Tumbling Down

"Uh, Susie? I'm not one to stand in the way of academic ventures, but I'm not sure how attaching all these pillows to me is going to help finish your project…" Ralsei shifts in place, producing a soft rustling sound as cushions jostle across the prince's body. "And what is this plastic you're tying everything with?"

A sharp tearing sound rings out, piercing through the Dark World's silence.

"It's duck tape, now hold still." Susie grumbles under her breath, stretching another shining grey strip across the prince's arm.

"Duct." You mutter, lazily glancing up at the mauve dragoness. You stretch your arms and legs, your own set of all consuming pillows layered on each extremity, restricting each movement.

Can barely move an inch. Perfect.

"Wha…?" Muffled through a piece of tape stuck in her fangs, Susie barks back at you.

"Duct tape. Like, vents?" You lean your head backwards against one of the pillows, now seemingly fused to your head. You mutter a silent prayer your nose doesn't start itching.

Rolling her eyes, Susie returns to her task, continuing to bind Ralsei's arms. Working with surprising efficiency, the esteemed prince is quickly buried, the downy forms attached expertly across every available surface. You watch as Ralsei stretches his arms forward, slowly realizing the futility in such an effort. The goat's face turns from confusion to frustration, a sour pout creeping up from below his robe's collar.

You chuckle softly. The lonely Darkner prince was becoming more and more expressive. It seemed like yesterday you and Susie stumbled into this new world, Ralsei greeting you formally at the castle's entrance. Between the numerous adventures throughout the realm, and a fair amount of "training" from Susie, you had begun to notice his formal persona dropping more often than not. Ralsei was quickly finding his voice throughout the group's antics, even going so far as to become downright sarcastic and impertinent at times.

You tilt your head to the side, watching as Susie continues to secure each cushion under an excessive amount of tape. Your gaze lazily drifts back to the annoyed goat's face, stifling a grin at his expense. His recent shift in personality certainly wouldn't stop him from being buried in dozens of pillows at the top of a mountainside.

"Can someone please explain what is happening? I thought we were going to have a picnic. I even brought tea sandwiches…" Ralsei's gaze turns towards the bottom of the steep hill, a gently wrapped basket of treats waiting below.

You make an effort to turn to the enshrouded prince, waddling back and forth before coming to meet Ralsei face to face.

"We will. But we've gotta do an experiment for our project. The due date is coming up pretty soon." A twinge of guilt flashes on your face as you remember Ralsei's frequent reminders on this very matter.

"Psh. Ms. Alphys should be happy we're even doing the stupid thing." The dragoness mutters to no one in particular, stowing the now smaller roll of tape in a loose plastic grocery bag. Casually cracking her knuckles in one swift, though uncomfortably noisy, movement, Susie soon lumbers back over to the prince's side.

"Okay…so what does that have to do with wrapping ourselves in pillows?" Ralsei stiffly motions with his hands, attempting to reiterate his question.

"We found an experiment online from a long time ago. Some guy supposedly dropped two different weights off of a tower, then measured to see if they hit the ground at the same time." You state confidently. "So, we just need to do an experiment like that, then write up a paper talking about how it went."

Susie snickers to herself, drawing a sour look from the prince. Ralsei lets out a frustrated huff, turning back to you.

"Okay. But why are we covering ourselves in pillows? Surely we can just drop two objects from the castle's ramparts." The goat's eyes turn towards the town below, peeking ever so slightly around the corner. Ralsei sighs, a weak smile gracing his obscured face. "Perhaps there would even be some value in seeing if gravity works the same in this world compared to yours!"

Susie steps closer, lightly patting the prince on the back. Ralsei stumbles forward, nearly falling down under the mass of pillows.

"Sure, but where's the fun in that?" Susie grins wildly, a look of worry washing over the goat's face.

"We actually did try a couple things, but none of it really worked out." You sigh quietly, "Yesterday, we tried dropping eggs off the second floor of the school."

Ralsei tilts his head to the side, eyes squinting. Susie's sudden roar of laughter breaks the moment of silence.

"Yeah, but then Kris here managed to nail MK in the head with one as they were coming out of the place!" Susie's chortling comes to a slow halt, a satisfied sigh escaping her maw.

You grumble quietly. It was an accident! You didn't know they would be coming out of the school right then! Even though you heard the bell ring…and everyone was already starting to leave. You let out a small groan. You'd probably need to apologize to them later.

