Archive of Our Own

The story starts out like any other, with Sun and Moon taking care of the daycare as they usually did. One thing though, the guard that tended to stay in the daycare as an extra precaution against any trouble that may arise just quit. The reason was beyond Sun, but Moon knew the reason why.

The reason? Well, being in a loud room filled with dozens of children wasn’t exactly an ideal place to work. Not to mention the two inhumanly tall animatronics that resided in said loud room that would freak out any sane adult. 

If those were the only reasons why, Moon wouldn’t have been mad, however, the true reason why is the personality of the two. While Moon held a cold and strict demeanor, Sun was an energetic animatronic that had no sense of boundaries. On multiple occasions, Moon had to drag Sun away from the guard to get him back to work. The majority of those times Sun was far too close to the security guard, asking uncomfortable questions, and nonstop chatting to him. Moon, knowing his brother well, knew Sun was doing it from the goodness of his heart, just excited to have an older presence in the otherwise juvenile-filled room. The guard didn’t know this though and dreaded coming in every day. 

Now, while Sun was always pestering the guard, Moon watched the guard from a distance. Alone that doesn’t sound too threatening, but when you pair it with the fact that he was thrice the guard’s size and his face was a permanent smile with unblinking eyes, it turned horrifying quite fast. 

And finally, after five whole months of working with them, the guard was completely and utterly at wit’s end and quit. 

Upon hearing of the news, Sun was quite saddened as well as confused, thinking back to the “fond” times they shared. On the other hand, once the other brother heard of the news, he was relieved and knew it was for the better. After all, if the guard couldn’t handle them, then how would the guard possibly handle a dire situation? 

While saddened, it didn’t take Sun long to get over the old guard and become excited at the upcoming arrival of a new guard, a guard that Moon would soon wish Sun never approached.
Nevertheless, it was a slow Wednesday morning when the new guard came in for his first shift in the daycare. The man seemed to be in his late 30s and, opposed to the other younger and leaner guards, he was relatively muscular with messy, dusty brown locks. 

While seeing someone older wasn’t exactly strange in the establishment, the people who usually applied for the daycare guard position were younger people who had much more tolerance (and energy) for children. 

The man, whom Sun and Moon came to learn was named Weston, always had a slight smile on his lips and tired yet carefree vibes about him. He was the sort of man who had an effortless air of charm that seemed to pull anyone in and it was because of his charm that it didn’t take long for Sun to take a liking to the man. And it took even less time for Sun to seemingly attach himself to him by the hip.

To say Moon didn’t like his brother’s attachment was an understatement and the fact that the guard was unbothered by Sun’s constant pestering annoyed him further. It had not even been that long since Weston got the position yet Sun spent any extra time talking with him, telling him anything and everything past present and future.

Whereas Sun spent his free time joyfully rambling, Moon spent his free time alone. Questioning how he lost his brother and companion to the hands of Weston. It was strange to him, before Weston’s appearance, Moon used to be the only one who could fully handle his brother, yet all of a sudden he wasn’t and it left him resentful. 

While others fell to the new guard’s charms, Moon was dead set it was a facade and knew he was the only one who could possibly expose him for who he truly was. But exposing the said beloved man was akin to exposing Ryan Reynolds or some other beloved individual to some heinous crime. Nobody would have believed him, and they most certainly have chalked it up to him being jealous of the new guard. Realizing this caused Moon to pout, crossing his arms over his chest and absentmindedly watching over the playing children before him. 

As much as Moon would have loved to continue to ruminate over his loss and cultivate metaphorical mushrooms, he was interrupted by a small child, around 5 or 6, pulling in his pant leg. Moon turned to the little boy in front of him and bent down, snapping out of his thoughts quickly, and tilted his head to the side as if the ask him what was wrong. 

The boy, which Moon’s database told him was named Samuel, began to twiddle his fingers and mumble something incoherent. 

“Hello, Samuel, what seems to be the problem?” Moon asked, a hand coming to lightly rest on the boy’s shoulder. 

The boy took a quick glance at Moon and mumbled something else quickly, causing the attendant to lightly sigh. He knew he was never as good as his brother at handling children, but he never thought his attitude would have warranted fear in children. He was strict, yes, but you need to be such when dealing with such bold and reckless creatures such as  children. The last thing Moon wanted was for one to get hurt. 

Moon moved his hand to Samuel’s back, rubbing small, comforting circles and tilted his head to the other side. In the softest voice he could muster he then began to talk, “I’m sorry kiddo, I can’t hear you. May you please speak up?” 

Samuel, understanding Moon’s question, shyly nodded and looked to his shoes. “‘Scuse me Mr. Moondrop… we miss Sunny…can you… get him for us?” Samuel slowly looked up but once he met Moon’s red eyes he looked around the playground as if he had never seen it before and it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Oh Samuel, of course, I will get Sun for you all. But,” he said, raising the pointer finger of his free hand, “Before I get him, did you kids try to get him yourselves?” Moon began to stand up but paused to hear the boy’s reply. 

“Y-yessir, we tried a whole five times!” Samuel held up six fingers and looked at Moon expectantly. “Yet each time he either ignored us or Mr. guard shooed us away!” Samuel’s arm went in a large sweeping motion and slapped on his side with a clap. When hearing Samuel’s reply, Moon could feel the beginnings of anger and frustration pulsing through his wires. This in itself seemed to fully prove to Moon that Weston was a distraction needing to get rid of, and stat.

“Oh my. I will talk to him right away. I am proud of you kids for trying to get him first. Good job!” Moon now was standing tall, one hand clenched at his side and the other ruffling Samuel’s curly hair. 

“Now go on and play, Sun with be with you soon.” 

With that final note, Samuel giggled and ran back to the other children, seemingly telling them the news with a proud, gap ridden, giddy smile.

Moon strode over to Sun who was leaning over the guard desk, head in his hands like the schoolgirls you see in movies. Upon getting closer Moon heard Sun’s naturally loud voice erupt into laughter at what he assumed was a joke the guard made. 

“Sun, what are you doing?” Moon stood behind the yellow attendant with hands on his hips in a disapproving manner. 

