"Back before everything began, when there was just the start of a tv program, before children really started flooding in, some of our handlers, like Dandy's and Astro's, were working on a side project that we weren't allowed to know about.

Day and night, at least one of the handlers was missing, working on this side project. Dandy was often dragged back there with them, much to his annoyance.

We always asked him where he went, or what they were doing, or if he was even okay with being forced into it, but before he could respond, Sam or Austin would cut him off.

It was really annoying, and I didn't want to be left out. Vee thought it was favoritism, so she started holding a grudge, to which Dandy's new found snarky attitude would return gladly.

Shelly," I gestured to her, "would brush it off as nothing more than him simply being the 'Star of The Show'.

And I, well... I was selfish, and decided to try to get in on the action. No one likes being left out, so of course I kept trying. My tries were unsuccessful, for a time.

Until, more things like us started showing up. Our handlers started calling themselves 'toon handlers', and we were their 'toons'. No one complained about our new name for what we were, because we were confused without it.

You and the others just kept coming... Tisha, Teagan, Rodger, Scraps, Goob, Shrimpo, Toodles, all of you. You didn't seem to have any idea of how you were made, and we didn't know either. Us mains thought we were an already existing breed, along with humans.

I became more and more hungry for information... and Dandy was becoming more and more closed off. Astro, who was, as you know, very close with Dandy, started jumping at the littlest of things. I had once caught Austin yelling at Astro about something like 'you weren't supposed to find out', so I started asking him questions, too.

He never answered, though, because he was afraid of getting hurt by who was supposed to be his handler, who was now his tormenter.

By that time, I was tired of not knowing anything, so I came to Sam personally. They were pretty surprised to see me want to participate, since both Dandy and Astro fought back.

The next time they and the other toon handlers had a meeting on the project, they dragged me along with Dandy, and Astro, who was forced into it because of Dandy's loudmouth.

I found out from them and the other handlers that they, humans, who were never supposed to have the ability to create living things, had created us with a special substance called 'ichor', which was a name for a god's blood in Greek mythology.

Delilah Keen was dragging Devan Reed and all the other toon handlers into playing God. And now, I was caught into it.

Of course, I didn't react like someone usually would. Begging to leave immediately, saying they couldn't ever comprehend what they were dealing with. I was a bit in shock, but I didn't complain that they allowed me into that scheme of theirs. After all, I had practically begged to be allowed in.

Unfortunately, there came a price. Sam wasn't the type to abuse, such as Austin, who had handled Astro's inability to stay quiet unless 'encouraged'. They weren't like Devan, either, who somehow managed to reflect himself through Dandy to the point where that weed wouldn't speak a thing about the project.

Me, I... they wanted me to perform some sort of task that would prove my loyalty, or...

Or they would kill me."

I paused in my story, Cosmo, Finn, and Shelly all listening intently.

Should I really continue? It would... it could ruin my relationship with Cos...

No. I'll continue.

"So I agreed. I agreed that I would do some sort of act to earn their trust. They didn't believe me, at first, but... I promised.

Delilah, she... she was intrigued by me, so she took me to another room.

I caught Dandy's gaze, as I passed by...

Filled with hatred, jealousy, greedy for attention. He didn't want me to earn the favoritism of the woman who started it all. He wanted to be the star.

When I entered, she told me to..."

"To create something with ichor.

I was confused. I asked her, 'how am I supposed to do that? I don't know how you do this, I just thought you poked it or something and a living thing would come out..'. She chuckled, patting my head and calling me adorable.

I didn't like that.

So I held my head higher, saying I'd do it.

By the time I had finished working with her special machine she created, I started asking questions.

'What is Ichor?' 'What is it made of?' 'Is it poisonous to humans?' 'What other abilities does it have?' She encouraged me to be more curious, albeit she never truly answered my questions.

I wish she did.

I had learned lab rules when working with her. No touching anything you don't know if you can touch, same with drinking.

During another one of our meetings, Delilah pulled me into another room. She told me that the ichor that I put into the machine was successful, and another new toon was on the way. I was ecstatic.

How could something that I created really be so successful? That's just the thing.

It wasn't.

Delilah pulled the ichor-creature out of the machine, only to reveal that it was defected. It couldn't speak. It couldn't walk. It could only fly with the two wings on its back.

She said not to freak out about it. That we could claim that it was supposed to be this way. She said she would give it, or her, a name. And she would give the toon a shot, as well, so she wouldn't remember this.

When I walked out of that room, what was done was done. I had proved my loyalty, mistakes or not.

Dandy was furious, though. He came to me privately when we were released, ranting on about how I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place, how he was going to hurt me if I continued. I brushed him aside, my ego building up.

The next morning, the new toon was with all the others. All of the toons welcomed her in, gaping in awe at her wings. Shrimpo complained about how loud she was, even though she couldn't talk.

They called her Flutter. I pretended to know her forever, as well, since we had to keep the charade going, somehow.

One day, I walked by Dandy's room, hearing yelling voices. Opening the door, I found Dandy pounding his fists on his desk, Astro by his side, trying to calm him down. Dandy threw a pencil against the wall, the shards of it hitting the side of Astro's face.

Seeing how this would only get worse, Dandy now picking up a capsule of the ichor that we were made of, I sprinted forward and pulled the moon toon back.

He was a bit surprised by it, but he didn't respond it with words. Dandy looked even more enraged, now. Screaming how I should mind my own business, and to let go of his best friend.

His fists closed too tightly on the capsule. I heard glass break. Dandy winced, looking at his hand, seeing the ichor from his bleeding hand blend with the ichor from the container.

His pupils glowed a faint red as he stared down at his palm. Devan bursted into the room, probably wanting to know what was happening and why we were yelling. He immediately picked up Dandy, running out of the room before Astro and I could do anything.

As Devan went by, I caught a glimpse of Dandy smirking. Something had happened that day, probably an hour before Dandy had been rushed away.

It was probably the reason why he was upset in the first place.

More toons came. Gigi, Glisten, you, Finn, the others. I didn't know what to think of it, the sudden flow of ichor use messing up my senses.

You and I... both became really good friends. We'd do it all, eheh...

But... then there was an accident the next meeting. The other mains and I were a bit late because of a little misunderstanding, but when we got into the room, it... it was a mess.

There was blood; not ichor, our blood, but human blood; all over the walls. Four bodies were seen, every toon handler except for Devan and Delilah. Dandy opened a door on the opposite side of the room, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

The same reaction as us, but I bet it was faked.

I bet it was him who did it.

Vee shifted the blame to him immediately, and so did I.

He hated me for it. And he had seen me getting close to you. Vee? He was casual about his and Vee's relationship being built on annoyance towards each other. Me? He despised me more than her, so...

The thing I did that was terrible was creating another toon, and earning favoritism from Delilah. And although we didn't, and still don't know where she or Devan is now, we did know that they probably weren't ever coming back.

And, well... I still feel threatened by Dandy for what happened all those years ago, and what happened just a few months ago."

Cosmo stared at me for a long time. "You... made Flutter?"

"Well, technically, but you can't say anything about it!" I really hope he doesn't. It would start so many questions amongst everyone.

"I understand..." Cosmo looked back down at his lump of fabric. I placed my hand on top of his. "I'm okay with Shelly sewing it on me, Cosmo."

..What was that on Cosmo's face..?.....blush..?

"A-alright!.. well... even though the information you just spilled was a lot, um... I'm still friends with you."

"And I'm glad you are..."