Hello everyone, and welcome to Your World's a Fantasy!
This is kind of an experimental story, if I am to be perfectly honest. I'm not entirely sure where this will go, but I do have quite a few ideas I would love to share with you guys...if you actually like this fanfiction, that is.
I loved the idea of Jevil meeting the Skelebros, and them kind of becoming the jester's guardians of sorts. I just...really wish for them to be a big, happy family...which isn't to say this will go over smoothly, especially since I also have a deep interest in exploring Jevil's insanity.
Regardless, I hope the characters aren't too OOC, and I likewise hope you'll enjoy chapter one!
Anyway, enjoy!
Jevil was free.
And as the only free Darkner in the sad imprisonment everyone else scuttled around in, the jester had gained the privilege to do anything he so desired.
What he desired right now, however, wasn't something fun or chaotic. No, he had decided on the simple task of sleeping, just like he had told the Heroes of Light. There was always room for such a thing, especially when he wasn't in the midst of having the time of his life in a world so free as his own, playing games with whoever might have the fortune of joining him.
And yet as he had prepared for a moment of quiet, a vision flickered by, like a dream displaying various images and scenarios that couldn't possibly be real...and yet, it most certainly was, that much he was sure of – even if nothing truly could be real in the fake world beyond his freedom. His mind had decided to take a stroll back in time to gather a memory he would rather forget, but forget he did not, oh no.
It wouldn't have been fun otherwise, had he actually managed to control his own dreams. But then again, he could have chosen to wake up from his slumber and put an end to this vision.
He could do that, because Jevil could do anything!
But again, where would the fun be in that? The thrill, the excitement, the chaos?
And so with that sorted out – how amusing, sorting things even when he was in the middle of a stroll down memory lane – the Jester decided to play this vision out, the cold, blue-tiled floor beneath him not bothering him in the least as he snuggled further into himself.
Nobody had wanted him back then.
"He's so small..." Someone had whispered inconspicuously, like he couldn't hear them. Had they not looked at his long, pointed ears? They twitched.
"It's too bad, really. I mean, just look at how he turned out!" Another voice added, and the little Darkner shrunk further into himself.
"Do you think he'll amount to anything?" The first one continued with a question that turned Jevil's stomach.
"Would he even be able to do anything?" The other person answered with another question, flinging the small jester into a deeper pit of despair.
He clenched his fists, peeking out from his hiding spot behind the potted plant that had long since wilted. Being as short as he was had its advantages from time to time. It meant even the most obvious hiding places became fair game to him.
"I'm telling you, we shouldn't have let him be a part of our group." The second person – a tall Darkner Jevil didn't feel like wasting time on describing – said, tone harsh and colder than the freezer he had once stuck his hands into.
The first one nodded their consent. "Yeah, talk about a failure." They laughed. "Let's just ditch the gremlin at our next performance. That's tomorrow, right?"
Their companion nodded. "Right."
Jevil looked down at the ground, his small frame shaking with emotions threatening to flow over and spill.
"Good riddance, it'll be a relief once we're rid of that freak. I mean, not only does he look odd for a Darkner, he's even odder when it comes to his personality!"
A hum resonated through the room. "Let's go tell the boss. She'll want to hear the good news, haha!"
They left, taking their mockery and laughter with them and leaving Jevil feeling empty. He was no longer shaking, his yellow pupils roaming around the small tent he found himself in.
It was pretty bare, but that was to be expected from a group of traveling performers. A few knickknacks were scattered here and there, some chairs with colorful costumes thrown haphazardly onto them, and several objects were stacked in a corner for entertainment. He had been following them for the past few weeks after having begged them to bring him along, his abilities as a performer most likely the only reason they even considered him.
Apparently, though, even that turned out not to be enough. It never was when it came to him, for some reason he just couldn't understand. Jevil was talented and extremely powerful, he knew he was. So why couldn't anyone else see that?
