Fear Garden 2: Scarlet's Bloom (An IDFB Fanfic)

Tired of Losing You

He's not here, either...

Snowball stared at the empty house before him, his hands curling into tightened fists.

His train of thought spirals. Grassy- someone who made his life better than it already was- had been missing for three days now, and despite his own efforts, nothing could be found of the kid.

What made it worse was that the memory of the kid consumed him. Grassy's voice whispered in the back of his mind, always making the colder object look aimlessly around the area, swearing that he heard him nearby.

Hours upon hours of searching drained him, he refused to admit it- but until that little bundle of grass was found, safe and sound, he could let himself relax.

The first ray of light cracked over the horizon, and Snowball's unease made the world spin. The city is too massive to cover in a few days. Abandoned buildings that carried haunted stories of the past makes the search harder; he has to look in and out, around every corner and under every table.

Yet, he still trails down the sidewalk, deeper and deeper into the abandoned city that seems to grow with every step he took.

Exhausted, hungry, and frustrated, he doesn't dare try to stop his search. He makes his way onto an abandoned park, silently peering into the snaking tubes of the slides before the sound of a snapping twig makes him turn.

To his disappointment, Basketball had run into him.

"Find anything yet?" Snowball asked, making his way towards the orange sports ball. He didn't acknowledge her tear-stained cheeks, even as she shook her head.

"No..." Basketball murmured. "I've looked everywhere."

A response that made Snowball's blood go cold. For a second, his brutish expression drooped into that of mere sorrow, before clenching his teeth, blinking away the terror that crawled up his soul. "Oh my flake. We need to speed this up!"

"I know we do, Snowball! But I have responsibilities- I-"

"What, Grassy isn't a responsibility?" He scoffed. Basketball's eyes widened, instantly putting her foot down to try and ease the hidden nerves of the ball of snow.

"Of COURSE he is!" She began, "i-I just- we can't let the others find out about this!"

The others. Oh, how sick Snowball was when it came to the others. The fact that he had been surrounded by a bunch of weaklings in the TLC was enough to make his mind melt. Of course, he had his friends by his side to fill that darkened atmosphere with casual conversations, but besides his friends, Grassy was someone that helped him through that grueling period, keeping him sane from beating the others up.

When they finally managed to break free and bring back the others, Snowball was ready to experience the joys that freedom had to offer. He could finally knock people's lights out- whenever they got on his nerves! He could do whatever he wanted, go anywhere he desired, continuing to work out so he could keep his title as the strongest object in Yoyle City.

Instead, he was faced with the realization that they had become JUST as weak as the armless losers in the city.

So many rules to live by. So many things to be careful of- he was getting sick and tired of it.

Clenching his fists, he would point towards Basketball. "Those weaklings that died?!" He snapped. "Who cares about how they feel, if we're going to find Grassy, we need all the help we can get!"

"Snowball, they're all still terrified!" Basketball could feel the scathing lava of rage erupting from her soul, her face soon contorting into a scowl as she continued. "They're going to flip if they find out that Tree and Grassy are missing!"

"We'll only get more help for the search. They just need to suck it up."

"If you knew what I had to see for MYSELF, you'd know."

"Psh- TB's just a weak armless loser here. Whatever happened to him was well deserved."

The mention of her own cousin made her heart drop. Memories of Tennis Ball flickered in Basketball's mind, her heart shivering when she recalled the sounds of his terrified screams when he was awoken by a sudden nightmare.

"Enough!" Basketball's yell shattered the silence around them. "Can you just shut up?!"

"Make me!"

Watching the smirk grow on Snowball's face made Basketball's heart race, each beat reverberating through her body whilst her eyebrows scrunched together. She never understood how someone like this could care for someone like Grassy; there was no doubt that he would often get the little guy into trouble, but seeing how cruel he could truly be only cemented her anger towards him.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wrap her head around it; Snowball was there that day. He watched these recoveries happen- didn't their screams and cries disturb him? Upset him? In any way possible?

It did for her.

Even long after the recoveries, she'd be working away in the lab, whilst TB and GB would get their rest in one of their little rooms down the hall, and before GB's Zelatonin had bloomed into existence, there wasn't a singular day where she wasn't startled by the panicked screams of her cousin (as well as his partner).

Imagining what they had gone through wasn't possible.

Basketball would try her best to help her cousin because of this; PTSD was something she had never seen within her own family. Yet, her cousin, alongside his friends, were now riddled with its damaging effects, and there was only so much she could do to help.

Thankfully, the others seemed to express their condolences, doing everything they could to keep things calm in the city, even helping their recovered neighbors with any chore that was needed. This served as a relief for Basketball, with there being a collective group effort to help ease their way back into existence.

Not everybody could be as empathetic, unfortunately. And this brute staring in front of her was a Grade-A example of it.

Before she could even snap, a voice broke through the atmosphere between them.

"Guys, please..." Blocky grunted, rubbing his forehead as he approached the two. "Now's not the time to fight."

"Oh really? Says the guy who got Grassy into all sorts of trouble?!" Basketball snapped. His eyes immediately narrowed towards the orange sports ball, his hands lowering to his sides and balling into fists.

"I was just trying to help the kid have fun! Life in the city has been dreary Basketball, the kid doesn't deserve to grow up with traumatized idiots around him!"

"Idiots?! You encouraged him to wander and practice those STUPID funny doings of yours- because of that, he could be HURT, and it's all your FAULT!" The image of Grassy being hurt and desolate made tears fill Basketball's eyes, haunting her- hell, taunting her, almost. She clenched her teeth, shaking the thought out of its existence.

Scowling, Blocky pointed towards her. "MY FAULT?!" He shouted. "I wasn't the one who pushed him aside because I was busy being a LAB RAT!"

There was no way she could hold herself back anymore. From the stress, the exhaustion, the desperation of finding Grassy safe and sound- it was overwhelming her, causing her to scream right back at the wooden block. "I'M IN CHARGE OF BUILDING THESE RECOVERY CENTERS, BLOCKY! YOU BOTH DO NOTHING BUT CAUSE TROUBLE AND LAZE AROUND ALL DAY!"

Before the men could respond, another object approached them. Alerted by the sound of a snapping twig, or a sudden change in the atmosphere, the three turn around on high alert.

Pen and Eraser, both covered in dust from the search, approach the group with each step they take. Pen's hand is interlocked with his lover, before his eyes greet the others, an eyebrow gradually raising in confusion.

"Who says we laze around?" He asked, pulling his hand away from Eraser's in order to brush himself off. "We're trying to help here!"

"Great! More idiots to have on the search, just perfect!" Basketball scoffed, rolling her dreary eyes.

Blocky wasted no time in snapping back. "Don't talk about my friends that way! They're HELPING here!"

"Helping us lose time, sure! I can hear their flirting from MILES away!"

The words were quick to make Pen frown, turning his head towards her. "Hey..."

If it weren't for the circumstances, perhaps Basketball would have apologized for her words. Confrontation wasn't her strongest point, with her hesitancy often overpowering any other emotion that resulted from any given situation.

But Grassy was missing. Tree was gone, and she pushed it all away.

Looking down, Basketball would fight away the tears in her eyes, taking in hushed breaths of air. Pen turned to face Eraser, but the pink object would reach over, clearing his throat.

"We've looked by the factories- still no sign of him." Eraser uttered, cradling Pen's hand in his. "Was there any place he could have gone, or anything he told you before he left?"

"He wanted to play in the rain..."

Basketball's hushed words felt like blades piercing through Blocky's mind, his nails digging into the palm of his hands. He knew he should have taken him under his watch that day. Despite the work he had on his plate- he should have taken him too.

It was too much for the wooden block, lowering his face into the palms of his hands. He had to fight the sorrow that burned at the core of his chest, his lip quivering before his teeth clenched with frustration. There was no way he could blame Basketball for this; as snappy as she could be, he knew too well that this wasn't ever her intention.

Besides, her tear-filled eyes said otherwise. Basketball's eyes traveled through the abandoned park around them, silently hoping that something would appear, sooner than later. A hint, a clue, perhaps a mere footstep... anything to assure her son's safety.

Pen could only watch the three, yet, he couldn't help himself from glancing up at the now cloudless sky."

"Why the rain?" He spoke to himself. "The kid could've had his own pool made- you guys are scientists after all."

"Shut up, Pen." A robotic voice snapped. Trudging towards the three, Robot Flower crossed her arms towards Pen, causing him to flinch.

"Okay...."

Was there any possibility of programming him into shutting up?

Robot Flower knew there wasn't- after all, objects didn't have the same internal structures as she did- though, she couldn't help herself from glaring at the ink stick, wishing that he could learn some form of empathy.

