To Save Us All~
Chapter 12~
Was it possible to save yourself? What could this new discovery mean?
EEEEEEERRRRRRRCCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
9 tripped over the book and fell flat on his face, only to jump right back up, his whole body alert. What the heck was that?!
He looked all around the room, but the sound appeared to have come from outside. Very quietly, 9 walked across the desk, past the contraption he still did'nt have a name for, and over the books to the window he had opened before. The wind had finally stopped, so the banging shutters could'nt attract anything... unwanted. 9 peered through the shutters, not knowing what he would see, but his instincts telling him it was bad.
9 didn't make any sudden movements when he saw the source of the noise, because he was frozen with fear. What lay just at the base of the staircase leading to the room 9 was in, was a terrifying mechanical creation, it's gears whirring horribly and it's lights probing in the dark. It's body was cylindrical, but much more menacing that any cylinder 9 had ever seen. It had chubby legs, making it look almost funny for a second, that were bent inward almost comically. 9 could just see the first half of it behind the huge pile of rubble 9 had climbed to get to the steps -9 knew the pile looked bigger- and it's head was the most detailed thing about it- so far.
It looked sort of like the winged beast -9 remembered well, he would never forget- with it's sharp blades forming some sort of beak. There were red, machine eyes only on the tips of two of those sharp blades, causing 9 to shudder. But as far as 9 could see, the beast had no wings, only the beak and a cylinder shaped body so far.
9 did'nt know why it was making that whirring sound until it turned, revealing it's insides. There were hundreds of razor-sharp teeth spinning rapidly within the beast, making 9's mouth drop open and his hand fly up to his zipper, making the smallest noise a terrified stitchpunk could make, a small gasp. This beast was horrible.
The beast turned, as if he had heard 9. But how could it hear him from so high up? 9 could hardly hear himself! The beast's head shot up toward the window, and 9 ducked behind the shutters, in attempts to hide. The beast's red glowing hateful eyes narrowed, and it waited patiently for 9 to make another sound, so it could leave it's apparent post and find out what it was. But it's waiting was to no avail, 9 was being stubbornly quiet, he would'nt make any noise until this thing had gone far away.
The beast growled, sounding like a bull dog, and turned away, waddling almost humorously. 9 didn't dare move. He knew what happened the last time he believed a beast hadn't seen him. Surprise attack.
All was silent as 9 waited, fearing for his life. Not a sound ventured near him, not even the wind. He was sure the only sound he could hear was his main gear whirring, but surely that sound was too small too attract the beast.
After several minutes, 9 felt it might be OK to move. He finally turned to peer out of the shudders.
And he almost died of fright.
The beast seemed to debate climbing the stairs for a second before beginning the climb, it's short stubby legs worse than 9's small but easier to move around. Now 9 could see a horrid tail attached to the back end of this monster, almost like an afterthought. It was a hinged metal strip with a spiky metal ball at it's tip. 9 looked away. He had ten minutes, at most. The monster was taking it's time. And he had to be as silent as the air.
And 9 didn't even consider hiding.
9 did'nt waste any time, he evaluated what could be done, processed facts about the beast in his head. It was super sensative to any noise, it had only two eyes, and they were inconveniently placed. 9 could use these facts to his advantage.
9 eyed his surroundings with his rapidly blinking optics, an innovative idea popping into his specifically designed head. He saw a glass flask that was twice the size of him, some rope attached to the contraption he still hadn't a name for, and a huge bucket of wrenches and screwdrivers and one hammer right next to it. Perfect.
9 carefully moved to the string that was tied to the contraption and untied the knot, thanking the Creator -literally- that the Scientist had'nt tied a more complicated one. When he had the rope, he went over to the bucket of screws and wrenches and one hammer and picked out a particularly small wrench, one he could throw far enough for his plan to work. He tied one end of the rope to the one he chose, and placed that part of his plan down at his feet, ready.
He went over to the glass flask and placed his whole body on it, not knowing how heavy it could be. He pushed gently first, and when he saw that was'nt working, he pushed harder, harder, until he was pushing with all his might. Finally, the glass flask began to budge, scooting a little each time 9 heaved with all his strength. He tried not to use his legs too much, but more of his arms and his upper body: if this failed, he could have to do some running.
Finally, after a few minutes of careful calculations, 9 had positioned the flask exactly how he needed it: one half of the thing hanging off the desk, miraculously balanced. He grabbed the non-occupied end of the rope he was using, and tied it around the flask, careful as he could. When he was sure the rope was secure, he walked over to the bucket of screwdrivers, wrenches, and one hammer and proceeded to do almost the same thing as the flask.
