Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunny sat atop his bed, his legs kicking against the air, emotions furling inside him. He glanced up to his right, eying the window into the outside world, one which he considered himself nothing but a stranger when his mother made him venture into it.

Alas, it wasn't always like that.
He remembered how they'd make him help with their projects, their whims, to burden his hands for labor to make that tree into what they'd call their home, to tend to the life which the floral-driven dedicated himself to, to traverse the depths that near-swallowed him whole, and to bloody his hands to the exemplary conductor's endless nightmare of repetition--

His head shook in shambles, banishing such thoughts to his mind, as his sight gazed back at his pillow.
The young boy spoke to himself, dismissing any inklings to leave his abode, "The outside was nice..."
He shifts himself into the sheets, cowering behind the prison of isolation he has condemned himself to for his sins, and speaks to himself, justifying his isolation without voicing the guilt that plagues his heart, "but inside is better."

Closing his eyes, he let his subconscious swallow him whole, his thoughts springing to life an oasis of pure white, outlined in black with everything a boy like him could need to survive.
A black laptop to chart the dates that went by, a box of tissues to wipe his sorrows away, a black cat to keep him company, a black bulb that he could not dare glance inside- its contents concentrated and laced with an insidious aura that reverberated dread, and a sketchbook detailing his artistic endeavors-- all placed on top of a simple white sheet, a picnic for one, he stood alone.
That's what this was, a feast built for him. And only for him.

The loneliness of this white and barren realm grew overwhelming. Even as Sunny blissfully laid on the sheet and stared at the white void, the hole grew in his chest, making him feel uneasy despite the ostensible smile that coated his face, no matter how many bandaids one could place over such an eternal, soul-shattering wound, the wound never forgets to be. 

Such a pain ran deep, coursing through one, through all matters of life, haunting them.
A chime played through his head as he felt something behind him.
He turned his head, hoping to catch a glimpse of the horrors his mind concocted, only to see a faint reminder of what he had done- the reason he served this sentence- before it was banished to the cold and uncaring abyss with a blink of his eye, to be forgotten, just as that protruding truth had been.

Distracting Sunny was a knocking upon his door, an intrusion by an outsider, one he hadn't anticipated.
With a sense of obligation, he got to his feet and put his hand to the knob, thinking to himself if he could open such a door-- if he wanted to leave behind the safe allure of white space for the sake of adventure.

Although conflict on such a choice flourished within his mind as he ruminated on the choice between safety or fun, solitude or friends, he gulped and made a leap of faith, opening the door and stepping into the light.

Within the new realm, he kept his eyes shut for a moment, breathing in the enchanting scent of floral life overwhelming him, delighting in its beautiful smell and smiling.

Upon opening his eyes, he was shocked to see his best friend Basil, his sister Mari, and the comforting Abigail situated in a garden together. 
Basil watered the plants and muttered trivia over them to Mari as he gave them tender loving care, treating them as if they were his children. The two were blissfully unaware of Sunny's arrival.
Abigail noticed first, putting her tentacles together and speaking, "I am so happy! The dreamer is back to play with us!"

Mari and Basil were alerted by her proclamation of his arrival, and the two turned around to greet him.
Basil was the first to speak, waving as he told Sunny, "Hi, Sunny! Mari and I were tending to the flowers!" The innocent boy motioned to them, telling Sunny, "Aren't they pretty?"

Mari spoke up, "The violets are the best, Basil!"
Basil turned to face Mari, looking up to her, and told her, "Yeah! They can live for as long as you need them to, too! Up to fifty years!"
Abigail performed a pirouette, exclaiming, "I am like a violet, then!" and then glanced at Sunny questioningly, raising an eyebrow, and one of the tentacles that sprouted from her hair as well, "Right, Sunny?"
Sunny, unsure of what his mind was telling him and not wanting to challenge his creation's intuition, gave her a slight nod, content to be with his friends again.

Mari gave Sunny a comforting smile and told her little brother, "Basil and I are just about done with watering the plants. Do you want to join Kel, Hero, and Aubrey for a picnic at the park?"
She giggled to herself, saying, "I wouldn't mind spending some time with my Hero..."
Basil agreed with Mari's sentiment, saying, "Yeah... spending time with Aubrey is always nice." 

Abigail teased the two, her face blushed red, "I am so embarrassed! You are all glued together so tight!"
Basil's thoughts turned morbid from Abigail's suggestion, "Yeah, I don't know what would happen if any of us..."
Suddenly, Mari changed the subject by staring down Sunny's soul and saying, "So, Sunny... what do you think?"

Sunny took a deep breath, taking a moment to process the overwhelming pastel world of slumber that overtook his thoughts, and meekly told the three, "... I'll join."

Chapter Text

Upon Sunny's approval of tagging along, Mari beamed in happiness, giving him a warm and comforting smile.
Basil said to the rest, "Come on, let's get going!"
Abigail played off Basil's comment and told the dreamer, "You will lead the way, dreamer!"
Cutely, she shut her eyes, tilting her head to the side, "I am always by your side, Sunny."

Surprised by being thrust along the role of leader and seeing his friends so happy for him to join him, it was an honor, one that alongside the octopus girl's antics brought a smile to his troubled face-- he could forget his chains, if only a moment-- as long as he had his friends by his side, something couldn't creep upon him.

