Pin, Fries, and Coiny stare at each other, none of them daring to speak.

Suddenly, Fries spun towards the other direction, and Pin staggered onto her feet, fear in her voice. There's a blind panic that clouds the atmosphere, and it stunned Coiny with a blinked confusion. He stared at Fries and Pin, and their desperate attempts to outrun one another. After all this time he didn't know why he was here.

He knew this was a possibility, since the day he recovered her. He missed Pin, but this- he wasn't ready. He thought he'd be able to handle it, as he spent countless nights convincing himself that the others would move on.

Yet, here they were; exposed, without a plan to fall back on. Coiny whispered a silent plea for forgiveness, then started running. It wasn't long until Pin heard his footsteps, and she glanced back at him.

"Grab whatever you can- we're taking him down!" Her voice may have been her own, but her words carried a daunting reminder of the past. He knew it shouldn't have been, but somehow that was more terrifying than the outcome that'd play if Fries made it back to the city.

Glancing around, Coiny forced his questions into the back of his throat. He grabs whatever he can, and his eyes dart around the ring of trees that stretch endlessly around the forest. The trees taunted him, threatening to expose his misdeeds to the world that he could soon be exiled from. Every single one of them carried his secrets. And now someone was threatening to spill them.

Clutching the assortment of sticks and stones in his left arm, he took off, rocketing through the disorienting maze of trees.

Coiny came to recognize the path home very well, but enough had taken place to throw his mind out of the window.

The only images that claimed a faint recognition in his mind was that of Pin.

Pin.

He eventually catches up to their pace. Fries barreled down the path, with Pin's hands outstretched to try and grasp at his flailing movements. He stumbled, forcibly regaining his balance as her fingers desperately clawed mere inches away from his back.

And that's when the memories break through the barren floodgates of Coiny's mind. Suddenly, he's back in the garden. Cemented into the soil with the same pair of hands bringing down a damned trowel, driving it into Fries's back. Terror struck Coiny's spine like a lightning bolt, and his feet flew down the forest ground as he scrambled after them.

"GUYS," he cried. "FRIES, PIN- STOP RUNNING!" His words fell on deafened ears, and he continued to plead despite the burning of his throat. "STOP!"

Coiny drew nearer to Pin, swiftly passing her and Fries when he swerved to the left. Pin's body slammed against Coiny's with a brute force that resulted in the breath being knocked out of the coin creature. Pin's shivering forced him to ignore the pains that amplified through his muscles, and before he could have a chance to say her name, a pair of arms ripped Pin away from him, dragging her back and forcibly pinning her (lol) against the back of a tree. Fries managed to grab one of Coiny's rocks, and without hesitation, he trained it over Pin's throat, pressing it harder with every slowing second.

Instinctively, Coiny stepped towards her with a hoarse gasp, but a direct glare from Fries forced him back into his place. He raised his quivering arms, letting the remaining stones fall from his grasp in order to show that he was harmless. It had been a brief moment since he had taken a good look at Fries; their last interaction left them off on a sour note, and whilst Coiny had been blessed with the opportunity of moving forward, the others had not. He could see this from the bags underneath Fries's eyes. The scars on his body screamed their permanence, and despite the exhaustion that rattled through his system, his eyes were haunted with terror and rage.

"Don't move.." were the only words that Coiny could manage, and Pin pressed herself further against the tree.

But it seemed like Fries wasn't having it. "SHUT IT," he yelled. "Stay AWAY from me- or I'll KILL YOU TOO." Kill. The word made Pin flinch, yet she shoved the fear down as the rock pressed harder against her throat. "FRIES, PLEASE!" Coiny's heart raced at the sight.

"YOU KNEW- ALL THIS TIME, YOU KNEW?!"

"I-I JUST- I WANTED HER BACK!"

For a second, the recognizable grief seeped through Fries's words. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"NOBODY LISTENED TO ME FRIES! I COULDN'T- THIS WAS MY DECISION! SO LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"No way," Fries growled, pressing the stone harder against Pin. "If I'm going to do this- I'm going to make sure she knows exactly what it felt like."

Pin's pupils tightened at his words. As much as she wanted to thrash, to scream and push him away, her body had rooted itself into the tree. Unable to move, as if any energy had been zapped out of her, she could only stare at the unfolding situation in front of her, his words seeping through the cracks of her broken heart. Her breath had been held, and she realized how much of a trickster time itself could be.

Could the others sense this? Everything seemed to freeze, and the eyes of the past were now fixed onto this very moment. Pin- the one responsible for the massacre of Yoyle City- now laying at the hands of a victim who's fury convinced him that he had nothing to lose. "F-Fries," she tried to plead, but it resulted in the rock jabbing harder against her throat.

Fries's eyes narrowed with rage. "What," he uttered, "Are you trying to beg for your life here?"

The world falls into the wretched hands of the past, and suddenly, Pin can no longer take in any familiarities from the world around her. All she could recognize was the fury that roared from Fries's pupils, and the words that left here were, "I'm not."

"Come on. I know you don't want to die- surely it'd be much kinder than what awaits you after death. Just ask! Give me a reason as to why I shouldn't kill you."

Rather than being met with a response, the stinging sound of silence boiled a rage that slumbered at the core of his soul. He shoved Pin's body further against the tree, watching her writhe at the growing pressure on her back.

"COME ON!" His shout broke through gritted teeth. "I BEGGED FOR MY LIFE- DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! I WON'T HESITATE TO KILL YOU-AND YOU KNOW THAT!"

"I know. You don't like it, huh."

Pin's words take Fries back. "LIKE WHAT," he snapped.

"Not begging for my life... trust me. I was in your shoes at one point."

He struggled to contain any composure; from the way his hand trembled, tightening around the rock as it pressed deeper into Pin's throat. She swore she could feel the layers of her flesh tearing so painfully slow, but it didn't matter.

She didn't matter.

"Do it..." Pin whispered, "..If you want to kill me.. just do it. It's in your hands now. I am done running."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Fries's lips tighten. What was he waiting for?

