Chapter Text
“GOOD MORNING, CHILDREN!” A huge scream echoes through the hallway. “Is everyone ready for a day of fun and joy?!” Honestly, not so much... He gets up with difficulty, his head is still very sleepy... his night was terrible and he ended up reliving what happened to his family at least three times during his sleep. It’s already the fifth time this month...
“Little one? Come on, buddy, time to start the day!” A knock echoes from the door followed by an intensely cheerful voice, deep down this always bothered him, but he didn’t try to think like that, he should see things from a new perspective and that’s what he would do! After gathering strength, he heads to the door, when he opens it he is faced with a giant smile and a charismatic look from one of the few friends he had ever made. “How are you, little sun?”
“I’m... fine, Dogday, just a little tired still.” The huge dog rubs his hand through his hair. “I know, little one, if you want I can let you sleep a little longer.” A gentle smile appears on his face, with his hands he holds the dog's huge hand. "Okay, Dogday... I'm going out, I don't want to hurt you again this week." After picking up his supplies and putting on new clothes, he heads to the hallway accompanied by other children and the huge toy. As usual, he made a point of staying at the end of the line even if he ended up with the leftovers from breakfast, not because he was 'antisocial' as some said, but because he never ate much, not even before in his old life and preferred to leave most of it to those who needed it most, at least that was how he wanted to believe he was making a difference in the lives of others. As he walked along the long wooden paths, he felt an abnormal silence following him, the dog walked right behind him keeping his hands together in a sign of concern, maybe he should ask...? "Dogday... is there a problem?" The dog lets go of his hands and brings one to his neck. "I'm just worried about you, little sun... you eat so little, you'll end up getting sick." "No need to worry... I won't." After breakfast, the dog takes everyone outside. The sun is shining brightly, or so it must have seemed. The school bell rings in the background, followed by a warning from the counselors for everyone to go to school.
As he enters, he and his class go to the classroom. Following the same custom, he sits in the first row in front of the teacher's desk. The teacher arrives a few seconds later, accompanied by a staff member who uses his equipment to turn on the lights in the room. "Good morning, students! Today we will learn a little more about anatomy. Open your books to page twenty-five!"
The class went on smoothly as usual, the content was similar to what he had studied before, with some extra information. He was back at school, he should feel happy like before, right? That place definitely didn't have the same magic as before, the teachers were strangely friendly and even more strict with the schedule and content, did he miss any information? Only in the extra classes could he perhaps learn it again. His appearance and identical personalities sometimes made it difficult to get along, how would the children know if they would have classes with the math or science teacher?
Maybe... he sighs, he's just tired from a bad night's sleep, he should be grateful to be having all this again, the figure of his old teacher was at least present in the library, which was still his favorite place. The break between classes is announced, he takes his hall pass from his backpack and heads straight to his educational refuge.
Once there, he shows his pass to one of the teachers who, despite always teasing him for wanting to be in the library during his breaks, always ends up giving in and opening the door for him. “Little sunshine! Welcome back!” He greets a large blue elephant elegantly, leaving his book on the table. “Good morning, sir, Bubba!” The elephant gently rests his hand on his head before returning to his desk. “So, what are we going to do today, calculus? Geometry? Maybe... a little more electrical circuits?”
“Not today, Bubba...” He moves his eyes between the shelves of books, hoping to find what he wants. “Still looking for that book?” Bubba asks, approaching his side. “Yeah...” His eyes slowly start to give up, the books in the library never changed, much to his disappointment. “Look, why don’t we try something different this time?” The elephant walks over to his desk and takes one of the pieces of equipment used by the employees. Using a screwdriver, he manages to open the back case of the equipment. “I call this practical science. Come, little sun.”
Soon the two began to dismantle the equipment. With each new piece, the elephant released a manual explaining to the boy how each part had its function. Even the smallest metal could be used as an electrical conductor or, if scraped, transformed into a magnet. The practical lesson yielded enough to distract the little sun from his daily problems. It was a moment of peace that made him return to his old life and gave him a little more hope. After all, if he wasn’t adopted, maybe… maybe if he was smart enough, he could become one of them, the men who wear white, and help other children like him.
Unfortunately, time passed quickly, too quickly in his opinion. In the end, he said goodbye to his blue friend and returned to the long classes with the Delight girls. During most of this time, he wrote down in his notebook the things he thought and imagined. It was a good way to distract himself during the moments of greater socializing, and he felt good about himself when he did so.
Lunch time was announced over the loudspeakers at the end of the school period. Now the children were free to walk around the nursery, play in the park around the statue, talk to their counselors, or go have fun in the game house. In his case, he usually preferred to sit on one of the benches reading or just thinking about life, but the noise made it difficult most of the time. Before, he used to do this in the corners of the place, but he always got scolded by the staff because, according to them, those were ‘forbidden’ areas for orphans.
