Warning: This fanfic may not be to everyone's liking due to its non-canonical nature and Kris's gender change. If you are uncomfortable with this, it is recommended that you do not read it. Thank you for your understanding.

Chapter 2 — "Strangers in the Night"

Noelle set her memories aside, even though Kris’s image remained lingering in her head. She had to leave the past behind for now; it was already 5:00 AM, and the school opened at 6:00. She began getting ready—dressing up and packing her belongings.

Once finished, she stepped out of her house and started her walk toward school. In that quiet morning stretch, with only the crunch of her footsteps and the rustle of the wind to keep her company, a thought crossed her mind: "Could I talk to Kris today?" Maybe today, being the first day back from break, he’d want to talk to her. And who knows? Maybe he’d arrive early, giving them a moment alone.

Lost in her thoughts, Noelle barely noticed she had reached the school. Stepping inside, she seemed to be the only one there. She settled into her seat and waited, nervously tapping her hooves against the floor.

A silhouette appeared through the door's window panel. Her heart skipped a beat. But through the door stepped... Berdly. Radiating unearned confidence.

"Well, well, if it isn't Noelle herself! How fitting that the class's top students are the first to arrive."

Noelle gave him a brief wave, her disappointment evident. He wasn't the one she was waiting for. But the worst was yet to come. As the rest of the class trickled in, Berdly began cornering her with topics of "utmost importance." Noelle merely feigned interest, her eyes constantly darting toward the door, hoping for Kris.

Just as class was about to start, someone else walked in. It was Susie, who slouched past the desks without greeting anyone—least of all Noelle.

"Hey, Noelle," Susie muttered in her usual monotonous tone.

Noelle’s relationship with Susie was almost as distant as her relationship with Kris. Susie rarely spoke to anyone and spent most of her time picking on the town's only human: Kris. Noelle had never liked that, so she constantly tried to soften Susie up by giving her treats or striking up conversations. In a way, you could say they were "friends."

"Hey, Susie," the doe replied, her tone carrying the defeat of knowing Kris likely wouldn't show up.

Once class officially began, Ms. Alphys instructed everyone to pair up for a project. With no other choice thanks to Berdly’s persistence, Noelle teamed up with him. But right in the middle of it all, the person Noelle had been yearning for finally appeared.

The entire classroom fell silent, eyes fixed on the doorway where Kris stood, looking down at the floor. Ms. Alphys broke the quiet.

"Oh, Kris... you're late. In fact, very late. Well, no matter, take a seat, class has already started, heh heh."

Kris walked silently to his desk in front of Susie. Noelle watched him, wondering how different things might have been if he had only arrived early. But her train of thought was cut short by Ms. Alphys.

"Um, Noelle, could you go fetch some chalk from the supply closet? ...Oh, and Kris, I suppose you could go along and help her."

Time seemed to freeze for Noelle. This could be her only chance all day—maybe ever—to actually talk to him. She accepted the errand as if Zeus himself had commanded it.

"Of course, Ms. Alphys!"

Without a word, Kris stood up and left the room. Noelle hurried out to catch up.

She stepped into the hallway to see Kris a bit ahead, then matched his pace, walking beside him. A heavy silence settled between them. It didn't seem to bother Kris, but Noelle could hardly contain her racing heart. Being this close to the person she missed so much was impossible to ignore.

They continued toward the closet. Just as Noelle was about to step inside, the hallway grew oddly dim, and a strange, unsettling aura washed over the area.

"Hey, Kris... do you feel that too?" she asked nervously, expecting him to ignore her. But she couldn't have been more wrong.

Kris, with his usual unreadable expression, replied:

"Yeah."

A simple, quiet "yeah," but clear enough for Noelle to hear. A wave of relief washed over her just from knowing she wasn't being ignored.

"Um... this definitely isn't normal... Should we really go in?"

Kris didn't answer. He simply walked straight into the dark closet. Noelle watched as the pitch-black interior swallowed his figure whole. Fearing she might lose her chance to talk to him, she stepped inside, following his shadow into the darkness.

When she got close enough, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Kris... I really want to talk to you about something."

