Alone, on a set of swings sat a small monster child, no older than 4 years old. She sniffled softly, not quite looking at anything in particular.
"Hey." She heard from her side. She flinched as she always did, looking to the voice. A young boy stood over her, long hair obscuring his deadpan face. He was 3-maybe 4? Same age as her then. She sniffled, the tears streaming down her face pausing, if only for a second.
The child sat down a foot away from her. He didn't look like any monster she had seen before. In fact, he…didn't look like a monster at all. After a second of silence, the boy looked back at her, and she flinched as crimson eyes bored into her own green ones, his hair doing little to dull the eerie glow. "...Why are you crying?" he asked, voice quiet and soft.
She looked down, huddling her knees closer to her face. Her gaze shifted to her small hooves, digging them further into the sand. "I-It's silly…some boy just...told me I had…dumb sticks growing out of my head." She explained, voice just as soft as his.
The boy looked at her antlers, small and frail. They had clearly just grown in, and had much more growing to do. "They look pretty. Nice color." The child whispered, sitting down next to her. She flinched again, inwardly berating herself for her fear. What if she offended him?
What if this strange not monster child that had come over, presumably to comfort her, was driven away immediately by her own unending nervousness. What if-
"My name's Kris." He interjected randomly, drawing her from her thoughts. She turned to look at him, seeing that pair of red eyes looking back at her again. There was no visible emotion on his face, yet he looked at her expectantly, as if awaiting a response.
"...I'm…I'm Noelle."
-
Her eyes opened with a flutter. That dream again? Sitting up in her way too big bed with her way too big sheets, she groaned softly, rubbing her eyes. She offhandedly checked her phone, reading the time. It was only 5:30, so she still had plenty of time to get ready for school.
As she stretched softly, hearing her bones crack, Noelle idly thought to herself, wondering just why she was replaying that memory in her head so often lately. After all, she and Kris hadn't really talked in…years, now.
The thought made her sad, like it always did. They used to be best friends, spending all day together, Kris pranking Noelle, Noelle helping Kris with his schoolwork, Kris standing up for Noelle when she couldn't find her own voice…the memories always left a bittersweet taste in her mouth.
She missed her old best friend so badly sometimes. The want for his friendship had…dulled over the last few years, regrettably, yet she still thought about him once a week. Things were just…so awkward now…for her, at least.
She couldn't tell what Kris thought of her anymore. She wanted to believe that he still cared about her, but…she hadn't even heard him speak since last year. It was like he was getting even…even worse. Guilt tugged at her gut like a group of strings, and she exhaled softly.
She could have reached out. Asked him how he was doing…at least told him that she still cared about him. However, she was too wrapped up in…her own problems. Dess…
Blinking softly, Noelle looked at her phone again, eyes widening. "Oh crackers! It's already 6!? Gosh, I'm going to be late!" She whispered, quickly pulling her sheets over her legs and hopping out of bed, her hooves hitting the ground with a light clop.
She was in the shower in minutes, quickly cleaning herself up. Once she was out and dressed, she brushed her golden hair into submission (which was no easy feat), brushed her already sparkling teeth into a somehow more sparkly state, and flossed as well.
Nervously throwing up a pair of fingers guns at her reflection in the mirror, Noelle shook her head, leaving the bathroom and heading back towards her own room. Her mother was already gone, of course. The very idea that her mom could wake up past 4 was absurd, and she didn't even know if she had ever seen her mom asleep in the morning.
Shaking her head again, she entered her room and put on the finishing touches to her outfit. After snapping her watch into place and spraying her infamous red and green sweater with her slightly less infamous gingerbread scented perfume, she took a deep breath. "You're ready for today. You're the coolest reindeer you know…besides literally every other reindeer you know." She said, whispering the last bit to herself.
Slapping her cheeks, she glared forward.
"I'm ready!"
---
"And so, my sweetest Noelle! That is why I believe you should accompany moi to the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance." Berdly finished, his usual smirk on his face. Noelle smiled her polite smile, ignoring the urge to cringe.
She was not ready.
"O-Oh! Sorry, Berdly, but I was-um- actually thinking of asking Susie-" she started, but the bluebird didn't even give her the chance to finish before he interrupted her in his…eccentric way.
"Worry not, my beautiful doe, for I have already come up with an ingenious plan! First, we'll-" Noelle almost felt bad about drowning him out. Almost. She pretended like she was listening while subtly gazing around the classroom.
Wait…where was Kris? He would usually be here by now, even if he was kind of hard to pinpoint sometimes. He clearly liked being unseen, but to just not even show up? Kris may have not cared that much about school, but he knew well enough that skipping would get him more than a lecture from his mom.
SLAM!
Noelle yelped, jumping in her seat as the classroom door slammed open, a large figure standing in the doorway. A dark, bushy, mane covered the figure's head, a purple snout peering into the room. Silently, the girl stepped into the classroom, the only noise being her stomping footsteps and Noelle swallowed softly as her heart rate increased.
She was about to greet the girl, when Alphys beat her to it. "H-Hi Susie! K-kind of surprised that you're not the last one here for once…hehe…heh…" she trailed off, sweating nervously. Susie looked in Alphys' direction, her face not giving anything away.
Saying nothing, she turned and walked past Noelle, sitting two seats behind her. Now all who was left was…
Noelle tapped her fingers against her desk softly as Berdly began to speak again, saying something about how the two of them were going to conquer ICE-E kart together after school. She heard herself agree before she could stop herself. Curse her stupid people pleaser self!
Noelle bit her lip as she turned her head, looking at the time, She was beginning to worry. Kris was late, sometimes but…not this late. Noelle knew that class was supposed to start any second now, but…still no sign of him. Looking around, she noted that…nobody even seemed to care. They were moving about their day like normal, not even looking at the empty desk that…had never been empty before.
Silently, she raised her hand, and Alphys looked at her, surprised. "O-Oh, Noelle? I-If you need to go to the bathroom, y-you just need a bathroom pass-" she started, but Noelle's strained smile made her pause.
"Um…where's Kris? Do…any of you know?" She asked, hearing the room go silent…until…
"I knew it was only a matter of time until that ruffian decided to ditch class. Always sitting there, sleeping in class like he's smarter than me-erm-us." He said, crossing his wings. "I'm just surprised it took so long." He finished.
Noelle frowned at him, letting just a small amount of her disappointment for the bird show. There was a lot more disappointment that she wasn't showing, but she didn't want to hurt Berdly's feelings. "I'm serious, Berdly. He's usually not late like this…I'm worried." She spoke, and Berdly rolled his eyes behind his glasses.
"Oh, please. He probably just got lost behind his own hair or something." He said, waving her concerns off. Just then, the door opened again, and there he was. He stumbled forward, his entire face saved for his mouth and chin covered by his hair. She felt herself smile at the sight of him, only to pause. He looked…pale.
"A-Ah, Kris! You're here! I was…a little scared you were going to end up cutting class." Alphys admitted, before clearing her throat. "N-Now that everyone is here, I can…" Alphys paused, looking at the chalkboard. "Oh, not again…" she mumbled nervously.
"U-Um…the chalk is missing…again. Do-Do any of you…know where it is?" She asked, earning nothing but an array of silent stares. "...Please?" She whimpered, to no avail.
Noelle couldn't help herself. "I can go look for some in the supply closet!" She suggested, and Alphys looked as if the weight of a castle had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Thank you, Noelle." She said, before her eyes landed on Kris. "H-Here, why don't you go with her, Kris?" She asked, and the boy recoiled slightly. Noelle caught the movement, and found a frown came to her face. Did he…really dislike her that much? To flinch at the mere thought of accompanying her down a hallway?
