Chapter 12:

Henry had gotten used to waking up feeling cold and uncomfortable, usually with a throbbing headache. This time didn't seem much different at first. Henry could feel the hardwood of the studio floor beneath him, adding a stiff back to all his other aches and bruises. But while there was still the familiar chill of the studio present in the air, the was a warm weight on his chest. Forcing his eyes open, Henry blearily looked at his chest. Blinking a few times to focus, Henry stiffened for a moment when he saw black and white face until he realized it was only Bendy.

The little toon was curled up against Henry's chest, looking perfectly on model and fast asleep. Smilingly slightly at the sight, Henry gently placed a hand on the toon's back. The toon felt smooth beneath his hand, like glossy paper. The toon leaned into his touch at first as the toon started to wake up, then he stiffened and his eyes shot open.

"Bendy, it's me, Henry," Henry assured the toon before the little devil could start to panic. The toon blinked and then gave Henry a big grin.

"Creator!" Bendy cheered, hugging Henry, making the man laugh. A noise nearby startled the happy pair, making Henry hold Bendy close as he sat up. Looking to the side, The two saw Boris and Alice beginning to stir. The wolf still had his mechanical arm though the angel's sword was nowhere to be found.

"Alice! Boris!" Bendy greeted happily, scrambling over to them.

"Bendy!" Alice and Boris exclaimed, eagerly hugging the small devil and each other. They burst into tears and nonsensical comments as they tried to express just how happy they were to finally be reunited and for Joey's reign to have ended. Henry watched the toons reunion quietly and with wonder. As horrible as the things Joey had done had been, Henry would always be grateful for the toon's creation.

"I know you guys are happy to finally be together," Henry eventually cut in when it became the clear the toons weren't going to stop on their own anytime soon. "But we're not out of the Studio yet."

The toons sobered up after that and huddled around their Creator as they finally took in their surroundings. They were on the first floor within the room that housed the smaller ink machine. It didn't look anything like when Henry had activated it though. The chains that once held the machine suspended were rusted and broken, with the machine itself smashed and crumbling up against the edge of the pit.

"I guess breaking Joey's magic did more damage than I thought," Henry commented. "Come on, let's see if anyone survived the collapse of Joey's little empire."

The toons were reluctant to go deeper within the studio, as the place help nothing but bad memories. And they weren't exactly keen on most of the employees either since they had been the ones who had helped Joey torture the toons in search of immortality. It took a little while, but Henry managed to convince the toons that everyone had suffered enough and should at least be given the opportunity to get out.

The Studio somehow seemed even more rundown, but the stairs were intact even if they weren't the most stable. They made their way down, gathering survivors they came across. Most of them were very disoriented and were very willing to let Henry guide them out. Some, like Sammy, reacted with fear at seeing the toons, especially Bendy. The little devil never really helped in these instances as he usually growled and barred his teeth at whoever was shouting at them, but Henry managed to calm things down. With each level they went down, their group got larger, but it was obvious to Henry that they only found a fraction of the people that had worked and then been trapped here.

"Most of them probably didn't survive the spell breaking," Bendy replied when Henry finally voiced his thoughts. "You saw all those searchers, the souls they were made from had been severally twisted and damaged by the ink. There was no way they could be saved in restored."

"Their souls have been released though," Alice added. "They are no longer suffering and have passed on to whatever lies beyond this life."

"I guess that's for the best then," Henry sighed, mourning those that died because of Joey's greed. As they went lower down, the toons became more and more on edge. Eventually, Henry told them to stay with the others while he finished the last few levels. The toons were reluctant but agreed to stay back. Leaving them in Norman's hands, Henry descended even deeper. He found no signs of life until he came to the administrative area where he saw a light beneath Joey Drew's office door. Preparing himself for what was to come, Henry pushed open the door.

"Have you come to gloat Henry?" Joey asked bitterly, slumped in his chair behind his desk. When Henry had confronted Joey in the Ink Machine, the man had barely looked he had aged at all. Now though, it looked like Joey had aged all the years at once and then some. His hair was completely grey and his face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes burned with rage as he looked at Henry.

"Are you happy Henry?" Joey snarled when Henry didn't say anything. "You abandoned the Studio all those years ago and when I give you the chance to come back and become something even greater, you destroy it all!"

"All that I destroyed was an endless cycle of pain and suffering," Henry replied coldly, glaring at Joey. "You've hurt everyone you were supposed to look after. Your employees, the toons, and all because you wanted to be immortal. So many lost their lives and I'm taking those that survived out of here. The only question that remains is what are you going to do now?"

"Now? There's nothing left for me now…" Joey laughed humorlessly. "You've taken everything from me once again. My machine, the word I've created, the empire I built, but that's all gone now. And without the ink running through my veins, I've lost all the strength that came with youth. I'm nothing but an old man now in the remains of my once great empire…"

"You'll have to let go, Joey," Henry sighed. "Just like you should have let me go 30 years ago, though I doubt you will. Even after everything, all you care about is yourself. Enjoy the remains of your crooked empire, for you will never see me or any of the others you once held prisoner here ever again."

"Like I'd ever want to see a traitor like you ever again!" Joey shouted as Henry turned away. "Go ahead! Leave! Take those failures with you for all I care! Get out of my sight!"

Henry ignored the old man and left, returning to his toons.

Henry lead everyone back up and to the Studio's exit. Throwing it open, everyone grinned at seeing the sun shining brightly. They left the studio, full of bitter memories and a dark path. They walked into a light, into an unknown future, but one full of possibilities.