Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The drive was only a few hours, but it felt like forever. Sunny was anxious to get back to Faraway. Oceanside is pretty, but he didn't have any memories there... or any friends. Eventually, they pulled up to the Langely's house. He stepped out of the car and grabbed his stuff from the back.

"Have fun with your friends, sweetie!"

"I will mom. Thanks for driving me."

"Of course Sunny. I'll see you in two weeks. Be safe. Love you!"

Sunny nodded in response, and she drove off. Sunny turned to the house behind him. A wave of nostalgia hit him like a truck as he walked up to the door. He knocked, and sure enough, a while later, Kel flung the door open.

Kel was wearing a black t-shirt and an orange jacket he clearly obtained at some sporting event. He still has those basketball shorts on, and his hair was in a ponytail.

"Hey Sunny! What's going o- holy shit you grew!" Kel was a bit taken aback when he saw that Sunny wasn’t the short stack he was before.

Sunny had grown a bit since he left Faraway. He promised Aubrey that he would take better care of himself, and it turns out starving yourself isn't conducive to proper growth, so Sunny grew around 3 inches. Probably. he wasn't exactly keeping track. That said, he's still underweight, but he did put on some pounds, so he wouldn't be collapsing anytime soon.

"Had to start taking care of myself sometime."

"Well, I'm glad you are! You're even dressing differently." He didn't put on anything special, just a long white button-up under a blue V-neck sweater, some solid black joggers he had lying around, and deep blue walking shoes he liked.

It's not a drastic change, though it's certainly a leap from his frankly monochromatic sense of style before.

"Anyway come on inside, everyone else is already here." Kel ushered Sunny inside and closed the door. Hero and Aubrey were playing a game in the living room while Basil watched, though once Kel closed the door, they turned towards Sunny. As soon as Basil saw Sunny, his eyes lit up.

"Sunny!" Basil ran up and hugged Sunny. He’d regained some of his previously lost self-esteem and playfulness. When Sunny moved away, Basil was tired, sad, and skittish, but now he was beginning to recover and act like he did before; gentle, happy, and shy but sociable.

He even dresses more lively. He's wearing a large green sweater which was honestly a bit big for him over a plain white button-up with a teal ribbon necktie. He has on slightly rolled-up black jean shorts and soft white thigh-high socks, as well as some comfy grey slip-on shoes. The worn-out flower clip he used to wear has been replaced by a beautiful purple rose clip.

"Hi, Basil. How've you been?" Basil released Sunny from his hug and backed up.

"Good! I've been hanging out with everyone a lot and I started taking care of my plants again." Basil seems so excited to be talking to him, even though they've been texting a lot. Though to be fair, that isn't the same as talking face to face.

"What about you? Are doing okay? You look a lot healthier than before."

"Yeah, I am. My new home is okay, but I prefer it here."

Hero was the next to surprise Sunny with a hug. He was excited to see that the pale boy was doing well, "Hey, Sunny! Glad to see you're doing well. Oh, and Kel, that's a dollar in the swear jar."

"Damn it! I mean…  sigh ..." Kel silently walked to relinquish his cash.

"You have a swear jar?" Aubrey asked bemused.

"Mom's idea, not mine." Hero smiled. His sense of style has barely changed. Simply wearing a silver jacket over his blue shirt. It looks good on him.

Aubrey finally walked up to Sunny. Sunny could instantly notice the change in her appearance. Her hair had gotten shorter, though not by much, and the color changed to softer watermelon pink, still framed by her teal headband. She wasn't wearing her blue contacts, allowing her chocolate brown eyes to show, and her generally cold expression had been replaced with a softer one. She was wearing a new white sweater along with stylish blue jeans and red sneakers.

She looks really pretty.

"Hey, Sunny. I like your hair." She ruffled his hair a bit. She couldn’t help but think about how cute he looked with his dark hair framing his pale face.

"Oh,, thanks..." Sunny had grown out his hair a little, but it's not that big of a difference. If anything, it's just a little messier. More importantly, Aubrey's appearance wasn't the only thing that changed. No way would the Aubrey from 3 months ago ruffle Sunny's hair.

Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but she wouldn't have done it so suddenly.

"So how was the trip over?" Hero asked.

"Fine enough, it was pretty quiet for the most part."

It was then Sunny heard Kel's parents come in from the other room.

"Sunny! It’s so good to see you!" Kel's mom greeted Sunny with a smile.

"Hello Mrs. Langley." Sunny was starting to become overwhelmed by the attention he was getting

"Sunny! How are ya? You’re looking much better than the last time we saw you!" Sunny went to answer Mr. Langely, but Kel had a very important question to ask.

"Hey mom, did you order the pizza?"

She sighed, "Yes, Kel." Such an impatient son she has.

"Sweet! When's it gonna be here?"

"Have some patience Kel. It'll get here." Kel's impatience could never be quelled, even by his parents, but they still loved him all the same.

"We can just hang out in here until the pizza arrives." Aubrey suggested, hoping to catch up with Sunny a bit before they ate.

"Eh, why not. That cool with you Sunny?" Kel turned to Sunny, seemingly for his approval.

That didn't sound too bad. Sunny always liked video games.

 Sunny shrugged, "I don’t mind."

"Sweet! Let's play some games while we wait!"

Kel sat on the floor and rooted through the games for the console plugged into the tv while Sunny, Aubrey, Hero, and Basil sat on the couch and waited for Kel to make up his mind on what to choose. His parents took the opportunity to exit the house, as they were taking Sally somewhere.

"So... you doin’ okay? Like in general..." Aubrey asked Sunny, a bit nervous. She had been worried about him ever since he moved away.

"Yeah, I guess. Better than I was."

She gave Sunny a warm smile, "Good, I didn't want to have to force that negativity out of you."

When was the last time he saw her smile like that?

"Have you been going outside?" Hero had been telling Sunny to exercise to help better his health.

"Erm, a little." Sunny had gained a little muscle mass, but he basically had none before, so that doesn't mean much. Besides, exercise is exhausting.

"Good, going outside is good for your health."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Small talk wasn’t Sunny's strong suit, but he was going to try his best to keep the conversation going, which means not being overly honest and depressing.

"Found it!" Kel held a game case up high.

"Found what?" Aubrey asked.

"Captain Spaceboy: Quest for Glory."

"Didn’t you suck at that game?" Aubrey said smugly.

"A little... but I’m older now! So I gotta be better at it!"

"Do you even remember the last time you played it?"

Kel made a nervous face, "I think I played it with Hero a while back... but I can’t remember."

"Whatever, have fun dying repeatedly." She said mockingly.

"Nah, I’m gonna be amazing! You’ll see." Kel said as he inserted the game into the console.

Sunny smiled to himself. He missed the banter between these two. It's definitely preferable to the actual insults they were spewing at each other 3 months ago.

Sunny couldn't believe how everyone had changed in such a short amount of time. Kel and Hero had probably changed the least in terms of appearance, while he and Aubrey have definitely changed the most. Hero doesn't seem like he's changed at all, except that he seems genuinely happier. While Kel had gotten his ponytail, it suits him well.

Everyone's changed for the better. They all seem happier. They deserve it.

"You guys thirsty?" Hero asked.

"I guess so." Sunny replied.

"I'll go get some drinks then." Hero stood up from the couch. Sunny decided to get up too.

"I'll go with you."

"Thanks, Sunny. What does everyone want?"

Aubrey glanced over, "I'll take a cola.”

"Juice please." Basil smiled holding up a finger.

"Orange Joe." Kel said, earning a joking gag from Aubrey.

"Right, well let's get on it Sunny." Hero and Sunny walked to the kitchen. Hero grabbed some plastic cups from the cupboard as Sunny took a 2-liter bottle of cola and poured a cup. Hero took a bottle of white grape juice.

"So, Hero. How's everything been here?"

"Good. Basil's been more active recently, and Kel's taken up skating. Aubrey's been hanging us a lot more, and I decided to transfer colleges." Sunny was a little taken aback.

"Why did you transfer?" Sunny asked as he grabbed a can of Orange Joe from the fridge.

"So I could be closer to home. I can live at home and drive to and from college. I figured that I should stay with everyone, we all need each other." Hero smiled as he poured himself some lemonade.

Hero moved colleges just to stay here with everyone. Sunny couldn't help but feel responsible, that must have been a hassle, but he's so close to everyone. He wishes he could've stayed, but he couldn't do that to Mom, though he would've given anything to remain in Faraway.

One more thing he’s made difficult...

"Sunny." Hero looked over to Sunny, still and with a thousand-yard stare. He was lost in his thoughts. "Sunny." He said a little louder,

"Y-Yes?" He was a little startled.

Hero smiled at his friend. "What do you want?"

"Uhm, well... I'm not sure."

Hero looked through the fridge. "Well, we have soda, water, juice, milk..."

Oh. He meant to drink...

Sunny thought for a second. "I'll uh, have some milk."

"Regular or chocolate?"

"Chocolate please." Sunny felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He reached in to pull it out. He was still getting used to having a phone since he's never had one before, especially one that could take photos or browse the internet. Kel and Hero had to explain it to him, but he got the hang of it pretty fast. He probably knows more of its functions than Kel does.

|Aubrey >> Me|

10/23 1:32 P.M.

Aubrey:  Please save me

Me:  from what?

Aubrey:  Kel

Me:  what has he done?

Aubrey:  He's being Kel

Me:  can't Basil help?

Aubrey:  He's too nice to understand my pain

Me:  give me a sec

Sunny put his phone in his pocket and grabbed his drink as well as Kel's. Hero managed to carry three cups at once. Wow.

They left the kitchen and re-entered the living room. Kel made blaster noises as he shot the enemies on screen. Sunny set his Orange Joe next to him, but he was too invested with the game to notice.

Sunny sat next to Aubrey, she took out her phone and started texting him. It's a smartphone, Sunny didn't know she could afford one. Come to think of it, where did she get the money for a new wardrobe and haircut? Did she just dress nice cause he's in town? Probably not. Why was he even thinking so much about this?

|Aubrey >> Me|

10/23 1:33 P.M.

Aubrey:  What are you doing?

Me:  saving you

Aubrey:  You just sat next to me

Me:  is this not what you wanted me to do?

Aubrey:  No.

Me:  :<

Me:  also why are you texting me? I’m right next to you

Aubrey:  Cuz I don’t need Kel going on about how I asked to be saved from sitting on a couch

Aubrey:  And I’m still super bored

[Sunny sent an image]

Aubrey was trying to contain her laughter at the picture of Kel that Sunny just sent her. It was one of the funniest things she’s ever seen

|Aubrey >> Me|

10/23 1:35 P.M.

Aubrey:  omfg I’m dying

Aubrey:  Where did you get this?

Me:  Basil sent it to me a while back

Aubrey:  Holy shit

Aubrey:  He deserves an award for this

Yeah... He does.

--------------

They'd been sitting down for a while. Aubrey seized control over the console while Basil and Sunny were catching up with each other, asking questions about how the other was: if they were eating enough, getting enough sleep, going outside, interacting with people. Then the doorbell rang, and in an instant, Kel sprang up from his spot on the carpet and ran to the door.

Kel took the pizzas from the delivery boy before thanking him and closing the door.

He turned around with a big grin on his face. "Yo the pizza's here!"

Aubrey set down the controller after pausing the game to walk to the kitchen. Hero and Basil went into the kitchen before she did.

Sunny wondered how much he could eat. He didn't want to throw up. But he's been able to eat a lot more recently, though not anything so greasy.

He was hungry, but maybe he shouldn't eat. He wasn't keen on throwing up his first day here. He's been trying to eat more, though he has to be careful not to eat too much. Otherwise, he'll throw up. His body still isn't used to large food intakes. At least he wasn't so boney anymore.

Aubrey put her hand on Sunny's shoulder. "Hey, Sunny. You comin'?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I just spaced out for a minute."

She let out a small giggle, "Well, you better come to the kitchen before Kel eats everything."

Sunny couldn't respond properly, "S-Sure..." He said.

Why was that so cute? Was her laugh always like that? 

He stood up and walked to the kitchen with Aubrey. Kel was already eating at the table with Basil.

After grabbing a few slices of pepperoni, Sunny took a seat at the table next to Basil. Kel was on the other side of Basil, going on about his new Pet Rocks strategy. Hero sat next to Sunny and Aubrey next to him.

"It’s good that you’re eating properly now, Sunny." Hero said before taking a bite of his pizza.

"I wouldn’t say I'm eating properly... but I'm eating more than I was."

"How much did you use to eat?" Basil asked.

"I maybe ate once a day and threw it up every other day."

"Christ... No wonder you looked so thin." Aubrey was suddenly a lot more pleased with whatever his eating habits are now.

"How much do you eat now?" Kel was pretty concerned.

"Three meals a day, I try to make sure I eat a lot too, I usually only throw up once a week."

Basil’s eyes went wide, "You’re still throwing up?"

"It’s not that bad, I’m used to it. I’m just not used to eating a lot." His friends were shocked that it was even possible to get used to throwing up.

"You should probably slow down when you eat, that way you can stop yourself before you overeat." Hero with some good advice as always.

"Alright." Sunny tried eating a little slower than usual, he didn't think of himself as a fast eater, but if it could help then he's willing to try it.

It was only now that Sunny noticed Basil's messenger bag, which seemed to be full. What's in there?

"What’s with the bag?"

"Heheh, you’ll find out soon!" Basil said grinning.

Sunny was glad Basil was acting like himself again. He's always been a little mischievous, not like Kel, but more in a teasing way. He absolutely loved to tease Sunny about Aubrey.

Sunny knows it's no use trying to ask Basil. He'll just have to wait until 'soon; comes.

------

It'd been a while since they dined on greasy goodness and they decided to watch a movie before they went to sleep.

They eventually decided on a comedy. It wasn't that good. It was more enjoyable to laugh at than anything else. The acting was abysmal, though the plot wasn't too bad. By the end, everyone was ready to go to sleep.

Kel fell asleep halfway through, automatically claiming the couch. Everyone else had blankets and mats and soon joined Kel in slumber. Except for Sunny. He couldn't fall asleep.

He felt uneasy. His mind was racing, so many thoughts were going through his head, and his eyes felt heavy, but he didn't feel tired.

 Maybe I'll just wait till morning comes.

Chapter Text

Sunny still couldn't sleep. There was just too much going through his mind. He needed to clear his head. Sunny moved his blanket from atop himself and stood up from his spot on the floor, tiptoeing his way through the dark room. He grabbed his shoes and walked outside, closing the door silently behind him. Hoping he didn't wake anyone.

Sunny wanted to go back to his old house and reminisce a little. He saw a light through an upstairs window. Sunny was happy that someone was making use of his old house. He just hoped they wouldn't notice him. He jumped the brown wooden fence and walked to the stump. It was still here, pinwheel and all. His chest tensed up, and he took a deep breath.  It's okay. It's not as scary as you think.

He kept walking to the treehouse, which was a little farther past some trees. If you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't find it. It was farther than anyone would bother to look.

Sunny climbed the ladder and stepped inside. The interior was still weathered by time, but not as much as before. The rug they had repurposed was replaced by a newer scarlet rug. The walls and floor didn't pose a risk of giving a splinter anymore, as if someone had sandpapered them. The old toys they had left here in grief were now neatly laid out on the also refurbished counter. The tv and toaster they set up in hopes of being able to use them up here were gone, as was Mr. Plantegg. Maybe the new owners had found the treehouse after all... Sunny couldn't help but feel disappointed. Sunny didn't mind if the new owners used it. It was their property now, but it felt like they had invaded their past a little. 

"Surprised?" Sunny nearly shrieked as he heard the voice behind him. Had he been caught? Slowly, be turned around to see who was speaking from the treehouse entrance. It was Aubrey, standing in the doorframe...  Did she follow me? I guess I wasn't exactly silent leaving the house...  "You followed me?"

She stepped inside. "Yep. You thought I was just going to let you leave the house in the middle of the night?" She hoisted herself onto the counter and planted her butt down.

Sunny's eyes faced to the side, embarrassed he had been caught. "So, erm, you guys did this?"

"Mhm. The new neighbors let us come back here whenever basically, they're actually pretty cool. We told them that we wanted to fix up the treehouse and see the stump. They said they were fine with it as long as we don't make too much noise back here." Aubrey was looking out at Sunny's old house, the lights now off.

Aubrey seemed so much happier than she was before, but Sunny wanted to be certain she was alright. "Hey, I wanna ask you something."

Aubrey turned her attention to Sunny, a quizzical look on her face. "What's up?"

"Are you doing okay?"

Aubrey cocked her head. "Okay how? Like in general? Or are you asking if I'm still pissed at you?"

"I meant the former." He did want to ask if she was mad at him, but it could wait.

"I'm alright. The hooligans aren't really a thing anymore. We still hang out as friends, but to be honest, I hang out with Basil and Kel more."

"Does Mikhael still call himself, The Maverick?"

" Pffft . No, not anymore, he actually started helping out at his family's bakery, he said it was because of  the  'weird knife kid ' ."

Sunny shrunk internally. He still hated thinking about it. Even if Aubrey attacked him and Kel with a nailbat, a knife is too dangerous, especially when you have a weak grasp on reality. He still had to apologize for that, but this didn't feel like the right time.

Aubrey had a smirk on her face. "I don't know if you heard... but Kel's got a girlfriend."

Sunny's eyes widened. He sure as hell hadn't heard about that. "When did Kel get a girlfriend?!"

"Bout' 2 months ago. I haven't met her yet, but he says her name is Cris. He kinda won't shut up about her." She didn't really mind it, but there were times when she had to ask him to chill a bit.

"Cris? I know her, she lives right next door to him."

"Does she? Good to know, I'll keep that in mind." She had an innocent smile on her face, but Sunny knew that nothing she had planned was innocent.

"So, erm, if you don’t mind me asking… how are things at home?"

Aubrey's expression turned sour. "I do mind, so don't."

"R-Right, sorry... I jus-"

Aubrey laughed a little. "I'm fucking with you." She let out a sigh. "They're complicated."

She paused for a moment to collect herself. "I don't know if you know this, but my mom died." 

"I...I'm so sorry, Aubrey."

"Don't be. Really, i-it's okay. I knew it would happen sooner or later. It wasn't much use asking her to stop either." Aubrey truly didn't mind Sunny bringing up the topic. All her mom did was drink her life away, which was ultimately what led to her death. Her mother had died in a different way many years ago anyway.

"Still, she was your only family. It must have been difficult for you."

"I... I guess part of me was sad when I found her that morning, but I had a few years to deal with the grief beforehand. As for my only family, my dad is out there somewhere. I doubt I'll ever see him again though." Aubrey's mother never really seemed to care about her, even when her dad was around.

"What about your house? Do you have any place to stay?" Sunny didn't like thinking about Aubrey living on the streets.  What if she could live with m- No! That's not the focus right now!  He began to blush a faint pink. 

"Basil didn't tell you? He invited me to live with him a little after it happened."

Sunny was stunned. He hadn't heard anything about this. "N-No. He didn't tell me. So you live with him and Polly now?"

"Yeah, I'm really grateful. He's too nice. I mean... I bullied him for years." Aubrey stared at the floor shamefully.

"That's how Basil is. He forgives easily..." He probably felt guilty too. "So have you been enjoying living there?"

"Yeah. I didn't have much to bring with me so moving was easy, and Polly gave me some money for new clothes, since I only had a few pairs."  So that's how she afforded that phone.

"Have you and Basil been getting along?"

"Most of the time, sometimes he just gets fidgety and goes silent. He's probably a little uncomfortable around me. I try my best to repay his kindness, but sometimes it feels like it isn't enough." Aubrey didn't blame Basil for being uncomfortable around her. She was lucky enough that he offered to take her in.

"Just give it time, it'll get better. I wish I could help."

"Don't worry about it, it's my own fault. Besides, you've helped me lots before. You remember when I used to talk to you about my parents?"

Of course, Sunny remembered. Aubrey would rant to him on the swings for long periods of time. He never minded. He was just happy to be around her, to be useful to her.

"Of course I do, you came to talk to me about all kinds of stuff, like wanting a scarf and snow jacket."

"You remember that?"  I thought he would've forgotten by now... I'm happy he didn't.

"Yeah, I really enjoyed our talks, it made me feel kinda special that you trusted me with your home life."

 Aubrey smiled inside. "Really?"

"Yeah… it probably sounds stupid, but it made me feel wanted. I've never really thought of myself as anything special, even when you guys would vent to me about stuff, sometimes I felt like the only reason you guys hung out with me was because I was Mari's brother. Even though I knew that wasn't true, but you trusted me enough to talk about stuff you never told the others, not even Mari, it made me feel like I was special for once."

Aubrey's heart sank when she heard that. She had to fight the urge to hug him right then and there.

"...Sunny, do you remember when you gave me Mr. Plantegg?"

Mr. Plantegg was originally Sunny's toy, but one day Aubrey was particularly upset about a fight about money her parents had after she mentioned a toy she wanted. So Sunny gave her Mr. Plantegg. Aubrey was so happy she gave Sunny the biggest hug he'd ever gotten and held him like that for a few solid minutes. It was when they became best friends.

It's also why Mr. Plantegg had such an uncreative name. Kid me kinda sucked at naming things.

Sunny nodded. "What about it?"

