Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Wilted Flower
Dandy just couldn't believe it.
Everything he had worked for... gone in an instant. He had finally made something of himself inside this sanctuary, because of his dear Toon Handler, Delilah. She had been the only one there for him when he needed company the most, if you ignore Astro's supportive behavior towards him. He was his closest friend, but it was not the same. Delilah made him feel safe in her cradling arms and motherly nature... or that's what she seemed to show.
Deep down, Dandy's gut was telling him that Delilah hid something dark deep beneath that sweet smile of hers. But he couldn't bring himself to accept it. He denied every single doubt that rooted within him, burying it all the way back into his mind in order to continue living the blissful fantasy he enjoyed the most. Especially since she and Arthur had been the ones to gift him his very own special companion, Pebble. If they or Astro weren't around, Pebble certainly was to ease his loneliness.
But Pebble was only there because of Delilah. Astro was only there because of Delilah.
He was only there because of Delilah.
And now, when things finally seemed to be going uphill, it all suddenly comes crashing back down, melting on Dandy's shoulders and drowning him in a puddle of shame and despair. Delilah and the rest of the Toon Handlers had left them. All of them.
At first it seemed like a harmless 'see you later', but none of them had expected it to twist into such an unexpected, yet painful 'goodbye'. Dandy continued to believe that they were coming back for them, no matter what. But as time passed by... days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Everyone was absolutely torn and heartbroken, especially him.
Shelly had stitched up a rather silly looking stuffed dinosaur as a welcome home gift for her handler, Shanon. Vee had made a video spelling out a pixelated "Miss me?" on the screen with a chirpy song playing in the background for her handler, Veronica. Sprout, along with Cosmos' help; had baked a strawberry themed cake with the words "Welcome back!" frosted on top with decorations surrounding it for his handler, Sam. Astro had adorned his handlers' room with small, yellow moons tied up to a string dangling from the ceiling, along some star stickers plastered onto the nightstand and walls.
And finally, Dandy had recorded himself waving at the camera, Pebble wagging his tail and bouncing around with a fake, yet believable rainbow crossing the sky behind them as a finishing touch. The videotape lasted about 4 seconds long, but it was just enough time to bring a smile to one's face. Or so he thought.
They had all prepared their own little gifts for their handlers, and none of them had shown up to honor their efforts. That made Dandy's blood boil in rage. How could they do this to them? After everything they did for them?
Astro was constantly forced onstage to greet an audience he does not wish to have, all for the sake and fame of his handler!
Vee is filled to the brim with trivia questions alongside being overworked 24/7 just to keep the kids entertained because of her handler!
Sprout can't seem to catch a break between teaching the children how to bake simple yet repetitive recipes or baking advanced treats for our guests, all thanks to his handler!
Shelly seems to have a permanent smile carved on her face as she greets every single kid that walks through the entrance door with open arms, spitting dinosaur facts here and there, forced by her- wait. That was just Shelly's idea. Her handler wasn't as bad as the others, to which Dandy refused to believe after what they had done. Still...
No.
Dandy will never forget what they did to him. What his handler did to him.
Forcing him to work with eerie subjects such as a slimy substance by the name of ichor. Smothering it all over his hands, sticking to his fingers and dripping down his petals. Delilah had always been a very curious and experimental person, and so she decided to use Dandy as her test subject, unfortunately. The ichor was soon enough pinned as dangerous, and poured into some sort of glass capsules as they hid them away in a cardboard box behind Dandy's shop in the personnel room.
He was shocked. During that moment, Dandy didn't mind taking full responsibility for the ichor, as if he had a choice. But now that he sees the whole picture, it only made his anger rise even more. Delilah had framed him for having started the ichor project, and even worse, had tested it on him without even knowing the full story herself. She could've poisoned him!
His whole life, Dandy had worshipped the very people who ended up ruining his and his peers' lives. Delilah was like a goddess to him, a motherly figure who took him under her wing as if he were her very own child. It seemed all that kindness rooted off of the fact that she was basically playing with his health right about then. It was the least she could do to make up for it.
