Chapter Text
Once again, there was peace in Paradise. The most peaceful it had ever been, actually. With Fresh no longer trying to corrupt everything around it, and any other corrupted shapes not showing their faces, things really were peaceful.
“So how’s adapting to your very normal boring life now?” Square asked as they sat on the couch.
“I don’t want to call it terrible, but it isn’t fun,” Fresh replies, also on the couch. The both of them were over at Square’s house. “There’s nothing to do around here! For a place called Paradise, it’s pretty boring when I’m not trying to take over.”
“Don’t go getting any ideas! There is always my suggestion,” Square says. “Triangle really wants to play music with other people.”
“No. I play by myself.” He’ll keep it to himself that he also thinks Triangle is a bit of a loser.
“Come on, let’s go somewhere then,” Square says, jumping up and grabbing Fresh by the hand, pulling him up off the couch.
“Ughhh fine!!” Fresh complains, but it lets itself be pulled off the couch. “But let’s avoid too many people.”
“What! Why? You still haven’t really properly met all my friends! Besides Triangle, Pentagon, and Circle of course.”
“It likely has something to do with the fact that they probably hate me,” Fresh grumbles.
“Hey, I’ve talked to them about it. They know you aren’t going to try and hurt people anymore,” Square frowns. “Besides, if they did make it known that they hated you, they’d have to deal with me!”
“Yeah, because you’re so threatening,” Fresh snickers.
“Says YOU of all shapes,” Square scoffs, and then starts dragging Fresh towards the door to leave.
Once outside, they immediately run into the Sun. Square waves and smiles, but Fresh keeps a frown on his face. He still isn’t thrilled about all the gossiping she did. He doesn’t know how Square can be so forgiving, or at least having the appearance of being forgiving. He glares at the Sun, acting as if holding hands with Square was some great protest that would bother her.
“Hi Square!” the Sun greets, not bothered. “Where are you off to?”
“Just going for a walk,” Square replies. “Where’s everyone?”
“I saw some of your friends out and about in the park! If you want to head over there,” the Sun says. Of course it saw them, it sees everything!
“Sure,” Square nods.
“See you around!” the Sun says cheerfully as Square and Fresh walk away.
“Really? The park?” Fresh complains.
“Do you ever have anything positive to say?” Square says in a joking tone.
“No.”
“Well, do you have any other suggestions then?” asks Square.
“...No.”
“Then the park it is!”
Square and Fresh walked, past a trickling stream as birds flew by. So whimsical. So perfect.
It was at times like these that Fresh missed his cave. Sure, it was mostly empty, it was dark, and it was lonely, but it was less… teeth rotting sweetness.
Maybe he’ll be able to convince Square to hang out there. It wasn’t SO bad. The spiders knew to stay away from his spot in the cave too!
He really felt like a fish out of water here sometimes. But that was an issue to think about later.
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Square and Fresh arrive at the park, spotting other shapes there. Triangle and Lycan are standing together, Triangle with a keyboard and Lycan with a drumset.
“Okay uhh… do you know any songs?” Square hears Triangle ask, fiddling with the buttons on the keyboard.
“No not really, I just kind of hit things until it makes a cool sound,” Lycan shrugs, twirling their drumsticks badly. They nearly drop them, fumbling to catch them.
“We really gotta get more than just us in this band,” Triangle sighs, but brightens up when he notices Square and Fresh nearby. “Hey wait! You two! Square, did you tell him that-”
“A hello would be nice. And yes I did, but he isn’t interested,” Square replies.
“Well, “he” can speak for himself on that actually,” Fresh adds.
“So you do want to join us?” Triangle asks excitedly.
“No.”
“Oh…”
“Nah, don’t worry about it Triangle!” Lycan says cheerfully. “We can still make awesome music with just a drumset and a keyboard!”
“I guess,” Triangle grimaces. “But it would sound better if Circle had agreed to join us.”
“Not happening!” says Circle, a few feet away sitting on a bench.
“Your voice would sound great!!!” Triangle insists.
“Nope.”
“Why does no one want to join our band?” Triangle sighs. “Are we really that bad at making music?”