"That made me realize how sweet you are, you didn't talk much, but you didn't need to. You've always had this comforting presence and warm quality to your face. You're more special than you think. We couldn't replace you if we tried." Aubrey blushed brightly at what she had said.

Sunny was dumbfounded. He couldn't figure out how to respond. He'd always had intrusive thoughts that he was easily forgettable and replaceable, but Aubrey was telling him the exact opposite... Sunny's heart sang, rejoicing from what it had just heard. Being around her... it was almost intoxicating. Sunny still very much loved Aubrey.

"Sometimes I feel like I should have listened to you more. You had a lot of stuff you were dealing with and you kept it to yourself. "She looked down at the floor, her hands pressing against the counter. Sunny sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Aubrey, you can't blame yourself for that. You were a good friend, you still are."

"A good friend doesn't leave their friend alone for four years."

Sunny decided not to point out the irony in her statement. Silence permeated the air. Neither of them knew what to say. The sounds of crickets and dogs barking in the distance were all they could hear.

Aubrey stared at the wall, readjusting her hands every so often for no particular reason. Silently hoping her guilt would just vanish.

Sunny quietly called for her attention. "Aubrey."

"Yeah?"

"I'm happy you're doing okay. When I came out of my house, and saw you... I was concerned... You looked tired, and lonely. W-What I'm trying to say is... I'm glad you're happy."

Aubrey put on a weary smile, "Are we just switching topics now?"

"I'm serious. If you ever need to talk, just let me know."

Her smile grew. "Thanks, Sunny."

" 's nothing..."

"You know... If we're going from topic to topic, I have something to tell you." Aubrey turned to him. Sunny felt his palms start to sweat.

"Y-Yeah..?" Sunny swallowed and braced himself for the worst.

Aubrey took a deep breath. "I..." She started. "I forgive you..."

Sunny took a moment to process what he just heard. Had he heard right?

Aubrey... forgives me..?

Aubrey grabbed her upper arm, using her finger to stroke the side of her arm. "I've had a lot of time to think things over. I just... I can't hold it against you." She paused. "You've been in pain for so long... and I'm sick of running away from my problems. I just want to be happy again... I want all of us to be happy again..." Tears started forming in Aubrey's eyes. She had been through so much recently. Sunny wanted to argue with her, tell her he didn't deserve it. But he can't bring himself to.

Sunny began to cry as well. "Aubrey, it's okay."

 Aubrey's voice was weak. It sounded like she was whispering. "Say you'll accept it."

"W-What?"

Her whisper turned into a shout. "Say you'll accept my forgiveness! …Please." She wants- no, she  needs  him to accept it. The flow of tears grew stronger.

Sunny hesitated, startled by the sudden change in volume. "O-Okay... I accept your forgiveness."

"Good... Now come here, you dork." Aubrey quickly pulled Sunny into a heartfelt hug. A part of her never wanted to let go, to make sure he never felt alone or in pain again.

They enjoyed each other's embrace, Sunny noticed how warm she was. It felt... nice. After what felt like forever, she pulled away.

Aubrey stared at him. His cute, pale face framed by his onyx-black hair. She looked into his enchanting eyes; drawn to them. As she lost herself in his gaze, she noticed something she hadn't before. His eyes were actually a very deep blue. ...They were beautiful.

Aubrey smiled at him. "I just noticed something."

"What?"

"There's a hint of blue in your eyes."

There is? Sunny had never noticed. Maybe Aubrey was just really observant.  Wait... Why was she looking at my eyes??? We had made eye contact while we were talking, but why is she bringing it up now???  His face flushed in an instant. He turned his head in embarrassment.

Cute...  Aubrey thought to herself.

Aubrey wiped her eyes and cleared her throat a little. "Anyway, why were you up here in the first place?"

Sunny snapped out of his frantic thoughts. "I-I wanted to see the treehouse..." He scratched the back of his head. "Just to clear my head."

"It feel cleared?"

"Mm." Sunny mumbled in affirmation.

"Good, now go to bed for fuck's sake."

Sunny exhaled in amusement as they left the treehouse. "Alright."

—————————————

Sunny woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. He wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but if he did, he probably wouldn't get breakfast. So he forced himself up and walked into the kitchen, yawning.

Kel noticed the sight of the sleepy boy entering the kitchen. "Mornin' Sunny!"

Hero turned his head after Kel's words hit his ears. "Good morning, Sunny! How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled." Contrary to his name, Sunny wasn't a fan of sunny-side-up eggs. The white was edible enough, but the yolk wasn't particularly good. But when they were scrambled, the mix of the yolk and the egg white created a superior form of eggs.

"Got it." Hero returned to his cooking, inhaling the scent of sizzling eggs. Enjoying the satisfaction of cooking.

As Basil entered the kitchen, his hair a little damp, messing around on his phone. He looked up, not expecting to see that Sunny was awake. "You’re finally up! If you want, everyone has already showered, so you can take the bathroom."

Sunny nodded. "Thanks." He walked into the living room. The morning sun bathing the room in dim orange-yellow light. He dug through his bag for a pair of fresh clothes before walking to the staircase.

Sunny ascended the stairs, stretching as he entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. He lazily stood and waited for the heat of the water to fill the room. He undressed and stepped into the shower. The morning light blurred through the bathroom window. The warm water hitting his skin felt refreshing. He found it nice, but he preferred baths, much more. They were just more relaxing. The pelting shower water helped wake him up. He tried to think about what he wanted to do today, but his mind could only focus on one thing.  Aubrey... Why can't I stop thinking about her?  He wasn't like this last night. Was he? Maybe he was more tired than he thought...

Should he tell her? Would she accept him? Or is that selfish? It wasn't long ago that he told her that he killed Mari. Would she even consider being in a relationship with him? She had already forgiven him and gone back to being his friend. Asking her to see him like that might be pushing things too far...

I should probably get out of the shower. The food will get cold if I take too long.  Sunny turned the water off and stepped out of the shower before drying himself off with a towel that had been laid out for him. He put on a fresh set of clothes and commenced his daily care routine: applying deodorant, brushing his teeth, and wiping down his face. Luckily, he didn't have to wear his eyepatch anymore (at least during the day), so he didn't have to walk around with it anymore. He hated when people stared, which happened a lot when he wore it.

Sunny walked downstairs, much more awake, and re-entered the kitchen. Surprisingly, Kel had finished eating, as did Basil. Aubrey was silently eating as Hero finished cooking.

Hero, hearing Sunny's footsteps, turned his head to face him. "Your eggs are almost done Sunny. Sit down and I’ll bring them to you."

Sunny nodded and sat next to Aubrey, trying his best not to blush from being so close to the pink-haired girl. Hero served Sunny before sitting down himself. Sunny made a conscious effort not to stare at Aubrey and focused on eating his food. His scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly and were served with a couple pieces of chewy bacon.

"So Sunny, how'd you sleep last night?" Hero asked before taking a bite of his breakfast.

"Slept fine..."

"Good. Also, I wanted to ask. Why haven't you been wearing your eyepatch?"

"The doctor said that my last day of wearing it was 2 days ago. Just gotta wear it at night now."

"Can you see well at all?" Aubrey asked as she finished her plate.

"Y-Yeah, just a little blurry..."

"That's good, do you know when it will fully heal?"

Sunny shook his head. "He said it'll take 6 months to 2 years. Depends on how well I follow the instructions he gave me..."

"Does it hurt at all?" Hero asked.

"Not really..."

Basil walked in as they were talking. "Hey Sunny. I need your help with something, would you mind coming with me to my house for a bit?"

"Sure, almost done anyway."

"Okay, I'll go wait on the couch." Basil retreated to the living room, a pep in his step.

I wonder what he needs help with.

"Will you guys be okay?" Hero was still a bit iffy about having Sunny and Basil alone together, but he and Basil were much more stable than they were last time. So Sunny wasn't worried.

"We'll be fine."

"Well, if something happens, then call us okay?" Aubrey said.

"I will." Sunny stood up and scraped the crumbs from his plate into the trash before setting his plate in the sink.

He gave a small wave as he left the kitchen. Basil noticed he left the kitchen and stood up. "Ready to go?" Sunny nodded.

"Good, then let's go!" Basil led him to the door and opened it before calling out to their friends. "We'll be back in a while!"

The smell of fresh air hit them as they walked down the driveway, the warm light of the sun offsetting the cool air. As they walked down the street, Basil talked about the new flowers he bought and what he liked about them.

Basil probably didn't need Sunny's help. More likely, he just wanted to talk. Either way, Sunny was happy.

Chapter Text

From down the street. Sunny and Basil saw Polly watering the flowers in front of Basil’s house. She seemed more upbeat than before, not having to worry about Basil as much anymore. The flowers she was watering were vibrant with life despite it being autumn. She and Basil made an effort to take good care of them.

Basil put a hand up high above his head and waved as he called out to her. “Hi, Polly!” Polly looked up from the flowers to meet their eyes.

Her smile seemed to be made of sunshine itself. “Oh! Hello, Basil. Hello, Sunny.” She set the watering can down and dusted off her dress. “It’s nice to see you again dear, you look well!”

Sunny's expression barely changed, but it conveyed a strong sense of warmth. “Thanks. 'S nice to see you too.”

“I wanted to show Sunny my new plants, do you need any help before we go inside?” Polly was usually fine watering the plants out-front by herself, but Basil would feel guilty if he just went inside.

“Oh not at all, Basil! Go have fun with your friend. I’ll make you two some snacks once I’m done out here!” Polly cheerfully picked up the watering can once more.

Basil wanted to protest, but he'd rather not press the matter. Besides, he wanted to show Sunny his flowers. “Thank you Ms. Polly!” It seemed like Basil was getting along better with Polly; he needed someone like her to talk to, especially since his parents were never around.

Basil led Sunny inside. “Make sure to take off your shoes.” Sunny gave a thumbs-up. He slipped off his shoes and set them on the shoe rack near the door. The scent of vanilla permeated the house, lively flowers lined the shelf near the door, and the warm colors of the interior created a cozy atmosphere that welcomed Sunny. He felt a happiness that seemed unfamiliar for the house he had slept in before, one he hadn't felt since he was young.

Basil continued leading Sunny along after he was certain the pale boy was finished examining the house. As they came to the hallway, Sunny had another look around, this time as he walked. On the left was a door with the sign ' Aubrey’s Room ' on it. Sunny nearly forgot that Aubrey lived here now, it was still a bit of a shock to him. There was another room at the end of the hall, which was most likely Polly's room and once Mr. and Mrs. Wicker's room. Sunny found it odd that he hadn't noticed it before, though he probably tried his best to block out as much of his surroundings as possible. On the right side of the hall was the bathroom, and next to it was Basil’s room.

As Basil opened the door to his room Sunny was greeted by a forest of plants: flowers, herbs, and simple foliage filled the room. A corkboard adorned with photos rested on the wall above a desk, which was itself at the foot of Basil's bed. A few plants hung from the ceiling and walls in pots and on a dresser laid six familiar plants as well as a marigold.

“You’ve really redecorated...” Sunny said as Basil closed the door.

Basil chuckled with a tinge of embarrassment. “I wanted to make my room feel less empty. Polly even helped me with the decorating some."

"Do you two get along well?" Basil checked on his plants as Sunny asked.

He picked up a small watering can. "Yeah. I'm trying to be more open with her. I try to make an effort to have at least one conversation with her a day. We even do things together sometimes." The plants reveled in the hydration from the can's water.

It was good to know that Basil was beginning to open up more. Polly had always tried so hard to get to know him. "Do you talk to her when you get anxious?"

"S-Sometimes. I mostly just try to calm myself down, b-but the times I've talked to her she's really helped!" Basil was still trying to do things alone. It was what he had grown used to, even though he didn't like it.

Sunny knew this too. He felt like it was his fault.

"Anyway, here are the plants I wanted to show you.” Basil excitedly moved in front of a few potted plants, a few on the floor and one hanging. "This is a donkey tail plant, this hanging one is called a string of pearls, this is Chinese water bamboo. Oh! And this is a blue lupine!"

"Lupine..?" Sunny asked while itching his head. He wasn't familiar with the flower.

Basil understood the meaning of his friend's minimalist speech. "I just like it. It represents imagination, happiness, and admiration. They're also said to bring inner strength to overcome trauma." It seemed like the perfect plant for Basil. It helped remind him of what he wanted to achieve.  Among other things...

"I see." Sunny muttered.

“Aren’t they pretty?” Basil asked gleefully. His pride showed in how his plants had been growing lately.

Sunny gave a quick nod to agree. They were pleasant to look at, and the blue lupine was a good addition. It felt right.

Basil raised his fists to the air in front of his chest, his pupils dilated. “Right?! I've really been getting back into gardening lately. It’s been really nice having all these plants to take care of... It helps me keep my mind off... n-nevermind...” Basil's tone wilted.

Concern arose in the dark-haired boy. “What do you mind?”

“O-Oh, it"s nothing! Just some school stuff i-is all...” Basil rubbed his arm and did his best to avoid his friend's gaze.

Sunny called him out. “Basil, I know that isn’t true.”

“I-I-It is! I’m just a l-little stressed over school!” He started to get defensive and his hands started to shake.

Sunny gently grabbed Basil's wrists, making the blonde boy's head snap to him. "Basil, you can tell me. I’m not going to judge you. I’m your best friend...” Basil turned his head away once more.  Is this what Aubrey was talking about?

“P-Promise you w-won’t tell the others...” Basil's voice started to break. “I promise.”

“...O-Okay... I...” Basil went silent. “I’ve been h-having bad thoughts again ...about M-Mari...”

Sunny froze for a moment. “...About what we did?”

“Y-Yeah... I thought I’d be okay. But after you left, the thoughts crawled back into my head... Thoughts that... after what I did, that I’d be... That I would be b-better off dead...”

“Basil...”  It's my fault for leaving him. Basil's like this because of me.

Tears welled in Basil's eyes. “I just... I don’t know if I deserve forgiveness. W-What you did was an accident, but what I did... it just wasn’t.”

Sunny did his best to focus on Basil, ignoring the thoughts in his head. “Basil, it was a mistake.”

“But I hurt everyone so much, I wasted so much time... If I didn’t do that, then maybe would all have been friends again sooner." The pouring from Basil's eyes was soon accompanied by a pitter-patter on the floor.

Sunny's lungs felt like they were being constricted. “Why haven’t you told anyone?”

Basil hiccuped. "I don’t want to burden them. They've already done so much for me... And what if I tell them... and they tell me I’m right? That I should j-just... kill myself..?”

“Basil, you know that isn’t true.” He could feel every beat of his heart.  It feels like before...

“But I can’t stop thinking about it! I don’t want to feel like this! Why can’t I just be happy!?” He cried profusely, using his wrists to wipe away his tears.

Sunny pulled Basil into a tight hug. “Basil, I know it’s hard, and I know you’ve had to deal with this alone until recently, but our friends care about us. They care about you. I care about you. No one wants you to suffer. Aubrey has told me how kind you’ve been and how much she wants to repay you. So please don't think like that... If you ever have thoughts like that please let me know. I want to help you. Okay?” Time slowed, Sunny inhaled deeply, stabilizing his rapidly rising anxiety.

The flower boy struggled to speak as he continued to cry in the embrace of Sunny's pale arms. “ Sniff ...  Hic...  Okay...”

Sunny stayed with Basil for a while, doing his best to console his sobbing. After what seemed like forever, Basil managed to calm down and felt comfortable enough to leave his room. Sunny and Basil made their way to the kitchen.

An apple laid on the counter, protected by a cutting board as a knife diced it into slices. Polly heard the footsteps of the two boys and paused. “Hello boys. Would you like some apple with peanut butter?”

“Mhm. Thank you Ms. Polly.” Basil said silently as he carefully took a handful and set them on a napkin. Sunny made sure to get a few as well. He had to remember to eat often.

Polly smiled, taking a few herself before joining Sunny and Basil, who had sat down at the table. “So Sunny, how’s school going?” Polly asked as she sat down.

“ 's goin’ okay.” Sunny said before taking a bite of an apple slice.

“Have you managed to catch up yet?” Basil asked. Sunny was confused by his question.  Oh! He must have meant have I caught up to my grade level.  Sunny nodded. “I took a few tests and did a few night classes to fix it.” To anyone who didn't know, it would seem pretty easy, but that's before you think about the time it takes up and realize that it's to test what grade you should be in.

“Hehe, you’ve always been pretty smart.” Basil wasn't wrong. Sunny had always scored pretty high on his tests. Mari was always proud of him for that. He often scored higher than she did when they compared test results.

“Does that mean you’re a junior like Basil?” Polly seemed very interested in his answers.

“Mhm.” It was strange being thrown late into high school when his last school experience was a few weeks of middle school.

“Do you have any friends at your school?” Polly probably expected Sunny to say yes, but that wasn't his answer. It was always hard to talk to new people. And truth be told, he didn't really want 'new' friends. He doesn’t want replacements. “Not really, I just keep to myself.”

“That's a shame. Well, at least you have friends here. I know you and Basil are close. He talks about you all the time.” She said with a smile on her face.

“Mo- I mean P-Polly! I don’t talk about him all the time!” Basil’s face was bright red from embarrassment. Polly knew Basil was starting to see her as a mother figure. She didn't mind at all, in fact, she saw him as if he were her son, though maybe a little brother was more accurate.

The smirk on her face grew. “Oh Basil. I’m just teasing!” She propped her head up with her hand.

Basil mumbled in embarrassment while trying to inconspicuously hide his face. Basil always had a charm about him. Basil was gentle, easy to talk to, and caring. That's probably why Sunny found him so easy to be around. Basil always joined him in my little bubble. He didn't intrude or try to make Sunny more talkative. He just joined Sunny in his little world. The best way to describe him was cute. Sunny didn't see Basil, or any other guy, 'that' way, but he could still recognize the categories his friends fell into.

“S-Sunny, what's your favorite subject?” Basil attempted to shy away from his mistake. Sunny swallowed his food. “Art.”

Basil mentally facepalmed, he should've figured that would be his answer. “Oh, that makes sense! You always did like to draw. You were really good at it too!"

"What about you?" Unlike Basil, Sunny had no clue which subject would be his favorite. Unless there was a photography class.

“Oh, uh English... I like learning about vocabulary and I get to read books." Basil finished his last apple slice.

"I thought it would be photography." Sunny said, seemingly to himself.

Basil shook his head, as much as he wished that could be true. "We don't have a photography class." That must have been disappointing for Basil, Sunny thought, even though he probably hadn't taken a picture in years.

Basil's eyes went wide. "Hey, you actually just reminded me about something!" Basil stood up and grabbed his bag. "I'll be home later tonight Ms. Polly!" The caretaker didn't expect the boy's sudden assertiveness.

"W-Wait, where are we going?" Sunny asked as Basil walked over to him. Basil grabbed Sunny by the hand. "The lake! C'mon, just trust me." Basil continued to lead him to the door, barely giving his friend enough time to grab his shoes. Sunny couldn't figure out why he was so peppy all of a sudden.

"Bye, Basil. Bye, Sunny. Have fun!" Polly called out before the door closed behind the two.

"So uh, why are we going to the lake?" Sunny questioned as Basil continued to lead him down the road. Basil flashed a mischievous smile. "It's a surprise." He had done a complete 180 compared to how he was in his bedroom. He was excited to show his surprise to Sunny. By now, Sunny must have figured out that it had to do with his bag. Which Basil thought added to the surprise.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at their secret hangout spot. Basil set down his bag and started sifting through it. Sunny took a look around, the soon-setting sun cast most of the area in shade, and the still lake could still catch the sunshine in its reflection. There weren't any items scattered about, it seemed like no one had been here in a while, or at least they bothered to clean up after themselves.

"Found it!" Basil cheered. He was holding his Polaroid camera close to his chest. That, Sunny did not expect. "That's what you've been carrying around?"

"Mhm! I wanted to start another photo album. I haven't used my camera in a long time, so I figured this was the perfect time to start." He knelt over and closed his bag, still holding the camera. "So you want to take a photo of us?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind..." Basil had a look that reminded Sunny of an excited puppy. Sunny didn't have it in him to say no. He was actually kind of excited to take a picture. "Not at all."

"Cool... So, erm, can you stand over there?" Basil pointed next to a spot near the tree in the open. Sunny nodded and stood where Basil had pointed. Basil adjusted his camera slightly before walking up to Sunny and putting his arm around him.

Click

Before Sunny had a chance to react, Basil had taken a photo of them. He blinked in response to the sudden shock. "I hope it turns out good!" Basil set the camera in his bag before setting the strap over his shoulder. "We should probably get back to Kel's house. I kinda stole you all day, ...sorry." Sunny shook his head in disagreement. "Don't worry about it. This was fun." Basil couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad. It's good to have you back. It's nice having you around." Suddenly but slowly his grin fell. "You know, I'm really sorry."

Sunny had no clue what Basil was talking about. "About what?"

"For being so... clingy. I was so attached to you and I didn't know how to handle not having you around. It was unhealthy, and I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Or if I still do..." Basil had come to realize that his attachment was unhealthy, he was doing his best to get better at that. While his therapist said he was making progress, he had still affected Sunny.

Basil had always been a little clingy, but considering how his parents never gave him the time of day and how naturally shy seemed to be, Sunny didn't blame him. He never really minded anyway. Even though that attachment helped lead to Basil making some... bad decisions. That desperation to keep Sunny - whom Basil saw as probably the only person who would never abandon him - safe, came from that attachment. But he was starting to learn that other people care about him, that will listen to him. People that aren't Sunny.