Barely even a second later, and Kris nodded, schooling his expression expertly. He turned to Noelle, gazing at her through his bangs. She felt his eyes on her, and returned the stare with a welcoming smile. 'C'mon, Kris…just…even a sign? A sign that you still care?' she thought to herself.
…
Nothing. Not even a nod.
As the two of them left the classroom, Noelle felt sick to her stomach. It had never really clicked with her, somehow. Sure, she understood that Kris was distant, maybe even a little cold, but…he still cared about her, right? Glancing at him again, she found him walking in tandem with her, not even acknowledging her existence.
Noelle felt like she did something wrong. A dozen prickly feelings stabbed her in the gut, and she almost didn't catch herself in time before the tears started to roll. Subtly, Noelle rubbed at her eyes, wiping away the tears. She didn't notice the boy turn his head ever so slightly, gazing at her.
It didn't take long for the two to stop at the supply closet. Noelle had finished rubbing her face, standing in front of the door. "O-Oh, you're probably waiting for me to-" she started, reaching for the door, only for it to practically slide open on its own.
Billowing darkness met her gaze. Nothing but shadow and lack of even that. Blinking, Noelle turned to view Kris, seeing him stare inside the supply closet, a similar look of confusion conveyed in the way he held himself.
She had gotten really good at reading Kris's body language, especially after he pranked them all into thinking he had lost the ability to speak. She almost believed him too…until he asked his mother for some chocolate not even 5 minutes later, completely shattering the prank.
Despite his confusion, Kris took a step forward. He slowly lowered his foot on the floor inside, surprised that there was actually solid ground inside and not just…darkness. At first she thought this was one of Kris's famous pranks that he would pull on her, before she paused.
When was the last time he had…actually pranked her? The last time she could remember was when he put silly string all over her antlers in her sleep, but that was when they were 13, and even then that was tame for his standards.
Hesitantly, she stepped inside.
Blank papers lined the floor, as if creating a walkway…a walkway that tapered off only a foot away from the door. "U-Uh, Kris? Is this…normal?" She asked, her voice shaking. He barely gave a response, giving her only a light shrug.
Noelle was about to nod and move on, like she usually did, when she stopped herself. This was her chance. Her chance to reconnect with her childhood friend that she had missed so dearly. Noelle turned back to him, face serious for what seemed like the first time in months. "Kris, I-"
She was interrupted by the door behind them suddenly closing and locking, before the papers on the ground shifted. Before Noelle could say anything else, the floor began to fall out from under them at that very moment.
Noelle screamed and Kris stared upwards in shock as they fell into the void, falling further and further…as if they were falling into another world.
---
Noelle awoke with a gasp, opening her vibrant green eyes, sitting up and frantically looking around. Her hands instinctively grabbed onto her pure white robe, the small, basic white ring on her index finger not even registering to her. Softly, she uttered out a single word, her voice shaking. "K-Kris?" She asked. Nothing.
Standing up and feeling her new chilly white robe straighten out around her, she took a few shaky steps forward, hands clasped together. It took a second for her to notice the ring on her finger, staring at it in confusion. A second later, she noticed the robe.
"W-What!? Where did my clothes go? W-Why am I wearing just this robe!?" She asked, more to herself than anything else. A blur of movement made her squeak, and she turned to look at what she had seen, finding nothing but more stone.
Hesitantly, she continued forward, keeping a more careful eye out. She quickly came across a stone formation sticking out of the ground, inspecting it. There had been some eyes engraved into the area around her, but this one felt different.
She noticed a button under each of the eyes, and hesitantly pushed the middle one. She squeaked in fear as the right and middle eyes slid open with a soft shunk, revealing an inky blackness similar to that of the strange "closet" they had just entered.
Swallowing softly, Noelle closed her eyes and slapped her cheeks. "You have to be strong Noelle…for yourself…for Kris…for Mom…for De-"
"Hey."
Noelle yelped, leaping a near foot into the air. She turned around, glaring at the perpetrator without any real anger in her eyes. "Kris! Don't sneak up on me like that, you know I don't like it!" She said, unable to keep a smile off of her face. Despite what she had said, she couldn't help but feel a small rush of happiness for a second. She didn't like Kris's pranks, but she would easily take them over the silence they had partaken in for the last few years.
Kris stared back at her, a small, near unreadable smile on his face…but she could see it, clear as day. How couldn't she, when it was the first time he had any expression on his face in…a while.
Noelle's smile softened, her eyes closed and hands twiddling together at her front. "N-Now that we're both here…maybe we can take a moment to-um…discuss things?" She asked, her voice a mere squeak. Kris nodded softly, walking over to the stone formation and leaning against it.
Noelle took another look at her state of clothing, humming to herself. "I don't know how, but I'm wearing this strange robe. I think I have been ever since we fell down here. You…you're a knight?" She asked, looking him up and down.
Silently, Kris gave himself a once over, inspecting the thin plating covering his chest, shoulders, hands, and feet. Noelle internally wondered why none of his vital areas (besides his chest) were covered, but didn't say anything. He also hummed at his blue skin, staring at his uncovered arms.
Then Kris inspected the pink cape resting on his shoulder, gazing at the way it was torn at the edges. He was silent as he stared at it, his red eyes glowing beneath his hair.
Most people found Kris's eyes to be unnerving, and sometimes, Noelle could somewhat understand why. They were…intense. Red eyes were always eye-catching, but very few people had eyes like Kris.
Despite barely showing them off, Kris had some of the prettiest eyes Noelle had ever seen. They were a fierce ruby red, crimson in color and kind in nature. Actually…Noelle changed her mind. She didn't understand why so many people were afraid of his eyes.
As she continued her thought train, she felt a bitterness that she didn't know she had fill her stomach, angry for her friend. All anyone talked about when they mentioned Kris was how creepy he was. He was the quiet kid. The creepy little freak that nobody was brave or bored enough to approach…other than her.
Noelle…would be lying if she had said she didn't feel some form of disgust at her classmates. Even…Susie. She was the one to begin the name-calling, after all. The thought made her frown.
Noelle…alright, Noelle had a crush on Susie. She couldn't help it! She was just so…something. Something she couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the fear that followed her along wherever she went? Either way, Noelle just knew that Susie wasn't the person she made herself out to be. She just knew it.
Noelle suddenly yelped as she felt her hand get grabbed. Cool, smooth metal gently held her hand, and she realized it was Kris who had grabbed her. She blushed softly at the contact, looking at Kris, who was inspecting her new ring.
"...What's with the ring?" He asked, his voice as soft as ever. Noelle looked down at it too, her blush fading.
"I don't know, it just appeared! It must have come with the robe, because they're both…kinda cold." She noted, shuddering slightly. Kris stared at her, expression unreadable, before he reached over his shoulder, grabbing his cape that seemed to just slip off at his command, which was weird.
However, what he did next was even weirder. He…placed it around her shoulders. He didn't cover her head with it and make a spooky voice. He didn't pretend like it was a monster and strangled himself with it. He just…gave it to her. To keep her warm. She needed to stop forgetting that Kris wasn't the prankster he used to be. The most he would do is lightly frighten her now, and it didn't even seem to be on purpose.
She was reminded of that day on the swings again, the day they had met. He was always so nice to her, even with the pranks. Every time he pranked her, he made sure she was okay. Sure, half of his pranks left her in tears, but the moments that followed made up half of her favorite memories. Even his silly pranks…what she wouldn't give to have her old Krismas back.
Blinking, she realized what she had just thought, a light flush coming to her cheeks. 'Not like that, obviously!' she thought, her blush dispelling rather quickly. "Um…we should get going. O-Oh, and thank you, Kris! Really, it's…warm, actually. Really warm." She whispered, feeling the pink cape. It still had his body heat, something that was unique to him…in this town at least.
Being made of magic, Monsters didn't have blood, or muscle, or skin. At least not really. While they technically did have all those things, they were more…a projection than anything. A projection from their SOUL. Any "blood, muscle, or skin" that left a monster's body turned to dust immediately.
