For those of you who read my old version, if you haven't already, I advise that you reread the previous chapter. I've revised the ending.

If 10 was ever given a voice, I'd want her to be voiced by Alison Brie. Or at least someone that can sound like both a child and an adult.

After less than an hour, the cabin was in sight. Once it was, The Wolf stopped and refused to go further.

"If there are others like you," it said, "I don't think they'd react well to seeing me."

After giving it a bit of thought, I admitted, "You're probably right."

The Wolf lied down, letting 6 and me slide off its back. I helped 6 get onto my back so I could carry him (not easy since I was shorter than him).

The Wolf said, "Should I stay here or are you going to be there for a while?"

"Stay here," I said. "There's one more left. I'll come back once I've dropped 6 off."

"All right."

Halfway to the cabin, I started to feel glad that I didn't have to carry 6 from the canyons myself. My arms and legs felt like they were going to give out any second. Just as I started wondering how I was going to get up the steps with 6 on my back, I saw 8 sitting on the bottom step. When he saw us, he got up and walked over. I felt relieved as he carefully took 6 off my back.

"Thank you, 8." I was surprised at how tired I sounded.

8 nodded and we walked the rest of the way to the cabin side by side. Once we got up the steps, I sat down near the edge and leaned against a railing post.

When 8 realized I wasn't following him, he said, "Are you coming?"

I looked back at him and said, "You go on ahead. I'll wait here."

8 looked concerned, but he did what I said and went through the hole. I looked back over the half-dead forest, enjoying the sight of the growing saplings. I couldn't see The Wolf anywhere. It was probably hiding behind a tree. I could barely hear the buzzing noise.

Anyway, I was glad for the rest and the fact that I wouldn't have to walk all the way back to the town. 5 was probably going to freak out when they saw The Wolf, but I was pretty sure I could convince them it was nice. And maybe after we got back, I could convince the others that The Wolf was nice, too. And maybe I could ask it where it came from and why it wanted to help me.

I felt so tired, I probably could've closed my eyes and fallen asleep right there. But I couldn't. I had to find 5 and bring them home. Then I would rest.

I heard footsteps behind me, going to my side. I looked over and saw 8 sitting down next to me, and I could see his concern.

He asked, "You sure you don't wanna come in?"

I replied, "I'm sure."

"2's wondering how you're doing."

"I'm fine."

"7 told 2 you haven't been well for a while. And you didn't sleep last night, I think."

It was true. The sun had set shortly after I had initially set out to find the others and it had just started to rise when I had gotten back home with 1 and 8. I was still weak and had low stamina. And it was seriously affecting my ability to sense others' emotions. I could hardly sense 8 himself when he was sitting right next to me, let alone his concern.

I told him, "I'll get some sleep after I bring 5 here."

"What if something happens?" he retorted.

I couldn't exactly deny that. Saying that nothing was going to happen would just seem arrogant of me. So instead I decided to try changing the subject.

"I have to find them," I said somberly. "I don't want to wait any longer."

"Why not?"

"When I two months old, 7 let me go to the city by myself for the first time. While I was there…I found 5's body."

"Oh…"

"I…"

I couldn't finish. I just couldn't. Just thinking about it made me remember what I felt sensing the lifelessness in their body. I almost cried.

8 put his hand on my back. "…Okay. You can go. But if you take too long, I'm coming after you."

"Sounds fair," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "By the way, where's 7?"

"She's asleep."

I took off her skull helmet I had been wearing for months and gave it to 8. "Could you give this back to her?"

"Sure. Hey…"

"Yes?"

"What happened to that pink thing you were wearing?"

I immediately looked down at myself. My skirt was gone. And somehow, I wasn't especially bothered by that.

"I…have no idea. I didn't even realize it was gone." I looked back up…and immediately noticed something weird. "Is it just me, or is there a shimmering thing over there?"

8 looked too. "Yeah, it's like a…like when it gets really hot but that's a weird shape for it to be in…"

"Think it's unsafe?"

"No. No way."

"All right. I'll see you when I get back."

I went down the steps and headed back out into the woods. I had to be careful not to go too fast or else I'd collapse, and that would just make 8 worry. I soon got to where I had left The Wolf and it was indeed hiding behind a tree.

"Are you ready to go?" it said.

"I sure am," I said as I climbed onto its back.

"Where are we going?"

