Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
I remember ... My vision had gone dark. I knew I wasn’t dreaming, I had settled down for the night, just like everyone else, and yet, I was no longer sleeping… That’s when I woke up. It took me a moment to realize… I was lying on the ground. My eyes opened slowly. I was lying on white sand.
I immediately knew I was no longer where I should be. Back in the house with everyone else who had also settled in their own beds, dreaming away. But this wasn’t a dream. It couldn’t be.
My body struggled as I brought myself on my feet. I was startled at my surroundings. The white sand beneath me spread for miles to… however big this unknown place was. In the distance, I spotted some cactus. They appeared odd, but I couldn’t make out their details from where I stood. The sky… was empty and dark, void of any light, stars, moon, or any life at all.
Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but a variety of a black and white palette… No … it was a complete lack of color, shade, everything. Everything seemed lifeless, empty, and depressing.
‘Where was I?’
Looking down at myself was a simple mindless action in that moment, but I suddenly froze at what I saw. My appearance… changed. My body became lankier than my original model, shinier, and bulky. My finger tips had claws, painted in a bright blue. The rest of me was a mix of a lighter orange, black, neon blue, and red. Two stars were arranged down my chest, big bright red shoulder pads on each side of me, and spike bracelets wrapped around both of my forearms.
My appearance reminded me of the 80s… A fun era for children and adults alike. What a time to be alive in those days… Brings back memories…
I stood in place, and wondered to myself. ‘Why do I look like this? Where am I? What’s going on… ?’ Question after question overwhelmed my head, questions I didn’t have the answers to yet.
Suddenly, I heard a muffled groan behind me. I turned around, and my eyes widened.
“Bendy…?”
I bent down and gently shook him.
“Bendy… Bendy wake up…” His eyes steadily opened, then looked up at me. “F… Fred…?” Bendy paused. His eyes silently scanned my new appearance, and I did the same for him.
His style had changed from a simple bow and shiny black shoes to a cool colored appearance. His colors were no longer an aged yellow and black, but a lightly tinted yet dull blue, a lighter black that was almost gray, and other colors of blues and navy. Every piece of clothing combined together gave off the impression of a knight, mixed with an old fashion tailored suit.
“That… really you?” He asked me, lifting his head from the sand. The look on his face held confusion, yet amazement for my new look. The demon silently took in every aspect, from my feet to my small hat on my head, wrapped with a red ribbon. I nodded to his recent question, and offered him a hand.
“Now who else who I be if I wasn’t?” I said, the demon’s smile returned, letting out a small laugh.
He took my hand, and slowly stood on his feet. His eyes widened in bewilderment when he finally realized the place he had woken up in.
“Fred, where are we…?” The demon looked up at me for answers. I kept my composure, despite not knowing anything myself.
“I can’t say for sure, but it looks like we have found ourselves somewhere unusual.”
“But… we were sleepin’… How’d this happen? All of us went’ta bed last night! How did we end up here!? And… where is here !? What’s goin’ on!? Why do we look like this!? Did somethin’ else happen last night and I can’t remember!?”
Bendy continued to ramble to himself, his panic slowly rising more and more. He started becoming frantic, and I could visibly tell his breathing had picked up at a quicker speed. That sure wasn’t good… The last thing we both needed was for Bendy to go into another full panic mode.
I placed a hand on shoulder. He flinched, and his rambling abruptly stopped.
“All this worrying won’t get us anywhere. There will be a way back, even if it takes us all night or longer. We’ll get home somehow.” I reassured him, watching his breathing slow down slightly. “Remember, deep breath in, and deep breath out…” He obeyed, placing a hand over his chest. His body eased with every exhale, chest rising then slowly falling. Moments passed and the demon was breathing at a calmer speed again.
“Feeling better?” I asked. He nodded.
“Thanks, Fred…” Bendy smiled at me, then intensely faltered when his eyes landed back on the black and white world around us. “But seriously, where are we right now?” I patted his back. “I’m not sure, but we should start moving.” “To where exactly? Seems there’s no end’ta this place.” “Avoid thinking like that, we need positivity in a time like this, don’t you think?”
Hesitantly, he nodded in return. “Alright… Ya right… So, which way we heading?” The demon asks. We glanced in both directions, and agreed to walk towards the right.
We walked in silence, examining our unusual surroundings. We walked by the cactus similar to the ones I’ve seen in the distance. I got a better look at the plant. It was made different, untidy fabrics that aged with time. Its needles were replaced with various sewing needles and pins that were rusted. They almost reminded me of Hat Kid’s pin cushions for her sewing. She enjoys knitting most of the time, but there are other times where she hand-sews.
“So uh, Fred… Whatcha think this place is anyways?” Bendy asked in a more calmer, and curious tone.
I shrugged. “For all we know, someone would have been responsible for us being here.” More of my thoughts were spoking out loud, but it could have been true. Someone might have brought us to this place for a reason. But why us? Why here? And for what reason? Bendy gave me a smile, most likely trying to ease the mood for both of our sakes. “Ya know… For a moment, I’d liked’ta imagine we on some sort of hidden movie set.”
“Wouldn’t that be hilarious...” I replied in a less enthusiastic tone than the demon. “We could only hope their intentions for doing something like that are reasonable. Bringing us to a place such as this, then secretly recording our every move and conversations, in a place they would never suspect us to look…”
My response made the demon look around, feeling unsettled.
“Alright, now ya freakin’ me out.”
“You brought the idea up first.” I smirked, enjoying Bendy’s reaction. “Yeah, but I wasn’t gonna think ya would say all of that!”
“I’m sure we’ll be okay. I have a feeling this place might have other reasons for us being here.”
“That kinda didn’t help, Fred.”
I chuckled. You would think a demon like Bendy would be the one enjoying making others on edge, scaring them, or intend to do bad things for their own benefit. But that wasn’t Bendy. Yes, there are times where he liked pulling pranks, sometimes with Cuphead, but they were harmless and usually always ended with a good laugh, or an annoyed glare.
Bendy was not your “typical demon.” He’s never forced anyone to make a deal with him, as most people would assume lots of demons to do. He never once attempted to hurt anyone, and he’s even scared of dark places. Luckily, as much as this place is eerie and dim, he no longer felt the need to worry with me by his side. He wasn’t alone, and I can tell he was grateful for that.
If anything, I was likely the one to make others feel uncomfortable. I remember the times I’ve creeped out a reasonable amount of residents in our home with the stories I would come up with during stormy nights. Sometimes, they weren’t able to sleep properly for a few days. I know Kris was the second person to successfully scare others, but I had heard from Mae they wouldn’t do that as much anymore.
“How far ya think this desert goes on for?” Bendy asked. I pondered at the question, “Let’s hope not as long as we both think. I don’t want to believe in the possibility we’ll—“
“Bendy!! Freddy!! Over here!!”
A voice in the distance stopped me mid sentence. Meeting our gaze… was Cuphead, smiling wide and waving at us. Beside him was his brother, Mugman, who appeared less excited than his brother.
“… Run in’ta Cuphead and Mugman out of nowhere?” The demon finished my sentence with his own words, watching the brothers quickly head our way. We stood shocked. They’re here too!? But why…?
Once they approached us, Cuphead’s brows flew up. “Whoa gee Fred! Did’tcha worked out or somethin’!?” Cuphead questioned, taken aback by my new appearance. He didn’t seem as worried or confused about the situation, he was just as carefree and bright as ever. Mugman on the other hand… he looked more stressed and disoriented about all of this than Bendy was.
“WHERE ARE WE!!?” Mugman shrieked, his voice echoing through out the empty desert. “Mugsy calm down! I told you, it’s gonna be okay!” His brother assured him.
“Cuphead, don’tcha see we have a problem here!? One moment we’re sleeping in our beds, the next, we wake up in a place where there’s nothing but sand and cactus!! How could any of us be calm at a time like this!?” Cuphead frowned. “Well, at least we’re not the only ones here! We found Freddy and Bendy, didn’t we?”
“But that doesn’t help with the real issue! What are we going to do!? We’re stuck in the middle of an unknown location with no other sign of life around for miles! Now try and calm me down about that fact with an explanation!!”
“How should I explain what’s going on!? I don’t even know where we are right now! But at least I haven’t been you! You’ve been freaking out the moment we woke up!”
“WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE—!!”
“Wait wait!” Bendy put his hands up, interrupting the argument. “Maybe we should think why the four of us are here in the first place. Me and Fred thought we were the only ones, but ya both here too…”
Cuphead shrugged. “I haven’t got the slightest clue why we’re here ourselves, but we sure do look pretty awesome!”
Mugman sighs, he took a moment to breathe, resetting his mind and rubbing a hand over his forehead. He looked down at his fancy blue attire, along with his brother’s new purple look, then glanced at me and Bendy. “I guess I’ll admit… we do look really cool.” Mugman said, working up a small smile.
Cuphead grinned at his brother’s more positive remark.
“I know right!? But now, I do think we should think of a way to get out of here. Any ideas on how we got here, or what this place is?” We explained to the brothers that we didn’t, we told them when me and Bendy had just woken up. Cuphead begins to think.
“Maybe we should remember what were we going last night first! That could help us figure out what’s going on!”
“We were watching tv on the couch, weren’t we?” I asked, recalling the night’s previous events. “Everyone was together in the living room. We tried to pick a movie all of us would enjoy, but we couldn’t find one. Then we decided to watch more episodes of Playtime ‘N Friends for… about two hours, am I correct?” Bendy nodded, crossing his arms. “Then we all hit the hay after that...” “Yeah that’s right! We all went to sleep, and then woke up here!” Cuphead exclaimed.
Mugman suddenly snapped his fingers. “That’s it! We must be dreaming!” He leans his shoulder closer to his brother. “Cuphead, hit me!” The brother did what was requested, throwing a hard punch at Mugman’s arm. “OW! Cuphead what the heck!?” “You said to hit you!” “Not THAT hard!”
