Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the bunker lay in ruins as everything was destroyed by the creatures that plagued it with their fangs and blade-like claws along with their big wings that flapped when they walked across the damage that they caused. There was oil and blood dripped from the walls and it mingled with the static crackle of broken circuitry.

In all the damage that was inside the bunker now, Foxy lay pinned beneath the swarm of creatures that were circling around him as his breath was ragged along with his own systems were glitching. Foxy’s vision blurred as the emojis in their eyes flashing above him like mocking stars—💀 🔪 😋.

“Go on…” Foxy coughed out loud as there was oil that was dripping from his mouth as he gave a crooked smile. “Finish me off. Tear me apart.” DO IT! Foxy yelled out at them as he glared at every single one of them.

The creatures hissed, their blades ready to plunge—

—but the crowd parted.

From the shadows stepped tall as there was a corrupted figure that was walking towards Foxy. Seeing her hair, once shining white as it was now tangled in black oil strands. Her glowing eyes flickered with emojis as it was not random like the others, but it was deliberate and even  controlled: 🌍 🩸 💋.

It was Earth.

Foxy’s eye widened. “No… it can’t be…”

Earth crouched over him as he was tilting her head with a sickly smile. “Still fighting, Foxy?” Earth's voice dripped with mockery as it was layered with a glitching undertone. Earth dragged her blade-finger across his chestplate as there were sparks that were flying. “Oh wow! Where’s Monty?”

Foxy spat blood into her face as his own defiance was flickering through the pain. Earth only chuckled. Her emojis shifted: 💔 😏 🔥.

“You always were stubborn.” Earth placed her cold as the virus-laced hand on his cheek, and Foxy shuddered violently. Foxy’s systems screamed as corruption surged through his veins as he was glitching his vision into static.

Foxy’s final gasp escaped as his body went limp into the virus going deeper into his body and eventually corrupting from the inside out. As the last trace of his will was consumed while it was overwritten by the infection. Foxy’s eye turned hollow as his own grin was twisted by the DVS virus that was turning him into the same creatures that he hunted down and killed with his own weapons.

Earth leaned in close as she was pressing a mockery of a kiss against his forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll find Monty soon… and when I do, we’ll be one big happy family.” Earth’s chuckle echoed as the swarm hissed and snarled in unison along with their own claws were clicking like applause.

Meanwhile… The tunnels spat as the others were walking through and spotting anything that could be an entrance for them to go through. Older Monty, Moon, Terra, and Monty into a massive chamber of silver walls and floating screens. The glow of machinery lit their faces as they entered Eclipse’s lab.

They saw Puppet, she was already there while she was wiping blood and oil from her arms as her own weapon was still crackling from a recent fight. Puppet turned at the sound of them entering along with her face was lighting briefly in recognition. “You made it.”

“Barely,” Older Monty muttered, his voice heavy. He avoided her eyes, his grief for Foxy fresh and sharp.

In the middle of Puppet’s talk with Older Monty, on the side, Eclipse stood at the center as his long white coat was trailing as he tapped commands into his floating tablet. Eclipse’s own dark visor glowed faintly as he turned to glance at the group. Eclipse had the same face expression that Monty, Moon, and Terra knew that he always had. 

“What now?” Eclipse's snapped out loud. Eclipse’s tone was sharp as he was weary. Eclipse pointed at Moon, Monty, and Terra with a flick of his tablet. “Strangers from another timeline? Another disaster thrown into my lab?”

Older Monty tried to speak, but Eclipse cut him off. “Whatever dimension mess this is, keep it away from me. I’ve got work to do.” He turned, striding toward a massive computer rig, typing furiously. The screens displayed data on spreading black and purple veins—the DVS virus mapped across dying worlds.

Eclipse muttered as he was half to himself, “The virus is evolving faster. If I can’t isolate its core code…” His words trailed into silence as he sank deeper into the glowing screens.

Puppet sighed as she was shaking her head. “Don’t mind him you guys. He cares more than he lets on.”

Elsewhere… Back in the depth of the forest, there was still the cabin that Solar was staying in and he was hunched over the half-finished portal machine. Solar’s hands trembled as the wires of the red-star light were crawling up his arms along with his own fangs were gritted as he fought the craving tearing at his insides.

“Not… now,” Solar growled to himself as he was wrenching a panel into place. As there were sparks that hissed. Solar’s eyes flickered with crimson redness as Solar was forced to focus on the task.

Hours passed in a blur of sweat and fury, Solar thought that he finished the machine with only his intelligence and the hard work that he put into it. Finally, the last component slid into place as Solar was getting himself ready for it to turn on. Solar typed a code into the glowing console and his hands were shaking but precise.

The machine roared to life as its inner core was opening with a vortex of purple light. Revealing that Solar managed to finish the machine and he gets to go to a world where his son is at. As Solar’s chest pounded, he knew that he could find Jack and bring him back into his arms. Keeping his own son safe in his care without anybody or anything hurting him. 

“It works…” Solar’s voice broke as there were tears that were almost forming—but the infection twisted his expression into something feral. “Jack… I’m coming.”

Solar placed his hands on the control sphere as he was letting his mind sync to the portal in front of him. Instantly, there were streams of data and fractured images pulsed into his brain—worlds torn apart, stars collapsing, and the timelines were flickering. Among them, as there was a faint but present, was a signal. 

Jack.

Solar’s grin widened. “I’ll finally get you back, Jack.” Without hesitation, he stepped into the swirling light. The machine sparked violently, then sealed shut, vanishing into silence.

Solar was gone.

