Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Easy…… You know we can stop any time you want, right? You don’t have to push yourself to do this all at once….” said Moon, looking up at his partner and meeting his garnet eyes. Dark Sun nodded, shifting slightly. He was currently sitting in Moon’s lap, partially straddling the lunar bot’s waist. He had asked Moon to help him get used to being in a proper relationship, but just sitting in their current position was making him somewhat uncomfortable despite it being his idea. Moon gently kissed his cheek, frowning when the sun model flinched away.

“I…. I-I think I’m done for now….” Dark Sun said, looking away. Moon sighed, but nodded as he gently kissed the back of one of his boyfriend’s hands.

“Hey… look at me….” he said, smiling softly when Dark Sun turned to face him again. “It’s ok…. This is still new to both of us…. It’s only been a month after all…. We’ll get there, I promise….” Moon reassured him, nuzzling him gently.

“R-Right…… i-it’s late, we s-should rest….” Dark Sun said, taking note of his internal clock telling him it was about 10:30 PM. Moon nodded, slowly laying down with him and holding him close before entering sleep mode. Dark Sun, however, didn’t go to sleep right away. He waited a few minutes, then carefully untangled himself from Moon and sat up on the edge of the bed.

“Just….. need a minute….” Dark Sun said to himself, grabbing his cane and slowly standing, leaving their bedroom. He quietly made his way out to the balcony that overlooked the backyard, sighing as he set his cane against the railing and leaned on said railing, looking up at the stars.

“….. Why me? I don’t deserve his love…. I don’t deserve love at all…. Not after….. him….” Dark Sun told himself, hugging himself as he closed his eyes. The minute he did he could hear them, all of the things he had been told by the others.

“Ew, get away from me you freak!”

His Roxanne….

“You just mess every thing you touch up, don’t you?!”

His Monty….

“Why did they even make you? We have Moonbeam… we don’t need two Daycare attendants…”

His Chica….

“_____, maybe it would be best if you just left…”

His Freddy….

“Why would anyone love the likes of you?! YOU WILL NEVER BE LOVED, so get used to it!”

Moonbeam-

“Dark Sun?” Dark Sun jumped, his eyes snapping open as he turned around. Ruin stood in the doorway to the house, one hand on their slightly swollen stomach. They carefully approached him, their mismatched eyes full of worry.

“R-Ruin? Did I wake you? I-I apologize if I did-” Dark Sun started saying, but frowned when Ruin gently cut him off.

“You didn’t wake me, the baby did…. They wanted a late night snack….” Ruin chuckled, rubbing their stomach. They very carefully took his hands in their own, as if making any sudden movements would scare him off. “I’m more worried about you…. Are you alright darling? You’re crying….” they said softly, gently using their sleeve to wipe his face. Dark Sun hesitantly reached up, feeling his cheek was wet with coolant tears.

“I-I’m fine…. Just….. just bad memories…..” Dark Sun answered, turning away slightly. “I’m…. g-gonna h-head back to Moon…. D-Don’t want him to worry if I’m n-not there when he wakes up…. D-Do you need anything before I go?” Dark Sun asked, trying to change the subject.

“I’m fine Dark Sun, thank you….. are you sure you’re alright? You know you can talk to us about anything, right?” Ruin asked, concern clear on their face. Dark Sun hated that they were concerned about him; he didn’t deserve it.

“I-I know….. G-Goodnight Ruin…..” Said Sun said quickly, grabbing his cane and slowly making his way back inside while wiping away his stray tears. Ruin sighed as they watched him go, rubbing their stomach again.

“Goodnight Dark Sun….. I hope you’ll open up to us soon, especially to Moon….. We all care about you so much…...”

Chapter Text

“Good morning everyone…..” Dark Sun said, yawning as he slowly entered the dining room/kitchen with Moon. He was met with a set of ‘Good Morning’s and the smell of cooking eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

“Good morning Dark Sun! Sleep well?” asked Sun from his place in front of the stove, flipping one of the pancakes he was making.

“As well as I could….. Here Ruin….” said Dark Sun, handing the other bot a glass of orange juice before sitting down with his own cup of coffee.

“Oh! Thank you Dark Sun!” Ruin said, smiling as they took a sip of the juice. Dark Sun nodded as he mixed sugar and creamer into his coffee and took a sip. He quickly noticed the four of them were the only ones in the room, looking around as Moon sat in the chair next to him.

“Where are the others?” he asked as Sun brought over plates of food for them all.

“The kids woke up and ate earlier, so Eclipse took them outside to play! KC and Solar are still asleep as far as I’m aware, while Terra and Monty left early to do something…. Cici left for work as well….” Sun explained, joining them at the table.

“…… I keep forgetting Terra changed her name….” Dark Sun said, blinking. Moon laughed slightly, taking his hand.

“We all do Dark Sun, don’t worry….” Moon said, smiling. Dark Sun gave a small smile back, then frowned and adjusted his glasses.

“You know, I’ve been thinking….. I don’t like being called ‘Dark Sun’…. I’ve honestly never liked it…. I…. want to be called something else…..” Dark Sun said quietly. Moon exchanged a look with Sun and Ruin, then smiled softly and nodded as he turned back to Dark Sun.

“Of course…. What would you like to be called?” he asked. Dark Sun already knew what name he wanted, but before he could say it the back door flew open and Eclipse walked in carrying Jack under one of his upper arms like a football.

“Help! I’m being kidnapped!” Jack yelled, Eclipse rolling his eyes playfully as he carried his gremlin of a little brother to the living room. The other kids soon rushed in and followed them, chatting excitedly and wishing Moon and Dark Sun a good morning.

“Kids, please, be quiet….” Solar chided as he and KC entered the kitchen, Solar holding his head like he had a headache. Kc nodded to the others after nuzzling Solar.

“Morning you two! I made some extra food if you want them, so help yourselves!” Sun said, smiling. Kc smiled and began making himself a plate as Solar went straight for the coffee pot.

“Not hungry…..” he muttered, pouring some coffee into his mug.

“Are you sure Supernova? There’s plenty-”

“I’m sure KC.” Solar said, albeit a bit snippily as he grabbed one of the small bottles from the spice rack and sprinkled it’s contents into his coffee. KC frowned and turned to the others, all of them sharing a slightly worried look.

“Solar…. Are you alright?” asked Ruin, frowning as the mechanic stirred his coffee and took a sip.

“Yeah, why?” Solar asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back against the counter.

“Well, for one, you put saffron in your coffee instead of your usual cinnamon……” Dark Sun pointed out, watching as Solar double-checked the spice bottle he used before shrugging and taking another sip of coffee, much to the disgust of the others. “And two, you’ve been very snippy the past couple of days…. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine….” Solar said, though he seemed irritated.

“Solar-”

“I SAID I’M FINE SUN!” Solar snapped, growling slightly. Sun flinched and KC was by the mechanic’s side in an instant.

