Shattered Numbers: The Search for Four

A Story by J

Two Meets “Y” (X)

Two slowly woke up in a strange, unfamiliar place. Their head throbbed, and they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. This wasn’t TPOT, not anymore. The world around them felt… empty.

“Woah! Where am I?” Two muttered to themselves, looking around. The landscape was eerily quiet, not a single familiar face in sight.

They walked through the abandoned land, the scene reminiscent of TPOT before everything went wrong the calm before the storm. Before the lava ravaged the once-familiar terrain.

“Oh, wow… This is what it looked like before, huh?” Two whispered, a soft sadness in their voice. But something felt different now, a lingering tension in the air.

It wasn’t long before Two spotted something in the distance a small yellow figure. The figure appeared to be sobbing, a sense of dread hanging around it. It was a stark contrast to the quiet, peaceful surroundings.

“Uhh… Hey. Are… you okay?” Two asked, their voice soft and concerned.

The figure stiffened, clearly afraid. It looked up at Two with wide, scared eyes, its entire body shaking.

“I-I… I’m afraid of everything…” the figure trembled, backing away slightly. “The objects… they might hurt me…”

Two felt a sharp pang in their heart. “Hey, no, no, it's okay… I'm not going to hurt you…” They knelt down slowly, trying to reassure the figure.

The figure flinched and asked cautiously, “Who or what are you?!”

“Woah, I’m just a talking number. Nothing to be afraid of.” Two smiled gently, extending a hand.

“Talking… number?”

“Yeah, I can talk, think, walk around… not going to hurt you, I promise.”

The figure’s fear slowly ebbed, and it spoke in a quiet, hesitant voice, “I had a friend who was like you… only… taller… bluer, with a nasally voice and an American accent…”

Two’s eyes widened. “You mean… Four?”

“Yeah…” The figure’s voice faltered. “He’s been missing for weeks…”

Two’s heart sank. They gently placed a hand on the yellow figure’s shoulder. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. What’s your name?”

The figure hesitated, eyes darting nervously. “I don’t wanna tell you. You’ll mess it up…”

Two sighed but didn’t push. “I promise I won’t mess it up, okay? I just want to know your name.”

“Just call me Y… you’ll mess up my real name…”

Two smiled warmly. “Y, huh? Okay, no problem.”

“Y…” the figure said quietly. “No one wants to help me find him…”

“Why is that?” Two asked softly.

“My friend, Four, went missing. And no one will even look for him,” Y said, looking down at the ground. “No object wants to help.”

“Ouch. I’m sorry to hear that. No one should hurt you…” Two’s voice was soft but filled with sincerity.

Y sniffled. “But I get hurt anyway… What a cruel world…”

Two gently placed a hand on Y’s back. “Hey… I won’t hurt you.”

Y looked up, a faint, hopeful smile on his face. “You’re actually the first two who’s been nice to me…”

Two nodded, their expression softening. “No one should hurt you. You deserve better than that.”

Y sighed deeply. “I know… I just want my friend back. But everyone else, they don’t care…”

Two leaned closer, determination growing in their voice. “Hey… You said no one’s looking for Four, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Well, I’m going to help you,” Two said firmly. “I’m going to help you find him. I promise.”

Y blinked in surprise. “You… You will?”

“Of course!” Two smiled reassuringly. “I’m not going to leave you alone in this. I’ll help you find Four.”

The Painful Transformation of Two

As Two and Y continued talking, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught their attention. A dark cloud formed overhead, and something seemed to flicker, like a distortion in reality. Without warning, rocks started flying toward them.

“Woah, what the-?!” Two exclaimed as they blocked most of the rocks. The other contestants were booing and yelling at Y.

“Stop it! What’s wrong with you?!” Two stepped forward, furious. “Leave him alone!”

In the chaos, a piano was thrown from the crowd.

“Crap!” Two quickly used telekinesis to stop the piano midair, sending it crashing harmlessly to the side.

But then, the worst happened. Someone threw a Plus Two at them, and it hit. The transformation began.

“Ow… crap…” Two grunted, feeling their body start to change.

“What’s going on?!” Two felt an intense surge of energy ripple through them, their memories shifting, the world around them flickering in and out of focus. An overwhelming, gut-wrenching sensation gripped their chest.

“No!” Two shouted, clutching their head as a wave of unfamiliar memories flooded their mind.

“Protect… protect… protect…” the word echoed in their mind like a command, drilling into their consciousness. The pain was excruciating as they fought to hold onto their own identity. But something deeper, something primal, was taking control.

Two’s arms and legs began to change, shifting into a dark, deep blue. The colors shifted between Curious Blue and Picton Blue. Their fingers elongated into sharp claws. A cold, eerie sensation crept through their body as they felt the familiar traits of Four take over.

