TADC: Mini Me

by ironclad_wafflecone

Summary:

The cast of the circus is met with their most challenging, reflective, and fun adventure yet: that of taking care of miniature versions of themselves.

During the journey, some take to their matching toddlers immediately. Others take some warming up to the idea.

But one sees her reflection so sharply in her mini that it terrifies her straight to her core. Can she push past it- and like the others, become the adult her mini will look up to?

Chapter 1

Notes:

This was originally supposed to be a short one-shot...but it quickly spiraled out of control as these things often do 😅

Hope all enjoy this silly, fun-filled, eventually angst fic!

"Man, today's adventure better not totally suck like they all have recently."

Rolling their eyes, Zooble sighed, shifting on the couch they sat on. "You've said that three times already, Jax."

"It's for emphasis-"

"No, it's just an irritate."

"Well, I think today's adventure will be fun!" Ragatha butted in -the way she always did when Jax and Zooble started to bicker. Another thought hitting her, her face lit up. "Ooh! Maybe Caine will use one of our suggestions again!"

"But I thought he said he wasn't going to do that anymore," Gangle pointed out.

Ragatha stroked her chin. No good answer popping into her mind, she shrugged hopelessly. "Well, maybe he changed his mind-"

"Has Canie ever changed his mind, though?" Pomni genuinely ask. "I mean, has he ever taken back something he's said or done?"

"Not that I can recall."

"That's unusual; you typically remember everything, Kinger."

"Don't be mean, Jax!"

"What, Dollface? It's not my fault Hoo-Ha here has the memory of a moth."

"Moth are actually intelligent creatures that-"

"I didn't ask for learning circle time, King Nut."

"Sounds like someone's jealous of the intelligence of a moth, Jax."

"Sounds like someone should shut their non-existent pie hole, Zoobie."

Shaking her head, Pomni sighed. If Caine's adventures weren't enough to give her a headache some days, then the unending bittering, banter, and insulting around here definitely would.

"Greetings, comrades!" A voice boomed, making everyone instinctively look up. Floating before the couch they saw Caine, his mouth-shaped head stretched into an eager grin. "I hope everyone got a good night's rest! Because today's adventure- boy, is it a boozy!"

"Ugh," Jax groaned, rubbing the invisible bridge of his nose as he slouched down the couch. "That's just your way of saying 'Pack your bags, kids! We're heading to Camp Snooze'."

"Love the enthusiasm, Jax!" The ringmaster chriped obliviously, making Jax roll his eyes. "You'll be needing loads of that for our in-house adventure!"

Tired groans rippled through the cast, even Pomni. Caine hadn't done one of these adventures since her first day here, however long ago that was- and by the way her flesh skin still crawled at the memory of seeing an abstracted character for the first time, it wasn't the most pleasants of connections.

"I hate in-house adventures," Jax whined what they all were thinking, making Ragatha sit up straighter.

"Maybe this one will be fun, though!" She told him in that fake cheery voice everyone got irritated with after a while. "We won't know until we try!"

She turned to patiently look up at Caine, who just glared at her under his showman hat.

"Try and be a bit more positive in your mindset here, Ragatha. No one likes the bitter taste of a depresso espresso."

"But I-"

"ANYWAYS," he switched from his dry, serious tone to his usual loud and dramatic one as he swooped down before the group. "Today's in-house adventure is...."

Somehow holding up two drum sticks, Bubble appeared and began to dramatically play out an anticipation drumroll. Her eyes stared vacantly into the space as the drumming got less for show fare and more of something that mirrored hard rock.

"'Mini Mes'?" Gangle finally read the bright bubbly words in the air, shaking off the falling confetti from her shoulder. 

"How right you are, my fabric friend!" The ringmaster answered her, waving his cane in her direction. 

Turning around and snapping his fingers, a large, multicolored rug that hurt to look at for too long appeared in the air and slowly drifted to the middle of the ground. A collection of various toys, books, and games littered the rug- and in the middle was a big black box. Six wooden rocking chairs popped into view, still gently swaying back and forth from the motion of the teleportation.

Satisfied with the setup, Caine snapped his fingers again...

And one by one, six smaller, baby-esque versions of each of the cast were planted onto the rug.

An oversized, brown pawn chess piece dressed in a purple robe appeared, its' eyes wide as it looked around curiously.

A light pink ribbon came to life and drew on a color page, its' large white comedy mask smiling as it did.

A mini with a triangle head, bean shaped body, and a short wing sprouting off its' back started to dig in the black box, pulling out a book with its' claw and flipping through it.

A small, purple bunny with huge yellow eyes and coral overall hopped into view, sitting on his hind legs innocently as it wiggled its' invisible nose.

A little girl dressed as a blue, red, and yellow color-schemed jester started to dig through the back box as well, pulling out a large chef hat and giggling as she placed it on her head.

And finally a small, life-like doll with short red curls, a purple dress, and two big wide eyes blinked around the room, chewing on her hand.

"It's your responsibility to name the minis and help these kid cadoodles to become active NPCs to the digital society!" Caine instructed in grandeur, waving his cane between the two groups. 

Spinning in a happy circle, the ringmaster floated higher into the sky.

"Have fun with the sitting of these babies!" He loudly crowed as he tipped his hat, did a cartwheel, and disappeared into thin air.

After he and his still drumming sidekick was gone, the cast all stood awkwardly for a moment. No one seemed to know what the first move was when it came to this adventure.

"Welp, I'll smell yall later," Jax suddenly broke the ice in saying, casually getting up to stroll away.

"Oh, no you don't," Zooble hissed as they gently grabbed his arm. "You heard Caine: we're all taking care of our own mini me. That includes you."

"But I'm not exactly a 'kid' kind of person," the rabbitoid whined, flippantly waving a hand the babies' way. All at once, he flashed a suggestive smirk Ragatha's way. "I'm more of a, how shall I say...'making-a-kid' kind of per- OWW!"

Jumping on one leg, Jax rubbed his stomped on foot and sent a death glare Pomni's way.

"Watch your mouth, [BLOINK]hole."

"I should say the same [BLOINK] thing to you. Go find a cheerleader to wave for, Pom-Pom."

"Jax!" Gangle cried somewhere beside him. "Seriously, stop. There's children present."

Snarling, Jax rubbed his foot one last time. Within seconds, yet another smirk settled on his face as he left his foot rest on the floor and overlooked the minis.

"Judging by the vapid look on Mini Kinger's face, I beg to differ."

Rolling their eyes, the other adults sighed. This was going to be a long adventure.

"Listen, I'm not really into babysitting, either," Zooble finally admitted softly. "But we're both going to have to for this adventure."

At their soft demeanor, Jax pretended to look shocked.

"You want me -someone who is so [BLOINK] unfiltered and obscene- to be around your minis? That's just bad parenting."

He started to turn on his heels agin, saluting the colorful cast member. 

"To protect the kids from my ungodiness, I'll go hideoutinmyroomokaytoodles!"

But before he could rush off like he made his words, Zooble pinched one of his ears. Hard.

"Ow! Ow! Ow-"

"You will help us with the minis," they hissed violently at him. "And you will watch that ungrateful pie hole you unfortunately get to call a mouth. Understand?"

Jax winced but finally nodded. The colorful cast member still looked unsure, so they dragged him behind them and made their way towards the rug. 

As each member of the circus cautiously approached, each baby stopped what it was doing and looked up. Their eyes scanned the cast- and every little one seemed to instinctively known who they were the mini me to. 

The baby jester instantly started crawling towards Pomni, excitedly holding up the chef hat. Taking it from her, the adult couldn't help but half grin. 

Approaching the outshirts of the rug, Kinger and the brown pawn piece stared at the other. Each took turns tilting their head and bodies to silently looked over the other.

The colorful, mixed up mini made a beeline for Zooble, making them thankfully let a mumbling Jax's ear go and kneel down beside them. They held out the book in their claw, making the adult appear to smile and take it from them.

The light rose ribbon mini zipped up and over to Gangle, each giggling a little with glee. Bouncing up, the mini smoothly and delicately wrapped around Gangle's waist. She squeezed her bigger counterparts' sides and hugged her gently, making Gangle melt.

Jax rubbed his sore ear for a moment, the pain still stinging it. Crossing his arms into a pout, he sighed in instant boredom.

When seeing everyone was busy focused on their mini, though, the purple rabbit smirk. He started to turn around to sneak off-

Only to nearly trip over the small purple bunny in coral overalls in the middle of the ground.

Raising a disgusted lip, Jax judgmentally stared down at his mini. The baby rabbit blinked up at him, his large yellow eyes wide with curiosity as he sat on his bottom and wiggled his disproportionately large feet. He'd never admit it, but even Jax couldn't help but think the mini was adorable. 

All at once, the baby rabbit's eyes flashed in a comically large way. Without warning, he hopped up and raced around the rug, scattering the books, toys, and games littered across it everywhere. Skidding to a halt in the middle of the circle rug, he began chewing on the sides of the black box, creating huge bite marks and indentations. Once his taste for it waned, he turned and gave a half-lidded smirk the mini Zooble's way. Snatching an attached wing off the mini's body, he took off with it, chewing on it like a dog with a rawhide bone. 

"Hey!" Zooble crowed, starting to chase after the mini Jax. But when the colorful character got just close enough, he took off again, bouncing around like mad before tripping over Jax's large feet.

Rolling onto his back, the mini smiled up at his larger counterpart. His long ears were draped to the sides as the mini Zooble's wing hung halfway from his mouth.

Gulping, Jax slowly picked up the miniature version of himself and stared at it. When the baby dropped the wing and began wiggling around frantically in his hands, aggressively biting at him in an attempt to get free, Jax's eyes went wide.

 "I...I've never known what love feels like until now."

As Pomni chuckled at her mini grabbing a firemen hat out of the box and placing it on her oversized head, she gently scooped her up.

"I'll call you Pamela," she told the baby, who just grinned up at her. "It was my grandma's name..."

She trailed off as her brows furrowed. Why could she remember her grandmother's name, but not her own? The digital world just got stranger the longer she was here.

Shaking her head free of the thoughts filling it, she smiled at the mini in her arms. "Pamni for short."

"Well, this is KJ, your royal highness," Kinger said to her left, playfully bowing at his mini and making Pomni smile.

"Aw, Kinger Jr is a great name for him," Gangle chriped at him with a large smile.

But Kinger quickly shook his head at her words. He held up the pawn piece and snuggled them close to him.

"No. KJ is short for Katherine Elizabeth Julius The 67th. Or Pawnie for short...," he answered as he blinked down softly at the wide eyed chees piece. "And she's a girl."

The thin ribbon around Gangle's waist unwrapped herself and zipped back to the floor. She quickly picked up a crayon and piece of paper before suddenly bouncing back around her larger counterparts waist again. Snuggling against her as she did, Gangle smiled up down at her.

"You really like being around my waist," the adult cooed says with a soft smile. As the baby began drawing in her page, she gently rubbed her head. "I think I'll call you...Belt."

Finally setting his foaming-at-the-mouth mini me back on the ground, Jax crossed his arms. He chuckled affectionately as the baby began chasing its' tail.

"What are you going to call your brat?" Zooble hissed at the adult rabbitoid, gently reattaching their mini's wing.

At their words, Jax broke his relaxed stand and stiffened in annoyance. He rolled his eyes defensively.

"He isn't a brat, Zooble!" The purple rabbit hissed before turning to pridefully smile down at his mini- who had finally caught its' tail, refusing to let go. The bunny flopped over to its' back and began manically flailing his legs in the air. "Polli here just so happens to be the mod's greatest gift to the digital world."

"Polli?" Pomni asked with a raised eyebrow his way.

Rubbing the nape of his neck, Jax blushed and stifled a cough. He tried to roll his eyes, but when they just landed back on his mini, his ears drooped back- and a trace of a sad smile appeared.

"Short for 'polliwog'."

"What's that-"

"Nothing," Jax hissed quickly at her, ears standing straight up again. "Just...It's nothing."

When everyone eyed him in curiosity, Jax awkwardly cleared his throat. Smirking, he crossed his arms and glared Zooble's way.

"You got a name picked out for your brat?" He curtly asked, nodding towards the colorful baby as it thumbed through another book.

Without a sceond thought, Zooble nodded.

"Vesper," they answered before looking up in thought. "Or Vessa. I'll let them decide."

"What's it mean?" Gangle asked curiously as she approached, her scribbling mini still happily wrapped around her waist.

"It's a type of cocktail," Zooble answered softly as they playfuly clicked their claw at their mini- who looked up and did the same. "My favorite drink I used to make as a bartender, actually."

"What a stupid name," Jax mocked as he sniggered, making Zooble roll their eyes.

"Coming from someone who actually went and named their mini Polliwog."

"That's differ- shut up, okay?!" Jax growled instantly, his tone far dark and sharper than even Zooble had heard it. A bright red blush settled on his face as he narrowed his eyes their way, ears flat against his back. "It's...just shut up."

When the group fell quiet in a confused silence, Jax shrugged uncomfortablely. Making himself sneer, he rudely gestured down at the colorful baby at Zooble's feet. "Guess their stupid name fits them."

At his quip, Zooble crossed their arms- eyes narrowed a tad more defensive than usual. "Making fun of a baby is low. Even for you."

"Hey, it's not my fault your mini is the spitting image of ya," he mused back not-so-innocently, a half-lidded smirk on his face. "Like you, Vesper here basically writes their own material."

They stopped their banter when Polli suddenly growled. The small purple rabbit had moved on from attacking his tail and was starting to try putting a shape puzzle together. After attempting to put the square shaped puzzle piece in a circle mold, he flattened his ears and roughly flipped the puzzle board over in frustration. He quickly started giggling, though, as he picked up the circle puzzle piece, stuck it up his invisible nose, and clapped with glee- making Zooble snort.

"Guess I could say the same thing to your mini."

After snickering and eying Pamni, who began babbling in her arms and drumming her fists against the hard shell fireman hat on her head, Pomni scanned her eyes over the other minis. 

KJ was staring down vacantly at the ground, one eye slowly rolling backwards as Kinger looked on with pride. Belt had untangled herself and started sitting on the ground to draw, making Gangle do the same. Vessa was pointing to something in their book for Zooble to see, and Polli was...well, starting to hike his leg on one of the rocking chairs, leading Jax to high-five him.

Her smiling tugging at her lips even more, the jester decided that although it might still be a bit too early to say, this was definitely shaping up to be the best adventure Caine had made yet.

Smiling even wider, Pomni's eye moving around the room...

Until they landed on the mini rag doll, still sitting quietly in her place by the big black box in the middle of the rug. Her two large eyes looked around at all the adults and their matching babies, still chewing on her little hand.

Eyebrows hunched in concern, Pomni peered everywhere until her eyes finally spotted Ragatha, who was still standing in the original spot they'd all been in when the adventure began. The jester realized quickly that the doll woman was the only adult who hadn't interacted with their mini yet, shocking her. Out of all of the cast, Ragatha seemed like the one who'd enjoy this adventure the most. Mothering someone was right up her alley; Pomni knew that better than almost anyone else.

Her lone eye wider than Pomni had ever seen it, Ragatha looked almost panicked. She seemed to be frozen in place- just staring at the miniature version of herself.

"Uh...you wanna come and pick out a name for your mini, Ragatha?" The jester invited softly- but the doll woman just gulped, snapping out of the daze she was in.

Blinked repeatedly, the doll woman spoken to aburply shook her head. Turning on her heels, she started to stiffly walk away.

"Uh...I've got to, um, go do something real quick," Ragatha stammered over her shoulder, picking up her pace. "You guys can, uh, name it for me."

At her rushed, anxious words and mien, Pomni swapped a concern look with Zooble and Gangle, who too had noticed the shift in the doll woman. That didn't seem like Ragatha. At all.

"Well...what should we call her?" Gangle finally asked as she scooted to sit beside the miniature Ragatha, her own mini doing the same.

Suddenly Jax swooped over, his long arms quickly picking on the mini doll girl. Holding her dramatically up in the air Lion King style, the rabbitoid smirk and waved her small body gently. 

"No need to fear, Ribbons! I've already got the perfect name!" He announced loudly. His sneer only growing, he paused for dramatic effect. "Medusa!"

Everyone around him groaned and rolled their eyes. 

"We are not naming Ragatha's mini that!" Zooble derided, making Jax narrow his eyes their way.

"Hey, don't be jealous 'cause you didn't think of it first!" He responded haughtily with his chin in the air.

"Can it, Jax," Pomni snapped at him. "We're picking a different name."

"Why? Medusa fits her perfectly!" He retorted, cradling the baby to chest level with one hand as he gestured towards her with the other. "She's already got the hair- and no doubt her mother's odious, evil personality!"

"How about RJ?" Gangle ignored him to suggest softly, ribbon fingers wiggling in thought. "Ragatha Jr?"

At her notion, Pomni rubbed her chin. That one was good, but...

"How about...Lil Rags?"

Everyone smiled and nodded at her proposal. Well, everyone except Jax. He just flattened his ears and set the mini back on the ground.

"Whatev'," he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'm still calling her Medusa."

At the hare's large purple feet, Lil Rags blinked before looking up at him. Suddenly, she erupted into a big smile that stretched into her huge eyes. 

Turning around to face him, the little doll girl gently grabbed his overalls and pulled herself to stand up.

"Uppy!" She announced with a grin up at him, holding up an arm. "Uppy, Daddy!"

At the mini's eager demand, Pomni, Gangle and Zooble shared a snicker- especially as a deep-seated blush starting to spread arocss Jax's cheeks.

"Oh, no," he responded impetuously, gently freeing his leg to back up- and making the mini plob back onto the ground. "I am not your daddy, ok, kid? The only mini I'm claiming 'round here is the little purple rabbit sitting over on the couch and eviscerating a cushion."

When Lil Rags just tilted her head at him, the rabbitoid bent down to one knee. He pointed over to Ragatha, making the baby's eyes follow his finger.

"See that worthless bag of fluff having some sort of existential crisis? Yeah, that's your parent," he told her, flippantly waving her off as he stood back up. "Go 'uppy' her."

At his demand, Lil Rags locked her eyes on Ragatha. She chewed on her mitten fingers again before that large, infectious, and adorble smile overtook her face. Removing her hand, the mini started to crawl on her hands and knees across the floor.

Eyebrow raised, Pomni watched curiously as the baby made her way over to the doll woman, babbling excitedly as she did. As Ragatha stood still and leaned up against the wall, that strange sharp look of panic on her face as she stared upwards, the baby giggled and gently pulled at the fringes of her dress.

"Uppy!" The baby declared again, pulling at Ragatha's dress even more. "Uppy, mom-"

"Aah!" The doll woman exclaimed as she looked down and seemed to notice her mini close to her for the first time. 

Alarmed, Ragatha turned and scrambled backwards out of reach so fast she tripped and fell onto her back. She groaned in pain and after propping herself up with her elbows, she rubbed the back of her bumped head.

As the baby before her just excitedly crawled faster at the apparent game and blew a playful raspberry, Ragatha quickly scampered to her feet. She backed away again as if the mini was a ticking bomb about to explode. 

Suddenly, the doll woman bit her lip- and without looking back, turned on her heels and stumbled away. She stuttered under her breath with low words, no logical sentences coming out as she rounded the corner and heading down the hallway apparently towards her room.

Slowly getting up, Pomni worriedly went and picked up Lil Rags, who blinked up at her in shared confusion. Something wasn't right.

As she approached the group again with mini in tow, Pomni bit her lip.

"Something's up with Ragatha, guys," she stated outloud, setting down the doll girl in her arms. "She almost acts...scared of her mini me."

Snorting at her anxious remark, Jax rolled his large yellow eyes and lazily stretched his long arms. Hands on his hips, he smirked her way- his next words making every other adult pair of eyes in the room roll. Especially as Polli was seen ripping up yet another poor couch pillow with a red Lego sticking out of his nose.

"I guess parenthood just isn't for everyone, eh?" 

Notes:

Not to be dramatic, but I'd happily give my life for any of the minis. Especially Polli. No one can pry that feral demon child out of my hands.

This and chapter 2 are, to quote Goose, "the silly before storm". 😉

Chapter 2

Notes:

I probably should've split this into two separate chapters, but oh well! Enjoy loooong chapter 2! 🫠

For the next hour or so, the adults played and interacted with their minis. Each were shocked at just how well they got along and reflected the munchkins- and slowly, they each began bonded with them.

Suddenly grabbing her crayons and paper, Belt left Gangle's side and dashed over towards Polli, who was itching under his chin with his hide leg. A little on edge given the mini her munchkin had chosen to interact with, Gangle anxiously followed close behind her.

"Looky!" Belt chrip to the baby rabbit, pointing towards her adorable drawing of a happy face.

Narrowing his eyes towards her, Polli suddenly hissed like a cat with his long ears back. Without warning, he pushed the ribbon mini until she fell backwards- and, to Gangle's horror, instantly breaking Belt's tiny comedy mask.

"Her mask!" She cried as she helped her dazed and confused mini to sit up.

In rage, Zooble took their eyes off their mini. They narrowed their eyes towards Jax, lazily observing from one of the rocking chairs.

"Hey! Get your brat!" They snarled roughly, gesturing towards a somersaulting Polli. "He's wreaking havoc just like you do!"

In response, Jax just sported a conceited smirk. He feigned a noisy yawn before crossing his hands over his stomach. "Sounds like he's makin' his old man proud then."

"I swear if Polli ends up-"

"God, chillax, Zoobs. I know babysitting can be stressful but jeez. You're becoming a helicopter parent about to send out a mayday."

"The only thing stressing any of us out is you and your brat!"

"Quit calling my mini a brat! He's just... misunderstood."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"He is!"

"Just like you then, right?"

"Mayb- no, NO! What you see is what you get with me!"

"Exactly! You are a jerk!"

"Now, now Zooble. No need to lose that charming, calm personality of yours in front of the children."

"Actually, I'm wrong! You're really just a total [BLOINK]hole everyone hates!"

"Hey! Don't [BLOINK]ing curse in front of my mini!"

As Zooble and Jax quickly got into a bittering insult match, Gangle started to pick up her mini's broke mask. Seeing how it was spilt down the middle, she blinked back tears. All she wanted was for her mini to be forever happy...but it looked like that wasn't going to happen except for small increments at a time. Just like with her.

Wiping her tears, Gangle started to look around for something to fix the mask with when she suddenly heard laughing.

Looking beside her, she saw Vesper and Pamni were both tickling Belt's sides, the three of them exploding into a fit of giggles. Tired of the game, the three stopped and grabbed coloring pages out of the black box, starting to scribble with a box of crayons. 

To her surpirse, Gangle found that despite Belt's real tearful face being present, the ribbon mini was far from sad. She was so carefree and happy, it was as if her comedy mask had never even been broken. 

Sniffling still, Gangle blinked in thought.

How can see be so happy without her mask?

She pondered for moment on when she'd seen Belt the happiest: when she was wrapped around her waist. When drawing or doodling...

And now especially when playing with her newfound friends.

Maybe the mask isn't connected to her happiness after all, Gangle mused. Maybe, regardless if the comedy mask is there or not, she's happiest just doing what she loves...just being with who she loves...?

Maybe...it's about, not about what her face wears but, what her heart feels? 

Unsure of this startling notion, the adult ribbon found her eyes dancing between her mini and the broken tiny mask in her hands. The more the mini laughed and played, it became clear: Belt was okay without her mask. She didn't need it.

And never really would again.

Gulping, Gangle set the small spilt mask down at her side- and slowly pulled off her own comedy mask. She set it beside the mini's and compared them. Both masks bore smiles- forced smiles. One was small, one was big. One was already broken- and one, she realized, was breaking it's owner down.

But the smiley face drawing was different. It was strong. Resilient. Permanent.

Taking a deep breath, Gangle found herself smiling. A real smile -not one forced by a mask. It was her smile. Her heart's smile.

And as she grabbed her mini's drawing and made her grinning way over to her baby, she never looked back over her shoulder at the two unneeded, undesired masks left behind.

Zooble and Jax were still growling insults at each other when the colorful character felt a tug at their leg. Looking down, they saw Vessa, pointing to their coloring page drawing. It was of an average, everyday shaped body- so completely different from their own. Yet the body was colored in every color imaginable. Pinks and greens and oranges scribbles were all over the place on the paper, making the mini shake it up at Zooble and laugh.

"Head!" The baby said, pointing to the round head on the drawing before patting their own triangle shaped skull. "Head!"

Chuckling, Zobble abandoned their fight with Jax and sat down beside them. "Yeah, you're right. They match. Good job."

"Eyes...eyes!"

"Another match."

"Belly...belly!"

The mini went on to name the other matching body parts, both on the drawing and on themselves. Their eyesbrows hunched in confusion, however, when they had named every similar body part on the page- looking baffled at how much was left different on themselves.

"Where wing?" They asked Zooble, turning the page this way and that. "Where claw?"

Looking away, Zooble rubbed the back of their own neck.

"Well...most bodies don't have-"

"Wing!"

Looking back at their mini, Zooble saw that they were excitedly pointing towards their back- making Zooble chuckle. Zooble hadn't even noticed their own body had a wing on today. 

"Heh, yeah. There is the wing," they said slowly. They wiggled the mini's own wing on their back. "Looks like you got a wing too. Just with a few extra bite marks on it is all."

The baby just appeared to smile widely, especially when they grabbed Zooble's claw with their own.

"Look!" They announced happily, holding them side by side. "Claw! Match!"

Chuckling again, Zooble nodded. They played along as Vesper started to point out other body parts they alone shared. They'd never say it out loud, but it was nice to finally have someone around who had as weird of a body as them.

The mini, however, stopped when they looked down at their own legs. One leg was straight with boot at the end of it. The other was a long tentacle with a flipper at the end.

"Leg?" They asked Zooble, titling their head in wonder.

"Well...kinda," Zooble finally answered after a moment of thought. "It's more for a tentacle, really, though."

The mini's eyes danced between their tentacle and Zooble's pegleg. They seemed puzzled before tilting their head again.

"No match?"

A sad look surfaced on Zooble's face, one that made them look away from the mini again.

"...No. We don't match."

Sighing, Zooble gently ran their claw over the mini's head.

"Our bodies are greatly different from the others...and, well, even from each other's,  apparently," they continued outloud, their voice sad and frustated before admitting a truth they'd never told anyone who'd really listen in the circus. "Sometimes... sometimes it's isolating and hard and...bad being so unique."

