Solaris's Dawn

by clockwork_knight

Summary:

This is a re-write of King Of Nothing

He's done it. he has everything he's ever wanted or so he thinks. Why does his kingdom feel so...empty? Why does he feel as if he's missing something, something important. He's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants.

Chapter 1

 

 

(Timeline moved around and Characters appear at different times. Almost all the chapters have either been rewritten and the rest have been heavily edited. )

 

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Taken 

Lord Eclipse paced the length of the massive impressive throne room, eyes fixed on the glowing Star that was housed in a protective glass case. He could feel it watching him. His hands tightened into fists, claws pricking his palms. Every time he moved towards it the Star flared angrily sending him skittering back with a hiss. 

 

You will never be a member of the council. You are a joke, weak, pathetic, 

 

“I am NOT weak! I just…just have to prove to them I am worthy. I’ve captured one. It will be different this time.” 

 

How will it be different? You failed so spectacularly the last time.  

 

“I was in over my head. I underestimate its power. I am far better prepared this time around.” His left hands came subconsciously to his faceplate, fingers tracing over the invisible lacerations that once marred that side of his face. 

 

You will fail this time. No matter what you will fail. 

 

Snarling he lunged for the Star, hands outstretched to grab it. The moment he was in a few feet of it searing pain spread over his casing and thin tendrils of smoke flowed from his joints. It felt like liquid fire was spreading through his systems. With a cry he stumbled back, fingers curled and casing blackened. Snarling, he glared at the Star. It shouldn’t be sentient. It shouldn’t be able to disobey him. 

 

You are the king of nothing.

 

“I rule this world! This is my kingdom!” 

 

A kingdom of nothing. It is empty aside the animals you created so you can hunt them and the rejects of your experiments. 

 

In a fit of rage he grabbed the nearest piece of furniture and threw it at the wall. The chair shattered into splinters. “I will not fail this time!” He turned, cape fluttering around his legs as he stormed off. 

 

He would not fail this time. 

Thick, clammy blackness swamped Kill Code’s mind, smothering him in its endless clutches. Little by little the haze began to fade and loosen its clutches.  Scrappy half nightmare, half memory images floated through the haze. 

 

Strands of panic and fear wormed through the haze as he pushed forcefully past it, clawing his way towards consciousness. Almost immediately he became aware of a throbbing headache and something cold and firm around his wrists. Cracking one eye open he observed the darkened room that looked nothing like the one he had fallen asleep in. The walls were covered in aged wallpaper that was peeling in large curls in spots. 

 

Sitting up, he took in his surroundings. A large bed with thick ornate posters and headboard dominated the room. There wasn’t much else in the room other than a nightstand.

 

Normally, waking up in an unfamiliar bed would have brought the fast, hard surge of defensive fear and confusion but he held steady. 

 

He became acutely aware that his pants and hat were missing. Bunching the thick comforter around his hips he hunched up a bit. What had seemed like a simple kidnapping now had very nefarious undertones. 

 

He frowned inwardly at the sight of thick metal manacles around his wrists. He tugged on the chain hard then reached up and felt around the thick wooden post where the other end of the chain was wrapped around. With enough determination he could break the post right above the chain or potentially use the chain like a makeshift chain saw and weaken the post enough to break it then free the chain. 

 

Heavy footfalls alerted him to the return of his captor. Quickly he laid back down and tugged the comforter back up and closed his eyes, listening. 

 

A lock clicked as a key was inserted into it. The door opened then closed as his unseen captor entered the room and made their way to the bed. They stood near the end of it for a good minute before making their way around the other side then sat down on it making the mattress creak under their weight. 

 

Curiosity burning he cracked one eye open and he stiffened as he got a good look at his captor.

 

An Eclipse. But not his Eclipse. 

 

The differences are noticeable. The visible rays had been inlaid with gold and large rings adorned the one hand he could see. The clothing was equally ridiculous, red and gold and yellow cloth adorned his powerful frame. The name floated through his mind. 

 

Lord Eclipse. 

 

The Eclipse who became a god and destroyed the world then remade it into his idea of paradise. A shudder of disgust clawed down his spine. 

 

“I’m sorry Moon… I did what I did because I’m tired of being refused what I want. What I need. I’m sure you will understand in time.” The speaker shifted a bit. “The others will no doubt be searching for him but I am prepared for that. I worked hard to get this far and did some things I'm not proud of but…I did what I had to. I’m not about to let you go.” 

 

KC mulled over the words, picking each one apart and scrutinizing it. It was clear something had happened to the Eclipse's Moon but what did that have to do with him? A sinister thought crept in though he dismissed it. Kidnapping him just to use his frame to house another AI made no sense. It would have been easier to build a new one. 

 

The possibility that the Eclipse wanted a powerful slave was at the forefront of his mind but again it had nothing to do with Moon. 

 

The Eclipse leaned forward, shoulders hunched, the movement causing the ridiculous cape to shift and expose a key hanging from his belt.

 

The key must have been important given its position of easy access. 

 

Moving at a snail's pace he reached out, each move carefully calculated and planned to prevent the chains from rattling or clicking against casing. Little by little his fingers maneuvered the key, claws cutting through the thin teather. Freeing the key he withdrew, curling his fingers around it and pulled his hands close to his chest. Now all he had to do was wait for the imposter to leave then he could shed the restraints and escape. 

 

The Eclipse sat silently on the edge of the bed for several long minutes before getting up and leaving. 

 

Despite the urge to free himself from the wretched shackles he forced himself to wait, slowly calming his tense frame. He had no idea of where he was or what the Eclipse wanted. Any information he could gleam from his captor would aid in his escape.

 

 His grip tightened on the odd key. It felt warm against the thick sensor laden pads on his palms and fingers. Curious, he examined the key closely then smiled. 

 

A magic skeleton key. It would fit any lock. No doubt the Eclipse would eventually notice it missing but he would not suspect his captive to be the one who took it. Tucking the key underneath the pillow he snuggled down into the thick comforter and bed. Might as well get some rest, exhaustion would hamper any escape attempts.

Chapter 2: Escape

 

Sleep, as it turned out, hadn't been that hard to achieve with the remnants of the sedative still in his systems. Normally he was a light sleeper by necessity, but between general tiredness and the drugs he slept through the dull clunk of a lock turning followed by a door opening.

 

Feeling a large hand brushing against his side he snapped awake, bristling, crimson eyes glowing with barely controlled predatory anger. “Remove your hand or I will remove it for you.” He growled though he wasn't sure how much damage he could do given the weakness of his limbs. A quick scan confirmed his suspension that he had been drugged while slumbering.

 

Much to his irritation Lord Eclipse chuckled. “You are in no position to order me around Kill Code.” 

 

KC snarled at his captor but made no move to lash out. Even if he did score a hit with his claws, the damage would only anger the other. While he had magic he did not want his captor to know that and potentially disable his ability to use it.

 

“I’m surprised you haven’t demanded to be set free.” Eclipse grinned, fingers lightly stroking the storm grey flank.

 

Hissing he jerked away from the unwanted touch. “There is no point demanding for these, “ he motioned to the shackles with his head, “to be removed when you have no intention of doing so.” Oddly enough the pompous ass didn't mention the missing key. Maybe he hadn't noticed it was missing. 

 

“You remind me so much of my Moon. Smart and not prone to panicking unlike his brother.” Eclipse chuckled again. 

 

“Where is your Moon?” He suspected dead or missing. 

 

Eclipse stiffened, rays partly retracting. “He was gravely injured during a rebel attack on the castle.” 

 

“And Sun?” 

 

“He is my servant.” 

 

Kill Code mulled over what he had learned. Sun was still alive although enslaved and Moon might be alive but was badly damaged. When he got loose he’d try to make contact with them. “ I would ask what you want with me though I suspect your intentions are less than honorable.” The toothy smile that nearly split Eclipse faceplate gave him chills.

 

The voice of reason warned Eclipse that it was too soon, remember what happened last time.  “If you already know what I want then this shouldn’t come as a surprise.” He pulled the comforter down with his free hand, exposing his pet to his lustful gaze then moved so he was kneeling in front of the predatory animatronic. 

 

KC hissed and pulled away, frame tight with tension. His claws slid out and he growled, the primal sound like thunder. To his satisfaction the Eclipse flinched and his smile faltered. “Do not touch me."

 

His keen gaze picked up on the others' hesitancy to move closer and how Lord Eclipse's hand hovered in the air. KC pulled up the files he had on the foreign Eclipse which wasn't much and was all second hand information. Supposedly this eclipse had embedded the Star in his chest yet he couldn't detect even the faintest twinge of star power, residual or otherwise. Given the proximity of the other he should have been able to sense it meaning this so-called Lord either no longer possessed the Star or could not use it. The new information was filed away to be thoroughly combed over later.

 

“You know as well as I, that I do not need your permission to touch you. You belong to me now, you are mine to do with as I want. When I want.”

 

KC narrowed his eyes and growled again, getting a twinge of grim satisfaction at the flinch. “I am not property. I belong to no one. 

 

Lord Eclipse's smile twisted into a snarl as anger bubbled up. He had gone through so much trouble to procure this beast and do the modifications, he wasn’t going to be denied anything by a defiance. “You need to learn a little… obedience.”  A deep thunderous growl made his casing vibrate, the fluid in his lines instantly turned to ice and his joints locked in instinctual fear that he felt to his endo. There was no pleading, no demands for answers, just pure predator rage that made him very aware of how weak he was in comparison. This creature could reduce him to scrap easily, rendering him powerless if he slipped up. 

 

I will not mess up again. I can’t fail this time. 

 

Slowly he forced himself to meet the  crimson gaze and froze again. It was like looking into the eyes of an eldritch being.

 

Fear prickled along his artificial nerves.

 

Hastily he got off the bed then slowly backed away. “You will learn to obey sooner or later.” He fought hard to keep the waiver of fear from his voice. “I will break you.” Blindly he reached behind him for the door, shaking fingers closing around the knob and twisted it.

 

He slammed the door shut behind him, locking it then collapsing to his knees, armor hitting the marble with a clang. Trembling he sucked in shallow breaths while his clawed fingers scraped at the marble.

 

Slowly he regained control over his trembling body. Rising to his feet Lord Eclipse strode to his throne room, picked up the nearest piece of ornate furniture and flung it with every ounce of strength he had against the wall. The chair shattered to kindling. A scream of fury and frustration spilled from his vocalizer as he threw another chair. Then another, this one clipping the massive brass and crystal chandelier causing several delicate crystals to shatter. 

 

You will fail.

 

“Shut up! I will not fail!” 

 

 You are throwing furniture and raging. You have lost control. 

 

“I am not losing control!” Lord Eclipse screamed at the Star, voice box frizzing from the volume. Turning he all but ran out of the throne room, away from the Star and away from the constant reminders of his past failures.  

Bristling KC sat up, key in hand. The second the thick metal cuffs were off he slid off the bed and tore off a large piece of the silken sheets, wrapping it around his waist so he had some covering at least. While there was nothing to see while his modesty plate was up. he felt more comfortable with some cover.

 

He stood still for a moment and closed his eyes, steadying his breathing and grounding himself before opening his eyes and did a quick self diagnostic. Nothing appeared to have been tampered with and a surface scan turned up no added programs, protocols or viruses. Once he was somewhere safe he'd do a far more thural check.

 

What to do with the key? He couldn't just carry it given the risk of dropping it and he had no pockets. After considering his options he tucked the key into his mouth, tongue curling around it. It would be safe enough there. 

 

Padding across the floor unlocked the door then stepped out into a rather impressive hall. He huffed in mild irritation at the sheer possible scale of the building. Eveytime he passed a door he opened it and peered inside in search of anything useful only to be greeted by dust, cobwebs and peeling wallpaper. The once luxurious curtains and rugs were tattered and moth eaten, the bedding turned into a massive nest for vermin. 

 

It struck him as odd that the room he had been in was clean and well kept but the rest of the rooms had been allowed to fall into ruin. 

 

Eventually he came to a staircase leading down, the red carpet that covered the stars was every bit as tattered and worn as the rugs in the rooms. Yet there wasn’t a speck of dust and the wooden hand rail had been recently polished. 

 

He couldn't see Lord Eclipse doing manual labor so that meant servants that may or may not be loyal to the fool. 

 

KC was nothing if not resourceful. Once on the ground floor he unsheathed his claws then spider-climbed up the wall, sticking close to the ceiling as possible. The height advantage allowed him to see more of the ridiculously large building, plan escape routes and stay out of sight. He just needed to find a portal and activate it. 

 

He would come back with Moon to and his Eclipse and rescue this version of Sun.

 

Chapter 3: Run to Never Land

 

Sun twitched as he surveyed the mess. The fragments of crystal scattered across the floor glittered in the setting sun's light that was weakly filtering through the large stained glass windows that lined the left side of the throne room. Most of the thick red and black curtains that framed the windows hadn’t been drawn closed yet. Just another task in a long line of boring tedious tasks that needed to be done before he could rest.

 

Sighing, he began picking up the larger pieces of broken furniture and piling it near the entrance to be added to the burn pile then swept up every scrap and splinter. The glittering shards were next.

 

He was long used to his lord's outbursts that often ended in a savage beating or broken furniture. 

 

While he could feel the Star observing him, it never really acknowledged his presence or spoke to him which was something he was grateful for. Just being near it made his casing tingle as if spiders were crawling on it.

 

More than an hour had passed by the time he was done. His joints ached but he ignored the pain knowing he'd be punished if he didn't complete his tasks. Weary he drew the heavy curtains shut, gaze lingering on the dark world on the other side of the glass and longed to explore it but it was rare that he could leave the castle and even then it was only to accompany his lord. 

 

Sun lingered at the window for a moment longer before pulling the curtain shut. He was nothing more than a servant, a slave, he had no freedom. His lord was quick to remind him of his place rather often.

 

As he exited the room he paused, swearing he'd heard the faint scrabble of claws on stone. Vermin occasionally found their way in through the cracks and crevices meaning he’d have to set traps again. Oh how he hated cleaning the blasted traps out. While he detested vermin he still felt sorry for the poor creatures and much rather release them outside instead of killing them. Heaving a sigh he made his way toward one of the many storage rooms to retrieve the traps. 

 

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Eclipse paced around his private room, the thick lush carpet reduced the sound of his footfalls to a bare whisper. 

 

He had surrounded himself with luxury but he felt empty, like something is missing but he may have found the missing puzzle piece. He just had to put the pieces together correctly.

 

“I will not repeat my mistakes. I will remain in control. I have to remain in control. I am in control.” He would make the feral one adequate for his…needs. He would not repeat the mistakes he had made in the past. 

Lord Eclipse growled irritability when one of the many proximity alarms chimed and an alert popped into his HUD. He almost dismissed it then decided to summon an ‘eye’ to search out the potential intruder. The invisible magic eye served the same purpose of a security camera though it was superior. It could not be hacked, seen and could pick up shrouded or invisible beings. 

 

The ‘eye’ floated near the main doors, slowly moving back and forth while feeding the raw footage right to Lord Eclipse. 

 

“Must have been a false-” a shadow moved along the far wall near the ceiling before sliding down a pillar. A shadow with eerie glowing red eyes. 

 

“How?” Rage coursed through his systems. “I will not lose this opportunity! Not again!” Grabbing his spear he turned and charged through the doors.

 

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Belly pressed against the wall he made his way towards a pair of large doors that might lead outside. No doubt the doors were locked but the most stubborn of locks could be defeated with patience. If that failed, it wasn’t much trouble to break out a window and leave the castle that way. 

 

Eclipse stormed through the great hall. He knew where the lunar animatronic was and where he was headed. Despite the anger he felt a cold predatory thrill trickle through the hot embers. It was something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Not since extinguishing the rebels. In hindsight he should have left some of them alive so he wouldn't be so fucking bored.

 

It didn’t take long to spot his prey moving towards the doors , movement swift and graceful like a panther. It was almost a shame to keep him under lock and key. "Those doors are locked. You won't be getting out that way. I know every inch of this place. There is nowhere you can go in my home or my domain that I can not find you."

 

Tucking the key as far back into his mouth as he could without triggering his gag reflex KC dropped to the floor and turned to face his captor. "I will not stay here and willingly be your captive."

 

“You do not have a choice.” Lord Eclipse fought the sudden wave of fear that washed over him as the crimson eyes locked onto him. If he had possessed a bladder he was certain there would be a warm wetness trickling down his legs. 

 

“I have a choice. I choose to not be a slave. I choose to be free.” KC rumbled. He opened his mouth slightly and pulled in a wuff of air, letting it pass over a special organ on the roof of his mouth. He sorted through the particles at a speed an organic creature could never match. 

 

“You are afraid.” It was a statement not a question. The eclipse could put on a brave front and pretend all he wanted but the predator in him knew otherwise.

 

Lord Eclipse took a step back subconsciously. “I am not afraid!” He screamed, gripping the spear shaft so hard his fingers creaked. 

 

The lunar predator cocked his head in a way that clearly said he didn't believe that.

 

“I'm not!”

 

He could feel the brilliant red eyes stripping away his proverbial armor and casing, laying him bare. Eclipse's courage nearly withered when the larger animatronic charged with a deep ugly sound that instinctively made his joints lock for a second and fear clawed at the back of his processor. The sleek form lunged for him, clawed fingers spread out to maximize the damage. Something deep inside screamed at him to curl up like a bug and hope the beast didn't see him as a threat.

 

There were only a few seconds to react. Lowering the deadly end of the spear, bracing the other end against the floor, aiming for the spot just under the lunar animatronics chest. The blade would slice right through an arterial line and greatly weaken the feral beast.  A split second the larger animatronic slammed into him taking them both to the floor. 

 

Hot fluid gushed from the deep wound, soaking into his clothing and splattering onto the floor. He winced as claws sliced into his shoulders, the shallower wounds closed over within a matter of moments due to the nanties in his system. 

 

His circuits sang with giddy energy as he pushed the predator off of him, scrambling to his feet.  

 

KC snarled, barely feeling the pain of his wounds or the rush of vital fluid that streamed from the deep gash. Rage flooded his systems washing away logic and leaving behind a raging predator. All he could think of was tearing into the foolish solar bot that dared challenge him. Trapping the other in a cage of claws his j aws opened wide, almost to the point of dislocating revealing his formidable dental weapons.

 

Instinctively Lord Eclipse raised an arm to shield his face. The jaws clamped down on his arm with the force of a hydraulic press. Armor and casing shattered as if it was made of fragile glass and not sturdy metal.

 

Eclipse screamed as his arm snapped like a toothpick. Dropping the spear he desperately tried to pry the beast’s mouth off to no avail. The predator  shook him like a terrier with a rat then let go, sending him sprawling across the floor. Despite the pain he got to his feet, damaged arm hanging against his side. 

 

Phantom adrenaline surged along Eclipse’s circuits in whipcracks of livewire exhilaration while unnecessary systems shut down to divert power and resources to the damage. Ripping a large chunk of his cape off and hastily wrapped it around his arm, hissing softly as he did so. Picking up the spear Eclipse raised it, the dangerous end pointed at the predator but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep it steady. The tip of it swayed drunkenly . Hemorrhagic shock would take one of them down. He simply had to outlast the predator.

 

The predator snarled and began to pace, leaving a dark trail of fluid that was slowly tapering off as nanites rushed to slow the flow but every time their host moved he tore the patches open. Crimson eyes remained locked onto his prey, servos tight, ready to lunge. 

 

Eclipse barely dodged a charge, claws catching his hip in a glancing strike as he spun aiming for the spot at the back of the beast's knee. The blade sliced through the thin casing right below the joint, severing the tendon which snapped like an overstretched rubber band. The damaged leg buckled but it didn’t slow the beast by much. KC transitioned smoothly to a loping gait with his remaining limbs.

 

Everything about the lunar animatronic exuded deadly grace. The sleekness of a hunting panther combined with the power of a raging storm. It was….beautiful and terrifying.

 

KC staggered and couldn't recover. His limbs gave out while warnings blossomed across his HUD. Still under the throes of the primal code KC snarled and attempted to get up only to helplessly flounder, systems shutting down one by one while a warm pool of fluid formed underneath him. He tried again only to flop onto his side, eyes still locked onto the eclipse. 

 

 Dropping the spear he limped over to the growling beast. “I take no joy in doing this.” Leaning down he tightly grasped the paw of the undamaged leg. A quick hard twist followed by his fingers digging into the toes, dislocating the sturdy metal bones.  Once he was certain it would be impossible to place any weight on the damaged limb he stepped back, watching a small pool of dark fluid forming around the damaged limb yet the lunar animatronic was not only still conscious, he was still hissing and growling. 

 

“I knew there was something special about you the moment I set eyes on you.” Grabbing one of the long legs he began dragging the predator towards one of the downstairs rooms since there was no way in hell he was going to drag the other up the damn  stairs. “I’ll have my servant take care of your… injuries.” It was one of the things Sun was actually quite skilled at. He supposed his servant had needed to become proficient at such a skill given how often he was on the receiving end of beatings. 

 

“I won’t underestimate your ability to escape again.” He let the ankle go once he managed to drag the unresisting animatronic beside the bed. Before leaving he secured the lunar beast’s wrists with a new chain and secured the end to a bedpost. 

 

A low ugly growl stirred in his throat but he lacked the strength to do anything other than to glare, clawed fingers twitching. He barely noticed when the darkness won.

 

Chapter 4

He wasn't a coward. No sirree Bob. Why it was just common sense that he hid when he heard the deep horrifying growls of some large predator and the clang of metal on metal. Sun wasn't built for fighting. An intruder could easily demolish him. So he stayed put, crammed into the corner of his little washroom beside the medicine cabinet. 

 

On the filthy floor.

 

The realization made his OCD twitch but there was little Sun could do about it. He never had time to clean his own quarters if the two tiny rooms could be called that. 

 

When the sounds died down Sun cautiously crept out of his hiding spot and peered out the door. Seeing nothing he slowly crept out ready to dart back into the relative safety of the wash room. Still hearing nothing out of the ordinary he crept further out into the main room, all but crawling. 

 

What greeted him was an unholy blood bath. He froze in place, stomach violently churning, one hand pressed against his mouth and eyes wide in fear. 

 

“Slave!” The tone was demanding.

 

Hearing his master calling for him, Sun reluctantly rose to his feet and approached the throne room. He hesitated when he came to the thick crimson curtains. Maybe he could go back into hiding for a bit and lie that he hadn’t heard his master but his master would know that he had lied and he would be beaten. “My Lord.” he grimaced at the injuries he could see but he felt no sympathy for his master. 

 

“My newest acquisition has been injured and needs to be tended to.” His nanites would knit the worst damage then he’d take care of the rest. He didn’t trust his servant to not do something to weaken the limb or sever something important.  

 

“I…I will need to retrieve my tools from my room.” 

 

“Do what you need to do.” Lord Eclipse waved his free hand dismissively. 

 

Sun returned to his small, near barren room. It was nothing like the lushious, luxurious room his master had. He had no carpets, just a bare ugly floor, a small pathetic cot and a few tattered blankets and a small rickety wardrobe full of the same outfit. A simple black and white suit. Pulling his attention away from his miserable room he shuffled into the equally small washroom to retrieve his tools. 

 

 Hi s eyes drifted to the beautiful ornate cabinet in the corner. There would be hell to catch if he dared take anything out of it without permission and that permission was very rare. Not for the first time he wondered why it had been placed in his washroom and not his lord's. It would certainly be easier for his lord to access the cabinet. 

 

The more he stared at it, the greater the temptation was. Surely his master would understand.

 

Nervously he looked around the room, searching for any sign that he was being monitored then slowly walked towards the cabinet. He reached out for the handle, rays pinned back. The air caught in his throat when his trembling fingers curled the cold metal. When no alarm sounded and no enraged Eclipse charged through the door he opened the cabinet door. 

 

Bottles of painkillers modified for techno organic beings lined the top shelf, the bottles on the lower shelves were potent sedatives. Nervously he glanced over his shoulder again. Taking a bottle from the very back where the missing pills wouldn't be noticed, he opened the bottle and shook out half the pills into a rag then replaced the bottle. Folding the rag tightly around the precious pills he closed the cabinet and entered his room.

 

Once he gathered up the necessary items Sun steadied himself, hands tightly gripping the bright red medical bag he made his way to the bed room, shoulders hunched and head down. A small part of him wondered why he had just risked a severe beating for stealing. It wasn’t as if he owed whatever unfortunate bot his master had imprisoned anything but still, he felt a pang of sympathy for the stranger. 

 

He paused at the door to peer down the hall to make sure there was no Eclipse then ducked into the room. 

 

What passed for a stomach lurched at the sight of the unconscious lunar animatronic. A puddle of dark fluid had formed underneath the lithe bot, soaking into the carpets. Had his master done nothing to stop the bleeding? 

 

Anger flashed through him as he knelt besides KC, gently turning him on to him on his back so he could better see the brutal wound. Without hesitating he reached into the gash and pinched the sluggishly leaking artery while reaching into the bag for the suture kit. 

 

It was a bit of a tight fit due to all the components  that were in the way but he managed and somehow managed though he did occasionally brush against a damaged wire that gave him a nasty shock. It would be so much easier if he could pop the unconscious bot's casing off but no amount of searching turned up hidden latches so he was forced to do what he could through a small hole.

 

Internal alarms went off like clockwork. Normally ignoring one ment a beating or worse but he was certain that his master had dosed himself heavily on sleeping pills and would slumber for a few days so he wouldn't have to deal with the pain leaving Sun with plenty of rare free time. Though he had nothing enjoyable to do.

 

By the time he was done suturing the grievous wound and repairing what he could his hands were shaking and splashed with fluid. There wasn’t much he could do about the gash in the stormy grey casing since he had no replacements. After wiping his hands on a towel he wrapped a thick layer of gauze over the gash then glanced at the door, rays twitching. Pulling the rag out of his pocket  he took a few of the large pills then  dumped them into the slumbering predator's mouth and tilted his head back letting gravity do its work. KC swallowed reflexively a few times, throat bobbing. "Those should help. Might make you a little groggy." which wasn’t a bad thing since the other needed all the rest he could get. “I hope that it's enough, I’m really not sure how many to give you.” Sun tucked the precious painkillers back into his pocket then tended to the damaged paw. 

 

“I…I’m sorry I couldn't do anything t-to stop him. I s-should have tried…” But really what could he have done other than attempt to distract his master? Sun sighed and rummaged through the medical bag for an IV kit. He had a lot of personal experience with hooking them up, too much probably. The lunar animatronic didn’t react in the least when he pried off a section of casing on his forearm and sunk a large bore needle into the fluid line so a combination of coolant, nanites and micro particles of metal for the nanites to do repairs flowed into the predator. He hung the IV bag up on the bed post. 

 

Reaching up, Sun pulled the thick comforter off the bed and draped it over KC then settled down beside him, one hand snaking underneath the comforter to hold the other animatronics limp hand. “I wonder what your name is? I bet it has something to do with the moon. Moonlight? Moondrop?” that one had him giggling. “Nah, those ones are too silly. You're all dark and mysterious. Like you only come out at night and hunt down bad people like some sort of superhero.” Sun tilted his head, the tip of his tongue sticking out. 

 

“Midnight.” he said thoughtfully. “Because that's when it's darkest. But even in the darkest part of the night the moon still glows bright and gives hope to those who need it.” Maybe when the lunar bot escaped he would take Sun with. Wherever the lunar predator went had to be better than this place.

Chapter 5: Dream a Little Dream

 

 

Sun jerked awake and sat up, a scream lodging in his throat while he desperately felt the inside of his mouth to make sure he still had a tongue. The moment trembling fingers brushed against the rubbery organ he shuddered with relief. 

 

The nightmare had been so vivid that the phantom pain of having the dexterous organ ripped out lingered.

 

He buried his face into his hands to muffle the sobs, rays retracting. The only thing his sleep hazed exhausted mind could fixate on was the severing of his tongue and nothing else. Eventually the memory faded back into the depths of his subconsciousness where it would wait until he slept again. 

 

Lowering his hands he looked down at the lunar bot, relieved to see he was still deeply asleep, expression serene, chest rising and falling rhythmically. Wiping away the tears he didn’t bother to check the time or bother to rush to tend to his usual assigned tasks. There would be no point. 

 

For the first time in his long miserable existence he felt…not just comfortable but  content. While he knew it wouldn’t last he intended to enjoy the tiny island of calm for as long as possible. 

 

Eventually he had to get up to check on his master. But before he did so he pulled a precious pill out of his pocket and pried the slumbering bots mouth open. That when he noticed something metallic the inhumanly long tongue was curled around. Gingerly he reached into the bear trap of teeth and tried to pluck the object out though the tongue was firmly wrapped around it. Did something break in the predator's jaw or was it something that got lodged in his oral cavity? “What on earth do you-” It was a key. Not just any key but his master's skeleton key. He had seen it a thousand times hanging from the eclipse's belt. 

 

It took everything he had not to rip it free then rush to his lord and return the key while babbling like an idiot. Instead he carefully tucked it into the back of the other’s mouth. “I hope you don't accidentally choke on that. I…I have to check on my master but I'll be back as soon as I can.” He placed the small pill on the back of the slate grey tongue then closed his mouth.

 

Rising to his feet Sun shuffled out of the room. Every step filled him with dread, wires tightened painfully. Surely his master was sleeping.

 

He made it through the throne room without the familiar voice bellowing at him for some small mistake. Once at the massive doors to his master's private room he stopped and knocked. Upon hearing no response he pushed the door open ready to grovel and convince Lord Eclipse that his lowly servant was only concerned about his well being. 

 

To his relief Lord Eclipse was passed out in his favorite chair, injured arm tucked against his chest, a knocked over bottle lay on his large desk spilling out small white pills.

 

His cleaning software twitched at the mild mess. 

 

Kneeling he began to pick up the small pills off the carpet when an idea came to him. Surely his lord didn't bother counting the pills, after all his servant would never dare take any. 

 

He hesitated. Would it really matter if he stole just a few? Ground them up and dissolve the powder into his tea? It wasn’t as if his master would notice. His hands seemed to move on their own volition and four of white pills vanished into a pocket. The rest went back into the bottle. 

 

After placing the container in its rightful place he retrieved a blanket off the massive bed. For a moment a dark thought entered his mind. Why did he have nothing but ratty thin blankets and his master had thick comfortable ones? His fingers dug into the soft cloth then laid it over the eclipse.

 

Break his neck. 

 

Sun froze, rays retracted. Where had that come from?

 

Grab the sides of his head and twist. Hard. Snap, crackle, pop. He will bother you no more. 

 

Sun tried to speak but his vocalizer had frozen and his hands were violently shaking. He couldn't do that! 

 

It will be easy. Just reach out and-

 

Nonononono! Absolutely not! He nearly screamed when a hand grabbed his wrist in a vice grip. 

 

“What…are you doing?”

 

Sun sputtered, words refusing to move, lodging in his throat as a pair of yellow and orange hazy eyes studied him intently for any sign of deceit. “I-I-I…”

 

“Speak up, slave.” The words were slurred meaning his master was still under the influence of whatever drug he had taken.

 

“I…I j-just ca-me to-to check on y-you.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“I-swear..”

 

Lord Eclipse's eyes narrowed then he released the sniveling bot. “As you can see I am fine. Now leave me so I can rest.” He released the wrist and watched his servant scuttle off before drifting off again.

 

Sun rushed to the kitchen and flung open the cabinets, hurriedly pushing aside jars of spices and preserved food stuff, nearly causing some of it to crash to the floor. If it meant he could find the one thing he desperately needed he wouldn't have knocked everything to the floor.

 

It was when he searched underneath the sink when he found it. Trembling fingers closed on the smooth glass neck. The cork came free with a pop and the strong odor of fermented honey filled the room. Instead of pouring a small glass he wrapped his lips around the bottle's opening and took a deep swig of the alcohol. He shuddered as it burned all the way down and sat in his stomach like hot lead. 

 

Setting the bottle on the counter he gagged and tried not to throw up. 

 

The horrible mental images refused to fade away. He could almost feel his hands on his master's head, jerking hard enough to snap his neck. 

 

Vomit rose to the back of his throat. He had to swallow it down then chase it with another swig of alcohol.

 

There was no way he could ever do something like that. He wasn't violent, hell killing vermin made him physically ill. A tiny part of him was upset that he hadn’t gone through with it. They would have been free. Instead they were going to suffer because he was too much of a coward to go through with it. 

 

But he still had the sleeping pills. 

 

Probably should hide those. He could reason with his master over the painkillers but not the other ones. 

 

With trembling hands he wrapped the sleeping pills in a rag, kneeling he reached into the cabinet and shoved them into a gap between the wall and sink. His master would never find them there.

 

Feeling a teensy bit better he corked the bottle and replaced it. “I need to check on Midnight.”

Groggy, mouth so dry his tongue stuck to the roof of it, nauseated. Not a good way to wake up. 

 

Sitting up he took in his surroundings. This room was smaller and grimyer than the last one and the carpet was horrendous! It was severely matted, dingy and felt gross against his casing. Keeping the faded comforter tucked around him like an impromptu toga he pulled the IV out, pressing a finger against the tiny hole for a few moments so his nanites could patch it then replaced the casing. 

 

Feeling around the post the chain was secured to he dug his claws into it and found the wood just soft enough to gouge with little force. Putting a plan into action he began carving into the wood above the chain, once he had enough wood removed he could break the poster off. 

 

While he could just use the key he didn't want to alert his captor that he had it.

 

The jiggle of a key in the lock warned him of an unwanted arrival. 

 

 With a grumble he laid back down only to sit back up again, eyes wide in shock as Sun stumbled in. Not his Sun but still, something twisted itself painfully in his chest at the sight of the battered creature that walked in. What casing was visible was battered and dull, marred with scratches and dents. Even the clothing he wore, a black butler's suit, was scuffed and dull. All his rays were cracked and damaged. 

 

“Sun?” 

 

“Oh, you're awake.”

 

Chapter 6

“I didn't expect you to be awake so soon.”Without a second thought for his own safety he sat on the edge of the bed, hands reaching for the bandages. So preoccupied with peeling off the gauze he missed the subtle flinch. “He’s really hurt you hasn’t he?”

 

“The wound is deep though the damage was minimal. Being techno organic has many advantages but it comes with disadvantages.” KC tilted his head, gaze curious. 

 

Sun peered into the gash, noting there was no sign of seepage. “I don't have any replacement casing and I'm certain you don't want that welded.”

 

KC suppressed a shudder. “I would prefer not to.” While he could easily use magic to mend the hole it would alert his captor to the fact he had it.

 

“Fair enough. I'm not sure what I can do about the torn tendon.”

 

“If you are capable of suturing and have the means to do so, then you may be able to secure it back in place, my nanites will mend the tear within a few hours.”

 

“I may be able to do that.” Without anything to numb the needle's passage. His master wouldn’t allow it. Lord Eclipse claimed pain made a subject more obedient. He might get a foot to the face but that was to be expected. 

 

While retrieving his tools he could hear the bed frame creaking as the taller bot laid down. When he turned around he froze. Midnight was stretched out, a pillow tucked underneath his head and the comforter rode up slightly exposing the long powerful legs. The image stirred something deep inside of him. An odd warm fluttering sensation spread through his chest that he couldn't recall feeling before. Suddenly remembering he had a job to do he placed his tools on the bed then realized that he couldn't get the casing off. “Um…” a faint click came from somewhere in the general area of the back of his calf and the casing came off in his hands. “Oh, thanks.” 

 

He set the casing carefully down and stared in awe at the pale white artificial muscles. Without meaning to, he lightly ran his fingertips over it, admiring the smoothness. Wires, lines carrying fluids, metallic endo and hydraulic components were all integrated. It was extremely intricate and a thing of beauty. As much as he wanted to study the other’s internal workings, there was work that needed to be done. 

 

KC winced faintly at the sharp cold sting of the needle every time it passed through his artificial flesh though it didn’t hurt much though it did feel a little …odd that he could feel the kevlar thread being pulled through the ligament. 

 

Once done Sun replaced the casing, fingers lingering on the smooth warm casing. He jerked back when he heard a muffled sound coming from Midnight but it hadn’t been a sound of pain or discomfort. It took a few seconds for him to realize what the sound was since he hadn’t heard it in so long. Just to make sure he dragged his fingertips along the warm metal and was rewarded with the same odd noise. 

 

“My apologies, I am not used to physical contact.” KC adjusted his position so he could better see the solar bot, studying him. 

 

Refusing to meet the pitying red gaze Sun packed up his tools, dumping them into the bag instead of carefully placing everything in its proper place.  “I’ll be back in a bit with s-something for you to e-eat.” He shuffled out the door, making sure to lock it behind him lest his master beat him. 

 

Leaning against the wall he clutched the bag to his chest, eyes closing as he tried to steady the fluttery sensations. It was so nice to hear someone laugh. 

 

After dropping the medical supplies off in his depressing room he went to the equally depressing kitchen that was at odds with the rest of the castle. All the cabinets were dark and worn, a few were hanging off their hinges, the counters were chipped and cracked. Unlike the rest of the castle, the kitchen was something that wasn’t seen by important guests (which they never had any of) so it didn’t need to be nice. “What I’d give to have a nice working kitchen.” 

 

Since Midnight was awake and capable of feeding himself Sun ladled up some of the thick hearty stew into a silver bowl from the cauldron that hung over an ever burning fire in the small dingy brick fireplace. 

 

Once Sun was gone KC returned to patiently gouging the wood around the chain, staying to the back of the post so his escape attempt would go unnoticed until he was ready. If  his captor thought he could not run on three limbs then he was going to be proven wrong. His work was interrupted by light footsteps and the click of a key in a lock. Heaving a mildly irritated sigh he piled a few pillows behind his back so he could sit up comfortably. 

 

Sun walked in then placed the tray on the nightstand. “I’m s-sory I took so long-” 

 

“You do not need to apologize.” 

 

Sun paused, rays twitching. “If I’m ever late or take too long Lord Eclipse will beat me.”

  “He has no right to do that. You are not property.” KC growled softly. 

“I…I am a servant ... .a master has every right to do what he wants to h-his s-servant…” Sun felt something warm blossoming deep in his chest pushing away the awful hollowness that had been there for as long as he could remember. 

 

“Just because you serve him does not give him the right to ever raise a hand to you or mistreat you in any way.” 

 

“It’s not like anyone will stop him.” Sun stared at the bowl, recalling how he was late in delivering his master’s tea by only a minute and had gotten soundly beaten. 

 

“If he mistreats you in my vicinity then he will have to answer to me.” 

 

That catches him off guard. He whipped his head around to face the other, eyes wide. “But…but he’ll hurt you too.” 

 

“Then so be it. I rather he turned his wrath on me than on you.” 

 

“You…you don’t have to do that. You shouldn't have to suffer because of my mistakes.” Sun hunched a bit, the strange warm sensation seemed to be spreading. 

 

“You being his servant is not grounds for abuse.” KC leaned forward and gently laid a hand on the solar bot’s shoulder, frowning at the flinch. “He should be treating you with the respect and dignity you deserve.” 

 

But did he deserve respect? He was a lowly servant but he longed to be treated better. Shoving the thoughts to the side he picked the bowl up cradling it in his hands before handing it to KC. Once he was sure the other had a steady hold on the bowl he let go. 

 

"Thank you." KC plucked the key out of his maw and set it beside him before lifting the bowl to his lips and swallowing some of the hearty fluid that the meat and vegetable chunks floated in, savoring the rich flavors with a hum. 

 

"You seem to be the only one that enjoys my cooking."

 

"You made this?" his fingers tapped against the bowl.

 

Sun nodded, a shy smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. "I do all the cooking from scratch, Lord Eclipse insists on it though he almost always finds something wrong with it." The kitchen, while small and nowhere near as grand as the rest of the castle, was always fully stocked with supplies. 

 

"He simply does not appreciate how hard you work." KC rumbled softly, sipping the rich broth slowly so it wouldn't upset his still sensitive stomach. 

 

Sun ducked his head, faceplate warming. No one had ever been so kind to him. “Is there an Eclipse in your dimension?” 

 

"There is. He’s very different from yours. Our Eclipse redeemed himself. He came to the conclusion that the Star would not bring him happiness and would take him down a very dark and troubled road.” KC tucked his legs underneath him, careful not to put too much pressure on the damaged paw. 

 

“When you escape this place, will you take me with you?” Sun dared hope that the other had been telling the truth and would help him escape this awful place to some place better. 

 

“I promise. I will not leave without you.“ KC tried to reassure the other. “It is only a matter of leaving this room and finding a portal that will lead us back to my dimension.” 

 

Sun nervously looked around the room, hoping his master wasn’t listening in. “There is one in the library but my master keeps a close eye on it and will know if you try to use it. There’s another one outside someplace, I’m not sure where.” 

 

KC leaned back, thinking. The portal in the library would be the easiest one to get to. With the key he could easily free himself. That just left them getting to the library without the castle's master stopping them. He had a lot to think about and plan. “It would be best if we gather some resources that will aid us and allow my injuries to heal before attempting an escape.” 

 

As much as he wanted to leave now he understood why it was so important for them to be ready to leave. Midnight needed to be in tip top condition for their escape. 

 

Chapter 7: Key

 

Hiding things turned out to be a tad bit easier. He had placed some hard bread, hard cheese, and assorted preserved foodstuffs into one of his ratty blankets then bundled it all up then shoved it underneath his cot. It wasn’t as if his master ever checked. 

 

Now all they had to do was wait and that was the hardest part. There was little to keep his mind occupied other than mindless cleaning. And longing to be outside. Away from the suffocating walls of the castle. It felt almost like a dream or fairy tale only the roles were reversed. Instead of some prince saving a princess from a dragon, it was the dragon that was saving the prince from the evil king. 

 

To keep himself busy he performed his usual tasks in-between speaking to his new companion. Polishing the wooden banisters and massive table of the dining room, dusting and bringing tea to his master. 

 

Sun stood before the large ornate doors, dread sitting heavy in his stomach. His master was still deeply asleep so it wasn’t as if he would react to his presence, still his hands tightened on the ornate tray. Get it over and done with. 

 

Lifting one hand he lightly knocked on the door and waited. When he received no answer he pushed the door open and peered inside. His joints locked and eyes widened in fear. Standing before his desk was his master, the chair he had been sitting in was overturned. A small part of him wanted to run away and hide while the rest of him acknowledged the fact his master was already aware of his presence and running would do nothing but earn him a beating. 

 

Slowly he pushed the door open a bit more revealing more of the beautiful room. “Master? I brought you some tea.” Hesitantly he stepped into the room.

 

“An hour late. But I suppose that is to be expected since I was asleep and you know better than to wake me unless it's important.” Lord Eclipse dug his claws into the desk. Upon waking he had noticed the key that normally hung off his belt was missing. Stolen. There was no way it simply fell off. 

 

He plucked the delicate tea cup off the tray.  “Stop trembling slave. It's not as if you are in trouble.” Not yet any way. Why would his slave steal the key? What use did he have for it? “You wouldn’t ever steal from me would you slave?” 

 

Sun whimpered and shook his head. “Never my lord. What reason would I have to steal?” Yet he had. Several times. Maybe he could talk his way out of this. 

 

Lord Eclipse swirled the hot tea around in its cup. “Indeed. What reason would you have to steal from me? Then explain to me why my skeleton key is missing? You were the only one in my room.” 

 

His mind raced as panic and fear swamped him in a dark smothering tide. Tears pricked the corners of his wide eyes. “I would never! It’s possible it caught on something or you may have misplaced it. You have been under the influence of strong sleeping pills that muddle the mind.” 

 

“That was the first thing I thought of. I searched the floor all around my desk and there is no trace of the key. The leather strap that it was hanging from was neatly severed, not torn as if it had caught on something. “ He looked up, seething. “It stands to reason you stole the key while you were in my room with the intention of freeing my newest acquisition. You were always so soft hearted it’s disgusting.” 

 

Sun shook his head and brought the tray up as a makeshift shield. Words logged in his throat as he tried to beg, plead, explain that he hadn’t taken the key. “I. .I w-would never…s-steal from my master.” 

 

“ The beast certainly can not walk or free itself from its shackles so it can’t be the thief. So that leaves you.” He sat the fragile tea cup down and turned on his servant. Roughly he slashed the other’s pants to ribbons, tearing the cloth apart. When he found no key among the shredded cloth he felt a surge of rage. There were other places to hide something as small as a key. 

 

“Open your mouth.” His tone warned his servant not to disobey.

 

Reluctantly he did as told, tray held low to hide his shame. He winced when the thick fingers gripped his lower jaw, forcing his mouth open more though he didn’t dare pull away. 

 

Satisfied that the missing key wasn’t in his slave's mouth, he let go. That left two other places. While the voice of reason said the slave really did have no reason to take the key, his anger over being mauled by the beast that had been simmering since the attack flared hotly. The tray was ripped out of the servants trembling hands. Before the solar bot could so much as flinch away he plunged two thick fingers deep into the soft dry cunt drawing a sharp cry of pain and surprise. He delved deeper, the edges of the rings that adorned his fingers cutting the soft silicone though he didn’t care. 

 

Sun grabbed at the wrist, tears making tracks down the sides of his face as he tried to pull away. “P-pealse! I-I di-dn’t take it!” He really hadn’t. He knew where the key was but he didn’t dare say. He was willing to endure a beating but he knew Midnight would endure much, much worse. 

 

“How am I to be so certain of that?” He withdrew his fingers. “Turn around and lean over my bed.” 

 

Sun tried to protest but the words would not leave his mouth. Slowly he turned and did as told, his mind gleefully supplied him with all manner of awful images. Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to ignore the invasive fingers that poked and prodded while he choked on soft sobs. 

 

Once his master was satisfied he ran out of the room as fast as he could, not caring that his backside was on display. Instead of his dingy room he charged into the room where Midnight was. With tears blurring his vision he leapt onto bed and clung to the larger bot, sobbing softly. 

 

Startled, KC looked down at the solar bot, hands hovering over the distressed sun. “What happened?” Then he noticed the other’s state of undress. His primal code frothed and surged, threatening to overwhelm him. He wasn’t going to maul the eclipse, he was going to render the bastard to scrap. 

 

Gently he set his hands over the tense shoulders. “It's alright sunshine, he will not harm you while you are with me.” he lightly rubbed soothing circles while Sun sobbed and cried until he became so exhausted that he fell asleep, curled up in a small ball. Wrapping the slender sun up in the comforter he comforted the traumatized bot. “I will not leave you behind. I promise you that.” 

 

Chapter 8

Like a regal strom Eclipse strode through the castle. Outside a storm of a different kind raged, pelting the castle with rain and powerful winds. The two days he had spent drifting in and out of an odd haze after confronting his servant over the theft of the key had finally released him from its grip. His arm still ached but  the majority of the damage had been repaired by his nanites. 

 

The key was still missing but now he was certain his slave was no longer in possession of it though he had a good idea of who did have it. Or rather who it had been passed to. 

 

When he slammed the door open the anger rose up again, hot and poisonous as his servant rushed to cover himself while the beast growled at him. “Really slave? Do I not give you enough so you turn to a beast?” 

 

Sun felt the vomit surge to the back of his throat. He would never! Not with Midnight! Not to mention the lunar predator clearly had no interest in…that. “That’s not-” 

 

“I have eyes. I can see what you’ve been up to. Should I chain you to the end of the bed for easy access?” He sneered. “I know you're having sex with him. So tell me slave, what's it like. It can't be all that good given how…small my pet is. Is it the control? Knowing how easily you can manipulate a beast.”

