All this needed was a good proofread... all thanks to Lady Sticksbranchesroots! I believe this turned out better than before! I can't thank you enough!

At the sound of the weasel's call, impatient and uncomfortably close by, Sarah jumped. Robin pinned his back up against a crate. "Go," he assured, meeting her eyes. Nervously, she crawled out from under the cage, where she came face to face with Gammy.

"Ha! There you be."

"I… I was – I was just putting something away," she fibbed, thankful that she was able to think of a lie so quickly.

A brow rose beneath his cap and he shook his head, giving a huff. Although the girl was acting suspicious, Gammy had to push the matter aside when Bing Bong rounded the corner, carrying a few hula-hoops over his shoulders.

"Hng!" he heaved as he set them down and rolled them aside near that same cart. "There…"

Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the elephant, mind racing.

"Boss liked yer stunt, kid," Gammy said. "Particularly awkward use of the tent, mind ya."

I was just playing it by ear, she thought as Bing Bong, Woody and the others looked on, nerves playing at their features.

"Yeah, um… I hope it was, you know… okay."

"You knocked 'em dead, ya both did! He's gonna provide you all with meals for the night."

Gurri's eyes lit up, and the rest of the gang followed suit. Sarah looked at them for a second.

"Really?"

"Yep."

She felt overjoyed at the fact that things were starting to get better because of the stunt that she pulled. After Gammy disappeared in search of Pete, Sarah took a few steps towards her friends, who seemed relieved that there were no punishments in store.

"Jackie? Does that mean… I won't fall asleep again?" Bing Bong asked innocently.

"I think so, buddy," she answered, attempting to steady her breathing. And I think I know why…

"What you did for us…" Gurri nuzzled Sarah. "…we cannot thank you enough."

"Hey, think nothing of it. I just~"

"Why did you do it?" Geno snapped, suddenly very suspicious of the girl.

Sarah tensed. "Well, I didn't think- No. I don't like how Pete is treating us. How they were treating him..."

Bing Bong shyly avoided eye contact when she glanced at him.

"Leave her be, Geno," Gurri pleaded with her brother.

"Right." Geno glared at Sarah. "It's not like we've had any bad experiences with humans before."

Sarah felt anger prick at her insides. "I didn't do it for you! I did it for Bing Bong. Because, hey, he's a nice guy! He didn't deserve any of that."

"That's all very noble of you, Jackie," Geno spat, words soured with sarcasm. "But no offense to you or to your doll, performing is the least of our worries."

Bing Bong did not like how the buck was speaking. "Hey! Ya know what? She never did anythin' to you… ya don't have to be so rude! She helped me… Me. Out of everybody here! And she didn't even know me…"

The fact that the elephant was siding with Sarah so easily took Geno by surprise. "I see. Friends now, aren't you?" The buck's voice was raw with anger yet soft in volume.

"Don't get mad…" Bing Bong begged, staying beside the girl.

"Should've known," was the last thing Geno mumbled before walking off to the other side of the tent.

"What is his problem?" Woody asked, having overheard the confrontation.

"My brother deeply dislikes humans," Gurri answered, upset. "It isn't his fault."

"Whatever," sighed an irritated Sarah. "I know that he has a problem with me, I'm not that stupid."

"You're not mad, are ya?" Bing Bong asked gently. She felt him touch her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she huffed, beginning to cool down. "Thanks, Bing Bong… A-anyway. I need to talk to you. All of you."

Gurri's head rose.

"What about?" Woody asked, raising a brow.

"We gotta wait a little while, until it's late."

"Because?"

"I can't tell you right now. Just believe me."

"Why?" Bing Bong questioned.

"… Because we're going to get out of here."

"Get out of here. Huh!" Woody scoffed. "That'll be the day. It's gonna take a lot to be able to break out of this place."

"We have to at least try. Right?" She scanned their faces, attempting to raise their hopes.

