Mable: Here's chapter forty-four! I'd say it like 'here's Johnny', but I'm not sure how to write it out to have actual impact… Ah, anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!


Souls Run Deep

Chapter Forty-Four: The Twins' Quest

It was afternoon and warm enough that the twins' fabric had finally dried. The two twins were, again, looking at a book, but this time their interests had changed. While, yes, they were still attempting to have Seven be courted by Nine and, shockingly, Child, they now decided that they needed to change their view. They had been so focused on how the male would court the female that they clearly forgot that Seven would too have to give.

They knew how as well; they wanted to make her look lovely. Enough so that she would impress any male with the smallest of looks. Of course, Seven was already beautiful, but they were trying to find small accents so that all of the others would notice as well. Such as, both noticed Nine lit up when Seven wasn't wearing her bird skull helmet, and maybe Child too would do so. Three was still skeptic about trying to have them both court Seven, but Four insisted that Seven needed to have a choice.

Soon something was found in particular, clothing, and the twins believed it would assist Seven's charm. There came the plan to search any nearby houses for toys left behind by human children. In particular, they would look for dolls, and strip them of their clothing to bring back for the Warrior. It seemed perfect. They suggested going out alone, deciding to learn from past mistakes and stay more careful, hiding most of the time.

They also left a note that clearly printed, in quite nice handwriting, about their whereabouts. "We are going out for a little while. We will be careful and stay out of sight. Should be back in a few hours at most. Sincerely, Three and Four." Though they did also sign with a '3' and a '4' at the bottom as well. It seemed simply enough, would clearly state they weren't running away, which they didn't want the other to suspect and follow.

Four did manage to remind Three that this was exactly what happened when the fire started; they had been going off on their own. Three encouraged with the suggestion that they wouldn't be anywhere near the others and, thus, couldn't injure them. This time they would be completely on their own and be able to fully take care of themselves. They were certainly excited, but wise enough to bring a weapon, a letter opener that they had kept with their other collected belongings for so long.

They used their scale to bring themselves up to the level of the correct shelf. Entering in they looked at their collection. This area was left mostly for old envelopes, stamps, ink pads that had long ago dried out, and even old seals used for envelopes. The letter opener was the prize object in this section of their mass of history. It was silver in color and had a twisted handle that turned into a rather sharp point at the end. It would work well for a weapon.

Both holding their letter opener, they headed outside the Library as though it was nothing, wandering out and stopping at the edge of the gate outside. That's when they halted immediately. The warm, afternoon sun was relaxing, but already starting to tilt away from Noon clear enough that they knew they only had a few hours before sunset. Four at most. Three felt a sudden guilt as she remembered how concerned Five had been and wanted to go straight back inside.

Instead they looked to each other before slowly beginning to head towards the closest, stable building. While it was the closest, it was barely in sight at all, and they decided to hurry their steps. After a short while they began to relax and move at their own pace, looking at the world around them with new optics. They never got this much time to search. This much freedom to examine everything around them so fluidly.

Four stopped to examine a broken down car while Three looked up towards the sun. She eased a bit in noticing that barely any time had passed, and followed her sister's lead. They searched the interior, touched the rims of the tires with curious flashes, and finally ended with taking a bulb out of the headlight. It would work for Nine's Lightstaff and could be useful for other things. Even as mere Librarians, they could prove to the others that they would make decent scouts if they brought something back.

It was around that time that they found the little box. Four was the one to go towards it, leaving the bulb with her sister, and eased the side of the small package open. Immediately, out spilled a small mound of buttons, and Four perked at them. She playfully showed Three one, asking her if they looked like Five's, and watched as her sister looked embarrassed yet again, a small shy smile stretching across her face.

Four made small comments about how they certainly did look like Five's as she gathered a few off of the ground and put them inside her front. They were in a variety of colors and sizes, so they didn't look exactly the same. She still knew the comment possibly teased her sister even more who didn't approach the box at first. Once Four was finished, she took the letter opener from her twin and led her along farther.

After a few seconds, Three approached the box and shuffled around inside. Soon she found one that looked about the same size and colors of Five's. After making sure Four wasn't looking she held it close as though hugging it, laid a small kiss upon it, and slipped it inside her front as well. Then she hurried to catch up with the other female.

So far, everything was going pretty well.


Boredom was, once again, driving Six to have the same urges as before. Instead of focusing on his drawing his mind began to wander and eventually went back to the magnet. He wanted it, badly, and he clutched his key tightly as he remembered the feeling of euphoria. The pleasure, the pressure, the height; it was amazing and wonderful. Suddenly he knew that he had to have it and quietly scanned the room.

