Kris, naturally, had no reaction to the strange forest. Purple grass and beautiful music surrounded them, but it seemed they couldn't care less.
"Enemies ahead!" Melody read a sign. "You're gonna die! SIGNED, LANCER."
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine," Ralsei said. "After all, you two did great in training! Real enemies will be no problem."
Speak of the devil, Rudinn approached the trio. Kris pointed, hearts coming out of their finger gun. They convinced Rudinn to quit fighting. Somehow, it was utterly swayed, and the battle was over.
"Great work, Kris!" Ralsei complimented. "You're a natural! Keep it up."
Kris got very close to Ralsei, making his cheeks turn pink.
"Ahem," Melody spoke up. "I think I found a sign the others have been here."
She pointed to a sign left by Lancer.
"Ho ho ho, to the blue humans… and the other one," Ralsei read the sign, "your friends are stuck! They're in mortal peril. Not from me, sadly. But they're in mortal peril! SIGNED, LANCER."
"'Mortal peril'?" Melody gasped. "What does he mean by that?!"
"Oh dear," Ralsei fretted. "We had better find them as soon as possible!"
The group kept moving, only to encounter Lancer himself. He was surrounded by a couple of signs.
"Hey, don't read this sign," Ralsei read the sign next to Lancer, "it's a work in progress! SIGNED, LANCER."
"Lancer!" Melody confronted the spade darkner. "What have you done to the others?!"
"Ho ho ho!" Lancer chuckled. "I'll never tell!"
"Please, Lancer!" Ralsei pleaded.
"... well, it's hard to say no when you ask so nicely…" Lancer replied. He grinned. "But I'm the bad guy, so I'll refuse anyway!"
He chuckled once more, before spinning away. However, he came back for a moment.
"By the way," he said, pointing ahead, "if you head that way, my troops will thrash you."
"Is that a threat?" Ralsei asked.
"I prefer to think of it as an invitation," Lancer replied.
He then left again.
"What was all that about?" Melody asked.
Ralsei shrugged. "Maybe we should just focus on finding the others."
The trio continued through the forest. On the way, they encountered some more enemies; spared easily thanks to Kris' skill. Kris had a way with words: saying little, but leaving quite the impact.
Alongside enemies, the trio also encountered a few puzzles.
"Check the clock," Ralsei read the sign, "in order to complete this puzzle, you'll have to hurry."
"Are you ready, Kris?" Melody asked.
Kris began to move, which confirmed their answer. Melody and Ralsei each stepped on a platform. Thanks to their teamwork, the puzzle was completed easily. Ralsei gave his human friends an epic high-five.
"Behold, the Maze of Death!" Melody read the next sign. "Prepare to GET LOST, clowns! SIGNED, LANCER."
She frowned, looking at the supposed 'Maze of Death'. "It doesn't look too confusing to me."
"We'll keep our guards up anyway, right?" Ralsei asked.
The trio kept moving.
"Um, Melody," Ralsei spoke up, "if you don't mind me asking, why did you quit ballet dancing?"
Kris, subtle enough that you wouldn't even notice, perked up to listen to Melody's response.
"I…" Melody looked away, swallowing. "Well, it's… mainly, it was to focus on studying. I want to go to law school, after all."
"Wow," Ralsei gasped. "That's amazing! Best of luck to you."
"Thank you," Melody smiled at him, but her eyes were downcast.
Kris kept walking. They approached a chest, finding a white ribbon.
"That ribbon is ARMOUR, Kris!" Ralsei explained. "It increases DEFENSE. Why don't you try wearing it in the EQUIPMENT menu? I think it'd look great on you!"
"... menu?" Melody asked, confused.
Ralsei swiftly ignored her comment as Kris equipped the white ribbon, which stuck out of their hair like a weed. They changed their mind, wrapping the ribbon around Ralsei's hat instead. His cheeks burned hot pink.
"Oh, Kris," he said, "you shouldn't have!"
Meanwhile, Melody read another sign from the ever-elusive Lancer.
"Hey, wait!" she read. "Where am I? Help! Somebody help! I'm lost! SIGNED, LANCER." She made a face. "I really do not understand him…"
"Oh, it's just this way," Ralsei read another sign. "Seems we're on the right track!"
"That's right, clowns!" Lancer jeered. It appeared he had been waiting for the trio, not far up ahead. "But don't count your blessings before they hatch…!"
"Enough of this," Melody stepped forward. "Tell us where the others are!"
"Too late now!" Lancer cackled. "Let's see how you fare up against these guys!"
A trio of Hathys appeared before the trio. However, since they were SUPPORT enemies, our heroes weren't exactly getting thrashed, much to Lancer's annoyance.
Melody joined Kris and Ralsei in flattering the Hathy trio.
"Erm…" Melody looked awkward. "Nice…. Tentacles….."
Despite her awkwardness, Hathy was flattered anyway. The battle was over.
"You two are doing really well!" Ralsei complimented the humans. "You're definitely the ones fit for the prophecy!"
Melody gave him a grateful smile. Kris held onto the G they had received from winning the battle.