This took much more time, because this bucket was filled with tools, that one hammer sticking out like a sore thumb, and weighed a lot more. The beast still hadn't shown up, and 9 was sure he had made enough noise for it to quicken it's pace. Though with it's stubby legs, 9 was sure he could outrun the beast. It was the distance that mattered to stay alive with this thing. If you stay away from those snapping beaks and don't get trapped in those razor-sharp teeth, you should be able to outrun it.
All 9 counted on now was his timing, and the beasts' pride.
9 hid behind the contraption, the path from where he was to his trap clear and swift, easy to initiate, and within the minute, he heard the whirring of the horrible beasts' teeth, a horrible grinding sound adding to it now, sounding as if the beast had just eaten metal...
9 didn't have to move an inch to see the beast when it came, because there was a small gap where he was hiding, allowing him to scan the room for movement.
The beast came in cautiously, as if he knew something was here, watching him. But still it moved into the room, peering around, reacting to every possible sound, a low growl coming from deep within it.
9 made his move, he dashed out to the trap he had planned and picked up the wrench he had tied the rope to, heaving it down from the desk, attracting the beast's attention.
The beast turned, letting out a mechanical hiss that burned with... pain... as its head shot toward the wrench, not noticing 9 -who had dashed behind the metal bucket just in time- at all. It crawled forward, it's stubby legs taking forever to just come discover what had made that noise.
9 was right about two things: he had a chance of outrunning the beast if all else failed, and hearing unexpected loud noises hurt the beasts extremely sensative hearing. 9 smiled, this was going to work, he felt it. He knew what he was feeling was also fear for now being so close to those razor sharp blades for teeth, but he also knew he could get through this.
The beast feel into place, and 9 dashed from his hiding place and heaved the rest of the glass flask over the desk, making a horrible high-pitched crashing and shattering noise. The beast screamed in agony and cringed.
This is working so far, thought 9, now just for the pride...
The beast seemed to do exactly as 9 wanted it to, throwing it's head back in a screech that sounded very like the one 9 had first heard, its mouth wide open. 9 wasted not a second, he heaved the metal bucket -with all the wrenches, screwdrivers, and one hammer- just at the right time, and down into the beasts throat.
Sparks flew as it's teeth caught in the metal of the wrenches, it's system's malfunctioning due to the shape of the screwdrivers, and it's fate being brought upon him by the lone hammer and it's wood, completly jamming the teeth, and destroying the beast.
9 walked in the emptiness toward the sanctuary for nearly five minutes before he realized he could have hid from the beast, and hoped that it would have gone away, but he did'nt. He realized hiding could have killed him, and that he really had saved himself back then.
But why? He had to find himself asking this, it was the logical question. Why would the Scientist make part of his soul be protected by the others? What really made him special?
9 looked up, having been staring at the dirt and dust and war of the ground before, and spotted the cathedral. Home. For now. At least in this time it was'nt burned to cinders.
A gust of wind made a piece of red cloth hanging on a metal shard blow, like a flag, catching 9's attention. He walked over to the cloth, examined it for any holes, and saw that it had none, except for the gaping one where it had been caught on the pole. The piece of cloth, that 9 found was quite soft, wasn't very dirty, save for dust and sand, blown in by the wind for who-knows-how long.
This piece of cloth gave 9 an idea, and he unzipped himself to save it for that time involved with his idea, placing the cloth inside him gingerly.
9 entered the old cathedral, the sanctuary the stitchpunks had taken refuge for many years. The majority, anyways. The first thing he did when he stepped through the back entrance leading to the bucket was smile and take a deep breath. It felt right to be here again, like some course had already been planned out for him, and he was going the right way. Like everything that had happened, the good and bad, were all meant to.
9 walked over to the bucket and started to lower the rope, making the bucket desend from it's current position, the throne room. He thought about what he had to do now, what his future held. He knew one thing for certain: this was the hard part. He had to get 1 to belive him without making him mad enough to send 8 on them.
"8! I said go see what it is!" came a bellowing 1's voice, echoing throughout the sanctuary, so that even 9 could hear it. He looked up, all the way up, the shaft that the bucket would travel up to. 9 waited a few moments as he heard the rythmitic stomping of 8's heavy feet as he walked to the the open hole, so he could examine what lie below. 9 saw 8's face poke out, look around, spot 9, and then raise both eyebrows in surprise.
"Well?" came 1's worn out voice, less loud, but just as impatient.