He could clearly see that One allowed Two to rest on his throne. Unfortunately, Two randomly fell asleep, which drove One to find somewhere else to sit. Eight was left to watch Two and was calmly sharpening his knife in the corner. Six's breath quickened as he stood. He knew Eight was looking at him and decided to speak to himself loud enough for the other to hear, "Need's the blue paint." He gave no indication that he was paying attention to Eight and calmly left the room.

As expected, Eight went back to his work, and Six cautiously watched from the hall before creeping into Eight's room. He took the spare magnet in his grasp and exited again, knowing that his room was the safest to work in. He passed the workshop quietly as he could hear Nine and Five talking from inside. They didn't hear him as he headed the rest of the way and hid inside his room. He carefully shut the curtain and went to sit down on his now permanently tilted bed.

He was shocked at how much his hands shook as he stared at the object in his hands that was luring him closer than ever. There was no denying it, he needed the magnet, needed it more than anything else. Finally he pressed it to his yarn locks and watched as his world vanished into a blur of nothingness. He felt a few bubbly chuckles escape his lips as he swayed in losing what little of his balance he had.

He managed to stay on the titled bed, though. Somewhat, at least, as he slid down the mattress and watched as the blankets and thin sheets were drug off with him. It seemed hilarious and he reached over and ripped them all down with him, purposely, watching as his pen tipped fingers tore through the flimsy fabric. Six rolled back onto the floor on a sheet of unfinished drawings and dried ink. One hand was constantly trying to stabilize himself while the other hand held the magnet to his head.

That was, until it was ripped away. Six's optics slowly focused in and he looked up only to see Eight standing above him. Eight's look of alarm was only met by Six's look of horror, scuttling back towards the wall, still incredibly high. "What were you doing?" The Guard asked in shock, still not blowing up at the smaller Stitchpunk. His voice obviously showed disturbance and Six stuttered, "I was- I just- I was trying, trying to, just to, I was bored and I… I was just trying it a little."

He showed a small space with his fingers as he stumbled to his feet. He was still clearly intoxicated and Eight asked, "How long have you been using this?" Six shrugged a bit and looked at the floor. "Six." Eight pressed, firmer, and Six winced. Even being high he didn't want Eight to be angry. "A few days." Eight shook his head and threw the magnet into the corner, "You aren't doing it anymore." He stated and Six nodded.

"Are you mad at me?" Six asked pitifully, sounding like he was about to cry, and Eight exhaled calmly, "I'm not mad. I'm upset, yeah, but I'm not mad." He was rubbing his head in stress before asking, "How many days?" Six shrugged again, head rolling about, muttering out, "I'm tired." Eight exhaled calmly, "You know, you can get hook on that thing, and you're acting like it. How many days exactly?"

In answer, Six giggled a bit, "You said hook, but a magnet isn't a hook, it gets magnetized like a… Like a magnet?" After that, the next thing Six knew he was being picked up, "What are we going?" He asked incorrectly and Eight huffed, "You're going to go sleep this off, now." Thankfully, Six didn't argue. He was already asleep by time they reached the room.


The twins arrived at the dilapidated house and had been slowly examining what was left behind. It was quite under whelming. The entire building had fallen in, the rooms were filled with trash, and they could find little except for a few, old, worn clothes. They were dirty and had a few stains, but absolutely not able to be used because they were human sized. Coming to terms with their investment, Three and Four cut some of the cloth free and wound it into bundles.

In an almost playful gesture, they made thin strands and tied the bundles together into one large bundle and gave it a strap to carry it with. Three volunteered to carry it and Four volunteered that she looked remarkably like Five. It was then that they came to terms that the building had nothing else in it and that they'd have to keep looking. Soon, Four suggested that they split up briefly.

Three was hesitant, but nodded in agreement, and soon was holding the light bulb and letter opener as her sister rushed off to scout, making little clinking noises from the buttons in her front. Three couldn't say she wasn't a bit concerned.


Six awoke with a start and felt his body shiver in protest. Something was absolutely wrong, he was twitching, and there was something he needed. Eight was nearby in the corner, sharpening his knife, but the Artist barely noticed him. He sat up, gasping and choking. "Eight…" He managed to get out, "Eight… E-Eight, help, I don't- I can't- breathe." He felt his breathing get a bit uneven and he trembled. "Something's wrong- Something's wrong!"

"Easy, easy!" Eight was at his side in a second, "Just lay back down." Six thrashed a bit as the larger pressed him back onto the bed, "I knew this was going to happen." The Guard murmured as the smaller continued to protest against the other's grasp. "I can't breathe." He whimpered and Eight talked calmer. "There's a reason I didn't want you on that thing. You used too much. Way too much. This is what happens when someone as small as you uses enough to knock me out."