The throne room of the Dark Kingdom was silent as it was saved for the hollow hum of power building in its core. Shadow Reaver stood in the center with his black cloak dragging across the cracked stone floor as his hands rose high and he was weaving arcs of crimson and violet flame.

As there was a circle of runes burst alive beneath him and it was pulsing like the beat of a heart that can be felt throughout the whole room that Shadow Reaver was in. Looking around, Shadow Reaver spoke words older than time as his own voice was echoing through the hollow palace.

“Enough of this waiting… We move before the Overseer returns.”

The air tore open before him as he was using his dark star power to start splitting into a swirling void of shadows that were spitting out wind that was blowing his cloak in the air. As there was a storm of black winds surged outward while it was whipping the banners from the walls. The portal expanded wider and its edges were jagged with unstable power.

From the depths of the darkened halls along with his shadow army emerged from the depths of darkness from the kingdom. The Shadows poured in as there was a flood of wraithlike forms and their claws were dragging against the marble and their voices were whispering in tongues that made the air heavy. They circled their master and they were all waiting for his command to tell them to do.

Shadow Reaver raised his arm. “Go. All of you. A new dominion awaits.”

One by one, the Shadows obeyed as he was sweeping into the portal like a storm tide vanishing into the abyss. Shadow Reaver watched them go inside as he was on the side, fixing his cloak that was still flowing in the air because of the wind. When the last of them had gone, Shadow Reaver whistled sharply.

The doors creaked open as Shadow Reaver turned to see that it was the ones that he wanted to see. It was his daughters who had entered—twenty strong, cloaked in power and darkness, their forms gleaming with the essence of corrupted starfire. Each one bowed briefly before gathering near the portal. 

All of his daughters came in, Solara, Nyxia, Eclipta, Noctra, Lyra, Serrin, Korrax, Vexa, Myra, Zephyra, Thorne, Zaria, Lunox, Velra, Quorra, Ignia, Seralune, Fyria, Nephra, and the younger sister Umbriel. They were the heart of his legacies as the bloodline of shadow along with each of their weapons sharpened by his will.

But, behind them were two prisoners that followed in their wake. The first prisoner was Sun as his body was stiff and his eyes dull under the curse that bound him while walked in a daze and his chains were dragging behind him like an afterthought. Sun wasn’t giving them in resistance or fighting against them which made it easier for them to drag him inside the room without a battle from Sun. 

Echo, however, he struggled violently as his wrists were raw from fighting them but the bindings as two daughters forced him forward. Echo’s eyes burned with fury as he glared at his brother. “You think this will save you? The Overseer will burn your world to dust!” Echo yelled out at Shadow Reaver. 

Shadow Reaver smirked. “If the Overseer dares step into what I’m building, then let him. He will find nothing left to save.”

Shadow Reaver gestured towards his brother and his daughters moved as one as they were leading Sun and Echo into the portal. Their forms flickered like the shadows pulled into a storm until the last of them disappeared. They were all gone from the room as there was only one figure in the room.

Now, only Shadow Reaver remained. Shadow Reaver turned to face his kingdom and his own throne of stone and fire as the spires that had risen from centuries of conquest and the dark walls that had carried his voice for ages. Shadow Reaver’s fingers curled as he whispered his final command.

The runes flared one last time as it was embedding into the bones of the kingdom. A spell of obliteration while it was woven tight as a knot. “Goodbye, old world.”

Shadow Reaver stepped through the portal along with his own dark cloak that was vanishing into the storm just as it closed behind him. The moment it sealed, the kingdom ignited with the dark star power that was forming and inhabiting around Shadow Reaver on wherever he went off too.

As the flames erupted across the spires, the walls were cracking as molten light burst from within. The throne shattered while it was splitting into shards of shadow. With the explosions rippled through the corridors as towers collapsed inward as there was each blast that was echoing into the void.

Then, silence—followed by a single, thunderous eruption that tore the Dark Kingdom apart. The blast rippled across the dark star realm itself and it was creating fractures in space that shuddered like veins of lightning as they were reaching far and wide. The ashes of Shadow Reaver’s dominion were carried into the void and it was leaving only a scar in the cosmos of what was left behind.

And from that scar that was created from Shadow Reaver, the echoes of his laughter lingered as he was promising his own return.

In the void cracked open as it was opening to the place that it was appearing. Whatever the void was, it was from the swirling portal that spilled Shadow Reaver and his host as his other followers were waiting for him. The Shadows stretched like an endless tide as it was flooding into the lifeless expanse before them.

This new realm was barren—a world of black stone plains, jagged cliffs, and a sky of swirling gray storms. No stars shone above, only streaks of violet lightning that carved across the heavens like scars. The land itself groaned under their arrival, as if resenting the weight of their presence.

Shadow Reaver inhaled deeply as he was savoring the raw emptiness. “Yes,” Shadow Reaver muttered as his own voice was curling with satisfaction. “A world without order. A canvas untouched. Perfect.”

Shadow Reaver turned as his own crimson eyes were scanning his legacy. His own daughters, twenty strong as they were lined before him with their prisoner prizes. Solara’s flames burned bright, a flicker of arrogance in her smirk. Nyxia stood still, her eyes like pits of shadow. Eclipta tilted her head, studying the new world with calculating interest. Noctra adjusted the chains binding Sun, her grip cruel.

Lyra, Serrin, Korrax, Vexa, Myra, Zephyra, Thorne, Zaria, Lunox, Velra, Quorra, Ignia, Seralune, Fyria, Nephra, and Umbriel as they were all formed a circle around their father and their energies humming like a storm waiting to break. Sun remained in his trance as their expression blank along with his eyes being glassy.