Jevil was certain he could do quite a lot of things if he put his mind to it. But alas, people were hard to please, especially in a place such as the Dark World, and being a so-called freak didn't really grant him any good points either.
He turned to gaze at his small hands. In the end, he didn't care about any of this – not really. None of them mattered to him, and he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of bringing his mood down. They never bothered with him, so why should he return the favor?
No, Jevil was too cheerful a Darkner to let this get under his skin. Being kicked out was but a minor setback for one as talented as him, and the jester was sure he would find better, more thrilling work soon.
The performers here wanted him gone, so he would grant them that before they themselves could kick him out.
Looking down at himself, Jevil noted that he had – at the very least – gotten something good out of this group. His jester outfit was one that suited him marvelous, if he were to say so himself.
Nodding resolutely, the small Darkner made his way out of the tent, gazing back and forth once he was out.
No one was around.
And no one wanted him around either, but that was okay. Jevil might have been very young still, having never known his parents or what had become of them, but he wasn't the kind of guy to wallow in self pity. Stuff like that had no right to enter his mind, because he was a Darkner aiming to please. He would bring about brilliant and dazzling smiles all around him, spreading cheer through his work as a Jester. It would definitely be as fun as his imagination led him to believe, and he just couldn't wait for that day to come!
Yes, things were going to be alright, and the Dark World would eventually become just a bit brighter.
Jevil would make sure of that.
He hadn't even made it ten meters away from the tents when he bumped into someone, sending the small Darkner tumbling to the ground before righting himself in the air. His head spun slightly as he chuckled out of reflex, looking up at the one he had collided with.
"Ah, he he! Sorry about that!" He apologized as his stare kept traveling up...and up. This new Darkner was huge!
Then again, most Darkners were, Jevil somehow being the odd one out and failing to join the game of 'let's all be huge' and whatnot.
The stranger chuckled back in reply, and Jevil took note of their appearance aside from their towering form. They seemed to be a cat of some sort, and yet also a stuffed toy? Jevil wasn't really sure, but the buttons in place of their eyes and the few stitches on their bluish-purple fur told him as much. They were adorned with bright and festive clothes, something Jevil wholeheartedly appreciated. This guy's garnets were just as fun as his!
The button eyes of the stranger swirled for a few seconds as they looked behind Jevil, eventually stopping to refocus on him.
"That's quite alright, no harm done I'd say." They replied, voice low and jovial. Ah, they must be male, Jevil concluded. "Can I ask, do you travel with these performers?" The toy cat pointed behind them, the small jester following the motion to gaze at the many tents.
His mood fell slightly, but none of that showed when he turned back to reply. "Well, yes and no!" The cat's face scrunched up in a way that beckoned Jevil to continue, so he gladly obliged. "You see, fun stranger! I was traveling with them up until this very moment, and I'm technically still a member of their group. However, they were going to kick me out tomorrow, oh the horror!" He huffed. "So that's why I'm kicking myself out before they do. Hee hee hee!"
"Oh?" The other said, smiling in what Jevil thought was contained amusement. "Well, you're quite lucky then, Sir."
"Lucky? Oh yes, I'm very lucky, thanks for noticing!" Jevil laughed, but then halted shortly after, a confused look crossing his pale gray face. "But why am I lucky right now?"
The toy cat chuckled as he pointed at the tents. "Haha, well those traveling performers are in for some trouble, that's why."
Trouble? Why would they be in trouble? Jevil eagerly awaited for the stranger to continue.
"You see, they've been performing without the consent of our great Four Kings – no license or nothing."
Jevil gasped.
"Exactly." The cat nodded in agreement. "And as you can imagine, them racking in treasure from illegally hosted shows is a no-go for our Kings. I'm simply here to...kindly escort them to their new home in the Basement, Which Just Happens to Have A Lot Of Cages." He smiled. "And you, young Sir, is lucky because – had you still been a part of this group – you would have had to join them."