“Supernova, calm….” KC soothed, trying to calm his boyfriend. Quickly, as if by the flip of a switch, the irritation Solar felt drained away and his expression turned to one of guilt. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers and thumb.

“I’m sorry…. I just…. I honestly haven’t slept well the past couple of nights, so I might be feeling a bit cranky…..” Solar said, and looking closely the others could see slight bags under his eyes.

“Oh my dear, go get some rest…. You seem to really need it….. KC, go with him and make sure he sleeps……. Take some food with you and get him to eat too…” Ruin urged, getting up and gently ushering them out of the kitchen. Solar refused to give the amalgam his coffee when they tried to take it from him, Ruin sighing and allowing it as they made sure the two got back to their room.

“Oh….. Solar….” said Sun, frowning before he got a ping and jumped to his feet. “Oh my gosh, we’re gonna be late for work!” he panicked, rushing to get Eclipse and tell him. Moon chuckled and shook his head.

“Will you be okay helping Ruin watch the kids today?” he asked, giving Dark Sun’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll be fine Moon…. Go, before Sun has a meltdown and drags you out himself….” Dark Sun said, rolling his eyes. Moon nodded.

“Alright…. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call…. We’ll talk more about the name thing later, okay?” Moon asked, getting up. Dark Sun nodded, smiling slightly as Moon kissed his cheek and headed out with Sun and Eclipse. Once they were gone Dark Sun’s smile slowly faded and he sighed, gently touching his cheek

I should go check on the kids…. He thought, carefully getting to his feet. He needed to distract himself, before his mind could reprimand him again about how he didn’t deserve the love he had been shown.

Chapter Text

“How do I get into these types of situations?” Dark Sun asked himself, sighing. He was currently tied up with one of Dazzle’s jump ropes, sitting in the outdoor playhouse Sun had gotten for the kids a while back.

“Well, we couldn’t tie up Ruru because of the baby…. And we needed a hostage for the game!” Jake said from outside the playhouse, him and his brothers wearing black masks and pretending to guard the playhouse. Dark Sun rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face as Dazzle, Jack, and Charlie rushed outside in costumes.

“Stop right there, evil doers! Release the president right now, or face the consequences!” Charlie demanded, pointing accusingly at the three boys.

“And what are you going to do if we don’t? We’re going to use the president to take over the world!” Andrew said, giving his best evil laugh with his brothers.

“Oh no…. Please help me Daring Deer….. Only you, Pumpkin Hunter, and Mystic Poppet can save me from these evil villains…..” Dark Sun said, earning laughter from the kids as he did not sound scared whatsoever.

“Don’t worry Mr. President! We will save you!” Dazzle exclaimed, running over with Jack and Charlie to ‘battle’ the boys.

“Remember, don’t play too rough!” Ruin said from where they sat nearby, Flare beside them to keep an eye on things. Dark Sun chuckled as the kids ran around and ‘battled’, looking behind him as a noise reached his audio processors.

“I got you Mr. President!” said Jack, grinning. He had climbed through one of the windows ot the playhouse and was currently working to untie the jump rope. Dark Sun smiled as the rope became undone and he exited the playhouse with Jack.

“Nooooo! We’ll get you for this Daring Deer! You and your friends!” Andy cried, he and his brothers dramatically falling to the ground in defeat. Dark Sun chuckled and shook his head in amusement as Jack, Dazzle and Charlie cheered.

“Thank you, brave heroes….. Now, why don’t we celebrate with some lunch?” Dark Sun suggested, smiling as the kids all cheered and ran inside. He grabbed his cane from where it was leaning against the playhouse and made his way to the house. Ruin stood and met him at the door with Flare, smiling.

“you’re good with the kids…. You know that?” said Ruin, chuckling as they headed inside.

“I guess…. We can probably blame that on my nearly abandoned Daycare Attendant code….” Dark Sun said, shrugging. Ruin chuckled again.

“Well, if you and Moon ever have children, I know they’ll be in good hands….” they said. Dark Sun froze, a soft yellow glow on his face as he gave Ruin a shocked and mortified look.

“R-Ruin-! T-That won’t be happening, a-at least for a while….” he said, trying to compose himself. Ruin laughed slightly as they entered the kitchen. They both froze in shock when they found Charlie trying to use her magic on the stove!

“Charlie?! What are you doing?! That’s dangerous!” Ruin asked in a panic, rushing over to her.

“I want to help make lunch!” Charlie answered with a smile, concentrating more.

“Charlie, I don’t think-!” Dark Sun started, quickly pulling Ruin back when the stove burst into flames. Dark Sun immediately tried to put out the fire but hissed in pain and yanked his hand back. Flare, thinking quickly, made sure to keep the kids safe by pulling Charlie away from the inferno and taking her outside with the other kids. KC and Solar, awoken by the commotion, rushed in and leapt into action. KC kept Ruin and Dark Sun safely behind him as Solar grabbed the fire extinguisher from the garage and put the fire out.

“What the hell happened?!” Solar demanded once the flames were out, the kids slowly coming back in.

“I-It was my fault! I-I just wanted to help m-m-make lunch and used my magic, but then the stove casught on fire!” Charlie sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Solar’s expression immediately softened, the mechanic sighing and setting down the extinguisher before walking over to her.

“Hey, hey…. It’s okay… it was an accident Charlie…. They happen…..” he said softly, hugging her as he soothed and comforted her. “Are the rest of you alright?” he asked, looking at the others.

“Yeah…. Flare kept the kids safe, and I managed to pull Ruin away from the fire….” Dark Sun said, still clenching his injured hand to his chest.

“Dark Sun, your hand! You’re hurt!” Ruin exclaimed, quickly but gently grabbing Dark Sun’s in jured hand. KC made a face at the large burn mark on it.

“That’s a very nasty burn…. I’ll grab the first aid kit!” KC said, rushing off as Solar started working on some sandwiches for lunch instead.

“Oh look, you messed up yet again….”

“Shut up….” Dark Sun muttered under his breath.

“Did you say something?” asked Ruin as KC returned and tended to Dark Sun’s hand.

“Nothing….” Dark Sun answered, sighing. He just couldn’t do anything right, could he?

Chapter Text

“Focus Charlie…. That’s it… Just concentrate….” Sun said, smiling as he watched Charlie, who was in the middle of the room. They and the others had decided to spend the day hanging out in the tower room above the Daycare, and Sun decided to take this opportunity to give Charlie another magic lesson after the fire fiasco that had happened a couple of days ago.

“But-! This is so haaaarrrdddd!!!” Charlie whined, pouting.

“I know, but this is an important lesson to learn…. All magic users must learn how to concentrate their magic into a singular point and hold it…. It’s a crucial skill, especially when one is facing a large group of enemies….. Now, please try again...” Sun explained, sighing slightly. Charlie puffed out her cheeks, but nodded and began concentrating.

