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Chapter Text

When Ralsei came to awareness, finding himself on a store shelf filled with stuffed toys and children's books, he knew only two things for certain about himself. His name and his purpose. He was meant to bring a young Lightener joy, to be their best friend, their comforter.

That's what he was meant to do, and in return, the Lightners would bless him with form, give him movement and joy and life.

He was one of the few who knew what the Lightners saw him as. A toy, a plush goat monster with bright green robes and a pointed hat. He was small, the perfect size to fit comfortably in a Lightner child's arms to be held and cuddled.

But he knew in his optimistic little heart that one day he would find the one whose soul would awaken him. Allow him to run in the Light World in his true form alongside his new best friend. And he couldn't wait. He wondered what they looked like. What their name would be. What games they liked to play, and if they'd love the colorful books on the store shelf as much as he did.

He couldn't wait. And he made a silent promise that he would be the bestest best friend.

So he put up with it when the elderly Lightner that purchased him put him in a box and taped it shut. When he had to sit in the darkness for what felt like forever as his box was moved and jostled by both people and vehicles. It was very scary, but it would take him to his new best friend, so Ralsei kept a smile on his face.

After what felt like years, he could hear the tearing of paper, and then bright light nearly blinded him as someone ripped the box open and small hands lifted him out. As his eyes adjusted, he saw he was in a big room with a pretty tree with lights and bulbs on it, and that there was colorful paper scattered over the white carpet. He still couldn't move yet, but he was still excited. This looked like such a fun place to play!

But when he was turned to face the one holding him, and looked into the green eyes of a blond haired boy of around ten, dressed in a black T-Shirt with a logo of some character he couldn't recognize and black jeans, he was met not with joy, but with disgust and annoyance.

"Aww, Aunt Margie always sends the lamest gifts!" the boy complained. He tossed Ralsei to the side amid a pile of wrapping paper. Ralsei wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He couldn't even move; the boy's callous orange soul giving him no spark of light.

"Come now, Bradley, she means well." a blond haired woman, probably Bradley's mother, scolded weakly.

"Yeah, but why does she always give me dumb stuffed animals? I'm not a little kid any more! Or a girl!" Bradley argued.

"She did it because she loves you." his father, a portly man with brown hair scolded. "She knows you love fantasy, she wanted to make you happy."

"I know. I wish she'd sent me a fantasy VIDEO GAME like I ACTUALLY like though." Bradley grumbled.

"Well, if you don't want it, we'll throw it out, but you still need to thank her. It's the thought that counts."

"No! Please! Don't throw me out! I can be cool! I promise! I know a lot of great games! We can do whatever you want!" Ralsei pleaded, but Bradley and his family couldn't hear him. Instead, Bradley just tore into his next gift, whooping when he found a video game.

Ralsei was left alone, ignored and forgotten.

...

The next day, he was unceremoniously dumped into a cardboard box without care on top of some clothing like he was an object(and he knew to them he was), and carried to the side of the road, his box set down next to the trash can despite his cries and pleading to be back inside.

It was bitterly cold, and the snow soaked his fur, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't crawl under the clothes for shelter. He couldn't even move. No one believed in him, no one loved him, and in the Light World, this was the only way Darkners could take form. He was filled with despair and heartbreak as he waited to be taken away by the garbagemen like he had seen happen to the damaged toys in the store.

And then something else took him, but it was no better than them. A big brown dog was running loose wildly up and down the road, and mistaking him for a doggy toy, grabbed him in its mouth and shook him roughly as it ran down the street like a maniac. Ralsei cried out as his robes tore and the teeth sank through his leg, but like the others, the dog didn't hear him.

Just as he expected to be torn to shreds, a blue van came rolling up. The dog dropped him, and Ralsei landed on his face. He could hear the dog's footsteps run away from him, nails clicking on the road, and the voice of a male Lightner.

"Bowser, you had us scared! I know there was probably a squirrel or something, but you still shouldn't have jumped out the window!" Ralsei could hear the dog panting happily as the man cooed over him. "Now c'mon, let's go home."

The van soon drove away, and Ralsei was left alone again, cold and hurting facedown on the edge of the icy road. Despite what the dog had done, he was glad it was getting to go home, that it had someone who loved it enough to come looking.

But it hurt even more that he didn't.

He faded in and out, praying desperately for someone to help him. To no longer be alone.

And someone came.

"Oh no, you're hurt!" a little voice gasped, and gentle hands lifted him up off the ground, one tenderly cradling his injured leg. Warmth and energy flowed through Ralsei, bringing him back to awareness. He looked into the kind brown eyes of a little girl around his age with wild brown hair that just touched her shoulders. She wore a tattered dark blue jacket that swam over her tiny body, and a worn out bright pink scarf that blew in the wind like a hero's cape. She had a brilliant soul, bright red, the color of love, shining like a guiding ember in a dark night.

