Xylophone Chronicles

Fear’s life in headquarters was anything but quiet. He was always on high alert, always scanning for potential dangers and threats. He was always finding something to be terrified about. It was a full-time job, and even though the others often ridiculed him for it, he knew his role was essential. Without him, who would make sure Riley didn’t walk into traffic or ensure she never went bungee jumping.

Still, even he had to admit he was the jumpiest being in all of headquarters, aside from probably Anxiety.

A while ago, a memory orb had fallen off the shelf and landed on the floor with a completely harmless plonk. Naturally, Fear had reacted the only way he knew how: by letting out a high-pitched yelp and launching himself into Disgust’s arms. To her credit, she caught him effortlessly, though the unimpressed look she gave him spoke volumes.

“You are aware that memory orbs are NOT explosive, right?” she’d said dryly, before unceremoniously dropping him back onto the ground.

Then there was the time several years ago when an earworm had found its way into headquarters. A tiny, harmless, slightly annoying little bug that repeatedly sang that awful Christmas tune that Riley was once addicted to. But to Fear? It was a monster. He had screamed loud enough to shake the walls, frantically clambering onto the console as if the floor itself had turned to lava. It had taken Joy and Anger working together to calm him down, while Sadness stood and watched from the sidelines with a concerned expression.

And then, just yesterday, Fear had managed to go a whole hour without being startled. That had to be a new record. He was cautiously optimistic as he worked at the console, helping to navigate Riley through her day. Everything was going smoothly. Too smoothly. That, in itself, was a cause for concern.

“Hey, Fear!”

“GAAAAAH!”

At the sudden call of his name, Fear shot two feet into the air, his arms flailing wildly before he collapsed onto the floor in a quivering heap. His heart felt like it was trying to escape from his chest. He peeked up from the floor, breathing heavily, only to see Joy standing over him, hands on her hips, biting back a laugh.

“Oops! Sorry about that,” she giggled.

*******

Today, Riley decided to enjoy some ice cream with her best friends, Bree and Grace. The afternoon was warm, the laughter was plentiful, and the ice cream was delicious, maybe a little too delicious. Riley, caught up in the joy of the moment, kept eating scoop after scoop without realising just how cold it was.

Then it hit.

A sharp, icy jolt surged through her forehead, making her wince and clutch her temples. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as Bree and Grace giggled at her misfortune.

Inside headquarters, the effects were immediate. The air dropped several degrees, sending an uncomfortable shiver through the emotions. Fear yelped as frost crept along the floor, and Disgust recoiled as tiny icicles quickly formed on the console. Anger immediately blamed Joy for going overboard with the ice cream, while Sadness wrapped herself in a blanket.

Despite the sudden chill, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the last time Riley had overindulged. That time, all of headquarters had been buried in ice, leaving the emotions frozen solid. Now, it was just a minor freeze, frustrating, but manageable.

Still, someone would have to do something about it before things got worse.

Fear shivered violently, his skinny limbs trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself in a desperate attempt to conserve warmth. His teeth chattered so hard he was afraid they might crack.

“T-T-Too cold!” he stammered, hopping from foot to foot.

Nearby, Disgust let out an irritated groan, pulling Fear into an embrace to share body warmth.

“Ugh, this is so not okay. My eyelashes are gonna freeze to death!” She cut herself off with a dramatic shudder.

Anger scowled, rubbing his arms vigorously.

“This is ridiculous! SOMEBODY needs to tell Riley to slow down with the ice cream!” Steam puffed from his nose as he glared at Joy who was also shivering.

Sadness was on the red couch with her arms wrapped protectively around a shivering Envy. Ennui was trying to reboot her phone which had switched itself off due to the drop in temperature.

“At least… at least it’s not as bad as last time,” Sadness mumbled.

Even Joy, the biggest optimist in the room, was feeling the chill. She clapped her hands together and forced a cheerful smile.

“Don’t worry, gang! It’s not the end of the world or anything. We just need to get the central heating running again, and we’ll be back to normal in no time!”

Fear gulped. He had a bad feeling about where this was going.

Joy clapped her hands together again, looking around at the shivering group.

“So! Who’s comin’ with?”

Disgust and Anger immediately shot their hands up.

“Noes goes!” they declared in unison before turning away, smugly pleased with their quick thinking.

Joy pouted.

“Oh, come on! You guys’ll complain but not offer a helping hand?”

Disgust scoffed.

“Yeah, because venturing through a creepy basement is worse than freezing.”

Anger grumbled.

“I’m already freezing my butt off. No way I’m walking into a place that’s probably even colder.”

Joy sighed and turned to Xy, her ever-supportive girlfriend.

“Xy, sweetheart?” she asked hopefully.

Xy, already wrapped tightly in her oversized winter gear, nervously shook her head.