“MOON! Come here, come here! You have to hear Weston’s joke! Weston, Weston tell him the joke!” Sun exclaimed, flapping his hands in excitement. 

However, before Weston could tell his joke, Moon slammed a hand down onto the desk, causing Sun to jump back and Weston’s smirk to fade. 

“Sun, the children! They were looking for you and when they came to you Samuel said that you ignored them!” Moon said incredulously, shaking his head. “We don’t have time for joking around, the children are our main focus. Not some some-“ Moon struggled to find his next word but succumbed to his frustration. “Not some dumb fixation on a worthless guard!!” He finished, causing Sun to flinch downwards and look to the side. 

When seeing Sun’s reaction Moon realized his words and reached out to his brother but his hand was quickly held back by that of Weston. Snapping his head to the side, Moon did his best to glare at the guard and pull his hand out of his grasp. 

“Stay out of this, Weston. It doesn’t concern yo-“ “Oh but I think it does. Jealousy is an ugly thing, Moon, so you should take a step back and rethink your actions.” Moon was swiftly interrupted by Weston in such a way that it seem as if Weston knew what Moon was going to say, which only frustrated the animatronic further.

“This isn't about jealously!” Moon snapped, looming over the relaxed guard in an attempt of intimidation. “This is about Sun ignoring the children! Sun, let's go, the children need you.”Moon reached out once again for his brother and lightly took his wrist yet once he began walking away he was pulled back by a cemented Sun. Moon looked back to Sun and lightly pulled him forwards but when he saw Sun wasn’t going to move anytime soon he sighed and released Sun’s jingling wrist. 

“Sun?” Moon asked, his tone softer than before.

Sun lifted his eyes from the ground and looked at Moon. “I…”

“Moon, you should leave. You can take care of the children for a bit, it’s in your programming, isn’t it? You can’t only rely on Sun to do the grunt work. Sun deserves a break, doesn't he?” Weston raised a brow at Moon as he spoke, his lips twitching into a smirk. 

“Of course he does, and of course I can, but the children want him, not me,” Moon replied firmly. Scoffing internally at Weston. Sun didn’t need help talking and certainly didn't need Weston to talk for him. 

“Just like you said, Sun deserves a break and you can handle them for a bit. Let Sun stay a while longer to relax and recover from your harsh words. Then he will go back out.” Weston replied. 

Moon’s lack of a reply was as much as a reply Weston needed to taste his victory over Moon and continue confidently.

“Well? Go on, the children are waiting for you, Daycare attendant.” Weston said as he shooed Moon away with a smile dripping with honey.

Turning quickly on his heel, Moon stomped to were Samuel and the other children played to tell them Sun was busy and he would play with them instead. The children were upset and one even threw a ball from the ball pit at Moon’s face but once Samuel ran up to Moon and hugged his pant leg, thanking him for trying to help them, the others lowered their guards a bit and  began to accept Moon as a playmate and went on playing.

 It was strange to Moon, the children usually hated him yet here he was being treated almost the same as Sun. Instead of him sitting off to the sides and monitoring from above, only stepping in when needed, he was playing hide and seek, arts and crafts, and even tag with the children. Granted, some children still stayed clear of him, but others warmed up to him by the end of the day and began to listen to him more. 

Sun ended up never joining Moon in the play area, opting to stand or sit near Weston till the daycare closed. And even once the daycare was closed Sun stayed near Weston till his shift ended. 

Once, to Moon’s relief, Weston left, Moon tried to talk to Sun yet the only thing heard between them was an awkward silence. Yeah, Moon was a bit harsh to Sun, calling his new friendship a dumb fixation, but he wasn’t wrong. Yet being right or wrong didn’t make it any easier for Moon to approach his brother. With that, the night, which was usually filled with Sun and Moon chatting about the children and events of the day, was quieter than a morgue. The only sounds were the out-of-place cheerful daycare music and the occasional shifting of fabric. 

The next day was the same as the previous, Moon played, watched, and took care of the children while Sun spent his time chatting with Weston. It wasn’t just the next day, but the days after that and the days after that. Each day would be filled with Moon being the sole caretaker while the nights were filled with a crushing silence. Moon, who once thought he knew his brother better than the back of his hand, was completely left in the dark about everything pertaining to Sun. Each time he would approach the other attendant either Weston would do his best to drive Moon away or Sun wouldn’t speak. At some point, Moon stopped trying to get his brother’s help and did everything himself. 

It wasn’t all bad though, with the absence of Sun the children grew much closer to Moon and what was once fear turned to love. After three weeks the children seemed to have fully accepted Moon, effectively replacing what space Sun left behind with Him. Moon would have been lying if he said he hated it for it felt like his life was better than before. In the times he played with children and saw their happy smiles and heard their giggles his chest was filled with a joy he never used to feel. When he saw children learning from lessons he gave and from his instructions, it filled him with a parent’s pride, and when he saw children behaving he would congratulate them in ways he never would have imagined he could. The days that he used to spend lifelessly watching were now replaced with memorable days of joyful activity. 

The days weren’t always busy though, and when days were particularly slow Moon’s mind would sometimes drift to what Weston said long ago, Moon could take care of the children alone and he was happy doing it and while Sun did deserve a break, it was impossible for Moon not to miss him. Sun felt like Moon’s other half so with him gone it felt like he wasn’t whole. Forget feeling whole, how could he even feel fully content if his other half was happy without him? Well, as far as Moon could see Sun was happy. Every time he found his eyes wandering in his brother's direction he was joyfully bouncing around a smiling Weston. Bits of jokes and conversations would occasional reach Moon’s metaphorical ears and strike him with a painful hollowness followed by the knowing that it wasn’t him on the other side of that conversation and, at the rate things were going now, it most likely won’t ever be again. 

Shaking his head, Moon moved his current attention away from the conversing duo and instead opted to look around the daycare. 

