Preface:
A one-shot fic depicting events on the eve of the final encounter. As that hasn't happened in canon yet, this is all very much speculation. Some liberties have been taken to facilitate the story, but I've tried to keep everything as faithful to the source material as possible.
As this is a celebration of Valentine's day, expect weapons-grade, molten-chocolate-pudding levels of Kralsusie-flavoured fluff. By reading this far, you hereby permit me to waive all responsibility for any spontaneous tooth cavities and/or sugar-induced heart palpitations that may arise as a result of reading this tale. Consider yourselves warned :P
Dedicated to all the lovely people I know and cherish, of which more of that at the end.
So. This was the end.
Well, almost the end. Near enough to the end as made no difference. No more adventures. No more fountains.
Just the Knight, the Roaring, and the edge of the world.
Ralsei sighed, sagging into his throne. He still couldn't quite believe he'd given that speech just there. Every darkner from every kingdom had been in attendance, from the lowly foot soldiers and commoners to the rogue's gallery of nobility. And each and every one of them had looked to him, hung onto his every word, as he put forward his vision – no longer would this be the Kingdom of Darkness alone. No, with their lightner allies leading the charge against their final adversary, the banners would fly for the new Kingdom of Balance.
The applause had been deafening, booming through the grand hall. And the prince had stood and soaked it all in, chest swelling with something akin to pride for himself – a new and wonderful feeling to add to his growing catalogue. Yet still, now that the noise had died down and he was alone again, he found the old doubts creeping back in. Had they been applauding him, really? Had they truly been inspired by his vision? Or did they see this as their one last fleeting chance at survival against a seemingly-invincible foe?
And who was to say it wouldn't all just… crumble apart, without the threat of apocalypse looming down upon them, forcing them together through the enormity of the calamity facing them? Who was to say, once it was all over, that everyone wouldn't just… go back to what they'd been doing before? Would castle town be wound back down, its concourse empty and silent once again?
And what would become of Ralsei then…? Would he be… would he be alone, again…?
He didn't know if he could bear it. All these new memories, new experiences, new feelings… they had all been so sweet, and he had savoured each and every one of them. Even now his heart ached to think that he may never be able to experience anything like that, ever again.
He sniffed, and the mournful noise echoed throughout the empty hall, as he fought to keep his tears under control. Be strong, he chided himself inwardly. You've done so well up until now, it's just a little longer…
'Still here, huh?'
Ralsei leapt up out of his throne in terror, heart thumping, scarf primed to defend him. When he saw Susie standing at the hall's entrance, with a wry grin on her face, he forced himself to relax. But his heartbeat did not quieten.
'P-please knock next time…!' he called out to her. 'Almost gave me a heart attack…'
The dragon girl snorted. 'Thought you'd be pleased to see us.'
'Us?'
She stepped aside to allow Kris to walk forward. They gave Ralsei a little smile, and the prince's pulse quickened again.
'Hey,' they said quietly.
'H-hello Kris,' he managed to say, giving them a little wave. 'Susie. It's, um, nice to see you two again!'
'Yeah, check you out back there, huh?' she replied as they walked towards him. 'Almost looked like a proper ruler for a few minutes!'
'Um, thank you,' he replied with a shy smile. 'Y-you didn't think it was… well, a bit… much, did you?'
'You were fine, Ralsei,' said Kris. 'It was a great speech.'
'Yeah, I only slept through the first half of this one!' cackled Susie.
He smiled at his two friends. Gosh, this was nice. It had been so long since the three of them could just talk like this. Hang out, like this. The past few days had been such a whirlwind, as fountains had opened up, one after the other, almost too quickly for them to keep up with. All they had really had was a handful of moments, snatched away from the chaos and adventure, where they could relax a little, talk a little more freely, get to know each other better.
There had, of course, been complications. He glanced at Kris out of the corner of his eye. Hopefully they were feeling a little better after their most recent ordeal…
'So, uh,' said Susie, 'as much as we'd like to bow at your feet and stuff, oh great Prince of Balance, talkin' to you like this feels a bit… well…'
'Weird,' Kris finished for her.
'Oh, how thoughtless of me!' he cried, leaping off the throne at once. He was glad to be out of it, truth be told. Far too uncomfortable, for a start. 'Perhaps we should… um, go somewhere a little… cosier? I… have something to show you two, actually… if you'd like to come and see…?'
The dragon girl shrugged. 'S'long as there's somewhere comfy to sit and cake to eat, I don't care.'
Kris nodded their agreement.
'Lovely! In that case I'll just…'
Ralsei shut his eyes, focusing his power. The effect was immediate, as the throne room began to warp and wave around him. Susie's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
'You, um, might want to hold onto me,' he said, almost as if it was an afterthought. Almost immediately, he could feel Kris's gauntleted hand take his own, slotting together like they were made for each other. The metal was cold, but Ralsei didn't mind all that much.
'Uhh… can't we just take the stairs?' said the dragoness. 'Y'know… like normal people?'
'You're not… afraid, are you Susie?' said Ralsei, trying not to smile.
