Kris jolted when the first thing he saw was Noelle's lovely smile. She gasped at seeing his red eyes, pulling him into a hug again. He blinked tiredly when she unintentionally pressed his face into her belly. He hummed softly, enjoying the moment while he could. "Oh, Kris! I hope to slept well." she said, and he nodded happily.
What was he even panicking about earlier? Who cared, this was freaking awesome. Also, she was still eating well. That was good. Okay this was going to get very embarrassing if he didn't get out of this hug.
Luckily, Noelle pulled him back, smiling with tears in her eyes. Kris was admittedly confused, wondering what had happened to earn those tears.
"Did…someone die?" He asked, and Noelle burst out into giggles, hiccuping between them. Ralsei was startled by the loud snort that came out of Noelle's mouth, and Kris grinned like an idiot. Noelle stopped laughing immediately, covering her mouth.
Kris sat up, humming to himself. "My hair feels neater." He murmured, and Noelle's face somehow got more red.
"OH-WOW-THE-GATE-IS-OPEN!" Noelle shouted, pointing at the open gate. Kris and Ralsei got up, before the former looked down at Noelle, who looked embarrassed. "My-um…my legs are asleep." She mumbled, and Kris kneeled and picked her up like a princess again.
She shivered, blushing even harder. "K-Kris! Stop teasing me!" She cried, covering her face with her hands. Kris grinned, showing off his full smile. Ralsei giggled, before he held his arm out.
"Lead the way, Kris!" He cheered, making Noelle jump in Kris's arms.
"What-Ralsei!? Don't let him tease me!" She shouted, and he flinched.
"I-uh…Kris, put her down?" He tried, and Kris frowned sadly for a second, before gently placing her on the ground, instead letting her use him as a weight.
"Y-You didn't…have to put me down, Kris…" she mumbled, and he perked up, about to pick her up again, only for her to giggle. "Nope! You lost your chance!" She teased, instead walking shakily with Kris. He faux sighed, but smiled at her.
Noelle was overwhelmed with joy seeing it. There was no invisible weight on his shoulders, he was just…having fun. "Alright, let's go! I'm ready for adventure!" She cheered, pointing forward with a determined smile on her face.
'Oh my god she's so cute-why is she so cute-how is she so cute?' Kris thought, gazing downwards. Ralsei played with his gloves behind them, smiling at the two.
'I love my new friends!' he thought, clasping his hands together behind him and following the two as they passed through the gate.
Behind them, the sliced off head opened its eyes, groaning. "Freaking finally. I thought those suckers would never leave." It growled, before crawling away with its neck.
---
The three heroes entered a long path surrounded by trees, with Lancer waiting for them, sticking his tongue out at them.
"Hey there, Noelle! Other people! Woah, are you hurt?" He asked, actually dropping the smile to give her a concerned stare.
She smiled reassuringly, shaking her head. "No, Kris is just helping me because my legs fell asleep. Thanks for worrying though, Lancer, you're a good friend!" she told him, smiling brightly.
He paused, tilting his head. "Wait…we're…friends?" He asked, and Noelle nodded.
"Of course we are! You taught me how to use magic, remember? What else are friends for, hehe!" She said, and Lancer blinked, his hood acting as his eyes. Wait-were they his eyes?
The boy grinned, doing a little dance. "Aw yeah! My first friend! I knew I'd make one eventually!" He laughed, making all three of them pause.
"Y-You didn't have any friends? What about all your subjects?" Ralsei asked, and Lancer flinched, looking down sadly.
"Well…my dad just kinda…makes them like me. They don't actually…want to be my friend. B-But it's okay! I have your friendship, Noelle! One friend is better than none!" He said, and Noelle smiled sadly.
It was silent for a second, before Kris spoke up, a small smile directed at Lancer. "...And three friends are better than one." He said, louder than a mumble. Lancer perked up, before he laughed again.
"Wow, Dad was totally wrong about Lightners! You guys are really cool! Hanging out with you guys is making me feel all warm and tingly inside!" He cheered, and Ralaei smiled at him.
"That's because our purpose is to help them. That's why we exist!" He told them, making Noelle look at him, a horrified look on her face.
"W-What!? It's not your purpose to help us! You can do whatever you want! I don't know what Lightners told you that, but-" she started, and Ralsei waved his hands in the air.
"No-we weren't forced into this! It's literally our purpose. It's something that we all instinctively understand at birth. All Darkners are born with the intention to aid Lightners. Whether it be in the dark world or the light world." he explained, with Lancer following from the side.
"Woah, so that means that I'm supposed to be Noelle's friend?" Lancer asked, and Ralsei nodded. "Well, golly! I guess this friendship is fated! You too, blue guy!" He cheered, making Noelle giggle, walking a bit smoother now.
"His name is Kris, Lancer." She informed, and Lancer grinned, his tongue sticking out.
"I know! I just like calling him blue, hoo hoo!" Lancer laughed, making Noelle giggle as well. Kris smiled at her, and she smiled back.
"I'm really happy we found this place, Kris." She whispered, and he nodded fervently.
"Me too, Noelle. We're really going on an adventure together, huh?" He asked, and she grinned excitedly.
"I think we're actually getting close to the end, Kris. Look over the trees." She said, pointing up. Kris blinked, before looking to where she was pointing and…
Wow.
A massive billowing pillar of darkness towered above them, and honestly, Kris didn't know how he didn't see it beforehand. They were close.
"Hehe, yeah! That's my home-Card Castle! There are always a ton of guards patrolling everywhere, so you'd better be ready for a thrashing! Ooh-I saw how you took out those Rudinns earlier…well that won't work on the guys inside. They're-uh…not as lazy as the normal ones." He told them.
