Chapter 8: Carrying On

"Alright, mavericks. Ready to see what you're fighting today?"

-The Drifter (Destiny 2: Forsaken)

The sun had risen several hours ago, and the Fun Gang had walked on since then. Currently, they were engaged in a battle with the wildlife of the snowy forest. It was the fourth time they had been attacked today, but they were still grateful to be fighting something other than the Knight.

"Alright, Noelle, just like last time," Kris said, taking up a position beside her. "Help me pacify these things."

Noelle glanced at her opponents: a pair of creatures Ralsei called Frostbite Spiders. Their bodies and heads were composed of ice cubes, and they skittered back and forth on spindly legs of frost.

"What do you think I should do...?" she asked.

"Let me try something," Kris replied, casually stepping up to one of the spiders. As he approached, it hissed at him, spraying small snowflakes from an orifice that could be considered a mouth. Ignoring it, he simply gave the creature an affectionate pat on the head. It looked up at him, clicking its mandibles together.

"You're not so bad, are you?" he said, grinning at the creature. It produced a pleased clicking noise in response, happily hopping in place. It then proceeded to skitter away, burrowing into the snowy ground and disappearing from sight.

"That seems effective," Kris commented. "You try it, Noelle."

She nodded, stepping toward the other spider. Hesitantly, she reached toward it.

"Hey, little guy..." she said. It hissed at her, then began to snap at her with its icy mandibles. She jumped back a bit in fright. It continued to snap at her for a few seconds, before she reached out and began to pet the creature.

"J-just calm down, okay?" she whispered to it. "We don't need to fight."

The spider tilted its head in confusion, then affectionately wrapped its many limbs around her leg, clicking happily.

"I think it likes you," Kris said.

"It's kinda cute!"

It gave her a final click before digging into the ground.

"Well, that was easy," Susie said as she stored her weapon away.

"They're pretty simple creatures," Ralsei explained. "As soon as they realize you're not a threat, they'll leave you alone."

With the battle won, they continued to walk on through the snow.

Kris suddenly found himself feeling uneasy. A sense of dread lingered in his mind. His eyes drifted to the fissure beside them, and the feeling only intensified. If Chara could cause something like this, what else could she do?

"I can tell what you're thinking, partner," she said suddenly. "And the answer is, no, that's not the end of it. I'm just getting started."

"Why do I get the feeling you've done this before?" he whispered.

"Oh, I have. On a much grander scale, too."

"You're a little too eager to brag about something like that, partner."

"You could be a part of it, too, if you'd just cooperate with me."

"Nah, I'm good."

She let out a frustrated sigh, but said no more. Shaking his head, Kris continued to stare into the fissure. His sense of dread remained. He had no doubt in his mind that Chara would continue to cause damage to the world as long as she remained. He began to wonder just how far she was willing to go. If she was so dead-set on genocide in the light world, who's to say she'd spare anyone in the dark world?

Could they even stop her before things went that far?

'What if the Knight is right...?' he asked himself. 'What if I'm just making things worse for everyone?'

'No, that's ridiculous.'

'Right...?'

"You're starting to get pretty good at this, Noelle," Susie's voice shook him from his thoughts. He considered it a relief.

Noelle shrugged, "It's... not as intimidating when we're not fighting the Knight."

"Well, he's definitely gonna be showing up again. By that time, you're gonna be laughing in his face while you fill him with arrows. I'm gonna make sure of that."

"I wouldn't put that much faith in myself..."

"I would. It might take a while, but you'll get there. I believe in you."

Noelle smiled, her cheeks beginning to turn pink. "Thanks. I, er... I appreciate the sentiment."

The conversation ended there, and they carried on in silence. They walked until a flash of red light caught their attention, gliding along the side of a nearby rock formation. When the light faded, a deep gash was left in its place.

"Well, that happened," Susie deadpanned.

"That's not a natural occurrence, I'm guessing," Kris said.

"Definitely not," Ralsei answered. "It looks like the same thing that caused the fissure..."

Anger flashed across Kris' face. "You got anything to say, partner?"

"Nope. Must've been a coincidence." She spoke with an obviously exaggerated tone of feigned innocence.

"You have no idea how much I want to punch you right now."

Chara responded with a ghostly chuckle, but said no more.

"Okay, so the world is falling apart around us," Susie observed. "Isn't that just wonderful."

"What are we going to do...?" Noelle asked to no one in particular.

Kris shrugged, "Keep going, I guess? That's basically all we can do. That, and hope things don't get any worse."

"I can guarantee things will get worse," Susie retorted.

"Unfortunately, you're probably right, so we should probably pick up the pace."

"No argument here. Lead the way, brother."

Kris gave a nod and continued to lead his allies through the forest. He glanced over at the fresh scar in the landscape, and soon found himself lost in his own thoughts again. Several questions raced through his mind.

Would they be able to reach the royal scientist before something horrible happened? Chara was already tearing the world apart to stop them, and with the Knight hunting them down, traveling would be difficult at best.

What would be the consequences if they were unsuccessful? If the Knight didn't kill them, Chara would most likely carry out her plans of genocide. Neither possibility particularly appealed to Kris.

Would the royal scientist even be able to help at all? Rouxls Kaard seemed confident, and there weren't exactly many other options, so Kris decided not to give this one too much thought.

How long did Kris have before Chara fully took control? She was a constant threat, always looming over him as a terrifying specter of death. All his years of resisting her had only strengthened her resolve. She was nothing if not determined.

Above all else, Kris found himself wondering if he and his companions were doing the right thing. He brought Chara to the dark world, and because of that, they were all in danger. She obviously wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that stood in her way. She had no reservations toward tearing the world itself apart.

'I cannot allow you to selfishly endanger this world to preserve your own life,' the Knight's words echoed in his mind. Maybe he had a point.

Feelings of doubt mixed with feelings of guilt. Was this quest really worth the risk it posed? Kris felt that he would never be able to forgive himself if someone got hurt or killed because of Chara. Because he brought her here.

Because of him.

It all tied back to him. For one reason or another, Chara chose him as her host. He carried her into the dark world, hoping to find a way to rid himself of her. They were being hunted by one of the strongest warriors in the dark world because he was her host. The world itself was at risk because of her presence.

Because of him.

Kris hung his head. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Knight might have been right all along, that he was causing more harm than good. Perhaps, by trying so hard to protect himself - and by extension, Chara - he was no better than she was.

'No, I'm doing this so no one gets hurt,' he told himself. 'Things will get worse if I give up now. I'm doing the right thing. I'm not the villain. I'm doing the right thing.'

He repeated the words in his head like a mantra.

He so desperately wished he believed it.