"To the box with the weird horn on it on the other side of the canyon."

"You mean the record player?"

"I…suppose so."

As The Wolf walked along, I couldn't help but notice how quiet it was, its metal joints making almost no sound.

"So what are you doing out here?" I asked it.

"I'm looking for someone," it replied, "but I've had no luck so far. I just happened to be here."

"Why'd you help me get 6 out of the canyon?"

"I saw you go in that building and I was curious about you, so I followed. When I saw those steps, I knew you wouldn't be able to come back up them by yourself, so I thought I'd help you out."

"That's very kind of you."

"Well, to be honest, I got kind of lost trying to track down the one I'm looking for. I intend to leave this town tomorrow morning if nothing big happens."

"You still went out of your way to help us."

"Well… Thank you."

I could barely sense its embarrassment and happiness. "So who are you looking for?"

"A little one named Melissa. She was stolen away a few weeks ago and I'm trying to find the ones that took her."

"Alone?"

"I wasn't alone at first, but I became separated from him during our time in the wastelands. I suppose it's only natural I ended up here…"

Its voice started to sound sad. "Why?"

"I was actually created here, in the factory across the canyon. Though now it's just a burned-out ruin…"

"Who made you?"

The Wolf held its head up high, and I sensed a set of emotions I had never felt before, at least this strongly. "I'll show you."

The Wolf abruptly took off running, and I was just barely able to keep myself from falling off. It eventually stopped in front of the giant metal monster.

I could hardly believe it. "…THAT thing made you?"

"Yes… My glorious creator… He gave me the task of bringing items to his factory to make more of us with. But after only a few outings, I came back to find his factory a smoldering ruin. I eventually found him here…dead. I had no idea what had happened or how to fix it, so…I left."

I felt really bad for it. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

It was silent for almost a minute. "Thank you for your pity. Now then, let's go find your friend, shall we?"

Without waiting for my reply, The Wolf resumed trotting towards our destination. When we got to the record player, I got off of The Wolf and, even though it was obvious, said, "They're not here."

"That's to be expected. If this is where 5 died, I imagine they wouldn't want to stay around here."

"I just hope 5's still nearby, because I don't know where else they could be…"

Both of us started looking around, trying to find any sign of 5. We stayed within sight of each other so the other would know if one of us found 5. I looked in the ruins of the factory while The Wolf searched the surrounding area.

I didn't get to search for very long.

"Go away!" a small screech came from the ruins.

A small machine came out from behind a burnt piece of wood, with several more coming out behind it for a total of eight. They were probably small enough for The Wolf to pick one up with its mouth, but they were still scary, having a few red eyes and several legs. I slowly backed away from them as they came towards me.

I heard a footstep behind me. "Do not worry, my siblings," The Wolf asserted. "She is with me."

The one in front looked up at The Wolf. "With you or not, we will not let her trespass in our home."

"We are looking for one of her kind," The Wolf explained, "named 5."

"I don't know about names or numbers, but I have seen something like her every once in a while."

"Did they have one eye?" I asked it.

It stared at me for a few moments, but I couldn't sense what it was feeling, if it was feeling anything at all.

"Yes he did," it finally replied.

"He?"

"He had a male voice, despite some of his screams." It chuckled.

"You didn't try to hurt him, did you?"

"No, we just drove him away whenever he got too close."

"When was the last time you saw him?" The Wolf interrupted.

"Three days ago," the small machine said.

"Which direction?"

The small machine pointed to the right. "He usually comes from that direction."

"Thank you."

"Anything to get him out of here."

The small machines then went back into the ruins, leaving me and The Wolf alone.

As we walked in the direction they had pointed us in, I asked The Wolf, "What were those things?"

"Spiderbots," it answered. "They were also made by my creator. I presume the ones we saw survived whatever caused the destruction of our home."

We stopped and looked over the cluttered expanse in front of us.

"Now… How are we going to find 5 without taking all day…?"

"5!" I yelled. "Are you there!?"

"That's…one way you could do it."

I continued to call out to 5 as I walked forward, but the whole time, I was actually thinking about The Wolf's creator and the red eye I had seen in my dreams. The red eye's claws looked just like the metal monster's. Could they have been the same thing?

I paused to take a break from my yelling…and then I heard the faintest echo of a voice that wasn't mine.

"Did you hear that?"

