Chapter Text
[Hometown School, 6:00 pm]
The world around Susie was seemingly in slow motion. She pondered about everything that had happened with a tear in her eye. “Why am I so upset by Kris kissing someone?” She asked herself. “And why were they kissing their own soul?” Susie felt angry, almost betrayed… but she had no idea why. The whole situation was ridiculous, almost surreal. It kept playing back in her head, over and over… The image of that semi-transparent red figure locking lips with her best friend just played in her head over and over.
She wanted to talk to Kris again, she should’ve never ran away before. She wanted to know everything. The heat of the moment ruined everything.
Despite everything, Noelle and Susie approached the closet, with Susie increasingly nervous.
But no matter, now was the time to introduce Noelle to the biggest secret Susie had kept from her.
”Susie… why are we at school?
I don’t think we’re allowed to be here…”
”Noelle… there’s something I need to show you.
You’re just going to have to trust me.”
Susie grabbed the doors of the closet and swung them open. The darkness consumed the doorway in front of them.
”S- Susie???
What is wrong with the closet…?”
”Grab my hand… follow me.”
”O- okay…”
The two girls gradually stepped forward, as the darkness pulled them in deeper. Eventually, they fell right in. Noelle screamed out of pure fear and confusion before landing face first on the floor.
”Oh shit! Noelle are you okay?”
”(I’m fine Shusie)”
Noelle spit the dirt out of her mouth and looked around her, then looked at Susie.
”Susie!!! You look… different..?”
”Oh yeah uhh, you look different too, hehe…”
Noelle looked at the dress she was wearing and pondered.
“Wait a second… why does this look exactly like my-“
”Susie! Noelle! It’s great to see you two!”
Ralsei approached them two, along with many other darkners standing behind him.
”Oh hey Ralsei!
Noelle, this is Ralsei, he’s like the uhhh boss of this place…”
Noelle stared at Susie with a stern expression on her face.
“Susie… where are we?”
Susie was concerned, she had never seen Noelle like this before.
”Uhh, this is the uhh… Dark world…?”
”Susie.
Why does this place look almost identical to my dream?”
Susie began sweating profusely.
”Well, it’s uh, because it… wasn’t.. a dream…?”
Ralsei and the other darkners became increasingly worried. Susie began getting even more nervous than she already was.
”…So all this time… you were lying to me?”
”Nonono I wasn’t lying I was just-“
”Susie.
Tell me the truth.”
”…okay..
It was all real… you were never dreaming..”
Noelle was speechless. She was letting the gears in her head turn with anger, while trying to come up with what to say.
”You dragged me away from my dying father, who may not survive the next few days, just to tell me a dream that literally changed my life, was real the entire time?”
All of a sudden, Queen appeared next to Noelle.
“Oh Hello Noelle Sweetie Baby Honey Darling
It Is Great To See You Again”
Noelle was pissed. She stared into Susie’s very soul before angrily tapping her hooves.
“Susie, take me home.”
“B- but you didn’t even look aroun-“
”Take. Me. Home.”
”But Noelle I-“
”Fine, have it your way.
I’m leaving.
And I’m telling Mom.”
”W-WHAT?!?”
Susie was visibly disturbed.
Noelle walked back into the light and began floating back to the light world.
“Noelle!!!”
It was too late. Noelle had already gone. Ralsei and Susie were silent.
“Well That Didn’t Work Out Lmao”
Queen laughed before she ran back to her room.
”S- Susie I’m sorry that happened…
It must’ve been a bad first impression…”
”Ralsei… what do I even do now?
She’s telling her mom about this place…”
“Why don’t you go after her?”
”Its no use, she’s probably halfway there by now.
Fuck.
This day can’t get any worse…”
“Susie… did something else happen?”
Susie froze. She had no idea what to say to Ralsei. Should she tell him about Kris? Should she just keep her mouth shut? Questions stirred in her head as the dread deepened in her soul.
”And hey… where’s Kris?
You said they would be here to show Noelle around…”
Susie decided that it was best for Ralsei to know everything.
”Ralsei… Kris was uhh… (kissing someone..)”
Ralsei froze.
“They…. what?”
Ralsei hit Susie with a barrage of achingly rushed questions.
”Who was it?!?
How did you find out?!??
Does anyone else know?!?!
DO THEIR PARENTS KNOW?!??”
“Okay okay calm down but…
They told me they were uhh… kissing that red heart thing that I think is their uhh… soul…
It looked like it had a body.. sort of but-“
Ralsei’s silence was deafening. Susie stopped talking the moment she saw the look on Ralsei’s face.
“Are you okay dude?”
”I…
I have to go.
Now.”
Ralsei ran towards the castle, seemingly in fear of something.
”Not you too!!
RALSEI!?!
God fucking DAMNIT.”
Susie stomped the ground. This whole situation was genuinely getting worse and worse. And now even Ralsei has some secret part in it. And why did she still feel so terrified about Kris… being with someone?
She thought about Kris, then Noelle. She was still questioning her feelings for her too. Did she really love her or…?
Suddenly, it all clicked.
“Am I…. in love with Kris?”
