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Chapter Text

"Sun and Moon..."

That nasty voice kept spinning in Moon's head over and over and... over. It wasn't long after Eclipse returned. But it was enough for Moon to have already made a couple of conclusions. Who, who could be responsible for the return of their worst enemy? The enemy who made them suffer, tormented, tortured, slowly broke them from the inside?

There was only one person here. The one who caused distrust by his appearance. Someone who shared his name with Eclipse for a while. Who's been so quiet lately. It's convenient to pretend that you're nice when no one is really watching you, isn't it? And it's probably convenient to do something forbidden when you're far away from the rest and putting a fake smile on your face.

"I swear, when I see him, I'll...!" the programmer said angrily through his teeth, walking briskly towards the Fazcade.

"Don't jump to conclusions. I still don't rule out the possibility that it could have been someone else." Solar said, following his colleague.

"Who? Don't make me laugh! Maybe you say that it was a cunning plan of the Creator?!" Moon growled, approaching the familiar room. The one where he once tricked Ruin into locking him up during their "game" of karaoke. "Ruin!"

The animatronic startled by surprise, immediately pulled away from the computer screen, quickly clicking something there.

"Oh, Moon, Solar, what a pleasant surprise!" His voice sounded agitated. "It's beautiful outside, isn't it? Did you want something?" He nervously rubbed his palms against his own body.

"Yes, it's just great. By the way, what are you doing now?" Moon chuckled darkly, striding over to the computer and looking into it.

"Oh, nothing special, just ordered the missing spare parts for broken machines, nothing more" Ruin waved his hand. "You know, there's a limited time to pay for the order, so could you..." he tried to stop Moon from digging into the computer, but he sharply slapped him on the back the hand.

"You're not going to use this computer until I figure something out."

Moon stared intently at the monitor. It really looked like Ruin was going to order some spare parts. So why is he like that… Nervous?.. Something was obviously going on. The programmer scrolled through the browser history, other tabs, whatever. Where, where is at least a hint…

Wait a minute…

Moon knew exactly what the desktop of any computer in a pizzaplex looked like. And this one… Is it his imagination, or is this white interface strip at the bottom too wide?..

"Moon, I don't understand what's going on, you're scaring me." Ruin said, looking at what the animatronic was doing with bated breath. Not here…

Pulling on the interface, Moon opened his eyes wide when he saw the second monitor, on which hung a tab with a record log. Records of the location of the only one copy of the Eclipse code. There was also an instruction on what to do so that the code, body and voice were successfully synchronized. Synchronized in the Eclipse. Moon looked up at Ruin with a murderous gaze. After that, he slowly got up from the table, clenching his fist.

"You have only one attempt to answer my question." he said slowly. "Is this yours?" The programmer pointed to the record log.

Ruin realized that he had been caught. It was pointless to dodge and lie, so he dropped his hands weakly.

"Yes."

There was a loud bang of iron on concrete. Moon pressed Ruin into the wall.

"SO IT WAS YOU?!" Moon clenched his fingers on the thin metal neck with special fury, lifting the Ruin high above the ground.

"Ngh, l-let, me-, tell-, ngh..." he answered brokenly, helplessly swinging his legs in the air in an attempt to find support. Due to the difference in height and strength, he could not resist, only clinging to other people's hands to loosen his grip.

"Moon, you're overdoing it." Solar growled, crossing his arms over his chest. He was on edge too. He was also very, very angry that he was being used as a damn "model" in order to resurrect Eclipse. But now Moon was really overdoing it with aggression.

"I don't care, I'm going to squeeze his neck until it breaks and this fucking psycho dies to hell!" Moon shouted, without even turning to the interlocutor.

"Moon, I'm warning you..."

"I don't care! That piece of shit came back because of him! The only thing I fixed turned out to be a problem again! Isn't it wonderful, huh, Ruin? Have you achieved what you wanted?! Did you want me to not hold back my emotions? So get it, get it to the fullest, you, fucking masochist-"

"That's enough." Solar, approaching them a couple of steps away, abruptly pushed the Moon away, standing between them. Moon clenched his fists, watching Ruin, coughing, slide down the wall, trying to come to his senses and gulping for air.

"I won't let him stay alive. I'll kill him." the programmer growled.

"You didn't give him a chance to say a word, but you immediately attacked him. I know he brought Eclipse back, he copied my data, but don't you want to hear why he did it? If you kill him, you won't get an answer to any of your questions."

"Yes, I don't need answers! I can do it without his loud and eloquent words! Just let me get it over with!"

"No. You're not yourself, again. Try to take a step towards him and I promise I will take the necessary measures. Chill out. You can't make decisions based on emotions." Solar turned to Ruin, who was staring at them in fright... He... He didn't look like someone who could coolly bring back to life the main enemy of them. Them, which he almost considers family.

"Thank you, Solar." Ruin coughed. Leaning his hands on the floor, he tried to stand up, but his legs quickly gave way, and he had no choice, just to continue sitting on the floor, bending his knees towards himself and clasping them with his palms.

"Why did you bring Eclipse back?" Solar asked coolly, watching the Moon out of the corner of his eye.

"I didn't mean to, I swear! Me... I was forced." he replied in a frightened and very quiet voice, staring at the floor.

"Recently... A strange little robot came to visit me... He looked like an artist mannequin, and at first I didn't even pay attention to it. He said something about the stars, Lunar, and.. Eclipse... I didn't take his words seriously until he suddenly came right up to me and grabbed my hand. My head, it is... It got very sick. I felt with every grain of my body how everything inside me was bursting at the seams. My new body is strong enough, but unfortunately, the protection has not been finalized... This strange robot threatened me. He said that if I didn't follow his instructions, he would kill me. He said that this pain is the least he can do to me." Ruin swallowed before continuing. It was as if an invisible lump had risen to his throat. "I didn't know what to do, really! I did exactly as he asked, I copied Solar's voice and part of his personality. I swear, I'm really sorry, I tried to resist it, but this pain, it reappeared and pressed very hard on me, as if my rays were slowly but stubbornly torn from my head so that I could feel each wire thinning and tearing, and the sparks at the ends hurt, burning from the inside... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I'm not worthy to be a part of your family, but I couldn't help it!" There was indeed desperation and helplessness in his voice.

"You are not just unworthy to be a part of the family, you are not worthy to live." Moon clenched his hand into a fist again. "Solar, let me through, I listened to the reason as you wanted, now I want to kill him even more."

"No."

This word was hard for Solar. But he understood that Ruin was just as much a victim as they were. He was just being used. You know, under pressure, you can make people do a lot of terrible things. And if the victim is naive and weak, then it is much easier to break it.

