kris saw it too. Now we all know how the story ends. I really want to believe that it can change, but I'm just too afraid. Afraid of the end. The end of our friendship."
"I see." Seam says plainly as they nod their head, seemingly attempting to come up with something to say. However, nothing comes and a small sparkling tear emerged from Ralsei's left eye as he begins to unravel the thoughts and fears within his mind.
"... I-I just don't want to lose either of them. Susie and Kris are my best friends... i-i-if I could never see them ever again, I don't know what I'd do. They mean the world to me, but despite what I feel, to them I'll just turn out to be a memory sooner or later. I can't even go to their world, not even just a peek. I-I'll miss them so much... I..."
Ralsei raised his sleeves up to his eyes while raising his glasses, trying to hide the rivers of sorrow rolling down his face. He truly cared about Kris and Susie more than anything else in the world. Having to come to terms with leaving them behind was just too unbearable for him, it hurt him far too much and he would never accept such a terrible thing to be true. Clearly noticing Ralsei's intense distress over the situation, Seam lightly tapped his shoulder with their staff and waved it in front of his face to gain his atttention. Ralsei hesitatingly looked up with his glossy eyes behind his glassy lenses as small tears still crawled down his warm cheeks.
"Look. I can see how much those two mean to you. From the look in their eyes, I can tell that you mean a lot to them too. I can sense their past, their feelings... and even their deepest issues that they hide away. The two of them both have their own twisted roots to untangle; our struggles are part of life after all. However, all in all those same struggles have never stopped them from caring for you."
Seam peered into the image of themselves that was plastered onto the reflective orange button that stuck to their staff. An old ragged cat with a stitched-up smile, a smile that lowered and degraded into a solemn frown as strewn away memories of the past rushed through their mind.
"The feeling of loss. I have felt it before. The universe says that Darkners should put their emotions aside and focus purely on servitude of the ones above, but me? I have thought otherwise... many a time. For so long I decided to accept the feelings that I felt inside and follow my own path of life. Upon that path I found my only true friend... the court jester who now lays in the pocket of your human ally, spouting insane phrases and maniacal laughter."
They dropped the staff which hit the floor with a solid thunk that echoed throughout the shop. After crossing their loosely sleeved arms they looked up to the dimly lit ceiling in silent solitude. The lanterns swayed back and forth as if a gust of wind had blown through the door, but there was merely a breeze in sight.
"That funny character was truly the one to make me feel something different, something new. He understood me, and I understood him. Then, as a cruel and sick joke from the skies above, I was forced to lock him away forever... or at least until you three reduced his sentence to nil. Continuing on... as I shut the door of his cage, he called to me, thanking me for freeing him. He told me that he would save everyone from their captivity, but of course I knew that no saving would ever be done. He was gone. And I was the one who had banished him from the world."
A tiny sigh escaped from the mouth of the old shopkeeper as they recounted their worst memory. It was a chilling tale to recollect, but a necessary one to tell.
"My only friend had become a psychotic, nonsensical being and now resided in an empty prison by my own hand. After leaving him behind, I vowed to never let my true self roam free again. My hope for a bright future was discarded and I would take up a permanent job as a simple shopkeeper, returning to servitude and wishing to never come to terms with reality ever again."
Ralsei sniffled as he lifted up his glasses to clear away the few remaining tears that rested upon his eyelids.
"I'm sorry Seam. I shouldn't have made you go through your awful past like that."
"No no, do not fret young one. I have more to say upon the matter. You see, living a solitary life of condescension took a great toll on my mind. I would always wish for the worst outcomes, praying that the most evil of fates would come to pass just to witness something new. But as of now, my once dull hope has sparked alight once more. Within you and your friends, I see a glimmer of a bright time ahead for all of us... something I have never seen in so long. I believe that you can really change the world for good! You still have plenty of time to make a difference, so why slow down now, hm? If I, an unoptimistic old thing dressed in torn rags, have hope... then I am sure that you should too."
"I... I guess you're right..." Ralsei spoke up silently. "We still have lots of time to do something. But even if we do find a better path for us, what could it be?"
"Well, if you want my honest thoughts... keeping things the way they are now would be the best ending for both worlds. The Lightners live in the Light World, the Darkners live in the Dark World, and the Lightners are able to simply visit our land whenever they like. I think that is the best life that we could live."
"You don't want to go to the Light world?" Ralsei asked curiously, since visiting the Light World was the dream that he wanted to come true more than anything else he could ever think of.
