Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

As the sun rises in Hometown, a beam of sunlight slowly scans Kris’s room as the morning turns into afternoon. As it passed through the bars of the cage, despite not having eyes of any sort, it awakened an entity that resided within. The soul floated slowly off the ground and took in the sight of the empty room. 

(Dammit Kris I thought we weren't doing this cage thing any more.)

In the time since the last dark fountain was sealed and the roaring was fully stopped, Kris and the soul had slowly become more friendly to each other, and even learned to communicate. As it stood, they had a makeshift agreement, where Kris is in control, but they lay off the soul abuse, and although this did not seem very fair to the soul, it's not their body so they couldn't bring themselves to complain. And since they had been left in the cage overnight for the first time in a while, thinking that Kris had something to hide wouldn't be a stretch in the slightest.

The soul pressed itself against the door of the cage, gently pushing past it and floating out into the air. 

(Now if I were Kris, where would I be?)

The soul sifted through its memories of their talk with Kris last night, looking for any clues to point them in the right direction. AHA! The soul recalls Kris mentioning that the group project was due soon and reacted like any sane soul would do, and floated slightly faster out the window and booked it to the library. Sneaking around through vents was pretty much second nature at this point, for it's not like being seen in public floating around was NOT going to cause a crazy reaction, ranging from a cryptid sighting post, to getting detained in a jar, depending on who caught them. 

Regardless, they floated though the vents finally arriving at the computer lab vent, and peering in the soul smirked with its non-existent mouth. (So that's why you didn't want me here, you dirty dog.) Kris was sitting at the lab table with a google slides presentation open on a laptop, and next to them, chatting away, was Berdly.

“The transitions do matter! It's what separates an A+ presentation, worthy to have my name on it, from a low effort C average slideshow! No offense of course my academic partner."

Kris grunted in response and stayed focused on picking the worst transitions possible. Berdly leaned over their shoulder and squawked in shock. 

“It's like you can't even comprehend the words coming out of my beak, angel above it's like you want us to fail.”

As Berdly ranted about sabotage and backstabbing's, the soul slowly snuck up behind Kris, floating silently along the ground. The slight smile Kris had was immediately wiped out as they sat up unusually straight for a second.

“Looks like my words are finally getting through to you, now lets finish this up, I have places to be”

As Berdly meticulously double checks all of Kris’s slides, blabbing about margins and other unimportant features, the soul took their chance to ask some questions. 

(I thought we agreed  on no more cage asshole.)

Needed to focus

(Is that really the reason? Or did you just want to get alone time with bird boy.) the soul sneered.

The soul floats out of their chest, invisible to everyone else, and orbits around their head.

(Look at me, I'm Kris, can I get some alone time with Berdly please? Oh yeah more annoying rants please, of course with a side of ego, and don't even get me started on-)

“Shut up!” Kris hissed, accidentally speaking aloud. Berdly looked at them in shock, "That's a very rude way to speak to the group leader, i was simply giving constructive criticism on this slideshow, but it appears you are unable to focus today.” He begins collecting his books and cramming them into his stuffed backpack. Kris grinds their teeth in annoyance at the misunderstanding but stays silent. 

“See you tomorrow Kris, same time?”

“Yeah, bye Berdly” Kris grumbles annoyed. As he takes his leave Kris prepares a barrage of insults towards the entity in their chest, but unluckily for them, the soul imagined what Ralsei was doing and whisked away, out of Kris’ consciousness, to the dark world as a spectator of sorts. 

That little shit. Whatever, they are sleeping in the oven tonight. With that thought, Kris trudges out of the library back home. As they turn the last bend towards their house, they glance into the window of QC’s diner and see Noelle and Susie eating together. They grip the handle, then release it. I don't feel mentally prepared to be a third wheel right now. 

As they walk in through the front door, they smell snail pie cooling on the counter. As if this day couldn't get any worse. They walk right past the counter, and beeline to their room to take a nap.

…

They wake up drenched in sweat with their phone playing the same video over and over. They rub their eyes and check the time.

(Anything cool happen while I was gone?)

Kris turns to see the soul floating in front of them and glares. What is wrong with you, not only do you risk being seen, but also fuck up my project work. They take a swipe at it but the soul floats to the ceiling. 

(Oh come on Kris, I know you don't reallyyyy care about the project.)

It floats closer, teasingly flying loops around their head.

(You just wanted to hang out with that nerd huh?)

Asking to hang out is better than stalking with your soul powers. 

The soul huffs in annoyance. (Well maybe that wouldn't be necessary if I had a BODY, but no, I'm stuck with you, hanging out with Berdly.) The soul mimics a gagging motion and hovers right in front of their face for added effect.

He's not that bad once you get to know him

(You are ungrateful, you know if I had this body, I would go for LITTERALLY anyone else, but I, being super humble and kind let you keep your body.)

Kris smirks triumphantly And it's going to stay that way, have fun watching I guess. Also, we are just friends, wierdo.

Now be quiet, I need sleep.

As Kris drifts off to sleep, the soul grumbles to itself about the unfairness of this whole situation. Not only could it not visit its favorite person, but it had to sit and watch like an eldritch third wheel as Kris got all buddy buddy with that annoying bird. Just as its frustration was boiling over, Kris’ hand made a fist.

(Oh so now you pretend to sleep just to avoid talking, real mature.)

But there was no response, the silence in the room was deafening with the only sound being the rhythmic snores of Kris. The soul used its will to clench their fist a couple more times, then lift their arm, then sit up. A gleeful smile that grew on Kris' face. Their body stood up from the bed with artificial precision, its eyes still closed.

(It's about time I get a turn.)

Chapter Text

The moonlight streams through the curtains in Kris’ room, covering Kris with a silver glow, but something was different, their usually noticeable red eyes are clamped shut, and their usual trademark deadpanlook™ had been swapped out for a gleeful smile.

The soul tried to contain their excitement, they clenched their hands, jumped a couple times, just testing to make sure they were fully in control. As the soul carefully turns the knob of the bedroom door and steps out, they catch a glimpse of themselves in the hallway mirror.

They smile and shoot some finger guns at the reflection. Sorry Kris, I got things to do, no rest for this body tonight.

With robotic precision, they fly down the stairs and bolt out of the door. I have to make every second count, hopefully Kris is a deep sleeper.

As they approached the empty husk of the hometown school, they couldn't stop their excitement from bleeding into their movements, so now skipping, they climbed in through Toriel's classroom window and made their way to the supply closet. They throw open the doors and take an exaggerated dive into the pool of inky black. “I’ve always wanted to do that” they chuckled to themselves.

They couldn't admire themselves for too long, for Ralsei was walking towards them rapidly as they landed with a joyful smile on his face.

“Kris welcome back!” The soul flinched internally at being called that, for they realised they didn't really think this through, how were they going to tell him? “Oh yeah I just took over Kris’ body without asking while they slept and now im here, lets hang out” yeah this was going to be tough.

As they pondered this in their mind, Ralsei stood in front of them awkwardly, his smile wavering. “Kris?”

The soul was still deep in thought. At least he knows I exist, so this could be worse, but maybe he will be mad at me? Ugh this is so frustrating.

The soul's downward spiral was interrupted by Ralesi's giggle. “Am I boring you, Kris?” he said jokingly, noticing the closed eyes and lack of response. The soul grits their teeth, Just got to rip off the bandaid, but there's no way to say this without sounding lowkey evil.

“I’m in control right now, Kris is asleep.”

Ralsei loses his smile completely, faltering into concern. “Is Kris ok?”

The soul looks up from their feet and nods. Uncertainty hangs thick in the air, with both of them staying silent. “So what do I call you then” Ralsei starts nervously. He tries to rekindle his original smile but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

The soul contemplates this for a couple seconds before giving up. “I'm not sure, I'll figure it out later” they say dismissively. “So, what brings you down here?” Ralsei says, with some of the nervousness leaving his voice.

The soul sighs and looks up from their feet, “Just needed someone to talk to, I felt like you might understand”

Ralsei beams at this, “Of course Kris, er soul, I’m always here to listen!” Being called soul was slightly irksome for some reason, but that was an issue for another time.

As if they could somehow, deep in their subconscious hear their name, Kris’ arm twitches. I guess they could wake up at any time, I have to be careful

…

The pair sits at a corner table at the darkener run cafe, there is a live band and many darkeners dance joyfully around them. The cafe is alive with laughter and clinking glasses.

Ralsei leaned forward, chin resting on his hands, his smile soft. “So, what’s on your mind? I’m all ears.”

The soul exhaled shakily.

Words tumbled out faster than they expected. “I feel like I’m forced to just… watch the world go by. Like I’m never my own person. I have so many things I want to do, but I’m terrified I’ll never get the chance.” As the soul keeps adding on to the ever-growing tower of fears and issues, Ralsei stares at them intently, occasionally nodding. By the end of their ramble, their voice had shrunk to a whisper. They rubbed at their eyes, but tears still slipped free, hot and unexpected. Saying it out loud was so much worse than thinking it.

As the soul poured their fears out, Kris’s borrowed hands trembled once, unbidden. They clenched them hard under the table, praying Ralsei wouldn’t notice.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t be ranting to you like this, you are probably sick of this” as they move to stand up Ralsei’s hand clasped theirs. Firm, steady. The soul felt butterflies in their stomach, and slowly, they sank back into their chair. “Yes?”

Ralsei looked at them thoughtfully, “You remind me of how I used to be,” he said quietly. “It’s hard, feeling like you don’t belong. But you do. You’re your own person, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. And you’re not alone.” He tightens his grip on their hand “You have friends that are here for you, and you are a person, no matter what you think.” He smiles warmly as he delivers hope into the heart of the entity.

The soul’s throat tightened. No one had ever spoken to them like this. Not once. The kindness hit harder than any insult Kris had ever thrown at them.
They broke. Choking sobs wracked Kris’s borrowed body as they collapsed into Ralsei’s scarf. Ralsei held them without hesitation, rubbing circles into their back. “There, there,” he murmured. “It’s going to be okay.”
For a few blissful moments, it was.

Much to the despair of the soul, this moment was cut short as they felt an uncontrolled flutter of their eyelids. Panic jolted through them.“Shit I think Kris will be awake soon, how long have I been here?”.

“Well the Dark World doesn't really have “time” per se, or a unit to count it by ”Ralsei states.

The soul actually laughed through their tears, a small, wobbly sound. “Thanks for the lecture, but I just need an estimate.”

“Regardless, I think I need to leave” They jogged to the door, then turned back with a huge smile “I’ll definitely be back soon! Thank you!” Ralsei waved them off with a smile and the soul ran to the pillar of light at the edge of town with a robotic running form. As they sprint out of the supply closet, they notice the orange hue of dawn spilling through the windows “shit” the soul grumbles. After a short run back home, the soul scaled the side wall with practiced ease and jumped into bed.

“Hopefully Kris won’t be too confused waking up sweaty” they chuckle to themselves. As they lie in bed waiting for Kris to wake up, they think about Ralsei and their conversation and shiver giddily thinking about the hug. They smile to themselves hopefully.

Maybe this can work out.

Chapter Text

Kris stood in the middle of nothing. The ground beneath them wasn’t solid, just a hazy blur that stretched out in all directions. Ahead, a figure waited. Its shape was humanoid, but its face wavered, indistinct. Kris fought to open their eyes wider, but they were sealed, as if by someone else’s hand.

Kris reached out. Their steps were slow, heavy, as if the air itself was holding them back. The figure spread its arms, waiting for an embrace. For a moment, Kris almost smiled, until they noticed something, it was almost like the figure was looking through them, not at them.

But before they could reach it, the figure began to fade. Fingers turned to mist. Shoulders melted into the darkness. By the time Kris was close enough to touch it, there was nothing left but the echo of warmth.

The emptiness closed in. The sound of feet running, and a voice along with it, gasping in air. It was their own voice. Kris gasped—

—and their eyes snapped open.

The ceiling above them came into focus. The air was heavy, real. Their chest rose and fell, shaky. For a moment, they weren’t sure if they had truly woken, or if this was just another layer of the dream.

Their fingers twitched at their sides, still reaching for something that wasn’t there.

(About time, don’t you know it’s rude to bore your guests?)

The soul paces around the room impatiently.

Kris grumbles and rubs their eyes sleepily

“Guest implies you were invited” Kris mumbles

(Yeah yeah whatever) the soul dismisses (make plans or something, make some use of the friends that I made for you) 

Kris thinks about arguing against that but decides against it. Instead they pull out their phone and start texting. The soul tries to peek over their shoulder to pry, but is blocked by their agile turning. 

(Come on, who is it?) the soul says excitedly. After a few more failed attempts to see. The soul flies into their chest and looks at the message through Kris’ eyes. 

The soul immediately flies out, laughing evilly. (BERDLY?) the soul tries its best to mimick scratching its non-existent chin. (But Kris, I thought you two finished the project yesterday, what could be the purpose of this?) the soul inquires with mock curiosity.

“What, I can’t hang out with friends?” Kris asked.

(Well, maybe THAT friend specifically. Like, why not Susie or Ralsei, or literally anyone else?)

Kris didn’t even hesitate. “First of all, I don’t want to be caught in the splash zone of PDA.” A fond smile tugged at their lips. “They make me sick.”

“And as for Ralsei…” A teasing glint crept into their eyes. “It’s even worse. Maybe I would visit more often if you stopped trying to flirt with him in my body. But you just can’t control yourself.”

(Hey, he’s adorable, you can’t blame me,) the Soul muttered, embarrassed. It quickly composed itself, floating closer to Kris’s head. (And at least he’s not an annoying, nasal-voice-having loser g—)

The rant cut off as Kris’s hand shot out and grabbed the otherworldly entity, squeezing it like a stress ball. “Shut up, shut up, shut up,” they hissed under their breath.

“Also, we’re just friends. So quit comparing things like that,” they added, a dusting of red barely visible from under the jungle of their hair.

A notification broke the silence, sharp and sudden. Both human and Soul darted toward the phone.

BerdPr0: Greetings, my academic companion. As regarding your inquiry to “hang out,” let us study for the upcoming test at the Librarby at once! I’m feeling charitable, so you may tag along for now.

The Soul recoiled instantly, shuddering like it had just tasted spoiled milk. Kris, by contrast, let a faint smile slip across their face.

(Oh no. Nope. Not sitting through that again. An entire study session of that voice? I’ll pass.) The Soul drifted in a slow circle, groaning dramatically. (Also, isn’t he a senior? “BerdPr0”? Really?)

Kris waved them off. “It’s kind of funny he thinks it’s cool,” they said, almost fondly.

(Well, regardless—I’m out of here.)

The connection began to thin, threads of the Soul’s presence pulling away as it imagined Castle Town. Its voice stretched out, fading with mock spookiness: (You can do beeeetterrrrr… oooooohhhhhh…)

Kris rolled their eyes but held their tongue. No point in answering when the Soul was already gone. They turned their attention back to the phone, slipping into quiet thought as they changed into a clean shirt. Maybe Berdly is an… acquired taste. But he’s not that bad. People don’t see past the façade, that’s all.

“Kris?”

They nearly jumped out of their skin. Toriel’s head poked in through the doorway, smiling warmly. “I tried calling you from downstairs, dear, but you didn’t answer. Everything alright?”

Her eyes fell to Kris’s chosen outfit. Out of the endless rotation of striped shirts, they had somehow pulled their nicest one. “What’s the occasion?” she asked, her tone light but curious.