“S-Sorry, honey, but I gotta keep an eye on the console. If it f-freezes up, it could c-cause even bigger problems, and Riley can’t afford to..”

“Okay, okay, nevermind.” Joy groaned and rubbed her temples before glancing at another potential option.

She turned to face Embarrassment.

“Big fella, what about…” She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Embarrassment was now completely frozen inside a giant ice cube.

His wide eyes shifted from side to side, silently pleading for someone to defrost him.

Joy frowned.

“Well. That option is off the table.”
She rubbed the back of her neck. Envy looked too cold to move and Ennui was already shaking her head at Joy.

A heavy silence filled the room. No one wanted to go.

Fear’s knees knocked together as he looked around nervously. His instincts screamed at him to stay put, to find an excuse, to do anything but go down into that dark, creepy basement. But as he glanced at Joy, shivering yet still determined, something inside him stirred. He gulped hard, squared his shoulders, and shakily raised a trembling hand.

“I-I’ll do it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Joy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Really, Fear?”

He forced a wobbly grin.

“Y-Yeah! I mean, if no one else is gonna do it.”

The others stared at him skeptically. Anger raised a brow and even Xy blinked in surprise. Joy’s surprise quickly turned into a proud, beaming smile. She approached Fear and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Fear. Much appreciated.”

Fear swallowed hard.

“R-Right. You’re welcome.”

Seep down, he already regretted everything.

Fear shivered as he followed Joy toward the purple door on the side of headquarters, rubbing his arms for warmth. Just before he could catch up to Joy, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He froze for a second before cautiously turning around, expecting the worst. Instead, he was met with the familiar green face of Disgust, who stood there, arms crossed, visibly shivering.

She sighed, looking almost reluctant to speak.

“Hey, um… look, I hope you don’t hold it against me for not coming with you.” She averted her gaze, shifting uncomfortably.

“After what happened a few days ago in the warehouse room, I just…” She took a deep breath.

“I don’t think I’m ready to be stuck in another dark, uncomfortable hole again.”

Fear blinked before his expression softened. He understood. He really did.

He offered a small, shaky smile.

“Oh, I totally get it. I mean, you know me…” He let out a nervous chuckle, trying to downplay his own anxiety.

“The brave face comes on when duty calls.” He gave a cheesy thumbs-up.

Disgust smirked slightly, her usual sharp demeanor returning for a moment.

“Oh, that face? The one that still looks terrified but just a tiny bit less?”

Fear let out a short, breathy laugh.

“Y-Yeah. That one.”

Disgust rolled her eyes fondly before stepping closer.

“Well, don’t let us freeze to death.” Then, in a rare show of public affection, she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Fear’s eyes widened in surprise as his face immediately turned a deep shade of purple.

She stepped back, smirking at his flustered reaction.

“Relax. Joy will look after you.”

Fear opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a stunned squeak.

Joy, who had been standing by the purple door with her arms crossed and watching the whole interaction with an amused grin, finally spoke up.

“Now that’s the inspiration you need, pal.” She winked at Fear playfully.

Fear, still processing his girlfriend’s kiss, muttered,

“Yep. absolutely.”

Disgust gave him one last knowing look before turning away and heading back toward the console, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth.

Joy opened the door and stared into the hallway.

“Alrighty, let’s go, brave face.”

Fear gulped, forcing himself to focus.

“To the deep dark, underbelly of headquarters.”

“C’mon, we’ve been through much worse.” Joy argued.

Finally, Joy stepped into the hallway with Fear following close behind.

When they reached the door labelled “Basement”, Joy opened it and offered to lead the way.

When they stepped through, they found themselves in an almost pitch black stairwell. Joy and Fear descended it, their footsteps echoing softly in the cold, empty space. The walls were cold, solid and smooth as plastic. The only visible light came from the emotions’ own glowing forms, Joy’s warm golden hue and Fear’s soft, jittery purple glow. The shadows danced eerily along the walls as they moved. Smiling, Joy glanced at Fear, who was clutching the railing with one hand, his eyes checking the walls.

“In case you’re worried, the actual basement ain’t as dark as these stairs,” Joy said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Fear let out a strained chuckle.

“Really.” he scoffed, clearly not reassured or impressed.

His grip on the railing tightened as he looked past Joy and into the blackness.

“Y’know they say ‘seeing is believing.’”

Joy giggled, still attempting to lighten the mood.

“It’s just a basement, it’s not gonna be a dungeon or anything.”

Fear swallowed another agitated lump in his throat.

“Y-Yeah, well, dungeons technically used to just be basements, so excuse me if I’m a little on edge.” His voice trembled, but he kept walking, staying as close to Joy as possible.

Joy shook her head fondly but made no further quip. Eventually, the duo reached the bottom of the stairwell where it was still no brighter. There they were greeted by another door that was practically invisible in the darkness.