Excited to see her younger brother crack a genuine smile, she said, "It's great to see you smile, Sunny. You should totally smile more!"
As Sunny's smile faded with time, the moment passing, Mari shut her eyes to remember it and told him, "I've always liked your smile."

Sunny took the lead, walking down a path with a methodical stride, with the pink Abigail cutely trailing behind him, her tentacles flopping around as she walked. Basil followed behind her, his eyes drawn to the sights around him, looking away from the others. Mari followed Basil, her injured knee haunting her even within this realm, forcing her to keep a steady and slow pace-- yet quick enough to not lag behind her brother and his cohorts.

They walked through a path out of the garden, laden with stone brick, pure and uncorrupted, tall trees by their side, brushing in the wind of the headspace, as they took twists and turns and spoke among themselves, Basil being the first to open his mouth, "The sights here are so pretty-- They're like something out of prized photographs!"

Abigail shared his sentiment, raising her arm-like right tentacle and telling the flower boy, "Yeah! The dreamer's mind sure is amazing!"

Mari spoke to the others, telling them, "I'm glad that he found..." Unsure of this world around her, her thoughts conflicted since that fateful accident, and odd to find herself in some fantastical land, filled with a landscape to envy, "some peace."

Truthfully, Mari wasn't even aware enough to process what had befallen her yet-- disoriented to arrive in a place like this headspace-- she wasn't sure if this was some form of heaven, purgatory, or punishment, but she had an inkling of an idea why she was here. To help Sunny recover, and if this is what Sunny needed-- so be it, she'd be there for her little brother here, as she had failed him in her former life.

Her smile turned to a frown, thinking about it now; although these lands spoke of beauty, she could feel the sorrow that underpinned them, and she could feel them underneath the idyllic bliss that coated their surface.

Thankfully, Sunny, nor his companions, could see his big sister's frown, because ahead of her they trekked, eventually arriving at a park, one similar to where they used to play together mere months prior-- alas, this park perfected of its imperfections, no longer did hungry strays coat the bars or homeless men arrive with flies hovering their beaten and tattered clothes. Instead, all they could see were idealized anthropomorphized versions of Sunny's friends; Berly and Van played Tetterball at the center of the park, as Neb put together his puzzle, with Daisy watching him intently, Ren and Shawn stared at the stars together, delighting in their beauty, Mikal swings by himself, and Sharleen watches over his stuffed animal friends delight in play with one another.

And of course, there were his friends, Kel, Hero, and Aubrey, munching on cookies Hero had made for them.
Mari broke formation, running up to the representation of the man she loved, wrapping her arms around him, for she never could again within his world, and buried her face within his shoulder, "My Hero!"
Hero blushed heavily, flustered, and said, "I-It's nice to see you too, Mari..."

Aubrey put her cookie-holding hand away from her mouth and brought the half-eaten cookie to her side as she jumped in excitement and said, "Hi, Basil! It's nice to see you here!"

Kel waved at the arrivals and told Sunny, "It's great to see you, Sunny! Hero made us all snacks-- you should try some!"
He grabbed a plate from the ground and handed it out to Sunny.

Abigail complained to the others, curling her tentacles together, "Aww, come on! Why doesn't anyone ever notice me? Sunny-- make sure they don't forget me! I am their friend too..."

Meekly, Sunny spoke up and told the rest as she commanded of him, "S-Say hello to Abbi." and grabbed a cookie off the plate that Kel had generously offered him, munching it down.

To Hero's relief, everyone dropped what they were doing and waved at nowhere in particular, saying aloud in unison, "Hello, Abbi!"

Abigail crossed her two arm-like tentacles together and spoke, "Finally, some recognition!" Nervously, she stuttered, "S-Sometimes it feels like... y-you aren't even really my friends."

Finishing chewing upon his cookie, he turned to face Abigail and told her, "You are... even if-- if they have a hard time noticing you."

Mari realized her mistake, truthfully, not noticing the octopus girl's actual location had become a habit in life, seeing her in the real world, a beautiful pink hue, walking on four tentacles (with two in pairs, resembling a bipedal creature), two tentacles like arms, and two protruding from her head like cute buns-- just as Sunny drew her, it was something to adjust to, something she'd grow accustomed to as she grew more comfortable in her new role within this so-called life.

Mari turned to face Abigail and wasn't quite sure what to tell her, truthfully-- she was only her friend because she was Sunny's friend, they didn't know each other, and yet-- she couldn't bring herself to shatter the moment or the girl's precious feelings and made herself wrap her into a hug from behind, telling her, "Well, we're friends for real now!"
She cracked a smile, even if she could never perfect her recital within this realm-- at least she could finally relax with her brother and his friends within this scarred utopia, at least for a while.

The others couldn't help but fall into Mari's infectious smile, with Hero proclaiming, "Group hug!"
The others joined in, wrapped around Abigail, the fantastical wonderland captivating them around the imagined companion, and Sunny felt truly happy.

Chapter Text

After a moment, the group hug broke up, and they dispersed, breaking from Abigail's grasp-- Sunny was the last to let go of her.