“None of us… can’t be dreaming.” I explained to the toons, their attention shifting towards me. “How would it be possible for the four of us to dream the same thing, at the same time?” “But… that’s possible somehow, ain’t it?” Bendy asked. “Not as likely as you think… It feels too real to call this a dream, wouldn’t you agree?” I replied. The toons silently pondered to themselves. By the look on their faces, I could tell they all were slowly accepting this fact. “So if we’re not dreaming then…” Cuphead’s words trailed off.
He suddenly gasped, an excited smile spread across his face.
“We could be in another world!” The rest of us froze, staring at him like he had a third eye.
“… Ya takin’ crazy! What makes ya so sure about that?” Bendy asked, almost dementedly. Seemed he didn’t want to believe in a crazy idea like that just yet. But most likely, I didn’t either.
“I know it sounds far fetched, but hear me out! What other place do you know of that looks as colorless and sad as this? And what’s up with the sky? Don’t you think that’s extra weird?” Cuphead’s words were proud yet curious, his face and body held confidence.
“There ain’t no way we would be in some kind of cave because, look around! It’s way too big’ta make it seem like some underground tunnel, or some other secluded place for the moon, sun, and even the stars’ ta not shine! And just look at ourselfs! How else would we have changed to look like how we are now?”
It all almost seemed… likely , the more I thought about it. The more we all thought about it. Was it true…? If it was… the first question would be how have we’ve gotten here? None of us remember a thing that would help us determine this, or where we might be. Unfortunately, it’s seemed to be a question that will be answered later. And all of us knew that.
“… Ya know… I just thought of something else.” Cuphead reluctantly spoke up after thinking some more. “What if everyone else is here too!?”
All of us paused.
“What makes you think everyone will be!?” Mugman exclaimed. “Where would they be? What if you’re wrong and there’s nothing here but desert? What if there’s no end to this place!? How would we find everyone if they were here!?”
Cuphead’s idea made Mugman’s panic resurface. I quickly tried to once again, reassure him.
“I wouldn’t think too hard about it. Eventually, everything will have an end… just like all things in life.” I quietly muttered the last part to myself.
“Yeah Mugsy, ya gotta think positive! Maybe they ain’t far from us! Afterall, we did find Fred and Bendy pretty fast from the moment we woke up! So what’s stopping us from finding everyone else sooner than ya think?” Cuphead said to Mugman, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “And even if we realized they not actually here, we’ll still find away outta this creepy desert!”
Again, Mugman sighed, gently slipping Cuphead’s arm off of him. “Oh alright… What do we do now?” “We just keep walkin’.” Bendy shrugged. “It’s the only thin’ we can do, least right now.”
And so we did. We walked in silence for minutes, none of us speaking a word to each other. Instead, we continued to survey the unsettling scenery. If I were honest, the silence was becoming a little overwhelming, not even the sound of wind blowing the white sand could be heard, so Cuphead decided to say something.
“Ya know Mugs, I realized you haven’t been that worked up since we met Bendy for the first time.” The cup mentioned, more to both toons than just Mugman. Being the unique demon Bendy was, there were still times where it’s not easy to live among others.
In the past, Cuphead and Mugman dealt with demons who weren’t compassionate or friendly as Bendy. I don’t know the details, but I heard it was a very unpleasant experience, so much so that meeting Bendy resurfaced the traumatizing fear on the horned creatures.
Cuphead has always been the adventurous, curious, and reckless older brother. It’s what gotten him and his brother in trouble a decent amount of times. Cuphead wasn’t one to sit around and wait, nor was he scared to face challenges head on, looking before leaping as some would describe him. Mugman on the other hand, was known as the younger hesitated, responsible, and more “mature” brother. Often, he’ll think too hard about decisions, or things that feel concerning to him— Like Bendy at first.
Cuphead was the first to open himself up to Bendy. It wasn’t long for both of them to find enjoyment in each other’s company. Of course, Mugman wasn’t easy to give in, keeping his suspicions, staying on his toes, and trying desperately to convince his brother that Bendy couldn’t be trusted. But Cuphead didn’t want to believe him… and he was right about trusting his new friend. Even so, he understood Mugman’s worries. After everything they had both gone through, it was understandable. But overtime, both brothers had gained Bendy’s trust, and became more open with each other. That was possibly the first time Bendy had felt welcomed.
Bendy had finally spoken to me about how less confident he used to be, and his hard life before the house. He told me, as well as the brothers, that he had been created to bring joy to children everywhere. His creator, Joey Drew, was a man who stride for greatness and success. He ran his own animation studio called “Joey Drew Studios” for a good amount of time before it became abandoned.
Before Bendy, the studio conducted cartoons about the little devil himself, and he was known to be quite popular for his time. Until one day, Joey began creating life, using books describing the unknown, rituals, theories about the other side, and dangerous practices that have been long forgotten.
He started small, creating objects he could hold in his hands. From an ink bottle, cards, tape recorders, gears, and even small weapons. He then moved onto bigger things like furniture. Then one day, he had an idea that would changed him and his company forever. Joey had been creating many things from the “Ink Machine,” a giant machine he made to use and bring just about everything to life with ink. As bitter as the man was, Joey believed he’d create the impossible. He decided to create a living being. He decided, to create Bendy.
However… it didn’t go as planned. Bendy wasn’t Joey’s greatest, and perfect creation that the man had envisioned. The demon was viewed as a menace in Joey’s eyes. His very first appearance looked beastly, confused, and horrific to Joey. Bendy was deemed a failure, until Joey could fix what went wrong.
At that moment, Bendy didn’t want to explain his story any further for the time being. He broke down in tears at the dinner table. To his relief however, he had spoken to us late at night, so no one could disturb us. I remember one other thing he told me. He said he was scared to change back into any large, horrifying forms he has before . He told me he didn’t want to hurt anybody again , and not to be feared by others anymore . All he wanted, was to feel loved and accepted for who he is.
My thoughts abruptly stopped, hearing Cuphead gasp loudly. He pulled Bendy and Mugman closer, eagerly pointing to what had caught his attention.
“GUYS LOOK! DO YA SEE THAT!?” He couldn’t contain the joy he felt. Turning my gaze from the three, I saw it too.
In the distance, was an old, rundown village. Abandoned and colorless, just like this desert.
“We… found something.” Mugman commented in disbelief. Bendy’s smile grew with hope.
“Ya think anyone could be living there?”
“Let’s go find out! Race ya!” Cuphead let go of the two and without hesitation, he sprinted towards the houses.
“CUPHEAD!!” Mugman called out to his brother. He scoffed, knowing he wasn’t going to listen.
Soon enough, we followed close behind, heading into the mysterious, and lonely town.
Chapter 2: Reunion
Summary:
Freddy, Bendy, Cuphead and Mugman stumble across an abandoned town, not knowing they would be finding something VERY unexpected.
Chapter Text
Freddy’s Pov
The town’s empty setting was eerie. The lay out reminded me of an old western town, seen in movies on television. The signs were almost illegible, the wood was withered and slowly crumbling. This place must have been abandoned for a long time.
“Hello?” Cuphead called out, his voice echoed. “Is anyone here?” There was nothing, but silence.
“What the heck ya doin’!? Someone could still be here, and ya just givin’ yaself up like that!?” Bendy scolded Cuphead, coming up beside him.
“Re-lax! You’re acting like there’s some dangerous threat in this old dump! I was just seein’ if there were at least a few remaining residents still around!”
“We could look around, if you want.” I suggested. Mugman’s eyes observed the row of colorless buildings on both sides. “Guess… there isn’t any harm looking.” He replied.
Just then, we heard footsteps. The four of us suddenly froze, our eyes shot towards the sound. Being caught off guard from the sudden noise, and unknown presence, it forced ourselves to stay silent. The fragile wood creaked under the stranger’s hesitant feet as they walked out of a nearby building. The person finally came into view.
Our eyes widen in disbelief, and so did the familiar girl.
Hat Kid gasped.
“You guys are here!! We thought we were the only ones!!” She said, squealing with joy. There was a silent pause between us.
“Wait wait wait… Did you say… “we?” As in… everyone else!?” Cuphead asked, desperate to find out if his suspicions from earlier were true. In response, the girl smiled and nodded her head.
Her new attire was striking. Her skin, hair, and outfit consisted colors of bright green, navy and yellow. The only thing that has not changed was her big, proud top hat. I remember the day she had suggested that her and I switched hats for a day. Compared to her’s of course, my top hat has always been two times as small.
“Follow me! You need to see this!!” The young girl gestured for us to follow, before eagerly running back into the building she had come out from.
Still shocked by the situation, we followed her inside the dim, worn down building. The wood creaked under our weight, making it seem more unsettling. Dust from the interior of the structure overwhelmed Cuphead, Bendy, and Mugman’s nose and eyes, causing them to cough and wipe away the particles as we walked further in.
“Guys!! You won’t believe who I found!!” Hat Kid exclaimed, jumping with excitement throughout the building as she announced our arrival. The toon’s coughing subsided, and our eyes widen in shock once again. Cuphead… was right.
Walking through the different rooms, the four of us saw everyone else searching through different dressers, bookshelves, furniture, and other various things. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. The interior seemed like an ordinary family home, besides the lack of color. I passed the stairs that lead to the second floor, however, the state of them were ruined to the point where they weren’t easy to access the upstairs. The appearance of the stairs were completely broken down, and the second floor seemed empty and dark.
“You’re okay!” Our gazes turned to the doorway that stood beside the broken stairs. Fran poked her head out, relief written on her face as she smiled warmly. Her appearance and dress resembled something from the Alice and Wonderland stories with teaspoons of nature sprinkled into the mix.
“See! I told you they would be here too!” The four of us suddenly jumped. Spooky had popped out from the ceiling next to us, half of her body phasing through from the second floor in a victorian-like hooded cloak. The ghost girl took note of our reactions, looking in our direction with shock and aspiration.
