Chapter Text
The hallway grew darker the further the three traveled in.
Instinctively, Kris knew that wasn’t a good sign. Earlier today, Ralsei practically freaked out when they all went into a dark room earlier. Jumping into the depths of the Dark World didn’t do much better for anyone in the party. So honestly, being back in the pitch black darkness already sent Kris on edge.
The soul in their body immediately going on alert didn’t inspire confidence either.
The truth was, everyone was too tired.
When the Angel vanished earlier in the day, everything went south so quickly. Being without the soul in fights for even that small amount of time caused everyone to strain their magic just to stay alive. Kris’ own body still felt like static, a result of being without the soul for so long. While Ralsei had time to rest in the old man’s study, it really wasn’t long. He burnt himself out magically and needed that rest. Unfortunately, all of them eventually had to keep moving, or weariness would be the least of their worries. Even Susie… ever confident Susie… was beginning to lose some of her usual strength. Out of everyone here, she had done the most.
It was because of her that the Angel was back with them.
Even though Kris knew that the two of them would… likely never get along… the Angel being here meant they might live through an encounter with the Knight. All they had to do was get the soul to the Dark Fountain, and then…
Kris couldn’t think about it. Even thinking about the Knight right now sent shivers down their spine. They still didn’t know if they made the right choice earlier. They were too scared to know.
Regardless, Susie’s hands grasped their shoulders, fully trusting them to lead the way. Somewhere behind, Ralsei had grabbed on too, slowly moving his way up to stand beside Susie and Kris.
Carefully, they inched forwards. Kris didn’t feel safe. If they could, they would reach back and grab Susie and Ralsei as well. Yet, their arms stayed firmly at their sides, a result of the Angel’s full control in a time of tension. Their soul was beginning to grow hotter, like it wanted to break out of the cage right this very second.
They didn’t like this either.
Something cut across Kris’ side, earning an involuntary hiss from their mouth that barely came out due to the soul’s own control. Something sharp had hit them quickly, and had they been the one in control, they would have stumbled in surprise. The soul did not care for such things, but they could feel the Angel’s presence growing nervous. It was a strange thing to actually sense many of their emotions now that the walls were down.
It was equally as horrifying when the soul flinched, hearing two gasps coming from behind. In the darkness, Kris couldn’t see what struck Susie and Ralsei, only that the two of them were also hurt.
“D… Damn it!” Susie cursed under her breath, clutching at her side. “It’s so dark… we can’t see anything… If this keeps up, we’ll be…”
She didn’t even have to ask further. The burning feeling in the Angel’s soul burst out, the room illuminating in dim light.
They could see again.
Kris suddenly wished they couldn’t, staring down multiple blackened blades in the darkness beyond.
No questions needed to be asked. Both of them knew the Angel at this point. All of them knew what this meant. They had to press onwards. Invisible wings wrapped around the three of them, and Kris knew that they had to move. The swords would not wait for them.
Raising an arm, they began to grimly march forward towards fate. With the soul focusing its efforts on the light, they had to summon some of their own strength to plant their feet forward. Every step was another closer to the inevitable. Yet, they weren’t alone. Both Susie and Ralsei walked next to them, both shielding themselves from the wind and trying to help Kris move forward.
A blackened blade soared by, the Angel yanking the group to the left. The Knight was here. Kris’ heart hammered in their chest, not knowing if walking any further would be the right move. They should turn around. They should run far away from this place, but where could they possibly run to? The only way out was forward, through the very Knight that Kris had made a promise to.
More blades cleaved through the air around Kris as the Angel yanked them again. Ripples trailed after the blades, the air having trouble returning to where the attack had just displaced it.
The Knight’s attacks grew faster. Kris grit their teeth when the soul managed to pivot everyone into safety again, but the gaps between the blades grew tighter.
The Angel’s power grew, Kris beginning to glow in response. They knew what this meant. All of the hits would collide with them. It was the only way that they could protect their friends. Another time, they may have resented the soul for being able to have control over that. Now, they only could be thankful that it was them and not Susie or Ralsei. They didn’t deserve this. They didn’t deserve any of this.
Two more rows of blades came through, each gap growing smaller and smaller. Susie and Ralsei tucked themselves behind Kris, behind the Angel’s power, and continued marching forward. The blades curved away from Kris’ body, shielding the other two from the blows.
Through the wind, through the hurricane that promised their demise, Kris kept walking.
A row of blackened blades greeted them.
It was the only warning they had before crumpling, sharp blades sinking into their armor before vanishing into the air. Their body flung past Susie and Ralsei, Kris being unable to physically take the pain anymore. Not even the Angel could prevent the way the air left their lungs, stinging pain blossoming in their chest.
It left Susie and Ralsei unprotected for a brief moment, and Kris desperately tried to stumble to their feet. They couldn’t let the two of them get hurt.
In an instant, before Kris could even move much, two hands had wrapped around their own, pulling them to their feet. As they rose to their feet, they caught Susie’s worried glance and Ralsei’s abject terror.
That… was fine. They just needed to keep going.
Once more, the Angel’s power surrounded them. Once more, Kris knew that they could take the danger that their friends should not.
The blades came back. Almost in a cruel fashion, they took more time to rear back before carving through the air. Again, Kris couldn’t stay standing. They could barely breathe, seeing blackened blades digging into their armor. Their vision swam, golden stars spiraling in their vision.
They thought they could hear muttered apologies, coming from the being that they still couldn’t get along with, even now. Susie and Ralsei grabbed their hands again, stubbornly pulling them to their feet.
Kris couldn’t do this for much longer.
But they had to.
Once more, the Angel’s power wreathed them. The Angel must’ve seen something that Kris couldn’t, or they simply knew that Kris couldn’t survive another blow. Stubbornly, Kris kept moving forward.
Another row of blades came, and Kris sucked in a breath knowing that it might be the last they would take. The Knight… wouldn’t kill them, right? It wouldn’t… It didn’t know that they had been discovered… right…?
Kris’ eyes went wide, seeing the Angel’s power glowing around Susie instead. Part of them wanted to cry out, to tell them to stop. Yet, it wasn’t the Angel’s choice to take the bullets. Susie powered in front of Kris, pushing through invisible wings to take on the Angel’s power herself.
The blades cleaved across her body, sending her stumbling backwards. Kris didn’t feel a thing, the soul muttering even more apologies through whatever connection they had established. Kris couldn’t bear it, wanting to reach out to pick her up.
Ralsei screamed out instead, “S… Susie…! What are you doing…!?”
Despite the pain, despite the wounds that Kris could see all over her, Susie grimaced and tried to smile through it. “...Like I’m going to let Kris hog all the bullets.”
Kris wanted to reach out to pick her up, yet found that the Angel’s focus on keeping them all sheltered was too strong to power through. Thankfully, Ralsei was there, dragging her to her feet despite his small stature.
The stream of apologies continued. Susie knew the Angel now- knew what it was capable of, and decided to match forward anyway. The Angel’s power wreathed her, moving to protect Kris and Ralsei instead. Someone had to take the blows. Someone had to be the one to fall down. Kris wished it was still them. They wished they still had the strength to take it for her.
…but Susie never wanted that.
Another row of blades tried to cut her down, and Kris remembered how much she had fought to get here. In the face of oblivion, in the face of everything going so horribly wrong with the Angel’s disappearance, Susie was the one who dragged everyone back up to their feet. Now, as Kris realized their arms were moving, they and Ralsei pulled her to her feet as well.
What was it she said? None of them had to do this alone anymore.
The blades reared back again, a third barrage colliding with the Angel’s power and piercing Susie over and over. This time, she sputtered, something leaking out of her mouth. She couldn’t take much more of this. She couldn’t. She stumbled trying to get up, but Kris and Ralsei were there to pull her to her feet.
Once more, the Angel’s power wreathed her. They were getting increasingly nervous. The strength at which they urged everyone to move forward grew.
They didn’t even get a few steps before the barrage came back. The Angel’s power shifted once more, and Ralsei took the lead. Kris could feel the Angel flinch when the daggers cut through Ralsei almost effortlessly, but no one else could take the hits. No one else would be able to survive.
“Susie… Kris… as long as…” His breath shook. “...there’s any pain I can take in your place… I’ll be there, okay?”
Not a single one of them hesitated. Ralsei was pulled back to his feet in an instant. Many times, Kris had seen him cut down easier than them or Susie. It was no secret that out of everyone here, he could take the least amount of damage. So, the soul in their body twisted uncomfortably when he took the lead, marching forward towards a destiny that he had no hope of living through should this go on much longer.
