A/N: Okay, this one-shot leads up to the multi-chapter 9 story that I'm writing called "Fever." Normally, I'm not a fan of OC stitchpunks, and that's why I'm not adding another stitchpunk. I'm simply introducing a minor OC that doesn't even talk! Basically, I'm just introducing 6's new pet. Oh well, I'll stop rambling. Enjoy! Oh yeah! Takes place after movie, AU where everyone survived (IT CAN HAPPEN!), no slash. NOW enjoy!
Zero
6 dug through a large pile of rubble. He wasn't sure why he had selected this pile to dig through; he just thought it looked inviting. 5 stood behind him, watching the smaller stitchpunk with an air of curiosity.
"6...?" The striped stitchpunk stopped digging and looked over his shoulder at 5. "What are you digging for?"
6 thought for a moment before shrugging. "Dunno..." He went back to digging.
5 shrugged and went back to helping 2 sift through the rubble. He had his harpoon loaded just in case any leftover Beasts tried to attack them. Most of the Beasts had been destroyed when the factory exploded, but there were still some scattered about. This thought reminded him to keep 6 in sight, even though he knew that 9 was keeping lookout, and they were still close enough to the Library to run if there was trouble.
"Did you find anything?" asked 5 as he walked up to 2.
"Actually, I did," said 2, holding up a square object that was about an inch and a half long.
"What does it do?" asked 5, picking it up. There was some metal contraption on top, and the rest was plastic. 5 could hear liquid swishing around inside.
"If I remember correctly..." muttered 2, taking the object back. He set it on the ground and quickly pulled down on the circular lever on top. There was a spark, and a flame sprung up, sitting on top of the metal. "I believe it's called a lighter."
5's eye widened and he picked up the lighter. "So it's just like a match?"
"Exactly like a match, but it's heavier and harder to use." 2 blew the flame out. "I think we should keep this in the Library to use. That way we won't waste matches."
"Good idea..." said 5. He set the lighter on top of the pile of things they planned to take back. 5 started to dig through more of the rubble to see what he could find, when something caught his eye.
6 was sprinting full speed back to the Library as if he was being chased. He was holding something in his arms, but before 5 could get a good look at it, he disappeared behind a pile of rubble.
"2, I'll be right back," said 5.
"Be careful," said 2, tugging a large spoon free from the rubble.
5 nodded and took off after 6.
Minutes earlier, 6 had still been digging. Finally, he broke through the wall of rubble and exposed a dark tunnel leading deeper into the mountain of garbage. It was large enough for 6 to walk in if he crouched. It looked dangerous, and 6 started to take a step away from it, but he saw something moving further down. It looked too small to be a Beast, and it didn't have red eyes. Curiosity got the better of 6, and he slowly crept into the dark tunnel.
"H-hello...?" 6 whispered, his eyes wide.
Something moved in front of him, and he came to a dead stop. The thing was sitting right there, only inches away from him. 6 started to take a step back, but whatever it was was faster. It hissed once before lunging at him.
6 let out a yelp and fell backwards. The thing landed on his chest, and 6 saw it clearly. It was a bug, about an inch long.
"Who are you...?" 6 asked it. The bug stared at 6 for a moment before backing up, heading back into the tunnel.
"Wait!" 6 called after it. To his surprise, the bug stopped. 6 sat up on his knees and slowly extended his hand, inviting the bug to come closer. He had only ever seen a live bug once, and it had been an ant. Of course, he only got to look at it for a minute before it was brutally murdered by 8. "Come back. Won't hurt you..."
The bug took a small step towards 6, it's antennae pinned back, ready to attack if 6 made any sudden movement. Then, after a minute of sizing up the little stitchpunk, the bug walked forward and crawled up on 6's lap.
6 smiled and gently stroked the bug's exoskeleton. The bug purred and snuggled a bit closer to 6.
"You need a name," said 6. The bug looked up at him happily. It wanted a name. But what to name it? 6 didn't know any human names; he only knew numbers. That was when it hit him.