"It's what she wants... for all of us to go insane..." Her eyes dim as memories rose from the shallow grave of her mind. "...To kill each other... Using nothing but our weaknesses against us. You'll kill me... and then you'll kill Coiny... you'll claim that your anger was the reason... and what's next?" She stared at his trembling hand. "Nothing.. Just a cursed cycle, where we all die by each other's hands. And no matter what it will never stop- she will never stop. She'll wait, until we all drop like flies. One.. by. One."

Words that poured endlessly out of her mouth. While she didn't want to feel the harsh embrace of death once more, she couldn't find any reason for her to stay. But it only fueled the flames of chaos, as Fries was already digging the stone deeper into her throat. She could hear Coiny yelling out in fear, only for Fries to shoot him another nasty glare. But even as she was flinching at the swelling pressure at her throat, she continued. "We used to be friends.. why can't you see that..?"

"I would be able to see clearly, if it weren't for all of the blood on your hands," he snapped. "Because of you, I've had to deal with countless nightmares of everybody I knew dying right in front of me. Because of YOU.... I can't find myself trusting anybody- because all that ever came out of that mouth of yours was LIES."

Oh. How his words stung like the flames of hell. With a sharp inhale, Fries was preparing to drive the damned rock through Pin's throat, until she spoke again.

"Do you want the truth?" she uttered, her eyes narrowing towards him. "Here- why don't I show it to you."

"Wh-"

One swing, and her knee drove straight into Fries's stomach. A grunt found its way through his hollowed throat, and when his hand sank from her throat, Pin tackled Fries to the ground. Coiny stepped back in shock, but he forced himself to run towards the two, grabbing at Fries's arms.

"W-What are we going to do?!" the coin creature asked with a quivering voice. "He could tell everyone!"

Pin shook her head. "I won't let him."

"How?!"

Silence. Ignoring the foul words that spewed from Fries's tongue, Pin looked to the side, snatching the stone that the object had threatened her with.

"It might take some convincing.." Pin found herself whispering. Horrified, Coiny shook his head, unable to try and let the scene play out before him.

"No- y-you can't Pin! There's got to be another way!"

"Do you think he'll listen?"

...

Any remaining scream of defiance had been knocked free from Fries's lungs, and she raised the stone, preparing to bring it down with all of her might. Anger fizzed into a blinding panic, as Fries now thrashed beneath the two, desperately trying to escape the damned fate that awaited him.

It was only when her eyes caught onto the shimmering surface of his watering eyes that made her blood run cold. It took an incredulous amount of effort to try and make the poor guy cry, yet seeing the way his body trembled, with his eyes now flooding with tears of pure terror made Pin's blood run cold.

The bitterness of the past trickled down her mind, and for a second, she found herself back in that garden.

That cave.

The day where it all went downhill.

"B-Back to your old ways, huh..?!" Fries hissed, sorrow radiating through his aching throat. "What... you're just going to kill me again..!? Nice change you've made here.. Pin."

Fear struck her back like a lightning bolt. Instantly, the rock slipped free from her hands as she frantically hopped off of Fries's body, now terrified of hurting him like she had before. With her now freeing him, and with Coiny's hands loosening from Fries's wrists, he drove his fist straight into Coiny's jaw, sending him backwards as he cried out in pain. He wasted no time, immediately turning and shoving the thumbtack back to the ground, forcing her head into the purple grass beneath them as he grabbed the stone.

"So much for your truths," he snapped, feeling her body crumble beneath his. "Any other lies you have up your sleeve..?!"

"..I hate you."

Hate. Blinking, Fries glanced down at Pin, his eyebrow tilting upwards. "..What."

"I hate all of you," Pin murmured through gritted teeth. "But you.. I hate you so much, sometimes I hope you drop dead. I... I'm sorry, but what more can I say- you guys didn't think you were the only ones who had nightmares, did you?

Fries's eyes narrowed. "Why would you have any nightmares? You were the monster here- you had no reason to be afraid."

"You wouldn't understand."

Pressing her head forcefully against the soil, Pin's eyes squeezed shut in discomfort as Fries's confusion sparked into anger. "Understand?!" he shouted. "You had no reason to kill us!"

"No reason?! I have so many reasons, they wouldn't be able to fit on every finger on ALL OF OUR HANDS COMBINED," Pin yelled. No longer caring about her own life, the unbridled rage that she thought she had lost so long ago, now bloomed like the first rose of spring, its petals of wrath unfurling and releasing its rage through every corner of Pin's soul. Slowly, she struggled in Fries's hold, trying to get him off as he glared down at her in disbelief.

"Excuse me?!" he snapped. "Back at it with the hand jokes, ARE YOU."

Pin laughed. "You all saw me as a joke."

"I SAW YOU AS A FRIEND, PIN!"

"Then why didn't you stop it?!"

"Stop WHAT."

Perhaps, if their circumstances had been different, Pin could've shared everything that happened to her. From the nightmares, to the wretched voice of Scarlet herself, her reasons would find themselves to ears that, for once, listened to her, and understood the conflict she was imprisoned in.

But when her mouth opened, a faint whisper brushed against the back of her mind. And Evil Leafy's figure flashed through the trees in the distance.

'I wouldn't say anything if I were you.'

'Remember. Keep Scarlet's existence hidden. Keep my plans away. And WE make sure they remain untouched.'

'You tell them... and we make sure they never come back.'

Never.

Never...

"Please," Pin whispered, fighting the tears that stung at the center of her eyes. "I-..I just.. want it all to stop.."

Fries rolled his eyes. "Oh don't start with that. I know what you're trying to do- and it's NOT GOING TO WORK-"

"You could've prevented this."

"ENOUGH WITH THE GUESSING GAMES PIN! BE SPECIFIC FOR ONCE!"

Specificity? Fine. She'd offer it. A deep scowl stretched across her scarred face, her voice snapping like the claws of a crustacean that had climbed from the deepest pits of hell.

"Don't you remember? BFDIA? The season everybody fawns over, the times that everyone can enjoy recalling?"