“You can do it darling!” Ruin said, smiling. They and Eclipse were sitting with Terra and Monty by the balcony doorway, the four of them deciding to keep themselves busy by having their weekly knitting circle.

“You got this Charlie- Boys, be careful with Flare!” Eclipse said, looking up from the sweater he was knitting to scold Andrew, Andy, and Jake as they were covering Flare with blankets.

“Oh, leave them be Clipsy! They’re fine….” said Ruin, giggling.

“I am alright Father…. They are not doing me any harm…..” Flare stated from his place under the blankets, the boys laughing and covering him with more.

“Solar, are you sure you don’t want to join us today?” Terra asked, looking up from her project and looking towards where KC and Solar were with a worried frown. Solar was curled up against his boyfriend, the mechanic not looking too good.

“N-Not today Terra…. I-I don’t feel good-” Solar said before his hand flew to his mouth. He jumped to his feet and ran from the room, KC quickly following after him with a concerned expression.

“Geez, poor guy…. I really hope he hasn’t gotten some sort of virus….” Moon said, frowning as he helped Jack and Dazzle with the arts and crafts they were working on. Ruin sighed, then smiled and stood up. He walked out onto the balcony, sitting beside Dark Sun, who had been looking out over the empty Daycare in thought.

“Here Dark Sun…. This is for you….” they said, smiling as they gently handed him the knitting project they had been working on. Dark Sun blinked and looked at them in surprise.

“A….. A scarf?” Dark Sun asked, carefully looking over the beautifully knit red and black scarf in his lap. It was very soft to the touch and was knitted with patterns of dragons and stars.

“Of course! Christmas is just around the corner, and I figured you could use something to go with that fancy new coat Moon got you~…” Ruin giggled, Dark Sun’s face glowing slightly though he smiled.

“Thank you…..” he said, chuckling. He carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck before grabbing his cane and getting to his feet, helping Ruin up as well.

“Anytime dear…” Ruin said, smiling.

“I think I got it! I think I got it!” Charlie cried excitedly, a small ord of condensed green magic in her hands. Her smile quickly vanished as the orb began to quiver. “U-Uh oh….” she said, Sun’s eyes widening when he notices.

“Charlie, stabilize it! Stabilize it-!” he yelled, but he was too late as the orb suddenly burst, sending a massive shockwave of power through the Daycare.

“CHARLIE!” Eclipse yelled, dropping his sweater to catch his daughter, who got blasted backwards by the shockwave. Sun flew into the couch while Flare quickly threw off the blankets and grabbed the boys to shield them from the blast. Monty grabbed Terra as they were blown into the wall, while Moon grabbed Dazzle and Jack and took cover with them in the playhouse.

“SHIT!” Dark Sun yelled, his eyes wide. He quickly grabbed Ruin and pulled him close, turning so he was between them and the magic. He hissed as he took the full brunt of the blast on his back, the magic launching him and Ruin into the air and over the edge of the balcony.

“RUIN/DARK SUN!!” Eclipse and Moon screamed in horror as they saw their partners fall, their horror turning to pure dread as an all too familiar sound echoed through the Daycare and Spaniard spoke.

“Alert. Portal Malfunction- Portal has been activated.”

“NONONONONO!!” Moon screamed, rushing out of the playhouse and to the balcony. He fell to his knees and looked over the edge just in time to see Ruin and Dark Sun land in the ball pit. There was a bright flash of light, followed by the distinct sound of something powering down. Moon felt his body run colder than usual.

Dark Sun and Ruin had fallen through the portal. They were gone.

Chapter Text

“Ugh….. my head….” Dark Sun groaned, slowly waking up. His head was pounding and his body ached, most likely from both the magic blast and the fall. He could feel someone shaking him.

“Dark Sun…. Dark Sun! Get up! Please!” a familiar British-accented voice called, sounding panicked. Dark Sun groaned again, slowly opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was a dirty, grimy and cracked tile floor.

“Where….. W-Where are we?” he asked, slowly sitting up with Ruin’s help and gratefully accepting his glasses from them. Looking around, he found they were in some sort of abandoned and derelict bathroom.

“I-I’m not sure…. I-I think Charlie’s magic activated the p-portal and we m-might’ve fell through….. I-I’m not sure where we’ve ended up though…..” Ruin stuttered, looking around as well with a hand on their stomach. Dark Sun winced slightly as he tried calling Moon, cursing as he immediately got the ‘Not In Service’ tone.

“Just great….” Dark Sun muttered, slowly getting to his feet with Ruin. They cautiously made their way out of the bathroom, finding themselves in what appeared to be an abandoned playground. It was clearly night time, but even with the dim buzzing streetlights the darkness seemed suffocating and almost…. Unnatural.

“I-I don’t see any stars in the sky- AH!” Ruin cried, clutching their stomach.

“Ruin?! Are you alright?! Is the baby alright?!” Dark Sun asked, quickly checking on them.

“T-The baby…. T-They’re moving, a-a lot….. S-Something here is affecting them….” Ruin whined, rubbing their stomach and taking a scouple of deep breaths as they tried soothing their unborn child. Dark Sun looked around, trying to figure out what could be affecting them when a faint yet familiar purple glint in the sky caught his attention.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me…..” he said quietly, looking up as his eyes widened. Ruin looked at him, then looked above them as well and their expression turned to horror at seeing the large purple shard floating in the sky.

“T-The Dark Star Power in my baby…. N-No wonder they’re acting scared…. I-it’s reacting to that- that THING….. T-This isn’t good….” they whispered, whining again.

“No, no it’s not…. Come on…. We should find a more ssafe place to stay, at least until we can get in contact with the others…. We need to be careful, we don’t know what could be here….” Dark Sun said, checking on them again before the two of them slowly and cautiously began walking, hoping to find a safe place to take shelter.

“NOT MEAT….. THEY’RE NOT MEAT, BROTHER!” a staticy voice growled, the owner watching Dark Sun and Ruin from the shadows.

“NO, THEY ARE NOT….. BUT THEY ARE INTERESTING…. COLORFUL ONE IS VERY PRETTY….” a raspy voice answered, their glowing orange eyes locking onto Ruin as they spoke, quietly observing the pregnant theater bot.

“BROTHER…. PRETTY ONE IS CARRYING PUPS….” a third, whispery voice said. The second figured purred in response as a wide grin split across their face.

“INDEED…. PRETTY ONE IS A CARRIER, BUT MATE IS NOT PRESENT…. CARRIERS ARE RARE HERE…. PERHAPS THEY NEED A NEW MATE….” they answered, chuckling.

