Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The November rain pelts down on my casing like tiny bullets, so cold that my heating coil is struggling to keep up and keep me warm. I hug myself tightly, shivering uncontrollably as I tread along the path through the quiet forest.

"I think we're almost there, canary. It shouldn't be long before we reach his old sanctuary," Bloody murmurs to me, looking me over in worry. He knows better than to ask if I just want to head back home to warm up, I've already told him and Bleed no three times. I understand their concern but I have to see it for myself, just to be sure...

"Y- yeah, we're g- g- getting close. Just a- a bi- bit longer," I reply, and no matter how I try I still stutter terribly.

The twins exchange glances, eyes rife with worry. I let out a breath and gently pat their shoulders, but any reassurances vanish from my mind the moment the path opens to a clearing. And there we find it- Killcode's RV, his old home. The door hangs open and the lights within are out- the battery probably failed after a while. It's all just dark, cold and... Empty.

Regardless, I push forward, looking over the ground as carefully as I can for any sign of KC's... Remains. The twins reluctantly do the same, and Bleed eventually speaks up,

"I think this is the spot where it happened. Where father met his end..." I look his way, and he points to a spot on the ground that looks about right to where Killcode's perspective had been in the video, though it's long-since been taken down just out of respect to his memory. Stepping over, I observe the ground for anything before kneeling, turning on my glow feature for extra light as I start to comb through the mud. "Sun, if- if there's anything left to find, I doubt that nature has been kind. Weather and time worked together, and his traces are likely victim to rust and decay- as much as it doesn't bring me any pleasure to say..."

"I- I know. I know," I sigh softly, looking back up at Bleed miserably, still shaking from the cold. "But I j- just need to be sure of that. It's been w- weighing on me for weeks now. What if there is something h- h- here? What if it could be restored? Even if K- Killcode still only wants the one life, I'll feel a lot b- better about it knowing that we made sure he has the option."

He only nods and murmurs a quiet, "I understand. Let's get back to the matter at hand..." Though, I don't miss the quick glance he shoots Bloody. Stars, they must think I'm crazy...

I just keep sifting through the mud, pausing as I touch something sharp and solid. My stomach turns and I bite my lip, starting to dig a bit and turning up fragments of faded white and purple casing. Bleed immediately turns away and Bloody chokes back some pained sound.

"That bastard," He whispers, his voice strained with emotion. "They really did break him to pieces, and for what? Just- just for being good?" He clenches his fists tightly and lets out a low, furious growl. "The next time I see that damn imposter, I'm going do to them exactly what they did to father, and I'm going to enjoy leading that lamb to their slaughter! Rip them asunder-!"

As Bloody rages on, Bleed finally turns back and kneels down with me as I continue to uncover Killcode's remains. His eyes are glossy with tears, a rare and agonizing sight that makes me regret this so much- I shouldn't have told them I wanted to come here, but at the same time, they had more right than me to be here...

"How could they have done this to our father? Even with only memories from the channel, surely they'd have known our love for him," He whispers, his voice shaking as he gingerly takes one of the shards from my hand, looking it over. A piece of Killcode's rightmost face-plate, bearing the strange C-shaped marking with a dot in it. He cradles it to his chest like it's made of delicate porcelain.

"I think it's like you said, brother. Ruin must have t- taken only the bad memories to fuel the im- impostor with hate and... And anger so they'd be a better puppet," I murmur, unsure of what else to say to comfort him. "I d- doubt the imposter knows w- what love t-t-truly is."

"... Right." He lets out a shaky breath and wipes his eyes with one hand, then I gently hold it to comfort him. He looks at my hand and frowns more. "Sun, your hand is freezing cold."

I sigh softly. "I k- know. But I'm okay." I gently tug it free before he can try to pull me up and make us all leave, continuing to dig up KC's remains. I start to find bits of his endo now, feeling more and more hopeful until I finally find it- his AI chip. Though just as Bleed predicted, underneath the mud dribbling from it is a thick layer of rust. I look it over before murmuring to him, "M- Maybe Solar can restore it? It's worth a t- try... And if not, then we can at least give him a- a proper burial..."

Before Bleed can even say anything, a new voice interrupts as it calls out, "Sunrise! Bloodmoon! What on earth were you three thinking, coming here in the middle of this damn mess?

All three of us jump and Bleed leaps to his feet as Bloody whips around, and I duck my head in shame as Solar approaches the clearing with Killcode, the one who shouted at us. He looks at his twins with a stern glare only a father could have as he draws close. "No note, no call, nothing! I didn't know where to even find you all until Solar stepped in to help me! I was worried sick!"

"Sorry, father," Bloody mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It won't happen again," Bleed says quietly, then he looks to Solar as he walks over to us, using the umbrella he's got with him to shield me from the rain as he kneels down.

"God, Sun, you're shaking like a leaf! Why don't you have a jacket or anything?" He questions, putting a hand on my shoulder and grimacing as he feels how cold I am.

"I d- didn't think it'd be t- this bad," I admit, feeling stupid and guilty for worrying them both so much. I had really hoped the twins and I would be home before KC noticed we were gone...

Solar sighs quietly. "Better check the forecast next time, okay?" Then his gaze drops to my lap and he freezes, eyes widening. "Wait, is that-?"

I bite my lip as I nod a little, answering quietly, "Yeah. I- I just had to see if anything c- could be done for him..." I look down at his AI chip in my hand, and he winces softly at the sight of it.

"I don't think so, Sun. It's rusted pretty badly, who knows if it would hold up through trying to clean it up?"

"Mm..." I sigh softly, then I look up at Killcode as he treads over, brows drawn into a tight furrow as he looks at his remains gathered in my lap, then his AI chip. I feel a worse pang of guilt because- stars, how painful must it be to see what's left of your own corpse?...

He shuts his eyes and breathes in deeply, gripping the notepad I didn't notice he had tightly. Then his grip relaxes and he opens his eyes, whispering, "I appreciate your effort and concern, Sun." He seems to be struggling for anything more to say about it, then he just gives up. "There should be some clean towels still in the RV. Let's get you dried off, okay?"

"O- okay," I murmur, then I relay what he said to Solar, who nods and offers to take the remains. I gently pass them to him before standing up and following KC. As he climbs into his RV the metal stairs let out a low groan and the body rocks slightly, a strange and haunting sound. It's quieter as I climb in, waiting at the door while Killcode goes to look for some towels. As I wait, I can't help looking around. There's a decently large bed in the corner with a desk at the foot of it, where a computer and professional microphone are set up. I almost wonder why until I remember that Killcode had a Soundcloud account and recorded a lot of music.

Along the walls, there's darkened fairy-lights strung up and pictures hung, happy faces of a lot of strangers with Killcode, all wearing bright smiles. The only face I recognize aside from his is Emerith's. She only appears in pictures with KC, very shy and flushed but giving her best smile for the camera.

"So, that's her, huh?" Solar asks as he steps in beside me, and I nod a little. He then looks around at the rest of the RV, frowning thoughtfully. "Well, it looks like most of his stuff is still here. Maybe we can come back tomorrow when the weather is better and take it back to the daycare. He shouldn't have to just leave his belongings here..."

"That would be greatly appreciated, if it's truly no trouble," Killcode murmurs as he returns from getting the towels, wrapping one around my shoulders like a blanket.

"He said he'd appreciate it," I tell Solar before I start drying off my arms with the towel, and KC uses the other to dry my face-plate and rays, being careful not to be rough. He steals a couple glances at the RV, eyes dimming further each time he does. I can't keep my guilt from spiking and before I can help it I blurt out, "I'm so sorry, Killcode. I didn't mean to-"

"It is fine, Sun. I am not angry with you," He interrupts, his voice quiet as his gaze falls to the floor. "I will admit... It is hard to be here again, my home sweet home has turned bitter by being the scene of my murder. But I am not angry about being here, nor am I angry that you and the twins came here. It is only natural that you would want to investigate and find closure."

"I- I should have told you I wanted to come here so you wouldn't get hit with it out of the left field, though..."

"I got warning enough from Moon telling Solar. If I truly could not handle being here, I would not have come." He lifts his gaze back to me, gently cupping my cheek in his palm. "I promise, you have nothing to feel guilty for. You just wanted to find... Well, me. To make sure that I was not just rotting away here, beaten down by the rain and decayed into the ground."

"That doesn't change that it was selfish of me to-" He immediately puts his hand over my mouth, leveling me with a stern look.

"I will hear nothing of selfishness from you, Sunrise. You are the farthest thing from it." Then he glances me over and sighs softly, gently coaxing me to stand closer to Solar before getting an extra towel and wrapping it around us. "You're still shaking and freezing. Until your heating coils can catch up, you need to share Solar's body heat."

Unsure of myself, I look to Solar and murmur, "I- is this okay?"

He nods a bit as he wraps an arm around my shoulder, offering a small smile. "Of course. Don't want you to turn into a little popsicle, after all."

I smile back and chuckle when Killcode lightly pats my head before taking the used towels elsewhere- presumably a hamper somewhere in here. The RV's actually a bit bigger than it looks from the outside. The twins climb into the RV finally, both having calmed down from their intense emotions and seeming to be curious of Killcode's old living space. Bleed pauses to nod approvingly at Solar while Bloody gives a thumbs up, even if he can't see it, and then they start to snoop around.

"So small- a perfect size for us, but father is so tall! How could he have been comfortable in this teeny Hobbit hole?" Bloody questions, looking to Killcode as he comes back again and putting his hands on his sides. "Clearly you have to hunch over to fit, or otherwise perpetually sit!"

Killcode laughs softly. "I do not mind the trailer's small size. It took some getting used to, but I do not regret my time spent here. The woods were calming and peaceful in their quiet solitude away from the bustling city. Though I do love it, I do need a break from the noise every so often."

"Heh, yeah, I feel that," I murmur with a faint smile, then when Solar looks confused I relay the conversation to him.

"Oh. Yeah, the noise gets really overwhelming," He agrees with an emphatic nod.

"... Father," Bleed begins, calling Killcode's attention over to him before pointing at one of the pictures with Emerith and asking, "Who is this moth lady? You and she seem quite friendly."

"Oh, uh-!" Immediately, Killcode's whole face lights up bright red, his eyes darting around as he stammers, "That's a- a bit hard to explain, ah..."

"Well, since father is too busy blushing bright red, would you care to tell us instead?" Bloody asks as he looks to me.

I glance at KC with a frown and shake my head. "I think it's better that it comes from the horse's mouth. It's not my place to say."

The twins both turn back to Killcode, but he quickly averts his gaze. "I do not- it's-" He sighs softly. "You two do deserve to know, but I worry it may be rough territory to tread."

They exchange glances, and then Bleed looks back to the picture. "Was she... A lover of yours?"

"Yes," Killcode answers quietly. "She was my partner of many months, and I- I love her very much. More than words can ever say..."

Bloody's and Bleed's expressions soften, and they both go straight to hug their father and comfort him. It warms my heart and makes it ache all at once, but seeing KC's small smile helps. "I am glad you two are not angry. I do not truly know why, but I feared that- that you two may resent me for finding love."

"We could never resent you for being happy, father," Bleed says immediately, pulling Killcode even closer.

"Just as my brother has said! We are not like the imposter, your joy brings us joy, not hate," Bloody adds, holding Killcode a bit tighter as he slowly relaxes into the embrace.

And then I get a terrible realization that he really must have been afraid because of the impostor, because they hated him for turning over a new leaf, for finding joy in a new life above killing and bloodshed. He knows deep down that the twins love him and are nothing like the impostor, but he's just like I was so many months ago, dealing with that damn hallucination- his mind knows they're not the same, but his body needs time for it to sink in.  I have to make sure I'm there to support him so the process is as easy and painless as possible...

But before I can think too long on it, Solar speaks up quietly, asking, "So, is everyone ready to head back to the daycare now? You're not as cold anymore, Sun, but I think we should get you home so we can warm you up and you can get some rest."

"Oh." I pause, looking to the ghosts. Killcode nods a little and stands up but keeps his sons' hands intertwined with his.

"We are ready whenever you are, brother," Bleed says to me as Bloody nods along.

"We're ready to go," I say to Solar, lightly shrugging off the towel and folding it up. Killcode gestures for me to set it on a nearby shelf and I do so, then I turn back to Solar as he steps out the door and opens the umbrella. He beckons me over before we begin to leave the RV, leave the clearing with the ghosts following behind us.

Solar and I pause when we hear the RV groaning as Killcode walks down the stairs, slowing as he glances to the spot where he died... Then Bloody and Bleed step out, gently taking hold of his hands again. He musters a small smile and lets them lead the way. I nod to Solar and we start to walk again, though I can't help glancing back at the others just to check on them.

Killcode spares one last glance back of his own at his RV, eyes dimming as he lets out a soft breath. I can only imagine the heartache he must feel. Just like he said, this was his home, but now it's also the scene of his death, where he'd been dead and buried for weeks now. This place was his comfort zone, and his retreat from the commotion of the city, and now he's going to have to leave it all, aside from his belongings...

Unless...

Chapter Text

I'm not really afraid of the dark. Not like I know Sun is. But tonight of all nights, it feels suffocating.

He's coming for me. He's going to come and try to hurt me. The thought alone makes me physically sick, and if I were human I think I'd have thrown up at this point. My chest hurts. Every time I close my eyes I just remember...

"I'm bringing Sun back, whatever it takes. So do something good for once in your goddamn life and don't run, Eclipse. Or I promise I'll make this hurt. You wanna finally know what you put me through when you broke my brother?!"

I swallow thickly, the sound of my breaths quickening too loud in the silence of the empty theater. I need to go to sleep but I can't and every time I try I just see him holding that damn wrench like he was going to bash my head in with it- not that he would, he needed my parts for Sun. But remembering that only makes it worse. He was basically going to gut me. Rip me to pieces for my parts. And knowing how much he hated me... Would he have kept me alive throughout, just to make me pay?

No, nonono, enough, no more thinking about it. No more!

I'm on my feet before I can really process that I'm getting up. Unsteady, stumbling blindly in the dark to who knows where- it feels like my body is possessed and moving without my conscious input. I might be afraid if it wasn't too warm in the room for it to be a ghost's doing.

And I don't think any of the ghosts around would run me right into a wall I couldn't see in the dark, a loud bang resonating throughout the quiet room as I connect with the hard surface.

I hiss under my breath as I step back, rubbing my face-plate. I can't see worth a damn right now! Why the hell does it have to be pitch black in here, anyway?! As I move my hand, I get an idea of what I could use to see better, and albeit reluctantly I close my eyes and put a finger to the side of my head-plate as I activate that function.

When I open my them, the room is almost transformed, lit up in hues of a bright, eerie purple. It's unsettling as all hell, parts of the room changed and some things appeared or disappeared from sight, but at least I can see. At least the ache forming behind my eyes distracts from the tightness in my chest.

So I grab my tool bag and head downstairs to the daycare enclosure, because if I'm going to be up I may as well make myself useful. Doing my best to navigate the strange effects the "V.A.N.N.I. network" has on the daycare, I make my way to the rightmost playstructure and duck inside, crawling to one of the ground-floor generators. It started malfunctioning earlier today but I didn't have time to come and fix it before closing. And Moon said to wait until tomorrow, when I was on the clock and getting paid. Then Sun and I think KC pulled me away before I could go ahead and fix it, because I don't really need the money that badly.

The work helps. Helps keep my mind occupied, helps keep my hands busy. My head aches from the strain of the network on my eyes but I don't care. Just focus on the work. The pain doesn't matter.

I keep working. Undoing bolts, fixing salvageable wires, replacing damaged ones, cleaning out the filter on the generator. Shake out my hand when a few stray sparks get me- I should really turn the thing off, but I'd have to disconnect the wire to the light and track down the breaker switch for this specific generator and that will take too long.

I almost get so caught up in the work that I don't notice it. It comes a bit slowly. A sharp, freezing chill in the air. Used to be confusing, and I can't count how many times I had climbed through the vents to check and make sure nothing was broken in there that caused an overproduction of cold air.

But now I know it's just a ghost. That... Shouldn't be as comforting as it is, should it?

...

Wait, a ghost usually means Sun is around, shit-! I bolt upright from where I'd had my head bent over the generator, looking out through the plastic caging for any sign of my cousin. He's gonna chew me out for this, I know it... But I don't see him, and I definitely don't hear him, either. He'd have called out to me by now if he was down here, wouldn't he? I guess one of the ghosts just woke up and decided to stretch their legs. Can't say I blame them, tonight feels endless.

I let out a heavy sigh and go back to fixing the generator. I doubt they're gonna bother me, no point in fretting over them right now.

Well, I think that, and then I abruptly get the feeling of eyes on me. It almost sends a chill down my endo, some hidden instinct buried deep in my codes raising the alarm over being watched by something I can't see. I start to dismiss it, but then-

"Tch, he's just as bad as Sun is," Scoffs a deep, rumbling voice from right outside the playstructure, and my head snaps up so fast the joint in my neck audibly creaks.

Red eyes affected by the digital nature of the network, shining too bright as they widen and stare back at me. Long limbs and sharp claws, unnaturally large even for an animatronic, something deep in my mind screams at me, Crescent face-plate, it's Moon, run run run RUN! but I'm paralyzed, frozen in place by shock. By terror.

He's here, he's here, he's going to get me, he's here, he's going to get me, going to kill me, you need to run, YOU NEED TO RUN!

"Shh, shh, Solar, shhh," The sudden hushing almost makes me lightheaded, everything is spinning, I need to run, why am I-

... He didn't call me Eclipse. He called me Solar.

Almost like a bomb getting defused, a wire being snipped, cutting off the energy supply, I start to wind down. The ringing in my audio receptors that I hadn't even been aware of starts to ebb. The thoughts quiet. I start to focus again on the figure in front of me.

"That's it, everything is okay," He murmurs softly, claws tucked firmly behind his back, expression soft and patient. Sun says it's easy to see his demeanor as paternal which I understand now. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You're home, you're safe." His brows furrow together as he frowns deeply. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't even realize you'd be able to hear me..."

I struggle to speak, my voice box feels like it's laden with lead. Just barely, I manage to croak out, "Killcode..."

"Yes, that's right. It's only me," He says, mustering a smile. "It's just me, no one else. No one who would hurt you."

... I let out breath. Then I breathe in, and out, and in, and out- I didn't realize just how badly I needed to breathe, that I'd even stopped breathing to start with. Killcode murmurs encouragement to me, keeping his voice quiet and soothing. It helps. I don't know why, but it helps.

When I finally manage to find my head again, I look at him and mumble, "I- I'm sorry. I don't know why..." I trail off before I can even finish lying. I know why but I don't want to explain why.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Killcode replies, shifting in place to sit down, legs crossed under each other. "I'm the one who startled you and made you panic. I just didn't realize you'd be able to hear me. And- and see me."

"Neither did I, honestly," I mumble, looking him over in a bit of a daze. I can see him. I can see him. What do I do with this information now that I have it?

Killcode looks at me funny, a mix of maybe concern and confusion in his eyes as he asks, "How can you, though? Does it have to do with how your eyes have changed?"

"My eyes have changed?..."

He nods a bit. "There are bright purple rings in them and they're glowing more than usual."

I have to process that for a moment. "I- I guess the V.A.N.N.I. network must change the display in my eyes outwardly, too."

"V.A.N.N.I. network?" Killcode echoes as he tilts his head. "Like from the game?"

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much. The- the humans had it installed in my systems when I became a mechanic in my world's Pizzaplex. It's supposed to be for helping technicians and such on the job, after all. I don't use it too often, though."

"So what made you decide to use it tonight?"

"It- it helps me see in the dark," I murmur, rubbing the side of my head. "You know how it makes dark places look, well... Not dark?" He nods a bit. "It has that same effect for me. Helps me see things I couldn't otherwise..."

"Like ghosts," He points out. I slowly nod. "But it also seems to have a negative effect on you after an extended time using the network as well. You don't seem well at all, my friend." I look up- when did I start looking at the floor?- and meet his gaze, feeling my servos tighten as I see how distressed he seems as he studies me.

"Um, n- no, I'm fine," I say, belatedly. He frowns at me in a way that... Yeah, feels like a disappointed parent.

"You are not fine, Solar," He states, his tone firm but with a subtle, tender edge to it. "You look deeply unwell- like you're about to pass out. And from what I remember of the game, the V.A.N.N.I. network is unpleasant by default. It makes you see and hear unsettling things in the environment. You need to put your tools away, get out of the playstructure, and disconnect from the network. I'll lead you back to the theater- I can see in the dark."

There's a beat of silence. I realize he's waiting for me to respond. "... No," I awkwardly croak out, and he blinks at me. "I'm- I'm fine. Really. And I don't... Not tired," I lie, slowly starting to work again.

"You really are as bad as Sun, you know that?" He sighs heavily, then I hear fabric shuffling as he gets up and walks away.

How can I hear fabric when he's not a truly physical being? The thought makes me falter, and I get lost in debating how being a ghost works and affects one's form when suddenly, KC's voice murmurs behind me,

"It's just me, don't panic."

"Wh-?" I look over my shoulder, finding him right there before he gently wraps an arm around my stomach and pulls me close to his chest. He walks on three limbs to get out of the playstructure, moving like a goddamn cat- I almost feel like a kitten getting carried by the scruff because of it. I try to push against the floor but without my work boots, I can't get enough traction and my feet slide across the plastic.

"Don't, Solar, just don't," He says with a weary sigh, and I honest-to-God feel abashed for a moment. Then I remember myself and shake my head, mumbling,

"You know you're not the boss of me, right?" And you're not my dad, either, dang it.

"I am fully aware," He replies as he gets out of the playstructure and stands up at his full height and fuck I'm high off the ground shit shit shit- I flail a bit until Killcode wraps his other arm under my legs and holds me closer, starting to walk towards the stairs. "But that does not change my willingness to step in and save my companions from their self-destructive habits."

I almost flinch at that. "C- calling it self-destructive seems a bit excessive, KC..."

"That's what Sun tends to say, you know," He huffs quietly. "And I'm certain you think the same of his tendency to throw himself into his work to run away from his problems."

I don't reply, but he knows he's right.

He continues to carry me to the theater, taking me to the back room behind the counter where I normally sleep and setting me down on my cot. "There. Now, you need to disconnect from the network and go to bed, Solar," Killcode tells me, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders. "The generator can wait until tomorrow. There is no machine in this Pizzaplex that's more important than you. That takes priority over your health."