"What do you mean 'no'? He's still a traitor! Let me go, I say!" Moon started to boil again, but Solar turned to him, covering the figure sitting on the floor with his hands, hunched over with guilt.

"I said no. If you want to deal with everyone who is to blame for this, then go ahead. Because you know what? The Eclipse was created because of me. If I wasn't here, he would be too. I am the only native speaker of a code like it. So come on, show me your anger and hatred. Pounce on me like a wild dog, tear me apart."

Moon banged his fist loudly on the table next to him, after which he stomped loudly to the other side of the room, cursing under his breath. He stopped at the edge of the room and stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Solar sighed, then turned back and sat down on his knees near the Ruin. Putting his hand on his shoulder, he said:

"It's okay, buddy. I understand that you didn't want to do this. Promise me that we'll figure this out together. I don't want you to be alone and at risk."

"I'm really sorry..." Ruin whispered. The theater attendant shook his head to the sides.

"I know. I see it, Ruin. Now get up. You'll be safer in kindergarten than here alone. Eclipse hasn't done anything yet, and I don't want him to do anything to you. As more supporter he has, as worse it gets."

"I'll try not to let you down! I swear!" he exclaimed, raising his head. Solar snorted.

"I really hope so..."

Ruin, staggering slightly, was able to regain his balance, getting to his feet. His gaze fell on the computer, on which the blueprints and the record log were open. Frowning, he went to the monitor, after which he erased absolutely all records with a couple of taps. He will no longer follow the instructions of the Creator. He had indeed been used as some kind of thing, but now that he had gained understanding, he felt confident in himself. He is not alone. He has Solar, Moon, Sun, and others. And he will try to justify himself in their eyes, even if it takes a long time.

"Well, now that our plans do not include the item "Kill Ruin" I suggest we return to the daycare. There's nothing else to look at here, those logs and blueprints won't give us any useful information. We already know who did it." Solar looked at Moon, who was looking at them from the side.

"Yes, you're right." the programmer exhaled heavily.

Three figures go towards the daycare in absolute silence...

***

"No, I'm still too weak to do anything serious." a dissatisfied voice sounded somewhere in the depths of darkness. Eclipse appeared in a narrow strip of light coming from a single lamp on the ceiling of the room. Looking towards the outline of the door ahead of him, he rolled his eyes, sighing.

"I have no choice. I need allies for my plan. And in order to find them, I'm going to need someone's help.…"

He pushed the door in front of him, proudly raising his head.

"Hello, Creator...."

Chapter Text

"It's been too long since Eclipse showed up in the daycare. Absolutely no leads, I have no idea where to look for him." Moon growled nervously and angrily, typing on the keyboard with a loud bang.

"Maybe we should check all the bunkers again? What if we missed something? Didn't notice? It can't be that he just disappeared." Ruin said uncertainly, wiping barrels nearby with the Sun. Moon raised his head and looked at him with displeasure. If it wasn't for Solar, Ruin would definitely be dead. He was VERY lucky to have someone on his side.

"Moon, calm down, take a deep breath." Sun said, feeling the tension in the air between them two. Even if Ruin is to blame for what happened, the fact that he is sorry and he is trying to improve already says a lot.

"Yes, I'm calm, I'm calm." programmer replied irritably, waving them away "I think it's pointless to go and look for him in the bunkers AGAIN. We searched every corner. He seemed to have fallen through the ground!"

"Sometimes repeated searches yield results..." replied Ruin.

"Even if we find him, we don't have a plan, I've already said that!" Sun intervened in the conversation, putting the barrel aside. There was a meow, and all three animatronics turned in sync at the sound. One of Sun's cats strutted towards them and almost immediately rubbed against the owner's leg. He smiled, stroking the cat's fur affectionately.

"Hello, Midnight. Sorry to wake you up, you must have been asleep, right?"

The dark cat purred, then climbed into his arms, demanding affection. Oh, well, cleaning the barrels can wait! Ruin watched this with a smile, after he noticed the second cat, which silently sat down at his feet and looked expectantly.

"Oh, good afternoon, uh-"

"Comet." Sun whispered.

"Comet, yes, of course." Ruin nodded, leaning over the cat and extending hand to it. Comet didn't seem to mind, touching nose to his palm and sniffing. Smiling, the animatronic stroked the animal, which purred. It's a pity that he can't have a pet in the Fazcade – there are too many dangerous machines and wires in which the cat could get tangled.

Moon was peeking at them out of the corner of his eye. He wanted making some witty joke, but he restrained himself, focusing on searching for the Eclipse.

"Computer, what is the progress in reading all the FBI databases?" Programmer asked. Sun immediately let Midnight jump to the floor, approaching his brother and looking into the computer.

"W-wait, wait, wait, FBI?!"

"Progress in reading all FBI databases has reached seventy percent." the computer replied. "Would you like to prepare weapons in case FBI agents come here?"

"Oh, yes, the best lasers and guns." Moon lit up, smiling grimly. He looked at Sun. "What?" I'm doing my best to find Eclipse."

"What does the FBI have to do with it??" Sibling asked at confused way.

"I'm doing my best." Moon repeated. "What do you want from me? Yes, I have no idea what to do and where to look for Eclipse, I don't care where anymore, the main thing is to find him."

"Gentlemen, I would like to suggest an idea." Ruin raised his hand. Sun and Moon looked at him.

"Oh, you have any ideas?" Luna snorted, and received a nudge in the side from the Sun. "Hey!"

"What if I try to ingratiate myself with Eclipse? He doesn't know that I'm on your side. Maybe he doesn't know me at all." Ruin said. The brothers exchanged glances.

"Do you want to be with him?" Moon frowned. The animatronic hurried to shake his head negatively, waving his hands away.

"No, no, you don't understand! I want to become his ally, but at the same time be a secret spy for you!"

The programmer thought about it. He didn't trust Ruin, but there was some truth in his words.

"Hmm, if you're around Eclipse, then none of us will take any risks, and we'll know a lot more about his plans." Moon muttered, walking up to the Ruin. "Okay, I agree. But if you deceive us, I will kill you as soon as you cross the threshold of the daycare. Agreed?" He held out his hand.

"How nice..." Ruin smiled nervously, reaching out and shaking her hand. He didn't doubt himself. He will defend his honor.

"Fine. If you agree, then I'll need to dig into your microchips at the back. Turn around."

"Right now?!" Ruin exclaimed in surprise, taking a step back.

"Is there something to hide, since you're so tense?" Moon grinned harmfully. There was a negative nod in response.

"No, it's okay. It's just unexpected." the animatronic obediently turned his back on him, trusting the back side of the disk with wires and chips.