“That’s it, guys! Let’s get started!” The chicken shouted to the rabbit. “Hold on!” Hoppy kicked a ball with all his strength to Kickin who held it to his chest. “Watch and learn, Hoppy!” He began to dodge the other children who were wearing green vests, heading towards the small goal and kicking the ball which was held with difficulty by one of the children. HA! Do you really think that with those little feet you’ll achieve anything!?”
The little sun watched the game with an empty look, he was never a big fan of sports even though he knew how to do well in athletics, after the games station he barely had to repeat those feats. One of the children in front of him took off his vest and threw it next to the bench where he was and started running towards the counselors’ office, maybe someone was calling for her...
“Oh crap...” commented the rabbit approaching and picking up the clothes in her hands. “Hey! Little... sun? That’s what they call you, isn’t it?” She said turning her eyes to him, her stomach tightening slightly. “Oh... yeah?”
“Why don’t you join us? My team needs a defender.” He looked away, his mouth ready to say the most direct answer. “O-Ok...” Damn. “Great! Let’s go, little guy!” Why couldn’t he say no? Anyway... now it was time to play.
The match itself was close, with both teams scoring two points, despite the balance between the teams, the age difference was very noticeable, with little or no difficulty he managed to get the ball from the kids who were just running towards the goal and pass it to his teammates. Soon the chicken team changed, now having the older kids as attackers, which made the game much more exciting.
The effort increased as did the competition. At the end of the game, his team managed to win with a final score of five to four. His team celebrated with jumps and hugs, which cheered his own heart even more. “That was stolen!” The chicken teased. “Don’t worry~ It’s just a loser crying.” The others joined in the fun. The little sun returned to his bench and left his vest next to him. His smile returned to his face, as did the sweat of fun.
“Hey, little sun!” The rabbit came over and sat down next to him. “Thank you for participating in the game. I know that... you’re not very close to the other children, but seeing you so happy gives us hope.” He smiles while hiding his happiness. “I really enjoyed it. Thank you, Hoppy! You... also give me hope.” The rabbit laughs and rubs his hair. “Feel free to participate whenever you want, playing helps keep our minds clear and calm.” He invites him for a hug, which he reciprocates.
The afternoon started to pass more quickly, deep down he was feeling much better now even though his stomach was growling slightly. “Hey little sun!” A red-furred bear approached him from above his book. “Do you have a minute?” She stretched out a hand to get up, and she took him with her to a corner of the counselors’ building. The little pig appeared through a door, carrying a bowl in her hands. “Here, little one.” She handed him the bowl, it was full of noodle soup and vegetables shaped like letters. “I... appreciate it, but... I’m not hungry.”
“Little sun... you need to eat.” He looked away, still reluctant, but his stomach finally let out a rumble, exposing his lie. “I made it especially for you, do you know how sad I was not to see you in the cafeteria?” Picky commented, bending down to his height.
His heart weighed with those worried looks, they reminded him of his mother’s face when he was sick. “Okay,...” He grabs a spoon and starts to eat all the soup, receiving a smile in return from his friends. “Wonderful! I’ll see if there’s any fruit left for you.” Picky got up and went back to the building, while Bobby sat down next to him, wrapping his arm around his neck.
“Do you want to tell me something, little sun?” the bear asked, offering her hand to hold the now empty bowl. “I’m fine, Bobby. I swear.” The bear didn’t change her gaze, which pressed him a little more. “Okay, okay... I’m just thinking a lot, I guess...”
“It’s okay to think too much, just don’t let those thoughts take over you. What are you thinking about?” He looks around, searching for the best way to express himself. “About... everything, you know... my family, my dreams, this new life, I want to do my best to help others.” The bear’s eyes change to more receptive and cheerful. “I know it seems... silly, after all, I’m not the most open to talk.”
The bear lets out a small laugh, taking him by surprise. “It’s not silly, silly... I think it’s wonderful. The desire to help others is beautiful, even more so when you do it! Helping those in need is its own reward.” She wraps her arms around him in a comfortable hug. “Thank you Bobby, I want to be able to be a light for others, just like my mother helped me.” She lowers her head and kisses the top of his forehead. “You can always count on me, don’t be afraid to tell me how you feel, I’ll be happy to help and comfort you, just like I told Hoppy, you and many others bring us hope.”
“I found a good vitamin C candy!” said the little pig, leaving through the door again and handing him some oranges. The rest of the afternoon was spent having a nice picnic, other children also joined in and everyone enjoyed the moment with good conversations and each other’s company. As simple as that may seem, it only reinforced his positive thoughts, maybe he really is being the light in other people’s lives, even those who don’t look like that, well... it doesn’t matter that these toys are more human than the employees themselves, they welcome him, help him and care about him just as he cares about them, maybe this was the family he needed to finally be able to continue living.
Night came with the rising of the moon and stars in that sky covered with metal bars, the call to return home resounded over the speakers, inside the children played for a few hours before bed, the little sun decided to give these moments a chance and joined the others in a little game of tag.