"... Okay," I murmur, even though I can't bring myself to fully accept those words. I could probably name a dozen things in this place that are more important than me. The Pizzaplex can function just fine without me. But some of the-

Pressure. The cold suddenly in contact with my rays snaps me out of my thoughts, and I look up at Killcode. He pauses and looks back at me, meeting my gaze, but after a minute or so he resumes stroking my rays. The cold isn't comfortable but it helps ease the headache, and since my rays aren't calibrated as finely as Sun's- hell, they can't even really move like his can- they don't really know how to interpret the signal picked up in my sensors. It leaves me with this vague sense of fuzziness that makes me feel how exhausted I really am.

Finally, I lay down and disconnect from the network. The eerie purples and strange lights fade from my sight, entrapping me in the darkness once again. It's just like it was not even an hour ago, but at least I know I'm not alone now, still able to feel Killcode's presence and touch.

My eyelids slide shut and I start to doze off. Just as I step over the edge of unconsciousness, I wonder if I should tell him about the note- of all people aside from Sun, Killcode would care, right? He'd understand? But I decide not to. I've already been enough trouble for him tonight...

That's the last thing on my mind before I fall asleep.

...

.....

........

"No, no, NO! NO, DON'T- MOON, PLEASE!"

Cold. Sharp cold on my back. I bolt upright as I claw wildly at the air around me, fighting to get away, get him off me, save my own life-

But I realize he's not here. No one is. Not that I can see, at least.

My breaths come up shallow and come fast, it doesn't feel like the frigid air even reaches my systems like I need it do. Trying to breathe in deep enough feels like torture, I can't get my internal vents to open properly, I can't get the air, I can't get the air, I can't breathe!

Something is touching my hand in the dark and I throw myself back, slamming into the wall, knocking what little breath I had out of me. I slump down, I feel like I'm not even there, I feel transparent, I have to grab my own rays to make sure I'm still here. Tighter, tighter, holding them tighter it hurts but I don't care I just need to be grounded-

Then something grabs my wrists, holding them tight as they pry my hands off my rays. Instinctively I kick and try to yank my hands free but I can't. I can't save myself, why can't I save myself?!

"Solar!"

The sound of that voice has my servos stalling in my chest, I feel like I got kicked in the gut, he's coming to get me he's coming to kill me again-!

There's a loud bang and the lights flicker on, I hiss sharply and shut my eyes as they sting. "Nnkh!"

"Solar, we're here! What's going on?!"

"Killcode, let him go!"

Wait, Killcode? And- that's Sun!

I look up, even if the light still hurts and everything's blurry, and the light finally brings me some clarity as I look at Sun and Moon- New Moon, not the- not my world's Moon. My cousin. Both of my cousins. The pressure on my wrists releases and I belatedly realize Killcode is here- he's been here, he stayed with me when I went to sleep, he stayed and stopped me from hurting myself...

Why does everything falling into place not help me calm down? God, just- just let me calm down!

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Solar," Sun says softly, and I realize he's crouching by me, hands hovering over me as he hesitates. "J- just breathe for us, okay?"

"C- can't," I croak out, grabbing onto Sun's hand before I can't think better of it. I just need the support. I need help, help, help!

"Okay, okay," He murmurs, wrapping his other arm around me and pulling me close, letting the warmth of his casing soak into mine. It helps when Moon- the good Moon the good Moon THE GOOD MOON- brings my blanket over, covering us with it and rubbing my back through it.

"Just focus on us. We're right here for you, so focus on us and try to breathe. Like this," Moon whispers, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly to show me what he means. I try my best to do the same, I try as hard as I can, it's so hard and it hurts so much...

"That's it, you're doing it," Sun encourages me, gently squeezing my hand in a sequence to help ground me. I shut my eyes and force myself to take a deep breath in, ignoring the pain and then letting it out. In and out. Just like earlier.

"Doin' good, Solar. That's the way," Moon says, lightly patting my back. Hesitantly, I open my eyes and look to him. He meets my gaze, eyes rife with worry. I can't help thinking of how glad I am for it, as sick as it sounds. The other Moon never looked at me like that. Never looked at me like I was anything but a parasite to get rid of. A disease to eradicate. A monster to kill and butcher for parts...

"He- he's coming to get me, he's trying to find me," I blurt out, the words coming out before I can stop them. Moon's eyes sharpen immediately as he asks,

"Who is?"

"My Moon. T- the one from- from my home dimension." I let out a shaking breath and pull the note from my pocket, showing it to them. "This came through the portal. It- it's his handwriting. He wants to get me and rip me for parts..."

"We won't let him," He states firmly, and Sun nods in agreement. "If that bastard even tries coming through the portal, I'll have Spaniard blast him to dust with his lasers."

"In this family, we protect each other. And you are family," Sun adds, pulling me into a gentle hug that Moon quickly joins in on. I swallow hard as my throat feels tight, eyes stinging with tears now. I let them fall shut and just... Breathe.

For the first time since I found that damn note, I actually feel safe. Safe with my cousins, my family looking out for me. I believe them when they say they won't let anyone hurt me.

I just hope that for everyone's sake, they don't have to keep their word...

Chapter Text

Carefully, I slip loose from the cold yet comforting arms of my brothers and friend, doing my best not to wake them as I pull free. Besides not wanting to wake them, I don't want to get caught before my plan's even started...

Once I'm on my feet I grab my laptop bag from under my bed. It's much lighter than normal because it's not carrying my laptop at the moment, it's carrying something I need and don't want to get caught with. So I tiptoe out of my room, leaving the door only a crack before I sneak through the loft and out of the daycare. Away from the ghosts and the living.

I tread through the darkened Pizzaplex down to the quiet, cold halls of the basement. I hate it down here even now, but I know this is the last place anyone would come to look for me. And I need all the time I can get.

The room with the projector and fake dead tree is where I go, turning it off to darken the room before sitting on the fake grass. Then I open my laptop bag and pull out the ouija board and planchette stored within, carefully setting the board on the floor with the planchette on top of it, the letters illuminated when I turn on the glow function in my arms. Not too bright, just enough for me to see. Then I gently place my fingertips on the planchette and take a deep breath- I barely have any idea what I'm doing, but I know I have to try. For my own peace of mind...

"I wasn't thinking straight last night, so I didn't remember to tell you... But I figured something out- I can see the ghosts, too," Solar told us, and as he explained everything that happened from his trouble falling asleep to his discovery of the ability lent to him by the V.A.N.N.I. Network, I found myself growing hopeful.

"So, you said the Network lets you see the environment differently to normal, right?" I asked, watching him nod.

"Yeah. It's not totally reliable, and it can be unsettling, but yeah. It lets me access certain inactive terminals or move through blocked off areas like I was- well, intangible, myself."

"And- and can you..." I hesitated, my servos stalling painfully as dread wracks my systems. "Can you see any ghosts that I can't? In the... In the daycare or anywhere else?"

Moon looked at me like I was asking a stupid question. Solar just looked worried, gently holding my shoulder as he answered, "No, I don't think so. I've only been able to see KC so far, and I spent at least an hour down in the daycare doing repairs last night. You're the better medium between us, so if you can't see them, then they're likely not there. I promise you, Sun, if I did see anyone new I'd tell you."

"... Okay. Th- thank you for letting me know," I mumbled, avoiding eye-contact. Trying not to let it show that I was dismayed to hear that, not relieved.

I let out the breath I took in, speaking quietly, "My name is Sunrise. I'm able to see and speak with the spirits of other animatronics who have passed on, but I have to know... Are there any spirits I cannot see within this place?"

I stare at the board silently, waiting, hoping for some response, but nothing comes yet. I try not to let it get to me. "Okay, maybe that was too broad. Ah, is- is there anyone here with me now?" I stare intently at the board, but the planchette doesn't move. "Is anyone here with me right now? Just- just move the planchette to "yes" if so," I try once again, to no avail. Then I pick up the planchette and hold it over my eye, peering through the glass and around the room to see if that changes anything. I even try to turn off my glow before placing it back down, asking sternly, "Is there a spirit within this room with me?"

But nothing happens. I can feel my frustration mounting, this isn't how I wanted this to go.

"Are Killcode and the twins the only spirits in this building?" I try to ask, and I swallow thickly, chest aching as the planchette remains motionless. "Are the spirits of the children here?" Still nothing. I even try to move my hands off the planchette, maybe I'm not supposed to be touching it. "Is anyone here? Any spirit at all?"

At this point, I feel stupid. I feel pathetic.

"Please, I just need one answer. Just one response. Are there any spirits I can't see within this place?" I question, gritting my teeth as I stare at the shape of the planchette in the dark, waiting and hoping for even the tiniest movement to prove to myself that I'm not alone down here. I just need something... Something that won't come.

Then the ache in my chest becomes too painful, overwhelming me as I snap, "Say something, dammit! Moon, why won't you answer me?!" My voice echoes in the empty room far too loudly, almost taunting me with the sound of my desperate pleas, and all at once the dam I had built up simply crumbles. I let out a hoarse sob as my eyes sting with tears, grabbing the planchette and shouting at it, "I know you're there! You have to be, you can't have just disappeared! How could you have just disappeared when- when Killcode and even the twins came back?!"

My shoulders drop as I keep staring at the planchette. "You can't just be gone, Moon! I swear, I feel like you're here with me, e- even when I'm all alone... I feel you all around me, you have to be here..."

Slowly, hands shaking, I set the planchette back down and place my fingertips on it, whispering, "Are you here, Moon?"

I stare at it, the silence almost suffocating as I wait desperately for it to move...

...

But it stays still.

Moon doesn't answer me.

I'm all alone.

He truly is gone.

And being forced to accept that feels like he's died all over again.

"Moon, please... Please, e- even if it's just to call me stupid, o- or weak, or useless, or tell me you hate me for failing you, just say something! Please, you have to be here!" I beg and plead helplessly, stupidly, my tears dripping onto the board as the planchette remains stagnant.

I bring it to my chest, cradling it close as I quietly sob.

My brother is gone forever, and it's all my fault...

Chapter Text

I stare out the window as I let out a heavy sigh, shutting my eyes and murmuring, "Please forgive me for this, dearest Killcode. But I cannot bear to sit idly by while your killer walks free any longer, and he is the only one who may have the clues I need to find the culprit."

I pick my phone up from the table, dialing his number and holding it close as it rings.

"Hey, Emerith. It's good to hear from you again," He greets upon answering, and it warms my heart to hear such a kind tone from him. He truly is a good friend to have on my side... Which only worsens my guilt about this.

"Good morning, Sun. It's good to hear from you again as well," I reply. "Apologies if I called at a bad time, but I wanted to ask if you would like to come for a visit- at least for a little bit."

"It's never a bad time to call, I promise," He assures me, his tone softening as he adds, "And I'd love to come over. After all, our last talk was, ah... Interrupted pretty rudely."

"I'm sorry, okay? It was a dumb mistake, I admit it," I hear Moon mutter in the background of the call, and I simply roll my eyes at the mere sound of his grumbling tone. There's still a laundry list of things I'd like to say to that man, but now isn't the time.

"When would you like to come visit, then? I can send my driver to pick you up any time," I say, getting a pen ready to write it down.

"A driver? Uh, that's really not necessary, honest. I can just walk," Sun chuckles, sounding quite surprised by the idea of me having a driver. I write down the thought that KC must not have told him of my family's wealth before I reply,

"It's no trouble. It would be a rather long walk, and I'd rather not see you wear yourself out for politeness's sake."

"Well, okay... About the time, I'm free right now. The daycare is closed today for, uh, definitely not mold remediation under the playfloor mats. So we're not even in there right now, anyway."

My mouth falls open for a moment in shock. "There was... Mold under the daycare floor? F- for how long?"

"I wish I could say for sure, but we only found out about it last week."

"But- but it's just getting cleaned today?"

"Mm. It took Fazbears this long to stop dragging their feet about getting a cleaner, I'm afraid," He mutters. "I have to tell you, despite the glitz and glamor of this place, it's actually so scummy..."

"I see. I'll... Have to keep that in mind for later," I mumble, then I shake my head the slightest bit. "Ah, but anyway, now works perfectly for me. Where are you at the moment?"

"I'm in the west arcade of the Pizzaplex, but I can head outside to meet the driver, don't worry."

"Alright. I'll send him over and text you when he arrives."

"Okay. See you in a bit, Emerith."

"See you, Sun," I reply, then I hang up the phone and dial my driver, quickly asking him to go pick up Sun and sending the location. After that, I hear a knock at my door and turn, confused. "Yes?"

The door opens a bit and Sylas sticks his head into the room, regarding me with intrigue. "Well, howdy, big sis! I didn't even realize you were here. Did you sneak in or something?"

"Absolutely I did, and you made it terribly easy with your loud rock music blaring halfway across the manor," I reply using a light-hearted, matter of fact tone that makes him snort. "Oh, to be the baby of the family, hmm? Father would have yelled at Vorago to "turn that crap down" in a heartbeat."

"What can I say, I'm just special," Sylas jokes, batting his eyes and cupping his cheeks in an overly cutesy manner. I chuckle softly while he steps into the room. "But really, what brings you here? I may or may not have overheard you telling the driver to go to the Mega Pizzaplex, but you don't normally bring your friends to the family home for simple visits," He points out, much to my annoyance.

"So wonderful to see you haven't grown out of your habit of eavesdropping on adult conversations," I sigh, standing up. "But yes, I am bringing my friend here for something more along the lines of a business conversation. And before you ask, I've already gotten Father's permission to do so, and he assured me I could have the lesser meeting room for this."

"I see. So this is rather serious meeting, then... Did you want my help with anything?"

"No, thank you. I just need to talk to my friend and ask him some questions about the circumstances regarding Killcode's passing, it's nothing I can't handle."

Sylas frowns, cocking his head slightly. "About his passing? What is there to ask? You said your friend didn't know who did it, didn't you?"

"I did, yes. But truthfully, I believe he might know more than he claims, and I need to figure it out once and for all," I murmur, crossing my arms as I look to the floor.

"I see... And you're sure you'll be able to handle that?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, brows furrowing as I look back to my brother and see his uncertainty. "Sylas, I've done this for years, longer than you have, even. I know how to handle this on my own."

"I know, Em, I know," He sighs, antenna lowering a bit. "I'm just worried because, well- you've definitely got experience, yeah, but you haven't actually interrogated someone in a while. Not to mention you're going to be interrogating a friend about your partner's passing, which is already tough for you to talk about..."

I turn my head, muttering, "It's not an interrogation. I'm just asking him some questions that I need answers to, but I'm not going to grill him to the breaking point or deploy threats of any kind. And- and yes, it's hard for me to speak of KC's death, but it's easier with this friend. After all, he's one of the few people I know who was close to KC..."

Before either of us can say more, my phone buzzes and I check my texts, then I message Sun to inform him that the driver's arrived. After that, I look back to Sylas. "I can handle this on my own, so please don't interfere with my discussion." As I head to the door to leave, I add, "And if you go back to your room, try not to play your music too loudly. Because I was serious when I said I could hear it halfway across the manor."

"Will do, sis..."

With that all settled, I head downstairs to the lesser meeting room to wait, too restless to remain in my old bedroom. After a little bit, the driver messages me to inform that Sun has arrived and is being escorted in. I take a deep breath and sit up straight in my seat, preparing myself mentally as the doors open...

And Sun walks in with Sylas escorting him. The former looks to me and smiles. "Hello again, Emerith. This is a lovely home you and your family have."

"... Thank you, Sun," I reply once I've found my patience again, standing up and going to greet him personally, offering my hand. He accepts the gesture and shakes it lightly. "I see you've met my little brother."

"Aha, uhh... Yeah, little's sure the word!" He chuckles a bit, looking up at Sylas, who's probably a good foot or so taller than him, as he smiles sheepishly. Sylas gives me a look of annoyance, then he says,

"Well, I was around the front yard when he arrived, so I thought I'd do the friendly thing and lead him inside! That's no big deal, right, Em?"

"Certainly not," I mutter, planning to give him a stern lecture later, when the company is gone. For now, I smile as I look to Sun. "Why don't you take a seat while we talk? And would you like any refreshments?"

Sylas pulls out a seat across from mine for Sun, who smiles appreciatively as he sits down. "No, but thank you for the offer! I'm fine for now. So, um." He looks around the room, his smile turning slightly anxious. "What a fancy place! I- I know I said as much before, but still. Just- wow... Killcode, uh, didn't mention that you lived in a..."

"A manor. Albeit, I don't live here anymore, I moved to an apartment complex not too far away," I say, shooting Sylas a look as he comes to stand at my right shoulder rather than leaving like he's supposed to. His stubbornness has gotten worse with age, I swear. "I simply come to visit my family on occasion."

"Oh. S- so, ah-" Sun fidgets a bit more, unsure of himself. "Are you visiting them today? They don't mind me being here?"

"I assure you, Sun, they don't mind. I discussed it with Father beforehand and Vorago isn't home at the moment to mind, anyway. And Sylas is clearly feeling sociable today," I say as I pass an impatient glance his way. He just grins at me.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad I'm not bothering anyone being here," Sun says, and when I look back I see he's still fidgeting, glancing around the room again. I can't help noticing that his wandering gaze never lingers on anything for long. Usually he stares at a fixed point of thin air almost like a cat. "Albeit, I kinda wish I knew ahead of time that this place would be so nice, I kind of feel a bit underdressed..."

"Please don't worry about it, what you have on is perfectly fine." I shake my head dismissively and muster my best reassuring smile. "After all, Killcode never needed to dress up, even when I had to introduce him to my overprotective brothers and father."

"Oh?" Hearing that, he focuses on me and smiles a bit. "How did the first meeting go, then?"

"It went wonderfully, actually," I reply, smiling a bit as I remember KC meeting my family... Then my smile fades. "I just wish that didn't have to be one of only their few meetings."

"I- I'm so sorry, Emerith," Sun murmurs.

"I still don't even know who took Killcode away from me..." I look to him, brows furrowing as I mutter, "Not yet, but I will find out soon. Which brings me to why I invited you here, Sun. I recall in the past you said you didn't know who did it, but must be frank, I'm skeptical of that."

"What? But I- w- why would I lie about that?"

"That's what I'd like to know. Why lie? Killcode was a dear friend of yours as well, but something is compelling you to keep the name of his murderer secret."

"I- I am not! How c- could you say such a thing?!" Sun protests, his voice shaking as his gaze briefly darts down to his hands that are clutched together tightly, and I lean forward, steepling my fingers in front of myself.

"Because it's the truth. As much as I dislike confronting you like this, I've grown tired of idly sitting by while the one who killed the man I love walks free. So kindly admit to lying and tell me their name, then we can put this behind us," I reply, leveling him with a hard stare. He stares back, paralyzed in panic and rays retracting as he tries to parse what path to take from here. I don't say or do anything yet, there's no need to. Not when I can see his resolve crumbling.

"Emerith, I..." He swallows thickly. "It's much more complicated than you think... Y- yes, I am keeping the name of Killcode's murderer secret, but not because I want to protect them or circumvent justice, I swear. It's- it's hard to explain, but... I'm under strict orders not to tell you who killed KC," Sun murmurs anxiously, his gaze focused on the table as he fidgets his hands.

Hearing that, my eyes narrow and I mutter, "And did those strict orders come in the form of threats? Because if the one keeping you silent is a danger to you and your loved ones, you may tell me and rest assured that they will be dealt with. I won't allow anyone to stifle the course of justice for Killcode or endanger you."

"What? N- no, of course not! No one is threatening me, it- it's just-" He bites his lip, clearly struggling to communicate who or what is preventing him from telling the truth. I feel a sharp pang of guilt for pushing him as I see his distress, but then- "I was ordered not to tell you because- because Killcode doesn't want- I mean, he wouldn't want you to try to find them and- and get hurt because of it."

He's doing it again. Starting to speak as if Killcode is still alive, but then correcting himself, I think, looking to Sylas to gauge his reaction, see if he noticed it as well. He looks back at me and nods, crossing his arms over his chest with a deep frown. I turn back to Sun, seeing how his gaze darts between us rapidly, anxiety clear across his features. The guilt I feel stings once again, but I can't afford to back off now, not when I'm so close to a breakthrough in my line of questioning...

"Sun, why is it that you tend to speak as if KC is still here?" I ask, keeping my tone level but firm and watching the flicker of panic alight in his eyes turn to a wildfire.

"I- I've just been having trouble w- with that, is- is all. This might sound weird, b- but for me, he's not- it doesn't feel like he's gone, is w- what I mean. I mean, I know h- he is, but- but it- th- that's all!" He stutters out, his gaze darting to his hands for the briefest second, and I lift my head in disbelief.

Did he just... Lie when he said he knows KC is gone?

"Em? What's wrong?" Sylas whispers, sounding as confused as I feel. I gesture for him to give me a moment, and I address Sun again.

"Forgive me if this rings odd, but... Do you truly believe that Killcode is gone?"

Sun falters at that, eyes darting around helplessly as he mumbles, "W- what do you mean? Why do you ask?"

"You said it doesn't feel like he's gone to you. And it seems like you don't actually believe he is gone," I clarify, but when he looks at me with such a helpless look on his face, the guilt overwhelms me and I let out a heavy breath. "I don't usually show my hand like this, but... You're my friend. Not my mark, and it wouldn't be fair to push you so far without sharing a bit of information in turn..." I sit up straight and rest my hands on the table. "You have a tell when you lie, Sun."

His eyes widen. "A tell?"

"Yes. When you try to lie to me, your gaze shifts to your hands for the briefest second. I don't even think you realize you're doing it, but you are. And when you said that you know KC is gone, you looked at your hands," I explain as carefully as I can, and he looks down at his hands as his brows draw into a furrow.

"So this whole time, I've been completely transparent to you..." He slowly curls his fingers into fists, clenching them as he mutters to himself, "You can't do anything right, Sun. Transparent fucking idiot."

I bristle at that and my voice catches in my throat from pure shock- I never expected to hear that sort of language from Sun of all people, let alone directed towards himself in such a vicious way.

Even Sylas is caught off guard, choking a bit and stuttering out, "Wh- hey, it's not that deep, Sun! Really, most everyone has a tell, it takes a lot of practice to hide them and even then, it's not foolproof. Not to mention, Emerith was trained to catch tells by the master."

Sun only sighs to himself, covering his mouth with his palm as he closes his eyes. I exchange glances with my brother, seeing the concern I feel reflected in Sylas' eyes. Then I turn back to Sun, wondering just how long he's thought this lowly of himself. Because such deep-rooted disdain for oneself doesn't appear spontaneously, it's nurtured and cumulated for a very long time... And who else may know of it? Does he get any help for it? Before I can even think of a way to ask, he's suddenly speaking once more.

"I don't know why I even bothered to lie at all. I told my family the truth already, so there's no point in hiding it from you. And you deserve to know, too," He mutters, lowering his hand as he looks back to me.

