Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Little Nightmares franchise. All rights respectfully go to Tarsier Studios.

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Mono had described to her the corridor he kept seeing every time the signal called to him to tune the transmission. She found herself in that same corridor, the door at the end opening as she approached. On the other side was the main atrium of the Tower. It became abundantly clear that everything inside the Tower did not abide by the laws of physics and time. Any furniture was severely distorted and sagging. Random objects floated lazily in empty space, as if gravity didn't apply to them.

The odd display aside, Six could faintly hear a song, jovial and upbeat, echoing down from the top of the Tower. It was a song she recognized, one that she heard often from the thousands of TV boxes that had taken over the lives of what used to be the citizens of the Pale City. She wasn't entirely sure what the lyrics were, mentioning a Veronica and a boat rising from the sea. Regardless, the too excited melody always gave her shivers rippling up and down her spine. It was coming from one of the numerous doors of the structure directly ahead of her. It closed as she got closer. A door off to her left opened up, the same tune filtering through. She followed it, bathed in the Tower's magenta glow.

She stumbled on the other side, at the bottom of a staircase leading up to another door. It was similar to other staircases winding above her. This place made no sense whatsoever, but she knew that the song was leading her to Mono. There was no one else it could be. She had yet to glimpse the static that usually hinted the arrival of the Thin Man. Set on her course, she raced up the stairs, entering the portal at the top.

There was a series of repeating corridors and different doors, all designed to confuse her and leave her hopelessly lost. However, she realized that all she had to do was follow the song. She stopped and listened to every door where the melody was coming from, following the sound of it. It grew louder with every level she ascended.

Finally, she reached a corridor with another room at the end, the one where the song was coming from. It stood slightly ajar, more of that magenta light peeking through. She reached the door and slipped through the gap, prepared for what she would find inside. To her surprise, it was different from what she expected. The perimeter was occupied with blank TVs of varying sizes, except for one situated in the center of the room. It was the source of the song she had been hearing. The screen flashed still images of a woman standing in a kitchen, wearing an apron and wielding cooking utensils. Her expression of fake cheer and happiness made Six internally cringe.

As she moved further into the room, she gasped as something emerged from the shadows opposite her. A large, gnarled hand reached for the TV box, dragging it across the wooden floor, scraping lines into it. Long and unnaturally twisted arms hugged the TV close to an oversized body, legs folded uncomfortably underneath him. Six could easily recognize Mono's trenchcoat.

The monster that used to be Mono bent over the TV screen, forming a protective cocoon around it with his body. Tight chains wound snugly around his entire form, one wrist and one ankle encircled in a metal cuff. The chains dragged along the floor as he moved. His head appeared to be enclosed in a giant TV box complete with antennae, the screen filtering out white static. She could occasionally see flashes of an eye and a tall man with a hat in between the static. Otherwise, it was no louder than the TV he was crouched over. His breaths were deep and raspy, indicating how enormous his lungs had grown. The huffing sounded more like an animal.

Six's chest twisted up painfully inside her. This should have been her. She was the one who was supposed to suffer the signal, forcefully distorted into a reflection of her basic instincts. Instead, she had been incompetent and cowardly as a friend, and he was paying for it now. The way he shielded the TV from her made it obvious that it was very important to him. It was also what was keeping him trapped here.

The girl's horrified shock was replaced with heart-wrenching guilt. She carefully tiptoed towards Mono, him eliciting a whine as she got closer. She stopped in the middle of the room, cupping her hand around her mouth to amplify her voice. "Hey!" she called. The monstrous boy's TV head perked up at the sound, his eyes settling on her. To her astonishment, he seemed to recognize her, tentatively scooting his way forward, bringing the TV along with him.

"Mono!" Heavy snuffling and purring suggested he felt comfortable enough to settle in front of her, placing the TV next to them. A twisted hand remained on the top of the box, the boy staring intently down at her, as much as he could stare with a screen as a face. He seemed to want to share whatever comfort he felt with it, which was so like him. The gesture threatened to make Six burst into tears right then and there. "Oh Mono," she lamented, "what have I done to you?"

