Songs in the Abyss

Chapter 5.1; Lost in the Ink?

*Your POV*

As I looked around the black void we were in, I began to make out distorted, but familiar faces in the ink. My fellow workers. Tom, Allison, Susie, Wally and many others were among them. Sammy watched me, as I moved around cautiously. My voice echoed in the abyss, as I finally found the courage to speak up: "This... Is this what happened in those 30 years..?" I looked up, my back facing my lover. "Had Joey gone mad..? Why did he betray all of you like this..? So many questions..." I felt a hand on my shoulder: "But there's only one to be answered..." I faced my feet, as we continued: "Who are we, who are we..? To chase what we are after..." Silence reigned. We didn't know what to do, most likely. And then, Sammy talked. While he spoke, the ink formed the highest floor of the studio.

"Joey began going crazy, as he had lost you and Henry. He started experimenting more and more with the machine. Most of the time, I was there to save the ones falling victim to his deeds, but eventually, he succeeded into driving even me to the brink of insanity. He threw Bendy in and what came out, was the monster you have seen quite some times now. Through you, I had gained bonds with the Demon in the past, so this hit me like a thunderbolt. Bendy turned against his creator, throwing him in his own machine and accidentally bringing us to a bigger demise. Joey became a monster as well, with the Inked Gift making him almost unstoppable. Almost."

We watched like spirits, as everything Sammy said came to life in front of my very eyes. I gulped, as tears sprung into my eyes and rage built a foundation inside of me.

"The stories tell of two people with the Inked Gift. As one would gain full power, the other needed to die. The Creator remembered you as the second gifted one. He knows the only way to become almighty, was to dispose of you. He created a letter and sent it to Henry's old addres, to lure both him and you here. Though, there was one thing he didn't think of."

The room changed to the old break-room. I saw Sammy and some of the other beings I met before sitting there, discussing something.

"I had gained alliances with Allison, Tom, Wally and Bendy. We made a plan to keep you and Henry safe, knowing you were the one to set us free, not Bendy himself. We stood our ground against the others, whatever they threw at us. We made quotes of ink, to keep ourselves sane. And we waited. For you, Y/N. You are our only hope."

The room deformed once again, till only the inky puddles were left. Sammy had his hands in mine and the top of his mask rested on my forehead. Our breaths were steady and equal. I needed to help them. I was their only hope. I could set them free from this hell.

"Can you take me to Henry, love..?" I smiled softly. He nodded as I walked towards the ink. One deep breath, in I went. The walls of the gateway throbbed around me, as if encouraging me to keep going, to not give up. It worked. I would set them free.

With a splash, I landed in some kind of boat. The vehicle shuddered at the contact and the captain looked down: "Y/N! I have to keep going, we're being chased!" I immediately shot up, as the boat halted to a stop. In the wheel were blotches of ink, keeping it stuck. Not too far behind us, I saw a gigantic pitch black hand. No gloved one, like Bendy's, but black as ink. Getting out my axe, I started destroying the blotches of ink, after which Henry got the motor working again. Moving on, he asked: "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since the fight with Boris." "I was with Samuel. Pal said he wanted to show me something." I answered. Henry shrugged: "Alright I guess. Watch out, here we go again!"

At that very moment, the boat halted once again. In no time, I had destroyed the ink blotches again and we got going. "Did something interesting happen?" I asked. Henry looked at me in confusion: "Not quite. Despite getting trapped in a cell, thanks to who I presume are Allison and Tom." I chuckled: "Nice welcome. Did they give you food and water or did you starve in there?" "They did keep me healthy. Allison said it was for my own good, but I'm not really sure."

After a bit and some more stops, we came into a bigger area and what I saw astounded me. A village, under the surface of this grand animation studio. A lost one was sitting at the handmade harbour, fishing for a bit. As he saw us, he immediately stood up and yelled: "sregnartS! enoyrevE! devirra seirots eht fo sregnarts ehT!" Henry looked at the town square, now getting flooded with hundreds of lost ones, and gulped. Those were a lot.

I took a deep breath and jumped off the boat, as it was close enough to the harbour. Walking up to the town square, the inky beings stepped aside to let me through. In their middle, was one lost one who looked more important than the rest. Next to him was the fisher. He seemed to plead for the 'leader' to believe him: "seirots eht morf namow eht s'tI! raews I! reh s'tI!" The leader gave both me and him a stern look: "em ot ti evorP."

My eyes turned (F/C), my wings came out and I growled softly. The leader looked at me again, now with a blissful smile and shining eyes: "It is truly her. Everyone, (nickname) has arrived!" I gasped, as I not only realized I could understand them, but the whole village was on it's knees. By the looks of it, I was seen as a high authority.

The leader got up again: "Welcome mistress (nickname). We are very pleased to receive your company in our little village. We also have heard the stories and we have waited patiently for this day to come." Several villagers nodded and some smiled happily. I returned a genuine smile to all and spoke: "I will do everything in my power to set all of you free. No single soul of you deserves to suffer this hell. I don't know when nor how, but I will defeat Joey Drew."

Henry came standing next to me, as the villagers cheered. And right there, I knew I was in the middle of quite the adventure.