Fear grunted as he helped Joy push the heavy door open. Then, they stepped into a vast, dimly lit space. This was certainly the basement of headquarters, though it was stranger than Fear remembered. Small, rectangular windows lined the highest points of the walls, allowing thin beams of bluish light to filter in from the vast mindscape outside. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough to keep Fear from completely spiraling into panic. Still, his nerves remained on high alert. His fingers twitched as he glanced around, his purple glow flickering slightly with his unease. He stayed close to Joy, practically walking in her shadow as they ventured further in.

The basement was cluttered, filled not with old, dusty machinery or abandoned junk, but with what seemed to be endless racks of costumes, bizarre props, and stacks of strange memorabilia. Fear’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Wait a second,” he muttered, squinting at a rack of oversized wigs.

“These are from Dream Productions.”

Joy hummed in agreement as she brushed past a gaudy, feathered cape hanging from a hook.

“Yep! They’ve been sending us their best props for years. As requested by myself of course.”

Fear shuddered as he eyed a pile of giant clown shoes.

“And why would you do that?” he asked, brow raised in confusion.

Joy shrugged, though her expression hinted at nostalgia.

“I guess they…mean a lot to me.”

As they walked, the vast collection of items loomed over them, towering stage backdrops, mannequins frozen mid-pose, and even an entire trunk overflowing with glitter. As they explored, she glanced over her shoulder at Fear, concern flickering across her usually bright expression. The cold was starting to get to her too, her breath was visible in the air, tiny puffs of warmth quickly dissipating in the chilly atmosphere.

“You okay?” she asked softly, turning her head just enough to half-face him.

Fear, who had been eyeing a particularly ominous pile of abandoned ventriloquist dummies, snapped to attention.

“What? Oh! Yeah! Totally fine. Just…uh, you know. Matching my job description.” He let out a nervous chuckle, hugging his arms around his thin frame as another shiver ran through him.

Joy smiled, not entirely convinced but deciding not to push. Instead, she turned her head slightly more in Fear’s direction, still walking as she did.

“Fear, I just wanted to say…”

She paused briefly.

“Joy?” Fear questioned, encouraging her to continue.

“I really appreciate you coming along for the ride. I know this kinda mission isn’t uh…appealing to you.”

Fear blinked at her, then shrugged dramatically.

“But I love walking around in a dark, creepy basement. This is a dream come true.”

Joy giggled, shaking her head.

“I really mean it though,” she said, her voice softening. She turned to face Fear entirely and stopped walking, causing Fear to nearly bump into her.

The way she looked at him, bright yet sincere, made his nerves settle, if only slightly.

“Even if it’s something small like this,” Joy continued,

“and even if it’s scary for you, it just means a lot that you’re here with me.”

Fear hesitated, but then a small smile crept onto his face.

“Heh…what can I say? Whatever you need…whenever, Joy...I’m glad I can help.” He straightened his posture slightly, putting on an exaggerated air of importance.

“For the uh..most part, hehe.”

Joy beamed. She reached out and gave his arm a small squeeze.

“You’re such a sweetheart.”

“Never realised I was so popular with the ladies.” he quipped, puffing out his chest for effect.

Joy laughed again, and for a moment, the cold didn’t feel quite as bad. Joy and Fear continued to move forward, their breath still visible in the cold air as they approached the next door. Joy gave Fear a reassuring glance before gripping the handle and pushing it open.

The sight on the other side made Fear’s stomach drop.

Beyond the doorway stretched a long, narrow bridge, its smooth, glass-like surface extending across a dizzying drop. Far below, the waters of Riley’s Belief System shimmered, reflecting the glow of countless floating memory orbs. The orbs pulsed softly, each one sending delicate strings of light upward, illuminating the cavernous space with an ethereal glow.

Joy let out an impressed whistle.

“Wow. Now this is a view.”

Fear, on the other hand, clutched the doorframe like his life depended on it. His wide purple eyes darted to the edges of the bridge. There was a railing, but even then, his brain seemed to ignore them. His fingers twitched as he imagined slipping, tumbling down, and landing with a splash in the swirling memories below.

His voice wavered. “Uh… w-why is there a bridge in the basement? Who designs a bridge like this?”

Joy turned back to him, smiling.

“Relax, Fear. It’s perfectly safe.”

Fear gulped, vertigo already creeping up on him. He wasn’t so sure. Joy took a playful step onto the bridge, walking backward with effortless ease. A teasing smirk danced across her face as she spread her arms wide, as if balancing on a tightrope.

Fear’s breath hitched.

“J-Joy, what are you—?!”

Before he could finish, she let out a dramatic gasp and wobbled slightly, pretending to lose her footing.

“Whoa! Oh my gosh, I’m gonna fall!” she joked.

“Woaaaaaahhhhhh….” Joy wailed sarcastically, flailing her arms very slowly as if she was falling in slow motion.