There were a plethora of topics that the thumbtack might have brought up. Practically anything else to try and structure a poor excuse for her actions. But hearing the name of the game show crushed the remaining patience in Fries. "Not this again Pin," he grunted, "We were just-"

"You could've stopped it. Anyone could've, really. Throughout the entire season, I was mistreated in one way or another- having limbs removed was one thing, but oh, that's when my face was taken away from me!"

Her laughter filled the forest that surrounded them. Such a broken laugh, it sent a wave of discomfort to the boys that stood beside Pin, taking in the words she had kept hidden for quite some time. 

Coiny carefully reached for her, placing a hand on hers to try and soothe the emotions that erupted from her soul. "Pin..-"

"And then?! Hah, my entire SIZE! MY BODY!"

"IT WAS ALL FOR THE GAME, PIN!" Fries shouted, his hand lifting from her wrists as he slapped it over his head. "I- We had no idea!

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE GAME, FRIES! NOT NOW, AND NOT ANYMORE! Despite pushing myself through that god forsaken season, I STILL WANTED- NO, PRAYED- FOR SOMEBODY, ANYBODY TO STOP THE HELL THAT I WAS FORCED TO LIVE THROUGH. Maybe you saw me with a smile on my face, but I knew so LITTLE about what was to come. I was a fool- an idiot. Heh- even when Needle recovered me, she was thrilled that the recovery of my inanimate form meant less cranking for her! How considerate! How... revealing."

How long had it been since Pin allowed herself to be angry? That, she didn't know. But it had been quite some time since she felt the relief of letting these emotions slip free from the chamber that was locked away, hidden in the shadows of shame that remained in every crevice of her mind. She caught her breath, her hands pricking at her arms as Coiny carefully pulled her away.

"Pin.." he whispered, caressing the side of her face. "Hey... I'm here.."

"..Do you remember that day, Coiny?" she questioned hoarsely. "When I finally managed to reach out to you?"

The day he went to the center of the Earth for Pin. Why, the memory drew out a faint chuckle from him. "How could I forget..? After all that time- hearing your voice, it was like-"

"That day when our efforts were for nothing."

"I-.. what..?" Confused, Coiny turned to face the thumbtack he had grown to love again. But for the first time, her gaze didn't meet his- instead, they were locked into dead air, staring straight ahead... almost like.. "Pin..?"

"Despite everything we tried to do- our work to undo the fate that I was trapped in- it was all for naught."

"But we-"

"Coiny, you and I went to the DEPTHS OF THE EARTH to get my old self back!"

"I-I know!"

"And when you brought me back- it was almost like looking at Heaven itself- I-I finally had a sense of my limbs, my face, everything that I had lost was at the reach of my fingertips! I was at the doorstep of the reality that I had taken for granted, and with you pulling me up to freedom, I felt my anger falling back into the Hell I was trapped in. I was ready to grow, to change, to appreciate the little things that I didn't care to think about- that sense of normalcy was right IN FRONT OF ME! But then.. it was lost. Gone. Forced back into the prison of my own, useless body. They had taken everything from me... and it was right then and there when I lost the last bit of hope I had."

The words spilled like a broken faucet, her words flooding the forest as all eyes were locked on her. This was beyond Scarlet and Evil Leafy, beyond everything that had happened. It was what fueled her when that damned trowel was in her hands.

An anger that was brought back, ten fold.

Now, Fries was at a loss for words. The anger that once drowned him from any sympathy simmered into something unfathomably foreign, he never imagined he'd come to feel it towards her.

Guilt.

"Pin.. you know I would've helped you, I.. it was just-"

"-Yes yes, I know. The game," Pin snapped, his words shutting into dead silence. "Always the game... and never about me."

Fries scowled. "That's not what I meant. And you know that," he said.

"I wish I could believe you, Fries. But nobody helped- NOBODY- except for Coiny. It was always Coiny who considered me, who listened to my thoughts and offered me the freedom to make my own choices... but in the end, it was only him. And even he reached his limit, the very day I killed you. He... he chose to kill himself.. rather than try and help."

Fries's eyes widened, and as he immediately turned to face Coiny, he watched as the coin-creature's hand clutched the damned scar on his chest, his copper-colored eyes turning down in shame.

"That was because I didn't know, Pin," he whispered.

And he was right. He didn't. None of them would ever have the chance to know what she had gone through.

What she was forced to do.

Because now she was banished, exiled into the reality that she knew she deserved. But, she'd admit, it was selfish of her to crave the normalcy that once was the past. She wished she was back in the city, freed from the shackles of her sins and left to enjoy her existence with the people she cared deeply for.

To this day, she wondered how they were all holding up after everything. After the fire. After her murders.

But she had to let go.

"..I went through so much in BFDIA. And then when we came to Yoyle City..? I thought it'd be a fresh start- a chance for me to leave all of this behind. But then the nightmares happened.. my sleep paralysis.. and even then.. I was brushed aside. Told that it would only happen once, and never again. From the beginning, everybody was against me- I was kidnapped and locked in Freesmart's basement for DAYS, and it took you all SO LONG to try and find where I was! Hah, was anybody even looking?! Were you even looking for me, Fries?! Did you even notice that I was GONE?!"

The song of silence was a melody that Pin had grown quite sick of. Even as she noticed Fries's baffled expression, she mentally sorted through the reasons as to why he should let her live.

But there was nothing.

Perhaps death could treat her kinder than the brute that was reality.

....

No.

The eyes of the two she had come to care for stay tight on her, as she let her hands lower from her neck. She grabbed Fries's hand and shoved the rock against it, pressing it against her skin as she didn't break the eye contact she had.

"I am not what you make of me, Fries. I'm more than what everybody says. For my entire life, I was treated like some sort of joke- my existence in this show was a running gag to everybody around me. I know what I did was unforgivable- I wish I could take back all of the pain that I had caused, and I wished it could have somehow brought us all closer- but what's done, is done. There's no saving me now... there never was."

Feeling Coiny's hands clinging onto hers, she pulled away, letting herself settle in front of Fries.

"If you want to kill me... do it. Make it quick. But when it all happens again- and believe me.. it will happen again.. I only want you to remember the feeling of my blood on your hands. Maybe it will be as permanent and haunting as your blood is, on mine."

