It only took a few more minutes for Ralsei to finish his protection spell. "There! That should last another month or so." He mumbled, before turning to Kris and Noelle, who were still talking about the 1st grade play. Now, Ralsei may not have had much (any) experience with people, but he could tell one thing pretty easily.
Kris liked Noelle. A lot. It didn't matter where she was, what she said, or how she said it, Kris was there and ready. Ralsei didn't know if there was a more apt description than a puppy awaiting a command.
One thing he couldn't quite tell was if Noelle liked him back. They were clearly somewhat close, having intimate knowledge of one another, but something seemed…missing. Noelle was fine, of course. She put her all into every interaction with Kris, which wasn't surprising. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Noelle was incredibly kind, but what really confused him was how Kris interacted with her.
It was like he just…couldn't. Every time Kris was about to say or do anything meaningful, he just…shut down. Ralsei didn't understand it at all. Shouldn't he be elated to spend time with her? Well, he clearly was, considering he could barely keep his attention on Ralsei, yet couldn't get enough of Noelle.
Not that he minded, of course. While Ralsei definitely wanted to befriend the heroes of light, he also wanted Kris to find his spark, and he wasn't going to interrupt that. Well…he was, but…only because he needed to.
"Ahem…guys? Sorry to bother you, but it's time to go!" He told them, smiling as they walked towards him. "Now, beyond this point…I don't know for certain what's awaiting us. I may know a lot about these worlds, but even I don't know everything." He admitted, and Noelle smiled at him.
"It's okay! We trust you, Ralsei. Right, Kris?" She asked, and the boy nodded. Ralsei smiled, not knowing whether he was nodding for Noelle or for himself, but he wasn't going to take it for granted. Smiling happily, he led them out the great door, before closing it behind him.
---
Noelle gasped as she looked at the beautiful purple grass and pink trees, a wondrous look in her eyes. "Kris! It's so pretty here!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah. It is." He agreed.
He wasn't looking at the trees. Or the grass. How could he, when the adorable girl in front of him fawned over the field's fauna.
"Well, this is it! The neighboring dark fountain. I must admit, it is rather pretty-wait who is-"
BOOM!
Ralsei was launched away again, yelping as he soared above the trees. Noelle gasped in horror, before watching him splat onto the ground with a comical noise, completely unharmed.
"Ho ho ho! If it isn't the clowns: electric boogaloo!" Lancer laughed, standing across from them without his bike…which had just been used to launch Ralsei to the sky.
"Wha-you said I was cool last time!" Noelle said, and Lancer stuck his tongue out.
"You still are! You're just on the opposite team, so you're a clown!" He said, before performing a useless flip for absolutely no reason. It was pretty impressive though. "Dad's words! Well, he used a different word. Not clown." He mumbled, and Noelle blinked.
"Uh…what…did he call us?" she asked, earning an impish grin from the child.
"I can't tell you! It's a tier 3 swear word! Now I hope you're ready to get thrashed!" He yelled, before…a singular slug-like Darkner slithered into view, sporting a diamond shaped hood and dagger.
Ralsei quickly got up, passing Lancer and joining the rest of the party as they engaged in battle. Kris drew his sword, holding it in front of him in a battle ready stance. Noelle took a deep breath, clasping her hands together in front of her and smiling kindly at the enemy. Ralsei stood silently, awaiting his orders from Kris.
"...Um…want to…stop fighting?" Noelle asked, and the Darkner shrugged.
"Sure."
And just like that, the battle was over. "Holy cow! You guys just beat my guy really hard! Look at him, he's totally beat!" He cheered, pointing to the Darkner, who was completely unharmed.
"Great job, Kris! You too, Noelle! I can see that you already have ACTing down!" He complimented, and Noelle looked at him oddly.
"You don't have to enunciate those words every time, you know. Y-You can if you want, but…we already know how important these terms are." She told him softly, and he paused, a small blush visible under his hat.
"Oh. Right-sorry. Ahem-you two have really picked up acting! I'm really impressed with you two!" He cheered. Lancer then popped in, grinning and striking a glamorous pose.
"So am I!" He interjected, earning a smile from Noelle. Kris watched the interaction from behind, silently enjoying the sight. Noelle was always good with kids. Even as a kid, she was good with kids. He could still remember the time she babysat 3 children all while studying for her test on English class. While she was 10.
Was Noelle always a prodigy? As far as he knew, yeah. Not that she was simply born with her skills, he didn't want to insinuate that! Kris then remembered that nobody could hear his inner thoughts and promptly calmed down.
"Noelle." He said before he could stop himself. Noelle turned to him, and he pointed to a tree with a star shaped fruit hanging off of it. "Fruit." He pointed out. Noelle smiled, her lips wobbling in amusement as she tried not to laugh.
"I-I'm sorry?" She asked. Kris, seeing the golden opportunity, dramatically cleared his throat, before taking a step towards Noelle and leaning towards her.
"...Fruit." he whispered, and she burst into a series of giggles. Kris ignored the heat that rose to his cheeks, watching her laugh. Yeah, he could watch this forever. "Would you like one?" He asked, and Noelle paused, her laughing fit halted.
"Umm…you know what, sure!" She said, walking towards one of the trees. Kris blinked, before he sped past her, making her giggle. She knew it was coming, and wanted to bait it out. "Hehehe! You really want this fruit, huh, Kris? If you were hungry, you could have just asked for a pencil to chew on! Fahaha!" She joked, and Kris hummed.
"...Maybe I will." He mumbled, before he jumped, trying to grab one of the dark fruits. Noelle giggled at him, prompting another blush from him.