What a bitch.
All of them are such monsters. Leaving them behind after working for them their entire lives, placing themselves under an unwanted spotlight just for their cruel entertainment, reputation and money. All for nothing.
It had all gone to such waste. A waste of valuable time they could've spent goofing off with their friends, not stuck under the pressure of being perfect all the time.
THEY HAD ALL LEFT THEM.
ALL OF THEM.
Dandy would not let it slide that easily. Delilah considered the ichor a 'failed experiment'. Well, if he kept the ichor project up and running again, he would surely upset Delilah once she finds out that her once sweet and charming little Toons had become such terrifying creatures that would surely maul her and her coworkers to death. The reason the ichor had been pinned as threatening was because it could not only infect its victims who consumed it, but also change them.
Now, Dandy didn't know exactly what it did, but all he knew is that it couldn't kill Toons, to his relief. Therefore, if Delilah had the freedom of trying out this substance on him, then he could do the same with his friends. And there was nobody who could stop him.
He'll show Delilah that he's not just some puny damsel in distress. He could be just as horrible as she was, and he'd prove it.
Dandy slammed his fists on the table beneath him, clattering the furniture around him. He stood on a stool with his shoulders pinned against his ears, nudging his neck and brushing against his colorful petals. He slumped over his desk, fists shaking in anger as he gritted his teeth, tiny pupils flickering red in anger staring down the wooden surface of the table. He leaned against it, an elbow resting on it as his other hand reached out to his cheek, rubbing it gently and feeling the sweat drops beginning to stain his pale face.
Just then, the doorknob twisted and clicked in place, as the door suddenly creaked open shily, revealing a cyan figure standing next to it. It was Astro, a strained expression on his face as he glanced over at Dandy, who continued to tremble while leaning on his desk.
"D-Dandy...? Is everything okay...? I thought I heard a noise coming from your room and decided to come check on you..." He softly called out, his magic closing the door behind him as he silently stepped inside, the wooden planks moaning under the sudden weight. Dandy jerked his head back, his eyes widening in surprise as his clenched fists softened their grip on each other. He breathed in, calming his nerves as he then spun around on his stool, a wide grin splitting around his cheeks.
"Astro! Hello, friend." He greeted, a small vein popping out from his forehead, standing out from his spotless pale skin. Astro certainly noticed, sighing in response as he carefully approached Dandy. He looked up at him, Dandy standing above him due to the stool he was currently on. Astro's nightcap dangled under his nape as he shifted uncomfortably under his purplish-blue blanket.
"Dandy... I know something's wrong." He confronted him, standing his ground as his gaze showed pity and worry. Dandy's smile dropped, his petals noticeably becoming duller as he stood on edge. He swallowed the lump clogging his throat, plopping down to sit on his wooden stool and kicking his feet back and forth as a self-soothing method. He hung his head low, his petals dropping down as a shadow was cast over his eyes, frowning in sorrow.
Astro awaited his response, but received none. He wasn't one to talk, let alone comfort, but he knew Dandy needed him at the moment. He had to do something about it. He was his best friend, after all. He couldn't just leave him like this. He looked so lost.
"Look, Dandy... I- understand if y-you don't wanna talk about it... but I promise I'll try to help." He reassured, a short smile slipping onto his face as he continued to look at Dandy, who slowly lifted his head to look at Astro. Their eyes met, Dandy's were dull and lifeless while Astro's gleamed with worry. He was troubled by Dandy's strange behavior, especially since the fact that this had, in fact, not been the first time he had acted like this. Ever since Delilah left, he had clung to this slim thread called hope, but once it snapped, he became a whole different Toon.
He could barely recognize him anymore.
"I just... need some time to myself." He admitted, spinning back around on his stool and resting his head on his desk, his petals serving as a blanket. Astro sighed, expecting a more reasonable answer that could've given him the answer to Dandy's sulking. But he was wrong. He wasn't ready to open up just yet, and he respected that. He knew what it felt like to be troubled, and having someone asking you what was wrong over and over again when all you wanted was to be alone would just make things worse.