Mari grabbed Hero's hand and gently told him, "Henry..." She asked, "May we spend some time alone?" Truthfully, she wasn't yet sure what this world was like; seeing her little brother again was nice, but there were so many things running through her mind, she needed some time to process them, and Hero was always by her side when she needed him-- even if this Hero wore pastel pajamas and appeared ever a tad more awkward from the brief time she spent with him.

Nervously, the boy gulped and rubbed the back of his hair, telling the girl, "Sure, Mari..." He tilted his head, inquiring from her, "Where would you like to go?"
She answered him, uncertain of all the realms that existed within this headspace, and told him, "Well, there's always the forest!"

She waved the others goodbye and told them, "Hero and I are going to the forest-- we'll be back in a bit, don't go anywhere without me, Sunny!"
Suddenly, she kissed Hero on his cheek, causing him to blush and for Kel to snap at them, coughing up his cookie and yelling out, "Eww, gross!"

Aubrey lambasted Kel, hitting him on the back of his head as Hero and Mari walked away, telling him, "Geez, Kel! Lighten up, no reason to be so rude!"
Kel yelped in pain, telling Aubrey, "Ow! That hurt, Aubs!"
Enraged by the nickname, Aubrey snapped back at Kel, "Hey! Don't call me that!"

Sunny sighed as his friends playfully argued, much as they had when the air was fresher, the colors warmer, and the ground more solid many moons ago.
Although back then, he'd view it as a pointless squabble, here, it served as a reminder of better times when his life had weight- and his friends had joy through their play and banter.

Breaking up the fight, Basil spoke up, "G-Guys, Kel shouldn't have been rude, but... you shouldn't hit him, Aubrey. That was uncalled for."
Aubrey crossed her arms, hmphing, "F-Fine..."
Brushing off the incident, Kel said, "Yeah, Basil. Aubrey was being rude." Blissfully, he smiled and said, "Glad you agree!"
Frustration grew from his comments, and Aubrey said, "Hey, I wasn't being rude! I was defending Mari from you."

Basil bit his lip, a tad nervous, and decided to distract the two's arguing with a reminder.
He raised his hand and told the rest, "Hey! How about we look through my photo album while we wait for Mari and Hero to come back?" he brought out his photo album from behind him and sat it on the picnic table.

Voicing his agreement, Sunny said, "That sounds nice..." and got to the floor, flopping down and propping up his head with his arms in front of the album.
Kel and Aubrey dropped their disagreement, saying in unison, "Okay." and sat down next to Sunny.

Abigail intruded upon their reminiscing and laid next to Sunny, propping up her head up by her tentacles and bopping her head from left to right, her hair-tentacles playfully waving as she waited in excitement to gaze upon the photos inside the photo album.

Elsewhere, following a dirt path through the forest filled with bristling beautiful trees, Mari and Hero stopped at a tall and sturdy tree providing shade from the overwhelming moonlight, and Mari sat against it, her back propped up against it, as she tried to relax, despite her apprehension and uncertainties.

She patted her belly, inviting Hero to lay upon her, which he graciously did, resting his head upon her as the two relaxed together, alone. She put her hand to his hair, gently brushing her fingers through it, and asked him, "Hero... how much do you remember?"

A strange question, and one that the pajama-clad man found troubling to answer.
Surprised, he asked Mari, "What does that mean, Mari?"

Realizing how silly of an inquiry that would be in a world like this, she shook her head, brushing aside such thoughts, "Sorry... that was a weird question."

She took a deep breath and asked him, more directly, "You aren't mad at Sunny, are you?" Truthfully, she was worried he'd blame her little brother for her demise- her memory of that fateful night blurred to her through time.

Flabbergasted, Hero blurted out, "W-What? Why would I be mad at Sunny-- he hasn't done anything wrong..." He tilted his head, "Has he?"

For some strange reason, Mari felt a sick feeling in her gut, as she felt the color fade from the landscape around her, shaking her head, as she didn't dare burden him with her guilt or that horrifying truth, telling him, "No, it's nothing... Sunny hasn't done anything wrong--" It was a lie, but one which fit this world of fabrications.
She sighed and admitted, "I've just been... stressed out lately."
Anxiety coursed through her, "Everything has been happening fast, too fast, and I... it's all so overwhelming." 

Hero, feeling a strange and sudden panic overcome him, "H-Hey, don't worry-- I'll take care of you, alright? If you ever need someone to help you-- I'll be there, Mari." Words a boy wishes he had said in another world, a world where he blamed himself for a death of an alleged intent brought on through a small boy's rage's machinations.

As Basil flipped through the pages of the book, Sunny couldn't help but smile at the memories he and his friends shared; Basil's birthday party, Kel's chaotic and laughable antics of covering himself in party hats, the brothers wrestling with one another, him and Basil reading together, their precious flower crowns, sunny days spent at a beach, and Sunny's birthday.

Although the gang enjoyed looking through the photos together, Basil couldn't help but notice something-- speaking up, he said, "G-Guys... I think some of my photos are missing! I know I filled up more pages than this."

Abigail agreed with his sentiments, although for selfish reasons, "Yeah! I'm not even in these photos-- where are the ones of Sunny and me?"

Kel said, "Geez, Basil-- are you sure you aren't just imagining things?" He smirked and then said, "I think there are things that aren't there all the time-- like when I thought I packed more Orange Juice than I did!"

