Just a Happy Ending

A Change to the Field

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the light to reflect a bright outline of a large box tucked in a dead-end hall.

"Go, go!" said Sammy, shoving Norman and Bendy toward the box. Norman just barely managed to fit his large self inside.

Sammy made a split-second decision and concluded that he couldn't fit in as well. He shut the door and barred it with the scythe.

Norman tried to open it, "Sammy, what are you doing?!"

"I'm faster than you. I'll lure that thing away and come back, okay?"

"Sammy, no!" Bendy pled, peering through a hole in the slats.

"Are you insane?" squawked Norman, "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Sammy glanced back with a half-formed smirk, "Don't worry. I'm coming back for that scythe."

"Sammy!"

The inkling ran to the hall and yelled to get Borkis's attention, then darted into the darkness.

Norman growled and reared back to punch through the wood box.

"No, don't!" Bendy said, stopping him. "If you break it, it'll break the illusion and leave us exposed!"

"But we can't just leave him there to get eaten by that thing!" Norman countered, "You saw what it did to me. What if it hurts him, too? What if he turns back into the Prophet and turns us over to it, o-or to the Demon King? What if he doesn't come back? What if the spell isn't strong enough to keep Borkis away? What then? What if-"

"Norman!"

He stopped, his frantic ranting silenced by the familiar undertone in Bendy's voice.

"You gotta have a little faith. We gotta trust that Sammy will be okay."

Norman studied the devil toon. His fists clenched and his shoulders hunched. He finally let out a huff and relented.

He sighed and went about arranging himself to sit in the cramped box. He managed to achieve a mostly-comfortable position by turning sideways and sitting lengthwise. He still had to tuck his knees up and keep his arms close, but at least that way his light could illuminate the space without shining out the small window.

Bendy assumed his spot atop Norman's head. He curled up and laid down between the reel ports, the slight warmth and hum from the machine offering some ease to his tensed body. He was just beginning to doze off when something clattered against the door.

The sound of the scythe's metal hilt being drawn across the wood grated on Bendy's ears. As soon as the door was free, Norman lunged forward with a warning growl, knocking back whatever it was that had found them.

"Woah, hey! It's me!"

Bendy almost jumped right off his perch at sight of his friend, "Sammy! You're okay!"

The inkling picked himself up and dusted off his pants, "I said I would be, didn't I?"

Norman approached him from the side, "Lawrence."

"Y-... yeah?"

Norman then swatted Sammy straight to the floor, "Don't. Ever. Leave like that again."

Sammy rubbed at the back of his head, "Agh, if it means you don't hit me like that again, then sure thing."

"I'm serious!" Norman said, lifting Sammy up to lens level by the shoulders, "I thought you'd been caught and eaten by that thing!"