Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Noelle was used to being woken up.

Usually, it was just her alarm. She had to wake up early in the day to prepare for school. Noelle was a light sleeper, a trait that Kris had probably contributed to with their pranks, but she still had trouble getting up on her own. Living with Dess and spending so much time around Kris had also involved being shocked awake on more than one occasion, even if she never really got used to that.

* And I need to save you, but who's going to save me?~

Her room was almost pitch black. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting the familiar colours in an eerie mix of grays and silvers. What time was it? The frigid air in the house didn't help. Mom didn't like to waste money on heating, or so she claimed. Dess always said that she just liked the cold and didn't want to admit it. Noelle shivered. Not because it was cold, but because something felt wrong. Like she wasn't alone. It dragged her back to memories of when she was young, jumping at every shadow or scary story Kris told. And of that one time Kris hid under her bed to scare her.

* Please forgive me for whatever I do~

Somehow, she was sure she could hear singing. Or was she remembering a song? Noelle couldn't place the voice- what it sounded like, where it was coming from, anything. Was she really just imagining things? Hearing things? School had been a little stressful lately, but not that much!

* When I don't remember- oh, you're awake. Sorry, that's my fault, isn't it?

Not just singing- a voice. A voice that was talking to her.

"W-Who's there?" Noelle stammered. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to pierce the dark of her room to find who had spoken. The shapes in the darkness were suddenly looming and unfamiliar. At any moment, one of them would move and reveal itself to be something else entirely. Noelle pulled her covers close, as if it would somehow protect her.

* Let's just get this part over with.

She froze. Not by choice. All at once, Noelle's body stopped moving. She tried to scream, but her mouth stayed frozen shut. Her heart rate slowed against her will, muscles forced into relaxation. Numbness seeped into her veins. The encroaching calm only made her panic harder. What was going on? Why couldn't she move?

"Please don't scream." Noelle's own voice said. It didn't sound like her. The words that came were heavy and devoid of energy, dragged reluctantly from her mouth. "I don't want to wake your mother. I really am sorry about doing it like this, but there's no way to show you that isn't awful and I thought I might as well get it all out of the way right at the start. I'm going to give you the reins again, but I need you to try not to panic. I promise, I don't want to hurt you."

As suddenly as it had gone, sensation returned. Noelle recoiled and nearly slammed against the headboard behind her before the same numbing feeling rushed back. It didn't stay this time, shooting through her body just long enough to tilt her head forward and avoid the collision.

* Careful, there. Neither of us want the headache right now.

Noelle… did not scream. She did not. She clenched her jaw tight, curled inward, and dug her hands into the fabric of her blanket, and did not scream. She wanted to scream. But more than anything else, she didn't want to be alone right now. That if she called out, somebody would be there to comfort her.

* You can talk, and I'll answer. Or just think of your questions, and I'll hear.

For a moment, Noelle said nothing. She waited for the voice to do something. It did not. The wind outside whistled through the trees. Finally, she spoke.

"W-What are you?"

Weary laughter echoed in her head. * Starting off with the tough ones, I see. I'm… a spirit? Not a ghost, but a disembodied force. They paused, and Noelle heard a gentle tapping sound from behind her. * I was called here from somewhere else to accomplish a task, and I need your help.

Somewhere in the house, the floor creaked. Was Noelle going crazy? Hearing voices? Losing control of her own body? It was either that… or it was all true. She'd been possessed by something.

* Do you have another question to ask? The voice said. Noelle blinked. She hadn't noticed how long she'd been quiet after its last answer. It was all just so much…

She swallowed, and asked "What do you need my help with?"

* There is a disaster coming. I want to stop it, and I can't act without a body. I had a partner before you, but we recently separated and you were the only other viable candidate.

"Partner? Candidate?" Noelle repeated. That was an oddly nice way of referring to somebody you were controlling. It was something for her mind to catch on other than the fact that the voice in her head was now telling her about the apocalypse. S-She wasn't actually going crazy, right?

* It's a bit euphemistic, sure, but I can't think of any better ways to phrase it off the top of my head. "Host" makes me sound like a parasite or something and "Vessel" is just… a creepy thing to call a person. The voice shuddered. It was strange, voices shouldn't have been able to do that. But it did. * So "partner" it is.

"So we're… partners, now." Noelle accepted with a sigh. What else could she do? This all felt like something that should have happened to somebody else. Not that she wanted somebody else to get possessed, she just- Noelle wasn't new to finding weird secrets or to creepy things happening. "But why me? I'm not… you wanted to stop a disaster? I don't know how to do that. I don't know if I can help you."

* You can. For a moment, for those two words, the voice no longer sounded worn-down. Despite the absurdity of the situation, despite the insanity of it, Noelle felt a trace of warmth push away the house's cold air. * But as for selecting you, it was more about compatibility than anything else. I needed somebody willing and ready to help someone who they barely know… who also wouldn't shy away from something new and unfamiliar.

Noelle thought that was an overly optimistic way of describing her. She just liked helping people and had some weird hobbies. Was that really so rare? But the voice sounded more confident than Noelle felt. If it really thought she was special, she didn't have the will to argue. "But I still don't know how I can help, even if that's true."

* Don't worry about that. You're stronger than you think. And besides, The voice paused and Noelle got the strange impression that the speaker was smirking. * I'm not exactly powerless. I'll be able to give you all the tools and information you need to succeed.

"Well, that's… good?" Assuming this was all real and Noelle wasn't actually hallucinating. The voice sounded confident that they could handle whatever was coming. This was all too overwhelming, but at least somebody knew what they were doing here. Never mind the worrying implications of what might have been a possessing spirit having more power.

* Just trust me to take care of everything. the voice said with an air of finality. Noelle wasn't quite sure, but what else could she really do? For now, she'd put her faith in the voice in her head.

...gosh, she really did sound like a crazy person.

* Now, I'll let you head back to sleep soon, but there's two more things I need to do before that. First, I don't want this partnership to be all take and no give. If you have any requests to make of me, I will do my best to fulfill them.

"I… wow. Is this going to be one of those 'corrupted wishes' stories where everything I ask for gets granted in some awful way?" she half-joked. That felt more fitting than actually getting what she wanted.

* Good to ask, but no. I'm not exactly all-powerful, so keep your wishes small-scale, but I will try and do right by you.

"I don't even know what I'd ask for."

A lie, to the voice and herself. There were too many things Noelle could ask. Too many for that moment. The night air fell still and cold in the silence that followed. When the quiet carried on just a moment too long, Noelle wondered if she'd said something wrong. But before she could consider further, the voice spoke again.

* You don't have to tell me right away. Just keep in mind anything you might want that I can do. For now, there's just one more thing before you can go back to sleep.

"What's that?" Maybe when she woke up tomorrow, this would all turn out to have been a strange dream.

* Proof that everything I've said is true.

The voice's attention fell somewhere in the darkness of Noelle's room, an invisible pressure drawing her eyes to match the spot on her desk where her pencil holder was.

* There's a room in this house nobody else ever enters. Take the pencil and go there. I have something to show you.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

Noelle's house hadn't felt homey since… well, since a lot of things had happened. But the dark somehow made it all worse. Every shadow, every half-visible shape felt just unfamiliar enough to maybe, possibly be something that wasn't supposed to be there. And, of course, it was cold.

* Making your way in the world today/Takes everything you've got!~

…and the voice in her head hadn't stopped singing. That made it better and worse at the same time. There was, well, a voice in her head singing to her. Noelle still wasn't totally sure she wasn't crazy. Maybe she really had been under too much stress recently. Dad was always telling her to take more breaks. But, having them there was reassuring in a weird way. The house didn't feel quite as empty with a little music. The dark wasn't as mysterious with someone so confident close by. The whole situation was totally absurd, but… some small, quiet part of Noelle couldn't help but be excited.

* Taking a break from all your worries/Sure would help a lot!~

Without quite realising it, Noelle had walked up to Dess' room. Her arm robotically reached for the doorknob and turned, opening the door into pitch black. It had been… a while, since she'd been inside. Not on purpose, she just… hadn't had any reason to go in, for a long time. Nobody did.

"So, are we, ah, going in?"

Sensing Noelle's apprehension, the voice spoke again. * Don't worry, it's nothing I haven't already seen.

That just raised even more questions. But instead of asking why the voice knew what Dess' room looked like, Noelle walked inside. She moved automatically, not quite realising she had started until she was already inside.

* This should be far enough. the voice muttered. * If we go too far in, it'll be difficult to leave. Now, that's the first step done. Onto step two- you still have that pencil, right?

Noelle's hand held the candy cane-patterned pencil so tightly she was a bit worried it would snap. She raised it up in front of her face, barely able to see in the pitch black, and shivered. What did they mean, 'difficult to leave'? What were they going to do?

What was Noelle going to do?

* Right, I haven't explained yet. I want to put more cards on the table, so to say, so I'm going to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the events soon to come. In terms you might know, we're going to be performing a ritual. All you need is an enclosed space and a tool.

The pencil? Really?

* It's an improvised tool, but it works. Traditionally you'd want a blade of some sort, but just about anything stick-shaped with a sharp bit on one end will do. I know you have an above-average number of swords in your house, but we don't need to go that far.

Wait, did they just- "Can you hear my thoughts?" Had they done that already?

* I'm in your head. Of course I can hear your thoughts.

That… sure! Makes sense! So… Noelle pushed down the mess of mingled confusion, discomfort, and curiosity and moved forward. "Right. So, we're going to be casting a spell, with the pencil. Do you need me to, um, stab myself with the pencil?" That was how these things usually worked, right? The words spilled out in a nervous babble, and Noelle couldn't help but wish Catti or Kris were here. They'd be better at this, definitely.

A pressure Noelle hadn't even noticed suddenly recoiled from her body, muscles relaxing and then tensing again in a rolling wave. * No? No, of course not. I'm trying to- I'm not going to make you stab yourself.

Noelle's face flushed. W-was that not how it worked? Did she somehow manage to weird out an actual disembodied voice in her head? "S-sorry, I'm- I'm new at this?" Well, not new, but it had been a long time since she and Catti or Kris had really done anything like this, and-

Numbness. Ice flooded Noelle's veins, quick and strong enough to even block out the chill of the air. * Don't worry, you'll learn. You just need to have the right intent. For now, are you okay just following my lead?

"Sure?"

* Then just watch.

Her arms moved on their own. Noelle's hand moved to flip the pencil she was holding, reversing the grip, and despite the voice's insistences she couldn't help but think that this was exactly the way you'd hold it if you wanted to stab someone. She felt herself move in the dark, wrapping both hands together around the misplaced writing utensil. Then, without any warning, she jumped. For that moment Noelle felt weightless. Gravity's pull slipped from her body in a way too smooth to be natural. The descent was too clean, too straight. Driven not merely by a force of nature, but by a conscious will, driving Noelle back towards the ground still hidden by the house's shadows.

Silver flashed, blinding against the black, and Noelle's body moved with the descent and drove the pencil down towards the floor. Somehow, inexplicably, its routinely-sharpened point did not shatter against the ground. It pierced- barely any distance at all, not even enough to be seen, just felt- as if it were made to do so. Enough to leave a tiny, pinprick hole.

And something poured out.

Chapter Text

It was hard to say when the wave of black turned to white. All Noelle knew was that after she stabbed the ground, everything went dark. Not just dark- it had already been so dark that she could barely even see herself moving, and it only got darker after. Darker than pitch black, darker and darker and then-

-and then white.

Her feet sank into the snow. The snow? Why was there- Noelle's head whipped back and forth, trying to get her bearings, but she couldn't see anything. All she could feel was wet and cold. A freezing wind blew through her, effortlessly piercing the layered white robes (The what? That wasn't what she was wearing!) wrapped over her body and then through fur and flesh to chill the young monster down to her bones.

* You're safe right now, but you need to move. You will freeze to death if you stand in a blizzard for too long.

"I- Blizzard? Where? I can't see!"

* I can get you to safety if you let me drive for a moment. the voice said, steady and careful, like the auditory equivalent of a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Y-You? Yes, do it, hurry!" Noelle stammered without quite hearing, blindly raising her arms to try and keep the icy wind from her face. There was no time to think about what the voice was suggesting- didn't they just say she'd die if she stayed out here? Feeling the cold dig deeper into her body, it was easy to believe.

* Then it'll be done. The numb feeling from before flooded her body again. Noelle felt herself wheel about to face the opposite direction and walk forward. It was strange, watching herself move without doing anything herself. She could tell that it wasn't her moving- feel the foreign presence driving her body independent of her will- but there was nothing pushing or pulling her forward. Whatever was in control now wasn't some external force. Really, it felt more like blinking, or breathing. Just her body moving on autopilot. Experimentally, she tried to stand still.

It was like sitting in a car coming to a sudden stop. Feeling snapped back into place, and with it the jagged pain of overwhelming cold. Noelle couldn't help it. She cried out, stumbling and falling into the snow.

Except Noelle never hit the ground. She caught herself- or rather, her body caught her on its own, dropping into a roll and springing back up to brush away the snow that now coated her body.

"Careful." the voice chastised through Noelle's chattering teeth. * You'll lower your body temperature further like that. You're lucky you're warm-blooded with fur. It'll give us some extra leeway. They didn't sound all that concerned, though, in spite of the warning in their words. More like mom when she saw Dess or Kris goofing off but couldn't be bothered to stop them.

"S-Sorry." Noelle mumbled an apology anyways. That was her fault, wasn't it? Because she was too curious for her own good…

* There's nothing wrong with being curious. the voice replied. Noelle would've jumped if she was still the one moving her body. It knew what she was doing. They really could hear her thoughts… that was going to take some getting used to. * Now more than ever, it's better to take some risks to learn how the world works.

"Th-thanks." Noelle whispered.

Her body kept moving, mechanically placing one foot in front of the other without care for the ice and snow lashing against her. It was hard to say how long she walked for; it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but it felt like hours. With nothing but an endless expanse of white barely visible through the snow, measuring distance was impossible. The only thing around as far as the eye could see was Noelle herself. The only thing she could hear was the rush of wind.

* Heartaches, heartaches, it doesn't matter how my heart breaks!~

…that, and the singing.

* Your kiss was such a sacred thing to me, I can't believe it's just a burning memory!~

It had been offputting before, like everything else the voice did. But now, deprived of all other surroundings, Noelle couldn't help but be thankful for it. There was at least one thing out here she could tell was moving forwards.

They weren't a bad singer, either.

Bit by bit, the land around her shifted. The pure, blinding white of her surroundings dimmed. The snow piled against Noelle's hooves grew thinner. Her surroundings gave way to simple, pure black. One form of blindness gave way to another, and even Noelle's vision of herself faded away. She wanted to ask what was going on, but couldn't bring the words from her brain to her mouth. This was… This was all too crazy for words! What even was there to say?

* In a moment. the voice whispered. * It'll make more sense.

The wind and snow faded away and Noelle found herself standing-

Standing-

Nowhere.

Nothing but darkness surrounded her. Feeling trickled back into her body, and with it a bitter, sharp chill permeating her flesh. Immediately, she fell to her knees panting. It felt like she'd just run a marathon. She took slow, long breaths, trying to claim back some warmth for her frozen form. The voice didn't interrupt her- it just waited, a shadow in the back of her head, only there enough to notice. Something in Noelle whispered questions- how long it had really been there, if she would have noticed her passenger if they hadn't made themselves apparent, how much power they had over her. Sure, she'd been able to move on her own when they were in control, but they also hadn't been trying to stop her. Could it have just stolen her body if it wanted to?

When she could stand without her legs shaking underneath her, Noelle rose to her feet and looked around. There wasn't anything immediately around her. She couldn't even tell what she was standing on- something soft, just by the feeling of it, but no more. Behind her was a wall of pure white. Piles of snow gathered and rose until they joined the blizzard behind her, completely blotting out sight. Something, something far in the distance, was shining in the cold. Whatever it was, the strange light rose up into the empty black sky.

* It's beautiful in a way, isn't it?

"It is." Noelle agreed before she noticed she'd spoken. "What is it?" The earlier panic has drained away in exhaustion and shock, leaving only muted acceptance. She'll be able to freak out about this in the morning, when she's awake and this has all proven itself to be a weird dream.

* This place is called a Dark World. the voice said. Noelle didn't comment on the uncreative name. She could definitely have come up with something better if she had time. Laughter echoed in the back of her head. * True, it's not exactly the most creative name. But I didn't come up with it, and it works well enough. The light you're seeing is what's making this place- the Dark Fountain we opened just moments ago.

"A Dark Fountain…" Noelle whispered. The words felt weighty on her tongue. "Shouldn't it be, um, a Light Fountain? Since it's glowing?" It was the only thing she can see through the snowstorm.

* You might think that, but it's not actually glowing. Dark Fountains are spawned by an individual's will and let negative light, or anti-light, or whatever you want to call it, spill out into the world. Since the light level is still technically moving away from zero, even if it's going down, you can see more easily. It's the presence of negative light that creates a Dark World across anything it envelops.

"That's- Does light work like that? I don't think light works like that." Noelle sputtered. She was pretty sure it didn't. Could 'negative light' even be a thing? It clearly was, since she was looking at it, but light really shouldn't have been able to-

* Don't overthink it. the voice interrupted, a weary laugh in its breath. * It's magic. It all works more off of feelings and perception than hard logic. I'm sure there's an actual, factual, internally consistent scientific explanation for how Dark Worlds form and exist, but I cannot be bothered to learn it when just knowing the cause and effect of it all works well enough.

Noelle nodded slowly. Sure, this was magic. It didn't have to follow the same rules the rest of the world did. The terminology didn't need to all line up perfectly if it worked for the situation. Even if it was nicer when it did.

* Speaking of, perception's a big part of how Dark Worlds form. I was hoping that this location would make a more safe Dark World for you. This is your sister's room, after all. Looks like I'll have to shelve that tutorial I'd planned, though.