After minutes of boredly looking over the children’s chairs (that he could only dream of ever being able to sit in) and the toys haphazardly scattered everywhere, his eyes began to travel to the legs of the play structure that encompassed most of the room. Upon inspection, the maze of playground tubes stretched high above him, seeming to loom above his sitting form and twisting into many unforeseeable paths. The netting, slides, and variously shaped cut outs acting as if sprinkles on ice cream as the structure without them was monotonous. Following the tubes and paths with his eyes, Moon leaned back on his elbows to follow a certain tube that lead to the structure that he currently leaned on. When tracing the path, Moon’s eyes widened at the sight of a child curled in a ball at the top.

Of course children in the play tubes wasn’t a strange thing, and while yes, today was emptier than usual, it wasn’t the child that caught this attention but rather their crying. 

Jumping up quietly, Moon felt himself bounce on the padded floors as he began make his way to the play structure entrance. Putting his hands on the sides of the opening, Moon began to pull himself in and make his way up, however, this was no easy task since he wasn’t exactly made to fit in the children’s space. Nine feet of metal and cramped spaces doesn’t exactly scream “perfect!”

A few minutes and plenty of small dents in his casing later (gosh darn tight turns), Moon was finally next to the child and was able to talk to him. 

“Hey… what seems to be the problem?” Moon asked, his voice taking up a softness that he only recently developed. 

The child sniffled and untensed ever so slightly as they looked up and saw Moon. And while the child felt relieved, Moon felt a pang of concern when seeing the crying face before him belonged to none other than Samuel. 

His dark brown hair was disheveled as if he was pulling his hair and his usually vibrant olive skin was dull. His eyes, usually a comforting forest green, were red, puffy, and watery as they looked upon Moon sadly. 

Seeing the happy boy crying seemed to shatter something inside the animatronic and him saying that he had no connection to Samuel would have been a lie. It was Samuel who welcomed Moon as their playmate and it was because of his joyful, friendly personality that the other children took to him so quickly. There wasn’t a day that Samuel would disregard Moon, and there wasn’t a day that he would stop telling Moon about everything in his life. In all honesty, Samuel reminded Moon of Sun pre-Weston, and every time Samuel came Moon was filled with sweet happiness. Knowing that someone or something hurt him made Moon furious. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to destroy whatever it was and comfort Samuel, but he knew that if Samuel saw Moon angry it would scare him. 

“Samuel,” Moon muttered softly.” Please tell me what’s wrong so I can help you.” 

Moon began to rub small comforting circles on Samuel’s back, waiting for the boy to speak but not pushing him to. 

“I-I-“ Samuel choked out, pausing to snort but then going back to trying to talk. “I- Moony!” Samuel didn’t continue, too worked up to string a coherent sentence and too broken to focus on anything other than the bone-crushing hug he gave to Moon.

Moon was surprised when Samuel hugged him, after all, it was his first real hug from anyone other than his brother and while he wished his first hug could have been in better circumstances, he was happy it was with Samuel. The surprise he initially felt didn’t stop Moon from wrapping his long arms semi-tightly around the small boy who clung to his metal as if a lifesaver on the open ocean. 

It was almost as if Samuel clung to Moon in utter desperation Moon would disappear forever. It was a tight and rushed hug, one that you would see in movies and think “nobody ever needs a hug that bad” yet here they were, sitting side to side embracing like no tomorrow on the top area of a cramped and dusty play structure. The bright walls and music a stark contrast to the broken sobs and sniffling. 

After a few minutes, Samuel seemed to compose himself enough to talk and began hugging Moon softer, but not daring to let go. Knowing Samuel was now ready to talk, Moon moved his head from on top of Samuel’s and stroked some of his drying tears away. 

“Are you better now?” Moon asked, earning a nod from the little boy.

“Y-yes… Thank you, Moony.” The boy whispered and sniffed again. “I… Why doesn’t Sunny love us anymore?” Samual asked sadly, earning a jolt from Moon. 

Not love them? Sun cherished the children with all his heart, yeah lately he has been taking a break, but that doesn’t mean he hates them! And it’s not like they are alone, Moon is with them now. 

“Where did you get that absurd idea? Of course, Sun loves you all, as do I.” Moon muttered the last part, shocking himself when he admitted to Samuel that he loved them. 

“If he loves us… why would he leave us? He doesn’t even talk to us anymore!” 

“I-“ Moon didn’t have words. Did Samuel see something Moon didn’t? Has Moon been ignoring Sun’s negligence and giving him an invisible benefit of the doubt? Was Sun really so absent that the children thought he didn’t love them? 

“Well…” Moon began again but failed to string any words together, causing Samuel to begin crying again. 

“D-Did we do something, Moony?” He cried out and pounded a closed fist onto Moon’s metal chest. 

“What!!!! Of course not!! There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing you all could do to make Sun love you any less. You are all perfect the way you are and should never change.” Moon strongly stated, putting a hand on Samuel’s head, wishing for once he wasn’t smiling so that he could display his sincerity. 

“But there has to be something! Why- Why would he leave us like that!” 

“Sun just… needed a little break. Even he gets sleepy sometimes, he has to get the energy to play somehow! How about this… I will go talk to Sun tonight and by tomorrow he will be back to his normal self!! How is that!! I’ll even get him to do a special puppet show just for you!!” Moon cheered. 

Samuel smiled brightly at the promises and nodded enthusiastically. Not only was his favorite attendant going to help him, but now Samuel was going to watch a special puppet show as well as help the other kids who missed Sun. Samuel would never tell Moon, but when he wasn’t looking some kids shed small tears or hide in corners with others to remise about their lost Sunshine. 

“You promise, Moony? Pinky Promise?” Samuel yelled excitedly, moving back and holding out a stubby pinky finger. 

Hearing this cause Moon to internally smile and reach over to one of the bells on his wrist. Plucking the bell from its resting spot, Moon then held it out for Samuel to grab. 

“I promise, Samuel. Here, when Sun comes back you can keep my bell and only when he comes back you can give it to me, okay?” Moon asked, looping his pinky with Samuel’s. 

“Okay!!” Samuel took the bell and began ringing it, giggling at the cute tinkling. Unlike Sun’s bells or normal store bells, Moon’s were specially made so they made a soft and calming tinkly as they were moved, all to ensure the children would sleep through his movement yet know where he was if needed. 

