A/N:

Please tell me what you think of this one, it was so hard to write XD

As we descended the steps, Yakko suddenly snapped his fingers and looked at his brother who was still on my shoulders, "Dot's acting lessons have been rubbing off on you haven't they! Tearing up like that, honestly…"

Wakko shrugged, "I thought the moment needed something! But the hug was real." he leant over to give me an upside down smile, "You give good hugs, you know."

Yakko scoffed before wriggling his eyebrows at me, "I'll be the judge of that later…"

I smirked, "Yeah good luck with that, pervert."

"Priss." He shot back, making his brother chuckle.

I was going to argue, but the sense of déjà vu made me momentarily mute. Instead I just scowled. So much familiarity; yet so little answers. If I wasn't already, this was going to drive me insane. And the feeling only grew for when we reached the bottom of the steps and reentered the Waiting Room, which made my heart race in panic, I was grabbed. I flinched.

"Do you know how old I am?" the squirrel, Slappy they told me her name was, snapped, shaking my shoulders agitatedly, "Another scare like that and I'm sending you the bill for my heart surgery!"

Although she sounded harsh, her eyes had a glint in them that told me she wasn't serious. There was a mothering quality about her, protective with a sense that you would either have to be very brave or very stupid to challenge her. I liked that. It comforted me. Surely, in a normal sense, a grey squirrel who was nearing my height along with two mice working on a machine would scare me. But something just slotted nicely in my head that this was normal. This was safe. This was okay. I couldn't help but gulp at that feeling; what the hell had I gotten myself into that made this normal?

"I'm sorry." I muttered, not just for scaring her, but also that I couldn't remember her.

"Vere is zer CEO?" the doctor asked, Dr. S… that felt better than Scratchy.

Yakko looked sheepish, "Uuuuhhhhhh-He's a little tied up at the moment. Relax, Scratchy, he's not going anywhere!"

"Doctor." The large headed mouse called. Aother slim mouse stood beside him, balancing a metal screw on his nose. Out of the names Pinky and Brain, I took a stab in the dark to guess which one the speaker was. "Are these settings correct?"

"Ja, just a few more adjustments and ve'll have Dot back to normal. Uh… Vere is she?"

Wakko lifted his cap and took out the sheet. Dot made gasping movements and pointed at her brother warningly and then to her forehead, shaking her head madly. He gulped as he got the message. Basically if he ever tried to put her under his hat again she would not be a happy… whatever she was. Wakko hastily handed her over to the doctor, eager to avoid more threats. Their banter made me laugh. It felt good to laugh again, not from shock, but to genuinely laugh. Yakko smiled at the sound, he peered downwards at the kitty-secret. No, there were no secrets now. Uh, what had they called her? Rita that's it. Rita still looked a little dazed from where she's been knocked out. A thin black bump formed on the back of her head. That angered me, R.J had tried his best to hurt everyone.

"Well, you can't be the only center of attention." She mused licking a paw to smooth over her wound, "How you doing, girlie?"

"Um, debatable." I said with a half smile, to which she shrugged in understanding.

"We'll get you there, kid." Slappy commented, "If I have anything to say about it anyway."

So she said, but I didn't believe her. But I wasn't stupid enough to say so aloud. They'd all come here for me, and look at what had happened. One of them was reduced to a mere scribble and others had been hurt. What was I to them that would make them go through all of this? I wasn't important. I was just one of R.J's test subjects. Sure, I knew that I knew them and trusted them, but why would they do this? The same reason I attacked R.J to save Wakko maybe? Because it felt right? None of it made sense.

"Maybe if I leave I can find more answers… or just start over…" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

Rita narrowed her eyes, "So you're just going to run from your problems and abandon them, are you? Figures, just like a human… What did I expect?"

"Easy Rita, you're starting to remind me of a young Jerry Springer."

She hissed and then glared at me, "You got two kids out there who need their sis, no one else is gonna do it!"

Abandoning? She said the word like it was physically painful to her. It hit me head on and made me wince. Sis? Was I a sister? Two kids… that song… I was a sister! I felt sick with guilt. Was I really abandoning them?

"How can I take care of them when I can't even remember their names?" I asked desperately, "I can't remember who they are, so clearly I've failed! If the need me so much than I wouldn't let myself forget them! Clearly that means that they're better off without me!"

