Red. Red, red, all around him. There was nothing, nothing at all, but that evil, evil color. It's inescapable brightness pierced him like a bullet, and he held a hand to his face instinctively, trying to shield his remaining eye from it's toxicity. But it was impossible. The horrible redness was filling him up, drowning him from the inside out, and he couldn't get free.
Fear bubbling in his throat, 5 tried to collect his thoughts, to remember what had happened. It was all such a blur, it had all been so fast… There was the music, and then the machine, and then the light… That awful destructive green light… and then the pain…
So he was… he was…. Oh God….
As the realization sank in, 5's body, or rather, his soul, became very heavy. He felt the pressure of the unyielding red light crushing him, suffocating him, and he started to shake violently. Light sobs beginning to emit from his throat, 5 dropped to his knees and clenched his fists. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. The words kept flying across his mind, pounding into his skull. He'd messed up, messed everything up… He could've lived, he could've saved 2, he could've saved the others… They were probably going to… Oh, no…
"N-no… no…" 5 croaked, his optics shut tight, trembling and trapped in his own terrible thoughts. It was too late, all too late. It was hopeless. 6 was going to die. 9 was going to die. The twins were going to die. He should've stayed, he should've lived, he should be there to help them right now…
He wasn't ready.
Shuddering still, 5 curled up into a little ball, letting heavier sobs escape as he rocked gently back and forth. He was gone. Everything was gone.
Except…
"5? Fuh… 5... You…"
The voice came from what seemed to be nowhere. That familiar voice. That warm, loving, gentle, familiar voice… 5 uncurled himself from his fetal position and all but scrambled to his feet. And there he was, standing before him, holding the same ghostly form, a hand extended ever so slightly in his direction.
"2!"
The elder doll, 5's mentor, his best friend in the whole world, was there. What seemed like the beginnings of a smile flashed across 2's lips, but it was gone in a heartbeat. 5 was sad to see it go. Instead, 2 wore a look of sympathy, even disappointment. He gave a tired sigh and shook his head. "Oh, 5... Not you too…"
"2, I…" 5's burst of excitement at seeing his beloved teacher again was shot down immediately by the hurt in 2's voice. That's right, he'd failed, he wasn't supposed to be here… Swallowing the impulse to run into his old friend's arms, to let him know how much he'd missed him, 5 dropped his gaze to stare at his feet, trying in vain to keep his shoulders from shaking. Nothing was going right.
Instead, it was 2 who approached the younger, every step he took making 5's heart grow heavier. Soon they stood face to face, 2 making futile attempts to make eye contact with 5, and 5 still fighting to keep himself from wrapping his arms around 2, limbs sagging in shame. Slowly, cautiously, 2 reached out to grasp 5's shoulder, his touch making 5 shudder inwardly.
There was a long silence, and then finally 5 spoke. "I'm… I'm sorry, 2..." He said softly, his voice cracking, struggling to keep from breaking down again. "I'm so sorry…"
"For what, 5?" 2 replied, metal fingers finding their way to 5's chin, slowly lifting his head until they looked each other in the eye. "You've done nothing wrong, trust me."
5 shook himself from 2's hold, causing the elder to draw back suddenly, as if shocked. "No, 2, I… I screwed up. I failed. I don't deserve to… to…" He bit his lip to try and dampen the urge to cry, but he couldn't stop a tiny whimper from escaping. 2 looked a bit taken aback for a moment, and then relaxed again, giving a disarming smile. "5, it's OK."
Feeling a strange and terrible hotness building in his chest, 5 looked away, not wanting to meet 2's gaze, "No. No, I could've… Could've saved you, I could've saved everyone, but I was too late… They're all going to die. They're going to die because…" 5 paused, reluctant even to admit this to himself, "because I wasn't strong enough. Because I was a coward."
"5."
5 ignored him. His breathing became faster, and every word brought him closer to hysterics, to another breakdown. "It's true! If I'd gone with you, if I'd stood up for myself, these things wouldn't have happened! But no, I had to stay inside, I had to let you protect me, because I couldn't protect myself, and now everything's gone wrong! I've let you down, I've let everyone down, I've-"
But then something interrupted 5, something he wouldn't have expected, not in a million years. In one swift movement, 2 grabbed 5 by the cloth of his shoulders and yanked the younger's body close to his own, slamming their lips together and stopping 5's rant.
5's first instinct was to pull away, for he was shocked and confused by this sudden, bizarre gesture. But as 2 held him, something emerged from the back of 5's mind. A distant memory, it seemed, or maybe even a dream. No… some great knowledge, something from a past life, this feeling, this emotion. He couldn't tell from where, but it told 5 that this was something special. Something good. Relaxing at last and closing his eyes, 5 sank into 2's embrace, placing a hand on either side of the elder's head, holding the kiss together, not wanting it to end.
Eventually, the two broke apart, but 2 still clutched 5's hand in his own. "You've done beautifully, 5," 2 said delicately, smiling the most wonderful smile 5 had ever seen. He looked up at 2 with a mesmerized, innocent stare, and then he roped his arms around 2's body at last, burying his head in 2's chest and murmuring softly. He felt lighter than air, save for the warmness growing inside him, this great, amazing feeling.
"Shhh, shhh…" 2 cooed, holding the back of 5's head in a gentle grip, his other hand slowly running up and down the younger's back. "You're safe now. You're safe. You don't have to be scared anymore."
But 5 didn't need to hear those words spoken to know they were true. As long as he was here, with 2, in his arms, holding him, knowing he was there… As long as they had each other, as long as they were whole, they were safe.
5 spoke the words that he had been holding in for the longest time, the words he hadn't discovered until now, this very moment.
"I love you…"