Samuel gripped the bell tightly, earning a small tinkle, and jumped forwards to give Moon another hug. This time rather than one fueled by sadness, it was fueled by joy. Moon returned the hug with a light laugh and released Samuel when the boy began to crawl backward.

“Thank you, Moony! I am going to go play now! I can’t wait till tomorrow!” With that, Samuel happily began his climb back down from the play structure, bell in hand and a wide smile adorning his face.

Moon waited a few moments before painstakingly making his way down and walking to where the children began a game of hide and seek.  As much as he wanted to confront Sun about what is going on, Weston would stop him cold in his tracks, meaning Moon needed to strike when the guard left. It was currently 2 pm and the daycare closed at 8 pm. However, Weston is supposed to stay till 9 pm so he could organize, check the attendants for mechanical issues (which he only ever did for Sun), and watch over any children leftover. It sucked, but there was nothing Moon could do besides for waiting.

7 hours. Just a mere seven hours and everything will be solved or at least beginning to be solved. Moon could wait that long and when considering that after waiting he could finally take steps towards getting back his brother, it was a small price compared to a huge prize.

And so time ticked by slowly for Moon as he entertained children while keeping an eye on the clock above the security desk. If the children noticed his detachedness they didn’t make a fuss about it, after all, he was still playing with them. And while Moon did take slight note of the children knowing something was up, what he did not take note of was Weston seeing how often Moon would look in his and Sun’s direction. With how often Moon looked over, Weston knew that the moon-themed animatronic had something planned and, even though one would think this made the guard worried, Weston couldn't help but feel stress-free and crack a grin at what Moon could possibly have in store. 

It was finally time. The clock struck 9 pm harshly and not even a few seconds after a female voice boomed through Weston’s walkie-talkie to let him know his day was over. Pulling the walkie from his waistband the guard replied he will be out shortly and began to pack his things. 

As Moon watched the man leave, a mix of pure and utter happiness and relief washed through his circuits. After so many hours the scourge was finally gone, giving Moon the chance to talk reason into his brother and get things back the way they were supposed to be. 

Making his way over to Sun, Moon rehearsed for the hundredth time exactly what he was going to say to smack some sense into his brother. He had spent the better half of his time working out the best way to say the harsh truth, and if Sun didn’t listen, he wasn’t sure what to do but if he didn’t try then he would be lying to Samuel.

While Moon made he was over, Sun faced the daycare doors sadly, his shoulders sagged and his posture bent as he said a dreaded goodbye to his close friend from behind the closed door. It was finally the time of the day he hated the most. Now without Weston there to talk to, Sun had to sit in an uncomfortable science with the brother he once was close to. 

Weston had told Sun that Moon was in denial of their friendship and was being selfish, a truth that Sun believed in. After all, to Sun, there was no better explanation for the mood change in Moon. It was only after Moon could accept the newfound friendship between Sun and Weston that Sun thought they could begin to mend their lost bond. When Sun felt the all so familiar hand of Moon resting on his shoulder he felt a spark from within. Was Moon finally coming to apologize and fix things? After so many days and nights of no talking was Moon going to open back up and put his negative feelings behind him? Sun turned expectantly to Moon, hope fluttering through his wires. 

Tonight was going to change things, they both thought.

“Moon!” Sun happily shouted upon making eye contact. “Are you here to apologize?”

Moon paused at this, confusion wracking through his stiff frame. “Apologize?” The whole speech he had worked so hard to come up with was thrown out the window at this. Apologize? Why would he apologize…?

“N-no, what are you talking about? I came to get you back with the kids. They miss you, Sun, and-“ Moon was interrupted by an upset Sun who pushed Moon’s hand from his shoulder.

“Moon, you can’t keep being jealous of Weston and me! We are friends and no matter what you say he is a good guy! He cares about me and he listens to me. He said you were going to try and do something to get me back to take care of the kids while you sit and do nothing, but I won’t let you use me! I can’t go back to doing everything!” Sun half-shouted, his voice cracking the longer he spoke. 

“No! I am not trying to get you to do everything, Sun. I am trying to get you back to the kids and back to me. They miss you so much and some of them are even crying because they think you don’t love them anymore. Please just… come back. I miss you, Sun.”

“I-“ Sun couldn’t think. The children… thought he didn’t love them? But he loved them so much… how could this happen? Did he spend too long away from them? But that couldn’t be it, Weston said everything was all right and they would understand. He said that taking breaks and spending some time okay was good. Was Moon lying then? Trying to play with Sun’s heartstrings to get him back? Or maybe Sun was actually the one neglecting the kids rather than taking a break.

 Sun stood there shocked, allowing Moon to continue.

“Look, Sun, I get it that you like Weston. A lot of people do. And while he isn’t… the best… if what it takes for you to come back is to stay friends with him then so be it. I am not trying to dump the kids on you, heck, I realized I love playing with them! But this can't keep going on. Please?” Moon pleaded, this time his voice cracking. 

“But-“

“Hey, Sun! I am back! I forgot my…” Weston burst through the doors, only to pause mid sentence when he saw the two attendants standing next to each other. 

“Uhm, what’s going on here?” 

Moon was startled upon Weston’s sudden entrance, he wasn’t supposed to come back. He wasn’t meant to be here. He shouldn’t be here. As horrified as Moon was at the sudden appearance, he knew it was no coincidence. 

Contrary to Moon, Sun was excited to see his friend but that excitement quickly faded as he was reminded of the prior conversation. 

“I said, what is going on here.” Weston repeated, this time more as a statement than a question. Yet when he was met with more shocked silence he merely put his hands on his hips like a scolding parent and looked at Sun. 

“Sun?” Weston lifted a brow at the closer attendant as he shifted from foot to foot. 

“W-well we are just talking…” Sun trailed off, not sure if he wanted to continue. He trusted Weston more than anything, but right now, he was so lost. 

“About?” Weston asked sternly only to be replied to be an angry Moon. 