Her glares were short-lived though, soon looking down as she felt Basketball nudging at her side. She wastes no time in giving her a hug, capturing the concern that radiated from her girlfriends eyes.

"Robot Flower- anything?" Basketball whispers. With a saddened shake of her head, the silence that followed said so little, yet revealed so much. The spike in Basketball's heart rate shattered the remaining peace within her very being, and much to her girlfriend's dismay, she broke away from her hold, frantically pacing back and forth."

"It's been days, Grassy's out there all by himself... w-what if he-"

"No- no, we AREN'T starting with those stupid thoughts." Snowball concurred, stomping towards her with a raised finger. "We just need more help- this city is massive, Grassy has to be in some old building or something!"

An idea that flashed a plethora of memories through Pen's mind. Frowning, he turned towards Snowball, hesitantly asking the question that rumbled through his thoughts.

"More help..? Won't that freak the others out?"

"I don't care! We need to tell them!"

Oh, Pen Factory, Pen thought to himself, shakily cradling his arms to his own chest.

They were going to have to tell them- all of them. Including his sister.

He had seen how she gets when anything reminds her of the massacre- even the slightest tug at her scarf was enough to make her breakdown, any stability crumbling before them.

Tree had gone missing after he had asked for help; no way would he risk anyone else's safety for this again.

But what could he do..? If they were going to tell them, what could they possibly-

Aha!

"Why don't we tell them in the form of a song! "We've got some missing objects, do-do-do, it's happening again, do-do-do, so let's look around to find them, so we can put an end to this nightmare!""

Snapping to the beat, Pen would playfully kick his legs to the song, nodding at the rhythm that looped around his mind. He could practically see it- no way would anyone be scared by this song! He smiled, soon turning back towards the group.

Much to his dismay, the others around him stared with a look of disbelief, quickly causing his enthusiasm to sink like a stone into the depths of guilt. Lowering his hands to his sides, he could only muster a weakened chuckle, causing Robot Flower to flick her middle finger into the center of his face.

But he paid no mind to it. He couldn't; there was something else that burned at his soul, something that made a shiver crawl up his spine. Pen would look around, his gaze locking onto that familiar wooden block; his closest friend.

That was it. That was all it took for him to make Blocky break, his eyes blazing with rage and frustration. His stupid smile fueled the wildfire through his body, and he snapped.

"Oh, you can't take ANYTHING seriously, can you." Blocky asked.

Confused, Pen's smile faltered, his hands lifting into the air defensively. "Haha- what?"

"For FUCKS SAKE PEN!" Blocky's expression burst into the boiling maroon of seething rage, his voice shattering through the worry that encapsulated his emotions. "WHY CAN'T YOU TRY AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?!"

Pen's stomach shattered at his friend's reaction. His shoulders would lower themselves, taking careful steps away from Blocky, who was now inching towards him.

"Woah- Blocky, I-"

A hand swung forwards, seizing Pen's shoulders and shaking them furiously. His terror kept him from yelling at the top of his lungs, but before he could try and throw a punch, Blocky's hands pushed him back.

"YOU STOPPED ME FROM LOOKING- YOU MADE ME KILL A STUPID SPIDER WHILE GRASSY WAS BY HIMSELF!" The livid wooden block yelled, being tugged away by the group. "I FELT SOMETHING AND ALL YOU COULD DO WAS JOKE ABOUT IT!"

"BLOCKY!" Eraser's screams fell upon deafened 'ears', as Blocky continued to lash out at the ink stick, his fists quivering with unbridled anger. He stomped towards him, shoving him against the decaying slide with nowhere else to go.

All he could do now was beg for his own mercy.

"B-BLOCKY, PLEASE! I'M SORRY, I-"

"YOU THINK THIS IS SOME FUCKING GAME?! DO YOU?! MY SON IS MISSING! IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU AND YOUR STUPID COMMENTS, I COULD'VE STOPPED IT FROM HAPPENING!"

Tears. There they were again- so foreign, yet so distasteful.

It had taken some time for Blocky to ease off of his usual demeanor- having to be the prankster of the group meant that his vulnerabilities would have to be hidden away somewhere, never to be looked upon by himself, or anyone around him. But as time progressed, he was easing away from the barriers he had created upon himself, not shying away from easing away from the brutish attitude he had adopted.

Now? It had been days. Days since Grassy's disappearance. Although his friends were by his side to help, it felt as if they were doing the exact opposite.

Before he could continue his angered tirade, Snowball yanked him back from the other, her hands tightening around Blocky's forearms. "ENOUGH!"

Hadn't it been for his intervention, Blocky would have let his punches teach a thing or two about empathy. Catching his breath, he would turn towards Snowball, placing a hand on his arm. As quickly as the rage had come, it had vanished, leaving him stunned at the sudden explosion of anger.

Nobody spoke for, what felt like, hours. Managing to lift himself from the wall, Pen's body trembled with unease, stumbling into the concerned embrace of his boyfriend. His panicked breaths wavered through the air around them, his blue eyes fixed onto the ground, not daring to look anywhere else.

He wanted to bring some ease into the chaos. That was all.

The sudden brawl remained unaddressed by the group, until Pen cleared his throat, his hands clenched defensively.

"..Fine!" He uttered. "I guess you haters can look for yourselves- since all I do is cause trouble!"

His words stung like the damned wasps of realization. Blocky reached for him, hesitantly taking a step towards his friend before he stepped back.

"Pen-"

"Nope! You made it loud and clear!" Pen kept his line of sight away from his friend, not bothering to answer his pleas. He was still terrified- not wanting to get more hurt than he already was- and when he felt Eraser's hands resting on his shoulders, he quickly shrugged them off.

Eraser frowned. "Dude, wait-"

"You can stay Eraser. I.. I need to go."

Swiftly, he makes a run for it, covering his face with shame before vanishing behind the corner of a nearby building. The moment he sprinted away, Eraser turned to face the wooden block, his face riddled with concern. He reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. "...Blocky-"

"I don't care." Blocky grunted. He turned his head to the side, not wanting to look at his friend after snapping at his lover, yet Eraser couldn't hold it against him. Giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, he would let go, turning to run after his boyfriend.

"Pen, wait!"

His voice would fall into the grasp of silence, his frantic footsteps slipping away before the air around them returned to the hushed whispers of daybreak. Sunlight permeated through the streets of Yoyle City, waking the few remaining citizens and unclogging the minds of those that had been searching tirelessly.

For a while, the four stand there in silence, their minds wandering endlessly in order to delay the inevitable realization that clawed at their minds. Then Basketball spoke, the energy drained from her voice. "We're bad at this."

"..What should we do?" Robot Flower asks, her arms wrapping around her girlfriend with ease.

"Keep looking." Blocky replied lowly. His hands ball into fists, his breaths quickening as he tried to get his mind back into focus. "That's all we can do right now."

"More than that." Snowball declared. "We have the other TLC-ers here. Let's get their help."

"But what if they-"

"No! We're getting help!"

"Snowball.."

"The kid is out there, all by himself! He's got his survival skills- all thanks to ME- but he needs us! We can't leave him out there!"

For a moment, the four of them stand frozen, scanning through their mental maps of the city, the abandoned buildings, the parks and houses they had yet to explore. Then Basketball smirks, her eyes glaring towards Snowball with a knowing look.

This only angered the other male, causing him to glare right back at her. "What?!"

"Here I thought you didn't care about the kid.." She chuckled, letting herself lean into Robot Flower's hold. Clouds of blue blanketed over Snowball's face, embarrassed by the sudden reveal of his own weak side.

"O-Oh- Whatever! Let's just find the little weakling before it gets DARK! Now come ON!"

Hopefully that could be enough for her.

Clutching the empty bag close, Coiny would squint from the sunlight bearing down onto the city. He had forgotten how welcoming the spring equinox was, time becoming nothing more but a blur to him as he had spent every passing day inside.

There was no way she could try and make it out there. He knew it himself- he remembered how hesitant she was to let go of him that day.

He remembered telling her how he wanted to help her, in any way that he could.

Since then, he's kept that promise; gathering food, water, and any sort of supplies that he could get, storing them beneath familiar thickets that signified the deepest center of the woods. There was no way of knowing if she would come across them at first- but after two attempts, he remembered spotting the familiar red hue of Pin, dashing away from the spot with a water bottle falling from her hold.

That was weeks ago. He never had the courage to admit that Leafy and Firey's snacks and foods were vanishing due to him- but if anyone saw him leaving shops with bundles of food, they'd grow curious.

Did he wish to go off with her? To have a chance to put this all away? Of course.

But him vanishing would only lead to a panic. And there was no way he could be the cause of this once more.

He continued down the path, soon stepping onto the familiar pavement of the roads, before a sultry voice made him freeze.