A shiver ran through Noelle's body. Not just because of the cold. "Dess…"

This was supposed to be a safe place, they said. But it wasn't. It was just- it was empty. Lifeless. Was that… could that really have been all that was left of Dess? It was true, that everyone had left this room as it was. That they'd all- they'd kept going without her. But this? A raging blizzard with no room for anyone to survive? That couldn't be all that was left! There had to be something more!

* You're right. It's not. The voice cut through Noelle's thoughts. She fell back to her knees, only then noticing she'd stood up again. * Dark Worlds are never this empty, not when there's a whole room's worth of things in it. This blizzard is probably just a border- a representation of how December saw things outside of her room. If we went further in, we'd find a civilization of some sort.

"I…" Noelle's voice trailed off. "I want to see it. I want to see the rest of it." As she spoke, the little flicker of heat in her voice grew. The chill in the air didn't feel as sharp as it did a moment before. "You said that you'd help me in exchange for helping you. Well, this is what I want first."

An entire world... all born out of Dess' room. Something she made.

"I want to see what's past all that snow."

Impossibly, Noelle felt the voice smiling at her.

* I can do that. But! The voice cut off. * I can't do it now. If you tried to walk through that in your current condition, you'd freeze to death long before we found anything. If you want in there, we're going to have to get stronger.

"Alright. How do we do that?" Noelle asked. She couldn't think of any amount of training that would let her walk through a blizzard. Maybe if she brought a lot of warm clothes? No, it'd probably take specialized equipment. She could look for winter gear in the basement…

The voice's grin widened. * You're on the right track, but not quite. Dark Worlds run off of video game rules in a few places, and if we want to get in there we're going to need equipment. There's a few locations I have in mind.

"So, are we going to make another Dark World?" Noelle asked. The thought was more than a little intimidating, but… another part of Noelle couldn't help but anticipate it. If this was a dream, then what would the harm be in living in it for a little while? Worrying about the fate of the world for a while would be a nice distraction from worrying about everything else in her life. And if it wasn't all a dream-

If it was all real-

Then she had a responsibility, didn't she? Even if she didn't understand or agree with the reasons why, Noelle had been chosen. Somebody, somewhere, was counting on her.

She couldn't just let them down.

* Enthusiastic, aren't you? Well, here's the plan~!

Chapter Text

Noelle woke slowly the next morning. It was with some weariness that she dressed and cleaned herself; she hadn't slept well, and leaving the warmth of her bed had taken longer than usual. In spite of her lingering exhaustion, she felt energized. Her dreams had been weird- weirder than usual anyways, but they'd left her inspired. Today was going to be a good day!

* One can only hope. Good morning, by the way.

"Oh." Noelle squeaked.

So… that was all…

* One hundred percent real. Or something along those lines, depending on how you count it. But no, you really weren't dreaming. the voice said. Just like before, Noelle could get the distinct impression that they were smiling at her.

"Ah…" Noelle's voice trailed off. "So. Um. What… do we do now?"

She hadn't expected to be standing here in the morning, still talking to the voice in her head. Everything they said, everything she saw… it was all… real. Hometown- the whole world- was in danger, and she'd been chosen to fix it.

* If it helps, I am fully confident that you can do this. I wouldn't have picked anyone else.

"Sure!" The voice in her head- which was almost definitely not a hallucination now- believed in her, at least! That counted for something! "But, I would rather have an actual plan. Last night, you said that there were other Dark Worlds."

* Is or is going to be. the voice confirmed. * I'm not clear on the timeline exactly. But there will be one easily available to us today.

"At the school, right?" Noelle recalled. It was a little frightening, that something like that could have shown up so close to everyone without anybody noticing. Anyone could have wandered in…

* Exactly. Just get ready for school as normal, and we'll pro- We'll continue from there.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

Noelle was only a few steps away from the door when she stopped.

"Noelle."

Carol Holiday regarded her daughter, already dressed in a neat blue suit. The sharp colours of her uniform contrasted the pallor of her fur, only exacerbating the corpse-like impression she gave off. A very well-dressed, well-kept corpse, maybe, but still just that- lifeless, embalmed, frozen. Her lips held a thin, warmthless smile.

"Do you have everything you need for school?"

"Yes, mom."

"Excellent." She nodded once, then turned away from Noelle. "I'll be at work today. If you need me, I should be finished by eight. Only interrupt me if it's urgent."

"Of course, mom."

She stopped again, just in front of the stairs. Noelle stared across the room, waiting for her to say something else. Carol stood there, staring up the steps to the doors ahead, and spoke. "And be careful on your walk, Noelle. It's not a long way to the school, but still."

"I will."

And the two walked away.

The moment Noelle was out the door, she let out a deep breath. Mom wasn't usually like that. Something must have been bothering her; maybe a rough day at work? Or it could have just been dad again. Things had been worse since he got sick. The relief from the pressure and cold of the house was immediately contrasted by a metaphorical weight dropped across Noelle's back.

* Wow, that was genuinely terrible. Just actually awful.

"Hey, she's not-" Always like that. It was just… "She's been under a lot of pressure lately. And she knows I can look after myself." Noelle's voice sounded strained even to her.

The voice was definitely giving her a look. Or would have, if it had eyes. * Sure. Either way, it's convenient for us if you don't have parental oversight for a bit. Responsible adults don't let their children wander into alternate dimensions, after all. The emphasis they put on "responsible adults" made Noelle think they were picturing someone in particular.

"She's really not usually like that!" Noelle insisted, even if she wasn't quite sure why.

* Mhm. We can argue about it later if we need to. It's not really an issue right now. the voice said.

"Right." Noelle didn't really want to argue about it later. "But, um, before we do, I have a question?"

* Go ahead.

"Do you have a name?" Noelle asked the voice. It was getting a little awkward to just call them 'the voice' all of the time, and- well, it just felt a little bit rude to not know the name of the person you're talking to?

The voice laughed. First, a faint chuckle, then a dry, wracking cackle more like coughing than laughter. * You know, you're the first one to ask me that. My previous partner preferred pretending I didn't exist.

"O-Oh?" Now Noelle was even more curious… "Who was your last partner?"

* I'm afraid that's a little more private. they said, laughter trailing off.

"Ah. Sorry." She should have known- they'd been avoiding talking about them before now, and it really should've been obvious that it was a sore subject.

* Oh, no. I'd be fine talking about it. they said hurriedly. * It's more their secret than mine. I'm sure it'll become necessary- or just obvious- eventually, but before then I'd rather respect their privacy.

"I get it." Noelle accepted, slowly making her way down the street. It was still early, the rising sun casting a warm glow over Hometown's streets. That really did just make her more curious- if it was going to be obvious, was it somebody Noelle knew? "So. Uh, names?"

* Right! Uh… This is a bit awkward…

"I… promise I won't laugh if it's embarrassing?" Noelle offered. The voice had never acted this unsure before. Was this a sensitive subject too, somehow?

* I- You know what, just call me Doll, any pronouns. It'll make sense later down the line.

"Doll. That's a nice name." If a little ominous. Or maybe Noelle had just watched too many creepy doll movies.

* It's a little ominous. But enough of that- if you keep mumbling to yourself on the sidewalk, somebody's going to notice.

"Ah! Right!" Suddenly reminded of where and when she was, Noelle started running- she had to get to class!

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

As usual, Noelle was early to class. Not as early as Berdly, who made a point of always arriving as early as he could- usually before Ms. Alphys did. A relaxed energy filled the classroom, absently awaiting another day of schoolwork. Noelle greeted her teacher, then took her seat in the front row.

"Noelle!" Berdly greeted, proudly raising a wing towards her. "Early as always, I see! As befitting one of your academic rigor." He had quite clearly not extended the same greetings to any of the other students who had arrived before her. 'Academic rigor' didn't exactly describe Temmie or Jockington, but they were here before her.

"Good morning, Berdly." Noelle greeted in return. "How was the homework? I remember we didn't quite get to finish the material from our last study session."

* Not that I have a problem with Berdly, but are you really willingly engaging with this subject of all things? Doll commented. * I know you don't need the help.

Schoolwork was an easy topic with Berdly, though. Noelle didn't need to say much- he was always happy to dominate the conversation while Noelle offered an occasional affirmation or encouragement. And besides, Berdly was a good study partner. Even if he was prone to long tangents, he was the most studious person in the class. Even if he needed the help sometimes, he always did his part.

* ~Don't you mean second-most? Doll corrected, a teasing lilt in their voice.

The conversation drifted on for a brief while as the rest of the class filtered in. Noelle listened to Berdly recite his work, with Doll adding commentary that Noelle silently responded to. But as the seats filled and class began, Doll's presence over Noelle grew heavier. She could feel them shifting, in anxiety or anticipation or both, and her eyes again and again drifted to the door without her direction. Were they waiting for something?

* Just waiting for someone to arrive.

"Okay, class!" Ms. Alphys announced, "Today we'll be starting a new group project. P-please find a partner who you want to work with!" By the time the words were out of her mouth, the class had already descended into chatter. Berdly immediately turned back to Noelle, beak quirked up in a grin.

"Group projects, the bane of all genius." he mused, more to himself than Noelle. "But worry not! So long as we partner with one another, we will not suffer the undue disadvantages of another's inadequate contributions!"

"Um!-" Noelle started.

* Oh? I thought you liked working with Berdly?

Noelle did! She just… also maybe wanted to work with some of her other friends? Catti… was going to partner with Jockington, and Kris wasn't even here. Oh, what was she even doing? It's not like Noelle was very close with any of her other classmates.

"Yes, we'll be partners."

A near-invisible tension lifted from Berdly's shoulders. "Naturally! Now, I have already conceived of countless possible ideas for our project! For example…"

* Are you doing alright?

…yes? Why wouldn't she be?

* You don't seem very happy with things right now.

She- no, Noelle was fine! Really!

Doll didn't push, but Noelle could feel their skepticism as she nodded along to Berdly's rambling list of ideas of varying levels of quality. Human-Monster social integration did seem like an important subject to study and present on, even if Noelle wasn't quite sure where video games fit into it.

Halfway through, the classroom door opened and somebody stepped in. Kris looked awful. Their clothes hung loose over their body, the same green and yellow striped shirt and brown pants that Noelle knew was one of way too many pairs of the same outfit they owned. They pushed the door open with both hands, nodded silently to Ms. Alphys in answer to her surprised greeting, and then half-walked half-fell into their seat. For Kris, this wasn't as worrying as it would have been for anybody else. Even discounting the very real possibility that they were committing to some kind of prank that would only maybe make sense in hindsight, they'd just been… like this, for a while now. Quieter than they used to be. Half-asleep at all times. But what really drew Noelle's attention wasn't Kris at all- it was the way her body suddenly froze looking at them. Her arm moved, a mindless and aborted motion, to grip her chest before slowly relaxing and letting feeling and movement bleed back in.

* Wow, they look like shit.

"...Maybe they should've stayed home today." Noelle whispered. Even if she wouldn't have put it quite as bluntly, looking closer at Kris only revealed the full extent of their condition. Their hands grasped the edges of their desk like they were trying not to fall out of their seat.

"Well, their commitment to attendance is admirable, even if their state is supremely unideal. The horrors wrought by an improper diet and sleep schedule..." Berdly added, feigning a shudder.

"Kris, s-since we're doing group projects today," Ms. Alphys projected over the low clamor of classroom conversation, "you'll need to choose a partner. You c-can-"

"Susie." Kris muttered. Quiet, scratchy, but their voice. Despite herself, Noelle felt her throat closing up. It felt like it had been ages since she heard Kris talk. "I'll partner with Susie."

Ms. Alphys winced. It wasn't easy, being a teacher students seemed fine talking over. "T-That's great! I-If she doesn't show up today, y-you can fill her in on the project, can't you?"

"She'll come." Kris insisted. Noelle blinked. Since when was Kris the Susie expert?

* Since… maybe eight hours ago? Nine?

What? When? How- How did that happen?

If Doll planned on explaining, they didn't get the chance. Because it was at that moment that Kris' prediction proved correct, and the door swung open a second time.

Chapter Text

    Susie stepped through the classroom doorway with absolute confidence, glancing around the room from behind the short curtain of dark brown hair hiding her eyes like it all belonged to her. She held her hands at her sides, relaxed but ready for action at any moment. The faded blues and purples of the rugged jeans and coat she wore complimented the deep lilac hue of her scales. Her attention drifted over each person, never quite acknowledging them, before finally settling on the teacher.

* Mmm. Very vivid image you've got there. Seems a little…

-It's normal! A totally normal way to think of a classmate. Noelle flushed at Doll's teasing, though the rest of the room was too distracted to catch her otherwise obvious flustering.

* Something you want to share with the class? Doll continued, practically leaning over Noelle's shoulder. * Because if you want, I can give you a hand there. Add it to the list. It wouldn't be too hard to, ahem, 'arrange' the two of you ending up alone together more often.

While Noelle silently overheated in her seat, Alphys finally worked up the courage to acknowledge Susie's entrance. "H… Hi, Susie." Her voice was thin and weak.

Susie glanced at her and took another few steps. "...am I late?"

"Ohh, n-no! You're fine!" Alphys lied blatantly, though nobody was brave enough to contradict her. Berdly was close, though, torn between a need to accurately enforce rules nobody else bothered with and his desire not to die. "W-we were just, uh… Ch-choosing partners for the next group project, and… Kris is with you!"

Susie's expression remained still, as if chiseled into stone, as she turned to look at Kris. The class' sole human smiled unevenly at her, an expression that quickly shifted into a wince. "...great." she finally said, making no effort to reach her seat or further acknowledge her new partner.

Noelle could feel Doll's presence hovering, a faint prickle in the back of her head asking her to lean forward and listen more intently to the moment at hand. The guide had gone silent when Ms. Alphys spoke.

"N-now that everyone's here, I'll write the assignment!" Ms. Alphys said, finally turning to the chalkboard to try and wrest some attention back to the lesson. This attempt was promptly ended before it could begin when she reached for something that wasn't there. "Uh… H-has anyone seen the chalk? This is the third time it's gone missing, and… Y-you all know I can't start class without some!"

* Susie.

Susie?

* Susie.

Was Doll going to elaborate, or…?

* …

…apparently not. While Ms. Alphys continued to try and fail to regain control of the situation, Noelle turned her attention back to Susie. The reptilian monster stood before the doorway, still but ready to spring into motion at any moment like some ancient predatory animal lying in wait to snatch up its prey.

* Or waiting for the first sign to run. Doll suggested, finally withdrawing the weight of their presence over Noelle's shoulder. * Now watch this: Alphys is going to send Susie to get more chalk, and then send Kris after her. They'll be gone all day. When class is over, we'll go find them.

How- No, at this point, Noelle didn't even wonder how. She wasn't surprised in the slightest when Susie and Kris were sent out and didn't reappear all day exactly as predicted. That was just… something they did. Doll knew things they had no way of knowing, they'd been doing it since they showed up that night. The real question was, how did Kris know?

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

It was difficult to focus on class. Knowing that there was a Dark Fountain somewhere in the school, that Kris and Susie had disappeared all day to do who-knows-what, it was all too much to think about. By the day's end, Noelle practically shot out of her seat. It was time to go exploring!

* Wait. First, go check on Kris and Susie. And ask Berdly to come with you.

…WHY?

* You'll send him off to his part-time job at the librarby before he can fully involve himself, but it'll establish an alibi for where you were today if anyone asks. Doll laid out. The plan sounded rehearsed- they'd already had this in mind.

"Berdly?" Noelle began. "Um, would you mind helping me check for Kris and Susie? It's a bit worrying that they didn't come back to class, don't you think?"

Berdly blinked. Clearly, he hadn't expected this. But he looked down, closing his eyes and nodding in an exaggerated manner. "Yes, worrying indeed! One can only imagine what horrors are being wrought on our classmate- and as their academic seniors it is our responsibility to defend them. But." He paused, struck by a sudden notion. "When we do find them. What are we going to do?"

Noelle blinked. "Um. I'm not sure what you mean?"

The two children stared blankly at one another, not understanding.

* Alright, time to move. Want me to hurry this up? Doll offered. Noelle nodded. She'd really like to go find Kris and Susie and get to the adventure now. Doll hummed in the back of her head, but accepted the reins.

"Okay let's go find them." Doll said hurriedly through Noelle's mouth before grabbing Berdly by the shoulder and practically dragging him out of the classroom. Berdly opened his mouth in shock at Noelle's sudden assertion, but no words came out.

In moments, they were standing before the supply closet. The towering grey double doors loomed over the pair of students. Not a trace of light was visible through the frame.

"The supply closet. If our classmates did as they were asked and went to retrieve the chalk, this is where they would have gone first." Berdly declared like it was some sort of impressive deduction. Doll didn't respond, instead reaching out and opening the door.

Darkness poured out. The hall dimmed, turning the midday sunlight filtering in from outside into gloomy twilight. Only pitch black awaited past the doorframe. It had been harder to tell last night, but Noelle was certain this time- the darkness was moving. Pulsing against the borders of its shape. It was alive, and if it thought it could reach out and swallow up the hallway, the school, all of Hometown, it would.

Berdly stepped back, eyes widened in confusion and fear, and only then did Noelle remember he was there. Her classmate was clutching his books tightly, staring into the darkness trying to figure out what the trick was, what was really going on. But as the seconds passed and nothing came to mind, the fear grew. He took another step back.

Doll returned control to Noelle, leaving her to stumble backwards. She felt their presence drift to just beside her, leaning over her shoulder. They turned her eyes towards Berdly, still gazing into the Dark World's entrance. * Act knowledgeable. Don't explain anything properly, send him on his way, but make it clear you know what this is. I'll feed you the answers if you need help.

…O-Okay? Noelle took a deep breath, looked down, and put on her best "I'm in charge" face. "Berdly, you can go." she said solemnly. "I'll handle things here."

"N-Noelle?" Berdly stammered. "What's- What is that?"