The mini didn't say anything. Not that that surprised Zooble. Vessa was just a baby, after all. There wasn't much they could do to help their adult feel better.

Out of nowhere, though, Vesper appeared to smile. Sticking their tentacle in the air in a comical way, they laughed.

"U-nik!" They said when clapping happily. They pointed to Zooble's pegleg. "U-nik!"

Snorting, Zooble nodded.

"Yeah, we're pretty-"

"U-nik!" the mini said as they turned and pointed at Belt, who was zipping around in agility and grace with such a thin and slither body.

They then pointed to Polli's purple fur, long ears, and big feet- especially as he engerically hopped around the room.

"U-nik!"

Pawnie, her tall chess piece body and eyes that stared at some invisible.

"U-nik!"

Pamni, her goofy looking hat and large, multiple colored eyes.

"U-nik!"

And finally pointed to Lil Rags, her red hair bouncing as she fiddled with the seams on her rag doll arm.

"U-nik!"

Really laughing for the first time in what felt like ages, Zooble gently rubbed their mini's triangle head again. They found themselves thinking- and feeling strangely content. The most content they'd felt from the moment they were pulled into the circus.

"Yeah. I...I guess we're all united in being pretty unique, huh? In...in good ways."

The mini just nodded before slowly climbing into their lap. Snuggled against Zooble, Vessa handed them a pink crayon to finish coloring in the head of the average body on the paper. Head spinning in a happy way, Zooble took the crayon offered and swore they were grinning- even though they had no mouth to show for it. 

And for the first time, that's was okay with them.

Still over by themselves, Kinger and Pawnie were still eying each other as the king held the mini in his arms. He slowly sat down in a rocking chair- and sat her down on the ground. He looked around the room, and finding a dark colored sand castle bucket, slowly placed it on his head.

This is the only way I can remember her...

 His eyes instantly filling with a strange mix happy yet sad tears, Kinger sighed and reached out for his mini, who drew closer. Picking her up again, he cuddled her close.

"Oh, your mother? Well, she was perfect in every sense- and goodness, KJ. You look so much like her."

The mini just blinked up at him curiously, completely unfazed by the bucket over his head. 

Even though she couldn't see his face now, it felt to Kinger like she could read his often mixed up, fragmented mind- more than anyone else here seemed to, anyways. Words, even ones sounding delusional or crazy to anyone else, didn't seem needed with the mini. 

He chuckled- seeming to sense when her eyes slowly shifted to stare into space again.

"Wow! You're quite the chatterbox like her, too! I recall how she always had something to say! Boy...the interesting, funny conversations you both who've had..."

Trialing off in a saddness he could always feel but never explain to others, the king chess piece sighed again. Peering at her under the bucket, he blinked at his mini and gave her a soft kiss.

"Great point. We can conversate, too."

The mini said nothing, only climbing out of his arms and getting back on the ground again. After toddling over to dig through the black box again, she instantly pulled out a book and shook it excitedly in the air. Book in hands, she quickly toddled back over to him.

At first, Kinger tried to look at the book with her with the bucket on his head- but it proved to be tricky holding a book and the rim of the makeshift hat at the same time. He bit his visible lip.

Do I risk losing my memory of her again just to be here with our daughter?

He shook his head, bucket shaking with him. Gripping the edges of the makeshift hat harder, he pulled it further over his head- desperate to keep all his memories safely inside.

I want her here with us, though...even though I know she can't be. She is just a memory now...

Peering at the mini in his hands, Kinger sighed once more.

But KJ here with me now. She needs to feel loved and wanted...and I want her to remember how I was really with her. Even if she doesn't remember anything else about me down the road. 

And as long as I have her...

He peered at the baby again, who had leaned closer to him to peer up the bucket. Her large, trusting chestnut eyes blinked up at him- making him melt.

I'll always still have pieces of my Queenie present with me, too.

Closing his eyes, Kinger hestiated but slowly took off the bucket and set it on the ground- letting go of the memories that engulfed him.

He blinked down at the mini in his hands- confusion overtaking him.

Wait, where did this little chess piece come from..and why does she look so familiar? Oh well.

Deciding to shrug it off, the king looked at the book in their hands. 

"Ooh! What book you got there?"

As they thumb through the book together, Pawnie would point at the pictures, never saying anything out loud. But when she looked at him in the eye, Kinger couldn't help but know exactly what she was saying- though this time, it puzzled him more than anything.

"Huh...ladybugs. I feel like they were someone else's favorite, too..."

Still sitting in a rocking chair, Jax smiled with glee and pride as he watched Polli hop up to Pomni's mini. She had returned to playing with the chef hat, placing it on her head carefully. 

Snatching the hat off her head, the baby rabbit savagely began rippling it to shreads.

"No!" Pamni cried out before shaking an angry finger at him. "Bad Polli!"

Ears flicking, Polli spit out pieces of the hat and narrowed his eyes the mini jester's way. He hopped away- and came right to Belt. Smirking, he stole her crayon, giggling with joy as Gangle cried in protest. All eyes on him, the baby rabbit stuck the crayon way down into his throat before coughing it up dramatically.

"Ewwww!" Belt gagged as she zipped behind Gangle. She crossed her thin ribbon arms and pouted. "Bad!"

Raising an eyebrow, Polli backed away. But true to himself, he spun on his purple heels and made his over to Zooble and Vesper with a evil smirk. Already seeing how he'd treated the others (and how he was eying their mini's drawing), Zooble shooed them away. 

"Go away, Brat!" They growled, roughly waving their claw at him.

With no hesitation, Vessa did the same- snapping their claw towards the bunny.

"Bad! Bad!"

Shaking his head, Polli winced- seeming to not like the word everyone was calling him. He slowly made his way over to Kinger and Pawnie, who had moved on reading a book about millipedes. Smiling with lidded eyes, the bunny purposely knocked the book out of their hands and skipped away before either could protest- or say that stupid word he didn't like again.

His confident boasted again, he snickered up to Lil Rags, who was silently brushing a play teddy bear's fur. Biting onto the brush, the purple rabbit shook it roughly, about to run off with it. Before he did, though, he finger gunned towards the doll child, clicking his tongue and winking as he did. As she tried to grab at the brush, he bolted on all fours quickly away.

Growling in annoyance, Zooble set their mini aside and roughly stood up. Trying to be gentle, they picked up the mischievously rabbit by the scruff of the neck and made him drop the brush. When he wiggled enough around to successfully bite onto their arm, they dropped him quickly on the ground and winced in pain.

"Ugh! Jax, your brat is uncontrollable!" 

"I told you, Zoobs. Polli's is-"

"Mod's greatest gift. Yeah, I heard you. Can we exchange that present? Better yet, return it?"

Snarling, Jax sat up a little straighter, ears flicking in annoyance.

"How dare you talk about him like that! It's not his fault he's super sensitive to red dype number- OW!"

Yelping, the purple rabbit instantly started to kick his leg- which when looking down, he saw Polli had decided to bounce over and bite onto. He winced in pained, tugging at the small mini.

"See?" Zooble barked. "It hurts when he's being bad!"

Instantly, Polli's ears flickered again, his attention pulled away from his biting. Seeing the rascal was distracted, Jax was able to pry him off.

"Don't bite!" Jax growled as he held up his mini, wagging a finger at him- which only made the baby nip at him. "Biting hurts! That's- that's bad!"

When the baby just shook his head again and wiggled frantically to get down, Jax groaned. It was funny when his mini was chaotic, bad mess with the others- not when he was the target of it, though.

"Looky!" Pamni suddenly called out excitedly as she pulled out a new baby color puzzle from the black box. This captured Belt and Vessa's immediate attention as they crawled their way over to where the mini jester sat. 

"Play!" The baby jester smiled as she handed a piece to each Vessa and Belt.

Within seconds they were cooing and babbling happily as they grabbed the other puzzle pieces, making Pomni, Zooble, and Gangle swap a smile. As the three babies patiently took turns putting their wooden color pieces into the corresponding color mold, it was clear the three of them made a good team.

Once he was back on the ground, Polli was still for a split moment. Suddenly, however, he titled his head and took off where the minis sat- though heading their direction in a noticably more curious than destructive manner this time. Instead of diving into the middle of the minis and taking the puzzle for himself, he sniffed the air as his ears laid back. He raised up to his hind feet and quietly peered over their shoulders, eager to see exactly what they were doing together.

At just seeing him approach them closer, however, Pamni growled. Making herself as big as possible, she stood up and shook her finger at him. 

"No play! Bad Polli! Bad!"

Ears lowering even more, the mini back away from the group. He watched as each of the other two kids started to mimick the mini jester.

"Bad Polli!"

"No play! Bad!"

Hoping backwards to get away from the others and that word he was really starting to hate, Polli's eyes went huge. Watching as the others giggled and went back to playing with the puzzle, the bunny sadly turned around. Cowarding with his ears drooped around the sides of his head, he walked on all fours back towards his adult- the saddest and calmest any had seen him.

"Hey!" Jax started to growl defensively as he rashly stood up. "What gives? Why can't he-"

"Didn't you hear them?" Zooble interrupted immediately before pointing an accusatory finger Polli's way. "They don't want him to play with him or for him to even be around them because he's bad!"

"But he wasn't even doing anything to them-"

"It doesn't matter, because eventually he will!" The colorful character interrupted again as they crossed their arms. "He's the miniature version of you, remember? Unpredictable, cruel! Bad! Of course no one wants to deal with either of you! Go be jerks by yourselves and leave everyone else alone!"

Zooble's words cutting him more than he'd care to admit, Jax crossed him arms indignantly and flopped back into the rocking chair. Mumbling censored curse words under his breathe, he quietly eyed down at the bunny now sitting at his feet, expected to see his mini jealously pouting or planning his revenge. He wasn't.

His long ears still drapped around his cheeks, Polli was eying the group with a look that mirrored...shame? Regret? Sadness? Dejection? Loneliness? Maybe all of the above? Jax couldn't know- and didn't really want to after too long.

His eyes glued to his mini, Jax quickly realized that Polli didn't just want to play with the brand new puzzle; in fact, his reaction had nothing to do with it.

Polli wanted to be with the other minis. Play with them. Be their friend.

Despite badness being all he knew, he wanted to be better. Whatever that entailed, he suddenly wanted to try.

He just wanted to be good for once.

He just didn't know how.

Definitely not liking the pain twitching in his heart, Jax sighed dramatically. Scooping his mini up, he gently sat Polli down in his lap and made him look at him.

"Don't listen to stupid Auncle Zooble," Jax whispered bitterly into baby's ear. "You're perfect the way you are. We're perfect the way we are. We don't need those dumb old minis or adults. Neither of us will ever need anyone-"

A happy gasp and around of giggle made both rabbits turn towards the group of littles again. Pamni was holding up a brightly colored blue puzzle piece and made a funny noise with it. The other two giggled and mirrored the noise with their pieces.

Seeing how happy Pamni, Belt, and Vessa were...

Seeing how happy Pomni, Gangle, and even dumb old Zooble were...

Making himself pull his eyes off the group and drift back over to his mini, Jax saw Polli's sad frown only got grew deeper. Maybe even as deep as the one the adult hare seemed to wear now.

Unable to take the pain bubbling up inside, the baby finally looked away from the group himself. His bottom lip quivering, the little bunny blinked repeately to get rid of the sad tears beginning to pool his large yellow eyes.

And as much as he hated it, Jax found himself doing the same. 

Suddenly, the adult rabbit shook his head roughly. He rolled his misty eyes- and looked at his mini one last time.

"You sure you want to try?"

When Polli blinked at him with those large yellow eyes and gave him a soft nod, Jax sighed loudly again.

"Fine. But you're going to have to meet me half way here. This is new for both of us."

Cradling the abruptly squirming Polli under his arm like an engeric football, Jax stood up and cautiously made his way over to the group of minis. Slowly sitting down, he placed the baby bunny in his lap.

The others, originals and minis alike, instantly eyed the pair in uncertainty. They watched on edge as Jax cleared his throat, no one sure just what he or Polli were up to.

Finally, Jax hesitated before forcing his mouth open.

"Polli...Polli is sorry for what he's done before," he mumbled out, rubbing the nape of his neck and looking away. "He doesn't know how to...well, you know...be friends with someone else. But he wants to...you know, try now. Try to be...good or whatever."

Blinking quietly at his shocking words, Pomni felt a smile pull at her lips. For the first time she'd ever seen, Jax was being compeltely sincere.

The other, however, didn't receive his apology so well. Vessa instantly narrowed her eyes at him, Zooble doing the same. Belt held the piece in their hands back in case this was a trick and Gangle wiggled her ribbons nervously.

Gulping down a knot in his throat, Jax closed his eyes for a moment- pushing away thoughts of how stupid it was he...no, Polli...was trying to be something he wasn't.

But when his eyes opened again and landed on his mini, he saw the baby rabbit was making himself be still. Calm.

Good- well, as good as he could be.

Taking a deep breath, Jax stiffly pointed to a purple piece of the puzzle. Time for him to meet his mini half way.

"So...can Polli have that puzzle piece...and play, too?"

At his sincere request, Zooble and Gangle exchanged a look of concern before looking down at their scrowling minis. None of them looked so sure.

"Pwease?"

At the soft, small, innocent voice ringing out, everyone looked at Polli with utter shock. Even Jax. His first word was really...that? 

Despite the looks of complete surprise he was receiving, the bunny mini said nothing else. He just held out his two purple paws- a hopeful, patient smile on his face.

Instantly smiling back, Pamni weaved around Vessa and Belt to slowly crawl her way over to the bunny- purple piece in hand. After handing it to him, she pointed to the puzzle board.

"Play?" 

His eyes wide, Polli's hopeful smile quickly melted into one of shock. After looking up excitedly at Jax, who had his own smile tugging at his lips, the mini eagerly nodded at the jester. 

Smiling in pride over her mini's acceptance and kindness, Pomni silently set the puzzle board down among the group. All watched as Belt hestiated at first but finally put her orange puzzle piece in the correct spot. Vesper went next, matching the green piece perfectly- keeping an eye on the unpredictable bunny now sitting among them. 

Pamni started to take her turn- before stopping. Smiling at Polli, she pointed to the empty purple mold on the board.

Ever Jax's mini, Polli just rolled his eyes and tried to place his piece in a blue mold, growling in irritation when it didn't fit. After trying and failing to place it into a yellow mold, he started to flip the whole board over in frustration- but somehow stopped himself and tried again. When he failed to get the purple piece to fit into a red mold, Pamni started to giggle at him.

His eyes off her for a moment, Polli twitched his ears and put his purple piece in a pink mold. Vesper giggled this time. A playful smirk appearing in his face, the bunny quickly moved his piece back to the yellow mold, making Belt break into laugher.

The four minis were laughing and giggling all together in no time as Polli rashly placed his puzzle piece in each incorrect mold, doing it just for the laughs he was getting. Suddenly, Panmi flipped the board over to start over again- no one complaining as each began to put their own pieces in the wrong place. 

Smiling at the creation a fun, ridiculous game only the minis knew the rules of, Pomni side-eyed Jax- and saw he was wearing a soft, wide grin she'd never seen him wear before. One maybe even he himself realized he had never wore before.

Her eyes leaving the repeatedly blinking adult hare, Pomni looked over to where Kinger and Pawnie were- both now staring into the same blank space.

"Hey, uh, Pawnie?" She called out, pointing to the playing minis before her. "Do you want to come play with the others? We'd love to have you!"

The mini spoken to didn't answer nor blinked. Her left eye twitched occasional but that was the only repaonse.

Chuckling, Kinger appeared to smile.

"Thank you for extending the inviation, but I agree with this little chess piece here. We are having too much fun discussing a fascinating newpaper article on the Solenopsis Invicta, arent we?"

When the mini finally blinked again in response, the king chess piece just laughed once more.

"Yes, that's an excellent point. You're a bright little chess piece for figuring that out...remind me of your name again?"

As the two just resumed staring in space and sharing in a silent conversation only they seem to hear, Pomni shrugged and shook her head with a smile. 

Her eye danced back among the littles before her. Polli was still being a brat at times; he would, albeit more playfully than mean this go around, take a piece from one of the others- but this time, Jax would actually intervene, asking him to return it. Gangle would instinctively reach forward when Belt was the object of his antics and try to help, but made herself stop when realizing Belt had smiled and moved on to find another piece. Zooble would growl under their breath when Polli would take a piece from their mini- but when Vessa would rip off their arm with their other arm to carefully take it back from him, they would appear to grin. 

As the minis babbled and played, the adults shared a smile. Finally the babies were getting along or at the very least happy in their place...

Except for...

Pomni's eyes looked past the minis before her and lock them on Lil Rags- who was sitting quietly from a distance. Her large eyes were watching the others as she chewed on her hand again. Tilting her head, she would occasionally blink at them.

Biting her lip, Pomni hunched her eyebrows in shame. Everyone, herself included, had been so busy interacting with their minis that they had somewhat forgotten Lil Rags was there- left with no adult of her own in sight.

Picking up a red puzzle piece, Pomni wanted to make things right. Holding out the piece to her, she smiled invitingly.

"You can come play, too, Lil Rags. In fact, we want you to."

A small smile appeared on her face as Lil Rags slowly crawled forward and took the piece offered her. She tried to crawl closer to the puzzle board, but the other four were playing so quickly and frantically, she couldn't seemed to find a place to fit.

Shocking the other adults, Jax gently picked the rag doll up. Setting her in his lap, he scooted in closer and waved his hands at the roughhousing minis.

"Alright, guys," he advised the group. "Let Medusa in or she'll turn ya into stone."

The chaotic game paused at his words, making the minis all turned to look at him. Or more accurately, at Lil Rags.

Polli instantly looked irritated the doll had ruined the fun; Belt just looked unsure as her eyes danced btween Lil Rags and the puzzle board. Vesper and Pamni only looked at her for a moment before completely ignoring Jax's words as well as Lil Rags and went on playing the game.

Seeing his words had no real effect, Jax gently picked up the puzzle board and held it out so Lil Rags could put her piece in. This made every other mini growl in protest but quickly scoot closer to the board again.

Seeming happy and content, Lil Rags smiled and held up her puzzle piece. 

"Red!" Polli pointed to it and said- but Lil Rags shook her head.

"Scar-lett." She corrected him, making the adults raise their eyebrows in surprise. The little doll hadn't said much since the adventure began, but when she did, it was usually pretty smart.

Clapping their hands, Vesper giggled and pointed to the empty yellow mold.

 "Here," they directed, making Belt snicker behind her ribbons.

In response, Lil Rags blinked them. 

"No, here," she told them, pointing to the correct mold.

Pamni shook her head and pointed to the orange mold, smiling widely. "Here."

"No, here," Lil Rags insisted, pointing once again to the correct spot. "Scar-lett."

"They're playing a silly game, Medusa," Jax informed her, abstentemntly playing with a lock of her red hair. "See? They are putting their pieces into the incorrect places."

Watching as Pamni put her yellow piece into an orange mild, the others giggled. Lil Rag just hunched her eyebrows. She definitely didn't like nor understand the silly game.

"No, here," she pointed to to the yellow mold.

Getting tired of waiting on her, Polli snatched the scarlett puzzle piece and put it into the purple spot, making the others explode into giggles again.

"No!" Lil Rags cried in protest but the others ignored her, loudly resuming their game.

At first, Lil Rags pouted, crossing her arms in frustration. But after watching how the roughhousing others ignored her, she climbed out of Jax's lap and went back to quietly sitting by herself, looking sad and lonely. 

Watching the rejected mini, Pomni bit the inside of her cheek. She could tell Lil Rags wanted to play with the others, but ironically like Polli, didn't know how.

However, unlike Polli, she wasn't willing or able to play any other way but hers. Not even willing to try.

Pomni looked away. Did she or any of the other adults break up the game the others were playing and make them play Lil Rag's way or just let the doll girl do her own thing while the others did theirs? It was a hard call with what felt like no right answer.

Suddenly, simultaneously like clockwork, each mini began to wail. No matter how happy or content they were, they each threw their heads and started to screeched. It would've been comical if it wasn't so loud and sudden- and painful to the ears.

"Ugh!" Jax growled, pulling his long ears low to try and block out the noise. "What the heck do they all want?"

"How should I know?" Zooble complained, shaking their head and wincing as Vessa howled louder. "I'm not a baby whisperer!"

Appearing in thin air, Caine eyed the scene, his jawline head widening into a grin.

"Looks like the minis are hungry!" He snapped his fingers, causing a table with baby bottles filled with an off white substance to appear.

"But they can't eat anymore than we can," Gangle pointed out loudly to be heard over the screeching.

" 'Tis true, my red yarn friend! But feeding a baby is apart of the child rearing situmation!"

Picking up a full bottle, Caine turned it over- the off white substance gone. "These are magic disappearing milk bottles! Your job is to-"

"Feed them, got it," Jax deadpanned as he jumped up and raced to the table, the other adults quickly trialing behind as Caine shuttered, yelped at the loud baby wails, and quickly disappeared.

Before long, each adult was cradling their mini, the babies happily 'drinking' their bottles as they were rocked in the rocking chairs...

All except for Lil Rags.

She had stopped crying and been handed a bottle, but at seeing she was alone yet again, had rejected it beside her. Tearfully, she watched as the other minis got to eat and rock and bond with their matching adults.

Bottom lip quivering, the little doll girl crawled over to where Jax rocked Polli, who was holding up his bottle with his large back feet.

"Uppy!" The doll girl demanded as she shakily stood on her feet and leaned against the chair. "Pwease, Daddy?"

Initially, Jax growled loudly in response. He had a splitting headache from all of the crying- and now, his admittedly second favorite mini (only slightly behind Polli) was calling in him that embarrassing name again. He recoiled, the blush on his face deepening- and decided now was the time to nip this in the bud.

"Okay, Ragatha! Time to come get your brat!" He made it a point to loudly crow, craning his neck to see around him as his eyes searched for the missing doll woman. "Seriously, this double duty crap is getting old!"

Her mini starting to doze off in her arms, Pomni removed the 'empty' bottle from her mouth and patted the babies belly. She found herself looking around, too...but still the doll woman was no where to be found.

"I hope she's okay," she mused out, eyebrows hunched. "I mean, she still hasn't met any of the minis or even held Lil Rags yet-"

"Well, whatever her problem is, she needs to get over it. And quickly," Jax hissed impatiently. "Taking care of her mini shouldn't fall on me."

"You are her daddy, though, remember?" Zooble mocked with an appeared smirk Jax's way, enjoying how they made his ears go back and cheeks lit up with a firey blush again.

"Shut up, Zooble. This isn't an episode of Maury."

Still at his feet, Lil Rags continued to pull at his overalls, begging and fussing to be held. Finally, Jax groaned in defeat. Reaching down, he scooped her up -still being remarkably gentle with her, though- and over exaggeratingly rolled his eyes.

"This is so unfair," he whined as the doll child smiled happily at him in his lap. He avoided looking at her and melted deeper into his chair. "How come I have to take care of them both just because Ragatha's a few fries short of a Happy Meal?"

"Just shut up already, Jax," Zooble hissed to him, rolling their eyes to look down at their mini. "Taking care of a kid means being there during the easy and difficult times. Plus, they aren't even that had to take care of."

"Oh really?" Jax barked back, not noticing as Lil Rags try to leaned over the side of the chair to grab a pacifier off the side table. "Like you would even know! You're literally just taking care of-"

CRASH!

Her hand losing its' grib on the chair's arm, Lil Rags went falling down the side of the chair and hit the right side of her face on the hard ground. After immediate pain started to shoot across her face, she sat up and began to cry in pure agnoy.

"Oh, come on! Really, Jax?" Zooble instantly hissed as they slowly stood up with their sleeping mini in hand. "That's just ridiculous!"

But Jax didn't seem to hear or respond to them as he immediately reached down to gently scoop up the crying baby. His face going a couple of colors past pale, he quickly set Lil Rags in his lap and hopelessly hovered his hands around her head. As she continued to sob and rub her already swelling right eye, Jax's face twisted up in guilt and pain. His ears seeming glued down to his back, he stuttered out any and all words he could think of.

"Aw, kid, I'm so- that wasn't- GOD, you need to be more careful, Medusa!"

"You're really unbelievable, Jax," Zooble continued to berate, shifting a sleeping Vesper from one shoudler to the other. "I get you're pouting about having to take care of Lil Rags, but you can't just let her get hurt like that!"

"I think it was genuinely just an accident, Zooble," Pomni quickly defended as she crandled her mini and stood up. "They happen. Especially with kids."

Approaching the chair grief-striken Jax and the minis were in, she thought for a moment.

 "Why don't you grab Lil Rags' bottle, Zooble?" The jester ask. "I'll help Jax get her settled."

The colorful cast member narrowed their eyes but complied, going to scoop up the bottle abandoned on the floor.

"Owwie..."

"I know it hurts, Medusa. I know..."

As Lil Rag started to whimper, Pomni eyed Jax. She'd never seen him look so remorseful before. In a raw gentleness, especially from him, he started to softly rub on her bruised cheek with a gloved finger.

"I'm so sorry, baby doll," he affectionately whispered to her to where he thought Pomni couldnt hear. 

When the mini lowered her hands and yawned sleepily, in horror the adults saw she had a black eye starting to form. Jax helplessly looked at Pomni, his mortified face begging for a solution.

In response, Pomni thought for a moment before smiling. 

"Caine!" She called softly, making the ringmaster appear. "Can we get an ice pack please? Lil Rags here took a tumble."

Caine immediately nodded and snapped his fingers, an ice pack falling out of the air. As Jax scambled to catch it, the ringmaster zipped away.

"Here, kiddo," the rabbitoid cooed as he gently placed the cold press against the mini's eye. "This'll help."

Sitting up a little, Polli watched quietly as Lil Rags sniffled and slowly stopped crying. Taking one last look at his bottle, he gave a small smile and started to gently hit her on her head with it. It wasn't enough to hurt her, but definitely startled her and Pomni- and just make Jax angry.

"Stop, Polliwog," he growled harshly at him, making the mini hiss like a cat at him. When the mini continued to strike her softly, Jax groaned in frustration and roughly took the bottle.

Watching as Polli started to fuse and growl over the bottle, Jax gave in and gave it back, narrowing his eyes at the mini. The baby rabbit gave him one last glare before turning to strike Lil Rags again- when he stopped. Blinking softly at her, he simply held out the bottle to her.

