Oh no, the C. Round transformed into a K. Round!" Ralsei shouted, he, Kris, and Noelle stared the now gigantic beast down as it shuffled in place, panting like a dog. "How did it get so big!?" Noelle asked, and Kris narrowed his eyes at the crown.
"K. Round? Crowned?" He asked, more so to himself than anything, but Noelle heard it, gasping to herself.
"Kris is right! It has to be the crown! Ralsei, do you have any ideas?" She asked, and the prince hummed, before smiling at Kris.
"Maybe if we bow to it, it will bow back?" He suggested. Kris and Noelle shared a look, before Kris put his sword away and bowed to the giant checker chip. Ralsei and Noelle followed suite, and the K. Round actually reciprocated it with a bow to match all three of them, loosening the crown by 33%.
"I think it's working, guys!" Noelle exclaimed, only for the K. Round to leap into the air, hovering over Kris. "KRIS! MOVE!" Noelle screamed, and the boy just barely rolled out of the way in time as the giant Darkner slammed into the ground, cratering it slightly.
Before Kris even had a chance to get up, the K. Round jumped into the air again, floating over him again. He tried to move again, but the creature slammed down before he could-
A barrier made of fluffy magic appeared above Kris, and the K. Round's descent was halted completely. Noelle rushed forwards, risking getting squashed as well to grab Kris's wrist and drag him out of the way. However, the three of them weren't expecting the Darkner to jump off the barrier and hover over the both of them.
Ralsei created another barrier of fluffiness, but the K. Round began to spin as it descended, acting as a drill and shattering the barrier nearly instantly. Kris got to his feet just in time to push himself and Noelle out of harm's way, just barely dodging the attack.
Noelle gasped, staring up at Kris, who gazed back down at her. His hair fell around their faces, making it so that the only thing she could see was his entire face-and the only thing he could see was hers. 'W-Woah…when did Kris get so…handsome?' she thought to herself, inspecting his face, her own getting red.
Her heartbeat began to speed up as she gazed into his intense eyes, admiring her features. 'When did his lips get so soft looking? He smells like his cape…he smells…really good…like apples and cinnamon.' she thought, her face just getting redder. What was going on? Why was her brain getting so…foggy?
He wasn't the baby faced prankster that he was as a child. No, he was almost an adult now, just like she was. His intense red eyes bore into hers and she found her heart rate increase even further as his eyes stared intently into hers.
Kris's already purple face resembled a cartoon grape at this point. 'She looks so soft…so cute…god, I want to kiss her. She smells so fucking good. Like gingerbread and eggnog. Noelle, what are you doing to me?' he thought, his inner voice growling.
Noelle's face continued to heat up as they stared into each other's eyes, before Kris snapped out of his trance. "S-Sorry…" he murmured, getting off of her and helping her up. Noelle tried to speak a few times, but her voice wouldn't come out.
She cleared her throat, finally getting her words out.
"I-It's okay." She whispered, blushing furiously. She then looked back at their enemy, pursing her lips. "I…maybe all three of us bowing isn't the answer? It's too fast for us to dodge consistently and it's not worth getting crushed just to win!" She said, and Ralsei hummed.
"My fluffy magic isn't made for defense. I can't hold him back for long, and you're…wait. You're pretty fast, right?" He asked, and she nodded. Ralsei reached into his cloak and took out a fully wrapped darkburger. "Use this to distract it! You can totally outrun it, right?" He asked, and she paused, looking over at Kris, who had regained his composure, but still looked shaken from their…interaction.
Noelle looked back at Ralsei and nodded, grabbing the wrapped burger and going back into formation. Kris looked over at his teammates, seeing that they were ready, though Noelle was…holding a burger? He debated on asking about it, but decided against it.
Instead, he pointed at the K. Round again, and the three of them bowed at it. It bowed back again, loosening the crown another 33%.
After they finished their act, Noelle ran forward, waving the darkburger in the air. "You want it!? You want it, don't you?" She asked. The K. Round was focused on her, and it jumped above her just as she began to sprint away, her powerful legs and hooves built for running. However, when the giant Darkner landed, it launched pieces of the ground into the air.
Noelle gasped as she looked up, seeing dozens of painful looking pieces of the great board heading down towards her. Just then, Kris ran up to her, holding his shield upwards with one hand and pulling Noelle into him with the other.