"Oh, Jackie… I do not know about this… It's impossible to do," Gurri doubted.

"I-i-it's worth a try," Bing Bong piped up. "I mean, we don't got much to lose!"

This was the second time that the sweet elephant had sided with the girl. Gurri looked at the Imaginary, slightly shocked, before putting more thought into the matter. Her ears drooped and she turned to Sarah.

"…Bing Bong trusts you. So, very well…"

Sarah smiled, as did Woody. An excited gleam shone in Bing Bong's green eyes.

"Well, um… I'll tell you all later." She lowered her voice when she heard approaching chatter.

They still had about an hour or so and the entire tent was growing quieter by the minute. Perhaps a little too quiet… She kept an eye out for Robin, although he had seemed to disappear, as well. When she was peering under one of the carts, Woody spooked her.

"Huh!"

"What are you doin'?" he asked.

"I was, um… looking for someone."

He cocked a brow before chuckling. "Sure that fall didn't scramble your noggin' just a tad?"

"No. There's someone else in here. Besides us."

"Okay. Who?"

"A fox. Not just any fox." she whispered.

Woody got the hint and his eyes went wide. "Was he wearing green?"

"Yes!" she perked up, still keeping her voice to a whisper.

"Jackie! Yes!" he celebrated, knowing exactly who the girl was referring to. "Yes! And he never appeared again?"

"No. I mean, he has to be here somewhere… Because no one can leave."

"That's why you wanted to talk to us…"

"Because he wants to talk to us. He said he knows what's holding us here."

"This is very good news, Jackie!"

"Yeah? Now — wait…. Where'd Bing Bong go?"

"Wasn't he with you?"

"I thought he was…."

She wasn't the only one who was worried, though. Gurri appeared nearby, flustered after a heated conversation with Geno. She was in the process of helping the fawns to sleep in one of the opened cages.

"Gurri," Sarah called, approaching the doe. "Have you seen Bing Bong?"

"Wasn't he with you?"

Sarah sighed.

"How can we lose a candy elephant in less than a half hour?" Woody grumbled.

"Something's up. We gotta find him."

Gurri peered over her shoulder nervously before motioning for Sarah to come closer.

"We don't like to mention it," Gurri breathed, "but he wasn't alone when he was caught. There was somebody with him. Since then, this person has vanished, and whenever we ask about it, Bing Bong refuses to answer."

"What did this person look like?"

"Nothing… Just a bright blue light. Sometimes we see it at night."

"We saw a light before. It dashed in front of our faces!"

"Really? No one gives it any mind anymore. We just move on as though it's nothing, but for our friend's sake, Pete and the weasels can never know."

"Why won't he talk about it?"

"I don't know, but it's clear that he cares about this person deeply."

"I get it…" She softened, feeling sorry for him. "Now I know why…"

"We need to find him."

"I'll look for him. You guys keep an eye out for Pete or Gammy." Sarah kept her voice low and slipped away.

She kept forgetting just how large this place was. It was as though it was meant to house a lot of people, which begged the question, were they the first ones to have been brought here? She dashed between never-ending rows of identical cages, feeling dizzy, as though she were in a fun house. She was sure that she was alone… until someone tapped hard on the bars. She gave a small scream and looked up, expecting to see a weasel. Rather, she met eyes with a familiar fox dressed in green, smirking down at her as he winked and he tossed his dagger from hand to hand.

"Gosh! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed. This place was really getting on her last nerve.

"Little flighty, ain't ya?" he chuckled before gracefully leaping down.

"I'm looking for an elephant. You know which one I'm talking about."

"The candy factory, isn't that right?"

"Yes," she said, not taking kindly to the term. "He disappeared on us. I'm trying to find him, but this place is like a fun house or something!" She gestured towards the maze of cages surrounding her. Everything looked exactly the same.

"You can't search through here using your eyes, lass. This is a cursed tent. It's supposed to frustrate you. Haven't you figured that out?"