Not missing a chance to contest Kel, Aubrey snapped back, "Basil isn't a dunce like you, Kel! Of course, he took more photos!"

Sunny sighed and then said, "Well... guess we'll have to go find them, right, Basil?"

Smiling at Sunny, Basil shut his eyes as he happily exclaimed, "Right... Sunny, it's always nice to know I can rely on you."

Sunny couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy over accepting this adventure, to feel as if he forgot something, feeling like he should be there for his best friend-- as if he's missing something, despite having just offered to help him find his missing photos.

A burden weighs heavy down upon him, and the reason eludes him-- ignorance is bliss, and through the journey ahead, he shall acquire knowledge.

Chapter Text

Her lie and his concern brought the darkness that threatened to erode the false positivity of this world away, to be seen another day, the terminal sickness within Sunny's mind content to bother them another day.

Mari tried to reassure Hero, whose body shook with unease coursing throughout his core, "Hero, you don't have to take care of me..."

Even freed of her earthly responsibilities, her personality remained the same, letting herself bear the burdens of others and refusing to let her associates return her favor, "That's my job, silly!"

She ruffled his hair, patting his head with her palm, even though it felt different than how she expected-- it was close enough to her Hero for her to not reject it out of hand as an imposter, at worst a fool's gold for the foolish sister whose inability to admit to her flaws became her downfall.

The rejection of his offer perplexed Hero, yet in many ways, he recognized it was typical of the group's older sister figure, the one who everyone could depend upon-- yet could count on no one.

It was a trait he never stopped admiring, her persistent and seemingly suicidal devotion to others despite herself, to care for others without any resentment to them, to blame herself for her failings-- he loved her for it.
He let himself come to ease beneath her overwhelming warmth, sniffling a bit, asking her for clarity, "Y-You're sure you'll be fine, Mari?" and turned his head to face hers, staring her down with his listless face.

Forcing a smile, she said with comforting words, "Of course, Hero." Her soul twitched in disgust as she told him, "I'm fine..." A lie. She wasn't even alive. She was dead, brought to a stop by her brother's miscalculated expression of pent up frustrations-- Mari shouldn't be here, she should be in heaven-- or maybe purgatory for what she had done to her baby brother, cementing her as a sinner, or perhaps this was her purgatory-- forced to travel around with farces of her friends, made to bring comfort to the inconsolable, the dreamer who brought her down to the ground, six feet under.

Uncomfortable from the serious subject matter and regretting having strayed so far from Sunny, she took a deep breath and followed her words of advice to calm down, blinking, and then told him, "Hero, we should go check on the others!"

Lightly protesting her sudden judgment call, he asked, "B-But Mari, didn't we just get here?" He didn't want this to end. He wanted to be with his Mari, to spend time with the girl on his terms. Hero was caring, yes-- but he had his selfish impulses, to see the girl that had fallen to her folly.

Easing his insecurities, she spoke, "Come on, Hero! We can always spend time together later, and I--" She didn't know why, she couldn't explain why, but held a strange inkling that Sunny needed her at the moment, and she wasn't going to fail him yet again. She brought her palms into fists and shook them, telling Hero with excitement and a touch of urgency, "I feel like Sunny needs us!"

Smiling, he told the intuitive and protective sister, "Well... you do always know best, Mari!" complimenting her for her alleged perfection as he got to his feet, leaving their shared embrace.

Mari got up after Hero left her comforting embrace, getting to her feet as she muttered to herself, "I hope Sunny didn't go wandering off without me..."
She spoke to herself, concerned, "Sunny can't function without me..."
A thought that rings true in a world without her, a world that lacked her light, a world that had been deprived of her light through the rise of her shadow.
The sun shined brighter when she was here, so perhaps that was why the moon shined so brightly upon her here in a land of dreams and imagination.

A short while after Sunny had taken the responsibility of his quest, Abigail couldn't help but fawn over him, grabbing his arm with her two arm-like tentacles and leaning into his shoulder, loudly proclaiming, "Aww, isn't the dreamer so brave!"
Seeing Sunny learn to stand on his feet when facing the perils of his mind, however uneasy, she said, "I am so proud!"

Sunny couldn't help but blush from the affection from his own mind, his cheeks relieved when her grip was loosened, and she withdrew from her embrace.

Kel contested Abigail, "Hey! How come you're always giving attention to Sunny but never to us!"
He flexed his left arm and then told her, "I'm cool too, see!"

Ever looking for an excuse to delegitimize the boy's egocentric antics, Aubrey plainly told him, "Not cool enough, Kel." cracking a sly smirk.

Before Abigail could get a word in for herself, Basil interjected in their banter, "Hey! Abbi cares for all of us-- she's... just a bit pre-occupied with Sunny. Sunny and Abbi have been friends before we were..."
He cracked a slight smile, "And I'm his best friend," turning to Sunny, he asked him, "Right, Sunny?"

Sunny couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy as Basil said that. A promise was a promise, and they'd be there for each other. Perhaps, in his own way, he was there for Basil, seeing this manifestation of the flower-crazed boy within the realm of dreams.

Nevertheless, he agreed, "Yeah... friends forever."