His hero smiled reassuringly, taking off her scarf and wrapping it around him, cradling him in her arms. "Don't worry, it'll all be okay! I'll take you home and make you all better!"

Still too cold and tired to try to see if he could take his Darkner form yet, Ralsei simply snuggled into the warmth of the scarf and his savior's soul as she carried him down the street, and after about ten minutes, to a run-down two story house.

"Here we are!" she said cheerfully as she brought him inside. It wasn't as warm as the other house, or as fancy, the furniture worn and the floors wooden and scuffed, but it felt so much more like home.

The little girl set him on the couch and took off her jacket, revealing that she was wearing a pink shirt with a big gold star on it. Ralsei noticed she was rather small and thin, but it didn't dim her bright, reassuring smile as she tucked her jacket around him. "There, all warm and cozy! Now just wait and I'll get some stuff to fix your leg and clean you up!"

With that, she disappeared into another room and Ralsei, feeling warmer and stronger from both the girl's kindness and her warm clothing, experimentally moved his arm, lighting up when he found he could finally move. Now it was time for the ultimate test.

He concentrated, his whole body glowing and growing to his true size, only a little taller than the girl who saved him. He grinned widely. This wonderful Lightner, with her soul filled with Love, had given him his form, given him movement and hope and joy. He knew she'd still likely be the only one who could see him like this rather than his Light World form, but now he could run around and play with her! He just hoped she could see him like this.

The little girl returned, smiling. "I'm back! I got the-" Her eyes went as wide as saucers as they met the pink ones of the little goat boy with glasses that was now sitting on her couch in the place of the little stuffed toy she had left, and Ralsei was now worried. Had he scared her?

"H-Hi." he said shyly. "I-I'm Ralsei."

She jolted when he spoke and her eyes somehow got even bigger, and Ralsei feared she'd scream or run away, but instead she beamed and bounced excitedly. "You can talk! And you're as big as me now! That's so cool! How'd you do that?" She then blushed. "Sorry, um, that was rude. I'm Frisk."

"Don't worry! It wasn't rude! And this is my real form! This is what I really look like, but most people can only see me as a stuffed toy." he told her.

She frowned. "That's really sad. Why can't they see you as you really are?"

"I dunno." Ralsei admitted, then winced as he moved his torn leg wrong.

Frisk hurried over to him. "Here, I'll fix it! My mommy taught me to sew, so I can make your leg all better!" She pulled out a needle and thread, and a damp cloth. Tenderly she cleaned the mud and snow off his fur and robes before tending to the gash. She pushed the cotton back in as gently as possible and then sewed up the gash, fumbling a bit, but being as careful as she could. Soon she had it fixed, the stitches a little ragged and uneven, but sturdy and strong. She also fixed the rip in his robes, though had no green thread so had to use the same white thread she had used for his leg. Ralsei didn't care and was just happy and grateful to be so tenderly cared for, to have someone who was so kind and saw him for who he was.

"There! All done! Do you feel better?" Frisk asked as she put the needle and thread away.

Ralsei moved his leg experimentally, realizing it didn't hurt any more. Taking Frisk's offered hand, he got off the couch and took a few steps. He grinned. "Yeah! Thank you so much!"

She grinned back. "You're welcome! Would you like to play?" She then frowned. "Or do you have to go home?"

"I-I don't have a home." Ralsei admitted softly.

"I'm sorry." Frisk said sadly and gave him a hug. "But you don't have to worry any more. You can stay with me!"

Ralsei teared up, leaning into the hug and hugging her back tightly. "T-Thanks, Frisk."

Frisk held him close and stroked the back of his head comfortingly, and when he felt better, she smiled. "Wanna go see my room, well your and my room now? Or are you hungry? I can make you macaroni and cheese! Mommy taught me how to make it all by myself so I wouldn't have to bother her when I was hungry!" she offered.

Frisk talking so candidly about her mom teaching her to cook so she wouldn't "bother" her when she was hungry struck Ralsei as wrong, as from the short time he had been in Bradley's house, he had seen the boy's mom cook for him, but Frisk seemed so proud of the fact that she could cook all by herself that Ralsei didn't comment on it. Instead he smiled. "Can we see your room first?"

"Sure!" Frisk took his hand and happily led him upstairs, taking him to the first door on the right. She opened it with a flourish. "Tada!"