"Hey!" Lancer came up. "Can I have some?"
"You… lost, Lancer," Ralsei told him. "You don't get any."
"Oh." Lancer frowned. "Can I have some of yours?"
"No!" Ralsei snapped.
"Fine!" Lancer huffed. "Later, losers!"
However, Lancer was waiting for them up ahead.
"I don't understand you," Melody told him. "I thought you were running away?"
"I also don't understand me!" Lancer replied.
Melody pressed her hands to her temples. The trio kept walking. Suddenly, Melody gasped.
"Up ahead!" she exclaimed. "It's them!"
Standing ahead of the trio were their friends - Susie, fuming and punching the wall, Cody, slumped over in defeat, and Faye… sleeping?
Near the two was a puzzle, similar to ones Melody, Kris and Ralsei had already completed. Slashes were in the instructions. Footprints were splattered across the earth. The walls had been punched-in.
"Erm…" Ralsei coughed. "Are you guys okay…?"
"'Okay'?" Susie growled. "What do you think, dumbass?!"
Cody mumbled something incoherent.
"That's no way to ask for help," Melody chided.
"You try and move her, then!" Susie snapped, gesturing at Faye. "She's like a stone!"
Kris walked over to Faye, grabbing her on the shoulder. She woke up, staring at them.
"Oh, hi, Kris," she stammered.
Kris stared back down at her.
"Oh, you guys need help with the puzzle?" Ralsei asked. "We'd be happy to help. Right, team?"
Kris was still staring at Faye.
"I suppose so," Melody replied, crossing her arms.
Faye stood up. "Okay."
"Seriously?" Susie asked. "We've been trying to get her to cooperate for ages! How'd you do it?!"
"I'm a neutral party," Faye explained.
Susie just stared at her. She looked like might explode.
"Well, if that's all sorted out," Ralsei spoke up, "perhaps we can solve the puzzle?"
Thanks to the assistance of Ralsei, Melody and Kris, the puzzle was finally completed. The door was free to enter.
"It's much better when we're all together, isn't it?" Ralsei asked.
"There's way too many people," Susie growled.
"I know, right?" Cody asked.
"But together, we can easily solve puzzles!" Ralsei insisted.
"I just walk through 'em," Susie chuckled. She jabbed a thumb into Cody's arm. "This guy can do the healing."
"Look," Cody sighed, pulling his arm away, "can we just get moving already?"
"Oh, yes!" Ralsei clapped. "Melody, Kris, we should teach the others how to ACT!"
He pointed ahead, where C. Round was waiting for the group. It bounced up and down on small legs, wearing a cute expression.
"Aw, look!" Ralsei said. "It seems harmless! If you act nice, we might win without hurting it!"
"Right," Melody agreed. "We're heroes, after all. We can't hurt anyone!"
Susie gritted her teeth. "Heroes? Yeah, alright. I'll show you hero." She glared down at C. Round. "Hey, little guy. I like the axe in your face."
She tossed the axe at C. Round, sending it flying.
"What's wrong with you?!" Melody turned on her. "No wonder you don't have any friends, if that's how you treat people."
"I could say the same for you!" Susie snapped. "You've been acting even more stuck-up than usual since we got here!"
"Erm," Ralsei coughed. "There's no need to fight…"
"They're not gonna listen," Cody grumbled. "Well, unless you offer Susie some food."
"You understand that we should SPARE our enemies," Ralsei told him, "right, Cody?"
"Well, I'm not interested in fighting," he shrugged, "so yeah."
Kris turned away from the others, following a shining light. They SAVED right beside a shop that appeared to be made out of patchwork.
"What an interesting shop…" Faye murmured, observing the patterns.
Kris went inside. There, they were greeted by a plush, cat-like darkner, matching the same patchwork as their shop.
"Welcome, travelers," the Darkner greeted. "The name's Seam. Pronounced 'Shawm'. And this is my little Seap. Ha ha ha ha.."
"Oh, wow," Faye looked around. "It's beautiful in here…"
"That's real sweet of you," Seam chuckled, "but these are really just my odds and ends. Around here, you find ways to pass the time… or go mad like everyone else."
Faye gazed over the shelves. While she was observing the place, Kris purchased some Dark Burgers, Dark Candy, and an Amber Card.
"Apparently, we're heroes," Faye said. "Destined to save the world. That's what Ralsei says, anyway… it sounds nice, but… I'm not sure if it's true."
Kris kept an eye on her as she listened to Sean's response.
"Haha…" Sean chuckled. "So you're the heroes who are going to seal our Fountain, you say? Ha, good luck. It makes no difference to me. Neither Light nor Dark hold a future for a Darkner in my condition."
"I understand," Faye said, grimly.
She looked away, for a moment. Kris noticed the pain in her expression.
"Long ago, the Darkners lived in harmony with the Lightners," Sean explained. "They were like Gods to us. Our protectors, our creators… they gave us purpose."
"And then they left you behind," Faye said.
Sean nodded. "Embittered, the King took up arms, and aims to take revenge on the Lightners that left us behind. 'Course, even among his troops, some still distantly hope the Lightners return."
