No Need To Panic. I'm Rather Pleased At Your Confession.

<Sun smiled brightly>

I am the very original frame of the Sun models, dating back all the way to 2014 in our dimension.

In your dimension's years, it would be -1517... that much time before it even came to existence!

<Sun blinked and smiled again. Eclipse wasn't joking when mentioning Sun was a walking logbook>

That Eclipse of yours sure is a character.

<He was following the conversation as well, as his Eclipse (Clip) returned. Sun could tell something was wrong, but Eclipse would speak when ready. He seamlessly slipped into the conversation.>

It is a grim tale, Starlight, and you might think less of Sun and I for it. Are you sure you want to know?

E.

@es-startravel

<SSP found herself chuckling a bit at her Fazwatch, reading the latest correspondence with Eclipse>

Ha ha, Oh dear, poor Eclipse.

<She shakes her head and tuts>

I do try not to be mean, but he did call me stupid. I work in customer service to some degree. Eclipse should have realised I would have some idea how to reprimand someone politely.

<The animatronic carefully sits herself on the sand next to Sun. She will most likely get sand in her joints, but right now SSP can’t bring herself to care. She idly traces patterns in the sand with her finger>

You said you were a Sun Model. Or at least that Sun Model parts would be compatible for repairing you. Does that mean that you were something like an ordinary Fazco animatronic like me, a long time ago?

If you do not mind telling me, how did you go from that to travelling the cosmos? And Magic?

… The Sun model that will likely be arriving at the pizzaplex back home. Will they be like you?

No need to be afraid, Starlight.

A friend of my Sun, is a friend of mine.

I don't harm anyone without reason.

And you've given me none, courteous child. Be at ease.

You may call me Eclipse, or to avoid confusion, you may assign me a nickname of your choosing. May I suggest Clip? It's a .. clipped version of the original.

<He chuckled: a deep, sonorous sound>

<Eclipse extends a hand to her, warmly, to make acquaintance but also to help her get her footing.>

<Sun waves from a distance and groans. His arm looks patched up with random materials, but efficiently and cleanly done, probably awaiting a new arm. He mutters and smiles anew.>

Hello, friend! It's so nice to see you under better circumstances! Isn't this beach lovely?? It's one of my favourite places ever. There's so much sunshine, and it's breezy and ... Eclipse is here... and now you are too! Welcome!

<He seems very excitable, not pausing between sentences at all>

@es-startravel

Hello!? Hello!? Sun, This is Starlight Security Puppet! If it is safe for you to do so, can you please tell me where you are?

I came back from my dayshift rounds to check on you and I cannot find you anywhere! And I still have the cameras blacked out in parts and service so I do not know when you left or where you went!

I can not find you via any of the active cameras in the pizzaplex so I assume you are either hiding or have left the pizzaplex entirely.

Are you safe? I am not sure if you are in good enough condition to be out and about!

-SSP

Ouch, alright... sorry. I'll leave you alone.

- Sun

Tsk.

I mean. I am no scientist but given what I have l learned and experienced recently "Impossible" seems much smaller than it used to be.

You developed a means to punch holes between realities out of what mostly appeared to be boredom, Eclipse. Within weeks. So forgive me if I thought that something else completely insane like that was within your abilities.

-SSP

Heh. I'm flattered you think I could make a portal in only a few weeks. But that portals represents months of work.

Sure. Exploring a blackhole might not be entirely impossible. But it'll most certainly take a bit longer than the portal.

<Takes place sometime after the fight and the aftermath in the Startravel timeline. Starlight recieves it a fair bit later.>

Dear Starlight,

I'm delighted to hear your transition into the new year was fulfilling.

From myself, also the best wishes for this new earth year.

We don't have such transitions anymore, but we keep track of what the date would have been in our original timeline. It's still some lunar turns off from now, as the planet we're on only has a vibrant moon, and no sun.

Regardless, thank you for your well wishes.

Sun is, unfortunately, still kept in stasis as my friend, the other Sun, tries to extract the dark energy from his code.

We must keep hope...

I have sent you a little gift in the mail, courtesy of our other Sun, and my own handiwork.

It's a balljoint doll animatronic Sun; a little replica that uses holograms and a basic AI to help you get a handle on your magic. It's not much, but it's enough, I hope, to make up for lost time.

E.

[Attached to the post is a magical artifact]

@es-startravel

Hello my friends! Starlight here! I do not quite know how time works between different realities, but here it was recently New Year's Day! My first actually! It was rather chaotic the night before (so many human adults acting rather like children, my goodness gracious) but I got to see Fireworks! I loved them, they were so beautiful! They look a bit like how magic feels, if that makes any sense. Color and wonder and light and awe. Or um, something like that, ha ha.

Again, I do not know how time works for you, but regardless I thought I would wish you a Happy New Year! And that this New Year be filled with Joy and Peace for you both!

-Starlight

I found the pods!

And one of them -- just one! -- is still in working order!

Stars, but.. is this little thing strong enough to weather the space storms around this planet ?

I really wish Eclipse was here to give me advice.

You know what? I'm going for it. I'm just.. I'm going for it!

Wish me luck!

[A winky face followed by a heart suddenly flashes on Clip's screen. Then it's gone as well as the presence in his systems as if nothing had happened.]

Alright, now I know for sure something is haunting me.

Is it that other Eclipse perhaps?

....

[He called out into the room]

Are you there, perchance?

I still don't know your name..

Sun will be fine; thank you for your concern.

And don't worry about triggering him; I have had to do more than my fair share of... self repairs after his episodes.

It's not easy to tell what sets him off.

And.. ah... yes... well, I am but a virus. A partial entity... barely a whole.

In all my years, the universe fails to recognize me as an autonomous being.

I am an anomaly, in the grand scheme of things.

Your Eclipse got somewhat luckier.

His break from his Moon was cleaner, it seems, by the way he is able to use magic, even if he chooses not to.

E.

<a day or two after Eclipse brings Sun home, he receives a notification>

@es-startravel

Hello Eclipse. This is SSP, contacting you via my fazwatch.

I know I made Sun very upset. I would like to talk to him so I can understand why what I said made him so upset. But, only if you think they would be comfortable talking with me.

Did I really cross Sun’s boundaries that badly, Eclipse? Was it wrong for me to reprimand him like that? I know I tend to be unskilled when it comes to social interaction, but please believe I meant no ill-will towards him. He is basically the first friend I ever really made. He can drop the magic lessons if he wishes, I just don’t want to lose him as a friend. Or you, for that matter.

-SSP

I'm so tired.

It worked... somehow.

But I crash-landed (again!) on a (thankfully inhabited) nearby planet.

I don't know what kind of creatures live here, so I'll have to be careful.

Stars, I don't know if they even have an appropriate power source for me to use !

But it's better than nothing, and I took the solar panels with me just in case.

Maybe I could try installing them on myself... would that work?

No word yet from the other Eclipse

I hope they haven't forgotten me..

Oh- Hehe. Well~ Isn't that an interesting turn of event.

I suppoooose it wouldn't hurt if I stayed a little bit longer...

It is nice being surrounded by your code. Like a big hug. It almost feels... comforting in a way.

...

[Clip doesn't respond; he is breathing evenly in satisfaction and his systems keep ramping up heat until....]

System reboot

Please standby by

Of course~ Oh, I was hoping you'd say that.

I am very glad to see you've started to see reason. Talking to you was such a good idea.

I cannot wait to get started.

Excellent.

And do consider showing your lovely face around my quarters if you so please.

Perhaps we can have a.. more personal chat.

I'd love to know more about you, and what drove you to come to my aid.