Unlike monsters, though, humans had all of those things in spades. They were fully organic, with all the things Monsters had but…actually real. So when she was massively warmed up by only a little body heat, she couldn't help but smile.
"This reminds me of that time you threw that whole bucket of water balloons at me. Y-You struggled to even lift it, let alone throw it!" She said, followed by a soft giggle. Her eyes grew softer as she gripped the cape tighter, smiling nostalgically to herself. "After that, you spent all day keeping me warm. You gave me two of your sweaters and made me enough hot cocoa to throw up!" She laughed
Kris smiled softly, the biggest she had seen in years. "Yeah…I'm…sorry about that." He said-was he BLUSHING!?
Sure enough, there was a dark purple glow on the boy's face, and it was then that Noelle realized that Kris probably didn't have any social contact for years other than his mother and brother, who had left for college a year ago, meaning that all he had was his mother. She felt horrible.
"Why are you apologizing? I know I cried, but it wasn't that bad. Besides, spending the rest of the day with you after was nice!" She admitted, and his blush deepened. What was going on with him? Did his temperature somehow rise when he took off the cape?
"Yeah, it…it was." He whispered, unable to meet her eyes with his own. Noelle frowned softly, inspecting Kris's features. Just a second ago he was smiling and reminiscing, and now Kris had that look on his face. The look that he had plastered on his face for the last 3 years.
"...Kris?" She started, only for the boy to turn around and press down on a few of the buttons, quickly solving the puzzle by darkening all of the eyes. Noelle flinched as a platform appeared with a loud boom, and Kris turned to face it, not showing her his expression.
"We should go." He whispered, and Noelle heard it. For just a second, she heard it. A crack in his voice, one from emotion. Noelle opened her mouth to oppose, but the way he held himself, the way he looked.
"...O-Okay, Kris." She agreed, walking behind him.
She had a horrible feeling that things were even worse than she had thought.
---
It only took them a few minutes to find something interesting. Or rather, someone interesting. Kris and Noelle stood in front of a large stone pillar, gazing up at a lone silhouette. They were small and round, but that was…all they had to work with. Noelle swallowed thickly, subtly inching closer to Kris, who instinctively stood in front of her.
With a raised hand, a floating spade appeared next to the figure, before it was launched at Kris and Noelle. Kris reacted quickly, grabbing Noelle's hand and pulling her to the side with him. She yelped, her hooves beating off the ground as she ran with Kris.
She could have overtaken him, but the idea alone of leaving Kris behind to fend for himself made her stomach twist into knots. Noelle looked up, and her eyes nearly popped out of her skull as she yelped. "T-That's a lot of spades!" She yelled, ducking close to Kris as they ran.
"Keep your head down!" He commanded naturally, his hand keeping a tight grip on hers. Eventually, the two came to a drop, and Noelle gasped. She turned around, spotting an entire wall of spades slowly inching towards them.
With no other option, Kris forced Noelle to look at him, and she finally saw his beautiful red eyes for real this time. They were wide and scared, just like hers were. Despite his brave demeanor and composed stance, Kris was just as frightened about this as she was.
How couldn't he be? They were randomly dropped here with no explanation, no guide, not even allowed the clothes they entered with. Who wouldn't be terrified?
They didn't have time for this! Noelle was dragged from within her head by Kris's urgent voice. "Noelle, do you trust me!?" He asked, and she swallowed nervously, but didn't hesitate to nod. Noelle flinched as Kris suddenly reached down, sliding his arm underneath her back and knees and-was he blushing again?
The two then jumped off the cliff, sliding down it awkwardly.
"KRIIIIIIIIIISS!" She screamed as they descended. Kris held her body in his arms, carrying her like she was a princess. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He grit his teeth, holding her protectively.
When he looked up, Kris saw two spades heading right for him, making his eyes widen. He leaned out of the way of one of the spades, but couldn't avoid the other one, which turned mid-air and buried into his side, cracking one of his ribs, before dispelling into simple magic particles.
Kris made sure to keep his pained grunting to a minimum as they outsped the magic attacks, not wanting to worry Noelle, who still had her eyes closed, face buried into his chest. He couldn't help but admire her when she wasn't looking, something he found himself doing more often as of late.
They quickly reached the bottom with no more obstacles, moving slowly enough now for Kris to land safely on the ground, Noelle still shaking in his arms. Kris absentmindedly noted how cute Noelle was, before his face flushed purple again. Stupid thoughts.
"Noelle. We're safe." He told her. Eyes snapping open, Noelle looked around, peering at everything around her.
"W-We are!? Oh, thank goodness! Kris, you saved me!" She gasped, gazing at him in the eyes. Kris flinched, not used to being spoken to with such…admiration before.
"It was nothing." He said, coolly, calmly. Just like everything he said. On the inside, though? 'I am never forgetting this feeling.' he thought to himself, enjoying the doe in his arms. It wasn't like he was ever going to experience this again, so…
"Um…Kris? You can…you can put me down now." She told him, making his face flush even deeper. He quickly set her down, ignoring the heat coming from his face.
"Sorry. Got a little caught up with the spades." He admitted, and she smiled warmly at him. He felt sick, like he had stolen it from someone. He didn't deserve this. She shouldn't be smiling at him, she should be afraid of him, just like everyone else-
"Kris! Oh my god-you're bleeding! One of the spades must have got you…" she said, reaching out to inspect the wound, but Kris stepped back, shielding it with his hand.
"I'll be fine. Come on, we should get moving, before that…person finds us." He said, walking forward. Noelle stared at his back as he left, frowning softly. Why was he so closed off, even still? She could tell he still cared about her, considering he just literally saved her life without a second thought.
The realization dawned on her swiftly. He took what was basically a bullet…for her. To protect her. A gross feeling bubbled up in her belly as she shivered, her eyes following Kris's movements. She saw a drop of blood fall onto the ground from Kris's wound, flinching like it had hit her.
"K-Kris?" She asked, her voice piercing the silence. The human paused, looking back at her. She stared at him, her big green eyes brimming with unshed tears. "...Please?" She whimpered. Her tone broke Kris's already broken heart, and he sighed, making his way back to her. She smiled at him, sniffling softly.
"S-Sorry…I know it's annoying, but-"
"It's not." He interrupted, looking her in the eyes. She blinked, before averting her gaze.
"You don't have to lie, Kris…I know my worrying can be overbearing." She whispered, gently putting her palm to the bloody part of his black bodysuit. Kris flinched, but not out of pain. "You've always been…stronger than me. Not just because you're a human-but because you just…are. You're braver than me-you're calmer than me-sometimes you're even smarter than me, fahaha!" She laughed softly, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
She quietly grabbed Kris's cape, ready to use it as a bandage, when he stopped her. "Wait. I-It could be…dirty." He stumbled out, making her blink. Did…Did Kris just stutter? That didn't happen. Ever.
"O-Oh. Okay-sorry!" She whispered, a small blush on her cheeks. Was it weird that she didn't want to take his cape off? It was still so warm and comforting. It really did remind her of wearing one of his sweaters.
Unbeknownst to her, Kris inwardly sighed in relief. He wanted her to wear it for…at least just a little bit longer. I-It just looked good on her, that was all!
Instead of using the cape, Noelle ripped of a large part of her sleeve. Kris was about to interject, not wanting her to damage her own clothing just to lightly patch him up, but she shot him a glare before he could, telling him that this was entirely non-negotiable.
So Kris stood still, allowing her to tie it around him. Before long, it was completed, and his red blood was already staining her once flawless robe. Noelle curiously gazed at her hands, noticing that his blood coated them too. She gasped, shivering softly.