Frisk's room was fairly small with worn out carpeting and beige walls, though Frisk had made them much more bright and colorful with little drawings and clippings from magazines of cute animal pictures taped on them. She had a single bed, a closet with a few sets of worn out clothes in it, and a wooden table with some small books, some papers, and a little dingy lamp on it. A small backpack sat by the bed. As Ralsei walked in, he also noticed a little handmade sign reading Frisk's Room in a childish scrawl surrounded by little stars. It was a warm and comforting room, except for the fact that Frisk had barely any toys, only a ball sitting inside the closet and some little paper dolls that it looked like she had made herself. He remembered how Bradley had gotten many action figures, and games, and right before he had been thrown out, he had seen into Bradley's room when his father had taken him to be thrown in the box with the rest of the unwanted items, it had been jam packed with even more toys and games. Frisk barely had anything.

But Frisk didn't seem to mind. She just grinned and grabbed the ball from her closet. "Wanna play?"

Ralsei grinned. "Sure!"

Chapter Text

Two weeks passed and Ralsei found he loved living with Frisk more and more. She was so friendly and sweet and always knew the best games to play. But there was one thing that detracted from his happiness, and it was a big thing, because it hurt the best friend he had ever remembered having.

Frisk's parents were NOTHING like their daughter.

They were barely around, leaving Frisk to fend for herself much of the time, and when they WERE around, they were apathetic and uncaring, mostly ignoring their small daughter, who wanted nothing more than to please them. Like she had mentioned that first day, she made most of her meals herself, and one morning when she had made them all bowls of cereal, they had just eaten it without saying thank you. When she tried to tell them about her day, she was met with one- or two-word responses, or told to go play, which she would, but Ralsei noticed it hurt her, and did his best to cheer her up.

And it all came to a head one afternoon, an afternoon that had started out really happy for Frisk. She came running home from school and up to her room with a bounce in her step and sparkles in her eyes. "Ralsei! Ralsei! I got all my letters written down right and Mr. Williams gave me a gold star sticker!"

Ralsei grinned and hugged her. "That's amazing, Frisk! I'm so proud of you!"

Frisk wriggled happily, bouncing even more. "And he said I did so good this week that I got to choose a prize from the treasure chest!" She pulled a little book out of her backpack and held it up proudly for Ralsei to see. The book was titled The Magic Castle and had a beautifully illustrated castle on the front, a happy little boy and girl standing in front of it proudly. "Isn't it great?! I can't wait to read it with you!"

Ralsei nodded happily. "It looks awesome!"

Just then, they heard the front door open. Frisk opened her door and cautiously went to the stairs, checking to see who it was. Her eyes lit up when she saw her mother come in, the brown-haired woman shuffling towards the couch tiredly.

"Mommy's home!" Frisk cheered, grabbing Ralsei's hand. "Let's go tell her about my test and show her my new book!" She grinned from ear to ear. "Maybe she'll read it to us!"

Ralsei followed her as she hurried down the stairs, but part of him, while he wanted to believe that Frisk's mother would do exactly that for Frisk's sake, was worried, remembering how little Frisk's mommy and daddy seemed to care about the things she told them before. He was scared they were, once again, going to hurt her feelings. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Frisk that. She was so happy right now, and his worries might be for nothing.

Frisk ran over to her mother, who was lying on the couch, burying her head in a pillow. "Mommy! Mr. Williams said I did extra good on writing my letters, so he gave me a gold star!" She held out her test happily. "See?"

"That's nice, Frisk," her mother mumbled, making no effort to look at the test or even move her head.

Ralsei frowned, not that Frisk's mother could see it, but Frisk was too excited to be dissuaded by her mother's lack of interest. "And he also said that I did so good this week that I got to pick a prize from the treasure chest! So I picked this book!" She put the test paper back and held out her book proudly. "It's called The Magic Castle, and it's about a little boy and girl who get a set of magic blocks from the boy's grandma that can bring anything they build to life! Can you read it to me and Ralsei? Please?"

Her mother groaned. "Frisk, I have a horrible headache, and I'm exhausted. You're perfectly capable of reading to yourself. Take your stuffed toy and go play or something so I can sleep."

Ralsei's heart ached as he saw Frisk's smile fall. She shuffled her feet a bit and looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry you're not feeling well, Mommy," she apologized, looking worried. She then smiled again. "But don't worry! I'll take care of you and make you feel all better!" She set her book down on the couch, then ran off, quickly returning with a glass of water in her hands, which she set down on the coffee table in front of her mom, who didn't seem to notice or care. Still, Frisk didn't give up. "And I know what to do to make you feel even better! Mr. Williams always reads us a story before we take a nap at school, so Ralsei and I can read to you!" She plopped down on the couch at her mother's feet, jostling the couch slightly, shifting closer to her mother and bumping her slightly as she made room for Ralsei to join them, which he did. She opened her book, spreading it across her and Ralsei's laps so he could see the pictures too and began to read. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Oliver and a little girl named Lily. They were the best of friends and loved to play together. One day, Oliver's grandmother gave them a sp-spee cell?"

Ralsei looked over the book, taking a minute himself to remember what the word was. "Special," he told her with a smile.