Therefore, he decided to drop it. For now. He nodded at Dandy's slouched figure, before turning back around and leaving his room, a trail of faintly glowing stars following close behind him.
Dandy sighed, relieved that Astro had understood the signs he had given him and had left him alone. But he was telling the truth, after all. He needed some much-needed time alone.
Away from everyone. He had to think of a solution, even if the solution didn't seem like the right thing to do.
Sprout placed a tray topped with cupcakes over the counter gently, brushing his hand against his forehead as he wiped off the sweat dripping down from it. He then glanced over at Cosmo, who also stuffed his mittens into the oven and retrieved his own set of pastries from it. He placed his own next to Sprout's, as his eyes shifted over to look at his best friends' cupcakes.
"Whaaat? Those look so good!" Cosmo complimented, pouting as he turned back to look at his own. Sprout chuckled softly, patting him on the back with a smile. "Well, we still haven't decorated them yet! You could still beat me." He challenged, nudging Cosmo with his elbow while winking. Cosmo, who now had some newfound determination, gladly accepted the bet. They both took their own frosting bag, and tilted the tip over the bread, before pressing their fingers against it as the icing began to pour itself onto the freshly baked recipe.
Both of their mouths watered, despite having baked cupcakes many times before. Baking cupcakes will always hold a special place in their hearts. Cosmo's tongue stuck out from his lips, fully concentrated on not messing up his cupcake as he solely locked his eyes onto the tip of his frosting bag. Sprout turned to look at the pastry, holding back a giggle as he quickly went back to decorating his own cupcake.
An hour went by, and both bakers had finally finished decorating their own cupcakes. Cosmo's gaze was finally freed as he sighed in relief upon squeezing the last bit of frosting onto the last cupcake, glad he hadn't messed up one bit. Sprouts fist covered his mouth, his cheeks filling up with air as he turned to the side, holding back laughter once again.
"Hey, what's so funny? You've been snorting this whole time. I'm not deaf, you know. I know you're laughing at me." Cosmo complained, crossing his arms as he slightly leaned back. His apron dropped down to his left side, dangling as he continued to sternly look at Sprout. Sprout couldn't hold it in anymore, and he burst out laughing, using the counter as support to keep him upright.
"Haha! You were... so focused on- heheh... not messing up your cupcakes... HAHAHA- t-that you a-actually- pfft... stuck out your tongue this entire time... heh- a-and stared them down- pfft- a-as if you w-were about to L-LECTURE THEM!" Sprout said in between breaths, finally calming down as he waved his hand at his face, blowing air towards it. Cosmo's eyes widened for a split second, before shily looking away with reddened cheeks and quivering lips. "It wasn't that funny..." He mumbled under his breath, avoiding eye contact as he kept his arms crossed over his chest.
Sprout giggled one last time, before walking over to Cosmo, who was still looking behind his shoulder in embarrassment. He patted it gently, walking beside him. "Aw, c'mon Cos. I'm just teasing you. Hey, at least you were determined enough to do things right this time, huh?" He teased once again, earning a punch to the arm by Cosmo as he glared at Sprout, who was yet again laughing away as he held his sore arm.
"Oh, come on Sprout! Give me a break!" Cosmo lashed out, moving over to his tray of cupcakes as he then grabbed it by the sides, lifting it close to his chest and walking towards the exit of the kitchen. He held his head high, not looking back once as Sprout's laughter died down, his amusement replaced by confusion.
"H-Hey! Wait for me, Cos!" He quickly picked up his own tray and skipped over to Cosmo, slowing back down to a walk once he was side to side with him. Cosmo turned away angrily, a small giggle escaping his lips as he tried his best to remain upset. Deep down, he wasn't, and Sprout knew that, which only gave him another reason to tease him even more.
"I know you're acting tough, Cosmo. You suck at it, y'know?" Sprout grinned, leaning down to Cosmo's eye level and breathing down his neck, Cosmo moving away slightly as yet another chuckle escaped his mouth. Sprout lifted a brow, his smile widening as he then held his tray with one hand, his other arm wrapping around Cosmo's neck. He laughed, Cosmo giving in to his laughter too and walking alongside Sprout without holding back towards the living room where most Toons hung out.
