Ralsei-Like

"Anon, just over here, c'mon!!!", Ralsei yelled to you holding cotton candy, from across the entrance to the swan boat ride.
"I'm coming, Ralsei, just gimme one second!", you replied back, with a slight giggle in your voice at just how excited you're seeing the fluffy prince.
It was so nice seeing him so happy and eager to explore the world; it felt like only yesterday that he was just the lonely prince waiting for the heroes of the Prophecy. You eventually make your way up to the boat ride; swan boat is atop the massive river of acid, a full bench now freshly installed inside for visitors and tourists alike. There is now a steel barrier between you and the edge of the acid river.
Next to the entrance to the boat, sat a sign:
"Acid Replacement In Progress"
Under that sign, sat another sign:
"Seriously Bro There's Like Thousands Of Tons Of The Stuff Gimme Some Time With This"

You and the goat prince finally get to the boat seats.
"Are you ready, Anon?" Ralsei said, with an excited gleam coming from his bright eyes.
"I've been ready, haha", you said, brimming with equal excitement at the idea of finally spending some time alone with one of your best friends.
"Great! Lemme just throw away the rest of my cotton candy.. unless.. you want it?", the goat offered to you.
You throw up your hand to say no thanks, with just a simple "I'm good, thanks".
"Okay, just one second!"
Ralsei walked to the trash can sitting up against the wall and threw the cotton candy in the trash. The cotton candy was incinerated. There were no survivors.
Ralsei came rushing back into the boat; "Alright, let's set sail!!"
"Um.... that's... what they say... right, Anon?"
You always thought it was so adorable when he said such goofy things.
"Hehe, that's right, Rals! And we don't even have a sail", you replied, trying and failing to hold back a chuckle.
"H-haha, great... wait... do we need one?"
You are filled with the need to start the ride before your heart melts any further.
"Hahaha, trust me, we're going to fine! Let's just enjoy the ride, okay?", you say while pushing the boat away with your foot.
Finally, the boat starts to move down the river at a slow, but reasonable pace.
"Wow... this place hasn't really changed that much, has it?", Ralsei remarks to you, scanning the tunnel since the last time he was here. The TV's on the wall aren't playing anything except for the word "DVD" that keeps bouncing across the screen. On one of the islands, you notice a fairly cheap looking vacuum cleaner, with half of the hose melted off.
Next to it sits a sign that reads:
"BRB Finding Bigger Sucking Device"

A few minutes pass by; you find yourself all alone with Ralsei on the boat in a long, expansive tunnel, a green hue blankets the walls lit only by the acid that is somehow not melting the boat that is clearly made of wood.
"Anon... um... hey, Anon?", Ralsei sheepishly says, breaking the silence.
"What is it, Rals?", you reply, being ever more comfortable with the nickname you gave the dark prince not too long ago.
"I... really appreciate you coming out to have fun with me like this... it's so nice to be able to just have fun without having to worry about saving the world or anything, isn't it?", the goat prince says, as he flashes a bright smile at you.
"...spending time with you alone here is also nice, too..."
You could tell Ralsei's thoughts are starting to drift.
"..I-I mean, as friends!! Not in a weird way or anything..", he bleats out suddenly as he starts to blush.
You start to giggle at how flustered he's getting.
You knew Ralsei always has a hard time putting his thoughts together sometimes... at first at least.
"Ralsei... there's no way I would ever miss out on something like this with you", you say, looking right into Ralsei's eyes.
"When I heard you wanted to do this, well... I knew I was going to make the time for it, haha."
"You know... I love seeing you have fun like this, Rals. You're my friend after all.", you say to the prince's face, trying yourself to hide your own slight blushing.
Ralsei, on the other hand, is starting to blush even more.
"Wow, Anon... that.. really means a lot to me..."
"..."
"Wait, you'd... really make the time for me?", Ralsei says, snapping his head at you with an inquisitive smile on his face.
You instantly reply back; "Yeah! I guess I've always taken you as being shy, but seeing you here, so excited to hang out and have fun, well it..."
"It really does make me happy for you, Ralsei."
Ralsei clearly attempting to hide his wide smile from you, and is failing miserably.
"Ha... you know Anon, the more that I think about it... you could be doing anything right now! You could be anywhere, be with anybody... in the Dark World and the Light World! You could be anywhere in two whole worlds right now!... But..."
"...you're here with me..", the dark prince quietly admits to you whilst staring at the ground with a wide smile plastered on his face, still looking like he's processing the thought of you being here with him in this very moment.
You started to shuffle around a bit in the seat, inching closer to your fluffy friend as you can tell he starts to get more and more comfortable.
"Well... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, I guess, hah...
"You've grown so much, Rals. It really does feel like yesterday that you were that lonely, quiet goat that was just excited to have friends, now look; you're the one who wanted to come out here in the first place! I'm so proud of you, Ralsei...", as you say it, you almost feel a weight start to come off of your chest, as if you're finally starting to say things you've always wanted to.