“IF BROTHER GETS PRETTY ONE, THEN I WISH TO HAVE SUNNY ONE! SUNNY ONE IS UNMATED, I CAN SMELL IT! I WANT SUNNY ONE! EYES PRETTY LIKE BLOOD OF THE MEATS!” the first figure chittered excitedly, turning their attention to Dark Sun. The second figure chuckled again, amused by their brother’s insistence.

“IF YOU WANT HIM SO BADLY, THEN YOU SHALL HAVE THE SUNNY ONE BROTHER….” the second figure answered, much to the first figure’s glee.

“BUT, BROTHERS….” the third figure started, but shrunk back and fell silent as the second figure hissed at them.

“SILENCE! BEHAVE BROTHER, OR PUNISHMENT WILL FOLLOW…. PERHAPS, IF GOOD, OTHER BROTHER AND I WILL SHARE MATES WITH YOU…. COME BROTHERS, WE MUST HUNT!” the second figure ordered, fading into the shadows with the first figure. The third figure hesitated as they looked back to Dark Sun and Ruin as the two rounded a corner and vanished from sight. The third figure was silent, then slowly followed their brothers, a plan slowly forming in their mind.

Chapter Text

“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!” Moon yelled, slamming his fists on the desk. He had rushed down to the security desk with the others as soon as they could, trying desperately to locate the dimension Ruin and Dark Sun had been sent to and bring them back home. However, Charlie’s magic had corrupted some of the files and code for the portal, making it impossible to do at the moment.

“I-I’m sorry Uncle Moon….” Charlie said, Eclipse doing his best to comfort her despite looking unsure if he was doing it right. Ruin had always been the more nurturing of the two, so Eclipse felt like he was out of his element. Moon sighed, turning to face them.

“It was an accident Charlie…. I’m not mad… I’m trying to get them back, but it’ll take some time…” he said softly, making sure she knew he wasn’t mad at her for something out of her control.

“Will Ruru and Uncle Dark Sun be okay?” asked Dazzle quietly, clinging to her father’s leg.

“I…. I don’t know Dazzle…. I hope so….” Moon answered, his attention moving from her to the doorway of the Daycare. KC was trying to calm down Solar, who was near absolute hysterics over the situation. It made sense though seeing as, besides Moon himself, Ruin was the mechanic’s best friend and was now trapped in some mystery dimension. However, the panic attack Solar was having was starting to worry Moon.

“How long will it take to fix the portal and find them?” Sun asked, catching Moon’s attention back to him.

“I don’t know…. I’ll have to rewrite some of the folders and code, which could take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks….” Moon answered, sighing. He looked back up to KC and Solar, watching as Eclipse approached with his kids.

“Dad, take Pops home…. He needs to destress to come out of his panic attack….. Maybe take him somewhere for food too, as I don’t think he’s eaten all day due to not feeling well….” Eclipse said, frowning. KC nodded and scooped the still panicking Solar into his arms, holding him close to his chest.

“Alright… we’ll meet you all back at the house… Jack, stay with your brother….” KC answered, heading out as Jack hesitantly stayed behind. Moon sighed again, then got to work trying to fix the portal’s code. He really hoped he could find Ruin and Dark Sun and bring them home safely…

“Are you sure you want to go there to eat?” KC asked, glancing at his boyfriend. Solar was slightly curled up in his seat, his panic attack slowly subsiding though he still looked distressed.

“I’m sure KC…. ‘Clipse is right, I haven’t eaten all fucking day, and I’m starving! Plus, I’m stressed and I’m fucking CRAVING food from there….” Solar partially growled. Kc nodded, though he found himself growing concerned with his boyfriend’s recent behavior changes.

“Alright Supernova…. Though, I do want to talk to you later about the recent changes in your behavior…” KC said, frowning. Solar muttered but nodded, watching out the window as they pulled into the parking lot for the diner Cici worked at.

“Evenin’ boys! Be right with ya!” Cici said as they walked in, waving as she finished up with her current customers. KC and Solar waved back, heading to their usual booth and sitting down on the same side. Solar shook his head when KC offered him a menu, already knowing what he wanted to order.

“Supernova, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting strange for the past week….” KC asked, concern clear on his face and in his voice. Solar glanced at him, then sighed and leaned against him.

“I…. I don’t know…. I’ve been feeling weird lately….. constantly tired, my emotions and appetite have been all over the place…. I just don’t know what’s going on with me….” Solar said, feeling tears prick his eyes as Cici walked over.

“Alright, what can I- Cinnabun, you okay?” Cici asked, immediately noticing that Solar looked upset. Solar could see what she was thinking and quickly wiped the tears away, trying to smile.

“I-I’m okay Cici….. I-I’ll have as burger with tomato, mustard, mushrooms, potato chips, swiss cheese, and a fried egg…. A-A side of fries, a hot fudge sundae, and a float with Mountain Dew instead of root beer as well please….” Solar ordered, KC and Cici sharing a look at the large order.

“Nothing for me Cici, I had a large lunch… thank you…” Kc said, smiling. Cici nodded, but still looked worried as she went to put in the order. Solar sighed, looking out the window as they waited. After a couple of minutes KC perked up, informing Solar he had to take a call from Moon. Once KC had stepped out Cici brought over Solar’s food.

“Thanks Cici….” Solar said, starting to eat. He blinked in surprise as Cici sat across from him, gently taking one of his hands in hers.

“Solar….” Cici started, Solar knowing he couldn’t avoid the subject anymore as she only used his name when she was serious. “Are you sure you’re okay? You know I love you and the others as if you were my own kids…. Hell, those kiddos of yours, Sun’s, and Eclipse’s I see as my grandbabies! I’m worried about you…. What’s on your mind?” she asked. Solar hesitated, then slowly told her what was going on and how he was feeling. Cici listened, her mind slowly putting the pieces together.

“I just…. Don’t know what’s going on with me….” Solar finished, sighing. Cici nodded, thinking.

“Hmm….. Cinnabun, you know I have a sister, right?” Cici asked, catching him off guard.

“Yeah? What does your sister have to do with this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Cinnabun, I have two nephews and a niece….. the things you’ve described to me like the cravings, the erratic emotions, etc…. I don’t wanna assume or anythin’, but is there any chance you may be pregnant?” Cici asked carefully, watching as Solar paused and his eyes slowly widened as what she said soaked in. Solar was smart, sure, but that was all related to mechanics and coding; He had never really interacted with anyone who was pregnant before Ruin, and the only side effect Ruin seemed to have were their cravings, so his experience with it was scarce.

“I……” he couldn’t find the words. He could feel a sense of dysmorphia bubbling deep within him, but he shoved it down as he resumed eating.

“I would at least get your code checked… can you do that for me Cinnabun?” Cici asked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Solar nodded, Cici getting up and hugging him before having to go back to work. KC returned, but Solar said nothing. He was worried, and he wanted to make sure he had all the information before he told KC anything. He couldn’t really be…. Could he?