"I was wondering where you've been." Fries uttered. He stepped towards him, carefully adjusting a large green bag in his arms, with Puffball peeking out from the top of his carton curiously.

Although he had spotted him from afar, he was curious to see what he had been up to during these times.

Startled, Coiny yelped, the empty bag fumbling out of his hold. Nobody was ever around when he returned from his little 'walk'- he left at such an hour to avoid being spotted by the others.

Now, being seen by Fries only made him stumble, pathetically trying to pick the bag up before clutching it tightly to his chest. A gesture that only made the saltier object raise an eyebrow.

"Going anywhere?" He asked. Coiny quickly shook his head.

"I-I dunno," He stuttered, pointing towards the two. "Were you going anywhere??"

Oh for tater's sake.

Fries shook his head, rubbing his forehead with a soft grunt of annoyance.

"You'd better be joking, Coiny." He uttered.

"I-I'm not!"

"Really."

"No- I-I mean, yes- I- UGH!"

The words come out of Coiny's mouth before he can stop them. His mind raced, from Pin's safety to his own hidden actions beginning to bleed onto the conversations of any average day. He had to keep this hidden; nobody knew that she was back, and he certainly did as much as he could to keep that hidden.

Now, here he was; looking like a fool in front of someone he hadn't spoken to in weeks. Despite Fries' reassurance on the day of their recoveries, the guilt that ate at his coppered mind was enough to alienate him from him, as well as the others. There wasn't a single hour that passed where he wouldn't find subtle reminders of his own failures.

Not giving a single damn about Firey while he was trapped in that cage.

Not stopping Pin from getting them all.

Not saving Fries...

Watching Coiny's eye's dim from the lively shimmer that they usually carried, Fries couldn't help but inch towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. This only made the coin jump, stumbling back and leaving his own hand in the open.

Fries couldn't stop the concern that melted over his annoyed look. Hesitantly, his hand would fall back to his side, silently moving the bag towards his other arm with a heavy sigh.

Although he didn't speak, Puffball knew what he wanted to say. "Are you okay?" She asked, her melodic tone making Coiny sigh.

"As good as can be expected," he murmured, shrugging halfheartedly. "But how are you both doing..?"

"Well, we're here. That medicine GB made for us helped us get some sleep." Fries answers. He can almost hear the screams of his family from their awakening nightmares, but he's quick to push them away. "Things have been... a lot easier for us to handle."

Lifting herself up to peek more from the top of his carton, Puffball would smile. "Moreso for Fries. He's been getting actual rest for once."

"And your nightmares haven't returned in a while..."

Smiling, Fries would lift a gentle hand towards his partner, letting his fingers sink into the softness of her fuzz. Immediately, Puffball would let herself relax, leaning into his touch with a quiet hum. Despite all of his work in his old garden, Fries's rough hands were always warm and careful, being enough to make the fuzzball melt affectionately at his touch.

Hearing her hums were enough to make a smile lift on Fries's face, a hushed love washing over him like the gentle waves from the ocean of endearment. The more time went by, the more they were able to heal, and now he found himself smiling at the comfort of his soulmate's presence.

Anxious thoughts and sleepless nights were finally dwindling. And for once, Fries felt as if he could finally see that sense of normalcy that was lost, so long ago.

With Puffball's quiet giggles and Fries's soft chuckles, Coiny couldn't stop himself from gagging at the sight. It was a halfhearted gesture- not as playful as he used to be- but he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest."

"So you're both recovering?" He asks. Fries glanced over, clearing his throat before pulling his hand away, much to Puffball's disappointment.

"Slowly, but surely." He replied, giving a reassuring smile towards the fuzzball. It was enough for her to settle, nuzzling the top of his head with careful movements that made his salted heart melt.

More affection? How cheesy could these two be? Coiny thought to himself, a playful smirk twitching on his face. He always recognized the bond that the two had, even before they had come to Yoyleland; no matter how chaotic things became, he would spot the tenderness that rose from Fries whenever Puffball was near.

Especially after her betrayal in BFDIA 5. That sure was a doozy.

..Perhaps he knew a thing or two about-

Wait.

That bag....

Immediately, his thoughts vanish as the familiar green and tan bag fell into his view. "...Is that.." He asked, his voice hushed from his own curiosity.

Fries blinked, his gaze quickly following Coiny's before they fell upon the bag underneath his own arm. A small smile lifts on his face. "I uh-... yeah... Tennis Ball finally got around to making these for me." He watched as Coiny glanced at the bag, then at the singular fry that sprouted from his own head.

"Fresh growtato seeds."

"Woah..."

"I asked if there was a way to get them to grow artificially, but TB told me that it wasn't possible. So, I have to start from scratch; gotta get my potato gar-" Fries flinched, quickly correcting himself. "Farm, back into shape."

"Oh man- it's been so long since you've made some..!"

Coiny's stifled laugh at the statement made Fries squint, carefully holding the bag away from the other. "Coiny."

"Whaat?? It's been ages, Fries!"

"And?"

" "And"?! We could totally try and make some for everyone! I'm sure the TLC-er's would love to taste some of those! Man- I've missed their taste since the last time you made them..."

"No way." Puffball interrupted, pouting with the shake of her head. "We're going to make sure they grow completely- THIS time."

This time?

What did she mean by-

Oh.

Coiny flinched, the memories soon filling his mind from the gaping void that was vacant from the days before the killings. He remembered how excited he was to first try them, the day that Fries was finally beginning to plant them.

He also remembered how badly he wanted to try one.

And then, he recalled eating a few of them, much to Fries's dismay.

"Hey!" Huffing, Coiny would raise his hand, playfully waving it at their faces. "I wasn't as bad as Gelatin was, he ate a bunch of them!"

"...Well, He's not wrong." Puffball added, resulting in a laugh from Coiny.

All three of them soon found themselves laughing, quietly recalling the wild antics that the two would commit, all to try and get a taste of those damned growtato's. It was enough to make the poor guy build a fence around his garden, trying to keep any hands from destroying his hard work.

Yet, as Coiny's laughter died down, he couldn't help but think back to the barren land that now stood behind Fries's home. The ghostly post that he had left behind tugged at his memories, bringing him back to the day where his family had fallen apart.

"Speaking of," he began, looking back. "How is Gelatin doing? It's been a while since I've seen him.."

"Since you've seen anyone, actually. You have to start going outside." Puffball teased. Coiny squinted, sticking his tongue out at the giggling fuzzball before Fries let out a sigh.

"Well, he's been doing better."

"Really?"

"Yep. He's beginning to smile a lot more now- actually starting to shift back into his own self, even after she-..." Fries would then stop, his words trailing into the void at the memory.

Right.

He still couldn't find it in himself to even think about her.

Could he.

The peaceful smile that painted over Fries's face slowly wilted into a frown, much like a dying flower in a rotting bush of joy. Memories would swing in and out, teasing him of the woman he had gotten to know for so long; hell, the woman he came to care about so deeply, only for her to throw it all away.

It made his heart sink.

Coiny stared, frowning as that sense of tranquility vanished from the two. He couldn't help himself from looking at his eyes, and it was there when he could see it all. The anger, the betrayal, the despair- but, the melancholy, the sadness, a longing and worry he had for Pin.

He didn't want to think about it, at first. Yet, this was enough of a confirmation for Coiny.

He cared.

He still cared.

Before he could have the chance to ask, Fries would clear his throat, hoisting the bag over his shoulder with a soft grunt. His eyes would blink rapidly, forcing these emotions back into the core of his soul while he turned away.

"I-... have to go." He whispered.

Puffball frowned, looking down towards her partner with concern. "Fries-"

"No, Puffball. This farm isn't gonna start itself."

"But-"

"We'll see you around, Coiny."

"Wait!" Coiny stumbled forward, pressing his hands to his chest. Any time for speaking had vanished, but he had to say something. He couldn't leave it to rest. And even if he had promised to keep this secret from the others, it wouldn't excuse the silence he had today. "Wait, please."

Stiffly, Fries would turn around, his narrowed eyes staring down at the shorter object. "What?"

"I-I just- wanted to ask you.. uh.."

"Ask me what."

He didn't know where to start. But once he did, the words erupt like an active volcano, spewing from the thoughts he had carried for a long time.

"..It's about Pin."

...

"..Right. Listen Coiny, I have a lot to do, so I need you to-"

"Fries, come on! You can't hide from this, I-.. I need to know what you think!"

"What I think?!" Fries's voice rose, shooting thorns of guilt straight through Coiny's soul.

This wasn't meant to be something that'd hurt them. No way did he want to try and shatter the peace that they had just found, but he had grown so reclusive with these thoughts, that they were starting to weigh himself down.

He needed to talk to someone. Anyone.

And with a single glance, Coiny could tell that he still had a glimmer of care towards her too.