"Ah..."
Ralsei's thoughts started to wander as he stares at the walls of the tunnel and remembers all of the good times he's had inside of it.
"You know... it's a really beautiful thing... having friends, isn't it? People that will stay by your side, help you, love you, just because you're you!...
"Like Susie! She's rude, she's selfish; it's like we're polar opposites! Yet... I wouldn't have it any other way. It's really nice when people are themselves, even if they're not perfect... don't you think?  her being her and me being...."
"....well..."
Ralsei started to look at the ground, seemingly unsure of what to say.
You put your hand on the fluffy prince's shoulder.
"I know exactly what you mean, Ralsei. I would have never, ever, ever thought I would have someone like you as a friend."
"You're kind, you're generous, you're caring... you're just about anything anybody could ask for in a friend, Rals.", you confess to the dark prince. The weight in your chest starts to lift once again.
Ralsei immediately started to blush even harder.
"Hah... I mean, isn't it crazy how we get the friends that we get? Like.. if you would have told me years ago that someone as kind as you would be one of my closest friends... I'd have said you were crazy! Like that'll ever happen, you know?", you say as your own mind starts to wander.
A small break in conversation occurs while Ralsei attempts to gather his thoughts
"You... really think I'm that nice?", the goat softly asks while still trying to hide his blushed face
You didn't expect such a simple question and are caught a little off-guard. You quickly gather your thoughts as you inch closer to Ralsei.
"I... c'mon Rals... you're like... one of the best people I know..."
You attempt to gather your thoughts once more as your head starts to feel lighter and feel a faint dizziness. You slowly start to look directly at Ralsei, only to be greeted by the same gentle, caring smile you've always known and loved looking right back at you.
"You're always there for me, with a smile on your face and a shoulder to cry on. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that we're friends...", you told the friendly goat as you try your best to hold back the tears that are trying to well in your eyes.
"Anon... I..."
"..."
"(Gosh, my heart's racing, haha)" Ralsei mutters to himself, as you both exchange a deep, contemplative period of eye contact for a few seconds.
The goat continues, "I just... I-I feel the same way about you! You're... you're always there for me, making me feel welcome...""..It means the world to me!"
"..."
Ralsei continues on, "But... you're right! I could have never thought that I would have such great friends, either! Why, I bet if I had to pick five people out of a lineup to be my friend and one of them was Susie, I probably would have never even thought about picking her! Haha!"
"... I could have really missed out on such a great friend... I don't know if that's how it happens in the Light World or not, but... I guess people don't really choose their friends, do they? They sort of... find us instead!"
"Yeah... they find us..."
"..."
You notice Ralsei becoming less on edge and nervous as his thoughts start to drift once more. Rather than staring at the walls of the tunnel, Ralsei is starting to look in your general direction, instead.