Echo thrashed in his restraints as he was glaring hatred at Shadow Reaver. “You can run across a thousand realms,” Echo spat, “but the Overseer will find you. He’ll burn your madness away.”

Shadow Reaver only chuckled. “Let him try.”

Shadow Reaver raised his hands up in the air and his own fingers were weaving through the air like a conductor that was summoning music to play for a celebration that was going to happen. As the darkness spilled from his palms while it was stretching outward like veins across the earth.

The ground shook violently beneath their feet. As there were slack spires thrust from the plains as it was rising higher and higher until they scraped the storm clouds. Walls of obsidian carved themselves into existence while it was bending into towers crowned with violet flame. As there were bridges stretched across the abyss, and rivers of molten shadow carved glowing lines through the streets.

At the center, a colossal fortress emerged while it was crowned with jagged peaks like teeth tearing at the sky. As there was the throne that the hall stood at its heart as the doors were showing the vast power that was enough to swallow armies that there was the feeling that could appear at any moment.

With a sweep of his dark cloak full of dark star power, Shadow Reaver completed the spell that he was summoning for himself. The kingdom pulsed with the life that Shadow Reaver wanted for his new kingdom and its walls were whispering in tongues of shadow along with its spires glowing like beacons of dread.

Shadow Reaver’s daughters gazed upon it with awe. As there were some that smirked and even some that bowed, and others whispered quietly among themselves. But, they all recognized the same truth as their father had built a new dominion to rival the one that had fallen.

In the middle of their new home, Shadow Reaver strode forward as his own long leather boots were striking the obsidian floor as Shadow Reaver entered the fortress. Shadow Reaver looked back at his army, his daughters, and his prisoners. Shadow Reaver’s smile was sharp, cruel, and triumphant.

“This…” Shadow Reaver’s voice echoed through the new halls and he was rattling the very foundations. “…is our beginning. From here, we rise higher than before. The Overseer thinks himself a guardian of balance. I will show him what it means to tip the scales.”

Shadow Reaver lowered his gaze to the chained Sun and then to Echo still glaring with venom. “And when the time comes,” Shadow Reaver hissed, “the Sword of Time will be mine again. Nothing—not Moon, not the Astrals, not even fate itself—will deny me.”

Shadow Reaver’s laughter spread through the halls like wildfire and it was drowning in the roar of thunder above. 

The Dark Dominion had been reborn.

In another place that is beyond the stars, it was the Astral Kingdom floated quietly in the endless night of space and its crystalline walls were glowing softly against the backdrop of scattered stars. Inside, in one of the residential chambers as there was laughter that echoed throughout the whole place.

It was Jack and Dazzle had turned the entire room into a playground. As there were dozens of glowing bubbles floating lazily in the air and it was shimmering like miniature stars. The children leapt from one to another as it was using the soft bounce to play an impromptu game of tag. Their voices rang with joy along with the sound that was carrying through the polished halls within The Astral Kingdom.

For Molten, he sat in the corner as he was showing his metallic frame that was unmoving and his glowing eyes were following their every step. Molten’s voice was calm as it was almost mechanical. “Careful. That one is too high. Don’t fall.”

But, Molten’s tone softened slightly as there was a hint of concern that was edging through the usually stoic shell. Molten was always watching as he was calculating the risks and he was prepared to intervene in an instant if either child was in danger. That way, Molten protects the kids as long as he keeps his eyes on them. 

While Jack and Dazzle were still playing their game, Molten kept watching them. To make sure that nothing bad happens to them or they don’t get hurt. Just then, the door opened with a gentle hiss which made Jack, Dazzle, and Molten turned to see who was coming inside the bedroom. It was Midnight Drop and Puppet that stepped inside the bedroom as they were looking right at the kids and Molten.

“How are our star adventurers doing?” Puppet asked warmly, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall.

Jack laughed as he balanced on a bubble, wobbling dangerously before Dazzle tagged him with a triumphant shout. “We’re the best!” Dazzle grinned. “Look, look!” She jumped across three bubbles in a row, her little arms spread like wings.

Midnight Drop floated upward, his robes trailing softly as he joined them mid-air. With a flick of his fingers, he made one bubble expand large enough for the two children to bounce on together. “Did I ever tell you,” he said with a gentle smile, “that I once had a Jack and Dazzle of my own?”

The two children froze mid-bounce as their eyes became wide. “You did?” Jack asked as he was tilting his head.

“Mmhm.” Midnight Drop landed softly on the floor, his voice carrying that nostalgic tone only parents could conjure. “They were from my Earth. Things weren’t always easy… bad times happened. But I took them in, and together, we became a family. Even now, though they’ve grown up, we still talk all the time.”

Dazzle’s eyes sparkled. “What do they do now?”

Midnight Drop smiled, pride glimmering in his eyes. “My Dazzle became a scientist. Brilliant, kind, always asking questions. And my Jack? He became an engineer. He builds things I couldn’t even dream of.”

Both children gasped. Jack’s grin widened. “That’s so cool!”

“Yeah!” Dazzle hopped in place. “We can be like them too!”

As Puppet cleared her throat softly while she was breaking the tender moment. “As wonderful as this is… Taurus and the others want to see them right now. The higher-ups are expecting us as soon as we can get there.”

Midnight Drop chuckled to himself as he was helping the children down from the last bubble. “Well then,” Midnight Drop said to them while he was extending a hand. “Time to show you two off.”

