Lost Soul

Chapter Sixteen

Cross feels very awkward watching Error's strange friend be so....... emotional. Anger, annoyance, fear, bloodlust. Those emotions, Cross is more familiar with. Living with serial killers and a cannibal will do that, not to mention a literal embodiment of negativity. Concealing his emotions is one of the first things that Cross learned as a royal guard in his AU. Emotions are dangerous. They can easily be used against you. Cross has perfected the distant look of disapproval that permanently graces his face. Error's anger is normal and practically expected. He pretty much bullied Nightmare into joining this little mission since Error bailed them all out on a raid a while ago.

This 'Soul' is not at all what Cross expected. If the Destroyer of Worlds has a friend, than surly they must be as deranged as Error, right? Soul wears his heart on his sleeve. Even with a face that's supposedly not his own, every emotion that Soul feels is plain as day. He seems to almost feel them a bit more fiercely than he should. If Cross concentrates, he swears that he can feel some sort of residue of it.

"Are you really going through with this?" a voice growls in his ear. Cross doesn't respond or even look over his shoulder at the ghost child who he shares a soul with. They've gotten along a bit better in the last few years, but this is one such argument that Chara is throwing a fit over. "That thing is a freak."

'He's not that different than you,' Cross shoots back, keeping their conversation within the confines of his mind. Cross doesn't want interrupt Error's yelling. 'Besides, Error would probably break my legs and leave me here if I said no now.' Cross's soul is unique. It's made of half a monster soul and half of a human's. After Error explained Soul's even stranger situation, he's decided that Soul should be able to hitch a ride with Cross without taking over. Cross's soul is already used to dealing with more than one inhabitant. Based on the way that Error's described Soul's tendency to take on traits of whoever he's inside, Cross doubts that Soul is strong enough to win against someone who actually knows how to resist. That's just a theory, however.

Cross must have been spacing out because that next thing he's aware of is Error yanking him closer to the bars by the sleeve of his coat. He missed a few minutes of conversation between the two.

"We dOn't havE to brEak you ouT all," Error explains, "You arE just going to HItch a Ride with Cross Here."

"Are you sure?" Soul asks incredulously, looking at Cross. No one has ever volunteered themselves before.

"It'll be fine. Probably," Cross mutters, a little uncomfortable, but resigned. The mission has to be completed. "We need to hurry up and get back to the others." Cross holds out his hand through the bars. Soul flinches back a little at first, but hesitantly grabs the offered hand. Cherry collapses immediately. It'll take him quite some time to wake up after that he's been through.

The first thing that Soul processes is the distinct pressure that's keeping him firmly out of the rest of Cross's mind. Soul almost cheers in relief when he doesn't sense even one memory or rouge emotion. The second thing that he realizes is that Soul is defiantly not touching the ground. He jerks in the air and gasps as the motion sends him tumbling upside down. He's like a ghost! Still upside down, Soul finally notices Cross and the ghost human hovering his shoulder. Both of them are staring at Soul in surprise.

"Do yOu got hiM?" Error asks when Cross goes quiet.

"Yeah....," Cross trails off, but regains focus after a moment. "You're friend is really...... strange looking." Cross finds himself almost unable to look away, over analyze every bit little of Soul's appearance.

"You cAn do youR crEepy anAlyis later," Error grumbles, recognizing the look on Cross's face. "We nEed to mOve."

Soul giggles when he's yanked through the air after Cross. Error leads them back through the turns and twists of the hallways. As they move, the sounds of battle get louder. It finally clicks in Soul's head that someone has been outside creating a distraction so that Error and Cross could slip inside. It makes Soul happy that Error has people that he can rely on, even if Cross doesn't look too enthused to be here. Actually, Soul can't really tell what Cross is feeling at all. The black and white skeleton wears a perfectly blank face. Soul is usually pretty good at reading facial expressions. It feels suddenly odd to not know what's his host is feeling.