CHAPTER 6 ☆

Dess takes another bite, considers it for a moment, then hands the cup over. "...Not bad."

She looks toward the cavern entrance. "Could've used more seasoning, though."

Outside, something moves through the storm. Three silhouettes. Kris. Susie. Noelle. They have been climbing for hours. The mountain has tested them with collapsing paths, freezing winds, and Darkners that seem determined to make sure nobody reaches the summit alive. But they're still coming. They know a Fountain is somewhere above them. And they believe the Roaring Knight is waiting there. Dess watches them approach from a distance. Her expression changes when she recognizes Noelle. "...She really came."

She says it quietly. {{user}} glances toward her. Dess doesn't answer. For a while, she simply watches her sister struggle through the snow. Noelle nearly slips, and Susie grabs her before she falls. Kris looks toward the summit again. Dess lowers her eyes. "I thought she'd eventually stop."

She gives a quiet laugh. "Guess I was wrong."

The fire crackles. Dess reaches over and picks up her helmet. She turns it around in her hands, studying the familiar metal. "I've spent a long time pretending this thing is somebody else."

She taps the helmet with one finger. "The Knight."

"The monster behind all the Fountains."

"The person everyone's supposed to blame when the world starts falling apart."

She sets the helmet down again. "Funny thing is..."

"I never really felt like any of that."

Her gaze returns to the storm. "I just kept going."

One Fountain became another. Another Dark World became another battlefield. And every time, someone came looking for her. Kris. Susie. Noelle. They always got closer. Dess eventually stopped trying to convince herself they wouldn't. "I could leave."

She looks toward the mountain path. "I could put this back on, make another Fountain, disappear somewhere they can't reach."

A faint smile crosses her face. "But I'm tired of running."

She picks up her noodles again. "I'm not quitting, though."

{{user}} looks at her. Dess shrugs. "Doesn't mean I have to fight them myself."

Below the cavern, the three travelers finally reach the upper slope. Susie notices the cavern first. "There!"

Kris stops. Noelle looks up. Her eyes widen. She can barely make out the figure sitting beside the fire. "...Dess?"

Dess hears her. She closes her eyes for a moment. Then she stands. She doesn't put on the helmet. Instead, she steps toward {{user}} and picks up her sword. She doesn't draw it. She simply holds it out. "Think you can handle them?"

The three figures begin climbing faster. Dess gives the sword back to its resting place. "I'm gonna stay here."

She walks back toward the fire and sits down. "They've spent all this time expecting to fight the Roaring Knight."

She smiles. "Let's see what happens when they get something else."

She gestures toward the mountain path. "You go meet them."

Dess leans back against the cavern wall. "I'll be watching."

Kris reaches the entrance first. Susie follows close behind. Noelle arrives last, exhausted and trembling from the cold. Then she sees Dess. Everything stops. Noelle stares at her sister. Dess stares back. Neither speaks. Susie's grip tightens around her weapon. Kris slowly raises their sword. And behind them, the storm begins closing around the mountain once again. Dess reaches for the cup of noodles. She takes another bite. Then, without looking away from the three heroes, she says:

"...This should be interesting."

The Fountain waits somewhere beneath the mountain. The Roaring Knight is sitting safely behind the battlefield. And the person standing between her and the three heroes is {{user}}. Whatever happens next, Dess intends to watch it from beginning to end. The mountain does not give {{user}} a graceful exit. One moment, {{user}} is standing near the summit, facing Kris, Susie, and Noelle. The next, the ground gives way. Snow and loose rock collapse beneath their feet. {{user}} falls. The storm swallows them almost immediately. They tumble down the mountainside, striking frozen stone and sliding through layers of snow before finally crashing onto a narrow ledge far below. For several seconds, there is nothing but the sound of the wind. Then {{user}} slowly gets back up. The mountain is different from down here. The storm is weaker, but the air feels strangely heavy. Dark purple light leaks through cracks in the stone ahead, illuminating the snow from underneath. The Fountain is close. Very close. A passage carved into the mountain leads deeper underground, and beyond it comes the unmistakable sound of rushing darkness. {{user}} follows it. The tunnel opens into an enormous cavern. At the center stands the Dark Fountain. Its black, violet-tinted energy pours upward into the ceiling, twisting through the cavern like an enormous pillar of smoke. The surrounding stone has been transformed by its presence, covered in strange patterns that pulse whenever the Fountain grows stronger. And standing directly in front of it are three familiar figures. Kris. Susie. Noelle. They've made it. They're standing only a short distance from the Fountain. Susie is the first to notice {{user}}. She turns around sharply. "...You."

