S11-5
We're all together now

Kris and Susie have been dating for a few years now, and today was a special day. Toriel bought the ring Kris would keep in a little padded box for when the time was right, along with another for himself, and now Kris was at the park with Susie, who was sitting on a bench near the fountain. Kris sat down next to her.

Susie was reminiscing. "Y'know, when I was only 6, my parents would bring me here a lot. I always loved being here."

"I thought there was something special about this place to you. Every time we passed by, you'd always turn and look at it, lost in thought."

"The fact that you suggested coming here means a lot to me. Thank you, Kris." The two shared a moment in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company in such a memorable place.

"Maybe this special place of your past could be a special place to start a new chapter of your future?" Kris suggested, clutching the box with the ring in his jacket pocket. Susie looked at him, a bright crimson shining on her face. "Susie, we may have had a rough start, but the more time we spent together, the more I wanted to get to know you. Having you as a friend kindled a flame in my heart that had long been extinguished, and becoming a couple made it brighter than ever. With that burning fire, what say we forge our future together? What do you say, Susie?" He took out the box, opening it to show Susie a silver ring with two sapphires in it. "Will you marry me?"

Susie could hardly contain her excitement. She was so happy right now. Kris, her closest friend, her boyfriend, had brought her to the park that was so very special to her, and proposed to her in the middle of that same park. "Yes."

Kris slipped the ring on Susie's finger, then put the other ring on his own, sealing their relationship. The two then happily embraced each other in a warm hug.

With his head pressed against her chest, Kris could hear a faint heartbeat, while at the same time, he could feel his own, and each beat was in perfect unison with hers.

Two hearts that beat as one.

"How do you think Ralsei and Lancer will react?" Susie wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure. When we get our own place, maybe we could head down there and visit without drawing any suspicion?" Kris suggested.

"You just threw that idea together, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Susie chuckled. "Well, there's no school today, and Toriel's at... wherever she goes at this time of day, so why don't we head on over now?"

"She sometimes goes to church, and when she does, she gets home at somewhere around 6:00 in the afternoon. We've got about four hours." Kris stated, looking at his phone.

"How do you know she's at church?"

"Mom brings her book of hymns with her when she goes to church. It wasn't on the table next to the door when we left."

"Oh. OK."

"I'll set an alarm on my phone for 5:30 PM. You ready?"

"Definitely."

Kris and Susie made their way to the school, which was indeed closed for the weekend. Kris tried the door, finding it unlocked. "Let's mosey."

"Right behind you, Kris."

They reached the supply closet, and within it was a pitch-black abyss, the entrance into the Darkner World. Just ahead of the door, a few papers lied on the floor.

The two stepped inside, the door closing itself behind them. The papers began to shift and shake before falling and evaporating into the darkness, with Kris and Susie plummeting into the Darkner World.

They landed, with Kris falling into Susie's arms from the drop, and her new outfit reflected the changes made to her casual attire, but the only visible differences were a color change and the absence of the spiked bands on her arms.

She let him back on his feet, then they took a gander at their surroundings.

"Looks like things have changed since the last time we were here." Kris was right, since there was a new path for the taking, which looked like a handmade bridge.

Kris and Susie crossed the bridge, eventually ending up at the castle in which they first met Ralsei. They heard humming, which meant he was nearby.

Ralsei emerged from a nearby door, unaware that he had visitors. "Kris! Susie! You came back!"

"Hey, Ralsei."

"Yo."

"Why did you come back?" Ralsei asked.

"We've got some news to share with you and Lancer. Speaking of which, where is he?" Kris wondered.

"Lancer's been taking an interest in a few of the books in the castle's library, even though he keeps asking specifically for motorcycle material." Ralsei explained.

Without warning, the familiarly obnoxious sound of Lancer's motorbike could be heard. Ralsei took three steps back, and Lancer's motorcycle skidded to a stop right where the Prince just was. "Wassup, clowns?!"

"Kris and Susie have news to share with us. Go ahead, you two."

Nodding to each other, Kris and Susie revealed their rings. "Kris and I are engaged!"

"Oh... my... spades...! CONGRATULATIONS!" Lancer exclaimed excitedly.

"So, you two are together now, huh? When's the wedding?" Ralsei asked.

"We don't know yet. Maybe in two weeks?"

