Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Chapter Seven: Midnight in Shuggazoom

The faint echo of Shuggazoom City's nightlife slowly died away as house after house was put to bed. The breath of a slightly cool breeze from the north brought a soothing touch. The shades of blue and purple had long disappeared over the western horizon, and thousands upon thousands of stars twinkled brilliantly like diamond fragments littering the floor of a mine.

Hayley lay peacefully with her stomach on the Super Robot's shoulder, her right leg and tail draping over the edge, and her left elbow resting on the metal plating with her chin in that hand. She smiled as she stared into the night sky, drinking it all in. This was her favorite pastime, even as a native monkey.

The nearby hatch opened, and she turned to see Antauri and Otto approaching her.

"I thought we might find you here," Antauri stated.

"I got worried when I went into your quarters and found them empty," Otto added.

"Your concern is appreciated," she replied.

"At this hour, Hayley, I would expect you to be catching up on much-needed sleep," Antauri gently told her.

"Old habits are hard to break," she sighed sadly. "Even sleep provided no escape in the Citadel of Bone. There was nothing for me there but nightmares. Waking nightmares or sleeping nightmares, there was no difference. Endless nightmares. I eventually got to the point when I feared that if I ever closed my eyes again, I would never open them."

The two male monkeys stared back at her. Then, they both approached her: first Antauri hovering behind her head, then Otto as he sat at her feet.

Otto broke the silence with some small talk. "So, uh…find any new constellations?"

Hayley giggled. "Dozens. The stars have changed since I last sat here."

She took a deep breath and released it just as slowly, and as she exhaled, she somehow felt a heavy burden being lifted off her shoulders. Her head began to droop.

"What did ya find?" Otto asked, oblivious to her experience.

"I'm sorry?" she said softly, trying to pay attention.

"Constellations. What did ya find?"

"Oh, w-well…" Her voice slowly began trailing off, barely able to hold back a yawn, as she pointed with her free hand. "I found a rabbit…here. See the fluffy tail? And behind…behind its ear, see that curve? There's a scythe right there. And over in the other direction…"

She never finished her sentence. When Otto turned to look, the sight he saw both startled and pleased him.

Antauri, who was now sitting on the metal itself, had Hayley's head resting in his lap. Her right arm swung a little over the edge of the Robot, obviously due to the recent reaction to gravity. Her eyes were shut, but unlike the fears she had just described, every feature of her face was relaxed with perfect serenity.

"You did that?" Otto softly inquired Antauri.

"I had to," he quietly replied. "Under any other circumstances, I would have considered such an act to be unnatural. But we have much to do in the future, and Hayley needs more time to recover than she is willing to admit."

Already getting to his feet, the Green Monkey offered, "I'll carry her back in."

But the second-in-command shook his head. "No, Otto. You might awaken her, as could I if I tried. Go back into the Robot and get some sleep. I'll stay with her through the night. See you in the morning."

Knowing that Antauri's decision was final, Otto still felt uncertain as he turned for the entrance. He looked back only once and, seeing the gentle peace on the young female at last, smiled in reassurance before slowly closing the hatch behind him.

Now alone with her, Antauri closed his eyes in meditation and raised a hand. He used his telekinesis to carefully lift Hayley's draping limbs and place them in a position more comfortable for sleep. He foresaw the shock she would experience upon waking up in the morning, for Hayley knew very well that Antauri was not one to be touched for just any reason.

Even after all this time of physical separation, he still remembered why she had emotionally distanced herself from the others in the past. He didn't want to tell them for fear of breaking their hearts, but he had sensed her reasoning: they were created together, and she was created alone; they were more robot than monkey, and she was more monkey than robot. It pained him to feel that she considered herself an outsider – a black lamb amongst white sheep – because of how she came to be one of them.

He was certain that she would listen and understand the next time he would tell her that it was not what you are but who you are that matters.

But at the moment, as she lay sleeping peacefully with her head in his lap, he was content with the simple fact that she was at last safe and sound.

"There's a lot questions still to be answered…for all of us," Antauri said gently. "But, for now, welcome home and dream well…my sister."

Whew! Finally, it's all done. Hope you enjoyed it! There may be more stories to come later, depending on your reviews! So tell me, everyone, what did you think? Favorite parts? Not-so-favorite parts? Ideas? Suggestions? Constructive criticisms? Please review!

In response to Chapter Six's reviews…

4Evermonkeyfan: As I stated in my profile, I grow older but I doubt that I grow up. That's part of the reason why I write fanfics in the first place. There's nothing wrong with you liking this kind of stuff, especially if you're the same way. Anyway, glad you liked this, and I hope this chapter wraps up your expectations for a "pilot episode" fanfic.

Crystal Persian: Oh my goodness! Once again, you have topped your previous review with this one. Thanks for the encouragement. I hope you're as happy with this conclusion as you were with the rest of the story.

love-writer: Whoa, whoa, whoa, take a deep breath! I didn't mean for the last chapter to be so humorous. In fact, except for the ending, it was supposed fairly serious. But thanks for reviewing, and I hope the end of this fanfic was just as good for you.