"Everything, it seems." Six whirled around to face where the voice came from, Mono shrinking away from the sound of it. The Thin Man stood there in his glitchy, staticky form, leaning against the open doorframe, arms folded across his chest. His cold stare held something seething and scornful inside. It was enough to steal the girl's breath. There was so much hatred held in that expression. The kind of hatred that changed someone fundamentally, the result of years of anger and rage brewing underneath the surface. The man's calm demeanor was only a façade meant to hold back the roiling storm of emotions inside.

Mono's captor continued. "I was originally going to take you," he confessed. The admission made her heart shrivel up. "However, an opportunity presented itself and I decided to take it." His fingers erratically started tapping. "This change in events could indicate the end of this tragic cycle. However, that has yet to be proven." His gaze drifted to the monstrous form of Mono, regarding him with more of a sense of pity. "If the loop is broken or not, it doesn't change things. I am not strong enough to block the effects of the Signal. Although, perhaps this could be a... better existence for him."

"A better existence?!" Six repeated, not believing what she was hearing. "How is this," she gestured towards her distorted friend, "a better existence?! You've turned him into something he's not! You were the one who took him, locked him in this stupid Tower to lose his mind! How would that make things better?!"

The man's mouth twisted into a foul frown. "I never expected you to recognize me," he said, tone biting and venomous, "but it's foolish to think I would do this to myself willingly." His stare pierced right through her. "I was protecting him by taking him. Protecting him from you."

The meaning of the man's words gradually connected in her head. The realization was too horrible for her to imagine. Expression twisted with anguish, she addressed the broadcaster. "Mono?"

The Thin Man – Mono – smirked at her, mocking. "The one and only," he replied. Six glanced between this terrifying man and her friend, baffled as to how they could be the same person. He recognized her silent question. "These events have occurred repeatedly for thousands of years. Originally, the broadcaster did take you. I was determined to get you back. I faced off against my predecessor, successfully emerging victorious. I released you from the Tower's hold. And when we were fleeing from the abyss, as the path in front of me crumbled away, I leaped into the void, knowing you would catch me, like every time before. But, as I dangled between certain doom and my salvation, my life in your hands, you didn't pull me up." His withering stare narrowed. "Instead, you let me go."

Six was stunned into silence. Her mind was scrambled with the words she had just heard, begging that the man was lying. But the rational part of her knew that he wasn't. "I sat alone, for years, wondering why you did it," he continued. "Did I hurt you in some way? Did you realize what I would become? Or was I merely some tool for you to use, tossing me aside once you were done with me?" His voice was strained. "Were we ever friends? Or were you just pretending?"

The girl realized that he was asking her, now that he had the chance. He desperately needed to know the answer, no matter how hard he was trying to conceal it. Emotion welled up within her, tears pooling in her eyes. She ducked her head, her face shadowed by the hood of her raincoat. Guilt raged anew inside her, the weight of what she had done – what she would've done – at the end of it all. But things were different now. Mono was the only one who had cared about her when no one else did. It would kill her to leave him to an agonizing fate such as this. She couldn't do that to her only friend, her... her... she didn't know what to call it. More than a friend. She tried to sound as sincere as she felt. "Of course, we're friends," she said. "I would never leave you behind. Not willingly."

The Thin Man visibly jerked at her response, taken aback by her genuine delivery. He searched in her eyes for any deception but found none. He bit down on his trembling lip, a sliver of the Mono she used to know coming to the surface. "If you truly believe that," he said, motioning towards his monstrous younger self, "then go ahead. Just be warned: The Tower will not let us go so easily."

Six turned to the hammer that lay haphazardly on the floor. "We'll have to see about that." With silent conviction, she went and picked up the handle, the heavy metal head scraping across the floor. She positioned herself in front of the screen of the TV, bracing herself for what would happen once she did this. The twisted form of Mono hovered next to her, regarding her curiously, obviously wondering what she was doing. It only made the remorse rise inside her. "Please forgive me, Mono." Taking a deep breath, she hefted the hammer, swinging it around to connect with the glass of the screen.

A sharp ring of glass cracking reverberated, and everything went dark.