“Just hanging out,” Kris muttered. Their stomach twisted as they looked down at the shirt. Did I really pick this out without thinking? The Soul’s earlier teasing crept back in, sour and embarrassing.

Toriel chuckled softly, retreating. “Don’t get back too late!” she sang, her footsteps fading down the hall.

Kris stood in the quiet room, teeth gritted. Even if the Soul might’ve been right… no. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just hanging out.

…

As the Librarby came into view, Kris’s stomach tightened. They had literally been here yesterday. Nothing was different. Calm down. Just studying. With a friend.

But another voice in their head clawed against that calm, louder, sharper.
No, it’s different. It feels different. It’s not too late to go home.

Kris ground their teeth and shoved both voices down into the dark corners of their mind. They straightened their collar, brushed stray goat fur from their pants, and forced their legs to carry them to the door.

A mountain appeared in front of them, blocking out the sun, but upon closer inspection, it was just Berdly’s stack of notes, with an array of color-coded highlighters neatly laid around it. 

As Kris walked around the heap, they could see Berdly hidden behind it, bouncing his leg nervously. Upon noticing Kris’ arrival, Berdly jolted in surprise. “Ah Kris, I was starting to think you weren't coming, not that I wouldn't put it past you to skip out on this opportunity” 

Kris simply sighed dramatically and slouched down in a chair across from him. 

The first 10 minutes were uneventful, with Kris trying their best to suppress their boredom facing a barrage of quizzing and writing notes. In the back of Kris’ mind, a plan is formulated.

“So Kris, would you happen to know who came to North America in 1492?” Berdly quizzed, with a raised eyebrow. 

“Probably ICE-E” Kris responded sarcastically.

Berdly squints his beady eyes “Kris! You’re not taking this seriously! Don't you care about your education?”

After a couple answers given in similar fashion, Berdly gives up on quizzing. 

He sighed in annoyance “At least let me check your notes” 

As Kris hands over their page of “notes” they try to hold back their laugh, in preparation for his reaction. Upon seeing the page, Berdly's feathers puffed up in indignation. “Is this supposed to be me?” He squawked. As Kris fails to hold back their laugh, the paper falls out of his hands, revealing a caricature of Berdly raising his finger up with a speech bubble saying “erm actually”. 

As Berdly grows increasingly more puffed up and flustered, he finally snaps.

“FINE! If you’re so incapable of appreciating my genius methods of pedagogy, then perhaps you’d prefer a more juvenile pastime!” He huffs.

As he smugly boots up a game on the lab computer, Kris inwardly celebrates.

“Now ill “school” you in Super Smashing Fighters” Berdly exclaims, looking a little too proud of himself. “Get it Kris?”

That had to be the worst joke Kris had ever heard, but to their horror, they felt the corners of their mouth turn up slightly. No. No, don’t you dare laugh at that.

Before they had time to dwell on that, a controller was thrust into their hands. “Here, from my personal collection” He says pridefully.

Kris glances at them with confusion “Do you just carry those everywhere?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, Kris, a true gamer knows you must always be prepared” He says haughtily. “The fact you even had to ask raises serious questions about your gamer credibility” 

As the game began, Kris narrowed their eyes and leaned forward. Even if they usually didn't care that much about winning or losing, they simply couldn't afford to lose after being talked down to like that. Even worse, if they lost he would probably say some bullshit like “As expected”, or “I was expecting a challenge.” With these thoughts swirling around their mind, one conclusion came from this: I can’t afford to lose. 

Berdly starts the game off strong, comboing Kris, towards the edge of the map rapidly. “Looks like you are on your last legs” He exclaims joyfully “Don’t worry, ill make this quick” He tries to finish his combo with a spike, surely to send Kris to their doom off the map, but at the last second, Kris wave dashes to the stage, causing Berdly to fall off the edge.

A smirk crosses Kris’ face as they notice Berdly shaking with rage next to them. “I thought you were better then that Kris” Berdly scoffed annoyed “Everybody know that only CHEATERS use wavedashing”

“Not cheating” Kris mumbled back.

This statement only pissed Berdly off more, puffing his feathers out faster than he can smooth them back into place. “Even a broken clock is right once a day” He declares angrily. “You simply cannot beat me a second time, even if you are a cheater”

After many rounds yielding the same result Berdly had come to terms with his situation. It only took Mrs.Boom telling him off for yelling inside for him to calm down. Kris smiled with self satisfaction thinking of the look on his face at the time. 

A nervous cough brought them out of their mind. Berdly was looking at his feet, defeated. “Maybe you are a worthy adversary after all”

Kris' smile only grows. “Aww thanks, maybe you'll win a single round next time.” They say teasingly as they pat him on the back. He flinches at this and recoils in shame. “Dont make me take it back” He grumbles. 

Tearing their eyes away from the glowing screen for the first time in what seemed like hours, Kris scans the surrounding area, noticing its lack of anyone else. The whole Library is perfectly quiet, and the only light source remaining is the glowing screen, pushing back the dark filling the remainder of the room. 

As Berdly quickly checks the time on his phone, he flinches in surprise. As Kris looks over his shoulder they realize that his phone is on military time. Of course it is. “It's almost 9 and we remain stationary on our road to academic greatness!” Berdly glances at Kris. “Perhaps you are a bad influence” His words do not nearly have the effect he wants them to, for a smile creeps across his face. 

He packed up his mountain of papers, highlighters, and controllers, cramming them into his bursting backpack. Kris joined him at the door, realizing they were headed the same way.

“Isn’t your house the other way?” Kris asked.

“Indeed.” Berdly chuckled nervously. “I was merely being polite. Wouldn’t want my… gaming buddy… to be snatched up on the walk home.”

Kris chuckled softly. “I see.”

The walk was quiet. At Kris’s door, they stopped short. No way was Kris letting Toriel—or worse, the Soul—see this.

“I’m fine from here,” Kris said quickly.

Berdly fiddled with his talons. “We didn’t accomplish as much as I’d hoped… but I can’t say it wasn’t worth my while.”

“I liked hanging out too,” Kris admitted with a grin.

Berdly spun around, squawking back down the street. “Not what I said, Kris!”

Kris snorted quietly.

But as Berdly’s footsteps faded, the smile lingered. Until Kris glanced up—and froze.

Toriel was giving them a thumbs up  through the window with a huge grin on her face.

“Shit”.

Chapter Text

It could’ve been a great end to a great day. I could’ve gone to bed happy, Kris thought, but fate had other plans.

An eager voice cut through their thoughts like a hammer through glass. Now Kris had to face the cause of these thoughts.

“Did you have fun? Where did you go? Did you study? Oh, and he walked you home? How polite!”
Toriel bombarded Kris with questions the second they walked through the door. I can’t sneak a word in, much less a response. 

Toriel was almost floating with excitement, for seeing their strange child make friends was already a first for them, but this was almost incomprehensible. 

Kris submerged their head into the inside of their nicest sweater and curled up into a ball. “Mom please” they whined. 

Toriel gently set her large hand on Kris’ shoulder. “I’m sorry dear, but I’m just so excited to see you getting out there” she looks into the distance and reminisces “If you told me a year ago that you would be hanging out with so many friends, I would never believe it!”. 

Her face takes on a more melancholy expression. “You almost never left the house after Dess disappeared” Kris flinches at the name and their nails dig into their palms, but Toriel doesn't seem to notice. “But now look at you”. She squeezes Kris joyfully. “I’m so proud of you”

The final words melted Kris’ icy facade and despite their embarrassment they couldn’t help but smile slightly, let the warm feeling fill them up, and hug her back. The comfortable silence lasted a couple minutes with it coming to an end when Kris remembered they needed air to survive.

As Kris gasps for air, Toriel giggles and returns to her chair and returns to her reading. As Kris walks up the stairs home free, they hear a teasing voice float up the stairs behind them.

“I’ll let him in for dinner next time!”

Kris groans and runs up the remainder of the stairs, slamming the door behind them and soaring through the air onto their bed. They squish their head into a pillow and roll around frantically. “I’m never going to live this down” they mumble to no one in particular.

…

After a brief recap of the days events to the soul, and only a slight amount of harassment from the soul. Kris had gone to bed and the soul had never been more excited. It had only been a day, but to the soul, it had been a lifetime, for spending a day watching spectating darkeners was somehow more boring then they had expected. Beats watching those 2 dorks, the soul thought with a chuckle. 

Now it’s my turn. The soul piloted their human mech down the stairs with inhuman precision, with Kris’ usually clumsy feet almost gliding across the floor. 

Wait for me my sweet prince, the soul sings internally. They stop for a second and cringe at their own thoughts. … yeah I’ll address that later. As for their journey, no amount of self-inflicted cringe could stop them now, for the school was in sight. 

They had been looking forward to this all day, the thought of hanging out in the dark world as themselves, had propelled them through an otherwise dull day of watching the world go by. As they gleefully pranced towards the school, they noticed something off about their usual route.

The soul stared in horror at the sight. The moon shone down brightly, its beams dancing on a window in front of them, a closed window, and upon some not-so-careful inspection, a locked and closed window. The soul tugged on the window, their hope dwindling with every pull.

No

No no NO! 

The soul's usual fun demeanor had gone silent, with only silence filling the void. They had waited the whole day for this, a day filled with nothing watching, Another day alive but not living. Another day on the sidelines, watching Kris choose to make plans while the soul didn’t have such luxuries.

That last thought sent a wave of rage over the soul. If that wasn’t enough, Kris’ reflection stared back at the soul on the window, and in their angered state, the reflection felt like a cruel joke, even now, when they had control, Kris was standing in the way of their plans. The soul pulled back their fist, swinging it at the closed pane with inhuman force. 

The glass cracked slightly. Thankfully for Kris, and the school custodian, the soul had bailed out of their plan, their fist barely resting on the glass.

The soul had stopped in place, horrified at what they were about to do. Even if I did break in, what would Ralsei think? What would Kris do if they woke up with a bloody hand? What would Toriel and the students think if there was a break in. 

A wave of guilt erodes the soul's rage, quelling it enough to stop its violent surge.

A silhouette stands alone in front of the window, trembling with rage, teeth clenched, “Why do you get everything?” They whispered to the shattered reflection in the glass.

What am I becoming? In a moment of self awareness, the soul took their fist down from the glass and collapsed in the flowerbed under the window. 

I can’t even go a day without breaking down, this is pathetic. They collapsed into a silent, seething heap, humiliated by their own weakness.

It never used to be this bad. Ever since their first taste of freedom last night, they had been feeling things they had never felt before. Before their first journey, they had never been their own person, and had been content with being a bystander in someone else’s life, for that’s all they had ever known, but now…

After experiencing freedom, going back to the way things were was too much to bear, for the soul was now painfully aware of what they were missing. 

The walk back to the Dreemur residence was a polar opposite of the trip taken from the house just a couple minutes ago, excited steps turned to dull, slow steps.

…

The soul floated calmly by the windowsill in Kris’ room, the snores of the soulless body next to them filling the silence.

I can’t trust myself to be in control right now, the soul thought solemnly.  After having a good portion of the night to think, they had come to some realizations about their situation.

First of all, this wasn’t sustainable, even if they were able to successfully break out, Kris would wake up eventually mid-outing and the soul would rather not have that happen. The soul shuddered at the thought of Kris bringing back the hockey stick. Secondly, they couldn’t keep this bottled up to themselves, that didn’t work, clearly. Being able to talk to Ralsei about their issues was very comforting, for he had similar problems in his past with being his own person. The soul sighed, I wish that was an option every night. 

As the soul watched the trees surrounding the house, they tried to be hopeful rather than bitter.

Maybe I can visit another time.

Chapter Text

Ow…

Kris had just woken up and was already spreading joy to all who could hear. Speaking of all who could hear, the soul was uncharacteristically quiet this morning. They usually started the day by pestering Kris with jabs about Berdly or begging to visit Castle Town,  but today, they sat silently.

As Kris stretched their aching body, they grunted disapprovingly.

(Is it really that bad?) The soul asked, their voice oddly gentle.

It almost sounded… guilty.

Kris didn’t have time to dwell on that tone, Toriel’s padded footsteps echoed down the hall.

She peeked her head through the door crack with a huge smile, which faltered slightly when she saw their massive bedhead.

Toriel huffed. “Honey, you can’t go to school like that,” she teased, eyes twinkling. “Especially now!”

Kris flinched. “Just get out,” they grumbled, cheeks burning. Unfortunately, that only made Toriel smile wider.

“Breakfast is downstairs , don’t be late!”

Kris dove facedown into their pillow with a groan.

(You already spend enough time doing nothing, move.)

Sleeping isn’t nothing, Kris shot back mentally.

(Yeah, yeah, whatever. Either move or I’ll do it for us.)

The soul took the reins for a second, and Kris’s body sat up robotically.

“I said don’t do that,” Kris hissed. But they didn’t have time to argue — sunlight was already flooding the room. After selecting a green striped shirt from their closet (tough choice), they hauled their exhausted body into the car.

…

Susie yawned in the back of class, flashing her full set of yellow razors. Alphys had been talking for what felt like hours, and this chair was starting to hurt. Whoever made these chairs needed to have their face chomped off.

Alphys flipped to a new page in her book and started another long rant.

“See, these different parts all come together to form a whole cell,  the basis of our entire body, yet some monsters are made of magic instead, meaning they-”

*Thunk*

Alphys froze mid-sentence as Kris’s head hit the desk. She chuckled nervously. “H-Heh… anyway…”

As she droned on, Susie had to stifle a laugh. Classic Kris.

Recently, Susie had felt like she was drifting from Kris, not because of any fight, but because she’d been spending all her time with Noelle ever since they got together.

Not that she was complaining.

Her mind drifted. She could almost see Noelle’s nervous smile, that little laugh she made when she tried too hard to hide how happy she was. Susie caught herself grinning stupidly before realizing she’d completely zoned out.

“Pff—uh, focus, idiot,” she muttered, shaking her head.

Her eyes wandered back to Kris, who still hadn’t moved.

“Yo, nerd,” she whispered, flicking a pencil at their shoulder. It bounced off harmlessly. No reaction.

She grinned. “Heh. Fine. You asked for it.”

With a low chuckle, she kicked the leg of Kris’s chair, not hard, just enough to make a clack.

Still nothing.

Her grin faded. Kris’s head was tilted slightly to the side, skin even paler than usual, dark circles carved under their eyes. Their breathing looked slow.

“…Kris?”

For a split second, the whole room seemed to hold its breath.

Then Kris’s head jerked up, hair hiding their eyes.

“Dude, what the-” Susie started, but stopped when she saw the strange stiffness in Kris’s movements. Their hand went to their temple, like a puppet tugged by invisible strings.

“I’m fine!” they blurted, way too enthusiastically.

Susie blinked. “You sure? You look like you got hit by a bus.”

Kris’s lips twitched, the soul scrambling for the right expression. “Just… tired,” they said flatly.

Susie squinted, unconvinced, but Alphys called her out for spacing again, and the moment passed.

The rest of class looked normal enough: Alphys talking, kids raising hands, pencils scribbling, normal school stuff.

Normal, unless you knew Kris Dreemur.

Everyone was floored when Kris raised their hand to answer a question. No one in that class, in all their years together,  had ever seen Kris voluntarily participate.

…

As the lunch bell rang, chaos returned. Catti unpacked her bento and shared it with Jockington, who coiled around her like a scarf. Temmie dove into her phone, grinding gacha pulls. Snowy and MK bolted out, probably heading to ICE-E’s for some grease. Berdly stayed behind, fussing over his notes, while Susie and Noelle left together, giggling about something.