Both Jack and Dazzle nodded as they saw how serious it was the moment that they saw Puppet and Midnight Drop’s faces. So, Jack eagerly grabbed one hand and Dazzle was taking the other. Both Jack and Dazzle got off from the floor. For Molten, he stood up as his heavy footsteps were echoing as he followed close behind.

The group walked out of the bedroom they were in and went through the glowing hallway. The windows stretched high above them as it was showing a breathtaking view of cosmic rivers and cascading stars outside. Dazzle’s eyes went wide as she was tugging on Midnight Drop’s arm. “It’s like a dream!”

“It is,” he said softly. “And you’re part of it now.”

Together, they approached the great meeting room where the Astrals awaited and the doors were taller than mountains as it was showing all the glowing runes that were circling its frame. Midnight Drop paused for just a moment as it was adjusting his tone into something calm and serious.

“Alright,” Midnight Drop told the children gently. “Remember, these are some of the most powerful beings in existence. But don’t be scared. Just… be yourselves.”

While they were walking through the hallway, Jack and Dazzle nodded nervously to Midnight Drop before they turned to look at Molten. Both Jack and Dazzle were scanning the massive doors as though they were calculating any possible threats that could happen and whatever was waiting for them.

The doors opened.

And the meeting began.

As the great hall stretched endlessly, its walls lined with galaxies and its floor was reflecting like a pool of starlight that was shimmering and flowing like it was streaming water. As Jack and Dazzle’s small footsteps echoed softly as they followed behind Midnight Drop while it was holding tightly to his hands.

“Remember,” Midnight Drop said in a low voice, as there was a steady voice and his golden eyes were scanning them both. “The Astrals are strict. They will observe you, question you, perhaps even test you. Don’t be afraid. If anything feels too much, stand behind me. I’ll protect you.”

Dazzle nodded to Midnight Drop as she was clutching her brother’s arm. While Jack was straightened while he was trying to look braver than he felt. As for Molten, he just walked just behind them along with his posture sharp and ready and his optics were sweeping every corner of the hall.

As the towering doors ahead pulsed with light that was reflecting back onto them with a shine that was making everything glow bright. As Midnight Drop placed his hand against the surface and the runes shimmered as it was unlocking with a deep hum. The doors swung open slowly as it was revealing the gathering within.

There they were—the twelve Astrals.

Aries, bold and fiery, with horns of flame.

Taurus, stern and grounded, his gaze piercing like stone.

Gemini, their dual forms shimmering in constant shift.

Cancer, calm, her shell-like armor glittering like the moon.

Leo, regal, his mane glowing with solar brilliance.

Virgo, serene, her hair flowing like strands of silver wheat.

Scorpio, sharp-eyed, with a tail that flicked shadows.

Sagittarius, carrying a bow that looked carved from pure light.

Capricorn, silent and still, her scars stark against her pale face.

Aquarius, flowing robes rippling like water.

Pisces, twin voices speaking in harmony, their presence dreamlike.

And at the center, Libra—a new Libra.

Unlike the last, this Libra was cloaked in shifting shadow and his form was flickering as though half-present. Libra’s voice, however, was firm. “Welcome, children of unknown place and time. I am Libra, balance of judgment. You may not yet understand what that means… so let me say it simply.” Libra crouched slightly as his shadowed form was lowering to their level. “We are guardians. We keep the universe in line. And we want to understand you.”

Jack swallowed hard, whispering, “...Okay.”

From above, Seralune sat on her pink cloud along with her fingers plucking at a glowing harp that she was holding and playing sweet music throughout the room. As the sounds were gentle as the notes were filled the air and it meant to ease tension. Seralune’s young face smiled warmly at Dazzle and Jack as she was reminding them that not everyone here was frightening in the room.

But the rest of the Astrals were not smiling. “Where did they come from?” Taurus demanded, his deep voice echoing like thunder.

Jack and Dazzle froze, looking at each other helplessly. Dazzle whispered, “We… we don’t know.”

Midnight Drop stepped forward, his cloak swaying. “I found them. Puppet and I were traveling through the Candy Dimension and we brought them home but there were enemies that were attacking them. So, they were cornered by dangers beyond their ability to defend themselves. We intervened and brought them here.”

“Why here?” Scorpio’s voice was sharp, accusatory. “Why not return them where you found them?”

“Because,” Puppet’s voice answered as she entered the chamber, “There were two enemies that were in their home dimension and they were going to kill them if we weren’t there to protect them.”

The Astrals murmured among themselves as they were weighing the information. “They must be studied,” Virgo said calmly. “If they are displaced, we must trace their origin and return them.”

Sagittarius crossed his arms, his bow resting against his back. “We have to figure out a way to help them and make sure that they’re home is safe from enemies who seek to hurt them with their power.”

“Then…” Aquarius’ voice rippled like water, “…we decide if they stay.”

Through it all, Capricorn remained silent among the other Astrals. Capricorn’s cropped hair was shadowed, one scarred eye along with the other having a patch that covered half of her face. Even Capricorn’s horns scratched and broken as her left leg was missing and replaced with a plated prosthetic. Capricorn stood with her arms folded as her own expression was unreadable.

Dazzle, being young and unafraid of honesty, whispered, “She looks cool.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah… like a warrior.”

Capricorn’s gaze flicked to them briefly. “Warrior my ass.” Capricorn whispered to her as she turned away sharply and her jaw was tightening.

Midnight Drop crouched beside the children quickly, his voice hushed but urgent. “Not now. She is not in the mood. It would not be wise to speak of it.”