"Let me show you how it's done, Krismas." She boasted, taking a good few steps backwards, before striding forward with the speed of a trained sprinter. Kris still remembered just how strong Noelle's legs were…certainly not because he dreamed of her crushing his head with them. That would be absurd. And dangerous. And hot.
'...I have a problem.' he thought to himself, just as Noelle leapt into the air, grabbing a fruit and pulling it off the tree. Lancer made a shocked face, clapping excitedly from afar, while Ralsei cheered her name. Noelle blushed softly, idly taking a bite of the fruit, her eyes widening in awe.
"Woah! Marshmallows!?" She gasped, and Kris blinked. He was about to ask for a bite before she shoved the rest of it in her mouth, humming happily. "Mhm!" She hummed, swallowing after chewing it a bit. "Good idea, Kris!" She said, only to see him sulking sadly. She flinched, realizing that she had totally scarfed the entire thing down in front of him.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry, Kris! That was your idea and I just inhaled it like a pig…" She apologized, an embarrassed blush on her face. He shrugged, showing his indifference.
"It's alright. I'm just glad that you got to enjoy it. That's really all I care about." He said, and Noelle smiled happily at him.
"You've been so darned sweet today, Kris! It kinda makes me scared that you're planning something…but I trust you." She told him wholeheartedly. Kris tried not to blush again, he really did, but even just the simplest of praise from her and he was…ugh.
Noelle then turned back to the tree, jumping in place and trying to reach the fruit. She huffed, about to step backwards and get a headstart, only to yelp as someone scooped her up from below, carrying her on their shoulders. "K-Kris! D-Dang it-you're going to make me fall!" She yelped, laughing as they nearly tipped.
Kris had to pour every ounce of his focus into staying still and not paying attention to her butt against his collarbone and thighs against his neck. Nope. Weren't there. Noelle then grabbed the other fruit with a laugh, before Kris finally lost his balance, falling on his back. Noelle yelped as she fell on top of him, landing roughly.
She was barely even hurt, the only damage she sustained being a small scratch on her cheek that was barely even noticeable. Unfortunately for Kris, he wasn't as lucky. He either landed on a rough part of the ground, a rock, or Lancer.
"It's the third one!" The boy in question shouted from underneath him, only for him to dig out of the ground next to them. "Lucky me, I dig digging!" He cheered, before waving at Noelle. "Bye Noelle!" He said, running off. Noelle waved back at him, laughing the entire time.
"Bye Lancer! Be safe!" She shouted back, before looking down at Kris, who resisted groaning in pain. "He's honestly kinda cute! Too bad his dad's a mean old jerk." She said, before realizing that she was still laying on top of Kris.
"Oh cheese and crackers-are you alright, Kris!? Oh man, I was laying on you for a solid minute!" She worried, getting up off of him and allowing him to sit up.
"I'm fine. Lancer hurt my back a little bit, but other than that, I'm alright." Was what he said.
'Please just a few more minutes…' was what he wanted to say. Ralsei then cleared his throat, pointing at the fruit with a smile.
"Kris? Your fruit?" He asked, and the boy hummed, reaching for it, only to pause. He held it out to Noelle, who blinked.
"Do you want it?" He asked, and Noelle laughed, confused.
"K-Kris, I just ate! You should have it, silly!" She told him, and he simply tilted his head. "Kris…are you really going to do this? Ugh-fine! I'll have a bite." She said, but instead of just grabbing the fruit and biting into it like a normal person, she instead leaned forward, taking a bite out of it while Kris was still holding it.
Kris swore he almost died when her lower lip brushed up against his finger. Noelle jolted at the contact, before smiling, embarrassed. She covered her mouth as she ate, swallowing the bite of fruit. "S-Sorry, Kris! I didn't mean to give your finger a kiss, fahaha!" She laughed, and Kris's already apparent blush practically transformed his face into a blueberry.
Noelle giggled, and Kris shrank further into himself. "Seriously, sorry about that. Now actually eat it! I don't like being picked up like that, so that fruit better not go to waste!" She faux scolded, and Kris saluted her as cleanly as he could without embarrassing himself even further.
Noelle then looked away, a small blush on her face. Why the heck did Kris just do that!? She didn't actually hate being picked up that way, but it was embarrassing! Especially in this robe…at least all of her original clothes didn't vanish when came down here or else she would have been mortified.
Once Noelle stood up, Kris offered Ralsei a bite of the fruit out of courtesy, and once that was declined, it was gone. Down the hatch, never to be seen again. It did taste like marshmallow…maybe a little too much like marshmallow.
He stood up, swallowing it the moment he could. Ugh. Ugh. That sucked. Wiping his mouth off with his gauntlet, he took the lead again to Ralsei's vehement request. The trio walked in unison, with Kris in the front, Noelle behind him, and Ralsei in the back. Things were…actually progressing smoothly now. There were a few more Rudinns along the path, but they were just as easy to sway as the first one they encountered.
Eventually, they came across a maze with a bundle of signs strewn about. Kris read the first one, with Noelle and Ralsei peeking over his shoulders.
"Welcome To The Putrid Terrible Horrible Vile Disgusting Evil Not Great Grotesque Unfun Insane Still Evil Gross Nasty Ugly Smelly Rotten Maze Of Death And Horror. You Will Not Survive. Love, Lancer." Noelle read aloud, before frowning, disappointed.
"...That is some concerning punctuation." She commented.
"I get it from mom!" They heard from the trees. Ralsei shared Noelle's disappointed look.