Kris shot up from their chair robotically and walked out the side door.

(Castle Town, here I come!)

The soul could barely contain their excitement. Pretending to be Kris for a whole 45 minutes was no easy task.

(Why do they have to be so boring…)

As the soul piloted their rented body around one more corner, the storage closet was in sight. The soul could almost see Ralsei’s smile from here.

As they picked up the pace, almost skipping now, they spot Susie leaning against a locker nearby. She stands up and starts walking briskly to intercept them. No no no please not now, I’m so close. 

“Hey, uh… you doing anything tonight? Thought we could maybe… watch something. Y’know, like old times.” The soul shrugs, a little surprised but clearly softening. It still felt like Susie was their friend, even though she didn't even know of the soul's existence. 

After talking to Susie about hanging out tonight for an agonizing 5 minutes, taking glances at the closet door every couple of seconds, the warning bell rang. The soul hung its head, I guess another time. As they turned around to head back to the classroom, they spotted Berdly down the hallway, presumably back to class. The soul grinned with a devilish smile.

Maybe I can still make this worth my while

…

“Kris, Kris, you need to go home Kris!” 

Kris’ eyes snapped open as they rose from the small drool pool on their desk. Alphys looked concerned and was standing over their desk. They looked around quickly and noticed that the classroom was quiet and empty. Almost empty…

“Ah, Kris! You’re awake, splendid! I was beginning to think you’d taken a permanent nap!” Kris blinked, trying to get their bearings. Berdly beamed at them, his feathers practically glowing with confidence.

“I’ll see you at six then!”

“What?” Kris croaked.

Berdly adjusted his glasses, smugly. “For the movie, of course. I simply couldn’t refuse when you invited me, after all, you were so eager to have me over!”

(Oh man, this is gonna be good) The Soul’s voice snickered in Kris’s head.

“You didn’t” Kris whispered under their breath. Their fist clenching in their lap.

(Hey, I did you a favor) 

I am going to feed you to squirrels

The soul lets out an exaggerated sigh. 

(Not everyone appreciates my genius)

“Earth to Kris. Hello?” 

Berdly had been standing in front of Kris for a long moment as they seemingly stood in silence. “Yeah see you there” Kris mumbled while walking away, a faint red dusting their cheeks.

(Awwwwww)

“Shut up” Kris hissed under their breath, but their heart wasn't in it, and they couldn't help but smile to themselves.

Kris couldn't help but be excited.

Chapter Text

Kris stood on the porch, sweater sleeves pulled over their hands, waiting.

They still had no idea what was coming.

But they felt the Soul, alert, humming, waiting like it was about to watch fireworks.

The first to arrive was Susie.

Hands shoved in jacket pockets, tail swishing awkwardly.

She didn’t say anything at first. Just standing awkwardly.

“So.” Susie scratched her cheek. “Um. Thanks for… y’know. Inviting me. I thought-” she cut herself off, shaking her head. “Never mind. It’s cool. We’ll just… watch something dumb, like old times!” She gave Kris a hesitant grin.

Kris managed a nod.

For a second, it felt like old times.

Then Berdly turned the corner.

Whistling.

Susie's amber eyes instantly locked on to the source of the whistling.

“…No.” she said immediately.

Berdly waved grandly. “HELLO, SUSAN.”

Susie stared.

Then stared harder.

Then slowly rotated back to Kris.

“Kris.”

“Kris.”

“Kris why is he here.”

Berdly answered for them.

“Kris invited me! We decided, as intellectuals, to attend a cinematic experience together! A gathering of peers.” He puffed out his chest. “Naturally, I assumed that meant you as well, Susie. Considering your… prior association.”

Susie looked like she was trying to compute this and failing.

Her face was going through at least eight emotions and none of them had names.

Kris felt the Soul buzzing like a mosquito in a jar.

(Ohhh this is so good. This is incredible. I’m going to write this in my diary. I don’t have a diary. We should get one.)

Kris’s face stayed blank.

Which only made Susie more confused.

Susie finally said, flatly:

“Why the hell would Kris invite you.”

Berdly smirked. “Because Kris and I share a mutual respect-”

*SLAM*

Their bickering was interrupted by Kris slamming the door.

Trying to ignore the muffled voices, Kris fidgets with their hands nervously. 

What am I supposed to do? How can I possibly justify inviting him? If Susie finds out, I’m jumping off  a bridge. Kris slides down the door until they are seated on the ground, hands over their flushed face.

The soul projects itself out of their chest, and floats in front of Kris. (Calm down, sheesh, if you can't even handle hanging out with friends maybe you should just let me take this one) 

Kris tried to grab it, their hand passing straight through.
“I hate you so much,” they hissed.

The door creaked open.

Kris froze mid-argument, fist clenching at nothing.

Susie rubbed the back of her head. “Dude… what the hell are you doing?”

Kris immediately dropped their arms, cheeks burning.

The Soul snickered.
(You look insane now. Nice.)

“Let’s just watch the movie already” They mumbled bashfully.

As the group settled into the room, a couple of conflicts emerged. Susie had stretched her legs along almost the whole couch and Berdly was clearly outraged. 

“Do you mind? There are other people here that would also like to participate in this screening” Berdly said haughtily.

“Do you ever speak normally?” Susie grumbled. She sits up straight and sticks her finger in the air mockingly, “Lets participate in this screening!, erm Kris.. this film is not up to my standards, ee gad! Wha-” 

A pillow hits her face, cutting her off early. Berdly, with his feathers puffed up in agitation, smirks as his pillow hits its target. His agitation quickly turned into fear as Susie leaped up from the couch with fire in her eyes. He yelps and runs around the couch as he is savagely chased around the couch. Watching this all unfold Kris couldn't help but try their best to hold back a laugh. The house hadn't been this lively since their original adventure to save the world. They smiled fondly, lost in memory. Almost too lost, for they narrowly got hit by a running lizard. 

“Come back here you blue fucker!” She roared 

Berdly tried to retort, but his lack of breath failed him, and for once, he stayed quiet as he continued to stay on the other side of the couch, avoiding the certain death on the other side of the room. After a couple minutes of ring around the rosie, Susie smiled devilishly at Berdly and leapt over the couch, tackling him to the floor. She repeatedly beat him with a pillow, roaring with laughter. “Not so funny now huh?” she said tauntingly as she beat squawks of protest out of him. 

“Ahem”

Both pillow gladiators stopped their battle to look at the direction of the noise, seeing Kris recording with their phone, failing to hold in a laugh.

Berdly sputtered from under Susie’s pillow-assault, feathers sticking up at every impossible angle.

“K-Kris! Stop recording this at once!” he squawked.

Susie snorted. “Nah, keep goin’. This is art.”

Kris lowered the phone, laughing quietly despite themselves. The Soul hummed softly, pleased, for once, at a genuine smile instead of the usual struggle.

(See? I told you this was a good idea.)

Kris didn’t answer. But… maybe the Soul wasn’t entirely wrong.

Eventually, they all collapsed onto the couch, breathless, Susie victorious, Berdly dramatically nursing a “bruised wing,” Kris wedged awkwardly between them.

The movie choice didn’t even matter in the end. They talked more than they watched, Susie making loud commentary, Berdly trying to explain symbolism, Kris getting dragged into both sides. The room felt warm, alive. Like something they hadn’t felt in a long time.

And when the night finally wound down…

Susie yawned wide, unhinging her jaw like a snake. “Same time next week?” she joked.
Berdly adjusted his glasses. “Only if we view something more intellectually stimulating next time.”
Susie rolled her eyes. “Yeah whatever.” She checks her phone and stiffens in shock at the time. “It's 3 already? Noelle wanted to go shopping in the morning, im so fucked.” She stands up, brushing popcorn kernels from her lap in the process. As she turns toward the door to leave she is stopped by a hand tugging at her sleeve.

“It was fun hanging out” Kris mumbled. 

A smile broke out on Susie's face. “I miss hanging out too dork” she ruffles their mop of hair fondly. “Dont know why we ever stopped”.

“I do” Berdly chimed in. “Maybe if you and Noelle weren't joined at the hip, you could spend more time together, and more importantly, I could get my study partner back on occasion, my grades are…. not  like they once were” 

Susie blushed and rubbed the back of her head “Maybe when you put it like that we do spend hella time together, but you can't blame me!” She says defensively. 

Berdly and Kris just stared at her, deadpan.

“Ok maybe you can, I'll see if I can spend more time with friends, but maybe blue dumbass over here needs to learn to get good grades on his own.” She pokes him in his “hurt” wing and he looks offended. 

“I’ll have you know that I am perfectly capable of g-”

He was interrupted by the door slamming as Susie made her exit. 

They stood in silence for a couple seconds as Susie could be seen flipping them off and sticking her tongue out at them through the window.

Berdly coughs awkwardly, and walks to the exit, lingering in the doorframe. “She is correct, it is getting quite late, maybe we should continue this another day?”

Kris frowned slightly. “Already? I know you have nothing better to do.”

This got a rise out of the bird and his feathers puffed up accordingly. “I have many hobbies, like studying, keeping my feathers nice, gaming, and.. and.. ” He looked down in defeat.

“You know most of those are just basic personal things right” Kris says with a smirk. “Studying and keeping clean are not considered hobbies”

“Maybe they aren't, but they are still passions of mine none the less”  He smoothes down his ruffled feathers “Anyways, back to the thesis of the conversation, even with the presence of that barbarian, tonight was… tolerable. Pleasant, even.” He rubs the back of his head and looks down nervously. 

“I liked hanging out with you too” Kris teases.

Berdly opens his besk, but then opts to keep it shut, biting back a retort. 

They stand awkwardly in the doorframe in silence. 

(This is unbearable, please say something.)

But before Kris had a chance, Berdly spoke, with a surprisingly genuine tone. 

“Kris… you should, um… invite me again. If you want.” He says quietly.

Kris felt the soul shifting restlessly in their chest.

As Berdly stood there, fidgeting with his feathered hands, Kris couldn't help but feel warmth fill their body. His awkwardness was somehow endearing, and the way his tone felt so much more genuine when they were alone made them feel special, like only they could see this side of him.

Kris tried to work up their courage. I can do this, just say something, stop being so awkward for once. They looked up at his face again and smiled, their decision was made.  As they opened their mouth to speak they were rudely interrupted by a forced third wheel.

(Oh god, is this a confession? I can’t watch this LET ME OUT PLEASE GOD)

The soul flings itself against Kris’ chest like a starving hamster locked in its ball. Kris stumbles around unsteadily as Berdly watches in awe.  After a couple seconds of this the soul pops out of their chest like a cork and begins floating away as fast as its form allows it to move. 

The soul zips around the room, throwing an occasional taunt, such as “You can't make me watch”, and “There’s still time to make the right choice”.

Kris grits their teeth and tries to grab it, swatting at empty air. 

Berdly watches in awe as Kris has a seemingly schizophrenic episode, as they stood on a table and spun in a circle, smacking at nothing, and even jumping off the table and lunging in the air. 

“Kris, that's not safe!” Berdly squawks as he dodges a shoe that was thrown into the air, seemingly at nothing.

Kris finally corners the soul into a kitchen cabinet. You can let me have SHIT. They mentally shout at the soul as they stuff the unfortunate red entity back into their chest.

As they collapse on the ground, exhausted from the temporary loss of soul and the mini manhunt they had to go through to get it back, Berdly stands over them horrified.

He grabs them by their shoulders firmly. “Kris, are you having a medical emergency?! I’ll have you know that I am cpr certified” 

Kris flushes red under him and scoots away. “That won’t be necessary,” they say quietly. 

Realizing the implication, Berdly stands up quickly and starts fidgeting with his feathers. “O-oh! I’m sorry, I thought something was wrong after all that crazed movement, what was that about anyway, care to explain?” 

As the well oiled machine that was Kris’ mind started overclocking itself, finding the best possible answer to this question, a flawless answer was found, and sent to their mouth.

“Mosquito”

Indoors.

During winter.

Berdly slowly nods, “Why of course… I saw it too! Of course! With my keen avian eyesight I saw it immediately, I was simply testing your pursuit skills, and I will say I’m impressed!” Berdly put on a fake looking smile.

(I literally hate this guy)

Shut up.

Berdly walked to the doorframe again and took his coat off the couch and put it on. Before opening the door he looks back. 

“Farewell Kris, see you soon!”

Kris waved back silently, trying and failing to suppress a grin.

As the door shut they slumped on the cool kitchen floor, dead tired from the events of the day, but alas there was still more to do.

Kris locks the door.

The house feels full again.

Just for tonight.

…

Far beneath the simple little town, in a place made of dreams and shadows, a lone lantern flickered in Castle Town.

Ralsei sat at his desk, quill trembling slightly in his hand.

He kept writing Kris’s name.

And then crossing it out.

He wasn’t sure why.

Kris, and the thing inside Kris, always moved with a strange rhythm. One body, two wills. Sometimes in harmony… sometimes not at all.

Ralsei thought he understood SOULs. He’d studied Lightners his whole life. SOULs made sense: compassion, determination, bravery, kindness.

But Kris…

Kris was warm and quiet and hurting.

The SOUL was bright and loud and… something else entirely.

Ralsei folded his hands, staring into the dim glow.

“Which one of them am I really talking to?” he whispered to himself. 

He blushes as he daydreams about his adventure with Kris, when Kris gave him the bow, said he looked cute, hugged him on Queens acid lake, told him he mattered and could be himself, but was that the soul? Could they truly separate the soul from its host? Why did this crush have to be so confusing?

He groans into his scarf and turns his lantern out. 

This can never work out, how could it? They can’t even tell who was so kind to him all this time, Kris or the soul? After his conversation with the soul, he was almost sure it was their doing. But he couldn’t be sure.

And why…

Why did it feel like the answer mattered more every day.

Chapter Text

Tourism was an interesting concept. People loved to travel, always fascinated by other cities, other lives, other skies. But for the locals, everything was simply normal. Ordinary. Boring.

To Ralsei, a child of the Dark World, Castle Town was just that: home. As plain to him as any other place. Yet to Lightners, this world was a miracle of magic and whimsy, a storybook come alive. He sighed, forehead pressed lightly to the cold windowpane of his room, staring out at the ever-present darkness. Even if his room was no longer as empty as it once was (Susie had made sure of that), it didn’t feel comforting. It only reminded him of the people he missed.

“What do they see in this place?” he muttered.

Castle Town had never seemed bleak before. But after hearing Kris describe the Light World, its towering sun, its endless blue sky, the sweet smells of spring, his own home felt smaller and smaller. Spring. Even that was something he could never experience. Lately, Castle Town felt less like a kingdom and more like a cage.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp ding! from below.

“Oh, the cake!” Ralsei yelped, snapping upright.

He hurried through the dim hallways, the soft pad of his feet echoing far too loudly in the empty castle. Every sound reminded him that he was alone.

The one-year anniversary of the Roaring’s prevention was coming soon. He had been counting the days, hoping it would make time move faster. It usually did the opposite.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the cheerful bustle of the townsfolk filled the cauldron room. Their chatter warmed the air, and a faint smile tugged at his face.

If not for them, he thought, I would’ve gone insane by now. The days before the prophecy were worse, no townspeople, no lighteners, just Ralsei. But at least back then he didn't know what he was missing, but now that he had learned so much about the people and properties of the light world, the dark world seemed, well, darker.