She was covered in Kris! Oh my god, was he going to die-was he going to-oh right. Kris was a human. This was normal. After calming down, Noelle gazed back down at her hands, grimacing at the feeling of his warm blood making her fur sticky.
Kris felt shameful, as if he had just damaged a piece of historical art. "Sorry…I should have warned you." He whispered, and she looked back up at him, eyes wide.
"Huh? Oh-this? C'mon, Kris, you know a little blood wouldn't scare me!" She said, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, as a little blood did in fact scare her, just not for the reason Kris might think.
"Still. That can't be comfortable. Here, let me see." He mumbled, and she stood up, showing him her blood covered hands.
"Kris, it's really not that bad. I can handle a little blood on me, seriously." She said, and he gazed her in the eyes.
"I wasn't allowed to say no." He responded, and she huffed.
"Yeah, that's because you were injured. I just have a little blood on my hands, that's all." She said, ignoring the feeling of his literal lifeblood further seeping into her fur. Why was it so warm? Well, Kris was warm, so that made sense. Well then why the heck was it so darn sticky!?
"...We should get that out before it dries. We need to find some water." He said, turning around and walking to the right-the only direction they really could go. Noelle sighed with a smile on her face, following behind him. This may have been…really weird so far, but at least she wasn't alone. Better yet, she was with the person that she had wanted to reconnect with!
Maybe she was having that dream for a reason. Maybe…maybe this really was her chance to reconnect with Kris. It seemed like she already was, as he had said more today than he had in ages. He kind of smiled too. Maybe the days of going over to Toriel's when he wasn't home to ask how he was doing were over.
However, her train of thought was thoroughly derailed as she saw a freaking CASTLE in the distance, not to mention the town that surrounded it. "...Kris?" She asked.
"...Yeah?" He responded, just as stunned.
"Is that…is that a castle?" She asked. Kris nodded, silent. "Huh. So this is a dream." She stated. "That makes sense. I'm dreaming. That's why everything is going so well…" she mumbled, earning a look from Kris.
"Noelle…I don't think this is a dream." He told her, and she laughed shakily, as if her very concept of reality was being questioned…and to be fair, it…kinda was. "If this was a dream, wouldn't the sensation of falling wake you up? How would you have fallen asleep the second you entered the supply closet?" He asked, and she paused.
"I…I don't…this has to be a dream, right? I mean-ow!" She gasped as Kris pinched her wrist.
"See? Not dreaming." He told her, and she crossed her arms, trying to keep a smile off of her face.
"Very funny, Kris! You…do have a point though. This is…way too real to be a dream. I don't even know how an entire castle can fit in a closet, but…hehe…here we are!" She said nervously, a few more crazy sights away from a mental breakdown.
"Noelle." Kris started, a hand placed on her shoulder. If it were anyone else, she would have flinched, he noticed. Yet she didn't with him. Slowly, she looked him in the eyes, and he could tell that she trusted him. "It's okay. We're both fine, and…this place doesn't seem harmful. Maybe we should…take a break." He offered.
Noelle blinked, and it was then that she realized she had been crying. Why was she crying? She could handle being scared, Kris used to scare her all the time! She was a little girl anymore, she could handle this!
…
Oh, who was she kidding, she wasn't just scared, she was downright terrified! "I…yes please." She whispered, almost embarrassed. Wordlessly, Kris walked over to one of the buildings, sitting down against it. Slowly, Noelle followed, sitting next to him. They were silent for a few minutes, not even looking at one another. Simply…allowing themselves to calm down a little bit.
After a minute, Noelle lowered her head, sniffling softly. "S-Sorry, Kris…" she whispered, earning a tilt of his head as he finally looked at her. "If I hadn't volunteered to go get that stupid chalk, then Alphys wouldn't have asked you to come with. It's my fault that we're in here." She whimpered, her white robe doing little to hide her shaking.
Kris frowned, nearly unnoticably. "...No it's not. It isn't anyone's fault. You didn't ask for this…I didn't ask for this…we didn't ask for this." He said, speaking the clearest he had all day. Even then, it was still a soft mumble, but Noelle had learned to listen for his words well.
She sniffled again, shrugging her shoulders weakly. "Maybe. I…I'm sorry, I shouldn't-" she started.
"Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. Please." He whispered, and she took the chance to look at him, gasping at what she saw. He had moved his bangs out of the way, showing off his piercing crimson eyes, and…they looked sad. "You're the last person that should feel like this. Trust me." He told her. She saw his hand inch towards her shoulder, only for him to flinch and pull back. Why? Was he scared that she would get mad?
After a second more of silence, Noelle wiped her eyes with her remaining sleeve, hugging herself closer to Kris's cape. "...Thanks, Kris. You…you're actually pretty good at that." She whispered back, smiling softly at him. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as she smiled at him, moving his bangs back into place to hopefully cover it as much as possible.
"...It's no problem. I just don't like seeing…you like that." He continued, and she paused at the you, noticing the way he said it, as if the very idea of her blaming herself hurt him. Before she could say something, another voice rang out.
"Heroes of the light! Warriors to banish the darkness! I'm so glad you finally arrived!" they heard, and Kris immediately stood up, summoning a pink shield out of…nowhere and standing in front of Noelle in a protective stance, who stood behind him, trying her best not to appear scared and failing miserably.
The voice, linked to a cloaked figure slowly approaching them then sputtered out an apology. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you! I was um…waiting at the castle. I saw you two arrive and thought that you would come up here so I…I um…waited." The figure said, fumbling with their cloak.
Noelle peeked past Kris, spotting the cloaked figure. Knowing that she was probably going to be forced to do the talking, Noelle stepped to Kris's side, earning a glance from him, as if to say 'You sure?'
She nodded at him, before smiling nervously at the cloaked figure. "H-Hi! Sorry about our reaction, it's just…well, this place is kind of scary." She admitted bashfully, with Kris nodding along. The figure flinched, before nodding.
"I understand your concerns, heroes…but you don't need to worry. You are safe here. Welcome to my Castle Town! There are some things to discuss, but if you two need some rest, then please, allow me to show you to my most relaxing-" he started, only for Noelle to wince. He caught it, pausing his speech to allow her to talk, only for her to cough awkwardly.
"U-Um…you can go first-it can wait-" she started, and the figure took another excited step forward.
"No, I insist! Please, ask me anything you want!" he pleaded, as if his life depended on it. Noelle looked at Kris, who simply shrugged. Sighing at the lack of an answer, she smiled at the figure, though it was tense, and visibly forced.
"W-We were wondering if we could…leave…actually. W-We have school to get back to and-" she started, making the figure freeze. Noelle felt a pang of guilt and stopped herself, looking away. "I mean…I-I guess we…we can stay for a little bit." She murmured out. Kris turned to look at her again, this time actually speaking.
"...Are you sure? I don't really care either way-but-" he started, and she smiled at him. It was fake, of course, full of false confidence and eagerness to please. So, Kris nodded, turning to the hooded figure and clearing his throat. The hooded figure jolted, ready to begin his speech.
"We would like to know how to leave, please." Kris said with as much volume that he could muster…which really wasn't all that much. Noelle shot him a wide-eyed look, and he looked back at her, his face betraying nothing. "...I may sleep through class a lot, but I'm not an idiot. I can tell when you're lying, Noelle." He told her, making her look away, embarrassed both by being caught, and at how well Kris could tell she was fibbing.
Despite Kris's low volume, it was clear the hooded figure heard him, as he sank down sadly. "...O-Of course…it's just back-" he started, only for a silhouette on a bike to crash into him, sending him flying with a comical scream.
"Hey there, losers! I heard this dump was called Castle Town, but I don't see any castles-only clowns!" The silhouette cheered. "So I'm gonna call it Clown Town!" They continued.