She nuzzled as close as possible to him out of instinct, flinching at the sound of the board pieces against his alabaster shield. Once the K. Round jumped again, Kris dropped his shield, grabbed her hand, and the two began running together. "Kris, it's coming down!" Noelle warned, and he nodded, before he slid to a halt hearing the Darkner slam into the ground.
Kris raised his shield up, looking at Noelle and hugging her close to him again. He tried his best not to flinch as he felt Noelle push her head into his chest, his cheeks bright purple. 'It's just for the fight it's just for the fight it's just for the fight.' he thought to himself repeatedly. He looked down at her, observing the way she grabbed onto his arms, either for safety or comfort. Either way, he was more than happy to help.
Thankfully, the K. Round finished its attack and jumped back into place, followed by Kris and Noelle running back to their spots as well. Kris pointed for the final time, and the three bowed at K. Round.
It bowed back again, loosening the crown the rest of the 34% and making it slip off his head and slide away. The K. Round then immediately shrunk back to its normal size, barking at them playfully once, before rolling away.
Noelle cheered, hugging Kris excitedly. "We did it! We beat it, Kris!" She yelled, and he smiled at her excitement. Ralsei laughed along with her, and Kris hugged her back, enjoying the moment.
"Wow, you guys are really something! That shield work was pretty neat, blue guy who's name I don't know!" Lancer laughed, before turning to Noelle. "Nice dodging, Noelle! That was pretty slick!" He complimented, and she smiled at him.
"Thank you, Lancer!" She yelled, waving at him. He laughed, before also rolling away. Noelle then exhaled, grinning at Kris. "That was so much fun! I feel like I was made for this, Kris!" She giggled, clearly still running off the energy from the fight. She then flexed her arm, rolling up her sleeve to reveal her toned arm. Oh. Right, she actually did things. "I can tell I'm getting better at this too!" She cheered, with Ralsei nodding along.
'She's so cute. I really want to kiss her.' he thought to himself, staring at her smile through his bangs. Her lips looked so soft and sweet-no, Kris. Stop it. This wasn't healthy. He couldn't obsess over this girl that obviously didn't like him back.
Noelle opened her eyes, looking back at Kris, her eyes swimming with joy. Aaand Kris was putty again. He had to forcefully stop his knees from wobbling for Christ sake. "Maybe we are. I think a white mage suits you, Noelle." He told her, and she blushed slightly, looking down at her robe and twirling around in it.
Kris caught her tail wagging and swore he was going to have a heart attack of sweetness. "Y-You think so? I have to admit, I like the robe…but your cape is…really nice too." She admitted, her face growing more red as she buried her face into it, exhaling softly.
Okay, Kris needed to focus on something else or else he was going to lose his mind. However, he just…couldn't turn away. Noelle smiled softly, enjoying the warmth of the cape. "So warm…" she murmured, humming at the feeling. Kris looked down, his face on fire. "It smells good too…" she mumbled, and Kris wheezed silently.
How did she not know what she was doing!? Kris felt like he was going to melt on the spot, and she didn't even need to look at him.
'I'm so fucked.' he thought, unable to look away from her. Hold on-was she marking it now!? Yep, Noelle was rubbing her face all over it. It was going to smell like her after. Kris smiled. 'Hell yeah.'
Noelle, suddenly realizing what she was doing, froze in place, a fire burning on her face. 'W-What am I doing!? This isn't mine, this belongs to Kris! I totally just marked his cape with my scent, what the hell is wrong with me!?' she shouted internally, before looking back down at the cape.
'Maybe he wants it back now?' she thought, before looking over at him and seeing him smiling at her. Her face grew even redder, and she hid her face into the cape. 'Oh my gosh he saw! That's so embarrassing…' she continued, before shaking her head.
"A-Alright, let's continue on! Oh-Ralsei, how much money did we get from that battle?" She asked, trying to distract from what had just happened. Ralsei smiled, hands clasped together behind his back.
"We won 337 Dark Dollars." He informed, and Noelle smiled, nodding at him. She then moved to the side, looking at Kris. "You can take the lead again. I had fun in front though!" She beamed, and he smiled at her, something that was happening more and more often.
"Are you sure? I don't mind if you're in front." He told her, and she shook her head. Kris then stepped past her, leading them out of the great board, and back into a field. There were 3 stalls above them, one with a Rudin, the second one with a Hathy, and the third one with…Lancer.