He pulled the cake from the cauldron. Perfectly baked. Perfectly frosted. And it filled him with nothing but a dull ache.

Baking was a ritual, a way to fill time, not a pleasure. He couldn’t even feel hunger. Just another reminder of everything that separated him from Lightners. He stared down at the cake’s flawless surface and felt shame rise in his chest.

He had been thinking about those differences more and more. Ever since the Roaring was avoided, visits from his favorite Lightners had grown rare. First to vanish were Susie and Noelle. He had been thrilled to see them grow closer at first, but the closer they became, the less he saw them.

Kris continued visiting the longest, but even their appearances had dwindled. Ralsei swallowed hard.

“They’d rather spend time with someone real,” he whispered.

The bitterness in his voice startled him.
He hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

He stared down at the fresh cake, pink frosting glittering with sprinkles. It somehow made his stomach twist even though he technically didn’t have one. He set it aside and decided to walk through town, fixing a polite smile onto his face like a mask.

Darkeners waved eagerly as he passed. Some abandoned their shops just to greet him. Ralsei’s heart clenched. He loved them—he really did—but…

They weren’t real.
Not in the way Lightners were.

The thought hit him hard, shame curling in his chest. But he couldn’t deny it. Most Darkeners lived like caricatures of Lightner personalities, predictable, routine, unable to change unless the Lightners willed it. He had even started guessing their lines before they spoke—just to feel something—and he’d been right more often than not.

He excused himself from the square, offering gentle apologies to hopeful Rudinns and enthusiastic Swatchlings.

As he walked toward the southern clearing, the brilliant beam of light came into view, splitting the sky with impossible brightness, pushing back the familiar dark. He gazed upward, longing swelling in his chest.

He had watched Kris and Susie float into that light countless times. He wanted more than anything to follow.

He imagined life beyond the barrier:
Going to school with his friends.
Doing Susie’s homework without complaint.
Winning festival games again.
Maybe even winning them a plush this time. He shook his head, pushing the thought away before it could spiral.

Regardless, the thoughts filled him with a restless, aching hope.

Before he realized it, he was standing before the pillar of light, hand trembling as he reached toward it. He had tried this many times before, always pulling away at the last second, but today he was feeling especially brave.

Warmth enveloped him the instant his fingers crossed the threshold. His breath hitched. For one beautiful moment, he felt weightless—like the sky was pulling him up, inviting him home. He almost saw it: sunlight on grass, the blue stretching forever, a real soul beating in his chest.

He smiled—wide and bright—as his feet began to lift from the ground.

But like most good things in his life, it didn’t last.

The pleasant warmth turned scorching-hot, burning up his arm. Ralsei shouted and yanked his hand free, stumbling backward onto the ground. His paw was blackened, trembling.

He squeezed his eyes shut, not even bothering to heal his wound.

I’m so selfish.
I should be lucky I was even given form at all.

…

Up above, in the world of warmth and light, it was a beautiful day, a perfect blue sky spanning as far as the eye could see, a nice breeze moving the curtains lazily, and on this perfect day…

Kris was asleep.

The year was nearing its end, and so sleeping in class had become a habit to Kris, and while some people were slightly annoyed by this, none were even close to as annoyed as the soul.

(I wish I could sleep) The soul mumbled into an unconscious mind. 

People don't understand how much time they have. Many spend so much of their day sleeping and eating, they can't even fathom life without it, but the soul could, it experienced the whole day, all 24 hours, no distractions, no sleep, none of that. The soul did not have the option to close their non-existent eyes, and looking at Kris drooling on their desk, they couldn't help but feel jealous. Jealous that they just had to sit and watch, while Kris took this all for granted. 

And if this wasn’t bad enough, the festival was coming up the next day. The soul groaned internally, remembering how much of a hard watch the last festival was. (If I have to watch Berdly try to win a prize for 4 hours again this year I’m going to lose it.) The soul thought to themselves. (If only I could go with Ralsei instead, Ralsei or bust!)

While the soul daydreamed about Ferris wheels and fluffy darkeners, Berdly was making major moves.

“Kris, as even someone as tuned out as YOU knows, the festival is tomorrow, and I was just wondering if you would…” He attempts to wink, forgetting that his eyelids are transparent.(real bird fact btw) “Join me as my official festival associate?”

After a couple seconds with no response he pokes Kris on the head. “Earth to Kris? I just gave you an opportunity of a lifetime, it would be wise to accept!”

“Huh?” Kris responded groggily, unsticking their flattened cheek off the desk. The first thing that greeted their eyes was a frustrated, puffed up, Berdly. 

He noticed a little too late that the classroom ambience had fallen silent, with many of the background conversations coming to a stop to witness the spectacle at hand. 

Berdly, becoming painfully aware of the stares on him, rushed right past Alphys’ desk to the classroom door, marking the first time Berdly had EVER been the first to leave class. 

“At least pay attention when a deal is on the table, Dreemurr.” He crowed sadly from the door, failing to hide his embarrassment. 

As he quickly rushes out the classroom door, the class is silent, with all eyes on Kris. Kris, having woken up rather quickly, stared at the door in slack-jawed shock. However, the silence did not last long.

Susie laughed her raspy laugh. “Wow dude, you are FUCKED, good luck fixing that.” Susie exclaimed loudly.

“Susie!” Noelle said disapprovingly. 

Noelle put a comforting hand on their shoulder, "I'm sure it will be fine, it's just Berdly being dramatic, I think… maybe… fahaha.” Noelle's nervous laughter did little to quell Kris’ worries, and they left the classroom in a hurry, not even bothering to say goodbye. 

Susie and Noelle shared a knowing look, the background conversations continued, and Alphys finally started erasing the blackboard.

…

The town of Hometown settled in for the night, the orange and yellow hues of the autumn trees looking radiant in the soft breeze. But if one was to look closer, closer than any living being could. They could see that two very different types of people were at their respective breaking points, one in the deepest dark, below the light world, the other, in a plane higher than high, above the light world, and while they couldn't be more different, their situations were all too similar.

Chapter Text

The noise of Hometown’s end-of-day chaos faded behind him — car engines, shouted goodbyes, laughter — all blurring into something distant and dull.

Berdly walked unusually fast, straining under the weight of his mountain of a backpack.

His head was down, feathers ruffled despite his efforts to smooth them, hands clenched so tight they trembled at his sides.

That was unacceptable.

He crossed the street without looking. A horn blared. He didn’t flinch.

God, that was humiliating.

The scene replayed in his head on a perfect, merciless loop: the silence after he spoke, Kris staring at him like he’d just short-circuited, the way the entire classroom seemed to freeze just to watch him fail in real time.

He winced.

He had planned that invitation. Carefully. The wording, the timing — it was supposed to be confident. Casual. Controlled.

Instead, he’d poured his heart out to Kris and gotten nothing in return.

Not even a reaction.

And worse — everyone had seen it.

This wasn’t just embarrassment. This was reputation damage. Catastrophic, possibly irreversible reputation damage. Just when he was finally making progress, just when people were starting to see him as something more than—

He inhaled sharply and forced himself to straighten up.

Public image mattered. Berdly had learned that early.

All his life, he’d existed in that miserable middle space: always present, never chosen. He had friends — sure. Plenty of them. But he was never anyone’s first choice. Never the person someone looked for in a crowd.

And in a town this small? That kind of thing followed you forever.

Everyone knew everyone. There were no fresh starts in Hometown.

The spelling bee had been the turning point.

He remembered it vividly — the applause, the looks of surprise, the way his parents’ faces lit up like he’d finally done something right. For the first time, people noticed him. Respected him.

It felt incredible.

So he leaned into it.

If he couldn’t be liked, he’d be impressive. If he couldn’t be chosen, he’d be undeniable. Smart. Accomplished. Untouchable.

That was the plan, anyway.

He let out a bitter huff.

It hadn’t worked quite the way he’d hoped.

As he rounded another corner, festival decorations came into view.

Streamers clung to lampposts, framing the streets in bursts of color. Balloons spilled from storefronts like overgrown flowers — yellow, green, blue, and that deep, unmistakable crimson.

Berdly groaned and picked up his pace.

Great. As if he needed reminders.

That particular shade peeked out everywhere, like rubies caught beneath brown curtains. He couldn’t even escape them on the walk home.

He’d had one chance to finally not be alone at the festival.

One.

Ruined by his own incompetence.

For years, he’d imagined what it would be like to finally have someone walk beside him through the festival lights. In those daydreams, it was never Kris. Usually it was Noelle — polite, predictable. Lately, embarrassingly, Susie had snuck her way in too.

Kris had never been part of the picture.

Which made this so much worse.

Their relationship had always been… difficult to classify.

For a long time, Kris was an outright nuisance. They went out of their way to rile him up — trash-talking his favorite games, prank-calling him with blocked numbers, poking at his ego like it was a hobby. He’d hated them for it. Genuinely.

But somewhere along the way, it changed.

The rivalry crept in quietly. Shared classes. Academic one-upmanship. The unspoken understanding that Kris kept up — even when they pretended not to care. Berdly would never admit it out loud, but he’d started to respect them.

Friendship followed, reluctantly. Something he’d only acknowledge in private. Or under potential duress.

And now—

Now he noticed the way Kris laughed when they forgot to hold it back.

The way they looked when they were half-asleep and unguarded.

The way their silence didn’t feel empty anymore, but comfortable.

Berdly clicked his beak shut, heat rising to his face.

This was a problem.

How was he supposed to have a wholesome, friendly outing if his mind kept feeding him this– this– poison!

Whatever. None of it mattered now. He’d blown it. Just like always. 

…

The car ride home was quiet.

Not an uncomfortable quiet — Toriel made sure of that. The radio hummed softly, some cheerful autumn tune Kris didn’t recognize. The windows were cracked just enough to let the cool air in, carrying the scent of leaves and distant food stalls being set up downtown.

Toriel glanced over. Then glanced back at the road.

Then glanced over again.

Kris stared out the window, watching houses blur by.

“So,” Toriel said lightly, “The festival is tomorrow.”

Kris hummed in response, but groaned internally, knowing exactly where this was leading.

“I was thinking,” Toriel continued, smile audible in her voice, “it might be nice if you invited someone this year. You didn’t really get to enjoy it last time, and you can't just go with Noelle anymore”

Kris shifted in their seat.

“Maybe,” they muttered.

Toriel’s eyes sparkled. “Oh! Do you already have plans?”

Silence.

(Say literally anything. Please.)

Kris said nothing.

Toriel hesitated, then tried again. “I saw Berdly speaking to you earlier. He seemed… enthusiastic.”

Kris’s shoulders tensed.

Behind their eyes, the Soul scoffed.

(Enthusiastic is one word for it.)

“I don’t know,” Kris said, a little sharper than they meant. “We’ll see.”

Toriel frowned — just a little — then softened immediately. “Of course, of course. I didn’t mean to pry.”

She reached over and squeezed Kris’s knee gently.

“I just want you to have fun, my dear.”

Kris nodded, eyes still fixed on the passing streetlights.

“He seems nice!” Toriel stared into the distance whimsically. “You two always did have fun playing those games together.”

“He also seems kind of lonely, I saw him alone at the festival last year.” She glances over at Kris and smiles teasingly. “Maybe you could go with him!”

Her words send a flashback of Berdly rushing out of the classroom, his usual confident smirk swapped out for genuine hurt. Dread settled in their stomach. 

“Kris?”

Toriel stared at them, her smile slowly fading. 

Just in time, the car arrived home, and Kris hopped out of the car without a word and rushed into the door, jogging up the stairs. After slowing down near their door (cant be too careful around cacti) they rushed into their room, leapt onto their bed, and lay facedown. 

Kris didn’t move.

The bed was cold. The room was dark. Downstairs, Toriel hummed softly as she moved around the kitchen, the sound distant and muffled like it was coming from another world.

For a long moment, there was nothing.

Then—

(You’re avoiding it.)

Kris pressed their face harder into the pillow.

“I know,” they muttered.

The Soul hovered, restless. (You always do this.)

“Please,” Kris said. “Not right now.”

The Soul hesitated.

Then, quieter: (He looked really hurt.)

That did it.

Kris rolled onto their back, staring up at the ceiling. “What do you want me to do?” they snapped under their breath. “Say yes when I don’t even know what I feel? Lead him on? Make it worse?”

The Soul faltered.

(You could just talk to him.)

“And say what?” Kris whispered. “That I froze? That I’m bad at this? That I don’t want to mess things up like I always do?”

Silence.

Then, softer than before:

(At least you get to mess things up.)

Kris closed their eyes, falling into a restless sleep.

…

A sliver of moonlight cut through the curtains, illuminating the slow rise and fall of Kris’s chest. The room was still, the only sound being soft snores and gentle flutter of curtains.

Then a phone buzzed, a singular notification.

The screen lit up on the nightstand, briefly painting the ceiling in pale blue.

Messages — 1 new

The phone’s light eventually faded. The room returned to darkness. The air returned to silence, and Kris—

remained asleep.

Chapter Text

It was never truly silent in Hometown. There was always something — the wind brushing through leaves, a distant car rolling past, the far-off cry of some night animal.

Or a phone notification.

The notification lit the room for a brief moment.

The Soul waited in stillness, listening to Kris’ breathing, counting the rhythm until it felt safe to move. (Can’t be too careful.)

After making sure they were safe to move, the Soul rushed to check the notification.

 Berdly.

The Soul hovered over the screen… then left it where it was.

(If Life360 is how I get caught, I’ll never live it down.)

This was routine now. Sit up from the same bed. Slip on the same shoes. Walk the same dark hallway.

The mirror waited halfway down the hall.
The Soul didn’t bother posing in it anymore.
Whatever excitement this used to bring had long since worn away — only the work remained.

Down the stairs. Across the driveway. Past the empty streets of Hometown, slipping through the shadows and skirting the pools of streetlight like something that wasn’t meant to be seen.

The Soul walked without thinking — tracing the same path it had taken too many times already — which only left more room for thought. This time, about the school window that was almost certainly locked.

As the final corner came into view and the school emerged from the dark, the Soul ground Kris’ teeth together in quiet resolve.

Here they were again.
Staring at the window.

Moonlight washed across the glass, but there was no time to admire it. The crack they’d left last time still marked the center of the pane — tiny, almost invisible, easy to miss unless you were looking for it. The oak edges were old and worn, standing the test of time.

Unfortunately, the decision was already made.

Kris’ muscles tightened on command. Feet planted. Arm drew back. Face slack and emotionless. Every motion angled toward the window.

Something was in the way.

It had to go.

(…Sorry, Kris.)

The tension unwound all at once, precise and inhuman. Wood and glass burst beneath an unfeeling fist, plunging deep through damp wood, sending glass shards and wood chips bursting into the empty classroom. Any pain that would be felt would not be now — and it would not be theirs.

They didn’t stop to look. There was no time.

The familiar halls felt wrong in the dark, long and hollow — but the Soul had seen worse. They had fought darkness, made flesh, towering shadows rising from the earth, guided their party through impossible battles… and Kris lived with all the rewards and they became nothing, less than a person.

They tried — and failed — to hate them for it.

The thought drifted instead to Ralsei. How he’d changed. How he’d learned to take up space, to want things for himself.

If he could learn to be selfish…
then so could they.

Blood crept across their borrowed palm, glass and splinters weaving a constellation of cuts into pale skin.

Switching to the other hand, the Soul vaulted through the window, landing softly in the silent classroom. They didn’t hesitate — out the door, around the corner, already moving toward the closet.