Wiping her sleepy eyes, Lil Rags smiled and started to take it when Zooble approached with her own bottle in tow.

"Here," they pointedly hissed at Jax as they held out the bottle in a disgusted manner.

"Thanks, Zooble, I owe ya one," the rabbitoid thanked quickly as he took the drink and gently looked at Lil Rags. "Now, let's get you comfortable, baby."

Holding her like a piece of delicate china, he got Lil Rags positioned against him so she could 'drink' the bottle as well as have the ice pack against her. Somehow juggling the two minis in his arms, Jax got Polli's bottle propped up on his feet again and held Lil Rags' bottle up for her in one swift motion.

In shock at Jax's gentlness, gratitude, and skill with balancing the minis, Zooble raised an eyebrow. Shaking their head, they back over to their rocking chair and sat down, making Pomni do the same.

A smile appearing on her face, the jester watched as Jax bounced his eyes back and forth between the two littles in his hands. Finally satisfied the little doll girl would survive, he began to relax and softly rock the chair- the soft squeak of it and motion drawing the babies to slowly close their eyes.

His bottle completely 'empty', Polli belched loudly and tossed it over his shoulder. He yawned, stretched, and rolled over onto his stomach. Smacking his lips, he wiggling up to laid in Jax's chest.

Lil Rags blinked open her good eye and saw Jax looking around slyly to make sure no one was watching before breaking into a warm smile down at his mini. Letting his ears fall back behind him, he gently nuzzled his chin against the baby rabbit's head, a funny, faint purring/chirping noise coming from both of them as they closed their eyes.

Wrapping a hand around a lock of hair, the miniature Ragatha looked over at Zooble and Vesper, still fast asleep. They stretched before snuggling close to Zooble, who did the same.

Her eyes bounced over to Belt, who was drapped lazily over Gangle's shoulder as she 'finished' her bottle, large black eyes starting to close as Gangle rocked softly.

Lil Rags eyed Kinger, who hummed a made up tune softly as Pawnie stared up at him. Suddenly, the mini chess piece's eyes slowly blinked closed.

Finally, Lil Rags turned her head and looked beside her. There she saw Pomni gently bouncing her mini rested against her, a faint smile on both of their matching faces. 

After seeing Polli was nestled against him and snoring loudly, Jax affectionately rolled his eyes and looked at Lil Rags. Her bruised face squished up, she looked ready to quietly cry again as she sat her bottle down.

His heart stabbing at him with guilt all over again, Jax gently lifted the little doll and rested her on the other side of his chest. 

"Just rest, Medusa. Everything's okay."

At first, Lil Rags seemed hesitant to accept at his invitation. It was clear she was smart enough to realize Jax cared about her...but he still wasn't her adult. She still wasn't the mini for him. They had formed a connection- but not like how the other minis and their adults had.

But after she looked around and seeing no face that matched hers, the doll girl just rubbed the cold ice pack against her eye, sighed, and laid her head down on Jax's chest to sleep.

Notes:

Soft Jax mixed with some angst is to die for and I'd write that all day if I could

If anyone is interested in further sneak peaks of other stories I have or just to chat about anything TADC, I'm on Tumblr! My username is bazowieezooweewa 😉 Hit me up if you'd like!

Chapter 3

Notes:

This chapter gets heavy ("the storm" I mentioned before...almost quite literally!) just fyi

TWs: mentally, emotionally, physically abusive parents, graphic (minor) details of abuse

Also tysm to everyone who has read, kudos, bookmarked, and commented here on A03 as well as on Tumblr! It means to absolute world to me! ❤️As a way to show my gratitude, I present the next chapter in which I have tormented Ragatha 😀 enjoy the pain!

Her tight chest heaving, Ragatha quickly stumbled to her bedroom door- the too colorful hallway around her spinning as she did. Pointedly ignoring the smiling picture of herself on the door, she instead focused her scrambled attention on getting said door open, her mittened hands continuously slipping off the knob. When she somehow got a grip (now if only she could mentally, too) and finally burst the door open, she tripped in and shut it behind her just as fast.

Leaning her back against the closed door, she groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Without even noticing, she slowly slid down to the floor- paying no mind to how the dark room around her engulfed her. 

She left her hands fall at her side and closed her eye. 

You'll never be who I want you to be!

Instantly her hands were raised again, however- grabbing at her red hair as if having a mind of their own.

You're a failure!

She desperately began to pulled at the strands wrapped around her fingers.

You're a disgrace!

Ragatha tightened her grip and tugged harder- begging herself to just get the racing thoughts out of her mind. Just to stop her heart from pounding as hard and loud as it was.

You're a moron!

Hitting the back of her head against the door, the rag doll gripped her hair so tightly she knew her knuckles went white.

Too bad you chased all your "friends" away; they all thought you were normal. Well, clearly not anymore...

All you do is [BLOINK] everything up for everyone else!...

Tone it down! You are SO annoying when you're happy!...

With each cutting sentence that filtered its' way in, the more Ragatha would pull her hair. Harder she would ram her head back against the door. Anything just to distract herself. Just to turn the voice inside her down to a lower volume. Better yet, just switch it off entirely.

But with each tug and slam, the voice only climbed in volume- and, worse yet, in intensity. 

Of all the children I had to give birth to, it just had to be you!

I wish I had never had you!

If only I could make you disappear, I would!

The biting words bit harder. The sharpness of the remarks cut deeper. The slicing insults chopped up her heart into so many broken fragments it would be impossible to put back together again.

Oh, you made that drawing? Figures- it's as heinous as its' creator.

Can't you see I'm busy here? Go away!

You broke what?! Why you little-

You can spend the night outside- no supper, no shelter! Just you and the bugs!

Why do you have to be such a piece of trash?

Each insult, each word seemed to just make her more hollow. Just picked her up and carelessly tossed her around the room as it pleased.

Just like the rag doll she was.

Suddenly, Ragatha's button eye started to ache, somehow feeling her mother's hand or some hard object slapping against it. She instantly started to itch and pick at her fabric skin- swearing she felt the tons of centipedes crawl and bite her all over her body again. 

She could feel every pitch, every scratch, every flick, every yank. Every kick, every slap, every hit, every punch...

Every single physical, emotional, and mental wound inflicted upon her by her mother.

Wounds she had pushed away for so long, pretended weren't there. Wounds she made herself believe she was healed from now that she was in the digital circus. Wounds she had convinced herself would never fester and ache now that their source was, quite literally, in a different realm.

But now it all somehow started to fester, ache again. Her mother's taunts, once a nagging whisper in the back of her mind, were now once again in the forefront and screaming at her from all directions.

Her traumatic past had come to a screeching halt to her present day- forcing her to acknowledge it and stop pretending the still broken, scattered pieces of her heart were magically sown back together.

As horrifying and ironic as it was, Ragatha's mother was staring her right in the face once again after all these years...

All in the innocent, wide, trusting eyes of the miniature version of the doll woman herself.

Picturing the mini outside her room door and around the corner with the others, Ragatha stopped pulling her hair for a moment and gulped.

It was ridiculous to be afraid of a baby- even with all the awful feelings the mini me brought to light and accidentally shoved into focus inside Ragatha's cracked heart. She knew she shouldn't blame the kid for this or take this out on her; it wasn't the baby's fault. At all.

Still...

"She's got the others," she whispered out loud to herself softly, trying to calm down her rapidly pounding heart. "They'll take better care of her than I ever could. Even Jax will be a better...parent than-"

What's the matter?

The voice in her head suddenly boomed back to life- and in horror, Ragatha realized her mother was still inside her mind. This fresh, cutting taunt took a new stab at her heart, though- and worse yet, made her feel her mother was somehow in the room with her.

Trying to hiding from your problems again? Her mother's voice sneered. Trying to hiding from me again? 

The words stung the doll woman like a bee sting -no, worse yet, a centipede bite- and made her wince. But for some odd reason she couldn't make herself keep her mouth shut- even though she knew all too well it was for the best she did.

"N-no," the doll woman stumbled out. "I just...I just-"

Quite stuttering like a car backfiring! You know how much I hate that, Anne! The voice hissed- making Ragatha recoil. She hate her human name. Well, especially when her mother said it. Speak like a normal human the way I taught you to!

"I just-"

Spit it out!

At her mother's nagging, Ragatha bit her lip. Opening up to her mother had never been a good idea; she had always just used the information shared to her advantage, cutting Ragatha down or belittling her for the problem at hand.

On the other hand, the doll woman knew this was just all in her head. The dialogue, her mother's voice, the insults. None of this was real...

Right?

Gulping, the doll woman decided to take a chance.

"...I just want my mini me to be happy."

The dark room instantly filled with cackling, echoing off every square inch of the large space. Ragatha heard a shuffling over in the far corner of her room, making her tense up. All at once, she was slammed against the door, leaving her in a stunned stupor.

Children aren't meant to be happy, her mother's voice mocked her close by- too close by. Children are meant to obey- something I could never seem to drill into that vacant mind of yours.

Already knowing she'd regret it, Ragatha opened her mouth in answer.

"Ch-children are meant to play-"

By some unseen force, Ragatha was instantly cut off when she was roughly shoved. She rammed her head against the wall to the left of her door, sending multiple shock waves through her skull.

Children are meant to serve, her mother bellowed right in her ear. No, just in her mind...right? Their worth is measured in how much they give- which is exactly why you are worth nothing to me and everyone else around you.

Wilting, Ragatha gulped and rubbed her sore head. She was terrified of what was happening around her -the invisible force, her mother's voice booming as if she had crawled out of her mind... her own voice filling the room like the daring idiot she felt she had suddenly had to be.

"My...my mini me deserves me to be proud of her," she weakly found herself saying. "She...she deserves my love-"

No, she doesn't, her mother screamed at her- the unseen force yanking her by the collar of her dress. Simply because she is the miniature version of you. 

Whatever was holding her roughly threw Ragatha back towards the door, making her scamble to get away. 

You will never deserve love nor my pride- so neither will she.

Tearing leaking down her cheeks, Ragatha squeezed her eyes shut. All at once, though, her mind's eye flashed back to the little girl in the circus' living room, probably playing with the other minis right now- and wondering just where her adult was.

Gulping, the doll woman somehow shakily stood up to her feet- and even made two determined fists at her sides.

"No, you're wrong!" She shocked herself by yelling into the pitch black air. "I will never, ever allow her nor make her feel what you've made me feel all my life!"

A wicked chuckle rippled around the room again, sending Ragatha toppling backwards. She landed on her back with a hard thud- and blinking, she felt herself wince in pain.

Tears of pain stinging her eye, Ragatha decided enough was enough. Even though she knew this pain too well to know exactly who it came from, even though she was petrified at what she'd see in the light, she knew she had to see who she was in the room with. 

She quickly rose to her feet and without turning her head, felt around for the light switch. Holding her breath, she flipped it on once she found it.

Her bedroom lights immediately assulted her vision, illuminating her room. After her eye got adjusted, it swept its' way over her living area. No one else was there; she was indeed the only person in the room.

And somehow that terrified her even more than the alternative.

The room was silent and still for a moment, making Ragatha slowly, cautiously venture forward. The air was more tolerable now, and being able to see felt good. Best of all, no voices. Maybe the voice of her mother that was ringing in her head was finally gone? Hopefully for good?

Once in the middle of her room, she was moved to turn her head- eyes landing on the full-length body mirror on the back of her closet door. Strangely memorized by it, she tiptoed forward and stared at her reflection- finding it was the same as it had always been while here in the circus. Her red licorice hair. Button eye. Purple dress and bow.

Suddenly the glass of the mirror rippled like a stone making contact with a lake. She was astounded to see her present reflection flash into showing various moments throughout her life as a human- particularly as a little girl.

She saw herself playing with her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls on her bed, brushing their hair.

She saw herself briefly trying to play some game with the neighbor kids- only to give up when realizing their game was strange and she didn't get its' concept.

She saw herself petting her horses, the creatures neighing softly with delight as she pulled a handful of sugarcubes from her pocket.

She saw herself reading books, drawing pictures, swinging on a tire swing, playing up in her treehouse.

She saw herself multiple times sitting quitely alone by the old pond- sometimes in reflective thought, sometimes seeking a moment of quiet and tranquility.

After hesitating for split moment, Ragatha finally reached out and touched the glass mirror in awe- so many memories washing over her like a gentle wave. These were the parts of her childhood she actually missed- the peaceful moments few and far between, but ones she cherished deeply nonetheless.

Suddenly the mirror flashed back to her present day self again, only this time the woman in the reflection wasn't wearing a confused, sad frown. She was grinning instead- and placing her hands on her puffy cheeks, Ragatha realized that was truly her reflection.

The glass rippled again- and there at the very bottom on the other side of the mirror sat the tiny little doll girl left behind in the living room. 

The mini blinked up at Ragatha in awe, starting chewing on her hand again. Without even realizing it, Ragatha instantly raised her thumb to her mouth and bit it gently- only then connecting the two of them somewhat shared the same nervous tick.

Feeling herself smile for the first time at the mini me, Ragatha sat down on her knees, capturing the baby's attention with an adorable head tilt. She crawled closed towards Ragatha- and placed her small, mittened hand on the other side of the mirror.

Slowly, Ragatha raised her free hand to do the same, their hands almost touching...

When something in the background behind the baby dashed by in a blur- and suddenly the lights above Ragatha flickered out again.

You know she isn't real, right? Her mother's voice needled somewhere behind her in the once again pitch black room. Just another stupid part of another stupid adventure that has unfortunately kept you from abstracting.

Slowly standing up, Ragtha felt the same determined fists form again at her sides- even more tight this time.

"I don't care if she's just an NPC!" She told the voice as firmly as she could as she turned around to face the darkness. "She is still my mini me! I'll protect her, cherish her, and make sure ALL her memories about her childhood AND me are good- far more than you could ever have done for me!"

Suddenly what felt like a boom of thunder was heard, violently shaking the ground Ragatha stood on. She was aburptly was shoved and slammed against the mirror now behind her- instantly shattering the mirror. The large shards of the glass didn't impaled her- but instead sprinkled the air in slow motion at every side around her.

She was tossed back towards the floorboards- from which an eerie green glow was starting to seeping between. A cloud of what looked and felt like dark smoke started leaking into the room and swirling around the sitting doll woman. She was mesmerized yet terrified at the same time, unable to take her eye off it- especially as the slowly thickening smoke began picking up the broken bits of the mirror hanging in the air.

You really think you have the power to stop this cycle, Anne? Her mother's voice berated through the smoke- each word clearer, more distinct, more life-like than the last. My mother taught me this way, and the mother before her did the same. We are decades upon decades of broken women- each mother becoming more harsh, more vile, more destructive in the path she leaves behind than the last.

The smoke sped up around the doll woman for a moment, whipping at her red hair and threathen to slice her cheecks with the shattered pieces of mirror before calming down again.

Broken hearts are an inevitable possession in our family; it's an inheritance- just like the ranch and the love of horses is.

At her mother's sharp remark, Ragatha tried to bite her tongue but couldn't.

"I would have much rather had a whole heart and family than a stupid acre of dirt."

The smokes whistling angrily by her again before it calmed once more- her mother's guffaw rippling through it.

That "stupid acre of dirt" was filled with those centipedes you love so much, the voice reminded her- a sick happiness in her tone. The ones that would bite your raw flesh after I'd beat you even more senseless than you already are.

Ragatha shook her head and closed her eye- refusing to mentally relive that moment. She blinked her eye open again, watching the smoke and hovering shards danced around the room.

"If you knew this all was a cycle, why didn't you stop it...with me?"

It wasn't my responsibility to do just stop the family tradition, the voice told her flippantly. But even if it was, I've already told you: you didn't deserve for me to.

"Well, I may not but my mini does!" Ragatha suddenly yelled back. "And...I'll...I'll provide just what she needs as a..a mother!"

Her voice faltered and squeaked at her last words, revealing the panic she felt inside from saying them outloud. The dark, grey, and thickening smoke just howled once more, her mother revealing she'd picked up on her daughter's fear- and had already made plans to use it against her.

You are such a coward! Sounding so afraid-

"Maybe...maybe because I am!" Ragatha had the nerve to admit, shocking herself had how honest she was.

Afraid of what? The voice taunted cruelly. Your brat turning out to be like the complete failure you did?

Tearing rolling down her raw cheeks again, Ragatha shook her head. Unable to stop herself, her shaky lips opened- admitting the fear she'd felt the second she laid an eye on the mini me.

Revealing the truth that terrified her straight to her digital code.

"No...I'm..I'm terrified I will turn out to be like the mother you were."

She swore she could feel the slap against her tear soaked cheeks, her mother's laugher echoing around the room. Her cackling bounced off the walls and landed all on Ragatha, slicing her all over again.

It's not a choice on whether or not you do-

"Y-yes, it is!"

Suddenly, the doll woman couldn't take anymore. Tripping over her feet, she took off blindly towards her door, desperate to get out of the room. The smoke made everything hard to see and was starting to suffocate her, making raw tears pour out her stinging eyes. Finally she reached the door and held the handle.

You can't escape your fate, Anne...and neither will she, the voice needled behind her- the calming tone making her even more panicked. You've receive the family heirloom of a shattered heart- and now, it's your turn to pass it down to the next generation.

"No...I...I won't! I can't!"

You really want to break the cycle? Stay inside the room, the voice suddenly dripped with enticement, increasing its' speed around the doll woman- and pulling her roughly away from the door. Stay inside- let the others take care of her. Being absent in her life will cause far less damage than being present in it.

"That's not true!" Ragatha pleaded through her sobs. "She needs me- like how I needed you!"

The smoke suddenly gripped the edges of her dress, forcibly tugging her back and making her loose her grip on the door handle.

Growing up is realizing you never need anyone-

"Maturing is realizing you always do!"

Suddenly the smoke let go and the doll woman when flying forwards. Face planting the ground, she shook her head and tried to crawl towards the door. But the smoke started to draw closer and closer in again, its' speed increasing by the second- entrapping her in the middle like the tornado of misery it was...

Only this time, a horrifying new addition surfaced within the smoke.

Swirling, flickering neon eyes started to appear beside the pieces of glass shards, making Ragatha freeze in her place. Her lone eye followed them around and around as they did the same with her.

Must you challenge every little thing I tell you-

"If it's wrong, yes! Especially wrong for her!"

The smoke abruptly yanked her to her feet- and started to raise her off the floor. Ragatha dangled in the air, desperately failing her arms as the neon flashing eyes seemed to mock her vulnerable state. Giving out an ear piercing whistle, the smoke began to wrap around her tightly, constricting her arms against her body until they began to ache. 

Why, aren't you just a walking, talking therapist doll, my dear, the voice growled- her mother's last word sounding less like a term of endearment and more like an nasty insult. Too bad you can't change destiny.

Somehow wiggling her hands free, Ragatha squeezed her eyes tightly shut- knowing the vile effect her next words would have.

"You can't tell me what I can or can't do anymore, Mom!"

At her bold words, the smoke violently slammed her onto the ground, disorienting her for a moment. Shaking her aching head, she rolled over, opened her eyes again...

And saw in horror that the smoke had morfed into the perfect image of her mother. The neon eyes of pink, yellow, green, and every other color imaginable flashed in rapid fire, the anger making them cycle through the colors even faster.

Scambling backwards, Ragatha shook as she tried to plaster herself against the wall.

Whether we like it or not, I am unfortunately your mother, the smoke figure boomed as it loomed over the small doll woman in comparison. You can never escape me!

"Maybe," Ragatha's mouth dared to open and say. "But that doesn't mean I have to become you!"

The smokes eyes flared in rage. The smoke edges of the figure started to drag her forward, lifting her off the ground again- and lifted her to stare straight into the face of her mother.

The thousands of shards of her broken mirror once again on began floating in the air around her head. They circled around her, forcing her to peer into them...

And instantly making Ragatha's stomach bottom out as each broken shard forced horrible, ugly, repressed memories to resurface.

She saw a hardback book being slammed across her young reflection's face, her eye already swelling at the impact.

She saw her other books being shredded, her drawings being ripped up. Her tire swing being cut down, her treehouse knocked down. Her toys being pulled apart on purpose or trashed...and worse of all, her horses being sold.

In extra horror, she saw herself being thrown outside and covered in MIILLIONS of centipedes- each crawling all over her and sending her screaming.

She saw herself being pinched. Scratched. Flicked. Yanked. Kicked. Slapped. Hit. Punched. 

She saw herself bleeding alot. Bruised deeply. Hiding so physical wounds under so many bandages- not having a single person caring enough about her to ask what the origin behind her injuries was. 

She found herself developing a stutter. The tendency to apology for everything. Hiding so many mental and emotional wounds under so many fake smiles and laughs- not a single soul loving her enough to ask her if she was genuinely okay.

She saw herself sobbing into her own battered hands, arms, knees in her room, under her bed, by the pond, in the stables. Weeping day in, day out. 

She saw herself so painfully alone. 

You want to go and do all of this to that child out there? The voice in the smoke bellowed, each word getting more livid and cutting into Ragatha like a knife.

"No, I-"

So. Be. It.

The smoke tossed the doll back into the ground, the tornado of smoke and shards of glass spinning the fastest it had yet. The tornado suddenly lifted into the air- separating itself from a few of the larger shards of glass and forcing them so close to Ragatha's face she had to look into them.

This time, the reflection wasn't her own. Nor was it of her younger days- flashing through happy memories or miserable ones.

In the mirror she came face to face with her greatest fear.

That of her mother's amused, wicked face smirking back at her.

But you aren't going to mess her up without taking a piece of me with you!

"No!" Ragatha screamed, scambling away as she would gasp for the air evading her. "No!-"

Her pleas were cut short when all at once, the thin, violent rope tornado flew through the room...

And holding her down, forced it's way down Ragatha's mouth and throat- making her twitch violently in every direction. Gripping the floorboard under her, she tried to fight off it off- but the smoke, the shards, her mother was far too powerful to fight against.

The smoke figure of her mother laughed manically in the background, relishing every moment of being the source of new suffering to her daughter. Thunder boomed loudly and lightening struck the air in bright flashes of light. The neon eyes flickered in every direction imaginable, flipping upside down and spinning in frantic circles. All but one large piece of the shards of mirror exploded into millions of microscopic slivers that sprinkled down and creating a coating mist of shimmering glass.

And suddenly, it was all over.

The smoke slowly evaporated into thin air. The excruciatingly loud thunder became distance rumbles. The lightening strikes became fewer and farther between before sizzling out altogether. The terrifying image of the flashing eyes and of her mother...the sickening sound of hearing her mother's voice booming across the room- it had all disappeared.

And all at once, the bedroom light flickered back on- illuminating the room as if nothing had happened.

Rubbing her aching head, Ragatha sat up. Her room was spinning around her, making her stomach ache at how disoriented she felt. As she stumbled to her feet, she blinked and shook her head. 

"What...what just happened?"

She looked around her room, seeking some sort of evidence of the strange feelings bubbling inside her. Only to find that, aside from the broken closet mirror, her room looked the exact same way it always did. 

Eying the shambled, crooked mirror frame, she gave her head one last shake and forced her way towards her room door again- only to trip on the large piece of the broken mirror left behind.

Irritated it had dared to trip her, the doll woman started to throw the shard against the wall, but decided to eye her reflection instead. She immediately recognized herself- her red licorice hair. Button eye. Purple dress and bow...

But something was off about the face that stared back at her, though she couldn't determine just what. It was hers, but wasn't at the same time. Features the same, yet not in the same token. 

Raising an eyebrow, Ragatha dismissively rolled her eye and tossed the mirror piece over her shoulder, ignoring as it shattered somewhere behind her. Standing back up, she straightened her dress and made her way over her room door- still unable to shake the odd yet familiar face that had looked back at her in that mirror. 

Maybe it was the strange, nasty smirk that was in the reflection that was off...

Or maybe it was that instead of seeing the usual black pupil of her lone good eye, she had seen a pulsating neon yellow and pink one in its' place.

Notes:

As hard as this chapter was to write, chapter 4 has left my stomach aching in a lot of ways 🫠 I need therapy but can't afford it so I basically torture fictional characters, okay?

Chapter 4

Notes:

The "storm" continues!

TWs: mentally, emotionally, physically abusive parents, violence

PLS no one hate Raggy (or me, but especially Raggy) after this chapter. Blame it on character development or plot or some bullcrap like that 🫠

Also if you can tough it out, I PROMISE the last quarter of the chapter is worth it; I'm still sobbing over it 😭

About an hour after the minis fell asleep, they were all up again- every single one happy and content once more. Kinger and Pawnie found a different book to read, Vesper and Belt were playing tag, and Polli and Pamni were taking turned biting the other's limbs off- just for them to spontaneously grow back and restarting the harmless albeit strange process all over again, making Jax and Pomni swap a chuckle.

The only mini who wasn't playing was Lil Rags, who just watched the others from the safety of Jax's lap. Her right eye was black and blue, making the rabbitoid winced every time he glanced her way.

Suddenly he gently set her on the ground. With his foot, the hare gently pushed her towards the group of minis.

"Go on," Jax egged her softly when she started to fuss in protest. "Go play with the others, Medusa."

Uncertainty written on her face, Lil Rags eyed the group before looking back up at Jax, who gave her an encouraging smile as he gently stroked her hair. Gulping, she stuck a nervous hand in her mouth and scooted forward.

She nearly got ran over by Polli who'd just entered the game of tag, but Lil Rags finally got to the big black box. Peering inside, her face suddenly lit up.

"Horsie!"

Pulling out a plastic horse, the little doll girl waved her toy happily towards Jax, who just leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees and smiled.

She looked the figurine over before her eyes followed Belt and Vessa dodging Polli's tagging paws.

"Horsie!" She tried tell her friends, but the others ignored her- zipping round and squealing with delight as Pamni suddenly joined the mix.

When Belt accidentally almost knocked the plastic toy out of her hand when she bounced by, Lil Rags held it close to her chest and blinked down at it- seeming sad at being ignored. Again.

Biting her lip, Pomni stood up from the rocking chair she had been sitting in and sat down beside the little doll.

"That's, um, a cool looking horse, Lil Rags."

The doll girl just blinked sadly at her, eyes starting to follow the other four roughhousing minis again.

Deciding to dig in the box, the adult jester  spotted a plastic pig toy. Getting an idea, she smiled.