'W-who the hell's afraid?!' she shot back, and grabbed his free hand. Her claw was much larger than Kris's hand was, her grip tighter and more assured, and as warm as oven mittens after they'd just finished carrying a freshly-baked cake.
Perhaps he could just… hold off on the teleportation spell for a few more moments. Just so he could luxuriate in this wonderful feeling a little longer…
…but they had precious little time as it was. And he had ever-so-much to say. He just hoped that he'd have the courage to follow through…
Kris opened their eyes.
They doubted they'd ever get used to moving through the darkness like that… how had Ralsei described it? Shifting through the primordial darkness that existed before all things, and using it to move through space… something like that, anyhow.
All Kris knew for sure was that it had felt like being pulled through lukewarm treacle. Which wasn't nearly as pleasant as it sounded. And it didn't sound all that pleasant to begin with.
And now, here they were… wherever "here" was.
They'd emerged in a part of the castle neither they nor Susie had laid eyes on before. The room was small, but opulently decorated with soft furnishings, all hued in soft, pastel shades of pink, green and red and lavishly embroidered with jet black rills, flowers and hearts. Every conceivable surface was either draped with lacy fabric, or carpeted in a soft, white, fluffy material that felt like standing atop a tranquil cloud. A grand four-poster bed sat off to one side of the room, covered in yet more cushions and blankets, and at the far end, large glass doors led out to a wide balcony, from which you had a spectacular view of the castle's dark fountain, so close you could practically bask in the awesome energies it radiated, admire the dark aurora of colour that washed over its rippling surface…
…it might even have been close enough to seal.
'So, we finally get to see YOUR room, huh?' said Susie, picking up a plush cushion and throwing it absently into the air, seeing how much of a spin she could get on it.
'Erm, yes,' the prince replied, starting to blush again. 'These are my… personal quarters. I come here to, um, relax and get away from it all. Oh, and I… sleep here too, usually!'
The dragon girl looked askance at Ralsei. '…s'that supposed to mean, "usually"?'
'Oh, um… nothing!' he replied, a little too quickly.
'Heh, now I'm imaginin' you all curled up like a cat,' she went on, 'just sleeping in random locations and stuff.'
'I… I don't do that!' he stuttered, stamping his foot. '…though that could be rather… fun, actually…'
'Hah! Hey Kris, check out the weirdo who sleeps like a cat!'
The human didn't reply – their gaze was still absorbed by the fountain outside. Even after seeing so many, even after sealing them by their own hand, they couldn't help but be awed at its majesty. Standing in the shadows of these monolithic pillars always made Kris feel so… small. So insignificant, in the grander scheme of things. It couldn't even be said to be their own power that was responsible for undoing them, and the damage they wrought upon the delicate fabric of balance. No… that would fall to their… companion.
…their chest hurt to think of it. But as much as they wanted to, they couldn't tear their eyes off of the fountain in front of them…
There was the gentle sound of a curtain being drawn, and the vista disappeared from view behind swishing fabric. Ralsei smiled at them apologetically.
'…perhaps you'd, um, like to see what I made for you earlier today…' he ventured.
Kris blinked, returning to the present moment.
'You made something?' they said. 'Like, a gift...?'
'Bet it's cake,' said Susie. 'It's ALWAYS cake.'
'I can neither confirm nor deny that, Susie,' said the goat boy, seeming inordinately pleased with himself. 'Now, close your eyes, please – I'll just be a moment, okay?'
She and Kris looked at each other. It had to be cake. What else could it be? But, well, they might as well play along. They shut their eyes, trying not to think of tomorrow, trying not to think of yesterday…
'Hey Ralsei, you better not try any funny stuff!' Susie growled from somewhere next to them, and Kris laughed. Good old Susie. You could always trust her to keep you grounded in the here and now. Her quick thinking and disregard for authority had saved them all more times than they could count. Without her, their journey would have been doomed from the very start.
…well, maybe minus all the betrayal and snark at the beginning. But she'd gotten over that rather quickly. Remarkably quickly, now that they thought of it. She hadn't once disobeyed them after that point, not when it had counted, anyhow. They knew she had their back, and they trusted her absolutely. A true friend until the very end.
…yeah. Friends. That was right. What else could you call what they were, after all?
…but then, why… didn't that feel entirely… appropriate?
And… if this is what Kris was thinking, right now… wasn't there a chance that she, too…?
'Okay, you can open them now!'
'Finally, jeez!' said Susie somewhere next to them. 'Took you long enough, Toothpaste Boy! Now where's… that cake…?'
Hearing the puzzlement in her voice, Kris opened their eyes, too. What greeted them wasn't cake. In each of Ralsei's outstretched paws was gripped a plush, velvety cushion. There was nothing too remarkable about them, though they were very comfortable-looking. But then, they noticed that the one closest to them was coloured the exact same shade of blue as their skin, and the fur trimming was identically toned to their hair, too. Embroidered on the front of this Kris-coloured cushion was an image of their shield, an image that so faithfully copied the original that, if they weren't looking at it properly, they might actually try using it in battle to defend themself.
