Fanfiction: 9

Temptations

Chapter 1~

The rain continued to pour down on the Earth, and the four remaining stitchpunks from a series of 9 were forced to stay indoors, protecting themselves from the unpleasantness of being soaked.

9 was sitting on the roof of the building he and his companions were staying, overlooking destruction and pain. Overlooking the many years of war he had'nt been alive to see. Seeing around the horrors of the past and looking out on the horizon, to where the sun was supposed to be rising, to the future. He was thinking, about the many things a stitchpunk could think about. Love, trust, change, future, present, and hope.

The clouds had turned grey days ago, and they still were, blocking out the sun and most of its light, making everything's shadows disappear, and obviously causing 7 to be worried and careful. When 9 tried comforting the warrior, she only shrugged it off and repeated to herself that nothing out there was alive anymore,and eventually fell asleep. 9 knew otherwise: he knew they were not alone.

It had started a year and five days ago, the day the rains started, the day of the funeral.

After setting his friends' spirits free to give life to the earth, they realized what the rain did to their burlap bodies. It soaked through to their inner mechanics, sometimes causing them to malfunction and say things they did'nt mean to say, or do things they did'nt mean to do.

He and 7 had taken the twins to the library, a days walk for them from the scientists lab, the first room. 7 and the twins were completely in grief. 9 had gathered them in a hug and had'nt let go until the next morning, waking up with the twins and 7 clutching him for the warmth of his mechanics and his comfort. 9 remembered how he had smiled inwardly, feeling the trust of his friends radiating like the sun.

He could'nt move without waking at least one person up, so he decided to let sleeping stitchpunks lie and he just lay there for another thirty minutes or so, waiting and thinking. The main thing he was thinking about during this immovable period was the same question, just played over and over in his head like a movie or slideshow. The question was: If we could somehow change one event, what could we do to save them?

Suddenly a noise interupted his thoughts, and 9 made the mistake of bolting upright, waking up 3, 4, and worst of all, 7.

"W-what?!" yelled 7, jumping up to a standing position and grabbing her spear from the floor in one swift motion. 3 and 4 just sat up clumsily, helping each other get up from the ground and stand, drooping their optics, still groggy with sleep.

"I heard something." said 9 absently, getting up also and moving in the direction of the sound.

"Wait!" whispered 7, though it sounded more of a hiss. 9 stopped and turned to her, curiosity filling his face. "Do you remember the last time your curiosity took over?" she said softly, trying to calm herself down. The pain visibly showed in 9's eyes, and he looked down with a sad sigh.

"Yes... Im sorry." said 9 sheepishly.

"It's OK. It's in your nature. Just try to control it, OK?" said 7, then noticing her comment doing more harm than good to 9, she walked over to him, her metal feet making absolutly no noise as she did, and hugged 9. 9 tensed slighty before easing into her hug and returning one. "Im sorry, I did'nt mean-"

"No, it's OK. We do this your way." he said, hiding his guilt from her. 9 knew "her way" probably meant stalking whatever it was until she wanted to be seen, which made more sense to him than his initial plan. 7 gave him a reassuring smile and cupping a hand on his cheek, before lowering her bird skullmet and running off stealthily into the dark where the noise had come from.

9 looked to the twins, who had somehow fallen back to sleep, despite the mysterious noise 7 had went to investigate. 9 sighed and sat down, holding his face with both his hands and thinking about how his curiosity had killed the ones he was meant to save. The scientist had made him to save them all, thinking 9 was the hero. He may have been right, the deads souls had saved the Earth, but at what cost?

His friends, all gone. If he could only redo everything...

9's body shook, and it had nothing to do with the cold wet rain outside the library. He hugged himself, trying to stop his body from shaking. His breathing was heavy, and his optics tightened, causing a very slight dull pain. he did'nt know it, but he was crying. Since he had no tear ducts, he was'nt crying, but more like dry sobbing.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his burlap. He jerked away from the hand and fell foreward, faceplanting the floor. He closed his optics in pain, but when he opened them , he saw 7's feet and he trailed a look from toe to head, ending up looking at her sympathetic smile above him. She held out a hnad to hepl him up, and he took it, putting on a fake grin that only made 7 frown.