“Listen, Weston, what we talk about is no concern to you. Got it? And while you’re here, listen and listen to me good. Sun is going to start playing with the kids alongside me and there is nothing you can do to stop it.” Moon snarled as he stomped over to the guard till he was standing above him. 

Moon didn’t know where he suddenly got the courage from but something inside of him finally snapped. He has been avoiding giving the emotion a name till now, but he now knew what he felt towards Weston. He hated, no, loathed the man and while he said he would tolerate him if it meant Sun came back he knew he wouldn’t. 

“W-well, I- uhm, we didn’t-“ Sun stuttered, trying come up with something to avoid the two from being upset but ultimately failing. 

However, instead of the anger the animatronics awaited, there was a loud spine shivering laugh that burst from Weston’s mouth.

Sun and Moon looked at each-other confused with a single question almost telepathically shared through the two. Was this funny to him? 

“Ahah, let me get this right.” Weston said between laughs, a hand resting on his stomach while the other rested on his hip. “You are forcing Sun to work again and there is nothing I can do about it?” He released a now humorless laugh. 

“What? No, I’m not forcing him to do anything! He wants to come back and the kids miss him!” Moon sputtered.

“Well, I didn’t hear him say he was coming back. And, don’t take this the wrong way, but from my perspective it’s looking like you are overreacting to something a little kid probably said and as a result you are forcing dear Sun here back to work. Not only that, but you are doing it because you are, hm, jealous? Isn’t that right?” The guard smirked at Moon, not once looking at Sun. 

“I. Am. Not. Jealous. I am just looking out for my brother. Oh and yeah, there is nothing you can do cause you are the problem here.”

“Oh Moon, I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t understand everything, but maybe if you did you wouldn’t be saying this all.” Weston shook his head and walked over to his desk so he could lean on it’s side. “Sun isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and even if he was, it isn’t your choice to make.” 

“It isn’t your choice either! And what do you mean I don’t understand? I understand plenty!” Moon retorted and crossed his arms.

As the two continued to argue Sun couldn’t help but stand to the side and watch in fear. As much as he wanted to step in and stop the two, he was scared they would aim their anger towards him. Sure they may have been fighting about what is best for him, but when people are upset there is no telling what they will do. 

It wasn’t until a few more minutes of fighting that Sun was drawing near the edge. Having his close friend and his brother fight over him wasn’t something he ever wanted, and enough was enough. What started out as quiet pleas to stop turned into a loud shout.

“STOP!” 

Both Weston and Moon froze, having never heard the animatronic yell with anything other than joy. They both turned to face Sun, whose hands were balled into fists at his side. 

“Look! I am going to do what I think is right, not what you guys think is right! So no matter how much you fight my choice won’t change! So stop, please. I don’t want you guys fighting.” 

Another pause. 

Neither Moon nor Weston said anything, but their question to Sun was clear. 

What are you going to do? 

“With that being said…” Sun faked a deep breath to quiet his fast spinning fans. “I am going to go back tomorrow. I don’t want the kids sad because of me and I miss them too. It was nice to take a break but everyone has to go back eventually.” 

At the choice Moon untensed and went to hug his brother. “It’s good to have you back, brother.” He muttered as Sun wrapped his arms around Moon. 

“It’s good to be back.” He replied, looking over to a fuming Weston who now stood straight. Untangling from the hug and making his way over, Sun began to console his friend. 

“I hope this doesn’t change anything between us, I still want to be friends and hang out but the kids need to come first. What do you say?” Sun asked softly. 

However, as soft and kind as Sun’s words were, Weston didn’t reply. He merely huffed angrily and stormed out of the daycare, not grabbing what he claimed to have left. 

Now with the guard gone, Sun and Moon stood quietly. Even with Sun agreeing to come back, things weren’t magically better. The two still haven’t spoken properly in weeks so it’d only make sense for thing to start slow. 

Sun slowly turned away from the slammed door and looked at Moon, whose arms were limp at his sides. The animatronic appeared to be in a mix of joy, exhaustion, and apprehension at the events, but even so, when seeing Sun’s attention he shuffled to Sun and hugged him once again. 

Moon was never one for hugs (or any sort of physical contact really) so when getting the second hug of the night, Sun was shocked. The hug was deep and longing with the two becoming locking in a deep embrace for what felt like hours but was most likely minutes. Once they pulled away Sun could have swore he saw Moon’s face soften, but he knew such a thing was impossible, yet if it was, it would have melted his heart further. 

“Sun… I’m sorry about all the fighting, I just,” he took a sharp breath, “hate that guy so much. He gives me so many bad feelings and just naturally makes me feel angry. I’m happy though… you won’t regret it, I promise.” Moon stated in an uncommon voice of weakness. Sun could feel that his brother meant it and he knew he wouldn’t regret his choice either, but he was still stuck on Weston.

He was Sun’s first real human friend and the first real bond he made himself (a bond that wasn’t forced or anything of the sort). And even though he wasn’t sure what he did wrong and why Weston reacted the way he did, he felt it was his fault and that it would later come back to bite him. As much as friends they are, humans are strange and unpredictable creatures, especially when emotions are involved. 

Placing a hand on Moon’s shoulder, Sun tilted his head in knowing and spun his rays happily. “I know, Moony. You wouldn’t hurt me if you could help it. You’re not that kind of animatronic.”

“Thank you, Sun.” Moon softly said but quickly paused as he recalled a certain promise. “I do have a favor to ask you Sun…” Moon twiddled his thumbs as he thought how to ask Sun about the puppet show. Even thought he practiced how to bring him back, he didn’t think he would be as successful as he was and certainly didn’t think of what comes next. 

“What is it, Moony? Is something wrong?” Sun asked, worry ebbing into his voice.

“Oh no no, nothing is wrong, but you see, there is this one kid… his name is Samuel, and he had really grown on me these past few weeks. He really is a great kid, I hope you can meet him, but that’s besides the point. I promised him that when you come back you would do a special puppet show for him to cheer him up. Do you think you can do one tomorrow? Please?” Moon asked, looking Sun in the eye.

