Work Text:
Fantoccio just sits there pouting with his arms folded. How mortifying, winding up falling asleep, and getting trapped behind a magical barrier. He stews in his frustration with an embarrassed scowl on his face, ignoring all temptation and provocation out of spite. Billie and Aristotle shake their heads, finding that he's being quite immature about this. Billie decides to pay him no mind. Aristotle finds himself significantly more invested in another anomaly. It just disappeared. The tracking device that had recently picked up on yet another gem had apparently stopped working.
The signal had been lost, meaning either the gem had been moved out of range, something he deemed impossible, or worse, it had been destroyed. He doesn't even consider the other possibility. No. Certainly, a piece of his equipment had become faulty. Aristotle seeks to remedy this. He explains his diagnosis to Billie.
"I'm heading out to town to the junkyard for some salvage electronics and magical components. Something's wrong with my tracker. One moment, I had a deadlock on this one gem located at a hotel resort, the next, it's just poof! Gone."
Billie retorts.
"Ooh, fancy. I could use a vacation."
Aristotle shoots her a cynical eye.
"Not that fancy. This is purely a business visit. Besides, the signal just disappeared. I have no idea what happened, but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."
Aristotle ponders before heading toward the door. Fanto, pretending not to be alert, has been listening to the whole thing. He wonders if the mysterious stranger had anything to do with the disappearance of the gem. With nothing to do, he has grown bored, and anything even remotely stimulating to the senses attracts his attention. Aristotle offers a final warning.
"Whatever you do, he is not to come out of that force field. Understood? It's for both of your safety. I don't wanna come back and find this place trashed. So behave yourselves, both of you."
Fantoccio blows Aristotle a raspberry. Aristotle recoils, responding with a scoff before heading out the door.
"Real mature."
Billie approaches Fantoccio with a long scowl and begins to argue with him.
"What's your beef, dude?!"
Fantoccio gestures to himself defensively with widened yellow eyes, in shock that she'd even ask such an asinine question.
"My beef? You promised to set me free, and instead, here I am stuck behind another force field! You call this freedom?!"
She presses her face against the field.
"First off, yes, I promised to come back to free you, and I would have as soon as I figured out how. But now I don't even have to because you're here anyway. I don't even know how you're here, but you are, and I know you're not here with good intentions. Why are you here anyway?"
He scowls at her through his brow line as he responds. He turns his non-existent nose up at her.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out when you let me out."
Billie folds her arms in rebellion against Fanto's rebellion, a counter-rebellion followed by a counter-response.
"Well then, just so you know, being secretive and suspicious isn't the way to earn our trust. The only way we're gonna let you out is if we know you won't try to deceive us."
She looks around suspiciously just to make sure Aristotle is really gone.
"Well, I got the house to myself, and all I gotta do is babysit some wooden twerp. Piece of cake. Ooh! I know! I wonder if Lewis and Lily wanna come over!"
She runs to the phone to call them. She sits, waiting patiently as the dial tone rings.
"You're bringing those two over, too? Great! Three annoying brats!"
Fanto eavesdrops on them. Billie turns to him from the phone, covering it with her hoof so she doesn't yell into it. She returns her attention to Lily as she answers the phone, resuming a chipper and upbeat attitude.
"Oh, shush, you!… Oh! Hey Lil, it's Billie, I got the house all to myself… Yeah, Aristotle went out and he ain't gonna be back for a minute… Yeah. We can chill and do all sorts of cool stuff. Grab Lewis…Ten minutes? K… Love ya! Bye!"
She hangs up, performing a cheerful fist pump. She runs over to Fantoccio to tell him about the fun stuff they like to do. Her eyes are filled with enthusiasm, but all Fanto can see is a gloating goat rubbing the freedom she has to engage in her childish antics in his face.
"Yes! We're gonna do all sorts of fun stuff. We can watch garbage that'll rot our brains, eat food that'll rot our teeth, and do all sorts of things we couldn't do with Aristotle around."
Fanto just raises his brow.
"And you're telling me this stuff… why?"
Billie rises from her slouch to address him with some degree of authority.
"Well, short stuff, if you're a good boy, maybe I'll let you join in on the fun."
Uh-oh, Oscar heard the magic words. He comes bolting up to Billie, wagging his tail. She laughs.
"I wasn't calling you, Oscar, but it's true. You're a good boy."
