"Where is that machine going?" Falcon asked as he and Twilight continued down the corridor.
"I'm glad that we don't have to find out. The sooner we find Boris, the sooner we can leave." Twilight said. Falcon needed to tell her. He knew what he needed to do. And leaving wasn't an option. It wasn't close to what he had to find.
"I can't." He said stopping. Twilight stopped a few feet in front of him turning around.
"W-what do you mean?" She asked.
"Twilight, I haven't been honest. Not even close. The reason I can't leave is because-" He was interrupted by a crackling on an intercom.
"I see you there, my little errand boy. And your friend as well. It's a shame I never really took all of her color. It would've made me look even more beautiful with your... other friend."
"I swear to Celestia if you hurt him!" Falcon yelled.
"Then you better hurry. Wally is having trouble staying in one piece."
"W-wally?" Twilight asked shakily. "Y-you mean Boris! How could you not know his name when you've killed hundreds of him?!"
"Oh no." Falcon said. His theory was confirmed. That was Wally Franks, the old repair man for the studio. The man who complained about everything, the guy who couldn't listen to the higher up men. He was Boris the whole time.
"Oh yes, my little errand boy. Wally... Franks. He was so handsome before he was converted by that retched machine that Joey put us through. That you went through..."
"Fal? What's she talking about?" Twilight asked. She was going to find out. Not in the way he had hoped. But by his own enemy.
"Fal?! Ha! What kind of name is that?!"
"Falconwolf is a great name!" Twilight yelled. "And he is a great pony!"
"Even after he's lied to you this entire time? After he forgot who he really was? After he dragged you and the others into this?!" Susie yelled. "Henry Stein was not a good man! It's his creations that are killing you!" Twilight looked at Falcon who was wincing at every word that came out of Susie's mouth. Or... Speaker.
"H-henry?"
"That... can't be true..."
"Are you... really Henry?" Twilight asked.
"I...N-no!" He yelled. I'm not human! Henry is not my name! Henry. Is. GONE!"
"That's where you're wrong Stein. That's what you think. You've been lying to yourself to avoid the terrible things you've done. You are human. Henry Stein is still here and he is you." Falcon was at his limit.
"Next time I see you Susie... I'm gonna to but a blade through your chest."
"I'd like to see you try." The speaker shut off and they reached the top of the stairs. They entered a room with a couch, Little Miracle station, and a playing Phonograph.
"Twilight listen... I-"
"Is it true?"
"We don't have time for this!"
"FALCON! FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE IS IT TRUE?!" Falcon sighed in shame.
"Yes." He said bowing his head. "My name is Henry Stein. I was the head animator for this studio. I was human." He pulled out a voice recorder that he had been hiding in his saddlebag. "I don't truly remember who I was... but I know I wasn't a bad person." He clicked play.
Only two weeks into this company and already it's gotten interesting.
Joey is a man of Ideas... And only ideas.
When I agreed to start this whole thing with him I thought there would be a little more give and take.
Instead I give, and he takes.
I haven't seen Linda for days now.
Still, someone has to make this happen.
When in doubt, just keep drawing Henry.
On the plus side, I've got a new character I think people are going to love.
*Click*
"Who was Linda?" Twilight asked.
"I can only assume she was my wife. I don;t remember her... but I do know I loved her deeply." There was a shuffling on a balcony and an inky humanoid creature came out. "Twilight! Into the miracle station! Now!" They both climbed in but instead of a roar and screaming, they heard a voice. A scratchy, sad, frail voice that said:
"H-he always finds me! When can we go home?! I- I just want to go home! I just want to go home!" It said before fading. Twilight and Henry both climbed out.
"Fal-"
"Call me Henry. That's my real name, and I intend to use it." He said firmly. Twilight gave him a soft smile, happy that he wanted to be himself. They walked up to a lone door and opened it.
Inside were a bunch of those inky creatures. They all looked at the ponies in the room. One sounded familiar to him.
"Henry?" It was Shawn Flynn. The head of the toy factory. The Irish man looked towards his old friend with nothing but sadness and anger. "Why did you leave us?" Falcon and Twilight just walked past without answering. They reached the entrance to a vent system.
"Stay close Twi." Falcon said, "I'll lead the way." Twilight nodded and climbed in after Falcon had grabbed the flashlight on the side of the vent. They went through the narrow area going in the only direction they could. Forward. "We need to take a left here." As he said that...
