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After a long, useless fight against the Soul, Kris was led to the Lake like a lamb to the slaughter. They didn't know what the consequences of what it had done to Noelle, what it made them do to Noelle, but they couldn't imagine that things were going to be fine.
Her face from the day before lingered on the back of their eyelids. Her horror as it put the ThornRing on her finger, as the blood bloomed from where it laid confirmed that this was indeed wasn't a dream. In the years that they known her, Noelle had been scared, annoyed, and frustrated at the various pranks they'd pulled.
But she never looked at them with disgusted abject horror at what they had done.
The trees stood with their backs turned to them, unable to watch as Kris unwillingly continued down this path. There'd be no witnesses to what they were walking into, no help either. Maybe they deserved it.
Wind blew through their hair, cooling down their too hot skin in a gentle caress. It was a kindness Kris didn't know if they deserved. Not after everything.
Noelle's figure stood dark against the orange of the sunset, her silhouette a gaping wound in the bright horizon. The north and east winds begun to blow fiercely, losing the gentleness they possessed a moment ago.
'What has the Ring done to her?' Kris thought miserably. The sins of what the Soul made them do crawling down their back. It became harder to keep a straight face as they approached their once very best friend.
Their heart beat against their chest, echoing their internal begging to be free from this torment. They thought back to their mother and her kind smile and warm hugs, how they should've told her they loved her one last time before putting the Soul back in their body. They thought of Asriel at college, they should've tried calling one last time even if they knew he wouldn't pick up. Leave a voice mail too. They thought about Susie waiting in line for ice cream-
Susie.
Kris didn't know much about love, they never had the best role models for that sort of thing. But they knew it wasn't the over the top love confessions out of fairytales and anime nor the promise of forever or the butterflies that fluttered in your stomach every time you brushed knees and fingers. It was the moments that seemed insignificant in between the big ones. The soft laughter of relief after battles fought hard, the relief of finding someone who just got you despite how everyone just didn't, the joy of coming to life again despite the horror going on around them, the silly stickers stuck to faces or flower crowns made in vein despite their futility.
A small part of them wished they could've had her here while they faced this. That she could've known all of the horror that the Soul had unleashed with their presence. That they weren't alone.
Noelle still had their back turned towards them as they finally reached the beach. But they kept marching forward against their will anyway.
"Kris." Her voice was quiet but it cut through the roar of the wind. "I know. I know you wanted to deny it."
'More than anything.' They wanted to fix it. Reset it. Undo the deal they made with the devil for their soul.
But they couldn't.
"I did too, at first. But… eventually… we're going to have to face the truth."
Kris braced themself, the dread becoming unbearable. Their vision narrowed, the rest of the world falling away until it was just them and Noelle.
Just like when they were kids.
"Yesterday, when… everything happened… Every cell in my body was yelling at me to run away."
'Mine too Elly. Mine too. I'm- I'm so sorry.' As if that would change anything. Not when you're only a puppet on a miserable string.
"… that if I stayed by your side any longer, you were gonna drag me down with you. Drag me down to where no one is supposed to go."
'I know. I feel it too…'
"And you know what terrified me the most about that? I think… I want that."
If Kris had the ability to look surprised still, that would've broken their usual blank expression.
'What has the Ring done to you? What did it do to you?' They struggled against their cage but it refused to move. Their body stared blankly at her.
"Since Dess left… All I have been doing has just been… Marching down my path. Staying quiet. Getting good grades. It feels like… I've just been watching myself through glass. Watching someone else live my life."
'Elly… I'm sorry.'
"That's why I want… to do something crazy."
Kris felt their heart drop to their feet with a thud. She turned towards them fully now, her eyes glinting through the shadows growing across her face.
"That's why I want… to break free." Her face broke as she fell to her knees putting her head in her hands, "But I can't. I couldn't. Because I'm just Noelle. A Noelle that has to do Noelle things."
She finally revealed her face as she peeled her hands away, a manic look over taking over her features. Kris was overwhelmed with the dread, unable to look away, unable to run.
"Just like a Kris has to do Kris things…"
'Elly… No…'
"But Kris… You changed…"
'No- It's not me! It's not me!'
Her face broke into a smile, too big for the context of their conversation. "Kris you ACTUALLY changed! You found out how to stop being Kris!"
'BECAUSE IT'S NOT ME!'
"And no else has noticed…"
Kris felt their insides twist. She was right. No one noticed the Soul's forced inhabitance in their body. Not their mom, their classmates, Susie…
"Because they don't want to! They don't want to see how INTERESTING you are now."
'Elly…' Their strength to fight was waning with the light. They just stared at her through eyes that might as well not be their own. All her usual cheerfulness, her unyielding light, gone. Left in its place was a manic expression hiding the ruin they'd inflicted onto her.
To get stronger. The Soul's voice echoed through their frozen body.
'Is she strong enough for you fuck heads?! Is this good enough for you?!'
"They'll just keep marching down the same path… Without even thinking where it goes!" She took a deep breath, "Kris… being around you… is changing me too."
The anger was sapped from her all of a sudden, the anger turning to guilt as quickly as it appeared. "K… Kris…. Kris when I cast 'Snowgrave'… I… I felt stronger than I ever have in my life."
She fell to her knees, becoming distraught all over everything she'd be forced to do and forced to learn. Kris wanted to hug her despite their revulsion to hugs. They wanted to snap out of it, abandon all of this, and help the girl they loved more than words could possibly say off the ledge she was ready to throw herself off of. And something told Kris that they would be going with her.
Maybe they deserved it.