Chapter Text

“Are you alright Ruin?” Dark Sun asked, pausing to check on his companion. They had been walking for probably a couple of hours and were currently in some sort of twisted forest that surrounded the city they had started in, and he wanted to make sure the two of them didn’t get separated and lost.

“I-I’m fine Dark Sun…. B-Baby is pretty active, but n-nothing I can’t handle…. What about you? Perhaps we should rest…. Your limp is getting worse….” they answered, concern clear on their face. Dammit, Dark Sun hated that; he didn’t deserve their concern!

“A-A rest couldn’t hurt….” he said, swallowing hard as he looked around. He located a nearby fallen log and led Ruin over to it, the two of them sitting on it to rest. He winced and sighed.

“Dark Sun…. Are you sure you’re alright? Is something bothering you?” asked Ruin, seemingly picking up on Dark Sun’s internal fight with himself. Dark Sun hesitated, once again feeling he didn’t deserve the concern they were showing towards him.

“…… Why me? Why do any of you care about me? I hurt you all so much…. And Moon! Why does he love me?! I’m unlovable! I don’t deserve his love…. I don’t deserve anyone’s love….” Dark Sun said, not meeting Ruin’s eyes as tears pricked his own. Ruin was appalled by the words spilling from the sun model’s mouth.

“What on Earth are you talking about?! Dark Sun, you’ve shown you wish to make up for all the wrongs you’ve done to all of us…. We’re so grateful for what you’ve done to change! And Moon…. Moon loves you so much! He adores you! Who in the bloody hell told you that you don’t deserve love?!” Ruin practically screeched, horrified that Dark Sun actually believed such a thing to be true. Dark Sun tightened his grip on his cane, but before he could answer a loud noise caught his attention. He slowly looked up towards the sound, freezing as his eyes met a pair of eerily glowing white ones.

“PRETTY SUN!” said a staticy voice, it’s owner slinking out of the shadows. Dark Sun’s metaphorical heart jumped into his throat as he saw a tall, lanky and disturbing version of himself, their clawed hands poised like they were ready to grab him. A scream from Ruin caught his attention, his attention snapping over to find the talon-like hands of a monstrous eclipse model trying to pull the theater bot towards them.

“LET THEM GO!” Dark Sun yelled, jumping to his feet and swinging his cane hard at the eclipse. It shrieked in pain as it was hit right in the face, releasing Ruin. Dark Sun grabbed them and the two of them made a run for it.

“W-What are those things?!” Ruin cried, roars of anger coming from behind them followed by the sounds of something giving chase.

“I don’t know, and I really don’t want to find out!” Dark Sun answered, he and Ruin weaving through the trees in an attempt to lose their pursuers.

They ran for several minutes before Dark Sun hissed in pain, stumbling. The residual DSP in him from when he was attacked by Io was flaring up, causing him a large amount of pain. Ruin gasped and quickly caught him, looking around frantically for a place for them to hide. Dark Sun gritted his teeth, his rays twitching slightly as his audials picked up a familiar sound coming from nearby.

“I-I hear….. T-There’s a river nearby…. W-we can use that to our advantage! W-We can use it to mask our scent, a-and perhaps hide near it so they c-can’t hear us over the running water….” Dark Sun said, gesturing in the direction he was hearing the sound from. Ruin nodded, carefully adjusting their hold on Dark Sun and starting to head in that direction.

It wasn’t long before they reached the river in question, making faces as they spotted the occasional mutated fish swimming by. Despite not having the reflex for it, then both nearly gagged at the smell that hit them. While the water itself would not wash away their scent, whatever was producing the rancid smell emanating from the river would definitely cover it. Looking across the way Dark Sun saw a very run down and abandoned shack.

“W-We can hide in there!” he said, wincing. Ruin nodded, slowly beginning to make their way across the fast moving river with him. At the deepest part if came to their waists, and they were both grateful for being made of metal so the river couldn’t carry them away even with the occasional fish bumping into them.

After a couple of minutes the made it to the other side, hurrying to take refuge in the shack. Dark Sun’s pain had thankfully dissipated by this point, so he had Ruin sit nearby and began barricading the door and several of the windows. He glanced at Ruin as he worked, feeling guilty for them being in this situation in the first place. After all, him grabbing and protecting Ruin from Charlie’s magic had caused him to drag Ruin with him through the portal.

“it’s all your fault they’re here….. you really fucking messed up this time, didn’t you?”

“S-Shut up!” Dark Sun snapped under his breath, sitting beside Ruin once he was done with the barricades. They gave him a look of concern, their eyes filled with tears from how scared they were. He shook his head and tried to give them a reassuring smile when they heard soft footsteps outside the shack, He quickly put a finger to his mouth in a shush motion as Ruin covered their mouth with one hand to keep quiet, their other resting protectively over their stomach.

The footsteps continued for several agonizingly suspenseful minutes before they seemingly faded. Ruin hesitantly crawled over to the only window that hadn’t been barricaded and, despite Dark Sun’s quiet protests, peeked out of it. They had barely gotten their head over the sill when a dull grey and black hand burst through the window and grabbed them.

“RUIN!” Dark Sun yelled, jumping to his feet and rushing over. He grabbed Ruin’s hand and tried pulling them from the hand, but ended up tripping backwards and landing hard on the floor, watching in horror as a struggling and frightened Ruin was dragged out of the shack. He barely had time to react with another hand, the same dull grey and black as the first, reached in and grabbed him by his bad ankle. Dark Sun hissed in pain at the crushing grip, struggling as the hand dragged him through the window as well. He screamed, grunting as he wound up bumping his head on the sill as he was pulled through. His vision swam and his audials rang, then he blacked out as he and Ruin were carried off into the darkness.

Chapter Text

“Ugh…. Fucking hell…..” Dark Sun groaned, stirring. He was getting tired of being knocked out, and the throbbing pain on the back of his head was not helping. He looked around, squinting as he tried to see where he was.

“D-Dark Sun….” Ruin whimpered, their voice coming from somewhere nearby. Dark Sun turned towards their voice, blinking when his glasses were suddenly shoved on his face. He adjusted them as his vision cleared, finding Ruin curled protectively around their stomach and watching something nearby with fear. He turned to face the direction…. And froze as his oil ran cold in fear.

“SUNNY ONE IS AWAKE!” the figure sitting nearby said excitedly, grinning widely. They were a tall, skeletal-like Moon model, black and dull grey clear in the dim light of the cavernous room they were in. Their pupils dilated in their glowing red eyes as they watched Dark Sun and Ruin, kneeling down to their level to get a closer look. Dark Sun tried to crawl away backwards, but quickly discovered he and Ruin were in some sort of large nest.

“Moondust, give them some space please…..” said a soft, feminine voice from behind Ruin and Dark Sun. Surprisingly Moondust, who Dark Sun guessed was the moon model before them, sat back on his heels as asked. Dark Sun and Ruin turned at a slight brushing sound behind them, watching in stunned silence as a new figure exited the shadows.

