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Kris opens their eyes, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
* You stand up, getting off the bed.
Kris realizes they’re no longer wearing their Dark world outfit. Instead, they have their normal striped sweater on, but–
They have an apron on as well, reading “Kiss the MY SPOUSE’S ASS”. They then realize something is beeping and quickly rush into the kitchen, pulling out a pie tin.
* You reach into the oven with bare hands, and pull out a fresh Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie.
* You set it on the stove to cool.
Kris stares at the pie, confused. How is Mom’s cooking, here? They don’t know what’s going on. The last thing they remember was going into a Dark World with Susie, then-
Waking up here.
Then again, it isn’t entirely unusual for Kris to not remember something.
They glance over, spotting a photo album on a table. That can give them answers.
* You open the Photo Album.
Kris almost immediately drops the album upon seeing what’s inside.
Photos, so many photos, of them living and being married to Susie .
There’s a wedding photo, honeymoon photos, even photos with Mom and Dad, who seem to be happy together again.
Kris stares, unable to keep the tears from welling up. Mom and Dad, together again, happy …
The door opens, and Kris slams the album shut. Susie walks in, looking different. Older. So happy to see them.
She walks over and kisses Kris on the head, snapping them back to reality.
“Hey, babe! You make your mom’s pie?”
* You nod, confused.
“Susie?”
Kris’s voice is just as hoarse as they remember it being in high school. Susie pulls off her jacket and hangs it up by the door.
"Hm?"
* What year is it?
* Where are we? ♥️ * What about Noelle?
* What happened to the Dark World?
“I thought you were dating Noelle..?”
Kris speaks before the thing can choose what they should say.
“And, where are we? What’s the date?
All of them are important questions.
“Whaddya mean? It’s our anniversary, babe, you didn’t really forget did you?”
Kris doesn’t move, staring at Susie in even more confusion. Susie chuckles, brushing it off, pushing Kris’s bangs back to kiss their forehead gently.
“That’s okay. I know that happens to you sometimes.”
Kris, hesitantly, steps away from Susie.
“No, but really…What about Noelle?”
Susie looks over in clear confusion.
“Noelle? Who’s that?”
Kris is speechless.
“Oh! Wait, wasn’t that the mayor’s kid? Yeah, the smart one! I remember her. Why do you bring her up?”
“....You were dating her.”
Now it’s Susie’s turn to stare at Kris like they’re crazy.
“What? No way! I’d never date some- some smarty two-shoes like that!”
Kris stares blankly.
No.
No, this can’t be real.
It’s wrong. It has to be.
This can’t be Susie.
Kris steps back once, twice, three times.
Susie follows.
“Isn’t this what you wanted, Kris?”
* This is what you wanted, Jay.
“Let’s just go back to bed, Kris. Forget this happened.”
Kris hears the voice in their head, the voice of the boxes that the thing reads. It speaks at the same time as Susie.
“After all…This moment is what you’ve always wanted…”
* After all…This moment is what you’ve always wanted…
Kris stumbles back as her eyes glow white, Susie’s body seeming to distort.
She’s about to grab them when–
* You feel someone pulling you back.
Kris blinks, and all of a sudden they’re on the ground, coughing. Something cool rubs their back. They feel wet.
It takes them a moment to regain their bearings, and when they do, they look around and quickly realize they’re in the Dark World again. They’re younger, high school age. Ralsei stands next to them, rubbing their back, concerned. There’s strange shallow pools nearby. One looks recently disturbed.
“Kris? A-are you alright..?”
Ralsei’s voice is gentle, kind.
“I got here and saw that you were…stuck in that pool. So, I pulled you out…”
Kris gets to their feet, ignoring how their body trembles.
* You tell Ralsei nothing happened. It was a nice sleep.
* You know Ralsei knows you’re lying.
“...Okay, Kris. Whatever you say.”
Kris says nothing else, stepping closer to the nearest undisturbed pool.
* Hidden under the water, you notice Susie, fast asleep and breathing peacefully.
* . . .
* At least she isn’t drowning.
The water is barely high enough to cover her entire body.
* You reach into the water to pull Susie out.
* You slip, falling face-first into the water.
When Kris opens their eyes again, they look around. They seem to be in a skate park. Susie is skating around, looking like she does in the light world. She hasn’t seen Kris yet, grinning as wide as her face will let her, skating and doing tricks for a laughing Noelle. Noelle claps her hooves together, bright and happy. Susie spots Kris and eagerly skates over.
“Hey, buddy! You come to watch my tricks?”
Kris simply gives a nod.
They didn’t expect to be pulled into here.
They don’t know how to get Susie out .
What do they do?
What CAN they do?
Susie skates back to Noelle, Kris hesitantly following. Something chimes in their chest.
“Hey, look!”
Kris looks back, eyes widening faintly when they realize their footsteps seem to be messing up the ground. Turning it white, like what happened to ‘Susie’ right before Ralsei pulled them out.
“Woahh…! I wonder if this is how we get her out?”
That statement seems to give Kris an idea, and they walk over to Susie.
“Hey, Susie!”
Susie is visibly startled, blinking at Kris, almost falling off the skateboard.
“Uh- yeah?”
Kris grins.
“Noelle looks like she could use a kiss.”
‘Noelle’ blushes, eyes widening.
“I- I, um!”
“Heh. Gay. Nice.”
Kris rolls their eyes, going unnoticed by Susie as she looks at Noelle. Susie’s brow furrows slightly.
“...Wait, Noelle, what happened to the candy necklace I got you?”
“I-...I ate it?”
“You don’t like that candy. And- it wasn’t meant to be eaten??? I told you that!”
“I- I, um-”
‘Noelle’ flashes, her body flickering. Kris steps over, and–
* You grab ‘Noelle’s’ arm, turning it pure white.
* Susie watches, horrified, as Noelle turns to dust.
“Kris what the fuck!? You killed my girlfriend!”
“Susie, that wasn’t Noelle, it was-”
Susie grabs Kris by the collar, slamming them against the nearest wall. It turns white around them, and they fall back and hit the ground with a grunt.
“What the hell!? ”
* You quickly tell Susie that this isn’t real.
“Stop- talking, like that! I hate it when you do that! Just- fine. I’ll trust you for now or whatever. But if you really did hurt Noelle…”
Her voice is a growl, and Kris nods quickly.
“Susie, I swear to you, I would never injure Noelle. You know that.”
Susie growls again, but reluctantly grabs Kris’s hand. They feel a tug, and then they blink and they’re out again.
Susie coughs, wiping her face with her hands.
“Augh, gross! What the hell was that?”
Ralsei gives a small smile.
“Oh you’re alright, I’m so glad..!”