Abigail giggled, agreeing with Aubrey's sentiment, "I am not impressed. Kel, you always flex flex flex!"

Before the children could go further with their disputes, all eyes fell upon the adults arriving back from their private retreat and coming back to the park that they had checked out from a few moments prior, with a promise to return and an order to stay put-- an order they fell just short of breaking.

Alerted, Basil ran up to Mari and told her, "Hey, Mari. My photo album is missing a few photos..." Cutely, he tilted his head, inquiring, "could you help me and Sunny find them?"
Slightly nervous, he grabbed his left arm with his right hand and rubbed it. However, confident they could pull it off, "I don't think it should take us too long... maybe the afternoon."

Chapter Text

Mari answered Basil's plea with a somewhat uncertain, "Sure, Basil. I'll be glad to help you and Sunny look for it."; she knew he would rope Sunny into it, so it wasn't a matter of if Sunny agreed, but if Basil wanted it done, and indeed he wanted to see his photo album complete, no matter the consequences that would befall the land from such an eldritch force's repressed memories coming to the forefront of the dreamer's mind.

Sunny turned his back to his friends and aimlessly walked forward towards a clearing, like mere automation through the lands stitched together by his hyperactive mind, not speaking a word as he single-mindedly pursued his quest.
His mind's semi-conscious self ran wild with the situation presented to himself, feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility thrust upon him, just as he had within his life in a town called Faraway, that now fittingly felt oh-so far away from his current priorities as he drowned within his mind's landscape that was headspace.

Abigail yelled out, "Hey, Sunny! Wait for me~-" sprinting after the runaway dreamer, not wanting to see him swallowed whole by his insecurities, she was so proud of him for being able to stand up without the need for help only moments ago, and yet-- she felt like he might stumble and fall into the abyss that comprised this world's foundation, he needed guidance, and should all else failed, she would provide it for the creator she was forever indebted too.

Kel awkwardly said, "Uhh, I guess we'll look too..." He glanced at Aubrey and then Hero, telling them, "Right, guys?"
Hero high-fived his younger brother and told the lad, "Alright, Kel... we can search-- but not as fast as Sunny... we should take our time with these things."
Sharing Hero's sentiment, Aubrey spoke up, "Yeah! Let's just relax, Kel. And if we happen to find anything-- we'll give it back to Basil." She shamelessly laughed and said, "Besides, I'm sure Sunny can find them!"

Basil chased after Sunny, yelling out, "Sunny-- wait up! It's not that urgent..."
While Mari struggled with her bad knee, the cost of her failing to care for herself still haunted her, forcing her to endure pain as she struggled to keep up with her younger brother. She despised these blemishes, which only served to backfire onto her as she fell face-first onto the ground, although the soft grass of Sunny's imagined park beats any hard floors with sharp broken impaling violin shards any day.

Mari screamed in pain from the shock of her knee giving out, causing Sunny to turn around to see the sight of his injured sister, his heart filled with familiar guilt, and this voice spoke with an inflection mirroring his own in the back of his mind telling him that it was all his fault, all his fault that she was injured, all his fault that--

Interrupting the noise that protruded into his mind was Abigail accidentally running into him, causing him to fall onto the ground just as Mari did, with the octopus girl pressed atop him, who quickly apologized profusely, "I am sorry, dreamer! I-I didn't mean to hurt you--"

He interrupted her apologies, telling her, "I'm fine, Abbi." Truthfully, he enjoyed the sensation of her tentacles wrapped around him, it was comforting in a way, and it helped snap him out of those intrusive thoughts stemming from his mistakes.

Basil turned around to help Mari, holding out a hand for the girl who had fallen on her feet, her hubris and dedication proving to be her literal downfall when her face met the dirty ground, and he told her, "Mari, you don't have to push yourself like that..."
Forcing a smile for his friend, he told her, "Let me help you."

Growing to trust her new - although, in some respects old - friend, she grabbed his hand and got to her feet, steadying herself, and looked over at the sight of Abigail fallen atop Sunny, and spoke to her no doubt concerned little brother, lying once again, "It's okay, Sunny! I'm fine." She forced herself to walk, despite the pain that had yet to subside in her overworked knee, moving to her brother, and looking down at him as she asked him, "See?"

Basil, the voice of reason, followed after Mari and told the three, "We should take things more carefully... running face-first into danger is never a good idea."

Abigail gave an audible, "Mhmm..." agreeing with Basil's sentiment as she got up and off of Sunny, stretching her arm-like tentacles in the air after that incident and trying to achieve comfort within a realm built off discomfort, a futile task. Yet, like a mouse on a wheel chasing cheese, the dreamer's beloved construct would never stop trying to achieve bliss within his troubled mind, not minding the cost of such futility.

Sunny's friends offered him a hand, Mari, Basil, and Abigail.
He accepted his dearest sister and best friend's hold, as Abigail compensated by pushing him upwards with her tentacles, helping in her carefree way, cheering Sunny on as he rose to the surface, just as she hoped to help him achieve some peace within these realms or the other, the one that led to her creation, the one her dreamer had formerly spent most of his time inside before retreating into this headspace.