"Pin..?" Coiny replied, confused at her words. Instinctively, he took a step towards her direction, his hands fumbling to try and pull her away from Fries's path.

Fries stood over the two. And his confusion burst into panic.

Whilst the sun helped the brilliant hue of the Yoyle Forest pop into life, Pin only had a moment to see Fries's rock hurling towards her, and her eyes shut tightly, the world going black in her final moments.

She didn't have the chance to make a noise.

The sky.

All anybody can see here is the sky.

It's hard to breathe. I can't. There's too many sensations for me to point out, but the only thing I can feel is betrayal.

I was happy.

Everything I had asked for had come to fruition. It came to be.

My girlfriends. They saw me. They finally noticed me and they told me that they loved me.

Was that too much to ask for? Was it an unforgivable sin to want to be seen, for once in my life?

I feel things crawling around. Chewing through my pages. Burrowing in the flesh of my throat. I think they're eating through my tongue.

It hurts.

We can hear each other.

I remember how hard Saw cried when she saw me.

But the others... quiet.. Too quiet.

Saw... can you hear me?

......

I helped paint you. I helped give you your periwinkality... and when you asked me how it looked... all I could think was so.. You.

You were my world... my everything.. Do you remember that day? Can you remember it? Even through this pain, I can. I hope I still can.. it's getting hard to.. Remember..

...

She wishes she could hear Gaty. But she's resting with the maggots now.

My friends.

Balloony cannot speak. Neither can Snowball.

I know.

Blocky...

..Is she near.

I hope not... how has he-

He hasn't said a word. But I can't care anymore. This pain. It's... I..

I know, Blocky.

...

Grassy keeps telling me he's safe.

Safe..? He was as silent as can be..

Not all the time. I still.. I can still hear him crying too. Listen.

Blocky-

Listen.

...

M-Ma.. ma...

...

Sa..fe.. home... safe...

...

Don't tell me he's-

He says.. We are home.

...

Tree says we are home. Book.. is this home. Is this safety. I thought I'd hear him asking for Bottle.. But no..

No.

Sometimes I hear him.. Singing. Grassy usually goes quiet when he hums.

Blocky...

Book.

Please. We can't... we can't give in.

This pain is the only thing we will ever come to know.

Blocky..

Just ask Tree. Oh wait... I don't think we can. All he does is smile now.

I remember seeing that.

He's saying the same thing. Safety. Home.

Home...

...

Oh.

She's drawing near.

She's back.

SHE'S BACK.

Please don't make me go back to the silence.

Please don't make me go.

Please.

Please.

Bubble.

Can you see us now..?

I'm back...

Every time she steps into the garden, Bubble loses track of time. She stayed until the stars made their presence known, the quiet winds of the afternoon creeping through hushed leaves that attempted to block the damning sight around them.

She didn't want to come back. Not after the sins she had committed. All she wanted was to stay in the clubhouse, with Fanny by her side, and help the friends she held so near and dear to her heart. But Scarlet had other plans, and she had to return to gather what she needed.

Maybe it wasn't Scarlet's doing. For the urge to see her grew with every passing second, but when could Bubble ever tell when a thought was of her own?

Today, the usual groans and wheezing fell quiet. It was worse when she carried the two new corpses into her garden; Blocky's welcome filled the garden with a sound that Bubble hadn't heard in quite a while.

His blood may have never stopped, but when Grassy noticed his second father being dragged in as a mangled, bloody mess, his screams returned, accompanied by the hollowed wails that could make any object crumble. Poor thing still didn't grasp the realization of his missing hands, as he reached for the wooden block, wailing intelligible nonsense to try and get his attention.

This resulted in Blocky trying to thrash out of Bubble's grip with whatever remaining strength he had. Bubble had to swallow the nausea that swelled in her stomach, as the nauseating wheezes broke through his open face, his jaw twitching with every noise that erupted from him.

Maybe he tried to force her to put him by his son's side. Or maybe he realized that this was where his son had been, with a fate that was left for him to imagine.

After all, he couldn't see. His imagination, alongside Grassy's cries, were enough to make him fear for the state of his kid.

Bubble watched as Blocky's stump twisted, brushing against Snowball's ever so gently. Not like he knew it was him who was doomed to that spot anyways.

One could tell Snowball and Blocky were meant to be. The flowers they both grew intertwined with one another, red tulips and snowdrops sharing their auras together.

It's a shame they couldn't make the other out, though.

She took her time when it came to Blocky's spot; finally having the chance to sharpen her trowel, he now sat limbless, right in between Grassy and Snowball. So far, the flowers that bloomed from the family filled the metallic bubble with ease, a sweetened scent overpowering the damning smell of death that surrounded her.

It kept her here. That small piece of her soul- stitched to a world that she was quickly losing her grip on.

Walking past the three, she approached a familiar rose bush, right before she knelt down. She takes a second to compose herself, as her voice warbles when she tells the object, "You're going to be okay."

The familiar sight of green and blue brought tears to Bubble's eyes. She lingered when she carefully embraced Book's body, her lip quivering as she still felt the warmth from her friend's body.

Despite her commands, Bubble wanted to give Book one of the more comforting spots in the garden. A small patch where epiphyllums grew, and a fragment of the sky pierced through the darkness, letting her gain the ethereal hugs from the sun's rays.

It unfortunately didn't spare her; for Bubble forced herself through cutting her arms and legs off. Her hands now bloomed with Saw's, and the bed of epiphyllums began to snake around the guidebook's body, keeping her a part of, what she once saw as, her friend's creation.

Bubble wanted to keep it that way. But that's when she blanked out, and upon her own return, she noticed the anchoring nails that pierced through Book's spine. It kept her body straightened upwards, and her innards steamed from its exposure within the air- until they twitched.

'I always thought her scraps would do good for the garden... but I think she works better off as a tombstone. Dont'cha think, dear?~'

As much as she wished she could roll her eyes, she held back. Her heart was met with another wave of grief as a disgusting gargle oozed from Book's mouth, and this now left her in the spotlight of their tragic waltz. She had to say something. Anything.