At some unknown time of the night, he returned to his room and took the opportunity to pack his things for the next day of school, as he did every night. Routine was good for him, even though he enjoyed the moments of well-intentioned surprises. A small call for a final snack was announced. Well, he had had soup in the afternoon, so he didn't see the need for dinner. He used the final hours of the day to read a little more of the Playtime manuals about his equipment and toys, and of course, he also dedicated an hour to writing in his book. This book started out as a small diary, but has now become the unofficial sequel to his favorite book. All of this thanks to Crafty, who loved reading and listening to his stories, especially the one about his favorite book, which intrigued him so much with its engaging plot. The last time he read it, months ago, was enough to intrigue him. After the revolt, the distance between the protagonists and their moral dilemmas between following the order or their hearts' desires was what intrigued him the most. The moments of darkness caused by fear were muffled and suppressed by the couple's simple desire and passion, seconds in which the entire universe seemed to stop just for them. However, his mind never stopped, especially when he remembered what the ending could be. One day, out of genuine curiosity, he opened the book to its last page. The final sentence stuck in his mind: "No matter what happens, I won't let it end like this!"
Had one of them died? Had they been lost? What happened? These questions had been hammering at his head for months, and the fact that he would never know what happened made him sad. But not without creativity! So he took advantage of his free time to rewrite the story according to his vision and plan the ending. Would it be good? Bad? Neutral? He was never sure, because his emotions guided him in this process and reflected his own worldview.
“Little sun...” A voice echoes from behind him, when he turns around he finds the dog looking at him with concern, in his hands there was a bowl similar to the one Picky had given him. Dogday approaches and invites him to sit with him on his bed. “You need to eat something, little sun.”
“Dog... I already ate during the afternoon, I'm not hungry!” He said as he tried to finish the words in his book. “Still, you need to eat, sleeping on an empty stomach is too bad...” His voice echoes with a more melancholic tone, his heart clenches again... damn, they know how to win him over. “Okay... okay...”
The dog's tail starts to move from side to side as he watches the little sun having dinner, at the end he even gives him an apple for dessert. Now his belly is slightly sore... it had never been from eating so much in a single day. “Thanks Dogday.”
The dog ruffles his hair with his hand, because everyone liked to do that to him? “I sleep peacefully knowing that you ate well, had fun... and made new friends!” The dog’s words left a question in his head. “Wait... was it you?” Dogday lets out a sincere laugh and pulls his own plush toy that was next to the bed, their eyes meeting as his expression becomes thoughtful.
“Yes, sunshine. It was me, I did it for your own good, after all...” He removes the small sun symbol from the plush and with the help of a clip places it below the boy’s neck. “You are important. All of you! You are our light and our mission.”
“Your... mission?” he asked doubtfully but the dog just laughed and pulled him into a hug. “Promise me something, Sunshine~?” The dog touched his face with one of his hands, making the boy feel very embarrassed. “Promise me that you will take better care of yourself, that you will continue to be this special child that you are regardless of the difficulties.” The boy thought in silence for a few seconds, looking into the dog's eyes he could see a genuine expression of affection that moved him even more. "I promise Dogday... I promise."
"This is my sunshine~" The dog wrapped him in a tight hug, then the boy took a brief moment to eat, following his smiling friend's requests. Time passed and the time to rest arrived through an announcement in the main hall as well as the descent of the moon that was in its center.
He went to bed after packing his stuff for the next day, closing his eyes he sought peace in his mind being filled with the memories of that wonderful day he had. However, his rest was interrupted by heavy footsteps in the next hallway, not that he was used to that after all... it must have been just the employees.
The doorknob of his room suddenly began to turn, this awakened his senses but he tried to remain calm, there was nothing there that would harm him. The door slowly opened, followed by heavy footsteps inside the room that slowly approached him. His eyes opened but he refused to look at the figure that approached, grabbing his blanket and pulling it to cover him as a natural way of seeking protection.
A thin sound of gas resonated above his head, his eyes met the source of this sound, a thick red smoke that slowly came out through a vent. What was that? Suddenly a giant hand covered the vent, causing him to be startled, what could it be? Was he dreaming or was it another nightmare?
The smoke stopped coming out allowing silence to return to that place, slowly he pulled the blanket away from his face and with his eyes began to observe that huge hand moving away. He slowly turns his head until his eyes meet those of others who are watching him in the darkness. His mouth opens but nothing comes out. Fear quickly begins to take over his body. The creature moves its hand on his blanket. Even in the darkness, he can see its long claws moving toward him. They stop in midair, slowly rising to his head, but instead of piercing him, they gently pass over his hair. His eyes open again. That hand now rests gently on his head. One movement after another makes his heart calm down. “What...?” His mouth finally finds the strength to expel his timid whisper. “You don’t need to be afraid...” A heavy voice resounds as low as his own. The creature’s hand moves away and scratches hard at the ventilation opening. It soon returns, grabbing his blanket and covering him again. “You don’t need to... rest well, little sun.” The creature struggles through the door, closing it behind him. Who was that? The grief of the night, however, fell upon him again, his eyes closed and his mind was too heavy to think about it anymore. Soon he forced himself to sleep, tomorrow would be a new day and he had a promise to keep, a promise to his family.