6 looked down at the bug. "0," he said to it. "You're name is 0." The little bug looked satisfied with that name. 6 smiled and, using the last bit of ink his fingers contained at the moment, drew a nice large 0 on the bug's back.
"Wonder what kind you are..." 6 mumbled to himself. Surely the twins would be able to identify the bug, but the twins were back at the Library. Maybe he should ask 2. 2 was smart; he should know. "Wait... 2 knows machines... not bugs..." 6 decided he would go to the twins first. But that would mean getting past 1 and 8...
6 shuddered a bit at the thought of facing the largest stitchpunk. 8 had been trying to be a bit nicer to everyone, especially 6. It was, after all, because of 6 and his bottle of ink that no one got kidnapped by the Seamstress.
However, 8 was still scary, and 6 vividly remembered the time when 8 had gotten so mad about something that he tied 6 up like a piñata and smacked him around until 5 stopped him. Recently, 8 had stopped treating 6 like his personal punching bag, but he still obeyed 1 like a dog. 6 knew that 1 was afraid of bugs because of how he acted when he saw that ant, and 6 was sure that if 1 saw 0, he would order 8 to kill him!
6 gulped and looked down at 0. "Have to hide you. Until we get inside." 0 nodded a bit. 6 lifted the bug in his arms and cradled him to his chest. He slowly exited the tunnel, looking around. He gulped when he saw 5 and 2 close by. Looking around, he saw a piece of torn cloth nearby, about the size of 1's new cape. He picked it up and wrapped it around 0. "Hold still..." 6 then sprinted as fast as he could towards the Library.
He almost made it when a voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.
"6!" It was 5.
Thinking quick, 6 ducked behind a large pile of rubble, out of 5's sight for the moment. He needed to hide 0; if 5 saw him, he might freak out and raise an alarm.
Suddenly, 6 realized where he could hide 0.
5 rounded the corner and saw 6, holding completely still and facing away. He was holding something.
"6?" The younger stitchpunk didn't respond. 5 walked up to him and stood in front of him. 6 was staring off into the distance, his pupils constricted to pinpricks. In his hands was a tattered piece of light blue cloth. 5 waved his hand in front of 6's face, but he didn't respond.
5 started to get scared. He knew 6 had visions, but he had never seen 6's face during one. It was really starting to freak him out. Before he could wonder what 6 was seeing, the stitchpunk in question started mumbling.
"Coming... for us... Used to be twenty... Only one left... Coming for it... Following us... Looking for the Keeper..."
The first three words that had come out of 6's mouth terrified 5. Something was coming for them?
6 suddenly blinked and shook his head, his eyes returning to their normal size. "5?" A small look of fear crossed his face and he clutched the blanket closer to his chest wincing in pain. His voice sounded horribly distorted.
"6, did... did you just... see something?" asked 5, not sure how to put it.
6 thought for a minute before nodding his head. "Why?" His voice was still rough.
"Well you... you said something was... coming for us..."
6 shook his head. "Coming for the Keeper." This time he could barely get the words out.
"What's coming?" asked 5, taking a step closer to 6. "Who's the Keeper?"
6 shook his head. "Not who. What." 5 could barely hear him.
"Uh, 6... is there something wrong with your voice apparatus?"
6 nodded. "Loose." He then winced again, a look of extreme discomfort crossing his face.
"Well, we can fix that," said 5, starting to worry about 6's actions.
6 took another step back, shaking his head vigorously. 5 expected that much. 6 was never open to medical treatment.
"Going back," 6 exclaimed before turning and running full speed back for the Library door. 5 watched him until he disappeared. After waiting another minute, 5 turned and went back to help 2 and 9 bring everything inside.
"What happened?" asked 9, noticing 5's return.
"I think 6 just had a vision," said 5, picking up as many objects as he could and putting them on the small cart that he and 2 had built.
"Did he say anything?" asked 2, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"He said something was coming to take 'the Keeper'," said 5, putting air quotes around the word Keeper.