Then, they looked at Susie's cushion, and sure enough, this one was colour-matched to her scales, and the entire back was wild and shaggy, just like her unkempt mane. Hers had flames emblazoned boldly upon the front, and spikes studded all along the edges. Kris presumed those, too, were stuffed… though they wouldn't put it past Ralsei to actually attach real spikes, or Susie to actually use it if he had.
'D-do you like them…?' said Ralsei, hiding the bottom half of his face behind his scarf. 'I made them especially this morning. To… to commemorate our friendship, and how far we've all come together!'
Neither of them said anything. They were too busy trying to take it all in.
'I made cushions designed after me, too!' he added, not in the least perturbed by their silence. 'We've all got one of each – it's, um, like a collector's set! So… so that even when we're apart, we'll… we'll always have these little plush versions of each other that we can hug!'
He beamed at the two of them, imploring them to take their cushion. Kris did so, admiring the velvety texture of the fabric, the soft springiness when they squeezed it between their fingers, the fine, fluffy hairs that tickled when they brushed up against them. It was a work of art, made with such exquisite care. No way he made this in a morning. No way he made NINE of them in a morning.
Yet they could picture Ralsei sat upon his bed with needles in hand, working meticulously upon each one with a practiced care and skill, exhibiting a mastery that belied his youthful years. They had seen his hands at work a few times, when incanting or casting spells, or throwing together a prop or costume for a group ACT. The almost mesmerising way his supple fingers moved, so quickly and so precisely that they almost became white blurs in front of him. And yet he never put a single stitch wrong, not once.
And how soft they were, when he laid them upon you, tended to your injuries, offered you a comforting touch or gesture. And how heartfelt and full of warmth his smile was. Everything is going to be okay, that smile said. Everything is exactly as it should be. If smiles could change the world, Ralsei's would make it a heaven on earth.
…how strange, that they'd start thinking of that now.
A small snort from Susie brought them back to the present. Kris looked over at her – she was also admiring the prince's handiwork. Even though she was doing her best to hide it, they could tell she was impressed by it too.
'You, uh, made this?' she asked.
'Of course! Like I said, we've all got one of each of us, so…'
'Heh. Yeah,' she replied, smiling that furtive little smile that suggested she was deeply moved by something. 'It's… good. Bit, uh, weird though.'
Ralsei's eyes widened slightly, knocked off-balance by her words. 'W-weird…? How do you mean…?'
She looked up at him, her smile widening into a grin. 'Well, I mean I prolly shouldn't be surprised – you do weird stuff like this all the time. But…'
'Hey, I'm… I'm not weird!' he huffed.
'I didn't mean YOU were, Toothpaste— uhh, Ralsei,' she went on. 'I MEANT, it… well, figures you'd spend the day before everything goes to hell fricking crocheting!'
'That's not weird, i-is it?' he said. Then added, 'And, um, I was actually just… knitting and stitching. Well done for pronouncing it correctly though!'
'Yeah, don't condescend to me, dude,' she shot back, but she was still grinning. 'This is good work, idiot. Thanks.'
'Umm… you're welcome…?'
Kris chuckled to themself. Looking at Ralsei now, as easy to fluster as always, it was difficult to reconcile him with the confident, authoritative figure back in the throne room, whose voice boomed powerfully, commanding attention and respect of the varied and often-unruly darkners gathered there. The fluffy boy had come a long way since the beginning of their adventures together, that was for sure. Yet, somehow, despite all the crushing responsibility he shouldered, despite the nigh-impossible odds he faced day after day, he always remained true to himself. There was something to admire in that, too.
Especially now, at the cusp of everything…
The laughter died in their throat. Ralsei glanced downwards at his feet, and even Susie couldn't keep up her snarky grin. A strange, amorphous anxiety hung in the air between them, as the thing they'd been putting off and putting off suddenly and gracelessly asserted itself.
'…well,' said the prince, his voice so very quiet and sad. 'I'm very… glad that you… but I… suppose we should… um, I guess we ought to… retire for the night. Busy day tomorrow.'
He tried to smile up at them, to reassure them that everything was going to turn out alright. But they could see the wobble of his lips, the tears pooling at the bottom of his limpid eyes.
'Yeah, uh, no.'
Both Kris and Ralsei turned to look at Susie.
'Susie,' he said, his voice strained. 'D-don't make me o-order you…'
'That wouldn't work and you know it,' she said. 'Like you're gonna get rid of us that easily! I mean, C'MON! We should be partying or somethin', not moping around in the dark like sadsacks!'
'Susie…'
'I'm not going either,' said Kris, finding courage in her words, planting their feet firmly into the carpet. 'This is too big for… just another goodnight.'
'K-Kris, not you too…'
'Is that what you want, huh?' said the dragoness. 'To be all sad and lonely up in your beautiful prison? 'Cause normally, I'd be thrilled to let you get on with whatever prince stuff it is you do. But not this time.'
Ralsei pursed his lips into a thin white line, turning his head away from them.
'Wh… what I want doesn't—'
'THE HELL IT DON'T MATTER!'
She reached out and grabbed the prince by his shoulders, forcing him to look at her as she shook him.
'S-S-Susieee—?!'
'Times like this, it's ALL that matters! Otherwise, what's even the point, huh?'