Ralsei’s head remained low as they all marched forward, the Angel’s power hovering just behind him. Like a lamb to the slaughter, he kept his gaze low, even as blades formed in front of him. Kris doubted that he would willingly step away from the blows if he couldn’t take them.
Again, he fell to his knees as blades rushed by. Already, Kris could see him beginning to sway. It was just a little farther now. They could make it. Kris and Susie dragged him to his feet, staying at his back.
The Angel twitched, but Kris knew that they could do nothing. The soul couldn’t take damage on its own. They found that out the hard way in the Holidays’ home when they fused with it once more and had all of the hits immediately transferred back to Kris’ body. The Angel could do nothing but hope.
In the time Kris had let down their walls with the soul since earlier in the day… they wondered… What was it like to be sent out into a fight, where any pain they took was instead given to Kris, Susie, and Ralsei?
Kris wished they could take the pain instead of the rest of them. Out of everyone here, they deserved it the most.
The blades never came.
The roaring wind that had been pushing them back finally came to a stop, and everything seemed fine for the moment. Battered, bruised, and beaten, they all finally came to a stop. The Angel’s light vanished back into Kris’ body, returning to the cage.
Even now, Ralsei tried to put on a smile. It put an uncomfortable twist in Kris’ gut, but he still smiled anyway. “...Looks like that’s the end of it.”
“Yeah…” Susie glanced at all of their wounds, knowing the same thing that Kris probably knew. The Knight had been weakening them. Whatever came next would be difficult. Yet, Susie still smiled, baring her teeth. “Let’s finish this.”
Kris didn’t know if any of them could. Exhaustion pulsed through their body in waves, threatening to break them down at any moment. They’d been without their soul for a very long time today, but… they couldn’t imagine that Susie or Ralsei were doing any better. Those two had actually been drawing on their magical reserves with the Angel gone, and Kris had been sleeping for a majority of whatever happened.
Thankfully, on the other side of that door was another one of those stars. The light only the Angel could see shimmered brightly, somehow giving Kris hope in a way they hadn’t felt before. Without a moment to lose, the Angel told Kris to interact with it, and all of the wounds suddenly bled away.
In the past, Kris would have been annoyed that the Knight’s plans were being thwarted by a strange power that only the Angel seemed to possess. Now, they couldn’t be more relieved, seeing Susie and Ralsei whole and intact again.
Susie chuckled to herself when she realized what’d happened, but she couldn’t see the stars, Kris had realized. Only whoever was holding the soul could, considering Kris lost the ability to see them when they lent the soul to Susie.
No shift in the Angel’s personality came this time. That had to mean something. Before, they were so angry when the Knight was about to make their arrival. No sudden change meant that maybe things would be… normal.
Ralsei dusted off his robes, breathing a sigh of relief as well. “I… I am so very thankful that your power works like that, Angel.”
Kris felt the soul in their body focus in, though with a hint of surprise as well. They weren’t used to directly being addressed even now. That was a shift in the entire dynamic that was going to take time to get used to. Instead of responding directly, the Angel used Kris’ body to put a hand on their lips. The gesture was clear. Don’t mention me.
Right. They were still very close to the Knight. That made a painful amount of sense. However, if Kris could, they would make an objection that the Knight very much did know about the Angel’s presence. The entire point of the fight in the TV-World was to make them feel utterly hopeless. It’d… still probably a good thing to keep everyone else’s knowledge of the Angel a secret.
Even though Kris winced a little at Ralsei being chastised after all he’d been through today, they understood.
Thankfully, while Ralsei blinked a few times and receded into himself a bit, he nodded and regained his posture, understanding. They were all tired. Somehow, Kris could feel the soul within them growing weary as well.
Kris was commanded to take the lead again. It was time to face the Knight. They tried to stamp out every thought in their head, wanting nothing to do with what came next. If Kris betrayed anything, then their friends might get hurt. They just needed to let the Angel do their thing. All they had to do was just stay along for the ride, and hope that they didn’t give anything away.
The ground began falling away behind all of them, their one route of escape being cut off.
Hovering in the center of the room was the Knight, imposing as always. As soon as the danger presented itself, Susie had her axe out, growling, “You!”
Purple magic boiled on the end of her axe for a moment, but sputtered out quickly. All of them were drained, and the only reason they were able to use magic anymore was because of the Angel’s light empowering them. Everyone had been burnt dry, but there wasn’t time to waste anymore. There just wasn’t.
Susie stomped forward, finally getting the Knight’s attention. It turned around, the one glowing spot on its face almost looking slightly amused.
Regardless of the fact that she was having trouble casting on her own, Susie pointed a finger up at the faceless being before her. “Nowhere to run this time, dumbass!” She was trying this trick again, trying to intimidate the Knight out of a rematch. “I dunno where you’ve put Toriel, but… it’s over! The fountain’s just past you, isn’t it?”
The Knight’s eye swiveled to glance back at the fountain, entertaining whatever line of reasoning Susie was going down. For a moment, its eye swiveled back, training on Kris.
Ah, it knew the soul was back. Great.
Not knowing what turmoil Kris was going through, Susie kept talking to try to keep it busy, “That means… we don’t even have to beat you. All we have to do is get PAST you… and it’s over. You can’t beat us in the Light World, can you?! That’s… why you keep running, isn’t it?”
The Knight found something amusing in that, and Kris’ heart sank when they began laughing. Their body contorted, the laughter filling the room while they had no care in the world. Something terrible was coming. Even the Angel started to tense up.
“Hey… hey, what’s so funny?” Susie was on her last legs, trying everything to get the Knight to abandon the fight early. Yet, her gaze flicked back to Kris. “Kris, why… are they laughing…?” Because they knew that there was no winning this fight. They knew. “You’re laughing ‘cause you know I’m right, don’t you!?”
They all needed to get out of here, but Kris couldn’t move.
“You lose that Fountain, it’s over.”
Realization hit everyone at the same time when the Knight raised their blade.
No… they wouldn’t. Kris wanted to hope that they wouldn’t. The plan wasn’t to do this. It wasn’t-
Ralsei, normally the quiet one in these situations, had something force its way out of his mouth. “Don’t…” He ran forward, reaching his hands out as if he could stop what was about to happen. “Don’t make another fountain!”
They all could only watch when five blades plunged into the ground. The Angel’s presence flinched, actually flinched, when all five of them struck the ground, opening…
Kris had to shield their eyes from the blue light pouring from the ground. Rather, the light was being taken away even further, pulled into the mass that was this new fountain.
No…
No… they wouldn’t… not now…
Even now, Kris was a good liar. Of course the Knight would do this. They already knew that.
But it was too late to think about what the Knight wouldn’t do. Kris should’ve known that by now.
Even as the fountain plunged into darkness… even as an outer shell began to form around it… Kris couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was far more gargantuan than they had ever imagined. It was something far more insurmountable than they had ever realized it could be. What were they doing anymore?
Their legs began to tremble when a gargantuan hand punched its way out of the statue. As the darkness began to grow, Kris could feel the Angel’s own presence being diminished. Something fired from the hand, and through their own will, Kris lunged out of the way.
Searing heat tore past them all, but when the smoke cleared, everyone was alive.
The Knight had vanished.
“Wh… what is that thing?” Susie couldn’t hide the way her hands were shaking this time. None of them had anything left to give.
Yet, Ralsei’s confirmation of what now came meant they had to give a little more. “It’s… It’s a Titan!”
“The hell is a-”
Susie didn’t get to finish that thought, another blast coming their way. Every time the beam lashed out, it sounded like a garbled scream echoing by. Kris couldn’t feel their legs anymore. Something was pressing in, something they only felt when fighting those spawn in the depths.
With a look on his face more serious than Kris had ever seen before, Ralsei yelled, “There’s… there’s no time to explain! Everyone, climb on! It won’t attack itself!”
The Angel took control again, but their control felt shakier now. Something had changed, and if Kris could focus in, they knew they would hear something panicking. Their connection was looser now in the darkened haze.
Kris grimaced, knowing that their hands had long been rubbed raw from all of the climbing today. Yet, they had no time to lose. The Angel muttered apologies as they commanded Kris to leap onto the wall. They were all so tired.
The ascent began.
