Dreams
Astro woke up.
He was in his bed, his head aching for some reason, and he couldn't remember much of what had happened.
Wait.
Wasn't he supposed to be looking for Sprout?
Why had he... wokenup in bed?
The only thing he remembered before blacking out was Dandy— wait, Dandy had brought him back.
...But Sprout.
Astro's chest tightened.
He hadn’t been able to save his friend. He hadn't made it in time.
Maybe if he had gone with him on the Run, he could have saved him? This could be Astro’s fault— if he had taken better care of Sprout—
He sighed. It was exhausting just watching his friends die... over and over again. And now, someone as special as Sprout. He didn’t even know if Sprout would remember anything if he got copied again, like last time. It had been complicated getting close to the cook again after that.
Astro placed a hand on his head and got out of bed. It was apparently late at night, and he still had to deal with some of the dreams the toons were having.
He walked toward his bedroom door and stepped out. First, a glass of water would be nice— his throat still felt dry.
The moon walked through the Toonrooms hallway. It was a bit dark due to the late hour, but he could hear voices coming from the kitchen— familiar voices.
"I don’t think it’s that serious." That was the only thing he caught at first.
Astro adjusted his blanket around himself and approached, spotting three toons.
It was Vee, Shelly, and Cosmo.
"You know he might not remember much, Vee." Shelly sighed.
The fossil glanced at Cosmo, who looked deeply shaken. He was holding onto his own arm while staring at the floor, lost in thought. He wasn’t wrong to feel this way— his BEST FRIEND had been killed. And Cosmo hadn’t even been there to help.
"Of course, there’s a price. He was killed. The price is losing some memories, it’s simple," The machine gestured. "It’s not a big deal. At least he’ll remember everyone."
"What if... he doesn’t?" Cosmo murmured.
"He’s died before," Vee added. "He still remembered everyone. Just some things, some interactions he had, were gone."
Some interactions... Astro still remembered how Sprout avoided him because of Dandy. Of course, he hadn’t remembered how they had grown closer due to the memory loss. It had been difficult to get close to him again.
Astro moved a little closer to the conversation— or rather, he kept his distance. He only wanted a glass of water, not to interrupt.
"Let’s hope he remembers... I hate when we have to regenerate a toon, the chances of something going wrong are so high." Shelly sighed, placing a hand on Cosmo’s shoulder.
"But hey... Cosmo, don’t worry, okay?" she said with a small smile. "If Sprout loses his memories... I’m sure he’ll still remember you somehow, right? You’re best friends, inseparable!"
Cosmo looked at Shelly and gave her a small smile in return.
"Even in death." Vee added.
A silence fell between the three. Vee remained with a serene expression.
Astro finally got his glass of water and was about to leave when—
"Astro?" Shelly noticed him.
The moon let out a sigh.
"Hey... guys." He gave a small wave.
"Greetings. I see you’ve recovered from the Run. Are you well?" Vee raised an eyebrow.
"Mhm... I... I’m fine."
"Good. You should rest a little more then." the machine gestured.
"I will..."
"You didn’t find Sprout, did you?" Cosmo finally spoke.
A brief silence fell between them.
"...I’d rather... not talk about it." The moon started to walk away. He hated remembering what had happened to Sprout. A twisted. An infected.
He could have helped him, right?
The three remained quiet, but a hushed conversation started again— probably about Astro’s state or something along those lines.
Astro walked back to his room. He would find something to pass the time until it was time to deal with the toons’ dreams.
It was late at night, and Astro was feeling drowsy. Of course, he had already checked to make sure all the toons were asleep.
He let out a sigh, adjusting himself in bed and lying down, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was evident that he was still dwelling on what had happened.
But now, all he could do was wait for Sprout to be restored.
And hope that everything would turn out fine.
He blinked a few times until his eyes finally closed completely.
It only took a few seconds... before he opened them again, now in a completely empty space.
