#silly speaking

“Thank you for watching my dream.”

“Thank you for watching my dream!”

“Thank you for watching our dream.”

The words were making Ralsei sick.

He was trying to keep it together, he really was. He had to, for the sake of his Lightners. It was his role. His unchangeable purpose. His reason for existence.

But between the words from Flowery rattling around in mind and the ever-growing ache in his chest, it was hard to keep his usual composure. He tried to inhale calmly, but his breath shook still. He could pretend it was the adrenaline from the fight all he wanted. It wouldn’t change what he was really thinking about.

“You're just... pretending to be something you're not!”

“Oh? Ralsei, wanna tell them what's wrong with that?”

Flowery’s voice echoed in his ears. The ache in his chest grew a little sharper.

Would Kris say goodbye to him like this when it was all over? When he stopped being a person again? What would he even say to them, to Susie? He’d been trying not to think about it, but with the flowers turning back right in front of him, it was hard not to. He couldn’t help but picture himself and the others, the heroes of the Legend, battle worn and weary as they clutched him tightly one final time.

Would the Castle Town fountain even exist then? Or would he fade from reality entirely, his one purpose in the world finally complete? He wasn’t sure what would be worse: losing his own existence, or being once more relegated to the role of the lonely Prince of the Dark. At least one allowed him the dignity of a loving, singular goodbye, while the other likely doomed him to a slowly growing loneliness. He knew Kris and Susie couldn’t keep going to school forever. They would forget about him eventually. And even if they’d try to keep coming back after, they would still have lives to live out in the Light World. Lives that would lead them far from him and the Dark World, where he would once more be waiting for them- but this time, it would be forever.

How would he ever go on without them? Did they know how much they’d changed his life? They had to know at least a little bit that he’d had no real purpose before they stumbled into his empty castle. Ralsei’s life had gone from an aching silence to a loud, ever-present joy in a single day. He had a full town now, with friendly Darkners to greet him and friends to talk to. But nothing could ever replace the excitement of adventure with his fellow heroes, the joy he felt at finally getting to be something. They’d let him become something for the first time in his existence. He was a person when he was around them, not just a Darkner. Not just a pawn of fate. Not a lonely prince. A real person, who was allowed to feel and laugh and have an opinion and have people who truly cared about him.

He didn’t know how he could ever handle losing it. How could he ever repay them for what they’d given him? The life he’d only had because of them? The light they’d let him share, if only for a short time?

Ralsei turned away from Susie slightly, pulling off his glasses for a moment to wipe his eyes. He couldn’t be getting emotional now. Not when they still needed him.

When he turned back, Kris was approaching them, their expression unreadable. The six Darkners were flowers once more.

“Hey, you sure you’re ready to go?” Susie asked carefully. It had been a weird adventure for them, surely. Ralsei had no idea what to think about the notes left behind by Asgore- he was sure Kris was just as conflicted.

Kris nodded at Susie, earning them a light shoulder punch. “Cool. Let’s go seal that fountain,” she replied with a small grin. It made Ralsei happy that she was still able to smile after all of this. If Susie ever lost her hope… well. It would all be over be best not to think about it.

“Hey! C’mon, Raly!” Susie shouted. She and Kris had walked ahead of Ralsei as he was lost in thought, and now she’d turned back at him, all sharp-toothed smiles.

Usually, he would have been irritated by the nickname (and he would forever curse Flowery for giving it to him). But after all that he’d been worried about, and all the challenges they still had to face ahead… hearing Susie’s teasing voice and seeing Kris’s slight smile soothed the ache in his chest. It was small, not nearly enough to halt his worries completely.

But, in time, Ralsei hoped that it would be enough.

He smiled, if a bit sarcastically. “Susie. Please never call me that again.”

Susie cackled, slinging an arm around his shoulders as he approached the pair. “Alright, alright, fair enough. But we gotta figure out something else to call you.”

He smiled. A nickname. He’d always wanted a nickname- a real one, not just something used to tease him.

“I’d like that very much.”

Maybe it’d be something new to carry with him after this was all over.

He’d carry all of it. For as long as he could, he’d cherish all that they’d given him.

Like they all generally appear to have a similar texture and composition, just varying colors, which makes me wonder if there’s a consistent biological factor among them.

because if not there COULD be eridians on the other side of the planet that look like this

But that also begs the question- would eridians have different cultural customs in other regions due to having different mineral makeups? like would crystalline eridians have different practices for family crests or other carvings? would they be able to identify certain crystalline formations or cut certain facets? Would it affect the way they sound?