DELTAREI: A Deltarune AU. [16+] (NOW COMPLETED)

Chapter 8: Exploring With Noelle.

-SATURDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2023.-

So, basically, Noelle and I decided to walk to the school. Again, with no security and them never locking the doors, it was easy to get in. The power was still on and lights were, but nobody was there, once we got there, Noelle had mentioned to me in a text earlier that basically, she had been many times, so it was not an issue for either of us. It was 1 PM now, and it was a mostly sunny, yet cold and very windy day in Leadville with it being just a degree below forty in Fahrenheit. Then, me and Noelle walked through and went into the dark world.... but little did we know, we were in for a surprise. The bright light of the Dark World blinded me for a moment. When my eyes adjusted, I saw something I couldn't believe. A fluffy white goat with a bright red scarf waited for us, his soft, gentle voice filling the air. He introduced himself as Ralsei, and I felt a sense of hope and comfort wash over me. Ralsei led us through the woods, his gentle footsteps crunching in the snow. I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the world around us. The snow-capped trees, the sparkling winter wonderland, and the sense of peace and tranquility that surrounded us. We walked for what felt like hours, passing by rivers, forests, and strange creatures that seemed to come out of nowhere. I felt like I was on an adventure, a journey unlike any other. My heart raced with excitement, and I couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, we heard a sound in the distance. It was loud, like a distant roar. We all stopped in our tracks, our hearts racing with fear. We turned to see what was coming towards us, and we saw a massive, shadowy figure approaching. We were supposed to meet Lancer today but we couldn't find him, so it was just us three, me, Ralsei, and Noelle, but before I could react, I was sent with a form of shock, as the Vessel came out again.... growling and out for blood. It took out its REAL KNIFE, with blood on it, and Ralsei, comforting us both as Noelle hugged me and I hugged her by the side, stepped forward in front of us, his soft voice filling the air. "Fear not, friends," he said, his voice gentle and soothing. "We will protect ourselves.", as I was shaken with fear, and Noelle held my left hand with BOTH of her deer hands, as her ears twitched and I felt bad for her, things didn't look good as the Vessel started glitching a bit. I felt a surge of anger and frustration at the Vessel's words, his anger and hostility towards us threatening to overwhelm me. I knew I had to stay calm, to focus on the task at hand. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my blood racing through my veins. The Vessel took a step forward, his eyes dark and menacing. I could see his fists clenched at his sides, his muscles tensing. I knew I had to be ready for anything. "You're trespassing on my grounds," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You have no right to be here." I took a deep breath, drawing on my inner strength and determination. I had to be ready for whatever came next. The Vessel advanced on us, his eyes fixed on me and my friends. His hands were raised, as if he were ready to strike. I could see the anger and hatred in his eyes, and I knew this was going to be a tough fight. Ralsei stepped forward, his hands raised, ready to cast a spell. Noelle stood beside me, her arms at the ready, her axe at the ready to strike. We were a team, a united front, ready to face the Vessel head-on. The Vessel charged at us, his blows quick and efficient. He was fast, faster than I had ever seen an enemy move before. He was skilled, agile, and incredibly dangerous. We exchanged blows, each of us fighting with everything we had. I could feel my muscles straining, my energy depleting, but I refused to give up. I refused to let the Vessel defeat me. I could hear Ralsei behind me, his magic buzzing in the air. I could hear Noelle beside me, her axe ringing out as she struck blow after blow. The Vessel was strong, but we were stronger. And then, suddenly, Ralsei was down. I saw him fall to the ground, his body writhing in pain. I could see blood on his stomach where the Vessel had stabbed him.Noelle and I fought on, our hands bloody, our bodies aching, but our spirits unconquerable. We were not going to let the Vessel win, not after everything we had been through. The Vessel fought back with a vengeance, his anger and determination unmatched. I could see the hatred in his eyes, the pure anger, I couldn't understand, but kept fighting anyways. I felt a rush of adrenaline as I fought back against the Vessel. He was fast, but so was I. I used my powers to summon a wall of fire, trying to keep him at bay. But he was relentless, his attacks coming at me from all sides. I summoned a flame blade, slicing at him with all my might. He parried my every blow, his own sword slicing through the air like a razor. I jumped back, summoning a wave of flames to keep him at bay. But as Ralsei lay injured on the ground, the Vessel's attacks became more ferocious. His sword seemed to blur as he attacked, his movements fluid and graceful. I summoned another wave of fire, but he jumped over it, his sword slicing into my side. I gritted my teeth, summoning a final blast of fire as I fell back. The Vessel stumbled, his sword flying from his grasp. I seized the opportunity, rushing forward and grabbing his sword. With all my strength, I plunged the sword into his shoulder. He cried out in pain, his attack faltering. I summoned another wall of fire, keeping him at bay as I hurried to Ralsei's side. As I kneeled beside Ralsei, I could see blood leaking from the wound on his stomach. I summoned a healing fire, feeling it wash over him and seal the wound. He murmured in gratitude, and I smiled softly. I turned to face the Vessel, seeing him backing away from me. The fire on his shoulder was raging, causing him pain. He looked at me with hatred in his eyes, his face twisted in anger. "You will pay for this, lightener," he growled. "You have trespassed on my grounds, and for that, you will die." I summoned my flame blade again, my powers coursing through me. "Try me," I said, my voice steady. "I won't let you harm my friends." The Vessel charged, his sword raised. I summoned another wall of fire, blocking his advance. But he broke through, his sword slicing at me once more. I jumped back, summoning a blast of fire to keep him at bay. The fight wore on, but I could feel my strength starting to flag. The Vessel's attacks were relentless, his hatred blinding him to the pain of his wounds. I continued to fight and then used my "fire eyes" (which I just found out I could do) to set the Vessel more on fire, and then it got on his face and hair and all over his body as he pointed the knife at me, saying to me:

"YOU WILL D- AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As he then dropped his bloody knife next to himself getting on the ground and burning, and then we started carrying Ralsei, rushing him to the top of Card Castle so we could get to the portal back to the Light World and go home again, as I drop Ralsei on the ground behind us, and me and Noelle then turn around, as Ralsei was still injured but we all survived, and so did the Vessel, but he was too busy being set on fire to catch up to us, giving us enough time to escape as we ran fast enough, as Ralsei was laying there and me and Noelle were ready. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. The battle against the mysterious Vessel has finally come to an end, and I can finally allow myself a moment to reflect. Looking back on the chaos that just ensued, I feel a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement at the idea of defeating such a formidable foe. But on the other hand, there's also a lingering sense of unease, as though there's more to the story that we still don't know. As I walk towards the portal back to the Light World, I feel as though something inside me has changed. It's not just the fact that I'm now a battle-hardened warrior, but a deeper sense of purpose has started to emerge. I've come to realize that my journey has always been about more than just a simple quest for adventure or glory. Whether I like it or not, I'm tied to the Dark World in ways that I'm still trying to fully understand. Despite the many challenges that lay ahead, I feel a sense of determination to continue down this path. If I'm going to truly understand myself and my place in the universe, I know that I need to keep pressing forward, even when the way ahead is shrouded in darkness. I knew the "risks" (no pun intended, okay maybe pun intended.) of going to the Dark World now, but I still wanted to come back anyways, and so did Noelle for some reason, as Ralsei healed himself with a magical syringe, pocketing it and hugging us both as he got up, as I held him close this time, he was genuine and just told us to go, so we let go and then left, and we walked out. Our story was far from over......