"You think that's an answer?" Rita arched an eyebrow in distain, "Tell me, girlie, what do you remember about them? Your siblings. Think and tell me what you know about your Flynn and Poppy. Your family."

A few stray tears trickled down my cheeks, "I love them." I answered without hesitation.

I couldn't describe what they looked like, and if she hadn't told me their names I wouldn't have guessed them. Yet I knew they were my family. I knew that I loved them with all my being and that I would fight to the death and even face R.J all over again to protect them. But at the same time, how would they react to me not knowing them? If it was killing me, it would surely be worse for them. No, I couldn't hurt them like this. Flames licked at the inside of my skull as a memory screamed and clawed its way through to me; I was sitting on the edge of a bed… I was singing to two figures that I couldn't really make out properly…

"I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go; and if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you! And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walking till you find the window. If it's cold outside; show the world the warmth of your smile. But more than anything, more than anything…" I smiled and brushed a strand of hair from her face, and tousled my brother's hair softly, "My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to! Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small! You never need to carry more than you can hold! And while you're out there getting where you're getting to; I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too! Yeah, this is my wish…" I nodded and got to my feet to close the window and curtains, "There you go, I sang, now goodnight."

"I love them." I repeated, snapping back to the cruel present time "I'd never let anyone or anything hurt them. They're so brave and they make me proud every single day. And yeah, in the end I guess I need them a heck of a lot more than they need me." I looked at Rita dead in the eyes, "You hear me? I need them more than they need me… So go right ahead and tell me again that I'd abandon them. Just try it."

She eyed me skeptically, but shrugged, "It's not me you're trying to convince, kid. Actions speak louder than words."

"Then I'll be sure to prove it." I muttered, unsure of how but making the promise all the same.

She shrugged again. Slappy nudged her, "Come on Dr. Phil, let's go show that CEO who he's dealing with."

I watched them vanish up the stairs and almost felt nervous for R.J. Almost… Yakko flashed me an encouraging look and brushed his knuckles under my chin. I get it; chin up and we'll get there in the end. He crossed the room to join his brother, leaving me with my thoughts. Running away was never an option for me, I was sure that was the case even before all of this mess. I felt disgusted in myself. But I still didn't understand how so anyone could depend on me, I was nothing, I remembered nothing. Well no that wasn't true, I was remembering a little, even if it was mostly based on instincts. It was something. I turned to the man in the coat, Dr. S, and wiped away my tears. He peered at me behind his glasses with a look of curiosity and pity.

"You can help me remember, right?" I asked, "I'm not going to be this clueless forever."

He sighed, "Vat do I have to vork viv? Vat do you remember?"

"Nothing… well… It's hard to explain." I ran my hands through my hair, which felt matted from ash and gravel, "I know that I know you all, and that a lot has happened in a short amount of time… but I don't know why or what exactly."

"Instincts and emotions; not memories." He clarified.

"Yeah, well, I get some memories. The most I've gotten is a few phrases."

There was a thoughtful look in his eyes, "Instincts and emotions are usually zer basis for memories. If you have zem already, then it is a matter of time before zer suppressed memories are uncovered. How much time however is hard to say…"

"But I'll remember everything in the end, or at least the important stuff?" I pressed.

"Zer is a 65% chance of all memories being recovered." He adjusted his glasses as the calculations in this psychiatrist mindset, "But, the important stuff, as you put it… at least 87% chance of recovery. But what that contains is up to your psyche."

"What, no simple smack with a mallet?" I smirked, glancing over at the brothers.

"Vy don't vee call zat plan B?"

"Zort! What plan are you on now Brain?"

Brain rubbed his temple in exasperated thought, "Plan CVFA point 9… And it shall succeed once the timing is right. Now focus!"

I bit my lip to stop a giggle. I liked these people, I really did. And it gave me some relief that it was possible for all my memories to return, and even more so that I would be able to remember my family and even most of how all of this happened. For me, everything over 50% was a bonus, and by far more than I expected. And the sooner we started the better. And by the looks of it, my memories weren't the only thing that was going to be recovered. Dr. S was dialing up the machine and was laying Dot's page in place. I wondered what she was like in person. Something told me she was loud and feisty, a little like her brothers. Ow! Boys, go fig!... Want to see my pet?... Just a little thing I do… I knew there was a reason we liked you! Ow! That hurt! I hoped not all memories were going to be as painful as this. There were only so many heated surges my mind could take. However, once again things would have to wait.