Despite my worries, I sit up straight and prepare myself, asking, "So what is the truth then, Sun?"

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, his anxiety faded to resignation. "I won't blame you if you don't believe it and think I'm insane, but it's the truth. And that is, I don't believe Killcode is gone because he's not- at least not entirely. I can see and talk to the spirits of animatronics who have passed, and Killcode's spirit has been living with me in the Pizzaplex for weeks now," He explains with the utmost conviction, the most certain and steadfast I've ever seen him.

"... Oookay," Sylas drones out quietly, sounding dubious. "Uh, Em? Thoughts?"

"I believe him," I state calmly, folding my hands together in my lap. "I'm personally a believer in the paranormal as well, I have been even before Killcode's death." I meet Sun's gaze, murmuring, "I don't think you're insane at all. In fact, this explains so much about you."

"Like why I stare at thin air or react like something you can't perceive is talking to me," He replies quietly, folding his arms against the table with a sigh.

"Yes, like that... But the reality is, you weren't staring at nothing, you were looking to- to Killcode? He was there with us, that whole time?" I ask, my servos whirring in a mix of emotions at the thought. Joy and pain, guilt and hope...

Sun slowly nods, frowning as he says softly, "I'm sorry that I never told you. I- I should have, and I almost did the second time you came to visit, b- but then Moon... And at that time, I was still trying to keep it all secret, even from my family. Even though it didn't do me a damn bit of good. They all could tell something was up, they just thought I was... Hallucinating." He sighs wearily.

"What, like you do that often?" Sylas questions, and I shoot him a harsh glare for asking such a careless question. "I'm serious, Emerith. If his whole family would believe it, then how do we know for sure that he has been seeing ghosts, and not hallucinating?" He crosses his arms over his chest, looking at Sun sternly. "I know it's harsh, but I don't want to see my sister get hurt again, okay? So, do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

Much to my relief, Sun nods a bit as he answers, "I do. The spirits can interact with the environment and people- when they touch people, it leaves a very cold feeling like touching ice water. Not to mention, the air itself gets cold when they're around. And lastly, my cousin Solar has the ability to see them as well. At least partially, thanks to a programmed network he can tap into that changes how his optics perceive reality."

"Okay. That is reassuring... But I still think we ought to see it ourselves, Em. Or you should, at least," Sylas says to me, frowning in concern. "It's not that I don't want Sun to be telling the truth, but like I said, I don't want to see you hurt. I know how much KC meant to you, and I don't want someone to be getting your hopes up."

I sigh softly. "I understand... So, Sun, as soon as possible and convenient for you, I'd like to go with you to the Pizzaplex and see the proof for myself," I say, looking to him nervously. "Is... That alright?"

"Of course," He answers softly. "We can go right now if you want."

I nod quickly as I stand up, Sun doing the same as I join his side. With Sylas following us, we head outside to the car and get in, and I tell the driver to take us back to the Pizzaplex. I lean back into my seat as we go, clutching my hands together and trying to keep my emotions from overwhelming me. I know Sylas doesn't want me to get my hopes up, but I fully believe Sun. His ability to see spirits explains everything I found unusual about him when we first met, and it means that maybe, just maybe... I'll be able to speak to Killcode again, even if not directly.

"... I never did tell you the full truth," Sun suddenly speaks up, Sylas and I looking to him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I ask, my stomach twisting nervously.

"You asked if I'd been threatened to keep the killer's name under wraps. And I said no, that was the truth, but... I need to tell you, it was KC himself who ordered me not to tell you who murdered him," He explains, meeting my gaze with guilt written across his features. "I don't know his exact reasoning, but I just know he was wholly serious about it. He told me to lie and pretend I didn't know, back when you first asked me who did it."

"I- I see," I murmur, looking out the window as I process this. I'm not angry with either Sun or my beloved, I just don't understand why they would want to hide the killer from me. I don't think Killcode ever knew the details of my family's work- but then again, maybe he had his suspicions. He was- is a perceptive man.

"So who did it? Or are you still going to keep it secret?" Sylas questions, brows furrowed and arms crossed as he stares at Sun.

The daycare attendant sighs heavily. "I won't say anything yet, but I will ask KC about telling you when we get to the 'plex. You just have to promise us you won't do anything reckless, or else I don't think he'll want to tell you."

"Reckless isn't our family's style, rest assured. But we aren't going to just sit back on our asses while knowing the bastard who murdered Killcode is still free, either."

"We haven't been, either, but it's not as easy as it may seem to catch the culprit," Sun replies sternly, then he looks to his lap as his rays retract. "They haven't stayed in any one place long enough to track them down, and moreover, they're dangerous. Ruthless. An actual serial killer, and they have no scruples with attacking anyone who crosses their path. They've hurt my little brother, me, my coworker... And of course, Killcode." He covers his eyes, and I slowly clench my fists in anger as I hear all this monster has done to Sun and his loved ones.

Sylas and I exchange glances, silently resolving to put this monster through hell once we've caught them.

But before anything more can be said, the car slows to a stop in the Pizzaplex parking lot. Sun quietly climbs out and we follow him, heading inside. Fortunately, it's not as busy as usual, with barely anyone lingering in the lobby aside from staff members. As Sun stops to text someone- presumably a family member- Sylas looks around and gives a low whistle. "Geeeze, they didn't mess around putting the "Mega" in Mega Pizzaplex, huh? I'm surprised this place isn't packed like a can of sardines..."

"It normally is, trust me," Sun mutters wearily. "But I guess word got out about the mold remediation happening in the daycare, so people are kind of staying away. And speaking of which, Solar is hanging out with Lunar and the spirits in the west arcade, and he says it's pretty empty right now so we can go meet them there." He starts leading the way there while Sylas sputters,

"I- I'm sorry, mold remediation in the daycare? The place where tiny human kids play and breathe with their weak little human lungs?"

I nod a bit and pat his shoulder, mumbling, "This place isn't all it's cracked up to be, I'm afraid," before I follow Sun.

Sylas slowly trails after, muttering, "Clearly..."

We get into an elevator with Sun, which takes us up to the next floor and opens to an even larger room, with two extra levels above us and one below. The lowest floor is certainly jam-packed and my anxiety spikes a bit just seeing all the people down there, but luckily, we don't have to head that way. Instead, Sun takes us up a couple escalators to the top floor, then he leads us to yet another elevator with a sign that says "Fazcade" over it.

"So this is the west arcade?" Sylas asks, receiving a nod.

"Yeah. Honestly, most dedicated arcade areas are called the "Fazcade," so it's easier for us to just distinguish by which direction of the 'plex they're in or what attraction they're near," Sun explains as he steps into the elevator. We join him and the doors shut, taking us further up. "Some other ones are the Bonnie Bowl Arcade, and the Daycare Minicade- that one was actually dubbed as such by my little brother, Lunar."

"How many arcades are there in this place?" I question out of curiosity. Sun actually has to take a moment to think about it, which is quite telling.

"Whoof... Honestly, it's hard to even remember them all. I think there's a dedicated arcade area near Chica's bakery, and then the top floor could be counted with all those arcade cabinets, plus the three already mentioned... Yeah, there's at least five total, but there might be more I can't remember. Not to mention, there's just singular, random arcade cabinets around the place, too. Princess Quest, Balloon World, some Freddy skater game and a Monty Golf arcade game."

"Damn, isn't that a bit excessive?" Sylas mumbles.

"I'd personally say so, but to good ol' Fazbear, it's not nearly enough! After all, they want every change they can possibly get to squeeze you for every bit of money they can get, right down to the last cent!" He replies in a sarcastically cheerful tone.

"I see now why Killcode never wanted to work here, then," I murmur. Sun nods in agreement, then the doors open behind him.

"Ah, here we are." He steps out of the elevator, looking around before calling out, "Solar? Lunar? Where are you guys?"

"TOP FLOOR!" A young voice yells back, but even that yell is quite faint from here. Sun sighs wearily, muttering something about "they could at least meet us halfway," before heading up the stairs to our left. Sylas and I continue to follow him, all the way to where a pair of daycare model animatronics are relaxing in a chilly side-room that looks to be for karaoke. I recognize one of them from my first time visiting the daycare and I assume that must be Lunar, but the other one is new to me, though I note he's the same model as Sun, just in red and black.

And most importantly, I notice Sun immediately looking to an empty spot in the room like there's something there and my servos stall for a moment. Is he seeing?...

"Uh, howdy," Greets one of the others, and I startle a bit as I look back to red animatronic. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, n- no, it's quite alright," I say, mustering a small smile. "I, ah, I don't believe we've properly met before. My name is Emerith, and this is my brother, Sylas."

He nods, standing up and offering a hand. I shake it, then he does the same with Sylas. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Solar, Sun and Lunar's cousin. I run the daycare theater."

"Likewise, Solar. And nice to meet you, too, Lunar," Sylas says, nodding to the small animatronic, who playfully salutes in turn and chimes,

"'Sup?"

"We... We came to ask about- about KC," I murmur as I look around the room, hesitant to tread into this when he might be right in front of us.

"I told them about my ability to see the spirits," Sun explains bluntly, bringing us straight to the point.

"Whoomp, there it is," Lunar murmurs, puffing out his cheeks while Solar closes his eyes and puts a hand to the side of his head-plate. When he opens them, they're alight with purple rings in his irises and he looks directly towards the same spot of air as his cousin. I exchange glances with Sylas, seeing his skepticism slowly fade.

"I didn't want to keep lying to her, she could see right through me and there's no point in it," Sun quietly explains as he looks up at- at what is certainly Killcode, though his tensity fades a bit as he nods. "So, first and foremost, she wants to know who ended your life, so they can be stopped."

Everyone is silent for a moment, then Sun exhales heavily and looks back to us. "He doesn't want to keep it hidden from you, but he doesn't want you to seek his killer out and end up getting hurt by them, either. He says he knows you're strong and capable- that your whole family is- but he just doesn't want to take any chances and will only agree to let you know if you swear that you won't try to track them down."

"I... I can't do that," I admit, sighing heavily as I look to where KC must be standing. "I'm so sorry, my love, but I can't rest peacefully knowing the one who took you from us is still walking free."

"We're working on trying to capture and stop them, but it's not easy," Solar murmurs, looking to the floor with a deep frown. "We have no way to track them, and they don't stop to rest often enough to trace them..."

"Moon's been having his computer scan the whole country for weeks now, but we still haven't caught a trace of them," Lunar mumbles, rubbing his right shoulder anxiously.

"You can't even give us a name?" Sylas presses, brows furrowed as he crosses his arms. Sun listens to something I can't hear for a moment, then he answers,

"No, we can't. Killcode is adamant about keeping you two out of this for safety's sake."

I let out a breath, looking to my feet. "I see. So he feels that strongly about it, then..."

"He does, yes. But... He says that you will learn, eventually, when it's safe for you to know," Sun explains, stepping closer to me and offering his hand, perhaps for reassurance. I gently take hold of it, and he musters a small smile. "In the meantime, you should focus on the present and on catching up, if you feel up to it. I promise I'll translate everything he says one-to-one, or I can get a paper and pen for him."

Feeling my heart start to ache with longing, I nod and whisper, "Paper and pen, if- if it's no trouble. I'd like to see his words and handwriting again..."

"Of course," Sun says softly, then Lunar stands up.

"Hang on, I think I remember where I left the notepad out here!" He says as he runs out of the room. As we wait for his return, Sun guides me to one of the couches, then he seems to lead KC to sit with me. Unexpectedly, I can feel a cold presence beside me and see the cushion sink under his weight... Then I look to where his face should be and slowly reach out. My fingertips brush against something solid that I can't see, cold rushing into my sensors, but I don't dare flinch back.

"... I've missed you so much, Killcode," I whisper, swallowing hard as my eyes water. I feel something touch the back of my hand, and Sun says softly,

"He's missed you, too, and he's so sorry that he's hurt you with his passing..."

"I- I forgive him. This w- was never his fault, it's only the fault of the one who took him from us." I choke back a sob, trying my hardest not to break down like I did when I first visited the daycare. But the tears are already rolling down my cheeks as my body shakes, and it's difficult to contain my emotions...

Sun looks wholly sympathetic, then he accepts the notepad and pen when Lunar returns and passes it to him, handing it to KC in turn before gently ushering his family members out of the room. Sylas follows them and leaves me alone with my lost love, but suddenly, he doesn't feel so lost anymore as I watch the pen seem to move on its own across the paper, penning a message in his unmistakeable handwriting.

I am so happy I can speak with you again, my dearest Emerith. I love you so much, and I will never stop loving you.

Reading that is all it takes for me to begin sobbing with a pained smile, whispering, "I- I love you, too, Killcode. I love you so, so deeply..."

---

(Sylas) So ghosts truly are real, not that there was much doubt left at this rate, I realize, stepping away from the karaoke room as I listen to Emerith's sobbing, the sound making my chest ache with sympathy. I'm glad that Sun wasn't telling a lie, or suffering some kind of delusion.

I glance over at the trio of daycare animatronics, watching as Solar gently rubs Sun's back and Lunar holds his hand. It's clear this took a lot out of him, emotionally. But then, how could it not? Killcode was a friend of Sun's, and now Em is, too... And honestly, I'm glad he is. He's a good guy.

Just as I start to head over to talk with them and maybe make sure they're doing okay, though, I notice someone walking towards us. They're so short that at first I think they're a human, but I quickly realize it's another daycare model- this one with white and navy colors- and raise a brow. "Another family member?" I ask, stepping over to the group.

Sun follows my gaze, confused, and out of my peripherals I can see him bristle, expression darkening as Lunar crosses his arms over his chest and Solar looks to his feet. "No, he certainly is not," Sun mutters.

"I'm just an associate of the Celestial family, you might say!" The newcomer adds, speaking with a weirdly posh accent and smiling politely. "And who might you be, my good man?"

"Sylas. I'm visiting with my sister," I answer with a short nod. I don't say too much, keeping my guard up because he clearly has the daycare bots on edge, and that can't be for no good reason. "And your name is?..."

"Ruin," He answers, chuckling quietly. "It was more fitting before I repaired myself, admittedly!"

"Yeah? You must've been pretty banged up then- but what happened to you?"

"Honestly, it's quite the long story- one that I don't all around remember. I've been told I came from a pretty bad place." He shifts his weight onto his left foot as he adjusts the ruffle collar around his neck, smiling sheepishly. The vague answer alone is pretty off-putting, but the fact that he's so shifty about it raises even more red flags for me.

"You don't remember how you got broken?" I question, brows furrowed dubiously.

"Well, I was infected with an awful virus that totally blacked out my memory of my time with it once I was cured," He explains, shifting his weight again. "Moon was the one kind enough to cure me, however."

"Moon, huh? That's the so-called "detective," right?" I ask, looking to Sun. "The guy who pissed Em off a while back?"

"The very same, yeah," Sun answers with a dry smile. "To be honest, he pissed off almost everyone that day. KC and me included."

"I'm not surprised. From what I heard, that whole scenario was just- yikes." I shake my head and grimace as I recall what Emerith told the family and I about Moon's "grand accusation." What a scummy thing to accuse your own sibling of!

"Moon seems to mean well more often than not, but... His intentions do tend to fall flat in action," Ruin says with an apologetic frown. "I owe him a great debt of gratitude, of course, though I still understand that he can be a bit rough around the edges."

"I think you mean he can be an asshole sometimes," Lunar corrects bluntly, and I nearly choke on my own spit- I didn't expect the little guy to cuss like that, but I guess none of the attendants are wholly above it.

"I... That's a way of saying it, certainly," Ruin mumbles, also seeming surprised. Then he shakes his head a bit, smiling at me again. "Ah, but anyhow- you said you're visiting with your sister, yes? Where might she be, if I may ask?"

"She's elsewhere in the arcade," Sun answers for me, and even without him saying as much, I can tell he doesn't want to tell the guy much about Emerith.

"I see," Ruin replies, and he doesn't press the matter further than that. "Well, I think I'll get back to my own business- I simply wanted to come and check on you all when I heard some unfamiliar voices. I bid you adieu, gentlemen!" He smiles politely, then he turns and walks away as he sings under his breath- is that a Hamilton song?

I wait until he's out of earshot, then I look to Sun and whisper, "So what's the deal with that guy? Clearly, you all don't like him very much."

"... When he had the virus, he was not friendly," Solar murmurs back, still avoiding eye-contact. "I try not to hold it against him, but even if he wasn't in control and doesn't remember his actions, they had a big impact."

"Namely, he's the entire reason why the bastard who murdered KC was even able to find him," Sun practically snarls under his breath, and I bristle upon hearing that.

"How do you mean?"

"They were working together when Ruin had the virus, and back in October before he was cured, he told the bastard where to find Killcode's RV so they could kill him. Personally, I don't give a damn if he was infected, he still did that and he still colluded in KC's death!" He explains in a low voice, shooting a vicious glare in Ruin's direction. Lunar nods in agreement but he doesn't say anything.

"I see," I mutter, crossing my arms. "But I'm guessing that Moon must feel differently about the subject?"

"Yeah. Moon has experience with amnesia and not wanting to be held accountable for someone else's cruel actions, so he's trying to cut Ruin some slack. It's... A difficult situation for us," Solar mumbles.

"I just hope the cure actually worked," Sun mutters. "Because if he goes back to trying to hurt anyone I love, I will let the twins finish him off."

"The twins?" I question, raising a brow. He relaxes a bit.

"Oh- right, we haven't told you... Well, there are two other spirits living here with us- the Bloodmoon twins, Bloody and Bleed, Killcode's adopted sons. You can't see them, of course, but they're right over-" He looks off in a certain direction and immediately looks confused. "Um. They were right over there, but they're gone now. Where on earth did they go?..."

"I think I saw them walking off when Ruin came around," Solar murmurs. "Probably went downstairs."

Sun nods a bit, pulling away and heading toward the stairs as he mumbles back, "I'm going to go check on them real quick. Make sure they're doing alright."

Solar nods in response, then he groans softly and lifts a hand to his eyes, and when he opens them again the purple rings are gone.

"You okay?" I ask, brows furrowing together.

"Yeah, 'm alright, just can't stay connected to the V.A.N.N.I. Network for too long, it gives me a damn headache..."

So that's what he taps into in order to see ghosts... I wonder if there's a way to refine it before sharing it with Em so she can see Killcode? I wonder, though my thoughts refocus on Solar as he continues rubbing his eyelids. "Did you need to go sit down for a bit?"

"N- no, I'm okay," He mumbles.

"Actually, I think you better," Lunar says, sharing in my concern as he takes hold of his cousin's hand and pulls him along. "C'mon, Solar, no need to play the tough guy."

"Ah- alright, alright." He sighs, glancing back at me as he says, "Feel free to, uh, wander around or do whatever you feel like."

I nod in understanding. "Will do. You take it easy, okay?" I don't think I've ever seen an animatronic actually look pale before, after all.

"Will do..."

And once those two are gone to one of the karaoke rooms to sit down, I'm all alone for now. Or so I think...

I feel it before I really notice it, a harsh, cold air creeping in. Even my fuzz doesn't insulate against it much, and when I see my breaths turning foggy I realize there's definitely some ghosts afoot. It makes my hackles stand on end as I look around, muttering, "Hello? KC? Twins?..." Then I notice a piece of paper floating in the air and blink. "Uh, is that for me or Em?"

Something grabs my wrist to hold out my hand before pressing the note into it, which I guess answers my question. I shake out my wrist a bit against the cold before I unfold the note and open it. The handwriting is absolutely atrocious so it's definitely not from KC...

The one who took our father's life is an impostor of the worst roster. A fake made by the Ruined one, brought back to torment all but especially Sun . We're forced a share our name with that hack, but we do not run in the same pack.

The killer is an animatronic named Bloodmoon. He's a slippery rat who evades every trap, but perhaps with your aid we may catch him soon.

...

I quietly tuck the note away under my wing, nodding once. "Thanks for the tip, you two," I murmur, keeping my head down but knowing the twins are still around to hear me. "Once we return home, I'll show Emerith this note and we'll get to work tracking them down."

"Rest assured, we will catch that bastard and make him pay."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The lights shut off, submerging us in complete darkness.

So I guess that's our sign to quit sparring and finally return to the daycare.

"Awww, I was about to win, thooough!" Bloody groans, and I huff in offense.

"No you weren't! I was the one about to claim victory!" For extra measure, I shove him off me and stand up.

"You lie!"

"I do not!"

"You do, too!"

"I do not, and I'll prove it tomorrow once we can meet to end this battle!" I state, stomping my foot defiantly upon the floor. Bloody scoffs.

"Too scared to finish this tonight? I should have known you couldn't end this fight!"

"If you'd like to stay and be scolded for trying to evade our bedtime when father hunts you down, be my guest!" I reply, turning on my heel and walking towards the stairs that will lead out of the theater basement.

"Oh shit- you're right," He relents, running over to join my side. "I don't understand why we have a bedtime and need to sleep tight. Or why we need to sleep now that we two have become a ghost. When we were alive should have been when we needed it most."

"It is odd, I agree. But I suppose being relieved of our hunger didn't come for free. Blood was our source of energy, but now we need to take a nighttime reprieve."

"That makes sense. And when you put it like that, it's difficult to complain. After all, lacking sleep doesn't bring us pain..."

"Just a displeased dad. Admittedly, sometimes he does get a little mad."

"Really? I figured he was only sad, since us neglecting our sleep for sparring is quite bad."

"Perhaps it's both, depending on the night or day. But he scolds and chides us any which way," I point out with a half-hearted smile, and Bloody chuckles a bit.

"Yes, that's quite true, brother. He'll fret over us like no other." He stops as we reach the base of the steps and I look to him, confused.

"Penny for your thoughts, Bloody?" I press quietly.

"... I'm just thinking about how different father has become since we reunited in death. He never would worry much about our rest or how long we spent sparring in life, he would only scold us for being reckless when it came to robbing blood banks."

"I remember. With him we made a pact, though some of his paternity with us was a fake act." I let out a heavy sigh. "It's still a bit odd to think about, but he is different now. He's become a much better man, even before his passing."

"Yes, he has. And having him for our father is a welcomed blessing," Bloody murmurs, mustering a brief smile. "I just wish we could have reunited in life, not death."

"Likewise. It's not fair that he had to meet such an awful demise... But in his life, he could not hear our spirits' cries, we couldn't speak to him without the help of Sunrise."

"That's true. We could have used a notepad and pen, too. Though, he never did visit the daycare too frequently. When he was alive, something about it seemed to haunt him secretly. Do you think that was because it was our resting place?"

"No, I don't think that was the case. He was still skittish of here even after Sun told him our ghosts did appear..." I start to climb up the stairs as I ponder our father's apprehension of the daycare in life, Bloody trailing after me. "It's not the place alone, he wouldn't be comfortable dwelling here if so."