She was vaguely aware of the world returning around her. She pushed herself to a sitting position, dazed and disoriented. All at once, reality focused into sharp clarity. The walls of the Tower were starting to crumble, the flesh exposed from underneath. In front of her, the monstrous form of Mono, retreated from his cowering pose, arms moving away from his head. The TV she had hit had a huge spiderweb crack spreading across the screen, a matching one adorning the screen that was his face. The terror was fueled once Mono took note of the damage, his nature shifting completely.

Six sprung to her feet and sprinted from the room, the slamming of a huge fist and rage-filled screeching and static following her. The Thin Man was nowhere in sight. But, at the moment, that was the least of her worries. Mono charged after her, crashing through the halls like a ferocious beast, the screen over his face flickering wildly, his cries emanating from within the TV box over his head. She somehow managed not to stumble at the building's quaking, pieces of concrete falling from the ceiling. She leapt to a hole in the wall, successfully climbing through, the monstrous boy screaming in frustration.

She tumbled into a room filled with more homely commodities. She dove for cover underneath the table, Mono appearing just as she did so. Aggressively huffing, he started overturning furniture left and right, searching for her. She could only pray he wouldn't think to look where she was hiding.

To her surprise, something else seemed to catch his attention, pressing his hand against the door at the far side of the room. Pushing it down, he slipped through the opening, the sound of his shuffling fading away. Once it had stopped, she dared to emerge from her hiding place. She followed his path, coming to a rotting door, a hatchet wedged into it. She recognized it as the door Mono had broken down in the Hunter's basement, arriving to rescue her. Leaping, she grabbed ahold of the handle, prying it from the wood. Once retrieving it, she smashed in the remaining splinters of wood, coming to notice how reversed their roles were now. She was saving him from his own basement.

She tumbled through the door, the entire room awash in magenta light. It was the same room she had found Mono in, but it was completely falling apart. The twisted boy himself was hunched over the damaged TV at the back, shielding it with his hands. Six knew that he would never allow her close to it.

"Hey!" The shout echoed throughout the Tower, loud and shrill. Mono whined and flinched away from the sound, fearful anger taking hold. He charged towards her, large arms swinging erratically, hoping to catch her in one of his swipes. She plunged into the gap she had come from, axe in tow, the portal depositing her at the opposite end of the room. She had a clear shot. She rushed as fast as she could to the TV, avoiding any dragging chains, hearing her distorted friend shuffling back to his prized possession. Once she was close enough, she swung with all her might, the impact sending sparks flying. There was another deafening crack, and the world vanished once more.

This time, an endless black void stretched all around her. She called into the darkness, her voice the only thing echoing back. Taking a few hesitant steps, a familiar shape appeared at the edge of her line of sight. It was the door again, with the same hatchet. Plucking it from the wood, she bashed her way through, finding herself in the same magenta-lit, crumbling room, Mono hovering protectively over the TV, the crack in both screens having widened.

This battle, of sorts, continued similarly for quite some time. Occasionally, the axe would be relocated to a different part of the room, forcing her to strategize how she would snatch it up and get close to the TV. There were too many close calls for her liking, but she pushed through. Mono didn't know that she was doing this for his own good. She just wanted to stop his pained and furious screeching. It horrified her that her dear friend could make such sounds.

This blow seemed different from the rest. She could see Mono stagger, as with every strike it seemed to weaken him more and more. There was barely anything left of the room now, rubble pressing in on all sides. The cracked TV stood in front of her, Mono whining pitifully, desperately clutching at the electric box, as if begging her not to do it. Solidifying her resolve, she hefted the axe sitting next to her in her grip, dragging it towards the TV. She called out to him again, the harsh echo forcing another pitiful screech, placing his hands over either side of the TV box where his ears would have been. She brought the blade down on the screen again.

Mono's scream of agony sent her reeling, the hatchet flying from her hands. Fatigue threatened to keep her pinned to the floor, but she slowly fought through it. She took in her friend's decreased size, the chains hanging loosely from his smaller frame. A crack in the screen of the Tv over his head allowed her to catch a glimpse of a large eye glowing with white static. He reached out for the TV again, the electronic itself trembling and emitting a white glow from within. For the final time, she seized up the axe, slamming the blade on the screen.