"It's 9." 8 said, still staring down to 9, who stood there awkwardly and waved. 8 did'nt wave back.
"Bring him up, 8. I must speak with him." said 1, before saying something just loud enough for 9 to register he was talking, but too soft for him to make out the words. But judging by 8's wicked smile as he started to help 9 lower the bucket, 9 could tell it wasn't good.
When the bucket dropped tp the floor, 9 looked up to 8. He was slightly afraid 8 would tease him by pulling the rope up just as he tried to step on, but 8's impatient grunt made him hastily step into it anyways. When 9 had just put the last of his right foot into the bucket, 8 jerked the bucket up, making 9 collapse in a heap of himself to the bottom of the bucket. 8's laughter echoed through the otherwise peaceful cathedral as 9 stared up angrily at him. Keep you're calm, 9 repeated to himself until he was, and by then he found himself just a few more tugs from the throne room floor.
With a few grunts, 8 heaved the bucket and 9 the rest of the way up, looking the rope when it was level with the room's ground.
1 sat on his throne, proud and defiant as 9 stepped off the bucket, trying to hide the mixed emotions flowing through him almost too fast for him to register. He hadn't seen 1 since the elder leader of the group had sacrificed himself to protect 9 from the BRAIN, so that life would go on. But 9 was also mad, because 1 was back to his stubborn self, the leader 9 had already come accustomed to within the first minute of meeting him. Yet, 9 was also remorsful that the sacrificing, brave, and true leader 1 had become in 9's future was now gone. 9 tried to swallow these emotions, but having trouble coming up with one solid one to chose from, he looked nervous.
"Ah, 9." said 1, in his all knowing powerful voice. There were many things 1 still didn't know, but he pretended to know them when he spoke, 9 was not one to appear weak or lazy with. 9 was the only 1 that felt like a threat to 1's throne, and 1 didn't like that at all.
"So glad you could finally join us." continued 1, his voice sounding like he was pleased he could entertain himself today. Talking with 9 brought him joy, in a sense that he liked to argue with him a lot. Just like he did with 7. But 7 was gone now. "Now, tell me what took you so long in the emptiness. 5 didn't provide much information."
9 stored a mental note to thank 5 later.
"I found this." said 9, unzipping himself and pulling out the cloth he found, unfolding it for everyone to see. Like a trader with something valuable to sell to the market.
9 didn't see it, but 6 smiled. The cape.
"And of what relevance is that scrap of cloth to us?" said 1 with acid poisoning his words.
"I had an idea, and I thought I could use it to-" 9 began, about to tell him what his idea was, but instead being interrupted by the one whom he had thought of when processing this idea.
"I don't have the patience to listen to another inventor ranting about his creations." snapped 1, placing a bored hand on his forehead. 9 looked down, but he had meant the cloth for-
"More to say!" 6 piped up from the shadows, peering at 9 like he was a delicate piece of dust, any sudden movement could send him away.
9 sighed, "Yes, I do have more to say." he turned to 6, "Thank you, 6." he turned back to 1, who raised an impatient eyebrow. "I've awakened something. A machine."
1 visably straightened and his glare fell onto 5, making 9 assume the inventor hadn't said anything about waking the BRAIN up. 9 coughed to attract the attention of 1, so 5 would'nt be blamed for anything.
"Only I did." he said, throwing in a serious look so 1 would trust him on that. "And... Creator, there's so much I've got to explain."
"Oh, get on with it, you fool!" said 1, absolutely no empathy in his voice. "Spit it out!"
9 held back the urge to tell him off and to shut his mouth.
"I won't say anything unless you promise not to make 8 hurt me or the others if what I say displeases you." said 9, trying not to sound scared of 8. He knew he had a heart, but the big guy could and would definately pack a powerful punch to any one of them if told to by 1.
1 gave an icy glare to 9. "I don't make promises."
9 took this as a good start.
"I just came back from the first room." he said, looking seriously into 1's optics, trying to make him see reason and trying to keep on his good side, which he assumed he was on for now. It was constantly changing. "I discovered something very... different." 1 raised an eyebrow, losing his glare, admitting to being somewhat intrigued, "But first I have to tell you the story." 1's icy glare came back, he didn't like waiting for answers. A story didn't sound that amusing to him.
And 9 told him everything, leaving out the parts where he had emotional breakdowns and replacing those with just saying he felt very bad ( he also happened to leave out the parts when he stared at 7's figure). 1 was constanly changing emotions. He mainly switched from disbelief to fascination, even though he tried to hide it. Sometimes 9 caught the little gasps or flinches or shudders when he told a part of the story that none but 6 and 9 could never dream of, but he was sure no one else noticed. 9 told the story up to where he came into the Scientist's room, to when he was coming back, leaving out the part about the cloth.