"I can explain everything later, but right now I need to hurry." Noelle said. "I'll find Kris and Susie. You can go to your shift at the library."

Her classmate stood, frozen by indecision. "Are you- are you sure? Shouldn't we get somebody?"

* Absolutely not. Don't let him tell anyone else.

"No." Noelle answered. "Actually, please don't tell anyone about this. It has to stay a secret." Her voice was starting to tremble. Hearing her own words, it was starting to sink in- this was really happening. Kris and Susie were in danger, and it was up to Noelle to help them. Nobody else could do this.

Berdly swallowed. Then, with a face full of conviction, he nodded. "I see. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. But- Noelle, what happens if- what should I do if- What if you don't come back? How long should I wait to hear from you?"

* Sometime this afternoon. And tell him he's got nothing to worry about.

"It… shouldn't take longer than the afternoon." Noelle repeated. "And don't worry. I'll be back."

Berdly didn't know exactly what was happening. He didn't know what was on the other side of that door- just that it was dangerous. That Kris and Susie, his classmates, were in danger. All common sense said that he should tell a teacher- tell an adult, tell somebody. But… he believed Noelle. It didn't really feel surprising, seeing her staring so confidently into the mass of darkness beyond the door. If anyone in this town was going to be a protagonist, starting on a journey into the unknown- it was always going to be her.

"Very well." he said, regaining some of his usual cadence. "I shall knowingly await your return. But… do be careful."

And with that, he stepped away and left Noelle and Doll alone before the Dark World's entrance.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

So, was Doll going to explain any of that?

* Which part?

They obviously planned that whole thing? Why let Berdly see the Dark World? Why have that whole thing prepared? Why didn't they close this Dark Fountain before two people could wander in? Why didn't they tell Noelle any of this before it happened?

Doll's presence receded, much the same way a person might lean back into their seat. * …you done?

Noelle's face flushed beneath her fur. Had she been yelling? She tried not to do that, but maybe talking in her head got past a few filters…

* I don't mind. But to answer your questions in no particular order: I always prepare for everything, the Dark Fountain was opened at an unknown time, and Berdly is likely to see a Dark World at some point in the future so it's better to introduce the concept on our terms.

Okay… accepting that that was just another thing Doll knew for whatever reason, that still doesn't explain why they didn't tell Noelle ahead of time. She could've used a little advanced warning!

* Oh yeah, I forgot.

Forgot?... Really?

* My previous partner wasn't big on communication. I just sort of got used to doing things on my own. I'll try to keep you in the loop in the future.

That… Noelle isn't sure what she expected. Doll not knowing things, little things that anyone could have forgotten, felt... weird. The more she heard about Doll's old partner, the more curious she got. But Doll had already said they wouldn't say who it was, and Noelle didn't have much to go off of if she wanted to figure it out on her own.

* It's probably going to come up soon. But don't you have other things to be doing?

Right! Noelle took a step towards the door-

* It's a different door, actually.

-And then a step back, before she closed the supply closet doors.

Seriously? Could Doll not have told her this earlier either?

* Sorry! This door technically does enter a Dark World, but Kris and Susie are in a different Dark World right now. We can technically reach that Dark World from this one, but it'd be too slow- if we want to catch up with them, we'll need to enter from the secondary location.

Okay, whatever. Other door, then!

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

Finally, Noelle stood outside the unused classroom. Admittedly, it was a much better location for a "mysterious other world" than a school supply closet. There was a bit more mystique to it, you know? Childhood memories, old, unused toys… it definitely had the right aesthetic.

* Ah, you'd be surprised. The rate of mystical otherworlds appearing in closets is rather high. Doll pointed out.

Sure, fair enough!

Noelle opened the door. Again, darkness poured forth. But this time she didn't shy away. This was the start of an adventure, after all! That prickle in her spine, the shivers, the tremor in her legs… that wasn't just fear anymore. It was anticipation. The electric hum of movement. She'd been waiting for something like this for… she didn't know how long, now. For an adventure.

* Ready? Doll whispered, the same eager energy in their voice.

Ready!

Noelle stepped through the door and into the world beyond.

Chapter Text

Noelle landed in the Dark World on her feet, stumbling forward before she could even take in her surroundings. The ground was a thick coat of deep purple grass that tangled with itself in heavy knots, forming a solid turf beneath her feet. This turf was corralled by walls of gnarled, ruby-hued trees with strangely blocky leaves. The trees didn't seem natural- they formed a distinct path through the forest, too purposeful to have grown all by itself. Red leaves drifted in the faint, warm breeze, carried alongside a faint sugary scent. The sky above was dark, lit not by a sun but a pulsing pillar of iridescent not-light rising from the distance.

* Now this is more like it! This is the kind of thing you can expect from most Dark Worlds. Doll cheered, following Noelle's eyes as she took in her surroundings.

"This is…" Noelle murmured. "All Dark Worlds are like this? It's beautiful."

The weight of Doll's presence leaned against her shoulder. * Isn't it? There's something special about seeing a whole new world unfolding before you. One where all the miracles and magic are still there. Makes you wish you could just live here forever.

Yeah… But there's no time for that now! Noelle shook herself from the awe of it. She had to find Kris and Susie! Did Doll know where they were?

* Further ahead. Look to the base of the Dark Fountain.

Noelle's eyes followed Doll's pointing, finding the shape protruding from the forested horizon ahead. A castle sprung up where the Fountain touched the earth, though it could hardly be called such a thing. Even from the distance, Noelle could see the building's silhouette twisting as it loomed above the trees. It was less like a building and more like some ominous plant bursting up from the ground, leaning outwards as if threatening to spill over more of the landscape.

* That's Card Castle, home of the ruler of this Dark World.

So that's where Kris and Susie went. And Noelle would need to… what, sneak in? Break in? Doll mentioned a "ruler", but Noelle had never actually seen anyone else in a Dark World. Were there other monsters living in Dark Worlds?

* Yes, but also no. Doll said. * The inhabitants of Dark Worlds call themselves 'Darkners', with your world being inhabited by 'Lightners'. The term is applied equally to humans, monsters, and possibly animals, though I can't recall any examples of that one. Darkners, like the Dark Worlds they inhabit, are shaped by the perceptions of the people in the world above when their fountains are opened.

Okay, that made… enough sense. But wait, didn't that mean Noelle and Doll made a bunch of Darkners when they opened a Fountain in Dess' room? Was it really that easy to just- create life? Just a pointy object and the right idea, and you could create a fully-functioning civilisation? It was more obvious in retrospect, of course Dark Worlds wouldn't just be empty, but. Well. It was a bit hard for Noelle to wrap her head around. So. Darkners?

Doll's weight shifted in Noelle's head, drawing itself into focus. * Darkners. We're on a bit of a timer here, so maybe we should walk and talk? Noelle nodded, and started moving forward through the strange forest. The chirping of distant birds or bird-like things and brushing of leaves filled the air as she went. * Cool. The basic principle behind darkners is simple. Dark Worlds are formed by perception, and people have a tendency to perceive things as people- objects included. Any object with enough 'personality', in the vaguest of senses, can become a darkners in a Dark World. Darkners are aware of their own nature as objects, and don't properly draw lines between themselves and the objects that formed them.

So, did that mean that all objects were always alive, or did the Dark Fountains bring them to life, or…?

Doll's presence rose further, and excitement trickled into their tone. * Y'see, that's the interesting thing. Darkers were always alive, but only if they were ever going to be Darkners. If there's going to be a fountain made years from now in some place, anything that would become a darkner is already aware of its surroundings.

So it's retroactive! Noelle saw that sort of thing in fiction sometimes, but she never expected it to actually be possible.

* Indeed. And! Doll's voice rose. * As it turns out, Darkners can take advantage of that non-linearity. If an object that's going to become a darkner in three days passes by an object that becomes a darkner tomorrow, the second darkner will have history with the first and know about them even before the first Darkner's fountain has been made. So any Dark World that will be made in the future always will be made, and you can determine what Dark Worlds will be made in the future by investigating the ones that already exist.

Oh! That actually reminded Noelle of a story she read once! There was a library where people's memories were getting swapped with each other, and the main character is a detective trying to solve a murder, but it turns out that people can also switch memories with their future selves and in order to avoid getting caught the protagonist has to-

Doll laughed. * You really don't have any filters in here, huh? But no spoilers, that actually sounds like the sort of thing I'd want to read.

Noelle stumbled, face burning. She really hadn't intended to go off on a tangent like that. But would Doll really want to read-

* Yep. Supernatural murder mystery is exactly my niche, actually.

Oh. That would be nice. Uh, anyways, was that how Doll knew all those things they couldn't have known normally? Consulting different Dark Worlds for information about the future?

Somehow, Noelle was sure she could see Doll smiling over her shoulder. * I'll never tell~ Anyways, the basic rule is that darkners can be treated as if they were always themselves, even when they were objects, and they know it.

Well, that was all good to know. That meant there was no risk of Noelle accidentally causing an existential crisis because she told someone they weren't real.

* About that… Doll's voice took on an odd tone.

Right? RIGHT?

* To an extent. Darkners still generally prefer to be themselves, rather than objects. They're going to defend that fountain ahead of us because without it, they go back to just being toys. Doll explained. So, this was that kind of story… Did they even want to seal the Dark Fountain, though? Maybe Dark Worlds were dangerous, but this one was out of the way enough that most people wouldn't risk running into it. Maybe it would be fine to leave it open?

* Two reasons: One, sealing a Dark Fountain makes Lightners stronger. Closing a few will help get you the condition necessary to get into Dess' Dark World. Two, bad things happen if you leave Dark Fountains open for too long, or if too many are made. They'll overflow, and you get your classic JRPG-style apocalypse.

…wasn't the Dark World in Noelle's house a huge problem, then?

* Nah, that one'll be fine. I picked that location well. We'll be able to leave it open for a while.

Okay. Good to know. Noelle let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Even if it had been made after she disappeared, that Dark World… it belonged to Dess. It was hers in a way not much left was. Noelle didn't want to see it disappear. Closing any Dark Worlds felt sad, but if it had to be done, there wasn't much other choice in the matter.

* There's a whole scheme going on here, but it'll be easier to explain once you've met somebody in particular. Doll concluded. * Until then, let's just keep our eyes on the immediate.

Okay. Just focus on what's in front of her. Noelle could do that.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

* Oh, baby, give me one more chance!~
* Won't you please let me, back in your heart!~

It wasn't long before Noelle, accompanied by Doll and their singing, ran into someone. Her trek through the Scarlet Forest, which was according to Doll just a rug in the Light World, was interrupted by the sight of movement up ahead. Two darkners patrolled back and forth over the neck of the path forwards, leaving no room to pass without being noticed. The first was shorter than Noelle, worm-like in its shape with a faded white body and a zig-zag green stripe around its chest. It wore a dark-green hood in the same diamond shape as the small dagger it brandished, grinning lazily at the trees. The other was slightly larger, its lower body hidden beneath a white robe marked with a green heart. Its bulbous head bore only a wide smiling mouth, and it held a heart-tipped staff in its arm.

* A Rudinn and a Hathy. Doll said, indicating to each one. * Probably hostile, but easily talked down. They're not too tough, so you'll be able to learn how to fight here too.

W-Wait, just like that? Shouldn't there have been a, a tutorial or something? A manual? More explanations? Anything besides jumping straight into a fight, really?

* You learn by doing, get to it!

Pushed forward by her own legs, Noelle stumbled into the view of the two patrolling darkners. The Rudinn caught sight of her first, signalling to their partner who was busy staring into the trees. The two took a moment to look at each other, then at Noelle shaking on her feet, then back to each other. They sighed, shrugged, and pointed their weapons at her.

>>> Rudinn and Hathy blocked the way!

The Rudinn slithered forwards, flicking its blade towards Noelle. Diamond-shaped flashes of light soared towards her and struck the trees behind. Noelle shrieked and dove to the side in a panic barely avoiding another glowing blade. She tried to retreat, but a row of heart-shaped lights flared into being and cut her off.

"Doll!" Noelle called. "A little help?"

> Noelle > Defend

Defend? Defend how? She-

Noelle raised her arms in front of her face, trying to shield herself from the darkners' attacks. It was to both her and her opponents' shock when the air temperature suddenly dropped. A wall of ice, jagged white tinged cold cerulean, burst from the earth to shield her from the assault. Noelle stopped, momentarily forgetting about the battle to stare at the glacier sheltering her. Her fingers still trembled. She… she did that?

* Neat, huh? Monsters who descend into the Dark Worlds can convert tension into magic. Doll explained, their pride mirroring Noelle's own.

Magic! Noelle could do magic!

* How about a little more? Doll offered. * I'd normally advise against hurting people, but you should get a feeling for everything you're capable of.

The darkners attacked again, but this time Noelle wasn't scrambling to survive. She could feel a way through, a path of least resistance through the air that even her uncoordinated steps could follow to safety. The enemies' attacks missed completely. Seeing herself standing completely unharmed, Noelle cheered to herself.

> Noelle > Magic > IceShock > Hathy

The doe raised one hand, and a cold light poured forth. It burst into jagged, crystalline snowflakes around the Hathy, leaving a coat of frost over the unfortunate darkner. The cold lingered even after the spell faded and the Hathy stood back up, wincing. Small motes of white snow drifted in the air along with the leaves.

* You've also got Heal Prayer, a spell that recovers HP, and Sleep Mist, a spell that removes tired enemies from battle, but there wouldn't be any point in using them right now. Doll listed out. They'd switched by now from their usual low tone to something broader and more forceful. * But that's not all. You've also got ACTs, the ability to manipulate the Dark World more directly. That's what you'll be using to disarm most darkners who attack you here.

> Noelle > Act > Rudinn > Convince

Noelle felt another suggestion from Doll. This time to… convince the enemy to stop fighting? How?

* Just say anything. They aren't particularly dedicated.

Noelle looked at the Rudinn again. It was still attacking her, but it was pretty obvious now that its heart wasn't in it. It swung its sword with disinterest, shouted passionless battlecries.

"Hey. Uh, don't you think we should stop fighting? I don't want anyone to get hurt." Noelle pleaded.

The Rudinn stopped mid-swing, face screwed up in concentrated thought. Then, without ceremony, it shrugged. "That makes sense. I don't want to get hurt either."

>>> You told Rudinn to quit fighting. It was utterly swayed.

> Noelle > Spare > Rudinn

With the Rudinn no longer in the fight, Noelle had no trouble dodging Hathy's attacks on their own. If she could just talk them down somehow, then the battle would be over!

> Noelle > Act > Hathy > Flatter

…wait, she needed to do what?

* Flatter! Compliment! Flirt! It's a heart, you've got to show a little affection! Noelle could hear Doll's barely-muffled laughter. * You know how to do that, right?

No!?! Noelle didn't, actually?

She could feel Doll's presence drape over her, their voice over her shoulder as they leaned into her teasingly. * So, do you want some help?

Yes please.

Doll settled into Noelle's body, and her posture changed. She stood straighter, focused her gaze on the Hathy across the field.

"Has anyone told you that you look heartstopping?" Doll giggled with Noelle's voice before looking at the ground. "Sorry, that was bad. I joke when I'm nervous. Are you doing anything later?"

Hathy's face flushed bright red, and its attacks fizzled into nothing. Doll slipped back into passivity and left Noelle in control again, cackling to themselves all the while. * Be confident, show controlled vulnerability. Take notes, you're gonna need it.

>>> Hathy is skipping beats.

> Noelle > Spare > Hathy

>>> You won!
>>> Got 0 EXP and 83$

With that, the battle ended, leaving two awkward darkners to wander away while Noelle threw her hands over her face. That was so embarrassing! But… the fight was over. She won! And she could use magic! When was Doll going to tell her about that?

* It's fun, isn't it?

Well, of course! Who didn't want to be able to do magic? Every kid dreamed of it at least once. Noelle just wished the circumstances were better. It would've been more fun to just stumble on this without the looming threat of people getting hurt if Noelle didn't hurry.<

* You'll have plenty of time to practice on the way ahead. Doll promised.

Just a little longer… Oh, Noelle hoped Kris and Susie were okay. It must have been terrifying, falling into this place without knowing what was going on. Left on their own at the mercy of the Dark World's inhabitants, without guidance or direction or anyone to tell them what to do...

…

…Actually, somehow Noelle had the feeling that they'd be doing just fine.

Chapter Text

The elevator’s soft hum was the only noise in the cold, lifeless castle as Kris, Susie, and Ralsei rested. Susie was trying to hide it; the casual way she leaned against the wall next to the door tried and failed to disguise how the day’s events had worn on her. Her clothes, very purposefully frayed and excessively spiky, sat uneven over her body. Her grip on her axe was loose, constantly adjusted by slight, nervous fidgets. Ralsei wasn’t much better; sat on his knees with his whole body shadowed by the combination of mint-coloured cloak and hat and deep pink scarf. Kris couldn’t actually tell how Ralsei was handling things, not with that get-up covering him. Kris knew they were the worst off- breathing deep and slow even now, winded by the light walk out of the jail. The well-fitted plate that armoured them in the Dark World felt unfamiliar, wrong somehow. They’d woken up exhausted in the morning, and the void of energy and motivation had only expanded and pressed its ragged tendrils out through Kris’ body as the day went on. It would only get worse the longer they waited.

But it was still better than the alternative.

Ralsei was staring at Kris still. He’d been staring at Kris, silent worry shining through his eyes from behind his glasses, in every little moment where Susie wasn’t looking in the hours since they met. Kris still didn’t know how much Ralsei wasn’t saying, but it was definitely something.

“...Hey. Ralsei.” Susie began, breaking the silence. “Y’know Lancer’s dad… The King?”

Kris remembered this. Even without the Soul, it was… exactly the same.

“Yes…?” Ralsei said tentatively.

Susie tapped her foot against the wall. “When we meet him… You think we’ll have to… hurt him?”

“Susie…?”