Frisk's eyes lit up. "Special! Thanks, Ralsei!" she said happily before continuing the story. "Oliver's grandmother gave them a special set of magic blocks. "These are no ord-ord-" She struggled a bit with the word, then slowly sounded it out. "Or-din-ary... Ordinary!" she cheered. "These are no ordinary blocks," Oliver's grandmother said. "If you..."

"Damn it, Frisk, will you stop talking?!" Frisk's mother yelled, causing Frisk and Ralsei to jump and turn towards the woman, whose cold blue eyes glared at her daughter. "I TOLD you I had a headache and to leave me alone! Why can't you ever listen?! You're so annoying sometimes I can't stand it!"

Ralsei could only stare in horror and anger as Frisk's own mother shouted such cruel words at his best friend. "How-How could you just..." He turned to look at Frisk, who sank lower and lower at each word, her eyes filling with tears as her tiny body shook. He touched her shoulder. "Frisk..."

Before he could say any more, Frisk leapt off the couch, her book falling to the floor. A soft sob escaping her, she fled the room.

"Frisk!" Ralsei called after her, but she was already gone. He glared at Frisk's mother, who was now sitting on the couch, watching her daughter run off with a complicated expression. He shook with rage. "You were mean to her! You go say sorry!" he screamed at her, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see his Dark World form.

And of course, she couldn't hear him either. Instead she shook her head and sighed softly, wincing and running her fingers through her short brown hair before making herself comfortable on the couch again. "...She's tough. She'll get over it," she muttered to herself before closing her eyes.

Ralsei knew Frisk wouldn't.

Giving his best friend's mother one last glare, he picked up Frisk's book and ran upstairs after her.

...

"Frisk?" Ralsei asked softly as he walked into the room, his heart breaking as he saw her sobbing brokenly on the bed. He climbed up on the bed, wrapping his arms around her. "Oh, Frisk..."

Frisk turned and clung to him, sobbing. "Why'd Mommy yell at me, Ralsei?" she whispered, her tears soaking his fur. "Why don't Mommy or Daddy like me or want to play with me? Am I bad?"

Ralsei held her closer, tears running down his face too. "No, Frisk, you're not bad! You're the kindest person I've ever met." Anger filled him. "They're the ones that are bad! You're always so nice to them and they're mean to you. That's not okay."

"I was noisy and being annoying when Mommy had a headache," Frisk mumbled. "That's why she was mad. It's my fault."

"No, it's not your fault! You were trying to help her feel better. You're not annoying in the slightest, and even if you were, she shouldn't have been so mean," Ralsei insisted. "I-I don't remember my parents, but I remember the parents in the store I used to be in, and Bradley's parents, and they weren't mean to their children! They loved them, and you don't treat people you love the way your mommy and daddy treat you."

"Then-Then why don't Mommy and Daddy love me?" Frisk asked softly, and Ralsei's heart broke even further as he tried to figure out what to say to make her feel better. What could he say?

"I...I don't think it's that. ...Maybe...Maybe their heads and souls are too messed up to know how to love anyone correctly," he said softly. "Maybe they don't know how to be good. But no matter what it is, it's not your fault, only theirs. You're the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful person I've ever met, and I love you, Frisk." He nuzzled her softly. "You're my best friend in the whole entire world."

She hugged him back. "You're my best friend too. I love you, Ralsei."

He smiled with tears in his eyes, holding her closer. After a little while, he smiled softly, having an idea that might cheer her up a little. "I brought your book upstairs. Why don't I read it to you?"

She smiled for the first time since coming up here. "I'd like that."

...

Together, Frisk and Ralsei read through Oliver and Lily's adventures in the magic castle, admiring the pictures. At the end of the story, Oliver's grandmother came to take them home.

"As they walked away, Oliver and Lily turned back and looked at the magic castle. It was still there, standing tall and proud," Ralsei read. "They knew that as long as they had their imaginations, they could always return to the magic castle and have new adventures."

Frisk's eyes shone. "That was amazing! I wish we had a set of blocks like that!" she said. "Then we could have a big castle to live in and have lots of adventures every day!"

Ralsei smiled, taking both her hands in his. "When I get big and strong enough to use magic and find my old home, wherever that is, I'll take you with me and build you a really big castle just like the one in this book! I promise!"

"Really?" Frisk asked in wonder.

"Yeah! And we can even build a whole town along with it! We'll call it Castletown, and it'll have lots of shops and places to play, and we'll make lots of friends and we can all live together and be happy!" Ralsei said excitedly. "We won't have to ever be alone again!"

Frisk's eyes lit up. "That'd be so great!"

The two best friends curled together under the blankets, happily discussing what their castle and town would look like and what they'd do in it.

Creating a world that one day would become real, one that Frisk's parents would never be allowed to touch.