Chapter Text
The class is bustling with life, your best friend turned around in her seat, watching as you rustle a hand around your schoolbag for loose change.
"It's really okay!" Noelle insists, sweating as your arm somehow falls deeper into the void that is your backpack. You shake your head, brows knotted as you scratch against folders and loose papers.
"We need brain food Noelle," you argue, stopping suddenly and grinning at her when you pinch something between your two fingers.
From your bag, you slowly withdraw your thumb and index finger sandwiching a quarter, expelling an applaud from a laughing Noelle.
"Now I just need to find four more," you heave out, placing the coin down on your desk and lifting your arm to rummage more. Despite your determination to find more quarters to fulfill both yours and Noelle's vending machine order, the bell rings loudly into your ears. Noelle pats you consolingly, giggling something about already having snacks for the both of you.
When your teacher walks in, greeting everyone awkwardly and excessively sweating as usual, you expect a review for the upcoming quiz on your current math lesson or a new assigned chapter for the lame book you were reading. But, by the extra sweat collecting at her temples, you knew it couldn't be.
"We- uh.. will actually be g-getting into groups of two!" She stammers out nervously, watching the eyes in the crowd narrow at her. "Any person you'd l-like! Just.. uh.. choose someone. Please.."
Her voice quiets slowly as she shrinks against the blackboard, her chest releasing her breath the moment the glares started to drift away.
As chatter begins to fill the room, questions on being partners clashing against each other, you tap Noelle's shoulder.
"Wanna do it at my house this time?" You suggest, smiling at the quirk of her lips. She nods but, before the words can escape her lips, a wing of blue wraps around her shoulders.
Berdly grins cheekily, ignoring the uncomfortable and shocked reaction jolted out of Noelle.
"Well hello my sweetness," he begins, the tips of his feathers brushing against her cheek, "I do suppose you've been waiting for me to ask you to... pair up with me?"
Berdly chuckles, slapping a wing to the side of his head where his taped glasses were starting to peel off. A finger comes up to hush Noelle as her eyes crinkle in annoyance.
"Not to worry, my princess! I will save you the words..." Berdly sings, voice hushed as he finally pulls away from Noelle and settles his gaze on you.
"Oh. Hm."
There's silence as you just stare up at him. Berdly squints his eyes and taps his feathered fingers together.
"Well well! Look who’s come crawling back…”
Berdly smirks as his glasses slip down his face slowly.
“I do recall asking you for the last project... And you called me heinous things. Mehehehe… if you grovel, I may allow you to fight to the death for Noelle’s position—“
He's cut off when you huff and finally stand up, sparing Noelle an apologetic glance before redirecting your attention to the classroom. There were a good amount of people still seated and unpartnered from what you could tell. Your eyes start at the back of the class, searching for a person with their head up, also looking for a person to ask.
Eventually, someone peaks out at you from the middle of the class, smile inviting as she piques the question.
You'd never talked to her, and you honestly couldn't remember a single letter from her name. But she was a light at the end of the tunnel. And a mile better than Berdly.
You settled beside her, committing to the small talk and name trading while waiting for the final bell to ring so that your professor could explain more about the project. It was bearable until the door creaks open a moment before the bell rings, strands of brown hair sticking out from the usual bedhead you used to brush out as a kid.
Kris steps into the classroom, unfazed by the distressed look on Ms. Alphys' face.
"Ah! Kris! Perfect timing. Well.. not really-- b-but! Find a partner quick and we'll get to working! Or- uh.. take your time?"
They don't give any form of a response to the teachers nervous rambling, just walking through the loud classroom and making their rounds getting redirected by different groups.
You watch them the entire time, chin pressed into your palm as you catch them chatting lowly with Noelle. She profusely apologizes and you don't need to hear it to know that she suggests making them a three person group.
Berdly argues loudly in the background as you huff against your fingers, boring a hole into your desk with your hard stare. The bell would ring in five more minutes, giving you enough time to chat mindlessly to the girl beside you.
Or go pee.
The bathroom lights are white and insanity inducing. The tile by the fourth stall is wet and it doesn't take a genius to realize what mistake happened there.
You peer up at yourself in the mirror, illuminated by the sterile lighting. You could hear the chatter from other classrooms echoing against the walls of the hallways.