Kris already had his shield up, with Noelle hiding behind him. "K-Kris, is that a child!?" She shouted, and he narrowed his red eyes, gazing at the figure, their features becoming clear to him. With a color pallet of black, blue, and white, this strange hooded child grinned at the two of them, sticking his blue tongue out at them mockingly.
"Well!? What are you waiting for, clowns? Come get me!" He shouted, doing a twirling wheelie on his motorcycle-wait that was just a bycicle on fire?
Noelle peeked past Kris's shoulder, staring fearfully at the young boy. He was clearly here to hurt them, that much was clear, and…his shape almost resembled…
Gasping, Noelle tugged on Kris's bodysuit, making him subtly tilt his head towards her, not taking his eyes off of the child. "Kris, I-I think that's the person t-that attacked us earlier! Look at his shape-and his hood! I-It looks like a spade!" She whispered, yet the child still seemed to hear.
"Righty-O, doe-o!" He laughed.
"But…doe already rhymes with-" Noelle started.
"The name's Lancer!" The child interrupted, doing yet another wheelie on his bike for literally no reason. "But all you two need to know is…
I'M THE BAD GUY!"
Chapter 2
Kris and Noelle both stared Lancer down, the former glaring at him, while the latter shivered behind the former. "W-Why are you doing this!?" She asked, and Lancer stuck his tongue out at them.
"Because Dad asked me to! He even called me his little soldier!" Lancer answered while doing a dance(r) on his bike. Noelle blinked, not expecting the answer. This…really was just a kid, huh?
Her moment of guilt for fighting a child was taken advantage of, with Lancer shooting multiple spade based projectiles at them while charging at them with his bike.
Kris deflected the first two spades with his shield, noticing how…weak they actually were. Once they faced any real resistance, they simply scattered into bits of energy that faded from view. His wound throbbed, as if to warn him to not underestimate the attacks. Just then, the last spade sped at him, and he couldn't raise his shield in time, forced to dodge it. He grabbed Noelle, guiding her lower to the ground to avoid the projectile.
"K-Kris, look out!" Noelle then shouted, pointing at the incoming child.
"Hehehe! Here I come, nerds!" Lancer shouted.
Kris…walked out of the way, followed by Noelle. Lancer's confident grin changed to a surprised stare, turning his head to face the two. "Nooooooooo!" He shouted dramatically, before breaking and turning around. "Nice moves, punks! You really dodged my super charge!" he complimented.
"Um…thank you?" Noelle said, before Lancer tilted his head, gazing at her with a confused stare.
"Why aren't you doing anything? Cast a spell! C'mon, shoot a fireball at me or something!" He said, pointing at her and grinning excitedly.
"What!? I-I can't cast spells! Just because I'm made of magic doesn't mean I can use it!" She shouted back, earning a gremlin-like laugh as he twirled on his bike again. It was kind of endearing though, she had to admit.
"Of course you can, deer girl! All you have to do is think about it, really visualize it in that brain of yours, and BAM!" The child shouted, just as a spade materialized over his hand. The child then frowned, the spade disappearing. "Too bad most of us only have one type of magic. Hmph!" He said, crossing his arms.
Noelle blinked, before looking down at her still bloody hands. The blood had dried now, and she had mostly gotten used to the feeling. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
If she only had one type of magic, then…what would it be? Could she choose? Probably not…if only there was a pamphlet explaining this like there was at the library's (she still refused to call it the librarby) book rental service.
She focused on what she wanted most at the moment, exhaled softly, before she raised her bloodied hands. 'Please…protect us…' she thought to herself.
Kris stared as she raised her arms, entranced. The way she moved, even now. Even with her torn sleeve and dirtied face, even with her hands covered in his blood…she was still just as beautiful. She looked like an angel. Kris exhaled softly, his eyes widening just a bit as her robe moved with the wind. Wait, wind? What wind?
Kris noticed that there was a breeze that hadn't been there before, and he could tell Lancer noticed it too, based on the way he rolled around doing cartwheels, exclaiming that it was the very light breeze making him do that. (It wasn't.)
No, Kris swore the breeze was…coming from Noelle. Suddenly, a sparkle of green in the center of her palms. That sparkle began to multiply, surrounding both herself and Kris. Kris felt his wound heal quickly, the torn skin and flesh mending itself swiftly. Kris inhaled shakily, reaching for the white bandage that covered his side.
When he unwrapped it…the wound was gone. Not even a mark. He looked up at Noelle, who still had her eyes closed, lips pursed in focus. "Noelle…you did it." He told her, and she gasped, snapping out of her trance. She turned around, looking at him, and byproduct, his wound-or lack thereof.
She blinked, staring at where the wound had previously been. "Haha, yeah! I knew you could do it, deer girl! You must have a support magic type! Pretty neat!" He called, before he paused. "Wait…what did I come here to do again? Ha! I forgot! Well, see you, cool deer girl and quiet blue boy!" He said, pedaling off to the right and presumably leaving Castle Town.
Noelle blinked, before she saw the hooded figure walk into view, his robe torn in multiple places, revealing bits of mint green cloth beneath. She blinked, before looking over at Kris. "Um…Kris? Are…are you sure you want to leave? B-Because that was…I don't think I've ever felt like that before." She whispered, a breathless tone to her voice.
Kris couldn't help but nod, looking down at his gauntlet, clenching his hand into a fist. He could feel it too. The strength. The will. He still felt like him, but…more. Noelle looked down, hands clasped together. "K-Kris…could we…could we stay? Just a bit longer?" She asked him, and when he looked at her, she wasn't smiling at him.
She had a neutral expression on her face, like she was expecting something she didn't want to hear, but was fine with hearing it. However, when he nodded without hesitation, she blinked in shock. "Wait-really!? You said no last time though!" She teased, an amused smile on her face.
Kris nodded, gazing at her. "...Only because you didn't want to stay. Now you do…so now I do too." He whispered, and she smiled at him with her real smile this time. The one that only he ever saw. It wasn't as reserved as her normal, fake smile, maybe someone would say it wasn't perfect…but it was her and she was perfect.
"Thank you, Kris." She said it like she was relieved, and honestly, after that? Kris was interested in where this would go. Where it could go. Noelle looked at the hooded figure, taking a step forwards. "Um-we changed our minds! We would like to stay…at least for a little bit!" She told him.
The figure gasped excitedly, practically vibrating with joy. "Oh, wonderful! Truly, wonderful! Come, I must help you two get cleaned up!" He said, turning around and beginning to walk back towards the castle, only for Noelle to speak up again.
"S-Sorry-I don't mean to interrupt you, but…could you…take off that robe? I'm-I'm having a little trouble hearing you." She requested, her voice growing quieter and quieter as the guilt of inconveniencing this stranger set in.
He stopped, flinching. "Ah, how rude of me! Here, just let me…" he trailed off, slipping his arms through the sleeves of his robe and taking it off. Standing in front of them was a small monster, slightly taller than Kris.
He wore a mint green cloak with the Delta Rune in the center of it, a bright pink scarf that seemed floatier that it should have been, and a large mage-like hat in the same color as his robe that nearly completely obscured his features. He had big round glasses on his shadowed over face as well, and Kris saw the boy push his glasses up, noticing the leather gloves that covered the boy's hands.
"My name is Ralsei! I was going to tell you two the prophecy, but…that can wait a bit. First, we need to get you two cleaned up. Follow me! I have a room that will handle it for you!" He called, gesturing for them to follow him. Noelle and Kris shared a look, before following after the mysterious monster. Noelle took a glance at her wristwatch, only to remember that it was gone.
"Aw geez…Kris, does your phone work? I checked mine earlier and all it shows is static. I can make phone calls, but…all that comes through is garbage noise." She told him, and he reached into his pocket, grabbing his smartphone.