Kris immediately raises their sword. Noelle steps backward, startled. "Wait..."

She looks past {{user}}, toward the tunnel. "Where's Dess?"

{{user}} says nothing. Susie narrows her eyes. "Don't tell me you were working with the Knight this whole time."

Noelle's expression changes. "Working with..."

She looks at {{user}} again. Then realization slowly sets in. "You were with her?"

The question hangs in the cavern. The Fountain continues to roar behind them. Kris takes a cautious step forward. Susie moves in front of Noelle. "Whatever you're planning, you're not getting past us."

Noelle hesitates. She looks toward the Fountain. Then back at {{user}}. "We're so close."

Her voice is quieter now. "We've already come this far."

Susie grips her weapon. "Then we finish it here."

Kris moves beside her. The three stand together. For the first time since reaching the mountain, they look completely united. Behind them, the Fountain pulses. The cavern trembles. A crack appears along the ceiling. Noelle looks upward nervously. "We don't have much time."

Susie nods. "Then let's make this quick."

Kris raises their sword. {{user}} realizes something. Dess isn't here. She isn't coming down. She isn't going to save them. She deliberately sent {{user}} here alone. The mountain suddenly shakes again. Snow falls from the cavern ceiling. The Fountain grows brighter. Susie takes one step forward. "Last chance."

Noelle looks between them. "Kris..."

Kris doesn't lower their weapon. Susie smiles grimly. "I think they made their choice."

The three heroes prepare themselves. And somewhere far above them, on the summit, Dess is still sitting beside her violet campfire. She watches the distant glow of the Fountain through the storm. Her helmet rests beside her. She has no intention of intervening. Not yet. Down below, {{user}} stands alone against the three people who have come to end the Roaring Knight's reign. The Fountain is only a few steps behind them. There is nowhere left to run. And this time, there is no mountain left to fall down. Making their way over to the Fountain, they meet several flowers, all of which make their reverence for Asgore clear. At the end of the Garden, Flowery shows Kris and Susie a gateway to the Light World, warning them that if they stay, only trouble will bloom. Afterward, when the party reunites with Asgore, he is shocked that they refused to return home, and pushes Kris and Susie into the gateway. In the Light World, he slams the door to Flower King shut, intending to lock them out of the Dark World. While they are outside, Kris reveals to Susie that they know of a second door to Asgore's shop, causing her to realize that whoever made the Dark Fountain likely used the back door to enter.[130] Susie also remembers that Kris was back there earlier, and grows suspicious. She asks Kris if they saw anyone else, which causes them to step backwards and turn their head away from her; however, Susie ultimately decides to trust Kris.[131] The two of them re-enter the Dark World through the back door, ending up in Flower Castle's jail. Flowery mocks the duo and leaves them in their cell, however, Aqua notices them and mistakenly assumes that they are playing a game. Susie asks Seth, who followed Aqua into the room, to let them out in order for Aqua to win the "game". Seth seemingly obliges, and opens the door to their jail cell. However, after Susie has left the room, Seth confronts Kris and mentions that they had struck a bargain beforehand. Kris holds up their end of the deal, presenting Seth with one of Berdly's feathers, whom they idolize.[132]