"Ah, ha ha! Life works in such wondrous ways, wouldn't you say, fun stranger!" Jevil said, and then proceeded to bounce back and forth in the air – all the while reveling in the sweet fact that those scoundrels were getting what they deserved.
"Indeed." The toy cat replied. He held out a large paw. "My name is Seam, pronounced Shawm. It's a pleasure to meet you." Jevil stared at the offered paw for a few seconds before shaking it vigorously.
"Ha ha ha! Well you certainly seem to have a lot of energy." Seam laughed. He then seemed to think about something before he spoke again. "Say, since you've been traveling with performers, do you have any...tricks up your sleeves?"
"Oh, do I ever!"
Jevil then proceeded to dazzle Seam with a spectacle of fun, from juggling while balancing himself on a large ball he whipped forth from thin air, to his more advanced – and quite amazing – abilities with his various attack patterns. Hearts here, diamonds there, added with a sprinkle of clubs and spades! He then told various jokes and puns, made hilarious imitations of the creeps he had followed for weeks and then added a few songs along for the ride.
He also quite literally pulled a trick out of his sleeve. Just because he could.
Seam seemed enthralled, clapping every so often and even joining in on the fun games as well, and before either of them knew it, they were both in the midst of performing magical tricks and playing games that seemed to end in ties more than either would win or lose.
The guys from before were wrong. Jevil could do things. He could do many things!
Eventually, their marvelous show came to an end, and both – being as caught up in the moment as they were – bowed to an imaginative crowd. They looked at each other for a few breathless seconds...and then burst into laughter.
Jevil hadn't had as much fun in forever!
"Hee hee..." Seam eventually calmed down, righting his bright cloak. "Would you...perhaps be interested in working with me?"
Jevil stopped his mirthful laughter to look up at his new friend. "Work, with you? What kind of work?" He asked, curiosity piqued.
"The Four Kings are currently looking to hire a Court Jester...and so far haven't had any luck in finding one skilled enough to entertain them. You, however, seem perfect for the job." Seam smiled. "I myself is the Court Magician, so we'll most likely work together to bring about as lovely a show as the one we just performed."
Jevil's eyes widened, his whole body vibrating with both wonder and disbelief. Him, as the Court Jester? Working for the Four Great Kings? Together with his new friend?
Call him Jerry and ditch him! That would be like a dream come true!
"Oh yes, yes please!" Jevil immediately agreed, his eyes practically sparkling.
"Wonderful!" Seam's own buttoned eyes were just as bright. "I'll put in a few good words for you, but with how well you seem to perform, I'm sure you'll rack in that position in no time."
"Yes, of course! Let's go now, new friend who's name is Seam!" The small jester began, already in the process of tugging the large toy cat along. Seam, however, did not budge an inch.
"All in due time...I don't suppose you've told me your name along the lines of our conversation?"
Jevil stopped pulling for a second. "Silly me! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Jevil!"
"Well, Jevil," Seam began, and Jevil was thrilled his new friend used his proper name – unlike the others, who only called him by rude nicknames. "Do you know where Card Castle is located? Why don't you go ahead and greet the Kings while I handle these illegal hoodlums?"
A light-bulb lit up over his head. That was right, Jevil had completely forgotten about his former teammates! With a quick nod that sent the bells on his jester hat jingling, the small Darkner parted with the toy cat – rushing to his new future.
A future that shone brighter than anything.
The memory faded, and his slumber ended. Jevil blinked his eyes open.
He giggled as he sprung up with high energy, bouncing back and forth before floating upside down in the air. "AND HOW RIGHT I WAS, WAS!" The giggling intensified. "THIS GAME, GAME HAS NEVER BEEN ANY BRIGHTER!"
His sharp-toothed grin stretched further into glee, but just as quick as it had appeared, it vanished.
The memories of what happened after he met that certain someone assaulted him (which was quite rude of said memories, might he add).
