An Inkwell's Stain //BATDR Fanfiction\\ [Female Reader]

Chapter Forty-Nine [Creator, not a Traitor]

'That was strange...' you mumble as the incoherent melody flows through the air, and Bendy nods in agreement with you. 'We best keep looking. Alice could be anywhere... you sigh, letting your feet guide you along the floor toward a branching hallway. Another window was blocked by a curtain, so you went over to pull the lever. Please be Alice... or do I want it to be Alice? I don't want her trapped... you tug the handle down and the curtain rose to show an old man scribbling on a notebook, intensely thinking to himself. You turned to look at Bendy, who was staring back with wide eyes.

'Uhm... excuse me?' you call out to the man, rapping your hand on the glass to get his attention. He looked up from his book and listened, not looking at either of you. 'Sir? Can you... can you help us?' He thought to himself for a moment before letting out a saddened sigh. 'You must be... very lost to be asking me for help.' He fiddled with his notebook and pen awkwardly, still not facing you both.

'I'm... we're just looking for answers.' You say, leaning your left hand along the cold glass. 'About the Keepers, Wilson... this Cycle... any answers could help...' He placed his hand to his chin and stroked it for a minute before replying, 'What's your name?' You automatically answer back. 'Y/N. And this is Bendy.' Bendy was still in awe as he watched the man, and the guy instantly sat up hearing Bendy's name. He turned and saw something he thought he would never see.

A child, and his creation.

It looked as if the man's eyes were watering up, but he held down any tears that wanted to surface as he stared at Bendy. Why was everyone so fascinated about him? Did they only know about the Ink Demon? 'What's your name?' you ask after a moments silence, and the man walked up to the glass and knelt down to your level. 'Honestly...' his voice softened, which surprised you, as his voice was already coaxing to begin with. A whisper. 'I'd almost forgotten... my name is Henry.'

He turned his head to look at Bendy, and their eyes met, staring with some connection you didn't quite understand. You couldn't understand what emotions were pouring out of these two as they stared, but it was... amazing to watch. Bendy slowly raised his hand and placed it on the glass, a small and weak smile spreading across his face. Henry raised his hand and put it on the glass opposite to Bendy's gloved hand, and he returned his loving grin.

Then Henry chuckled, looking down. 'I haven't smiled genuinely in so long... Thank you.' Bendy rests his forehead along the glass pane as his smile spreads, a happiness you didn't quite understand flowing through and around him. Did they know each other? 'I can't believe you're real... did Joey do something right?' Henry asked Bendy, to which he shook his head, his smile faltering at Joey's name.

Henry waved it off. 'It doesn't matter. It's a miracle that my creation has been brought to life... like this. Not that I forgive Joey for what he has done...' You pinched your eyebrows together in frustration. 'What is going on? You didn't create Bendy!' Henry turned to you and had a smile of pity along his face. 'Right... Joey never told the truth, did he?' He stood and gazed into your eyes in thought. 'Yes... I was the original creator of Bendy, but Joey fired me and took my sketches, my rights... everything. You may have heard I was his co-worker, but I was more than that. I was his friend... emphasis on "was".'

You stepped back in shock. 'You created Bendy? There is so much memorabilia of Joey being the face of this company, having started it all by creating him... it's all a lie?' Henry looks away. 'It's all he does.'

You nod quietly, understanding. 'I guess that makes sense now. Have you never seen the Ink Demon in this state?' Henry faltered and looked back to Bendy, who waved sheepishly. 'That's the Ink Demon?' You nod. 'Yeah, the Keepers did this to him. Locked his monstrous self away... but he can free himself from time to time.'

Henry looked away in upset, obviously wishing that the two entities were not one in the same. 'Right...' was all he could muster out. After a few seconds of silence, you broke it. 'Have you been prisoner long?' you pointed out the cell he was in and chuckled. 'When the Keepers think you're a threat to their plans, they lock you away. Forever.' He gazed back at his lonely chair. 'Still, it's given me time to think. Things like: If you haven't needed to eat anything in years, are you even human? What are these memories I believe are mine, but could be someone else's?' You didn't quite follow what he was saying, so he sighed.

'Never mind...' he crossed his arms and leaned his weight onto his left foot as the awkwardness escalated. 'How are you a threat?' you ask, gesturing to his persona. He wasn't exactly the most frightening thing on the menu here. 'I'm what they call a Cyclebreaker.' Henry seemed unfazed by your question, and went to explain straight away. 'Once upon a time, I knew how to start this cycle over. And when that happens, everything begins again. Completely new and fresh for the same fates to bestow upon us again and again. Susie dies, Sammy dies... the Ink Demon-' He looked at Bendy, suddenly remembering he was there. Bendy gave him a confused look.

He sighed. 'Anyway, Wilson and the Keepers don't want that to happen, so here I am.' You looked down and pondered for a moment before replying. 'I was going to ask how you did it, but what I really want to know is why? Why restart everything from scratch?' Henry looked like he was about to reply, but you cut him off. 'Think about it. If things follow a line of events before the Cycle resets, then that means we have to go through the same hell, again and again... even if we have memory of it.' Henry grumbles back quietly. 'It's the only choice we have... we have to pray something else may happen to change the script. Then we may have a chance...'

As he said this a realisation dawned on him. 'And it looks like you're that something, Y/N. You can change the script. I don't know how, but you can. I have never seen you before, and you drag along the Ink Demon who is suddenly good now? Things are starting to fall into a strange place, and you started it. Screw resetting the Cycle.' He banged his fist into the glass.

'Break the Cycle instead.'