Fear folded his arms and glared at her. He tried to ignore the fact that his heart rate was on the verge of ramping up.

“Joy, you’re gonna gimme a heart attack.”

Joy’s giggle completely shattered the tension. She effortlessly steadied herself, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow.

“This bridge is solid as a rock, Fear! See?” She bounced lightly on her heels, the structure beneath her remaining perfectly safe and still.

Fear, however, looked as if his sarcastic front was slipping. His hands were still outstretched, his face beginning to drain of colour.

“Don’t do that.” he pleaded weakly.

“Bridges CAN collapse you know?”

Joy grinned and took another step back, winking at him.

“What makes you think that?”

Fear groaned, gripping his face. He was never going to survive this.

“I saw it in a movie one time. Some guy has a premonition of a bridge collapsing and then it ACTUALLY collapses.”

Joy’s teasing faded into something softer as she stretched out her hands toward him, palms up, glowing warmly in the dim light of the basement.

“Alright, alright,” she said, her voice light but sincere.

“I’ll tell ya what, if it helps, you can hold my hands while we cross.” Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she added,

“I mean, I was going to charge a fee, but since you’re my favorite little bundle of nerves, I’ll waive it just this once.”

Fear swallowed hard, looking past her at the breathtaking yet terrifying sight before him. The belief system stretched out far below, a vast, shifting expanse of memory orbs bobbing gently in the water. Thin, glowing strings of light wove between them, connecting different beliefs like an intricate web. He had never seen it from up above before. It was beautiful, a sight to behold. But then his gaze dropped directly beneath the bridge, and his stomach twisted. It was a long, long way down. Too long. And his mind, as always, conjured up the worst possible scenario, him tumbling head over heels, screaming all the way down until he smacked right into one of those delicate orbs, shattering it and himself into a million pieces.

He shuddered violently and forced himself to look back up at Joy. She was still standing there patiently, hands extended, her yellow glow casting a reassuring light against the cool tones of the room.

“What if we do fall?” he asked, his voice shaky but not from the cold.

Joy tilted her head, as if considering it for the briefest moment, before grinning.

“Then, I’ll apologise,” she said with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

Fear let out a weak, exasperated laugh.

“That doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.”

“Maybe this will,” Joy said, wiggling her fingers toward him.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fear took a deep breath and slowly reached forward, his shaking hands slipping into hers.

Fear took a slow, measured breath as he reached out, his hands trembling violently as they slipped into Joy’s warm grasp. He was trying his best to keep it together, but Joy could feel just how much his hands were shaking as she gently curled her fingers around his. It caught her off guard for a second. She knew Fear was always jittery, but this was something else. Still, she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she smiled, holding his hands firmly but not too tightly, determined to make sure he got across this bridge as smoothly as possible.

She took the lead, walking backward across the bridge while keeping her bright blue eyes locked on his face.

“There you go.” she said quietly, her tone encouraging.

“Talk to me. That way, you can focus on what’s in front of you and not below you.”

Fear nodded stiffly, his lips twitching into a shaky smile.

“R-right. Good plan. Great plan. You’re full of great plans, Joy.” he mumbled.

“I know,” Joy said playfully, squeezing his hands.

“So, tell me about your bravery.”

“My..bravery?” Fear stammered.

“Yeah. Tell me about those moments in your life where you were brave. There’s a lot of ‘em. More than you’d think.”

Fear blinked, his expression briefly flickering with something close to confusion before he hesitantly glanced down at the swirling mass of memory orbs far below. He and Joy were now walking ever so slowly across the terrifying bridge. His stomach lurched, and he quickly snapped his gaze back up to Joy.

“Uh… well, I mean…” He paused, thinking, before something came to mind.

“I guess… the Shame crisis?”

Joy raised an eyebrow, her expression full of intrigue.

“Continue.”

Fear let out a nervous chuckle but found himself slowly settling into the memory.

“Okay, so… there was this one moment,” he said in a low, thoughtful voice, his grip in Joy’s hands relaxing ever so slightly.

“It was right when everything started going crazy…Shame’s zombies were everywhere. Glowing white, spewing ink, just relentless. You know the deal. Remember when we were separated? You weren’t there for this but I was with Disgust, Embarrassment, Sadness, and Envy. We had to escape, so we had this crazy idea…I can’t remember whose idea it was but…uh…I gave Embarrassment my parachute and long story short, we jumped.

Joy’s eyes widened, clearly impressed. Then, her grin widened.

“Fear, that’s incredible! And I’d give my right arm to see it.”

Fear chuckled, shaking his head.

“I guess… yeah. That was kinda brave, wasn’t it?”

Joy nodded eagerly, giving his hands another squeeze. Fear glanced down, watching how comfortably his hands rested in hers, warm, safe, steady. The thought gave him a surprising sense of comfort, and his shoulders loosened ever so slightly. He hadn’t registered the fact that he and Joy were already more than halfway across the bridge.