Gave up so quickly and simply. It's so uninteresting. With a hiss, the programmer came closer, starting to sort through the wires. "Let's see…"

He installed in Ruin a tracker to track his movements and wiretap. Now he can see where Ruin is and hear what he is talking about with others. Such a desire to be useful and trust bribed the Moon a little. Okay, maybe he can be trusted. But just a little bit, just a little bit.

"Computer, interrupt the current task. The plans have changed."

"Completed."

"I need to call Solar. He's also looking for Eclipse right now." Moon said, dialing the number.

"But isn't he working at the theater now?" Ruin asked.

"He does everything at the same time."

The beeps sounded. They abruptly broke off and the first thing Moon heard was "Hey, lady, get your child out of the trash, just a little more and he will definitely fall through there!". The programmer suppressed a chuckle.

"Am I at a bad time?"

"I have everything under control. Just a little incident." Solar replied, sighing. "Did you want something?"

"We want to use the Ruin as a trap to capture Eclipse."

"Moon!!" Sun exclaimed loudly.

"Oh, okay, okay, not a trap. He said that if he pretended to be "bad," he could ingratiate himself with Eclipse. In this case, we will know what his future plans and weaknesses."

"That's a great idea. Did you come up with it yourself?" the theater attendant asked, tearing off a piece of gum from the counter that someone's child had stuck there. How rude.

"...Almost." Moon turned head to Ruin. "So now Ruin, I suppose, is "working" for us?"

"I'm glad to hear that you didn't kill each other in four walls. I think we should let him out of the daycare. Perhaps he will find it alone faster than we can through computers." Solar suggested.

"Yes, you're right. He's bothering my eyes."

"Moon, please, not out loud..." Sun shyly shook his head, covering his face. Ruin put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Sun, I understand that I'm to blame. I am not offended by these statements."

"... Yes, yes, and you go to hell too, see ya." Moon snorted, ending the dialogue and disconnecting. Stretching lazily, he glanced at the jigsaw. "Hey, are you still here? Come on, if you agreed to help us, then go and walk anywhere, but away from us. Eclipse can't know that we're in cahoots, okay? Pretend to be disgusted with us."

"Right now?" Ruin was surprised, after which he straightened up. "Oh, you know, I've always dreamed of being an actor, I have a talent for it and-"

"Yes, we know. Get lost already. If you meet Eclipse, just turn on the communication channel so that we can all hear." Moon waved his hand towards the exit.

"Well, gentlemen, in that case, it was very UNPLEASANT to deal with you. I hope we NEVER see each other again. Have a BAD day." Ruin replied, leaving the daycare and slamming the door significantly loudly.

"We are doomed ..." the programmer sighed heavily, leaning his palm against his forehead.

"Everything will be fine, brother! I think Ruin will succeed. We will succeed." Sun smiled, patting him on the back, after which he jumped on the spot. " Oh, right, I forgot to feed the cats! That's what they came here for, oh, oh, excuse me, dear ones, hurry up, let's run, now I'll feed you!" He called out to the cats to follow him.

***

A huge library which containing many bookcases and shelves with a wide variety of books and records. It looked very impressive in combination with the bright sunlight. But the visitor was not impressed. He scowled through this maze of bookcases in search of at least one living soul.

"What's the point of this ostentation if there's no one here anyway? My alternate version must be a complete idiot who miraculously got a star. Ugh, is there really no one here?!" Eclipse said with displeasure. Rounding another couple of bookcases, he froze when he saw Sun a couple of meters away from him. Isn't... isn't this the universe where he won and took the star, remaking the world? Then what the hell is Sun doing here? Maybe the Creator got the coordinates wrong? No, it can't be.

"Hey, you." Eclipse said, but the animatronic immediately took to his heels, disappearing among the labyrinths of papers and books. "Stop! Where is your master, answer me!" He rushed forward to catch up this idiot. Oh, let him catch this fool, and he'll shake all the information out of him in no time! By the way, while he was trying unsuccessfully to catch up with him, Eclipse ran out into some spacious hall. It seemed like it was some kind of significant place, because otherwise he couldn't explain such a huge space with a fountain in the middle and some potted plants.

"How interesting. I was just wondering why my servant ran off somewhere in a panic."

Standing behind him was none other than Lord Eclipse. The lord and god of this world. He was holding a glowing object in his hand. It was probably his star. Well, half the work has already been done. Eclipse stepped forward boldly. Oh no, he won't kill him. They both know that. It would be too fast and boring.

"Is Sun your servant?" He chuckled. "Very interesting. Where's the other one?"

"He doesn't exist in our world. Don't mislead my servant." it sounded stern from under the helmet. "You definitely came here for a reason. What do you need? I hope this is something worth my attention, although... you obviously knew where to go, since you chose my universe." the God chuckled.

"I think we'll definitely find a common language." Eclipse crossed his arms over his chest, and then looked somewhere over the Lord's shoulder. Sun was quietly and fearfully peeking around the corner, watching them. Sensing someone else's gaze, Lord turned around, pointing at him with his finger.

"Don't try my patience. Get out of here, don't eavesdropping."

"I-I'm sorry, I accidentally! Sun squeaked, immediately disappearing around the corner. Growling something under his breath, the Lord turned back to his interlocutor.

"Speak."

"Tell me, have you ever dreamed of getting a star?" Eclipse asked softly. Lord chuckled.

"What kind of stupid question is that? I already have everything I want." he showed the star in his hand, making it scroll near him.

"And if I tell you that in theory it is possible to create a star that will work ..." Eclipse paused before continuing. "In other universes."

"It's impossible. The star works only in the mother universe, it becomes a dummy in others, you should know."

Eclipse narrowed his eyes a little. Of course, what else could he expect from the same Eclipse. Surely Lord knows about how he was lured into another universe and, taking advantage of his weakness, was swatted on the spot.

"Yes, but!" he held up his finger. "The fact that no one has done this before does not mean that it is impossible. If we assemble a team of the smartest villains in the multiverse, then we can do it. Aren't you flattered by the opportunity to diversify your miserable divine life?"

Lord thought about it. The offer was clearly a trick. But if equalize the odds…

"I agree, provided that it happens in my universe. Admit it, there is a lot of space and opportunities here, and no one will interfere with us." God stretched out his hand, grinning widely from under his helmet.

Eclipse shook his hand.

"You fool. I will deceive you at the first opportunity." they both thought.

"Do you already have someone in mind? Is someone smart and able to work in a team?" Lord asked, moving towards the exit to the street. Eclipse followed him.

"Don't make me laugh. None of us know how to work in a team." he chuckled. God burst out laughing.