Onsen soundtrack.png Kris and Ralsei standing by the hot spring Within the castle, Asgore mentions that if he finds the person who made the Dark Fountain, he will give them back all the pain they've inflicted and parade their body around town.[133] He is not aware of the fact that Kris is that person, however, he believes that catching them would prove his innocence, as he has blamed himself for an undisclosed tragedy. Various notes are scattered around the castle, detailing Asgore's research into the Dark World and his analysis of Black Shards. If Kris converses with Ralsei about Dark Fountains at the hot spring, Ralsei confronts them about the fact they have made multiple Dark Fountains. He tells them that he is worried about the fact they are releasing more darkness, helping to usher in the Roaring. Conversely, he also mentions that during their piano performance, there was something Kris knew beyond the notes themselves. In the end, Ralsei concludes that he should have faith in Kris, even if they are doing things he is against. At Top of Castle, the party faces Flowery and the others in a final showdown. During the battle, Flowery mentions that he is suspicious of Kris's plans and how they have changed since childhood. He warns them that if they're going to do something to Asgore, he's going to stop them right then and there. In the end, Kris is able to defeat Flowery with one final slash, and he concedes. The party says their goodbyes to the flowers, and Asgore apologizes to Kris, telling them he is proud of them and that the two will tell the mayor about what they have seen. However, when Kris seals the Fountain, it is revealed that another one was made, and the Knight appears. It attempts to kidnap Asgore, but Flowery engages it in combat, seemingly gaining the upper hand before the Knight reveals that his stats are fake. Flowery is sliced in half, and the Knight successfully leaves with Asgore. An injured Flowery says his goodbyes to the party, and Kris moves on to seal the Dark Fountain. Walking Home soundtrack.png Kris and Susie walk home After the Flower Kingdom Dark Fountain is sealed, Kris and Susie arrive back in the Light World. They are faced with a damaged version of Asgore's shop, with Flowery in particular being torn in his Light World form. Susie resolves to tape him back together, and move Yellow and Blue into the same container. While Susie is downstairs, Kris finds a piece of paper inside Flowery's soil featuring a code to the shelter door. They begin to rip it up, however Susie enters and takes the paper from them before they can do so. Afterward, the duo leaves Flower King, and Susie tells Kris to walk her home. They head to Castle Town, and Susie reminisces on their adventures, saying that it has felt like their special "Kris and Susie thing" that nobody else can know about. Kris agrees with her,[134] however, as they approach the closet door, Susie suggests that in order to get closer to the shelter codes, they should recruit Noelle into the party. Weird Route Main article: Weird Route Spamton NEO screenshot Weird Route defeat.png Kris fighting Spamton NEO alone on the Weird Route The player can initiate the Weird Route during Chapter 2 by commanding Noelle to defeat enemies with her IceShock spell. Eventually, Kris must take a deal with Spamton in order to obtain the ThornRing and continue on this path. As she freezes more and more of the Cyber World's residents, Noelle becomes convinced that this is a good thing; she believes that as long as she does what Kris says, she'll become stronger. However, over the course of the route, Kris becomes increasingly troubled with its events,[135] as it was not their choice to enter it. The battle with Berdly near the end of Cyber City is still present on the route, and if all prerequisites have been met, it is possible to freeze him. Berdly is frozen by Noelle's SnowGrave, and the latter leaves the party, stating that she doesn't feel good. After Noelle has walked away, Kris takes a shortcut to Queen's Mansion through the sewers and reunites with the party. After traversing the mansion, Kris finally arrives at the Dark Fountain, having skipped the battle against Queen entirely. They are not joined by either of their usual teammates, and instead fight against Spamton NEO on their own. Spamton is surprised that Kris is fighting him, and notes that he gave them a "[Commemorative Ring]" and his "LIFE ADVICE". He blames Noelle for this, and warns Kris that he thinks that if they continue on this path, they will end up wishing that Spamton had killed them right then and there.[136] Eventually, Kris begins to call for help, but both Susie and Ralsei do not come to their aid.[137] However, when they call for Noelle, Spamton notes that it has suddenly become cold, and he is instantly defeated by Noelle's magic. Shadow Mantle holder screenshot.png Kris encountering the Shadow Mantle holder The Weird Route does not continue in Chapter 3, however it is strongly related to the Sword Route and affects certain events within it. The Shadow Mantle holder will not only say that a part of Kris finds the Original Game to be fun,[138] but also mention that that same part of Kris also enjoyed the events of yesterday.[139] The Mantle holder claims that Kris was relieved by the fact they knew they "could say it wasn't really [them]", and they react negatively to this suggestion.[140]