Kris nodded at him, before his stomach growled. He frowned, realizing he hadn't eaten anything today. How long have they been here now? Eight hours? School was beyond over, and they were assuredly going to get a scolding from their parents.
Before he could even do anything else, Noelle handed him a wrapped up darkburger. She smiled at him, tilting her head. "My legs are fine now. Why don't you eat this while I help Lancer get that fruit over there." She suggested, pointing at the tree that Lancer was standing in front of.
Kris smiled at her, nodding. He then unwrapped the foil over the burger, taking a bite of it and…oh wow-that was actually really good. It was still hot, and the pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes were still fresh. The meat was juicy, the bun was soft and warm-even the sauce was on point. "God…damn…" he mumbled in between bites.
Noelle was right though, it didn't really make him any less hungry. The sensation of eating helped with the emptiness, but he was definitely still hungry. Kris wiped his mouth with the foil, before tossing it over his shoulder. Noelle pouted at him, and he flinched, before he walked backwards, grabbing the foil and sending it to hammerspace.
She smiled at him, turning around and stepping in front of Ralsei, who refused to walk in front of either of them. Once Kris returned to his position, the three took only a few steps before they reached the end of the path. Lancer grinned, turning to his left and pointing forward.
Kris and Noelle were both amazed by a the large black castle in the distance, the fountain emerging from the roof of it. "It's…kind of beautiful." Noelle commented, earning a laugh from Lancer.
"Yeah! Thank you, dark fountain that gives us form!" He said, making Noelle pause.
"Wait, if we seal this fountain…what will happen to you?" She asked, and he hummed, placing his hand to his chin.
"I'm not sure…but nothing some good ol' Lancer magic can't fix! I'm sure we'll be just fine! You just do what you've gotta do, friends! I'll go try to butter my dad up for you!" He told them, before running towards the entrance to the castle. The gates opened automatically, and Lancer rushed in.
The gate began to close, and Noelle immediately narrowed her eyes, sprinting forwards and jumping over the rising door. Kris jolted, moving to do the same. Ralsei just barely missed grabbing him, shouting his name. "Kris-wait! You won't make it!" He cried, but Kris grunted, leaping off the stone pathway.
Noelle grinned, turning around, only to see Kris grab the drawbridge, hanging off the edge. "KRIS!" She screamed, hurrying over to the rising bridge. It was hard to keep her balance on the tilting bridge, but she grabbed Kris's hand just in time, pulling him up over the bridge just as she lost her balance, causing the both of them to fall down with a loud grunt.
Noelle landed under Kris this time, and the boy immediately got up, checking to see if Noelle was hurt, which she wasn't. "K-Kris, are you alright!?" She asked shakily, getting onto her feet and grabbing Kris's face.
Kris's cheeks exploded into a purple hue, and he smiled nervously at Noelle, unsure of how to react. "N-Noelle? I-I'm…fine." He answered, his voice a low, embarrassed mumble. Noelle smiled in relief, before pulling him into a hug, his face pulling right into her chest, making his eyes widen into the size of dinner plates.
Oh.
He couldn't move an inch for fear that she would realize just where she pulled him to. Okay. He could do this. He just had to. Not yet distracted. Easy. Simple. Soft. Really soft-no!
Thank god she pulled him away right then and there, or else he might have had a panic attack. She was smiling at him, her eyes shaking with unshed tears. "D-Don't scare me like that! You could have gotten hurt…o-or-" she started, but Kris smiled at her, grabbing one of her hands.
"Hey. I'm alright. I wouldn't have tried that jump if I didn't know you would help me. I know I can always count on you, Noelle." He comforted her, before pulling her into a hug. "See? I'm alright. I'm not hurt…not tired…maybe a little hungry, but that's fine." He mumbled into her ear, making her giggle emotionally.
"S-Stop, I get it!" She laughed, sniffling and pulling back from the hug. She beamed at him and-goodness gracious she looked so happy. "Oh gingerbread! We left Ralsei out there! We need to find a way to open the gate!" She cried, and Kris blinked, before he turned around, spotting a lever behind him.
He pulled it gently, and a satisfying mechanical thunk rang out, before the drawbridge began to lower again. They saw Ralsei on the other side, waiting patiently. He perked up upon seeing them, smiling in relief. "I was starting to get worried…hehe…" he giggled, joining the party again.
Sharing a look between the three, they all struck a pose, with Kris crossing his arms and turning around, leaving only a single red eye looking forward.
Noelle held up a peace sign, laughing and beaming while doing a little dance with her hooves. Kris was almost distracted from his cool pose by her cute dance, but stopped himself. He had to look cool for Noelle.
Ralsei stood on one foot, extending both of his arms out and smiling forwards, closing his eyes. It was…actually also kind of cute, but Kris immediately labeled Noelle's as cuter.
"We were in sync, fahaha!" Noelle laughed, and Ralsei nodded, looking more excitable than usual. He looked down, his face flushed pink beneath his hat.
"I-I'm…I'm really happy I met you guys! You're…the first people I've ever actually met…and I'm so glad it was you two!" He told them, grinning at them. Noelle beamed back, and Kris gave him a small smile along with a thumbs up.
Now that the three were properly reunited, they took their first few steps into the castle…and were promptly jumped by three new enemies. They looked like Rudinns, but wore red armor and had a long saber instead of a knife. "It's the Lightners! Get them!" One of them shouted, before two of the Rudinns rushed forward.
Kris looked at Noelle, grabbing her shoulder. He summoned his shield and handed it to her. "Keep yourself safe when I can't. Use it as defense and as a weapon, okay?" He asked, before pulling out his spookysword.
