Chapter 13
Funeral
The five friends stood in front of the mech suit and watched the black dust drift peacefully on the air, the crushing atmosphere of sadness still present. It was strangely bizarre, but it felt right to hold a funeral for the boss they had just defeated. All those Relics and Gerson clones had wanted to die. The heroes thought it was best to give them some peace by gathering up all the remaining junk and possessions left behind by the historians and scientists, piling it high, and setting it ablaze. The legacy of Professor Scraps n' Snips, the plastic incarnation of the old Gerson Boom, now belonged to the ages. With the wind and ashes went a certain weight that rested on the heroes' shoulders.
This Dark World was full of history and its own unique beings and bosses. Kris understood that delving deeper would likely give them more knowledge on The Dude, and that knowledge could be useful in defeating him, but they still had a job to do. They needed to save all their friends and return to Light World. That meant getting rid of the curse hanging over them and moving on to save Jockington.
Monster Kid and Snowy were now free and they still had the massive robot. That would be invaluable in defeating The Dude. Their adventures against Queen had taught the Fun Gang the advantages and benefits of having and knowing how to operate a great battle suit.
Monster Kid sniffed. "You know, I still don't get this place. I thought we were largely done with Dark Worlds and Fountains and stuff like that, and at first I was really scared and confused. But these guys did a lot to help explain things to me and made me feel welcome. I want to go home, but it feels wrong to go out this way…"
"I don't have anything uplifting to say," Snowy admitted. "We got to know these guys. Even the Relics grew on ya after a while. I'm sad that we had to fight and destroy them."
Susie cleared her throat and said, "I learned… I learned a long time ago that sometimes you can't you escape a fight. When I first got to the Dark World I was excited to beat up as many guys as got in my way, but now I realize how important it is to try and make friends first. Violence, while sometimes awesome, should be the last resort.
"Sooo… I guess what I'm trying to say is that I get you guys."
"It shows that you're all growing," Ralsei said solemnly. "You're all still young and have many more days of summer ahead of you, but you are also becoming wise. Moments like these are sad and confusing, but they help make you into a better person. You are all so strong for how you're handling this. It may be the wrong time to say it, but I am very proud of all of you."
"Thanks, Ralsei," Susie said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Kris stared into the pyre. What could they say? Was there anything else to say?
Kris raised their sword in salute to the memory of Gerson and all those who were part of The Dude's history and legacy. Kris might have done a number of things wrong in their past, but they had worked hard to make friends and move on from the past, to learn from it. The Dude had buried everything and had created this Dark World in another brazen attempt to upset the balance between worlds. This was the price of those actions and the refusal to learn from those mistakes. Kris swore that they would do everything in their power to make things right.
Sharing this with the others, their friends also lifted their weapons and tokens in salute to Gerson's memory.
They stayed until the pyre burned down to coals before talking things over and making their next plans.
"It sucks to split the party again," Susie later said as they met around the feet of the great battle robot. "But you two will help Noelle and the others out a lot! Temmie is probably going up the wall nuts right now, unless they have already saved her. But given how Berdly has already botched one rescue operation…"
"Hahaha! That blue bird couldn't sing his way out of a cage!" Snowy said. "However, having Noelle around will definitely be helpful. She's a smart, tough cookie."
"And with this robot, we could destroy The Dude's castle!" Monster Kid added.
"Just don't squash Temmie," Ralsei warned.
"After that battle, I think I'm getting the hang of using this thing," Monster Kid assured them all. "Don't worry, I won't make the same mistakes like I did back there."
"You can also get yourself into a few scrapes along the way and build up TP," Susie suggested. "That way this baby will pack a real punch!" She emphasized her statement by punching the robot.
Kris pointed down the road and implored their friends to stick to the road. It would be easy to get lost and the Fun Gang needed to hold onto the map so they could find Jockington and save him.
"Don't forget about breaking your curse either," Snowy pointed out. "That's going to give us all a headache if we need to fight The Dude together!"
"Oh, I'd love to give that pretty boy a piece of my mind and axe!" Susie snarled. "Especially after all of this! That guy has a lot to answer for!"