If anyone could understand, it would be him. The Soul ached to be seen — to be noticed, to be understood. They needed this more than anything right now.

The closet doors flew open.

The edges of reality softened and bent. Cards became Rudinns. Laptops became royalty. A town unfolded out of nothing inside a lonely school closet.

Spreading their arms, the Soul drifted down the pillar of light with a faint smile.

That smile vanished the moment they heard it — quiet, broken sobs near the base of the fountain.

Ralsei lay curled on the floor beside the pillar, clutching his blackened paw.

“Ralsei!” Every melancholy thought in their mind evaporated as they rushed to his side. “Ralsei — are you okay?”

He flinched at the sound of footsteps. He tried to wipe his face, turning away, his voice breaking.

“D-don’t— don’t look at me. I’m so stupid…”

The Soul froze mid-step, guilt crashing through them.

(I should’ve been here. I was too late.)

They forced themselves back to the moment, lowering Kris’ body into a crouch. Their hands hovered uselessly for a second before they finally reached forward.

“…Ralsei.”

He shook his head, ears pinned flat, shoulders trembling.

“I thought— maybe this time — if I just—”
His voice fractured into silence.
“I can’t even leave my own world. I can’t do anything Lightners can…”

He curled tighter, trying to hide his burned paw against his chest.

Gently, they extended a hand.
“Let me help.”

A moment passed. He didn’t move — only trembled with heat, cold, and shame.

“Ralsei… please.”

He stared at their hand — eyes glassy, unfocused. He hesitated.

Then, slowly — he let them guide his paw forward.

The Soul slipped free from Kris’ chest, bathing them both in a warm, sacred glow. Ralsei stared up in awe, washed in a light rivaled only by the fountain behind them. The warmth chased the chill from his body; color crept back into his burned fur.

Then, just as suddenly, the glow faded — the Soul sliding back into its borrowed vessel.

Silence lingered between them, soft and trembling.

Ralsei swallowed.
“…Thank you.”

The Soul stayed close. They didn’t let go.

For a long, fragile moment, neither spoke. The fountain hummed above them. The town breathed quietly in the distance.

At last, Ralsei whispered:

“I didn’t want you to see me like that.”

The Soul tilted Kris’ head slightly.

They remembered their first nighttime visit — how they had spilled their own sorrows out into this same darkness, how Ralsei had listened, had made them feel real — understood — not alone. And now…

He was hurting too.

Ralsei tried to compose himself, forcing a small smile.

“I just… I miss you all,” he said softly. “When you’re here, the town feels so full. But when you leave, it gets so quiet and—”

He sat up, breath hitching.

“I thought no one was coming.”

The Soul, eyes stinging, pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I’m so sorry.”

If they had all the time in the world, this moment would never end. The warmth of his fur made their heart race — and on some deeper level, simply being able to act, to reach out and choose something for themselves, felt like a blessing.

A small twitch of Kris’ hands broke the spell.

A reminder.

Borrowed time. Borrowed body.

They gently pulled away and stood, offering their hand to the seated prince. 

…

They sat together on the edge of Ralsei’s bed.

His room had changed a lot since its first, lonely incarnation. Plushies crowded every available surface — familiar ones, new ones, and one in particular from the Cyber World, sitting proudly among the rest.

Ralsei’s eyes lingered on it, and a small smile found its way onto his face.

He had always known about the Soul.

From the very beginning — from before beginnings really — he had been born with knowledge. Not understanding, not wisdom, just knowledge. The future. The rules. The shape of the world and the things it refused to explain.

It made thinking feel like wading through glue.

Guiding the heroes while keeping certain truths buried had always been a careful balancing act. Say too much, and everything would collapse. Say too little, and they would fail.

But the thing that fascinated him most was the Soul in the cage.

A human, moving through the world at the mercy of something unseen. An entity whose decisions could mean joy and safety for all Darkeners in Castle Town, or turn them into jagged statues littering the streets of Cyber City.

At first, it terrified him.

So from the very start, Ralsei had tried to guide it gently. Peace over violence. Mercy over force. Kindness over anger.

Thankfully, that part had never been difficult.

If anything, his trouble with the Soul came from something else entirely.

From the way it chose a bow for him — something unnecessary, something personal.

From the way it called him cute, unprompted, unashamed.

From the way it hugged him on the swan boat ride, holding on just a second longer than required.

From the way it told him, softly, that it was okay to be himself.

Those weren’t choices made for efficiency.

Those were choices made for him.

And that scared him far more than any prophecy ever could. 

It didn’t help that the whole situation was so complicated. How could any of this possibly end well? Even then, it felt wrong — receiving compliments, being embraced, all while seeing someone else’s face. Someone who probably wouldn’t have done that on their own.

He couldn’t even fantasize properly, him holding hands with… what, a heart? Someone else’s heart, in fact. The somebody being fast asleep next to him, piloted by the entity in question. 

He couldn’t help but smile at the absurdness of the whole situation.

…

 Ralsei had gone quiet again.

His eyes were unfocused, ears drooping slightly as his thoughts drifted somewhere far away. The Soul noticed before he did — the way his shoulders tensed, the way his breathing grew shallow, like he was bracing for something that wasn’t there anymore.

They reached out without thinking.

A hand settled gently between his shoulders, rubbing slow, careful circles against his back.

Ralsei startled, just slightly, then sagged into the touch.

“It’s okay,” the Soul murmured, voice low. “I’m here.”

That seemed to pull him back.

Ralsei swallowed, blinking rapidly as if grounding himself in the moment. His gaze dropped to his lap — to the paw he still hadn’t quite relaxed.

The Soul hesitated, then asked softly,
“…What were you doing?”

Ralsei stiffened.

“I—” His voice wavered, and he shook his head, clutching his sleeve tighter around the darkened fur. “I wasn’t thinking. I just… I felt so empty.”

His breath hitched.

“It gets so quiet when you’re gone,” he continued, words spilling out faster now. “Castle Town feels like it’s waiting for something that never comes, and I— I thought maybe if I just touched it—”

He laughed, thin and broken.

“The Light.”

His ears folded flat as his shoulders shook.

“I thought maybe this time it would accept me. That maybe I could rise up like a Lightner. That I wouldn’t—” His voice cracked. “—that I wouldn’t burn like the dark that I am.”

The Soul felt something twist painfully in their chest.

They almost spoke.

Almost told him about the nights spent pacing Hometown streets. About the hollow frustration of control without belonging. About how lonely it felt to exist everywhere and nowhere at once.

But they didn’t.

They remembered another night. Another room. Ralsei sitting beside them, listening without interruption, offering comfort without trying to fix anything.

So instead, they stayed quiet.

They pulled him closer, letting him cry into Kris’ borrowed shoulder, one hand steady on his back, the other tangled gently in his scarf.

Ralsei’s breathing slowly evened out.

After a while, the heaviness softened.

The Soul cleared their throat, forcing a lighter tone.

“So,” they said, “the festival’s coming up.”

Ralsei sniffed, wiping his eyes.

“Y-yeah.”

“It’s gonna suck,” the Soul added dryly. “Watching Kris and Berdly be… that together in public.”

Ralsei let out a weak, surprised laugh.

The Soul didn’t look at him when they spoke next. Didn’t acknowledge the tightness in their voice.

“Gonna be cringe.”

Ralsei smiled — a real one this time — though something wistful lingered behind his eyes.

“I hope you all have fun at the festival,” he said softly.

The Soul watched him then. Watching the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

They knew that look.

They’d worn it themselves.

And in that quiet moment, without words or declarations, something inside them settled.

Ralsei would have fun at the festival.

One way or another.

Another uncontrolled twitch ripples through Kris’ sleeping body, causing the Soul to grimace. 

“I have to leave.” They state softly.

Ralsei looks up at and smiles contently. 

“Thank you for visiting!” He stands up, preparing to see them off.

…

The fountain of light stood ever present, as Ralsei waved his goodbyes and the Soul prepared to rise up above, back to the light world.

“Go on all the rides for me,” Ralsei said, waving with a bright smile.
“And win all the plushies you can!”

The Soul froze.

For a moment, they only stared at him.

They thought about everything he couldn’t do.

Couldn’t feel the sun on his fur.
Couldn’t wander crowded streets without vanishing when the lights went out.
Couldn’t sit on a ferris wheel, watching the town shrink beneath him.
Couldn’t lose himself in noise and laughter and movement the way Lightners could.

Couldn’t leave.

Every reason put them closer to tears, just thinking about how cruel this situation was. The soul clenched their fists in anger.

Ralsei tilted his head, confused.
“…Are you okay?”

That was it.

Before he could react, the Soul stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Ralsei yelped softly, stiffening in surprise — then melted into it just as quickly.

The hug was fierce, desperate. Like they were trying to imprint the moment into memory.

“I would go with you,” the Soul whispered, voice barely there.
“No matter what it takes.”

Ralsei’s ears shot straight up.

“H-huh?!”

His face flushed beneath his fur, flustered.

“I would really like that.”

The light rose around them.

As the Soul floated upward, Castle Town blurred into warmth and shadow, Ralsei growing smaller beneath the glow — still waving, still smiling.

Then the world folded.

…

The walk home felt different.

The sky was just beginning to soften at the edges, dark blue bleeding slowly into pale gold. Festival decorations lined the streets — strings of lights, colorful banners fluttering gently in the early breeze.

Some of the rides were already standing.

A carousel.
Game booths.
And, rising above the rooftops in the distance, a massive ferris wheel — its silhouette stark against the growing sunrise.

The Soul slowed, watching it turn idly as workers made final preparations.

Soon, it would be full of laughter.

They reached the house just as the sun crested the horizon.

Inside, everything was quiet.

They washed the blood from Kris’ hands in the sink, watching it swirl away down the drain. In the mirror above, their reflection stared back, hair tangled with wood and small glass shards.

The bathroom cabinet hung slightly ajar.

Inside, metal caught the light.

Just a brief glint of a razor.

Reaching their hand in, they slowly grasp it and inspect it. Just a razor. Ordinary. Sharp. 

Face steeled in determination, they dropped the blade into their pocket, and closed the cabinet door, leaving the bathroom without a trace, finally settling into bed.

Feeling the blade in their pocket, they smiled as their eyes closed.

Knowing that no matter what happened today, Ralsei would see a festival.

No matter what it takes.

Chapter Text

The morning of the festival, such a peaceful time. The trees bloom with a rust-colored hue, a cool breeze flows through the streets, balloons fill the streets, prepped the night before by government professionals(Asgore).

Kris slowly opens their eyes, squinting at the glare emanating from the crack in the curtains. This is the most refreshed they had felt waking up in a while. They even cracked an uncharacteristic small smile. 

Maybe Noelle and Susie were there already. Kris reached for their phone, but upon powering it on, their face fell.

BERDLY — 1 NEW MESSAGE

A cold sweat traced down their spine.

They imagined the words before even opening it. Rambling paragraphs. Apologies wrapped in excuses. Maybe anger. Maybe humiliation. Maybe something worse.

The Soul leaned forward, tension coiling, giving their first wise words of the day.

(Open it.)

They powered the screen back off and slammed it back on their nightstand.

“I forgot about that,” they mumbled to no one in particular.

A memory surfaced, unwanted and vivid—Berdly’s voice from yesterday, loud and earnest, declaring something dramatic in front of half the class. The way everyone had stared. The way Kris had stared, like a bystander, frozen in the moment.

Their stomach twisted.

They buried their face in their hands for a moment, ears burning.

I can’t believe he actually said that.

I can’t believe I didn’t stop him.

They let out a slow, mortified exhale and sat up, dragging themselves out of bed, leaving the message unchecked.

(What are you doing?) the Soul snapped. (This is your fault. You should at least—)

Kris lazily raised their hand to their chest, right over the soul, a clear unspoken threat.

(OK, OK, I wont bring it up jeez) The soul panicked. 

To have their plan ruined by being left at home would certainly not be ideal. It would be kind of ironic actually, to have the one time they were going to take charge be stomped out by having their agency in this world completely stripped away by the text-ignorer in question.

Kris lowered their arm with a slight smirk, finally sitting up in bed, ready to start the day.

They began getting ready.

Brush teeth. Fix hair. Pull on clothes for the festival. Anything to stay moving.

(You can’t just ignore this.)

Kris tied their shoes tighter than necessary.

A knock came at the doorframe.

“Kris?” Toriel’s voice was gentle, as always. “Are you awake, dear?”

They nodded, stepping out into the hallway.

Toriel smiled, already holding a bag of festival supplies. “I was just wondering… are you meeting Berdly there today? He spoke to me yesterday about coordinating arrival times. It sounded like you two had quite the eventful class.”

Kris froze.

(I don’t know, ARE YOU?)

Kris looked away. Their hands clenching into fists at their sides.

Toriel tilted her head, concern softening her expression. “You don’t have to go together, of course. I just thought it might be nice. He seemed very eager to spend time with you.”

Kris muttered something unintelligible and moved toward the front door.

Toriel followed, still talking, oblivious.

“Oh! And Susie and Noelle will be there early to help with the booths. And Berdly said he signed up to run a game station, hopefully you two can still spend some time together. It’s wonderful to see everyone so involved. Festivals are meant to be shared, after all.” She says with a telling smile.

Kris’ hand hovered over the doorknob, their face burning.

“Let me know if he's coming over after, I need time to prepare, have fun my child!” Toriel quickly says before the door fully closes.

The door slammed.

The sound echoed down the street.

Kris stood on the porch, quick breaths making small clouds in the cool morning air, heart pounding. The town was already alive—streamers hung across lampposts, tents half-assembled, a ferris wheel silhouetted against the rising sun.

The Soul sat in their chest, using all 100% of their willpower not to make a comment.

Kris sighed heavily, and began trudging slowly in the direction of the festival, looking more like they were walking to their execution, rather than a festival with all of their friends.

…

…

What is taking them so long? Could they have perhaps not seen my text? Are they even coming?

The murmur of the surrounding crowd and the slow mechanical whirring of the ferris wheel did little to distract Berdly as he paced along the edge of the festival grounds. Sure, his invitation had gone… differently than expected, but how could someone like Kris possibly pass up this once-a-year opportunity? The idea was simply absurd.

He had arrived ten minutes early—punctual as always, an intellectual virtue, of course—but the longer he stood there, the more his surroundings gnawed at him.

Couples. Everywhere.

Noelle and Susie arrived together, laughing too loudly, sharing a bag of cotton candy like it was some sacred ritual. A pair of younger kids walked past holding hands, one tugging the other toward the carousel. Even some random adults—probably chaperones—stood near a booth, shoulders brushing as they talked and smiled in that infuriatingly mutual way.

Berdly’s beak clicked shut.

He imagined it instead.

Himself and Kris at the cotton candy stand. Kris pretending not to care while very clearly enjoying it. Him explaining, in precise scientific detail, the sugar crystallization process while Kris listened—actually listened—nodding along with that blank expression that somehow still felt validating.

He imagined them on the ferris wheel, high above the town. Kris staring out over the lights while Berdly pointed out constellations, explaining orbital mechanics and the inefficiencies of carnival ride engineering. Maybe—hypothetically—Kris would laugh at one of his jokes. Maybe they’d lean just slightly closer, because it was cold up there.

He imagined winning a plushie for them. Handing it over with a casual, magnanimous flourish, as if the victory had been effortless.

Kris would stare at it, then at him, and quietly say, “Thank you, Berdly. You are truly brilliant, and extremely skilled at carnival games.”

