Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Doey!” A roar of voices cried out in unison.

The hunk of dough didn’t even have time to settle down as a flood of critters came crashing his way. Before he knew it, the toys were crawling all over him, a miniature Hoppy Hopscotch toy perching herself on his shoulder while a Kickin’ Chicken attached himself to his upper leg.

“Heya there, everybody!” He cheered, tipping his hat, to which the Hoppy scurried up his arm and snatched it with a playful giggle, quick to wear it on her head. He didn’t mind this at all, though. “How’s it going?”

“We were waiting for you to come back! It’s so boring here without you!” A small Crafty Corn hugged his ankle, Doey chuckling and scooping her alongside many other toys up with one arm, embracing them in a warm doughy hug that they all accepted with glee before climbing up onto his shoulders as well.

It felt nice, an almost warm feeling, having people be genuinely eager for his presence in the room.

“Well, I have some great news that’ll cure your boredom for sure!” He winked playfully, crouching down and nudging the toys off him one by one now that the brief greeting was over. They collectively hopped off his body, the ones on his shoulders riding down his belly like a slide down to the safety of the floor.

Doey’s mouth opened in a wide grin as he plunged his hand into his own stomach like it was nothing. He had a habit of storing items inside his body; it was an easy way to carry things around without losing them. He’d done this enough times for the toys to be desensitized to it, too.

He fumbled around for a moment before pulling out a small, flimsy cardboard box. It was clear it was already worn out, but that didn’t matter, Doey had simply found it lying around prior to his arrival and figured it would be better to keep his finds in it for easier withdrawal.

“Here you go,” He took out a half-torn crayon box, covered in grime and dust- though at least the crayons themselves seemed to be in good shape- and handed it over to a Crafty and Dogday critter pair.

The DogDay in particular seemed overjoyed by this gift. “We were just about to run out of green! Thank you, Doey!”

“Of course. It’s the least I could do.” He smiled, nudging the two to run along before tending to the next in line.

Now gently lifting a small fold of cloth, his mouth twitched downwards. “Sorry, it’s not much, but… hopefully you can sew something together with what else you have.”

“No worries! Anything you have will be perfect for the job, I’m sure.” A Bubba Bubbaphant toy stood patiently whilst the doughman placed the cloth in his hands. At that moment, Doey swore he saw the critter’s seemingly unmoving smile arch further upwards- if that was even possible- after that statement, before running off towards one of the tents.

“Did you find any food…?” A shy voice piped up, a group of various critters staring up at him with their lifeless eyes.

Doey nodded, reaching into the box and pulling out two canned foods, now passing it down to a waiting Catnap toy. 

“Again, it’s… it’s not much, but it’s all I could find.” He apologized, his expression softening with sincerity. He wished he could do more for them- for everyone . But finding new resources was far from an easy task.

A brief silence followed. Doey couldn’t tell what triggered it- but if he were to take a guess, it would likely be disappointment.

“We’ll put this with the others.” A Bobby Bearhug placed a hand on the purple cat’s shoulder, nodding before the group wandered off towards the food shelves.

Doey exhaled a deep sigh, averting his gaze towards the same Hoppy that had stolen his hat before. He had almost entirely blocked out the fact his hat was no longer atop his head!

“Heyyy, pal. How about a trade?” Doey suggested playfully, crouching down whilst reaching into the box and pulling out a roll of duct tape. “I know you’d like to use this for that project you’re working on.”

It was normal to see such enthusiastic reactions over even the most insignificant of materials down here, considering how scarce everything was.

“Wowie, thanks!” Hoppy bounced up, snatching the tape roll out of Doey’s hand and replacing it with his hat, now bouncing away with delight.

After fixing the hat back atop his head, Doey took a short glance into the now-empty cardboard box. The hunk of dough held it close to his chest, briefly gazing down at the group of critters that remained, waiting for whatever he would have left to provide that may have a chance of piquing their interest.

“I’m sorry, guys… that’s all I’ve got for you today.” It gave him heartache to say, and even more so to see the toys scatter away in a silent, let-down fashion.

He placed the cardboard box on the floor, fingers twitching. Maybe someone could make use of it later.

. . .

Another deep sigh.

‘Not good enough, not good enough. Try harder next time. Be better next time.’ Doey scolded himself as he turned around, retreating from the scene. He should just head back to his room and-

“Doey?” A soft, curious voice piped up.

He coughed. “Yeees?” Steadily turned around, he saw another miniature Bobby toy standing by his feet. He tilted his head.

“When will Poppy be back?” 

Falling into silence, Doey felt a sharp sting rack his heart. He stared down at the critter, his mouth agape, though no words leaving it.

He wished he knew the answer to that question.

It had been days with no sign of Poppy- soon to be a full week. She left without a trace, not even a word of indication prior to her departure that would specify where she was going or what she was doing.

By leaving, she took Kissy and Ollie with her too. Kissy followed her everywhere- he didn’t blame her, though; the doll seemed to have Kissy under some unbreakable loyalty commitment. The pair was also always holding onto their only phone capable of keeping in touch with Ollie.

And with Hoppy’s passing being so recent, Doey felt so, so alone.

Without the others, taking care of everyone in Safe Haven had proven to be even more of a challenge than he ever thought it was.

Doey was the only one capable of all the daily resource scavenging now. Of course, he couldn’t expect a toy the size of his hand to venture out into the darkness of the factory, scouring for whatever unlikely scraps they could find- especially with returning successful, or returning at all, being such a lucky outcome.

Poppy abandoned everyone. And that’s something that he would never be able to understand why.

“Well-” He finally mustered, exhaling an airy sigh before averting his gaze. “I… don’t think she’ll be back anytime soon.” He hated how that was something he had to say. He hated how much it hurt . “I’m sorry.”

The miniature Bobby’s ear twitched, cocking her head to the side.

“Is she getting food for us? I’m starving…”

Doey frowned. As much as he wanted to stay positive, he didn’t want to keep the critter clinging onto false hope built upon some half-assed lie he made.

“I don’t know what she’s doing.” He admitted, lowering a gentle hand to Bobby’s head. “She might not be back for another few days. All we can do is wait. And hope.”

It was difficult to read the expression behind that forever-smiling mouth and those void black eyes. But the way she hung her head low, ears pinned against her head, told Doey exactly how she felt.

“Hey. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll try my best to get in touch with her in any way that I can. I’ll find her. I can promise you that.” With a reassuring smile, he placed a finger beneath the critter’s chin, gently lifting it. “Now, why don’t you go have fun with the others?”

Although Bobby didn’t seem particularly opposed to the suggestion, she still displayed some reluctance, reaching out and placing her cotton hand in Doey’s.

“Won’t you come with us? It’s so fun hanging out with you!” She cheered, her little bounces of excitement enough to warm the hearts of anyone nearby. “You need a break, after all. You just got home.”

“Aww,” Flattered, Doey lifted his other hand to his face. “Of course I will!”

Now holding the small critter’s hand, he nodded, allowing her to guide him to the storage space of Safe Haven, also being where everyone seemed to enjoy hanging out the most. He didn’t blame them. They kept all the fun activities there- books, board games, art supplies

Bobby skipped through the open doorway, leading Doey behind her. “Guys, Doey’s going to join us!”

Doey sat in the corner of the room, mini Bobby in his lap. The two of them had been crafting away at bracelets with what little materials they had for the past couple of minutes.

For the doughman himself, it was quite a challenge- having oversized, stubby fingers didn’t allow him much creative ability when it came to handling something so small. He had to constantly shift the form of his hands to get the job done.

They were the only ones remaining in the room, the others having left to do their own things or get ready for the night, leaving them in almost total silence besides the distant voices in the main area of the haven.

“All finished!” Bobby was exhilarated, standing up on Doey’s thigh and presenting him with a finished bracelet.

“Oh!” Pausing his progress, he gently placed the soon-to-be-done bracelet of his own on the floor beside him before reaching out to inspect Bobby’s. “Let’s see.”

The bracelet consisted of beads neatly alternating in a repetitive colorful pattern of yellow, orange, and red. Some beads were notably discolored, but Doey didn’t seem to mind that at all. A feature that stood out to him was a singular bead breaking the pattern, a small square bead with a heart symbol on it.

“This is adorable!” Doey smiled, reaching out to hand the accessory back to her, though taking note of how she didn’t seem keen on taking it back. He cocked his head to the side. “Is this… for me?”

“Of course.”  Nodding, Bobby sat back down, her head hanging low momentarily. “I… know it’s not really a life-changing, important gift, but… I figured it’s the least I could do.” She fidgeted with her hands, nerves reeking from her body language. “You do so much for us. You risk your life every day just so we can live another. You deserve something in return.”

Doey didn’t mean to initiate the awkward silence that followed, but he felt that no words could be able to express his gratitude towards the action. Holding the bracelet in his palm, he blinked, mouth agape.

“Well- I… Thank you. Really, thank you. I don’t know what to say.” It was rare that the smaller residents of Safe Haven ever provided kind gestures like these. It was always the other way around. “I’ll hold onto it… Wait- here,” 

Hurriedly, Doey picked up the bracelet he had been making at the same time, tying the string from one end to another to fasten it into the final product.

It was a much smaller bracelet, one that would fit over the toy’s wrist properly. It was a simple red and pink bracelet, with the same alternating pattern as the other.

“Aww, thank you!” Bobby eagerly welcomed the bracelet trade, chuckling.

It was… strange. She reminded Doey so much of her bigger body counterpart. He knew they weren’t the same person- this was just another kid, fallen victim to Playtime’s awful experiments. But it was almost comical how similar the two were to each other. In looks, obviously, but more notably personality.

That soft voice she maintained all the time, her loving and considerate actions- hell, even her laugh was just like her.

Doey missed her.

He missed all of them. His friends.

. . .

Another awkward silence. Even though it was brief, it was uncomfortable.

“I’ll pack all of this up. You should get to sleep. It’s getting late.” Doey stated, diverting his gaze from the mess of beads on the floor to the clock on the high wall. Their only way of telling the time- and even then, it could be wrong and nobody would have a clue.

“I can do it, no worries.” The bear insisted, the doughman feeling a small tang wrenching his heart.

“Sure… Okay.” He smiled, clasping his fingers around the bracelet. “I’ll hold onto this. I… don’t think it’ll fit around my wrist,” He chuckled, before taking his hat off and placing the beaded accessory over it, resting it on the top of the base. “But this can be an alternative.”

Bobby formed a thumbs-up before stepping off Doey’s leg, allowing him space to stand, which he did at once, using the wall behind him as a support to do so.

“Right, I’ll be back in a little bit to check up on everyone.” He assured the other whilst placing his now slightly decorated hat back on its usual spot atop his head. “I’ll catch you later, alright?”

“Bye, Doey! This was really fun. Thanks for the bracelet!” The little Bobby waved him off, Doey returning the gesture playfully over his shoulder as his heavy steps guided him to leave the room.

Chapter Text

The air was stale and thick. Unwelcoming. It always was throughout the caverns.

Doey lugged careful steps over the fallen rocks and rubble, traversing a cold ground stained with old blood and dirt.

The silence pressed at his mind, it felt as though he had gone deaf, the only thing breaking the illusion being the quiet drips that echoed from around him.

The only thing illuminating the darkened underground were the weak gleams from old floodlights dotted around the setting. It was a miracle they were still functioning after all this time.

He normally wouldn’t leave this early, but the moment he heard word of the familiar ring of a Playtime phone from outside the Safe Haven, he knew it was a matter for investigation.

It could be Poppy, that was everyone’s immediate guess. She was the one with their only phone, after all. If Poppy was lurking somewhere around Safe Haven, it was Doey’s business to get to the bottom of it.

Cautious, he glanced both ways. It felt as though the cave was eating him alive, more than it ever had before. He couldn’t shake the abnormal feeling of eyes peering at him from the darkness. Even though that possibility was always there, at that moment in particular it felt stronger than usual.

Momentarily brushing the feeling off, Doey resumed wandering the caverns.

He’d already been looking for the stretch of several minutes, but remained unsuccessful in his search. Every time he’d called her name, the outstretches of the underground factory lacked the welcoming echo of her reply.

Small piles of dead toys scattered throughout the area only enhanced the chilling feeling that insisted on eating him up. Though, it was much less severe than the mountains of such he’d seen further above by the prison outskirts. All those poor toys, their humanity a lost cause until their inevitably unholy demise swallowed them whole…

Clunk.

The sharp sound of rock tumbling over the stone broke the uncanny silence, hauling him into a swift state of alarm.

He whipped around, the look in his eyes dimming whilst he squinted through the darkness. It had only been such a minor noise, but with how tense he was in these caverns it may as well have been the same volume as an explosion.

On guard was an understatement. He clenched his clay hands into fists, observing the blackened area ahead whilst stomping towards the source of the sound, eyelids arching down to reveal the potential hostility he may have to- 

“Wait! It’s just me!”

Doey paused, a small gasp escaping him whilst he witnessed an all-too familiar Bobby Bearhug toy emerge from the shadows and rubble. He felt his heart sink.

“ What are you doing here?!” He snapped, though keeping his voice low enough as he quickly dropped down to the critter’s eye-level, now on his stomach. “Don’t you understand how dangerous it is to be out here?!”

Bobby seemed shaken up by the abrupt aggression that could be interpreted in his response, bashfully turning her head away.

“I know... but- I heard that Poppy was out here. I- followed you.” She stammered, her ears pinned back. “I want to find her too. Everyone does. ”

The doughman was at a loss for words, averting his gaze to the vast cave system surrounding them. The jagged stalactites and stalagmites, the high drops, the weak lighting that assured you’d never notice if you were about to miss your step- it was no place for smaller toys. Just one look at the various dead bodies piled up to the sides would force that fact.

“Listen,” Doey sighed, lifting a hand to his head in mild frustration, but mostly concern. “That’s thoughtful of you- really, I appreciate it. But I can’t let you put yourself in danger just to chase something we might not even be able to find. We don't even know if Poppy is actually around, that's why I'm out here; to look.” He outstretched a gentle hand for the other to hold onto, his other coiling around her from behind to scoop her into his grasp. “If I did find Poppy, I would’ve brought her back and you would’ve seen her anyway.”

At first he was met with silence, but that didn’t matter. Doey was firm when it came to his point; he wasn’t going to let any critter follow him into the places that could seal their fate. Now with mini Bobby held up to his chest, he began stepping back over piles of debris. He was going to take her home.

“Mm.” The smaller toy didn’t seem opposed to the action, to his surprise. “I'm sorry for wasting your time…”

“It’s-” Doey paused. “It’s fine. I don’t think I’d be able to find Poppy anyway. It’s about time I head back.” He lifted a hand to his head, groaning under his breath. "I need some rest."

He’d searched the entire outskirts of Safe Haven, calling for her, hoping to hear the familiar gentle voice reply from the near darkness, but there was… nothing.

The weight of her abandonment gnawed at his mind. How easy it had been for her to leave without saying anything.

And the gall for her to supposedly lurk around Safe Haven after her neglect. 

“Hey,” Breaking the silence and shaking off the betrayal, Doey decided to speak up. “I never caught your name, sorry. Do you… have one?” He’d continuously associated the critter with her bigger body counterpart, it felt wrong.

He did feel a tang of guilt for not asking sooner. It seemed every toy knew his name, but it rarely went both ways. The fact that almost all of them looked the same didn’t help with trying to distinguish one from another.

“You can call me Sweetie.” She replied rather fast, it was surprising. “It’s the last thing I remember being called before…”

The way she trailed off made Doey frown, being able to fill in the gaps himself.

“Right.”

Sweetie was a lovely name, not to mention unique. Otherwise, she’d just be another Bobby in the sea of such.

Continuing to backtrack through the caverns to return Sweetie to Safe Haven, the doughman glanced down at the beaded bracelet over her cotton wrist. She really had kept it. This realization had him reaching up to his hat, brushing his fingertips over the bracelet resting around it.

Good thing he hadn’t ventured too far from Safe Haven, he couldn’t bear the thought of Sweetie following him any further than she had. He just wished she’d revealed her presence sooner.

The pair now caught sight of a dimly lit hallway transitioning from the cave back into the factory segments- also known as the way home- being on the right path, before…

A phone rang.

The noise was so sudden, it made Sweetie yelp and jolt in Doey’s cradling grip. Once again, a sound that may as well have been as loud as a thunderclap whilst it echoed off the cavern’s dampened walls.

“Wh-” He turned around, the ringing echoing from all directions, as disorienting as that had been in that moment. It was the first time he’d heard that ringing himself in days. “Poppy…? Ollie…?” 

Sweetie climbed up onto his shoulder as the doughman crept forward, quick to divert their journey the opposite way. 

That had to be Poppy. What a relief- he was starting to think that what the critters at Safe Haven told him was just a lie, as much as that possibility would just be his paranoia attempting to trick him- or simply some collective mirage.

The closer it sounded, the more it fuelled Doey’s desperation.

“Hey, I’m right here!” He called out, stumbling over piles of stone and risking knocking Sweetie off her balance. “I can hear you-”

The phone laid on the ground in front of him. A short period of silence ensued before the ringing continued.

Doey whipped his head around, searching for the holder. Was that there before? How had he not noticed it? Was this not Poppy’s?

It was strange- far more extreme than strange, actually. Maybe this was what the people in Safe Haven had heard before… no, that wouldn’t be it, the caverns were out of range, no way anyone would be able to hear it from that far away.

“Answer it?” Sweetie prodded, peering over at the phone from atop his shoulder.

“Ah- right.” Doey crouched down, careful not to almost knock the critter off stability again as he lifted the device up to his face. The phone buzzed with each ring, sending vibrations through his body.

The doughman reluctantly pressed a blaring red button on its front. “Uhm… hello?” He tilted his head slightly. “Ollie?”

The pair were met with a drawn out static. It was evident that there was some kind of interference. 

“Ollie, are you there?”

“Did Poppy leave that?” Sweetie inquired. “Why would she leave it behind?”

Doey shook his head, looking down. “I’m not sure.” 

Before he knew it, his mind began crafting the worst possible scenarios against his will. The potential that something had happened to her- no, Kissy was always around to protect her, right? She was fine. Unless…

Staring at the phone’s uncannily playful smile, he pressed the end call button, static falling into a dead silence that whispered ominous garble. 

The two stood in silence, not sure what to think of their find.

“We might find her if we keep looking?”

“Um…” Doey murmured, looking around. “I…”

Something felt wrong.

A feeling that left his stomach churning, causing ill apprehension.

It could be his own anxiety, his own paranoia that persisted to try and knock his mind off-track and make him feel so sick, but…

God, why was he so scared?

Maybe it was the underlying possibility that something bad had happened to his friends. Maybe it was the fear that Sweetie was in danger by being out there with him. Maybe it was the surrounding darkness that seemed to only blacken further, swallowing them.

Or maybe it was the sinister feeling of eyes burning through the back of his head.

“Okay, something isn’t... “ He anxiously fidgeted with the phone while he briefly scanned the area. “It’s not adding up. We should head back. Quickly.”

Sweetie didn’t seem to mind this decision. In fact, she didn’t say anything at all, just tilting her head in concern at the sudden change in his demeanor. 

Doey turned around, taking a step towards the open hallway ahead of them. It was about time to get out of these damned caverns and go home.

“Poppy is out there.” A sudden decision interfered out of the blue. His legs stopped moving entirely, refusing to allow him to leave. “I have to find her.”

He took a firm step backwards and turned around. If Poppy was out there, she had to be found, whether she was in trouble or not. After she left everyone behind, he was going to drag that doll back to Safe Haven if it was the last thing he did.

But if he had anything to do with Poppy’s disappearance, he’d kill him. 

“Not safe.” Abruptly, he whipped back around, inhaling a sharp gasp as the phone dropped from his hand, clattering on the stone ground. He swore Sweetie had said something, but he hadn’t tuned it in. “I want to go home…”

He didn’t want to backtrack again, he had to get himself and Sweetie- especially Sweetie- to safety. He couldn’t go back there with her by his side. Home was the first stop, he didn’t want to stand exposed in the open any longer.

Even just one step back to the initial destination was a struggle, a part of his body seeming to tear him apart as a fighting chance to head in the opposite direction.

“Poppy has to be near.” It was as if Doey’s body was controlling itself, he had no say in what was happening. He staggered backwards.

“No, it doesn’t matter .” He argued, once again tearing forward.

“Doey, are you okay…?” The concern in Sweetie’s voice was obvious.

He turned to the critter standing on his shoulder, expression softening for just a moment. “Don’t worry, I’m-”

“Going to get to the bottom of this. Go home.”

“What?” Sweetie seemed bewildered by all of Doey’s abrupt mood swings, staring at him with her ears pinned back. Not to mention, he had just told her to go back to Safe Haven on her own, even after he had insisted on taking her back himself.

“I’ll take care of it.” With a violent step forward, he almost crushed the phone beneath his feet, missing it by a mere inch before stumbling, the motion finally being enough to send Sweetie tumbling off his shoulder.

Doey froze, watching the small bear land on the cold hard ground with an audible, ‘ouch!’ His eyes widened at the sight.

“Sweetie!” He gasped, hands thrown over his mouth as he immediately dropped down beside her, frantically beginning to apologize. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to do that, I don’t know what happened-”

Sweetie stared up at him, her expression hard to tell. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” She insisted whilst she got up, using the side of Doey’s arm as a support. “Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m weak. It wasn’t even a bad fall.” 

Doey let out an airy laugh, attempting to lighten up his nerves. “Oh, that’s good to hear…” He was just relieved to know he hadn’t genuinely hurt the other. “I’m so sorry. I just… I couldn't make a simple decision, I suppose. My fault-”

Crunch.

Whatever that sound was, it immediately yanked Doey’s attention away from Sweetie and to a towering pile of rocks to the side, sparking the feeling of eyes peering from the unseen corners to life once more.

“Poppy…?” He tilted his head before his expression darkened, he got back up to his feet with ease, taking a firm step towards the source of the sound. A short pile of rocks in the direction of the sound experienced a disturbance, some toppling over and rolling to the bottom. It was comical how obvious it was that someone was hiding behind it. “I know you’re there.”

“Hey, wait-”

Doey took in sharp, deliberate breaths, marching towards the presence. Those were no longer lone, eerie shadows to build tension. Nor were they still a presumably lifeless part of the cave. He knew there was something there, something more than shadows- something aware . Something alive .

Doey scowled. Why was she so unwilling to show herself? Why did she keep ignoring him? Now he was positive she wasn’t in trouble. Her actions were deliberate.

It didn’t take long for him to stomp over the various obstacles of toy corpses and stone, clawing at jagged rocks to remove them from the way. But as stone tumbled from the pile he peered over, his eyes landed on nothing but uneven ground, Poppy nowhere to be seen.

His throat tightened. Turning around, Doey grumbled in frustration, glaring at the ground momentarily and kicking a rock with weak force. He looked up to meet eyes with a concerned Sweetie, although the contact didn’t last long once he was quick to notice the shadowed figure creeping up on her from behind.

Eyes widening, he froze.

A pale feline with a sprouting multicolored mane of yarn, movements completely silenced by padded paws against stone.. paused upon noticing Doey’s realization of its presence. 

The Doctor’s pet.

Doey and Yarnaby stared at each other, the lion tilting its head with intrigue. The cartoony feline’s face split open slightly, but still enough to reveal the red-stained teeth and bloodthirsty mouth that had initially been hidden behind its artificial counterpart.

How long had it been stalking them for? Had he really been that clueless?

“Doey?” Sweetie murmured, puzzled by what her friend could be distracted by.

Doey raised his hand slightly as a sign for Sweetie to not make any sudden moves, Yarnaby seeming to take the motion as a threat as it flexed its claws and dragged its hind legs against the ground, proving his reasoning.

The way he shot constant glances between the oversized cat and Sweetie- although it was impossible to read Yarnaby’s expression, he knew they were thinking the same thing; they were about to fight for her life.

Chapter Text

An ear-piercing scream bounced off the walls of jagged stone, the threat now evident to all at the scene.

The moment Yarnaby leaped off its hind legs, Doey barely had a second to react; Pure instinct took control and in a moment of intense desperation, he lunged, throwing his entire body weight onto the feline and sending both of them tumbling across the cavern floor.

Flailing like a fish out of water, the lion growled and roared, its voice ripping through the freezing air as it scrambled across the floor with Doey gripping at its legs, dragging it away from the target.

Sweetie stood, her body language showing every bit of fear that her expression wasn’t capable of mustering. She trembled, her weak frame falling against the ground as her legs gave out in sheer terror.

In self defensive reflex, Yarnaby twisted its body around and struck Doey in the face with sharpened claws. The other gasped, the second his grip even slightly loosened being taken advantage of as the oversized cat writhed to escape, shortly reigning successful in its attempt.

The small critter was a few steps ahead, already bolting in the opposite direction and beginning to climb a mound of rocks for some leverage. But a few steps ahead wasn’t nearly enough in comparison to the speeds Yarnaby was able to display.

Driven by adrenaline, Doey stretched his arms outwards and coiled them around Yarnaby as a method of confining suffocation. The predator was quick to snarl and begin gnawing at his clay body in response before fully engaging in a futile wrestle.

Claws and teeth penetrated his flexible skin, but the doughman refused to make the mistake of letting go again whilst he stood up and began dragging the fight away from Sweetie. His strangling grasp only tightened, though fuelling Yarnaby’s desperation for escape.

Its jaws clamped shut, effectively slicing an entire chunk of Doey’s arm off before spitting it back out like venom. This allowed it enough room to break out and gain a moment of freedom. But despite his newfound handicap, Doey remained stronger.

He yelled in frustration, yanking the rainbow-maned monster back against his chest as he struggled to stay standing anymore. Yarnaby slammed its full weight against Doey, and as he staggered backwards he felt his whole world spin. 

His vision tilted, feet no longer dancing on solid ground but now… air.

The fall wasn’t as long as it could’ve been, but it was brutal nonetheless.

Doey and his enemy bounced off a slope of jagged rocks, plummeting over a ledge and further into one of the cavern’s notoriously dangerous pits.

Both individuals were now sprawling for some sort of grip support to halt their fall, clawing and dragging fingertips over the unstable surface of rocks.

Then the impact hit.

Doey struck the solid ground with a strained grunt, the air torn out of his body once it had splat over the ground, the same way a wad of playdough actually would.

Yarnaby was next, landing on the ground beside him with a painful thump, a cloud of dust being kicked up from around it. Doey hadn’t even realized he’d released the other until that moment, he must’ve done so in a sudden panic, and he didn’t blame himself for it.

Fortunately for the two of them, the desperate clawing against the cavern walls on the way down had somewhat dampened their landing. By no means had it made it that much better, but it was still some sort of demotion, even though it had sent a rockslide of cave debris rolling down over them seconds later.

Doey groaned, the world spinning around him as loosened stone covered him like a blanket, but it was far from strong enough to protect him from the freezing temperatures that drowned him.

It was unbelievably dark, the depths of the cavern had completely swallowed him whole. Pain flared in every part of his body, even despite how durable he was.

He should be considered lucky, actually. They could’ve toppled over a ledge and met their fate to a much deeper pit- it was a miracle that they were still able to see the light from above, even with how far it looked.

Vision blurred, Doey lifted a strained hand to his face, blindly feeling the way its formation had been muddled by the nasty slash Yarnaby had given him before, melting like ice cream would.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the rest of the damage; Weakly turning his head to the side, he squinted at the sight of his arm from the elbow down being completely unpresent.

His eyes then landed on Yarnaby. The predator lay there, unmoving and unconscious. He wasn’t dead, Doey knew that; he observed the way the lion’s chest heaved up and down, copious amounts of scratches visible on his body as blood seeped through fur.

He exhaled shakily, resting the back of his head against the cold ground beneath him and shutting his eyes. He needed to give himself time to recover. He could only pray that Sweetie had gotten to safety in the meantime.

The soft clinking of rocks toppling over the edge of the pit’s walls dragged Doey back to reality mere seconds later.

His eyes snapped open and he lifted his head, only to see the way that Yarnaby had already sprung to life. The feline was clawing its way up the ravine walls, snarling as its claws scraped for any sort of leverage it could hold onto on the way up.

And to Doey’s misfortune, it was succeeding.

‘No.’ He thought to himself, stringing his intact arm over his chest and brushing the cave debris off him with frail intent. 

Struggling to stay on his feet after standing, he instantly curbed against the wall, groaning. It was so cold, his body felt stiff and proved difficult to move. In spite of this fact, Doey mustered the determination and strength to stretch his arm back into its initial mold, flexing the fingers of his fresh appendage.

Lifting a weak hand upwards, he was lucky enough to find a sturdy ledge to hold onto, his fingers stretching to fix his grip before he painstakingly pulled himself up, blindly struggling to find a foothold at the same time.

‘Come on.’ He grimaced, staring up at the persisting lion above as it seemed to effortlessly climb upwards at the cost of dirt and rock crumbling beneath its feet, tumbling into the darkness below that still held Doey captive. He grunted as stone bounced over him, digging his fingers deeper into whatever crevices he could hold onto.

Doey sucked in a breath, outstretching a leg and placing it over a higher, although narrow, foothold before lunging up towards another solid ledge. ‘Got it.’

Hauling himself up was a challenge. And alongside that, he couldn’t shake the anxiety driven by the echoing cracks that indicated his footing wouldn’t last much longer.

He looked up helplessly once more debris scattered from above. Yarnaby, despite the occasional slip, made ascension seem easy. But Doey knew that for himself, it was too high to traverse in one climb.

Cold air surrounded Doey, prompting a quiet sob with how much it intensified the aches his body was already being torn apart by. Shaking, he clung onto the stone wall for dear life, coughing and squinting through the cave dust that now impaired his vision.

He had to get up there, or at the very least stop Yarnaby from doing so.

Doey held on with one arm as he released his other, flexing it momentarily until he deemed it viable for the task.

His arm extended far, far up, Doey wincing with how much it pained him to do so in spite of all the protests his rigid body screamed. It ascended behind Yarnaby, who was dangerously close to the completion of scaling the ravine wall.

The second he reached out to grab the monster, Yarnaby snarled, a swift flash of claws objecting to his action as the feline swatted at his arm. He flinched back and the lion roared. It kicked off a narrow ledge, hind legs careless in the motion as it sent a flurry of rocks to descend his way.

But since that didn’t stop the doughman, Yarnaby persisted once Doey had grabbed onto the ledge of the ravine’s cliff, sinking its claws deep into his hand, simultaneously producing a pained shout from the victim.

Doey’s arm retracted, dropping down alongside rubble that struck him right in the face, sending him tumbling back down to the bottom of the ditch and demolishing his progress.

He cried out in frustration, watching a blur of rainbow flee the scene up above.

His body was weak, it had been strained enough. He lay there, barely capable of moving as his arm returned to its initial state.

Freezing temperatures engulfed his shuddering form, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. He didn’t know if he was even going to be able to get back up.

Grunting with effort, Doey flipped onto his side and managed to just barely lift himself up to sit with his elbow, coughing. Catching his breath, he rose up to his feet after a brief struggle.

He had to try again. He couldn’t just let himself sit there and freeze to death, nor could he allow Yarnaby to reach the only thing he had to protect at that moment.

Doey practically threw himself at the ravine wall with how heavy and weak he felt, unable to stabilize his movements. He dug dusty fingertips into the stone, clawing at the grime and brushing past the burning feeling that clogged his doughy muscles. 

The weight of his own body seemed to be trying to drag him down more than it was during his previous attempt, leading to him sliding back down.

He wasn’t going to be able to do this.

It didn’t take long. A shrill shriek followed by a deafening roar echoed through the darkness of the cave, shaking Doey to his very core the moment he heard it.

He breathed rapidly, panicking with the crushing realization of who that scream belonged to. He scurried to the ravine wall, placing both of his palms over the loose stone and looking up with desperation flaring in his eyes.

Crunch. Crack.

That didn’t sound pleasant.

The silence that flooded in after the brief commotion above didn’t comfort him one bit. He opened his mouth to say something, to call out for his friend, but nothing came out.

‘She’s okay. She has to be okay.’ Doey told himself, his heart skipping multiple beats. ‘She’s fine.’

The longer the silence persisted, the more he believed that thought was far from the truth.

A quiet rumbling filled the air, Doey gulping in response. The walls and floor around him seemed to vibrate, the intensity increasing with the seconds that passed.

‘Oh. Oh no.’  

Doey’s breathing picked up once more. It seemed like the cavern had enough of the disturbance.

He backed up into the center of the pit, rocks that only seemed to be getting larger giving in around him. He threw his hands over his head and braced in a fetal position.

Doey had stayed in that spot until shortly the sound of an agitated snarl from above caught his attention. He looked up, it was difficult to see through the dust that flew up around him, but he managed to catch sight of Yarnaby pawing something over the ravine’s ledge.

A small, red bear was drawn into sight, plummeting over the edge.

“Sweetie!” He finally found his voice, although broken and drowned out through the loud crashes of crumbling stone. He practically flew up to his feet, rushing over to where he estimated she would land-

Crack.

He wasn’t able to reach her in time.

If she wasn’t already dead, the fall would’ve done the job.

Doey didn’t even have the time to react, walls of dust and boulders closing in on him. The final thing he thought to do was shield Sweetie’s body, curling around her and squeezing his eyes shut.

The dust finally cleared.

He wished it hadn’t.

A choked sob mixed with a cough ruptured the eerie silence.

Doey let go, trembling arms opening up to reveal the lifeless corpse of a critter beneath his shielding form.

“S-Sweetie, it’s safe.” He prodded, forcing a gentle smile. “You can wake up now.”

His voice was broken, raspy.

“The bad things are gone now...” He outstretched a swollen hand to her body, shifting her onto her side to reveal her deformed face, regretting the motion immediately. 

Blood spread onto the ground around her remains, her mouth still trapped in a permanent smile, although torn and beaten. Her cotton skin ripped open to display her flesh and organs, sickness pooled in his stomach at the sight. Despite the darkness surrounding them, he could see everything. 

“S-Say something.” He begged.

No voice.

No breath.

Not even a single movement was seen on her corpse.

“Please,” Doey’s breath hitched, he shakily reached out with a dirt-caked hand, pulling her body to his aching chest. “Wake up... I- I promise everything will be okay.”

Nothing.

Doey’s entire world was shattering around him. He couldn’t hold back his heartbroken sobs any longer.

He cried.

He cried until it hurt , wiping invisible tears that weren’t even capable of forming in the first place.

A raw, crushing scream broke free from his throat whilst he weeped, cursing the hell holding him captive that had to make agony real every time it had the chance. 

“I’m sorry,” He sobbed, choking and coughing. He didn’t care if his pain caused the place to cave in further. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Each and every part of his body burned, but he almost didn’t feel it. What was there to feel but anguish?

Sweetie’s corpse lay, crumpled alongside cave debris, her warmth fading into nothingness.

Finally managing to tear his gaze away from the body for just a moment, Doey looked up towards the cavern ceiling, far up high. The cave-in had caused a slope of rocks and rubble to form, creating a direct path to the top of the ravine. 

Cruel.

More raw sobs tore from his throat. 

He had fought so hard, he tried what he could. And for what did it matter in the end?

“Please, please, please -” He looked back down at Sweetie, cupping her cheek in his palm whilst he snuffled. “C-Come back.”

Chest heaving, he dropped onto his side once more, curling his body around his lost friend. He wasn’t going to leave her alone here.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t save you.”