"It's alright, Basil. To be fair, I was probably a little too reliant on Mari, so you're not alone. And you don't make me uncomfortable at all." Sunny wore a smile that made Basil feel reassured.

"Really? Thank goodness. I'm glad you don't find me weird, but uh... I still want to be less reliant on others."

Basil had always been a little uncertain of himself. Whether it was because of his home situation or his shyness, Sunny didn't know. Regardless of what he's done, how he acts, or how feels around Sunny, he's still Sunny's best friend.

Chapter Text

.

...

......

WELCOME TO DREAMSPACE

YOU'VE BEEN GONE A WHILE

WELCOME BACK

Dreamspace. The new version of Headspace. Sunny had been coming here ever since the first night he moved away. Headspace had dispersed and reformed itself. It no longer hid his nightmares. It no longer hid the truth. And since it was essentially an alternate version of Headspace, it was still relatively easy to navigate.

He lay in his bed, surrounded by five others. Sunny was enthralled by the would-be sky shrouded by dark blue clouds giving a sense of seclusion and privacy as they slowly swirled like a whirlpool. Sunny wished to stare at the enchanting sight more, but he decided against it. He stood up and walked to the mirror near his bed, wanting to see how he looked this time.

In the mirror, he saw his twelve-year-old self. Not Omori, but a young Sunny. His hair was the standard dream purple hair that his other friends had. His eyes a royal blue, a new and unexpected feature: no doubt it was due to Aubrey commenting about his eyes as she stared into them. Over his right eye, a faint scar tainted his skin, the scar he got from the fight with Basil. A constant reminder of what occurred that night.

His clothes were the same as Omori's: a tank top, striped shorts, and long socks. The clothes were dream purple as well. Though the black strips on his pants remained

Sunny still didn't know how to describe what Omori was. He knew Omori was some sort of defense mechanism, but it seemed like he was more. Like some part of his mind that had merged with the 'protector', fighting for control of his mind... As if he were a sub-entity within his own mind.

Well, it didn't matter anymore. Omori was gone, as was Something. Mostly... He still had nightmares of that visage, and while he had learned how to deal with it, it still instilled a feeling of denial and terror deep in his soul.

Sunny drew himself out of his self-induced trance and pulled away from the mirror. Making his way out of the room with a goal, to see his friends. He took step after step up the cold stone staircase, opening the door at the top surrounded by wood.

Behind him was the wooden framed door to the Underground Bedroom, illuminated by a hanging lantern protruding from the top of the frame.

He wasn't quite sure how he could still see the sky from the quaint subterranean room, but he didn't bother to question it. It was a dream after all. 

And before him was the Great Forest. A dense forest filled with trees that got thicker than anything he had ever seen in the real world and got as tall as city buildings. It was as if they were ants.

Sunny began his trek to the World Tree. His friends were most likely there. He strolled along the stone-dotted path admiring the crystal clear rivulet that ran down the side of the hill. Within minutes, the World Tree came into view. The World Tree had become one of Sunny's favorite places in Dreamspace, a gigantic tree surrounded by flowers. At night - which occurred at random times - will-o'-wisps would float around the tree. Sunny knew the reason why the spirits gathered around the tree. It was  that  tree. Sunny and Mari's favorite tree.

At the base, Sunny's friends were gathered around a picnic basket, sitting on a blanket. Like Sunny, they looked very similar to their Headspace renditions but with minor changes. Aubrey now carried around a large body pillow instead of Mr. Plantegg. It wasn't the body pillow they had found in the castle. It was just a sky-blue body pillow. Kel was slightly taller than he was in Headspace; his hair was a little longer too. Hero now wore more plain pajamas; solid gray pajama bottoms and a blue top took the place of his matching striped ones. Basil’s flower crown was now made of white and blue flowers. Sunny couldn't name which flowers they were exactly, but he was sure that Basil had told him about them before. And Mari’s eyes were now rings of purple, reminiscent of her ghostly visage.

Hearing his footsteps, Aubrey turned her head towards Sunny, gasping as she saw him. “Hi Sunny!” She waved at him as she smiled, earning the attention of the others who waved to Sunny as well. Sunny gave them a shy wave of his own.

Hero smiled. “Perfect timing, Sunny! We were just about to head to the Old Lake. Did you wanna come?"

Sunny nodded. He didn't have a reason to say no.

"I guess we should get going then now that we have our little Sunshine!" Mari stood up and brushed her skirt off.

Basil's smile showed his nervousness as he stood up. "Sorry we're immediately going somewhere else Sunny, but it'll be fun! I'm sure of it!"

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Kel shouted as he bolted down the path.

"Hey! Not fair!" Aubrey shouted as she chased after him.

Hero sighed, somewhat tense. "Let's start walking. We don't want to get too far behind 'em."

The group moved at a leisurely pace as Kel and Aubrey competed to be the first to arrive, making small jabs at each other as they ran.

It wasn't until now that Sunny noticed the basket in Mari's hand. She must have picked it up before they left. Sunny couldn't help but wonder what she packed. She would never tell him what's inside. She loved surprises, specifically surprising other people.

The wind blew warmly, contrasting the mildly chilly air of the forest. The gentle breeze shook the leaves of the massive trees, blowing the dead leaves along the ground while a few were carried in swirling streams of air.

Sunny found it strange he could get lost in his thoughts even within his dreams. Though his dreams weren't very normal to begin with. Then again, no dreams were very normal, at least as far as the word 'normal' is understood.

"I totally beat you here!" Sunny was shaken from his train of thought by the shouting of Aubrey, who was having an argument with Kel.

Kel yelled at her in return. His face showed no sign of fear. "No way! I won! You're just being a crybaby!"

"I'm not being a crybaby! You're just being a sore loser!" Aubrey turned her back to him.

"I'm not a sore loser!" Kel shouted.

Aubrey turned to him again, stomping her foot. "Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"H-Hey... erm..." Basil walked up to the pair. "Why don't we just call it a tie?" He nervously suggested.

"..." The two looked at each other, their brows furrowed in anger. "Fine." They said in dejected unison before walking away from each other in complete silence.

Hero let out a weary groan. "Why can't those two learn to get along?" Wishing his friends could be more civil around each other.

Mari stroked his shoulder. "It's fine, Hero. Let's just forget about it!" She said with her charming smile.

"I know, I just wish they would get along..." He said, slightly cheered up by Mari's company

"It's just how the talk to each other, they're still friends at the end of the day. We're still going to have fun right?" Mari put on a pleading face as she spoke to Hero.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." A grin snuck itself onto Hero's face.

"Hehe. You're so cute Hero." Mari teased, feeling a little smug.

Hero blushed. "C-C'mon Mari, that's not funny."

"Oh I'm just teasing...  My superhero~! "

Hero's face was now beet red. "Mari!"

Mari stifled her giggles, her unofficial boyfriend's red face bringing her great amusement.

Basil stood in front of the lake, ignorant of the conversation the elder two friends were having. "Wow, the lake is really pretty today!" He was in awe of the deep blue waters of the lake.

"Yep, it makes it the perfect spot to hang out!" Mari spread out her picnic blanket.

"Mhm, it's so peaceful here!"

A gust of wind blew by, ruffling Sunny's hair. On the wind, a thin white piece of film was carried. When it blew by Sunny, he reached out and caught it by the corner. The wind tried to reclaim the photo, but it was secure between the boy's fingers. He turned the photo to reveal the photo of the treehouse. The real-world photo hidden away in our treehouse to fade and age with everything else left up there.

Basil noticed Sunny staring at an object in his hand. "Hey Sunny! Whatcha got there?" Sunny showed the photo to Basil.

"Oh. It's a photo all of us in the treehouse. I loved it there. It was fun hanging out there with everyone y'know? Man... Sometimes it almost feels like the people in the photo were buried there, huh?"

The wind grew fierce and chilly. Everyone else had seemingly vanished with the wind, leaving Sunny alone with Basil.

"I wish we could've used it more... but we only had it for a summer... That's my fault huh? ...I'm sorry about that."

The lake began to boil as the treeline was engulfed by a thick fog. A shadow stretched over the forest, taking the lake with it. Sunny looked toward the source of the shadow to see a large mass of hair hanging from the World Tree via a noose.  What's happening? Why is that here?  Sunny's breathing became more and more intense. 

"Sunny?" He heard Basil call to him. His visage sent shivers up Sunny's spine. There was a hole in his stomach and blood seeping out of his mouth. His outfit was the very same one worn when they slept in his living room. His eyes watery.

"Do you forgive me Sunny?"

What..?

"Why did you leave me?"

"I just... I wasn't thinking clearly."

"I just wanted to help."

"I know you did... but you did the opposite."

"Did you attack me because you hate me?"

"No. I don't hate you. I just..."

"Sunny..."

Sunny didn't hate him, but...

"Please answer me..."

He hadn't truly forgiven Basil yet.

"Please don’t leave me again."

Even though he forgave Sunny for leaving him alone all those years.

"You promised."

Even though he promised Basil they would get through it together.

"I'm so sorry for what I did."

Basil was still his best friend. Yet something nagged at Sunny when he was around him.

"I know I was wrong, but I just wanted to help."

If he wasn't there for Basil. What would've happened?

"I didn't know what else to do."

Would it have been the same thing that would've happened to him? Would he have...

"Do you hate me?"

He had been in denial for so long, that he never had the time to properly forgive Basil.

"Would it be better if I wasn’t around? If I didn’t exist?"

Basil was just as panicked as Sunny was. Just as confused. Just as hysterical. He did what he thought he had to, even if it wasn't right.

"Sunny... I... I’m scared... I’m so scared Sunny..."

Basil clutched the fabric at his chest.

"It hurts..."

Basil’s eyes were red from crying.

"I don’t want to be alone... I don’t want to be hated..."

"Basil, you'll always be my best friend. I won't abandon you. I don't hate you, no one hates you."

"I don’t want to die..."

"I won't let you die... and I think.... I think I'm ready to forgive you." Sunny brought Basil into a hug. The warm blood pressed onto his torso as he held Basil tight.

"Thank you Sunny... Thank you..."  Basil's form faded into yellow petals which the wind carried away to the World Tree. The shadow had vanished, and the wind grew warm once more.

"Sunny." Mari's voice echoed all around him. "It's time to wake up."

Sunny's head jolted up from his pillow. He looked around in mild panic.

It was just a dream...

It was quiet. The only sound he could hear was the ticking of a clock and the singing of birds. Everyone else must still be asleep. Sunny sat up from his spot on the couch and stood up, lazily stretching his arms and legs.  I should get ready.

Sunny briskly showered and brushed his teeth thoroughly. He kept quiet as he moved through the house to get dressed and put on his shoes.

I hope they won't mind me being gone for a while.

Besides, he'd be back later today. He closed the door silently behind him as he left the house and started heading towards Faraway Plaza, needing something from Fix-It.

The sky progressively got more blue as he walked to the store. The birds chirped and flew through the air, celebrating the dawn of a new day. Sunny wished he could be like them, especially today.

He walked through the door of the hardware store, he shivered a little from the blast of cold air. The clerk turned his attention to him. "Hey there kid! Let me know if you need help finding anything."

Sunny gave him a nod before walking deeper into the store. He entered the gardening area, searching for the flower he wanted. He was pretty sure they still carried it. They did when he was here last time.

He was proved right as he eventually found what he had been looking for, a beautiful, white, bell-shaped flower. Mari's flower. The lily of the valley.

Sunny took the flower in his hands, carrying it to the storefront. He made his purchase and left the store, his next destination in mind with the flower in hand.

It was a special flower, and today was a special day.

Chapter Text

Sunny stood before the local church building adorned with stained glass. Time almost halted as Sunny braved himself to head inside. He opened the large wooden door and stepped into the empty building of worship. The colorful windows embraced the morning light, creating a fantastical shine.

He walked through the aisle between the pews until he reached the back. Exiting through the door into the cemetery. The autumn leaves and chilly wind amplified the somber atmosphere. He continued past the withering grass and fallen leaves to Mari's grave.

Mari Suzuki

March 1, 1993 - October 24, 2008

Our Dearest Mari

The sun shined brighter when she was here.

Today is the anniversary of the day that she died...  The day I killed her.

It was four years ago today that the accident happened. When Sunny pushed Mari down the stairs in a moment of anger. When he shut himself away.

Sunny knelt before Mari's grave and placed the flower near her tombstone. He wanted to speak, but his mouth remained shut. The words he wanted to say slipped from his tongue. Time passed as he knelt there, saying nothing at all. Truthfully, Sunny didn't know what he wanted to say; he had so much he wanted to tell her. Sunny took a deep breath as he collected himself, allowing the words to flow.

"Hey, Mari. I-It's me, Sunny... Your little brother." He exhaled as if relieved.

"I brought you a flower, the one Basil had for you. I told everyone about what happened... I-I'm still really sorry about that. I really hope you know that and I hope you can forgive me. It's okay if you can't… I just… I really miss you; we all do... I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you... I wish you were still here, Mari. I love you, sis…" The air fell silent: even the wind and birds had gone quiet. Teardrops began to fall to Sunny's chin.

"I know this is selfish of me… but if you can hear me… please tell me. That night, with Kel and Hero… was that really you in my dreams? Was that... Was that you on the piano?"

" Sunny ."

Sunny's blood froze all throughout his body. Startled, he looked up. But no one was there.  That was Mari's voice...  "M-Mari?" He stuttered.

" Sunny ."

It was like a cold chill descended on Sunny, all the hairs on his body stood on end.  Thump. Thump... Thump. Thump...

Sunny became Afraid.

Is this happening? Is this real? Is it her?

"Sunny..."

Sunny's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. It felt like the shadows had grown bigger... He was too scared to move.

"SUNNY!"

Sunny felt a hand on his shoulder. He let out a small scream as he turned around and while trying to stand up, fell over almost immediately. He landed on his butt in a half-turned position as he looked at the person before him.

"W-Who-?! Oh... H-Hey... Kel..."

Kel could only stare at Sunny in surprise. He heard the way Sunny called out for Mari and got worried. When he came closer it seemed like Sunny was having a panic attack. Even looking at him now, he seemed paler than usual. "Sunny, are you alright?" He extended his hand to Sunny.

Sunny stared at Kel. Why was he here? Did Kel follow him? At first he was confused, but after a few seconds lost in thought, he decided he didn't care. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Sunny took Kel's hand and was pulled to his feet. "You sure?" Kel asked, "You looked pretty out of it."

He saw me...

Sunny wanted to cry and hide himself away. He had been trying to hide that part of himself since the moment he arrived. He didn't want his friends to see him in a state of psychosis, they didn't need to worry about him even more.

Sunny didn't like lying, but he didn't want Kel to worry about him. "S-Sorry about that. I just... thought I heard something... I-I just came to talk to Mari." He tried to act natural and play it cool. But it was a poor performance. Kel was deeply worried about Sunny, but he decided not to pry further. Kel knew he could be a pain sometimes, and he trusted Sunny would tell them when he was ready. "As long as you're alright." Kel smiled warmly at his friend, and he smiled back. "You came because today's the anniversary right?"

"...Yeah, is that why you're here too?" Sunny wiped his face after he asked.

"Yeah. We got here a while ago, but we decided to wait for you to finish up what you were doing."

"W-Wait a second.  We ?"

Sunny heard the crunching of leaves and dying grass as Aubrey walked up to Sunny and Kel, holding a bouquet of flowers. Basil and Hero were walking behind her.

"Hey, Sunny." Aubrey adjusted her grip on the flower.

"Hey..." He replied meekly. He was even more mortified now that he knew all of his friends saw his display.

"You left early." Hero said as he stepped beside Aubrey.

"S-Sorry, I just wanted to talk with Mari a little." Sunny said in an almost embarrassed tone.

Aubrey set the flowers down at Mari's grave and turned to Sunny. "She's your sister Sunny, you don't have to apologize for visiting her."

Hero nodded in agreement. "I'm sure you have a lot on your mind." Hero smiled at Sunny.

Sunny smiled in return. He was always unsure of how to respond to Hero's kindness, but he appreciated it all the same. "I do. I just... It's hard being here."

"It's okay, Sunny. I know it isn't easy." Hero knew how hard it was to visit Mari's grave. And he was right. It isn't easy. Not just because of what Sunny did, but because of the things he came close to doing as well. All of it made it so hard. Hard to be there. Hard to say the things you want to. Hard to look others in the eyes. It felt almost unbearable. Sunny knew Hero must have felt a similar way. "Yeah. Thanks..."

The two turned to Aubrey, who had a genuine smile on her face. She blushed when she realized the grin on her face and turned to face Mari's grave. Aubrey got on her knees and lowered her head. "Hi, Mari. I'm here with everyone else. We've been having a lot of fun, I know that's what you would've wanted. And I know you'd be smiling if you were here with us." Her words were like whispers, but the words 'I hope you're proud of me' were uttered more audibly. Aubrey wiped her eyes with her fingers and stood up, a faint smile on her face as she passed her friends to stand behind them.

Hero took a deep breath and stepped forward. Standing at the base of her grave, he paused for a moment, steadying himself. "I'm here, Mari. I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while; I've just been thinking a lot lately. I still miss you a lot, you know. I think about you every day." Hero began to choke up but did his best to keep his composure. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to move on... but as long as I get to see you again one day, I'm fine with that."

Hero took a shaky deep breath. Then another.

"Rest well, Mari." He stood there for another second before stepping back and walking back to his friends and brother. Kel looked at him, his eyes fixed on his face. "You okay?" He asked his older brother. "Yeah. I'm okay." Hero's voice was broken, but he was slowly calming down. A gentle grin took to Kel's face. It made Hero feel more at peace, he smiled back. Hero had so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to. He had to stay strong for them. "It's your turn now."

"Right," Kel said. "Here goes nothing." Kel hesitated as he walked to her grave. And when he got there, he found himself unsure of how to start. It took a while for him to find the right words. "Mari? I-It's me, Kel. We all brought you flowers, I hope you like them." Kel froze for a moment. No one else could tell, but his face took on an unusually serious expression.

"I'm not too good at this stuff, but I want to be. I know if you were here you'd tell me that I could be good at anything if I really try. You were always so positive, that always put a smile on my face... We all really miss you, but I guess you already knew that huh?.. I want to ask you for something, Mari. A favor..." Kel paused once more. "I want to keep us together. Everyone is dealing with so much. Sunny and Basil... I can't imagine what's been going through their heads these past few years, or what's been going through them in the past few months either. Aubrey is trying so hard to be more like the person she was, and she has a lot of pain to deal with. And Hero... I know how you two were, I know how all of this has been destroying him. So, I want to ask... that you'll give me the strength to be there for them. It's harder now that Sunny isn't around all the time, but I promise I'll do better to be there for them."

"Well, I'll talk to you later, Mari. We all miss you."

Kel turned to Basil. "You ready?" Kel asked the blonde boy.

"N-Not yet. Sorry." Basil apologized.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Go at your own pace!" Kel reassured him.

"Did you guys want to have the picnic now then?" Aubrey held up a picnic basket.

"I think that's a good idea!" Hero smiled.

"Awww, yeah! Food!" Kel was back to his normal goofball self.

Aubrey set the basket down near Mari's grave and Hero got out the picnic blanket inside.

"What'd you pack?" Basil asked Hero.

"Sandwiches, fruit, a few bags of pretzels, and some juice boxes. It's lunch." He said

"Isn't it a little early for lunch?" Aubrey had her hands in her pockets.

"Not really, but you can call it brunch if you want." Hero set out all the food neatly. Basil sat on the blanket; Kel gleefully sat beside him.

Sunny was pretty hungry too. He hasn't eaten yet today, and it's Hero's cooking too. Besides, food tastes better with friends.

Hero handmade everyone some sandwiches, and he made sure to get everyone's right. Basil had a lettuce and chicken sandwich on wheat bread. Aubrey had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Kel had a ham, chicken, and onion sandwich. Sunny had a beef sandwich on toasted white bread. And Hero had an egg and bacon sandwich on white bread.

He set out the sandwiches in the center and surrounded them with fruit, pretzel baggies, and juice boxes.

Sunny sat down and Aubrey followed, just before Hero had finished setting up, leading him to take a seat as well.

Everyone grabbed their food and started to chat amongst themselves. "Do you still visit the church every week, Aubrey?"

"...No. I don't." She said in between bites.

Kel looked confused. "But I thought you visited every week since Mari died..."

"I did, but I've found the peace I was looking for since then. I wouldn't mind going back, but I don't think those people would be happy to see me."

"What?! Who cares what they think?"

"I started a fight in the middle of a sermon, Kel."

"That's partially my fault too, the pastor didn't mind that much anyway. He was really worried about you, Aubrey."

"Yeah, but he was the only one..."

"It's not about the fight is it?" Sunny said. "It's about the things those people said."

Aubrey turned her head away.

"Aubrey, they didn't know what you were going through. Besides, the things some of those people said were way out of line!"

"Can we talk about something else, please?" She said.

"Okay." Kel nodded.

The group had finished their picnic and were about to finish packing up their basket when something crossed Sunny's mind. He never thanked Kel for getting him outside.

"Kel."

"Yeah?" Kel stood up.

Sunny swallowed, "I've been meaning to thank you."

"For doing what?"