"…Yeah."

I started walking forward again, this time going faster. The Wolf didn't follow me.

"5! Can you hear me!?"

Another echo of a voice in reply. This continued on until I could finally make out what he was saying.

"I can hear you! Who's there!?"

"5! Where are you!? I can't see you!"

"I'm over here!

"Over…! Where…?"

I suddenly felt a wave of tiredness and I collapsed, blacking out for a few seconds. After it passed, I tried to get up but my legs quickly gave out. My exhaustion had finally caught up with me; I was too weak to stand up.

I heard 5 call out again. "Hello!? Hello!?"

"5! Help!" I tried not to sound desperate or scared; I didn't want him to think I was being attacked, especially since I wasn't sure if he'd be able to see The Wolf from where I was.

5 didn't call out again. I hoped it was because he was rushing towards me; if I had to wait too long, I would probably fall asleep right then and there, and I didn't want 5 to think I had died because he couldn't get to me in time.

…Why was I thinking like that?

I pressed my hands into the ground, trying to force myself to sit upright. I felt a little annoyed that just one night's lack of sleep had left me this weak.

I then heard footsteps and I looked up. It was 5, only a few feet away from me and his expression a mix of concern and confusion. He was alive!

5 walked\ran towards me, then knelt down in front of me. The moment he did so, I basically flung myself at him and hugged him. "5!"

He froze for a few moments before slowly returning the hug.

My joy quickly damped when I realized I couldn't sense the life in him. Or his emotions. Or anything. It was like my ability to do that was gone. It was probably just because I was so tired, but still… I would have to wait a little longer before I could finally start to let go of the memory of what I sensed in his body four months ago.

…Those four months felt like they had been such a long time ago…

I let go of 5, sliding back to the ground. I took the chance to look at 5 a bit more closely. He was almost the same as he had been the first time I saw him, though he now had an aged cloth covering his missing eye. He also had some sort of container on his back, with its straps over his shoulders.

5 started to say something, but I stopped him with, "I'm fine. I'm just tired."

"Oh," 5 said, sounding somewhat relieved.

"I'm 10. I was looking for you so I could take you home." I was starting to feel giddy.

"Home?"

"Yes. Everyone's waiting for us there."

"E-Everyone?"

I nodded.

5 looked excited. "Um… D-Do you think you can walk?"

Funnily enough, I actually did feel like I could've walked. When I had hugged him, I felt like I was…complete.

Anyway, I said, "We don't need to walk!"

"Huh?"

"Arf!"

Both of us were startled. The Wolf had managed to sneak up behind us so that it was able to get within a few inches of us.

5 immediately started to panic, but I quickly said, "No, 5! It's okay! It's friendly!"

5 looked at me like I was crazy.

I told him, "It helped me get 6 out of the canyon!"

"Yes I did!" The Wolf said. I suspected 5 couldn't understand it like I did, but its tone seemed to get the point across.

5 looked really hesitant, but after staring at The Wolf for at least half a minute, he finally said, "Okay."

The Wolf lied down and I, indeed finding the strength to stand up, pulled 5 towards its back so we could get on it. 5 looked uneasy the whole time, even after The Wolf started taking us home.

Once we had crossed the canyon, I heard 5 groan.

Concerned, I asked him, "What's wrong?"

"If I had known there was another way across the canyon, I would've used it a long time ago."

I had found it pretty easily, but I didn't want him to feel bad, so I said, "If you had, it would've taken a lot longer to find you."

"How'd you know where to look?"

I should've expected him to ask that, but I still wished he hadn't. "…You can't guess?"

"The others told you."

"…No."

If he realized what I meant, he didn't tell me, because instead he said, "…So… You said everyone was waiting for us back home. Does that mean…?"

"1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8."

"What about 9?" he asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"We have no idea where he is."

"…Huh?"

"He disappeared right before I brought 2 home." For some reason, I started thinking about the red eye from my dreams. "He was the first one I rescued."

"Couldn't 9 have just left?"

"It's impossible for him to have left on his own."

"Why?"

I don't know if I ever told him, because I think I passed out.

Author's note: Do the stitchpunks even need to sleep?

By the way, in one of my previous chapters, when I explained why I had 9 disappear, I think I was lying about it, but I don't remember why. I don't remember exactly why I had 9 disappear, but I do have an in-universe explanation for it now.