 

Sun turned his head away, rays partly retracting. He wasn't some sort of sex toy to be passed around!

 

“You have no right to speak to him in such a manner.” KC lay a protective hand over Sun. 

 

“He belongs to me so I can speak to him any way I want. I can treat him any way I want.” Lord Eclipse stepped closer to the bed. “He has no rights. Neither do you.” 

 

“I am not property and neither is he.” 

 

“I disagree.” 

 

KC huffed, dark code straining at the bars of its cage. “Your opinion matters little. You may claim you own us all you want, that does not mean it's true.” 

 

“You are the one who is chained, not I.” 

 

“I can free myself if I so choose.” The bed post had been heavily gouged and it wouldn't take much to snap it. And he still had the key,  safely tucked in the back of his mouth though he preferred to keep it hidden for now.

 

The pair settled into an uncomfortable staring contest, each daring the other to do something. Lord Eclipse hissed and rattled his rays only to be growled at. Realizing the predator wasn’t going to back down he hissed again. The sound that spilled from the lunar predator made the fluid in his lines turn to ice. It took everything he had not to turn tail and run. 

 

“You claim you can free yourself yet you are still chained.” 

 

Sensing that the eclipse was trying to bait him, KC refused to rise to it. “Perhaps I am biding my time, waiting for you to drop your guard. And when I do leave, I will be taking him with me.”

 

“You will not take my property anywhere!” He made to grab his cowering servant only to jump back when the predator sat up more, claws unsheathed and teeth bared. 

 

Sun buried his face into the comforter and curled closer to Midnight. He knew he was just a servant, that he had no real value to his master other than something to torment but this predator made him feel special. Wanted. 

 

Snarling he stormed out the door and stomped to his private room. There he flung the doors of a large ornate wardrobe open hard enough to tear one door off its hinges though he hardly cared. He was not about to lose control or his servant to a beast. Simple restraints would not be enough to keep the larger bot in place. He wasn’t willing to go to extremes, not yet. Not when some heavy duty restraints would work for now. He ran his finger tips over the thick chains. “I’d like to see you break free of these.” 

 

Once he was certain his master was gone, Sun uncurled. “Can you..free yourself?” 

 

“Yes. I can snap the bed poster easily and I still have the key. Once night falls we can escape this place. I will not leave you here to be abused.” KC reassured the solar bot. 

 

The strange warm sensation was back. Stronger this time. Before he could respond the door opened and an enraged Lord Eclipse stepped into the room, chains draped over one arm. In an instant he burrowed against the large predator going completely still. The least logical part of his brain thought if he remained still maybe his master would not notice him. Despite his best effort he couldn't stop shaking. 

 

“Stop trembling so much, slave, it's not as if you will be the one wearing these.” Lord Eclipse smirked at his hunched slave. “There is no need to restrain you unless you give me one.” His smirk turned into a grin at the little fearful squeak. 

 

“T-there’s n-no need to do t-that ma-ster.” Sun swallowed hard and curled more. 

 

Still smirking he stepped forward and reached for his slave. The movement was so fast he didn’t have time to register it. The loud crack of wood echoed in his audios and burning pain spread across his face. He staggered backward, clutching at the left side of his faceplate. Out of his good eye he saw a blur of black and gray coming at him like a bat out of hell. Maybe Grim Reaper would be better. Throwing himself to the side he hissed as claws caught his side leaving shallow lacerations. 

 

Scrambling backwards he snarled in pain and rage as the lith predator growled at him, crimson eyes blazing with rage. 

 

“You will not touch him!” 

 

He barely dodged another swipe and scrambled away like a coward. Powerful jaws snapped at his legs as he kicked out though the blows barely bothered the beast. In fact it only seemed to further anger it. 

 

There was little room to maneuver and he was quickly running out. Thinking quickly he leapt to his feet and jumped over the bed, clawed hands snatching his servant up as he rolled to his feet. His casing burned from where the beast’s claws had cut into it. 

 

KC snarled, the sound thunderous in the small room as he charged only to pull up short when the eclipse took Sun hostage.”Release him!” 

 

“I don’t think so.” Lord Eclipse smiled and raised one hand, claws lightly pressing against his servant's throat. “Think you can act fast enough to keep him from bleeding out?” The deafening roar made his audios shut off for a second to protect them and vibrated his endo and casing. 

 

KC paced back and forth, bristling, uncaring of his nudity. Claws scratching at the floor. “Release him.” 

 

“If I do, you will attack me again and I can’t have that.” 

 

“I will rip your limbs off and strip out your wires one by one then reduce you to a pile of scrap.” He hissed, primal code frothing. 

 

“Lay down on the bed. Now.” Lord Eclipse hissed, lightly nicking the thin metal of Sun’s throat. 

 

Sun shook his head. Getting his throat cut would only offline him for a while. Once his master needed him, Lord Eclipse would repair him. 

 

Internally struggled against his own code. If he attacked now then Sun would be in danger. With a great deal of effort he complied, crimson gaze never leaving the eclipse. 

 

Picking the restraints off the floor he shoved them into his servants trembling hands then grabbed his slaves shoulder and propelled the solar bot towards the bed, almost making him stumble and fall.

 

“You are too much of a coward to do it yourself so you bully Sun into doing so.” 

 

The once pleased expression darkened. Lord Eclipse snarled. Before he realized what he was doing one hand wrapped around the other’s neck and slammed the lunar animatronics head backwards into the headboard with considerable force. Unfortunately this move placed him well into striking range. Despite being dazed the predator struck.  Large razor sharp teeth sank into forearm while claws sank into his side. White hot pain washed over him and he screamed. Sun wisly scrambled out of the way. 

 

“Let go!” with his free hand he desperately tried to pry the powerful jaws off, cutting his fingers on the edges of the sharp teeth. Of course the lunar predator did no such thing. He bit down harder. Giving up on prying the jaws off Lord Ellipse fumbled for something in his pocket. The moment his fingers closed on the thick glass cylinder he nearly cried in relief though that relief was short lived when the lunar predator began violently shaking him, whipping him back and forth. Fresh pain shot through his arm as his elbow and shoulder dislocated. 

 

With his free hand he jabbed the syringe into a gap between the stormy casing and depressed the plunger then went back to trying to pry the jaws off while his servant crammed himself into a corner. 

 

Growling KC slammed his prey into a wall with enough force to crack casing then released the mangled arm so he could stagger back, unsteady on his feet. Hazy crimson eyes darted from prey to the cowering solar bot. He tried to step towards the sun to comfort him but his limbs gave out, sending him crashing to the floor. 

 

Lord Eclipse stood, damaged arm dangling limply. “I own you! You are nothing!” He screamed at the limp predator. “I will have a proper vessel even if I have to break you over and over again!” furry blazing in his eyes he turned on his slave, badly bitten fingers grabbing one of the delicate soft rays, twisting it cruelly. “Who do you belong to slave?” 

 

“Y-you master.” Sun wept in pain. “I…I exist to s-serve y-you…” 

 

“Is that so?” 

 

Sun  wished he had the strength to tell the truth. He desperately wished he had the strength to say that he wasn’t a slave. He wished he had the courage to tell his master off. He wished he could open his mouth and let all his upset and anger out, spill his emotions but instead he sobbed, tears streaming from his eyes. “M-my pl-ace is here w-with you…” 

 

“And yet you spend more time with a beast than with your Lord. Why is that?” 

 

Sun’s mouth worked silently for a moment. “I…I w-was concerned about his we-ll be-ing.” 

 

Lord Eclipse's mouth pressed into a thin line. He knew it was a lie. Why would his servant lie about what he had been doing with the beast? Was he ashamed? That must be it. Releasing the ray he watched as his servant scuttled away to the far end of the room. 

 

Discipline was needed. 

 

But it would have to wait until he could repair the worst of his injuries and that would require the complex tools in his secret lab. 

 

Chapter 9: Discipline

 

 

A few days later 

 

Sun tried to resist, tried to make up any excuse, any lie to get out of what he knew was coming but nothing worked. Every reason his frightened mind could come up with was brushed off or dismissed. He tried to pull away but the fingers that were holding onto the collar around his throat were relentless. 

 

"Stop whimpering. This is hardly the first time you've been punished.” Lord Eclipse all but pulled his resisting servant towards his private room. His left arm still ached, freshly repaired joints protesting each and every movement. Neat punctures decorated his casing, catching on his clothing. 

 

“You better have a very good reason as to why you have neglected your duties.” 

 

Sun opened and closed his mouth several times, voice box seizing. “I…I...I w-wanted to st-stay beside him. I..didn’t want to l-leave.” 

 

“Is that so?” What could he do for punishment? While it was tempting to beat the whimpering mess to the point he couldn't walk  that wouldn’t be suitable, it's not as if the slave has learned anything other than to cower when being beaten. Isolating him would only damage the slave mentally and potentially render him useless. Couldn’t break anything for the same reason. But he couldn't have his slave behaving like a child that didn’t want to be separated from a favored pet so they could do chores.

 

The idea came to him in a flash of inspiration. If his servant wanted to behave like a child then he would treat the other like a child. 

 

“Get up and lean over the bed slave and pull your pants down.” He released the collar and motioned to the large bed. 

 

Sun opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it again. Protesting or disobeying would only earn him more pain.  Clenching his jaw tightly he slowly walked to the bed and did as told, pressing his thighs together tightly. Whimpering he buried his faceplate into the soft sheets, hands balling up. 

 

Lord Eclipse hummed happily, his chassis rumbled lightly at the delightful sight of his slave's bare ass.”So lovely. I’ve almost forgotten how lovely it was.” He slowly stroked the curve of the slaves hip and thigh then drew his hand back only to bring it down in a harsh slap across the other's ass.

 

Startled Sun yelped loudly and stared at the headboard, disbelief floating through thoughts made hazy by fear and panic. Did….did his master just spank him? He almost laughed as the tension began to melt away. While it would hurt he could live with that. The next blow stung something fierce so did the next but he weathered the storm, his gasps and whines muffled by the bedding. 

 

“That was just the warm up, slave. If you really think I’m going to let you off with a little pain then you really do need a lesson after being defiant and disobeying me multiple times.” He lightly dragged his fingers over the curve of the solar bot’s ass enjoying the little flinch. The next blow involved claws, leaving shallow stinging lacerations in the silicon. 

 

The sharp flash of pain caused him to yelp and jerk forward, reflexively attempting to pull away only to be yanked back. Honestly he was beginning to prefer a beating over this, it would have hurt less and been less humiliating. 

 

“Trying to escape your punishment slave? You know better. I’ll have to add to your current punishment for that.” 

 

What?! Sun lifted his head to look at the cold cruel smiling face of his master. “N-no…I w-wasn’t …” He screamed loudly when a blow set his entire backside on fire. 

 

Claws pricked and cut with each blow and he didn’t stop even when his slave began to beg, voice broken by sobs and whines. He aimed each blow carefully making sure to cause as much pain as possible. Once he had reduced the other into a crying, hiccupping, sobbing mess he relented. But now he was left with a new problem. The front of his pants were tented and damp. 

 

With a groan he removed his own pants freeing the pillar of the sun. Spicy smelling oil formed pearls at the tip of it. Tightly gripping his servant’s hip he rubbed the yellow-orange cock over the battered ass drawing a few whimpers before pressing it against the rarely used hole. There was resistance which was to be expected so he slowly worked it in, forcing the tense ring to spread little by little. 

 

Sun tensed up, eyes widening in fear. “No…wait! It's too big!” Desperately he wanted that python to be aimed lower. While it would have been painful he was used to having his cunt pounded by his master. “P-please w-wait!” fresh tears dripped from his eyes as he tried to twist around. 

 

“Be still. You are a slave, you have no say in what happens to your body. I could cut your limbs off and use you as a fleshlight.” Lord Eclipse hissed, pressing a hand between his slaves shoulders and shoving him into the bed while he rocked his hips, spearing the slender form. The muffled scream did little to deter him. It in fact, encouraged him. He thrust harder, driving more of his royal scepter deeper into the resisting asshole until his hips met his slaves ass. There was no waiting for the other to adjust to the size and girth, after all his slaves comfort meant nothing to him. 

 

He slowly drew his hips back then surged forward. Wide hips snapped against the bruised and battered ass. Sun screamed and clawed at the thick comforter, and he swore something had torn from the brutal stretch but he couldn’t be sure. It was difficult to tell with all the pain. 

 

Slick lubricant spurted from the tip of his royal cock easing the way, making it easier to thrust allowing him to settle into a quick brutal pace, growling softly as something coiled deep in his frame like an over-wound spring. The little whimpers, sobs and cries were music to his audios. 

 

All Sun could do was bury his face in the comforter and cry, silently wishing he was elsewhere. 

 

With one last harsh thrust he felt the over-wound coil snap he released, blasting warm spiced oil up into his servant's ass. The oil flooded the space available and squirted around his cock. Fuck! He slumped a bit, panting harshly. I'm going to have to do that again. 

 

With a grunt he pulled out causing more oily lubricant to spill out and drip onto his carpet and splatter onto his slaves thighs. 

 

“Clean yourself up and tend to your duties.” Flopping into his chair, Lord Eclipse closed his eyes. 

  Agony penetrated everything beneath his hips. “I…I c-can’t.” Tears flowed freely from his wide blue eyes. 

“You can. You can walk, it won’t be comfortable but you can and will manage unless you want to be punished. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Sun tried to stand but fresh agony ripped through his lower half sending him back to the floor. He decided to stay on the floor for the moment though he couldn’t stay there for long.

 

His thoughts drifted to the stash of pills  hidden away in his room. Maybe…it couldn’t hurt…he really needed it. Just one. But that would mean one less for his companion. He needed the precious pills more. This wasn’t the first time he had been beaten, it wouldn’t be the last. 

 

Once the worst of the pain had faded to a dull throbbing ache that spread from his lower back to the bottoms of his thighs he slowly pulled his pants up, hissing as sleepy nerves flared momentarily.

 

Using the bed as leverage to rise to his unsteady feet he shuffled out of the room, each step sending sparks of pain across his artificial nerves. 

 

Once out in the hall he paused to study a particularly unpleasant tapestry that depicted a god like eclipse remaking the world. He knew there was a door behind it. A door he was forbidden to open or set foot past its threshold. Curiosity tingled at what may lay behind it but he didn’t dare open the forbidden door. 

 

Instead of entering the kitchen he went to his companions room, gently closing the door behind him. “ Midnight?” the lunar bot didn't respond. Concerned Sun limped to the head of the bed and slipped the thick metal gag out of the other’s mouth. That got a response. The half open hazy crimson eyes flicked to him. 

 

“Hey sleepy head.” he joked lightly, rubbing some of the soreness from the lunar predator's jaw joints. 

 

The familiar voice cut through the fog like a knife. “Sun?” 

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“Nauseous, hard to think…” It was very difficult to think muchless hold his head up off his chest.

 

“Any pain?”

 

“No, though the joints in my arms ache.” Which was to be expected since they were strung up above his head, rendering his main weapon useless. 

 

“Unfortunately there's not much I can do about that, my master would notice if there was slack in the chain.” 

 

“It's more annoying than anything at the moment.” KC grunted. Looking down he noted the thick leather cuffs around his ankles and the chains that lead to the bed posts. The wooden bed posts. Did this fool learn nothing? How did the eclipse become a god when he made foolish mistakes? “The Star, I could not sense it on him or smell the residue of it. Does he not use it?”

 

Sun hunched up and nervously looked around. Once he was certain his master wasn’t going to burst through the door he relaxed a bit. “No. It rejected him. I do not know the reason why and I dare not ask.”

 

Kc made a thoughtful noise. It shouldn’t be possible for a Newton Star to reject anyone, it desired to be used and warped anyone who used it. “Has the Star ever spoken to you?”  

 

Sun shook his head. “I think it taunts my master on occasion. He has horrible outbursts that involve smashing furniture then he stomps off to his secret room for a few hours. Sometimes for a few days.” 

 

Now that was an interesting tidbit. “Does Eclipse possess magic?” he recalled smelling it on him at one point, though he might be wrong.

 

Sun hummed softly, rays moving in a sine wave. “I think so. I'm not sure how skilled he is.”

 

It stood to reason if the eclipse was reliant on the artifact then his magic would be stunted. Weak. “You're limping.”

 

Sun bit down on his lower lip and looked away. “It's nothing.”

 

“It's not nothing. He hurt you.” Now that he was more cognitive his brain could process the vile scent that clung to Sun like a second skin. It made him unreasonably angry,  his fingers twitch as he envisioned tearing the offensive apparatus off and forcing the eclipse to eat it. He pushed the anger down letting it simmer. 

 

“I am a slave. He can do whatever he wants to me.” The words were bitter.

 

“That fool does not own you. He can claim that all he wants, you are not property.” KC rumbled. 

 

“I can not physically stop him.”

 

“I do not advise you to try. As distasteful as it is, try to obey him. If he believes he still has you crushed under his heel, he may drop his guard and pay less attention to what you do while he is preoccupied.”

 

Sun opened his mouth to protest then closed it again. That…made a lot of sense..

 

The temptation of freedom was wedged firmly in his mind now. It had been beaten into him that he was nothing other than a servant to be used but now a little kernel of doubt had been planted. All he had to do was nourish it. 

Chapter 10

 

Torture that involves using a blowtorch in a  way that its not meant to be used 

Rape

Non con touching 

 

  The silver tray shook due to his trembling hands causing the delicate tea set to rattle. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the trembling. Just standing made the ache in his back side and hips awful. He had to lock the joints in his knees and hip so his legs didn’t give out while the monster he called master lounged on the ornate throne, slowly sipping the tea.  His thoughts drifted back to his companion. At least he wasn’t in any pain at the moment. 

 

No doubt the lunar predator was formulating an escape plan. All he had to do was bide his time and aid his friend when he could while pretending to be obedient. 

 

Sun let his mind wander a bit while tending to his master to what might lay outside the dreary castle walls, gaze drifting to the rain streaked windows while resisting the urge to sigh in frustration or fidget or do anything that might draw attention to him. 

 

 Leaning back in the thick plush cushions Lord Eclipse milled over his options. Rushing things was not an option but he really wanted a little payback. To knock the predator down a few notches. Such a fierce beast would be difficult to break but he didn’t want to smoother that fierceness, just temper it. He didn’t want a broken sniveling servant. He had one of those already. 

 

  Setting the delicate tea cup down on the tray he rose to his feet and dismissed his slave with the wave of a hand. “Tend to the rest of your duties and make sure I am not disturbed.” As the slave scuttled off to the kitchen he strode down the massive halls. First he needed to pick up a few tools to aid him in his...persuasions. Over the years he had become very skilled in the art of torture and had procured a very nice collection of implements. 

 

 

KC remained silent, studying his captor. The injuries he had inflicted appeared to be mostly repaired though there seemed to be some remaining weakness in the left arm. 

 

The cold crimson stare drove a chill down his spine. Shoving the feeling of unease down he strode to the bed and set the small bag on the floor while the crimson eyes followed his every move. “I see my servant has taken a liking to you.” His pale yellow-orange eyes roamed over the tense predator, notting that the gag had been removed and was dangling loose around his neck. 

 

Reaching up he yanked the ratty faded comforter off his captive. Ignoring the furious hisses he tossed it to the side. “Come now, it's not like you have anything I haven’t seen before.” 

 

Hissing KC attempted to curl up to protect his lower half but the restraints prevented much movement. "Do not touch me." He grimaced as the key bumped against his teeth. 

 

“You know as well as I, that I don't need your permission to touch you. You belong to me, you are mine to do with as I want. When I want.” Eclipse grinned wickedly as he rummaged through the bag, passing up a few items in favor of one that he knew would inflict the most pain without crippling his pet. 

 

Rolling his eyes KC huffed and resisted the urge to rise to the obvious bait. There was no point in arguing or mincing words with someone who was so delusional to believe he was a pet. 

 

His bravery almost crumpled when the eclipse straightened up and he caught sight of the  object in his hand. It appeared to be a small blowtorch. It likely wouldn't get hot enough to cut through his magic infused casing or do any real damage, still the sight of it made his unease surge like a black tide. 

 

Flicking the small device on, Lord Eclipse admired the glowing blue flame for a moment, recalling all the times he had used it on his own servant and a few of his failed experiments. Fast as a striking snake he grabbed the lunar predator's paw. The furious hissing increased in volume and intensity. Tightening his grip he applied the bright flame to the soft pads. The rank stench of scorched fur and flesh filled the air. 

 

Growling he tried to yank his paw away but the eclipse kept a firm hold on the limb. If he couldn't pull back…he kicked out, toes spread and claws out. There was just enough slack in the chain and the fool was just close enough for the scythe-like claws to slice into his faceplate, scarcely missing the eye. Shame that. 

 

Staggering back, Lord Eclipse snarled. With his free hand he prodded at the stinging lacerations. They were deep, cutting through the thin silicon and metal,  exposing the internal components. “I was going to leave you with a few shallow but painful wounds but since you attacked me I have no choice but to retaliate.” He was met with no begging or pleading, only a cold predatory stare that promised much suffering the moment he was free of the restraints. Grabbing the injured paw again he pressed the extremely hot metal against the soft pads, enjoying the low hissing growl and how the lunar predator jerked on the trapped limb. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to stop.” 

 

“Doubtful.” 

 

Grinning like a mad man, Lord Eclipse slowly moved the glowing blue flame of the blowtorch over the silvery white fur, scorching it off and burning the synthetic flesh underneath. It blistered and began to blacken. The  struggles became more frantic as the synthetic flesh began to sloth off in small chunks exposing the complex inner workings, wires and artificial muscles. Much to his irritation there was still no begging. Scowling he turned the blow torch off and put it back. 

 

KC panted harshly, eyes tightly closed as an onslaught of agony threatened to overwhelm him. Still he refused to beg. Doing so would give the eclipse the satisfaction he wanted. Bit by bit he managed to ground himself , push past the pain just enough to open his eyes and glare at his captor in defiance. 

 

Reaching between his pets legs he dug his claws into the silicon seams of the panel that kept his pets secret treasures hidden then  forcefully ripped the panel away. The scream of surprise and pain was music to his audios. If he was expecting some sort of pleading then he was very disappointed since all he received was a deep thunderous growl that made the preverbal hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Joints locked and instinctual fear flooded his systems. 

 

Forcefully he unlocked his joints and slipped one hand between the trembling thighs despite everything in him wanting him to move away from the enraged predator.  Ignoring the limp smoke grey tentacle-like cock Eclipse pressed his thick fingers against the soft, tender silicone, stroking over the outer edges of the slit. When that didn’t get the response he wanted he spread his fingers to  the glistening  fluid coating the smoke grey interior while drawing his middle finger up the center, fingertip so light against the nub.

 

Fury boiled in his circuits. How dare this fool touch him like that! Snarling he lunged, uncaring of the chains binding his arms. To his satisfaction the eclipse jerked back as jaws clicked shut close to where he had been. 

 

“Vicious aren't you?” Lord Eclipse tensed then faster than the predator could react, he shoved the metal gag into his mouth and pulled the strap tight. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he wasn’t willing to test his casing against those powerful jaws anytime soon. Was it cowardly to not want to risk being bitten? Yes but he wasn’t willing to lose an arm to the beast. 

 

The furry that rolled off the predator was truly impressive and frightening. It was going to take a considerable amount of time to tame the wildfire but it wasn’t as if he didn’t have plenty of that. “I think we can have a good playtime together but you need to learn a little… obedience.” Eclipse slowly pressed one finger into the tight slightly damp heat, watching the predator wince.

 

He thrust the thick finger in and out of the slick channel that was tighter than his slaves and it gripped his finger like a glove. “Your body is rather sensitive.” Slowly he pressed two fingers past the slick folds. Thin strands of slickness dripped around his fingers. Instead of fighting and growling at him like a feral animal, the lunar predator hissed at him and bared his teeth. 

 

“My body is merely reacting to the unwanted stimulation. I am in no way enjoying this degrading act.” He hissed, wincing at the less then pleasant stretch. Not that he would enjoy it even if he was willing due to the agony from his burned paw that buried anything even remotely pleasurable. 

 

Sexual energy lightly pulsed through lord Eclipse’s systems and coiled in his pelvic frame. Ignoring it the best he could for the moment he roughly thrusted his fingers causing more warm slickness to drip around the intruders easing the passage. Growing bored of the lack of response he pulled his fingers free and went back to the small bag of items then decided to pick the torch up again. “Hard to escape if you can not walk.” It was hard to miss the shudder and flash of fear in the other’s expression. 

 

The blue flame lept the bronze nozzle with a click of a button. As before he slowly moved the flame over the silvery-white fur of the other paw until the flesh underneath was exposed. Methodically he applied the flame to each toe and the pads even as the limb jerked frantically while muffled yelps and cries came from his captive. He was very careful not to allow the burns to be too deep or cause too much damage. It was a careful balancing act he had learned after years of practicing his art. 

 

“Just think, I could do this over and over and over again. Leave you so crippled that you can barely walk.” 

 

Eventually he turned the torch off and examined the damaged paws. None of the burns had gone so deep as to affect anything important but they would be extremely painful. Placing the tool back into the bag he smirked at the predator that had been reduced to a  limp panting mess, great globs of slobber dripping from his mouth, mixing with the tears. “Maybe you will be less defiant next time we meet pet.” 

 

-----------------

 

Sun longed in the ornate tub, one arm and his head laying on the smooth rim of it, eyes closed. The cold water and ice was doing its magic, numbing the endo deep ache in his lower body. Unlike his lord's gaudy washroom, his was plain and sad. The white tile cracked and some were missing. No amount of scrubbing could clean the tiles or the grody grout. 

 

It is nearly completely silent aside from the drip of water from the brass faucet. The stillness and quiet is comforting, allowing him to drift back to that tiny island of calm in his otherwise stormy existence. As nice as it was he knew he had to tend to his friend. With a sigh he heaved himself out of the tub, uncaring if he soaked the tattered rugs. He padded into his equally depressing room and dressed, wincing as he pulled his pants up. 

 

Reaching underneath his flat pillow he picked up the rag wrapped pain pills just in case then as an afterthought picked up the first aid bag then headed towards the room where Midnight was being held captive. 

 

The moment he stepped into the room his stomach dropped to the floor and eyes widened. Scrambling he rushed to the bed and carefully removed the awful gag then bravely pulled the key from the unresisting tongue. Looking around for any spot to hide it he decided to just tuck it under the pillow for now. “I should have never left. I don’t care how badly I would have been beaten, I shouldn't have left you.” Picking up the comforter he tossed it over the other to preserve what dignity he had left. Using his own shirt he wiped the combination of caustic nanite filled spittle and tears from the anguished face, the dull heavily lidded eyes locked onto him. 

 

“Hey, can you hear me?” He slipped his hands underneath the heavy head and lifted it a bit. A low groan spilled from the predator's throat. Shock probably. Not that it was a bad thing, it was the body's way of protecting itself. “I need to take care of your wounds but it's not going to feel nice. And I need to cool you down but first..” He placed a few pills on the back of the slate grey tongue then tilted the head back so he'd swallow them. 

 

“I'll be right back.” After carefully settling the lunar bots head into a comfortable position he darted off to collect a few additional supplies. He returned limping with an arm load of towels and a bucket full of ice and water. “Those painkillers should kick in soon.” After setting the items down he dunked a towel into the bucket, fingers going slightly numb from the cold.

 

KC tried to absorb what was being said but his thoughts were slow and thick, icebergs drifting through a thick fog. The sudden shock of cold on his overheated casing snapped him into awareness. Gasping in surprise he looked down at the towel draped over his chest uncomprehending. “Sun?”

 

Dropping the damp towel he turned to meet a pair of hypnotic crimson eyes. “How are you feeling?” He grimaced, wanting to kick himself. What a question to ask. It was clear to anyone who had eyes that he was not okay.

 

“Awful. My paws,” he risked a glance at the mutilated appendages, “ I will not be capable of walking …at all until the…wounds ..heal. I am sorry.”

 

Sun shook his head. “It's not your fault this happened. It's just a minor setback.” he forced a smile then picked up the dropped towel. “This is going to hurt.” 

 

The second the cold wet cloth is pressed to the horrible burns he hissed and tensed, hands curling into fists. He resisted with everything he had not to jerk away. As the seconds ticked by the cold numbed the pain just enough for it to be tolerable. 

 

The process was repeated for the other paw, more hissing and some muffled curses. 

 

The worst was yet to come. With a great deal of apologies Sun cleaned away the charred fur and blackened edges of the deep burns with a scalpel so wounds would heal properly.

 

KC muted his vocalizer throughout the procedure, fresh tears trickling from his tightly closed eyes.

 

By the time Sun was bandaging the badly burned paws he was sucking in shallow rapid breaths, casing slick with condensation.

 

“It's alright, the worst is over with.” Sun wiped the tears away. Giving him more medication probably wouldn't be a good idea but he hated to see his friend in pain but how many were too many? The only labeling on the jars was its name, no dosage information. Given Midnight's size he could likely get away with giving him a little more. With that in mind a few more precious pills vanished down the others throat. “I really hope those don't make you sick.”

 

Chapter 11

 

Nauseous and light headed he rolled to the side and dry heaved a few times. His midsection convulsed painfully, the contractions forced his abdomen into a fit as a fresh wave of queasiness washed over him and he turned his head just as the pit of his stomach turned itself inside out, bitter-sour digestive fluid mixed with partly digested pills splattered onto the floor. 

 

Panting harshly he rolled onto his back. Wiping the foul mixture off his lips against the ruffles around his neck as he sat up as much as the restraints would allow. The movement made the room swim in a sickening manner forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. Once the worst of the nausea faded to a tolerable level he opened his eyes again. 

 

 He highly doubted there was any malice behind Sun giving him one too many painkillers. He may have simply miscalculated. Thankfully most of the pills had been ejected before any harm may have been done. 

 

Feeling light headed and too warm he feebly kicked some of the thick heavy comforter off exposing some of his casing to the cool air. Between the exhaustion and grogginess caused by the remaining painkillers he drifted back off into a dreamless sleep. Even the heavy clunk of door locks didn’t wake him. 

 

Lord Eclipse strode into the room, joints tight and rays pinned. 

 

He grimaced at the sight of vomit.  It was beneath him to clean such things, that was his slave's job. “I’ve waited so long for this. So many failures, so many mistakes. I’ve learned so much and I will not lose this opportunity.” Placing his hand on the other’s abdomen. Closing his eyes he concentrated on the incantations, weaving the complex spells together with great care. He could NOT afford to mess this up. It would be easier with two hands but he would have to make do with one since his left arm still throbbed and moving it more than a few inches in any direction sent waves of pain through it. 

 

It sure the fuck would be easier using Moon’s mana pool instead of his own tiny pathetic one but the lunar bot had been very protective of it and made sure no one else could use it. The magic lock was simply too complex for him to break. 

 

A low hissing growl nearly broke his concentration but he persisted, focusing on the task at hand. Once done he pulled back and opened his eyes as a wave of dizziness swept over him. It would be so much easier if he could  use the damn Star but…. he shook his hand, flexing his fingers to rid the digits of the tingling. 

 

The hissing grew in volume. 

 

“Awake are you?” Eclipse purred. 

 

“That much is obvious. Wasn’t mutilating my paws enough for you?” KC rumbled, hands flexing. Tilting his head he carefully watched the other. He could feel the residual traces of magic though he didn't feel any different. While it was possible that whatever the eclipse had been attempting to do failed, he made a mental note to log any changes to his body. 

 

“For now. I can always break your fingers and declaw you. Or pull out your teeth.” Lord Eclipse puffed up a bit, putting up a brave front in the face of a predator. 

 

“All that will accomplish is to make me very angry.” 

 

The corners of his mouth twitched. There was a harsh truth to the predator's words. Removing the other’s natural weapons would only engage the lunar bot. Sensing that bashing his head against the same proverbial wall wasn’t going to get him anywhere he changed tactics. “The key that normally hangs on my belt has been missing. I know my servant stole it but he refuses to tell me what he has done with it though I suspect I know who he passed it on to.” he leaned forward, studying the predator's face though the other gave away nothing. “I will find it sooner or later.”

 

KC raised one eyebrow and stared at the eclipse. If that was his idea of a threat then it failed miserably. If he really wanted the key then why wasn’t he searching for it? He could hear the proverbial gears turning in the other’s head. Would he find a new way to torture him in order to fret out the key’s location? Why not just search for it instead? His thought process is interrupted when the eclipse strides to the door and opens it, allowing a nervous Sun into the room. 

 

“Whatever you are going to do, leave him out of it.”

 

“He is a slave, his worth is determined by how obedient he is.” He laid a hand on Sun’s shoulder, claws digging in. “Don’t look so ashamed, slave for you have nothing to be ashamed of. “ his sick enjoyment grew when his slave refused to look at either of them, keeping his gaze fixed on the far wall. 

 

“I…I don’t want to..” it came out as a whisper, face burning with humiliation. 

 

“As a slave it doesn’t matter what you want to do. You do not have a choice.” His grip tightened, causing his slave to wince. “Just like we discussed slave.”

 

Shoulders hunched, Sun struggled not to cry. His stomach twisted into a tight knot. If he didn’t do this then he’d get a beating and he could live with that. But it was what his master threatened to do to Midnight that had him ready to throw up. Still refusing to look at anything other than the wall he began to strip his pants off. The low growl directed at his master nearly made him lose what little nerve he had. 

 

“Sunrise?”

 

That single word made his hydraulic heart crumple. “Im sorry. I have to.” His pants pooled around his ankles. He fought the urge to run for the door and to find someplace to hide but he could not allow his only friend to suffer due to his cowardice. 

 

Feeling his master's cold gaze he clambered onto the bed, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he straddled the large bots hips. The crimson gaze flicked from him to the monster that was watching them. If looks could kill then the eclipse would have been reduced to a pile of scorched metal and charred wire. 

 

Still refusing to look at his friend he reached between them, trembling fingers gently grasping the warm length that was doing its level best to avoid his touch. Any other time he would have been impressed by its flexibility. When he finally got it to press inside he thought he’d implode from the embarrassment and shame. Though that didn’t last long. Unlike the python his master possessed this one fit almost perfectly, like a key slipping into a lock that was made just for it. 

 

He could feel the larger bot stiffen underneath him. Refusingto meet the others eyes Sun squeezed his eyes shut. Biting down on his lower lip he rocked his hips and muffled a moan. 

 

 KC had never been all that interested in anything intimate and having it forced upon him made him even less interested in it. Just the feeling of hot slickness surrounding him made him physically nauseated. Muting his vocalizer he turned his head and swallowed hard while desperately trying to find something, anything else to focus on but the animal part of him, the dark part of his code that his creator had forced upon him was very interested in what was happening. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that his body was merely responding to the stimulation that didn’t stop the barrage of unwanted sensations. Out of desperation he slammed one of his paws into the footboard. The sudden whip crack of white hot agony ripped through the fog of primal code and smothered the pleasure. In an instant he can feel the dark code being buried again. Unfortunately this left him far too aware of what was happening. 

 

 Sun rocked his hips, trying to get more of the full sensation. It felt incredible which made him feel even more guilty.  Each slippery thrust sent waves of pleasure through him as the now slick cock writhed against his inner walls in an attempt to escape unintentionally brushing against every sensitive spot he had making him see stars. 

 

His head rolled back and a loud moan escaped his parted lips as the thick cock rubbed against a bundle of sensors. It became easy to ignore that he was being watched if he focused on the warm body underneath him and the wonderful sensations that sparked across his wires. His own cock throbbed, dripping pearl colored lubricant that dripped down to join the growing puddle of slickness. 

 

Finally he felt something deep inside snap and he clenched around the intruder, milking it for all it was worth and a rush of hot oily fluid began to fill him. Shuddering he slumped, hands gently resting on his friend's chest. Little by little he became aware of his surroundings again. Heat flashed across his face and shame flooded his systems washing away the post orgasmic bliss. Muttering apologies he clambered off the bed and grabbed his pants.

 

Slowly KC unlocked his joints and opened his eyes. The horrible wet slickness covered his pelvic casing and thighs, acting like a reminder of what had happened. “Sun?” he tried to curl up, to protect his lower half but the restraints prevented much movement. “I am not angry with you. You were forc-” white hot pain flashed through him like a lightning strike. Frantically he tried to jerk the mangled paw away from the harsh fingers that were pinching it. 

 

“You should be thanking me. So ungrateful.” Lord Eclipse grinned, digging his claws into the bandages. The frenzied attempts to get free gave him a power trip. “Slave….to my side.” 

 

Wasn’t what he did enough!? What more could he want? “Please…l-let him go..” Worry churned his insides but not for himself. 

 

“Fine.” Lord Eclipse released the damaged paw. He smiled more at the barely disguised look of disgust on his servants face when he noticed the rather large tent in his pants. 

 

“Leave…him alone..” KC growled. 

 

“A slave obeys. If you were obedient then I would not have to do this.” Eclipse hissed, undoing the front of his pants with a shudder to release the thick slimy tentacle. A low deep snarl bubbled up from the  lunar bot that danced across his audios and made his joints lock from instinct deep fear. He snarled back, rays rattling. “Get to work ,slave.  If you even think about biting me I will knock out each and every one of your teeth.” 

 

Hot bitter vomit surged to the back of his throat and his stomach dropped at the unwelcome sight of the golden cock that writhed in the cold air. Sun shook his head and opened his mouth to say something only to be yanked forward as if he weighed nothing faceplate roughly smashed into his master’s pelvis. He made displeased noises as he was pushed against the stronger animatronics hips but he was powerless in the other’s grip.

 

Lord Eclipse was going to make sure to remind them how little power they had. The distressed moans and groans fueled his appetite. Making sure his pet had a good view he harshly thrust the thick length down his slaves throat, ignoring the wet gagging and desperate hands on his hips.  

 

Rage sparked across his circuits like a loose wire. “I am not a slave. Neither is he. You are nothing more than a bully that torments those who you believe to be weaker or lesser than you.” 

 

The eclipse snarled, lips curling back to reveal sharp teeth, fingers digging into his slaves head while he roughly rocked his hips,  sliding the writhing tentacle over his servant's tongue causing the solar bot to gag loudly and struggle all the harder to get free. 

 

Sun squeezed his eyes shut, tears making tracks down the sides of his face while he heaved around the horrible thing filling his mouth and throat. It was tempting to sink his blunt teeth into the wretched thing and bite down with all the strength he could muster but didn’t dare do so. His master would make good on the threat to rip all his teeth out. 

 

No matter how hard he tried to keep a hold of that euphoric sourcing through his lines it rapidly slipped through his fingers like sand leaving him with an empty feeling, libido sofening. Sighing he shoved his slaves head away and tucked the royal scepter away. “Get yourself cleaned up slave then see to my meal.” He turned and stomped out of the room. 

 

Nauseous Sun  hacked and coughed, rubbing the sleeves of his ruined suit over his faceplate in an effort to clean the mess off. “Y-yes…m-master..” Whipping away the tears he looked up to his friend and muttered an apology before darting out the room. He’d make it up to Midnight one way or another. 

(Having a bit of a problem there Eclipse? The royal scepter getting a little...flaccid? Feeling a little inadequate?)

Chapter 12: The basement and it's Secrets

 

Pushing aside the tapestry revealed a large dull metal door. The locks heed his presence, clunking softly. The door swings open a moment later revealing a dark hallway and stairs leading down. To the basement where he kept dark things and darker secrets. 

 

Lord Eclipse slowly made his way down, the thick door closing behind him with a dull clunk. Automated lights came on, bathing the large space in cold white light while monitors and all manner of electronic equipment turned on filling the damp cold space with soft hums that were out of place in the massive castle. He hadn’t given up on technology, merely hidden it in place no one would look so it didn’t break the aesthetic of the castle. 

 

He stopped before a large cylinder that dominated the room, thick cables and tubes snaked across the floor attached to it. He leaned forward until his forehead rested against the cold glass, eyes closing. “I’m sorry Moon…I know some part of you is awake, still active.” Nothing but the hum of machines and flicker of lights answered back. 

 

“Call me an idiot, a moron, something! I know you can hear me!” He banged one fist on glass. “Get mad at me for hurting your brother! Just do something!” With a sigh he stepped away from it and turned towards the banks of monitors and machines. “I’ve tried everything to undo the damage. I’ve even used the damn Star but all its produced is clones. Awful fucking empty headed clones that had no will or fire in them. Worthless shells.” He had disposed of every last one. “This would be easier if I could just transfer your mind into a new body but you know as well as I do that it's near impossible to transfer a consciousness while you are in a coma.”  

 

One last attempt.

 

“I found a suitable vessel. Magic flows through it and it's strong, stronger than that last one. Much stronger.” he tailed his fingertips over the ancient tomes that were stacked up near the computer. “I want to rush ahead but I remember what happened last time. I can’t risk it, I’m sure you understand. I know you want this as much as I do.” His servant likely would be very against what would happen but he couldn't care less. Servants didn’t get a say in anything. 

 

“I'm sorry I didn’t  act faster. I was still learning how the damn Star worked and even then it was fighting me when the rebels attacked and you were caught in the middle. You put up a good fight though. A damn good fight.” A bitter laugh spilled from his voice box. “People say Moons are possessive cowards. Well they got the possessive part right but you were never a coward. Your brother however was and still is a coward. A sniveling weakling.” He vented a harsh sigh and looked back towards the cylinder. 

 

He could not afford to mess this up. 

 

His cold gaze drifted to the gleaming surgical instruments that were waiting patiently to be put to a terrible purpose. 

--------

(self harm warning)

 

Sun slammed the door to his quarters open, ripping the ruined clothing off and throwing it into a corner then running for the sink in the adjoining wash room. His stomach gave a painful little lurch. Gripping the porcelain sink with one trembling hand he heaved hard into it. 

 

Grabbing a rag he ferociously scrubbed every bit of his faceplate but he could still feel the foulness. Shuddering he wet the rag and scrubbed more while fresh tears made tracks down the sides of his face. Once he was sure he had cleaned every trace of the oily lubricant off he tossed the rag away then  cupped his hands underneath the spigot, washing the terrible taste out of his mouth.

 

Sun stared at the grimy mirror. He wanted desperately to rip off his own casing then rip out his wires and everything else until he was as hollow as he felt. He had….enjoyed it. 

 

The memory was painful to dredge up and made him want to throw up. There was no erasing the shame or the look of revulsion mixed with fear on Midnight’s face when it dawned on him what was about to happen.

 

  And I didn’t notice. I was too caught up in what I was feeling. I should have resisted, I should have done something. I should have said no but I'm too much of a coward.

 

Choking on a spasm of static, he sank to his knees and sobbed loudly. Tears flowed down the sides of his face as he clawed at the floor then at his remaining clothing, ripping it into shreds. His blunt fingers scraped against the yellow and tan casing in an attempt to rip it off but his fingers slipped off without doing any real harm. 

 

Unable to hurt himself in retaliation for hurting his friend he abruptly stood then slammed his fists into the mirror. It shattered into a blizzard of razor sharp shards. He barely felt the shards cutting into the sensor impregnated silicone pads of his hands but he didn’t care.

 

Anger burned like acid. 

 

The larger shards glittered in the light, drawing his attention to them. Slowly he picked the jagged shard up. Maybe he should cut out the part that had caused harm and had deprived joy from such a sickening act. 

 

Holding the jagged piece of mirror tightly he lowered it then hesitated.

 

Taking in a shallow breath he closed his eyes and plunged the glittering shards into the soft silicon. With a shriek he flung the broken mirror away and covered the self inflicted gash with both hands, sobbing. Curling on the filthy floor he broke down into broken sobs.

KC swallowed down a low groan and squeezed his eyes shut. On some level he was grateful for the lingering effects of the painkillers that made him a little less aware of the violation. As much as he wanted to wipe  away the warm oil that was splattered across his pelvic casing and thighs  he couldn't move his hands. 

 

Needing some semblance of control he took in a ragged breath and slowly released it. 

 

Breathe in… breathe out….

 

Using the absence of his captor as an opportunity to do something productive instead of dwelling on the violation. Slowly he pushed the pain and anger down so he could think, focus his thoughts on escape. It would take a fair amount of planning. 

 

More so if they escaped while his paws were injured.

 

----------

 

He needed a mana pool to greatly increase his magic. Stretching out his slightly muddled senses he combed through wispy trails of magic, searching for its source. The gossamer stands lead to a small weak pool of magic, one that reeked of Eclipse. He wouldn't be able to approach it much less use it without alerting the eclipse.

 

Huffing in irritation his astral self ventured further until he felt the prickling of ancient power. Curious he followed it like bloodhound through the wispy clouds until he came to a truly impressive mana pool. Cautiously he approached it. Circling it. 

 

Currently unowned but warded. He reached out, the wards crackled at his approach. Huffing again he pulled back. 

 

He could work with this. It would take a bit of time to untangle the wards but that was something he had plenty of for the moment.

 

Chapter 13

In a different daycare

Solar starred at the daycare. The same damn thing every damn day. Fix this, fix that, get yelled at by Moon, deal with whatever weirdness popped out of the damn portal that malfunctioned more and more. He glanced up at the tower. 

 

He rarely saw Moon any more which wasn’t a bad thing since that meant a lack of yelling, thrown things and possible beatings. 

 

Leaning back in the chair he stared at the ceiling wondering how much longer Fazbear would keep a failing plex alive. He technically wasn’t Fazbear property and there was nothing stopping him from up and leaving. It wouldn't be hard to find a job given how good he was at fixing things. Moon on the other hand, he vented harshly. Deep down he knew he shouldn't be concerned about Moon but he couldn't help it. On some level he still cared for him. 

 

The sound of the portal winding up filled the room. 

 

“Fuuucckkkk…” What would pop through now? Blue? A DCA from an alt dimension? Catnap? He’d welcome that oddly enough. Its presence would have driven Moon batty. 

 

Solar sat up and watched the ball pit, arms limp by his sides. “I'm too fucking tired to deal with this.” 

 

Something small moved through the balls like a shark then stumbled out of it. His eyes widened in surprise and he leapt out of his chair. “Lunar?” 

---------------

 

Castle

It was silent with the exception of the sound of his own breathing, the rattle of chains and creak of the bed every time he moved. 

 

The hours formed into days that bleed into long stretches of time. Time blurred into a meaningless puddle. 

 

There was nothing to keep him occupied or focused on anything other than the pain. And 

the deep pit of gnawing hunger that made his primal code surge and froth making it impossible to focus on the wards.

 

Still he refused to beg for food. Even when his tongue began to stick to the roof of his mouth and the hunger became a howling pit. Adding to the pain were his own nanites cannibalizing his techno organic tissues so his body could have some form of substance. 

Sun walked down the hall carrying a large bowl of bloody meat. He had cut into a few pieces creating pockets in which a few precious pain pills had been hidden. For a week, it may have been longer, he wasn't sure, the horrible guilt over everything that had happened to his friend had been piling up, threatening to suffocate him underneath its growing weight. 

 

His master refused to allow him to tend to the other or feed him, claiming that the beast needed to learn a lesson. What lesson that was he didn’t know. Midnight had done nothing to deserve being starved. 

 

Clutching the bowl tightly he pushed the door open. A fresh wave of guilt hit him like a wrecking ball threatening to take him to his knees. Crimson eyes locked onto him. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing would come out. 