'Okay, okay! You c-can st-stooop noooww!'
She let go of him, and he staggered backwards, disoriented by all the shaking. He spent the next few moments righting himself, straightening out the creases in his robe and tamping down his fur, which had fluffed up from all the excitement.
'Kris is right,' Susie went on. 'This ain't like the other times. This is… well, IT. The big showdown. Our last chance to stop the Roaring and the Knight for good. And no-one knows what's gonna happen afterwards – hell, I don't even know if we'll make it through! So don't you think, for once in your life, you should… well, live?'
Ralsei looked over at her. Then, a change seemed to come over him. A slight hardening of the eyes, a setting of the mouth, a slightly more assured stance. His scarf dabbed away his tears of its own volition.
'…yeah, you're right, Susie. Of course you are. Thank you.'
'No problem, dude.'
He smiled at her. 'Because this is the last… the last time we'll go forth together. Perhaps it's the last time… we'll ever see each other again. I don't know. So, I'm going to say what I have to say. And I won't be afraid anymore.'
'You're shaking, Ralsei,' Kris said.
The prince looked down at his hands – indeed, they were trembling rather violently. He gave them a weak smile.
'…well, maybe I am afraid, just a little bit,' he said. 'But not… because of tomorrow. Rather, I'm afraid that… I might say the wrong thing. That I might… do irreparable damage to what… what we have here, now.'
'Well, unless you're about to tell us YOU'VE been the Knight this entire time, I don't think you can accomplish that!' said Susie.
He laughed at this, and some of his anxiety seemed to die down a bit. 'N-no, but… I will be brave, and whatever comes of this… I know that, at least, I will have been true to myself.'
'Go on,' said Kris, smiling back at Ralsei. 'Take your time. We've got all night.'
He smiled again, locking eyes with the human. Something passed between them in that moment, something so strong, so visceral, that you could reach out and grasp it. They shuddered – where was this coming from?
'Kris,' he said, taking a step towards them, holding their gaze. 'I… I know we haven't known each other all that long. And I know that we've, um… had our misunderstandings. B-but, um… from the moment I saw you, I… I knew you were special. You always knew just what to say and do. You never faltered from your purpose. You were – ARE – a true hero. A brilliant leader. A great friend.
'And I know that… wasn't always you-you,' he went on. 'And I know I… played along with that other you. And I'm, um, sorry for the distress that I helped cause...'
'Ralsei, I already forgave you for—'
'But I hadn't forgiven myself,' he said. 'And I… this is really, really selfish of me… and I don't want to reopen old wounds, I r-really don't…'
Kris reached out with both hands, taking the prince's paws and giving them a gentle squeeze. 'Say what you have to say. The past is in the past – let it stay there. Just… focus on the now, alright? Whatever happened before… it doesn't matter. We're still friends at the end of it all… aren't we?'
Ralsei looked away, his face luminescent against the dark. 'I… I don't… I don't know.'
Kris's heart skipped a beat. They already knew that he idolised them – practically worshipped the ground they walked on, in fact. And they also knew that the fluffy prince was carrying a very bright torch for them. It had been… amusing, at first. But that had quickly given way to irritation, and then horror, as the presence inside them began to reciprocate his infatuation against their wishes…
…of course, that was all in the past. Things had come to a head between the two personalities, but now… well, there was an accord, of sorts. If not necessarily an understanding…
And freed from that burden, Kris was free to enjoy their time with Ralsei, on their own terms. And something had taken root there, between them, and now it seemed to be flowering before their very eyes…
'I-I mean, that's definitely what it feels like, at times…' said the prince, breathless. 'B-b-but sometimes, when I'm with you… that word… "friend". It doesn't… seem to be entirely… adequate. It… doesn't properly capture… just what you mean to me. Sometimes.'
'A-are you… saying what I think you're—'
'Kris, I love you.'
And before anyone could say or do anything, Ralsei leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Kris tightly. And with barely the weight of a butterfly's wing, he brought his lips to their cheek. The kiss was brief, but warm against their skin. His fur was tickly, but oh-so-soft, luxuriously fluffy. Hand on his flushed cheek, fingers combing through snow-white hair. Looking into his large, clear eyes, sparkling with something between surprise and joy. That had been… nice. Nicer than they had expected it to be.
And then, Ralsei kissed them again.
And again.
And a fourth time.
And then they lost count.
A little, shuddering sigh escaped them with each new electrifying contact, each hungry touch of his lips, each sweet little sigh and whisper he uttered, each heavy breath across their neck…
…oh, this was… this was…
No, it was too much… so much their heart might burst… Who would ever have guessed the sweet, virginal Ralsei could be so… insistent? Hands dug into their back, pulling them closer, yet closer… if this carried on for much longer…
And then… it was over.
The prince drew away, achingly slowly hands clasped together in front of him, quivering with barely-suppressed emotion. His eyes were downcast, as if he were deeply ashamed to even acknowledge what he had just done.
'…oh,' Kris said, softly.
'O… oh, I'm s-sorry,' Ralsei said, stumbling over his words, short of breath. 'I, um, d-don't really know what… came over me there… A-anyway, it's, um… okay if you don't… I just… well, I didn't… I just wanted you to know… that. O-okay…?'