“Oh my oh my! Of course! I would love to! It has been quite a while since I’ve last done one! Oh my, this will be fun! I cannot wait!” Sun jeered as clapped his hands and jumped up and down. “Samuel must be a lovely kid, I cannot wait to meet him!” 

“You’ll love him! He is kind of a leader to the other kids. Whenever things are wrong or something bad happens the kids always go to him and he helps them with a smile! It was actually because of him that the other kids took so well to me. Without him I don’t know how things would be today.” It was now Moon’s turn to clasp his hands in joy as he spoke. 

“Oh my! What a lovely kid! You must tell me more about him and how the past weeks have been!” 

And with that, Sun and Moon spent the rest of the night talking. Moon telling recent adventures and Sun jumping in excitement as he listened and asked questions of his own. It was almost as if things were normal, however, every time there was silence the two couldn’t help but feel increasingly uncomfortable. It was almost as if they spoke as much as they did because they feared losing touch again. Either way, may it be out of unease or a rekindled friendship, they spoke on till the chime of the Pizzaplex’s opening was heard over the loud speakers. 

“Oh golly, it seems we have been at it all night! The children will be in any minute now and when they do come we will handle them together!” Sun exclaimed, taking Moon’s hand as he stood. “Whatever happens we won’t be alone anymore, and don’t think I forgot about the show!” He joked, lightly bumping into Moon.

“Oh I won’t let you forget! Not to mention I need my bell back; my costume looks a bit silly without it!” Moon laughed lightly as he held Sun’s hand. 

“Then let’s do this!!” 

And they waited, hand in hand and buzzing with joy for the kids to come in. 

However, minutes began to pass and no children came down the slide. 

So they waited, and waited. 

Minutes turned to an hour as the two began to falter, their excitement dwindling yet hands never leaving each other.

It was deafeningly silent as they waited since the daycare tunes were somehow shut off a few minutes in. 

A clock could be heard faintly and from outside the doors and shutters they could hear families and employees alike. The two were confused and looked at each other in an attempt to find an answer.

“Did… did we miss some sort of Memo, Moony? The daycare was supposed to be open over an hour ago…” Sun questioned his counterpart, his free hand moving to rub his arm out of nervousness. 

“I don’t think so… we are never closed and if we are we are made aware a few days in advance. Maybe something happened?” Moon responded. 

“Yeah, maybe something weird happened. We should call someone.”

Before either of them could call for help, they heard the shutters open and close, followed by several heavy footsteps. From what Moon could tell there were about 5ish people making a b-line straight for the daycare doors. 

“Sun, I think-“ SLAM

The daycare double doors harshly opened as Weston, an executive, and three technicians walked into the daycare with stern faces.

The first face to catch the two attendant’s eye was Weston’s. While his face was as stern as the others’,there was an underlying cockiness to it that nobody but them could see. But why was he cocky? Weston still wore his uniform from last night, and his hair seemed more messy than usual. So it definitely wasn’t something about himself, that only means it was about them. 

“Sun, Moon, we need you to come with us.” The executive stated as he motioned the technician to grab them. “You are both going to undergo some improvements brought forth by Weston here.”

“Improvements?! What do you mean?!” Moon shouted meanwhile Sun stood shocked as he stared at the approaching techs. 

“If you do not come with us willingly then we will have no choice but to shut you down till we are done.” The executive spoke in a monotone voice so dull that even someone reading off a paper could have been more expressive. 

At this Sun began to move back and pull a defensive Moon back with him. Whatever was happening was not good and calls for them to get out of there as fast as possible. 

As much as Sun pulled Moon back, the moon themed attendant saw nothing but red and was hyper focused on the techs and Weston. He was stuck to his spot and no matter what Sun did he wasn’t going to give. These men meant harm and with finally getting Sun back after weeks, Moon didn’t want to risk losing him again. If he had to die trying, he was going to defend Sun till the ends of the earth. 

“No way we are coming with you!” Moon snarled. 

“Moon stop! You’re going to make it worse-“ Sun pleaded quietly from behind Moon.

“Once again, if you do not cooperate, we will shut you down. You hear?” The executive crossed his arms, his patience thinning. 

“You can try! But we are not going with you. Not a snow ball’s ch- w-what are you doing?! Hey?!” Moon was interrupted by the executive’s nod to the techs signaling them to go. Two of said techs rushed forwards to grab moon by the arms and push him down so he laid on his stomach. As they held Moon down with all their force, the third tech put one boot on the back of his face plate and opened the back pannel. His hands began to grip wires inside by the base but before he could pull them Weston called out for him to stop. 

“Wait! I would like to tell something to dear Moon before he goes under!” Weston jogged to where Moon writhed on the ground and kneeled down so that he could talk into his listening box. 

“How is this for doing nothing? Let’s see how you like your new arrangement.” Having muttered those words Weston popped up with a quick devish smirk and hopped away. It wasn’t until he was back at the executive’s side that he told them to continue. 

Within a few seconds of the command several wires were being pulled as Moon’s cries and struggles of protest completely shut off as he laid limp. 

The two techs got off from the lump of metal referred to as “Moon” and turned to face a shaking Sun. Having just watched his brother get brutally shut down left Sun frozen and lost. For all he knows Moon is dead and won’t be restored. They’ll never get to spend another late night chatting or crafting, they’ll never get to crack inside jokes during duty, and they’ll never again get to stare at eachother with that strong brotherly love they held for one another. It was all gone in the blink of an eye. 

The techs looked back at the executive for orders on what to do next and when the well dressed man nodded, did they begin to move in. 

Sun began shuffling back at the oncoming men. If he didn’t run he would end up like Moon, lying motionless and dead on the soft daycare floor, soon to be carried to who knows where and done who know what to. Sun was terrified. His voice box let out chocked out sobs as he began to look around frantically for a way out. 

Even though Sun looked everywhere around him, he missed the vibrant slide that jutted out just below him and backed into it causing him to fall backwards. The moment his back collided with the slide a crack could be heard as his endoskeleton snapped from the force. Sun yelled in surprise at the sound and continued such when he noticed he couldn’t move his lower body. 

