Chapter 1: Pink Sand
Chapter Text
Here he is again. Blackspace.
A discomfort sets into his bones. A strange fear that nearly makes him try to wake himself up.
Just nearly.
Everyone who used to be here has gone. Even Abbi... Except for one squid-like girl standing by the shore.
He walks up to her. Maybe she'll actually talk to him this time...
"Why am I here?"
"Don't talk to me." The Bluegirl walks away to the other side of the beach.
It has to be her. Something feels different around here...
He tries to talk to her again. Again and again and again. The result doesn't change.
Maybe...
He digs around in his pocket, trying to find something, anything he could use. There's only one thing there... A warm bottle of pink fluid. The label states that it only works underwater...
But that's all he has. He drinks the pink concoction and feels... Nothing.
He looks down in disappointment, only to see that he's wearing something different. He's wearing a skirt and a white blouse, it kind of reminds him of Mari... And yet it makes him feel nice. A strange warmth rises in his gut, and he wears a small grin on his face.
He walks up to Bluegirl again, and she looks at him.
"Oh. I didn't recognize you at first. How've you been?"
And then the Pink Beach falls away, and Sunny wakes up in his room. The alarm clock blares and the sunlight beams through his window, stabbing his eyes like needles. He sits up, yawning. He rubs his eyes, a sensation like fire running up a pair of scarred arms, littered with scabs new and old.
Good morning, Sunshine.
Chapter 2: Icepick
Chapter Text
Sunny steps away from his bed, walking over to his mirror. His hair has gotten a bit long, hasn't it? He grins...
Until he sees stubble along his jaw, under his nose. He looks away as quick as he possibly can, and digs through his drawer, almost frantic.
Oh right. His razor is in the bathroom...
But he'd have to go downstairs... For some reason, he just can't stand for someone to see him right now. He can hardly face Mom in general, especially not like this...
He sprints down the stairs, going two at a time, as fast as his underdeveloped legs can carry him. The smell of bacon and scrambled eggs wafts from the kitchen, something to look forward to, despite his imminent contact with a mirror.
He enters the bathroom. A can of shaving cream on the counter, several bottles of hand soap and a stack of towels.
He opens the drawer, taking up his razor. He heard that shaving upwards can cause it to grow back slower...
He looks in the mirror, the room looking dark for a moment, like the bottom of the ocean...
He can almost feel a familiar pair of ice cold, skeletal hands wrap around his shoulders...
He blinks, and it's gone. He begins the arduous process of shaving in the opposite direction, his face getting a few small dots of blood but otherwise coming away significantly cleaner than before...
He looks back at the mirror, and freezes.
Mari. He almost thinks it's some kind of hallucination, but no.
That's just him. He feels something warm rise in his guts, and then something heavy and cold settle there.
"I should really get a haircut."
Breakfast is oddly tense. Mom finished in record time, going to wash her plate in the sink. He can feel her eyes boring a hole in his skull.
"You should really start tying your hair back, sweetie. Temperatures have been breaking records lately, I don't want you overheating."
"I'll be fine, I'm not a baby."
"Is that so? I nearly forgot.", she walks out of the room, and Sunny can hear her gathering her purse.
Chapter 3: I Won't Feel Anything
Chapter Text
A black ocean, the scents of salt and watermelon replaced with those of ink and blood.
Sunny looks out at the polluted waters of the Pink Beach, Bluegirl nowhere to be seen.
He takes a step toward the water.
Another
Another
Another...
It's a long way down. Do you want to dive?
What other choice is there?
He dives into the water, the feeling of something cold wrapping around his legs.
He can't calm down, he can't focus, he can't even breathe.
Down.
Down.
Down.
And all he can see is the Maw. Some massive thing moving in the darkness, dragging him down by his ankles, prepared to swallow him whole. He kicks, he tries to scream, but his mouth fills with water tasting of tar. He tries to calm down, but he can't breathe, he tries to focus, but he can't close his eyes.
All he can do is persist.
He kicks at the tendrils grasping at his legs, reaching down clawing at them frantically. He leans down and bites into the slimy flesh, ripping off a chunk and letting it dissolve into the darkness. The tendrils fall loose from his legs and he swims frantically.
He doesn't know when he'll get to the end of whatever is beneath him. He doesn't know if he'll get to the end...
All he knows, is that he must go deeper.