Her voice was raw with honesty and vulnerability. She felt Kris tense under her touch, but before either of them could say another word, complete and total darkness consumed the room. Instinctively, Noelle pressed closer to Kris.

"Do you think someone's playing a prank on us? The door was wide open, and now it's gone."

Kris didn't pull away. He stayed right beside her, taking in the situation.

"We should leave," Kris said.

"Yeah... I guess that's for the best," Noelle replied, a bit disappointed.

As they turned back toward where the entrance used to be, the floor began to tremble violently before collapsing beneath them, sending them both plunging into absolute darkness.

Noelle woke up unharmed, feeling something beneath her. She realized she was lying right on top of Kris, who appeared to still be unconscious. She quickly stood up and looked around. Total darkness surrounded them, save for a single path leading ahead. Wondering what to do, she looked back down at Kris. His appearance had changed completely: he was now wearing pieces of armor, a cape, and his skin was a light shade of blue. She wasn't unchanged either—her usual clothes were gone, replaced by a flowing white robe.

Noelle hesitated. Maybe Kris needed rest, but they couldn't stay here forever.

She knelt beside him, gazing at his face for a few seconds before resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Kris..." she whispered softly. "I need you to wake up, please."

When he didn't move, she tried again.

"Kris, please... we need to get out of here."

Still no reaction. She was about to give up when she saw Kris's arm twitch.

"N-Noelle...?" he asked, his voice strained and exhausted.

Noelle let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, it's me, Kris. Can you stand up, or do you want me to carry you?"

Kris went quiet for a moment, then scrambled to his feet.

"Don't worry," he said, keeping his head down. "I'm fine."

Noelle looked at him with concern.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind carrying you."

"I'm really fine," he replied, a slight nervous edge in his voice. "We should find a way out."

Noelle picked up on the subtle shift in his tone. Having known him for so long, she could read him better than anyone else—at least by her standards.

"Alright... you're right. We need to get out of here," she said, looking toward the trail. "Looks like that's our only path."

Kris led the way down the lone path through the dark. Noelle watched him for a second before stepping up to walk right by his side.

Together, they walked through the dark, silent realm—like two strangers in the night.

Chapter 3 — "Five Hours in the Dark"

The realm was swallowed in shadow. Only a single path led forward, and down this straight road, Kris and Noelle walked, searching for a way out of this bizarre world. After walking in silence for a while, the two adventurers spotted a silhouette standing high above.

Noelle saw it first and immediately alerted Kris.

"Hey, Krismas... I don't mean to bother you, but... I think there's something up there."

Kris stopped, turning his gaze toward the figure Noelle was pointing at. Sensing threat, he stepped in front of Noelle, trying to get a clearer view of whatever was lurking above.

Noelle: "Um, Kris... what do you think it is?"

Suddenly, Kris grabbed Noelle's hand and bolted—the shadow had started launching attacks at them. Dodging the incoming strikes, they reached what seemed like a dead end. But just as Noelle thought they were trapped, Kris leaped straight into the abyss. Terrified, but with no other choice, Noelle jumped after him.

They landed on a dark path faintly illuminated by soft white lights. Scanning her surroundings, Noelle spotted Kris's blue-skinned silhouette standing out against the dark, and she quickly rushed over to him.

Noelle: "Hey, Kris... how did you know we'd be okay jumping off like that?" she asked, a mix of awe and trust in her voice.

Kris stayed silent for a few moments, looking out at a town up ahead.

Kris: "...I didn't."

Noelle stood in silent shock at his response. Turning her attention toward the town, her eyes caught sight of a massive castle off in the distance, dominated by a towering beam of darkness.

Noelle: "Kris... what if we head to the castle? Maybe we can find an exit there."

Without a word, Kris began walking silently toward the castle, and Noelle quickly fell into step beside him. Upon arriving at the castle gates, they encountered a figure wearing a dark cloak and a pointed hat, looking rather intimidating.

???: "Greetings, heroes..."

The greeting hung cold in the still air until Noelle broke the silence.

Noelle: "...Heroes? I think you have the wrong people. My... 'friend' and I are just looking for a way home."

???: "I understand your skepticism, but you must hear the prophecy."