"Keeper... I know I've heard that before..." muttered 2, digging into his memory for the meaning of the word.
"He said something was coming?" asked 9, starting to look worried.
"Yeah," said 5, "but he didn't tell me what. He said that whatever's coming for us, there used to be twenty, but now there's only one left."
"Do you think it's some kind of Beast?" asked 9.
"Judging by the way he said it, yes I would say it's some type of Beast," said 5.
"Where did he run off to?" asked 2, looking around in hopes of finding the striped stitchpunk.
"He ran back to the Library," said 5, gesturing towards the Library.
"Probably to draw whatever it is that he saw," suggested 2, shrugging. "In fact, we better start heading back too. It will be dark soon."
The three remaining stitchpunks pushed and pulled the cart back to the Library.
6 slowly crept into the Library. He had to be quiet so that he didn't draw 1's attention. He silently made his was to the bucket elevator. It had taken them all day to find it and remove it from the burnt remains of the cathedral, and it had taken them another day to install it, but it was well worth it.
6 reached the elevator as soon as it hit the ground. He stopped in his tracks as 8 stepped out of it. 8 looked over and saw 6, but instead of questioning him or even stopping, 8 just nodded curtly and went on walking back towards the throne room. 6 thanked his lucky source and climbed into the elevator. He painfully turned the crank, bringing it up above the ground.
When it was a good 10 feet off the ground, he stopped it. Quickly, he sat down so no one could see him. He put the blanket on the bottom of the bucket and tugged open the tear in the front of his chest. 0 climbed out and sat on the blanket.
6 breathed a sigh of relief, and the pain of having 0 curled up in his chest disappeared. He couldn't hold things inside of himself because he was too small, and it caused him too much pain. This was why he didn't naturally open up, so in order to hide 0, he had to tear open the wound on his chest that was given to him by the Seamstress. It had hurt like crazy, and the open wound still hurt, but at least 0 was inside the Library.
Ignoring the pain in his chest, 6 resumed turning the crank, bringing the elevator up. Once he was above the throne room level, he reached the floor that 9, 7, and the twins had claimed. That floor was empty; 7 and the twins were probably downstairs looking through books. He would have to come back later. He continued to raise the elevator.
The next level was 6's floor. For some reason, the floor 6 had claimed was smaller than all the others in both height and size. He didn't mind, though. He liked small spaces, and there was plenty of room for him to hang his art. Above his floor was 5 and 2's workshop, and above that was the newly built watch tower.
6 stopped the elevator on his floor and climbed out, taking 0 and the cloth with him. He hit the release switch on the crank, returning the elevator returned to it's position on the ground floor. He then carried 0 into his room and set him down, making a bed for him with the cloth. 0 snuggled up in it.
6 quickly made his way over to the large piece of glass that was leaned against the wall, serving as a mirror. He looked in it and tugged his fabric open a little wider. He could now see his voice apparatus, and how loose it was. It was loose because he had accidentally knocked it loose while hiding 0.
Reaching into his chest, 6 clicked the apparatus into place. "Sound... sound... sound..." he muttered, testing his voice. It sounded a little crackly and distorted at first, but it soon returned to normal. Satisfied, 6 reached under his bed and pulled out a long thin piece of rope. He tied it around his chest to keep the wound closed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sew himself back up even if he had access to a needle and thread.
6 looked over at 0. The little bug was sleeping soundly. 6 smiled and located a piece of paper. Dipping his fingers in a bottle of ink, 6 began to draw what he had seen. A few minutes later, when the drawing was completed, he held it up and looked at it. He had drawn a six sided shape with a smaller identical shape inside. Inside the small six-sided shape was a circle, with three evenly spaced protrusions jutting from it, ending at the edge of the smaller shape. There were six dashes between the big shape and the small shape, one dash between each side. There were dashes on each side of the object too.
"The Keeper..." 6 muttered, staring at the drawing.
6 was so entranced by his drawing that he didn't hear the bucket elevator stop on his floor. He did, however, hear footsteps coming down the hallway towards his room.
