Stranded in Paradise; Welcome Home [An II Au]

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...

Quiet.

It was so, so quiet.

Darkness lingered and writhed around Fan's body as he sat back against the ground.

His limbs and mind refused to form.

He couldn't think properly.

Nothing made sense.

Nothing.

Except for her.

She was all he could make out in the shadows.

Standing there with her familiar, friendly smile.

A smile he could hardly remember.

Her face.

He...he couldn't remember her face.

No matter how hard he tried, all he could see was the scribbles where her face should have been.

He just couldn't grasp together a face...

He...

HE COULDN'T REMEMBER HER FACE.

...

"Hey! Fan!"

Fan woke up with a cry when he was nudged slightly. He whipped his head around, seeing Balloon kneeling down next to him with a surprised face. "S-Sorry...Just...wanted to let you know we're almost home..." Balloon said before getting himself more comfortable next to Fan. The hand fan just shifted in his spot, looking down at the file Test Tube gave him before they left. Cabby's file. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't muster the strength to open it up and read what was inside.

Perhaps...when he was mentally ready.

Fan turned his eyes upward at everyone else in the carrier. Not much conversation was being made other than a bit of small talk. Pickle and Bomb were inquiring about Nickel's new leg, while Silver just watched the world below him while leaning on the carrier's side. "...You know, you're pretty lucky Test Tube gave up her spot to let you come along..." Fan said to the spoon, who just scoffed in response as he turned around. "Of course not...I just don't know why she'd make such a...bold choice. Considering...what I've done. I figured she would've just left me to rot..."

"Well...when she...eventually comes back, we can...talk about it? Maybe?"

"If Test Tube is even COMING back..." Bowbot said while laying on a sleeping Goo, "What if she's already gone by the time we go back onto the island??"

"Hey, by the time we come back to get her, she'll probably still be alive." Pickle said, looking at Bomb. "Best to be optimistic, huh?"

"H-H-H-H-Hehe, y-y-y-y-y-y-yeah."

The silence suddenly returned as Bomb's face dropped, "S-S-S-S-So...O-O-O-Oj r-r-r-r-really i-i-i-is d-d-d-d-dead, i-i-i-isn't h-h-h-h-he?"

Fan went quiet almost immediently.

"...Yeah...I'm sorry, Bomb." Balloon replied, prompting a sad sigh from Bomb, "...I-I-I-I n-n-n-n-never g-g-g-g-got t-t-t-to a-a-a-a-apologize."