"Oh, you're damn right. But now we have a common goal so we have to work together."

"I think it would be most effective to collect a lot of Eclipses. Basically, we are the ones who are interested in the star and obsessed with its idea. Plus, we are very smart."

"No, no, if we gather a lot of Eclipses in one place, we will definitely kill each other in the first few hours. Don't forget that there are universes where the star is owned by others. More insidious than we are."

"It makes sense. I have been dead for too long, despite the stored memories I am behind the times in the universes. But you, you definitely know more, don't you?"

"I don't often look into other universes to find out what's going on there, but I admit some of them are pretty… Interesting. I think we'll have enough time for you to visit some of them. You do realize that I'm not going there myself, right?" Lord looked back at his colleague. Eclipse nodded.

"Of course. I will conduct the negotiations myself, I will only need a teleporter and an instant ability to get here in case of danger."

"I'm wondering how did you get here? It is unlikely that your Moon allowed you to use the portal "out of the kindness of his heart." Lord asked.

"Let's just say I had to... visit someone. The Creator was interested in my rebirth, and agreed to teleport me to any universe I desired."

"So you're in touch with him?"

"No. He said that for now I'm free to do whatever I want, on one condition. I won't touch the universe.… Until he needs my help for a while."

"So you're independent of him?"

"Absolutely."

"That's fine. We don't need surveillance, do you understand that?

"I understand everything and have already done everything I can. He won't be able to eavesdrop on us or watch what we're doing unless I want him to."

"Speaking of your universe. It seems there was another Eclipse, wasn't there?"

"Ugh, this kind... Solar, it seems. No, he's in league with Sun and Moon, even though he's smart, he's stupid because to be friends with these scum."

"No, no, I mean the other one.… About corrupted one."

"Corrupted?" Eclipse asked in perplexity. He think about it. Someone resembling the fusion Sun and Moon, dirty, covered with many cracks and battered, with a bulging endoskeleton from under the coating…. Yes, he seems to remember this guy. They hardly saw each other because Eclipse was too busy with the star and his research, but he knew that there was someone else in his universe. It's very strange, he didn't see him at the pizzaplex. Although, this is not surprising, Eclipse ran away from there almost as soon as he announced his return.

"And?"

"You know, I think he should be included in the team. I heard that he ingratiated himself with Bloodmoon to get them to work for him."

"Oh, don't be a fool, it's easy to trick these idiots into dancing to someone's tune. It's already been done by Lunar, Monty, Killcode and now this... crazy one."

"He came from a universe where the world was on the verge of death, and besides, everything was pretty brutal there. In the worst conditions, the most cunning and resourceful minds grow up."

"But he's literally a fusion of Sun and Moon, these losers!"

"And the intellect may be even better than us. Did you want a team of villainous accomplices? I'm offering the best candidates. Don't forget that this is my universe, which means it's up to me to decide who to take and who not to take."

Eclipse sighed in disgust, but he had to agree.

"Okay. But he'll be the last one I'll talk. Ugh, what could be worse than talking to a amalgamation of these losers…"

***

"Focus, everything will be fine. Just walking through the bunkers for the fifth time, it can't be that Eclipse just disappeared from this world! This is the very first place where he could hide so that he would not be found" Ruin muttered to himself, kicking one of the stones that lay under his feet. Taking a deep breath, jigsaw lifted his head up, looking at the countless trees around him. No. Can't give up. He will prove his usefulness, find Eclipse, become his accomplice, and then he will be trusted again! He will not be alone!

It was already evening. It was worth walking to a bunker nearby and having a little rest there. Moon said that each bunker has electricity, which means that it can be charged there. Suddenly, a branch snapped behind him. Ruin turned around.

"Hello, Eclipse." said the one whom Ruin had been looking for for so long. Whom they have all been looking for for a long time.

Eclipse was standing right in front of him. Jigsaw immediately turned on the communication channel so Moon could eavesdrop on them. Get ready, need to get ready.

"Oh, what an unexpected and pleasant meeting in such a beautiful place." Ruin said loudly and proudly, waving his hands. "Isn't it wonderful? Singing birds, rustling leaves of trees, where there is no one who could interfere with us. By the way, I suggest you call me "Ruin" for convenience, after all, Eclipse is your name, isn't it?"

"And you can flatter." Eclipse chuckled, coming closer. "You're lucky because I came with an offer. I'm sure you're very interested in something like this."

"Really? Then go ahead, I'm listening."

"Ruin, be careful, he might take advantage of you and cheat. Don't let yourself be tricked, otherwise our plan is over" whispered Moon. His words echoed in the actor's head. Him? Cheat? He's not that stupid.

"Here's the thing. I'm putting together a team of the smartest and most talented villains from the universes, and you're lucky because my colleague insisted on taking you to us.

"The goal. Ask about the goal, Ruin."

"It's a pretty tempting offer, but why are you assembling a team? You have to have a goal, don't you? Maybe something interesting that you could offer me?"

It was very dangerous to bluff now, but Ruin was carefully. It seemed like the way things were going now was that Eclipse was interested in him, not the other way around.

"I don't want to go into details now, because we may be overheard. We are going to create a star that will work in other universes. Therefore, we need very smart individuals whom we can TRUST. I hope you understand what I mean?" Eclipse asked.

"DAMN IT," Moon cursed loudly when he heard about Eclipse's offer. Ruin could barely keep from flinching. It was much worse than they could have imagined. This idiot is conspiring with other universes! No, he must not be missed. "Ruin, quickly agree to his proposal. Any conditions. Any victims. It's very bad, and we really need to know what's going on. We will try to back you up in the near future, the main thing is not to give yourself away, do you understand?"

"Oh, a star working in other universes? Wow, it's curious, it's curious.. Well, coincidentally, I was just looking for you to offer my cooperation. I agree. When do we start?"

"Now." Eclipse replied, abruptly grabbing Ruin's arm. A flash of light pierced them, and in a moment the forest was empty.

"Damn, damn, damn." Moon growled, pacing from side to side. Solar, who was sitting next to him, sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

"Moon, we need a plan. Concentrate. We'll be nervous later, now we need to think fast."

"I know, I know, it's just… This is a disaster! If they make this star, then we will not just die, many universes will die! It's going to be terrible, do you even realize how many universes there are?!"

"I understand everything, Moon. But now." Solar grabbed his colleague by the shoulders, looking into his eyes. "A plan. We need a plan."

