To Save Us All
chapter~ 9
"Let's go." said 7, breaking the silence that had formed when 9 had taken out the talisman. He still had his light staff in this time, so he would bring that along. 7 only had to take her skullmet and her spear, which she was wearing and holding right now. The twins had nothing but each other.
They had discussed earlier which time they should go back to, and they decided a specific point: when 9 first met 7. This would mean the cat beast was dealt with, and 9 still had'nt placed the talisman into the BRAIN, hopefully allowing enough time for him to stop himself and leave the talisman. They had no idea how they would control the talisman to get back to this time, however, so they were confused as to what they would do after in the talisman.
9 nodded and brought the twins over to 7 with him. It felt awkward, because no one knew what to do exactly, but 7 spoke up.
"For 2." she said, making 9 look into her optics with a smile.
"For 5." he agreed.
The twins nodded and each held up three fingers.
"6?" asked 7. The twins nodded happily. 7 smiled and said, "For 6. And 8."
"For 1." said 9, his voice sounding very strong, full of confidence. "I owe him a cape."
They made a circle, and hooked arms, so they would all travel together. 9 pressed the sequence backwards, ready for anything.
The green eveloped them, and they were off. 9 knew they did'nt have to hold on anymore, because the green veils were holding them like prisoners for now, but he held onto the inexperienced stitchpunks, assuring them they were fine. 9 had never heard 7 scream in fear, because she had virtually none, and he had yet to. She was'nt screaming now, meaning she could brave many more things than 9 would ever know.
The falling had stopped, and now was the wait. 9 knew he could'nt skip the wait, it was a test of patience, and it would be hell for 7. There was no ground, and they floated in the vortex, doing nothing. 9 saw 7 trying to poke at the walls as if it were paper and she could pass through them and end up where she wanted to be.
"7!" shouted 9, his voice sounding like he was under mud or murky water, "We don't know what that does!"
7 stopped, but crossed her arms in agitation, and kicked at the smoky veils, doing nothing of course. She was'nt the most patient stitchpunks 9 had known. That would probably be 2. And he was'nt here. Yet.
The twins were cataloging this strange new environment, though 9 knew they would get bored pretty soon. He wished they would'nt have to wait, but he still did'nt know how to control this thing. They could be here for a long time.
Thw twins had discovered they could flail their arms in a certain way and float through the never-ending vortex. 9 and 7 were left alone, and all 7 had to entertain herself was to lean against 9 and fall asleep. She lay her weapons down beside them to her birdskull's beak would'nt jab 9, and her spear would'nt- well-spear him. They were'nt laying on ground, because there was none to lay on, but they somehow managed it, and lay peacefully as the twins tired themselves out.
Eventually the twins became bored as well, and they came to rest on 9 with 7, making him feel more like a pillow than a loved being. His optics began to droop not long after and he realized he had'nt slept in a long time. He looked around him, everything seemed normal. He fell asleep, his head on 7's.
All was quiet. For now.
When 9 woke he was still in the vortex, but the twins were up again, 'swimming' through the smoky veils and having the time of their lives. 7 was still asleep, her face now hidden as her head leaned against 9's chest. He did'nt want to wake her, so he lay calmly and quietly, watching the twins flash to each other as 3 did a somersault in midair and 4 curled up in a ball and laughed silently.
9 smiled and laughed queitly, he felt at peace, like everything would be fine if the twins were still there to somersault and laugh.
7 sat up suddenly, as if she had been awake the whole time. She turned to face 9.
"How long have you been up?" he asked her.
7 looked as if she did'nt want to answer, but with her wit, she carefuly monuvered away from answering the question. "Does it matter? I'm awake, and so are you. And we need to find a way out of here before these green vines of smoke drive me insane."
9 laughed a little as he got up. 7 pushed him back down. 9 looked at her in confusion, and the look he recieved in return seemed slightly nervous but more... arousing than anything. She leaned in close to 9's neck, and he surpressed a smile. This could be bad, or good. he hoped it was good.
"I belive I owe you something, 9." came 7's whispered voice so close to his neck, 9 shuddered.
"R-really? Um, wh-what would th-that be, 7?" he stuttered in response, knowing exactly what she meant but at the same time having no clue.
She pulled back, letting 9 breathe again.
"An answer.", she said simply, as if nothing happened.