It was like a dark sky, with a vast, soft ground—literally a cloud. Countless stars were visible in the sky above.
Astro adjusted his blanket as always and glanced around. There were a few tall, white clouds, some appearing brighter than others, as if something was inside them.
He walked past a few, checking each one to see what they held.
One, in particular, caught his attention.
He placed his hand on a rather puffy cloud. It was dark, as if it were about to unleash a storm. He hesitated briefly... before finally passing through it.
Astro had entered someone’s dream.
That someone was Rodger.
Astro crossed through the “door” and found himself in the familiar lobby. Rodger stood near the tree, surrounded by a few toons.
"You always say you're getting somewhere, Rodger," Vee began. "But your investigation never seems to lead anywhere."
"Investigations take time, Vee—"
"Time?? It's been years! Months!!" Tisha interrupted, stomping her foot. "You haven't gotten anywhere, Rodger! What kind of detective are you??"
"You all are so impatient, oh God..." Rodger placed a hand on his forehead. "I've tried to understand what’s happening in Gardenview, but as expected, it’s leading nowhere!" He gestured with one hand. "What is Ichor? How do we find a cure? These are the questions I ask myself every day! But I promise, I'm getting really close—"
"...You’ve said that so many times before." Another voice joined the commotion.
Rodger recognized it immediately. His eye widened in surprise, and he turned instantly.
It was Toodles.
She stood among the others, hugging her stuffed dog, her expression... painful— at least to Rodger. The look in her eyes carried deep disappointment.
"Toodles..."
"You always say that! Always!" She hugged her plush a little tighter. "...I admired you— but... you lied to me. You said we would be okay!"
The environment started to darken.
Astro took a step forward— maybe he should intervene—
"...I just—"
"Liar!" Toodles interrupted again, but this time, she was crying. "...You're a liar!!"
The space around them grew darker and more distorted.
Rodger placed a hand on his chest— thishurt.
Seeing Toodles like this hurt.
He hadn’t lied, he just—
The toons around him started speaking, their voices growing louder and louder. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but Rodger’s vision was starting to blur. It felt like everyone was against him this time.
One of Astro’s stars floated toward Rodger and gave off a small glow, illuminating the space. It effectively cleared everything out... leaving only a vast, dark space filled with stars.
Rodger remained silent, slowly sinking to his knees. He stared at the ground in silence, clearly affected by the situation.
Astro didn’t bother trying to explain himself.
He simply watched Rodger take his moment... and stepped closer.
"....Can I... sit here?" Astro spoke in his usual quiet tone, waiting for Rodger’s response.
Rodger didn’t answer.
Silence echoed between them. Astro let out a soft sigh and sat down anyway.
Of course, it was an awkward silence, especially since Astro had just witnessed Rodger’s 'dumb' nightmare.
"You know..." Astro started. "....If... you want to talk about it..."
"Not necessary." Rodger said bluntly.
"...Really? I... I'm here to help, Rodger... I won't question anything... or push you." Astro shrugged. "I just... feel like you need... a friend to lean on, I guess..."
Rodger stayed quiet for a few moments before finally sighing.
"...I'm just afraid." he murmured.
"Afraid?" Astro raised an eyebrow.
"Of failing." Rodger hugged his knees. "...Of failing everyone."
"Oh..."
"...I just wanted to help them somehow." Rodger looked up at the sky. "...If I’m a detective, then why can’t I even fulfill my purpose in here?"
"Rodger..." Astro placed a hand on the detective’s shoulder. "...You... do a good job."
"I know." Rodger replied.
"...You know." Astro let out a long sigh— classic.
"Yeah, I know... but is it really enough? Astro, I've spent months trying to understand the cause of the infection— sure, it's Ichor... but how it started, how we stop it— do you get it?"
"I do..." Astro removed his hand from Rodger’s shoulder. "Even so... you do... a good job, and everyone seems to trust you enough...."
"Even you?"
"....Let's say... to a certain extent."