Kris walked up to the Rudinn first, who grinned at them. "Hey there, Lightners! Our boss told us to capture you, but we're on break! Want to buy a choco-diamond? Only 45 Dark Dollars! All proceeds go to Rudinns!" Kris perked up, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Noelle giggled behind him, saying something to Ralsei.
"Kris loves chocolate. Every time he even hears it, he wants some." She told him, and Kris nodded at the Rudinn, handing over the necessary funds and getting a large chocolate diamond that barely fit in the palm of his hand.
It vanished into hammerspace in a second, and Kris walked up to the next booth. The Hathy running it spoke some garbled nonsense, but there was a sign next to her that read Heart Donut-45 DD. Kris looked back at Noelle to see that she was looking at the sign, biting her lip. He smiled to himself, nodding at the Hathy.
After paying, he was handed a hefty heart-shaped donut, which he then gave to Noelle. "W-Wait, what? Kris, you didn't need…you already got me the dark candies! I don't need anything else…" she mumbled, and he took a step closer to her.
"You don't need to eat it…but I noticed you looking at the sign. Besides, these only cost 90 Dark Dollars. We still have plenty." He told her, and she bit her bottom lip, before grabbing the donut and taking a bite out of it.
Some of the jelly leaked out and landed on her chin, making her giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. After swallowing, she smiled at Kris. "It's really good! You want a bite, Kris?" She asked, holding the donut out towards him. He looked down at it, eyes wide.
"You don't need to share. I got that for you." He told her, and she grinned playfully.
"What, scared you're gonna get cooties? Come on, Kris! I don't mind, and besides, I don't think this food really fills us up anyways. I've eaten a couple things already and I don't feel full at all." She explained, before gesturing down at the donut with her eyes.
"Now have some! Noelle's orders." She joked, making Kris roll his eyes dramatically and grab the donut. Was it weird that he wanted to take a bite from where she did? Probably. Eh, whatever. Noelle made a silly face, playing up her reaction.
"Ew, Kris! I put my mouth there." She said, laughing softly. Kris blushed, unable to dodge the thought that Noelle's lips were the thing to make this so sweet. "It's good, isn't it?" She asked, and he nodded, holding the donut out for Noelle to take back.
Eagerly grabbing it and popping the rest of it into her mouth, she then used her thumb to get the jelly on her chin, sticking it in her mouth with a content hum. Kris had to actively peel his eyes away from her, walking over to Lancer's stall. He grinned at them, doing a twirl.
"Hey there, loyal patrons! Would you be so kind as to donate 45 Dark Dollars to fund my evil schemes?" He asked, and Kris shrugged, paying the gremlin child. He laughed victoriously, before running over to the stall that the Hathy ran and buying a donut. "Aw yeah! Nothing tastes better than evil!" He laughed, gobbling the donut down in one bite.
Noelle shook her head with a smile, Ralsei sighed in an unamused tone, while Kris stared, unaffected. The Delta-Warriors then continued to the next area, entering a crimson forest. Noelle looked around, inspecting the pretty shrubbery and beautiful trees.
"What a pretty forest! Look at all the-EEK!" Noelle shouted, leaping a foot into the air as a small rabbit burst from one of the shrubs, locking them in a battle. Noelle exhaled shakily, looking over at Kris, who stared at the two rabbits.
"Kris! These are Rabbicks, little bunnies made of dust! If we blow on them, maybe it will weaken them?" Ralsei suggested, and Kris gave a thumbs up, before pointing at them.
Noelle inhaled deeply, before blowing as hard as she could at one of the Rabbicks, blowing all of its protective dust away. Ralsei and Kris both blew at the second one, doing the same. The two Rabbicks then dashed forward, one of them zigzagging, while the other one flew straight at Kris.
He blocked it with his shield, bashing it backwards gently enough to not hurt it, but hard enough to stun it. The other one, however, jumped at Noelle, nibbling at her legs. "OW!" Noelle yelped, falling onto her butt and kicking at it, missing twice.
Ralsei launched a small fluffy attack at it, trying to blow it away, but it held on with it's teeth, burrowing them into her flesh. Noelle cried out in pain, and Kris growled, slashing at it. It yelped in pain, letting go and scurrying off. Ralsei looked slightly disappointed that Kris used violence, but quickly cast Heal Prayer on Noelle.
