Chapter Text
Echo had an incredulous look on his face after Sun told him his plan.
"Ok, let me get this straight. You want ME to go on vacation with Moon and see to it that he relaxes?" Echo asked, wanting to make sure he heard correctly.
Sun nodded, "Yes, that's right. Earth is too sweet to give Moon the verbal kick in the ass he needs. I need Bloodmoon to stay here to help protect Lunar, and I'm going to take over what Moon was working on to give him a break. You are intelligent and are unafraid of speaking your mind, so being around you will be stimulating and will get him to focus on other things," Sun took a breath, then looked at Echo, "I... also know you care about him, even if you deny it." Echo let out a low hum, considering what Sun had just said. "All right, fine. I'll go on vacation with Moon and make sure he relaxes. But I won't be his babysitter," he said firmly.
Sun chuckled, "I wasn't saying you should. Just watch him and report back to me if there's an issue. For the most part, just go and have fun. You could use a break too."
Echo grumbled, but he couldn't deny the allure of getting out of this place for a while. The thought of leaving, even for a little while, made him feel lighter and more carefree than he had in a long time. Sun gave him a soft smile, realizing that Echo needed to get away from this place as much as Moon did. He was grateful that Echo had agreed to help.
"Thank you, Echo. I really appreciate it." Sun said with genuine gratitude in his voice. "Also, I need from you all the energy you've gathered that belonged to Solar." Sun requested; his voice gentle yet firm.
Echo looked surprised, "Why do you need it? Will it help bring him back?"
"I'm not sure," Sun admitted, "But I do know that it's something I need to try. Solar's energy is dimmed and weak compared to ours, which is why I think he's blocked from us. If we can gather all of the energy that belongs to him and give it back to him, it might help break the barrier and bring him back to us."
Echo raised an eye ridge in surprise but didn't argue. Sun gestured for Echo to hold his hand out, placing his own hand on top of Echo's. The taller bot stifled a gasp as he watched the energy that was Solar's flow from him and into Sun, then blinked when it was over.
"That... was odd. So, um... when do you want Moon and I to go on vacation?" Echo asked, feeling a little nervous.
There was a mischievous grin on Sun's face, "The two of you leave in the morning."
--------
Moon woke up slowly as the sun shone in his window, feeling a bit more relaxed this morning after what Sun had shown him last night. Solar was alive somewhere. The knowledge was like a balm on his aching heart.
Moon's face softened into a gentle smile, his body felt lighter, and his mind clearer. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The weight of the world wasn't entirely gone, but Moon could finally breathe again. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the truth of Solar's survival seep into every fiber of his being. He didn't know when he'd see his dear friend again, but at least he knew Solar was still out there, waiting to be found.
He heard movement downstairs, realizing Sun was up. Smiling to himself, Moon got up from bed and headed downstairs, blinking in surprise when he saw Eclipse sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee.
He raised an eyebrow as he took in the taller animatronic, "Eclipse? What are you doing here?"
Eclipse looked up from his coffee, smirking at him, "Sun and I came to a little arrangement," he said, watching as Moon took a seat next to him.
"Oh? What kind of arrangement?" Moon asked, taking a sip from his own mug.
Eclipse raised an eyebrow, "I agreed to go on vacation with you to help you relax," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact, "By the way, I decided to change my name. It's Echo now." Moon tilted his head in surprise, "Echo?"
Echo nodded, "Yeah, it's more fitting for who I am now. Anyway, Sun thought it would be good for us to get away from everything and relax for a bit. So, we're going on a vacation together."
Moon's eyebrows shot up, "Really? That sounds... nice."
Echo chuckled, "Glad you approve. I know it's a bit sudden, but I just felt like it was time for a change. I mean, I don't want to be known as that asshole Eclipse anymore." He took another sip of his coffee, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
Sun turned around then where he was standing at the stove, "No, now you want to be known as that asshole Echo!" he exclaimed, laughing at his own joke.
Echo snickered, not denying it. Moon stared at the two of them, wondering if he entered a twilight zone.
"Wha... what did I miss? Am I still dreaming?" Moon asked, confused.
Sun took the pan off the stove and walked over to Moon, giving him a big hug, "You're not dreaming, brother. I invited Echo over last night to discuss some things and we came to an understanding. And you ARE going on vacation with Echo. The two of you both need a break away from here. Resistance is futile," Sun told him.
Moon's eyes widened, staring at his twin in disbelief. "What are you saying? Are you telling me I don't have a choice in this matter?"
Sun shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Nope. You've been overworking yourself, having waking nightmares, and slowly losing your mind. Out of everyone, Iknowwhat that's like. And I'm telling you that you are going on vacation." Sun's voice was firm yet gentle, leaving no room for argument. "You deserve a break, and I'm making sure you get one. You leave in two hours."
Moon was taken aback by his brother's determination to send him on vacation. He had never seen Sun like this before - assertive, confident, and unwavering. It was a side of him Moon had never known existed. He sat down at the table, his jaw slack as Sun finished getting their breakfast together. Echo put a mug of coffee in front of Moon before sitting back down, his eyes on Sun.
"You've been good for Sun. Old Moon... he wanted to keep Sun beneath him, to 'protect' him as it were. But you, you've given him the chance to slowly rise from the darkness and show himself for who he truly is," Echo whispered softly to Moon.
Moon's eyes glistened with tears as he nodded, realizing the truth in Echo's words. He did need this break, this chance to relax and recharge. He looked over at Sun, who was now setting a plate of food in front of him.
"Eat up, Moon. You have a big day ahead of you," Sun said, giving him a warm smile.