Though, it was a pretty good landing, all things considered.

"A-Anyways! That didn't really work. So, we tried throwing the eggs in the forest to see if they landed at the same speed. But then Susie threw one so hard it landed in the middle of the road where that police chief was directing traffic!" You stammer out in a huff, making an effort to point at the mauve brute before you.

"Oh, come on! How was I supposed to know it would go that far! That dumb fish lady only chased us for like a mile, you need the exercise anyway!" Susie crosses her arms, snorting in frustration.

Ralsei sighs loudly, squeezing his eyes tight for a moment.

"Okay, so that didn't work out. Now, can someone please explain why I had to gather up every pillow in the castle?" Ralsei continues on, exhaustion underlying each word.

"We're gonna do another test to see if things drop at the same speed." You clear your throat, Susie nodding confidently behind the bewildered goat.

"But this time, I'm gonna drop you two off the cliff and see if you guys land at the same time." Susie casually lays her palm on Ralsei's shoulder, eliciting a soft yelp from the now panicked prince.

"K-Kris?" Ralsei looks back over to you.

You give a thumbs up.

"Kris, S-Susie, please! There are better ways to test such a fundamental aspect of science!" The prince looks from you to Susie.

"Yeah, but this is way more fun!" Susie lets out a hearty cackle.

Ralsei continues to trade glances between you and Susie, panic creeping further into his voice.

"Kris, I know Susie can come up with…interesting ideas at times, a-and I know you're very supportive. But you don't need to go along with this!" Ralsei continues to stammer on, Susie beginning to move towards the two of you.

You shrug underneath the pillows. Susie strides forward, gripping the pillow on your back. In a show of impressive force, she lifts you off the ground, feet now dangling inches from the earth below. Following through in a single motion, Susie grasps the panicked prince in her other palm, lifting him upwards. You look back at Ralsei, the petite Darkner now staring at the steep hill ahead.

"I don't know, it seemed like a good idea. Susie was pretty supportive of it." You sniff, clearing a bothersome feather erupting from the pillow underneath your nose.

"W-What do you mean? Kris?!" Ralsei begins wiggling in his downy prison.

"I mean, it was my idea." You flash Ralsei a casual grin, to the prince's dismay. "What? It seemed like fun."

You look back up at Susie, now patiently awaiting orders. You raise your arm as much as you can, giving a clear thumbs up. The plan was a go, time for science!

With a single, sudden drop, you begin plummeting down the steep hill below. Beside you, a sharp cry escapes the prince, his drooping ears shifting vertically like a rabbit in the suspended air. You feel weightless for a short moment, quickly taking in the horizon before your view flipped, now filled with images of muted grey dirt below.

The first impact nearly knocks the wind out of your chest, the pillows covering your torso taking much of the initial collision. You soon bounce back into the air, your vision spinning rapidly as weightlessness takes your body once more. Before your mind can process the blurred images on the horizon, another impact slams into your side. You bounce lightly on the ground, soon gaining traction on the mountainside. You feel the drag on the pillows behind you, your form no longer being thrown upwards with each collision. With your back now planted firmly on the mountain's side, you sluggishly slide down the ashy earth, picking up pebbles and dust as you fall.

You look out onto the horizon, seeing the dull glow of the nearby town. As if replicating the first moments of your arrival in the Dark World, you quickly find your footing, directing your body into a graceful descent down below. You smile, realizing just how much more enjoyable the experience was without a multitude of projectiles being shot at your soul. Well, even then, it was still pretty fun.

The hill began to even out, your descent slowing with each passing second. Now able to see Ralsei's meticulously prepared picnic basket in clear view, you steady yourself for a sudden stop. Digging your heels into the hill for a moment, you allow yourself to fall backwards and onto the pillows covering your armor. The cloth ground against pebbles, the sound of stones being collected in each inch of the fiber. Moments from the sheets tearing, you come to a sudden halt, your body being rigidly forced into a standing position. As you plant your feet awkwardly onto the ground below, you nearly lose your footing. You steady yourself, breathing a sigh of relief. No wonder scientists were required to go to college; experiments could be hard work.

You shake off a stray few rocks clinging to your form, beginning to look around for your friends. You waddle from side to side, turning back to face the hill above you. Peeking out from atop, you can just barely make out Susie's maw poking forth from the cliff's edge.