"You know... I really had no idea what to expect from a friend. I just have to be nice is all, right? That's all I had to do! People love it when they're treated with kindness... right? I didn't even know if anybody was ever going to come be my friend, it was so long...! I was so worried that something would go wrong, that I would mess up and... and...", Ralsei trails off, his blush starting to fade and looking visibly upset and distressed at something that come to his mind.
You inch even closer to your robed friend, and wrap one of your arms around him in a close and gentle side hug.
"Take your time, Ralsei. Everything's okay now", you assure the goat, as you gently stroke the side of his body. You can feel Ralsei's body ease up and calm down as it presses up against yours.
"Ah... th-thanks, Anon..."
"You see, you really are always there for me!...", Ralsei softly tells you as he flashes yet another soft, genuine smile at you, just inches away from yours at this point. Even after all this time, all of the time you've known him for, your heart still feels light when you see him so happy and thankful for you.
"... Hah... but now I realize... there's more to being nice, isn't there? Being friends with people is actually pretty complicated! But.. I wouldn't want it any other way. I wouldn't want anybody to be anything but themselves. Their own... complicated selves! Because people are complicated, right? And that's what makes them special... that's what makes you special.."
"..."
Ralsei's head shoots back up from his contemplative glare at you, "I-I'm sorry, am I not making any sense??"
"Hahaha, you're making perfect sense, Rals.", you assure Ralsei.
"In fact... you've never made more sense! I love having talks like these with you, finding more about you, it's really nice, haha..."
You notice Ralsei starting to blush just a little bit more.
"(Gosh...) To think... I even covered my face because I was so nervous! I made a hat to cover my horns and made sure no one could see me... isn't that silly?", the fluffy goat says, almost stifling a nervous laughter.
"I don't think there's anything silly about being nervous! It's natural to want to look your best for other people; make a great first impression. I can't even imagine being by yourself with that thought for that long...", you say, trying to empathize with him to the best of your abilities.

Ralsei's expression starts to drop by a small amount, as he looks towards the floor.
"..."
"It was... hard some days..."
"But I'm just.. still kind of embarrassed, you know? About my horns..."
"I've seen pictures of some people with white horns, some people with grey horns, and even some people with brown horns! But pink horns...?"
"Hah... who would ever think of something so silly?", Ralsei says, looks at the floor nervously laughing at himself.
You start to put your hand on Ralsei's head, gently stroking the top of his head, before touching his horns. You stroke one of Ralsei's horns, feeling the texture of it's surface. It almost feels... metallic, kind of glossy. Even though your focus is directed towards stroking Ralsei's head, you can sense the heat coming from his face as he starts blushing again.
"I think your horns look adorable, Ralsei. They match your fur beautifully... and your personality too!"
"And... they're so... you. I can't even begin to imagine you without them. They're very... Ralsei-like! ...Yeah! That's what it is! They're so... Ralsei-like!
"Even if you can't help feeling silly sometimes, isn't it such a beautiful thing to be... you?", you say, looking directly into Ralsei's eyes as you finish talking.
".....!?!"
"A-Anon, I... I can't even think straight right now, h-haha...", the dark prince tries to say as his smile comes back completely, as if it had never even left.
"I've never had anybody tell me that...
"(I mean, I've never had anybody tell me a lot of things...)"
"That just means... so, so much coming from you... haha"
"..."
Ralsei finally starts to gather his thoughts once more.
"B-But.. pink is actually my favorite color!! It's so soft looking, so cute... it reminds me of all of my friends! It's like the color of friendship, if you think about it..."
"Even my eyes are pink!"