Now properly standing, Sunny spoke, "I'm... sorry, Mari-- I'll go slow, and... let's not run."
Sunny didn't like running, it required energy, and yet this realm was constantly running, running away from the truth that haunted his darkened mind, a light bulb represented an idea, and so many of his were pitch black after that fateful day, despite his attempts to salvage the positive aspects of his imagination.

Mari took deep breathes, resting her hands on her knees as she leaned forward, collecting herself after the physical exertion.

Abigail turned her eyes towards the elder sister and asked her, "Mari? Are you okay?"

She answered the girl, "I'm... I'm fine." A lie, yet a serviceable one, they would not worry over her, she was the older one, and she wouldn't let them baby her-- not when that was her job for all of them.

Chapter Text

The four set forth, now walking at a far more manageable pace throughout the great plains built by the dreamer's sleeping mind, traversing across a grass-covered path, his friends strung along his strings as his unconscious mind conducted this play.

Casually, Basil whistled to himself, only to be interrupted by Abigail, "I am curious... Basil, where do you think the photos could go?"

Answering her question, the floral boy spoke, "Huh? It's strange, I-- I don't remember. It's hard to remember a lot of things."
His mind filled with black, his internal knowledge blocked off, something seeping into his mind, preventing him from knowing the fate that befell his photos, the one the dreamer chose not to remember, the ones he would rather forget ever occurred.

Prompted by the others' inquiry, Mari interjected and decided to ask her beloved little brother, "Sunny, where are you taking us?"

Surprised by her answer, he blurted out, a tad nervous, "Umm... I don't know?"
When he had run mere moments prior, he felt adrenaline filling him, propelling him to start a grand quest, and yet-- he didn't have any idea what his objective was, finding photos was an ambiguous, challenging, and vague goal-- especially when no one knows if they were merely misplaced or stolen.

Abigail, "Well, Dreamer! We could always go to my library-- there's a bunch of important stories and books there!" She smiled, glad she could feel useful. If there were discarded photos, it would make sense for them to wind up within Abigail's collection.

Mari, surprised that she had a library, raised an eyebrow, though played it off-- she wasn't going to act like a foreigner around her friends, though changed or new, she needed a sense of normalcy after the day that forever shook her life, this world provided comfort, in a way.

As they trekked through the forests together, a strange sight interrupted them on their adventure, halting their tracks.

Abigail's keen eye was the first to point it out, observing them before they could strike the adventuring quartet, jumping from the ground and yelling out, "Watch out, friends! There are some sprout moles ahead!"

Basil cowered behind her, ducking and holding his arms over his head.

Mari could only express confusion, barely able to recollect what a sprout mole was, and after about half a second of prodding at her memories, she exclaimed, "Those video game characters?" in disbelief, she recalled that Sunny owned a harmless plush of those things, and he would occasionally make them do battle with his other figures and toys.

Sunny took the initiative, thrust into a fight-or-flight situation as the sprout moles stampeded towards them, he grabbed his arms and pushed the first of the sprout moles to the ground, and it fell hard, its injured body ran over by its lost friends as in their daze they stomped the life out of their companion, running through Sunny, Abigail, Basil, and Mari, knocking them to the sides.

Mari couldn't help but feel unease as she was knocked out of the way by those fast, speedy, and fantastical creatures. She wondered if that was what Sunny's poor plushies had felt, feeling more like she was engaged in a game of pretending rather than living a fulfilling life, she decided to not appear weak or foolish to her companions, even if it cost her dearly, and resorted to grabbing the jump rope conveniently on the ground and whipping it at the creatures that threatened her and her precious Sunny, lashing at the Sprout Moles that threatened them.

To her surprise, she noticed Abigail lashing at the horde as well, and the two soon joined forces, working in tandem with the octopus girl contributing her strength, acting in rhythm to bring the pain to their adversaries, their lashes smacking the sprout moles away and warding the few that dared fight on away.

Basil, meanwhile, kicked a sprout mole away from his foot and then cheered Sunny on, raising his hand as he loudly proclaimed, "I believe in us, Sunny! If we work together..." He shuddered in his fear, "even the sprout moles can't hurt us!" raising the dreamer's spirit; Sunny couldn't help but turn to Basil and give him a smile in return, feeling his energy return to him as he glared at a sole sprout mole on the ground coming for him, and he punched it hard, beating it into the ground until it was nothing.

When the dust cleared, all that remained was the four and the corpses of about seven sprout moles.

Mari fell to the ground, collapsing to sit and catch her breathe following the surreal experience, and conveniently, Abigail followed suit, their backs supporting each other as they relaxed.
Mari caught her breath. Although within this realm, she felt as if she did not need to. It was a force of habit she acquired while exerting herself and one she often indulged in after her perfect psyche pushed her body too far.

Abigail wrapped a tentacle around Mari's hand, praising her, "You... did well, Mari... I see why dreamer looks so fondly upon you."

That word again, dreamer-- She noticed that Abigail had frequently referred to Sunny as that, and it would explain the surreal situation she found herself in, forced to fend for herself with only a jump rope as a whip against video game fodder enemies and if she was within Sunny's dreams, that explained everything. A reflection of reality.
She thought if this was how Sunny saw the world, his friends, his memories. Mari knew Sunny was a bright child, and yet, his ability to capture his friends' personalities and create such interesting characters was a surprise to her. Taking it in, she remained silent.