But what was there to say..? She gave her up. Threw her aside as if she were nothing.

Two times in a row...

...

"A-Are we still froinds, Book..?" Bubble whispered under her breath. Her eyes peeked into Book's gutted throat, her flesh twitching and throat opening and closing with every breath she took.

To her dismay, Bubble's arms slipped free as a few bugs crawled from the exposed flesh, covered in pieces of Book's pages. Others slithered out, with blood dripping from their legs before slinking right back into her wound.

She's still warm. A warmth that flooded Bubble's mind with the memories of the past, when they had both endured the hell of Scarlet's first massacre. She told herself that no matter what, she wouldn't put Book through that nightmare ever again. Even if Scarlet chose her, she'd find a way to keep her safe, to keep her from ever getting hurt.

...But here she was.

Wrong.

Bubble straightened herself out, drawing in careful breaths to wash away the grief that creeped in her chest. She could only muster up the strength to give her friend one last look, before trailing away from the garden, disappearing into the darkened void of the forest.

Screams of terror begin to flood through the lab.

Some grief found its way out of their vocal chords, but for others, it drowned any possible noise that they wished to make- for they are silenced by the daunting fear that has paralyzed their aching souls.

Trembling in place, Golf Ball found herself repeating the words over and over. Unable to scream, or plead for her safety, it came out like a broken record:

It's happening again.

Even if she were to scream, would anyone be able to hear it? The pain that comes hand in hand with the responsibility of looking after every individual in the city? She wished she could tell, especially as the uproar continued throughout the room she stood in.

Frantic questions and plans of actions unraveled left and right.

"W-We need to RUN!!" Gelatin shouted, biting at his nails as he pressed his back against the wall. "We can't STAY HERE!"

"Oh yeah?! Look at what happened to us when WE said the same thing!" Even from a distance away, Bomby was quick to snap back at him, desperately clinging onto his own wrists.

"You guys weren't even HERE!!"

"And when we came back, S-SHE-"

"We're all going to die again.." Nickel's panicked laughter cut Bomby's words into silence. Shocked, the bomb quickly held the coin in a tight embrace, shutting his eyes tightly as if he were attempting to wake from a dreaded nightmare he had experienced, over and over again.

Yet, with one blink, he was still here. All of them were. Their words buzzed with maniacal terror, with Spongy demanding that they find a way to capture whoever was doing these killings, and Woody's gibberish pleading for his own life.

Bottle had to fight through her own grief to try and alleviate him. After all, she and Pie were the first to offer a helping hand to him; they helped him grow from the scars he had, and found ways to deal with the anxiety that he faced a constant battle with.

But now, she realized all of her time spent searching was for naught. She never believed that Tree would simply up and leave the city without a proper goodbye, and although the glass bottle knew it was a selfish afterthought, she wished that could've been the case.

Anything would've been better than the reality that hit now.

When Pie noticed Bottle's trembling, she tried to pull her aside, but her hands were shaken off of her. The questions and demands continued.

"What are we going to do?!" screamed Needle.

"We HIDE! What else is there to do?!" Cloudy shouted.

"We've tried hiding once- w-we won't EVER DO IT AGAIN!" Pencil interjected.

Not one question carried any concern for the names that had fallen into the bloodied soil below. The victims.

Their friends. Their family.

Family.

Oh.

Snapping free from her feared trance, the sports ball turned to try and find the sight of her own family. It didn't take her a second for her eyes to find Rocky, who was carefully climbing into Basketball's embrace, desperately trying to soothe his sobbing aunt.

It made Golf Ball's heart sink. He shouldn't have been here- how she wished he could've stayed in his room. Every step she took towards the two dragged her deeper into the quicksands of regret- from the fights she had with Basketball, to the distance she had forced between Rocky and Tennis Ball.

Nothing would be able to take that back. But she had to do something.

Anything.

She didn't want to realize her love in the very last moments of her life.

But that's when she passes the table. Crayons and paper were scattered amongst its surface, with Rocky's drawings covering the blinding whites of the sheets. She couldn't stop herself from looking down, to see what the little one had been up to before the news revealed itself.

Rocky's drawing of her with a hero's cape was the final stone that shattered her guilt-ridden heart.

For she brought no salvation.

His missing leg was enough to prove it. As well as those recalled medicine bottles that sit in a damned box, in the far corner of the room.

All the while, Basketball was unable to take in a proper breath. Panic forced the sobs free from her burning lungs, and her body shook too wildly for her to hold Grass-

No.

No, no.

No.

She didn't want to think. How she wished she could tune out from the prison of her own mind.

Her son.

Her girlfriend.

Gone.

All because of a cycle she had pushed away from the start.

"I-.. I shouldn't have let them go.." were the only words that Basketball managed to speak, before her sobs broke through the weakened barriers of her own heart. Through her snivels, she felt Rocky nudging against her, letting her rest her tear-coated face against the top of his head.

Yet, it was a gesture like this that made Golf Ball's attitude return. She rushed towards the two, trying to pull the little one away from Basketball's sickly self.

"Rocky- why on EARTH are you doing that?!" she scolded. "Don't you see that we're in a serious situation?! You shouldn't even be near-"

"Basketball needs help too," Rocky demanded, "...Grassy always told me to be helpful. I want to help now."

Maybe Rocky didn't know how to process the news. Maybe he was doing so to keep himself from panicking, from causing any more stress to the objects around him. But no matter how hard he tried to keep himself cool, tears trickled down his face as the faint image of Grassy flickered through his mind.

There was something damning about the way Rocky acted. From what she could remember, he was never one to put ANY effort into the plans that she had made. Hell, she recalled the very moment where he kicked Tennis Ball away- simply because he scolded him for not knowing how to write! Come on. They both made it work. He had to as well. Yet, watching as the shorter one quietly eased Basketball's sobs was nothing short of foreign to her.

After everything- the nightmares, the trauma, the reminders of what would never go away- it was supposed to be him who received the comfort. He now knew that this damn cycle was repeating all over again, and from the look in his eyes, Golf Ball knew that he pieced Grassy's disappearance together.