The water runs cold against your dry hands. You curse yourself for not applying Noelle's yummy smelling lotion before class started.
The ring of the bell thrums against your head as the final footsteps pour into classes. The school turns quiet, and you begin to dread going back into your classroom. You didn't want to do a project with someone that could not stop pronouncing your name wrong, nor did you want to have to witness whatever messed up antics Susie might pull on her next victim.
So you wait a while longer, back now pressed against the cold walls of a bathroom stall. You observe the knots in your shoelaces, and then the chip in your nail that definitely wasn't there 5 minutes ago.
And then you thought about what might be happening in your class right now. Berdly was probably annoying Noelle and everyone within a 10 foot radius. You thought about your mom at home right now, working her remote job in whatever boring company it was.
And then the silence brought you back to where you always ended up; to Kris.
It's been three years since you'd last talked to them.
Three years ago, their brother was still in town, there to split them away from you when a prank went awry. And Dess was still there, always hanging around whenever you dragged Noelle over to their house to play.
Of course, the two elder siblings clocked your crush on Kris immediately, teasing behind your back but acting none the wiser to your face. You felt stupid now thinking about it.
You laugh about it to yourself in your cold corner of the bathroom stall, recalling how childish it all was. I mean, how could you not get a crush? They were by your side almost every second of the day, they would sneak in from your window to have random sleep overs even though your parents were fine with them using the front door, and they were strongly insistent on sharing those couple meals at restaurants with you on romantic holidays just for the deal.
Dess and Asriel used to tease you to death for the things you did together. But at the end of the day, you were just friends. Close friends.
Until you left for a trip out of town for your mom's birthday.
It was only a week long, somewhere a few hundred miles from your quaint hometown by a beautiful lake.
Too young for a phone and too shy to suggest sending notes via messenger pigeon, you push through the week without a single way to communicate with any of your friends and Kris.
And you come back home to Dess missing.
Your neighbors are quiet in distress, with Asriel panicked and constantly putting flyers up and Noelle staying many nights in your room, sobbing in your arms for the first two weeks.
And Kris.
They were silent for the first few days, slipping in and out of their house silently whenever it was necessary. Asriel reassured you with a pat on the shoulder one day while you were helping put up flyers, saying they were "worried in their own way" and that everyone handles things differently. You trusted him whole heartedly, and you waited for the day that Kris would speak to you again, whether it be about Dess or not.
But they never did.
Because Asriel is leaving for college at the end of the month, something about an emergency dorm situation and the school needing him a bit earlier than he was supposed to go.
Of course he's devastated. Dess was still missing and his family was not taking the news very well.
Your perfect life began crumbling before your eyes.
Kris doesn't come out of their house anymore when Asriel decides to leave. They don't speak to you or Noelle for the rest of the summer, only watching blankly as Asriel hugs everyone tightly and waves his goodbye.
He enters his car and drives out of the town. Kris watches until he becomes a blur in the distance, shoulders heavy and arms limp at their sides. Beneath the layers of their hair, their lip was pressed between a tight bite, blood collecting on their teeth.
You remember trying to speak to them the night after Asriel's leave, hoping to cheer them up before the beginning of your guys' freshman year of high school.
But they snapped, red eyes glaring dangerously up at you. In their cold, silent house, you stood at the door to their dark room, body frozen as their eyes widen in shock. They didn't mean to. They didn't mean to lash out.
Not at you. Anybody but you.
You're already out the door after heaving out a silent apology, voice wavering as your footsteps resound against warm yellow wallpaper.
Kris doesn't chase you. They don't follow after the tear drop trail that you leave in your wake, nor do they follow you any of the days after that.
They silently exist around you, almost blurring into the crowds of people that filled the gaps of your day.
You don’t allow it. You can’t. You can’t let them go.
Noelle was your only friend after that day.
You sniff in the toilet water air and awaken from your reminiscing when a bowl flushes nearby. You listen to the person walk out without washing their hands and grimace.
You've spent enough time mourning your losses.
The hallways caught each step you took, resounding them loudly against every surface as you slowly make your way back to class. A draft blows against your cheek, cold and heavy.
Huh. Weird. You could've sworn the staff was extremely strict on closing the front doors, especially since it's close to snowing weather now. Kids used to kick snow in and slide through the doors on their stomachs. You have shamelessly been one of those kids.