"I... don't think that's possible, my liege. All of us Darkners have an object relating to us in the world above do we not? If we all suddenly started walking around the place, there would be no objects for the Lightners to use. The world would not last very long in that state."
"Oh. That's right."
"Don't feel down yet, something about you is different to all of us..."
Seam picked up his staff from the floor and hastily pointed it at Ralsei's face, allowing him to view his own fluffy figure reflected on the button of the staff.
"You are a very strange case. The lonely prince, born entirely from a substance of pure darkness. You do not have an object related to you in the Light World, correct?"
"Um, I'm not sure..."
"If you were born in the dark, then that means you have no Light World connections that would be broken by your arrival. Therefore, if you found a way to visit the Light World, you could live there as long as you wanted to, correct?"
This idea made Ralsei's head spin. He had never thought about it like that before. All along he thought that he was barred from exiting his dimension, but as it turns out, maybe it wasn't so complicated after all. It sounded true enough for him to believe in, had he finally found his freedom?
"No... I can't just be different to everyone else. I have to be something. Are you sure that it's impossible for an object to have its own life in the Light World?"
Seam sat in silence for multiple seconds, contemplating an answer to Ralsei's question until something finally came to their mind.
"The only way that I can tell that it would be possible... was if your Light World object had no purpose at all. No task to carry out, no person to have you rely on them, no nothing. If you really think that your equivalent object up there is as pointless as it can be, then you would be good to go. If not... then I'd advise you get comfortable down here instead."
Ralsei crossed his arms in silence and tapped the floor with his foot.
"...There's no shame in being different to everyone else, boy. I think that being made from mere darkness is quite interesting, don't you? Being a special case, isn't that intriguing?"
The Prince would have loved to say that he had been given some extra hope from this, but he still was not one hundred percent convinced yet. After all, he had no idea what his object was... or if he even had an object at all. There was still a chance he could be nothing at all. It was if the entirety of his memories relating to his birth were completely erased from his mind, but despite not being completely sure of his conception and origins, the idea of living happily in the Light World with his best friends was far too important to cast aside so easily. No matter who he was or where he came from, he had to find a way to reach it somehow.
"But... if it was possible for me to live up there, then I would have to leave everybody here in Castle Town. Are you sure that you and everybody else can't come too?"
"I already told you that this is the best ending for us. No other outcome will be a better choice for us than this."
Ralsei nodded his head in acceptance. He just hoped that he would still be able to return to the Dark World and still see everyone there, rather than leaving it all behind for good. He couldn't just turn his back on his subjects could he?
"All I'm saying is... just have faith, prince. Hold your head up high and do what you can. It's all any of us can do. Don't hide your feelings from your friends, I'm sure that they'll always accept you for who you are."
"Thank you." Ralsei stated happily. "You've really helped me today. I appreciate it a lot."
Seam noticed a smile forming on the Prince's face and decided to form their own tattered smile in return.
"It is my job to serve after all. You can come by any time!"
Ralsei placed his hands behind his back and swayed side to side, thinking about a question that he's been asking himself which the shopkeeper might know.
"Can I ask you something else?"
"Hm. I'm listening..."
"... I wanted to ask you something about my emotions. You said you've felt them, so I thought that maybe you'd know. Well, sometimes a weird thing happens where I feel very different. My face turns all red and it feels like there's butterflies in my stomach... but I don't feel bad when it happens. I feel... really happy? I think I know what it is, but... um... I don't know for sure."
"Well, I think I might have an inkling about it... never felt it before but I believe I've got the jist. Could you tell me if this feeling happens around anything specific? Maybe somebody you know?"
"Umm... it happens quite a bit around Kris and Susie, but most of the time it's when Kris is around. Does that mean anything?"
"Ha ha, how peculiar indeed, prince! How very peculiar. I think it would be a better decision for me to let you find out for yourself... maybe you should ask your friend if they've felt it too?"
Ralsei was very confused, but he stored the task in his mind. Once his friends appeared in town, he would ask Kris if they felt the same odd feelings as he did. He definitely had an idea of what he was feeling, though it wasn't something he was going to share so willingly like that. Not yet, anyway.
"O-okay... thank you for the advice Seam. My friends and I will come back soon!" He called out as he turned around to leave and waved goodbye. Seam returned the gesture and flashed his signature toothless grin.
"Looking forward to it. Bring some cash with you next time too, won't you?"
After exiting the emporium, Ralsei was once again met with the chill breeze of the outdoors. He always wondered how Seam's shop was so incredibly warm all the time despite having no signs of heating, but he had also accepted that this was incredibly likely to be another mystery to add to the pile, never to be solved.