But despite the fear in his eyes, he gently pressed himself against Basketball, a soft squeak emitting from his throat as the sports ball held him tightly in her grasp. It was silly... she held onto Grassy a little tightly like that, yet he had still fallen from her hold.

It was in Golf Ball's nature to get her family back to her feet. This was no time for tears, as there were objects who needed their help out there. Hell, she was close to berating her prima for bawling so loudly, but with every wail that crashed upon her 'ears,' it washed a haunting familiarity that she had desperately tried to forget.

When Golf Ball lost Rocky, she didn't find herself breaking at the mere news. It struck her more as time went on, and the grief that crushed the smaller scientist was something so daunting, that she was sure it would never leave her psyche. She knew. And from how it was all taking place.. Golf Ball couldn't imagine what the little guy was suffering through.

"G-Golf Ball," Tennis Ball's voice interrupted her thoughts. "How are we going to-"

Small steps led Golf Ball away from her lover. Confused, he watched as she approached his cousin, staring at her with an expression that was far too little for him to decipher. It took Basketball a few seconds, pathetically wiping her tears as her eyes glanced towards the scientists direction. But what threw her off was when GB gave her a nudge, 'hugging' her as tightly as she could.

And Tennis Ball swore, he could hear a faint apology brushing past her lips. Brushing past the group, he quietly sat beside his family, pulling them in for a close 'embrace'.

But not everybody had the same reactions.

"That's it," Needle's voice caught the scientists off guard. Turning, they watched as the taller object cracked her knuckles, angrily wiping the tears that dripped down her petrified face. "I'm not waiting around anymore- We have to DO SOMETHING!"

"What CAN we do?!" Match shrieked. "No matter what we tried, we- w-we were all-"

"That was LAST TIME, MATCH. I've had it up to HERE with this nightmare- whoever's doing this again is going to GET IT!"

"But it CAN'T be happening again!" Taco interrupted, rushing in between the two. "L-Look, I know we're all worried- but what if it's a coincidence?!"

"A COINCIDENCE?! TELL THAT TO MY SCARS, TACO!"

"N-NO, NO! I don't mean it like that- but what if it's something else?! Golf Ball could have easily misplaced her Yoylite- o-or Grassy could have taken it with him!"

"Negatory," Golf Ball uttered, glaring back towards the taco, "There's only a 3.265 percent chance of my own misplacement of such a prized possession. That fragment stayed in that display case for as long as I can remember."

"And how good are you at remembering?" Lollipop snapped. "Just from your Zelatonin mishap, I find it hard to believe that you DIDN'T misplace it."

"Look, I can't apologize enough for the mishap of my own creation. But right now we have a bigger problem in our wake!"

"But what if Taco's right?!"

"Yeah, what IF she's right?!" Firey shouted, carefully helping Leafy back onto her feet. "You could've misplaced the Yoylite GB- why are we assuming that there's someone out there killing people?!"

At his words, everybody turned to stare at the metallic flame in disbelief. Leafy shakily tried to break free from his hold, too shocked to process the words that had left his mouth. "Firey..-"

"NO! Come on, are we just going to assume that somebody's out there killing again?! We can't have this be a mess like last time!"

"But this was EXACTLY how it started, Firey!" The sound of Ice Cube's voice made everybody turn. "When you died, we thought it was an accident! Then Rocky, then Woody- then-"

"Me," Flower interrupted, a scornful glare radiating from her as she held Ruby close.

Being reminded of everything before ripped a new wound into Basketball. She found herself glancing at Bottle, who, in return, was staring right back at her in disbelief.

She couldn't possibly imagine what was going through her mind. And with the illness that riddled through her body, she lost the remaining strength to keep herself calm as a ball of sorrow crashed against her. "A-And I pushed it all aside..." Basketball sobbed. "I knew it from the start.."

Speechless.

Shivering, Ice Cube stood speechless until the realization sank in. To think, they had come by to ensure the safety of her two closest friends, expecting for the day to end with all of them safe in the clubhouse. Heck, she would've been just fine sleeping outside- for she'd have the knowledge that her two closest friends were back home safe.

She should have known better.

Pencil took Match's hands, her thumb caressing the back of them as she shouted over the panic. But her words slipped through one ear, and out the other, as Ice Cube trailed away from the group.

Bracelety was the first to notice. Confused, she reached for her, frowning as her voice stammered out, "Icy..? Icy, what are you-"

"I NEED TO THROW UP!"

Dashing out of the lab, Ice Cube's teeth clenched together as a nauseating feeling swirled in the center of her stomach. Panic seared through her body, fueling her legs to run as fast as objectly (like. Humanly. yeah.) possible. There were faces old and new around her, but it wasn't like she cared.

She couldn't. Not after the news she had learned.

"I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN!" she shouted.

Her lungs burned as she zipped past Barf Bag, who, coincidentally, slammed right into Donut. A grunt broke past his mouth before his eyes snapped towards the little block of ice, narrowing with annoyance.

"HEY!" he yelled. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE-"

"WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE AGAIN!"

Ice Cube zipped by, causing Pen to jump to the side in shock. "WH- SERIOUSLY?!"

"RUN!!" was all Ice Cube could say, and just as quickly as she had appeared, she was out of sight, turning into a corner and running off into the other direction. Pen, who was walking alongside Eraser, stood in plain confusion before shrugging his concern off.

After the smoothie visit, Pen had offered to visit Blocky as much as he could, not wanting to leave him alone with the grief that clouded his friend's line of sight. And, much to Eraser's surprise, he had agreed- inviting the two to come by today for something fun (once he got some proper rest, of course).

So here he was, cradling a few movie CD's in one arm, and a box of popcorn in the other. He had his usual smile that beamed from his face, and Eraser looked up, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Do you think he'll be up for a movie night, Pen..?" he asked.

"Of course!! Seemed like he got some good sleep yesterday- I can feel it!" answered Pen, whose smile only continued to gleam. "Besides, our company's helping him feel better. You saw the way he smiled when we made our smoothies!"

"..It has been a while since he's smiled at all.."

"Exactly! And I got just the movies for the coolest movie night we could EVER do!"