"Let's…just go through the maze."
…
As it turned out, the "maze" was actually just three turns and an optional chest that contained a small poker chip with a loop attached to the bottom of it. "What even is that?" Noelle asked, confused. It was obviously supposed to resemble a poker chip, but…what was the loop for.
Ralsei cleared his throat, gaining both Kris and Noelle's attention. "I believe that's a new ring for Noelle. It gives her the ability to give better healing at the cost of our own Dark Dollars!" He explained. Noelle grabbed the ring from Kris's palm quickly, very interested in getting an upgrade.
While Noelle examined her new weapon, Kris looked at Ralsei with a questioning frown. It took a second for Ralsei to understand what he wanted, beginning an explanation for the currency of the dark worlds.
"In the dark world, real money is um…worthless. Instead, we use a rapidly regenerating currency known as Dark Dollars. I don't really know how it works, but…it just appears if you…do stuff. Winning battles, opening some chests…oh-you'll get more dark dollars the more TP you have stored as well!" He explained, and Kris nodded.
"Um-how do we…tell how much…TP we have?" Noelle asked. Kris hid a smirk, took a step towards her and whispered in her ear.
"Just check the bathroom." He whispered. Noelle snickered, not quite at the joke, but at the completely deadpan tone that Kris used to deliver it. It wasn't unfunny, the way he said it was just…funnier than the joke.
…
Okay the joke wasn't that funny but Noelle felt bad. After all, it had been literal years since her friend had any social contact outside of his mother. Any chance that Noelle got to raise his confidence, she would take. She smiled at Kris, who looked a little proud of himself. 'I won't fail you again, Kris. I'm here for you…and I always will be.' she thought to herself,
Ralsei sighed off to the side, patiently waiting for the two to remember their mission and stop messing around. He enjoyed watching the two interact, but both of their worlds as they knew them were at stake, so the quicker they sealed the fountain, the better.
It only took a few more seconds for the two to remember what they were actually here for, resuming their trek through the Fields of Hopes and Dreams. It didn't take long for them to run into Lancer again, though.
"Heh! Hey there, clown one two and three! I'm impressed that you escaped my Putrid Terrible Horrible Vile Disgusting Evil Not Great Grotesque Unfun Insane Still Evil Gross Nasty Ugly Smelly Rotten Maze Of Death And Horror, but your journey ends here!" He laughed, before three new enemies leapt out at them.
Noelle yelped and jumped a foot in the air as they surrounded her, whispering unintelligible garbles towards her. She shivered in terror, closing her eyes and covering her head.
BANG!
She gasped, opening her eyes and seeing Kris standing in front of her, shield in hand. He had slammed it into one of the Darkner's faces, knocking them to the ground. "Don't even think about it." He spat coolly, switching his shield into a sword.
He quickly grabbed Noelle's wrist, pulling her into an embrace while he held his sword out at the other two. Did he need to do that? No. Did he regret doing it? No. Was he going to let go of her now?
…
If he had to…
Looking her in the eyes, he asked if she was alright.
For some reason, Noelle could have sworn Kris's jawline had just gotten sharper than before. Was she imagining things? No, she couldn't be. Whatever. Nonetheless, she was back in action. "Y-Yes, I'm fine! Thank you, Kris! You saved me again." She said, and though she was grateful, she was also irritated. Irritated at herself for still needing to be saved. She was supposed to be a hero too, right? Why did she need Kris's help all the time!?
Suddenly, Kris stepped in front of her, blocking a heart shaped projectile with his shield. Three more followed, coming at him at an even faster speed. They were definitely stronger than Lancer's attacks, and Kris was starting to feel his arm tire.
Kris looked at Noelle, his eyes wide and totally not panicked. "Noelle, can you do me a favor and flirt with them?" He asked suddenly, making her stare at him slack-jawed. "...Please?" He asked, before six heart shaped projectiles hit his shield, making him wince as his shield bashed his own arm into his torso.
Noelle flinched at that, before she narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "H-Hey!" She shouted, drawing the enemies' attention. "Y-You have a really nice smile!" She stammered, showing off her own brilliant grin.
The enemies were instantly enamored, smiling happily and giggling like school girls. Noelle paused, looking confused. Kris lowered his shield, blinked twice, before it vanished from sight. Back into hammerspace you go.
"Good job." He told her, and she looked back at him, still confused.
"I…thanks? I didn't even flirt though, I just said they had nice smiles…" she said, having no effect on the Hathies. She then pointed at her mouth. "And then I just smiled like this." She continued, before recreating the smile she used before.
One of the Hathies swooned. Kris couldn't blame them. With a smile like that, they may not even need his soul to seal the fountain. Hell, the fountain would probably seal itself!
'...wait, that's actually really good, I should say that.' he thought to himself, opening his mouth to speak and-
"O-Oh, Kris, look! There's a shop over there!" Noelle gasped, pointing at a small cloth hut. Kris sighed silently, shaking his head. Another time, he supposed. Walking towards Noelle, they stepped in sync towards the shop, with Ralsei just behind them, a content smile on his face. The heroes were exactly as he imagined they would be. Kind, brave, and strong. Just as the prophecy foretold.
The only weird part was that the Susie person that was supposed to fall into the dark world with Kris was replaced by Noelle, but Ralsei didn't mind. As long as he had two heroes that could balance the light and the dark, the world was safe, and he was fulfilling his role in the prophecy.
He just wished it was easier to bring up…the harder parts of the prophecy. Maybe…another time.