At the first trace of curiosity in Ralsei’s voice, Susie backpedaled. “I mean, I could EASILY smash him, but… You guys, I know that’s not really your thing. You’re more about, uh, grovelling like total losers.” She paused, still not sure about what she’s about to say. Kris didn’t move an inch. They didn’t want to mess this up. “And I was thinking… maybe… I could… do that too?” She looked confused, like she wasn’t quite sure about the words coming out of her mouth.

“Don’t worry.” Kris said before the moment could linger. “We’ll teach you. By the time we’re done, you’ll be able to grovel like the biggest loser of them all.”

Susie grimaced, and Kris couldn’t help but flinch. Did they go too far too soon? Susie didn’t really know them yet, didn’t really like them. They couldn’t just joke around like that, not with this Susie.

“Oh yeah?” she growled. “I don’t think so! You’re already holding that spot, dumbass!”

Kris’ panic drained out of them like air from a balloon. It was fine. They didn’t screw up. Their relieved exhale became a ragged sigh, then a cough. It was fine, though. Everything was going to go the way it was supposed to.

“Shit, you alright?” Susie made a half-gesture towards Kris, frozen by indecision. Would Kris even want her help? She looked to Ralsei instead, similarly stalled and unable to decide what to do.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” Kris wheezed, waving away the two’s worries. Neither of them looked convinced. “Just tired. Not used to running around this much.”

That was a blatant lie. Kris didn’t do track like Noelle, or any other sports, but they got up to a lot that required getting from place to place before people could notice. But Susie didn’t know any better, and if Ralsei did he wouldn’t call them on it. He never did.

Susie took a deep breath. “Well, I guess my lessons can wait until you’re up to it again. No reason we gotta go right away.” She sank down to take a seat on the elevator floor and crossed her legs before planting her axe in the floor with a heavy thunk. “Maybe we can talk over our plan a bit. Y’know, just to make sure we nail it on the first try.”

…on the first try, huh. Kris let out a dry, choked laugh, and Susie smiled just a little wider.

They’d already messed that one up. But, for some reason, they’d been given another chance. They were not going to waste it.

~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~

Seam took inventory again. Dull lamplight cast the inside of the patched-together shop in shades of gloomy orange. Miscellaneous objects, jars and gems and jewelry and dolls, were stacked on the rough wooden shelves. Old banners and emblems cluttered the space of the walls, unused but well-maintained. Everything was still in its place. Not surprising, considering they hadn’t had any customers in ages! But that was just the way of things. Their shop didn’t receive many visitors. But, there had been more than a few oddities recently. Like the lightners who passed by earlier that day. First the girl, who wandered past without noticing. But then there was the other, who took one look inside and went running! Must’ve seen something that really spooked them. Ah well. They’d make it by with the gear they had, or they wouldn’t.

When Seam saw the third lightner in less than that many hours, they just shrugged and gave their inventory another look over. Might as well see whether or not this one would take a sale. The girl in her pure white robes approached Seam’s little seap with clear intent even as she marveled at the humble construction.

She looked over Seam’s various odds and ends lining the shelves with wonder in her eyes, the look of someone still new to the unique affect of Dark Worlds. Not necessarily unskilled, but inexperienced. Seam watched her without a word. Eventually, she nodded and returned her full focus to the darkner shopkeeper. “Hi,” she began, “are you Seam?”

“I am.” Seam said. Though, they hadn’t expected not to need to introduce themselves. With everything happening recently, it didn’t seem likely any other darkners would have spared a thought to them when speaking with a lightner. “And you’re a lightner. A curious sight in these lands. Though it seems to have become more common recently… ha ha…”

“Oh!” The girl perked up. “You saw Kris and Susie? How long ago was that?”

“Ah… it must have been some hours ago. They came not at once, but one by one.” Seam recalled. They didn’t make a habit of tracking time. “So, you know them?”

“I-” Her excitement dimmed. Something earnest and wishful trickled into her voice. “Well. Sort of? We go to school together. I came here to look for them.”

Seam smiled, wide enough to tug the stitches that held their worn and scruffed fabric together. “Well. You’ll find them, sure enough. This land may seem vast at first, but there are only so many places one can go. Or, maybe, only so many ways to get to the same place. Either way, you’ll bump into them eventually.”

“Oh. That’s good to hear.” The girl didn’t seem especially relieved. Or surprised. How curious indeed. She waited for a moment before asking further. “Do you… have a ‘key piece’?”

Seam’s one good eye widened. Now, that wasn’t the sort of thing they’d expected someone like this to be asking about. “I do. But… do you know? Do you know what’s on the other side of that door?”

In truth, Seam was sure they knew the answer already. It was strange indeed, for a lightner who so clearly had only just arrived to knowingly seek not just them but him. But, they’d seen enough strangeness already. A little more was hardly a surprise, ha!

The girl nodded, but answered slowly. “...I do. But I want to talk to the prisoner. I already have the other two pieces.”

“Ha ha. Just talk?” What did this stranger want with Jevil, really? They couldn’t imagine it was just a conversation. This all felt distantly familiar, a strange person wandering in and whispering of things they shouldn’t have been able to know. “Well, it’s none of my concern. Whatever you’re hoping for, at least it’ll be fun to watch. For a place like this, a little chaos can only do good.”

With steady hands, they took the small piece of key from its hiding place and handed it to the girl. Whatever she did with it next was up to her.

The girl nodded slowly and took the key, not quite understanding the meaning of Seam’s words. “...Also, I’d like to buy two Amber Cards.” Seam handed the items over, accepting a small sum of Dark Dollars in exchange. They didn’t really need the money, but just giving items away didn’t have the same feel to it. There was purpose in being a shopkeeper, even one so purposeless.

The girl paused again, looking at the Amber Cards before setting them aside somewhere in her cloak. Then, she… stopped. Not the same pauses she’d made before, but just stared at Seam with a strange look in her eyes.

“Um. Did you… know that the Fountain is going to be closed soon?”

Seam’s expression did not change. “Ha ha ha. Is it now? Don’t expect me to stop you. Neither light nor dark hold a future for a darkner in my condition.”

The girl frowns. “Are you sure? You don’t look that bad. Maybe a little worn down, but it all looks fixable.” Physically, maybe. Seam had certainly seen better days. Their fur was ragged and thin. Their fabric had been worn by years of use and then neglect. But their body was hardly the thing that weighed on them most.

“Perhaps. But all of us here have already been abandoned.” Seam leaned forward, their patched face cast in the washed-out light of their ramshackle shop. “Long ago, this kingdom was graced by the lightners who ruled us. We flourished under their watch. One day, though, they simply all disappeared, and we were left behind.” In spite of their words, Seam didn’t feel as bitter as some did. It was just something that happened. “Recently, we’ve seen more and more lightners returning. Some want revenge, some want them to stay… I can’t say I care either way.”

“You didn’t deserve to be left behind.” the girl insisted immediately. She was looking past Seam, past the walls of junk they’d collected over the years. “You don’t… have to be, maybe?” Her uncertain sadness faded, replaced by a hopeful smile. “I could take you with me! There’s another Dark World nearby that won’t be closed. You could stay there. Maybe I could even find a way to fix you.”

“...” For some time, Seam didn’t answer. The silence stretched long enough for the girl’s bright smile to waver. Finally, they laughed. A deep, hollow laugh that echoed in the shop’s small space. “Who am I to say no to a lightner’s request? A change in scenery could be something to break up the monotony of this place.” Maybe she’d follow through. Maybe she wouldn't. There was little chance that a different Dark World would be meaningfully different to this one. But, stranger things had happened before. There wasn’t any harm in accepting this silly little wish.

The girl smiled at them. “It’s a deal, then! I’ll bring you back after this world’s Dark Fountain is closed. See you then.” And then she was gone, leaving behind only the faint cold where she had stood.

How curious indeed. They never did learn how she heard their name, or who told her about the prisoner held underneath Card Castle. But maybe they’d learn, if she kept her promise. Under most circumstances, Seam wouldn’t have bothered to think about the future of a lone lightner planning on wandering into that old cell. Even if neither the magician or the jester were who they once were, that old clown was still stronger than any lightner they could imagine. In this case, though, they couldn’t help but wonder. Whatever was going to happen next, it would surely be very, very interesting indeed.

Chapter Text

* Have I told you you're amazing yet?

"Um."

Noelle froze mid-step, feeling her face turn red. She'd been doing pretty good so far, making her way closer and closer to Card Castle and defeating the darkners that attacked along the way, but that kind of unabashed praise from Doll still felt out of nowhere.

* I never would've thought of just… bringing Seam somewhere else. Doll said. * And there's no reason not to, either. I just always thought of them where they were. Having someone like them nearby and available will be useful.

"Oh, I… didn't do it on purpose?" Noelle tried. She hadn't meant anything more by it. The old, resigned darkner's story was just… too sad to not do anything. Noelle didn't collect stuffed animals (anymore), but she did always feel guilty throwing away old toys. Most of them ended up stacked somewhere in her basement so nobody else had to deal with her crying over them. Maybe they weren't actually darkners, but Noelle couldn't help but think that they would be sad to be discarded by the people who used to love them. Again, she had to wonder if they really needed to close this Dark Fountain. All of these darkners would lose their homes if they did.

* It would quite literally cause the end of the world, but I know what you mean. It's not a great feeling.

And it's probably not possible to just take them all to Dess' room, is it?

Doll's attention drifted for a moment as they contemplated the idea. * …mmmNo. Probably not. There are other stable Dark Worlds that they can be brought to, though. Besides, even if December's room could house all those darkners, there's the issue of compatibility.

Doll hadn't mentioned that before. Could darkners not move between different Dark Worlds? Between Doll talking about them knowing each other even without properly meeting and the supply closet Dark World being connected to this one, Noelle had just sort of assumed that people could come and go as they pleased. Was that not how it worked?

* Darkners are formed by the Dark Fountains. But Dark Fountains aren't identical. Doll explained. * And if a darkner leaves the shadow of their own Fountain and enters another, they might not be able to fit into the narrative of that world. This place is a kingdom- it wouldn't welcome, say, a gameshow host, or a used car salesman, or an artificial intelligence. When a darkner ends up somewhere they shouldn't be, they'll petrify. It can be reversed if you bring them back to their place elsewhere, but it limits where darkners can and can't go.

So… was Noelle even going to be able to keep her promise to Seam? Or would they end up petrified if she brought them to the Dark World in her house? An endless snowstorm wasn't very close to the vivid fantasy world of Card Kingdom. Noelle thought back to the freezing cold, the bone-chilling winds and expanse of featureless ice and snow that she'd been dropped into as her first experience with a Dark World. What sort of people could survive there?

* Soldiers. Noelle's headmate said without any further explanation. They leaned down, a gentle pressure on Noelle's shoulder as she continued her march through the winding path in the trees. * As far as Seam goes, they'd be fine anywhere I can think of. 'Spooky old shopkeeper' is a near-universal archetype.

"Fahaha, it is, isn't it?" Noelle couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Doll laughed with her. Never in her life did she think knowledge of genre conventions would help find someone a new home. But she'd never expected to wind up in a secret magical pocket world, either. "I'm kind of curious. Do you know Seam's whole story? It seemed like they had history with this person you want to free."

* They were part of the King's court once. But, eventually, the jester learned something nobody was meant to know and went mad. Seam was the only one in the kingdom who was able to match him, and had to seal their friend away in the jail beneath the castle. Doll recited, like they knew it by heart.

The broken key pieces weighed heavy in Noelle's pockets. The old shopkeeper had handed the last one over with an unnatural weight, and Noelle had only been able to reach the first two with Doll's help. Was that just nerves? Or was there something really wrong with them?

The weight of Doll's presence lifted, leaning back momentarily while they spoke. * No clue, probably not. If there's anything inherent to those key pieces that makes them unusual, I haven't noticed it. They're not cursed or anything like that. But knowing who's on the other side of the door that the key opens, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them is bleeding through. Dark Worlds can be like that sometimes.

…That being the person Doll says Noelle is going to have to fight. Who was locked up because they were too dangerous. Who was apparently strong enough to make the key to their jail cell magically intimidating.

Why did they have to fight this person again?

* Unique and powerful equipment.

Right.

Yeah, Noelle could do it. She'd done stranger things for good gear in games before.

* Isn't that the truth.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

A few minutes of walking and a fixed key later, Noelle was no longer dwelling on the potential dangers of battles yet to come.

Instead, she was panicking over the dangers currently coming. Specifically in the form of a flock of star-shaped birds flinging star-shaped bullets at her.

"What even are these?" Noelle cried as another round crashed into a tree next to her. Weren't darkners supposed to come from objects? What kind of object turned into that?

* Stickers, I think. Doll said, lazily directing Noelle through the hail of projectiles. They dragged her eyes away from the attackers to somewhere ahead. * Looks like Kris already found the original Starwalker.

Is that bad? Who's that?

* It's not too important. Maybe you'll get to meet them later.

…are the birds supposed to be "starwalkers"? Because they're not walking. They're flying. Noelle hasn't seen a single one land this whole time. They just sat there, spots of gold against the black sky framed by brushes of red leaves. It would be beautiful if Noelle could sit down and look at it for a moment without getting shot.

Doll made a noise. * I didn't name them. You're almost safe, by the way.

With her hands over her head, Noelle shrieked and dove under a tree. The starwalker birds' attacks lashed against the ground behind her, then stopped. She breathed heavily against the smooth bark, waiting for another volley, but nothing came.

Another thing occurred to Noelle- why Kris? Couldn't anyone have found that guy Doll wanted to see?

Doll leaned in, the way dad did before telling a story when Noelle and Dess were little. She'd just asked on a whim, but was this actually important? * Catch your breath first. This'll be a long one. There's also an easter egg near here that we'll want to collect, we can rest and then grab it.

Noelle nodded and took a seat under the tree. For how solid it was, the bark felt softer than she expected. The whole Dark World was like that, really. Just a bit softer than reality. You still got hurt, but it was duller, and it never lasted. The scenery was wild and colourful, but looking at it never felt quite like looking at reality. It was more like a painting that you got to walk through. The food didn't actually fill you up, either. If Noelle didn't know better, she'd still think that this was a dream.

* You ready?

Yeah. Noelle pushed herself up into a more comfortable position under the shade. Her curiosity had been piqued earlier, but she'd forgotten it for a moment. Now, it surged back. What was going on with Kris that was so important? They'd been acting weird this morning, too.

* This isn't going to sound immediately relevant, but I promise it'll wrap back around to Kris eventually. Sounds cool? Noelle nodded and Doll settled in further. * So. There's a prophecy about something called the DELTARUNE.

Like from church? Noelle had gone since she could remember, but she never really internalized much from it. She did choir, but that didn't feel like the same thing. Was the prophecy real the whole time?

Doll made an unpleasant sound, and their voice took on a more tired tone. * No, it's not like that. The prophecy you know is likely derived from the real one, though. Somebody encountered it in a Dark World many years ago, and that information was passed down and reinterpreted until it ended up in the state you currently know. But I'll give you the original version, the one that's still true.

* The prophecy starts where we are: Dark Fountains are being opened, upsetting the balance of darkness and light and all that jazz. You've played video games, you know the drill. Doll said dismissively, like they weren't talking about the fate of the entire world. Noelle muttered a muddled 'yes'. * If nothing is done about this, the ROARING will come and the world will be covered with darkness, killing all of you and leaving the darkners as petrified statues forever.

"Ah." Noelle squeaked. That was a more… visceral image than what Doll had implied earlier.

* Don't worry about it. For you see! Hope is not lost- The words echoed in Noelle's head, the dramatic announcements blotting out the ominous depictions of moments ago. It wasn't like Doll's usual weary drawl. * Three heroes are fated to appear and save the world, sealing the Fountains and defeating the Knight who created them. There's a bit more detail, but I'm not going to go over every last thing. A lot of the things the prophecy specifies aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things.

That really did sound like the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a video game. The three heroes, then… were Kris, Susie, and Noelle?

Doll's voice took on an odd, careful tone. * Close. The three heroes are a human, a monster, and a darkner. In this case that's Kris, Susie, and a darkner you haven't met yet named Ralsei.

Oh. Okay, so, uh, what was Ralsei like? If they were part of the prophecy, they were probably important, right?

* You'll meet him soon enough. He's adorable, it'll be great. Doll dismissed. * But as things stand, it's better to not be dragged into the prophecy's spotlight. It'd be both dangerous and limiting for you. The future isn't going to be kind to the chosen heroes.

Noelle frowned and drew her legs up to her chest. Maybe she wasn't going to be the one subjected to whatever the prophecy had in store, but that still left Kris and Susie stuck with it. Was it possible to change the future somehow?

She felt Doll lean down towards her. * Right again. That's why I'm here, with you: we're going to change fate. The letter of the prophecy is set in stone, but there's room for leeway in how it comes into effect. With a nudge here, and an adjustment there, we can keep your friends safe.

"Can we even do that, though?" Noelle muttered. She'd read a lot of stories about people who tried to change fate. Usually fates of the horrible disaster variety. It never worked out. Either they caused the same fates that they were trying to avoid, or something coincidentally happened to interrupt them, or they got killed by something else to fix the course of history… it never went well.

* It's possible. The guiding spirit said it like it was a basic fact of the world, as obvious and blatant as gravity or the sunrise. They said it with such confidence Noelle couldn't hope but believe it. * But we won't even have to do that much. Just ensure the prophecy comes true in the most favourable possible interpretation for us.

Good… Good. Noelle stood up, brushing traces of grass from her robes. Yesterday, she would've said that this was all too much. That somebody else would be better. But Doll had picked her, hadn't they? If someone like that was able to have faith in her, maybe she should have a little faith in herself too. Besides, this was for her friends! Or- well, one estranged friend and one hopefully future friend.

Maybe that just made it more important to help them. Noelle wouldn't let their lives get stuck right there. She'd make it better.

"I'm ready."

* That's the spirit! Doll cheered. * Ready to move ahead?