'No… don't apologise,' they replied. 'Please.'
He looked up. 'K-K-Kris…?'
Perhaps they should have smiled at him, tried to reassure him that way. But the expression wouldn't form on their face. The whirlwind of emotion within was too strong for that. Instead, they reached out again, threading their fingers through his, kneading the back of his hands.
'…I… often wondered the same thing,' they said. 'And now… now I know… because, how else could it have been? The things we've gone through… how could it be any other way…?'
'Okay, that's my limit!'
Susie was halfway through turning away from them when they looked over to her. Her expression was cryptic – she seemed annoyed, embarrassed, but there also seemed to be some other emotion at play across her features. What exactly it was, however, couldn't be determined.
'S-S-Susie, wait a second…!' said Ralsei, breaking free from Kris's grip to go to her.
'…you okay, Susie?' asked Kris, not far behind the prince.
She snorted. '…happy for you two. I am. But if you think I'm sticking around to watch you make kiss-faces at each other all evening…'
'No, Susie, you don't—'
'…yeah, sorry. Ain't gonna happen. World could end right now, and… yeah. You get the picture.' She stuck her tongue out, making a face like she was about to vomit. 'So yeah. See you two tomorrow, I guess.'
But before she could take a single step, something gently restrained her by the arm. She looked down to see Ralsei's scarf had wrapped itself around her hand.
'Dammit, I said—'
'Susie, I'm sorry,' said the prince. 'I… should have… I haven't really… Oh, I went about this all wrong…'
She snorted again, but it was accompanied by a small smile. 'Don't worry about it. Heart wants… what it wants. Right…?'
'Well, yes… but it's not quite so…' he paused to compose himself as best he could. 'Susie… I want to, before you go… I want to say something to you, too…'
The dragon girl said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. Then, she gave a great sigh, and turned slightly towards him.
'…okay. Let's hear your spiel then.'
'Th-thank you,' he smiled, recalling his scarf to him. 'Susie, you have been… a true friend throughout all of this. I know we didn't always see eye-to-eye… in the beginning.'
'Damn straight,' she grumbled.
'But I… I never, um, doubted the goodness in your heart. And you were always looking after me and Kris, making sure we were okay. And you… taught me so much about the world… and, um, about yourself, too. About how beautiful your soul really is…'
'Arright bud, what's the endgame here, huh?' she said. 'If you hadn't already confessed to Kris, I'd almost think you were gonna… oh.'
Her expression froze in place as she grasped at the truth of what was happening. 'Ohhh. OHHHHHH.'
'…g-good guess, Susie…' said Ralsei, giving her a dopey smile. 'You're… exactly right. B-because I love you, too.'
The dragoness didn't respond, but just stared blankly at the fluffy prince in a sort of catatonia.
'…o-oh dear,' he murmured. 'K-Kris, I think I might have, um, broken Susie…'
He looked over at the human, but they were equally unresponsive, mouth agape, frozen in place like an ice sculpture.
'…oh. N-never mind then, I suppose… S-since I gave Kris one earlier, I s-suppose it's only, um… fair that you… have a k-kiss from me too, Susie…'
He stepped towards her, and she returned to consciousness at once, leaping away from him as if avoiding a killing blow.
'OHNOYOUDON'T!' she bellowed. 'Nonono! We are NOT doing that, okay?!'
The prince cocked his head to the side, giving her a sad look. 'N-not even a little one…?'
'NO, dude! You can't just go around sayin' that crap to everyone! That ain't how it works!'
'…b-b-but I didn't… I only said it to you two…'
'That isn't… LOOK! This is serious, okay?! You can't… love two people at the same time! S'not how it's done!'
Now Ralsei seemed confused. 'But… why not, Susie? Why can't I love both you and Kris?'
She gave him a disbelieving look. 'Because… because… you just CAN'T, okay?! I don't make the rules!'
'Oh. Well, technically, I'm the prince, so I guess I make the rules. And I say it's absolutely fine, so, um…'
'Yeah, and what does Kris say?'
This stopped the goat boy in his tracks, and his eyes took on a worried look. 'Err… what do you mean…?'
'Well, have you asked them?' she said. 'D'ya think that they might NOT be down with the person who LITERALLY just told them he loved them, immediately turning around and saying the exact same thing to someone else?!'
'S-Susie, I don't…'
'Arright, then how about this? Wouldn't it hurt you, if they were the ones doing this, and you were watching them?'
Ralsei looked back over at Kris. 'I… err… oh… oh, I… knew this was a mistake… I knew I should have stayed quiet…!'
'It's okay,' said Kris, stepping forward.
'Is it, really?' she said.'
THe human just nodded. 'Thanks, Susie, for thinking of my feelings. But it's alright. Because I… feel exactly the same way Ralsei does.'
Both monster's and prince's jaws dropped at exactly the same time.
'You DO?!' said Susie.
'Y-you do…?' said Ralsei.
'I've been struggling with this for a while now,' said the human. 'I… thought there was something wrong with me. How could I possibly… you're both such good friends, you've both been there for me when I couldn't go on. Without either of you, I would have… given up long, long ago.