[Dreemurr household, my 6:45 PM]
Kris and the soul were lying together in Kris’s room. The two had been like that for half an hour now, simply enjoying each other’s presence.
“First time you’ve ever cuddled with someone, Krispy?”
”Don’t call me that…”
”Well I gotta call you something, Kris just ain’t gonna cut it if we’re a couple now…”
”Keep saying that and I’m gonna puke.”
Kris was blushing, though they were trying to hide it the whole time.
“You’re real cute, yknow that?”
Kris was blushing. They had never felt such affection before, even from their own family.
It was insane that their first actual lover was their own parasite, but at this point, it didn’t bother them anymore. They just wanted to be in the soul’s projected arms.
”You should probably check on your mom…”
”She’s probably downstairs reading… don’t worry about it.”
Suddenly, Kris was getting a call on their phone. Both Kris and the soul knew who it was. Kris picked up the phone with all the fear of knowing what was going to happen.
“Kris…. betrayal?”
The garbled voice echoed through Kris’s head.
“Where… fountain?
Kris…. You promised!
Consequences are….”
Kris slammed their phone down. They didn’t want to listen to anyone anymore. Especially not them.
The soul stared at Kris with immense worry.
“So uhhh, what now?”
”Can we just… keep cuddling?”
Kris gave the soul tearful eyes.
”Kris… we have to do something.
Like it or not, we need to talk to Susie and Ralsei.
You have to tell them everything.”
Kris began getting worried. They don’t know if they were ready to confront Susie again after all that happened earlier. And hell, what would Ralsei think? He knows the prophecy doesn’t he? Maybe he already knows…
“Should we get going Kris?”
”Yes… but you’re not gonna be controlling me.”
”…Huh?”
”I want you walking alongside me.
If you care about me, you’ll understand.”
”Of course you’d pull that card…
Fine.
But you better hide me from view.”
Kris and the soul exited Kris’s bedroom, carefully stepping as to not make any noise. The two walked down the stairs, into the living room, where they could see Toriel sleeping on her chair again.
Kris stared at her for a moment, slumped over on her chair in front of the old tv stand. Kris quickly averted their eyes and once again walking the soul out of the house.
The two snuck across town, making sure to avoid the view of any of their neighbors. Eventually they came upon their destination, the school.
“Are you sure about this Kris?
I know I suggested it but…”
”I’m sure.”
Kris grabbed the soul’s spectral hand and held it to their chest.
”They have to know.”
Kris dragged the soul to the closet before throwing the doors open.
”You gonna join me or not?”
”Well… I….”
”Sigh*
What’s wrong?”
”Well… I’m gonna be meeting everyone, as… well, myself.
Im a disembodied soul for fucks sake…
What are they gonna think?”
”Im sure it’ll be okay.
Just stay close to me.”
Kris smiled at the soul’s spectral hand before once again grabbing their arm and pulling them into the dark. The two fell in, Kris’s form beginning to change as it had many times before. The soul however remained in its imitative form, changing in not a single way.
The two hit the floor, before looking at Castle Town in all its splendor. They walked forward, to see the last thing they ever wanted to see.
Susie was sitting by a building, crying. Her tears were so rampant that they actually formed a tiny puddle on the dark ground. Kris slowly approached her, nervously taking step after step towards their former crush.
The soul stayed back, afraid of what was about to happen.
As soon as Susie lifted her head, her eyes lit up immediately upon noticing Kris.
”K-Kris?”
”Hi… Susi-!”
Susie squeezed Kris vise-tight and began sobbing in their arms.
“FUCK DUDE I WAS WORRIED!!!
EVERYTHING HAS GONE TO SHIT AND ITS ALL MY FAULT…!”
”O- okay…
Susie… please… let go…”
Kris felt their ribs begin to ache from the pure force of Susie’s grip.
”Oh FUCK sorry…!
Im just.. sniff* not doing too well.”
”What happened with Noelle..?”
”S- she’s… telling her mom…”
Kris felt their heart drop to their ass.
”She…
I think she hates me now.
For not telling the truth before…”
Susie was still tearing up. It was then that she noticed the soul timidly standing behind Kris. Susie immediately became stern.
”And you… who the fuck are you really?”
The soul began quivering.
”I’m… Kris’s soul…
Well, not really but…
They… told you that… already…”
Susie’s tears went away as her sadness turned to frustration.
“Kris…. Tell me fucking everything.”
“Actually dude… that’s why I’m here.
Susie, I need to tell you this, and I fully understand if you hate me for it…”
Susie braced herself for the worst.
”I’ve… been betraying you, the whole time.
I was forced into helping the Knight with… everything.
Every dark world is my fault one way or another.
I’m the reason why people have been able to be kidnapped by the Knight.
Since me and the soul… settled our differences… I’ve cut ties with the Knight.
But I know there’s gonna be hell to pay.
I know you are in a terrible state of mind because of Noelle but, we can’t focus on that right now.
The Knight is bound to do something soon, and we need to prepare for it.”
Susie was speechless. She didn’t know how to react.
”I know this is a lot but… we need to focus on saving the world.”