“N-No way….” Dark Sun breathed, Ruin covering their mouth in shock. Behind them…. was Terra, or at least this dimension’s version of her. Much like Moondust and the sun and eclipse models from before, she had been twisted and corrupted by the withershard. Half of her body was covered in moss, while the other half had crystallized into a crystal Dark Sun recognized as chalcanthite. Her grayish-blue hair was matted curlsthat reminded the two smaller bots of mammatus clouds at duskand was accented with a wilted wolfsbane flower, and her long spindly arms resembled long ebony trees.

“Forgive my youngest brother…. He is merely curious, as we rarely get guests in our dimension…. Like myself, he means no harm…” she said, smiling softly as her glowing violet eye gazed upon them kindly.

“N-No harm?! He snatched us from our hiding place a-and knocked out Dark Sun in the process!” Ruin stated, still making sure to protect their stomach from the potential threats. The earth model hummed thoughtfully, stepping forward. She seemed to float as she moved, her legs completely covered by a massive, writhing and tangled curtain of kudzu. She kneeled down with surprising grace, settling beside the nest.

“Yes, forgive him for that…. He had to work quickly, before Sunburn and Ember found you….” she explained.

“Who…. Are you? What happened to this place?” Dark Sun asked, moving closer to Ruin just in case he needed to protect them and their baby.

“I am Belladonna…. My brothers and I were once like you two, however our creator used the shard in the sky to do experiments on out world…. It corrupted us, twisting our bodies and warping our minds…. He became out first victim once our transformations were complete….” Belladonna explained, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Why help us? Why bring us here?” Dark Sun asked, gesturing to the room around them.

“For some reason, Moondust and I were less affected by the shard’s powers than our brothers….. though slightly skewed in some aspects, our morals do remain…. Ember and Sunburn were not so lucky…. They wish to take you two as their mates, despite one of you already carrying a pup and the other being courted….” Belladonna explained, a hint of amusement in her face as Dark Sun’s face turned bright yellow.

“H-How did you…?” he stuttered, wondering how she knew about Moon.

“While you are unmated, you have the strong scent of another on you….” she said, smiling. “Moondust knew this too, so he grabbed you two when he had the chance and brought you here as he knew my nest is a safe space…. Ember and Sunburn do not come here….” Belladonna said, her and Moondust perking up as Ruin yawned.

“G-Goodness me, m-my apologies…. D-Dark Sun and I haven’t slept since w-we got here….” Ruin apologized, rubbing one of their eyes tiredly. Belladonna nodded in understanding.

“Yes, you two must be exhausted…. Rest, your pup and you will need it….” she said, one of her kudzu vines gently picking up one of the ratty blankets the were in the nest. Dark Sun stopped her, gently taking the blanket from her and covering Ruin with it as they hesitantly fell asleep.

“I GO HUNT! GET FOOD FOR SISTER AND SMALL ONES!” Moondust chimed in, jumping to his feet and rushing out of the room, leaving Dark Sun and Belladonna alone. Dark Sun sighed, looking up as a vine gently turned his head towards Belladonna and lifted his chin.

“What troubles you, young one?” Belladonna asked, seemingly sensing his thoughts. Dark Sun looked back at Ruin, frowning.

“….. I’m the reason they’re stuck here…. No matter what I do, I just…. mess everything up….” he said quietly.

“Understatement of the year, isn’t it baby bro?”

“Shut up!” Dark Sun growled, clutching his rays and pulling at the slightly. His hands were gently pulled away by a couple more vines.

“You are haunted by your past…. Made to feel like a burden…. You wish to heal….” Belladonna observed, tilting her head.

“….. I want to be able to accept their love… my family’s… my partner’s…. I-I just don’t know how…” Dark Sun’s voice trembled, tears pricking his eyes.

“Something ties you to the negativity of your past…. Cut the thread, then the healing process can begin….” Belladonna said, using her vines to wipe away his tears.

“I….” Dark Sun was unsure of what to say. He didn’t even have time to think of a response as he felt his eyes growing heavy, suddenly realizing how tired he was.

“Rest…. You need it just as much as your friend….” Belladonna said, smiling. Dark Sun hesitated, but his beeping battery finally convinced him that rest was necessary. He slowly laid down in the nest, sleep quickly pulling him under as Belladonna’s words rolled around in his head.

Chapter Text

Moon sighed, leaning back in his chair as he watched the screen. It had been three days since the incident, and he had FINALLY managed to get the code for the portal fixed. Once he was sure all was in order he had plugged in Dark Sun and Ruin’s dimensional signatures and set the computer to autoscan for them in the hopes of finding the two. All he could do now was wait.

“Hey Moon….. how are things going? Got the portal fixed yet?” asked Sun, entering the Daycare with KC and Cici. Cici walked over and hugged the lunar attendant, giving him a take-out bag from her diner.

“Here Stardust, I figured you’d be hungry with how hard you’ve been working…. Any luck on finding them?” she asked, a worried expression on her face.

“Thanks Cici….. Portal is fixed and I’ve got it scanning for their dimensional codes, but nothing yet… there are hundreds of dimensions for it to scan through, so it may take a while….. they could be anywhere…..” Moon said, sighing. Cici nodded, hugging him again.

“I’m sure you’ll find them and bring them home….” she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

“I hope so…” Moon nodded, looking back at the screen in front of him before he seemingly remembered something. “Oh yeah! By the way KC, Solar wants to see you in the theater… says he has a surprise for you….” he said, turning to the former code. KC raised and eyebrow, nodding as he turned and headed toward the theater.

“A surprise?” asked Sun, tilting his head. Moon shrugged.

“That’s all I was told… Solar seemed really nervous about it, so must be important….” he said, turning to watch the progress bar on the screen. Neither noticed the small, knowing smile the crossed Cici’s face.

Solar took a couple of deep breaths, pacing in front of the concessions counter. He was so nervous! Would KC be happy about the news? What if Kc didn’t want it?! Solar shook his head and took another deep breath to calm his nerves, his hands fiddling with the manila envelope he was holding when he heard the theater door open.

“Solar?” asked KC as he entered, slightly concerned at the state he found his love in. Solar turned to him, giving his boyfriend a nervous smile.

“H-Hey babe….” Solar said as KC approached with a worried expression.

“Moon told me you had something to tell me….. Is everything alright, Supernova?” KC asked, gently taking the shorter bot’s face in his hands. Solar nodded, fiddling with the envelope again as he leaned his face into his partner’s touch.

“Y-Yeah, e-everything is fine…. I-it’s just….” he swallowed, his hands shaking slightly as he handed the evelope to the former code. KC raised an eyebrow in confusion as he gently took it, carefully opening it and gently dumping the contents on the counter.

