Disclaimer: I do not own 9.
4's Abduction
Why They Left
9's optics widened so much that they were two large black holes in his head, "Die? 4 and 3? What do you mean?"
7 looked away, "I should have kept my mouth shut…" she silently cursed to herself.
He tightened his hold on her hand; and with his other hand, coaxed her head to look back at him, "7? Please tell me… I have to know."
She looked into his eyes deeply. Within the hallow darkness she saw his fear, yet also… his yearning to know. Sighing she stabbed her staff down into the ground. She glanced over her shoulder to see that 3 was still out of earshot before she began her tale.
"Long ago, back when we first arrived at the cathedral, 1 was obsessed to have lookouts placed everywhere to see if the machines would attack. He spread us out thinly to every possible place invaders could enter. But 3 and 4 refused to be separated. Even though we were all scared, they were eager to explore the place, never staying still. So 1 had 8 force them apart, locked them in cages and hidden them away in towers at opposite ends of the cathedral, to keep a look out. The sounds of the war eventually died down, but 1 kept them separated."
9 frowned while he heard this story, "Then what happened?"
"I was in charge of running between the lookout posts to report anything the others might have seen. When I checked on the twins I noticed that they were starting to weaken. They weren't as quick, nor as focused as they were when they were together. As the days passed they continued to slow down. I told this to 2, the only one I could trust."
9 had to take a moment and at the reminder of their friend and mentor. He had only known him briefly, but he cherished those few precious moments...
"He helped me distract 8 and carry the twins to a different tower so they could be together. Almost immediately their spirits started to rejuvenate and their strength was returning to them."
"Why was that?"
7 starred deeply at their tiny fire for a long agonizing moment, "2 told me that he stayed with a giant for a while after he first woke up. I guess it was the scientist you told us about. The giant was so desperate on his creations that he infused life into 3 and 4 at the same time. They ended up sharing the same spark. The same energy that gave them life flows between them. And when they were apart they could not sustain themselves."
"Did 1 know? Surely if he did he wouldn't have done something so reckless…" 9 asked in defense for the previous leader of the group. Although the first Stitchpunk was misguided in his ways, he did what he thought was best, and redeemed himself in his final action.
"If he did I doubt he cared." 7 replied with a bitter edge, "He was furious when he found out the twins had escaped their prisons and tried to lock them up again. I had to get them out of there!"
"Didn't the others help?" he asked worriedly.
7 shook her head, "5 and 6 were too scared of 1 and 8 to be of any help. 2 and I thought it would be safer for them if they didn't know about the twins' condition. One night 2 helped me carry them out of that place, and I took them away once their legs were strong enough. I asked 2 to come, but he refused to leave the others. He promised to come and find us when he made 1 come to his senses. Which never happened."
"Because of me…" 9 said and hung his head lowly. "If it wasn't for me, 2 might have succeeded, and you would all be together again."
"Don't say that!" 7 snapped, "You know as well as I that 1 was not easy to convince. He sent 2 out here TO be caught by the Beast. An execution! It would have happened whether he found you or not!" she then calmed and smiled lightly. "At least thanks to you we are alive. 3 and 4 are alive. We just have to stay that way."
9 turned his gaze from her to the glowing embers that was their campfire, "We have to find 4. Or else it will only be the two of us."
7 nodded and glanced over to 3 who stood atop of the lookout post to the lake. His eyes desperately searched over the murky waters for his sister, his life. His hands still held onto the ball tightly to himself, the last thing they cataloged together…
I always wonder how is it that 3 and 4 are twins when they're usually made one at a time XP
Read and Review please