Basil approached Mari, leaning down next to her, and asked her, "Mari, are you alright?" Earning Sunny's attention as he quickly walked towards the exhausted girl, to which she said, "Um..." She didn't want to admit herself to be a failure, someone to be exhausted from only one battle, and yet-- she knew it would be foolish to continue on an empty stomach.

If this was a dream, then that meant it operated off a dream's logic, correct?
Mari used this to her advantage and told the rest, "I'll host a picnic so we can reward ourselves for defeating those sprout moles!"

Raising her voice, Abigail agreed and clapped her tentacles together, telling the rest, "I am hungry too!" and Basil couldn't help but agree, "it's a little while until we'll reach the library, so..." He smiled, and then said, "A snack can't hurt."

Sunny smiled at his sister's suggestion. It was enough to make him bury the unease he felt at her being in such a precarious situation, and yet a part of him felt like he would never be comfortable seeing Mari in harm's way.

Reaching into her shirt's pencil pocket, she pulled out a large picnic sheet and stood up, spreading it onto the ground, from where a big make-shift picnic appeared for the four to use, and Mari approached the empty plate, her mind cherishing her memories of baking for her five friends as she waved her hand above them, summoning forth cookies atop the plate just like magic, she constructed something to serve them.

Sitting cross-tentacled on the picnic basket, Abigail spoke with excitement, "Yay! Cookies! Mari's cookies must be amazing if the dreamer thinks so!"

Basil sat next to Mari, silently waiting for Sunny to join him before taking a bite, patiently waiting for his best friend to delight with the meal.

Sunny walked over to sit down, and before Mari could even place the plate between the four, Sunny rapidly grabbed one of Mari's cookies; it had been so long since he had last savored their flavor, and he needed to know if they tasted as great as his mind remembered, and when he felt his tongue clash against their yummy texture, he knew he didn't forget a single aspect of their sweet, delicious, and enchanting flavor.

Mari brought her hand to her mouth, giggling into it and teasing her little brother, "Aww! Someone's excited to see my cooking!" She tilted her head, asking him, "Did you like them, Sunny?"

Munching into them, spreading crumbs onto his mouth, Sunny let out an audible, "Mhmm..."

Tending to her creator, Abigail used her tentacles to wipe away the crumbs and reminded the dreamer, "Sunny! Be patient when eating-- remember your manners."

Timidly, Basil grabbed a cookie and bit into it, swallowing one small bite at a time, and then after he finished, he looked to Mari, telling her, "Wow, Mari... These are great. You should cook for us all the time!" It was the first time he had had her cooking, not one of another's false hazy memories forced into him, but a somewhat genuine experience and the contrast was stark.

Joking back to Basil, "Aww... but if I was a chef, then what would Hero be?" justifying her lack of full-time cooking by making fun of the cute and handsome chef, who she couldn't resist teasing for his exemplary culinary skills and alluring appearance.

Rubbing the back of his head and leaning back, Basil replied, "Umm.. maybe he could be a doctor?"

Mari laughed at that suggestion, telling Basil, "Please, Basil! Hero gets scared of spiders-- he couldn't handle blood and guts..."

She could only imagine the horrors her beloved had suffered within the world above, seeing her corpse-- if he even saw it with his own two eyes. She hoped he was wise enough to not glance upon her lifeless body, in that wretched moment or within a coffin and prepared with embalming fluids.

Strangely, being 'alive' only made the pain of dying stronger for a Mari who accepted that she would likely never see his endearing smile again with her own two eyes, forced to settle for spending time with an imitation made to keep her brother sane.

Trying to get back into the headspace of headspace, she glanced down at her plate and grabbed a cookie, munching into it, only to find her energy suddenly returning to her and leaving her refreshed. She felt like new, better than ever-- except for her knee, which was never going to get better.

Abigail nervously prodded a cookie with her tentacle, causing Mari to tilt her head in surprise, asking her, "Are you going to eat too, Abbi?"

Her tentacle shook in its wavy fashion as she spoke, "I am... nervous." feeling nervous over trying new foods, especially ones the dreamer had idealized so much-- what if they weren't as good as she imagined, what if they were as good as Abbi thought and that shocked her and made her obsess over them when she should have her focus on entertaining her distraught dreamer.

Trying to comfort Abigail, Basil spoke up first, "Aww, Abbi... I get nervous all the time, but you have to eat your food! If you don't-- you'll end up frail, like a violet without water-- all wilted over."

Agreeing with Basil's sentiment, Mari spoke up and said, "Basil's right, Abbi! And it helped me feel better after that fight to have a full stomach."

Finishing munching on his cookie, Sunny turned to Abigail and grabbed her tentacle, glancing at her eyes warmly with his own, and comforted her, "Food is important-- you should eat." He bit his lip and then said, "It'll be... okay."

Closing her eyes, Abigail forced herself to try Mari's cooking, grabbing one with her tentacle and then flinging it into the air, catching it with her mouth and chewing on it, only to be overwhelmed with its flavor and find her cooking delectable-- better than the dreamer had even implied it tasted.
She opened her eyes, her pupils wide as she looked down at the plate full of cookies and mercilessly grabbed them like crazy, violating her former lecture to Sunny like a hypocrite as she shoved her mouth with Mari's cookies, chewing on them all like a wild animal, earning a collective chuckle from the rest of her companions who thought it to be starkly ironic.