"You going to be alright, Kris?" Monster Kid asked. "We are fighting against another human. I can't imagine this is easy on you…"
Kris appreciated his question. They had all come a long way as friends. There was once a time when Monster Kid was shallowly close to them, but there was always that difference in species. The monsters of Hometown had normally treated them like a peculiarity to be tolerated or be amused by. Snowy had taken that to mean it was okay to tease and bully Kris. Thankfully, that dynamic had drastically changed thanks to their previous adventures in the Dark World.
Kris smiled and promised Monster Kid that they were doing alright. It was just a lot to take in. They had worked hard in all their previous adventures to avoid killing others, and this had been nothing short of a complete slaughter. It was a lot to process. Ralsei gave Kris a reassuring side hug while Susie took their hand and squeezed it.
Monster Kid nodded sadly. "If you say so, Kris. We're here for ya if you need it!"
"Well, not for long! We've got a rescue to make sure Bedrly doesn't botch," Snowy said.
"Then you better get going," Susie said.
The three friends saw the others off. They waved to the large machines as it got up and meandered towards the coast. Monster Kid made sure to wave back at them as they left.
"I feel like I'm standing in the end credits for a Large Human film," Susie remarked. "We're waving to the brave monsters piloting the large gunman suit after they've saved us from a 70-foot-tall human. With green eyes."
Kris laughed at that.
The sun was setting, casting a deep, purplish glow. They decided it would be best to stay in one of the abandoned castles before taking up the trip again at first light. It would take a while to reach Jockington and they would have to compete in a tournament on top of that! They needed all the rest they could get.
However, Susie still wanted to have a moment with Kris. She nudged them out from under the cape/towel/make-shift blanket. It was amazing what someone could do with one piece of fabric! They wanted to know what was up and Susie motioned to go outside.
The night was ruled by an orange moon, full of marks from extraterrestrial violence. This was a very strange Dark World. It cast its eerie glow across the whole land, turning the sand dunes in a rolling sea of lava. Susie straddled the parapet of the sandcastle they were sleeping in and invited Kris to join her. Hand-in-hand, they looked out over the quiet wasteland.
"This place is creepy," Susie finally muttered.
Kris agreed.
"You holding up, Kris?"
They gave a shaky nod.
"If something's wrong, you can tell me, you know."
Kris responded by leaning into her shoulder. Susie cradled their head a little closer to her chest. They spoke into her bikini top, explaining that they felt strained and shaken. This was supposed to be a fun vacation day. They had sweet plans for what they were going to do with their friends, but especially with Susie. Coming to the Dark World, to this particular dimension, had thrown all of that out the window. It was a little depressing to think that a great day was lost to kidnappings, battles, and slaughter.
But deep down, they were upset from having to kill so many beings that didn't need to die. Kris had done their best to resist the machinations and cruelty of entities like Gaster, to defy invading SOULs, to stand up to the Knight and the prejudices that had infected Hometown. They had won, right? Then why were these adventures happening all over again? It felt like some great, unbeatable specter was looming over them all, corrupting their moments of happiness.
They felt tired. They were sad. Kris wondered if there might not have been another way…
Susie let Kris get everything off their chest. She felt a few teardrops leak onto her own.
Stroking their hair, she said, "I'm sorry, Kris. I don't have any answers to any of that. And usually, I'm the one trying to figure things out and you're the pillar of wisdom and sanity. Or the instigator of our shenanigans," she added with a smirk. Becoming serious again, she continued, "What I do know is that we are doing the right thing by helping out our friends. We're trying to do the right thing and pacify our enemies where we can."
She leaned down and kissed the top of their head. Kris gripped her hand harder. Susie responded by holding them even closer. Skin against scales. Comforting this time, rather than purely sensual like it had been under the mango tree. There were many forms of intimacy, each suitable for a different situation.
"Another thing I can say for certain is this, Kris: I am so happy that if I had to be stuck in another Dark World, that I got to be stuck here with you. I haven't been bored or lost, and there's been a lot to enjoy. Being a hero is awesome, but not without its downs, as you know! But having you here makes everything better.
"And when we get out of here and close The Dude's fountain, there's no one saying that we still can't have a good time together!" She leaned in even closer, whispering into their ear. "I love you, Kris. Don't spoil your plans or suppose for me later."
Kris was silent for a moment before answering, "Thank you, Susie."
They sat together for a little while longer before sleep began overtaking them. The dorks were smart enough to retreat off the wall and not fall off. They fell asleep together, still hand-in-hand.