Despite his efforts, Coiny found himself tottering through eggshells, doing everything he could to keep himself from striking Fries's nerves.

"She cared about you, Fries. There's no one else who I can talk to about this, a-and I need to know how you-"

"Coiny, STOP." Fries interrupted through gritted teeth. "I don't want to continue this conversation."

"But Fries-"

"I SAID, STOP!"

"I just-"

"LEAVE. Just... Leave us alone."

Swiftly, Fries would turn away, wincing at the soreness of his shoulders. He rolled them slightly, cracking audibly with every move he made in order to ease the tension from his pain.

Yet, Coiny's eyes glared at the two. He was tired- tired of having to carry these emotions all on his own. There was no way he was going to miss this chance now.

He finds the words leaving his mouth before he can think. "..Didn't you care about her..?!"

Silence.

Looking up, Coiny watched as Fries's movements immediately stopped. His legs were now planted against the pavement of the sidewalk, his fingers shakily digging into the bag of growtato seeds, slowly turning back to face him.

The look of scorn on Fries's face was enough of a response to Coiny, yet he shook his head.

"You were CLOSE to her!"

"Yeah, WAS close to her." Fries snapped. "Until she literally stabbed me in the BACK!"

"She what..?!"

Horrified, Puffball quickly looked down, her mouth agape as she desperately tried to find a response towards the statement.

She knew that Fries was still learning how to open up- slowly, yet surely- as hours of conversations would keep the memories at bay. Puffball was the one to start them, of course, but gradually, Fries would begin to speak as well, finally having a chance to unearth those fears that haunted his every waking moment.

Since then, he had laid it all to rest. Peace was becoming familiar to him, and that hidden terror was fading away from his tainted soul.

Fries never told her how she died, though.

Those scars on his back and chest always told her everything she needed to know. Despite this, she yearned to hear the truth from Fries, to give him a chance to let it out, to feel the relief of having this weight lifted from his aching shoulders.

But he never told her.

And she was left in the dark. Yet again.

Surprised, Fries would look up. Just from the look of betrayal and horror on her face, he could feel his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach, and he frowned.

"Ah-.. Puffball, I-"

"You didn't tell me this..!?" She whispered. He quickly shook his head.

"I didn't want to, there was no point in doing so!"

"Fries, I told you that you could open up about this to me- I asked you to!"

"I know, I-"

"I asked you to let things out, I wanted to help you through this, I-I wanted to know what she did so you could feel some sort of relief! But instead you just- ignore me..? You... toss me aside..?"

Fries's heart cracked at the sound of Puffball's voice. The way it had fallen underneath a blanket of sadness, hushed by her own fears of being completely forgotten about, despite her attempts to prevent it.

Quickly, he shakes his head, frowning as she quickly pulls her face away from the palm of his hand.
"No Puffball, no!" Fries claimed, "I-I just- everything was going on, I-"

"Why couldn't you see my offer to help you..? Am I not enough..?"
"NO."

Immediately, his hands would firmly press against Puffball's shivering body. She flinched, the sudden exclamation throwing her train of thought off of its path, before glancing downwards, fighting the tears that stung at the corners of her eyes.

Reassurance glowed from Fries's eyes, even as she locked onto them. His firm hold kept the two in silence, the tension dissipating into thin air before Fries took a deep breath.

"Listen to me Puffball," he began, "You were always enough- more than enough- to me."

"..I-.." She frowned as a tear managed to snake down his face.

"I just- I only want to move on from everything that happened."

"You did..?"

Fries nodded. "I never wanted to linger on those memories. There was no point to- it... only made me want to shut myself in, and keep you and Gelatin out of danger."

"Fries.."

"I don't want to hold anyone back anymore. I want you all to heal and move on, but-... god.." He shut his eyes, forcing himself to silence the memories that filled his veins with fear. "...moving on from what she did.. will help me heal. Besides, it's not like I'm not used to back pain."

"...I'm sorry.."

Her whisper was enough to make him look up.

Those twinkling eyes of hers. Filled with so much love; pleading, almost. Fries never found himself defying that look of hers. He sighed, letting his hand lift and caress the side of her face.

"No. I'm sorry..." he reassured, gently placing his hand on the side of her face. "You were only looking out for me. I shouldn't have shut myself out like that.."

Puffball let her head tilt downwards, nuzzling the top of his head gently as he let the words sink into the atmosphere. She smiled softly when she felt the tension dissipate around them, leaning into his palm with every caress he gave.

They stayed that way, silently reassuring one another, before Fries turned towards Coiny, his eyes darkened with the mist of exhaustion.

"I know this probably isn't easy for you, either." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"It isn't," Coiny mumbled. ''because I know what she did. I feel too much, even as I'm still trying to wrap my head around why."

"..It doesn't matter why."

"What..?!"

"She still did what she did, and you have to accept that eventually." Fries's tone had fallen into a deadpan murmur, making a twinge of anger strike at Coiny's mind.

He was trying to hide how he felt. He knew he was.

"You say that, like she never meant anything to us." He shouted, his fists clenched. "Like she didn't care about us as much as we cared about her."

"That scar on your chest says otherwise."

Coiny's heart froze, then shattered. He felt like his scarred wounds were ripped open, the tears of the past oozing down with a crimson hue.

It was enough to make Coiny clutch at the scar over his own chest, tenderly brushing his hand against it until he let the warmth of his palm melt into the permanent mark on his body.

"She wasn't the one to give me it." He whispered. Confused, Puffball's eyes would jump between his hands and his face, peeking up once more to speak.

"What do you mean?" She asked, worry shining in her multicolored eyes. "Was there someone else?"

Silence. Coiny lowered his head, delicately clutching his scar with his trembling fingers. The look in his eyes was enough to force the curiosity away from Puffball, but to Fries, he couldn't wrap his head around it.

He was there. He remembered seeing him, right before he was killed.

How could anyone else have-

....

No one... but...

Him.

The realization was too much for him to bear. He had always seen Coiny as a member of the family- to Fries's own dismay, of course. Hours upon hours of him pestering him about his old growtato farm was enough to exasperate the poor guy.

But in the end, he kept the silence at bay. The loneliness. And realizing that he had killed himself in the wake of his lover's terrors, crushed his spirit, destroying him from the remaining fragments of peace he carried. He reached for the coin-creature, but he turned away, leaving Fries to watch helplessly.

As Coiny walked away from the two, he lets his mind vanish into the clouds of his own imagination. He pictures a world, one within the future, with no anger, no nightmares, nothing. In this world, he sees himself in a vast green field, the song of his friend's voices filling his mind.

In this world, Smiling faces greet him, left and right. Lovers intertwine, friends embrace. Some run around, while others sit and chat.

In this world, Pin is amongst them, safe, and free. Familiar seeds cradled in the palms of her hands.

He clenched the bag, his eyes dimming as he drearily made his way back home, going the opposite direction of his Pin's path.

"Hey there, stranger."

The squeaky voice made Book jump, her mind going blank from the whirlwind of thoughts she found herself in. Her usual stroll through the city was caught off guard, yet it wasn't enough to fill her heart with unease.

Book would turn to face the two, a small smile curving up on her face. "Bomby! Nickel- oh my word, you scared me!"

"Oh dagnabbit!" Nickel exclaimed with a frown. "We're so sorry, we didn't mean to-"

"N-No, no! It's okay!"

"Are you sure?? You looked like you were really out of it there.." Bomby asked. His hands would rub his own wrists every now and then, his fingers clenching the gnarly scar he had gained since his own recovery.

Such a simple gesture, one that would surely pass over anybody's mind. But for Book, she couldn't help but watch, her smile fading at the gesture.

She knew that the three were on a journey during Pin's rampage. She was one of many who wished them luck beforehand, giving them a handful of advice when it came to traveling beyond the city.

The last time she had seen them was when they began their trek through the woods. And when she saw them again, those scars screamed with the bitter reminder; nobody was spared from Pin's wrath.

Her cover was painted with them, after all. Scar after scar from that... shredder...

....

"Book?"

Nickel's voice quickly snapped Book back to reality. Shaking her head, she gave the five-cent denomination (don't.) a crooked smile, rubbing the back of her cover hesitantly.

"Sorry," She sighed, "I spaced out a little, heh.."

"Psh, come back to Earth, space cadet." Giving her a playful nudge, Book couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face, with Nickel giving her his usual beaming grin in return.

It had been ages since she had the chance to be with the two. For a second, Book could feel her worries dissipating into the atmosphere, the memories of the past falling dormant with a ray of light shimmering through the space it left behind. Bomby would look down, his arm resting on the top of his boyfriend's head, as he spoke.

"Where are you headed off to?"

