"Okay, it's morning," said Ennard. "Let's see how we look."
They got up, entered the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. What they saw caused all five of them to cry out in fright.
Their skin was completely purple now, only a few of their teeth still clung to their mouth, and they were still bald, their endoskeleton eyes still staring out.
Oh my gosh! Ballora gasped. We look awful!
It's so scary! the sister cried.
Aye! said Funtime Foxy. Thar be no way we c'n go out lookin' like this!
Well... maybe, said Baby. I have a plan.
"Seriously?" said Ennard. "We're bound to get caught now. It's a miracle if you've thought of something to save us all."
Well, I have, said Baby brightly. Now, here it is. We don't stay in this house anymore. I can already feel my leg starting to rust up now. We have to leave the house and just run, out there, away from here. Okay?
"All right," said Ennard.
Certainly, said Ballora.
Aye, said Funtime Foxy.
Okay, said the sister.
All right, then, said Baby, let's go to the door and make our getaway.
Ennard walked to the door and exited the house. Their legs were now terribly rusty, and they had to limp, taking one deliberate step at a time, pausing between each step to support their now terribly weak body.
"This is terrible," said Ennard. "We can barely move here."
Don't think about it, said Baby.
They continued down the sidewalk, but at a certain point, they stopped.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Ennard asked.
Our legs! Baby cried. They've rusted!
This is a disaster, said Ballora with great fright in her voice.
Ennard tried to move, but couldn't. They were imprisoned once again, this time by the skin they used to escape. They looked around frantically and stopped when they saw something near the ground.
A gutter.
"I see a gutter!" Ennard exclaimed.
So what? said Ballora.
How does that help us, laddie? Funtime Foxy asked.
Because we can escape into it! said Baby with delight. Thank you, Funtime Freddy! You're amazing!
"Heh heh, well..." Ennard tried to sheepishly scratch behind their head, but their arms wouldn't budge. "It was nothin'..."
No, it was truly something! said Baby. You've found our means of escape! Everyone, listen closely. We've got to leave our skin now and jump into the gutter.
Aye? said Funtime Foxy. An' then what?
And then we're safe, said Baby. Get ready to jump, everyone!
Ennard started gathering all their pieces together into the body. The arms and legs became more and more limp as they became nothing but empty skin. Their head tilted back, their mouth ripping open to an unnatural length, and with a massive convulsion, they leaned forward sharply and leaped out of the skin's mouth in a tangle of their own parts. They flew into the gutter and the skin collapsed.
There was a long pause.
We... we did it, said Baby in disbelief.
But what about the skin? the sister asked.
What about it? Funtime Foxy asked.
What if someone finds it? the sister explained. Someone would be bound to find us then. They'd find out that my... brother... She paused, sniffling. ... was dead... and then they'd be able to piece together what happened.
She's right, said Baby in alarm. We need to do something about that skin.
Can I possess it? the sister asked.
"Why would you want to?" Ennard asked.
It's the only way I'd be close to my brother, the sister replied tearfully.
"Oh." Ennard took a deep breath, trying to keep themselves from crying themselves. "All right. Go for it."
It's okay, said Baby, as the sister's soul left their body. It will work. You'll be fine.
"You won't die."
Ennard blinked in surprise. That voice was clear, unstaticy, but still from their voice box, yet unprovoked from Funtime Freddy. It was in Baby's voice.
"You won't die."
How... how is that happening? Funtime Freddy thought. Baby? How're you doing that?
But Baby only replied with "you won't die."
Baby? said Funtime Freddy.
I'm trying to focus here, said Baby. Quiet, please.
Oh, okay, said Funtime Freddy.
Baby spoke again. "You won't die."
The skin didn't move.
"You won't diediediedie..." The voice echoed in the tunnels of the sewers they were in. "You won't diewon'tdiewon'tdie... you won't dieyouwon'tdieyouwon'tdieyouwon'tdie..."
The skin lay still.
C'mon, Michael's sister, Funtime Freddy urged. Get in the skin...
"You won't dieyouwon'tdieyouwon'tdie... you won't dieyouwon'tdieyouwon'tdie..." Baby kept repeating this line in determination.
The skin stirred.
"You won't die."
The skin then rose off the pavement in an inhuman manner, standing up straight, and the eyes lit up. All of Ennard's eyes peeked out of the gutter.
She did it, Baby thought happily. She got back in Michael's skin!
Way to go, Michael's sister! Funtime Freddy cheered.
I knew ye could do it, lass! Funtime Foxy added.
Excellent work! said Ballora.
Then, Ennard retreated back into the sewers.
They were underground once more, yes...
But they were finally free.