"Apparently not. I just need to find Bing Bong. He knows something."

"Ah."

"And he's a friend of mine! Please, you've got to help me."

"Don't look, then. Listen," he advised.

The girl sighed and her shoulders drooped. She gave it a try. Soon enough, she was able to hear her friend's familiar voice… singing.

"…Who's ya friend who likes to play…? Bing Bong. Bing Bong."

He sounded so distraught and confused. Relieved, she began to run towards that voice. She turned a corner, and there, sitting behind one of the cages, was Bing Bong. He gasped when he saw her and slammed down on the top of a chest, shutting it. He looked absolutely mortified.

"There you are!"

"What the heck are ya doin' here!?" he asked, flustered.

"I was looking for you! You just vanished. I thought something happened…"

He looked as though he remembered something, but then pressed a hand to his head as if he were trying to ease a headache.

"Oh… I'm sorry," he sighed.

"What the heck are you doing here?" She threw his inquiry right back at him. "You okay?"

"Fine. I'm fine! Please, ya… ya gotta go back. Please," he begged, knowing that he had been caught with his secret.

She softened her gaze, realizing just how scared he really was. It was a realization that caused her mouth to hang agape. "Hey," she soothed as she inched closer to the Imaginary. She set a hand on his soft shoulder, feeling him trembling from deep down. "Gosh, Bing Bong, you're shaking! What's the matter…?" She sat down by his side as he used his gloved paws to sheild his eyes.

"Ya can't tell anybody! Please!" he sputtered, choking up.

"You got it. I won't! I promise… Just tell me."

"I dunno what he'd do to her if he found her."

"…Who?"

He finally met her gaze, eyes wide and filled with worry. "Ya've been so nice to me. Gurri too, and the kids! I-I-I'm just… just so scared."

"We're all scared, okay? I didn't know what I was getting into when I came here, either. I had Woody with me, though. And you had… someone with you too."

"Yeah. Yeah!" He nodded timidly.

He lifted his hat gently with his nose and scratched his head.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder, making sure that they were alone. "Come on." She gently touched the back of his hand. "We're friends, aren't we?"

At the sound of that word, his eyes grew glossy with tears. She had touched him deeply, though he didn't know why. He returned her touch by taking her hand and squeezing. "Yeah," he choked before giving a warm smile.

As the two friends were talking, a certain mouse had scurried into the tent. Relief flooded through him as he spotted a familiar head of blonde hair, seated beside an extraordinary creature. Something else caught his eye, as well as theirs- a strong, blue light, seeping through the cracks of a wooden chest.

Sarah's eyes widened as she watched Bing Bong bravely open the trunk. Out floated a gleaming blue orb, the very same orb that she and Woody had seen earlier! She stared, totally mesmerized as the light darted right up to her face, just as it had done during their last encounter. Bing Bong, too, was staring fondly at the beauty, the fear in his eyes beginning to dissolve. Backing away from Sarah's face, it peacefully set itself in Bing Bong's hands.

Joy blossomed in Sarah's chest, and she began laugh. "Wow, Bing Bong. I-I… What is it?"

"Her-her name is Joy," he responded, sporting a deeper tone. "She-she found me. Before I came here."

"Joy. She's beautiful."

"We were tryin' to get somewhere safe, but we got stuck here."

"She found you? Where did you come from…?"

"Aw, I… that's just it," he sighed, frustrated. Joy leapt out of his hands and appeared to cuddle into his collar. "I don't remember."

Sarah's face fell. "You don't remember where you came from?"

"Naw. Nothin'. Nothin' at all. Only I… I only remember this kid," he thought out loud before turning to Sarah, studying her features carefully. "You… kinda look like her."

"Me? Well, guess that's why we're friends, then…"

That made him giggle. The orb perked up and flew between their heads as though attempting to communicate with the two, but all that Sarah could hear was a chorus of soft, tiny bells.

"Wow…"