She winced as her flesh was mended together, exhaling once it was finished. She shakily got to her feet, barely even having enough time before Kris got onto one knee and inspected her wound. "K-Kris, Ralsei already healed it." She mumbled, and he nodded, standing up.
"Just making sure." He replied, before nodding at Ralsei, who smiled. Kris, Noelle, and Ralsei walked past, the dark prince stopping to pet the stunned Rabbick. It snapped out of its stunned state, before running away, squeaking gratefully at him.
Ralsei smiled at it, before catching up with the other two. Noelle gasped as they entered the next area, twinkling stars littering the air. "Wow…this is gorgeous! I wish Dad could come and see this, he would be so invested!" She laughed, before her father's current condition flashed in her mind.
She immediately frowned, her mood dropping considerably. "...Right. O-Oh, sorry! Let's go." She said, hiding her sorrow. Kris caught it though, sending her a worried glance.
Taking only a few steps, Kris and Noelle flinched as a dozen pairs of scissors fell from the sky, wearing…ballet shoes? They danced in a circle, leaving only a small opening that the three could just barely fit into. "How the heck are we supposed to get through that?" Noelle asked, nervously clutching her robe.
Kris hummed, bringing his index finger and thumb to his chin. Obviously, they could just walk in the small opening, but the path was narrow, so they would have to be in a single file line, which was risky due to just how small their opening was.
Kris then nodded to himself, getting an idea. "We can each go at separate times." He said, and Ralsei nodded, with Noelle frowning.
"That will work, but…what if one of us gets hurt? Can we heal each other from afar?" She asked, and Ralsei looked down.
"Only if they're close enough. This pathway is a bit too far for us to heal from one side to the other, so no, we can't. Noelle, you should go first. You're the fastest, so you could probably get this done quicker than all of us." He told her, and she gulped, looking at the path.
She then looked back at Kris, finding him staring at her with the same worried look she had. He blushed at being caught, and Noelle realized she was getting used to Kris's new antics. Gone was the kid that would relentlessly scare and prank her. Now here he was, barely able to speak to anyone except for her, and even then he had trouble.
Was he embarrassed? He should know he has nothing to be embarrassed about. She actually found it really sweet that he was so worried about her! So why was he so…skittish about it? Maybe that's just who he was. Well, prankster Kris or shy Kris, she would gladly accept any of them.
"Kris, would you like to give me your shield for a minute? For protection while I'm separated from you? That way you can still protect me, even when you're not in front of me." She said, smiling softly at him, knowing that the idea would comfort him.
"Yes." He answered immediately, handing her his pink shield. "You can borrow it whenever you want, too. Not just now." He told her, and she beamed, holding up the shield with a huff.
"Wow, this is kind of heavy…you're a bit stronger than you look, Kris." She commented, and he blinked, before looking to the side, making her giggle. Noelle then took a deep breath, turning and staring at the dancing scissors for a few seconds, dashing into the open space once she got the chance.
Noelle was unsurprisingly incredible at maneuvering in between the scissors, weaving in and out of the open spaces with ease, before she made it to the other side, exhaling. She turned around, waving to her friends at the start. Kris and Ralsei waved back, before Ralsei took a breath.
Using his fluffy magic to gain some updraft, he leapt in between the open spaces, surprising the two. Especially when he landed on the other side with a flip. "Woah! I didn't know you were so athletic, Ralsei!" Noelle commented, and Ralsei chuckled, adjusting his hat.
"I've had plenty of time to practice. Now it's your turn, Kris!" He called back towards the human, who nodded. Calmly, he walked through each space, not changing his pace at all. Ralsei stared, impressed, while Noelle grinned at the display.
Once Kris got to the final loop, however, he noticed something. The stars that twinkled in the air around them…didn't seem to exist in front of him. Having played a video game before, he took the risk of stepping onto the possible path just as the pairs of scissors danced by, not even grazing him.
"Great job, Kris! I think you found a secret!" Ralsei shouted, and Kris hummed, before following the path, leaving the other two's line of sight. Just as he turned the corner, though, a Rabbick jumped at him.
He tried to use his shield, only to remember that he had given it to Noelle to use. Reacting too late, Kris growled as the Darkner bit into his arm, powerful teeth tearing through his metal bracers. Blood drizzled down to the ground from his forearm, before he inhaled and blew on the Rabbick as hard as he could, sending it flying away, as well as knocking off its excess dust.