Kris and Noelle entered the shop together, immediately coming face to face with a large toy stuffed cat, a fitting Cheshire grin on their face. "Ah, visitors. It has been some time since I've seen a pair of Lightners. You two must be the heroes that the prophecy spoke of." The large cat creature purred, gazing at the two of them with their singular button eye.
Kris only nodded in response, while Noelle resisted hugging the cute stuffed animal. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Seam…pronounced 'Shawm.' Hehehe." they rumbled, before taking a step to the side. "Would you like to take a look at my wares?" They asked, and Kris looked back at Ralsei.
The cloaked Darkner tilted his head, not understanding what was asked of him. Kris then whispered something to Noelle, and she smiled at Ralsei. "He wants to know how many Dark Dollars we have." She translated, and Ralsei smiled.
"We have 726 Dark Dollars!" He told them, and Kris nodded at Ralsei as thanks, before looking back at Seam. They grinned, pointing to the first thing on their table.
"This is an amber card. A simple armor, giving some slight defense as well as a 1% monetary increase…per card equipped." They chuckled, watching the gears shift in Kris's head. His eyes widened as he realized the potential they could get here. They could become rich…they could become like gods-oh they were 200 each. Yikes.
Noticing his lack of interest, Seam moved onto the next item, another sword, the hilt made of reinforced bone and tendons. Noelle shivered at it, while Kris raised an eyebrow. The blade itself looked like it was carved from a spine of some sort of creature.
"Ah, I see my spooky sword has caught your eye. Word says the bone was carved from an ancient skeletal tyrant that once ruled over this kingdom…but that's only a myth. Isn't it?" They asked cryptically, and Kris shivered with Noelle this time. That wasn't creepy at all.
Holding out his hand, the necessary funds materialized in his palm, and he paid 350 Dark Dollars for his new blade. Kris then bought one amber card, and 4 dark burgers after discussing with Noelle, who seemed to be staring at the burgers with an unsettled look in her eyes.
Their funds were now basically gone, but Kris got a new weapon, and Noelle was immediately given the armor. "U-Um…are you sure? Don't you want it, Kris?" She asked, and he shook his head. Noelle grabbed the card, looking at it in confusion. "How do I even…" she muttered, before she placed it against her robe.
Instantly, an amber glow appeared around her, an enchantment whispered by light surrounding her. A moment later, it was gone, as was the amber card. "W-What!? I didn't know that would consume it! Aw, candy canes!" She pouted, and Kris fought the urge to smile at the sight.
The three then spotted a jigsaw piece with stubble standing near the shop. He looked pretty shady as well, so Kris didn't know if he should approach the guy. Shaking his head, he turned around, ready to leave, when-
"Hey, kid! Over here! C'mon, I don' bite! It's me, Jigsaw Joe! Hey, I was wonderin' if you could give us a nice donation of uh…50 Dark Dollars?" He asked, making Noelle wince.
"Aw…we just spent all of our money! Now I kind of feel bad…" she mumbled, and Jigsaw Joe chuckled nervously.
"5-50!? Who said anything about 50!? I said 25-that's right! 25, 25! 20 + 5!" He said, and Kris looked back at Ralsei, who shook his head. "1!!! JUST 1 DARK DOLLAR!!! PLEASE!!!" Jigsaw Joe begged.
Kris shared an uncomfortable look with Noelle, slowly handing Jigsaw Joe his last Dark Dollar. "O-Oh! You…actually paid! Thanks, kid! We'll never forget this!" He said, before ducking into the room that he clearly wanted them to follow him into.
"...Let's just go." Kris mumbled, with Noelle nodding in relief.
"Yeah, I feel kind of bad…but he was…um…weird." She admitted quietly, as if it was against the law to call someone strange. Well, maybe it was here. He didn't know.
Kris nodded, and the three made their way forward, only to freeze upon coming across a…giant…checker board? He turned to Noelle, humming. "This place…I don't like it." He whispered, and she smiled softly at him.
"Would you like me to take the lead, Kris? I wouldn't mind! It might actually be kind of fun!" She said, laughing cutely. Kris could barely even stop himself from nodding.
'Anything you want, Noelle. Anything you wish.' he thought to himself, before shaking his head as Noelle passed him, taking his spot in front. As they walked through the great board, he lowered his head, thinking to himself.
'Look at you. Trying to impress a girl, but can't even say no to her? Jeez , Kris. You can fight off Darkners with relative ease but the second Noelle talks to me, boom. I'm putty. Urgh…at least I can take a break from leading for a while.' he thought, head down.
Noelle could tell that Kris was tired. She could usually tell when something was up with him, even when Kris tried to hide it. She just…knew him too well. It was strange. Despite not speaking to each other for years, Noelle could still read him better than anyone, even his own mother, and it showed. Kris always made sure to stay interested in what she was saying, even if it wasn't interesting, so she could at least hold his attention which was something that many people couldn't do.
Truth be told, Noelle didn't know what Kris thought of her. She knew he at least cared about her, seeing as he saved her life even at the cost of his own health. He had also been acting very strange since they got down here. Not bad strange, not at all.
'The more I think about it, the more I realize…this was my chance. My chance to fully reconnect with him and never let him go again.' she thought to herself, before she suddenly paused on the board. Kris and Ralsei looked forward at Noelle, who smiled softly back at them. Kris fought a blush. She was actually going to kill him.
"Kris?" She asked, and her voice was so soft, so gentle. He felt like he was being caressed by just her words alone. "Can I…can I hug you?" She asked.