"I just went to take a walk." Book stated, kicking a small pebble. She watched as it tumbled down the street. "Turns out, Yoyle City has a huge bookstore- Barnes & Yoyle..."

"Barnes & Yoyle?!"

"Yeah!"

"What DOESN'T exist in Yoyle City?" Exclaimed Nickel, happily bouncing in front of his boyfriend's path. "This place is like a goldmine!"

"It's more of a ghost town, to me..."

"At least there's a bunch of gnarly stuff left behind!"

"Gnarly? More like garbage..."

"Hey! Value is in the eye of the beholder, Book!" Nickel exclaimed, pacing in front of the two with his head tilted upwards. "Some things may be a gazillion years old- but they're just as good as new!"

For weeks now, Book had grown used to the bitter feeling of loneliness. Each passing day served as nothing more than a reminder to the world she had returned to, with the past following her through every room she traveled to, its cackling echoing through her crinkled pages. But now that she had found her way back to a few old friends, the feeling of hope nearly threw her off her guard.

It had become foreign. Unfamiliar, even. Living each day on autopilot led to lost time; instead of living freely and embracing the newest chance of life she had, she rotted in her room, only leaving to cook (at least, with the little ounce of energy she had).

She was so sure she'd lose. With her spiraling mental health, the fight to survive was dwindling; now, seeing Nickel's smile and Bomby's welcoming attitude was the push she needed to try and...

Move on..?

...Was it... alright... to move on?

Book sighed. "Well, now you know what I've been up to. Tell me- what are you two doing out here?"

"We're on our way to get some grub!" Smiling, Nickel would let his disc-shaped body lean against Bomby's side, melting as he wrapped an arm around him. "We kinda ran out of food in the hotel."

"The hotel?"

"Duh- the Live Hotel!"

Now Book was sure she was starting to live under a rock. She raised her eyebrow, puzzled by the words that Nickel had told her.

"What's the Live Hotel?"

Shocked, the little coin whirled around, revealing his widened eyes. "You haven't heard of the hotel?!"

"No...?"

"Drats!" He stomped his foot. "Bomby, we gotta tell her about it!"

Chuckling under his breath, Bomby would wave his hand towards Book, letting her follow as the three made their way through the abandoned city. The shorter woman was hesitant, unsure if he was telling her to buzz off, but one nod was enough to reassure her as she quickly walked after the two.

"Naily was the one to tell me this," he began, a smile on his face. "But when the TLC-er's finally barged out, they were too tired to try and find their own places to stay. Luckily, someone came across this huge hotel that's near the town square!"

Book nodded, letting her fingers lock with one another. "I assume that it's called the Live Hotel?"

"Yep!"

"It's pretty swell, too!" Nickel interrupted, butting in between the two excitedly. "All the rooms are nifty- some are a little worse for wear, but it's nothing that we can't fix!"

"And you said that- everyone is there..?"

"Mostly everyone. There are a few that chose to live in their own places, but the majority of the group chose to stay there." Bomby responded, thoughtfully counting off the faces he had encountered while living there with a flick of each finger. Book watched him, analyzing the way he counted, before shaking her head.

"It sounds fun.." She replied, dejectedly. Nickel was quick to pick up her tone, a noticeable pout forming on his shining face.

There was something up. He could tell, just from the way she was acting- but he couldn't exactly tell. He could try and ask to see what was going on, yet, the scars that etched through her entire body was enough of a warning to not do so.

Instead, he taps his foot, his eyes shifting from side-to-side, until a lightbulb switches on, quickly brightening his mind with the ray of a brilliant idea.

"I've got it!" He exclaimed, much to his friend and boyfriend's shock. "Why don't you come over sometime?"

"W-Wait- me?" Book sputtered, weakly pointing to herself as Bomby nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh my gosh- that'd be a great idea! We could have a sleepover!"

"Even BETTER! You're a genius, Bomby!"

"Thank you!"

The sound of their laughter swirled around Book, filling the atmosphere with an uplifting hush. It mixed with the breeze, gently swaying her tattered pages that stuck out from her being, yet the sun permeated through her soul, embracing her in a comforting, warm hold.

For once, nothing seemed too bitter. The world around her somehow became brighter.

It was enough to make a genuine smile glow from Book's scarred cover.

"O-Okay! Count me in!"

Cheering, Nickel would happily nudge the woman, trailing down the path before turning back to face them. Bomby smiled, shaking his head as he excitedly made his way after him, with Book going after them.

"Alright gang!" He exclaimed, quickly marching his way forwards. "Ready to rock and-"

"OUT OF MY WAY, LOSER!"

WHAM.

The waters of serenity that Book had finally begun to wade through vanished, becoming nothing more than a mist of horror, as she watched Snowball's fist plummet against Nickel's cheek with a hard crack. Immediately, the smaller object is sent flying to the ground, silence seeping into the dead air that was left by the impact.

Bomby's smile had fallen into a frown of terror. Seeing the ball of snow towering over the group didn't stop him from scrambling to Nickel's side, worriedly hoisting him into the safety of his arms.

Words. Words, words, words. Whatever they were saying to each other morphed into an ear-piercing ring, as Book's eyes were locked onto Snowball, mentally flipping through the pages of her mind to see what she should do next.

Should I run? Flee? Help my friend?

Snowball is staring- oh no, oh no-

"WHAT?!" The livid ball of snow screamed, his fingers instinctively curling into tightened fists. From the way his arms trembled, it served as a warning to her, reminding her to think about the next words that would escape her mouth. With a gulp, Book spoke.

"W-Wh- ... Why...?" Book asked, her tone hushed as she drowned in her own hesitancy. Snowball stared down at her, his darkened eyes fixing into the core of her very being...

...Before a soft chuckle broke past his mouth.

"You really don't know, do you." He uttered through gritted teeth. Blinking, Book would glance back and forth, her mouth twitching as she tried to form a response.

"ANSWER ME!"

Fuck.

Carefully pulling in a breath, her eyes would glare back at his direction. "I-.. what are you talking about..?!"

"Please. I wouldn't expect a weakling like YOU to know. All thanks to that armless orange BOZO, we're going to be crawling and caving through this stupid city, FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!"

Frowning, Book's heart would drop, imploding from the crushing pressure of her fear. "...Crawling..? I-... you're- looking..?"

"OF COURSE we're looking! Aren't you supposed to be smart?!"

"S-Snowball-"

"If it weren't for her, I would've made ALL OF YOU HELP!"

"HELP?! WITH WHAT?!" Book's tongue had gained a mind of its own, throwing the words out with a scream before she could even think. Her hands slapped over her mouth in shock, instinctively stepping away from the muscular object before her.

Too late. With his fist now lifting into the air, she clenched her teeth, bracing herself for the impact.

But as she hears the swoosh of the wind, a voice then pierces through the air.

"SNOWBALL!"

Book jumped, her eyes widening at the sound of Basketball's voice. She looks up, watching as frustration blanketed over Snowball's irked face, turning to face the orange sports ball. Behind her stood Robot Flower, with Blocky following suit, a gasp breaking past his mouth as he saw Snowball.

Yet, the colder object couldn't care less.

"What." He snapped, unimpressed by her interruption. "What do you want."

"Why are you- oh my court, you're hurting everyone!" Basketball shouts. She frowns when Book scrambles out of Snowball's reach, quickly rushing to Nickel's aid, frantically checking his injury.

Much to Book's relief, it was nothing serious, but it was still agonizing to see. His cheek was now swollen, blood drooling down his curled mouth as the glowing hue of a tooth struck out from the growing puddle of blood beneath him. The sight, as well as the shout, captured the attention of those who had been strolling through the city with their own responsibilities to accomplish.

Basketball watched as more objects approached them all. From the objects who had been recovered, to the former TLC-er's who joined in the search effort, they all stared with fear at the scene that played out, confusion sifting through the atmosphere. Leafy rushed over, her hands lifting into fists as she looked around.

"Who's hurting them?!" She shouted.

Firey quickly had to pull her back, grinning as the others shot her an angered glare. "U-Uh- Leafy-"

"No- What's going on?! Who's hurt?!"

"You'll be if you don't shut UP." Snowball snapped.

"What's going on?" Fries demanded, instinctively reaching up and placing a hand on Puffball. "Why is he going on another rant?!"

His voice shot through her like a bullet from a gun of realization. Basketball could feel her face turning pale, taking careful steps away from the crowd. "Fries, it's nothing to worry about!"

"Nothing?! He knocked Nickel's TOOTH out!"

"He's just stressed! W-We've been doing some field work, and-"

"You're LYING."

"Lying?? Who said she was lying?" Saw exclaimed, a crooked smile on her shining face. Fries couldn't help but glare down at the other object, resulting in Gaty stepping in front of her defensively.

