#patb nova

“This is Nina Lopez, reporting to you live from the ruins of Lamont Tower. In recent developments, controversial billionaire Joseph Lamont was caught on video threatening the livelihoods of countless Californian citizens. Shocking footage captured from cell phone cameras have shown that he has made threatening statements towards retail workers, police officers, and even his own employees. The footage, which even includes an admission of possessing an extremely dangerous military weapon, has gone viral on social media, with many calling for legal action and justice against the Gold Baron.” 

“Serves that Lameany right! Narf!” Pinky declared as he filed his toenails in front of the television. It had been so long since he’d done his own nails, having been so busy with the nearly dying stuff and all. 

A red Skittle smacked him on the head. “Quiet, Pinky! I’m trying to listen!” Brain said, his eyes glued to the screen. 

Ooh, the red Skittles were his favorite! How did Brain know? 

He took a break from his pedicure to nibble on the Skittle, and the rainbow had never been more delicious. 

The screen displayed pictures of tweets from various users, each of them deriding Lamont in some way. 

"In return, Lamont has accused both the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security of planting the weapon in his mansion and sending an agent to steal it in an attempt to discredit him. Spokesmen for the federal government have denied Lamont's allegations, in addition to their knowledge of the weapon's existence. This is a developing story, and we will continue to update you as more information becomes available. Back to you, Sam." 

Pinky wondered if he or Brain were going to be shown somewhere, but the story changed to another Hollywood divorce scandal before their names were ever mentioned. Even Snowball’s involvement went unacknowledged. 

“Aww, I wanted to see myself on the big screen, Brain,” Pinky admitted. 

“One day, you and I will be on the television for all to see once we rule the world,” Brain promised. “It’s just not that time yet.” 

Pinky grinned. In that case, he couldn’t wait for that day to come. 

It was now five in the afternoon, which would’ve been the normal closing time for ACME Labs for the scientists if Brain hadn’t assigned them to other locations. At Pinky’s request, he’d also called in rescue groups to take and rehome the other lab animals. It had been so fun playing the aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Feldman, who wished to find new homes for their many, many animals. 

No scientist, Selenian or Terran, shall humiliate or degrade us ever again. No more itching powder, or nearly dying because of an experiment, or getting trapped in mazes overnight. From now on, we’re the masters of our own destiny, Brain had declared when he’d first revealed his plan to seize control of ACME Labs. 

The deed to the property was now in a certain Mr. Brian Feldman’s name, signed in a neat, loopy handwriting. Brain had even allowed Pinky to put his own name on the deed too, provided he signed it under his alias, Mrs. Pinknelope Feldman. Pinky happily signed the deed with a purple sparkly gel pen, complete with hearts and smiley faces of varying sizes. Brain had raised an eyebrow at it, but he let the ink dry off and placed the deed into a safe that only he knew the combination to. 

"And now for a story from the world of horse racing-" 

"Horse racing?" Pinky gasped. He wrapped his arms around the TV screen as far as they would go, his fur sticking up from the static. "Egad, are you okay, Pharfignewton? I missed you so much! I'm sorry I couldn't send you that postcard! I just couldn't figure out what state the Kentucky Derby was in!" 

"You're going to ruin your vision that way, Pinky," Brain grumbled. 

With a sudden yank on his tail, Pinky was pulled away from the television. There was a yelp behind him, and Pinky laughed at just how fluffy Brain's fur had gotten. 

"Floofy," Pinky giggled, unable to resist touching it. It was like petting a very soft, very grumpy marshmallow. 

Brain only sighed and accepted his fate, though his cheeks were somewhat red. 

Pinky rested his head over Brain's as the news rolled a clip from the Preakness Stakes competition, which showed Pharfignewton living her dream. 

Her hooves beat the ground rhythmically, the wind tousled her gorgeous mane, and her ocean blue eyes sparkled with determination. 

"C'mon, Fig! You can do it!" Pinky shouted, and Brain winced from the volume of his shout. "Oops. Sorry, Brain." 

"By all means, continue to deafen me." 

Oh, he couldn't do that! How else was Brain going to listen to music? 

Pharfignewton triumphantly crossed the finish line, leagues ahead of her fellow horses. It wasn't even close! 

Pinky cheered at Pharfignewton's victory, unable to stop himself from dancing and twirling around with Brain in his arms. 

She'd done it! She'd actually done it! Now there was only one more race left! That Triple Crown was sure to be hers! 

“Narf! Isn’t this wonderful, Brain?” Pinky cheered. “I’m so happy for her!” 

Brain’s words were muffled, and Pinky realized he was squishing him against his chest so hard that he couldn’t talk. Brain could only make a funny squeaky toy noise. 

“Sorry, Brain,” Pinky apologized, quickly releasing his friend, who gasped for breath and rubbed his cheeks to get some feeling back into his face. 

Brain quickly regained his composure. “While it’s a cause for celebration, try to refrain from squeezing me to death in the future.” 

“Okay,” Pinky agreed, though privately, he thought Brain was rather squeezable and squashable. It was hard to resist.

“Will Pharfignewton gallop to victory and join the Triple Crown gallery? If she does, she’ll be the first mare in the history of horse racing to take home the crown! Don’t forget to tune in for the Belmont Stakes tomorrow night!” 

Tomorrow night? 

The last race was tomorrow night? Has time really flown that quickly? 

He hurried over to his Mickey Mouse calendar, which now had a pretty picture of Mickey and Minnie at the beach in cute swimsuits with June scrawled across the bottom. The 14th had been circled in red, blue, and green. 

Egad, that was tomorrow! 

How could he have forgotten? 

Oh, but Brain would surely be enacting his latest plan to take over the world. They’ve already tried three weeks’ worth of plans since Snowball’s defeat, but none of them were successful yet. 

Still, they didn’t let defeat get them down. Neither of them knew Snowball’s whereabouts, but they assumed he wasn’t successful at any attempted takeovers either. 

Brain shut the TV off and stood up, then retrieved a matchbox on tiny wheels. He piled several sets of clothes he’d collected over the past few weeks into his matchbox. 

“I suggest you start packing your essentials, Pinky,” Brain said. “The plane will be departing in just a few hours.” 

“Plane?” Pinky echoed. “Where are we going, Brain?” 

None of Brain’s plans had taken them out of state before. This was brand new and exciting, Pinky had never been able to travel before!

“New York,” Brain replied. “But I can’t reveal the specifics until we arrive. This particular plan requires an element of surprise. We shall spend tonight traveling to the location, and spend tomorrow night enacting the plan.” 

A surprise plan that only Brain knew the details to? Now he was more curious than ever! 

But where in New York were they going? Broadway? He’d always wanted to see a Broadway show live! Or maybe Niagara Falls? Central Park? Buffalo? 

The possibilities were endless! 

"I can't wait, Brain! This is gonna be so much fu-oh, wait a minute…what about the Belmont? I don't wanna miss it." 

Brain waved his hand dismissively. "Not to worry, Pinky. You won't miss the race." 

Upon hearing that, Pinky began packing straight away, excited to see whatever Brain had in store for them. 

o-o-o-o-o 

First class! They had first class tickets to New York! Brain really knew how to travel in style! The seats were bouncier, there was more leg room (well, not that mice needed much leg room but the sentiment was nice), and Pinky had introduced Brain to the wonders of airline food. The peanuts had been super yummy, and Brain said it heavily reminded him of Selenian cuisine. 

As they disembarked from the plane and were immediately showered with all sorts of magnets, T-shirts, and plushies with New York emblazoned upon them, Pinky reminded himself to buy a souvenir for Olivia while they were here. After the ordeal with Lamont, Olivia had taken them aside and thanked them for helping dissolve Lamont's monopoly over the city. 

It wasn't really what they'd meant to do since Snowball had been their main worry, but they just accepted her gratitude in the end. Anything to help Olivia finally beat Lamont in Monopoly! 

She offered to help them out whenever they needed, and Brain had immediately jumped at the prospect of having her money behind them. Pinky was a little wary at first, not wanting to use his friend for her money, but she assured him that she was happy to help. 

She was the reason they had the lab to themselves, and after Brain had revealed the tickets, he explained that he'd emailed Olivia asking if she would provide a means to send them to New York, since neither of them had been there and were highly interested in visiting. It didn't take long for her to email Brain back with a pair of first class tickets. 

Though she'd bought two tickets, the mice had shared their seat for most of the flight. Brain had clung to Pinky during the entirety of takeoff and anytime there was turbulence, demanding to know who'd committed the grave oversight of not installing g-force stabilizers into their planes all the while. 

Pinky marveled at the New York airport, turning round and round so much that he made himself dizzy. The first thing he noticed was the time, which was many, many hours past when they left California. They'd time traveled into the future! How awesome was that? 

"Brain, can I ride the merry-go-round? Please? It looks fun-fun silly-willy! Narf!" Pinky begged as they passed an area labeled baggage claim. 

It was super crowded, with lots of people pushing and shoving their way to the front, but the more the merrier! And that paneling was just begging to be ridden on! 

"It's just a conveyor belt, Pinky," Brain said as he grabbed Pinky's wrist and hauled him outside the airport. Their matchbox suitcases were able to be stored under their seats, so they could skip baggage claim entirely. "Besides, there'll be time for your fun fun silly-willy later. Right now, we need to acquire a vehicle to transport us to the hotel.” 

Brain was being very vague about what kind of fun Pinky was going to have, but it must’ve been something that was going to be super extra fun! 

The mice headed to the crosswalk, where dozens of travelers stood waiting for their rides. Unfortunately, the area was so busy that the mice had to dodge shoes, sandals, and luggage, and any vehicles that were available were quickly snatched up. 

“This isn’t working! We need higher ground!” Brain growled as a family of four stole the taxi they’d tried to get. Then he spotted a tall, flat post and ran over to it. He had a little trouble scaling the smooth metal, so Pinky grabbed his waist and boosted him to the top. Once Brain was on top, he gave Pinky a grateful look and reached for Pinky’s hand. Pinky happily took it, and Brain hauled him over the edge. 

Once Pinky found his footing, Brain whistled and shouted for a taxi. But it seemed that above all the noise, nobody could hear him. 

Then Pinky had an idea. 

“Here Brain, let me try,” Pinky said, pulling Brain back so he’d have enough room for what he was about to do. 

“I doubt you’ll have more luck than me,” Brain said. 

Pinky winked at him. “Troz! Don’t worry, Brain! This trick always works in movies!” 

Brain still looked doubtful though. 

“Yoo-hoo! Taxi!” Pinky called as he stuck his leg out, deliberately pointing his toes downward. Then he placed his arms behind his head and waited. 

Brain frowned. “Now how is that supposed to-” 

He suddenly trailed off, his face turning red as he stared at Pinky’s leg. He barely noticed the taxi that had suddenly pulled up on the curb in front of them, its tires screeching to a halt. 

“Told you it would work, Brain!” Pinky cheered as he grabbed his and Brain’s luggage and hopped off the post. The taxi driver had scrambled out of the driver’s side, nearly tripping over his shoelaces as he hurried to open the door for Pinky. 

“Please, let me get that for you,” he said to Pinky with a polite bow. 

Oh, he was definitely telling Brain to give this driver an extra tip for hospitality. Pinky handed the matchbox luggage to the driver, who looked a little confused at how tiny the suitcases were, but slid them onto the backseat. 

Brain was still standing on the post, blushing like mad. 

“Brain! Let’s go!” Pinky shouted. 

Pinky’s shout seemed to bring Brain back to his senses…at least until he stepped off the post. Pinky quickly positioned himself underneath Brain and caught him before he could land flat on his face. 

“Thanks,” Brain mumbled, his antennae sparking erratically.

Pinky grinned back. “You’re welcome.” 

o-o-o-o-o 

They’d spent the rest of the night at the hotel, recovering from their long trip. The accommodations were wonderful. There had been excellent room service, a balcony that overlooked the pool, and soft bouncy beds. 

The only thing that had given them a bit of trouble was the sheer size of the bed. They’d started on separate sides at Brain’s insistence, but Pinky found himself crawling over to Brain multiple times. Brain kept tossing and turning in his sleep, only awakening to tell Pinky to stay on the other side. 

But in unfamiliar surroundings, Brain eventually gave in and let Pinky snuggle against him. Pinky was extra careful not to squish his antennae, and they both had a difficult time getting up in the morning because they’d been so comfortable. 

Now they were on a bus to their destination, and Pinky was bouncing on his seat in anticipation. Brain had insisted on Pinky wearing a blindfold during the bus ride, just so the destination would be a surprise. 

Though Pinky couldn’t wait that long! He’d tried to beg and plead and coax where they were going out of Brain, but the alien refused to budge or give anything away. All he said on the matter was that he hoped Pinky would find it enjoyable. 

Brain was on the seat next to him, and though they weren’t quite touching, Pinky could feel every movement he made through the vibrations of the cushion.  

"Are we there yet?" Pinky asked, waving his tail in Brain's face. He felt Brain whack it away. Giggling, Pinky teased him once again.

With an annoyed grunt, Brain moved away from Pinky, the vibrations along the cushion becoming smaller. 

A minute later, Pinky was hauled off the seat and led to the front of the bus. Brain kept careful hold of Pinky's hands as he led him down the steps of the bus.

He trusted Brain to tell him when to walk, which direction to turn, and when to stop.

After a few minutes of walking, and a brief scare when a car barreled through a crosswalk without noticing them in the middle of the road, Brain gave Pinky's wrist a sharp tug, signaling him to stop. 

"We're here," Brain announced. "Take off your blindfold, Pinky." 

This was gonna be good! Pinky just knew it! 

Light flooded in as Pinky ripped off the blindfold. He squinted, shielding his eyes against the bright summer sun. 

There was a dirt racetrack in front of them, horses, jockeys, and trainers milling around within the fence. Visitors chatted with staff, gossiping about the horses. Members of the media hauled in microphones and cameras, slipping through an entrance specifically designated for them. 

And above his head, the words 'Belmont Racetrack' were emblazoned on a wooden sign. 

Belmont… 

Pinky's eyes widened in realization. 

Brain's taken me to the Belmont! 

Next to him, Brain was looking down at his feet, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. He met Pinky’s gaze briefly, only to suddenly shake his head and develop a sudden interest in a pebble. 

So all that secrecy…was just because Brain wanted to surprise him! 

A warmth blossomed in Pinky’s chest. Now Brain’s words made total sense! He’d said Pinky wouldn’t have to fear missing the race because he would actually see it for himself! 

“Keep in mind that this outing also doubles as a scouting mission,” Brain said hastily. “From what I’ve learned from Terran history, horses are revered creatures and owning one can be beneficial when displaying my power over the popu-ACK!" 

Pinky scooped Brain up in an enormous hug. Brain's feet pummeled Pinky's side to try and get free, but quickly lost speed and power as Pinky relaxed his hold. Brain's orbs glowed a bright red, the telltale sign for happiness, even though he was trying hard not to show it. 

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Narf!" Pinky exclaimed, and Brain was extra cute when his face was all tomato red! "This is the best gift anyone has ever given me! You were right, Brain! We're gonna have so much fun together, you and me and Pharfignew-hey! You've never met Pharfignewton! You're gonna love her! And you can make her your royal steed once you rule the world!" 

Brain said something, but his voice was muffled against Pinky's fur. 

Tucking Brain under his arm, Pinky quickly ran to the entrance, only pausing to hand the confused worker one of his One Free Hug coupons to gain entry, which were valid forever. Brain protested and wiggled free from Pinky's hold, just in time to yank Pinky back before some lady's high heel squashed him. 

Pinky quickly recovered from nearly becoming a mouse pancake, turning in every direction until he spotted the one that led straight to the track. 

Off to their right, there was an enormous archway that allowed daylight to flood into the rest of the sheltered building. 

And there was a jockey leading their horse straight to that archway! 

Oh, Pharfignewton was gonna be so surprised when she saw him! He couldn't wait to see the look on her face!

“This way, Brain!” Pinky shouted. He grabbed Brain’s hand and pulled him along so fast that Brain’s feet left the ground. Brain was yelling something about slowing down, but why would Pinky slow down when he was so close to Pharfignewton?

He’d missed her so much over the past few months. It would be good to catch up after the race was over! 

Once they’d reached the track, Pinky scanned the crowd of participants for any sign of Pharfignewton. There were many chestnut colored horses, a few black horses, and a speckled gray one, all decked out in their saddles and reins, but he didn’t see Pharfignewton’s beautiful ivory pelt here. 

He recognized the large, intimidating black horse known as Daddy’s Little Angel standing a short distance away from everyone, seeming disinterested in the pre-race procedures. His jockey was chatting with a journalist while trying unsuccessfully to move him, but the horse wasn’t budging. 

Brain stuck close to Pinky as he observed each horse, giving their hooves a wide berth. This was his first time around horses, and he just hadn’t realized how enormous they were. 

Then Daddy’s Little Angel’s gaze was on them. His ears flicked. It was the only movement from his stocky body. 

“Hello! Narf! My name’s Pinky and this is my friend, the Brain, and we’re looking for another friend of mine!” Pinky called to Daddy’s Little Angel. “Have you seen Pharfignewton around here?” 

Upon hearing Pharfignewton’s name, Daddy’s Little Angel finally moved, his reins slipping out of his jockey’s grip. The jockey protested, but Daddy’s Little Angel’s head whipped around, fixing him with a glare. 

The jockey backed away, holding his hands up in defeat. 

Daddy’s Little Angel trotted over to Pinky, his large hooves shaking the ground with every step. Brain brushed up against Pinky, trying not to flinch but still quite nervous at the intimidating horse. 

He stopped inches away from them and neighed loudly. Pinky and Brain covered their ears from the sheer volume, and the other horses shied away around them. 

Then he stomped his hoof twice and turned away, walking towards a secluded area that was separated from the rest of the track. 

That was…strange. Pinky glanced at Brain, who only shrugged, not understanding what the horse was trying to do. 

Then Daddy’s Little Angel stopped. His head turned, one eye on the mice as his tail flicked impatiently. 

Realizing that the horse wanted them to follow, Pinky and Brain tried to catch up, though one stride for Daddy’s Little Angel was about twenty steps for their smaller feet. 

“Mind if I call you Angel?” Pinky asked the horse, who only snorted dismissively. 

He took it as a yes. 

Once it was clear that Angel wasn’t going to trample them, Brain relaxed, though he still kept a good distance away from his hooves. 

There was a curtain separating the back area from the public, and some noises of celebration behind it, alongside a slew of questions from journalists who wanted the entire scoop. Among the voices was a familiar, happy whinny. 

Pinky’s heart fluttered. Angel had led them straight to Pharfignewton! 

“Just wait ‘til you meet her, Brain!” Pinky grinned, unable to contain his excitement. “She’s the coolest, fastest, bestest horse in the whole world! She’s noble steed material for sure!” 

Brain rolled his eyes. “‘Bestest’ isn’t a word. And I’ll be the judge of that, Pinky.” 

Angel stuck his head through the curtain, causing a stir from the humans inside. They shouted for some trainer to come and control Angel, though nobody came running since they were so far away from the others. 

Then there was a jolly laugh from inside. “Well, go on, girl. We have some time before the race starts.” 

Suddenly, Angel reared up in panic, his front hooves flailing as he stumbled back. Pinky pulled Brain out of the way before his hind hooves crashed on top of him. Angel quickly galloped away from the curtain and towards a wall that was covered in advertisements. The fur on his muzzle was glistening wet, and he wiped it against the wall to get rid of it, indignantly neighing at Pharfignewton, who poked her head out from the curtain. 

She tossed her beautiful silver mane up and down as she laughed, her tongue sticking out playfully at Angel. Though Pinky hadn’t seen her face-to-face for several months now, she was still as gorgeous as ever. Her hooves were polished, fur shining, blue eyes sparkling with mischief. 

“Pharfignewton!” Pinky exclaimed. “Down here! It’s me, Pinky!”

Pharfignewton glanced down, and once she laid eyes on Pinky, she pranced in circles around him, cantering in every direction so fast that Pinky couldn’t track her. But he tried anyway, though he made himself so dizzy until he was too wibbly-wobbly to keep balance. 

Just when Pinky thought he would faceplant into the ground, a white muzzle suddenly came into view beneath him. He ran his hands through her soft fur, and then he was tossed high, high into the air! 

“Whoo!” Pinky shouted, the wind ruffling his fur. Brain looked really small from up here! Well, he was always small, but even smaller than usual! Laughing, he waved to Brain as gravity caught up to him and he fell back onto Pharfignewton’s muzzle. 

He pressed his forehead against hers, and she closed her eyes contentedly.

“ I watched you race online! You were amazing! A-and I missed you so much…” Pinky whispered. Happy tears fell from his eyes, splashing onto her fur. Pharfignewton turned her head, nickering softly as she showed Pinky a pocket on her riding gear that was tightly sealed with a zipper. Realizing that she wanted him to open it, Pinky perched on the end of her muzzle and unzipped the pocket. 

He was expecting carrots or some other kind of healthy snack, but instead he pulled out a slightly weathered photo of himself. He was smiling and waving to the camera in the photo, and there was a pink lip-shaped smudge in the corner from where he’d kissed the corner. He’d given this photo to Pharfignewton as a keepsake for the road just before she left. 

To think she’d been racing with a photo of himself this entire time….

It was nice to know that Pharfignewton had never forgotten him, even though she was so close to achieving her dream and meeting new friends along the way. 

“You told Angel about me, didn’t you?” Pinky asked as he climbed off Pharfignewton’s face. She nodded vigorously. “And he showed us where you were! And…oh, I almost forgot! I made a new friend too! Pharfignewton, meet Brain! Brain, this is Pharfignewton.” 

“So I’ve heard,” Brain replied. Pharfignewton lowered her head to get a better look at him, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled his scent. Brain leaned back, pink eyes wide as he tried to keep her at arms’ length. “Hello, Pharfignewton. Pinky wouldn’t shut up about you. But I have to admit that your racing ability is admirable. Perhaps you’d be interested in becoming a royal steed for the future ruler of the world?” 

Pharfignewton stared at Brain. With a nervous smile, Brain offered his hand to see if she’d shake on it. 

Then she planted a wet, slobbery lick on Brain’s cheek, lifting him a foot off the ground as her tongue trailed up his face. Brain squirmed and protested, quickly separating himself from Pharfignewton. He wiped the saliva off his face in disgust. 

“Aww, she likes you!” Pinky giggled, and Brain pouted, his antennae sparking erratically. 

“Is that how she greets everybody?” Brain complained to Angel as he came back to the group. Angel huffed, not too happy with Pharfignewton’s way of greeting new faces. 

But Pinky didn’t see an issue with it. Pharfignewton was just being friendly, that’s all. 

Angel stood proud and tall as he kept an ear pointed to the announcer’s box, seemingly disinterested in his surroundings unless it had to do with the race. But he kept sneaking glances at Pharfignewton, who pranced about in anticipation for the race to begin. 

“So…” Pinky grinned at Angel. “Is she your girlfriend?”    

Angel angrily tossed his head and bolted back to the other horses, not even sparing a backwards glance at Pinky. 

Pinky’s tail drooped. He was just teasing. He didn’t mean to offend. 

“You just had to scare him off,” Brain sighed, rubbing his temple. 

Pharfignewton stopped prancing. She whinnied in Angel’s direction, though the other horse simply went back to his jockey, who scolded him for running off. 

She turned back to Pinky while doing her best scary imitation of Angel. Then she nuzzled Pinky in apology. 

“Don’t worry about it, Fig,” Pinky assured her. “Believe me, I know someone who acts exactly like Angel. Poit.” 

He glanced at Brain, who just frowned. “You do?” he said. 

“Well, she says Angel acts all scary but he’s also a bit shy too,” Pinky said as he stroked Pharfignewton’s muzzle. “And she’ll talk to him later.” 

A bell rang from somewhere above their heads. 

“We are now ready to begin the Belmont Stakes! All horses and jockeys, please head to the stalls immediately. All nonparticipants, if you would kindly clear the track and head to the stands.” 

Pinky reached for Brain, who immediately grabbed his hand. Pinky clung to Pharfignewton’s fur with his other hand as she walked over to a section of the stands with an excellent view, right next to the finish line. Then she deposited them onto the railing. 

Pinky planted a kiss on her muzzle. “Now what are you waiting for? Go win that Triple Crown!” he cheered. 

Pharfignewton galloped away to meet up with her jockey and trainer. She was shut in a stall in the middle, just to the left of Angel, who pointedly refused to look in her direction. He ignored her attempts to get his attention, focusing on the track ahead of them.  

“Was that saccharine display necessary?” Brain grumbled as he surveyed the track. 

“It was just a little kiss,” Pinky defended.  

Angel and Brain sure were acting funny today. It was strange. 

Well, regardless of how strange his friends were being, Pinky was just happy to be here. 

“Brain…I just wanted to say thanks for bringing me here today. It means a lot to me,” Pinky smiled as he scooted closer to Brain on the railing. He reached for Brain’s hand, his tail intertwining around Brain’s until the tip resting on the orb at the very end. 

Brain blushed, his orbs lighting up at the close contact. The light illuminated his face, bringing out the pinkness of his eyes. 

“O-of course,” he coughed, quickly turning his attention to the track. “You’re well-acquainted with these creatures. It’s only right that we select our royal steed together.” 

Pinky’s legs hung over the edge of the railing. He kicked his feet, enjoying the pleasant breeze against his fur. 

“Y’know,” Pinky whispered in Brain’s ear with a huge grin on his face. “We should have another.” 

Brain’s lovely eyes were so round, almost owl-like as his head whipped toward Pinky in shock. 

“A-another?” he squeaked, his voice rising an entire octave. “What do you mean, another?” 

“Another royal horse, of course!” Pinky couldn’t resist the rhyme, it was truly a lovely one! 

And since Pharfignewton was such good friends with Angel, maybe they could take him into their royal stables too! 

“Oh,” Brain looked down at their intertwined hands, embarrassed from whatever he thought Pinky meant. “That’s…a surprisingly good idea from you, Pinky. We shall have our signature horse, backed up by an entire team of equines. Then everyone will have to bow before our might!” 

Brain punched the air triumphantly, and Pinky put his own fist up alongside him in solidarity. They laughed until they nearly overbalanced and fell onto the track, and the brief shock quickly brought them back to reality just as an opening fanfare began to play. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Belmont Stakes! We have a very special competitor here today! The newcomer Pharfignewton has been taking the world of horse racing by storm! If she wins this race, she’ll be the first mare to ever be awarded the Triple Crown! But her competition is fierce! Every one of these horses, including one who’s placed in the Top Three of the Kentucky Derby this year, is very accomplished in their own right. Can she rise to the challenge? Only time will tell!” 

“OF COURSE SHE CAN!” Pinky bellowed, hoping Pharfignewton could hear him. Brain winced and clung to the railing, the ear closest to Pinky folding down. “Oh…poit. Sorry, Brain.” 

“Remind me to you hurt you after we get out of this position,” Brain muttered. 

“Riders in position! Three…two…one…AND THEY’RE OFF!” 

The stalls opened with a loud bang, and the horses bolted. Pinky’s breath was stolen away from him. The roar of thundering hooves, the manes flying in the wind, the agility and grace…

A TV broadcast couldn’t compare. 

Pharfignewton quickly established her lead, while Angel was swiftly approaching her left. The others weren’t even close, all left far behind in the dust storm the pair created. 

Brain broke their contact and scooted several inches away as Pinky leapt up, whistling and cheering for Pharfignewton. 

“YOU CAN DO IT, FIG!” he yowled at the top of his lungs. “GO, GO, GO!” 

If only he’d packed his pom-poms! 

Angel caught up with Pharfignewton as they rounded the first bend on the track, and soon the pair were neck-and-neck. From the close-up on the monitor, they were having the time of their lives trying to outdo each other in a friendly rivalry. 

Angel’s jockey shouted something to the horse underneath him, practically standing up in the stirrups. But Angel only lost speed, enabling Pharfignewton to pull ahead. Though it wasn’t much of a lead, and Angel still had plenty of time to catch up. 

And just as they reached the halfway point of the track, Pharfignewton slowed down due to a large mud puddle. The mud and water clung to her legs and bogged her down, but she wasn’t about to give up her dream because of a little mud! 

“You show that mud who’s boss, Fig!” Pinky shouted. 

Angel finally caught up to Pharfignewton, and he wasn’t struggling as much in the mud puddle. But as he passed her, his jockey raised his riding crop, and struck Pharfignewton just behind her saddle. 

The audience gasped, and even the announcer had no words as Pharfignewton lost her balance from the unexpected blow and tumbled to the ground, the underside of her jaw smashing painfully into the mud. 

“Pharfignewton!” Pinky cried in horror, his hands flying up to his mouth in shock. 

