Chapter Text
You followed the doctor nervously as he led you through the base. You really hadn’t seen much of this place, on account of the fact you just recently even figured out how to walk. But now that you could, it was weird seeing your new world.
“In there,” doctor W.D. Gaster said, gesturing towards the door. You pushed it open very slightly, peeking in before committing. There was a human inside, lounging on a plush gray couch and staring out the window at the water outside.
Kris Dreemurr: Atk - ? Def - ?
Kris glanced your direction and shifted herself, putting her feet on the ground but not fixing her posture. She gestured you in.
“H-hi,” you stuttered out, walking in. You couldn’t see her face; she had it covered with her bangs. “I-I’m…” well, you hadn’t quite picked the ‘name’ part out yet. Not a great introduction. You missed your old charisma. You forced a smile, and tried again. “You must be Kris. It’s nice to meet you.”
Kris nodded slightly, then pulled out a deck of cards. She shuffled them, then offered them to you. “Pick one,” she instructed in a mumble.
“Uh, okay!”
You grabbed a card, and looked at it. Kris held her hand out, and you returned it. She shuffled again, then pulled it out. “Queen of hearts,” she stated, showing you the same card you had picked before.
You clapped your hands, though being made of fabric and stuffing, they weren’t very loud. “Doctor Gaster didn’t tell me you knew magic!” you exclaimed.
“I can do a lot more than just card tricks,” Kris grinned. “You have yet to see my True Power.”
You couldn’t help but giggle. Something about Kris was… how to describe it? Refreshing? It was almost comforting, the way she seemed so casual. You had expected meeting another human to be scary, intense even, but this… this was easy.
“The doctor said you’re my responsibility?” Kris mentioned.
“Y-yeah,” you said. “I… need a place to stay. So I don’t have to live down here.”
Kris stood up and started leaving through the door you entered from. “This way,” she said, leading you back through the gray halls. She took a few practiced turns, and then led you down a really long gray hallway. A few more turns later, you were walking up some steep steps and out a door.
“Don’t make eye contact with anything in the woods,” Kris stated in a whisper as you stepped out.
“What?” you asked, but she didn't respond, instead taking to walking swiftly down a path that led to town. She didn’t stop until you were standing on a street.
“Until you learn how to fight, don’t go out alone at night,” Kris told you. “Oh, and welcome to Hometown.”
“Th-thanks,” you said nervously. You couldn’t help but look up at the sky. It was so endless up here on the surface, you were surprised. You didn’t remember how three dimensional clouds looked on the Surface. “Actually, you’re the one who brought me here, aren't you?” you asked. “I really should thank you. It’s nice to have a change of pace.” Kris merely nodded. “Are there any other humans in this town?”
Kris was silent for a few moments. “My house is this way,” she evaded. “You can spend the night until we find you somewhere better.”
The town was quiet as Kris walked you through it. You were looking forward to seeing the place during the day, with people in it. You weren’t usually one to prefer the quiet. It felt unsettling.
Finally, Kris led you to a large house on the outskirts of town, and began climbing up the branches of a tree that clung to the side. You were a little concerned that this might not actually be her home until you went through the window at the top and saw a room split in two.
“This is my side,” Kris said, referencing the less decorated of the two halves. Empty shelves, bland bedding, cheap looking dresser. “Stay out of Asriel’s side.”
“Asriel?” you asked, looking over at the other half. Trophies lined the shelves, posters on the walls, and stars. Lots of glow in the dark stars.
“My brother,” Kris explained.
You certainly hadn’t expected that!
“How long have you lived here?” was your nice way of asking ‘how long ago were you adopted’.
“Basically my whole life,” Kris answered, despite the bland room suggesting she hadn’t been here for long at all. Maybe she just didn’t have any interests? But why not anything for her magic tricks, at least? “There’s room under the bed. Wanna sleep there for the night?”
“Under the bed?” you asked, peering down there. There were a few unmarked cardboard boxes pressed against the wall, and a pink blanket spread out to make up the rest of the space. A string of festive lights were also set up along the bedframe and a couple chocolate bars and a heart-shaped pillow was stashed in the corner.
“Can’t let mom see you,” Kris explained. “Anyway, it’s comfy down there.”
“Aww,” you said, picking up the pillow. “It looks like me!!”
“Oh yeah,” Kris agreed, smiling. “I stole that from auntie Carol’s collection.”
“Why’s all your cool stuff down here?” you asked.
“You wanna sleep there or not?” Kris asked. “Option two is in the bushes outside.”
“This is good,” you told her. Geez, she was touchy.
You slipped under the bed only to find that it was surprisingly roomy. Why she had it set up so that she could sleep under it was a mystery, but it was helpful, at least.
“You good?” Kris asked, pressing her face against the ground to check on you.