'You can do a lot more than that, Noelle.' he thought to himself, imagining what it would feel like to kiss her…and certainly not for the first time. Not for the last time either.
"...Yeah. come here." He mumbled. Noelle beamed at him, and the great board got a whole lot brighter. She skipped over to him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him as close to her as possible. Add another tally to the blush counter. Kris's body moved before he could stop it, and he wrapped his arms around Noelle's back, pulling her even closer into the embrace.
Noelle gasped softly, looking at Kris as he pulled her towards him. It was subtle, but she could feel him staring at her. He was still so warm. The cape wrapped around her fluttered with a soft breeze, and she remembered that it was Kris's. "Kris?" She whispered, starting a conversation that was only for them. She felt his intense eyes on the back of her head, and took a shaky breath, before blurting out her question.
"Do you…want to be friends again? I…I really want to be friends with you again, Kris. I-I…I miss you, Kris. We don't…do anything together anymore. We haven't for years-and-and I don't know if you just got tired of me o-or if you-" she started, but Kris interrupted her, lightly guiding her into his shoulder, where she began to cry.
"I miss my Krismas…" she whimpered, and Kris felt his heart shatter for the third time that day. Kris began to delve into the mental drain that was his mind, slowly starting to spiral, until a thought stopped him.
'...Am I really just going to sit here and let her cry like this? No. Not this time.'
"...I miss you too, Nelle. I missed you so much. I-I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted to see you, but I just couldn't. I was so scared-scared that you would only put up with me-scared that…scared that you didn't want to be my friend anymore." He whispered, speaking the most he had in a while. Noelle was still in his arms for a moment, and Kris was sure he had messed up for a second, before she heard Noelle sniffle and felt her hug him even tighter.
"You dummy…" she mumbled, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. "I could never do that to you, Kris. You're…you're my best friend. Even above Catti!" She laughed emotionally, and Kris leaned back a bit, looking her in the eyes.
"...Even Berdly?" He asked, making her burst into a series of giggles. He smirked softly, watching her unravel at his joke.
"B-Berdly!? Why Berdly!?" She asked, laughing heartily. Kris shrugged his shoulders, his smirk growing.
"I thought you two were besties. Kinda weird, considering Berdly is fucking insufferable." He said, making Noelle gasp. She covered her mouth, hiding her amused smile.
"Kris! You shouldn't say that, that's mean!" She laughed, clearly finding it funny. Kris hummed, before looking at her.
"We're in the dark world. There's nobody here that can hear us. We can say anything and nobody will hear." He told her, making her roll her eyes, only for her to freeze.
"Oh my gravy-you're right. I…I really could just say anything?" She asked, and Kris nodded, eagerly waiting for what Noelle was going to say. The girl closed her eyes, inhaling, and-
"RRRGHAAAAHH!" She screamed. Kris and Ralsei both blinked, neither of them expecting this. "STUPID BERDLY AND HIS STUPID FACE, ALWAYS INVITING ME TO A 'SUPER COOL GAMING SESH'-WELL I HATE THEM!" She screamed, fury lining her every word.
"I HATE YOU BERDLY! Y-YOU F-FUCKER!" She shouted, before covering her mouth. Ralsei blushed, his own eyes widening.
"Noelle! Language!" He cried, and she giggled, embarrassed.
"Oh, wow…I actually…feel great now. I guess I…really needed to get that off my chest. Hell, that wasn't even half of it…ugh, I hate him! He's always so…weird with me too. I can't even have a conversation with the guy without him calling me a bunch of weird pet names! I don't even know him that well, I just help him study!" She groaned. She clenched her hands into fists, growling softly.
Kris walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "...You shouldn't bottle your emotions up like that. It's bad for you." He told her, and she gave him that look. The look she gave him whenever he said something remarkably stupid. Nonetheless, he didn't back down. "You should tell Berdly how you feel. Obviously not with…that many angry words, but he needs to know this. Maybe if you tell him straight up that he's an annoying prick, he'll leave you alone." He continued.
Berdly irritated him…for multiple reasons. 1, he was annoying as hell. 2, he thought he was better than literally everyone, despite being number 2 in the class academics, behind Noelle. 3, and probably the biggest reason…he treated Noelle like a toy.
He used her like a trophy. Every single time he saw them together, Berdly was bragging about himself and trying to either overshadow Noelle, or use her to make himself look even better. It infuriated him to no end, and he could tell Noelle hated it too.
"Berdly sucks, Noelle. Sadly, he'll never figure it own on his own, and if anyone other than you told him, then he would just prattle on about how smart he was compared to them. Trust me. I know." He said, speaking a surprising amount. Noelle hummed, looking away.
Truthfully, she wasn't even thinking about Berdly anymore. She got her anger out, at least for now, so she was more focused on Kris. Even now, he was…actually improving! With every word he spoke, he grew more talkative. Every time he smiled, he grew more expressive. It was like watching him grow in real time-no. It was like helping him grow in real time.
Noelle smiled, closing her eyes. Kris's heart skipped a beat in his chest, and he swallowed thickly. "Let's not focus on him right now. We're having fun here, right? Come on, let's continue!" She said, turning around, only to nearly trip on a small Darkner.
It was tiny, white, and had a sphere for a head. They kind of looked like…pawns from chess. Suddenly, one of them shot some diamond shaped projectiles at her, and she yelped, covering her face with her arms. Kris tried to get in the way of the attack, but was too late. Noelle screamed in pain as three diamonds hit her arms, tearing her sleeves and digging into her skin and flesh.