Six was twitching even when he tried to relax and he pitifully groaned against the movement. He had known something was going to come if he used too much. He released a few dry sobs as his body protested against him, "Will it stop?" He managed to get out. Eight was staring at another part of the room, watching in confusion as his knife began to move on its own. "Yeah… Yeah, it's just some withdraws and some… What in the…"

The knife teetered back and forth with Six's twitches and Eight grasped that it was the telekinesis acting up, only hoping it didn't suddenly zoom over and impale him as he was assisting the Artist. Suddenly, the smaller managed to stop twitching, and the knife toppled over to the ground. Six didn't look much better, though, "My head hurts." He complained, "And I feel, ah, hot. Inside me."

For some reason Eight suddenly thought Six was talking about something completely different and stared in shock, but soon managed to suppress this as he realized that he as clearly not talking about what the Guard thought. "It'll get better." Eight insisted, watching Six continue to breathe labored breaths, and wishing that this would pass quicker. Since he had no idea how much Six had been using, he couldn't yet judge.


Four was sure she heard something as she circled around the building, only to freeze up as her optics landed on the source of the noise. She knew it was the same Cat Beast from before from the brace around its neck and began to stumble back. It was shuffling through the frame of a larger Machine that the twin could see little of, retrieving parts out of it. Four was a little curious, but was much more fearful and tried to quietly move away.

It was able to hear the slightest footfalls and its head perked up. It listened for the small doll with careful receptors. Four managed to hide behind the tire of the nearby car and waited for the Beast to either continue its work or leave. It did neither. Instead, she could hear it suddenly jump up onto the car's frame, sulking across the top and looking at the surrounding area. The Librarian knew that she was trapped by it.

She moved underneath the car and crossed the rubble covered street below, seeing the nearby wall and scanning it for an escape. She noticed a small metal grate nearby and knew that if she could get into it that she'd be safe. She started moving slowly towards the grate, crossing quietly, when it saw her. The Cat Beast leapt down and landed heavily on the ground behind her before swatting at her.

Four skidded across the ground and hit the brick wall beside the grate as the Cat Beast watched. It didn't even seem like it was really hunting, just unenthusiastically watching. Then Four managed to actually throw herself at the flimsy grate and started to tug it up. Now the Beast noticed and took another swipe. Four managed to duck back and watched as the Beast hit the flimsy grate, causing the bars to open enough so that she could promptly slip in.

Underneath was a very narrow tunnel filled halfway with running water. It smelled metallic, like a copper coin, and she quickly drug herself through as the claw began to repeatedly plunge into the grate. Three, meanwhile, managed to just come up as the Cat Beast was stabbing at the grate, and realized that her twin had managed to slip away. With this, she managed to edge back to a nearby ally, and decided to meet up with her twin another way.

Four pulled her way through the tunnel, heading towards whatever lie ahead. 'Whatever' appearing awfully quick as an even smaller grate. Pushing it upwards, she was able to slide out, now in a back alley behind the building that had previously helped the beast corner her. The way to the right, which would lead her farther from the Cat Beast was completely and utterly blocked off with debris and rubble. Left was the only option.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what the Cat Beast was thinking, and it walked right before her path. Thankfully, it didn't manage to see her and she hopped behind the few stairs that led to a backdoor that was falling apart. It was seconds from coming her way when a small crumbling noise came from nearby wall of debris. The Cat Beast quickly scaled the opposite building, wandering along a thin ledge, and was gone. Most likely to stalk what made the noise.

Four wasn't stupid. She knew that there was only one thing that could've made that noise, her twin. Her optics began to vigorously flash, she began to jump up and down repeatedly, and somewhat call for Three to be weary as in only seconds there would be a Beast coming upon her. Out of nowhere, Three appeared over the wall of debris, hopping down whatever jutted out most like a ledge to reach the ground.

In response to Four she tossed the bulb into her hands, grabbed her wrist, and the two began to sprint wherever they could. Interest led them both back to the rickety door. They were able to climb up separately and approached the wooden door. They could hear that the Cat Beast had cleared the wall and knew that it would soon be upon them. Four slipped under the door quickly while Three shoved the letter opener under while following suite.

They were able to run out of the way just in time to see desperate claws appear. They left deep marks in the floor as they searched for the dolls that scurried back under a nearby table and hid under the low hanging tablecloth. Thankfully, the Cat Beast retracted, howling in frustration, and seemed to wander off. They doubted that it went far. Instead, they held onto each other, and waited for whatever would come to pass.


Mable: Two little dolls out in the Emptiness alone, this can't end well… Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed, and the next chapter will be up tomorrow! By the way, if anyone would like to encourage with reviews, I would enjoy it. That doesn't mean I will stop uploading without them or anything; just a small prod. ^-^ *prods*