The sight of the sharpened spine made one of Rudinn shiver. Noelle squeaked as she saw four diamonds heading towards her, raising her shield to block the attacks. She felt her arms throb in pain from simply allowing them to hit the shield, lowering it worriedly.
She then yelped as one of the Rudinn tried to slither towards her, raising its saber. "Die, betrayer!" It shouted, only for Kris to slide into view, raising his sword at a horizontal angle, blocking the Darkner's swipe.
Kris looked at Noelle, who puffed up her cheeks, lobbing the shield at the Darkner. Kris blinked in shock, hearing the loud clang of his shield hitting the wall next to them. Noelle blushed in embarrassment, and Kris grunted, pushing the Rudinn's weapon away from his, before kicking it in the chest, knocking it backwards.
The other two Rudinn slowly slithered around Ralsei, attempting to intimidate him. "Look at the little prince…helping the Lightners in his own free will. Don't you know what happens to traitors?" One of them asked him, only for him to smile patiently at them.
"Wouldn't you be the traitors? Our purpose is to help the Lightners, not fight them. You betrayed your purpose, not me." He asked them. One of the Rudinn blinked behind their masks, looking at the other.
"W-Whatever! Our king still pays us-so you're our enemy! Now face the wrath of the Card Kingdom!" One of them shouted, swinging down at Ralsei, who flicked his neck to the side, dodging the swipe. His scarf shot out, fully wrapping around the blade and ripping it from its hands with ease.
Ralsei grabbed the weapon from the two, humming as he swung it in the air. The Rudinn who had its weapon stolen was suddenly a whole lot less confident, while the other one showed a hint of fear.
"Interesting, the insides are hollow…it definitely allows for faster swings, but less power behind them. Alright, I understand now." He said, and his scarf snapped the blade like a twig. He then turned to the other Rudinn, smiling kindly.
He took a step towards it, and it slithered backwards, intimidated easily. "Now, I do believe you have something that you shouldn't. You can either give it to me…or I can take it from you." Ralsei said, his tone gentle and comforting, yet the Rudinn couldn't help but shiver. "Your choice." The prince finished, and the Rudinn dropped its weapon, turning around and slithering away.
"I'm outta here! This guy's crazy!" He yelled, slithering out of the castle. Ralsei nodded, finding that the other Rudinn had literally followed in its comrade's footsteps, leaving the same way it did.
Ralsei turned back to see that Kris had just disarmed the final enemy, a few cuts on his face from close encounters with the blade. Kris pointed his own sword at the enemy's head, his eyes glowing a piercing crimson. Glaring at the Rudinn, he spoke but one word.
"Leave."
The Rudinn Ranger fled without another word.
Kris exhaled, and his sword vanished. He walked over to his shield, grabbing it and smiling at Noelle. "You dropped this." He joked, and she took it with a frown, a distracted look in her eyes. Kris frowned, and she flinched, realizing he was staring.
"A-Ah! Thank you, Kris! I-Um…I think…I shouldn't have this though. I'm not…good…at this." She mumbled, looking away. Kris's frown deepened, and he took a step closer to her.
"What do you mean? You even said you felt that you were getting better." He asked her, and she looked away.
"Yeah…at dodging." She whispered, and Kris opened his mouth to speak, only for her to continue. "I'm not…useful like that. You and Ralsei can fight really well-and I'm sure if someone like Susie fell d-down here with you, you'd p-probably have a much easier time-" she stammered out, her ears drooping further with every word.
"Noelle." Kris interjected, forcing her from her train of thought. He then pointed at the shield, staring directly into her eyes. "I gave you that shield because I trust you with it. You missing a throw once isn't going to change that." He told her, and she clenched her fists around the shield, gripping to tightly.
"You…don't get it, Kris." She mumbled, looking down in shame. "This entire journey…I haven't really…done anything. All I did was…get in the way. It's like I…wasn't even supposed to be down here in the first place. I can't defend. I can't fight. Outside of acting and running away, I'm…I'm worthless." She whispered.
CLACK!
Noelle jumped at the loud sound, looking down to see that Kris had dropped his sword. The next thing she knew, he was right in front of her, hands on her shoulders and angry red eyes staring into hers.
"Don't you ever say that again. You are so many things, Noelle, but worthless isn't one of them. You're the star student of our town for god's sake." He told her, but she wasn't convinced. Kris frowned, thinking to himself-before-
Kris knew what he had to do.
"Noelle…look at me." He whispered, and Noelle bit her lip, holding the shield tightly. "...Please?" he begged, and Noelle exhaled shakily, gazing into Kris's eyes. He took a breath, before giving the brightest smile he could.
It was sloppy, it was nervous, and by god was it shaky-but it was real…and it was all because of her. "You made this possible, Noelle. You did this for me. If it weren't for you…" he trailed off, before schooling his expression with little difficulty, returning it back to his completely deadpan stare. "This is all I would be."
Noelle's eyes were wide and wet now, and she hiccupped softly, her face scrounged up in pain. "Why…" she started, before lifting her shield to cover her face. "Why-Why do you always have to make me cry like this!?" She asked, and Kris was worried he had done something wrong, before she lowered the shield, showing her beaming face.
"You're too sweet, Kris." She whispered, and the boy hugged her swiftly and tightly. Intent filled his every move, and he whispered in her ear, holding her close.
"I meant every word, Noelle. You mean so much to do many people…please don't call yourself worthless…it…it hurts to hear that." he told her, before he took a step back. "I think…you're our most important member, Noelle." He told her, and she blinked.
