(TW: mentions of su1c1d3)

I injected the needle into his arm. He flinched in his sleep. Oh, I'm sorry, Asy... I know you don't like it, but I have to do this to help you...

Slowly I started pulling the excess ichor out of his system, careful not to go too quickly.

It was silent for a long time.

I stared intently at his sleeping face the entire time, waiting for any sudden movements.

None.

None at all.

His usually sky blue face had gone pale. I panicked.

I checked his heart rate, getting nothing back.

He's gone. My darling moon is gone... I couldn't do anything... why couldn't I have done this better?

Why did this have to happen? How did it?....

It was me. From the very beginning, it was all my fault. I'm a murderer. And I can't even care for the people that I love the most.

...

Where do I go from here...

...

What's the point if the one person who accepted me first is gone? And reviving him won't work, either... the current ichor shortage and all.......

There's no point...

I was jolted awake by Stripey's fabric gripping my neck tightly. I pulled at it to stop, to which it did so, but it also jerked around, as though trying to get me to get out of bed.

Cosmo wasn't with me.

He was just there... head on my chest... where could he be? I jumped out of bed, stepping out of my room, since Cosmo left the door open.

My silly cupcake...

I walked down the hallway, passed through many doorways, all with different toons getting ready for the day, but none of them could find Cosmo.

I guess the last place you check is always where the thing is that you're looking for.

I entered the elevator, humming along to the piano playing Clair de Lune on the speakers. When the elevator opened, I almost immediately walked into Cosmo's short figure right in front of the opening.

"Woah, Cos! You should be careful where you're stand-....ing......."

He hadn't moved, just stood there gazing at the tree in the middle of the lobby. The lights hadn't been turned on yet on this floor. Everything was dark.

"S...Sprout.....I'm scared..." Cosmo whispered next to me, gripping tightly on my arm. I rubbed his head, taking a few slow steps forward.

Something was off about the tree in the center. The little blades of grass and blossoms seemed fine, but... the shadows of the branches, or what looked like them, were looming a bit too low for anyone's liking...

"Sprout, it's too ominous... doesn't it feel like something's there..?" I nodded, not verbally responding.

The chill going down my spine was too much.

I sucked in my breath, walking forward faster, Cosmo still clinging to my side. We both turned around the tree.

Hanging on the lowest limb of the tree...

Was Dandy's body....

Cosmo put his hands over his mouth, gasping in horror. I pulled him closer to me, still staring wide-eyed at the toon who used to be one of my best friends.

Did it really have to end this way...