"Do you think he'd tell us if we asked?"

I falter at that, looking at Bloody uncertainly. "I'm... Not sure. He likes to pride himself on his honesty, but sometimes he tends to be just as cagey as Sun."

"Yeah. But it wouldn't hurt to try, at least," He says, walking past me and reaching the theater room. I catch up to him, murmuring,

"I agree, we should at least give asking a try. But let's wait for tomorrow, when the sun is high."

"I think that would be best. It gives father his time to rest."

"Good, so for now we'll just-" I start to speak, but my words are cut off with a loud bang, and what sounds like a cry of pain. "Trouble is afoot, brother!" I bolt off in the direction of the sound, Bloody's footsteps thumping after me. We turn incorporeal to get through the theater walls, and through the windows of the play enclosure we spot the source of the noise...

"Moon?" Bloody mutters, squinting in confusion. I peer at the animatronic as well, brows knit tight together.

Moon stands over something- or maybe someone- we can't see, and unexpectedly barks, "Get up, you piece of shit! I want you on your feet when I kill you! I want you to stand and face me, or can you only cower on the floor like the virus that you are?!"

"Who is he speaking to? Is he spitting such vileness towards our canary?" Bloody growls lowly, eyes narrowing as his pentagram glows bright. I creep closer towards the glass.

"No, it doesn't look to be so... That's not Sun, could it be the Ruined one?" I peer in at an angle, and my eyes widen. "Wait, why is Moon attacking Solar?!"

"Solar, you say?" Bloody joins my side, watching with me as Moon kicks Solar in the stomach. We both hiss at the cruel sight.

"I said get up!"

"M- Moon, enough, please!" He croaks out, clutching his stomach with one hand while the palm of the other thrums with some sort of energy. "Sun wouldn't want this, y- you know that!" He yells in pain as Moon stomps on his chest.

"Don't talk to me about what Sun would want, you bastard! He's only gone because of you!"

"Sun is- is gone?! Since when?!" Bloody questions, looking to me with eyes wide in terror- a sight that hits like a stake into my heart.

"Sun isn't gone, brother, I swear to you." I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it as i reassure him. "He was with father all day long, there's no way anything could have happened to silence his life's song. I think... This is the Moon from Solar's dimension. Father mentioned something about this one warning Solar of the coming hunt, which must have culminated into this stunt..."

He lets out a weak breath of relief, mumbling, "I remember faintly, but I thought they blacklisted his dimension?"

"I thought so as well."

"D- dammit, Moon, I tried to warn you, but- but I don't have any other choice!" Solar grits out, raising one arm that tremors as he faces his palm toward the strange Moon. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to die..."

"I don't give a damn what you want, Eclipse," The other growls out. "Death is what you deserve for taking Sun from me!"

And then Solar fires some kind of energy beam- it reminds me too much of the gun barrel's blast- that comes out with a bright flash. I hiss in pain and my vision blurs, but I still manage to see that Moon dodges it completely, and the blast hits one of the lights. It carries such force that the support creaks and groans before snapping loose, a shadow weighing heavy over the mechanic...

I'm moving before I can even think, on all fours like a beast and using my teeth to grab his bandanna and drag him out of the way- but I don't make it far enough that he's completely safe, the light slamming down onto his right leg. His whole frame seizes up as he bites down on his gloved hand to muffle his scream of pain.

"Shit!" I clamber over to try and lift up the light, but the damn thing is bigger and heavier than I expected.

"What the hell?!" The Moon cries out, his shock morphing back to fury as he stalks forward. "How did you not get crushed like the roach that you are?!"

Solar digs his palms into the floor and tries to push himself away, whimpering as the strain clearly pains his damaged leg.

"Solar, s- stop, you're going to make it worse!" I shout, though he's not connected to the V.A.N.N.I. Network and can't hear me. Then the strange Moon is only a foot away, murderous intent in his black and red eyes as he stalks toward Solar.

But before I can even react, Bloody rushes in from the side and slams straight into him, knocking him to the floor. "Not another step, you wretch, or I'll show you who is truly due to be crushed like a roach!"

"Great work, brother! Make that vile Moon suffer!" I cheer, then my gaze snaps back to Solar as he croaks out,

"Bl- Bleed, help me g- get this off!" He pleads, purple rings alight in his eyes- he must have connected to the Network when I wasn't looking, which makes this easier. I nod once and start to lift the light, and Solar tries his best to help with one arm- I start to tell him to use his other one, but then I realize it's charred black and his hand is mangled, fingers barely hanging on by wires if they're not already blown off.

I take a deep breath in and duck my head under the light, using my hands and shoulders to push against it until it lifts high enough for Solar to pull his leg free. Then I turn incorporeal and let it thud back to the floor.

"Thank you," He mumbles, and I purse my lips.

"I wouldn't thank me if I were you. I didn't help fast enough for it to be due."

"You saved me from getting crushed to death, I can fix my leg in time but I couldn't have fixed my AI chip if it was destroyed..." He then looks to Bloody and the wretch, the former whose claws are stained with black ichor from the latter, who lays motionless on the floor. Solar's breath hitches and he stutters, "He- i- is he still-?"

"He's still alive. Merely unconscious," Bloody answers as he stands, turning to face us. "As much as I'd like to kill him, it's no fun if he's not awake, and another ghost in this place I'd not like to make."

"O- okay. Okay..." He lets out a shuddering breath as he slowly wraps his good arm around himself, and I realize all at once just how terribly he's shaking. It's so odd to see an Eclipse like this, but I have to remind myself, Solar isn't like our "older brother" was.

... Seeing him like this, he reminds me more of Sun than Eclipse. And memories of our first meeting with him since death play in my mind, images of his trembling form clawing their way to the forefront, presenting me with his stare of terror towards us. Towards my brother and I, because so long had we tormented him in life and in his mind after our death...

When I look back to Bloody, I see it in his eyes- that time is also weighing heavy on his mind.

"Solar, is there anything we can do to help?" He asks quietly, kneeling a safe distance away.

"I d- don't know. I don't know," Solar whispers back, swallowing heavily and shutting his eyes. "I don't know..."

"We need to get you repaired, you're losing oil fast," I murmur, looking at the black pool welling underneath him. "I think I could carry you. Is that alright?"

"Y- yeah, sure," He murmurs, wincing as I tuck my arms under his legs and his shoulders to lift him up.

"You got him, Bleed?" Bloody asks, poised and ready to jump in and help.

"Yes, I got him," I say, nodding and starting to head off for parts and service, Bloody joining my side. I try to move as quickly as I can without jostling him. When we make it to parts and service, I set Solar in the red chair while Bloody runs off to get some spare parts. "Alright, so the first thing we should do is..." I take a moment to think. "Turn off your pain- oh." I grimace as I realize his computer was in his left arm- the one that's broken and fried. There's no way it's going to be able to activate so I can access his files.

"It's fine, I- I'll live if the repairs hurt a bit," Solar mumbles, shaking his head. "W- we're going to need to disconnect my arm by the- the elbow."

"Okay. How do we do that?" I ask, then he points to one of the tools on the overhead arms. I jump up to grab it and pull it down, then he takes it.

"Hold m- my arm still for me. Don't worry about being gentle." I nod, taking hold of his upper arm and forearm to keep it still. I feel a pang of remorse as he hisses in pain, but he brushes it aside and directs the tool to his elbow joint. It buzzes and some small sparks pop out, Solar grinding his teeth as he guides the tool through the joint to separate it. "Nngkh, o- okay, you can drop it!" He croaks out, pressing back into the chair as he takes a few big gulps of air.

I set the severed limb on the floor as Bloody runs up to the door of the chamber, shouting, "There aren't any parts for Solar here!"

"What? Why not?!"

"We h- haven't needed any yet and forgot to get them for emergencies. J- just use some spares from th- the Chica model, those will work well enough," Solar tells us, and Bloody nods before running off to retrieve the right box. He comes back quickly, pulling out an endo arm. "That'll do, bring it over..."

Bloody takes my place at Solar's side, holding the replacement limb still as the other painstakingly hooks it into his remaining arm and plugs in the wires, breaths shaking and eyes dim. The flow of oil dribbling from his arm ebbs once everything is finally fixed, then he tentatively flexes the fingers of his new hand and bends his arm a couple times. "O- okay, one limb down, one more to go..." He leans forward and rolls up his coveralls to examine the damage to his leg, grimacing as he sees the extent of it. "Dammit, I'm gonna have to replace the entire leg..."

Bloody and I exchange concerned glances while Solar cuts himself loose of the fabric with his claws, then he brings the tool down to the joint connecting his leg to his pelvis. Taking a deep breath, he powers it on and starts to process of severing his leg while Bloody gets the replacements. It goes a bit easier than replacing his arm, I think, but it's still painful for him and I wish I could do something to ease it without getting in his way.

By the time he's done repairing himself, Solar looks like he's going to pass out, slumping back in the chair as his eyes sink halfway shut, breaths weak and labored. I step forward and lift him up again, saying, "Let's get you back to the daycare to get some oil in you, that may help."

"Mmhgh..."

I look to Bloody again, then I nod for him to lead the way and follow after him. When we make it back to the daycare, we find that it's a lot more lively than when we left- the cruel Moon is awake but restrained by father while Sun and the Moon we know stand at the computers, frantically typing away at the keyboards.

"Little brother!" Bloody calls over to him, grabbing his attention and causing him to gasp before scrambling over.

"Thank the stars you guys are alright! W- where did you go?" He questions, checking us all and then looking at Solar with worry. "A- are you okay?"

"'m fine, thanks to the twins," Solar mumbles.

That's when Moon's gaze snaps to us and starts to run over, shouting, "Solar!" But his voice makes the mechanic bristle up and he falters, clearly distraught. "It- it's me, your cousin. I promise, I- I'm not gonna hurt you..."

"... I know," Solar murmurs in guilt, clutching at his chest. "Sorry, I'm just- just not in the right... Headspace."

"He needs oil- is it still in the loft?" Bloody asks, and Sun nods to him. "Alright, I'll be back!" He runs off to go get it, and Sun quietly relays our words to Moon.

"Got it. You- you'll start to feel better when your systems are fueled again," Moon mumbles to Solar, who nods sluggishly.

"You're going to waste your resources on that goddamn virus?" The cruel Moon snarls, causing the other to whip towards him, gold eyes blazing furiously.

"You shut your fucking mouth! Don't talk about my cousin that way or I'll rip your tongue out and shove it down your throat!"

I respect the protective sentiment and the violence greatly, I just hate how the yelling sets Solar to trembling again. I glance to him and murmur, "I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise," knowing how those words tend to soothe Sun.

"Moon, I advise that you ignore this foul wretch for the time being," Father mutters, tightening his grip on the cruel Moon a bit more and making him squirm in pain.

"Just ignore him, Moon," Sun whispers to his twin, relaying the message for father. "Yelling isn't going to help Solar."

Hearing that, Moon turns back to us, expression wilting with remorse. "I think we should get him out of here for right now, Sun. Can you and Bleed take him upstairs?"

"I can do that," I say, and Sun nods as well.

"Alright." He leads the way and I follow, both of us meeting Bloody on the way and heading back to the loft. I set Solar on one of the orange couches and Bloody hands him a canister of oil. While Solar takes a shaking sip, Sun brings one of his blankets and carefully wraps it around him. "... I'm so glad you're okay, Solar," He whispers, blinking back tears as he sits near his cousin. "I'm so, so sorry we- we didn't come to help. I didn't even-"

"H- hey, it's fine, Sun," Solar whispers back, gently grasping one of Sun's hands. "You were asleep and the walls between the daycare and the loft muffle noise well. It's nobody's fault. And I'm just grateful that the twins came to my rescue when they did."

"So am I. I'm so, so glad they were there for you." He looks to us as his rays retract, murmuring, "Thank you. Thank you for saving him..."

Neither of us quite know what to say, so we just nod. Truthfully, we both feel we should have intercepted sooner, but saying so isn't going to change much.

Solar leans back against the arm of the couch as he slowly sips some more oil, clearly exhausted. Sun gently rubs his back. "If you want to rest your eyes, I'll be right here for you. I promise."

"Mm. You should disconnect from the Network for a bit, too. It's likely adding to your strain," I add. He nods a bit and shuts his eyes, then he stays still. Bloody and I watch for a moment, watch to see his chest rising and falling, and we both let out a breath we didn't know we'd been holding.

Then we hear a shout from downstairs, one of the Moons, and we bristle up before running off to go investigate. Climbing up to the balcony, my brother and I see father pinning the cruel Moon to the playstructure with one hand while holding the other at bay by the arm.

"Enough, Moon!" He snarls. "This helps no one!"

Bloody and I jump down, him heading to help father as I go to the security desk, recovering the notepad and pen. I write on it, Stop now, this isn't helping! If you kill him, you just make a ghost to haunt Solar! and then bring it to show Moon. He glances at it briefly, then he does a double take and his frame slowly wilts.

"Shit," He mutters.

"Ghost? Is that what this- this insanity is?!" The cruel Moon questions, glaring at his counterpart.

"Yep. This is a good old fashioned haunting, but luckily for you, they don't want me to rip your head right from your shoulders," The other growls back, pulling his arm free at last before he grabs the cruel one's collar. "So for now, we're going to send you back to where you belong. And you won't come back, or I'll drag you back to the worst dimension I can find and kill you there so your ghost can suffer for all eternity. Fair deal?"

"Why should I leave and let Eclipse live when my brother had to die because of that bastard?" The cruel Moon mutters, only to cry out as the other Moon punches him hard enough to knock him to the floor. Father hisses in anger and I hold his arm.

"As long as he doesn't go too far, I think this is needed, father. Let the vile one realize he's outmatched and slither away," I reason, looking up at him. He frowns in distaste but reluctantly nods.

"Unless you tell me Solar willingly, happily killed your Sun, I don't want to hear another word about it," Moon hisses, holding his counterpart by the neck. "He deserves to live his life in peace, he's only ever helped everyone as best he can and he suffers enough guilt for Sun's death because of you, so you let him go, or so help me-!"

"Why do you care for that virus so much?! He's just a rotten AI spawned from the homicide code, he is nothing but a PARASITE!" The cruel Moon yells, and the other punches him in the face again, hard. One of the wretch's eyes are cracked and so is his face-plate around it.

"That's my brother you're talking about," Moon snarls lowly, gripping his neck so tightly he starts to choke. "So shut. Your. Mouth."

Father takes the notepad from me and writes on it then he brings it over to Moon and shoves it in his face. It says, Send him through the portal, NOW. This is obscene at this point.

"... Fine," Moon mutters, pushing the pad away. "Computer, open the portal to the dimension this bastard came from."

"Opening the portal," The computer replies, and the accursed ballpit starts to hum as the portal opens in it. Moon drags his vile counterpart to it, ignoring his protests and cursing, then shoves him in. "Closing portal. Shall I blacklist that dimension as well?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Blacklisting dimension."

Moon exhales heavily, then he slowly steps away from the portal and looks back to father, who still holds the notepad. "... Killcode, are the twins still in the room?" He asks, and I tilt my head curiously as father simply writes yes on the paper. "Good. I need to say something to them."

Bloody frowns, then he takes the pen from father and writes on the notepad, What is it?

Moon looks at the message, then his face falls as he murmurs, "Thank you both for protecting Solar and taking him to get repaired. Thank you so, so much for saving his life... If I lost him, I don't know what I-" He cuts himself off as his voice shakes and swallows heavily, hiding his eyes as he tears up.

Father hums quietly as my brother and I exchange glances, genuinely shocked. It's rare that he chooses to address us instead of father, and rarer still that he says something so positive. And we don't ever see him so emotional like this, either.

"What... Do we say?" I ask quietly, and Bloody shrugs. Then we look back as Moon clears his throat, the flying wire lowering to his side.

"A- anyway, I'm going to... To go check on him now. You three take it easy for a bit." And with that, he hooks it to his back and lets it carry him up to the balcony. As we watch him go, father gently places his hands on his shoulders.

"I'm proud of you both, my sons," He says softly. The words warm my heart but they feel undeserved. He must realize this, because he kneels beside us and adds, "Whether you believe you did enough or not, the fact of the matter is that Solar is alive and recovering. You two were there for him when no one else was, and we're all very grateful to you for it. Please try not to focus on the perceived shortcomings or the what-ifs. Okay?"

"... Okay," We mumble together, and accept his embrace when he pulls us close. His words hold undeniable truth- Solar is alive, and that's what matters most.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"I... There's no stopping this, is there?" Solar murmurs, his gaze slowly sinking to the floor of parts and service, yellow and black eyes dulling with resignation.

"No, we can stop this, we can!" Moon hisses, his voice raising with desperation as he steps towards his cousin, gripping onto his shoulders. "I'm not going to let this happen, I'm not going to let you die!"

Solar's expression twists with sorrow. "No, we really can't. There's no reversing the collapse of a dimension..."

"There's gotta be something!"

"I'm sorry, Moon, but there is truly nothing that can be done," I speak up, holding my hands together with a soft sigh. "Even if we put him into a new body, his data would still disintegrate, leaving only a husk. I've studied every way I could think of to exclude him, to no avail. I've tried, but there's nothing I can do."

"Then stop this!" Sun interjects, shaking uncontrollably as he glares at me despite the tears rolling down his face. "End the- the program, or whatever it is that's doing this! Stop it and we'll find another way!"

"There is no stopping it now, it's too late. And there is no other way, Sunrise."

"There has to be a way to stop this, something I can do- I'M NOT JUST GOING TO LET HIM DIE!" Moon yells, gripping his head as he seethes.

Then Solar lets out a choked breath, eyes widening as some sort of sensation hits, and he looks at his hand.

"Solar?" Moon whispers, hands balled up into fists as he looks to the other helplessly.

"It shouldn't be painful, at the very least," I tell them.

"That- that's not comforting, you SON OF A BITCH!"

"Moon-" Solar tries, but the other quickly grabs his hand and mutters,

"You're going to be okay, w- I can fix this!" 

"... I'm not gonna be okay," He says, shaking his head slowly. "I think this is it..."

"No, no! You're going to be okay!" 

"Listen to me, while I can still speak," Solar orders quietly, his voice shaking as he holds onto Moon's shoulder with one hand, then he holds his other one out to Sun. As the latter steps forward and clutches onto it, Solar murmurs, "Thank you both for accepting me into your family. For being my cousins, for making me feel loved, for- for everything, really... You two have made my life so much better, and I wouldn't trade our time together for anything. Not even the chance to live forever." He swallows thickly, looking between them both as his brows crease. "I know you two aren't close, I- I won't ask you to be, just... Be good to each other, alright? And I'm proud of you. Both of you..."

"Solar," Sun sobs quietly, shaking even harder as he shakes his head. "No, no, th- this can't be it!"

"This won't be it, I won't let this be the end of you!" Moon growls, choking back tears of his own.

"... I don't want to go," Solar whispers, looking between them both in fear and heartache and regret.

"You don't have to!"

"We- we won't give up on you!" Sun adds, just before Solar brings them both into a tight hug...

And disappears.

I knew this was coming. But the twins are left shocked, horrified.

"No," Moon croaks out, eyes wide as he steps back as though he were struck.

"Solar," Sun whispers and reaches out to the air, then he slowly lowers himself into a crouch, gripping his rays so tightly they may break off. I take a step forward, wanting to stop him from hurting himself because I know Solar wouldn't want him to, but I have to stop myself. I am not their friend, and now I will never be.

Then Moon's howling cry breaks the silence.

"Solar... SOLARRRRRRR!"

While he pants, gasps for breath, Sun shakes his head and whispers, "He can't be- he can't be-" He freezes for just a second before shoving himself to his feet and facing me. "Bring him back!"

"I SHOULD KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Moon screams, and despite my flinch at his volume I don't move or try to run.

"You can kill me if you so wish. I have no intention of running from the consequences of my act-"

Sun punches me. Hard. I stumble back into the door of the repair chamber and cup my cheek, looking at him in shock.

"You are not getting the easy way out, you piece of shit! I'm not letting you die and run off to live your afterlife in peace while Solar is gone because of you! BRING HIM BACK!"

"Sun, I- I can't bring him back, there's no way to reverse the effects of a dimensional collapse!" I tell him and quickly put up my hands to try and block any further strike. "If I did, I would do it in a heartbeat, I swear to you!"

"You're lying! You're lying, y- you have to be!" His anger quickly recedes back into grief and he steps away, burying his face in his hands as he sobs quietly. Even now, when he's most allowed to feel grief, he's pushing it down, it seems. Despite myself, I step forward and put a hand on his shoulder, wincing when he immediately swats it away. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me! You- you don't get to act like our friend after you tricked us, you monster!"

"Monster," I echo, sighing wearily as I step back. "Sun, I am a necessary evil. Yes, many have died and I am the cause, regretfully, but this was for the greater good. This was to save trillions more from the evils of the Creator Council. I've saved you and almost your entire family from-" I quickly stop and stagger back as he lunges at me, but he still manages to knock me on the floor and I jerk my arms up to shield my face as he scratches and punches me.

"YOU DIDN'T SAVE ANYONE, YOU BASTARD! SOLAR IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU TOOK HIM FROM US!"

"Augh- Sun, e- enough, enough!" His claws are unexpectedly sharp and his hysteria is fueling his strength- it takes Moon a great deal of effort to pull him off when he finally decides to intervene.

"Sun, stop! Like you said, we need him alive!" Moon barks, grabbing his arms to restrain him.

"I don't care, I don't care! I want to rip him limb from limb and skin him alive, he took Solar away! HE TOOK SOLAR AWAY LIKE HE TOOK KILLCODE!" Sun snarls as he claws at the air towards me, absolutely rabid at this point, eerily reminiscent of Bloodmoon as he screams and rants about how he wants to make me suffer, cerulean pupils thinned to slits.

I shudder and turn my head, hoping his twin can calm him down.

"Sun- Killcode isn't gone, h- he's still here! He's in the daycare with the twins! You'll see him when we go back, j- just stop, Solar wouldn't want this!" Moon yells, finally getting through to the other. I watch Sun slowly falter out of my peripherals, watch him wilt until he's reduced to muted sobbing. Moon slowly lowers to the floor, pulling him into a tight hug as some glimmer of realization dances in his eyes.

"... Moon? What are you thinking?" I quietly ask, and he shoots me a glare.

"Don't. Speak. If you're serious about facing the consequences of what you've done, then shut the fuckup and get in one of the containment chambers. Now," He growls lowly, and I push myself up with a pained grunt.