Multiple times, Kris could feel their vision blurring. They thought they caught Susie a few times catching her breath on the lip of some of the stone on the fountain. Everyone was moving slowly, too exhausted to keep this up. Even Ralsei with his ability to float every now and then couldn’t climb as fast, now drained of the magic that his ability required.
The Angel was making mistakes too. Sometimes they would mess up the timing of a particularly daring leap, Kris wincing in pain when a being of darkness sapped their strength.
They had to keep climbing.
…but the exhaustion was too much.
All three of them were shaken off of the pillar when wings extended out from either end of the stone. Thankfully, in a rare act of mercy from this Dark World, a bookshelf was ready to catch their fall.
No one landed on their feet. Everyone crumbled to the wooden floor, and Kris’ muscles ached.
Susie rasped out, still on her back, “Everyone alive?”
Shakily, Ralsei managed to push himself up to his knees. He cradled his arm, undoubtedly bruised. “...for the time being.”
“I’m so sorry.” Kris’ lips moved on their own, something speaking through them. The Angel’s voice sounded off-kilter, even as they used Kris’ arms to run their hands through their hair. Something panicked was flowing out, something uncontrolled wanted to speak. Their voice came out in staggered breaths, like they could only speak in small fragments. “My fault. You’re all too tired now. If I hadn’t- If I did things right the first time-”
Susie finally got on her feet, that look in her eye that preceded telling someone off. “We’ll talk about this later, when this thing is dead.” Her eyes trailed back to Ralsei. “Ralsei, what the hell do we do here?”
He was shaking. As someone who could undoubtedly feel the Angel’s presence regardless of where their soul was, Ralsei probably could feel the way their presence was stuttering. “I-If we stay here any longer, it’ll find us. I don’t know how…”
Susie saw motion in the darkness, her grip on her axe growing tighter. “What even is that thing?”
Ralsei cast his gaze downward into the darkness. “When the Fountain’s power becomes too strong… When the flow of darkness roars wild… It makes… that. A Titan.” He lowered his head completely, glancing away. “It’s the fear-of-dark. It’s the bump-in-the-night. It’s the shadow of the backside of your mind.”
Kris felt a presence shiver.
“It has no consciousness. It only exists to destroy.” Ralsei’s hands behind his back clawed into his arms. Whatever he was thinking, it couldn’t be good. Even the Angel showed uncertainty. Maybe he felt it too, and it was stressing him out even more.
Kris almost wanted to tell them to get it under control, but they couldn’t stop their legs from shaking either.
Trying to be helpful, Susie questioned, “Well… uh…” She couldn’t smile anymore. Her grimace had become frozen on her face during that climb. “How the hell are we supposed to… beat it?”
They’d all been trying to remain hopeful. That’s what this was all about. Yet, Ralsei couldn’t keep his smile constant. “I… I don’t think we can… It’s hatching so fast.” Something reached out. Something begged to be known, and Ralsei recognized the presence immediately. “Unless…” He glanced at Kris, explaining quickly, “The Angel’s soul can seal fountains, right? If we can… if the Titan is anything like a fountain, then maybe we can-”
All bets on explaining were off when a giant hand reached up from the darkness, ripping the bookshelf to shreds just inches away from all of them. They had to go. Now.
Kris could barely breathe as they ran in the other direction with their own free will. Susie and Ralsei trailed right behind, the both of them equally as tired from what was going on. Worse, as they all made it to the stop of a stairwell where they might be able to get back on that pillar, something became very obvious.
They were all running out of time.
“W…what? It’s already spawning?” Ralsei stammered.
The spawn were back, and Kris finally understood what these things were.
One of the spawn came forward, but the Angel interposed themself as always during typical fights. Yet, their connection didn’t seem strong. Being pulled into battle felt less like a whip being cracked as everyone took their positions, but a mere suggestion that could be broken. Thankfully, blessedly, the battle was engaged properly.
The Angel’s presence was restricted, like the light that usually beamed out from their soul had been stifled. Magic would be harder to use again. Ralsei explained the phenomenon after they fought Jackenstein. The Angel’s power was entirely based in the light they channeled through their soul. In areas where darkness had higher concentration, it became harder for the Angel to gain strength.
Of course, the Angel had to have a critical weakness against the very apocalyptic event that Ralsei was so scared of.
Everyone went on defense at the Angel’s command, their soul bursting out of Kris’ chest to dodge. The light that protected them in the hallway still persisted as multiple little versions of the spawn began to split off of the main bodies. There were small mercies. The darkness here may stifle the Angel, but their light also counteracted them in the same way.
There was just a small soul against the encroaching darkness.
Kris did not envy their position, but they also knew that the Angel wasn’t the one who would be punished for the blows taken.
Sure enough, after a second round of going on the defense, one of the spawn managed to slip through and strike the soul. Their light flickered, the connection stumbling for a moment. The blow transferred to Ralsei, and Kris could hear him wince in pain from the strike. Ralsei muttered to himself to stay calm, and Kris wanted to do the same.
They could hear their heart beating in their ears. While the Angel was holding the Spawn off, all Kris wanted to do was strike. This was going too slow, and they had the Blackshard. They could do it. They could fight them.
Perhaps the Angel was trying to conserve everyone else’s energy, putting them all on defense a third time. Kris wondered if they could do anything else to help other than remain on the defense, but everyone’s ragged breath proved that it likely wasn’t the case right now. Whether they liked it or not, they were all relying on the Angel to gather enough energy for spells.
A blow struck Kris this time, their energy being sapped out of their body. This time, now being able to feel the hit, they felt some doubt begin to creep into their mind. Something clawed its way in, trying to reach out to that very soul that had just retreated into their chest.
The Angel’s presence pulsed, wavering over and over again, like they too were taking labored breaths. Something had come too close to their soul. Something dug deep within Kris, clawing at the Angel directly.
Kris heard the question that they did, one with no origin or care in the world. It was a question that wanted to seek out and unravel whoever heard it.
When did you start being yourself?
Finally, light poured out from the soul. It kept going and going, roaring across the battlefield. Both of the Titan Spawn disintegrated, purified from this world.
The Angel’s presence trembled.
Yet, Kris found their own arm being used to gesture back to the pillar. There was no time to waste. They had to keep going.
Now that Kris had done a foolish thing like communicate with the Angel, there was no hope in ending that connection right now. As they climbed, they could feel the Angel’s presence changing rapidly. It grew colder, and at an alarming rate. Kris didn’t know how Ralsei dealt with this all the time. Supposedly, he’d known the Angel’s relative state ever since they arrived. Kris hadn’t needed to worry about this back when things were simple and they did not communicate with the thing they had caged.
Errors continued being made. The Angel wasn’t entirely focused. Their movements became sloppy, and Kris started to wonder if their own exhaustion was contributing to that. Multiple times, their fingers just couldn’t keep a grip anymore. They were thankful for whatever inherent strength the Dark World gave, because there was no way they would be able to do this normally.
At the end of the climb, Susie was waiting for them. Even now, she waited to help them. Kris grabbed her hand, being slung further and further up away from the encroaching darkness.
They… they made it.
Or… they made it for a little bit longer.
No one had even a single bit of strength left. Susie was laughing next to Kris, eyes buried under her hair. “Doesn’t… look like we can go much higher…”
None of them could stand. Even still, Susie managed to channel something green into her hand. With the last ounces of magical strength she had, even though Kris wanted to scream at her not to do that, she fired healing through the other two of them.
Ralsei managed to stumble to his feet, and Kris followed suit shortly after. Even through the exhaustion, every single person felt proud of her. Even the Angel radiated something akin to that.
“Don’t… mention it,” Susie grunted, managing to push herself to her feet. “Let’s go.”
The line between Kris and the Angel once more blurred as they all began to advance forward. It was a strange thing, being able to sense their emotions more accurately now. Ever since they went from the soul to being the Angel, Kris hadn’t really been able to get a grasp on how to stifle them back down. They didn’t know if they should… but sometimes…
Sometimes it was too much.
Things used to be much simpler before Kris acknowledged them properly.
The Angel used to be a force: something that needed to be caged and filtered in the correct direction. They were horrifying, an unstoppable force that needed to be brought down to its knees in order for Kris’ promise to come to fruition. Kris became the cage, so that the soul could not enact its full potential on this world.
The fact that the Angel even had emotions… made Kris hesitate. It made what would come even more horrific. It was terrifying to know that this was no force at all, but something painfully real.
They were something fallible… something that could mess up.
Right now, Kris needed them to not mess up.