Billie gives Oscar his requested pets and scratches. She laughs as he licks her face, and she returns head kisses of affection. Fantoccio is sickened by her sweetness. Billie turns to Fanto, staring into his force field with wide and excited eyes.
"You wanna see him do a trick?!"
Fanto answers with a dry and cynical tone.
"No."
Billie insists on showing him anyway, just to spite him, so she runs outside, grabs the first stick she can find, and runs back into the house. She's gone for all of ten seconds while Fanto sits there thoroughly confused. She returns, grabbing Oscar's attention and throwing the stick in the house into the next room.
"Okay, Oscar! Go on! Get the stick! Go, boy! Go get that stick!"
The fox, feeling lazy, rolls onto his back on the floor. Billie stares down at him with a deadpan look on her face.
"… Or just flop down. That's cool too."
Fantoccio tries not to give the girl the time of day. He intends to ignore her and be a hard egg to crack. Unfortunately for him, Fantoccio finds himself quite the sucker for ironic humor. He snickers a quick snort at Billie's vain attempt at showing off, and she catches it. She knows he's laughing at her, but realizes that gaining his attention is the first step toward taking down his willpower. She smiles cheekily as she approaches him.
"Was that a smile I just saw?"
His face goes red. He folds his arms, looking away, feigning investment.
"No… I was laughing at you… because your dog isn't anywhere near as well-trained as my Sharkspeare."
Billie lies down on her stomach, smiling at Fantoccio and staring at him with utmost curiosity. She kicks her hooves back and forth as she expresses interest in his pet.
"Why don't you tell me a little bit about Sharkspeare, then? Maybe I could learn how to train this 'dog' better."
Fantoccio shakes his head. He isn't stupid. He knows what she's trying to do.
"I know what this is about. You're trying to butter me up so I'll spill the beans. Well, it's not happening!"
She begs, staring at him with big eyes. The cute beg was not a tactic he had anticipated.
"Please?! Your shark sounds so cool! I'd like for Oscar to be that cool, too, but I need your help."
He said it wasn't going to work, but Fantoccio, for what it's worth, absorbs her kind words for his precious pet. His disposition softens slightly.
"You… you think Sharkspeare is cool?"
She nods without a hint of insincerity. He's skeptical. She continues.
"I didn't even know you could train a shark, let alone a robot one. It must have taken a lot of time, patience, and love."
He sways at her dismissively, trying to remain modest and not allow his actor's ego to surface.
"Nah. It's just raw skill."
She chuckles. He can't tell if she's playing with him or not.
"You're funny."
Billie props herself on her elbows on the floor as she continues to stare a hole into Fantoccio, persevering with interest while trying to come off as endearing rather than creepy. Looking away to the side, she wants to try something and figures promoting a sense of honesty may be the key to getting to him.
"Hey, look. It stinks that you were stuck in a theater for fifteen long years. That's practically my entire life. I can't imagine how hard that was for you."
She sits up, placing herself at eye level with him.
"You don't seem like a bad person. Neither are we. The whole reason we're trying to collect all these gems is that they used to belong to my dad. When he died, they were all taken and scattered across the world. Collecting them all just might be the first step in finding out what happened to him. I miss my dad a lot. I wish I could see him again."
Her voice goes quiet. He stares at her while she faces away in silence. He speaks softly.
"I'm sorry about your dad… I bet he was a lot nicer than my dad. Although that isn't that difficult when your dad created you by accident… never acknowledged you… blamed you for ruining his life… and then tried to kill you… I wish I had a dad who loved me."
Billie looks into his eyes with the expression of a sad puppy.
"That's rough. Even if I didn't have him in my life for very long, I remember my dad being very kind to me."
At that very moment, Lewis and Lily barge into the front door.
"The fun has arrived!"
Lewis says boisterously, holding his Goats and Goblins box into the air. Lily follows close behind.
"I b-brought snacks!"
She says as enthusiastically as her shy, soft voice will allow her to. Billie rises with a cheer, her disposition changes so quickly that she nearly gets mood whiplash.
"Junk food!"
Lewis and Lily spot the curious center of attention right before Billie behind the semi-transparent force field. They gasp audibly in unison.
"Fantoccio!"
Lewis runs up to her.
"What's he doing here?!"
Lily folds her arms, expressing disapproval as well.
"H-how did he get here? We watched him get crushed by stage lights."
Billie raises her hands, trying to ease the tension and calm her friends down.