Grimacing at his new wound, Kris continued, turning left again and finding a chest. When he opened it, a cold chill went down his spine upon seeing the middle part of the pitch black key that Seam had given them a piece to. He picked it up, noticing how cold it was in his hand. He swore he could hear a high pitched chuckle in his ear, but when he turned around…nobody was there.
Suppressing a shiver, Kris went back to the main path, passing the final obstacle and seeing Noelle talking to Ralsei. "-So when you face the Dragon in the second game, he reveals that the dragon in the first game was actually his son, and now he's come to take revenge-oh, Kris is back!" Noelle said, smiling at him, only to freeze when she saw his wound. "Kris! What happened!?" She asked, hurrying over to him and grabbing his forearm, twisting it so that she could see his bite mark.
"Oh, it's because you didn't have your shield…" she murmured, and Kris winced.
"No, it's because I got sloppy. I let my guard down and it took advantage." He mumbled, making her huff.
"Kris, I know you. You never let your guard down." She said, and Kris's eyes softened beneath his bangs.
'If only you knew, Noelle…' he thought to himself. Noelle closed her eyes, placing her hands over his forearm. Kris's breathing hitched as the cool touch of her hand soothed his pain, before taking it away entirely.
Noelle smiled, taking her hands away to reveal his completely healed wound. There was a scar though, but it wasn't too noticeable. Kris then realized that he would have to be more careful. If Noelle saw any of his…other scars, then she would probably be horrified.
The thought of how she would react made him nauseous. She would probably blame herself in it all, too. Kris clenched his fists, making Noelle blink. "Kris?" She asked, and he stopped, his mind clearing.
"What?" He asked, and she frowned contemplatively.
"If I looked upset, would you do everything you could to make me feel better? Be honest, please." She asked, a serious look in her eyes.
Kris nodded instantly.
Noelle's subsequent smile was shaky. "Good. J-Just…please understand why I'm asking you this, then." She said, making him pause. She closed her eyes, taking a breath, before gazing into Kris's eyes.
"Kris? Do you…blame yourself? For…what happened?" She asked, her voice as soft as it always was when she spoke to him like this.
If she hadn't asked that question in particular, perhaps he could have afforded to be whisked away by her voice. Yet what she asked grounded him. She didn't even need to say what happened and he knew exactly what she was talking about. Kris didn't space out this time, didn't dive into a self-destructive tangent.
He just looked Noelle dead in the eyes and answered.
"No." He lied. Years of masking his emotions payed off in his gamble, and Noelle sighed in relief.
"Good…I-I was scared for a second. Everything that happened was such a blur, and…you can't be blamed for it. You were in hysterics when they found you-you were sobbing. I've never even seen you shed a tear before, but you were sobbing-"
"Noelle. Please." Kris whispered, his gaze lowered. "Not…here. Not in front of Ralsei. I-I don't…want to think about…that." He continued, a pleading look in his eyes.
Noelle bit her lip in worry. Had she gone too far? Kris looked desperate to stop talking about this. Maybe she hadn't thought this all the way through. "R-Right. Sorry…" she mumbled, looking to the side.
Ralsei then hummed loudly, alerting the two to him. "Hey guys, I think I see something over there." He told them, waving them over. Kris and Noelle made their way over to Ralsei, looking at the stone slab raised from the ground with three empty slots attached to it.
The trio ran over to it, with Noelle arriving first. She noticed a set of six stone plates with symbols painted on them. A diamond, and a spade. 3 for each symbol. "Another one of these, huh?" she hummed, remembering the puzzle that Kris quickly figured out a while ago to lower a set of spikes. Looking around, she quickly spotted a…hint?
There were three more plates on the wall next to the locked gate that was supposedly unlocked by this puzzle. However, for some reason, all of the symbols on the hint were blurred out, leaving only the colors.
Walking up to the sign in front of it, Ralsei read it aloud. "Thinest journeyeth stoppeth here, worms. Foreth the Duke of Puzzles haseth increasedst the challenge of this precarious puzzleth." He read in an unimpressed voice, before he adjusted his glasses, reading the smaller text at the bottom of the sign. "P.S. Thou arest so stupid that thoueth will neverst make it out aliveth. I also placedst a savage beast insideth with thou. Signedst, RK." He finished, before frowning.