As prophecies flashed by, reminding all three of them of what was at stake, Kris hoped that the Angel wouldn’t mess up this time. They’d done it before. They had managed to surpass insurmountable odds already. For Susie and Ralsei… Kris needed that now more than ever.
Yet, their connection was wavering.
There was no time to wonder if Kris was imagining it. Eventually, their pathway ended. Darkness surrounded all three of them, rising up to meet them.
Susie fought for air, still trying to grin through it all. “End… of the line, huh?”
Ralsei stared off at a point in the darkness, trying to hide his own fear through that smile that never quite looked right. “It… seems so.”
“Guess we just… wait for the Titan to show up, huh?” She glanced around wildly, trying to find out where the thing was. If this darkness rose up any higher, then Kris worried that they wouldn’t even have time to fight what was coming.
Unfortunately, their fear was very misfounded.
“...no,” Ralsei muttered, something looming in the darkness. “It’s already… been here the whole time.”
As if it could hear her, as if Susie could somehow convince it to back down, she pointed a finger at the Titan and yelled, “H-Hey dumbass! Don’t know if you got the memo… but… We’re heroes, and I’ve put up with way worse than you today. So, get out of our way… or… as soon as my hands stop shaking… My axe is gonna chop you in half, got it?”
The being before them cared for none of that. Finally, it revealed itself, darkness peeling away to show blistering white wings. All of them slowly unfurled from an approximation of a face, a familiar star shining in front of its head.
Kris knew that star.
Even Susie knew it now, and she’d taken a step back. “Why… the hell does it look like-”
Darkness constricted all of them before a moment was allowed to pass. The Angel interposed themself into the middle of the fight again, the battle seemingly starting as usual.
Kris raised their shield on the Angel’s command, but something was wrong. As a swarm bubbled up from the darkness below, something wasn’t right. Chills ran down their spine, and their eyes darted towards the soul rushing out into battle.
Something wasn’t right-
Ralsei yelped from the side as one of the smaller spawn rushed by him. None of the spawn were focusing on the soul like enemies usually did. The Titan’s full force began to bear down on the three of them, ignoring the Angel’s call to battle entirely.
Before Kris had a moment to react to a red blur headed their way that wasn’t the soul, something tackled them to the ground. Something with an eyeball soared over their head, narrowly missing them. Kris found themself sprawling out on the ground, Susie’s arms around them to try to shield them from the blows.
Another spawn was coming from behind. Before Kris could react, the red soul was back, turning the spawn into cinders.
At least they still had that going for them.
Susie growled before yelling out, “What the hell is happening?”
The soul couldn’t answer, already trying to fly towards Ralsei to defend him from his own swarm that he was desperately trying to retreat from. It wouldn’t be able to say anything outside of Kris anyway, but that also meant…
Kris tried to stumble to their feet, unable to get up. As soon as Susie saw, she stood over them, axe in hand. Her eyes darted everywhere, trying to track the oncoming battle.
Ralsei stood a ways away, the soul flitting around him rapidly to vanquish any spawn that came close. He yelled back, panting, “I-I don’t know! The Angel should’ve been able to cause a battle… but…”
In a blur of motion, the Titan’s hand reached up to the sky before crashing down onto the bookshelves, right where Ralsei stood. Kris wanted to scream, but their voice didn’t even make it out by the time it made impact.
The hand stopped in midair.
A red soul pulsed brightly, using its light to try to hold the Titan off for just a moment longer. The being’s fingers bled off as it tried to fight through the light, some of its energy channeling into the soul.
Everyone heard a command. Brighten. The soul imparted strength to each of them before its own light began to shrine brighter, managing to push the Titan’s hand away from the fray.
Ralsei finally managed to retreat, the area being safe enough after the blast for him to run back. At the same time, the soul flew back into Kris’ chest, giving them enough strength to stand on their own again.
Kris’ mouth moved on its own. “Can’t do it.” The Angel’s voice sounded like static, coming through in short bursts. “Seen this before. Doesn’t care for the rules of the fight.” They readied the Blackshard as another swarm rose up from the darkness. “Why is it so strong?”
Wasn’t the Angel supposed to be stronger? What the hell was the Angel if not something that should be able to handle this?
All three of them split into different directions as a snake-like creature rose up from the depths. Kris stayed the closest, striking in time with the Angel to try to evaporate the snake on the spot. But… more of those spawn were coming, and the Blackshard was much less effective than the light’s radial blast.
Kris used a technique that they’d learned from the old man, tapping their chest hard and ejecting the soul. They had a bit of energy. They could do this for a bit. They had to.
Thankfully, the Angel didn’t ask any questions, flying out to Susie in an attempt to get spawn off of her. She’d dodged towards the worst of the fray, and needed to get rid of them.
Ralsei yelled from across the narrow space that they could still stand on. “I- we weren’t able to attack it during the climb! It… It fully completed its hatching.” He pivoted on his back foot, narrowly dodging another snake-like creature. The Angel was there a few moments later, evaporating the snake into pure light. “I don’t know! This is- I don’t know how we’re supposed to-”
The swarm was back.
Once more, the soul plunged into Kris, trying to give out commands. All of them were commanded once more to channel power back and forth between the soul. They all needed that light right now. It was the only thing other than the Blackshard that could really help against these things.
While the soul briefly pulsed in their body, Kris felt unbridled fear coursing through their entire being. It wasn’t their own.
Unfortunately, the light wasn’t enough. By the time Kris got the soul back out and sent them Susie’s way, many of the spawn had already made contact with her body. She yelled out in pain, the Shadow Mantle flaring out behind her to try to take away some of the agony.
The soul spun around her, trying to ward off the spawn and absorb their power. Finally, FINALLY, the soul looked like it had some ability to fight back. Currents of light wove around the soul, growing brighter and brighter. Ralsei was already rushing over to Susie, pulling out one of the many items they’d restocked on to try to fix the wounds.
…Only for a hand to come crashing down on the both of them, the Angel still charging their light.
The Titan’s arm evaporated moments afterwards, the soul finally managing to unleash its power. The shield around its head faded away too, giving them all an opening.
But… this wasn’t an opening.
Susie and Ralsei weren’t moving. She wasn’t getting up. He had turned into a pile on the floor.
The soul returned to Kris, and for a moment they wanted to scream to protect the other two, not them. Yet, the Angel didn’t seem to hear, or was too focused. Their thoughts mixed again in one body, the Blackshard coming into hand.
They had the items to handle this! Why were they moving towards the Titan?
The Angel leapt into the air with Kris’ body, the Blackshard picking up darkness to elongate into a blade. Before they could reach the Titan itself, a ball of nothingness fired out from its face. Kris found themself yelling, muscle spasms hitting their body all over.
Something clawed at the soul in their body again, asking the question once more: When did you start being yourself?
“Don’t ask me that,” Kris’ voice came out, yet it wasn’t their own words. The Angel answered, rolling off to the side to avoid another blast. Their soul began to shine from Kris’ chest in the same way it did in the hallway, burning away some of the swarm that came their way to try to reach the actual Titan.
They should go back. They should help Susie and Ralsei.
Instead, the Angel ran forward, trying to end this fight as quickly as possible. Another blast came their way, but the Angel was faster this time, managing to sidestep the blast. Wind rushed by, ruffling Kris’ hair in the brief moment that the Angel stood still. Then, they leapt once more, finally ramming the Blackshard into the Titan’s head.
The shield started reforming. The Angel dove backwards, breathing heavily. That hadn’t been enough. That hadn’t nearly been enough. Why were they panicking? Why was the Angel panicking? Kris could feel it now, some primal terror welling up in their own body to join Kris’ own.
They weren’t supposed to be afraid.
Kris punched their chest particularly hard, pulling on one of the old man’s techniques to force it out without much pain. When they saw the red soul behind them, they lunged, grabbing the soul out of the air. “Get… them…” They gestured towards Susie and Ralsei before throwing the soul in that direction, demanding that the Angel at least protect them while Kris did what needed to be done.
More snakes emerged from the darkness, aiming towards Kris.
With the soul hovering over Susie and Ralsei, the spawn didn’t want to move that way. Maybe that’s why the soul hadn’t left Kris. Being the only one still standing meant they were a threat. The Titan at least had the ability to sense threats considering it found them on the bookshelves. Kris wasn’t sure how much of a consciousness it really had. They guessed that its need to destroy was all that fueled it, and Kris needed to be destroyed.