“Yeah,” you agreed, and she got up and turned out the lights. From down here you could still see Asriel’s glowing stars hanging high above you. Out if reach. Like they had been in your old home.
“Hey, Kris?” you asked as you heard her adjusting herself on the bed above you.
“Yeah?”
Really, you had so many questions. Like who was she, where was Asriel, why were humans and monsters together on the surface, and many others, but instead, you said “thanks. For agreeing to help me.”
“I owed the doctor a favor, anyway,” Kris explained away like it was nothing.
“I mean it,” you pushed. “Thanks.”
Kris went quiet, and you could hear her settling in on the bed above you.
“Goodnight, Kris,” you said.
“Goodnight.”
You were unsurprisingly quite tired after a day of getting used to your new body, so you fell asleep easily. When you woke up, there was a loud voice, and fluffy goat feet on the ground.
“Kris!” the oh-so-familiar voice of Toriel exclaimed. “Kris, if you do not wake up, we will be late for school! I will wait outside for you, alright?”
You heard Kris’ bedroom door close, and moments later, Kris hung off the side of the bed so she could see you. Her upside down face meant her bangs had been moved to reveal her shockingly bright red eyes staring at you playfully. “You up?” she asked.
“Yeah,” you replied, smiling slightly.
“Good.” Kris got out of bed and stood up properly now. She seemed to consider for a few moments, but decided “you need to stay in the house, okay? We’ll figure out how to introduce you to the town later, but not now. Stay under here until the car leaves.”
“Wait, what?” you asked. “Can’t I go to school with you?”
“Not today,” Kris replied, searching through her dresser and pulling out a familiar green and yellow striped sweater. “We’ll work on it.”
“I don’t want to stay here all day!” you complained.
“When mom’s car returns after school, hide under the bed again, okay? I’ll come get you when it’s safe,” Kris said, ignoring you now. “And don’t leave a mess downstairs or anything. She doesn’t notice much, but don’t push it.”
And Kris walked out of the room, her change of clothes in hand.
“No fair!” you pouted, but the door closed. After a moment of annoyance, you couldn’t help but draw your attention to Asriel’s side of the room. So many trophies, all for different things. He seemed very multitalented, and you couldn’t help but wish he was here. An Asriel with a SOUL, what would that even be like? And where was he now? You began messing with his computer, when you heard the car pulling out of the driveway. You ran to Kris’ window, but you couldn’t get a good view of it. Instead, you shut your eyes and focused. Sure enough, you could see it. The exact path the car took to get to school.
Asriel’s side of the room could wait.
You left the house swiftly and began running down the sidewalk, past all sorts of monsters, most of which were unfamiliar with a few that were, but you paid no mind to any of them. You made your way to the school and stood behind a tree, ensuring nobody else was coming to class. Then, you peered into a window.
Alphys was at the head of the class, standing in front of a blank blackboard while addressing a class that contained only nine desks. Two of them were empty, and Kris was nowhere to be seen.
You peeked in for a while longer, and one of the students raised their hand, and shortly after left the classroom. A few moments later, the same girl approached you from behind.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
You gasped, and quickly turned to face her. “H-hi,” you stuttered out. “I’m not lost, just… uh…” you couldn’t come up with a good excuse, so you said “looking for Kris?”
“You know Kris?” the girl asked. “They’ve never mentioned someone like you before…”
“We met through, uh… I’m an exchange student! I just moved in with Kris last night!”
“Oh!” the girl exclaimed. “That’s so cool! It’s nice to meet you, I’m Noelle! I’m surprised Ms. Alphys didn’t say anything about you.”
“Well, I’m sort of a… surprise exchange student.”
“Come to think of it, Kris wasn’t in the hallway,” Noelle mentioned. “Are they skipping class with Susie in the closet, or…?” the girl’s face went red. “Ah! Well, maybe we should check on them!”
Ah, you were SO busted now! Kris was going to be SO mad you left her room…
You followed Noelle as she went into the school. She led you down the hall, to a closet. “The door’s shut…” she lamented upsetly.
“So?” you asked, confused. You pulled it open, only to find that you couldn’t see anything inside. It was dark. REALLY dark… “Uh…”
“Susie?” Noelle called into the closet. “Kris?”
You put your hand in to try to test just how dark it was, only to find that some force sucked you in. You began falling deeper and deeper, feeling much like the children who had fallen in the Underground, until finally you landed, finding that despite the distance the landing on the hard stone ground didn’t actually hurt. Noelle fell shortly after you, dressed in a white dress.
“Where are we?” Noelle asked.
“I don’t know,” you replied. “Give me a moment.”
You closed your eyes and focused on Kris. Soon enough, you were able to see her, near some sort of castle with a dragon and a cloaked figure. When you opened your eyes, you couldn’t see the castle but in the distance you COULD see the sort of geyser that seemed to be extending from it. You grabbed Noelle’s hand. “This way,” you instructed, and began running that direction.