…Okay, maybe they wouldn’t say that.

But the idea was the same.

He sat there for a moment before his thoughts caught up with him all at once. His posture crumpled as embarrassment hit him like a physical blow.

Am I really this far gone?

These thoughts are… incredibly unbecoming! If my parents heard that—if anyone heard that—I could never show my face around town again.

He lifted his head to check the festival entrance again.

Still nobody.

As if this couldn’t get worse, look at me—standing here waiting like an idiot, suffering through these thoughts just to be hung out to dry.

How pathetic.

Reality snapped back in with a burst of laughter from Noelle and Susie. Susie had an arm around Noelle’s shoulders, and Noelle’s tail flicked happily behind her.

Berdly looked down at his empty hands.

This doesn’t usually get to me. What’s wrong with me today?

He adjusted his glasses, trying to suppress the strange twisting feeling in his stomach. This was illogical. Emotional distraction was inefficient.

And yet—

He looked toward the entrance again.

Kris still wasn’t there.

“Is everything alright, Berdly?” Noelle asked, stepping closer.

Before he could even formulate a response, the wind was knocked out of him by a heavy slap on the back.

“Nah, he’s probably just pissed because Kris isn’t here yet,” Susie said with a grin. “I’d stay home too if I had to go with your ass.”

“Susie!” Noelle exclaimed, startled but smiling as she moved to Berdly’s side and patted his shoulder. “I’m sure Kris is coming. You know how they are! They might still be asleep, haha!”

“That sounds… probable, I suppose,” Berdly muttered, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, dude, I was just kidding. They’ll probably be here soon,” Susie added with a shrug.

“They will be here soon,” Noelle insisted, nodding with determined optimism.

“Yeah…” Susie said, stretching her arms. “Anyway, let’s go to the dunk tank. That jackass ICE-E’s employee is finally getting what’s coming to him. Nobody skimps out on my pepperoni.”

“There was a normal amount!” Noelle protested.

“No! He scammed me! I’m one hundred percent sure!”

Their arguing voices faded as they wandered deeper into the festival.

Berdly stayed where he was.

After a moment, he glanced back toward the entrance again, hope flickering stubbornly in his chest.

They have to show up eventually.

Right?

…

Further down the street, Kris slowed their pace as the distant sounds of the festival grew louder. 

A cold sweat ran down their back, for they had opened a can of worms and now the festival was crawling with them.

(Nice metaphor) The soul interjects, rudely interrupting their moment of clarity. 

Kris frowned.

The music grew louder the closer they got. Laughter. The metallic creak of rides beginning their slow morning rotations. The hum of voices gathering together.

And somewhere in that noise Berdly was standing there. Trying to picture his reaction was pointless, the text on their phone remained unread, and with it, his state of mind. Would he be angry? Sad? Would he beg them to come with him on rides? 

Or maybe nothing at all.

Maybe he would ignore them, it was deserved after all, the only correct reply to Kris’ actions. Why had he even wanted to accompany them at the festival? Was there really nobody else to go with? 

Kris stopped walking, the intrusive thoughts soaking in, turning their blood cold.

For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at the colorful banners strung across the entrance.

Then they turned around, put their head down, and began walking right back down the flower infested street.

Their leg jerked forward.

Kris stumbled, catching themselves on the edge of the sidewalk.

They stared down at their foot.

Another step tried to pull itself forward.

Slowly. Unnaturally.

Like their body had made a decision without them.

Kris clenched their jaw.

They tried again.

Turning away.

One step back toward the quiet street.

Their body lurched forward harder this time.

A sharp step toward the festival gates.

It had been a long time since the soul had forced control like this.

But today was the only day that mattered, and the soul wasn't going to let the ridiculous overthinking of a teenager ruin its plans for the day. The razor still rested in the pocket, the festival had just begun, and Kris was almost there, the soul itched with anticipation.

Kris stood there for a moment, breathing slowly, shoulders tight. Before they gave in, walking towards the festival without any more thought.

The festival swallowed them.

Their eyes darted everywhere.

Left.

Right.

Behind them.

People moved through the booths and walkways, laughing, carrying food, pointing toward rides. Music drifted through the air.

Every face felt like it might turn.

Every voice felt like it might call their name.

Until one did.

“Kris?”

They almost ignored it at first, before a tug on their sleeve.

They froze.

Noelle stood a few steps away, her expression bright with recognition and something else—relief, maybe.

Susie stood beside her.

Arms crossed.

Grinning.

“Wow,” Susie said. “You actually showed up.”

Noelle tilted her head slightly.

“You know Berdly’s been waiting at the entrance, right?”

Kris lowered their gaze to the ground shamefully, kicking an innocent pile of dirt.

Susie let out a short laugh.

“He’s been standing there forever. Just pacing around.”

Noelle nodded.

A quiet moment passed.

Susie stared at Kris expectantly.

“...”

“WELL GO FIND HIM!!!!” Susie roars as she shoves them roughly towards the entrance.

Kris stumbled forward, barely catching their balance before they ate dirt. They shot a withering glare back at Susie, who simply flashed her teeth and gave a double thumbs-up before dragging Noelle toward the dunk tank.

Kris sighed, rubbing their arm. They turned back toward the entrance.

Through the shifting crowds and floating balloons, there he was. Berdly was pacing a tight circle near the ticket booth, nervously smoothing down his feathers, checking his phone, and putting it away a second later.

Kris swallowed the knot in their throat. They shoved their hands into their pockets—brushing against the cold, sharp edge of the razor the Soul had pocketed that morning—and forced their legs to move.

“Hey.”

Berdly jumped, nearly dropping his phone. He spun around, his beak opening and closing for a second before he composed himself. He stood up straight, puffing his chest out.

“Kris! I was beginning to think you had been abducted by a rogue faction of anti-intellectuals. Or, perhaps, simply overslept.” He crossed his arms, aiming for haughty, but the sheer relief in his eyes betrayed him completely.

“Yeah. Overslept,” Kris mumbled. They rubbed the back of their neck. “Sorry.”

Berdly waved a hand dismissively, though his feathers settled into a much calmer state. “Apology accepted. I suppose true genius operates on its own schedule. Now, come! I have mathematically deduced the optimal route through the festival to maximize our prize-to-ticket ratio.”

For the next hour, Kris actually let their guard down.

Berdly’s "optimal route" immediately fell apart at the ring toss. He spent five minutes explaining the aerodynamic trajectory and wind resistance required to hook a glass bottle, only to overthrow three rings into a nearby cotton candy machine.

Kris, trying very hard not to laugh, stepped up. Without a word, they flicked their wrist with the exact muscle memory they used to wave-dash in Super Smashing Fighters. Three rings. Three bottles.

They handed a slightly squished, blue stuffed bird to Berdly.

Berdly flushed a bright shade of purple, stammering something about "beginner's luck" and "flawed game design," but he clutched the plushie tightly against his chest for the rest of the hour.

They ate overpriced funnel cake. They argued about whether the haunted house was historically accurate. They actually had fun.

And deep inside, the Soul watched.

The Soul floated quietly in the dark space of Kris’s chest. For weeks, they had seen Kris miserable, sleepy, annoyed. But now, seeing the faint, genuine smile on Kris's face as Berdly nearly tripped over a power cord mid-rant... it hurt.

The Soul’s metaphysical grip on the razor in Kris's pocket loosened. Maybe they could just wait. Maybe there was another way.

"Kris, look!"

Berdly’s voice snapped the Soul’s attention back outward. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting long, golden shadows across the festival. Berdly was pointing up at the Ferris wheel, its neon lights flickering on against the encroaching twilight.

"The apex of carnival engineering," Berdly declared, though his voice was a little softer now. He glanced at Kris, nervously shifting his weight. "Shall we?"

Kris nodded, the faint red returning to their cheeks.

They boarded the swaying carriage, the metal bar locking them in. As the wheel slowly rotated upward, lifting them above the noise and the crowds, the cool autumn breeze washed over them. Hometown stretched out below, beautiful and alive.

Berdly looked out over the town, the neon lights reflecting in his glasses. "I... I'm glad you came, Kris," he said quietly, dropping the vocabulary, dropping the act. "Truly."

Kris looked at him, the anxiety from the morning entirely gone. They opened their mouth to reply—

(No.)

The Soul’s vision blurred. Instead of Berdly sitting across from them, the Soul imagined white fur. Green robes. A pink scarf blowing in the wind.

“Go on all the rides for me,” Ralsei’s voice echoed in their mind. “And win all the plushies you can!”

The Soul looked down at Hometown. Ralsei couldn't see this. Ralsei couldn't feel this breeze. Ralsei was trapped in the dark, waiting for a visit that might never come, burning his own hands just to feel the light.

The guilt vanished. The hesitation evaporated. It was replaced by a roaring, suffocating determination.

(I promised him.)

Kris felt the shift instantly. The warmth of the moment shattered as their own body locked up. Their hand, moving entirely against their will, slowly reached into their pocket.

Wait. Stop. What are you doing? Kris screamed in their own mind, panic flooding their veins. Not now! Please! The words sent a chill through the Soul. They had never heard Kris speak like this; it was so desperate, so emotional...

But the Soul didn't answer. Their fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the razor.

(No matter what it takes.)

The Ferris wheel carriage reached the very top. The ride stopped to let passengers on below. They were suspended in the sky.

Berdly turned back from the view, noticing Kris’s rigid posture. "Kris? Are you alright? You look pale."

Kris’s arm moved. They pulled the razor from their pocket, the small blade catching the neon lights.

Berdly’s eyes widened, his beak falling open in confusion and rising terror. "Kris... what is that? What are you doing?!"

STOP IT! Kris fought with everything they had, throwing their mental weight against the invisible chains binding their limbs. But the Soul was too strong, its will stronger than iron, its grip tight enough to crunch the metal casing of the blade. The desperation was too absolute.

With a hollow, robotic movement, Kris stepped forward in the swaying carriage. They didn't aim the blade at themselves. They didn't aim it at Berdly.

They raised the blade high above their head, aiming down at the very fabric of the world beneath them.

The Soul closed Kris’s eyes, picturing Castle Town. Picturing him.

Then, they drove the blade down.

A sickening shatter echoed through the air, louder than the festival music, louder than the screams. It wasn't the sound of metal hitting metal. It was the sound of reality tearing open.

A geyser of pure, inky blackness erupted from the invisible wound in the air. It shot downward, plunging into the earth below, spreading like a drop of ink in a glass of water.

Berdly screamed, clutching the metal bars as the carriage violently shook, the sky instantly turning a bruised, unnatural purple.

The darkness poured over the Ferris wheel, bleeding into the festival games, swallowing the lights, swallowing the town. It rushed outward in a roaring tide of shadow, rushing over everything in its path, swallowing stands and rides alike, all the same to the tsunami of shadow.

The Soul reached its hand deep into Kris’s chest, clutching at a soul.

Kris had removed their soul hundreds of times over, but this time felt different. They felt pressure from all angles, like they were the ones being squeezed by a massive hand. The Soul pulled, and Kris's vision blacked out. Their sense of touch and smell began to dull. The string of connection that tethered their soul to their body was pulled taut, and it began to fray.

As the intrusive hand began its journey outwards, the soul that sat in their clutches didn't look how the red Soul usually did. The glow was softer, more refined, looking more like the souls that they had seen in textbooks about humans in the past.

Putting two and two together, Kris finally realized what was happening. Their mouth opened in a scream, only to be replaced with deafening silence. Kris’s original soul came out with a sickening squelch, causing their body to slump over.

Berdly, who had been frozen in horror the whole time, finally moved to Kris’s side, shaking them urgently.

“Kris!! Kris, what is this?! What is any of this?! WAKE UP!!” Berdly shouted, emotion clouding his voice.

The shoulders he was holding suddenly tensed up with life, and the body sat up straight.

Berdly sighed with relief, but before he could start to speak, he froze in place.

Kris’s expression wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. It was a grin of pure joy and ecstasy, their usually mellow and hidden eyes wild and filled with determination.

Berdly stumbled back, his spine slamming against the opposite side of the carriage. The person sitting across from him looked like Kris, dressed like Kris, but the sheer, unadulterated triumph radiating from their face was entirely alien.

Between them, hovering in the cold, violently swirling air, was a faintly glowing heart. It pulsed erratically, shivering as if exposed to freezing weather, dimming with every second it spent disconnected from its home.

Berdly stared at the glowing anomaly, his beak trembling. "Kris...?"

A voice—strained, echoing, and stripped of all physical form—pushed its way directly into Berdly’s mind. It was Kris’s voice, but it wasn't coming from the grinning teenager sitting on the bench. It was coming from the floating light.

“Berdly...” the voice pleaded, frantic and weak, desperate to protect the friend they had just started to understand. “Get away from it.”

Berdly’s eyes darted from the pulsing heart to the body. He scrambled backward, pressing himself as far into the corner of the carriage as physically possible.

The body didn't even look at him.

Flexing its fingers, the entity driving Kris’s bones reveled in the intoxicating feeling of absolute, uncontested control. No resistance. No fighting for the reins. Just pure freedom.

Empowered by the roaring, unnatural winds of the erupting Dark Fountain, the body stood up. The carriage tipped wildly under the sudden movement, but the entity didn't lose its footing. It stepped effortlessly onto the metal railing of the carriage, the bruised, purple sky swirling violently above them.

With a final, ecstatic smile aimed toward the spreading abyss below, the body rose completely off the metal bar, defying gravity as the dark magic swallowed the festival.

Without a single word, or even a backward glance, it launched itself into the sky, zipping away into the expanding tsunami of shadows like a bird that had been caged for far too long.

It left Berdly completely alone in the plunging dark, trembling in the wind, with nothing but a shivering, disembodied soul to keep him company.

Berdly took a look down from the Ferris wheel to see what had become of the landscape below.

The other festivalgoers were nowhere to be seen; all he could see were massive circus tents placed seemingly at random in a black void that stretched as far as the eye could see. The Dark Fountain gushed inky blackness into the air, still in the exact spot it was created, right next to the Ferris wheel.

From the little he remembered from his frantic research after their past adventures, they needed a human soul to seal it. The soul.

Unfortunately, the rogue entity had disappeared into the distance, nowhere to be found.

Berdly looked back at the shivering, faintly glowing heart hovering in the carriage. It looked so fragile, dimming in the cold wind of the dark magic. He knew the ancient, terrifying history of monsters absorbing human souls from textbooks, but actually doing it?

He reached a trembling, feathered hand toward the anomaly, his breath hitching. "I... I don't know if this is safe, Kris. What if—"

The soul didn't give him time to second-guess.

Sensing the danger, and perhaps sensing his fear, the soft light pulsed once. Then, with a desperate surge of speed, it shot forward, sinking directly into the center of Berdly's chest.

Berdly gasped, his spine slamming against the metal wall of the carriage. Heat bloomed from his center, entirely foreign and overwhelmingly intense. It wasn't just the familiar hum of magic; it was a heavy, grounding weight. A second, steady heartbeat drummed fiercely against his ribs. He looked down, watching in shock as his festival clothes dissolved, replaced by his gleaming Dark World armor—but it felt different. Sharper. Humming with an energy that made his feathers stand on end.

He could feel determination flowing through his entire body. It felt like he could tear the Ferris wheel down with his bare hands.

The carriage gave a violent, metallic groan, tilting dangerously as the fountain's winds battered it.

"Right. Egress. Immediately," Berdly stammered.