“Did I scare you!?”
That’s right… Spooky had always been focused scaring people, but never has, at least not yet. These days, she‘s become desperate in her mission, determined to get someone to fear her. To her dismay however, I’ve been more known to do that, unintentionally sometimes.
“You surprised us more than anything.” Mugman stated.
Spooky frowned, disappointed by the response she was given.
“—Also there’s nothing upstairs! Just more junk!” The ghost announced, the rest of her body floating down to meet with the rest of us.
“Are you guys okay?” Sal asked, suddenly appearing out of the same door that Fran came through with concern clear in his voice. His outfit had bright red broken chains around his wrists and waist, a strip of various black numbers were oddly printed on the side of his neck neatly.
“BROTHER!!??” Bendy’s eyes swiftly shifted towards the kitchen. Bandit stood in disbelief, worried, and stunned expression. The puppet’s western look had changed into a clown-like costume, with the exception of his cowboy hat and boots altering into a slightly different style.
Without warning, He ran out of the room, and hoisted Bendy up, wrapping him a tight hug.
“I’m so glad ya alrigh’!” He sobbed. Bendy managed a smile through the tight embrace.
“S-Same here… C-Could ya let go? I- can’t breathe.” The demon said, struggling to form words. “Oh sorry!” Bandit apologized, setting the living cartoon character back down.
Not only was Joey Drew a bitter man that strived for perfection, he also held many secrets. One of those secrets was creating life sized puppets. Bendy had told me, Joey called it an
‘experimental faze.’
He had worked on creating a small town filled with puppets, a town he called “Showdown Valley”.
He thought this idea could work, like he has done with Bendy. However, Joey slowly drifted away from the project and never looked back. He had abandoned the makeshift town, leaving the puppets untouched, sitting lifelessly, and forgotten.
Regardless, Joey had brought Bandit back with him to the studio, and stored him away in a small closet. Bendy had come across this closet while exploring the studio under Joey’s nose one day. Curiously had lead him to open the untouched door and enter the dark, dusty room. There, he had found Bandit, limp, lifeless, and covered in cobwebs. His consciousness he once had was gone. Bendy knew the only way to be awoken again was through the research Joey had studied. A process that was almost similar to Bendy’s, but not exactly. Cartoons don’t require strings to be ‘alive,’ unlike Bandit.
Bendy had thought Joey had brought the puppet back to use for later, possibly for another experiment the man never got to. Much to Bendy’s relief, he found the worn down puppet before Joey had another thought of bringing him out by his own hands once more.
“Uh…” Madotsuki cautiously steepped out of the bathroom, her expression appearing nervous as usual. The bottom half of her face remained covered, now by an orange scarf that wrapped around her neck, in place of her pink sweater and big turtle neck. “W-Wait! You guys were here too!? W-Where were you!?” She asked.
“Middle of the desert.” Bendy replied matter-of-factly, crossing his arms—As if there was any other place for us to be when there’s nothing but miles of unsettling scenery. “Imma ‘ssumin’ the same happened’ta the rest of ya?” Different replies of agreement rang out through the living room. One by one, everyone gathered together for an unexpected reunion.
Madotsuki got Six’s attention and waved her out from searching through one of the rooms. She was a quiet girl who always made sure her hood up, obscuring her eyes completely. Her outfit had changed from a dull yellow raincoat to an almost white straight jacket, mixed with kimono-like sleeves.
Hat Kid brought in Wollof, a big furry puppet who, unlike Bandit, doesn’t need strings to function. His fur became a darker blue, contrasted with white and bright red displayed on other parts of him, such as his hands, feet, eyes and his now larger horns. Topping it all off was his police badge placed perfectly on the right side of his chest.
To my surprise, he held our Tattletail toy. It was interesting to see that the mysterious toy we recently received on our doorstep was here with us in this possible other world. I remember… it was wrapped nicely in red and white polka dot wrapping paper, topped with a bright red bow. The package it came in had an obvious 90s feel… I had never seen a toy like it before. Those toys were released after my… time…
Hat kid brought the small creature towards myself, Bendy and the cup brothers, holding it up and presenting it with pride.
“Look! Even our Tattletail changed!” A small giggle came from the toy, its ears moving from side to side with the sound of gears underneath the fake fur.
Previously, it wore shades of light and dark purple. Now, it had changed into shades of light and slightly darker pastel greens. The tuff of fur on its head was replaced with a golden star, it’s checks were rosy red, instead of a light pink, and its eyes that were a piercing light blue color, was now a candy red.
“We woke up next to this town before you got here.” Sal explained to Bendy’s previous question. “We’ve looked in very building, but didn’t find anything.”
“Or anyone else who might still be here.” Spooky added.
I nodded to their story. Strange how we were all separated when waking up in this place.
“Well it’s good thing we found you all when we did! Mugsy here was gonna have a heart attack if we couldn’t find anything else!” Cuphead said, his brother becoming flushed by the truthful statement.
“Oh! Freddy, Bendy!” Monika spoke from another nearby room, surprised to see us. Her natural warm colors had become much more saturated. Her outfit appeared similar to an archery’s dress, her boots reaching past her knees, and her eyes had become black with green pupils.
“Glad to see you the four of you are alright.” She continued with relief in her words, walking into the living room.
“It seems that most of us are here…” The girl’s eyes glances behind me and the toons.
“… Except for Kris and Mae. Did any of you—“
A loud
*SLAM*
, followed by a loud “
OW!”
was heard from the house’s doorway, causing the rest of us to look towards the direction of the sounds. Not knowing what to expect, we decided to investigate the noises.
To our surprise, Mae, Kris, and… someone new, laid on the dusty wooden floor, groaning in pain. The person looked like a white goat with small pink horns and green rounded glasses. They wore a long green robe that reached their ankles, and a long pink scarf that wrapped around their neck.
“There they are!” Cuphead exclaimed, pointing at Mae and Kris as they helped each other to their feet.
“I-I’m sorry about running into the two of you…” The goat apologized to Kris and Mae, laughing nervously to themselves. Mae struggled standing up as she dusted herself clean from the wooden floor’s uncleanliness.
“Nah It’s cool.” She said. Kris nodded as well, getting up and helping the goat in the process.
Kris wasn’t someone who enjoyed speaking a lot around people, most likely the ones who they felt most comfortable around. In other words, their silence was normal to me.
The stranger smiled, relieved Kris and Mae weren’t mad at them.
The rest of us stood quiet and confused as we watched their conversation.
The three finally noticed the rest of the group, their jaws dropped and their eyes shot open wide. The goat however, appeared the most shocked. Flabbergasted was possible a better word.
“OH MY GOD!!” Mae exclaimed. “We’re all here!!?”
“Seems that way...” Mugman replied. He couldn’t believe it himself. And to be honest, neither could I.
“And we all look badass!!” Mae continued.
“I know, right!!?” Hat Kid and Cuphead exclaimed.
“Am I uh… allowed to say that we look like we came out from a D&D campaign?” Madotsuki muttered. “I thought the same thing.” Sal replied to the girl’s quiet comment.
“Hold on! Wait a minute!” Spooky floated closer to the goat, eager to start the questions.
“Who are you ?” She pointed at them almost accusingly.
For a moment, The goat was silent, taken aback by Spooky’s demanding approach. Then they gave a bashful yet friendly smile, almost as if they felt embarrassed for making the room feel awkward. I waited patiently, but eager to know who they were just as much as everyone else.
“My apologies… I keep forgetting to introduce myself hehe…” They gave a light chuckle.
“My name is Ralsei, the Prince of Darkness, and you must be the rest of Kris’ friends?”
We all nodded.
“Wait a minute! You’re a Prince?!” Cuphead exclaimed.
Ralsei chuckled. “Yes, I’m a Prince.”
Fran walked out of the crowd, and curtsies. “It’s nice to meet you, your majesty!”
“It’s also nice to meet you, your royal essence!” Mugman said, following Fran’s polite greeting with a more dramatic bow. Hat kid and Bandit quickly took their hats off, bringing them close to her chest, and bowing their head. Adding to his mannerism , Bandit decided to go down on one knee, his head still bowed.
I wasn’t sure if I should join them or watch in amusement.
“Oh no! Please, you don’t have to bow!” The Prince quickly assured. “There’s no need to be so formal with me.
“B-But…” Mugman stuttered with disbelief. “Your royalty! You deserve to be treated with the highest respect!”
“You all are very sweet, but really… it’s okay! You can just call me Ralsei!”
Suddenly, Bendy cleared his throat loudly. The rest of us fell silent, giving him our undivided attention.
“Don’t mean’ta interrupt this conversation here… but let me remind ya that none of us still ain’t got a clue on what’s going on. Nor do we know where we are, or how we got here— And where did this… “ Prince” came from!”
No one bothered to speak out in response. Bendy glared up at Ralsei, crossing his arms again. It was clear The Prince looked uncomfortable from the cartoon’s dagger gaze.
When it comes to Bendy, there’s two ways he reacts to new things sometimes: Panic or suspicion, both on various levels, depending on what’s got his attention and the situation he’s in. In this case, being stuck in a new, unknown environment with unexpected change of appearance, and a stranger we know nothing of yet finally came crashing down on the demon at once. At this point, he no longer felt panicked, but annoyed. He wanted answers, and so did the rest of us.
Furthermore, there are also times where Bendy isn’t someone who was comfortable when it comes to new people, especially ones that give him an odd or unusual feeling. His past trauma didn’t help with his trust in others either.
All of us stood quiet, the air felt almost heavy with tension. Maybe… I should say something…
Before I had a chance to, Bandit step forward and took the demon by the shoulders, gently pulling him away. He gave an awkward smile.