Encouraged, he kept talking.

“And then there was the Train of Thought,” he continued, his voice becoming quieter, more retrospective.

“Me, Xy, Embarrassment, and this Lime Green guy Marin. We had to fight through car after car, just to regroup with the rest of you. The train was full of zombies, I thought we were done! But we had no choice and y’know, we pushed through. I… I kept going. Even when Shame kept getting inside my head.”

Joy’s face softened with admiration. She didn’t say anything, she only allowed Fear to talk.

He sighed, his voice growing even more casual, reflective.

“Shame…that thing…it knew exactly what to say to break me down. It knew how cowardly I can be. It made me doubt myself and think that all I ever do is run away from a bad situation. And for a long while, years even…I believed it. But then… I dunno. Something inside me refused to just sit there and let this monster get the last laugh.

Joy beamed.

“So you proved Shame wrong.”

Fear exhaled slowly, then nodded.

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

His voice had lost that frantic edge, his focus completely diverted from his current predicament as he got lost in his own memories. He wasn’t even thinking about the bridge, or the height, or the drop below.

He was just talking. And he was safe.

As they neared the end of the bridge, Fear’s thoughts shifted toward something more personal, his relationship with Disgust. He hadn’t really stopped to consider it before, but the Shame crisis had been the moment that changed everything for them. He used to think that someone like him could never be with someone like her. But that crisis had forced him to act, to push past his fears in a way he never thought possible. When things were at their worst, when he had every reason to curl up into a ball and let someone else take charge, he had acted. Not just for Riley, not just for the others, but for himself. And in the end, it had led him to Disgust. That, to him, was his greatest achievement. Not just because he was lucky enough to have her, but because it proved something he had always doubted.

He wasn’t a coward.

His expression hardened slightly as he looked back at Joy, his grip in her hands finally steady.

“I’m not a coward,” he said firmly.

Right as they reached the end of the bridge, Joy beamed at him.

“I know you’re not.”

Fear hesitated, then looked behind him, half expecting to still be stuck in the middle of the bridge. But he wasn’t. He had crossed it, actually crossed it.

He let out a relieved nod, breathing deeply.

“H-huh. Look at that.”

Joy reached for the door, her grip on Fear’s hand still firm and reassuring. She shot him an encouraging smile, her usual brightness undimmed by the cold.

“C’mon partner,” she said, pushing the door open.

“Central heating isn’t much further.”

Fear swallowed, his nerves still lingering, but the warmth of Joy’s hand kept him steady. He nodded and stepped forward beside her, resisting the urge to glance back at the bridge. One obstacle down, a few more to go. He could do this.

With a deep breath, he followed Joy through the door, bracing himself for whatever came next.

On the other side of the door was another stairwell, identical to the first one but not as dark. There was dim but steady lighting. Joy, leading the way, glanced back at Fear with a playful smirk.

“All good in the hood?”

Fear, now visibly calmer, nodded and started following her.

“I’m pretty sure I can handle a little set of stairs.”

Joy quipped,

“Because there’s light this time?”

Fear rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“I dunno what you mean, ma’am.”

Joy giggled, satisfied that Fear was finally relaxing.

Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, Joy and Fear found themselves in a chilly, dimly lit corridor. The central heating system stood before them, a large, complicated-looking machine covered in dials, levers, and pipes. Despite the temperature dropping even further, Joy beamed excitedly.

“We made it!” she cheered, her breath visibly escaping into the cold air.

“Alrighty, let’s warm this place up!”

Fear shivered, rubbing his arms. The temperature had dropped another degree or two.

“Great, fantastic. Now let’s just make sure we don’t accidentally make anything worse.”

Joy rolled her eyes and turned on another light, brightening the room slightly.

“Relax, Fear, it’s simple! I’ve done this before. You just have to help me with one tiny thing.”

Fear eyed her suspiciously.

“Define ‘tiny.’”

Joy pointed to a lever on the far side of the machine.

“I need you to hold that down while I adjust the settings here. It’ll lock the pressure in place so I can restart the system properly.”

Fear gulped, already feeling nervous about touching the machinery.

“And… what happens if I let go too soon?”

Joy hummed, tapping her chin.

“Then we get to try it again! No biggie.”

Fear groaned but stepped forward.

“Okay then.”

As they got to work, Joy adjusted the dials on the central heating system while Fear nervously held down the lever as instructed. The metal beneath his fingers was freezing, making his hands tremble slightly, not just from nerves, but from the cold itself. He kept glancing over at Joy, waiting for her next instruction, but she seemed completely at ease, humming softly as she worked.

Somewhere in the distance, a faint noise echoed, a soft clatter, or maybe a whisper of movement. Fear’s ears perked up, and for a brief moment, he froze. Did he just hear something? Or was his overactive imagination getting the best of him again? Before he could dwell on it too long, Joy’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“You’re so much like her, y’know.”