"Please tell me it isn't-"

"GUYS!"

Their conversation was cut short. Turning, the two were greeted with the sight of Basketball, who was quickly catching up with a hoarse cough breaking past her throat.

"Huh? Oh, hey Basket- WOAH. What happened to you?!"

"What's with all the red spots..?" Eraser uttered, taking a hesitant step away from her.

Basketball ignored the gesture, shaking her head as she looked around with concern. "It doesn't matter. Have you seen Blocky?!"

"We're actually going to his place right now.."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "LETS GO."

Silence. The two boys stood still as she scrambled away, simply exchanging a look of pure confusion before she stomped back.

"MOVE IT, YOU TWO."

Immediately, the two obediently followed her demands, and Blocky's house soon came into view. Stepping up the stairs that led to the door, she found her mind trailing away- the grief and illness now sending a numbing static through her veins.

It was enough for Pen to catch on. "Are you sure you're feeling okay, Bee-Ball? I know you've been under the weather lately.." he asked.

"I'm fine. We just.." She drew in a deep breath, stifling a cough through her words.  "..have to get Blocky."

Carefully stepping into Blocky's home, Pen couldn't help but stare at the dots that covered Basketball's body. The scientist was quick to shoot him a glare.

"Do you mind," she uttered.

"Gah- I'm sorry! It's just.. gosh.. it looks like that's really going to leave a mark there.."

"Why don't you stop talking. I don't think I want to lose any more brain cells at this rate."

"Sorry," Pen murmured shamefully.

Behind him, Eraser closed the door and flicked the light switch on. The three slowly made their way through the living room, noting the disheveled state that it had been left in.

"Jeez," Pen uttered, carefully picking up the empty first aid kit from the ground. "Didn't we help him clean the place up..?"

"We did," Eraser whispered with a frown. "...Blocky?"
No response. Worriedly, Basketball found herself trailing to the kitchen, with the two taking her every move.

"Blocky," she called, wincing at the stench that slapped against her nostrils. "Are you-"

The first aid kit fell free from Pen's hands when the blood came to their sights. From the pieces of flesh that were scattered on the ground, to the shards of glass that laid piled on the broken blender, the frigid atmosphere soon filled with the unrecognizable sound of their own screams.

The sounds of Basketball's screams didn't bring Ice Cube back to reality. She continued to run. Not caring that Freesmart was chasing after her, nor for Bracelety, begging her to stay.

All she felt was the overwhelming dread, taunting her, reminding her that her time was-

WHAM.

Ice Cube's thoughts were knocked free from her mind as she ran into the object with full force. Adrenaline shot through her like an arrow of the past, and she scrambled back, shrieking out in terror. Only this time, her shrieks didn't last too long, as her eyes soon met the gaze of the one that had been by her side, through thick and thin.

Bubble.

"Bubb..le..?" Ice Cube wheezed, unable to stop her body from quivering. The metallic soap bubble held her bandaged wounds, and when her eyes trailed to her hands, the voices from the objects she had come to know filled her 'ears'.

"ICY!!!!"

"Wait..."

"No, is that-"

"BUBBLE."

Maybe if she hadn't been tuned out, Bubble's reaction could have been something different. Usually she'd spring at the sound of Fanny's voice, but after everything she endured, her head slowly tilted towards her direction, noting the stream of tears that rushed down her girlfriend's face. For a moment, the world stood still as the two stared at one another, until Fanny stormed towards her direction, throwing her tail around her and tugging her into a tight hug.

"DAMN YOU!" Fanny screamed, repeating the phrase over and over. "Y-You scared me- and I HATE BEING SCARED!"

Despite her words, Fanny sunk into Bubble's arms, her sobs now muffled through her metal chest. "D-Damn you..."

To say that Bubble was relieved was a mere understatement. With a weakened smile, she kissed Fanny's forehead, powering through the aching grief as she held her girlfriend tight.

"O-Oi love you too.."

With this reunion, came many others. The rest of the group went out of their way to try and gather those who weren't aware of the situation, warning them of the terrors that were yet to come. Despite Lollipop trying to calm him, Gelatin sprinted back home to try and warn Fries about the news. Leafy, who was now grounding herself, was slowly pulling a knife out from her back, desperately clutching it with her life.

Now, Firey was used to her methods of defense- he knew how much she had to adapt to when she was forced to survive in the forest- but he didn't expect her to turn towards him, being given a look that reminded him of the night of his own nightmare.

"L-Leafy," he stuttered, "What are you-"

"We don't know who to trust. We have to be careful." The tone of her voice had reduced to a low, menacing hum, her eyes shifting towards the others with fear shimmering beneath the surface. "I can't risk failing again."

"F-Failing..?"

"I'm getting whoever's responsible for this. One way or-"

"FRIES!!"

With one reunion, came another. As Fries silently walked towards the group, he dragged the silent coin creature with him, anger steaming from his very surface. There was something about Coiny's poise that made the others stare withheld breaths, but the tears that crawled down his pale face were enough to comfort them from the possibility.

The possibility of...

"A-Are we really going to die again."

Ruby's voice caught Flower's attention. Quickly, she knelt down, hugging the gemstone as tightly as she could. "No," was all she could say, her eyes immediately finding their way towards Bubble.

Whilst the poor thing practically clung onto Fanny, her eyes locked onto the piece of red fabric that screamed familiarities towards her. Flower's arms began to loosen from the hug, and when Ruby turned to see what she had been staring at, her heart sank to the bottom of the Earth.

"Bubble..?" Ruby's words snapped Bubble free from her trance, forcing her to look away from her girlfriend and straight at the reality that she had caused.

"Ruby.."

"Where's Book..?"

'Oh dear. Remember my advice, dear..~'

"..Oi couldn't- save her." Bubble choked through her tears, her hand clenching on the bookmark that Book had once worn. "Oi'm sorry.."

"DID YOU SEE WHO-"

"Oi d-don't know... OI DON'T KNOW! Oi troied to run away, b-but.. she.. s-she.."

"What do you MEAN?!" Flower roared through her tears. "You're telling me you couldn't SEE WHO IT WAS?!"

