A lone spaceship sailed through the vast void of the cosmos.
Teardrop silently stared out the window, at the blue orb she called home slowly disappearing from view, turning into a nigh-invisible speck amidst the sea of bright dots. It wasn't just because she wasn't one for dialogue; there was a lot on her mind, a lot to digest, and she needed all of her energy to fully process it, to make sense of it all.
It just didn't make sense. It never did, ever since the beginning. The Battle for Dream Island, when digested on the surface level, appeared to be a fluke of unimaginable scale. What compels a speaker box, one with the means to instantly traverse the firmament, to descend his perch on the heavens and organize such a nonsensical and farcical competition? Why create an island that was the height of luxury, one with amenities they could only *dream* of, only to just give it away for free?
The drop of liquid knew that something was up the moment the Announcer appeared. She knew that trouble was afoot, that there was something far, *far* greater in the works. But she had no way to uncover the true scale of it all, let alone convey it to the others, *especially* with what little time she had. All the others very quickly jumped in without thinking, completely entranced and mystified by the promise of a refuge from it all, a place where all their needs and wants could be met with a snap of their fingers.
And so, begrudgingly, she competed. For years and years, she endured whatever blows came her way, whatever obstacles and hindrances the hosts decided to throw at them. Even as things took a turn for the even more ludicrous, she withstood it all. All in the name for some sort of resolution, some sort of conclusion. Any answers to what was going on.
Eventually, Teardrop would get what she was asking for.
She eventually got up from her seat and stretched her limbs. The last thing she wanted to do was get up and face what was coming, the trials and tribulations that laid ahead. But *someone* had to do it. Everyone else was dragged into eternal pain and suffering, and it was up to her, to *them*, to get them out of there.
She made her way through the cramped corridors of the ship; every square foot matters, as they didn't have the luxury of space in... space. The craft was stuffed with all the essentials, leaving just enough room for her to barely make her way through.
She eventually arrived at the bridge, where all her friends- all those that remained, anyway -were expecting her arrival. As soon as she made her presence known, Gelatin quickly got up and tapped the other on the shoulder; Lollipop spun around in her comfortable chair, one of her only places of refuge in these trying times.
"We'll be arriving there momentarily." She'd be blunt. "I sure hope you're ready for this, bud; all our lives are counting on you." The piece of candy then turned to the other foodstuff. "Lead her to the airlock." The green one nodded. "Got it."
He'd start making his way over, with Teardrop following close behind. Along the way, he'd pick up a small orb of mechanical components, being unusually delicate with it given his tendencies. The journey was silent and stoic, with no time for humorous quips or jokes. He wanted to break the ice so badly, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so; gone were the days of treating the Battle for Dream Island like some informal affair. They couldn't do so after all it had taken from them.
The two eventually arrived at the airlock, as much as they didn't want to be confronted with it. A single set of doors stood between them and the cold, cruel cosmos, and the unforgiving maw of their reality. Gelatin and Teardrop stared at each for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances. TD wasn't one to break and cower at the sight of the terrible, but considering all that had occurred, and all that was yet to happen...
"...It'll be alright." The foodstuff would finally speak up. "Even if you do end up failing..." He dreaded imagining the scenario. "That's what the big red button is for." He'd then pat her on the shoulder before giving her a hard push, suspending the orb within her. "Good luck out there, TD."