It wouldn't hurt to waste a few more seconds. You're sure the school would appreciate it too.
Except the front door was shut tightly, wind howling outside as it presses deeply into the doorframe.
Another gust of wind hits you from the opposite direction, strong enough to knock you back a little bit out of surprise.
The storage closet looms open behind you, a dark shade pouring out of it. Just the sight of it kicks something in your chest, a voice beckoning you to return to class and do the stupid project already.
Your beat up shoes lead you towards it though, a hushed hum drawing you closer. The voice in your head only grows quieter as the humming grows louder, your eyes stinging as rough waves of wind press against your face.
This is wrong.
But it feels so right. The darkness wails for you, each step closer fulfilling its whines for more.
Your hand grips the doorframe tightly. Where carpet floor should be there is void. Where stillness should be there is wind.
It’s pulling you in so naturally. Your body tilts forwards, something embracing your head and pressing you against itself.
You’re falling. Wind is howling in your ears, the descent similar to that of a quiet pond, your hand petting the surface with the tips of your fingers.
You close your eyes.
.
And you wake up with a throbbing headache.
The air around you is stiff and frigid, a dry breeze prickling against the skin of your shoulders.
You peel your eyes open to the dusty, grayish grounds beneath you, a thin layer of dust soft against your palms.
Something aches in you when you push off of the floor with a heavy groan, the space between your shoulder blades aching.
Your head is spinning as you lean against rocks and dirt, the lack of light in this area not helping in the slightest.
A croak of a voice is in place of your own; in your attempts to call out for somebody, the strained hoarseness of your throat denies you any vocal freedom.
A smooth material is cold, pooled just over at your bare feet. Something smooth is holding your wrists together from falling limp at your sides. And, of course, a thin tiara sits on your head, its base resting against your forehead. You can’t seem to take it off.
What is happening.
You rub your eyes and finally take a good look around you.
It’s dark, the floor beneath you almost a blue tint. There’s nothing else besides the void surrounding you and rocky walls trailing down a path.
”He-llo..?” You try again, your voice finally coming out comprehensibly. It echoes far into the void, and you’re so sure you’d heard someone call back. But it comes back as your own echo.
Fear picked at your heart as you gather the material from your feet, biting at your cheek when you take a single step forwards. Then another. You felt pathetic, as though you’d just learned to walk.
You didn’t know if you could keep going, eyes darting from left to right, up and down for any signs of life other than yourself.
”Ho ho!”
Something beeps ahead of you. From the coverage of a few boulders, you stand like a deer in headlights at a pair of high beams shining on you like a spotlight.
You freeze. A part of your body shuts down, leaving you stuck in fear as the lights approach at a deadly speed. You squint your eyes shut, listening to the disgruntled engine roar as it nears.
Your heart is bumping out of your chest, nearly stopping all together when the noises stop right in front of you, the bubbly blipping of the bike almost mockingly loud in your ears.
”Are you playing hide and seek?”
It’s a kiddish voice, squeaky and innocent as it questions from above you.
Your head shoots up, brows furrowed as you squint against the bright headlights. You hear a silly apology before they dim down.
Above you, a rotund spherical... thing peers down from its motorcycle. Its tongue is stuck out of its mouth, an almost sheepish grin on its eyeless spade head. It appears pleased when you finally look up at it, unbuckling its seatbelt and reaching a cautionary foot towards the floor.
“A lightner! My lucky day, another one that’s strayed from its pack!” The thing giggles, finally bouncing off of its motorcycle with a comical boing noise. Now you knew you had to be dreaming, because what the fuck is this thing.
“You… I- ok. What is this.”
The spade headed thing laughs loudly, staring up at you with its arms swinging by its sides.
“You are now my prisoner! And, with your help, I will capture the rest of you pesky lightner's and earn extra i-pad time from my dad!!”
It cackled again, jumping for joy and then grabbing your wrist. You pull away immediately, a feat that took a minuscule amount of effort.
"Wait- just... give me a second."
The bulbous thing stops at your side, cheeky smile still on display as it sways from side to side. It doesn't seem bothered or annoyed with your request, instead redirecting its attention to the ground where it kicks at oddly shaped pebbles. You watch, baffled.
"Who-- what-- are you?" You begin short of breath, stepping back a bit when its head darts up. It places a finger at its mouth and looks up as though it were pondering. You only become more bemused as it hums in thought.