“What’s all this” KC asked, shifting the items to get a better look at them. It was a mix of rainflowers, celadine, cinquefoil, dittany of crete, and pink baby’s breath, and resting amongst them was…. KC immediately snatched the test up and looked closer at it with wide eyes before his attention snapped to the nervous mechanic so fast Solar was surprise he hadn’t heard a cracking sound.

“Um….. s-surprise- WHOA!” Solar laughed as he was scooped up and twirled by the lunar bot.

“When?! How long?!” KC questioned excitedly, one hand coming to rest on his boyfriend’s stomach once he set the mechanic down.

“F-Found out a couple of days ago…. And judging from the onset of my symptoms, I-I’m at least two weeks along….” Solar explained, chuckling when KC nuzzled his stomach. “It’s still too early to feel them babe….”

“Do the others know?” KC asked, straightening up and nuzzling Solar.

“Only Cici…. She’s the one who suggested I get checked because of my symptoms….. The others don’t know yet….. I want to wait to tell them until Dark Sun and Ruin are back home safely….. they’re more important right now….. Besides, I think the news would make a nice Christmas present for everyone, especially the boys….” he said, smiling. KC nodded in understanding.

For now, it would just be between the two…. Well, THREE of them and Cici.

Chapter Text

“T-Thank you, Moondust…. This is…. V-very kind of you…” Ruin said, looking at the food they and Dark Sun had been given. While Moondust ate some sort of meat he had somehow gotten the two smaller bots a small variety of fruits, veggies, and surprisingly a small cake. It wasn’t much, but it was better than starving.

“Yes, thank you Moondust….” Dark Sun said, hesitantly eating one of the grapes from the pile. It was surprisingly fresh; was there a farm nearby? He glanced at Ruin as they ate, frowning at the fact that their stomach was larger than it was three days ago. Their pregnancy was being expedited, most likely by the shard floating somewhere above them.

“Eat, you need the energy….” Belladonna said, one of her vines gently pushing some of the food closer to Dark Sun. He glanced up at her, her words from three days ago once again entering his mind. They were very similar to words Terra had told him during one of their therapy sessions: that holding onto negativity can stunt healing. He looked at Ruin, then down at the food.

“….. You want to know?” he asked, catching the attention of his three companions.

“Hmm?” asked Ruin, looking at him while swallowing the food in their mouth.

“About why I’m the way that I am…… why I am, or rather WAS, the cold, emotionless Sun you all met….” Dark Sun said, still looking down. Ruin slowly stopped eating, watching him carefully.

“I always assumed it was because of your Moon…..” they said, frowning.

“You’d be correct….. my brother, Moonbeam, was the reason…. However, you don’t know the full story…. I wasn’t always like this…. I….. A long time ago, I was just like every other Sun out there….”

“Oh, I’m so late! I-I hope they w-won’t be mad at me again!” a sun model said, running as fast as he could with the cake he was carrying. He couldn’t screw up ANOTHER birthday party! He smiled as the party room came into view, Roxanne and Monty waiting outside the door.

“Oh for fuck’s sake….” Roxanne grumbled, rolling her eyes at seeing the approaching sunny attendant.

“I’m here! I-!!” he didn’t finish as he tripped, falling to the floor with a SPLAT! Roxanne and Monty immediately became furious as the attendant slowly sat up, white and pink and purple covering his yellow face.

“What the actual hell?!” Monty growled, stepping forward. The sun model flinched and shrunk back, a look of fear and horror on his face.

“I-I didn’t mean to! H-Honest!” he stuttered, his rays shrinking into their casings as Monty loomed over him.

“You just mess everything you touch up, don’t you?!” Monty snarled, baring his teeth at the smaller animatronic.

“I-I didn’t-! Roxy, y-you believe me, right?!” the attendant asked, getting to his feet and rushing up to her.

“EW! Get away from me you freak!” Roxanne yelled, pushing him away. Before he could say anything else one of his rays was harshly grabbed, a STAFF bot quickly passing by and entering the party room with an exact copy of the cake that had been smashed.

“I figured something like this would happen, so I made a back-up plan…. I’ll take things from here you two…..” Moonbeam sneered, pulling his sunny counterpart back to the Daycare where the other two Glamrocks were waiting.

“What the absolute fuck was that, _______?! This is the third time this week you’ve nearly ruined a birthday party!” Moonbeam snarled, roughly throwing his brother to the padded floor.

“I-It was an accident!” ______ said, tears pricking his eyes. Glamrock Chica rolled her eyes as she walked past him towards the Daycare doors.

“God, can’t you do anythin’ right?! Why did Fazbears even make you?! We have Moonbeam; we don’t need two Daycare attendants!” she snapped, storming out.

“I-I….” ______ stuttered, watching as Glamrock Freddy began leaving as well. “W-Wait! Freddy, y-you believe me, d-don’t you?!” he pleaded, watching as the bear stopped and shot him a cold glare.

“Maybe it would be best if you just left, ______.” Glamrock Freddy said, leaving. Tears began streaming down ______’s face, mixing with the cake and icing that was still there. His rays folded back in fear as Moonbeam stepped right in front of him and leaned over him.

“You know, most Moons do bad things under the guise of ‘protecting their Suns’, but I’m not going to sugarcoat my thoughts: YOU. SHOULD NOT. EXIST. I should’ve honestly deleted you ages ag-” Moonbeam was cut off as he was grabbed and shoved away towards the door, stumbling.

“THAT’S ENOUGH. MOONBEAM…. LEAVE, NOW….” growled a deep voice. Moonbeam sneered, but turned and left. _____ sniffed, then jumped slightly as a black and yellow clawed hand was held out to him, citrine eyes looking up to meet honey-colored ones.

“A-Annular….” he sniffed, the eclipse model smiling softly at him.

“Come on bud….. let’s get you cleaned up….”

“My god… your brother was horrid, as were the others….” Ruin said, feeling rage rising in them at hears how Dark Sun had been treated. “They sound just like how Solar described Io….”

“Moonbeams was worse than Io….. Io at least cared about his brother, and most of the abuse he hurled at Solar had been verbal rather than physical….” Dark Sun said, still staring at the floor. Ruin frowned and gently placed a comforting hand on Dark Sun’s shoulder.

“You had an ally though….. this…. ‘Annular’, as you called him….” Belladonna said, smiling.

“Yes…. Annular was my dimension’s Eclipse… he…. He was my best friend, and he’s the one who introduced me to…. To my first love….” Dark Sun said, a sad smile on his face as he recalled that fateful day.

“A-Are you sure about this, Annular? W-What if Moonbeam f-finds out we used the portal?!” ______ asked, looking around to make sure his brother wasn’t around.

“I’ll handle Moonbeam if it comes down to it….. YOU are going to another dimension to relax….” Annular said, typing on the computer and smiling as he input some code. “I know how much you love the ocean and all the animals in it, so I found a nice ocean dimension to send you to….” he added, hitting thew ‘Enter’ button and grabbing his friend’s hand.