"For getting me to leave my house."

He had a puzzled look on his face, "That's it? For getting you out of your house? Where's this coming from?"

"I mean it Kel, you were the first one to reach out to me after all those years… if you hadn't done that, if I hadn't left the house." Sunny always thought that if he never left his house, he would've just moved away without ever seeing my friends again, and as painful as that thought was, a more sickening thought came to fruition. He already hated himself so much, he wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt much longer, and the idea had already crossed his mind multiple times before, "I don't think I would be alive right now."

Kel's eyes were wide. He clearly hadn't thought about that possibility at all. He quickly hugged Sunny as tears began rolling down his cheek, "Sunny, please don't say that. You   are   here. You're alive. You  and  Basil."

Sunny rubbed Kel's back to console him, "I know, I'm sorry for bringing it up, but I think you really needed to know how much you've done for me."

"Sunny-" Aubrey tried to conceal her sadness.

Sunny had something to tell her too.

He patted Kel on the back, and Kel released Sunny from his embrace, horribly trying to smile while holding a thumbs-up.

Sunny returned his smile before facing Aubrey, "Aubrey, there's something you should know too."

She tried to brace herself for what was coming, "What is it?"

Sunny took a deep breath and braced himself, "I was the one who destroyed the photos."

Aubrey's face morphed from sadness to anger, or at least, that's what Sunny expected to happen. But instead of the punch he had anticipated, she let out a sigh, "I guess I should've figured that, it makes more sense than Basil blacking them out."

Sunny was stunned. Even if Aubrey had chilled out from her delinquency, he still expected to be hurt a little.

 "If you had told me before, I would have hit you straight in the gut."

"I figured that yeah..."

"But after everything that's happened, I can't bring myself to hurt you."

"...Because you feel sorry for me?"

This was what got Aubrey angry, "Because I care about you dumbass!" Her eyes started to water, "I'm still mad about what you just told me, but it's not as bad as it would've been, and it's not really that big a deal."

"Thank you, and I'm sorry." Sunny tried my best to give her a smile. It was apparently good enough, as she smiled back.

Dumbass...  Aubrey playfully thought to herself.

Sunny looked towards Basil and smiled at him. As if to say, "See it wasn't that hard." Basil smiled back before walking over to Mari's grave.

Aubrey noticed Basil's intention and spoke up, "If you want us to leave Basil, we will."

"No, that's okay. You guys have the right to hear this." Basil knelt on the ground, sitting on his shins with his hands on his lap.

I can do this.

"H-Hi Mari. It's me, Basil. We all really miss you, b-but you probably already know that huh? I... I'm really sorry Mari, I'm so sorry. I never should've done what I did, I was scared and I didn't know what to do. I really hope you can forgive me... I just wanted to keep Sunny safe. I know that isn't an excuse but... I just don't want you to hate me." His voice began to break as he stifled his tears.

Hero got down next to Basil and put his hand around Basil's shoulder, holding him in a semi-side hug. "It's alright Basil. It's alright. I know Mari doesn't hate you."

Hero comforted Basil as he held back tears, calming him down from his emotional state. Everyone else left Basil be, so as to not crowd and overwhelm him. After a short while, Basil was able to contain himself, and they stood up from the spot in front of her grave.

"Are you okay Basil?" Kel asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Basil forced a smile.

"I think this calls for a group hug!" Hero said with his arms outstretched.

"Heh, you and your damn group hugs." Aubrey said, yet still held out her arms.

Sunny was caught in the middle of the hug. He was having a hard time breathing, but he didn't say anything. Not wanting to spoil the moment.

They're hugging so tightly, especially Aubrey and Kel.

They're so warm. Who cares if I can't breathe? I'm content with dying here. I'm happy with this, especially since Aubrey's the one directly hugging me.

God, why did I think that!? That was so weird. Can she see me blushing? Maybe she won't notice...

Eventually, the group hug disbanded, and Sunny could finally breathe again. He was still blushing though, he really hoped Aubrey wouldn't notice.

As he walked through the door to re-enter the church, he noticed that Aubrey was blushing a little as well.

Chapter Text

"Bye Kel! Don't get hurt!" Hero yelled out to Kel as he held Sally.

"I won't!" Kel closed the door behind him and hopped down the steps before getting on his skateboard and propelling himself down the sidewalk.

I wonder why Cris wanted to meet me at Faraway Park. Did I do something wrong? Nah. She would've sent angry texts if that was the case.

Kel's hair flowed in the wind as he sped down the street. He'd usually try and pull a trick, but he just wanted to cruise until he got there. To enjoy the rush.  That ... and he didn't have his elbow and knee pads.

As he arrived at the park, Kel stopped and hopped off his skateboard to pick it up.

An initial look around proved unfruitful, with Kel unable to spot Cris.

"Boo!" The girl in question shouted whilst grabbing her boyfriend's shoulders.

Kel stiffened and let out a small yelp. "Jeez, Cris! You scared me."

She giggled cutely. "Sorry Kel. Just wanted to surprise you!" She ran her fingers through her hair. "How does it look?"

"Umm. It looks good. Did you get a haircut?"

"I added red too." Her voice carried her disappointment.

Now that he got a good look at it, it did look really different. Cris's fluffy hair now extended down to her shoulders. It's the same sky blue but now fading into a rose red.

"Oh yeah! I like it, it looks amazing! I'm sorry I didn't notice."

"Don't worry about it, Kelsey. I'm glad you like it." She smiled innocently as Kel blushed at the nickname.

"Anyway, did you want to talk about something?"

"Not really. I just wanted to hang out with my boyfriend." Cris became more flushed, as did Kel.

It felt somewhat weird for Kel to have a girl call him her boyfriend. Even though it was by all means true.

"Fine by me! Is there anywhere you want to go?"

"Are you hungry? We could go to Gino's."  This girl. She really knows the way to my heart.

"Gino's sounds good! I brought money this time, so I can pay."

"You sure you didn't forget it?" Cris said with a quizzical look.

"Yep! Look." Kel pulled out his wallet and showed the cash inside.

"Great! Then let's get going." She started walking. Kel followed her, skateboard in hand.

As the couple approached Faraway Plaza, the smell of pizza and bread got stronger. Only heightening Kel's hunger for pizza.

Kel opened the door for Cris, entering behind her. There weren't many customers in the store, which means they'll get their pizza faster!

"I'll find a table, you go order." Cris said.

"Aye-aye." Kel strolled over to the counter and waited a few seconds for the worker to take his order. "Hello, what'll be?"

"Two large pepperoni pizzas please! Oh, and two medium drinks!"

"Okay, that'll be $26.52."

Kel pulled out his wallet and handed him $30. The clerk messed with the register for a while before handing over the change.

"Can I get a name for the order?"

"Kel."

"Alright, I'll call out when your pizzas are ready." He said while handing Kel two cups.

"Thanks!" Kel grabbed the cups and headed for the soda machine. Getting got Orange Joe for himself and Pepsi for Cris. Kel made his way over to the table near the jukebox, which Cris claimed. Setting her drink down before sitting himself.

"Thanks, Kelsey." She took a sip of her Pepsi. Kel wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that nickname, not that he minded.

The door to Gino's opened, and inside came Aubrey and Kim.

Kel didn't expect to see them here. He decided to say hello.

"Hey, Aubrey! Kim!" He called their names and waved to get their attention.

They turned to him, Aubrey waved back, but Kim simply smiled. Aubrey said something to Kim before they came over and sat down with the couple.

"Sup nerd." Kim said in a playful tone.

"Hey, Kel. Whatcha doing here?" Aubrey sat next to Kel.

"Oh, I was hanging out with Cris!" He couldn't help but smile.

Aubrey smirked. "So this is Cris." Aubrey looked at her for a moment, "That's right, I remember you! We met before Sunny moved away. Sorry for intruding, we'll leave you to your date."

"Y-You don't have to leave, we don't mind you eating with us." Cris was embarrassed at Aubrey's date remark, as was Kel.

"...You sure? We don't want to make things weird... or anything." Kim asked.

"Yeah, sit back down. It's always fun to hang out with friends."

Kim and Aubrey looked at each other before they sat back down. Kim was the first to speak up. "I still can't believe a nerd like you has a girlfriend." She joked.

"Guess I got lucky huh?" He chuckled nervously.

"Nah. You're... pretty annoying sometimes but you're a fun guy to be around." Aubrey played with her hair.

"Wow. I never thought you'd ever compliment me, Aubrey." Kel was exaggerating a little. They had complimented each other on occasion as children, but this was the first compliment since.

Cris giggled. Kel was happy that he could make her laugh. Guess his sense of humor is a plus too. At least to Cris.

"Well you are my friend, Kel. I have to be nice to you sometimes." She responded, seemingly trying to play it off.

Cris rested her head on her hand, "Yeah, my boyfriend is pretty talented. Good looking too."

Kel's face felt like it was on fire. He probably looked like a tomato right now. "T-Thanks Cris..."

"Damn, you made Kel nervous and got him to shut up. That's an achievement." Kim said while trying to contain her laughter. Kel wished he could hide his face.

"Order for Kel!" This was his opportunity.

Kel retrieved the pizzas, thanking the cashier before returning to the table. His face still a little flushed.

He set the pizzas down on the table. Sitting down, he heard the clerk shout again.

"Order for Aubrey!"

"Huh? When did you order?"

"I called beforehand." Aubrey went over to the counter to collect her order.

Kel had totally forgotten that was a thing you could do.

Kel grabbed a few pizza slices and sank his teeth into them. Cris did the same.

Gino's has always had the best pizza in town. It's why they come here all the time.

Aubrey returned with a Hawaiian pizza. While Aubrey grabbed a few slices, Kim stood up. "I'm gonna go play a song on the jukebox."

Aubrey gave a thumbs up in response before taking a bite of her pizza. Kim strolled over to the jukebox. Rai was standing by it like he always is. Does he do anything else?

"You know, Kel." Aubrey wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Kim is sorry about trying to beat you up."

"I know." Kel gave a concise response. He didn't like talking about this stuff, but he was aware he had to.

"Kel, I know you're trying to be nice. And that you figured she was sorry. But I'm  telling  you she was sorry. It was really my fault anyway. I'm the one who made my gang angry at you guys."

"Aubrey, we're cool now. You don't have to worry about that."

"I still want to apologize, at least for Kim and me." A sad smile weakly emerged on Aubrey's face. This must mean a lot to her.

"Okay. I accept your apology. You're forgiven. Now eat your pizza, it's gonna get cold. No one likes cold pizza!"

"Kel, I like cold pizza..." Cris said, slightly dejected. She had been staying out of the conversation since it was an issue between Kel and Aubrey.

"Oh! I... Uh. Sorry, Crissy."  I kinda screwed that up, huh?

"It's okay Kel, I forgive you." There's that smile again. Kel could've sworn it was his weakness, even more than Orange Joe.

"Thanks, I can always count on you!" Kel did his best to match her optimism in this very serious conversation.

"Of course you can! After all, your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it? I have to make sure I get you something good."

"Aww, c'mon Cris. You know you don't have to."

"Too bad." Cris had a cheeky smile on her face.

Kel knew she wouldn't back down on this. Cris is very selfless. He loves that about her.

"Just don't bankrupt yourself alright?" Kel said in a half-serious manner. He knew wouldn't actually do that, but he needed to make sure.

"No promises." She winked at him. Kel blushed and chuckled nervously. She's the only one who has made him feel like this. He's pretty sure she's the only one who can.

I love her so much.

Oh crap!  He had been completely ignoring Aubrey and Kim.

He turned to the pair on his left. It seems like Aubrey and Kim started chatting on their own since he and Cris did. Kel couldn't keep up with what they were talking about, but they seemed like they were having fun too.

Kel was happy.

Maaaan, that pizza was good. Gino's has still yet to fail me.

The group strolled alongside the border of Faraway Park. Kel kept his hand up to the bars, smacking each one as he goes along.

"So, where are you guys headed now?" Kel asked.

"I'm heading home. I promised Vance we'd have a game night with mom."

"Thanks for hanging out on such short notice!" Aubrey bubbly exclaimed.

"You kiddin'? I’ve always got time for you, Aubrey!" Kim started to walk backward. "See ya later!"

"Bye, Kim!" Aubrey and Kim waved to each other.

"Sorry, Kelsey. I should get going too. Thank you for a lovely afternoon." Cris grabbed my hand with both of hers and stood on her toes to gently kiss my cheek.

"I'm happy you had fun." Kel knew he looked like a goof right now, but he didn't care.

My girlfriend just kissed me on the cheek!

"See you later!" Cris walked off as well. The dumb smile Kel got from her kiss was still plastered on his face.

Aubrey smirked. "So,  Kelsey . You and Cris seem really happy together."

"We are! Cris is cool and fun to be around, y'know?"

"Guess you're popular with the ladies, huh?"

"Nah, just Cris."

"That's what you think." Aubrey's had a devilish grin on her face.

"Hmmm? Whaddaya mean?"

"Well... Don't tell her I told you this, but Kim has a major crush on you."

Kel's face went bright red.

"SHE DOES?!?"

"Yep. It's like a little girl crush too."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked what I meant. And besides, if you and Cris ever break up now, you've got a plan B."

"What makes you think we'll break up?"

"I didn't say you will, I said just in case. I'm Kim's friend, not her hitman. I'm not gonna sabotage your relationship or anything."

"Are you sure? I can see you beating someone up for a reason like that."

"Yeah, sure."

"I've seen you do it before."

"Before. I don't do that anymore." The irritation in Aubrey's voice grew.

"You probably still could."

"Is that really what you think of me?"

Kel realized he had messed up.   "I just meant that-"

"I'm trying my best Kel!"

"Woah. Woah. Calm down okay? I'm sorry I didn't mean it."

"Am I really still that much of an asshole?" Aubrey was really upset. Kel felt bad for making her feel like that. He didn't know it meant that much to her.

"Aubrey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that! It's just been a long time since we've been close. I really don't think that about you."

Aubrey seems on the verge of tearing up. But she slowly regained her composure, although not fully.

"You really don't think that about me?"

"No way. I don't always think before I say things, I'm sorry."

"It's okay... I was probably overreacting anyway."

"No, you've been working hard to change and it must be hurtful to hear that someone still thinks you're the same."

"I guess so. I hope you know I'm not mad at you or anything. I just got upset is all."

Kel put on a smile for her. To tell her it's okay.

"It's alright. I'm a bit of a screw up anyways."

"Kel, that's not true. Please don't say things like that. You sound like Basil..."

Kel's heart sank. "Basil talks about himself like that?" Kel wondered why he didn't realize that Basil may have been talking poorly about himself, but he knew. He hadn't noticed because he didn't want to.

Aubrey froze for a second before grabbing onto the fence with her hand. "Yeah. I really want to help him, but it's like he doesn't want help. Even though I know he does."

"Do you think it's because of Mari?"

Aubrey's eyes were filled with a sense of melancholy. "Probably. That's really the only explanation."

Kel let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you know, why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he feels like he doesn't deserve it, or that he's the one who should be repaying us." Aubrey went silent for a moment. "What he did wasn't right, and it might even be worse than what Sunny did... But he deserves a second chance. I just wish he would see that."

"Well, we can support him. He's our friend, right? We can't force him to do anything, but I'm positive we can help him somehow! That's what friends are for aren't they?"

Aubrey stood there dumbfounded at Kel's upbeat determination, before smiling with relief.

"Yeah, you're right. That is what they're for." Her smile is calm but hopeful. It’s a peaceful smile. "Thank you, Kel."

Chapter Text

Okay. Today is the day.

I have to do this.

I need to ask Sunny to hang out today. That's the only way we can be alone.

Then I can tell him how I feel.

|Aub >> Sunny|
10/27 - 10:21 A.M.

Aub: Hey, did you want to hang out today?
Sunny: sure

He said yes!!

I leisurely kicked my feet against my bed.

|Aub >> Sunny|
10/27 - 10:22 A.M.

Sunny: where did you want to go?
Aub: There's that area past the plaza
Aub: Does that sound good?
Sunny: yep, when did you want to meet up?
Aub: Does 5 sound good?
Sunny: 👍
Aub: Cool, see you then

Okay. I need to calm myself.

I quelled my excitement and tried my best to stay focused.

I need to remember to get ready before I go.

|Aub >> Sunny|
10/27 - 4:58 P.M.

Aub: I'm in front of the fountain
Sunny: I'll be there shortly

Alright.

I can't embarrass myself. I want Sunny to like me. I took the opportunity to check my reflection through my phone camera.

I don't look too bad. I took extra care to make sure I looked nice. Not wearing makeup definitely has its advantages, like having a bunch more time to get ready for stuff.

I put my phone back in my pocket. When I looked up, I saw him.

He's wearing a light grey hoodie and black jeans. It looks really good on him.

He looks... Cute. Really cute. He's always been cute. But for some reason, I feel extra nervous around him right now. Is it because I asked him to hang out so I could tell him how I feel?

"H-Hey Sunny!"

Did I already mess up? Was that too high energy?

"Hi Aubs." His voice is soft and cute. It's not high, but not really deep either. It's just warm. It could put me to sleep.

Wait. What did he just call me? Aubs? I. He... He already has a nickname for me??

How is he so cute?

"S-So, you ready to go?"

"Mhm." He nodded.

"Let's go then."

We started walking through the plaza along the front of stores we've known for so long. I can't help but turn my gaze to Sunny every so often. Admiring his soft, boyish features.

"Were there any stores in particular you wanted to check out?" Sunny looked around at the newly developed area.

"Not really. I just figured we'd walk around, see what catches our attention."

"Cool."

We arrived at the new plaza area, it’s not that fancy but it’s got some great places. There's an arcade, a movie theater, a library too.

Sunny's really into games. Maybe the arcade would be a good place to go.

"Anywhere catch your attention?" I asked coyly.

Sunny turned his eyes up as he thought, then pointed to a building to the right.

He was pointing to a cat cafe.

That's very Sunny.

"Sounds interesting. Let's go!" I grabbed Sunny's wrist and led him to the cafe. We aren't even holding hands, but I'm blushing like a moron.

The cafe has a nice aesthetic. It feels warm and welcoming, the atmosphere is calming.

This is definitely Sunny's style.

We paid for an hour and took our seats. Sunny immediately befriended a grey cat and started petting it and scratching it behind the ear.

"I think it likes you."

"It's mutual."

I giggled. "Damn Sunny, all the girls are crying now."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know this, but a lot of the girls at school thought you were really cute."

Sunny's face went bright red. "W-WHAT!" I feel bad, but I also want to tease him more.

"Mhm. They thought you were the cutest boy in our grade. Though they didn't bother to go after you for whatever reason."

"I-I see..." Sunny made his frame smaller and averted his gaze.

"I-I'm gonna get some tea. Did you want some?"

"Sure, would you mind getting me some ginseng tea?"

"Yeah." He shyly responded before walking to the counter.

I got him blushing. I fist-pumped in triumph. He looked so adorable.

Of course Sunny loves tea. It's a calming drink, just like how Sunny has a calming aura.

Maybe that's why I like tea, but who knows?

"Hey uh. Aubrey?"

"Yeah!?" I snapped to Sunny as he called my name.

"Your tea is gonna get cold."

I looked at the table to see my cup of tea set down in front of me.

"Oh, right. Thanks."

I grasped my cup and took a sip of tea.

Did I really space out that long? Isn't that a Sunny thing? I'm way too worked up about this.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted." Sunny held his tea with both hands.

"Mhm! I just got caught up thinking about something is all."

"About what?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you thinking about?"

"Just, it's nice to have you back is all."

"That's why you're all over the place?"

Argh! I'm making myself look like an idiot.

"Well, I just... A lot's been on my mind lately."

"Oh..." Sunny's voice was one of embarrassment.

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry for being such a spaz."

"You're fine. I was just worried is all." Sunny gently stroked a cat while smiling at me.

His smile is cute as always.

"So. What tea did you get?"

"Chai."

"That's definitely a you flavor Sunny."

"I guess so. I've just always liked sweet things."

I couldn't help but smile at Sunny's joyful remarks.

The grey cat Sunny was petting earlier came up to me, rubbing its head against my arm. I raised my arm and pet it's head.

"Donut likes you."

"Donut?"

"Mhm. That's the cat's name."

"Aww, that's so cute."

Sunny smiled brightly as he saw me and the cat getting along. He’s so adorable like this.

"How have things been at your new home?"

"Things have been fine, but like I said, I like it here more."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" I said half-jokingly.

"You aren't there."

...

WHEN DID SUNNY GET SO SMOOTH???

"W-Wait, I didm't nean it lite t-that!" Sunny jumbled up his words in his embarrassment and his face became as red as a tomato. How does he keep getting cuter?

"I-I-I meand just that I missed you guys."

"It's alright Sunny, take a deep breath. You're okay."

"S-Sorry about that." He mumbled in shame.

"It's alright." I put my hand on his. "You did nothing wrong."

A blush ran across Sunny's face. From ear to ear, red tinted his skin, making his cute nose somehow even cuter. I’d be lying if I said my face didn’t get hot from our hands touching as well.

"Do you guys get along with Basil?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you all hang out with him and stuff, but are you guys... nice to him?"

"You think we're being mean to Basil?"

"No. It's just... he told me some stuff, and it has me worried. I just want to know if you treat him like a friend. I know I shouldn't ask that of you, I know we aren't exactly your favorite people, but I'd appreciate it."