You stifle a laugh, realizing you can truly only see the tip of her nose sticking out. You would be more tempted to ask her, "Why the long face," had she not threatened to throw you into a dumpster last time.

"Worth it." You mutter under your breath.

"…Krr…sh…" You shake from your reverie, a muffled noise emanating from your side.

Looking over, you notice a mound of pillows matching a vaguely prince-like form, face planted into the dirt underneath. Arms and legs now splayed across the ground; the mass continues to grumble as you stare on.

Right, Ralsei!

"Sorry, one sec!" You quickly slip a single arm from out of the numerous pillows. Struggling to pull the rest of your body out, you use your free appendage to tear just enough pillows off to move. Nearly pulling a muscle in the process, you just barely find leeway underneath the layers of adhesive. You quickly realize that handing over five rolls of duct tape to the excitable dragoness may have been a mistake.

You eventually escape your downy prison, leaving behind a humanoid pillow form on the ground below. You stretch, a number of pops echoing from the strained joints across your body. Your head snaps back to the buried prince, grumbles continuing to call out to whoever may listen.

"Sorry, sorry. Just had to get myself free. I gotcha." You scramble to release the Darkner, heaving his form upwards so as to flip him over. Now no longer face first with the ground, Ralsei quickly takes a deep breath, sputtering as dust is shaken loose from his fur.

"Pleh…" Ralsei continues to blow away accumulated pebbles, a dull frown painting his features.

You smile back at the imprisoned goat, grabbing the edges of each strip of tape. Tearing the pieces off in quick measure, Ralsei begins to stretch his arms away from the downy masses, moving to sit up.

"Ugh, the world is still spinning. Are you alright Kris? You weren't hurt at all, were you?" Ralsei grumbles, holding his head with a single fluffy palm.

You look back at the prince for a quick moment, waving your hand casually.

"Nah, I'm good. Almost got the wind knocked out of me, but I'm fine." You smile, picturing your body bouncing wildly in the air.

"That's good to hear." Ralsei pauses for a moment. "I suppose I won't feel as bad when I eventually get revenge then."

You freeze.

"W-Wha…Ralsei, hey, I'm sorry. I j-just thought that…" You stammer out, hands slipping away from the tape's edge.

You hear Ralsei snort, slowly erupting into a hearty laughter. You look at the now shaking prince, your mouth agape as he continues to laugh at you. Did he just…?

"S-Sorry, your face! You just…" Ralsei trails off, his voice catching with each burst of laughter. You stare at the goat before you, eye brows raised at his display. Ralsei's laughter soon slows, a light chuckle concluding the outburst.

"Yeah yeah, very funny." You roll your eyes, continuing to unravel the numerous pillows. When did he learn to be like…that? Sarcastic and evil. Did you and Susie's banter corrupt his innocent soul? Was this due to Susie teaching him how to make fart sounds with his armpit? Could it have been because of the time you covered his bedroom door with plastic wrap?

You shake your head. He had become what he swore to fight against, the poor man.

You manage to hook a finger under the last piece of tape binding Ralsei's leg, tearing the adhesive away with a loud rip. Looking back at the prince, you nod as he begins to pull out from the cushioned bindings.

"Much better." Ralsei stretches outwards, soon pushing himself up from the ground and onto his feet.

You push yourself upwards, brushing the dust from your armor. Within moments you hear a rumbling from above. Looking towards the steep hill, you spot Susie quickly descending to the bottom of the mountain, jumping off at the last moment in a clean flourish. Concluding with a sudden thump, Susie lands a few feet away, slowly lifting herself up from the display.

"Sup nerds." Susie brushes the hair away from her face, providing an exaggerated grin.

You roll your eyes, smiling all the while.

"Both of you good? You did great not dying." Susie wraps her forearms around the back of her head, smiling down at the two of you.

"Yes, we are quite alright. No need for your wonderous healing magic it seems." The prince flashes a mocking grin at Susie. The mauve dragoness snorts in annoyance, her eyes narrowing at the goat to your side.

"So, what times did you get?" You clear your throat.

"Huh? Oh yeah." Susie awkwardly fumbles for a moment, pulling out a ruffled piece of paper stuffed quickly into her jacket's pocket. "Well, you guys fell the same speed and hit the ground at the same time. Kris bounced around all over the place though, so it was hard to figure out if everything stayed the same." Susie cast a sour look at you.

