Memories ||A BFB/II Crossover AU||

Chapter Twelve - "Why Them...?"

  Lightbulb sat beside Paintbrush, worry dragging at her, threatening to drag her deep into grief. Paintbrush had grown even more sickly and had a terrible fever. The room smelled of sickness and vomit. Lightbulb was so worried for her friend, her bestie, her ride or die. She put her paw on Paintbrush's face and cringed at how hot it was. Paintbrush was whimpering, spit pooling below their muzzle which they could barely move.

 "Lightbulb...?" Paintbrush croaked, barely able to make the words out. "Yeah Painty?" Lightbulb replied, worried. "Please, tell the others that I'm sorry." Paintbrush sighed. "Sorry for what?" Lightbulb asked. "Leaving you guys." Paintbrush said. Fear overtook all of Lightbulb's senses. "No! Painty! You're not gonna leave us, you can't! We need you!" Lightbulb yelled, hopping up, her eyes wild with panic. Test Tube ran into the room, Fan not far behind. Paintbrush sighed slightly, and then let out a weak cough. "I'm not going to get better, you all know this." Paintbrush said quietly. "Yes, you will! You have to!" Lightbulb yelled, tears now rolling down her face. "I'm sorry... just know, even if I never showed it... I loved you all..." Paintbrush's last words were barely more than a whisper, and then they were gone, letting out a quiet sigh. Lightbulb stared for a second, then let out a loud yell of pain and grief before collapsing, burying her face in Paintbrush's fur. "Painty... wake up... please..." Lightbulb said, lifting her head weakly. Paintbrush didn't stir, simply laid there, still as can be. Lightbulb cried, and cried, and cried. Test tube and Fan had walked over and sat there in a grieving silence. They sat there for what seemed like hours, until people had started to worry and Marshmallow had gone to check on them.

"W-what happened?!" Marshmallow asked, astonished. No one replied, but Lightbulb got up on stiff legs and stepped back. "They're gone." Lightbulb choked on the words, turning towards Marshmellow, her eyes dark and her face wet with tears. Lightbulb walked out of the room, pushing past Marshmallow. Test tube and Fan walked after Lightbulb. Lightbulb made her way slowly to the front door. She felt hollow with grief, and the world outside seemed too bright. As she walked out of the door, she swore she heard a voice. She couldn't decipher what it was saying, but it sounded like Paintbrush's. She lifted her head and scanned the sky, cloudless and blue, but nothing else. The hope that had sparked in Lightbulb had died, and she sighed. She looked back at the ground and then straight forward. She started to walk somewhere, she didn't know where or what she was walking towards, but she walked on, pushing through the forest, and finding a path that felt familiar and smooth against her paws. She broke into a clearing, it seemed so familiar. She looked around as she walked, and then stopped at an area with a stage and seats that were overrun with plant life. She walked into the area, and something sparked in her brain. A memory. The memory played in her head, and she forgot the world around her for a bit.

   Lightbulb had just stop Paintbrush in their tracks, and Paintbrush had turned to look at her, looking a bit startled. "Hey, if you ever feel like you at the bottom of the ocean, just look at this crab-" Lightbulb said, stopping as a crab scuttled from its place between her shoulders to her paws. "Because, that's where he lived." Lightbulb said, slightly nudging the crab towards Paintbrush. The crab scuttled over to Paintbrush's paws and climbed up their leg, settling on their shoulder. Paintbrush slightly laughed, then smiled, looking at Lightbulb. "I got you." Paintbrush said, winking. Paintbrush walked over to a portal, then stopped, looking back. Fan and Test tube had walked over. Paintbrush flashed one more smiled before walking into the portal. Lightbulb leaned onto Test Tube, and Test tube reassuringly put one of her paws onto one of Lightbulb's paws.

Lightbulb snapped back into the present, staring at the set of stairs. She started to walk away, to another place. She walked to a corner made of cardboard. She slightly remembered something else, Paintbrush coming out to her about not being a guy or girl, but Non-binary. She felt tears start to run down her face as she continued to re-explore this place. Fragments of memories started to piece together in her head, then she decided it was time to return back to where she and her friends now lived. She felt hesitant to leave, but finally, she made herself push through the bushes leading to the worn-out path. She walked along and then started to hear voices calling her. She stopped, confused, then felt something scuttled across her paws, she looked down and saw a crab. A name flashed into her head, one that seemed familiar. "Baxter...?" She whispered, then smiled as the crab scuttled up her leg and onto her head. She walked along, eventually seeing Test tube on the path, seeming worried sick. "Lightbulb!" Test tube exclaimed, seeming overjoyed at finding her friend. "Hey Testy!" Lightbulb laughed as Test tube ran over. Test tube stopped right in front of her. "We were all worried sick! You just, walked off, then we couldn't find you. We were worried you weren't coming back!" Test Tube said, her voice kind of panicked. "Don't worry, I would never leave you or Fan out of the blue like that. I love you guys too much to do that." Lightbulb smiled, then she and Test tube started to walk back to where they lived. 

 Then, Test tube stopped. "Wait, did you say you loved us?" Testube asked, looking confused. "I guess I did!" Lightbulb laughed. The two continued to walk, Lightbulb thinking of what she had remembered, the bits and pieces of memory, the places she had seen. She sighed as they entered the cabin, the weight of what had happened recently crushing her. She walked into her room, suddenly feeling tired. She walked over to her bed and curled up, slipping into a dream-filled sleep.

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I wanted to cry writing this chapter. I also had to look back at ep 12 for the flashback scene, and it hurt. But I liked writing this chapter and elaborating on these guys, because we haven't had much II in this book yet. There will be more as I continue though, I promise.