Chibi awoke to harsh, artificial light. He felt something tug at his insides, almost equivalent to the feeling of having the stomach flu. It was awful, though, since Chibi couldn't get rid of that sensation. He simply had to live with it, at least for now.
iTelly.../i Chibi called in his mind, iPlease help me, Telly...please.../i
He should have never left the classroom.
He let curiosity and impatience get the best of him, and now he was hopelessly lost. He was alone and far from home...
How far...?
He didn't know. He was sick, and afraid, and exhausted. He couldn't find the strength to do anything. His arms and legs were stiff, and his head pounded with an increasing headache. He just wanted it to stop.
Maybe...maybe if he let his battery exhaust itself...he wouldn't feel the pain anymore...
But...
Chibi finally found the strength to shakily stand, banging his elbows and knees on the ground to free them from dried sewage. A pang of nostalgia hit him when he came to his senses and recognized the building he was in.
Citrusoft.
His birthplace.
Seeing familiar sights filled him with determination. He gathered his courage and headed off, trying to find a sense of where to go. On a far wall, he found a map of the building. It was Citrusoft's main headquarters, so naturally, it was the biggest. Four floors were originally built, with more added later as the company grew. The ground floor covered designs and prototypes, while the next few floors housed working employees. The basement was dedicated to mass-production, where robots would eventually be packaged and shipped. Chibi realized he was actually on the ground floor, so if he headed left, he would come to the front desk. Hopefully, Telly could find a way to him from there.
And if he didn't...
Well, then Chibi would need to think of a new plan.
How did he get here? He didn't understand, but that could be addressed later. For now, Chibi focused on his new objective; the front desk. Maybe he would get help there.
Or not.
Meanwhile, Telly was still hovering all around the sewer. He had lost track of Chibi-Robo and was beginning to lose hope.
Did Chibi...
No...
Telly found more marks, likely where Chibi was sliding.
They disappeared at the running sewage.
Telly spoke softly and slowly, almost afraid the words would choke him;
"Chibi-Robo...?"
The painful realization hit him hard.
Chibi-Robo was dead.
When Chibi was almost to the front desk, he felt something tug at him, but not in the same way it had before. This was a plea, and it was full of despair.
Chibi blinked. It was Telly.
Telly believed he was dead.
Telly was nearby!
No! Telly! It's me, Chibi-Robo! he wanted to scream, It's me! I'm alive! I'm ok!
Chibi-Robo...why did you leave that classroom!? Telly thought as waterfalls poured from his eyes, Why did you come out here!? Why did you get yourself killed!?
I didn't even get to say goodbye...
Chibi was at a real loss. For the first time in his limited, robotic life, he had no idea what to do. The situation was dire. Soon, Telly would head back home, believing him dead, and Chibi may never see his family again.
The thought of the Sanderson's, Telly, Giga-Robo, and all the toys crying over his supposed death broke his little metal heart.
What should he do?
What can he do?
Signal...channel...radar...?
Radar!
Of course! His Chibi-Radar! That acted as a signal! Excitedly, he pulled out the radar just as he felt Telly's signal fading.
Telly stopped, "Chibi-Robo?"
He knew that feeling. It was the feeling he got whenever Chibi used his radar!
"Chibi-Robo!?"
Chibi felt the change. It worked! He signaled again.
"I'm coming, Chibi-Robo!" Telly soared through the air like a bullet, anxiously following the signal.
Chibi was dying with anticipation. Soon he would apologize for making Telly worry so much, and then they would go home and Chibi could once again collect Happy points to his heart's content. Maybe Telly would even sing for him! He couldn't wait!
"Chibi-Robo!?"
Chibi watched, his eyes first widening, then turning upward in an eager smile.
"Chibi-Robo!"
Telly and Chibi ran towards each other, arms outward, ready to embrace the other and cry with tears of endless joy!
It was then that Chibi-Robo's world went black.