"What? I didn't really get a choice in the matter." You cross your arms, staring back at the dragoness.

"Eh, whatever. But yeah, you guys dropped at the same time. So, it checks out." Susie shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, that's fantastic to hear! Now you two can finally write your paper." Ralsei chimes in, his exuberant tone drawing dull frowns out from you and Susie.

You hear the dragoness huff for a moment, though no objection is stated. You shrug. The paper would only be a few hours of work. You just needed to gather a few quotes from books in the librarby and type everything out. The whole process would only take a few hours with Susie at the computer lab, you figure. You look back up at Susie, her gaze meeting yours for only a quick moment. You reactively look away.

Alright, maybe focusing would be a bit difficult.

In the process of mulling over key points for the paper, you hear Ralsei begin to shuffle over to the picnic basket, unraveling the stereotypically red-and-white blanket across the ground.

"Now, I believe we can resume our original plan for a nice, calm picnic?" Ralsei interjects, opening the basket to retrieve a number of dishes.

"Hell yeah, I've worked up an appetite now." Susie grins, her fangs shining in the muted Dark World light.

"Didn't you grab a sandwich from the cafeteria before we left?" You cock your head to the side.

"W-Well yeah. But I deserve to treat myself after that, don't I?" Susie snorts. "Come on, you didn't seem to mind getting wrapped up."

Susie elbows you lightly, your face flaring into a deeper red as she shuffles over to the picnic's buffet.

"Hey, are there any more of those tiny sandwiches?" Susie leans back onto the mountainside wall.

"Uh, s-sorry, no. You ate all of them Susie." Ralsei scratches his head, "Even the backup sandwiches…"

You chuckle, watching as Susie's gaze wanders over the picnic blanket for any surviving crumbs. Within a moment, you hear the dragoness sigh loudly.

"Bah, whatever. Maybe the cafeteria will have something leftover." Susie grumbles to herself. "Hey Kris, you brought your backpack, right? Did you do the lit homework yet?"

You silently shake your head; much too busy buying eggs and duct tape yesterday.

"Damn." You hear the dragoness softly click her tongue, "Everyone's running around like idiots, doubt anyone finished it anyway. Maybe Ms. Alphys will just cancel it." Susie chuckles softly, stretching her arms into the air, only to soon drop them back down to her sides.

"Is everyone busy with their projects?" Ralsei mutters, the echo of his words becoming lost in the cup of tea he was sipping.

You shrug, gazing over at the entrance back to town. "Nah, the dance is coming up. Everyone is freaking out over that."

Ralsei's eyes light up, the prince suddenly clasping his hands in excitement.

"How wonderful! What kind of dance? Ballroom? A waltz? Perhaps even swing?" The Darkner chatters on.

"Psh, nah. Just a bunch of dumb teenagers rocking back and forth making kissy faces." Susie rubs the back of her neck, any delight from her mockery quickly draining out.

"Oh, I see." Ralsei awkwardly returns to his tea, gaze cast back down to the patterned blanket below. "Are either of you going?"

Susie quietly grumbles, "My dad says I need to go. He said it's some, 'big milestone,' or something. I'll probably just go and…I don't know." Susie's voice slowly becomes a whisper, a sullen frown flashing across her maw.

"Kris?" Ralsei takes another sip of his tea, his gaze quickly turning to you.

"What? Oh. Uh, I don't really know yet I guess." You mutter.

Your chest tightens ever so slightly. Some part of you did want to go. What teenager didn't want to go to the big dance and have that memory?

Your gaze drifts down to the blanket below, slowly tying a small knot into the material with your finger. Well, maybe you weren't one of those people. The idea wasn't exactly appealing; after all, a bunch of screeching teachers in hawk masks didn't sound too fun. You glance up from your reverie in time to notice Susie settling back down on the picnic blanket. Your gaze drops back to the floor, a dejected sigh escaping your lips. You didn't want to go to the dance really, but…

You see the mauve dragoness begin to break back into a discussion, gently grinning as her scales glinted with each laugh escaping her lips. A weak smile pulls at the corners of your mouth.

You wouldn't really mind going with the right person.