Fear blinked, turning his head slightly in her direction.

“Like who?”

Joy smirked but didn’t look up from the controls.

“Like Anxiety.”

Fear let out an awkward chuckle, gripping the lever a little tighter.

“Oh. Well, uh, yeah, I suppose that makes sense. She’s like a sister to me.”

Joy turned slightly, amusement in her glowing yellow eyes.

Fear continued, relaxing just a little.

“I find her the most relatable. When I first met her, straight away, I knew we were gonna be friends. We see the world in the same way.” He chuckled again, shaking his head.

“Some might call it exhausting. I call it…, necessary.”

Joy smiled softly, adjusting one last dial before pausing in thought.

“Yeah…necessary is absolutely right.”

A fond look crossed her face, and Fear noticed the shift in her expression.

“You’re getting distracted again, aren’t you?” he asked with a knowing grin.

Joy let out a small chuckle as she flipped a few switches.

“You caught me.”

She took a deep breath, her gaze turning thoughtful.

Fear nodded.

“She’s lucky to have you.”

Joy looked over at him, warmth in her expression.

“And Disgust is lucky to have you.”

Fear turned pink and sputtered,

“W-We’re talking about your love life, not mine.”

Joy just laughed, shaking her head as she returned to her task.

With one final twist of the dial and a loud clunk, the central heating system roared to life. A low, steady hum filled the room as the temperature finally began to rise. Almost immediately, the air around them started to feel warmer, chasing away the icy grip that had settled in the basement.

Joy clapped her hands together, beaming.

“And that is how you fix a heating problem!”

Fear, still gripping the lever tightly, let out a relieved sigh.

“Finally. And I thought we’d never get to leave.”

Joy turned to him with a triumphant grin and held out her hand.

“High five for teamwork!”

Fear hesitated for only a second before grinning back and smacking his hand against hers. Their palms met with a satisfying slap, and for the first time since entering the basement, Fear felt genuinely relaxed.

But then, there it was again.

That noise.

A soft, distant sound, almost like a shuffle or a whisper of movement. Fear’s entire body tensed. His ears twitched. His breath hitched. He whipped his head toward the source, eyes wide.

“Did you hear that?”

Joy, completely unfazed, simply tilted her head.

“Hear what?”

Fear pointed toward the darkened corner of the basement.

“That. That noise. Something’s… moving.” he whimpered.

Joy raised an eyebrow, then casually shrugged.

“Could be a lot of things.”

Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she leaned in slightly toward Fear, lowering her voice.

“OooooOOOoohhh…” she moaned, wiggling her fingers in front of him.

Fear immediately rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“Oh, quit it.”

Joy straightened up and chuckled, waving a hand.

“Relax, I’m just…Joying.”

“Joying?” Fear said, sternly.

Then, he had an idea.

A fantastic idea.

His expression suddenly changed. His posture stiffened. His eyes grew large, pupils shrinking as he pretended to stare at something over Joy’s shoulder.

Joy, still smirking, gave him a knowing look.

“Oh, come on. Really?”

Fear didn’t answer. Instead, he inhaled sharply, his breathing becoming quick and shallow. His fingers twitched.

Joy’s smirk faltered slightly.

“Nice try, Fear. But you’re gonna have to do better.”

Fear took a step back, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“J-Joy… don’t move…”

Joy’s arms remained crossed, though her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

“Mhm. Sure.”

Fear’s shoulders quivered, and his lower lip trembled dramatically.

“I-I’m serious… it’s right behind you.”

Joy sighed, shaking her head.

“You think I don’t know what you’re…”

But as Fear’s act intensified, his knees buckling slightly, his breathing becoming even more panicked, Joy’s resolve started to crack.

Her body went rigid. Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head to look. And the second she did…

Fear snickered. Joy blinked.

Realisation dawned on her face.

Fear beamed.

“HA! Made you look!”

Joy turned back around and groaned, but she couldn’t hide the amused grin tugging at her lips.

“Alright, fine, you got me, well done you son of a gun.”

Fear folded his arms, looking smug.

“Thirty-love!”

Joy arched her brow.

“Thirty? Where did you get the first point?”

Fear tilted his head.

“Doesn’t it start at thirty?”

Joy let out a giggle.

“No, fifteen!”

Fear gave her a deadpan look.

“See, this is why Riley’s a hockey player and not serving aces on a tennis court.”

Joy chuckled again, shaking her head.

“Ah, you still got the point though.”

Still smiling, the two of them turned toward the door, ready to head back upstairs, the basement adventure behind them. The laughter between Fear and Joy gradually faded as a loud BANG echoed through the basement.

Both of them froze.

Fear’s breath caught in his throat, his purple glow flickering ever so slightly. Joy’s usual carefree expression wavered for a moment as her eyes darted around the dimly lit space.