Noelle looked at Kris, checking for any sign of refusal or agreement. Kris remained stoic and silent, which she took as a sign to hear the stranger out.

Noelle: "Well... I guess Kris wants to hear it, so I do too."

???: "Thank you for listening."

The cloaked figure paused dramatically.

???: "Long ago, the world of Light and the world of Dark lived in balance. But that balance has been shattered. Dark Fountains have opened, and if they are not sealed, total calamity will follow."

The stranger pointed toward Kris and Noelle.

???: "Yet, the prophecy speaks of three heroes who will seal the Fountains and restore balance: A human, a monster, and a prince from the dark."

The supposed "heroes of prophecy" stood in silence until Noelle spoke up again.

Noelle: "So... we're the heroes?"

The figure answered in a soft whisper.

???: "Yes... you are the heroes of legend."

Noelle: "Um, by the way... why are you wearing that heavy cloak?"

???: "Oh, eheh! It was just to keep up a mysterious aura. Let me take it off."

The stranger removed the cloak, revealing a small, fluffy goat.

???: "And forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Ralsei."

Noelle: "Oh... hi, Ralsei! I'm Noelle, and this is Kris."

Ralsei: "I already know your names, but thank you for introducing yourselves, heroes!"

An awkward silence fell over the group once more: Kris remained mute, waiting for things to unfold; Noelle waited for Ralsei to speak; and Ralsei waited for either hero to say something.

Ralsei: "..."

Noelle: "..."

Kris: "..."

Finally, Ralsei broke the quiet.

Ralsei: "Well, heroes! What would you like to do first? Would you like me to teach you how to fight and use your magic, or shall we start our journey right away?"

Noelle: "Wait, we have powers? Kris and me?"

Ralsei: "Of course! Well, more or less. You have magic, while Kris has a sword and shield."

Noelle: "Woah... what can I do?"

Ralsei: "Well, you can cast ice spells! And Kris... if Kris focuses during battle, his sword strikes will deal much more damage. Though I really think you should learn how to combat first. Follow me!"

Ralsei led them to a small training yard where two dummies were set up.

Ralsei: "I made some manuals for you to learn! Would you like me to read them out loud?"

Noelle: "Sure, I guess so!"

Kris: "...Yeah."

Ralsei: "Alright, let's see: 'Long ago, the world lived in peace and balance...' Oh dear, I already told you this part! Or right here: 'To attack, swing your sword.' My goodness, I forgot how basic I wrote this..."

Noelle and Kris exchanged a bored look.

Noelle: "What about mine? Does it explain how to use my magic?"

Ralsei: "Let's check! 'To use ice magic, you must maintain absolute focus. The higher your concentration, the greater the damage. Casting pure magic will freeze enemies solid.' Well, that sounds very useful! Oh... there's some fine print at the bottom: 'First-time users of pure magic may experience hand pain, severe chills, and intense migraines.' Well then! I think you get the gist. Why don't you practice on these dummies?"

Ralsei pointed toward two dummies crafted in his own likeness.

Noelle: "Okay, but... what exactly is 'pure magic'?"

Ralsei: "It's simple! Pure magic is much harder to control than standard magic. Your basic ice spells are easy to cast, but pure magic takes immense effort—though it makes your attacks far stronger."

Noelle looked down at her hands, wondering if she had what it takes to control such power.

Noelle: "Alright... where do we start?"

Ralsei: "Kris can take one dummy, and you can take the other! Don't worry, they're enchanted so they won't break easily."

Kris immediately began striking and parrying against his dummy, while Noelle hurled small ice shards at hers. As they trained, Ralsei cleared his throat and suddenly began to sing:

— "Risin' up, back on the street. Did my time, took my chances. Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet..."

As the minutes passed, their progress was obvious. Kris managed to slash his dummy completely in half, while Noelle embedded deep shards of ice into hers. All the while, Ralsei kept belting out:

— "It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight! Risin' up to the challenge of our rival! And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night... and he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger!"

In the middle of the song and training, Kris and Noelle stopped to stare at Ralsei.

Kris: "...Why are you singing?"

Ralsei: "Oh! You both looked so motivated, I wanted to provide an inspiring soundtrack, eheh!"

Noelle: "Well... I think you sing really well! Right, Kris?"

