Kinda a short one...but the feels I think are good. Anyway, thank you all for your kind words! The Girls' Day Out was a lot of fun. By the way...if any of you are in Columbus, IN...go check out Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor...best ice cream you'll ever have! :) And now...on with the story!

Chapter 8

Robby couldn't move…he could barely even breath as he stared at the nightmarish golden creature standing between that clown thing and him. He replayed what he had just heard in his head…but he had a hard time believing it.

"M-Mama?" he whispered, getting the bear to tilt its head towards him…fixing him with warm, golden pinpoints where its eyes would be.

"How sickeningly sweet," the Marionette scoffed, drawing a threatening snarl from Mike, "Do you think you can save him, Mikayla? Or did you forget that I have more than just my strings on my side?"

"Robby, get out of here," Mike ordered, sidestepping and intercepting the Marionette as it stalked towards the boy, "Get out of here NOW!"

Robby scrambled to his feet, but didn't move more than that. That bear…it spoke with his mother's voice…was it really her?

"ROBBY! MOVE!" Mike shrieked, shoving him towards the door with a shadow…right as the Marionette grabbed at him.

Mike and the Marionette fell to the ground, the golden bear fighting hard to keep the wiry creature away from her son. Robby backed up towards the closet, trying to stay away from the warring creatures as they shrieked and hissed, clawing and biting at one another. He was so intent on watching the fight…that he didn't notice something sneaking up behind him until a cold, metal hook laid itself on his shoulder.

"Wh-Wha-What do we have 'er-'ere?" a glitchy, staticky voice asked, making Robby whirl around to see the fox who had saved him the other night behind him.

Robby let out a squawk of fear…which did not go unheard by his mother. Mike shoved the Marionette backwards and turned towards her son.

"HIT HIM!" she shrieked, "ROBBY! HIT HIM!"

"What?" the boy squeaked, not wanting to put his hands anywhere near that thing's mouth.

"JUST DO IT!"

Robby's hands shook, but out of sheer bravery or sheer stupidity, he didn't know, he decked the fox across the nose. He figured that if the bear didn't like it…than neither would the fox and it would let him go.

Well…he was half right. The fox let him go…but only because it fell to the ground, leaving a dark black, shadowy figure standing in its place. Robby's curiosity got the best of him and he touched the shadow. Instantly, silver started washing over the figure, revealing it to be human-ish. A child actually, with tear stains down his cheeks from his closed eyes. The child's eyes started to open, a straight, solid white…before bursting into smoke and streaming into the mouth, nose and eyes of the fox, making it twitched wildly as if Robby had shocked it.

The boy backed up rapidly as the fox's golden eyes flickered on and a soft moan came from it.

"Wha…what happened?" the fox groaned as it sat up, rubbing its head.

It turned its gaze towards Robby and gave a sharp-toothed smile.

"You look more and more like your uncle every year, Robby," the fox said tiredly, "Where is…"

A loud crash and a louder shriek got his attention and the fox looked over at the two fighters.

"Never mind," he muttered, getting up and charging in with a shriek.

Robby panicked, seeing all three of the bots fighting…he wondered what would happen if one of them won…would they come after him next?

"Not if they can't find me…" Robby thought as he crawled into the closet and shut the doors.

"Thanks for knocking me out of that," the red spirit said, dodging as Marionette swiped at him.

"It wasn't me," Mike replied, "Thank your nephew for that,"

She grabbed hold of Marionette and her brother both.

"Let's take this somewhere more private, shall we?" she asked as all three disappeared in a burst of shadow only to reappear in the workshop, "Much better!"

"You think I'm just going to let him leave!" Marionette shrieked, "He will die!"

"Not on my watch," Mike snapped, picking up the Marionette and throwing her across the room, far from the door and only exit point.

"Besides…" the older Robby replied, "You've forgot one thing,"

"And that would be?"

"Time…doesn't stop," the fox grinned as four (technically seven if you counted the Stooges) black-eyed bots proceeded to walk into the room, standing silently as the eastern horizon began to lighten.

"What!? NO!" the Marionette howled right as the bells rang and she grabbed her throat, screaming as smoke poured from her as the sun's bright shafts shone into the room.

Mike hit the ground with a clang, hugging her chest and shrieking as the pain she'd endured on her last day of life shot through her body once more. Her brother's hook and hand shot to his heart as the red-hot blade stabbed into it. Amanda whimpered as she held her stomach, much like Sam as they felt the same blade stabbing through and slicing their stomachs. Matt gripped his throat much like the Marionette had while Scott shrieked, collapsing as he felt the springlocks crushing and stabbing through him.

Soon, seven humans lay on the ground, faintly groaning as their pain faded. Scott might have sat up…but as soon as he lay eyes on the sleeping form of Emily, Spring took control and went over to her, holding her as she shook and cried from her nightmares.

"Is he ok?" the red spirit asked, pushing up from the floor and offering his good hand to his sister.

"I don't know," Mike murmured.

"Who's ok?" Amanda asked, "Andrew?"

"No," Mike shook her head, "My lil' Capt'n,"

Amanda opened her mouth to question, but Mike went off out the door.

Robby heard the bells ring and he let out a shuddering breath, holding his legs close to his chest as he buried his head into his arms. This was too much…was that really his mother he saw?

He heard the door open and footsteps came closer to him. It was probably Andrew, coming to check on him…make sure he'd lived through the shrieking bot fight that had taken place in his room…

"O'er winds and waters may you cross," a haunting voice sang, the pain clear in the warm tone, "See mountains white and blue…"

Robby's blood froze as he lifted his head…just to see a copper-haired, golden eyed woman kneeling in front of him.

"But on your road, let's not forget…" she stammered, catching with sobs as the shoulders of the woman shook, "The love I have…for you…"

"M-Mama?" Robby whispered as the woman smiled slightly, nodding as she put a cool hand on his cheek.

"It's me," she told him, dark tears streaming, "It's me, lil' Capt'n…I'm here…"

Robby gave a strangled cry and nearly tackled her, burying his head in her shoulder, nuzzling it happily as his mother held him, sobbing heavily.

"You're big," she whispered, holding him out at arms length.

"You're…" Robby stammered, only for her to give another sad half-smile.

"Dead," Mike nodded sadly, "Yeah…I've been this way for a while now…"

"Was…was that you last night? The bear?"

Mike nodded again, taking off the blue ball cap that hid the golden ears that poked out of her copper hair.

"I…made a choice to stay behind," she told him as he reached up to touch the golden ears, making them flick under his touch, "I thought I told you this, lil' Capt'n…that Jeremy told you…"

"He did…I didn't believe him," Robby admitted, "I…I didn't believe it myself…I thought I was just making it up…to cope with you dying…"

"It's all real," Mike told him, holding him close, "And you know what? I'm never leaving you like that again…"

She kissed his red hair gently, looking up as she set her chin on his head.

"At least…until we are free…"

Hmm...what should we have them do next? Any suggestions (because I'm starting to run out! I have two for the very end...and I don't want to end this prematurely)? And no one wanted to take a crack at the two who die later on? Wow...that's a first. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!

I hope you guys liked it, if you did send in the reviews! (Along with ideas because I will need them eventually!) :)

Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)

Máriessë ar mára tecië

Farewell and fair writing

Elhini Prime signing off.