"UEE HEE HEE!" Jevil chuckled despite the slight souring of his mood. "AT LEAST I HAD SOME FUN, FUN WITH SEAM! HE WAS SUCH GOOD COMPANY, OH YES!"
His freedom was, despite everything, still quite lonely.
If only others would join him here on his side of the game.
And wasn't it just delightful and to Jevil's utterly pleasant surprise when the universe started working its wonders? Because a few minutes after he had thought that – or was it seconds? Hours? Days? - the same door that appeared when he met those Lightners materialized once again across the bars keeping everyone imprisoned.
It abruptly swung open.
"OH! OH!" He cheered and clapped his hands as he righted himself. "HAS SOMEONE COME TO PLAY WITH ME, ME? WHAT A DELIGHT TO SEE!" The jester laughed.
He eagerly awaited whoever was beyond the door to enter his lair of fun, his mind already running through every possible idea and outcome for games they could play together.
He waited with baited breath, his entire being vibrating with excitement.
He waited...and waited.
And then he waited some more.
Eventually, Jevil got bored of that and floated down to the ground, positioning himself on his J-shaped tail, crossing his legs and taking a contemplative sitting position.
"NOW WHY ISN'T ANYONE COMING TO PLAY, PLAY? HOW ODD OF THEM, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?"
He received no response.
"WELL, THAT'S OKAY! I'LL JUST HAVE TO COME TO THEM, THEM!"
Jevil floated over to the gates, humming a merry tune as he decided on what game to play with his new friend – or friends, depending on how few had come. He peeked his head out and looked around, his yellow pupils roaming the dark halls for any newcomers.
No one was around.
"HOW ODD, ODD! IS THIS A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK? UEE HEE HEE, I WONDER!"
Still, Jevil felt reluctant once he stood before the door. Would he actually be willing to leave his freedom – albeit briefly – for the sake of playing hide and seek?
The answer was; yes, yes he would.
"CHAOS, CHAOS!" He laughed as he jumped up and down before hurrying into the world of imprisonment.
Still, no matter where he looked, no matter which stone he threatened to turn or how high or low he flew, Jevil couldn't find anyone. It seemed that, whoever had decided to visit him, were experts at hide and seek!
The Darkner lowered himself to the dark and cold stone floor, just a few steps from the stairs leading up and further into the Dark World.
He stared at them for an indefinite amount of time before he began to giggle. Jevil certainly was up to a good old-fashioned challenge of hide and seek! In this world – this game – Jevil wouldn't...no, couldn't lose!
Something crossed his mind just then; what if there wasn't anyone around at all? What if no one was hiding? What if he was utterly alone? What if he was insane?
Worries? What worries?
Nothing truly mattered anyway!
But as it turned out, he still couldn't find anyone, even after he left the dark, liberating basement that had been his home for so long. The elevator taking him above was as fun as any other activity, but he hadn't actually needed to use it in the first place, what with the perks of teleportation.
Still, he rode the heck out of that elevator. Ten times. Just because he could.
The Card Castle hadn't changed all that much either (or had it? He couldn't tell – couldn't really bother to remember either, it was still dark, yet darker), but one glaring difference was – again – the lack of prisoners. No one seemed present here either, even after several attempts of finding anyone through either flying around the castle or exploring the outside.
"OH! BOO HOO HOO! IS EVERYONE IN ON THIS GAME, GAME? ARE THEY ALL PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK IN THEIR IMPRISONED PLANE?"
Jevil then decided to use his teleportation skills to check the more hidden and obscure places, those that would otherwise be quite hard to reach.
From one vanishing act to another, Jevil still came out short of finding anyone. The small jester felt his insides jittery with restlessness, and he was also getting a bit tired of apparently being on the losing side of a mere game of hide and seek.
He would have to up his game in order to win, it would seem.
"I CAN DO ANYTHING, HA HA HA!"
