Mable: Here's chapter Twenty-Six! I don't have much to say tonight so we'll just get on with it. I don't own 9, Enjoy!

Fabric Runs Shallow

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Downtrodden Warrior

Seven tended to get a bit of cabin fever when she was unable to leave the Sanctuary. It seemed to especially flair when she knew that they needed supplies that she could easily find. Maybe it was finding Two's little list of supplies that were needed that made her suddenly have the urge to leave. It was a simple list; more extra needles, a few buttons, some extra patching fabric, preferably burlap or canvas, and a thimble. For a second Seven playfully thought that Two was trying to make a second Five then tucked the list into her front and prepared to leave.

She quickly put her helmet on and grabbed her spear while Cat watched from his spot lounging on her bed. She quickly explained to him that she was going out and would be back later, he nonchalantly agreed and watched her walk out the door. It was a shame that the others weren't as passive as she passed through the throne room. It was still raining heavily after days and could be heard through both the vent window and echoing on the roof. Six was sitting in the corner drawing without the Tailor Beast, looking a bit weary.

One was sitting in the throne with Eight nearby, also looking tired as he leaned against the wall. The female started towards the bucket lift where the twins were standing and talking about something, preparing to head down into the library and wondering why there was a small puddle in the lift. "I'll come down with you too." This is when another voice spoke, "Where are you three off to?" Looking back she could see None entering the room, Nine following behind him. Something was odd about None; he seemed strangely quiet even though he spoke out loud.

Seven wasn't sure what was going on but merely responded, "I'm going out for a bit to look for supplies." She announced and both twins perked before looking at each other, Nine offering, "Great. We can go with you." He insisted to which None asked him, "Are you sure? I mean, with Toto how she is?" Nine was insistent, "She's fine. Pet can watch out everything, let me get my staff." He let the room again and the group stood their awkwardly before Eight suddenly spoke, "You know, it's raining outside."

Seven was quick to defend in a slightly short tone, "We know, but Two's eager to get new supplies, and rain is the last of my concern." Eight retorted, "No need to snap at me. Just pointing it out." It was obvious that the Warrior was down about the weather. It seemed that only when Seven was unable to leave did she actually get the uncontrollable need to leave. She adjusted her helmet and didn't respond. After how long Eight had been with One she expected this to be a more One-like comment than one of relative concern of any kind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She apologized, "I didn't get much sleep last night. There was some sort of keening noise all night and I couldn't sleep well." Six flinched at the comment, especially as Eight added in, "I know what you mean." At this time Nine entered into the throne room and added in, "If it was Toto, I'm sorry. She had… A rough night last night." He admitted before whistling into the hall and calling, "Toto! Come on, it's time to go!" The small Training Beast dashed down the hall before running to her owner, unfortunately carrying a small creature in her unseen mouth.

"Oh Toto…" He sighed as he kneeled down, "No, we can't take the baby, go take the baby back in to Pet." One leaned upwards on his throne and murmured, "What is that?" Nine tried to be, and failed to be, inconspicuous as he cupped the small creature in his hand. Toto released it into his hand and released a proud squeak as the zippered male held the small Beast. The tiny creature barely moved and fidgeted in his grasp. One stood and crossed over from his throne, adjusting his cape and barging over to see the small Training Beast in Nine's hands, "I thought that it couldn't reproduce anymore."

Nine shrugged a bit, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but Child was wrong. At least there was only this one. She only had one." The Leader hummed as he stared at the small creature. At this time Seven quietly spoke, "I'm going to head out then." To which One abruptly stopped, "In a moment, in a moment." Seven exhaled with a huff, becoming slowly antsier with every passing moment. She knew that the rain could only get worse and something about standing there doing nothing was testing her patience for no discernable reason.

One, meanwhile, was very interested in the small beast for whatever reason. Nine found it ironic since only a while back he had remarked about them not being adequately helpful. Either way he stared at the little one until Nine offered. "Want to hold it?" One promptly asked then, "Is it clean?" Nine looked a little amused, "It's a newborn. It probably hasn't touched anything before." The Leader then reached down and offered a hand, which Nine soon placed the small Beast into. One lifted it closer to his face to see it better as the small Beast didn't make more than a quiet squeak.

Toto suddenly decided that she wasn't comfortable with this situation and suddenly nipped at One's ankle. One released a cry as though it had bit clean through his foot and pulled back, Nine immediately stopping Toto. "No, Toto! You know better than to bite!" He scolded. He had excused last night's nip as he figured it was from labor, but the last thing he wanted was for Toto to become aggressive towards the others. He looked to One who was clearly annoyed and insisted, "She's just a little overprotective."