Then, finally, it jumps up and does a little twirl for you, "I am Lancer! The evil and corrupt child of the Card Kingdom!!!!"
He looks up at you expectantly, waiting for some kind of applause or approval of his introduction. You only stare, and his stance falters a little in disappointment. You can't help but smile a little; his childish antics were amusing.
"My dad tells me to be evil.. did that seem evil to you?" He asks promisingly, staring up at your incredulous gaze and raised eyebrows. You bit your lip and looked away, confused on if you even wanted to continue entertaining this strange kid.
"Uhh yeah! Yeah, it was pretty evil," you cough out, kicking a foot out and shuffling in place. Lancer cheers, grabbing at your wrist again and pulling you with him. Or, trying to, at least. You end up sparing him the effort and walking to his bike for him.
It's a small thing, probably tall enough for your feet to hover just above the ground if you were sitting on it. You note the busted noise coming from its rear, as well as the big bag of candy and assorted foods occupying your backseat spot. Lancer grabs it and shoves a handful into his mouth.
"Let's go!" He encourages you to sit on the small rickety seat behind him. You only stare at it for a minute and then at him who was trying to unstick his candy covered fingers.
"So.. where exactly are you taking me?"
Lancer pauses. Then he scratches at his head, which then gets stuck there from the candy residue on his hand.
"Well, I was going to bring you back to my castle and my dad would probably throw you into prison," Lancer states casually, one of his sticky fingers finally pulling off of his head, "But I don't like my dad's prison... It's cold and you wouldn't get to eat dinner!"
The child puffs a cheek, oblivious to your horrified expression, "Dinner time is important to me. I wouldn't want you to miss it either, cus sleeping on an empty stomach is bad"
He finally turns to you, grinning from ear to ear (where are his ears?). He hops into the front seat of the bike, patting the seat behind him excitedly. You hesitate and then step back, dress slipping from the grip of your fingers.
"I am not going to prison," you state firmly, taking another step back, "and I am not staying here any longer than I need to."
Lancer sticks his tongue out the side of his mouth, "Oh don't worry. I won't take you to the prison. I just need help finding the other lightner's. I'm not very good at navigation."
You couldn't wrap your head around this guy.
You take a step forwards, pointing a finger out at Lancer who just smiles up at you.
"You will not imprison me and you will help me find a way out of here."
He giggles and frees the rest of his hand from his head, nodding eagerly, "I don't know what exists beyond "here" but okay!"
A groan falls from your lips as you begrudgingly approach him and board the motorcycle.
“My pops wants me to wear a helmet but they never fit my head,” he comments, buckling into the motorcycle carefully and smiling back at you.
“Seatbelts first!”
Without another word, he revs his engine and continues on, the pace a bit slower than it was when he arrived.
You let him drive, curiously observing this uncharted land in search of an exit. At least the thing that’s “captured” you isn’t harmless from what you can tell.
“Are you their princess?” He asks, turning around carelessly while swerving around. You slap his hands back onto the handles of the bike and rub a temple, distressed by your currently unharmful predicament.
“Who’s princess?” You question, glancing out at the rocky walls with ominous eye shaped holes and how the bike has begun going off track from the dirt trail.
Lancer seems to rub his chin for a second, as though he were recollecting his memory of what he was talking about.
“The blue one like you. With shiny armor and a kind of lame aura.” Lancer laughs, “Your knight in shining armor!”
You chuckle nervously, looking around to see if that “knight” was anywhere nearby with answers and an exit.
“I’m not a princess, no. But— what do you mean “like me”? ” You look down at the kid, watching him gnaw slightly on his jutted tongue.
“Like a human! You... are a human, right? You're fleshy like one!”
A human....? That couldn't be right. I mean, the only other human in your town was--
Before you can answer, the bike turns downwards, racing down a complete 90 degree angled drop. The bottom of the cliff Lancer directs you down is out of sight, only a thick layer of inky void welcoming you. You're shrieking, gripping onto Lancer's head as your bodies start to float out of your seats. Thank god for the seat belts.
Lancer only laughs as the two of you fall to what you presumed to be your death. His arms are in the air, as if this was some kind of roller coaster. You squeeze his head harder and you swear on whatever life you'd have after this that you heard some kind of splat noise emit from him.