“I-I don’t know…..” ______ said, frowning as he was led towards the ballpit.

“Trust me, you’ll love it….” Annular said, positioning ______ at the edge of the ballpit before pushing him in with a grin. “Have fun!”

______ gasped as he stumbled through the portal and out of….. a cave? He blinked as he looked up at the clear star-studded sky above him. What kind of dimension had Annular sent him to? He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of waves nearby, following it to find a rocky beach and an ocean as far as the eye could see.

“W-whoa….” he said, looking around in awe. He slowly made his way to the water, deciding to sit on a rocky outcropping to watch the waves. He found it calming, and eventually he closed his eyes as he found himself relaxing for the first time in…. Well, forever. He took a deep breath of salty sea air, frowning at hearing a large splash next to his spot. He slowly opened his eyes…. And found himself staring into a pair of coral-colored ones.

“O-OH!” he jumped back slightly, shocked. Leaning back he got a good look at the owner of the eyes, his simulated breath catching in his throat. The being in front of him was some sort of Moon, but they were clearly no animatronic; their body was covered in white-spotted greyish-blue scales, a long tail replacing their legs and ending in a reddish-orange fin, matching fins on his forearms and a long lure-like appendage hanging from their head. They being seemed to study him, then grinned to reveal a couple of rows of sharp teeth.

“Um…. H-hello? I-I’m not here to cause any trouble, i-in case yor were thinking that….. I-I was just sent here by my f-friend to r-r-relax….. Um….” ______ said, flinching slightly as the being in front of him crawled forward and begin examining him, letting out a series of chirps as they did so. “Um…. I-I’m ______, b-by the way……” he tried again, watching the other carefully as they got very close to his face, frowning at the cooing sound they let out. “I-I’m sorry? I-I don’t understand…. H-HEY!” he yelped as his wrist was suddenly grabbed and the Moon launched backwards into the water, dragging him under with them.

_______ instinctively closed his eyes and held his breath, though after a few minutes he remembered he didn’t actually need to breathe. He hesitantly opened his eyes, which widened as he took in the new underwater world he had been dragged into. A bright yellow glow covered his face when he realized the other being was holding him close by his waist, being gentle while doing so and making sure he didn’t sink.

“Opah!” said a voice, reaching his audials clearly despite the water around them. His attention snapped to his companion.

“W-What?” he asked, his own voice slightly garbled.

“Name is Opah!” the other being said, grinning. And, for the first time in a long time, ______ felt a genuine smile cross his face.

“A mermaid dimension…. Annular sent you to a mermaid dimension, and you fell in love with a mermaid Moon….” Ruin said thoughtfully, smiling.

“Not right away, but after a couple more visits feelings definitely blossomed…. Opah felt the same, as he started bringing me shells and sunken treasure to court me…..I got to meet his Sun…. His Terra and Monty, his Eclipse and Cosmos….. They even had versions of Jack, Solar, and you…. It was nice…..” Dark Sun said, his smile slowly fading.

“It didn’t last, did it?” Ruin asked, frowning.

“SOMETHING HAPPEN?” asked Moondust, tilting his head. Dark Sun didn’t answer right away, but when he did a bit of the old Dark Sun could be seen in his eyes.

“Like I said…. There’s a reason I became the animatronic you met all those months ago…..”

______ happily ran out of the cave, eager to see Opah again. It was a clear, starry night, just like the night they had first met. He reached the edge of the beach…. And froze, his excitement quickly turning into denial and horror.

“O-Opah…?” he quietly asked, his legs shaking as he hesitantly walked over to the mer. He sank to his knees beside him, not caring that his pants were not getting soaked by the glowing blue liquid that surrounded the beached Moon. Tears filled his eyes as he scanned over the various wounds across Opah’s body, the mer’s lifeless coral eyes staring in the direction of the trail ______ had just come from.

“You’re fucking pathetic, you know that?” came Moonbeam’s voice from behind him. ______’s rays shrunk in a bit as his body locked up.

“……. What did you do?” he whispered, his hands starting to shake.

“I got rid of a problem, that’s what…. Did you really think that THING loved you?! Why would anyone love the likes of you?! YOU WILL NEVER BE LOVED, so get used to it!” Moonbeam said, cackling. ______ could feel something new bubbling inside him: pure, unfiltered rage. It only grew when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of oil-soaked yellow rays land nearby.

“Remind me to thank that byproduct Annular for telling me where you’ve been going….. Shame I had to pry that information out of him by force, but oh well…. Come along, baby bro…. Let’s get you back home….” Moonbeam said smugly, turning his back to brother and shrugging. He heard his sunny counterpart stand and begin walking over to him….

What he didn’t see was his brother pick up a large, thick branch from nearby. Next thing he knew, searing white hot pain ripped through the back of his head, soon spreading to the rest of his body before he blacked out.

When he woke up he found himself in a lot of pain, locked inside one of the windowed rooms of Parts and Service. He tried to move but quickly discovered he could only move his head, finding his body was practically destroyed.

“Ah, you’re awake…..” came a familiar, albeit colder and more monotone voice from outside the cell. Moonbeam looked up to find his brother staring down at him with deep garnet eyes.

‘Wait….. his eyes are supposed to be citrine, not garnet…’ thought Moonbeam, trying to speak only for static to escape his voicebox.

“Don’t bother trying to speak….. I damaged your voicebox beyond repair…. I made sure you wouldn’t be able to escape either…..” the sun model said, kneeling down to Moonbeam’s level. His expression was bored, but it still held a level of coldness Moonbeam had never seen in his brother before. “You made me suffer for so long….. now, the shoe is on the other foot, isn’t it?” ______ said, standing and beginning to walk away.

‘Wait, ______! Don’t leave me here!’ Moonbeam thought, more static erupting from his damaged voicebox.

“Oh, by the way, thank you for that intelligence chip of yours…. I’ll be sure to put it to good use while I deal with the others…..” ______ said before exiting the room, leaving Moonbeam alone in the darkness.

“You broke and beat your brother to near death….. because he killed the two people you held closest to your heart….” said Ruin quietly, their rays lowering slightly. Dark Sun nodded, unshed tears in his eyes.

“I… I haven’t been back to Opah’s dimension…. Not since I returned his body to his pod the last time I was there….” Dark Sun said, his hands clenched in his lap.

“And…. Your friend?” Belladonna asked cautiously.

“His…. Pieces are back in my pocket dimension…. I didn’t want to lose him in the Collapse, s-so I put him there until I could give him a proper funeral and burial…. Excuse me a moment….” Dark Sun said, grabbing his cane and getting up before heading towards the cave entrance. Ruin reached after him, sighing as the sun disappeared from their sight.

“Dark Sun….. I’m so, so sorry…..”