Kris paused for a moment while they stared at Susie’s dumbstruck face.
“Kris… you’re not kidding are you..?”
”I wish I was, Susie.”
”… Fuck dude…
Why didn’t you tell me?!?”
”I was still working with them…
To tell you would jeopardize the plan.
We don’t have to worry about that anymore.
What we do need to worry about is stopping them.”
”Kris you just expect me to just… accept that you’ve been against us the entire time we’ve been friends?!?
And not only that… are you even gonna explain what you’re doing with…. them?”
Susie pointed to the increasingly nervous soul.
“They are just… well…”
The soul gave Kris a subtle smile, despite their fear.
”They’re…
Ugh… close to me I guess.”
Kris was visibly blushing as they said that, and so did the soul. Susie noticed and was obviously uncomfortable.
“It’s a long story Susie, but… long story short, they’re like a kinda companion to me.
They can sorta control my body if I let them, and even if I don’t let them.
The entire time you’ve known me… they’ve kinda been copiloting me.”
”Oh and now they’re fucking kissing you apparently?”
Ain’t that a trip?”
“Susie it’s… complicated.”
”It’s really not, Kris.”
The soul interjected.
”What me and Kris have is… unconventional… to say the least
But… we-“
”She gets it, Soul.”
Susie looked down, knowing the way she felt about Kris now just didn’t help at all.
“Susie… where’s Ralsei?”
Susie looked up at Kris, almost lost in their presence for a moment, before she pulled herself together.
”I told him about you and… whatever your “friend” is.
Then he ran to the castle.”
”Okay, guess we’re all going there then.
Susie, you wanna still save the world right?”
”Y-yeah…”
”Then we can’t do this alone.”
Kris reached out their hand.
“I know I’ve hidden so much from you but… can you still trust me?”
Susie looked up at Kris. For a moment, she saw something she had never seen before, Kris’s eyes. They glowed a bright scarlet red. Susie couldn’t help but get lost in them for a moment. She thought about everything Kris had done for her, despite what she knew now. She couldn’t help but give them a second chance.
”Okay…”
Susie blushed before grabbing Kris’s hand and getting pulled up off the floor.
”Cmon now, we don’t have forever.”
The three speed-walked to the castle, the fountain glowing ever brightly.
Susie lagged behind, seemingly still confronting her feelings on everything. Kris and the soul eventually started walking hand in hand towards the castle, making Susie all the more uncomfortable.
As they all rushed through the main door, many darkners were still in a mild panic from what had happened not long before.
The group frantically searched for Ralsei on every floor, even passing the room meant for Noelle. Both Kris and Susie felt uncomfortable seeing it, but for completely different reasons.
Eventually, they made it to Ralsei’s room, and opened the door.
Inside, the prince was frantically writing something down, clearly distressed.
”Ralsei… we need to talk.”
Ralsei froze, knowing he had to say something.
”Kris… what were you thinking?!??”
Ralsei snapped at Kris, walking up to them with a level of anger Kris had never seen from him before.
“You, of all people, kissing that.. soul???
What in the world is wrong with you?!?!?
I just, can’t fathom it… just… WHY?!??”
The soul stood off to the side, genuinely terrified. They never imagined Ralsei could be his angry, especially after yesterday.
”Who is standing next to you…?”
“That’s… the soul.”
Ralsei looked like he was about to lose his mind.
”YOU!!!
What the hell are you doing?!??
Do you have any idea how much this messes up the prophecy!?!?
Kris isn’t supposed to f-“
Ralsei covered his mouth suddenly.
”I’m not supposed to what?”
”That’s… UNIMPORTANT!!!
The point is that you are two aren’t supposed to be together like… this!!
This is inherently wrong!!!”
Kris scoffed at Ralsei, while the Soul was increasingly uneasy.
”Ralsei, now is not the time for this.
The Knight is planning something and we need to stop them as soon as possible.
You of all people should know what can happen.”
”Why are YOU concerned about that all of a sudden???”
”Because the Knight is after me now.
They have a personal reason for attack now.
At this rate, the Roaring might start as soon as today.”
Ralsei was speechless. They had no idea what to say anymore. After a minute of simply trying to figure out what to say, they just gave up.
”Okay… what should we do?”
“We need to get into the shelter. Lucky for us, I know the code.”
Susie immediately turned her head towards Kris.
”Kris, you knew the code this WHOLE FUCKING TIME?”
”Yes… of course I did.
Point is we need to get into there and put an end to everything.”
“Okay sounds like a plan, but what exactly are we doing with this prick?”
Susie pointed at the Soul.
”Even if I didn’t want them here, we need them.
Only they can seal fountains.
Including the one in the bunker.”
Ralsei reluctantly began talking again.
”What Kris is saying is true, we can’t seal fountains without a human soul.
(Even if that soul doesn’t belong to anyone…)”
“Are we all on the same page now?”
Susie and Ralsei reluctantly agreed.
”I’d like to interject…”
The soul sheepishly raised its hand.
”I know we don’t really… know each other, but I want to help you all as much as I can.