 

“Ssssso hungggry…. Sssssuunn….” The thick smell of blood and raw meat filled his lungs with shallow breath. He'd be drooling if his body could spare the moisture. The intoxicating compounds made the awful pit of hunger spasm painfully. Desperate he weakly lunged for the bowl, paws scrabbling against the footboard as he strained against the chains.

 

Sun wiped away the tears that sprang to his eyes from the deep rooted guilt and regret of what he had done. Setting the bowl on the nightstand he snatched the faded comforter off the floor and draped it over the lunar predator.

 

Whining KC reached for the bowl that was just out of reach, eyes fixed on the glistening chunks of meat. 

 

“I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry.” Sun blurted out, scooping up the bowl so quickly it caused the foul contents to slosh. The high pitched whine tore at his heart. “I'm not taking it from you I promise!” He reached into the bowl and plucked out a cold bloody morsel that was snatched out of his fingers before he could react. He shuddered as he watched the predator swallow it whole. 

 

“I..I w-would have brought you something to eat sooner but my master forbade it. I tried to sneak you something but he caught me…” Sun trailed off as he hand fed the starving predator chunk after chunk. He had expected the beating and resided to his fate without complaint. What he hadn’t expected was Lord Eclipse smiling at him, his words chilling him to his endo.

 

“I know you are attached to the beast and don't want it to suffer but it must learn that I will not tolerate defiance. Because you have been sneaking food to it I will have to extend the punishment by a few days. If I catch you feeding it then that time will be doubled. This is for its own good.”

 

Fighting back a sob Sun continued to feed the ravenous beast until there was nothing left except some coagulating blood. Fighting down the urge to vomit he held the bowl closer so the lunar predator could use his inhumanly long tongue to clean every trace of it from the metal surface.

 

“I'm sorry, I don't have any more. That's all I was allowed to bring you.” Doing his damndest to ignore the pleading expression on the other’s face he set the bowl aside and tried to focus on the work before him through a thick veil of tears. 

 

With great care he rebandaged the damaged paws, frowning at the deeper wounds that were not healing like they should. The lunar predator's body needed food and micro particles of metal to repair the damage. “ I…I have to go. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can with some hot water so I can clean you up. I know you can't be very comfortable.” Looking away he picked up the bowl, the soft trill further tearing into him.

It took every ounce of control he had not to smash the ornate silver tray upside his master's arrogant head then wrap his hands around the eclipse's neck and squeeze. Squeeze the life right out of him. Maybe poison his tea or grind up some sleeping pills into it then stave the monsters head in while he slept. 

 

Him? Anger problems? No sirree.

 

“ I noticed how you are with the beast.  It almost seemed as if it was more important to you than I am. It feels as if you had the opportunity, you would set it free.” Eclipse looks towards his servant, studying his expression. “Answer me honestly, slave.”

 

A part of him wanted to babble, to lie, to grovel. Maybe even kiss his master's feet. A thought which made him want to vomit. The anger won out. “I c-care about h-him. He's the only one who has ever shown me any kindness. He doesn't treat me like a slave.” he spat out the words with as much venom as he could. To his surprise his master's response was to laugh.

 

“I suppose it's only natural for you to become attached but you are questioning my intentions and I do not like that.” he sipped the hot bitter tea. “But you do not neglect your duties, answer honestly instead of groveling and whining, do my bidding with barely any hesitation but sometimes even the most faithful slaves have to be reminded of their place, don’t you agree?”

 

Sun tried to hold onto the anger, he really did but it was slipping through his fingers rapidly. He hated the  malicious glint in his master's eyes. Something told him he wasn't going to be let off with a simple beating. If he ran then it would be his friend that suffered. 

 

 “You need to endure some punishment to ensure that you know your place.” Eclipse sat the delicate tea cup down, hands lowering to unfasten his belt and slowly pull his zipper down. 

 

Sun carefully hid his disgust. No surprise his master was aroused. The slimy thick tentacle writhed in the cool air, thick pearls of lubricant dripped from the tip of the awful thing. 

 

 Despite the growing disgust he knelt before the eclipse and wrapped his slender fingers around the tentacle, slowly stroking it. The soft gasping groan let him know he was doing a good job. His master must have been really pent up which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If he could keep his master's attention on him and off his friend then he was willing to suffer.

 

Hesitantly he leaned forward, opening his mouth. There was no taste this time, not really, for that he was grateful. Still the sensation of the thick organ rubbing against his tongue and smearing the slick fluid over the roof of his mouth was sickening. He winced and gagged softly when the tentacle pressed against the back of his mouth, brushing his throat. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sun curled his tongue around it and bobbed his head, rays pinned back. It didn’t take long for a hand to grip the back of his head in a vice grip and roughly force him down, driving the slippery length down his throat. 

 

Frantically he grabbed at the thick silky pants while he noisily gaged around it while fresh tears trickled down the sides of his anguished face. 

 

Eclipse shuddered hard and moaned softly, hips bucking as he ground his slaves faceplate against his crotch as his release washed over him. Only then did he let go of his slave. 

 

Sun jerked back with a gasp, hacking and coughing while his stomach jumped, threatening to turn itself inside out. With a great deal of will power he swallowed down the mess. Coughing he wiped away the mixture of release and saliva. Once he was certain his legs could support him he stood up and turned to leave only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

 

“We are not done, slave.” 

 

Of course not. “What do you require me to do, master?” Not that he needed to ask, he knew. But it didn’t hurt to make sure of what his master wanted. Doing the wrong thing could set him off. 

 

Eclipse rose to his feet, letting his pants pool around his ankles. He looked down at his kneeling salve, the fear he could see clearly on the solar bot’s face made him shiver. “The bed, lay on your back, slave.” Obediently his slave did as told after a moment of hesitation. 

 

Now only if his pet was so obedient. 

 

Eclipse tilted his head as a thought floated through his head. He knelt and picked up the belt noting how his slave flinched and curled his lower half. 

 

A wicked predatory grin split his faceplate as he folded the thick length of leather in half forming a loop. This was going to be fun. 

Chapter 14

(Self harm warning, past tense, non graphic)

Sun scooted away from the edge of the bed, wide eyes fixed on the wide strip of leather in his master’s hand. While a simple leather belt wasn’t the worst thing his master had used to beat him with, that didn’t mean he wanted to be beaten. 

 

“Relax slave. I’m not going to beat you with it. You’ve done nothing to deserve punishment.” 

 

The smooth predatory words did nothing to soothe the maelstrom of worry and panic. If anything it made it worse. The bed creaked under his master's weight and he scooted back more until he felt the headboard pressed against his back. He yelped when a hand closed on his ankle and yanked him away from the head of the bed. Instead of struggling he forced himself to go limp, resistance would only give his master an excuse to hurt or restrain him. 

 

 “I forget how much I enjoy seeing you like this.” Eclipse reached out with his free hand, slowly trailing his clawed fingers down the inside of a trembling thigh. Digging his claws into the thin fabric he ripped the pants away then flung the ruined material away. “You’ve been hurting yourself.” his voice went cold while his finger tips traced over the thin jagged scars that marred the lovely yellow silicon. “This wouldn’t have to do with you...servicing the beast now would it.” 

 

Before he could stop himself he slapped the intrusive hand away and scowled at his master. “You forced me to rape my only friend.” He hissed, the hot flare of anger giving him the strength to push past the fear and dread. 

 

“I wouldn’t call it that. You clearly enjoyed it.” 

 

“I did not enjoy it! He didn't either!” Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. “I hated every moment of it!” His body had reacted to the stimulation like it had been trained to.

 

Lord Eclipse's grin grew into something sinister. “ I disagree. You were clearly enjoying the feeling of being full of its cock.” And not mine, he thought bitterly. “You got very…wet.” he hissed the last word out, enjoying the look of disgust on his servant's face. “That would not have happened if you hadn’t enjoyed it. I can not recall the last time you had such a reaction when we last had sex.” His expression went from glee to cold anger in a heartbeat. 

 

Sun shook his head, ferociously wiping the tears away though more fell. The pit of guilt opened back up and threatened to swallow him whole. “Just b-because my body r-reacts doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I never enjoy it. I loathe your touch, I despise everything about you.” he forced the words out despite knowing there would be retaliation for daring to stand up to his master. 

 

You are losing control. 

 

Its voice was like bugs crawling across his circuits. 

 

Even your slave is disobeying you. You have no control over him. 

 

Rage lashed across his systems like a lightning crack. Snarling he lunged and wrapped his hands around his servants throat, thick fingers digging into the thin metal. This was his slave, his servant, and he would obey him one way or another! 

 

 Frantically Sun clawed at the hands around his neck as the air and fluid flow was cut off. The sickening glee on his master's face makes his insides tighten painfully. His lungs burned as he gasped for air as he weakly kicked and pushed on the stronger eclipse while his mouth worked silently, pleading. His lungs burned viscously as he desperately tried to pull air into them. Logically he knew he wouldn't suffocate, couldn't suffocate but logic is washed away by dark waves of fear and panic. 

 

Eclipse growled softly, pressing down harder just to watch his slave squirm. Growing tired of being kicked he pinned the frantically kicking legs with his knees though he allowed his slave to frantically fail around, his blunt fingers clutching at his clothing and clawing at his casing. “All you had to do was obey.” Loosening his grip he allows the solar servant to suck in a few shallow ragged breaths before squeezing again. 

 

Thick oily pleasure pooled in his pelvic frame as he pressed his fingers into the vulnerable components though he was careful to not damage the fragile components. The sounds of his servant being in mental and physical anguish was nothing short of music to his ears. 

 

Sun grasped at the strong wrists, servos straining to remove the hands. It was impossible to beg or plead since his vocalizer was being compressed, the delicate components were grinding against each and sparking painfully. Honestly he preferred to be bent over something, violated and let go compared to this, it hurt a lot less! A part of him wanted to just pass out so he could bask in the soothing nothingness for a while. 

 

Surprisingly, assaulting his slave wasn’t making him feel the slightest bit better. 

 

His control was slipping.

 

Sighing he released his servant and got up and walked over to his desk. The key once again weighed heavily on his mind. There was no doubt in his mind his servant had taken it and either hidden it or handed it off to the beast. The latter seemed most likely. There were only a few places the lunar predator could have hidden the key. With that in mind he turned and left the room without so much as a glance at his servant. 

Lord Eclipse stood in the doorway to the room that held his captive, clawed fingers closing on the doorframe shattering the wood. The chains that once held the beast’s arms lay on the floor along with a bedpost that had been ripped free. The eye lid on the dark side of his faceplate twitched. Securing the chains to the bed posts had been a terrible mistake, one that he wasn’t going to repeat. In his defense he believed the beast would be too weak from starvation and being sedated to break free. 

 

“Im going to nail his fucking paws to something.” Let's see the lunar predator get free of that. 

 

But first he had to recapture his prize. Again. And this time it wasn’t going to be easy. This time the lunar predator would be mostly instinct instead of intelligence. A viscous powerful beast that would tear him limb from limb in a heartbeat. Being starved would only make it even more angry. One hand unconsciously went to his left arm, tracing over the spots where the teeth had sunk into his casing. 

Why should he risk being attacked? 

 

A sinister idea formed in his mind. Grinning, he rapidly returned to his room and dragged a barely consciousness slave off his bed. “Get up slave, you have work to do.” 

Stalking easily through the shadows of the castle, Kill Code made short work of his chosen path. His sour mood was made even more so by the pain in his paws and gnawing pit of hunger. The small scrap of cloth tied around his midsection gave him some dignity though every time he moved the cloth would shift and leave parts of his ass exposed forcing him to stop and adjust it. The frustration led to a rolling storm of anger that was barely tempered.

 

 Keep to the plan. Any deviation could set them back weeks or more. 

 

What little food he had consumed helped quell the worst of the hunger pains and allowed him to focus on the task at hand while holding the maelstrom of primal code at bay. 

 

The dangerous aura he exuded permeated the air as limped towards the scent of fresh blood and raw meat tickled his instinctual side. Primal code flared against logic, trying to gain a foothold against it.

 

Sun stood stock still near the large crimson curtains that separated the throne room from the main hall, a large bowl filled to the brim with raw meat and blood in his hands, tears trickling down the sides of his face though not out of fear. The moment the crimson eyes locked onto him warmth blossomed in his chest and it took everything he had not to smile. The soft excited trill that came from the large form that bound towards him nearly had him break character. All the planning they had done in little snatches here and there was about to pay off. 

 

“Woah whoa!” His voice came out as a harsh whisper laden with static as he quickly back pedaled a bit as the monstrous frame was upon him. 

 

He took a deep breath to steady himself then reluctantly offered the bowl, making sure that his hands trembled a bit. The stormy animatronic shifted and instead of lunging for the bowl and devouring the contents like a wild beast the lunar predator  plucked chunks of meat out of the bowl then swallowed each one. This time the long tongue didn't dart out to lap up the blood.

 

Once the bowl was empty it fell from his hands and he wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, burying his face into the stormy grey shoulder and only then did he allow himself to smile. Fresh tears of joy spilled down his face as he forced a few ragged sobs past his sore throat. The soft rumble made his chest tighten as if a giant hand was squeezing it. All he had to do now was wait for his friend to play his part. 

 

The lunar predator began to sag though he did struggle to remain crouched as if the strength was slowly bleeding out of his limbs. Feigning sleepiness he yawned and buzzled against the solar bot, trilling softly as he hunched up more so he could press his large face against the other’s chest. 

 

Sun carefully schooled his expression to one of anger; he eased the large form to the floor and remained curled around the predator's upper half. Inwardly he was boiling over with rage but he had to hold onto the ploy for just a little longer.  Hearing the heavy footsteps of his master he looked up, eyes bleary. 

 

“Don’t look so dour slave. It’s peacefully sleeping. Surely you prefer that to the alternative.” Lord Eclipse waltzed out of his hiding spot, cape swirling sound his legs. His circuits sang with giddy energy. This could not have gone better but there was a lingering anger. The beast clearly trusted his slave, a lowly pathetic slave and had seemed eager to see him. It should be eager to see him, its rightful master. 

 

Lord Eclipse stifled such thoughts. It wouldn’t do any good to dwell on them. It was far too early to see any results, he had rushed last time and nearly lost everything. This time he had to be patient, had to be more careful but he kept slipping up. He needed to stay focused. 

 

The wicked smirked faded when the beast's eyes shot open and focused on him. Clear. Lucid. 

 

KC rose to his feet, looming over the shorter eclipse while Sun slowly stood, wiping away the tears with the remains of his shredded clothing. He coldly regarded his captor. 

 

Lord Eclipse froze, eyes darting from his slave to the predator and back, mind reeling. Sun reached into the only intact pocket he had and pulled out several small white pills that he was supposed to hide in the meat and allowed them fall to the floor. The betrayal hit hard. 

 

“You….” he sputtered, seeing red as the rage overtook him. “I am going to make you suffer in ways you could never imagine for this betrayal!” 

 

“You will do no such thing. He does not deserve to be maltreated.” KC hissed. 

 

“That is my slave! I can treat him however I want.” His hands curled into fists. 

 

“No one has a right to treat another like that.” 

 

No one was going to take his kingdom away and no one was going to take his slave away. No one!  He moved to stand between the lunar animatronic and the main doors, summoning the spear to his hand and dropping into a fighting stance. 

 

KC backed up a few steps to create space between them, clawed fingers twitching and curling. He motioned to Sun to get behind him while he steadied his breathing and centered himself. “Since you will not let us leave you have left me with no choice.” He lifted his hands, pulling in particles of Star power, each one burned like raw embers alone his artificial nerves. Despite that he carefully gathered the cosmic power until the energy was spiraling into his hands. Once he gathered enough power he unleashed a concentrated blast of shimmering power that made the air around him ripple. The look of open shock and horror on Eclipse's face when the wave of cosmic power slammed into him with the force of a runaway freight train was something he didn’t get to enjoy. With a cry of agony KC collapsed to his knees, hands tucked against his chest. It felt as if he had reached into a fire and grasped the glowing embers.

 

He barely heard the crash of metal on stone or the sickening crunches over the sounds of  his own pain. Slowly he moved his hands away from his chest and looked down. Some of the casing alone his fingers were gone while the rest was badly scorched and cracked. The tough sensor impregnated silicon was just as badly burned if not more so than his paws.  Just the cool air brushing over his hands ignited fresh agony. 

 

Tears reflexively prickled the corners of his eyes as Sun rushed to his side, his smaller hands clasping his larger ones. 

 

“Your hands…” Sun choked back a soft cry at the damage. 

 

“Channeling the Star's power always comes with a price and it was one I gladly paid. I could not risk fighting him physically given his underhanded tricks.” KC winced when Sun gently touched and prodded the deep burns. “My hands will heal in time as will the rest of me. First, I need to make sure we will not be held captive again.” He strode over to the shattered remains of Lord Eclipse. Looking down at the melted and scorched casing and wire with cold predatory furry he smashed on paw down on the eclipse's head, shattering it. An optic scittered across the floor while a rain of shattered chips and metal was scattered over the floor. “Let's go. There is nothing for us where.” 

Chapter 15

The daylight that streamed through massive stained glass windows didn’t reach the depths of the impressively large room. Ornate chandeliers of glass and brass shed a delicate warm light that dispelled the eerie atmosphere of the library. 

 

Most of the towering book cases were empty, others were filled with ancient tombs of magic. He longed for the time to read the books, to research to his core's contentment but he needed to find the portal. The books could wait until he could return to retrieve them. 

 

 “I..I’m not sure where the portal is. I think it's somewhere in the back. I recall there being a fountain near it.” Sun felt a mix of emotions. Exhilaration at finally being free but also guilt for the awful things he had been forced to do and a tinge of fear that his master still might be alive and would be out for revenge. 

 

“We will find it. There is no hurry. The master of the castle is dead and there are no other threats to us here.” The pain was slowly eating away his remaining strength and the extended starvation meant he didn’t have that much energy to spare. 

 

Finding the fountain was as simple as following the sound of water gurgling. The fountain itself was rather plain compared to the rest of the library, a simple stone fish mounted on a pedestal with water gushing out of its open mouth into a large raised white stone basin. KC paused, regarding the simple fountain. “I was expecting something a bit more…elegant” The scent of fresh water was like a lure and he felt himself limping towards it. 

 

Sun made a little noise in the back of his throat. “Most don’t see the back part of the library so my master didn’t waste time making anything really elabora-” He stared at the odd sight of the tall lunar predator kneeling before the fountain, injured hands draped over the rim while Midnight drunk heavily from the cold water gushing from the fish's mouth. It stood to reason he’d be thirsty after being denied water and food for so long. 

 

Smiling he settled down on the cool stone base while his companion drank his fill. For the first time in a long time he felt content, even relaxed. He giggled when his companion finally pulled back and shook his head, sending a spray of cold water everywhere. "Better?" 

 

“Yes.” KC sank to the cool floor, resting against the white marble of the fountain. The tip of his tongue stuck out of his lips. 

 

Sun looked around the large room for a moment then got up. A moment later he returned with a thick yellow and crimson curtain that he draped over his companion. The silly ‘mmmrrrppp’ he received almost sent him into a giggle fit. “I never did learn your name. I’ve been calling you Midnight this entire time.” 

 

KC blinked sleepy, eyed the makeshift blanket then shifted a bit. “My name is KC but I don’t mind you calling me Midnight. It's an interesting nickname.” 

 

Sun tried to hide the warm flush that crept over his face. The strange butterfly feeling came back, the metaphoric wings sweeping away the lingering guilt. “Once we get out of here, I can tend to your wounds properly.” While he could just go back to his room and retrieve what he needed, he didn’t want to leave his friend's side. 

 

Kneeling he wrapped the cloth around KC then rested his head against the other’s shoulder. He couldn't feel more like a prince that had been trapped in a dark tower by an evil mad king and had been rescued by a mythic dragon .

 

Daycare

 

“Lunar?” The little blue moon stared at him uncomprehendingly. 

 

“Who?” 

 

“Eh, sorry. You look like someone I know.” Solar walked over to the newcomer, careful not to loom over him. 

 

“I get it. We aren’t that common compared to eclipses. We either never exist in the first place or something bad happens.” Mischief shrugged. Usually it was the eclipse that killed them. He just got lucky and Moon killed their Eclipse right before everything went to shit. “Your daycare looks better than mine.” 

 

“Not for much longer. Fucking Fazbear is going to close this one. I plan on packing up and leaving before that happens. “ Not that he had a whole lot to take, mostly tools. Wouldn't be too hard to find a small place given all the money he had squirreled away. 

 

“I was hoping this one would be open. We need a new place to stay.” Mischief carefully schooled his expression to one of lost hope and sadness. 

 

“Sorry bud. I can’t control what the assholes upstairs do. But…if you want, you and your Sun and Moon and come with me. Might be a little crowded but it’s better than being decommissioned.” Was he going to regret this? Probably but something deep inside of him just couldn't let them be turned into scrap. Sunny would have begged him to take them in. 

 

“Really?” Mischief perked up. This was going to be easier than he thought. Only if every eclipse was so easy to manipulate. 

 

“Parasite!” 

 

Solar sighed. “We can’t let Moon see you. There’s no telling what he’d do in his state of mind.” Solar ushered the small moon towards his workshop. There were plenty of places for him to hide. 

Castle 

 

KC woke up to his guts gurgling unhappily. Grimacing he rolled to his paws with a low hiss. Had he been feeling petty and it hadn’t hurt so much to walk then he would have left a deposit on the former lord's throne. Instead he limped to the large windows, testing each one until he found one that swung open. 

 

Every step sent waves of pain up his legs forcing him to jerk his paws up with each step. Once he found a suitable location he did what he had to before kicking leaves and dirt over it before returning to the library, leaving the window open to let cool air in. While the floor wasn’t very comfortable he was willing to tolerate it for the time being.

 

Curling in the thick warm curtain he allowed himself to drift off, scooting closer to Sun as he did so, drawn to the soothing warmth like a cat. He only woke to the sound of rain pattering on the windows, gusts of warm damp air blew in through the open window chasing away the scent of dry stone and dust. Not sensing anything threatening he went back to sleep, curling around Sun. 

 

In the dark basement 

 

The dimly glowing cylinder that was tucked into the far corner of the room slowly opened revealing a very soggy and very unhappy Eclipse. He stumbled out of the cylinder like a newborn foal, hacking and coughing, casing glistening with fluid. Phantom pain crushed him flat leaving him curled up on the floor like a bug and desperately gasping for air. He clawed at his chest as he choked on his own screams as the memories of his death flooded him. The sensation of white hot agony caused by wires and casing melting, the liquid metal flowing over his internal components leaving blazing trails and sensors raw surged. Just to add insult to injury, the last thing he saw was a paw coming down on his face. 

 

Rolling around on the cold floor Eclipse snarled softly in pain, eyes squeezed shut. Cold laughter echoed in his head causing a migraine and leaving him even more disoriented. Clutching at the sides of his head he rolled around, screaming at the Star to stop but this only seemed to egg it on. 

 

Eventually the phantom pain and laughter receded. Crawling across the floor he clawed at the main cylinder, fingers weakly clasping at rails and thick tubes. “I'm…I'm going to make them pay for this…he  betrayed me. My own servant! Betrayed me! He turned the beast against me.” All he had to do was slip it a few sedatives and he failed that. “Both of them…will be punished. I just need to come up with something suitable. You…you used to be very ..creative when it came to punishments.” 

 

Slowly he slid to the floor in a pile of limbs, shivering, dull eyes glued on the greenish glowing glass of the cylinder. 

 

He couldn't fail. Not this time. 

 

“It can use Star power…channel it...I need to make sure it can’t do that again. I don’t have another backup available.” It was very possible he could make a back up body and stash it somewhere but he might not have time. He supposed he could make a back up body later, once he had everything settled. 

 

As for his defiant slave, there wasn’t much he could do that wouldn't leave him crippled or or useless. A good whipping? No he may get carried away. Curling around the base of the cylinder he allowed his body and code to rest. The portals were locked, there was nowhere a weakened injured beast could go that he would not be able to find them. As an afterthought he gathered what little magic he could and summoned an ‘eye’ and sent it off to find his wayward servant and pet. 

Sun carefully held the large bowl so he didn’t spill its contents, balancing the tray with mugs of warm tea and a small bowl of fresh fruit as he power walked back to the library. A sleepy ‘mmmrrppp’ greeted him as he rounded the fountain. Giggling, he sat down and placed the bowl and tray down while KC sat up, the curtain draped around his shoulders. 

 

“Does it rain often?” He plucked the key from his mouth and sat it on the edge of the fountain then using a claw,  pierced a meat chunk and swallowed it, shuddering in delight at the warm bloody mass as it slid down his throat. 

 

Sun made a humming noise. “It seems to be random. Sometimes it rains all day and well into the night.” he plucked a large strawberry out of the bowl and bit into it. “It's always warm though.” 

 

Another chunk vanished down his throat though it was a bit difficult to eat since he couldn’t move his fingers without a great deal of pain. “At least it's warm, which is something I greatly enjoy. I have never had much of a tolerance for the cold.” Crimson eyes looked longingly at cup of tea but there was no way he could lift it. 

 

Without a word Sun picked up the cup and held it up. “Your hands must hurt something awful.” 

 

“They do.” he motioned towards his ruined hands, “It's a small price to pay for our freedom.” With a wince he tucked his damaged hands against his chest then leaned forward a bit so Sun could gently press the warm cup against his lips so he could drink it. The liquid was bitter with a faint metallic after taste just how he liked it.  He closed his eyes to appreciate the flavor. The heat seemed to flow down and settle in his core, warming his body and easing some of the pain. 

 

The fresh air that was coming through the open window brought with it all manner of interesting smells. Wet grass and leaves, the rich scent of flowers and muskiness of some large animal that stirred his primal code. He found himself snuffling at the air unintentionally causing Sun to laugh. 

 

“Smell anything interesting?” Sun picked up another strawberry and chewed on it. 

 

“I can smell some animal out there.” He rumbled, fingers twitching. 

 

Sun tilted his head, rays moving in a sine wave.  KC was a predator and would be attracted to prey animals. He wondered if the other would chase one down and eat it then decided he didn’t want that mental image. It was unpleasant enough as it was watching him swallow down chunks of raw meat. Eager for a change of subject matter he sifted through a few questions then asked what his dimension was like. 

 

“It is a very different place than this. I have a home deep in the woods where I am free to roam. I used to live at the plex but my Moon became very jealous and hateful and drove me away though it did not stop Sunrise from meeting me outside.” KC’s shoulders drooped and his expression became one of fond remembrance. 

 

“Something…happened to him didn’t it?” 

 

“Unfortunately, yes. It's… complicated and unpleasant. I have a lot of regrets over what happened. I try to move on instead of dwelling, unlike my Moon who has gone rather mad with grief.”  Not wanting to dredge up painful memories he slowly rose to all four, crippled fingers curled as much as the damaged joints would allow so he put pressure only on his knuckles. “With the former master of this castle dead we have nothing to fear. Still it will be a good idea to get a message to my Eclipse so he knows I am safe. He may want to come here as well. That is if you do not mind.” 

 

Sun chewed on a strawberry. “He sounds nice. If he’s more comfortable here then I’m okay with it.” Sun shrugged. 

 

KC rumbled softly. “He is selfless and kind. A far cry from the one who dared call himself lord.” 

 

“I can go.” 

 

KC stopped and turned his head to look at Sun in surprise. 

 

“You're injured and can barely walk.” He nervously smoothed the tattered remains of his clothing down. “If your eclipse is as nice as you say he is, I'm sure he won’t mind me telling him where you are. “ 

 

Dropping to his haunches the lunar predator mulled it over. It was rather hard to argue against Sun’s logic. “I can open the portal on this side. Eclipse knows how to use the portal on his end.” Limping he padded towards the back of the library where he supposed the portal was. He didn’t need to look behind to know Sun was trailing behind.  Maybe it was just blind luck but as he rounded the last book case he saw a mini atrium and within it, a portal. The dull blue and white light swirling around in eddies on the floor. 

 

He hesitated. There was nothing in his dimension that would harm Sun. Even Moon, as aggressive as he was, wouldn’t harm him. 

 

After a moment of studying the runes he held a hand out and spoke the common unlock command. "Sequor nidus telus." The runes emitted scarlet light. 

 

Sun wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Before he could protest the solar bot pulled away and happily stepped into the swirling glowing mist and vanished in a flash. 

 

KC found himself lingering by portal, already missing Sun’s presence. Logically he knew his friend would be fine and would return in a short amount of time. Still he felt an odd longing for the sunny presence. Slowly he forced himself back to the fountain and curled up in the curtain.

Chapter 16

Daycare

 

Solar  rested his elbows on his knees and placed his faceplate in his hands in a gesture that seemed like shame, rays twitching at every thump and crash that echoed through the workshop. HIS workshop. The headache was getting worse and no amount of yelling would stop the asshole from tearing through the workshop like a bot possessed. 

 

“Whatever you are looking for you won’t find it.” 

 

“Shut up byproduct.” 

 

He flinched at the nickname. “If I knew what you were looking for I could tell you if I had it.” A wrench flew by and embedded itself into the wall. Inwardly he was screaming in a combination of frustration and rage. It was tempting to pick up a random tool and return fire but he didn’t feel like getting another fight with Moon. 

 

"Don't you have some kids to scare?"

 

"The daycare is closed byproduct." Another wrench sails by, close enough that he could feel the breeze against his rays. 

 

"The daycare is still open. You'd know that if you came down more often." Solar groaned  softly. 

 

"I've been too busy trying to fix my brother!"

 

‘ Just let him tear the place apart looking for whatever he's looking for. Once he leaves you can pick up all the thrown tools and dispose of anything broken beyond repair. ’ This isn’t the first time he’s done this but his temper is getting worse. 

 

Something crashed to the floor behind him, probably a tool box. 

 

With a groan he hunched up more. 

 

No amount of trying to convince the unhinged lunar animatronic that Sun was dead. It always ended in screaming and thrown things. 

 

‘I can barely wait until I can move out and leave this wretched place. I'm so sorry Sunny .’ Moon could tear the entire plex apart if he wanted once he left for all he cared. 

 

Another crash had him pressing his faceplate against the sacred wood of the work table. The rages always burned themselves out after twenty minutes or so then he’d be left cleaning yet another mess. 

 

Eventually Moon's rage petered out and he stormed out of the workshop. Eclipse sighed and slipped out of the chair, sinking to the floor. "You can come out now. What a goddamn mess. "The entire workshop had been turned inside out, projects smashed, tools thrown and spare parts littered the floor. 

 

A cabinet door creaked open. Once he was sure the troubled lunar animatronic was gone, Mischief clambered out of his hiding spot and ran over to Solar’s slumped form. "Is he always that scary?"

 

"Not always but he's gotten worse as of late."

 

Mischief sat next to the other. "What about the Star?"

 

Solar shook his head. "I barely know how to work it. Besides, it won't bring Sun back, at least not like how he used to be. What comes back is either an ideal copy or...a monster that looks like Sun."

 

"Like Pet Cemetery?" Mischief fiddled nervously with his sleeves while looking at the far wall. 

 

"Yeah, kinda like that. Is...that what happened in your world?" 

 

"I don't want to talk about it."

 

"It's alright. You don't have to talk about it." 

 

"Thanks...for letting me stay here."

 

"You're always welcome here even if Moon says otherwise.” Through the thick walls he could hear the portal winding up again. 

Sun’s vision blurred horribly and his head ached as he clawed his way through the strange colorful plastic spheres. Finally he pushed through them and popped out of a large…ball pit? Where the hell was he? Confused he looked around, the bright colors and lights  made his head swim after being exposed to subdued colors and light for years. It appeared to be a massive playscape of some sort. Even the floor was colorful and appeared to be covered in padding. 

 

Sun wadded his way out of the pit, eyes wide in awe. He had never seen any place like this. It felt almost magical. Far more magical than dull walls and empty rooms. Slowly he walked around the massive ball pit, taking in everything. 

 

Did children come here? It certainly seemed built for them. It wasn’t hard to imagine the laughter and bright smiles this place must have brought. 

 

“Hello?” His voice echoed against the glass walls.. “Must be closed.” 

 

“Sun?” 

 

Startled, he looked around for the source of the voice. Seeing no one he looked up to see a figure perched on a balcony above the ball pit. The animatronic that resembled KC somewhat. A lot shorter, dressed oddly though it was clearly lunar. “Um, hello? I-” he stepped back when the lunar bot jumped off the balcony and landed in the ball pit, sending plastic balls everywhere. 

 

“Sun!” The strange animatronic leapt over the short wall, red eyes fixed on him. 

 

Bewildered, he backed up more with a little yelp, narrowly avoiding being grabbed. While he assumed the lunar animatronic meant him no harm, the overly friendly attitude was very off putting. “Stop trying to grab me! I was s-scent here to find Eclipse.” The moon’s expression went from excited to dark, eyes narrowing and lips pressing into a thin line of disappointment. 

 

“Why do you want that byproduct?” 

 

“KC-”

 

Moon snarled. That damn parasite! “He’s not here!”

 

“I know that.” Sun snapped back, rays rattling finally as irritation overcame his surprise. “He’s in my dimension and needs help.” 

 

“Why the hell would I want to help him?  After everything he’s done!” His face screwed up in anger. “He can rot wherever he’s ended up at.” 

 

“That’s a horrible thing to say! He’s been nothing but kind to me.” Sun puffed up. 

 

“Him? Kind? Don’t make me laugh. He’s a parasite, a virus, he’s never done anything kind in his entire existence. Whatever lies he’s filled your head with, forget it. He literally tortured-” 

 

“KC did no such thing, Moon.” Solar stepped out of his small room, rays askew and feet jammed into worn slippers, dull sweat pants hanging low on his hips. 

 

“Stay out of this  byproduct!”

 

Sun turned towards the voice. The newcomer certainly looked like an eclipse, just a dark one. “Eclipse?” he asked tentatively, 

 

The dark eclipse stared at the sun, taking in the scratched and worn casing, the tattered clothing. Not their Sun. His chest tightened. “I haven't been called that in a long time. I go by Solar now. Did you…come through the portal?” the sun nodded. 

 

“KC sent me.”

 

“KC? Our KC?” Solar stepped forward, hands up showing that he was unarmed. “What happened to him? I haven’t seen him since Moon drove him away from the plex.” 

 

 “He’s hurt and needs help.” 

 

“Oh boo hoo. Who cares?” Moon snarled. 

 

“I care! He’s my friend!”

 

“Moon, shut up.” 

 

“What are you going to do if I don’t byproduct?  Hit me?” Moon sneered. 

 

“If I have to.” Solar tensed, hands curling into fists. “For the record I don’t enjoy hurting you. At all. I hate it. Sunny would-” 

 

“You keep his name out of your mouth byproduct!” 

 

Solar sighed and shook his head. He was far too tired for this. “Come on, you can tell me what happened while I gather a few things.” He motioned towards his room. The sun nervously shuffled to the room while keeping an eye on Moon. Once the anxious solar bot was in the room he turned and followed, locking the door behind him. Normally Moon didn’t bother to trespass unless he was looking for something to repair their brother, tearing apart the small makeshift workshop in a frenzy leaving him to pick up the mess once he was done. 

 

“Is he always so belligerent?” Sun stayed near the door, head on a swivel as he took in the dingy room. Its walls were covered in all manner of tools, worn tables pushed against the far wall were covered in spare parts while a small cot that was as sad as his own was in a corner. 

 

“I’m sorry you had to see that. He’s normally not so…intense. Moon is dealing with the loss of our Sun really badly.” Solar pulled a large duffle bag out from under a table. He turned to sun and frowned. “We need to get you some new clothes. While you are getting dressed I’m going to pack up some things.” Solar pulled clothing out of a small box that he used to store what few personal items he owned, all of it worn and heavily patched. “It’s not much but it's a far sight better than what you're wearing. I would let you wear something of Sun’s but if Moon saw he'd lose his shit.” 

 

Sun looked down at the ragged remains of the suit. It wasn’t much of a loss, he had a bunch more back in his room. He accepted the clothing, looked around a bit then sat the neatly folded clothing on a small stool then stripped off the remains of his shirt and pants. “It's fine.” 

 

Keeping his back politely turned to his guest, Solar picked up all the medical tools and supplies he had. He never understood why KC went techno organic despite the downfalls that came with such a frame type but he supported his old friend's decision. 

 

Really should have tracked him down and made sure he was doing good instead of hanging around the damn plex fixing everything that Moon or Monty broke. KC would have welcomed him into whatever home he had so why had he stayed? Sun was dead and had been for a while and Moon was becoming even more aggressive and violent. 

 

Logically there was nothing for him here so why wait? 

 

The cabinet door creaked open and Mischief peeked out. “Is it safe?” 

 

“Yeah, it's safe. Pretty sure Moon won’t barge in.” 

 

Sun picked at the odd clothing, he was used to form fitting black suits and not the loose fitting shirt or old pants that had been patched many times over. With one foot he pushed the remains of his old clothing into a pile and shoved it into a corner. “You can look now.”  His head titled as he took in the smaller blue and lavender moon. 

 

Solar tightened the tool belt causing the assorted heavy tools that hung from it to clunk against each other. Picking up the duffle bag he nodded.  “Let's go take care of KC.” he opened the door and cautiously peered out. There was no sign of Moon. 

 

“Computer, Open the portal to the dimension Sun came from.” 

 

Portal open.

 

Sun jerked his head up and searched the ceiling for the mysterious speaker. 

 

 Seeing Sun's confusion, “That’s just my computer. I’ll explain later.” Solar stepped into the ball pit and waded towards the middle of it, Mischief followed. 

 

Sun hesitated then followed. 

 

Chapter 17

 Edge of Sanity 

Hunger gnawed his internal systems raw while primal urges scraped their way through him, threatening to tear apart his logic. Growling he tried to push the dark code away so he could sleep, shove it back into its cage but exhaustion and pain had left him too weak to fend it off. 

 

With a deep irritated grumble he stirred from his deep sleep to catch a whiff of blood and raw meat. In an instant he's awake. Placed just within his reach was an ornate silver bowl filled to the brim with delicious looking morsels. Purring he carefully pierced each piece with a claw before bringing the glistening meat to his mouth. He didn't bother to chew, instead he swallowed it eagerly. One right after another the meat chunks vanished down his throat. His long darted out to clean up the remaining blood, savoring the rich flavors before setting down. Figuring Sun was preoccupied with something he curled up and drifted off to sleep more, allowing his frame to repair itself while he slumbered. 

Lord Eclipse placed the last of the surgical tools into the small silver bowl of tainted water and wiped his hands off on the stained rag.  The procedure had gone on without a hitch and it would only be a matter of time before he could reap the benefits of all his hard work. His gaze lingered on the thick swath of bandages  that covered the lunar animatronic lower abdomen. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting one hand on the bandages. 

 

“Part of me regrets allowing my slave to become close to you but I see now the benefits. Keeping you docile as possible is going to be very important." His tired gaze drifted to the footboard where the beast's paws had been secured by both shackles and two thick nails driven through the paws. The still healing burns had been torn open by all the rough treatment. 

 

 “I wanted to avoid this but you have left me with no choice. I know pain only makes you angry but I can't risk you escaping again. This is my last chance. I will not allow you or anyone else to ruin it.” Reaching over he jammed the metal gag into the formidable jaws and tightened the strap. No point in risking being bitten again. “When my slave gets back he will be punished for his deceit.” Sensing it would be a few hours before the predator woke, Lord Eclipse walked over to his chair and flopped down into it. After a moment of digging through a downed he found the small bottle of pills and downed a few then settled down to wait for them to kick in. 

Darkness swamped his mind, smoothing him in its cold clutches. Every time he tried to claw his way towards consciousness he was pulled back and forced under by another cold wave. Scrappy images, half nightmare, half memory, dappled his restless sleep.

 

Pain bit into hands and feet, ripping at his artificial flesh and crunching at metal bones, he tried to fight back, to break free of the restaurants he could feel around his slender but powerful limbs but weakness flooded his systems. The weakness would fade every once in a while allowing him to claw his way close for wakefulness but it would always return in cold waves. 

 

He could hear a voice though it sounded as if it was speaking through water. He couldn’t make out the words and tried to flinch away from the unwanted touches against his casing but his body refused to respond. 

 

Finally, the tattered veils of unconscious parted, releasing him from the inky nothingness. His thoughts were thick and slow. He opened his eyes and lifted his head. The room swum in a sickening manner forcing him to close his eyes and swallow hard a few times then opened his eyes again. This time the room remained still though slightly out of focus. 

Normally waking up in an unfamiliar room would have brought the hard fast bite of confusion but it felt as if his processor was shrouded in a thick haze, responses were slow and senses half-dead. Slowly he became aware that his arms were above his head, held there by thick manacles. Weakly he pulled on them causing the chain to rattle. Huffing in agitation he lifted his head more and almost immediately regretted it. It took several seconds to sink in why his paws hurt so badly. A pair of large nails more akin to spikes had been driven into his feet, literally nailing his paws to the footboard. Thick leather cuffs encircled his ankles, the chains were secured to the bed posts. 

This certainly complicated things. 

 

His gaze settled on a familiar yellow-gold animatronic that was sitting at a desk, hunched over something . How? Back up, had to be a back up body that had been tucked away somewhere. If so, how many more did he have? 

 

The dull red gaze dropped down to his abdomen. “What did you do?” He hissed, pulling at the manacles. Waking up the first time with unwanted additions was bad enough, he dreaded what Eclipse had done to him while he was unconscious. While it didn’t hurt much, more like a deep ache he was certain that Eclipse had been rooting around in his entrails. 

 

“Something…important.” 

 

KC growled at the cryptic response. His crimson gaze flicked to the medical tools sitting on the nightstand. “You rooted around in my insides.” he lunged at the imposter, snarling. Fresh pain erupted along his midsection and feet though he ignored it in favor of trying to reach his captor.

 

“Such a fierce spirit. Even now you fight me.” A sick little thrill drove down his spine, leaving a trail of warm embers. “Such a shame I have to break you but I do not want to crush that salvage spirit. You will learn your place soon enough.” A thick leather collar bearing his symbol around his pet's throat would be lovely. 

 

He walked toward the end of the bed, still stroking the tent in his pants. The dull red eyes watched his every move. If looks could kill he’d be a pile of charred metal. Even drugged and injured the lunar animatronic wanted to rip into him, sink those claws into his casing and tear him limb from limb. 

 

Slowly he pulled the thin sheet away, deliberately dragging it out the removal of the cloth barrier. Once removed he tossed it to the side. The lunar predator hissed and growled while trying to shield his very sensitive anatomy. As distasteful as it was to stoop to menial tasks like cleaning his pets since his slave was still missing, he had no choice but to do the task himself. 

 

“Stop squirming. You may enjoy this.” Eclipse picked up the large bowl off the nightstand and sat it on the bed between the trembling legs. He made a show of wringing a rag out then slowly dragging it down the inside of one thigh, carefully cleaning the stormy casing. 

 

“I highly doubt that.” KC flinched away from the hand, jaw tightening on the metal bar, teeth grinding against it like nails on a  chalkboard. 

 

“Oh? I know you will. Normally my slave would take care of this but since he is…indisposed at the moment I have taken care of this.” He dipped the rag back into the warm water, wrung it out then continued to clean the dried release off. His smirk turned into a wide predatory grin when he pressed the rag against the sensitive storm grey vulva. The reaction was immediate. KC hissed loudly and jerked away. 

 

“Stop squirming, I need to clean you off.” Eclipsed hummed softly, gently dragging the rag over the soft petals. 

 

KC hissed loudly in disgust while thinking of all the ways he was going to rip off his captors limbs and render him to nothing more than scrap. If it wasn’t for his ruined hands he’d risk using the Star again. 

 

Eclipse smirked and deliberately rubbed the rag over the  limp cock. The hitching breath and low hissing growl only encouraged him to slowly stroke the soft length, lightly squeezing it. 

 

“Stop touching me.” 

 

“I am merely cleaning you since you can’t do so yourself.’ Eclipse continued to stroke the twitching length, enjoying every little whimper and hiss. He continued to languidly stroke the writhing thing until tiny pearls of pre formed on the tapered tip then he pulled back. 

 

KC groaned in relief and sagged against the mattress. The mild discomfort would fade before long along with the lingering humiliation. 

 

“This would be easier if you just accept the fact you are a slave. Property. That you have no rights. No say in anything I do to you.” The furry returned to the crimson eyes. 

 

“I am not a slave. I will never be a slave.” He bristled. 

 

“You are a slave.” Eclipse rose to his feet, placing the rag and bowl on the nightstand. “You can try and deny it all you want.” He tugged the thick belt free and let his pants pool around his feet. Closing his eyes for a moment he reached down and lightly stroked the rapidly hardening tentacle. He opened his eyes again and looked at his pet, expecting panic and fear but only saw cold predatory anger.  

 

“I will rip it off and ram it down your throat then disassemble you.” He jerked hard at the restraints, damaged fingers twitching, claws unshealthed. Forget the Star, he was going to tear this bastard apart little by little for the audacity he had. 

 

“Struggle all you want, you are not going anywhere.” Eclipse rumbled. The  bed creaked under the additional weight.  Grasping the narrow hips and lifting them to align the tip of the thick writhing tentacle with the soft grey folds that glistened with dampness from earlier stimulation. Sensing the apprehension he slowly rubbed the slick length against the warm petals before slowly forcing it in. A low groan spilled from his throat as he roughly thrust into the tight heat, the little whimpers and hisses of pain went straight to his pelvic frame fueling the growing lust and pressure. 

 

“You will give in sooner or later.” Eclipse growled, hips bucking to drive the last few inches in, uncaring of the damage he was doing. It wasn’t as if he couldn't patch his pet up.  “Once you are broken in, things will be easier on you.” 

 

“Better than you have tried.” KC growled out, tears prickling the corners of his eyes, mind still hazed by the drugs, the pain muted. 

 

The mad king pulled back then thrust roughly back into the heated core. Instead of a cry of pain a deep ugly thunderous snarl filled his audios. There was no begging or pleading which infuriated him. His slave often begged or pleaded but the near feral animatronic refused to. Claws dug into the slender hips as he picked up the pace filling the room with the wet slap of silicon on silicon. 

 

Biting down on his lower lip he rocked his hips hard, his entire body shuddering as the orgasam slammed into him. With a low cry he slumped, still buried deep inside the tight hot core. The deep rumbling growl took him out of the moment. 

 

“I will find a way to break you.” Eclipse hissed, good mood ruined as he pulled back, leaving fluid splattered over the others thighs and soaked the sheets. Getting off the bed he grabbed his pants and put them back on before picking up a syringe from the nightstand. Ignoring the hissing he jammed it into a fluid line and injected enough sedative to knock his pet out for a bit then stormed out the door. 

 

He had a slave to find.

 

KC winced at the rough treatment and sagged, eyes closing. On some level he was grateful for the sedatives that dulled the pain and made him less aware of the violation. Needing some semblance of control he took in a ragged breath and slowly released it. 

 

Breathe in… breathe out….

 

Pushing the thick maelstrom of emotions and pain away he concentrated on the mana pool’s ward. While complex it gave him something to focus on that wasn’t pain or anger. 

 

He’d concern himself with freeing his paws once he his hands were free. 

Chapter 18: Ruin

 

“This place is ridiculously large.” Solar stepped away from the portal, looking around the massive dimly lit library. 