With them gone, only the soul would be left.
Kris held the Blackshard like a sword, cleaving the heads of two of the snakes off. Neither of them puffed into light, but it had to be enough for now. They charged across the bookshelves, trying to make it to Susie and Ralsei. The soul joined Kris on the final sprint, trying to get the spawn off of their back.
At least they were in agreement about what needed to be done now.
Kris tried pouring a Scarlixir into Susie’s mouth. Their hands were trembling. Even without the Angel’s own fear, Kris could feel the blood pumping through their body. They were scared too.
Thankfully, Susie’s eyes snapped open. As soon as she came back up, the Titan was raising a hand again, the appendage having fully regenerated since the Angel blasted it off. They needed to move. Now.
This time, the Angel wasn’t charging anything. While Kris scrambled to heal Ralsei, pouring the item in his general pile, the Angel’s power flared once more. The hand crashed down on the small soul, and Kris could see its light beginning to dim.
Susie wasn’t moving fast enough. Kris couldn’t move her fast enough, but they could move Ralsei who had just appeared within his clothing again.
Kris glanced at the soul struggling against the hand, finally commanding on their own, “Get Susie.”
Kris scooped Ralsei up at the same time as the soul lunged for Susie. Before she even had a moment to react to what was happening, the soul flew into her chest. Her movements became precise, the Angel forcing her to roll out of the way. The Titan’s hand came crashing down, destroying the bookshelf where they all once stood. Susie’s eyes hid behind her bangs while the soul moved her back into relative safety. Their control must’ve been tight to move her so effortlessly.
When Kris let go of Ralsei, Susie likewise pushed the soul out of her chest. She panted, getting her bearings after the temporary possession. “You two… gotta warn me before you-”
The soul transferred back into Kris’ chest, and their lips were moving fast. “Can’t clash with it again,” the Angel explained quickly, “Can end this fast if the shield goes down.” Ah, so that’s why they were so insistent on striking now.
Ralsei wasn’t so sure, his eyes already tracking multiple new swarms coming up from the depths. “We… we should wait. You- you can call upon our healing, Angel. We really shouldn’t rush this-”
Kris’ breaths were getting shaky, and they didn’t know if that was their fault or the Angel’s. Kris’ stranglehold on what the Angel could say completely crumbled now, their voice now able to speak clearly. The Angel desperately kept explaining, shaking their head, “The longer we stay, the more chances someone dies. I’m not used to fighting like this with multiple people.” Suddenly, Kris’ Blackshard spun backwards, piercing a spawn through the head that they weren’t even looking towards. “You’re all running on nothing. Dual Heal doesn’t look good.”
Somehow, they knew the potency of everyone’s spells. For some reason, Kris couldn’t be surprised. Both Ralsei and Susie stole a glance at each other, tentatively testing their healing with small bursts. The Angel was unfortunately right. The effectiveness of their spell, even if the Angel could divert light to them, would be greatly diminished. They still had items… but… they barely managed to use them when there was an opening.
Kris turned around at the Angel’s command, the soul pulsing with power once again. Spawn were coming, but they held their current position. “After the flash, attack.”
It didn’t take long this time. A power strong enough to seal Dark Fountains lashed out, carving a path through all of the spawn. All three of them drew their weapons, Susie’s new JusticeAxe glinting in her hand while Ralsei’s scarf cracked like a whip.
They charged.
Multiple blasts of darkness screeched towards them. Kris and Susie dodged to the left of one while Ralsei took the right. The soul’s light continued shining brightly as Kris took the outside, trying to destroy any spawn approaching Susie.
When they reunited on the other side of the attack, Ralsei was being chased by other, new spawn. One of the red eyes was chasing him as well. The soul lunged out of Kris’ chest for a moment, colliding into Ralsei’s own.
Ralsei clutched at his head for a brief second, his claws and horns elongating for the smallest of moments. Kris blinked, not sure if they even saw it correctly. Thankfully, the Darkner spun out of the way of the spawn before the soul ejected itself once more, Ralsei’s features returning to normal. He looked particularly exhausted when the soul left his body, but continued running when they all rejoined together.
They… probably had to talk about that at some point.
The Angel took the lead once more, hovering in front of the Titan to illuminate the target. Finally, they were all close enough to strike.
The soul began to pulse erratically as all three of them readied their own weapons, hovering above all three of them at different times to lunge into the attack with them. The Titan reeled backwards when three strikes hit their marks, finally taking tangible damage.
…Only for the shield to come right back.
Quickly, the soul retreated back into Kris as they all fell back. Susie glanced at the Titan, seeing the same thing that they were. They were nowhere close to killing this thing. Yet still, even now, she had it in her to remain optimistic. “We… we almost got it! Keep taking down its shield!”
Two arms rose up from either side of them all. Unnaturally long fingers splayed out, grasping towards the three of them. Kris looked both ways, not knowing where to go or who to protect first. They turned around, seeing an opening beyond the closing in fingers that they all might be able to get to.
The soul lunged out again, caught between the same choice Kris was. Ralsei was slower, so they dove into him, trying to guide him to where Kris was running.
When Kris dove for the other end of the bookshelf, something scraped against their back. Their vitality drained, and they collapsed to a heap on the ground. They didn’t see anyone else join them. Some connection in their body began to loosen, and their heart sank.
The two arms receded, the Titan focusing its gaze on Kris. When the darkness fully receded, Susie and Ralsei were both in a heap. Susie’s arms were wrapped around him, the Shadow Mantle on her back trying desperately to fight off the damage. It wasn’t enough, sending them both collapsing to the ground. Above them, the Angel’s soul flickered dangerously. A crack wove down the upper part of it, like it would shatter at any given moment.
Before another attack could come, Kris shot up to their feet with their remaining strength and ran towards the soul. When their fingers wrapped around it, they desperately pushed it into their chest. It couldn’t crack now… not when they wouldn’t be able to get past the shield without it.
The Angel’s presence felt cold.
Kris’ body went still, and the line between them and the Angel blurred completely. Their thoughts intersected, and something changed.
The question echoed again, the Angel asking it to themself: When did you start being yourself?
For a second, the battle wasn’t there anymore. Time slowed to a crawl, something scraping at the soul deep within them. Kris’ heart rate picked up when they weren’t able to even see Susie and Ralsei anymore. They could only see…
Kris was surrounded by something. Danger, they thought it was. For some reason in their blurry vision, they thought they saw a flower laughing at them. Something was closing in, something dangerous wanted to kill them.
Then there was fire, and the flower was gone.
Kris’ gaze trailed up, seeing their mother’s face. Yet, something else stood out. The Deltarune on her church clothes stood out like a sore thumb, and the Angel began to wonder. Was it then, when they were finally marked by fate? Did the first friendly face they ever saw already reveal their fate to them?
Was that when they became the Angel?
Suddenly, Kris stood in a shop. The muddy walls were damp, sharing a similar pattern to the ones they had seen all the way back in the depths. The old man that they all met ages ago sat on the other side of the desk, telling stories about kings, wars, and a legend lost to time.
One way or another, the underground would go empty.
Was that when they became the Angel?
Kris found themself walking by a mirror, staring into it. Someone told them that they were still themself. An unfamiliar face stared back, and the Angel wondered yet again.
When did you start being yourself?
Were you ever anything beyond “the Angel”?
Was it when they walked into a throne room, trying everything in their might to spare a man who looked like Kris’ dad. Was it when they went back, trying everything to make sure nobody got hurt? Was it when they called out someone’s name, a child long forgotten, to reach out to a being beyond strength?
Was it when they finally said goodbye for the last time?
Was it when they revoked that goodbye, standing in front of a monster with something hardening in their heart?
Kris’ mind went lopsided, all of the fragmented memories shattering in their mind like they were never even there. The battle returned, like they had never been away at all. The memory of what they had just seen vanished. The question wasn’t for them, after all.
Yet, the Angel adjusted their grip on the Blackshard anyway. No longer did they hold it like the sword it could become.
Something settled in the Angel’s expression. Kris’ face fell into an eerie neutrality, their breaths coming out shallower and shallower until no breath came out at all. The Angel held the blade like a dagger, and a terrifying presence washed over Kris.
They carried themself with certainty.
Kris’ body moved at the Angel’s command, cutting across the battlefield. Multiple spawn had already collected around Susie and Ralsei, ready to bear down on them as a consequence of the Angel’s inaction.