"If you like, Susie, we could have it in one." Kris suggested.

"Nah. Make it three."

"Well, with the prophecy having been fulfilled, Lancer and Rouxls Kaard were holding a petition for any Darkners wishing to move to the Lightner World." Ralsei stated.

Lancer chimed in. "It's true! Everyone's accepted!"

"There's still just one problem." Ralsei added.

"Yeah, we need a way to open the path to the Lightner World."

"OK, make that two problems. We need to find a way to cross over AND we don't know where to go."

"I think I remember something about an empty village on the other side of the forest. I caught a few glimpses of it back when I lived in that log cabin in the woods. I even explored the place, and found that it was completely abandoned." Susie said.

"An abandoned village?" Ralsei wondered.

"Yeah. The place was flippin' huge. If we find a way for you all to come on over, you can stay at the village."

"How did you get back out anyway?" Lancer wondered.

"The Dark Fountain was like a locked door, and my soul acted as the key." Kris stated, his red soul appearing in his hands.

"Is that so? Huh. Lancer, you and Rouxls gather the Darkners. It's time."

Eventually, the group made their way to the Dark Fountain, which remained sealed. The rest of the Darkners were right behind them, waiting to ascend.

"OK. Here we go." With that, Kris let out his soul, opening the way back.

"Alright, everyone! Single file! One at a time! Keep the noise to a minimum until we get to the village! Kris, when the last Darkner is on the other side, come on through." Susie then headed through the pathway, leading the Darkners through the forest behind the school to bring them to the village on the other side.

One by one, the Darkners crossed over, bringing so much luggage with them. They all had their own personal possessions, and it only made sense to bring those along.

Susie had walked ever so quietly out of the school, through the forest, and to the abandoned village on the other side, with the Darkners following behind her.

In a matter of time, there was only one Darkner left in line. "I suppose this means we'll be seeing each other more often?"

"You've got nothing to worry about, Ralsei. Head on through. I'll see you on the other side."

With Ralsei having crossed the worlds, Kris decided to head on through, his soul vanishing with him, sealing the passage once more. The Darkner World had gone empty, but there were two purposefully left behind. One was condemned to spend the rest of his life in the dungeon of his own castle, and the other would bring nothing but chaos.

Back in the Lightner World, Kris appeared in the supply closet, dressed in his casual attire. Ralsei was waiting just outside the door, still wearing his green robe, green hat, and magenta scarf. "This is your world?"

"We're just in the school me and Susie went to. Let's join up with the others."

On the way through the forest, Kris took out his phone and looked at the time. It was 4:51 PM.

"Kris, what does that mean?"

"I set an alarm on my phone before we went back to see you guys. Looks like it'll go off in little over half an hour. When it goes off, Susie and I should be heading home."

"Oh. See you tomorrow?"

"When everyone's all settled in, why don't you introduce yourselves, but leave out the Darkner World stuff, OK?"

"OK." Ralsei nodded.

With the abandoned village now populated, its new inhabitants got to work on restoring and retrofitting the place for their needs.

"Not what I was planning on doing today, but it's heartwarming to see them embrace a new life." Susie sighed happily.

"Yeah. Don't you think we should let mom know about our engagement?" Kris asked.

"Oh shoot! That's right! Hang on... She bought you the rings, didn't she?"

"She did."

"If she bought the rings, then she knew it would happen."

"Makes sense. Mother knows best."

"A mother who thoughtfully purchases rings for her son and his girlfriend. That kindness reminds me a lot of my own mother."

After talking to the village inhabitants to see how they were doing, Kris felt something vibrating in his pocket. The alarm on his phone was going off. "Susie, it's time to head home."

"The alarm went off?"

"Yeah."

"OK, let's get home."

Kris and Susie crossed the forest, returning to their hometown, and as they neared their home, Toriel pulled in.

"Mom, you're home early?" Kris wondered.

"Yes, the session was cut short. One of the priests fell ill. I wished him well. Now, is there anything you'd like to tell me about what happened today?" Nodding to each other, Kris and Susie showed Toriel that they had their rings on their fingers. She smiled brightly at them. "I knew it would work out between you two."

The Darkners have been brought to the light, but both Lancer's dethroned father and Jevil were left behind. Good riddance.

Kris and Susie are engaged now, and they'll end up married soon.

See you all next time.