"Nngh- understood," I murmur, trudging past the twins and to the containment chamber- the only one with a working light is the one Eclipse had been trapped in until Moon locked him in the west arcade's security room. How ironic.

I sit down on the cold, white tiles and look to them once more, watching as Moon pulls Sun closer, both of them clutching onto each other as they mourn the one they lost. As sorrowful as it is, I'm filled with hope that they might finally overcome their differences to honor Solar's final request. Maybe in his absence, they can learn to love each other again...

....

.......

..........

That was weeks ago now.

And I frankly feel foolish for letting myself believe things could be so sweet and idealistic.

The twins have only gotten worse since Solar's passing, both so desperate to bring him back that they're neglecting themselves and each other to the extremes. Throwing themselves into their work so they don't have to mourn and accept that he's not coming back. Moon getting consumed in his sciences, his inventing, his dimensional scanning. Sun losing himself in trying to make contact with the other side, losing himself in the occult.

Yes, I have known he's able to see and speak to the dead for ages now. After all, I vividly remember- back when I was pretending to be corrupted by that damn virus- that when I tried to capture him for leverage against Moon, he didn't even have to touch me to fend me off. His unseen protectors did so quite violently, and I had to retreat. Not that I didn't stop to listen as he talked with the Bloodmoon twins, figuring everything out then.

Regardless, it's not like he was ever subtle about his gift, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. But his days of hiding it are long since passed, that was apparent even before tonight, when I'm abruptly woken from my slumber by the sound of the doors to parts and service opening.

I push myself up and turn to the glass, watching Sun sit on the floor right in front of where Solar vanished, a laptop bag hanging over his shoulder. I tilt my head as I watch him start to pull out a couple candles- one white and one black- then a match and a ouija board of all things. He arranges everything carefully and lights the candles, then he puts his fingers on the planchette, whispering, "My name is Sunrise. I'm able to see and speak with the spirits of other animatronics who have passed on, but are there spirits I cannot see in this place?"

I sigh quietly as I watch him stare at the board, waiting for something to happen that won't. His gaze cuts to me for the briefest second before he looks back to the board.

"Are there any spirits with me in this room?"

There's no response, predictably. Sun swallows hard, already beginning to lose hope.

"Please, don't let this be like last time. Someone, just- just answer me."

"... Sun, Solar's dimensional essence was erased," I tell him as gently as I can. "Nothing of him was left behind, not even a spirit."

He falters and he sucks in a shaking breath, blinking back tears before he shakes his head and focuses back on the board, pressing a little harder on the planchette. "Solar, is your spirit here with me? You don't- you don't even have to say yes, just- just move the planchette even an inch. Give me a sign that you're here."

"This is the definition of insanity, you know. You're doing the same thing over, and over, and over, expecting different results you never get," I point out, watching him shrink in on himself like the words physically hurt.

"Solar, it- it's me. It's your cousin, Sun. C- can you hear me? Are you there?"

"Sunrise, You've been calling out to Solar for weeks and you haven't gotten any response. Deep down, you know why. He's gone, in body and spirit. And the sooner you consciously accept that, the sooner you can start to heal," I state sternly, leveling him with a hard look that he pointedly avoids.

"You don't get to decide that. Y- you don't get to say that," He whispers, his trembling voice strained with emotion.

"You need to let go, Sun. I know it isn't easy, but you have to. For your own sake, if nothing else," I tell him, watching him shake his head again as he turns away from me, focusing on the board again. I let out a weary breath, hoping that he wears himself out soon.

"Please, Solar, talk to me. P- prove him wrong. Talk to me," Sun whispers desperately, choking back sobs until-

"Wait, have you been trying to contact Solar this whole time? Why haven't you told me?!" Moon questions furiously, stalking over to Sun's side. He must have snuck in while we were talking...

"He hasn't told you because there's been nothing to tell about, Moon," I sigh, leaning against the wall as I watch the two. "Sun has been trying for weeks and hasn't gotten any response, because Solar isn'tthere! His dimensional essence was erased, there is nothing left of him!"

"Stop saying that!" Sun cries out, breaking down sobbing as he hunches over the ouija board. Moon's agitation only increases and he paces circles around his twin, muttering,

"No, no, no, if we can just get in contact, we can have him back..." He grabs one of Sun's arms and forces him up, hissing, "Stop crying, keep trying!"

"You need to stop, it won't work and you're going to run yourselves into the ground trying to make itwork!" I protest, shoving myself to my feet and glaring at Moon sternly. "You both need to stop. You need to let go and finally mourn like the rest of the family!"

"SHUT UP!" He screams at me, then he pushes Sun's hands back onto the planchette- manhandling him like a puppet, which makes me nauseous to see. Worse yet, Sun just accepts the treatment and goes right back to calling out for Solar.

"You know damn good and well if Solar's spirit were here, he'd clock you upside the head for how you're treating Sun," I mutter, meeting Moon's gaze when he shoots me a furious glare.

"Quit acting like you know him so well. You didn't know him at all, you only killed him!"

"I know he would always stand up for what's right. I know he was willing to protect others. And I know he loved you and Sun very much. Do you think he'd still be proud if he saw you now?"

Moon's expression turns absolutely murderous, and I know I shouldn't have said that but I don't back down, even as he stalks over to the glass and slams his fist against it. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break this glass and kill you," He growls out, eyes glowing bright in the darkness.

"I won't. I'm not going to beg for my life like a dog. I'm not going to submit and cower to you."

"Oh, you won't? Even when I'm ripping you apart and hanging you by your wires?"

"M- Moon, please," Sun quietly pleads, much to our surprise. Moon turns to him, mumbling,

"What?..."

"I kn- I know you're not a medium, o- or a ghost whisperer or whatever we want to call it, b- but maybe you could s- still try with the ouija board?" Sun asks, sniffling quietly. "Maybe Solar w- will respond to you. Please, j- just try!"

"Alright. I'll try." Moon briefly shoots me another glare and mutters, "Next time you speak out of turn, your tongue is coming out." Then he returns to Sun's side, kneeling down and touching his fingertips to the planchette with Sun. "Solar, it's me, Moon. Are you there?"

Predictably, there's no response, but that doesn't stop them both from persisting for hours, until Moon throws everything around in frustration and storms out to go back to his research. Sun picks up his twin's mess, but when he finally finds the planchette, it quickly becomes evident that there's a few cracks in the glass eye. He stares at them silently, then he collapses to the floor as he cries out for all the ones he's lost.

I don't know what's worse- seeing him so distraught and broken, or knowing he'll be back tomorrow night to repeat this process all over again...

Chapter Text

Riiing, riiing... Riiing riiing...

I pull my pillow over my head, trying to muffle the sound of my built-in phone ringing to no avail. Reluctantly, I sit up and check my computer to see who's calling... And then I quickly answer, mumbling, "Emerith? Is everything okay?"

"Hello, Sun. And everything is fine, but I'm sending a driver to the Pizzaplex to pick you up and bring you to the manor. Please ensure that the twins and Killcode come with you," She replies, her tone professional in the way I only know from when she was questioning me. Which makes my stomach twist with anxiety.

"What for, exactly? I- I mean, if you just want us to visit, that's totally okay! But you- you sound really serious, and it's concerning to me..."

She lets out a soft breath. "I understand. So I'll tell you forthright, we have business to attend to regarding Killcode's murderer. The driver has arrived, so please go meet him and come to meet with us."

I look to Killcode himself and the twins, who look uncertain but nod a bit. So, I decide to go along with this. "Okay..."

When we make it to the 'plex parking lot, Emerith is standing outside of the car, her arms folded politely behind her back. "Good afternoon, everyone," She says softly. "I'm sorry to bring this up so suddenly, but time is of the essence." She steps to the side. "Please get in."

I let the spirits get in first, then I climb in after them, sitting between the twins. Emerith gets in, and whether she means to or not, she seats herself by Killcode, who starts to reach for her hand but hesitates. She notices my gaze following his movements and puts out her hand, smiling a bit as he clasps it in his. As the car drives forward, she faces me with a look of worry and asks, "How have you been lately, Sun?"

I can't help but break eye-contact, looking to my lap as I mumble, "Not well, honestly. No matter how hard I've tried, I can't reach him. Ruin keeps saying he's gone forever, and it..." I suck in a deep breath as my voice shakes, and the twins huddle in close to comfort me.

"That wretch is a known liar, don't let his words break your resolve, Sun," Bloody mutters.

"Maybe Solar just needs time to find you. Me and my brother did, and so did father," Bleed reasons, which does help a bit. I manage to nod, letting out a breath. "That's it, canary, just breathe. Don't take Ruin's lies to heart."

"Right," I whisper back, gently holding their hands for comfort.

"I'm sure the twins or Killcode have said this, but Ruin is an untrustworthy individual. He's pulled off a long-standing deception and a grand-scale mass killing, showing that he has no moral compass," Emerith adds quietly. "Take his words with a grain of salt for the time being. But remember to take care of yourself as well, and..." She hesitates, then reaches out with her free hand, laying it over mine. "If it should turn out that Solar cannot return, take all the time you need to process it- there is no "proper" way to mourn someone," She says softly. I pause, processing her words, then I can't help but smile a bit as my eyes sting.

"Thank you, Emerith... Thank you so much." My voice begins to break and I fail to choke back my tears, sobbing quietly.

"Please don't thank me, it's simply what friends are for. You deserve the chance to express your emotions without feeling pressured to repress them and be strong." Her antenna lower as her grip on my hand gently tightens. "Because I know that's what you've been trying to do this whole time, and even longer than since Solar's passing. Which just... Isn't right. You may be the oldest, but even the oldest sibling has emotions. Feelings they need to express. So, please, if there's ever any time you need to let them out but your living family makes you feel guilty for it, and you can't speak to KC and the twins for whatever reason, know that I am here for you."

I swallow thickly as I nod, struggling between letting it out because I just want this pain to go away and instinctually pushing it down. But before I can decide, the car slows to a stop and the driver tells us we've arrived.

Emerith lets out a breath, and I murmur, "We- we can talk more about this later."

"Alright..." She opens the door and climbs out, leading us inside her family's manor as she texts someone on her phone. "We'll be meeting with my brothers in the sitting room before getting to business, I hope that's okay."

Brothers, plural? I guess I'm finally going to meet more of the family... "Of course. That's perfectly fine by me," I say, glancing to the others. Killcode nods a bit as the twins shrug.

The sitting room is quite nice, filled with a sort of dark, reddish gothic-style decor like the rest of the place. I once again feel too underdressed for such a nice place, but I still lower myself onto the couch Emerith indicates. The twins and KC sit with me, then after a few minutes the door behind us opens and Sylas walks to Emerith's side, greeting,

"Hey, Sun, it's good to see you again! And hey to the twins and KC, e- even if I can't see you guys, aha..."

Killcode chuckles lightly. "Hello, Sylas. It's good to see you, too."

I muster a small smile. "Hi, Sylas. How have you been?"

"We've recently had a pretty big breakthrough on our case, so I've been very well," He answers, smirking. I frown as I raise a brow.

"On your... Case?"

"That's what we've called you four here to discuss," A new voice interjects, one that's almost as deep as Killcode's but twice as chilling. I jump in my seat and whip around, where I see a third moth animatronic standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he watches over us all.

He looks to be as tall as Emerith, but his fuzz is much darker and he wears a black hat that throws shade over most of his face, yet does nothing to hide his dark red eyes or the skull-like marking on his face.

He seems almost amused by my reaction, snorting softly. "Apologies for startling you, Sunrise. That wasn't my intention."

"O- oh, no! N- no, I wasn't started at all!" I reply nervously as I wave my hands a bit. He glances between them and my face and I immediately remember what Emerith said about my tell, nervously lowering them. "I just, ah... A- anyway, um, I see you already know my name. And you must be?..."

"Vorago, Emerith's twin brother. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I'm sorry to hear about your recent loss. I would have joined my siblings in bringing my condolences personally, but I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"Oh... It's- likewise, sir, and I appreciate the thought," I murmur, looking away as my heart aches. Then Emerith's hand gently comes to rest on my shoulder and she says,

"Now that everyone is here, would you like any refreshments or would you prefer to get to the case?"

"Um, t- the case. Let's get that... Underway." I stand up, as do the twins and KC. "What's this all about, then?"

"Let us simply show you. It's easier to explain that way," Vorago responds, beckoning for us to follow him. I notice he has skull-like markings on the backs of his hands as well.

But as intimidating as he is, he is Sylas and Emerith's brother, and Killcode seems familiar with him as well, so I try not to be too uneasy and simply follow along with the twins at my side, holding their hands in mine and listening as they whisper to each other.

"Do you think this is what I think it is?" Bloody asks.

"I think it is, my brother," Bleed replies.

"What do you think it is, my sons?" Killcode questions curiously, only for them to abruptly clam up. He and I exchange glances, but the group suddenly comes to a halt as I realize Vorago is opening a door to the basement, which looks... Really dark. Really dark.

"Are- are we... Going down there?" I murmur before I can think better of it, and I shrink back as I realize how childish I must seem.

"Unfortunately, yes," Emerith murmurs, glancing at me with a frown. "I should have grabbed my lantern, shouldn't I?"

"Here, sis," Vorago says, handing her a cigarette lighter before saying to me, "Just stick close to Emerith, alright?"

"Oh, o- okay," I say softly, smiling a tiny bit despite myself. It's just... A bit rare that people are so understanding of my fear of the dark.

He regards me silently, then his expression softens a touch and he briefly puts his hand on my shoulder before he pulls away to go down the stairs. The twins nod to each other and release my hand so I can follow alongside Emerith, who flicks the wheel of the lighter and turns it on to illuminate our way down.

Vorago opens a door at the bottom of the staircase, flipping a switch to turn on the lights of the room as he enters. Emerith puts a hand on my back as we step in after him, and I look around at the sparsely furnished room curiously...

Until my gaze falls on the fake Bloodmoon, and I nearly jump back in shock. "What the- what are theydoing here?! Emerith?!"

"What? Who?" Killcode questions, quickly joining us and bristling at the sight of the clone. They sit limp in the only chair in the room with their arms strapped down, but I don't trust that they're contained for a single second! I back up closer to KC for comfort, hearing him growl lowly as the lights flicker. "What is the meaning of this?"

Emerith and Vorago glance at the lights, and Sylas remarks, "Well, that's comforting."

"Sun. Ask them to explain," Killcode orders lowly, and I mumble,

"Emerith, w- what's going on here? Why and- and how do you have the fake here? And why aren't they tied down with s- something stronger than leather straps?!"

"My brothers and I worked together to capture them," Emerith answers with her hands clasped together, reluctantly meeting my gaze as Vorago stands beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "We received an anonymous tip to give us a lead and used our private resources to locate and apprehend them."

Immediately, Killcode and I look at the twins. Both meet our gazes without flinching.

"You two went behind my back," Killcode mutters lowly, eyes narrowing.

"We did, and we clearly were right to do so," Bleed states. "We love you, father, but your caution was pushing away help we clearly needed in catching this fake! And now you see that Emerith and her family were plenty capable of handling themselves."

"And what if they hadn't been?!"

The lights flicker again. Emerith looks to me, murmuring, "Is that?..."

"Yes. He's not happy that the twins went behind his back on this. And neither am I, honestly," I answer quietly. "Not that I'm not grateful for your help, but you all put your lives in danger when Killcode clearly stated he wanted you to stay safe."

"I understand. I'm not proud of myself, and I understand my love's anger, but... As he himself might say, it's not going to help us to focus on the what ifs. We need to move forward, and he needs to realize my family and I are more capable than we initially lead everyone to believe. Clearly, the evidence speaks for itself," She states, gesturing to their captive. Killcode immediately falls silent.

"Well said, Emerith," Vorago replies. "In our line of work, foes like this mongrel are common fare. Not to undermine the harm they can and have done, but they thrive off of targeting humans and physically weaker animatronics. Ones who aren't programmed or trained to fight. Whereas, my siblings and I are all programmed and trained for combat of multiple forms, and we're all much larger than that half-pint beast."

"Yeah, and they didn't have weapons or anything to fight with. Not to mention, no brains either," Sylas adds, standing near his siblings as he shakes his head. "So your concern was appreciated, but not necessary. Now, I'm not gonna tell KC how to parent his kids, but the twins were doing the right thing. They were helping us put a stop to a killer."

"... Very well, then," Killcode mutters, looking to the floor with a faint scowl. "I will cede, my fears of losing Emerith and my friends blinded me to their capabilities. But-" He shoots a look back at the twins. "The next time you disagree with me on something like this, tell me. Do not go behind my back, am I understood?"

"Yes, father," Bleed says quietly.

"We understand, father," Bloody agrees.

"They've resolved the argument," I inform the moth trio, and they nod approvingly.

"Good. Now, we'll state this point blank- the clone is dead, and their ghost has been expunged from this plane," Vorago states bluntly, and I freeze.

"T... That's possible?"

"Yes, it is. It took a long, delicate procedure of spiritual ritual to do, but it is possible," Emerith confirms.

"It was basically an exorcism," Sylas says. "Em handled most of it with Vorago's help while I made sure there were no interruptions. It is not as easy as the movies make it seem."

"Oh. I- I see," I mumble, looking between the three before I look to the clone- the corpse, really. "So, that's... That's it? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Vorago says. "But we preserved the body because of a- we'll call it a hypothesis that Emerith would like to test."

"Like what?" I ask, looking to Emerith nervously.

"Nothing too serious, but just for my own curiosity's sake... I'd like them to try and possess the- the body, if that makes sense. See if they can reanimate it," She explains nervously. I don't even have to look to see how the twins go still at the idea.

"You mean... Try to be alive again?" Bloody murmurs. "In a new body, joined as one again?"

"But- but if we come back to life, we'll be hungry again," Bleed whispers, and I feel my chest ache as I turn and see him clutching his stomach. "I don't want to be hungry again. I don't want to go back to that hell!"

"W- would that body need to eat?" I ask quietly, looking back to Emerith while Killcode hugs his children close.

"It can eat, but it doesn't need to, nor does it need blood to sustain itself, the clone only felt so driven to kill because of directives programmed into it that have since been purged," She answers quietly. "Sylas went and spoke to Ruin about it personally, in excruciating detail. And he was also informed of Solar's passing, which is why we knew about it without you telling us..."

I don't know what to say to that. I just know that suddenly, the twins are declaring, "W- we must speak to each other about this alone!" And I turn to watch as they run to a corner away from everyone, whispering frantically to each other. Anxiety, uncertainty and so much more written in their faces, especially as they glance between me and their father.

"Um... The twins are discussing it," I murmur to Emerith.

"They can take all the time they need. And I understand if they say no," She says softly. "I just wanted to ask."

"If this is too much for you both, then that's okay," Killcode assures them. The twins look at him and at me, then they both whisper a bit more before seeming to decide on something.

"We- we will give it a try, at least," Bloody answers, holding on tight to Bleed's hand.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I tell them, and they shake their heads.

"We will give it a try," He repeats, not elaborating further. I wish I could tell where their thoughts are at with this, but I can't even try to ask before they walk over to us, pulling me and Killcode into a tight hug. I don't really understand what it's for- our comfort, or theirs?

"Brothers?..."

"My sons, it is okay to say no," Killcode emphasizes gently, red eyes filled with something like panic but also confusion.

"We have a plan, father. And we think she does, too. We have to try," Bleed mumbles, and both reluctantly pull back before taking each other's hands and unifying for the first time in... Months, honestly. Seeing the real total Bloodmoon for the first time in so long is strange, but I can't even feel panicked at seeing them- the hallucination's face never looks so scared, so uncertain.

Never looks so much like my big brothers.

Instinctually, I hold onto Killcode's hand as Bloodmoon inches over to the clone's empty husk, their hand trembling as they reach towards it. They take hold of its shoulders and press their forehead to its, their body flickering as they turn intangible and push into it.

My grip tightens as we both watch, waiting to see if anything changes...

...

Then the body's eyes open, white spirals slowly shifting around in confusion that quickens as they look at their hands, eyes going wide as the realization that it worked sinks in.

"B- brothers?" I mumble to them, and their gaze shifts to me before going to my sides. "Do you two feel like yourselves still? Do you feel any hunger?"

"W- we feel like ourselves, yes, but n- no, we don't feel hunger. We just feel..." They look back at their hands, blinking back tears. "Alive."

This entire time, it- it was possible. It was possible for them to live without hunger. Oh, my God, Emerith, thank you! I start to smile, feeling one of the worst weights ever to be rested on my shoulders start to lift, but... Then I realize those aren't tears of joy. "Bloodmoon, w- what's wrong?"

They look at me, taking a shallow, shaky breath before so they can get the answer out. "We can't see father anymore. This body- it doesn't have the same ability you or Eclipse have."

Hearing that hits like a sledgehammer to the gut, and Killcode sobs softly beside me before pressing one hand over his mouth.

"I- I'm so sorry," I whisper, overcome with guilt again.

"... We knew this would be so. It isn't your fault, little brother." Bloodmoon sniffles and turns their head, mumbling, "We just pray that her and our plan works now..."

"It will," Emerith says softly, stepping over to unstrap them from the chair. The moment they're loose, she kneels and pulls them into a hug, whispering something that I can't hear. I look to Killcode again, studying his expression. He smiles the faintest bit, but tears still pour down his face.

I squeeze his hand gently and murmur, "H- hey, we've been in this situation before, remember? It's just reversed now, but the silver lining is that I'm not going anywhere on you, I promise. Whenever you need me, I'll be right there to be your voice for the twins- or you can talk to them with the pen and notepad. This- this isn't goodbye, I promise!" I hear myself getting more emotional as I speak and I feel so stupid and guilty for it. I don't have a right to cry. I can see them both, I can talk to them both. Killcode is the one who has the right to cry, but I hate seeing him cry. I hate it so much.

He takes a deep breath in before letting it out, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he looks to me, smiling softly. "I remember now. And thank you, Sun. Thank you for reminding me that we are not torn apart. We just need a medium to speak through." He then pulls me into a hug, resting his head on my shoulder. "It's just- it's just scary. Very scary..."

"I understand," I whisper, holding on tight to him. "I understand completely. And- and it's okay that it's scary. But I'll always be here to bridge the gap between you two. I promise. I promise..."

"Thank you, Sun," He murmurs.

I look back to Bloodmoon, who watches me with a look of clear remorse and worry. Desperate to comfort them but unsure of what more to say, I hold out one hand to them and see them instantly perk to attention. Emerith steps aside for them, allowing them to scramble over and practically throw themself into me and KC.

At first they flinch and gasp quietly at the contact, realizing just how cold their father's spirit is... But they slowly adjust, leaning back into the contact and letting out a shaky breath as Killcode slowly rubs their back, and soon their eyes slip shut and they drift to sleep.