"Fries," She huffed. "Believe us. We're just helping them with a little field work."

"You two are helping the scientists with their scientific work?"

"Like that's such an important issue for you."

Not wanting the situation to escalate any further, Blocky broke the two up, shaking her head in worry. "Everyone, please. I'll take care of Snowball."

Snowball cracks his knuckles, his scowl warning the others to step back. "Take care of me?! We couldn't even take care of HIM!"

"SB, please- I-I know you're upset, but we have to-"

"SHUT IT. WE'RE LOSING TIME HERE- HE'S STILL OUT THERE BY HIMSELF!"

"Who...?" Bubble's voice made a few heads turn. She stepped towards the group, her hand pulling away from Fanny's plug tail, much to the shorter object's dismay. "Who's still out there..?"

"Bubb.." Fanny whispered, gently trying to pull her back. Even with the feeling of her lover's plug brushing against her arm, she steps away, her eyes glossing over with terror as her thoughts begin to spiral.

Quickly, Basketball stuttered out an explanation. "B-Bubble- everyone, please. It's just a misunderstanding- but we promise, it's nothing to worry about.. We're really just looking for something to aid in our-"

"If it's nothing to worry about," Bubble whispered. "Can't you tell us what you're looking for...?"

"Or what you've found." Book interjected, her head lifting towards Basketball. Her gaunt expression was enough to warn the woman, but she refused to cause another panic to break within the city.

Her efforts were quickly diminishing. Despite her words, she could only watch as the guidebooks eyes narrowed, her limbs beginning to tremble at the possibility...

The possibility that...

Oh, no...

"..I-is.. Is it-"

"A COMMUNITY GARDEN!" Saw screamed out before she had the chance to think. Gaty would turn towards her, shocked, until Puffball's voice cut through her thoughts. "WHAT?!"

"A-A community garden...! Y'know- one we can all work on, together!"

Silence.

Fries turned away, his eyes now awakening from an anger he had kept at bay for days on end.. "...Basketball, tell us this is some sort of joke."

All eyes were back onto Basketball. All waiting for some sort of answer, some form of guidance that could ease the tides of confusion that tossed everyone left and right. Yet, she found her mind freezing over, the shock of the statement causing her to stutter.

"I..I-"

"It isn't!" Robot Flower buzzed in, quickly saving her dearest from stumbling any further. This would only leave the orange scientist stunned, blinking as her head tilted to its side.

"Robot Flower-"

"Gaty and Saw have been kind enough to try and help you recovered folk in any way that they could! Right, you two?"

Robot Flower turned, frantically shooting them a tensed glance. Saw's eyes darted back from her, towards the others, forcing a wobbling smile on her face. "Y-Yeah! I baked those pastries to help take a little more off of your guys' plates, after all! I'm really happy that everyone was able to enjoy them..."

She had to keep herself from saying 'almost', even as the memory of Teardrop scratched back into her mind.

"Because of this," Robot Flower continued, "They figured that it was time to help you all a little more. We can't imagine what you all had to see when we were trapped in that stupid box- but, while we were coming up with ideas, Basketball mentioned the topic of exposure therapy!"

Basketball blinked. "...I did?"

"Babe!"

"OH- I-I sure did!"

"Exposure therapy...?" Bubble tilted her head, letting Robot Flower nod, continuing to play along.

"Basically, with Saw's- community garden idea, we help you all face your fears by creating something you can control! We start a garden, right here in the Towns Square- and we all contribute to it, together!"

"Yeah!" Saw chimed in. "We're also here to listen and to talk, too! Anything to help you all feel a little more at home!"

The group- well, the collective group of those who were recovered- all stood in silence, trying to take in the idea that had been suggested to them. Teardrop couldn't stop herself from glaring at the two, their hands shivering with rage at the complete idiocy that these two had.

Yet, Needle would look up, rubbing the back of her neck with a sigh. She was conflicted- reminded- of the terrors of the past. But she was exhausted from staying trapped in these looping nightmares, wanting to put this all to rest.

It wasn't until Fries stepped forwards, his eyes dim as he placed the bag of growtato's down. "..I can grow my growtato's there."

That was it. Enraged, Snowball would sputter out nonsense, his hands slapping over his head."Seriously?! Gardens?! COMMUNITIES?! THERAPY?! WHY IS THIS EVEN A THING?!"

Basketball rushed towards his side, nudging him away from the group before she scowled.

"Snowball," she hissed, lowly. "I am trying to keep things COOL here. If we don't- we'll only get more distracted from looking for-"

A voice then spoke. "Who said something about therapy?"

Was there ANYONE ELSE who wanted to interrupt them?!

Frustrated, Basketball would look up, noticing Flower as she stepped onto the scene. Ruby stood by her side, their hands interlocked together as her eyebrow raised, puzzled.
"What's all this?" She asked. Basketball shook her head, quickly shooing the two away.

"Just some stuff- working on getting you all therapy! More help! Now, GO."

"Therapy, huh.." Flower scoffed, quickly stepping away as she led Ruby over towards Bubble and Fanny. Her words made the shorter objects eyebrows crease, her mouth curving into a frown.

"I HATE therapy!" She shouted.

"Fanny..."

Ah- crap.

Shrinking with shame, Fanny's scowl would ease into a pout, turning away as she responded. "Sorry, Bubb."

"It's okay.." Bubble sighed, gently pulling her back for a gentle hug. The electrical fan would tense up, until the familiar warmth of her girlfriend made her body relax, her plug-tail wrapping around her in order to 'hug' her in return.

Ruby watched, noticing Bubble's eyes slowly shifting to meet her. She gave the gemstone a weakened smile, only returned by a few blinks from her. She turned, stepping towards the group with confusion.

"What's the whole therapy thing about?" She asked. Gaty walked over, not hesitating to help the two newcomers catch up.

"We just thought that it'd be nice to start a garden here in the Town's Square. One that you all have control over..."

"G-Garden..?" The faint whisper made the others fall quiet. All heads would turn to find the source of the voice, with their many eyes trailing towards Ice Cube, who stared at the group, a hidden terror beginning to awaken from its slumber.

Behind her, Pencil and Match were walking onto the scene, noticing the others as they were talking amongst themselves.

"I-ICY- ITS OKAY..." Bracelety would reassure her, letting her arm wrap around her gently.

"W-Why did you, like, choose a garden?" Match frowned. "Couldn't you have, like, done something else? Like...pastries?"

"Yeah. I-I'm sorry- but some of us are still in the deep end here." Pencil sighed, tightening the scarf around her neck. Gaty shook her head.

"You don't have to participate if you don't want to! We promise! All we want is to help you gain some sense of normalcy around here..."

Pencil couldn't stop herself from letting out a halfhearted chuckle, crossing her arms. "Psh... we're not declining the invite here."

At her words, Snowball's eyes darkened. Nobody was taking this seriously any longer, his frustrations having reached beyond his limit. Anger swelled at the core of his face, and before Pencil knew it, the larger object's rage exploded.

He launched himself towards the pencil, his right arm curving into a roundhouse strike, plummeting against her jaw and sending her to the ground with an audible crack. Match's panicked yells became intelligible, with rage blinding Snowball's mind, his eyes snapping towards her as she whipped towards him with her arm beginning to swing. Snowball ducked, sidestepping and forcefully shoving her across the pavement with such force, that a cloud of dust rose from the impact. The objects that were going about their daily lives would quickly turn towards the scene, with some frantically rushing to stop him from causing anymore damage.

Though, he was done. Snowball had reached his limit, and there was no going back for him.

All hell broke loose at that moment. With both Freesmart Leaders now knocked down, the remaining Freesmarters would scramble towards the two, their frantic yells tuning out from the environment.

Nobody was taking this seriously.

Nobody.

There was nothing that could encapsulate the feeling of his own heart boiling from his rage. With the sound of footsteps quickly beginning to thump into his mind, his body frilled, suddenly letting his fists take control.

When Flower hurls herself towards him, he charged.

"FUCK OFF!" He screamed, swinging down. His fist jams into her windpipe, silencing the scream that rose from her throat. He continues to punch, ignoring the way she clawed and kicked at his body, before Ruby would forcefully slam a small rock onto the side of his head.

This catches him, and with a clean swing, he drives his fist into her scarred eye. Enough for the memories to flood back into her mind.

Enough for her to lose her cool.

Fists collided with endless surfaces, shoving against the skin of chests and faces. Fries rushed over, with a faint pink hue sinking within his carton as he swung a powerful hit. Snowball immediately caught his fist, lashing out with his free arm, catching Fries straight in the eye. Stars blotted his vision as the red object stumbled onto the ground, his skull roaring from pain and dizziness.