"Right."
"I'd say you should take a break from... being a detective... huh? It seems to be wearing you down... Maybe... pick up a hobby?"
"I already have several hobbies, Mr. Novalite."
"Just a few mooooree?..." Astro nudged the detective slightly with his elbow.
Which resulted in Rodger rolling his eyes.
A comforting silence settled between them.
"Anyway... thanks." Rodger lowered his knees.
"...Ah, I was just doing my job." Astro started to stand up.
"Either way... Thank you." The detective got up as well.
"...You're welcome."
"But hey... since you're here." He clasped his hands together.
"Yes...?"
"You could give me an interview, couldn't you?"
"Sweet dreams, Rodger." Astro turned around immediately, heading out of the detective's dream.
"Oh, come on— Mr. Novalite! You giving me an interview would definitely be a pleasant dream—!"
Astro passed through the door, returning to the clouded space.
The cloud he had just exited was now white and slightly glowing— he had given Rodger a new dream the moment he left.
Astro continued walking, checking the other clouds. They all seemed to be in perfect condition— even Boxten’s (at least in his view, though it wasn’t).
Of course, Astro dealt with a few more minor nightmares— at least the ones he saw. It was tiring to do this every day, but it was worth it.
He wanted the toons to have something good, at least in these difficult days. Surviving each day was becoming more and more discouraging.
Astro started slowing down, staring at a cloud that was set apart from the others. It was black, and it made sounds as if a storm was raging inside.
But what really caught his attention were the drops of Ichor dripping from the cloud.
He took a few steps forward, hesitant about it, but this was something he had to deal with, wasn’t it?
He placed a hand on the cloud— it had a strange texture.
Astro took a deep breath and finally made a small push, stepping through the "door."
Elevator.
It looked like a normal run.
Tisha, Goob, Teagan, Shelly, and Vee.
They were talking among themselves. Astro looked around, confused— whose dream was this?
"Hey." Vee approached Astro. "Remember last time—it’s better if you don’t do anything stupid again."
Astro took a small step back, nodding. He didn’t understand why Vee interacted with him so suddenly— was this her dream?
"Good." She placed a hand on her hip.
The elevator doors opened.
It was the gift shop.
All the toons stepped out, some in groups and others alone. Goob went off to distract the twisteds, as usual.
Astro kept walking through the floor, heading towards the maze room next to the elevator. No other toon had taken that path. Okay.
There were some machines there, but that wasn’t really what he wanted to do. That wasn’t his current focus— his focus was to figure out whose "nightmare" this was and what was going to happen. Why was this dream covered in ichor???
He left the room through the right side, walking until he came across the path ahead, where there was the glass window and the broken elevator past it.
He observed for a few moments until he noticed Shelly passing by, heading toward the machine in that elevator.
The dream wasn’t hers, of course. He had already dealt with one of her nightmares today, so Shelly was off the list… he thought.
He wandered through the floor for a few more minutes until he started feeling a strange sense of unease.
It felt like there was a toon who was exhausted. He started walking toward it, a little hurried.
It was Vee. She was muttering something while holding her microphone. Goob had just left. Astro approached, a small glow emanating from him, restoring her stamina.
It was strange, especially since his ability had made a different sound. He just ignored it— it must have been his imagination.
"Efficient. Thank you." Vee adjusted her tie and kept walking after giving Astro a light tap on the shoulder.
Astro sighed and left the plushie area. He didn’t want to stay there, for obvious reasons related to plushies, but anyway.
A few minutes later, someone finished a machine, and panic mode activated.
Everyone headed to the elevator without much difficulty, and it closed.
There was a brief moment of silence before Vee broke it.
"Skipping on machines again, huh?" She rolled her eyes, turning to Astro.
"...You know... you guys... finish machines way faster than I do, Vee...." he replied. Of course, that wasn’t the reason— he simply had no reason to do it in this dream.