The wind gets colder and colder around you, the only sound other than the squealing whistle of air being Lancer shrieking with joy.
You don't know how long you continue falling before light glows beneath you, shining past your closed eyelids. A bright blue sea of lights fill your head, the air around you slowing down just a smidge.
You open your eyes when Lancers laughs grow into nervous hoots. A sudden bump crashes you and Lancer against the handles of the bike, only revving it faster forwards. The cliffs wall was past you now, the upright solid ground kissing the wheels welcomingly.
There was a giant brick wall in your way.
“Lancer, do you even have a license?!” You scream at him as the bike nears the wall. Lancer sticks his tongue out, his expression blanking.
“It’s just a really fast e-bike...”
You shut your eyes on impact and duck your head low.
The crash is surprisingly smooth, the bike slamming through rubble and dust. It stumbles forwards, something hard being thrown by the front wheel and acting as a brake.
You and Lancer tilt forwards, your combined weight leaning the bike on its front before you both fall off, seatbelts snapping apart.
It's silent in the room other than your pained moans and Lancer spitting dust out of his mouth.
Your head is spinning as you sit up, dress fallen around you in a ring of silk and debris. Lancer coughs out a rock beside you, shuffling forwards and lending you a hand. You smile and take it. You push yourself up after a moment of Lancer trying to pull you up but falling backwards instead.
The room is dim and smells of something baked. You turn to Lancer, hoping he'd have any clue as to where you crashed into. He's picking up his bike and brushing it off, worriedly hugging it. Something in your heart stings at that.
“Holy shit, what the hell are you doing here?!”
You nearly jump out of your skin at that familiar voice.
She's standing with both hands on her head, staring at you like some kind of extraterrestrial monster from this land. Your stomach flips. Thank GOD you weren't the only one stuck here. But... was it really good if it was Susie??
Before you can reply and burst into tears of joy, Lancer is bouncing next to you, sitting comfortably on his bike.
“Ho ho ho! It seems we meet again!” Lancer grins, "All of the lightners in one place! Man, dad is gonna have to give me a raise!"
Before you, you count one black blob flattened on the floor, one purple dinosaur dressed in a kinda cool fashion, and one shining knight coolly hidden behind a torn, red cape and familiar bangs.
"Why in the world are you dressed like that?"
Susie yells at your unnecessary comment, elbowing the knight beside them who seemed frozen in place. You grumble and slide your stare over to the person beside Susie who seemed to be observing you carefully. You raise a brow, a part of you hoping that this person was the knight Lancer mentioned before.
“Do not distract my prisoner!” He grins, holding you by the crook of your elbow and pulling you forward as though you were a hostage. You go along with it, Susie's brows only creasing further, eyes darting between you and Lancer.
"You seriously got caught by this guy?!" Susie complains, eyeing Lancer's bouncy ball physique. You only shrug a shoulder, rubbing your arm sheepishly.
”I was charmed?”
Susie only slaps a hand over her face with a groan. Lancer laughs.
The darkner speaks like he had encountered them before, even when Susie and her acquaintance seem to hold no recollection of ever meeting.
He goes on to ramble about being the best son and capturing you, his grip loosening as his “evil” monologue turns to a sort of a weird admiration for Susie. Beside her, you catch the knights attentive gaze lingering on you. From behind their fringe, a ruby shaded stare peers up at you with some kind of emotion. One of those looks that felt too intimate for strangers.
You look down. Those red eyes reminded you of them. Of Kris. You wondered if they'd found a partner yet for the project.
You gulp and open your mouth to address them when Lancer throws you (gently pushes you) to the side and holds up what looks like white shards to the trio. You land beside the hole in the wall that was created a few moments ago, stepping back a bit before your dress catches on your feet and sends you tumbling to the floor. The knight watches, a hesitant stutter in their leg almost pressing towards you.
The ground shakes with the acceleration of Lancer's bike as he initiates combat, rumbling the left over debris from his crash. From above you, the remainders of the walls begin to crumble, releasing boulder sized pieces of wall to land around you.
You yelp as you roll over, barely avoiding a slab of rock from crushing you. Muscles ache along your arms as you try to push away from the falling debris caused by the sudden action happening around you.