As fast as he could, 6 laid his new drawing over top of the now sleeping 0, covering him. He then sat on his bed, right as 5 poked his head in.
"Hey 6," said 5, slowly walking into the room.
"I'm fine," said 6 automatically, crossing his arms over his chest so that 5 couldn't see his opened wound. It didn't occur to him that 5 could still see the rope.
"Glad to see you fixed your voice apparatus," said 5, standing next to the bed.
"Fixed it myself," said 6, fiddling with his inky fingers.
5 nodded. "Okay, so tell me how you did that without opening yourself up."
6 opened his mouth to explain, but he drew a blank. 5 nodded. "That's what I thought..."
6 sighed and lowered his arms, no longer concealing the wound. "Y-you're not gonna t-take me to 2, are you?"
5 shook his head, no. "I know you wouldn't have gone anyways. But... I did bring this in case you decided you didn't want to deal with the pain anymore." 5 pulled an already threaded needle out of his bag. It was threaded with black string that would blend in with the black stripe that the cut was on. "Your choice."
6 shook his head like a stubborn child, crossing his arms over his chest again. 5 shrugged. "Just let me know when." 5 turned to leave, but his eye caught 6's new drawing. He stopped and looked at it, completely unaware of what was under it.
"6, is this what you saw?" asked 5, bending over the drawing. He had seen something similar to it before, but he couldn't remember where. It had been so long. Slowly, 5 reached out to pick up the drawing.
"Okay!" 6 exclaimed. 5 jumped at the sudden outburst and, forgetting about picking up the drawing, looked up at 6. The striped stitchpunk untied the rope around his chest and pointed to his cut. "Fix it?"
5 smiled a bit and walked back over to 6. "What made you change your mind?"
6 tried not to look at where 0 was sleeping. "Hurts a lot..."
"Don't worry," said 5, giving 6 a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Can you lay down?"
6 slowly nodded and lay down, holding his key to the side so that 5 could work. He kept his eyes squeezed closed, wincing every time the needle pierced his fabric. A few minutes later, 5 finished. 6 sat up and looked down at the even stitching. He could barely see it.
"Thank you," he muttered, rubbing the stitches.
"You're welcome," said 5. He turned and started to leave, but a movement caught his eye. He turned and gasped as a bug crawled out from under 6's drawings. 0 was awake.
6 jumped out of his bed and knelt down, petting 0. The bug stared at 5.
"6... Who is this...?" asked 5, his voice quiet and his eyes wide.
"This is 0. I found him in the Emptiness," said 6, standing up.
"You... named it...?"
6 nodded, pointing to the 0 drawn on the bug's back.
"W-what kind of bug is he...?"
"Dunno. Was going to ask the twins."
5 shook his head, dumbfounded at how 6 had snuck the bug in right under 1's radar. "6, I don't-"
"Can I keep him?" asked 6, clasping his inky hands together. "Please?"
5 looked between the bug and the excited look on 6's face. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you can keep him." Less than a second later, 5 found himself being hugged for all he was worth.
"Thank you!" exclaimed 6. He let go of 5 and turned, picking up 0. "You know where the twins are?"
"Uh, yeah," said 5, "I saw them on the way up. They're in their room."
6 nodded. "Have to talk to them."
5 smiled. "Okay, let me know what kind of bug 0 is," he said, patting 6's yarn-topped head. 6 smiled and nodded, and 5 left. 6 started to leave too, but he stopped, looking at his drawing. He quickly set 0 down and picked up his drawing. He stared at it for a minute before tacking it to his wall. He would figure out what it meant later.
"Let's go, 0," said 6, bending down and holding out his arms. 0 scuttled over to him and crawled into his arms. 6 left the room and headed towards the stairs.
6 peeked his head around the corner, signaling for 0 to be quiet. There were various books scattered across the floor, perfect to hide behind. Looking around for 7 or 9, the striped stitchpunk made his way to the twins' room.