"Pamni, come here," she called to her mini, making the baby stop and eye her curiously. Obeying as Pomni waved her over, she took the pink toy handed to her and smiled.

Instantly, Vessa, Polli, and Belt were intrigued- making Pomni smile even more. She had noticed that all day, the three of them especially liked Pamni and seemed to like to imitate her quickly. When she changed games or toys, so did they. When she was kind, they became kind; when she was silly, they began silly; when she obeyed Pomni, they obeyed their adults, too (in the occasional exception of Polli. Especially after eating something with red dye in it). The only time they weren't all following Pamni's lead is when Vesper and Belt were off drawing by themselves- but even that quickly ended when Pamni would hand them a toy to play with. Although the smallest and perhaps youngest of the group, the jester mini was someone the others seemed drawn to, a natural leader- and a good, kind one, too.

Swallowing down the urge to grin even wider, Pomni watched her mini start to oink her pig at Lil Rags and engage with her- instantly making the three other minis wanting to as well.

Giggling behind one ribbon hand, Belt dug in the box with the other and eventually pulled out a plastic toy chicken.

"Chick-hen!" Lil Rags stated with a happy point as the ribbon turned and waved it in her face. "Cluck! Cluck!"

They shared another giggle when Polli dove into the black box, flinging random toys, books, games and whatever else the box contained over his shoulder. He accidentally tossed out a plastic sheep, making Vesper quickly snatch it up.

"Sheep!" Lil Rags announced in delight. "Baa! Baa!"

Seeming dissatisfied with their toy, Vessa dug around Polli's frantic digging and found a plastic bird with its' distracheable wings stretched out and an octopus with long, pullaway tentacles. Taking one of each, the colorful mini somehow got a both a wing and tentacle to stay of their bird/octopus/sheep creature in their claw.

Proudly hoping it up towards Zooble, they appeared to smile.

"U-nik!"

As their adult just crossed their arms and chuckled to themselves, Polli suddenly popped back up out of the box. In his mouth he held a plastic cow.

"Cow!" Lil Rags quickly identified. "Moo! Moo!"

"No," Polli growled her way playfully with his ears back.

He paused to take the plastic toy out of his mouth and, looking it over, lick his lips greedily at it. 

"Steak," he corrected the rag doll with a grin, rubbing his stomach. "Yum! Yum!"

Still sitting, Jax started laughing so hard he nearly fell forward and out of the rocking chair. Suddenly smirking, Polli stuffed the cow in his mouth and took off for him, sailing into Jax arms. The two slammed into the back of the chair and caused it to flip over backwards with a loud thud.

"You're hilarious," Jax affectionately told his mini without sitting upright, ruffling the purple fur on Polli's head as the mini sat on his chest. The baby rabbit wiggled excitedly and waved his short and small tail in a frainitc motion.

Without warning, Jax smile faltered. He leaned around the side of the chair to make sure no one was watching or listening before gently pulling his mini close to him. Pulling one of the baby rabbit's ears to his mouth, Jax sighed softly into it.

"Uncle Ribbit sure would've loved you."

Polli just tilted his head to the side in confusion, his adorably long ears flopping to the side and making Jax chuckle. He aburptly dropped the plastic cow in his mouth on Jax's face, making him gag with disgust as droll came with it. He quickly broke in laugher again, though, as the baby rabbit started licking his face like a dog.

Deciding the lovey dovey moment was over, the mini shoved the toy cow back into his mouth and took off. He skidded around the chair and literally crowd dived into his group of friends. 

Still chuckling, Jax slowly got up and made his way over to the others, the bright, genuine smile never leaving his face as he down on the floor. Pomni, Gangle, and Zoooble did the same- each watching with delight as the minis finally started to interact more with Lil Rags.

"Moo!"

"Oink!"

"Baa!"

"Neigh!"

"Cluck!

Breaking away a little from the group, Pamni crawled over to Pomni and sat in her lap. Grinning mischievously, she shook her pig Lil Rags' way.

"Meow! Meow!

Instantly, Lil Rags' face twisted up in concern.

"No cat," she corrected Pamni, pointing to the toy in her hands. "Pig. Oink."

Suddenly, Polli smirked devilishly at the little rag doll. Waving his cow at her, he bounced up and down.

"Quack! Quack!"

If Lil Rags could have, it was clear she would've rolled her eyes at him.

"No duck," she told the bunny. She pointed to the toy cow in his paws. "Cow. Moo."

"No. Bark, bark!"

"No dog," Lil Rags started, looking irritated at all the inaccuracies. Again she pointed at the toy in the rabbit's hand, an almost amusing look of impatient annoyance on her small face. "Cow. Moo."

Ignoring her, Belt zipped over and shared a giggle with Vesper. Within seconds the four minis were calling out animal noises, whether the plastic farm animal toy was there or not.

"Oink! Quack!"

"Cluck! Neigh!"

"Bark! Meow!"

"Moo! Honk honk!"

Covering her nonexistent ears in irritation, Lil Rags look like she was about to explode. She blinked tearfully at Jax, who cringed and helplessly eyed Pomni in concern. Neither knew what to do.

"Gryllus pennsylvanicus."

The mini stopped making animal noises and along with their adults slowly turned- coming face to face with Pawnie. She was standing quietly and still, holding a plastic bug toy in one hand, a book in the other. Shaking the bug in their direction, one of her eyes involuntarily rolled downwards. 

"Cricket. Chrip chrip."

Pomni grinned widely as Kinger smiled proudly down at his mini. He gently ushered her foward, making her sit down beside a calming Lil Rags. The chess piece set the toy cricket down beside her and started thumbing through the pages of her book.

Each of the minis quickly gathered around her, babbling as they pointed to different parts of the pictures that caught their eyes. The adults all started to share a grin with one another. It was nice to finally see all of the minis doing something together as a group; it was adorable to watch.

A sudden throat clearing made everyone look up.

Just behind the group stood Ragatha, an unamused look on her face.

"There you are!" Gangle cried happily at the site of her friend, wiggling her wispy hands. "We've been wandering where you've been!"

"Speak for yourself, Ribbons," Jax casually mocked her. Shooting Ragatha a pointed smirk and wink, it was all too apparent he was very happy and relieved to see her as well. "The peace and quiet has been kinda nice 'round here without ya, Dollface."

To everyones' shock, Ragatha didn't say anything in return. Usually she'd sass him right back or resort to a feigned pouting. But now she just rolled her eye and went to sit down in a rocking chair.

As she picked up a nearby magazine Caine had laying around and apathetically thumbed through it, the cast quickly started to exchanged looks.

"Uh, don't you want to meet Lil Rags?" Zooble finally blunty asked, motioning towards the mini spoken about. "You haven't even said hi to her yet."

Licking a thumb, Ragatha shrugged carelessly as she turned a page.

"Not in particularly interested in doing that."

At her derisive words, every adult eyed each other again. That definitely didn't sound like Ragatha.

His causal, admittedly flirtatious mien suddenly shifting to an anxious, irritated stiffness he couldn't explain, Jax scoffed.

"Then why did you come back?" He growled, a strong, defensive bite in his tone. "Just to grace us with your presence?"

"Pretty much."

Gulping, Pomni bit her lip. She'd been in the circus long enough to know how the cast members usually acted- especially someone like Ragatha. And seeing her friend act so completely opposite of that made her stomach ache. Something was majorly wrong.

"Uh, you okay Ragatha?" The jester began slolwy, setting her mini on the ground beside her to stand up. "You seem...off."

At Pomni's concern, the doll woman before them just rolled her eyes again and growled impatiently.

"I'm fine, Pomni. Jeez, just leave me alone-"

"Just like you did Medusa all day," Jax hissed through gritted, aggravated teeth. His next words were bitter- though not because of what it meant for him but rather the mini spoken about. "And who's had to take care of her? Me."

All at once, Ragatha took her haughty eye off her magazine and looked up at the rabbitoid. As she leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees in mocked interest, her half lidded smirk made everyones' skin crawl. 

"That must've been pretty hard," she patronized in a gooey voice- flashing him a cruel smile. "Given you couldn't even keep your best friend alive."

Gangle, Zooble, and even Kinger instantly shared gasps in shock, while Pomni just raised her eyebrows. She didn't know what or who Ragatha was referring to there, but by the way Jax was blinking repeatedly and was left utterly speechless, she wasn't about to ask.

"Hey!" Zooble finally hissed, finding their voice as they stood up defensively. "How dare you talk to Jax like that! Especially after he has taken care of your mini all day!"

In response, Ragatha just chuckled- a deeper, more sinister one than she'd ever given before.

"Well, he's got two actual hands to take care of them," she snarled with an iniquitous smile as she nodded towards Zooble's claw. "Which is more than I can say for you, you hobbling garbage disposer of a lobster."

Shocked, embarrassed, or hurt (maybe a combination of all three), Zooble quickly looked away- their cheeks somehow looking a little pinker than usual.

"That wasn't nice at all, Ragatha," Gangle stood up for them, her face revealing her anger. "You can't talk that way to Jax or Zooble!"

"Aw, you gonna cry about it?" Ragatha mocked before dismissively snorting. "God, you're an even more pathetic friend than your were a manager."

Each word that came out of the doll woman's mouth made Pomni tense up. This may be Ragatha but it still wasn't Ragatha. She would never speak to any of them this way if it was.

"Hey," Pomni began softly, "what's going on-"

"God, NOTHING," the woman spoken to instantly hissed at her, deciding she was irritated and bored with every single conversation she was having. She resumed looking through her magazine- her snarl never once leaving her face. "Why don't you try getting a life and stop playing the role of the wet blanket referee all the time?"

Pomni blinked at her, her words cutting her deeper than she cared to admit. She eyed the others and saw they all were thinking the same thing. Especially the bottom lip quivering Jax.

Suddenly, Lil Rags looked up from the book her and the other babies were looking at and seemed to notice Ragatha for the first time. Her face lit up brightly.

"Mommy!" 

In pure delight, the little rag doll began making her way over to her adult, crawling along with the plastic horse figurine in her hand. Finally! There was the woman -her adult!- who's face that matched hers!

Finally reaching Ragatha's heels, the little doll held up her toy, the huge, infectious smile on her glowing face.

"Looky! Horsie."

"Brillant observation," was all the adult deadpanned, though- not looking down at the miniature version of herself. 

Undeterred, Lil Rags just smiled wider and tried to wave her toy at Ragatha's direction. Not even a single glance came her way- making the baby slowly lower her hand back down after a minute and start to dampen the bright shine on her face.

His chest physically starting to heave, Jax's eyes flashed wide- his pupils unbearably small. Tabling whatever pain his heart felt over Ragatha's harsh words towards him, he rashly stood up to his towering height. He almost seemed to make himself even taller as he indignantly crossed his arms- not about to let the doll woman hurt the little mini at her feet a second longer.

"Aren't you even gonna ask what happened to her eye?" He hissed, the sharpness in his tone demanding the woman had better do just that.

"No."

"Why? Don't you care?"

At his rough, astounded rely, Ragatha pretended to look up in thought- before nonchalantly looking back at her magazine.

"Hmmm...nope. Not one ioda."

Shaking his head in pure disgust, Jax looked towards Pomni in astonishment. The jester's worried eyes, though, were too busy being glued to Lil Rags as she tried to hold up her horse again.

"Horsie, Mommy! Horsie!"

Rolling her lone good eye and sighing loudly, Ragatha suddenly bent down and roughly snatched the toy from her shocked mini's hands. Tossing it into the air away from her, she growled.

"Go fetch."

The toy went sailing through the air, making Jax instinctively break his irate pose and to try to dive and catch it. But as he tripped and collided his chin with the ground, he watched in horror as the plastic horse merely grazed his outstretched fingertips, landing hard on the title floor- and breaking one of the legs completely off.

"Hey!" Jax hissed through clenched teeth as he scrambled to sit up. He ignored the burning on his chin and narrowed his large eyes Ragatha's way. "That was YOUR MINI'S favorite toy! And you- you broke it!"

"Do I look like I care?"

"No! And that's the [BLOINK]ing problem!"

Her bottom lip quivering, Lil Rags watched as the rabbitoid exclaimed in anger and gingerly lifted up her now broken toy. As he tried to put and failed to reattach its' leg, she silently whimpered.

His curiosity peeked, Polli hopped over to sniff his mumbling adult and the toy in his hands. He propped hismelf up on his back feet and put his paws over Jax's hands as he worked, his round eyes bouncing from Jax's seething face to the unfixable toy.

His long ears picking up on her whimpering, Polli eyed over at a silently crying Lil Rags- and bowing low, he placed all four paws on ground and growled like a fierce and vicious dog up at Ragatha.

"Does that thing have its' rabies shot?" She asked in disgust, her harsh cadence making it clear she wasn't joking. "Even if it has, it needs to be on a leash and tied up somewhere."

At her daring to speak about his mini that way, Jax's chest started to rise and fall again in anger. He started to stand up- before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Deciding to spend his time focused on trying to fix the broken toy in his hands, the rabbitoid rolled his eyes dismissively- though he couldn't help but mumble up his breath about how maybe she needed to be to be tied up somewhere.

Still crying the woman's heels, Lil Rags wiped at her eyes. She sniffled, beyond upset that her toy was broken- and even worse, that she was being so rejected by the person who was supposed to love her the most.

Doing a double take down at the crying baby, Ragatha narrowed her eye.

"You better knock that crap off before I give you something to cry about," she threatened sharply- before another wicked smirk danced across her face. "And I'll make sure it includes centipedes."

When Lil Rags' good eye flashed wide and she started to coward backwards, Jax decided he couldn't take it anymore. He had no idea who this woman was or what she did with the Ragatha he knew (and, well, kind of loved...alot)- but he was going to give her a piece of his mind.

The rabbitoid rashly scambled to his feet and stomped towards her- making the others' eyes flash wide. They had all seen Jax mad, especially when he had been forced to wear that maid outfit a few weeks ago. But now, he beyond mad. He was livid- his face several shades lighter than usual as he heaved and loomed over the sinister doll woman sitting in her rocking chair.

"If you even THINK of getting one of those things near my baby doll-"

"You'll what?" Ragatha egged him on, resting a chin in her palm- a sickening smile on her face as she sneered up at him. "Stick out your tongue at me and accidentally catch a fly? Oops, never mind. I've gotten you mixed up with him again."

His ears lying flush with his back, Jax loomed even further over her- making even Lil Rags blink up at him in shock. Gritting his teeth until he thought they'd break, he glared down at Ragatha.

"Keep him out of your [BLOINK]ing mouth-"

"-And I will. When he keeps flies out of his...oh wait, we don't have to worry about that anymore, now do we?"

"Quit. Mentioning. Ribbit. Ragatha."

"Make me."

His face a few shades past bright red, Jax huffed in deep breaths, struggling to control his anger as two tight fists formed at his sides. As Gangle quietly zipped over to stand by him cautiously, Zooble and Pomni swapped a horrified look. 

This wasn't Jax and Ragatha's usual playful banter, purposely trying to get under the other's skin just for the reaction or attention. No, her words here were intended to cut into him, to stab into him like a sword- and by the way his eyes flashed widely and filled with a raw pain he couldn't hold back, the blade was definitely working its way deep inside his heart.

Still, even at his most angry, Jax wouldn't ever seriously hurt a woman. Let alone Ragatha of all women...

But then again, this wasn't exactly Ragatha before them. In fact, this was barely a woman.

This was a flat-out monster. 

"Uppy!" Lil Rags suddenly broke the tension in the room by saying, opening and closing her desperate hands up at her adult. "Uppy! Pwease!"

Groaning in irritation, Ragatha waved her away.

"God, can you all just back off? Jeez!"

"You better pick up your mini and give her love," Jax hissed through even tighter gritted teeth, his ears still slick behind him. "That's all she wanted -and deserved- all day!"

"And all I've wanted and deserved all day is to thumb through this magazine. Only one of us is getting what we want- and news flash: it won't be that brat's."

At hearing the doll woman call his beloved Lil Rags such a vile name, Jax clinched and unclinched his fists, his anger starting to boil over. 

Seeing her pleads weren't getting anywhere, Lil Rags slowly grabbed onto the chair and pulled herself up into a standing position. Being cautious and gentle, she lightly tried to tug at Ragatha's long purple dress...

When the adult roughly snatched a fold of her dress to get it out of the mini's grasping, making Lil Rags fall onto her bottom- and leaving her with a small torn piece of Ragatha's purple cloth dress in one hand.

Gawking loudly, the doll woman's lone eye flashed wide.

"You- you ripped my dress!"

"It was just an accident, Ragatha," Gangle told her softly, an anxious look on her round face. "They will happen-"

"No, it wasn't an accident!" Ragatha yelled at her, making Gangle recoil. "She clearly did that on purpose!"

"Yeah, a baby has set out to piss you off by ripping you dress," Jax growled ridiculously at her. "Makes total sense."

"It's just a small tear in the fabric," Pomni offered, pointing to the small hole left behind her near the bottom of her dress. "You sow, right? It should be a quick and easy fix! And I can help if you need!"

But they all were trying to talk to the old Ragatha. The real Ragatha that could be reasoned with, talked down.

This monster was having none of it- and refused to be reasoned with altogether.

As Ragatha started to hiss and rise from her chair, seething down at her mini, Jax gently but firmly pushed her back into her seat and blocked her from trying to stand again.

"Don't you even dare think of standing up right now."

Jerking her head to face him, Ragatha gawked at him, irate at how serious his face was. Her head turned this way and that- and finding a hard cover book nearby, she slammed it across his face. Hard.

Jax instantly yelped in pain and stumbled to his right, collapsing on the ground. The mini whimpered at the sound and action, running to hide behind Kinger, who hushed them gently. He suddenly looked around the room as if looking for something.

"Don't you even dare think you can tell me what to do," Ragatha hissed at the injured purple rabbit as Zooble rushed to his side and kneeled down beside him.

Seeing his right eye was already starting to swell at the impact, the colorful character looked around for anything to help. Eying the ice pack Lil Rags had used earlier, they quickly stumble to their feet to get it.

Still livid, Ragatha started to stand again...

When Polli came flying towards her face, sharp teeth beared and ready for a well earned attack for hurting his adult.

Too quick on her toes, Ragatha suddenly slammed to book into the baby bunny's face as well, sending him flying through the air. Everyone stared in horrified shock as the baby landed roughly on tbe ground- wincing was he yelped and limped over to Jax, who was stumbling to his feet.

"Hey!" Zooble yelled violently as they handed Jax the icepack and gently scooped up a whimpering Polli. "Hitting Jax is one thing- but hitting a baby? What the [BLOINK] is wrong with you?!"

As Ragatha gawked, Jax instantly took Polli from Zooble and place the ice pack on the small, already bruising face of his trembling mini. He cradled him to his chest, softly hushing the mini's whimpers of pain.

"Are those stupid eyes of yours blind?!" Ragatha bellowed, making everyone recoil. "That...that thing tried to attack me!"

"His name is Polli," Zooble hissed at her, reaching over to gently stroke the baby rabbit's head. "And he only did that because you attacked Jax!"

"Yeah, because he blocked me in! Jeez, swap out those eyes for ones that actually work next time, you dumb old Mattel toy!"

Leaving Zooble too shocked to answer, Ragatha finally stood up- and turning her head, glared Lil Rags' way.

Her feet stomping the ground so hard everyone swore it shook, the doll woman headed towards her mini- who's eyes went unbearably wide. The baby scambled backwards, a look of terror and fear written all over her petrified face.

"Bad!"

Without warning, Pamni boldly came out from behind Kinger and stood by Lil Rags, shaking a finger up at Ragatha- the other babies quickly emerging doing the same.

"Bad!"

"Bad!"

"Bad!"

Seeing what was happening, Polli's good eye flashed and he frantically launched out of Jax's arms. His face still swollen, the mini stood in front of Lil Rags and ferociously beared his teeth Ragatha's way again- his echoing twice as sharp as the others'.

"Bad!"

Panicking, Pomni quickly dashed forward to stand over the mini doll woman- and flashed Gangle a look. Reading her mind, the ribbon nodded and gently started to wrap around Jax's body as he turn and sent death threats towards Ragatha just by his glare.

Neither the jester or ribbon knew what was about to happen- but they had a feeling that if it involved anymore of the minis (especially Lil Rags or Polli), Jax was going to have to be held back when it did.

"Ragatha, stop!" Pomni told her firmly, reaching down to try and pick up a now shaking Lil Rags. "She's a baby! She didn't mean to-"

She was cut off when Ragatha sharply shoved her out of the way before she could pick up the mini. The enraged doll woman purposely stomped on one of Polli's ears, causing him to yelp and try to scamble away like the other minis did. She nearly kicked him back and caused him to go dashing back to safety behind Jax.

"Shut up, Referee," Ragatha hissed towards a startled Pomni. "This doesn't involve you."

Everyone could only watch in frozen horror as Ragatha began to stomp towards her mini again with no obstacles this time- throwing out insults that cut them all straight to their hearts.

"You want me to be able to tolerate your unfortunate existence? Then do what you're supposed to do: obey and serve!"

The first step towards the mini. The mini scambled backwards.

"But no! All you are is a moron- no, worse. You're a failure! A disgrace!"

Another step. Lil Rags scambled backwards.

"Oh, of all the mini me's Caine had to give me, it just had to be you!"

Another step. Lil Rags scambled backwards farther.

"If only I could make you disappear, I would!"

Another step. Lil Rags froze in place.

"You actually think you deserve my love or my pride? You never will..."

One final step. Lil Rags trembled violently- all light in her terrified face gone.

"...Because you'll never be who I want you to be!"

And before anyone could stop her, Ragatha slammed the hardbook in her hands against Lil Rags' still black eye. Hard.

At hearing his other baby yelped in pain, Jax reached out to choke Ragatha but Gangle had already started to pull him back, her body wraped in many layers over his. Her heart stinging, she briefly thought about letting him go- wishing to see Ragatha pay for the horror she just committed. But the thought slipped away as Jax started failing his hands in the air. 

"Why- you- RAGATHA, you son of a-"

He was cut off when Belt suddenly leaped on his shoulders and wrapped herself around his mouth, sealing it shut. He shook his head wildly to get freed from her tiny ribbon body, but the baby stayed in place- though careful not to come into contact with his black eye.

The force of the impact rippling through her skull, Lil Rags started to openly cry in pain. Tears poured down her cheeks as she scambled backwards. 

"You deserved that," Ragatha merely yelled at her, pulsating eye narrowed into a sharp, angry slit. "You are such a worthless piece of felt, Anne!"

At her extra bitter last word, Pomni eyed Ragatha with wide eyes.

Anne?

Suddenly enraged by the baby having the nerve to cry, the doll woman started to loom over the mini once again...

When Kinger suddenly swooped in to stand in between them- with the emptied out black box on his head.

Seeing her opportunity, Pomni quickly scooped up a quietly sobbing Lil Rags and quickly carried her over to Jax- the other minis racing at her heels. When Pomni set Ragatha's mini into his lap, Lil Rags hugged against him tightly and cried into his chest- making Jax finally let the raw tears he'd been holding back roll down his face.

Growling in irritation, Ragatha hissed up at the chess piece before.

Hit her, Kinger, Zooble couldn't help but think, holding the ice pack up to Lil Rags' eye. She more than deserves that!

"Move, moron," the doll woman growled. "I'm trying to discipline my worthless daughter."

The chess piece didn't say anything. Just continued to stand still.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but grabbed the book and sock her, King Nut! Jax yelled inwardly, frustated and upset he couldn't scoop up Lil Rags into his arms and cradle her. Please, dude- before I'm forced to rip Ribbons and her gucci belt in half and do it myself!

"I said move."

Come on, Kinger! Gangle cried in her mind, pulling her body as tight as she could when Jax started to swarm again. Give her a piece of her own medicine!

"Are you stupid or deaf?! Move!"

Kinger still gave no response to the nagging woman before him. Only making himself stand a bit taller.

Anne? Pomni couldn't help but continue to think, gently hushing the whimpering minis- her brain working on decoding the mystery even greater than why Ragatha wasn't acting like herself. Anne... Who is Anne?

Wait...is that...

Ragatha's human name?

"MOVE!"

As Ragatha's frustrated screamed word echoed through the room, the minis and adults alike and cowarded in their places. Their minds froze in whatever thought they had- thoughts of revenge, vengeance, or connecting dots.

Glaring up at the king chess piece, Ragatha threw a fist back- about to strike her hand up under the box and uppercut Kinger to the chin...

When out of the blue, he pulled her close to him. Hugging her tightly.

At first, the doll woman was startled by his embrace- catching her completely off guard, as it did the others watching on. 

Okay...well, squeeze her to death then! Zooble corrected their line of thought. That'll be satisfying, too!

Choke her for me! Jax yelled inside.

Kill the [BLOINK] already! Gangle shocked herself by screaming in her mind.

Wait, Pomni found her eyebrows hunched. Does he- is he...?

Once the shock settled in, though, Ragatha immediately started to try and escape, but Kinger's grasp was too strong. She clawed at his arms, trying to push him away from her- but the chess piece wouldn't budge.

"You better unhand me," Ragatha screeched, "or I'll-"

"It's okay, Ragatha."

Everyone -including Ragatha herself- froze at Kinger's gentle words.

Wha? No, it's not okay! None of this is okay!

Okay, King Nut is officially crazier than I thought!

WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. [BLOINK]?!

He...he is...!

The doll woman was still only for a moment before resuming her fight against him- and tensing up as he spoke calmly again.

"I know you're scared right now. We all are...because parenthood? Trying to always know and do what's best for your child? Knowing what could happen if you do the slightest thing wrong...Yeah, that is a pretty scary thing."

Yeah, especially when your parent is...like...Ragatha...?

Parenthood only sucks when you're coldhearted...and...cruel...?

Scared? I think we're all petrified! All because...of ..her...?

Kinger, you're crazy- but I think crazy is working!

Because Ragatha paused once again, her twisted up face relaxing a smidge. Suddenly, she wiggled violently in his grasp again- but he did not let go.

"Know it's okay to be scared- healthy, actually; it shows how deep the love is. Yes, the fear can be overwhelming and hard to navigate, especially when you feel alone... and especially when you were raised by a parent who had no fear at all when it came to being the adult you looked to."

Wait- what?

What's Crazy Face going on about?

I'm so confused right now.

God, Kinger, you're insane- but I love ya for it!