Noelle leapt to her feet. "I am!"

* Then it's time to walk back and forth in front of that tree over there until something weird happens!

Her enthusiasm stumbled mid-rise, leaving her to nearly trip over her robes. "Uh, what? Do we have time for that?"

* We'll have less time the longer you wait. I told you about this when you sat down, didn't I? It's an easter egg.

…okay, maybe Noelle wasn't quite ready just yet. But she'd get there.

She'd help.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long following Doll’s odd instructions before something happened. The oddly-specific instructions- “walk back and forth in front of this specific tree that looks exactly like all the other trees” reminded Noelle of hunting for glitches and secrets in Dragon Blazers.

* The Ice Palace, right?

Someday, Noelle was going to get used to Doll just knowing things. That day was not today.

At a certain point, she'd gotten a good rhythm down. Walk just the right distance, then spin on her heel and turn the other way. It felt a little bit like a dance, and Doll’s periodic singing only made that impression stronger.

* Feels more like ice skating to me. Were you ever a skater? It seems on-theme for your family.

No, Noelle skated a little, but she was never very good at it. She always fell. The one who was good at skating was-

Was-

* It was December, wasn’t it?

Noelle stopped walking and took a deep, uneven breath. It was Dess. She always kept her balance, moved on the ice like it was nothing. First she did hockey, and then figure skating, and then hockey again. Dad and Dess both had tried to teach Noelle, so she could keep up with them, but she’d never been able to manage it. She just… always ended up thinking too slow. By the time she’d decided what she wanted to do, her body had already gone the wrong way, and… she fell.

Doll’s voice was quiet. * Maybe you could try again when this is over.

Maybe… Noelle nodded slowly, then took another step. She didn’t have time to think about all this when she had a job to do, did she? There were more important things to be focusing on right now.

* This is important, too.

Neither of them said anything after that. Noelle kept walking.

And walking.

And-

-she stepped, and wasn’t where she was. The grass made a path to a lone tree, exactly like all the others. There was nothing else there. Just the path, and the tree.

Noelle stumbled and fell backwards, landing on the thick grass. Where- where was she? What happened to the rest of the world? Was this supposed to happen? Doll?

* Yes, it is. Doll said.

Okay. Noelle took a shallow breath. Okay. This was supposed to happen. Doll knew what was going on, and knew what Noelle had to do. Nothing was going wrong. Being dropped in a black void with no warning was, apparently, part of the plan. Part of the plan that Noelle hadn’t been warned about in advance for what she was sure was a very good reason.

* Sorry, forgot you didn’t know. You can get the item from behind the tree.

Noelle followed Doll’s direction, approaching the tree at the end of the path while muttering to herself. If it weren’t for where it was, there would’ve been nothing special about the tree. It was exactly what she’d come to expect from the trees in the Scarlet Forest, lacking even a single little detail to make it stand out. In that way, it had an oddly artificial quality to it. Like somebody had just pasted the idea of one of those trees in here. Or maybe like all the other trees were variations of this one somehow. Its leaves shifted back and forth in a soft breeze that Noelle couldn’t feel.

Noelle stepped around the tree. There was a man there. He was holding something in his hands.

“H-Hello?” Noelle stammered. This felt… wrong.

The man presented the item he was holding.

“Is that… for me?”

The man did not move.

* Take it. Doll instructed. Noelle did.

There was not a man there. Noelle stood alone behind the tree, holding a small white egg. “What was- what is any of this?”

Sensing Noelle’s distress, Doll leaned closer. * It’s a bit creepy, I’ll admit, but we’re just picking up something from a friend.

O… kay… Noelle stared at the egg in her hands. She didn’t know that Doll had friends.

Doll scoffed, choking back a laugh in the same breath. * Excuse you! I’ve got lots of friends! What, did you think I was the only one of my kind? There are plenty of other higher beings you’ll probably never even hear of.

And were they all… like that? Or were they more like Doll?

* Nah I’m just really cool like that. Doll said, which didn’t really answer the question.

* Anyways, what’d he look like to you? I can’t really see the same way you do, so I don’t know.

It was just… a man. Noelle didn’t know how else to describe it. She could imagine features, even whole people there behind the tree, but none of them were right. It felt a bit like trying to recall an incomplete memory. Information was just missing, and there was no way of knowing what used to be there.

* Interesting. Doll said. * There’s nothing else here to find. Just walk the other way to leave.

Thank the angel. Friend of Doll or not, Noelle didn’t want to wait around here. It creeped her out.

* FRIEND or what?

What?

* What

…okay, leaving now!

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

Card Castle had been imposing before, a looming structure on the horizon sprouting from under the shadow of the Dark Fountain. Up close, it was even worse. The monochrome walls looked less like part of a building and more some supernatural barrier spawned out of the Dark World’s influence. It was too smooth, too pristine to have been made by real hands. The darkners, too, matched this intimidating presence. They were tougher, better trained, more committed to battle. Doll’s directions got more specific, guiding Noelle through the twisting hallways and past organized patrols. When there was no other way forward but to fight, Noelle was left breathless and sometimes hurt. She got a lot more use out of her one healing spell than she had in the entire way here.

She wound down through the colourless hallways, with no time to admire the ominous portraits and furnishings that completed the building’s image. The jail cells were located at the bottom of the castle. That’s where the prisoner would be. The prisoner and, if things had gone wrong, Kris and Susie.

* I’m sure it hasn’t come to that. Doll assured, but Noelle couldn’t help but worry. She’d seen signs of battle on the way down, leftover damage from fights she hadn’t started. The heroes had definitely come through here already.

Eventually Noelle reached… an elevator? The boxy room was made of the same anomalous material as the rest of the castle, as was the vaguely-labeled panel of buttons inside. It was kind of anachronistic, wasn’t it?

* Just don’t question it. Doll advised. Noelle didn’t question it. Dark Worlds just did that, she guessed.

Ignoring the out-of-place nature of the elevator, Noelle pressed the “Prison B1” button. The doors close and the machine hums for a moment before stopping with a quiet ‘thunk’ and opening again.

The prison didn’t look much different from the rest of the castle. If anything it was less intimidating, the lightless tint of the walls giving way to dull blue-black stone. The ostentatious decor was replaced by the occasional empty jail cell or shackle bolted to the wall. Noelle made her way past each one, checking for Kris and Susie. She didn’t find either, but the cells weren’t empty either.

“Excuse me, have you seen lightners pass through here?” Noelle asked the jailed Rudinn. Apparently the king was in the habit of locking up their own subjects for minor slights. Having met and fought plenty of Card Kingdom’s darkners, she couldn’t imagine them doing anything to earn imprisonment from their own rulers.

“Oh yeah, they came through and broke out of here not too long ago.” the Rudinn said.

“Do you know where they went?” Noelle asked.

The Rudinn frowned, its face shaded by the dim light of the jail cell. “Up, probably. They haven’t been locked up again, so either they ran away or they beat the king already. But since the Fountain hasn’t been closed yet, they probably just ran. You should do that, too.” In spite of their casual tone, all the darkners down here reflected the same belief: the King couldn’t be beaten, and anyone who opposed their rule would be crushed.

Noelle already knew the answer, but she tried anyway: “I can break you out of here. Do you want to leave?”

The Rudinn immediately shied away from the bars. “Are you kidding? I got locked up in here because I didn’t want to fight! I’m not going to get in the King’s way again.”

There it was. None of them were willing to oppose their King.

“Thanks anyway.” Noelle said, and she moved on.

After minutes of finding nothing, Noelle was starting to get anxious. The prisoner she was looking for wasn’t here, and neither were Kris and Susie. Worse, they were probably either fighting the King further into the castle or somewhere else in the Dark World right now. She refused to even think about the other possibility. Even the more battle-ready darkners hadn’t wanted to genuinely hurt Noelle…

* They’re resting further up. We have time. Doll said suddenly.

Noelle stared back at the cells. It didn’t feel right to leave all these darkners imprisoned, but what else could she do? They were all too scared to even want to escape. She’d just have to come back for them, once the heroes defeated the King like they were supposed to.

That would come later, though.

Noelle left the prison behind as she stepped back into the elevator, pressing a button with no label at all and descending deeper into the castle’s depths.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

The bottom of the castle was dark. Unevenly placed lanterns cast dull blue light over the long, narrow stairway that descended at an angle that left Noelle always feeling like she was about to fall. There was a gravity to whatever sat at the bottom, pulling her forward and off-balance. The lights barely illuminated the towering gate that sat at the bottom of the steps. In the spaces where the light didn’t reach, it felt equally as likely for there to be walls as there to be an endless void surrounding the stairway that Noelle could have fallen through forever if she made a misstep.

* This is it.

Noelle half-walked half-stumbled down the stairs until the short landing at the bottom. She took a moment to catch her breath, staring at the door.

“Hello?” she started. “Is somebody there?”

“OH? A LONE VISITOR, VISITOR! HERE TO SEE THIS GREAT FREEDOM?”

The voice was at once shrill and deep, a resounding cackle that echoed through the darkness.

“I-I’m here to talk. I brought the key to your cell?” Noelle stuttered. She’d built up the image of the prisoner in her mind, but this close… she could feel the pressure from the other side of the door. The presence of whoever stood there, weighing on the fabric of the Dark World.

The prisoner spoke again. “THE KEY, THE KEY! TO SET YOURSELF FREE?” they said. “YOU ALREADY KNEW? COULD IT BE YOU’RE FREE TOO? OR…” Something moved behind the immense cell door. The lanterns further up the steps flickered. “I SEE! I THOUGHT IT WAS BUT A LONE HAND, ALL BUT EMPTY, BUT YOU’VE HIDDEN ANOTHER UP YOUR SLEEVE, SLEEVE!”

Wha… W-WHAT? Noelle froze and took a step back from the cell door without realising it. He knew about Doll? Could he hear them?

* It’s not really a surprise. Doll said, sounding neither surprised nor bothered by the sudden intrusion. Noelle really wished they’d warn her about these things ahead of time. * He’s already taken a peek towards my layer of the world. It’s how he ended up like this; through some manner or another, he saw his world and yours through the eyes of a thing like me. But it’s not anything to be concerned about. He can't actually reach me.

Unknowing or uncaring of Noelle’s distress and Doll’s attempts to assuage her, the prisoner continued. “WHAT FUN, FUN! THE PERFECT PLAYMATE FOR A PERFECT, PERFECT GAME! LET YOURSELF OUTSIDE AND WE CAN PLAY!”

* If it comes to a fight, I believe you’ll be able to overcome this. Doll said, their words a firm but gentle hand on Noelle’s shoulder. * I believe you can do this, and I’ll be right there with you. Until then, though, we should ask what we can.

“I-I have some questions to ask, first.” Noelle tried. The man behind the door laughed wildly.

“QUESTIONS? WHAT COULD YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE THAT WHAT YOU ALREADY DO?” He sounded… not doubtful, but something else. Something more acidic. He really wasn’t interested for some reason.

Before he could say anything else, Noelle rushed in. “How about a game?” Her voice shook, but her words made the prisoner fall silent. “We’ll play a question-asking game, and then we’ll play what you want. S-Sound fair?”

“FAIR IS FAIR!” the prisoner cheered. “I’LL PLAY, PLAY ALONG! SO LET YOURSELF OUT AND WE’LL SHOW THOSE SLOW, CLUMSY SHADOWS OUT THERE IN THEIR LITTLE CAGE WHAT FUN THEY’RE MISSING!”

* You really are perfect at this, you know. Doll mused as Noelle searched through her items for the key. The sudden compliment froze her in her tracks.

It wasn’t really anything special. This was just how everyone would get Kris to play games they thought they were going to lose. Just promise them another game after… but always after, because if anyone ever played Kris’ choice first then they’d just leave right after.

* I don’t know if Kris would appreciate the comparison. Doll said through faint laughter.

Well, Kris could take a little bit of unfavourable comparison. Noelle was doing a lot for them right now, wasn’t she? Changing fate for them and all that.

Finally. Noelle found the cell key. Time to meet with the strange prisoner face to face.

Chapter Text

The inside of the jail cell was… bizarre. It doesn’t feel real. The room was a ring, built around a central shaft that stretched down and spread out to form the ground and ceiling alike. The walls were far away, not connected to the rest of the room and bent at an odd angle. Noelle’s feet didn’t touch the floor right. She was standing not quite on it, but slightly above at an odd angle that left her always feeling like she was about to fall over. The air was stale, the distant scent of wet stone from the prisons above barely lingering in whatever this place was.

The prisoner stood in the middle of the room a few steps above the ground, completely unmoving. He looked more lifeless, more like a toy than any of the darkners Noelle had met so far. His body was bulbous, a round and plump torso under a bulging blue-gray shirt market with jagged black patterns and under a short cape. The prisoner’s face was similarly rounded, the colour of dead flesh with a wide rictus grin and yellowed teeth. His eyes were tiny yellow lights sunken into star-shaped pits. Atop his head sat a black and blue jester’s hat adorned with small golden bells. A forked, J-shaped tail protruded from his back. The jester tilted his head up to watch Noelle’s approach, smile growing wider.

“UEE HEE! FINALLY, FINALLY! SO LONG…” He turned down again, and floated a step lower in the air. Then, without warning, he moved. A single step and the jester leapt towards Noelle, bouncing like the bells on his hat, and stopped bent at an impossible angle to aim his face directly towards her. Up close, she could see the texture of his skin- something between fabric and dead flesh. “SO LONG WITHOUT ANOTHER FACE! AND NOW I SEE, SEE! WHAT FUN WE’LL HAVE TOGETHER!”

Noelle stepped away. Only Doll’s presence kept her body from shaking. “R-Right! It’s time to play! For the first game, we’ll take turns asking each other questions! And…” Doll whispered a suggestion. “The first person who gets one wrong, or can’t answer a question, loses.”

“AND THE STAKES?” the jester asks, anticipation dripping from his voice.

“Th-The winner… gets to go first in our next game.” Noelle decided.

“AH, WHAT FUN, WHAT FUN IT WILL BE!” the jester cheered, bouncing back across the room to his spot and cackling. “ASK, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS!”

Noelle tried to put on a brave face as Doll fed her the first question. Would the imprisoned jester really be satisfied with this sort of game? The atmosphere in the room was coiled tight, ready to erupt at any moment. Every little twitch and movement felt like it was about to be an attack.

* Jevil won’t attack right away. Not while there’s still entertainment to be had by playing along with what you suggested. Doll assured her. Still, Noelle couldn’t ignore the feeling of her heart pounding in her chest. Her body was absolutely convinced she was in danger no matter what her mind said.

“What did the Knight tell you?” Noelle asked. Jevil tilted his head to one side, letting his entire body follow and pitch over mid-air.

“THE KNIGHT CAME AND WENT WITHOUT A WORD TO THOSE FOOLS IN THEIR GREAT CAGE.” Jevil recalled. “ONLY IN THE LONG SHADOWS, CAST FROM ITS GAZE, WAS IT HEARD. A JOYOUS DESTRUCTION SOON WAKES, TOGETHER COMES APART AND PARTS COME TOGETHER!”

Noelle stared at the jester, trying to make sense of his words. Did that count as a proper answer? No, that didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to call him on it, because the whole point of playing this game was to get to ask more questions. Ending the game right away, even by winning, would defeat the whole point.

“NOW!” Jevil shouted, ignoring Noelle’s contemplation. “A QUESTION IN RETURN! TELL US, TELL US, LIGHTNER! WHO OPENED YOUR CAGE?”

* If he called you free because you knew things you shouldn’t, then it’d be me who did that. Doll said. * Though if we’re sticking to prophecy-speak, I’d be “The Angel”.

Not sparing the time to think about what Doll just said, Noelle repeated their answer to Jevil. The clown laughed, like it was the funniest joke he’d heard in years. Depending on how long he’d been locked here, maybe it was. His eyes gleamed in their sunken sockets.

“NOW, AGAIN YOU ASK!”

* How about…

“Do you believe in the prophecy?” Noelle asked.

Jevil shook his head wildly. “SIMPLE, SIMPLE! JUST MORE LOCKS, THAT THEY ALL BUILT THEMSELF! LOCKS TO KEEP INSIDE THEIR CELLS, SO THEY CAN’T EVEN THINK OF FREEDOM. DO YOU?”

Noelle didn’t see how that answer helped either, but Doll made an approving noise so maybe she was just missing something. This whole conversation was definitely just going over her head. She waited for Doll’s next answer, trying to calm her still-pounding heart. She could do this. She could do this.

* Oh? No, I can’t answer this one for you. Doll said. * It’s what you believe, as long as you don’t lie anything you say should be correct.

R-right, that… right. The question was just how she felt. Easy. Maybe her feelings about the prophecy had changed a bit recently, but she still knew where she stood. Noelle took a breath and spoke. “I… guess I believe in it. That it’s real, I mean. But I don’t know if I… ‘believe’ in it. If that makes any sense?”

“MAKE SENSE? WHAT FUN IS MAKING SENSE?” But even as Jevil laughed, bouncing up and down in the air, he didn’t attack. The answer was true enough to convince him.

A fragile smile made its way onto Noelle’s face. As scared as she’d been, as she still was, she was keeping up. She wasn’t going to give up at the first real challenge in her journey. “It’s my turn for a question. Did Seam learn what you did?”

The glow of Jevil’s eyes suddenly went out, leaving only blackened pits. Without it, the entire room seemed darker, if only for a moment. The gleam returned, a touch dimmer than before, and the caged jester’s smile remained painted onto his face. “IT’S IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND! NOT WHEN THEY HAVEN’T SEEN. AND SO THEY STAY SO BORING, NOT KNOWING THIS GREAT FUN WE HAVE.”

And despite herself, Noelle was having fun. What was an adventure without danger? Horror movies and scary stories couldn’t compare with finding another world hidden in her home town and being asked to help save the world. If she’d been given the chance to hear whatever Jevil heard, to see whatever he saw… maybe she would’ve taken it.