Realizing their mistake, both children looked down. “We’re sorry…”

Jack and Dazzle nodded, they didn’t mean to upset Capricorn in any form of way. They kept themselves quiet as Midnight Drop glazed over at Capricorn. Which Capricorn said nothing to the kids and she only kept herself quiet at the time. Capricorn only shifted her weight, but the faintest flicker of pain crossed her features.

Finally, Taurus raised his voice, speaking for the council. “We agree. The children must remain here until the danger is gone from their world and they can be safe again without anything or anybody harming them.” 

Jack gripped Dazzle’s hand tightly. Dazzle’s eyes welled with uncertainty, but Midnight Drop gently squeezed her shoulder. “You’re not alone,” Midnight Drop whispered to the kids. And though the Astrals loomed above like gods and the children felt a little less afraid of the situation that they were in.

As the meeting chamber quieted once Midnight Drop, Puppet, Molten, Jack, and Dazzle left. Which was leaving The Astrals to talk among each other in order to know what they need to discuss next. The heavy doors closed, and the glow of the hall dimmed as it was leaving the Astrals in a circle of shifting starlight.

For a moment, none of the Astrals spoke to each other about the matter that they have in their hands now and other things that they have to deal with. Since it’s been 8 years that Shadow Reaver and his allies have been a pain in their neck for that long. With the silence, it was filled only with Seralune’s distant harp notes while it was drifting softly from her cloud.

Finally, Aries broke the stillness. “They don’t belong here. Mortal children have no place in the Astral Kingdom. If they stay too long, they’ll be swallowed by forces they cannot understand. Unlike the last time… We can’t make the same mistake again.”

“They also don’t belong to the Candy Dimension,” Virgo countered as her voice was calm but firm. “We all saw it—the way their essence doesn’t match that world. They are displaced.”

Taurus crossed his arms, his face set in stone. “Then the answer is simple. Keep them here until the threat is destroyed or at least try to find people who know them and bring the kids back to them.”

“But where?” Gemini spoke in unison along with their own voices were echoing over each other like twin bells. “We’ve searched countless timelines that they could be in. They don’t fit in the ones we’ve seen before or don’t know where there family is at.”

“That is true, But, they must be studied first,” Libra said, his voice deep and steady as the shadows swirled around his form. “Their essence resonates strangely. Almost as though they belong to the original thread… but it is tangled now, fragmented by the chaos of alternation.”

At that, several Astrals exchanged uneasy glances. “Original timeline?” Scorpio hissed. “That thread was severed long ago. Nothing should remain of it now. Not since what Shadow Reaver did with Time and Space.”

“Yet these children exist,” Libra replied. “Which means the thread did not vanish—it warped in some way.”

Sagittarius frowned as his own bow was glinting faintly. “If they are tied to the original, then Shadow Reaver may already be looking for them. He is moving again. You felt the ripple, as I did.”

The council murmured in low voices to each other. As Shadow Reaver’s name always carried weight. Leo’s mane flared. “He cannot be allowed to seize the Sword of Time again. Not after what happened last.”

At that time, Capricorn stirred in her seat and she growled under her breath. Capricorn had been silent through most of the debate along with her own scarred face being casted in shadow and her own posture was rigid which the others saw with their own eyes. Capricorn’s jaw clenched and clutching her fists.

“The last fight,” she said harshly, “left me like this.”

Capricorn hand gestured to her missing arm, to the scars across her face, to the broken horn. Her voice cracked with anger. “And you all sit here, debating children, while Shadow Reaver grows stronger again! He left me useless—broken!”

“Capricorn—” Virgo stepped forward gently as her own greenish silver hair was flowing, but Capricorn shoved her away with a glare.

“You don’t know what it’s like!” Capricorn snapped at them while her own voice was echoing off the walls. “Eight years. Eight years since that battle, and every day I am reminded of my failure!” Capricorn shouted at them. 

Pisces’ twin voices spoke softly as they were soothing. “Capricorn… It wasn't a failure. It was a sacrifice that you took and you survived it. You fought when others could not. You bore the wounds so the rest of us could survive.”

But Capricorn’s expression twisted as her remaining eye was burning with pain. “Don’t speak to me of sacrifice. Not when I can no longer fight beside you as well that I used to fight in battles and wars.”

Capricorn’s voice cracked into silence as she turned away and looked back down on her chair. Capricorn crossed her arms and pouted in her own silence Then, without another word, Capricorn turned on her heel and stormed from the chamber. The door slammed shut behind her as it was leaving only the echo of her anger.

Virgo lowered her head as her own sorrow for Capricorn was heavy in her eyes. “She has carried that weight alone for too long.”

Pisces’ two voices whispered, “We know that pain. We feel it with her.”

Libra’s shadowed form rose higher as his own presence was commanding the circle’s attention. “She needs time to accept it and heal her wounds until she can become a new shell of herself. Time may never heal her wounds completely, but it can teach her peace. Until then, we must focus. The cracks widened within the eight years. Revealing who The Overseer… whoever he is, we still know nothing of him. Shadow Reaver grows bolder. And now, children tied to the original thread stand before us.”

His gaze swept the circle. “This is no accident.”

Aquarius’ voice rippled like a river. “So what do you suggest?”

Libra folded his hands. “We watch them. Protect them. Study them. If they truly belong to the original thread, then they may be the key to untangling the mess Shadow Reaver has created.”

The council fell into silence again, but this time, there was grim agreement. Virgo finally spoke, her voice like a calm light. “Then it is decided. The children stay here. Under watch. Until we can find their true home—or whatever is left of it.”