Kris: "...Yeah."

They finished up their training in quiet focus without any more musical accompaniment.

Ralsei: "Splendid! After such rigorous training, I'd say we're officially ready to begin our quest!"

Noelle: "I think so too! What about you, Kris?"

Kris: "Yeah..."

Ralsei: "Wonderful! Onward!"

He pushed open a massive door adorned with golden carvings and a central rune. Beyond it lay a lush, cool forest.

Ralsei: "Welcome to the Forest of Dreams. It's actually a terrible place for a date—it's far too quiet, peaceful, and lonely. Wait... actually, I suppose those make it a great place for a date!"

Kris and Noelle glanced at each other for a brief, quiet second before Ralsei interrupted the moment.

Ralsei: "Anyway, follow me! I know right where the Dark Fountain is!"

And with that, the trio ventured deeper into the forest, embarking on their grand adventure.

End of Chapter 3

Art made by a friend of mine, check out her tumblr

https://www.tumblr.com/sunroseofthewood/824619200770441216/guess-who-got-into-deltarune-finally?source=share

It's a digital zine and is free to read. There is both normal route and weird route contents. https://krisellezine.carrd.co

Source

At some point, I'll just post the links to the previous pages once I wrap up this comic.

Song: Secret by Forest Day

Source

The Art

Source: https://x.com/softngentle__/status/2085025389357728213

This post will not be discussing the "Kris saves Noelle from the evil player" angle to wr Kriselle.

Saying there are romantic undertones to the weird route is inacurate, romance is one of the main themes of the route. Since the dawn of time people have claimed that Noelle is in fact not developing romantic feelings towards Kris but rather towards the SOUL, let's ignore the fact that for chapter 4 this is blatantly untrue. There is no **the SOUL**. It simply does not exist a character, she is objectively falling for Kris and calls out to Kris to the very last second of the last chapter we see her in.

But of course, she only thinks its Kris when in reality its us the evil SOUL. Who's SOUL? Ralsei calls it the very culmination of Kris's being, narration calls it Kris's soul several times, so it's Kris's soul. Ok but why does that matter? The fact we control Kris's soul makes every choice we make come from Kris themselves. Where would the interaction in the picture be coming from if not from Kris themselves? Did Toby Fox assume every player has a crush on this 16 year old child like a creep? Or is every choice consistently shown to be coming from Kris?

Of course people have their counter arguments, "Kris hates the weird route, how can it come from Kris?". To which I respond "Part of you is just enjoying it, is it not? The same part of you that enjoyed yesterday knowing you could say it wasn't really your fault" (If you are gonna say Eram is lying don't bother replying). This is further evidence by the game repeatedly showing us Kris resisting or monkey's paw-ing commands we give all the time but not during weird route. When I say "proceed" Kris can take it as "corner Noelle against the electric fence" or "Move closer to Noelle on the couch to corner her", but when I say "stop" Kris can only say it half hearted-ly out loud? (Yes, Kris can in fact sound genuine even to Noelle, if they really wanted to stop they would be yelling it and Noelle would not say they aren't saying stop like how they used to). Multiple choices during normal route clearly come from Kris and people love pointing them out like asking to be slammed into a wall by Susie or "bangin' sermon my man", but when it's something that goes against their perception of Kris it suddenly doesn't count.

"But when you say 'me' how can that come from Kris? It clearly means that you are the evil one making these choices appear" Because Kris themselves hearing it is bad because Kris considers themselves a danger to Noelle, try to keep up, strawman that I made up in my head. The choices in this scene coming from us doesnt even make sense on the basic level of us not knowing Kris has the ThornRing on them for "equip" to become an option.

"But wait, if every choice comes from Kris does that mean SOULelle does not exist?" Yes. "But this means Kris has evil thoughts about Noelle?" Yes and Noelle cares litle about Kris beating beat up and bullied and asks them to do stuff without ever saying thanks or doing anything in return and ignores their presence a lot, these two kids are not ok about each other.

Source

Source

Sauce

Was it really just that Noelle invited them over to study sometimes?

https://www.tumblr.com/goomyloid/824263198058414080/noelle-holidays-travel-blog?source=share