Killcode and I quietly decide it's time to head home. We say our goodbyes and Emerith escorts us to the car so we can leave. Once we're home, I send a quick text to Moon and the others to explain everything, and then KC and I go to our room. He tucks Bloodmoon in with the blanket pulled up to their shoulders, and I sit by them as I rub circles into their back, listening to their internal servos humming in and hoping their sleep will be long and peaceful.

A new chapter of their story has begun, and now they can live life without pain or hunger, and they don't need to kill or want to hurt. I thought this day was only something that could be real in my sweetest dreams.

Chapter Text

"GET BACK HERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Crash!

I don't even look back, I don't stop for anything- in fact, I hope that bastard just crashed into a storage rack and it fell on top of him! I don't care if it kills him, after all, he's trying to kill ME!

But then I hear the pounding footsteps not far behind and I know I'm not gonna get so lucky. Especially when I realize I've run myself into a damn dead end, the only way out being on of the DJ's giant tunnels that could lead to anywhere. Tch, it's better than nothing!

Once I reach the wall, I jump up and grab onto the bricks, hauling myself higher and closer to the mouth of the tunnel. I can reach it, I just need to reach-!

I feel him grab my tail and before my back's even hitting the floor, I know I'm done for. His foot comes crashing into my stomach, and I jerk my arms up to shield my face before he can kick it.

"You thought you could run, Eclipse?! You thought you could escape and live happily while Solar is dead?! Think again!" Moon snarls, and I know without looking that his expression is that of an utter madman, completely deranged and wild. At least Sun has finally gotten a distraction from his desperation to bring Solar back thanks to the Bloodmoon situation, but Moon is stubbornly single-minded.

"Oh, please, like I could be happy anywhere close to you!" I hiss back and cry out in pain when he stomps on my chest again.

"Then it sounds like you don't need this body after all," He mutters. "I'm bringing Solar back, whatever it takes. So do something good for once in your goddamn life and don't run, Eclipse. Or I promise I'll make this hurt."

"Moon, he can't just possess my body once I'm dead because he's gone! Totally and completely, and if you would take even one minute off from being a fucking nutcase, you'd understand on your own! His entire dimension was erased, not destroyed, ERASED! He is gone!" I yell, and Moon makes me regret trying to reason with his stupid ass by grabbing one of my arms, his foot still pinned to my chest as he yanks and makes it pop out of its socket. I use internal controls shut off my voice box before the scream can come out, but I still feel it burn in my chest. Or maybe that's just from Moon using me as a fucking footrest...

"I. Don't. Care," He growls lowly, kneeling down as he stares daggers at me. "You think I can't find other ways to bring him back?"

Turning my voice box back on, I mutter, "L- like what? I doubt you know what you're doing at all, you're too cracked in the head!"

"Shut up! I know how to bring him back, all I need is a worthless rat that no one will miss to do it!"

"Over my dead fucking body!"

"That can be arranged," He snarls back. He reaches for the back of my head-plate and I claw at him with my good arm, managing to score gouges across his right eye. But it barely affects him and he slams my head to the floor, sending sparks spilling across my sight.

"Nngh- n- no!" I hiss, struggling to keep myself conscious as I push against Moon...

Then his weight on me just disappears, and the commotion of our struggle is replaced by a deep, ravenous growl that could be described as the maw of hell opening wide.

Fuck, did I die again?! I grimace at the thought and my chest tightens with unease until I hear a voice.

"Moon, that is ENOUGH!" Killcode roars, pinning the other to the wall as both seethe with fury, Moon thrashing and kicking wildly to get loose in vain. Footsteps rush up beside me and something warm touches the back of my head.

"G- get off!" I grit out, and the hands move. I force myself up as I snap my arm back into its socket- snarling in pain- and I look to my side, finding Sun sitting there, his brows furrowed and expression hard.

"Nothing else is damaged, thankfully," He mutters to me. "Just take it easy for a moment."

"Tch. Why do you care?"

"Because Moon is out of control, and someone else dying to bring him back isn't what Solar would want." He then shoots a glare at Moon, shouting, "And you know that, dammit! He wouldn't want you losing yourself to insanity and killing someone to revive him!"

"I don't care! I don't care what Solar would want, I just want him back! I WANT MY BROTHER BACK!" Moon screams, absolutely unhinged at this point.

But to my surprise, instead of getting all weepy and hurt, Sun gets mad. Very mad. "Of course it doesn't matter to you. No one's feelings ever matter to you but your own! You selfish asshole!" He shoves himself to his feet. "I refuse to let Solar be brought back with someone else's blood on his hands!"

"And what are you going to do to stop me?" Moon growls. "Kill me? Hah, don't make me laugh!"

"I don't need to kill you. I just need to make sure you can't hurt anyone. Killcode, help me take him to parts and service," Sun orders sternly, showing his spine for the first time in ages. Killcode seems to almost smile at that before he nods, holding Moon tightly in his hands before carrying him along. The bastard thrashes and writhes but he cannot get loose- not only is KC a giant compared to even me,he's a ghost. Immune to all forms of harm. And best yet, he's wrapped around Sun's finger.

As he starts to walk away, I look to the wall where Moon was pinned, scoffing quietly as I mutter, "I'm impressed, Sunrise. Your bolts finally dropped, I never thought I'd see the day."

Sun just snorts back. "You can come with us to get your head double-checked if you need to."

"My head is fine." I roll my eyes, then belatedly notice something on the floor, glinting in the fluorescents. I cock my head to the side and walk over, stooping down to grab it. This is... An AI chip? I raise a brow as I study it. B-I.B. A.I. MD-1. The fuck does that-? My eyes widen a bit and I stand. Oh. Oho, that explains everything. He was right here this whole time... "On second thought, I think I'll join you after all," I call out, turning and walking to catch up with Sun. He notices the chip in my hand, frowning.

"What is that?"

"You'll see. I'll explain it when I'm not in the way of the cross-fire."

"Okay..."

When we arrive in parts and service, KC manually locks Moon's limbs like Moon did to me, then sets him in a different containment room to the one Ruin is in.

The posh bastard watches with a furrowed brow. "Well, I didn't expect to see that," He remarks.

"Let me out of here! LET ME GO!" I put one hand over my audio receptors as Moon sets to screeching again.

"You can get out when you calm down!" Sun shouts back. "But if you keep acting like a savage, attacking everyone and trying to use death to restore Solar, then you're staying right there. We all miss him and we all want him back, but we shouldn't get so consumed in our wants that we turn a blind eye on Solar's. He deserves better than that, goddamn it!"

"He deserves to live, too! This is the only way to bring him back, so LET ME DO THIS!"

"What is it he's wanting to do, exactly?" Ruin questions, looking between Sun and I. The former scoffs and reluctantly answers him.

"Moon wants to use Eclipse's body to restore Solar by... I don't even know how it's supposed to work."

"It's a magic ritual," Killcode mutters as he walks to us. "It requires a body and a possession of the deceased, then the deceased one with become bound to the body and overwrite the living one's soul. Except it's not perfect, and they would meld together in a way and the two souls would battle for dominance, causing the one conscious great torment and anguish. If Moon were to complete this ritual using Eclipse then Solar would be restored, but potentially with Eclipse's hatred of him and his violent tendencies. And there is no guarantee that they would ebb away, they could wholly take over until Solar is consumed by them and lost once more."

"Tch, yeah. That sort of spell is something that works best when you have a veritable fluffball or whatever to sacrifice," I scoff.

"I'm missing key exposition here and it's quite bothersome," Ruin mumbles afterward, rubbing the side of his head-plate. Sun sighs sharply.

"Killcode was explaining that Moon wants to use magic to revive Solar, but it would just be harmful to Solar and we would lose him all over again." He then looks to Moon, eyes narrowing bitterly. "But you don't care, do you?"

"I do care," He grits out, shaking furiously. "I could just find someone else, someone better..."

"Like who, Moon? Whose blood could you spill to do this ritual that wouldn't hurt Solar, and wouldn't be morally reprehensible to kill?"

"And what if I convinced them to do it willingly? It wouldn't be murder then, right? It would be a sacrifice. For the greater good, one might say."

"... Well, don't look at me," Ruin scoffs quietly. "I would be happy to help bring Solar back, but I'm not wasting my life for a sham spell that might just destroy him from the inside out."

"Yeah, we weren't," Sun retorts. "If we're bringing Solar back, we're doing it right. No death, no chance of our brother being in pain and suffering. You got that, Moon?"

"Fuck you. Why should you be the one to decide how we bring back Solar?!" Moon snarls.

"Because I'm the one of us who cares about the long-term effects, not just the short-term gratification of getting him back. You said it yourself, you don't care what Solar wants. So you have no right to take the lead on this," Sun growls back.

"Well said, Sun," KC agrees quietly as Ruin slow-claps.

"Bravo, my good man! Whoof, I hardly recognize you, you've grown so much. Solar would be proud."

"Tch, shut up," Sun hisses under his breath, and I refrain from rolling my eyes as he starts to tear up. Killcode, however, kneels beside him and sets a hand on his shoulder.

"I do not often agree with Ruin, but he is right. Solar would be proud if he were here."

"Solar's not here," Moon growls quietly, and though he's clearly responding to Ruin, the timing is quite perfect. "He's not here, AND THAT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"God, can we step out of the room? I'm getting a headache," I groan, turning and walking to the doors without waiting for an answer.

Sun sighs again and he follows me with KC, muttering, "I still need to ask you about that chip, anyway."

As we step through the doors and step into the corridor outside of parts and service, I turn to Sun and hand it to him. "Look at the letters on it. Make any sense to you?"

KC peers at it over Sun's shoulder while Sun himself gives me a look, asking, "Why are you asking me? You already know."

"I want to see if you can figure it out yourself." I cross my arms over my chest, watching him sigh again and look it over.

"B-I.B. A.I. MD-1... I can tell that this is an AI chip, at the very least. Um, maybe an older model?" He carefully turns it over in his hands. I can see the gears turning in his head, but Killcode catches on faster and presses a hand over his mouth. "Eclipse, really, what is this?" Sun asks, looking up at me with a frown.

"That's a built-in backup AI chip for animatronics. Something that reserves the last snapshot of their coding and preserves it in stasis, even if they reset," I explain, watching with interest as the realization slowly sinks in.

"Even- even if they?..."

"Yes. Not a scrap of data is wiped away from that by any form of reset. The only way to destroy the data is to, well, destroy the chip."

Sun cradles it to his chest protectively, breaths shaking as he whispers, "MD. Moondrop. The firstMoondrop... This whole time, h- he's been right here, preserved in this chip... I- I could never see or hear his spirit because he never died!"

"Exactly," I reply, holding back a chuckle at the tragic irony of it all. Killcode narrows his eyes at me, muttering,

"Eclipse, where did you find this?"

"On the floor of the backroom in the west arcade, right by the wall where you rattled New Moon head around. It was obviously tucked in its slot and got dislodged by the motion. Real lucky it didn't breakbecause of you," I point out with a sneer, and he takes a step back as his eyes dim.

"... Why did you tell us all this?" Sun asks, and I look back to him with a brow raised.

"Hmph. Being honest? Just to see the look on your face when you realized that your dearly deceased brother was never dead, and that you could have brought him back at any time if only you had known about the backup chip."

He stares at me silently... Then he just chuckles. "Is- is it weird that I still want to say thank you, anyway?" I cock my head to the side, eyes narrowing. "You didn't have to give it to me. You could have broken it and told me after... Maybe I'm not the only person growing today?"

"Ulgh, don't hit me with that sappy bullshit." I scoff, stepping away and walking down the corridor. Sun laughs softly.

"Alright. Fuck you, then," He replies, his tone hardly serious.

"Fuck you, too," I mutter, rolling my eyes.

"... Eclipse?" He calls after, and against my better judgement I stop and turn to face him. "I know you don't care about any of this. You didn't like Solar at all, but... Do you know any possible way to peacefully bring him back?" Sun questions, still cradling the AI chip as he faces me with desperation in his eyes.

I sigh heavily and cross my arms again, considering it for a moment. "I have an idea at the very least, but it's not a guarantee. Why?"

"I have an offer for you- teach me how to do it, and I'll have Killcode break the seal keeping you trapped in the Pizzaplex. I'll let you leave and we'll call it square, as long as you don't come back to harm us," He states, and my rays prick up with interest.

"Hm. That does sound like quite the offer, I admit..." I take a few steps towards him, asking, "But is that really your call to make, Sun?"

"No," He admits bluntly. "But I'm the only one who will make this call. Moon still wants to use you as a sacrifice to revive Solar, and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon."

"Fair enough. But, if we were to form this little arrangement, I'll be the one to revive Solar. Not just because I don't trust you to actually do it right, even with painstaking instructions, but so I can see Moon's face when he finds out that he couldn't even be the one to save his precious "brother," I say, smirking.

"Deal," Sun agrees without hesitation. I look to KC.

"I take it there are no complaints from the peanut gallery?"

"No, there are not," He answers, shaking his head. "I stand with Sun- this is the path we should walk to restore Solar. The path of peace with as little bloodshed as possible. That is what he would want."

"Alright. Then I'll go back to parts and service and get to work. If It works, I should just need a spare endo for him."

"We have one in there specifically for Solar, but it's going to need some replacement limbs," Sun tells me. "We ordered a daycare endo and shell for spare parts after Solar got hurt by his Moon."

"And what about Moon, then?" I ask, nodding at the AI chip.

"We'll use my backup endo with his shell," Sun answers quietly. "If I need parts in the future, then that will be a problem for the future. But right now, Moon needs the endo more than me." I nod in understanding, watching as he takes a deep breath and mumbles, "Okay, so- so that's the plan... Eclipse, are you going to be okay by yourself once we go back to the daycare?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. New Moon's limbs are locked and Ruin isn't aggressive, just annoying," I mutter, brushing past him to head back into parts and service. "If anything changes, I'll text you."

"Okay." They follow me in to get everything they need, and Sun pointedly avoids answering Moon or Ruin's questions about it before they leave.

(Sun) While KC carefully inserts the AI chip into the spare endoskeleton that's been fixed with Moon's outer casing, I quietly explain the situation to Lunar and Bloodmoon. From the new Moon attacking Eclipse, to the deal I made with him to bring Solar back- which Lunar isn't especially happy to hear about, but he at least understands- and lastly, about the chip itself. They take it as well as can be expected.

"So this whole time, he was right with us," Lunar mutters, his brows drawn into a furrow as he blinks back tears of frustration. "We could have brought him back at any moment, but we just- we didn't. We didn't even know..."

"Yeah," I whisper, looking down at my hands as my rays retract. So many months of terrible, agonizing guilt for getting him killed, feeling like I took our brother from so many people, only to realize he's alive. And I could have brought him back if I wasn't so... Stupid.

... A hand gloved in red gently grasps both of mine, guiding my gaze back to Bloodmoon. "Little brother, this isn't on any of us. No one here knew of the backup chip. Please don't worsen your pain by blaming yourself for not knowing something that no one could have had any clue of."

"Bloodmoon's right, it's not anyone's fault. It just- it just sucks a lot, but what matters most is that- that he's gonna be back. Right?" Lunar asks, looking to me.

I muster a weak smile and nod. "Mm-hmm. Right, he's going to be back, and hopefully Solar will follow after."

"At the very least, there's one thing we know is true: Eclipse never barks without the biteforce to back it up. His idea will most likely be the breakthrough," Bloodmoon points out, and Lunar huffs quietly.

"Yep. He's at least smart enough to do that much, and hopefully he'll keep his end of the deal about fucking off afterward. But full disclosure, if he comes back and threatens anyone, I'm frying him to ash."

"I understand," I say, gently patting his shoulder. "You don't have to forgive him or like him, and if he does come back to cause trouble, I support you protecting our family. I'd support anyone it, really. But for now, I want to see if we can solve this without violence, because in my experience..." I glance at Bloodmoon, my chest aching with the guilt that just won't go.

"I know, Sun, I just... Hope he keeps his word and keeps his distance," Lunar says.

"The upload is nearly complete," Killcode says, bringing my attention back to him. I tell my brothers, and we join KC's side by the bed, where Moon lays limp. I can only think of when he reset, when he was laying right there while I could only watch and hope that he'd be okay... It makes me feel dizzy and I grab onto Killcode's arm for support. He leans his head against my shoulder for a moment, almost like a cat, murmuring, "It will be okay. It will be okay..."

... I notice how he sounds like he's trying to reassure himself, too, and abruptly remember how guilty he must feel over dying after being given a second chance. I feel like I'm to blame for it, with how I acted when he first died...

"The upload of Moondrop's AI into the body is completed," Spaniard declares, abruptly pulling me out of my thoughts. "I will power him on now."

"T- thank you, Spaniard," I say, my grip on KC getting tighter. He puts a hand on my back as he lifts his head, all of us watching Moon silently.

"It is done," Spaniard informs us. "Welcome back, Moondrop."

"Wh... What?" His voice faintly filters from his voice box- familiar and long-lost all at once, one that I've heard every day for almost a year and one I haven't heard in a year. I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me, especially as his red eyes sluggishly, taking in his ceiling before turning to us- and they go wide. "Wait, Sun? Lunar? And- is that Bloodmoon?"

"It actually worked," Lunar whispers, eyes welling with tears as he smiles. "Holy shit, he's really back. He's really back!" He starts to cry with relief and throws his arms around Moon's neck, hugging him tightly. "Moon!"

Moon slowly wraps his arms around him and nods. "I'm- I'm here. I'm here, Lunar." Then he looks to me, expression twisting with heartache as he reaches one hand out to me. "Sun?..."

I sluggishly reach out and take his hand, the familiar warmth of it nearly making me collapse with relief as I try to speak. But all that comes out is a quiet sob, more spilling out after it.

"Sun, it- it's okay," Moon hushes, the soothing tone of his voice soft and familiar, and I just start to cry even harder at the sound. "H- how long has it been since?..."

I try to answer, but my voice won't work. The noise I let out sounds like a dying animal and I have to shut off my voice box as it gets even louder. Killcode wraps an arm around me and hugs me gently, mumbling with a shaking voice, "Deep breaths, Sun. Deep breaths..."

I struggle to follow his instructions, my chest so tight that trying to expand it and let air in hurts.

Mercifully, Bloodmoon decides to step in and answers gingerly, "It has- it has been a year, Moon."

"A year?" Moon questions, his voice hoarse with shock. "I've- I've been dead that whole time?"

"Not exactly. You've been in- in stasis, is what Sun has said. You had a backup chip in your head- er, the head of your old body, but we didn't know about it until today." They look at him apologetically. "There is a lot we need to catch you up on, I'm afraid..."

"I can imagine," He murmurs, looking back to me. "Sun, I'm so sorry..."

Hesitantly, I switch on my voice box again and whisper, "I'm sorry, too. I- I'm so, so sorry! I should have listened to you, I'm sorry, th- this is all my-!"

"It's not your fault!" Bloodmoon, Lunar, Killcode and even Moon all state sharply in unison, stunning me into silence while they all exchange surprised glances of their own.

"... We like you, Moonman," Bloodmoon abruptly states, patting Moon's shoulder before looking to me and telling me softly, "See? We all told you, you're not to blame for what happened."

"Sun, h- have you been blaming yourself this entire time?" Moon asks, looking devastated as Lunar and Bloodmoon slowly nod. "God... Sun, it was never your fault. I chose to reset so I didn't have to take a life."

"But if I hadn't destroyed your magic circle and then fucked up restoring it, y- you wouldn't have had to choose," I whimper, and he sighs softly.

"You don't know that. None of us do."

"Remember what I've told you in the past, Sun. The what ifs only hurt you," Killcode murmurs, rubbing circles into my back. I sniffle quietly and bite onto my lip, then Moon abruptly tugs on my hand and pulls me into his arms. Lunar quickly hugs us, too.

"No matter what, Sun, I have never blamed you for what happened. I made that choice. But I'm so sorry I hurt you with it. I'm so sorry for how I've hurt all of my family," Moon whispers, his grip on me tightening.

"... I've missed you, Moon," I sob softly. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too. I've missed you all." He swallows hard and lets out a shaky breath. "I promise, I'll never leave you all again. Not for anything."

Chapter Text

Explaining everything that Moondrop missed is a challenge, to say the least. We try our best to break the news or the worst events carefully, like Killcode's passing and Eclipse's revival, and Moondrop processes it as best he can. When Bloodmoon finally explains their story, that's when my ability finally comes up and he puts a hand on his head.

"... Sun can see and talk to the dead," He echoes, and everyone in the room- which is still just me, Lunar, Bloodmoon and KC- nod. "How?"

"I have no idea," I admit quietly. "Maybe it's just a thing to do with playtime attendant models? Because Eclipse can see ghosts, too."

"So could Solar, but that was because of a specific program installed in him, and he couldn't see them all the time," Lunar adds, lightly rocking back and forth where he sits by Moondrop on the bed.

"Yeah."

"Okay, it- it's not that I don't believe you, but..." Moon rubs his eyelids wearily. "But it's just wild. You've never seen ghosts before I reset. So what changed?"

"I really don't know."

He looks at me, then he lets out a breath. "Maybe we can look into it some other time. But for now, um... Aside from Bloodmoon, have you seen any other ghosts?" Silence. Bloodmoon and I exchange glances, unsure if we should laugh or maybe cry. "I take it that's a yyy... A nnn- yeeesn't?"

I take a deep breath. "We really should have told you sooner, but- but I can see Killcode's spirit."

"What?" He questions, straightening up as his eyes widen. "Seriously? Then- then does that mean he's still around somewhere?"

Glancing at KC out of my peripherals, I nod a little bit. "You could say that."

"He- he's been here this whole time?" Moondrop follows my gaze, his expression softening. "Oh. That must be... Hard for him. Being invisible to nearly everyone."

"It is not easy, but I am grateful to be here nonetheless. I can speak with everyone as I please, I just need a pen and notepad if I do not speak with Sun's aid," Killcode murmurs, mustering a small smile.

"He says it isn't easy, but he's still grateful to be here. He just needs to speak through different means. I usually relay his messages, but sometimes he'll use a pen and notepad. We just have trouble keeping it on hand," I explain. Moondrop nods a bit.

"That's good, at least. And you two seem to be pretty close now, right?"

"Right," I confirm softly, smiling. "Killcode is one of my best friends. He's been there for me through a lot, and he keeps me grounded."

Killcode smiles as well, gently holding my hand as he whispers, "And you're my best friend in turn, Sun. You mean so much to me."

"I'm glad that you two have had each other," Moondrop murmurs, smiling as well.