With no more obligations to complete, the Prince was left to wander at his own leisure. His life just wasn't the same without Kris and Susie by his side. Even though the town was packed full of many different residents, his whole existence felt so empty without their company. Instead of looming around the area aimlessly like a petrified ghoul, he instead chose to go inside the castle to stay in his sad, empty box that he called a room.
After clambering up two flights of stairs and passing by the doors of his two companions, Ralsei pushed open the luminous green door that sat within the darkest corner of the hallway, a contrast like a lit torch within a pitch black tunnel.
Unsurprisingly, the room was still majorly empty. If not for the window, the lone ICE-E statue and the adorable plushie stored in there, it would have been inhabited by only the existence of mere dust particles. A bitter draught was crawling in through the open window, causing the curtains to flow like ocean waves.
Ralsei poked his head out of the window to take in the magnificent view that waited for him outside. The grand fountain that graciously gave this world it's life, flowing endlessly through the night sky. The way it mystically changed colours upon closer inspection was such a beautiful marvel to see. Ralsei felt hypnotised by the magical pulsating liquid that stood before him... it was hard for him to believe that the entirety of the lively town around him would cease to exist if not for that fountain. It was a great responsibility, but a responsibility that was placed in suitable hands.
His trance was interrupted by a sudden breeze that caused the fur upon his face to flutter wildly in place. He shut the window and closed the curtains, ensuring that his room would stay somewhat warm during the long period of waiting for a new adventure to burst through the door. This was his least favourite part of the day, but Kris and Susie couldn't stay in this world forever. He had to let them go back home at some point.
Ralsei sat against the blank wall with the plush of himself cuddled tightly in his arms. The stuffed little thing helped him to keep warm from the cold depths of the night, it was his favourite thing that he had ever been given in his life. He really wanted to express his gratitude for it to Kris more, but he thought that would probably be silly.
After turning the plush around to look into its permanently joyful visage, Ralsei's mind wandered back to Kris once more. Why did he feel so different around them? Human magic? Ever since he had met them on that fateful day, something sparked inside of his heart that made him feel... something.
He recounted his earlier years of constant reading in an attempt to learn more about Lightner-kind, just so that he could hopefully understand his future friends just a slight touch more. Despite being only mere illusions, Darkners shared the exact same sentiments as Lightners and a lot of those books featured different ways to infer another being's current state. Tears created through dismay... smiles brought out by joy... paralysis out of fear...
... Love...
Another spark flared inside of Ralsei. Was that strange feeling truly just love for his new companion? Ralsei was conflicted on what to think, but at the same time... he had already accepted the idea. Something about seeing Kris emerge from the shining ray of light in town never failed to accelerate his heart rate tenfold. The way he blushed whenever they even came close to him, the way he was always the first to ask them if they were okay, the desire that he always felt to give them a hug and reassure them that everything would be alright... he really liked Kris, didn't he?
"...ah." he muttered to himself under his breath. Now it felt so obvious... it was just a completely new experience that he had never come to terms with until now. Even Susie had been teasing him about it, now that he thought about it. Had she really found out his true feelings about Kris before he himself had? A little embarrassment came through as he continued to think about what other feelings she had saw within him, but he promptly decided to ignore it.
Of course, Ralsei was not completely oblivious to love. He knew that it existed, he just never thought that he was capable of engaging in it first-hand. After all his speeches he gave about how Darkners weren't meant to feel emotions, it was clear that the idea of a real relationship had never properly crossed his mind until now. No Darkner in history has ever had a recorded relationship with a Lightner before... that's why he told Seam that he wasn't sure about his idea when the two were conversing at their shop before. They might have thought of him as extremely unorthodox, an outlier, or even just plain weird.
Was Lightner-Darkner love even permitted? Did Kris even feel the same way as he did? Both questions were much too difficult to answer, but Ralsei desperately wanted the correct answer for both of them to be 'Absolutely'. To him, Kris was a glimmer of hope. A glimmer that blinded him with the beautiful fantasy of entering a new world and living without the horrors of upcoming prophecies eerily looming over them ever again. A wonderful dream of sitting side by side in front of the sunset of the other world, watching their hair blow in the wind to reveal their sparkling eyes that hid in the shade. To interlock his hands with theirs, to lean forward and...
Ralsei hastily shook his head and snapped out of his second unconscious daydream in the past hour, the sunlit pastures of his dream dissolving and reforming into the gloomy brick walls that he knew all too well.