He swims.
And swims.
And swims.
He forgets the Maw, he forgets the danger. Something down there calls to him.
He only realizes his mistake when lightning strikes somewhere above, and he sees the teeth. Large as skyscrapers and sharp as razors.
The Maw, and by proxy, the darkness, swallow him whole.
A voice that is familiar, and yet he'd never heard before, rings in ears.
Real world tip: There is a Mariana Trench under every town.
Chapter 4: Silver Lining
Chapter Text
Sunny springs up from the mattress. His hands are quivering, his body clammy with sweat.
A kitchen knife is in his hand. He looks down at it with a terror he's rarely felt before...
His arms burn. He looks down to see fresh cuts.
No, not just cuts. A carving of one word...
Kara
He sits on the bus, playing on his Gameboy. The day is quiet, and chilly. An old woman sits next to him.
"Hey there, lass.", the woman says. She gives Sunny a warm grin, her voice like honey, with a clear brogue.
"Oh, I-I'm not... Nevermind"
The old woman chuckles, "Well, lassie, what's your name?"
"Uh, I'm Sunny.", a small grin forms on his face.
"I'm Kendall. You have a very pretty name, Sunny."
"Thank you, Kendall. Uh, this is my stop."
Sunny gets off the bus, walking toward. He can't help but smile. There's a warmth in his chest that he hasn't felt since...
Since...? When?
And why?
The box of clothes mocks him. The box marked Mari's. Why does he want to just try them on?
Just this once?
It's almost like there's something in the back of his mind, begging him.
Just this once, he'll try it. He'll take control for once...
He digs through the box, pulling out a green sweatshirt with the NJCU logo on it. He throws it on the floor.
After a few minutes of rifling through the box, he decides on a black skirt and a purple sweater.
He starts changing, avoiding looking down at himself, trying in vain to take his eyes away from the scars crisscrossing along his arms...
He's dressed. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and he looks in the mirror...
He looks...
He doesn't even know what to think. He looks like a girl.
And why does that make him grin? Why does that make him feel warm inside?
Is it because it's like seeing Mari again?
No. He looks back at the mirror. He doesn't look that much like her. But he doesn't look like himself, either.
And yet it feels more like himself than he thinks he's ever felt.
"Am I...?"
His sentence trails off as she notices the tears falling.
Chapter 5: Rises the Sun
Chapter Text
They wake up at the bottom of the Maw.
The sky is black, the ground soft and wet. The ground is littered with chum and other debris. Street lamps litter the path that they're on. The path runs in both directions, the opposite direction being a tongue that extends into a void.
They walk the dark path.
The air is suffocating. Calming Down is difficult.
They hear whispers in the air. What they can barely see in the blackness consists of...
Ruins.
The shards of a broken planet. Fallen trees from a dying forest. The carcasses of arachnids, their impossibly long legs rising into a starless sky like obelisks. The broken stones of castle walls.
Shattered lightbulbs.
Crushed violins.
Bloodied photographs.
Torn dresses.
And then...
Music. A fanfare of beauty and light.
A troupe of friends plays.
A short one playing a drum.
A tall one with a tuba.
A pink one playing a trombone.
A pale one playing piano.
And a single blue one playing a violin.
"Bluegirl?"
The music stops. They all look up at the Dreamer in unison. The blue girl doesn't stop her playing, even as she looks the Dreamer dead in the eye.
"I'm Kara."
The Dreamer nods.
"You've finally done it?"
"Done what?"
"Realized. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
Oh.
Oh...
"I don't know."
"It takes time.", Kara walks up to the Dreamer.
"The moon is brighter than usual."
The Dreamer looks up. A gigantic eye is now staring down at them from the black sky like a spotlight.
"What's this place?"
"The Maw. The deepest of the deep, and all that's left..."
"Is this real?"
"Nothing is real, Dreamer.", the blue girl changes the tone of her playing. Before it was joyous, it is now somber.
"This place is as real as it gets. Before you and I, at least...
There was once a sadness, and an anger. A Deluge that shook our worlds
And then there was a headache, the pressure of mountains, pushing back the water until it flowed into a Trench.
And from that Trench rose a plane of pale coldness. Of uncaring and of melancholy and of hatred.
And the plane needed a guardian. And so too from the Trench rose a Demon.