Brain’s antennae sparked with anger. “That’s a foul!” he snarled as he leapt to his feet, appalled by the jockey’s unsportsmanlike behavior. 

“And in a disgusting move, an unscrupulous jockey has struck Pharfignewton on her flank and knocked her into the mud!” the announcer declared, and even he couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice as all the other racehorses ran past her, spurred forward by their jockeys. “This appears to be a tragic end for the aspiring Triple Crown nominee…”  

“No!” Pinky screamed at the announcer’s box. “It’s not the end! It can’t be!” 

She’d trained so hard, for so long, just for this moment! She’d dreamed about it her whole life, since fillyhood! Pinky had encouraged her to run faster than the wind, to soar like an eagle, to clear every obstacle in her path on the road to victory. He’d given her snacks to keep up her energy, brushed out her mane, and told her night after night that she was his favorite horse in the world and she was sure to win if she just believed she could. 

And he wasn’t about to let her dreams go to waste! 

Bunching his muscles together, Pinky leapt down from the railing and onto the track. He’d only made it a short distance when he suddenly felt a tug on his tail. 

“Pinky, just what do you think you’re doing?” Brain scolded, trying to pull Pinky back. “You’re going to get yourself trampled!” 

“But she can’t give up now! She’s so close!” Pinky protested. He was stronger than Brain, but Brain was digging his heels in and slowing him down. “Let me go, Brain!” 

“Pinky! Would you listen to me for one second?” Brain snapped. With one sharp yank to the tail, he managed to completely turn Pinky around to face him. He looked into Pinky’s eyes…and suddenly his grip slackened, his ears falling, anger melting into concern. “Sometimes…some dreams just aren’t meant to be. No matter how hard you try.” 

Pinky knew Brain was speaking from experience. He knew he was just trying to help. 

But still…

“Wait…something’s going on with Daddy’s Little Angel! His jockey can’t keep him under control!” 

The camera had pulled away from the other horses to focus on Angel, who adamantly refused to obey his jockey’s commands. With one final, powerful kick, Angel bucked his jockey into the mud. Then he turned his back on the disoriented jockey, throwing more mud on him with his back hooves. 

He approached Pharfignewton as she struggled to stand, her jaw and underside completely covered with mud. Her jockey gently stroked her mane, and though his words were lost on camera, he was trying to smile to reassure her that she was alright.

Pharfignewton’s head hung low, her eyes closed in mourning for her lost dream. Angel stoically stood by her, ears pinned back. He tried to lean in to nuzzle Pharfignewton, but she trudged away and barely noticed him. Angel awkwardly padded after her.

“Don’t worry, folks. The medical personnel will be evaluating Daddy’s Little Angel’s jockey soon enough,” the announcer said, though it didn’t sound like he cared either way. “Moving along, the remaining horses are approaching the final turn! Who will win is now anyone’s guess! And…hmm, what’s this? The camera crew is taking interest in a different kind of animal!” 

The jumbo screen wasn’t focusing on the horses anymore. In fact, almost nobody was taking interest in the horses anymore, now that the victory had been snatched away from Pharfignewton. 

Rather, the cameras had swiped to focus on…them. 

“Looks like a couple of rodents got lost on their way to the rat race!” the announcer chuckled, and so did the audience. 

“We’re not rats! We’re mice!” Pinky corrected. “Well, a mouse and an alien, but it’s still rude to mispecie us!” 

As Pinky and Brain’s image came into view, an idea suddenly came to mind. 

“Pharfignewton! Look up at the screen!” Pinky shouted. Brain said nothing, too focused on trying to drag Pinky out of view. “You can’t give up now! You’ve made it this far! Just a little farther!” 

“Pinky…” Brain said nervously. 

“Not now, Brain,” Pinky said, shushing him. “Come on Fig, I’ve seen you jump logs that must’ve been, what, thirty-seven feet high! You can run way faster than…way faster than…um, what’s something that’s fast, Brain?” 

Brain froze, his pink eyes wide with fear as he looked over Pinky’s shoulder. “A stampede of twenty racehorses that are about to come down on top of us if we don’t move right now?” 

“Oh, that’s a good one, Brain! Thanks!” Pinky said. A bit long-winded, but still a clever bit of improv. “A stampede of twenty racehorses that are about to-AHHH!” 

On the far side of the track, the horses had completed their final turn and were in the home stretch! They’d kicked up a huge dust cloud behind them, all of them vying for first place. 

“RUN, PINKY!” Brain screamed. 

And Pinky bolted. All those workouts he did on the wheel did wonders for his leg muscles, but Brain wasn’t nearly as fast. He’d never cared much for routine exercise, and Pinky knew he’d probably be regretting that decision after today. 

Pinky made a quick u-turn and scooped Brain up, tucking him under his arm and returning to his original direction. 

“Veer left! Get on the grass!” Brain yelled. 

“My left or your left?” Pinky asked. 

“THEY’RE THE SAME LEFT!” 

And Pinky tried, but a horse rushed past him before could obey Brain’s instructions. He tried again, only for another horse to block his way. 

It didn’t take in before they were boxed in by a wall of legs.

Soon Pinky didn’t even know which direction was which anymore. Everything was just a blur. Despite this, he refused to let go of Brain. 

Then Pinky tripped over himself as he dodged yet another hoof, landing on top of Brain. This time, there was no avoiding the horse hoof that was about to crash over them! 

They screamed and braced themselves against each other, but the blow never came. 

Instead, it felt like he was…flying? 

Something was grasping his tail, letting him dangle as they weaved between racehorses at high speed. Brain was clinging to Pinky’s neck for dear life, and since both of Pinky’s hands were free, he made sure he secured Brain against him so he didn’t get caught underhoof. 

Then Pinky craned his neck to see who had his tail, and he was met with a large white muzzle and a pair of ocean blue eyes-

“PHARFIGNEWTON!” Pinky squealed with delight. Pharfignewton winked, expertly dodging every horse in her path. 

She was still in the race, and the announcer and an adoring crowd chanted her name with renewed vigor as she caught up to the front of the pack. Her jockey was bouncing up and down in his seat, overcome with excitement. 

It was just like old times! The wind in his face, the thundering, rhythmic beat of her hooves! 

She hadn’t given up after all! 

“I told you she could do it, Brain! I told you!” Pinky exclaimed. 

Brain recovered from his shock, and a determined look came over his face. “That’s it, Pharfignewton! To victory!” he shouted. 

Pinky grinned. Brain was finally getting into that horse racing spirit! 

It wasn’t even close! The nearest horse was several lengths back! 

The finish line was straight ahead! 

Fifteen yards…ten yards…five yards…then Pharfignewton’s front hooves crossed the finish line at last! 

“And in another surprising turn of events, Pharfignewton has defied the odds and emerged victorious! And you know what that means, everyone! Please congratulate the latest winner of the coveted Triple Crown, Pharfignewton!” 

Pharfignewton’s gallop slowed to a canter, then into a happy prance as her jockey steered her over to the cameras for more photo ops. A trumpet fanfare played, heralding her newfound fame as the first mare to ever win the Triple Crown. She dropped Pinky and Brain onto a fencepost so they could wait for her as she finished her photoshoots. 

A woman in a fancy lavender dress coronated Pharfignewton with a beautiful golden crown, then tossed a necklace of colorful flowers over her neck. Her jockey hugged Pharfignewton as the cameras flashed. Her owner and trainer ran up to congratulate her, whooping with joy and popping bottles of champagne to celebrate. 

Pharfignewton reveled in the attention, never getting tired of all the photos and poses they demanded of her. 

“Narf! Look at her, Brain.” Pinky wiped a tear away from his eye. “Isn’t she beautiful?” 

Brain just gave him an odd look. “Well…she’s earned this celebration,” he admitted, skillfully deflecting the question. “Do they make Terran crowns out of real gold, or do they use an alloy?” 

“I don’t know any Roy who makes crowns, but if you give me a whole lotta mashed potatoes I can definitely fashion one for you later,” Pinky promised him. 

“Never mind. I can figure it out myself,” Brain wrinkled his nose. Though Pinky knew Brain disliked it when he put food anywhere that wasn’t on a plate or in his mouth, he figured Brain would change his tune once he’d experienced the wonders of being the king of Fairyland and surveying his kingdom from the top of Mashed Potato Mountain. 

The humans shouted in surprise as a large, riderless black horse stormed into their midst. He glared at anyone who tried to grab hold of his reins, only stopping once he was next to Pinky and Brain’s shared fencepost. 

Contrary to what everyone else seemed to think, Angel wasn’t there to disrupt the proceedings. Though he didn’t show it, Pinky knew he just wanted to make sure she was happy. 

“Thanks for taking care of her, Angel,” Pinky said gratefully. He would have to ask Pharfignewton for the details later, and also tell Pharfignewton about all his adventures with Brain so far, but all that could wait. 

One of Angel’s ears flicked towards Pinky, but his eyes were still fixed on Pharfignewton. 

Angel didn’t seem to like him very much. How was he supposed to befriend one of Pharfignewton’s friends? 

“Step aside, Pinky. Let me try,” Brain said, and Pinky gave him room. Then Brain turned to Angel. “I know we didn’t have much time for proper introductions before, but my name is the Brain, soon-to-be supreme leader of the world, and I’ve been seeking candidates for the position of royal steed. Your intimidating aura and powerful stride puts you miles ahead of the competition, my friend. If you were fitted with titanium-based armor, your daunting stance could be multipled by a hundredfold! And once everyone sees us, they’ll bow down before our power! Any chance you’d be interested?” 

This got Angel’s full attention. He faced Brain and raised his front hoof. 

“You did it, Brain! Why, you’re a bona fide horse whisperer!” Pinky exclaimed as Brain shook Angel’s offered hoof. “You’ve got to show me how to speak horse someday!” 

“I will, Pinky,” Brain promised. “It’s simple enough for you to understand. All you have to do is-NYAH!” 

Angel suddenly pulled his hoof away from Brain, who lost his balance and fell onto his stomach. 

Pinky quickly jotted Brain’s suggestion into his notepad. “All I have to do is nyah. Got it! Troz!” 

Angel’s attention had gone back to Pharfignewton, whose photoshoot was finally winding down enough for her to rejoin her friends. Well, Angel was trying to look anywhere else but Pharfignewton, except he wasn’t fooling anybody. 

The newest Triple Crown winner was positively radiant. She hadn’t gotten the chance to wash the mud from her coat yet, but the mud made her look even more beautiful in Pinky’s eyes. 

“Hey, Fig,” Pinky smiled at her, and she lowered her head so she was level with the fencepost. “Guess what? Nyah!” 

Pharfignewton whinnied softly, and Pinky hugged her muzzle. Then she planted a huge, horsey kiss on Pinky’s cheek. Pinky had to keep hold of her fur so he didn’t get sucked into her mouth, and he returned the gesture with one of his own. 

“You’re a genius, Brain!” Pinky exclaimed as he broke off the kiss. “That nyah was everything! Thanks for letting me know!”   

Brain’s mouth hung open in shock, but he quickly tried to compose himself as he stood up. “O-of course I am, Pinky. But…you just…I can’t believe you kissed a horse!” 

Next to him, Angel looked away while sticking his tongue out. 

Pinky put his hands on his hips, while Pharfignewton stamped her hoof. “Don’t be intolerant, you two!” Pinky scolded. 

Angel scuffed the ground with a front hoof, and Brain’s face turned bright red again. 

So maybe the problem wasn’t intolerance…

Pinky and Pharfignewton gave each other a knowing glance, pondering exactly the same thing. Pharfignewton went first, sidling up to Angel and resting her body against his as she kissed his muzzle. 

Though he hid his appreciation well, he couldn’t stop his ears from fluttering like crazy. 

“Awww, don’t you think they’re adorable together, Brain?” Pinky cooed, intertwining his tail around Brain’s. 

“They’d…certainly make an excellent pair of royal steeds for us,” Brain murmured, his stern demeanor slipping away as he reached for Pinky’s hands. “Overall, objective complete.” 

Gosh, his rose-pink eyes were so pretty.

Pinky cupped Brain’s soft, squishy cheeks, leaning in for the kiss. He kept it soft and gentle, since Brain was very new to the ultimate form of Terran affection. 

Brain didn’t apply much pressure with his lips, but Pinky felt an electric current run through his body, lighting him up with so many tingly, wonderful sensations he’d never felt before. A bright pink glow enveloped his vision, electricity dancing around his fur. 

And when they stopped to breathe, Pinky opened his eyes to find that his and Brain’s fur now glowed pink, with tiny bolts of electric stars sparkling around them.

“Look at us, Brain! We’re making new stars!” Pinky exclaimed. 

“Well, the starmaking process would require a ton of energy and atoms that cannot be produced on any regular planet,” Brain said, leaning in for a second round. “But close enough, Pinky. Close enough.” 

And the stars were absolutely beautiful tonight. 

AN: And with that supernova explosion of a kiss, Nova is now complete! 

Pinky is doing the hitchhiker’s leg pose cause I wanted to include a little sexy Pinky. 

I always wanted the story to wrap up with Pharfignewton getting the Triple Crown she dreamed of. Also, I thought it would be cute if she made a friend while she was away, like Pinky had done.

Pinky falling onto the track and being saved by Pharfignewton is another callback to Jockey for Position, and also Brain gets his own horse friend. While Brain does ride the horse named Daddy’s Little Angel in that ep, he isn’t much of a character on his own so I thought it would be funny to make him Brain’s horse counterpart (and turning him into a sap around Pharfignewton). Plus there’s something objectively funny about shortening his name to Angel. 

Brain tried to ignore the nuzzle against his cheek, the last sign of life before Pinky fell limp in his arms. The once vibrant mouse was nothing more than deadweight as he was carried out of the inferno that used to be the Conquistador. 

The temperature difference was extreme. Heat on Brain’s back, the ice on his front, and a comfortable, crisp night ahead of him. 

Brain nearly buckled from supporting all of Pinky's weight, too exhausted by the long night's events to go on much farther. 

He was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained, and he'd love nothing more than a nice rock to crawl under and never come out again. 

He carried on though, refusing to allow the fire to lay claim to Pinky's body. 

Pinky was completely limp, his limbs and tail stiff. The pinks and reds of his body were a very pale blue, his once vibrant snowy fur now colorless.

There were no narfs, no poits, no egads or trozes or zorts. No incessant chatter or high-pitched laughter, no questions that were off-track from what they were doing. 

What he wouldn't give to hear Pinky's voice. 

I…can't accept this. I won't accept this! There must be a way to save him before…before he- 

The outcome was unspeakable. It was unthinkable. 

Yet…it was inevitable. 

Despair overtook him despite his denial, overwhelming his senses and mind. He considered himself a logical, rational being, but no amount of logic or critical thinking would help Pinky. 

He helped me…he helped me so much even when I was no more than a stranger to him. Can't…I have one good thing in my life? Am I asking for too much? 

He couldn't go on, no matter how hard he tried to push himself. 

They were a good distance away from the flaming wreck of the Conquistador, atop a grassy hill dotted with tiny white and yellow wildflowers. 

Above them, the cloudless night sky shone with millions of twinkling stars and other worlds so far away from this one. The Terran moon was full and round, and it was difficult to fathom that he'd resided on such a lonely celestial body for most of his life.

After spending so much time with Pinky, he didn't want to return to a solitary life, where he had no one to distract him from the storm inside his head. 

Brain placed Pinky onto a soft bed of grass as gently as he could. He laid on his back, head lulled to one side. His limbs were frozen stiff, and though Brain tried to cross them over Pinky's chest, they were stubbornly resistant. Brain gave up that plan without a fight, not wanting to damage Pinky's body further.

In the distance, ACME Labs' golden lettering flickered like a beacon. The dark outline of a long bridge loomed above the building. 

Sirens wailed, heralding the arrival of many large red fire engines. Decked from head to toe in protective gear, the firefighters barked commands to their coworkers as they unfurled their hoses and ladders. 

The blaze had drawn a crowd too, even larger than the audience at the Embassy. Several people began to record the events on their phones, and two of the firefighters switched to crowd control when several curious civilians strayed too close. 

Nobody noticed the lone alien and mouse on the next hill. 

It was just as well. 

Brain didn't want to be disturbed. He tuned out the noise, ignoring the shouts and screams and orders as he settled beside Pinky’s lifeless body. 

Surely there had to be a way to save him! 

He couldn’t just let Pinky die like this, so cold, so empty. 

He’d never been this still before. Always so vibrant and energetic and perpetually, annoyingly cheerful. That’s what Pinky was supposed to be. 

During the nights they’d spent waiting for the party, Pinky had tried getting Brain into some Terran medical drama show. Brain had tried to put up with it for three episodes, figuring that he could glean some knowledge about Terran anatomy for later. But the show had been less medical and more about messy interpersonal relationships between the hospital staff, to Brain’s dismay. Pinky didn’t understand complex medical jargon, but he was somehow able to keep track of who was dating who, which changed like the wind even within the same episode. 

Despite its many, many shortcomings, that show was how he learned of a Terran technique called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which could revive an individual from dea—near death. 

He placed both hands in the center of Pinky’s chest, trying to ignore how his later research into the topic revealed that it wasn’t always guaranteed to work, that it wouldn’t solve Pinky’s severe hypothermia, that he was alone and didn’t have an entire team to help him…

But heaven forbid he didn’t try. It was the only thing he could think of. Imagine that, his own mind failing him when he needed it most. 

And try he did. 

He pushed on Pinky’s chest as hard as he could. Pinky didn’t react to the blow. Again and again he pumped, until he was putting almost all of his body weight on Pinky. 

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes despite his best efforts to hold them back, his arms screaming with exhaustion with every thrust. He panted for breath, not realizing how exhausting this method was until now. 

He wasn’t producing enough force to keep Pinky’s blood circulating. He knew that. But he couldn’t…he couldn’t-

Finally, his arms gave out from fatigue, and he fell heavily onto Pinky’s chest. The chill of his cor-no, his body, stung Brain’s fur, but he barely felt it anymore. He could deal with the physical cold, but this emptiness in his chest, this numbness he felt towards the world at large…

It was incomparable. 

There was a harsh sob, and surely that couldn’t have come from him. But the tears blurred his vision as they slipped down his cheeks and splashed onto Pinky’s stiff fur. 

Why couldn’t he just…do something right for a change?

If he hadn’t foolishly abandoned Pinky in pursuit of power, then he would still be alive! Maybe…maybe if they’d never met at all, then Pinky would’ve been better off. 

There was no heartbeat under his ear, no pulse under his finger or breath under his body. 

Pinky had died a slow, agonizing death. Yet he delayed his inevitable demise just to help Brain escape from Snowball, bearing no ill will and considering him a friend in spite of all the pain he’d been through because of him. 

He’d pushed himself to his limits for someone who didn’t deserve it. 

Why? 

Because of loneliness? Because of pity? 

The world would never know of the kindred spirit they’d lost. Lab mice weren’t important creatures. Humans would shrug their shoulders and replace him with another mouse. 

That’s how it worked. 

But Brain knew better. Pinky was one of a kind. Irreplaceable and loyal to the end. Brave and true. Silly and dare he say, sweet. 

But…there was nothing more he could do for his friend. 

“...I’m sorry,” he whispered. He gave up his efforts at CPR and bowed his head in mourning, gently running a hand down Pinky's cheek. “I’m sorry. A-and thank you. For everything…” 

For accepting him into his cage when he had nowhere else to go, for showing him the wonders of Terran cuisine, for that brief yet wonderful dance they’d shared together. 

His antennae touched Pinky's chest, right over his heart.

Even through his closed eyes, his vision was flooded with a bright pink light. 

And when he opened them, his orbs were glowing with the brightest light he'd ever seen from them. He glanced behind him, and found that his tail was lit up too. 

He didn't understand. He was the furthest thing from happy right now! So why…

Then his hand hit a dry, warm patch of fur. Startled at the sensation, he looked down. 

His hand was over Pinky's heart, now thumping ever so faintly, the fur shining with a bright shade of pink. The fur was once again smooth and fluffy, no longer clumping together in prickly spikes. 

And against his better judgment, Brain's hopes began to soar. 

Could it be? Was it possible after all…to save Pinky's life? 

And then an idea struck him. 

Of course! 

If he could absorb energy from others, then surely he could reverse the current and transfer the energy into Pinky! That electrical energy would help Pinky's heart circulate blood and oxygen, and would then transform into heat energy, thus resolving the hypothermia!

He brought his tail around and rested his head and antennae on Pinky's chest, focusing on that transfer of energy that would revive Pinky once more. 

Pinky's chest began to rise and fall, slow and imperceptible to anyone who wasn't in direct contact with him, but the signs of life were there. 

By great Selene, the signs were there. 

Little by little, the pink light spread across Pinky's body, starting from his chest and sweeping down to the very tips of his fingers and toes. The layers of ice and frost melted away, turning to water before evaporating into thin air. His fur sprung to life wherever the light touched, vibrant and fluffy and warm. 

It took Brain more effort to breathe, and he quickly realized that this method would deplete his energy reserves. 

But whatever it took to bring Pinky back, he would do it.

Pinky had an entire list of things he’d wanted to show Brain, from movies to food to the wonders of bubble wrap and trampolines and music. In the short time they’d spent together, there hadn’t been enough time to cover them all. 

They’d only gotten up to the Prisoner of Azkaban in Harry Potter. There were still five more films they had yet to watch together. 

It wouldn’t be the same, having to navigate the streaming services on his own and only popping popcorn and creating M&M and pretzel bowls for only a single mouse. 

And most importantly, they were going to take over the world together. Ruling the world alone…it was something he’d never wanted. He wouldn’t accomplish anything, never establish a worthwhile legacy as a lone emperor. 

Pinky’s fingers were twitching, toes curling, tail swishing. 

Pushing himself up, Brain peered over Pinky’s snout, feeling every heartbeat and breath under his hands. Pinky coughed as Brain gripped his large nose to look at his face, and his warm breath smelled of shrimp. 

Ew. He was definitely dragging Pinky to the nearest sink once this ordeal was over. 

Pinky’s ears fluttered, his nose digging into Brain’s fur. Brain yelped as a tickling sensation overtook him as Pinky sniffed him experimentally. The resurrected mouse giggled and sneezed. Startled by the sudden yet wonderful noises, Brain overbalanced. Their foreheads smashed together, and Brain saw stars from the impact. 

Red giants, white dwarves, yellow middle-aged stars…

And two extremely bright sky-blue stars, shining their blindingly beautiful light upon him. 

Neither of them spoke. 

Pinky’s blue eyes finally zeroed in on Brain. His head lifted off the ground slightly. 

A high pitched squeal was the only warning he got before something suddenly ensnared him from both sides and held him high into the air. Brain instinctively kicked his legs out to free himself, but he couldn’t reach his attacker. 

And below him, Pinky shook with laughter, his fur glowing a vivid pinkish-red. His arms were held up high above him, hands wrapped around Brain’s waist and upper arms so that Brain couldn’t free himself with his hands. 

Escaping from those mechanical tentacles had been much easier than his current predicament. 

“Narf! Look, Brain! I’m alive!” Pinky exclaimed, quivering with joy and laughter. “Alive!” 

Though Brain didn’t like being held in this way, he decided to cut Pinky a little slack for being nearly dead. Just this one time. 

“Yes…you’re alive,” Brain said, unable to keep the relief out of his voice. He managed to free one hand, and he clamped down on Pinky’s wrist. “I’m glad, Pinky.” 

There was a pulse. A beautiful, thriving pulse underneath his fingertips.

As happy as Brain was to see Pinky alive, his mind had inevitably wandered to that what-if.

What if this is only temporary? What if- 

A tear splashed down onto Pinky's nose. It didn't escape his notice.

"Brain?" Pinky said. His joyous smile was replaced by a concerned frown. 

Brain averted his eyes. "I nearly lost you…" he murmured. "I…I don't even know if this will last." 

Upon hearing Brain's concerns, Pinky kicked his legs out to help him get into an upright position. Once he was sitting up, he wasted no time in bringing Brain close. 

Brain didn't resist Pinky's embrace. This comforting warm light surrounding him, a light, airy breath tickling his ear, the soft fur cushioning his cheek…

This was real. This was very real. 

Pinky cupped Brain's face in his hands, giving him a gentle, reassuring smile. 

"You brought me back with the power of love, Brain," Pinky declared. "I'm not going anywhere." 

There was no uncertainty in his voice. 

But even so, Brain folded his arms. "It was merely an energy transfer, not the 'power of love', as you so eloquently put it. Don't you even realize how cheesy that sounds?" 

Pinky licked his lips. "An extra cheesy pizza sounds really good now! All that dying and coming back to life stuff's made me super hungry." 

The power of love. Yeah, right. 

Where was Pinky getting all these weird concepts from? 

But…a mere energy transfer couldn't explain the healthy pink glow that emanated from Pinky, the silvery stars that shimmered in his fur. 

Perhaps it was better to not dwell on it. 

Pinky was alive, and that’s all that really mattered. 

Slowly, Brain allowed himself to relax against Pinky’s chest. The heartbeat in his ears was strong and steady, arms cocooning him in a protective embrace.

The light around Pinky finally faded, his fur becoming a healthy, snowy white once more. Similarly, Brain’s orbs dimmed back to their normal shade of red. 

With some hesitation, Brain wrapped his arms around Pinky. He couldn’t reach all the way around, but Pinky hummed contentedly, so Brain knew that this little effort was plenty. 

Neither of them bothered to move. Let the world go by around them. Time didn’t matter. 

And Pinky seemed like he would’ve stayed in this position forever too. 

“This was it! I swear this was the source of the light!” a man’s voice shouted. 

“These are mice, Jason. Look, it was probably just some fireflies or something. Now make yourself useful and grab more supplies from the truck for the firefighters.”

“Yes, sir.” 

A sudden clamor of footsteps and whispers was all the warning they got before several quick, bright flashes of white light blinded them. Brain shielded his face, his eyes shut tight to avoid any temporary blindness. 

When the light subsided, Brain lowered his hand and opened his eyes. There was an entire crowd around them, and Brain quickly separated himself from Pinky, though he kept hold of his hand. Pinky made a disappointed noise, his fingers lacing around Brain’s. And Brain didn’t blame him for wanting more time to themselves. 

He scanned the area for possible escape routes, but everyone was so tightly packed together that even a mouse couldn’t squeeze through. 

The Conquistador’s flames had diminished on the next hill over due to the firefighting team’s efforts, though a thick plume of smoke still filled the air. It would be awhile before it cleared up. 

The mice and the humans stared each other down, silently daring the other to make the first move. 

The crowd did nothing but stare, which annoyed Brain to no end. 

“Quit gawking and let us pass!” Brain shouted as loud as he could. With his voice hoarse from smoke and crying, his voice wasn’t as loud as he would’ve liked. “My friend has been through enough tonight and needs to rest!” 

But his order did nothing to deter their unwanted audience, and many of the younger humans only pointed their phones at them instead.

“Could you let us go please?” Pinky asked, tightly gripping Brain’s hand. 

They ignored Pinky’s polite question too. 

Looked like the only way out was through force. 

Brain scanned the crowd for any weak points in their formation, but there was a disturbance somewhere in the back before he could make his decision. 

“Move! Don’t you know who I am? Stand aside before I have you lot arrested!” 

People shouted their protests as they were forcibly shoved away by an extremely disheveled Lamont,  who was still dressed in his ostentatious golden suit from the ball. His collar was crooked and unbuttoned, one of his shoes was untied, and his jacket was wide open, revealing a rather sizable belly. 

He was flanked by several policemen, one of whom wore a golden star on his chest. The crowd backed away nervously, even the more fearless ones with their phone cameras. 

Brain was absolutely not in the mood to deal with that rich blowhard. 

“There they are!” Lamont spat. “Arrest them!”  

But Lamont's otherwise unwelcome arrival had opened up an escape path, and Brain seized his opportunity. 

"Run, Pinky!" he shouted.

They shot past Lamont, and Brain had a fleeting moment of satisfaction at the stunned look on Lamont's face. 

As they veered around shoes and several grabby hands, it became clear he'd celebrated too soon. 

The chief of police raised his boot, nearly stomping on Pinky and Brain's intertwined hands. The thud of his boot against the ground was so close that Brain's ears rung from the impact. Brain was forced to let go of Pinky's hand to avoid the chief's relentless attempts to stomp him into the ground. 

 Pinky shouted for him immediately after they were separated, and Brain felt a pang of regret for that. Neither of them wanted to lose the other so soon. Pinky lost speed as he made a sharp turn in an attempt to reclaim Brain’s hand, and one of the officers reached down and snatched his tail. He cried out as he was hauled up into the air, dangling from the officer’s fingers. 