He still thinks he isn't deserving of us.

"Sunny, don't be afraid to ask me things. I told you I forgive you didn't I? If I didn't want to be around you, I wouldn't. You and Basil are my friends, what makes you think I don't like you two?"

Sunny sat in silence, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Sorry. I guess I still have to work on my self-esteem a little huh? I'm sorry I brought the mood down."

"Don't worry about it, Sun. I understand."

Sunny smiled with relief.

"Anyway, I've been doing my best to make Basil feel welcome. Sorry I can't help more."

"That's okay, I can talk to him tomorrow, and maybe talk to Hero too."

"I think that's a good plan."

Sunny is always so compassionate, looking out for others rather than himself.

It adds to his soft boy charm. Though I wish he would look out for himself more.

Gurgle

My stomach rumbled.

"I'm a little hungry, I'm gonna go see what they have to eat."

Sunny nodded. I stood up and walked over to the counter while eyeing the menu.

Donuts. That seems fitting. What would Sunny like?

"Excuse me! Can I have one glazed donut and one chocolate donut?"

"That'll be two dollars, miss."

I handed her two bucks and after reaching into a cabinet, she pulled out the donuts and handed them to me on napkins.

"Thanks."

I walked back over to the table where Sunny was being nuzzled by a group of cats. I handed Sunny the glazed donut I asked for, hoping it was his preferred flavor.

"Thanks Aubrey." He said, quiet as ever.

"No problem, I hope you like glazed." I nervously smiled in hopes that he did. Sunny nodded his head after sinking his teeth into the sugary treat. Looks like I choose well.

"So, other than what you told me before, how is it? Living with Basil I mean." Sunny inquired after he finished his bite.

"Good. It's nice not having to try and upkeep an old rotting house."

"Do you have things to do there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you have stuff in your room? I'm not saying they wouldn't get you things, but taking care of another child and buying them new clothes and a smartphone is a lot."

"I had some money saved up, so I bought a few things myself."

"You had money saved up? For what?"

"Well, to be honest. Before Basil offered to take me in... I was planning on running away to live with you."

"W-What?"

"I-I didn't want to be anywhere near my mom, and honestly... I missed you a lot..."

Sunny's face went red, just as mine did. We sat in silence once more, too embarrassed to say anything. It's too unbearable, I have to say something.

"A-Anyway, I bought a laptop a-and some games on it."

"What games?" Sunny said even quieter than normal.

"I got Dark Souls, Star Combat 9, I even got Animal Crossing for my old DS. A few other games too."

"Oh, cool. I have those too. Maybe we can play together sometime."

"That'd be nice.”

“Just a heads up though. I play a lot, so don’t expect to keep up.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe…” Sunny smirked.

“Well, if it is, be prepared to lose.” I may like Sunny, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on him.

I don’t back down from a challenge.

We continued talking about games for a long time, often forgetting we got donuts, occasionally pausing to take a few bites.

As we finished them we noticed that our time was about to expire.

"Guess we should get going huh?"

"Yeah, it's getting pretty late, I'll walk you home if you'd like."

"S-Sure, thanks."

We left the cat cafe and started walking back home. It's now dark out, the early nights of autumn are one of my favorite parts of the season, as now the orange glow from the lampposts illuminate the quiet suburbs.

I glanced over at Sunny, his deep blue eyes shimmering in the dark contrasted by his pale skin which reflects the glow of the night so wonderfully. His soft, fluffy black hair that drapes over his face, nearly covering his beautiful eyes, and features. His cute nose and ears, his pretty cheekbones. I'm in love with everything about Sunny. I can't help but fawn over his boyish charm.

There's even more to admire about his personality. Like the adorable way he talks, how calming his presence is, and the cute faces he makes. I

I don't know when I got like this, but I don't care. Because I know why it got like this, and I’m happy with that.

"Thanks for inviting me out tonight." Sunny said as we stepped onto the porch to Basi’s- I mean… my house.

"It's no problem. I'm happy you could come."

"Well, I guess I'll see you later."

He's leaving? Crap. I need to say something now.

"Hey Sunny, before you go. I want to tell you something."

"Hm? What is it?" Sunny’s voice indicated a sense of confusion.

Just say it. Say you like him. Tell him you love him.

"I..."

Say it dammit!

"I'll send you my friend code so we can play together."

FUCK.

"Oh, cool. That sounds like fun."

"Yeah. A-Anyway, bye!"

"Bye." Sunny waved as he walked off.

I waved him off and once he was out of sight I gripped my hair in frustration.

I can't believe I chickened out.

I walked inside and took off my shoes. I didn't bother paying attention to anything as I walked to my room and flopped onto my bed.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid.

Why didn't you tell him?

I let out a deep sigh.

I can’t do this on my own. It’ll take forever at this rate.

I took Mr. Plantegg in my arms and hugged him to quell my turmoil. I can’t believe how much I blushed, or how much I stuttered… I probably looked like a mess.

As I contemplated my inability to remain calm around Sunny I started drifting asleep. Polly will wake me up for dinner soon, but that’s fine. I just need some rest. So I can forget about how I messed up.

Chapter Text

Sunny and Basil went to hang out, which just leaves me Hero and Kel. Kel's doing something in his room though. So really it's just me and Hero. I guess there's no time like the present, but this is going to be embarrassing as hell.

Hero's the only one who can help me with how I feel about Sunny. I've been thinking about this for a while, how I feel about him. I used to have a crush on him when I was young, and it lingered for a long time. I thought it was gone until he came back outside. When I talked to him on the swings, I realized it wasn't just a crush anymore. I could process it all better. I knew I had feelings for him.

Then he confessed the truth. I was mad at him, but after I got to thinking about it, I got mad at myself for not being there for him. For not trying harder. For not knocking every day.

I thought my feelings had disappeared again. Then he came back, and that feeling got stronger. Until we talked in the treehouse I played it off, but after we talked, I couldn't deny it anymore. I knew it wasn't a fleeting thing. Something that couldn't just be stomped out. I'm in love with Sunny.

If there's anyone in our group who knows about love, it's Hero. He's a romantic, a charmer, and has actually been in a relationship. Kel's in a relationship now, but no way in hell am I going to confess my feelings about Sunny to him. He'll definitely let it slip, and he isn't really the best advice giver.

"Hey Hero." I waved at him as I entered the kitchen.

"Hey Aubrey, what's up?" He turned his head from the dishes he was rinsing.

"I... wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what's goin' on?" He turned off the sink and dried his hands.

I just have to come out and say it.

"...I like Sunny.... A lot." I felt my face become flushed.

"Oh... I see."

"Yeah. So I was wondering... if I could ask you for advice."

"Um, okay sure! But uh... I'm gonna warn you. It might confuse him if you tell him without forgiving him first."

"I've already forgiven him."

"Oh... Good then." Hero seemed surprised.

"You got a problem with it?" I said defensively.

"No, not at all. I just didn't expect it. So you've told him that you forgive him?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then, that's out of the way. So, why do you like him?"

"W-Why do you need to know?"

"It'll help to verbalize how you feel about him, so you know exactly what you like about him, and it might help me guide you in the right direction."

"Argggh, fine!"

Ugghh, I can't believe I'm doing this...

Okay. Calm down Aubrey... What do I like about Sunny?

"W-Well, he's cute and calm, he's comfortable to be around. He's easy to talk to, he always listens. His skin is smooth and supple, and it has a nice coloration. He's soft and warm, he's funny, smart, and kind. He's brave. His eyes are really pretty. His voice is sweet. He's not afraid to share how he feels. He isn't unnecessarily loud or talkative and he always puts others before himself."

I stopped myself before I went further into detail. Hero doesn't need to know everything.

"Aubreey! I didn't know you felt that way about Sunny!"

Are. You. KIDDING ME?!

"KEL I SWEAR I'LL TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU SAY ANOTHER WORD!!"

Kel nervously laughed. "Hahaha, relax Aubrey. I'm joking! I think you and Sunny would be a great couple!"

My face feels like it's on fire. I want to go home... but I can't back out again!

"Kel, were you eavesdropping?" Hero asked with a disappointed look strewn across his face.

"Yeah. But I didn't mean to, I came down to get a soda, and I heard you guys talking. I was gonna leave, but... I didn't."

Kel, I swear you won't leave this house alive.

"You won't tell anyone, got it?" I grabbed the hem of his shirt with my hands and got in his face.

"Heyheyhey cool it! My lips are sealed!" He raised his hands in surrender.

...I'm acting up again. God, I hate this...

I let go of his shirt and sighed. "Fine, now can you please go?"

"Why? I can help!"

"What?" I said slightly irritated.

"I have a girlfriend, I can offer some advice too."

"Kel, I'm not so sure that's a good idea..." Hero seemed a little nervous, probably in fear for Kel's life.

"Com'on Hero, back me up on this! We both have natural charm, it's genetic!"

"Sorry, Kel... It's Aubrey's decision." Hero said shyly.

...I was being too harsh. I'm still a little defensive around Kel, but I know he means well.

"I-It's fine..."

"W-What?" Hero stammered in surprise.

"I said it's fine, he can stay."

"Really?" Kel exclaimed, not expecting my answer.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that, old habits die hard."

"Hey, it's all cool! I know you still aren't used to being open up about this stuff."

"Thanks..."

"Well... I guess that's settled, now what I was going to say was that it seems like you really like Sunny." Hero tried to be careful with his words.

"...I do. But how do I tell him?"

"Just say it!" Kel said with a dumb grin on his face.

"W-What!? That's not helpful at all!"

"Well, he's not exactly wrong." Hero admitted sheepishly.

"I'm not?"

"Well, you shouldn't just blurt it out at random, but I think being straightforward is the best way to go here."

"W-What, why?"

"First off, lots of guys don't pick up on hints that girls drop. Second, Sunny is perceptive, but he'll probably dismiss any hint he does catch."

"Third, he tooootally likes you!" Kel blurted.

"Kel!" Hero scolded.

"What? It's true!" Kel whined.

"W-Wait! Why would he dismiss anything he picks up on?"

"Sunny doesn't have much self-esteem, so he'll probably dismiss it as something else." Hero said with a tinge of sympathy in his voice.

"Oh. Right... So when do you think the best time to tell him would be?"

"Well, that's up to you. It's best to make that opportunity."

"Yeah! Make the opportunity then go for it!!" Kel enthusiastically cheered.

"Okay. Thanks guys."

"No prob."

"I'm sure it'll go well. Trust me on this." Kel stated proudly.

I may not trust Kel's opinion on this sort of stuff, but for some reason. I believe him.

Sunny and I decided to go out for ice cream. I asked him to go not just because I wanted to hang out with him, but also because I need his advice.

I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone else. They probably don't want to deal with my dumb problems anyway.

"How's your ice cream?" Sunny lapped at his vanilla treat, which was filled with chunks of chocolate.

"It's good! I love mint ice cream!" The sweet taste permeated my mouth as I spoke.

"I expected you to get strawberry."

"Strawberry ice cream is good and all, but not as good as normal strawberries. Besides, it's something different."

"I guess." Sunny responded before returning to his ice cream.

"Sunny, do you mind if I ask you a question?" I took another lick of my ice cream.

"What's up?" Sunny's head turned.

"Uhhh, well... I wanted to ask for your advice on something." I sheepishly asked.

"On what?"

I swallowed. "Well... How do you uh... tell a girl y-you like her?"

Sunny's eyes went wide with shock.

"You're... asking me?" Sunny acknowledged his inexperience.

"Y-Yeah. I just... I was too embarrassed to ask the others."

"Still... I'm not really an expert when it comes to stuff like this."

"I really need help, Sunny. Please?"

Sunny caved.

"Okay... Who are you interested in?"

"You know Mincy?"

"Mhm. So that's your type huh Basil?" Sunny teased me.

My face started heating up. "Y-Yeah, I g-guess it is."

"How did you meet her?"

"We talked at the park once, and then I found out I had an art class with her. We started talking, and I found myself starting to think about her all the time."

"What do you like about her?"

"W-Well... She's nice, and I think she's really pretty. I think it's super cool that she can draw so well. She's smart too, she even knows about flowers." I felt my face get hotter and hotter as I explained my interest in Mincy.

"Sounds like you really like her."

"I do... but I'm nervous. What if she doesn't like me? What if we stop being friends? Would she even like me if she knew?"

"How will you know if you don't try? It might be hard, but I think you should at least go for it."

Sunny's right, but I'm not the best talker.

"Yeah... I guess so. But I wouldn't know where to start."

"Just ask her out, don't put up a front. Be honest with how you feel."

"I'll be honest. I don't think anyone is going to be attracted to someone who has to take anti-psychotics."

"I take them too Basil. Do you think anyone could be attracted to me?"

Sunny's rhetorical question threw me off. I know for a fact Aubrey still likes him. I can see it when she talks to him.

I chuckled. "Alright. You got me."

"You need to have some confidence in yourself. It takes time to build up, but it'll make a big difference."

"You aren't exactly the master of confidence yourself Sunny." I teased.

"True, but it's something we can work on together." Sunny had finished his ice cream before he spoke.

"But even then, I know I'm not exactly the most stable person. Not to mention I have some issues with attachment. I'll probably end up creeping her out more than anything."

"That's true, but you recognize that you have those problems. And you're working to change them aren't you?"

"Of course!" I said with a gentle determination.

"Then I believe in you, you can do it man. Just keep trying to move past it, you're already getting better."

"I'll try my best to not let you down."

"I know you won't." Sunny gave a heartfelt smile.

I finished my ice cream, and we continued talking about various things. I feel confident enough about it now.

I have trouble believing in myself. But when my friends cheer me on, I feel like anything is possible.

Chapter Text

This morning I decided to take Sunny with me to get some exercise.

Sunny may be looking better than when he first came outside, but he's still a little too skinny. He needs some more definition in his muscles.

Getting him in decent shape will only make Aubrey fawn over him more. The look on her face if she saw a buff Sunny would be priceless.

I'm making sure to bring a bag to carry water in, along with my basketball. I'm sure Sunny will appreciate the water a lot more though.

Sunny was waiting on the couch. We've both already ate breakfast.

"Hey Sunny! Ready to work out?" I gripped his shoulders from behind in excitement.

"No." Sunny is as straightforward as always.

"C'mon, it won't be that bad. I'm not gonna go too hard on ya!"

"If you say so." Sunny is starting to revert to his more one-note way of talking. Maybe he's becoming more comfortable with being himself around us again, or he might be nervous about something.

We'll start off with a light jog from my house to the park. Sunny started off strong, he kept pace with me as we made our way to the park, but within 30 seconds he began to run out of breath and gradually slowed down his pace.

"C'mon man! You've got this! Don't slow down!" I encouraged him.

"Huff huff... I can't run anymore Kel." Sunny said, panting and stumbling as he fell behind.

"Don't say that Sunny! You can do this! C'mon!" I put my hand behind Sunny's back and pushed him along with me as I ran.

I know how much the pain sucks, but you won't improve if you don't push yourself. Power through Sunny!

We arrived at Faraway Park soon after. As soon as we stopped jogging, Sunny laid down on the ground, exhausted.

"That's gonna make it worse if you lay down, Sunny. Stand up and put your hand behind your head." I did the same to demonstrate.

Sunny stood up, panting with a dry mouth; put his hands behind his head as I had shown.

"Do you need some water?" I held out a water bottle to him.

"Yeah." Sunny said through heavy breathing before he took the water bottle from my hand.

"How are ya feeling so far?"

"Awful... Huff huff... My sides hurt." Sunny took a break from drinking to answer.

"You haven't used those muscles in a long time. So they have to work harder to get air in your lungs."

Sunny finished his water bottle and turned to me.

"Huff...So what's next?”

"We're going to do some pushups and squats, then we'll play some basketball. That sound good?"

"Huff huff. Sure." He said somewhat reluctantly.

"Good. I'm not sure if you know the proper form, so just do what I do."

Sunny nodded and followed along as I did pushups. Keeping his eyes on my arms, chest, and legs while I do my pushups. He's really paying attention to my form.

After we finished our pushups, we moved on to squats. Once again, Sunny paid incredible attention to my form and mimicked it to the best of his ability.

After a brief rest, we did another set of pushups and squats. Sweat dripped from Sunny's body as he pushed through the pain.

Now that I look at him like this, he isn't totally without muscle tone, but it's not much.

I decided to call it after the second set. I can't wear him out to the point where he can't play basketball.

“Let’s take a break before we play some basketball.”

“Huff… Okay.” Sunny said before sitting down on a nearby bench, his muscles worn and sore.

“Trust me Sunny, you’ll feel so much better after this. You know what they say! You gain, you pain!”

“Kel… Huff... No pain, no gain.” He corrected me; his weary body leaned against the wooden bench.

“Hahah, whoops. I still gotta work on my phrases huh?” I shyly admitted as I picked up my basketball.

"How do you mess them up that bad?" Sunny cracked a smile.

"Aubrey says it's a talent." I began dribbling the basketball.

I need to warm-up before I play with Sunny.

I took a deep breath and made a shot. It bounced off the rim into the air and landed in the hoop.

I took a few more practice shots. Some miss, but the rest go in.

I think that's enough for a warm-up.

"You ready to play, Sunny?"

Sunny stood up from the park bench and got in position on the court.

"Ready?"

Sunny nodded, determination in his eyes. I guess even with as tired as he is, he's prepared to try his best.

Unfortunately, Sunny's best wasn't enough. He did quite well for someone of his fitness level, but I still destroyed him.

In the end, he never stood a chance.

He laid on the ground utterly defeated, drained of stamina and sweating out of every pore imaginable.

I handed him another bottle of water; they aren't as cold as they were before, but when you're worn out you don't care as long as it isn't hot.

I sat next to him as he chugged his water. I figured I might as well take the time and ask him a question.

"I didn't expect you to be so fired up for this. I kinda figured I'd have to drag you outside." While I wasn't 100% serious, Sunny really gave his all today.

Sunny finished his water, breathing heavily to make up for lost air. Another sight Aubrey would love.

"I just want to improve myself. Start being more healthy."

"For Aubrey?" I teased.

Sunny's face went bright red as a blush streaked across his face, reaching all the way to his ears.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW!?!!... I uh... I mean... uhuhhhh..." Sunny struggled to speak as his face contorted in embarrassment.

"You blush a lot when you talk to her, and you came back smiling like an idiot yesterday."

"W-Was I really??" Sunny turned his head to avoid my gaze.

"Oh! Don't worry! If she noticed you'd know for sure. Besides, I know you aren't doing it just for Aubrey."

"You do?" Sunny was perplexed, though you can still see the embarrassment on his face.

"I kinda did the same thing."

"How so?"

I hate thinking about this. I haven't even talked to anyone about it besides Hero.

But Sunny's trying to be better. Aubrey's trying to be better. Everyone is trying to be better.

I need to start trying too. I need to start opening up.

"After Mari died, I didn't have anyone to talk to. I didn't want to talk to Aubrey if she was bullying Basil. Most of my time was trying to help cheer up Hero or trying to get you outside."

I tried my best. I tried to make Hero see the value in life again. I tried to get you to come outside. It turns out I wasn't good at either of those things. I'm still not really.

"I just wanted us all to be friends again, but Basil barely talked. Aubrey thought I abandoned her, which I kinda did. And you didn't come outside. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted someone. Anyone."

I just wanted my friends.

I just wanted my brother.

"When Hero finally started turning his life back around, I knew it was too late to start talking with Basil and Aubrey. So I kept myself busy. I always enjoyed sports, so I dedicated myself to that. Eventually, I started making friends like Jay and Cris, but I still felt alone. I felt like I'd abandoned you... We never got to say goodbye."

Sunny looked at me disheartened. I'm reminded of when he opened the door; the amount of shock and joy that ran up my spine was unbelievable.

"I'm sorry Kel." Sunny pulled me in for a side hug; it's pretty hard to hug someone when you're sitting on the ground.

"It's alright Sunny! I'm okay now. I don't blame you for what happened. Everyone dealt with the grief in their own way, but we're back together now. That's what matters."

I truly don't blame Sunny. I've gone over this so much in my head. I know how I feel about him, about each of my friends.

"Sorry for bringing the mood down. Let's go get some lunch." Sunny nodded and followed as we walked back home to replenish the food we just burned off.

Kel's words stuck with me for the rest of the day.

Even as I struggle to keep my heavy eyelids open, our conversation permeates my mind.

I'm glad he's happy now at least...

.

...

......

WELCOME TO DREAMSPACE

PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THIS TIME

Swirling.

Swirling.

Swirling.

The ocean-like clouds swirl overhead as my body lightly sinks into the soft mattress beneath me.

I forced myself out of the soft bed and trudged up to the mirror once more.

It's still me. The same vibrant yet dull Sunny I was last time. No differences, at least that I can see.

The room looks nearly unchanged from the last time I saw it. However, there's a photo on Basil's nightstand now. It's all of us; smiling, happy, but a few things are off.

Kel, Aubrey, and Hero are their dream world selves, while me, Basil, and Mari are as we are - or rather were - in the real world.

At the bottom of the photo, a metal label is engraved to spell the word, 'Cheer'.

After staring at the photo for no particular reason, I set it back in its position on the table and head outside.

Once more I was greeted by the Great Forest. Its trees as massive as they are green. The roots spreading throughout the landscape, occasionally popping through the soil before their growth takes them back underground.