"OIT WAS DARK!"

"She's right." Fries interjected, stepping in between the two. "That forest gets dark enough to throw anybody off."

"And how do you know that, salt-sticks?!"

"..I just got back from the place."

'As I've heard... We might need some time to come up with a plan, my dear.'

But won't everybody be onto me..?

'Do you see anybody being suspicious..?'

...I...

'I suppose it's one of the advantages of being so 'weak' to the others. It only means that you're on the bottom of their list...'

Oh..

"I-..Is that.." Ruby's voice cracked through Bubble's mind, her gaze trailing towards the tethered bookmark. With a solemn nod, the metallic soap bubble shakily held out the last remaining fragment of her- the only remaining piece that would ever remain of Ruby and Flower's girlfriend. And the poor gemstone couldn't stop the sudden shriek of guilt that shattered past her aching throat.

But the wails of her teammates weren't enough to break her away from the guilt. Even as Fanny carefully brushed her plug tail into Bubble's palm, she couldn't help but pull away, ignoring the pained look that the electrical fan gave her.

It's funny. When Book found Ruby's shards so long ago, her scream reverberated through all of Yoyle City, convincing her of her friends' demise.

Now, Ruby was cradling a piece of Book. And even if she was cracking from her own screams of pain, Bubble's mind became absorbed by the static that seared through her body, deafening her from the world she stood present in.

'Don't fret it, darling,' Scarlet whispered. 'For it's nothing new~.'

Despite Bubble's frozen state, Needle stomped towards the group, her hands now clenched tightly into fists.

"Ugh- We can't just stay afraid here!" she shouted. "We have to try and come up with a plan!"

"WHAT MORE CAN WE DO?!" Bracelety cried out, gently helping Ice Cube up from the ground. "H-HOW DID YOU GUYS HANDLE THIS LAST TIME?!"

"We all died," Bubble uttered weakly, forcing a panicked cry from Ice Cube. Not hesitating to comfort her girlfriend, Bracelety pouted at Bubble's attitude, gently helping her settle from the panic that quaked through her.

Even with the serene scene that played out, Needle couldn't help but shake her head, tossing a glance towards Teardrop, who was angrily pacing back and forth as she tried to collect her thoughts.

"...We aren't dying," Needle's voice boomed through the air. "Not this time."

"B-But how...?" Flower sniveled.

"We investigate."

With a quick glance, Needle found Pencil as she stepped towards the center of the group, silently adjusting the scarf that was tied over her neck. Confused, Needle tried to speak, but Match stumbled after her, rubbing the back of her own head.

"Pence-Pence..?" she whispered. "What are you-"

"No matter what anybody says- we know there's someone out there doing these killings again," Pencil stated, turning to face the others. "I remember when it was happening for the first time, we managed to catch Pin and keep her locked up for a good while."

"And we were stupid enough to not realize it was her.." Ice Cube murmured, much to Bracelety's dismay.

"ICY- Y-YOU WEREN'T-"

"We WERE!"

"SO AS I WAS SAYING," Pencil shouted over the two, who cowered beneath her as they held onto one another, "We can throw another investigation like we did before. I highly doubt we'd get the wrong person- we just need to round up the people we suspect, and go from there."

"Didn't you guys keep her locked in a basement," Gelatin snapped. The reminder made Fries flinch, and Coiny, who stood beside him, shot a glare at the writing utensil.

"I remember it," He uttered.

"And look- we were RIGHT. So don't tell me we did a crappy job with it!"
As her words settled into the crowd, their breaths were held as they glanced worriedly towards one another. As much as they didn't want to believe it- something in their very cores told them that the vicious cycle was repeating once more. And this time, they couldn't risk losing any more objects.

Not again.

Hesitantly, Bottle stepped towards the group with clenched fists. "...I'm in," she said, her voice riddled with exhaustion and worry. "Whatever it takes to get everybody back."

"Count me in, too," Lollipop exclaimed, her hand instinctively reaching down to hold Taco's. "We aren't going to rest until we find out who's responsible."

"We can't let them go without finding out what happened.." Taco whispered. "...I'm in too."

And soon, agreements harmonized with the winds of the atmosphere; one by one, the recovered agreed to hold an investigation, to see who was truly behind this never-ending carousel of death.

Looking over the crowd, Pencil took in a silent breath. She had learned from her mistakes- and she'd be damned if she made the same mistakes as she did before. She'd make sure they'd pay.

No matter what.

"No matter what.." Fanny's voice caught the writing utensil's train of thought, and as she glanced towards her direction, Match quietly stepped to her side.

"I trust you," she whispered, carefully holding onto her arm. "..but who do you think could be a suspect..? We.. haven't been able to catch on at all..."

Her words fall on the rivers of doubt, but they're washed by the storms of denial as Pencil's eyes fixed onto the couple. She watched as Fanny's plug tail brushed against Bubble's cheek, which in turn, caused the metallic soap bubble to look down, sorrowfully sinking into her embrace.

"We ask around. We look to find anything suspicious. We've done this before," Pencil claimed shamefully, taking Match's hand as her eyes narrowed towards the two. "And we'll gladly do it again."

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bfdia 13 killed my grandma.

that entire dialogue scene with pin was written after i watched the episode. this object show shit SERIOUS

hey guys... long time no see! I'm so sorry for the long wait, I was so sure I would only need a week to regather myself from fear week. But turns out, I was burnt out and exhausted ^^' so my apologies if the writing is a little rusty, getting back into the swing of things took a lot haha

schedule wise.... well, I have no idea. uploads might take a little longer, life gets unpredictable at times and I am still recovering from the very brutal semester i had. college ain't funny i swear

but! not only that, i've got like. two new ideas for object comics. i have to catch up with ten rules, but there's also this!

AND THE MEETUP WAS SO SO FUN. IT WAS SO NICE TO MEET EVERYBODY AAA!!!

anyways, I hope you all enjoy!! I'll see you guys in the next chapter, which is one i've been planning for quite a while ;]

bye guys!

-ice

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"..Thank you, Fries.."

"You'd better learn how to keep a secret, coin-creature."