But my loyalties are to Kris first and foremost.”
Kris slightly blushed and looked away.
”If they decide on something that you all don’t like, I’m following them no matter what.
I may have made some of their decisions for them but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a good leader.”
Ralsei looked like he was one second away from crashing out, but he kept his composure. Susie piped up.
”I’ll follow them too.
I trust Kris. Despite all the shit that they hid from me, I still consider them my best friend.”
Ralsei’s eye began to twitch. But he knew that he was beat.
”Fine… I’ll trust you Kris.
But so help me, please don’t show your… affection, when I’m around.”
The soul mumbled.
”(As if I’d want to, you pompous twink…)”
”What was that?”
”N-nothin.”
Ralsei squinted his eyes before giving up.
”Okay… Susie, Kris…
Go back to the light world and take care of that bunker.
I’ll find my way to you as soon as I can.”
“Okay.
Soul, hop back in and take the wheel.”
”R-really?”
”I trust your instincts, and I won’t resist you.
Just get us through that bunker.
Ill guide you when I can.”
The soul nodded its head and demanifested, before reabsorbing into Kris’s chest.
“Let’s go already.
Every second we spend is another wasted.”
Kris and Susie quickly left the room, rushing to the exit of Castle Town. The two nodded at one another before ascending to the light world once again.
The two trudged through the hallway, preparing to make a beeline for the bunker.
It was when they approached the door that they noticed black smoke spilling out of it. The darkness began to leak through the cracks.
”K-Kris?”
”Shit… we’re too late”
Kris swung open the doors in their anger, before the dark world formed around them. Kris and Susie walked outside before the soul once again manifested into its humanoid form.
The entirety of Hometown was dotted with dark fountains. As far as the eye could see, there were tens of them scattered around.
The dread in the air was as thick as water, as the darkness drowned the surroundings.
”Kris, what do we do now?!??
The Knight is gonna start the Roaring at this rate!!!!”
”Fuck let me think…
We need to seal every fountain as soon as possible, and we need to find the Knight.
I can handle the Knight on my own, just guide Soul to every fountain and they can close them.
Also, find every resident of Hometown and make sure they’re safe.
Last thing we need is someone dying.”
“Got it… just stay safe dude.”
Susie smiled at Kris, and Kris smiled back.
The soul then placed its spectral hand on Kris’s shoulder.
”Are you sure Kris..?
You’ll be in immense danger without us.
And I don’t know how long you can last without me being close…”
Kris grabbed the soul’s glowing arm.
”I’ll be fine, just focus on the task at hand.
I’ll be thinking of you…”
Kris smiled at them before they ran off to find the Knight.
Susie and the soul quickly got to work of closing the fountains. The soul was worried but, they trusted Kris.
The two rushed in sealing several fountains nearby, each one bursting into beacons of light before them. Tons of darkners were petrified around them. Susie was almost out of breath on their way to the fifth one.
On the way to the one of the fountains, the two decided to become chatty.
”So uhh… Soul right?”
”Yeah… what is it?”
”How did you and Kris… uhh… get so close?”
”Well it’s not the longest story but…
Yesterday, by the lake we… talked our hearts out to each other.
Talked a little about my existence, they talked about theirs.
Eventually, we just… clicked.
I had always had a high standard of Kris but… I just felt like it’d be better if they had someone who cared for them.
They’ve been going through emotional hell in all the time I’ve known them.
And even now, I still am kinda clueless on every single little thing they’ve been through.”
Susie looked away and almost shed a tear.
”Kris needed someone that actually loved and understood them, I was just the person who stepped in when they needed a guiding hand.
Didn’t help that I thought they were kinda cu-
Are you okay..?”
Susie was holding back tears.
“Listen, I know Kris is your best friend but, they’re deeper than you think.
They saw through your bully facade long before you ever admitted it.
It’s not your fault you couldn’t see through their mask too.”
“Fuck what am I even doing… I’m talking to a disembodied soul right now…
I barely even know what you are, let alone WHO you are…”
”I don’t really know Kris much either but… I just feel a connection with them, beyond the one we already have.
They were dealing with some… mixed feelings… and I was the one to help them through it.
You know what love feels like right?”
Susie just kept walking, unsure of what to say. She thought about Noelle again, thought about what they did together. But then she thought of Kris, and all that they had done for each other. Kris saved her life several times, and she had done so for them too. She didn’t know what to think. She thought she loved Noelle but…
”What I’m saying is… Kris is special, special to me.
I may be partially outside this world but… I still want to spend my existence with them.
I know I’m not really… human… but I’d like to think I’m sort of good enough for them.
They deserve a lot better than me but, I’m all they’ve got.”
Susie paused for a moment and remembered what Kris said about the soul being a “co pilot” for them.
“Noelle…”
”What about her?”
”I care about her but… the more I think about it, the less I think it’s… love.
You saw how we treated one another right?”
The soul was surprised to hear this, especially after what they experienced at the festival.
”I just… think about my friends in comparison to her and I just… sort of feel the same…
And now she’s probably going through hell back home, especially with the roaring about to begin..