Moon took a bite of his breakfast, feeling a strange mix of emotions. He was thankful for his brother and Echo, but also worried about leaving Lunar behind.
Moon looked over at Echo and was met with a confident smirk, as if reading his thoughts.
"Don't worry about Lunar. Sun's going to have Bloodmoon help Jack protect him," Echo reassured him.
Moon's shoulders slumped in relief, gratitude for his brother and Echo clear in his expression. "Thank you," he whispered. " Thank you both."
He began eating, finding himself suddenly hungry. As he sat there, Moon thought of how much stranger his life had gotten. Here he was, sitting at his kitchen table with someone who was a former enemy and his twin who was eating meat that was practically still mooing.
The absurdity of the situation was not lost on Moon, but he wasn't one to dwell on things he couldn't change.
Moon glanced over at Echo again, his expression thoughtful. There was something different about him and it was more than just the name. He seemed more... relaxed somehow, more at ease with his life.
It was a subtle change, like the difference between a hard and soft breeze, but it was noticeable. Moon couldn't put his finger on what had caused the shift, but he had a feeling that Sun had something to do with it.
As they finished their breakfast, Sun turned to Echo and Moon, "All right, I think it's time for the two of you to get going.
I have everything planned out for you, so all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourselves. I'll contact you if anything comes up here."
Moon looked hesitant but nodded, "I understand. Thank you for doing this for me, Sun. And Echo, thank you for agreeing to come with me. I know I can be... difficult at times," he admitted, giving the taller animatronic a small, grateful smile.
Echo returned the smile, "You're welcome, Moon. I'm looking forward to getting away from this place for a bit. This should be interesting. It looks like Sun planned things for us that appeal to our intellectual sides, but in a leisurely way, no hard thinking." Echo laughed lightly, leaning back in his chair. "I can appreciate that."
As they walked out of the house, Moon took a quick look at the itinerary, his eyes lighting up with interest.
He was actually looking forward to this vacation.
--------
After Moon and Echo left for their trip, Sun went upstairs to get dressed for the day. Instead of his normal daycare outfit, he put on loose fitting red pants, a black sleeveless tee, and black combat boots. Sun finished the outfit off with black, fingerless gloves. Lunar and Earth were working today, so there was no reason for him to wear his 'work attire' out.
Sun went to the teleporter and set the coordinates for Golden Freddy's place, needing to speak to him.
Golden Freddy's mansion was a grand structure, built high in the mountains where privacy was assured. The mansion was rather imposing, making Sun snicker to himself about compensating. A heavy oak door stood at the entrance, and it creaked as Sun pushed it open.
"Golden?" Sun called out, stepping into the mansion's foyer. "Hello? It's Sun!"
Golden Freddy appeared suddenly in front of Sun, trying to jump scare him, but was surprised when Sun didn't react. Interesting. Any other time Sun visited, Golden had been able to scare Sun without any problems. The short, gold bear animatronic studied the lanky daycare attendant in front of him. There was something different about him, something he'd never sensed before from Sun.
It was subtle yet powerful, like a gentle breeze that carried a hint of a storm. Sun's eyes were filled with determination and a fierce protectiveness, something that Golden had never seen from him before.
"Sun, what brings you here?" Golden asked, stepping closer to the taller animatronic.
"I need your help," Sun stated, getting straight to the point.
"What kind of help?" Golden asked, his curiosity piqued.
Sun looked down at him, "You can sense star power as well as magical power, right?"
Golden nodded, "Yes, I can. I take it you want to know if your core energy is the same as star power?" Sun nodded, "Yes, your core energy is star power, and I would have to assume that Moon's is as well. Strange that I couldn't sense that before."
Sighing, Sun leaned against the wall, "I believe that had to do with the way the killcode affected Moon's system, suppressing the energy signature. The Creator wouldn't want anyone to find out that his creations had star cores."
There was a look of concern on Golden's face, "Why would he do that?"
Sun shuddered, hugging himself, "I think... I think the Creator intended for me to be the battery to power his 'perfect killing machine'. I think Old Moon had been programmed to keep me suppressed in any way necessary. It might also explain why the Creator made us in one body and made it so painful for us to switch."
Golden's eyes went wide, taking in what Sun was saying, "That would explain the aggression of Old Moon. What brought you to this conclusion?"
"Several things. The Creator's desire to capture Lunar and use him as a battery because of his star power; Bloodmoon telling me that my core energy was the same as FC's, who we know has star power; also, the Creator's anger over me and Moon separating," Sun told him, sighing.
"I think you're very spot on in your thinking. But I'm also sensing physical changes in you."
Chuckling, Sun explained to Golden what had happened with Bloodmoon and how he had been made the crimson animatronic's Other. Golden nodded, noticing the subtle changes in Sun since the transformation.
"Golden, I know you and Puppet could feel those dimension disappearing, but I wanted to let you know: they weren't destroyed, they're simply blocked off."
"How do you know this, Sun?"
In response, Sun placed a hand on Golden's shoulder, showing him the link he had with Solar, which was a bit stronger now since Sun had taken Solar's energy from Echo.
"See? I'm still connected to him, and I'll find out where he is and save him," Sun stated with determination in his eyes.
Golden felt a flutter of hope within him. If the dimensions weren't destroyed, then all they needed to do was to find a way to break the shields. The old bear could sense that Solar would play an important role in that.
"If you're going to rescue him, you need to find a way to teleport to closed dimensions. It would also help if you had something from that dimension, but anything living would have disappeared, like Solar did," Golden advised.
Anything livingwould have disappeared...
Sun thanked Golden for his time and left to return to the daycare, knowing what he needed next.