"Oh, sure! I think that’s just laziness." she poked his forehead.
Which resulted in him rolling his eye.
"Take it easy on him, dear." Teagan rested a hand on her own cheek.
"You know he’s the reason we’re still okay for now. He even helped you, you know..."
"I know." Vee grumbled. "...But it would be nice to get at least a little help with machines. We’d probably finish this exploration faster." Vee gestured.
"Right..." Astro sighed.
He wasn’t going to do it.
The floor began to move until part of it opened up.
Dandy’s shop appeared.
"Friends! Need anything? I brought some good items." Dandy crossed his arms over the counter.
"Dandy!" Goob approached the shop, taking a look.
There were some candies, a cable, and even a box of chocolates.
Of course, some toons bought things and even chatted with Dandy, but it wasn’t something Astro could hear. For some reason, he had dissociated from the whole situation.
He was standing next to Vee, watching.
For some reason, he didn’t feel like talking to Dandy or trusting him at all. He preferred to keep his distance for now.
It was strange.
"That idiot flower," Vee muttered. "He calls these good items? Tch... It would be great if he offered some kind of healing. What nonsense."
Astro glanced at the machine but didn’t respond.
A few seconds passed until Dandy’s shop closed and disappeared.
The elevator opened again after a while.
It was the Dinner floor.
He didn’t have good memories of this place.
A circuit noise was heard. A blackout had started.
Vee and Astro began to glow. Strangely, there was a glow deeper in the floor too— probably a Twisted Brightney.
"Alright." Vee stepped out of the elevator. "Be careful, it's a blackout."
"We noticed, Vee." Tisha rolled her eyes and walked off, following Teagan.
Goob hurried ahead to find the twisteds.
Astro walked with Shelly.
"Do you think we’ll have much trouble on this floor...?" Shelly looked at him.
Astro didn’t respond; he kept walking.
"Hey?..." Shelly tried to get his attention again.
"Ah— Hey, Shelly— I... I don’t know, maybe." He shook his head. Of course, he had zoned out for a moment.
They passed by the middle shelf and entered the room to the left, where there was a machine.
Astro just walked past the machine in the corner, while Shelly went to work on it.
The floor was silent, which was strange.
He kept walking straight, exiting the room and spotting the small room ahead. He just ignored it too.
Maybe it would be better if he left this dream. It didn’t seem like a nightmare, really.
Astro sighed. Maybe leaving was the better idea—
A snapping sound echoed. It came from the kitchen, where the broken elevator was. It was right ahead.
Astro hurried, going to take a look.
The sound of machines being finished echoed through the floor. Two had already been done in that short time.
Astro looked through the glass. Goob had moved behind the counter near the fake elevator, dodging an attack from Twisted Scraps.
Oh, great.
Goob seemed a bit tired? It was hard to tell, but Astro had that feeling.
Another machine was finished.
Twisted Scraps started going around the counter, trying to reach Goob.
...And another machine was done.
The Twisted stopped circling the counter, staring directly at Goob from above.
They locked eyes, Goob glancing away a few times. It was strange seeing his sister like this... but it was something he had to deal with.
The Twisted growled, placed her hands on the counter, and leaped over it, flying straight toward Goob.
Goob let out a scream. Scraps managed to graze his head with her claws. He stumbled back, pressing a hand against the scratch.
Shit, shit.
The Twisted wasn’t supposed to be acting like this.
Astro stepped away from the glass, rushing into the kitchen. Goob looked exhausted.
A soft glow surrounded Astro as he used his ability on the other toon, restoring his stamina.
"Thanks—! oW—" Goob dodged another attack from Scraps, barely missing him again.
He ran towards a nearby shelf, which slowed Scraps down for a few seconds, but she quickly caught up again, trying to grab him.
Goob reached the counter, spinning around it as he ran. Scraps wasn’t that fast.
The problem was—
Her focus shifted for a moment.
She lashed her tail, barely missing Astro.