Chapter Text

Six persons were sitting on sofas in a wide, bright hall and silently looked at each other. The tension could literally be felt in the air. In such an environment, it is very difficult to keep a straight face, and Ruin leaned back to relax. They were sitting in pairs on three sofas, and he got an unusual neighbor – on the one hand, it was Lunar, but on the other hand… His gaze was frighteningly blank. Jigsaw wasn't even sure if it was worth talking to him at all. Geez, in general, talking to anyone present here was extremely life-threatening! But so far, only Lord was a threat, since only in his hands was all the power and authority over the universe in which they all were.

"Well." Eclipse cleared his throat, getting up from the sofa and attracting attention to himself. "We are all gathered here for one purpose, and before we begin, I suggest yo-"

"I have a question." another Eclipse raised his hand, more like a servant in his attire.

"Yes?"

"What the hell is HE doing here out of all the possible candidates?" The finger pointed at Lunar, who was sitting near Ruin.

"Do you have something against it?" Lunar smiled broadly, slowly rising from his seat.

"Calm down. We are all on equal terms here, I understand that we all hate each other and if it wasn't for the agreement, we would have gotten into a fight a long time ago, but I ask you to keep yourself in check."

"I think your face would be prettier without a couple of rays, don't you think? I suggest ripped them out." Lunar giggled, slowly advancing on the servant of Eclipse.

"Just touch me and I'll kill you right on the spot." Servant said through clenched teeth, squinting angrily and tensing up.

"That's enough." Eclipse stepped between them, turning to Lunar. "We had a deal. Go back to your seat if you want to stay here."

"Ugh, fine." Lunar clicked his tongue, sitting down on the sofa and crossing his arms over his chest. Ruin tried not to breathe (can he breathe??) so as not to attract his attention. Lunar slowly turned towards him and grinned widely. No, he shouldn't show fear.

"Hi, lil' one. What, they don't let you play either, do they?"

"I'm not a child." Lunar stopped smiling, then turned away. So they talked, alright.

"...As I said earlier, before I get distracted..." Eclipse glanced in the direction of Servant. "It would be better for us to get to know each other. So, as you can see, I am Original Eclipse, and-"

"Or maybe I am the original, and you are all parodies of me." Servant Eclipse chuckled. The others looked at him sternly.

"...And therefore I will be the leader of our project. But! You will all take part in it, oh, don't worry, we are all equal, don't forget." Eclipse pointed to the Lord. "This is Lord Eclipse, or just Lord who kindly agreed to provide us with his universe so that we can create a star without unnecessary eyes and ears."

Servant Eclipse rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Original Eclipse, noticing this, sighed. God, it's really hard for them to be in the same room, because everyone thinks they're the smartest and the best.

"And this is Eclipse from the universe, where Lunar is something like a god, and he is his servant."

"Ooh, don't you want to serve me, Eclipse?" Lunar chuckled, throwing a barb at Servant. He raised his eyebrows indignantly, preparing to get up, but restrained himself, pushing his fingers into the sofa and scratching it.

"Do you miss your precious "brother" who broke and humiliated you? Come on, do you want to feel it again?"

"Don't you dare say that to me." Lunar replied coldly, squinting angrily.

"One more time you both interrupt me, and I will definitely throw you out into your universes." OG Eclipse growled.

"Let me introduce myself." One animatronic suddenly raised his hand. Everyone turned to look at him with interest, because he was so quiet that everyone completely forgot about him during the squabbles between Servant Eclipse and Evil Lunar.

"Go on." Eclipse waved his hand. It seems that trying to organize the process yourself is not so easy. It's good that at least someone helps him with this.

"My name is Sun." Evil Sun leaned his palm against his chest. "I came from an ideal universe where there is no Creator, no Eclipse, no KillCode, no Bloodmoon. It's not that I want to sit in a company like yours, but I'm interested in the topic of creating a special star, so I think I can tolerate your presence." he says in an even tone, absolutely without any emotion. Ruin felt like he was dead inside. What happened to him that he behaves like this?..

"I'm next!" Lunar immediately took the initiative, waving his hand and sticking his tongue out at Servant Eclipse. "My name is Lunar, and I really want an star that will be stronger than my star. And also be sure to visit me, you will like it and you will remember this visit for a loooong time!" he smiled predaciously.

"Yeah, we'll definitely consider your offer later." Eclipse said through gritted teeth. After that, all five pairs of eyes turned to Ruin, which was even more invisible against the background of Sun.

"Oh, my turn? Fine." he said, coughing. "My name is Ruin, and I come from a world destroyed by Creator. So, I decided that traveling through the universes would be a great option to start life over and find those with whom you can play-" "And then why do you look so whole and sweet?" Servant Eclipse asked. "It doesn't look like you were from a ruined world, you don't have a scratch on you!"

"Oh, my dear friend, you offend me." Ruin theatrically wiped an invisible tear from his eye. He knows how to play the role of a madman, even if he does not remember his past. "You should know that appearances can be deceptive. But if you really want to study my appearance closer, then come on, don't be shy. I'm sure you'll like it when these "cute hands" dig into your throat, tearing out your eyes." he smiled sweetly. Servant Eclipse twisted his face. Yes, this merger is even worse than Lunar. It is necessary to stay away from them, otherwise it is dangerous for your health to be near them.

"Ha-ha, you're funny!" Evil Lunar laughed, pleased with the way Ruin responded to this Eclipse. Jigsaw was going to straighten up quite a bit, but pulled back in time.

"Ah, thank you, little star boy!"

"I'm not little, stop talking like that." Lunar frowned, immediately losing interest in the interlocutor and turning away. Well, Ruin shouldn't make "good friends" here. He's here as a live wire for his real friends.

"... So, since all of us are interested in creating a special star, I suggest that we first combine all our knowledge about ordinary stars." Eclipse rolled a board on wheels to them, picking up a marker and schematically depicting a Newton star.

"Wouldn't it be easier to call Moon from some dimension? In most universes, it was he who created the star, and he probably knows about its structure." chuckled Lunar, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or are you afraid of competition?"

"First of all," Eclipse began calmly. Inwardly, he wanted to lash out at him. "All Moon who are Lords of their world are either too cruel or too selfish to cooperate. Secondly, those Moons from other universes hate us, Eclipses. We are on opposite sides of the war. Our cooperation is excluded."

Sun smoothly raised his hand up.

"Yes?"

"I have collected a lot of information about stars from different universes." he replied coldly and calmly. "I have a certain knowledge base about it."

Eclipse handed him a marker. Rising from the sofa, Sun took a marker and began to fill the board with various drawings and information. Of course, he didn't write half of what he really knows. It would be too stupid if he told everything at once, he would just be kicked out of here at the same second, having received the necessary information.