"And then he was like-" Poppy was rudely cut off as Shrimpo stormed into the room, plopping down next to her onto the couch with crossed arms and a huge frown on his face. As usual.
All Toons in the room gave Poppy and Shrimpo confused looks, Poppy herself turning to look at Shrimpo who didn't move a muscle, and just stared into oblivion with that permanent frown of his. Poppy shifted uncomfortably, resting her hands on her thighs as she gripped her pink dress tightly, biting her lower lip as she nervously looked around.
"Shri-"
"WHAT."
Poppy instantly shut her mouth, her knuckles gripping around her dress even tighter than before and moving away from him, sliding towards the other end of the couch. Scraps and Goob were also there, alongside Finn and Boxten. While Goob distracted himself with some other stranded stuff around the room, Finn and Boxten exchanged glances while Scraps looked annoyed.
"Hey! She didn't do anything wro-"
"SHUT UP!"
Scraps gasped offendedly, glaring daggers at Shrimpo as she then stood up from her seat, approaching Shrimpo with her claws unsheathed. Shrimpo couldn't care less, standing his ground as he stared right back at a very angry origami cat. "Listen, I know you're always like this, but that doesn't mean you have to take it out on us!"
"AND WHY SHOULD I CARE."
Scraps gritted her fangs, Finn and Boxten hugging each other tightly as they both tried their best to avoid being seen by either of them. Poppy decided to move elsewhere due to the tension between the two Toons mere inches away from her. She stood up and walked over to the kitchen door, where Cosmo and Sprout nearly bumped into her, barely saving each of their tray of cupcakes from crashing onto the ground.
"Woops! Sorry guys!" Poppy apologized, scratching the back of her bubbly head apologetically. Both bakers shared a smile with her, nodding reassuringly as they made their way into the living room, Poppy following close behind.
"Guys, look what we!-" Cosmo announced, before he was suddenly shoved by two blurry figures, his tray of cupcakes getting tossed into the air. Poppy gasped, her hands pressed against her cheeks as her mouth remained wide open. "THE CUPCAKES!" Finn shrieked, pointing a finger at the flying tray.
Everything seemed to go in slow motion, both figures that had pushed Cosmo to the ground resulting to be none other than Shrimpo and Scraps, who were wrestling each other and had accidentally knocked Cosmo off his feet. Finn and Boxten shared the same shocked expression as they watched the tray begin its descent towards the wooden floor, while Poppy looked like she was about to pass out. Sprout gasped, having crouched down to get both squabbling Toons off of Cosmo.
Just as the tray was about to hit the floor, a pair of claws wrapped around the tray carefully, clicking against the metal as the tray hovered mere inches above the ground. A few seconds passed, and nobody moved a muscle or even breathed in the slightest.
"Can't waste good treats!" Goob chirped in excitement.
As if a spell had suddenly been broken, all Toons then regained their composure at the same time. Finn sighed in relief, sprawling over the couch. Boxten closed his eyes, the tension that had built up within him diminishing in an instant. Poppy held her breath, her heart pounding against her chest as she tugged at her pink dress. Shrimpo and Scraps stood back up on their feet, glaring at each other before Scraps began to apologize to Cosmo over and over again.
Sprouts anger vanished once he saw how Scraps genuinely seemed to regret her mistake. Therefore, his expression softened, a small smile cracking onto his face. Scraps noticed, and returned the smile.
"It's okay, Scraps. Accidents happen." Cosmo forgave her, smiling. "Yeah, and the cupcakes are unharmed!" Sprout piped in, resting his hands on his hips as little yellow stars lit up around his face with a successful ding.
Just then, Boxten decided to speak up, which was rare for him, considering his quiet and shy personality, like Cosmo. "A-Aren't you gonna apologize too... Shrimpo?" He asked, worried that he'd receive a punch in the face for it, which he did, to everyone's horror.