"Easy, guys. Long story short, we found him outside, asleep. We brought him in and placed him into a force field for everyone's protection. And I told him, if he's on his best behavior, I'd let him out for some fun."
Lewis is not at all pleased.
"Billie, this nutcase trapped us in a theater for an entire day and forced us to write a play with Barnaby, and you're willing to give him early parole for good behavior?"
Fantoccio feels that jab and is thus inclined to respond.
"You call that mess of farcical acting a play?! Was that supposed to be a satire? Cause watching you assault the art of theater like that was a greater tragedy than Titus Andronicus!"
Lily is mad. She approaches Fantoccio, ready to deliver him a piece of her mind. She's feeling rather fierce today after reading one of the self-esteem books Lewis gifted to her. She approaches him, pointing at the empty space in the middle of his face. He goes cross-eyed, looking at her finger.
"Hey! We worked very hard on that play, mister! Apologize!"
He recoils, not expecting her reaction.
"Jeez. I'm sorry!…"
He gestures at her with his thumb, casting his attention at Lewis.
"What's gotten into her?"
Lewis leans in.
"I've been teaching Lil how to speak up for herself."
He approaches Lily, throwing his arm over her shoulder.
"And you're doing a wonderful job. Keep it up, queen!"
He sways at him bashfully, her cheeks growing red with modesty.
"Oh, stop it, Lewis. You spoil me."
Fantoccio rolls his eyes.
"You two are gonna make me throw up."
Billie's had it with the bickering.
"That's enough! Come on, you two. Let's show him how to have fun!"
They approach the counter, wondering what they should make to eat for themselves since Aristotle isn't around to play chef in the kitchen and cook up something yummy. Billie can barely make toast without burning the heck out of it, so she sticks to easy things. Pilfering the cabinets and the fridge, she comes up with two delicious conclusions.
"Should we have cereal or ice cream?"
Lewis responds.
"Ice cream!"
Lily makes her statement simultaneously.
"Cereal!"
The two argue back and forth.
"Ice cream!—Cereal!—Ice cream!—Cereal!"
Billie darts her head between them with a dumb expression on her face as Fantoccio covers his non-existent ears, grimacing at the annoyance of their shrill voices. Billie has a moment of pure enlightenment.
"Guys!"
She pours cereal into an empty bowl, different kids, mixing them all in, then slaps a big glob of Neapolitan ice cream on top.
"Ice cream and cereal!"
Lewis and Lily look at each other with an expression of wide-eyed wonder, then at her, marveling at her genius. Lewis remarks, crediting her with her discovery.
"See? This is why you're the de facto leader."
Billie giggles like a moron as she mixes the sugary-sweet saccharine concoction. Up next, some strawberry jam, cause why not? Lily climbs onto the cabinets and starts sifting through the food in there for other sweet things as Lewis raids the fridge. Fantoccio beholds it all as the three little gremlins make a massive mess in the kitchen. They gather their findings at the table.
"Okay, Lil, what ya got?"
Billie says enthusiastically to Lily with a smile. She dumps some leftover cookies onto the table.
"They're only oatmeal cookies, but it's the best we've got."
Billie shrugs with a smile.
"They'll have to do, I guess."
She slaps them in there.
"And you, Lewis?"
Lewis makes a farty noise with his tongue as he playfully shoves a single powdered donut into the mix. They behold the revoltingly sweet bowl of diabetic joy before them.
"Guys? We created a real monster. Now let's throw on something violent on TV and dig in!"
The three goats laugh hysterically as they pile into a single large recliner and flip through various channels. Billie leans on her fist as she peruses, bored.
"News? Boring. Home-shopping network? Not nearly old enough to enjoy. The Spanish network? Too melodramatic. Ooh! Here we go!"
The television flashes brightly as a woman screams, followed by a deep-voiced narrator.
"Now back to 'Murdergasm At Killcano!'"
Billie stares at the excessive violence with an awestruck smile of wonder, Lewis intricately dissects the various holes in the plot and effects like the critic he is, and Lily just reacts in disgust and horror. She throws her arms around him in comfort. Lewis turns to her.
"Don't worry, Lil, that gore is all food dye and rubber. Special effects are really cool when you see how they're made."
Lily cringes.
"T-that spleen looks so real."
Fantoccio contributes, having to listen to the utter nonsense. Still, he feels a slight hint of nostalgia creep up on him.