“Pinky!” Brain yelled. He turned around, fully intending to bite the officer’s fingers to release Pinky from his grasp, though someone else grabbed him before he could act on his plan. 

He tried to bite down to free himself, but the officer pushed his finger against his mouth. 

“We have them now,” the chief of police reported to Lamont. “What do you want us to do with them?”  

But Lamont ignored the chief’s question, marching straight over to the officer holding Brain. The officer tried to remain professional, but Brain felt every tremble of his hand as Lamont approached. 

“What did you do with my weapon?” Lamont spat, his eyes wild. 

Brain glared at him. “I destroyed your weapon,” he declared, having no shame in telling the truth. “It was far too dangerous to leave in anyone’s hands.” 

Including his own. He felt that rush of power himself, the same one Snowball and Lamont were completely ensnared in. Standing over Snowball, who cowered before him once his life was threatened, the satisfaction in seeing all that cockiness and bravado turn to cowardice, finally having the upper hand against his betrayer…

But he’d destroyed the weapon instead. Perhaps it would be considered a weakness by some, to not have the strength to follow through on revenge. 

Then he saw Pinky, lying helpless and vulnerable against the roaring inferno. Brain couldn’t let him die, nor did he value his own vendetta over a friend who cared for him enough to follow him despite his declining health. 

Lamont clearly didn’t believe him. “Liar!” he growled. “You’re clearly hiding it somewhere! Did you leave it with the other impostor?” 

“That ‘other impostor’ doesn’t have the weapon either. He abandoned the plan and fled the ship as soon as his own life was in danger,” Brain replied. “And even if I knew of his whereabouts now, I wouldn’t tell you where he is.” 

“Neither will I!” Pinky piped up. “You can’t make me talk! Narf!” 

He zipped his lip up defiantly and made an elaborate show of throwing the key. Brain appreciated the effort, but he doubted it would last. Lamont was an idiot, but Brain hoped he’d focus his interrogation on him rather than Pinky, who wouldn’t hold out against pressure for long. 

“Search that wreck!” Lamont ordered. “Recover that weapon immediately!” 

The lesser officers all shifted awkwardly. The one holding Pinky stepped forward, a nervous expression on his face. 

“We tried that when you first ordered it,” he admitted. “The firefighters have most of the area contained already, but they won’t let us pass since we don’t have any fire protection. And…if I may, there probably won’t be anything left but ashes anyway. The risk isn’t worth it.” 

“That weapon costs more than all your annual salaries put together,” Lamont snapped. “So recover it or it’ll be your employment on the line!” 

The officers glanced at their chief, who sighed in resignation. “Just do as he says, boys.” 

A murmur rose from the civilians as the lesser officers reluctantly waved them aside. 

“That won’t be necessary,” a new voice coldly said.

The crowd parted as a beautiful blonde woman with a long purple streak in her hair passed them. She held her head high among the stares that followed her, only stopping when she was in front of Lamont. 

“Olivia!” Pinky shouted with joy, wiggling so much that the officer couldn’t restrain him anymore. He fell to the ground, landing flat on his face, but it didn’t slow him down at all. He ran straight up to the woman, who knelt down and scooped him up with one hand. “You came!” 

The corner of Olivia's mouth lifted into a tiny smile. "Well, I did have unfinished business to take care of," she admitted. "I see you found your friend." 

She gave Brain an appraising look, not friendly but not quite as icy as the look she reserved for Lamont. 

"I didn't know you were acquainted," Brain said, figuring that a neutral approach was best. "But I was expecting your face to be more…deformed." 

Pinky gasped. "Brain!" he scolded. "Don't be rude!" 

To her credit, Olivia didn't seem too bothered. "It was just a really good makeup job," she admitted, to everyone's shock. "Just to clear the air, I was never in a horrible fiery car wreck that disfigured my face. That was all made up by the media. But I digress. So you really stole a dangerous weapon out from under Lamont's nose, huh?" 

Brain's ears lowered, though she didn't sound particularly accusatory. But even so, the fact remained that he helped Snowball steal the weapon and abandoned Pinky in the process. 

"He destroyed it too," Pinky added. "I saw him toss it into the fire! Narf!" 

"Really?" Olivia said. 

Brain looked away. "I wasn't about to choose a weapon over a-" He was suddenly aware of all the camera phones pointed at him. "-over Pinky." 

Pinky's tail swished happily. Brain tried not to pay too much attention to the motion. 

“Hand him over,” Olivia ordered the officer holding Brain. 

The officer hesitated. 

Olivia folded her arms. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” 

To Lamont’s protests, the officer reluctantly handed Brain off to Olivia. Brain only had seconds to enjoy not having the life squeezed out of him before Pinky tackled and wrapped him in an enormous hug.

Brain kicked his feet instinctively in an attempt to escape, though he gave up after several seconds. He was only allowing this because Pinky had just come back to life. 

Not because Pinky’s fur was warm and soft or anything. 

Lamont’s face contorted in rage as the full effects of his public humiliation began to sink in. “Princess! You humiliated me at the party, and now you’re protecting thieves and liars?” he snarled. 

“My name is Olivia, not Princess. You’ve stolen the funds, heart, and soul out of this city, and you have the gall to call them thieves?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow at Lamont’s hypocrisy. 

Lamont sputtered incoherently, all while his lackeys stood around and waited for orders, which he was unable to give. And the civilians around them were getting a good laugh out of his humiliation, which seemed to be a long time coming. 

The firefighters finally gave the all clear, and though smoke still lingered in the air, the blaze was completely gone. 

And the Conquistador was nothing more than a heap of scrap metal. Months of labor erased in the blink of an eye. The humans would haul it away in the morning for sure. 

The last remnant of Brain’s life on New Selene was destroyed. 

The moon hung above them. The barren desert, seemingly vast and endless, was barely bigger than his finger from this new perspective. 

Terra was just full of surprises, both good and bad, wasn’t it? 

Snowball was out there, somewhere. No doubt plotting a new scheme to take over the world. Whether or not he would ever be successful had yet to be seen. 

And despite it all, Brain missed him. They’d been childhood friends, cagemates, partners. He remembered how the dark and lonely nights had been mitigated by pushing their cages as close as possible, holding hands through the bars. How they’d see who could run fastest on their wheels, who could stuff more food in their cheeks, when they’d play fight and refuse to admit defeat until they both dropped from exhaustion. 

There was no hope for reconciliation if they ever met again. Funny how that worked. Though Snowball had done horrible things for the sake of his ambitions, some part of Brain would always wish for things to remain as they had been. 

And yet…if Snowball hadn’t separated the ship when they’d first arrived, would Brain have ever met Pinky? 

This planet was new, large, and frightening at times. But Pinky had shown him that there were so many wonderful things about this new world, like cuisine and dancing. 

And to think there was more to discover too. 

Something snaked around his waist, and Brain only had time to process that it was Pinky’s tail before he was pulled in close for another hug. 

“Hey, Brain? You know my cage is always open for you,” Pinky said with a sad little smile, his ears falling. “If you wanna go elsewhere, I mean…” 

There was nowhere else Brain wanted to be, other than at Pinky’s side. 

“Don’t talk nonsense, Pinky,” Brain reassured him. “I’m staying here.” 

And Pinky’s smile was all he needed. 

AN: It was the power of love that revived Pinky. I’m allowed to do stuff like this in fanfiction. 

And this chapter marks the end of Brain’s arc, from invader to guest to friend. He’ll always be sad about Snowball, but he’s got Pinky, and Pinky makes everything better.  

Thanks to everyone who read this story! I had fun with it, even if work meant that I can’t update as often as I’d like. 

Oh, he’d never had this much fun in his life before! The twirling, the pretty lights from Brain’s antennae, the music! The music was, well…music to his ears! 

He’d been light as a feather, dancing on air, floating on cloud nine! Or was that cloud five? Oh well, whichever was the highest cloud! 

Brain’s touch still lingered on his fingers and waist, warm and guiding, and somehow both unsure and strong at the same time. His smile shined just as brightly as his lights, illuminating him in a beautiful pinkish-red glow. 

It was the loveliest sight Pinky had ever seen.

And they ended it with such a fun fun silly-willy drop to the floor! Brain’s body was so warm, and he looked like an adorable lumpy tomato when he blushed! 

Then Snowball showed up to join in the fun! Pinky had invited Snowball to join them for a tango, and if they were feeling up to it, maybe a salsa, but Snowball didn’t seem too interested. 

Shame really. 

And all too soon, the moment was cut short by a commotion on the dance floor. Mr. Lamont was clutching his dance partner’s white half-mask in one hand, a horror-stricken expression on his face. 

And when the lovely young woman turned towards the crowd, daring them all to look upon the mangled half of her face she’d hidden under her mask with an oddly calm expression, Mr. Lamont fled upstairs as fast as his legs could carry him. 

Snowball immediately pursued him. Brain seemed more hesitant, giving Pinky a long, searching look before shaking his head with a sigh. He didn’t say anything else as he followed Snowball upstairs. 

The conductor tried to cue the orchestra to keep playing, just to try and continue the party, but the violinists half-heartedly scraped their bows across their instruments, too stunned by the woman’s reveal to put their all into a majestic symphony. 

The paparazzi, who somehow fought their way past security, shouted questions as they snapped dozens of pictures for the latest celebrity gossip columns that would definitely be splashed across the front page of grocery store magazines by sunrise. 

The other rich folk scattered like leaves in the wind, while a few people gathered around an aged woman who fainted at the sight of the disfigurement. One of the women pulled out a bottle of smelling salt from her purse and wafted it in front of the fainted lady’s nose. 

“Operator, get me an ambulance at once!” One of the men shouted into an expensive cell phone. “A woman’s fainted from shock because her stupid daughter decided to offend the richest man in town!”

The entire ballroom was in chaos, but Brain and Snowball ignored all the craziness. Brain was halfway up the staircase now, and Snowball made it onto the first landing and started climbing the left set of stairs. 

“Hurry up, Brain! We can’t lose him now!” Snowball shouted. 

Brain grunted as he tried to haul himself up the next step, but he didn’t have a good handhold on the carpet, and he slid down to the step below. Though he was trying to go as fast as he could, he was having trouble keeping up. 

“Snowball, a little help would be-” 

Snowball’s eyes narrowed as he peered down at Brain from the top. 

Brain quickly stood up, but he remained where he was. His ears drooped for a brief moment before perking up again. 

He was hurt from Snowball not lending a hand, Pinky could tell even though Brain was trying his hardest to hide it. And it was really mean of Snowball to not help his best friend out. 

Pinky climbed the stairs until he reached Brain, who was so busy trying to climb the step that he didn’t notice Pinky was behind him. Brain stiffened as Pinky picked him up and set him on the next ledge, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment. 

Then he quickly turned away and hauled himself up the rest of the stairs without help. He hurried down a corridor that connected to the grand staircase, not bothering to turn around. 

He didn’t even say thank you. 

Trying not to feel discouraged, Pinky followed him upstairs. Brain had important world-conquering things on his mind after all. 

The hallway was dark and empty, just a long stretch of carpet on top of a marble floor. There were a lot of doors on both sides, and each one was closed and locked up so tightly that not even a mouse could squeeze in. 

Well, Pinky tried out of curiosity, like he was playing that game show with a lot of doors. What was behind door number one, he wondered? A car, a backyard grill, or a fancy watch? 

But he only succeeded in smushing his nose against a metal strip that blocked the bottom gap under the door. 

Oh well. 

Then he remembered he was following Brain, who was following Snowball, who was following Lamont. 

So he continued down the hall. 

Some decor would’ve gone a long way in brightening up this place. Pinky passed long stretches of wall without any paintings, photographs, or placards with inspirational quotes. There were no cabinets or lamps or anything else to brighten up the hall. 

Even the manor was empty. What was the point of having all this space if you weren’t going to fill it up with interesting furniture and knickknacks? 

Maybe he had a home theater or giant Olympic-sized swimming pool to make up for it? 

There was a loud crash at the very end of the hallway, so loud that all the walls shook like the entire manor had been struck by thunder.

It was followed by a loud string of profanity that surely would’ve made Pinky’s grandmother faint from shock. 

He followed the noise to a door at the end of the hall. This door was wide open, and an office was set up inside. A large mahogany desk took up the front of the room, with several plush leather chairs along the walls. They looked fun to bounce on, but Pinky knew he had to wait until he found Brain. Who knows? Maybe Brain would enjoy the bounciness too! 

A large window gave a view of the city and surrounding hills. An unused fireplace was on the window’s left, pristine and clean from any ash. To the right was an enormous bookshelf full of long, wordy titles Pinky didn’t understand. 

Like the hallway, there wasn’t much in the way of decoration. Just an enormous grandfather clock with birds instead of numbers, a curtain for the window, a desktop computer, and a landline phone on the desk. 

“-that rotten, deceiving, backstabbing witch of a woman keeps refusing me! Oh, I try to be nice, I go out of my way to be nice, but does she notice? Of course not!” Lamont snarled as he threw a stack of papers to the floor, which scattered around the floor in crumpled heaps. He squished a memo into the ground with his boot, muttering insults under his breath.  

Snowball and Brain were standing in the middle of the room, out of the way of any objects that might hit them. Snowball folded his arms across his chest, looking rather bored with Lamont's rant. Brain's ears were half-fallen, and he was looking around awkwardly like he really didn't want to be caught up in all this. 

Pinky hid in the space between the door and wall. Lamont was hunched over, breathing heavily, strands of hair falling into his face. 

He didn’t want to be anywhere near that Mr. Lameany. He was, well, just plain mean. 

Then Snowball climbed onto the desk, giving Lamont’s trembling hand a pat. “There, there, Joseph,” he said in what was probably supposed to be a comforting tone, but didn’t sound all that sincere. “That young lady let a golden opportunity slip through her fingers. It’s hardly your fault that she’s too idiotic to recognize it.” 

Lamont yanked his hand away and stomped over to the window. He nearly trampled Brain again, who barely yanked his tail out of the way in time. He stared out at the dark silhouette of a building in the city skyline. 

“You don’t understand the gravity of the situation, Matthew,” Lamont growled, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. “Princess Winter is the heiress to the Winter Foundation. They’re the only major competitor in this city I haven’t succeeded in driving out or striking a merger deal with. So I have elected to marry the heiress and gain access to her fortune. Her mother is agreeable, but she unfortunately inherited a stubborn streak from her late father, and I’ve had a stressful time trying to convince her this marriage will be for her own good. I admit the tabloids are right to  nickname her the Ice Heiress.” 

Lameany didn’t want to marry for love. It was only for money! 

Pinky bit into his feather boa so he didn’t scream out loud. No wonder that poor woman looked so uncomfortable!   

“Her name’s Olivia, not Princess,” Brain snapped, and it was the first time he’d spoken since Lamont started ranting about his failed attempt to woo her. Lamont and Snowball stared at him, and Brain looked away awkwardly. “I…overheard she legally changed her name. That’s all.” 

Lamont, who barely seemed to notice Brain was there, gave a small humph. “I bet she only did it to lengthen the paperwork process for me,” he sighed. “If that’s true, I’ll need my legal team to run through everything and change her name on the documents.” 

“That’s not the reason I heard,” Brain said. “She-” 

“I don’t care about her excuses, Anthony,” Lamont cut him off with a sharp glare, and Brain glowered back. “She disrespected me. Humiliated me in front of my associates. And now that pretty face of hers is mutilated. I don’t know what she did, but she certainly should’ve carried herself with more decorum before she let her face become so twisted and ugly. And for her insubordination, I will teach her a lesson she’ll never forget.” 

From his lapel, he took out a key. Then he went over to his desk, inserting the key into one of the drawers. It unlocked with a click, and he reached in, setting a thin black box on his desk.   

“I was waiting to unveil this development, but she forced my hand,” Lamont said as he opened the box. Snowball’s eyes glittered as he peered inside, and Brain climbed onto the desk for a better look. Pinky stood on his tiptoes, nearly falling into the room as Lamont lifted a red pen out of the box. 

Though Pinky wasn’t sure what exactly Lamont would do with a red pen, besides maybe adding some hand-drawn decorations on the wall. He could really use some nice decor in these upstairs rooms. 

Brain crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Yes, a pen is going to completely resolve this situation.” 

“It’s not just any pen, Anthony,” Lamont smirked. “It’s a highly efficient, military grade weapon. Special commission from the federal government for a military weapon that could be mistaken for an everyday object, one that can be easily smuggled and transported around without suspicion. While everyone is looking for tanks, planes, and weaponry, nobody will think to confiscate a seemingly ordinary pen.” 

He aimed the pen at a pile of papers on the floor and pushed down on the cap. But instead of ink, a thin red laser burst from the tip. Lamont dragged the laser across the pile, then cut the beam off. A trail of smoke streamed from the tip, and Pinky covered his nose with the feather boa at the foul scent. 

Brain gagged, though he tried to cover it up. Snowball’s nose twitched, but he stayed motionless, his eyes sparking with interest. Lamont didn’t seem bothered at all. 

Then he squished the papers into the ground with the heel of his shoe, and they crumbled into ashes with barely any effort. 

“Starting tomorrow, this shall be the fate of the company she holds dear,” Lamont declared. “With this laser pen, the Winter Foundation will crumble into dust. Their records will go up in smoke, their employees will leave in droves. Princess’s reputation will be forever ruined. And everything they own will belong to me.” 

Pinky’s heart stuttered to a stop. This man wasn’t just mean. He was…he was a huge meanie! 

“A quite ambitious plan,” Snowball remarked. He didn’t have anything to say against Lamont. 

Snowball? Pinky mouthed, though he knew Snowball couldn’t see him. 

He actually wanted to go through with this? 

Brain stared at the ashes where the papers used to be. “I…I concede that you put a lot of thought into this,” he said quietly. 

Brain too? 

Pinky’s body trembled, and he bit down on his feather boa so he didn’t cry out. Why were his friends supporting such an awful plan? Were they really going to let Lamont get away with ruining an innocent person’s life? 

How come they weren’t arguing against it, or calling the police, or some other genius plan that Pinky couldn’t think of right now? 

An unfamiliar anger stirred inside Pinky. It started in his belly and spread all the way to the tips of his fingers. 

Then his ears pricked at a set of footsteps that thundered down the hall. 

A frantic maid rushed into the office, startling Lamont. He quickly opened the drawer, threw the pen inside, and shut it so the maid wouldn’t see anything. 

“What?” Lamont snarled. “Can’t you see I’m in a meeting? If you don’t have a good reason for your interruption, get out at once! In fact, pack your bags and don’t ever come back to my property again!” 

The young maid burst into tears. “Please, sir! The EMTs are here and wish to speak with the host of the party! Mrs. Winter fainted when that daughter of hers pulled that disgusting stunt! And now the paparazzi are gathering photos!”

Lamont’s eyes narrowed. The maid gulped. 

Then he shoved past her. 

“U-um, sir? About my job…” the maid bravely said, only to flinch back with a squeak when he glared at her. 

“Keep your pathetic job,” Lamont spat. “But one more infraction out of you, and it’s back to the streets.”

The maid nodded meekly as Lamont stomped away to deal with the crisis downstairs. 

“Well. This makes things so much simpler,” Snowball said once the humans were gone. He retrieved the pen from its drawer, raising it above his head triumphantly. “That fool didn’t even secure it! A shame that such a powerful tool is wasted on petty revenge.” 

“So this is the weapon you were seeking,” Brain said, and he didn’t sound surprised. 

So he knew Snowball was after a super strong weapon? 

Brain never told him. Didn’t Brain know he could tell him anything? 

“Exactly, Brain,” Snowball smirked. “And we’re the only ones capable of bringing out the laser’s full potential. Imagine what this weapon could do once it’s augmented with our Selenian technology! Add a wider range, a greater scope and lens, and we shall strike fear into the hearts of any Terrans who don’t surrender their authority to us immediately!”

Brain’s eyes flicked between Snowball and the pen, but he didn’t say anything. 

Snowball huffed. “Don’t give me the silent treatment now, Brain. I thought you wanted to rule the world.” 

“Of course I want to rule the world! I’ve never wanted anything more than that!” Brain snapped, his fists balled at his sides. 

Snowball leapt off the table and stalked up to Brain, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he squished Brain against his body. Brain’s legs kicked out feebly in protest.  

“So stand up and seize your opportunity!” Snowball said, ignoring Brain’s discomfort. “No more hesitation! From this day forward, we shall be the indisputable rulers of Terra! Now come along, Brain. We’ve delayed long enough. Let’s be on our way.” 

He opened the lapel of his jacket, pushing a small, red button inside. A few seconds later, the window shattered as a long ramp shoved past the glass and onto the carpet. At the very end of the ramp was an enormous spaceship, one that nearly blended in with the night sky with its dark coating. 

The spaceship’s only noise was a soft whir of its engines. 

Brain gasped. “Snowball, what did you do to the Conquistador?” 

“Just a few renovations here and there. Updated the hulling to make it more state of the art instead of scrap, expanded the space to accommodate for new supplies. I’m still working on overhauling the computer systems, but it should be finished in the next week or so,” Snowball replied, tilting his head proudly. “One of my finest works, don’t you think?” 

“The Conquistador was my idea, Snowball,” Brain muttered. 

Snowball waved him off. “Yes, yes. I’ll let you take credit for the initial creation, but I innovated your design into something more befitting of a conqueror. But enough stalling. The planet won’t take over itself, Brain.” 

Brain didn’t follow Snowball though. And Pinky understood his hesitation. 

The Conquistador seemed…scary with its dark exterior, poison-green tint, and weird tentacle-like things on its back. Though Pinky had only seen the room where Brain had crashlanded, he didn’t think Brain had ever created his ship to be so huge and terrifying.

Brain yanked his arm out of Snowball’s grip, taking several steps back. “Hold on, Snowball. We can’t leave yet. I have unfinished business downstairs with Pinky.”    

“Pinky?” Snowball spat, and his name was hissed with such malice that Pinky flinched. “What unfinished business could you possibly have with Pinky? Unless…oh don’t tell me, you actually like that imbecile?” 

Brain’s antennae stood straight up, sparking fiercely in outrage. 

“Don’t be foolish, Snowball!” he growled. “Of course I don’t like Pinky, so don’t insinuate otherwise!” 

Brain’s words pierced through Pinky’s fur, carving into his skin worse than any needle or knife ever could. 

Pinky’s ears drooped, his hands wringing his twitching tail. A sob burst out of his mouth, and everything blurred as tears ran freely down his face. 

Brain hated him. He’d never known Brain hated him. 

So…why put on the act? It would’ve been so much easier if Brain had been honest from the start. 

But he’d been wearing a mask the whole time. Was he just a really good actor? 

Still, why pretend to like blueberry bagels and cream cheese? Or share that Lor Altal story in the maze, watch the Derby, and dance with him? 

Brain had smiled so brightly during their dance. That wasn’t a fake smile. Pinky had known it was real, from the spark in his eyes to the lights from his orbs. 

“Well, it’s good to see you learned your lesson, Brain,” Snowball said. “I understand you had to use him for a while after your rough landing, but that time has long passed. He’s more of a hindrance than an asset now.” 

“He was…an asset. Yes, just a convenience. And nothing more than that,” Brain said quietly, as if in a trance. He stared out into the darkness of the hallway for a moment longer, before he turned to the ship and climbed the ramp. 

He wasn’t even going to say goodbye. 

Somehow, that hurt worst of all. That he wasn’t even worth saying goodbye to. 

But…there was something he wanted to ask Brain. Before he left forever. 

Slowly, Pinky stepped out of the shadows. Snowball raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he only clasped his hands behind his back. Pinky eyed him warily, but Snowball said nothing. 

Brain stopped halfway up the ramp. His mouth opened in surprise at first, then all expression vanished. 

It was a mask underneath a mask, Pinky knew. But it wasn’t perfect. Brain’s ears were slowly curving downward, though they twitched as if it was taking all his effort to not let them hang limp. 

“I thought…I thought we were friends,” Pinky choked out. “But you lied to me, Brain! You’re gonna use a weapon from that mean ol’ Lameany! It’s…it’s gonna hurt people, Brain! A-and it hurts me too that you wanna use it at all! Like how you used me, making me think I was your friend when I was just a convenience store to you! And…you’re just gonna leave without saying goodbye! Don’t you have anything to say, Brain? Anything at all?” 

Tears blurred his vision once again, and Pinky blinked them away. 

But when his vision cleared, Brain was gone. 

The ramp was empty. 

Pinky hung his head, tail falling limp to the ground. His dress was heavier, like he was being weighed down by so many feathers he couldn’t breathe. 

He thought he’d known heartbreak when Pharfignewton left to pursue her dream. But…this was worse. At least he’d said goodbye to Pharfignewton. 

This ache was crushing, squeezing, and stabbing all at once. 

Then a cold hand clamped around his shoulder, and it felt like several ice-tipped daggers were pricking into his fur and digging into his flesh.  

“I apologize on behalf of Brain,” Snowball said, and despite his polite words, a shiver traveled up Pinky’s spine. “He’s never been one for tact.” 

“Y-you’re planning to use the weapon too, S-snowball,” Pinky’s teeth chattered, and he rubbed his arms to get some warmth back into his body. Snowball was leaning on Pinky, slinking an arm around him, but it was a tight hold and didn’t feel very friendly. “I-I heard you.”  

Snowball shrugged. “Unlike your former friend, I’m perfectly willing to do whatever it takes to conquer the world. And if that requires a show of force, so be it.” 

“You’re gonna hurt a lot of people though!” Pinky protested, finally pulling away from Snowball’s icy grip. “I thought you and Brain wanted to create a better world!” 

Snowball quirked an eyebrow. “Of course I want to create a better world, Pinky. Once I’m in charge, the world will already be better. But you can’t have a revolution without hurting somebody. To believe otherwise is ridiculously naive.” 

Pinky wrapped his feather boa around himself, trying to hang onto whatever warmth he could. Snowball’s pink eyes were the same shade as Brain’s, but unlike Brain’s, there was no warmth in his sharp gaze. Like a snake hidden in the grass, waiting for the moment to strike. 

“Brain trusts you,” Pinky whimpered. Brain had missed Snowball so much in the past few weeks, though he always looked grumpy when his name came up. “You’re friends.” 

Snowball climbed the ramp to the ship, pushing past Pinky with a frown. He didn’t even look at Pinky as he paused with his hand on the railing.  

“If he truly believes that, then he’s just as hopelessly naive as you,” Snowball replied. “There is no room for friends when you’re ruling the world.” 

With those parting words, Snowball disappeared into the ship. Within minutes, the ramp retracted from the office, folding up in a storage compartment by the side door. 

The ship hovered for just a few seconds longer before vanishing into the night. 

And Pinky was alone once more. 

o-o-o-o-o

With a heavy heart, Pinky trudged downstairs. Even walking was hard, a chill seeping into his bones with every step he took. 

Carefully, he climbed down the stairs. There was nothing for him here. He just wanted to go home and sleep it all away. 

Any joy that came with the party mood was gone. 

In the ballroom, an old woman was screaming at the EMTs, who were trying to load her into a gurney. The paparazzi’s cameras flashed around an irritated Lamont. The other partygoers were quietly gathering their belongings and leaving the manor so they weren’t caught up in the drama. 

A flash went off in Pinky’s direction, and he lost his grip on the last step and collapsed in a heap. He laid there, breathing heavily, unable to see much through his tears. 

Pharfignewton was so far away now. Maybe he should’ve gone with her the night she left. Even if she’d be busy with the Derby, at least he knew she considered him a friend. 

But, a voice said in the back of his mind. Who would’ve helped Brain when he crashlanded? 

He didn’t know. 

A shadow fell across him, blocking the lights from the chandelier above him. Though it took some effort, Pinky tilted his head. 

He was met with a red and black charred face. 

Startled, he quickly sat up. 

“Whoa!” a voice cried, and Pinky realized that only one side was messed up. The other half of the speaker’s face was beautiful, with fair skin and light makeup. “It’s okay! I’m sorry I startled you. Just wanted to see if you were okay.” 

“H-hey, wait a sec! I recognize you!” Pinky said, trying not to chatter his teeth. “You’re the one who rejected Lameany! Olivia, right?” 

To his surprise, Olivia giggled. She’d seemed so elegant before, with a serious air around her. But it was a pretty sound, and hearing it made Pinky smile. She hid her grin behind one hand, her shoulders quivering as she tried and failed to contain her laughter. 

“Sorry,” she said with a smile, once she finally regained control of herself. “It’s just…I’ve never heard anyone call him Lameany before. It fits so perfectly! But enough about that jerk. I think I saw you licking the ice sculpture earlier, but you kinda disappeared before I could get your name.” 