Plus me and her are in a rough spot since… y’know…”
”What are you trying to say?”
”I’m saying that maybe… me and Noelle aren’t meant to be…
It was cool while it lasted but… I doubt it’s gonna ever work out.”
”Well if that’s the way you feel, that’s okay.
You’ll find the person you love someday, I’m sure of it.”
”Yeah…”
”Damnit… I keep thinking about Kris…
They can’t handle the Knight on their own, they of all people should know that…”
”The fountains don’t have to be sealed immediately… we handled a good chunk of them by now.”
“We need to find Ralsei too… he’s probably searching for all of us…”
The two decided to search for Kris, in the hopes that they’d find them and Ralsei before the Knight did.
Kris meanwhile was searching far and wide to find the Knight. They were worried about Susie and the soul of course, but the Knight was their top priority. The sky of Hometown was still covered in the fountains, but about half of them had been sealed. It was then that Kris heard a rustling in a nearby bush.
Kris raised their sword and prepared for the worst, only to see Ralsei roll out into view.
“Kris!
I finally found you!
Things are bad… really bad…”
”Ralsei, it’s good to see you.”
”Wait… where is Susie?”
“She’s with the soul, closing all the fountains.”
”W-what???
Kris you’ll die without the soul!!!”
”I can survive longer than you think, point is we need to find the Knight and end them.
No more holding back.”
”I swear it’s almost like ever since last night you just lost all sense of self preservation…
Kris… we’re strong but, are you sure us alone can take on the Knight?”
”I was planning to do it on my own, having you by my side makes it all the easier.”
“Kris… are you trying to die today…?”
”That’s a question I don’t know the answer to.”
”Kris I know we’re in a really desperate time right now but…
None of this would’ve happened if you and the soul didn’t… do THAT…”
”How would you know?”
”I know EVERYTHING Kris!
Do you know how hard it is to be cursed with knowledge of how this prophecy ends?!?
And you kissing your… gosh darn soul is really messing everything up!!!”
”So what if I care for my own parasite?
Big deal.
(That just means we’ll be together forever…)”
”Are you-?!?!
Kris this isn’t a joke???
Its a metanarrative being!!!”
“I don’t care what they are!!
I….”
” You what?”
”I love them Ralsei.
Yes I admit it…
Im in love with my own parasitic soul.
Is that such a massive damn problem?”
”Its…
You know what Kris I just don’t know anymore…”
“Listen I’m sorry for lashing out at you but…
Yes… I love the soul…
It may be against the prophecy but… that’s a price I’m willing to pay…”
As the two continued talking, a looming presence began manifesting around them.
Ralsei felt a sharpened hand clasp their head, before they knew it, their whole body was slammed into a nearby tree.
Kris was face to face with the Knight, looming over them as it had many times before. It lowered its sword, seemingly waiting for Kris to react to its presence.
Kris stared at what would likely be their death, directly in the eyes, and smirked. If Kris was going to die, they were going to die fighting.
Kris summoned their sword before them, pointing it directly at the Knight’s head.
Before Kris could even blink, the Knight swept Kris off balance and pressed its sword against their back. Kris’s breath was heavy, but they decided to keep fighting. Kris leapt off the ground, pushing the Knight’s blade away before slashing it across its mask with as much force as they could muster.
The Knight’s mask was chipped, with it seemingly chuckling under its breath. Before the Knight could retaliate, a blast of magic fire blew up in its face.
”Kris!!
Attack it now!”
Kris slashed the Knight again, and again, slowly whittling away its armor. Ralsei repeatedly spewed flames towards the Knight’s face to continually blind it. The Knight became increasingly annoyed.
The Knight kept attempting to hit Ralsei, but they couldn’t keep a good eye on him, meanwhile Kris kept on attacking.
The Knight had enough, and threw swords in every direction around it, hitting both Ralsei and Kris in the process. The Knight’s laughter echoed through the battleground.
The Knight dashed towards Ralsei, grabbing him by the throat. The Knight seemingly smiled at the prince, its visor curving upwards like a toothy grin. Kris ran as fast as they could before a sudden shock of energy was felt beside them.
”Hands off the goat you pointy prick!!!”
The Knight was hit by a Rude Buster, it dropped Ralsei in shock.
Susie had found them, with the soul’s projected form floating behind her.
”What are you two doing here?!?
I thought you were going to listen to me..!”
“I’m not just gonna leave my friends to die here dumbass!!
Now hurry up and get fighting!”
The soul floated over to Kris, and began moving alongside them.
“Kris, I wanted to tell you something…”
”And what might that be?”
The soul whispered into Kris’s ear.
“(Love ya…)
Now go kill that bastard.”
Kris blushed, but was now more ready to put an end to everything.
Kris rushed at the Knight’s back, while Susie aimed for their right side. she launched several more Rude Busters towards the Knight, but not a single one hit.
Kris took their chance to jump onto the Knight’s back and continually slash at its shoulders. The Knight clawed at Kris’s legs, treating them like a pest to be absolved of.
”Fuckin get em Kris!!!”