…
"I forgot to charge it last night." He told her, as deadpan as usual. Noelle just sighed, pinching the bridge of her red nose and closing her eyes. She really wasn't upset and was more playing up her reaction for amusement. When she opened her eyes, they widened to saucers upon seeing Kris standing right in front of her, inspecting her hair closely.
"K-Kris!? W-What are you doing!?" She asked, and he hummed, grabbing a strand of her hair and making her face erupt with a red blush. "Kris?" She asked again, voice tinged with embarrassment.
"Your hair…changed colors. It's not golden anymore." He mumbled, and she blinked, before looking up at where he held a strand of her hair out.
"Huh. It did. It's more platinum now…that's…weird. I mean-hey, at least I'm not blue, fahaha!" she laughed in that teasing way she always did, and Kris felt his heart flutter. He admittedly loved her laugh. It was similar to her father's, but unique in a way that made it way more adorable than Rudy's.
Kris found himself smiling slightly at the joke, and Noelle's eyes brightened considerably upon seeing it. Kris blushed heavily, harder than he ever had before. What the hell was going on? Okay, so maybe he had a little crush on his childhood friend…one that had lasted since they were 7…which was 10 years ago…so no big deal.
He wasn't in love with her. He wasn't madly in love with her. Besides, even if he was, she would never fall for him. How could she? There was so much between them, so much to unpack. Too much. He saw the way she looked at Susie anyways, and tried not to let the sting of betrayal at the thought hurt. It did.
For 13 years, Kris and Noelle had known each other. When Kris moved to Hometown, she was the only person that would even give him the time of day, besides his parents and brother. He knew it was because of the swing set. Even if their fathers were friends long before they were born, he was there for her when nobody else was, so of course she would return the favor. That's all this was. Just the good old fashioned Noelle kindness he grew to love.
…
'God damnit, Kris. It's been 10 years. Just move on already, please.' he thought to himself, walking silently next to her. His face betrayed nothing, but inside, he was struggling to keep it together. Every time he was reminded of his unattainable goal of earning Noelle's love, it hurt.
It hurt far more than self-inflicted cuts ever could.
As Kris continued to silently spiral into a panic attack, Noelle looked around and absorbed the sights. Despite it being called Castle Town…it was pretty darn empty. "Um-Ralsei? Where…where is everyone? Isn't this supposed to be a town?" She asked, and the mysterious monster flinched, before turning to her and smiling anxiously.
"Oh, I uh…don't have any subjects yet…but I will, soon!" He responded, making Noelle blink.
"Wait…subjects? Ralsei, are you-are you royalty?" She asked, and he smiled at her again, more genuinely this time.
"Yep! I'm the prince of this humble town! It may not be very uh…townish yet, but I promise that will change with time. First, however…welcome to my castle!" He said, opening the large double doors. Noelle hummed as she entered, gazing up at the ceiling. Was it weird that her house was bigger on the inside?
There were two staircases in front of them, leading both up and down, but there were also hallways leading to the left and the right, lined with doors with small neat labels over them. Ralsei led the three to the bath room, and Noelle suddenly got a whole lot less comfortable.
"Um…you…you don't want me to take a bath with Kris, right?" She asked, snapping Kris out of his state and sending him into a purple blushing storm.
"W-What!?" He asked, his voice actually louder than a whisper. Noelle turned to him, laughing at his reaction.
"Fahahahaha! Y-You're bright purple!" She cried, and Kris flinched, looking away. He grit his teeth behind his lips, shame burning at his face. "S-Sorry, Kris, that was mean…I just d-didn't expect you to jump out of your skin like that!" She teased, and his blush slowly went away as she apologized.
Ralsei stood in front of the bath room, his own face lightly flushed. "Technically…yes?" He answered, and both Kris and Noelle blushed this time.
"WHAT!? You can't be serious!" She yelled, her face literally beaming red. Ralsei held his hands in front of him, waving them in a panic.
"Not like that-not like that! I-It's a magical bath! It's like a hot spring, it revitalizes you and your clothing! You're supposed to enter it fully clothed, so…y-you don't need to worry about…that." He said, looking down, eyes wide behind his glasses.
Noelle relaxed upon hearing that, but Kris was still tense. "I…I don't need it. My outfit is only slightly damaged, I really don't need-" he started, trying to excuse himself out of the situation, but Ralsei smiled at him.
"Come on, Kris! Even if it's just for a little bit, it couldn't hurt. It'll feel good, trust me!" He told the human, who frowned.
"...I don't want to. I'm not…I'm not taking a bath with Noelle." he said, face flushed. Noelle blinked, gazing at him. This had to have been the most emotion she had seen out of him ever. He was always so calm and collected, yet here he was losing his calm…again? Just how many times had the boy blushed again? Was there something in the air-oh my god she didn't stink, right? Right!?
"I-I think we should go in!" She blurted out, making Kris turn to her, the most dumbfounded he had ever looked. She blushed, looking away. "Just because…it…it couldn't hurt! Besides, even just a little hole like that can be seriously dangerous, Kris!" She said, turning on her scolding mode.
Kris looked at her helplessly, unable to say no. How could he? "I…fine. Just…fine." He mumbled, not allowing his irritation with the situation to leak into his words. He wouldn't ever forgive himself if he made Noelle cry again. He wasn't the same person he was when he was a kid…those tears that made him smirk as a little kid now made his heart cry for her. God, he had it bad.
She frowned, guilt creeping into her mind, but before she could second guess herself, Kris walked up to the door, opening it. He was immediately greeted with an admittedly pleasant warmth that urged him to take another step inside, followed by Noelle. She shivered as she stepped inside, smiling softly.
'It's so warm…it's kinda like being surrounded by a bunch of tiny Krises!' she thought to herself, covering her mouth so that her giggle didn't escape. There was a large pool of water in the center that seemed to sparkle unnaturally. Ralsei was the first to jump in, barely making a splash. He looked at the two, the water not even making his clothes float.
Noelle glanced at Kris, who looked back. "I can go first if you would like." He mumbled, and Noelle smiled at him.
"Oh, you don't have to do that, Kris! I was going to ask if you wanted to, but if you don't mind…" she started, before giggling happily and leaping into the water, making a moderate splash. A bit of water landed in front of Kris, and he blushed as he watched Noelle laugh in the water, enjoying its warmth. "C'mon, Kris! It's actually really nice in here!" She called.
Kris was still for a second, before he reluctantly stepped forward. He took a deep breath, before jumping into the pool of water. With his naturally heavier weight as a human, and the metal armor weighing his body down, he made a much larger splash than either Ralsei or Noelle. The latter giggled as she was splashed with water, splashing some at Kris once he popped his head up.
Kris flinched softly, but hearing Noelle's happy giggles instantly made him ease up. Noelle was cut off by her giggles as Kris splashed her back, soaking her face in water. She looked back at Kris, a shocked smile on her face. He was…smiling. Not just a little quirk of his mouth, but…a smile. A genuine, full smile.
Noelle couldn't help it. She swam over to Kris, hugging him tightly. The boy went rigid in the water, but somehow didn't sink. Must be the magic. "Kris! You're smiling-you're actually-actually smiling!" She cheered, tears forming in her eyes.
His smile shook, seeing her tears. Was…did this really mean that much to her?
…Why?
What did his smile have to do with anything? Honestly, Kris didn't remember the last time he actually smiled. Still, why would she care? It was…just him. The weird kid. The human. Didn't she get it yet? Kris wasn't like her. Kris wasn't like anyone.
He wanted so desperately to hug her back, to wrap his arms around her and tell her that it felt good to smile again…with her. But he didn't. He didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to hear a lie. A single smile wasn't a changed life, as much as he hated it.
Once Noelle realized he wasn't hugging her back, she backed up, her own smile falling upon seeing that Kris…wasn't smiling anymore. "O-Oh…I-I'm sorry, Kris I didn't…didn't mean to…" she trailed off, looking away sadly.