"W-What did it say about a savage beast?" Noelle stammered. Just then, three white heads rose from the ground, each with three eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Noelle yelped as one of the faces looked at her, growling angrily.
"What are you looking at, deer? I'll devour you whole!" It roared, and Noelle paled beneath her fur, taking a step back. Kris stepped in front of her, glaring at the head. Before anything else could happen, Ralsei stepped in as well, smiling kindly at the first head.
"Sorry to bother you, ma'am. We were wondering if you happened to know the code to this puzzle?" He asked, and the beast huffed hot air out of its nostrils.
"I don't remember the code, but I know the first symbol was a heart. Now stop talking to me, before I eat you!" She shouted, ducking her head back underground. Ralsei then questioned the second head, which was far more somber compared to her fiery sister.
"Oh…I don't know the code…sorry I couldn't help you…I do know that all the symbols are different though…" she murmured, before slowly descending underground.
Ralsei then walked over to the final head, which smiled excitedly at him. "Hey there! Did you know that it's my birthday today!?" She asked, and Ralsei smiled back.
"That's great! Happy birthday." He cheered, before adjusting his hat. "Now, do you happen to know what the code to leave is?" He asked, and she hummed, before shaking her head.
"Nope! Ooh-but I do know that there isn't a club in it! I hope that helps!" She responded, popping her head underground.
"So that means it has to be heart, spade, then diamond!" Noelle said, and Kris nodded, quickly placing the stone tablets inside the slab and switching them accordingly.
The gate ahead opened with a loud mechanical noise, and Noelle grinned at Kris. "You did it, Kris! You've always been super good at puzzles, so it's nice to see that hasn't changed." She complimented, and he avoided her gaze.
"Ralsei did all the work. You even said the answer before me. All I did was put the tablets in." He mumbled, and she frowned.
"We both know you figured it out at the same time I did, if not earlier. Stop selling yourself short, Kris." She scolded lightly, and Kris still couldn't look her in the eyes.
"You're overestimating me, Noelle. I'm nothing special." He continued, making Noelle clench her hands into fists.
"Okay Kris, what is going on? You tell me you're fine, but then you keep doing these things that worry me-and I just…I just want to help you. Please, j-just let me help you…" she pleaded, tearing up.
He did it again.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
Why couldn't he stop messing this up?
'I was wrong…I-I can't do this.' he thought to himself. He took a step back his breathing speeding up. He looked at his shaking hands, and Noelle noticed them too. Her pleading look changed to a worried one, and she reached out to him
"Kris?" She asked, her voice breaking. Raising his hands to his head, Kris began to hyperventilate, sweat pouring down his face. He took another step back, only to bump into a wall…with three heads.
Kris flinched, falling backwards as a three headed beast towered over him. "He's cute!/He looks sad…/Let's eat him!" The three heads shouted in unison. Kris, in the midst of a panic attack, could do nothing but stare as one of the heads lunged at him-only to see a flash of white.
Noelle screamed in agony as the beast bit into her shoulder, its sharp teeth tearing deep into her magical flesh. Kris's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks as he heard her cry out in pain.
His body moved on its own, acting on nothing but rage and love. Drawing his spookysword, he screamed as he sliced one of its heads off, the neck instantly going limp. Ralsei gasped at the sight, covering his mouth in horror.
The beast roared in pain, fleeing and sobbing as it ran. Kris panted, eye twitching. He looked down at the head that bit Noelle, growling and grinding his teeth together. He raised his blade, pointing it downwards without thinking. Ralsei's eyes widened behind his glasses, and he grabbed his scarf. A flash of something appeared above Kris as he drove to pierce the head with his sword and the ground with it.
SNAP!
Ralsei's scarf wrapped around the blade, halting its progress entirely. "STOP! DON'T MOVE ANOTHER INCH!" He yelled, making Kris and Noelle flinch, the latter biting her lip in an effort to hide her whimpers, which was barely working.
"It…hurt her." Kris gritted out, glaring at Ralsei, who was completely unshaken.
"Stop acting like a child!" Ralsei scolded, ripping the sword away from Kris with his scarf. "Reckless acts like that will get us all killed! I apologize for my tone, but please think before you act, Kris." Ralsei said, quickly schooling his tone.
Kris stared at Ralsei for a second, before looking down. He was right. He was acting like a child. Again.