The wind blows through the grass that coats the rolling hills like a thick blanket, making it dance with the wind as the trees are too sturdy to be shaken as easily.

In reality, you'd think a storm was coming. With the wind disheveling your hair and the sky giving off a slight blue glow, but here it's the norm.

I want to lie down in the grass and stare up in the sky, but something compels me to seek out my friends.

I went through the motions, retracing my path and trekking to the World Tree. I can't explain how, but it looks a little different.

"Sunny!" Aubrey waved excitedly upon my arrival.

"Hi Sunny!" Basil has a gentle smile on his face. He doesn't seem to have a care in the world.

"Sunny!" Kel appeared in front of my face, he got there surprisingly quick. "We found this super cool thing in the woods! I wanna show you!"

"Kel, ask Sunny if he wants to go first." Hero once again was the mature one in the situation, doing his best to quell his little brother's overflowing enthusiasm.

"I don't mind." I said.

"Cool! Let's go!" Kel dragged me by the hand on our own little adventure.

"Have fun you two! Come back safe!" Mari shouted as we got farther and farther away from the tree.

Kel led me deep into the forest. At some point, fireflies became a common sight as we walked evermore, along with beautiful plants that had bioluminescent bulbs.

Between the wispy trees not common to the area of the Great Forest, I spotted the remains of a large castle. The age showed as entire walls and towers weathered away. With no one to tend to them.

"You can see it yeah? The big castle? Me and Auubrey found it yesterday after you and Basil vanished off to do your own thing." That's right. Dreamspace doesn't count days I don't come here.

The imposing silhouette of the castle grew ever larger as we drew closer to its door. The slowly crumbling stones hold up the impressive structure, waiting for the day it finally falls.

Kel led me through the large arching door. Our footsteps echoed off the bare walls of the abandoned stronghold.

"Isn't this so cool?" Kel let go of my hand a leaped atop a large stone chunk.

He jumped off, back onto the ground. "C'mon I wanna show you my favorite room in this place!"

I began to follow my friend, but I spotted something glimmering in the rubble and chose to find out what it was.

I dusted off the metal trinket to reveal an old medal.

What's it doing in a place like this? I've never won any medals, and Hero is back with the others.

I proceeded to go after Kel with the medal in my hand.

I peeked around a corner and found Kel in a large room, it appeared to be a council room.

"See? Isn't it awesome in here?" The large ornate stone table has been crushed by a large piece of debris, leaving a hole in the roof.

I was about to comment on how I liked the room's ambiance, but Kel took the medal from my hand?

"Woah. Where'd you get this?" He put his eye up to the object.

"It was in the rubble."

"Hm. Weird." He continued to examine it.

I decided to get a closer look at the table while Kel examined the medal. I carefully walked around the caved-in floor and inspected it, figuring it'd have some nice patterns, but it just turned out to be granite.

I wonder if the throne room is still intact. Kel probably knows.

Drip.

Drip.

What's that?

Rained began to gradually pour down intensely, Kel standing under the hole was getting soaked.

"Kel! I ran over to him and tried to pull him out, but he resisted.

"Kel c'mon!" I pleaded with him to move.

"I trusted you. I thought you were my friend."

What?

"Look what you did to Hero, to Aubrey."

Kel I... I'm sorry.

Do you know how alone I felt?

Kel I didn't mean to-

I noticed my clothes had changed. Black vest, beige shorts. It's happening again.

"I wish I never knocked."

Kel, please.

"You destroyed our friends, destroyed the connection we had, you made us all miserable."

I know I did, but I'm trying to do better!

"She was like a big sister to me, and you took her away."

I know she was. I'm really sorry Kel.

"You took our sister away."

I know that. I know she can never come back.

"I hate you, everyone hates you, she’d hate you too."

A part of me wishes that were true, but it's not.

"It would have been better if you never told us. You should’ve just moved away. I never want to see you again."

You might have lived happily if I never told you, but what kind of life is that? Being lied to so you can feign happiness. Letting your friend drown in hell before he ends himself.

"Go away..."

No, you're my friend Kel.

"Leave us..."

Friends are supposed to be there for each other.

"You just make everything worse..."

I know I do... but I know you wouldn't abandon me. I'm doing my best. Just like you always are.

I pulled Kel into a hug. Ignoring the pouring rain drenching us both.

Please forgive me.

Kel dropped the medal and returned my embrace.

"I'm sorry."

Kel's body became soft. By the time I noticed, he had become a puddle of water on the ground.

"You did a good job Sunny."

It's Mari's voice again.

"I'll see you next time."

I jolted up in my bed in a cold sweat.

Mari... Is that really you in my dreams?

I sighed. Guess I'll have to figure that out later, it's already 11.

Hero won't be very happy if I've missed breakfast.

Chapter Text

Today’s been interesting. I certainly wasn’t expected Aubrey to come talk to me about Sunny. But I’m certainly happy she is opening up more. Everyone is working really hard to change.

I’m going to work to change for the better too, and I’m starting with something Aubrey told me about.

“Kel, I’m going out for a bit. Would you mind taking care of Sally?” I zipped up my jacket in preparation for the chilly air.

“I don’t mind! Where are ya goin’?” Kel attempted to look at me from the couch, his head turned far and his arm pressed against the back.

“Just going for a walk. I need to clear my head a bit.” I turned the doorknob and cracked the door open.

“Kay. Don’t come back too late or I’ll start thinking you’re doing sketchy stuff!” Kel went back to watching tv after his teasing.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be back soon.” The chill of night swallowed me whole as I serenely treaded the route to Basil’s house.

We haven’t talked about It properly, or really at all. It’s time I change that.

The street lights illuminate the green-roofed house. Bathing it in orange light and casting a shadow into the dark of night. They must still be awake, as the living room lights are still on.

Stopping in front of the wooden door. I remove my hand from my jacket pocket and raise my fist to announce my arrival.

Knock knock knock…

There was silence for a moment. Then there was the quiet stepping of feet, and the rattling of the handle and lock hit my ears before the door opened. Polly stood on the other side of the frame.

“Hello, Hero! What’re you doing here so late?” She propped the door open more.

“Hi, Polly. Would you mind if I borrowed Basil for a while? I have something I want to talk to him about.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll go get him. Just make sure he’s back before 10.” She asked politely but with authority.

“Will do.” I replied as she walked off to fetch Basil.

I stood and waited; watching cars go by, the trees shaking in the wind, the moonlight help silhouettes take shape in the dark.

It reminds me of the walks I went on with Mari. When we’d go out hand-in-hand, just to enjoy each other without anyone else around.

No parents. No friends. No strangers.

Just me and her.

The way her fair skin reflected the moonlight, the warmth of her hand, the soft comfort of her lips.

There was is no better feeling.

“Hi Hero.” Basil’s voice yanked me from my train of thought. I quickly wiped my eyes and turned to him.

“Hey there, Basil. I was on a walk and was wondering if you’d like to join me.” Basil is smart enough to catch on, not to mention Polly probably told him I wanna talk to him.

“Y-Yeah! Just let me grab me shoes.” I hope he isn’t too nervous. I have no intention of being nasty. This has just been a long time coming.

Basil returned shortly and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

“C’mon, there’s somewhere I wanna go.” Basil followed as I walked down the steps and down the street. He’s quiet: either enjoying the scenery or panicking internally.

By the time we’re passing by Aubrey’s old house, it’s simple to find out where we’re going. I assume Basil suspected something like this. While we’ve been on speaking terms, we haven’t been close enough for me to suddenly ask him on a night walk just for the heck of it.

I held open the church door for Basil and decided to stop beating around the bush.

“I’m going to be honest with you Basil, I want to talk to you about Mari. I don’t want you to feel scared, I just want to clear some things up.”

Basil shook as I began speaking, but now he seems more at ease. If not still weary. He nervously nodded and hesitantly entered the church.

Our footsteps echo the walls of the vacant building. The moonlight shines in the stained glass window dimly lighting the interior. Passing the stage decorated only by a piano and a pedestal, the graveyard becomes visible and tangible.

A lead weight attaches itself to my heart as we approach Mari’s resting place. The mere sight of her grave makes my heart sink beneath my stomach.

I need to stay strong for her.

“Basil… I’m sorry.”

“W-What??”

“I’m sorry. For everything. When Mari died, I never tried talking to you, even when I got better. And after you and Sunny told us what happened, I never made an effort to talk to you. Even though I never hated you. Part of me just wanted to avoid you, but I want to be there for you. I should be there for you. And I’m sorry.”

“Hero… please stop. Don’t apologize to me. You aren’t the one who should be apologizing. It should be me!” Basil broke out into tears.

“It’s okay, Basil. It’s okay… We’ve all made mistakes, we should all apologize. Regardless of what we’ve done. I know how sorry you are, so it’s my turn. I’m sorry Basil, and I forgive you.”

"I'm sorry- Hero... I'll- snuffle... do my best to- snuffle snuffle... make it up to you." Basil said through sharp inhaling and tears.

"I know you will, Basil. I know you will..."

I held Basil as he cried. I'm sure he feels bad about crying as well, but he shouldn't. This is a big moment for him. For me. I don't know if I'll ever get over Mari...

But I can forgive Basil. I can forgive Sunny.

They're my friends. My little siblings. I won't let anything change that.

"How about tomorrow I come over and we talk about herbs and spices? Does that sound good?"
Basil nodded while still keeping his face buried in my chest.

"I'd- l-like that... Sniff..."

Chapter Text

|Aubrey >> Sun|
10/30 - 10:57 P.M.

Aubrey: Hey
Sun: Hey
Aubrey: Wanna hang out at the arcade tomorrow?
Sun: Sure, meet there at noon?
Aubrey: Sounds good, see you then
Aubrey: ;)
Sun: ^w^
Aubrey: You're such a dork

I've never gotten out of bed so early. I took a quick shower, threw on a black long sleeve shirt with black sleeves and some blue jeans before grabbing a bagel for breakfast.

After brushing my teeth, I spent the rest of the time messing around on my computer, anxiously checking the time every so often.

When it was half-past eleven. I checked to see if I forgot to do anything, once I checked everything off, I made my way to the arcade.

I arrived and waited outside for Aubrey, scrolling through my phone to pass the time.

After looking at memes for about 6 minutes, I started looking around for Aubrey.

Maybe she forgot...

"Sunny!" Aubrey's voice called. I turned my head to her; I was shocked to see the change in her appearance. Her hair was still bubblegum pink, but now it faded from her natural auburn hair. She has on a grey crop top, a large black and gold letterman jacket, and maroon jean shorts.

"Sorry I'm late!"

It's 12:01.

"It's fine. You wanna head inside?"

Of course she wants to head inside, dumbass; she asked you here.

"Yeah, you ready to lose?" Aubrey smirked.

"I think I'll be alright." We entered the arcade, with its dim lights, glowing machines, and digital noise. It's been a long time since I've been to one of these.

We paid for 3-hour passes and stepped past the entry desk.

"So, what's first?" Aubrey had her hands on her hips in confidence.

"Skeeball." A game I've always been good at.

"You sure about that? You're challenging a former softball player you know."

"I know." I started walking over to the skeeball machine, Aubrey following after me.

"Alright then, loser buys the winner a drink." Aubrey started up the machine.

"I'll take a cola."

"Haha..." She teasingly mocked before rolling the ball, landing it in the 40 point hole.

"Nice one."

"Thanks." She rolled another ball, 20 points.

Another roll, 100 points, "Yes!" She pumped her fist.

Aubrey rolled her remaining balls, sighing when she got a 0.

Aubrey totaled 270 points.

She stepped to the side, "Your turn, Sunbun."

S-S-S-S... Sunbun??

"Ummm, y-yeah." I'm so nervous now because of her; I'm shaking and everything.

I took a deep breath and took my first ball. I rolled it, and it landed in the 0 point zone.

Focus, dammit.

50 points. That's better.

I’m down to my last ball and I'm behind a hundred points. I have no choice but to shoot for the 100 point hole.

Deep breaths. Focus.

Roll!

100 points!

"Nice comeback! You made it a tie game." Aubrey raised her hand for a high-five. I high-fived her and offered a suggestion.

"We can break it with a different game."

"What about air hockey?"

"I'm down for some air hockey."

Navigating our way through the maze of machines, we eventually reached the air hockey tables.

Hey, wait a minute... Isn't that-

"Kel?? Why are you here??" Surprised, Aubrey stopped in her tracks.

"Hm? Oh, hey guys!" He waved to us.

"Hi Kel." I waved back.

"You guys gonna play air hockey too?"

"I thought you'd be at the basketball machine." Aubrey pondered.

"Aubrey, my entire life doesn't revolve around basketball."

"Y-Yeah, but..." Aubrey seems... upset? Maybe confused.

"Wel, uh... I was gonna go play Mario Kart." Wait, is he trying to set me up with Aubrey by getting us alone?

"Well, w-would you mind acting as a referee for our air hockey game first?" Aubrey shyly asked.

"Sure, I don't see why not." He stood by the air hockey machine as me and Aubrey head to opposite ends of the table.

"Ready to get whooped?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, bunny-lover."

GAME START!

Aubrey got the puck and served it hard towards me, a very straightforward way to play.

I deflect it from the side, sending it back to her. It almost goes into her goal, but she blocks it and hits it again, less direct this time. I guard my goal but nearly send the puck into it while trying to hit it back.

I adjusted its position and hit it back hard. Aubrey doesn't react in time; it goes into her goal.

"Sunny draws first blood." Kel announces.

"Okay. Get ready for this!" Aubrey sets the puck back and sends it hard to my side; it bounces back to her, so she hits it again, scoring.

"1:1." Kel says.

I set the puck and serve it. Aubrey blocks it and knocks it into my goal.

"2:1."

I set the puck again and try a direct approach. Aubrey barely stops me from scoring and hits it seemingly as hard as she can.

I block the puck, but when Aubrey hits it back again, it slams into my goal.

"C'mon, Sunny. Don't go soft on me." Aubrey cockily teases.

"3:1."

Time to make a comeback.

Aubrey got cocky and played far too aggressively, giving me the chance to tie up with her at 6 points.

"6:6. Final point!"

"Shouldn’t have gloated so much, now you're gonna lose."

"In your dreams, cutie."

C-Cutie... She. I...

SCORE!

"Aubrey wins!" Kel declares with fervor.

Aubrey throws her fists up in the air and brings them down from the front in excitement. They stay near her waist for a while as she basks in her win.

"YES!"

I stand in disbelief and embarrassment from what I just heard. My face is probably hotter than a steam pipe right now. I'm still just trying to process it...

Aubrey... called me cute...

"Told you I'd win, Sunny."

I looked at Aubrey. Her face is red too. Well, she is the one who said it...

"I-I guess I owe you a drink, huh?" I tried playing it off, not that it'd do much.

"Yep, that's the rule." She tried to act cool, but she's still blushing. She did just call her friend cute. And that friend is me...

"Well, I'm gonna go race on the Mario Kart machines... Seeya guys!" Kel waved as he walked away.

"Bye, Kel!" She returned his wave.

"L-Later, Kel." I waved him off as well.

There was an awkward silence between us for a while.

"Soooo... Wanna head to the food court?"

"Sounds good." We made our way to the food court, our blushes dying down along the way.

"What did you want?"

"A sprite is fine."

I nodded, walked up to the counter, and ordered our drinks.

"Here." I held out the sprite cup to Aubrey.

"Thanks." She went to take a sip but stopped, "What's that smile for?"

What smile? Am I smiling?

"Nothing. Just having fun is all..."

"Yeah, me too."

"Wanna go play one of the shooters?"

"Sounds fun, let's go."

Chapter Text

I had a lot of fun with Aubrey today. Did she mean the things she said? Or was she just messing with me?

Uuuuuuugh!

Will I be able to sleep tonight?

…

……

……….

WELCOME TO DREAMSPACE

THIS VISIT MARKS A SPECIAL OCCASION

Hm? This isn’t the Underground Room…

This is the World Tree. Its tall and thick trunk extends high over all the other trees, shielding my now awake eyes from the light.

There are so many leaves, but I don’t remember it having so many. I’m pretty sure it only had a few per branch. Actually, now that I think about it, didn’t it have more leaves last time than it had previously? Is it because I’m back in Faraway?

“Sunny!” I heard Aubrey’s voice call to me.

I can always figure it out later. There's no rush or anything. I sat up as Aubrey looked down at me with a smile.

“So this is where you‘ve been. You really like this tree huh?”

I wouldn’t say that exactly. “Where are the others?”

“They’re helping out Kindle and Vince. I was gonna go but I figured I’d come look for you.” A blush, barely visible, was on her face.

"Was there something in particular you wanted to do?"

"Let's just walk around. I don't have much of a plan."

"Alright." I stood up. Aubrey then grabbed my hand and led me along down a path neither of us had taken before.

I took note of the turns we made and the landmarks, all while pondering where the path would lead.

After wandering down winding paths being led along by my childhood crush I admired the charming details of the dense forest. Then I saw it: a gentle waterfall surrounded by a lush grove.

I wasn't aware my subconscious could come up with such things.

"It's pretty, isn't it, Sunny?" She walked over to a small stream.

"Yeah..." I'm honestly in awe. I'm not really an outdoorsy person, but this is incredible. Her being here probably makes it better.

"I wanted to show this to you. I found it a while ago and I like to think of it as my special hiding place."

"Then why'd you show it to me?"

"Cuz I like you..." She turned her eyes away and began to blush.

I know this is a dream, but I want to make the most of this.

"I like you too Aubrey. I like you a l-lot." Even in my dreams, I can barely mutter what I'm thinking.

She smiled, still looking away. "Do you wanna... lay down in the grass with me?"

"Y-Yeah."

She laid down under a tree. I took my spot next to her. The sounds of wind hitting branches and flowing water were all we heard. We didn't say anything. We stared at the waving trees, our shoulders pressing up against each other. I felt so at peace. We stayed like that for a long time.

I wish this were real, but...

Splash!

Hm? Something came down from the waterfall. It's something pink, floating in the water.

I stood up and waded through the shallow water to pick up whatever it was that fell down.

It's a pink shoe. A milky pink sandal that looks like it belongs to a little girl.

Wait, I know this shoe.

This belongs to... I turned to her.

The girl with pink hair.

Chapter Text

Today was horrible. First, I couldn't find Basil. Then I tripped and skinned my knee running in the park, and now my shoe is missing. Life sucks; I can't do anything right...

Sitting here, on the hot cement sidewalk, trying not to cry, I felt so useless and alone. A weak part of me was just crying for someone to save me from this messed up world...

Then someone answered.

It was a young boy, black hair, handing me the shoe I thought I lost.

I couldn't hold it together anymore. In that moment, someone came for me.

Aubrey’s eyes are red from crying. Her clothes are old and worn out, and she’s covered in scratches and bruises.

“You hurt me, Sunny.”

I know I did.

“You left us. You left me alone.”

I… I’m sorry

“You disgust me.”

“You don’t deserve love, what makes you think you deserve mine?”

…

“You ruined a happy relationship. You don’t deserve one of your own.”

“You abandoned me. You left me alone.”

“I knocked, you never answered.”

I’m sorry…

“If you love me, you’ll leave me alone.”

I can’t do that. You’re my friend, and I love you.

“You’ve done nothing but hurt me, yet you have the gall to be in love with me.”

I know I’ve hurt you, but please give me a chance.

“I’ll never forgive you...”

Please, Aubrey…

“I’ll never love you...”

“I’ll kill you...”

I don’t deserve your love.

We kept swinging higher and higher in a contest of height. Eventually, I became afraid to go any higher, so I slowly let my momentum die down.

“You done?” Aubrey asked?

I nodded in affirmation.

She smiled pridefully, “Good, I was afraid to go any higher.”

She let her momentum die down too, until we just sat on the swings, not moving. We just sat and talked for a while, she did most of the talking, but I didn’t mind and she didn’t seem to either.

“Hey, Sunny. I wanted to say thanks.”

“For what?” I said in my quiet, surprised voice.

“For being you… a-and for being my friend.” Shyness radiated from her voice, but I won’t forget those words for as long as I live.

I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m going to ask you anyway. Forgiving me must have been hard, but even if you didn’t, I know you still care about me. And that means so much to me.

My eyes watered heavily and I approached Aubrey. Slowly walking with water in my shoes.

“Get away from me.”

She didn’t move away despite her protests.

I hugged her, and I refused to let go.

“Idiot…”

She hesitantly returned my embrace.

“Don’t abandon us again, okay?”

Her voice quivered and broke as she spoke.

I won’t, Aubrey. I promise.

She slowly faded away from me, but her warmth lingered long after she was gone.

During that time, I never opened my eyes

Chapter Text

Today was a day everyone had been excited for. Halloween.

It was a holiday they had not celebrated together in a long time. Sunny, along with Kel and Hero were waiting inside for Aubrey, Basil, Kim, and Cris.

Sunny’s costume was composed of pointy ears and fancy green clothing. He wanted to get a bow as well, but he couldn’t find a good one for cheap. He spent about an hour running around between shops before he gave up and decided to just be a regular elf.

Hero was dressed up as a medieval-style noble. His princely aura now visible from 40 feet away as his intricate clothing exemplified his charm tenfold. It was honestly a little scary how well he fit the role.

Kel was wearing a large t-rex suit with his face visible from a plastic window in the dino’s chest. The head bounced amusingly when he walked. He found it incredibly funny.