“KRIS!” you shouted as you ran. “KRIS?!?!”
After enough running, you found the castle, and then your shouting panned out. Kris came from a passage right of the small little town, followed by a cloaked figure.
“What are you doing here?” Kris hissed. Turning her attention, she added “Noelle?”
“Uh, Kris?” Noelle asked. “What’s… going on?”
Kris walked over to Noelle, and noticed a hood that came with the dress. She pulled it over Noelle’s face. “Still figuring it out myself, but…”
“There is a Legend of this land,” the hooded figure interjected.
“It started once upon a time, a Legend spoke in shadowed rhyme. Of Light and Dark and Love and Hate, the Hopes and Dreams that govern fate. This is the the Legend of Deltarune.”
“A World basked in purest light, beneath it grew eternal night. If Fountains freed the Roaring cries, and Titans shaped from darkened eyes. The light and dark both burning dire, a countdown to the Earth’s expire. But lo, on hopes and dreams they send, three heroes at the world’s end. The first hero, the Cage, with human SOUL and parts. The second hero, the Girl, with hope crossed on her heart. The third hero, the Prince, alone in the deepest dark. The Knight which makes with blackened knife shall duel with heroes strife by strife. They’ll hear the ring of heaven’s call, they’ll see the tail of hell take crawl. The Angel, banished, will finally meet with it’s desire-”
“I’m sorry,” Noelle interrupted, “but where exactly are we? And shouldn’t Susie be here?”
“Oh, right!” the cloaked figure exclaimed. “This is the Dark World! Sorry, I should have led with that, I’m just… new to this whole… talking to people thing. My name is Prince Ralsei, and this is my kingdom, Castle Town! I’ve been awaiting the heroes arrival for a long time, and I hope they’re some of you guys!”
“You don’t know?” you asked.
“The Prophecy is really vague,” Ralsei admitted. “All I know is that I’m the Prince, and that we need the help of the heroes to seal the Dark Fountain that recently showed up in the nearby Dark World, Card Kingdom.”
“He thinks I might be one of these heroes,” Kris added, “so he was training me as if I was one. Even gave me this cool manual,” she held up a thick, obviously hand-bound book. Kris shrugged. “Figured I might as well try.”
“I must’ve hit my head at some point,” Noelle decided. “Or! I’m still dreaming.”
“I assure you, this is real,” Ralsei told her.
“As for you,” Kris turned her attention to you.
“I’m sorry!” you said quickly. “I just didn’t want to stay in your house all day! I wanted to EXPLORE! How was I supposed to know I’d be seen by Noelle and fall into a different world?”
Kris let out a sigh. “Guess I can’t blame you too much.”
“I never caught your name,” Noelle said to you.
“Uh…” crap, you should’ve thought harder about this! Well, if Ralsei wanted you to be a hero, specifically one from that cool Delta-symbol-thingy, you might as well pick your favorite part of it of the symbol when you saw it in the Underground. “My name is Angel,” you told her.
“Angel, nice to meet you,” Noelle replied. “You could’ve told me you had an exchange student staying with you, Kris!”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Kris picked up the lie easily, and didn’t skip a beat agreeing to it.
“Well, it’s a dream anyway,” Noelle repeated, “so I guess it makes sense. But since it’s a dream, we might as well go through with this, right?”
“Always the disbeliever," Kris said, shaking her head.
“I can teach you two what I taught Kris, if you want,” Ralsei offered. “I have a testing dummy!”
Ralsei brought the rest of you over to his testing range, where he taught you how battles differ here compared to those in the Underground. Also, it was Kris’ job to come up with ACTs for the most part, which was something you were more than okay with. ACTs had been Frisk’s thing much more than yours. It was weird not having the opinions of your body to go off of. Noelle was the white mage of the group, Ralsei the black mage, and Kris the knight, leaving you in a bit of a weird situation. You were, of course, the one meant to dodge for the group, but also the tactical leader that told them all what to do? Your fighting prowess ITSELF wasn’t all that good, just the way you instructed the others. It was odd.
Still, you pressed forward, through a large door and into the Field of Hopes and Dreams. And though the atmosphere was incredible, it wasn’t long until a voice interrupted you.
“Ho ho ho!” the voice exclaimed.
Without wasting a single moment, Noelle replied in turn. “Ho ho ho!”
“Ho ho ho!” Kris let out.
“Ho ho ho!” Kris, Noelle, and the other voice did in unison.
“You must be the heroes my dad told me about!” the boy who started this whole mess exclaimed. Lancer: Atk - 7 Def - 1.
“Apparently,” Noelle agreed.
“Well, I’m the bad guy!” Lancer exclaimed. “And I already met THIS clown,” he gestured at Kris, “and squished this one,” he gestured at Ralsei, “but you two are NEW clowns I need to thrash!”