When he looked inside, he saw 3 and 4 playing with the small rubber bouncy ball that 7 had found in the Emptiness last week. 6 cleared his throat, and the twins snapped their heads towards him.
"Need to ask you something," said 6, quickly walking into the room. The twins immediately started cataloging 0. They then looked up at 6 and nodded.
"What is he?" asked 6.
3 and 4 looked at each other, communicating with their blinking eyes. A moment later, 4 nodded and turned towards the wall. He projected a page from a book. 6 set 0 down and stepped a bit closer to the projection on the wall. He read it out loud.
"North American Hissing Cockroach?" 6 read. He looked back at the twins. 3 nodded, and 4 cut the projection off.
Before 6 could ask anything else, 7 walked into the room, followed by 9. When she saw the cockroach, 7 gasped and grabbed her weapon.
"No no no no!" exclaimed 6, jumping in front of 0, his hands out. "Don't hurt him! New friend! Don't hurt friends!"
7 slowly let go of her weapon, still staring at the bug. "6... Where did you find that?"
"Outside," said 6, picking 0 up.
"Today?" asked 9.
"Yes."
"So that's why you were acting so strange," said 9, nodding. "Well... stranger than normal."
6 nodded. "Don't tell 1 or 8 please..."
7 smiled a bit. She walked forward and put a hand on 6's shoulder. "Don't worry 6. We won't tell anyone about your... little... friend..."
"0," said 6. "His name is 0."
"We won't tell anyone about 0," said 9.
"5 knows," said 6. "So does 2, I think."
"So 1 and 8 are the only ones that don't know?" asked 7, the thought of bugging 1 (no pun intended) bringing a smile to her face.
6 nodded, and 0 purred.
"What kind of bug is this, anyways?" asked 9. He leaned a bit closer to 0, and the cockroach hissed in surprise.
"North American Hissing Cockroach," 6 repeated. He looked over at the sleepy twins, who nodded, telling him that he said it right.
"A cockroach?" came a voice from the door. 2 walked into the room, followed by 5. The inventor walked right up to the bug in 6's arms, examining it. "I haven't seen a cockroach in ages! 6, where did you find him?"
"In a tunnel," said 6. He was met with questioning stares. "I was digging," he clarified.
"Ooohhh," chorused 5, 2, and 9.
"That's probably how he survived the gas..." muttered 2.
7 glanced at the twins to see if they could clarify, but they were already asleep, curled up on a pile of blankets.
"Guys, stay quiet," whispered 7, pointing towards the sleeping twins.
"Well, it is getting quite late," 2 whispered back. "I think it's time we all turned in for the night." He was met with nods of agreement, and the remaining stitchpunks parted way for the night.
6 climbed up the stairs with 0 sitting comfortably on his back. He made it to his room and adjusted the blanket on the floor for 0. The little cockroach curled up in the bed, falling asleep. 6 did the same.
A loud, high-pitch scream echoed through the Library. 6's uneven optics shot open and he sat bolt upright.
"0?" The cockroach wasn't in the room. "Oh no..."
6 jumped out of his bed and raced downstairs into the throne room. He quickly located 1, standing on top of his throne. 0 was sniffing around in front of it.
"8!" shrieked 1, trying to climb higher on this throne.
"No!" exclaimed 6, running forward.
8 burst into the room and threw himself in front of 1, as if 0 were going to attack them. 8 raised his knife high above 0, ready to deliver the death blow to the innocent little cockroach.
"DON'T HURT HIM!" shouted 6. He lunged and landed right next to 0 just as 8 brought the blade down. 6 grabbed the bug and held him close to his chest. He closed his eyes and waited for 8's knife to hit him.
Thunk!
6's eyes shot open and he looked to his left, seeing his own reflection staring back at him. The knife was lodged into the floor, a centimeter away from 6's left foot. 8 had managed to change the knife's trajectory in midair. 6 and 0 were both okay.
8 pulled his knife out of the floor and stepped to the side so that 1 could see them.
The older stitchpunk looked furious! "6! What are you doing bringing that thing into this Library?" he shouted, still standing on his throne.