"You're insulting me by thinking you can get away with me not knowing somethings wrong. It's the past, and nothing can be done about it." she gave him another hug, and when he just slumped on her, she hugged him tighter and sat down with him in her arms, rubbing his back soothingly. 9 tensed slightly again, it felt really good. His vison went a little fuzzy, his breathing speed up the slightest bit, and he coughed to hide it.

"Thank you." said 9, pulling away unwillingly from her soothing hug. "So what was it? The noise?"

"I did'nt see anything." she said, suddenly tense. "Are you absolutly sure you heard something? It was'nt part of a dream or nightmare?"

"Yes, it was a clanking sound." said 9. He was sure.

"Well, maybe we should be on the move, then. If it's machine, we don't want to be around it if I can't track it." said 7, getting up to wake the twins.

3 and 4's eyes flickered as they slowly woke up. They seemed fully rested now and it made 9 wonder just how long 7 had been out.

The twins suddenly flickered excitedly and started to run off to some books lying on the floor.

"Oh, no you dont." said 7, grabbing their capes that were the thumbs of the garden gloves they were made out of, and held on tight. The twins turned to her, 3 seeming slightly annoyed and 4 seem genuinly curious and confused.

"We have to leave, this place is'nt safe." she said in reply to their looks.

3 frowned and looked to her sister, who fickered in surprise and fear. They had a conversation in a fraction of a second and turned to 7 to nod sadly.

"Don't worry, we will find someplace ten times better than this. I promise." said 7. She patted their hoods as they began to smile and have a lovely conversation with each other. 7 kept her promises.

7 turned to 9 and took his hand, leading the way out, in the opposite direction than where the mysterious noise had come from.

9 woke up from the memories. Stitchpunks did'nt have dreams. They were more like memories played back over again. And if your memories hapened to be full of death... well, your dreams were'nt so pleasant.

He realized he was still on the roof, under the protection of a metal pipe so he would'nt get soaked from the seemingly endless rain. He blinked the sleep away and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He had been sleeping on the cold hard roof? He must have been tired.

After he was fully awake, 9 thought about what he should do with this new day. He could invent something, but what? He did'nt have his light staff anymore, he had accidentally left it behind at the library. Should he make another? Or something like it? As a fresh, innnovative idea popped inot his head, he smiled and stood up.

He walked over to the wooden platform the stitchpunks used to elevate themselves from floor to floor. He unlocked the string that held it up if it was'nt being used and began to steadily lower the platform down, passing by each floor and noticing the different lighting. Some floors had windows. others had none. Some had windows but the blinds were drawn and no one wanted to pull them up, not even 7.

This fact made 9 marvel at how they all could possibly managed to survive everything they did. They were made of cloth, the machines had been metal, and sharp metal at that. He continued to think about the details of their survival as he met his destination: the first floor.

After 7 had discovered the building, 9 had said the first floor should be where the supplies were kept, just in case anything should happen and they could'nt get to the elevator in time. Or worse: they somehow were'nt in condition to even pull themselves up.

9 actually shuddered, his body trying to shake away the horrible image that had popped into his head of 3,4, or 7 injured. He cared for her, he would never let that happen. He would'nt let his curiosity kill any more unfortunate cats.

As 9 made his way to the supply room-not really a room but rather a box with cloth draped over it that you could enter through a slit that acted as the door- he thought about the idea he had, to get his mind clear. What did he need for this invention? He would need a new lightbulb, but of a different size. The other was too small for what he had in mind now, although he would also have to find another small one to make another light staff if he wanted to travel...

9 had just reached the cloth door when he heard a voice. He froze as he tried to recognize them. After a few words were exchanged - 9 not hearing them clearly enough to grab the conversation- he recognized it as 7's voice. He wondered who she was talking to when he heard the clicking noises.