With another quick teleportation, leaving only a mirage behind him that dissolved just as quickly, Jevil reappeared right before a blinding light. It was so glaringly different from anything that shone down in the Dark World that Jevil briefly had to shield his stinging eyes from the intensity of it.
That only lasted for about one second before he adjusted. Again, the power to do anything shone brighter than even this light!
"WHAT A BLINDING LIGHT, LIGHT!" The little Darkner laughed, his mood once again turning merry. "IT MAKES EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING SEEM JUST RIGHT!"
His smile then turned into something far from friendly, a shadow hanging over his face and eyes black pits of darkness.
"THIS, THIS, IT SEEMS...IS THE DARK FOUNTAIN, TURNED LIGHT, LIGHT!"
He took a few steps closer to it, hand slowly reaching out. "IT WOULD APPEAR, APPEAR! THAT THE HEROES OF LIGHT HAVE DONE IT! EVERYONE MUST HAVE BEEN LIBERATED, LIBERATED, FROM THE DARKNESS...IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, HEE HEE HEE!"
Jevil was now standing right before the light, his excitement knowing no bounds as he realized what all of this meant.
"WHICH MEANS…! OH, IT MEANS I GET TO PLAY WITH A NEW WORLD! UEE HEE HEE!"
And that was all it really took for the jester to jump headfirst into the light, any semblance of hesitation gone with the prospect of playing games in a world he had yet to explore. His freedom would have to wait.
When chaos called, the jester replied.
The first thing Jevil took note of was how cold everything was, his excited pants creating fog in the crisp and chilled air; which, to the jester's utmost surprise, was fresher than anything his lungs had ever breathed in. It was as if he had been inhaling smoke his entire life and hadn't even known there was anything other than that. The second thing his sharp mind noticed was the pure whiteness of everything around him, his small feet covered in the stuff. It appeared cold and wet and overall unpleasant, but Jevil's own excitement for this new anomaly overrode any lingering dislike he might have had for the coldness.
What was it, this pure white blanket stretching as far as his dark eyes could see? Whatever it was, it didn't hold his attention for as long as one would have thought it would, because he soon moved on to gaze above him, to a sky that was anything but the dark ceiling he had grown up knowing.
It was...indescribable. Was this the fabled surface?
Jevil allowed himself to float upwards ever so slightly, his small gloved hands reaching out, as if the motion would allow him to grasp the shining orb centered in the middle of the vast expanse above him.
"IS IT, IS THIS...THE SUN, SUN?"
He knew it was; it had to be. What else could something as magnificent as that possibly be? He giggled as a few thoughts crossed his mind. How fun would it be to bring this sun down here? Sure, Jevil knew that would most likely scorch anyone alive and roast the earth altogether, but what did that matter? Life was but a game!
Still, Jevil wasn't about to bring that sort of chaos here...yet. He had, after all, not even been on the surface for more than a minute, if even that.
Everything around him appeared more dull and gray that he thought it would be up here, though. And cold. Yes, he couldn't forget to include the cold, of course.
The trees were also very bare, which Jevil thought must have made them freeze in this weather. Good thing he wasn't them.
The crunching sound of footsteps behind him brought him back to the present at hand, and Jevil whirled around midair to greet the first Lightner he would have the pleasure of meeting above ground.
It was a human, and a tall one at that – much taller than that Lightner Kris. This one, much to the small Darkner's surprise and excitement, wasn't blue-skinned, but light-brown. Their curly black hair was adorned in a red cap that matched their large red overcoat, and in their gloved hands they held a leash attached to a large, dog-like creature. Jevil honestly hadn't seen anything like it.
The Lightner his attention was focused on stopped a few meters short from him, and then seemed to freeze up much like everything else around them. Their large brown eyes stared at Jevil as he stared back, his grin stretching wider with each delicious second that passed by. The only sound – aside from the sudden howling of the wind – was the low growling coming from the creature bound in their own imprisonment, and Jevil's tail, lashing back and forth in trepidation for what was to come.