The door burst open, making me give a muffled scream and spin around. Yakko arched an eyebrow at the door and muttered a sarcastic "oh please, come in", but his eyes widened at the figure in the doorway. Oh dear god, I knew this one too. But how? I shuddered with the question. In a way, this person was like me. His hair which was once sandy blond was singed and grey with ash and dust. I couldn't remember what colour his eyes used to be, but I was pretty sure that they never used to be this shade of scarlet. This arms, face and torn clothes were patched with red stains. Not blood, it was too thin and light, it looked like ink. My arms felt heavy with the black stains on them, is that what is was? Ink? Why ink? This boy was bleeding it, it seeped through it eyes and dripped from his chin. He looked hurt and weak, but fueled by rage.

Yakko swallowed thickly and tried to regain a confident posture, "Uh, hehe… Hey, Mack… that pink-eye's a real buzz-kill, right?"

"Medic? Anyone here a medic?" Wakko asked a little uneasily.

Dr. S stared in horror as he tried to shield me behind him, "Mackenzie, vat are you doing here? You shouldn't be out of the medical vard, you're not vell!"

"Are you kidding, he looks great!" Yakko commented, elbowing his brother, "Dumber than advertised."

Mackenzie, oh now I did know this one. I'd heard R.J talking about him after he'd taken away my memory, but before he put me through the Animator. He was R.J's nephew I think, but he was definitely another test subject. Limits… Agh not my head again! Mackenzie is reaching his limits, Miss. Nolan. So I need a new test subject. I blinked in shock, limits was right. This boy was bleeding ink from the eyes and moving in short, sudden jittery movements like he'd been plugged into an electric socket. It was as if he didn't even hear the people around him. He just took a single step at a time, edging into the room, leaving little droplets of crimson on the floor.

"Have you seen Uncle R.J?" he asked with twisted glee, he grinned, oh god there was even ink caked in his teeth, "Good old Uncle R.J always helping people… I want a word with him…"

"Now Mackenzie, vy don't ve get you back to the medical vard? Vee can help you."

Those pools of ruby narrowed, "Uncle wants to help. He helped me, see? Aren't I just perfect? Now he's helped me, he can help himself…" he glanced at the Animator, "…with this… this will help a lot…"

I noticed a pattern here. There were keywords in R.J's little twisted games. Mine was secrets; he tried to control me by making me scared of everything I didn't understand, life's little secrets. Mackenzie's must be help. R.J was using him so that he could use the machine on himself, to gain power. Mackenzie was 'helping' him. R.J's little 'helper'. A puppet on a string, but now a few of those strings was starting to snap. He stroked the machine fondly.

"Uncle got my help… now I think I'll help myself."

"Mackenzie, you -"

"Don't have long, Doc?" a glimmer of sanity returned, "Oh I know… Wasn't Uncle nice, helping me to deaths door like this? I figured you could help me get away. I'm not giving in without a fight anymore, Doc. You know Uncle will go inside this thing human; come out a god more or less… Help me take that away from him. Why can't I be the one to get it? After all, don't I deserve it for being such a good and pathetic little helper?"

Dr. S winced in pain from his injury, "One more time in zer and you von't survive it! And R.J vill be dealt viv, zere is no need for revenge! Let us he-" he caught himself just in time, "Let us try and get you better, ja? Some rest and you vill see things much clearer."

Suddenly the seeping eyes focused on me, I flinched, "And how has he helped you, Talia? You want to end this too right? Why not help me?"

I shook my head, he was as insane as I had been, "M-Mackenzie… R.J's not going to hurt anyone anymore. He isn't going to get whatever's inside that machine."

In a swift movement, he swiped a hand out to smack Dr. S out of the way, leaving a patchy ink stain on his face. The doctor fell to the floor, the mice dropping to his side. Mackenzie grabbed me by the throat and smiled wryly at my attempts to claw him away.

"You may want to work on your people skills, Mack." Yakko mused, with a hint of warning.