"But please know you aren't alone in this, Ragatha. We're all here to support you- just as you always have been with us."

Well, I guess that is true...

God, yeah, he's right. Dollface is everyone's biggest cheerleader, heh...

Aw, yeah! I want that Ragatha back!

Keep going! Keep going!

The doll woman tensed up even more at the king's word- yet her body had stopped fighting. Stopped flailing in her place in his arms.

"...But more than anything, please don't be scared that you doomed to repeat the same broke cycle just because she put you through it. Don't be afraid that your ultimate fate is to become the mother she was to you. Because..."

The king chess piece paused only to hug a still Ragatha closer to him.

"...Because you are not her mini me, Ragatha."

Everyones' minds went silent in shock as Ragatha started to glitch before their eyes. Her flickering neon colored eye pixlated back to its black pupil before flashing back to neon again- catching Pomni's shocked attention for the first time. How long had her eye been doing that? Since when did it look like that?

"Despite it not being shown to you as a child, you still choose to be a good person. I'm incredibly proud of you for that- and for so many other reasons."

Stroking the now relaxed doll woman's hair, Kingers voice got all the more soft.

"You figured out all on your own how to be kind. Loving. Compassionate. Geniune. Bold. Loyal. Smart. A true friend...Everything your mother never was for you, you are determined to be for everyone else."

His hand hugged her tighter to him, his own heart pounding along with hers.

"Ah, now that's the person we all know you to be, Ragatha! The person we all love and are proud of. The only person we want you to be."

The king sighed softly into her hair- making her twitch but remain still quickly after.

"Now let's go be terrified together, figuring things out together- all of us as a team. Let's go try...because as long as we try, as long as we love, we can't fail. Let's go show our minis just why they deserve everything that we ourselves deserve, too."

Gulping back tears, Kinger pulled her close to him in one last tight hug.

"...And let's go and introduce the kind of mother you really are to your very lucky little mini me, Anne."

Pulling her back from him, Kinger gave one last sigh before finally letting her go...

Causing Ragatha to collapsed into the floor- gasping for air as she coughed and choked.

As she stumbled back to her feet, she shook her aching head. Seeing she was about to fall again, Kinger gently caught her and held her up. Rubbing her now permanently black pupil eye again deeply, the doll woman blinked around- in a daze she couldn't shake.

"What...what just happened?"

Notes:

The next 2 (3 poss?) chapters may take a minute to release since I don't have much written for them as of yet. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait!

Also again, I'm SO SORRY for how brutal these last two chapters are; seriously, my heart ached writing them. (I may have written them to get some Wise Kinger moments (I'd murder for them; in fact, the last part of this chapter has been my favorite to write thus far!) or to just give Jax an excuse to call Lil Rags his 'baby doll' again. Or maybe I really am just abnormal. Who knows?) BUT it's all uphill from here, I promise! 

Chapter 5

Notes:

Actually...I kinda lied lol the beginning of this chapter is heavy, too. Sorry lol It gets better, I promise!!! *in frantic Mrs.Doubtfire voice* FLUFF IN ON THE WAY, DEAR! Also, let's just ignore the fact this one is even longer than chapter 2 (literally doubling the word count for the whole mcfricking fic GOD why didn't I split this up) and is far more of an emotional rollercoaster ahhhhhh

All that said, this is my favorite chapter for so many reasons. I geniunely hope you hated the person Ragatha was forced to be in the last chapter- but more than that, I geniunely hope you, like me, LOVE the one she chooses to be in this one. 

Rubbing her aching forehead, the doll woman wiped at her lone good eye again- pain rippling through it. Her head felt like it was full of fluff, even more than usual. 

Or maybe it was fog she couldn't shake off or see properly through. 

No, wait- fog isn't the right word. It's something deeper, thicker. More toxic...

Almost like...smoke or something.

Shaking her head to try and clear it, she blinked over at where the others were- the sight before her making her stomach bottom out for some reason.

Why...why are they all looking at me like that? Why are they trembling, avoiding looking at me? Wait- when did I even come into the living room? I was just sitting by the back of my room door, wasn't I? 

What on earth is happening?!

She cautiously pulled away from Kinger -and why exactly he is wearing a box on his head?- and made her way over to the others. The knot forming in the back of her throat made it hard to swallow. Breathe. She felt like she had glass slicing at the back of her throat, it ached so badly.

As she slowly approached, the group just seemed to tense up- each step she took get lighter and lighter. More and more timid. More and more afraid.

No, something is wrong. Majorly. 

Why is Zooble and Gangle looking at each in fear? Why is Pomni shaking a little? Oh God, what did Jax do to get tied up again...wait, why is he completely avoiding looking at me-

"Oh my God! Jax! Your eye!"

She instantly scrambled forward and melted to the floor beside him- not noticing as the others winced as she did. At first her hands hovered around the horrible bruised eye on her friend before they gently cupped the sides of his jawline, not even picking on that there was a trembling mini Gangle wrapped around the lower part of his face.

"Look at me," she begged. "What...what happened, Jaxxy?"

Instantly, Jax's ears flicked. She hadn't called him that in a long time. In fact, the last time she had, it was when she had shown up at his door crying after hearing about what about to-

He tensed up even. The rabbit focused on how Ragatha had never touched his face before; her fabric mittens were so incredibly soft and gentle. It was haunting...

But his mind's eye flashed to picturing how she was not a few mintutes ago.

Cutting with her words. Screaming with her voice. Slapping him and his two minis with a book. Using all the others' insecurities against them...

Bringing up late best friend and using that pain against him. 

There was no way this was the same person holding his face so delicately like this now, was it? Genuinely acting as if she had no clue that she was the source of the pain?

So many heavy questions and thoughts swirling his mind, the rabbit gently moved his face out of her hands. He looked away, his long ears dropping down his back.

Completely confused, Ragatha tried to get him to look at her again. Why can he look at me? Why isn't he letting me help him? And who on earth dared to hurt him like this?

At seeing the once dangerous doll woman so close to his adult, Polli hesitantly peered from behind Jax. Finding his courage, he popped out in from behind him and started to growl at her viciously.

"Bad-"

"Oh, God! Your eye, too?"

The squeak that erupted from her throat made Ragatha melt forwards, her hands helplessly hovering over the injured baby bunny. When he yelped in fear and dashed to coward behind Jax, her eyebrows hunched in a confusion.

She leaned around Jax and peered at the trembling baby rabbit, watching as Zooble put a hand on his shoulder. Almost looking like they wanted to...protect the baby?

From...from me?

Have I...have I done something wrong?

Shaking her head, Ragatha ignored the nagging growing in her gut and felt her eyes go soft at the baby rabbit. She started to reach out for him again.

"Oh, you poor baby! Let's get you an ice pack to help with that swelling! Gosh, that looks painful! What on earth happened to-"

A small gasp was heard down in Jax's lap. Turning her head, Ragatha saw her mini cuddled up aginst his chest...

And was even more horrified that somehow she too had a black eye.

"Oh my God! You...you, too? What in the [BLOINK] is happening here?!"

Instantly she melted again, doubling over and instinctively reaching out to take the baby into her arms and cuddle her. 

"I can't believe this!" She growled roughly- voice breaking in a heavy, aching empathy. "Who gave you each a black eye like this? Ooh, when I catch them, they'll regret the day they didn't abstract! How could anyone ever think of hurting any of-"

"You."

Stopping mid-sentence, the doll woman slowly looked up at Zooble, who rubbing the nape on their neck.

"Exactly," Ragatha told them in agreement, looking back at the mini in Jax's lap- pulling her hands back into her lap as the baby recoiled. "Oh, you poor baby! That must hurt so bad if you don't want me to try and help"

Suddenly, Ragatha looked angry, sides heaving. Not the scary, wicked angry she'd have a few minutes prior, however; this was more like a true Ragatha kind of anger.

"I mean, surely this had to be some sort of accident, right?" She started to rambled., scratching her head in thought. "But what's the likelihood three people got their eyes hurt all at once from bad accident? No, this was on purpose!...Wait, no, it couldn't be. Because no one on earth would ever lay a hand on-"

"You, Ragatha. That's what I meant."

"Me?" She broke her bouncing eyes from the three injured characters and looked at Zooble, her focus halfhazardly on them before shifting back to look at Jax and the hurt minis. "Me what?"

Suddenly feeling awkward, Zooble didn't answer for a moment, exchanging a look with Pomni. Finally they found their eyes slowly looking towards the doll woman- and forced their invisible mouth open.

"You...you did this, Ragatha."

"Did what?" The woman tilted her head- looking so much like Lil Rags when confused it was painful to everyone around.

Biting her lip, Pomni released a shaky breath. Had this been anyone else, she could've wondered if they were being further malicious, falsely pretending as if they had no idea what was happening. What they had done, just to add salt to the wound...

But the desperate look on Ragatha's confused, indignant face...how her eye had been a different pulsating color just a few minutes prior...it all was solidifying enough to the jester.

For some unknown reason, the doll woman before them genuinely had no recollection of what she had just done. Of just how many hearts she had just shattered in a short period of time. Had no memory of even holding the emotional hammer- or hardback book, for that manner.

Ragatha was completely, genuinely mortified at how two minis, her Jaxxy, all her friends seemed so hurt. So weirdly scared of her...

Having no idea that she was why they were.

And somehow that made all of this so much worse.

Gulping, Pomni looked her straight in the eye.

"You...you hit Jax and the babies. W-with a book, Ragatha."

At first, the woman spoken felt her stomach bottom out- before she just blinked at Pomni. A look of being heavily offended and hurt rippled across her face as she glared at the jester.

"That's...that's not funny, Pomni," she sternly told her- trying to keep her tone calm. She bit her lip before finally continuing, seeming ashamed at her next words. "I...I went through that very thing as a kid. My mother would hit me so hard with a book, I..."

Suddnely, her face twisted up in the real Ragatha anger they'd seen before.

"Listen, I don't know what's moved you to suddenly crack a joke about abuse or insinuate I'd ever do something like that to anyone, let alone a baby, but it's not funny! At all! Don't joke like that-"

"She isn't."

Her eyes jumped to Gangle, who too was looking away. 

"What-"

"You really did hit them, Ragatha. Hard."

Eyebrows knitting together, Ragatha slolwy shook her head.

"What are you talking about? I would never do-"

She cut herself off when her eyes scanned the group again. The nervous, on-edge group of adults. The trembling, still cowarding group of minis.

"Of course I didn't-"

She saw the groups eye her in anxiety, not knowing what she would do next.

"Wait, no-"

She saw her mini down in Jax's lap, simply terrified- not just because she didn't what her eye touched. It was because she was near her.

"But- but I would never-"

But the more she spoke, the more her eye took it all in. The more her stomach ached. The more the fog, the smoke in her head started to thin out- slowly forcing her to fill in the blanks between what was before her to the absent spand of time in her mind. The more the glass slit her thoat as she swallowed. 

The more the sensation of confusion was replaced by a sick, twisted relaxation- one she couldn't even bring herself to think of.

Yes, you would do that very thing.

This time more in a painc, Ragatha's side started to heave and her lone eye flashed wide- her mother's words starting to echo inside again.

...Because I made you do it-

"... Ragatha..."

She could hear Pomni talking but couldn't at the same time. It was like the jester was a millon miles away from her right now. Her heart was pounding too loudly into her ears, muffling everything noise, every word spoken.

And the wicked, cackling, echoing voice of her mother inside her skull was sending shock waves after shock waves through her body.

You can't escape your fate, Anne...

You can never escape me!...

You want to go and do all of this to that child out there? 

"No, I-"

She cut herself as as she looked at the miniature Jax again...Jax himself again...

Her own mini again in agony. She saw that baby's face was especially bruised, her eye sharply swelling.

She saw the baby turn and sob into Jax's chest, clinging onto him for comfort.

She saw her mini so painfully alone. 

She saw herself in the reflection of the misty eyed mini me.

So. Be. It.

Suddenly, Ragatha violently glitched backwards, startling the group. They all watched as she grabbed on to her hair and started to pull unbearably hard.

"Nonononononono-"

Twitching, she pixelated from the group, making everyone slowly scoot back. She sobbed into her lap, words so broken slipping out of her quivering mouth.

"No- no! Please tell me I- someone tell me it's not true!"

There stunned silence was enough of an answer. She glitched again.

"I didn't- I wouldn't-"

Quit stuttering, motor mouth!

Accept your fate, you piece of trash!

You totally screwed up- and screwed them up for life!

"Ragatha...what's going-"

"Please...please no."

Heavy sobs continued to out pour like a tsunami. She left go of her hair and clutched her body tightly, crying into the air.

"That's...that's not me!"

Yes, it is!! The wicked voice inside echoed. You are my mini me! Accept that destiny!

Shaking her pixelating head, Ragatha squeezed her body tigher.

You really thought you could've broken the cycle? What a failure, disgraceful moron you are!

Look at the destructive path you left behind!

Her head jerked up and looked at the group before her. The minis cowarded, the group sat shocked.

"I'm so- I can't believe I- I'm so sorry!"

Unable to handle the idea of that she had inflicted pain on anyone, let alone her mini...the idea she had become the very monster she had fought so hard not to be, the doll woman scrambled to her feet- desperate to run. To escape. To hide under a bed- perhaps staying forever this time.

You really want to break the cycle? Stay inside the room. Stay inside...

Shaking, she took a regretful look towards her mini.

Let the others take care of her. Being absent in her life will cause far less damage than being present in it...

Being absent in all of their lives will cause far less damage than being present in it!..

She felt herself twitch and glitch again- this time her neon eye catching everyones' attention.

Looks like this is the ironic adventure that has finally broke you, my worthless daughter...

The doll woman nearly buckled, her knees turning black and shapeless.

Enjoy your abstraction, Anne. It's well deserved and oh so very long overdo-

A hand grabbing hers made a madly glitching Ragatha freeze. Somehow still in control of her head, the doll woman turn and saw Pomni grabbing her mitten hand and holding it tightly. She looked terrified- but calm. Trusting.

"It's okay, Ragatha."

"It's okay, Ragatha.."

It's okay, Ragatha. 

A soft, strange voice spoke quietly in her mind this time. Although it didn't sound like Pomni, it definitely wasn't her mother either. It was a different familiar voice, one warm. Gentle.

Are you insane?! Her mother's voice yelled back. Of course-

"It's not!"

The doll woman pushed the jester's hand away- more desperate than rough.

"Don't touch me- I'll...I'll just hurt you!"

"No, you won't. I trust you won't hurt me- "

"Don't! I already did with them!"

A shaking hand gestured the cast with black eyes. 

In agony. Pomni bit her lip.

"Well, I'm starting to think-"

"That wasn't you, Ragatha."

Looking beside her, the doll woman saw Kinger, who was still wearing the box on his head.

"Yes, it was!" Ragatha cried out. "I...I actually hurt them! Jax! Two babies! Two!"

The words came out in utter anguish, her throat strangling her.

Well, that's a new record, the nasty voice of her mother inside sneered. Congratulations- I guess you aren't a failure in at least one way!

Her stomach bottoming out, the doll woman turned to run again- desperate to protect the others from the violent monster she had turned into...

When her felt her hand being grabbed again.

"Stay, Ragatha...please stay."

Ragatha tried to pull her hand back- but Pomni's grasp was stronger this time.

"We want you here with us...the real you."

That's the person we all know you to be, Ragatha! The person we all love and are proud of. The only person we want you to be.

There was that kind voice again in her mind- its' tone incredibly soft as slik and twice as comforting. It was so vastly different from the other voice- and as strange was it was...

This newer voice was starting to grow louder inside her head. Stronger. Even though it was a gentle and soft, it was firm. Full of genuine trust and belief- not a hint of doubt.

"I know you feel awful," Pomni told her gently. "For everything you said and did, but-"

"...S-s-said?!"

The one word came out with a panicked gasp, the doll woman looking like she had been struke by lightening her face went so pale.

"I...I said s-something? That...that hurt, too?!"

In uncertainty, Pomni eyed the others. They each looked away with a gulp. Somehow as bad as physical wounds were, the emotional ones were way deeper...

And the more devastating it would be for Ragatha to hear what she said replayed for her for the first time. 

Taking a deep breathe, Pomni forced a nod before making her eyes go soft.

"Yes, you did. But we know now that wasn't you-"

"What did I say?!"

At her demand, the others tensed up. She was glitching again.

"Ragatha, really, it's okay," Zooble sincerely told her. "You didn't-"

"Quit saying that! Quite making...making excuses! Because it's not okay! N-none of th-th-this is!"

The doll woman buckled again. She crawled towards them, a beseeching plea on her face.

"Please...I need...I have to hear what I said you guys! I have to- I want to make it right!"

You can't just 'make it right'! The nasty voice boomed back inside her. In fact, I crafted all you said to be sure you couldn't- just like what I say to you all your life.

That last part made Ragatha winced so hard her viens hurt. She hugged herself and pleaded with them.

"Please...please tell me!"

The others swapped a look. Ragatha was already borderline abstracting- and telling her in detail what she said might push finish her over the edge.

Before she lost her nerve, Pomni closed her eyes. If they all -including Ragatha- were going heal from this, she had to get it out of the table. They could work through this...

All of us as a team. 

"You...you called me a wet blanket referee..."

"I...WHAT?!"

See Ragatha glitching again, Zooble quickly followed. Might as well rip off the bandaids all at once.

"You... belittled my body and it's parts..."

"No! Please- I didn't say- oh, GOD!"

Gulping, Gangle shifted to leaned around Jax, nervously fiddling with her ribbons.

"You...you called me a pathetic manager...and friend..."

"Oh my God, what?! No, I-"

Desperate to find any words but finding none, the doll woman melted even more. Her ashamed eye scanned each adults' face, begging them to tell her that they were lying. That this was all just a horrible joke...

Only for her to stop dead cold when her eye fell on Jax.

He was staring down at the floor, avoiding her eye altogether. His ears slicked back, he hunched his eyebrows. 

"J...Jax?"

He didn't look at her. In fact, he refused to.

"Did I...did I say anything hurtful to-"

Suddenly a horrifying thought hit her.

No. Even if she did have this extreme out of body experience or whatever this all could be chalked up to, she would never, ever do that. That was a line that she wouldn't dare cross...

And yet as her misted eye bounced back and forth between to two black eyed minis, she realized in horror she was right. That was line she wouldn't cross.

But with her mother apparently being the one in control, the uncrossable line was more of a welcome mat. In fact, the more painful the experience for someone, the more it was favored by her as a weapon.

And by the way Jax's eyes were heavy, looking like he'd cry any moment, Ragatha sickeningly realized she'd been forced to fire that weapon against him.

Slowly unwrapping herself from around the purple rabbit, Gangle gently motioned for Belt to do the same. His body and, better yet mouth, being free again, Jax pretended to stretch- clearly desperate to avoid looking at Ragatha. To keep his tears in check. To avoid saying outloud just how badly everything had hurt him.

"Jeez, you and your Gucci belt need to lay off the boa constrictor zumba classes," he joked towards Gangle, fakely rubbed the side of his face as if the baby had actually hurt him. "Especially Gucci-"

"Jax...?"

At hearing Ragatha's far more desperate plead, the rabbitoid felt his ears itch. Still he wouldn't look at her.

She scrambled forward, chest tight as her hands slowly hovered over his face again. Gently taking his blushing cheeks into her fingers again, she forced his face to point towards her- frustrated when his eyes stayed glued to the ground.

"Please...please tell me what I- I said, Jaxxy."

Wincing at the nickname, the rabbit shifted uncomfortablely. Suddenly he rolled his eyes- forcing them to land in the ground beside gim.

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled, drawing circles on the floor with his fingers. "You didn't-"

"Yes...yes, it does matter. It matters to you, it matters to me...the pain I caused you does matter, Jax."

Her genuine voice breaking in half is what makes Jax finally look at her. In her eye, painful tears were welling up.

"Hey, Dollface. Listen, it's-"

"Not okay."

She leaned closer to him, her misty eye staring into him. Looking past his facade of cockiness and petulance- looking straight into his aching heart...

And she knew.

No, I couldn't have! I never would have!...

But I would've, that voice sneered wickedly at her- making her tears roll down her eye.

"Did I...I..bring up-"

She was unable to finish when Jax flinched- so small it went unnoticed by the others. But it was solidified the truth.

Through her mother, she had waltzed right over that line and had indeed shot Jax with a deadly loaded weapon. Leaving him wounded- and possibly beyond repair.

For the first time, she looked away from him, her hands stumbling off his face and collapsing into her lap. In a gentleness and bravery even he didn't know he had, Jax put one of his hand on hers.

"Ragatha, it's not-"

"What did I say?"

"It won't change-"

"What did I say?!"

Her voice stronger, firmer than he'd ever heard it aimed at him, Jax gulped. Her eye found its' way back to him- begging him to open his mouth and just say it.

"I...I need to know-"

"No, doll, you don't-"

"I need to feel the pain I inflicted on you!" The doll woman screamed sharply. "I have to take that p-p-pain and put it on me! You don't deserve to hurt like I do!"

His eyes immediately fell back into hers- and he knew she meant that way deeper than even she realized. 

Eyes still locked on hers, Jax sighed and forced his mouth open- choosing to ignore how his voice weaved and as a few tears started to leak down his cheeks.

"You basically said I couldn't...keep him alive. And then you... mocked him. Mocked me for...for losing him."

For a moment, everything felt frozen in time. The only sound heard that was happening was inside Ragatha's mind...

A sick, evil laugher rippling around inside and cutting the walls of her brain.

"Wasn't that such a great shot? I guess I should let you keep the credit- since it came from your mouth and all. But let's be real: that was all me!"

Slamming two fists on the ground so hard it shook, Ragatha trembled.

Everyone else raised their eyebrwos in shock. Although she didn't realize it, that evil nasty comment had come out of Ragatha's pixelating mouth. 

Their eyes suddenly flashed wide- not only because the tone of her voice had shifted back into sounding just the horrible Ragatha they had seen minutes before...

But even more because smoke and tiny shards of glasses were starting to leak out of her mouth, her lone eye flashing to neon.

"I used you like a [BLOINK]ing puppet, heh! You would've never had the guts to think, let alone say something so nasty and vile and hilarious!"

Her eye flashed back to black just as fast- her next words laced in a voice suddenly becoming soft again. Her words in her voice- no smoke, no shards. 

"I- you-"

Neon.

"Like I've long told you: you are pathetic, Anne. Weak-willed in trying to form 'friendships' with people who will turn around and stab you in the back given the next chance. So why not hit them? Hit so-called 'friends' where it hurts the most? It leads to the best feeling-"

Black.

"No...it...doesn't."

There was a pause. Her next words came of a little less sure. Dare everyone say, borderline scared.

Neon. Flickering.

"Yes...yes, it does-"

Black. Sharp.

"No."

She slammed two fist on the ground again, even more violent this time.

"You did that to me my whole life. And I will never, ever allow you to do that to someone else- especially not to one of my closest friends. Especially not through my body. I am not your puppet."

Black. Even stronger as she clenched her mittened fingers into tight fists- her voice clear, direct, and calm. 

"And I am not your mini me."

Neon.

"Then explain to me why your face matches mine? Because I created you, you nitwit! Unfortunately kept you? Gave you life? Any of this ringing a bell? You realize you would have never even had a body if I hadn't have given you one, right? Thus, it's my possession; I get to use it how I want to-"

Black.

"You're right. You did give me this body. And I am grateful for that because it will allow me to do what I. CHOOSE. TO. DO."

Her fists became tighter- and, shocking everyone, the glitches actually became fewer as this mental, verbal war over Ragatha's body took place. The neon eye flickered weaker and weaker each time it appeared- her black pupil shining brighter and brighter as it did the same.

So tense her body ached, the doll woman felt a hand on her shoulder but paid no mind to it, nor the kind, warm voice of Kinger telling her: "That's it, dear. Fight back. Try..."

Try, the soft voice inside called to her- so loud it's what rang in her ears now. 

She could almost feel herself being wrapped into a hug- so warm, so safe, so everything she needed. Tucked away in someone's loving arms- something she desperately wanted to be in as child but never once was. 

Because as long as we try, as long as we love, we can't fail.

A nervous snort suddenly leaked from her lips along with the smoke, pulling her focus out of her mind and back onto her mouth.

Neon.

"And what exactly is this supposed 'choice' of yours, you worthless bag of fluff?"

Black.

"That of refusing to pass on the family heirloom of a broken heart."

Another dark snort around the smoke.

Neon.

"Wow, you-"

Black.

"The cycle of abuse stops with me. Right here, right now. I have that power."

Neon.

"You-"

Black.

"I am the last of the decades and decades of broken women in our family. It's my responsibility to stop that family tradition of abusing our daughters. Not only because my mini deserves it- but because I do, too."

She paused- her eyes staying sharply black.

"I won't be more harsh, more vile, more destructive in the path I will leave behind than the one you left behind in me. Love will be what marks my path and what I leave in my wake, not hate."

Her clenched hands became stronger. More firm. Her next words oddly feeling echoed for a reason she couldn't explain.

"Because although you never showed me what it looks like, I choose to be a good person. Someone kind. Loving. Compassionate. Geniune. Bold. Loyal. A true friend...Everything you chose to never be for me, I choose to be for everyone else. But especially for my mini."

A heavy paused filled the air- making everyone hold their breath.

"Even if you don't love the person I am or could never be proud of her...I am. I'm proud of who I am. I love me- of who I really am in spite of everything you put me through. And that's enough for me."

She took a shaky breathe- suddenly letting her eye flash back to neon in rage. 

"Why you little peice of-"

Black.

"And although I know it doesn't change anything, although it doesn't take anything back or fix the broken heart inside, I am woman enough to say what I deserve to hear. What every woman in our family deserved to hear...and what I choose to believe youself deserve to hear, too."

She trailed off, her tearful eye closing softly. In a peace she had never felt before.

"I am so sorry for what your mother put you and your broken heart through. I hope you can start to slowly heal from that abuse one day. That you find who you really are underneath all the bruises and scars she left behind in you. That you are able to rebuild yourself despite the destruction, are able to love yourself instead of hate. That you are able to trust enough to surround yourself with people who love you- who want the real you enough to help you pick up the shards of your heart."

A black as coffee. A black as night. A black filled with tears kept back for far too long.

A black that was finally letting go.

"And although I can't forgive the abuse or abuser...I choose to forgive the real you, Mama."