And that Demon was an architect. An architect who built an Earth and a Heaven and a Hell and a Planet and a Sea that it could play in forever.
But that is not the end of the story. Beneath Wonderland, beneath the Demon, beneath the White Space, beneath the Trench, beneath the Deluge. Before everything else, there was an Emptiness. And this Emptiness had a Guardian too...
And there was one constant. One thing all of these had in common...
You."
The Dreamer can only stare. They can only stare.
"Have you learned the truth? Do you know?"
"I..."
"Please tell me. Put me to rest."
And the Dreamer knew. She just knew.
"I'm a... A girl? That feels weird to say..."
Kara disappears, and so does the Maw.
All that's left is ruins, and then she wakes up.
Chapter 6: Don't You Haunt Me
Chapter Text
It was something that he dreaded. It was something that he couldn't stand the thought of, and yet thought was impossible.
And yet it happened. Hero picks up the phone.
"Hero?"
"Uh... Sunny?"
He hears a small choking noise behind the speaker, and then Sunny's voice again.
"Uhm, y-yeah. I know I have a lot of uh... Nerve doing this..."
"No, it's fine. What do you need?"
It isn't fine. He listens anyway.
"Uhm. Would you mind if I... Came home for a few days? There are some things I think I need to sort out."
Home...
Does Sunny want to kill us?
"I'm sorry. I-I'll-"
"Uhm, sure. I don't care if you come."
He left one thing unspoken, however...
Don't talk to me.
Chapter 7: Maggot
Chapter Text
"Aubrey?"
"Sunny."
"I'm sorry, but... Would you care if I, uhm... Came over?"
What?
"Excuse me? What do you think?"
"O-Of course. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called..."
"Yeah, quit your crying.", Aubrey falls back against the wall of her room, taking deep breaths. Sweat drops from her face. The sun beams down through the hole in her ceiling, motes of insulation and dust falling from the crack.
She brings her phone back to her ear. "You still there?"
"Yeah..."
"Sunny... I think I need to be away from you. But uhm, I think it would be unfair to say that you can't come."
...
"Thanks."
Chapter 8: Yourself, as a Friend
Chapter Text
Basil states down at his phone screen. He's shaking a little as he stares at the caller ID.
The phone vibrates in his hand. His eyes don't leave it for a second.
His thumb hovers over the hangup button. He answers instead.
"Sunny?"
"Hi Basil. I've been thinking about coming back to Faraway... Uh... I'm sorting some things out."
"Uh... I dunno if that's a great idea..."
"I checked in with Hero and Aubrey. Not Kel yet..."
Basil sits there for a second.
"I'll see you."
"See you.", Sunny hangs up the phone.
Basil leans back, and he wants to cry.
Chapter 9: Sunburn
Chapter Text
"Hey Sunny!"
"Hi Kel. I got something to ask you."
"Yeah, what is it?", his voice is shaky.
"C-Can I come over to Faraway for a few days? I've already checked in with e-everyone else, and you know, they seem about as cool about it as they c-can be..."
"O-Oh, sure... Yeah. Yeah, you can come."
"I-I uhm, know you're probably not okay..."
"No, it's fine. It'll be nice to see you."
"You sure?"
"Totally. I'll see you."
Kel hangs up before Sunny can say anything else. He leans back against his wall, his body shaking with every breath.
"Crap."
He doesn't think he's quite okay with this.
Chapter 10: Clay Pigeons
Chapter Text
Hi Mom,
Sorry for being useless. I'm probably not going to be back for a few weeks, but rest assured that I am alive. Don't follow me.
-Sunny
That should be good enough.
Sunny grabs her bag, checks her appearance in the mirror.
She looks fine, right?
Why bother? It's not like her friends want to see her anyway...
What about her arms? She looks down at the scars and scabs on her arms. Overwhelming and overlapping, old and pale and angry and red and painful. All are painful...
She lets out a shaky breath. She puts on a long sleeved sweatshirt, the too-big article of clothing swallowing her body.
She'll be fine. She can do this.
It's... Easier than staying here.
Without anyone to go to who might be able to understand.
Why does she want to go back? For closure? Who knows.
The interstate is less hellish than when Sunny last saw it. The day they moved to the city. Jersey felt like a lifetime ago, but it's only been a year. She wants to sleep, but it's only a five hour ride...
Faraway doesn't have a dedicated bus station though. She might have to walk a few miles. Best to have enough energy for that.