But before more can be said, my arm's computer turns on and I look to find it's a text from an unknown number- albeit, the body of the text informs me of who it is immediately.

SOS moon attacking come to p and s NOW

"Shit!" I curse under my breath and quickly get up. "I have to go, Eclipse texted an SOS!"

Killcode jumps to his feet as well, turning intangible to go through the wall while I crawl through the tube.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Moondrop says, following after me. I look at him, uneasy about the idea of him running into danger with me.

"Should we come, too?" Bloodmoon asks, peeking through the tunnel.

"I- I don't know-" I mumble. "Do what feels right, I don't have time to argue if you want to come!" Killcode turns tangible again to grab me, then he carries me as he scales the wall to get to the daycare exit. Moondrop follows with the flying wire while Bloodmoon copies their father, and even Lunar comes after, using his powers to fly.

We quickly make it to parts and service, where even from the corridor I can hear a huge fight going on. The new Moon has somehow gotten his limbs unlocked and broken out of the containment chamber, on the attack against Eclipse, who is trying to use his magic to fight back against Moon trying to blast him with Star power.

"Moon, ENOUGH!" I yell, flinching back as he releases a blast of bright energy. Eclipse quickly shouts a spell and summons a shield that takes the brunt of it, but shatters at the last second and throws him backwards, skidding across the floor with white flames clinging to his body. "Oh, God- Eclipse!"

"Well, Taurus is gonna be pissed about this," Lunar remarks quietly.

Moon seethes furiously, stalking towards Eclipse as he starts to charge another blast...

Then Killcode lunges and slams him right to the floor, causing the energy to disperse as he almost crushes Moon's entire torso in one hand, roaring, "THAT IS ENOUGH! I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT HIM ANYMORE!"

All of the lights in the room flicker and shut off, the room darkening almost completely- aside from the Star fire Eclipse is struggling to put out and Lunar's automatic glow.

"Holy shit, was that-?" Moondrop questions as he steps back, his gaze whipping around the room.

"Yes, it was," Bloodmoon quickly answers. "Father tends to make that happen when he's mad!" Then they rush over to his side to help restrain Moon. "Stop struggling, lest you want your arms torn from their sockets!" Moon snarls and tries to punch them, but they easily grab his fist and pin it down. "Stop. Before you get hurt."

While Bloodmoon handles that, I rush over to Eclipse and help him finally extinguish the Star fire, then as he slumps to the floor in exhaustion I check his injuries. "Holy shit, it- it burned right through your casing," I whisper, nausea welling up in my throat to the point that I have to cover my mouth.

"It's just another great day to be me," He groans lowly, pressing his face into the floor.

"W- the moment things are under control, I promise to repair you, Eclipse, y- you're going to be okay!"

"I'd be better if you stopped your caterwauling!"

I grimace a bit and lower my voice. "R- right, sorry..."

Moondrop jogs over to us, kneeling by me as he asks, "Do we have the spare parts to repair him?"

"Yeah. Um, we have the casing replacements, at least. It didn't go endo-deep, thank goodness."

"Got it," He mumbles, then we both bristle up as the new Moon's seething yell cuts through the air,

"Where did he come from?! Who is that?! DID YOU BUILD A REPLACEMENT?!" I turn back and my servos stall at the sight of the hateful, malicious glare fixated on Moondrop and me. Instinctively, I clamber to my feet and get between the two.

"H- he's not your replacement! He's the first Moon, w- we found out today that he had a backup-"

"The first Moon? THE FIRST MOON?! So you brought that bastard back and expect me to believe he's not here to replace me?! JUST ADMIT IT, YOU'VE BEEN WAITING TO DO THIS! YOU NEVER GAVE A DAMN ABOUT ME, YOU ONLY WANTED HIM!"

"I wanted you both," I say, my voice shaking. "You both have been my brothers. But... I- I'm sorry that you felt like I didn't love you. I- I swear I did, at first..."

"Don't, Sun. Don't you apologize to him for missing your brother," Bloodmoon growls, gripping Moon's neck so tightly that I can hear his casing creak. "And you- don't you dare play victim! We have been here for almost a year, we have watched you grow to resent our brother and push him away! We have watched you put him down and treat him like dirt, we've watched you verbally beat every ounce of love he ever felt for you out of him until he was too tired to keep trying for you! So don't you act like he turned his back on you just for being the new Moon, or we swear-!"

"Bl- Bloodmoon, please," I croak out, shutting my eyes tight they sting with tears. Hearing it all laid bare like this has sharpened the dull pain I used to feel thinking about how awful my relationship with him was... They're saying it's not my fault, and I know it wasn't wholly so, but- but I still feel a terrible sense of responsibility for how far apart we've drifted.

"Canary, you need to hear this," They state lowly. "We know you feel at fault. We know you feel the weight of your guilt trying to crush you. But we also know that you tried. You tried your best to accept him one you saw your mistake, then you tried your best to share your love with him and he rejected it. Over a petty. Fucking. Grudge." They let loose a ravenous snarl as they duck their head down, hissing in Moon's audio receptor, "And take it from us, you lost all respectability in doing so."

"Shut up. Just shut up!" Moon hisses, thrashing to try and get loose in vain until Bloodmoon is pulled away by Killcode, who gently sets them on the floor in Lunar's direction.

"We are not getting through to him at this rate. I think he'd rather be broken to pieces than admit his mistakes," Killcode mutters, then he kneels down to access Moon's computer and lock his limbs again. "I'll check to see if he has some internal hack to get past the lock- but I also want us to be able to prevent him from escaping again by other means. Sun, have the first Moon repair Eclipse while you call Emerith for aid. Ask her to bring Vorago and some form of restraint- after seeing that room they kept the clone in, I assume they must have something to use..."

"Understood," I murmur, quickly relaying the orders to Moondrop. I help him carry Eclipse into the repair chamber, then I text Emerith about the situation and ask for help. She quickly texts back, assuring me she's on her way with Vorago and some tools.

Afterwards, I glance around the room to assess the situation. Killcode has let Ruin out of his containment chamber to lock Moon in it instead, since the other one is broken open, Lunar is keeping an eye on Moondrop and Eclipse, while Bloodmoon is watching me.

I meet their gaze, unsure of myself... Then they run over and pull me into a tight hug, whispering, "You didn't deserve his hate, Sun. You truly didn't."

I swallow hard as my chest aches, forcing myself to murmur, "T- thank you for saying that, Bloodmoon."

Nobody says anything more afterwards. I can't call it silence, not with the sound of Moon's low hisses and growls, or the sound of Moondrop working on repairing Eclipse, or the sound of my footsteps as I pace around the room to watch over everything.

It's not until the doors open that any words breach the air, and the first one to speak is Emerith. "We've brought the restraints you've asked for, Sun," She informs me as she and Vorago walk in. Both of them quickly assess the scene and look confused by the sight of two Moons. "What the-?"

"Um, Emerith, Vorago, that's my brother Moon. The one who... "Passed." B- but it turns out, he was alive this whole time. Just stored in a backup chip and left in stasis," I murmur, letting out a heavy breath. Killcode joins my side, whispering to me. I turn to Vorago and say, "Ah, Killcode says you can just hand him the restraints. He doesn't want any living folk getting close to the new Moon right now. He's very dangerous and we don't know if he'll be able to unlock his limbs again or not."

Vorago nods a bit, pulling the restraints out from under his cape and letting Killcode take them. I watch as he treads back to Moon, who curses at him while the restraints are put on.

"I take it that he's the cause of Eclipse's injuries?" Emerith asks, brows knit together as she glances to the repair chamber.

"Yeah, he is," I answer quietly. "He knows of a way to bring back Solar that involves essentially sacrificing another, and even though he knows it's dangerous for Solar, he just doesn't care. He still wants to do it."

"Tch. Of course he does," She mutters, crossing her arms as Vorago slowly starts to pace around the room, keeping an eye on things.

"Okay, that should be the last of the repairs. Any pain or restricted movement?" Moondrop questions, and I turn to watch as Eclipse rolls the shoulder that had been hurt before, testing it.

"Mmph. No, everything's fine now." He pushes himself up with a grunt, both leaving the repair chamber.

Moondrop looks towards Emerith and I, only to falter as he sees her and mumble, "Goddamn."

"Beg your fucking pardon?" Killcode immediately questions, watching Moondrop with a very displeased expression as Vorago does. Emerith's fuzz puffs up a bit and she looks nervous. Eclipse puts his hands up and backs away from Moondrop like he's silently declaring he's not a part of this.

"Er- sorry! Sorry, I just- I knew you were tall, but- Sun didn't specify how tall. I wasn't expecting it," He quickly explains with a sheepish smile. "Like, you're almost as tall as KC. I wasn't expecting that."

"Oh. Ah, it- it's okay, then. I've just never had anyone react to me li- like that before," Emerith mumbles, looking at the floor.

"Both Moons seem to have interesting mouths on them," Vorago mutters, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Great first impressions, Moon," Lunar remarks teasingly, and he just shrugs. "Just remember to pack it in when you meet Earth. She's really tall, too."

"Earth? Oh, yeah, the "sister" the Creator mentioned having built for us..." He rubs the back of his neck, looking between Lunar and I as he asks, "So she's here now?"

"Yeah. She's been working with us in the daycare."

"Maybe we ought to have her come down and talk to the new Moon. After Solar, she's the one he's closest to, and he listens to her more than me," I mumble, looking to my feet.

"We are not involving Earth in this," Moon hisses sharply. I look back at him as he glares at me. "Leave her out of this."

"Oh, what's the matter, Moon? Don't want your precious sister to realize you're trying to bring Solar back by killing people and shatter her illusion of you being the most wonderful, saintly big brother?" Eclipse retorts tauntingly, sneering at him.

"I'm sure she'd understand wanting a bastard like you dead!" He then looks to Lunar, shouting, "Speaking of which, you of all people should be on my side, Lunar!"

"I mean, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Eclipse dead, but I don't want to use him to revive Solar and just watch Solar crumble into the guy I hate the most."

"I could find a way to fix that so it won't happen, though!"

"Sure you could, champ. Because your clearly in the best state of mind for running such advanced, complex calculations that you couldn't even handle in your right mind," Eclipse shoots back, cocking his hip to the side as he crosses his arms.

"Says the egotistical rat who fell for the most obvious trap and got blown up by a laser," Moon hisses back, and Eclipse scoffs as he bristles up furiously.

"Wait, I missed him getting blown up by a laser?! Dammit!" Moondrop shouts.

"I know, right?!" Lunar shouts back, and I drag a hand over my face in exasperation.

"... This is really quite the bunch of colorful characters, is it not?" Ruin abruptly remarks, and I roll my eyes as Moon and Eclipse both yell at him to shut up. "Well, excuuuse me," He huffs.

"I'm getting a headache," I mutter to myself, and Emerith lightly pats my shoulder. Then, Bloodmoon treads over, seeming unusually skittish, but they don't say anything and simply nod at Emerith in greeting. She nods back and gently pats their head in a way that reminds me of Killcode's mannerisms towards them.

I can't help but smile, and I decide maybe to let them have some space to talk. So I reluctantly walk over to where Ruin lingers by the repair chamber, with Vorago and KC not too far to the side.

"Well, hello, Sunrise. You seem to be in a better headspace lately, I'm glad to see it," He says, and I take a deep breath in to quell the urge to punch him again.

"I am, admittedly. But now I have to think of what to do with you until we can get one of the containment chambers repaired."

"Oh, just sweep out the glass and replace the lightbulb, it'll be fine. If I wanted to escape, I would have done so already," He says, waving his hand dismissively. "I keep telling you, I have no intention of running from whatever punishment you deem necessary."

"Hmph. At least you have one honorable bone in your body," I mutter, looking down at the computer where Eclipse must have been running the calculations for his plan to bring Solar back. It's clearly too risky for him to keep working here. I'll have to find a better place for him to work. Probably the party room under construction, or put him back in the west arcade. Then I look back to Ruin, asking, "How many people died across all those dimensions?"

He lets out a heavy breath and closes his eyes. "Trillions, by my calculations. And that doesn't even account for any potential extraterrestrial life."

"How many Creators died?"

"... Five thousand."

"And you still think what you did was justified?"

"I saved infinitely more lives than I took."

"The trillions who died still matter," I state, turning to glare at him as he meets my gaze. "They didn't deserve to be expended as collateral damage. They didn't deserve to be killed just because of a group of evil men that is tiny compared to the number of innocent lives lost."

"I don't think they deserved death, but there was no other way, Sun," Ruin responds sternly.

"And are you sure of that? How do you know there was no other way? You were one mind, working alone in relative isolation for months-"

"Years. Years. I have been working and trying to find a solution since even before I escaped my home dimension."

"But the isolation part is true?"

"... Yes," He admits.

"So you never had anyone try to check your work, lend a second perspective? Never asked for help?" I cross my arms over my chest as I question him. "But you're still sure that your solution was the only one?"

"I- I couldn't risk anyone finding out and trying to stop me," He mutters.

"Because your plan was to kill trillions of innocent lives just to end five thousand evil ones. Anyone in their right mind would stop you. The Creators are the lowest, most vile scum of the earth, I agree, but their deaths are not more important than the lives of the innocent."

He sighs quietly as he shakes his head. "You've made that clear. And I do respect you for your stance, but I disagree. The Creators would have taken trillions more lives if left unchecked. I had to make the hard decision to save trillions more than I ended."

"And you're sure this was the only way?" I press, rays retracting as my chest burns with anger that I have to force down so I don't start screaming at him.

"Yes, I'm sure," He responds quietly, shifting his weight onto his left leg. I don't normally think much of that motion- I usually assume he has phantom pains or something in his right leg... But the way Vorago's gaze snaps to focus on that movement strikes me as something more.

"... I see," I mutter, meeting Ruin's eyes again. "Then you wouldn't have any problem recalculating everything all over so I can see for myself that your way was the right and only one, would you?"

He scoffs the slightest bit, tilting his head. "I wouldn't, no, but with all due respect, I don't think you would be able to understand my work, Sun. You're not one of the science or math savvy animatronics of this lot."

Bloodmoon and Killcode give quiet growls as they hear that. He's calling me dumb, and why wouldn't he? I haven't ever been science or math savvy. But I just brush the insult aside, putting on a biting smile as I reply, "Well, I'll just have to learn then. And I'll gladly do so to ensure you didn't kill my cousin and trillions of other innocent lives just because you were too sure of yourself to ask for help." My voice drops to a hiss at the end as I glare directly at him. "Do I make myself clear?"

"... As a window pane, yes."

"Good." I then step around him, joining Vorago's side as I look to him, thinking for a moment before I shift my weight onto my left leg and mouth, A tell?

He immediately nods, and I swear I see a flicker of a proud smile cross his face before he mouths back, Good spotting.

I smile a bit despite myself, then I nod back before excusing myself to go get a broom and a spare lightbulb from a nearby supply closet. I sweep the glass into a dustpan and put it in a small box so it doesn't rip the trash bag, then I look around for the step stool until Vorago walks over to help, taking out the old lightbulb and screwing the new one in. Once the light flickers on, I shoot Ruin an expectant look.

"Hm, shame. I should have liked to stretch my legs more," He says as he strides over, getting inside the containment chamber and sitting on the table.

After that, I thank Vorago for his help and put the supplies away, then I go to where Eclipse has been standing by the tool-cart this whole time. "Do you think you need to do your work in here, or would you be able to transfer it somewhere safer?"

"I could transfer it, and I definitely feel inclined to after that bastard managed to unlock his limbs," Eclipse mutters, shooting a glare in Moon's direction.

"Alright. I recommend either the party room under repairs and I'll lend you one of the security computers from the daycare, or you can go back to the security room in the west arcade."

"I'll go to the west arcade- I'd rather not listen to all the commotion of the little brats in the daycare," He replies before he goes to the computer to start transferring the data. I stand between him and Moon just to make sure they don't antagonize each other, then after Eclipse leaves I go to one of the shelves, rooting through the boxes until I find some blueprint paper and a pencil for it and I bring it to Ruin.

"Here. Whenever you want to get started, use this."

"The entirety of the calculations that I'll need to do are not going to fit on this, even if I write in small script on the front and back," He points out.

"Then I'll bring you more paper tomorrow," I respond sternly, and he puts his palms up in surrender before taking the paper and pencil from me.

After that, Emerith softly calls to me, "Sun? May we speak for a moment?"

"Of course," I reply, turning to see she's still standing with Bloodmoon. I join their side and ask quietly, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. It's simply that... Bloodmoon and I have discussed things, and we believe it's time that we share our plan with you and Killcode," She answers, folding her arms behind her back with a look of nervousness. "If that's okay, I mean. We don't need to leave the 'plex, I would just need to step away for a moment to retrieve something with my brother's help."

"Oh, um..." I look over to Killcode, asking, "Is that okay with you, KC?"

"I don't see why not. I am admittedly... Curious to see what my beloved has planned with my sons' help," He replies, looking between them both with a soft frown.

"He said it's okay," I tell her. "So, should we stay here?"

"Yes, that will work. Just excuse us for a few minutes," Emerith answers as Vorago joins her side, and they leave the room with Bloodmoon bounding after. I tread over to join Killcode's side, staying out of Moon's view while Lunar hops onto the stool, Moondrop sitting by him as we all wait in relative silence, aside from Ruin's occasional mumble and the sound of pencil scratching paper. It's almost a bit soothing when I shut my eyes and lean against the wall, trying to pretend for a moment that everything is okay. Moon hasn't gone wild with trying to bring Solar back, he's fine. Moondrop is still back and well. Solar is back, too, he's just repairing things elsewhere...

Then the doors open and my brief illusion is shattered, but I can't even be upset about it. I turn and look, finding that the trio are wheeling in a large box that's reminiscent of what new endos are-

Oh.

I shove myself away from the wall in a heartbeat and tread over as Emerith explains, "It's earlier than we expected to bring this, so it's only the base. But it would be finished soon, and in the meantime, it would bridge the gap..."

"What is it?" Killcode tentatively asks, but he promptly goes silent as Vorago opens the box and reveals the daycare model endoskeleton within- it's practically the same as every other one in here, except it's tall. His height, specifically. It's lacking any casing beside the featureless white face-plate.

"Are- are you sure it will work?" I murmur, not wanting to get my hopes up but so, so desperately wanting to hope...

"I don't see why not. We proved that spirits could possess inactive bodies thanks to the twins, so there's no logical reason this shouldn't work," She replies.

"Yes, yes! So father can simply possess this body, and we'll be back together again!" Bloodmoon chimes in, shaking their fists with excitement and grinning as they look in KC's direction. "See, this was our plan, father! We didn't accept to leave you forever, j- just for a bit!"

I turn to him as well, but my smile quickly drops as I see how petrified Killcode looks. "... KC?" I slowly tread back over as he ducks his head, desperately avoiding my gaze. "Hey, w- what's wrong?"

"I- I do not- it's- mmph." He grips the brim of his hat in frustration. "I cannot- d- damn it!"

Hearing his voice shake makes my rays retract, and I glance back at Emerith and Bloodmoon, who look confused and worried. "Um, just- just let me... Talk to him real quick."

"Okay," Bloodmoon murmurs, hugging themself as they look at the floor.

"I want to reunite with my sons and my beloved in life, I- I truly do," Killcode murmurs. "And you and Moon and Vorago and Lunar, as well! But- but I don't want him to come back, I don't want him to come back!"

"Him? Him wh-" I quickly realize who he means, feeling a deep strike of heartache for him. "Oh. The Creator," I whisper, looking to the side and unintentionally meeting Moon's gaze. His expression is hard but the subtle crease to his brows betrays that he, too, is recalling how shaken Killcode was when he got his new body, way back when.

He refused to stay at the daycare and though he visited often, his visits were short. He didn't linger too long. And to top it all off, his home was an RV in the middle of the woods, far from the city. He was careful to hide away from the Creator after what that monster did to him.

"In death, I am free from my namesake code," KC whispers, looking down at his hands which tremble violently. His whole body does. "I am- am free from the Creator's override commands. I am safe. I am in control... But what if- what if I come back to life, and he finds me? What if he turns me against everyone I love? He just has to say a few words and I'm back to being a mindless monster!"

Hesitantly, I take a step forward and slowly extend my hands, silently offering my comfort but giving him the choice to take it. He quickly grabs my hands and stoops down, hugging me close. His body is unusually frigid but I don't care, I hold him back just as tight.

"I don't want to kill ever again," He whispers as he begins to sob, his voice low and hushed. The lights dim a tiny bit and I murmur,

"I understand, Killcode, I understand completely. And I swear to you, no matter what happens and what you choose, I will never let anyone force you to. But if you feel safer like this, then I understand and I will support you completely. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. The others will understand. You deserve nothing but to feel safe and comfortable in your own body after what that bastard did to you, and no matter what you choose here, I will always protect you."

"And we will protect you as well!" Bloodmoon quietly adds in as they walk over, clearly wanting to help. Killcode musters a small smile and reaches out to hold their hand, startling them a bit before they quickly join in the hug. "We will protect you, father, and whatever the Creator did to you... He will neverdo it again."

"You will never have to fear that man ever again, my love," Emerith says softly, standing a short distance away to give KC some space. I can see the glint of heartache hiding in her eyes, but it turns dark as she continues to speak. "No matter what it may take I will personally ensure he can't even speak a word to you ever again. Whether that means getting him imprisoned or cutting out his tongue myself. I swear it on my love for you."

Killcode sniffles quietly, his smile growing even as tears trail down his cheeks. "How did I become so fortunate as to have such caring loved ones to call mine? Thank you. Thank you, my friend, my children and my beloved. T- thank you all..." He lets out a shaking breath and closes his eyes, gently pulling his hands free to wipe his eyes. "Lately, you've all been oft quoting one of my personal philosophies. "Don't linger on the what ifs, look ahead lest you miss the opportunities in the future." I must take these words to heart now more than ever, because one of the greatest opportunities has been brought to me, and I shall not let my fear stay my hands."

He kisses my forehead and then kisses Bloodmoon's before he stands, declaring softly, "I want to do this. I want to live again."

I smile brightly, standing up as well and holding my brother's hand as Killcode makes his way over to the body. "He's going to do it," I whisper to them and Emerith, watching their faces light up before turning to the endo.

Killcode turns intangible and steps into it, and he disappears... Then the eyes of the endo open, an exact match to his.

He looks around slowly, eyelids squinting a bit as he adjusts to the light. I stand with Emerith and Bloodmoon, waiting patiently as he steps out of the box, legs a bit unsteady. Vorago notices and stands at attention, ready to catch him if he trips. Killcode looks at him with an appreciative nod, voice box crackling softly. He puts a hand to his ribcage and the other murmurs, "It will do that, it's okay. It just needs some breaking in until it adjusts to your frequency."