Twilight shrieked as he appeared out of nowhere. Falcon just stared, no fear shown on his face. "Why are you still goin Henry? WHY?!"
"Because I know what needs to be done." Bendy growled in response.
"We'll see about that now won't we?" With that, he disappeared. Falcon and Twilight kept moving until they reached the exit. It led to a large open room with a giant flight of stairs. On the wall in front of them, was the sign,
He's waiting for you. written in ink. As Falcon and Twilight ascended the stairs, the air seemed to get more dense, colder. When they reached the top, there was a room inside a giant Bendy head. In it, was a desk covered in blueprints and a giant model of what looked like a city. Also on the desk was a tape recorder.
For forty years, I've built attractions that stagger the imagination! Colossal Wonders such as the world has never seen! I have earned my legacy with sweat.
But right in front of everyone... high level investors. Wall Street tycoons, the ever-tactless Joey Drew introduces me, the great Bertrum Piedmont, as Bertie! Like I was his child.
You may be paying me, Mister Drew! But you don't own me! I'll build you a park bigger anything YOU could ever possibly conceive! But before you go taking any bows, Mister Drew, know that this grand achievement will belong to me... and to me alone.
Falcon gritted his teeth. "Henry?" Twilight asked. "Are you okay?"
"A theme park." Falcon said angrily. "He built an entire theme park based on MY creation." The squealing of pulleys signified that another door had opened. The two ponies walked downstairs to find a dark room behind the metallic door. Slowly, they walked through together and came across what Joey's big break was.
They had entered Bendyland. Or at least, what could've been it. The room they had entered was a large storage room. The shelves were full of parts of unfinished rides, decorations, garbage bins, and at the end of it was a haunted house entrance. "C'mon Twi." Falcon beckoned as they both entered the room. They walked towards the haunted house entrance. The colorless house had two giant doors at the front and cracked banisters to make it appear like a sharp-toothed mouth. Twilight pushed on the doors hoping thy would budge, but there was no sudden movement.
"It must be electric powered." Twilight said as she walked over to a panel with levers and flashing lights. "How do we get to the levers is the question?"
"Hey Twi!" Falcon Yelled, "There's another tape!" Twilight walked to what appeared to be some carnival game booths. In between the two of them was another tape. *CLICK*
These guys down in the warehouse get to play games all day while I'm stuck cleaning up after 'em! They kept locking themselves out of their own back room.
So I says to em, look guys, I says, you're smart, right? Here's an idea! Why not rig these games up to knock open the door if ya win? It'll be fun for you guys, and it saves me the trip down here every day.
They went for it like a dog to a pot roast. I tell ya! if these guys don't start realizing who the real genius is, I'm outta here!
As soon as the tape was finished, there was a low mechanical growl and the shutters keeping the booths closed, rose up. "Well, I guess we could have a bit of fun. This is crucial to helping us get out of here after all." Falcon said, smiling slightly. Twilight gave him a small smile as well. "I'll handle the milk glass toss, you take the gun and target practice. You'll have better accuracy.
"Why's that?" She asked.
"You use magic all the time! You need to have good aim to use it properly!"
"That's... actually a good point. But I can't use my magic. If I do it'll get sucked out of me and I'll never use it again."
"Try your wings, they might work as appendages so you can pull the trigger?" Twilight took this into consideration and followed the advice. It took her awhile to get a good grip on the gun with her hooves, but when she did, she slipped her wing into onto the trigger and tested it. It worked like a charm. She smiled and prepared for the targets to appear. The games, after a few seconds, began.
After a few seconds the games were done. Small ringing was heard from behind the booths. After a few seconds, Alice was heard.
Tell me... Are you both having fun? I'm sure Boris doesn't mind waiting for his rescue party.
"Henry we need to get to Boris!"
"The only way we can do that is open the doors. There's one more game we need to play and we'll be able to get through. I just have to hit that bell by smashing this hammer onto the pressure plate." As Falcon was about to swing, Twilight muttered, "Hang on Boris. We're coming to save you."
After opening a door and pulling the first two levers, another door was heard, the squealing echoing through the room. Falcon and Twilight walked toward the door labeled, "Research and Development? Why have a research and development room here?" Twilight asked.
"No idea." Falcon replied. They both entered the room and found themselves on a balcony. Downstairs were the three members of the Butcher Gang. "Ugh not those guys again."