She closes her eyes, leaning back in her seat, her knees up against the seat in front of her...
She wakes up to a tap on her shoulder.
"You're the last one on, kid. Bound for New Jersey, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Well, you're there."
Sunny nods, stepping off the bus. This station is on the nicer side. There are a few soda machines...
She checks her pocket for change, walking to the nearest machine and getting a bottle of Limening (a portmanteau of "lime" and "lightning". A pretty stupid name if you ask her.)
She walks to the nearest store and buys a map.
Faraway is twenty miles away.
"Shit."
Chapter 11: I'm not your friend (unless you say you think of me that way)
Summary:
Sunny gets to Faraway Town. Things are a bit different.
Chapter Text
She stumbles out of the truck, nearly ready to vomit. She'd hitched a ride with a truck driver who was passing through Faraway, and he was kind enough to drop her off near Othermart.
She walks in, head pounding. It was only about a twenty minute ride but it was unbearably hot...
She grabs three bottles of water, paying for them and chugging them all down right then and there.
She lets out a sigh of relief. She walks out and sits on the curb.
She pulls out her phone.
Hi Basil. I'm in town now, if u wanna see me. It's ok if not.
She waits.
Sure, Sunny :) It'll be nice to see you.
She waits.
And waits.
And waits...
And then there's the the sound of shoes on the pavement. She looks up to see not Basil, but a girl about her height, with brown hair and dark skin, eyes the color of honey.
"Hey, Killer."
"Hey..."
"You shouldn't be here."
"Uh... I know."
"I'd kick your ass but Aubrey says you're off- limits for some reason. I guess she wants to do it herself, Killer."
Killer?
Oh.
Ohhhh.
"That got out, huh?"
"It wasn't any of your 'friends', if that's what you're worried about. Hospital staff heard all about it."
Shitttttt
"Well, tell Aubrey I'm here so she can come kick my ass or whatever. Bye."
Kim lets out a string of incoherent grumbling, the only thing Sunny can make out being occasional cursing, before walking off.
"H-Hey Sunny."
"Gah! Oh... Hi Basil."
"Uhm... How've you been?"
"As good as I really can be...", she fidgets awkwardly.
He hands her a bottle of water. "You must be burning up. What's with the hoodie?"
"Uh, just...", she looks down, "Celebrating my choice for college?"
He snorts, "The others are gonna be here in a little bit. Aubrey seems... Happier than expected."
"Yeah. I bet Hero's gonna be real cheesed to see me..."
"You can't expect him to-"
"I know."
"B-But it's not-"
"I know."
"Hey Sunny!", Kel is as cheery is ever.
"Hello.", Hero says flatly.
"Heya. It's uhhh...", Aubrey is more awkward than usual.
"It's nice to see you guys. Uh, you didn't have to come, though..."
"Nonsense! We're family!", Kel's grin looks a bit more forced than usual.
"Uh huh.", Hero is still distant. He doesn't want to be here.
Aubrey looks at Sunny. She looks like she wants to hug her and tear her head off at the same time.
"Kim said you were here to kick my ass."
"Uh... No. I don't do that anymore.", she glances at Basil. The contempt is palpable.
"So uhm. I know it's sudden. I'm just visiting because I have some things I need to work out. Away from the city."
"Is it a work thing?"
"No, it's personal. I'll tell you all sometime later, but probably not today."
"I wonder what happened last time you decided on something like that.", Hero snaps.
Kel glances at his brother. "I think we're gonna go."
Chapter 12: My Stomach Hurts
Chapter Text
Sunny lays on Basil's couch. Crickets chirp outside. It's pleasantly warm in the living room, but too warm to sleep.
The TV went to static hours ago. She stares at the dark ceiling. She stares into the blackness. She stares and thinks about nothing.
And thinks about everything. She thinks about the conversation they had that morning and the things they did after. She thinks about having to wear Basil's clothes after she realized she hadn't brought any spares.
They smell like flowers... It's nice.
She pulls the collar of the shirt to her nose, taking in the scent. Basil's scent.
What a stupid thing to be fixated on. Like a dog or an omega in one of those weird BLs she used to read in private in middle school.
Basil... Basil...
The thought of him makes her want to cry. She didn't think she'd miss him as much as she does. She didn't think she would...
She chokes.
I'm in trouble.