“Thrash?” Noelle asked.
“Actually,” Kris interrupted, “since the last time we met, I talked to your dad. He’s changed his mind about the whole ‘thrashing us’ thing. Didn’t you get the memo?”
“The memo?” Lancer asked. “No, I haven’t!”
“Your dad said that he actually WANTS us to go seal the fountain.” Kris explained. “Said it’s too flashy for his liking.”
“Wait, really?” Lancer asked. “Agh, I’m so confused in my head I could burst!”
“It’s okay,” Kris said. “Take your time.”
“Well, okay, cape person,” Lancer said, “if my dad said so…”
“Yeah.”
“Okay!” Lancer agreed. “I have to get home soon anyway, or I’ll be late for dinner, but see you guys later!!!”
With that, Lancer left.
“That was perfect, Kris!” Ralsei exclaimed. “Great ACTing!”
“You’ve met his dad?” Noelle asked.
“No,” Kris shook her head. “But it worked, didn’t it?”
“Kris!” Noelle lectured. “You just lied to a child!”
“He was gonna ‘thrash your ass’ or whatever,” Kris replied. “I did you a favor.”
“Uh, guys?!” you shouted. “Diamond thingy - uh, Rudinn - coming this way!!!”
“Here,” Noelle said, “I’ll try it.” She cleared her throat. “Excuse me, sir! Or, uh, miss? You aren’t supposed to fight us, actually. So says that boy who just left’s dad!”
“Smooth,” Kris whispered.
“The Rudinn seemed unconvinced!” you exclaimed. “Attack power up!”
“What do you mean ‘attack power up’?” Kris asked, shortly before getting hit by a flying diamond. “Ow!”
“Uh, it means someone needs to do something about it!” you said, before getting in there and dodging the attacks for Kris like you were supposed to.
“I’ll handle this one,” Ralsei offered, sending out a blaze of fire. The Rudinn left quickly after that, severely injured. “See?” Ralsei asked. “Nothing to it!”
~~~
The group sat in some good smelling scarlet colored grass while Ralsei bought some treats at a bakesale.
“How are you holding up?” Noelle asked Kris as they sat near each other. You were slightly further away from them, and you’re not sure how that happened.
“Fine,” Kris shrugged.
Noelle laughed. “It’s just like you to be so casual about something like this!” she exclaimed. “I mean, you’ve realized by now, haven’t you? That everything here is…”
“...just like we always imagined as kids,” Kris finished. “Of course I know that.”
“It feels weird, fighting them and being fought with by them,” Noelle lamented. “I mean, they’re exactly like we imagined, except they want to kill us.”
“Maybe it’s just how they say hello,” Kris joked.
“I’m serious, Kris!” Noelle exclaimed. “Do you think… some of the others are here, too? Like King and Queen, Ramb and Tenna? What about Spamton?”
“The Seven Aces, too,” Kris added with a small smile. “But they wouldn’t all be here, now would they be? Tenna’s still at my house, Queen’s in the computer lab, and Spamton? I’m not sure HOW we could track HIM down.”
“Yeah…” Noelle agreed. “Just… what if? What if we COULD see them too?”
“Darkners are made from the mind of Lightners,” Ralsei said as he sat down with the group, bringing sweets with him. “The more you think about us, the more powerful we become. So, if there were some objects you were particularly fond of, those that you gave extra characterization to, they surely exist in the Dark World. Though, without a Dark Fountain, you would have no way of meeting them.”
“Even just knowing they’re real,” Noelle said with a smile. “It… means a lot.”
“I’m glad,” Ralsei responded. “It’s a Darkner’s job to make the Lightners happy, so that means they’re serving their purpose well! Oh, I got snacks! Did you want the chocolate diamond, or the heart donut?”
“Chocolate,” Kris said, holding out her hand. Ralsei put a small, fancy diamond of chocolate in it.
“Could I have one of those too, please?” Noelle asked, and Ralsei gave her one as well.
“Sorry,” Ralsei said, turning to you. “I only got two of each.”
“That’s okay,” you replied. “I would’ve picked the donut anyway. It looks like me!”
Ralsei giggled. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“So it’s really a Darkner’s job to serve Lightners?” you asked. “That means you, too?”
“Of course!” Ralsei told you. “So if there’s ever anything you want or need, let me know and I’ll do everything in my power to get it for you, okay?”
“I’ll take you up on that,” you playfully threatened. You took a bite into the donut and red jam came squirting out.
“Look!” Kris said to Noelle, pointing. “It’s totally filled with blood!”
“It is NOT!” Noelle insisted.
“Is too.”
“Is not.”
You laughed. “It’s just jam, guys,” you told them. “Though I don’t recognize the type.”
“Blood jam,” Kris decided quickly.