Instead of any fear or apprehension appearing, the Angel’s grip on the Blackshard grew tighter. Instead of swinging it like a sword, they cut through thin air. Kris saw a red gash form in empty space, four spawn exploding instantly from the attack. Ralsei was safe for a moment longer.
Again, they pivoted on their backfoot, tightening their grip on the Blackshard. It didn’t extend like a blade. It didn’t even collect any darkness. The Angel was envisioning something, seeing the exact timing in their head to strike. They spun at the spawn over Susie, cleaving them all back into the darkness that they came from.
What the hell were they doing?
The Angel’s laser focus went to the Titan. Thankfully, they had the wherewithal to throw out two Rhapsoteas, both Susie and Ralsei waking up in a flash of green. Yet, their gaze never left the Titan.
“Defend,” the Angel commanded to the other two, their voice sounding colder than ever. It was the closest thing to stay that they could manage with a command in their current state.
Susie yelled something, sounding pissed behind the Angel as they ran forward once again. Hopefully, she would take the opening to heal herself and Ralsei further. As much as Kris loathed the fact that the Angel told the two of them to sit back and watch, Kris was terrified of what the Angel was doing.
They wondered what would happen if Susie or Ralsei accidentally got in the way.
A shiver ran down their spine, remembering a game with a blade cleaving through their friends effortlessly.
The Angel was unaware of Kris’ thoughts. Four snakes rose from the depths, trying to impede the Angel’s progress. No longer was the soul trying to evaporate them for energy. They merely pushed Kris’ already broken body further, demanding more.
The Blackshard destroyed them once more. Kris’ body advanced, the Angel holding the dagger out to their side. For a second, Kris thought they saw a different foe flashing in the Angel’s eyes. Sprawling plantlife writhed in the corners of the Angel’s vision, like their mind wasn’t really here.
Kris didn’t understand.
A hand came crashing down once more. The Angel angled their slash upward, the arm being cleaved clean off by a red slash carving through it. Before the Titan could even manage a shriek, the Angel started slashing in the air mindlessly, not even hitting a target.
It didn’t matter. This weapon was doing something that Kris didn’t understand how to do themself. Red slashes kept appearing in the air, somehow striking the Titan despite never looking like they collided. Was it energy rushing towards the creature, or was Kris somehow not seeing things correctly?
The Angel always bent what was, and Kris could only feel their rage.
The shield over the Titan’s face shattered from the barrage of attacks. It began sucking in darkness, the Angel not even moving Kris’ head to turn around and survey the danger. Multiple projectiles flew past, the Angel stepping out of the way to avoid attacks that they could not possibly have seen coming.
An onslaught of darkness fired back at the Angel, the bookshelves being too narrow to fully dodge. Yet, they found a way, finding impossible gaps to duck and weave into. Somewhere behind, Kris could hear Susie and Ralsei looking for openings as well, their feet scraping against the wooden surfaces. Kris wished the Angel would turn back to see if they were okay… but…
Weren’t they supposed to be friends with Susie and Ralsei?
Were they not scared for them?
Yet, the Angel was lashing out like a cornered animal. Every strike felt equally as precise yet erratic. Every strike channeled something that the Angel knew how to do from past experience. Kris was certain of that. Yet, they all came out wildly, with a desperate want to destroy the thing trying to kill them.
Once more, Kris’ set limitations as a vessel started being broken. The Angel started speaking freely again, something guttural emerging.
“You think you can just break the rules?” The Angel yelled out to a being who couldn’t understand them, their voice trembling. “Do you think you’re special? Do you think I haven’t already dealt with this before?” Over and over they slashed into the air, more and more damage being carved into the Titan’s face.
They ducked under a beam of pure darkness, one almost as potent as a Dark Fountain itself. Somehow, the beam didn’t phase the Angel at all. Their focus remained absolute as the stream of darkness ended, more and more slashes materializing in the air with every strike. “Do you think I haven’t already asked myself what you keep asking me? I’m not myself! I was denied that!”
The wings wreathing the Titan’s head furled inwards. Suddenly, the Angel’s strikes looked like they were doing much less. Darkness began sifting through the cracks in the wings, and-
The Angel grimaced. Over and over, they kept slashing away, Kris’ body being pushed far beyond its limits. The Angel muttered under their breath, something stinging in Kris’ eyes, “It can just undo it. Of course it can. Why does this always happen during these fights? Why now? ” Someone was running up behind them, but the Angel’s focus was locked on what was in front of them, like nothing else in the world mattered. They growled, “Go ahead. I’ll just do it again. I’ll do this forever if I have to, like I always have. ” The Angel readied the Blackshard again, ready to try once more.
Kris’ body gave out.
While the Angel might’ve been able to last forever, Kris could not. They stumbled to their knees, finally being unable to give anything more while the Titan regenerated. Their vision swam, Susie and Ralsei coming up to either side of them.
“Shit,” Susie swore, trying to forcefeed Kris a Scarlixer. Her eyes darted between Kris and the healing Titan, panic bleeding into her voice. “Ralsei, what the hell do we do? I don’t think Kris has another one of those… what the hell do I even call that? What was that?”
Ralsei’s own hand trembled on Kris’ shoulders. Whether from fear of what he was seeing, from fear of what he just witnessed, or from exhaustion, Kris couldn’t tell. Yet, he spoke to the Angel, trying to calm them down in a soothing voice despite his own voice trembling, “Angel. You need to calm down. We… we need to get ready. It’s going to attack again, and we need you to-”
The Angel kept their mouth shut, regressing far back into the silence they were more accustomed to whenever possessing Kris. The adrenaline had been lost, and the power coursing through their body diminished.
Again, darkness seeped into the Titan, more of its wounds closing. They were running out of time.
Like the saint he was, Ralsei managed to pull Kris to their feet. However, he still didn’t sound sure at all, even as he tried to rapidly explain, “We… we were only damaging its outer shell. As long as the inside is intact… I don’t… I don’t think we can…”
The Angel readied their dagger again. Ralsei didn’t let go of their arm, trying to get their attention by squeezing it. He was trembling.
Kris understood. Kris understood how it felt when the Angel’s presence shifted to bubbling rage. It was horrifying. It was a reminder. It made Kris wish that they could easily stamp it out again.
…but they couldn’t anymore. Susie had faith in the Angel to do better. Susie had faith in Kris to do better. So, they couldn’t, even though they were terrified.
The Angel relented, shifting their grip on the Blackshard again and taking a breath.
The Titan’s wounds fully healed. Its wings unfurled, the shield having returned. Like nothing had even happened, the battle was set back to the beginning, none of them having anything to show for it but their own exhaustion.
…Until a hammer pierced through the shield, sending cracks weaving through its surface.
“What’re yall givin’ up for?”
It was the most relief that Kris had felt all day. They knew that voice, and the Angel recognized it too. Both of them smiled, turning around and seeing the old man, whole and as himself.
“You’re not out of ideas yet, are ya?” His one good eye trailed across the four of them before glancing up at the Titan.
Things… would be okay now. Everything was going to be okay. Surely, everything had to be okay. Kris had nothing left to give. They could barely move anymore. All of the words around them were blurring together, and they were hardly able to stand. Yet, they raised their hand at the Angel’s command, the soul telling them to channel something to Susie and the Old Man.
Kris watched the shield shatter to an onslaught of magic. Again, the soul begged them to keep going, begging for more despite their body being battered.
Again, the outer shell was damaged. Progress was being made… but…
Susie was at their side. She desperately tapped their shoulder, trying to get their attention. “Kris! Kris! I know what to do- you gotta give me that soul.”
Kris shook their head. They couldn’t. They absolutely could not do that right now. All of their strength was gone, and they weren’t sure if the soul was still cracking. Considering that the Angel hadn’t come out again, and the spawn were once more beginning to rise, it probably couldn’t come out.
Thankfully, the old man was holding the spawn off with his hammer. But, Kris couldn’t just give the soul. It wasn’t possible.
Something flashed in Susie’s eyes. An idea came to her. “Well, then it looks like you’re gonna have to put your life in my hands… kinda literally.” She scooped them up into her arms, hoisting their body over her head. “Angel, you better not fuck this up!”
Kris didn’t have a single moment to question before Susie was suddenly diving off the edge of the platform.
Darkness consumed the two of them as they fell through the being’s face. Kris couldn’t see anything, no light coming out of the soul in their chest. All they knew was that they were falling.