"K-Kris-please can you-can…Kris?" Noelle asked, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
Kris froze, feeling as if his heart had stopped. Ralsei looked down, his eyes widening. "Oh dear." He mumbled.
Kris stumbled over to her still body, falling to his knees in front of her. "N-Noelle?" He asked, his voice breaking. A stray gust of wind blew by, picking up dust from her wound. Kris jolted, quickly grabbing her and shielding her with his body. He looked up at Ralsei, who had already raised his hand, a green glow appearing in his palm.
Slowly, her wound disappeared, but it left a dark visible scar on her shoulder. Kris covered his mouth, hiding a whimper. Fuck. Fuck! Her perfect body had been maimed. Permanently. And it was all his fault. "Noelle!" He cried, panic gripping at his soul.
"Why isn't she waking up? You healed her, right!? Why isn't she waking up!?" Kris shouted, glaring at Ralsei, who was frowning.
"Kris, she's just unconscious. She's fine. Give her a little bit of time, okay?" He asked, and Kris bit his lip, tears stinging at his eyes.
"Noelle…" he whimpered, hugging her close to him. "I'm s-so sorry…" he whispered, holding her tightly. "I-I can't do anything right, Noelle! I c-can't even protect you!" He finished, his tears falling down onto her shoulder. She mumbled something soft, and Kris froze.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, looking up at Kris. "Kris…?" She asked tiredly, and he exhaled shakily, pressing his head to her chest.
"You're okay…you're alright…thank god…thank god…" he whispered repeatedly, and Noelle blinked, slowly waking up more.
"K-Kris? Is…everything alright?" She mumbled, and he looked at her, making her gasp, waking up fully. Kris was…Kris was crying. Not just that, he was crying hard. Tears and snot dribbled down his face as he stared at her, mouth agape and eyes puffy and wide.
Kris suddenly hugged her, pulling her into the tightest embrace he had ever given her. "I-I was so scared that you…that you were…going to leave me…" he stammered out, his voice barely a whisper. Noelle frowned sadly, hugging him back and leaning into him.
"It's alright, Kris. I'm right here. You're not alone, Krismas. You never will be again." She whispered back, and Kris choked out a sob.
God he was so…raw like this. Noelle had never seen this side of him before. Even when he was worried, he was never stumbling over himself like this. He didn't hide anything from her. He thought she…died? How? What…happened?
It was then that she remembered. The three headed beast. It tried to eat him, but…she took the hit. She remembered the agonizing pain of having the magic muscles in her body torn through by sharp teeth, and her own breathing became shaky.
"I'm so sorry Noelle…" he whimpered-and he sounded so broken. Slowly, she sat up, guiding Kris to lay down. Soon, they ended up with Noelle resting on the grass on her knees, with Kris lying his head down on her lap. He couldn't even blush; he was out so fast.
She frowned, gazing at the tear tracks on his face. She placed her hand on his head, slowly rubbing her fingers through his scalp in an effort to soothe him. She frowned sadly at him, blaming herself for Kris's condition. She did go too far, and now he was suffering for it.
First she didn't do enough, now she's doing too much. Noelle bit her lip to stop the tears from appearing, gasping and flinching as Ralsei cleared his throat. She quickly looked down at Kris to check if he was alright, relieved to find that he hadn't woken.
"Sorry, Noelle, but…can you please wake Kris up? We should get going again." He said, and Noelle frowned. She opened her mouth to say no, only for Ralsei to smile pleadingly at her. "Please?" He asked, making Noelle conflicted.
She didn't want to wake Kris up. She didn't want to go yet, she couldn't. Not when Kris was like this-it wasn't right, but Ralsei sounded so desperate to just get this over with, and she bit her lip, not wanting to upset Ralsei.
Just then, she realized something.
So many times, she had missed out on the opportunity to do what she wanted-what she desired, all because she was so busy helping everyone else. She wanted to say no a lot, she really did, but she just…couldn't. She didn't like disappointing people, even if they were basically strangers.
But Ralsei wasn't the one on the ground right now, crying in his sleep.
Ralsei wasn't the one who just nearly watched his best friend die.
Ralsei wasn't the one who needed a break.
Lowering her head, Noelle whispered out a single word. "...No." she said, making Ralsei blink.