Kris fought, begged himself to say something-anything! Tell her you're there! Tell her you care about her! Tell her you lo-
…
What was he even thinking? He would just drag her down again. She was the smartest student in the class, and he could barely even stay awake during it. She had a beautiful voice that she used to cheer others up and sing wonderful hymns, whereas he used his voice…never. He hadn't talked to anyone in ages until today, and even then, the only reason he even started conversation with Noelle is because he was tired of hearing his own thundering heartbeat.
Noelle sighed, once again taking him from his trance. He ruined it. Again. Of course he did. What didn't he ruin?
---
Upon leaving the bath room, the three stood outside the castle, their outfits restored and bodies fully clean. Strangely, the water didn't even make their clothes wet, simply restoring them to their prime states. Noelle couldn't stop pressing her fingers together, expecting to feel the now familiar stickiness of blood, only to find nothing but her soft clean fur. She hummed, dropping her hands and tilting her head, thinking to herself.
'...I just don't get it. All day, he's been so…him again. It's weird, watching him change between the current him and…the flashes of the real him. God, Kris…what happened? And…why didn't I step in sooner?' she thought.
She turned to face Kris, her eyes widening upon seeing him staring right back at her. Once he was caught, Kris faced forward again, a hint of purple dusting his cheeks. 'Kris…even after all this time, you're still just as much of a mystery. You act one way, then act another way a second later? Where did your smile go? It's such a nice smile, why don't you…why don't you know that?' she thought to herself.
Ralsei was explaining something about a prophecy, but Noelle was simply too distracted by Kris to listen. Looking back at Kris, she saw him staring at Ralsei, and remembered that he was telling them something important.
"-And that's why it's so important that we get this done today! We never know when another dark fountain will open, and this imbalance can't continue! Are you ready, Delta Warriors!?" He asked, clearly trying to hype them up.
Kris gave him a thumbs up, and Noelle gave the best yeah she could, which wasn't very great. Ralsei paused, before exhaling. "Good. Now…it's time to move on. Follow me, please." He asked of them, hands clasped behind him.
He walked to the south end of the town, before taking a right-the same way that Lancer went. The three of them arrived at a large room with a familiar looking dummy on the opposing side. For some reason, there was a big, bushy mustache drawn onto it, making Noelle snort in her attempts to hide her laughter.
"Aw, you gave it a little mustache! That's so adorable!" She said, smiling innocently. Ralsei looked towards the ground, mildly annoyed.
"That…wasn't me, but…thank you, Noelle. Now, I believe it's time we practice combat! You two may have learned how to defend, and Noelle-you even managed to cast a spell!" He congratulated, making Noelle smile, her cheeks tinted a light shade of pink.
"Thanks, Ralsei, but…Kris really did all of the work. I just…kind of healed us? Healed him-sorry. I wasn't really hurt, because…Kris…protected me." She mumbled, looking down.
'Now that I think about it, Kris really has been the only thing keeping me alive, huh? If it wasn't for him, then…' she thought to herself, frowning softly.
Ralsei interrupted her train of thought, smiling at Kris. "Now, Kris! Give it your best swing!" He cheered, and it was then that Noelle noticed Kris had a freaking sword in his hands. Now, Noelle wouldn't call herself a weapon's gal…but a sword was a sword.
"WOAH! Where'd you get that!?" She asked, stepping forward and inspecting the pink blade just as Kris lifted it in the air. He side-eyed her, his red eyes showing a hint of amusement at her reaction.
"...I think it's the same as my shield. I can…change between the two." He said, before closing his eyes and focusing. Just like that, the blade glowed, before changing back into a shield. She gawked at the display, her eyes wide.
"That's amazing, Kris! I wish I had a cool weapon like that…" she mumbled, and Ralsei smiled patiently at her.
"Um, Noelle? You…you do." He told her, pointing at her pale white ring. She gazed down at it, blinking.
"Ralsei, this is a ring. It can't…do that." She responded, and Ralsei's smile only grew.
"Noelle, that's because Kris is a tactician. He has a more defensive skillset than you or I, but is limited to a sword for attacking. You or I, on the other hand…" he began, before he held his hands close to his chest. Both Kris and Noelle looked over at him as a ball of cloudy green energy began to build up between his hands, looking like a giant fluffy ball, before it was launched towards the dummy, hitting it with incredible force.
Noelle gasped as multiple cuts sliced at the dummy, along with the physical force of the fluffy attack hitting it. Safe to say, Ralsei did a lot more damage than Kris, who was certainly impressed. Ralsei then looked back to Noelle, his smile back. "...are mages!" He finished.
"Oooooh! It's just like the Dragon Blazers series! I get it now! So, Kris is the paladin, and we're the mages!" She proclaimed. Ralsei hid his confusion at…whatever the hell a dragon blazers was, nodding along.
"Uh-Yeah! Kris definitely fits the paladin role, bearing a shield…alright, well, now it's your turn, Noelle! Use your magic!" he requested, his polite smile not leaving once.
Noelle stepped forward, gulping softly. She raised her hands up just like last time, closed her eyes and brought back that feeling of protection. The green sparkles from before appeared atop her palms, and Ralsei paused.
"Um, Noelle? That…wasn't what I meant. I'm not talking about healing magic-I'm talking about your other magic!" He said, making her blink.
"I…I don't have any other magic? Lancer said we can only use one type of magic, and I can heal people, so…" she replied, and Ralsei frowned.
"Eheh…Lancer doesn't really…know what he's talking about. Most people can only wield one element of magic, not type. Lancer has card magic, I have fluffy magic, etc!" He explained, smiling at Noelle, who nodded. "Actually, I can sense your magical potential, and it's…staggering. You could be a one woman army if you tapped into that power." He told her, making her pause.
"Here, why don't I take a look at that ring?" He asked, and Noelle nodded, grabbing it and slipping it off of her finger with ease. She placed it in his palm, and he held it close to his glasses, humming. "Yep, this is definitely enchanted with magic!" He said, pointing at the inside of the ring. Noelle peeked at it, spotting some illegible words carved into it.
Noelle grabbed it with a sigh, slipping it back onto her index finger. "If you say so…" she mumbled. Instead of holding her palms up, Noelle instead held her hand in a fist, pointing her ring at the dummy. "Now…go!" She said, glaring at the dummy.
…
Nothing happened.
Noelle wilted, groaning. "I don't think this is going to work, Ralsei." She sulked, and the cloaked monster mumbled to himself, pulling a thick manual out of his cloak.
"Hmm…that's not supposed to happen…it says here that rings are magical weapons that allow monsters to access their latent magical abilities and dish out devastating attacks, even without the use of TP." He read aloud, making both Noelle and Kris gaze at him.
"TP? You mean like t-toilet paper?" She asked, and Ralsei sighed, like he was expecting the question.
"Tension Points. What we use to cast spells." He said, making Noelle deadpan.
"Oh, so mana then, got it."
Ralsei nodded, not knowing what mana was, but wanting to move on anyway. "Well, I suppose it would be best to go on. Time to teach you about ACTing! Kris, in this world, you get to decide how we fight, since you're the tactician! You can ACT with your SOUL and make our enemies less angry at us! If we can make them placid enough, we can SPARE them!" He taught, before he looked back at the dummy.
"Kris, can you please go hug the dummy for me? Oh-and make sure to use your SOUL too!" He told him, encouragingly. Kris gazed at Ralsei, more than a little hesitant. He…didn't like using his soul. In his family, his soul was seen as a gift. Monsters were a projection of their soul, while humans were the exact opposite.
A human's soul was the very culmination of their being projected from their body, but it could still be damaged, just like a Monster's body could. Simply put, Kris wasn't very comfortable with putting himself out there, both literally, and figuratively.