He climbed onto the edge of the carriage, intending to carefully jump to one of the massive tent tops below. He braced himself, bending his knees, and pushed off.

The sheer, unbridled force of the human soul betrayed him completely. He didn't jump. He launched himself like a cannonball.

He sped toward the black earth at a terrifying velocity, the wind roaring in his ears. Caught entirely off guard by his own strength, his mind went blank. He let out a panicked, distinctly un-heroic squawk, squeezing his eyes tightly shut and bracing his wings for the inevitable, agonizing snap of bones.

BOOM.

The impact sent a shockwave through the air, rattling the nearby circus tents.

Berdly kept his eyes squeezed shut for a long, agonizing moment. He waited for the pain. He waited for the game-over screen.

He felt... fine?

When he opened his eyes slowly, the first thing he noticed was the dust settling around him. He looked down, blinking in pure shock at the fractured, spider-webbing crater beneath his boots. He flexed his knees. He felt like he had merely stepped off a sidewalk, not plummeted from the apex of a carnival ride.

He stood up straight, staring at his gloved hands in total awe before looking out into the horizon, right in the direction the rogue Soul had flown. His eyes steeled with a newfound, terrifying level of determination.

(Nice.) Kris commented from his mind, their voice echoing with deadpan approval.

Berdly flinched so hard he nearly tripped out of his own crater, his face flushing violently as a snort reverberated in his head from his… guest.

Regardless, the pair had work to do. Fun could come later. The rogue Soul needed to be found, and the fountain needed to be sealed.

No matter what it takes.

Chapter Text

The sky in Castle Town was dark.

Ralsei stared out of his window, gazing at the endless expanse of the sky, waiting for something, anything to occupy his mind.

Before the start of the prophecy, before meeting his friends and beginning their adventure, at least he had something to look forward to. He was created with the prophecy imprinted into his mind, its words coming to him as naturally as walking. He was always certain that it was real, that the heroes were coming, so his days didn't feel as empty. He was preparing.

Sure, there were plenty of downsides to his previous situation. He knew everything to come before it happened, every bad ending, every friend who would perish if the wrong path was taken. But right now, staring into the quiet, unchanging void, the silence felt heavier than any prophecy.

Then, the ground violently lurched.

Ralsei yelped, tumbling backward as his room shook. Books tumbled from his shelves. Outside, the usually calm townsfolk let out cries of alarm. Ralsei scrambled to his feet and rushed to the window, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Far in the distance, beyond the borders of his domain, the sky was tearing open.

A jagged, suffocating pillar of inky blackness speared into the heavens. Neon lights—sickly greens, blinding purples, and unnatural yellows—bled through the cracks in reality.

"No," Ralsei breathed, gripping the windowsill. Images of titans spread through his mind like wildfire, marching over the landscape, darkness roaring behind them like a tsunami wave, darkeners and lighteners alike lost forever. 

He didn't wait to grab his supplies. He bolted down the castle stairs, sprinting past panicked Swatchlings and confused Rudinns, making a beeline for the Great Doors that connected their town to the rest of the Dark World. They had been blown wide open by the sheer force of the new fountain.

Stepping through the threshold, Ralsei found himself standing at the edge of an endless, twisted carnival. Massive circus tents striped in black and red stretched as far as the eye could see. The air smelled of ozone, burnt sugar, and dark magic.

"Kris?!" Ralsei called out, his voice swallowed by the ominous, booming carnival music echoing from the sky. "Susie?!"

Footsteps approached through the settling dust.

Ralsei sighed with immediate relief. A familiar mop of brown hair, pink scarf, and knights armour emerged from the shadows of a nearby tent. "Kris! Oh, thank the Light, you're here! Did you see what happened? We have to seal—"

Ralsei’s voice died in his throat.

Kris stepped fully into the neon light, and every instinct in Ralsei’s body screamed that something was wrong. Kris didn't slouch. They weren't dragging their feet. They walked with perfect, terrifying posture, almost gliding over the cracked earth.

And their face...

The shadow that always hung over Kris's eyes was gone. Their eyes were wide open—a piercing, bright crimson—staring directly at Ralsei with an unblinking, manic intensity. A massive, ecstatic grin stretched across their face.

"Ralsei!" they cheered, their voice lacking any of Kris's usual raspy exhaustion. "I told you I'd come back!"

Ralsei took a subconscious step backward. "Kris...?"

"Look what I made for us!" The entity threw Kris's arms out wide, gesturing to the apocalyptic circus around them. "A whole festival! Just like I promised! We can go on whatever rides you want!"

"Wait, you made this?!" Ralsei's ears pinned flat against his head. "Kris, what are you doing? A new fountain could unbalance everything! We have to close it before—"

"Don't worry about that right now!" They interrupted, lunging forward and grabbing Ralsei's paws. Ralsei flinched. Their hands were freezing cold, and their grip was like iron.

"But Kris, this is dangerous—"

"Stop calling me that," they snapped. The smile flickered for a fraction of a second, replaced by a flash of annoyance. "I'm not them. Not anymore. I'm finally free, Ralsei. Do you have any idea what they did to me? They locked me in a rusty birdcage! They hit me with a hockey stick! I dragged them kicking and screaming through the apocalypse, weakening Titans with my light, and they fought me every single step of the way!"

Ralsei trembled, staring into those wide, unhinged red eyes. Could this really be the same somber soul that he talked to all that time ago in castletown? The same soul that spoke sadly about watching the world go by, was now in front of them, their usually expressionless face in a joyful grin, like this was the best day of their life. 

The entity took a deep breath, the manic smile snapping back into place as if the outburst had never happened. "But that's over now. Today is just for us. A few games couldn't hurt, right?"

Ralsei looked at the terrifying, unnatural world around them. The sky was churning. The music was deafening. It was wrong. It was all wrong.

But as he looked at the Soul's outstretched hand, a strange warmth bloomed in his chest. Someone did all of this... for me? They had torn open reality itself just to keep a promise. Just so he could see a festival.

An image of Susie flashed in his mind, grinning her sharp, toothy grin. “Who cares what's right, Ralsei? When do you get to do what YOU want?”

Ralsei looked back up at the wide, hopeful red eyes. For his entire life, he had served the prophecy. He had served the Lightners. He had never once chosen himself.

We can seal it later, he thought, firmly pushing the logical, responsible part of his brain into the darkest corner of his mind.

A genuine smile broke through his fear. He squeezed their freezing hands back. "Okay. Let's go."

…

Meanwhile, in a desolate, black void just outside the carnival's edge, Berdly was having an existential crisis.

He paced in a tight circle, his gleaming Dark World armor clanking with every step.

(So... yeah. That's the short version.) Kris’s voice echoed directly inside Berdly’s skull, flat and exhausted.

Berdly stopped pacing and pinched the bridge of his beak. "Let me comprehend this. You have been harboring a multi-dimensional, light-wielding parasite in your chest, which you occasionally lock in a birdcage?"

(Yeah. Pretty much. And it just stole my body to go on a date with Ralsei.)

Berdly stared into the abyss. "I see. And why would they do this?”

A sudden, uncomfortable shudder rattled Berdly's ribs—a physical reaction from the soul sitting inside his chest. Kris's mind flashed with vivid, damning memories: ripping the soul out onto cold bathroom tiles, shoving it into a rusty wagon, the sharp thwack of a hockey stick, and the suffocating darkness of a cabinet. A heavy, sickening wave of guilt washed through them as they realized exactly what had driven the entity to its breaking point.

(No reason!) Kris rushed, their mental voice highly defensive and entirely unconvincing. (Just pure evil. I never did anything to that thing.)

Berdly raised a skeptical eyebrow. He could literally feel the lie sitting heavy in his own chest, but he wisely chose not to press the issue.

(Look...) Kris's voice softened, the defensive edge melting into a different kind of shame. (I'm sorry I ignored your text this morning. I panicked. I didn't know how to face you after... everything.)

Berdly let out a long, weary sigh, adjusting his glasses. "And I apologize for my theatrical outburst in the classroom. In hindsight, it seems our morning anxieties were fundamentally microscopic compared to... whatever this is." He gestured vaguely at the sky.

Before Kris could respond, a trio of Darkners burst from behind a pile of oversized dice. They looked like twisted carnival barkers, juggling flaming bowling pins.

"STEP RIGHT UP!" the lead barker shrieked. "KNOCK THE PINS, WIN YOUR LIVES!"

"Stand back, Kris!" Berdly declared, summoning his halberd. "My hand-eye coordination is in the 99th percentile. These adversaries stand no chance against my superior gaming intellect!"

Berdly hurled a magical projectile at the pins. It soared through the air with perfect aerodynamic trajectory... and completely curved at the last second, missing by a mile.

The carnies laughed hysterically, tossing more flaming pins. Berdly dodged, squawking as one singed his tail feathers. He threw another attack. Missed again. The game was entirely, undeniably rigged.

(The festival is every year,) Kris commented dryly in his mind. (How are you still this trash at this?)

Berdly froze, narrowly avoiding a fireball. He looked down at his boots, his bravado instantly deflating. "I... wouldn't know. I have never actually attended the festival before."

A heavy silence filled his mind. The warmth in his chest shifted awkwardly.

(Oh. Damn.) Kris mumbled. (Sorry for ruining your first one.)

"Don't be," Berdly said softly, a faint, genuine smile crossing his beak as he readied his halberd again. "Honestly... considering the apocalyptic stakes? This is, regretfully, fun."

(Okay, if they're gonna rig the physics engine, so are we,) Kris instructed. (Throw your next attack way over their heads. When they look, use your wind magic.)

Berdly’s grin widened. "A tactical diversion. Brilliant."

He wound up and hurled a massive burst of energy straight into the sky. "Behold! The ultimate technique!"

The three carnies paused their juggling, craning their necks upward to watch the glowing projectile sail harmlessly into the clouds.

While they were distracted, Berdly swung his halberd in a wide arc, summoning a localized, violent gust of wind that swept right across the booth. The flaming pins toppled over instantly with a satisfying clatter.

The carnies whipped their heads back around. "HEY! You cheated!" they yelled in unison.

"Skill issue!" Berdly squawked, already turning on his heel. He sprinted away into the carnival, dodging between tents as Kris’s breathless laughter echoed in his mind.

Turning into an ally, Berdly leans against the wall, wheezing with laughter. He could hear Kris, not really hear, but feel Kris’ laughter. This was truly a rare occasion, getting a smirk out of Kris took a lot, a snort of amusement was rarer, and a full laugh… well, lets just say the sample size was even smaller. 

…

Deep in the heart of the carnival, the Soul was facing a similar problem, though their solution was much less subtle.

They were standing at a towering "Ring the Bell" strength tester. The Soul had swung the massive, oversized mallet twice already. Both times, no matter how hard they hit the base, the puck stopped an inch below the bell. The carnie Darkner running the booth crossed his arms and snickered loudly.

The Soul narrowed their eyes at the machine. They lowered the mallet and turned to Ralsei, a devilish smirk crossing their face.

They leaned in close. "Check this out," they whispered.

The Soul gripped the handle of the mallet with both hands. They didn't just swing; they pulled pure, unadulterated determination from the very core of their being, channeling the reality-bending magic of the fountain directly into Kris's muscles.

They brought the hammer down.

The impact sounded like a bomb going off. The shockwave blew the carnie's hat clean off his head. The hitting platform didn't just depress—it completely shattered, exploding into a shower of splinters and gears, leaving a smoking crater in the ground. The puck shot upward so fast it punched straight through the bell and disappeared into the bruised purple sky.

The carnie Darkner froze. His jaw dropped so far it practically unhinged, his eyes bulging out of their sockets in comical, paralyzed shock. He looked like a statue completely short-circuited by the display of power.

The Soul casually stepped over the smoldering wreckage and reached into the prize bin. They bypassed the standard bears and grabbed the biggest prize available: a massive, incredibly fluffy Ralsei plushie.

"This is definitely the best plushie money can buy," the Soul declared, tossing it to the real Ralsei. "Run!"

They grabbed his paw and bolted into the crowd, leaving the carnie still frozen in place, mouth agape.

They ducked into a dark, quiet alleyway between two massive tents, leaning against the canvas as they caught their breath. The booming music was muffled here.

Ralsei panted, clutching the giant plushie against his chest. He looked down at the toy, perfectly stitched and impossibly soft, then looked back up at the entity wearing Kris's body.

In the dim light of the alleyway, those red eyes were wide and bright. The manic, terrifying grin they had worn earlier had softened into a gentle, breathless smile.

Ralsei stared into those open eyes. Earlier, they had terrified him. But now, looking at the sheer joy radiating from them, the fear melted away completely, replaced by a sudden flutter of butterflies in his stomach. This was the person who had comforted him in the dark. This was the person who listened to his fears when no one else would. This was his friend, finally getting to experience the world without looking through the bars of a cage—and helping Ralsei escape his own.

Ralsei felt stupid for ever being afraid of them. 

A warm, radiant smile spread across the prince's face. He clutched the plushie a little tighter, and for the first time all day, he didn't worry about the fountain, or the Roaring, or what was right.

He just smiled back.

Chapter Text

The deafening, looping carnival music began to muffle the deeper they ventured into the maze of tents. Berdly pushed aside a heavy, velvet curtain, stepping into a dimly lit corridor. The air inside was stagnant, smelling sharply of ozone and old dust.

Lining the walls, curving in impossible angles and stretching endlessly into the dark, were mirrors. Hundreds of them.

"A Hall of Mirrors," Berdly muttered, his boots clicking against the checkered floor. "A classic, albeit cliché, carnival staple. I suppose we just need to adhere to the 'right-hand rule' to solve the maze."

(Wait. Stop.) Kris’s voice echoed in his chest, sharp and sudden. (Look at the glass.)

Berdly paused, turning to face a large, gold-framed mirror to his right. He adjusted his glasses. He expected to see his own gleaming armor, or perhaps the distorted, glowing red soul sitting in his chest.

Instead, the glass was completely clear, like a window looking into another room. Or rather, another night.

In the mirror, Kris’s body was walking down the empty streets of Hometown. The moon hung high in the sky. Berdly watched as the reflection of Kris approached the school, raised a fist, and drove it squarely through the glass of a locked window, sending shards of glass everywhere, breaking even the thick oak frame like it was plastic.

"Kris..." Berdly breathed, taking a step back. "Why are you vandalizing public property in this reflection?"

(I didn't...) Kris’s voice shot back, laced with rising panic.

Berdly swallowed hard, the reality of Kris's lack of autonomy settling uncomfortably over him. He tore his eyes away and kept walking, but the maze only grew tighter, the mirrors angling inward to trap their gaze.

As they rounded a corner, the next set of mirrors flared to life.

It was the Dreemurr bathroom. The morning of the festival. The reflection of Kris’s hand reached into the medicine cabinet, fingers brushing past toothpaste and bandages before closing around the cold metal of a shaving razor. They closed the cabinet, the mirror showing their usual expressionless face cracking into a hopeful smile, before the image faded, settling back into a normal reflection.

Berdly froze.

(It planned this,) Kris whispered, horror creeping into their mental voice. (It had it all morning. While we were at the ring toss... while we were on the Ferris wheel... it was just waiting for the right moment to tear everything open.)

"A premeditated strike," Berdly said quietly, his grip tightening on the shaft of his halberd. "They used us. They used the festival as a distraction."

(Let's just get out of here.)

Berdly picked up the pace, taking a sharp left, then a right, trying to navigate the dizzying reflections. But the mirrors were changing.