"Ah, yes, Murdergasm at Killcano. My favorite scene is when Axel Bonesaw cleaves the villain demonoid lawyer/executive Donovan Cross's head clean off!"
Billie scoffs, spitting pieces of donut and iced cream across the room with zero class as she speaks.
"Augh! Spoilers!"
Fantoccio faces away in shame.
"Sorry… It's just… it was one of Langdon's favorite movies."
She swallows her grotesquely sweet dessert and walks over to Fantoccio as the others remain on the couch. She kneels before him, giving him attention once again.
"Who's Langdon? Was that your dad?"
Fantoccio pauses in thought for a second.
"Not really, I mean, kinda. He's not my creator, but one of the closest people I've had to a dad in my entire life. He was there when I was made."
She sits on the floor Indian style, more invested in him than the silly movie that has so far engrossed Lewis but is starting to bore Lily now that she's starting to become desensitized to the stupidity of the story in combination with the blunt crassness of the effects. She turns her attention to Billie and sits by her on the floor.
"Langdon was an actor. He basically raised me. I wasn't born, but made by a spell, an accidental spell by a pig named Dario Pelicula. It was never his intention to bring me to life. He was just trying to shirk his duties. The spell that brought me to life was originally intended for a mere broom."
Lewis, having realized Lily is gone, strolls over and sits on the floor with the other two before Fantoccio. Billie feels inclined to respond.
"You know, sometimes accidents can result in the most wonderful things. Take this dessert, for example…"
She holds the bowl of iced cream cereal before Fantoccio, the powdered donut sticking out like a crowned halo over the cold dairy product.
"… The three of us discovered this dessert by complete accident, but it's super yummy and it makes us happy. You know what I call an accident with a happy ending?"
Fantoccio leans his head forward with a raised brow.
"Iced Cream Cereal?"
Billie responds.
"Yes!… I mean… no. I call it a miracle."
She smiles at him compassionately, and he stares at her sadly. Lily injects her own opinion.
"You know, in the beginning, he said all he wanted was someone to play with."
Lewis rises and turns off the TV. He returns, continuing where Lily left off.
"Maybe we all kinda overreacted that day. Maybe if we all agree we were in the wrong, we could start all over again."
Fantoccio is intrigued. He begs for elaboration.
"Are you suggesting we forget about what happened at the theater and behave as if we're meeting for the first time again?"
Lewis shrugs.
"Maybe."
Fanto places himself in thought. He wants out, but he realizes it's a pretty big risk to try to retaliate. He also realizes that being free also proposes the opportunity to gather intel, perhaps retrieve his gem, and leave… but part of him, that lost child inside, desperately craves to play with someone once again. He yearns for companionship.
"I'd like that… but your mentor probably wouldn't."
Billie rises, placing her hooves at her hips in contemplation. He makes a good point, but then she raises another even better point.
"Well, you'll just have to prove that you can be trusted.”
Billie runs upstairs and into Aristotle's bedroom. He was never very good at hiding things. She reaches into his end table drawer and pulls out a spell book, shutting it and running downstairs. She flips open the book to look for a passage to release Fantoccio. As she opens the book, a small Polaroid photo being used as a bookmark flutters its way onto the floor and under Fantoccio's barrier.
"Huh?"
Curiously, he looks at the photo. He gasps.
"Billie?"
She insists on finding the passage. She dismisses him.
"Hold on. I'm looking for the right spell. This could take a moment."
He perseveres.
"I just wanna know who this is in this photo."
She walks over to him. Lewis and Lily have been setting up a game of Goats and Goblins in the background, and now he's gotten their attention as well. Billie rolls her eyes, strolling over to Fantoccio and seeing what's the matter.
"What photo?"
He turns the picture to her, and her eyes fill with awe.
"Where did you get this?!"
She tries to snatch the picture, only for the barrier to deflect her.
"Who is it?"
He asks. Billie becomes anxious. She chokes on her words.
"… That's my dad."
Now, Fantoccio is in shock.
"Billie… I've seen this man before."
She leans against the barrier, desperate.
"What?! Where?!"
He draws the picture to his chest in protest, using it as leverage.
"Not so fast! Get me outta here, and the photo's all yours, and I'll tell ya all about it."
She runs over to the book, flipping through the whole thing, slapping her finger down, and pointing at the passage when she finally gets to it.