The men didn’t stop, their work shoes thudded on the padding like the stomps of soldiers on a battlefield  as they inched closer. 

“No! Stop! Why? Weston? What’s going on?” Sun shouted as the men finally got to him and began to open his panel. 

“Weston?” Sun cranked his head up at a weird angle so he could see his friend clearly. “Please, what’s going on?!”

Weston smiled a bitter sweet smile  and tilted his head. His mouth forming one word that sent Sun into one final frenzy before he was shut down. A word that he repeated in his head a million different ways before the world went black.

Karma

It was bright when Sun next opened his eyes. And when he looked around it appeared that he was laying on the floor of the daycare. The soft padding that once seemed to be their casket was now a bed leading into a new day. Sun was okay, he was okay. And if he was okay, Moon was okay. Moon. The Techs. Weston.

Sun sprung up at the thought of his brother and the man who wormed into their life and was about to stand when a sudden wave of heaviness and dizziness hit him. His arms felt heavier than they ever did and his circuits felt fuzzy. Something was different, but he couldn’t tell what exactly. 

Once he got his bearings Sun stood up and began looking around for Moon. On the floors, in their room, in the play structures, heck he even looked behind the desk, but wherever he went there was no Moon in sight. Surely if Sun was okay Moon was too? Right? Definitely. There was no way Moon wouldn’t be okay! It was Moon he was talking about and if anything would happen to him it would happen to Sun as well! So the fact Sun was safe meant Moon was too! At least, that’s what Sun repeating in his mind over and over till it was more of a chant for it to be true rather than a statement. 

Still, Moon was nowhere Sun could see and no amount of looking was changing that. It wasn’t until the creaking of the doors sounded through the daycare that Sun stopped his searching and snapped his head up. 

Moon! Sun thought happily. It made sense, the reason why Sun was so weirdly placed was because they finished him first and was going to bring in Moon in before putting them somewhere better! Of course! Why didn’t he realize it! 

Sun ran to the door as fast as he can, happy giggles escaping his voice box at the thoughts of seeing his brother. Once a few feet from the door Sun happily called out to Moon but stopped when the door revealed the last person he wanted to see. Weston.

No Moon, just Weston. The relatively muscular frame of the man stood before Sun like a shadow about to pounce. The sight of the man cause Sun to skid to a stop and hold his arms out defensive. 

“Weston! What are you doing here you- you- monster!” He exclaimed as he took a step forwards with balled fists. 

“What did you do to us!? What did you do to Moon!?” Sun screamed angrily as the guard fully stepped into the daycare and closed the door.

Weston sighed and shook his head at Sun’s screaming, only mild annoyance being painted across his shadowed features. 

“Look,” said the man deeply,”You messed with the wrong person, Sun. And because of that you are going to see the full consequences of your actions.”

Sun shook his head furiously and took another step closer. “I didn’t mess with you!! I did nothing wrong!” 

It was at that Weston laughed with a darkness Sun wouldn’t have thought him capable of holding yet when hearing it Sun wasn’t shocked such a sinister sound came from the man before him. 

“Yes you did, Sun. You messed with me when you chose Moon over me. The moment you turned your back on me was the moment that you decided your fate. No, not just yours but Moon’s as well.” 

Sun gave Weston as horrified of a face as he could with a stone face and began to reach for his shoulder so he could grip it as hard as he could. If the animatronic had eyes the would have burned hotter than magma from tears and anger. 

“Moon had NO part in this! Whatever you felt could have been dealt with between US! Not with him! You are a coward, you know that!!” Sun yelled at the top of his voice with an unfathomable amount of venom leaking through his voice.

At the yelling Weston did not so much as flinch but responded by smacking Sun’s hand from his shoulder. 

“I may be a coward, but at least I am not dead.” He dryly laughed with no trace of amusement in his face. 

“What-“ Sun broke from his anger at this. Dead? What does he mean? Who- 

“what…WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?!” Sun yelled again while reaching for the man’s neck.

Weston swiftly dodged the hand and sprinted towards a light switch on the wall. 

“DON’T RUN YOU COWARD! WHERE IS MOON!?” Sun began to run after Weston but before he could reach him, Weston was already resting his hand on the switch. 

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” 

Before Sun could react Weston flipped the switch and the room turned dark. 

The darkness engulfed Sun faster than rushing water and he yelled in surprise when he felt himself changing. It was almost as if his bones were shifting inside him and his rays retracted into his head. Sun was confused and scared, he didn’t understand what was happening and wouldn’t be met with an answer as he instead was met with the emptiness of being shut off. 

Although Sun would shutoff, he could feel himself moving and he could hear muffled sounds. Maybe he wasn’t shut off but rather just sleeping. If he was sleeping then maybe this was all a dream…

Sun awoke again, this time he was leaned on his shared room’s wall with the lights burning overhead. He couldn’t remember anything from when the lights turned off but he didn’t really want to. When looking around the room he saw a small crumpled note next to his hands. When grabbing it he saw the unmistakable swirls of Moon’s handwriting. 

The note was short but seeing it washed relief through Sun’s circuits. If Moon wrote this that meant he was okay. Further looking into the note, Sun began to read it’s contents. 

Hey, Sun. If you are reading this then it means you switched back. I know you’re confused but everything is okay. I don’t know what Weston did, but I think when the lights go out we switch. I miss you. I only just got you back and now- 

A few lines were scribbled out messily but then continued. 

Everything is okay Sun. Everything will be okay. Before you know it things will be back to normal. You aren’t alone, okay? I love you more than you could know. Please take care and watch Samuel for me. 

Love, your one and only, 

Moony. 

Sun clenched the paper and let out a broken sob. What does Moon mean everything will be okay?! Nothing is okay, he is gone! How can Sun keep going on like normal without Moon?! He has never been without Moon and he doesn’t want to start now. 

“Moon!” Sun called out as he raised his face to the sky. “Moon please!! Where are you?! This isn’t funny!” 

Sun pleaded desperately and clawed as his rays. “Moon come on!! I need you! You can’t leave me like this!” 