Susie kept launching Rude Busters, while Ralsei regained his composure enough to launch more fireballs. The Knight screamed in its struggle, before releasing a burst of dark energy around itself.
All 3 fighters were knocked to the ground, with the floating soul feeling all of Kris’s pain.
The Knight stared at the soul’s spectral form in curiosity, before launching several swords towards it.
The soul dodged the Knight’s attacks before quickly rushing towards Kris. The soul dived into Kris’s chest and immediately took the reigns.
The Knight was intrigued, and continued fighting.
”Kris…!
I have an idea!”
Strangely enough, the soul was speaking from within Kris’s own mind.
”Remember the Titan?!?!”
Kris smiled, and stared at Susie.
”Susie!!! Ralsei!!!
Keep aiming for its chest and helmet!!
Keep it distracted!!”
”G-got it!!”
Susie launched a barrage of Rude Busters into the Knight’s chest. Kris continued striking it in that same spot, again and again.
Ralsei continued using his fire magic, blinding the Knight as much as he could.
The Knight once again yelled, seemingly becoming annoyed with the nonstop pestering.
A crack began to form. Kris started gritting their teeth. Their muscles began to tear from pure stress, but the soul made them persist. the Knight kept attacking Kris, trying to wear them down in desperation.
With one more blow from Kris’s sword, the Knight’s armor showed a visible gap in its chest, the inside being a darkness incomprehensible by any metric. Kris tore out their soul, and immediately dashed towards the Knight.
“Kris! What are you two doing?!?”
Susie yelled from across the area.
Kris grinned.
“We’re taking care of this monstrosity for good!”
The Knight continually tried to strike Kris as they ran towards it. Kris leaped onto the Knight’s torso and jammed their sword directly in. Kris held on for dear life as they pried the Knight’s chest cavity open. The Knight swung and struggled, but it was too occupied by Susie and Ralsei’s continued attacks. With one last push, the gap burst open.
Kris held the soul tight, and plunged it into the darkness of the Knight’s core, before the Knight managed to knock Kris away with its arm.
A sharp red and white glow began erupting from the Knight, as the creature screamed and convulsed. A burning light eclipsed the battlefield. The Knight began being torn apart, with its cracked armor dropping to the floor piece by piece. The creature yelled in its agony, struggling in its last moments. A final flash of light pulsed before the Knight was banished from this world. All that remained was its antlered helmet and chunks of its armor.
The soul eventually descended to the floor where the Knight once was. It sat there, almost powerless.
”K- Kris!!!
WE FUCKING DID IT!!!”
Susie ran towards Kris and immediately hugged them. Her grip was as tight as a vise.
“Y- yeah… we did.”
”WE KILLED THAT FLOATING PRICK!!!
WE SAVED THE DAMN WORLD DUDE!!!”
Susie shook Kris’s shoulders, causing Kris’s head to bob back and forth. Kris laughed and eventually motioned for Susie to stop.
For the first time in their life, Kris felt genuinely free. They felt relieved that that it was all over. The Knight was dead and gone
Ralsei picked himself off the ground, and walked towards Kris and Susie.
“We… did it…
We actually did it…”
Ralsei held his chest, seemingly relieved.
“How did you come up with the idea of banishing the Knight?
I didn’t even think that would’ve worked…”
”It was the soul’s idea.”
Ralsei looked upset for a second, then smiled, possibly out of acceptance.
The soul began floating towards the trio, seemingly tired. It tried remanifesting its humanoid form, but to no avail.
”I think… I need a break…”
The soul reabsorbed into Kris once again. It didn’t take control, it just simply inhabited Kris as if their body was a hospital bed.
“G-good job everyone…”
Kris walked towards where the Knight once stood. They picked up its battered helmet, and stared at it. Kris smiled, knowing that the Knight was gone for good.
Susie walked up behind them, seemingly just as relieved as they were.
”Kris… are you okay?”
”Yeah… I’m alright.
Im just… happy they’re gone.”
Susie stared at Kris, wondering how hard all of this must’ve been for them. Susie began thinking about everything when she looked at Kris. The way their hair glistened in the dark world was almost mesmerizing. Susie considered telling Kris the truth about how she felt, but she was too scared of what would happen.
Susie, with all the restraint in the world, said nothing. The pain of hiding her true feelings hurt more than a shot to the heart, but it was her pain to bear.
“Susie… we still need to seal those fountains and get to the bunker…”
”What’s in that bunker that’s so important?
Besides the kidnapped people… of course…”
”It’s where everything originated.
Kill the source, and we stop everything.
All we need to is seal the fountain inside.”
“The Knight wasn’t the only part of it?”
“You already knew that Carol is involved…
Right..?”
Susie stared at Kris in pure confusion.
”Yeah….
Definitely…”
”Angel above…
Damnit Susie…”
Kris was trying their hardest to not laugh a bit.
”Point is, we have to take care of that bunker.
But we can’t get there unless we close all the fountains in Hometown.”
”Alright alright… but this time, we all stick together.”
Ralsei adjusted his glasses.
“Susie, Kris…
The Knight may be gone, but the Roaring isn’t over.
We need to hurry.”
