Time passed, what felt like hours, bu who could tell in this barren place? The two were growing weary, and 5 didn't want to admit it, but he was lost. He wondered if 6 knew it, the striped doll was usually very in tune with the feelings around him. He glanced over at the little artist to see him with his head bowed, his feet dragging. 5 put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him, "We should rest...It's getting dark..." 6 merely nodded and followed him to a pile of junk that 5 quickly fashioned into a makeshift shelter. The two stitchpunks sat together. 6 brushed against him, sitting so close their sides were touching. 5 could tell he was uneasy, and wracked his brain for solutions to the problem, he smiled and looked at the little doll, "Want to hear a story?" He remembered it from something 2 had told him, a fable, is what he called it. 6 nodded and turned, watching him intently as he started off into his tale.
"2 told me this was about the wind and the sun...He never told me where he learned it from..Knowing him it could have been from anywhere.." He smiled and went on, "It goes...Something like this.." 5 began shakily as he struggled to remember, but his telling became more smooth as he went along. He told of the wind and the sun fighting over which was stronger, which they settled by conest, who could make the man remove his coat first. 6 listened with intrest as he drew to the conclusion of his fable, "In the end, the sun won, because he did not use violent force to remove the man's coat, like the wind shone down on the man until it was simply too hot to keep the coat on." He saw that his companion seemed calmer, "It's peaceful...At night.." 6 nodded and then went rigid, his mismatched eyes becoming distant, "S-something..."
5 looked a him with concern, forcing the panic not to rise in his gut, "What is it, 6?" The artist stood and backed up, "Something coming...Below..." His breathing was fast, and suddenly 5 could feel it to. A horrible rumbling, getting stronger as if some terrible monster was charging at them. He clutched 6 by the arm and got very close to his face, whispering, "Climb up to the top of this pile...Don't look back..." 6 swallowed and started to follow his directions, then turned and dropped down, landing beside 5, "I'm...I'm n-not gonna leave you behind..." The terror was clear and raw in his voice. 5 looked at him for a moment, admiring his reluctant courage, he nodded. The noise rose in volume until it seemed to be all around them. 6 had made a terrible mistake dropping to the ground, he'd alerted the beast to their exact location.
Terror siezed 5 as the ground below began to break, as if some great snake was slithering just below the surface. And just as quickly as it had begun it stopped, leaving the two standing rooted to the spot. 6 clutched 5's arm to the point that it hurt, the fear was evident on his face, "W...What was that?" 5 whispered so only 6 could hear. 6's eyes were unfocused and distant, "Down below...Down below..." He started to step gingerly back to the pile, 5, without any other option, followed. The two began to climb up, getting as far away from the ground at they could. The rumbling began again. Suddenly the ground below broke open and a great beast rose forth, it's body was long and sectioned, like a great millipede. The size of the beast was monumental, especially to one of such a small stature as the frightened stitchpunks.
5's eye dilated at the sight of the beast that seemed to have come from the pits of hell itself. It appeared to be blind, driven only by the vibrations in the earth, a blessing and a curse. 5 felt 6 shaking beside him and shook his head, "We have to get away from the ground..." His voice quivered and betrayed how scared he was. 6 saw his own fear reflected on 5's face and nodded, climbing up. 5 reached the top and helped his friend onto the ledge, but the beast would not be avoided so easily. The creatures powerful sensors picked up on the vibrations from rubble falling from the pile as they climbed, it turned it's teeth filled jaws on the pair and rose higher. snapping devastating pincers and letting out a guttural hiss. 5's instincts told him to run, but he couldn't leave the artist behind, who seemed rooted to the spot with fear.
Thinking quickly, or perhaps not thinking at all, 5 took hold of a hunk of metal and leapt from the ledge, jamming the thing between the jaws of the beast. He dangled over it's open mouth, hanging onto the object for dear life, "6...Run!" He called desperately, which seemed to shake the striped doll from his stupor. He jumped up and looked at the scene below him, "No!" He took a deep breath and leapt over the side, landing by sheer miracle on the metal chunk that fixated the jaws open. He gripped 5's hand and pulled him up just as the beast thrashed it's head and sent them flying. 5 grabbed ahold of 6's key as they flung through the air, crashing into a pile of junk.
5 opened his eye and got focused, seeing the beast charging twords them. He pushed 6 off of him and pulled him off the pile back to the ground, "Run!" He knew it was a futile effort, but it was all they had left while he formulated a plan. He pulled 6 by the hand as he ran slap-dash across the rock strewn ground. 6 felt panic thrill through him, his breath was coming in short gasps as he tagged beside his friend. Suddenly 5 stopped, turned, and pulled the crossbow from his pack, "6 go find cover...Go!" He barked at 6, who followed the order, hiding behind a large concrete slab and shaking as he watched his friend facing off against the beast.
5 took deep breaths to calm himself at it neared closer, coming right onto him as he aimed to shoot. But the beast was quicker. He saw stars as an enormous pincer crashed into his body and sent him flying, slamming him into the concrete slap that 6 was hiding behind. He fell limp onto the ground in front of 6, who's eyes were stretched wide with horror. The striped doll reached out a hand and then emerged, dragging his fallen comrade behind the cinder and staying totally still. By another miracle the beast began to retreat, obviously finding the chase not as fun when there were no moving targets. 6 took 5's hand and looked at him with terrified eyes, "5...5..." His voice shook and he trembled. 5 was gone, lying limp in front of the artist. He pulled his friend into his arms and sobbed, here was one of the only few who showed the artist real kindness, and he was gone.