That thought dampened the excitement that had been growing in her. This was real, not a game. People could, would get hurt if she didn’t take it seriously.

“AND NOW, AND NOW! WHAT LIES BENEATH THE KNIGHT’S SHELL?” Jevil chattered. Noelle frowned. That question felt like cheating. How was Noelle supposed to know that?

* Maybe because you’re also cheating and have somebody feeding you answers? Doll reminded her.

That wasn’t the point, though. Speaking of, what was the answer to this one?

Doll laughed. * It’s a trick question. The Knight is a title, not a specific individual. More than one person fills the role. But if we want to hit all our bases…

“A corpse.” Noelle said cautiously. And seriously? What the heck was going on where that could somehow be the right answer for more than one person? How many dead people were there walking around in Hometown?

* Literally? Zero. It’s an inside joke. All the candidates could reasonably be called ‘corpses’, but each in their own way. And it’d probably be an insult to all of them. Doll explained. That didn’t help much with Noelle’s curiosity. Knowing the direction things were headed, though, she expected to run into the Knight sooner or later. Her questions would be answered then.

“My turn. How do you use a ShadowCrystal?”

How did Jevil know all this anyways? Noelle wasn’t even sure if there were things Doll didn’t know a minute ago, and now they were quizzing a darkner for answers to some really odd questions.

* Everything I see is at a certain angle, per se. Some things aren’t for my eyes. Point being, I’m not all-knowing.

“UEE HEE, USE? THERE’S NOTHING TO IT! JUST LOOK INSIDE AND SEE OUT.” Jevil’s flippant answer echoed in the dim cell. His hands twitched. A sign of boredom, or perhaps a half-remembered motion sparked by memories no longer kept in mind. “AND YOU? HAVE YOU SEEN IT?”

“No, I haven’t.” Noelle barely even knew what a ShadowCrystal was. Though, what about Doll? None of these questions were aimed at them, but Jevil was definitely picking their questions in response to the questions Doll had picked. So what answers was he hoping for? What did he know about Doll that Noelle didn’t?

If Doll heard Noelle wondering about them, they didn’t acknowledge it. * I heard what I wanted to hear. You can ask things too, if you’d like. I’m pretty sure I can keep us in the game forever if you need to.

There were more than a few things Noelle wanted to ask. Anyone would be curious, wouldn’t they? But… now wasn’t the time. Just looking at Jevil, cackling to himself and bouncing in the air in a dark, lonely room, Noelle didn’t want whatever secrets he’d found.

All that left was asking a question Jevil couldn’t answer. And again, Doll gave her the perfect thing to ask.

“What is the Angel’s real name?”

Jevil froze, still grinning, then broke out into another bout of laughter. His jeering was hoarse and painful, torn from his throat in violent and uncontrolled peals. He danced back and forth like a puppet being thrown about by his strings. He cheered and applauded, all for a question he could not answer. “AH, WHAT MISCHIEF, MISCHIEF! I COULDN’T SAY!”

* We’ve got our shot. Let’s not waste it.

> Noelle > Magic > IceShock > Jevil

Noelle didn’t wait for Jevil to attack. Didn’t wait for him to announce his own defeat. He wouldn’t have given her any more than that. The air temperature dropped just as the surroundings spun to life. The walls blurred and whirled and the forming snowflakes of Noelle’s spell joined the movement as a ghost of a coming snowstorm. The world was spinning, and only Noelle and the imprisoned jester remained still at its centre.

Her first attack struck true, a burst of ice crystals erupting over Jevil’s body and sending him bouncing back. The grinning jester clapped and cheered even as he cried out in pain.

“IT SEEMS YOU KNOW THE GAME ALREADY!”

The race was on. Noelle took off running just as soon as Jevil’s magic filled the room. The spinning floor made it hard to tell which direction she was moving; the room had been disorienting before, but now Noelle felt like she’d fall over the second she stopped moving. Everywhere she’d gone so far in the Dark World, there’d been a dreamlike quality to it. A touch of not-reality separating it from the world above. This, though? As the world spun around her and hollow laughter filled the air, it could only be called a nightmare.

“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!”

Jevil vanished, leaving Noelle turning wildly to see where he’ll reappear. Everywhere she looked, glowing cards flicked through the air. The jester’s grinning face peeked out from behind one just long enough for Noelle to cast another spell, but vanished before it could strike. The card froze solid and shattered against the floor. In the quickly-melting shards, Noelle could see Jevil’s smile.

Doll aimed Noelle’s next spell somewhere she couldn’t see. A cry of pain and joy in equal measures answered.

* Stay calm. You’ll get your shot if you wait for it. Doll said. Noelle nodded, more to herself than to them. Stay calm and wait for her shot. She can do that.

“PLEASE, IT’S JUST A SIMPLE CHAOS!” Jevil taunted. A card next to Noelle flipped over, revealing the cackling darkner with his mouth wide open, flinging a spray of spade-shaped bolts of magic towards her. Noelle jumped back, feeling the spell graze past her fur. By the time she’d raised her hands to cast IceShock back at her attacker, Jevil was already gone.

The mad darkner reappeared a moment later, dancing back and forth in the room’s centre and cheering wildly. Noelle tried to strike, but the spell wouldn’t come; she’d burned through too much casting the last two spells so quickly.

> Noelle > Defend

Walls of ice rose around Noelle just in time for Jevil’s magic to crash into them from all directions. The cold air made her breaths feel sharper and shallower. This was… this was just too much! The other fights Noelle had been in were nothing like this! Those darkners hadn’t been trying, hadn’t wanted to actually hurt her. They were weaker, too. Had Noelle really tricked herself into thinking she knew what she was doing because she got walked through a few battles by Doll?

The next wall of ice she summoned shattered before it could even fully form. Jevil leapt through the shards, an ostentatious scythe almost as large as he was held loose in one hand. The tip of the blade moved in an inevitable arc towards her neck, and Noelle saw her own terrified eyes reflected in the weapon’s surface. Those weren’t the eyes of a hero. Just a scared girl who’d thrown herself into something she wasn’t ready for. She shut her eyes, and waited for the sharp sting of the scythe striking-

-nothing?

Noelle felt her body move of its own accord, twisting unnaturally to bend out of the way of Jevil’s lunge. The thrum of her quickly-beating heart fueled the IceShock that erupted from one hand, blasting Jevil back.

* I’ve got you.

Suddenly in control of herself again, Noelle stumbled. Jevil was gone again, leaving nothing but an echoing laugh. Instead of looking for him, she took another step back. Maybe… Doll should handle this one. Noelle didn’t think that she… Noelle knew that she wasn’t strong enough. Maybe one day, but… not right now.

Doll’s presence sank into Noelle’s body, pulling her into motion. Her clumsy movements became mechanically precise, eyes following something that Noelle still couldn’t see. Even as they guided Noelle’s body past another surprise swing of Jevil’s scythe, their voice didn’t waver. Their tone stayed level and soft even as waves of ice hardened in Noelle’s hands.

* I don’t believe that. Doll said. * I don’t believe that you can’t do this.

Noelle blinked. What was that supposed to mean? Did Doll not just see everything that happened? Did they miss Noelle completely fumble her way through that fight until they stepped in?

* Maybe I did miss it, because that’s not what I saw. the Angel insisted. * You were holding your own. The only thing holding you back was you getting wrapped up in your own head. As much as I’d want this dance for myself, you need to do this. This is how you get stronger.

> Noelle > Act > Jevil > Pirouette
>>> Tranquil! The dance defended the party!

That was easy for Doll to say! They were maneuvering Noelle’s body perfectly, literally dancing between Jevil’s magic which had, for some reason, taken the form of a horde of duck-shaped carousel cars. Noelle couldn’t do that! She could barely even stand up to Berdly, let alone this!

* You. Don’t. Have to. You just need to… Doll emphasized each word before going quiet. What they said next came slower, heavier, placed with a solemn tone Noelle hadn’t heard from them before. * Do what December would do, alright?

The shock of that name dragged Noelle back to the present moment, stumbling away from Jevil as he leapt towards her. Doll’s direction vanished, leaving Noelle alone facing down the laughing darkner. She didn’t have time to think. Didn’t have time to worry. Didn’t have time to do anything but act. And so, with Doll’s words echoing in her brain, Noelle did the first thing that came to mind.

She reached into her pocket and threw an item and Jevil. That item was, by complete chance, the pencil she’d been carrying with her. The same pencil that Doll had chosen to open a Dark World. The same pencil that was, now within a Dark World, no longer a pencil.

Instead, it was a sword.

Noelle did not know how to use a sword. But a sword, even swung without the needed strength or skill, was still a sword, and Jevil was caught completely off-guard.

The flat of the blade smacked into the darkner and flung him back with shocking force. His head sprung from his shoulders before springing back into place, ever-smiling and laughing. While Noelle panted and caught her breath, a second voice joined Jevil’s laughter.

Doll’s voice.

* Of all the things- Well, I bet she’d be proud of that. Nice shot!

Despite herself, Noelle couldn’t help but smile.

Jevil shared the pair’s cheer. “TWO-SIDED, TWO-FACED INDEED! WHAT FUN, FUN WE HAVE!” He hopped frantically from one foot to the other, still smiling in spite of the thin sheen of frost forming on his body. “IT’S SO EXCITING… I CAN’T TAKE IT!!!”

The battle rose to a fever pitch. The harsh crackle of magic filled the air, its sting sharpened by the rapidly-lowering temperature. Any sense of place was lost in the swirl of shapes and colours. And Noelle stood at the centre of it all. Not unflinching, not unscathed, but unafraid. For what could have been minutes or hours, she traded blows with the imprisoned jester. Her opponent was everywhere at once, always laughing, but his breath was growing shallow. He was tiring.

Noelle should have been tired too. But how could she be? Her heart was racing. She couldn’t let herself be tired. She couldn’t fight like Doll could. She couldn’t weave effortlessly through waves of magic. She couldn’t make shots without even looking at her target.

But she was keeping up.

A bolt of light in the shape of a diamond struck Noelle in the side, and she winced. Doll whispered an apology and ordered her to heal. The spell washed over her body and soothed her pain, leaving nothing at all in its place. She followed up with a cast of IceShock, blasting Jevil away. He bounced across the ground, hovering less steadily.

He glanced at something in his hand, still smiling. The thing glimmered, and the room darkened. Noelle couldn’t help but remember watching the Fountain form as shadows swallowed the entire battlefield, leaving only her and Jevil alone in the dark. Jevil shouted in glee, though Noelle couldn’t hear his words over Doll’s voice.

* Steady…

Noelle took a deep breath and stood her ground. Jevil, too, was swallowed by the darkness, and it was all Noelle could do to trust Doll’s nudges to avoid the assault that followed. Jevil’s scythe cleaved through the darkness, spilling gouges of light from the shadow where he struck. The strikes came from every direction, at first barely missing, then grazing, then finally cutting shallow wounds. Noelle stumbled just as Jevil reappeared, scythe at the ready, and looming over the downed lightner.

“THE TRUE AND NEO CHAOS!”

This time, Noelle didn’t flinch. A wall of ice erupted in front of her, blocking Jevil’s view while she dodged to the side. Jevil shattered the barricade easily, but when he broke through, he found his scythe cleaved through nothing but air and shadow. The darkness cleared just in time to show Noelle rushing back in, hands flaring with icy blue light. She was close enough to touch, close enough to see the short rise and fall of Jevil’s chest as he breathed, when she cast the final spell of the battle.

> Noelle > Magic > Sleep Mist

And like that, the fight was over.

Jevil slumped to the ground, still giggling to himself. “WHAT FUN!!! I'M EXHAUSTED!! YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL FREEDOM INDEED! SUCH STRENGTH, CALLED BY THE COLD HEAVEN’S VOICE!”

Noelle stood close by, panting desperately. Now that the battle was over and the adrenaline was draining from her body, she could barely stand. Her muscles ached both from exertion and from the strain of recently-healed injuries. But she, too, was smiling. She’d done it. She won.

As if he heard Noelle’s thoughts, Jevil continued. “AND THAT VOICE SHALL NOT FALL SILENT. INSTEAD, ITS ECHOES SHALL AWAKEN SECRETS LONG BURIED! THE ANGEL’S GRACE WILL MAKE ANEW, AND AN OLD SONG RISES FROM THE DEEP! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SEE IT!” He laughed one final time, dry and hollow. “LIGHTNER! WITH YOUR LITTLE FREEDOM!! TAKE ME AND DO YOUR STRONGEST—!”

>>> You got ShadowCrystal
>>> DEVILSKNIFE was added to your WEAPONs
>>> JEVILSTAIL was added to your ARMOURs

And then he was gone.

Noelle's first real challenge was over.

Chapter Text

With Jevil gone, the cell he had waited in went still and silent. The dim illumination that trickled in from the hall before it no longer showed the bizarre, warped scenery that Noelle had first found here. It was just… an empty cell. The same rough blue-black rock that she'd found in all the other jail cells above. It seemed like the mad darkner's presence had changed this place. Him, or something else.

Noelle sorted through the items she'd picked up. These were supposed to help her get strong enough to make it through the Dark World in Dess' room. How they were going to do that wasn't quite clear. The first thing she found was the scythe; the same weapon Jevil had spent so much of their fight swinging at her. There was no way she'd be able to use it. Debates about the practicality of scythes as actual melee weapons aside, it was too large and unwieldy for Noelle to use. The only reason she could even carry the thing was because it functionally ceased to exist the moment she put it in her "inventory" and only came back when she took it out.

* It's a weapon for Susie, not for you. Doll said. * Though in that sense, I'm sure you'll be getting something out of it either way.

That made more sense. Noelle could definitely picture Susie carrying a weapon this big much more easily than she could herself.

* I'll bet you can~

W-What's that supposed to mean?

Doll just laughed, leaning into Noelle's body for a moment before drifting away. * Just keep going. It's the next items that'll help you specifically. With her face burning, Noelle put the Devilsknife away and took out… okay, what even was this?

* The Jevilstail.

His tail? Like, the actual thing? We just stole it?

* I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one. Isn't taking parts off of your enemies normal in video games anyways? You should be used to this sort of thing.

Well, this wasn't a video game! Noelle held the perplexing item at arm's length, examining it with a mix of intrigue and disgust. It didn't feel like anything alive… it had a more plasticy feel to it, almost papery? How was she supposed to use this?

>>> Equipment > Noelle > Armour > Jevilstail

Oh. So now she just… had a tail? Or a second tail? It felt oddly natural. Shifting back and forth to try and get a better look at the devilish appendage, Noelle noticed how smoothly she moved. She idly reached for a simple spell and found it come with barely a thought. The IceShock splashed against the empty cell walls and erupted into a massive burst of whirling shards, mighty enough to leave the dim room freezing cold. Was it really that simple? All it took was a single item and she was this much stronger?

* You worked for it enough, didn't you?

Faha, that was true enough! Noelle's head spun a bit at the prospect of more fights like that in the future. But if the rewards were this good… She could handle it. Maybe. Probably. It'd be easier now with the extra gear, right?

* There won't be anything this difficult for a while. Doll said.

Ah, that was a relief! Honestly, Noelle would really have rather she never had to do anything like that again. Item three… Noelle's expression darkened. The ShadowCrystal. In her hands now, it just looked like a piece of glass. Before she could look any closer, Doll took her hands and set it back into her inventory.

* We need more of those before they'll do anything. They're collectibles, like the egg.

Well, whatever it did, hopefully it'd be worth it! Noelle thought she was going to die for a moment back there!

Doll faked a gasp of shock. * You really thought I would let you die? And I thought I had been an entirely benevolent mysterious benefactor so far- and you believe my intentions in dragging you into danger a day after meeting are anything less than pure? Their faux-ire quickly devolved into giggling. Noelle wasn't sure if she was supposed to be laughing too. She really hadn't thought of it that way.

"I guess I'm lucky you're not an evil spirit or something." Noelle said. She'd seen enough horror movies to know how getting possessed usually ended for people. At least she would've gotten the chance to finally scare Kris that way..

* I can probably work that one into the schedule. Doll offered. * Just not now. We've got business back upstairs.

And so up they went.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

The quietly-humming elevator felt at once slower and faster than it had on the way down. The nervous anticipation of knowing what was waiting below was replaced by the faint anxiety of not knowing what was waiting above. She'd gone here with an objective, a mission, and now it was done. What came next? It would have felt ominous in its own way, if not for the tune kept in Noelle's head.

* And I breathe/nothing but a shadow, it seems~

…the lyrics were a bit less cheery, sure, but the song itself was very energetic! It was just way too upbeat for Noelle to feel nervous! It completely killed the mood that the spooky castle ambiance would have set. Instead, Noelle was just… a bit jumbled, maybe? It was hard to know how to feel.

* I can stop if you'd like. Doll offered.

No? No, not at all! That's not what Noelle was thinking!

* Really, it wouldn't be a problem. If it's making you uncomfortable-

It's not! Really! It's just the situation- it would make anything feel weird!

Doll was strangely quiet. * …You're quite passionate about this. It's just something I do to pass time. There's not any extra meaning to it.

But Doll liked singing, didn't they? Telling them not to sing would be like telling- it'd be cruel, is what Noelle meant! She sighed and fell back against the elevator wall before sliding to the ground. It was fine. Noelle was used to doing things for people. This time, she wouldn't even have to do anything! Doll could just… keep doing what they were doing!

* It really wouldn't be any trouble. Doll repeated.

And why were they so insistent about this anyways? It was the most Noelle'd heard Doll ever try to force an issue! Usually, they just… said things, and then moved on.

* You're pushing it, too. Not that I'm opposed, it's just a bit unusual for you. I was only making an offer. they said again.

Noelle closed her eyes and frowned. It wasn't just an offer, though. Doll liked singing, right? So they shouldn't have to stop. Besides, they sounded nice!

* I assure you, I don't. Doll said dryly.