Kris froze for a second, before moving on instinct. Noelle looked at the ponman, tears building up in her eyes as she tried to inspect her shaking arms. A small amount of dust fell from the wound, catching in her fur and making a small pile on the black tile beneath, and Noelle shivered in fear. Suddenly, she heard Kris step in front of her, before she gasped as he kicked the Darkner in the head, sending it flying with a strange noise.
Noelle then whimpered as he kneeled down next to her, instinctively, she showed her his wounds. Kris frowned, reaching into his inventory and grabbing a darkburger. "Ralsei said these heal you. Here, have it." She said, and Noelle frowned.
"Is it…real meat?" She asked, making Kris wince. Shit. He forgot Noelle was a vegetarian. That's why she was staring at the burgers like that earlier!
"I…yes. I'm sorry-I…I forgot." He admitted, looking away shamefully. He was about to put the darkburger away, when she grabbed it and quickly ate it, trying not to make a face with every bite. "N-Noelle!? You didn't need to eat it…" he muttered, and she smiled shakily, the taste of meat unsavory to her.
"I-It wasn't that bad." She lied, and Kris immediately saw through it. However, Kris hummed as he saw Noelle's wounds begin to close, with her noticing it as well. Turning to Ralsei, Kris stood up.
"...Ralsei." he started, surprising the both of them. Kris was…talking to someone other than Noelle!? Ralsei took a step forward, smiling patiently. "...where is the nearest source of water?" He asked, and Ralsei smiled, pulling out a small metallic flask out of his cloak with the symbol of the Delta Rune plastered on the front.
"...Thanks." he said, before turning to Noelle and handing her the flask. "Here. This should get the taste out, at least a little bit." He said, and Noelle felt a little bit of heat rise to her cheeks.
"K-Kris…you didn't need…I really am fine." She told him, but he didn't waver for a second. Feeling her blush deepen, Noelle grabbed the flask, opening it and hovering it over her mouth. A trickle of water poured into her mouth, and she relaxed as she drank it.
"Thank you Kris. That…that sucked." She told him, and he nodded, grabbing her wrist and gently helping her up. Noelle handed Ralsei his flask back, which he promptly stuffed in his cloak. Kris then surprised Noelle by turning around and starting to leave. "K-Kris? What are you doing?" She asked, and he turned back to face her.
"We're going back to Seam's to get you as many dark candies as we can. Even if we have to sell a darkburger. Or my new sword." He told her, making her blush. She fiddled with her fingers, playing with them nervously.
"Y-You really don't need to…I can handle eating a little bit of meat." She responded, and he nodded.
"I know you can. You can do just about anything you want to, Noelle. That doesn't mean you're going to, though." He whispered. Nice work, Kris. That was good, not too bold but not too meek either.
Noelle stood up, laughing nervously. "A-Alright, seriously, what's going on? You never say such nice things about anyone, let alone me!" She asked, a teasing smile on her face. Kris paused, a slight frown making its way onto his face.
"...Really? I…I haven't told you how amazing you are?" Kris asked, genuinely surprised. Noelle blushed again, shaking her head.
"U-Um-no, I don't think so? You've called me smart before, but…no, you called me super determined once, too!" She said, smiling at him like it was an achievement. Really? That was it?
Out of all of the wonderful things he admired about Noelle, the only things he had the bravery to talk about were how smart and determined she was? That's like…all anyone else said about her!
Kris then gazed at Noelle, his expression unreadable. "You're really cool, Noelle. You're one of the coolest kids in our class." He told her, his voice brimming with passion despite how quiet it was.
Noelle laughed it off, shaking her head. "No, Susie is one of the coolest kids in our class." She corrected. Noelle blinked as Kris's demeanor changed, becoming sharp and angry. That…was weird.
"No. She isn't. She's not, Noelle. She…She's not." He whispered, trailing off and looking away. "Nevermind. Sorry. Come on, let's go." He finished, earning a concerned frown from Noelle.
'What was with that reaction when I mentioned Susie? I didn't know they knew each other. I know that Susie can be a little mean at times, but it's not like she said anything that bad to Kris, right? I'm sure that mean girl personality is just a front.' she thought to herself, following after the blue skinned boy.
She hummed thoughtfully as they left the great board, heading back to Seam's shop.
"Ah, hello again. Was there something else you wanted to buy?" They asked, a knowing grin on their face. Kris held his hand out, holding a singular darkburger.
"C-Can we please sell this?" Noelle asked, looking a little flustered. Seam grinned, and Noelle shifted uncomfortably. They quickly grabbed it, handing Kris 60 Dark Dollars back. With that, and the money they had received from defeating that Darkner at the great board, they had enough to get 3 dark candies.
Just as they were about to leave, though, Seam placed their paw on the counter, a singular claw tapping it. "Hold on for just a second. You." They pointed out, staring at Noelle, who blinked. "You have some incredible magical potential, young lady. I sense an overwhelming power within you, even greater than the one trapped in the prison deep below Card Castle." They rasped, smiling calmly. The stuffed animal reached underneath their desk, grabbing a broken piece of a pitch black key.
Holding out their paw, they smiled patiently at Noelle, who hesitantly reached for it. Before she could, however, Kris poked it to make sure that it wouldn't hurt her. Seam chuckled, gazing at the boy with mirth in their eye. "Do not worry. The key itself is not what you should be careful of. It's what it unlocks that you should fear." They chuckled mysteriously.
Noelle stared at the piece of key in her hands, feeling it vibrate. This key was clearly infused with some sort of power, and she could feel it pulse with dark energy. She exhaled as the key vanished into hammerspace, before Kris suddenly handed her the three fruits.