They were no longer showing objective events. The glass began to take on a sickly, pulsing crimson tint.

Berdly glanced at a mirror on the ceiling. It showed Susie laughing on the Dreemurr couch, throwing a pillow. But the angle was wrong. It was restricted, claustrophobic, framed by the rigid edges of Kris's own vision.

In the next mirror, it was Toriel, smiling warmly at Kris in the kitchen—but the mirror glowed green with envy.

A dull roar began all around them, just barely audible over Berdly's metal boots.

Then, the mirrors locked onto Berdly.

Every surface in the corridor suddenly shifted to show the same timeline. It was the two of them. Studying in the library. Kris laughing at a terrible joke. Berdly handing Kris a controller. Kris handing Berdly the blue stuffed bird at the ring toss. Despite the situation, Berdly smiled warmly at the memories, but it seemed the mirrors didn't share his sentiment.

The edges of the reflections were bathed in a suffocating, violent red aura. The glass itself warped, capturing the agonizing, visceral feeling of being trapped behind a window while someone else lived your life. The visual of Kris smiling at Berdly in the reflection felt utterly hollow, drowning in a rising tide of silent, screaming resentment. It was the pure, unfiltered jealousy of a spectator forced to watch a movie they couldn't turn off.

"This is..." Berdly started, his voice trembling slightly.

(It hated this. All of this,) Kris realized, a heavy, sinking feeling dropping into Berdly's chest.

The corridor began to hum.

It didn't start loud. It was a low, sickening thrum beneath Berdly’s boots, like a heartbeat trapped under the floorboards. The images in the mirrors shifted again, the red tint bleeding darker as the reflection plunged into the evening twilight.

Every mirror around them now displayed the same, suffocating scene: The Ferris wheel carriage. Suspended high above the town.

Berdly watched his own reflection leaning forward, his face stripped of its usual bravado, saying, "I'm glad you came, Kris. Truly."

At his words, the thrumming vibration grew louder, rattling the massive wooden frames. The anger radiating from the glass was palpable, rising in temperature until the air in the maze felt like an oven.

Then, the reflection began to glitch.

As Berdly’s mirror-self spoke, the image violently flickered. For a fraction of a second, the blue feathers and glasses melted away, replaced by white fur, green robes, and a bright pink scarf fluttering in the wind.

Berdly gasped, taking a step backward.

The mirror glitched again. Berdly. Ralsei. Berdly. Ralsei. The flashes grew faster, frantic and desperate. The Soul had been actively rejecting reality, forcefully wishing the person sitting across from them was someone else, wishing that they could even exist at all.

The hum swelled from whispers into screams. The red aura flared blindingly bright, consuming the images completely until the mirrors were just walls of vibrating, furious crimson light. Every mirror contained the exact same image. It looked like Kris, but incredibly different; the human in the mirror stood straight with a slight smile, and Kris’s signature green-and-yellow stripes were grey and monochrome, along with the rest of their outfit. The entity in the mirrors reached toward them, its hand pressing against the glass.

(Cover your eyes!) Kris screamed.

The pressure in the air plummeted, sucking the breath right out of Berdly's lungs. He threw his arms over his face, curling his wings tight around his body just as the building gave way.

CRACK.

It wasn't just the mirrors. The entire funhouse imploded.

The ceiling, the walls, and the velvet curtains collapsed inward with the force of a vacuum. A tidal wave of silver shards, splintered wood, and torn canvas crashed down on them in a violent, terrifying whirlwind of destruction. The roar peaked into a concussive blast that shook the very foundation of the Dark World, with red mist rising into the sky and dissipating in seconds.

For a long, agonizing minute, there was nothing but the sound of raining debris.

Slowly, the dust began to settle. The quiet tink... tink... of falling glass echoed into the open air.

Berdly lowered his arms, coughing as the smoke cleared. He blinked, completely disoriented.

They weren't in a hallway anymore. They weren't even in a tent. The entire funhouse had been wiped from the map. Berdly found himself standing in the exact center of a massive, empty city block. There were no walls, no curtains—just a sprawling, glittering crater of shattered glass and pulverized wood spreading out in every direction beneath the bruised purple sky.

Berdly exhaled a shaky breath, brushing a jagged shard of glass off his pauldron. He stared at the empty, devastated lot around them.

"Well," Berdly said, his voice entirely devoid of its usual arrogance, barely a whisper over the wind. "I believe the underlying message of that exhibit was quite clear."

In his chest, Kris was completely silent, the weight of the shattered glass perfectly mirroring the heavy, terrifying guilt settling over them.

(We need to go,) Kris finally muttered, their voice thick and unsteady.

Gripping his halberd, Berdly stepped carefully over the remnants of the Soul's rage, leaving the crater behind and marching back into the dark.

The crunch of shattered glass under Berdly’s boots was the only sound for a long while as they left the crater behind. The neon glow of the circus tents slowly swallowed them once again, but the silence between the two of them felt heavier than before.

Berdly glanced down at the faint red glow radiating through his chest plate.

"Kris," Berdly started, his tone uncharacteristically cautious. "Has it always been like this? So volatile? Could you not have anticipated a... rebellion of this magnitude?"

(No,) Kris shot back defensively. (It usually just does what it's told. Or, at least, it didn't have a choice. I didn't know it could literally rip its way out of my body and tear a hole in the sky!)

"But what about its nature?" Berdly pressed, adjusting his glasses as he navigated a cluster of oversized, discarded popcorn buckets. "Its personality? In the mirrors, it didn't seem like a mindless entity. It seemed... deeply resentful. Did it ever try to communicate with you?"

(It's an evil parasite,) Kris snapped, the sudden burst of anger rattling Berdly's ribs. (End of story.)

Kris’s mental voice was loud, but beneath it, Berdly could feel the frantic, heavy heartbeat of guilt. Berdly frowned, his gaze locked forward. He didn't push the issue. But after what he had seen in the mirrors—the suffocating perspective of a passenger trapped behind a window, watching someone else live their life—he wasn't entirely convinced by Kris's villainous framing. Parasites don't feel jealousy, Berdly thought. They don't long to hold hands on a Ferris wheel.

Before Berdly could ponder the philosophical implications of soul-biology any further, a loud crash echoed from the nearby tents.

"HEY! BACK OFF, YOU FREAKY CLOWNS!"

The unmistakable, raspy roar of Susie tore through the carnival music.

Berdly and Kris didn't even need to exchange a word. Fueled by a synchronized burst of determination, Berdly broke into a dead sprint, his halberd materializing in his grip.

They rounded a massive, red-and-white striped tent and skidded to a halt. In a dead-end clearing formed by stacked carnival cages, Susie and Noelle were backed against the wall. Three hulking, twisted carnie Darkners—wielding massive, spiked juggling clubs—were closing in on them. Susie was baring her teeth, her axe raised defensively over a terrified Noelle.

"Susie! Duck!" Berdly shouted.

Susie blinked, looking up just in time to see a blue blur blot out the purple sky.

Channeling the raw, concentrated power of the human soul in his chest, Berdly lept through the sky, aiming his halberd. He hung in the air for a fraction of a second, the blade of his halberd catching the neon lights, before bringing it down with catastrophic force.

He cleaved the lead carnie square in the back.

The impact was devastating. The Darkner exploded into a shower of torn tickets and red dust instantly. The shockwave of the strike blew the other two carnies backward into the tent walls, knocking them unconscious. The ground beneath Berdly spider-webbed, caving in to form a smoking, shallow crater.

Berdly knelt in the center of the destruction, halberd planted in the earth, one fist on the ground. A textbook, flawless superhero landing.

Complete, stunned silence fell over the alleyway. Susie’s jaw was practically on the floor. Noelle was staring with wide, unbelieving eyes. Even inside his mind, Kris was completely, utterly speechless.

Slowly, dramatically, Berdly stood up to his full height. He threw his cape over his shoulder, a smug, triumphant grin spreading across his beak. "Fear not, my friends! For the cavalry has—"

Berdly took a step forward to dramatically exit the crater. The toe of his armored boot clipped the jagged edge of the broken asphalt.

His arms flailed wildly in a desperate windmill motion, but the physics engine of reality was unforgiving. Berdly pitched forward and faceplanted directly into the dirt with a muffled, pathetic thud.

The silence held for exactly one more second.

Susie threw her head back and erupted into a booming, breathless roar of laughter. She leaned against her axe, clutching her stomach as tears pricked her eyes.

"Oh my god!" Susie howled, pointing at the groaning bird in the dirt. "You ruined it! You were ALMOST cool!"

Noelle slapped both hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently as she tried—and completely failed—to suppress her own giggles. Inside Berdly's chest, Kris lost the battle too, a snort of laughter echoing through Berdly's skull, doing absolutely nothing for his wounded pride.

"I miscalculated the structural integrity of the terrain," Berdly grumbled, pushing himself up and spitting out a mouthful of dirt. His face was burning brightly beneath his feathers. "Laugh all you want, Susan, but I did just save your lives."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Susie wiped a tear from her eye, finally catching her breath. She walked over and offered him a hand up. But as she pulled him to his feet, her amber eyes locked onto the glowing red shape pulsing through the center of his chest plate.

Susie froze. She looked at Berdly's chest, then looked around the empty alleyway. "Uh... Berdly? Where the hell is Kris? And why are you glowing like a traffic light?"

(I'm right here,) Kris projected their voice outward. It sounded hollow and echoey, radiating directly from the glowing soul.

Noelle shrieked, jumping behind Susie. Susie nearly dropped her axe. "What the actual—Kris?! Why are you… inside?!"

Over the next few minutes, Berdly and Kris gave them the highly condensed, incredibly concerning summary of the morning's events. The Ferris wheel. The razor. The ripped sky. The stolen body.

"So... let me get this straight," Susie said, pacing back and forth, rubbing her temples. "That red heart thing is you. And the weird, creepy Kris that walked away with your body... is the thing that usually controls you?"

(Yes,) Kris confirmed flatly.

"And to close this fountain and get out of here," Noelle chimed in nervously, wringing her hands, "we have to get... you... back into your body?"

"Precisely," Berdly nodded, adjusting his glasses. "We must track down the rogue entity, subdue it, and return the soul to its rightful vessel."

Susie's expression darkened, her grip tightening on her axe. "Wait a second. If that thing is piloting your body... and it went deeper into the carnival..." She looked at Noelle, panic flashing in her eyes. "Ralsei."

"Oh no," Noelle gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Ralsei probably came right away!" Susie yelled, her teeth grinding together. "If that psycho parasite thing finds him, it could do anything! He's in terrible danger!"

A loud, deeply unimpressed snort echoed from the glowing soul in Berdly's chest.

Susie blinked. "Did you just snort at me?"

(Ralsei is fine,) Kris said, their voice dripping with dry, cynical amusement.

"How do you know?!" Susie demanded. "That thing just tore open the sky!"

(Because,) Kris sighed, feeling the absolute absurdity of the situation wash over them. (It didn't tear open the sky to go on a killing spree. It tore open the sky because it wanted to take Ralsei to a carnival. Knowing those two, they're probably eating cotton candy on a carousel right now.)

Susie and Noelle just stared at Berdly's chest, utterly bewildered.

"What..." Susie muttered, blinking slowly.

…

The Soul and Ralsei sat close together on a painted wooden bench beneath a canopy of glowing, multicolored string lights. Between them rested a massive, glittering cone of spun-sugar cotton candy. They took turns tearing off fluffy pink pieces, the chaotic, booming blare of the carnival music having faded into a soft, atmospheric hum in this corner of the park.

"It kind of looks like you a little," the Soul said playfully.

Ralsei took a bite, a light dusting of sugar catching on his white fur. He looked genuinely, completely happy, his eyes crinkling at the remark. The Soul caught themselves staring and quickly looked away, a warm, entirely foreign feeling bubbling up in Kris's borrowed chest. They stole occasional, shy glances at the prince, perfectly content in the shared, comfortable silence.

Suddenly, a sharp twinge pulled at the Soul's core.

It wasn't physical pain, but a strange, metaphysical vibration—like a taut string being plucked across the expanse of the Dark World. Someone was tapping into the fountain's magic in a massive way. Their magic.

"I'll be right back," the Soul murmured, offering Ralsei a soft, reassuring smile. "Just... need to catch my breath for a second."

"Take your time!" Ralsei nodded cheerfully, happily picking at the cotton candy.

The Soul tore itself away, leaning their back against the far side of the bench. They let Kris's eyes flutter shut, reaching out along their invisible tether to locate the missing piece of their puzzle. Where was Kris?

Through the dark static of the realm, an image coalesced in their mind's eye.

Berdly. The blue bird was marching down a neon-lit dirt path, his halberd resting on his shoulder, his chest glowing with a familiar red light.

The Soul exhaled a quiet, physical sigh of relief, the tension leaving their shoulders. (Just the bird,) they thought dismissively. (Nothing to worry about. I can deal with him later.)

But as the vision lingered, the perspective widened, and the relief shattered into a million pieces.

Marching right behind the bird were two very familiar, very dangerous figures. Susie, her massive axe resting lazily over one shoulder, a feral, predatory grin on her face. And right beside her was Noelle, wringing her hands nervously.

The vision faded. Kris's eyes snapped open.

A cold sweat broke out instantly across the back of their neck.

Shit.

The Soul’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against Kris's ribs. They knew exactly what those two were capable of. They had guided Susie's raw, unbridled power firsthand. And Noelle... they shuddered. If those two found them, this perfect day wouldn't just end. It would be an execution.

The Soul forced a deep breath into Kris's lungs, fighting to keep their hands from shaking. They wiped their clammy palms on the fabric of their striped shirt, forcing the warm, breathless smile back onto their face as they turned around.

"You know what?" the Soul said brightly, abruptly standing up.

They reached out and grabbed Ralsei's paw, the prince gasping slightly. Their grip was just a fraction tighter than before, betraying a sliver of their spiking adrenaline.

"Sitting around is boring," the Soul declared, trying to keep the frantic edge out of their voice. "We should try something else! I saw a huge rollercoaster on... the exact opposite side of the park. Let's go!"

Before Ralsei could even process the sudden shift in energy or grab the rest of the cotton candy, the Soul was already pulling him down the neon-lit path, leading them as fast and as far away from the entrance as their borrowed legs could carry them.

A sickening, bitter knot tightened in their chest. It wasn't fair. They were the one who had patiently guided Susie's axe. They were the one who had comforted Noelle in Cyber City. They had meticulously chosen to spare every single Darkner along the way. They had even forced themselves to be nice to Berdly! All of it was their doing. And what did they have to show for it? Kris got to reap all the rewards, hoarding the hugs, the loyalty, and the friends, only to turn them all into weapons against the Soul the second they got the chance.

I don't want to fight them, the Soul thought frantically. And against Susie's raw power and Noelle's magic? I don't stand a chance. I'd be slaughtered.

But with every hurried stride, the heavy, cold weight of the blade bumped against their thigh inside Kris's pocket. The exact same blade that had just effortlessly torn reality open.

Suddenly, the panic stopped. Everything became terrifyingly crystal clear.

The Soul remembered Ralsei's grim warnings about the Roaring. About the colossal, apocalyptic shadows that slumbered deep beneath the dark, waiting to be pulled up from the depths. If this blade had enough power to carve an entire world out of nothing... what else could it carve out of the shadows?

A dark, desperate smile crept back onto Kris's borrowed face.

If I don't want to fight them?

Maybe I don't have to