A large piece of the wall shakes, cracks deepening with every attack thrown. Susie's axe slashes wildly at Lancer, one hit too strong sending it smashing into the ground. That was all it took for the wall to give in, releasing the giant slab from its spot and sending it down to you.
You grunt loudly as you pull away from the hole, fear settling in with adrenaline as your dress mimics quicksand.
It's too slow. Far too slow.
The rubble crashes down, your legs just out of reach from freedom.
Your cry is gurgled behind the breath knocked from your throat. Shoulders falling limp from their army crawling position. You're breathing heavily against the pain now throbbing in your legs. You could move them thankfully, meaning they weren't broken. But, with the weight of the wreckage, the chances of getting out in your current situation were slim.
You huff and bite your lip, fingers scratching at the ground as the ache spreads past no return.
Everyone is fighting, a swirl of whites and purples and reds combining in your glossy eyes. No one is here to save you. And maybe that was for the better. Maybe Susie and the knight will defeat Lancer (without hurting him too bad hopefully) and bring light back to this dark dimension.
And what about you?
This is not what you wanted. You didn't want to die. You didn't want to be here of all places. Hopeless, pathetic, useless.
Tears well in your eyes. You were terrified. So, so terrified.
A heavy weight pulls at your eyelids.
No one could see you.
They could see you. They've seen your every move since you'd shown up. And they were watching with distress as your eyes began to close.
Lancer sends more of his white spades at the group, dodging with every warning yelled at him and joking about them helping him win. Susie slashes wildly while the black blob incessantly repeats the reminder of ‘ACT’ing to the knight who’s actions grew sloppier with distraction.
The grip on their sword is slipping, a spade knocking against their pauldron, nearly nicking their cheek as they dodge at the last second. The creature beside them eyes them carefully, worried glances thrown your way by both of them. You were the princess the prophecy had mentioned, they were sure of it.
The knight is hit directly by a spade, their knee pulsing with pain as they continue to try and deflect as many attacks as they could.
The shaded figure swallows their concerns and gives a look of contemplation before it pushes the knight aside, giving one knowing glance before aiding Susie as much as possible in defending until they came back.
The blob looks at you one last time from behind the knight, who is frozen for a second in comprehension.
Then they dash from the battle immediately, sword loose in their hands as they fall to their knees before you.
“Kris, what the hell?! Get the fuck back over here!” Susie yells while knocking away the sharp spades with a swing of her axe. The name shoots your eyes open, looking around wildly as the weight on your legs slowly lifts.
Two hands steadily scoop you up, your shoulder pressed against cold metal. Beyond the steel chest plate, you can hear the faint echo of a heart drumming frantically.
The pain is throbbing in your legs as you stare up at your savior, breath heavy as you try to contain your pained wails. Tears are dripping from your eyes, fat and pitiful.
”Kris..?” You question lowly, their fingers tightening around you a little at the sound of your voice speaking their name. You don't notice the thumb that reaches up to swipe at your jaw where tears threatened to fall.
They hum in return, a shaky exchange, before running you past the battle to a corner of the room, away from the wild attacks that Lancer was summoning.
You groan as you try to sit up, catching sight of your bleeding left leg and scraped up right one. It almost shocked you out of your pain at how little they seemed to be damaged. Kris presses you back down, fingers delicate against you as they lean in.
“Stay.”
Their voice itself seems to lull your heart to a softer beat; It was ridiculous how warm you felt the moment you heard them speak. Your eyes dart from the corners of their face to the glint of red hidden behind their fringe, scouring for any signs of the person you used to know. They’ve matured since the last time you faced them directly. They nearly looked unfamiliar, from the sharpened features of their face to their very slightly shorter haircut. But you could always recognize that look in their eyes.
That look of vulnerability.
You can’t help the whisper of their name that slips out of your throat. Tears appear again. Scared. You were so scared. Your leg was starting a puddle beneath it, the drumming of that foreign dull pain returning ten times stronger.
Kris watches you for a moment, seemingly lost as their fingers softly slide away from you. Susie screams at them to come back, loudly grunting afterwards to hit away Lancer’s projectiles.
For a moment, you wondered how this would've played out had you continued to be friends those three years ago. If they'd still hold you as tenderly as they were now--- like you meant something to them.
Like you meant something.
The remainder of their gentle fingertips leave you, parting with a cold trail behind it. Something almost chokes out of their throat but they're standing up before it can come out. They glance at you, a reminder to remain idle. To wait for them. You only nod.
