Hi, guys. Sorry that I took so long to publish this. I was under a lot of pressure, and writer's block. I had to take a hiatus to come up with some idea. Now I have. ^_^

Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter three. It gets really interesting.

The morning sun rose on the horizon, casting shadows on the ruined buildings.

This once-flourishing city was now a ghost town of its former glory. Once filled with bustling citizens, the city was now a silent graveyard with nothing but the sound of the wind. Everywhere you looked it was nothing but bleak grayness. The type that made you feel like you're trapped in a surreal world. You begin to think about how things were in the past that you start to doubt if it was ever like that in the first place.

As the sunlight crept through the library, 7 was sure it was safe to go out. She hadn't gone outside, well, she had been outside, but only with the twins and 9 joining her in the courtyard. This time she was going out on her own. She was taking her spear with her. Even though the Machine was long gone now, 7 wasn't taking any chances. There could be other beasts out there. Ones that the B.R.A.I.N. might've created but left behind. There was no telling what was out there. So 7 waited for the right moment and the right moment was now.

It took days, but it was worth it. As she crossed the gate, she was thinking today would be a nice day. Yesterday, 9 came up to her and and said that he didn't want to be caged in his grief anymore. 7 was seeing this as a start to moving on, but she still needed to help him cope. After what he said about loving 5, she took it upon herself to take him out later to the burial. She wanted him to cope with his depression and let go. She was sure she was doing the right thing.

She remembered the way correctly; it was right next to the Scientist's home. The First Room. Where they were created.

As she walked her mind raced with memories of the fallen stitchpunks. She recounted every moment, every second leading up to their demises. 7 didn't let it get to her, but it always had a way of catching up to her. Even when she shook it off she always thought of them again. She didn't want to admit it but she missed everyone. Including 1. Even though she always fought with him, she still cared about him.

7 saw the familiar crosses in the distance. She was almost there. She could sit there, and just enjoy the silence. That's what she was going to do.

Standing before the shrine made her uneasy. As though an unseen force was watching her, playing with her, plucking at her cords. 7 shook the feeling and looked at 2's cross. She always had a close bond with him. And after losing him it was like part of her died with him. But, she no longer blamed anyone for their deaths. Not 9. Not herself. If she could blame anyone, it would be the Chancellor. That man wanted power over all things and look how it backfired on him. Yes, if 7 were to blame anyone, it would be the Chancellor.

3 and 4 once told me that humans go to their loved ones' graves and talk to them. 7 looked at 2's cross, somehow feeling foolish for being embarrassed. But really, she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"This is kind of awkward." she said. So far so good. "I could always come to you with problems like these." She looked up at the cross as though 2 were watching. "I miss you so much. Why can't I just say that without sounding so...ashamed?"

Is 'ashamed' the right word? 7 looked down at the ground. No. No. I'm not ashamed. I just...I just wished I didn't have to talk to him in this way. I'm not used to this, and this is my first time, but...this is nothing to be embarrassed about.

7 glanced up at the crosses. After watching their souls ascend to the heavens she wondered if they were watching her right now. If they were, how were they feeling? She was not really a believer of these things, but...no one ever knows.

7 heard a noise. It sounded like footsteps. But who could be out here? There was no one here but her. It couldn't possibly be a human; no one's seen one in a long time. It couldn't be a beast because the footfalls didn't sound like those of a beast. So it must be a stitchpunk. Maybe 9, or the twins, or both or all three of them. She wasn't expecting company, but maybe having them here would ease her mind. So, 7 turned around, ready to greet her visitor, when her expression changed from delighted to shocked. Because the stitchpunk she was facing was one she thought she'd never see again.

9 joined the twins outside to the courtyard.

The garden was dry and lifeless, the dried flowers looked like they would crumble into dust any second.

When they woke up, they noticed 7 was gone. They didn't worry, the twins knew she had gone out. They told 9 that she always went out patrolling during the early morning hours.

As 9 walked by the garden, he thought about yesterday. How he went to 7 and told him about his first step into moving on. He was ready to put the past behind him. After all, it was the the right thing to do. Looking back on it, blaming himself for the deaths of his friends was not right. It wasn't his fault. He didn't know what would happen. He knew it was a mistake and he had forgiven himself for it. Now it was time for the hard part. 3 and 4 had told him how humans got the graves of loved ones to talk to them. 9 found it fascinating, but he also found it to sad. To talk to someone who didn't answer back. But either way, he and 7 and the twins would go there later today and talk to the their fallen friends.

He watched 3 and 4 playing a chasing game. He loved seeing them like this. Happy and carefree. He found it amazing that they could still be happy even after all the hardship they went through. 9 admired them for that. If only he could be like that.

9 sat on the edge of the rose garden. He thought about everything that's happened in the past few days since he came to life. Finding the talisman. Meeting 2. Watching him get taken by the Cat Beast. Meeting 5 and the others in the old Sanctuary. Going after the Cat Beast with 5. Rescuing 2 from the Beast. Meeting 7. Fighting off the Winged Beast. Watching the Cathedral burn to the ground. Heading to the library. Fighting off the Seamstress. Going after the Seamstress to rescue 7 and 8. Rescuing 7. Running through the tunnel to escape the Machine. Watching the Factory explode. Realizing the Machine survived. Watching 5 die. Watching 6 die. Going back to the First Room to find the message from the Scientist. Going back the others. Using the talisman against the Machine. Watching 1 die. The deaths. Oh how the deaths pierced into 9's head like a needle. All of it felt as though it happened years ago, and yet, it happened days ago. It was amazing how fast time passed when you weren't looking.

"9!"

9 looked up. He turned to the iron gates. He saw 7. She was back from her patrolling. 9 got up and went up to greet her. The twins scurried ahead of him to meet her first. As he got closer he saw that she looked frightened. What was she frightened of? He saw it the twins as well. That was when he saw the other stitchpunk standing next to her. 9 recognized him all too well. Burlap fabric. Buttons on his front. Eyepatch that had a hole seared through it. 5. It was 5. 9 could jot believe that he staring face to face with 5. 5 was back to life, but how? How did he come back to life? And the others? Were they alive?

All this weighed down on 9, and he wanted to find out so many answers this alarming surprise. And those crushing feelings came crawling back to him like lightning. And he wondered if he would ever reveal to them to him now.