"You're our morale." He continued, ignoring the 'My morale' that was whispered in his head. "If you hadn't fallen down here with me…I don't know what I would have done. Probably died alone in here, with no explanation to what happened. Even if I happened to survive Lancer's onslaught alone, there were so many times that I would have been toast without you!" He said, his voice getting louder as he grew more impassioned with every word.
"Bandaging me, healing me, making Lancer go away, the first Rudinn, those Hathies, C. Round, that three headed beast, healing me again, letting me get some rest, giving me that burger-"
"Y-You were just hungry for that last one!" Noelle laughed emotionally, unable to stop her tears from flowing.
Kris grinned, shrugging. "Yeah, people can starve, Noelle." He said, before turning to Ralsei. "Back me up, Ralsei. People can starve, right?" He asked, and the prince blinked, surprised at just how…comfortable Kris seemed. He was acting…normal!
Ralsei smiled and nodded. "Yes, Kris. People can starve." He told him, making Kris nod at Noelle.
"See? Ralsei agrees-" he started, cut off by Noelle embracing him. She was giggling the entire time, but her tears still fell down his back. "Noelle? Did I go too far?" he whispered, a hint of worry in his voice. She shook her head with a small noise, staying quiet for a second.
"You're…you." She whispered, laughing softly. "It's been…it's been so long, Krismas…" she sobbed, and he smiled, the expression shaking.
"...It has." He whispered, blinking away the tears that formed.
Once the two gathered themselves and separated, they began their true exploration of Card Castle. Kris turned right first, immediately spotting an elevator with a sign next to it. The three made their way towards the elevator, and Kris read the sign aloud.
"...Prison elevator." He mumbled, before he hummed. He turned to leave, but the elevator doors opened on their own before he could. He blinked, before looking back at Noelle, who bit her lip, looking at the dark, creepy elevator.
"Um…maybe we can come back here? This…doesn't seem like the way to go." She suggested, and he nodded, stepping away from the elevator. Instead, he walked to the left, seeing a diamond shaped door in front of him, and a staircase leading upwards.
Peeking inside the diamond shaped room, he saw two Rudinns standing around a pile of riches, laughing while tossing gold and jewels around. Strangely enough, there weren't any beds in the room.
They spotted Kris, jumping in front of their treasure protectively. Kris shook his head, turning around and heading for the staircase, with Noelle giggling behind him.
The three stared in shock at the contraption in the room in front of them after walking up the stairs. Four turrets attatched to pillars in each corner of the room spewed magical diamonds that circled around each corner of the room, making the entire room a death trap. "What the heck!? How do the soldiers even maneuver in this place?" She asked, and Kris shrugged.
He inhaled, looking back at Noelle to see that she still had his shield. After making sure, he readied himself, before dashing into the room, sliding under a beam of diamonds. He pushed himself to his feet, hurdling over another beam and making it to the other side of the room.
He stood up, brushing his hair out of his face and smiling back at the other side, exhaling softly. 'That was so cool!' Noelle thought to herself, an unnoticable amount of warmth travelling to her face.
Noelle steeled herself, dashing forward at the right time and making it across the room before any of the beams could even touch her. She skidded to a stop, nearly tripping forwards if not for Kris grabbing her arm. After catching herself, she smiled gratefully at Kris, who nodded at her.
Ralsei was the last to go, and he crossed the room simply timing his movements, avoiding the need to run or dodge entirely. Basically, the classic way. Now that the three has crossed, they took a few steps into the room, before a blockade appeared behind them.
Noelle gasped, and a beam of light appeared in the center of the room. Kris drew his sword, and Ralsei readied his magic as a navy blue man with majestic hair and a…melting face appeared, dressed as an old timey general.
"Thou journey hathst end here, worms!" The man shouted, and Ralsei immediately deadpanned.
"Wonderful. RK I presume?" He asked, and the man laughed nefariously.
"Indeedth my fluffy opponenst!" He cried.
"Did…did you mean opponents?" Noelle asked, and the man stammered.
"S-Silence, worm! I amst Rouxls Kaard! Duke of puzzles! Masterst of thine brain games! I am…surprisedth that you three hadst passed my first puzzleth!" Rouxls Kaard proclaimed, and Noelle blinked.
"Oh! That was you. Um…your interference with the puzzle made it…different? I guess…" she murmured, and Rouxls laughed victoriously.
"Indeedst it did! Now, you foolsth! Prepare yourselvesth for my superiorst puzzle!" He shouted. A singular box appeared in front of him, as did a switch. Kris nudged it with his foot and it slid forward, pressing down the switch.
Ding!
The blockade opened, and Ralsei sighed in disappointment. Rouxls looked at the box, looked at Kris, then looked at the now unblocked doorway.
"GOD. DAMN IT!" He screamed, before vanishing with another flash of light. Noelle blinked, before looking at Kris.
"Kris, that guy was really weird." She said, and he nodded. "...Can we just go?" She added, but Kris was too busy staring at the box.
"That…wasn't even a puzzle…" he mumbled sadly, and Noelle rolled her eyes, grabbing Kris's hand and walking him out of the room, with Ralsei smiling in amusement behind them.
Kris blushed at the feeling of her hand in his, feeling her soft fur slip through the cracks of his armor, touching his bare skin. Maybe being himself really was the way to get her attention.
…
Nah, that was way too cliche.
"Oh, the turrets are down…thank goodness." Noelle sighed, leading them down, as the way to progress was up. She knew better than to go the right way first. She only didn't want to go in that creepy elevator because it was…well, creepy.
They found a chest down below, and inside was a ring similar to the one that Noelle woke up with, only it was a shiny silver instead of a dull white. Noelle's eye sparkled when she saw it, instantly grabbing it and replacing the poker ring.