Chapter Text

After Abigail finished stuffing her face with cookies, she apologized to the rest of her friends for her sudden outburst, stuttering in embarrassment as a blush covered her face, "I-I am sorry... t-the food was too... good."

With a comforting smile, Basil turned to glance through her vulnerable eyes and softly spoke, "It's alright, Abbi. Mari must be glad you like her cooking that much-- and if we need more, I'm sure Mari wouldn't mind making some for us!"

Shifting his attention towards Mari, he gave her an innocent gaze, and his words beckoned her to agree with his conclusion, "Right?" to which the so-called perfect girl could not deny, gulping down her anxiety to not mess this up, with a motherly voice she spoke, "Of course, Abbi! You can have as many cookies as you want--" a phrase sprang to her mind as she was unsure how to continue her speech with elegance, "all it costs is your love!" It came naturally, fitting her like an old glove, something she would no doubt get used to-- perhaps this world only cost their love, too.
In that case, she'd give as much as she could if it meant her brother would smile for her, Mari always wished he would smile more, and now, she can give that to him, without the stress of her foolish recital looming over him, this was a home for them.
She enjoyed it almost as much as he did.

Abigail smiled and said, "I am grateful, Mari- it's good to know you'll always be there for me... even I'm a bit of a hassle, haha!" taking a bit of a jab at herself, relieved from Basil's words and Mari's reassurances, yet still a tad self-conscious over her indulgences.

Observing his friends' playful interactions brought relief, but he wasn't going to forsake responsibility-- even if it meant interrupting the moment.
Sunny spoke, reminding his friends, "Shouldn't we... go look for Basil's photo album."

Basil brought his hand behind his back, rubbing his neck as he commented, "Sunny, I almost forgot-- thanks for reminding us..."

Praising Sunny, Abigail said, "It's always nice to have someone like Sunny as a friend..." She paused, recounting how Basil had helped her calm down a moment prior and gave him credit where credit was due, "and you too, Basil!"

Playfully, Abigail brought her tentacle to his face, tickling him, causing him to fall back in laughter, earning a smirk from Sunny, amused by their antics together and a giggle from Mari, entertained by the kids playing together-- it reminded her so much of when they'd go on picnics together, the bliss of the breeze flowing over her as she and her friends delighted in childish glee. What a fool she was, this was the life, and she failed to realize it when it mattered most.

After a moment, the four stood up, collecting themselves as Mari folded up the picnic sheet to return to her pocket, preserving it for later, as they traversed into the abyss of Pyrefly forest interior, a mist encompassing them as they traveled through its interior.

Startled by the possibility of encountering a bug within the forest, Sunny shook as he walked.
Mari glanced down at him and grabbed him by his hand, telling him, "Breath, Sunny, and everything will be alright-- don't worry about the little things, just focus, and... everything will be fine, alright?" hoping to reassure him, as she had in the past when he found himself confronted with terror and similar circumstances. Yet, despite that, her attempts had minimal effect on the terrified Sunny, who nonetheless carried on anyway.
Biting her lip, she concluded that she was a horrible sister and couldn't hold back a frown from encompassing her lips.

Meanwhile, Basil had just the words to calm Sunny down, sensing his fear over the forest, "Oh, Sunny... there's no reason to be afraid, most insects are more scared of you than you are of them, and they play a vital role in the ecosystem. They won't hurt you unless you scare them, Sunny." Alas, in this world, the only role they held within his ecosystem was to bring him anguish and torment, taunt him with his fears, and cover up a buried truth, serving as obstacles in the way to his destination.

Abigail resorted to a more direct approach to calming Sunny down; she propelled herself in front of the others, leaping with the force of her tentacles and saying, "Hey! Spiders aren't the only eight-appendaged things around here, Sunny!" 

The sudden act caused the others to stop in their tracks as Abigail continued, "I am a protector, Sunny. If any of them try to hurt you, I"ll protect you!" She gave him a warm and wide comforting smile, cheering him up with her words.

Sunny, overcoming his fears of venturing further, broke out of his near-unresponsive debilitating trance, telling the rest, "... thanks, it means... a lot to me that you guys are here for me."
Unlike those in the world above, his so-called friends left him to rot in this trance-like realm. After such a terrible event, they didn't even make the bare minimum of an effort to hang out with him and drag him out of his self-imposed isolation.

Kel gave him insensitive voice mails trying to ignore the elephant in the room with fruitless offers to spend a day at the park with some orange juice that he got them, Aubrey went radio silent to engage with self-indulgent anger over her abandonment, and Basil waited for a response within his room, while Hero's grief had consumed him, debilitating him beyond Sunny's young comprehension.

Mari, grabbing Sunny's hand tighter, softly spoke, "I'll always be by your side, little brother... no matter what happens." Even in death, she had not broken that promise, watching over him and helping guide him through the labyrinth his mind has constructed.

Basil chimed in and turned to face Sunny, grabbing his free hand and said, "I'll be here too, Sunny! After all, we're best friends!"

Abigail silently pulled them into a group hug, wrapping the rest in her grasp as she said, "We all care for you, dreamer!" Giving him an infectiously adorable smile.