The trio ran towards the nearest fountain, sealing it in spite of the soul’s weakness at this time. They all found some other lightners and made sure they were okay, before returning to the task at hand. One after another, the team sealed all the fountains they could see, until the last fountain that remained was seemingly at the Mayor’s house.
Upon this realization, Susie began to feel a terrible sense of dread over come her. She would likely have to confront Noelle again, or worse, her mom. The very thought had her on the verge of crying.
Luckily for her, seemingly no other people were even there. Not even any petrified darkners could be seen.
“Hey uhh… Kris?”
”Huh?
What is it Susie?”
”Where… where is Carol?”
”I have no idea…
Only place left that she could be is the bunker…”
”And Noelle…?”
”If Carol is there, she likely took Noelle with her to keep her safe from the Roaring.”
Susie’s heart began to race.
“I think I know why you’re asking…”
”Y- yeah…”
“I’ll be right here beside you… okay?
We’ll take this on together.”
Ralsei stood behind them, simply observing the conversation. Meanwhile the soul was sealing the final fountain in front of them. As the fountain dissolved in a flash of light, Ralsei disappeared. The soul decided to float beside Kris once again instead of inhabiting them.
“Kris… are you ready?”
The soul floated in front of Kris, making sure they were okay.
”Soul… I’ve been ready for this ever since that time at the lake.”
The soul stared into Kris’s crimson eyes and smiled.
“Let’s not keep them waiting then.”
The three of them rushed towards the back of town, where the bunker lay ominously. Kris ran towards the keypad, and quickly punched the codes. The bunker doors swung open, and dark smoke began to spill out.
Kris stared into the abyss with fear, as Susie and the soul came up behind them. Just as they were all about to step forward, a figure approached from the darkness.
Susie’s heart began to race once again, as the mayor stepped out in front of them. Each of her steps almost shook the ground in front of her. A large black katana was gripped in her hands. Her stare was as cold as death itself, and death was all she knew. She glared at Kris with enough anger to pop a blood vessel.
”Kris.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!”
Carol’s voice boomed. Kris had never seen her this angry before.
“You broke your promise, you insolent little shit…!”
Kris had a stern expression on their face.
”Not only that, but the Knight is gone too.
Nothing left but a battered helmet.”
Carol’s face contained so much rage that you could almost feel it radiating around her.
”Do you have ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE?!?!
You’ve ruined… EVERYTHING!!!!”
”Should’ve thought of that before you tried to end the world, aunt Carol.
I was a idiot to help you, despite what you promised…
But I guess we won’t know if it would’ve worked after all.”
Susie stood there in shock, unsure of what to say to Carol’s seething face. She looked so angry that she could kill from just a glance.
“So you’ve allied with that soul…
How interesting considering your real one is in my possession.”
“I want it back.
We’re going to end all of this.”
”What are you going to do with your friend then?
Toss it in the trash and abandon it?
Like you did for me?”
”Enough of this.
Let us through.”
Carol snapped her eyes towards Susie.
“AND YOU!!!
You worthless girl…
Thinking that you could steal my daughter away from me!!!”
“You know what Carol?
You can have her…
She obviously wants nothing to do with me anymore…”
“Oh isn’t that rich?
Thinking you’re too good for her aren’t you?
No matter…
Kris, I’ll give you one final chance to keep your end of the deal…
Take care of Susie… NOW.”
“Aunt Carol, it’s over.
There’s nothing you can do.
And I’m never working for you again.
You’re outnumbered and hopeless.
You know it, and I know it.”
”Shut up you incompetent child!!!”
“As soon as news gets out about all this, you’ll be locked away for the rest of your life.
You made the last years of my life hell, because you refused to let go of the past.
She’s gone Carol…
I should’ve accepted it when it happened, but now I know she’s never coming back.”
Carol stood there, sulking in her own rage. The entry to the bunker still spilling smoke. Carol raised her sword. Kris drew out their knife and pointed it at Carol in retaliation.
”If you attack us, it’ll only make your prison sentence longer.
And I doubt it’ll be the prison in Hometown that you’ll be staying in.”
Carol’s eyes widened. Before anything else happened, a second pair of footsteps came out from the darkness. Susie’s second fear had been fulfilled.
Noelle stood there, worried as ever, as she saw Susie and Kris in front of her, along with that dude Kris was kissing for some reason.
“Noelle!
I told you to stay in the bunker-“
”Mom!
Are you actually gonna explain what’s going on?
And why are they here..?”
Noelle pointed at Susie and Kris.
”I’m dealing with it Noelle…
Back in the bunker… now.”
”B-but..”
”Noelle…
Its for your own safety-“
”Could you just stop ordering her around already?”
Susie stepped forward.
”S-Susie…”
”Noelle you don’t need to listen to her…”
”Like she should listen to you?
You said it yourself, she wants nothing to do with you anymore.”
”Susie… I…”
“Noelle it’s alright.
I care about you but… this just ain’t gonna work-“
”All of you shut it!!”
Carol yelled once again.
”Nothing!!
This means nothing!!!
None of you understand what’s at stake!!!”