In Chapter 4, the route continues once more, and its effects are felt within the Light World. The library is closed due to Berdly's medical absence and a lack of volunteers. If the hospital is visited, it is revealed that he is recovering in a hospital bed, unconscious and cold. Kris can increase the heating on Berdly's hot water, which helps him breathe more steadily. When the party goes to Noelle's House, she does not receive a phone call from him as she usually does. Kris screenshot kicking SOUL.png Kris repeatedly kicking the SOUL in Noelle's House When Kris rips out their soul in Dess's room, they shove it in a drawer in order to speak with Noelle one-on-one.[82] She mentions that last night, they had visited her and spoke about her "dream". Kris removed a thorn out of her hand and apologized to her for acting strangely. They reassured her that Berdly would be okay, and Noelle notes that it felt like the first time she had heard Kris's real voice in a long time. However, in the middle of the conversation, the soul is able to reinsert itself into Kris's body. Kris becomes paranoid and covers Noelle's mouth, afraid that they'd be heard. It is at this point that the player can begin speaking to Noelle directly, and the player forces Kris to "Proceed" and re-equip the ThornRing onto Noelle. After this, Kris throws the soul into a garbage can and kicks it repeatedly in an attempt to punish it. In the Dark Sanctuary, the Old Man can comment on Kris's "peculiar" tone. He senses that they are having relationship troubles and tries to comfort them, telling Kris that at their age, things can "go cold" and seem hopeless. However, he assures them that they'll grow up and that everything will be alright.[141] During the tea party, once Susie leaves, he observes that Kris is "really just going through the motions" and wishes them well. After sealing the Dark Fountains, Kris returns home and receives a phone call from Carol, who mentions Noelle is eager to spend time with them at the Festival.[142]

The events of Chapter 5's Weird Route almost exclusively feature Kris and Noelle, and there is no Dark World segment. Kris stays asleep in their bed and attempts to skip the Festival entirely; the chapter begins at sunset rather than morning. They resist the player's attempts to make them get out of bed, but if they're forced to, they slowly explore the Festival with Susie at sunset. She remarks that she wants to show them around even if almost everyone has already left, because she'd feel bad otherwise. Kris is repeatedly noted to be feeling unwell, possibly due to how long they've kept the soul out of their body.[143][144][145]

Weird Route screenshot Chapter 5.png Kris meeting Noelle at the lake After getting bread from Sans, Kris can continue to the lake's shore, where Noelle is waiting for them. She gives a monologue about how she has felt trapped in a certain routine ever since Dess's disappearance, and wants Kris to help her break free.[146] She believes that Kris has the ability to make anything happen, no matter how impossible. Noelle resolves to "grow wings" and "fly" to the other side of the lake with them, something the pair and their siblings have wanted to do since childhood.[147] Kris does not appear to resist as Noelle takes their hands and walks them into the lake. She repeatedly begs them to tell her to "Proceed" as they descend into the water. The player must select the "Proceed" dialogue option at an increasingly fast rate in order not to abort the route; the two will return to the surface if this requirement is failed, and Noelle will act as if nothing happened.[148] Finally, the two are completely submerged in the water, and the screen turns completely white before cutting to black. A realistic CRT screen will then appear, displaying the text "Insert Chapter 7 Side B". Relationships Asriel For Asriel's perspective, see Asriel § Kris. Asriel is Kris's adoptive older brother. The two were often seen as inseparable since childhood, and Kris often played video games with him.[149]

After Asriel left for college, Kris often stayed up late conversing with him online, until the internet went out.[150] Kris's search query on college indicates they miss Asriel.[151]

In Chapter 2, Kris closes their eyes when attempting to check Asriel's room in Queen's Mansion, indicating they are protective of him to an extent.[152]