3 and 4, of course. Who did he think it was?

9 silently pushed back the drappery and stepped into the room. 7 was sitting cross-legged on the madical bed they had fashioned for the injured, talking to the twins. 3 appeared exuasted and 4 was holding her up. 9 figured they must have just projected something to 7, but it was over so he had no idea what. 9 was right beside 7 when 3 saw him. Her eyes widened for a second, mildly startled, and her eyes flickered curiously to her brother.

7, noticing the change in expression with 3, leapped up and spun around to face 9 in one swift movement, bringing her knife staff to his throat and gathering the twins behind her the next movement, and then releasing all her energy and completely relazing when she realized it was 9.

9 put his hands up and closed his optics as if he could feel the pain she was about to produce.

"9!" hissed 7, giving 9 a look before rolling her eyes, "You could have told me you were here when you came in the doorway! I thought you were a... a..."

"It's OK, I should have done something." said 9, looking at the twins, who were cataloging their conversation and smiling. 7 looked a little distressed and embarassed, and would'nt look 9 in the optics.

"What's wrong?" asked 9, looking from her to the twins curiously. The twins were smiling and attempted to say something to 9 with their optics as they flashed to him, but all it did was give 9 a headache and earn them a curious warning look from 7.

"Nothing, right guys?" she mostly said to the twins, who saw her expression before nodding to energetically for 9 to belive them.

"Anyways, what are you doing in here?" 7 asked 9, who felt something click in his head when he remembered why he came down here in the first place. 9 thought about asking 7 the same, but decided it was her business and said instead:

"I had an idea that would give us more light down here." he said.

"Oh," said 7, not really listening. She was looking at 9's zipper, which made hold back a squirm.

"Do... do you want to help?" 9 asked, feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable and wanting to make 7 look away from his zipper with that unreadable look on her face.

It worked, she looked away and up to 9's optics, which only made 9 feel more exposed. her optics searched his as if questioning something to him, but she only said, "Sure."

9 wanted to ask her what was on her mind, but the twins were there, and apparently she didnt want to say exactly what was going on infront of them, although 9 knew she had told them in the first place. Instead, 9 just walked over to the metal pile and began rummaging through it, looking for a huge piece he could use for what he had in mind. 7 wen to help him, and 3 and 4 just stayed in the corner of the room, having a wordless conversation with each other only they could understand, and occasionally glancing at 7 and 9 and smiling knowingly.

It drove 9 insane. he wanted to pick them up and shake them until they told him the big secret that was so funny, but he was'nt a violent stitchpunk, so he just continued to rummage. He found a piece that looked like it could be useful, but he knew he needed more parts if he wanted to use it, so he would have to make a trip to the emptiness to find them.

He was'nt so sure why he was nervous to go out there, he had gone out there plenty of times after the death of the fabrication machine and most trips seemed to be useful and there were no sign of machines or danger.

So why was this time different?

"I'll have to scout for more parts." he said to 7, who gave him a look. "What?" said 9 in response to her look.

"Not without me!" she said. "1 always made me stay behind and never let me out, thats why I left the first time. If your going to be our leader, you have to have common sense, and not mae the same mistakes 1 did, you could need me out there-" her voice had risen to a yell, which made the twins frown and cower behind the cloth scraps, clutching each other. They did'nt like arguements.

"7! Calm down," said 9, his voice boomed over hers, but it was'nt a mad yell, it was a firm yell. He looked slightly surprised with what he could do after that, but he conitued speaking."If you want to come, I have no objection. Who would I be to cage a free spirit?"

7 smiled and gave him a hug, which 9 returned a little surprised.

"You would be 1." she said with a smile in her voice, which ade 9 laugh and the twins come out of hiding. 9 felt like all was right with the world, and he smiled and buried his head in 7's shoulder without thinking, without caring what she would do.

7 moved her head to look at the twins, who silently gave her the thumbs up sign. 7 chuckled and buried her head in 9's chest. The twins looked at each other, smiled, and joined the hug, completeing the family moment.