Panting, Snowball caught a faint hue of periwinkle dashing past the corner of his eye. He charged again and caught Gaty with his hands, whirling her around and jamming into the center of her face. This sent the girl flying back, and before he knew it, the panicked yells and cries would fall into a numbing buzz that rang endlessly in his head.

It wasn't long until Snowball's fists were bloody and battered. He didn't care if anyone was trying to stop him or flee; his rage had become unbearable to handle, as he was not taking Grassy's disappearance well.

To his surprise, he catches Book charging straight towards him, her fists butting straight into Snowball's chest.

Her eyes- they roared with flames of anger. Not only had he injured the two people who helped her feel a sense of peace- but he had hurt them.

Flower.

Ruby...

The bully jerked slightly, aiming for the top of Book's head, but she slipped from his aim and swung a hard punch at his side. He has to clench his teeth to hold back any sound of pain, before his fist swipes towards the side of her face, catching Book by surprise. The punch ripped up the side of her face, stumbling back with an angered yell.

The last thing he could remember seeing was Bubble running straight towards him. Snowball finds a smirk rising on his face, making a mad dash towards the other with his fists shooting straight into the air.

Bubble showed no sign of fear- at least, towards him. The sounds of her pained friends cries were enough to make her go and try to stop the madness, and before she could block the punch that he was ready to throw, a sudden object cuts in between the two.

"BUBBLE!"

She recognized that voice. And for a second, she finds the tension and strength leaving her body, her heart beating ever so gently by the soothing relief she felt by that voice.

Fanny's voice.

Taken off guard, it was enough for Snowball to make his move, cackling as he hurled his hands down towards the electrical fan. Fanny quickly dodged his punches, using her plug-tail to whip at his eye, forcing an angered yell to break past his lips. Bubble, who was now stumbling towards the two, reached towards her with a cry.

"FANNY?!"

Darting her head towards her, Fanny would shout back to her.

"BUBB- GET OUT OF-"

Snowball's hands then grab at Fanny's ankles. With horror, Bubble watched as Fanny's face swelled with frustration, before the brute's face darkened with fury at the shorter woman.

That's when he lifts her upwards, and with a clean swing, he launched Fanny straight to the ground, following it with two hard, bone-crushing thuds. The first made Fanny yell from surprise- and the second, sent her head popping off from her blue mechanical body, only held together by a mere string.

Any chance of fighting back had been extinguished; Snowball could tell just from Bubble's face. She frantically ran towards her girlfriend, crying out in anguish while he turned away, finding himself fighting into the crowd before him.

Everything began to blur. Something just told him to continue punching, to kick and fight whatever or whoever stood in his way; it didn't matter what was driving him to do so, he just had to punch, to shove, to BREAK-

"SNOWBALL!"

That's when a pair of hands yank Snowball away, snapping him back to the reality that he had drifted off from. He blinks rapidly, his bloodshot eyes frantically darting around at the readjusting city, sounds and sights returning to his body.

Despite the mess that he had caused, his eyes immediately fell upon Blocky, who stood in front of him with his hands holding onto his shoulders. Taking careful steps, the wooden block would lead him away from the scene, keeping him from looking up.

"SB- SB, breathe." Blocky directed, noticing the rapid breaths that wheezed past the ball of snow. Shivering, Snowball would instinctively cling to the others arms, gripping them with clenched teeth.

"I-..." Trying to find the words to say, Snowball would instead cough, his lungs burning from the air that was swept into his lungs.

"Breathe..."

"F-Fuck... Man, I-"

"Shh..."

There was something about the sound of Blocky's voice; Snowball couldn't ever pinpoint what it was, but the way he spoke would lull his own racing heart, while, at the same time, keeping its firmness, never becoming too weak to give in. He finds himself getting lost in the mahogany of Blocky's pupils, his fingers resting tenderly over the other guy's wrist.

Is this what... safety felt like? Snowball never had to worry about that- his brawn kept him from becoming an easy target to everyone around him. Even with this, he never understood the feeling whenever he'd overhear another object bringing it up.

But here he was, nerves buzzing within his stomach as he continued to stare into Blocky's eyes, his heart skipping a beat with the way they glistened from the sun. Blocky couldn't help but notice this, and he smiled, hesitantly placing a hand on his cheek.

"SB?" He asks with a tender hush, enough to make Snowball's eyes burn.

Burn... with tears...? God, no.

Snowball's eyes fluttered, yet it wasn't enough- a dewiness flooding over his pupils as his eyes would remain widened, attempting to keep the tears in.

With a pathetic sniffle, he uttered, "...I miss him so much..."

Following his words, Blocky would throw his arms around the ball of snow, pulling him in for a firm hug. The larger object squirmed at first, but quickly mellowed down, slumping pathetically with his arms wrapping around him gently, like the loose ends of a ribbon.

Both of them stayed that way for what felt like ages, before Blocky looked down.

"I-I know," he whispered. "I miss him too."

Snowball's eyes squeezed shut, his teeth gritting together with the familiar flame of anger flickering in his chest. "I'm just- mad- nobody is helping, and they're just... MOCKING us!"

"SB..."

With a huff, Snowball's head lifted towards the air, letting his eyes take a closer look at the damage he had done. The sight doesn't surprise him one bit, small trails of blood and debris from tattered objects scattered across the pavement, with the others frantically checking on their injuries.

Not even a speck of guilt would fall upon his heart, even as the cries and murmurs would wash into his mind. He looked to the side, his line of sight first rolling onto Fries.

He had forgotten about Puffball for a while, now. She hasn't been flying through the air like she used to, so Snowball didn't bother thinking about the chick while he lived in the city. Until now, that is, when he notices the frantic fuzzball poking out from Fries's carton, frantically checking on him and asking if he was alright.

That black eye said one thing, but the potato-box shook his head, much to Snowball's confusion. With a grunt, Fries lifted himself from the pavement, wincing at the audible cracking of his joints. Puffball would begin to peek out more and more, only to be met with Fries's resistance as he led her back into his carton.

"Gaty!"

A voice that pulled Snowball's attention away. Looking towards the left, he watched as Saw would frantically shake Gaty in her arms, a noticeable bruise darkening on her forehead, with a streak of blood running down her 'nose'.

"Gaty?!" Saw shouted, tears in her eyes. "Gaty, can you hear me?!"

Judging from the way the gate's eyes fluttered, Snowball could tell she could. With a wince, Gaty let out a grunt of pain, her eyes fluttering open.

"Ugh.." She murmured. "what happened..?"

"GATY!"

"Oh- S-Saw.." Gaty jumped, as Saw threw herself onto her, hugging her as tightly as she could. A few seconds passed where Gaty would try and squirm from the tightened hold, yet her eyes would blink, before she found herself melting into the other woman's chest, sleepily taking in her warmth.

And then, Snowball overhears a familiar voice.

"Fanny?! Fanny, say something!"

"BUBBLE-"

"P-Please- oh, oim so sorry- oi- FANNY!"

Slowly, the ball of snow turns to come across the Freesmarters. He blinks, silently watching as Bubble would cradle Fanny's head in one arm, her body in the other, with rivers of tears running down her panicked face.

Beside her stood Bracelety; she had been protecting her Icy from the chaos that had unfolded, but seeing one of her friends get injured by the brute, she would gently reach to grab Bubble's shoulder.

"BUBBLE!" She calls. Bubble looks up, her cries falling silent, with her tears still shimmering down her metallic face. The sorrowed look in her eyes was enough to tell Bracelety everything she needed- lowering her voice, she would explain.

"She's still alive- s-she just... she's just knocked out.."

"H-How do you knoiw..?" Bubble asked, her voice reduced to a sorrowful whisper. Bracelety shook her head, recalling.. well... a few incidents that had taken place in the TLC.

"It's happened before. Trust me, it's nothing we have to worry about.."

"..Oicy..?"

Hesitantly, Ice Cube would step forward, giving her a nervous, yet reassuring smile. "Bracelety knows what she's doing- t-they're friends too, remember..?"

At her words, Bubble would nod, bringing a reassuring smile to the bracelet's face. She helped her up, letting her cradle Fanny, who was unconscious from the whole debacle. The look of worry in Bubble's eyes would make Bracelety reach over, a soft smile on her face.

"It'll be a gentle recovery, I promise!"

The ease in her voice- a consideration that she hadn't seen, or felt, in ages. It lifts a genuine smile on Bubble's face, as she nodded with ease.

"O-Oi... Oi trust you.."

"Cmon'- Icy and I will help you both!"

Icy...

Her alliance...

Her head darted back and forth, worriedly looking for the other Freesmarter's. Her eyes come across Book, who stared at her with a faint scowl, yet she takes no note of this, as she begins to notice the missing presence of her team.