"Fuck—" Astro took a few steps to the side.
Goob seemed to yell something at Astro, probably his name, but he wasn’t really paying attention.
Another machine was finished.
"Relax—! I can handle her. You should rest, Goob! You almost got caught twice." Astro adjusted his blanket and started running.
Goob hesitated, but he knew what to do... right? He hoped him would be okay.
Astro ran towards the shelves. No other toon was around, at least as far as he could see.
Another machine was finished... And another.
He turned the corner past a shelf as he exited the room, and Scraps obviously followed, growling and dripping ichor.
Astro pressed against the shelf and pushed it over with his body weight, making it fall right onto the Twisted.
The infected screamed and started to convulse, desperately trying to get out of there, digging her claws into the ground and scratching everything. She was slowly managing to drag herself out.
Astro had to be quick. He backed up, then turned around— Twisted Brightney was right ahead, between the shelves. He couldn’t go there, that would be another problem— nevermind, the Twisted was already heading that way. The noise from the fallen shelf had caught her attention, as well as the attention of the Twisted Boxten that was also on this floor.
A shiver ran down Astro’s spine. He rushed past the fallen shelf and barely avoided Boxten, nearly getting hit.
Most of the toons were near the elevator. Only one was in the kitchen, probably because of a machine.
Astro was about to go around the middle counter.
Twisted Scraps had freed herself. Her body was more damaged now, with visible ichor dripping down her back. That hit had been brutal.
The other Twisted ones moved around the counter, chasing Astro and trying to catch him, while Scraps ran straight toward it and jumped. She growled as Astro leaped away— she nearly got him. It didn’t take long for her to start chasing again. Astro ran toward the area with the fake elevator, glancing back—
Pling.
Panic mode activated.
Scraps was catching up. Astro quickly turned at the counter’s edge just as Scraps swung her tail.
A ripping sound echoed.
Astro looked back, startled.
Scraps’ tail had hit Shelly.
Shelly whimpered, clutching her arm. Scraps had torn a piece of her clothing and left a gash, ichor dripping from her wound.
Astro turned back and shoved Shelly, trying to push her back.
“Go— Go!” His magic activated, restoring the fossil’s vitality. It was strange how his ability made a different sound— it was familiar.
They ran left, circling the counter and dashing through the center. Scraps jumped over the counter.
Astro checked if everyone was in the elevator, scanning the area before looking directly at the elevator, urging Shelly to move faster.
The elevator was about to close.
Shelly passed by the fallen shelf in the middle and rushed inside.
And Astro?
He was almost there— until Scraps’ tail wrapped around his arm.
Astro screamed. And the elevator timer ran out.
Scraps yanked her tail, ripping Astro’s arm off, droplets of ichor splattering onto the floor. His vision blurred, and his body trembled as the pain overwhelmed him, his legs giving out.
Tisha was about to step out of the elevator, screaming his name— or at least, Astro thought she did. He couldn’t hear anything. Everything was muffled. The maid was held back by Vee, and the elevator doors shut.
Astro’s breathing turned erratic as he stared at the now-closed elevator. He had to get out of here—immediately. He ran left while the toons were distracted, feasting on the arm that had been ripped off.
But Scraps saw him running. She would definitely come after him. A wounded prey was all the more interesting to hunt.
Astro ran. He reached the small room ahead, barely managing to stay on his feet. As soon as he neared the desk, his legs gave out. He collapsed under it, breathing heavily, his remaining hand pressing against the stump where his arm used to be.
He was shaking. His whole body ached. The ichor wouldn’t stop flowing. It was terrifying.
“Sh...Shit… Shit—whyy… Why are you so- so... stupid…” He mumbled, choking. Ichor was rising in his throat, suffocating him. It felt like he was losing every ounce of life he had left just from that one fatal strike. Maybe the pain had triggered something in his body—paired with the sheer panic. Yeah. This was bad.
Wait— this is a dream. He just had to wakeup!