Fresh keeps his mouth shut and does not make a comment on that. It takes an incredible amount of resistance.
“Hey, we’re all here, where’s Pentagon?” Square suddenly asks.
“At home again. They kicked us out of the house so they could focus on drawing without us playing music loudly,” Triangle responds. “It’s hard to get them out of the house.”
“We will one day,” Circle says, now walking over to the group to talk.
As the uncorrupted shapes chatter, Fresh starts to space out, thinking. So much has changed since it went around trying to corrupt Paradise. Now everything was nice and happy. Boring.
At least Square was happy, but it just felt off. Like the balance was thrown off. It had to be a matter of time before something came back to fix it. Right? That’s why they had kept their powers after all.
It really feels so peaceful.
Too peaceful.
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It’s been some time. The Sun had set, the Moon out in the sky instead.
Pentagon sits on their bed, sketchbook on their lap as they draw. The window is open, a cool breeze ruffling the curtains. They sigh, leaning against the wall and examining their drawing. Could be better…
What was that?
There was a sound coming from outside. Pentagon looks up and out the window, hearing music playing. Unfamiliar music.
Everyone in Paradise has their own song, and Pentagon expected to have recognized the music of the shapes that live around here.
So what could be out there?
Their curiosity getting the better of them, Pentagon climbs out of their bed. They keep their sketchbook with them, tucked under their arm. Then they leave through the back door, walking into the trees behind their house to see if they can find the source of the music.
They get closer, and closer, the music getting louder. That’s when Pentagon finds the source.
There’s a shape standing in a clearing, leaning against a tree. A pink shape. A corrupted shape.
Wait, wait how was this possible? Corrupted shapes weren’t very common anymore, especially after the Tree had been restored to what it was supposed to be. And this didn’t seem like a regular corrupted shape either.
“Hey,” the shape says, looking at Pentagon. It was a triangular shape with one eye, two smaller triangles on the side of their head.
“Who are you??” is all Pentagon can think to ask, staring at the corrupted shape.
“Doesn’t matter, because YOU are coming with US,” the shape then says, standing straight up and turning to fully face Pentagon.
“What?”
That’s when the corrupted shape attacks, shooting a beam of corruption out of their hand towards Pentagon. They scramble out of the way, managing to avoid the laser.
“Damn it! Hold still!” they say, shooting another laser at Pentagon, who dodges to the side again. It had been a long time since they had entered a battle with anyone, all they need to do is outlast them. Or get away. It’s just one shape.
Wait, didn’t they say “us”?
As soon as Pentagon realizes that, they hear the sound of something charging up behind them. Not able to get out of the way in time, they turn and quickly hold up their sketchbook. Just in time to block another laser coming from a new shape.
The new shape, another corrupted triangle, emerges from the bushes.
“Lattie you missed! What the hell!” the first shape says.
“Nuh uh! I just got blocked,” the other shape, an equilateral triangle with two smaller triangles on its head almost like horns argues back. Pentagon starts to back up, trying to get away while they both bicker.
They need to leave, get out of here and then warn the others about these triangles. And then come back more prepared.
“Scales! Look! They’re trying to leave!” one of the shapes- Lattie, if Pentagon remembers correctly -calls out.
Pentagon has the foresight to immediately dive to the ground, narrowly avoiding attacks from both Scales and Lattie. Pentagon gets up quickly and starts to run away.
They don’t get very far. Almost instantly, they crash into someone.
Oh. There’s a third one.
Before Pentagon can get out of the way, the third shape summons a large block of corruption, and brings it down right onto Pentagon. They crumple to the ground, dropping the sketchbook they were so tightly holding onto.
“Are they out?” Lattie asks, scampering over to the third and final pink triangle. They crouch down, poking Pentagon with a claw. They don’t react or seem to be awake.
“Looks like it,” Scales says, walking over. “Nice job, Iso.”
Iso shrugs, and then picks up Pentagon. “They were caught off guard. I didn’t do anything special.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here before someone else hears us,” Scales says next, starting to lead the other two away.
With that, the three pink triangles walk off into the woods, vanishing into the night.