Then another bang. Softer this time, but steady.

And another.

And another.

It wasn’t random. It was rhythmic.

Fear swallowed hard. His fingers twitched as he clutched his own arms.

“Uh… Joy?” His voice cracked slightly.

Joy tilted her head, listening.

“Yeah?”

“Now do you hear it?”

Joy hesitated, then nodded.

“Oh yeah.”

Fear slowly lifted a trembling finger, pointing in the direction of the sound.

“That’s… a little too rhythmic, right?”

Joy tried to deny it.

“There’s…nothing rhythmic about it.”

Bang.

A pause.

Bang.

Another pause.

BANG.

Fear shot Joy a wide-eyed look. Joy opened her mouth but had no immediate response. The playful teasing she had used just moments ago didn’t seem appropriate now. Fear, without even thinking, instinctively grabbed onto Joy’s arm, his grip firm despite his trembling hands.

“Maybe…maybe it’s a burst pipe?” he stammered, grasping for an explanation that didn’t involve ghosts or monsters.

Joy, her expression calm but cautious.

“Unlikely.” she said.

Fear let out a high-pitched squeak.

“U-unlikely how?!”

“Well, pipes don’t usually bang in a pattern,” Joy pointed out.

She was no longer in denial.

Fear gulped.

“What’re we gonna do?”

Joy took a step forward, gently tugging Fear along with her.

“Let’s…check it out together.”

Fear let out an anxious whimper.

“O-or, counterpoint: We don’t find out what it is and just leave. Rule number one of all horror movies, never ever go and ‘check it out’ without a weapon or any means of defending ourselves!”

Joy turned to give him a playful yet knowing look.

“Are you really going to leave a mystery unsolved?”

Fear opened his mouth to retort, but shut it again.

She had a point.

Though he hated to admit it, the fear of the unknown was probably what scared him more than anything else in the world. Leaving would only drive him crazy without ever finding out if the noise really was some kind of monster waiting to claw its way up into headquarters.

With a heavy sigh, he tightened his grip on Joy’s arm and muttered,

“Fine. But remember that apology you said you’d owe me if things go wrong?”

Joy chuckled.

“Duly noted.” she said.

Slowly, they moved forward, deeper into the basement.

The rhythmic banging continued, but it didn’t get louder or more aggressive. If anything, it remained eerily steady, like the ticking of a clock or the distant drumming of fingers on a table. The further they ventured into the dark basement, the more Fear felt his nerves creeping back in. Every shadow looked longer, every prop and costume stored away seemed to move ever so slightly in the dim light. The basement, which had once been just another quirky part of headquarters, suddenly felt wrong. Fear and Joy crept cautiously through the basement, every step slow and deliberate. The rhythmic banging continued, the sound echoing off the walls. Fear’s hands were ice-cold as he clutched onto Joy’s arm, his nerves steadily mounting. His breath came out in quick puffs of condensation in the cold air, and he kept throwing wary glances behind them, as if expecting something to leap from the shadows.

Joy still tried to keep her cool.

“Okay, maybe it’s just a loose vent cover rattling in the air currents,” she whispered.

Fear shot her a deadpan look.

“Right. Because the air sounds exactly like…”

Before he could finish his sentence,

“RAGHHHHH!!!!!”

Something burst out from around the corner. A short figure, shrouded in a black cloak, lunged forward, an orange and brown tiki mask covering its face. Its gaping wooden mouth and large, hollow eyes looked menacing, almost too lifelike in the dim light.

The figure’s roar was ear piercing. Joy and Fear screamed in unison.

Panic took over. Without hesitation, they turned on their heels and bolted in the opposite direction, their frantic footfalls echoing throughout the basement.

“AGHH!!! WHAT IS THAT?!” Fear screeched, running so fast his legs nearly tangled beneath him.

“I DUNNO, BUT I DON’T WANNA FIND OUT!” Joy yelped, her normally cheerful face twisted in pure terror.

The cloaked figure gave chase, its footsteps eerily quick despite its short stature. Fear risked a glance over his shoulder and instantly regretted it. The thing was keeping up way too easily.

“WHY IS IT SO FAST?!” Fear howled.

“JUST KEEP RUNNING!” Joy yelled back.

Desperate to slow their pursuer down, Joy suddenly grabbed onto the nearest metal cabinet, straining to pull it down into the figure’s path. With a loud crash, the cabinet fell, scattering old props and dusty memory containers across the floor. For a moment, Fear dared to hope they’d escaped.

Then, WHOOSH!

The masked figure jumped clean over the cabinet, landing smoothly and resuming the chase without missing a beat. Fear let out another horrified scream.

“NO! THAT’S NOT FAIR!”

Finally, the two of them spotted a door up ahead. Hope surged through Fear’s chest.

“A DOOR! GO, GO, GO!”