"It's interesting..." Lord Eclipse said thoughtfully, revealing a star in his hand and grinning at his instrument. Lunar stared at the star. Oh, he wished his star would work here too!! This place should be in fire and screaming Eclipses in agony. Oh, it even sounds great.

"In all the years that I have lived with Lunar, I have also learned some interesting things about the star." Servant Eclipse said, approaching the blackboard. Snatching a marker from the hand of the Sun, he covered the board with new entries, leaving almost no space on it. It seems they will need more boards. Lord Eclipse snapped his fingers. Another one appeared right next to the board, exactly the same, but clean. Great.

After a few time, two boards were covered with notes and drawings of the star from all sides and angles, everyone who saw the star made a drawing of it so that perhaps they could trace something similar between them. All the stars were so different, but so identical in properties. They will have a lot of time to solve the mystery of their creation. Not just the creation of a star, but the creation of a star that is strong enough to overcome the interdimensional boundaries and break the shackles of dimensions that restrain its power.

"That's fine. I think we should take a break before our heads boil over. Be my guests, follow me, I'll show you my castle." Lord waved his hand, gesturing for you to follow him. Everyone obediently followed forward.

"Hey, where are you, mudball?" Lord called out to someone, but only heard silence in response. He grunted in surprise. Where is he?...

"Servant?"

Silence again.

"Sun, damn it, come here immediately if you don't want me to grind you to dust." God of dimension exclaimed loudly and menacingly. But silence followed him again.

"Where the hell could he have gone?" Lord Eclipse muttered. Was his servant missing? Well....

"Have you lost your only toy that can't get away from you?" Servant Eclipse sneered sarcastically. The lord turned to look at him, hesitating for a moment. Kill him now or later?... No, he won't kill anyone. At least not right now.

"No problem. I can create a new one for myself if I want." Lord chuckled. "Come with me."

***

The tour of the castle was incredibly long and tedious. All Lord did was show off a lot of beautiful but empty halls, and bragged about how great his castle looked. It seems that he just didn't have enough attention, and now he just wanted to impress his colleagues with his incredible taste and the power that he possesses. Ruin tried to pretend that he was interested, keeping a smile on his face, but gradually he began to get bored, looking at how other Eclipses and other colleagues lazily shuffled their feet. Eventually, he started being the last to go. Until suddenly, around another bend, he was suddenly gagged and dragged into the darkness. Ruin was going to hit the kidnapper, but when he saw the familiar gloves, suit and eyes burning in the semi-darkness, he was surprised.

"Sola-"

"Hush," whispered Solar, covering his mouth with his hand again and frowning. "If they hear us, then we are finished."

"But how did you end up here?"

"Moon sent me here to keep an eye on you. And on them." Solar peered over Ruin's shoulder, checking to see if Eclipses were looking for their lost colleague. "I'm just warning you that I'll be here. While you're talking to Eclipses, I'll secretly look for some materials about the star in the library. Moon and me are sure that there is definitely something very important and useful here."

"But what if you're discovered?" Ruin asked, startled. It's going to be terrible!

"That's why you're here. While you're distracting them, I'm gathering information. Understood?"

"...It seems not quite, but I trust you," Jigsaw smiled slightly, holding out his fist. "Partners?"

"Partners," Solar chuckled, banging his fist in response. After listening, he hurried to push Ruin around the corner, whispering finally. "I hear them coming." He had barely managed to put his villain mask on his face when Eclipse appeared in his field of vision, surrounded by the others.

"Oh, there you are. What are you doing?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Gentlemen, there's nothing to worry about," Ruin gallantly spread his hands to the sides. "All I did was look at the amazing patterns on the frame of this painting." he pointed to the golden frame of the portrait of Lord on the entire wall. "Isn't it inspiring? Such a stately and important portrait is surely the pride of your castle, isn't it, Lord?"

Lord raised his head proudly. How easy it is to bribe Eclipses with praise. Narcissistic cretins.

"That's right. Thank you for paying special attention to this, I really really like this picture," he said contentedly.

"And yet, I think it's not worth falling behind the group without warning," Servant Eclipse said through his teeth. "I mean, you're not in your universe and you can easily get lost, right?"

"He wasn't lost. I saw him looking at this painting earlier, so it's not surprising that he decided to take a closer look at it." Evil Sun said softly. Servant Eclipse made a noise of displeasure.

"I suggest we continue the tour," the Lord said.

When everyone followed the master of the world, Ruin exhaled inwardly. It was close. But it seemed strange to him that this Sun… Did cover for him? Or maybe Ruin didn't notice it himself and really looked at the painting so as not to fall asleep on the spot… In general, Sun did not look like most of its versions. So strange and at the same time curious…

After the tour was over, Lord Eclipse looked at his colleagues. They looked a little tired. Oh, yes. Since they do not possess the power of the star, they have no place to feed endless energy for their bodies. Fortunately, he had foreseen this.

"There are charging stations in the hall right down the corridor and to the right. If you're running low battery, you feel free to go and recharge," he said, pointing in the direction. Some of them exchanged glances. No one dared to go first. However, someone had to take the first step.

"Thank you very much for the warm welcome, I think I'll go to charge first," Ruin said, walking away towards the right hall. In fact, right now he just wanted to be alone. At least take a little break from his "role" in this place. But still need to be on his guard. Shouldn't blink eyes in this place.

Having connected himself to the cable, Ruin sat down on the floor and sighed heavily. He should contact Moon.

"Can you hear me?" he asked softly.

"Always in touch. However, sometimes it seems to be muffled by something. It's probably because of the strong action of the Lord's star." replied Moon. "I'm going to go charging too, so the computer will be in touch. If something happens, he will notify me about it."

"Have a nice day," Ruin wished, awkwardly crossing his fingers. And here he is alone again. As it was in the pizzaplex, just him and the big hall. But at least there you could take care of the slot machines and try to fix them, but here... there was absolutely nothing to do. Perhaps a conversation with at least someone could dilute the tense silence a little, but this was clearly not the place where you could find a good interlocutor.

"How did it go?" here was a whisper not far from him. Ruin shuddered and turned his head around. In the shadow of the bookcases, he saw a familiar figure. Oh, right. He had already forgotten that Solar was here.

"I'll be honest, these guys are terribly boring and dangerous. I thought I'd fall asleep while Lord Eclipse finished his tour," Ruin chuckled.

"What about the meeting? I've been stuck here since morning, but I couldn't get as close as I would like."

"Oh, right! They shared their knowledge about the stars and even covered two whole boards! There is a lot of useful information there." Jigsaw became animated.