"Okay, here goes. Liberacio Bestia!"
The dome over Fantoccio cracks, falling to the floor like eggshells and dissolving. He is free. The goats stand at the ready, anticipating retaliation. Fantoccio rises, stretching his body from being forced to sit for so long. He grunts as he bends in all different directions.
"Geez! Your mentor could have given me more room to move. I'm stiffer than a board!"
Billie cuts to the chase. She's serious.
"Alright, Fanto, let us see the picture."
He flicks it toward her.
"Let me tell ya something, the guy I met would never assume a feral position and start eating grass like that."
Billie looks at the picture. It's ridiculous. Arthur, standing hunched over on all fours, grazes on the grass. It sticks out of his mouth in the front as his cheeks puff outward, and he has a cock-eyed, vacant expression on his face. This is most certainly not how Billie remembered her father, and it's most definitely not how Fantoccio remembered him. They wonder why Aristotle had it in the first place. Billie shakes her head.
"I… have no words for this."
Fantoccio's expression becomes dire.
"He looked… different when I saw him. First off, he didn't have glasses like he does here. Second, he was a lot more dignified, even angry, I'd say."
Billie's heart races.
"Did he… did he have these… piercing red eyes and this emotionless look on his face like there was no empathy behind them?"
Fantoccio backs away.
"How did you know?"
Billie stares blankly at the wall before her. Lewis and Lily try to shake her out of her shock. Fantoccio continues.
"He's the one that brought me back to life… He's the one who sent me to kill you. That's your dad? Why would he—"
Billie looks down at him.
"That's not my dad. If it is, something else is controlling him. I saw him… I saw him in a nightmare. I was pulled into this horrible place, and I saw him there. He told me he was taken by a terrible monster… We have to save him!"
Lewis places his hand on her shoulder.
"But Billie, your dad is dead. He has been for fifteen years."
She shakes her head.
"No. It was him. I know it. He's in there somewhere while someone else is controlling him. I have to tell Aristotle."
Lily ponders something intriguing.
"Billie… you s-said those gems were your dad's, right? W-what if he's going after them again?"
Billie turns to her, placing her hoof to her chin in thought and pacing around.
"Before Aristotle left, he mentioned something about a gem disappearing from his scanner."
Fanto adds to the hypothesis.
"Your dad expressed interest in my gem after you left with it… Where is my gem, by the way?"
Billie looks at him sternly.
"Aristotle has it, so if you want it, you'll have to wait for him to get back."
Fantoccio scowls, but rather than get angry, he merely takes a deep breath and sighs in acceptance.
"Very well… I will stay… for now, and await his return."
Billie shrugs.
"It could be a while…"
She places her hand on his shoulder, and he looks up at her in confusion. She smiles down at him kindly.
"So you might as well make yourself comfortable. How about a game of Goats and Goblins?"
Fantoccio cocks his head.
"What's that?"
They guide Fantoccio over to the table. Lewis has the rules memorized verbatim in his mind, just as well as Fantoccio has with plays. He elaborates, expressing that the game has a seemingly infinite number of possible scenarios. As a writer, Fantoccio is fascinated by the concept of unlimited story potential. They begin a game as Fantoccio tries the coveted Iced Cream Cereal for the first time. He finds it simply too sweet but finishes it regardless. The others laugh as he gets donut powder and iced cream all over himself, not realizing just how messy the dish is.
As Lewis proceeds into his characterization, Fantoccio finds himself quite intrigued that Lewis is a better actor when playing GaG than he is when acting on stage, and a lot more engrossed in his role as dungeon master. Fantoccio wonders if he has the imagination and creativity necessary to be a dungeon master, and Lewis merely states that all you need is a good imagination. He takes up the offer, an enticing prospect. Fantoccio sets up quite an odd premise, using many plot devices and tropes from plays to dictate character actions, filling the game with intrigue, romance, and betrayal, almost like a soap opera.
Characters die in war and find out they're related to other dead characters. It truly is bizarre. Nevertheless, they're all having fun, laughing at the absurdity. Fantoccio becomes lost in the immersion, the closest he's ever felt toward being in a play and acting with other actors. As they laugh, Billie makes a suggestion.
"You know, I wonder if Barnaby would enjoy this."
Fantoccio winces. He seems quite reluctant to have anything to do with the ghost owl after how the bird manhandled him with ease and threatened to kill him.
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
He suggests. Billie dismisses his phobia of the bird.