You stretch out onto the patterned blanket, staring up at the Dark World's sky above. Vaguely registering the conversation between your companions, you take a moment to breath, counting each scattered light above. You counted at least thirty of them…forty? Shining like dim cyan stars, the formations twinkled far above you.

You roll your shoulder, still slightly sore from the previous impacts. You remember Ralsei stating that the formations above were still a mystery; many residents were unsure as to whether a sky or ceiling formed the darkness above. No rain or snow fell from above, though you figure it would be difficult to spot a cloud in the pitch black anyway. All that could be seen were the small glowing entities above, lost in a sea of darkness.

Your breathing slows. The endless darkness in this new world certainly took a moment to acclimate to. Although, the sky did remind you of your late-night walks around your hometown. The cool air, the soft breeze, the peaceful silence permeating every corner. Everything felt calmer, even if those moments lasted a short while. You gently squeeze your eyes closed. Moments like those were much simpler compared to thoughts of asking a dragoness near twice your size out to a dance. Much, much simpler…

"Oh shit, break's almost over!"

You feel a sharp poke from your left side. Why did it have to be the side you landed on…

"Come on Kris, we gotta get back or Ms. Alphys is gonna start asking a bunch of questions…wait, goddamn it!" The dragoness' voice roars for a moment. "I forgot all the tape up on the hill." You watch as Susie begins walking off from the neatly spread picnic blanket, quickly turning towards the mountain. "I'll be right back, don't fall asleep or something." You see the dragoness begin shuffling towards the path back up the mountainside, disappearing from the edges of your vision.

With a groan, you lift yourself back into a sitting position. Shaking the weariness from your head, you see Ralsei beginning to place a number of utensils back into the picnic basket. Taking his cue, you start to gather a number of plates, all containing little more than crumbs following Susie's voracious efforts.

"Hey, Kris?" You hear the robed prince mutter softly.

"Yeah?" You murmur.

"Thank you for coming back here. I-I mean, I'm glad you two came back to help close the fountains. But thank you for coming back after that and…being good friends." A soft smile paints the goat's face.

You look over at Ralsei. You begin to form words, only to chuckle softly, returning a smile back to the Darkner before you.

"It's been nice having you two around so often. I never had anyone to talk to before, so I'm still trying to practice when I can. I'm glad I have opportunities like these to work on my communication." Ralsei pauses for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. "A-And I'm glad it was you two. I-I mean, I'm glad you two were the heroes from the prophecy. I was always worried when Lightners would finally arrive that they would be…well, they wouldn't be nice." Ralsei's voice comes to a whisper.

You look at the prince, a half-hearted smile painting your face. You had never considered how long Ralsei may have waited before you and Susie arrived. Knowing a prophecy would come true is one thing; to actually wait years before meeting those you would be putting all hopes into had to have been nerve-wracking.

"I feel like I've improved a lot, with talking I mean. A-And you have too!" Ralsei's gaze meets yours, a goofy smile creasing the edges of his features. "You were very quiet and withdrawn when we first met. I was worried I had offended you!" Ralsei chuckles. "But I think you just needed some time. You truly should be proud of yourself. The way you stood up to the King and Queen, how you helped save your fellow students." Ralsei looks off towards the mountain path, "How you protected Susie when she could've been hurt."

A cold shiver runs up your spine. Imagining the King's projectiles careening towards Susie's prone form, the megalomaniac's laughter cutting through the din of battle…

It was not a memory you wanted to relive. You look back up at Ralsei, forcing a soft smile back at the prince.

"I'm glad you two get along so well now! You would think you two grew up together!" Ralsei chuckles to himself.

You silently nod, returning a grin as big as you can muster. You quickly gather up a number of plates, working, in the meantime, to come up with a way to change the subject. Ralsei's words meant more than he could imagine. A knot begins to form in your stomach. You just had a lot of…complicated feelings regarding everything.

"So, the dance that's coming up…" Ralsei mutters softly, continuing to pack away dishes into the nearby basket.

You stare back at the now silent prince, waiting for a follow-up that never seems to appear. Ralsei's gaze continues to escape yours as he cleans the space around him. You shake your head; Susie would be returning soon and you'd need to be ready to leave.

"Will you be asking Susie to the dance?"

…

"Kris?"

Should you run? Fighting wasn't the answer. Though it seemed as if your body had since chosen to freeze. Did you even have a choice?