And suddenly the dark voice in her head -the growl, the bite, the insults and taunts and lingering, nagging pain- had vanished along with the neon eye. The smoke, the glass in her mouth- disappeared. Never once to be see or heard from again.

Taking a deep breath, Ragatha slowly blinked down at her lap. She had pulled her hands back and rested them on her knees, still, relaxed. Not a single glitch or twitch running through them or the rest of her body.

She looked up- her eyes meeting the wide eyed others before sighing and turning to face Pomni. She was shocked to hear her own voice in her mind. Stronger, soft like the kind voice she had heard eailer.

Now it's time to try and clean up this destructive mess that she caused through me. 

"Pomni...I'm so sorry I called you a wet blanket referee," she said outloud, raw tears leaking down her cheeks. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever siad- and clearly I say a lot of stupid things. I'm so sorry that I hurt you as deeply as I did. Please know how much I appreciate the kind of amazing person and friend you are. How unselfish you are- how you step in and try to keep the peace with all of us." She paused to give a small, joking smile as she rolled her eyes over towards the purple adult rabbit. "Especially when it comes to me and Jax."

When the jester just smiled kindly back at her and nodded, she turned towards Zooble.

"Zooble, I can't believe what I said about you and your body. That was beyond nasty and cruel- using something I know is painful against you. I'm so incredibly sorry for that. You and your body are incredible- and you're the only Zooble I'll ever want in my life. I'm so blessed to get to call you my dear friend."

Blinking back tears, the spoken to character nodded in acceptance and looked away- swearing their smile had to have been seen.

"Gangle, I was so wrong to say you are pathetic as a manager- and even worse, as a friend," the doll woman continued, making the ribbon tearfully smile. "You were amazing as a manager at Spudsy's- far more than I ever could've been. I was high that day and...admittedly jealous, too. I'm still so sorry for what I said to you that day as well. You are not ever annoying when you are genuinely happy- that's the best version of you, the one I'm happiest at seeing. And please know you are one of my closest, dearest friends I could've ever asked for."

When Gangle suddenly reached out and hugged her, Ragatha tearfully hugged her back. When they parted, the doll woman gulped and eyed Jax.

She scooted closer to him- gently wiping a thumb over his black eye and making him blush.

"I am so incredibly sorry for hitting you with a book and hurting you, Jax. You will never deserve to be treated like that. Ever."

Her eye traced his and her fingers cupped his face again.

"...And even more, I'm so, so sorry for bringing him up. For...mocking him. For mocking you for losing him."

Tears rolled down her cheeks- and as much as he hated it, Jax couldn't help but let his do the same.

"His death had nothing to do with you. You loved him as much as he loved you- something I know he treasured just as much as you still do. You were an incredible best friend to him...and you still are."

She bit her lip.

"I'm still sorry for what I said the other day during that stargazing adventure, too. I was so wrong to say that for some many reasons. Please...please know we all are your friends, Jax. You aren't alone. Not anymore...And I know we fight like cats and dogs-"

"No, rabbits and rag dolls."

His tearful words made her laugh- making him love the same she sounded. He wiped off his tears with his shoulder- her next words shocking him and everyone else around.

"...but please know I view you as my best friend, too, Jaxxy."

She paused- especially when Jax's eyes went wide.

"You don't have to view me that way in return; in fact, I don't deserve that. I know will never live up to who he was, what you both were together- and so I won't even try to." 

She gently reached over and wiped his tears- and although it went unspoken by him, her next words healed a very broken part of him.

"I'll be happy if there ever is a Jax and Ragatha duo one day...but there will never be another amazing, hilarious duo as you and him. That legacy will live far beyond the life here at the circus...because although he's gone, he's still here. There will always, always be a Jax and Ribbit. Forever."

His bottom lip quivered at her words- and suddenly hating how scary good he felt, he gulped. Making himself roll his eyes, he softly pushed her hands away.

"And the award for the cheesiest apology hallmark card goes to..."

Laughing through her tears, she gave him a soft shove to the shoulder. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah...yeah, I know."

Her smile faltering, Ragatha found her eyes shifting down. The babies had all been still and quiet during her apologizes, hiding behind their adults or eying her carefully from their place. 

"Listen, little minis. I'm...I'm so sorry. My actions, my words all terrified you- and I'm so incredibly sorry for that."

Peering around Jax's side was Polli, blinking up at her with his black and blue eye- renewed guilt waving over her.

"I...I am so sorry I hit you with a book, little one. I should've never done that. That was very, very bad of me."

When Polli flicked his ears and tilted his head her way, she gulped. Gosh did he look just like Jax when he did that.

"You are just precious...um," she trailed off to looked Jax. "What is his name exactly?"

"Polli," Zooble answered for him, a strange sense of pride in their voice before they laughed and crossed their arms. "He mostly goes by 'Demon' and 'Feral Child'- though occasionally he will also respond to 'Brat' or 'Good God Stop That'."

Laughing at their words, Ragatha instinctively reach out to touch the baby rabbit- but quickly drew her hand back when he flinched, pain stabbing her again. 

"I..I'm so sorry I hurt and scared you, Polli-"

"-wog."

Blinking at him, Rahatha looked at Jax. His purple jaw jutted a little as he shifted uncomfortably. He seemed hestiate of his next words, shy about them almost.

"His full name is Polliwog-"

"Rana Temporaria larvae."

Everyone slowly turned to blink at the mini Kinger, one of her eyes rolling downward. Beside her, the king chess piece chuckled.

"That's right, dear! 'Polliwog' is a term for the common frog tadpole."

Instantly Zooble, Pomni, and Gangle swapped a cheeky grin. So that's what the baby rabbit's name means!

They eyed Ragatha- only to see she wasn't shocked. Her tearful, knowing smile was on Jax, whose blush deepened and caused him to rub the nape of his neck.

"You finally get a miniature version of yourself- and don't even name him after you. Instead...you choose a namesake that's a nod to his awesome late uncle."

She tearfully chuckled again- reaching over to rub between Jax's ears. He'd never admit it but God did that feel good- her next quip making him fall into a comfortable smirk.

"That's...alot coming from you."

He chuckled and snorted- although it disappeared when a squeak was heard from his lap.

The two adults looked down- seeing Lil Rags was gripping his overalls so tightly her little knuckles were white as snow. Her good eye stayed glued to Ragatha- filled with a pain, a terror no child ever deserved to have. She had pressed herself as close to her protective Jax as she could- deciding he was her adult now. Not ever again belonging the woman -the monster- whose face matched hers.

Melting in agony that stabbed her in ways she couldn't even express, Ragatha's lips trembled again.

"Where to even begin with you, baby..."

When the mini just coiled and buried her scared face deeper into Jax's chest, the doll woman looked away. She couldn't bare to even look her mini in the eye. In the same scared face she knew she herself wore her whole childhood. 

Tensing up, Ragatha felt herself starting to panic. She wanted to run. Hide. It was far easier to do than to face the pounding in her chest...

Face the crushing terror she felt.

Know it's okay to be scared, the soft voice inside told her gently. Healthy, actually; it shows how deep the love is.

My love is deep, her own mental voice said. And I have to let my mini know that. I have to try.

Try, the soft voice inside reminded her. Because as long as we try, as long as we love, we can't fail.

Blinking, Ragatha looked back at her trembling mini.

...Go and introduce the kind of mother you really are to your very lucky little mini me, Anne.

Inhaling, the doll woman held her tight breath and forced herself to scoot forward- refusing to flee when her mini peeked back in her direction and flinched. She leaned forward, doing her best to look her mini -look herself- straight in the eye when saying the words she meant with everything she had.

"I...I am so sorry for what I've done to you. Hitting you physically- and, no doubt worse yet, hitting you emotionally, too. I don't know what all I said and did to you...but please, please know I am so sorry for it all. Every single ounce of it."

She wiped at her tears- preventing herself from reaching over and doing the same for the mini. The last thing she wanted to do was to push her further away. Make her even more afraid of her.

"I know you might not understand this, but...the person who did those things to you wasn't me. Not the real me. She will never be me- and I will never be her. How she acted was a monster- and I am no monster."

She paused long enough to take in another shaky breath.

"It'll...it'll take time to see you can trust the real me- and I will always respect that. I'll give you all the time and space you need and deserve to learn that on your own; I'll never push you to do something you can't do or force you to have what you dont want. And if at the end of it all it isn't enough to gain your trust, I will accept and understand that."

The pain in her voice at that possible reality made everyones' heart ache. But her next words caused a smile- everyone warmed at how they were filled with strength and determination.

"But please know I will never stop trying to be the parent you need. You deserve. I will always try and be the best mother I can for you- each day, trying to find new ways to improve, new ways to show just how much you mean to me. But more than anything else..."

She closed her eye only to open it again- suddenly not seeing herself in the mini anymore. The baby in Jax's lap was an entirely different person- someone who reflected her physically on the outside, but on the inside, who knew? This was someone attached to her but not. Someone a part of her but with her own thoughts, feelings, desires. Someone who also had a choice to they would become- for better or worse. 

Someone who was unique. Someone who was her mini me- and yet not at the same time.

Someone Ragatha was dying to see shine and glow in her own way.

Smiling warmly, the doll woman found that her next words were ones she didn't care if she never heard as a child. Ones the longing to hear directed towards her had stopped.

Ones that all she wanted was just for her mini -no, this incredible baby- to believe in every little stitch of her tiny being.

"Please know that you will always be more than enough. More than I could've ever asked for- in this world or the human one...and that I will always, always love you. You are my heart -every single broken yet still beating piece of it. Forever."

Collapsing into a soft sob, Ragth hugged herself- hands desperate to hold her mini in her arms but forcing herself not to. She had to be as patient as she could- and hope her mini grew to see just how much she meant her words.

How much I meant all my words...

Looking back over the group, she found everyone calm. Some were smiling at her, some were wiping their eyes- some looked at her with a love she was thankful she could at least feel although couldn't explain. Regardless, she was just relieved everyone was less tense by her presence again.

"I know...I know my words won't change or fix what's been done," she addressed the whole group, hugging herself tighter and looking down at the floor in shame. "And I'll never ask for forgiveness. My actions will never deserve that-"

"You're right."

A stab hit her in her heart at Jax's words. Her eye filled with remorseful pain again...

Until she felt his gentle hand on her chin, making her tense up. Jax had never touched her face before; his gloved fingers were so incredibly soft and gentle. It was haunting...

But not as haunting as the look in his eyes when he forced her to look at him. His eyes were wide, softer than she'd ever seen them before. 

"Your actions don't deserve forgiveness...but the real you definitely does, Dollface."

Blinking at him, Ragatha choked on her breath. Unable to help herself, her eyes scanned the group- seeing each and every adult was nodding in agreement. 

They hadn't given up on her. They trusted and loved her enough to not give up on her.

And somehow that was even better than any forgiveness ever could be.

Unable to stop the smiling spreading across her lips, Ragatha couldn't help but reach forward and gently rub the spot between Jax's ears again. He allowed it only for a moment, however, before he sat up straighter and gently pushed her hand away.

"You are finally mean- and it's not even you that's doing it. Still, you choose to apologize for it all as if it was. "

He rested a cheek on his shoulder and smirked in her face, one so warm and comforting it made Ragatha grin even wider back.

"That's...alot coming from you."

Snickering at his words, Ragatha rolled her eyes. She was about to give him more of a noogie than a soft head scratch when she felt a tug at her sleeve. Looking beside her, she was shocked to found Pomni's mini standing by her arm, shyly smiling at her.

"Oh- um, hey, Mini Pomni-"

"Pam-ni."

Her ears perked up as the mini smiled at her and thumbed her own chest. Looking up at Pomni with a confused smile, Ragatha watched the adult jester laugh.

"That's her name. She's...named after my grandma."

Breaking into a wide smile, the doll woman turned her focus back on the mini.

"Oh! Well, Pamni is such a sweet name! I can tell it fits you well, little one!"

She was startled when Pamni gently hugged her arm- melting at her warm touched. After peering up at the doll woman and giggling, the baby jester turned and smiled at her mini friends.

"New friend!"

At seeing her friend laugh and hug the once scary woman again, Vesper slowly came forward. They held their claw out- seeming to be on the defense just in case.

"Hey there!" Ragatha greeted them softly. She scooped an arm around Pamni, which made the baby jester smile wider- and instantly calmed the colorful baby before her. "What's your name, Mini Zooble?"

The mini approached and sat down before her. They started to answer in pride. "Vesper-"

"Oh, like the cocktail! Brillant, Zooble!'

"-Vessa."

When Ragatha blinked on confusion at the baby's additional name, Zooble chuckled.

"I'm...letting them pick which they prefer as they get older," they admitted with a shy neck rub. "If either, actually."

At the adult's kind words, Ragatha instantly felt her eyes go soft and smiled back towards the colorful mini. 

"Well Vesper, we'll always love you, no matter who you are and choose to be. Welcome to the crazy family, Vessa."

She accidentally caused Zooble to tear up- not knowing she had been the first to refer to their mini by both names interchangeably. Watching as their mini clicked their claw happily, being so well loved and accepted, the colorful adult had to look away and wipe their eyes.

After Vesper crawled into Ragatha's lap and shared a giggle with Pamni, Pawnie slowly shuffled forward with a book in her hand.

"Why, you must be Kinger's mini! What's your name, kiddo?"

"Katherine Elizabeth Julius The 67th."

Her eyes wide, Ragatha slowly looked up at Kinger, who had removed the box from his head and was examining the back of his hands in euphoria. So she shifted to look at Pomni, who nodded and snickered.

"Well, that's a beautiful name...and quite the mouthful, too, heh-"

"Pawnie. Bugs, bugs."

Without another word, the mini came forward and sat beside Ragatha, silently inviting her to look through the book with her. Grinning so wide her cheeks ached, the doll woman peered over the mini's shoulder and intently focused on the pages as the child thumbed through.

Belt cautiously approached next- curiously peering over the top of the book.

"Wow, you look just like Gangle," the mini blushed when Ragatha told her softly. "Only smaller and pink."

The woman was about to as what the mini's name was when the baby bounced up and wrapped herself around Ragatha's waist, startling her. 

"Her name is Belt," Gangle shyly commented with a smile her way. 

When Ragatha grinned and gently stroked the baby's head, Belt gently tightened her ribbons and wrapped her into a hug that warmed Ragatha like nothing had before.

"Ooh! You give the best hugs, Belt!"

"Yeah, well, try having her wrapped around your lower face for a while and see if you aren't moved to call her Noose, okay?'

Peering from around a smirking Jax, Polli watched as his other friends laughed with the woman who had hit him before. They seemed to trust her again- and as she reached forward to stroke Jax's face once again and making him melt, Polli realized his adult seemed to trust her again, too.

Deciding to take his chance, the baby rabbit slowly hopped forward. He hesitantly put his paws on Ragatha's knees- and titled his head again, his long ear flopping a little to the side. His eyes kept bouncing over to the hardcover book in Pawnie's hand, though- seeming scared of it, especially so close to the doll woman's hands.

Making herself not squeal in relief at seeing the baby starting to trust her again, Ragatha slowly and carefully extended her hand. She held it before him and stopped- letting him make the decision for on how far to go.

She couldn't help but smile when he sniffed said hand- and slowly began letting her rub the bottom of his chin. He seemed to melt at her touch the way Jax did, flipping her hand over so she could move it down his happy arched back like a cat. Grabbing her wrist and pushing her palm against his face, he purred/chripped- a warm, happy smile surfacing on his face as his ears dropped along the sides of his face. When she scratched under his chin again, he closed his eyes and rested his full weight onto her hand, one of his large back feet thumped rapidly against the ground in delight. 

Suddenly, the bunny broke his relax stance and playful turned in a few circles. His tail going a million miles an hour, he flopped down on his back, a wide, all-too-familiar smirk on his face- which only grew as Ragatha laughed.

Unable to hold back, she gently shifted Vesper to sit on one of her legs so she could scoop the baby rabbit up into her hands.

"You are such a good boy, aren't you?"

At her gentle words, Polli blinked with wide eyes. He had never been called that word before- and it felt extra good hearing her say it.

To everyone's surprised shock, Polliwog not only let Ragatha hold him but also cradle him to her chest. In fact, albeit irronically, he seemed the most relaxed in her arms they had seen him all day- the first time he'd ever been so still with anyone holding him. He went limb like a noodle instead of his typical frantic lunatic self, cuddling that much closer to her and nuzzling against her.

He did wiggle softly in her arms, though, when he decided to reach up and lick her face frantically. She laughed harder with each lick, turning her face to try and falsely prevent him from doing so.

She wide smile falter as he stopped and tilted his head with grin- her eye instantly feeling on his black eye again. Oh,  if only she could go back in time and fix all this before it began!

Unable to stop herself, the doll woman leaned forward and gave a tender kiss on the baby rabbit's black eye...

And without warning, a chirpy, techno ping! rang in the air. Everyone watched as a few digital red hearts popped up above the baby's head- and as if by magic, his black eye was gone. Not a single trace of it left behind; not even a faint bruise. 

Wiggling his small cotton tail frantically in excitement, Polli happily clapped his paws together with joy as everyone gawked. 

"How-"

"What-"

Suddenly Caine appeared in the air above them, waving his cane joyously around the room. 

"Congratulations! It looks like you-" he excitedly extended his cane towards a shocked Ragatha- "have been the first here to discover the greatest secret of human parents: The Power of Love!"  

The cast fell silent as the cheesy words appeared in bubble letters above his head, a fake audience recording of awwww playing somewhere in the background. 

"What?"

"According to my extensive research, a parent's love and the accompanying kissing of an injury has quite the powerful effect on human offspring!" Caine crowed as he pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat pocket and read from it. "In fact, it can make what the juvenile homosapien refers to as "owies" completely disappear!"  

Everyone stared up at him for a moment- before a miffed Jax was the first to speak. 

"You really couldn't have had told us that earlier when-"

"According to my further research, parents must learn this stuff on their own, Jax."

Ignoring Caine's annoyed mien and tone, a soft snicker came from Ragatha- an apparent idea coming into her mind. Setting Polli down beside her, she grinned at Jax. Oh no...he could already see the wheels turning in that fluff-filled head of hers- and that this embarrassing train was heading straight towards him. 

"Hey Caine-"

"Oh, don't you even think about it, Rag-"

"Yes, bumbling buttercup?"

"Can this...'scientifically-proven kissing phenomenon'-"

"Ragatha, I swear to God-"

"-have this same effect if it's from one adult human to another...say, for a non-specific reason, another parent?"

Shoving his paper back into his pocket, Caine looked up in thought, rubbing the chin of his bottom jaw. "To be quite honest, I'm not sure. I haven't specifically found any web articles to support that theory-"

"HEAR THAT?" Jax crowed a little too loudly and eagerly, throwing a defensive thumb up towards Caine. "If Big Mouth here says it's not backed by research, then we shouldn't even-"

"Try it."

To Jax's mocked horror, Caine shrugged. 

"Maybe this phenomenon on placing one's lips on another's injury-" he paused only when Jax groaned and buried his face in his hands- "actually has a universal effect between any human to another, regardless of age or relationship! You might be the founder of a new groundbreaking discovery for the human race by testing out that theory, Ragatha!"

"Hear that, Jaxxy?" The doll woman smirked towards the already blushing rabbit. "Discovery. We can't get in the way of that."

When Jax just groaned again, Caine's eyes bounced back and forth between him and a still smirking Ragatha, tilting his head when the others snickered to themselves. Man, were his circus members were weird sometimes.

Deceiding this was too weird for his liking, Caine snapped his fingers and disappeared- strangely happy to be AI for once.

"You heard him, Jax," Ragatha cooed the moment the ringmaster was gone. "We should 'test out this theory' of mine."

With a glared that formed into a helpless, embarrassed blush, the rabbitoid's ears twitched. He rolled his eyes, trying his hardest to mean his next words- but his harsh tone instantly falter and revealed the exact opposite. 

 "Yeah, well, theories can go [BLOINK] themselves. I don't want your nasty, stupid lips anywhere near me."

Rolling her own eyes, Ragatha just sat Vessa down beside her and scooted forward- making Jax tense up. She gently rubbed his black eye with her thumb again, giving him one last smirk that made him finally break down and do the same. He'd never admit it, but man did he love it when Ragatha was this confident and flirty.

"For science's sake?"

He forced a growl- hating how she had zapped all the bite out of him.

"Fine. For stupid science's sake. But only for that reason! Don't get any other ideas, Rag the Science Hag. Sorry, I mean 'theories'-"

His harmless quip was cut off when Ragatha closed her eye and leaned forward- planting a kiss so soft on his wounded eye it was almost painful. Without opening her eye, she smiled and let her tingling lips linger near his eye when another ping! somewhere above her was heard.

Blinking her eye finally open, she snickered when she saw Jax. Not only because his large eye was thankfully back to normal, but because his smirking self had turned into a half-lidded pile of goo from melting so hard. His ears were dangling carelessly behind his head as he laid his head on his shoulder. Placing a hand on their ground beside him to keep from falling over, his cheeks started to turn so brightly pink they almost made him look just like Evil Jax. Best of all, he wore a love-crazed, infectious smile no one had ever seen him wear before- one that made his mind comically rattle for new ideas on how to hurt himself on purpose. Oh, and the floating hearts above his head was the perfect touch, too.

"So...what's the conclusive research?" The doll woman asked him flirtatiously, her hands gently rubbing his blushing cheeks. "'Phenomenal discovery' or not?"

"It's...absolutely groundbreaking, Dollface."

"B-bad!"

A soft squeak was heard from his lap again, making the two looked down. Ragatha's mini was still trembling- only this time, anger was thrown into the mix of fear and pain on her face as she stared up at Ragatha.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that, Lil Rags," Jax cooed, gently pinching her chin and making her look him. He winked at her with his once black eye. "See? She fixed me-"

"Lil Rags?"

The sound of Ragatha's goofy, airy voice caught his ears. When he looked up at her, he saw she had the most sentimental look on her face he'd ever seen. 

"Yeah, that's your mini's name," she heard Pomni say affectionately, but her voice sounded millions of miles away again- as did Jax's and Zooble's harmless banter. 

"Well, I call her Medusa! Fits her, right?"

"You also call her baby doll-"

"N-no, I don't. Of course I don't-"

"Right, sure you don't...Jaxxy."

"Don't call me that. Like, ever again."

"Why not? Ragatha sure does."

"Well, it's gross when you say it, Zoobs. Makes my skin scrawl."

"Oh, really? Good to know, Jaxxy."

"...You know, you should be thankful you can't smirk because I'd so slap it off your face right now."

"Now, now Jaxxy. No need to lose that charming, calm personality of yours in front of the children."

Ragatha couldn't hear as the others snickered when the rabbitoid's face blushed again. She was too busy saying her mini's name over and over again, mumbling under her breath.

"Lil Rags...Lil Rags...Lil Rags..."

Her eyebrows hunched in concern, Pomni gulped.

"If...if you want to give her a different name or had something else in mind, that's-"

"No."

All eyes looked at her, Ragatha's face was full of pride and love and every emotion they knew a good parent -a good mother- would have as she tearfully smiled down at the child in Jax's lap.

"That's...that's so perfect."

"See? I told ya Medusa was a great fit!"

Smirking, Jax eyed Ragatha but she didn't correct him. She just couldn't take her eyes off her mini. Her hands ached to scoop of her baby and cover her with kisses. Especially since she now knew about that kissing phenomenon...

Wait! Maybe that's it!

Clearing her throat, she softly extended her hands out.

"H-hey, Lil Rags...I can fix your eye the way I did Jax and Polli. Can I hold you and-"

"Bad!"

At the baby's instant refusal, Ragatha's heart stabbed in pain deeply as she pulled her hands back into her lap. The hurt flickering across her face wasn't lost on Jax- making her gently place one of his hands on her rested ones and give it a reassuring squeeze.

At seeing their friend still so scared of the nice woman now, the other minis slolwy approached the miniature doll girl. 

"Friend!" Pamni reiterated as she pointed Ragatha with a grin.

But Lil Rags just shook her head, gripping Jax's overalls tighter.

"Good!" Polli tried to assure her next, gently rubbing up again the doll woman's hand to emphasize his words to the scared mini. He even placed her hand directly against his once hurt eye, showing just how much he personally trusted her now.

The miniature Ragatha refused to budge. In fact, she stubbornly turned her head completely away from them and snuggled closer to Jax- making Ragatha's heart jump into her throat in saddness. 

Suddenly Belt unwrapped herself from Ragatha and came to stand before the mini. With a tiny ribbon hand, Belt gently touched Lil Rags' hurt eye. The baby recoiled but let her friend's hand stay there.

The mini Gangle reached out and gave the mini a soft kiss right on the eye- everyone holding their breathe.

No hearts. No ping!

Crawling out of Ragatha's lap, Vessa came and did the same thing- each sympathetic mini wanting to help their friend. Still nothing- no hearts, no techno noises. And no healed eye.

Ears flickering with an idea, Jax winced. His face felt on fire- but slowly he was able to pry Lil Rags' fingers from around his overalls. He held her delicately to his face, eying the tearful mini in a way that made Ragatha melt in her place. Jax really had taken such good care of her baby; how safe her mini felt with him was all the more proof of that.

Rolling his eyes at his own embarrassment, he gave a quick kiss to the baby's eye- making everyone held their breathe.

A soft ping! was heard- and one digital heart was seen floating above the baby's head. 

Moved to rub her eye, Lil Rags blinked- and much to everyones' relief, her eye was a little less dark and swollen. Still not completely healed, though.

Slowly lowering her, Jax's eyebrows knitted together in thought- another idea coming to him.

"Hey Polli, go kiss Vesper's wing."

A greedy smile instantly filled the baby's rabbit's face. He skipped over to Vessa, opened his mouth wide with the sharpest teeth he had, and-

"No, not eat. Kiss, son. Kiss their wing."

A comical pout came from the baby rabbit but he complied. Closing his mouth, he blushed and hesitated much like Jax did at the display of affection but finally gave Vessa's wing a soft kiss.

Instantly a ping! was heard and red hearts filled the air. Looking over their shoulder, Vesper found the bite marks on their wing were completely gone, making them appeared to grin.

Although they were happy to see Vessa's wing fixed, the adults still winced. As stupid as they all felt it was, they realized Caine's one contingency for his Power of Love secret was that an inflicted wound could only be healed if it was kissed by the one caused it. On accident- or, in Lil Rags' case now, on purpose.