"Barnaby is really sweet once you get to know him. You just gotta work your way into his heart. Once you're in there, though, you're in there for life. He's like our big ol' black-feathered teddy bear, and faithful. He has his hang-ups for sure, but I don't regret befriending him at all."
Fantoccio looks between the three smiling goats. Lewis injects his two cents.
"You see, Fantoccio, we were all having a discussion and we wondered if we could help you find your happiness just as we did with Barnaby."
Fantoccio reiterates.
"Find my happiness?"
Shy little Lily tries to appeal to him with compassion.
"M-maybe we could help you adjust to life here in Goatshire."
Fantoccio stares blankly at the table in contemplation. He wonders.
"Do you guys happen to know a sheep named Paul, or his daughter, Dolly?"
They look at each other and back at him. Billie confesses.
"No. Never met anyone like that… Sorry."
Fantoccio waves them off half-heartedly.
"Don't worry about it. They're probably far away from here anyway."
Lily lays her head down on the table, staring at Fantoccio cutely with a smile.
"Why don't you tell us about them?"
Fantoccio is hesitant at first, trying to gather his words and courage. To the kids, he reminisces about the happiest moments in his life.
"When your dad, or whoever that was, freed me, he broke my spell, let me out. I was out and about in the world. I had a goal… to find and destroy you, but other than that, I had no direction. All I had was anger and a desire to take it out on someone. I was all alone, just as I always was. Starving, I had to scrape by for food. When I was approached by someone in the outside world… I panicked, and I froze. The only option that made sense to me was to play dead, so that's what I did. Paul found me out in his yard, believing me to be lost property.
"He took me inside, and his kid Dolly took a liking to me, thinking I was just some kid's lost toy. I never revealed I was alive to Paul because I was scared he might think I'd put his kid in danger. Never. I would never hurt Dolly. She took care of me, talked to me, and played with me just like I was another one of her toys, but she saw me as more, like a friend. There was something so special about having someone who loved me for who I was… who cherished me, who never spoke down to me or acted like I was inferior or like I was worthless… Sorry."
He takes a moment to collect himself as the others wait in silence.
"… Then he came… Paul was trying to return me to where I belonged, which, in hindsight, he meant well… I suppose it's my fault for never coming clean… Anyway, Dario Pelicula, my so-called 'dad'… my worst nightmare, saw the ads Paul had posted throughout town, and he came to retrieve me. He whisked me away so fast I had no idea what happened. He… he tried to kill me."
The room becomes intensely quiet for a moment before he resumes.
"I think… I think I just wanted to take my anger out on someone. Every time something good happens to me, every time I find happiness, it all goes to hell. My only direction was what my savior, the one you claim to be your dad, gave me. I was to kill you."
Billie looks him straight in the eyes. Everyone is silent for a moment before she breaks the dead silence and asks him a simple question.
"Fantoccio, do you truly believe that my father would want to kill me?"
He looks at her through his brow line.
"No normal father wants to kill his child."
She sits back in her seat, folding her arms.
"Exactly."
He sits there in thought. The tension in the room is thick. Thank goodness the door opens so that some of that steam could be let out. Aristotle returns, no sooner in the door, and he's complaining about what a mess everything was. He walks into the kitchen, running his mouth about a thousand miles an hour and ranting.
"Billie, I'm home! And goodness gracious, it was such a mess out there! I've been to three whole junkyards, Billie, three. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get an electronic converter for scanning equipment? Gee, we'll, I'll tell ya, oh, hey Lewis…"
Lewis responds, turning his head as Aristotle passes, shrugging to the others.
"Hi, Aristotle."
Aristotle resumes.
"… but that wasn't enough, you see. I needed a 2.5-centimeter converter, and every junkyard only had a 2.75 or a 2.25—hi, Lily, dear…"
He passes by, and she coos bashfully as she greets him.
"It's nice to see you, sir."
Aristotle continues to rant.
"… So I need this one specific piece and I can't get it anywhere and the whole thing is just a massive headache and I'm getting such a migraine trying to explain to the owner of the junkyard that the other sizes just won't work and—oh, hi, Fantoccio.—so anyway, I come home with a splitting headache and I need some aspirin and… wait… Fantoccio?"
