7 walked back and forth. She couldn't stand being stuck in the tower. She wanted to get out; leave, and never come back. Her imprisonment, as she'd come to think of it, was killing her.

She glanced across the room to where 1 sat, high upon his throne, regal looking despite the fact he was nodding off; and to 8, ever sharpening his sword. She was sick of waiting; sick of pacing. She wasn't all excited to stick around under the watchful—but tired—eye of 1. She decided the best thing she could do was to go see what 2, 3, 4, and 5 were doing up in the watch tower.

She started heading in the direction of the lift, but as she passed an alcove of books, she heard a small voice.

"7?" it called.

She looked around and saw the small striped figure staring at her through the pages of his hiding place.

"Yes, 6?" she softened her agitated face into a smile.

"I-I...could you come h-here? I-I drew you a p-picture."

7 raised an eyebrow, but continued smiling. This was a bit unusual for him, but, then again, 6 didn't exactly have a 'usual'.

He disappeared back into the books, and 7 followed in after him, careful to not step on any drawings or in any puddles of ink.

6 was kneeling in the center of the 'room', piles of drawings all around him. He looked over his shoulder at 7 and said, "Come."

She knelt down next to him, still carefully avoiding his art.

"Here," he pulled from the middle of the pile a medium sized drawing, with 4 figures standing in it. Two of them were nearly identical except for their poses; obviously the twins. A third held a spear much like 7's own, and had what looked like a rope around it's waist; obviously herself. She didn't recognize the fourth one right away, but she smiled at the picture anyway.

"This is me, isn't it?" She pointed to the figure with the spear, and 6 nodded, pleased. "And the twins," she moved her finger to the identical figures. "And, who's this, then?" she pointed to the last figure. "Is it 5?" She smiled a little wider at the thought, because that one was holding hands with her. She thought it cute.

6 gave her a slightly confused look, and shook his head. "I-it's the next one." he said, simply.

Her smile faded a bit. "The next one," she thought numerically, and her smile returned a little. "You mean you?"

He tilted his head to the side. "No. The next one."

It was her turn to look confused. "8?" but she knew that was wrong as soon as she said it.

"No," he repeated, rummaging around the papers until he came out with the right one. He held it up to her. "The next one."

7 took the drawing from him. It was very messy, and hard to make out. It was the same figure as in the first drawing, that was plain enough to see. It had the same line up it's chest. 7 wondered what the strange line could be; she also wondered what it was holding in its hand. It was much like her spear, but was round on one end; no good for fighting.

The gears turned slowly in her head. "You mean, 6," she began, but had to start again, the idea was so absurd to her, "You mean...there's another one?"

He nodded. "The next one." He lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile.

7 was stunned. She slowly lay that picture down and looked around, slowly, trying to process this information. "W-what are some of these other drawings, 6?" she asked, absently. '

Another one?' she thought. 'Is he making it up? Could there really be a ninth?'

6 smiled and rummaged some more through his papers, pulling out pictures, and handing them each to her. However, they didn't serve to take her mind off things as she'd hoped. If anything, they served to deepen her bewilderment.

The first one was of the beast; the one that hunted them; the one that they did so well hiding from, according to 1. Then there was one of a different beast; sharp and pointy. And it was in the air above tiny figures that seemed to be running from it. Then there was a page full of monsters. There was one with lots of legs, and one that hovered in the air like a balloon; and across the whole bottom of the page and extending up the right side was one with a long, thin body, and a big wide head. It, too, had lots of arms, but they were small and sharp, like needles. She didn't know why, but this one gave 7 the chills.

"6, what...?" but she didn't get to finish her question as he handed her a fourth page; it stopped her cold.

In it was the scariest monster yet; although she couldn't figure out why it frightened her so. It was huge and round, but at the same time sharp, and fierce.

6 practically threw four more pages at her, he was so excited and pleased with himself. The first one she looked at was of the same, huge black beast, holding someone—was it 8?--and seemingly sucking something out of him; something 8-shaped.

7 knit her eyebrows together, and flipped back to the first picture of this beast. It, too, was holding a figure which she hadn't noticed before, and sucking something from it. Only, this shape looked more like 1. She dropped this and looked to the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Each of them depicted the same beast, each holding a different figure. First 5, then 2, and then...

"6?" she asked slowly, "What is this?"

He looked up from his searching to the picture she was holding out. he tilted his head and raised his right shoulder in a shrug, before returning to his search.

She shook the paper at him, suddenly frantic. "You're drawing them dead? They're going to die and be gone!?" She wasn't sure how she knew this, but by the look of the pictures, it seemed evident. She hoped beyond hope he would say it wasn't true.

6 looked at her funny, holding another paper which he set on the ground before her. It was of two human men, and nine little rag dolls. 6 pointed to the first man; the one with the dark hair.

"Dead." he said. "G-gone." His voice shook, but he moved his finger to the next man; the one with lighter hair. "Dead." he repeated. "Still here." He pointed to the rag dolls. "Dead." he said a third time. "Not gone; released." With the last word, he drew his fingers over the rest of the drawing, indicating everyone. He looked up and grinned wide at her.

7 knitted her brown harder, and reviewed the last 5 drawings. "What about me? What about 3 and 4?" She asked, concern flooding her face.

"Y-you?" He said, once again tilting his head to the side. "You live."

Her body ran cold. She was speechless.

Something caught her eye: the original drawing he'd given her. She picked it back up, adding it to the stack of art she was already holding, pondering it. 6 started to rock back and forth.

"So, this next one," she began, slowly, "Where does he fit in?" She looked hard at the new figure she'd never seen before.

"Th-the source," 6 said, shaking his head a little as he rocked.

"Pardon?" 7 asked, confused.

"The s-source," he said a little louder; a little more frantic.

"6?" she asked, carefully touching him on the arm.

He was on his feet in a flash, still rocking his body back and forth. He stared wide-eyed into space and started shouting. "Back! Go back! Don't! D-don't destroy it, you'll lose--STOP! GO B-BACK!!"
"6!" 7 was on her feet, too. She gawked at him, not knowing what to do.

"The source! The SOURCE!" he started flailing his arms, bashing into things. He stumbled backwards, away from her, and nearly knocked over an open bottle of ink. He grabbed some drawings he'd pinned on the wall and ripped at them.

7 dropped the papers she was holding, and threw her arms around him, afraid he would hurt himself. "6! It's alright, 6! Ssh! Ssh!" She tried desperately to calm him, but he just kept rocking and screaming.

"He'll show you the source! Just go back! Go back before--" he suddenly froze.

7 was terrified. She still had him in a bear hug, but had silenced her soothing words when he'd frozen. Now she stared at him, wide-eyed, as best she could from her position.

"...too late." he whispered, and practically collapsed backwards into 7's embrace.

7 was in shock; she didn't know what to do. It was all she could do to stay upright and keep them both from falling.

It was then she noticed 1 and 8 staring in at them. They both wore looks of utter shock, identical to her own.

"...S-Six?" She finally asked, extremely cautious.

He looked over his shoulder and up at her, suddenly all smiles.

"I-I have a picture for you," he said, and launched himself forward from her arms onto the ground, practically pouncing on the drawing, which he handed to her.

All 7 could do was gape at him, unable to fully grasp what what had just happened.

"6, are you okay?" she reached her hand out to him, but didn't dare touch him. He didn't seem to hear the question, so she just stood her ground, barely grasping the picture.

As she started at him, 1 bent down, picked up a drawing that had fallen at his feet. It was the picture of the first beast; the one that hunted them.

"That one's for you." 6 tilted his head, looking up at 1, and raised the corner of his mouth in a smile.

~end~