They practically slammed into the door in their desperation. Joy grabbed the handle and twisted it frantically. Nothing. It didn’t budge.

Fear’s eyes went wide with panic. He rattled the door handle furiously.

“WHY IS IT LOCKED?!”

“DON’T ASK ME!” Joy screamed, trying again.

She banged on the door for good measure.

“HELLO?! ANYONE ON THE OTHER SIDE?!”

Silence.

Fear whimpered, pressing himself against the door as their pursuer slowed to a steady approach. The tiki-masked figure loomed closer, the dim lighting making the mask’s scary expression even more unsettling. Fear squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

Then, suddenly, the figure raised its hands slightly.

It mumbled something.

“Heyyy.”

Joy blinked.

“…What?”

Fear cracked open one eye.

“Huh?”

The figure waggled its fingers in an exaggerated, goofy way and repeated,

“Heyyy.”

The delivery was just as silly.

Now thoroughly confused, Fear furrowed his brow, his panic momentarily giving way to pure confusion.

“HUH?!”

Finally, the figure reached up, grabbed the edges of its mask, and yanked it off. Underneath was none other than Anger, his red face stretched into a smug, mischievous grin. He burst into loud, raucous laughter, pointing a finger directly at Fear.

“TIKI TIKI, YOU HALFWITS!” he howled.

Fear’s jaw dropped. Joy blinked in shock. Then, slowly, her expression turned from confusion to amusement.

“Oh my gosh.” She clapped a hand to her forehead.

“Anger! Did you really just do that to us?”

Anger cackled, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

“Oh, boy! You two shoulda seen your faces! That was priceless!”

Fear, still pressed against the locked door, let out a strangled noise.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I NEARLY DIED!”

Joy, despite herself, started giggling.

Fear whipped around to her. Still shaking from the ordeal, suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Joy by the collar, his eyes wide with lingering panic.

“You were in on this, weren’t you?!” he accused, his voice high-pitched.

Joy only chuckled softly, completely unbothered by Fear’s outburst. With ease, she calmly removed his trembling hands from her collar and straightened herself up.

“Nah,” she admitted with a smirk.

“But I really wish I was, that was a good one, hothead.”

She then turned to Anger and held up her hand. Without hesitation, Anger smacked his palm against hers in a triumphant high five.

Fear’s jaw dropped. “EXCUSE ME?!”

Joy grinned.

“And how did you even get down here so fast?! And why would you take so much pleasure in doing that?!”

Anger crossed his arms, still looking smug.

“I followed to check on you guys, but then,” Anger continued,

“I saw all that cool Dream Productions stuff in the other room so…what was I not gonna take advantage of the opportunity?”

Fear groaned loudly, dragging his hands down his face.

“Can we please leave now?”

Anger, still grinning from his successful prank, reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, rusty key. With a click, he unlocked the door that Fear and Joy had been desperately trying to open just minutes ago.

“There,” he said smugly, pushing the door open.

“No need to thank me. Just send money.”

Fear scoffed.

“Sure.”

Anger just chuckled to himself as he stepped through the doorway, leading the way up another pitch black stairwell, back towards headquarters. Joy followed close behind him, but Fear lagged slightly, his arms crossed and his expression sulky. He muttered under his breath, still rattled from the whole ordeal. Joy glanced back at him, noticing his sour mood. She hesitated for a second before gently tapping him on the shoulder.

Fear flinched slightly at the touch before turning his head to look at her, his brows furrowed.

“What?” he asked, his voice clipped.

Joy smiled at him, not in her usual teasing way, but in a warm, genuine way.

“For what it’s worth, you’ve been nothing short of amazingly brave since we came down here.”

Fear blinked, clearly not expecting that. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his expression softening ever so slightly.

“Brave?” he repeated uncertainly.

“Me?”

Joy nodded. “Yes, you! You volunteered to come with me when no one else would. You crossed that terrifying bridge, even though you were scared out of your mind. You powered through the cold, through the dark, through the unknown. And yeah, Anger might have gotten the last laugh this time…” she shot a playful glare at Anger’s back,

“...but that doesn’t take away from what you did today.”

Fear lowered his gaze, his cheeks turning the faintest shade of purple in embarrassment.

“I… I dunno,” he muttered.

Joy nudged him lightly.

“Well, I know. And I think if you really look back at everything you’ve done today, you’ll realise that you know it, too.”

Fear was quiet for a moment, absorbing her words. He had done all those things. He had pushed through his fears, even when every instinct had been screaming at him to turn back. Maybe he was braver than he gave himself credit for.

Finally, he glanced up at Joy again, a small, hesitant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“…Thanks, Joy.”

She beamed.

“Anytime, partner.”

As the three of them continued their journey back to headquarters, Fear’s shoulders felt a little lighter, and for the first time since they’d come down here, his heart wasn’t hammering quite so hard.