On wits end he began hitting his head lightly on the wall as he wailed and only when he heard the doors open again did he force himself to shut up. He didn’t want Weston to hear him and didn’t want him to get any satisfaction. 

Instead of the usual thumps of Weston’s boots, there were light smacks of a women’s shoes hitting the cushions. The smacking confused Sun and caused him to look over the edge of his stage. 

Behind the security desk now sat a quiet and soft looking individual who flipped through pages on the desk. They wore the daycare uniform and on top of their head was a hat one size too big. 

Where was Weston? Did Moon do something to him when the lights went out? 

Wanting answers, Sun connecting the acrobatic line to his back and jumped from the ledge so he could lightly land before the desk. Upon landing, the new guard jumped in surprise and looked to Sun. 

“Oh hello Mr.Sun! I am the new guard! They told me that the daycare has been closed for a few days so you may be behind on da know! ya know! I hope to-“ “Where is Weston.” Sun coldly interrupted, not wanting to hear out this stranger. He didn’t care about making friends with the guards anymore, he just wanted answers.

“Weston? Who is… Oh! The previous guard! Well, after you both woke up he was transferred to some manager position and is living the good life up in corporate! That’s sweet of you to wonder!” They chimed ignorantly and stood from their spot to better face Sun. “Anywho! The daycare is opening soon so you better get in place. The kids must have missed you!” 

Sun looked at them confused and furious. “He what?!” He asked with shaking fists. 

“Oh well-“ they started but was cut off by the music starting up and children’s laugher coming down the slide. 

One after another kid after kid began to come down the slide and fill the daycare. Some began playing right away while others spotted Sun and excitingly ran over to him. In a matter of time they began bombarding the attendant with question after question about where he was and what happened. Some even asked about Moon and where he was but to all the questions Sun just froze and lightly shook. He didn’t know what to do. He never had problems with the kids before but now nothing came to him. He didn’t know how to talk to them let alone how to act, so out of fear he pulled on the line still attached to him and shot into the sky and onto the top of a play structure. 

Without a way to follow him, the kids just watched helplessly as Sun shot up and out of reach. Once they saw him completely gone they began to play with the other kids, content to ask again later. Well, all but one kid was content with going back, and with determination, the kid set on to climb up to Sun. 

While on top of the structure Sun attempted to calm his overworked systems. From within he could feel sparks flying and his internal fan kicking into overdrive. He didn’t know what to do, Moon said everything was going to be okay, but right now nothing is okay. Sun had a shred of hope that he could do it alone but he now knows for sure that he can’t. Without his counterpart the world seemed so much larger and so much more difficult to handle. 

Even though Moon was always watching from above, Sun still knew that he was watching. Whatever Sun couldn’t see Moon did and helped him. They were like a double sided coin and faced all troubles back to back. It was true that Moon wasn’t as proactive as Sun would have liked, but he never pushed work onto Sun like Weston made him believe. 

A little late to be realizing that, Sun. The animatronic thought to himself as he brought his legs close to him.

“‘Scuse me, Sunny?” A meek voice called out from under Sun, causing him to snap his head down to see the source. 

Below Sun stood a little boy with messy dark brown hair and watery green eyes. The boy tightly held onto something in his left hand but when he saw Sun looking he quickly moved it behind him. Even though Sun never met him before, based on his bold nature and previously mentioned description, Sun instantly knew who this was. It was Samuel. 

“Oh, hello Samuel. Moon told me about you. He said you are quite the special kid. What is wrong?” Sun couldn’t quite put the usual happy pep into his voice but tried regardless. 

“Sunny, where…” Samuel twisted his fingers nervously.”where is Moony? I need to give him back his bell… I took real good care of it while the daycare was closed and I came here every day to return it! But… he isn’t here…” The boy sniffled as tears threatened to spill. 

Sun looked down at Samuel sadly, not knowing what to say but knowing that what he and Samuel felt were similar. It wasn’t just Sun who lost someone dear to him, but the kids too. 

“Why don’t you come up here and we talk?” Sun asked as he offered a hand for Samuel to take, which he did without hesitation. 

“You see… Moon isn’t going to be here for a long time…” Sun paused to look at Samuel. “There was a bad man who came and took him away from us. I-“ Sun choked back a sob. “I know it’s hard but Moon will be back. We just need to wait for him. Just like how I came back, he will too. I promise.” 

Large thick tears began to stream down Samuel’s face as he looked at Sun. “W-hat do you m-mean? Is Moony d-“ Samuel choked on a sob and clenched the bell in his hand. 

Seeing Samuel distressed, Sun remembered something Moon once did for him when he was first starting out as a daycare attendant and overwhelmed. Laying his large hand on the small boy’s back, Sun began to trace small circles on his back and hum a soft melody that Moon loved. 

As he went on Samuel’s cries began to die down and his breathing deepened. Moon may not have known it, but one thing he could always do better than Sun was calming down kids. 

“Moony used to hum that song when playing with us… I miss him..” Samuel muttered from behind his hands. 

“I miss him too, but he will be back. How about till he comes back you hang onto his bell? Here.” Sun ripped a long strand of fabric from his waist frill (knowing that Fazbear ent. would fix it by the next day) and took the bell from Samuel. Using the hole on top of the bell Sun fashioned a necklace and tied it loosely around Samuel’s neck. “There you go! Now it’ll be easier to carry. And now you’ll have a piece of me to keep you company too.”

Samuel lifted the bell and string and looked at it in wonder. His eyes twinkled and smile grew as he looked from it to Sun and back again. “It’s perfect!! Now I’ll never loose it!” He exclaimed.

From there the boy thanked Sun with a tight hug and a sniffle and then began to make his way back down. It wasn’t a permanent fix, but it was something Sun could do to help in the meantime. If only everything could be fixed by returning a bell. 

After a few moments of sitting alone, Sun felt he gathered himself enough to go back down. This time, with a new found determination to not only take care of the kids, but to find Weston to reverse whatever he did to him and his brother. There was no way he was going to let him get away with what he did. It’s time for Weston to give the devil his due and without a doubt Sun was coming to collect.