Just Trying To Survive (A BFDI/BFB/TPOT and II au)

Conflicting Tales Of Loss

CW: Non-permanent and non-descriptive self harm.

"Hello!? Where is everyone?!"

Before Four had even took a single step in the Equation Playground, they knew that something was wrong. It wasn't just the lack of Algebralians that was setting something within them off. There had been times where the Equation Playground was empty before for a multitude of reasons. Special events, conflicts, just general curiosity and more. But this time, Four could feel that something else was wrong. Four didn't know how or why they felt this, but they knew that something was wrong. What exactly that was they didn't know yet, but they had to get to the bottom of it.

Starting with the basics, the Equation Playground wasn't that big, maybe a square mile in area if you were being generous. There was nothing else really besides the Playground. Despite the limited size and the lack of new experiences, none of the Algebralians really ever left the Playground by themselves, excluding Four, Two and X, obviously. The last time a different integer left they were never seen again. It didn't matter if you were in a group or not, anything could happen, and something definitely did happen. That scared everyone else away from leaving.

If the Algebralians weren't here, either Two was doing something which Four didn't know about, or they were forced to leave somehow. These options didn't sit well with Four. If Two was doing something, then the numbers will basically choosing them over Four. They would be choosing Four's enemy over them. However if that wasn't the case, then something much worse was most likely happening. If proven true, their integer friends had a near full chance of being in danger. If something bad was really happening, then that would mean that they released the Exitors for no reason. And, much more importantly, everyone in the Pillarly Ruins could be dead, or worse, alive and in danger.

Four's mind immediately began yelling at them to go back to the Pillarly Ruins. With any luck, they could find them quickly and help or recover them. Some of them were strong sure, but Four doubted that without them they could sustain themselves. X was strong too, but fragile. If something could force the Algebralians out of the Equation Playground, then X would definitely be too weak. So, logically, they should fly back first.

Yet, Four also knew that their fellow Algebralians needed help, and probably more than the objects did. After all, Algebralians couldn't be recovered. Zero, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten and the theoretically infinite more not in the playground could be gone forever because they chose to help their show first. If something happened that was threatening the lives of the other numbers, than Four should help them first.

Alas, there was also a chance that there was nothing even wrong in the first place. That this was all a big misunderstanding or some kind of sick prank. And with all of these contradicting points, Four was mentally torn. They didn't even hear the distant talking which they should've heard if they weren't hyper focused on what to do. In a moment of cognitive dissonance, and one which they would soon come to regret, Four decided to fly back to the Pillarly Ruins to help the objects and X first.

"Was that Four?"

"Hm?"

"It is! FOUR! WAIT! Urgh!.. they're already gone."

"Darn.."

 "If only we could fly too.."

"Well.. we can't. We should.. probably keep scouting around the Playground to see if we can find anyone else, you know."

"Still? We haven't had any luck in finding anyone so far! Well.. except Five."

"..."

"..."