 

“Everything in the castle is large.” Sun shrugged. 

 

“It feels ... .strange. A massive castle like this and there are no other servants? No guards, nothing.” Solar pulled a large wrench from his belt, hands tight around the cold metal. It was big enough and heavy enough to crack a faceplate and lay some bot out. 

 

“A dog does not invite fleas to live on its back. At least that’s what Lord Eclipse used to say.” Sun made his way to the fountain then paused. KC was gone but the window was open meaning he was likely taking care of something biological and would be back soon. Sensing nothing wrong he sat down on the edge of the fountain. 

 

“I thought you said KC was hurt?” 

 

“He is but he can move about a little.” Sun motioned towards the open window. “My former master is dead so there’s no one else here.” It felt a little odd and uncomfortable given how silent the castle was. 

 

Solar’s grip tightened on the wrench. “Something doesn’t feel right.” 

 

There was something wrong. He couldn't put his finger on what though. “I'm sure he couldn't have gone far.” Growing concerned, Sun got up and stepped outside. He hesitated, joints locking. When there came no screaming and no beating he slowly unlocked his joints and stepped onto the soft grass. There was no sign of KC anywhere. In his weakened condition there was no way he could have gotten very far. The concern grew with each step. He rushed back inside, fear coursing through him. “I can’t find him.”

“Shit.” Solar muttered. “You check the front part of the castle and I’ll check the back part.” He looked around for the Lunar look alike but he had made himself scarce. Small enough to easily hide. “He may have just found a different spot to sleep in.” 

 

Sun nodded. He turned and broke into a run. He knew of a few places that might be alluring to an ailing predator, all of which  just off the main atrium. With each room he checked his worry grew and grew until it threatened to overwhelm him. There was no way KC could get up the stairs so that left one last place. 

 

He rushed past the thick curtains of the throne room and  froze in place, eyes wide and rays retracting. Tremors passed through his slender frame as his mind raced as a familiar chuckle filled his audios. But it wasn’t possible…he was dead! 

 

“How nice of you to finally return, slave. I was growing tired of waiting.  Eclipse purred, resting his hands on his servants shoulders. “You were so loyal once. Such a shame. I suppose I will have to remind you of your place.”  

 

Sun shook his head and backed up a step. “I-I-I..y-your dead. You c-can’t be here…” 

 

“I did and now I am back. Did you really think something like death could keep me away from what is rightfully mine?” 

 

Something inside snapped. Sun slapped the offensive hand away and stepped back, rays rattling like dice in a cup. Much to his satisfaction Lord Eclipse backed up rapidly, fear flashing across his face. “I do not belong to you.” He ground out, letting the anger over ride the fear. 

 

 “I do own you, slave. If I have to teach you that you are property then so be it.”

 

“You tortured my friend! Neither of us do not belong to you!” 

 

“I should have never allowed you to get close to my pet.” He stepped forward, eyes narrowed. To his surprise his slave didn’t budge, didn’t look away, didn’t flinch. “I really have allowed you to get away with far too much and should have properly disciplined you.” 

 

“What are you going to do? Hit me?” 

 

The lower eyelid on the dark side of Eclipse’s face twitched. “That clearly will not teach you anything. I’ve beaten you many times and you still defy me. I will have to be a little more…creative.” He circled the defiant slave. Pain was a good teacher. The trick was applying enough pain to teach the lesson without doing permanent damage. 

 

  “Your tongue is sharp, maybe I should cut it out again. Or pull an eye out but you won’t be able to do your job with one eye. You touched me, twice, without permission.” He reached out and grabbed one of his slaves hands in a vice grip. He could work just fine  with one hand. Taking hold of his slave’s thumb he slowly bent it back until he heard a sickening snap. 

 

Sun’s legs threatened to buckle and tears leapt to his eyes though he refused to beg or plead. KC had refused to do either so could he. Another sickening snap and he nearly collapsed, another finger broken had him sobbing and nearly begging but he swallowed the words. By the end of it he somehow managed to not scream or beg which seemed to anger Eclipse.

 

“You are my slave! I own you!” Eclipse screamed.  “You wear a collar for a reason. It marks you as property.”  

 

You wear a collar for a reason. It marks you as property.

 

Eyes narrowing into a glare he lifted his good hand to the band of leather around his neck. It had been there for as long as he could remember.The hideous eclipse charm that hung from the d-ring jingled softly. 

 

Expression twisting into one of disgust and anger he unbuckled the collar then flung it away from him. The eclipse-shaped pendant hit the floor with a faint clink but the sound was like a clap of thunder in the massive atrium. 

 

Eclipse's expression went from surprise to shock then rage. 

 

Lord Eclipse was not his master. He didn't have to serve the mad king, and didn't have to cower before him.  It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

 

“Slave.”

 

“I.Am.Not. A slave.” Sun stood up straight, shoulders back. 

 

“So defiant.”  Snarling he grabbed the front of his slave’s shirt, bunching up the cloth then began dragging the solar bot towards the hidden door. Much to surprise Sun wriggled out of the shirt and hissed at him, damaged rays rattling. Rage mixed with thin tendrils of fear.

 

 He was losing control. 

 

He was about to lose his slave. 

 

And there was nothing he could do. 

 

Throwing the shirt down he growled as something dangerous flickered behind his eyes. “You are a slave and as a slave you must -”

 

“I am not a slave. You don't own me.” Sun stood up straight, hands clenched into fists. If anyone had ownership over him then that would be KC. 

 

“You. Are. A Slave.” Eclipse ground out.

 

“No I’m not.”

 

“No he isn’t.” 

 

Eclipse spun towards the new voice, eyes widening in surprise as a darker version of him stepped into the room, clutching a large wrench in one hand. “Insolent little shit! You bring intruders into my castle!” 

 

You’ve lost control. Even a lowly slave is standing up to you. Pathetic. 

  With a snarl he lunged for his slave who ducked under his arms and side stepped him.

 How quickly he learns new tricks!

“This isn’t your castle any more. Leave and never come back or I’ll cave your head in.” Solar moved closer, hands tight on the weapon. 

 

Lord Eclipse hissed. “How dare you ! This is mine! My slave! My caslt-” a blur of movement and he staggers. Anger blunted by surprise he lifts one hand to the side of his faceplate where the wrench had impacted. There was a slight dent. 

 

His frame trembled in rage. How dare they think they can take over his kingdom, his castle! 

 

“Find KC. I’ll take care of the mad king.” Solar nodded to Sun. His body was well reinforced and could take a beating. 

Sun began to protest but thought better of it. He was of no use in a fight. He nodded and broke into a run to the bedroom. Rays folded back he charged into the room, grabbing the sheet off the floor he threw it over the limp form. “KC!” He lightly shook the limp form. A low pained groan was the only response he received. 

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you free. You don’t have to worry about Eclipse any more….he’s been taken care of.”  With shaking hands he undid the gag and chain. “I…I think I can get your paws free…but it's going to hurt. A lot.” Probably best to do it while KC was still drugged. 

 

“I’m sorry.” There was no way to be gentle about this. He grabbed the nail (more of a spike really) and pulled hard. The wood groaned as the chunk of metal slowly came out. He grimaced at the sickening sound of metal scraping against metal bones and artificial flesh. He tugged harder. The nail came free and he tossed it across the room with a sound of disgust. The second one was harder to pull out. Ripping strips off the sheet he wrapped the deep wounds while trying not to look too closely at the damage.  

 

“KC?” Sun gently shook him again. Worried he placed one hand on the other’s chest, frowning at the slow but even breathing. Looking around he spotted the syringe on the nightstand. “KC…can you hear me? Try to wake up.” he lightly tapped the side of the other’s faceplate in an attempt to stir him from the drugged slumber. “You need to wake up. I wish I knew where the antidote was.” Likely in a locked cabinet somewhere. 

 

Worry formed a nebulous lump in the back of his mind. He couldn't hear much outside a few worrisome thumps and crashes that were muted by the thick walls. Sitting on the bed he began checking over the slender body for other wounds. The thick fresh bandages around his mid section added to his worry. 

 

 He tensed at the muted crash of shattering glass. “I hope you're okay, Eclipse. I don't know if I can do this without you.” 

 

Sitting on the edge of the bed he carefully forced his dislocated fingers back into their proper positions. It hurt but he was going to need both hands.

 

*******************************’’

Chapter 19: Sunrise

 

 

Sun picked up the silver bowl half full of dirty water and surgical tools that he hadn’t noticed earlier in his near panic and concern over KC, frowning at it. What had his former master been doing? He left the bowl on the floor in the washroom for now, to be taken care of later. After checking the shredded pile of cloth that had once been his pants (still laying on the floor) for the rag that had the pain pills in it and gently forced a few down the lunar predator's throat. 

 

He all but jumped out of his casing when the door opened and Solar staggered in. His clothing was torn, rays cracked and broken and his left arm hung limply. “What happened?” He felt stupid that were the first words out of his mouth, it was obvious what had happened. 

 

“We don’t have to worry about Lord Eclipse at the moment.” He staggered into the room and all but collapsed onto the chair. Every inch of his body ached or throbbed. 

 

Sun almost screamed at him out of reflex to get out of his masters chair. “He….he’s dead?”

 

Solar shook his head. “The bastard broke a window and ran out of it.” he closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything other than the endo deep ache. “He will be back but we’ll be ready for him.” 

 

Sun made an odd noise. “He’s still alive?” And alive meant that any moment his former master would come charging through the door, enraged.  

 

“Don’t worry about him. He’s pretty damaged and won’t pose a threat until he can get repairs which will buy us some time to get some defenses set up.” Solar motioned in the general direction of the door with his good arm. “I know someone who can help. Once I don’t feel like stomped shit I’ll call him.” 

 

Sun’s rays moved in a sine wave. Alive was bad but if Solar had chased him off then that was good. Better that the eclipse knew someone who could help them. 

 

Feeling a little disoriented, Solar closed his eyes again and leaned back. He had expected a fight but not one that involved being thrown into walls and pillars by the stronger animatronic. If the deep ache in the left side of his chest was anything to go by, he had several cracked if not broken rib struts.  

 ------------------------------------------

Sun made a face at the destroyed chandelier, the floor was covered in shattered glass that glittered in the dim light. He clenched his hands into fists as he fought the urge to find a broom and clean the mess. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself then opened them again. 

 

The mess remained. 

 

It was almost maddening. 

 

Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it. His grip on the bag of supplies and walked around the mess and back to the large private room. 

 

Solar was passed out in the chair, injured arm tucked against his chest. Sun paused to drape a blanket over his slumbing form before turning back to his friend. 

 

KC was still sleeping or so he thought. The moment he neared the bed and deep ugly sound filled his audios. His joints locked momentarily while panic clawed at the back of his mind. He didn’t need to look far to see a pair of unfocused crimson eyes watching his every move. He tried to speak but the words stuck in his voice box. 

 

“Y-your all right…h-he won’t ever hurt you a-again.” The growling didn’t abate. 

 

He should back off and let the other calm down but he needed to tend to KC’s wounds. The pain no doubt wasn’t helping the other’s mindset any. “I..I r-really need to t-take care of y-your injuries but I can’t d-do that if y-you won’t let me near you.” Another hissing growl full of ire and anger. 

 

 “I…I'm not g-going to hurt you. Y-you know me…” He could hear the uptick in the other’s breathing and see the tension in the powerful predatory frame. 

 

Sun sat the bag down on the floor, flinching at every hiss and growl. Stressed, in pain and not in a good mindset. Not a good mix. Maybe once he began to feel better KC would be less…aggressive. 

 

 “I..I’ll be right back.” Quickly he filled a cup with warm tea and crushed a few painkillers into it. Once he was certain the pills had dissolved he returned to the room and was greeted by a low hissing growl. “I know you m-must be thirsty.” Slowly he approached the bed, no matter how hard he tried he could not stop the slight tremors. Sensing that getting too close would result in him being mauled, he sat the cup on the nightstand well within reach of the lunar animatronic then backed up. Hopefully he would drink it and the mild dose of painkiller would calm him down. If not he’d be forced to sedate him just to tend to his wounds. 

 

Sun backed up and waited. 

 

The lunar animatronic remained tense, wide crimson eyes locked on him, showing zero interest in the cup.

 

Sun began to pace, growing more and more frustrated and concerned. Every time he got near the bed KC would growl at him and tense up more. 

 

Nearly an hour crept by and KC still hadn’t moved or showed interest in anything other than watching him. Sighing he reached into his pocket and pulled a syringe out. “I’m sorry.” The hissing growl increased in pitch and volume. The cold claws of fear wound tight around him as he approached the bed. “I need to t-treat your wounds properly but I c-can’t do it with you  t-trying to b-bite me.’ Or claw him. Taking hold of the closest leg he popped the cap off the syringe and gently pressed the needle into a fluid line. The limb jerked weakly but he kept a tight hold on it. 

 

“I’m not going to k-knock you out. I p-promise.” He depressed the plunger just enough to inject a small amount of the drug then pulled back. He put the cap back on the syringe and went back to pacing. Once the tension had drained from the larger animatronic did he approach the bed, picking up the large bag. The predatory bot hissed weakly at him. 

 

“It's alright. I know you don’t feel good and you hurt but I’m going to help you. I know you probably don’t believe me at the moment but I won't hold that against you.” Sun climbed onto the large bed and crawled across it to KC, dragging the bag along with him. 

 

He pushed the thick blanket down just enough to expose the thick layer of bandages. Carefully he removed them, grimacing at the amount of dried fluid that stained the underside. The incision was barely visible and well stapled. No doubt it hurt something fierce. 

 

Sun kicked himself for not getting something to clean the wounds but his thoughts had been clouded with worry. “I need to get some hot water so I can clean your wounds.” He slipped off the bed, depositing the soiled bandages in the trash before heading to the adjoining washroom. He didn't spend any time admiring the size or luxury of the room. Instead he focused on filling the largest bowl he could with hot water from the marble sink and grabbed several towels before returning to the main room and returning to his spot near the larger animatronic. After dipping a towel into the water he wrung it out and began cleaning the dried fluid off. The lunar animatronic flinched and hissed at him though he largely ignored the threat. 

 

“What the hell did he do to you?” What purpose did cutting KC open and rooting around in his entrails serve? Shaking his head, Sun focused on rewrapping the surgical wound. “I’ll try to get an IV set up so you can at least get some more nanites in you.” But there was a chance KC might attempt to tear the IV out in his current  mindset. 

 

Sun made a little noise at the sight of the other’s hands. The silicon was badly burned across his palms and fingers. “This might sting a bit but once it takes effect you’ll feel better.” He reached into the bag and removed a small jar of numbing cream. He opened it and dipped the corner of a towel to the pearl white cream and slathered it on the burns earning another hissing growl. 

 

“I know, it stings but it will stop in a bit.” Sun worked the thick substance into the burns. Once done he put the jar back and tossed the towel into the corner. While tempting to push the blanket down further and expose KC’s hips so he could clean off any dried fluids he decided against it. Instead he pulled the thick comforter back up and went to work on the severely damaged paws. 

 

 After nearly being kicked in the face no fewer than three times and being hissed at he managed to get to clean the deep wounds and bandage them. While he hadn’t done much he felt exhausted, physically and mentally. 

 

The faint light coming through the windows meant the sun was coming up. Normally he’d be running around doing all manner of simple but tedious tasks at the orders of his master but now….now he didn’t have to worry about that. While he still felt the drive to do those tasks in fear of being beaten, Sun knew that wouldn’t happen. 

 

With a sigh he settled down on the floor next to the very cranky lunar animatronic. “I hope by the time that sedative wears off you will be in a better mind set.

*****************

Chapter 20: What was left behind

 

 

“It's your rays.” 

 

Sun paused, screwdriver in hand, confused. 

 

“You have the same silhouette as that bastard and me.” Solar manipulated the damaged joint, grimacing at the sound of metal on metal. It was going to have to be a full replacement. “If you can retract them then do so and try to cover the top of your head with something. That might calm him down a bit.” 

 

Sun rocked on his heels, absorbing the information. That…that might work. “I can rip up an old sheet and use that.” 

 

“Do you know if there’s a workshop or anything abound here?” 

 

“I think there’s a lab or something behind the tapestry in the main hall. I don’t know what’s down there since it's forbidden for me to enter.”  Not that he wanted to find out what was down there. 

 

“I might be able to find some parts for my shoulder and something to make some casing for his fingers.” Solar motioned towards the slumbering mass on the bed. At least the lunar bot had calmed down enough to get some rest. 

 

“Where’s that little moon that came with you?” 

 

“I have no idea. Probably poking around somewhere.” He doubted there was anything dangerous since most of the castle seemed pretty empty. 

----------------------

Solar pushed the tapestry to the side, revealing a metal door.  What are the chances there is some horrible monster locked up down there?  He hesitated then pushed the door open. A gust of cold damp air rushed out of the dark passage. 

 

He walked down the stairs and into a large lab. Thick cables snaked across the floor, leading to a large dark cylinder in the middle of the room which he avoided, unwilling to look too closely at what might be in it. 

 

Monitors, keyboards and equipment that he could not identify line one wall. The other was covered in tools and parts.  He glanced at the cylinder then shivered. The place just needed a few Tesla coils and questionable stains on the walls and floor. 

 

Pulling out a chair he sat down and turned the nearest monitor on. No surprise there wasn’t a password prompt since no one but Eclipse ever entered the lab. Passing up the journal entries he focused on the lab notes, most of which contained the rantings of a mad man and made little sense. The more he read, the less sense of anything made until he came to the recent entries. Lots of mention of clones and failures and transferring Moon into one. Apparently no matter what kind of shell he made, either by magic or science, it was impossible to transfer the lunar bots' consciousness into one. Even when it was a mix of both the transfer failed. 

 

Sighing he leaned back. He knew the frustration all too well. Back when Sun had been alive it had been near impossible to transfer him, made all the more difficult by the fact Sun was in a coma. Apparently this Moon had been in one as well. 

 

Scrolling through more notes and messages he felt a chill travel down his spine. The more he read, the more his unease grew. The writing went from the ramblings of an unstable mind to that of one that saw clarity in the madness. Despite failure and after failure, it felt as if the mad king was closing in on something. 

 

The name Kill Code came up more than a few times followed by implant then implant successful.  

 

Slowly he turned to look at the dark cylinder then at the room. Not…conscious. It hadn’t been a simple transfer of memories and personality. It was something a lot more sinister and potentially life threatening for both victims. 

 

Leaping to his feet so quickly that the chair overturned he raced back up the stairs, batting the tapestry out of the way as he ran for the throne room. At some point he was certain he had broken the land speed record in his haste to reach the room. His coolant pump surged hard and the broken rib struts ached with each breath but he didn’t feel it over the surge of panic and worry. It shouldn’t even be possible but somehow, some way the lunatic had succeeded and it was too late to remove it or even attempt to do so without doing long term damage. 

 

He burst into the throne room, raced past the broken chandelier, glass crunching underfoot and rushed into the bedroom startling Sun who was wearing a ridiculous torn sheet around his head, upper rays retracted and a now very awake Kill Code whose response was to lunge at him, growling, sharp teeth exposed. Though he didn’t get too far due to how weak he was. 

 

Solar skidded to a stop a short distance from the bed while Sun tried to calm the lunar animatronic down while he panted harshly. 

 

“What happened!?” Sun pushed the growling stressed bot back down, placing himself between KC and the other bot.

 

“I found the lab. The sick fuck was working on something…something horrible. And it has to do with that surgical wound.” 

 

Sun looked at him as if he had grown a second head while KC continued to growl, clawed fingers digging into the bed looking like he wanted to tear him limb from limb. 

 

“You really are not going to like what I have to tell you.” 

Chapter 21: Madness

 

 

"That's…that's not….how?! That's not even possible!" Sun stared at Solar as if he had lost his goddamn mind. He certainly felt like he had lost his. 

 

"I only skimmed through the notes and entries but I know what I saw. The sick fuck somehow did it." Solar began pacing, his injured arm tucked against his chest. 

 

"It's not possible. ..at all…"Sun's voice rose in pitch at the sheer horror of what he had told. Besides him KC hissed and tensed, the dark instinct driven code frothing wildly. 

 

"I  saw the notes and the equipment. …he somehow. ..he did it." Solar felt the nausea surge as he began thinking about the implications. 

 

Sun stared, wide eyes at the other. He half expected him to start laughing and say it was a joke but no one was laughing. "Stop moving around so much. ..you might hurt yourself. .." Sun gently pushed down on the agitated bot, rubbing his back with his free hand in an attempt to soothe him. "You can't just…remove it."

 

Solar shook his head. "It's not that simple. It's too well," he struggled to think of the right word, "integrated. The removal would require proper surgical tools and we don't have those here. Even if I had access I doubt I could remove it." At least not without complications.

 

"Still, it can't be possible ...we can't get ...pregnant."

 

Solar sighed, head beginning to throb from the headache as he struggled to explain it. "His body is…more of a vessel. Using magic and technology I've never seen that sick bastard made what amounts to an artificial womb and," He sat down, lowering his head into his hand and rays pinned, ”he somehow managed to transfer his Moon’s consciousness, core and everything into that. There are probably specialized nanites…” The whole thing was giving him a massive headache. 

 

Sun sat back, letting everything sink in slowly. “What…do we do?” 

 

“Support him the best we can and hope for a good outcome.” Solar groaned though he wasn’t sure what they could do other than to support him and keep an eye on him.  

 

KC snarled and moved closer to Sun, code still frothing. The tremble in Sun’s voice and frame made something in his code squirm and not in a pleasant way. Logic clawed at the black seething mass of primal instincts as he tried to grasp at the words he could hear though very few made any sense in his current mindset. 

 

Protective, violent urges scraped their way through him, shredding apart his logic. Far as he was concerned the Eclipse that was sitting a short distance away was the same one that had tormented and tortured him and if he could get up he would fully indulge the dark hunger. 

 

“I…I need to get some things from my dimension. It shouldn't take too long but I don’t feel safe with leaving a lot of my tools and some other things alone too long given Moon’s foul mood as of late.” Solar slowly got to his feet, everything aching. “I'll get a hold of my friend while I'm at it.” 

 

Sun appeared to be in a state of shock while KC looked ready to tear his arms off.  

 

“I know it's a lot of information and even I’m having a hard time believing it but all we can do is keep an eye on him and tend to his wounds.” Solar vented a sigh, lightly rubbing his injured arm. “Anyway I’ll be back, I suggest you try to get him to calm down before he hurts himself. I’d try but he might attack me if I get any nearer.” He limped out the door, mind still reeling. 

 

To get his processor off what he had read on the computer he began making a list of things he’d need and where to set up a new workshop. There were plenty of rooms on the ground floor and beyond enough room for Mischief to do whatever he wanted. He really hadn’t been kidding when he said there were enough rooms to sleep in a different one every night. 

 

He stepped onto the library portal. 

 

The universe bent around metal and silicone and he was transported back to his home dimension.

------------------------------------

Yawning, Sun sat-up and stretched his tight limbs like a lethargic cat. The room was dark save faint warm light from a few small glass wall lamps.

Sighing heavily, Sun looked over to his companion. A faint smile tugging at the edges of his lips when he noticed that the lunar bot had fallen asleep at some point as well despite the stress. Encouraging him to swallow a few pain pills had been a chore in and of itself but patience had persevered. 

 

He ignored the faint discomfort from laying in an odd position in favor of getting out of bed and cleaning the glass in the other room up and attempting to find something for KC to eat. Something simple since all the stress will have made his stomach sensitive. 

 

Thank goodness he didn’t have to worry about being beaten for sleeping the day away and leaving even the basic cleaning undone. 

 

After grabbing a broom and dustpan from a supply closet and began to clean the annoying glass up. There was nothing he could do about the broken chandelier but he could at least get the glittering shards up. The sound of the brooms bristles scraping across the marble food was oddly soothing, a familiar sound. Even the soft tinkle of glass was calming. 

 

Once done he replaced the broom and dustpan and shuffled off to the small kitchen.  After spending several minutes scrutinizing the contents of the cabinets and fridge he settled on more tea and some rich bone broth. Humming softly he returned to the room, pushing the large door open with a foot and closing it the same way.  

 

Fat drops of rain splattered against the windows, filling the warm dim room with the sound of rain drumming against the windows. The weather was…odd. Unpredictable, one moment it was warm and sunny, within an hour massive black-blue storm clouds rolled in and unleashed powerful storms that could last for hours to days. 

 

A pair of crimson eyes fixed on him, clear and focused. 

 

 Kill Code’s complex AI had resurfaced now that his stress levels had dropped alone with his pain levels. The darkness waned allowing his full sentience to return. 

 

“Sun?” He rolled a bit more onto his side and pushed his forearms under him allowing him to lift his upper body off the bed, watching the solar bot. The moment caused the long tail of his hat to shift, the large bell on the end tinkling pleasantly. 

 

He paused, head tilting. “Oh, you're awake.” And he sounded a lot better. No growling, hissing or lunging. Sitting the tray on the nightstand he picked up the still warm cup he crawled onto the bed and made his way over to the other. “Are you still in pain?” 

 

“It's tolerable.” 

 

One of his rays twitched. While he preferred for KC to not be in any pain he was concerned about giving him too many painkillers. He shifted closer on his knees, noticing that the lunar bot had somehow freed himself from the manacles. “Can you use your hands?” While Sun was certain he could not, it didn’t hurt to give him some autonomy. 

 

“Not without a great deal of pain.” Just flexing his fingers or putting pressure on the palms of his hands. 

 

“I can hold it for you if you like.” 

 

“Given how useless my hands are at the moment,” He motioned the heavily bandaged hands with his head, “you will have to hold it for me.” There was no feeling of humiliation or shame that someone had to assist him when it came to caring to his wounds or feeding himself. He could barely flex his fingers so there was no way he could hold any object. 

 

Seeing that KC was unbothered by what could be considered potentially demeaning, Sun lifted the cup, light pressing it against the other’s lips. Almost immediately the lunar bot gulped the warm bitter fluid down, throat pipe bobbing with each swallow. Once the cup was empty Sun sat it down on the tray while a long grey tongue darted out to lick the traces of it from his lips.

 

“I’m glad to see you feel better.” And a lot less stressed looking though he couldn't help but to wonder how much of the conversation he remembered. 

 

“I feel better due to your care, thank you.” Kill Code shifted, taking some of the weight off the deep incision on his midsection. “Is it…true…that the made Eclipse…implanted something into me?” 

Sun shifted uncomfortably. “Y-yes.” 

 

“Something that…makes me the equivalent of being pregnant?” That felt very strange speaking out loud. The slow nod confirmed that he hadn't misheard. “That is concerning.” How would his dark protocols and wild predatory hunger handle the changes? It suffocated his logical side, making him disoriented and unable to react with anything other than instincts. 

 

“Solar said he might be able to…remove it.” 

 

 Kill Code grappled with the maelstrom of emotions and thoughts. “I do not wish to end an innocent life that had no say in what happens to it. I understand that there may be complications since our bodies are not designed for this.” There really wasn't much room in his midsection for something to grow. Maybe it would not grow by much though there was no doubt he would become very uncomfortable as it pressed against  his internal components. 

 

Instead of judging, Sun nodded in understanding and picked up the bowl the warmth seeping into his hands as he cradled it. Once KC had ingested what little he was comfortable with Sun picked the dishes up and took them back to the kitchen to be washed later. When he returned he found KC asleep again. Smiling he pulled the blanket over him and tucked him in while wondering what was taking Solar so long to return. 

 

Probably had a lot to move. 

 

Sun busied himself checking and rebinding wounds while reassuring himself that the nice Eclipse would be back soon.

 

Chapter 22: Decisions to be made

 

Daycare

 

“Hey byproduct!”

 

God Damn it. “Yeah Moon?”  He regretted not locking the damn door.  

 

“You're in his original body right?”

 

Solar resisted the urge to throw the first thing he could pick up and instead focused on putting the tools he would need into a bag. “More or less. It's a clone of the original.” 

 

“That'll work. I'm evicting you.” 

 

He turned towards the door, staring at the unhinged animatronic. “What?”

 

“I'm evicting you. I need the body.” 

 

He’s lost it. Completely lost it. “That won’t help Sunny. Nothing is going to help him now. Besides, I’m….I’m going to go. I’m tired of fixing every god damn thing and dealing with you. I’m the only one who repairs anything around here.” 

 

“Why do I care? I just need that body.” 

 

“Maybe you should care a tiny bit because I've been taking care of this place while you’ve done nothing but break things and throw things at me and be a raging asshole.” Solar sighed and placed the bag next to the small pile of bags and boxes. A small rainbow colored duffle bag sat on the top. 

 

“I've been trying to fix my brother who you broke…you’ve been in his room.” 

Solar stiffened, instinctively reaching for the heavy wrench that hung by his side. He knew that tone, the strained words of someone that was ten seconds away from snapping. Slowly he turned, one hand tightly gripping the wrench. “Sunny wouldn’t have minded. Besides, he's the only one that was ever nice to me.”  

 

“You.Went. Into his.Room.” Moon hissed, eyes narrowing and claws unsheathed. 

 

“Moon, back off. Sunny…..he’s been dead for two months. There is no neural activity at all.” Solar bit back the cold trickle of grief. 

 

“Stop lying. He’s alive. I just need to give him a new body.” Moon growled, stalking forward, furry shining in his eyes. 

 

“I’m not lying ,Moon. You need to accept the fact your brother is dead. There’s nothing either of us can do.” Acept maybe give him a decent place to rest where scrapers and fucking Fazbear couldn’t touch him. 

 

“Stop lying to me by product. He’s in a coma, he’ll wake up once I get him a body to transfer him into.” 

 

“There is nothing left to transfer, Moon!” Solar backed up a bit to give him some room to maneuver better. 

 

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Moon launched at him, movement uncoordinated and shaky. Having only one usable arm meant he had to wait until the crazed animatronic was close before swinging the heavy wrench. It connected with a dull clunk and Moon crumpled. 

 

“I really hate doing that. I keep thinking that I’m going to give you the equivalent brain damage.” Solar vented heavily, rib struts aching as he put the wrench back into the loop on his belt. “Maybe it will sink in once I leave because there’s nothing anyone can do for Sun. I really wish things could have been different.” He dragged the limp lunar bot out of the workshop and desposted him onto the floor then retreated back into the workshop. He took one last look around the cramped space then walked over to the runes he had written on the floor. 

 

" Sequor nidus. "

 

The dust and metal shavings that forever coated the dull grey floor shuffled and swirled as the portal formed. Sickly pale blue and white light formed a large swirling pool of color. “I’ll miss you Sunny. And fuck you Moon. Asshole.” he huffed and began tossing the bags and boxes into the portal to be transported to the castle. All but the duffle bag, that he picked up and cradled it against his chest before stepping onto the portal. The world dissolved into a nauseating swirl of color and sensations for a few seconds before clearing away to reveal the dimly lit castle walls. The portal faded away.  

 

He wasn’t too concerned about the unhinged bot using the portal. Tech was Moon’s strong suit, not magic. 

 

“Just need to set up shop now.”

 

He walked into the large dining hall that was just off the atrium. Like the rest of the fairy tale castle it was elaborate, all marble and carved wood and lit by glass lamps held by regal lion heads and large hanging chandeliers that shed a warm light.   

 

He sat the bag on the table, opened it and pulled out a small box that was covered in hand drawn rainbows, flowers and a sun. “You were the only one who cared, Sunny. Even before you were ripped away from me. You were always so nice…” He forced back a little whine but the tears began to trickle down the sides of his face. “You didn’t deserve the abuse Moon hurled at you. Neither of us deserved it.” But Sun simply took the abuse and pretended it didn’t bother him, played it off with his usual sunny nature. 

 

But he knew Sun was hurting deep down even if he didn’t admit it and tried hard to show it. 

 

Solar sank down into a chair, hands lightly gripping the box that Sun kept well hidden in his room knowing no one would ever guess the Star was in it. Hiding it in plain sight had been Sun’s idea and it had worked.

 

“Use it to fix him byproduct! Now!”

 

“I can’t. You know I can’t. I don’t even know how to use the damn thing, I don’t know what will happen if I attempt to use it! KC might-”

 

“Don’t you use that parasite's name!” 

 

“He is not a parasite! If anything, you are a parasite!” 

 

That had led to their first major fight, biting  and clawing and real damage done. After that they tended to stay away from each other. 

 

“I miss you Sunny.” Solar felt a massive weight that he had carried for months slowly slip away as the grief he had held in for so long bubbled to the surface and came out in the silence of the castle. 

--------------------------------------

Some hours later……….

 

“I suppose that’s enough of a pity party. I really need to get that workshop set up and I need to find a forge somewhere. Going to need to make something really small, small enough to swallow. Copper, titanium, titanium alloys, tungsten…” Solar paced making a mental list of metals that commonly comprised their bodies. No doubt Kill Code was going to need them and would eventually develop a craving for them. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of an apex predator eyeing him like a walking snack when the cravings kicked in. 

 

He’d probably have to sacrifice a few of his tools to the forge along with a few spare parts but it was better than having a bite taken out of him. 

 

--

 

Sun puttered around the room, searching through his former master’s wardrobe for something comfortable but all he turned up was completely ridiculous over the top clothing that, frankly, was pretty ugly as well as flamboyant. 

 

KC was looking better, semi sitting up with his damaged paws propped up on pillows. And not just any pillows, the former lords favorite pillows. 

 

A spark of inspiration hit. 

 

He would have never dared do something like this while Lord Eclipse was still among the living. Taking a few random things out of the closet he put them on, the baggy clothing hung off his frame not that it looked much better on his former master. 

 

Grinning he began to ape his former master's pompous attitude and walk, which much to his delight KC began to chuckle which turned into laughter. The bright mirthful sound that lifted the lingering worry and darkness off his mind. And it made him feel a lot better about not being able to do much to help with the pain. 

 

Sun only stopped when he noticed the signs of exhaustion in the still healing animatronic. He stripped off the silly clothing and rifled through the large dresser drawers until he found a midnight blue oversized sleeping shirt with small mother of pearl buttons. Perfect. 

 

He draped the article of clothing over one arm and made his way over to the bed where he helped KC slip into it. While it wasn’t long enough to cover his hips, it wasn’t as if KC was going to be up and walking any time soon. With nimble fingers he did up the buttons, something he had a lot of practice with since his former master thought it beneath him to do something as simple as button a shirt up. 

 

“You don’t need to fuss over me, Sun.” KC shivered faintly as the silky cool material brushed against his casing. 

 

“I don’t mind. Besides, you're injured and still healing.” Sun tucked the thick comforter underneath KC’s chest. “Once you’ve had a chance to rest I’ll get some hot water so I can bathe you.” 

 

“Thank you. I…hope you do not feel guilt for not being able to stop your former master from harming me. If you had tried, he would have hurt you.” His bright red eyes focused on the former slave, a strange feeling stirring in his chest, almost like a slight fluttering. It was something he had never felt before. 

 

Sun felt warmth rushing to his faceplate and he ducked his head, smiling. “I do feel bad for all the times I wanted to stop him but couldn't. I know he would have hurt me but if it meant he didn’t hurt you it would have been worth it.'' Before KC could say anything he darted off for the kitchen, stomach feeling like a thousand butterflies' were fluttering around inside. 

Sun paused just outside the throne room, face hurting from how hard he was smiling. I..oh fiddlesticks, I think I might be in love. Even if he doesn’t return it I don't care, as long as he will let me stay by his side. Humming softly he skipped off to the kitchen, feeling lighter than air for the first time in many, many years.

Chapter 23: Unfortunate News

 

 

Solar walked through the massive atrium, a sack of tiny metal spheres hanging off his belt. In another was the new casing for KC’s hands. Good thing Monty was a forge master and easily filled his requests at the cost of a few tools which was a small price to pay. And he wasn’t British. Thank God.  

 

“At least you won’t look at me or Sun like we are walking snacks now.” 

 

Walking towards the entrance he spotted a hunched form, midnight blue and white. “Moon?” 

 

“Eclipse? What the hell are you doing here?” 

 

“It's Solar now. I was about to call you. By the way, Lord Eclipse is gone. I chased him off.” 

 

 “Portal malfunction.” Moon stared at him for a long moment. “You have some explaining to do.” 

 

“You have no idea. Come on.” He motioned towards the large dining room. 

 

Once seated Solar vented harshly and leaned back in the large chair. Where to start. Might as well start from the beginning and proceed to dump a massive amount of information on the other. A lot of information. 

  “Let me get this straight….KC is…pregnant? How?” Moon lowered his head into his hands, a massive throbbing migraine. 

“The Mad King…he basically created a vessel of sorts and somehow, I’m still not sure how, transplanted his Moon into it and now there is a tiny bean growing inside of him.” Solar shrugged. “Most of his notes read like a mad scientist doing experiments which isn’t too far from what he was doing.” 

Moon rubbed his faceplate and groaned softly in a mixture of disgust and anger. “Sick bastard. How’s KC doing?”

“He’s awake and physically healing though he seems to be suppressing the memories at the moment.” Eclipsed vented again. “Sun is taking care of him.” 

 

“Good. So he’s keeping it?” 

 

“Yeah, looks like it.” 

 

“That is going to be one spoiled little nibbling.” Moon chuckled.

 

Solar smiled and chuckled. “Shame Lord Eclipse is gone and hiding away who knows where , we could have made him into a piñata.” 

 

“Pretty sure there won’t be candy coming out of it. Might be a disappointment.” 

 

“Could have stuffed him full of candy then strung him up, let KC get in a few good swings.” The mental image made Solar laugh. 

 

“Did you find his back ups?” 

 

That caught him off guard. “Back ups?” 

 

“I take that as a no. Our eclipse made a lot of back ups, this asshole was smart enough to have a backup copy of his dimension so he’d have a back up of himself.” 

 

Solar felt cold fear trickling down his spine. “I don’t know. We never thought that he might have another one. There are so many hidden passages and secret doors in this damn castle that it will be impossible for me to find them.” 

 

Moon lifted his head. “We should check the body, just to make sure. “ 

 

“Might as well.” Solar rose to his feet and led Moon to the hidden lab. “By the way, we need some defenses. You're really good at making things.” 

 

 “Yeah, I am good at that.”

------

Sun sat the large silver bowl of hot water on the nightstand along with a pile of rags and a few towels. As much as he didn’t want to interrupt KC’s much needed nap but it had been a few days since he had a bath or something approaching one. He made sure his upper rays were retracted and the makeshift bandana was in place. 

 

Reaching out he gently shook KC’s shoulder to wake him up. The lunar animatronic growled softly in mild irritation, yawning as he woke up. 

 

“Sun?” He rubbed the fog of sleep from his crimson eyes with the back of one hand. “My apologies, I did not intend to growl at you.” 

 

“It's alright. You were sleeping.” Sun shrugged it off, a little irritation was to be expected. 

 

“Still, being a little irritated at being woken is not grounds to growl at someone.” Unless that someone was Lord Eclipse. He sat up a bit more, allowing Sun to place a few large pillows behind his back so he could lean back on them. 

 

“How… Are you feeling ?" He changed the subject, dipping one of the soft rags into the hot water and wrung out the extra water. 

 

 “I am feeling somewhat better now that my thoughts were not clouded with pain, exhaustion and sedatives.” His paws and hands still hurt something fierce but he could tolerate it due to the lower dose of painkillers. 

 

“Good, I..was worried…that I couldn’t do enough to help with the pain.” Sun lightly rubbed the damp cloth down the slender stormy colored arm drawing a low sound of contentment from the larger animatronic. 

 

 “There is only so much you can do. Do not not feel guilty for that.” 

 

Still he felt guilty for not doing something faster even if it meant a beating. “It's hard not to.” He lifted the silk nightshirt so he could drag the warm damp cloth over the other’s chest and upper abdomen, movements slow and gentle. Much to his surprise a low rumble akin to a purr stirred inside the broad chest. 

 

Smiling Sun  continued to bathe the taller animatronic, falling into a comfortable rhythm. it was clear that KC was enjoying it too, he was relaxed and expression serene. He trailed the warm cloth over the curve of his hips. "I need to check to make sure he didn't tear you." he hesitated, not wanting to continue without KC's permission.

 

He could see the hesitation on KC’s face though he didn’t blame the other. He had just been through something traumatic. After a moment he nodded and leaned back against the pile of pillows. 

 

Sun pushed the thick comforter up just enough for him to get a good look at the damage that had been done. He tried to keep the grimace away as he picked up a clean rag and gently cleaned the dried reminder of the violation away. There was no missing the flinch and the way KC tensed up. “Sorry.” he muttered, trying to be as careful as possible to clean away the mess. 

 

“It's…alright.” The response was quiet, strained. 

 

If he got a foot to the faceplate he wouldn’t be surprised. Once done he pulled a small jar of pearl colored cream out of the bag.  “Here, this will help with the pain. This might feel… uncomfortable.” Sun unscrewed the jar, slender fingers scooping out the thick gooey substance. He tries not to pay much attention to the instinctual flinch as he reaches between the other’s legs. Gently he presses his slick fingers against the sore silicon, working the thick cold substance in. As much as he disliked causing the other pain he would have to inflict discomfort on him to help him heal. 

 

KC bit down on his lower lip, wincing at the dull sting. He tensed when one finger slipped in, smearing the substance inside, muting his vocalizer to silence the whimper as he tried not to pull away. Sun wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. 

 

Once done Sun pulled back and wiped his fingers off on a rag then pulled the comforter down. “That should help with the pain.” 

 

“I…Thank you.” The tension began to melt away and the dark memories remained buried. He tensed again when Sun burrowed against his side then relaxed again, allowing the solar bot to curl up against him. The closeness and warmth was comforting and a nice distraction from the lingering darkness. Carefully he rested his arm over the slender form, lightly stroking Sun’s back while he listened to the muffled sound of the wind through the trees outside as another storm was gearing up.

 

Chapter 24: Cat In Tree

 

 

(because Sillkie wanted to see KC stuck in a tree. Time skip of two weeks give or take) 

 

Out of all the odd places he had ever heard of someone getting stuck, a tree was the oddest. In fact he was certain KC wasn’t even stuck and could get down just fine but one look at the pleading expression on the lunar bot’s face looking down from the branch he was perched on Sun realized that he was truly stuck. 

 

Maybe his still healing paws hurt too much for him to make his way back down. Probably should have waited another week at least before doing much other than making short trips around the room but KC had grown restless and the moment he had healed enough, he was climbing up trees. A task made easier by the new casing that covered his hands and fingers. 

 

Now the problem was how to get him down. The lunar bot weighed too much for him to carry much less help down. 

 

Sun circled the tree looking for a way to help the other down then he noticed something splattered on the pale bark. Another splash of dark fluid was slightly higher up. Then another and another. KC must have accidentally torn one of the still healing wounds open while climbing up the tree though he couldn’t see which paw it was. 

 

Maybe if he propped something up against the tree that was long enough KC might be able to get down that way. 

 

With that in mind Sun searched the area but found nothing useful, rotting logs that he couldn’t lift or branches that were too thin to hold up his weight. “I’ll be right back with something that you can climb down.” Sun reluctantly rushed off, mind racing. It wasn’t like there were ladders in the castle.  

 

Maybe he could find a pole of some sort that was long enough to lean against the tree. But he couldn’t recall seeing any of those laying around either. 

 

He tugged at his rays while looking for something, anything but the castle only had heavy ornate furniture. Maybe if he checked the green house for something to cut down a large enough sapling or something though he doubted there would be anything in the broken overgrown building other than dead plants.   

 

Sighing he retrieved the makeshift first aid kit then returned to the tree. Now how the hell was he going to climb the tree? KC was pretty high up in the canopy.  

 

He made a feeble jump for the lowest branch and missed. The second time he managed to catch it and legs kicking in the air, managed to hoist himself up onto it. Looking up he searched out for the next branch and clambered onto it with all the grace of a toddler attempting to climb a tree. Maybe he should have dragged Eclipse out of his workshop and gotten him to help.  

 

KC slowly climbed down from his lofty perch, one hand tucked against his chest, paws aching but the desire to get up someplace high was very difficult to resist. It was part of his being. The more logical part of him knew he should have waited for his body to heal more but after nearly two weeks laying in bed he just couldn't take it any more. 

 

“My apologies Sun. I did not intend to get…stuck.” 

 

“I know. You’ve been stuck inside with little to do and nothing to burn off all that energy.” Sun carefully wriggled around the thick branches to get closer. “You probably accidently tore one of your wounds open .”  

 

“It's likely.  I was in a hurry to get up the tree and wasn’t paying attention.” KC dropped his head a bit and moved to sit down on the thick branch next to Sun and lifted his damaged foot. The once white bandage was soaked through. Sun grimaced at the mess and carefully unwrapped the paw, mindful of the wincing and flinching. 

 

Sun discarded the soiled bandage and placed the appendage in his lap so he could better examine it. The burns were healed except the deeper ones but the ragged wound where the nail had been was indeed torn open. That would set the healing back a bit but the damage wasn’t so bad that he wouldn't be able to put weight on the paw but climbing trees would be out of the question for a while. 

 

“We just need to figure out how to get you down.” A feat that was going to be easier said than done. 

 

“I am certain I can find a way down.” But with an injured paw was going to make it difficult. It was too far of a drop to simply jump out of the tree with his injuries. Perhaps if he shimmied down the tree? 

 

Sinking his claws into the thin white back and began slowly making his way down like a giant inchworm. His instincts flared wanting to head back up the tree where he felt safer and he could spot prey with ease. Not that there wasn’t a shortage of that, lots of creatures that resembled large deer with white branch-like antlers and large peacock-like birds with brilliant frost white feathers. If he could get close enough he could easily catch one of the males, their impressive tail feathers meant they couldn’t fly well. 

 

Slowly he managed to inch down the tree, hissing when his feet touched the ground. He reached up and helped Sun down, hands settling on the other’s hips and guiding him out of the tree. 

 

Sun felt his faceplate rapidly heating up when he felt the large hands on his hips and he fought not to squeak. “T-thank.y-you.” it came out as a pathetic squeak that made his faceplate heat up more. 

 

KC smiled and chuckled deep in his chest then reluctantly let go. “I supposed I should avoid climbing trees for a while.” 

 

Sun nodded. “At least until you heal.” And began walking back towards the castle, flocks of tiny birds that looked like living jewels fluttered around the trees.  

 

Like a moth drawn to the flame he walked towards a small clearing filled to the brim with flowers. It was dazzling , pink, purple, red and yellow and every color in between. Small winged insects that were just as colorful fluttered from flower to flower. 

 

“You’ve never seen flowers before?” 

 

“Not real ones.” 

 

KC felt something tighten in his chest. “That is unfortunate.” he sat down amidst the field of flowers while Sun wandered around, picking random blossoms. “You will no longer be trapped in the castle and come here anytime you want.”

 

Sun paused in his picking, faceplate heating again. “I don’t want to be too far from you in case you need something.” 

 

“While I appreciate that I am not an invalid. I am capable of walking.” He picked a few of the longer stemmed flowers and began weaving them together. 

 

“I guess it's just a habit, wanting to serve someone.” Sun shrugged. 

 

“Find a new purpose. Your former master is no longer around to abuse and use you like a tool.” KC continued to weave the stems together. 

 

“I don’t know what to do.” He had no hobbies to speak of. Not that he would have been allowed to have any. He fiddled with the small bundle flowers. 