Everything around you suddenly felt as if an eerie stillness settled over the world. You barely register your arm hanging in the air, still reaching for a teacup used only moments ago.

"Kris…?"

Your chest seizes up, locking a tightness within as you struggle to breath. Maybe you could still run. You could make it to the entrance, back to your hometown. If you run fast enough, you could even sprint back to your house. Or maybe the forest, just hide there for a few days. Likely the best option all things considered.

"Kris? You're breathing, right?"

You feel a light poke to your side, the worried look of the robed prince staring back at you. In a sudden remembrance of basic bodily functions, you sharply inhale, chest burning.

"Uh, everything good?" You strain your neck to look up, finding the mauve dragoness standing before you, a plastic bag of duct tape rolls slung over her shoulder.

"Y-Yes. I think Kris just pulled something during the recent mountain descent." Ralsei nervously notes.

"Sure…anyway, come on Kris. Time for math or whatever." Susie sighs loudly, beginning to walk back towards the town's entrance.

Still frozen in place, you focus on your breathing as much as possible. Deep breathes, just in then out. You choke loudly. Never mind, short painful breathes it is.

"Kris! Come on, we gotta go!" Susie's voice bellows down from the town's entrance.

You shake the paralysis from your body, senses returning in a sudden flood. You feel your face burning, the heat intensifying at the thought of the numerous colors you were turning. You force yourself to stand, facing the bemused prince to your side.

"I was just wondering. Now, off you go. I wouldn't want you to miss class!" Ralsei chuckles softly, much to your disdain.

You silently shuffle forward, eyes glued to the ground below you. In the mess of thoughts screaming across your mind, you muster every bit of determination in simply moving back towards the exit of the Dark World. In a mindless march, you barely register meeting back up with Susie, the two of you facing a single beam of light back home.

"Good luck in class you two!" Turning back around, you find Ralsei cheerfully waving.

"Yeah yeah, see you later, dork." The dragoness beside you meanders into the beam of light, quickly departing the world before you know it.

Slowly inching backwards, you breathe deeply in an effort to calm your mind. Everything was okay. Susie didn't seem to notice your burning face, you finished the experiment for your group project, Ralsei maybe, kinda, sorta knows about your crush…

You quickly glance back over to the robed prince, casting an evil look in their direction.

"Just let me know if you need help with anything!" Ralsei smiles back at you, walking briskly away from the entrance, down the nearby town's boulevard. You'd swear he was almost skipping.

Damn that goat.

You stare at the dull green locker in front of you, drilling a hole into the surface with your gaze. There was something to be said for the craftmanship. You wondered if there were locker factories; entire facilities dedicated to making school lockers for each district. You angle your head slightly to the side. Maybe different factories made different parts? The locks likely came from a separate place entirely. Did they use their own lockers, or did they buy from other companies?

"Kris, what the hell?"

You blink once; twice.

"You got a thousand-yard stare thing going on right now. Those Dark World sandwiches not agree with you or something?" Susie leans down in front of you, her features painted with concern. Your face flares once again, the dragoness mere inches away from you.

"No! N-No, I'm fine. Just, yeah, fine." You sputter out, quickly averting your gaze.

"O-kay…well, I was saying we should probably work on the essay thing on like, Friday or something. Everyone is going to be rushing to get it done tomorrow before the dance, so the computer lab will be packed." Susie mutters glumly, "Really don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of people gawking at us." The dragoness rolls her eyes, returning to her locker's padlock.

"Y-Yeah, sounds good. Do it after the uh, dance." You feel your face burning. Angel help you.

You turn your back to the neighboring locker, gently resting on the metal plating. Your head was still a mess, though the cold steel behind you helped sooth the raging storm in your mind. There was something to be said for grounding yourself, even if it was as simple as leaning back and watching the tide of students walk by.

You hear the creak of Susie's locker opening, her quickly stashing the plastic bag of tape above a number of loose papers and wrappers. Focusing back on your breath, you close your eyes, allowing the sounds of the school to wash over.

"S-Susie?" A soft voice rings out.

Well, that's not what you expected to hear. Cracking a single eye open, you peer back over at the dragoness to your side. Now turned away, Susie was facing back down the hallway to your homeroom. You couldn't see much past the dragoness' form, so it was likely not a teacher ready to dole out detention slips. Strange. Your mind casually sifts through the number of individuals who would actively greet Susie in passing.

