[ Cruel Winter - A Inanimate Insanity Invitational AU ]

Chapter 22 - What is Logical?

Fan sat in the corner of the room, weeping. It's been around 3 days since Test Tube... Passed. Lightbulb was beside him, trying to comfort him. "Shh... Shh... Fan, calm down..." Lightbulb whispered.

Fan continued sobbing, facing the corner. "She's dead... She's dead..." He whimpered.

Lightbulb tried hugging him, but he pushed her away. "...Fan-" She was quickly cut off. "Lightbulb, she's dead! DEAD..!" Fan turned to her, cheeks stained with tears.

"She said she would come back...! She- She promised me...!" Fan cried. "Woah, woah, calm down buddy..." Lightbulb mumbled. "Calm down? YOU REALLY THINK I'M GOING TO CALM DOWN?" Fan snapped through tears.

Lightbulb jumped back, startled by Fan's tone. "...S-Sorry..." She whispered. Fan glared at her for a moment, but his gaze softened and he turned away.

"Just Go." He mumbled.

Lightbulb stared at him for a moment. "I-... Fine." She sighed, turning around and leaving the cabin.

Fan sat there alone with his thoughts now. Fan couldn't believe it.

She was dead. SHE WAS DEAD. Why did she die? WHY? Fan didn't want to come out of the corner, not ever.

He stood up and climbed onto his bed. Maybe this was all a dream, and he could wake up. He stared at the bed next to him. Test Tube's bed. With the silk blankets and down pillows... But she was still missing.

Fan whimpered, quickly standing up and grabbing one of the pillows, taking it to his bed and hugging it tightly. It was the closest thing he had to her being here right now, wasn't it?

He continued crying. The lights were off, the blinds were shut. Fan shut his eyes, just wanting to wake up. He held the pillow tightly, very quietly crying himself to sleep.

He awoke in a odd forest. Mist swirled around him. Was THIS a dream? He looked around curiously, taking a few steps through the murky woods.

He saw a rectangular shape in the distance. Test Tube? The figure blinked at him with glowy white eyes before running off. "Hh- Wait up..!" Fan pleaded.

He chased after the figure through the foggy forest, dodging trees and stepping on a bunch of sticks. Sooner or later, the figure stopped to a halt and turned around.

Fan panted, trying to catch his breath. The figure blinked at him. "...Hello there, little one." It whispered. "...Uh, hi, Test Tube? Where were you?" Fan didn't seem to realize that this figure was dark and wispy, without eyes and with a oddly white outline.

"...That's not important right now." The figure mumbled. "Hey, wanna play a game?" It asked. "Yeah, of course!" Fan exclaimed.

The figure floated over to Fan, taking it's hand out of it's cloak and tapping him on the nose. "Your it." The figure snickered, turning and running off. "Wha- Hey, get back here!" Fan laughed, running after it into the woods.

Lightbulb sat outside, staring down at the ground. Test Tube's death was... Terrible, for everyone.

She raised her head, gazing around the town. It was empty by now. Everyone was inside. She guessed she could understand. Well, barely.

"Lightbulb?" Lightbulb raised her head to see Paintbrush in front of her. "Yeah?" She stood up. "Look, we need to talk." They demanded.

"...Ok. Why?" Lightbulb asked in confusion. "I'll tell you when we get there, cmon," Paintbrush grabbed her arm and dragged her inside of their cabin. OJ and Balloon were asleep inside.

"Oh yeah. We have to be quiet, by the way," Paintbrush whispered. "...Kay." Lightbulb gave a thumbs up. Paintbrush entered a room, most likely a storage room. Lightbulb turned her head to where Paintbrush was.

Paintbrush flipped a light switch, revealing a board on the wall with a bunch of pictures, all stringed together. "...Paintbrush, what's this?" Lightbulb blinked at them. "Look, something seems... Off about Nickel. You see, I found the green-stained glass that he claimed was Test Tube's, but..." Paintbrush ran their finger through the glass smoothly, as if it were slippery.

"The green stain is from some sort of Aloe. And it's not frozen, so it couldn't be Test Tube." They muttered. "And don't you think Nickel was acting TOO emotionless when he declared her death? I'm convinced that coin did something to her. And I'm convinced that she's alive!" Paintbrush added.

Lightbulb stared at Paintbrush like they were crazy. "...Paintbrush, that makes no sense." Lightbulb called out. "B-But it all comes together! Test Tube has to be alive! The fake glass, Nickel being weird, Nickel definitely wouldn't make up this whole hoax if he didn't want Test Tube to be hidden," Paintbrush stammered.

"But Paintbrush, we can't just assume that Nickel doesn't want us to know she's alive? If she even is alive anyways..." Lightbulb said the second part more quietly. Paintbrush stared at her. "Well, if you don't believe me, I'm not going to stop you," Paintbrush walked outside.

Lightbulb watched as they walked outside, feeling a bit guilty. She turned to the board of Painty's ' evidence ' . "...I wonder what made them think that this was legit." She asked herself. She began studying the photos. "...Huh. That- Actually makes a bit of sense." She whispered.

She shrugged, walking outside as well. She stepped through the bushes and into the wildernd. Lightbulb went through the vast woods, sitting down beside the same tree that... she had convinced Test Tube to go on the journey that ended her life.

Lightbulb put her hand on the very spot Test Tube was sitting. "...If you really were alive, why wouldn't you come back?..." She asked nobody in particular.

She frowned, simply sitting there and closing her eyes as the sounds of the forest swished around her.