“Kris!” Noelle exclaimed.
Kris giggled maniacally, and the four of you all sat together, enjoying the atmosphere of this place for a few moments before you continued on. It was weird, being somewhere new, with new people. You may have been brought to this universe unwillingly through Kris’ weird ritual thingy or whatever she was up to, but you’ve decided that you like it here. Maybe it was about time you tried something new.
You weren’t sure how long you sat there, with Kris talking to Ralsei about the manual he made, and Noelle talking to you about the interesting sky and how this was totally a dream, but your picnic was only interrupted when the boy from before bounced up to you.
“Ho, ho, ho, hello, clowns!” Lancer exclaimed. “Y’know, the name ‘clowns’ is a little weak. You guys should come up with a team name if you want to be taken seriously as heroes!”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” Ralsei agreed, clapping his hands together, though they were entirely covered by the sleeves of his robe. “What about the Adventurer’s Club?”
"Adventure's Club?” Kris repeated. “Just sounds like an afterschool activity. I think we should sound cool, like the Hero’s Syndicate!”
“No, no, that’s too shady sounding!” Noelle disagreed. “We should be something fun, like the Festive Four!”
“Well, you’re our leader, Angel,” Ralsei said. “What do you think?”
“Hmm,” you let out. “I admit Hero’s Syndicate is cool, but… I like the Festive Four. It has nice alliteration.”
“Yes!” Noelle exclaimed happily. “Thank you, Angel!”
“Well, don’t blame me when no one takes us seriously,” Kris replied annoyedly.
“Who are we trying to scare?” Noelle asked.
“Dunno yet,” Kris replied, “but I’m sure we’ll find out.”
“Here, Lancer,” Ralsei said, pulling out the last donut. “I have something for you.”
“Oooh, thank you hidden person number two!” Lancer exclaimed, taking the donut happily.
“Wasn’t that yours?” Kris asked.
“I think he’ll like it more,” Ralsei replied. “Anyway, hadn’t you noticed? Every time we’ve seen him, he’s been by himself. And everyone we’ve talked to has said how much they don’t like him. Maybe he could use the cheering up.”
Kris froze, her overall demeanor changing. “He’s the King’s son, right? So he’s going where we’re going? Maybe we should… walk with him.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Kris,” Ralsei replied.
“Hey,” Kris said, approaching Lancer as he finished his donut. “Walk with us. To the castle. You can deliver us to your dad yourself.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea, cape person!” Lancer exclaimed. “What a sweet little pumpkin you are! And you! Cape person’s friend! You’re like the toothpaste boy that goes good with sweet pumpkins and sweet donuts!”
“Toothpaste boy?” Ralsei repeated.
“Are pumpkins really sweet?” Noelle asked, just now noticing this conversation, it seemed. “They’re more… spicy? Like, cinnamon spice, I mean. Not the pumpkins themselves, but… Kris is really more cinnamon spice than sugar, anyway.”
“Is that good?” you couldn’t help but ask.
“It balances the flavor,” Kris stated easily.
“H-huh?”
“Well,” Noelle said, “sometimes it’s good, but sometimes, you just want a sweet.”
“Name a single pie that isn’t benefitted by cinnamon,” Kris challenged.
“What?” Noelle asked. “Uh…”
“Exactly.”
Noelle took a moment, then laughed. “Alright Krismas, you make a fair point.”
Thank goodness she said that, because you REALLY didn’t want things to start getting any more awkward. Those two’s relationship seemed… weird.
Eventually, you and your party set off, and you really didn’t run into any issues until you hit a maze. Lancer just immediately took off the second you entered it.
“We should… probably go after him,” Noelle mentioned. She looked at Kris, then her lip curled up. “Last one to the end is rotten eggnog!”
Noelle took off running, followed shortly by Kris as soon as it fully processed with her what Noelle had just said. You, not wanting to be left behind, followed suit, hoping Ralsei would keep up.
It took a lot of trial and error, as you quickly learned that you weren’t particularly GOOD at mazes that weren’t solved for you, but eventually, you made it to the end. Kris and Noelle were both there, but neither of the Darkners were.
“Who won?” you asked.
“We tied,” Kris admitted.
“And where’s Lancer?”
The two went quiet.
“You didn’t find him, did you?”
“No,” Noelle admitted.
“And Ralsei?”
“Not here yet,” Kris told you.
You let out a sigh. “Guys?”
“We’ll go look for them,” the two agreed in unison, walking back into the maze with their heads held low.
You laughed. The refreshing feeling of this new world was only getting stronger the longer you spent here. These two were your FRIENDS, and not the kind made just because it was the only course of action to get them to not kill you. You hoped things could stay just like this for as long as possible.
Eventually, the two came back with the Darkners in tow. At least you weren’t as bad at mazes as Ralsei or Lancer was.