He insisted and One was quick to hand the newborn back into Nine's hands, murmuring, "For a 'Training' Beast, she is not very well trained. However, that one looks young enough that any behavior has not set in yet." The zippered male blinked in confusion and looked back to None who was listening in before kneeling down to give the baby to Toto. Toto lifted the baby with her mouth and started to hurry off. "Nine, I think I might go get a head start." Seven insisted and Nine turned to her, "Here, I'm coming, just a second."

He looked back to One, "You're… Awfully interested in the new Beast." One was quick with an explanation, "Not for myself, of course, but Twenty-One could use a companion. Two and I assumed that Twelve would eventually be a good playmate for Twenty-One. Unfortunately, it has made him only more aware of his want for someone to play with when Two and I are unable to be there." Nine's brows raised in surprise at the admission and One insisted, "It is still small, still controllable, and as such is no threat. Even though yours is, as I can see. However, Eight has enjoyed ownership of his own…"

Trailing off, One expected that Eight was going to chime in, but he didn't as he was half asleep against the wall. "Eight, the Beast." One repeated and Eight perked, "Can't stand it. All the thing does is scream all night." One raised a brow, Nine and None stared, and Six cleared his voice box. "Eight, he means Paint." The Guard corrected himself, "Paint? Paint's fine, she's great." He then fell quiet and Nine nodded, "They're great to have. If you aren't convinced by Toto, then consider Pet. Pet's been a great companion to Child. If Twenty-One took in the new little one he could learn to protect him, to play with him, it would be great."

The more he talked about this the better he felt. He had worried that the new Training Beast wouldn't be able to get an appropriate trainer. "He's still a little young, though, only a day." One stopped him, "I am not letting it near Twenty-One until I know he won't be attacked." He then turned to return to his throne and Nine smiled before turning back to tell Seven he was ready. She was nowhere to be seen and as he looked back he noticed that the bucket lift had already been lowered. "Did she leave?" He asked the twins and they, looking somewhat surprised, nodded.

"I guess I kept her waiting too long…" He murmured with guilt to which None insisted, "My small talk didn't help. 'Guess what Four and I decided to do?'" He playfully pointed out, but the twins were unsure. As they looked down after the bucket lift they were concerned. Three reminded Four that they had seen this before with Seven a while ago. Four pointed out that Seven had told them before not to focus on that one incident, but of course Three couldn't help but worry.

Maybe the others hadn't ever noticed, but this uneasy and standoffish behavior was what struck before she had fled the Cathedral with her. Last time they had eagerly went with her, but this time their saddened looks already showed that they were getting second thoughts. They had their significant others here, they had Julius, they couldn't leave like last time, and they only hoped that she hadn't realized this and already fled. Four insisted that they had to do something, Three asked what they should do, and Four insisted that they go to seek help from another source.

With that they went to ambush Cat in the hall.

Seven hadn't gotten too far into the Emptiness before she had decided to stop. She had taken off alone but now wasn't exactly sure where to go. She sat down upon a remarkably large can that had been opened and cleaned out long before. The rain still trickled down and she was slowly getting soaked with it. The small, clear pearls dripped onto her skull helmet and rolled down it before dripping to the ground below. She stared at one of the drops of water before slowly pulling her helmet off.

Letting it rest in her lap as she stared upwards into the gray sky above, smeared with patches of white that somewhat suggested a thinning in the clouds from somewhere or another. One raindrop landed on her optic lens and splattered into a dozen miniatures. She stared at them, resembling crystals, and felt herself ease into submission. This was why she needed to get outside; she just needed to get some room to breathe. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so tense, but it was nice to get the taste of freedom.

That's when she heard shuffling nearby. Her head immediately snapped downwards and she griped her helmet harder before pausing to listen. She then exhaled and waited, hearing the creeping of footsteps around her but feeling no fear. She recognized the scraping and noises, so she didn't stay on guard, she merely waited until she felt the claws on her shoulders. The purring gave him away completely and she asked, "Out for a walk, Cat?" A low chuckle and the claws slid down as the arms draped around her, Cat giving an embrace from behind.

"Out getting soaked, Dove?" he retorted and pulled back to sit beside her, having climbed onto a matchbox to get behind her and now sitting alongside. He draped his claws now over his legs and stared at nothingness ahead. "I thought you couldn't stand water." Seven remarked to the male's amusement, "It's not the same thing." He paused, "Or maybe it is. Still, I was willing to come out here to find you. The twins said you took off on your own." The Warrior looked down at her helmet. Part of her felt like she wanted to put it back on, but she really didn't feel like she wanted to physically.