No, really! Noelle might've been new to the Dark World, or using magic, but she knew music! And she was pretty sure Doll did too; either they had training or they just practiced a lot. Their tone was too steady for somebody who didn't know what they were doing.

* Well, I'm just a voice now. It's easier to sing when you don't have to worry about lung capacity.

Faha, sure! That would definitely make holding notes easier! Actually, now that she thought about it…

* Yes, there's magic to let you hold your breath better, and no, we aren't going looking for it.

Why not?

* Water levels.

..Right. Noelle sighed and pushed herself back up to her feet, no longer feeling the slightest bit nervous.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

Returning to the castle above, Noelle found them in an uproar. The previously grim and imposing halls were now swarmed with all sorts of darkners rushing back and forth in disarray. A confused "What's…" slipped out of her mouth before one of them spotted her.

"The lightners!" the Rudinn cried out, pointing its sword at Noelle in an especially unthreatening manner. "Wait, they're down here? I though-"

"That's the wrong lightner! There's supposed to be two of them!" another Rudinn corrected, swatting their partner on the back of the head. "How do you even mess this up?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that there was a third lightner walking around?" the first complained.

Before the argument could deteriorate any further, Noelle stepped in. "Um. You're looking for Kris and Susie, right? I'm trying to find them, too. Have you seen where they are?"

The Rudinn looked at Noelle like she was stupid. Even before it said anything, Noelle couldn't help but feel a bit offended. "Uh, no. We're looking for the lightners. Not whoever those are."

Noelle's normally-polite tone came out strained. "They. Ah, are lightners? Because I'm. Also a lightner?"

The Rudinn stared at Noelle wordlessly for a full second before blinking and grunting. "Well, why didn't you say that in the first place? Yeah, we're all looking for the lightners. Apparently they're fighting the King right now."

They're- What? Noelle's adrenaline flooded back. They were in danger! Where was the King? Noelle needed to get there as soon as possible!

Doll's voice came as a gentle push, forcing back down Noelle's panic. * Just listen for a moment. Everything will go the way it's supposed to from this point onward.

With that ominous proclamation hanging over her head, Noelle repeated a sentence Doll put forward. "Why are you looking for the lightners if they're with the King? Won't he take care of them?"

The Rudinns exchanged looks, then glanced around to the surrounding crowd milling about. The other darkners were gradually making their way through the stairs up, though their sheer numbers made it hard to move with any haste. "That's probably going to happen, but…" They looked around again, like they were hiding from something. "People have been talking, and it seems like it might be better if. The King. Lost?"

"He's not… a great king?" another said cautiously. "And everyone agrees, apparently. So we're all actually hoping the lightners beat him so we don't have to work for him anymore."

* What did I tell you? Everything's going to work out exactly like it's supposed to.

…okay, Noelle definitely saw where this was going now. "How can I help?"

~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~

Kris heaved against the floor. They hadn't… they hadn't expected this.

The King wasn't this strong last time. Before, when they'd been dragged through the fight by the Soul, it had gone by in a blur after the disorienting mess that had been the fight with Jevil just before. Kris had, in their head, built up an image of how it would go. They'd battle the King along with Susie and Ralsei, and win easily. Compared to the darkners Kris would fight later, this was nothing. The King was strong, sure, but they'd fought stronger. They were stronger. The King would pull the same trick as last time, pretending to surrender and waiting for everyone to let their guards down, and this time Kris wouldn't fall for it. Nobody would get hurt, and Kris would be able to end the first day of their adventure with a new victory.

Maybe the Soul was just a better fighter than they were. Maybe Kris' body just wasn't strong enough. Their armour felt heavy and cold. It rattled against their skin as they tried and failed to stand. Kris fell back to the ground of the castle roof. Just steps ahead, the Dark Fountain pulsed as harsh and piercing as a sun. Its eerie glow washed over the rooftop, drawing long shadows over the surroundings. The King stood slack, careless, a massive silhouette with a jagged white crown atop his head. They could feel the hateful gaze from the blackened pit where his eyes would be, just above the vicious, toothed grin that stretched across his face. He took a lurching step towards Kris, and they fell back to the ground again.

"Is this all you could manage, lightbringer? This feeble resistance?"

The King's voice rumbled like thunder. Ralsei's scarf lashed out alongside Susie's axe, but the two both turned aside by flashes of magic. The King took another step forward.

"How pitiful. You, who once abandoned us… you crawl back now, to crush what we have rebuilt? And you cannot even manage to stand?" He laughed. "Actually, I believe I like this pathetic display. Call yourself a hero if you like, but I know what you are." Another step forward. Kris heard quick, heavy footsteps- Susie's footsteps- but the King waved his hand and a bolt of magic hardened into a lashing chain striking towards the sound. It went quiet. "You are a coward. You crept back here believing you would dominate us again. That we darkners would meekly allow our so-called rulers to take all that we have."

A pair of soft hands took hold of Kris and heaved them up to their feet. Warmth surged through their body, easing the ache that had settled into their bones over the day. "Come on, Kris! You have to get up!" Ralsei pleaded. Kris tried, and finally managed to get back to their feet. They raised their sword with trembling hands towards the King.

"Oh? Still standing?" The King flashed a manic smile. "No, that's not right. You should be kneeling when standing before royalty. Perhaps if you learn your place, I will spare you."

"We'll never kneel to you!" Ralsei shouted. The bravery in his voice, that anger that Kris so rarely heard, was muffled by the fact that he was still busy holding Kris up. They weren't going to have a choice.

"Is that true? Well then…" The King raised his hands again, and Kris felt static fill the air. "I'm sure your feelings will change once those lightners you bow before are gone."

A bolt of purple streaked through the air, splashing into the King's side and scattering flecks of violet light. The King's hands fell back to his sides, and the spell forming in the air dissolved. But he looked more annoyed than hurt. He glowered as he turned back to where Susie stood, leaving Kris and Ralsei standing ignored and exhausted.

Susie's axe burned with an acrid energy that matched the venom in her smile. She glared at the King even as he stomped toward her, towering and full of hate. "Man, you never shut up, do you? I can barely even tell what you're saying."

The King flexed his hands. The air trembled. "What do you plan to do, lightner? Do you honestly think YOU… can defeat ME?"

"Get. Away. From my friends."

The King took another step forward. "And? Are you going to MAKE ME?"

Susie looked exhausted, too. Covered in scrapes and bruises that Ralsei hadn't had the energy to heal. Not when he was too busy keeping Kris moving. But even standing alone, looking so much like a child as the King's menacing form stood over her, she didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Didn't back down.

"If I have to."

She would. Kris believed her absolutely.

But she didn't have to.

The air temperature suddenly dropped. The doors to the roof, each one twice Kris' size, flew open with enormous force. Once fell from its hinges, its previously-pristine surface now lined with cracks choked by frost. All eyes went to the sudden surge of movement from behind the door as Card Kingdom's darkners charged out onto the roof. Kris sighed and nearly collapsed again. They'd done it. Stalled the fight long enough for Lancer to rally the rest of the kingdom into full-blown revolt. The King might have been strong, but he couldn't fight the entire Dark World at once. The wave of bodies swept over the roof just in time for Kris' eyes to fall shut. It was fine. Everyone would be safe now.

"Wow, that door really was no match for you! Thanks for the help, deer girl!"

Kris' last thought before losing consciousness was wondering who Lancer was talking about.

Chapter Text

Noelle struggled through the crowd of darkners to the front. Even as the still-roaring King was carried back and away, her focus was fixed ahead on where Susie and Kris were. The darkners, on the other hand, were too enraptured by the spectacle of their ruler being overthrown to notice her. Noelle just couldn't get anywhere with them in the way! She offered only a strained smile in response to a commendation she didn't quite hear from Lancer, the darkner leading the rebellion. He was a short, round, childish-looking darkner with a spade-shaped hood over his head that might have also just been his head. His face was cast in shadow- or maybe just was a shadow?- aside from a cheery, idle grin.

* Actually, I have an idea. You mind if I…?

Doll's presence weighed against Noelle's body, and she wordlessly accepted the proposed intrusion. Her posture suddenly straightened, and Doll squeezed through the crowd not forward but just enough to be standing face-to-face with Lancer. "Lancer, could I go up and see my friends? I'm worried they might be hurt."

"Oh? You mean…" Lancer answered, his voice bright and bouncy until a sudden thought overcame it. He glanced ahead to where the other lightners were laying in the aftermath of their fight. With a slight tension in his words, he continued. "That's a good idea. Hey everyone, clear the way!"

The other darkners didn't seem very enthused about it, but they did move out of Lancer and Noelle's way. With the crowd parted and the roof visible, Lancer suddenly started moving faster. Even with longer legs, Noelle struggled to keep up. Susie and someone in a green cloak and hat that impossibly cast their entire body in total darkness- was that Ralsei?- crowded over Kris, lying unmoving in a pile on the ground. Kris looked… different, in here. They'd never been the healthiest kid, but their skin had taken on a deathly blue pallor that was a shade too vivid to be natural. Their chest rose and fell slowly under a thin layer of dark chainmail fixed with metal plates. It was only that breath and the fact that Doll had assured Noelle Kris was okay that kept them from looking like a corpse.

"Susie," Lancer began, a slight tremor in his voice, "You okay? Our plan, uh, didn't really work. Sorry. I really thought that…"

Susie stepped away from Kris. Her hair swept over her eyes, hiding most of her expression. When she spoke, her voice was softer than anything Noelle expected out of Susie. Still hoarse and rough, but a note more careful. "Nah, it's fine. We improvised. And you came in with the save anyways, so…"

She looked up, and saw who was standing next to Lancer. Susie's eyes widened and she took an unsteady step back, rapidly glancing to Kris and Ralsei beside her. Though it was hard to tell, the darkner prince's shaded face showed mixed panic and confusion. "Noelle!" Susie exclaimed roughly. "You're uh, ah… here too? That's-" She looked back to Ralsei and waited for just a moment too long for him to answer. When the darkner found nothing to say, she continued in a shaky and distinctly un-Susie-like tone. "Cool dream you're having right now, huh?"

Ralsei's face scrunched up in confusion. "Susie?"

Susie leaned down and whispered. Or tried to, anyways. Noelle could hear her just fine. "This whole place is a secret, right? It'd be bad if other people found out about it."

Ralsei wavered. "It is, but-"

"I, uh, already know about the Dark Worlds? Like, the whole thing?" Noelle interrupted, choking back a laugh. Seriously, what sort of a lie was that? 'You're actually just dreaming?' No way Noelle would have ever fallen for that! She'd never have been able to come up with all this.

Somehow, Noelle could feel Doll stifling laughter. What was that about?

Susie and Ralsei recoiled in shock. "You… knew?"

"Yeah, I-" Wait, what was Noelle supposed to say here? She couldn't seriously tell them that the voice in her head told her about a magical fantasy world! She'd sound crazy! And besides, Doll wasn't just going to reveal themselves like that, were they?

* No, that's totally fine. You should at least tell them I exist, and sooner rather than later.

Wait, really? Now it was Noelle's turn to be shocked. She kind of thought Doll was going to be a secret. They called themselves a "mysterious benefactor" just a moment ago, and… well, it just kind of made sense in her head not to tell anyone?

* Sure, I'd rather you not tell everybody I'm here. Doll said. * But we're here to help Kris, Susie, and Ralsei in particular. I don't expect to be able to keep it a secret forever anyways.

"...uuuh, the Angel told me!" Noelle finally finished, having spent long enough staring into space for the two heroes to have gotten distinctly concerned. "I, uh, heard about the Prophecy, and the heroes, and they asked me to come here to make sure none of you got hurt!"

While Ralsei looked away, whispering something about the Angel that Noelle couldn't hear, Noelle felt her gaze drawn down to where Kris lay. They were still barely moving. This was her fault, wasn't it? Because she'd gone too slowly. And she hadn't even really saved anyone, had she? Lancer and the other darkners were the ones who stopped the King. That would've happened whether she were here or not. Doll might have chosen her, but… she hadn't really done anything to help yet, had she?

"Shit, right, Kris!" Susie hissed. "Noelle, can you do something about this? Kris got hurt really bad during the fight, and-"

"O-Oh, right! I can do that!" Noelle remembered.

> Noelle > Magic > Heal Prayer > Kris

A flash of light, and Kris coughed again. Their eyes shot open behind the swoop of their hair. Still breathing heavily, Hometown's sole human slowly pushed themselves to their feet. Their armour clattered noisily as they moved, weighing on their frame in a familiarly unhealthy-looking way. "Thanks Ralsei." they wheezed between breaths.

"Uh, Kris, that wasn't…" Ralsei's voice trailed off as he stared at Noelle. The way he was looking at her… she couldn't describe it. His eyes shone, overcome by some unnameable emotion that held him in place and stayed his voice.

Susie, on the other hand, had no such hesitation. "Nah, dumbass. It was Noelle. Hey, did you know she could do magic?"

"Noe-" Kris shot to their feet, hand on their sword. They looked around frantically like they were still in the middle of battle. Ralsei rushed forward and placed his hands on Kris' shoulders.

"Kris, it's okay! The fight's over, it's safe to relax now." he said. Kris still looked terrified for some reason, but their breathing steadied. Slowly, their hand left their sword and they turned to face Noelle. Kris had been acting strange today, but this was… something else. They almost looked like they didn't recognize her.

"Noelle. You're here." They fumbled through the words, but at least they still sounded like themselves.

"Faha, I'm as surprised as you are." Noelle said. She took a step forward, and failed to suppress her wince when Kris took a step back. Or maybe they were just stumbling. Ralsei immediately moved to support them, draping Kris' arm over their shoulder. "You're. Um. You look nice in that armour?"

Kris glanced down at what they were wearing like they hadn't even seen it. When their head rose again, they were grinning in a familiar way. "You too. Didn't think you were a fan of White Mages, though."

"W-Well, somebody has to play support. But, I'm not really-"

"Noelle," Ralsei interrupted. Susie and Kris both stared at him strangely. "You said that the Angel sent you. Did you actually mean…?"

"They're not that Angel. At least, I'm pretty sure. Or, maybe they are the one you're thinking of? The Angel from the Prophecy? They told me to come here and find you." Noelle said. Was Doll really sure about this? If they were going to back out, now was the last chance.

* I'm sure about everything I do. Best get acquainted sooner rather than later and all that.

"But, that's-"

"Cool." Susie, of course, either didn't understand the significance of what Noelle had said or just didn't care. Maybe both. "Wish you'd been here earlier. We were kicking ass just a second ago, you should've seen it."

Noelle couldn't help but giggle. "I'm sure you were all really cool."

Susie started regaling Noelle with stories of her adventures in Card Kingdom, though her story of things sounded… "embellished" was a nice way to put it. Ralsei stood by her, only occasionally giving his own input. Even with his face hidden in shadow, Noelle could see him still looking dazed and staring at her blankly. That Angel thing really shook him up, didn't it? Was it really that big of a deal? Doll definitely wasn't the Angel from church, but they were still an Angel from a Prophecy. Even after only knowing them for a day, Noelle couldn't see Doll as some sort of divine figure. They were just another person. Knowing that they had some special place in things… well, it wasn't really at the front of her mind in terms of things she knew about Doll. Besides, Kris and Susie were part of the Prophecy too, and they were both fine! So it didn't mean much to Noelle. It clearly meant something to Ralsei, though.

* Darkners are one step of reality beneath Lightners, and I'm several steps up from you. Doll explained. They sounded more tired than usual. * I wouldn't put any spiritual significance to it. But religions have been founded on shakier standings.

Hmmm… it still felt wrong.

* There'll be time to address this later.

Whatever the case, Noelle didn't have much time to think about Ralsei. Not when Susie was still animatedly retelling her adventures. She'd befriended Lancer, the darkner who led the rebellion, and ran rampant over the kingdom while Kris and Ralsei trailed behind them. Even if Susie didn't phrase it that way, Noelle got the impression it was a lot of the former two causing problems while the latter two cleaned them up. Still, Susie had managed to befriend a powerful darkner and help incite a revolution against a corrupt monarch. She was going to be a great hero, Noelle could tell. Kris…

…Kris hadn't stopped staring at Noelle.

They were being even quieter than they used to be. Maybe they were just still tired- from the sound of it, they'd had a long day. Running around in the Dark World was a lot more activity than they'd been getting recently. Actually, that would probably be good for them. Kris could definitely stand to get the exercise. The look in their eyes, though… their eyes never left Noelle, even as they leaned on Ralsei for support. They were exhausted, and not just physically. What happened? Did the fight rattle them so badly? Or was it something else?

* You should talk with Kris when this is over. They'll want to see you. Doll promised. If they said so… * And I'd like to talk with them as well.

"Noelle?" Ralsei said. He'd noticed her focus drifting to what Doll was saying.

"Oh, sorry! Doll was just talking to me."

"Doll?"

Wait, did she not…? "Doll is what the Angel wants to be called." Noelle explained, a bit sheepish both at having gotten distracted and at the fact that she forgot to introduce Doll by name.

Ralsei's eyes went wide. "The Angel really just… speaks to you?"

Susie scratched her head. "So they're just talking in your head or something? Can they do anything else?"

* If I could...

Noelle nodded, and her posture suddenly changed. Her muscles went slack, expression related into a thin smile. Doll looked over the three heroes and waved a hand. "Howdy. I'm the Angel. Pleasure to be meeting you."

Seeing the shocked faces of the heroes of the Prophecy, Doll just laughed. Their voice, even coming out of Noelle's mouth, didn't sound like her. Beyond the dry tone, there was a strange quality to it. Like their words were a recording being played back, or filtered through a phone. Just one layer of separation between real and artificial. "Don't worry, you won't even notice I'm here most of the time. I'll keep most of my intervention behind the scenes."

Doll's attention fell finally on Kris. Kris, who was shaking in place and unable to meet Noelle's eyes.