"How does it look Kris? Isn't it shiny?" She asked, and he nodded, the glittering silver shining in his ruby eyes.
"Ooh…" he murmured, making Noelle giggle, covering her mouth.
"You still like shiny things that much, Kris?" She asked, and he nodded, reaching forward and gently touching her fingers, inspecting the ring. Noelle stood still, observing his gaze closely. He stared so intensely at it…at everything, really.
She thought back to her earlier revelation about his eyes, wondering why nearly everyone saw it as a other weird part of the weird kid. Noelle schooled her smile, not wanting to worry Kris in her thoughts, but her anger grew as she wondered why so many people treat Kris the way they do.
What did he ever do to deserve it? Berdly's narcissism, the neverending invisiblity, as if most people just didn't even know he existed, even Susie's name-calling. She remembered back to when Kris was a child, before…it happened.
Even then, he was still somewhat of a social outcast. He was the only human in a town full of monsters. Nobody bullied him for it, but…he was definitely seen as different by most people in Hometown, and it showed.
Everywhere he went, he got strange looks. Sure, the looks died down over the years, but the facts still stood. Everyone knew the history of humans and monsters. How humans sealed monsters underground hundreds of years ago and how a fallen human broke the barrier, freeing them.
Despite such an event happening hundreds of years ago and the culture and beliefs of both races having changed drastically, there still existed hatred for humans for what they had done. Sure, Kris may haven't been seen that way, but what if another human moved into Hometown?
Noelle felt sick. She really hoped her town wasn't racist. She looked at Kris just as he backed away from the ring, ready to move on. He looked back at the door next to them, reading the sign.
Royal Flush.
And underneath it.
Occupied.
"Oh. It's the bathroom." Kris said, and Noelle snickered.
"How do you always somehow manage to find the bathroom first, Kris?" She asked, and the boy blushed, looking away.
"I-I don't know, it just happens…" he mumbled. The three finally went upwards, spotting some grooves in the floor, presumably where spikes would have been to block their path.
"I guess we were so preoccupied with the trap we didn't even notice there was anything here." Noelle mumbled, and the three walked up the steps.
The first thing they saw was a new enemy. Three blue Hathies with luxurious robes attacked them, each of them holding a staff with a razor sharp metallic heart at each end.
Noelle raised Kris's shield, blocking a stabbing motion from one of the Hathies. It then tried an overhead swipe, but Kris blocked the attack with his spookysword, before kicking the Hathy back.
He then jumped forward, slicing her staff in twain. Glaring at her, he allowed her to run away. Suddenly, though, he felt a cold piece of metal to his throat and froze. An unintelligible whisper made his skin crawl as the Hathy behind him made to slit his throat-
CLANG!
The Hathy fell to the ground as Kris's shield impacted her head, dropping her staff. Noelle held her hands out, her eyes wide as she stared down at the Hathy on the ground. "O-Oh my god is she dead!?" She asked, before immediately healing the enemy. "I'm so sorry please don't be dead I had to do it bye!" Noelle shouted, before dashing over to the shield and grabbing it.
Kris and Noelle then turned to the final enemy, who was facing Ralsei. His scarf was wrapped around the handle of her weapon, and she was clearly frightened as she turned to the three of them, sweating nervously. Noelle held her hands out placatingly, smiling at her.
"W-We don't want to hurt you! You can just…walk away." She told her, and the Hathy paused, before it hesitantly released the weapon. Kris Noelle and Ralsei all vanished their weapons, and the Head Hathy gave them a swift nod of appreciation, before running away.
Barely a second later, and they were attacked by three more Head Hathies. Luckily, they were ready this time. Kris pointed at them, looking at Noelle. "Flirt." He said, and she paused, before grinning mischievously and pointing at Ralsei.
"I did it last time, let's see Ralsei try!" She said, and Ralsei flinched.
"A-Alright! Head Hathies…your beauty is truly iridescent. Your hair flows like the sea and-wait…do you have hair?" He asked.
The Head Hathy felt awkward and left. "O-Oh…whoops." Ralsei mumbled, making Noelle laugh. She then schooled her face, smiling at the Head Hathy.
"I really like your makeup! It matches your skin tone perfectly!" She complimented, and the second Head Hathy blushed, looking away. Noelle then grinned at Kris, who felt a shiver go down his spine. "Now it's your turn Kris!" She laughed.
Kris blushed softly, before he closed his eyes and sighed. After a second of preparing himself, opened them. They glowed beautifully, and he smirked at the final enemy willing to fight, imagining that she was Noelle.
"Never before have I wanted to hold someone so much, so tenderly before. You're lucky the others are here, otherwise…you'd be mine." He said, his voice low and rough.
The enemy swooned.
Noelle blushed red, staring at Kris. 'W-Woah…where did he learn to talk like that? His voice is usually so soft, but that…wow…' she thought to herself-hell, even Ralsei was blushing from that!
Kris exhaled, before turning back to his party and seeing them staring at him, cheeks aflame. "...What?" He asked, confused. Noelle cleared her throat, looking away.
"HAHA NOTHING LET'S MOVE ON!" She yelled, running past him. Kris blinked, before following after her, with Ralsei behind him. Kris followed her to a heart shaped door, where two normal Hathies stood in front of four beds, looking remarkably well rested.
Noelle waved awkwardly, and they waved back. That was the end of that interaction.
Going the other way, they found another staircase leading upwards. As they walked up the steps, Kris lowered his head, walking behind Noelle. The classic rule when going up a staircase behind a girl.
Don't. Look. Up.