Astro took a deep breath— or at least tried. He choked again.
He attempted to summon one of his stars—but nothing. There was nothing.
He felt wrong.
He couldn’t even make a door appear. Nostars. Nothing.
That made everything worse. His chest tightened. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back to his room.
Astro hiccuped, clutching his chest.
Then, he felt something—an unnatural movement.
Somehow… he had just moved the arm that was gone.
But it had been torn off.
So—
He looked.
A massive ichor-coated claw.
Astro froze, pressing his back against the wall, his heart racing.
He was turning into one of them.
Astro shook his head, raising all four of his hands in front of him.
There were only two.
His normal hand— and a ichor claw.
What—
He couldn’t breathe.
His chest felt like it was collapsing. Astro started hyperventilating, clutching his shirt tightly. He hunched forward, squeezing his eyes shut— then opening them again, catching sight of a shard of glass on the floor.
He sawSprout.
A look of pure terror and despair.
Breathing was getting harder.
He needed to breathe.
Sprout clutched his head, ichor dripping from his mouth as he coughed violently, choking. Tears mixed with ichor streamed down his face.
"NO!"
Astro woke up suddenly, sitting up abruptly in his own bed, breathing heavily.
Ah.
He managed to get out.
The moon placed a hand over his own face, his eye covered in tears. He was trembling slightly— that experience had been horrible.
...That dream was Sprout’s.
Or… was it a memory?
He shook his head, hugging his own knees and staring at the floor of his room. Astro took a deep breath...
Okay, okay… It’s over, no need to worry, it was just a silly nightmare… Haha… My God, what a horrible experience.
Astro took another deep breath, trying to control his breathing. His throat was dry— he needed water… and maybe a few moments to calm down properly.
He stood up on shaky legs, wrapping himself in his blanket and heading toward the door.
Astro opened the door.
The lights were on— it was probably morning… or maybe some time in the afternoon, but most likely morning. There wasn’t much movement in the hallway, so it was probable that most of the toons were still asleep, except for Rodger. He usually woke up early for his little research sessions, at least from what Astro could remember. It was odd since it seemed like the detective always stayed up late… But anyway.
He walked down the hallway at his own pace, still struggling a bit due to the lingering shock.
Astro sniffed the air— there was a faint aroma of pancakes being made. Maybe Cosmo was making breakfast as usual.
He slowed down as he reached the kitchen.
Only to be met with a tall figure.
Clearly familiar.
It was Sprout.
He was humming while making some pancakes on the pan, his arm wrapped in a large bandage, along with his neck.
Astro stared in shock.
It didn’t take long for Sprout to turn around and look at him, looking confused for a moment.
"Hey— good morning, Moonie! Want some pancakes?" Sprout placed a hand on the counter, looking at Astro.
"How did you—" Astro shook his head.
"Uh… The run was kinda rough yesterday." The cook scratched the back of his head. "...Sorry for—" Sprout let out a "sss" sound and lifted his bandaged hand.
It was catching on fire.
"Shit—" He started patting at it, trying to put out the flames forming on the bandage.
Astro blinked— he quickly rushed over to Sprout, grabbing his arm and turning on the faucet, pulling him down under the water.
Sprout let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks..." He looked at Astro.
Astro, on the other hand, remained silent, letting go of the other's arm.
"Astro—?" Sprout started to find the silence odd.
But.
Astro suddenly threw himself at him, hugging him tightly.
The moon was exhausted— that much was clear. Especially after spending an entire day blaming himself for Sprout's death. It was comforting to have him back.
Sprout was caught off guard by the sudden action but simply hugged him back. He could tell Astro needed comfort, and he wasn’t about to refuse that, even giving gentle pats on the moon’s back.
"...Hey? I'm here for you if you need anything, alright?" Sprout held him tighter. "...If something’s wrong."
"Mhm..." Astro buried his face in Sprout, seeking comfort.
...He felt safe now.