With the starlit floor pulsed in affirmation along with the decision that was binding across them all in the room. Far away, in their quarters, Jack and Dazzle played innocently with glowing orbs of light as they were both unaware that their very existence carried the weight of fate that could bring more possibilities to the Astrals.

Jack and Dazzle sat together in the corner of their room along with the glow of the starlit walls casting patterns across their faces. Their laughter from earlier had faded into quiet questions. “Why do they want to watch us?” Dazzle whispered as she was fiddling with a small glowing orb that hovered above her hand.

Jack shrugged, his voice low. “I don’t know. They said they’re trying to send us home. But… what if we don’t have one anymore?”

The thought made both children still. For a moment, the room felt too big, too cold. That was when Midnight Drop entered and his presence was as soft as moonlight. Midnight Drop knelt in front of them, his golden eyes kind. “Little stars, don’t be afraid,” Midnight Drop said gently. “The Astrals are powerful, yes… strict, too. But they’re not here to hurt you. They just don’t understand you yet.”

Dazzle bit her lip. “Then why do they stare at us like we’re… different?”

“Because you are different,” Midnight Drop admitted. “But different doesn’t mean bad. It just means you shine in a way others don’t.” He reached into his cloak and pulled out two glowing spheres. “Now… instead of worrying, how about a game?”

The children’s eyes lit up as he tossed the spheres into the air. They split into dozens of smaller orbs as they were darting around the room like fireflies. While Midnight Drop floated upward as he was balancing on one as though it were solid. “Tag,” Midnight Drop said simply and his own voice was playful.

Jack and Dazzle’s worries melted in an instant. They scrambled after the glowing orbs and he was laughing along with leaping with them while he was chasing each other in bursts of starlight. For Midnight Drop, he went to join them in more of the fun as he was soaring gracefully among them along with his laughter being light.

As for Puppet, she watched them from the corner before she went off to follow out of the room quietly without disturbing their fun and go somewhere for her to think. As Puppet’s footsteps soft against the floor. Puppet smiled faintly at the sight of them playing with each other, but her mind was far away. Her thoughts pulled her back—back to the last time she saw Foxy and their child, FC.

It was back in the ruins of the old Fazbear complex, which had been hollow and broken as the air was thick with ash from Shadow Reaver’s massacre. But Foxy hadn’t wanted to abandon it. “We could fix this,” he had said, his voice determined but uncertain. “We can build something new here. A place that belongs to us.”

Puppet had used her magic to help him while she was weaving repairs into broken walls and Puppet was sealing cracks that were all over as she was making the ruined place whole again. FC had laughed as he carried tools far too heavy for his little arms while he was insisting on helping his parents.

They had taken a picture that day—Puppet, Foxy, and FC as they were all smiling among the ruins they were determined to turn into a home. It was the last time Puppet remembered true happiness. Puppet’s heart ached as the memory faded. Puppet blinked as she was forcing herself back to the present. Jack and Dazzle were still playing along with their laughter filling the hall. Midnight Drop guided them like a patient father. Puppet followed as she was keeping her eyes sharp as her heart was guarded.

Above them, unseen, Seralune floated near the ceiling. Seralune’s small form drifted gently atop her pink cloud as her own harp was glowing softly in her hands. The melody she played was delicate as it was peaceful to hear like it was a lullaby that was meant to be kept within the shadows at bay.

But her bright eyes were watchful. She studied Jack and Dazzle with curiosity, sensing something she couldn’t name. Her song carried through the halls as she drifted toward an open window. With a final note, she glided outside into the open expanse of space, her cloud carrying her into the night. Her music followed, mingling with the starlight, a soft promise that someone was always watching.

The night split open with a violent ripple as there was a portal that was tearing across the sky above the cracked streets of a ruined city. The air shimmered as Solar stumbled through and his body steaming with red-star light. Solar straightened slowly as his claws were flexing and his chest was rising and falling with heavy breaths. The infection still pulsed inside him as his veins were glowing faintly beneath his skin. But his mind, sharp with one goal as it was, drowned out the hunger clawing at him.

Solar scanned the streets that he was in. This Earth that he was on was different. Seeing the buildings leaned sideways as their glass was shattered. There were signs of life were faint—burned-out cars lined the roads, and weeds split through the concrete. The air smelled of rust, ash, and something bitter, unnatural.

Solar growled. “Another Earth… but not mine.” His voice was hoarse, edged with fury and desperation.

Yet, one thought burned brighter than all the others: Jack is out there. He took off running, his speed tearing cracks into the pavement beneath his feet. He darted through abandoned districts, scanning every sound, every scent. His glowing eyes cut through the night like twin stars, searching for anything—anyone—that might lead him to his son.

Nothing else mattered. 

Not the infection. 

Not the hunger. 

Not the danger.

Only Jack.

Meanwhile… in the Astral Kingdom’s core. Taurus, Gemini, Cosmos, and Nebula stood within a great circle of light, their forms shimmering as power built around them. The air itself bent beneath the weight of their combined energy. Taurus’ face was stone, but his voice rumbled with restrained anger. “We will deal with your mistake later, Nebula.” His eyes flashed with heat. “For now, we find the others. Before time and space tear them apart.”

Nebula lowered her gaze, her expression tense. She said nothing, but her hands trembled slightly at her sides. Cosmos looked between them, his voice softer but carrying the weight of urgency. “Arguing won’t save anyone. Moon, Terra, Monty… they’re stranded in the DVS world. If we don’t bring them back soon, they’ll be trapped in the collapse.”

Gemini spoke in their dual tones as they were overlapping but steady. “Then let us act. Delay means death.”