"...Do I have to?" He asked pleadingly. Ralsei blinked, and Noelle quickly began to explain.
"Ralsei? I'm sorry to say this, but…please don't ask Kris to use his soul." She told him, making Kris turn to her, lightly surprised. "I'm sure you know that a human's soul is…a very personal and private thing. I think I'm the only person outside of his family to ever see it, and he takes it really seriously." She asked, smiling politely, yet firmly.
Ralsei looked at her silently, before looking back at Kris. After another second of silence, he nodded. "Of course. I won't ask again. I…I'm sorry, but there is just one thing you do need to use your soul for-but I don't need to be there! It can just be you and Noelle, so you don't need to worry about me seeing it! I don't know if you remember this from the prophecy, but…in order to seal a dark fountain, you need the power of-"
"A human soul." Kris finished for him, surprisingly clearly. Noelle gazed softly at him, a sympathetic look in her eyes.
'Poor Kris…forced into using it even after that. I guess if there really is no other way, then Ralsei can't be blamed.' she thought. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kris spoke first.
"I'll do it…only when I need to." He agreed, before he looked past his bangs and at Ralsei. "...and it's not that I don't want you to see it." He whispered, walking forwards, past the dummy. "I don't want to see it." He whispered, when nobody else could hear him…at least, he thought nobody could.
Noelle looked at him as he walked, her ears drooping sadly, and her mouth opening in shock. 'Why wouldn't he want to see his own soul? Is-Is there something wrong with it!? Is Kris okay!? Is this why he's been so weird these last few years!? Oh my god-can he even be fixed-no! That's a horrible thing to say! He doesn't need to be fixed, just…healed. He needs to be healed.' she thought, looking at her hands.
If only her new power could heal whatever Kris was suffering from.
Noelle and Ralsei were quick to follow Kris, spotting him waiting at an open door. Ralsei gasped at the sight of it, hurrying towards them. "The great door is open!? That's how Lancer got in here! Ugh, such a rascal…" he mumbled.
Noelle looked at Kris, finding him staring at the ground. She sidled up next to him, forcing him to look her in the eyes by pushing her face under him. "Hey there, Krismas!" She greeted, smiling up at him.
Kris blushed again. Weird, but whatever. "Are you nervous about this adventure, because I sure am. We're going to go on an actual adventure! A real, genuine fantasy adventure! Isn't that cool?" She asked him, receiving a nod in response.
Noelle looked at him for a few seconds, her smile falling. She couldn't keep this up. She just wanted the truth. "Kris?" She started softly. "Is…is there a reason you don't like your soul?" She whispered so that Ralsei wouldn't hear.
Kris froze. His entire body stopped moving, and Noelle was actually scared that he had stopped breathing for a second! Luckily, he eased that fear by inhaling softly, before answering her.
"...Yes." He whispered, his voice weak and frail. It shook Noelle, honestly…but she didn't show it. She had to be strong for Kris this time, not the other way around.
"Are you…willing to tell me why?" She asked, leaning closer to him. He barely even seemed to notice this time, glaring downwards, his eyes glossed over.
"No."
The answer was immediate. She frowned, forced into using her greatest weapon. Her big ol' doe eyes. Opening her green eyes, she allowed herself to tear up, something she learned she could do if she tried hard enough in middle school. "Please?" She whimpered.
Kris full body flinched in a way that she had never seen before. "P-Please don't cry." He whispered, and Noelle paused. Why did he sound so shaken now? Rubbing her eyes, she smirked at Kris, who's eyes widened momentarily. He looked hurt for a moment, and Noelle worried she might have gone too far.
Luckily, Kris knew that Noelle had no knowledge of his…unique circumstances. It wasn't like she was targeting his…feelings for her to hurt him or anything, she just wanted answers…and it's not like he could blame her. He probably would have done the same in her position.
"Ah. Crocodile tears." He grumbled, and Noelle snickered.
"You had no idea! You thought I was going to burst into tears, didn't you?" She giggled, and just at the sound, Kris found himself lightening up. Good lord she had him tied around her little finger and she didn't even know it.
"...I did." He admitted, looking away. Noelle grinned with her eyes closed.
"Hehe! Who's the prank master now, Kris?" She asked. When she opened them, the boy was gone. She blinked, looking around, and only seeing Ralsei humming something in front of the great door, still preparing something. "Where did…"
"Howdy."
"EEK! Kris, you jerk!" She said, her face a light shade of red. "Don't do that!" She giggled, and Kris smiled again. His real smile. Noelle was about to comment on it, before stopping herself. She wanted to enjoy it this time. Based on last time…Kris didn't like being called out on his hidden smiles, so she was just going to enjoy them while she could.
Once Kris realized he was grinning like an idiot, he quickly closed his mouth, returning to that deadpan stare of his, but he couldn't hide the purple blush he sported. Noelle giggled again, smiling happily at Kris. "...I missed you, Krismas." She said.
Kris halted at what she said, her soft words echoing in his mind. Slowly, he stopped and grounded himself before he could go on another mental tangent about himself. Instead, he looked back at Noelle, and nodded, whispering a response that only she could hear.
"...I missed you too, Nelle." He responded, and Noelle blushed, her eyes widening.
"Y-You remember that!? You haven't called me that since we were 8!" She told him, and he nodded.
"I know. I remember it. I…never forgot. I never wanted to." He said. Where was this coming from? He was usually never this…heartfelt.
Noelle's blush had deepened, going from embarrassed to something else entirely in a second. "N-Never wanted to? I mean-it's just a silly nickname. I wouldn't be upset if you forgot." She told him, and Kris surprised even himself with his boldness at the words that came out of his mouth.
"If I forgot, then I wouldn't have been able to see your reaction to it again. It was adorable, by the way."
"KRIS!" Noelle shouted, face crimson now. Kris's face was also a deep purple, his lips wobbling as he forcefully stopped himself.
"I-I'm sorry-I don't know what that was…I-I'm sorry, Noelle-" he stammered, lowering his head and earning a giggle from Noelle.
"Geez, Kris! Where did you learn to be such a charmer? You're gonna make me blush…" she said, clearly already blushing. Kris stayed silent, not allowing himself another peep. He didn't dare open his mouth out of fear of what would come out. He got careless. He allowed himself to relax in front of her and spilled out some of his feelings. Granted, his bottled up hurricane of emotions was…rather difficult to understand, so at least she wouldn't take his…ugh…flirting seriously.
What the hell even was that, anyway? Flirting? That was flirting? 'God, I'm pathetic. I can't even…she's looking at me again. She looks sad again. I made her sad again. All I ever do is make her sad. She hasn't stopped giving me that sad look since I…since I shut myself in. How long has it been since I've gone anywhere but school?' he thought to himself. A year, at least. Even then, the rare times he did go out before then were only to accompany his mother per her request.
He remembered running into Noelle at ICE-E's once and didn't know what to do, so he just laid down at his table and prayed she didn't see him. She probably didn't, as she didn't walk over to him and talk to him. If she did, he probably would have exploded, anyway.
"Kris? Kris, can you hear me?" Noelle asked, probably not for the first time. God, she was so patient with him. She was a saint, truly. An angel, to be more specific. He still remembered the first time he had seen her dress up as an angel for the Christmas play at elementary school. He was 6 and she had just barely turned 7. They had known each other for almost 3 years at this point, and he had no idea that she was going to be in the play.
His mother dragged him there with the rest of her class to watch the show, and Kris still remembered himself being enthralled with Noelle's performance. It was the only part of the show he cared to re-watch, and remember.
"Hello? Kris?" Noelle asked again, and he could hear the annoyance start to seep into her voice. He was even given a chance to answer her the first time, but he still somehow managed to mess it up.
"Sorry, Noelle. I was thinking of when you dressed up as the angel in that play in 1st grade." He told her, making her blush again.
God damnit.