He turns to realize the puppet is just sitting at the table. Fantoccio waves his little fingers with an awkward smile up at the axolotl. Aristotle beholds the scene of a Goats and Goblins game in progress and is at a loss for words. He takes a moment to observe the situation in complete awkward silence as the goats, the axolotl, and the puppet all exchange stupefied and confused expressions. He's not even mad. They all thought he was gonna yell. But he merely turns to Billie with his hands at his waist and swivels his hip in her direction, practically going cockeyed. He raises a finger with his mouth open wide before inquiring.
"You let him out. Right?"
Billie admits candidly.
"Yup."
He continues.
"And you know that—"
She interrupts him again.
"I'm in trouble? You bet."
He lowers his finger. He inquires but one more question.
"And he didn't try to flee, or attack any of you, or any of that stuff?"
She responds with her hand leaning on her hoof, bored.
"Nope."
He stares out into space, wrinkled bags under his eyes. He looks tired.
"Huh… Well, that's something. I guess if he's willing to continue to behave himself, he can stay out of the barrier."
He shrugs. Billie is confused. She has no idea why Aristotle is being so calm. The axolotl throws himself onto the couch with his arm over his head. He's so tired, he just doesn't care. Fantoccio is extra confused but seems to have forgotten almost entirely about his gem. Aristotle passes out on the couch in seconds, too tired to even properly take himself to bed. The kids can hear him snoring from the next room. It's truly getting late. Billie and her friends camp upstairs in the bedroom, and Fantoccio resides in the corner of the room. Billie removes a comforter from her closet and offers him one of her many pillows with a warm smile. He takes them and thanks her, lying down on the floor and watching as the goats succumb to sleep.
Fantoccio finds himself feeling that sensation he had before when he was with Dolly, that warm sense of comfort and safety, like he's surrounded by people who care about him. This comfort allows him to drift off to sleep. Billie, not one to be fooled, watches Fantoccio out of the corner of her eye, wondering, swallowing her throat, hoping desperately that she can trust Fantoccio to do the right thing. She hopes that she can grant him the same happiness that she had with Barnaby. It wasn't something that hit her right away, but knowing that she could change the ghost bird filled her with a sense of pride and joy, as though she had made a profound impact on him as a person.
She wants nothing more than for Fantoccio to find his happiness. The next day, she wants to investigate. She wants to find out who this Dolly is and where she lives. Maybe then he can reveal himself to Paul. In her mind, she anticipates possible scenarios, his rejection of Fantoccio, and swears that should his revelation drive Paul to dismiss him, she'll be there for him. She removes a long black feather from her side drawer, staring at it and stroking the follicles with her hoofed fingers. She looks over to Fantoccio. His torso gently expands and contracts in silence.
"I didn't give up on Barnaby, and I won't give up on you. Good night, Fantoccio."
Billie places the feather into the drawer, shuts it, and pulls the blanket over her body, turning over and facing away from the puppet. It's 4 am. Fantoccio finds himself rising prematurely. They're all asleep now. Rising from the covers, he finds that the goats are deep into slumber, snoring gently in unison, almost like a singular purr. Fantoccio levitates so that none would hear his wooden footsteps. He slinks his way down the hall, peeking into Aristotle's empty bedroom. Sliding the door open as much as he can to squeeze through without the creak revealing his presence, Fantoccio enters.
It's simple. He's just gonna take his gem and flee, never to bother the girl or her friends again. All thoughts direct him to Dolly and his desire to confess to Paul. But he remembers… Billie told him she'd be there for him. He brushes the notion off. Surely she's bluffing. Right? She'd be there just like she said she'd free him. He doesn't know if he can count on her or count on that promise. Fantoccio slides open the corner drawer where Billie had retrieved the book and the compromising photo. No gem. He shuts it with his telekinesis, shaking his head.
Fanto floats over to the closet, pushing aside a series of identical capes and various unique outfits he wasn't certain Aristotle would ever wear, since he walks around mostly unclothed at all times. Nothing… But he did discover some of Billie's early birthday presents. Fantoccio scratches his head, sliding over to a dresser with more clothes, utilizing complex telekinesis to remove garments from the drawers, filter through them for the gem, and place them back, just as folded and neat as before. A sudden noise startles the puppet, and the floating garments fall to the floor.
"Ahem! Looking for this?"
Aristotle stands in the doorway with Fantoccio's yellow gem in hand. Fantoccio almost raises his voice in response.
"My—"
Aristotle shushes him.
"Shh! People are still sleeping."