“I’m Pinky,” he replied, before realizing what he just said. Brain wasn’t here to bop his head, so he quickly bonked himself. “I mean, Zoey. I’m Zoey. Pinky’s just a nickname!” 

Olivia sat on the step next to him, neatly crossing her legs under her dress. “Zoey. As in Zoey Clarke?” she asked. 

“That’s right,” Pinky said as he sat up, drawing his knees into his chest to preserve his warmth. “But…I guess I’m not really Zoey Clarke anymore. Not after what happened tonight.” 

At Pinky’s words, one of the paparazzi approached them. Pinky hid his face in his boa, not wanting to be photographed right now. The camera flashed in his face several times before a hand suddenly scooped him up. 

“Go away, you vulture,” Olivia snapped at the photographer, who quickly slunk away at the sight of her face. Then she spoke in a softer tone. "Come on. Let's go somewhere more private." 

She stood up, gently cradling Pinky as she shielded him from any unwanted cameras and attention. She exited the ballroom, walking past what seemed like countless parlors with fancy couches until she reached a bedroom that was fairly out of the way. It was small, and only contained the basics of what a bedroom needed, but it was cozier than the rest of the manor. 

“Servant quarters,” Olivia said as she sat down on the small bed. “None of the other guests would be caught dead in here.”  

Pinky tried to soak up whatever warmth he could from her hand, but his teeth chattered and his entire body quivered uncontrollably. 

Olivia found a clean handkerchief in the tiny closet and wrapped it around Pinky’s body. Pinky gave her a grateful, tearful smile in return. 

“So…by ‘you’re not Zoey Clarke’ anymore, you mean-” Olivia trailed off. 

Pinky nodded, wiping his nose on a tissue. “H-he left me. A-and he didn’t even say goodbye.”

They sat in awkward silence for a while, save for Pinky’s occasional sniffle. 

“That’s rough,” Olivia mumbled awkwardly. “I’m sorry. Are…are you okay? I mean, obviously you’re not, but you’re shaking pretty badly and…maybe I should stop talking here.” 

“Just a little c-c-cold,” Pinky admitted, swaddling as much of his body as he could in the handkerchief. He rubbed the shoulder where Snowball had dug his icy claws in. Even the clawmarks were freezing to the touch. 

The servant quarters didn’t come with a thermostat, to their disappointment. 

Olivia pursed her lips. “I knew Anthony was a jerk, but this is a new low, even for him.”

Pinky wrung his tail. He knew Olivia was just trying to help in her own way, and that she didn’t know ‘Anthony’ was actually Brain, but he wished she wouldn’t talk about his friend (if they were still friends at all) like that. 

“I got to know him though,” Pinky admitted. “He has trouble with feelings sometimes, but he’s super clever and brave too. And more than that, he kept me company when another friend of mine left to pursue her own dreams. He’s my friend. And…I think he might be in trouble.” 

Olivia rolled her eyes. “He’s nothing but trouble. Just forget about him.” 

Her dismissal of Brain didn’t sit right with him. 

“I can’t forget about him, Olivia,” Pinky said, wiping his tears on the handkerchief. “One of Br-I mean, one of Anthony’s friends isn’t really his friend. And he doesn’t even know.” 

“I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough,” Olivia shrugged. “It’s not your problem.”

A pit of anger rose in Pinky’s stomach. He tried to push it down, he already felt icky enough without it, but Olivia couldn’t talk about Brain that way when she didn’t even know him. 

“Narf! I can’t just sit back and do nothing!” Pinky shouted, hopping to his feet and tumbling off Olivia’s hand, right to the floor. He landed in a heap and dusted himself off, glaring up at Olivia. She only stared back in confusion. “I care about him, Olivia! Don’t you have anyone you care about? Wouldn’t you help them if someone was their friend-but-not-a-friend?” 

Olivia froze. And for the first time since Pinky met her, her usual sharp tongue wasn’t there. She combed through her long hair with her slender fingers and looked away. 

“I…well, only my father ever cared,” Olivia admitted, her shoulders falling. “And he died of a heart attack when I was fourteen. The stress he got from my gold digger mother probably did him in. And everyone else…they want my money. That’s all. I might as well have a mangled face for real, cause nobody apart from him ever cared to know me.” 

Pinky’s anger disappeared, his ears drooping. He didn’t mean to make her feel bad. He gently patted her ankle. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help,” he said softly. “And I care about you, and you care about me too. Or you wouldn’t have tried comforting me.” 

Olivia was silent for a moment as she wiped a tear from her eye. “Thanks, Zoey. You’re so sweet.” 

Pinky gave her a smile, though his teeth chattered when he did so. But there was one more thing he wanted to ask about. “So about your face-” he said awkwardly, not really knowing how to ask about it without being rude. 

“Oh, I was never in a horrible fiery car wreck like what everyone seems to think,” Olivia said, running a finger down her cheek and showing it to Pinky. There was a smudge of red on it. “Between you and me, I hired a makeup artist before the party without telling anyone. The look on Lamont’s face was completely worth it, though I admit, I was a little dramatic there.” 

“They did a really good job,” Pinky said. 

“Best couple thousand bucks I’ve spent in my life.” She got up from the bed and stretched her arms above her head. “But I digress. So what about you, Zoey? Guess I can’t stop you from going after Anthony.” 

“Nope!” Pinky chirped, wrapping the handkerchief around himself. “I’m gonna find him myself.”

Olivia opened the bedroom door for him, and Pinky was about to walk right out when he saw a bunch of security guards roaming the hallway. Down the hall, he heard Lamont screaming at people, though he was too far away for Pinky to make out the words. 

“You!” one of the security guards shouted. “Have you-” 

He choked upon seeing Olivia’s face. Her eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem?” she asked. 

“No! Well, actually there’s a huge problem, and what the heck are you doing in a bedroom in the servant quarters of all places?” the security guard stammered. 

“What I do in my private time is of no concern to you,” Olivia said coolly. “Now, what’s all the commotion about?” 

The security guard stared down at his feet, fingers fumbling around a taser strapped to his waist. “Someone broke the window in Mr. Lamont’s office and stole something very important. He won’t tell us what was stolen though, only that he’s blaming Mr. Drake and Mr. Clarke for the theft. But he’s raging something fierce right now and demanding we find them and recover the item before the police or federal government catch wind of it.”  

Olivia placed a foot in front of Pinky, blocking him from going any further. 

“I find it strange that the federal government would need to be involved, but it doesn’t surprise me that Lamont is overreacting,” she said. “Were there any witnesses?” 

Pinky flinched, the fabric of Olivia’s dress in his hands. He’d seen everything play out from the shadows, but as much as it tore him up to not admit the truth, he wanted to go find Brain more than anything else in the world. 

“Only guy who might’ve seen something was Bobby Hall, but he also started yelling about a giant spaceship with robotic tentacles, so we’re assuming he had too many drinks tonight. Can’t really use him as a reliable source.”  

Pinky kept quiet, not wanting to give away that the ones they were looking for did in fact escape in a giant spaceship with robotic tentacles. 

“Since Mr. Clarke came in with his wife, we’ve also been searching for her in case she’s in on the theft too,” the security guard said. “Have you seen her around?” 

Pinky held his breath. Maybe if he held it long enough, he’d become invisible and they couldn’t see him. 

“I haven’t,” Olivia replied, and Pinky realized she was protecting him. Her poker face was very good, not that the security guard seemed like he wanted to question her. 

“Okay,” the guard said. “Have a good night, Ms. Winter.” 

As soon as the guard was out of sight, Olivia scooped Pinky up again and ran in the other direction, until they reached a door that didn’t seem like it got much use. 

Olivia opened the door, revealing a beautiful night sky, and the fresh night breeze made Pinky shiver even more. 

Then she set Pinky down in the grass outside, the dirt squishing under Pinky’s heels. 

“If they suspect Anthony Clarke of the theft, they’ll be out searching for you too,” Olivia explained. “Keep going straight, and squeeze past the fence. There’s a blind spot in security here. Lamont is not a merciful man, so don’t let yourself be caught.” 

“You’re just letting me go?” Pinky asked. He wouldn’t blame Olivia for turning him in. Honesty was the best policy, or so the saying went.

“Of course…Pinky,” she said with a smile. Pinky’s jaw practically dropped to the ground. He knew he mentioned his name earlier, but he was still shocked to hear it. “That’s your real name, isn’t it? I know you’re not telling me everything, but I think you have your reasons, so I won’t demand answers. Consider it a thank you for making this night less horrible for me.” 

Pinky smiled back for just a moment longer, then he scampered off. Though searchlights were going off in the distance, none of them hit him. 

Trusting Olivia’s instructions, he made it to the edge of the property and squeezed past the fence. 

He had to discard the handkerchief though. It slowed him down too much. He decided to keep everything else though. It didn’t seem right to leave his formal clothing behind, and he loved his feathers too much to get rid of them. 

His very first dance with Brain had been in this outfit. It was too precious to lose. 

Pinky rubbed some warmth back into his freezing fingers, which now had a strange blue tint at their tips. 

They’d successfully stolen the weapon. They’d escaped the manor without anyone obstructing their path. Every minute, they were closer to adulation as the undisputed rulers of Terra.

Their reign would be glorious! Their names would be everywhere, their legacies enduring forever! 

An invasive beeping from the newly installed radar system pierced his ears, drawing him out of his fantasies. He slammed his finger against the mute button, ridding himself of that pesky noise. 

The low hum of advanced technology. The occasional turbulence. The impatient drumming of Snowball’s fingers as he waited for a new program to finish uploading in their computer banks. 

Sounds and sensations that were familiar, yet so paradoxically unfamiliar. 

His seat cushion was too hard, making his rear end ache if he stayed too long in one position. Several high-powered Terran computers laid against the walls, interspersed between Selenian technology. Most of the space around the middle was empty, and the bridge felt too large for just two Selenians. 

The panel layout wasn’t what he originally designed either. He’d been working off a rudimentary design, with controls for steering, navigation, an emergency light, and a shielding system. But Snowball had installed much more than that while Brain had been away. 

Controls for the robotic tentacles that lined the ship’s exterior, a powerful sound system to broadcast their demands to the world, and everything bathed in a mysterious green hue.

The Conquistador was foreign to Brain. But it was easier to pretend he knew what all the new additions did than ask. Snowball was bound to show off all the innovations he made sooner or later. 

And worst of all, it was quiet. 

Brain certainly didn’t miss the incessant narfs and poits that had plagued his eardrums for the past few weeks. He didn’t miss getting distracted on a task because Pinky wanted to show him a piece of lint or a phone filter that made it look like he was vomiting sparkly rainbows whenever he opened his mouth. 

He didn’t miss dealing with Pinky’s shifting emotions, from happy to sad and back to happy all within five minutes, sometimes less. 

But he couldn’t get his mind off Pinky’s sunny smile, the hospitality he’d shown in opening his own cage to a stranger, and those strange blue eyes that were brighter than the Terran sky on a cloudless day. 

Pinky just…shined. 

It shouldn’t have been possible. 

From what Brain pieced together, Pinky’s life within the lab was a lonely one. His only other living friend was on the other side of the country. And Brain refused to count the inanimate objects as Pinky’s friends, though admittedly, it was hard to fault Pinky for talking to coins and flowers since Brain had found himself talking to his own tools and sheets of metal back on New Selene to fill in the silence. 

How did Pinky avoid becoming so jaded? How could he be so happy with the little he had when he deserved so much more? 

But as he pondered more and more about the enigma that was Pinky, an unwelcome, fleeting thought raced across his mind. 

The look of betrayal and broken trust in Pinky’s eyes. The desperation in his scolding. Asking why Brain was leaving without another word, without ever saying goodbye. 

What if he’d doused Pinky’s light permanently? 

Sure, Pinky sometimes needed to get his head out of the clouds, but Brain had no wish to see Pinky’s light snuffed out completely. 

Leaving without a goodbye was cruel, he knew. Especially when Pinky had done so much for him. 

But Brain couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. When he stood on the ramp and looked at Pinky, the word caught in his throat and wouldn’t come out at all. So he left without saying anything. 

Why couldn’t he utter a simple word? It was always the simplest words that caught him by surprise. It was the downside of having such an expansive vocabulary. Too many words and he had to sift through all of them just to find what he wanted to say, and the smallest words were the most elusive of all. 

His antennae picked up on the familiar cold signature of Snowball. Brain unmuted the radar system. He knew it was a poor attempt to make it appear that he was working when his mind was too preoccupied with Pinky, but he didn’t care.   

Snowball shook his head in displeasure. “Honestly, Brain. You’ve been so flighty since you came back. Quit thinking about him and focus on the future. We’re going to be emperors! You don’t need that plebeian holding you back.” 

Pinky was a figure of the past now. Their connection was severed. It was time to move on. 

Snowball was right about that. 

But a crushing, aching sensation against his chest told him otherwise. 

How could he forget about the kindred spirit who’d helped him so much, who’d bandaged him up and gave him somewhere to stay without expecting Brain to return the favor?  

“Look, if you’re really so concerned about Pinky, we’ll compensate him for giving you free room and board once we’re in charge,” Snowball said. “Give him Ohio. We’re not losing anything of value.” 

“He deserves something better than Ohio, Snowball,” Brain growled, his restless fingers hitting the mute button over and over again.    

A cold hand gripped Brain’s arm and yanked him out of his seat, and Brain nearly tumbled to the floor in shock. 

“You can’t just sit here and stare at the radar forever, Brain.” Snowball dragged Brain out of the bridge and into a large room stockpiled with weapons and tools. 

He tried to quell the fear that went up his spine at the sight of a collection of gamma knives. He’d been subject to those horrible surgical tools as a child back in Eclipse Lab, and he didn’t wish the horrible, burning pain from the sharp blade on anybody. 

The ray guns were a little more tolerable. He could handle a ray gun. Various tools were scattered around the benches. 

The laser pen they’d stolen laid on a nearby worktable, blending in with the various other writing utensils to the untrained eye. 

But what stood out the most was a giant cannon, fixed to the floor in the center of the room. It extended to the outside through a hole in the ceiling. There was a control panel fixed to a stand beside it. 

“It’s amazing what you can acquire through the US military with the right connections,” Snowball grinned. “All I had to do was hint that I was willing to trade alien tech and they were more than happy to comply. Of course, I’m not about to give away the most valuable Selenian tech to lowlifes who would never understand the intricacies of it. But they were satisfied with the standard ray guns I handed over.” 

Snowball had been extremely busy over the past few weeks in preparation for the conquest. And what had Brain done, besides eating cream cheese and doing whatever random activity Pinky wanted him to try? 

The lack of productivity had frustrated Snowball, and Brain couldn’t blame him. 

Snowball fixed the laser pen to a small stand on the cannon. The laser end pointed to the outside. To anyone else, it would’ve looked like someone had just misplaced their pen. 

They’d never realize the pen was actually a powerful weapon, made even more powerful through the might of Selenian technology. No Terran could possibly fathom how destructive Selenian devices were, especially to other planets that had offended them.

But it would help them conquer this world. They could repair everything once they had the capability and resources. 

It was fine. 

But there was a hungry, intense look that danced in Snowball’s eyes. It unsettled Brain. 

The Conquistador was Brain’s magnum opus as an inventor. But Snowball had taken it and changed the layout so drastically that none of the labor Brain had performed was recognizable. 

And Snowball had changed along with it. 

Brain shook his head. No, there was a logical explanation. There was always a logical explanation. 

They were closer to their endgame now. Of course Snowball would become more serious about accomplishing their mission. He couldn’t afford to lose focus when they were so close to victory. 

“This cannon has a special lens inside that expands the laser’s range and power,” Snowball explained. “And with this in our possession, we can finally move onto the next phase of the plan. Computer, ETA to the US Embassy?” 

“Twenty minutes from our current coordinates to the US Embassy,” a computerized voice announced. “Would you care for some coffee in the meantime, Emperor Snowball?” 

A tentacle slowly extended from a port on the side, carrying a small tray with a thimble of steaming hot coffee. 

Snowball took the thimble and gave the liquid inside an experimental sip. 

Brain glowered at him. The least Snowball could’ve done was offer him something to drink too. He greatly missed Pinky’s hospitable nature. 

“Interesting flavor,” Snowball said, smacking his lips together. “What type of coffee is this?” 

“An expensive Terran variety locally known as kopi luwak. These coffee grounds are typically harvested from the waste products of palm civets in Southeast Asia,” the computer replied.  

Brain wrinkled his nose. He knew this planet was insane, but to think people actually paid exorbitant prices to drink feces was an entirely new level of insanity. 

Snowball stared at his drink, shrugged, and finished it all in a few gulps. “Not bad,” he said. 

“You disgust me sometimes, Snowball,” Brain muttered. 

Why couldn’t he have acquaintances with normal taste receptors? 

Snowball shrugged and snapped his fingers. “It’s an acquired taste. You couldn’t possibly understand, Brain.” 

Brain covered his mouth and gagged. 

Ignoring Brain’s disgust, Snowball led the way back to the bridge. “By any chance, have you paid attention to the politics of this world since arriving?” he asked.

The first time Brain had tried watching the Terran news, he’d found it so terribly depressing and boring that he turned it off after fifteen minutes. The next day, he’d made a valiant effort to try again, but Pinky accidentally changed it to a sports channel, which displayed a Terran game called college basketball. 

It was far more engaging than the news, to say the least. Brain didn’t bother changing it back. 

Not that he’d admit the slim chance of liking such a trivial activity to Snowball. “I’ve been busy,” Brain said. 

He’d hoped it was a vague enough statement to conceal that he was unfamiliar with any current global affairs, but he was 99.7% percent sure that Snowball thought he was just messing around with Pinky instead of working hard at conquering the world. 

He hadn't been sitting around and doing nothing. He was just observing the culture for any exploitable weaknesses! That was all! 

Snowball turned towards the window, though there wasn't much to see right now other than the stars and the occasional blinking lights of a Terran aircraft high above them. 

"In just a few hours, there will be a diplomatic meeting filled with ambassadors from around the globe," Snowball explained, a power-hungry gleam in his eyes. "I will crash the meeting with a display of the Conquistador's power. I will make my demands known, and conclude my message with a demonstration of what will happen if they don't surrender authority to me." 

A simple, yet effective plan.

But before Brain could voice his support, a familiar voice wormed its way into his mind. 

 “You’re gonna use a weapon from that mean ol’ Lameany! It’s…it’s gonna hurt people, Brain!” 

The memory stabbed him, somehow worse than any needle that had ever been inserted into his body. 

Pinky wringing his tail frantically, like he didn’t want to believe that Brain and Snowball were going to commit such a deed. His blue eyes downcast, his happy, carefree demeanor gone.

“We have to be prepared to conquer through force if necessary.”  

Snowball wasn’t a pacifist. Brain understood the need for some force if Terrans weren’t willing to comply, but they only needed enough to make their point, not expend all their resources at once. 

Snowball would utilize the laser’s full potential for destruction without holding back. There was no dissuading him.

Two voices, two opposing views. One pleading, the other commanding. One naive to the world around him, while the other was cunning. 

“Lose your reservations, Brain,” Snowball said, eyes narrowing. “I must destroy the system first in order to establish a new order.” 

True, a revolution was necessary, but Brain regretted not discussing alternate solutions to their takeover. Surely they didn't have to resort to weapons of mass destruction straight away. 

Perhaps it would be suitable as a last resort, but only after all other options were exhausted. 

There was a tense silence as Snowball went back to the controls. The updated computer system was efficient, perhaps a little too efficient. 

It didn’t leave Brain with much to do, besides watching the radar emit its irritating beep. 

The low hum of the engines. The clacking of buttons. The vibrations underfoot as the ship cut through the night sky. 

None of those sounds were enough. 

He would never be used to this near-silence. When he lived in Eclipse Lab as a child, the scientists would occasionally toss him into a sensory deprivation tank. Shut in complete darkness, in complete silence, without any hopes of escape. 

Who knows how long he spent in those tanks during those sessions. 

The only thing he could do was huddle in a corner, draw his knees up to his chest, and beg the terrifying auditory hallucinations to leave him alone. 

And when New Selene was abandoned, Brain often found himself talking to various tools and the Conquistador’s framework while Snowball was away on his scavenging runs. He loathed to admit it, but he wasn’t so different from Pinky in that regard, talking to inanimate objects like they were real creatures in an attempt to fill in the silence. 

“Snowball, what will our first act be once we’re ruling the world?” Brain asked in an awkward attempt to fill in the silence. “Perhaps we could-” 

But his voice trailed off at the cold look Snowball threw him. 

“‘We’?” Snowball scoffed. “What kind of ridiculous notion are you going on about now?” 

Brain stared at him. Why was Snowball acting so surprised? 

“Quit acting like you’re deaf, Snowball,” Brain said. “I just want to know what laws we’re going to enact first.” 

Snowball didn’t reply at first. But then his shoulders started to quiver as he leaned over the armrest of his chair, and then the quiver turned into a laugh that shook his entire body. Snowball threw back his head, pounding the armrest with his fist in mirth. 

Brain’s ears fell. This laugh wasn’t joyful. 

It was mockery. 

But why? 

“I fail to see what amuses you about a simple question,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“That’s adorable, Brain!” Snowball laughed. What was so amusing about a simple question? Would it kill him to just answer it? “You still believe we’re ruling the world together? That’s rich! Hahaha!” 

But that was the plan from the very beginning! Though they hadn’t ironed out all the details on the method of takeover back on New Selene, Brain knew they’d be ruling together in the end.

“Aren’t we?” Brain asked, his voice trembling more than he would’ve preferred. 

Snowball approached Brain, patting his head like he was a precocious child. His icy claws skimmed the fur on Brain’s head, sending a shiver up Brain’s spine with each pat. There was no warmth in Snowball’s eyes. Only a bitter cold.  

The pats came to a halt. Snowball’s claws dug into Brain’s scalp painfully. 

“You’re just as naive as that Terran you chose to associate yourself with,” Snowball growled. “You honestly thought your initial crashlanding on Terra was an accident? I must admit, deceiving you was amusing for a while, but your gullibility has worn out its welcome. Now it’s just pathetic.” 

Tears pricked the corners of Brain’s eyes, blurring his vision. 

“You…you orchestrated that?” Brain whispered. Snowball was kidding, right? This was all some terrible joke. 

But as he thought back to that fateful night, he recalled how Snowball had changed the layout of the ship on the blueprints while it was being built. At first, Brain had thought Snowball was being generous when he’d enlarged Brain’s room on the ship and moved it towards the back. 

And now…

It was all too clear that Snowball had redesigned the ship specifically to eject Brain once they’d arrived. 

And why Snowball barely bothered to search for him, save for that one night Snowball had shown up at the lab. 

But if Snowball wanted to leave him, why did he bother showing up at all? To torment him with false hope? 

“If you wanted to strand me, why did you show up at the lab?” Brain asked, gritting his teeth. “Why did you really give us tickets to the ball?” 

Snowball studied the claws on his free hand nonchalantly. “That wasn’t part of my plan. Not at the beginning, anyway. I had every intention to leave you behind for good, though I observed your movements closely for a while. Just to make sure you didn’t get in my way again. I watched that entire run-in with Lamont at the mall with my cameras, and since everyone was terrified of his influence and wrath, I decided to switch targets. You’d think he’d be more discreet about having a powerful weapon, but he wasn’t. It was just a matter of obtaining the weapon for myself. Of course, I needed backup in case my plan went awry. Either you or Pinky would’ve served me well as a decoy in the event of being discovered.” 

Brain was silent. Snowball released him, and the lingering chill was enough to make him shiver. 

He didn’t want this to be true. It was a prank! A nightmare! Or just a hallucination. 

But Snowball’s actions made too much sense in hindsight. How could he have been so blind? He should’ve known something was up the moment he saw those changed blueprints!  

But he disregarded it. 

Brain’s hands trembled. His mind was in a fog. His large vocabulary failed him. 

They’d grown up together. It was the two of them against the entire universe. That’s how it was supposed to be. 

Snowball snapped his fingers. 

Several metallic appendages shot out from the walls and wrapped around Brain’s wrists and ankles. Brain cried out as they tightened around his limbs, cutting off his circulation. A larger band of metal wrapped around his waist, binding his arms behind his back. The restraints around his ankles forced his lower limbs together, and he fell to the ground at Snowball’s feet. 

He was at Snowball’s not-so-tender mercies now. 

Brain inclined his head, just enough that he could look Snowball in the eye. 

“...why?” he choked out. He wanted to scream, grab Snowball by the collar and demand an explanation for all this. 

“Oh, Brain. Poor, simple Brain. I thought you were well-versed in the histories of both Terra and Selene,” Snowball chuckled. He didn’t lift a finger to help Brain up, forcing him to remain in a humiliating grovel. “In both worlds, the path to becoming royalty is full of hidden dangers. Anyone could be carrying a dagger under their clothing, or hiding a deadly poison up their sleeves. You cannot trust anybody if you wish to remain on top, Brain. That is why I must sever our partnership from this day forth. Had I been foolish enough to allow you to remain close, you would’ve stabbed me in the back eventually. It’s nothing personal. I’m only doing this for my own protection, though I must admit, having a decoy is a nice bonus too.” 

Brain struggled against his bonds, to no avail. He glared up at Snowball. 

“That’s why you’re doing this?” Brain didn’t care that his outburst was one of the emotional variety. “Because you thought I’d betray you? Snowball, that is the most-GAH!” 

The restraint suddenly tightened around his waist, cutting off his air supply until no coherent words would come out. 

“Computer,” Snowball said, ignoring Brain’s cries. “Throw him into the hold. He will remain there for the time being.” 

The restraints glowed a sickly shade of green. Brain gasped for breath as the restraints lifted his body into the air and dragged him out of the bridge. 

He was nothing more than dead weight. He could only focus on trying to breathe. 

I would never dream of betraying you! You’re my friend! I wanted to rule with you! 

His pleas fell upon deaf ears. 

Brain was dragged into total darkness, the eerie lights from the corridor fading away. 

He’d left Pinky. And now Snowball had left him. 

Cruel irony at its finest. And now, he didn’t have anything. 

Tears stung his face, and he couldn’t wipe them away. 

Pinky’s ears folded back at the sound of Snowball’s harsh, joyless laughter. He didn’t see what was so funny about hurting people with a dangerous weapon. Next to him, Brain struggled to balance on his bound feet as he tried to keep a stern demeanor. Pinky shifted a little closer, just so Brain could at least lean against him if he needed to. 

Brain didn’t protest the extra support. 

Snowball stopped cackling, though that smug, lopsided smile remained. 

“You poor, deluded fools,” Snowball sneered as he rudely inserted himself between them, shoving Brain aside. With a yelp, Brain fell to the ground. Pinky went to help him up, but Snowball blocked his way. “Do you honestly believe you can prevent my successful takeover? Look at you! A dead mouse walking and a pathetic, naive excuse of an invader! I’m quaking with fear. Why, I believe I’ll raise my white flag of surrender now!” 

Pinky sighed in relief, glad that Snowball had given up his plan without a fuss. 

“Oh, I’m so glad we have that settled,” Pinky said, shaking Snowball’s cold hand. “Just let Brain go and give up the laser so we can all go on our merry way! Narf!” 

Brain made an indignant noise, and if his hands weren’t behind his back, he probably would’ve slapped his large forehead and left a red handprint behind. 

“He was being sarcastic, Pinky,” Brain said, pink eyes narrowed at Snowball in distrust. “And as for you, you backstabbing scrik, step away from him immediately!”

Snowball glowered at Brain as he forcefully shoved Pinky away. Pinky stumbled and fell to his knees, breaking out into a harsh coughing fit. Egad, he could use a lozenge right now. 

That made more sense. He really should've known Snowball wouldn't stop being evil that easily. 

Without anyone to lean on, Brain tumbled onto his side. He smacked his cheek hard against the metal floor. 

"You okay?" Pinky asked in concern. That was sure to leave a bruise in the morning. 

If you made it to morning, that is, a voice inside his head that sounded a lot like Brain chuckled mirthlessly. 

"Worry about yourself, Pinky," Brain gritted his teeth as he struggled to stand up, only to flop on his side like a seal. 

Snowball shook his head in disappointment. "Computer, tighten Brain's restraints," he ordered."

"Request granted." 

A red light blinked on the electronic restraints, and Brain let out a choked cry as he curled into a tiny white ball to try and lessen the agony. 

His breaths came out in rapid, shallow puffs. His limbs contorted in strange ways. His face was scrunched, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. 

“Brain!" Pinky screamed. But even just a single name was too much strain for him, and he broke into another raspy coughing fit. 

Brain's legs feebly kicked out, his gaze somewhere far away as he tried to block out the agony. 

"Emperor Snowball, shall I restrain the trespasser as well?" a robotic voice intoned. 