They sat in the living room talking about the interesting things they had seen during the day. As Kel was recounting seeing someone dressed similar to Gandalf standing still on a sidewalk, the doorbell rang. Hero stood up. “That must be them.” Sunny and Kel barely had a chance to stand up before the door opened.

“Hey there! Sorry we’re a little late!” Kim stepped in, Aubrey and Basil followed behind her. She had a sheet over her with holes for her eyes. A classic ghost costume. But her glasses acted as a perfect border for her face and the sheets. Likely accidental, but still a cool touch.

“Don’t worry about it!” Hero smiled away.

Sunny blushed at what he saw next. Aubrey was dressed as a witch. Her costume was quite well done. It was an actual outfit, not skimpy at all, yet Sunny was still mesmerized by how good it looked on her. She had a big wizard hat that barely showed the brown part of her hair at the front. She had a bag, a wand, and a little pouch on the bag. The black outfit was a bit baggy at the arms but still showed off her form.

Basil was carrying a plushie of an Eevee. He had a baseball bat on, a black top under a jacket, and some loose pants. It was obvious he dressed as a Pokémon trainer.

“Oh my god Kel, what is that!” She burst into a fit of laughter.

“You like it? Because I love it.” He smiled proudly.

She continued to laugh, only composing herself for a second. “It looks so stupid.” Her words weren’t all that kind, but she didn’t mean any harm by them. Besides, it did look stupid, but in a funny way.

“So, are we ready to go?” Hero said over Aubrey’s dying laughter.

“Not yet. We're still waiting for Cris.” Kel said.

“I’m here!” Speak of the devil.

“Hi Cris!” Kel waved from inside his dinosaur costume.

Cris snorted a bit when she saw her boyfriend. “I like your costume Kelsey.”

“Thanks!” Even the dinosaur seemed proud.

“Alright. We’re all set. Everyone got everything?”

Everyone confirmed they were ready, sequentially agreeing to begin the night.

“Then let’s go.” Hero led the group out the door, ready to be the de facto chaperone once again.

They walked down the street, prepared to score some candy, especially Kim. Aubrey was actually somewhat curious as to why Kim came with Aubrey's friends instead of their other friends or why Vance wasn't with her. They were pretty close after all.

“Hey Kim. How come Vance isn’t with you?”

“He’s with the others.” She answered, her focus unchanging from the surrounding houses.

“Why aren't you with them?”

“I figured I should hang out with you guys a bit.” Aubrey was kinda surprised, but Kim didn't dislike hanging out with Aubrey's friends. She actually enjoyed it a bit, but she wouldn't admit that. Mostly, she felt she needed to make amends. Particularly with Basil.

Aubrey could feel Kim's kind intentions, even if she hid them beneath her facade. "Thanks, Kim."

"What're ya thanking me for? I didn't do anything." Kim's defensive wall had re-emerged.

"Y'know what I'm thanking you for, idiot." Aubrey nudged Kim with her elbow.

"Yeah, sure whatever. It's no biggie." Kim deflected, happy her costume covered her face.

The group had gone to many houses by this point. They were wandering about occasionally stopping at houses with nice decorations. Kel had been trading goods with everyone, trying to get the ultimate pot of candy.

Kel propositioned Aubrey from behind her shoulder. "Aubrey, I'll trade you my gum for your airheads."

Aubrey's curiosity had peeked. "For real?"

"Yup! We gotta deal?" He extended a t-rex arm.

"Sure!" She sealed the deal with a firm dinosaur handshake.

"Pleasure doing business." His smiling face peeked through the dinosaur suit.

Hero hadn't expected this from his brother. He'd always traded candy before, but he had been trading all night.

Cris walked up to Sunny; he jumped a little, not expecting her. "So, are you enjoying your stay in town?"

Sunny nodded. "It's nice to see everyone again."

"You're really close with everyone, huh?"

"Yeah. I'd say we're close." Sunny looked to Hero after a moment of hesitation.

"You were all friends as kids, right?" Sunny nodded in response.

"What was that like?"

Sunny paused for a moment. "It was nice. Mari and Hero took care of us and played with us. It was nice to have older friends and one's my age."

"Who's Mari?" Cris questioned. It seems Kel never brought her up.

"Mari... was my sister."

Cris was confused, then the realization struck her. "Oh. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay..."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to her?"

"What... happened..?"

What happened...

...

"Sunny. You okay?" Cris waved her hand in front of Sunny's face.

Sunny blinked a few times as his thousand-yard stare vanished.

"You good?" Cris asked again.

"Y-Yeah. Uhm. I don't really want to talk about it."

"That's okay. I'm sorry if I brought up anything unpleasant."

Sunny shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Let's talk about something else." Cris diverted. "Are you into any sports?"

"Not really." Sunny replied. He was more than happy to switch the topic.

Hero looked around at the houses before seeing one where people seemed to be walking in.

"Hey guys, want to check out that one?" He gestured to the house.

After catching sight of the house Hero was referring to, Sunny and Cris felt excitement swell inside themselves.

"Oo yeah! That one looks really cool!" Cris said, her eyes plastered to the house.

Sunny nodded. "I want to know what's going on. It looks fun."

"It looks like we've decided." Basil said, somewhat nervous of the possibility of it being a haunted house setup.

The group soon arrived at the immaculately decorated house. There was a sign pointing into what was normally a garage but had been turned into a dark corridor that led out the other side. The sound of kids screaming in fear resonated from within.

"Aw yeah! I love these houses!" Cris bounced, ready to run into the haunted house solo.

Basil could feel his heartbeat get faster. "Um, I'll just... stay out here. You guys can go on ahead."

Sunny looked back. "You sure, Basil?"

Basil put up a smile. "Yeah. I'm not a fan of haunted houses."

"I can stay out here with you if you want."

"That's not necessary! I'll be fine." Basil didn't want Sunny to miss out because of him.

Kim walked to Basil's side, quickly wrapping her arm around Basil, startling the thin boy. "I'll stay with him. You guys can go ahead."

"Y-You really don't have to."

"I'm not gonna leave ya out here alone." She turned to the others. "Go get scared nerds."

Everyone looked at each other. Before silently agreeing to continue on to the haunted house. Leaving Basil and Kim alone. An awkward silence filled the air.

"...Um, thanks for staying out here with me."

"Don't mention it. Haunted houses aren't my thing either, they're usually too cramped."

Basil smiled and looked at the ground. Kim paused for a moment. Psyching herself up for her big moment. "Sorry... about being a jerk to you and all."

"It's fine." He pulled out a piece of taffy. "Want some?"

"For Real?! Yeah! Thanks!"

The haunted house was dark, but what it lacked in visibility it made up for in a sound design. The sounds of wood creaking, dripping water, and crawling bugs made for a tense atmosphere. Hero jumped a little any time he heard the bugs, and by the end, Sunny was holding onto Kel's actual arm through his costume tightly.

"That was great!" Cris cheered. "It was so well made."

"They definitely knew what they were doing." Hero checked his watch. "It's getting pretty late. Do you guys want to start heading back?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Aubrey agreed. "Let's get going."

They slowly began to walk down the street back to Hero and Kel's house.

As they walked back, Aubrey found herself lost in thought. Everyone seems like they had fun tonight. They don't seem to have a problem being around me either. It's been like this for a while now. Are they just pretending nothing is wrong? Or are they actually fine with who I was?

Her body stopped and she fell back onto her butt. She had accidentally walked into someone without noticing.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

The girl in front of Aubrey spoke up. "Watch where you're going dumbass!"

Aubrey composed herself and stood up. "Hey, cool it. I'm sorry alright?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever punk rock looking bitch."

Aubrey's fuse had been sparked. "What was that?"

"I said, whatever bitch." The girl repeated, her friends talked amongst themselves. Laughing at each other's comments.

Aubrey got closer to them. "Are you trying to pick a fight? All I did was bump into you."

"Just know your place moron!"

"Why are you being such a dick?" Aubrey had to hold back with every fiber of her being to not punch the douchebag in front of her.

Sunny looked up to see Aubrey was missing. He looked around and spotted her arguing across the street. He wasn't sure what it was about but he knew he had to help her somehow. Without thinking, he quickly came to her side.

One of the girl's friends spoke up. "Who's the twerp? One of your little friends?"

"Yeah, he is. You idiots are holding me up. So piss off." The rest of the group saw Sunny run off and after following, noticed the situation as well.

The girl noticed the group of people coming their way. "Pff. Come on, these nobodies aren't worth our time." The group of kids walked away as everyone came rushing to Aubrey's side.

"What jerks! You okay Aubrey?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, thank you guys." She and Sunny shared a warm look.

"What was their deal?" Kel said with uncharacteristic anger.

"O-Oh, it was sorta my fault I accidentally bumped into them."

"That's all?! That's what they were being such asses about?" Kim exclaimed.

"Yeah..."

Hero was relieved no one was hurt. "Gosh, they clearly have nothing better to do. C'mon, let's get you home."

"Okay." Aubrey completely forgot what she was thinking about before. Content to walk down the street, chatting with her friends.

The group made it back to the Langley's without further incident. They had removed the excess pieces of their costumes and began sorting through their candy.

A communal pile formed, filled with candy people didn't want but someone might like. Aubrey had already finished her sorting and Kim was sorting her candy into two piles: taffy and non-taffy.

Hero found her seriousness amusing. "Wow, Kim. You really like taffy huh?" He teased.

"Yeah what of it?" She continued sorting with a defensive tone.

"Nothing. Just shocked is all."

"What about you Hero? All you have is chocolate." Sunny said.

Hero chuckled. "Fair point."

"Man... I barely got any chewy candy." Basil's face echoed his disappointment.

"Maybe I could interest you in some of mine." Kel signaled to his horde of varied candy. Leaving everyone stunned.

"What! How the hell did you get so much candy, Kel?!" Cris exclaimed.

Kel only said one word, with the smuggest look on his face. "Business."

Chapter Text

Dawn was still young and Basil was watering his plants while his friend Aubrey was still fast asleep. Basil liked waking up early; he loved the morning sun, the dew on the grass, the chirping of the birds. All of it made him feel happy and warm.

The doorbell rang throughout the house. Polly was out shopping at the moment, so Basil had to answer.

“Coming!” He shouted. He set down his watering can and hastily made his way to the front door.

Kel stood on the other side of the door. “Hey, Basil!” Kel waved.

“Hi, Kel!” Basil held the door open. “What brings you here?”

“I'm here for Aubrey. We're gonna go hang out with Kim today. You wanna come?”

“Uhh, well…. Sure! That sounds like fun! I’ll go wake Aubrey up.” Basil let Kel inside before he closed the door.

Basil walked over to Aubrey’s room. He knocked before creaking the door open slightly, waiting a few seconds for a response before fully opening it.

Aubrey's room was very tidy and had much more in it than her old room. She had completely new furniture, the only thing she took from her old house was her clothes, her picture with Kim, her Capt. Spaceboy poster, and Bun-Bun. Her room had lots of pink but was offset by a pleasant yellow as well as some more neutral colors and a dash of blue.

A small letter was poking out of Aubrey's desk. Basil ignored it; he didn't want to invade her privacy.

“Morning Aubrey.” He said gently, so as to not jolt her awake. Aubrey groaned as she slowly stirred under her messy blankets.

“Sleep well?” Basil put his hands on his bent knees

Aubrey's head was still covered by blankets. “Sleep more…” She voiced groggily as she turned on her stomach.

“C’mon. You don’t want to keep Kel waiting do you?”

“Nnmm? Oh right, that’s today. Groooaan.” Reluctantly, Aubrey threw off the covers and stood up. Her posture was slumped from tiredness.

“Breakfast will be done by the time you’re done getting ready."

“Thanks, Basil.” She yawned and stretched as she made her way to the bathroom.

Basil walked to the kitchen, passing Kel who was watching tv on the couch. “You hungry, Kel?”

“You bet! Are you making breakfast?"

“Mhm. I’ll make you a little too.” Basil saw Kel smile. "Thanks, Basil! You’re the best!”

Basil got out large biscuits and some ingredients for mushroom gravy. He set out two pans: one for the biscuits, the other was large enough to hold a good amount of gravy.

Kel peeked over to the kitchen whenever he caught a whiff of the mouth-watering breakfast. Basil thought it was funny, like Kel was a dog on the lookout for food.

Aubrey stepped into the living room. Her hair was still damp, and a knee-length dark red skirt and a yellow jacket adorned her figure. “Hey, Kel.”

Kel grinned at her. “Rise and shine sleepyhead!”

“Shut up. I was tired last night.” It was still too early for Aubrey to deal with Kel's antics, and she didn’t linger near him long; the scent of Basil’s cooking caught her attention. Aubrey peeked over Basil’s shoulder. “What’re ya cooking?” Basil fumbled the wooden spoon in his hands, startled by Aubrey’s surprise presence.

“B-Biscuits and gravy.” Basil blushed. He didn't expect Aubrey to sneak up on him.

Aubrey stared for a moment. “Why are you frying the biscuits?”

Basil was thrown off. Why am I frying the biscuits? “I… don’t know. I’ve always done it this way so I guess I never questioned it.”

“Well, if this is the way you always do it then I guess I’m not gonna stop you.” She said before she walked to grab a glass of apple juice. Basil went back to cooking breakfast; he made a mental note to leave a note for Polly.

The trio left the green-roofed house and began walking down the sidewalk. Basil hung in the back, trailing behind Aubrey and Kel. While the two up front talked amongst themselves, Basil listened in on their conversation happily and took in his surroundings. He looked at the dew on the grass, the birds hopping along branches, and the few wispy clouds painted across the morning sky. To Basil, there was almost nothing more relaxing.

"So, when are you gonna tell him, Aubrey?" Kel asked during a lull in the morning music, drawing Basil’s attention.

"Tell who what?" Aubrey looked to Kel in confusion.

"When are you gonna tell Sunny that you li- OOF." Aubrey elbowed Kel's side. "Shut up, Kel!"

"Oww. I was just curious." Kel rubbed his side. "That's none of your business." He would find out after anyway, not to mention Aubrey didn't know when she was going to tell Sunny herself.

The three friends walked through the entranceway to the center of the park, but there was no sight of Kim. She surprised them by jumping out from behind a tree and lightly running into Aubrey.

"AHH! Jesus Kim, you scared the hell out of me!" Kim stood up straight, adjusting her glasses. "I know. It was fun." She smiled proudly. "Sup nerds." Kim said to Kel and Basil.

"Hi, Kim." Basil sheepishly responded. He was still unused to Kim being nice to him, but he was happy she was being so normal around him now.

"So what's the plan today, Kim?" Kel asked.

"I don't really have much of a plan. We're just gonna go to my house and play games."

"Sounds good! Let's get going!" Kel pointed forwards like a captain.

"Excuse me. Are you all alright?" A gentle feminine voice questioned them. They turned to the source to see a black-haired girl with glasses and a sketchbook in her hand. "Oh. Hi, Mincy. What did you say?" Kel asked.

"I was asking if you all were okay. I was sitting on the bench over there and heard some fighting. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but I wanted to make sure you were okay." Mincy was clearly nervous, but her nervousness was outshined by her worry. Basil blushed as he looked at her. "You don't have to apologize. I just said something a little dumb is all." Kel dismissed her worries. Basil stayed out of the conversation; he simply admired Mincy's cuteness in silence.

Mincy sighed in relief. "Oh, I see. I'm glad it was nothing serious." Kel was also relieved in turn. "You've met Aubrey before right, Mincy?"

"I don't think so... Wait, aren't you that girl Kel and Sunny were hanging out with?" Mincy remembered a girl with pink hair walking around with Kel and Sunny, but she recalled her looking more punk. "Yeah, that was me. I remember coming up to you when you were drawing." Aubrey affirmed.

"Wait... I've seen you a lot in the park too. With all those rude kids. You guys were always pushing Basil around and calling him names!"

"T-That's also true..." Aubrey turned her eyes away. "It's okay!" Basil spoke up; all attention was turned to him. He quickly realized what he did and got shy. "S-She did do that, but she's not like that anymore. So it's okay!"

Mincy stood silent. She looked at Aubrey, then back to Basil. "Alright, I believe you. I'm sorry for causing such a fuss." Her face was red; she was embarrassed she had made such a scene. "...It's alright." Aubrey said. "You had a good reason to be cautious."

A heavy awkwardness loomed in the air.

"W-Well, I should be going now. Bye, Kel." She started to walk away, but Kel stopped her. "Wait! You should come with us!"

"Huh?!" Aubrey exclaimed.

"O-Oh. I wouldn't want to cause any more trouble..." Mincy raised her hand as if to say: no thank you. "It won't be any trouble at all! I think you and Aubrey could be good friends if you got to know each other!" Kel pleaded.

Aubrey wasn't very happy about this. It was Kim's house they were going to after all. She was already embarrassed out of her mind, but this probably meant a lot to Kel, and Basil had stuck up for her like that... It wouldn't be right to just let it end like this.

"...It's alright. We wouldn't mind you coming along." Aubrey managed to say out to Mincy.

"Are you sure?" Mincy asked; her posture had become less closed-off. Aubrey nodded. "...Alright. I'll come."

"Really!?" Kel asked with a big smile on his face. "Yeah." Mincy said timidly. "Awesome! Let's get going then!" Kel gathered everyone together.

"No one asked me, but I guess there's nothing wrong with her coming... Grumble grumble." Kim said quietly to herself.

The five left Faraway Park and began their walk to Kim's house, though which house she was referring to, they didn't know. Aubrey fiddled with her hands, her head facing the ground. She advanced to walk alongside Basil. "You didn't have to do that for me. So thanks."

Basil looked at her with gentle eyes. "Of course I did. She thought you were a bully."

"I was though..." Aubrey felt like she had taken advantage of Basil somehow. Basil was sad she was being hard on herself. "But you aren't anymore. So don't worry about it."

"Still! What I did was so unfair to you... I haven't earned the kindness you've given me." Aubrey refuted.

Basil thought for a moment; he wanted to make sure he said everything he wanted to. Everything Aubrey needed to hear, "Aubrey, before Mari died you were always kind to me and you cared about everyone. You're a good friend. You didn't have to earn my kindness. That's part of being friends with someone." Aubrey teared up. "...Thanks, Basil."

A bright smile spread across Basil's face. The bond between him and Aubrey felt like it had finally been healed.

The group arrived and walked into Kim's dad's house. The hole in the wall was gone. It also seems like they redid the pipes, so they were now inside the wall.

"C'mon, Aubrey. I want to show you what I got last week!" Kim dragged Aubrey to the tv and began riffling through some game cartridges.

Mincy looked around at the inside of Kim's house while Kel plopped himself down on the couch. Basil stared at Mincy for a moment before he sat down next to Kel.

Aubrey watched as Kim sorted through game cases, setting each to the side. "I thought this was something you got last week?"

"It is! I'm just not a very organized person. ...Aha! I found it!" She showed it to Aubrey. "I present to you, Capt. Spaceboy: Battles Across the Stars!"

"No way! I thought these were sold out!" Aubrey grabbed the game cartridge with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I got it before they were sold out. Pretty sweet right?" Kim smirked.

"Very sweet! Let's play!" Aubrey couldn't contain her excitement.

Kim placed the cartridge in her console and grabbed a controller for herself and Aubrey. They sat themselves on the floor in front of the couch. Mincy not wanting to be out of the loop, sat on the couch with the two boys, claiming a seat next to Basil.

Aubrey and Kim were incredibly invested in the game. As they played, Kim instructed Aubrey on how to play, while Kel joined in their conversations and backseated when things got intense.

Mincy decided to take the opportunity to talk to Basil, who was watching happily. "I'm sorry I was so angry earlier. I just hate when people are pushed around." Basil got nervous. He didn't know how to respond to her or even talk to her without getting flustered. "O-Oh, it's okay! I know you meant well!, but Aubrey's my friend. We just... had a disagreement..."

"That must have been some disagreement." Mincy sounded almost in awe. "Eheheh... I guess you could say that..." All Basil could hope for: was that Mincy wouldn't ask what it was about.

Mincy stayed silent, unsure of how to follow up on that conversation. Basil did the same, hoping the tense air would clear. But he knew that it wouldn't happen on its own, so he tried switching the topic. "Kel and Sunny showed me that drawing you made of them. I think it's really good." Basil could feel his cheeks get hotter.

Mincy blushed. "Thanks... I really wanted to make something to thank them for encouraging me; I'm just happy they liked it."

"Of course they did! How could they not with how good it looks?" There was an overwhelming sincerity in Basil's voice, it made Mincy feel appreciated. "That's really sweet of you."

Basil blushed intensely. "W-W-Well, I'm just being honest..." Mincy smiled. She saw that Basil wasn't a very confident person, but she admired his courage to act even when he's uncomfortable. "Do you do any art?" She asked.

"No. I just keep a photo album. But I really enjoy looking at art!" Basil's eyes lit up a little. "Photography counts as an art! Maybe you could show it to me sometime. I'd love to see your photos!"

Excitement flooded Basil's heart. He was more than happy to show his photos to Mincy. Though his excitement was dampened when he remembered he didn't have his old photo album anymore. "O-Oh... Well, I gave my old photo album to Sunny. But I can show you some of the new photos I've taken."

Mincy smiled in approval. She was happy to have made a new friend. "I'd really like that!"