They emerged in a space in-between, in a space that looked more like the fountains Kris was used to. Susie fell next to them, the two circling each other in a dance that would lead to their demise if they didn’t pull this off. Kris could only hold their breath, hoping that Susie’s plan would work.
A cracked soul emerged from Kris’ chest.
Light spewed outward, illuminating the two of them. Blistering heat washed over Kris’ body as silver light expanded outward, two massive wings unfurling from the Angel’s contained form. They had to shut their eyes when the soul vanished into the light, the crack in its surface mending as its power flared out beyond measure. It burned. Everything burned as the light washed over them, but the Angel couldn’t stop. They had to eradicate the Titan.
Everything would be okay now.
Everything…
Hard, wooden floors greeted them when they opened their eyes.
Even as they woke up next to Susie, safe and alive with the Titan eradicated, Kris tried repeating that mantra to themself like it would mean something. If they could cling onto it for a little longer, then maybe it would be true.
Everything would be okay now.
The Titan was dead. The Titan had been destroyed. If they could do that… then maybe…
Susie ran off to look for the old man. Again, Kris repeated the mantra. Everything had to be okay. They were alive. Susie was alive. Even Ralsei, who was slowly scaling the bookshelves to get down, was alive. Everything had to be okay now.
Even when Ralsei charged after Susie, panic in his voice, they tried to hold onto that hope. They’d won. Please, they had won. They beat the Titan. They all were alive. Why… why was time still moving? Why were their feet still moving? Why was Ralsei afraid? Everything should be fine now. Why weren’t things fine?
Words of a prophecy rushed by.
Didn’t Ralsei say not to look?
The final tragedy was unveiled.
Kris heard the sound of glass shattering, and their dream of everything being fine shattered with it.
…Nothing would ever be okay again.
Why did they keep believing that it would?
Susie stood in front of the shattered prophecy, breathing heavily. Blood dripped down her hand, hitting the floor in splotches. She refused to move, rooted to the ground for a second, her eyes staring at a prophecy that had been destroyed.
It would always appear somewhere else.
It could never be avoided.
Ralsei tried apologizing over and over again, shaking Susie’s arm in a desperate attempt to make himself heard. Over and over again, he muttered apologies, like it was somehow his fault.
Susie didn’t move. She mumbled, “Shut up.”
Carefully, Ralsei took two steps back, face sinking into his scarf.
…Only for Susie’s laughter to ring out through the empty halls. Her eyes didn’t emerge from her bangs while she ran a hand through her hair. “The hell are you apologizing for? You’re worried about THAT?! Seriously?!” She tried to play it off, like she didn’t see the same thing everyone else did. Yet, she couldn’t keep up the facade, her posture curling in on itself.
The soul in Kris’ chest ached. Their own heart ached with it.
“...this stupid prophecy?” She tried to laugh again, the sound coming out as bitter. It was unlike any of the confident laughs she used to always give. Every bone in Kris’ body screamed that it was wrong, but they didn’t need instinct to know that. “Like something like that would happen. I already told you all- all of you- this prophecy isn’t happening.”
The Angel’s presence stiffened. Somehow, their presence felt confused, like they didn’t understand what was being talked about. Kris stayed rooted to the ground, trying to not betray a thing on their face.
“I wouldn’t let it happen… Kris wouldn’t let it happen…”
She sounded so certain, even knowing of Kris’ betrayal. Barely, Kris’ head inclined upwards, not expecting those words out of her mouth.
“And obviously YOU wouldn’t let it happen. So…” she trailed off, turning towards Ralsei. “Why wouldn’t you laugh?” Susie finally inclined her head upwards a bit, one of her eyes finally appearing again. “It’s just stupid.”
From here, Kris couldn’t see the way Ralsei’s face had sunken into his scarf. They saw Susie’s bloodied hand reach for his face, softly brushing against his cheek. “So stop crying, ‘k? Everything’s gonna be all right.”
Kris didn’t realize just how much the tears in Ralsei’s eyes glistened in the dim light, but Susie had a chance to see it. Even now, she smiled anyway, not betraying a single thing herself. How did she do it? Could she even do something like that forever?
The moment her hand left Ralsei’s face, his head lowered again, like he didn’t have the strength to keep the optimism that Susie wanted for him to have. Susie turned around, hands on the back of her head. “Kris… Let’s go seal the fountain, okay?”
She walked through broken glass, the pieces shattering even further under her boots.
“Do you get it now, Susie?” The Angel muttered somewhere within Kris’ mind, something bitter seeping into their voice.
What had they talked about?
The Angel didn’t answer. Before Kris had a moment to react, they were checking on Ralsei. They would’ve done it anyway, but it was nice to know that the Angel was on the same page. Kris could hardly hold themself together, and they wanted so badly to recede into the Angel’s control to just let this happen without them. Kris didn’t know how to fix this. They couldn’t.
Ralsei tilted his head away when approached, as if he didn’t deserve the attention. “Susie… she’s… she’s a really really nice person, Kris,” he mumbled, his voice cracking a few times, “How can she be so kind…? How?”
“I don’t know.” Kris’ voice came out, a thought running through their head being made into words by the Angel. Perhaps they both felt the same way. Kris didn’t deserve their kindness. The Angel didn’t think that it did either. Maybe Ralsei felt the same. He had to.
Somehow, Ralsei found it in him to keep apologizing for things that were so far beyond him. “I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry I didn’t say the whole prophecy at first. I just-” He stumbled on his words, trying to remain composed for just a bit longer. “I thought if I said something different- if we did something different- if we were just kind enough… perhaps by the time we got here… it would change.”
Some part of the Angel’s presence curled in on itself. Inevitability.
Ralsei laughed, still staring at where the broken prophecy once stood. “I… when I saw that the prophecy did change, I realized that my wish may lead to something… far far worse. I just… wanted to have hope… that maybe things would be okay…”
Kris wanted that too. They deluded themself for a brief moment that it might be true. Yet, even after facing a foe such as this, the Knight was still out there. Even after getting the Angel back, they were all nowhere closer to stopping what was coming. Kris wasn’t certain they… even could have the power to resist their guilt even though they spoke with Susie and Ralsei.
Those two trusted that they could do better.
Kris wasn’t so sure.
Ralsei lowered his head even further, trying very hard to smile. “No matter what form the prophecy takes… no matter how much we try to change it… our fate…” He turned to Kris, blood soaking the side of his face. His fur had been matted from tears that Kris never got the chance to see, as he tried to put on a smile that did not reach his eyes.
“...is already decided.”
The Angel held their breath. Their presence ran cold, like all of the remaining life behind it had been pulled away. Kris was forced to stare Ralsei in the eyes, the Angel watching through them.
It has already been decided.
Of course it has.
Why would you ever think anything differently?
Did you think you could save them this time?
Why would you hope?
Kris didn’t know whose thoughts those were, but they echoed them all the same.
Ralsei collapsed onto his knees, not being able to keep up his smile anymore. Tears flowed freely, yet Ralsei tried to stop them with his fingers anyway. He tried to hide it, swiping an arm over his face only for it to come back damp, the tears never stopping. “S-sorry… don’t look at me… I… I don’t mean to always… make everything about me… I’m sorry, I…”
Even more violently than the last time, the soul in Kris’ body twisted. Kris’ own hand began to twitch, and they couldn’t tell whether or not they wanted to do something or if the Angel did. This was too hard to watch. It was hard… but…
Kris wanted to do the exact same thing right now.
Ralsei swiped his arm across his eyes one more time, and when the tears were wiped away, he was smiling again. “Everything’s okay, Kris. Look, I…” It never quite reached his eyes. “I’m smiling!”
Kris’ eyes trembled when they stared down at him. Every fiber of their being wanted- no- needed to do something. Thankfully, blessedly, the Angel had been waiting for this moment just as much as they had.
As soon as Kris received the command, they knew that they had to do something else. They knelt down, earning a confused glance from Ralsei. Before, none of the hugs were from them. Before, it was the Angel who tried to comfort him a lot. Kris had to admit, they’d grown fond of Ralsei, especially whenever he started to become happier with his own wants. Yet, they never had the chance to show that.
Now, more than ever, they needed to.
Kris wrapped their arms around his waist, putting their head over his shoulder to embrace him in the tightest hug that their remaining energy could offer. Somewhere, Kris thought they could feel wings wrapping around the two of them, both of them. The Angel’s words spilled out, but Kris wanted to say them just as much.
So, they spoke together, “It’s okay not to smile.”
