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Your name is Ralsei. You’re the sometimes Prince, othertimes Princess of the Dark, and former Third Hero of the Prophecy of the Delta Rune.
It’s been nearly a year since Kris, Susie, Noelle, and yourself saved the Light and Dark Worlds alike from falling into extinction during the Roaring.
Right now, you’re the only one of the erstwhile heroes left at Castle Town.
They’re having a fun time without you, you imagine.
Of course they are. It’s what you tell them to do, even when saying so makes Kris do a sad puppy dog face, and Susie and Noelle reassure you that they have so much fun with you as well.
You aren’t jealous. Of course you aren’t. All three of them come down to Castle Town twice a week, sometimes more, to hang out; to have a sleepover, even.
You don’t feel like you deserve more than that. You don’t even feel like you deserve it when the three of them spoil you with hugs and cuddles and kisses.
You hold all these thoughts, as you walk down the streets of Castle Town.
These days, fewer and fewer Darkners still call the supply closet and its Dark World home, returned to their own home worlds in this time of peace.
“It sure is boring around here, Lesser Dad!” you overhear Lancer say on the battlements.
“My bouncing boy, this peace ist what all truest Warriors strive for...” replies Rouxls Kaard.
Despite yourself, you snicker quietly to yourself at that.
Rouxls is right, you think.
This peace was what the Delta Warriors strove for.
But the Delta Warriors are no more.
After the heroes won and the world was saved, you were left to wonder what the purpose of this place is. What your purpose continues to be. But if Kris, Susie, and Noelle want you to stick around, then you’ll stick around. You’ll have their beds made, their fridges full, and their rooms decorated.
They all keep telling you they mainly keep coming back for you. You wish you could make yourself believe that.
As you continue pacing around, you sense a presence entering Castle Town. Your ears perk up ever so slightly. You turn and on the horizon you see a blue smudge.
Kris?
You take off your glasses, wipe them off, and put them back on.
It’s Kris, alright. Just Kris.
“Kris!!” you shout.
You run across Castle Town’s main road towards Kris to grab them.
Kris gets to you first though; they grab you by the shoulders and pull you into a passionate kiss. You do your best to match their energy, but the affection nearly overwhelms you. You feel like you should’ve more than enough practice at kissing by now, but you’re still on the back paw, so to speak. Briefly, that critical voice in your mind goes away. But only briefly.
“Hey, sweetheart.” they say at a low tone, nearly a whisper, after your lips part. “Missed me?”
“Every time...” you say wistfully.
Kris cups the side of your face. “Well, I’m sorry I don’t visit more often, then.”
“Oh, Kris... you’re just the sweetest.”
The two of you just walk around listlessly for a bit, nothing exchanged between you except the feeling of their skin against your fur.
Lancer and Rouxls wave at Kris. They wave back, then look right back to you.
They look down.
It’s a look you’re all too familiar with by this point.
A look that means
they have something
something they want to say.
“Is... something the matter, dear?” you tentatively break the ice.
“Well... sort of, not really...” Kris mutters. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m alright...!” you say, a bit more loudly and a bit more defensively than you meant to. You decide to be honest with them. “I mean... I feel fine... just a little... stuck.”
“Stuck... yeah, I feel the same way.” Kris remarks.
“Did something happen?”
“Nothing bad. It’s just... well, applying for college is stressful.” Kris sighs.
“I’m sure you can do it, Kris!”
“I know I can. And it’s not like I don’t have help. It’s just...” Kris puts their head in their hands.
You gently push your face into the side of theirs.
“I don’t...” Kris mutters, nearly whispering. “I don’t want to leave you behind, when I go...”
“Listen to me, Kris,” you take one of their hands in both of yours. “Please don’t hold yourself back on my account. When you’re ready to leave this town...”
“Oh, Rals...”
“Go through that big door and seal the Dark Fountain.”
“And just leave you here?!” Kris snaps. Their voice breaks, almost at the verge of tears. “I can’t... I won’t...”
“I didn’t say that!” you say defensively. “Pick me up, hold me close to your heart - er, well not too close, don’t want to hurt yourself, ahaha... And I’ll follow you to the next stage of your life.”
“And I’ll... what, go someplace else and open another Fountain?”
“Well... that’s... up to you.” you say. “I won’t... and can’t... stop you if that’s what you decide to do.”
“Just like old times.” Kris laughs darkly.
“Well...” you try to come up with a response to that, but come up empty. “Don’t endanger the world on my account.”
“You’re worth it, though.”
You fluster. “C-cmon, Kris...”
“But I’m not going to do that.”
“Not going to... close the fountain, or...”
“I mean...” Kris smirks mischievously. “I mean I have a better idea.”
“You do? Tell me!” you say, feigning hope for a better solution.
“Well, first... are you, like, busy right now? Got anything to do?”
“Nothing important, really... Everything’s neat and tidy. Nothing even gets dirty around here anymore like it used to...”
“Alright. Then, come with me.”
“Okay!” you comply.
Kris leads you down the main road, back the way they had come from.
“The... exit?” you question haltingly.
“Do you trust me, Ralsei?” Kris says gravely.
“With everything I have,” you reply without hesitation.
“Good.”
The two of you stop a few paces before the beam of light that leads back into the Light World.
“Take a step to the left.” Kris says.
You comply. You’re so close to the light beam that you can almost feel it on your fur.
“Now, just stay right here for a moment.”