"I-I'm sorry-I couldn't hear you. What was that?" He asked, and Noelle looked up at him, glaring at him. He flinched, the cold ire in her eyes instantly making him feel small.
"I said no! I'm not waking Kris up. He needs this. He needs a break, Ralsei. Look at him!" She cried, her fingers still playing with his hair. Ralsei's gaze lowered to Kris, and he couldn't help but look away.
That was hard to look at. "Would you want us to just wake you up and continue if you were like this? How do you think Kris would react if you asked him to do that?" She asked, and Ralsei shivered at the idea.
Kris had shown that he was willing to do anything to stop someone from even inconveniencing her. Ralsei didn't even want to imagine the kinds of looks Kris would have given him.
Noelle huffed, before looking back down at Kris, continuing to massage his head. "It's okay, Kris. You have all the time you need. You've been so strong for me…now let me be strong for you." She whispered, her soft voice soothing him slightly. Idly, Noelle brushed his bangs out of his face, noticing how even in his rest, he looked so sad, even now.
"Oh, Kris…I wish I could…just know what you're thinking. Why do you feel the need to hide your pain? Don't you know I care?" She murmured, closing her eyes with a sigh.
She wasn't going to move an inch until Kris woke up. For now, though?
She simply ran her hand through his hair, eventually finding a soft tune to hum. Ralsei watched, an unreadable expression on his face. Slowly, he walked over to her, getting onto his knees as well. He looked down at Kris, hands in his lap.
"...How did you two meet?" He asked softly. She never looked away from Kris, smiling as she played with his hair.
"I remember it like it was yesterday. Someone told me my antlers looked like ugly sticks and pushed me. I was…always sensitive as a kid. I still am, honestly, hehe…" she mumbled, and her smile became more sentimental.
"Well, I was crying alone, and out of nowhere…he showed up. He just came out of nowhere and said Hey. It scared me when I was a kid, but…looking back on it, it's such a him thing to say." She started, a wistful smile on her face.
"He sat down next to me, asking why I was crying. I told him what happened, and he-he told me my antlers were pretty. That they h-had a nice color." she continued, tearing up as her emotions got the best of her. She laughed wetly, her tears streaking down her cheeks.
"We would play for hours while Azzy and Dess watched us…o-one time Kris convinced me to pretend that he hurt himself s-so that I could bring them over-and we-we scared them at the same time!" Noelle laughed, closing her eyes as she choked on her emotions.
Ralsei listened quietly, looking down at Kris's unconscious form. "You…really care about him, huh?" He asked, and she nodded silently.
"Other than my family…he's the only person that really knows me. Everyone at School sees me as this pure doe incapable of anger, but…that's not who I am. I'm a nerdy teenager that still reads Dragon Blazers fanfiction and plays Cat Petterz Unleashed on my computer. I procrastinate studying and homework sometimes, just like everyone else does." She said, sniffling softly.
"Only Kris knows these things. Not Berdly…not Susie…not even Catti." She finished, gently cupping his face. "I just…wish I knew how he felt about me." She whispered, and Ralsei blinked, turning to look at her.
'Does she…really not know? I mean it's pretty obvious that he's head over heels for her. There's no way she hasn't figured it out yet.' he thought to himself.
"He just…never shares how he feels. I wish…I could help him. Heal him. I want him to feel like how he's made me feel today." She whispered, caressing his face, not even realizing she was doing it. Once she did though?
Red colored her cheeks, but she didn't stop. She smiled down at Kris, playing with his hair and caressing his face at the same time. It…felt nice to hold him like this. She didn't know if she would rather have him awake or asleep for this…probably asleep. She would die in embarrassment if he was awake for this…especially when she remembered…
Noelle's blush deepened considerably, and she shook her head, clearing her mind of…that night. She vowed to never think of that night again…even though she constantly thought about it.
Alright, new topic. Looking down at Kris's face, she sighed sadly, thinking of all the time they missed together. They could have done so much in the 3 years that they didn't talk. So many memories to have been made…never to exist in the first place. The thought made her vision misty, so she thought of how happy she was to have him back in her life again.
He was…actually here. She wasn't just dreaming this time-no. Kris was actually…talking to her again. Not just that-he was smiling, too! He even laughed at one point!
Noelle couldn't help but grin at the thought, her rosy cheeks making Ralsei worried that she was going to pass out, before remembering that monsters didn't actually have real blood.
Then Kris woke up.