Snowball shook his head. "I appreciate the initiative, computer. However, the simpleton is already weak and useless, moreso than usual. It would be a waste of resources to restrain him when he's actively dying anyway. Besides, we have more important matters at hand. The one hour window has passed, and those foolhardy Terrans have not announced their surrender. Truly a pity. I thought I was rather generous with my terms. But it seems I have no choice but to employ a show of force in my takeover." 

Weak. Useless. 

Pinky could barely stand, the strain he’d placed upon his body was finally catching up to him. He talked to inanimate objects all the time because he had no one else. Pharfignewton was in the big leagues now, she didn’t need him anymore. 

And Brain…

He’d seen how conflicted Brain had been about leaving behind him. But he couldn’t blame him either. 

Why would anyone want a stupid, silly lab mouse to be anything else besides an experiment anyway? 

Pinky shivered as the ice across his face, a fine mist rising from his body. His tears froze as they ran down his cheeks, and it was harder to breathe with every passing second. 

"...how dare you," a voice growled. 

Brain? 

Brain had pulled himself into a kneeling position despite the visible pain on his face, pink eyes narrowed at Snowball. 

Snowball only raised an eyebrow at him, scoffing as he looked down upon his former friend. "How dare you call Pinky weak and useless," Brain’s voice shook as he did his best to remain firm. “He saved my life when you abandoned me. He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He helped me understand this planet in ways that I could never glean from Selenian tapes alone. You tried to incapacitate him, yet he found the strength to come after me anyway, even…even after the pain I’d caused him. And most importantly, he was a better friend in the past few weeks than you ever were!”

Snowball’s ears pinned back, his expression carefully blank. 

“Y-you really mean that, Brain?” Pinky sniffed, wiping his eyes with his stiff tail. 

Brain avoided Pinky’s gaze, a blush tinging his cheeks red. “I’m not repeating myself, Pinky. But…I meant everything I said.” 

Snowball’s gaze turned cold as he approached Brain, his ice-tipped claws twitching with anger. Brain glared in defiance as Snowball loomed over him. 

Machinery hummed underfoot. The Embassy’s exterior crumbled as the Conquistador’s claws dug through brick and stone. Quiet beeps came from the control room. 

Then Snowball drove his foot into Brain’s stomach, and Brain keeled over with a choked cry. 

“Brain!” Pinky screamed. 

The only thing his best friend could do against the onslaught of vicious kicks was curl into a tiny ball and try to protect his most vulnerable areas, but it was no good. The restraints tightened further, and Snowball was determined to inflict as much pain as he could with every kick to the stomach and yank on the antennae. 

“You’ve gone soft, Brain,” Snowball spat. “If you truly wish to follow that idiot into death, then so be it. If you cannot be strong, then you cannot survive. That’s the central tenet of the universe, no matter what sector you come from.” 

One last kick sent Brain reeling across the floor, where he lay face-up, gasping for breath as Snowball stood over him. 

Snowball raised one hand, sharp blades of ice forming on the tips. Brain’s pink eyes were wide with horror as Snowball prepared to plunge his claws into Brain’s exposed neck.  

“No!” Pinky screamed. He’d come too far, he couldn’t just let Brain die here! 

But…what could he do when he was so weak? So useless? He was running out of time, for both himself and the world. 

And a familiar voice flooded his mind, one that was stern and commanding and steadfast in conviction. 

Stand up, Pinky! If you ever call yourself weak and useless again, I shall have to hurt you. 

Right, this was all for his best friend in the entire world! 

Summoning the last of his strength, Pinky pushed himself up and charged straight for the weapon, left unguarded next to the cannon. He heard Brain gasp and Snowball yell in surprise. Pinky quickly broke the holders that clipped the laser pen in place, then snatched the entire pen and pointed the tip right at Snowball. 

Brain’s mouth fell open in surprise, and Pinky might’ve laughed at how comical his expression was if they weren’t in a life or death situation right now. 

There was a flash of fear in Snowball’s eyes. 

“LET HIM GO OR I’LL SHOOT!” 

He tried to sound like a threat, though he couldn’t stop the tremors in his voice nor the shakiness of his hands. All he could hope for was that nobody would notice how unstable the weapon was in his grasp. The tip bounced away from its target several times, and lifting anything heavier than a feather drained him. 

Snowball eyed the weapon’s tip, unable to disguise his wide-eyed, nervous expression. 

“Now, Pinky,” he chuckled, holding his hands up in placation. His icy clawtips melted into mist. “Let’s not be hasty here. That’s a rather delicate weapon you’re holding.” 

Assert yourself. Snowball answers only to strength. 

With a deep breath, Pinky slowly placed one hand on the middle of the weapon to stop the bouncing. 

“Step away from Brain,” Pinky ordered. “Hands where I can see ‘em.”  

Snowball moved away from Brain, his hands in the air. Pinky kept the weapon trained on him, in case he tried anything funny. 

And not the good kind of funny either. 

“The restraints,” Pinky demanded. “Get rid of them.” 

Snowball balked, but his eyes flicked to a point above Pinky’s head. “Fine,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Computer, release the restraints at once.” 

“Request granted. Releasing restraints immediately.” 

With a hiss and a click, the bindings around Brain’s waist and ankles opened. Brain gasped for breath as he spread his limbs, slowly moving around to get some feeling back into them. His arms were no longer bound behind his back, his feet were free to move as he pleased, and breathing wasn’t a struggle anymore. 

“Brain!” Pinky cried as he hurried over. He set the weapon down, throwing his arms around Brain as he sat up. Brain groaned in pain, rubbing his wrists where the restraints had been. Circular red marks wrapped around his wrists, half-hidden by his sleeves. He tried feebly to get out of the hug, but stopped fighting after a few seconds. He mumbled something about Pinky being cold, though his orbs sparked with a bright pink light. 

Oh, Brain couldn’t hide no matter what he said. 

“Poit. How are you feeling?” Pinky asked, nuzzling Brain’s cheek. “I was so worried!” 

Brain folded his arms and looked away, the blush once again coloring his face until he resembled a lumpy tomato. “I am in considerable pain. But it will pass. Hopefully. I must admit…you caught me off-guard too.” 

“Good, cause my arms were getting tired from holding that nasty weapon,” Pinky said. He felt Brain shiver in his arms from the chill of his body, and he let his best friend go. He didn’t want Brain to get a bad case of frostbite. 

“Pinky, where’s the weapon?” Brain asked, looking around once he was free. 

“It was right here,” Pinky frowned, pointing to a spot on the floor where he’d left it. But it wasn’t there anymore. “Or…maybe there? No, no, that’s not right. I definitely put it over…oh, Snowball, have you seen the weapon anywhere? It went missing!” 

“You idiot, don’t ask-” Brain’s eyes widened, his ears flopping over as he pointed to the ceiling. “-him,” he finished weakly. 

One of the ship’s tentacles held the weapon within its claws, then dropped it into Snowball’s waiting arms. 

“As a matter of fact…” Snowball smirked as he pointed the weapon at them. “...I have.” 

Pinky tried to shove Brain behind him, but he couldn’t budge him at all. His arms felt like grape jelly, a wave of dizziness overtaking him. Brain quickly squeezed Pinky’s hand, a silent reassurance. His brow furrowed in concentration as he picked up the restraint that once trapped his ankles. 

Then he broke away from Pinky, and Snowball cursed in Selenian, clearly not expecting Brain to be in a condition to run, let alone do more than crawl. Snowball aimed the weapon at Brain, though Brain kept moving in unpredictable patterns as he held onto the open restraint. 

“Hold still!” Snowball growled, firing the laser at Brain. But he only succeeded in blasting a large hole in the wall, exposing the night sky through the layers of paneling. 

“Go, Brain!” Pinky cheered. He would’ve come up with more, but his throat was too dried out for him to shout.

Then a tentacle shot forward from a hidden panel in the ceiling, straight into Brain’s path. He’d never dodge in time! 

He didn’t care that he wasn’t in fighting condition. He had to do something! 

Pushing himself up with some difficulty, Pinky darted towards the tentacle on all fours and latched onto it just as it reared up in front of Brain. He dug his fingers and toes into the tiny handholds, wrapping his tail around the metal to steady himself as the tentacle writhed and bucked as it tried to throw him off. 

His head spun from the effort, and he wasn’t able to make out anything other than colorful blurs. While he normally had an iron stomach, he now regretted eating all those shrimp cocktails at the party. 

He dug his fingers into the metal, and a small chunk of the plating tore open, revealing all sorts of colorful wires and cables inside. Pinky snatched a handful of wires and tore them away, ignoring the electric shocks that pulsed up his arm. He’d gotten so used to Brain’s sparks, a little more electricity was nothing! 

Pinky ripped away every cable and wire he could reach, and the tentacle shuddered once, twice, then fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud. Pinky climbed off, nearly falling flat on his face as he did so. 

“What the-OW!” Snowball turned towards the noise, and the distraction allowed Brain to nail him in the back of the head with the broken restraint. Snowball dropped the weapon, shaking his head to clear the pain. 

With his path clear, Brain snatched up the weapon and sprinted away from the weapons room. 

“Come, Pinky!” Brain shouted over his shoulder. Pinky wasted no time in following Brain, though he had to pause for several seconds to shake Snowball off his tail. He finally let go when Pinky kicked his nose. Hopefully it would stun him long enough. “Let us seize control of the bridge!”  

“Oh, you could do better than London Bridge, Brain. It just keeps falling down!” Pinky said. 

Brain slammed a button next to the door, sealing Snowball into the weapons room. On the other side, they heard Snowball roar in outrage and scratch at the door, which thankfully held firm. 

For now. 

It wouldn’t hold him forever though. 

As an extra precaution, Brain disconnected the button to make it even harder for Snowball to chase after them. 

"This way, Pinky!" Brain shouted, clutching the weapon to his body with one hand while pulling Pinky along by the wrist with the other. "We're almost-NYA!" 

Countless metallic tentacles tipped with sharp claws shot towards them from each side of the ship. 

"Get out of our way!" Brain yelled. He let go of Pinky's hand, hiked the weapon onto his shoulder, and fired an enormous red laser at the tentacles. He staggered and nearly lost his balance from the recoil, but his aim was true. 

The laser blast destroyed the tentacles alright, taking a large chunk of the ceiling with it too. The crescent moon was very pretty tonight. 

"YES!" Brain cheered, a triumphant grin on his face. 

"Egad, that was so cool, Brain!" Pinky clapped his hands. Brain had looked just like an action hero, complete with all the explosions! "You hit those meanies bang! Zoom! Right in the kisser!" 

Brain raised an eyebrow. "Is that another Terran saying I've never heard of, or…?"

Right. Alien. Probably never heard of The Honeymooners. 

"Well, it's from an old sitcom I like," Pinky explained. "I'll show you when we get out of he-BRAIN, WATCH OUT!" 

Brain's victory was short-lived, a clawed tentacle rudely interrupting as it seized Brain around his waist and lifted him into the air. Despite this setback and old wounds that were no doubt flaring up, Brain gritted his teeth and refused to relinquish his hold on the weapon. 

He wouldn’t be able to hold on forever though.

“Let him go, now!” Pinky screamed at the top of his lungs. 

They’d gotten this far, he wasn’t about to lose Brain again! But what could he do, he didn’t have enough strength to break another one of these mechanical menaces! 

“Pinky! Above you!” Brain yelled. 

Pinky looked up, realizing that a tentacle was poised on the ceiling right over his head, lashing out towards him like a viper. The claws opened wide, and Pinky closed his eyes and thrust out his hands to protect himself. 

He waited with bated breath, knowing that there was nothing he could do to fend off the tentacle. 

He waited some more, counted three Mississippi’s plus an Alabama, yet he didn’t feel the claws wrapping around his waist, nor did his feet leave solid ground.

Something tapped his side, but it didn’t hurt. 

Pinky opened his eyes, and Brain was on the ground next to him. His fur ruffled, his jumpsuit ripped in several places, but the tentacle hadn’t taken him after all! 

“Brain, you’re okay!” Pinky went in for a hug, but Brain took a step back. 

He was disappointed, but reminded himself that his entire body was coated with a layer of ice that would probably hurt Brain worse than he already was. 

At least he still had the weapon. It wasn’t in Snowball’s hands. 

“How did you escape?” Pinky asked as Brain gestured for him to keep moving. They passed the wreckage of the tentacles. Broken, sparking wires poked out from chinks in their plating, and the ends had been completely ripped out from the ceiling. They laid in a crumpled heap on the floor. Snowball wouldn’t be repairing the damage anytime soon. 

“I…didn’t,” Brain admitted, and that fact seemed to pain him. “Something strange happened when you put your hands out just as the tentacle bore down on you. Somehow, it careened off course and crashed into the one holding me. As much as I want to say that it was a lucky malfunction, I know Snowball would’ve programmed the ship much better than that. More likely, you influenced that tentacle to miss with some technique I wasn’t aware you had.” 

Pinky gasped. “You mean…I used the Force?” 

He’d levitated an entire bowl of fruits once to entertain himself after the lab closed. He hadn’t been able to do that trick again…until a few minutes ago. 

“Well, you clearly applied some sort of force to intercept it-” 

Pinky shook his head. “Not just any force, Brain! The Force! You know, makes up everything in the universe?”   

Brain just stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “Atoms are the smallest unit of matter in the universe, Pinky.” 

That settled it. He was definitely sitting Brain down for a Star Wars marathon once they were finished saving the city from Snowball’s rampage. 

That is…if he survived tonight. 

Would he get a chance to show Brain all his favorite movies and shows? To see Pharfignewton’s name plastered all over the Internet with the headline ‘First Mare to Win the Triple Crown in Horse Racing History’? 

So little time left. 

But he wanted to do what he could, for Brain’s sake. His friend deserved the world. Pinky wanted to dedicate the time he had left into helping Brain’s dream come true. 

And for that to happen, Snowball had to be stopped. 

He’d try his best to hold out until then. 

The corridor had been long, and with how exhausted he felt, it had seemed even longer. But they finally passed through a set of large, ornate doors with strips of neon green lights flowing into the walls. 

It was an enormous room, filled to the brim with fancy computers and control panels full of colorful buttons, levers, and switches just waiting to be pushed and flipped.  

There was a panoramic view of the city from the windows, and Pinky smushed his face up to the glass to take in the view. If he ignored the half-destroyed Embassy and the crowd of terrified people below, the city was a very beautiful place from above. 

“A strange phenomenon, but in your Terran vernacular, you could say it was…cool,” Brain admitted as he rewired a control panel next to the door. A red light flared to life above their heads. “I’m locking us in the bridge for now. The rest of the ship isn’t safe.” 

Now that the excitement had worn down, exhaustion was starting to set in. 

Brain was everywhere at once, moving from every little computer to the main control panel to the window. He was talking very fast and using a lot of big words, but Pinky couldn't understand anything he was saying. Not even to pick out the little phrases he could understand. 

His fur clumped together in icy tips, and he nearly cut himself on the needle-like ends while trying to brush them down. A cloud of mist formed when he breathed, and that was a hard enough task on its own when it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. His body wouldn’t stop trembling, and everything was just one big blur. 

He nearly keeled over, and he quickly grabbed the nearest object to stop himself from falling. This was no time to lie down! Not when Brain still needed his help!

Then a warm hand slipped into his own, tugging him along for several feet before carefully pushing him into a chair. It wasn’t the comfiest chair in the world, the cushion was a little hard and the back was rigid and straight, but at least there were armrests. 

Some of the dizziness cleared up as he tucked his feet beneath himself, folding his arms on the armrest and resting his head in the crook of his elbows. The chair swiveled a bit underneath him, and if he didn’t feel so dizzy right now, he would’ve had so much fun spinning round and round on it. 

As Pinky relaxed into the chair, he felt that warm hand trapped under his arms. When he raised his head to let the hand go, he found Brain standing in front of him, his lovely rose-pink eyes filled with a strange mixture of annoyance and concerh. 

“You almost deployed the thrusters when you fell next to that console,” Brain scolded. “Activating the thrusters while the ship isn’t in motion could’ve ripped it in half. You’re lucky I deactivated it in time.” 

Pinky’s ears fell. “I’m sorry…” he whispered, his voice shaky. “I…I didn’t mean to distract you or anything…” 

His shivering grew worse, and he desperately wished for a blanket to cover himself. But everything about this ship was so mechanical, so unfeeling. There wasn’t anything designed for comfort or relaxation. 

Brain took a deep breath, and all traces of annoyance vanished. He poked one of the ice-tipped spikes on Pinky’s arm, grimacing when he pulled away and rubbed his fingers together, which were covered in frost. 

“No…no, it’s fine, Pinky,” Brain murmured. “You…you’re not in the best condition right now. What were you thinking, pushing yourself like that? You’ve proven yourself resilient despite your situation, and a thorn in Snowball’s side for sure, but…” 

He trailed off, fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest as he tried to figure out what to say next. 

How long can you go on? 

Brain didn't need to say it aloud. For someone who claimed to be above emotions, he wasn't very good at hiding them. 

"You were in trouble, Brain. I had to do something," Pinky admitted. "I…I'm sorry if it wasn't enough." 

He could've done more. Jumped in sooner so Brain wouldn't have been tortured as much as he was, been faster in rescuing Brain, been more aware of Snowball's tricks-

"No, Pinky. Not just enough. You went…above and beyond tonight. I can't recall a time when anyone else was willing to do so much for me," Brain quietly said. "Not that I ever deserved it…" 

"Of course you deserve it," Pinky said firmly, and he bumped noses with Brain for proof. Though he wished he could've done it for longer, he didn't want Brain to freeze before he took over the world. 

When the brief touch was over, Brain pulled away, touching the top of his nose in surprise. And he really did have a cute, red button nose. His hand lingered for several seconds before falling to his side, like he wanted to keep that touch with him forever. 

"We should really get down to business," Brain said hastily. He typed a command into one of the larger monitors, and the entire ship lurched forward along with Pinky's stomach. 

"To defeat the Huns?" Pinky asked weakly, pressing his stomach to the chair so he didn't throw up. 

"To defeat Snowball," Brain corrected. "I've already disabled the internal defense and voice command system to prevent his interference. Those tentacles won’t be able to attack us anymore.” 

Oh good. Pinky didn’t think he’d be able to deal with those nasty tentacles again. 

With the push of a button, the claws finally released the Embassy. Bricks crumbled to the ground, the inner wooden framework splintering as there was nothing left to support it. Glass windows shattered, and one of the monitors showed policemen holding the crowd back for their safety. People were cheering and crying in relief, taking to their phones to announce that the threat was finally over. 

Some were led aside by paramedics, others were interviewed by members of the press or police. 

One of the monitors showed Lamont angrily jabbing at the sky while the chief of police tried to placate him, only to get yelled at for trying to help. Then he grabbed the chief’s wrist and dragged him off-camera, to the visible confusion of other officers and journalists who’d been hoping to catch an exclusive interview. 

Brain guided the Conquistador higher into the atmosphere and away from the crowd. Once they were clear above the highest skyscrapers, the ship cut through the night sky with ease. Though Brain tried to be quiet and discreet about it, Pinky could tell not all of his concentration was on driving from how he kept looking over his shoulder. 

The ship harshly tilted to the left when Brain wasn’t paying attention to where he steered, and Pinky yelped and clutched the armrest as his stomach did flip-flops from the unexpected maneuver. 

“Sorry,” Brain said as he hastily corrected their course. 

Pinky weakly gave a thumbs up, though he couldn’t lift his hand where Brain could see it. “I’m okay,” he said, trying not to gag. “Maybe you should just let the ship steer itself?” 

“A preferable option,” Brain admitted as he pushed a few buttons and pulled a lever, though Pinky didn’t see the effects it had on the ship. “But for our safety, I have no choice but to manually steer the ship. It appears Snowball modified the controls so that autopilot can only be activated through voice command, and turning that feature back on while Snowball is in the same vehicle could prove disastrous.”

“Oh…” Pinky murmured. 

That meant Brain couldn’t leave his position at the controls either. And Pinky was too weak to get off the chair without his help. He was stuck until Brain landed the ship. 

“Brain, what are we gonna do about Snowball now?” Pinky asked. “Poit. We can’t trap him in one room forever.” 

Brain’s fingers tightened around the controls. “I’ll think about it,” he said curtly.  

But it was clear Brain just wanted to put off the decision. If they kept Snowball around, neither of them would be safe. 

"Poit. I know you don't want to leave him behind, but…" 

Brain's antennae sparked with anger. The ship nearly took a steep nosedive forward, and if Pinky hadn't held onto the armrest so tightly, he would've tumbled out of his chair. 

"So what am I supposed to do then?" Brain shouted. "Abandon him the same way he abandoned me?"

That wasn’t what Pinky had suggested at all! His tail lashed out in frustration. “I never said that!” he protested, and he broke out into a coughing fit at the sudden strain on his voice. An icy mist rose from his body, rising faster than before.

It spread across the room and quickly reached Brain, whose entire body wracked with shivers nearly as bad as Pinky’s.

“Sorry,” Pinky whispered, desperately wishing there was an off-switch for it. 

He’d move further away if he could, but his body refused to listen. His fingers and toes were completely numb, and he couldn’t feel his tail at all. 

He closed his eyes, trying to hang on by himself so Brain could focus on steering the ship. His breathing had gone from rapid to slow, the urge to curl up into a ball and never move again stronger with every passing second. 

A gentle, persuasive tug telling him to let go, to let the ice claim him entirely. 

If it hadn’t been for the loud blast that made his ears ring, he almost did. 

With some difficulty, he opened his eyes and saw Brain facing away from him, the weapon upon his shoulder once again. A thin trail of smoke rose from the tip, which glowed a bright red. And several feet away was a giant crater where the wall had once been. 

Brain’s ears drooped against his back as he stared at the wall, the weapon falling to the floor with a dull thud. He fell to his knees and brought a hand up to his face, flicking his tears away. 

He wasn’t anywhere near the pilot’s controls either. 

“Brain?” Pinky rasped, unable to speak above a whisper. 

Seeing Brain defeated like that on the floor…it just seemed wrong. Slowly, Pinky slinked down to the floor from his chair, fighting off the dizziness as he crawled towards Brain, his legs unable to support him anymore. 

“Pinky?” Brain murmured in surprise. “What are you…you shouldn’t be-” 

“I know…” Pinky said softly. “But the controls-”

Brain looked away, his entire body quaking. But Pinky could tell it wasn’t just from the cold, though he knew if he asked that Brain would try to claim it was. “I engaged autopilot. I can’t pilot the ship myself. Not while I…not when I’ve been compromised.” 

“Congrats. When’s the wedding?” Pinky asked, trying for a joke just to cheer Brain up a little. 

But Brain didn’t smile. He didn’t tell Pinky to knock it off, grab his snout, or give an exasperated explanation either. 

Pinky kept several inches between himself and Brain. Though he wanted nothing more than to hug Brain to try and make him feel better, hugging him would only cause frostbite at this point. 

“I had the idea of using the weapon’s lowest setting to heat up a surface without destroying it. But when I tested it…” Brain gestured to the still-smoking crater in the wall. “...it didn’t work. I thought I could generate enough heat to delay the ice until I could find a permanent solution.”  

Pinky knew Brain was trying so very hard with the few resources he had at his disposal. He didn’t want to leave Brain either…but he wasn’t given a choice in the matter. 

Still, there was something else they hadn’t tried. 

“Your antennae…you did it once before. You just have to light the orb thingies up again,” Pinky said. 

Brain hesitated, but he allowed Pinky's hands to touch his antennae anyway. Pinky cupped the orbs as gently as he could. 

Then they waited. And waited again. Amd waited some more. 

Yet nothing happened. The orbs didn't light up, nor was there a single spark. 

"Um, Brain?" Pinky said, rolling the orbs between his fingers in the hopes that something would happen. 

Brain's hands shook, his expression crestfallen. "I'm trying!" he spat. 

"I know…" Pinky agreed sadly. 

Brain really was trying his hardest. But from the few bits and pieces Brain had shared, his life on New Selene hadn't been a happy one. His memories of Snowball would be tainted forever. 

And everything Pinky had done with Brain would be steeped with sorrow because of his impending death. 

There were no happy memories to pull from, and it wasn't something that a smile and a narf could fix. 

“I’m supposed to be smart,” Brain snarled, his hands shaking as they gripped the weapon so tightly that it seemed he’d break it in half. “I designed this ship. I taught myself calculus and physics just so I could get off that miserable hunk of space debris. I…I was going to apply everything I knew into ruling this world…”

"...Brain?" Pinky whispered. He tried to reach out towards him, but his hand wouldn't cooperate. 

Brain stood up with the weapon in hand, his eyes distant and misty with tears, fixed on a point Pinky couldn’t see. 

“BUT WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING SMART WHEN I CAN’T EVEN SAVE YOU?” he bellowed, hurling the weapon clear across the room. 

It slammed against the wall and fell down, right in front of an open vent. 

And to their horror, a paw emerged from the darkness of the vent, seizing the weapon with ice-tipped claws. 

“So you finally admit it,” an all-too familiar voice chuckled. There was no humor in his laugh. 

Snowball fully emerged, a smug grin on his face. His pink eyes glittered with malice as he looked over the pair of mice. Brain planted himself firmly in front of Pinky, fists balled at his sides as he tried to present a strong front against Snowball. But even from behind, Pinky could see how battered and exhausted Brain was. Only anger seemed to be fueling him now. 

“You never secured the vents,” Snowball sneered. “Then again, I understand you were preoccupied with other matters.” 

Brain only glared at Snowball. 

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Snowball said, twirling the weapon in his hands like he was experimenting with the best way to kill them. “You were never one for manners, Brain, but you could try to say something. I rather miss our old banter. At least give me something to work with.” 

Yet Brain still didn’t reply. 

Snowball sighed as he finally pointed the weapon at them. “A shame, really. I was willing to do you a favor. Let you live in my palace, give you a job. With how much of a fool you’ve been lately, perhaps a court jester would’ve been the perfect occupation for you, Brain. But as it stands, you’ve been obstructing my path to glory. And what sort of emperor would I be if I showed leniency to anyone who challenged me? No, for all that you’ve done to me, you and that useless lump behind you shall per-” 

Brain launched himself at Snowball before he could finish, grabbing hold of the weapon and trying to yank it out of his grasp. Snowball growled and tried to shove Brain off, but Brain latched onto his arm and refused to let up. The non-lethal side of the weapon slammed into the side of Brain’s head over and over again, but Brain refused to let the pain stop him. 

Pinky longed to help, but none of his limbs would cooperate. He was stuck in one spot, forced to watch the showdown play out without him. Brain would have to manage on his own. 

It wasn’t that he doubted Brain’s abilities, but he did worry about him. 

As they grappled for control over the weapon, a laser shot out from the tip and impacted a cluster of wires on the ceiling. The wires instantly burst into flames, the bright orange blaze quickly spreading to a monitor hanging above the windshield. The glass cracked instantly, and the radar display fizzled to static as the fire destroyed its components from within. 

An alarm flared to life, and Pinky’s ears folded to block out the high-pitched howl emitting from the speakers. The entire bridge was bathed in a harsh, crimson light from the spreading flames.  

A loud explosion rocked the entire ship, and the bridge began to dangerously tilt towards the left side. Outside, smoke poured from the left wing, the flames quickly spreading until they nearly covered the entire strip of metal. 

Everything that wasn’t secured to the floor slid towards the left, and though there was a small crater from Brain’s experimental blast earlier, it was still safer to slide towards that side than the right, which was engulfed by fire. 

With nothing to cling to, Pinky slammed into the wall, and he saw stars from the impact. 

"You idiot!" Snowball screeched as he yanked on Brain's tail. "You completely knocked out the entire left engine!"  

Brain snarled, kicking Snowball in the stomach to dislodge him. Separated by several inches, they both struggled for breath amidst the thick smoke that blanketed the top half of the bridge. 

Pinky coughed, his throat completely dry. A million elephants were sitting on his chest, smushing him into the ground. Every breath was a struggle now. 

Then his stomach dropped along with the ship. Neither Snowball nor Brain noticed that they’d lost height, too focused on slamming each other against the nearest solid surface. 

Despite Brain’s efforts, he couldn’t get the weapon away from Snowball. The weapon was more of a bludgeon than a laser now, though Snowball repeatedly missed Brain’s face and kept destroying the controls indiscriminately. 

On the panels, the exposed wires sparked and only added more fuel to the fire. 

A second explosion boomed from the other side, and the entire ship took a steep nosedive towards the ground. 

Everyone slammed against the ceiling, the aliens’ fight interrupted for a second time as they  braced themselves for the fall. Pinky barely registered the enormous crash before falling to the floor, his entire body wracked with pain. 