"T-to what?" 9 stuttured again, still recovering from the strange new feelings that had bubbled inside of him when 7 went that close to his face.
Suddenly, the green began to fade, and 7 and 9 were distracted from their distraction. The twins stopped hovering and fell to the ground that had come to existance below them. 7 and 9 realized they were now on the ground as well. The scenery had'nt fully come into place yet, but 7 knew there was no more time to play around. They had a job to do.
She got up and walked to the twins, who were cataloging the green veils blowing away in the wind. Her spear and skullmet had been gathered and placed back on in the short time, while 9 was slower and this was only enough time for him to stand upright.
The last of the now dreadful green smoke had blown away, and 9 found himself in the library again, only this time it was'nt after the funeral. In fact, the funeral had'nt even been thought of. He found himself at a too familiar scene: when 5 had seen the twins for the first time in years.
Wait. 5?
9 blinked his optics a few times, but he only saw what he had before: 5's reunion with the twins.
"They've been here? All this time?" he said joyfully, rubbing their hoods and greeting them like a child to his lost puppies.
"They've been lost in the past, looking for answers." came 7's reply. 9 turned his confused head and saw her standing with 5 and the twins, who's hoods were being patted affectionately. This was the part when 9 said, "Twins!", but he just stood there and gaped.
The twins noticed him anyways, and they did exactly what they had done to him the first time they had seen him. Exactly the same thing. They catalgoed him. In the exact same way, like they were doing this all over again but were oblivious to that fact. They were oblivious...
9 gasped and shuddered as the twins cataloged him, as they touched (rather sensative) places to see how they functioned and if they were similar to the other ragdolls designs. A few seconds later, they stopped, and 9 noticed they had seen the light bulb. Like it was their first time.
He let them play with it as he walked over to 7, who had stepped up and was about to say her, "We've awakened something." line, but 9 interrupted her.
"What is going on?" he said, sounding a little panicked but eager to know what she was up to.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"You just- " he paused and took a step back, looking straight into her optics as if looking for something she was'nt going to say out loud. "The- the talisman!"
"9, what are you talking about?" she said calmly but firmly. Like she was talking to 6. She stepped forward, to put a hand on 9's shoulder, searching his optics for the meaning of his question. Her optics were empty of the past, his future. She did'nt remember anything. The library, the funeral, the thing she owed him...
"You were just with me, in the talisman! And now youre acting like you don't remember anything. What's going on?" he glanced at the twins, who were hiding behind a nervous 5. All at once, 9 seemed to understand everything. He was the only one who remembered what he had just done with time, because he was the only one meant to use it. They were'nt suppossed to go back with him. This was his mission, his purpose.
He calmed down and thought quickly. The others may now think something was wrong with him, he had to act innocent.
"Oh, nevermind. I just thought..." he trailed off, letting them belive whatever they wanted to belive about his strange outburst.
"9, are you feeling OK?" asked 5, whom 9 had'nt seen since that last encounter with the BRAIN. 9 looked into his best friends optics. They were alive. He could'nt hold it in anymore.
He hugged his friend and did'nt let go, very much like when 2 had hugged 7 after her slaying of the cat beast. 5 reacted almost the same way: nervousness flashed across his face, then confusion, then he just melted into the hug as if he had'nt seen him in a very long time either.
"I missed you." 9's voice was just a whisper, a pained, hurt, but hopeful whisper, as if talking too loud or releasing 5 from the hug would send him away. never to be seen again...
5 and 7 exchanged a glance. And in that glance, they decided they would'nt ask.
9 finally released 5, feeling almost whole again. There was definately a good feeling now that had been replaced with dread and regret when 5 died. It was as if there had been a hole in him the whole time, letting the cold air of winter get into him and cause him the pain and grief of the past year. And 5 had released some of it. Most of it.
He realized something else: he needed to get back to work. And he could'nt take 7 or the twins with him this time. This time did'nt matter, he needed to get to the right point in time, where everyone was still alive.
"Anyways." began 7, turning to the twins. "We've awakened something..."
9 smiled, and felt the only entertainment of the next hours would be this moment. He decided to tell the truth, like he already had, but with more pride than guilt. He was done with guilt.
"No." he said, putting a hand to stop her from blaming herself and 5 as well, "I awakened something. Something terrible."