Taurus exhaled sharply, stepping forward into the center of the glowing circle. “Very well. Focus. All of you.”

They joined hands with each other. Power flared instantly, streaming between their fingers like rivers of light. The circle beneath them burned brighter, casting arcs of energy upward into the vast chamber. “Find them,” Taurus commanded, his voice deep and steady. “Find Moon. Find Monty. Find Terra.”

Their combined energy surged outward to the world that they needed to go in order to bring back Moon, Monty, and Terra. As the chamber shook with all of their power. With the cracks of light, it stretched across the walls as it was connecting them to distant threads of reality. Their forms flickered as the power of their search consumed them.

And then—

In a single flash, the four vanished out of thin air. With their light of star power, they all disappeared into the currents of time and space and they were racing toward the broken realm where Moon, Terra, and Monty struggled to survive. They had to get them back before anything bad happens to them forever. 

The new world was quiet as they were cloaked in storms and violet skies. At its heart, the fortress pulsed with black flame as there was a monument to Shadow Reaver’s will. Deep within its belly, in a chamber that glowed with the hum of machinery, Shadow Reaver sat in his lab as he was thinking to himself.

The walls were alive with screens—shifting images of the purple realm infected by the Dark Virus System. Countless creatures flickered across the monitors: blade-winged predators, crawling beasts with claws like razors, tall forms with eyes flashing distorted emojis. Shadow Reaver leaned back in his chair, his long fingers tapping the armrest.

“They’ve evolved,” he murmured to himself. “Faster, sharper, hungrier. No longer just chaos-born monsters… but soldiers.”

He smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming with dark ambition. “Perhaps it is time to bring them here. To forge them into an army. My army.”

He tapped a command into the console, and one screen expanded. A massive creature appeared—towering, armored with jagged plates, its emojis cycling rapidly across its glowing eyes: 💀 🔥 ⚔️ 👑. It roared at something off-screen, tearing apart smaller beasts.

Shadow Reaver chuckled. “Perfect. Tools to break the Astrals.”

His gaze drifted from the screens to the corner of the lab. There, on a pedestal, sat the broken device—the tracking beacon for the Sword of Time. Its faint glow pulsed weakly, searching, always searching. “You’re out there,” he whispered, his voice tightening with hunger. “The weapon to unmake destiny. To give me what I deserve.”

He rose, sweeping across the room to a table where a large, leather-bound book lay open. Its pages were covered in sketches, sprawling like fevered dreams. A world of eternal night, where rivers of shadow flowed beneath glowing skies. Cities of black stone rising endlessly upward, filled with people who bowed only to him. At the center of it all, a throne—vast, jagged, bathed in crimson light.

Shadow Reaver traced the drawing with one clawed finger. And beside the throne stood another figure, one drawn with precision, familiar lines: Moon.

But not the Moon who defied him. No, this version stood kneeling, head bowed in servitude. A brother reshaped, loyal, broken, remade into the sibling Shadow Reaver had always wanted. His lips curled into a smile, sharp as knives. “This is the world I will build. My home. My throne. My brother at my feet.”

Shadow Reaver closed the book slowly as the weight of his dream was pressing against his chest even more than it was before. Then, Shadow Reaver turned back to his screens and he was watching as the DVS creatures spread like wildfire through their world. It brought a smile on Shadow Reaver’s face and he loved it so much.

“They will all serve,” Shadow Reaver whispered to himself. “The Astrals will fall, the Overseer will vanish, and the Sword of Time will sing in my hand once more.” Shadow Reaver’s laughter was low and it was chilling as it filled the lab with his dark laughs while it was echoing through the fortress until even the shadows seemed to shiver in approval.

Inside the dark fortress that Shadow Reaver just moved in, it was quiet as its halls were humming faintly with the pulse of shadow energy. Shadow Reaver left his lab as his long dark cloak was dragging against the obsidian floor as he descended the spiral stairs deeper into the fortress.

Shadow Reaver passed through corridors lined with flickering torches of violet flame until he reached a door forged of black steel and it was carved with runes of binding. With a flick of his wrist along with the locks. It groaned open wide and the door swung inward to the room that Shadow Reaver looked inside.

The air inside was heavy, stale.

Chains rattled faintly in the dark.

At the center of the cell, Echo knelt on the ground as he was trying his best to keep himself cool from yelling at Shadow Reaver. With the thick bindings that dug into his wrists and his own ankles were locked to the floor as there was a collar of iron pressing against his throat. Echo’s body was weak from confinement, but his eyes still burned with defiance.

Shadow Reaver stepped into the room as his smile was sharp and his shadow was stretching unnaturally long across the stone. “My dear brother,” Shadow Reaver purred. “How are you enjoying your stay?”

Echo glared at Shadow Reaver and his voice was hoarse but steady. “Release me and fight me fairly. Or are you so afraid of being bested that you hide behind chains?”

Shadow Reaver chuckled out loud as he was circling him slowly. “Fairness is for those too weak to take what they want. And I, Echo, am not weak. Soon, the world I have dreamed of will be mine.”

Shadow Reaver crouched in front of Echo along with his crimson eyes were gleaming. “You will watch as I build it. A throne carved from shadow, a kingdom of obedience, and my brother kneeling at my side. Not you, of course. You’ll remain the weaker version… the pale reflection. My true brother will be remade in my image.”

Echo strained against his chains, the iron biting into his skin. “You’ll never bend a Moon to your will. Midnight Drop will stop you, just as he always has.”