"Sorry, I-I was j-just wondering if you had checked your, uh, l-locker?"

You close your eyes again. Were you being nosy? You really didn't have to be part of everything Susie did with her life. Perhaps she had made a friend recently? You'd been nearly attached at the hip the past month; she was allowed to have her own life.

You quietly sigh to yourself. There were those thoughts again. Maybe you were too clingy, maybe hanging out with the weird human kid made meeting new friends harder. Susie deserved to have more friends; she was an amazing person…once you saw past the petty crimes. You pinch the bridge of your nose tightly.

"Uh, I just opened it. Why?" Susie grumbles at your side.

"N-No reason, I-I was just w-wondering. Sorry to bother you!"

You hear the other individual quickly depart, sharp clattering sounds ringing out as they sprint away. You open your eyes to find a dumbfounded dragoness beside you, locker still hanging open.

"Weird." Susie states plainly, beginning to close her locker door.

"What was that about?" You comb your fingers through your hair, fixing the loose strands disrupted by the locker's surface.

"Hell if I know. Noelle just came up to me all of a sudden, wanted to know if I checked my locker. I swear, if that deer put some weird shit in…"

Susie's words dropped suddenly, her arm now frozen midway into the upper half of her locker. A look of bewilderment painted her features. You lean forward slightly, looking into the darkened shelf covered in scraps of loose leaf. Susie's arm slowly retracts, a single white envelope clutched in her claws.

"The hell?" You look up at Susie, annoyance permeating her voice.

In a flash, the dragoness pierces the top of the envelope with a single claw, fishing out a small white paper. Leaning to the side, you can see various bits of art lining the parchment. Holly plants mark each corner of the letter, with snow cascading across the edges. Unable to view the writing from such an angle, you're left only to appreciate the letter's art. You look back up at Susie, now noticing her eyes shifting from left to right rapidly.

"What is it?" You casually ask, silently cursing yourself for butting into the dragoness' business once more.

"Uh…" Susie pauses for a moment, struggling to find words. "It's uh, from Noelle." Susie continues reading the letter, a blank look painting her face.

Noelle wrote her a letter? You start to panic. Did she finally figure out the Dark World wasn't just a dream? Was she trying to ask Susie about it?

"She…she's asking me to the dance."

Your heart drops.

"What." You weakly mutter.

"Yeah, she says she wants to go to the dance with me tomorrow. I guess that's why she was asking me if I checked my locker, must've stuffed it in there while we were gone." Susie stares down at the ground, letter dangling from her palm. The dragoness' face conveyed little, a blank look left upon her features. You watch as Susie slowly closes her locker, stuffing the letter and envelope into her jacket pocket. Susie continues to look down, exhaling audibly as she adjusts the collar of her coat.

"I…guess I should go talk to her, huh?" Susie rubs the base of her neck, eyes glued to the corners of the locker.

You continue staring down the hallway, past Susie, past any point of focus.

"Right. Yeah. I'm gonna go then, uh, talk to her. Or something." The dragoness trails off quietly. "I'll see you after school? If you're free." Susie's gaze meets yours for a moment, quickly looking back down to her side.

"Y-Yeah." You whisper, barely able to force the words out.

"Cool. Alright, I'll uh, see you later then." Susie meets your gaze once more, waving weakly as she begins to turn away.

The bell rings loudly throughout the hall, echoing above the numerous crowds. Each group of students, previously huddled in various corners, all slowly meandered back to class in a haphazard formation. Some part of you registers Susie walking down the hallway, around the corner, then slipping from sight. Quickly blending into the shuffling crowd, you lose sight of her within a moment. Still rooted in place, you stand frozen against the locker's surface.

What just happened? No, you know what happened. Noelle just asked Susie out to the dance. You had a feeling Noelle liked the dragoness, but…

You let out a breath you barely realized you were holding. The hallway surrounding you quickly emptied, students having disappeared from sight. You were left alone, trapped in your mind. Your back still against the locker's cold surface, you slowly slide down to the ground, your legs turning limp. You cradle your head in your palms, breath becoming more shuddered by the moment

Your thoughts quickly turn inward, back to the depths you tried to avoid. Susie was just your friend. Maybe she felt comfortable around you, but that doesn't mean she would suddenly feel the same as you. And you knew Noelle. If anyone could make Susie happy, it would be her. Noelle came from a kind family, had the best grades, was able to make friends with pretty much anyone. She was a good person and also deserved the best.