Faye turned away.
"Lightners," Sean called out, "don't forget. Whatever choice you make will end up affecting the fate of the world. And, hey… keep an eye out for anyone you find… strange."
Faye nodded. She and Kris left the store, where thankfully the others were no longer arguing.
"If we're going to get out of here, we'll have to work together," Melody explained, "even if some of us don't like it."
"Fine, whatever," Susie groaned. "Play the hero, Melody. Let's just get a move on."
"Hey," a voice whispered, "hey, kids."
Melody jumped. "What the hell?!"
A puzzle-piece-like darkner with stubble was staring at the kids, shifting their eyes.
"... ya wanna buy a tutorial?" they asked. "It's only 50 dark dollars."
"No," Susie growled, already taking off.
Cody shrugged, following her.
Kris offered the money. Faye raised her brow in mild interest.
"Nevermind, Kris," Melody grabbed their shoulder. "We need to keep an eye on those two before they get into trouble."
If you looked close enough, you might've seen a glance of regret in Kris' eyes.
"Don't worry, Kris," Ralsei assured Kris, "as soon as we get into another battle, I'll give you all the info I know!"
"Well, flip my flapjacks!"
"Him again…" Melody sighed.
"The CLOWNS are back in town!" Lancer bounced around Susie and Cody. "Well, bad news! Since you last saw me several minutes ago… I've created a brand new fighting team ready to stop you! Not even the purple girl can stop me now! Ho ho ho! Are you ready to be-"
"Stop," Susie interrupted. "Stop talking. 'Ho ho ho?' What is that. Why are you saying that."
"'Ho ho ho'?" Lancer asked. "It's my evil laugh. Scary, right?!"
"You sound like baby Santa Claus," Susie retorted.
"She's not wrong," Cody piped in. "You're more, like… an annoying little kid."
Lancer dipped his head. "'An annoying little kid'...? You, uh… you mean that like in a badass way, right?"
"Shut up." Susie growled. She stormed towards Lancer. "You REALLY think you know how to be SCARY?"
Lancer trembled. "Well… I…"
"Wrong," Susie chuckled. "Man, wannabe tough guys like you REALLY piss me off."
She approached Lancer, glaring down at him.
"Susie, don't hurt him," Melody chided. "It's not right!"
Susie ignored her, reaching out for Lancer. "AH HA HA HA HA HA! You wouldn't know scary… if it came up and bit you in the-"
Cody interrupted, grabbing Susie's shoulder.
"What?" she glared at him. "You want some too?"
"No," he said. "It's not working on him. Look at his face."
Susie stared at Lancer. He was grinning, wide.
"Thank you, purple girl!" he said.
"What…?" Susie asked.
"It was kind of you," he said, "to teach me how to be scary. With an evil laugh!"
Susie began sweating. "Hey, I wasn't…"
"And now…" Lancer jumped back, puzzle-shaped darkners appearing behind him, "you're going to be thrashed! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Merry Christmas!"
"Well, that's kind of an improvement…" Susie muttered.
Kris, Melody, and Susie were facing 3 of the Jigsawyrs, while Cody, Ralsei and Faye faced the other three.
"While Kris isn't here, you can lead, Faye," Ralsei told her. "Do you know your special ability?"
Faye blinked. "Um… oh, I think I know. If I use CYAN mode, if I stay still enemies can't hit me. It only lasts one turn, though…"
"That's right," Ralsei said, "and Cody, you're the best form of defense. If you activate GREEN mode, you give all your allies a shield against attacks for a few turns. You can also give any healing items a natural boost."
"Great," Cody muttered, "the defender, of course."
"Ralsei…" Faye stared at him. "How do you know all this? We only met an hour ago…"
Ralsei shrugged. "Well, I've had a long time alone to look into different SOUL powers and abilities. I wanted to make myself useful as possible to you. After all, us Darkners-"
"Oh my GOD!" Susie shouted. "Have you guys even started yet?! We finished ages ago!"
"Oh, sorry," Ralsei laughed, "I was just explaining the different SOUL modes."
"W… we don't mind," said one of the Jigsawyrs. "We haven't got much else on today anyways."
"Just get on with it!" Susie growled, raising her axe. "Take them out!"
"No, Susie!" Ralsei exclaimed.
Cody grimaced. "Watch out!"
The Jigsawyrs nodded and moved out of the way.
"Quick thinking, Cody!" Ralsei complimented.
"How many times do we have to tell you not to do that?!" Melody exclaimed, glaring at Susie. The monster ignored her, crossing her arms.
"I'm not a big fan of these guys," Cody admitted, "but I don't wanna see anyone get squashed."
"W… well, if we have to be friends…" All three of the Jigsawyrs were blushing.
"Not what I meant," Cody grumbled.
Thanks to his kindness, though, the enemies were spared. Kris watched Melody, who seemed relieved. They noticed how different she was acting, compared to her much-more subdued self in the real world. She had a big smile on her face, too. That was something Kris hadn't seen in years.
The only thing that made them more suspicious was you.