After all they'd done, all the hurt they have and would've caused. Maybe Noelle was doing them a service.
"I know… it's horrible. It's horrible to say that, but…" She sucked in a breath, resolve taking hold of her "But Kris… You… if it's you telling me to, I can do anything. If you tell me to, I can do things that are impossible. Things no one else can do."
'You already could.'
They thought back to their childhood together despite it all. The long days spent together in the woods outside of Hometown with Dess and Asriel or playing video games in her house together. Kris would never say it, but they always thought she was one of the bravest people they'd ever meant.
"So, why don't we do it?"
Kris' gaze snapped to Noelle's, horror washing over them as the waves crashed along the sand. There was no hesitation found in her gaze, she looked so sure of this decision that would only lead them to ruin.
"So why don't we do it…? 'Something Crazy'?"
'No.'
"Tell me to do it…"
'No.'
"Tell me to grow wings…"
'No.'
"And let's fly out of this stupid town!"
'NO!'
"To somewhere no one has ever been before!" She turned around and Kris got a sick sense of deja vu, "To the other side of the lake."
They thought about opening their mouth, screaming as loud as they could until Susie or maybe their dad arrived, but it was wired shut. The Soul putting a muzzle on their unwilling vessel. They could do nothing to help her, nothing to stop this.
Nothing to do but watch.
"We always wanted to see what was there, didn't we? The four of us, when we were kids… Kris, let's go there. You'll tell me, won't you?"
Kris knew she wasn't talking to them.
"If you tell me to, I can do anything."
Noelle clasped their hands together in an iron grip, Kris was so numb they could barely feel the torn ring piercing their flesh. Hot, tacky blood flowed between the both of them, sealing their fate with it.
"So… tell me Kris…" She walked backwards until the water kissed her heels, "The words… I've been waiting to hear."
STOP ❤️PROCEED
Their mouth formed the word without their consent and she backed them further until the water swallowed their ankles.
Proceed.
She led them in further, both her and soul unwavering. It made sense why it wasn't afraid, it didn't have to live through this death.
"The water's… nice, isn't it Kris?" She said softly, shivering against the cold water now at their chins.
Proceed.
They went in further.
Proceed.
Further…
"Kris, don't hesitate."
The Soul didn't.
Proceed.
"Haha… it's… colder than I thought." Doubt began creeping in on her face. Just when Kris had hope they could reason with her, their mouth moved again.
Proceed.
The water was up to their joined hands now, the cold sucking the fight out them like blood flowing freely from an open wound.
Proceed.
"Kris, don't let go of my hands. Just keep walking"
Proceed.
Their hands kept a shaky grip on her own as the water went over their shoulders, the bottom getting deeper and deeper. If this was a normal day, they would simply begin to float and treading water until Asriel and Dess came to help them back to shore.
Proceed.
But this wasn't normal. And Dess and Asriel can't help them now.
"Kris…."
Proceed.
It was getting harder to keep their head above water. It was only a matter of time until they couldn't.
"Kris….."
Proceed.
There was no way to breath unless they looked up.
'Please…. don't do this.'
Proceed.
It was no use. It never was.
Proceed.
Their vision was filled with golden stars as they struggled to hold their breath as they spoke the command. The water was punishing, squeezing their brain from all sides as it tried to expel the intruders from its realm.
Proceed.
They couldn't feel the bottom. Water greedily pushed its way into their lungs, they couldn't gag on it because the soul didn't allow them too. It was clear now, they'd drown before her.
Proceed.
Noelle squeezed their hand as tightly as she could muster. Kris kept their eyes focused on the girl. If they fooled themself enough, they could pretend this was a game.
Proceed.
Their vision became spotted, their consciousness being tied to their body by a single tether.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Proceed.
Kris didn't know how many times they'd said it.
They didn't know up from down.
All they knew was that it was cold and dark.
There was only darkness now.
Nothing but darkness slowly cutting deeper into their bones and their flesh.
But they were alive.
If this could constitute as alive anyway.
Noelle squeezed their hands, the ThornRing piercing to their flesh. It felt- sticky.
But how could that-?
"KRIS-!" Noelle's voice sounded muffled in their ears, but it was there.
Their eyes peeled open, just in time to see the darkness envelope their joined hands. The Soul floating between them.
It spread quickly, too quickly. Quicker than Kris could gain awareness enough to tear their hands away.
It was as if they were watching themself through glass.
Maybe Noelle was right… they were just a Kris who had to do Kris things.
The darkness consumed them whole, devouring the creatures that once were Noelle and Kris. Wrapping them in some blanket or maybe cocoon.
Time melted away into nothingness. The pain, horrible and overwhelming, melted into something numb and pulsing.
Suddenly the cocoon cracked open, metamorphosis finally complete.
It reached a hand through the cracks, breaking more of it open. Soon it wasn't even an inconvenience as they swam to the surface of the lake, faster than ever.
They broke the surface of the water, drops pouring off their smooth armor. Wings spread out of their back and they flew to the beach a Kris and Noelle had decided to break out of the paths they'd been forced to trail down.
Something tugged at them to look back at the place of their rebirth, their reflection catching their eye. No longer did they resemble Kris nor Noelle. Their head was hidden in a dark helmet with long armored antlers atop it, their body was skinny with their chest and legs covered in ebony armor.
Horror and admiration waged a battle for dominance inside them.
"This is freedom." They said, using both Kris and Noelle's voice to say it.
'This is freedom.'
It felt right and wrong at the same time. But it didn't matter. None of it did. They were finally free.