Susie could do better than you…better than the weird outcast that you had become over the years.

You squeeze your eyes shut.

But why did your chest hurt so much? Why were the negative thoughts crashing against you, wave upon wave? Why did everything in your mind and soul scream out for you to run after her?

You begin to feel droplets slowly pooling in your hands. You wrap your arms around your knees, further burying your face. You had been getting better. Everything in your body screamed to simply stay at home each day, to not face the anxiety and stress of just blending in without incident. To avoid the heartbreak of finding a connection, then realizing you had completely misunderstood the signs. You were getting better. You made friends, reached out to others, even became a hero in another world. But here you were, breaking. Wanting to go back home, wanting to hide away, wanting to pretend you never met someone that meant this much to you.

You stop, the thoughts silenced for a moment. You squeeze your legs closer, shutting your eyes as tight as they could. You had come too far to dwell like this. Too many people cared about you to hide back away in your room, to give up on reaching out to others. You shake your head rapidly, forcing yourself to mute the screeching thoughts raging in your mind.

You quickly push yourself up from the ground in one swift motion, your hair and face a distraught mess. Marching down past the corner of the hall, you push forward, prying open the dull grey doors ahead. Thoughts are lost in the sensation of falling, rays of light pouring through an endless blackness surrounding you. You drift down, landing down at the spotlight's base, your body vaguely aware of the impact that shook through your knees.

You silently move past the Dark World's various shops, barely registering sounds of casual greetings. Your eyes continue to burn as you pass through the castle's entryway, double-sided oak doors looming above. You swallow hard, heaving the doors open. You desperately search the room before you, eyes continuing to adjust to the darkness throughout the realm. With a momentary scan, you spot the petite figure of a princely mage, slowly churning the arcane contents of the cauldron before you

"I LIKE SUSIE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" You scream out, your voice echoing throughout each castle corridor. You squeeze your eyes tight, preparing for whatever may come next.

"GAH!" You hear a soft yelp, followed by a much louder crash.

You flinch. Perhaps running into the castle and yelling at the residing prince wasn't the most elegant plan of action.

"Agh…" You hear an exhausted groan emanate from across the room.

You slowly open your eyes, squinting down at the now very much prone Ralsei.

"D-Damn it! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" You stammer out, running over to help the Darkner prince up from the ground. You extend a hand, Ralsei gently gripping yours as you pull him up. The robed mage brushes off dust, and no small amount of soot, that had carried out from underneath the cauldron. "Sorry Ralsei, I just…I'm sorry. I'm screwing everything up and everything is going bad. I shouldn't be acting this way and I try not to be like this around you guys but-"

You feel a sharp poke to your side. Once more, the side that was still sore.

"There." The prince stares back at you, a gentle smile warming his features. "It seemed to work for Susie; I'm glad to see such a simple gesture continues to grab your attention."

Ralsei chuckles to himself, turning back to the overturned stepstool previously providing a much-needed view of the cauldron's contents.

"Now, I had a fair number of pastries brewing and can easily have a kettle of tea prepared. Let us find a quiet corner to talk, shall we?" Ralsei's voice retains an almost alarming amount of tranquility.

You find yourself stunned, mouth half agape, squinting over at the mage before you. Ralsei closes his eyes slowly, breathing deeply into an even deeper sigh. A smile creases his features, eyes squinting with a look of barely contained joy.

"I was expecting this conversation quite some time ago. I'm just surprised you took so long. Come, I still have a number of tea sandwiches hidden away."

You cock your head to the side.

"What? You didn't think I would actually let Susie eat all of them, did you?"

[Author's Note]

And we're back.

So, good news and bad news. Good news: I already have the next chapter finished content-wise. Bad news: it's by far the longest chapter I've written and I'm going to probably be editing it for another day or two. These two chapters are a culmination of a lot of ideas I've had floating around, in which the next one is tackling a lot of different things I want to cover. So, hopefully neither of them are too terrible, but I guess we'll see! Regardless, let me know if anyone has preferences regarding the length of chapters. I tend to write until an idea is complete, though I am drifting into pretty lengthy chapters recently. If there's a preference for shorter ideas, or if you like the longer form content, let me know.

As always, thanks for checking this mess out.