“Apologies your highness. My brother can be skeptical of things he ain’t familiar with. Do ya know by any chance where we might be? Or perhaps do ya mind tellin’ us fellas how ya got here? Ya don’t seem like travel around these parts, and ya definitely didn’t arrive in this place with the rest of us since none of us don’t remember ya.”
Despite Bandit’s attempt to rephrase his brother’s concerns, Kris still a little displeased. Luckily, Ralsei noticed, placing a comforting hand on the teen’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Kris.” He said with soft smile, then turned to the rest of us.
“You’re right. I didn’t arrive with the rest of you… I’m not from where you all are.”
He took a step forward.
“I’ll explain how we found you, and where you are. You deserve an explanation.”
“… ris… Kr… Kris… Kris…!”
“Kris wake up!”
The teen gasped awake. They sat up quickly and slowly looked around, immediately realizing they weren’t in their bed, but rather somewhere different. Definitely not in the house with everyone else. Instead, they were surrounded by a colorless blank world, filled with sand and odd cactus’.
‘Back in the Dark World, aren’t I?’ Kris thought to themselves. Their suspicions were proven correct once they noticed one of the people kneeling next to them.
“Kris, are you okay?” Ralsei asked, looking concerned.
Kris didn’t respond as they wiped the sand off their face and hair. Suddenly, their gaze shifted towards the other person besides The Prince. And Kris’ eyes widened in disbelief.
“M-Mae…!? Is that you…!?” Their low, yet quiet voice raised in shock upon the cat’s appearance, as well as seeing her in the Dark World overall.
Her fur had changed from a dark blue to a clean white, her eyes were black with red pupils. Her usual clothes, consisting of a long sleeved shirt and jeans, had changed into a long dark blue poncho that reached down her knees, a hat with a light blue feather, leggings, and matching boots. The new outfit was detailed with a few diamond shapes, topped with piercings on each ear, the left side having an additional longer earring with a star attached to the end. And between her eyes, was another white diamond.
“Yep!” Mae replied, before surveying her surroundings, then sighed.
“Ok-ay! Now that you’re awake, someone start explaining where the heck we are and what’s going on!!??”
She looks up at Ralsei. “And who are you !!?”
“Oh uh..” The Prince took a moment to adjust himself before replying. How impolite of him not to tell the Lightener his name yet. “Forgive me for not introducing myself… I’m Ralsei, The Prince of Darkness. And you must be one of Kris’ friends, yes?”
“Yeah…. I’m Mae. Mae Borowski.”
Mae paused.
“Wait… The Prince of Darkness ?”
Ralsei smiled and nodded. “I know this might be a lot to take in, but I’ll explain. Right now, you’re in “The Dark Word,” a world created by pure darkness. The Dark World has one of many worlds, like this one. The Light World however, is the world you came from.“
Mae blinked once, twice. She sat there, staring at The Prince dumbly.
“… What?”
“We’re in another world, Mae.” Kris spoke up, hoping to make the brief explanation a little more sense with more… simplicity.
Mae continued to sit silently. She felt speechless. The information took a minute or so to fully register in the girl’s brain. She surveyed her surroundings again. This… she had to be dreaming right? There’s… There’s no way. She flung her arms out dramatically.
“…. But… HOW!!!?? Why!!?? What happened last night!!!?? How did we get here!!!??”
Kris sighed to themselves before attempting their best to calm the poor cat.
“I don’t have all the answers right now, but it’s going to be okay. Just trust me.”
Reluctantly, Mae lowered her arms and sighed once more. “Have you done this before?”
“Two times already. Three including now.”
“Geez. And was it always this empty?” Mae asks.
“Not usually…” Ralsei replies. “I’m sure we’ll find more things here if we keep moving.”
“But I’m still confused. How are we getting out of here!?” Mae asks.
“At the center of every Dark World, there is a large fountain, and there, it must be sealed away so you and Kris can return to your world.”
“That’s it?”
“Pretty much.” Kris replied.
“Guess it sounds easy enough— if we knew where it was.”
Ralsei gave a small smile. “That is true… Maybe we should start looking for it.” He suggests.
“Yeah, I think we should start moving.” Kris adds, standing up and dusting the sand off. “I don’t want to stay in this weird desert for any longer.”
The other two nodded, following suit as they stood up.
“Um… Kris? There’s also something I wanted to ask, if you don’t mind.”
“Yeah?”
“Where’s… Susie…?”
The teen paused.
“I… don’t think she’s with us this time.”
Kris frowned a little the realization. It’s true though. The last time they were in the “Light World,” both Kris and Mae had been in the house with everyone else. Susie obviously wasn’t there. Though, it’s too bad she wouldn’t be here to experience another crazy Dark World adventure, but what can they do? Guess it’ll just be them, Ralsei and Mae this journey, and they had no problem with that.
After all, with Mae also being here, they knew they were going to have a fun time regardless. Mae was adventurous and always up for almost anything. Some would even consider her a “troublemaker.” Mae did like crimes after all, whether it was robbing something small, beating the hell out of furniture, exploring the woods at night with no light source, or attempting to burn down a store, she was always up for it. With this in mind, Kris had high hopes of how interesting of a day this was going to be.
Ralsei nodded his head understandably once again. “I see… That’s unfortunate, but it’s alright. I’m sure she’ll be with us when you visit next time. But for now, let’s get moving.”
As they all walked, Kris listened to Ralsei’s attempts at explaining more about this world and how it works to Mae. It felt like only yesterday when The Prince had explained The Legend to them and Susie for the first time.
The Dark World. A world consumed by darkness. And at the center of the darkness, was a giant fountain. According to The Legend, three heroes will arrive to make sure it’s sealed and closed for good—even though it would only technically need Kris’ soul to seal it. If not, then basically, all hell will break loose somehow. A concept that felt only existed in fairy tales, but now they guessed they were true.
And now, these “heroes” would include someone entirely new this time.
“We were walking for about twenty minutes, and then we saw this town. So then we decided to walk to it, thinking there could be something cool here. And that’s when we saw you guys.” Mae gestures to me, Bendy, and the cup brothers. “Then Kris started to freak out ‘cuz they didn’t except any of us to end up here.”
“And then the three of you collide with the door before falling?” I asked, wondering if my suspicions of the source of the loud noise was correct. “I actually ran into them by accident, and then we all fell.” Ralsei corrected with an awkward laugh.
“So…” Cuphead spoke. “I was right! We are in another world! And the only way to get home is to find this fountain and seal it?”
“Yup!” Mae replied.
”But that still doesn’t answer the question of how we got here…” Bendy added.
Silence rang through out the room for what felt like minutes, until someone volunteered to speak.
“Maybe… we just haven’t found the reason yet.” Fran replied.
Bendy tiled his head. “Whatcha mean?”
”None of us know why we’re here, or how we got here, but maybe we’ll figure out why later on. Maybe someone sent us here for a reason.”
”But then… why us?” Mae added. “Why us of all people?”
”Maybe there’s a reason for that too. And like Fran said, we might find out why, and somebody can tell us.” Sal said.
“Uhh… So s-should we be excited about this ooorrr…???” Madotsuki asked, feeling unsure if this new information was a positive thing to look forward to. Her voice trailed off as she turned to Six who stood silently next to her. She didn’t respond, only crossed her arms, possibly unsure of what to make of the situation.
“I think we should!” Bandit perked up.
“Guess I would agree with ya, but…” Bendy’s voice trails off with uncertainty.
“Brother! There’s a new world’ta be explored! Mystery, adventure, and fun! Just think of what this world has’ta offea! First this black and white desert, and then this abandoned town!” Bandit said, trying his best to hype up his older brother.
“You think this, is good?” Mugman asked, his panic rising once more. “Who knows how big this place is! What makes you think we’ll even find the fountain to get home!? We could be here for days! Weeks!”
“No, it’ll be okay! Kris and I have never had trouble finding it. And I don’t think this time will be much different.” Ralsei assured.
“You really think so?” Hat Kid asked.
“Yes, I do.”
Spooky sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
“Alright then… That settles it.” Monika raised her voice for everyone to hear. “Our plan is to find the this Dark World’s fountain, and get home. I’m not sure how long it will take us, but we’ll get through it together! Now who’s with me?”
“I’m in.” I stated outright. My gaze traveled the room, waiting for other responses of agreement.
“So am I!” Hat Kid joined in without hesitation, the Tattletail toy still in her hands. “What about you? You ready for an adventure?” She asked the toy in an almost comedic tone, tickling its belly. It laughed in response, making the girl smile.
This was no surprise to me. Hat Kid, Cuphead, Mae, and even Bandit have always been ready to engage in anything exciting. And this was no exception.
Not a moment later, my suspicions were correct.
“I’m in too!!” Cuphead stated proudly.
“Same here!” Sal spoke up.
“I’ll be joinin’ ya’ll too!” Bandit announces to the group.
“Same over here I guess.” Spooky added.
“Only problem now is… where do we head from here?” Bendy asks.
“Kris, Ralsei, you both know more about this world than us. Do you have any ideas?” Sal asked the teens who only spoke their head.
“Well then… Guess we’re walkin’!” Bandit said.
“And that’s it?” Madotsuki asked.
“What else ya suggest? We found this abandoned town already, might as well walk around and search for something else.” Bendy replied. Cuphead rubbed his chin.
“Yeah… speaking of which… I know you guys mentioned earlier that ya didn’t find anything noteworthy. Why do you think the people who lived here decided to stay in a desert?”
”Or why they left…” Fran added.
“Maybe they were tired of living in the desert.” Spooky shrugged. “I don’t blame them for leaving, there’s nothing here to do or see, other than more desert.”
Bandit crossed his arms in disapproval. “Now don’t be that way! As someone who’s lived in a town like this, I assure ya, it ain’t that bad!”
“Was ya town this isolated?” Bendy asked with a small smirk.
“It wasn’t actually! Though it did start to feel like it after a while. But even so, it was fine and dandy I tell you!”
I smiled unknowingly at the conversation. Regardless with how fast I agreed to this journey, part of me felt slightly unnerved. Despite this however, I was relieved I wasn’t alone.
“Race you guys outside!” Cuphead shouted as he began running out the entrance of the house.
“Hey, no fair!” Bendy shouted after.
“Wait for me!” Hat Kid followed close behind.
“W-Wait!”
Ralsei stopped the trio from running to far ahead.
“I don’t even know your names!”
Cuphead poked his head back through the doorway and smiled.
“My name’s Cuphead!”
Bendy and Hat Kid followed the cartoon’s actions.
“Name’s Bendy!” He gives a friendly wave.
“And I’m Hat Kid! Oh! And this is Tattletail!” The girl holds up the toy as it smiled brightly.
Bendy suddenly points to Cuphead with a smirk. “Ya can also call this guy empty headed.”
“Hey!” Cuphead shouted. The cartoon demon quickly runs off, laughing to himself as Cuphead chases after him.
Ralsei chuckled at their shenanigans. One by one, everyone made their way out of abandoned home, introducing themselves to The Prince as they left.
“I’m Mugman, highness!” The brother bowed slightly.
“You already know me!” Mae says enthusiastically to The Prince.
“Yeah! The Trash Mammal herself!” We heard Cuphead respond loudly from outside.
Mae smiles smugly, putting her hands on her hips. “Damn right! And I’m ready to kick all the ass!” She replies loudly before running out the door.
“I’m Spooky!” The ghost pauses for a second. “—Trust me I am!” She reassures.
“Oh! Uh…! I-I’m Madotsuki or you can uh.. call me Maddy for short if you want.” She anxiously points to the girl quietly following her outside. “A-And this is Six.” The girl plays no attention to Ralsei as she follows the others outside.
“I’m Sal, it’s nice to meet you.” The boy gave a peace sign as he walked out the door.
“I’m Fran Bow, your majesty.” The girl curtsies.
“Howdy! Name’s Bandit!” The puppet waves happily with a cheery smile.
“My name is Monika.” She smiles warmly. “And this is Wollof.” He smiled and also waved.
As the last of the group exits, I make my way out, turning to the Prince.
“Freddy Fazbear.” I tip my hat politely. Ralsei smiles and nods. “It’s nice to meet you.” I smile in return, before walking out.
I caught a glimpse of Kris’ expression. They looked… worried. Really worried. My smiled turned into a frown as I made it out of the house. With everything that’s happened so far, could I blame them?
Everything we just learned has been a lot to take in, and it must stressed Kris out knowing we are new to this place and its rules. My own mind echoed on the things The Prince and the group had discussed minutes prior. I hope we find a way out.
Today might end up being one of the craziest days I’ve ever had.
Chapter 3: The Morning He Arrived…
Summary:
The gang continue their journey through the Dark World, and Freddy finds himself having flashbacks from when Tattletail first arrived in their lives.
Notes:
Hey guys! I’m back!
Sorry I was away for months, I had college to work on, and things from my personal life to get dealt with as well.
I’m aware that Deltarune Chapter 3 + 4 is out, but I have no interest right now about checking either out, nor will I put anything from there into this story (more official lore and stuff I mean.) (Also PLEASE DON’T spoil anything for me—)
I’m still going to proceed with MY version of Tenna and Mike, as well as my intended direction for the new Dark World, story, personalities, original characters I want to add to the story to expand the new Dark World’s liveliness, etc.
I REALLY LOVE the direction I wanna go for Tenna and Mike, and everything else too. I can’t wait for you guys to read it!
🐈⬛⭐️🌙🐈⬛
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Freddy’s Pov
We walked for what felt like an hour. Some chatted amongst one another about nothing out the ordinary. Things we might see here, shows they desperately need to finish watching , comments about some events back at the house, how long our “little adventure” might be, how interesting and amazing we all look in our new form. The chattering distracted me from overthinking about this desert. It definitely felt… lonely. Why would anyone want to live here? And was this all the world had to offer?
Before I could finish that thought, Hat Kid, Mae, and Cuphead’s loud cheering made me flinch.
“WE FOUND SOMETHING!!!” Hat Kid exclaimed.
“FINALLY!!” Mae loudly added.
“YAAAAAAYYY!!” Cuphead screamed.
“Guys, I love the excitement but uhh… could we keep it down a bit please?” Monika asked politely as she could, taking a step back away from their loudness.
I turned to see what had caught their eyes. In the distance not far from us… was an odd train station. Colorless and lifeless, like everything else in this place.
As we approached it, I noticed its details. On either side of the entry held proud, stone cat statues, dusty and crumbling apart from years of age. The left cat statue only had one giant eye on its face with no other facial features. The other, only had a wide, grinning smile. The station sign above read, “Southern Selestial Station.”
Underneath held a sentence neatly carved into the stone:
“There is a world you have to see,
It’s led by a leader who loves his TVs.”
Huh…
Odd….
“Do you think this station is still up and running?” Spooky asked, floating over to examine the rusty train tracks and tunnels. “Let’s hope so…” Sal replied. “I’m not sure how else we’re supposed to leave this desert if it’s not.”
“I’m sure it is. Let’s wait here and see if the train shows up.” Ralsei spoke to the rest of us.
We all stood around or sat on the dusty benches, waiting for a train that might never arrive. Regardless, we waited.
I stood next to a long string. It was strange. Despite the oddness of a string hanging here, it didn’t seem out of place. The string appeared odd, but fancy and detailed. It felt like it had some sort of significance. It reminded me of those service strings people would pull on in fancy hotels to call for service. Curious, I tugged on it twice. The sound of a bell tolled, much to my surprise. Everyone looked towards me, as I slowly, awkwardly let the string out of my grasp.
“What did ya just do?” Bendy asked.
“I pulled on this string. I’m not sure what it did.” I told the group.
If the string really was made for some sort of service, I wondered if I had alerted something. Maybe the train… I couldn’t know for sure yet.
We continued to wait some more.
I glanced over at Hat Kid, sitting on one of the dusty benches as her hand brushed through Tattletail’s fake pastel green fur. The toy reacted instantly and smiled, saying one of its many phrases.
I stared at the thing, getting lost deep in my own thoughts.
Tattletail …. A toy that mysteriously showed up on our doorstep one morning. Wrapped in neat packaging, topped with a red bow.
I remember… none of us ordered the toy, nor have we ever found out who had gifted it to us. How surprising indeed to see the toy join us in this place, along with its own changed and unique appearance.
There were a few things that caught mine, and everyone’s attention the moment we first saw it. One, according to the cup brothers the morning they had found the gift first, it had started working the moment they took it out of the box. As the instruction’s guide for the toy had stated, it will then say its name and greet you. From there, you could interact with the toy.
I wasn’t awake the moment the toy was first opened, but I heard more things from some of the others, facts that didn’t make sense to me.
I found it strange that it can eat real food, say various phrases based on its environment. It’s even scared of the dark. The toy sounded… well… not like an ordinary toy.
Even so, I wouldn’t know anything about 90s toys and technology. That was after my time…
……
“You feed it real food?” Mugs asks in disbelief as he watched Cuphead happily examine and interact with the toy. “How is that possible?” He pauses. “What does it say when you don’t feed him?” Mugs asks out of curiosity.
“Well, let’s see…” Monika fumbled through the toy manual’s pages, hoping to find an answer. She suddenly landed on a page. “It says here that “If you refuse to feed your Tattletail, it’s not going to stay quiet and will keep pestering you until you do what it asks. ” It also mentions the same thing when brushing him. ”
“So…b-basically… if you don’t give into his demands, he won’t be quiet? Like… ever?” Madotsuki asked, fiddling with her hands nervously as she sat equivalent from the other girl.
“That just sounds like you’re taking care of a child.” Cuphead said before offering the toy to his brother. “You wanna hold him Mugsy?”
Mugman pondered on the request for a moment, then gave a small, hesitant smile.
“Um.. okay?”
The toy’s empty packaging fell from Mugman’s hands and back onto the table as he grabbed the toy from Cuphead.
Mugman observed the cute toy as it stared back at the mug brother innocently with its bright blue eyes.
It felt so real…
The fake fur around Mugman’s fingers was soft, the toy’s cheeks were rosy and… kind of squishy enough to squeeze. He slowly raised his hand, and gently scratched the top of the toy’s head. In response, the Tattletail giggled softly, closing its eyes and leaning into the comfortin’ gesture. “Me loves you!” It said with its sweet, child-like voice.
Mugs smiled wide from the cuteness he was blessed to witness in front of him.
“Awww he’s adorable!” The brother practically squealed as he hugged the toy.
“W-Wait… Are we just gonna ignore the fact that he eats real food… “ Madotsuki commented. Mugs suddenly offers the toy over to the young girl, giving her a go at interacting with the small guy. Mugman sniffed, holding back his tears of happiness from falling down his cheeks.
“Take him! He’s too precious for my own good!”
The girl looked at the toy, unsure of whether to take the happy Tattletail or not as she anxiously adjusted her big turtleneck that covered half of her face. Despite the hesitantion, she slowly took it, her hands immediately engulfed in the toy’s purple fur. Her brows raised in surprise.
“Woah okay— I did not expect him to be REALLY soft!” Tattletail responded with “Me love playtime with you!” It was enough to make Madotsuki ease the nervousness that previously overwhelmed her, and slowly give into the object’s cuteness.
“Hey Monika, mind if I see that guidebook you got there?” Cuphead asked the girl. She gave him the book and began flipping through more of its contents.
“I wonder if he can do tricks!” Cups thought out loud.
“It said he loves to cuddle.” Monika replied, resting her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her palm. “It specifically said to “make sure to give plenty of cuddle time, pets, and hugs, as the Tattletail loves receiving affection from others.”
“It also says here that “once the toy is out of the box, he will say his name and greet you! Make sure to always handle with care when playing with your Tattletail!” Cuphead said as he read word for word from the guide.
Mugs suddenly paused, his mind thinking back to when they first brought him out only minutes prior. “Cuphead, did our Tattletail ever say his name? Because I don’t remember him saying it.” Cups furrowed his brow in confusion. “He did say it. His name is Tattletail, isn’t it?”
“No no, Tattletail is what he is . He was supposed to say his name once he gets out of the box, but I don’t remember him ever saying it. Do any of you remember?” Mugman asked the other two girls. “I also thought his name was Tattletail.” Madotsuki commented.
Mugman frowned. He was sure that “Tattletail” wasn’t the real name of the toy, right…? No… it can’t be. Maybe there was an answer in the guidebook. In an attempt to reach for the guidebook from his brother, Cuphead held the book closer to his chest, defensively.
“Mugsy, I think ya looking too much into this. Maybe his name is just Tattletail.” Cuphead responded with a frown of his own. “And I’m still looking through this!”
Mugman sighed, crossing his arms, leaning back in his chair. “Hmph! Maybe I am, but I’m just not convinced that’s actually his name.”
“Well, I’ve been looking through this whole thing and I haven’t seen a single mention of his “ real name” … or what he is.”
Mugs paused. “Speaking of which, what is he exactly?”
Cuphead took a glance at the small toy snuggled in Madotsuki’s arms. Monika was tickling its belly, making it giggle repeatedly. Both girls were too distracted to notice the brother’s curious stares.
“I have… no idea.” Cuphead replied.
Mugman decided to pick up the empty packaging the toy came out of once again, and finish examining its exterior. Maybe there was something on the box they all happened to miss. The package itself is quite beautiful. There was a pattern design of bows, hearts, and what appeared to something similar to Easter eggs on the strawberry red box.
On the front it read, Mugman read the fancy golden words out loud:
“Baby Talking Tattletail”
“Me loves you!”
“I really eat!”
“Brush me!”
“Baby Talking Tattletail…” Mugman muttered its name in awe. Looking next to the name, his eyes suddenly trailed next to something small, yet noticeable next to it.
“From the Hit Children’s TV Show… Playtime ‘N Friends…”
Cuphead’s interest was suddenly peaked.
“This toy is from a show?”
“Seems like it.”
Cups pondered on this fact for a moment. Sure it was a children’s show, but… the idea of knowing more about this certain show intrigued him. What’s the harm in watching something like that? It might be one of those shows that’s so good that even parents like watching it. It is a “Hit Children’s TV Show” after all.
“We should find the show and watch it!” The red cup brother excitedly suggested.
“Where would we even find the show? This toy was from the 90s, and where we are right now doesn’t seem to have old things like that… at least, not anymore. It seems to be rare around these parts, so I don’t think it’s got to be easy finding the show.”
Mugman had a point. It isn’t the 90s anymore, and no one still watches VHS tapes, at least not as often as a lot used to.
Ever since the brothers moved out of the isle with Bendy, they quickly realized that things weren’t like the home they were used to, so they had to be educated on things like tvs, video games, and internet. Definitely different times they lived in…
Regardless however, Cuphead felt determined to find it. The more he thought about the show, the more he felt excited to watch it.
“I’m sure there has to still be around somewhere! Maybe someone has a copy, or we’ll end up finding it in a video rental store! Come on, Mugsy! Aren’t you curious too?”
Mugman thought about it briefly.
“I… guess. It does sound a little interesting.”
Cuphead smiled brightly at his brother’s more or less acceptance to this mission, already eager to begin looking. Mugman decided to turn the box around, relaxing he hadn’t checked there yet.
On the back, there was a quick summary of the toy.
It read:
“Tattletail is featured as the main protagonist from the popular children’s tv show: “Playtime ‘N Friends.” The show has grown to inspired thousands of children around the world, teaching kids about problems in everyday life, and enjoying new adventures in their colorful, magical world.”
‘It seems nice enough.’ Mugman thought to himself.
“Tattletail is a fun, energetic toy that loves spending time with his friends, and exploring unknown places.
He is the newest resident of ToyBox Town.
Each Tattletail was crafted with love and care in our facility, designed to make all children smile.
He is waiting for a New Friend.
And a New Family.”
….
Mugman’s took a moment to take that last part in. “He is waiting for a New Friend. And a New Family …?”
The description seemed both compelling yet strange. The way it was worded perhaps? Something about that last sentence just made Mugman feel uneasey, though he wasn’t sure why. It seemed to sound innocent, yet something in the back of his mind told him otherwise. Something didn’t sit right with him. Not to mention the official name the box gave. Tattletail .
‘Maybe… that really is his real name afterall…’ Mugman thought, looking back at the small toy that occupied the girl’s attention. His eyes widened briefly, appalled at what had startled him. He could have sworn the toy was looking… directly at him, showing a deep, unsettling frown on its face.
…
The sound of a train whistle immediately caught the attention of everyone. We all sprung up upon watching the train roll into the station, and stop with the loud stretch of its wheels. We were all aghast. A train… arrived at this run-downed station. Or maybe this station wasn’t as abandoned as we thought.
“A train… really came…” Bandit said. “A train REALLY came!”
“We’re getting out of this depressing desert!!” Mae exclaimed with relief.
Cuphead, Hat kid, Bandit, and Mae cheered as the train’s doors opened. A welcoming invitation, giving us the opportunity to escape this grim desert.
In the end of course, we all agreed to this invite.
‘The train must have been prepared to stop here...’ I thought.
Instinctively however, I found myself looking back at the string I tugged on.
‘Or maybe I was the one who alerted the train to us…’
Notes:
I’m currently working on more in depth details about Tattletail’s Backstory in this AU.
I have three of those on AO3 already— if any of you want to read it, and/ or interested in getting a head start on the story behind Tattletail and his family 🎁🧸🚂
I also draw art of the AU on my Twitter/ Instagram too if you’re interested.
Chapter 4: What Awaits Us Ahead
Summary:
Finally on the train, the gang anxiously anticipate what they might find once they arrive at their unknown location. In the meantime, they meet a new face…
Notes:
This chapter is a LONG one, buckle up.
Chapter Text
“Hopefully we won’t end up in more desert.” Hat Kid said, uneased at the thought. She passed the Tattletail toy to Wollof, the large fluffy muppet sitting next to her before leaning her head on his big furry arm. He smiled down at the small girl, holding the cheerful toy close to his chest.
The inside of the train was fancier than any of them excepted.
The windows were crisp and clear, the lights were bright, the floor was clean, and so were the seats. There were rows upon rows of soft, comfy train seats that almost looked brand new. Each was facing forward, assigned two at a time, one side next to the window, the other next to the slim walkway.
What was possibly the most jarring detail about the interior was its color palette. Gold. Everything seemed to be a beautiful gold color, contrasting with a satisfying blue in some places. A huge contrast compared to the colorless, and isolating desert they experienced.
It made some of them wonder if they just so happened to be in riding first class.
Everyone had taken their seats, most pairing with someone beside them. Freddy found himself sitting next to Fran who didn’t mind in the slightest. The young girl looked mesmerized by the gold and blue stars that gave an additional detailed touch to the cart’s interior.
“I hope so too.” Sal replied to Hat Kid’s previous comment, sitting next to Spooky. “Any ideas on where this train is going?”
“I hope somewhere fanatical!” Bandit gushed with excitement, looking around at the cart’s beautiful details from where he sat. “By the looks of this train, I’m sure it came from somewhere just as fancy! I’ve never even been on a train before!”
“I believe that.” Spooky replied plainly, her chin resting on her palm as she gazed out the train window.
“Wherever we end up, I hope they got food. I’m starving!” Mae said.
“Same here.” Mugman replied with a sigh, who sat next to the cat in question.
Bendy looked up at his brother who he sat next to, smiling to himself as he saw how excited he was about the journey ahead. The demon then looked over directly on the other side of the walkway. There sat Kris and Ralsei, quietly conversing with each other.
“Hey Kris, got an idea on where we headin’?” Bendy asked, interrupting the two’s conversation. The human teen only shook their head in response.
“Hopefully somewhere much better than the desert.” Ralsei said, volunteering to reply with a smile.
“Who would have guessed we would end up in a place like this...” Mugman said, sounding impressed by this fact.
“And wherever we might be going.” Freddy added.
“It just makes me anxious! …W-Well, more anxious than I already am… B-But still!” Madotsuki glances next to Six for a moment, the girl seemed more focused on the passing scenery, and possibly lost in her own world again. “Like—how do we know if this new world isn’t dangerous or we stop at a place where it’s worse than this desert?”
“I understand your worries.” Monika said, joining in the conversation. “It’s scary to think about. None of us are sure what this world might have in store for us, and it’s unsettling not knowing what we’ll come across.”
“Consider this an adventure, Maddy!” Hat Kid suggested, grabbing the Tattletail from Wollof and moving the cheerful toy towards the window, allowing it to have a look at the scenery. Its stared out the window quietly, much to Hat Kid’s surprise. She expected it to give a more joyful reaction like it usually does.
It was as if it was taking everything in or something... …Or maybe it was all in her head. It could just be a miner bug in its programming after all. Still, the knowledge knowing how advanced the toy’s technology is both amazed her, and made her slightly uneasy.
“Sure it’s scary, but it’s fun too! A new destination means a new adventure!” Bandit added.
“Yeah! I’ll be fun! Besides, we’ve got each other, so I doubt we have anything to worry about!” Cuphead beamed with confidence.
Mugman however, frowned upon hearing the discussion. As a result, he sank deeper in his seat, unnerved. “That sounds easy for you to say. Maddy might have a point you know… There might be a chance we could find something great out there, but why not consider the other possibilities of some awful threat waiting for us?”
Cuphead stood up and peered over his seat, looking over to where his brother sat in front of him. He smirked at him challengingly, resting his arms on the top of Mugman’s chair.
“Awww come on Mugsy, aren’t ya feelin’ a little… dangerous? ”
Mugman’s slapped a hand over his face.
“Not this again…”
“Listen, all we gotta do is find the fountain, close it, and then we go home! How hard can it be? You’ve grown an unstoppable fearless bone ever since the dragon egg incident, so you’ll be fine!”
Mugman sighed.
“I appreciate you helping me with my confidence and overcoming some of my fears, and I see where you’re coming from, but this is different, Cuphead. We’re not even in our own world anymore!”
Much to Cuphead’s dismay, Mugman wasn’t entirely worried free from all of this, but it was understandable.
Madotsuki and Mugman were two in the group that always worried about something… and sometimes Bendy too. Luckily, Cuphead was here to give his brother more encouragement.
“I hear whatcha mean, but we gotta look on the bright side. We ain’t gonna get anywhere if we think badly about our situation. Just use your new appearance as more confidence!”
Ease dropping on their conversation, Sal decided to pitch in an idea.
”Cuphead, why don’t we ask Ralsei what he’s seen in the other Dark Worlds? Maybe that could ease Mugman’s worries a little.”
Cuphead ‘s eyes sparkled at the thought. “Sal, that’s a great idea!”
Going with the masked boy’s plan, the brother called out and waved his arm, hoping to grab the goat’s attention.
“Hey Ralsei!!” The Prince suddenly poked his head out of where he sat.
“Yes?”
“What did you and Kris see when you visited the other Dark Worlds?”
Everyone felt just as curious about the question. It was kind of hard not to hear it when Cuphead is one of the more louder people in the group. In response, everyone waited to hear an answer as Ralsei pondered on his words.
“Well… the first Dark World me and Kris explored… I remember a big forest, a castle, a King—“
“—Wait… a castle? And a King!?” Spooky suddenly commented with interest.
“THAT’S SO COOL!” Cuphead responded.
Ralsei chuckled. “It was very pretty. The trees were pink and purple, and some even had star-shaped candy in them.”
Some of the others found delight in The Prince’s description, allowing them to feel a little more hopeful and excited. Freddy found himself smiling slightly, feeling his own hopes rising as he listened to the conversation.
“My word! That sounded like a great time!” Bandit responded.
“I hope we find candy in trees where we’re going!” Hat Kid spoke.
“It taste good?” Bendy asked out of minor curiosity.
The Prince nodded. “It was sweet, but yes.”
“Imagine we find food in trees, or in other plants.” Mae thought out loud. “Like pizza! A pizza plant!”
Fran laughed. “You’re really hungry aren’t you, Mae?”
“I am! But think about it! That would cool too! Like, pizza growing on trees! And you would just go outside and grab pizza slices whenever you want to! I think I discovered a new dream of mine!”
“That does sound nice…” Mugman muttered. He didn’t want to admit it yet, but he too also felt a bit of his anxiety being lifted off his shoulders.
“What else did the other Dark Worlds have, Ralsei?” Sal asked.
“Well… In the second Dark World, it was more of a city, with a Queen, servants, and an amusement park.”
“An amusement park!!?” Cuphead exclaimed in pure shock. “Did you go on any rides!?”
Ralsei shock his head. “No unfortunately…”
“Besides that one “roller coaster ride.” Kris whispered to The Prince with air-quotes. “Remember? Queen and all of that other stuff she put us through?”
The Prince paused, his expression suddenly grimaced.
“Oh…”
The memory made both teens recall the Queen’s dreadful, obnoxious laugh. It dramatically echoed repeatedly in their heads as they both shivered with cringe.
“Alright… ya win. Ya got me curious about what we’ll find now.” Bendy spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“What about you Mugsy? Feelin’ a little better now that we asked Ralsei?” Cuphead asked.
Mugman hesitated. “I guess. Maybe… this new world won’t turn out as bad as I thought if The Prince mentioned all these amazing things in the other worlds.”
Cuphead looked satisfied with the answer.
“Why, I just thought of somethin’!” Bandit spoke up, jumping with anticipation.
“Could you imagine we find ourselves in other places like you’ve shown me on the tv, Bendy!? A beach with fresh, clear waters! Caves filled with treasure! Or another kingdom with fancy food!?”
“Speaking of which…” Bendy muttered, before asking The Prince another question. “Ralsei, you’ra Prince, yeah? Ya got a castle, or kingdom’ta rule?”
Ralsei nodded. “I do have a castle, but I don’t have many subjects at the moment.”
“I thought you said you didn’t have any.” Kris once again whispered to the Dark World Prince.
“A few things have changed since the last time you and Susie visited.” Ralsei replied with a smile. “You both should stop by again sometime.”
Feeling excited herself, Fran spoke out her thoughts to the rest of the group.
“Maybe we’ll arrive at another city.” Fran suggested. “A city has trains, right? We could be heading to one that’s as fancy and elegant as the train we’re in.”
Bendy perked up with curiosity. “The possibility of arriving in a golden city? Now that’s somethin’ I gotta see.”
“UH-HE-HE-HE! ANOTHER ADVENTURE, ADVENTURE!! HOW EXCITING, EXCITING!!”
******
Kris’ Pov
Everyone got quiet, and I sighed mentally. I knew exactly who that was.
No offense… but why now Jevil? Of all times…
“Who said that?” I heard Cuphead say. He looked around at everyone, only to realize the voice didn’t belong to anyone currently—or physically—present on the train. I leaned down towards my pocket, trying to keep my voice low as I spoke.
“Jevil, I really don’t think it’s a good time to—”
“BUT YOUNG KNIGHT! SO MANY LIGHTNERS, LIGHTNERS!” The voice of Jevil shouted in eagerness, echoing against the train’s walls. I briefly pecked my head above my seat, gazing over the sea of confused faces. Everyone was either perplexed or curious, some were both.
“MAY I PLEASE BE LET ME OUT, SO I MAY INTRODUCE MYSELF TO MORE PLAYMATES?!”
“Seriously who the heck is talking!?” Mae exclaimed.
“It sounds like it came from where Kris and Ralsei are.” Sal spoke, causing everyone to look uncomfortably in our direction.
Ralsei smiled awkwardly, and I slumped down further in my seat.
I definitely can’t stay quiet now. Thanks Jevil.
“Is that who I think it is?” Ralsei asked. I nodded. I usually feel more relaxed when I speak to one or two people I feel more comfortable with, like Ralsei, Sal, or Mae. But not so much when a large group like this has their eyes directly on me.
I felt overwhelmed. I knew Ralsei could tell. He leaned forward and whispered to me, with the idea that Jevil could probably hear him with those big pointy ears of his.
“Are you thinking of bringing him out? It’s okay if you don’t want to, Kris.” Ralsei softly said with an expression of understanding. I gave a small smile in return.
Bringing Jevil out might turn into a hassle. He’s unpredictable at times, yeah, but despite what I think, he also wasn’t one to not think before he does something drastic or “chaotic” as he would personally call it. He even “played fair” when me, Susie, and Ralsei fought him. He accepted our victory, just like that. He didn’t pull any catches, or tricks as one would think someone like him might pull. We gained his respect and he joined our party.
Maybe… just this once, it wouldn’t be too bad of an idea to introduce him to everyone. Besides, they all seem REALLY interested in him— plus I don’t think he’s gonna stop begging me until I bring him out anyways.
Taking a deep breath, I stood up and moved past Ralsei, making my way to the middle of the walkway for everyone to see better. It wasn’t easy, the moving train in the Dark World wasn’t any better than a moving train in the Light world. I ended up stumbling a bit, almost falling on my face one time.
Finally, I managed to stand in the walkway the best I could, holding onto the seats that some of the others sat in for support.
“Now what in the freshly opened box of crumby crisps are ya doin’?” Bandit asked in his western talk that I always found both weird, and hilarious.
I reached into my seemingly endless pocket and took out Jevil’s tail item, presenting it out for everyone to see. Everyone watched with curiosity.
“What is that…?” Spooky asked.
“Is that… a tail?” Freddy asked me specifically. I nodded.
“OH HO HO! YOU’RE CHOOSING TO LET ME RUN FREE, FREE?” The J-tail bounced slightly in my grasp as it spoke.
Some were taken off guard by this, and I found myself holding back a smile. Being the center of attention was not something I was used to either, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the reactions I was getting amusing.
“What the—! The tail just talked!” Cuphead exclaimed.
“So that’s where the voice was coming from.” Fran said in awe.
The further amusement made me surrender in giving a small smile, making the others more visibly confused.
“You’re going to let him out, Kris?” Ralsei asked, a bit surprised. I nodded again, taking a deep breath before placing the purple tail on the train floor, and taking a step back.
Without warning, the tail began to spin rapidly, similar to a cartoonish tornado, growing bigger and bigger, until the imp himself popped into existence. He landed gracefully on his feet, then bowed to everyone that sat on both sides of the train with a proud grin.
“THE NAME’S JEVIL! A PLEASURE TO MEET ALL OF YOU!!” He giggled.
I took a moment to observe the room again. I fully smiled to myself, feeling satisfied with the group’s baffled faces.
“OH—!” Jevil floated over to Ralsei and bowed to him while in the air. “A PLEASURE TO ALSO SEE YOU AGAIN, YOUR MAJESTY!”
Ralsei smiled politely. “It’s nice to see you too Jevil.”
“He’s a clown!!” Bandit blurted out, his eyes sparkling dramatically from the imp’s fancy attire.
“A Jester specifically.” Freddy muttered.
Jevil giggled to himself, and wasted no time in zooming around with exhilaration. He seemed incredibly curious about everyone in the room. The new diverse faces of Lightners lit a spark of fresh excitement in his mood.
Suddenly, he landed his interest on Sal, floating in front of him upside down. The teen flinched, leaning back in his chair slightly. He stared at the jester with tensed shoulders, unsure of what he might do. Jevil smiled, reaching out, and bouncing Sal’s tight pigtails in his hands.
“PIGTAILS!” He laughed. “I USED TO HAVE HAIR LIKE THIS!” Moments later, he floated back up, quickly moving onto more people.
He paused abruptly, his smile falling momentarily. His expression changed into a slight bewilderment as his big ears perked up. His attention had landed on Bendy. The cartoon demon sat just as tense as Sal, staring back at Jevil, unable to look away or move.
And then… Jevil’s smile grew. Very wide.
His gaze quickly noticed the two cup brothers, both staring at him with uncertainty and dread—especially Mugman. He sat glued to his seat, sweat dripping from the side of his face as his anxiety resurfaced. Cuphead even seemed a bit anxious, unable to react to the hyper imp’s stare. Jevil’s smile widened more, his sharp teeth becoming exposed through his large grin. His face practically lighting up.
I couldn’t tell if it was with pure interest or mischievous intentions. I hoped it wasn’t the ladder.
“IS MR. SALESMAN GOING BE TO JOIN US, YOUNG KNIGHT?” Jevil asked suddenly.
Oh yeah… Spamton.
I sigh internally. I’m not even sure if I’m ready to introduce Spamton to the gang yet.
I think my internal uneasiness was obvious. Ralsei managed to notice my discomfort, and decided to speak up for me.
“Um… Well, that decision is up to Kris.” He took another look at me, waiting for an answer. However, it seemed he already knew what that was, judging by how nervous I still looked. Ralsei gave me a reassuring smile, as if telling me “I got this, don’t worry.”
“Jevil, does Spamton seem alright with introducing himself as well? You were with him, yes? In Kris’ pocket.”
The jester shrugged. “OH DEAR. I WOULD’NT KNOW. HE HASN’T SPOKEN A SINGLE WORD TO ME SINCE THE TWO LIGHTNERS LEFT.”
Ralsei was surprised upon hearing this. I gave Jevil my own questionable look.
The imp floated over, and sat on top of Fran’s chair, crossing his leg over the other, getting himself into a more comfortable position.
“IT’S TRUE, TRUE! HE’S BEEN AWFULLY QUIET SINCE YOU LEFT!” Jevil stated. “HE WOULDN’T EVEN SPEAK TO LITTLE O’L ME, ME!”
That’s weird…
Yeah, Spamton became even more depressed after the last time we saw him, especially with everything that happened… but he would still interact with others… I think.
I just find it strange. I was away for a couple of months, and he hasn’t talked to Jevil, or Lancer, or Roxuls— Actually, I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to talk to that guy.
“That… can’t be true, right? How could he have not talked to you all this time?” Ralsei questioned.
“WELL… I TIRED NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET HIS ATTENTION, TO SAY HI, BUT ALL HE DID WAS RUN AND HIDE. HOW RUDE, RUDE!”
“But… why would he do that?”
“I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWER, YOUR MAJESTY. BUT I SUPPOSE THAT WILL REMAIN A MYSTERY FOR NOW…” The imp’s voice trailed off, but continued seconds later. “THOUGH I WOULD’NT FIND IT TOO SURPRISING. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN STUBBORN, STUBBORN.” Jevil chuckled.
To be honest… he’s kind of right about that.
“Um pardon me…”
Everyone shifted their attention towards Bandit who volunteered to speak up after a while of silence.
“If ya don’t mind me askin’… Who would this Spamton be? Just curious is all.”
“He an another person from ya pocket I’m assumin’?” Bendy reluctantly added.
I nodded. In the back of my head though, there was another obvious reason, other than his semi advertising hijinks…
“He’s actually a puppet! Like you and Wollof!” Ralsei replied enthusiastically. It sounded like he wanted everyone, specifically Bandit and Wollof, to be excited about this. They both are puppets afterall. And that was the problem.
I immediately shot Ralsei a “What the hell!!?” look. He was taken aback by my reaction, furrowing his brows in confusion about why I was upset by him sharing this seemingly harmless information.
Bandit and Wollof are the only two… puppets in our group. Both are nice and friendly, yeah… but the real thing I’m worried about… are Bandit’s visible strings. Strings that reach above his head, and fading abruptly towards its end. Strings that gave Spamton ptsd flashbacks… And a bit of mine too…
I can’t even begin to imagine how Spamton would react to seeing Bandit.
Regardless, Ralsei got his wish as Bandit gasped loudly, clearly shocked. “My golly goodness!! I very much look forward to meeting him soon!!” The puppet squealed excitedly. Wollof’s eyes widened from this new fact. He also seemed very interested.
Just great…
I can’t do anything about that now…
“Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, Jevil?” Monika suggested.
Jevil laughed. “CURIOUS ABOUT ME? I FEEL MORE OF MY CURIOSITY LEANING TOWARDS ALL OF YOU!” His eyes briefly landed on Bendy, and then Cuphead and Mugman. “WHAT IS IT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW?”
“You look like a clown! Do you know any funny jokes? Or maybe some fun tricks?” Fran asked with a bright smile.
It’s not often Fran looked visible scared or nervous, but more curious or in-distress. I’m not surprised she would be the first to start asking questions for someone as half crazy as Jevil.
“THAT WOULD BE FORMER JESTER TO YOU! BUT YES! I WOULD PERFORM FOR THE KING, AND HIS SUBJECTS! A SHOW IS WHAT THEY REQUEST, A GOOD TIME IS WHAT THEY DEMAND! TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THEY WOULD SMILE, SMILE! WHAT WONDERFUL TIMES THEY WERE!”
“So you worked for The King? Is it the same King from the first Dark World Ralsei mentioned?”
“VERY MUCH SO, LITTLE GIRL. THE COURT JESTER I WAS FOR YEARS. A ROLE I NEVER THOUGHT I’D PLAY. BUT FATE HAD LEAD ME TO THE CASTLE OF THE MIGHTY KING, YES INDEED.”
The imp took a second to view everyone in the cart with a smile.
“NOW FATE HAS TAKEN ME THE HAND, AWAY FROM MY LOVELY FREEDOM TO MEET ALL OF YOU!”
I hope to god none of question the “freedom” he’s talking about…
“What are you?” Hat Kid asked. “You came out as a tail, and then you transformed!”
Jevil giggled.
“WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I? YOU LIGHTNERS ARE BUT MERELY RULERS TO US DARKNERS! * WE * ARE BUT OBJECTS, TOYS FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, NEEDS, DESIRES! IN THE END, WE ARE ONLY LOYAL TO YOUR WISHES, WISHES! FREEDOM IS FOREVER OUT OF OUR GRASP, BUT I HAD EXPERIENCED IT! AND HOW LUCKLY I WAS TO FINALLY EMBRACE THE CHAOS, CHAOS!”
The room kind of just went quiet for a minute. They all seemed a bit weirded out, not knowing how to feel. Again, I wasn’t really surprised… They would just have to get used to Jevil’s riddles, and cryptic speaking.
Bendy looked back his brother, both visually having a mix of confusion and concern. Freddy raised an eyebrow, and Fran looked like she had a hard time knowing what Jevil had meant, much like everyone else here.
However, this gave me time to stupidly realize… I should probably go sit down now—instead of continuing to stand in the isle like an idiot.
As I began carefully maneuvering my way back to my seat, something outside the window caught my attention. My eyes widen.
Being the closest to where I currently stood, I tapped Bendy, grabbing his attention. I then pointed to the window next to Bandit, not taking my eyes off what I saw.
Bendy’s shocked face reflected mine. “What the—!”
The others, one by one, took notice of Bendy’s reaction, causing them to look up and gaze out the clear window.
We ALL scrambled to the window, our bodies practically squished together by the large amount of people there were, myself and Jevil included. Some places their hands on the glass, some titled their heads in fascination, others mouths were agape.
One thing we all had in common was how focused we were on the very bright view before us.
It was a city.
A giant, bustling, bright, golden city, with skyscrapers, and buildings of various kind. From the window, the city appeared… old fashion? We could already see how glamorous and beautiful everything looked. The cars looked similar to the ones from the 50s or 60s, as well as the streets, style of the signs, the shape of the buildings, basically everything. Without a doubt, the city was much bigger than Queen’s.
And in the very, very far distance, was the fountain, rising up into the seemingly, endless darkness above with its mysterious blue hue.
This… this was our next Dark World to explore? Talk about an upgrade to Cyber City… geez.
Whoever made this place likes things to be extra.
“My word…” Bandit spoke in complete awe.
“Woah…” Mae spoke with a similar tone.
“What a city…” Mugman added.
“It’s beautiful…” Ralsei spoke.
The train suddenly screeched to a halt, causing us to slightly tumble over one another from the sudden stop of the cart.
We had finally arrived at our destination.
“You have arrived at Starlight Metropolis.”
The speakers above spoke.
“ Have a very pleasant day.”
Anunfamiliarname on Chapter 1 Mon 03 Mar 2025 06:20AM UTC
Comment Actions
Sarah4AMEN on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Jul 2025 02:25AM UTC
Comment Actions
purplechaos23 on Chapter 1 Tue 04 Mar 2025 05:10AM UTC
Comment Actions
K.K (Guest) on Chapter 1 Fri 23 May 2025 10:37AM UTC
Comment Actions
Poke_Maxdt on Chapter 1 Tue 10 Jun 2025 01:35PM UTC
Comment Actions
Sarah4AMEN on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Jul 2025 02:24AM UTC
Comment Actions
Niko (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jul 2025 11:21PM UTC
Comment Actions
Account Deleted on Chapter 3 Mon 21 Jul 2025 07:03PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 21 Jul 2025 07:03PM UTC
Comment Actions
Poke_Maxdt on Chapter 4 Sun 20 Jul 2025 02:20AM UTC
Comment Actions
DanganMachin (Guest) on Chapter 4 Sat 26 Jul 2025 10:00PM UTC
Comment Actions