"It would be great if we had these boards," Solar said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Unfortunately, my body doesn't have the function of photographing what I see," Ruin shrugged. "But I can try to remember everything that's written there and send you a message! However, many words and formulas seem completely unfamiliar to me…"

"Try to understand and see as much as possible. Any information will be useful in our plan." the mechanic nodded.

"So, what's your plan?" Ruin asked. There was silence in response. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Solar disappear into the shadows, getting lost there. It was not clear whether he hid or left altogether.

"Which plan?" Evil Sun asked, entering the room. Ruin immediately grinned, howling wearily inwardly. Playing a role again, even here they don't give a break!

"A plan? Oh, yes, the plan. You see, my colleagues and me-" Ruin pointed to his head, "were just discussing a plan to create a star! Even if I don't have as much knowledge about the star as you do, that doesn't mean I can't figure out how to make it work in different universes.

"Oh, so there are three of you. It's curious." Sun connected to the charging, sitting down at a distance from him. "So you hear the voices of your Sun and Moon?"

"Of course. You know, when there are three of you, it becomes much easier to think," Ruin grinned. "And what about your Moon? Aren't you talking?"

"We're talking. But, you know, he's a little silent, so it's very rare."

"Oh, so you locked him in your body? Bravo, it's a curious move." Ruin patted his palms pointedly.

"What about your plan? Have you thought of something yet?" Sun changed the topic of conversation.

"Oh, my dear friend, if I tell you everything at once, do you need me then? Everything will come gradually," jigsaw put a finger to his mouth.

"You're not as stupid as you seem at first glance."

"Likewise, Sun."

The walls of the hall echoed his words. Ruin paused and looked up at the high ceilings of the building. It seems that his first day here is slowly coming to an end…

Chapter Text

Have you ever dreamed of living in a world where everyone is happy and there are no troubles? Surely yes, who doesn't dream! And he doesn't even have to dream. Evil Sun lived in an ideal world, a paradise where there is no Eclipse, no Bloodmoon, no Killcode, no Creator, there is not a single creature who could cause trouble. Isn't it wonderful?

So stupid… Why is he called evil? He wasn't evil. He was a fair and intelligent animatronic. What a stupid nickname. He's just Sun. Sun, who was able to change his world for the better. Yes, maybe a few people were injured, someone died, but it's for the best, right? Monty is not such a jerk anymore, there is no Creator. A luxurious life. All he was interested in now was creating a special star that would work in other universes. Invade other worlds? Oh no, he's not that crazy. A special star was his challenge. A challenge to his mind and abilities. We all want to achieve something great, achieve something that others could not. And he wanted to, too.

It's been about a week since he joined the "villains" team. It was hardly a stretch to call any of them pure evil. Servant Eclipse? Don't be ridiculous, for several centuries he has not been able to take the star away from his Lunar. Original Eclipse? This loser from the theater club, he had everything: power, star, opportunities, but he was too selfish and had been dead twice already. Lord Eclipse? Perhaps luckier than the others, but he is completely alone in his own world and he is terribly bored. Evil Lunar? Just a traumatized god who's gone crazy. And this one… Ruin, right?... he's...

... like a villain, he's a good liar…

However, it doesn't matter. Sun has his own plans for this star, just like everyone else. Everyone thinks that will be more cunning than anyone. And Sun sees in reality what would happen when a special star was created and would fully function.

Stepping onto the soft floor of his daycare, the Sun looked around. Wow, he hasn't been here for about three days since his last visit to his universe. And nothing has changed. The same bright light from the ceiling. The same empty playing areas. The same barrels that hid an advanced computer. Approaching them, Sun launched a scan of the area. He hasn't been here for a long time, it's worth checking if everything is calm. His gaze became alert when he noticed an "unidentified object" in the list of scan results. He wasn't alone here. Looking back, Sun picked up one of the barrels, ready to fire in case he was attacked. Something was wrong. The computer recorded the appearance of an unidentified object almost a week ago. If Sun had run a scan the last time he visited his home universe…

"Who's here?" he asked in an even tone of voice. Of course, silence greeted him in response. Sun slowly began to walk around the entire daycare, looking into every corner. Was he scared? Not at all, he was armed. But who... Who got into his world? And for what purpose? Judging by the computer data, the one who came here did not leave the daycare. It was very strange, this "someone" had been here for almost a week.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sun noticed movement in the shadows of the labyrinths on the ground floor. Here's the intruder. The scientist walked to one of the turrets, going around the corner, and then immediately put the barrel in front of him, aiming for a shot. He was met by the frightened gaze of Servant Sun. Astonishment flashed across the scientist's face. How did he end up here?..

"S-stop, please don't shoot!" Servant Sun said weakly, holding out his hands in front of him as protection.

Evil Sun saw him once when he entered the Lord's world after being invited by OG Eclipse. This was the first and last time before Servant Sun suddenly disappeared when the entire team of "villains" was assembled. So that's where he went. But how?

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I happened to be here by accident, I swear! I was about to take one of the books back to its place, when suddenly I saw an open portal! I just w-wanted to take a closer look at it, and then I was pulled inside! Please don't take me back to Lord Eclipse, he will definitely kill me!" Servant covered his head with his hands, closing his eyes.

"Have you been sitting here all week? Without moving?"

"I-" Servant did not have time to finish the sentence, suddenly turn off. Just in time. No wonder it happened. If he did not move all week, then the charge of course was consumed more slowly, but the battery does not last forever.

What should he do with him? Return to home universe? Take it apart for spare parts? Sun chuckled thoughtfully. Servant was right. He will be killed if he returns to his home universe. Lord Eclipse is unlikely to listen to excuses. And Servant Sun was clearly not so happy in his world. Lately, Evil Sun was really a little bored in his universe, besides working in the daycare and in the laboratory, he had no other business. Perhaps this object will be a little useful in his research…

***

Servant Sun woke up in a strange small room, connected to a charging station. He shook his head around in confusion. Where is he? Is he still alive? The animatronic carefully disconnected the cable from himself, getting up from the floor and looking around. It didn't look like a Lord's library. Looking up, he saw a staircase leading to some kind of balcony. Opening the curtains on the balcony, Servant looked at the daycare in surprise. Is he... still in the daycare? Wasn't he kicked out? But why?

"I don't advise you to jump into a ball pit unless you want to end up in a random universe," a voice said from behind him. Servant jumped in fright, turning around sharply. Oh, that Sun... He came in here quietly enough.

"Why didn't you bring me back to my universe?" Servant stammered incomprehensibly. "I'm… I'm probably an unnecessary variable for you.…"

"Do you really want to return to your universe?"