“I’m not really sure what to do when I’m not following people,” Ralsei admitted.
“I go through that maze all the time!” Lancer exclaimed.
“Do you get lost all the time?” Kris asked.
“Of course not, my chocolate loving friend!” Lancer replied. “I merely get caught up looking at the scenery! Oops, I mean chocolate loving foe! Sorry, I forgot we’re still enemies.”
“Easy mistake,” Kris waved off.
The Festive Four plus Lancer continued forward from there, until you all came across a large castle. “Home sweet home!” Lancer exclaimed upon your arrival. “Now, let’s bring you to my dad so he can-” Lancer cut himself off. “Well, I guess so he can… thrash you?”
“Wait,” Noelle let out, “WHY are we going to the guy who’s going to thrash us?”
“Because we need to close the Fountain he’s guarding,” Kris reminded her. “Keep up.”
“But if he’s guarding it…”
“I can handle that,” Ralsei offered. “Don’t worry, no one’s getting thrashed.”
“Not even my dad?” Lancer asked.
“U-uh,” Ralsei let out. “Well…”
Suddenly, the doors to the castle slammed open, and a Rudinn rushed out.
“Don’t go in there,” the Rudinn warned. “There’s some horrible creature from the Light World, attacking everything she sees. I’ve just barely managed to get away intact!”
With that, the Rudinn absconded quickly.
“But my dad’s in there,” Lancer pointed out. “Surely he’d stop her? Or lesser dad, with his puzzles?”
“Let’s proceed with caution,” you decided, and the five of you headed inside the castle.
There wasn’t a single guard inside, and the music that played, though menacing, had a strange instrumentation that seemed out of place. There was the sound of electric guitar in the background of it.
“Which way to your dad that may or may not want to harm us?” Noelle asked Lancer.
“This way, my good antler lady,” Lancer said, leading them towards the stairway up.
“Isn’t there an elevator?” Kris asked.
“It’s good to get your bounces in!” Lancer exclaimed, and led the way.
Nobody stopped you. Nobody even tried to slow you down. There were a few people hiding in the castle, but nobody confronted you. It was creepy.
Finally, you reached the top. And you heard a voice.
“So, the so-called ‘heroes’ finally arrived.”
“S-Susie?” Noelle called out.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Susie exclaimed, standing on the roof of the castle with no sign of the king who should be here. “What? Did Kris not even BOTHER to tell you I was here too? That I’m the apparent ‘villain’ of this story?”
“I’m sorry, Susie!” Ralsei called out. “I really am. But that’s just what the Prophecy-”
“Be QUIET!” Susie shouted, sending a wave of magic to knock Ralsei off his feet. “I don’t even WANT to be the stupid hero, anyway! Everyone knows the villains always have the most fun in these sorts of stories!”
“Do you… know her?” you asked Kris.
“She’s the school bully,” Kris answered plainly.
“That’s right!” Susie confirmed. “Up until now, that is! ‘Cause now, I’ve done much more than a little chalk eating. I’ve taken over an entire castle!”
“What?” Lancer asked. “Where’s my dad?”
Susie smirked. “Guess you weren’t the bad guy, after all, Lancer.”
Kris stepped forward, putting an arm out to get Lancer behind her. “What did you do to the King?” Kris repeated.
“He’s dealt with,” Susie smirked. “Didn’t you know? Dragons are supposed to TAKE castles, and I’m the villainous Lightner who doesn't want to DESTROY this world, but OWN it! Turns out, when you put your mind to something, it’s actually not so hard to get all the power you need!”
“What is she talking about?” Noelle asked.
“She killed King,” Kris stated coldly.
“Wh-what?” Lancer asked. “B-but… my dad’s the strongest guy in this world! He couldn’t… she couldn’t…”
“Stay behind me!” Kris demanded, pushing him back once again. Kris then turned to you. “You’re supposed to be our leader, right? So what do we do?”
“U-uh,” you let out, then focused. “Okay. Kris, your job is to keep Lancer safe. Be ready to strike, but otherwise, defend.”
Kris nodded.
“Ralsei,” you then said. “Fireshock.”
“No!” Noelle exclaimed, grabbing the black mage’s hands before he could shoot anything off. “We can’t hurt her! She’s from our world!”
“We won’t kill her,” you assured Noelle. “I can keep track of her HP.”
“Please,” Noelle begged. “Ralsei, can’t you do anything else?”
Susie laughed. “Can’t even agree on what to do? I thought heroes were supposed to get along.” She shot off an attack straight towards Kris’ direction, though the knight thankfully had her shield ready. “The manual,” Kris said, looking to Ralsei. “You said you could sing lullabies in it. What if you tried that?”
“But… she’s so angry right now,” Ralsei pointed out. “I doubt it’d work. Plus, I’m not sure I SHOULD target a Lightner with anything at all.”