Glass shattered, and the foundations rumbled. The white glow was gone, as well as any trace of Mono's monstrous form. Six pulled herself to her feet, catching sight of her friend laying on his side, facing away from her. Slowly, he stirred, sitting up in bewilderment, before turning his head to regard her. This was the first time they could get a good look at each other's faces. Mono hesitantly stood up, a mixture of disbelief, gratitude, and something else she couldn't quite name swirling in his dark eyes. Breathing was no longer a laborious task for her. Her lungs had never felt clearer. She almost couldn't believe it. She had saved him! Against all odds, she had freed him from the Signal Tower's hold.

Mono's head whipped up at the crumbling walls, the constant rumbling increasing in ferocity. A wall of flesh pulsed above them, an enormous eye rolling open to stare down at the two of them. No one needed to tell them that it was time to flee.

Six soon gained ground on Mono, but she was confident of his capability to keep up with her. Behind them, the abyss chased them down, rolling waves of flesh barreling after them, trying to prevent their escape. It occasionally attempted to hinder their path, but basic lessons in survival had them prepared. Soon, they had reached the final pathway. Six could see freedom ahead of her in the form of a door filled with static, like the TV screens scattered throughout the Pale City.

Suddenly, the ground gave way underneath her. Instinct told her to jump at the last moment, diving to safety on the other side of the newly made gap. She turned to spot her friend, ready to catch him if she needed to.

However, to her utter confusion and terror, Mono had stopped dead in his tracks. He stood motionless, tendrils of the flesh beginning to curl around his ankles. If he didn't move now, he would be consumed by it.

"Mono!" she called, willing for him to hurry up, to take that leap so she could catch him and leave this place together. He didn't respond, allowing the Abyss to encase him more. Finally, after what felt like years to Six, he looked up, locking his stare with hers. What she saw made her heart sink, her knees threatening to give out.

The tears spilling down his cheeks severely offset the fond smile he was sending her way. The expression spoke more than any words could. He knew that only one would make it out. He knew it since the beginning. He would give himself up to the abyss to make sure she would escape. Six clenched her fists, tears pricked at her eyes. This wasn't fair. She came all this way to save him, and he was just going to give up? A part of her told her that she shouldn't be surprised. She should have seen this coming a mile away.

Despite how impossible it seemed, she made a decision right then and there. Tears still flowing, she set her expression to one of assurance and determination. "I'll come back for you!" she called out to him, surprising him. "I promise!" Mono stared at her incredulously for a moment, before smiling again, a big, happy, dopey grin. She loved seeing it. She could never get enough of it. Then, the ground crumbled beneath him, and the moment was over too soon.

She watched him plummet to his doom, disappearing into the inky blackness below. Something inside her shriveled, a yawning void expanding deep in the core of her being. She eventually forced herself to turn towards the exit, making her way through the white static. She was spat into an unfamiliar living room on the other side, tumbling over the rug. She rose to her feet, emotions swirling like a brewing storm.

A flicker revealed a staticky form materializing in front of her, regarding her intently. They stared at each other for a few moments until her shadow form directed her attention to something discarded on the floor. A flyer, an advertisement, for a floating vessel with an endless flow of edible delicacies. The shadow then disappeared. From deep within her, a low rumble echoed into the empty air. That was answer enough for her. She had to get stronger. And there was one place she could do that.

Yes, the Maw would have what she needed.

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Author's Note: That part 2 I promised y'all. Much longer than part 1 for sure. Mono's monster form was inspired by several different fics I've read over on ao3, so go check out the Little Nightmares 2 thread. And, like I said before, the Thin Man is still a traumatized child. While he may have grown up on the outside, he's still that heartbroken and lonely child on the inside.

A question that I don't think people have been asking enough: what will actually happen if the Signal Tower falls? Will everything just go back to normal? I don't think so. Think about what would happen if we, in our real world, suddenly didn't have satellite broadcasting and internet connection. Our world society has become so dependent on it that I think it would fall apart entirely. That's what'll happen if the Signal Tower falls. The world will fall apart, which I believe is what those giant crevices indicate. This is also why I believe Six dropped Mono in the end. Her time spent inside the Tower made her realize that the world would end without the Signal Tower, so Mono had to stay behind. Unbeknownst to Mono, she's actually saving the world by sacrificing him. And if Mono had that same realization? He would sacrifice himself so that she could stay alive. Anyway, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower