Chapter Text
Astro stood directly in front of a distorted, but familiar face. A lethal twisted everyone had come to know as twisted Dandy. The small flower-like toon twisted occasionally, his limbs bending at impossible angles, claws growing from his stubby, ichor-covered legs, petals getting pointy and mouth outstretched in an uncanny grin. In that state, he was more than dangerous to encounter. He had impeccable hearing, able to catch a machine’s finish sound and bolt towards it, knowing a toon was near. Nobody knew exactly why he was so blood-thirsty, but nobody could deny it.
So it was more than reasonable for Astro to freeze at the sight of the enormous twisted, legs trembling, brain urging his body to flee, to run, but his limbs refusing to do so out of pure shock.
Astro had been distracted. All the floors had been so loud , that this one didn’t stand out - even if there was a new set of footsteps. He should’ve known. Should’ve noticed. And now, he was going to pay - with his life, for the moment. Sure, toons were revived, in a way. But the pain, the agitating pain of it all made Astro wish they couldn’t, sometimes.
He waited for that pain to come, eye(s) shut tight.
Nothing happened. When he dared look again, twisted Dandy just stood there, low growls escaping those torn lips, but completely unmoving otherwise. Astro saw a look of recognition in his eyes, a hesitation alongside it.
“Dandy?”
The beast growled louder. It had been so long since Astro had talked to him - being convinced by the others not to - but maybe now, he could try to find out… What happened? Why his best friend had left him.
Because that’s what Dandy used to be to him. As kids, they did everything together. Maybe it was because Astro was the first speaking toon to be introduced after Dandy himself, or it was just because they completed each other in most ways.
The shy one, and the outgoing one.
The quiet one, and the loud one.
The frowning one, and the smiling one.
The pessimistic one, and the optimistic one.
The moon and the sun.
They spent all their days together, talking, discovering things about the place, each other, and themselves in the process. They grew up because of each other, exploring possibilities that they wouldn’t be able to with anybody else. “Whatever happens, I’ve got you, and you’ve got me!” They’d say confidently. Back then, that was all they knew. Their world was confined in those walls, and they were tied to each other willingly. They didn’t even know the complications of their relationship, saw nothing behind the trust they gave each other, their intertwined fingers and the blind devotion between them. Puppy love. Something we all wished would last forever, but as most, this didn’t either.
Dandy started spending less and less time with Astro, being dragged away by Delilah, who didn’t even try to make excuses about it. “Dandy has to go with me now, don’t come looking for him”. Astro didn’t know where she took him, or why. He just knew that the more time passed, the less “his flower” seemed to be himself. He got snappy, always tired but sleepless, quiet. Sometimes, when he’d come back from his time with Delilah, he’d break down and cry in Astro’s arms, for hours on end. The moon-based toon would do his best to comfort his friend, holding him tightly just as he liked, two hands around him, another patting his back, and the fourth wiping away his tears - which he made a point to kiss away occasionally, just because it made Dandy smile.
But he said nothing. No matter what Astro asked, how much he worried. Dandy shook his head, looking away. “I can’t. It’s for your own good.”
Eventually, the secret Dandy had tried so hard to keep, got out.
“It’s Dandy’s fault, he’s the reason the twisteds exist, and we suffer ” the toons would echo.
And there was nothing Astro could do to prove them wrong.
Dandy didn’t talk to him anymore, not properly. Whenever he did, it was just about past episodes, and always in-character, just like he was in his shop whenever Astro saw him come up during runs.
So, you can imagine his surprise when Dandy hesitated in front of him that day, his claws not lashing forward and jaw not opening - ready to tear apart.
“Dandy?” He asked again, and got met with the same response. “Can you hear me?” He pressed, and the twisted growled again.
“What… what happened to you?”
Dandy’s smile definitely didn’t reach his eyes, those bloodshot widened eyes that wouldn’t stop staring at the now curious toon. An idea flashed through Astro’s brain, and before he could even understand what he was saying, he asked:
“Did she do this to you?”
Dandy practically roared, slightly leaping forward and even closer to Astro in a desperate attempt to say yes. Astro’s throat tightened.
“Is that why she dragged you away from me? What did she do to you, flower?” He inched closer, voice soft so as to not alarm him. He put a hand on Dandy’s arm, who surprisingly didn’t react negatively. Or so Astro thought, yet just for a moment.
Because then, the twisted started spasming, and the lunar toon backed away. His legs seemed to no longer hold his weight, he fell down, claws scratching the floor - making an unbearably horrid sound. His limbs bent, retracted, petals softened shape, until what was left where twisted Dandy stood was a pool of ichor, and the toon himself.
Astro had practically went through 3 separate heart attacks by that point, and was about to have to deal with another (metaphorical) one, when Dandy weakly got up and stared at him with the most pained look.
“Finally. Somebody realized. Somebody asked.” He managed, voice breaking.
Astro, in a moment of bravery he didn’t think he had in himself, grabbed Dandy’s hand, dragged him over to the wall and sat him down next to him. Then, he opened his blanket, inviting the flower toon close. “Talk to me. Tell me everything. She’s not here anymore, you can tell me. Maybe together, we can fix this.”
Dandy took a deep breath.