Your eyes instantly shoot back at Ralsei in disbelief as you stop stroking his horns. "Wait.. you have pink eyes?", you ask in a very curious way.
"Yeah...! My glasses kind of hide it, but... I really do love the look of them! Even if it's kind of embarrassing sometimes, haha."
As Ralsei talks, you wonder how you've never noticed this. You make a mental note to make more eye contact with Ralsei in the future.
"I... I didn't know! Do... you think you'd be comfortable taking your glasses off for me?"
"..."
"If you want to, I mean!! I'd never want to push you to do something you weren't comfortable with after, all...", you say, trying your best to make your friend comfortable in the moment.
"You... you want to see them???"
"W-well, if you really want to, Anon... then... I'd be happy to take them off for you!!"
"(Gosh, it feels like I can trust you with anything, haha..)"
Ralsei nervously starts to take his green frames off, keeping them close to his chest to keep them from falling into the acid. They are prescription, after all.
His eyes reveal a bright, vivid shade of pink, almost perfectly matching his scarf and horns. You've never seen him without his glasses before, and you're completely taken aback. Your chest starts to tighten and the world around is starting to get blurry, with the beautiful goat princes' eyes being the only clear view you have.
"I... wow..."
"...", for the first time today, you've found yourself completely lost for words.
"Anon..?! You're staring... is something wrong? Are you okay?", Ralsei says with genuine concern coming from his voice.
"Ralsei... your eyes, they look... beautiful..."
"I just... can't stop looking at them!.... hah..."
"They're just so... you... it's funny, it feels like.. I'm finally looking at the real Ralsei, for the first time, haha", you say with your thoughts drifting as you continue to keep eye contact with the fluffy prince.
"A-Anon, I... do you... really think that??"
"Haha... my head's spinning and I can't stop laughing, I feel so happy! I'm so, so happy you're here with me right now, haha.."
"If it means anything to you, Anon... I've always thought you look beautiful too...", he says being more comfortable with eye contact.
"You really think I look beautiful?", you say in disbelief, but also excitement that the one you truly love feels that way about you.
"Y-Yeah!! I mean... seeing your face just... makes me feel so happy, you know? It's how I know that today's going to be great!", the prince admits to you with genuine excitement.
You're taken aback even more by Ralsei's words, in absolute shock that someone you feel so strongly about feels the exact same way that you do. You feel as if you've never truly felt closer to another being than the one that is literally right in front of you. Your mind is racing, your heart is pounding, and you've never, ever, ever felt better.
You try your best to compose yourself and hold back tears, "I... wow... nobody's really ever said I was beautiful... that means so much to me, Ralsei, really..."
Ralsei finally puts his glasses back on. The idea of how his glasses stay on his face without having normal ears never enters your mind even once.
"H-hah... it's the truth... honestly, I would even dream of seeing you and Kris and Susie after you would leave for the day. I used to be really sad when I was left alone, but... it got a lot better! It's like... I never have to worry about being left alone anymore, because I know you're all thinking about me and will be back before I know it!"
"It's like, you're still here with me, even when you aren't!... I'm sorry, does that make any sense?", Ralsei says
"You've never stopped making sense, Ralsei, haha."

"As long as we're telling the truth, I always just want to come right back whenever I leave you, Rals. I'm always thinking of the next time I can come down here and see you again. I could be in the kitchen making a sandwich, or watching a movie, and then I'll start thinking something along the lines of, 'I wonder if I have enough time to see Ralsei after school tomorrow'."
"...There's almost never a time when I'm not thinking about you, Ralsei..."
"..."
As you speak, you start to hold Ralsei's hand while it's resting on the bench. He doesn't seem to mind you, and even begins to feel around your hand as well. His fur is soft, and velvety. You've never truly had the opportunity to really feel it before. He has claws, but they're small, completely dull, and smooth, as if he personally takes the time to file them down. You can feel him touching your hand as well, feeling your knuckles, your nails; you wonder if he's ever done the same with a human's hand.
You finally break the silence, "If only phones worked down here, am I right?!"
"Hahaha! Yeah!! Gosh, if I could just call you every time I missed you, I...."
"...That would be so lovely...", he says as his pupils visibly dilate.
"...I never realized how much I loved having friends until right now, haha"
"Yeah... love! That's the right word...", he says as you can visibly tell that his thoughts are trailing off yet again.
"Is that how you feel, Rals? Do you feel like you love your friends?", you ask
"You know... I didn't think so before, but... every time I think about all of the fun times, adventures, and... moments like this... and everything that we all still having waiting for us in the future... haha... my chest kind of tightens and my entire body feels... feathery... like I could lift off of the ground at any moment!"
"I guess if that's not what love is, I don't know what is!"
"...B-but, just as friends!!", he reiterates.