 

“You mentioned earlier that you liked to cook. Perhaps you could do that more often.” His slender fingers braided the thick tough stems into a circle, creating a flower crown. Then he placed it on Sun’s head when the solar bot sat next to him. 

 

Sun blinked a few times then lifted one hand to lightly touch the thing that had been put on his head. A broad smile formed on his face and he scooted closer, leaning against the taller bot’s side.

 

Chapter 25: Getting Stronger

 

 

Sun  pushed silken midnight blue pants leg up a bit, frowning at the terrible wound that appeared to have gotten worse due KC putting near constant pressure on it. Every time the nanites began knitting the artificial flesh together the wound would be torn open. At least the phalanges had been repaired by the nanites. Picking up the curved needle he began to carefully suture the deep wide wound. 

 

Despite what must have been very painful KC barely made a noise, toes flexing with each pass of the needle. Not for the first time he wished he had that kind of pain tolerance though his former master would have become more creative in his abuse. 

 

Pushing the old memories away he focused on the task at hand, closing the large circular wounds. It took a bit of force to get the needle to pass through the tough flesh. Getting to the underside of the paw proved to be a bit difficult since KC had to spread his toes so he could access the injury, the movement drawing a low hiss from his voice box. 

 

“Sorry.” As quickly and carefully as he could, he patched the wound up then placed a thick pad of gauze against the bottom of his paw then wrapped it up. He repeated the process with the other foot. Once done he put the needles and thread up then returned to KC’s side.  

 

The lunar bot was laying on his back, propped up by pillows, engrossed in an old leather bound tome full of strange symbols and words he didn’t understand. Magic was something he had a hard time grasping. 

 

KC chuckled softly at Sun’s mild confusion and closed the book, gently setting it on the nightstand. “Thank you.” He sat up more then slipped off the bed, wincing the moment he placed his paws on the floor. Pulling in a shallow breath he rose to his feet, the pain was tolerable and as long as he was careful he shouldn’t have to worry about accidentally tearing the wounds open. 

 

“I do believe you mentioned something about the kitchen earlier. Cooking is something…I’ve done little of…it would be beneficial for me to learn.” KC decided it was best not to mention much of the meat he devoured in the past had been raw due to him being shackled by his instinctual side. It had taken a great deal of effort to tame that side of him. 

 

Sun felt the heat once again rushing to his faceplate. Cooking was one of the few things he truly enjoyed even if his former waster was an utter butt about it. He swallowed hard and nodded. “The kitchen is a little small but it's well stocked and I can find something for you to sit on so you can get off your feet for a while.” It came out in a rush and he felt another flush of heat traveling across his faceplate. 

 

“Since you know the way to the kitchen…” KC made a leading motion with his hand, patiently waiting. 

 

Sun tried not to squeak at the warm pleasant smile or brilliant crimson optics. Every time his former master looked at him all he felt was fear or dread anticipation. Shaking himself out of the warm haze he nodded and led the way to the small kitchen, stopping to grab a stool for KC to sit on.  

 

He placed the stool near the worn counter then darted to the fridge. If the lunar bot knew he was flustered he showed no indication of it and he wasn’t certain if he should be grateful for that or not. Stews were the simplest thing he knew so he gathered arm loads of ingredients from the fridge , lots of veggies and some pre cut meat though he held the paper wrapped package with the tips of his fingers. 

 

“It's pretty easy to make stews.” A bit awkwardly he placed the ingredients on the counter. “Really simple, like cut the ingredients up into small bits and toss everything into a pot and let it cook.” 

 

“Seems simple enough.” KC picked up a large green pepper and unsheathed his claws, using the curved weapons to easily cut the pepper into small pieces, the spicy smell made his stomach rumble. Out of curiosity he pierced one of the peppers then took a tentative bite out of it. The pleasant crunch mixed  the tang and faint burn made him shiver in delight. The rest of the pepper vanished into his mouth. So did the rest of the peppers. 

 

Sun looked over, a bit surprised. He had never seen anyone eat whole green peppers before. In fact Lord Eclipse despised anything spicy and would go out of his way to ensure it never touched his food. 

 

KC smiled sheepishly. “My apologies…I did not think they would taste so good.” 

 

Sun smiled back. “It's alright. That just means you like spicy things.” He pulled out a few more peppers from the fridge and gave them to KC who happily devoured them while he began cutting up some of the carrots and potatoes. He eyed the paper wrapped meat, feeling queasy. There was something about the texture that made the casing crawl right off his endo. That was on top of it being a dead animal. He pushed the dreaded thing towards KC who was sampling the assorted vegetables while cutting them up. “Would you mind cutting that up too while I start putting things into the pot?” 

 

KC nodded, a half eaten carrot sticking out of his mouth. He unwrapped the package while Sun busied himself with dumping the already cut veggies into the waiting cast iron pot. He made short work of the paper with his claws, the rich copper scent of blood and raw meat tickled his primal code and made his mouth water. While tempting to eat the glistening flesh he held back. Indulging the instinctual side only made it stronger to the point it would seize control and drive him to hunt. Something he could not accomplish very well at the moment due to his still healing wounds. 

 

Maybe once he had healed enough….

 

Using his claws he sliced the cold unyielding meat into small pieces before handing it off to Sun who gingerly took the edges of the paper and dumped it into the pot. “You do not like meat?” 

 

Sun shook his head. “I don’t like the texture of raw meat. It's…gross. Makes me feel yucky.” 

 

“That is understandable. I do not partially care for the texture of cold meat.” Warm fresh meat however, he loved the taste and texture of it. The sensation of blood running down his throat. 

 

Sun relaxed once he realized there was no judgment coming. He leaned against the counter, watching KC pick through the left over bits of veggies and eating his favorites. It still amazed him that one of his kind could become pregnant. The lunar bot was still pretty slender with only a slight curve showing on his midsection. Soon enough he wouldn’t be able to fit any pants comfortably. He was pretty good at sewing so adjusting KC’s pants so they would be comfortable as the little one grew wouldn’t be hard. 

 

He felt at ease being in a small kitchen with a predator that could easily end him. “Does it hurt?” 

 

KC paused, head tilting, curious and a tad bit confused. “Does that hurt?” 

 

“Your midsection.” Sun recalled how KC used to hiss and flinch at the lightest touch to that area. 

 

“No. It hasn’t bothered me in some time though I have a feeling that will change as the little one grows.” He slipped one hand underneath his shirt, fingers lightly caressing the warm casing. 

 

Sun pushed off the counter and walked over to the lunar bot, fingers fiddling with the sleeves of his suit. Hesitantly he lifted one hand to place his palm against the stormy casing. To his surprise a large counter shaded hand gently wrapped around his wrist and guided his hand to rest against the slight curve. 

 

Sun melted against the other, expression serene, fingers lightly tracing over warm silken shirt while imaging what the little one would look like. Neither of them moved, enjoying the closeness, the simple comfort, everything else forgotten about. 

 

Chapter 26: Devoted To You

 

 

 

Sun led a very groggy and very full KC back to the bedroom, letting the larger animatronic lean on him. He had honestly never seen anyone eat so much and hold it all down. Then again he had never seen a pregnant bot before either. 

 

“Come on, almost there.” He kept one arm encircled around the taller animatronics' waist to keep him steady while pushing the large doors open, guiding him through then closing the doors with his foot. Stumbling a bit he managed to get KC to the bed. There was no missing the look of relief on his face was hard to miss the moment the weight was taken off his still healing paws. Sun helped maneuver the long legs onto the bed before retrieving a large bowl of hot water, clean rags and clean clothing draped over one arm. 

 

He sat the bowl on the nightstand  then helped KC sit up, piling the pillows behind him then began helping him out of the shirt. The pants were next, the silky material gilded off the smooth casing leaving him bare. He placed the clothing into the chair then returned to KC’s side. A pair of heavily lidded crimson eyes watched him from the mass of pillows and blankets. 

 

His coolant pump fluttered at the sight. Picking up a damp rag he began rubbing it over the nearest arm, pausing when he heard an odd noise. It took a few seconds for him to realize what the sound was, a deep rumbling purr he felt more than heard. It was a sound of contentment. 

 

Sun could feel the heat rushing into his faceplate. He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the task at hand but his mind kept slipping, especially when he rubbed the warm damp rag over the curve of KC’s hip. There was no missing the slight twitch of the storm gray tentacle like cock when he got a little too close by accident. It was small-well small compared to the python that his former master had- and his fingers twitched, wanting to touch it and stroke it but he didn’t dare to. 

 

Sensing KC might not react well so he resisted the urge and continued to clean the slender limbs. While he was getting a clean rag KC rolled onto his side then stretched out like a cat before curling a bit, groggy and floating in a warm comfortable haze. 

 

Sun chuckled softly and continued to drag the rag over the warm casing until something warm and soft wrapped around his wrist when he made to pull back. Blinking he stared at the object that trapped his wrist in disbelief. 

 

“Ummmm….KC…” with his free hand he gently uncurled the tentacle, shivering at the loss of the warmth. He doubted KC meant to do that but damn it had been soft and surprisingly strong. He suspected if KC had been fully awake he would not have gotten free. 

 

Placing the rag into the bowl he tugged the thick warm blankets over the sleepy lunar bot and tucked him in. “Rest. You need it.” He didn't get far before a hand wrapped around his wrist and lightly tugged him onto the bed. Sun didn't resist the silent request. Smiling he lay on the bed, curling against the larger animatronic, one hand resting against the stormy chest, listening to the low rumble. 

 

KC's slender fingers kneaded the soft blankets, the claws lightly prickling the cloth. 

-----------------------------

 

The teleporter in the library shimmered, the runes glowed and mystic energies swirled. A moment later Mischief stepped out of it with his Sun and Moon in tow. The moment they stepped into the cavernous library Sun flattened himself into a half crouch, half crawl, rays retracting. He forced his gaze downwards, to the smooth surface of the floor and nowhere else. His face nearly touched the ground in his effort to not see the massive room. He reached one hand out in Mischief's general direction, making a come here gesture.

 

Moon on the other hand, ran off almost immediately. In an instant he clambered up a wall and vanished into the shadows.

 

“It's alright. I know it's scary an’ big and all but there’s nothing here that can hurt us. Not any more.” The mad king had been dethroned and the caste was now a giant playground.

 

He lightly took Sun’s hand and tried to pull him to his feet but the solar bot refused, preferring to crawl with one arm at an awkward angle instead of standing. Sun acted the same way back home or rather what was left of it, he immensely disliked leaving or being forced to leave the daycare, becoming nervous and fidgety. “This is our new home now.” 

 

Once all the hideous Eclipse flavored décor had been ripped down it would look a lot better. 

 

Sun didn’t relax in the slightest. 

 

Wasn’t it unbearably cruel to have taken him so far from where he was comfortable? Maybe but he couldn’t leave Sun in what remained of the daycare. If he didn’t get hurt due to the place being used as storage then the human staff would have decommissioned him. He was certain Sun would adjust eventually, 

 

He led Sun to the room he had claimed as his own, Sun still didn’t relax in the slightest. 

 

Mischief looked around the room, it looked nothing like the daycare but he hadn’t had a chance to paint the walls or anything. Reluctantly he released Sun’s hand and began pulling the colorful blankets off the bed and scooting the sole chair around until it was in the right spot. It took a few moments to rig up a makeshift blanket fort. It was on the small side but it would do for now. 

 

“Come on. You don’t need to be scared here.” He smiled weakly and tugged on Sun’s arm until the solar bot inched forward, still hunched up. “Blanket fort, you’ll be safe here.” He held up the edge of the blanket until Sun crawled inside and curled up and began rocking. “You’ll be safe here, I promise. Moony is somewhere, probably exploring” He pulled another blanket off the bed and draped it around Sun. 

 

You promise? He signed. 

 

Mischief nodded. “I promise. There’s nothing that can hurt you or Moony here. It's really big and there’s a lot of places to explore and there’s a really big garden too.” He held his arms up really wide. “KC is really protective and won’t allow anyone to hurt you.” 

 

Safe?

 

“Very.” Mischief smiled and sat down next to Sun. “We can do whatever we want here. There’s a library but it's full of these old books that I can’t understand. Hang on a sec.” He rose to his feet and rummaged around the small stack of seemingly random objects until he found a rough woven basket. With it in hand he returned to the blanket fort and set it down beside Sun. “I kinda raided the kitchen before searching for you since I knew you had to be hungry.” 

 

Sun examined the brightly colored assortment of berries before picking one at random and eating it, barely chewing it. The strange sticky sweet taste flooded his mouth. It was like candy but not as sweet. It didn’t take long for him to finish off the berries, going from hesitant to gobbling them down as fast as he could, licking the juices off his fingers while Mischief continued to babble about the castle and its fairytale grounds.  

 

It felt safe…comfortable. Like home. 

 

*********

 

Solar vented a harsh sigh. As it turned out searching for hidden passages wasn’t as easy as they thought. Things that looked hidden doors weren't, no amount of tugging on wall scones opened any doors. No hidden key pads.

 

He flopped into a chair at the large table, shoulder throbbing. “I fucking give up.”

 

“Trouble?” Mischief watched from his spot on the table where he was disassembling something. 

 

“Yeah. We can't find any of the bastards bolt holes.”

 

“Moony can find it.” Mischief whistled. A moment later a blur of blue and white scattered across the floor and leapt onto the table, crouching like a cat. 

 

Startled Solar almost fell out of his chair. “The fuck!”

 

“He's good at finding hidden stuff.”

 

 

Solar had admittedly done some weird things before but walking a version of Moon on a leash was the strangest thing he’d ever done. Stranger yet was the feral attendant crawling along the ceiling, pressed against the stone like a bizarre eldritch being. Every once in a while the former lunar attendant would chuckle darkly at random. 

 

“Think this will work?” Moon asked. 

 

“I have no idea, it's a long shot but Mischief claims his moon can find the bastards hiding spot.” It was a long shot but if this hair brained idea worked-the leash suddenly tensed then he was yanked off his feet and dragged down the hall at a brisk pace. He struggled to get his feet underneath him so he would be dragged down the hall or slammed into something. 

 

He could hear Moon’s rapid footsteps a short distance behind. 

 

The feral Moon turned a corner and darted out a door into a courtyard. Creeping around the ground, going in circles before pulling Solar towards what looked like a stone wall. He pushed against it causing the door to swing open. 

 

Solar peeled himself off the floor just in time to see the feral one vanish behind a tapestry. “Looks like we found a rat hole.”  He pushed the hideous thing aside and stepped into the dark set of stairs leading down. 

 

“Good, let's kill the damn back up and make sure there are no others.” Moon grumbled. Hopefully this Eclipse didn’t have a hundred plus back ups scattered around though he was certain their dumb ass had made so many solely to piss him off. 

 

Solar let go of the leash so he wouldn’t be dragged down the stairs while the feral Moon continued to scuttle along the ceiling or wall. Cautiously he made his way down the stairs. “Must have doubled around after jumping out the window.”

 

The preverbal hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, it felt like they were walking right into a trap given the confined quarters but the odds were in their favor since there were three of them and only one bastard. 

 

Taking one of the large wrenches off his tool belt, Solar pressed his back against the cold damp wall and began creeping towards the faint blue glow emitting from the gloom at the bottom of the stairs. The only sound was the faint jingle of bells and occasional dark chuckle from the feral Moon. Slowly they inched closer to the bottom, his grip on the wrench tightening to the point his joints creaked. 

 

He peered into the dimness of the room and froze, eyes widening. Beside him he could hear Moon’s quiet holy shit. 

 

 

Chapter 27: A Dark and Dangerous Place

 

Lord Eclipse spun to face the intruders that dared enter his workspace when something landed on him, all limbs and claws and teeth. It clung to him like an enraged monkey while its claws managed to find every gap in his casing. “Get off of me you wretched thing!” Wildly he clawed at the thing but it held on with the tenacity of a tick. 

 

Unable to see he stumbled around, banning into tables, screens and objects. Muted cries of pain mixed with the crackle of electricity filled the air when he intently hit something on a keyboard. Warnings flashed on his HUD as he struggled with the thing. 

 

“Get off of me you wretched thing!” 

 

Of course it did no such thing. Instead it bit down on the side of his head, snapping a ray off at its base. Those had been custom made! Snarling he blindly reached around for something, anything to beset the thing with. His hand frantically closed on random items, all too light to be used as a bludgeon. 

 

Anger seethed. Magic, long disused and weak, sparked along his circuits like a live wire. Flames danced along his fingers searing casing and wires. The creature hissed and released him, scuttling across the room. 

 

Rage boiled like toxic oil and spread through his circuits and systems. It wasn’t hard to find the one responsible. The feral lunar attendants simply tilted its head back and grinned at him while clinging to the wall like a lizard. 

 

He picked up  the nearest chair and flung it across the room with every ounce of strength he had. The feral Moon cackled and easily dodged the large projectile by climbing up the wall as the chair shattered against the stone. Enraged he tossed another chair missing the fast moving feral attendant. “You obnoxious little goblin! I’m going to skin  you alive!”Foul creature. What could have happened to damage a once brilliant mind and reduce him to a feral state?  

No matter, this wasn’t his Moon and never would be, it was nothing more than a pest and the best way to deal with a pest was to kill it. And he wasn’t going to be gentle about it. Rising his hands he sneered as the air around the feral one shimmered with heat, tiny sparks danced around it like  bright fireflies for a split second before it was engulfed in ethereal white and yellow flames. The pained screech was music to his audios. 

 

Panicked, it let go of the wall and slammed into the floor, frantically rolling around in an attempt to put the magic flames out. The rank stench of charred metal and burning plastic filled the air while a screaming fireball writhed around the floor. Not willing to set the rest of the workspace on fire he waved a hand, extinguishing the flames. 

 

“Did you really think that you could get away with attacking me!? That I would not retaliate?! You are a fool.” Lord Eclipse reached down and lightly turned Moon’s head towards him, noting with a smirk that the once brilliant red eyes were pale white. “You could have been a good tool but now, you are useless. A blind tool was a broken one.” He lightly prodded its side drawing a low whine of pain from it. Using his foot he pushed it onto its back. Almost all of its casing was badly charred or burned, the casing on its hands had shattered from the heat. Kneeling he examined the ruined remains of its faceplate. The right side was largely undamaged other than some light scorching but the left side was in utter ruin.

 

He looked down at the horribly burned attendant then walked away to pick up another chair and fling it at the wall. The heavy wood shattered into splinters.

 

“This is my castle! My domain!” A table went flying across the room to suffer the same fate as the chairs.  Enraged he began to pace back and forth across the room, seething. He was losing control little by little. No matter how hard he tried, everything was slowly slipping away.  

 

 Eclipse screamed, terror cutting through the rage in his voice. Reaching up he yanked on his remaining rays uncaring of the pain.

 

The horrible ragged wheezing but through the haze of anger like a knife. He spun to face the feral Moon. “Shut up!” Almost as if to spite him the noise grew worse, grating against his audios like nails against a chalkboard. 

 

Snarling he stormed over to it, barely noticing the look of fear on its face as it weakly tried to crawl away. Something dangerous flickered behind Lord Eclipse's eyes. He knelt , pressing a knee on its chest and slowly applying pressure while the feral feebly clawed at him. The soft crack of rib struts and crunch of casing did nothing to soothe the burning embers of his rage. If anything it made him want to inflict more harm on the intruder as the feral Moon struggled. “Not so high and mighty now are you? Not so defiant.” Its slender body writhed against the floor. “No one is coming to save you. They are only interested in saving themselves, not a pathetic animal,” He spat the word out, “ like you.” 

  Once all movement stopped he rose to his feet and looked down at the limp form with a mixture of disgust and anger. Maybe there was something he could use it for. Grabbing one of its wrists he slowly began dragging it across the floor  leaving a trail of ash and oil splatters.  Once he had it secured he turned to the other intruders who were on the floor at the base of the stairs, their limbs twitching from the overload of electricity. “Guess that trap worked after all.” 

“Now what to do with you two?” 

---------------

Sun froze in place, eyes wide and rays retracting. Tremors passed through his slender frame as his mind raced as a familiar chuckle filled his audios. 

“How nice of you to finally come out of my room, slave. I was growing tired of waiting.” Lord Eclipse sat the teacup down on the table and turned the chair slightly so he could look at his servant.  “You were so loyal once. Such a shame. I suppose I will have to remind you of your place.” 

 

“Why are you here?” Sun growled, shaking off the fear he pinned his rays back,shoulders tense. 

 

“This is my domain and my castle. I have every right to be here.” 

 

“You don’t own anything here.” 

 

Lord Eclipse stood up abruptly, cap swirling around his legs. “I disagree.” 

 

Sun stood taller then rattled his rays. The flinch and step back helped bolster his courage. “You are a coward and bully.” 

 

Anger seared across his circuits. He stormed towards his servant who did so much as flinch. No pleading, no begging. Instead his servant glared at him. The defiance scared him though he’d never admit it. It had taken years to turn the firefly sun into a sniveling cowering thing and in the space of a few months he had regained the fiery spirit. Then again, maybe he had never broken the other. The sun may have been pretending, giving him what he wanted to see. They did come from the theater after all and some of that programming was still present. 

 

“You are a slave. A servant. You are nothing.” He gripped the servant's shirt only to have his hands rudely slapped away. 

 

“I am not a slave. I chose to not be one. I am a hunter, caretaker, weaver, grower of things but I am not a salve!” Sun roared at his former master, taking grim satisfaction in the way the eclipse's expression shifted to one of fear and panic. He turned only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He slapped the hand away. 

 

Eclipse forced a smirk. "It appears I'll have to teach you your place, again."

Sun's eyes narrowed slightly. “What are you going to do? Hit me? Break something? There’s nothing you can do to me that will ever make me your slave.” 

 

Something inside snapped like an overstretched rubber band. Surging forward he tackled the smaller bot and pinned him to the floor. Defiance met his rage. “You are mine!” pinning the sun’s arms to his side he grabbed his servant up, ignoring the hissing and furious kicking as he carried Sun to his small workshop. “I don’t need a collar to make you as mine.” he slammed Sun onto the table hard enough to stun him. Quickly he pulled straps over the slender arms and torso but couldn't get any over the still kicking legs. No matter. 

 

“I will take back everything that is mine.” he placed a brand into a small every burning brazier. “I never thought I’d use one of these on my servant. I usually only use these on experiments.” 

 

Sun hissed and struggled, tugging on the straps. Fear gnawed at the back of his mind though the phantom adrenaline and anger kept it bay. 

 

While waiting for the metal to heat up he ripped the shirt away from his servant's chest exposing the yellow and tan casing. In response Sun curled his lower body and delivered a kick right to his face sending him staggering back. Snarling he backhands his servant which does nothing but earn him a glare. “You’ve become more like a beast than a servant.” 

 

Once the metal was heated to a cherry red he plucked the brand from the fire. “This is one mark you will not be able to erase easily.”  The stylized eclipse symbol would make sure everyone knew who owned him. 

 

Sun refused to beg despite the creeping fear. Casing could be replaced. His strength wavered when the heated metal was pressed against his chest, the stench of scorched metal and melting silicon filled the air. A scream of agony was ripped from his vocalizer. 

 

Lord Eclipse stepped back to admire his handy work. A little sloppy but that couldn't be helped since his servant was squirming around so much. “Now you will always have a little reminder of how you belong to.” he undid the straps and pushed his barely conscious slave off the table. Sun collapsed into a heap of limp limbs, eyes closed, panting harshly. 

 

Now what to do about the beast? Pain only made him very angry so the usual punishment wouldn't work. “What to do. Beatings don’t work, starving doesn't work, threatening you doesn’t work.” This one was a tough nut to crack. “ I could beat you but we know that won’t work.” 

 

Grabbing his slave by the back of the shirt he began half dragging, half carrying Sun up the stairs. 

 

 

Chapter 28: The Foundations are Crumbling

 

“Nnmmmm my head…. Solar?” Moon lifted his aching head, the room swam in a sickening manner forcing him to close his eyes. After a few moments he opened them again. The room was blurry and dimly lit.

 

 “Guess we walked right into that one.” 

 

“Yea, this sucks.” Sitting up he looked around. He was mildly surprised that they hadn’t been restrained. Normally eclipses were extremely intelligent but this one was an idiot. That massive ego probably took up all the room in his head. “You all right?” 

 

“Aside from the splitting headache, I’m fine.” Solar sat up with a groan. “Surprised he didn’t tie us to something.” 

 

“Same.” Rising to his feet Moon looked around. And the idiot left them in a room full of stuff. Two genius nerds. This couldn't possibly go wrong. 

 

“Shit.” Solar stood over the remains of the feral moon. “Looks like he’s just offline and most of the damage is superficial.” He carefully examined the charred casing while Moon searched around for weapons. Even if they couldn't find any they could easily make some. 

 

“I'm really struggling to understand how the fuck he became a god.” 

 

Solar snorted. “Me too. I guess when he still had control over the Star he made sure he’d have no opposition and became complacent. Makes it easier for us.” He looked down at the charred moon. “Poor bastard. I’ll take care of him after we beat Eclipse's ass.” 

 

“Provided KC doesn’t beat us to it.” 

 

---------

 

“If I can not trust my servant then who can I trust?” Lord Eclipse paced around the room while Sun glowered at him. While he did have a few allies they were barely that. They might come if he called them, they might not. There wasn’t much incentive for them to bother. 

 

“You tortured me, you tortured my friend and forced me to hurt him.” Sun pointed out, arms crossed over his aching chest. 

 

“You are slaves. You exist to be struck.” 

 

Sun huffed and resisted the urge to point out that neither of them were slaves. It was like trying to reason with a brick wall. 

 

If he had the Star he could simply bend them to his will but the eldritch entity wouldn't allow him near it. In the past pain has served as a tool to remind his servant of his place but now? It seemed that only made him lash out more but that didn’t mean he couldn’t punish his servant in place of the beast but if he did that there was nothing stopping the predator from shredding him. 

 

All that power, that sleek predatory power at his command.  It was intoxicating. If he could control it then he could rule over everything, with a word the beast would tear into potential enemies and prey alive with a savagery unlike anything. 

 

It wasn’t hard to not notice the bulge in his former master’s pants. Sun made a face of disgust and looked away. 

 

“What's wrong, slave, see something you don’t like?” Lord Eclipse stopped pacing and turned to his servant, smirking. 

 

“I loathe your touch.” Sun hissed. “I hate everything about you. Your touch disgusts me.”

 

“Is that so? You were so well trained, maybe I need to continue that training.” The smirk faded when there were no forthcoming tears. “If I have to further remind you that you are property then so be it.” Snarling, he ripped the remains of his servants' clothing away. “One way or another you will learn!” Forcefully he threw Sun chest first onto the table.  Holding the solar slave’s hip with one hand he used his free hand to undo his large belt and pull the front of his pants down. 

 

The cry of surprise and pain was sweet to his audios. It was a sound he relished. Eclipse thrust into the unwilling body, taking out every ounce of rage and anger on him.  His pace picked up and before long he was all but slamming his hips against his slaves, growling softly as he orgasamned. Pulling back he tugged his pants up and admired the trembling crying mess that lay on the floor. 

 

Sun looked up, eyes filled with tears and vision blurry. “Coward.” 

 

The word stung fiercely. “I am no coward!” He delivered a vicious kick to his servant's midsection. Sun choked out a cry and curled up. “I'm not!” 

 

Where had everything gone so wrong?  He had been so close to getting his Moon back but even that was slipping through his hands like sand. Before this he had nothing, less then nothing then he was cut off like a diseased limb, left to rot. 

 

Abandoned. 

 

 Eclipse screamed, terror cutting through the rage in his voice. “Everything had been going just fine then you had to be defiant! You allowed intruders into my castle and freed the beast so it could attack me!” Picking up a chair he threw it across the room. 

 

A silver pitcher became airborne followed by several dishes. 

 

“Why?! Why did it all have to go wrong!?” Pacing restlessly around the small room he pulled at his rays. “I can’t lose everything. I can’t. I can't. I can’t. I worked so hard to bring Moon back only so he could be taken away from me.” 

 

“You edgy bastard!” Moon snarled. Besides him stood Solar, ready with the largest wrench he could find. 

 

“I will not let the two of you ruin what I’ve worked for!” Lord Eclipse screamed, grasping at his rays again. The pain didn’t register nor did the cracking noise as two of the rays snapped clean off. Startled Eclipse stared at the broken rays in his hands. They were at fault. They caused him to do this. They caused him to mutilate himself. 

 

 A deep thunderous growl filled the room. Like an angry eldritch being KC strode through the entrance way of the room, crimson eyes full of furry. “What did you do?” 

 

Fear sparked along his circuits like a loose wire and fogged his intelligence. He had no weapons, weak magic and was facing off an enraged predator.  “Insolent little shit! Why can’t you be like my Moon? Obedient.” 

“Because I'm not weak. Besides, your reign is almost over.” Moon grinned when Lord Horney's expression turned into one of horror. 

Sun wisly crawled further underneath the table. As much as he wanted to join the beat down, he wasn’t that strong and his former master would use him as a hostage and shield. 

“There’s no more holes for you to hide in. No place left for you to go that I can’t find you, no door you can close that I can not rip open.” Dark code frothing he dropped to all four, back arched. There was no place left for their tormenter to go. Fury overrode logic and he allowed it. Jaws unhinging he lunged, crushing the other’s shoulder in a sickening crunch of metal. Gripping his prey with one hand he lifted his head removing a massive chunk of Eclipse's shoulder alone with the arm leaving a mess of crushed metal and sparking wires. 

 

He was Kill Code and he was Death.

 

He drowned himself in the vital fluids that filled his mouth and splattered on his casing. The music of metal snapping, popping and creaking filled his audios. Slicing, rending and reaping. The dark code buzzed sending electric currents through his wiring advancing the high. Tearing through the source of so much pain and fear KC was in his element, lost in the blissful oblivion. 

 

Chapter 29: From the foundations

 

With his blood lust satisfied, KC’s complex AI surfaced despite the heightened energy that was still coursing through his circuitry. The primal code waned then withdrew allowing his full sentience to return allowing him to become aware of the mess that surrounded him. Oil and other vital fluids splattered damn near every surface, even dripping from the chandelier. Shredded wires, bits of unidentifiable metal and casing were scattered from one end of the room to the other. The only thing left of Lord Eclipse could have been put in a small bag. 

 

Blinking a few times he looked around, amazed at the mess. Hearing a noise he crouched and peered underneath the table. Sun was curled into a tight ball. “Sun?” Solar and Moon were just as balled up, sharing expressions of fear. 

 

“He can’t hurt you now. Or ever.” 

 

Slowly Sun uncurled, rays partly retracted. The sound of raspy laughter mixed with screams was going to live in his nightmares rent free. Hestenly he crawled out from under the table then ran to KC, embracing him. 

 

“It’s alright. The monster is gone.” He rumbled softly, one large hand gently stroking his back.

 

“Remind me to never piss him off.” Solar crept out from under the table, hands still clutching the wrench. 

 

“You really fucked him up..” Moon followed, staring at the mess. “There goes us using him for the world’s ugliest piñita.” 

 

“My apologies Moon. My anger overrode my logic.” KC scooped Sun up, cradling the trembling body against his chest. 

 

“I can borrow one of the STAFF bots and have it clean the mess.” Moon shrugged. And what a mess it was. “At least we don’t have to worry about back ups. We checked the computers, the bastard didn’t have enough sense to make more than one.” 

 

“Good. I am unsure Sun can withstand more trauma. His body may be strong but his mind has its limits.” KC gently adjusted his hold on the shivering animatronic. 

 

Solar placed the wrench back into his tool belt. “I’m going to find a place to set up a workshop, Take care of Sunny.” 

 

KC nodded and turned, carrying his beloved to the private room so he could recover from the unintentional scare. 

 

“I’ll help.” 

 

“Won't your Sun worry?” 

 

“As long as I send him a text every now and then letting him know I’m fine and all my limbs are intact he’ll be fine.” Moon shrugged. Sun was a worry wart but refused to use the portal unless he had to. “He might like this place once it's cleaned up a bit. Earth would love it.” 

 

“I bet they would. Sunny would have loved a place like this.” 

 

“Hey, what happened wasn’t your fault.” Moon laid a hand on Solar’s shoulder. 

 

“I know but I still can’t help but to shoulder some of the blame.” Solar vented harshly. “I never wanted us to be separated, neither did Sunny but Moon insisted.” He did more than insist. A lot more. 

 

“If there’s a way to bring him back I’m sure you would have found it by now.” 

 

Solar vented again. “I plan on going back at some point and getting his body so I can give him a proper burial here at least so no one can use him for spare parts.” Sunny really would have loved it here. 

 

Pushing aside the tapestry he walked down the dark steps to the small lab\workshop. “It's small, dark and smells funny but it’ll do for now.” He could find a far better area later, one with plenty of natural light. 

 

--------------------

 

KC leaned against the ornate gold and marble tub, fiddling with the knobs while cradling Sun. He muttered soothing words while waiting for the tub to fill. Spotting several jars of small orbs and oils he plucked a deep blue orb out of the jar and plopped it into the water. Almost immediately the room was filled with the scent of blueberries. 

 

Once the tub was full enough he stepped into it, still cradling Sun. The hot water made him shudder in delight and groan softly. With great care he sliced through the remains of the tattered clothing that clung to Sun’s frame and tossed it to the floor. 

 

Picking up a plush washcloth he gently scrubbed the dried fluids off the sunny casing. “My firefly, you are safe here.” Sun remained curled up. Likely shock. 

 

Instead of forcing him to uncurl KC simply cleaned what casing he could, holding back a deep ugly growl at the sight of the brand that marred Sun’s chest. The casing could be replaced once Sun was feeling better. If he cracked the ward on the mana pool then he could use his magic to mend the damage. 

 

Little by little Sun relaxed, the stress draining from his frame. The comforting heat from the water helped ease the worst of the aches and pains. The deep rumbling purr made his endo tingle in a pleasant manner. 

 

Much to his amusement his little firefly fussed when it came time to get out of the tub. Chuckling softly he rubbed Sun down with a towel then bundled him up then carried him to bed. 

 

“Stay?” Sun looked up from the pile of blankets. 

 

“Of course.” KC slipped into the massive bed, refusing to look at the footboard. He curled around Sun, letting him snuggle against his broad chest. 

 

The purring resumed. 

 

It was hard to fall asleep despite the stress and terror of the day. 

 

-------------------

Sun perched on the edge of the bed bare as the day he had been made. The curtains had all been moved and the windows opened allowing a warm damp breeze to fill the room. He closed his eyes and took in all the sounds and smells. The rich scent of damp earth, sweet flowers and wet grass. The rustle of branches and whisper of leaves mixed with the cheery sounds of birds. 

 

It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from the castle and his shoulders. He had never felt so…light. 

 

There was nothing to stop him from doing what he wanted now. No eclipse to stop him from going outside, no one to beat him or punish him. No one forced him to do things that were painful or humiliating. 

 

A smile crossed his face when he felt the warm sun on his casing. Besides him the lump that was KC grumbled and shifted in a way that made him think of a cranky cat. Someone clearly wasn’t a morning person.  Once the other woke up maybe they could go wandering in the woods, exploring it. There were no large predators that he was aware of so it should be safe. 

 

Chapter 30: A Hunting We Will Go

 

Sun breathed deeply of the early morning air and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the sun on his casing. All around him the air was filled with the sounds of birds and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. 

 

Despite his own pain, once he got cleaned up and put some clean clothes on he led his unlikely companion out of the castle after reminding himself that Eclipse was not his master and could not stop him from coming and going as he wanted. 

 

He tightened his grip on the bow for a moment and reminded himself that he wasn’t trailing behind his former master on a hunting expedition with the ultimate goal to simply kill something for sport and sick enjoyment. No this trip had a grim purpose but it was a purpose he understood. 

 

The wolf that devoured the lamb was only doing what it needed to survive. The mantis that devoured the beautiful butterfly was only doing what it had to. They didn’t do it just to be cruel. An apex predator didn’t kill for fun, they did so because they needed to. The rustle of  leaves drew him away from his thoughts. Turning his head he watched as something large moved through the bushes to his right with barely a sound. He smiled and continued on, heading towards a small clearing where animals often congregated. 

 

Slinking through the underbrush he moved with the shadows. On all fours it allowed him to easily navigate the dense growth. He preferred a more animalistic gait. It was easier to hunt, stalk unsuspecting prey. The agility and strength of using all his limbs gave him a feeling of freedom to move as he pleased. 

 

He was practically steaming in anticipation for the hunt after being cooped up for so long. His entire body was all but quivering with energy. 

 

Once at the edge of the clearing Sun stopped then crouched, scanning the cleaning for any signs of animals. Nothing outside small birds that were colored like jewels and the occasional small deer-like creature with bleached white antlers that reminded him of dead tree branches made their way through the clearing. When KC crept out of the brush and leaned against him like an oversized cat he leaned back, resting his head against the other’s shoulder. Several fat little birds covered in metallic blue feathers flocked to the center of the clearing, fluttering about as they feed on tiny red fruit and insects. 

 

It was all incredibly peaceful. 

 

Despite his best effort he begins to nod off. Between the comforting presence and warm sun it was becoming impossible to stay awake. The soft rumbling purr wasn’t helping. 

 

Despite the gnawing hunger and seemingly endless energy that coursed through his body KC remained where he was instead of bounding off in search of prey or climbing the nearest tree. If Sun woke to find him missing then he would likely have a panic attack. 

 

The minutes slowly rolled into hours and still nothing but small animals that would not be worth his energy or time to catch. Not to mention they were too small to satisfy his hunger. Eventually he began to doze off as well, stirring occasionally to check the clearing for large prey. The gnawing hunger is growing difficult to ignore. Sooner or later he would have to find prey. 

 

A piercing cry and rustling of feathers snapped him awake. Instantly he zeroed in on the large ice white and pale blue birds in the clearing. The male peacock has its impressive tail unfurled, the false eyes shimmering in the light. It's almost mesmerizing.  It doesn’t appear to notice them as it continues to walk around the clearing then it makes the mistake of turning its back on them, its massive tail still unfurled. 

 

Slowly he shifts his weight, crimson eyes locked on the bird. Crouching he inches forward a bit, his entire body was teeming with momentum. With a burst of explosive movement he launched himself forward, his clawed fingers outstretched. The bird notices the movement a second too late. He drives his claws past the thick layer of feathers and into its flesh, dragging it to the ground as it attempts to futilely launch itself into the sky with a startled cry. Teeth met fragile bone and he mercilessly clamped down. He easily crushed its rib cage with a sickening crunch, savoring the rich flavor of warm blood on his tongue. 

 

The bird frantically beat him with its wings though all the feeble attack does is irritate him and causes him to clamp down more. Growling he holds onto his prey until it stops moving. Once he could no longer hear the patterning of its accelerated heartbeat slowed then stopped and the peacock went limp he released the limp bird. A startled gasp draws his attention to Sun who is pressed up against a tree, hands tightly clutching the bow, eyes wide. The fear in the solar bot’s eyes pulled him out of the predator haze. 

 

“Firefly?” 

 

Sun tried to move but his joints felt as if they had locked up. He couldn’t even speak, all he could focus on was the crimson dripping down the predator's lower faceplate. His stomach churned violently, threatening to force the boiling bitter-sour digestive fluid up. As the stormy bot moved closer he tried to move further away but the tree pressing against his back prevented that. 

 

KC lowered his frame against Sun’s with gentle pressure, arms coming up to wrap around him. “My apologies firefly. I did not mean to frighten you.” He  nuzzled affectionately into the crook of Sun’s neck. Slowly he let go of the bow in favor of grabbing handfuls of the ruined shirt, pressing his faceplate against the lager bot’s shoulder. 

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

 

“Bad memories?” 

 

Nodding he began to relax into the hulking body, uncaring of the life’s essence that was being intently smeared on his casing. “I’m okay.” Reluctantly he released the shirt, hands smoothing over the powerful chest drawing a deep rumble.  There was a powerful apex predator pressing his body against his but he couldn't feel more safe. “Your bird is getting cold.”  KC chuckled in response, the deep sound caused him to shudder nearly imperceptibly

 

“Are you sure you are alright?” KC drew back a bit, tongue darting out to trace over Sun’s shoulder cleaning away every trace of crimson. An unexpected moan escaped Sun’s throat as he arched into the touch. Instantly his faceplate heated up and he looked away,  rays partly retracting. KC chuckled again and pretended he hadn’t heard anything. He pulled away and returned to the peacock and began ripping the feathers off creating a snow white cloud of them. He’d save the tail feathers for Sun given his love of making things. 

 

While he was still nauseated at the sight of a dead animal he knew its death was a necessary one. Predators had to eat and that meant they had to take a life to sustain theirs though the soft crunch of bone made his stomach jump and foul sourness leapt into the back of his throat. 

 

KC’s instincts sang as he sank his teeth into the tender exposed meat, the taste of fat and raw meat danced across his tongue as he tore off chunks of it and swallowed it. A delighted rumble stirred in his chest as he ravenously devoured the carcass, plunging into the chest cavity to devour the heart and other choice bits while chewing on the fragile bones. By the time he was done there was little left aside scattered feathers and the parts he didn’t like. With all the fastidiousness of a cat he began cleaning off the smears of life’s essence and bits of meat from his casing with his tongue. 

 

Sun watched the display with growing interest. Even though there was nothing sexual about the act he couldn’t stop the warm sensation from slowly pooling in his pelvic frame. Shivering he turned his head away and tried to think of something else, anything else. Like where there was a water source that they could use to get the rest of the mess off the stormy bot’s casing. There were a series of shallow creeks that crisscrossed the large forest that he often visited after his former master had finished his ‘hunt’ so the vomit inducing amount of blood could be scrubbed off his casing. Even with the sun dipping below the horizon he could easily recall the landmarks. 

 

After picking up any undamaged elegant tail feathers they headed into the forest. Sun tucked the tail feathers into his quiver as they walked. While he couldn't see too well in the growing dusk the dim atmosphere was bright to KC’s sensitive optics. 

 

Sluggish from the meal he moved a bit more slowly than usual though his movement was still smooth and graceful. Bits of white feathers stuck to his faceplate and shirt despite his best efforts to clean himself though he wasn’t bothered. 

 

Night quickly settled onto the forest and the nocturnal animals came out of hiding. The sounds of crickets filled the warm air mixing with night birds while fireflies drifted through the disturbed grass. Sun was in awe at how surreal and beautiful it was. It was very rare for him to be outside at night and even then he was never far from the massive castle. Eventually the well worn path led to a fast flowing creek. “This looks like a good spot, might as well make camp here.” A tiny part of him demanded they return to the caste before Lord Eclipse came looking for him. Sun stamped the little voice out, reminding himself that he had no master, no owner and didn’t have to go back unless they wanted to. 

 

KC yawned and rumbled softly in contentment as he flopped down the grass near the stream and stretched out while Sun placed his bow and quiver against a tree, well within reach in case he needed them even if it was unlikely since there were no large predators outside of KC. 

 

Sun turned and chuckled softly at the sight of the apex predator laying on his side, barely visible in the darkness, already asleep. Cleaning up could wait, he supposed. Making his way over he sat down next to him, hand lightly tracing over the slight swell of his lower abdomen. It wouldn't be too much longer before the pregnancy became more visible. 

 

He stayed awake a little longer watching the sky above. Stars shone as stilt sugar over black marble, glistening. The night sky was a welcome sight, appearing like magic after each sunset while shadows blended into the darkness of the forest. He could happily stare at it all night but sleep eventually called and he answered it, curling up against the larger bot while a chorus of small frogs and crickets filled the air.

 

Chapter 31: The Hunters Moon

 

In a much worse place

 

 Solar poked his head up from a mostly empty ball pitt. The silence was eerie.  He would have dived back through the portal but Sun needed casing. “I feel like a grave robber. I’m sure Sunny wouldn't mind.” In fact he was certain Sunny would have insisted he use whatever he needed, it wasn’t as if he was using it at the moment. 

 

"Why... why would you….destroying everything won’t bring him back Moon. Nothing will bring him back.” he shivered as he made his way over the bridge. “Sunny would have cried if he saw what you did.” Everything had been destroyed. Slides smashed, the playscape had been reduced to scrap and twisted metal. Even the netting had been ripped down. He didn’t want to see what the rest of the plex looked like. No doubt it had been trashed as well. 

 

Moon must have gone completely mad. 

 

  Without me fixing everything Moon and Monty broke…I should have brought KC with me but he’s still recovering . Or Moon but he had to go back to his home dimension. 

 

Sneaking through the shadows, he half expecting Moon to pop up at any moment and attack him. Tucking the flashlight into his tool belt he climbed up the rings that supported the clouds and sun and moon like a spider, easily finding hand and foot holds. Quickly he scrambled over the balcony, freezing when he saw what Moon had done to the shared living space. It hurt his metaphorical heart to see the ripped curtains. The ladder was missing completely forcing him to jump the  few feet to the floor. 

 

Nervously peeked into the doorway and nearly cried at the sight, tears leapt to the corners of his eyes. What was left of Sunny was scattered around the room. His legs wobbled as he collapsed to his knees. “Sunny..” All he could do was stare at what was left of his friend. Maybe if he had come back sooner he could have prevented this. 

 

“I'm so sorry Sunny…I should have some back sooner. I didn’t mean to stay away for so long…I was helping other and I didn't think Moon would fucking lose it.” And he sure the fuck didn’t think Moon would go as far to destroy Sunny. Slowly he crawled forward until he could grasp a limp hand. His fingers lightly traced over the yellow and tan casing. “Sun really needs some new casing so I'm going to take some of yours. You don’t mind, do you? Of course you don't, you are the most selfless individual I know. I still feel like a grave robber.” Releasing the limp hand he took out some tools and got to work. He wasn’t going to leave anything behind for Moon to further desecrate. 

----

Feeling chilled, Sun blindly reached out, feeling for the source of warmth that had been pressed against his back a few moments ago. Finding nothing he grumbled and sat up, mind hazy from sleep. Yawning he looked around though he couldn't make out much other than deep shadows and the dark forms of the massive trees that surrounded their small makeshift campsite. 

The pale coin of the full moon was partly hidden behind wispy clouds, dousing some of its dim light. Despite the darkness he didn’t feel fear from the unknown lurking just beyond his limited slight. KC would be nearby, of that he was certain. 

Remaining still he focused on the cacophony of nocturnal animals. The soft gurgle of water over rocks mixed with the rattle of cattails in the warm breeze and throaty songs of frogs. He listened as something moved through the shallow water near silently followed by a splash. A moment later the repulsive wet crunch of bone followed.

Rising to his feet Sun walked towards the edge of the creek, carefully feeling his way with his feet so he didn’t end up taking an impromptu bath. When his fingertips brushed against the smooth stalks of the cattails and feet began to sink into the spongy ground he took a few steps back and crouched, scanning the shimmering surface of the creek for a pair of familiar glowing red eyes. He didn’t have to look too hard to find a large hunched form in the middle of the creek, the half eaten remains of a fish clutched in his large hands.  

Feeling his stomach jump at the sight he turned and made his way back to the small campsite. The slight bout of nausea soon settled, leaving a mild hunger reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He tried to remember  if there were any berry bushes or fruit trees nearby though he doubted there would be any fruit trees this far away from the castle so he left searching for wild fruit bushes. 