Kris puts their hand under their shirt. At first you think they’re going to take it off, until
you hear
a horrible squelching noise.
Kris inhales sharply, as if in pain
and you realize
with dawning horror
you realize what Kris is doing.
“Kris, WHAT ARE YOU-”
Kris raises their free hand’s index finger to your mouth. “You said you trust me, right?”
“Y-yes... I...”
Kris presents their hand to you. “Hold on tight.”
You comply, gripping Kris’ free hand tightly.
With their other hand, Kris pulls
and the noise is
horrific
and they squeeze
your hand
as if for dear life.
Kris lets out a sigh as you see their crimson-red human SOUL, throbbing and pulsating as if it’s not supposed to be outside of their body. Which you know it most certainly isn’t supposed to be.
Something seems to leave Kris’ eyes as the SOUL does, the whites of their eyes turning grey, and the cyan hue of their skin becoming desaturated. You know what that means, and your stomach turns.
“Kris, this is-” you try to interject, but lose your nerve.
With their SOUL still in hand, Kris
looks at you
with a piercing red glare
moves it
moves their left hand
with their SOUL
towards you
towards the middle of your chest
and pushes
hard.
It hurts. It hurts so much.
But only
for a moment.
Then...
a different feeling takes over.
Many different feelings, actually.
It’s good that Ralsei is Ralsei.
Everyone knows how weird you are, fahaha...
Dude... it’s your SOUL, isn’t it? It’s a part of you...
I just... need... that little... [[SOUL]] you have!
My happy ending is with you too, Ralsei.
“Kris?!” you sputter, as memories not your own flood the back of your perception.
You said to hug the dummy, dummy...
“D-do you s-still trust m-me?” Kris says, their voice getting shakier with every word.
“Yes,” you say without hesitation. “What... now?”
“Hold on!” Kris uses what feels like the last of their strength to dive into the pillar of light, pulling you with them.
And the two of you
tumble
upward.
When your eyes open again,
you’re in a strange yet familiar place.
A hard linoleum floor.
Some strange light you don’t quite recognize coming through windows in strange beams, lighting up dust particles flying through the air.
And
then there’s
Kris.
Kris is sprawled out, unconscious, on the floor.
This is something you can do with a human SOUL, Kris. But please be warned. To be without one’s SOUL for too long is... catastrophic. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is potentially even fatal... Your heart sinks.
As if by practiced memory,
you reach
under your robe,
to grab Kris’ SOUL.
You plunge
your hand
into your chest.
It hurts.
Oh Angel, it hurts so much.
But after a moment of searching with your fingertips
you feel it.
You feel the SOUL.
And you
grip
you grip as tightly as you dare.
Are you watching, [Heaven]?! Cut that wire and make me a real boy!
And then
it
tears.
You remove your arm from your chest and
you look
and
in your hand
you only see
half of a SOUL.
Terrified beyond words, you amble over Kris’ unconscious body.
You pull up their blue and pink shirt.
You take your hand, still shaky from reaching into your own chest, and
plunge
your hand
into their chest,
just like your stolen memories now tell you they used to do to themselves, all of the time.
Your hand comes out clean.
You collapse on top of Kris from the exertion.
You feel something... throbbing. Against your ear.
Kris’ heart is still beating.
Oh, thank the Angel, you think.
“Ha... ha...” Kris pants, clearly exhausted.
“Huh... hahhh...” you pant and whimper, unable to form words.
You push yourself up slightly against the linoleum floor.
You clear your throat
and shout,
“Kris, what the fuck was that?!”
Kris looks you dead in the eyes. You see their expression change, from exhausted, to astonished, and then... to something that feels like... fondness?
“It worked.” Kris says. “IT WORKED!” they shout manicly. “Ha... ahahaha... I did it! We did it!”
“Kris, you... what worked?”
“Look around, princess.”
You look past Kris’ dishevelled body under you.
The realization hits you like a ton of bricks.
“How...?”
Kris, don’t you want to be [Part] of my beautiful [Heart]?!
“We’re... I’m... in the Light World?”
“I told you to trust me, honey.” Kris tries to get up, but struggles.
“Oh, Kris...” you help them to stand up.
They’re still slightly wobbly on their feet.
Kris looks at you like you’re the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen.
“Kris, you...” you struggle to pick your words. “...how did you... know... that that would work?”
Kris chuckles weakly, then coughs.
“Oh, Angel, Kris, are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine. I’d know if I was... well, if something was really wrong with me. You know, from experience.”
“So you knew that would work...?”
“Oh, fuck no.”
“Kris?!?!”
“I just believed it would.”
“You...” you try to say something else, but Kris cuts you off with another kiss.
Maybe it’s because the two of you are now each sharing half of the same SOUL, maybe it’s because you’re in the Light World now
but
the kiss feels different this time
and you can’t quite put your finger on it
but
you feel like your life just started, at this moment.
It feels like forever that you stand there, making out in the empty school hallway.
As you separate, Kris holds onto both of your hands.
“Come on, sweetie...” they say. “Let’s go tell Susie and Noelle the good news.”
“Alright,” despite yourself, despite what some little voice in the back of your head tells you,
you’re happy.
And you’ll be damned if you don’t chase that feeling,
wherever it happens to take you.
You take a final long look at the closet door.
At your former home
your former kingdom.
And you smile.
You’ll be back.
But not today. Or the next day.
You have so much more to see now.