“She’s trying to kill us, Ralsei,” you told him. “A little lullaby is nothing compared to that. Also, why is she targeting Kris directly? Shouldn’t I get the option to dodge like before?”
“I don’t… know,” Ralsei admitted. “Maybe it’s BECAUSE she’s a Lightner, so she doesn’t feel the need to follow the rules?”
“Rules?” You asked. “Nevermind. Try the lullaby.”
“Time’s wasting, heroes,” Susie announced, sending another attack, this time not towards Kris but to Noelle. Still, Kris wasted no time running over there and blocking the attack for her. “Quit getting in the way, you freak!” Susie shouted. Kris didn’t reply.
“Holy cheese and crackers, Kris, are you okay?” Noelle asked. “U-uh… heal prayer!”
“Ralsei,” you stated. “Lullaby. Now.”
“R-right. Okay. I’m not great at singing, though.”
“NOW!”
Ralsei took a breath, and began singing. At first, this seemed to just piss Susie off more, but after a few moments, she collapsed into sleep.
“Battle over, I guess,” you said with relief. “Kris, are you…?”
“I’m fine.”
“That was really cool, what you did,” you pushed. “You got there in front of Noelle so quickly! Guess that’s why you’re the one with the shield.”
“What do we do about her?” Ralsei asked, looking at the sleeping Susie, but before you could answer, a mob of people came rushing out. Rudinns, Hathys, even some dice guys you haven’t ever seen before. They all began swarming Kris.
“We saw what you did!”
“That was so cool!”
“Your cloaked friend is kinda violent and sucks but you’re awesome!”
Kris’ cheeks turned pink at all the praise, but after a few moments, she gathered herself enough to ask “what happened to King?”
“The scary dragon lady put him in jail,” a jigsawery explained. “He’s injured, but more mad than anything. Also he’s stuck with Rouxls Kaard.”
Kris let out a sigh of relief, and kept talking to the crowd, but you couldn’t help but feel angry. How come SHE was getting all the praise? YOU were the leader, shouldn’t they be looking at YOU? You felt your stuffing-filled fingers ball up into a fist.
“Well,” you called out to Kris, “we should go close the Fountain, shouldn’t we?”
“Yeah,” Kris agreed, her cheeks still all red from embarrassment. “Uh, bye guys.”
Walking towards the Fountain, she grabbed Susie by the arm and started dragging her, despite the huge size difference.
“Goodbye,” Ralsei said, waving you off as you left. “I’ll see you next time!”
“Next time?” Noelle questioned Kris as you headed towards the Fountain. “What does he mean ‘next time’?”
“I don’t know,” Kris admitted. “But, considering he knows some big Prophecy, I don’t like it…”
As soon as you reached the Fountain, instinct told you what you needed to do next. You could feel your SOUL glow brightly, as it floated out and sealed the Fountain before you. Next thing you knew, you were back in the Light World, in an unused classroom full of various toys strewn about.
“That…” Noelle let out. “That was crazy!! The best dream I’ve ever had!”
“Dream?” you asked. Was she still on about that?
“Yeah!” she confirmed. “You were there, and you called yourself ‘Angel’, and Kris, you were there too, and, wow! I’m not sure I’ve ever had such a clear dream before! I felt so… different in it. I had powers! Healing magic!”
“It wasn’t a dream,” you told her. “It was real. It JUST happened. See, Susie’s still asleep and everything.”
“It was… real?” she repeated for confirmation.
“Yeah,” Kris confirmed. “It was real. All of it.” Something about Kris’ words were a little too deep. Like there was something more she WASN’T saying.
“So what do we do with Susie?” you asked. Wait, YOU were supposed to be the one making the decisions since you were the leader, so why did you ask? Darn it, this was complicated.
“Leave her here, I guess,” Kris decided before you would make your own decision. “Maybe she’ll decide it was all a dream, too.” Kris walked over and lifted the carpet, revealing a King of Spades card that was nearly torn in two, along with a rules card that looked like it has seen better days. “Damn it,” Kris muttered, gingerly placing them in a box with a bunch of other cards. Spread across the ground were other cards, too, some of which were singed black as if they had been burned. “Show some goddamn restraint next time,” she muttered under her breath, carefully trying to put them back in the box too.
You turned your gaze back to Noelle, who looked like she was having a minor mental breakdown. “Are you okay?” you asked.
“I’m just… impressed. This is your best prank yet, Kris! I nearly believed it for a bit there, I-”
“It’s real,” Kris insisted.
“But-”
“It’s real.”
Noelle let out a high pitched breath that was nearly a scream. “Stop saying that!” she ordered. “You know as well as I do that those were all just games we came up to play as kids!”
“They’re real,” Kris insisted once again.
“If you’re such an expert,” you said, “how did that happen, anyway?”