The sound of padded feet coming up behind him but before he could react large wet hands grabbed his hips and lifted him off the ground. Sun let out a yelp of surprise as he’s lifted but that rapidly turns into laughter while hot steamy breath washed over his neck and something wet and firm pressed against his back. A low chuckle vibrates the large chest. 

“Gahhhh! You're cold and wet!” Sun wriggled while bursts of laughter filled the warm air. 

“We’ll have to build a fire and dry my clothes out.” KC rumbled, nuzzling against Sun’s neck, a half eaten fish hanging out of his mouth. 

Sun laughed some more. It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his core. “You'll have to put me down first.” 

KC rumbled again and sat Sun down onto his feet. He nuzzled against Sun’s shoulder before dropping to all four and moving off in search of dry firewood. Still chuckling Sun walked around the small clearing picking up any dry sticks and twigs he could find and piled them up. Finding a long branch he propped it up near the stick pile so they could drape KC’s clothing over it to dry. A few minutes later a lean dark form slinked into the makeshift camp with a load of thick branches, half eaten fish still hanging out of his mouth. Once they had the wood stacked up all he had to do was cast a simple spell and the wood burst into flames that cast a cheery light. Much to Sun’s surprise he skewered the fish and placed it near the fire. “You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.”  He wasn’t sure if Sun would even eat fish, if not he could easily scrounge up some berries or break off some of the cattail seed heads which could be eaten once roasted, something he had discovered on one of his many trips into the forest back home. 

“You don’t have to…I’m used to going without subsistence for days.” Nearly a week at one point when his former master was trying to break him. 

KC suppressed the urge to growl and storm back to the castle and tear into Lord Eclipse. “You need the substance, firefly. You don’t need to go without.” He lightly rubbed Sun’s back in soothing circles. Sun leaned into the touch with a little noise. “I will take care of you and the little one.” 

Sun smiled and nodded. 

With a bit of help KC managed to shrug off the wet shirt. There was some hesitation when it came to shimming out of his pants , it wasn’t as if Sun hadn’t seen him in an unclothed manner and wouldn't do anything to hurt him on purpose but it was hard to shake the memories. While the solar bot hung the wet clothing on the branch he curled his lower half and shifted enough so he didn’t feel so vulnerable. 

Sun sat down and leaned back against the mass of warmth, eyes closing as he took in the soft crackle of the fire, the chorus of crickets and the smell of wood smoke. It was a far cry from the smell of dry stone and paper that hung in the air of the castle. That tiny voice deep in the back of his mind warned him that his master would be furious that he had left the castle without permission and would be violently punished. Frowning he smothered the little voice. He had no master. Not any more. If any one owned him then it would be the apex predator behind him. 

The smell of roasting fish made his stomach grumble unhappily, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything in a while. Still he hesitated. He rarely ate meat and really didn’t like the texture of it. Gingerly he leaned forward and pulled the skewered fish up and eyes it. It didn’t look bad and certainly didn’t smell bad. Hesitantly he tore a chunk of steaming flesh off then popped it into his mouth. His face scrunched up expecting it to be something awful but much to his surprise it was rich and fatty and firm. Eagerly he tore into the fish, crunching some of the fragile bones, enjoying the texture. What little was left once he finished was tossed into the fire. 

Leaning back again, Sun sleepy watched the fire, embers dancing in the flames like fireflies. Feeling warm and comfortable he curled against the larger bot and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep to the sounds of the night mixing with the crackle of the fire. 

Morning came far too soon and he didn’t want to get up due to how comfortable he was but the distant rumble of thunder encouraged him to stir. Grumbling, he rose to his feet and stretched and retrieved Kc’s ruined clothing. Frowning at the holes and tears in the silken cloth he made a note to go digging through his former master closet for something that might fit the lean lunar bot. The only problem was the clothing was all silk or something similar which meant the clothing wasn’t very hardy. 

“KC…wake up…there’s a storm coming.” He lightly shook his companion’s shoulder, earning a throaty growl of irritation. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes he continued to try and wake him up.

With a grumble KC sat up and yawned, tongue curling, groggy mind slowly coming out of the realm of forgotten dreams while Sun tried his best to slip the sleeves of the shirt over his arms and button it up. Blinking the haze of sleep away he slowly rose to his paws and pulled his pants on. The distant rumble of thunder pushed the remaining haze of sleep away. They had no shelter to protect them from a storm meaning they had to return to the castle. 

“I need to make you some new clothes when we get back and tend to your wounds.” Once he was certain the embers of the fire were dead he picked up his quiver and bow before turning back to KC, smiling lightly. A mild dread settled in the back of his mind upon returning to the castle but there was nothing his former master could do to him now.  

KC purred happily and nuzzled into Sun’s shoulder. Precious firefly…his and no one else’s.

 

Chapter 32

Sun walked out of the closet into the bedroom, pants in hand to see KC curled up around a yellow blanket after he denied him cuddles. Not that he wanted to but he had to tend to the other’s wounds on his paws  which was made all the harder due to constantly having to wriggle out of his grip. Getting a sleep shirt on the drowsy lunar bot hadn’t been any easier and involved more squirming out of his hold. 

 

He looked down at the pants and realized there was no way he was getting them on KC without a fight. Sighing he neatly folded the pants up and placed them on the chair then sat on the edge of the bed and tugged the yellow blanket away so he could drape it over the drowsy lunar bot. A pair of half lidded crimson eyes tracked his every move while the tip of his tongue stuck out between his lips. A low rumbling purr was barely audible over the patter of rain on the windows. 

 

While there were other things he needed to do, but he couldn't deny KC any longer. “Alright, move over a bit.” Sun crawled over to KC and laid down, allowing the larger bot to curl around him, arms wrapped around him. Sewing could wait until later. 

 

---

 

Solar felt like an incredibly morbid grave robber as he made his way to the workshop with a sack of parts and pieces. After sitting the bag on the floor he carefully sorted through everything, shuddering the entire time. 

 

Anything electric was carefully placed in a box along with broken casing and endo pieces and anything that was solely Sunny. What remained was what little intact casing there was and some struts and Sunny’s mask. That he would keep. It felt good to have something other than a few mementos to remember him by.

 

Even if there had been a chance that Sunny could have reset that was lost now that damn Moon had smashed everything in a rage filled furry. 

 

Shaking his head sadly he sat Sunny’s mask gently on the table. “Once I get a better workshop I set up a place just for you.” While it felt a little odd that he was talking to himself it was strangely comforting. 

 

Picking up the chest casing he trudged up the stairs to the large bedroom. Solar knocked on the door, once he got a response he entered the room. A sleepy murpf greeted him from under a mass of blankets while Sun wriggled free of the lunar bot’s hold. “Solar? 

 

“Did I wake you?” 

 

Sun shook his head. “I’ve been awake.” 

 

“I found some replacement casing. I know you’ve been wanting to rid yourself of that bastard's mark.” He held up the chest  casing. 

 

“It doesn’t hurt any more but…I still want it gone.” his fingertips lightly touched the ugly burns on his chest. "Where would you like me?"

 

“Just sit someplace steady. This won’t take more than a minute.” 

 

------------------------

 

Stupid cute fluff. Not a cucumber but it's close enough 

 

The green house was in shambles, the glass was cracked and caked in layers of dirt and dust. The plants had long since died and layers of leaves and dirt cover the ornate stone floor. Sun grumbled at the mess, OCD protocols itching. Even the small fountain in the back was badly neglected, the water stagnant and filled with leaves. It was going to take at least a few days to clean the mess. Behind him he could hear KC shuffling around, paws barely making a sound even with the thick carpet of leaves on the ground. 

 

“It's a shame he allowed this to become so dilapidated.” It would take some hard work but he was certain they could get the green house back into prime shape. “If you could take care of the sweeping, I can start removing the dead plants.” 

 

Sun nodded and scrounged up a broom, a bit ratty and coated in cobwebs but it would do. He made a face as he gingerly cleaned the sticky cobwebs off then got to work cleaning the leaves, shoving them out the door. The tiles underneath were stunningly beautiful, covered in a complex mosaic of wild animals. It was nearly a crime that the green house was allowed to become so decrepit. 

 

KC pulled the dead plants out of the planters and piled them up near the door to be disposed of later. He hummed softly while he worked, his deep voice laced with joy. The once mighty mad king had been dethroned and would never regain his throne. So engrossed in the work he failed to notice something slithering out from between the decorative pots, its brown and tan scales blending in with the dead leaves. Disturbed by all the activity the serpent moved across the floor, slowly being drawn to the heat signature it could detect. 

 

A warning prickled along his spine and he hissed, all but jumping away from the still camouflaged serpent. Instinct reacted before logic could. In a flash he stomped on the snake, its fragile bones crunched under the force of the attack. Once he calmed his raging instincts he sighed and plucked the crushed snake up and flung it out a broken window. Chances were slim its venom, if it had any, would be of little to no threat to him. The creature had likely been hiding among the pots searching for vermin and simply had been curious about his presence. He glanced to Sun. Seeing him preoccupied with cleaning he made a quick check for any more snakes. The minor risk of being bitten didn’t bother him. Accidentally crushing another one did. 

 

Once done he ventured over to the fountain. The once white stone had turned grimey grey and the water trickled from the open mouths of the fish. Reaching into the basin he pulled out the soggy decaying leaves and deposited the mess onto the floor. A bit of blindly reaching around the cold foul water uncovered the previously clogged drain. The fetid water rushed down the drain with a soft gurgle. That just left cleaning the fish's mouths though he lacked the tools to properly do so for now. At least the fountain was cleaner then it had been. 

 

It took the better part of an hour to clean the worst of the mess. KC brushed the worst of the sodden decaying leaves off on his pants before picking up a few dusty rough woven baskets and tools for digging up plants he returned to Sun. “Are you ready firefly?” He handed Sun one of the baskets. 

 

Sun took the offered basket with a smile. “I..I’ve never really had a hobby before.” Archery didn’t really count since he had been forced to learn it so he could accompany his former master. Same went for sewing, that had been a necessity. 

 

“You can have as many hobbies as you want now.” KC led Sun to the spot where they had seen a large patch of flowers a few days before. “Having a hobby helps give you a purpose.” The wounds on his paws were still healing due to walking on them but the majority of the pain was gone allowing him to walk without a limp. 

 

Sun darted into the wild flower patch, in awe of all the bright colors. All around were dazzling shades of yellows, blues, reds and purples. Nearby wild ivy climbs up trees, the vibrant green standing out against the pale bark. The sickeningly sweet smell was almost nauseating but he didn’t care. It was almost impossible to decide which ones to take back but the large bright yellow ones drew his attention. With extreme care he dug up the large flowers and placed them in the basket. Several blue and purple ones followed including some with red-orange trumpet shaped flowers while KC dug up a few of the young wild ivy. The castle needs some color other than the hideous repetitive orange, red and yellow. 

 

Most of the curtains were going to have to be ripped down as well. Not only were they hideous, the thick heavy material blocked out the natural light. 

 

A few purple and red flowers joined the ivy. 

 

The sun was at its apex when they headed back, baskets full of plants. Sun was giddy and full of joy, all but skipping the entire way back to the greenhouse. His former master would have never allowed him to have flowers to lighten up the dreary room he had. There would have been no way in hell he would have been allowed to work in the green house since Lord Eclipse considered it a waste of time to maintain it since he had no one to show it off to. 

  “When we get back I’ll have to make lunch.” Of what he wasn't sure but it would be something light. He’d have to check the pantry to see what he had.

 

“I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious, firefly.” KC rumbled.

 

 ---------------------------------------------- 

 

By the time they returned to the castle he was a bit sore, tired and a bit dirty but happy. The greenhouse was looking a lot better. After a quick trip to the washroom to clean up he led KC to the kitchen. The apex predator went right for the fridge. While stews were easy he was getting tired of making the same few things over and over again. At least there was some meat in the…a soft crunching pulled him away from his thoughts. Turning his head he caught KC with a half eaten pepper in his mouth and three more in his hand. 

 

Smiling, he settled on a simple vegetable stir fry for himself  and pepper steak for KC. They settled into a comfortable rhythm of cooking, basking in each other’s presence while the rich scent of roasting savory vegetables and sizzling meat filled the small kitchen. Besides him KC winced and placed a hand on his midsection. 

 

“Are you alright?” 

 

“The little one shifted.” KC rubbed his slightly swollen midsection. It wouldn’t be long before he started to show more. 

 

Sun pressed one hand against the warm plating, fanning his fingers out. Not for the first time he was glad his former master couldn’t hurt either one of them any more. This little one was going to come into a world made better with the absence of lord Eclipse. “I can barely wait to met it.” he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the curve of KC’s abdomen drawing a low rumble from him. 

 

Reluctantly he pulled back and picked up their food and walked to the ridiculously large dining room. It was one of those things that had Sun wondering why make something so large when the castle was so empty. It was almost as if Lord Eclipse had been expecting someone that never arrived. 

 

Chapter 33: Turn the Lights Off, Carry Me Home

 

 

Solar stumbled to a pile of blankets he had claimed,  too exhausted to shed the stained clothing or clean the char from his casing. Instead he flopped face first into the bed with a groan. 

 

There wasn’t much more he could do for the feral Moon in his exhausted state. As much as he wanted to keep working he knew there was no use in denying his weary mind and body rest. He could only hope the nightmares would leave him alone for once and let him bask in the memories of a time when Moon had been kind and gentle instead of cold and bitter. 

 

With a sigh he rolled onto his side and stared at the dull wall until his eyes began to close and slumber washed over him.  

 

“Moon…Moon what are you doing? Please stop! ” 

 

“Stop. Talking.”

 

“But Sunny-” He tried to pull away but Moon’s grip was vice tight.

 

“Shut up!” Moon lunged forward, forcing the startled confused Eclipse onto the work table and wrapped the leather straps around his arms, pulling the straps tight.  

 

“What are you doing? Please stop!” Solar stared in horror at the straps. Those hadn’t been there before. The implications made the fluid in his lines turn to ice. 

 

“I…need parts...parts to fix Sun. If you stop struggling, this will be easier on us both.” 

 

Solar squirmed and kicked but froze when Moon grabbed a ray and started to twist it. He remained still and allowed Moon to restrain him, sobbing softly in confusion and fear.  

 

“Moon…w-what are you d-doing? Brother-” Pain blossomed across the side of his face as Moon backhanded him hard. Fresh tears streamed down his face.

 

“Don't. Don't ever call me that again. You have no right to call me that. “ 

 

“I…I'm sorry!” Solar wailed then choked on a sob. 

 

“Sorry won't bring my brother back. Sorry won't fix what happened. This.. this is your fault!” 

 

“I'm sorry! 

 

  Rage twisted Moons features. The second Eclipse opened his mouth and grabbed the other's tongue, sinking his claws into the damp rubbery organ and brutally yanking on it, stretching it to its limits. “I told you to shut up but you just keep talking!” Snarling he dug his claws in more, slowly severing the wriggling organ. The remaining half vanished back into Solar’s mouth. 

  The searing white hot pain made him cry more while choking on the bitter-sour fluid that flooded his mouth. Turning his head he vomited onto the floor, coughing and gagging. “B-brother…”

“I told you to never call me that byproduct! Now shut up before I rip the rest of your tongue out!”

 

Solar woke screaming, rolled out of the makeshift and got a face full of floor. 

 

Struggling free of the blankets he crawled into a corner and curled up. He hiccupped and sobbed, sucking on his thumb though having only half a tongue made it harder to do so. 

 

 None of this was fair. He wanted Sunny. He wanted the old Moon back. But that was never going to happen. Sunny was gone and Moon…Moon had turned into a monster. 

 

He sobbed harder and rocked himself. 

 

He missed Sunny’s laughter. He just wanted them back so badly it was all he could think of. 

 

“Solar?” 

 

He whimpered and cowered in the corner. “I'm sorry…please don’t hit me..”

 

KC paused, crimson eyes widening. “I am not going to hurt you. I was headed for the kitchen when I heard crying and wanted to check on you.” He crouched down to make himself smaller and less imposing. If the messy bed was anything to go by then Solar may have had a nightmare. “You left the door open.” 

  Solar's breath hitched and he looked up. For a split second he thought Moon had found him and was going to hurt him but Moon didn't have bright crimson eyes or a deep voice. Thumb still in mouth he crawled closer to the large lunar bot, instinctively sensing the other would protect him. “Gotta hide, he's gonna come back.” His voice is soft and child-like. 

  KC tried to shake off the metal shock while he inched closer, keeping his movement slow so he didn’t startle Solar. “Who is going to come back?” 

“Moon.” 

  Ah, his Moon. Abusive prick. “He isn't here. You're safe.” He moved closer. 

 

Solar moved closer, frantically looking around for his former abuser. “We gotta hide. He's gonna take the rest of my tongue.”

 

Like hell. “Can I pick you up?” Receiving a nod he scooped the dark eclipse up, cradling him against his chest. “I will protect you.” He stood up and began making his way back to his room. “I know a place we can hide. It's safe.” 

 

“Moon gonna find us…make you go away again.” his eyes filled with tears and his chest felt like it was being squeezed as panic clawed at him.

 

KC rubbed his back, hushing him gently. “He won't find us, I promise. I'll keep us safe.”

 ---------------------------------------

Carrying a tray with teacups and teapot, Sun returned to their room only to find the bed unoccupied. Figuring KC might be outside tending to biological needs he sat the tray on the desk only to stiffen when he swore a muffled sob. The sound seemed to be coming from the closest. 

 

“KC?” Panic squeezed his chest. Had something happened while he was gone? He made his way quickly to the closet and peered in. The heart wrenching sobs tore at his core. “KC?”

 

“In the back, firefly.”

 

Pushing his way through the hideous clothing he made it to the back of the closet where his eyes rapidly adjusted to the darkness enough for him to see a large blanket covered lump.

 

“What happened? Are you injured?” all kinds of awful scenarios filled his head. 

 

“I'm not injured.” 

 

“I heard-'' Upon moving closer he saw a tightly curled Solar clinging to the lunar animatronic like a lifeline. “What happened?” he inched closer.

 

“He had a nightmare that triggered him to regress into a child-like state due to the trauma.” 

 

Sun nodded in understanding as he watched KC rock Solar gently while rubbing his back. “Lord Eclipse?” 

 

KC shook his head. “Our Moon. In a fit of jealousy he drove me off when I became too close to Sunny. When our Sun died,  Moon changed for the worse. He became bitter and angry, blaming both myself and Solar for his brother's death.” He had tried to help Solar but Moon drove him off, violently, every time he got near the daycare. Injured, he had been forced to retreat and not return due to threats of retaliation. “Perhaps had I not been so cowardly and stood up to Moon things would have been very different.” 

 

Sun made a little noise of understanding. “I’m sure you did everything you could. You were not a coward, you had to leave, staying meant being injured.” He looked down at Solar. “Couldn't he have just left?”  Of course he didn't know if there was someone or something preventing that. As much as he had wanted to leave the castle and run away when his master had been alive there was nowhere that he could have hidden that his former master couldn’t find him. 

 

“I suppose he could have. I would have welcomed him into my home. Whatever the reason, he didn't leave that place.  For whatever reason Solar chose to stay and I respected the decision instead of picking him up and carrying him out when I last left. I probably should have but we can’t undo the past.” 

 

Solar continued to cling to KC as if he would disappear if he let go.

 

KC just held him. “I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Sun’s here too.” That seemed to pull Solar out of the bad memories a bit. He lifted his head and  looked at Sun with tear filled eyes, thumb still in his mouth. With his free hand he reached out, making grabby motions. 

 

Smiling Sun moved closer, curling against KC's chest, allowing Solar to press his faceplate against his shoulder. “You'll be alright, we won't let anyone hurt you.” Things could only get better now right? The former king had been dethroned and the castle was theirs.  It needed some serious redecorating, the ugly tacky red, yellow and orange would have to go along with all the eclipse décor but that could wait.  

 

The silence of the closet was soon filled with a deep soft humming that felt as much as he heard it, the vibrations passing through his casing. Sun snuggled closer, humming low in his throat matching KC’s tune. It didn’t take long for Solar to relax, thumb still firmly in mouth as the warmth from the two bots seeped past his casing and lull him back to sleep but this time there was an absence of nightmares.

Chapter 34

 

Solar shuffled towards the mirror, casing damp from the much needed bath. As much as he appreciated KC’s attempts to keep him in the closet where it was dark and comforting but he needed to work on the feral Moon and KC needed to hunt. 

 

The previous night was largely a blur of muted emotions and images. He gripped the edge of the black marble sink, lost in thought.

 

Sun was happily humming a semi forgotten tune, carrying a load of fresh out of the dryer fluffy towels. The rest of their clothing and sheets were piled up on the bed underneath KC. Like every lunar bot in history he loved warmth and there had been no resisting the warm laundry. Sun had tried to free some of the sheets but KC had truly and well waded it all up into a nest and was soaking up the heat. 

 

Not expecting for anyone to be in the master washroom he pushed the door to the master bathroom open only to get an eyeful of naked Solar. He squeaked, lit up like a supernova and turned around while stuttering out apologies. 

 

Solar, for the most part, chuckled darkly. “It's all right Sun. Not like there’s anything to see. Smooth as a Ken doll. Moon would have never wasted ‘unneeded’ parts on someone he hated.” Still he picked up a towel and wrapped it around his waist for modesty.

 

“I…uh didn’t expect anyone else to be in here.” Sun flicked his glow off and sat the towels on the towel rack. 

 

“I didn’t know where any other washroom was or if there were any more.” Solar shrugged and flicked his rays grimacing when a few didn’t move. 

 

“There’s a tiny one in what used to be my room but it's pretty grody in there. No amount of scrubbing gets it clean.”

 

Solar grimaced. He had just spent an hour trying to scrub the uncomfortable feeling his old daycare had left on his casing. Being in a filthy washroom would have intensified that feeling. 

 

“How are you holding up?"

 

“You two have enough to deal with.. I…I don’t want to burden either you or KC with my problems.” 

 

“You are not a burden.”

 

“My Moon wouldn't agree. He hated me while Sunny loved me. We were fine sharing but Moon…he wanted to rip me out of Sunnys head or erase me like a virus.” His grip on the counter tightened. “We couldn't be separated anyway, at least not easily like Moon and KC. Parts of me were tangled with Sunnys AI.”

 

“If you two had been separated, you would have taken part of your Sun with you.”

 

Solar nodded solemnly. “Logically I know what happened wasn't my fault, but it hurts all the same. Moon blamed everything on me, never stopped hating me.”

 

 “You didn't deserve to be treated that way" Sun said quietly.

 

“Maybe I do.” He curled inward in shame. 

 

“No you don't. What happened wasn't your fault. I'm sure your Sun would forgive you.” Sun pulled Solar into an awkward hug. “ You're a good person."

Unused to physical contact Solar stiffened  then began to weep softly, leaning heavily on Sun while returning the hug. 

 

“Thank you.” 

 

-----

Moving through the forest of night he blended in with the deep wells of shadows, on all four. The animalistic form allowed him to move swiftly and near silently. It also made it easier to hunt his unsuspecting prey. The comforting weight clinging to his back didn’t slow him down in the least. 

 

The dim atmosphere was bright to his sensitive optics. With ease he picked up the faint tracks of a large hooved animal that had passed through the natural trail earlier. His energy and excitement spiked. He could feel Sun shifting his weight slightly, his slender fingers tightening on the black ruffles that adorned his neck, his other clutching his bow. 

 

Air moved quickly though his artificial lungs, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and grass, drying leaves and the faint musky scent of a large animal. He paused, savoring the scent of a warm blooded animal before hurrying forward. He could feel Sun tensing, leaning closer to him, the slender thighs tightening on his sides. 

 

Sun shifted his weight ever so slightly, biting down on his lower lip, trying to ignore the deep ache that had settled in his pelvis. Every time the lithe form underneath him moved the beautiful interlocking plates that covered KC’s spine pressed or rubbed against his crotch in the most wonderful ways. It was becoming hard to concentrate on searching the forest for an animal large enough to keep the apex predator satisfied for a while since it wouldn't be long before the pregnancy advanced to the point where KC wouldn’t be as active. 

 

He nearly lost his balance when the stormy animatronic leapt over a fallen log smoothly as a hunting cat, his spine all but slammed into crotch sending a sharp wave of pleasure through him. He had to mute his vocalizer to stop the moan from leaving his throat. He was certain the dark brown pants were damp by now, hopefully KC wouldn’t notice. If he needed to he could wrap the long sleeved hunter green shirt around his hips and hide his arousal. 

 

KC burst into the clearing and froze, a low eager growl stirring in his chest. Slow and patient, each step muted by the thick layer of leaves. Just in the distance a large deer-like animal was striding unaware through the forest, its majestic ivory antlers brushing against the overhanging branches. He could hear Sun’s breath hitching, the soft slide of wood against leather as he drew an arrow and nocked it. Time seemed to pause as he drew the string back, eyes locked onto the shadowy form. Stilling the air in his chest as he sighted down the arrow then released it. The shaft of wood tipped with metal found its mark with a dull thunk. The animal jerked and broke into a run. 

 

KC surged after it, the rich scent of blood flooding his olfactory sensors making him drool in anticipation. His lithe body quivered with excitement as he chased after the animal, following the splashes of red, tongue flopping out of the side of his mouth. All Sun could do was hang on, pressed against KC’s back. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling the excitement of the chase, the strange thrill of phantom adrenaline as KC zeroed in on his prey. In a rush of movement he slammed into the staggering animal, powerful jaws latching onto its throat. The rush of hot blood nearly triggered the dark predatory code that he kept caged. It lashed out, slamming against the sturdy bars of its prison but he refused to let it out. He couldn't afford to lose control and injure Sun in a haze of primal code. 

 

Primal code seethed, KC forced logic to prevail even as he grappled with the large animal, claws cutting through hide and muscle. Eventually the animal gurgled softly, its struggles slowing as more and more of the crimson spilled from the severed arteries. 

 

Huffing and puffing he released his hold and rocked back on his paws, strings of red tinted saliva dripped from his jaws. 

 

Sun slid off KC’s back, left hand cramping from the tight grip he had on the ruffles. He looked down at the deer-like animal in awe, it was massive and should keep his partner well fed for more then a week. A low deep rumble came from behind and something pressed against his shoulder, soaking the fabric with crimson. He shivered in disgust though he didn’t pull away, gusts of warm air washing over his casing. It slowly dawned on him that the predator could smell his arousal. 

 

He turned, a half baked excuse forming in his mind, but he didn’t get a chance to say a thing when a hot damp tongue swiped across his neck catching him off guard. This time he couldn’t stop the little moan. His legs almost buckled at the little nuzzle, the feel of sharp teeth grazing his shoulder. Sun leaned forward on his bow, words sticking in his throat. 

 

KC settled to feast on the dead animal, powerful jaws tore into warm flesh and crushed bone. Slippery wet crimson stained his clawed fingers and splattered on his casing. He leaned in and licked a slimy streak down the exposed flesh and ligaments savoring the exotic patterns of the animals raw insides. Once he was full to the point he was sluggish he turned his attention back to his firefly.  

 

Sun pulled his stained shirt off and used it to wipe away the remains of the bloody meal from KC’s face and chest. “I'm going to have to get you a bib.” He joked. 

 

KC rumbled softly, leaning into the light touches. Lifting one clawed finger he tugged at the hem to Sun’s pants while looking up at him with a pleading expression, the rich smell of his arousal tickled his olfactory sensors and stirred something deep inside though it was hard to know what due to how drowsy he was getting. 

 

Sun stumbled back a step, surprised. He swallowed hard and looked right into the large crimson eyes. Oh the hell with it. He couldn't pretend that he wasn’t turned on and it wasn’t as if KC would force himself on him. Setting the bow and quiver against a tree he hesitantly shimmied out of his pants and laid down on the grass, face heating as KC lowered his frame on top of his with gentle pressure. Warm breath caressed his casing as the larger animatronic settled on his form. The warm gusts soothed his nerves as KC nuzzled affectionately into the crook of his neck. Sun moaned softly as the thick long tongue darted out to leave damp trails over his shoulder. The comforting weigh pressed him against the thick carpet of leaves while the dexterous organ made passes over his chest igniting his artificial nerves. 

 

Moving carefully he ran his hands over the stormy limbs while clawed fingers kneaded the forest floor. 

 

KC huffed and growled possessively, moving his head to nip at the curve of Sun's hip. He craved the closeness but it was becoming harder and harder to stay awake with a very full belly. Hazy eyes closing he settled a bit, large head pressing against Sun's lean midsection. Rumbling softly he curled against the warm body, settling into a slumber while Sun squirmed a bit then sighed. The uncomfortable pressure in his pelvic frame would pass eventually. 

 

Smiling he looked down at the sleeping predator, the look of pure contentment on his faceplate made something in his chest flutter and warm up. "Sleep. I can wait." The sounds of nocturnal animals filled the warm night while he hummed softly, some lullaby that he barely remembered while stroking KC's back.

 

Sorry not sorry.

Chapter 35: Unexpected Awakening

 

  Solar yawned, vents pulling in cool air while he zombie shuffled to the kitchen wearing only a towel, feet shoved in worn slippers when a small blue and lavender form blurred past him. 

“What the…Mischief?” 

“There’ssomeonewholookslikeSunandMooninthelibraryandIdon’tlikeit.”

It took several seconds for his sleep hazed processor to sort the jumble of words into something he could understand. ”Looks like Moon…but not?” Intruders or interdimensional travelers? Sighing harshly he made his way back to the workshop to get dressed and arm himself.

The floor came up to meet his faceplate and he did nothing to stop it. He was simply too exhausted to care so he just lay there like a rumpled carpet, barely responding to the sensation of his overcoat being pulled at. 

 

“F-fuck off..” 

 

“Get up you big lug. You are too fucking heavy to carry.” The tugging was more insistent. The soft swirl of fabric and pleasant tinkle of bells followed each move. 

 

His only response was to grumble and remain where he was, spread out on the floor with the glowing runes of the portal around him. 

 

“Damn it Heisenberg, don’t make me drag your heavy ass.” 

 

The only response the moon gave his twin was a low irritated noise. Everything hurt, things that he didn’t know could hurt ached. Who could have known everything would go to shit so quickly? Neither could have known a god damn astral would show up forcing them to run for it or risk being destroyed. 

Fuck the Creator and his massive ego. Hopefully the damn Astral took the oversized brain out. 

 

“Where are we?” The question was muffled by the floor. 

 

“Some kind of castle.”

 

Great. They were in fairy tale land. Better than the hellscape their world no doubt had been turned into by the damn Astrals. Eventually he lifted his head with a bit of effort, frowning.  “Not what I expected when you said castle.”

 

 “What were you expecting?” The Sun sighed. 

 

“Dark, brooding, maybe some cool statues.” Everything was too…clean and neat. Too white.

 

  “You spent too much time with those video games.”

 

“ Had to do something to keep the crushing depression at bay.” The moon groused. 

Solar pressed his back against the bookshelf, wrench in hand. They didn’t look threatening, in fact they looked pretty tired and disheveled. Still he approached cautiously. They were  strangers after all. Their intentions were unknown. He barely opened his mouth when the clearly female Sun motioned to him. “Who are you?" The newcomers looked as if they had gotten into a fight with a trash compactor and lost. 

 

 “I am Athena and this idiot pretending to be a rug is Hisenebrug. We didn't come here to cause harm. We are looking for sanctuary.” Athena lightly prodded her twin with a slippered foot. A rude response was all she got. 

 

“Sanctuary? I suppose you found it but it's not up to me if you can stay. That's Sun’s and KC’S decision.” Since they weren't hostile he returned the wrench to its rightful place on his belt. 

 

“A sun is the ruler?” The moon scoffed.

 

“An eclipse  was the original ruler, complete and total asshole. It's our home now.” Solar shrugged then winced. That damn shoulder was still bothering him. 

 

She prodded her twin in the side with a slipper. “You appear to be an eclipse.” 

 

“Yeah, I am but I’m from a different dimension. It's a really long story. The name Solar by the way.” He ignored the snort that came from the moon. 

 

“We have no intention of damaging your home or harming any one in it. ” Athena replied, her frame drooping slightly from exhaustion.

 

Solar’s turn to snort. Naming oneself after the goddess of handicrafts and wisdom was one thing but Hidensbrug? Someone played too much Resident Evil.  “I think there's at least one clean room you can use.” he motioned for them to follow.

 

“We appreciate your hospitality.” She reached down and grabbed her twin by the back of the coat and jerked him to his feet. The amount of complaining was honestly impressive.

 

------

Sun yawned and stretched like a cat, enjoying the warm early morning sun and gentle pressure on his lower half. Normally he’d be near frantic waking up so late and would have been scrambling to serve his master. Instead he stretched again and lightly stroked the slender storm gray arm draped over his midsection while he watched KC sleep . 

 

It slowly dawned on him that they forgot to bring the cart and would have to go back and get it. Preferably before the sun got too high in the sky and the meat began to rot. “KC…wake up.” He gently shook the other’s shoulder. The crimson eyes flickered open, hazed with sleep. 

 

“Mmmmppphhh?” KC yawned, jaws opening impressively wide, long tongue curling between dagger sharp teeth. 

 

“Did you have a good sleep?” 

 

It took a few moments for him to wake up all the way, codes and protocols running. Blinking a few times he looked around, taking in his surroundings as the memories rushed back into his sleep-addled mind. The forest, the hunt….Sun’s pants. Warmth rushes through his systems and a low rumble stirs in his chest. Sun bit on his lower lip as the vibrations went right to his pelvic frame and sent little shivers right up his spine. 

“I did not intend to fall asleep on you.” 

 

Sun shook his head, his smile as bright as his name sake. “It's alright, you were pretty tired.” 

His slender fingers kneaded the damp forest floor, content and not really wanting to move but they couldn't just lay there all day. He nuzzled against Sun’s warm casing , debating on getting up when his sensitive audios caught a faint hitch of breath. Curious, he lightly dragged the tips of his fingers over Sun’s side and received the same results. 

 

“Sorry, I’m still a little sensitive from last night. I can take care of it later myself, it's not a big deal.” 

“I can help with that firefly. After all, I did cause it.” 

 

“You shouldn’t have– I didn’t mean– I–” He cut himself off, faceplate warming. It wasn’t as if KC was forcing himself on him or was pushing his boundaries, something his former master did all the time. It was oddly hard to say no as he looked right into the nearly hypnotic crimson eyes. It kinda was KC’s fault that he was so worked up last night. He nodded, a bit hesitant but certain that the other would stop if asked. 

 

Taking that as consent he licked his lips with his long tongue. Rising to his hands and knees he moved back a bit and situated himself between Sun’s slender legs. He bowed his head over the other’s hips, mouth opening to let his obscenely long tongue loll out and curl around Sun’s cock drawing a surprised gasp. 

 

Sun gasped loudly. It felt nothing like anything his former master had done to him. The apex predator was gentle, not even a hint of teeth against the delicate appendage. “Ahhh…d-don’t st-top..” he choked out, fingers digging into the loamy ground. 

 

A deep rumble stirred in his chest as he pressed the modest length into his throat as deeply as he dared. It was a bit uncomfortable since it triggered his gag reflex, making his throat flex around the length intently massaging it. It fit just right. 

 

Sun spread his legs a bit more and bit down on his lower lip as the most enjoyable sensation that he had ever felt. His hips rocked without his conscious control, thrusting lightly into KC’s mouth. It was already so much but he wanted more. A lot more. "Oh...oh... that's so...goooood.” 

 

Smiling around the twitching length he continued to work it with his tongue, squeezing it gently while using his hands to hold the other’s hips down so he didn’t accidentally cause him to gag which would lead to some very unpleasant consequences. 

 

Pleasure crossed his like lightning while small needy nosies flowed from his vocalizer. Before he could warn the other he felt a rush of bliss overtake him in a warm rush as the orgasm washed over him. He shuddered hard and sagged, panting harshly as his body struggled to cool off. 

 

Hardly bothered by the watery faintly sweet substance that splattered on his tongue KC rumbled softly and pulled his head up, a thin line of saliva dripped from his lower lip. “Firefly?” 

 

“I’m alright.” Sun pulled in a few shallow ragged breaths to cool his still too warm frame down. “That was…wow…” 

 

KC chuckled and sat back, crouching while Sun fumbled around his clothing and got dressed.  His movement caused several small scavengers that had been feeding on the carcass to flee.

“I forgot the cart.” Sun sheepishly looked over to KC. 

 

“It's not a big deal. We can retrieve it then return and retrieve most of the meat.” And the hide, the thick soft white fur would make for a nice blanket once it was tanned.  

 

After retrieving his bow and arrows he followed KC back, smiling and feeling lighter and happier than he had in many years. It felt like nothing could bring him down.

 

It was late evening by the time they had retrieved the cart, loaded it down then returned to the castle, tired and filthy but happy. They didn’t get very far when Solar informed them that a pair of newcomers had come through the portal. KC tensed and rumbled softly in displeasure. He was far too tired to deal with this. 

 

“They are using one of the spare rooms for now. Neither of them were hostile.” 

 

“That’s good at least.” Sun sighed. He really wanted to take a bath given how gross he felt. 

“Given the lateness of the hour it will be best to deal with this in the morning.” KC hunched up, displeased. 

 

Sun made a noise of agreement. 

KC moved with ease through the large halls of the castle trailing behind Sun on all four, claws clicking softly on the floor. They made their way through the massive castle back to their bedroom and to the former masters washroom. 

 

Sun peeled off his ruined clothing letting it drop to the black and white marble floor and KC followed suit. Sitting on the edge of the tub Sun fiddled with the brass knobs while KC crouched beside him, lightly nuzzling against his shoulder while the tub filled. Sun hummed softly while eyeing the assortment of bottles lined up on the other side of the tub. The bright blue one caught his attention. Reaching out he picked it up, almost putting it back as a warning trickled down his spine. Lord Eclipse wasn’t there to punish him for using something that once belonged to him. 

 

Partly to give his former master the middle finger and partly out of curiosity he pulled the cork out of the bottle and drizzled some of the blue fluid into the water. The rich smell of blueberries filled the air while a thick froth of bubbles began to form over the water. 

 

How many times had his former master been lounging in the large tub enjoying himself while Sun had to do with a much smaller tub or at times, nothing more than a bucket and a few rags. No more, he could do pretty much anything he wanted now. 

 

“KC.” He lightly nudged the dark animatronic. 

 

“Firefly?” KC groggily responded.

 

“The tub is full.” He stood up and guided the groggy lunar bot into the warm froth covered water. KC sank into a tub with a low sound of appreciation. Leaning back against the back of the tub he closed his eyes. Sun chuckled warmly and picked up a washcloth, gently running it over the duel colored chest. 

The crimson eyes cracked open, locking onto Sun, admiring him as if he was his namesake, soaking in the radiance. Sun felt the heat rush to his faceplate but before he could say anything a hand lightly grabbed his arm and dragged him into the tub. He sputtered in surprise then laughed, the sound light and airy. Scooping up a handful of bubbles he flung the froth at the larger animatronic. In return KC sat up a bit with a mischievous grin and dumped a double handful of bubbles onto Sun.

 

Sun giggled at the mildly ticklish sensation of bubbles cascading over his face and casing. Flicking his rays to get the worst of the bubbles away from his face he settled himself between the other’s long lean legs and laid his head on the broad chest, one hand resting on the slightly swollen abdomen. It wouldn’t be too much longer before KC began to show more. 

 

KC winced as the tiny niblet made its presence known by kicking his spine. “Settle down, little one.” He rumbled softly while Sun stroked his midsection. 

 

“You’ll be out soon enough. There’s no need to hurry.” Sun all but melted into the embrace, eyes closing. He wanted to make KC happy, do whatever he needed to ensure the other’s safety, he wanted to hold him close and listen to his internal workings, fall asleep curled up with him. 

 

He was pretty sure the emotion that was flowing through his systems all warm and bubby was love.

Chapter 36

 

Well past midnight and Solar found himself staring at the ceiling. Sleep eluded him, remaining on the edges of his mind. Venting harshly he sat up . He needed something to do, something to keep him busy so the memories and self loathing wouldn't send him into a loop.

 

His pale gaze moved around the small room. The small room was devoid of decorative elements and decorative furniture. Just a small plain desk covered in his meager belongings shared the room. It looked nothing like the once bright and welcoming room he once shared with the one he called brother. 

 

Something in his chest tightened painfully as if an invisible hand was squeezing it. 

 

"Sunny." He whispered to the darkness. "I miss you so much." Deciding a pity party wasn't on the menu for tonight he tossed the covers to the side and got up. 

 

The castle was unnaturally quiet. Wandering the maze of cavernous corridors he began to think back. What had driven his Moon’s temper to the point he'd hit Sun. Had it been misplaced jealousy? Fragments of the kill code after he ripped KC out of his mind? Whatever it was, Moon had single handedly torn their happy little family apart.

 

His feet carried him through the eerie hall and into the main area of the castle then through what had once been the throne room. The twisted wreckage of the chandelier was still on the floor and the rank stench of charred metal and cloth hung in the still air. Flinching away from the damaged curtains and ugly dark stain on the floor he shuffled all the faster towards sanctuary. 

KC was making biscuits, fingers massaging the thick soft white fur blanket while a deep rumbling purr flowed from his chest while he drifted in a half asleep state. Something had stirred him from a deep sleep, a slight prickling against his senses. Upon waking he checked every inch of the room. Satisfied there was nothing amiss he returned to deep after opening one of the windows to let in some fresh air. 

 

Next to him lay Sun in a messy sprawl of limbs and tangled in the blankets, deeply asleep. A train running through the room wouldn't have woken him up. 

 

He was drifting off when there came a light knocking at the massive doors. “Enter.” He sat up a bit in concern when a disheveled Solar shuffled in. Immediately he knew something was wrong. 

 

He got up and walked over to the door, gently taking Solar by the arm and leading him in. “Bad memories?” The dark sun nodded, shoulders hunched and eyes damp with tears. 

 

“I…I didn't want to be alone but I didn’t want to bother you two…”

 

“It’s alright Solar, you can come to either of us at any time.” He patted the bed, motioning for the traumatized bot to sit down. Once Solar had climbed onto the large bed and curled up he pulled the thick blankets back up, tucking him in. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

 

“Not…right now…maybe later.” 

 

He  gave the dark eclipse a worried look but didn’t push him for answers. Solar would speak about his past trouble when he was comfortable. Sitting on the edge of the bed he lightly rubbed the tense bot’s back. “Whenever you feel comfortable enough to talk about whatever troubles you, we will be willing to listen. You are safe here.” KC assured him. 

--

 

Because Ari_The_Artist wanted to see Sunny eat a marker and so did I. What else should Sun accidentally eat? 

“Sun, this is beautiful.” Solar stepped into the large round room. A set of large glass doors lined the opposite wall that opened onto a small clearing ringed by the forest. A set of rustic benches were barely visible through the overgrown weeds. 

 

“We found it by accident.” Sun smiled sheepishly while clutching the water clock he had liberated from his former master's private study. 

 

Solar walked to the large doors and pushed them open, letting the warm breeze wash in. “It's perfect.” In his mind he was planning the layout of the workshop. Tables covered in baskets filled to the brim with colored glass beads, wire, small parts and more. He would have to get some new tools but he wasn’t bothered by that. 

 

“We know you’ve been needing your own space so you could work.” But not some place closed off. “We’ll help you find anything you need.” 

 

Solar felt his face flush. “Thanks. This is perfect. It really is.” 

 

Sun smiled and giggled softly then sat the water clock on the floor near the door. While time was meaningless here he figured Solar would appreciate the complexity of the machine. 

 

“It’ll take some time to get everything but it's not as if we are in a hurry. I really appreciate this Sun.” Solar gazed out at the tranquil clearing. “This place feels more like home than my home dimension ever did.” He picked up the faint scent of wood smoke, likely from Moon and KC burning the hideous furniture and decor in the courtyard. Hopefully they tossed the former ruler’s carcass into the bonfire too. 

 

“There’s plenty of desks and tables in the unused bed rooms, it shouldn't be too hard to move some into here.” With that in mind Sun wandered off to locate said decks then got side tracked when he realized KC was going to be hungry after moving all that heavy furniture. Cutting through the large dining room he paused after spotting a pile of colorful tubes laying on the table next to  a stack of papers. Curious, he puttered over to the table and picked up one of the strange tubes. 

 

A faint smell crossed his sensors. 

 

Even more curious now he placed the tube close to his ‘nose’ and snuffled it like a cat. It smelled oddly enough like cherries. But why? He sniffed it more deliberately. 

 

Again it smelled strongly of cherries. 

 

Was there something inside of it? Normally jam and other sweet treats would be stored inside of jars and not strange tubes. For a moment he considered it might be a magic component but against those where typically stored in jars. So what could it be? 

 

He snuffled it again then began fiddling with it until one end popped off exposing a thinner tube of something. He probably shouldn’t be messing with it but his curiosity was over powering his logic. He shook the plastic tube until the inner part came out. Much like a cat or small child he put it into his mouth without a second thought. 

 

Solar strode out of his new workshop just in time to hear a loud garbled yelp. Concerned, he sprinted into the dining room to see a distraught Sun  with a disassembled marker in one hand and now very red tongue sticking out. 

 

“Sun? What happened?”

 

It tas gwoss!” He scrubbed at his tongue but the awful taste persisted. 

 

“Did you eat the marker?” Solar tried not to laugh as he gently took the empty marker tube from Sun’s hand. 

 

“Waths a marer?” 

 

“Marker, you draw with them, not eat them.” Solar chuckled, placing the tube on the table and pulling a rag out of his pocket so he could try to get most of the ink off poor Sun’s tongue while making a mental note not to leave anything sitting around that the goober might hurt himself with. “It’s not toxic so it won’t hurt you, it just tastes really gross.” Unfortunately most of it wasn’t coming off. “You might be stuck with a red tongue for a bit until the ink wears off.” 

 

“Buth ith smelth good.” Sun grimaced at the awful taste of the ink. 

 

“Yeah, some do smell good but they are not for eating.” Once he had gotten the worst of the ink off Sun’s tongue he stuffed the rag back in his pocket. “Drink some water or something and that should get rid of the rest of the taste.”

“Blarrggg..” Sun pulled a face at the lingering taste of chemicals. “I thought it was something to eat.”   

 

“They are not for eating, just for drawing.” He picked a marker at random and took the cap off then handed it to Sun. The poor thing had either forgotten or had his memories altered so he didn’t remember much of his previous life. “Markers have a tube full of ink and a felt tip that the ink flows through.” It was a bit of a struggle to not laugh as Sun struggled to figure out how to use the marker. The first few tries ended up with a bit of a scribbled mess on the paper but slowly he managed to get a bit of a grip on how to use it. 

 

“You can use these all you want, they are just some extras that I found among my stuff. I never use them. Just don’t eat them alright? “

 

Sun looked up long enough to smile widely and nodded hard enough to make his rays bob before going back to his drawing. 

 

Goober. He reminded him so much of his Sunny. Confident that Sun wouldn't eat the rest of the markers, Solar made his way to the upper floor of the castle, poking through the unused rooms for suitable furniture. Maybe later he’d check out the small marketplace for baskets so he could place small items and maybe some specialized tools.

 

So preoccupied with doodling with the strange yet fascinating markers that making something for his partner to eat slipped his mind until he felt the familiar gnawing sensation deep in the pit of his stomach. “Oppss..guess I got a little carried away.” Sheepishly he put the marker down and made his way to the kitchen. 