Meaning for Lil Rags' eye to heal completely, Ragatha had to be the one to kiss it.

The rag doll woman instantly felt frustrated. All she wanted was to right this awful wrong! She briefly thought about forcing herself to pick up the baby and kiss her. It would heal her eye, show Lil Rags that she could be trusted-

No.

That would do the opposite of building trust, Ragatha somberly thought to herself, given how strongly she's still against me. Forcing her to be okay with me picking her up isn't loving, either.

She sighed. As hard as it was, she was just going to have to be patient. 

Biting her lip, Ragatha looked back at the baby. She couldn't just stand by and keeping watching her mini be hurt, though!

I will always try and be the best mother I can for you- each day, trying to find new ways to improve, new ways to show just how much you mean to me...

Her own words filling her with determination, Ragatha pulled her eyes away and looked up in thought. She tried to rack her brain, desperate for any ideas.

What could she say? What could she do- all if anything just to get her baby to trust her enough to let her hold her and kiss her eye back to normal?

Suddenly a chuckled was heard somehwere behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Pawnie had toddled over to where Kinger stood. They both were looking through the book about ladybugs together again. She couldn't help but smile- seeing a matching look of excitement in their eyes as they peered at the pages. One that seemed to connect them more anything else.

Wait...

Suddenly her mother's words squirmed back into her mind- but they didn't bite or sting. Only proving to be a reminder of a solid, unchangeable fact about their family.

...An inevitable possession in our family... it's an inheritance- just like... the love of horses is.

Scambling to her feet, Ragatha desperately looked around her- an idea hitting her quickly. Seeing a big pile of toys, games, puzzles, and who knew what all else, she raced towards it and started frantically digging.

Oh, please let there be one here...please...

Thinking her actions were a game, Polli dove head first into the pile, flinging books and toys everywhere. With the exception of Lil Rags, the other minis followed him, shuffling through the pile themselves and enjoying this strange 'game'. Suddnely finding something that caught her eye, Belt squealed.

"Looky!"

Curiosity peeked, the other babies gathered around her. In one of her ribbon hands was a row of little containers filled a different brightly colored paint, a tiny paint brush attached at its' side, and in the other ribbon was a huge stack of white paper. The minis' eyes went wide and instantly started to fuss over the paint, each wanting to use it.

Catching their squabble, Ragatha gently removed the art supplies for a moment.

"Guys, Belt had this first," she told them softly as she handed the paint back to the smiling ribbon girl. When the other babies started to whine, the doll woman waved them over towards her. "Come on, let's see if we can find more paint kits!"

It took a moment, but with her help, each mini found their own paint to use. After distributing the clean white paper and helping each get set up to paint, Ragatha smiled as the minis began working on their art.

Her smile only faltered when she stood up. It was great to see the other minis happy- but she hadn't found what she'd been looking for. What she had hoped would make her mini happy- and slowly trust her again.

Sighing in frustration, Ragatha sadly made her way over to her mini on Jax's lap. Before anyone could ask what she had been looking for, Polli hopped over on all fours with his paint and paper dangling in his mouth. He crawled in Ragatha's lap and started his masterpiece.

Her mind still reeling, the doll woman bit her lip. She vacantly watched for a moment as Polli painted- well, more like splattered paint in every direction but his paper. He was getting every color smeared everywhere on himself and Ragatha. In fact, her dress started to be littered with different splotches of reds, pinks, greens, and blues- although Ragatha didn't even seem to notice or care. 

She was too busy trying to figure how to start this conversation with her mini. It would be hard to carry out her plan now, after all. But...

Try...because as long as we try, as long as we love, we can't fail.

After gulping back any tripidation she had, she cleared her thorat and found her soft eyes on Lil Rags again. 

"Do...um...like horses?"

Instantly, the mini in Jax's lap looked up at her. It was faint but unmistakable: there was a glint in her eyes. 

One that Ragatha knew she herself only had, too.

She found herself smiling- still tense but oddly more relaxed than before. Only talking about horses seemed to calm her down- and it was clear that was also the case for her mini.

"I like horses, too. I used to have horses, you know. Growing up, I mean. I used to ride them around this old pond by my ranch. It was a blast. Galloping, cantering, trotting- man, I loved it all. I loved taking care of them, too. Brushing their manes and tails, cleaning their stalls. I even got to put a horseshoe on my favorite one once!"

As she gushed, Ragatha's tone became less nervous and far more natural and excited. It came deep from her heart- and by the way Lil Rags just listened in curiosity, everyone could tell the baby knew that, too.

"Oh! I had this one spoted horse-"

Without warning, Polli paused in his painting, threw his ears back- and started gagging. His back arched like a cat, disgusting regurgitated noises came from his mouth. The noises became louder and deeper as his tiny body contracted- instantly making everyone, especially Jax, straighten in alarm.

One last strong contraction...

And suddnely, the bunny vomited up a slime-covered hairball onto the floor. 

His eyes half-lidded, Jax gave a burping and giggling Polli a deadpanned look.

"Life's about timing, son. And yours absolutely sucks."

Initially Ragatha stuck out her tongue in aversion at the disgusting ball of purple fur- when something caught her eye. Leaning in a little closer, she gasped.

"Wait!"

Using the end of her dress as a glove, she held her breathe and moved a bit of the slime on the hairball out of the way. To everyones' shocked, she laughed.

"Actually, Polli, your timing is perfect!"

Cautiously continuing to use her dress as a barrier, the doll woman picked up whatever the item was hidden in the hairball and quickly worked on cleaning it up. The irony was not lost on anyone; this same woman, who was screeching over her dress being ever so slightly torn just minutes ago, was now totally nonchalant about said dress being covered with paint splatter and rabbit puke.

Satisfied she had gotten it as clean as she could possible make it, Ragatha smiled and held out the object to the Lil Rgas.

Instantly the baby's face lit up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Horsie!"

In utter delight, the mini looked up at Jax, the first time she had even cracked a smile since everything had happened. Her mitten hand excitedly pointed to the lost, forgotten toy. "Horise, Daddy! Horsie!"

Tilting her head at the elated baby's title for Jax, Ragatha slolwy grinned at him- making him blush instantly.

"Um, y-yeah," he said too quickly, his embarrassed face on fire as he nervously scratched at his chin. "That's, um, great and all."

Unable to hold back, Pomni smiled and filtered over- although her grin faltered when examining the toy closer.

"Wait, its' leg is still-"

More gagging and regurgitating noises filled the air- before up came the toy's leg onto the ground. Wiping the extra drool from his mouth, Polli smiled and wagged his tail frantically.

Quickly picking up the horse's broken leg with her dress again, Ragatha began cleaning it as well. Her eyes danced between the leg and the toy itself- racking her brain for a way to fix it.

Shocking everyone, she suddenly smiled- and ripped off a long piece of her dress. Taking the torn piece of fabric, she tied it around where the leg had broken off- and although it wasn't perfectly fixed and still smelled like something that could only be described as a mix between the color red and rabbit slime, she held the toy back out to her mini.

Instantly, the baby smiled. Giddy hands started to reach for her favorite toy- before freezing.

The person who was handing her horse toy to her was the same one that had broken it to begin with.

She was one who had hurt her, slapped her. Who had yelled at her, berated her, guilt-tripped her...

Who had rejected her so many times.

Feeling her eye and heart ache, Lil Rags recoiled. She quickly pulled her hand back and gripped Jax's overalls with it. She started to turn her head and look away...

But she couldn't. Her eyes stayed glued on the toy- longing to pick it up and hold it in her arms.

Hating seeing the little doll girl aching so badly, Jax started to pick the toy and simply hand it to her himself- before he made himself stop. Ragatha was trying so hard to build trust in the baby- and he couldn't bare to stand in the way of that anymore than he already felt he accidentally was.

Clearly dishearted at the baby's refusal, Ragatha gulped back fresh tears. Hearing a happy squeal, she turned and eyed the other minis painting away- and when looking back at Lil Rags, decided she had to try and take a different approach completely.

Gently setting the toy down like a peace offering, she smiled sadly at her mini. Standing up, she cradled the different containers of paint in one arm, Polli -who was now sticking the paint brush far too up his nose to be natural and clapping with glee- in the other. 

"If...if you want to come paint with us, you can," she told her mini softly. "And...if you want to learn more about horses, I'll be there. I always will, okay?"

Wiping her tears on her shoulder, the doll woman couldn't help but smile still. Her heart still hurt- but she had peace knowing she hadn't given up. That was she doing the right thing in giving her mini the space she needed and deserved.

That love was still marking her decisions she made about her adorable Lil Rags. 

And with that, she carried Polli and the art supplies over to the other minis and sat down among them. Instantly delighted, the babies streamed towards her, each eager to show off their art.

"Looky!" Vessa excitedly demanded, pointing to their picture as they sat on their knees beside her.

"Wow!" Ragatha instantly answered with a grin, the warmth in her tone alone felt even by the adults standing at a distance. "That's an awesome drawing, Vessa! I love how you drew that person's body; it looks so much like yours! So handsome and beautiful!"

Jumping up onto her shoulders, Belt excitedly held her picture an itch from Ragatha's face. Chuckling, the doll woman gently took it so she could hold it at better distance to see.

"Oh my goodness, Belt! This is immaculate!" She crowed in geniune shock, making the baby blush and slink off her shoulders to sit beside her. "Look at all those details! You're an incredible artist, just like your mom!"

Approaching with her drawing, Pawnie sat down in Ragatha's lap, silently shaking her painting up at her to see. 

"Well, look at that! What a beautiful black moth you painted, Pawnie! Can you count the spots on its' wings?"

When the mini silently pointed at each other, Ragatha nodded. Once the quiet mini had pointed to them all and looked at her in expectation, the doll woman smiled and gave her a warm hug.

"That's right, eight! Good job, you're so smart!"

Grabbing a small, extra paintbrush, she dipped it in some purple paint and smiled. In a child-like moment at made every adult swap a grin, Ragatha set the baby down beside her and shifted to laying on her stomach on the floor, propping herself up on her elbows and smiling at the picture again.

"Would you like if I wrote your name on your painting? That way everyone knows this masterpiece is yours."

But the mini quietly shook her head. She pointed to the painting again.

"Oh, you have something else you want me to write?"

The baby chess piece nodded quickly.

"Okay! What would you-

"Alypia octomaculata."

Eye going wide, Ragatha forced a tight smile.

"O-oh! Um, okay! I don't mind writing that...I just need to figure out how to, well, spell it, heh-"

"A-L-Y..."

As the baby shockingly began rattling off the letters for the words she wanted on her paper, the adults chuckled as Ragatha frantically painted down the letters, trying to keep up with the quick pawn piece.

The confused doll woman had just written the last letter -still not having a clue what the words formed meant but was happy Pawnie was satisfied- when she was suddenly jumped on by Polli. Much like Belt, he wrapped his arms loosely around her neck and shoved his drawing into her face.

"Ooh, let me see what you made, Polli-Wolli!"

Instantly Ragatha's face went beyond pale. Eye flashing wide, she grimaced- and resist the urge to gag at the painting that could only be described as a horrific murder scene.

"Oh, oh! Wow...um, this is quite...interesting, baby."

"Brains!" Polli pointed happily to one side of the drawing and clapped- only to point to the other side before waving his paw over the entire page. "Brains! Brains!"

When Ragatha's face just paled even more, the baby rabbit giggled.

"Leg!" Polli added he with a devilishly smirk as he gestured towards a corner- the body part nowhere near where it should be on the page. He pointed franatically to different parts of the paper. "Guts! Guts! Guts!"

Cringing at how graphically violent the baby's art was, Ragatha gulped.

"Well..it's not exactly my cup of tea, but I'll give you points for creativity. The tiny purple flower growing in that pool of blood right there is a nice touch, though."

Without warning, she set the drawing aside, pulled the baby off her shoulders, and flipped him over. Blowing a loud raspberry into his belly and tickling him wildly, Polli howled and giggled with delight. 

Smiling to herself at the sweet moment between the two of them, Pomni couldn't help but look over at Jax. She wasn't the least bit surprised to find him melting into a half-lidded, smiling goo again at seeing Polli so incredibly happy- and somehow even more so, seeing just how loving and affectionate Ragatha was with the mini rabbit. 

Shocking the others, Jax repeatedly blinked in their direction again- and after taking it all in, he was seen wiping his eyes. Most of the others accurately gathered these were happy tears, of course- but only Pomni seemed to catch on there was something deeply melancholy behind them. A strange happiness mixed a raw saddness she doubted even Jax himself could explain nor would want to.

Trying and failing to hide emotional tears that were forming, he sniffled softly...and unbeknownst to them, the sentimental rabbitoid decided that since he let Lil Rags call him her father, well, he'd be more than okay if let Polli wanted to call the doll woman his mother.

Desperate to get out of his head and escape the mix bag of emotions bubbling up, Jax looked back down at his lap. He saw with a smile that Lil Rags had quietly picked up her toy and was holding it close to her chest. Her large eyes bounced back and forth being her beloved horse figurine and the woman who was laughing and playing with the others mini- all of whom wanted her to tickle them now, too.

Rolling his eyes affectionately, Jax played with a lock of her red hair. For some odd reason, Kinger's earlier words started to ring in his head.

But please know you aren't alone in this, Ragatha. We're all here to support you- just as you always have been with us...

Now let's go be terrified together, figuring things out together- all of us as a team...

Hunching his eyebrows in thought, Jax realized that Ragatha was doing everything she could do to try and win her mini back- and it was time for him to met her half-way. Support her attempts to help Lil Rags grow to trust her- realizing he may be the only one at this point who could help.

Scooping the doll girl up into his arms, the rabbitoid carefully carried his over to where Ragatha sat with the minis. Sitting down, he tried to place Lil Rags on the ground before him- but when she clung to his overalls desperately and looked him with wide, scared eyes, he quickly held her close to him again.

Okay...baby steps here. Baby steps.

Giving one last tickle towards a giggling and squealing Belt, Ragatha suddenly noticed both Jax and Lil Rags near her. She seemed unsure and shy at all once again- but the encouraging, supportive smile Jax gave her went a long way in building her courage.

"Um, Polli? Can...can you share your art supplies with Lil Rags, please?"

The rabbit spoken to quickly nooded and hopped over to hand the other mini a fresh sheet of paper. Reaching into the back of his throat, he pulled out the paint brush and scooted the containers of paint towards her, comically already opting to use his tail as a painting tool instead.

Smiling softly, Lil Rags took the somehow non-slimey brush and dipped it into the purple paint- making Ragatha and Jax swap another silent grin. Paint brush posed, she was about to design her own art...

But her eyes kept dancing back to the strange woman in front of her before she could start. Her ears and eyes were glued to the doll woman, who was also painting her own picture.

"Look!" Ragatha exclaimed after a moment, a happy, childlike joy and pride in as Belt and Vessa gathered close in curiosity. "It's not nearly on the same level as the art from you guys, but I like the way my horse turned out!"

As the two other minis clapped and smiled at the doll woman, Lil Rags found herself leaning over so she could see the art better herself. Seeing the baby was distracted, Jax tested the waters by scooping her up- and at seeing her eyes were still fixated on Ragatha, slowly set her down just far enough from him to where she wasn't sitting in his lap anymore. He couldn't help but bite back a grin, though, when she subconsciously place one hand back on his folded leg.

Jeez, kiddo, your 'emotional support overalls' are still here, he thought with an affectionate eye roll before his face softened...and so am I. I'm not going anywhere until you feel completely safe, baby doll. I promise. 

Eying her curious mini, Ragatha smiled warmly at her.

"You want to see?"

At her invitation, Lil Rags blushed- and Ragatha could see the wheels turning inside her little mind. To trust the woman who had slowly started to become so kind? Or to stay back with someone she already knew to be safe? 

Gulping, the mini looked up her shoulder at Jax. When he just gave her a warm smile and patted her back encouragingly, she turned and faintly nodded towards Ragatha- hand never leaving Jax's leg.

Slowly shifting to face the baby better so as not to scare her with any sudden movements, Ragatha grinned and held out her art.

"I made a horse that kinda looks like your toy, only for my picture, I made the coat red and purple. See?" 

Eyebrows creased in confusion and wonder, Lil Rags scooted closer.

"Coat...horsie cold?"

"Cold...? Oh, heh! You're so smart! No, a coat a horse wears isn't really like the coats we wear to stay warm, though it kind of does the same thing, I guess! A coat on a horse is its' fur. Kinda like our hair. The spotted coat for this horse makes it an Appaloosa horse."

The mini scooter closer, setting her horse down to point to painting.

"Appla...loosa."

"Nice job! That's hard word to say but you got it! Hey! Did you know there's different kinds -or breeds- of Appaloosa horses? The toy horse you have, for example, is called an Knabstrupper."

Tilting her head, Lil Rags picked up her horse again and scooter closer- this time, her soft mitten hand completely coming off Jax's leg as she pointed to the painting once more.

"Knab...knab-"

"Knabstrupper," Pawnie finished, sitting closer to look at the art.

"Good job, Pawnie! You do such a great job pronunciating hard words!"

Jumping on her shoulders again, Polli pointed to the long hair along the neck of the horse, tilting his head towards the drawing.

"What that?"

"That's called a mane. It's hair that grows longer along the horses' neck."

"What that?" Belt asked, pointing towards the horses feet.

"Hoof," Lil Rags answered with a giggle, grabbing one of her feet.

"Nice, Medusa!" Ragatha agreed- shocking Jax she had used the nickname but loving it the second she did. "You're exactly right! Those are hoofs, which are the horses' feet! Lil Rags, Pamni, Pomni and I have toes, Polli and Jax have paws, Vesper has a tentacle, Zooble has a peg leg, Belt and Gangle have ribbon stands, and Kinger and Pawnie have stalky bodies- but they, like the horses' hoofs, all serve as tools to help us get around." 

"What that?" Lil Rags ask this time, scooting to where she sat right beside Ragatha and tapped the picture horse's tail.

Forcing herself to not screech or jump in elation of having her baby so close to her, Ragatha casually shrugged.

"That's called a tail! It's a lot longer that Polli's, huh?"

At this, the bunny lept over Ragatha's shoulder and frantically waved his cotton tail, making everyone laugh. Except for Ragatha. Her eye was too intently focused on the painting as she started to rambled on and finish painting in the tail...

And Lil Rags, who was too busy listening to Ragatha- large eyes full of wonder.

"I used to brush my horses' tails before I would ride them. They LOVED that. Every once and a while, I would braid their tails too. Man, I miss that. Heh, I had a stubborn Morgan that couldn't even let me ride her until I gave her an apple."

"Apple?"

"Yeah, most horses love apples. I know mine did. Though, Uncle Chem liked carrots better."

"Appla-loosa horsie?"

"Uncle Chem? No, he was, heh irronically, a paint horse. Their coats usually have big white or brown spots on them..."

Leaning far enough to see her face but for her not to see his, Jax grinned. Lil Rags was coming entranced by Ragatha's words, taking in every one the woman spoke.

Slowly, the rabbit silently crouched onto his feet, raising his knees off the ground and resting his arms against them. When the mini -heck, even Ragatha- didn't notice, he gradually, cautiously stood up to his full height. Going completely unnoticed, he leaned over and peered down at the two matching girls as Ragatha suddenly smiled at her mini. 

Working up her courage, she gulped down her nerves.

"You...you wanna help me finish the picture, Lil Rags?"

And without a second thought, the mini clutched her toy horse, smiled widely- and nodded, quickly getting busy to work on the picture.

Smiling until his cheeks ached, Jax crossed his arms and shook his head down at the girls (just the girls, he had to tell himself. Not his girls. Not at all). He lingered around for just for a moment, just to make double sure the mini was really going to be okay without being attached to his hip...

And at seeing the baby was wasn't paying him nor anyone else but Ragatha any mind, the rabbit bit his lip, rubbed the nape of his neck and headed back towards where the other adults now sat. Still, he couldn't help but occasionally look back over his shoulders- only to find the same scene.

Once he reached the others, he crossed his arms again and stayed standing for a moment, just in case- making the others swapped a knowing grin. When Jax finally became convinced Lil Rags was fine without him, he silently sat down.

The group watched as all the other minis, aside from Pamni who was still busy on her painting, followed Polli's lead and started finger painting. They made colorful designs all over their papers, clapping and cheering on each other as they did.

"Looky! Yellow!" Belt held up yellow colored ribbons.

Suddenly, Vessa grinned cheekily at her.

"Blue!" They told the other mini with a pointing finger, making Belt giggle. 

"Pink!" Polli crowed, shaking the orange dipped tail and sending splatters everywhere.

"Apatura Iris!" Pawnie even chimed in, the others tilting their heads at her addition but allowing it.

Within seconds, they were all engaging in the ridiculous game again, going back and forth on incorrectly naming the colors.

Looking up from her painting a little baby horse, Lil Rags glared at them. It was almost comical to Ragatha to see a baby send a dirty look towards the others. Man, do I look like this when I'm mad? If so, no wonder Jax likes getting under my skin!

When Belt zipped over, stuck a blop of pink paint in her face, and called it green, it was the final straw for Lil Rags. 

"No! No! No green! Red! Red paint!"

But Belt had already zipped off and laughed with her other friends, making Ragatha bounce her eye back and forth between them and her pouting mini. The baby passionately pointed to the red paint and looked at Ragatha for moral support.

"Red! Not green!"

Finally chuckling to herself, Ragatha sat up.

"You're right, that is red paint, not green."

"Friends wrong! Bad!"

"No, no, baby. They aren't bad. They're just being silly. It's a game."

When her mini just shook her head adamantly, Ragatha couldn't help but think about her own childhood- making her heart ache. She had missed out on so many odd games- all because she simply didn't understand them. Someone had never taken the time to try and explain a game's rules to her. Never taken the time to make her feel seen or heard when it came to misunderstandings. 

Which had made her feel so separated, lost, dumb, and alone.

The exact opposite of how she wanted Lil Rags to ever feel.

A soft smile appearing on her face, she gulped. Lil Rags was smart; maybe she could help her understand that game a different way.

With her free hand, she tapped on the red and purple horse on her painting.

"Are horses really red and purple?"

The mini blinked at her like she had grown two heads and shook her head.

"Right, we know there isn't really horses like that. We're just pretending there are. Your friends know their colors and what their names are. They are just pretending they don't."

Lil Rags blinked at her again- and Ragatha could see the wheels turning again. It still seems like the baby didn't to necessarily like that answer...but now, she at least seemed to understand it better. If she chose to play along was the question at hand. 

The adults watched the girls return to their shared work and the others continued their game. Without warning, Polli hoped up and, making sure he didn't get any paint on their art Ragatha noted, pointed to the picture.

"Green!" He screeched enthusiastically as he pointed to the red and purple horse. 

"No," Lil Rags immediately negated- before a very small smile appeared. "...Scar-lett."

Huh...I'd call that color more along the lines of cheery red, Ragatha found herself thinking, not exactly scar- oh!

Polli tilted his head at her word. Suddenly he smiled.

"Red!"

"Scar-lett."

"Red!"

"Scar-lett."

The two giggled before the baby rabbit pointed to the light purple parts of the horse.

"Yellow!"

"Vio-let."

"Purple?"

"Vio-let."

She's playing along, the doll woman thought with a proud grin. In her own way, she's pretending. She's so smart! 

Suddenly bored, Lil Rags went back to working on her painting, deciding she was done playing the silly game. Without another word, Polli hoped off- making Ragatha smile. Her mini hadn't completely immersed herself into their game- and after tasting it, had decided that she content doing her own thing. 

She really is her own person, the doll woman couldn't help but think. Gosh, I love this little thing...

Without realizng it, she began to run a doting set of mittened fingers through her mini's hair- neither of which even noticed. 

Exclaiming in accomplishment, Pamni suddenly captured everyone's attention as she finished her painting. Excited, she jumped over to Pomni- and held up her proud picture. It was of all the minis holding hands and smiling.

"Friends!"

"Yeah," Pomni replied immediately- before her eyebrows hunched in thought. "Yeah..."

I know how it can feel...this circus, Kinger's words echoed inside her. Sometimes it can all just feel...pointless.  

She found her eyes dancing over to Kinger, who was laughing at something Gangle had drawn and was showing him. When Belt and Pawnie came over, the two instantly scooped their minis into their arms.

But it's not...not if you have people who care about you. Good memories can do a lot. Hold on to them. 

She looked at Zooble and Jax, who bickering about who knew what again. Each staunchly crossed their arms before the rabbitoid reached over and flicked one of Zooble's antennas just to irritate them. 

Cherish the people around you; you never know when they'll be gone.

Her misty eyes landed on Polli and Vessa, placing fingerprints, claw prints, and pawprints of paint on the others' body and giggling. The bunny reached over and flickered Vessa's antenna- and they just laughed.

In this world, the worst thing you can do is make someone think like they aren't wanted or loved.

Pomni felt her look over to where Ragatha was fondly watching Lil Rags silently painting beside her. The other babies suddenly broke up what they were doing and went to jump on her, burying the rag doll woman into a pile of giggles and laugher.

You're very strong, Pomni, and I know you'll be able to get through this. Just hold on to me, we'll be able to get through this together....

Please know you aren't alone in this... We're all here to support you- just as you always have been with us....

Now let's go be terrified together, figuring things out together- all of us as a team.

Pomni looked back down- watching as her mini peered at her around the sides of her beautiful picture.

Let's go try...because as long as we try, as long as we love, we can't fail.

Her eyes misting over, Pomni took the picture- and found herself gently hugging it to her chest. For the first time since she'd stepped into the insane world of the Digital Circus, she realized she wasn't alone. As crazy, as bizarre as the individuals around her were, they were people to cherish and hold on to. People to love and want around her. People to make good, lasting memories with...

People who, no matter what, were more than fellow prison mates. Fellow circus members.

Fellow scared humans who looked to her as a leader of sorts.

These were her friends- and that was enough to keep going and fighting.

The adult jester was so caught up in her overwhelming, happy thoughts that at first she didn't notice as Lil Rags began to crawl over to Jax. The baby smiled widely when he bent down and as she pulled herself to stand up against him. Pointing to the picture, she held it up for him to see. It was of a family of horses: one being the big red and purple horse that her and Ragatha had worked on together, a slightly larger dark purple horse, a small red and purple baby horse between them...and a small dark purple horse flying through the air with what looked like a steak bone and blood dripping between its' teeth.