Their staring contest was broken by three simple words.
"What the fuck?"
Ah, how eloquent this person seemed to be!
"What are you supposed to be?" The person asked, their eyes never straying from his handsome visage. "I swear, these monsters keep getting weirder and weirder." They mumbled.
"AH, LIGHTNER!" Jevil began, his loud voice making the human flinch. "YOU, YOU MUST KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THIS NEW WORLD, CORRECT?"
They stared at him, seemingly completely at a loss for words. After a few seconds spend in bewilderment – Jevil didn't interrupt them, on no, he could wait, because Jevil was a patient Darkner – the stranger finally managed to pull themselves together enough to reply.
"No-I mean, yes? I guess?" They said hesitantly, their previously frozen body starting to retreat by taking a few slow steps back, their leashed pet still growling. "But uh, well, I'm sure your other monster buddies can fill you in on that, right? Whatever the heck you're even talking about."
Jevil's grin faltered a bit, but was quick to grace his face again. "YOU'RE LEAVING, SO SOON? BUT THE GAME HAS JUST BEGUN, BEGUN!" He lowered himself to the white-covered ground, bouncing up to the tall stranger with fervor. Said stranger, in turn, seemed to flinch back by the fast movement, as if Jevil had struck them.
"S-stay back!" They shouted. The dog-like creature had by now swiftly switched from growling to outright barking, taking a protective stance in front of the Lightner.
The jester only tilted his head up in amusement. This person really was tall.
"WHY THE FEAR, FEAR? I ONLY WISH TO PLAY A SIMPLE GAME WITH YOU. SURELY, SURELY THAT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK, RIGHT?!" Jevil laughed again, his demented cackles making the human's otherwise tan skin pale drastically.
"I-I'm not playing no game with y-you!" They continued to back away. "Just stay away, y-you freak!"
"FREAKS, FREAKS, WE'RE ALL FREAKS, OH HOW FUN IT IS TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF FREAKS!"
"Ugh, this guy's insane! I knew the new monsters were weird, but this is too much!" The Lightner shouted, then briskly turned around and made to dash away.
Jevil would have none of that.
"UEE HEE HEE! LET'S PLAY, PLAY!" He laughed. "A NUMBER'S GAME!"
Jevil wasted no time in initiating an encounter, dancing back and forth as he usually did when fighting someone, his energy level sky-high and more than ready for whatever the Lightner would throw at him. It was all so exciting! Would they fight? Would they try to pacify him? What would it be?
Jevil couldn't wait to see!
"Oh God," The human began, their expression scrunched up in a hilarious grimace. "This guy's nuts."
He couldn't agree more.
Their whole surrounding had, as per usual, changed to his preferred battleground, and the world was spinning, spinning!
"What the hell even is this?! How did you do this?!" The human screamed, trying furtively to escape. Their dog-companion stood besides them, its head turning this way and that in pure bewilderment as a small whine escaped its throat.
"UEE HEE HEE! I CAN DO ANYTHING!"
"H-hey," They turned their focus back on him after realizing they were trapped. "Can you knock this off? I know you D-darkners or whatever you call yourselves are relatively new to the surface, but that doesn't give you the right to initiate a fight with me! Th-those are against the rules!" They shouted.
"RULES, RULES?" Jevil laughed. "WHAT RULES, THE ONLY RULES HERE ARE TO HAVE FUN, FUN! WON'T YOU JOIN THE CHAOS, CHAOS?"
The Lightner groaned. "He's batshit insane, isn't he? Ugh, where did he even come from?! He appeared out of thin air!"
"COME NOW, LIGHTNER! HAVE YOUR TURN, TURN! NO NEED FOR CONCERN, UEE HEE HEE!"