As he struggled to sit up, he noticed that the weapon was no longer in Snowball’s iron grasp. No, Snowball was leaning heavily against the wall while trying to stand, though he was bent over and wheezing. 

A short distance away, Brain pushed himself up on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. The weapon was just an inch away from his fingers. 

For a moment, he only stared at it. 

The weapon laid there, deceptively harmless yet lethal all the same.

Flames danced in Brain’s pink eyes, tinging them a dangerous red. His gaze was locked on Snowball as he slowly stood up, his hand closing around the weapon with a white-knuckled grip. 

Through the fire and smoke and the caterwauling sirens outside, none of those compared to the hatred that burned in Brain’s glare towards Snowball. 

Though it wasn’t directed at Pinky, he still shrank away from that look, wishing he could grab something to shield himself with. 

Snowball was still struggling to find his balance when the weapon’s tip was shoved against his chest, pushing him back against the wall. For the first time since Pinky had met him, Snowball was no longer one step ahead. 

Ironic, how he spent so much time flaunting his superiority over them, only to find himself at Brain's mercy.

Snowball’s eyes went wide, his breathing rapid as he was forced to the floor. 

"Now now, Brain," Snowball chuckled, his grin anxious and too wide to be genuine. "Y-you wouldn't treat an old friend this way, would you?" 

"An old friend?" Brain snapped incredulously, and shoved the tip further into Snowball's chest. "An old friend never would've done the things you did to me! Never would've abandoned me, or lock me away, or torture me, or murder someone I ca-murder someone I tolerate!" 

“I-I realize there may’ve been some misunderstandings-” Snowball stammered in a desperate attempt to save himself. 

Brain wasn’t having it though. “Oh, I understand perfectly,” he snarled. “I understand that I was just a means to an end. I understand that you just wanted me around when it was convenient. And I understand how our childhood friendship meant absolutely nothing to you.” 

This time, Snowball said nothing. 

“Y-you wanted me to act more like you.” Brain’s arms shook, and he couldn’t keep the weapon level with Snowball. There were so many conflicting emotions in his eyes, from anger to regret to sorrow. “And now…and now you have your wish.” 

Despite his seemingly solid conviction, Brain’s voice wavered. Snowball didn’t pick up on it, still too focused on the weapon pointed at him. 

But Pinky did. 

He knew how much Brain had cared about Snowball, despite all his complaints about him. He’d seen how devoted Brain had been to finding Snowball again, prioritizing him over ruling the world. Pinky had comforted Brain when he was distressed over blindly following a false friend and leaving someone who actually cared about him behind. 

And Pinky knew that some part of Brain would always care about Snowball, no matter what he did. 

“...Brain?” Pinky called weakly. If only he could move his body…it didn’t have to be far, he just needed to reach Brain. 

Brain’s gaze flitted over to Pinky, but he said nothing. They only watched each other as the fire raged on. 

Slowly, Brain’s ears fell. His fury dissipated, replaced by uncertainty. He stepped away from Snowball, who sighed in relief once the weapon was no longer pointed at him. 

He stared down at his reflection in the weapon, his eyes watery and full of regret. Then he turned on his heel, and threw the weapon far away from him. 

It was immediately consumed by flames. 

Pinky hadn’t expected that, but he smiled anyway. That mean ol’ weapon couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. 

Then Brain faced Snowball, who stared in shock at the spot where the flames destroyed the weapon for good. 

Brain pointed to the crater in the hull, his arm stiff and rigid. 

“Leave,” Brain growled. 

Snowball wasted no time as he slunk towards freedom, looking over his shoulder as if he thought Brain would change his mind. He tripped over the metal as he escaped, then hastily got up and ran for his life.  

Then he was gone. 

It was over at last. 

The last of Pinky’s dwindling strength disappeared, and his head hit the floor. His tail stilled, and he no longer felt his limbs. Though surrounded by fire and smoke, the cold seeped through his body.   

“Hi, Brain,” Pinky whispered as Brain approached him. A cough wracked his body, and it hurt to force that much out. 

“...Pinky.” 

Gosh, Brain’s eyes were so pretty. Like beautiful cherry blossom petals. It was the last thing Pinky saw before he found it too hard to keep his eyes open. 

Gentle hands lifted him. His head laid against something soft and fuzzy, and he nuzzled into its comfort. 

He gave a little sigh. 

And finally, the ice claimed him. 

End AN:

Poor Pinky won’t ever get the chance to show Brain The Honeymooners or Star Wars. 

Pinky’s slow decline was heartbreaking to write. He knows he’s dying, but did his best to stick around so Brain wouldn’t be alone. And he did his part in protecting Brain from Snowball, even at his weakest point. 

Terran Date 2015.4.28

Yesterday, Pinky showed me one of his favorite pieces of media to thank me for the story of Heikro var Silda, even though he cried for fifteen minutes because of the tragic ending. While indeed sad, I’m proud to say I remained steadfast and controlled my emotions upon revisiting the story. And while I told him it wasn’t necessary, he insisted and I acquiesced to his demands.

That’s how Pinky introduced me to The Lion King. Once again, I remained strong even when the emotional distress threatened to override my logical mind. It was...rather difficult, I’ll admit. We watched the sequel afterward, and though I’ve created five different charts that list the plot points in order, I cannot come up with a satisfactory sequence of events that connects both movies into a cohesive narrative.

Moving onto real life matters...Pinky seems to be under the impression that I will be a permanent resident of the lab.

Celestial bodies above, what use is my intelligence if I’m trapped among heathen, dimwitted fools who can’t tell the difference between left and right! I refuse to be a lab rat, made to do the so-called dominant species’ bidding. Snowball and I shall be taking over this planet and progressing their backwards society far beyond their wildest dreams! That’s what we came here for, and I will not be sidetracked again.

As for Pinky...well, his imagination can make up some personalities for his inanimate object friends once I leave. He doesn’t have any shortage of those. The newest addition to the crew is an eraser nub with the moniker of ‘Gummy’.

Signing off for now,

The Brain

o-o-o-o-o

Brain saved the new transmission to an encrypted, password-protected file. None of the scientists were technical experts, so the odds of discovery were miniscule or nonexistent. He only had five audio files in total, a meager amount compared to the hundreds of transmissions he’d made back on New Selene. The pointer hovered over the Delete All button. He didn’t have a reason to keep making transmissions when he was leaving the lab behind in just a few days.

Still, he hesitated.

Maybe he could leave it as a memento for Pinky. But even a basic level of encryption and case-sensitive password would remain far beyond Pinky’s capabilities.

Perhaps it was best to leave the issue for another night.

He logged off the computer and joined Pinky, who’d surrounded himself with Gummy and the rest of his inanimate object friends as he played a board game called Monopoly. Though Brain had looked up the rules and goals of the game during his online session out of curiosity, he didn’t really understand the appeal or mass marketability of such an unbalanced game.

Although, given the number of different versions of Monopoly out there, creating and selling his own version of the game with the title of Brainopoly could prove to be a viable plan.

Pinky was playing as if there were four players and not just a free-for-all against a nickel, button, and eraser. It became disturbingly obvious that Pinky was either overly generous or just woefully terrible at mental math, because he continually doled out the wrong amount of money from the bank or his own meager cash pile.

And Pinky was far better off if Brain cut in now, because there was no chance that anyone else was catching up to Gummy, who owned the most lucrative properties and had the largest amount of money.

He had to stop anthropomorphizing these objects. He was starting to think like Pinky, and that was an extremely distressing thought.

“You’re losing to an eraser,” Brain said. Pinky only had a few fives in currency, and the three properties he owned were all flipped over and mortgaged.

“Yeah, Gummy’s just very good at this game! Narf!” Pinky said as he rolled the dice for Mr. Button. “It’s so nice of him to let us sleep in his Marvin Garden Apartments though. Otherwise we’d be homeless!”

“Nice indeed,” Brain replied. For his peace of mind, he didn’t dare press for more details.

Pinky threw the dice, then moved the bucket token seven spaces, landing on the Luxury Tax space. “That’ll be seventy-five dollars, Mr. Button,” Pinky said as he gathered the money, which only totaled sixty. And Mr. Button’s four properties were all mortgaged. Pinky realized this too. “Oh...you don’t have enough. Poit.”

Any normal player would’ve tossed in the towel right there, but Pinky wasn’t a conventional player by any means. He frowned, scratched his head, then picked up his own pile of fives and tossed them onto the sixty, bringing the amount to seventy-five, with two leftover fives for Mr. Button.

“You can have that, Mr. Button!” Pinky chirped as he dumped the luxury tax money in the middle of the board. “With a little more for the bus!”

Pinky had completely knocked himself out of the game.

This was supposed to be an extremely competitive game for families and seasoned professionals, right? Though the rules of Monopoly appeared confusing and controversial to most players, he was certain that nobody would willingly lose with such a reckless method.  

Well...maybe it was just a fluke. Pinky was only playing against himself, so if he wanted to give up the money to something he was making the decisions for, that was his choice.

Besides, he couldn’t watch this game much longer.

“I’ll be your next opponent,” Brain announced. He’d never played before, but the basics seemed simple enough. And the math involved was basic arithmetic he could do in his sleep. “Reset the board at once, Pinky.”

Pinky’s tail wagged as he gathered up the houses and hotels and tossed them back into the box, then settled down as he skillfully shuffled the Community Chest and Chance cards. From the way he hummed and twirled around, an outsider could easily mistake Brain for a playmate instead of an opponent.

Brain quickly read over the instruction sheet, then divided the game currency into a starting amount for himself, Pinky, and the bank.

“Can I be in charge of the property cards, Brain?” Pinky asked as he organized them by color.

“Yes, but I shall handle all other banker duties,” Brain said. “Listen closely, Pinky. I’ve looked up stories about Monopoly games going on for a long time with no definitive winner, so we’ll stop the game when one of us runs out of money, or if chance has favored you or I enough that we can place a hotel on the board.”

“Chance always has a problem with favoritism,” Pinky said as he moved the horse token to the Go space. Indeed, chance hasn’t always favored members of either of their species, but it could stand to be more merciful during a board game. He hugged the horse token to his chest. “Anyways, Pharfigtwoton is always my choice! What’s yours?”  

Brain didn’t understand how anyone in their right mind would want to play as a wheelbarrow or bucket, and the only pieces that interested him at all were the ones that resembled modes of Terran transportation. In the end, he chose the battleship.

He was tempted to call it the Conquistador Two, but he didn’t want to follow the trend of naming random objects.

“Good one!” Pinky said as he pushed the ship over to the horse token. “A gorgeous ship like this needs a name...so I hereby dub thee Battley McBattleface!”

“We’re calling it the Conquistador Two, and that’s final,” Brain snapped.

“The Conquesodor Two,” Pinky agreed.

They tossed the dice to decide turn order, and Pinky won that battle easily since Brain had the misfortune to roll double ones.

On his first turn, Pinky managed to land on St. Charles Place with a high roll. He happily shelled out the money required to buy the property. “I’m putting a nice dog park here!” he declared, placing the unused dog token in the magenta space above the property. “Now Pharfigtwoton can give rides to all the puppies!”

Brain didn’t know if Monopoly required players to create their own storyline, but it certainly made the game more interesting and baffling at the same time. He rolled the dice, sighing when he could only advance to Reading Railroad.

He hoped it wouldn’t be a trend for Pinky to receive high rolls while he was stuck in the first half of the board.

But he quickly changed his mind once he paid up for Reading Railroad and read through the card information. Just like any real life war or corporate strategy, the key to his victory would lie in controlling the flow of transportation and goods!

Pinky landed on New York on his next turn, rambling about taking all the puppies to New York for a double decker bus tour of the city as he slid a stack of bills to Brain. Brain sighed and tossed an extra twenty bill back at Pinky. He wished Pinky would pay more attention to adding properly than the make-believe puppies.

Brain rolled the dice and moved his battleship to Virginia, claiming the property so Pinky couldn’t control one-fourth of the board this early in the game.

“Brain, can I have a house?” Pinky asked as he drew a Community Chest card. He read through the card and grinned. “Awww, I got second in a beauty pageant! Thank you, everyone! It’s such an honor! Oh, and it says I also won ten dollars.”

“You don’t meet the conditions required for a house, Pinky,” Brain said, giving Pinky a ten. He didn’t care about the fake beauty pageant, just that money was either gained or lost depending on luck of the draw.

“Oh, I’ll keep them off the board,” Pinky promised. “I just want a house for Terry to live in.”

He held up the dog token, who was now apparently called Terry.

“Fine, but don’t mix your ridiculous fantasies with the board,” Brain sighed and tossed a green house at Pinky, which smacked him in the head when he didn’t catch it in time. Pinky laughed it off and coaxed Terry to stand next to the house.

Houses and hotels. His Internet searches on the Clarkes led to tons of websites on the Terran real estate market and hotel industry.

Which reminded Brain that he hadn’t shared his research into the Clarkes with Pinky yet. There hadn’t been enough time during the day, where the incompetent scientists poked and prodded them. And in Brain’s case, tried to figure out where the antennae came from.

Their hypotheses, and he was being exceedingly generous when he described their speculation and conspiracy theories as hypotheses, amounted to claiming a Terran mouse and insect had reproduced together.

“I’ve brushed up on the Clarkes so we can properly impersonate them at the party. According to-scrik!” Brain hissed under his breath when he landed on New York and had to pay Pinky.

“Sixteen please!” Pinky chirped. “All proceeds will go to buying toys and treats for good dogs in need!”

Brain grudgingly gave up the sixteen. Probability was not on his side tonight. “As I was saying before cruel fate reared its ugly head, the man I shall impersonate, Anthony Clarke, is an esteemed real estate and luxury hotel mogul, with a net worth in the billions. His success is rooted in savvy, ruthless business against competitors. It appears that he and Lamont are old college acquaintances, which we can spin to our advantage. And...yes! B&O Railroad!”  

He claimed the B&O Railroad for himself, and Pinky wrinkled his nose. “I wouldn’t ride on the Body Odor Railroad even if you pay me in cheese,” he said.

Brain rolled his eyes. “The temptation for cheese is too powerful for your empty mind and bottomless stomach.”

“You’re right, Brain. It’s too yummy.” Pinky licked his lips. “So does that make me Mrs. Zoey Clarke then? Unless he divorced her already. I haven’t kept up with them in a while.” The butler on the phone had made a similar comment, thoroughly expecting ‘Mr. Clarke’ to divorce his spouse by the end of the week.

“So you’re aware of the Clarkes,” Brain said. He rolled the dice, and chance immediately sentenced him to jail. He had to push his battleship all the way to the jail space.  

But all of this divorcing nonsense was trivial to his goals. Hardly worth a footnote.

The objective was to infiltrate the party, mingle with the guests to throw off suspicion, then steal the military weapon and take over the world, not involve himself in a Terran’s relationship drama.

“Ooh, tough.” Pinky clicked his tongue in sympathy as he bought Waterworks. “But everyone knows who the Clarkes are. Didn’t you see anything about all those divorces when you looked them up?”

“I’m more interested in his business ventures than his messy personal life,” Brain replied. “All this talk about divorce is simply incidental. But now I digress. Escaping jail so I may continue my conquering campaign is of utmost priority.”

“Doubles! Doubles!” Pinky chanted as Brain threw the dice. A two and three faced up, but no doubles. Pinky deflated, but only for a moment. Then he picked up a fifty. “Here, Brain. I’ll bail you out.”

From Brain’s brief skim over the rules, he didn’t recall a single one that allowed players to bail each other out of jail. He wanted to refuse and tell Pinky to focus on winning for himself, but obtaining Pennsylvania Railroad, which he’d missed the first time he’d passed through this section of the board, was just too tempting.  

Brain took the fifty from Pinky, put it in the bank, then moved his battleship out of jail and used his draining resources to buy Pennsylvania Railroad. Only afterward did he realize that he’d been steadily losing money every turn and hadn’t gained anything since the beginning of the game.

Contrast to Pinky, who rolled a twelve and skipped over the last fourth of the board, placing him squarely on the Go space and guaranteeing himself a free two hundred. Then he rolled a low number and bought Mediterranean.

A poor investment, given that it was hardly worth anything. But Pinky didn’t think so.

And he wouldn’t stop cooking up new fantasies either. “Now we can host a beach jubilee for your welcome home from jail party! With hot dogs and beach balls and those big umbrellas and-”

Brain lobbed the dice at Pinky so he’d quiet down and allow Brain to formulate a strategy in peace.

Perhaps a pass around the board without purchasing anything would be necessary. He had to rebuild his financial resources again. The downside was that Pinky could potentially take the spaces for himself, but it was entirely possible that he’d miss some of the open spaces too.

So he did just that, finally lucking out when a Community Chest card sent Pinky to Reading Railroad.

But Pinky was incapable of keeping his mouth shut, and soon he was back on the topic of the infamous Clarke divorces.

“-so I think Zoey is number eleven, and I know they all blend together, so when I confuse them I just remember divorce, beheaded, died, divorce, beheaded, survived!”

Brain stared at Pinky, praying to all the ancient Selenian gods nobody believed in anymore that Snowball didn’t have him take the identity of a murderer.

“Oh wait no, no...that’s King Henry, not Clarke. Must’ve mixed them up, poit. Sorry.”

Brain threw another green house at Pinky, nailing him in the shoulder. Pinky yelped, but once he realized he had another house he immediately thanked Brain because that meant Terry’s friend could move next door.

Since there was little point to dissuading Pinky entirely, Brain focused on his game strategy instead.

It was mostly repetition anyway. Roll dice, move piece, board event, repeat. Perhaps it would be considered tedious and monotonous, but the storylines Pinky improvised were what truly made it fascinating, even though Brain could only follow about half of it since Pinky created plotholes within the fantastical yet mundane place named Monopoly City faster than the speed of light.

According to Pinky, he and his sister co-ran an enormous pet supply shop attached to a humane animal shelter next door to the dog park. Meanwhile, Brain was conductor of a magical train and seeking the mayorship because the corrupt mayor was involved with an evil cigarette corporation who wanted to diabolically sell their products to innocent children.

And while Pinky certainly had a knack for improvisation, the matter at hand was that Brain couldn’t resist buying Boardwalk, but he’d used up a third of his money and Pinky wasn’t landing there to make up for the deficit. But Brain also had Baltic, the least valuable property, and Pinky had Park Place, which Brain desperately needed since neither of them had houses on the board yet.

This wasn’t going to be a fair trade for Pinky, but it was the best chance Brain had to etch out a victory. He was going for it.

“Park for Baltic so we can finally build some residences,” Brain said, sliding the card over to Pinky.

And to his surprise, Pinky jumped at the opportunity. “Sure, Brain! If you’ll trade me Oriental for Marvin Gardens. We’re gonna open a Chinatown district!”

He’d be giving Pinky control of the first quarter of the board, but the allure of the most expensive properties was far too tempting to pass up.

They swapped properties, then paused the game to set up their houses. Brain didn’t have enough money to buy houses for all his properties, so he set two houses on Boardwalk and hoped he could deal a staggering blow to Pinky’s finances. And even this decision was costly, for he only had $180 left.

Pinky set four houses on Baltic and clapped his hands together. “They’re beach houses,” he explained, and didn’t bother putting houses on the rest of his properties even though he could afford it.

Brain kept his mouth shut. Best not to give Pinky ideas. So he rolled the dice and got doubles.

Luxury Tax.

Scrik.

Now he was down to $105. But he’d pass Go on his next turn, so he could obtain an extra two hundred and hopefully skip this portion of the board.

Then he landed on Baltic.

He slowly looked at Pinky, and Brain couldn’t tell if Pinky was being perfectly innocent or just very, very good at pretending to be perfectly innocent. “That’ll be $320 please,” Pinky said.

Including the two hundred from passing Go, he’d only have a grand total of $305.

And according to the conditions he’d set, he’d lost the game through losing all his money.

“Can’t pay it,” Brain sighed. “Congratulations, Pinky. You’ve bested me.”

Pinky giggled and threw his play money in the air in celebration. “Aw, thanks for playing with me! I’ve never played Monopoly with anyone before. Never been able to get the board to Pharfignewton’s stable without the play money flying all over the street. It took me a long time to pick it all up. We should definitely do this again, Brain! Troz!”

But there wouldn’t be a next time. No matter how much he wanted to be victorious in another match against Pinky.

“Yes, we should,” Brain forced out, willing his racing heart to calm down so he wasn’t caught in his lie.

Pinky beamed, and Brain only wished it wasn’t so difficult to explain.

o-o-o-o-o

Terran Date 4.29.2015

Tonight, we shall seek appropriate outfits for the masquerade ball. I have been informed that my jumpsuit is not considered formal attire and that we will need to shop for proper clothing. However, I will be bringing my jumpsuit along since I will not return to the lab, and I require my conquering outfit to carry out our plans.

Pinky knows a place that may contain what we need. He’s spent the last two hours finishing his hat for the Kentucky Derby and has proudly shown off the finished product to me. Though I’ll admit that the result can only be considered a hat if one is generous with their definition.

I have not been able to contact Snowball. I can only assume he’s making the necessary preparations on his end.

Signing off for now,

The Brain

o-o-o-o-o

They stood in front of an enormous building with bright neon letters, impossible to miss even with his direction-challenged companion. Thankfully, it was only a few blocks from the lab. After the scientists strapped him to a machine that tested centrifugal force, he didn’t have the energy to walk much further.

“Welcome to Toyz ‘B’ We, Brain!” Pinky exclaimed, and Brain cringed at the horrendous grammar of that name. “It's the most wonderfulest toy shop ever!”

Wonderfulest wasn’t a word, but Brain was given no time to inform Pinky of that fact before Pinky dragged him to the entrance, where a large, cartoonish statue of a Terran bee stood off to the side, greeting customers with a cheerful wave of her magic wand.

“So that’s the mascot, Becky Bee,...let’s see, those are the shopping carts and the baskets and those machines that give you washable tattoos-”

“Focus on the clothing, Pinky. Not all the extraneous material,” Brain reminded him as they entered the store. Unlike their disastrous mall trip, Brain had brought along a source of money, an ACME credit card one of the scientists had carelessly left at their desk after purchasing a chair online.

They had a right to use the card as ACME employees who never got paid for their hard labor in experiments. And he promised Pinky he’d give it back once they were through purchasing the necessary items, so it didn’t catch on that pesky ‘no stealing’ radar.

Based on Pinky’s descriptions of the store, he expected an interior full of wonder, excitement, and interesting objects designed for enjoyment for young Terrans.

Instead, everything was a sterile white, yellow, or black. Rectangular kits of building blocks of all shapes and sizes sat neatly in a row, their price tags dusty as if they hadn’t been moved or cleaned in some time.

Dozens of bee models hung from the ceiling rafters, all of them sharing the exact same dead stare and pose. The whole setup was rather unnerving, and Brain averted his eyes.

He spotted two workers at the registers. They scrolled through their phones, not noticing Pinky’s cheerful greeting as he skipped past them. A third worker called out in alarm to them, and they suddenly dropped their phones and picked up rags, repetitively wiping their counters in circles in a poor attempt to appear busy.

The only one who acted like they were in a store meant for entertainment was Pinky, who oohed and ahhed and zigzagged all over the place to get a look at all the toys.

“Brain, look at this Barbie convertible! It’s so sparkly!” Pinky exclaimed before darting off to admire the box art on five-hundred piece jigsaw puzzles, then crawled onto the lowest shelf to hug a life-sized chihuahua plushie. “Narf! This one’s a cutie! And I also like the polka-dotted lizard, that green unicorn, and that rainbow koala looks really soft too-”

Brain grabbed Pinky’s tail, yanking him out of the shelf and onto the floor.

“This store’s already eroding whatever’s left of your mind,” Brain said, dragging Pinky away from the stuffed animals.

Pinky propped himself up on his elbows, humming as they passed aisle upon aisle of action figures, balls, and building blocks.

It was strange how they seemed to be the only customers here. Shouldn’t there be more snot-nosed brats running amok or haggard parents corralling them so they didn’t destroy everything with their grubby hands?

Still, perhaps he shouldn’t complain.

It was a relief that he didn’t have to worry about people trampling him underfoot for now.

But the peace didn’t last long, since Pinky suddenly peeled away in a completely different direction, forgetting that Brain was hanging onto his tail. Though he tried to dig his heels in, Pinky was too fast and the floor too slippery for Brain to bring them to a halt.

Then Pinky stopped on his own, and Brain only caught a glimpse of a metallic table leg before he crashed face-first into it, his nose smarting from the impact.

“Sorry, Brain,” Pinky said sheepishly, and there were five upside-down images of him. Brain swatted at the one in the middle, but his hand hit empty air instead. He shook his head to clear his vision, and all but the Pinky on the far left vanished.

Pinky didn’t stay put for long, darting past Brain. He hauled himself up the table leg and onto a light blue tablecloth. “You have to come up and see this, Brain!” Pinky squealed, peering over the edge of the table, his tail wagging beside him. “There’s an entire fence made of Legos here!”

Brain sighed, wondering if it was an exercise in futility to get Pinky to focus on the task at hand. “This is the last time I’ll repeat myself!” Brain shouted as he climbed up to retrieve Pinky. “We’re here for the clothes and-”

Though Brain only took fifteen seconds to ascend, Pinky managed to don a cropped, checkered top that showed off his slender stomach and a very short blue skirt in that short timeframe.

“Well, what do you think?” Pinky giggled and twirled in circles, the skirt flying in a graceful arc around his waist. “I could go square dancin’ in this, pardner! Yee-narf!”

Realizing he’d been staring at Pinky’s exposed stomach rather than making proper eye contact, Brain quickly turned away and pretended to find a row of small toy cars interesting. Next to the toy cars, there was a menagerie of small, plastic animals penned in by a colorful fence.

Part of a garden themed jigsaw puzzle served as a lawn under his feet, the pieces leading up to an enormous pink dollhouse.

Pinky took off the clothes he’d tried on, neatly threading a bent wire through the crop top and skirt and hanging them on a piece of string that served as a makeshift clothesline. There were five different clotheslines, each stocked to the brim with a variety of colorful articles.

Brain thumbed through the selection, though he didn’t feel an attachment to any of these pieces. While these clothes were designed for toys, most of them were still too big for him.

Finding something that would fit would be more difficult than he realized.

There was a large empty space past all the clotheslines, but it seemed it would be filled in soon enough. The display had all the signs of being a work in progress, and Brain couldn’t help but wonder who had the patience to put all this together. Certainly not the bored workers at the registers.

It was a welcome splash of creativity from the rest of the dull store.

“Poit. This is exactly how I imagined my dream home to be,” Pinky said in awe. He walked up to the front door and popped it open, revealing a spacious interior. Brain followed Pinky inside and they explored the first floor together, which contained a kitchen, living room, and a playroom.

“I really like the coloring on those kitchen cabinets, and the fireplace is a great touch! Very retro. And the kiddies will have a grand ol’ time in the playroom,” Pinky said as they climbed the staircase to the second floor and walked through two bedrooms and a bathroom.

“Marble countertops would make the kitchen and bathroom more refined,” Brain argued. Really, did Pinky want any visitors to think uncivilized brutes owned the house? “But the fireplace is a welcome touch.”

Pinky shrugged as they entered the master bedroom. “It’s fine as is. Now if the backyard was bigger with a dolphin-shaped swimming pool, that would be really, really amazing!”

And Brain preferred marble countertops, but since he wouldn’t be getting everything he wanted, neither would Pinky.

Brain sat on the large bed that took up half the room, the fluffy covers soft and welcoming. But they were on a mission, and future world rulers didn’t roll around on beds in an undignified manner, no matter how tempting it was.

Pinky threw open the closet doors, revealing more clothing inside. “Oh, these pajamas are lovely!” he said, pressing a yellow nightgown close to his body.

“Anything that would suit our purposes?” Brain asked. In hindsight, doing some research into what people wore for masquerade balls would’ve been helpful. He didn’t know why it slipped his mind. Perhaps Pinky’s scatterbrained traits were contagious.

“Hmmm, it’s all pajamas and casual wear,” Pinky said, flicking through the different articles. He closed the doors and reopened them, as if the formal wear would magically appear if they were out of sight. “No suits for you or the porpoises, Brain.” And he’d been so hopeful too.

“Maybe we can find something in the aisles,” Pinky said.

A sensible suggestion, for once.

Brain tried not to appear reluctant to leave the bed, but necessity demanded it. As he stood up, the fur on his neck pricked, his ears twitching towards the large window in the bedroom.

An odd sense that he was being watched came over him, and when he turned to look at the window, he saw a Terran’s eye peering into the balcony.

They stared at each other.

Then the eye blinked.