Noelle smiled bashfully as they exited the shop, gazing at the sweet fruit in her hands, before they too vanished into hammerspace. It still weirded her out, but so did a lot of the things here, so it was whatever. "Thank you a lot, Kris. You really didn't have to do that for me." She mumbled.
Kris looked at her, frowning slightly. "I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do. Whether it's eating meat, touching bugs, or playing stupid racing games." He said, making her giggle at the indirect mention of Berdly. She smiled again at him, and his heart nearly fluttered out of his mouth.
"Fahaha! Thanks, Kris. I'm glad to know I can count on you to keep me from being a doormat!" She laughed, and Kris nodded, a small smirk on his face. "C-Can I take the lead again? If we get into a fight, I'll let you protect me!" She told him. Another chance to be her literal knight in shining armor? Absolutely.
"I don't have any problems with it." He told her, and Ralsei smiled uncertainly. He told them last time that their party was in a formation for a reason, but Noelle told him not to worry. Unfortunately she learned the lesson the hard way, but staying behind the person with the shield was probably the best bet.
Once Noelle said that she would go back into their normal formation once they entered a battle, he stopped himself from interrupting. "It's fine with me, then! Just remember that we can't dally for much longer. The longer that our enemies get to prepare, the harder it will be for us to win." He warned them, and Noelle schooled her smile into a determined glare.
"Right! Find the fountain and seal it! I think we're about halfway there already though, so we should be fine!" She cheered, and Ralsei winced.
"Eheh…well, I wouldn't quite say already. It's uh…been 5 hours since we started." He told them. Noelle and Kris both froze, turning and staring at Ralsei, who smiled nervously. "S-Should I have told you two earlier? Sorry, you guys just looked like you were having a um…a lot of fun-and I-I" he started, worried that he had messed things up.
"Ralsei-Ralsei! It's okay! We're not upset or anything, I just…oh christmas, I forgot I said I would go to Berdly's to play that stupid racing game he got! He's going to be waiting there for a while…" She gasped, and Kris hummed, before turning to her.
"Another few hours couldn't hurt, then." He whispered. Not expecting it, Noelle tried to scold him about being mean, but burst into a fit of giggles before she could. Now that was a funny joke.
"That was a good one, Kris! Still, you shouldn't make jokes at other people's expense! He may not be able to hear us, but Berdly is still a person with feelings." She told him, making him raise an eyebrow.
"Not even 30 minutes ago you were cursing his name out." He reminded her, his deadpan tone making the delivery even harder. Noelle blushed in embarrassment, looking away.
"I…I only cursed once…" she mumbled, as if it made it any better. Kris chuckled softly, and Noelle's eyes widened. "Kris? Did you just laugh?" She asked, and he paused, before nodding, his cheeks tinged purple. Why was he embarrassed at being caught laughing? Everyone laughed. Well, he didn't…usually. Huh, guess it was kind of unnatural.
Ralsei coughed into his leather glove, catching the two's attention. "We should head back to the great board. We never know when another fountain could open, and even just two open at a time could be detrimental to the balance of light and dark." He warned, growing serious.
Noelle paused, looking back at Ralsei. "Hold on…aren't there already two open? Castle Town is a dark world, so it has a dark fountain, right?" She asked. Ralsei nodded, expecting the question.
"The dark world in Castle Town is different. It's a contained fountain, kept within a very small area. You can tell that this dark world is a lot bigger than mine, right?" He asked, making Noelle nod. "Most dark worlds are like this one. They're vast, filled to the brim with Darkners, and have numerous different landmarks in them!" He explained, pointing to the castle, then towards the great board, and then back at Seam's shop.
Kris and Noelle nodded along, understanding the concept. So if a dark world was kept contained and controlled, it wasn't a problem? Noelle then asked the same question he thought, word for word. He hid a flinch, hoping that Noelle couldn't read his thoughts with her new magic. There were a lot of things in there he didn't want her to see.
"We should start moving. Here." He whispered, moving to the left and allowing Noelle to take the lead. The trio quickly made their way back to the great board, and running into 3 more of the Darkner they had just defeated. "Shit." Kris mumbled, pulling out the spookysword as well as his alabaster shield.
"Kris, those Ponmen look a little sleepy, don't they? Maybe if Noelle and I sing a lullaby we can get them tired enough for me to use my pacify spell on them?" He hinted. Kris looked at the enemies, watching them bounce drowsily in place.
Kris nodded, pointing at the enemies, and Noelle nodded at Ralsei. Noelle started to sing first, hitting a soft high note. Ralsei joined in after, singing in a lower key. The three Ponmen grew more and more drowsy, leading up to Ralsei sparing the three with Pacify.
Moving on, Kris moved to the side for Noelle, trailing behind her. His eyes trailed downwards to her cute puffy tail, watching it wag excitedly. She was really enjoying herself, wasn't she? RPG's were her favorite type of game after all, and this was basically every single one of them mixed together for her.
Kris paused, before he looked back at Ralsei. Noelle took a few more steps forward, before realizing that the other two weren't following. She turned, watching Kris stare at Ralsei, who blinked. "Um…Kris, is something wrong?" He asked, and the boy shook his head.
"...Sorry. It…takes me a while to…speak sometimes. I just…just wanted to thank you…for making this so fun for Noelle. She…she really needs it right now." He whispered, just barely loud enough for Noelle to hear. Her thoughts travelled to her sick father, and her mood instantly dampened.
