"There, Kris! Reach out with your soul and seal the fountain!" Ralsei said, more serious than he'd ever been the entire journey. So, Kris followed the orders and gently led the glowing red heart to the fountain.

"You did it, Kris!" The dark prince cheered, running over to the boy and hugging him tightly. "We did it!"

Kris seemed to shift; no, shudder uncomfortably. "Get…

"OFF!" Kris shouted, forcefully shoving Ralsei onto the floor. "Augh!" Ralsei cried. "Ralsei!" Susie shouted in panic.

"K… Kris?" Ralsei whimpered. In fear or pain, no one could tell.

"HEY!" Susie shouted in her best angry voice. Not that she had to try, she was seeing red alREDy (AN: Kill me…) She picked Kris up by his shirt collar and held him over her head. "What's gotten into you?" She demanded.

Kris raised his head to look at her and Susie's breath hitched. He was grinning maniacally, showing off his teeth that were too sharp to be normal (for a human at least) as he chuckled like a madman. The look in his eyes (Oh god, his eyes) was wicked and wild and evil.

"The hell?!" Susie cried, dropping Kris and backing away. Kris, instead of falling on his back, landed gracefully on his feet.

"What's gotten into me?" He said darkly. Kris then raised his head, showing Susie the same wicked expression that just wasn't Kris. "No, I finally got it out."

Susie rushed over to Ralsei, helping him to his feet. "What's wrong with him?" she asked. Ralsei swallowed before speaking. "Hey, we're your friends, remem_"

"No." Kris retorted. "You're friends with that… thing." He sneered in disgust, motioning to the soul. "The real me…

Kris pulled out a large knife from his pocket, cocking his head to the side and grinning like the madman he was. "Doesn't have any friends."

Susie whipped out her ax with a loud SHINK!, preparing her attack. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" She was about to lunge when Ralsei blocked her. "Susie, wait! When Kris released their soul, they must have lost control of their body! Which means that whatever is left… that… thing… It's not Kris!

"The fountain has been sealed. If we can just-"

"Got it." Susie interrupted. She knew all too well what the plan was. And if it implied fighting Kris for real, then sign her up! "You grab the soul, Ralsei. Leave the imposter to me! HERE I COME, FREAK!" She charged with all her might. "Don't hurt him!" Ralsei cried.

Susie swung her ax for a perfect center hit, but Kris sidestepped like it was nothing. She lunged and swung again, aiming for his head this time, but Kris ducked under her arm.

And with an angry grunt, Kris bent on one knee and slashed at her torso. "AAAUGHH!" Susie screamed as blood gushed out of the fresh wound. A wide, clean cut that ran across the width of her entire torso.

"SUSIE!" Ralsei cried in fear. "Just get the soul, idiot!" Susie shouted. "R-right!" Ralsei dashed to the heart. "Come here, Kris!" He said, talking the soul in gentle hands. It floated over his open palms. "Susie, I got it!"

Susie grinned. "HEY FREAK!" She shouted in her best battle cry as she ran to Kris at full speed, clutching her wound with one hand, the other outstretched to grab Kris. "You're really PISSING ME OFF!"

So Kris (whatever he was) began to run away until Susie grabbed his free hand. He whipped around and began another slash that ended up uncomfortably close to Susie's neck, but she grabbed his wrist. "Oh, I'm not falling for that again!" Suddenly, something foreign formed on Kris' face: Fear. Pure, raw, unadulterated panic. "Ralsei! Get over here!" Susie commanded.

"Don't worry, I'm coming!" Ralsei shouted as he dashed towards the pair.

"GRAAAGH! NO! NO!" Kris screamed as he squirmed in Susie's hold in a desperate attempt to escape. "Hey, chill!" Susie said, trying to get the boy to calm down. Giving up, she quickly grabbed the boy's other arm and spun behind him, crossing his arms in front of him. "Quick! Give him his soul!" She could barely hear herself over Kris screaming "No! No! LET GO!"

Ralsei, ever the calm one, stood in front of the boy. "Kris, it's okay! You'll return to your senses with your soul!" The goat boy seemed panicked, not like it came as a surprise.

But now, Kris had been reduced to desperate, pleading sobs as huge tears rolled down his face. "No! It's not mine! It's not mine!"

"RALSEI!" Susie shouted.

The prince of darkness stared at the boy. Kris was sobbing and screaming as he pleaded, "No! No! No no no no no! NO NO NO!"

"S-Susie," Ralsei attempted. "He's in tears!"

Susie glared at him. "And I'm bleeding out! Don't listen to it!"

"No…" The human boy whimpered.

"This isn't Kris!"

"No no no! Please believe me…" Kris sobbed.

Ralsei made up his mind.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good!"

He forcefully shoved the soul back into the boy, and Kris screamed in never-ending agony. A guttural, purely agonizing sound that would haunt Susie's nightmares for years to come.

A few minutes passed with no response from the boy. Only painful whimpers and the smallest of gasps for breath until he finally opened his eyes.

"Kris?!" Susie and Ralsei said in unison. A bit anti-climactically, he slumped forward in Susie's arms.

More agonizingly slow minutes ticked by as Kris lay unmoving on the floor, Susie's large hand under his small head. "Kris! Kris! Come on, Kris!" Susie said, more worried than she'd ever been seen.

"Please wake up!" Ralsei pleaded. "Oh god…"

"Ralsei… Susie…"

"Kris!" They cheered.

Kris slowly sat up with a groan. "Ugh… what was that?"

Without hesitation, Ralsei hugged Kris tightly. "Oh thank god you're back! I was so worried!"

The boy looked to the monster girl at his right. "Susie! Are you okay? The… the knife…"

"Don't worry! Ralsei patched me up during your little nap!" She gave a happy thumbs-up before wincing slightly. "Didn't even hurt!"

She quickly changed the subject. "What the hell happened, anyway."

Ralsei backed away from the teen as Kris stared down at his hands. His bloody hands. "I… I'm not sure. One moment, everything was fine, and then_suddenly_I couldn't move. I could only watch myself from a distance…"

Susie groaned in annoyance, though it might as well been disgust. "Ugh. Who would have guessed you'd be such a jackass without your soul?"

Kris seemed to be thinking about something, but only replied with "Yeah…"

Thankfully, for once, Susie was willing to be caring. She and Ralsei stood up beside Kris, each taking a hand and helping him up. "Can you stand?" She asked softly. Kris answered in a quiet mhm. "Let's get you home," Ralsei said kindly.

"Where's my hat?"

"It's over there," Susie said, pointing to where it was near the now-sealed fountain.

Kris ran a hand through his hair, rubbing at his temples. Why am I…?

He gripped at his chest where his SOUL was.

I should be relieved… So why does my heart feel so heavy?