"Ralsei... can I ask you a serious question?", you say with a slightly less playful tone.
"Of course! You can ask me anything, Anon.", he says with excitement that one of his friends actually wants to come to him for answers.
"What if... you loved someone more than a friend?", you asked with a straight face.
".........."
"uhm......"
"Wow, I don't...... I've never thought of that!...", he says, completely caught off guard by such a foreign question to him.
"I've been so caught up in the excitement of being friends with people, I... never even considered something like that being out there...", he says still pondering the idea of what "more than a friend" truly even means.
"What if... I love you more than a friend?", as you finish asking, you lean in to finally hug Ralsei; your arms reaching behind him and bringing him in close to your body in a full embrace, all before he's even fully processed what he's just been asked.
"??????"
"A-Anon???"
"I.... do you really mean that????", he somehow manages to say while still wrapped in your arms.
Your head resting on his shoulders, feeling his soft, pink scarf, you finally find the courage to tell Ralsei how you truly, truly feel. "A-Absolutely..! Ralsei... you're the best friend I've ever had in my life. Everything you do is filled with genuine excitement and love for life, you've always been here when I needed you, you're sensitive but assertive, you're so adorable and beautiful... I love seeing you grow and be happy more than anything..."
"I just... don't know how else I can put it, Ralsei... I love you."
The weight in your chest has now completely disappeared as you finally begin to lose composure. Telling the person you love more than anything in the world your true feelings while feeling their heart race right next to yours, tears finally start to stream down your face.
Not even bothering to pull himself together, Ralsei wraps his own arms around your body to complete the embrace and finally begins to start crying as well, after wanting to for the past hour of being with his closest friends. You can feel his body tremble all over as he presses his body up against yours.
"I... ah....", he says as he tries to let out how he feels in this moment.
"Anon.. I thought I wouldn't know what to say, but..."
"I know that I can always rely on you, for help, for fun, it doesn't matter! You're always there... with a  smile on your face too!.."
"I just feel like I can trust you with anything! It doesn't matter what it is, you're there to help me through anything. I-I mean, look at me! I'm crying!.. But.. I don't feel uncomfortable anymore. I feel like.. I can truly be myself in front of you. I... can be Ralsei-like!!", Ralsei finishes saying, proud of himself that everything is finally out in the open. You and Ralsei continue hugging and embracing for several second, tears welling in both of your eyes as you share this moment of pure, reciprocal love.
Ralsei starts to wipe the tears from his eyes with his scarf, not caring if it might get stained in the process.
"Gosh, I... hahaha... I probably look like such a mess... but that's okay when I'm with you, Anon."
"..."
"Oh, that reminds me!!!"

Ralsei quickly pulls away from you in order to start reaching into his robe, searching for something.
"I was planning on giving you this when I left the castle, but I convinced myself not to when we finally met up. After what you've said to me today, though... I figured I should just go for it!
"It's a bracelet! I messed it up, though... and I don't have enough supplies to make another one... it's so embarrassing! But... I hope you like it either way!!", Ralsei pulls his hand out of his robe pocket and hands you a wrist bracelet with heart shaped beads and what looks like custom painted beads that have crude drawings of his face on it.
There are also letter beads spelling out a word.
"Freinds"
You spend a few seconds staring at the bracelet in your hand, not even fully processing how the person who keeps telling you how important school is misspelled the word "friends". "Ralsei... you... made this for me?", you say with an air of incredulity in your voice.
"H-Hah... yeah... I thought it would have been silly, but..."
"I guess silly things are pretty Ralsei-like, right? Haha!..", your fluffy friend says, flashing another warm smile at you once more.
"Hah, wow I... it's totally you!! I never knew you were so into arts and crafts!"
"You know, I've... never gotten a gift like this from someone... I'll wear it as much as I possibly can!"

You equipped the Freindship Bracelet on your right arm.
Your Freindship went up by 10. Whatever that means.