6 stood up, trembling. "N-not a t-thing. F-friend!"
"That creature cannot stay here!" exclaimed 1, pointing at 0 accusingly.
"W-w-why n-not?" whimpered 6, holding 0 closer to his chest.
"Because for all we know, it could be a Beast sent to spy on us!"
"N-not a B-Beast! F-friend!"
"Either the bug goes or you go!" shouted 1.
6 gulped, but he held the bug closer.
1's eyes narrowed. "If that is what you choose, so be it." He turned and faced 8. "Kill the bug and get him out of my sight."
"No!" exclaimed 6, cradling the bug.
8 didn't know what to do. He looked between 1's demanding glare and 6's pleading gaze. Luckily for him, he didn't have to make the decision on who to obey. 9, 7, and the twins rushed into the throne room, followed by 5 and 2.
"What is going on here?" demanded 2.
Upon seeing the others, 6 ran over to them and hid behind 5.
"H-he t-t-tried to k-kill 0," 6 stuttered, peeking out from behind 5's shoulder.
"1, what did that innocent little insect ever do to you?" asked 9, stepping forward.
"Are you referring to the bug or the insect with the number 6 painted on his back?"
5's eye widened. "Ooooooh, that was low, even for you, 1."
"Well, that bug still tried to kill me!" exclaimed 1.
"It's harmless!" exclaimed 7, petting 0 on the back.
"It chased me!"
"You let it chase you!" said 2. "He probably thought you just wanted to play!"
"Wait a second..." said 7, holding her hand up. "1, you mean to tell me that you got chased up your throne by a cockroach?" She could barely contain her laughter.
"It doesn't matter!" exclaimed 1, his voice cracking a bit. "I say we throw the bug back into the Emptiness!"
3 and 4 communicated with each other for a brief moment before nodding. 4 projected the image of a word on the floor at 2's feet.
"Good idea, boys!" exclaimed 2, looking over at the twins. "They say we should vote. Does 0 stay or does he go?"
"It has a name?"
6 held 0 up so that 1 and 8 could see the number painted on his back.
"So we vote," said 5.
"Yes!" exclaimed 6, raising his hand in the air.
"I vote stay," said 5.
"As do I!" exclaimed 2.
"Me too!" exclaimed 9.
"Count me in!" said 7.
The twins both gave a thumbs up, nodding.
"I vote leave," grumbled 1.
"8?"
8 looked down at his feet, fiddling with his knife. "Stay," he growled. 1's eyes widened a bit, and he turned and sulked away, mumbling under his breath.
"0 can stay?" asked 6 happily.
"Yes, 0 can stay," said 2, putting his hand on 6's shoulder.
"Yay!" exclaimed 6. He set 0 down and hugged them all individually. 0 ran playfully around in a circle.
After hugging everyone, 6 looked over at 8, who still stood alone next to 1's throne. Slowly, 6 walked over to him.
"8..." The largest stitchpunk looked at 6. "T-thank you..." Then, before he could stop himself, he hugged 8.
8 looked down at 6 for a moment before slowly returning the embrace.
"Aww," chorused everyone else in the room. Even 1, who was looking on from the shadows, had to admit that that was kind of cute.
6 let go and quickly scampered off, probably eager to draw something. As everyone else dispersed to start the morning, 8 stood rooted in place, stunned. Then, slowly, a small smile crept onto his face. It wasn't his usual menacing smile; it was a happy smile. He quickly shook the smile off of his face before anyone could see and he went to go find 1.
Everything was peaceful in the stitchpunk's Library.
Little did they know, danger was lurking right over the horizon...
A/N: Yay! My last light 9 story! And by light, I mean no one got hurt. Just y'all wait 'til I start my next story... So... enjoy this. Oh, and that whole thing with the Seamstress is how I imagine things would have happened so that everyone could survive. Maybe I'll write a one-shot about how they took down the Seamstress a bit later. Anyways, hope ya liked it! Leave a review!