"B-But, but Pencil-"

"We're, like, right here Bubble.." Match's voice interjected, faintly warbling from the fear she still carried. It made the poor soap bubble relax, looking over to see the rest of their alliance stumbling towards them. Yet, she couldn't help but notice Match's presence.

"You're outsoide..?" She whispered, much to Match's dismay.

"Like- yes, I am.."

"Aren't you still scared of..-"

"Slowly getting used to it." Match murmured. Beside her, Pencil would let out a groan, weakly holding at the bruise that Snowball had left her as her girlfriend would gently wrap an arm around her, helping her stay on her feet.

"Ugh.." Pencil hissed at the pain. "W-We all need to get ourselves some ice.."

"I can get some." Flower said weakly, wincing at the hoarseness in her throat. She could feel the bruise forming at her skin, but this wasn't much- as she had to help her little gemstone from another episode she had gotten during the fight.

In her arms, Ruby's face had become gaunt, her eyes locked in a thousand yard stare that dug straight into Snowball. With the help of GB's Zelatonin, she was able to ground herself much more easily- yet her eyes narrowed with rage at the brute, making him frown.

Moments pass, and the team helped one another get back on their balance. He watched as Bubble looked around, her stomach churning from the bitter realization that out of the whole group, only one person was injured enough to be knocked unconscious.

And that person was her own girlfriend.

My girl... Fanny...

With tears in her eyes, they narrow, her frown twitching at the edges from the heaviness in her heart.

Meanwhile, he shifts his gaze to the side, watching as Book held her own injuries, carefully helping Nickel sit up, with the assistance of Bomby.

"Careful-.. there we go.." He stated worriedly.

Blinking unevenly, Nickel could feel the world around him spinning relentlessly. Book would lift his cheek, frowning at the bruise that was forming at his jaw. "Let's get him back to the hotel. Oh- his jaw is so swollen.." She stated.

"His jaw?! Is it dislocated?!" Bomby frantically asked, quickly holding his boyfriend close.

"No! Thankfully... We're just going to have to help the swelling go down-"

"M-My tooth.." Whispered Nickel, whose eyes gazed down at the tooth that had been knocked out. Bomby frowned, gently placing a hand on the top of his head.

"Shh- don't move it too much.."

"How are you feeling right now?" Book asked. The coin blinked, processing the words from his friend, before a ditzy smile would stretch across his face.

"I... am... LLLiving the dream, haha..."

With the way his words slurred out of his mouth, Book would shake her head, helping Bomby get him up from the ground. She let her gaze break away, looking towards the others as she began to help her friends return to the hotel.

Instead of focusing on her neighbors- her own friends- her eyes latch onto the bruises and cuts, taking in the carnage that bled from their damaged bodies, before they returned towards the man who had caused it all. 

Snowball would continue to glance at the people he had hurt. All of them, now carrying marks that would remain because of his own hands.

And that's when Snowball sees... it. 

Behind... 

The way it stared.

It...

Smiling...

Oh.

No.

NO.

To Blocky's dismay, he began to feel Snowball thrashing around, his breaths racing as a wheeze of terror broke past his throat.

"No-" He gasped. "Let me GO-"

"SNOWBALL." Blocky shouted, grabbing his shoulders with a firm hold. He noted the fear that painted over his face- yet, his eyes quickly lock onto a strange, red hue, one that would fade in and out of his misty-grey pupils. This only made Snowball scream, trying to get the block to let go.

"LOOK AT THEM- LOOK AT HIM! LOOK AT HER- LOOK AT HER!"

Yeah. He needed rest.

Grunting, Blocky would pull him aside, leading him to a quieter part of the city. "Okay. Come on. We'll keep looking after you cool down."

Blocky grunts as he tries holding him down. He noticed faint, red veins that would pulsate beneath his hold, but he shakes his head. It was just his veins- he was a beefy guy, after all.

"NO- NO NO, DAMMIT, COME ON!"

"YOU NEED REST, SNOWBALL!"

"BLOCKY!"

Dragging him away, his screaming began to grow quiet- a great relief, if Robot Flower must say. The past few days had felt nothing short of endless, even as she tried to keep a positive mainframe towards the situation at hand.

Looking around, she helps any injured object that she can, giving a wave towards Roboty, who stood in the distance with David by his side. The red robot's eyes would blink with the glow of his lights, returning the greeting with a faint beep.

That's when she felt someone tapping on her metallic arm. Looking over, she feels her programming blooming with a light happiness as Remote filled her line of sight.

"Hey." She buzzed out.

"Hi." Remote smiled. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah.... Helping Basketball as much as I can here."

"I can tell. How's the search going?"

"As well as it can be going..." Robot Flower sighed. "What about you? How are those batteries working out for you?"

Remote couldn't help but frown at the statement. She could read it in the tone of her voice box- things were becoming bleak. With a gentle hand, she patted her back with a reassuring sigh.

"I'm feeling better," she stated. "the new batteries are working perfectly."

"That's great to hear."

"It is!" Liy chimed in, happily throwing her arms around her robotic partner. "And I can't thank you enough!"

Robot Flower watched as a smile flickered onto Remote's face, her indicator button beginning to glow and fade with a rapid pulse. She remembered Golfball's work when it came to object anatomy- the pulsating glow reminding her of the rapid beating of her own 'heart'.

Smirking, she watched as Remote would turn towards her. "L-Liy.." She said, smiling. "It's very nice to see you too."

This made the poor lightswitch jump, an awkward smile on her face as she rubbed the back of her head. "Oh! S-Sorry, haha.."

"It's okay."

"No need to apologize." Robot Flower chuckled.

Blush permeated through Liy's face, as she would let her arms pull away from Remote's body. Before she could step away, Remote would reach over, her metallic fingers wrapping around her lovers hand with a swift and gentle movement. Liy couldn't stop herself from smiling even more, leaning in and kissing the side of Remote's face.

Remote almost stumbled from the affection. Her eyes practically radiated with joy, only holding her lover's hand closer to herself before a playful giggle would catch the three off.
"Oooh, looks like we've got some lovebirds over here!" Foldy sung teasingly, a growing smirk stretching across her face. Scoffing, Liy would give her a playful nudge, causing them to both giggle at the gesture as Stapy would hop after her, his arms crossed nonchalantly.

"More girl-kissers, huh?" He chuckled.

Liy didn't stop herself from turning towards him with a raised eyebrow. "Says the Boy kisser."

"Hey- I'm into both, here!"

With the sounds of their laughter blooming through the city, Robot Flower felt some of the tension easing off of her grinding gears. She would say her goodbyes towards the friend group, stepping away as they made their way back to the hotel, their endless conversations floating after them.

It didn't take her long to come across Basketball, who was silently staring off into space. Carefully, the robot would reach over, placing a gentle hand on the top of her head to try and get her back, as calmly as possible.

And it worked. With a few blinks, her head would lift towards her gaze, an exhausted smile lifting onto her face.

That was enough to tell Robot Flower everything she needed to know. She makes careful movements as she pulls the sports ball into her arms, clutching her within her loving embrace. She noted the way Basketball's body would shiver, and after a few seconds of silence, she would sniffle.

"..Grassy.."

Mentioning his name made a strange cramp strike at the robotic bloom's chest. It was too gentle for it to be an issue with her robotic structure, yet too noticeable for her to ignore; a foreign sensation that would make look down, lowering her head to place a 'kiss' on her girlfriends forehead.

"We'll find him." She assuaged.

"It's been days, Robot Flower.. what.. what if he.."

"No. He's out there. I know he is. And we won't stop until we find him."

When Basketball didn't respond, Robot Flower looked down, surprised to see her staring right back up at her. Confused, the robot's head would tilt to the side, her hand lifting from her back.

"What?"

"..Have I told you how much I loved you.." Basketball whispered.

There it was again. That feeling. So foreign, yet so... alleviating, that Robot Flower couldn't help but shiver, her arms carefully pulling her closer than ever.

She had to admit- it was going to take some time to get used to this programming. Ever since she had raised her question about the possibility of a mechanical mind having a soul, Basketball went ahead and worked through her programming, letting the robot make her own requests in order to find the truth.

But moments like these would reassure her that, despite what anyone would say- she had her own soul. Her mechanical heart would beat with the love she had for her friends, her other mechanical minds, and especially her girlfriend.

Her Basketball.

"I love you too, BB.." She whispered, letting the sports ball rest in her hold. "I promise.. we're going to get our baby back."

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Happy (Late) April Fools! You guys get two new chapters, and a letter. Next chapter will be up in an hour, followed by the next letter!

BEFORE ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING: YES I KNOW LIY AND FOLDY ARE ENEMIES. This is pre-bfb, so I like to think that they were friends before.... well. You'll see after the letter. 

Also gay people.... gay people. 

...this is 13k words.

see you in an hour!

-ice