'B-but… what Ralsei said struck a chord with me. Because we're friends, but… there's more to it than that, isn't there? And I couldn't put a name to it. This feeling. Of being allies, comrades, friends, perhaps even family… and yet somehow, more than just those things. Because you are more than that, to me. You two are the most important people in my life, and I cannot do without either of you, not even for a second.'
Kris smiled then, and with each hand, they took hold of Susie and Ralsei. Both their wonderful, perfect friends… no, not friends. Not anymore. Something else.
'Guess what I'm trying to say is… well, I love you. Both of you.'
The prince welled up again. 'Oh, Kris… that was so beautiful I could kiss you again!'
'Ah, don't ENCOURAGE the little weirdo!' Susie grimaced, yanking her hand free from Kris's grip. 'God damn it, now there's TWO of you running around…'
Kris laughed, hand touching their cheek again. 'Maybe later, Ralsei. I think Susie would like one, however…'
'Uhh, did you NOT hear me just now or somethin'?! What part of N-O NO don't you understand?!'
The human's expression turned fiendish, and they leaned in to whisper to the prince, never once taking their eyes off the increasingly-flustered dragoness.
'You take her left side,' they said, 'and I'll get her right side.'
Ralsei giggled.
'What're you two love-freaks whispering about over there?!' she growled. 'Whatever you're planning, knock it off!'
Neither of them said anything, but began to walk around her in opposite directions, sly grins plastered on their faces.
'I… I mean it! If you don't stay back, I'll…!'
She fell into a combat stance, brandishing her… pillow, waving it in the air between them as threateningly as she could manage. Which, considering the plush nature of her weapon, and the almost-plum colour her face had gone, wasn't really all that threatening.
Neither of them stopped, and soon they had Susie directly in between them. And then, they advanced.
'I warned you!' she growled, swinging at Kris. The human's hands moved like lightning, and her blow glanced off their shield… or rather, the image of a shield stitched onto a blue cushion. Behind their fluffy bulwark, they smiled at Susie.
And despite herself, she grinned back at them. 'Ohh, think you're being clever, do ya? Well then, howd'ya like THIS?!'
She moved forward, swinging in a near-blind frenzy at Kris, who managed to ward off her strikes. But, wow! Even when she was only attacking with soft furnishings, there was some real force behind those movements. Defending was only going to get them so far, and as lovely as Ralsei was, they didn't expect him to be much help here…
They met the dragoness's next attack head on, thrusting their cushion forward and almost knocking her weapon out of her grip. Staggered, she was unable to cover herself in time, allowing the human to press their advantage. Susie might have had power, but Kris's forte was speed, and in the time it took for her to recover, they had landed several good hits on her, forcing her back, back towards where fluffy boy should be waiting for them…
'K-knock it off!' she spluttered, her words and her growing laughter interrupted and drowned out by the soft whumps to her face. She swung for them again, catching them in the middle of their own attack with a clean, powerful strike in their side which almost sent them sprawling. But Kris was laughing too, and quickly resumed their assault, all strategy and nuance thrown to the wind as they set upon each other, gasping and laughing as they slowly became more entangled in each other…
Then, another blow came from absolutely nowhere, knocking both Kris and Susie over. Both turned to look for their new assailant, but it was only Ralsei there. Ralsei, with one pillow in each hand, a third being carried by his scarf, and a devilish smile playing across his face.
Human and monster looked at each other. Nothing needed to be said. No way they were gonna let this fuzzball steal the glory from them…! And almost as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, they both scrambled to their feet and charged towards the startled prince, knocking into him at the same time.
And everything descended into utter pandemonium. Cushions flew every which way, arms and legs flailed, becoming tangled up in each other, and cries of surprise and delight rose up amongst the din. And somehow, though no-one was quite sure how it happened, both Kris and Ralsei had Susie pinned to the floor, and the two of them looked at each other.
'Now?' the prince asked.
'Now,' said Kris, with a smile.
'Get off me!' said Susie, struggling to free herself from underneath them. 'The hell do you mean, now—?'
She found out pretty quickly, as they both descended towards her, each planting a great, wet kiss on both of her cheeks.
'Aaargh! Damn WEIRDOS!' she bellowed. 'I said, GET OFF ME!'
They did so almost immediately, and the dragon girl scrambled away from them, as if they had just tried to bite her. The two of them fell about laughing, pleased that their little scheme had come off so well. But they choked it back when they saw the look on Susie's face, the way she hunched in on herself, with arms around her knees, and the tears pooling in her wide golden eyes. She looked down at once, too ashamed to hold their gaze.
'Oh, Susie…' said Ralsei. 'Susie, we're sorry…'
'I TOLD you,' she choked, looking away from them. 'I told you to… stay away…'
The prince looked over at Kris. Their mouth was set in a thin frown.
'…Susie,' they said. 'We… didn't mean to upset you…'
'…yeah, well… maybe you shoulda listened to me…'
They crept towards her, ever-so-slowly. 'We were… just… we wanted to… show you how we felt. About you.'
