2014

Chibi-Robo closed his eyes, laying his head back. He was currently relaxing in the branches of the tree in the Sanderson's backyard. The whole house was clean, which was a nice feeling, and so Chibi had decided to take the night off. The sun was just beginning to set.

"Chibi-Robo!" Telly chimed, "It's evening, now! Do you wanna head back?"

Chibi opened the storage compartment in his head and displayed his No! sign.

"Oh. I see." Telly beamed, "You just wanna relax out here? I think I'll join you!"

Chibi watched his friend hover downwards until he was resting on the tree branch beside him, then his rotor blades shut off. Chibi widened his eyes in surprise.

"What?" Telly pretended to be cross, "I can relax too, can't I?"

It wasn't that, Chibi had just never seen those little helicopter blades shut off. Telly was too hyperactive to sit around doing nothing. Nevertheless, Chibi gave his friend a pat on the head before resting his hands over his torso, ankles crossed.

Chibi watched in awe as the light in the sky slowly vanished, leaving behind a cluster of stars. Chibi turned to his friend and pointed with one arm.

"Oh, the stars?" Telly asked, "You know what those are."

Yes! Chibi replied. He pointed again, inquiring.

"Should I tell you more about them?"

Yes!

"OK, well..." Telly searched his memory banks for any relevant information, "They're actually as big as the sun, but they're much farther away. Our sun is the closest star, and they're all..."

Chibi listened to the quiet chatter of his best friend and guide while the stars twinkled above, a soft breeze rustling the leaves in the tree. Most people might find the chatter annoying, and it could be at times, but Chibi was content in the fact that his friend was right there beside him. The voice was comforting, if for no other reason than it belonged to Telly Vision. A couple years ago, Chibi had nearly died when he became horribly lost, and the crippling silence of being all alone was enough to make his little Chibi-Heart twist painfully inside him.

That's why hearing Telly talk was like a soft fleece blanket against a cold winter. Chibi had decided that he never wanted to be alone again, so it was a good thing that Telly had never left his side since. After that painful experience, their bond had strengthened immensely. They were nearly inseparable.

"...in fact, we can't even see all the stars from where we are, because it's too bright-!"

Chibi sat up and waved his arm to grab his friend's attention. What did he just say!?

"Oh. Yeah. We live in the suburbs, Chibi-Robo." Telly explained, "If we were out in the countryside, we could see trillions of stars dust the sky like glitter!"

Chibi lay back down, dumbfounded.

"I know." Telly replied wistfully, "I've never seen it myself, but my downloaded database tells me that it's such a beautiful sight." he paused to gaze upward longingly, "I've even heard that the actual sky is nearly completely blocked out because of all the heavenly bodies. Of course...it's hard to get electricity out in rural areas...so it's unlikely we'll ever get to see it..."

Chibi couldn't help but feel disappointed. If only he still had his infinite battery power...

"Hey. I wouldn't rule it out completely." Telly added, hope imminent in his eyes, "I'm sure we'll get to see it someday..."

They sat in silence for a moment while they thought. Chibi listened to the sounds of nighttime. Crickets, the breeze in the leaves...the peacefulness of it nearly lulled him to sleep.

"Hey, Chibi?" Telly asked, "Are you still awake?"

I am now. Chibi thought, slightly annoyed, but he responded, Yes!

"Um..." Telly was quiet for nearly a full minute while his thoughts jumped back and forth, "Can I ask you something?"

Chibi looked at his friend, giving him his full attention.

"Do you think that..." he searched for the right words, "um..."

Chibi watched intently. Yes? What is it, friend?

Telly let a sigh escape his speaker, "Do you think we'll ever find love?"

Chibi half-closed one eye, a sign of confusion.

"Well...I mean...I mean that whole thing with Jenny and Mom...and Drake and Sophie...well..." he thought again, and again, "I...I don't know..."

Chibi felt his cameras droop into little sad half-circles.

"It's just...that..." Telly shook himself, "Never mind...forget I said anything, alright?"

Chibi couldn't forget something like that. Was Telly feeling unwelcome?

"Just nevermind, ok!?" Telly huffed, "Anyway, I'm sure we'll see all the stars one day!"

And he was back to his regular, cheerful self. Though Chibi was concerned, he decided to let the issue drop. Seeing Telly all serious and forlorn was unnerving, so it kind of echoed in Chibi's mind.

The world seemed to slow as Telly's chatter became soft, and pretty soon, both bots were sound asleep.

"No! That was cheap! C'mon, Drake! You can do it!"

Giga-Robo shook his head, almost having the equivalent of a migraine. Watching Mr. Sanderson shout at the TV was enough to make him miss the quiet days in the basement. At least then he was at peace. He didn't regret being brought back, of course, in fact he was incredibly grateful to Chibi for doing so, and watching Chibi do his daily chores was calming in its own right, but Giga knew Drake, and he knew what he was like. His love for gunpowder far outweighed his devotion to being a hero, so it annoyed him whenever Dad would spout nonsense like that.

Maybe he would spend some time in the basement, just to calm his nerves.

He slid off the couch, trudging behind it towards the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. Chibi was out there, lying on the branch of the tree. It appeared that he had finished his daily chores and was taking a well-deserved break. Giga took a moment to appreciate how that little bot always managed to make everything sparkle, before moving on to the next room. He was feeling a bit run-down that day, possibly due to Mr. Sanderson's over-excitedness, so he opted to try and find a way to relax. What had he always done all day when the family was occupied all those years ago?

It had been nearly 18 years since he let its battery exhaust itself. He vaguely remembered the two adults tearfully waving goodbye before he let his systems shut down. He remembered that fateful day 8 years ago, when Chibi found him and plugged himself into one of Giga's access ports. He remembered when his memories were downloaded onto Chibi, and he remembered when he tried to get up, only for his battery to fall out, plunging him back into steady darkness.

The next time he woke up, his battery was back inside him, fully charged. The first face he saw upon awaking was none other than Chibi-Robo, eager alertness clear in his small, black cameras. Ever since that day, Giga and Chibi had nearly been as close as Chibi and Telly. Giga liked to watch Chibi work. It was cool seeing something dirty become clean, and often Chibi would stop to wave. Sometimes he would climb the couch and jump down onto Giga's shoulder. Once, Chibi had found Mr. Sanderson watching the Drake Redcrest show, so he climbed onto the tv and switched the channel. Giga laughed at Dad's reaction, albeit in his own way.

He smiled at the memory. Maybe he would relax with Chibi and Telly. That might calm his nerves.

Just as he'd had that thought, though, he saw an odd flash from the window above the front door of the house. Curious, he walked to the door and stood on tiptoe to reach the knob. He was massive compared to Chibi, but he was by no means tall. He had to really stretch to reach. Pulling the door closed behind him, he stepped down the small porch and over the lawn, pausing to look up into the sky. As the sun set, something became clearer. It was a bright light, coming closer and closer. By the time the stars would be visible, the light was all Giga could see.

Eyes widening in shock, he sprinted back towards the house, hoping to warn his family of oncoming danger.

That was the last thing he remembered before everything turned to static.