As if sensing it, Kris turned around to see her looking down, her ears flattened against the sides of her head. That only happened when she was sad. Kris awkwardly patted Ralsei's shoulder, trying to appear as grateful as he could, before speed walking over to Noelle.
"Hey." He greeted, and she looked at him, smiling sadly.
"...Kris? Why did you decide to…to talk to me, today?" She whispered. Kris was a little shocked at the question, but didn't show it. "Is it because I um…needed it?" She asked, her voice cracking. Kris's eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head instantly, frowning seriously.
"No." He stated clearly, loud enough for even Ralsei to hear. "It…was the first time I couldn't…duck out of it." He muttered. He couldn't lie to her, not to her. She frowned, a look of confusion in her eyes.
"I know you don't mean that hurtfully, but it kind of came out that way." She told him, making him flinch.
"...I've been scared to talk to you for a while. I know I told you that already, but…I just…" he trailed off, looking away. Noelle's frown deeped just a bit and ugh she's doing the thing with the ears again. He knew she wasn't doing it on purpose, nobody else but him, Rudy, Carol, and Catti would even notice these things.
"I don't…deserve you. I don't deserve to have someone as…as amazing as you in my life. You're Noelle Holiday, the prodigy student that can not only sing, but play violin, draw, write, along with a plethora of other things." Kris listed, pointing at her, before he turned his finger back at himself.
"And I'm just some weird nobody who's only skill is being good at video games." He mumbled, making Noelle frown, her ears shooting back up in anger.
"That's not true and you know it! You have so many amazing qualities! You're so brave, and kind, and you're always so gentle and caring, too! You're funny, surprisingly sweet, reliable-"
Kris cut her off, eyes narrowed. "I abandoned you for 3 years." He grumbled, and Noelle crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"You also saved my life like 3 times today, have successfully defended me more times than I can count in real life and in here, and…have treated me like an absolute princess the entire time." She retorted, making Kris's face erupt in purple.
"You really think I haven't noticed? Don't get me wrong, it's actually kind of nice having someone do everything for me instead of vice versa, but this is what I mean, Kris!" She told him, grabbing his hand. He froze, his own heartbeat nearly drowning out her voice.
"Even now, after 3 years…you're still my best friend. This is literally the first time we've interacted for longer than 5 minutes in years and it already feels like we never drifted apart in the first place." She said, making him look down.
"Besides, I'm not some infallible goddess! I make mistakes too, you know! I got a B in math once! Okay-maybe that's not the best example but you know what I mean." She continued, before frowning. "I could have reached out to you too, but…I was scared as well. I thought…I thought you hated me. I thought I did something wrong-or that we did something wrong-" she trailed off, only to be interrupted by Kris, who pulled her into a hug.
She gasped, not expecting the contact. "You never did anything wrong, Noelle. I'm really sorry I made you think that…it hurt me a lot to avoid you as much as I did. I hated every second of it. If I knew that you wanted to be friends again, I would have done anything to achieve that." He told her, his voice shaking.
Noelle sniffled, knowing how hard it was for Kris to do that. He had always been quiet, and he wasn't the talkative type…mostly. Sometimes, he would have moments where he would pour everything he held inside that mysterious head of his, right out at her. She didn't mind it, of course, but for him to speak that much with that level of volume? He just didn't stop surprising her today.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you're willing to go through so much for me…you always have been, even when we were barely acquaintances. You never even spoke to anyone else, you always only stood by me…why?" She asked.
The sadness was gone, and so was the anger. There was the beginnings of a smile on her face, and Kris began to relax. "You never needed anyone. You were independent, even as a child. You never allowed anyone except your family to get close to you…I was the only exception. Why?" She asked him, the massive question weighing heavy in the air.
'...Because I love you.'
"...You were the only kid that…treated me like a monster. You didn't look at me as different from you. You were the only one to…do that for me." He mumbled. A truth. Not the truth, but it wasn't a lie.
Noelle frowned sadly, looking down. Was that really true? What about his parents? They got him those cute little horns-but…they thought it was cute. They didn't take it seriously, when Kris genuinely wanted to just…be like everyone else.
'Poor Kris…every time I think I have it hard, he finds a way to prove me wrong. Just how alone has Kris been?' she thought to herself, and the idea made her sick to her stomach. If Kris really was suffering for this long and she didn't even notice…what kind of friend did that make her? Kris thought he didn't deserve her?
"I don't want to ever hear you say anything we ridiculous as I don't deserve you again, do you understand me?" She asked firmly, and Kris swallowed nervously. "Say you understand, Kris. I'm not backing down on this." She told him, a flash of her mother's infamous flare in her eyes, and he could tell she was being truthful.
"...I understand." He murmured, and Noelle smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Kris. Now, let's move on-" she started, only to see Lancer standing a few feet away, blocking the path past to the next section of the dark world.
"Heya, losers! I see you got past the great board! Unfortunately for you, that's as far as you'll get! Dad let me use one of our deadliest troops this time! C'mon out, C. Round!" Lancer hollered.
Kris narrowed his eyes, Noelle took a deep breath, and Ralsei readied his scarf for…
A…little checker chip? A tiny checker chip with legs had stumbled over to them, and was now bouncing in place. Noelle cooed, getting to her knees and gesturing for the creature to go near her. "Um…what does it…do?" Ralsei asked.
A small crown then fell from nowhere, landing on C. Round's head. In seconds, it grew to a towering 15 feet tall, it's previously stubby little legs now twice the size of Noelle and three times as thick as her. Noelle looked up at the gigantic poker chip, jaw slack in surprise and fear.
"It crushes people to death, I think."