Kris stepped toward Carol, tightly holding their knife in their hand.
”It’s over.
Let us through before you make a mistake you’ll regret.”
Carol thought for a moment. She thought about her daughter, all the things that had gone wrong. She knew she couldn’t keep clinging onto the past forever. She was screwed not matter what she did.
”I can’t just give up now!!!!
She can still be brought back!!!”
”Its done…
You can’t undo the past…”
”Just… SHUT UP…”
Carol’s sword fell to the ground. Carol kneeled as she began to gently weep.
”M-mom..?
Are you okay?-“
”JUST GO AWAY.
SEAL THAT DAMNED FOUNTAIN.
I don’t care anymore…
Go… now.”
Carol slowly moved away from the bunker entrance, attempting to hide her tears.
“Susie… what is going on?”
Kris put their knife away and stepped forward.
”Noelle now’s not the time for this, me and Susie need to seal-“
”Know what Kris… what if I just… stayed out here while you and Soul seal the fountain?
I feel like it’d be easier on the both of us…”
”Okay then….
That’s okay I guess…
Soul, are you ready?”
”I guess I am…”
Kris and the soul descended into the bunker, leaving Noelle and Susie behind to talk about whatever they were going to. Carol glared at them as they went into the shelter.
The bunker was damp, yet sterile, with many devices placed in and around the walls. The soul floated alongside Kris, wondering what secrets the bunker held. Kris felt a sense of dread and hope as they kept taking step after step.
Eventually, the two came upon a room with a large sealed canister in the center. Connected to it was an old console that made a clunky whirring noise. With just the press of a few buttons, the canister opened, revealing a glowing cyan soul.
“Is that your?-“
”Yes… yes it is.”
The soul immediately starting moving towards its vessel, placing itself in its rightful spot in Kris’s chest. The moment the two parts were reunited, Kris felt rejuvenated and relieved for the first time in a long time.
”So… you’re finally whole again..?
How does it feel to be in full control?”
”I feel… alive.”
“So… what does that mean for us now..?
Are we really gonna go our separate ways?”
”What gave you that idea?
It’s not like you need a vessel to live.”
”I know but…
It’s definitely unconventional…”
“Cmon… now’s not the time for questioning everything…
We need to get rid of this fountain.”
The two travelled through the bunker, the darkness surrounding them like smoke in the air. The hallways echoed with dead dreams and years long past. Eventually, the fountain sat before them, glowing like a beacon of negative light.
The soul approached Kris from behind, and gave them a short hug.
“Soul..?
Heh… what are you doing?”
“Just… saying goodbye…”
”W- what are you talking about?”
“I think it’d be better for you if I just… went my own way…”
”What makes you say that?”
”Be honest with yourself Kris…
How could this ever work?
You’re a human, and I’m a disembodied soul…
Im practically a dead man.”
Kris turned around and stared at the soul, its projected body still glowing before them.
”Listen here you moron…
I’m not about to let you go after all that you’ve done for me.
I don’t care what you are, I care about you.
If it weren’t for you I’d… be gone…
Point is… I want this to work.
I know I may be jumping the gun… especially since you’re the one who was crushing on me but…”
The soul held the side of Kris’s face. They stared into the human’s scarlet eyes and smiled from ear to ear.
“Kris… I don’t really wanna leave you behind…
And if you want me to stay… I’ll stay.”
The two were blushing and smiling at one another by this point. They both were holding onto one another, seemingly lost in each others presence.
”Is it crazy to say that.. I love y-“
“No… you don’t need to finish that sentence Kris.
I’ve always loved you…”
”Bullshit… you said you used to think of me as annoying or something…”
”Nah… not really…
I just wanted you to feel better about your flaws.”
”And what goal was that supposed to accomplish?”
”Making you feel cute…”
“You asshole… why can’t you just be normal?”
“Nothing about our thing is normal…”
“You’re right… it doesn’t matter what we are.
We’re here for each other.”
Kris’s face was as red as the soul’s transparent hair. It was almost unnatural how warm Kris felt in this moment. Kris was mere inches away from the soul’s face.
”Are you gonna kiss me or are you just gonna stand there like a blue idiot?”
“S-shut up…”
”Cmon now… pucker up you f-“
Kris immediately dived into the soul’s transparent lips, passionately pressing their tongue against theirs. The unnatural warmth of the souls projected form only made the experience all the more special.
The two stood at the fountain, the raging glow overtook them as the kiss went on. They didn’t want to ever let go. They held each other close, almost becoming lost in the whole experience. Ethereal love is beautiful in its own intimate way.
As the kiss went on, the soul began to glow more and more, until eventually, the blinding light closed the fountain before it.
This however, didn’t stop the two lovers from continuing their passion. Kris eventually tripped and fell to the floor, with the soul landing right on top.
”So… you gonna keep going sweetheart?”
“Shut up already you glowing prick.”
Kris pulled the soul back in, kissing them once more as their face became redder and redder. The two simply laid there, kissing as if the world was still ending before them. Kris was happier than they ever had been. They wanted to be with the soul forever and ever.
And so… they did.