“A Dark Fountain, just like Ralsei said,” Kris said. “I’m not sure what caused it to open, but it opened when Susie and I were in the closet.”
“Have you been to the Dark World before?” you pushed.
Kris walked over to the door. “We should go before Susie wakes up.”
“You have,” you stated. It wasn’t a question, or an accusation, just a realization. “Is that why you know-”
“Shut UP!” Kris demanded, grabbing you by the collar of your gray striped sweater. After a moment, she let you go normally. “Let’s go. We need to find you somewhere else to stay for the night.”
“I can’t stay with you?” you asked, suddenly wondering if you had pushed her too far.
“Mom’ll see you,” she waved off, not looking at you.
Noelle got up and quickly chased after Kris, grabbing her shoulder. “You can’t just say all this stuff and then walk away! If it’s really real, does that mean we’re really heroes? That we can really do magic? That we really need to save the world??”
“It’s what Ralsei said.”
“If I can really do healing magic,” Noelle said, “maybe I can help my dad!”
“It’s not like that,” Kris told her grimly. “It only works in the Dark World. Although…”
“Although?”
Kris let out a breath. “I need to think. Take Angel, okay? And don’t let your mom see. I can’t make any guarantees, but…” Kris paused. “I need to think.”
“Kris?” Noelle asked.
“Don’t tell anyone about anything that happened today,” Kris told Noelle. “Not a word to anyone, got it?”
“I-”
“If you can agree to keep this a secret, I might be able to help.”
“I… okay,” Noelle finally said with conviction. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“Good. I’ll be back.”
With that, Kris rushed off.
After a long pause, Noelle said “w-we should go?”
“Y-yeah,” you replied just as awkwardly, suddenly forgetting how to talk now that you didn’t have Kris to play off of. Noelle was clearly confused as to everything that had happened, but you, you just weren’t sure what you should and shouldn’t tell her now. If you really were fellow heroes, or something, you should probably tell her that you’re a bit more than an exchange student. Though surely, by now, she already knew that.
Noelle walked silently with you all the way across town, to the big gate that was just near Kris’ house. Finally, she spoke. “Did you know about any of this?”
You froze, unsure how to answer that.
“How long have you known Kris for?” Noelle asked after she realized you weren’t answering that one.
“That’s… complicated,” you answered honestly. “We only REALLY met yesterday, but we first made contact a while back ago.”
As you spoke, Noelle had taken off her backpack, and opened a pocket. She let out a sigh. “I forgot my key again…”
“Here, I’m light,” you told her. “Throw me over the gate. I’ll open it from the inside.”
“What?” Noelle asked you.
“Just do it,” you said more forcefully. “I’m the leader, remember? I know what I’m doing.”
“If you say so…” she begrudgingly agreed, until she lifted you. “Wow, you really are light!”
“I’m made of stuffing,” you admitted, and she hurled you over. It didn’t even hurt to fall. You unlocked the gate and let her in.
“Thanks,” she said, “we still can’t get in the house though.”
“Well, you have a nice yard,” you told her, sitting in the grass. “Come, sit.”
She sat down, and looked at the ground away from you.
“Kris actually summoned me as a demon,” you admitted to break the ice.
“WHAT?!” Noelle asked. “Catti said that failed!”
“No, Catti ran away like a coward,” you clarified. “But Kris stayed. She somehow knew the one person in this entire town who could help something like me. Someone who could build me a body.”
“You’re messing with me,” Noelle said suspiciously.
“Here, watch,” you said, before ejecting yourself from your body. It was weird, even though you had only been in that perfect vessel of yours for a day, watching it crumble without your power was actually pretty disturbing. But you weren’t nearly as disturbed as Noelle, who started screaming. You went to tell her it was okay, but you didn’t have a mouth. So you returned to your body. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” you assured, putting your soft hand on her shoulder. “The body was made for me artificially. The heart is all of me.”
“Ah! Y-you… you’re serious!” The realization finally seemed to hit her for real, and she curled up in on herself. “You’re a demon in a human’s body!”
“No, I’m a human in a plush body,” you corrected. “I really do have a human SOUL, but my body didn’t come here when I did. It got left behind.”
“You had a different body?” Noelle asked.
“Of course, I haven’t just spent my whole life as a floating heart!” you replied with a smile. “Her name was Frisk. I hope she’s doing okay without me…”
“That must be weird,” Noelle tried to sympathize. “Adjusting to a new name. A new body. So was Frisk your first body, or…?”
“No,” you admitted. “I was someone else… once. A human with a boring, nothing life. So I left.”
Noelle stared at you in wonder. “Just like that?” she asked.
“Just like that,” you confirmed. “If your life sucks, why not fix it, right?”
In awe of you, just like you were a REAL angel, Noelle nodded along. “Right,” she agreed, a big smile on her face.