"I'll treasure it always, Rals. Thank you so much...", you give a warm smile of your own to Ralsei for the present.
"I'm so glad you like it!!! I was a little nervous, admittedly, but-"
"..."
"Oh- look, Anon! We're almost at the end!"
In the distance, you see the end of the tunnel. The boat approaches the camera, now on a modern tripod with an actual landing to adjust it. As the boat approaches, the light turns red and prepares to take a picture. You and Ralsei both get up from your seat and start to face the camera.
"This is my favorite part!! Should we pose? Maybe we do a peace sign, something else, or-"
You interrupt Ralsei mid-sentence to turn him around towards you, and then lean in to kiss him on the lips. You maneuver your right hand down to his left hand and start holding it; lifting it up just enough so that the camera is able to capture it in the photo. You can physically feel Ralsei's heart jump from his chest as he begins to tremble again.
Alright, NOW you've never, ever, ever felt better.
(Anon???!?!?), Ralsei thinks to himself, right before the camera flashes and prints two pictures that fall to the ground of the landing.
Anon slowly releases his lips from Ralsei's and let's go of his hand, "H-hah... how was that for a pose?"
"Anon... That..."
"!!!... Wait a second!" Ralsei immediately turns towards the camera and runs to put up the photos from the ground to make sure they do not fall in the acid.
"Yes!! I got them!! Now we can remember this forever...", Ralsei says as he walks his way back onto the boat before it starts to move once more.
"Anon, that was... the best boat ride I've ever had... thank you so much..."
"...and.. if you want to get together and have more boat rides like that... why, that'd be amazing!"

With the swan boat finally at the end of the tunnel, both you and Ralsei finally walk out, stretching your legs from sitting down for so long. Leaning next to the wall by the exit is the exact same vacuum cleaner you saw near the entrance, but almost 10 feet tall, with half the hose melted off, yet again.
Next to it is a sign:
"BRB Getting Something Else IDK I Give Up Lmao"
Ralsei starts to eagerly pull on your shirt to get your attention, "Look Anon, they're starting to develop! Here, you can write on yours while I write on mine!"
Just as he says that, Ralsei inexplicably pulls out two pens and give one of them to you.

You got the Pen. +1AT

"Thanks, Rals!..."
"..."
"Wait... do you just always keep two pens in your robe?", you asked, finally acknowledging something weird happening.
Without a lick of embarrassment or shame, Ralsei turns around, and with a silly grin on his face, he instantly replies back, "You never know when you need to write something down!"
You feel a slight sense of pride at Ralsei saying something like that and not apologizing for once, "Hah... that's such a you thing to say!"
Ralsei writes on the bottom of his copy of the photograph, "Best boat ride ever!", while Anon approaches him from behind.
"So, Rals... how do you feel about being... you know.. together?"
It takes Ralsei a second to figure out what you mean. "Together...? OOH!!! You mean like...... boyfriends?" Ralsei starts to blush at the fact that he actually said the word "boyfriend".
"Yeah! Boyfriends! We can do things like this every day together, with all our friends too!"
"We could do stuff that I like, or... maybe we could do Ralsei stuff... whatever you want!...", you say as you yourself start to blush just as hard.
"Gosh Anon, that sounds... absolutely wonderful..."
"Hah... I thought my body felt like light before, but... I feel like I could fly all the way up into the sky!", Ralsei says as he looks at the photo in his hand; no longer blushing, but smiling lovingly.
"Wow... that's such a beautiful picture..."
Ralsei turns to look at you. "You know what it needs?"
"Oh, what?", you ask.
"A FRAME!!! I have just the thing for it back at the castle!!", Ralsei yells as he turns to run in the direction of the castle as fast as he can.
"Wha-"
"RALSEI, WAIT! YOUR PEN!!"

The Pen became the Forgotten Pen. +1AT

You look at the pen in your hand that Ralsei gave you, more amused than anything. An overall sense of satisfaction and contentment washes over you, knowing the person you love the most in this life not only loves you in the same way, but is happier than ever. As you look back on the tunnel of acid, you remember all of the great, wonderful times you've had with your best friend now-turned lover. A sense of hope and anticipation overwhelms you as you begin to think about the future you two may have together. Where will it lead you? What type of people will you both become? Who will be there with you? You honestly don't have the answers, but what you do know in this very moment, is that you will always be by Ralsei's side; and that is a promise that will never change.

Although you now need to make your way back to the castle to meet back up with everybody, you take this moment alone to finally write on the photograph. Gripping the pen, you write at the very bottom on the photograph,

"First true love"

End.