After that incredibly challenging event, Kris and Noelle flinched when they saw more of the dancing scissors spinning around the room, making yet another trap. Luckily, it was a lot easier to avoid than the other one, and none of the heroes had any trouble maneuvering through the room.
Kris led them downwards first, only to be blocked by a set of spikes that jutted upwards through the floor. "Damn." He mumbled. That probably meant they would have to deal with Rouxls Kaard again. Wonderful.
Going up and right this time, he was immediately proven correct when they took not even three steps into the room, the entrance being blocked behind them. Noelle sighed, cringing as the same beam of light from before warped Rouxls Kaard back into the room.
"FOOLS! Thou thoughtst thou had seene the last of me!? Nay! This next puzzleth shall surelye stumpst even thou!" He cried, and a another box and switch appeared, the box only slightly further away this time.
Kris glared at Rouxls Kaard, pointing angrily at him. "You're a disgrace to fun itself." He spat, and the Darkner didn't even react.
"You would be surprised at how many people have told me that." Rouxls said, dropping the old english accent entirely. "But nonethelesse, I persistst!" He continued, holding up a finger. "Now stoppeth the stalling, worm! Try your worste!" He shouted.
Kris nudged the box with his foot twice.
Ding!
Rouxls stared at the box, before he laughed. "Ha…haha! FOOLS! That wasth only my firste trap! I havest another at the readye!" He shouted.
"Can…can we see it?" Ralsei asked, and Rouxls flinched.
"No!" He yelled, before vanishing in another beam of light. Noelle looked very disappointed.
"I really don't like that guy." She mumbled, and Kris nodded, annoyed.
"Me too." He growled, and the two left the room. As expected, the spikes at the bottom of the room had sunken back into the floor, allowing them access to the club room, the staircase to the next floor, and a chest.
Kris kicked it open, pulling out the cloak made out of cards. He looked it over for a second, before showing it to Ralsei, who shook his head.
"Er-this cloak is fine, thank you! You should put it on, Kris." He responded. Kris paused, before shrugging, and draping it over his shoulder. The inside showed the faces of the cards, while the outside showed the backs. Noelle smiled, giving him a once over.
"It looks good on you, Kris!" She complimented, and he blushed.
"T-Thanks, Noelle." He murmured, before looking inside the club room…and seeing a disco ball hanging from the roof, along with multiple Darkners trying to surgically attatch the head that Kris sliced off of the three headed beast.
Kris flinched, backing out of the room. Noelle was the next to look, and she gasped at what she saw, entering the room, much to the surprise of Kris. "Noelle!" He whispered, and she smiled back at him.
"U-Um…I can help!" She said, making everyone look at her. The now two headed beast hissed at her, the removed head glaring at her.
"And how are you gonna do that, huh!?" The angry head asked, two Rudinn Rangers and Head Hathies held the neck to the body, and Noelle closed her eyes, raising her hands.
The spot where the neck and body met glowed green, before healing entirely. The beast stopped its struggling, looking at the point of healing. "...Huh." all three of its heads mumbled in union. It then hopped off of the bed, shaking the room. "Now let's get this party started!" The happy head shouted, the disco ball at the top lighting up, with rave music playing loudly.
Noelle covered her ears with a wince, hurrying out of the room. Ralsei smiled happily at her, while Kris smiled. Noelle smiled back, taking a moment to grab his hand.
"Hey, Kris?" She asked, and he looked at her. "Thanks for protecting me against the Darkner in there! I know you probably…feel bad about what happened." She told him, and he looked to the side. He did, but that beast hurt Noelle, which was easily enough reason to do what he did in his eyes.
Kris nodded, smiling at Noelle, a glimpse of his ruby eyes through his bangs. The trio then made their way to the next floor.
There were no enemies awaiting them, no puzzles to be solved, or traps to be avoided. It was just a simple large room with a doorway in the shape of a spade on the left, a doorway titled Shop on the right, and an elevator just ahead of them.
Kris looked to the spade door, spotting a familiar bike in the doorway. He pointed to the door, walking towards it. "This must be Lancer's room." He told Noelle, and byproduct, Ralsei. The moment Kris stepped inside, he tripped on a hole dug into the floor with a trowel that he conveniently landed next to.
Noelle helped him to his feet, the two of them looking around. Kris walked over to a small music player lying on the floor, picking it up and pressing the play button.
SPLAT!
It was full of cartoon splat noises. Nice. Setting the device back where he found it, he saw Kris inspecting Lancer's bed, snickering at how the boy had lovingly tucked his bike in as if it was his child.
"Yeah, this is definitely Lancer's room, alright! We probably shouldn't snoop around here much longer, though." She told him, standing up and smiling at him. He nodded, and the heroes left Lancer's room, entering the shop and seeing a familiar face.
"Oh god not him again-" Noelle started.
"Welcomest to my humbleth shop, worms! Browseth my wares or leave, cretins!" He greeted. Kris asked what their budget was, his eyes widening as Ralsei told him that they had over two thousand Dark Dollars to work with. Suffice to say, he quickly stocked up on amber cards and bought Ralsei a new scarf that allowed him to concentrate more magic into his healing.
He then took one look at the Rouxlsroux, grimacing at the live worms that wriggled around. Noelle tried to peek, but he stopped her, shaking his head at her. "You don't want to look. Trust me." He told her, and she rolled her eyes, before looking over his shoulder and into the rouxlsroux, her face paling at what she saw.
A second later and she was halfway out the door, one arm over her stomach, a green shade to her face. "I should have listened-hurk!" she groaned, covering her mouth. Rouxls quickly grabbed a conveniently placed wooden bucket, throwing it over to Kris, who gave it to Noelle.