*This is strange.* he whispered to himself silently. Where did all of this come from? Even despite the sudden realisation, it all still felt so natural, as if he knew it all along.
The Prince of the Dark laid his body down onto the tough floorboards and curled up with his stuffed replica still cradled in his grasp and held tightly against his torso. It was an incredibly uncomfortable spot to take a respite, but to make up for it, he had instead found a new comfort that could raise his spirits more than any other. One that he would hold onto for as long as he could.
*I can't wait to see them tomorrow.*
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Three hours passed in the Dark World as the nightlife began to dissipate and loud chatter started to become almost inaudible conversation. At the edge of town, something descended from above and appeared at the foot of the spotlight. The noise of its entrance cut through the silence like scissors running through paper.
Out of the light stumbled a dark, indiscernible figure bearing what seemed to be armor of some kind. The sounds of solid steel footsteps clanging against cobble echoed throughout the whole town. Those who remained outside watched the figure carefully, examining its strides which made it look like a corpse reanimated from the dead. It seemed to be holding a couple of random objects, though nobody reached out to question the strange choices.
The corpse-like shape continued to walk through the whole town, avoiding eye contact with every single resident that was confusedly glaring at them. Instead, they walked and walked until they finally reached the main castle that stood tall in the centre of the world. Up ahead the dark fountain flowed, painting the surrounding sky in a mystic purple glow. The figure tilted their head upwards to take a look at the pretty view above before heading through the gates of the grandiose building in front of them.
The odd character wandered through the halls of the castle with an odd urgency. A flight of stairs. A corridor. Another flight of stairs. Another corridor. Soon enough, they stopped in front of something. It was a luminous green door coated in dusky shadow.
They crouched down, their armor creating a slight clatter as it collided with the ground. In their arms were three objects grasped tightly. The largest of them was placed onto the ground in front of the door. A smaller, softer object was placed on top of the first. Then finally, the smallest object was carefully put down in a way that it seemed to lie perfectly in the centre of all the others. With their held inventory emptied and their peculiar purpose seemingly completed, they knocked on the door three times and rapidly scurried away from the scene. The shadow of a person speedwalked all the way back to the beginning of town, ascending into the beam of light to meet the heavens once more.
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Ralsei jolted in shock and shot up from the floor after being jumpscared by a noise that sounded like knocking on his door. He sighed and got up to answer the call. It was probably just Lancer begging to show off his new room renovations and splat noise collection.
He put on an uneasy smile ready to welcome whichever of his subjects was awaiting at the door, but as he turned the doorknob and opened the doorway, he was surprised to see that the hallway was completely empty of visitors. Confused, he looked to his left and right before looking at his feet and noticing a bizarre assortment of random objects on the floor. In front of him lay a ladder, a purple couch cushion and a fresh darker candy that sat in the centre like a precious crown jewel.
*Where did all of this come from?* Ralsei asked himself in his mind. It took a little bit of thinking before he remembered his conversation with Susie in the exact same room, with her talking about filling up the room wall to wall with furniture for him. Was this what she was talking about? How did it get here? Either Kris or Susie must have just come down into the Dark World in the dead of night to drop these things off for him. It was so thoughtful of them to care about making him feel like he lived in a real home. He appreciated both of them so much... if only they were still here right now so he could thank them properly.
Ralsei brought all of the objects into the room and shut the door behind him. As of now, the ladder wasn't much use so he propped it up against the wall just in case it would come in handy later. For the cushion, he placed it on the floor and used it as a pillow for his head. The cushion was incredibly comfortable and would be a great assistance in preventing headaches from resting on the hard, brick floor.
As he laid down on the floor, he pulled out the candy once more and held it up against his lenses to examine it. Its pointy star shape felt oddly comforting to the touch, while it's red hazy glow shone brightly against the dark aura of the room. The treat looked so beautiful that for a moment Ralsei even considered not eating it to keep it as a decoration...
But it just looked too delectable to leave uneaten like that. He slowly popped the candy into his mouth and chewed on it, which left him with such a delightfully sweet sensation that he couldn't help but grin. This one seemed much sweeter than the ones that came fresh from the trees; the candy must have been left untouched in a pocket of some sort for quite a while. Nonetheless, Ralsei appreciated the quick treat and thanked the mystery donator by praying to the ceiling above.
The Prince rolled over into a more comforting position and curled up to keep warm. After the past events that had happened today, he had definitely needed some extra reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Fortunately for him, he was feeling better than ever. He glanced up at the black, empty ceiling and gave a kind facial expression that showed off a newly found hope for the future. Ralsei felt truly at ease. He was truly happy.