Mackenzie calmly turned his head to stare smugly at them, "Zip it."

They clamped their hands over their mouths in shock as their lips fused together with a metallic joint. No that was too much, how could he do that? Only toons could do things like that right? Mackenzie was human, right? I knew he'd been through a lot more than me, but surely this was too impossible? The Warner's ignored their sealed mouths and tried to run in for an attack.

"Freeze." He said, forcing the boys to be coated in a layer of frost and drop to the ground, he looked back at my terrified grimace, "See? If I can do that with a few little experiments… imagine what I can do with the final product?" he tapped the metal surface, "Half-Toon has its perks… but only when you get the full dosage."

Half-Toon? R.J had done this too him? The full dosage? My mind burned as pieces started to slot together. R.J wanted power, and the biggest power around was via toon… He wanted to gain their abilities and we were his guinea-pigs!

"You'll die if you go in there!" I rasped, shivering at the red ink that was dripping from his fingers and down my neck.

"Can't kill a toon… So it can't kill me." He wouldn't let me explain how wrong he was; he pressed a button and showed his scarlet stained teeth, "I don't want to die, Talia, Uncle can't make me die just to help him. No one can."

The machine whirred once more into action. Dot had already been in position for some time and instantly vanished into the Animator, a look of uneased hopefulness on her face. At least she would be okay, but what now? The boys were starting to defrost, but not fast enough for my liking. Although I remembered practically nothing about this boy, I was sure that he'd never been this angry, never this determined. Never this… inhuman.

"Please, you don't have to do this." I said, my voice barely audible from stammering, "They're going to help me remember, they can help you too." I realized too late that I'd used the keywords.

"That's what they told me." He growled, and just like that, he slammed me to the wall, "Help, help, helping, help help! They lied!"

Mackenzie released me as soon as I made impact with the solid wall. The Warner brothers rushed as fast as they could to my side to steady me as I swayed. The machine produced its pincers, searching for its next victim and instantly clamped down on Mackenzie. Red ink spilled down his face, dripping ominously to the ground.

"He used me… I can be better than him… After this, I can beat him…" he rasped, "I can beat all of you…"

Dr. S and the mice started to tamper with the controls, desperately trying to revert it, but it was too late. The settings were in, the motion had started; there was nothing they could do. Wakko was helped to his feet by his brother and they looked on in horror. They understood that Dot would come out okay in this, she'd almost finished with the process. But Mackenzie however; if he went through the machine now… He would become what R.J wanted to be, and from the looks of him, he wouldn't survive. The pincers started to lower him downwards and then to the side, swallowing him slowly.

I didn't know what made me do it, but maybe it was that I'd seen enough suffering in this place to let more happen. But I jumped out of the toons grip and leapt at him. I clawed at the restraints with next to no luck. He bared his teeth at me, his gums seeping red from the ink. His eyes were completely sunken from view. He didn't look human anymore. Perhaps he hadn't been for a while. But I couldn't let him do this to himself. As we were lowered down, my feet scraped along the walls of the Animator, pulling with all my might to get him away.

"Get away from me! You can't help me, I'll help myself!" he snarled, crimson ink spraying on my face, "It's too late for either of us now!"

"I don't care!" I shot back.

"On second thoughts…" A cruel sneer pulled unnaturally at his lips, "Alright then… If you're so eager… Why don't you help me instead?"

With a movement as quick as a bullet, he kicked against the machine so that his body collided into me. I slipped and landed on my back. Pulling against the metal bonds, he grabbed my ankles. Now with nothing to stop it from continuing its work, the machine resumed dragging Mackenzie inside, and now with him forcing me behind him. His screams of agony rang in my ears like nails on a chalkboard. The Animator was eating him alive, chewing him and merging him with whatever R.J had put in there. Soon, he was gone from sight, but I could still hear him, and his hands gripped all the tighter around me. Tears and screams of my own escaped me. The machinery started chewing at my shoes, cutting through and into my skin. Not again I begged. Please don't send me in there again. No more hurting! Please!

"Hang on, kiddo!"