Kris then gathered her hair and cape in his hands as she threw up, scratching her back awkwardly. Ralsei rubbed the back of his neck, and Rouxls Kaard leaned down to him. "Awkwarde." He mumbled, and Ralsei slowly took a step away from the Darkner.
Kris held the bucket out to Rouxls, who hesitantly accepted it, putting it on the ground and lighting a match, tossing it at the bucket and lighting it on fire-wait where the hell did he get a match?
Noelle moaned uncomfortably, holding her head in her hands. She cleaned herself up a bit with a handkerchief that Ralsei had, one that was tossed in the flaming bucket. "T-Thank you, Kris…" she murmured, and Kris nodded, still scratching her back.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation through her robe. Despite being thin, it wasn't see through at all-thank heaven. However, it was still thin, so it was as if the cool metal of Kris's gauntlets were gliding across her back.
Ignoring the stray thought that she wished it was Kris's bare hand against her robe instead of the gauntlet, she nodded in his direction. "Thanks again, Kris. You always did have my back…I guess this time you did literally, hehe…" she mumbled, embarrassed about throwing up.
Kris smiled at her, placing his hands on his lap once he realized he still had his hand on her back. He blushed too, and the both of them looked away, nervously sitting next to each other as Ralsei tried his best to extract as much info from Rouxls about the king, which was surprisingly hard, considering how…dim the man seemed.
"So…how is your father doing?" Kris asked lightly, trying to change the subject, only to wince as she became noticeably more sad. Shit. Not a good sign.
"He…says he's getting better. He told me was going to get out of there in no time and show us his famous fruitcake, but…that's all he's been saying for the past eight months and…he tries to tell me the doctors are overreacting and worried about nothing, but…I'm not stupid." She said, saying the word like it insulted her.
"I-I know…that he's not…actually g-getting any better…that h-he's just lying to-to make me f-feel better…" she whispered, her voice breaking as she curled up on herself. "I'm scared, Kris." She admitted, her ears drooping. She looked at him, and despite not having a single tear in her eyes, she looked the saddest he had ever seen her.
"I-I'm scared I won't see my father again every single d-day, Kris…I never know when…" she whispered, not able to finish the rest. She lowered her head silently, covering her face with her arms. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean-" she started, and Kris hugged her.
"No. Don't apologize for that. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I shouldn't have…I should have been more sensitive. I wasn't thinking." He mumbled back, earning a soft mumble and a shake of her head.
"You deserve to know. You're one of us too, Kris." She whispered, and he felt a sickness rise in his stomach. One of them. No he wasn't. Maybe if Dess was still there, then maybe. Maybe if he hadn't-
"Kris? Are you…crying?" Noelle asked, looking up at him. He blinked, feeling wetness on his eyelids. Oh. He was. Wiping his eyes with his new cloak, he forced his expression into a neutral one.
"Sorry, that was just…that really touched me, Noelle." He lied. It hurt to lie to her, but the truth would hurt so much more. Noelle smiled softly, before she held her hand out to him. He gazed at it, before taking it in his. They stood up, and she unknowingly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Did…you want to visit him with me today?" She asked, earning a tilt of Kris's head. Noelle smiled patiently, tilting her head to match his. "My dad?" She reminded him, and he blushed, looking down.
"Oh…" he mumbled. He wanted to say yes. He so desperately wanted to say yes, but-
"Yes." He said.
Oh. Well, that solved that. Guess he would feel like shit later.
Noelle beamed, jumping in place. How. Could one girl. Be so god damn cute!? Kris blushed as he watched her, before she grinned at him, giggling breathily. "I'm so excited! It's been so long since he's seen you, Kris! You guys are going to have so much to talk about!" She said, earning a nervous smile from Kris.
What exactly did they have to talk about? The only things Kris knew for certain that he and Rudy both liked were video games and Noelle. That was it. Other than that, Rudolph was pretty different from Kris, being more the loud, brash type, while Kris was far more silent and reserved.
Kris didn't dislike the monster or anything, he just…didn't really know the guy. 'Maybe that will change today.' a hopeful part of himself whispered, but it was drowned out by a sea of bad thoughts. Kris ignored them for now, realizing that he should probably respond before Noelle gets worried.
"I can't wait…but don't you think I should get him a gift or something before I see him? I haven't seen him in…a while." He mumbled, and Noelle laughed.
"Dad doesn't care! Seeing you will be more than enough for him. Seeing you with me will be even more than that! He's…actually really worried about you, Kris." She told him, smiling sadly at him.
Kris didn't believe it, but smiled anyway. "Well in that case, I should go more often." He said, not thinking. Noelle gasped at the idea, covering her mouth with one hand.
"W-Would you…really do that?" She asked, and Kris could tell this meant the world to her. Despite knowing he would surely feel horrible the entire time, he nodded with a smile, and he did so without hesitation. It was worth it in his eyes, just from her smile alone.
Noelle sniffled, shaking her head. "I shouldn't be surprised…it's like you're willing to do anything for me. Like an obedient puppy!" She giggled, and Kris blushed deeply, earning a mortified look from Noelle. "NOT LIKE THAT, KRIS!" She shouted, before scoffing, covering her mouth and giggling. "Gosh, you pervert!" She teased.
Kris blew air out of his mouth, looking away. Just then, Ralsei walked over to the two, sighing softly. Rouxls laughed as they left, saying that their patronage will pay for his next puzzle.
"So I could only find out a little bit. Basically, someone called The Knight has been talking to the king and telling him to do this stuff. Apparently they're the one that opened this fountain too. I couldn't learn anything else about The Knight, but I also learned that we're basically at the top!" Ralsei told them, and Noelle sighed.
