In Retrospect - A Zajcu37 fanfiction

Chapter 1: The End of Madness

She had done it, and after reliving some of the worst moments she could remember, it had paid off and solidified in her tortured hands into the instrument of demise that could end their nightmare. It was the one thing she had been searching for, the only thing that mattered. She should be satisfied, exhausted and proud, but there wasn't time for that, no time for rest, no time for celebration or comfort, there was too much urgency, too much at stake, too much to lose, or it would all be for nothing.

She surveyed her area, the dilapidated, humiliated walls she not too long ago called home, the only home there had ever been, the only one she wanted back. Her eyes flickered ever so suddenly to a poorly illustrated drawing of herself, hanging by a thread on the tattered walls. She experienced her long and simple previous 37 years of life in that second. She recalled the time before: how all she was was entertainment for others, how she was magic in an otherwise disappointing and ruthless world, a being of fiction with the cursed gift of immortality. She had spent that life for others, but still felt an overwhelming sense of selfishness, and now, she was the one that had to save it. This was her purpose, her driving force, to go back to the way it was, to be useful again, to prove herself, nothing more. After what felt like years of reimagining her old memories, and her past lives, she managed to snap herself out of the spiral and regained consciousness. Right now was what mattered, not the past, not the future, but to save them. If she couldn't do that, she was nothing.

Finally, after taking a second to readjust, she tore her view from the walls, hastily pulled out the teleporter and pressed the button. After some whirring, a void materialised in front of her and after giving her silent goodbyes to her old life, she let it call her back to reality.

After a second, the same void sprung to life and spat her out in the future she had become so familiar with that it was almost comforting, almost. Immediately, she was alerted, as she heard a frantic, unrhythmic and clunky noise hurtling towards her. A small sigh escaped from her beak that she quickly retracted trying to be respectful. Soon after, her easily-excitable, self-proclaimed partner clumsily entered the room, knocking his shoulder on a nearby doorway as he did so.

"Welcome home, my friend!" he exclaimed in an instant, throwing both arms up into the air while tilting his head slightly with elation.

Toy Chica took a second after inspecting the walls of the current establishment to reply.

"Hey," She remarked without looking at her companion.

Scraptrap raised a hand to his beat-up hip and squinted.

"Why so glum? You got all the souls, didn't you?" he questioned while moving about an inch away from her, leaning over and quickly extending a clawed, bony finger in the direction of the sword perched over her cape with a sarcastically confused expression. Scraptrap was never one to take into account Toy Chica's (or anyone's) value of personal space, not that he was aware of ever doing that. She took a step back and automatically threw her hand the sword to protect it in response, which had become an unconscious reaction to anything she had of value or importance when around him. She eventually met his gaze and spoke.

"I got the sword, we should get going soon," she explained, even more monotone than usual, which was impressive, since being a robot already came with that flat and emotionless delivery. Scraptrap never came across as the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could sense when something was off with the people he cared about, and knew not to pry where it wasn't welcome, especially not with Toy Chica, he was aware that she had issues, that she was hiding something, many things, even, but he wholly trusted her and chose to believe it was for the right reasons. He took a second to think about this, and then continued with the conversation, after standing upright again and enthusiastically snapping his fingers (not that they made a sound).

"Alrighty! Ready when you are!" he remarked before briefly patting her shoulder and proudly strutting off, which - as usual - caused Toy Chica to roll her eyes and shake her head for a second, before anxiously following after him, now with her built-up tension from her travels being ever so slightly relieved.