I halted suddenly and looked up. Yakko was gripping my right hand in his, his free hand flat against the machine for resistence while Wakko did likewise with my left. I held on with all my might as the tugged furiously at me. Jet eyes hard in determination as a sweat started forming on their brow. Tears pooled down me cheeks as I found that it wasn't enough. The Animator was too strong. It was still pulling me in. Mackenzie's grip was gone. Now it was the machinery alone that was at work, and it was so much stronger than the brothers. They refused to let me go. I was sucked in up to my waist, pain and agony searing through me.

The machine jarred and shook at the resistance, making the two trip onto their stomachs. Oh no, now they were being towed along with me. I couldn't let that happen. But no, Wakko struggled to his feet and gritted his teeth to hoist backwards. Yakko couldn't get up without letting go with one hand, and he didn't look ready to dare. But he had to take a chance. The moment one had left me, his glove on the remaining started to slip off in my grip. Wakko was using all his energy and didn't look like he could last much longer.

Pain tore through me, making me splutter uncontrollably. They were going to get sucked in with me. Fear was overwhelming me. But I couldn't let them do this. Yakko still couldn't get up, his glove was just clinging to him by a few fingers now. Poor Wakko was ready to faint. No, they weren't going to get hurt because of me. R.J had hurt them all enough and I was not about to let myself be compared to that monster. For a split second, Yakko's eyes locked on mine and it was as if he could read my thoughts. He narrowed his eyes. A flamed memory flickered past me, momentarily. All for one and one for all times six...

"Keep them all safe… Just like you promised…" I whispered.

Before he could answer, I let go of Wakko, the sudden slack sending him toppling backwards onto the floor. I pulled away from Yakko, his glove slipping off completely. He reached out to grab me again, but the darkness had already swallowed me. Pain, agony, so much unbearable heat… It was worse than the first time. So much worse. But I didn't care. My name is Talia, and I had done the right thing before I died. That's what I told myself as the pain started to become too much. I was slipping away, I could feel it. The glove still clutched desperately in my hand. I let the shadows take me. My siblings would be safe with them. They would all be safe.

The fire coiled around my brain, things were coming back ever so slowly with excruciating pain. I was a child again, running from shouting voices. No, now I was climbing, falling, lifted, falling… They were there, they made me laugh, those impossible, brilliant creatures. No, they were gone. Now I'm in hospital, baby Flynn in my arms…. Don't argue Mommy, Daddy, not again! Please believe me! I'm not a liar I swear! They're real! They saved me! No, no they're not real… I'm sorry Mommy, I'm sorry Daddy! Baby Poppy, hello baby… No don't leave me Mommy! I'll miss you Mommy, don't get mad Daddy it wasn't our fault! Where are you dad? You left us? You didn't even say goodbye! I hate you dad! Grandpa, Grandma? Don't you want us? Don't you care? You're not separating us! Yes I'll take them! I want them! Custody granted… Now those creatures are here… No you're not real! But, yes, yes you are… Don't take my family away! Don't do this to us! Now I'm here again, stuck in the agonizing shadows…

Words still echo in my head, faces match voices, and it's all coming together! The song makes me happy… Insanity runs in the family… I could get used to you… coffee house… you're not taking them away from me… I despise games, Miss. Nolan… Wishing star please hear our plea… Only one of you…You guys are awesome… Narf… We got your back kiddo… Are Mommy and Daddy home yet… Just a little thing I do… You're okay in my book kid… get me a cell phone when we get home and we'll call it quits… Faboo… I need a new test subject… Who are they going to believe… Yakko spelled backwards is Okkay… Promise… Safe and Sound… Are they staying… Round to Runt… Limits… It's been a long time, ja…Is any of this real, Miss. Nolan…Mink-Nurse… Half-Toon… My wish… You're real…

My hands clamped to my head and I gave a final scream. The pain was ebbing away now as I suddenly hit solid ground. Shapes loomed over me. But it didn't matter. I was slipping away now. Everyone would be safe now. No more pain… No more secrets… No more… As darkness swallowed me, more images flickered through my mind. But this time there was no fire. Everything came naturally to me. My name was Talia Nolan, I did my best for my brother and sister, and I did my best for everyone. I was sure I was smiling as the numbness took me. Now there really weren't any secrets… No secrets, just an endless darkening abyss… No secrets…

A/N:

All I have to say is… Until next time folks…