The Lightner, most likely coming to the realization that there was no way out and nothing else could be done, reluctantly decided to play along. Jevil didn't know if this was their very first encounter, but not knowing that was part of the fun!
* The world is spinning, spinning.
They began by choosing to CHECK him.
* There is no strategy to defeat the enemy. Good luck!
"What? Are you serious!" They whined. Jevil kept dancing.
"CHAOS, CHAOS, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"
And with that phrase out of the way, Jevil prepared himself for the onslaught of his volleys of five spade bullets. With a short, indescribable sound slipping from his mouth every so often, the jester rapidly teleported to random spots around the human and their pet. He spread his arms wide while his tongue lulled out of his mouth, and the spade bullets flew towards the terrified duo's colored hearts.
Before the bullets could reach their intended targets, however, something unexpected happened. A barrage of bones suddenly sprouted from the ground and intercepted his attack, flinging the spades away from his playmates and in turn saving them from a likely defeat.
Jevil quickly teleported back to his prior position, his dark eyes wide as he took in the new scene before him.
Someone had joined in on the fun, it would seem.
And boy, if the small Darkner had thought the Lightner was tall, then this new someone was a mountain to behold! Why everyone around him seemed so keen on being as tall as possible, Jevil didn't know. But that was beside the point.
A skeleton now stood before him, standing protectively in front of the other two with a long bone held firmly in their red-mittened hand. A likewise red cape fluttered behind them in a dramatic way, their entire body encased in a quirky outfit looking ready for battle. The skeleton's dark eye sockets were narrowed in firm determination, and yet despite the hard look directed at him, Jevil could still discern a gentleness held deep within those dark sockets.
Jevil immediately knew this monster was from the World of Light, a hero ready to save the day!
"SMALL MONSTER, CEASE YOUR ATTACKING OF THIS HUMAN AND HUMAN-DOG AT ONCE!" The skeleton bellowed, their voice on par with even Jevil's own boisterous one.
"Oh thank God, a monster with common sense!" The human behind the skeleton said, voice laced with relief as the immediate danger had momentarily ceased. "Please, save me from that nut-job!"
The other monster briefly turned their skull to look back down at the red-capped Lightner, nodding. "BUT OF COURSE, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL LET NO HARM BE DONE TO YOU OR YOUR CANINE FRIEND!" The skeleton, Papyrus, turned his gaze back to Jevil (Papyrus was a masculine name, right? Jevil certainly thought their voice sounded male). "ALTHOUGH, I SEE NO NUT WITH A JOB HERE." He added as an afterthought.
"Oh, thank you-thank you so much, the Great Papyrus!" The human continued, showering the skeleton with their immense gratitude.
Papyrus let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like 'Nyeh-heh-heh', and to this Jevil giggled as well.
"UEE HEE HEE! MORE HAVE COME TO PLAY, PLAY! HOW VERY DELIGHTFUL!"
Papyrus' bone faltered slightly as his hand tilted down a bit. "PLAY? YOU WISH TO PLAY, SMALL MONSTER WHOM I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE?"
"YES, OH YES!" Jevil agreed eagerly.
Papyrus hummed, using his only free hand to stroke his chin...or where his chin would have been had he not been a skeleton.
"WELL!" Papyrus began, once again bringing the bone up to point at Jevil. "PLAYING IS FINE, BUT THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT, SMALL MONSTER! EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S BAD TO DO A VIOLENCE, WHICH ISN'T VERY FUN FOR THE ONES BEING HURT!"
Jevil flicked his tail. "HURT? NONE OF THAT MATTERS, MATTERS! IT'S JUST A GAME, EVERYTHING'S A GAME!"
Papyrus seemed utterly confused. "A GAME IS ONLY REALLY FUN IF BOTH PARTIES ARE ENJOYING IT. THIS ISN'T RIGHT, SMALL MONSTER." The skeleton took a few steps forward, bone no longer wavering. "BUT I, THE EXTRAORDINAIRE PAPYRUS, WILL PLAY A GAME WITH YOU, FOR I AM JUST THAT GREAT!"