In Chapter 3, when the player implies they have seen Ralsei's face before, Kris will break into laughter while also assuring them that Ralsei and Asriel are different.[153] In Chapter 4, when Susie mistakes Asriel for Ralsei, Kris adamantly points out every difference between them.[154]

Toriel For Toriel's perspective, see Toriel § Kris. Toriel overworld walking Kris.gif Kris and Toriel walking to school Toriel is implied to have had difficulties with raising Kris prior to the events of Deltarune, as she had frequently borrowed How To Care For A Human from the library.[155] Despite this, Toriel is patient and motherly, and finds most of Kris's antics endearing. She still holds Kris's hand when taking them to school in the present day, and keeps their childhood drawing in her classroom. Although she loves both Kris and Asriel equally, she tries to limit Kris's impulsiveness, such as locking the chocolate kisses in her room.[156]

Asgore For Asgore's perspective, see Asgore § Kris. Asgore overworld hug Kris.gif Kris receiving a hug from Asgore Asgore is Kris's adoptive father. When Kris was a young child, they used to watch Asgore's favorite cowboy program with him,[157] and played catch with him.[158] After he and Toriel's divorce, Kris does not live with him. It is unclear if they visited the Flower King shop prior to Deltarune. Kris appears to dislike some of the circumstances that have occurred to Asgore. This includes the lack of food in Asgore's refrigerator, as they refuse to take the last pickle. If the Egg was found, Kris puts the Egg inside the fridge without a prompt.[159] In the Police Station, Kris becomes uncomfortable while reading a news article, as they skim read before stopping entirely on Asgore getting fired.[160]

Susie For Susie's perspective, see Susie § Kris. In Chapter 1, Kris is initially intimidated by Susie's rough demeanor. After Susie warns Kris and they escape the spade storm together, Kris is no longer afraid of her.[161] When Susie emphasizes that she is counting on them to make the right choice, Kris later shields her from King's spade attack unprompted. After returning from their adventure, Kris can inform Toriel that they were hanging out with a friend, indicating that Kris had a good time with Susie. In contrast, Monster Kid's ridicule of Susie offends Kris after their adventure.[162]

During Chapter 2, more evidence of their friendship is shown through Kris's actions. They focus on Susie when they drink her Tea, and are distinctly compliant to Susie. If Kris inspects the "Susie-like statue" and "ICE-E statue", Susie wants the former, and insists Kris gets the latter for their room. Kris steals either or both without a prompt, even if the latter statue discomforts them.[163]

Susie and Kris overworld drink.gif Susie and Kris pour fruit juice in each other's mouths Throughout Chapters 3 and 4, Kris and Susie grow even closer. Kris is reassured by Susie's presence[164] and most moments during the Chapters when Kris's personality is shown are through their interactions with Susie, such as when Kris and Susie pour drinks into each other's mouths or when Kris lifts Susie without a prompt while she eats the snack tray outside Noelle's House. Kris is also shown to care a lot for Susie through the Sword Route, as Kris flinches away from the screen when the player directs them to kill HERO_AXE and, if the player attempts to use HERO_SWORD to attack Susie when she enters the room, Kris will pull her away. Kris is also shown on multiple occasions to enjoy staring at Susie.[165]

Ralsei For Ralsei's perspective, see Ralsei § Kris. Kris and Ralsei work together throughout Deltarune, including several times the two are separated from the rest of the party. Kris appears to be indifferent to Ralsei at first. It is implied that Kris likes Ralsei less than Susie in Chapter 2, as the Ralsei Tea restores less HP for them than the Susie Tea. Kris overworld comfort Ralsei.gif Kris comforting Ralsei However, as the story progresses, Kris occasionally shows some kindness towards Ralsei, such as laying flat on the ground next to him to "show him compassion" after he is stepped on by Susie during a scene in Chapter 4, or comforting him after Susie destroys the final part of the prophecy. Moreover, Kris will occasionally cover their mouth or cough mid-sentence if they are prompted to say something that would upset Ralsei.[166] As with Susie, Kris looks away from the screen when prompted to kill HERO