"I was losing the day just waiting around for One and Nine to finish." She pointed out and Cat smile surprisingly dropped, "Yeah, well, the twins were convinced you bailed." He pulled his leg upwards to rest on the can, resting his hand on his knee and staring at the scenery. If there was any. About ten feet away there was a brick wall made of fading, red clay that blocked any further vision. Seven wasn't sure why she decided to face the wall; maybe it was because there was a knocked over telephone pole on the other side which seemed even less interesting to look at.

"They brought up a very interesting subject." He pointed out and Seven got a bit of a smile, "It sounds like you understand them better than I do." He got a bit of a smile back, "I had to get Five and Nine to help translate. They're all pretty worried about you." He paused briefly then asked, "So they said you took off before." The Warrior grew defensive, but showed it with a soft exhale and an explanation. "That was… Different… You think One and I fight now? It was nothing like at the Cathedral. He had become insane with power and I was young and headstrong. So I took the twins and left."

She huffed a bit, "It seems that everyone thinks that I'm going to leave again, but I guess they just don't realize that I have nowhere else I can go. That I love them, even if they can get heavy in the head sometimes, One especially. I wouldn't just abandon them." Cat nodded and shrugged casually, "They probably think time's going to repeat itself if you get discouraged enough. You're the last person they want to lose, you know?" The Warrior decided to be playful to shrug off the slight embarrassment from taking advice from Cat of all people, "Time repeats itself? Does that mean you're planning to go hunt Two?"

The Beast turned Stitchpunk obviously was ready to play as well, "Hell yes. I'm just waiting for him to recovery from the baby and I'll be on him like that." He tapped his claws in an attempt to resemble snapping even though he couldn't really do so and she actually released a small giggle. "You're something, Cat." Cat shrugged it off, "Eh, I'm trying to get you to feel better. You've been tense. It's pretty obvious." She looked down at her helmet wearily.

"Maybe…" She exhaled tiredly before she felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, "Why don't we stay out for the day? You don't mind rain, I don't mind rain, can't get much worse than this." She smiled and agreed to it.

None looked down at the scene with amusement at the scene. Nine had drug Pet out of Child's room to see if Twenty-One could be taught to interact with him. Unfortunately, even as Nine tried to get the smaller one to show interest in the Beast, whose owner was now nearly hovering over the zippered male's shoulder and watching with his own amusement. Unfortunately Twenty-One wasn't particularly interested in the Training Beast and was instead interested in Twelve who was propped on a plush pillow and watching her brother play.

One was watching over both and making sure that they were careful. None chuckled especially when Pet nudged against Twenty-One who teetered a bit before looking to the Beast as though he was either surprised or disturbed, looking over to One in confusion. This was when Three and Four entered the throne room again. Three walked to the other side of the scene to look while Four was standing beside None, touching his arm, and None smiled to her pleasantly, "Did Cat leave?" To this the young female smiled and nodded in agreement before leaning her head affectionately against the male's shoulder.

None smiled at her before lifting her head by the chin sweetly with a few fingers. He smiled at her warmly before kissing her briefly. It was a small, gentle kiss, and was immediately followed by both of their optics flickering around almost nervously. Neither were sure if the others were watching and they were more than pleased when they noticed they weren't being looked at. It felt good to exhale in relief and know that they were accepted. "It's pretty nice not to hide anymore." None pointed out to Four with a cordial smile. The female agreed once again before doing a motion with her hands.

It was a quick and familiar one. First she pointed to herself, then put her hands together at her chest and squeezed them, then pointed at the male. A long while ago None learned what this gesture had meant. She had shyly given it to him after his confession of affection and he had realized quickly that it meant the same thing. By now he had seen it numerous times as a way of secretly proclaiming their affection, but knowing that it didn't have to be secret felt so much better. He smiled wider and leaned forward to embrace her softly into his arm before eventually kissing her once again.

Her lips were so soft, so perfect and petite, and if felt like nothing could break them apart. It was somewhat unfortunate when suddenly One spoke from much closer that they thought, "Yes, yes. We know you are in a happy relationship. You don't have to remind us." It was a quick comment that was somewhat playful in a One way, which meant it was hard to tell. Either way the two jumped apart immediately, sorely embarrassed, and the Leader turned back to his children and the Beast.

A few seconds passed before the two slowly looked to each other, staring at each other before breaking into smiles once again. That was the worst that could possibly come from now on, they knew it, and that was everything they needed.

Mable: Still not the end of the story arc, expect another chapter tomorrow night! I hope everyone enjoyed!