"So you're saying you're from the future," I said when 9 was done, sounding very mad. "You awakened the very beast that we have managed to hide from all these years, and you expect us to trust you because our creator made us all protect you. We are'nt fools, 9! Ever since you got here, things have- "
"Been unraveling. You're a curse, a fool, guided by pointless queries." 9 finished for him, looking to the ground, as if revealing the truth to him like this was something shameful.
1 took a step back, as if had slapped him.
"H-how did you-" 1 began, his voice sounding scared for the first time for many of the stitchpunks, and they all looked at 9 with confusion.
"I told you. You have to belive me. We can't do this again this way. If my purpose is meant for going back in time to stop things from happening, then I will do it until we get this right. You have to start trusting me now."
1 had lost his fear now, and now he was mad, because 9's sentence sounded much like an order. But he surpressed his anger as the realization came over him. A sudden boldness that his nature called to. He was a fierce leader, but obviously 9 had been places 1 would'nt go to save anyone... yet. This 9 had more courage than he would in a long time.
"I don't trust you yet, but we can do something about it. This has to mean something." he reasoned, going over to his throne to sit and think.
9 hid his smile, afraid 1 would take it back for some reason. He didn't turn his head, but he could feel 6 straighten up and smile, and 5 light up as well. 8, however, still in 9's line of vision, only looked at 1 with concern. 1 looked fine to 9, why was he looking at him like that.
When he spoke, 9 knew.
"Just... give me time to think." he said, suddenly looking so much older to 9. 9 bowed his head in respect for what this old man had seen.
The other's didn't need to be told twice. They all left simulatainiuosly, 6 trying to sneak out with 5 and 9, but 8 grabbing him and lifting him clear off the ground, giving him a "don't test me" look. 9 stopped and almost lost it when he saw poor misunderstood 6 hovering in midair, suspended by 8's arm. 5 turned and held 9 back, acting like there was nothing they could do. No one wanted to start anything but 8. 6 whimpered and looked away, refusing to meet anyone's optics.
"No, 8." said 1, sounding like he needed a nap, the torment of a family member right in front of him not being entertaining anymore. He had gotten used to it. "Let him go."
8 raised an eyebrow questioningly, but put 6 down gently anyways. 6 whimpered over to 5, who hugged him, pressing his shaking head into his chest and guiding him to the bucket. 6 started mumbling things.
"Lost... He'll find it soon. Now... He'll find it now..." he said, whole body shaking, but an insane smile on his face, making 9 wonder what 8 could have done to 6 in the past that made him like this whenever 8 touched him.
Instead of giving 8 a mean look, 9 looked at him the way one would say "that wasn't very nice", turned, and walked after 5 and 6, glancing back only once to see 1, his face buried in his hands as he sat upon his high throne.
9 stepped in the bucket after the two and closed the door behind him, reaching up for the ropes that would lower them, but a hand stopped him. 8 was smiling at him. He placed his hands on the ropes and began to lower them, nicely and gently. 6 looked up from 5's comforting, healing, arms and smiled without the hint of insanity. If he were human, 9 knew there may have been tears in 6's eyes, because his voice box quivered slightly as he said the next line.
"He found it."
A/N: Yes, 8 found his heart, maybe it started when 9 showed kindness to him? ^^ I just like this chapter cuz of the ending... and the beast in the beggining.
Story of how i came up with the machine:
I woke up and it was in my head. That's what happened. It was a horrible nightmare, and when I got up I was crying it was so scary. I can't even describe what it feels like to be chased by a monster like that in ur nightmare... But in my dream the beast could move a little faster than I wrote out here, but then again i was moving in super-slow motion. U know when u have those chase dreams or a dream that involves running? And u can never seem to go fast enough, like your in water or something? Yeah, it was like that.. Rly scary...
R&R please! (ps, id love to hear some of ur 9 dreams/nightmares! If u feel like sharing, plz do! Either in ur review or the 9 forum section that's labeled for dreams... there are some interesting ones, btw..)
(Oh, and ppl that are viewing this on the 9 forum, cuz im posting this multiple places, feel free to post any dreams u had. Bane, I've seen ur epically hilarious ones. XD. Omg, ur dreams make my day.)
OK! STOP READING THE AUTHOR'S NOTES, PPL REVIEW!
AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!