Fanto continues.
"My gem."
Aristotle shakes his head.
"I told Billie hundreds of times, not everyone is just some poor, misunderstood soul. She thinks everyone can just be a good person with a little compassion and understanding. She doesn't seem to grasp that there are just bad people out there in the world. I love Billie with all my heart, but I don't wanna see her get her heart broken. She really is just too naïve for her own good sometimes."
Fantoccio sinks to the floor, looking down, ashamed of himself.
"You're right… I must confess. Aristotle, is it?"
He nods.
"That's correct."
Fantoccio continues.
"There's something I'd like to show you."
He slides open Aristotle's corner drawer again, removing the book along with the picture of Arthur. He shows Aristotle and the axolotl is mortified.
"Before you panic, just know that the only reason I know of this book is because of the spell the kids used to free me. This isn't about snitching on them, by the way, but this photo was in the book they read. The man in this photo, I've seen him before. We wanted to tell you last night, but you were too tired."
Aristotle sits on his bed and stares at the picture. He looks over to Fantoccio. He runs his finger over his precious treasure.
"My Arthur… You've seen him?"
Fantoccio nods.
"Yes, sir."
There's a long pause, and Aristotle shakes his head.
"No… That's impossible. Arthur's been dead for fifteen years, going on sixteen soon."
Fantoccio approaches, massaging his wooden hands and looking away nervously.
"It's true. He's the man who freed me. But he didn't look like that, not exactly. He wasn't wearing glasses, and he had these sickly red eyes shrouded in black. He resurrected me. He sent me… to kill Billie."
Aristotle looks the puppet dead in the eyes, rising from the bed. Fantoccio can't tell if he's angry, or terrified, or what, but Fantoccio's heart sinks into his abdomen as the axolotl approaches. Fantoccio raises his hands in surrender, making his plea.
"Please! Let me explain."
Aristotle doesn't blink. He stares intensely into the puppet's eyes.
"Go on."
Fantoccio continues.
"That was my original intention, yes… I was angry… I wanted revenge for what happened at the theater. I was crushed and killed, but this… Arthur, as you put it, resurrected me. He removed the spell over The Lost City. He freed me. He wanted the gems, but you and the kids had already escaped.
"He freed me from the city, left me on the outskirts, commanded me to 'kill Billie'… He called me his 'disciple'. I came here with the intent to fulfill the task, but I was unable to do so after seeing how happy you all were. Last night, she revealed to me that the man in that photo was her father, and something about that didn't sit right with me. As someone who had a dad who tried to kill me… I couldn't bring myself to fulfill that task."
Fantoccio makes eye contact. Aristotle, thankfully, has relaxed his expression a bit.
"She was so kind to me. She told me she would help me find the girl who had adopted me. She told me she didn't think I was a bad person. Her friends warmed up to me, too. So, if you're gonna punish her for disobeying you, please don't be too harsh. She was only trying to do what she felt was the right thing."
Aristotle sits on the corner of his bed, his eyes darting around on the floor in contemplation. It's all so much to take in. Fantoccio looks away shamefully. He floats toward the door.
"I guess I should just leave. I can't imagine I'm welcome here. I'm sorry for everything."
He moves toward the hallway.
"Fantoccio, wait."
He pauses, turning back to the axolotl. Aristotle resumes.
"Go back to bed."
Fantoccio doesn't understand. He approaches the axolotl.
"I don't understand. You want me to stay? Even after everything I've done? Even after raiding your bedroom?"
Aristotle chuckles slightly.
"You've proven yourself by telling the truth. It's a difficult pill to swallow, my dear Arthur being out there, alive, taken by some horrible fiend. I assume Billie told you of her dream? I still don't know if I can believe it, but if he's real, I can't in all good conscience let you go back out there. If he's as powerful and dangerous as I believe, he'll know you betrayed him. If you stay here, we can protect you."
Fantoccio smiles, floating away bashfully.
"And Fantoccio…"
He responds.
"Yes?"
Aristotle nods to him with a smile.
"Thank you for telling the truth. It can be a very difficult thing to do sometimes. I'm proud of you for coming clean."
Fantoccio smiles as he removes himself from Aristotle's room, gently closing the door behind him. Quietly, he floats back to bed in Billie's room. The goats haven't moved a muscle. He looks over to them and smiles before turning over and resuming his rest, finding new comfort and ridding himself of his remaining guilt.