"Thank goodness. The lack of color on here is really starting to mess with me…" she mumbled, before they looked at the elevator, a sign that read 1F plastered next to it.
"Convenient." Kris noted, before walking past it and heading through the doorway. He paused, looking around the large room that they were in. Geez, what the heck happened here? The entire room was in shambles, with a large, scratched up spade shaped throne in the center of it.
"What sort of fight went down here?" Ralsei mumbled, and Noelle frowned, noticing that multiple banners had been torn from the wall, one of which had a spade at the top.
"Oh, gosh…what do you think the king looks like? Just…a bigger Lancer?" She asked, and Kris snorted.
"Probably. He's probably just as goofy too, if I had to guess." He mumbled, and Noelle giggled.
"Probably!" She agreed, and Kris halted before entering the staircase leading upwards. He turned around, summoning the amber cards he had bought.
"Almost forgot…here." He said, handing two to Ralsei, one to Noelle, and placing one against himself. Ralsei had told him that everyone could only wear two pieces of armor at a time, something that made him a little disappointed, but it made sense.
He exhaled as the amber card seemed to fuse with his armor, disappearing into it. "Wait…if we can only have two armors at a time, then how do we take these off?" He asked, pointing at his chest, where the amber card was bonded to his chestplate.
Ralsei blinked at him, before he walked up to the boy and peeled the amber card off of his body, which became visible after. "It's not actually fused to your armor, Kris. It just looks that way." He informed, and Noelle giggled at the prince's deadpan tone.
Kris blushed softly, grabbing the amber card and placing it against his chest with an unintelligible grumble.
Now that the trip was fully fitted out, they ascended the steps.
---
The first thing Kris was when he made it to the top was darkness. A brilliant beacon of darkness pierced the heavens, leaving both Kris and Noelle breathless. Kris then angled his head downwards, and spotted Lancer standing a foot away from who he presumed to be his father, who was…
Uh oh.
He was big.
"Heya, dad! It's me, your favorite son!" Lancer laughed, and a deep rumbling chuckle came from the silhouette that stood only a foot away from Lancer, making Noelle shiver in fear.
"You are my only son, Lancer." He responded, amusement lining his tone. Lancer laughed, sticking his tongue out.
"Also true!" He exclaimed. A few seconds of silence passed, and Lancer looked down. "Um…I-I came here to talk to you…about the Lightners?" He asked, and the silhouette nodded, the three pronged crown on his head not moving an inch.
"I trust you got the job done." The king asked, his mantle floating around with the wind. Lancer swallowed nervously, playing with his hands.
"Well…I really…didn't kill or imprison them. They're actually my friends now!" Lancer admitted, and the king froze, before turning around, his body still cloaked in shadow.
"WHAT!?" He roared, and Kris swore he could feel the rooftop shake. Lancer flinched, trying to explain himself.
"D-Dad, they're not what you said they are-" he started, but the sound of the king stomping his foot on the floor silenced the child.
"Silence, Lancer!" He commanded, an air of power surrounding him. "Where are these Lightners, now?" He asked, and Kris took that as his cue.
He stepped forward, walking into the light, followed by Noelle, then Ralsei. The three of them gave the king a determined glare, and they heard him grunt in disgust. "Speak of the Devil." He spat, venom lining every word.
He then got onto one knee, placing a massive hand on the Lancer's shoulder. "Remember what I told you, Lancer?" The king asked softly, and his son looked up at him, a sad look on his face.
"... Don't get too attached?" He mumbled, and a scowl full of fangs glimmered in the darkness.
"You failed."
Lancer gasped as the king grabbed him by the head, lifting him up into the air. He wriggled desperately, but his limbs were too short to do anything.
Instantly, Kris drew his sword, Noelle drew Kris's shield, and Ralsei readied his scarf. "Let him go! We don't want to fight you!" Noelle pleaded, and the scowl shifted to a grin.
"Oh? The Lightners finally return, and the first thing they do is command me? Is that where you think I belong? Under your boot?" He growled, and Noelle flinched.
"W-Wha-"
"SILENCE!" The king boomed, a visible shockwave emanating from his mouth. Noelle covered her ears with a pained yelp, and the monarch grinned. "I had originally planned to let you rot in my prison…but killing you three myself sounds far more appetizing." He chuckled viciously, a long purple tongue slithering out of his mouth and kicking his teeth.
Noelle shivered, disturbed at the sight, while Kris only narrowed his eyes, tensing his legs to move-
"Ah, ah ah…one wrong move, and…" the king started, before shuffling over to the edge of the castle roof. "I might just drop him." He finished.
Ralsei was the first to lower his scarf, then Noelle with the shield. Kris narrowed his eyes, slowly putting his sword down, which vanished into hammerspace. "Good. Now kneel." He demanded, and the three did as they were told.
The king then turned Lancer to look at the three, summoning three large spades to launch at each of them. "Now watch, Lancer. Watch what happens when you betray-GAH!" He shouted, dropping the child as a small spade stabbed him in the back.
Lancer ran away, crying loudly.
Kris instantly drew his sword again, bloodlust leaking from his eyes. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" He spat, Noelle and Ralsei readying themselves.
King grinned, stepping forward so that only his stomach was in the light. "To my people…I am a hero." He started. The three of them grimaced at the grinning mouth on his belly, only to jolt as he plunged his hand inside, pulling a harpoon with a spear-head shaped like a spade. "But to you?" He continued.
He stepped forward once more, revealing King, who grinned madly at them, mantle of shadow fluttering in the wind.
"I'M THE BAD GUY!"