She said nothing, didn't look up.
'I'm sorry if that was… not what you wanted,' they went on, continuing to approach her. 'It's just… well, like Ralsei said. It sometimes feels like we've known each other forever, and… it gets really intense sometimes. Don't you find?'
Still no response. But inside her head, the gears started to turn. It was true – sometimes it really WAS like she'd known Kris and Ralsei all her life. Like everything she'd ever done was all in preparation for their eventual meeting that fateful day it all kicked off. And she liked them both, definitely. She could be herself around them, in a way that she just couldn't at school, or at home, or even hanging with other friends like Noelle. There was no judgment, no attempt to make her something she wasn't. It was… easy. It was fun.
It… meant something.
What would it have been like, if she had never met them? If she'd just kept bullying Kris until they left school, and… then what? If she'd skipped school that day, never gone to get chalk, never stumbled into the dark world… would she still be the bitter, resentful bully she'd made herself out to be? Would she have been… happy with that?
Two great pangs of agonising sorrow hit her heart in quick succession. No… such thoughts were too bleak, too horrifying to contemplate. Weirdos they might be, but… dammit, these two had… they'd changed her. So slowly that she hadn't even noticed it happening. The way she'd leap in the path of danger to protect them… or step up when someone badmouthed either of them in front of her… even just sharing in the simple pleasure of eating dark candies together. These moments became charged with a new, frightful significance when confronted with the fact that, at Fate's merest whim, they might never have…
…and now, after tomorrow, they might never again…
She gave a huge sigh, seeming to shrink into herself. '…Kris, Ralsei, I'm sorry. I'm… really not very good at this mushy crap. It's… really not me. It just… it scared me, seeing you two… and then you went and said that thing, and it just…'
'I meant it,' said Kris. 'You are irreplaceable. Both of you are.'
'I meant it as well, Susie,' said Ralsei next to them.
She looked up. 'Yeah, but… why? Why me, huh?'
The human frowned. 'What… do you mean?'
Susie snorted, trying to disguise her sobbing. '…let's face it, I'm… a horrible person. I'm rude, sarcastic, quick to anger… I see idiots and I just wanna thump them. I'm nothin' like you or kindboy over there. You weirdos are… the best. I don't have to try and pretend. I don't have to try and impress you guys… for you to like me. You just… do.'
'O-of course we do!' the prince beamed. 'We lo- err, like you just for who you are.'
She shook her head. 'But if… if someone else had gone with you, that day, Kris… someone like Noelle, or MK… hell, even freaking BERDLY wouldnta given you as much trouble as I did. You… both of you… deserved better than that. Deserve better than that.'
'But Susie,' said Kris gently, now close enough to lift her chin with their free hand, close enough to look straight into her tear-filled eyes. 'None of them came with me. You did. And you stepped up. You saved us more times than I can count. You carved out a path when everything looked hopeless. You never gave up. And there's no-one I'd rather have by my side in a fight than you.'
'B… but…'
Kris leaned forward, silencing her with a gentle kiss. Susie's eyes widened, and everything in her screamed to pull away, pull away NOW before…
…and then, everything screamed at her to move in, grab hold of this frightful, magical moment and never, ever, EVER let go…
Aaarrgh, what the hell was she supposed to do here?! This had never… she had never… well, that wasn't QUITE true. She wouldn't pretend she hadn't thought about it, once or twice, in her more wistful moments away from them… but this was nothing like how she'd imagined it would be.
It was… so, so much better than that.
She became aware of another presence to her side, and another pair of lips press themselves against her scaled cheek, and oh my God what was even happening anymore. Head swimming, heart crashing against her ribs, Susie lost herself utterly in the moment, powerless to fight against the storm of kisses raining down upon her flushed face, drowning in a roiling ocean of tempestuous, warring emotions, one moment pulling her away and the very next driving her forward, deeper into the maelstrom…
And then, she knew it. It was the most obvious, most wonderful thing in all the world. She loved them. She'd… always loved them. How had she not been aware of that, for all this time?! How had she missed something so monumental, so beautiful, just sitting inside her heart for all that time, the guiding force behind everything she did…?
It didn't matter now. She reached out, wrapping an arm around both Kris and Ralsei's frail forms and pulling them close, luxuriating in the warmth and weight of their bodies pressing against hers, thrilling in the sensation of their heartbeats thrumming through her, harmonising into something far, far greater than the sum of its parts, a glorious, divine unity of hearts and minds.
'What…' she said, her voice barely a whisper. 'What have you two done to me…?'
'I could ask the same question,' said Kris wryly.
'N-not to put too fine a point on it,' observed Ralsei, 'b-but I think we… might have all done this to each other.'
'Don't ever remember telling you to kiss me like a hundred times or nothin'…'
The prince shrugged, and she felt every fibre of his being shift against her, his fluffy fur caressing her scales. Each small touch was electric.
'Seemed like the right thing to do,' he mused.
'Yeah well. Maybe WARN me before you do stuff like that, huh?'
He beamed at her, stealing another kiss. 'Can't promise that, I'm afraid!'
Over to her other side, Kris laughed. 'Hey, when'd you get so bold, huh?'