“NO! This isn’t me!” Two screamed, as their body contorted, the transformation growing more painful by the second. Their body morphed into a taller, more imposing form, and their mind slowly erased all memories of their own existence.

The voice… it began to shift too, changing to something unfamiliar, something nasally. “What’s… happening to me?!” Two gasped, their voice now sounding like Four’s.

“I… I need to… I can’t…” The transformation intensified. Two tried to fight it, but it was like fighting against a tidal wave. A sharp, screeching pain tore through their throat, and before they knew it, a loud, soul-shaking screech erupted from their mouth.

“EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” The sound was deafening, a terrible, bone-chilling screech that seemed to tear their very soul apart.

Two's body was completely transformed now. They were Four. The memories of TPOT were gone, replaced with the memories of BFB, of Four. They looked down at their new body in horror. They were no longer Two. They were Four.

“No… I’m Four now?” Two muttered in disbelief, their new voice, an American accent with a nasally edge, filling their ears.

Four’s Return and Protection of X

Four looked around, dazed but somehow resolute. “IMMMM BACKKK!” Four shouted in his signature singsong voice, his chest puffing out as a feeling of power surged through him. “Now, what happened? And where’d X go?”

X was still being pelted with rocks, clearly frightened. Four’s expression turned serious.

“Hey! STOP IT!” Four shouted, rushing forward, his body moving with a newfound urgency. His protective instincts kicked in, and with one fluid motion, Four blocked the rocks, his claws slicing through the air, stopping them in their tracks.

X shrank back, still terrified of what was happening. Four looked at him with an intense, protective gaze. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. Nothing’s going to hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”

X’s eyes welled with tears. “T-thanks…”

“Of course.” Four’s voice softened, and he placed a reassuring hand on X’s back. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt X again. Not now, not ever.

With a quick, decisive movement, Four took X’s hand, gently pulling him away from the chaos. “We’re leaving. It’s not safe here.”

X looked up at Four, still a little scared but comforted by his presence. “Okay…”

Four led X through the ruins, his grip firm on X’s hand to ensure he wouldn’t be separated. They made their way through the harsh landscape, eventually reaching a more serene place.

The Sanctuary

Four and X walked up a high cliff that overlooked a vast, tranquil green expanse. A river ran through the middle, winding its way through the landscape. The place had an ethereal quality, almost like a dream.

“Woah… What is this place?” X asked, his voice filled with awe.

“This is a sanctuary I created,” Four said quietly, still carrying the weight of his transformation, but it felt different now. “No one knows it’s here except me. It’s somewhere we can stay so that you’ll be safe.”

“You made this?” X asked, eyes wide.

Four nodded. “Yeah, I did. I thought maybe it could be a place that you wouldn’t be attacked, a place where you could be at peace.”

X stared out over the land, the soft breeze carrying a scent of fresh greenery. “This place is beautiful… surreal, almost…”

“That’s what I was going for,” Four said, smiling softly. “A place to be safe.”

Four set X down on the soft grass, which felt like velvet beneath their feet. The lush landscape stretched out before them, an idyllic and peaceful world far removed from the pain they had just escaped.

As Four turned back to look at X, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of relief. He had found a way to protect X. And that was all that mattered now.

The Cats and the Safe Haven

Suddenly, a meow interrupted the moment.

“Wait… what was that?” Four asked, startled.

A fluffy cat appeared, leaping up to sit on X’s head.

“Hey, where’d this cat come from?” Four asked, blinking in surprise.

“That’s Sneakers!” Slay3r called from the distance. “Sneakers, get back here!”

Four chuckled as Sneakers purred contentedly on X’s head. “He’s cute.”

“That’s my cat,” Slay3r explained. “He’s a big fan of pets.”

Four gently petted Sneakers, his soft fur brushing against Four’s fingers. “Wow, he’s really soft…”

“You can pet him as much as you want,” Slay3r said with a grin. “Trust me, you won’t regret it.”

The two laughed, and Four felt something lighter in his chest, a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Rest and Peace

The night grew darker, and the two settled into the sanctuary, each finding their place.

“So now, what?” X asked, turning to Four.

“Well, now we can stay here,” Four said with a smile. “You’re safe here. We’re safe here.”

X smiled. “Okay.”

The two settled into their sleeping bags beneath the stars. The quietness of the sanctuary enveloped them, and for the first time in a long while, both felt at ease.

“I’m glad we’re here,” X murmured, his voice soft.

“Me too,” Four said, closing his eyes. “It’s been a long day…”

“Yeah…” X whispered, his voice trailing off as he drifted into sleep.

Four followed soon after, the peace of the sanctuary surrounding them.

As they both slept, the world outside was calm. The journey ahead was uncertain, but for now, they were safe.