The words flowed out as reassurance, leaving something warm in Kris’ chest. Somehow, they didn’t know if the words were only meant for Ralsei. Kris wondered for a brief moment if they were trying to convince themself of the same thing, or if it was the Angel trying to convince Kris that the same applied to them.
It didn’t matter now. For now, they would exist in the time they had left together. They pulled Ralsei close, trying everything in their power to make this moment last. It had to, because the moment that Dark Fountain was sealed, Ralsei would be alone again.
They could feel Ralsei pushing closer, tilting his head downward in the embrace. “I… I’m scared…” He admitted, his voice barely coming out as a broken whisper. “It’s getting harder and harder… to just stand there smiling all the time… to be the one…. Pretending I’m not afraid too.”
Not a single one of them had the ability to fight back that fear entirely. Even Susie, the one who had faith in them all, smashed that prophecy with enough force that it could only be fear. Kris had already succumbed to their own multiple times. Now, even the Angel wasn’t above such things, striking like a cornered animal at a mere question.
So, Ralsei didn’t deserve to feel any different. Kris tried tightening their grasp on him, reassuring him that it was okay.
Kris heard a sob behind their ear. Ralsei’s own arms finally reached forward, grasping Kris with all of his might. He stammered, “But… I… Being with all of you… I… The more I’m with all of you, I realize… friendship isn’t just… about being happy all the time.” He paused for a moment, trying to find the words. “It’s something far, far greater than I could’ve imagined…”
Kris’ hands started to feel like static, the more they held him. Most of all now, they didn’t want to let go. They rarely did hugs like this, but right now, they couldn’t let go. The invisible wings around the two of them tightened even more, like they too were afraid of the inevitable.
Ralsei’s voice began to rise, something bubbling in his throat. “I… I want to. I want to believe again. I want to believe… it can change for the better ! That there isn’t just one ending! But… if there is another ending… I-I’m scared that it can only be something worse.”
They all saw the ruined prophecy when the Angel left all of them.
The only way the prophecy changed was for everything to fall apart.
Was that really all there was?
Something like lightning shot through Kris’ soul, making them flinch. The presence around them quivered, like something had irrevocably changed. What was this feeling? Was it hope? No, Kris always felt Susie’s hope whenever she decided to give it to everyone else. A resolve hardened within the soul. This was something else, something that refused.
Ralsei clung to Kris tighter. “Susie’s hope… Her naive hope… It’s… infectious, isn’t it?”
It was. Both Kris and the Angel agreed. Both of them had been pulled to their feet, whether they liked it or not.
“...So, until we see fate with our own eyes… Let’s believe, too.”
They wanted to. Every ounce of them wanted to. Yet, their body was broken. The Angel inside of them wanted to break. But…
Kris wanted to believe for just a little longer, even though they should not.
The moment finally came to an end. Ralsei started to pull away, and Kris let go on instinct even though they did not want to. The Angel’s wings remained for a moment, before peeling away like they were never even there. They weren’t, after all. They never could be.
Ralsei kept trying to smile, despite the blood on his face. “You two… should go seal the fountain now. Susie’s waiting.”
The Angel stood there for a moment, like they didn’t want to leave. Yet, after a few seconds of staring at Ralsei’s smile, they finally relented. Kris’ shoes crunched through the glass as they walked around Ralsei… before the Angel directed them to stop.
Kris’ mouth moved, the Angel’s voice coming out, “You deserve so much better. It’s unfair.” Their hand clenched, like they were deciding on something. “I’m going to change it this time. I promise.”
You. Not we. You.
The distinction mattered. After all, everyone saw the plaque detailing the Angel’s banishment. They were bound to the same prophecy that the rest of them were.
But nevertheless, a promise had been made.
Ralsei tilted his head towards them, glancing at them out of the corner of his tear-filled eyes. But, there was nothing to say. Would it be a promise that could ever be fulfilled, knowing what the Angel’s fate really was? Would they even be around to see the ending if there was one, or would they be unable to make a difference when they were banished right after tragedy?
It was a promise made, one that they wanted to keep. Kris knew the weight a promise held.
The Angel moved a few steps forward, and Kris finally understood what feeling coursed through the soul. Kris remembered the Angel’s power flickering gold every now and then. Was it a memory fueling them? Was it something finally giving them drive?
Wasn’t this something only Lightners were supposed to have? The power of will… the power of determination…
The Angel’s presence flickered with it now, burning bright.
The power to change fate.
Was this what determination could really do?
They stopped when Ralsei called out Kris’ name. The Angel’s presence receded, allowing them this moment. Kris turned, wondering what else he might have to say.
Ralsei fiddled with his hands, still trying to smile despite the blood on his face. “Kris… you were…” He tried to look genuine despite it all, like he wanted what he said next to matter. “You were cool when you played the piano earlier!”
Something twisted in their gut. All of the doubts they had about Ralsei started to bleed away. Kris had to share something… something they held dear… multiple times today. Even though they didn’t want to, they played their heart out on every piano they walked by. To hear Ralsei say that… it…
They regretted ever being cold with him in the first place.
Kris shared the Angel’s resolve. They would make this better, one way or another.
With their own will, Kris smiled at him. It was the only way they could say thank-you now. Their steps felt lighter as they walked away, like some of the weight of the world had been lifted. In all of this, between finding the Angel again and fighting a Titan, it felt… good for something normal about them to be acknowledged.
Every step closer to the Dark Fountain had that feeling bleeding away, but it was nice while it lasted.
Another prophecy hovered in the air. Kris turned to look for a brief moment before deciding that they didn’t need to see it anymore.
Only then, will the worlds be saved.
Would it even be worth it?
They walked slowly to the fountain. So many thoughts ran through Kris’ head, some their own and some other.
All thoughts halted when they saw Susie standing there, facing the fountain with blood still dripping from her hand. Her fist remained clenched, shards of glass sticking out of it. She didn’t have the energy to heal it. Kris inched forward, walking to stand beside her. Her gaze didn’t move to them, even as they held out one of their spare items to her.
“Save it,” she rasped, pulling her injured hand closer to her, “It’s not like it’ll matter in a second.”
Kris took one more glance down at her hand, wanting to protest. The words died in their throat, and they put the item away. Their eyes lingered on her fist for a moment longer before trailing up to the Dark Fountain.
Susie tilted her head in their direction, her eyes peeking out from under her hair. “Can I tell you… a stupid dream I have?”
Of course. Of course she could. Always.
Susie glanced at the ground for a second, something raw spilling through her words. “No matter what… I… want to keep being friends with all of you. I-” She raised her other hand, putting it over her face and laughing into it. “It’s… it’s stupid. I was… I was so sure I’d be able to make it work. It’s… it’s still gonna work, it’s just…”
Both Kris and the Angel remained silent, but the presence within Kris shrunk at her words. Susie had boundless hope, but even she could not withstand the words that the prophecy said about all of them.
Her hand dragged down her face, and she shook herself off. “I’m going to make sure it works. No matter what, when the sun comes up again, tomorrow is gonna be the same as yesterday… And the next day… will be just the same as that.” She spoke about it not as if it were a dream anymore, but something to fight for.
She wouldn’t have an ending. Wasn’t that what she said?
Kris’ head lowered. The Angel’s presence shrank even further, like they didn’t quite believe her. Kris didn’t either. Even now, they were unsure of their standing with the Knight. Even now, that urge to retreat back into the safety of a promise welled up in their chest. But… somehow… they wanted to believe that Susie was right- that her faith in them wasn’t in vain.
If Kris could choose an ending… what would it be?
“...It isn’t enough to go back to where things were before, is it?” She stared down at her own fist, at the glass shards refracting the darkness of the fountain. “I wanna just… I want to do stupid things with all of you. I wish I could take you two and Ralsei to the diner. I want to sit by the lake again, all of us. I wanna goof off at the festival. Together. ”
Even after all they had done, Susie still wanted them to be her friend.
Somehow, the Angel echoed that sentiment, still not used to being referred to, but finding comfort in the thought all the same.
“You don’t have to say anything back. Even if you don’t believe me yet, I’ll prove it to you. Both of you.” Her hand lowered once again, but Kris saw something else when she turned to look at them. A smile that could defeat everything shined brightly in front of them, and for a moment, Kris wanted to believe her. The clouds dispersed, the darkness peeled away, and for a second, Kris believed that everything could be okay.
As if in imitation, the soul began to glow.