KC nods in understanding before he looks to us, eyes brightening and lower eyelids creasing up. Bloodmoon bolts forward in an instant and throws their arms around him, cheering, "FATHER!"

Killcode hugs them back tightly, voice box fritzing again before his voice filters through, staticky but comprehendible. "My sons! I have missed you both so much!" He looks around the room, tearfully murmuring, "I have missed all of you."

"We've missed you, as well," Emerith says, and when he extends his hand she rushes over and joins in the hug, sobbing into his shoulder. "You're back! I have you back, Killcode!"

I hold a hand over my chest as I watch the trio, the supernatural cold in the air finally fading away. Not that I ever minded it, but it's just another sign that the ones I love are finally alive and going to have the lives they deserve again. But... There is still a chill in the room, and when I look to Moon I can see the jealousy hiding in his eyes, which... I understand, admittedly.

Quietly, I walk over to the containment chamber and sit by the glass, whispering to him, "I know you're angry, and I know you're in pain. You're absolutely right to feel that way, too- I still feel it when I think of Solar. But if we can bring him back, I want to do it right. Your way would be guaranteed to work, yes, but then... It wouldn't really be Solar. It would be his face with someone else congealed with him on the inside. He might end up in a lot of pain and suffering for it, and worse yet, if you killed someone to bring him back, he wouldn't come back with his love for you intact. Deep in his soul, he'd see you as his killer, not his brother... So please, just let me handle this and see to getting him back. You don't have to like me, you don't have to trust me, just... Be good. That's all Solar wanted."

"... Okay," He whispers, his gaze falling to the floor as tears well up in his eyes. The guilt I feel at that sight is like a knife in my chest, but I force it down before I get emotional, too.

This isn't about you, Sun. So don't. Just don't. I swallow hard, then against my better judgement, I ask softly, "If I unlock your limbs and undo the binds, do you promise you won't try to escape and go after Eclipse?"

He pauses, looking back at me with a frown that weakens as he sees that I'm being genuine. He looks back down, mumbling, "I- fine, I promise..."

I get up and go into the containment chamber, well aware of everyone watching me as I undo his binds and unlock his limbs. Maybe I'm being stupid, too trusting, but I think the worst of the storm in Moon's heart is over.

Once he's free to move, he just turns away from everyone and huddles into the corner, muttering, "Now go away, Sun. Please."

"Okay. Just- just try to rest. I love you," I murmur, looking down at my hands before I step out of the chamber, shutting the door behind myself. I hazard a glance at the others, all of them still watching me but none with much disapproval, at least.

Killcode extends his hand, eyes rife with concern. I hesitate, trying to be strong... But then Emerith and Bloodmoon reach out as well, and I can't help myself anymore. I walk over and let myself be pulled into their collective embrace, soaking in the warmth and shutting my eyes as Killcode gently rubs my back, murmuring, "That is it, my friend. Just rest, you've more than earned it."

Chapter Text

Warmth. That's the first thing I'm aware of. A gentle, warmth encompassing me.

Softness is the next thing I feel. Over my body and under my head. And then I feel something brushing over my rays in slow, soothing motions. My eyes slowly flutter open as I let out a soft breath, gaze sluggishly shifting to the source of the contact.

Sun sits with me, eyes widening as I look to him before a smile overtakes his face.

How is Sun here with me? I thought he was gone... Is this heaven?

"Solar! You're finally awake," He says softly, tears welling up in his eyes as he rests his hand on my head comfortingly. "You're back..."

Wait, I'm back? And- he's calling me Solar... Wait, then- then is this-? Confused, I push myself up as best I can- Sun helps with a hand under my shoulders, supporting me- and I look around. I'm in some room I've never seen before, furnished with a simple bed, dresser and computer desk. But what strikes me most prominently is how many people are in here with us.

I realize I'm not in heaven when I see Lunar and Moon- why are his irises red?- only to promptly second guess myself as I see Killcode standing nearby, but he's wearing a button-up and slacks instead of his normal pants and scarf. Why are his hands stripped to the endo?

I look between everyone before I look back to Sun, who watches me with tender care and worry as he rubs circles into my back. "Solar?"

"... Sun," I reply, my voice rougher than usual and static-laced. "I'm- I'm confused."

"That's okay," He gently says. "I'll answer every one of your questions."

I nod a bit before I look at KC, who smiles back at me. "C- can I actually see ghosts now? Without the Network?"

"We don't really know. But Killcode isn't a ghost anymore, neither is Bloodmoon," Sun says, and my gaze snaps back to him in shock.

"What? How?"

"Emerith. She helped us to discover that ghosts can possess empty bodies and reanimate them. So she bought a custom-made endo for Killcode, and a while before that she and her family captured the fake Bloodmoon, then the twins were able to possess the body and come back to life without their hunger."

I put a hand to the side of my hand before I look around. "So... Are they still here?"

"Yes, they are. But they are waiting outside the room, as they did not wish to frighten you upon awakening," Killcode answers softly. I nod a bit and murmur,

"Can they- can they come in? I'm just curious."

"Of course." He walks to the door and whispers, "He's awake, and he's asking to see you." And once Killcode steps aside, Bloodmoon peeks into the room at me, smiling brightly in a way that immediatelyconfirms they're the real one. Not that I doubted Sun, I just had to see for myself.

"Solar! You're finally awake! Are- are you feeling alright?" They ask, creeping into the room after their father, sticking close to him.

"Ah, yeah, I think so. Just a bit sluggish. It's good to see you, um. Alive. Both of you," I add, looking between KC and Bloodmoon.

"It is good to see you alive as well, my friend," Killcode replies softly, with Bloodmoon nodding along.

Hearing that, I look down to my lap. "... How long was I gone for? W- why don't I remember my afterlife?"

"You were gone for a few months," Sun answers quietly, his voice laced with guilt and melancholy. "You don't remember your afterlife because you didn't have one. What Ruin did- it erased everything, your dimensional essence was entirely gone. Not even your spirit remained."

I look back to him, my rays retracting. "Then- then how am I even back at all?"

"I made a deal with Eclipse, and he devised a way to bring you back by essentially just... Changing your dimensional data. Making you, by data, native to this dimension, rather than yours. It's- how that even works is admittedly way over my head, even now, but it worked. And he'll never bother us again, either. He left this dimension a couple weeks ago with Puppet, Foxy and FC."

"With them? Why?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"He wanted to get out of here before the Astrals hunted him down for what he did with the Star, and they wanted a fresh start. They can still visit, though."

"Well, ah, that's good for them, at least..." Then, finally, I look to Moon and murmur, "What happened to your eyes, Moon? Why are they different now?"

He lets out a soft sigh and looks away, answering quietly, "I'm not the Moon you knew, Solar. He's locked down in parts and service."

"What?"

"This is the first Moon. The one who we thought died in his reset, but the truth is, he had a backup chip that was in the new Moon's head," Sun explains, looking to his free hand with a frown before he continues, "The new Moon... He wasn't okay after your passing. He wanted to bring you back by any means necessary, so he tried to use Eclipse in a ritual that would essentially sacrifice Eclipse's very being and turn him to a husk for you to occupy, except traces of him would have stuck and melded with you. You wouldn't have really been you, and you might have suffered for it. But for a moment he was so blinded with wanting to get you back that he was willing to take that risk."

"W- what?" I croak out again, my voice turning hoarse as I feel like I got the wind knocked out of me. No. No, no, not my cousin. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't do that! Right? "Surely, y- you're not serious, Sun? He- that's not like the Moon I knew at all. He- he could be an ass sometimes but- but he-" I look around at everyone, seeing their remorseful looks and gripping my chest as my servos stall painfully. "No, he- he wouldn't..." I look back to Sun as he gently holds my shoulder, and seeing the serious but apologetic look on his face is like the final nail in the coffin.

The Moon I knew and cared for so deeply became the very kind of Moon I ran for my life from.

"I'm so sorry, Solar," Sun says softly.

"... What- w-where is he? Y- you said... Parts and service?" I mumble, and he nods.

"He did come to his senses eventually, but by that point he'd done too much damage, especially by being reckless with his ability to channel Star power. The Astrals aren't happy with him," Lunar says quietly, brows creased. "Taurus agreed to wait long enough for you to say goodbye, if you want, but after that... He's taking Moon to space so he can go on trial and then probably serve out his sentence."

Sluggishly, almost like my wires are full of lead, I start to get up. Everyone looks alert and worried, but they don't try to stop me and Sun even helps me to my feet. "I take it you want to see him?" He asks softly, and I manage a small nod.

In truth, it's not that I want to see him. I need to. Just to... Get some closure, I guess.

Sun makes sure I'm steady on my feet before he starts to let go, but before I can think better of it I grab his hand. He looks surprised for a second before smiling and holding it, then he gently guides me along with the others following us out of the room and into the loft.

I look to the wall on my right, seeing the entrances to Sun's and Moon's rooms, then I look back at the door in confusion. "Since when is there?..."

"It hasn't been here too long. But when Eclipse confirmed he was able to bring you back, we went ahead and built an extra bedroom for you," Moon answers. "It's kind of empty but you can get more stuff for it when you want to."

"Oh." My voice falters a bit as I process that, surprised but... Happy. They thought I was worth renovating a whole room into the loft for. Though, I can't help also feeling a bit guilty. "Er, but what about KC and Bloodmoon?"

Sun shrugs a bit, smiling sheepishly. "They still spend most nights with me. I mean, we've never really minded sharing- we just got a larger bed at this point."

"But sometimes father goes to spend the night with Emerith at her place!" Bloodmoon chimes in with a big ol' shark-grin, and I snort despite myself.

"Damn, KC. Get it, I guess," I joke, causing him to flush bright red and sputter.

"I- it's not like that! We- we just- it's- I don't even-!" He yanks the brim of his hat over his eyes. "Aughhh!"

Moon barks out a laugh and pats Killcode's back. "We know, big guy, we know. We're just playin' with you, because you make it too damn easy!"

"Ohh, silence," He mutters as he glares at Moon from under his brim, but he can't hide the smile working its way onto his face.

As we walk toward the balcony, I notice a new door in the wall by one of the couches, and calendar stuck to the wall near the ladder. It has events in the daycare written down on it and things of that ilk, but what I find most out of place is the reminder that simply reads, Appointment at 1pm, and it's scheduled for next weekend.

Sun must notice me staring at it, because he murmurs, "Oh, that's... For me." I look back at him as he fidgets his hands, my eyes widening as I realize what he means. "Yeah, I, uh, finally scheduled an appointment. Killcode is going to go with me for support, and... Hopefully it goes well."

"I- I'm sure it will," I say softly, wanting to reassure him. "You put a lot of time and research into finding the right therapist. And if they don't work out, you can find another. No one is going to force you to stick with them."

... Thankfully, that seems to help. He nods a bit and musters a brief smile, whispering, "Thank you, Solar." Then he opens the door and says, "We finally got a hallway from the loft to the daycare entrance put in! And it has a special chip reader designed to read and accept only us in the Celestial family, plus Emerith and her siblings."

"Heh, this was long overdue," I remark, following him through the hallway and out to the waiting area. Sun stops for a moment, staring at the wall by the door of the first party room in the row with a sort of distant look in his eye. Bloodmoon stands beside him and they exchange small smiles. "... Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking. That's where the twins first found me, when they were ghosts," Sun answers softly. "It had been such a dark, lonely time of my life, but they brought the light back to it..." He smiles a bit and lets out a slow, steady breath before shaking his head and looking back to us. "B- but yeah, that's all. Let's... Keep going." His smile falters, and he keeps leading the way to parts and services.

Once we make it there, Moon elects to wait outside, saying he doesn't want to agitate the other by just existing. Given how he acted about the guy even when he was dead, that's understandable...

So, it's just the five of us who go in. But before I can even react to seeing Taurus, or going to talk to Moon, I freeze.

Staring Ruin dead in the eye, my fight or flight kicking in so hard that it just breaks.

"H- hey, it's okay, he's not going to hurt you," Sun whispers, grabbing my hand and holding it tight. "He is never going to hurt you ever again."

"Why is he still here?" I whisper, my voice faint in my own audio receptors.

"I'm simply serving my sentence, you might say," Ruin answers, the sound of his voice alone making my codes fritz up. "I am terribly sorry about what I did, and it's good to see you alive and... Physically well." He looks to Sun and adds quietly, "If that therapist works out, you might want to book Solar an appointment or two as well."

"Ruin. Shut up," Sun hisses lowly, pulling me closer to him. Ruin puts his hands up before going back to writing on... Whatever all that is. Calculations? Hypotheses?

Before I can muster the nerve to ask, a different voice is calling out to me and my rays almost fully retract as I hear it.

"Solar? Y- you're back?"

I look to Moon, who presses against the glass with a look of almost desperation, like he's trying to phase through it. Seeing him just... Hurts. It hurts so badly, knowing what he became in my absence. Looking at him, I can only think about what he might have put Eclipse through. Yeah, the guy's an ass but he was cooperating with us for the time being. He didn't deserve to have Moon attack him, hunt him down, t- try to rip him for parts just to bring back someone who wouldn't even WANT another to die so they could live-!

"Solar?" Sun whispers to me, and when I turn my head he's blurry. I don't understand why until he reaches out and gently wipes something wet from my cheek. "Hey, it's- it's okay. If this is too much for you, you don't have to say anything to him. If- if you want, I can relay whatever you need to say."

Hearing that, Moon only grows more desperate, scraping his claws across the glass as he shouts, "N- no, Solar, I'm sorry! Listen, I- I just wanted you back! Please, please talk to me! E- even if it's to cuss me out, just talk to me! I don't know when I- when I'm going to see you again after this, please!..."

"Now he's sorry," Bloodmoon scoffs under their breath, and KC shushes them quietly. That only makes me feel worse.

"Am I- am I really the only person y- you've shown remorse to?" I whisper, my voice shaking as my throat feels tight. "What- what about Eclipse?"

"What about Eclipse?"

"Moon, Moon, no," I whisper, walking over before I can stop myself and pressing my palm to the glass. "Do... Do you seriously not feel any guilt for what you did to him?"

He grits his teeth as he turns his head, shrinking back on himself. "Why do you care so much about Eclipse of all people? He's not even here anymore!"

I slam my fist against the containment chamber in anger. His gaze snaps back to me and I blink back a fresh wave of tears. "I care because I am Eclipse."

"What?"

"What you did to him," I begin to say, starting to seethe with anger and hurt, "Is exactly what my dimension's Moon did to me."

He falls dead silent, pupils constricting as the words sink in.

"And you don't even feel remorse for what you did. What happened to you, Moon? Why did you- why did you become the very person I'm terrified of?" I step away from the glass, hugging myself tightly as tears streak down my cheeks. "I don't even recognize you. You... You're not my cousin. You're just him. The same Moon who would have ripped me for parts even though that was never what Sun would have wanted..."

"Solar," He croaks out, eyes going wide with tears of his own. "D- don't say that- SOLAR!"

I don't even realize I'm running until I'm slamming through the doors and running down the corridor.

"SOLAR, WAIT! SOLAR!"

"Solar!" I hear footsteps come after me, but I don't stop- not until Moon is suddenly standing in front of me, red eyes bright with worry. "Hey, easy! You just woke up ten minutes ago, don't over-exert yourself!"

"H- the other Moon, he-!" I grit my teeth to fight down a sob as I clench my fist, pressing one hand to my face.

"I know," He says quietly. "It's okay that you left the room, but don't run off all alone and wear yourself out somewhere we can't reach, alright?"

"... Alright," I hiccup, roughly wiping my eyes before I hug myself tightly. "I- I want to get out of here. I want to go back to the daycare..."

"Then we can go. Right, guys?" He says, and I look over my shoulder. The others stand nearby, watching me with worry.

"Right," Sun agrees softly, taking a step closer and asking, "But are you going to be okay, Solar? You're shaking really badly."

"I don't know. I don't know," I whisper, shutting my eyes until I feel a pair of large hands on me, then I'm scooped off the floor and pulled against a large, warm chest. I look up, meeting Killcode's soft gaze as he seems to wait for any sign that I want to be set down.

I don't. I don't want down, I just... Rest my head against his shoulder and murmur, "Thank you, Killcode."

"It is no problem, my s- my friend," He whispers back, and he starts to carry me along. I close my eyes and tuck my arms close to myself, trying to push Moon from my mind.

---

I don't remember falling asleep. I just know I'm waking up in my bed once again, with Lunar sitting beside me as he holds my hand. He musters a small smile and whispers, "Heya, Sleeping Beauty. Do you feel any better?"

"I think so. A little," I mumble, slowly sitting up. The room is empty aside from us, which just makes it feel so cold now that KC's warmth has faded from my casing. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, I know she wasn't here earlier, but Earth hasn't been around because she left the country for a while with Monty while she "copes with everything." Moon is just outside. Sun, Killcode and Bloodmoon are off making dinner for everyone," He answers, and I look at him in confusion. "You know that one break room that literally never got used downstairs? We converted it into a kitchen and "dining room." It's kind of small, but everyone can sit in it pretty comfortably to eat. Oh, and you, Moon and KC all got upgraded to be able to eat with your new bodies. And Sun got upgraded, too."

"I- I can eat now?" I question, and I realize that I can feel this weird, slightly achey feeling in my stomach hatch. Is that what hunger is supposed to feel like?

"Yep!" Lunar chimes back, grinning wide. "Ohh, now I can finally share my Nutella addiction with you!"

"Oh, goodie," I huff, smiling a bit in return. We both get up, and though I'm a little unsteady it's not as bad as it was earlier. When we step out of the room, Moon and Bloodmoon turn to face me with worry.

"Hey, man. You good?" Moon asks gently, and I manage a small nod.

"As good as I can be. Um... I just want to forget about all that for a bit, if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course. So, are you hungry? Er, Lunar told you about the upgrades, right?"

"He did. And I think so?" I rub the back of my neck. "I have no idea what hunger is supposed to feel like, but my stomach does feel kind of achey."

"Yeah, that's hunger. Or at least, the early stage of it."

Bloodmoon starts to grin, bouncing on their feet. "Just in time, too! Father and Sun are setting the table downstairs, come eat, come eat!" They beckon for us to follow before they bound down the hallway out, and I chuckle softly as we follow.

"Okay, okay, we're coming. Wait, and Lunar said you helped make dinner, right?"

"Right! Father and Sun have been teaching us how to cook and we're really good at it!" Bloodmoon declares as they shake their fists like an excited kid.

"I can't wait to try it, then. Um..." As we start to head to the break room-turned kitchen downstairs, I can't help but ask, "What are we having?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs! As well as sandwiches, soup, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs!" They answer while they face me and walk backwards, turning a bit sheepish as they add, "We didn't really know what you might like, since you've never eaten anything before. So we just decided to make all our favorites for you to try!"

"Oh." I find myself once again feeling... Happy that they put such thought towards me of all people, smiling warmly. "That all sounds really good, honestly. And... I know hot dogs are Lunar's favorite, especially with a lot of ketchup, but what of the other foods? Whose favorite is what?" I ask curiously.

"We like the spaghetti and meatballs, best! The sauce is delicious and red, and the noodles wriggle like worms when you shake them!" Bloodmoon cackles a bit, grinning to themself. "And the meat is very tasty, especially the way father seasons it!"

"The sandwiches are my favorite," Moon adds, smiling. "They're pretty simple to make, you can just put whatever you want on them and they'll always taste good! Sweet or savory."

"I... Really hope you don't mean you put jelly with lunch meat or something like that."

"He does," Bloodmoon and Lunar answer immediately, both equally appalled. I have to fight back a gag as I shudder at the thought.

"It is frankly disgusting," The former says, and the latter adds,

"It's just not natural. Downright sinful."

"It's good, okay? You guys just don't have taste!" Moon retorts, crossing his arms in playful defiance.

"Moon, I have been eating way longer than you! I have infinitely more tastes!" Lunar protests as Bloodmoon nods rapidly in agreement.

"Nahh," He says as he shakes his head. Then he looks to me and says, "Also, KC likes the soup and Sun likes chicken nuggets. When he joins the kids for lunch and they're having the nuggets with apple slices, he even likes to dip his nuggets in the caramel sauce when he thinks no one is looking."

"Oh, so you both commit food atrocities. I got it," I respond, smiling as he barks out a laugh.

Then we finally reach the break room and step inside, and my olfactory sensors are filled with the absolute best scents I have ever smelled. I swear that my stomach actually growls a bit, especially as I look at the spread on the circular table. A pot of spaghetti and meatballs with plenty of sauce, a plate of hot dogs in toasted buns with a plate piled high with nuggets on the side, and another plate with a bunch of toasted sandwiches cut into neat triangles, divided by what meats and cheeses they have within.

"Wow, dinner smells and looks great!" I say, startling KC and Sun a bit before they turn from the stove to face me, both smiling.

"Thank you very much, Solar," Killcode chuckles as he moves a pot of tomato and chicken soup to center of the table.

"Hey, Solar. You doing alright?" Sun asks softly, and I nod a little.

"Yeah. I'm okay, just a bit hungry."

"Then just sit wherever you'd like and dig in!"

"Is it alright if I sit by you?..."

"Of course," He says, smiling warmly before he pulls out one of the chairs on the side for me. I sit down and he pushes it in, then he sits by me. The others sit down with us and Killcode happily serves everyone what they want to eat- it makes me wonder if he misses helping people at the soup kitchen, but I don't ask so I don't risk upsetting him.

After we're served, Killcode makes his own plate and we all start to eat. I try the soup first, the juicy cuts of chicken and tangy tomato sauce filling my mouth and making my servos hum loudly with contentment. "Mm- damn, that is good," I say quietly.

Sun chuckles softly and Killcode beams with pride as he says, "Thank you very much!"

I start trying a bite of everything else, enjoying every bit of it to the point that my rays spin. I swallow the bit of food I had in my mouth, remarking, "I did not know what I was missing this whole time. Goddamn."

"Right?! We were robbed our entire lives!" Moon agrees, throwing his hands up before taking an "angry" bite of his sandwich. In a show of solidarity and agreement, I do the same and he grins as Sun groans playfully as Killcode laughs softly.

This... Is nice. It's really, really nice. Sitting with my family, enjoying a warm, home-cooked meal made with love, all of us laughing and happy. Of course... I know someone is missing, but I push the thought of him from my mind. He's not coming back. He was gone the moment I died, with the only spirit of him being the one left in my memories.

I just hope he remembers himself among the stars.

But for now, I push him from my mind, gently holding Sun's hand and squeezing it as I whisper, "Thank you, brother. For everything."

He blinks back tears as he smiles and squeezes my hand back. "That's what family is for."