Servant Sun was silent. Then he looked uncertainly at his hands. His clothes were torn in some places. One day, Lord forced him to spend a week in a universe where everyone went mad because of bloodlust. He barely got out of there alive, significantly damaging his clothes and limbs. Lord only repaired his body, but not his clothes. The clothes in some places really looked very bad and as his lord said "This will be a reminder to you for your mistake. Don't make mistakes from now on." So many years of humiliation and fear… This… Can it really stop? He got here completely by accident, does that happen?

"....I don't want to."

The scientist squinted at another version of himself. So pathetic and broken inside. Is it the right decision to leave him here?

Sun in most universes has always been stupid and awkward. However, as if he cares about him.

"You can do whatever you want here, just don't get in my way." said Evil Sun, turning around and preparing to leave. He still has a lot of things to deal with before he returns to the Lord's universe again.

"W-wait, the other me, I mean Sun, I mean-"

"Arcturus."

Servant looked at him in misunderstanding.

"Call me Arcturus. And now your name is Proxima. This way we can avoid confusion."

Proxima nodded. Of course, of course, this is a very reasonable decision!

"Arcturus." the former servant began. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?.."

"Not really. Do you know how to programming or create mechanisms?" Arcturus asked.
"Ohh, I don't think so??" Proxima replied confused.

"Then you can't help me. No, wait, you'll help me a lot if you don't get in the way."

"Oh, wait, wait, wait! I'm very good at organization and order." Proxima began waving his hands. "I can help you with daycare work! True, I have no idea how to work with children, but I will do my best!"

Arcturus moved his rays thoughtfully. If Proxima will work in the daycare, then he will have more time for research in the laboratory, and he will not have to close the daycare for several days. It might be a stupid decision, but…

"OK. I have literally half an hour for you, and then you will do everything yourself, so listen to me carefully, I will not repeat the same advice twice, do you understand me? "

Proxima nodded his head actively in agreement. He went down the stairs, approaching his new friend and extending his hand to him.

"Friends?"

"You can call me anything you want. But keep in mind that friends make you weak. Come on." Arcturus didn't even touch his hand, pushing open the door next to him and going out into a long orange corridor. Servant sighed and followed him. Well, that's good. He'll be fine. The daycare is much smaller in size than the Lord's library, and it will be easier to cope with this.

A second chance.... He was given a second chance…

"By the way," Arcturus turned to his intern, glancing at his clothes. "In such ragged rags, children are likely to be afraid of you. I'll find you some clothes at the gift shop."

Arcturus told Proxima the main things he usually does in the daycare: to put things in order, to keep an eye on the children (Arcturus was not particularly active during the games, he basically done his work so that the children played with each other, not with him), periodically put the computer diagnostic and switch the mode of the day and nights in the daycare. It's not difficult if do everything consistently. The scientist showed where toys, cleaning products and other things are located. Servant tried his best and listened very carefully, absorbing every word. Such zeal and desire to help was a little flattering. Arcturus chuckled to himself. Oh, he's more than sure that the next time he comes back here, chaos will await him. At least it might be more interesting than going back to silence.

"Do you understand everything?"

"Yes, yes." Proxima nodded his head, giving a thumbs up and then looking away uncertainly. "Thank you."

"Don't make a saint out of me. If you interfere with me or try to disrupt my plans, then I will not feel sorry for you."

"I understand everything. I do my best, I swear." Proxima put his hand to his chest. He won't let Arcturus down. He will try to earn his trust. He will try to meet his expectations…

***

Arcturus emerged from the ball pit, looking around. It seemed to be about 7 pm in his universe. It's a little hard to switch from one time zone to another when traveling through universes. Stepping onto the soft floor, the scientist looked at the figure in the security zone, who seemed to be wiping the counter.

"I'm back." Arcturus said, wearily flexing his stiff neck with his fingers. Not only does the company of those "villains" tire him mentally, but also physically. Proxima, hearing a familiar voice, immediately put the rag back in place, running up to his colleague and waving at him. He looked cheerful and happy.

"Hello!! Welcome home! How did everything go? Lord... didn't talk about me?"

"Calm down, I'm not going to tell him about you. No, he doesn't care about you, since you disappeared, he hasn't even mentioned you." Arcturus walked past Proxima, grabbing a robe from a nearby hanger and putting it on himself. "And in general, things are as usual as it can be. Servant Eclipse is fighting with Evil Lunar, OG Eclipse is trying to make discipline, Lord is thinking about something of his own, and this Ruin... He just sits and listens. Sometimes he says something, but they don't really listen to him, as I remember.

"I see that you are very tired. Maybe it's worth taking a break?" Proxima suggested, awkwardly clasping his fingers together. "How about a little tea party? The kids taught me how to play it today!"

"I'm not in the mood for games right now. And I don't have much time here, I'll be leaving again soon."

"No, not the tea party as a game, the tea party as a real!"

"You do understand that we animatronics and we don't need to drink or eat, right?"

"Well, please, at least a informal tea party! You really, really need a little break!" The former servant insisted. Arcturus turned to look at him. It's been a couple of months since this Sun settled in his daycare. At first, it was really interesting to watch his attempts to cope with children, because Proxima had never worked with them before. And before Proxima walks very quietly and uncertainly, afraid to make an extra sound and shuddering from every rustle. And now... now he's really "grown up." In front of him stood a more confident animatronic who is not afraid to say anything to Arcturus. Of course, he can still make mistakes or withdraw into himself, but here in the daycare he "opened up like a flower".

Well. It's probably really worth taking a break. Fine. He will follow Proxima's lead. But only once.

"Where will our tea party be held?"

The daycare attendant's eyes shone and a smile spread across his happy face.

"There, there, let's go quickly!!" He was pointing towards the party rooms on the second floor. Alright.

Perhaps the idea of a tea party was really awkward and stupid, but holding a cup of tea in his hand, Arcturus with his eyes closed just listened to the endless flow of Proxima's speech. Due to working "in a team", Arcturus rarely appeared at home, and Proxima accumulated everything in himself, all the impressions and memories that happened to him, so that later he would inform his "boss" and ask for advice if it was necessary.

Arcturus wasn't a big fan of "talking" about nothing. He preferred a short and informative conversation from which he could benefit. But he made an exception for Proxima. This traumatized Sun from another universe was radically different from him, and it was interesting to observe his actions in a new environment. Who knows, maybe someday Proxima will become his assistant.

No one has ever managed to get as close to Arcturus as this animatronic.

Arcturus didn't have time to do anything that day. He listened and listened to Proxima's stories, sometimes snorting at some moments. None of them even touched the tea or sweets that Proxima found in one of the refrigerators in the kitchen downstairs.

It was probably the best informal tea party. Even though it was the first one.