Chapter Text

Hero walked up to Sunny, who lay on the couch looking at his phone. Breakfast had already been served and eaten, and noon was approaching. Hero wanted to hang out with him and was gonna ask him before it got any later.

“Hey, Sunny.” He tapped him on the shoulder.

Sunny looked at Hero, who was towering above him. “What’s up?” He lazily lowered his phone.

“You wanna hang out? It’s been a while since we’ve done something with just the two of us, and we’ve both got nothing to do today.”

“Sure. Sounds good."

“Great. Well c'mon then, let’s go over to Hobbeez.” Sunny obliged. He sat up and rose from the couch. The pair put on their shoes and left to go to Hobbeez.

The walk over was silent for the most part, not out of awkwardness or tension, it's because Sunny wasn’t much of a morning person, so Hero let him look at his phone and stare into space without bothering him save for a few times. He made sure to watch Sunny thought, making sure he didn’t lose his way or step into traffic.

The bell above the door jingled, announcing their arrival. Hero and Sunny took in the nostalgic atmosphere of the hobby shop as a lively tune played over the store's speakers. Sunny scanned the shelves and his attention was immediately caught by a new Captain Spaceboy comic; he dragged Hero along with him as he went over to grab it before sitting on the ground.

Sunny set the book on the ground, the cover open and ready to read.

===

Cpt. Spaceboy was setting foot on a new planet. The sky was a light, faded green, the vegetation mostly vibrant blues. He was on a scouting mission to see if there was anything of interest on the planet.

"Doesn't seem like this planet is home to any intelligent life." The space pirate said to himself as he looked at his wrist as a hi-tech watch displayed information indiscernible to the reader. "Hm. I'll keep looking."

Spaceboy continues his exploration, heading deeper and deeper into increasingly dense foliage. He noticed strange markings on the trees. Most certainly slashing, but it was unclear whether they were from an animal or a tool.

The captain pressed onward until he came to a large chasm, the vegetation hanging over the edge. Desperately trying to claim all it can.

The captain looked over the depression, looking for anything of note. As he surveyed the area, focused on seeing if there was anything of interest, he barely noticed the spear being chucked at him.

Spaceboy dodged the spear and looked to its origin, where a group of tribal humanoids were gathered. They stuck out due to their orange skin. "Found the intelligent life." He muttered to himself as he hid behind a tree. He took out a device on his belt and set it on the ground, trying to activate it. A spear went through the tree he was using as cover, sticking out very close to him.

Cpt. Spaceboy looked at the spear wide-eyed. "Running it is then." He picked up the device and sprinted towards his ship. He looked at his watch panicked.

1.43 KM AWAY FROM SHIP

He looked behind him, he couldn't see the natives, but he could hear them yelling. Cpt. Spaceboy didn't know what the natives were saying, but he knew that he and his crew had to get off this planet

===

"I'm gonna get this so I can read the rest later." Sunny closed the comic and slowly stood.

"I hope you don't mind me borrowing it before you leave." Hero followed Sunny. "I don't mind at all, as long as you don't forget to return it." Sunny grinned at him. Hero had never seen Sunny smile as frequently as he had been recently. He was glad Sunny was happy, but he couldn't shake the worry that it was just for show.

Sunny paid for the comic and awkwardly thanked the shopkeep. "Anything you wanna get?" He asked Hero. Hero didn't see any comics or games that caught his interest, but he couldn't take his mind off the new arcade machine. "No, but how about we play a game on the arcade machine?" Sunny looked over, his eyes caught on the new machine standing proudly next to the old one. "Sure." He replied with excitement.

They stepped up to the arcade machine labeled 'Power Fighters' and inserted a dollar, Sunny hit the 2-Player button and the screen flashed before fading to black. It faded in, revealing a neon semi-futuristic city. As the screen panned down, two characters stood on the left end of the screen with their fists up.

"Okay, so that's how you punch..." Hero looked down at the controls listed out on the machine, carefully trying out all of the things he could do while Sunny was trying to figure out combos. Once the boys had fully tested out their moves, they began walking to the right, and after a few seconds, two thugs appeared wearing elaborate outfits. Sunny took one out with some simple attacks while Hero used a special kick to take down the other, taking a little damage. "I took damage? But I didn't get hit."

"Try using your special again." Sunny suggested, Hero did so and once more he took damage. "Yeah, you take damage whenever you use your special." Sunny stated as he moved his character along. "What? Aww... Guess we'll have to use it sparingly then." The next group of enemies came up and initiated combat. Hero was slowly but surely taking down his enemies while Sunny had to keep dodging so he wouldn't take damage.

By the time Hero had finished off his thugs, Sunny was still dealing with one. "I'm just gonna use the special." Sunny input a special attack, finishing off the enemy but he took no damage. "Wait. So only I take damage from my special?" Hero was confused and a little upset. Sunny thought for a moment, "I think yours does more damage." Hero didn't understand. "What makes you think that?"

"You might take recoil damage because yours does more damage than mine. It looks like fire, so maybe your character is burning themselves whenever they use a special." Sunny didn't know this was the case for sure, but he was pretty confident that was the reason. "That makes sense I guess. What does your character use then? Just blue energy?" Hero asked as more enemies approached. "Guess so." Sunny shrugged before coming to help Hero.

The two boys played Power Fighters for a few hours. Luckily it was a slow day in the shop so they had the machine all to themselves. Their hands were a little cramped but it was worth it. They had managed to make it all the way to the final boss. And while it was a tough battle, they had defeated him. And they only had to restart 2 times.

"I'm pretty hungry after all that. Wanna go to Gino's?" Hero asked the very pleased, Sunny. Sunny nodded. "Let's go."

It was a very short walk over to the pizzeria next door. The smell of pizza and sandwiches filled their nostrils and the melodies of the jukebox sounded within their ears.

"Do you want pizza or a sandwich, Sunny?” Hero asked.

“A sandwich.” He said quietly.

They quickly stepped up to the counter to place their order. “Hey there, kids. What’ll it be? Pizza?” The cashier asked. “Can we get two Hero sandwiches?”

The cashier sighed to himself internally. “Coming right up.” Hero paid and took his receipt, their order number attached. He and Sunny sat down and waited for their order to be called.

Hero took the initiative and decided to ask Sunny a question. “So, how are things between you and Basil?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?" There was a very simple way that question could be answered, but Sunny felt like there was a more specific reason. "I heard you guys are spending a lot more time with each other. You two really seem like you're moving past what happened."

Hero's words warmed Sunny's heart. "Well, I'm trying my best." He still had a long way to go. But he couldn't deny how far he's come.

"And you should be proud. You've made amazing progress over the past few months." Sunny blushed. "Thank you."

"Order 72!" The cashier called out.

"That's us." Hero rose from his seat and went to the counter to grab their sandwiches, returning several seconds later. "Here's yours." He set Sunny's sandwich in front of him, sitting down to unwrap his own.

"Thanks." Sunny opened the wrapper and took a small bite of his sandwich. "Has everyone been getting along okay?"

"Yeah, there haven't been any problems. At least that I'm aware of. Unless you count Aubrey and Kel's typical bickering." Hero smiled to himself. "Really?" Sunny questioned, like he didn't truly believe what Hero said.

Hero could tell what was going on. Sunny was being hard on himself, thinking that he's causing problems within the group. Truth be told, awkward moments have come up due to something related to Sunny. But none of them were arguing about him.

But Hero felt like he knew how to cheer Sunny up.

"Well, I did give Aubrey some good jokes to use against Kel. You should have seen his face." Hero had a grin on his face, the kind he had when he told puns.

"W-What were the jokes?" Sunny's eyes became fixated on Hero, tensely anticipating his next words.

"I only remember a few. Uhmm... Oh! One was, 'do you need some Kelp there?' Then there was, 'you look like you've run a Kelometer.' If he spaced out I told her to call him 'InterKeller'. If he was doing well in basketball it was 'Mikel Jordan'. And if he forgot anything it would be 'Kelderly'." Sunny giggled softly at the thought of Aubrey calling Kel 'Kelderly'. "I wish I could've witnessed that."

"He was very confused. Basil took a picture if you want to see it." Hero took a bite out of his sandwich. "I'll ask him when I have the chance." Sunny was excited to see the funny face Kel made when he next visited Basil.

Hero finished his sandwich and folded up the wrapper. "I know this is a bit out of nowhere, but how is your mom doing, Sunny?"

"She's good. She seems happy now that we've moved, but she seems a little more stressed. I guess she's not fully adjusted to how it interacts with her work, so it's probably temporary."

"That's good. I imagine she's excited you're coming out of your room."

"I think she is, but I'm not sure. I think she's confused about why I've come out after all this time."

"Maybe. I mean, it is quite a drastic change. But if she hasn't brought it up yet I'd say you have nothing to worry about." Sunny wanted to stop worrying about it, but he could feel that something was off with her and she seldom hides things from Sunny. But then again, worrying about it wouldn't do any good either. "You're probably right." A half-hearted smile grafted on Sunny's face.

The two talked for a while about the various ongoings in their lives. The sun was starting to set now. "Hey, Sunny. There's another place I wanna stop by today."

"Where's that?"

"I wanna go see Mari."

"...Okay... Let's get going then." It was never pleasant to visit Mari's grave. Not to say Sunny didn't visit, but every time he did he could feel the aching in his heart.

The two left Gino's pizzeria. The orange horizon let them know it was getting late. They walked past the park, past the houses to the church graveyard. Both braced themselves to walk through the door and enter the graveyard.

The soft crunching of fallen leaves and grass was the only sound they made as they approached her. Neither of them said a word, solemnly walking up to her grave. And when they got there, they still said nothing. The two stood before the tombstone in silence. Sunny was waiting for Hero to speak or to do anything really; he felt like he was somehow in trouble. He anxiously waited for Hero to talk, as it seemed like he was lost in his mind. A job usually reserved for Sunny.

"Even after everything that's happened... some part of me doesn't believe it. Y'know what I mean?" He put on a sad smile. "It feels like yesterday she was here with us."

"I do. I still see her a lot in my dreams."

"Me too." Hero paused for a moment, gathering the strength he needed to say what he wanted. "You know, I could never imagine life without her. I couldn't imagine it without any of you guys. You all were so special to me, and you still are. But back then I thought nothing could seperate us, nothing would ever change. I thought we'd always be like we were then."

"H-Hero. Hero please don-" Hero rose his voice at Sunny. There wasn't any anger, but something akin to urgency. "Sunny, please. I know it's hard, but I need you to hear this. For both our sakes." Hero spoke with an urgency Sunny had never heard from him in his life. He gave Hero a weak nod.

"When Mari I... I didn't know what I was going to do. She was everything to me. I didn't have to imagine a life without her anymore. I felt like a part of me had been taken away, and the rest of me started to crumble. I lost what I wanted. I felt like I lost my life. I saw no point in living like it was meaningful. And... there were a lot of low points." A pit in Sunny's stomach grew.

"I was so focused on what I lost. I never even considered what I still had... That's still a tough one for me. Maybe it is for everyone. But until I snapped out of it, I was only focused on myself. It's ironic... I didn't think my life was happy or meaningful anymore, but I was still trapped in my own head. I couldn't even think of how I was hurting the people I loved by living in my depression. Hell, I didn't even consider the fact that they still cared about me." Hero bit the inside of his lip and strained to keep his eyes from dripping. Sunny himself could feel his eyes start to fill with the desire to release his emotion.

"I miss her so much, Sunny. I miss her every day. I see her in my dreams. I hear her when no one's around. I feel the hole where she once was." Hero's eyes began to stream. "I hate that she's gone. I can't stand it! I can't stand being alive when she's not!" He began to yell. "I don't know what to do without her! I'm just... so... lost! I don't know if I want to be a doctor! I don't even know if I want to be a chef! I just want her back!" Hero sobbed, wiping his eyes slower than the tears poured out of his eyes: somehow still managing to talk.

"I... I don't know what I'm going to do, Sunny. I don't want to find someone else, but I know things happen. She's still the person I love, and I don't think my heart would ever let me forget that." Hero wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "And I don't want to make it sound like this is directed at you, Sunny. I don't hate you. I could never hate you. When I heard the truth I was so angry. I wanted to get it all out. I thought some part of me hated you but... I didn't want to hate you. I couldn't bring myself to hate you. I was angry at the world, that something like this could've happened. That I could've done better. That I could've prevented it. I know it's not my fault. I didn't know. But I know you would never have hurt her on purpose. Everything that happened was just tragedy at its most cruel. You're like a brother to me, Sunny. All of you are. You're my family. These past few years have been the hardest I think I'll ever have in my life, but I can say with certainty. I forgive you, Sunny."

Sunny started to cry.

The two boys hugged, finding comfort in their shared loss and pain. It was a bitter-sweet moment, one they would never forget. And as the sun set, they both felt a bit of loneliness disappear in their hearts.

Chapter Text

WHISPER: You could have lived without the pain. You could have stayed blissfully ignorant, but would it have been worth it?

AMNESIA: Forgetting isn't a solution to the problem, just a temporary fix. The mind never forgets. It only adds to the pain.

HEART: Pain has left your heart and it has begun to heal. What will fill your heart before it's done?

NOSTALGIA: Things feel they did before, don't they? But they're not. Not without her.

LONELINESS: What happens when they get tired of you? Will they cast you away? When life changes, you must choose what you must keep and what you must cast away. Will they return your kindness?

KEL: I didn't even have my brother... I was so alone... I missed all of you.

EYES: We saw you. We saw your sin.

RESISTANCE: You must leave this place eventually. You know this, but you fight to stay. Even though there's so much pain. Maybe you'll get your wish one day. Or perhaps this place will be lost to you forever.

AUBREY: I was abandoned. I needed someone, but no one came for me. Maybe it was my fault.

AUTO: You've been alone for so long. Do you think you can really fit in with them again?

BASIL: I wasn't myself. What I did wasn't me, but I still can't forgive myself.

PAIN: You'll never forget what you did to her. You'll never be truly free of the pain, and your friends. Have you added to their pain? Or have you freed them from it?

HERO: Oh, Mari... What am I going to do without you?

REGRET: You should have told her. You should have told someone how you felt. But you didn't want to disappoint them. You didn't want to burden them. What might have come of it if you had?

What is this place?

Sunny could only walk through the endless void. Its atmosphere emanated a dreadful feeling, it felt so similar to Blackspace, but there was nothing here. No blanket, no picnic basket, no doors. Nothing.

Liar.

...

Liar.

...

Liar. Liar.

...

Liar. Liar. Liar.

...

MURDERER...

MARI: Sunny. I love you.

Sunny woke up shaking, his breath heavy. He curled up in his bed and cried. He wept to himself for a long time until he tired out, and fell asleep again.

Chapter Text

.

...

......

WELCOME TO DREAMSPACE

Sunny awoke once more inside a dream. Sitting up, he realized this was not anywhere he'd seen before. The wooden floor and origami plants seemed familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it.

I wonder where I am...  Sunny stood up and took a look around the large wooden room. A table sat in the middle of the room, cards resting on top. A few electronics were scattered around with seemingly no purpose. Other knick-knacks lined the countertop. The wall had a small square brighter than the rest of it, like something had been there before.

The Treehouse. But why did he wake up here? Sunny thought it best to ignore it for the time being. Sunny stepped through the doorway and lowered himself onto the ladder. The ground was much further away than he remembered. Eventually, he reached the bottom and hopped off the ladder. The long grass tickled his feet.

He didn't see anyone else. Maybe they were in the Underground Room or at the World Tree.

Sunny looked around on his way to the large tree. He thought about the places they could be. The leaves on the World Tree created a punctured blanket of shade. No one was sitting on the picnic blanket.

Sunny moved onto the Underground Room. The breeze picked up slightly as he approached the door leading to the room of beds. He stepped inside; his friends slept peacefully in their beds. Mari slept with a calm peaceful expression, surrounded by flowers. Kel was spread out and snoring with his covers all strewn about. Aubrey was cuddled up with Mr. Plantegg. Basil was nicely tucked into his bed. But Hero's bed was empty.

Sunny walked over to his bed to ensure Hero hadn't fallen out.  Where did Hero go?  Sunny left the Underground Room, determined to find Hero. He just had to check... the Great Forest... All of it...

Well, I'll check the lake first. It seems like the place he'd go.

Sunny exited the room and walked across the open grassland and the wild forest until he arrived at the lake. Its water shone a deep purplish blue, just as dreary as the dark sky. And it was vacant. Not many people knew about it, so it was strange that Hero didn't come here to get some alone time or whatever he was out for. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone outside of his main friends  anywhere  lately. Why was that? He might have to start looking for everyone else too. Hopefully not...

Either way, it was time to look elsewhere for Hero. After some walking Sunny found his way to the playground. The large metal cat stood proud over the other playground equipment. The swings rest peacefully, waiting for a pair of friends to take their seats. The monkey bars appeared a little taller than Sunny remembered. As does the slide, as tall as it is, it still does not reach the height of the yellow cat. The tetherball pole surrounded by dirt idled until the next game would commence and picnic tables lightly surrounded the playground.

There was still no sign of the older boy. Sunny readied himself to leave when he felt a drop of rain on his head. The sky filled with an expansive grey as the cold rain gradually fell. Not wanting to get wet, Sunny took shelter inside the yellow cat. His gaze was drawn outside as the sound of rain tapping against the metal canopy soothed his mind. He sighed. Looks like he'd have to stay here until the rain stopped.

Sunny watched the rain come down from his shelter, wondering about his chances of getting sick if he just ran out to get an umbrella. As he pondered these things, a pair of legs stood in front of the hole to his sanctuary. The figure bent down to reveal the person he had been looking for.

"There you are, Sunny! I've been looking for you. Mind if I join you?"

Sunny moved away from the center of the shelter, allowing Hero to get in.

"Where were you?" Sunny asked as Hero awkwardly crawled in and made himself comfortable.

"I was looking around for you. It's not like you to run off by yourself." Hero moved his wet hair out of his face.

"I was in the treehouse." Sunny explained.

"I guess I got there a little after you. Welp, at least I found you. If only I'd brought an umbrella..."

"It's okay. Let's just wait til it's alright to leave." Hero nodded in response. The two boys watched the rain pour outside as a cold breeze crept its way into the shelter.

Sunny turned to Hero, who was still watching the rain. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Hero waved his hand in a motion that seemed to deny the notion. "You don't have to apologize. You're a smart kid I wasn't as worried as I'd be if Kel or Basil wandered out by themselves. You'd probably be in for it though if it was Mari instead of me."

"I think probably is an understatement. She'd probably get a search party." The black-haired boy let out a small laugh.

Hero found the prospect amusing. "I could definitely see her organizing different teams and mapping the area only for you to be reading in a nook somewhere under her nose." The boys shared a laugh.

Then Hero got quiet and looked Sunny in the eye. "Hey, Sunny. I'm sorry if you ever felt like I was trying to take Mari away from you. I know you two were close."

"I know. I was just afraid she'd only want to spend time with you and not with me. I was never really mad at you. I was just a little clingy I guess." Sunny was taken aback. He hadn't really ever expected to talk about this. 

"I think you and her both. I remember when she and I would take you and Kel here when we were young. Even when we were doing something on our own she'd constantly look to check where you were, making sure her little brother was safe. You're lucky to have a sister like her."

"From what Kel's told me, you're a great older sibling too. I'm sure Mari would agree."

"Yeah, I guess," Hero said with a smile. "Thanks, Sunny."

Suddenly, the rain died down. The boys looked outside; all that remained were puddles and dewdrops. "Great! Now let's head back, we don't want anyone to worry about us." The two squeezed out of the structure, the air was filled with a cool dampness that felt nice on the skin.

"Woah, what happened to this flower?" Hero walked over to a rose bush and plucked one of its flowers. The bush was full of bright red roses, but the one Hero picked had withered and died.

"Why is this rose dead? Shouldn't it be like the others?" Hero questioned as he examined the rose.

"Could be a parasite or something, feeding on the nutrients." Sunny posed in response.

"Y'know, this reminds me of the rose Basil gave me as a gift. He gave me instructions on how to take care of it and everything. I did a pretty good job until Mari died. It was pretty hard to take care of anything after that..."

This is like...

"Hey Sunny..."

With the others...

"Why did you do it?"

Hero clutched the flower to his chest, his hand trembling. Stubble decorated his face, his eyes were tired and teary, and his arms were strewn about with scars.

"Do you know what you did to me?"

Yes.

"We were happy. We could still be happy if not for you."

"I hurt Kel because of you."

I didn't want any of this to happen.

"What you did destroyed me."

"You took Mari away from me. What gives you the right to be with Aubrey?"

I...

No. No more of this. I know what Hero thinks of me. I won't let you hurt me.

"I don't have anything left to live for."

"Things would be better if you were never born. You're a stain on your family. A burden to your friends. Everyone just wants you to go away."

That's not true...

"I hate you."

Hero wouldn't say those things.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you."

We all loved her, but you loved her the most. I'm sorry. I don't know if I deserve anything you've all given me, but it would be selfish of me to reject it.

"I miss her..."

You were hurt more than the rest of them but you were the first one there for me. I won't forget that.

Sunny embraced Hero in a hug.

Thank you.

The scars faded as Hero slowly wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. "Don't leave us. Be happy. It's what Mari would want for you."

I will.

At the break of dawn, Sunny woke up.