And Brain was suddenly very, very glad Snowball wasn’t here to bear witness, or he’d never hear the end of how he’d leapt onto Pinky’s back in his moment of panic.

Pinky yelped, and so did the Terran outside the window. There were several loud thuds, followed by a frantic apology.

Brain released Pinky, rubbing his face to get rid of the blush as he ran down the staircase and out the front door.

“S-sorry!” a young woman stammered as she bent down to pick up several packages of toys, only to lose her large glasses on the floor in the process. She wore the standard uniform of the store. “I didn’t think anyone would be inside! I thought one of the furniture pieces fell over, that’s all!”

Pinky hopped down from the table, picking up the woman’s glasses and pressing them into her hand. “It’s okay!” he chirped. “You scared us good, but now we can laugh about it! Oh, your name tag says Sharon! What a lovely name! I’m Pinky, that chubby alien up there is Brain, and we’re going to a party this weekend where we’ll raise awareness for the plight of frosted animal crackers!”

“That’s not the event’s objective,” Brain corrected, and he had no choice but to let Pinky come to his own conclusions. Stealing the secret weapon on Lamont property would remain classified information as promised. “And if you call me chubby again, I shall have to hurt you.”

Sharon took her glasses from Pinky with a tentative smile, then let him climb up her arm and onto her shoulder. “Zort! You have very good taste in Polly Pocket dolls!” Pinky said, peering down at the packages in her hands. “Do you collect?”

Sharon blushed. “I, um, have a lot of Beanie Babies at home. I’m not really interested in Polly Pockets, but they’d fit much better in this display than a standard Barbie.” She glanced at Brain. “I’m sorry, could you please move? I’m putting a few things in that area.”

Brain moved out of the way as Sharon carefully opened the packages. Then she placed several small tables and chairs in the empty space next to the clotheslines, bending the dolls’ legs into sitting positions and placing them on the chairs. She worked slowly and diligently, taking great caution to not knock anything over or break the items.

“Did you make all this?” Pinky asked. “It’s amazing!”

“Y-yeah, I did. The display, I mean. Not the toys.” Sharon didn’t look at Pinky as she straightened one of the Lego fences. “Store’s been on the decline, and because there’s not really much to do, I’m trying to create a few displays to generate some interest. The toys in this one were supposed to be thrown away since nobody’s buying them, even on clearance, but it just seemed so wasteful.”

She was resourceful. It was a valuable trait, but she seemed more embarrassed than anything.

“Take pride, Sharon. It’s an excellent use of parts,” Brain advised.

Pinky nodded eagerly. “And you’re saving the toys from the evil furnace! I’m sure they’re very grateful to you when you’re not looking!”

“You...you really like it?” Sharon lifted her glasses and wiped a tear from her eye. “Nobody’s ever really noticed my efforts around here.”

“Well, they should!” Pinky declared. “I’ll tell them so myself!”

Sharon smiled as Pinky hugged her face, then rejoined Brain on the table. “Thanks, but I don’t think you came to this store just to invade a toy home.”

“No, we didn’t,” Brain said, seeing his opportunity and seizing it. “We require formal clothes for a masquerade ball, and unfortunately, we haven’t seen anything of interest yet.”

“There’s plenty of interesting things in here, Brain,” Pinky said. “Like the busybody bees up on the ceiling!”

Apparently they had two very different definitions of interesting.

“Well, I can bring out some items from the back,” Sharon offered. “We had to pull the entire line of formal Zuma Ben accessories last week. Some parents found the outfits a little scandalous for their kids, so now the accessories are just going in the trash. But maybe you’ll find something to wear from the pile. Be right back, guys!” She walked away, her steps growing slightly more confident.

“Real Zuma Ben accessories?” Pinky clasped his hands to his cheek. “I’ve never worn anything like that before!”

“It’s just a name,” Brain said. He didn’t see why Pinky was treating Zuma Ben’s name like a sacred object. “As long as we’re dressed to impress, the name doesn’t matter.”

“I just think they’re pretty,” Pinky replied. “And I like looking at them, even if I can’t buy anything. Still, I’m really happy with the clothes I have now.”

But Pinky had a sizable wardrobe. Those clothes had to come from somewhere.

“So how did you obtain your clothes if you never bought them?” Brain asked.

Pinky smiled. “The scientists. They’ll drop clothes into my cage, which is really nice of them! One time, I put on this pretty sundress they gave me and I started itching really bad. I was jumping around like a tiny monkey and I managed to make them all laugh! I must’ve been quite the sight!”  

Pinky laughed at the memory, but Brain was more disturbed at how the blatant act of humiliation didn’t affect him in the slightest. Then the laugh faltered and restarted at a higher pitch.

No, that initial assessment was wrong. True, Pinky could withstand many things, but not even the most resilient being could tolerate the sound of mockery for long.

Should he say something? Was an ‘I’m sorry’ sufficient? Was there any act of comfort that didn’t involve unnecessary physical contact?

Brain wanted to be decisive, but dozens of scenarios played out in his head, and none of them led to a satisfactory outcome. Tell Pinky to cease his laughter, embrace him, talk about the weather. He didn’t know.

Emotions led to nothing but trouble.

“Quit staring,” Brain snapped when Pinky wouldn’t stop watching him like he wanted something.

Pinky’s ears fell, but Sharon came back before the pang of guilt could fully settle in Brain’s stomach.

“Thanks for waiting, guys,” Sharon said as she dumped the accessory packages onto the table. “See anything you like?”

“All of them!” Pinky declared, happily tossing a three-pack of formal dresses into the air. He tried tearing it open, but the packaging wouldn’t give. Sharon helpfully tore it open for him, and Pinky made a happy, grateful sound before pulling a sparkly purple dress over his body. He twirled around. “So how do I look?”

“Lovely,” Sharon giggled as she pulled out her phone. She set it against the Lego fence, allowing Pinky to see himself in the camera app.

“I’ll put this as a maybe,” Pinky said. “But I have to give all the dresses a chance too!”

He tried four other dresses on in quick succession, and all of them went into the maybe pile.

Meanwhile, Brain searched through his choices of men’s formal wear. He wanted the best possible option for successful infiltration, but he didn’t know much about Terran fashion. His nose wrinkled at a powdered blue suit with far too many ruffles. He was fairly certain that wouldn’t garner respect on any planet, so he pushed the offending pack away from his other options.

The pure white suit would get stained too easily. He needed something darker. That one was out.

“Hey Brain, what about this one?” Pinky asked. He now wore a long sleeved lime green dress, which Brain found extremely tacky and unappealing to the eyes. Not even Pinky could salvage that monstrosity. Yet in Pinky’s hands, there was a black suit with a white shirt underneath. Not extravagant by any means, but since the coloration was similar to his conquering attire, it was the most probable choice by far.

But while Pinky was comfortable with changing in front of others, Brain wasn’t so keen on the idea.

“I require privacy,” Brain said. He took the suit from Pinky and went inside the house, shutting the door behind him and ensuring the shutters were closed.

Then he removed his gloves and jumpsuit, shivering from the cold air as he laid the items over a chair. He put on the new set of pants first, then the white collared shirt, and finally buttoned the jacket over his abdomen.

Well, it was comfortable. And it hid most of his stomach too, which was also a positive. But he needed to see how it looked in the light before making a judgment call, so he rejoined Pinky and Sharon, who were playing with different filters on her phone while Pinky wore a magnificent feathery pink dress.

“Now you really look like a flamingo,” Sharon laughed as Pinky changed the filter to sepia, the image now different shades of tan. Pinky blew a kiss to the camera. “This one’s my favorite so far,” Pinky declared with a graceful curtsey.

And the sleeveless feathery dress did seem to match his personality much better than all the other dresses. Flamboyant and quirky, but inviting and friendly as well. A darker pink feather boa was draped over his shoulders, and purple feathers fanned out from the back of his neck. A light green choker was wrapped around his neck. Then Pinky added a matching headband with a light pink tuft to complete the ensemble.

“That will certainly make an excellent first impression on the partygoers,” Brain said.

Pinky changed the phone filter back to normal with one hand, playing with the feather boa in his other. “Egad, you really think so?” he exclaimed. “Hold on a sec, Brain. Where’s the rest of your outfit?”

“Rest of?” Brain echoed. “This doesn’t require anything else.”

Pinky shook his head and dug a red bow and matching sash out of the clothes pile. “You need a few splashes of color, Brain! Or you’ll just end up a sad wilty wallflower!”

“They’d really match your circles,” Sharon added.

Well, he’d always looked good in red. It was a bold, attention-grabbing color.

Brain draped the sash over his shoulder and fastened the bow around his ear, checking himself over in Sharon’s phone. Then Pinky and Sharon started giggling for some odd reason.

“What?” Brain asked. He was presentable at a formal event now, wasn’t he?

“You’re kinda wearing it wrong,” Sharon admitted.

His ears flattened from embarrassment. Selenians typically wore practical jumpsuits with minimal accessories, and none of their databanks ever mentioned Terran outfits. They must’ve found it unimportant.  

“Don’t worry, Brain. It’s an easy fix! May I?” Pinky exclaimed.

Brain nodded his permission, and Pinky removed the bow from Brain’s ear and carefully fastened it underneath his collar, taking great care to not pull the bow too tightly around his neck.

“So this isn’t a sash. It’s a cummerbund and you wear it around your stomach,” Pinky explained as he demonstrated the proper way to wear it. It was relieving to know Terrans made accessories that would hide the slight bulge, and Brain donned the cummerbund correctly.

The accessories really did match his orbs. For the first time, he was dressed to the nines and it was a glorious feeling indeed.

“Aw, you’re both so spiffy!” Sharon exclaimed. “Mind if I put a photo of this on the Twitter page to boost some interest?”

“We’ll return the favor,” Brain said. She deserved some reward for helping them out anyway.

Sharon turned her phone around, ready to snap the picture when Pinky suddenly darted out of frame. “Hold on! Narf!” he cried, shoving a small blue butterfly-themed mask into Brain’s hands and flipping a pink feathery mask over his face. “It’s a masquerade ball, you know!”

While Brain’s mask only covered the area around his eyes, Pinky’s face was mostly hidden by his birdlike mask, leaving only his bright blue eyes exposed.

“Doesn’t that tickle?” Brain inquired as Pinky stretched his boa out for a picture.

Pinky shrugged. “A little. But I don’t mind!”

“Smile for the camera, you guys!” Sharon grinned.

Brain didn’t smile, but he stood in front of the toy house while Sharon snapped pictures and Pinky struck a different pose with every shot.

Pinky’s laughter rang joyously in Brain’s ears.

He would leave that sound behind in just a few days. But it was a small price to pay for the world.

End AN: Maybe this chapter is a little disjointed, but oh well. Sharon is based off the toy store worker who helps the mice in Brain’s Night Off. 

I tried to do the math for the Monopoly game and even pulled out my Monopoly property cards so I could get the amounts correct, but if anything is inaccurate I am hereby excused from responsibility because I am a writer and not a mathematician. Yes i use that excuse every time but it’s true. 

Time had no meaning in total darkness. It could've been less than an hour, or the entire night had passed already. 

It wasn't complete sensory deprivation like the horrible experiments he'd endured at Eclipse Lab when he was younger. The restraints chafed around his waist and ankles, constricting his circulation with each shaky breath he took. 

Imagine that. A future world ruler reduced to bellycrawling like a common Terran worm. The only consolation was that his identity was still unknown to the rest of the world. And if nobody knew who he was, then they couldn't mock him for this humiliation.

The walls were soundproofed, so Brain had no idea what Snowball was doing. They were probably at the Embassy by now, the first phase of Snowball’s plan set into motion.

Left in the dark, practically rendered blind and deaf…he’d left New Selene to escape the horrors of a lonely, abandoned lab. 

And the one he’d called a friend, who’d been through the same terrifying ordeals of capture, experimentation, and being forgotten, was also the one who’d put him right back into that situation. 

Like he’d never left New Selene at all. 

His face was wet, but he couldn’t wipe his own tears away. His hands were tightly bound by his restraints. Perhaps it was a good thing that it was so dark after all. Nobody would see him cry. 

All he could do was wait. 

Wait for Snowball to drag him out when it was convenient and leave him at the mercy of the Terrans.

He curled up as best he could, trying to resign himself to his fate…then he heard movement somewhere above him. 

Then the tap-tap-tap sounds stopped, and Brain jolted when someone or something let out a high-pitched scream and landed on the floor with a loud crash. 

“No,” someone whimpered, so quiet that Brain wasn’t sure if it was the beginning of an auditory hallucination. 

That voice… 

“Poit. I...I’m sorry, Brain,” that all too familiar voice whispered. “I j-just wanted to tell you…t-tell you…” 

In the darkness, he could vaguely make out a small outline shifting around. 

Tell me what? 

The orbs on his antennae started to glow, providing just enough pinkish-red light so Brain could see a pair of exhausted blue eyes shining through the darkness. 

“Pinky?” 

"Poit…I-I finally found you, Brain." Pinky's voice was barely audible, and Brain had to strain his ears just to listen. 

Was this the same mouse he'd left behind? 

Pinky wasn't in a good state right now. Even with minimal lighting, Brain could see the exhaustion written all over Pinky's face. 

He still wore the flamboyant flamingo dress from the party, but the colorful feathers clung limply to his lanky frame. His feather boa and mask were gone. 

Pinky’s ears and tail were drooping, his tail looking more like dead weight than an appendage. He breathed rapidly, almost hyperventilating, like he couldn’t get enough oxygen.

A chill passed through Brain as ice-cold hands wrapped around his shoulders and helped him sit up. He gasped, wriggling around until Pinky released him. Brain’s teeth chattered, the cold still seeping in. 

That was strange. Pinky hadn’t felt like that when they’d danced together, just hours earlier. Maybe it was a side effect of being outside at night? 

But…that didn't explain why Pinky's fur was frosted over, sticking up in icicle-like spikes on his shoulders and arms. 

And when the light from his antennae illuminated Pinky's fingers, Brain noticed the tips were a pale white. 

"Pinky…" Brain breathed. "What happened to you?" 

"I-I came to warn you about Snowball!" Pinky wailed, and for once Brain was glad the walls were soundproofed so that he didn't attract Snowball's attention. "He's…he's just using you, Brain! He's nothing but a bigheaded meany!"

Brain sighed and looked away. "Don't tell me information I already know, Pinky. Though your insults are rather juvenile." 

Pinky just tilted his head, looking a little more confused than usual. 

“Snowball locked me in here,” Brain whispered, his ears falling as the admission slipped out. “He…he never wanted to rule with me in the first place. I was…foolish enough to believe otherwise. That the hardships we endured together meant something to him. What an enormous lie that turned out to be.” 

He chuckled bitterly. 

Pinky was quiet as he listened, save for a single wave of his hand that Brain interpreted as an encouraging ‘keep going’. 

Brain’s hands trembled behind his back. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t stem the tears that trickled down his face. At least nobody except Pinky would hear him. 

It was humiliating.

“That scrik was plotting his betrayal before we left that stupid rock!” Brain spat, the light from his antennae flaring up with fury. “He changed the original blueprint for the Conquistador without consulting me! So that he could blame the crashlanding on an accidental malfunction without any suspicion that he intended to strand me on Terra and commandeer the ship himself! And…and what’s worse! I fell for it, Pinky! I fell for every stinking word that came out of his mouth!” 

He was the Brain. He prided himself on his keen, intellectual mind. He was a genius through and through. 

So how did he never suspect Snowball’s machinations from the very start?

He wasn’t gullible. He wasn’t a fool. 

Maybe he had some doubts about Snowball, especially during that terrifying period where he was stranded in a strange Terran lab with an even stranger Terran mouse until Snowball suddenly came back for the tea party, but even so…

He’d still trusted Snowball at that point. 

“I trusted him! I can’t believe I trusted him!” Brain shouted. 

How could he have been so incredibly naive? 

Thoughts raced wildly through Brain’s head, and he was unable to grasp any of them for long. They were all just enormous what-if’s and why’s and repeating synonyms of stupid stupid stupid. 

With shaking hands, Pinky reached out and gently cupped one of Brain’s orb lights. Though it was a soft touch and not a rough snatch, it caught Brain off-guard. 

Surely, it was just another ploy to expose his vulnerability and hurt him even more. Like the universe hadn’t ripped everything away from him already. 

“You and Snowball were childhood friends,” Pinky said softly. “I think…it’s only natural that you’d trust him. I don’t think it’s stupid.” 

Yes, it is, Brain wanted to refute. 

He didn't know if he could ever trust again. How could he? 

But as Pinky's chilled fingers gently played with Brain's lights, he found that he couldn't quite lock it all away, no matter how much he wanted to. 

Part of him, just a tiny, miniscule part of him, wanted to trust Pinky. 

It was illogical, he knew. 

"It's so warm and glowy, Brain!" Pinky giggled. How he could laugh in his clearly hypothermic state was a mystery. 

Brain was about to reclaim his antenna from Pinky when he noticed that Pinky's fingers seemed to be gaining more color at the tips. 

And there was a strange flow of energy too. Normally, electrons passively flowed from another entity to Brain. But this time, it felt like the very opposite. 

He thought that an outward flow of electrons would've drained his energy, but…

Instead it felt as though a chemical bond was forming, when two separate elements shared their electrons with each other. 

And two members of his species only touched antennae when…

No. No. That was ridiculous. He couldn't possibly.  

Perhaps a change of subject was in order. 

"That's enough, Pinky," Brain said. Carefully, he took Pinky's wrists and pulled them off his antennae, though he grudgingly let them remain near his orbs. Pinky looked like he needed all the warmth he could get. "You still haven't told me why you look like you've been stranded on a subzero planet." 

The frost crawled up to Pinky’s face as he looked away from Brain, chewing his lip while he tried to think of a response. What little light they had slowed down the spread, but not stop it entirely. 

“I think it started when Snowball kinda side-hugged me and dug his claws in too hard?” Pinky rubbed his shoulder, wincing at its stiffness. “This was after you…left. He hung back for a minute to talk to me. And…and he said he didn’t consider you a friend, and he didn’t care about anything else except ruling the world!” 

There was no reason to go after Pinky, yet Snowball had done so anyway. It was a petty, senseless action, and Pinky was suffering for it. Brain gritted his teeth, cursing his helplessness and complicity in Snowball’s plan anyway.  

Brain wasn’t surprised about Snowball forsaking their friendship in favor of the world, but…

Pinky’s matter-of-fact tone on the words ‘you left’ weren’t accusatory, just blunt. But it was the truth. And it hurt all the same. 

“Brain, how come you never said goodbye?” Pinky sniffed, wiping his eyes as frozen tears leaked down his cheeks. “You barely looked at me! If you didn’t want to be friends anymore, you could’ve just said so!” 

Pinky’s voice rose into a heartwrenching wail, and if Brain hadn’t known for a fact that the walls were soundproofed, he might’ve actually worried about Snowball trying to investigate where the noise came from. 

He should’ve said something to Pinky before leaving. Even just a simple ‘thank you’ might’ve sufficed. 

So how could he be so shortsighted to assume that Pinky wouldn’t be hurt by his departure? 

Pinky had rescued him from the crash site after Snowball deliberately separated the ship. Patched up his injuries and offered him somewhere to stay though he barely knew Brain. The only one who listened to Brain’s broadcasts, though thousands of miles of dark, empty space separated them. Who introduced him to the wonders of cream cheese and listened to his stories. 

Pinky was clingy and overemotional, never thinking before he acted. Sometimes Brain wondered if he’d been dropped on his head as a baby, it would’ve explained a lot. He said weird things and had tea parties with inanimate objects. 

But for all his oddities and strange behaviors, Pinky was kindhearted and generous, doing so much for so little in return. He’d been a true friend when Brain hadn’t, forgoing his anger and hurt just to warn Brain, managing to get into an otherwise impenetrable holding cell despite his debilitating condition. 

And Brain had thrown all that away in favor of someone who didn’t care about him all. Just for a taste of power, admiration, and recognition, ridding himself of all who obstructed his path to glory.  

Just a few hours earlier, Brain had stood upon a ramp. Listening to Pinky plead with him to not go through with the plan, to ask why he was being abandoned on what should’ve been the most wonderful night of his life. 

The whimpers and trembles in Pinky’s voice. The sounds of Brain’s own footsteps hitting metal as he boarded the ship. The brief yet horrible silence that accompanied as he took in the modifications Snowball had made in his absence. 

The hours he’d spent without Pinky by his side marked the longest night Brain had ever experienced in his short, insignificant life. 

He missed Pinky’s smile. He missed the eagerness in Pinky’s voice when he introduced Brain to Terran foods and fashion, and the curiosity whenever he asked about Selenian culture. The patient encouragement when Brain had encountered something he’d never experienced before, the thrill of a fast-paced dance. 

Pinky’s companionship in general. 

And suddenly, the mystery was solved. Just like that. Of why he hadn’t been able to say goodbye. 

“Pinky?” Brain said, his voice barely above a whisper. His next words were only for Pinky’s ears. “The real reason I didn’t say anything before departing was…it was, um-” 

The words caught in his throat. 

Pinky gently cupped Brain’s antennae once again, a silent encouragement to say what he needed to say. 

“...I never wanted to say goodbye.” 

The confession tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

Pinky's blue eyes widened, his mouth falling open in surprise. Brain blushed, wishing he could cover his face in his hands. 

Without fail, Pinky always softened him to mush. No wonder Snowball always equated these feelings to weakness. 

Like his stomach had inverted itself, while his heart was trapped somewhere in his trachea. His brilliant mind lost all semblance of rational thought around Pinky. 

Well, he couldn't stop thinking about Pinky even when he wasn't around. It was aggravating when he tried to focus on world domination but couldn't because of something Pinky said or did. 

Warm hands enveloped Brain's cheeks, a pair of sky-blue eyes twinkling gently in the dim light. 

"I didn't wanna say goodbye either," Pinky admitted. "I mean, first Pharfig left to pursue her own dreams, then you…and, I guess I didn't handle it real well. I'm sorry. But…but I'm okay now! Zort!" 

He stiffened as Brain glared at him. 

"No one is 'okay' that fast, Pinky. Not even you. And I'm not in the mood for more lies tonight, so cease," Brain ordered. Someone he'd once called a friend had spoken enough falsehoods already. He didn't want to hear anymore. Pinky seemed to realize this too, and he wrung his icicle-laden tail nervously. Upon seeing this sorrowful action, Brain took pity on him and tried to soften his tone. "But…I realize you weren't acting with malicious intent." 

Pinky released his tail, staring down at his hands as the pale white tint overtook them once again. Whatever relief Brain could provide was only temporary. 

“Sorry, Brain,” Pinky whispered, his entire body trembling from the chill that ailed him. “P-p-poit. I didn’t wanna say goodbye either. It’s just…well, you and Pharfignewton have these huge dreams and work really hard to make them come true. And then there’s me…I don’t have anything grand like yours. I only get left behind in the end.” 

Brain had thought Pinky had been extremely clingy as they counted down the days to the ball at Lamont Manor. It had aggravated him so much back then. He thought he’d been upfront about leaving with Snowball once he’d found him, simply using the primitive lab as shelter in a strange world. 

But now the clinginess made sense. 

Pinky just didn’t want to be alone. Deep down, he must’ve known that his inanimate object friends were just inanimate, and were a poor imitation of living, breathing entities. 

That feeling of abandonment, constantly having everything ripped from you without any explanation, Brain knew it all too well. 

First, the scientists had left them behind to rot on a destitute colony. And now Snowball had proven that he was willing to let Brain flounder on an unfamiliar planet for the sake of his own ambitions. 

Was he really any better than them, abandoning Pinky just for a shot at ruling Terra? 

 "...I'm sorry," Brain murmured. 

Pinky offered him a shaky smile as he drew Brain into a hug. It was surprising just how much he was willing to forgive. 

Brain shivered against Pinky's body, for reasons he'd rather attribute to the cold. His restraints made it impossible to escape the embrace, so he begrudgingly resigned himself to this fate. 

It wasn't as cruel a fate as it could be. 

If only Pinky's heartbeat wasn't so slow, so muffled, so much weaker than it should've been. 

Yet there was an inner warmth here, a tiny flame that still burned strongly underneath the ice. 

Brain couldn't ponder the dilemma for long though. The icicle-like fur pricked him, a bit of frosty white residue clinging to his suit. 

He extracted himself from the embrace, trying to avoid Pinky's pleading gaze. He clearly wanted the moment to last longer, but alas, there was only so much Brain could tolerate. 

For a few minutes, there was only silence as both of them tried to get their thoughts straightened out. 

Too many distractors. 

It was time they cut straight to the heart of the matter. 

Defeating Snowball. 

It was a tall order, besting someone who'd played mind games with Brain for months without any suspicions. 

But more than that, Snowball was his best friend before Pinky. They'd faced the darkness that permeated New Selene, comforted each other after painful injections, and wrestled on the floor of their shared cage before their clashing intellectual minds drove them apart. Those wrestling sessions had often ended in sleepy huddles. 

Snowball rapid-firing seeds from his mouth at any unsuspecting scientist who got too close to his cage. A young Snowball who laughed at silly faces and relentless tickles to the stomach. Who got excited over escaping the cage for a forbidden, reckless adventure within Penumbra Lab. 

Brain couldn’t reconcile that young, innocent creature with the traitorous, uncaring Snowball of the present. 

When did the transition happen? Why didn’t he spot the corruption sooner? Maybe he could’ve stopped it if he’d known. 

His lights dimmed, then faded away, bathing them in total darkness.  

“Brain?” Pinky said softly as Brain struggled to stand with his restrained ankles. He felt Pinky’s hand snake around his back and lift him in the air until he was parallel to the ground. He sighed, having no choice but to accept this method of transportation since he couldn’t walk anyway. “It’s okay if you don’t wanna fight your friend-” 

“Former friend, Pinky,” Brain corrected, trying not to shiver as he was pressed up against Pinky. “I’ve exhausted all my options. Fighting him is the only way to stop this madness.” 

If only there was a way to escape though. The vent Pinky had used was too high. The cell was barebones, with no implements to aid them.

“Don’t worry, Brain,” Pinky said. “I know a surefire way to get us out. Open sesame!” 

Brain scoffed. There was no way saying such a ridiculous phrase would work. “How is that supposed to-” 

A loud creak cut him off, and several pieces of metal retracted in a circular pattern, revealing a hallway with neon green lights. 

“It worked!” Pinky cheered. Though he would’ve rushed out of the cell under normal circumstances, his own condition and Brain’s weight made his movements more of an awkward, fast jog.  

Brain’s mouth fell open. The cell hadn’t been locked? No security to blare the alarm about their escape? 

He couldn’t decide if Snowball was counting on the physical restraints or the emotional distress to prevent him from escaping. Or perhaps there was just an overlooked design flaw. 

But one thing was for certain. There was no way Snowball could’ve predicted Pinky’s selfless actions. 

As soon as Pinky stepped away from the opening, the metal slid back into place. 

“Hurry, Pinky,” Brain ordered. They had no time to waste. 

They were moving slower than Brain would’ve liked, a factor that was out of their hands. Now that there was light, Brain saw the true extent of Pinky’s condition. 

Pinky huffed and puffed on the way down the hall, the frost permeating his entire body. A misty cloud trailed from Pinky’s exposed fur and breath. Icicles clung to his tail, dripping water onto the floor. His hands, feet, and inner ears were a pale white instead of a healthy pink. The feathered dress, once perky and flamboyant, now clung off Pinky’s frame like it was several sizes too big for him. 

Brain’s passive ability to drain energy from other beings around him definitely wasn’t helping either. While he didn’t take enough to be detrimental to a healthy individual, it was going to be absolutely devastating for someone who looked like they were ready to drop dead from hypothermia at any moment. 

Despite all this, Pinky was determined to get to their destination. 

“I can walk,” Brain said, wriggling out of Pinky’s grip. He managed to avoid falling face-first, leaning against a wall for balance. He didn’t want Pinky overexerting himself on this walk alone. 

Well, walking was a bit of a misnomer. He couldn’t spread his feet that far, nor could he balance with his arms. His gait was more of an embarrassing half-shuffle, half-hop. 

“Your hour is up,” a voice echoed from somewhere ahead of them. The mice froze. Brain hardly dared to breathe, hoping Snowball hadn’t already caught onto their escape. But he wouldn’t be surprised if a camera had already reported it. They were hardly subtle. “Now, either surrender your authority to me, or I shall be forced to subjugate you through the might of my superior technology.” 

Brain sighed in relief. Snowball was only speaking to the Terrans, too engrossed in his plot to notice their approach. 

The hallway finally opened into the large weapons room. Brain had never intended for the Conquistador to have a weapons room, serving as a reminder of the hijacked ship. Snowball had no right to take one of Brain’s inventions and turn it into a massive tool for destruction. 