Ralsei squirmed over towards them, planting another kiss on their cheek. 'Must have picked it up from somewhere, I guess.'
'Hey would you idiots shut up a second?' Susie rumbled. 'I'm havin' a moment here, ok?'
The bass of her voice reverberated through both human and prince alike, and they shivered, huddling closer to each other, as close as they could possibly be.
'I, um, think we all are…' he purred back.
And there they stayed, for what could have been seconds or an eternity, just three souls clinging desperately to each other in quiet, blissful reverie, radiating a boundless, pure love, a love that shone brilliantly like a flawless diamond, a love that demanded nothing of its thralls except itself, reflecting and amplifying between them, taking root and blossoming into the most exquisite thing any of them had ever experienced.
This moment would be etched into each of their immortal souls forevermore. This was the locus around which everything else must revolve. Past… future… such things became meaningless abstractions, utterly laughable in the face of this one infinite, eternal truth.
'So, hey,' said Susie, after time had passed.
Both Kris and Ralsei looked up at her.
'About tomorrow, and stuff…'
'We're going to win,' said Kris, with such certainty that you could almost say they had already seen it happen. And perhaps they had.
'I mean, yeah, kinda a given. Nothing can stand in our way, after all!'
She chuckled, and the other two chuckled with her. 'No, I was gonna ask… if we— sorry, WHEN we come back… how the HELL are we gonna sort all this out?'
Kris hummed thoughtfully. 'I hadn't actually considered that.'
'I could, um, draw up a timetable, perhaps…?' said Ralsei helpfully. 'You two will get to see each other more often, being from the light world, so perhaps we could alternate days, or…'
The dragoness blew hair out of her eyes. 'Nah, sounds too much like faff to me. How about we just… I dunno… come live with you here, or something?'
The prince's eyes widened, his mouth an open "O" of shock. 'Y-you mean… forever…?'
'I dunno. Could be cool, right Kris? Cake for breakfast, cake for lunch, cake for midnight snacks… I could think of worse things!'
The human just laughed. '…tempting as that is, I think our parents and everyone else might not approve. Perhaps we could just… sort all that nonsense out later? You know, after we win, and everything.'
Susie shrugged. '…yeah. Guess you're right. Let's just enjoy our time together now, huh? This… whatever this is.'
'Don't think it matters what it is,' said the human quietly, resting their head against her shoulder. 'Just that it's… good.'
'I think we can all agree on that, at least!' Ralsei replied, nestling into her other shoulder. 'Love you, Kris. Love you, Susie.'
Kris reached over to stroke the prince's face, fingers moving through silken fur. 'Love you too.'
Susie rolled her eyes. 'Guys, can we just… ah, what the hell, I'm never gonna win this one, am I?'
'Nope!' they both called out in unison.
'Fine. If you're gonna MAKE me say it… I love you guys too. Arright, happy now?!'
Neither of them responded with words, but just gave her one last kiss on each of her cheeks, then laughed over her feeble protestations.
Tomorrow, and the destiny it promised, rushed ceaselessly forward to meet them. But that didn't matter anymore. Because, at the cusp of the end of the world, they had found each other. And sometimes, that was all you needed.
Author's (other) note:
Whew! Never doing that again, so you better have enjoyed it!
I sorta leaned quite hard into the more romantic end of things here, but really this is a story about three people experiencing Agape, the purest form of unconditional love, for each other, which doesn't necessarily have to be romantic, but there can be some overlap between them. I'll leave it to less scrupulous minds than mine to determine what becomes of this strange-yet-heartwarming union of souls :P
Now for the IRL sappy stuff – this story is dedicated first and foremost to my wonderful partner, who I intend to spoil rotten this evening… (well, that WAS the plan, but then we both fell ill today… what timing, huh?) Ten years and counting, married nearly four of those, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Sometimes I still struggle to believe anyone'd want to spend that long putting up with my sorry carcass, but if that doesn't scream "true love" to you, whatever does? :P
Next in the running is our very own Kastek, who has been a constant wellspring of appreciation and support during my time writing here. Between driving them into paroxysms of incoherent rage at my rather flamboyant lexicon (I'm not sorry), and just chatting with them about the finer points of writing at ungodly hours of the day, which is something I don't really get to do very much of, they're a true friend and an all-around great person, and my life is infinitely richer for having met them. Appreciate you bud! :)
(also check out their work, it's really good!)
More love to my IRL friends and family, who sadly I don't get to see all that often due to living some distance from them. But they are always in my thoughts, and I can't wait to see them all again!
And finally, to everyone who has ever read anything of mine here, anyone who's liked, kudos'd, commented, followed, bookmarked or just generally glanced at my work – thank you all so much! Every one of you has made this process an absolute joy, and long may it continue!
So all that's left for me to say is this: wherever you are, whoever you're with, or wish to be with, or whatever, be it friends, family, lovers, what-have-you. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's day. And if it's not going so well for you, well… I hope this strange, heartwarming little story has helped you in some way, even if just for a few moments.
Thank you very much for reading! :)
…
…man, gonna have to be a real cynic for like five years to balance the scales out on this one...
