Chapter Text
Po follows the older man with an upset and tearful expression on her face, her body shaking slightly, just wanting to rest. Unfortunately, she doesn't have time to rest. Little Tubby needs to walk to somewhere the Guardian thinks will be safe, and it seems to be quite far away. The two walk in complete silence, with him looking around worriedly from time to time.
This man is strange but kind. He doesn't argue with her because she cries or complain about her walking slowly. In addition to taking care of her, it's good to have someone's company; it alleviates that feeling of loneliness and sadness in her chest. He saved her from Tinky Winky, her best friend turned into a horrible monster, nothing like the kind and caring tubby Po remembers.
Her sweet friends were brutally killed by the purple tubby. He murdered them all without any mercy. Tinky Winky became a monster, Laa-Laa too, and Dipsy was decapitated. She lost her friends and has no one left. The smell of blood and death haunts her; every time she closes her eyes, the cruel memory of her friends' deaths torment her.
It's horrible, this whole situation is horrible.
"Everything will be fine." The Guardian's voice is strangely gentle, as if he is carefully considering every word, trying not to make her feel worse.
The little girl just shakes her head, wiping away her tears with hands trembling in fear. "I want to sleep." she mutters, looking at the Guardian's bruised face.
The white tubby lets out a sigh, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. "I know, but you can't rest yet." He holds Po's small hand, perhaps afraid of her getting lost or something. "We're almost there." She just shakes her head, squeezing the Guardian's hand tightly.
The two continue walking, the sun warming their skin comfortably. The yellow sunlight reminds Po of Laa-Laa, who was always bright like the sun. Laa-Laa was more feminine and gentle than Po ever could be; she should have lived and not become a monster. Crushed to death because of the Guardian.
Po lets out a shaky breath, hugging the Guardian's arm tightly, seeking some comfort. The feelings of sadness and anxiety overwhelm her; she doesn't want to feel so weak. This is not the time for that. She needs to be strong like Dipsy and brave like Laa-Laa, but with hope like Tinky Winky.
Po can't be herself; she needs to be better, like her friends.
They walked a little further until they arrived at a strange place that was difficult for her to describe. She watched as the Guardian moved some levers, causing a hidden door to open. She made a noise of admiration, approaching eagerly, a little in awe and curious. However, the white tubby stopped her from getting too close.
The older one had a serious and worried expression, as if he were weighing several things at the same time. This was something Po understood well; she always thought about several things simultaneously. It was a unique ability, according to Noo-noo. Perhaps the Guardian had the same ability as her.
He forced a smile, making the little girl frown, not really liking his pretense. Tinky Winky always said that faking feelings was bad, and Po didn't want to see her new friend in bad shape. Before she could speak and explain that it was wrong to act nice when you're actually sad, he spoke.
"We've been through a lot, right?" he murmurs, smiling gently and kneeling down to look her in the eyes.
Placing a finger on her cheek, the red tubby makes a thoughtful expression, reflecting on everything she and the Guardian have experienced. She remembers how he saved her from Tinky Winky, how they escaped from the mountain Yeti, and how they fled from Laa-Laa. Unfortunately, much of their journey involved death and blood. "Hmm, yes." Po says, watching him let out a laugh and tilt his head.
"Well, now let's go through another adventure." the Guardian says, looking around fearfully and remaining as alert as possible. "I need you to obey me and be very careful."
"I'll be careful, no need to worry." she replies, trying not to show her fear. "And honestly, we're already professionals. We don’t need to be afraid of anything."
"Really?" the oldest asks, laughing, probably finding the little tubby’s attitude amusing.
"Yeah, they’re the ones who need to be afraid of us."
"I agree. We are a walking danger to these disgusting monsters." The Guardian’s voice carries a touch of humor, even though he’s not particularly funny. Po laughs. "But we still need to be careful." He stands up, wiping blood from his nose. "You know, hide when I tell you to and don’t attract attention, okay?"
"No need to worry, I’ll be very quiet."
With that, the two hold hands and enter the place.
★★★★★
“Shit.” he mutters, looking at the dead tubby’s body anxiously. “Close your eyes.”
Po sees the bodies, most of them torn apart with organs hanging out. It’s painful; their expressions reflect fear and pain. She feels bad, realizing she’s becoming strangely accustomed to seeing dead and dismembered bodies. Po thinks it’s thoughtful of the Guardian to try to cover her eyes, but it doesn’t help much since she can still smell the blood. The white tubby asks her to stand still and look at the wall while he checks the bodies.
