Security Breach Adventures

Rises the Moon

In which we see an alternate universe where the conflict of the Sun and Moon Show is rather different than it is in canon, all thanks to the detail of Eclipse not existing in this world... (Sun and Moon Show AU, inspired by Sun and Moon's conversation at 12:25 of the linked video and my own speculation regarding the show's early lore.)

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"Not enough energy? Of course I have enough energy, I am Moon!"

If I had a stomach, it would have dropped the moment Sun uttered those words. I had my suspicions as to the cause of the programming error that's been developing in my brother, and hearing him say that confirmed everything I feared...

I have to fix him, and fast. Before he hurts himself or someone else and gets decommissioned. I know I can do it, I'm used to navigating his programs and recoding the ones that are broken or bugged. This won't be any different. This can't be any different. I can't afford to let it be any different.

But first, I have to assess how bad the damage is thus far.

---

"Alright, brother, tell me when," I say, standing by the light switch with one hand raised to turn it off, waiting for Sun to give me my cue. His gaze flickers between the switch and the light overhead as he frowns, clearly nervous.

"Are you sure about this, Moon? W- What if I go crazy like- like before and I?... I don't want to hurt you," He murmurs.

"You won't, I promise. I'll stay right by the switch and turn the lights back on the moment anything goes wrong."

He let's out a shaky breath and nods in understanding, glancing back at the light before he closes his eyes. "Okay, l- let's get this over with. You can turn off the lights now."

I hum in acknowledgement and- despite myself- I have to close my eyes, too. I flick the switch and the lights go out with a little buzz, then the room is enveloped in a dead silence that's short lived. Filled by heavy, labored breaths and the sound of animatronic machinery creaking. Bells ringing.

Reluctantly, I open my eyes.

The servos in my chest tighten painfully and every part of my body freezes. Slowly, I feel my brows draw into a furrow and the feeling of anxiety that's been permeating in my core all day only worsens.

So he can still change when the lights go out. That means my homicide code is still active... In Sun!

There's so much running through my head that it's dizzying. Horror, dread, anger, unease- all of it's mixing together and frothing up unpleasantly, threatening to plunge my systems into an emergency shut-down just so I can calm down.

But I can't shut down. Sun still needs me. I have to make sure the lights come back on before anyone gets hurt.

Clenching the hand not over the switch into a fist, I dig my claws into my palm- not enough to do damage, just enough to trigger the sensors there and use the pain to ground myself. That's it, Moon, that's it. Focus, and help your brother.

Finally steadying myself, I look back to the animatronic standing across the room. He hasn't managed to right his breathing, still letting out low, chilling rasps of breath as he clutches his head in one hand, his features twisted by pain.

Seeing him like this is disturbing. I'm looking at the body I left behind, looking at my brother wearing my old face- the face of a corpse, almost. The navy blue paneling, the darker pants with more saturated stars, the ribbons with stars instead of crescents. Almost everything is the exact same as I used to be.

What keeps me steady is the what's changed because of Sun. Or maybe, what's unchanged from Sun. His ribbons and frills are crimson. His eyes are still cerulean, still his and not mine.

I take a deep, slow breath, finally calling out to him, "Sun?" No response. "... Brother?" He looks to me, nodding just a bit to let me know he's listening. "Are you okay?"

"Nngh, define "okay," He mutters, and I almost flinch at how his voice sounds. Still recognizably his, but lower and rougher. Before I can get too hung up on how it sounds more like my voice, he lets out a pained groan and squeezes his eyes shut. "It hurts. It hurts like- like when you took control!"

"What? But how?" We're not even sharing a body anymore! Could it be the homicide code causing it? Maybe that means it's not fully integrated with his system yet- there might still be time to get it out!

"I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it," He snarls, screwing his eyes shut tight. "I hate hurting, I'm tired of hurting..."

Hearing that feels like a knife in my endoskeleton, and I blink furiously to keep my tear resolves from activating. No matter what I do, I just hurt him. I could be on the other side of the world, and I could still find a way to hurt him. "Sun, I'm so, so sorry," I whisper, the guilt I feel only worsening as his breathing grows more ragged.

Then I notice his face-plate curling into a sick grin and my servos tighten. "Brother?"

"I wonder... Is it possible to make the pain go away if I hurt someone? Is that why you never feel pain, brother?" He lifts his head, leveling me with a bloodthirsty look as he splays his claws threateningly. "Why don't we find out together?"

I don't have a chance to try and reason with him before he lunges. As quickly as I can, I slam my hand against the switch and turn the lights back on.

Sun freezes in place, his claws stopping just short of my face, trembling uncontrollably. His eyes are wide with absolute horror, tears already streaming down his cheeks as what he almost did hits him.

"I- I'm so sorry, Moon," He croaks out, slowly, slowly pulling away and looking at his hand like he wants to snap it off.

"It's okay, you didn't hu-"

"It's not okay. It's not..." He clutches his wrist in his other hand, stepping back when I step closer to stop him from doing anything drastic.

"Sun, calm down. You didn't hurt me, and you never will."

One look at his face already tells me that he's not comforted. Nothing can comfort him right now, but I keep trying anyway. "Brother, just look at me."

He ducks his head and steps back as I try to get closer. His shaking has only worsened, causing the bells on his ribbons to ring so loudly that I almost can't hear myself think. "M- Moon, please stay back. I just- I- I'm scared. The last time I- th- the last time I ever..."

July 16th. The last time he ever hurt anyone was July 16th, I realize, quickly taking note of the distant look that reaches his eyes. I can only imagine what kind of hell is running through his head. If it's anything like the horrible aftermath I stumbled upon that day, then...

Quickly, before he can run away and hide where I can't help him- and maybe where he can even hurt himself- I pry his hand off his wrist and pull him into a tight hug. He yelps in alarm and writhes in my arms, panicking and trying to get away.

"B- Brother, let me go! Please, I can't-"

"Sun, it's okay. You're not there anymore. That day is over, and I swear to you that it's never going to happen again. You're here with me, where we're safe." He lets out a weak whimper and I hold him closer, rubbing circles between his shoulders in the hopes of comforting him.

Finally, he hugs me back, burying his face-plate into my capelet and sobbing quietly. Always quiet, because he always feels guilty for not being the happy, sunshiny animatronic he was built to be...

All I can do is hang on tight, silently letting him know that I'm not leaving him for anything. For as long as he needs me, I'm here. That's what family does for one another.