With that, he strode off to the jar where the twins had first emerged, the one with two snakes battling for their lives, frozen in that position for eternity. He did'nt want the stitchpunks of this time to see, even if they would soon not matter. He unzipped himself and pulled out the talisman, aware that 7 had followed him to see what he was up to.
"But I'm going to fix it." he said as he pressed the squence backwards again, just as 7 came around the corner to question his strange behavior.
There was no one there.
9 whirled through the green vortex, now completely used to the smoky veils and the missing ground. He was flying at first, and then falling, and then all was still. Now he had to wait.
A few hours and many bored conferences between himself and the green tendrils of smoke later, 9 began to hear the voices. He smiled at them at first, glad he could hear something other than his own voice. He waited patiently for the smoke to fade away, and slowly the scene around him filled in.
He realized immediately what was going on when he saw the scene before him. His smile faded, and his thoughts filled with terror.
He was standing in front of the BRAIN, ready to sacrifice himself for the survival of 1, 7, and the twins. He turned his face away, knowing who would come in any second to replcae him. Sure enough, 9 heard the small footsteps, running and dodging in front of him and knocking him to the side, out of the way. 1.
The green wisps were coming back, and 9 found himself unable to move inside of them, like he was being held there to look in a certain way. 9 knew what the talisman was doing. It was going to show him what he caused. All of the deaths, all over again. Playing themselves like a broken record, like a stitchpunk dream.
That had been 1's death. A valiant thing to do, sacrifice himself for the group. Even if it took him til the end to show it, 1 really was a born leader. He only wanted what he thought was best. he just did'nt understand the concept of democracy and votes, listening to other peoples opinions on matters. But he understood his mistakes in the end, and what he did made up for them.
Next, the talisman took him to 6's death, the young artist pleading with 9 not to destroy the machine, because the souls were trapped. 9 had actually been in the scene, and 7 and 1 and the twins were with him, but he only saw the dying. 6's optics pierced into 9's soul in ways he could'nt even imagine existed. He looked at him, and for the first time, said something calmly, "Go back to the first room. Go back to the source."
Before 6's death, 5 had been the victim. 9 dreaded seeing this again, especially since he had already seen it once to many. The loyal friend, the only one 9 felt he could trust with anything- he would even admit things to 5 that he dare not tell 2, now- died at his hands again. And all 9 could do was watch it like it was a movie. It felt like he was mocking his friend by doing this, but he never turned his head, in respect for the fallen guider.
8's death was'nt as painful as the others, because for the short period of time he got to know him, 9 had seen 8 as a brute, not someone you would want to smile to the wrong way. Not until 9 had seen 8 smile like the guardian he was at the very end of his time on Earth, did 9 know he had a kinder inside. 8 could hide his emotions well, but at first 9 had only thought he had none to begin with, like he had only gotten everything from 1. So when 9 saw the BRAIN, stealing the brave big guys soul from him, 9 felt a hatred for the beast. He wanted it destroyed now.
But there was one more death to witness, and this one would forever upset 9, no matter what he corrected. He watched as he placed the talisman into the BRAIN, hating his own guts just as much as he did the BRAINs for that second of no logic or self control. Sure he did'nt understand himself yet and he wanted to know things and he had'nt learned to control his curiousity by that point, but that action had screwed up his entire time alive, his whole life revolved around a decision that lacked common sense. He watched as the BRAIN sucked 2's soul, 5's screams and midless words spluttering from him as he stared in shock. He saw the fury in 7's face as she snuck a glare to 9 when 2 fell. He had'nt seen that before...
The talisman was doing something wrong. The green smoke-like veils were letting him out here, fading away, but 9 had'nt gone far back enough, he still had to save 2!
"Hey!" he cried, "No- wait!"
7 and 5 were near 2's body, optics now broken through and glass splattered everywhere, his mouth ripped open in such a way that made 9 want to shut his tight. For the first time, he looked away. This was'nt right. He thought the talisman was taking him before this, so he could stop it. He still had to save 2.
And what about the others? The BRAIN had somehow known about them as well. It would make machines to search and destroy all of them. A-H. They were still alive, but not for long. The BRAIN would soon change all that. It would finish what it started with the humans. 9 had thought of all of this in one second, putting pieces together.
But first, it was bound to wake up any second.
The red light glowed dimly at first, but soon a bright red eye glared down at them, hate in every metal bolt in its being.