Chuckling under his breath, Jax smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"That's awesome, Medusa," he commended before nodding towards Ragatha, who was getting licked repeatedly by Polli. "Why don't you go and show your mother and brother you finished it?"

A look of elation in her face, Lil Rags looked towards Ragatha- and still holding on to his pant leg with one hand, took a step away from him. A wobbly one, but a step for sure.

Happily shocked, Jax instantly gawked. When she started to totter, he quickly wiggled her hand from off his leg and had her grasp his finger, doing the same with her other hand to help keep her balance.

In the middle of Polli's frantic licking, Ragatha wiped the drool off her face and happened to look over at where her mini was. It slowly registered that the baby was cautiously taking her first steps. 

In...in my direction?

Her heart aching in a way she had never felt before, Ragatha immediately stood up and moved a bit closer. Melting to the ground, she grinned and waved her hands towards herself.

"Come on, Lil Rags! You can do it!"

Tilting his head, Polli eyed Lil Rags and took off on all fours towards her, making everyone wince as they expected him to bowl right into her. Instead, he swerved and looped around to stand on all four at her side, hopping a few steps as she moved fowrad. He grinned at her as Jax trailed behind, each set of their long ears standing straight up in excitement.

Serveal feet out, Ragatha clapped excitedly. "Come on, baby! You're so close!" 

Tears pooling in her eye, she held her arms wide out towards her mini- her child. Each wearing a wide face grin that make their cheeks ached.

Every adult and mini softly cheered Lil Rags on, her tiny feet picking up the pace as Jax walked behind her. He held her hands steady to make sure she didn't face plant the ground, Polli delicately hopping beside her for the same reason.

In excitement, Lil Rags squealed. She was only a few feet out, just inches from Ragatha's arms now...

When her little legs gave out and she flopped down. Chuckling, Jax laughed and let her hands go. 

Happy for their friend, Belt, Vessa, Pamni, and Pawnie quickly approached and hug her, making her squirm in uncomfortableness at being overcrowded. Polli licked her all over her face, causing her to gently push him and the others back.

Pouting, Lil Rags crossed her arms, seemed frustrated she had stopped walking. Almost disappointed in herself.

"I'm so proud of you!"

Looking up, she saw a softly crying Ragatha wiping away tears. She wasn't angry or upset. She didn't even seem annoyed or disappointed in her. To the baby's shock, the now loving doll woman looked so happy...so proud and loving...

Moving Lil Rags to raised up her arms.

At first Ragatha blinked. She eyed Jax- only to see him grinning, placing his hands behind his back, and taking a few steps behind him. 

And looking back at her mini, she saw the baby's hands were still raised up high.

Lil Rags wanted her -her!- to hold her!

The air felt like it had been sucked out of Ragatha as she shook for a moment. Without a second longer of hesitation, the doll woman scooped the baby up- instantly realizing how soft, how tiny, how weightless she was in her arms. 

Melting onto the floor, she softly held her baby in her arms. She started to hug her before stopping herself with every ounce of self control she had.

Not waiting a moment longer, the doll woman cupped the baby's face and planted an incredibly soft kiss on the baby's eye. A loud ping! filled the air as a few dozen hearts floated upon their heads. 

At seeing her baby finally healed, seeing the happy, trusting look in her healthy eyes....

Seeing her own happy reflection bouncing off the baby's eyes better than any mirror ever could...

Ragatha couldn't control herself anymore. She pulled the baby close to her and sobbed on the her shoulder- taking in every second of how her baby hair tickled her cheek. Her fabric skin so soft and delicate.

And slowly, Lil Rags hugged her back- wrapping her tiny arms around Ragatha's neck where they belonged.

Her slowly healing heart racing against hers where it belonged. 

Tears rolling down her cheeks, Ragatha hugged her even tighter, refusing to let go. Her words came out barely above a whisper- words she couldn't believe just how deeply she felt as the hearts above them lingered for a long, long time to come.

"Mama loves you so much, baby doll."

Notes:

I hope one day to have the emotional maturity, vulnerability, and strength Raggy has in this chapter 🥰 Also, I've realized through writing this chapter that I've shaped Lil Rags into being autistic, which that is officially canon now lol- and as an autistic woman, I love that more than words can say. What a 'happy little accident'!

The next (and final *SOB*) chapter will be WAY shorter that this one was- but I feel like will wrap this up with a nice big Ragatha and Lil Rags hair bow. Plus, ~3 little surprises~ are in store I can't wait to share!

Also...look out for one of these scenes to basically reappear in a future devastating Jax centered fic of mine (seriously, yall think THIS was a dark fanfic? I hate myself after this Jax fic 🫡😭) I can tell you the scene here involves Ragatha and Jax's reaction to her.... in the other fic, her place will be filled with someone else so special in Jax's life- as well as explains just why Jax gets so emotional about Raggys actions here😉

Chapter 6

Notes:

I can't believe this is the final chapter! I'm sobbing! 😭 SUCH a huge ty for going on this crazy, emotional journey that is this fic with me!

If you'd like "behind the scenes" (doesn't make any sense WHATsoever), discussions about the fic, and delicious fanart, please check our my Tumblr, bazowieezooweewa and look up the tag "mini me"- I've tagged all the related posts to the fic under it! ~And maybe even ideas for an eventual sequel? 🤫~ Also, if you want to share your thoughts -positive or negative- on the fic or your fanart/HCs for the fic, PLEASE hit me up! I'd LOVE to see and hear! My ask box/DM is always open!

Also...if you've never heard of it, look up the art style and symbolism of "Kintsugi"; it perfectly sums up how I picture Raggy's state of heart in this fic ❤️

Collapsing against the rocking chairs, the adults sighed in exhaustion. Not long after Lil Rags' first steps, the babies had burst into their wailing from 'hunger' again, startling Ragatha. But now, the babies had been 'fed' and most were fast asleep.

Just not cuddled with their adults this time around.

Zooble and Gangle couldn't help but share a grin. Pomni and Kinger couldn't stop smiling- and Jax? He had basically morphed in the chair he sat in he melted so bad.

Because after they had 'eaten', each mini begged and pleaded and fussed until they were curled up against who was now apparently their favorite adult.

The scene was almost humorous to the other adults; Belt was drapped over her shoulders, her two ribbon hands holding the few dozen drawings and paintings she had made. Polli was sawing logs in one crook of her arm, drooling on her shoulder. Pamni was sound asleep in the other- each accidentally kicking each other as they fought over the limited space on the woman's legs. Seeing there was zero room left on her lap, Vessa had opted to sleep down on the ground, leaning against one of her knees- one hand drapped around her leg, the other carefully holding their painting. Pawnie was at the foot of the other leg, asleep as she wrapped one arm from the doll woman's knee and clutched a book about fireflies in the other.

The only mini not asleep yet was Lil Rags. She was laying against Ragatha's chest in the middle of the other minis sleeping on the doll woman, still clutching onto her favorite horse toy. Rubbing her tired large eyes and nodding off ocassionally, the baby fought to keep focused on Ragatha- who did the same. Both were utterly exhausted -mentally, emotionally, physically- from everything that had happened over the spand of the day...

Yet each had a silent mutual desire the stay awake. To soak in every single they got together.

To be the adult and mini -the mother and daughter- they finally got to be together.

In a sleepy daze, Lil Rags softly babbled nonsensible words and yawned, making Ragatha tiredly chuckle and stroke the baby's soft red hair. She yawned herself- but sat up straighter when she started to nod off from sheer exhaustion.

Her mini's eyes suddenly flashed wide- looking at Ragatha with concern. In a raw gentleness, she reached up and softly touched Ragatha's button eye.

"Eye hurt?"

Chuckling to herself that the baby had suddenly noticed her right eye was a button, the doll woman smiled.

"No, my button eye doesn't hurt. Well, not anymore, at least..."

Before she knew it, she was thinking about back to when she was a child. Her right eye was always swollen it seemed; it never getting a chance to heal before it was struck again by her mother. It was in a permanent state of being in pain and bruised to the tissue she swore.

Maybe that's why back when she first found the digital game of the circus, she had choosen the avatar design she did. The rag doll character with a button eye seemed to fit who she was as a human- just never realizing that she'd be pulled into that very character's body for years on end.

But now, she hardly even noticed her button eye anymore. It never physically bothered her- much, at least. Though she still always felt a stab of saddness every time she looked in the mirror. It was a stark reminder of the pain she had lived through- still carried around with her, the scars very much evident. The pain that had shaped her into who she was.

Ragatha closed her lone good eye and sighed. She was thankful her mother's voice in her head was gone, thankful she had won the fight against her...

And was thankful now that the war in her mind was over, she could slowly start to heal. Her button eye wouldn't change, neither would the last memories and lingering scars; letting go simply didn't undo the past. But it did allow her to focus on the healing she now knew she deserved. Focus on the better things she had surrounding her now.

Things that had made every ounce of her awful childhood worth it if it meant it lead to this moment here with her friends and their minis- especially her own.

She was so wrapped up in her exhausted yet happy thoughts, the doll woman hadn't felt Lil Rags shift in her place...

But she immediately felt it as the baby reached up and gently kissed her button eye.

No physical wound was present nor did Lil Rags cause it if there was. Thus, there was no hearts. No ping!...

But the 'Power of Love' was still felt very deeply inside Ragatha. She didn't need to hear a techno noises or see any digital shapes floating above her head to know the pieces of her own heart were picked up then. Put back together...

Forming something that was even better than it would've been had her heart been whole to begin with.

Her heart wasn't the same. It wouldn't ever be.

Somehow it was more whole. More filled. The best version of her heart she could've ever had- human or not.

All because its' cracked pieces were being glued back together and held so gently in the safe little hands of her mini- the person she loved more than life itself.

Crying softly, the doll woman leaned her forehead against Lil Rags'. In a raw moment of safety and warmth, they rubbed noses.

"Thank you...thank you, Lil Rags."

When the baby rubbed her eyes again, Ragatha gently patted her back and softly tried to get the mini to rest her head against her chest.

"Rest, baby...I'll be here when you wake up."

The baby protested for a moment, still trying to fight sleep- but giving one last trusting look Ragatha's way, finally laid her head down. The second her head hit her chest, the mini sighed, gently gripped her toy with one hand, the fabric of her mother's dress with the other- and was out cold, a soft smile dancing across her face as she instantly started to dream.

Sighing, Ragatha eyed the other minis. They were each still asleep- making the air around them still, quiet. Admittedly boring compared to the chaos that was the babies being awake- but that was quickly overshadowed by the peace and tranquility everyone felt.

Her eyes danced to the other adults, who all just silently grinned back. Suddenly Jax was moved to stand and make his was over to her. Leaning over her shoulder, he smiled even wider at seeing his mini twitch- somewhere lost in a safe, happy dream.

The rag doll and rabbit swapped a grin, making Ragatha softly eye him- meaning every word she said.

"You're an amazing dad, Jaxxy."

Instantly the rabbitoid's face lit up with a blush. He bit back a moved smile before he bent down and whispered words that sent a chill down her spine. Lingering in her mind of a long time.

"You're an even better mother, Dollface. One of the best this world and any other has ever seen, I bet."

Allowing waves after waves of happiness wash over her, Ragatha felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Feeling Jax's calming hand on her shoulder, she laid her head back against the chair back, carefully not to squish Belt. Sighing once again, she gently rocked in the chair.

For once, everything in life was simply-

POOF!

A soft noise caught her ears. She at first paid it no mind- until it repeated itself...

And as she felt her body feel lighter.

POOF!

POOF!

POOF!

POOF!

POOF!

Her heart pounding her in her chest, she opened her eye and blinked down.

Colorful confetti and a few dozen handmade pictures doing flips sprinkled down around her, coating her with strips of bright paper and streamers. The book Pawnie was holding, abandoned on the floor as it flopped over.

Somehow worst of all, in her lap was Lil Rags' toy horse- laying still as the doll woman froze.

"Congratulations, my pollinating ghost peppers!"

Every adult slowly peered back into the sky. There was Caine, joyously waving his showman hat in the air.

"You finished the in-house adventure!" He crowed happily. Snapping his fingers, a long table of desserts appeared in the place where the babies' rug and things had been. "As your reward, you are allowed to sample Bubble's dessert bar!..."

He trailed off to look around him, holding his hand to the side his mouth and whispering.

"Avoid the purple cotton candy, though, if I was you. She still hasn't told me what it's made out of. I had my suspicions, though...especially when I caught her cleaning out Jax's hair brush earlier."

But none of the circus members moved. Not even a flinch. They seemed frozen in place.

"Is...something wrong, my soft shelled cicadas? Although I hate to admit it, you all are usually far more excited when an adventure ends."

Ends...

Ends...

His word, particularly the last one, hung in the air- seeming to strangle every person as they stared into space.

"No..."

In agony, everyone eyed Ragatha- the first to speak out of all of them in their shocked, horrified stupor.

Hovering over towards her, Caine eyed her curiously.

"'No' what-"

"No!!"

The doll woman buckled forward in her chair, sobbing hard into her mittened hands. She shook and trembled, gritting her teeth and gripping her hair.

"What's-"

"WHY?!"

Hearing Pomni angrily yell, Caine turned and saw her shaking as well, tears rolling down from her eyes.

"Why in the [BLOINK] would you do that to us?!"

"I'm afraid I don't-"

"Why would give us such perfect minis?" Gangle cried out, looking at her ribbon hands before weeping into them. "...Only to just take them away?"

Beside her, Zooble was heaving, their chest rising and falling in an anger they'd had never felt- raw tears streaming down their eyes.

"Caine, you are such a- GOD, I can't even SAY want I want to call you! Literally!"

Wandering over to the sobbing Ragatha, Kinger was about to comfort her, ask what was wrong- when he stepped on the book about fireflies Pawnie had left behind. He slowly picked it up- and instantly dropped in horror.

"Wait...no."

His eyes bouncing from each distressed member of his circus, Caine shook his head slowly in confusion.

"I- I don't understand-"

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T!" Zooble screamed loudly. "Because you're not human! You don't know how to love, especially not a-"

They cut themselves off to cry into their claw. Gangle stumbled over to them and they wept on each other's shoulders.

Pausing in her own weeping, Pomni looked beyond Ragatha- seeing Jax was walking away. He was hugging himself unbearably tight, his ears the lowest she'd ever seen them.

No. This was not happening.

"Caine, you can't do this!!"

Hovering closer to her, the mouth piece scratched the top of his head. Confusion littered his face.

"What exactly can't I do?"

Pomni was about to scream- when she realized it wouldn't do any good. No matter how much any of them tried to explain it, Caine just didn't understand how important the minis were to each of them.

And the minis were gone. Forever. 

"Caine..."

Shocked the jester looked up to see Kinger crying softly. He had picked up the book and held it to his chest.

"You...you have give us the minis back-"

"Back?" Caine asked. "Why?"

"Because-"

"Because I loved this adventure so [BLOINK]ing much."

Shocked eyes landed on Zooble, wiping at their wipes. 

"We all did," Gangle added, pleading with the showman. "Caine, you must give them back...we love them so much."

"We need them," Pomni begged, taking a few steps forward. "They've help us...alot more than I think we've even helped them."

Stumbling out of her chair, Ragatha collapsed near Pomni, who immediately kneeled down beside her. Gangle, Kinger, and Zooble quickly approached, too.

"Caine...I need my baby back," the doll woman begged around her tears. "I...I love her too much to lose her. I love them all too much to just let them go; we all will miss them too much because-"

"They've taken our hearts with them," Kinger finished, tearfully hugging the book to his face.

"Caine, I beg you," Ragatha pressed futher, "we need our minis. This wasn't just another adventure to us...this was so much more. The babies aren't just another set of NPCs to be forgotten...they are even more than just our minis. They...they are a part of us now."

Through blurry vision, she looked up and saw Caine was frozen in place- his pupils wide as he stared blankly forward. His hat was in his hands, unmoving grip holding it still. The air around was as frozen as he appeared to be.

Suddenly, his blue eye twitch.

"What was that?" He finally spoke as he placed his hat back on his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear anything you guys said after Zooble admitted they loved this adventure."

His eyes flashing wide again, Caine gasped, raising his fingers to his mouth. In a childish way, he hovered close to the colorful character and waved his cane happily.

"Zooble...you LOVED THIS ADVENTURE?!"

Sniffling, Zooble looked over at Pomni- who looked at Gangle. Kinger and Ragatha swapped a look, too- each circus member immediately getting the same idea.

"Yes," the colorful cast member quickly said, hugging Gangle close to her. "It was...the best adventure you've ever made, Caine."

The ringmaster's eyes twitch again, especially as the others quickly nodded in agreement. An unseen blush lit up his face.

"Oh! Well, thank you-"

"In fact, we all loved it so much," Pomni added- looking up at Caine will begging eyes, "we want it to become-"

"A permanent adventure," Ragatha finished with a tearful smile.

"A PERMANENT ADVENTURE?!"

Caine's ecstatic yelling made even a still walking away Jax freeze in his place.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" The showman screeched again, slapping his forehead- an excited gleam in his eyes. He starting waving his hands and zipping through the air. "A permanent adventure is an absolutely brilliant idea! Oh, this is fabulous! Think of all the research that could be found- could conducted! All the FUN that could be had- permanently!"

Eyes going wide, the large mouth did a few backflips in the air and threw his hat above him. He flew up the catch it, mind spiraling as his mouth tried to catch up.

"The minis could go on smaller, temporary adventures with you all, adding to their knowledge- and to my research! No, wait... I could make the minis their own adventures to go on and see how they each fair. More people, more adventures= more FUN! Oh, I'm getting so many adventure ideas-"

"Yeah, because you're good at what you do, Caine," Zooble interrupted- shocked at just how much they meant their words. Though, they couldn't help but hide a smile at seeing how this further egged Caine on to return the babies.

"Thank you, Zooble! Coming from an adventure-hating fiend like yourself, that means alot!" Caine slapped his hands against his face- overhwelmed with joy. "Holy spaghetti god, I've got to write all these ideas down before I forget them! Bubble, quick- hand me my bee sketch pad!"

"Don't take thy lord's name in vain," Bubble answered when she suddenly appeared, forking over the sketch book.

She floated to his other side, twisting slowly in a circle as she did.

"What about the 'no NPCs in the circus' rule?" She then asked- making everyone want to strangle her and probably would've if she had a neck.

Deflating a little, Caine rubbed his chin in thought.

"That's...true."

"You already know the babies are NPCs," Ragatha quickly gushed out before Caine could change his mind. "You know they aren't human. No way you could ever mix them up!..."

She trailed off- heart shattering when seeing Caine dramatically hunched forward in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Ragatha," he told her sincerely with a head shake and crossed arms, "but rules are rules, as you humans would say."

Everyone blinked at each other- slowly realizing they'd never get to see their minis again. They looked away, wiping their eyes as Ragatha broke down into a heavy sob again.

Shaking her head stubbornly, Pomni gritted her teeth, two fists forming at her side.

She couldn't give up. Not on her mini or any of the others. Not when they were this close to getting then back. She had to fight, had to try.

She started to open her mouth-

"Please."

A voice answered for her, one somehow sounding even more broken the rest of their voices had.

All eyes fell on Jax, now standing behind the group and hugging himself tightly. His ears were low, drapped down his back and his eyes were the biggest anyone had ever seen. He'd never admit, but they could tell he had been crying alot, too- closing his eyes tightly to beseech the ringmaster.

"Please, Caine. We...I need my Polli back. I can't...I can't lose him, too."

Rising his upper jaw in shock, Caine looked up in thought. He turned to Bubble.

"What was that human phrase you learned about rules, Bubble? Rules are meant to be...something. I can't remember-"

"Deep fried in applesauce and served with Baskin Robin ice cream."

"....That's good, but I don't believe it was that."

When Bubble just nodded her large round head in confirmation, Caine looked away. He placed his hands on the top of his cane and drummed his thumbs against it, thinking the matter over.

Looking back over the cast, he saw them each pleading with him. Begging him to bend, to change his mind just this once. He thought back to the briefs interactions he had had with the group when the minis were present. Everyone did seem happier, more content. Contentment lead to higher rates of adventure approval, he had noted. 

"...Maybe Zooble was right," he mused outloud, more to himself than anyone else. "Maybe you all really did love this adventure if you want it to continue so badly...and maybe I really am good at what I do."

But the rule! Rules are important- even to humans, right?...

He looked back down at the cast- their distraught faces cutting into him.

Well...maybe some rules really are meant to be deep fried in applesauce and served with Baskin Robin ice cream.

His mind made up for him, the ringmaster gave a simple nod.

"Well...I guess this rule is metaphorically cooking and about to be handled off the an underpaid waiter then."

He snapped his fingers, making the too colorful rug appear again beside the dessert table...

And everyones' utter elation, one by one the minis started to reappear.

Pamni squealed. Pawnie stared into space. Lil Rags flapped her hands. Vessa and Belt hugged. Polli was chewing on something he definitely should not be.

There was all were- looking the exact same as before...

But after the excitement hit her, Pomni was the only one who knew to hold her breath. Would the minis remember them- or would they draw a blank on who they are like Gummigoo did back at Spudsy's?

But her worries were settled instantly when the babies cried in delight at seeing the adult versions of themselves again. Each stood up and took off for their adults- and the cast members themselves jumped up and ran to meet them halfway.

Pomni tickled Pamni her arms. Kinger handed over Pawnie's firefly book then held her in the air and swung her around. Ragatha quickly gave the toy horse back to the mini before hugging her so tightly she swore she was accidentally strangling the baby. Zooble and Belt exchanged a happy grin when Vessa and Belt wanted to be held- as each set keeping their claws and ribbons interwoven. Jax and a frantically wiggling Polli nuzzled each other, chirpping and purring so loud everyone could hear it.

Shocking everyone, the adult rabbitoid balanced his mini in one arm- and suddenly, he tearfully hugged Zooble tightly with the other.

"Thank you, Zooble...thank you so much..."

Shocked at his sincere words and display of affection, Zooble let go of Gangle's hand and gave Jax a soft, one-arm hug back.

"Don't mention it..." they began- before an unnoticed smirk surfaced, "Jaxxy."

Instantly Jax broke off the touching hug and growl, ears comically flying back down towards his back.

"Oh, you just had to ruin the moment!"

"Don't get your ears in a twist. I didn't ruin anything-"

"Consider that the last time I am ever nice to you. Ever. In fact, I'm committed to make your life a living [BLOINK] from now on, Zoobie."

"Good! This OOC [BLOINK] makes me cringe. Oh, and back atcha, Jaxxy."

"Okay, enough of this. Hey Raggy? Can you plan on calling me something else? Do it where Zooble can't hear and-"

But he was cut off when Ragatha leaned foward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Half-lidded, he turned and smiled at her, wrapping his free arm around her waist. Each shared a stifled laugh when Polli leaned over and bear hugged Lil Rags, his tail going a million miles an hour. The doll girl protested at first- before a small smile appeared as she gave him a quick hug back. Each baby eye the other adult- and grinning, Jax and Ragatha swapped their minis.

"Glad you have you back, Polli-Wolli," Ragatha cooed as the baby rabbit licked her face frantically.

"I missed you a ton, baby doll," Jax told Lil Rags, who laid her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment. 

The happy sights of the cast being reunited with their minis made Caine tilt his head. He felt a twinge of something. Something deeper than approval of adventures or doing what he was good at.

It was this strange pounding inside his chest, so strong it made Caine look away. It was something that almost made him feel what he'd only read about.

Something human.

He didn't quite know what it was- but decided he liked it. Alot.

"Wait! I'm getting hit with another idea!"

Another snap of his fingers and Caine made a miniature version of himself appear- a baby with a huge upper and bottom jaw for a head. The only difference was the teeth looked like crooked baby teeth and in place of the showman hat was a propeller cap. 

"Meet Abel!" Caine crowed as he floated down to pat his mini on the head. When the baby nipped at him with his huge jaw, he yelped and recoiled. 

"Like Cain and Abel," Pomni connected with a smile. "Nice touch-"

"Who?"

She blinked up at him, shuffling Pamni to her other hip.

"You know...Cain and Abel...the famous biblical brothers?"

A puzzled Caine shifted to look at Bubble- who pulled out a tape recorder. Pressing a button with her tongue, a recording of crickets chripping filled the air.

"I haven't a solitary clue as to what you're talking about-"

"Gryllus pennsylvanicus!" Pawnie exclaimed in the loudest voice anyone had heard from her. "Gryllus pennsylvanicus!"

"That's right, dear!" Kinger chuckled as he nuzzled her. "Crickets!"

"If your mini isn't named after the biblical brothers," Zooble asked Caine, "than why the [BLOINK] did you name him Abel-"

"Only because of my favorite person ever!" Cained crowed as if it were obvious. "Inventor and cartographer, Abel Buell! Go and expand your minds, you simpletons! The next adventure, I'm making you all be teachers to actually educate your children!"

Still annoyed, the ringmaster snapped his fingers again. Suddenly floating near by Abel was two small bubbles, one with a bow tie, the other a hair bow.

"These are my bubblettes," Bubble explained, slowly floating over ro the other spheres. "Pop and Wan..."

"Aw, like a-"

"...da!"

Ragatha paused again to make sure Bubble was done.

"Like a bubble wand!" She finally cooed, balancing a giggling Polli on her hip as Lil Rags reached out for her. She took the other baby and smiled at them both. "What a cute name, huh, guys?"

"No, she's named after my idol, Wanda Sykes, you [BLOINK]ing [BLOINK]," the bubble grinned, the last bit said in a voiceover of said celebrity's voice.

"Anyways, I've got to go plan twice the number of new adventures!" Caine announced happily towards the stunned group, tipping his hat. "Have fun with the three additional munchkins!"

"Take good care of them," Bubble added as she slowly faded away. "I know where you all and your hairburshes sleep..."

When the ringmaster and his creepy transparent sidekick had all but disappeared, the cast felt their eyes go wide as they slowly looked at the new arrivals. Their minis were enough work- now throw in three more?

As they each set their minis down and watched them venture over to the Abel and the bubble twins, though, each adult couldn't help but let huge grins appear. 

No one had any idea what was in store. And that kind of terrified them...

But they decided they could be terrified together. Figuring things out together- all of them, for the first real time, as a team.

They could try...

And with their love in tow, they had a hunch this would be the absolutely best, permanent adventure yet.