"What do we do?" Twilight asked. Falcon thought about it until he noticed the bacon soup cans on the banisters. He knocked one over with a hoof and heard it clatter on the floor. Warbled sounds and gurgling went towards the sound of the noise.
"I got it. Get as many soup cans as you can and throw them to areas where they won't see me." Twilight nodded and watched as Falcon walked towards the bottom of the stairs. He nodded and Twilight threw a can towards an empty corridor to the right. The ugly group walked towards the sound and Falcon ran to the other corridor.
"Now where is that other lever?" He asked himself. He heard crying. He was honestly surprised how that wasn't attracting the attention of the gang. There was a lost one in a large cage next to a shelf of bacon soup. "Are... are you okay?" The lost one gasped and scurried to the other side of the cage. "Wait wait! Shhh! Stay quiet or they'll find me!"
"S-sorry." It muttered. It sounded... feminine? And she had an accent like Applejack's. "So... after all of these years you came back Henry?"
"Do... do I know you?"
"Not personally. My name is Lacie Benton. I was one of the R and D workers. I gave you a call about the park many years back thinkin that you still worked at Joey Drew Studios."
"Y-you mean Sillyvision?"
"Hm? Oh... right... sorry, I've been down here so long I forgot the name of the place I'm trapped!"
"Why were you crying?"
"Because he trapped me here again."
"The ink demon?"
"No! Not him!"
"Then who?" She motioned for me to come closer.
"The... the beta."
"The Beta? Who's the Beta?"
"If you haven't met him yet... you will. Please be careful Henry... everyone's rootin for ya."
"Thanks Lacie." Just then an ink puddle opened behind her. Two very big cartoonish gloves reached out and grabbed her gently."
"N-NO! NOT THERE! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME BA-" And she was gone.
"LACIE!" I yelled. The shout echoed and Falcon heard the Butcher Gang stop talking. He thought that they would come, but the talking continued. "Phew." He would try to find Lacie later. First he needed to find the lever.
The only thing that works around here is my ulcer. Half these people don't know a wrench from a dang steamroller. Buncha morons is what they are.
Spend their day in the warehouse arguin' over who's supposed to be doing doin what or playing them silly games. Still, I'm not complainin'.
I get most of my time to myself. Suits me just fine. Only thing that bothers me is that mechanical demon in the corner. Bertrum's been working on it for a month now.
Says it will walk someday and maybe dance. All it does now is give me the creeps. I swear, when my back's turned... that thing's movin.
Next to the tape was a robot. It had chunks of its face torn off and only one arm. It had the same grin the ink demon had. "Wow, with robots like these, the park would have gone under. I wonder if that's why the place shut down?" Falcon thought to himself. He walked out and signaled Twilight to throw some cans in the opposite direction. She did so and the gang walked to the other side of the room. Falcon ran to the other hall and pulled the lever at the end. He turned around and signaled Twilight to throw another can, but in the process knocked one off the edge. Landing right in front of Falcon. The gang turned towards him and just stared.
"We can talk about this right fellas?" He asked. There was silence.
And then they were on him. Falcon jumped and glided over them, heading for the stairs. Confused, they turned and ran for the stairwell, gaining on him. Falcon grabbed Twilight and ran through the doors. They slammed shut as they exited, the piper's hand cut off from the impact, still groping around. "Henry I'm so sorry!" Twilight yelled. "I meant to grab it but I accidentally pushed it over the edge. I... I..." She was on the verge of tears.
"Twilight..."
"I'm so sorry! You almost died because of me!"
"I know, and it's okay Twilight!"
"B-but-"
"It was an accident. Besides, we made it out okay."
"*sniff* O-okay..."
"Alright." He smiled and helped her get up. They walked towards the lever bar and pulled the next one. Another door creaked and opened. As they walked towards it, a tape fell on the floor and started playing. They didn't notice it, but they would soon meet this odd character.
People up there are talking about Mr. Drew like he’s the plague.
“Joey Drew this” and “Joey Drew that”.
That's why I like it down here with Mr Bertrum.
He doesn’t bother me with Joey Drew’s nonsense.
And that's perfect for an old storyboardist like myself.
Though I have noticed my fair share of creepiness down here...
Just the other day Thomas Connor came all the way down here and talked to Mr. Bertrum for an Hour.
Lot of yelling came through these halls.
Well back to work this next cartoon called “Train Troubles.”
I don’t think this ones gonna get finished at the deadline.