A few minutes pass. Po anxiously moves her fingers, wanting to turn around and see the bodies, but she doesn’t want to disobey the older man. She fears he might become angry, even though he’s been kind so far. Noo-noo always said that when a child disobeys, they must be punished to learn their lesson. Po shudders slightly, remembering how Dipsy was always being punished.
Even with tears in his eyes, Dipsy maintains a brave and strong expression, ignoring the pain in his body. "I don’t mind being punished." he says, looking directly at the smallest tubby in the room. "He can punish me as many times as he wants. I will never stop being the way I am."
Po admires him a lot; she wishes she could be as brave and daring as Dipsy. She remains silent, watching as Tinky Winky and Laa-Laa tend to him, applying medicine to the green tubby's injured back. The two argue lightly with him, their expressions worried and upset, almost begging him to never put himself in such a position again.
The Guardian’s hand jolts her from her thoughts, making her turn around slightly scared. He has a strange smile. Po thinks that this tubby must not have smiled much in his life, as no one smiles in such a forced and unnatural way. It makes sense, considering he has lived alone for so long.
He wears a worried expression, with his hands covered in blood. Now that Po can observe him without worrying about imminent danger, she notices that the Guardian is very injured and covered in blood. A wave of concern washes over her. "We need to get going."
The two continue walking. The place is filled with the smell of death, which makes Po want to vomit, even though she is somewhat accustomed to the foul odor. Looking around the dark and strange hallways, she struggles to see clearly. Accustomed to bright places, her eyes squint slightly as she tries to make out anything in the dim light.
Po and the Guardian stop walking when they see a vision of a bruised but still breathing tubby. His eye is swollen and bloodied, and his expression is one of pain and fear, which makes Po want to comfort him.
"Oh." is all the Guardian manages to say as he approaches delicately and crouches down to assess the situation.
"Are you okay?" Po asks, hugging the Guardian's arm tightly, not wanting to let go.
The tubby lets out a groan of pain, wincing and looking at Po with a confused expression. "A child?" he mutters, then turns his gaze to the Guardian, who is trying to tend to his injuries. "You need to help us."
"I’m here for that." the Guardian replies.
"That’s what we’re here for. Let’s drive all the monsters away," the little girl says, releasing the Guardian’s arm and striking a brave pose. "We are the best." The stranger raises his eyebrows in confusion, looking at the white tubby, who simply nods.
"Fine..." he murmurs, leaning slightly to address both of them. "A monster came here and started killing everyone. He was green and used a chainsaw." His voice trembles, and his eyes shine with frightening concern. "The most bizarre and terrifying thing is that he didn’t have a head, but he was still alive."
It takes a few seconds for Po to fully understand. She stands there, watching the older man mumble in fear. "Wait, Dipsy?" She turns to the Guardian, who has the same surprised expression as she does. "Is he alive?" A touch of hope colors her voice, only to be followed by the painful reminder that he killed every tubby here. Fortunately, her eyes don’t tear up, as it's been a while since she drank any water.
"He turned into a monster even though he was dead?" he murmurs, visibly troubled, passing his hand over his face and engaging in that strange self-talk while hitting himself. Before Po can say anything more, the Guardian turns to the stranger. "What is your name?"
"Ron."
"I'm the Guardian." he says, moving very close to Ron, shaking his hand in an odd manner. Po thinks she really needs to teach him how to handle these simple gestures more appropriately.
"My name is Po." The blue tubby offering a gentle smile, though he doesn’t seem eager to smile much.
"Now, we need to find a way to save ourselves." the Guardian says. "I need to contact the military."
"Yeah." Ron mutters, straightening with great pain and letting out a shaky breath. "You can send a distress signal from the secret center. Once they receive it, they will help." For a few seconds, hope wells up in Po’s heart. "But you’ll probably need a key card to access the center."
"Does everything have to be so complicated?"
"Don't interrupt him."
"Sorry."
Ron watches the child cross her arms, his expression puzzled again, but he quickly sets that aside and continues explaining. "I think another staff member had a key card for center access on the other side of this door." he says, looking at the door with concern. "However, be careful; he’s still around."
"I'll call the military." the Guardian says as he kneels next to Po and Ron, handing the camera to the little tubby. "You two are going to hide in the pipes, okay?"
Before Po can agree, the older man interrupts. "I don’t have the strength to move. I’ll just be in the way. Go without me." As he says this, the Guardian approaches him, kneeling down and turning his back. "What?"
"Get on my back. I'll take you to the ventilation." The blue tubby’s cheeks turn red, though it’s hard to tell if it’s from anger or embarrassment. "Po?" The girl stares at him, her eyes filled with anguish and fear. "Remember how you played hide and seek with Dipsy?"
"Yes..."
"You’ve never lost, and you won’t lose today."