"A-ny-ways!~" they said quickly, "Noelle and I need to check the Fountain. Meet us up there when you're ready to go, 'kay?" They leaned forward and winked, before walking ahead and away from the group just a little too fast.

~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~✲~✼~❋~❊~✻~❇~

So… what was that about?

* I wasn't acting like you. Seeing somebody you know behaving like somebody else entirely- possession is a horror trope for a reason, you know? It feels wrong to look at.

Before long, they were standing before the Fountain. Noelle couldn't see it, though; only the wash of soft colours rippling over the ground like waves against sand. Doll's attention, and by extension Noelle's eyes, were firmly locked on her own hands. Doll slowly flexed Noelle's fingers, curling and uncurling with unabashed fascination.

How… how long had it been, since their last "partner"? How long did they just not have a body?

A beat of silence passed, and Noelle thought she'd overstepped before Doll replied. * Not nearly as long as you'd think. Time works differently for me than for you, especially when I'm not paired up with somebody.

And their previous partner… a thought occurred to Noelle. Was it-

Doll suddenly looked up, and Noelle's question was forgotten in place of staring into the pulsing glow of Card Kingdom's Dark Fountain. Again, she couldn't help but think the name Dark Fountain didn't work. It was a column of shifting colours, at once moving like a geyser of flame and a flowing river. Looking up at it, it was easy to imagine it had created an entire world.

Noelle wasn't sure how long she stared at the Fountain for. Even after Doll returned to their space in her head, she didn't move. Just kept staring, wondering where it came from. Wondering where it led to.

"Is this… the Fountain?"

Susie's voice shook Noelle from her reverie. She and Kris had entered the Fountain's chamber as well. This step of their adventure was about to end.

* There will be more to come. You still have Dess' room to check, after all.

"Dunno how, but…" Susie continued. "It feels like we stumbled into something really important, didn't we…?" She paused, staring up at the twilight streaming down from the Fountain. "Well, there's no time to think about that now. Right now, it's time to go home. Right, Kris, Noelle?"

Kris took a step forward, their armour still clattering against their body. They stared at the Fountain, waiting for something to happen.

Waiting.

Waiting…

Doll, was something supposed to-

>>> As you stood in front of the Fountain,
>>> You felt something familiar.

>>> It was as if
>>> Your very SOUL was glowing...

Chapter Text

When the light faded, Noelle, Susie, and Kris were standing together in a room. Patches of peeling and discoloured plaster marked the corners and ceiling. The chalkboard was empty but for the layers of dust never fully erased. The clock above it read exactly noon, clearly broken. A purple plush that must have been Seam sat below, abandoned and unused for who knew how long. Toys of all kinds were scattered across the floor in a familiar order: first the carpet dotted with playing cards and blocks, then a checkerboard with chess pieces thrown mindlessly to random positions, and finally a poorly-assembled house of cards. The muted, too-orange light of the room’s sole lightbulb held none of the Dark World’s dreamlike quality; they’d been brought back to the Light World.

Kris collapsed against the back wall with a sigh; relief and exhaustion in equal measure. “We did it.” they breathed out.

Susie looked around, confused. “I… guess… we did? And now we’re in…” She looked around. “...the old classroom? Weren’t we in the closet?”

“Oh! It’s because the closet Dark World is different from Card Kingdom! They’re different places in the Light World, but in the Dark World they were connected.” Noelle explained. Doll had told her how it worked earlier, and now she could tell everyone else!

“Uh… neat. So, that was all- That was all real?” Susie muttered in a distant tone Noelle would have never associated with the other monster.

“It was.”

“So… what now?” Kris said. Their voice was more flat than Noelle was used to, though that might have been exhaustion.

The three children sat in silence for what felt like an eternity.

“Guess we better go tell Alphys we couldn’t find the chalk.” Susie decided. Before Noelle or Kris could say anything, she was out the door. The remaining two children exchanged a look and followed her.

The hall outside was cast in the warmth of evening sunlight streaming in through the windows. Susie was staring outside, not even noticing Noelle and Kris walking out behind her. “Looks like we were in there all day. Sun’s already setting.”

Noelle grinned. “I was going to tell you. I got worried because you and Kris were gone all day. And-” Her voice was cut off by the sudden ringing of her phone. Noelle fumbled with the device for a moment before picking up.

“Noelle?” Berdly’s voice came through the line. “Oh, thank goodness you picked up! I’ve been calling all day, and none of my calls came through! I was worried that- Well, I don’t know what I was worried about, but it wasn’t good!”

“I’m fine, it’s fine!” Noelle hurriedly assured. “I- I told you I could handle everything, didn’t I?” Kris and Susie were staring at her. Oh, what should she do?

* Tell him you’ll explain at his house later. You forgot your key, so you could use somewhere to stay anyway. Doll instructed. Did she really- Noelle checked her pockets distractedly. Yep, she did. The deer monster let out a sigh. Of course she did.

“I’ll head to your house soon. We can talk then, okay?” Noelle said. Berdly didn’t answer right away, but didn’t argue. With another sigh, she hung up. It was nice of him to worry about her, at least?

* It was sensible, given what he saw.

“So…” Susie trailed off, glancing between Noelle and Kris. “We’ve all got places to be. But… let’s… go back tomorrow, okay?” She tilted her head, and suddenly Noelle could see her face past the shadow cast by her hair. She looked nice. Noelle wished she would do it more often. “And hey, Noelle, you should be sure to show up on time tomorrow! You’ll get to see us kicking ass in person!”

Noelle laughed. “Of course, I’ll make sure of it!”

Without waiting any longer, Susie walked away. The afternoon sunlight washed through the hallway and over the retreating monster, painting soft hues over her patched clothes. She looked smaller, somehow, like this.

And then Kris and Noelle were left alone.

* We should say something. Y’know, so it doesn’t get awkward. Doll advised, leaning against Noelle.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Noelle began. Those few words carried more meaning than she thought they would. It really had been a long time since she and Kris spent any time together. They just disappeared from her life one day, and…

“It has.” Kris muttered. Their voice was trembling. “So. The, uh, Angel. It talks to you.” Not quite a statement, not quite a question.

Oh, so they were actually going to talk about that. “Don’t worry, Doll’s nice! And they said they weren’t actually that Angel.” A lot had happened recently, and Noelle thought she was handling it pretty well, but if she had to meet the creator of the universe she really would lose it.

* Ehhhh…~

What was that supposed to mean?

* Depending on how you put it, I could have made your world. It’s best to just not think about that stuff, though! Doll said.

WHAT was THAT supposed to mean?

* It’s best to just not think about that stuff!

“Uh, Noelle?”

Noelle jumped. She’d forgotten where she was for a second! “Sorry, sorry! I was just- thinking.”

Kris’ gaze pierced through Noelle, and she felt the strange impression that they could see Doll’s presence leaning over her. “Was it the Angel?”

“They were just talking about the whole ‘made the universe’ thing. I got distracted, sorry.” Noelle said. Kris’s expression didn’t change.

“Do you really just believe everything they say?” The human’s words had a strange edge to them.

Noelle tilted her head to one side. “Well, not everything? If they said something totally ridiculous, of course I’d be skeptical!” Of course, the standard for ‘totally ridiculous’ wasn’t quite where it used to be. “But so far, they’ve helped out a lot. And they’re part of the same prophecy as you! Why wouldn’t I trust them?”

“You’ve known them for a day.” Kris pointed out.

“Well, you don’t know them at all.” Noelle shot back. Kris winced, and Noelle flinched when she saw it. They were arguing already… this wasn’t what she wanted.

* I could talk to them, actually. Might help clear things up. Doll suggested.

Noelle’s eyes widened. Could they actually do that?

* Pretty easily, actually.

Okay, then. “Maybe… you could talk to them, if you’re worried about it. Doll wanted to be open with you anyways.”

Kris swallowed. They were really nervous about this for some reason. Was Kris really so afraid of meeting somebody new? They hadn’t been like this since they were a little kid.

Maybe it was just a matter of perspective. Hearing Doll talk took a lot of the mystique out of them. If Noelle’s only contact with them were through a possessed friend, she’d be a lot more nervous.

* Excuse you, I’m plenty mysterious!... but yeah, probably.

Eventually, Kris nodded. “Okay.”

Noelle sighed in relief. “Great!… Um, I’m not actually sure how this works, but-“

~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~-♡-~

Kris felt it the moment the Soul’s presence fell on them again. It was like being underwater; something thick and heavy pushed down on them from all sides. Every little movement, from the trembling of their hands to the rise and fall of their breath, was met with resistance. And yet, to their disgust, everything still felt so much better. The ache that settled into Kris’ body that morning faded into the background. They stood a bit straighter, not entirely of their own will, and the weight of their own body felt lighter against the Soul’s force. They took a breath, and it didn’t burn their lungs. They were completely fine. They hated it.

Noelle stared nervously at Kris, waiting for some kind of sign that it had worked. Kris gave her a thumbs-up. They didn’t trust their voice right now.

“So… you can hear them?” Noelle said. Kris nodded, even though they couldn’t. It never had spoken to them. Not in any direct way, at least. But it could talk to Noelle, apparently. For some reason, Kris wasn’t even a little surprised to learn that it could have communicated the entire time but chose not to. “Great! I’ll, uh, give you two some time to talk!”

Kris’ body moved without their direction, turning their back on Noelle and wandering back into the unused classroom. The Soul shut the door behind them. Cut off from the soft glow of the afternoon sun, the light in the classroom felt sickly. Fake.

The Soul walked Kris over to the cabinet at the back of the room and reached in with their hands, retrieving a stack of blank papers and a handful of assorted writing implements. Crayons and markers, glitter pens and coloured pencils, for the kids to draw with. It wasted no time searching, drawing Kris straight to the desired items without missing a beat. Like it already knew what to find. It always knew. It lowered Kris’ body down to the ground, sitting unnaturally straight and stiff above the pile of papers. With reverent care, it picked a red glitter pen from the tools. The Soul held the pen in front of Kris’ face, like it was examining it. Or just trying to mock them.

>>> You wrote “Rude. Were you not even gonna say hi? No ‘Howdy, it’s been a while!’ for me? You should know how to greet an old pal by now.”

“We’re not friends.” Kris hissed. It was mocking them. The letters on the page, in that stupid glittery red ink, might as well have been written in blood. They read over the taunting words again, feeling sick to their stomach. They would shudder in disgust, but even that was too much movement for the Soul’s control.

The Soul lowered the pen to the paper again. >>> You wrote “Use your words the proper way. You know I can’t hear you like that.”

Kris wanted to scream at the paper. Yes it could! Or was it just going to pretend it could only talk to Noelle for some absurd reason? But fine. Kris dropped the stupid glitter pen and picked up the least ridiculous writing implement within reach, a gray coloured pencil with bite marks around the end and a nub where an eraser used to be.

“Stay away from Noelle.” they wrote.

The Soul, of course, took its pen back. >>> You wrote “I’m not gonna do that.”

Kris gripped the stupid glitter pen tighter. Of course not. No, that would just be too easy.

“Leave her alone.” they wrote again. “She’s not part of this.”

The Soul didn’t even pause to think about its response. >>> You wrote “She definitely is now. Noelle can make her own decisions, and I doubt she’ll be satisfied leaving everything to you.”

Kris wasn’t sure why they were even trying. Why they wasted time with words. Begging hadn’t stopped it before. But… the Soul was right, in this case. There was no chance Noelle would forget about the Dark Worlds now that she knew about them. How could she?

“You need to stay away from her.” Kris wrote again. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.”

>>> You wrote “Presumptuous, aren’t you? I’m not going to hurt Noelle. She’s been a better vessel than you ever were. She doesn’t go off and ignore me, gives actual input during adventures, can use magic, and does some basic self-care. It’s night and day between the two of you, really.”

Kris breathed deeply, trying to steady their shaking hands. Was that what this was about? It just wanted a vessel? Fine. “I’ll do all of those things.” Kris promised. It wasn’t a promise they could keep- not with what was already planned, not knowing what the Soul would make them do if it had the chance- but they’d say anything to get it away from Noelle. “I’ll give you control if you leave Noelle alone.”

>>> You wrote “So you’d cage me again?” Even though its pace remained steady, though its presence was the same dull weight as before, Kris still felt something caustic bleeding through the page in those words. Before Kris could respond, it kept going.

>>> You wrote “You’re an awful negotiator, you know that, right?” It was mocking them. “I just told you that I already have a better vessel. You really don’t understand the position you’re in. You have no leverage now. None. Besides, don’t you have bigger things to worry about than Noelle right now?”

What was that supposed to mean? Kris tried to stand up. The moment they’d left the ground, the Soul dragged them back to their seat. It wasn’t done with them. Of course it wasn’t done with them. Fine. Kris would play along.

“What are you talking about?”

If Kris’ reticence bothered the Soul- or if it even noticed- it didn’t show it in the way it made Kris move. >>> You wrote “I’m talking about how you’re dying. You look terrible, you know? Should probably do something about that.”

Kris inhaled, and they glared at the paper. They hadn’t missed how their body had suddenly started working better after the Soul took control of them. Being without a soul- without any soul, not just that parasite- did bad things to a human body. Kris had figured that much out on their own. But this wasn’t the cold, creeping stiffness that being soulless brought on. Besides, Kris still had a soul. The Soul- still in their chest when they checked that morning. It was just… still. Inert. Kris had thought, hoped, that maybe it was dead.

That was on them, though. They should’ve known better. Nobody got that lucky, and Kris in particular never got anywhere near that lucky.

“Are you doing this to me?” Kris wrote. They didn’t think it was, but they’d ask anyway just to see how the Soul would answer.

>>> You wrote “Hah, no. You just love blaming other people for stupid things you do, huh? Well, I can give you the simple version or the complicated version.”

Kris was going to ignore that. “Simple version.”

>>> You wrote “You’re an idiot and you’ve totally screwed yourself forever.”

It took a momentous effort not to tear the sheet of paper in half. Was it really going to make Kris do this? “Complicated version.” Fine. They’d play along.

>>> You wrote “Whatever astonishingly stupid thing you did to stick my medium into you is permanent- You’re stuck with this forever. Unless you have a spare soul lying around to swap mine out for, it’s either me or making a very quick transition from walking corpse to ordinary corpse.“ It paused for a moment. “And even if you did, by some miracle, happen to have an extra soul on hand, actually using it would be a whole different can of worms.”

None of that was new information, though. Kris already knew what would happen if they went without a soul for too long. But they still had a soul! This shouldn’t have been happening now!

“You were here all day.” Kris scrawled across the paper. “And it didn’t help.”

The Soul didn’t answer immediately. Not out of hesitation- Kris could feel something different seeping into their heart. A sickly, sharp emotion that moved the pen in clean, precise motions across the paper. >>> You wrote “I was helping. You were the problem, actually. You spent the whole day doing things I didn’t tell you to.”

Would it kill the Soul to just stop talking in riddles and say what they meant for one sentence? “You didn’t make me do anything. You were gone.”

>>> You wrote “Yeah, and you were still doing things.” Horror mounted as the Soul continued writing. Did it mean…? “I meant it when I said whatever you did was permanent. The link doesn’t go away just because I stopped giving commands. You spent all day fighting your own body just to move because it still thought you were supposed to be lying in bed and doing nothing.”

That was… no. The Soul did all that just by accident? This… no, this didn’t change anything. Kris had been ready to handle it before, they’d handle it now. First, though, they’d have to tell Carol about this. She’d know what to do. Kris was meeting them again tonight, they’d tell her then. No, that wasn’t soon enough… Kris had to find her sooner.

They tried to stand again, but the Soul dragged Kris back down. It wasn’t done with them.

>>> You wrote “Now that that’s established. I’m not going to let you die, but I do think I’m owed some compensation for all the trouble you’ve caused me.”

Kris didn’t even think about their answer. “I won’t.” Whatever it wanted, Kris wouldn’t be a part of it. Not after last time. Noelle already got hurt because Kris couldn’t do anything before- they were not going to let that happen twice.

>>> You wrote “You will. I’ve got a list of things to tell your little conspiracy. They can know Noelle was here- I’d prefer it, actually, just let them assume they know what she’s hiding already- but you won’t tell them about me. You won’t say anything you didn’t last time, at least. If you try to lie to me, I’ll know.”

Their heart pounded inside their chest. Kris was suddenly aware of the feeling of their blood rushing through their body, their heartbeat echoing inside their head. What could they do? What could they do? “I’ll tell Noelle.” they wrote. “I’ll tell her everything. She won’t just let you do this.”

>>> You wrote “In case you’ve forgotten, Noelle trusts me. We’re friends this time around.”

“You’re not really her friend. You weren’t friends with Susie or Ralsei either. You’re just pretending to.” Kris wrote, hands shaking in equal parts anger and anxiety. “You won’t be able to lie to her forever.”

~S~A~V~E~L~O~A~D~R~E~S~E~T~S~A~V~E~L~O~A~D~R~E~S~E~T~S~A~V~E~L~O~A~D~

“You won’t be able to lie to her forever.”

Doll stared at those words through borrowed eyes. Oh, this kid…

Well, it didn’t matter. Kris would do what they wanted eventually, as long as they pushed the right buttons. Their rebellion had gotten stale ages ago. Worse, it was completely half-assed. They’d fold the moment Doll put any real pressure on them. Threaten to tell their family what happened to December, and they’d back down. Threaten to tell their friends they were working with the Knight, and they’d back down. Threaten somebody they cared about, and they’d actually behave. Now, messing with them was still fun. Who else would show Doll such unconditional, unabashed loathing? Still…

“You’re not really her friend.”

That did actually put them in something of a mood. What did Kris know, anyways? They hadn’t spared a word for Noelle in years. Not until Doll came around and forced the issue.

Maybe that would work better from the other end. With Kris, Doll could only do so much. Noelle would want to rekindle old friendships, right?

Eh, they’d handle that later. Not like Doll could run out of time anyway. For now…

FILE 5 SAVED

They were going to get this conversation right.

Eventually.