And then they’re back in battle, sword swift against Lancer’s attacks with a newfound focus. You watch them, their scraps of red and silver blurring together as the pain from your leg grows. You try to press the material of your dress onto the wound, compressing it tightly to try and stop the flow.
Something sharp darts past your face, grazing the skin of your cheek as it pins itself into the wall beside you before fading to dust.
Lancer’s attacks only grow as they begin making their way to you. With every attack failed at being deflected, more sharp spades make their way to your corner of the room. And of course Kris notices that.
Kris steps back, shadow looming over you as their sword shines brightly in the rooms light. You watch as they hit away every attack, forming a shield over your form.
Eventually, Lancers halts his movements, panting and groaning.
”Wow you guys are tough! I'll spare you just this once, since I still need some fuel to get home for dinner!” Lancer stares tiredly, kicking his bike back to life. It rumbles lowly as he sits back on it. Susie raises her axe to finish the job but Kris plants a firm arm in front of her, allowing the little spade a second to put on his seatbelt and eye the room. He finally catches a glimpse of you in the corner and smiles.
“Ah! Come on prisoner! We have to try again another time. For some reason this purple alligator is vicious!” Lancer speeds to your side, eyeing the gash on your leg and the paleness of your skin creeping up your neck to your face. The tip of his head seems to droop as he scrambles in panic.
"You're really hurt! Oh gosh, I- I'm sure my lesser dad can fix you up!"
Before Lancer can reach a hand out to guide you onto the bike, the red glare of a swords edge slices between the space.
Lancer jolts and looks up at the knight before him, protecting their injured princess behind them.
No words are spoken, only the silent understanding as Kris glares down at the child before him. Lancer whimpers, watching as you heave slowly against the wall. He'd never seen blood before. And he felt some kind of stern sisterly bond from you in the 10 minutes you'd spent together. Something about your smile felt familiar.
And now you were bleeding out on the floor. Was this his fault..?
”You.. you need to help her, okay?” Lancer pleads lightly, eyes still on you who appears to smile just a little bit at him. Kris only presses their sword deeper into the floor, though something in them softens unnoticeably..
He's quick to speed off, glancing one more time at you before exiting out of the hole that he'd made.
It’s silent in the room for a second, the only sound being the hissing noise of Kris sheathing their sword at their waist.
And then all eyes are on you, the black blob hurried as it rushes to Kris’ side.
“Oh dear, that does not look good,” it mutters, its voice soft and sweet. Susie walks up on the other side, brows furrowed at the gash.
“And none of this would’ve happened if your dumbass didn’t come here,” she growls, axe rested on her shoulder as she snorts. “Seems deserved if you were stupid enough to follow after us.”
You efforts to display annoyance are weak, an argument halfway out of your mouth as you try to sit up when pain erupts from your movements. Kris is quick to press a hand to your shoulder, keeping you slumped over. Susie doesn't comment, only huffing. You're thankful for that.
“Fighting doesn’t seem like the solution here, Susie..” the black blob states carefully, kneeling at your side and rustling for something in its cloak. A clawed hand comes out, handing you some sort of candy. “Here. It won’t work fast but it’ll definitely heal faster than it would naturally.”
You weakly reach out only for Kris to block the move and settle a hard stare down at your helper.
"No." They eye the candy for a second before their gaze crinkles in discontent. "Something faster."
The creature hesitates until they look down at you and the pool of blood gathering around your leg. They quickly pocket the candy and nod without another word, retreating quickly to another room in the castle.
Susie scoffs at that, looking off to the side and swinging her axe to rest back on her back.
"Seriously. How are you even here?" Susie grunts out, observing the way Kris knelt beside you like some kind of caretaker.
You laugh softly, "bathroom."
"What."
She doesn't get a response after that because the blob thing is already rushing back over with a plate in hand, sweating and panting incessantly. Something smells of vanilla extract and frosting.
"This will fix you up nicely!" It cheers, handing you a pink frosted cake slice and a fork. You raise a brow but, with how Kris is literally blue and you just hitched a ride with a spade kid, you didn't ask any questions.