Jevil's entire being vibrated with joy. "He-HA! WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL! WHAT GAME SHALL WE PLAY, WHAT WILL THE GREAT PAPYRUS SAY?"
Papyrus smiled wide. "IT IS A GAME OF WILL AND DARING! OH, BUT ARE YOU REALLY UP TO IT? IT WILL BE QUITE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S BEEN COOKED UP BY ME!"
"I CAN DO ANYTHING!" Jevil stated, and to this Papyrus nodded.
"VERY WELL, SMALL MONSTER. PREPARE FOR THE DARING DARE! YOU SHALL SURELY BE THOROUGHLY JAPED!"
"YES, YES, MY BODY IS READY!" The Darkner cackled. Papyrus continued. "I DARE YOU TO...END THIS CONFRONTATION!"
Silence stretched on for a few seconds as the dare managed to register in the jester's mind. Once it had, Jevil felt like frowning and laughing simultaniously, for that dare was surely one of the best indeed. He could essentially ignore it and continue with his own chaotic fun, but that would mean Jevil couldn't do what this Papyrus dared him to, which...would in turn imply that the jester couldn't do anything, and that was just absurd!
"NYEH-HEH-HEH! HAVE YOU BEEN THOROUGHLY JAPED YET? ARE YOU STAGGERED BY MY BRILLIANCE, MY LITTLE MONSTER COMPETITOR?" The skeleton struck a pose, looking very much satisfied with himself.
Jevil was having an internal crisis. If he didn't end the confrontation like the other monster had dared him to, that would mean he couldn't do anything. But if he didn't continue with his own games, wouldn't that mean he couldn't do that either?
"HAVE NO FEAR. I UNDERSTAND IF YOU CAN'T OVERCOME THIS DARE! INSTEAD, WHY DON'T YOU COME WITH ME, AND I SHALL COOK YOU MY WORLD-RENOWNED SPAGHETTI! WE COULD EVEN HAVE FUN WITH THE FEW PUZZLES I STILL HAVE UP IN HOMETOWN!"
Papyrus sure made some interesting proposes, and Jevil actually felt like agreeing to some of them.
Oh well. He could play with the world another time.
"BOO HOO HOO! I GUESS LITTLE OLD ME WILL HAVE TO END THIS GAME, GAME!"
And with a flicker of reality, every participant of the encounter returned to the present, as cold and glorious as it was. The human and dog alike had been SPARED.
Papyrus gasped. "GASP! I KNEW YOU WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING, SMALL MONSTER! I BELIEVED IN YOU!"
That comment, for some strange reason Jevil couldn't tell, made the jester feel slightly better about his apparent defeat. Still, it had been fun!
"I-I'm outta here!" The human and furred creature alike turned tail and ran the opposite direction, to a distant town clouded by fog from their point of view.
"LET'S PLAY, PLAY AGAIN SOMETIME!" Jevil called after the retreating duo, bouncing up and down.
Papyrus trudged up to him, and it was only when the skeleton stood before the jester that their difference in height truly became apparent. The other monster was towering over Jevil, making him have to crane his neck up just to see his face. It would have been intimidating, had Jevil actually been capable of feeling intimidated.
"COME NOW, LET US BE OFF TO ENJOY THE WONDERS OF SPAGHETTI!"
And so they were off to a wonder of spaghetti, Papyrus having picked up Jevil without any prior notice as he scurried back to a small town not too far from where they had been. His long strides made the whole trip shorter than what it would have taken for a normal person, but both monster and darkner alike was anything but normal.
Jevil couldn't help but feel elated at the turn of events, even if he was no longer in his place of freedom.
Freedom, after all, could be many things. In fact, freedom could be anything, and the surface might just prove to be more than a large prison.
But there would be chaos, oh there would be.