 

Peering into the fridge he grimaced at the fresh chunk of liver sitting in a silver bowl. Gingerly he plucked the bowl out of the fridge and held it at arm's length then set it on the counter. He stared at it for a long moment trying to figure out how to move the raw organ into a pan without touching it. Searching the drawers he found a large silver fork which he used to poke the lump of purple-red flesh into the pan. He shuddered in disgust as he shoved the pan onto the burning embers of the fireplace. He knew that KC liked it cooked on the outside and raw in the middle. 

 

Gross. 

 

Better than eating is completely raw. 

 

To get his mind off the cooking flesh Sun busied himself with cutting some of the vegetables into thin strips and tossing them into another pan and adding a pre cleaned fish that KC had caught for him then setting it down next to the other pan. 

 

Still tasting the marker he rubbed his tongue with a rag then drank some fresh fruit juice made from the many berries that grew in the forest. He leaned against the worn counter, enjoying the simple quiet of the small kitchen. There was no rush to get anything done, no pressure to make anything perfect or risk a beating, not that making it as perfect as possible stopped his former master. Lord Eclipse always found some flaw in nearly everything he did. 

 

Lord Eclipse had really been nothing more than a spoiled brat with too much power. 

 

By the time KC came back inside, smelling of wood smoke, Sun had plated their food and set the plates on the table. The larger animatronic strode over to him and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling against his shoulder with a low rumble. “It looks wonderful, firefly.” 

 

A little shiver sped down his spine and he leaned into the touch. “Did you have fun burning all that ugly furniture?” 

 

“I think Moon enjoyed it more than I did.” KC rumbled, recalling how the smaller lunar bot cackled gleefully at the large bonfire. The last remnants of the old king were gone, turned to charcoal and ash. The castle was theirs now. 

 

A new kingdom would rise from the ashes of the old one. 

 

Reluctantly he pulled away and made his way over to the table. As tempting as it was to use his fingers and shovel the semi raw organ into his maw he resisted the urge, pushing the instinctual urge to the side which was becoming harder to do. Likely that had to do with the growing niblet and his body demanding substance. Instead he picked up the comically small fork and dug in. The rich bloody flavor of the liver danced across his tongue as he swallowed the chunk. “Its perfect firefly.” 

 

The tension in his shoulders vanished at the praise. Sun knew his partner wouldn’t yell at him or be abusive towards him just because he had over or undercooked something but the fear was deeply ingrained in him. “I remembered how you liked it.” He smiled as he began eating.

Chapter 37

Solar approached the large ornate doors of the private bedroom, hesitating for a moment before knocking on it. When he received no response he pushed it open. Given how early it was, Sun was likely up and about and so was KC but he really didn’t feel like searching the entire castle for them. Stepping into the room he smiled and chuckled softly at the sight of the large lunar animatronic sprawled out on his back like a large cat , napping in the shaft of warm sunlight streaming through the large windows, the tip of his tongue sticking out. Every once in a while his paws would twitch and fan out. 

 

Goober. 

 

Not wanting to wake KC up he shuffled to the large desk and riffled through the drawers for some paper and a quill, wiring a quick note that he was going to make a trip into town for a few things so they didn’t worry about him. It would be better if they could leave a text but his internal phone was long broken. Yet something else that needed to be replaced. 

 

Better find Sun and let him know as well. He was likely in the kitchen or the green house. Leaving the note on the top of the desk he glanced at the sleeping animatronic, chuckled then left to check the kitchen. Finding it empty he walked outside the castle and past the smoldering pile of dying embers and ash of the bonfire. The green house, while fantastic and beautiful with all the blooming flowers, was unoccupied. 

 

Where would Sun be? Not the library. Maybe in one of the fields nearby with all the wild flowers. Seemed likely given his love for bright colors. 

 

With that in mind Solar made his way down a side path, away from the castle. It was oddly peaceful, the warm air was filled with the sounds of birds and soft rustle of leaves in the wind. Thin wispy clouds drifted in a pale blue sky. He paused to tilt his head up towards the sun, soaking up its warmth for a moment while he listened to the birds singing. 

 

Hearing the faint jingle of bells and muted talking Solar headed towards it. Much to his surprise he found Mischief and his Sun sitting on a patchwork blanket near a field of wildflowers, a crudely woven basket placed between them. “I was wondering where you got off to.” 

 

“Hey Solar!” Mischief waved his free hand, the other clutching a sandwich. 

 

“You’ve seen Sun? I was going to make a trip into town and wanted to let him know.” 

 

“He’s off in the field.” The Lunar motioned towards the wildflowers. 

 

That’s when he saw it, a pile of neatly folded clothing near the blanket that looked suspiciously like Sun’s clothing. Why would-he looked towards the field of wildflowers and saw more of Sun then he ever wanted to. He lit up like a malfunctioning nightlight.  Stuttering he looked away, face burning. “I could have gone all day without seeing that.” Now he was going to have to scrub the memory of the solar bots ass from his mind. 

 

Mischief chuckled at Solar's reaction. “Guess he wanted to feel free.” Not like there was anyone around but them and it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before. 

 

Shaking his head, Solar sat down on the edge of the blanket while the timid Sun reluctantly rose to his feet to explore the field of wildflowers. “I really hope he doesn't take his pants off too.” 

 

Mischief choked on his sandwich. “I would hope not!” 

 

Solar laughed, the sound bright and cheery. 

 

“He’s worse than Moon.” 

 

Just like that the moment of joy was gone. Something in his chest tightened. His shoulders hunched. “About Moon…” He fidgeted with the faded torn ribbons hanging from his wrists. If Mischief punched him then he wouldn’t blame the other. “Lord Eclipse set him on fire…hurt him really badly. He’s offline right now and I've been working on him but it's taking longer than I’d like given the lack of proper parts and tools.” He tensed, waiting for the potential verbal onslaught. The silence dragged on uncomfortably. 

 

He could feel Mischiefs stare boring into him. He half expected to be attacked, maybe have something thrown at him for not keeping Moon safe. But he got neither. 

 

“My brother is safe?” 

 

“Yeah, he is. I wouldn’t leave him unprotected while he’s vulnerable.” 

 

“Good. I know you wouldn't hurt him since you're a good person.”

 

“But you still worry about him.” Like any good sibling would, Solar thought bitterly. 

 

“I have to. Especially after everything that happened. If Eclipse wasn’t dead already I’d set him on fire and see how much he likes it.” Mischief grumbled. 

 

“I think Moon and KC have done exactly that but unfortunately the bastard is already dead.” Solar glanced at the pair, then  promptly snapped gaze away while he glowed like a lightbulb. 

 

Mischief followed his gaze. His Sun was running around, stark naked, pants trailing behind him like a banner. "Sun where the fuck are your pants!" He rolled his eyes and groaned loudly in exasperation. . "They don't exactly understand modesty."

 

“Wait…you mean Moon…” 

 

Mischief got to his feet and disappeared into the thick greenery, chasing after his Sun while yelling at him to put his pants back on. 

 

Solar chuckled softly as the dread rapidly bleed away though he couldn’t help to wonder why Mischief didn’t seem all that worried about his other sibling. It wasn’t for a lack of caring, it felt as if the smaller animatronic was keeping his feelings buried. That or he had some amazing control over his emotions. 

 

------

Time stretched out like a lazy cat, days melting into each other as Solar busied himself with setting up a workshop and working on Moon, often forgoing sleep and working himself into exhaustion. His joints ached and his headache but he refused to slow down. He needed the distractions badly with the nightmares that lingered. 

 

Clutching a cup of black hot bitter coffee (thank you Moon) Solar stepped out into the clearing behind the shop. The early morning air was thick with the scent of flowers and damp leaves. As he stood there admiring the peace and calm the rattle of dried leaves danced across his audios. Curious he looked towards the sound, watching the large pile of dried leaves rustle and shake as if something was moving inside of it. A moment later something stormy grey and black exploded from the leaves in a blur of movement, lithe form rolling in the leaves. 

Solar nearly choked on his coffee as he watched the large lunar animatronic tear through the leaves, dive into a pile only to explode out of it a moment later like an oversized cat. 

 

Was he going to record this? Yes, yes he was. 

 

Smiling he leaned against the door frame, watching KC chirp and rumble happily as he chased after the leaves, hardly slowed down by his rather swollen belly. He probably wasn’t going to grow any larger but the demands of the rapidly growing niblet would stress his systems and body. For now it seemed KC had plenty of energy. 

 

He nearly choked on his coffee again when the lunar predator rolled around in the dry leaves, toes fanning out. Sun was going to love this.

Chapter 38

The gloomy overcast morning turned into a beautiful sunny warm early afternoon, perfect for a trip to the local market. Sun meandered through the surprisingly busy market place while the lunar predator trailed behind him. The oversized shirt KC was wearing did little to hide that he was heavily pregnant, something that seemed to be the center of the hushed gossip. He ignored the muted conversations taking place in the shadows. Their words had no effect on either of them. Let people think what they want. 

 

KC breathed the warm air in, shivering in delight at the myriad of scents. It was rather difficult to resist the urge to snuffle damn near everything like a cat so he could explore the interesting aromas of the marketplace. His animalistic code flared every time some interesting scent washed over his olfactory sensors made it harder to resist the urge to find the source of the scent. Especially when he caught the thick rich smell of fresh blood and raw meat. It took everything he had to keep his dark code under control the closer he got to the stall. A quick glance over his shoulder assured him that Sun was fine.

 

He picked out the finer cuts that were well marbled with glistening fat while drool pooled in his mouth as the butcher wrapped the pieces up in brown paper. Eagerly he took the package and paid the butcher before rushing off to find Sun, claws cutting into the paper as he walked. The moment there was a large enough hole, he plucked out one of the juicy morsels and popped it into his mouth, rumbling in delight at the rich taste of meat and fat. 

 

He didn't make it far before being distracted by a colorful display of spices and peppers. 

When he returned to Sun’s side it was with a small (too him) basket full of assorted peppers. He had tried to pay for them with the gold and silver coins he had found in Lord Eclipse's desk but the vender insisted that he have them as thanks for disposing of the mad king and freeing the kingdom from his reign of terror and oppression.

 

Sun tilted his head towards his companion. “Found yourself a snack?”

 

“Yes. I found some of those wonderful peppers too.” 

 

 Noticing the small strings of caustic saliva dripping from the lunar predator's mouth he pulled a napkin out of his pocket, an old habit, and motioned to KC to lower his head. KC complied, allowing him to wipe away the mess. 

 

Moving onto the other small stands he found one full of clothing. Dresses to be exact. He reached out, slender fingers gently rubbing the soft fabric. He settled on a gorgeous soft buttery yellow dress with large sunflowers decorating the lower half of it. 

 

He looked at the lovely dress in Sun’s hands and felt something stir deep inside. Sun had good taste. “It will look good on you.” He purred. 

 

Sun lit up and ducked his head, smiling while clutching the dress. Lord Eclipse would have never allowed him to wear anything other than the uncomfortable black and white suits, the remainder of which had been tossed into a trash can leaving an empty wardrobe waiting to be filled with colorful clothing. 

 

"Let me pay for you, Firefly.” KC fished out a few silver coins out of a pocket and handed them to the vendor. 

 

 “Thank you.” It came out as a squeak as his face heated up and smile grew. 

 

“I don’t mind.” It wasn’t as if he had much need or want for material possessions while Sun owned almost nothing. 

 

Sun carefully folded the lovely dress and placed it in his basket before puttering around the market some more, pausing every once in a while to admire some of the wares on display. The bright colors and noise were beginning to give him a bit of a headache and his anxiety was starting to spike. “Maybe we should get some lunch?"

 

KC hummed softly while watching his lover fidget, clearly anxious. “That sounds like a good idea. We should stock up on a few preserved foods as well.” Mostly honey and fruit preserves since Sun loved sweet things. 

 

They stopped by a few more stalls then headed away from the small village and market, back towards the castle, laden with their purchases. Instead of heading towards the daunting castle he guided Sun to a large overgrown area nearby. 

 

Nimble as a panther the lunar predator made his way through the overgrowth, paws barely making a sound on the thick carpet of dead leaves. It was clear he was searching for something. Sun scrambled after KC, growing more and more curious. 

 

In a small clearing stood a pavilion, the paint was faded and peeling but there was an odd charm to it. In the center there was a pile of pillows and thick quilt  KC had clearly planned this out in advance. A warm feeling blossomed in his chest while tears of happiness prickled the corners of his eyes. 

 

“I found it while roaming the grounds. It's very peaceful here.” And more importantly well away from curious eyes. 

 

Sun walked up the worn but sturdy steps and sat his basket down. “I wonder how many more places like this are out there.” 

 

“Once Moon is born we can do some exploring. There must be many other places like this, left to rot and ruin.”  

 

Since they were alone and he didn’t have much of a sense of modesty Sun shamelessly stripped his pants off giving KC an eye full of the red silk and lace panties he was wearing before putting the dress on. The soft yellow cloth came to his knees and swirled around his slender legs every time he moved. 

 

“You look beautiful, firefly.” KC purred, the tantalizing scarlet panties were burned into his mind. 

 

Sun flushed and smiled. “Thank you. I really like it.” he sat down on the soft thick quilt, chuckling when KC flopped down next to him, resting his head on his thighs, the deep rumbling purr sending vibrations through his frame. He reached into the basket that had their lunch and pulled out a still warm meat pie. Much to his amusement the crimson eyes fixed on the savoy treat as he held it out.  Powerful jaws delicately plucked the small tidbit from his slender fingers. 

The dark appendage darted out to curl around his slender fingers, warm and slick.

 

Sun shook his head to clear the less than innocent thoughts from his mind though it was a lot harder to ignore the warm flush that washed over his systems like warm oil.

 

Shaking off the wonderful shivery sensation he plucked another meat pie out of the basket only this time he held it just out of easy reach, lightly teasing KC. The predator purred loudly and gently plucked the small pie from his fingers. He barely chewed it, mostly smashing the pastry against the roof of his mouth with his tongue, reducing it to a chunky mess before swallowing it.

 

He offered the lunar predator a large strawberry, shivering when the dastardly tongue wrapped around the plump fruit and his fingers. The sharp teeth made short work of the berry. Chucking he picked up another strawberry and bit into it, almost moaning at how good it tasted. He devoured it in a few bites and polished off two more before holding another one out for his partner. 

 

Crimson eyes locked onto the large berry. As with the last one he pulled it into his mouth with his dexterous tongue. “Sweet,” He rumbled, “but not as sweet as you.” he licked his lips in a suggestive manner.

 

 All thoughts of food were forgotten as the memories of that wonderful night besides the creek bubbled up. Fighting the urge to rub his thighs together he tried to redirect his attention back to the small pile of assorted fruit but it was hard to focus on that with KC’s head being in his lap. 

 

The lunar predator rumbled softly, the smell of food and the sweet smell of Sun fighting for his attention with the latter slowly winning, tugging at the more animalistic parts of his code. He rolled over and blatantly buried his face between Sun's thighs, happily purring at the started squeak from the solar bot. 

 

 “Enjoying yourself?” He teased, spreading his thighs a bit. 

 

“I’d say I am.” Taking the lack of protest as consent he  pushed the folds of Sun’s dress, lightly grazing the inside of one of his thighs with his teeth followed by his tongue. 

 

Sun swallowed nervously and barely suppressed a breathy moan.  When he felt the warm damp appendage press against the thin layer of fabric covering the curves of his pussy he nearly came undone. Gasping softly and leaned back a bit while spreading his thighs open more. It was impossible to stay quiet, not that he wanted to be. Unlike his former master, he wanted his partner to know how good that wonderful tongue felt. 

 

Using his teeth, the predator pulled the damp red fabric away, snapping the spaghetti thin straps in his eagerness. With the barrier out of the way he rolled the long agile tongue over the little nub then wormed the long appendage past the damp folds. He pressed his surprisingly long tongue in as deeply as possible then  pulled out only to attack his lover's neglected clit while Sun bucked his hips trying to get more stimulation. 

 

Sun leaned back more, fingers tightly gripping the pillows as the tongue wriggled deeper, pressing and stroking things he didn’t know existed, it was the most amazing thing he had ever felt. Throwing his head  back he keened loudly as he clenched around the intruder. 

 

“Ahhh…fffuck..th-that f-f-feels good…”

 

Every flick, coil and brush of the predator's tongue made him see stars. Thighs clamping around KC’s head, his back arched as his orgasam hit, one that was far more intense than anything he felt before. Panting he collapsed onto the pillows, light headed from the rush of pleasure.

 

KC pulled his long, slick tongue back into his mouth, face plastered with saliva and sweet release. Purring he lapped the slick sweet oily cum off Sun’s belly and with a few swipes of the dexterous organ cleaned every trace of release off the limp yellow-orange tentacock. Once done he rested his head on Sun’s thighs while trying to ignore how riled up he was. 

 

“KC…” He sat up, grimacing a bit at the stickiness between his thighs. Before the lunar predator could shift to hide it he caught a glimpse of the impressive tent in his starry pants. “That can’t be comfortable.” 

As difficult as it was, he ignored the discomfort of tight pants. “I will be fine firefly. The discomfort will fade.” he nuzzled against the warm casing, a low rumbling purr stirring in his chest. 

 

“I…could help you a bit. I am good with my hands.” Sun nervously offered, still riding the high from the orgasam. 

 

“I trust you but,” he hesitated, fingers kneading the thick blanket, “I do not feel comfortable with that level of intimacy. Not yet.” Just the idea of any one touching him in such a matter made his dark code flare protectively. “I do not want to injure you if I lose control of my animalistic side.” 

 

Sun smiled softly and rubbed the lunar predator’s shoulders. “I understand. None of what you said changes how I feel about you. I still deeply care about you and love you, even if you never become comfortable with intimacy.” 

 

“I don’t deserve you.” Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. 

 

Sun softly hushed his companion. “I disagree.” His smile grew when the lunar predator arched into his hands, the low rumbling purr returning to his chest.

 

--------------

 

 

“Seriously?” Athena resisted the urge to roll her eyes, reached over and grasped her twins hat then tried to pull him into a sitting position only to watch him sink lower into the chair. “Can you at least sit up?” The only response she received was a grumble. 

 

Solar barely resisted the urge to laugh at the display. It reminded him so much of his Moon before he turned into a total bastard. Pushing the memories away he picked up the still warm mug of coffee and sipped it, shivering in delight. “I take it wherever you two came from. Something bad happened given the condition you were in.” 

 

That was an understatement. “The Creator happened. The bastard got a hold of the Star and it didn’t like him too much.” the moon grumbled. Even devoid of a human body the idiot couldn't handle the eldritch being. 

 

“The resulting explosion took out the plex among other things.”  Athena tapped the cooling mug with her fingertips. “Even before that there wasn’t much left of the damn place and his minions were everywhere.” There was nothing to go back to other than ruin and char. “As far as I know we were the only two that escaped.” 

 

“That is unfortunate.” 

 

The sun shook her head. “The others were not….friendly. They were damn near feral towards the end, probably some sort of virus.” 

 

“I hope neither of you are carrying it.” Solar shifted, hands tightening on the mug slightly as he recalled how aggressive KC had been before he became sentient. It wasn't too hard to imagine what he’d be like under the thrall of a virus. 

 

The moon snorted.  “As if I’d allow that oversized brain to infect us.” 

 

“Still, for our peace of mind I’d like to run a deep scan just to make sure.” 

 

The moon shrugged while Athena jabbed him in the side. “We agree to it. I want to make sure the trackers the Creator implanted get removed. I’m not concerned about him tracking us down but someone else may be able to use them for the same purpose.” 

 

“I can do that. I should have the tools we need  in my workshop.”

Chapter 39

 

Sun puttered into the yard, basket hanging off one arm and armed with a trowel, intending to harvest some of the ripe vegetables from their small garden only to see a rather large mound of dirt near the base of a tree. A pile that was growing as more dirt was tossed out of the hole. Had some giant gopher entered the yard? 

 

Curious, he approached the hole only to see a very familiar head pop out of it. “What…what are you doing?” Why on earth was KC digging a hole to China? Was he after something? What could be worth spending so much energy digging for? 

 

KC clambered out of the hole, shaking off the layer of dirt he had accumulated. “I am digging a den. It will be safe for the little one.” Dark, comfortable and it would be impossible for a predator to enter without being mauled. 

 

Sun twitched in mild annoyance. “But it's so…dirty.” 

 

The lunar predator shook off again sending up a small cloud of dirt particles. “My instincts will not settle until I find or make a suitable den.” 

 

Surely there had to be someplace better than a dirty hole in the ground. “What about the closest? It's dark, there’s plenty of room and you can use all that fugly clothing as bedding.” And it was a dirty hole in the dirt. 

 

KC tilted his head, the bell on the end of his hat jingled softly. It would be considerably cleaner. His instincts flared, scraping along his code. Find a dark safe place, hide. It was difficult to resist the urge to dart back down the hole and continue to excavate it.  His fingers twitched. “It would be more comfortable and you will be nearby to assist.” 

 

Sun nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be hard for me to help if you are in a hole.” 

 

Crimson eyes glanced at the hole. Shaking off once again he dropped to all four, brushing against Sun as he padded though the open window into their room. 

 

Sun shivered at the soft brush against his casing. Gripping the basket a little tighter he made his way to the small garden only to grumble and twitch in agitation at the sight of holes in the tomato plant’s leaves. And there among the damaged leaves were fat green and white caterpillars. “You little bastards…” Setting the basket down he pinched one of the fat caterpillars between his fingers and tried to pull it off the plant only to discover it had quite a grip. 

 

“Let go! Get…get off!” He pulled harder only the caterpillar wouldn't let go. Damn the thing had some impressive grip strength. Not willing to be outdone he unsheathed his claws and cut through the stem it was latched on to then tossed it into the basket. Several more followed. He stood there, looming over the tomato thieves wondering what to do with them. Squishing them made him nauseated so he dumped them into the hole KC had dug. Something would likely eat the little bastards. 

 

The strawberries were blessedly free of any pests. 

Sun stepped out of the alcove and into the heart of the massive library. It reeked of old books and damp stone. Searching around the bookshelves until he found the magic tombs he picked up one, fanning the pages, speed reading it. It would take a while to get everything he needed but it wasn’t as if he was in a rush. He had all the time in the world. Literally. 

 

Putting the book back he picked up another. 

 

An odd prickling sensation of being watched darted down his spine. Slowly he turned around though he saw no one. Still the sensation remained. “You might as well come out of the shadows.” 

 

“Something tells me you shouldn't be here.” A sun, a female one at that, appeared from behind a bookcase. The pale white and silver sari hugging the curves of her body. 

 

“Interesting. The last time I came here you were a male. Did Lord Eclipse get bored?” The sun model looked weak but he knew better than to underestimate the eclipses toys. “You might be of some use regardless.” 

 

Athena snorted in mild amusement. “ I am not a servant.” Reconnection stirred in the back of her mind. 

 

“Whore then. Lord Eclipse never really did care what he stuck his dick in.” Sun sneered.  I am seeking knowledge and then I'll depart."

 

“You could have asked instead of storming and insulting me.” Athena crossed her arms across her chest. Not that it bothered her, she had been called far worse by those they had met while being nomadic. “Besides, Lord Eclipse is long dead. This castle has new masters.” 

 

"I don't care. The quicker I find what I want; the quicker I'll leave.”  Sun growled, irritated. Before he could react the sun pulled a rondel dagger from the folds of her clothing and jammed it below his chest. Sun looked down, surprised. “Why….? it came out as a gurgle. 

 

“Because you are a threat. We’ve met before, you wanted to kill my moon and for me to run off with you to some fabled Neverland.” She growled, twisting the blade. “You didn’t just stumble into this library on chance, you searched it out.” She moved to loom over the intruder watching the pale eyes widen slightly in surprise.

 

Sun fumbled his teleporter controls and vanished.

 

Athena stared at the spot where the sun had been. He would be back, of that she was certain. 

Not for the first time the dark sun found himself staring at a very familiar ceiling. If the dagger had been a little higher it would have pierced something vital. As it was, the short circuit made his right arm useless. Somehow his left arm had escaped undamaged. 

 

Sitting up with a grunt the dark sun looked around the massive room. The project was still a work in progress and would go by a little faster if he had the spells required. Said spells happened to be in that damn library. 

 

The aggressive behavior might mean there was something truly grand in the library that was worth protecting...something very important. Once he finished repairing his body he would return, prepared this time. 

“A sun? What was he doing in our library?” Sun nervously fidgeted with the sleeves of his shirt. 

 

“He was looking through the magic books for something. He didn’t come here by accident.” Athena leaned back in her chair. “He’s a dark sun that’s been rounding up other suns and taking them to some sort of sanctuary he made then later killing their moon’s.  He showed up in our daycare before everything went to hell and tried his damndest to convince me to come with him.” 

 

“I don't like that he just barged in like he owned the place.” Solar vented softly. KC was in a vulnerable state, they didn’t need random intruders popping up through the portal. 

 

“The portal can be locked but that will not stop potential intruders from using their own portals to enter the castle.” KC crouched near the table. “I can put up barriers that will protect certain areas of the castle so we can at least be better prepared.” 

 

“I can call Moon and see if he’s got any tech that might help. I really don’t want this sun returning.” Solar leaned back in the chair. 

 

“It’ll be a while before he returns, I jammed a dagger into his thoracic cavity as a warning. The damage won’t be sever.” But it should be enough to make the dark sun think twice about intruding. 

Heisenberg dragged the large hammer behind him leaving a shallow scrape mark on the marble floor. Not that he gave a shit. He suspected the castle’s masters didn’t care either. He kicked the door to their room open, propped his hammer against the wall then slammed the door shut behind him. 

 

The lunar bot shuffled over to the large bed then collapsed onto it face first. 

 

“Could you at least take your boots off before you do that?” 

 

His only response was to grumble and spread out, taking up as much of the bed as possible out of spite. Much to his irritation he felt a pair of feet coming to rest on his lower back. “I am not a rug.” 

 

“You look like one.” Came the teasing response. 

 

Grumbling louder he lifted his head to glare at his twin. 

 

“Don’t glare at me like that. You look like a rumpled old rug.” Athena lightly prodded her other half with a slippered foot. 

 

“That’s new.” He eye balled the  purple saree with its embroidered silver flowers that hugged her slender body and accented her curves. 

 

“Got tired of dressing up like a clown. With the daycare long gone I didn’t see the need to keep the goofy pants.” One ray flicked in mild annoyance. She piled a few more pillows up behind her back. “You could at least dress decently.” 

 

Heisenberg huffed then wriggled out from underneath her feet to sit on the edge of the bed. “There’s nothing wrong with how I dress.” he shrugged the battered trench coat off, letting it fall to the floor. The stained rumpled shit followed. “I prefer my clothing to be practical.” Standing up he shucked off his pants as well then grabbed the pile of clothing to shove into the hamper. 

 

“Would it really be too much to ask for you to wear something a bit more….elegant?” 

 

Another huff. 

 

“I don’t like that sort of stuff. Hell I didn’t even want to be female, never felt comfortable like that.” The lunar bot shuffled to the free standing wardrobe. Inside was messy folded dark shirts, a spare trench coat and lots of lounge type wear. Yanking a dark blue long sleeves shirt with embroidered dragonflies on it, he slipped it on. He reached for a pair of pants then shrugged. It wasn’t as if he had anything to be ashamed of and frankly it was too damn hot for pants. “I’m starting to miss air conditioning.” he flopped back onto the bed. 

 

“The windows are open.” the Sun bot leaned forward to ghost her fingers over her lunar half’s fingers. 

 

He titled his head to look at the large bay window. The hazy blue and white curtains, no doubt Athena’s doing, were still. There wasn’t so much as a breeze. Grumbling, he rolled onto his side and stretched like a cat. “Too hot.” he whined. 

 

“Not much I can do about that. The sun will be going down in an hour, it should begin to cool off.” She leaned back again, not bothered in the least by the stifling heat. The low whine that came from the lunar bot made her chuckle softly. “I’m sure you won’t overheat or melt in such a short amount of time.” 

 

More irritated whining. 

 

Rolling her eyes she tugged the cranky lunar bot into her lap, letting him rest his head on the twin mounds of soft silicon on her chest. “So cranky.” She pushed his shirt up a bit exposing his lower back so she could gently stroke his warm casing in soothing motions. “Rest.” She kissed his forehead. “It might rain later tonight. I’ll wake you up if it does. ” A smile played across her lips as he snuggled against her, eyes closing, the tension fading from his frame.

Chapter 40: Don't Poke the Bear

 

KC hauled mounds of blankets, curtains and anything else made of cloth into the closest, fussing with the growing mound until he was satisfied with it. Instincts clawed at his logic, slowly shredding it. The want to return the hole in the ground was strong. Huffing he paced around the confined of the closest, slender powerful frame contorting in inhuman ways. He paused only to claw at the walls of the closet as if attempting to burrow through it. Sharp claws gouging the wood. 

 

Feeling frustrated he continued to pace around, fuss with the mound of cloth, pace then finally dart out of the closet, though the open window and back to the hole. 

 

The smell of rich damp earth and the sensation of it under his claws  settled the worst of his dark code. Eagerly he dug , filing up great clogs of dirt out of the den. He stopped only long enough to gather up large amounts of dry grass and leaves then return to the den. Chirping he pressed the vegetation down into a suitable mattress before curling up and laying down for a few moments. Growling he tried to find any position that was comfortable but the growing fetus pressed uncomfortably against his spine or internal components. 

 Huffing and growling he clambered back out of the den, shaking off the fine coating of earth he sat on his haunches then padded towards the wood on all four. 

 

He pulled in great lungfuls of air, complex brain sorting through the scent molecules lighting fast, discarding anything unintresting. Moving along a fresh game trail he huffed softly, mouth open slightly so the air could pass over a special organ on the roof of his mouth just behind the impressive dental array. 

 

The air was thick with the rich musky smells of animals, small mammals and scavengers. None that were large enough to waste limited energy on but instinct flared hot, demanding fresh meat. Substance before the exhaustion of birth prevented him from hunting. 

 

It was tempting to follow the fresh tracks of a large hooved animal but he couldn't risk an injury to his offspring so that small fare, barely worth the trouble. Growling he turned away from the game trail and followed the scent of smaller game. 

Solar walked out of his workshop intending to head into the kitchen for some coffee when he stepped on something warm and wet. Instantly he regretted not putting shoes on. Looking down his expression twisted into one of disgust. The blob was super gross and appeared to be made mostly of hair. 

 

A hair ball. 

 

He stepped on a fucking giant hair ball. 

 

Solar groaned and picked the foot up and shook the worst of the then peeled off the ruined sock. “Disgusting.” leaving the hairball where it was he walked into the kitchen and tossed the soggy sock into the trash can, grabbed some freshly brewed coffee then turned and stepped into another hairball. 

 

“God damn it! Since when did Sun get a cat?” He twitched and peeled the other sock off. ‘ Hey Sun, do something about your cat. It left two hairballs near the kitchen.’ 

 

Sun stared at the text. Cat? He didn’t have a cat. ‘But we don’t have a cat.’ 

 

‘Then who-’ Solar groaned and rubbed the side of his head feeling a headache coming on. ‘ I think KC left you a pair of presents near the kitchen.’ there was no way in hell he was cleaning that mess. Carefully he stepped around the vile mess and made his way back to his workshop to finish a special project. 

 

Confusion forgotten about, Sun put his sewing down and rushed to the kitchen only to almost step on the rather impressively large mass of hair and digestive fluids. “What the!?” he stared at the mess, cleaning protocols flaring. “Those aren’t presents! That’s disgusting!” he swore he heard Solar cackling. 

 

Grumbling he stomped into the kitchen to retrieve the cleaning supplies and as an afterthought a pair of gloves. Just the idea of touching the nasty mess with his bare hands made his casing want to crawl off his endo. 

 

Much to his horror there was a third hairball near the trash can as if someone had been attempting to make it to said trash can but couldn't. Shuddering he carefully scooped the wretched thing up and dumped it into the trash, gagging as the wet mass squished in his hands. It took everything he had not to heave up right then and there. He stripped the gloves off and tossed them then rushed to the sink where he coated his hands with bleach before washing them. 

 

Once he was certain there were no traces of the hairballs he turned the water off. They didn’t have a cat so who left those gross things? It dawned on him that it may have been KC but he couldn't recall ever seeing his companion uping a hairball. 

 

With the idea lodged in his mind he made his way back to main room to find a line of sheets leading to the closest. “KC?” A pair of crimson eyes peered from under the mass of cloth. “Did…did you …leave…a hairball…near the kitchen?” 

 

KC sheepishly smiled and hunched a bit. “My apologies Sun. I attempted to make it to a trash can before my stomach rejected its contents.” 

 

“You left it on the floor.” And poor Solar stepped in it and I nearly stepped in it. 

 

“Again my apologies Sun. It wasn’t my intention to leave a mess like that. My instincts are strong and difficult to ignore.” 

 

Sun sighed, shoulders slumping. It was impossible to stay mad or irritated at his companion for long. It wasn’t as if he had done it on purpose. 

2:30 AM

 

KC rolled onto his back with a low whine, toes fanning out. The position did nothing to ease the growing discomfort of the niblet shifting lower into his pelvic frame. Kicking off the covers he rolled on to his side, grumbled then returned to his original position.  He tried rolling on to his other side but that made him want to throw up.

He lifted his head to glower at his swollen belly. 

 

Groggy Sun sat up, face scrunched in displeasure. “KC, what's wrong? You're rolling around a lot.” 

 

“My apologies firefly. I can not get comfortable.” He gave his companion an apoplectic look

 

“It's alright.” He yawned. "You must not be very comfortable.” He scooted over so he could rub the predator's swollen belly. “You might be getting close to giving birth.”

 

“I do not look forward to it given how unpleasant it will be.” He winced at the sudden dull pain that spread through his abdomen. Growling he shifted and stretched out which did nothing to ease the pain. 

 

Sun's brow furled in concern. Sliding off the bed he encouraged the lunar predator to get up and walk. After a considerable amount of grumbling and grouching KC oozed off the comfortable mattress and flopped onto the floor which made Sun chuckle despite the worry. “Come on you big cat, moving around may help.

 

KC rolled around a bit on the floor. When that didn't help he lurched to all four, still cranky.

 

With the lunar predator pressing against his hip he encouraged his love to pad around the room while rubbing his arched back, keeping himself between the predator and the windows just in case KC tried to slip out one. If he vanished down the hole in the earth there would be no way he would be able to coax KC out of it.  “Hopefully it won't take long and won't be hard on you.” The lunar predator growled and flopped onto his side, clearly uncomfortable.

 

The next few hours consisted of him fighting the urge to sleep while walking KC around, rubbing his back and flanks in an attempt to ease some of the discomfort.

 

“You must be tried, firefly.”

 

Sun yawned and shook his head. “Just a little. I'll be fine, I can sleep when you're more comfortable.”

“The little one…is becoming more…active.”

 

“I feel like I swallowed a whole watermelon.” He grunted, wincing as the nibblet shifted again.

 

“Is walking around helping?”

 

“A little.” 

 

5:00 AM

 

“Take a nap Sun, I can watch over KC.” Irritable. Cranky. Crabby. Sun was not normally those things but after being up all night tending to a very testy lunar predator, he was becoming pretty grumpy himself. 

 

“I can't. What if something happens while I'm asleep or he needs me and I'm sleeping? He's vomited twice and now won't eat anything and-” 

 

“Sun.” Solar gave him an exasperated look. “If anything happens, I'll wake you up.”

 

Sun figited, rays askew and clothing rumpled. “I-I can't. He needs me-”

 

“Sunny,” Solar placed his hands on Sun’s shoulders. ,”you won't be able to help him if you're so tired you can't think straight.” He lightly pushed him towards the bed. “Rest. I'll wake you up if something happens. I promise.” After a bit more encouragement Sun complied, flopping onto the bed. He was asleep a moment later.

 

Solar knelt down behind the lunar predator, keeping out of kicking range though he was well within rage of those teeth and claws. There was no missing the flinch when he gently laid a hand in KC's belly. “It's alright big guy, it's just me.”  The stormy casing was slick with condensation and he was panting softly, thin strands of glistening saliva dripping down the corner of his mouth.

 

Solar gently rubbed KC's flank. “If you'll allow it I can start an IV. It might help.” The IV port had the added benefit of making it easier to sedate him if they needed to.

 

Receiving a barely perceptible nod, Solar rose to his feet. “Alright, I'll get it. If you get too uncomfortable or it starts to hurt, let us know.” He hurried to his room, retrieving a few tools that might be needed and the medical bag. Recalling that KC hadn’t been eating he made his way to the kitchen for a jug of fruit juice in hopes that he might be able to keep it down. 

 

He paused.

 

There was no hum of a compressor and when the door was opened, a light came on but he couldn't recall seeing a lightbulb. Shaking his head he returned to the bedroom. He could indulge his curiosity later. 

 

Returning to the lunar predator's side, he sat the bag down then gently nudged him awake. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the irritable growl. “I know, I know, I'm so mean for waking you up.” He knew he shouldn’t be irritating the predator given his mood but KC was pretty laid back compared to his Moon so he felt safe to poke the bear so to speak. “I figured you’d be thirsty so I brought you some juice.” 

 

KC scowled at the dark sun, bristling though he calmed slightly when he saw the flicker of fear on the other’s face. Once his dark code settled he sat up with a bit of difficulty, large hands wrapped around the jug. “Thank you.” he winces as the niblet shifts again. “I..did not mean to snap at you. My animalistic code is rather difficult to control. I am concerned that it will become harder to control the closer it comes time for me to deliver.” 

“That’s a legitimate concern. I can give you a light sedative if you feel that you can’t control it. You’ll still be awake and aware, just a little tired.”  

 

KC thought about it, claws clicking on the jug. “I consent to being sedated. I will not be able to forgive myself if I hurt Sun.” 

 

“Once I get the IV we can use the port to inject the sedative when you need it, that way we don’t have to hunt around for a spot to poke you.” Solar knelt beside his bag and retrieved the IV set. While KC distracted he pried up a section of casing on his lower arm and slid the large bore needle into a fluid line. “Hopefully you won’t have any complications.” He wrapped a yellow vet wrap around the IV to keep it secure. 

 

KC licked at his lips, cleaning away the traces of refreshing sweet fruit juice. “We are not meant to carry offspring so it stands to reason that I may have some complications.” His stomach gave a little heave but quickly settled. Just when he thought he could lay down and get some rest a sharp pain tore through his midsection. Grunting he curled up, one hand lightly pressing against his swollen belly. 

 

“KC!” Solar helped the lunar predator lay on his side and rubbed his back. “Talk to me budd, what's going on.” 

 

“Hurtssss.” He curled more, eyes squeezed shut. 

 

Was it a contraction? Or had he ingested something that was tainted. Grabbing the jug he sniffed it and swirled the contents around. He couldn't pick up anything other than the smell of crushed berries and…milk. “KC…are you lactose intolerant?” The predator nodded. “Shit.” he put the jug back down and rubbed the other’s back. “I think you are just having a reaction to the mi-” The lunar predator gagged then heaved forcing him to scramble for some towels to clean the mess.

 

The awful sour-bitter taste lingers in the back of his mouth while thick strands of drool dribble down the sides of his mouth while he gagged and coughed. 

 

“You’ll be alright big guy. Your body doesn't agree with dairy.” Solar continued to rub the predators back until he began to relax. Once he was sure that KC had fallen into an exhausted sleep he tugged a blanket over the stormy animatronic and cleaned away the slobber and traces of vomit. Picking up the jug again he closely examined it. While he doubted there was anything malicious involved, better safe than sorry. After disposing of it in the trash he returned to the lunar predator’s side. 

 

He let his thoughts wander which wasn’t hard in the quiet of the large room.  Why was there milk mixed into the fruit juice? Given the small amount that had been added to the juice it likely had been accidental rather than deliberate. Maybe Sun didn’t know KC had an intolerance for anything dairy. He’d discuss it 

-------

 

KC gets hairballs? Yep. He can’t break down hair, claws, teeth and the like so it has to come back up. Usually it comes up while he’s outside so he can bury it. Unfortunately he didn’t make it to a trash can 

 

Poor Sun and poor Solar’s socks

Chapter 41: Nest

 

warning-KC does something kinda gross but he’s just acting on instincts. In other words he tires to eat the afterbirth but its not graphic 

 

“I don’t feel good about this. It feels wrong to use it without his consent.” Sun stared at the large syringe in his hand.

 

“I got his consent while he was still lucid. There's a sedative mixed with the mild painkiller that is not strong enough to knock him out but it'll relax him enough that he won't stress and potentially hurt himself or you.” Sensing Sun’s hesitation he tried another angle. “He's been through a lot of trauma, keeping him calm will be in his best interests.” And yours, he added silently. 

 

Sun placed the syringe into a pocket. “Still, it feels wrong. He won't be able to consent once his instincts take over “ A small part of him wanted to throw the syringe away. Logically he knew Solar was right. If there was a risk that KC may hurt himself then he’d have to sedate him and deal with the potential fall out. 

It was early afternoon when KC retreated into the closet where the cave of fluff was. Delving deep down into his mind for every scrap of self control he possessed and pushed the dark primal code back down. Fighting down tears of helplessness and frustration he pawed at the thick mess of shredded cloth. Upon hearing soft footsteps outside the door a fearsome, low growl  that was ripped from his voice box rattled his casing and lashed the air like thunder. 

 

Sun froze, joints locking momentarily. “KC?” The IV line led to the closest and stopped there, the end of it ragged from where KC had chewed it off. Like a wild predator hiding in a den when it felt vulnerable. 

 

He forced the dark code back down though tendrils of it remained entwined stubbornly around his base code. “Firefly?” 

 

Hesitantly the solar bot pushed the closest door open. Squinting he peered into the darkness. Spotting a pair of dimly glowing red optics among the mass of cloth. “I was worried when I woke up and didn’t see you.” 

 

“It was not my intention to worry you. My primal code is very difficult to fight.” KC winced as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. He sucked in a shallow breath and rolled onto his side to help alleviate some of the pressure. 

 

Worry washed over Sun, in a flash he was by his companion’s side, hands digging through the layers of nesting material until he uncovered a very cranky lunar predator who huffed and hissed in irritation though Sun didn’t hold it against him. 

  The lunar bot began to relax, the tension bleeding away when he began to gently rub the other’s back and swollen belly. The casing over KC’s midsection was badly deformed due to the pregnancy and would have to be replaced. The nanties could add to something over time allowing the niblet to grow but it would be harder for them to take in the extra material. Monty or Solar could easily make some replacement casing. 

A brief flurry of concern wobbled across his circuits when the lunar predator stiffened, expression twisting into one that was a bitter mix of pain, fear and nausea. Underneath his hands he could feel the contractions. 

 

KC squeezed his eyes shut, jaw clenched as another contraction ripped through his frame. It felt like a giant hand was slowly squeezing his midsection. Feeling the claws of insanity slowly surfacing. Dark primal instincts flared angrily and gnawed his internal systems raw. The urge to burrow deeper into the closest and attack anyone who got too close began to crush down his intelligence. The mere idea of lunging at Sun and mauling him made his internals tighten painfully. “Sun…the sedative…before my instincts take over…” he managed to force the words past his vocalizer. 

 

Sun scrambled to retrieve the small syringe from his pocket, fumbling with it, almost jabing himself a few times in his haste to get the needle into the port. “There, you should feel a little sleepy in a few moments.” He put the cap back on the needle and tucked the empty syringe into his pocket then returned to rubbing the lunar bots back. 

 

The urges that had been widely scrapping at the back of his mind threatening to tear apart his logic faded to a dull whisper as the chemicals soaked in. A low rumble of relief spilled from his chest. 

 

Solar poked his head into the closest, rays flicking back at the hissing growl directed at him. “Do you two need anything?” 

 

“A bowl with hot water and some rags. I think he’s getting close.”

 

“I’ll be right back.” Solar stepped back, leaving the door open a crack while he retrieved the requested items. 

   Sun remained kneeling besides KC, worry twisting his wires. There were so many things that could go wrong. The niblet might get stuck, may be born wrong, his mind became a mastrom or worry and concern. He could feel himself spiraling the drain. He closed his eyes and pulled in a shallow breath and tried to focus on the sounds around him. The soft rumbling purr, rustle of cloth and muted gurgle of water. The warm casing underneath his fingers, the soft silky cloth, a strange dampness. 

His eyes snapped open and he looked down. The material around the lunar predator's hip was soaked. Grimacing he gathered up the soiled cloth and deposited it just outside the door. 

 

“Here,” Solar handed Sun a bowl of hot water and some rags along with a jug of juice. “I double checked, no dairy. How's he doing?”

 

“Cranky. And…he..had a bit of an accident.”

 

One of Solar’s eye brows lifted. “His water broke? It shouldn't be long before the niblet is born.” he almost laughed at the confused expression on Sun’s face. “It means the fluid that cushioned the niblet is no longer needed. That happens when someone is about to give birth.”

 

Sun perked up a bit. “Does that mean my new sibling will be here any minute?”

 

Solar chuckled at the solar bot’s enthusiasm. “It could be an hour or a few hours. Hopefully there won't be any complications. KC is strong, healthy and has size on his side.”

 

“I hope it doesn't take long. He's so uncomfortable and there's nothing I can do to alleviate that.” He sighed softly.

“I'm sure he will be alright. He will be sore and irritable for a few days while he recovers but we will be there to take care of him.” Solar reassured him.

Sun nodded and disappeared back into the closest. After setting the bowl on the floor he knelt beside his companion. 

 

The dull pain that had been annoying him for  hours quickly turned into a deep ache that radiated from his midsection. Growling KC tensed, eyes squeezed shut. Blindly he searched for Sun's hand, tightly gripping it once he found it. 

 

“You're alright here. I'm not going anywhere.” he winced at the vice grip on his hand but said nothing.

 

“Firefly..” He purred then winced, breath hitching.

 

Sun tugged the lunar predator’s head and shoulders into his lap. “I’m here, try to focus on breathing.” 

KC tried to respond but a fresh wave of pain swept through his systems.  Reflexively he tried to curl up, drawing his legs up as a low growl rumbled in his chest. It felt like something had shifted and dropped lower into his pelvic frame. Squeezing his eyes shut KC hissed as another wave of contractions slammed into him. 

 

Panting harshly he bore down, toes curled and artificial muscles strained to shift the mass further down. Primal code froths, drowning out his logic in a black tide.  Huffing and puffing he pulled away and burrowed into his nest as he felt the claws of instinct surface and slice through his processor.

 

Dark protocols flared angrily, demanding that he burrow deeper into the perceived safety of the den, away from curious eyes. The urges scraped him raw as he clawed at the thick wood at the back of the closest in an attempt to burrow through it again. When that failed he huffed and growled softly, settling for fussing over the shredded cloth and mounding it up before settling for a few moments then fussing with it again. 

 

“KC?” 

 

A low thunderous growl came from the mass of cloth causing him to jerk back in surprise. Reaching out he moved some of the shredded cloth to the side only to pull back when sharp teeth closed like a bare trap scant centimeters from his fingertips. 

 

Instead of taking it personally he sat back and observed. While a bit scary it was obvious that his lover’s instincts had taken over and it would be best to leave him alone unless it became obvious that he needed help. It wasn’t worth stressing the lunar predator out if he had everything in hand. 