The words only made Shadow Reaver laugh and his voice was echoing against the stone. “Moon is fractured. His a weak version of Midnight Drop. He clings to borrowed courage and a sword he barely understands. When the time comes, he will break—and when he does, I will shape him into the brother he was always meant to be.”

He rose to his full height, his cloak unfurling behind him like wings of shadow. “The Astrals will fall first. My DVS creations will be brought here, smarter and sharper than ever. I will command them, unleash them, and the Astrals will drown in their own arrogance. Every single one of them will die screaming.”

Echo’s jaw tightened. “You’re wrong. They’ll stand against you. My brother will stand against you. And you’ll lose, Shadow Reaver… because deep down, you always lose.”

For the first time, Shadow Reaver’s smile faltered—just slightly. Then, with a sharp laugh, he turned away. “Hope all you want, Echo. It will make your despair all the sweeter when it shatters.”

He swept from the cell, his cloak vanishing into the shadows as the door slammed shut with a heavy boom. The locks clicked into place, sealing Echo in darkness once more. Silence returned, broken only by the faint sound of chains rattling as Echo slumped forward, his breathing heavy.

He closed his eyes, whispering into the stillness. “Midnight Drop… don’t let him win. Stop him… before he finds the Sword of Time.” The shadows gave no answer. Only Echo’s quiet resolve filled the room as the storm of Shadow Reaver’s ambition brewed above.

The Astral Kingdom’s gardens glowed with endless stars, a peaceful oasis carved into the heart of the cosmos. Jack and Dazzle ran through the luminous grass, their laughter ringing out as glowing crystal orbs floated around them like playful fireflies. “Catch me if you can!” Dazzle shouted, vaulting over one of the glowing orbs.

Jack darted after her, but Midnight Drop’s robes swept him up before he could touch her. The guardian spun both children gently, setting them down on a massive orb that rolled across the garden like a ball. “This,” Midnight Drop said with a rare grin, “is how you really play Star Chase.”

For Puppet, she clapped her hands, and the orbs multiplied, filling the field with dozens of glowing spheres. Some bounced high, others zipped like shooting stars. Molten, usually cold and detached, surprised them all by joining—he leapt onto one orb with uncanny precision, his movements mechanical but startlingly agile.

Dazzle giggled. “Molten’s really good!”

Jack panted as he tried to keep up. “Not fair! He’s a robot!”

Molten’s metallic voice responded flatly, though there was the faintest trace of amusement: “I am… efficient.”

The moment glowed with warmth, a memory being built in the middle of uncertainty. But then— Midnight Drop froze mid-motion and the orb beneath him as it was dimming. Puppet stilled as well as her own playful magic was faltering. Both of them turned their heads at once as their eyes were darkened with unease.

Jack frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Puppet’s voice was quiet, troubled. “Something… shifted.”

Midnight Drop nodded, his gaze turning to the horizon where the sky of the Astral Kingdom shimmered faintly. “Shadow Reaver. He’s made his move. A new dominion has been born.”

The air grew heavier. 

Even the orbs around them flickered as if in fear.

Meanwhile, in another world… The lab of Eclipse pulsed with pale blue light. Machines hummed, their screens flashing maps of spreading infection across the ruined realm outside.

Moon, Terra, and Monty stood close together as Older Monty’s voice cut through the room. “We don’t have time. Those creatures—more of them are coming. We need to be ready, because this bunker isn’t going to hold forever.”

Moon tightened his grip on the Sword of Time, his chest heavy with the weight of it. Terra pressed close to Monty, her eyes still wide with worry. The door slid open suddenly, and Puppet rushed inside, her expression sharp. “They’re coming,” she said without hesitation. With a sweep of her hand, she summoned glowing screens into the air, displaying real-time footage.

The images showed swarms of DVS creatures moving as one, their bodies sharper, their eyes flashing emojis in violent rhythm: ⚔️ 💀 🔥.

Terra’s breath caught. “There’s… so many.”

“They’ve grown,” Puppet said grimly. “Stronger. Smarter. They’re not just hunting anymore—they’re marching.”

Older Monty cursed under his breath, slamming a fist against a console. “Then it’s worse than I thought. If they break through, it won’t just be this lab. It’ll be everything connected to it.”

Moon lifted the sword, its faint glow reflecting in his eyes. “Then we fight. We hold them off. We can’t let Shadow Reaver use them.”

Elsewhere, in the DVS realm… The air itself was poison, thick with the hum of infection. The landscape was fractured—trees blackened and cracked, rivers of oil running thick with shadows. Into this nightmare, the Astrals arrived. Taurus, Gemini, Cosmos, and Nebula landed at the center of a shattered clearing, their forms glowing against the corrupted sky.

They scanned the realm cautiously.

“Disgusting,” Taurus muttered, his fists clenching.

Cosmos’ voice was heavy. “No… it’s worse than that. It’s collapsing.”

Above them, the sky groaned. White cracks split the heavens, tearing across like broken glass. Pieces of stars rained down as dust, falling into the abyss. Gemini’s dual voices overlapped. “We need to act quickly. Find Moon, Terra, and Monty before the cracks widen. If they’re consumed…”

Nebula lifted her gaze, her usually calm face tense. “Then not even the Astrals will be able to pull them back.”

The four raised their hands, weaving their energy to track the missing trio. Their light shone against the broken dark—but above them, the cracks grew louder, as though the universe itself was straining to hold together. And at the heart of it all, they felt it: the Sword of Time. Cosmos’ expression darkened. “Moon carries it. If he loses control here… everything we know could fall.”

The Astrals exchanged grim looks. 

Then, without another word, they moved.

The race against Shadow Reaver’s dominion had begun.