It tastes like how your mother used to make it for your birthday. It's scarfed down in no time, the sweetness replacing the dull stinging of the wound on your leg. Susie's eyes are bulging out of her head when you put the plate down on your lap, following her gaze to the unscathed skin on your legs. The blood below you is still fresh, but your gash is as though it never existed.
You twitch your leg. Then kick it. And then you finally push yourself up. Any feelings of weariness or pain are nonexistent in your body.
"HOLY SHIT"
Susie is shaking the blob, demanding a cake slice of her own. The shakes are so violent that their hood drops, revealing a tall hat and fluffy ears framing its face, its more detailed features shaded by the rim of its cap.
There's a lot of loud bickering and some laughing, as well as the new person's introduction as "Ralsei" or the prince of the dark. He talks of prophecy's and is of course rudely interrupted by Susie who repeatedly asks for the exit and a cake to-go.
She's gone before he can utter another word about this sacred prophecy that would save the whole world. What did Noelle see in her exactly?
And then there were three. Ralsei smiles bashfully and looks over to you who now appeared accustomed to the sudden changes in your legs. And then to Kris who never seemed to be too far from you. They hadn't spoken since you'd been healed, and now some kind of dense discomfort lingered in the air. Ralsei attempts to lighten the mood and continue the journey to the dark fountain (and after Susie).
"A princess, a knight, and a prince out to save the world! It seems like it's straight out of a fairytale, huh?" Ralsei voices beside you as the three of you continue out of his castle. It's your first time getting a proper look at the area around you. He called it castle town, a fitting and kind of boring title for what it is.
You hum and smile with the confidence you have after hearing what kind of adventure you'd be dragged along. Why the hell did you have to go to that creepy storage closet.
"Yeah, it's um..." You look around at the inky skies and then the closed shops surrounding you, "certainly something..."
He smiles warmly while you look down at your healed leg, swinging it forwards in your step.
"Hey! Uh.. Thank you for healing me," you mutter lowly, a genuine grin filling your lips, "I know it was short notice and definitely unexpected..."
And Ralsei just smiles back and insists that it was the least he could do. You smile at his unadulterated kindness and watch as they grow shy the more you stare.
The walk continues on, Ralsei mentioning plenty of information on training and protecting you and the rest of the party from whatever harm may come your way. You nod to his words, even sliding a smile when he notes your bravery and importance to the prophecy.
But your eyes are drifting to over your shoulder where Kris is walking, a slowness in their step that doesn't quite catch up to the two of you.
They're staring down at the floor, little care shown towards the conversation between you and the prince. It kind of hurts seeing the disinterested and spaced out look that they give to the ground. It reminds you of how things were in the regular world, when you became blurs in the background of what used to be shared days.
You thought something had changed. Or at least, something could change. They'd just saved your life! They still cared !
But, did that really even matter? If they were the savior of the world--- a knight in shining armor with the ability to save everyone--- was saving you any more special of a feat than saving anyone else? Were you still meaningless? Something that needed to be saved just to be discarded?
You turn your gaze forwards, biting your cheek and slipping back into whatever information Ralsei was dropping about his manual.
It was all the same. Nothing had changed.
Not even in this crazy, twisted world did they want to be a part of your life again.
It all felt so hopeless.
And Kris was staring right back at you a moment later, watching you as you talk to Ralsei.
They see the ends of your dress balled up in your hands, as well as the small glimmer of the thin tiara around your head. They can note the length of your eyelashes, a distant memory from the days you'd lay across each other in the late nights of a sleepover. They even remember that little pep in your step, a habit you never grew out of as a kid.
They see you beside Ralsei, a prince for a princess.
The air stills.
You had called out their name earlier, had looked into their eyes and reminded them of what they'd lost. Made them feel conflicted after three years of neglecting and ignoring the muted pang in their chest after that night.
That night. That stupid night when they were angry. Scared. Unsure. Lost. Hopeless.
They didn't mean to push you away. For you to run from them, far away from the dark shadow they had cast over your relationship. For them to drift away, guilty of their harm done on the one person they never wanted to harm.
They never meant to push you away.
Was it okay to say they missed you?
They're stuck watching wordlessly between you and Ralsei, a laugh bubbling up out of your throat over something distant. A knot of veins and twisting muscles forming at the base of their throat.
A prince for a princess...
Kris bites their bottom lip, strides becoming longer until they're walking a few feet behind you.
It didn't sit right on their tongue.