Boxten was sent flying off the couch, his back hitting the wooden floor as ichor seeped from his nose. He held it tightly with his right hand, throbbing in pain as his left hand supported him into a lifted laying position. His pupils shook in fear, staring right back at Shrimpo's, which were filled with hatred.
"HEY!" Finn shouted, scrambling to his feet as he quickly leaned down to help Boxten back up onto his own feet. He wrapped his arm around his neck and down his armpit, before glaring at Shrimpo who clearly couldn't care less.
Sprout and Cosmo just stood there motionlessly, unsure of what to do or how to keep everyone stable. Ever since Dandy began locking himself up in his room, most Toons around Gardenview had been so on edge, that even Shrimpo seemed to have gotten even meaner. However, he had stooped way too low this time. He could scream at Toons all he wanted, but physical violence was not tolerated amongst them. Toon handlers or no Toon handlers involved.
Poppy rushed to Boxten's side, angrily pushing Shrimpo out of the way as she leapt over the couch, a worried expression on her face as both Finn and her helped Boxten to the infirmary, limping out of the living room.
That left the craft siblings, Shrimpo and the bakers.
"That wasn't very nice of you, Shrimpo." Sprout lectured, a stern look on his face. Cosmo shily stood behind him, not wanting to get involved into anymore arguments. Scraps decided to let Sprout do the talking, admitting to herself that minutes ago, she hadn't acted like herself at all. This overwhelming tension was really getting to her. She just hoped her younger brother would remain his silly self despite Gardenview's downfall having an effect on most Toons, especially Dandy.
"WHY SHOULD I CARE. BECAUSE YOU'RE A MAIN?"
Sprout cringed, his anger getting the better of him. He hated being told off most of the time for being a main. Every time he pointed out someone's foul behavior, their first excuse was always "Just because you're a main!-"
He resented it.
Cosmo cowered behind him, clinging to his apron with one hand as his tray carefully rested on his other hand.
"NO. Because you just punched a Toon for absolutely no reason." He pinched the bridge of his nose, placing his tray of cupcakes back onto the counter, Cosmo doing the same. Scraps nodded in agreement.
"WHATEVER."
Shrimpo then stormed off angrily, Sprout sighing as he shook his head in disappointment. He began to think that it wasn't just Shrimpo's behavior that changed, but Scraps' too. She was always so reserved and calm when it came to arguments, but this time she straight up lunged into a cat fight with an obvious rage baiter. She didn't usually fall for that kind of shit.
Dandy is to blame for all of this. He knew that all too well. Astro always played both sides though, so he was a lost case to this whole issue. At least Vee happened to notice the obvious struggle Gardenview was putting up against, no matter how much he disliked her. He knew she was right, and so was he.
Shelly was always so cheerful, it was hard to tell whether she actually cared, or just pushed through it. Probably the second guess. She's always the one who hypes them all up after all, she's fine on her own.
Cosmo tugged at his apron, Sprout turning to look at what had distraught his attention. Cosmo motioned over to the cupcakes, which were still untouched over the counter. He made an 'O' shape with his mouth, before smiling softly.
"Right. Scraps, Goob, help yourselves to some cupcakes we just baked. These were meant to be for all of you but..." Scraps chuckled, having gotten the point as she quickly trudged over towards the cupcakes, picking up both trays and bringing them over to Goob, who thanked her with a toothy grin.
Cosmo and Sprout shared glances, shrugging and walking back into the kitchen, leaving the craft siblings to their own treats as they talked about some silly stuff that Goob got so hyped about not long after.
Stupid, stupid Toon handlers. So much for keeping us safe. You traitors, all of you.
Why was it so hard to just take us with you. We deserve to be loved too, and cared for like normal beings. Instead, we're left here to rot in the darkness of our own hell pit that YOU built. I trusted you all, and did as told every single time I was given an order. My reward for it is independence apparently, but now I get it. Forced independence. I can't trust anyone now. Just myself.
And I'm fine with that.
Soon enough, me and my 'friends' will be the last ones standing high with our minds still connected to ourselves. I don't care about the rest. I'll show Delilah what I can really do.
I'll show them all.