 

Helplessly, Sun sat against the wall near the mass of shifting cloth and stared into space, listening to the concerning muffled hisses and growls wishing he could do something to comfort his companion but all he could do was wait. 

 

‘Hey, do either of you know how to feed a niblet?’ Solar sat in the oversized chair, listening to the low growls and hisses coming from the closest. So far there had been no worrisome sounds of pain. 

 

‘Athena can feed niblets. Her boobs are not just for show. I’ll ask her when she comes back from the library.’ 

  A warm flush crept over his face and he fought down embarrassment as his face lit up. ‘Good to know. I was worried that we’d have to scramble to find something to feed Moon.’ He would have asked Moon but he was certain the genius had no idea whatsoever what to feed a niblet despite the fact his brother ran a daycare.

The thick cloying worry that soaked through Sun’s circuits was interrupted by a low chirp coming from the mass of cloth. A pair of luminous red eyes peered out from underneath the soiled cloth. “KC? All you alright?” he slowly crawled forward ready to move away if the lunar predator was still hostile. Another odd chirp answered then the eyes vanished into the mass of cloth for a moment then reappeared.  A moment later something warm and wet is pressed into his hands. 

 

It takes several seconds for him to realize what he’s looking at. A tiny blue and white lunar bot that glared at him as if he had been the one responsible for all the indignities he had suffered. Moon had been soundly asleep, warm and comfortable and now he’s cold, wet and awake. 

 

Something inside of him unspooled. Tears made tracks down the sides of his face as he cradled the tiny Moon while he squeaked in happiness. “He’s so tiny.” Everything on the blue and white lunar bot was tiny, tiny fingers, tiny feet, tiny everything.  

 

KC rumbled softly, pleased that all the discomfort and sleepless nights had been well worth it. Despite the endo deep ache and crushing exhaustion he leaned forward and nuzzled against his mates shoulder then licked Moon who chirped unhappily and failed his short arms in protest. 

  Wild hunger gnawed his internal systems that had been depleted by the short but unpleasant birth but he didn’t want to leave the safety of his den or move far from his offspring. Snuffling the still warm air he grumbled unhappily. The strong almost overwhelming scent of animatronic blood mixed with amniotic fluid danced over his sensors made his stomach twist painfully. 

The unmistakable sound hunger snapped Sun’s attention to the lunar predator. He flushed faintly. “Sorry. I didn’t think to get you something to eat. I wasn’t sure if you’d even want to eat.” He mulled over getting up and rushing to the kitchen and finding KC something suitable but he didn’t want to leave the other alone so soon after giving birth. Speaking of which. “You can’t be very comfortable.” After reluctantly handing mini Moon back to KC and pulled the bowl of lukewarm water over and began pushing the soiled cloth to the side. 

 

He grimaced at the mess, stomach turning a little. “I know you probably would prefer a bath but I’m sure you don’t have the energy to walk.” Picking up one of the rags he dipped it into the water and began to carefully clean away the layers of fluid off the stormy casing. “This might not feel too good since you're sensitive but you’ll feel better afterwards.” With a bit of hesitance he pushed the unresisting lean legs apart just enough to swipe a clean rag over the damp vulva. The hissing growl made his proverbial hair stand on end and wires tighten. “It's alright. I know it's not comfortable. I won’t hurt you on purpose.” The hissing growl filled his audios with each swipe of the cloth. There might be a minor tear or two that was adding to KC’s discomfort. 

 

Gathering up all the soiled cloth he stood up. “I’m going to toss this out and be right back.” He tried to ignore the super gross feeling of the damp cloth and deposited the mass outside of the door. 

 

“Did he already give birth? That was fast.” Solar sat up, eyeing the fouled nesting material. 

 

“Yeah.” Sun let out a sigh of relief. “Happened a lot faster than I thought it would.” 

 

“That’s not a bad thing. How is he doing?” 

  “Tired and sore but other than that he seems to be okay. I think there might be a minor tear or two  but he’s so sore right now I don’t want to try and treat it. And he’s hungry.” 

 

 

Solar smiled softly. “That’s normal. As long as there’s no major trauma he should be okay for now. As for food, I’ll check the kitchen for something.” He’d take the ruined nesting material outside and burn it later.

 “Hey Moony.” he lightly ran a finger over the tiny bot’s head earning an agitated chirp. “Someone is cranky.” 

 

Solar laughed softly, something warm blossoming in his chest. “That’s a moon alright. I swear they are all irritable when someone wakes them up. I’ll grab him some more towels on my way back.” 

 

“Thanks.” Sun stepped back into the closet only to see KC rooting around in the remaining cloth for something. Puzzled, he moved closer. Moon was asleep, curled up in the only clean cloth there was so what was…his stomach did a hard little flip when he saw the lunar predator was chewing on something. It took a few seconds for his sleep deprived brain to realize what it was. “Nonononono…don’t eat that!” He pushed the lunar predator's face away from the shredded membrane. The whine tore at him but he stood strong. “That’s…that’s not good to eat.” Hot bitter-sour digestive fluid lept to the back of his throat as he gathered the afterbirth up. Much to his dismay KC tried to pull the ruined cloth covered mess out of his hands with his teeth. 

 

KC huffed softly. Instincts flared hot and fast. The den reeked of animatronic blood and after birth, scents that would attract other predators but he was too weak to move to another den or to clean this one so that left only one option. 

 

“No, you are not eating this! It will make you sick!” It's making me sick even if you don’t mean to! “Solar is getting you something from the kitchen.” He sat Moon down on the floor then flicked the lunar predator between the eyes causing him to jerk back in surprise, eyes narrowing. “No.” He repeated again this time with more authority. The lunar bot hissed at him and apparently was determined to eat the afterbirth for some reason. “Stop that!” he flicked the other between the eyes again. He jerked his hand back scarcely in time to avoid the snapping jaws.  

 

Sun sighed. It wasn’t KC’s fault that his instincts were overriding his intelligence. Ignoring the whining he scooped up the mess and walked out of the closest and deposited it into a trash can. Looking down he saw that his hands and lower arms were caked in animatronic blood and fluid. Grabbing the trash can he heaved into it. 

  Slowly getting to his feet he almost wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he remembered his casing was covered in foulness. Staggering into the washroom he scrubbed his hands and forearms in the sink until his casing stung. “I can do this. I can do this.” 

 

Returning to the closest he realized he didn’t see the tiny Moon and almost panicked when he heard chirping from underneath the mess of shredded cloth. “Moon?” A pair of small red eyes peered at him from underneath the cloth. “I forgot to get you a towel.” he scooped Moon up and cradled the little bot against his chest. The lunar bot yawned and curled up. 

 

KC churred softly and nuzzled his mate, content despite the mild upset from earlier. 

 

Solar returned from the kitchen, clean towels draped over one arm, holding a bowl of raw meat that had been sprinkled with tiny particles of metal. He peered into the closest and smiled at the sight of the new parents curled around each other sleeping. Instead of disturbing their much needed sleep he sat the bowl within KC’s reach and sat the towels next to it. 

 

While they slept he was going to investigate the fridge.  

 

********************************

Chapter 42

(inspired by  today's episode, it gave me that little bump I needed to start writing again.)

Solar padded into his workshop, a bit groggy and head feeling like it was stuffed full of cotton. The moment he opened the door and stepped into the well lit room he was fully awake in an instant. “What the hell are you doing here!?” 

 

“Hello. To be honest I wasn't really expecting to find you so soon. I see you’ve settled right in.” The dark sun motioned to the workshop, faceplate frozen in the typically DCA smile though there was nothing friendly about it. “You really should get some better security.” 

 

“My god, why you?” Solar sighed and rolled his eyes. Shame KC wasn’t awake. There wouldn't be enough left of this fool to fill a small box. “How the hell did you get in here?” 

 

“I climbed in through a window.” 

 

“That’s not creepy.” 

 

“I've come to have a rather serious conversation with you.”

 

“That doesn’t answer my question as to why you are here.” He sent a rapid fire text to Sun and KC alerting them to the intruder. He would have alerted the other sun and moon but he didn’t have their numbers. He wasn’t even sure they had phones. 

 

“Someone wants you dead. Just you. They have no interest in the others. Not Sun, not Moon and not Satan.” 

 

Solar resisted the urge to snort . KC would take being called the devil as a complement. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway, planning out escape routes if things went south and potential weapons. 

 

“And they are willing to pay people to do it.” 

 

Now that caught his attention. “That doesn’t narrow it down much. There’s a few that would like to see me dead and it's not the first time I’ve been targeted.”  Actually it narrowed the list down to only a few individuals. 

 

“They offered me a deal as well but I turned it down. I have no need for money or material wealth.” 

 

Feeling the vibrations of a heavy frame fast approaching Solar allowed himself to smile. “You don’t target eclipses, you kill moons then spirit away the suns to some sanctuary that you are building.” 

 

“That I do.” The killer sun waved his hands in a dramatic manner. “They always deserve it.” 

 

A large shadow swallowed him and the killer sun’s smile faltered as he backed up several steps. KC’s long clawed fingers gripped the sides of the door frame while he loomed over Solar, crimson eyes glowing like the fires of Tartarus. 

 

“Explain.” His voice was the thunder of a barely contained storm. 

 

It took several seconds for Sun to shake off the endo deep fear that clutched at him with icey hands. “As for the reason as to why they want you dead…frankly I don’t know nor do I care.” 

 

“So why are you warning me?” 

 

Sun tilted his head. “Because I need something from you. I may even be persuaded to tell you who he is and I can easily find out why he wants you dead. In exchange for something. 

 

“And that is?”

 

“The magic tomes in the library. I only need to study them, not take them.” 

 

KC leaned in a little, claws scraping at the wood, head tilted. “What assurances will we have that you will not attack any of us.”

 

“I will stay in the library since that’s where the books are. I have no interest in the rest of this castle or its inhabitants. You can stand there and watch me if you want.”

 

KC settled on his haunches though his frame remained tense. “You have yet to explain why you need those tomes. I do not feel comfortable with a stranger wanting old and powerful magic.” 

 

“Fair enough. I am building a sanctuary of sorts but I need magic to finish it. To make it safe.” 

 

The lunar predator was silent for several minutes, crimson eyes fixed on the sun. He could smell the fear and borderline panic on the other. He opened his mouth and pulled in a shallow breath, letting the sent particles brush over the hidden organ on the roof of his mouth. He shivered in predatory delight. “You may have free reign of the library. If you become a threat or set foot in any other part of the castle you will not live long enough to regret your actions.” 

 

 Surpassing a shudder dark Sun nodded. Even with all his tech backing him he didn’t want to anger the beast. 

“Who do you think it is?” Sun asked while cradling a sleeping mini Moon. 

 

“My Moon is the most likely one. He hates me and fully blames me for Sunny being dead.” Solar sighed. “I would add Lord Eclipse to that list but the bastard is dead and I doubt he’s capable of doing anything from beyond the grave.” 

 

“But you didn’t kill your Sun. What happened was an accident, a horrible accident.” 

 

“But he still blames me. He doesn’t know where I am or how to reach me.” 

 

KC emerged from the closet like an eldritch being. “I will place protective runes around the castle once I have sufficiently recovered. For now it would be wise to be careful.” He padded over to his adopted offspring, long tongue darting out to lap at Moon who fussed loudly, small face scrunching in displeasure. 

 

“I’ll be careful. I’ll call Moon later and see if I can borrow some tech” 

IN a dark dark place

 

A dark figure hunched over a keyboard, typing. Aide the sound of keys tapping there was no other sound. No laughter, no cheerful daycare music, no sign of life. Nothing. The atmosphere was thick and oppressive. 

 

The carpet in the tower floor was ripped up in places, the couch completely destroyed, shattered glass covered the floor in glittering shards. The lights had been ripped out of the wall and ceiling. Here and there the drywall was spotting large holes. 

 

His grief and madness given form.  

 

“Fucking parasite. Did you really think you could escape me? I’m going to make you pay for what you did. “ No matter where the parasite went, no matter how far he went, he’d find him. Find him and tear him apart little by little and use him to bring Sunny back. 

 

Crimson eyes glanced towards the bed where a solar model lay connected to countless tubes and wires showing no signs of life. “I'll make everything right again, Sun. I promise I will.” No matter the price he was going to make everything right. 

 

The sound of the damaged daycare doors being forced open followed by a familiar grating voice had him bristling. Fucking gator. Probably looking to steal something. 

 

“I’ll be right back, Sunny.”

Castle

Wild hunger gnawed his internal systems raw. The primal urges scraped their way through him, threatening to tear apart his logic. Growling he tried to push the dark code away, shove it back into its cage but exhaustion crippled him., leaving him too weak to fend it off.  The urges scraped his artificial nerves raw, clawing through his logic. 

 

Slowly sitting up he looked around the cramped space of the closest, searching for any trace of food that his body was demanding. Upon finding none he lurched to all four and padded out of the closet.  Curled up on the bed fast asleep was his mate and offspring. They were safe. 

 

Pushing one of the windows open he lopped outside on all four, silent as any predator, the remnants of the shredded sheets draped around him like a shroud. The path was clear of all obstacles and hunger compelled him forward despite the endo deep exhaustion and soreness. It didn’t take long to pick up the scent of a large animal, rich and musky. It whipped his primal code up into a frenzy and he pushed his weakened body to its limits, breaking into a smooth run, eager to sink his teeth into fresh meat. 

 

He tore through the underbrush uncaring the noise would spook prey. His engineered body could easily chase down any animal even in its weakened state. Bursting through the brush he spotted a panicked herd of horse-like animals that were rushing away from him, manes flying and eyes wide. The younger more robust animals easily put a considerable amount of distance between them and the predator but the old stallion, tanny hide marked by many years of battle with other stallions was slow. An old injury to its leg slowed it even more. 

 

Shivering in anticipation he poured on the speed, pushing his frame. His long strides ate up the distance rapidly. Claws unsheathed and fingers outstretched he lunged for the animal. Its powerful back legs lashed out, hooves connecting with his chest though he barely felt the impact while he grappled with the animal, attempting to pull it down so he could break its neck or sever the arteries. The old stallion  valiantly fought back but it was no match for an unnatural predator. Powerful jaws clamped down on its neck, bone shattered and muscles ripped. The animal kicked out with the last of its strength as it went down. 

 

Once he was certain the animal was dead he released its neck then began pulling the thick tawny hide off to expose the glistening red muscle. Rumbling in pleasure he bit into the warm flesh, the coppery rich flavor flooding his mouth. Shivering in delight he devoured as much of the caress as possible, long tongue flicking out to lap at the blood before slicing open the abdominal cavity. Steaming entrails spilled out. Ignoring most of them he went right for the liver, clutching the warm organ he sat back on his haunches and took large bites out of it, swallowing the chunks down. All too soon it was gone leaving him to clean every bit of the remains off his fingers. 

 

Now satisfied the dark code began to settle and withdrew like an outgoing tide leaving his logic soggy and confused. 

 

Taking a few more bites of the meat he tore off the left haunch, muscle and tendon separating with a wet crackling sound. Other predators and scavengers would pick the caress clean leaving nothing but the hide and bones to slowly crumble away and return to the earth. 

 

Making his way back to the bedroom he slipped back into the comforting closet and nestled down among the shredded cloth with his prize, full and content. 

Chapter 43

Sun waddled back into the room with an armful of colorful cloth scraps with mini Moon sleeping in a makeshift sling. He swore he had never seen anyone who slept so much. He plopped the cloth onto the bed then looked around. Noticing the window was open he moved to close then decided not to, the room got stuffy when the windows closed. Peering into the closest he reassured himself that KC was just fine if the mass of cloth that shifted with each slow rise and fall of the sleeping beast’s chest was anything to go off. 

 

Not wanting to disturb the lunar predator’s rest he returned to the bed he picked through the mound of cloth searching for the perfect pieces to make some tiny onesies. Eventually he settled on a solar system patterned cloth and another that was sky blue with tiny snowflakes. Shouldn't take long to come up with at least a few outfits and an equally tiny hat for that bald head. 

 

Lill bald head. 

 

Sun suppressed a giggle at the mental image of a very grumpy lill Moon. 

 

Little by little he zoned out, the sounds of the birds outside created a soothing background noise while he hummed some forgotten lullaby while stitching together bits of fabric. It was easy to forget the atrocities that happened in the large room. The pain and regret are all washed away by fresh positive memories and associations. 

 

It wasn’t as if their tormenter would magically appear at the castle doorsteps. No, the monster was long dead and gone and all traces of him had been removed from the castle. All that remained was memories that would fade in time.

 

He looked up from his sewing when he heard the door open. “Hey Athena.” 

 

“Hello Sun.” Noticing the sleeping lunar bot she smiled softly and lightly rubbed his head. “Good thing he doesn’t have teeth yet. “ She settled on the bed.

 

Sun winced in sympathy. Hopefully by the time Moon’s teeth came in he would be on solid food

 

Solar strode in carrying some tools and a rather large wrapped object. “Is the big guy asleep? It’ll be easier to swap out the damaged platting while he’s sleeping.” 

 

Sun looked up from his sewing, nodded and pointed to the closest. “He won’t be asleep for much longer though so you’ll have to hurry.” He didn’t need a water clock to know that the great beast would be waking up to tend to biological needs before long.

 

“It shouldn't take me long. Just swapping out some casing.” 

 

Entering the closest was like entering the den of a predator. There was a faint musky scent mixed with the tang of coppery blood and raw meat that the half eaten hanch emitted. Brushing off the mild discomfort he laid the tools and casing down then rooted around the mess of blankets and cloth until he uncovered the sleeping predator. Swapping the deformed casing would only take a few moments and shouldn't wake the lunar predator up if he was fast. 

 

“Where’s your twin?”

 

“Sleeping.” 

 

Sun made a little noise of amusement. “I swear lunar models sleep most of the time.” 

 

“They were meant to be mostly nocturnal. In his case, he’s basically an infant so he’s bound to sleep a lot.” 

 

Thunder rumbled, shaking the window planes. Moon whined and his small face scrunched up in displeasure. Eyes opening he looked around  for the source of the sound that had rudely woken him. His small arms waved while he noisily demanded for quiet. 

 

“It's alright. It's just thunder.” Sun put down his sewing and scooped the infant up, lightly patting his back though it seemed to have no effect on him. The soft whines became soft sobs as he struggled to understand why no one was making the scary sound go away. 

“Hey! Who-wait a second…let me get my hand loose!” 

 

KC charged out of the closet dragging Solar with him as if he weighed nothing, the cuff of his glove caught on the lunar bot’s casing.  Running right over to his offspring he snuffled the mini moon then rumbled softly before plucking him out of Sun’s hands then vanishing back into the closest. Still dragging Solar. 

 

Stunned Sun sat there wondering what the hell just happened. A moment later the door reopened and Solar was unceremoniously shoved out of the closest, the door slamming shut behind him. 

 

“My tools.” he protested weakly. The door opened long enough for siad tools to be shoved into his arms. “Fuck you too.” He slammed a fist against the door. The thick wood vibrated under the force of a kick. Not to be outdone he kicked the door which resulted in an odd if not humorous back and forth between the two that ended with KC bolting out of his ‘nest’ to snatch Solar up by the equivalent of a scruff then deposit him outside like a pissy cat. 

 

Both sun’s burst out into peals of laughter. 

 

Picking himself up, Solar brushed off the leaves, grabbed up his tools and stormed off to his workshop. His pride bruised. 

It was impossible to shake off the sensation of being watched. It made the proverbial hair on the back of his neck stand up. While he didn’t believe in silly nonsense like ghosts or the paranormal, the sensation of being watched made him uneasy. 

 

The dark Sun cast a wary glance at his surroundings. Nothing but books and bookshelves.  

 

He nearly jumped out of his own casing when something grabbed his arms with icey invisible fingers that left visible indentions on the silicone. Dropping the book he spun around half expecting to see some sort of spector floating behind him only to see nothing. 

 

Shuddering in discomfort he picked the book back up and placed it on the shelf. He hadn’t imagined that. Something had grabbed him. 

 

Something unseen. 

 

It took the better part of an hour for the creeps to leave his systems. 

Dark Daycare

Monty stormed through the doors of the dark daycare in a foul mood. He’d been patient for long enough, pouring money into  the stupid project Moon had somehow convinced him to fund. First the damn satellite which he wasn’t even allowed to touch and now this secret project. 

 

The lunar bot didn't answer his phone, hell he wouldn't even answer the door or come down from the tower. 

 

He hesitated upon seeing the destruction of the daycare but greed and rage pushed him forward. What did he care about what the little prick did to his own section? “Moon! Where are you?!” Only silence answered. 

 

“I want my money or give me you so-called secret project that you’ve been spendn all my money on.” What the hell had he been building in the gloom of the daycare? 

 

Making his way around the smashed and torn jungle gym towards the back of the daycare with the intention of beating the answer out of Moon he froze when he turned a corner and saw a massive contraption sitting where the ball pit used to be. 

 

Thick cables snaked across the floor from several monitors to the machinery. Slowly he circled it trying to make sense of what he was seeing. 

 

A portal machine. 

 

“Son of a bitch. So this is where all the money went.” It was complex, far more complex than a satellite but why the hell would Moon need one? What was he planning? 

 

So engrossed in messing with the portal he didn’t notice the crimson eyes watching from the shadows of the tower balcony.

Chapter 44

Summary:

Solar thought his old dimension was locked away and his past was behind him. The horrors were gone, left behind.

He should’ve known better.

Teaching Sun magic was oddly enjoyable. He was endlessly curious and soaked it up like a sponge. Connecting to the massive ancient mana pool had been easy, using magic however, proved to be a bit more difficult.

Being outside meant there were fewer things to accidentally set on fire though accidents still happened.

“Focus and concentrate pouring energy into the plant.” KC crouched beside Sun. Practicing on plants was ideal since they didn't have a nervous system and couldn't move away. Except the one time Sun turned one into some sort of mutant Venus Fly Trap that scuttled off into the undergrowth.

Sun nodded and took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He reached into the mama pool and teased out a small amount of power, pushing it through it fingertips and into the potted plant. It felt…odd. Not bad odd, more like ticklish odd. A moment later he opened his eyes and broke into giggle fit. A football sized strawberry hung off the plant.

“It's a good start.” KC praised.

Moon, who had been watching them from his blanket nearby, crawled over to the large red thing. He patted it with his small hands then gummed it. Disappointed that he couldn't eat it, his face screwed up and he began to whine. Sun scooped him up and held him close. “I guess someone is getting hungry.”

 

In a darker place

The Daycare was drenched in an unnatural silence. Not even a whisper of an air conditioner broke the stillness.

Once he would have preferred the quiet, it was better for working and studying but now it felt…hollow without the sounds of Sunny. The lunar animatronic sighed and resumed working on the portal device. Parts of it were second hand or jury rigged but he needed it to work only once. He’d figure out how to get back or maybe he’d stay in the new place after retrieving Sunny.

If the parasites thought he’d forgotten about either of them….it had taken longer then he’d like to track them down given the depth of the encrypted data but now he knew where they were. Both of them. He’d make a new lab there and start all over again, rip the useless parasite part and use him to repair Sunny and for the other one…well Sunny always wanted a pet.

He’d make the knock off suffer first.

Oh how he’d make the eclipse suffer.

Crimson eyes flicked towards the balcony. The lack of clockwork clicks and whirrs behind Sunny’s dusty casing went unheard. As did the unnatural stillness and complete and utter lack of responses. Logically he knew there was nothing he could do but the madness, the part of him entwined with the remnants of the kill code said otherwise and it was that half he embraced fully.

The two parasites were living the high life while they lived in a decrepit rotting plex that had been forgotten by every one but urban explorers and thieves. He cared about neither as long as they stayed away from the daycare.

Stepping around the shattered remains of Monty he typed in the coordinates for the dimension. The machinery hummed and sparked. “Im coming for you parasite.”

 

Castle

 

A castle. An actual fucking castle. Moon looked up at the massive structure of gleaming stone, the façade draped with a carpet of living vegetation. Like something straight out of a fairy tale. The sniveling spineless excuse of an eclipse was in there somewhere.

Finding him wasn’t going to be easy but he had plenty of time.

Seeing there would be no way he’d force the massive doors open he made his way around the side, fighting through the thick thorny brush that grabbed at him. Who had planted this garden? It was almost as if the bushes had been placed there to slow down any potential intruder.

Pushing through the brush he froze when he saw something large and storm grey and black. Instinctively he crouched, trying to make himself small.

How could he have forgotten how BIG the parasite was?

The beast was slumbering in the dying sun, sprawled out on the small lawn, dressed in custom made clothing while a minute version of a moon sat nearby on a blanket. His eyes flicked to the infant. Where did it come from?

A golden animatronic stepped out of the open window doors, smiling. The sun knelt by the blanket and scooped the small moon up, cooing and gently cradling it. He walked to the massive predator and shook the beast awake.

They seemed…close. Too close.

His lips curled in disgust when it dawned on him the little moon belonged to them. Fresh rage boiled up, searing his systems. The parasite had violated sun and now they were playing happy family. Disgusted he vanished off into the thick brush. He’d return later with a plan and a weapon. He didn’t dare challenge the predator without being prepared unless he wanted his insides on the outside.

Chapter 45

 

It was easy to mistake the sound for thunder at first until the very foundations of the castle shook so violently Sun was shaken awake with a startled yelp while Solar staggered to his feet, the chair he had been sleeping in overturned. 

 

“What the hell was that?!” Sun stumbled out of the closet as another explosion rocked the castle causing stone dust to rain down.

 

“I don’t know.” Sun stood up, rays partially retracting as something large shot out of the closest, draped in sheets like a shroud, rumbling loudly. Shaking off the shock he grabbed his bow and quiver as yet another explosion shook the mass of stone. 

 

“I suggest we leave, it's unfavorable but staying while the castle is potentially under siege will not be wise.” KC restlessly paced, crimson eyes flicking to Sun.  

 

As much as he didn't want to leave the place he called home logically they could not stay and risk injury or worse against an unknown force. 

 

 “We will come back once we know what we are dealing with.” Sensing Sun's unwillingness to leave, Solar snatched up what he assumed was the solar bots pack then firmly took him by the arm and ushered him to the open window. 

 

Cradling a very unhappy mini Moon Athena followed the group, glancing over her shoulder. There were simply too many variables for them to stay at the moment. She sent a text to her twin hoping he'd receive it. 

It charged up the pathway to the castle, its massive paws carrying its monstrous form forward. Since the walls of the castle had held up under its assault it logically decided to take the most direct route. Any of its minions that weren’t fast enough to move out of its path it trampled, crushing their fragile bodies with no regard. After all they were mindless puppets, poisoned by the same corruption that filled his body. It would be easy to make more. 

 

It lowered its head so the curled ram horns met wood with a thunderous crash. The monstrous creature backed up then slammed its bare skull against doors again,  shattering one door and ripping the other off its hinges. Now that there was nothing separating it from its prey it shouldered the broken doors aside, leaving a trail of mangled bodies.

 

Heisenberg held the hammer up, hands clenched so tightly around the handle his joints ached. The thick pillar offered a meager amount of cover from the still unseen enemy but it was better than nothing. Mischief huddled beside him, a long hunting spear in his small hands. He wasn’t about to tell the smaller bot to run and hide, he wasn’t a child and was more than capable of taking care of himself. 

 

The massive doors shuddered as something massive slammed into the reinforced wood. Then the stench hit them, thick and nauseating. Gagging the moon turned his head, struggling not to vomit while Mischief yanked his shirt up with one hand in a futile attempt to cut the paranormal stench. 

 

“That fucking stinks!”

 

With a groan the doors gave way, wood splintering allowing a massive form to enter the castle. They stumbled back as their senses were overwhelmed. The very air became oppressive. 

 

“What the hell is that thing!” Mischief reeled back in horror. 

 

Dark astral, Heisenberg's mind  screamed at him to run from the corrupted being as the eyeless thing turned its massive head towards him. The Capricorn's star flesh was the same color as the void shot through with purple, stretched tight over its massive body. Worst was the head, nothing more than a skull perched on a long neck. A sickly purple light glowed in its eye sockets. 

 

 It took several moments for him to find his voice.

 

“The master of the castle is dead! You're too late!” He shouted.

 

The Capricorn regarded him silently then raised a paw and swept him away as if he was nothing more than a small pest. It hissed in irritation when a spear sunk into its sickly star flesh. It turned its bulk to the smaller bot, scaly tail thumping against the floor. 

 

Heisenberg lurched to his feet and charged the vile monster, swinging the hammer into the beast’s ankle. The sickening crack of bone and roar of pain was a short lived victory. The scaly beast swung its massive head catching him with its horns and throwing him clean across the room. He grunted when he hit the floor, the proverbial breath knocked out of him. 

 

“Lord Eclipse is dead-Ahh!” a white hot pain shot through his back and he staggered. Reaching back his fingers brushed against an arrow shaft. Turning he spotted a DCA model armed with a bow. He didn’t pause to wonder why it was armed with such an archaic weapon as its long limbs jerked as if there were invisible strings attached to them as it readied another arrow. He threw himself to the side just as it unleashed the arrow. 

 

Thankfully the walking horror show seemed to have lost interest for the moment leaving him to deal with the DCA. The wretched thing turned its dead eyes to him, movement slow. Ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder he brought the hammer down on it, crushing its wretched form. Much to his horror the thing continued to twitch. 

 

The dark astral swung its immense body towards the throne room, still ignoring the small pests. Its prey was proving elusive. It could feel the traces of the eclipse. He was hiding like the coward he was somewhere. It pushed the doors to the main chambers open but before it could take so much as a step forward pain shot through its tail. Roaring it twisted around only to discover one of the pests was clinging to its tail. Hissing it slammed the appendage against the floor but the moon hung on with the tenacity of a tick. 

 

“What will it take to convince you that the eclipse you are searching for is long dead!” There was a chance he was wrong and the beast wasn’t searching for Eclipse. If it wanted the star there was nothing stopping it from taking it. 

 

Using the scales he slowly climbed up the long appendage even as the astral tried to shake him off. The stench was overwhelming and its flesh was icy cold underneath his hands. Holding on with his damaged arm he brought the hammer down hard on the scaled flesh though it seemed to have no effect on the creature other than further agitate it. 

 

The beast made of stars attempted to scrap the hanger on off on the walls but much to its irritation he hung on. Sensing that he wasn’t going to do any real harm to the creature he let go and slid down to the floor, barely dodging the massive tail. 

 

“What the hell does it want?” Mischief asked, clutching another hunting spear. 

 

“I don’t know. It hasn’t exactly said anything.”  He clutched at his shoulder. Had the fool made some kind of deal with the dark astral and it had come to collect? Maybe it would leave once it realized Lord Eclipse was not there. 

 

The Capricorn swept its head side to side as if it was searching for something, ignoring them as long as they didn’t attack it or get in its way. Until it became frustrated upon not finding its target and decided to take its anger out on the only living things around. 

 

In that moment, Heisenberg made a decision. One he knew he’d regret provided he lived to do so. 

 

Dodging a massive paw he sprinted for the star, dropping the hammer and pushing the glass case off of it. Time seemed to slow as his hand closed on the eldritch object. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt seared his artificial nerves. The mummering and whispers filled his audios, dark evil wicked things.  It had given Eclipse every wicked pleasure he desired but the eclipse always wanted more. The Star had been tired of sharing its power with the idiot Eclipse so it had rejected him. Violently.

 

And now it was making it clear it didn’t want to share with him. 

 

Clasping it he turned to the Capricorn, arm shaking violently as he fought with the star. He could feel it pushing him away and trying to pull him closer at the same time as if his very presence was repulsive to it. 

 

“I…k-know…y-you hate…that t-th-ing as m-much as I do…l-let me…just thi-s once….” He grit his teeth as power surged through him. The star seemed to hesitate just for a moment. That’s all it took. He seized power from the star and directed it at the thing that had dared set foot in the castle . A blinding corona surrounded him while unnatural flames flashed over the corrupted star beast. 

 

The Capricorn roared in agony as its left leg and part of its rib cage turned to ash, the flames searing its corrupted star flesh. Somehow it managed to turn its large body using its remaining leg and tail, retreating out of the castle leaving a trail of ash and vile stench. 

 

Heisenberg dropped the Star with a cry, collapsing to his knees and clutching his injured arm. Most of the casing had been burned off, the rest was scorched and smoking. He silently swore the damn star was laughing. 

 

“That….was awesome!” Mischief was all but hovering over him, grinning. “You were glowing and surrounded by flames!” 

 

“It didn’t feel awesome. It really fucking hurt. I’m not doing that again. Ever.” Not that the Star would allow him to. Desperation had forced him to fight the malignant ball of energy, a fight he was certain he would not win next time. Wheezing he sat down still clutching his arm. He felt weak and drained on top of being in pain. 

 

“You almost killed it. No one has ever killed an astral before.” 

 

“Pretty sure someone in some dimension has killed at least one of them.” Heisenberg carefully cradled the damaged arm against his chest. “Fuck.” 

 

“Think it will be back?” The smaller lunar bot jabbed his fingers into the wound causing the moon to hiss and jerk away. 

 

“Doubt it. Pretty sure it won’t risk being fried by the star agai-stop that.” he growled and shifted to protect his arm from curious fingers. “Going to have to find a way to dispel the stink and negative energy before the others come back.” but first he really needed to rest.  

 

“Why didn’t you just use your magic against it?” 

 

“Magic is often useless against astrals. It does nothing but piss them off.” Another poke which sent a wave of pain through his arm. Sensing the little bastard wasn’t going to stop he slowly got to his feet, swaying a bit. Realizing that his phone had been destroyed meant there was no way to contact the others. It looked like he was walking. Much to his growing annoyance the little moon began jumping in an attempt to poke at his damaged arm. “Don’t you have something to do?” 

 

“Not really?” 

 

“What about Sun.” 

 

“He’s wedged under the bed. Not coming out anytime soon.” He jumped again and tried to jam his fingers into the exposed internals of the other’s arm. 

 

“Yeah no, stop that.” He placed his good hand on the small moon’s head and held him at arm's length. “What is your fascination with my arm?” 

 

“It's kinda cool.” 

 

Heisenberg made a face and pushed him away. “It's not cool. It really hurts. I need to tell the others what happened. Stay here.” Ignoring the pout he turned and began walking, cursing softly the entire time. 

By the time he managed to stumble across the well hidden gazebo his joints ached and his arm throbbed. Why the hell had they chosen such a remote spot? A low growl danced across his audios. Probably the predator. No doubt it had smelled him or rather caught the foul stench that hung around him like a second skin. 

 

“It's just me. Our unwanted visitor didn’t want to leave so I had to get creative.” he winced when a branch scraped over his arm as he pushed through the 

 

“What the hell happened?” Athena rushed to his side, gentle fingers brushing over the mangled casing. 

 

“Dark astral. It was looking for Eclipse.” He winced at the light touch. 

 

“A dark what?” Sun sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “What is that smell?” 

 

“Astral. Their powerful eldritch beings that take on the name of certain star signs. Don’t know much about them.” The moon leaned on his twin, allowing her to lead him to the gazebo despite the low rumble of displeasure coming from the lunar predator.  He leaned against the cool wood of the structure and filled the others in on what had happened just as Solar came around the corner with a sleeping Moon. To his credit the eclipse barely flinched at the stink. 

 

It became difficult to follow the conversation. Exhaustion quietly stole away what little strength he had left and he allowed himself to fall into the warm nothingness of unconsciousness.

 

Chapter 46

Sun made a face the moment they stepped into the bedroom. The stench rolled over him in a sickening wave. “Uggg, it reeks! It'll take days to get the smell out.” So much scrubbing! And even then he wasn’t sure if he could get the smell out of the stone and everything made of cloth would have to be washed. 

 

KC ducked as he entered through the window. “The smell is paranormal. It cannot be washed away. I will clear the space once I have our companion settled" He motioned to the unconscious moon in his arms.

 

“I'm going to help Athena with repairs.” Solar made a pile with pillows then placed the still slumbering moon in them. Somehow the little lunar bat had slept through everything in true moon fashion. He followed the towering lunar bot out of the room.

 

Spotting his discarded sewing Sun sat on the end of the bed and picked it back up. Lill Moon really needed something warm

 

Once KC settled Heisenbeurg down on one of the many spare beds he stepped out to leave them to their task. He stepped into the middle of the foyer, the tattered bed sheets hanging around him like an impromptu cape. The stench was the strongest here, a vile mix of decay and dark power. Gracefully he turned in a circle, slender fingers gathering up magical energy, forming it into swirls that made the air around him shimmer. He moved his hands downward, directing the paranormal energies to the floor. The foul smell and heaviness the creature had left corkscrewed around him, dispersing into the foundations then the earth.

 

Task taken care of that left the twisted corpses of the astrals minions. Grimacing he touched them as little as possible, tossing the pieces into the cold ashes of the firepit to be cleansed later. Only then did he return to their shared bedroom. Elegantly he flopped onto the bed, stretching his slender frame over the mattress. Crimson eyes focused on the sleeping niblet. “So tiny. It's almost hard to believe you gave me so much trouble.”

 

Sun popped a little navy nightcap with an equally tiny bell on the end of it on the dozing moon’s head which of course woke Moon up. Confused, he reached up, small fingers grasping at the furry brim. “It'll keep your little head warm.” and it looked so precious.

"Any proper lunar model needs a night cap!" KC laughed softly which startled Moon. Chirping, the little one looked around for the source of the sound until he spotted KC. Instead of reacting with fear he chirped again and began crawling toward him. “Are you coming to get me a little one?” he purred.

 

Sun all but squeaked in delight. Lill Moon was too cute for his own good.

 

Moon’s eyes locked onto the shiny thing that was draped over the larger bot’s shoulder. Cooing happily he grasped at it, small hands closing around the bell, shaking it. The soft chime made him smile broadly. Until he heard a tiny echo of the bell on the end of his cap. Greatly confused he began to look around for the new sound, every time he moved his head he could hear the tiny chime.

 

"Ohhhh, he looks so precious!” Sun laughed softly as the baby continued to try and find the source of the sound. Eventually Moon gave up and focused on the larger bell, shaking it. KC gently ran his slender fingers over Moon’s delicate head.

 

“We should find him some toys.’

 

“I’m not sure if they will have anything appropriate at the market. What about the other Moon, the one from the daycare? He may be able to procure some toys from his dimension.” KC offered.

 

“Maybe. I don’t know how to contact him but Solar does.”

 

The portal swirled, light flaring to the point it was almost blinding forcing KC to shield his sensitive eyes. The makeshift shroud had been replaced with dark blue pants sprinkled with tiny stars and an oversized hoodie. A moment later the annoyingly bright light faded and Moon stepped into the library.

 

“I hate using that thing.” He shuddered, shaking off the magical residue. “I tried to get Sun to come so he can help but he refused but I did get some things.” He held up a few plastic bags, a long box containing a bassinet resting against his side. The crinking noise immediately caught mini Moon’s attention. He chirped and reached for the bags with his tiny hands. Spotting the baby in Sun’s arms he stepped forward. KC instinctively bristled. “Easy, damn I keep forgetting how tall you are.” He held his hands up in a placating gesture.

 

“Don’t you have a Kill Code in your world?” Sun asked, hardly phased by the show of protectiveness.

 

“Yeah but he’s fun sized.” Moon chuckled.

 

“Fun sized?” KC tilted his head.

 

“The top of his head comes up the bottom of my chest. Didn’t have enough resources to make him a larger body.” Moon shrugged. They were pretty used to the shorter version of Kill Code, he seemed a lot less threatening then his much taller counterpart.

 

“That’s actually kinda funny. A mini KC. I bet he’s adorable.”

 

Moon snorted. “My Sun seems to think so. He even adopted a Kill Code from another dimension.”

 

“Lets go to the dining room so you can put the bags down.” Sun picked up the box and motioned for him to follow. He barely noticed as KC dropped to all four and all but glued himself to the solar bots side.

 

Moon made sure to keep a few feet of distance between himself and the protective lunar bot lest he accidentally trigger the other’s instincts. Not for the first time he was thankful that he didn’t have Old Moon’s baby care protocols. Becoming a mush head in front of KC would have been mortifying.

 

He sat the bags on the ridiculous large table. “Wasn’t one hundred percent what you needed to I grabbed a bunch of stuff.” Everything from a few bottles to bibs to a few onesies. As an after thought he had added jars for baby food.

 

KC settled himself and using his claws, began cutting the tags off everything while mini Moon waved his arms around animatedly, excited about all the brightly colored objects. The moment he freed a stuffed dinosaur from its plastic prison he handed it to his niblet whom gripped it tightly while smiling widely.

 

“He’s a cute little bugger.” Moon said.

 

“That he is.” KC rumbled. “He appears to remember nothing of his past life though that may change when becomes older.”

 

“Hopefully without Lord Eclipse’s corrupting influence he won’t become the monster he used to be.” Sun said sadly, recalling some fragmented memories of his former brother’s cruelty.

 

“With you two raising him, I’m sure the niblet will be fine. Once he can walk he will be into everything.” Moon chuckled.

 

“He is a moon so naturally he will be curious about everything around him.” KC rumbled, pleased by the small moon’s interest in the growing pile of brightly colored objects. He plucked up a small stuffed duck that was part of a mobile and dangled it above his adopted offspring's head. Moon chirped and cooed softly, small hands reaching for the object.

 

After finding the longest pair of tongs he could Solar cautiously approached the pulsating star. It felt like his casing was trying to crawl off his endo as he carefully picked the eldritch object up and placed it back on its cradle. Quickly he backed up to a respectful distance before the star decided being picked up with salad tongs was offensive.

The metal was badly scorched. Shuddering he disposed of the tongs then headed for his workshop to pick up a few tools and parts. Given how much damage had been done to the limb she was going to have to remove it and machine some of the parts with what he had on hand. 

Chapter 47

Solar looked around his workshop with a sense of satisfaction. Trays filled to the brim with glass beads and tiny parts lined the wall above the heavy duty table. Small sheets of stained glass were in wooden cradles, all manner of tools hung on the wall. It had taken a fair amount of work to get it to its current state but it had been worth it. 

 

In the corner sat a special project covered by a workshop towel. It wasn’t much but he was certain Sun and KC would enjoy it once he was done with it.

 

Picking up the still warm mug of freshly brewed coffee he walked to the open doors. The large clearing was full of fresh growth. A wide array of flowers in every color imaginable crowded it. Among them was the rebuilt Moon. It had been Mischief's suggestion for the new casing to be the color of fall since it was his Moon’s favorite. Even his faceplate mirrored the oranges and yellows of his body giving him a distinctive appearance.

 

There had been nothing he could do about the damage done to the moon’s optics. The damage was far deeper than simply replacing parts. It would have required complex internal repairs that he simply didn’t have the knowledge or tools for. If the Halloween moon was bothered or hampered by the blindness he didn’t show it given he seemed content to eat the flowers and chase the countless butterflies. 

 

Thank gods for small favors.

Sun gently rocked the bassinet while looking down at the sleeping Moon. He looked adorable in his dark blue onesie, clutching his stuffed dinosaur which had rapidly become his favorite. A blanket had been made out of a section of deer hide, the extremely soft fur would keep him perfectly warm. 

Behind him KC and Moon were deeply engrossed in a game of chess. He had never been good at the game even with his partner's attempts to teach him. 

 

 A warm breeze carrying the scent of damp grass, flowers and recent rain came through the open window doors. If the weather held they could go on a picnic. With there being no Lord Eclipse and no dark astral, there really weren't any threats to them now and it would be good for mini Moon to be outside for a little while. 

Bored Mischief walked down the game trail. It was oddly peaceful. And boring.

 

 Sun remained wedged under the bed despite the fact there was no threat and no amount of bribery worked to coax him out from under the bed so he shrugged and made Sun comfortable then gave him the room he clearly needed.

 

An odd creeping sensation of being watched skittered over his artificial nerves. Pausing he looked around then spotted it. A faint smoky shadow among the greenery. A Grinch like smile formed.

 

“Sunny could use a nice balloon.”

 

“You wouldn't dare!”

 

“It's not like you can do anything about it. You are as threatening as a shadow.” 

 

The shade shuddered and glowed at the small moon. “You invaded my home.”

 

“Not yours any more. The worst you can do is steal a sheet and become the world's most pathetic sheet ghost.” not that the ghost could hurt any of them even if he could get access to a mana pool. 

 

Lord Eclipse snarled, ghostly fingers digging into the bark. He didn’t care who or what he had to make a deal with, he would regain his castle and his slave.  But he was weak. So weak he couldn't possess a body that was already inhabited. One that was dead…maybe. Even then it would take a great deal of energy to move the shell. It wouldn't take much for the predator to destroy any vessel he chose. 

 

“Oh, by the way, Capacoron came looking for you.” His grin grew when the ghost made a choking noise. Whatever deal Eclipse had made with the dark astral the price must have been steep.

 

“What makes you think I'm scared of an astral?” Lord Eclipse choked out, fear surging through him like electricity.

 

“Your cowering.”

 

“I am not cowering! I am afraid of nothing!” he bellowed. 

 

“You're scared of KC.” As if to confirm this the shade ducked down until only the red eyes were visible. It was almost funny how someone who ruled through fear was largely a coward. A bully. Still grinning he continued to walk down the path. Lord Eclipse wasn’t much of a threat, more like a bad memory that lingered.

Sun carried a rather large picnic basket stuffed full of goodies including a filled bottle just in case they didn’t get back in time, the warm afternoon sun warming his casing. KC trotted beside him on all four, mini Moon situated in a sling, grumbling about the brightness. There was so much of the kingdom they hadn't explored. So much they hadn’t seen yet. It wasn’t as if there were any large predators that were a threat to them and the large mammals were largely docile unless threatened. Still he had brought his bow and arrows alone just in case. 

 

They passed by old ruins that were severely overgrown with small trees and bushes. The wildlife that inhabited it resembled rabbits the size of dogs with a pearly horn jutting from their foreheads. He badly wanted to pet them but wisely decided against it. They were wild after all. 

 

The sparse forest rapidly grew into a dense one with truly massive trees with a towering canopy. The thick healthy canopy blocked out most of the light which mini Moon clearly was happy about. KC kept pausing to snuffle at the air, picking up on the animals that made the forest their home while Sun picked the large blueberries and raspberries  while they walked, munching on them. 

 

They found a spot by a shallow creek where they sat down for lunch. The moment Moon was set down he  staggered to his feet, taking a few shaking steps before falling on his padded behind with a laugh then he crawled over to the reclined predator, the end of KC’s hat ended in his mouth while Moon gurgled up at them contently. 

 

“You like my hat, little one?” A coo was the only answer he got. 

 

“He might be hungry.” Sun pulled the bottle out of the basket and offered it to Moon who hesitantly spat the cloth out and grasped at the smooth plastic. He made a bit of a face when he realized it wasn’t as warm as it usually was but suckled on the silicon nipple anyway, earning a chuckle from the adults. Once done he yawned and crawled back to the sling around KC’s neck and curled up in it. 

 

“He is unusually intelligent for his age.” KC mused. 

 

“I’ve started to notice that too. “ Sun unpacked the basket, laying out the simple dishes for them. “I wonder how much he remembers if anything at all.” 

 

“It may be the best if he doesn’t remember anything.” KC plucked a strawberry from the basket, biting down into the fruit with a little sound of delight. 

 

“Maybe you're right. There were a lot of really bad things that happened. He deserves a fresh start.” Sun leaned against the larger bot, relaxing as the sound of the forest surrounded them.