Brain paused just before the threshold. Snowball’s back was turned as he inputted commands into a control panel next to the giant cannon. 

Doubt crept over him. Snowball had the upper hand for so long. What made him think he could actually confront Snowball and come out on top? He was just going to fail like always. 

Then a hand came to rest on his shoulder. 

“I’m here too,” Pinky whispered. 

The physical and verbal reminder that he didn’t need to face Snowball alone soothed some of those worries, though it didn’t lay them all to rest.

Part of him wanted to tell Pinky to stay out of this for his own safety, but he figured Pinky would involve himself anyway regardless of what he ordered him to do. 

“Then come, Pinky,” Brain replied, squeezing that chilled hand back. 

And they crossed the threshold together. 

“Snowball,” Brain growled. 

Snowball whirled around in surprise, his pink eyes wide as he took in the sight before him. His gaze fixed on Pinky, mouth open as he tried to puzzle out how Pinky had managed to sneak into the ship under his nose, or why he wasn’t dead yet. 

“We won’t let you use that weapon, Snowball!” Pinky declared. The firm boast was undermined by a sudden coughing fit though.  

“You severely underestimated us,” Brain added, trying to balance on his bound feet. “A grave error on your part.”

Lamont Manor was out of sight, hidden by a cluster of hills and thick trees. Police helicopters circled the night sky above, shining beams of light into the forest below. 

Pinky shivered, pulling his feather boa around himself for warmth. Strange, how a spring night in May could be so cold. As he touched a bit of exposed fur on his shoulder, he felt something chilly and bristly under his fingers. 

Almost like…ice. 

Startled by the texture, he glanced at his shoulder, though he could only see part of a patch of pale blue, almost white frost coating his fur, which stuck up in tiny needle-like bristles. It didn’t cover his entire back, but Pinky got the icky feeling that it would be soon enough. 

But he couldn’t worry about that right now. 

Warning Brain about Snowball was more important. 

Would Brain even want to see him? It didn’t seem like he wanted to look at or speak to Pinky ever again. 

Pinky wasn’t sure if Brain would believe him either. The two aliens had grown up together after all. And though Pinky had heard Brain gripe about Snowball’s habits many times in the past few weeks, he could tell Brain still cared about him immensely. 

And if Brain did believe him, then he would be heartbroken. Pinky didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but…

There was no other choice.

Oh, what was he doing being all doomy-gloomy like Brain? He couldn’t stay in the woods forever. 

"Alright, Pinky. Poit. You just need a happy song…let's see, happy song, happy song, happy tune! Oh, I whistle a happy tune, and every s-single time…" 

He tried to whistle as he sang, but globs of spit just flew out of his mouth instead. He could only do one or the other. 

"The happiness in the tune, convinces me that I'm not a-a-ACHOO!" 

Pinky sniffed, wiping his nose on a nearby leaf so that he didn't get any snot on his outfit. 

He kept singing to try and keep his fears at bay while he trudged through a dirt path in the forest. The trees covered him well enough that he barely had to worry about the helicopters' light touching him. 

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally crossed the last of the forest and came across a large main road. He quickly crossed the asphalt, narrowly avoiding a speeding car. The exhaust left behind made him cough and sputter. It wasn’t doing wonders for his aching lungs or the environment, that’s for sure. 

But now he was surrounded by large office buildings, which blocked out most of the night sky. He’d never be able to spot the ship from the ground now. 

And the buildings all looked same-y, just towers of metal and glass with nothing distinguishing them other than the giant signs emblazoned on the front. This wasn’t a part of town he was familiar with, and he really hoped he didn’t get lost. 

Well, there was some cool graffiti art of a man playing basketball on the stone wall, a bright and colorful piece to a gray part of the city. 

Clutching his feather boa for comfort, Pinky continued down the sidewalk. If he just continued walking, he’d have to find something eventually. 

The city wasn’t deserted at night. Still full of life, just of a different variety. There were people lined up along street corners, waiting for entry into various bars hidden throughout the block. Loud music blared from a bar with a brick front as someone screeched the lyrics to Eye of the Tiger very loudly and very off-key. 

A karaoke night, maybe? It seemed fun. 

What he wouldn’t give to have another karaoke session with Brain. He was sure Brain would’ve been wonderful at it once he became more familiar with Earth songs. 

“Just keep walkin’,” Pinky hummed to himself. “Just keep walkin’, walkin’, and hope I don’t run into Christopher Walk…en.” 

This was the first time he’d seen the traffic lights for Harnell Street and Paulsen Road, right? Or was it the third? Maybe the eleventeenth? 

He was sure he’d seen that little pizza shop with the green and white awning several times now.

“Excuse me, have you seen a ship pass by? It’s big with a bunch of tentacles!” Pinky asked a woman wearing a short, red cocktail dress. But she continued to talk on her phone, nearly stepping on Pinky’s tail without noticing.    

He tried asking a tired and ruffled businessman who slumped on a bench in exhaustion as he waited for a late night train to come and pick him up. 

No matter how loud he shouted, people just kept walking by. They kept their heads low, coats wrapped tightly around them as they briskly continued on their way. 

Pinky's ears drooped. He'd never find the ship at this rate. 

But he couldn't give up either. 

As he shuffled past an enormous apartment complex, he heard a chorus of shouts and frantic splashing. A group of teenagers bolted past Pinky, all of them wearing swim trunks and soaking wet. 

"Lighten up, dude! We were just having fun!" A teen defiantly waved his pool noodle at a stern-faced cop who was in hot pursuit of them. 

"Breaking and entering! Trespassing! Out two hours, eight minutes, and seventeen seconds past curfew! Disturbing the peace! Running by the poolside!" the cop barked, blowing his whistle. "Is breaking at least thirty different laws your idea of fun, you hooligans?" 

But the teens had scattered in different directions, and it would be impossible to capture them all on foot. The teen with the pool noodle blew a raspberry at the cop and ran away. 

Not missing a beat, the cop whipped out his radio. His blue uniform barely had a wrinkle in it. 

"This is Officer Copper. I've chased down our suspects for Code Pool Noodle! They've scattered for now, but if my approximation is correct, and they always are, they'll converge on your location in about three minutes. Be ready to apprehend these wannabe criminals at once!" The cop shouted into his walkie-talkie. 

Though Pinky didn't feel great right now, he couldn't help but giggle at a cop who was appropriately named Copper. 

There was no response. Copper tapped his foot impatiently. Then a crackle finally sounded from his device. 

"Um…this is Officer Booker. Suspects fled on foot, I think. I, um, was a little preoccupied," Officer Booker drawled, and Pinky could've sworn he saw a vein pop on Copper's forehead.

"Preoccupied?" Copper snapped. "You were supposed to apprehend them on the corner of Harnell and Paulsen! What on earth could possibly have you preoccupied?" 

"Well, you positioned me across the street from Krispy Kreme, and you know I can't resist custard-filled donuts and coffee…um, I also bought some glazed donut holes in case you wanted any." 

Copper's hand trailed down his face in frustration. 

"Our goal is to uphold justice, not stereotypes!" Copper growled. "So you just let those punks get away?" 

"I didn't wanna spill your coffee." 

Copper's eyebrow twitched. "Fine…thank you for not spilling my coffee. Just bring the car around to my location. Copper out." 

"K. Booker out." 

Copper slid his walkie-talkie back into his belt with a sigh. “Should’ve stationed him away from any donut-selling establishments,” he muttered. Then he turned to Pinky. “As for you, little lady, it’s dangerous to be out by yourself at this hour. Especially in that outfit. I’m assuming you were at a party?” 

“I...er, I wasn’t at a party! Zort!” Pinky stammered, remembering Olivia’s warning about not letting himself be caught. “I…I like to wear pretty dresses and wander the streets at night?” 

This was bad. He thought the police were all busy at Lamont Manor, and it never occurred to him that there might’ve been cops out and about in the city as well. 

“You really think I’m buying that?” Copper asked, folding his arms and glaring down at Pinky in a you-better-tell-the-truth sort of way. 

“Zort! But I’m not selling anything,” Pinky protested. But under Copper’s withering stare, Pinky quickly looked away. He didn’t like lying, but he had to go find Brain. He didn’t want to be arrested now. “Okay…I was at a party. I just left a little early so I could meet up with a friend.” 

Copper raised an eyebrow. "Were you leaving the masquerade ball at Lamont Manor, by any chance? What friend are you trying to meet up with? Where were you on the night of November 7, 1989?" 

Pinky held up his hands, trying to placate him. "Wait, how did you know I was at a masquerade ball? Just my bestest friend who's kinda not talking to me right now but he's gotta know something important! And, um, I wasn't born yet?"

"Well, I had a hunch based off your fancy clothing and mask, but you just confirmed it for me," Copper replied. "Now, about your friend-" 

Pinky paled, because he just knew it wouldn't be difficult to make him spill the beans, the pinto, refried, kidney, and all, if Copper decided to interrogate him about Brain. 

But before Copper could ask more questions, a police car rolled up next to them. The car was a beater, with chipped paint, a broken headlight, and half its siren missing. There was an enormous dent on the passenger door, nearly caving in the metal itself. The car sputtered and smoked as it came to a stop. 

It definitely saw better days at one point. 

The driver’s window rolled down. 

“Hey,” the heavyset man behind the wheel said casually, handing over Copper’s coffee. “Your coffee’s in the cupholder. Already mixed in the cream and sugar for you.” 

Copper rubbed his temple with a sigh, but accepted the coffee gratefully. “You have got to stop making donut runs in front of the citizens, Booker. But again, thanks for the coffee.” 

“Oh, I don’t mind really,” Pinky said, unable to hide his shivering from the two cops. “I mean, who can s-say no to a good do-donut?”   

He wrapped his arms around himself and hunched over, drawing his tail around his body for any extra warmth he could possibly manage. The tip of his tail had gone from a healthy bright pink to a lighter, paler shade. 

“The lady gets it, Copper,” Booker said, though his lazy grin changed to a look of concern as he peered down at Pinky. “Hey, uh, you okay? You look kinda cold. Heat’s still working in the car if you need to warm up or anything.” 

“And you still haven’t answered all my questions,” Copper added, though his alert posture crumbled slightly under the questioning look his partner gave him. “Okay, okay. I won’t interrogate too hard.” 

Maybe hopping into a police car wasn’t the brightest action, and a voice inside his head that sounded very similar to Brain was scolding him for even considering the idea. But he couldn’t afford to freeze right now. Brain needed to know that Snowball wasn’t who he thought he was. 

Copper knelt down, and Pinky stepped onto the policeman’s offered hand. Then Copper walked around to the passenger’s side and deposited Pinky onto the long, open seat between himself and Booker.

There was a screen just above his head, separating the backseat from the front. Pinky was surprised Copper didn’t place him in the back, but maybe that was because he didn’t want to lose him. Awful hard to see through that old screen. 

“Help yourself,” Booker grunted, pushing a donut box that was resting next to him towards Pinky. Copper shrugged as he gulped down his coffee. Since he didn’t seem too interested in the donuts, Pinky figured he wouldn’t mind if he stole a donut hole or two. 

Though Pinky didn’t have much of an appetite right now, he managed to scarf down a glazed donut hole and a half. His energy had been drained ever since he escaped from Lamont Manor, but the sugary treat gave him a little spark back. 

“Hope my partner wasn’t giving you too much trouble,” Booker drawled. “He overdoes it from time to time, but he means well.”

Copper rolled his eyes. “Well, someone has to do their job properly. Everyone else in the force is too deep in Lamont’s pockets to properly keep the city safe. Partying with the rich folk, drinking, giving themselves a pat on the back for a job they never do, it’s ridiculous!” 

Booker raised an eyebrow. “Technically, we haven’t met our ticket quota tonight, so I guess we’re not really doing our jobs either.”

“Those punks were trespassing, Booker! If we didn’t do something about it, then they’d believe actions have no consequences and escalate to more heinous crimes!” Copper snapped. 

“And this is why we’re at the bottom of the police hierarchy…” Booker mumbled.

Pinky wiped his fingers on a napkin, savoring both the sweet taste that lingered on his tongue and the gentle blast of heat from the vents in front of him. The officers argued back and forth, and while Pinky didn’t understand most of their squabble, he didn’t mind listening to the banter. 

It reminded him of the conversations he and Brain used to have. 

It was tempting to stay in the car where there was heat and donuts, but he knew it couldn’t last. 

“Poit. It was really nice of you to let me rest here, but I really have to be going now,” Pinky admitted. With some difficulty, he stood up, swaying on the worn leather seat. He tried to climb over Copper’s leg, but it was taking a lot more effort than normal just to grip the fabric of his pants. 

“Now hold on, I’m not finished with you,” Copper frowned, making no effort to help Pinky out of the car. 

“But-” 

“I don’t think this one’s a criminal, Copper,” Booker cut in. “Just let-hey, what’s that frosty stuff on your arm?” 

“Frosty stuff?” Pinky echoed, glancing at his right arm. To his horror, the little icicles had completely encased his arm up to his wrist. It was cold and bristly to the touch. His other arm looked normal enough, but it wouldn’t be long before the frost claimed it too. “Um…I get cold easily?” 

Copper opened his mouth, and Pinky braced himself for a round of questions he was definitely not prepared to answer, when a loud buzzing suddenly filled the air. 

The officers and Pinky covered their ears, trying to stifle the overwhelming noise, but it sounded like an enormous swarm of wasps had surrounded their car. But there weren’t any large clouds of insects on the windows, just an odd green shimmer in the night sky. 

The buzzing gradually disappeared, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights,” Booker said. He turned on the car and drove several blocks before parking in a lot for a shopping center where they could have a clearer view.    

“Narrrrrf!” Pinky added. “They’re so pretty and glowy!”

“Northern lights? At this latitude, Booker?” Copper scoffed. “It’s obviously just air pollution. Nothing beautiful about that.”  

But the northern lights were less wavy than the ones Pinky had seen on television. The green glow was more triangular with sharp angles, and last he checked the northern lights didn't have aliens with amber fur and a jumpsuit with blue trimming. 

Pinky's heart dropped like a stone. 

"Snowball," he whispered. 

If Snowball was appearing on some kind of giant glowing screen in the sky, then this couldn't lead anywhere good. 

And where was Brain? Was he too busy with his plans to appear? Or did he just not want to risk Pinky seeing him? 

Copper glared at him incredulously. "Do you know that weird looking hamster?" 

"Well, I wouldn't say I know him. I only met him a couple times. But between you and me, he's not very nice. Poit." 

Pinky's shoulder twinged painfully at the sight of Snowball, and not in the fun fun silly-willy either. 

"Greetings, to all the inferior inhabitants of this backwater planet," Snowball smiled, but it was a humorless smile. His voice boomed across the city, drowning out all the usual nighttime sounds. "I understand the vast majority of you lack the attention span or the IQ to properly comprehend the complexity of this message, so to spare your pitiful minds I shall keep my declaration brief." 

Booker frowned. "Strangest northern lights I've ever seen." 

"For the last time, it's not the northern lights!" Copper growled. "Now shhh!" 

"I have recently acquired a rather unassuming yet powerful military weapon from a certain Mr. Joseph Lamont," Snowball continued, his smug smile never wavering. "It was nice of him to let me borrow it for a while."

Pinky wrung his tail nervously as the camera swiveled around to show the stolen laser pen, which was attached to a large cannon that extended beyond the frame. 

Snowball pushed a button on a nearby panel, and the cannon whirred to life, light gathering at its base. 

“Combined with this cannon, the laser’s power and range are magnified a hundredfold. And to give a little demonstration of its power…”  

A thundering boom rattled the sky, and a crimson laser swiftly came into view. It cut through the sky like a knife, smashing into an enormous L-shaped building that towered above the rest of its brethren. The building exploded instantly, fire and smoke rising in plumes as debris rained down on the nearby blocks. 

Copper gasped. “He deliberately targeted Lamont Tower!” 

Booker’s mouth just hung open in shock. 

Pinky stared at the destruction ahead of him. Brain was nowhere to be found in Snowball’s broadcast. Was he standing by and watching somewhere off-screen? Or was he in the dark? Was anyone hurt in the blast? Or were they all watching this event unfold from home, safe and sound? 

His tail fell limp from the cold, and he couldn’t raise it above his waist anymore. Misty clouds formed when he tried to breathe, which was getting harder to do when his chest felt so heavy. He could feel the frost creeping across his back, the little icicles pricking him when he tried to lean against the seat. 

“Not to worry though. I’m a reasonable dictator. The destruction you witnessed was only a fraction of the laser’s full power,” Snowball said casually, and the camera once again focused on him. His pink eyes glittered with malice. “My ship is currently hovering above the US Embassy as we speak. If you wish to avoid a similar fate for yourself, your city, or your country, you will persuade your diplomats and leaders to surrender all their power to me so that I, Snowball, can lead your planet into a golden age! You have one hour to decide your future. Surrender peacefully, or perish resisting. I suggest you choose wisely.” 

The glowing triangle faded from the sky, leaving behind a canopy of twinkling stars. 

"That scoundrel…" Copper growled. 

I have to get to Brain, Pinky thought, hands clenching the feathers of his dress. He doesn't know how evil Snowball is! 

"He's crazy," Booker said, popping a donut hole into his mouth. 

"Wonder what gave that away," Copper muttered. He fixed his blue cap and straightened his badge, more alert than ever. "Booker, let's hurry to Lamont Tower!" 

Booker reached for the stickshift, but a crackling noise from the car radio interrupted him. 

"Attention all units! All units report to the US Embassy at once! Be prepared to take action upon arrival! I repeat, all units report to the US Embassy immediately!" The tinny voice announced between puffs of static. 

Sirens wailed in the distance, a procession of fire trucks and ambulances passing by on the main road. 

Copper punched the button of the radio, gritting his teeth as he tensely clutched the receiver. “Chief, this is Officer Copper reporting in. We should be checking out the area around Lamont Tower, not the Embassy! There are innocents who were likely injured in the blast!”

The Chief heaved a sigh. “Officer Copper, I expect my orders to be obeyed to the letter and without question, regardless if you’re a veteran on the force or a rookie who’s barely on par with a cheap security guard.” 

“But-” 

“Lamont is upset about the loss of his assets, but he’s ordered us to prioritize the recovery of the stolen weapon instead. The fire department can handle the Tower.”  

“Then they’re not your orders, you’re just being spineless to that snake-” 

“Watch your mouth, Officer Copper. He can easily blacklist you from employment. I expect to see you at the Embassy in a few minutes.” 

The radio went silent.

Copper's fist clenched around the transceiver so hard that it was a miracle it didn't break. 

Booker sighed as he drove out of the parking lot and back onto the road. "Alright, let's go to the Tower." 

Despite the dire situation, Copper managed a smile. "You always know how I think, Booker.” 

“I think…I need to be at the Embassy,” Pinky admitted, shrinking in his seat when the officers stared at him. “I mean, I know you want to be at the Tower to help in case anyone got hurt, but if Snowball is at the Embassy, then my friend’s gotta be there too.” 

“So the friend you’re trying to see is in league with that evil hamster?” Copper frowned. 

Pinky’s ears fell. Maybe Brain was going along with the plan, or maybe he wasn’t. There were a lot of things about Brain that Pinky was just now realizing he didn’t know. 

“I know it sounds bad, but I have to see my friend,” Pinky said, looking down at his hands. “But…I understand if you need to go check out the Tower. It’s okay.” 

For a moment, there was only silence. 

Then Pinky felt a hand on his head. Instinctively, he leaned into the touch. 

“We’ll drop you off at the Embassy first,” Booker said. “Then Copper and I will help the other first responders at the Tower.” 

Copper looked like he was about to protest, but once he received an oddly stern look from the normally laidback officer, he slumped back against his chair. 

"Fine. We'll help you, though I do have at least twenty-six different questions regarding how you seem to know the evil hamster…" 

"Copper." 

Pinky was grateful that he wouldn't be questioned too heavily with Booker around. While he didn't mind answering under normal circumstances, he just wasn't feeling up to it at the moment. 

Copper grumbled, unhappy about being forced to let it go, but rested his hand against his cheek and looked out the window instead. 

The trio traveled in near silence, and the only sound was the crackling of the police radio. 

Pinky bit into another donut hole, but he could barely taste the sweet sugar on his dry tongue. 

o-o-o-o-o

The Embassy was in complete chaos. Flags of numerous countries whipped wildly on their flagpoles as a heavy wind from a hovering spaceship threatened to rip them apart thread by thread. Numerous police cars surrounded the Embassy, both officers and diplomats alike ducking behind the hoods for cover.

It was clear the police had their hands full just trying to keep the diplomats calm. Some of the officers had drawn their handguns, taking aim at the spaceship, not that bullets would do much good against the Conquistador's high tech defenses.

Towards the very back of the crowd, Lamont and the chief of police huddled together. The policeman had a golden star pinned to his chest, alongside numerous other medals. Lamont angrily gestured to the spaceship, while the chief frantically nodded and barked orders into his megaphone. 

Though his words were muffled at this distance, it was clear that whatever he said wasn't too popular with the other officers.

And at the center of it all was the Conquistador, its dark outline blending with the sky as eerie green lights ran along its metallic frame. It hovered directly above the Embassy, four of its long tentacles hooked into the walls of the building. Rubble and broken glass littered the ground as the tentacles threatened to destroy the foundation. Three more tentacles swayed in the air, ready to slam through the wall at a moment’s notice.

A large crowd of civilians were held back by the police, though several tried to slip by to record the scene on their smartphones. 

Booker parked the car behind a large department store that hid them from view, so nobody would notice the extra pair of cops driving away from the scene. 

“Make sure you stop that deviant, you hear?” Copper said as he helped Pinky out of the car. 

Pinky shivered as soon as his feet touched the grass, his tail dragging behind him. He buried his arms in his feather boa, hiding his nose in the fake feathers.  

“Good luck with your friend,” Booker added, giving Pinky a lazy salute. 

“Th-thank you so much. P-p-p-poit.” Pinky’s teeth chattered uncontrollably.

He waved goodbye as the car peeled away in the direction of the Tower, leaving a smoky cloud behind. Pinky hoped Copper and Booker would be okay. They seemed like nice people.

His breath came out in misty puffs. A breeze ruffled his icy fur, and he wrapped his arms and tail around himself as he trudged to the Embassy. It was hard to walk, but he had to keep going. 

For Brain’s sake. 

He held his tail close, dodging the crowd’s feet as he picked his way through the maze of people. He was never good at mazes, always getting lost and trapped in dead ends, unable to find the cheese that awaited him. 

But last time he’d been in a maze, it hadn’t been so scary because Brain was there to help him navigate all the confusing twists and turns. And Pinky had gotten to hear that wonderful story about the star-crossed lovers too. 

Pinky wondered what other Selenian stories were like. Would he ever get the chance to hear more?

Now the walls shifted in unpredictable patterns, never staying still for long. He’d learned not to run in willy-nilly, because that would just get him more lost. 

No, Brain had always instructed him to seek out a light source and follow it until he reached the end. Even when they had no choice to go through the darkest section of the maze, they’d created their own light source with Brain’s antennae. 

People chattered and prattled on above him, but he tried to tune them out as best as he could. Instead, he concentrated on finding a light source. 

They’re not actually gonna surrender, right? 

Hey, that evil hamster in the sky said he’d gotten the weapon from Lamont. Is that true? 

Why isn’t anyone doing anything? Somebody needs to put an end to this madness! 

Pinky shut his eyes against the onslaught of questions as they slammed into his mind, threatening to pull him away from the focus he was desperately trying to achieve. 

A CNN reporter was describing the scene live for viewers at home. Helicopter rotors whirred somewhere in the sky. Sirens blared, and someone begged Snowball to turn over the weapon and release the Embassy from his iron grip through a megaphone. 

Yet against all the noise, one voice rang clearly above the rest. 

Only concentrate on your goal, Pinky. Find your light source and follow it to the end. 

The voice sounded a lot like Brain. He was always telling him to focus and concentrate on the object thingy. 

Well, he was never going to find a light source with his eyes closed, was he? 

So he opened his eyes, and through the forest of people, he saw an open space directly in front of him, just several feet away. 

There! 

Pinky ran as fast as he could, ignoring the tightness in his throat and the ache in his side from exerting himself too much. 

Finally, he broke through the crowd, ignoring a whistle and a shout from one of the security guards telling him to stay behind the barrier. He heard frantic footsteps as someone tried to catch up to him and haul him back, but he slipped through a fence and out of their grasp. 

Now it was just a matter of getting into the Conquistador. 

"Um, beam me up, Snowball?" Pinky tried. It didn't seem to do anything though. 

Belatedly, he realized he probably shouldn't tell Snowball he was trying to sneak aboard the ship. 

Next, he tried standing directly under the belly of the ship, just to see if one of those tractor beams that kidnapped cows would magically appear and lift him into the air. 

But nothing happened. 

Pinky's tail lashed in frustration. Still though, he took a deep, shaky breath and tried to stay calm. He couldn't panic right now, no matter how much he wanted to scream and run around in circles while flailing his arms. 

Then he circled the building, craning his neck to see if there were any openings in the Conquistador. It seemed airtight at first glance, but as Pinky looked closely, he could see tiny openings in the areas the scary tentacles protruded from, illuminated by poisonous green lights. 

Those openings were his ticket in. Now he just had to get up there. 

Another tentacle was launched from the ship, the clawed end burying itself into the upper floor of the Embassy. There was a loud crunch of stone as rubble rained onto the ground below. A policeman escorted two more diplomats out of the building, all three looking rather frazzled. 

The newest tentacle was right next to a long, crooked drainpipe that had been damaged in the attack. Since it was only bent in sharp angles and not broken, it was Pinky’s best shot at getting up to the ship. 

Ignoring the ache in his limbs and tail, Pinky hurried over to the drainpipe and began his climb. The metal pressed against his fur uncomfortably, and the stabbing pain in his side worsened. Pinky cried out, but he stubbornly gripped one of the bends as a handhold and didn’t let go. 

Spots danced in his vision as he hauled himself over a particularly sharp bend, nearly slipping off when the building creaked and tilted as yet another tentacle buried itself into the foundation.

Find Brain, find Brain, find Brain, he chanted with every movement. 

And with that mantra in mind, he finally made it to the roof. He only allowed himself a few minutes of rest before beginning his ascent up the metallic tentacle. It was hard to grip at first, like trying to climb an extra hard climbing wall with only inch-wide handholds spaced far apart. 

The ship could move at any moment, or he could be spotted, or lose his balance entirely. There were a million bad things that could happen, and though Pinky tried to stay hopeful, it was just getting more and more difficult with every passing minute. 

He didn’t dare look down. Just climb and don’t think. Higher was good. It meant he was much closer to Brain. 

The tentacle was a little rougher now, so it was much easier to grasp. Still though, he had to pause every few feet. The air was thinner and colder up here, making it much harder to breathe. The wind battered his icy fur, the frost spreading to the base of his neck and his stomach. Tiny icicles pricked him as he dragged himself along his belly. 

A sharp breeze made him gasp, and he huddled against the tentacle so he didn’t slip off. But it caught his feather boa, and soon the accessory was far beyond his reach. He shivered uncontrollably, already missing the only bit of protection he had. 

But after several agonizing minutes, he finally made it all the way to one of the openings in the ship. It was too small for a human, but no trouble for a mouse to slip through. He wriggled off the tentacle and into the opening. It was dimly lit with that same eerie green light on the outside of the ship. The space was enclosed like an air vent, though Pinky assumed it was meant to store the tentacle when it wasn’t being used to destroy buildings. 

He took it a little slower to save his energy. Climbing up here had taken a lot out of him.

Unlike the other mazes, this one had no twists, dead ends, or difficult challenges to overcome. His only option was to move straight ahead. 

The vent was long, and it was getting harder and harder to see where he was going with every step. Soon he was in pitch black darkness. If he kept his arms close to his body, he couldn’t feel his way around. But if he spread them to feel for walls, then he lost body heat. 

The ship rumbled underfoot, machinery clicking and grinding as the ship slowly sank its tentacles into the Embassy. Pinky didn’t have enough strength to hold his ears up anymore, and they fell limp and loose against his neck. 

He couldn’t feel his fingers and toes, numb from climbing up cold metal for so long.

Then his next step sent him tumbling into total darkness. He screamed, though the fall was thankfully short. His nose smacked painfully against the ship floor, though the feeling passed quickly. 

“No,” Pinky whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t even backtrack and try some other route. He’d used up all the strength he had, just to wind up in some dark prison. 

With a whimper, he laid down and curled into a ball. He knew he shouldn’t stay here for long, but…

He just didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t a planner. That was all Brain. 

Stupid, silly Pinky for thinking he could do all this on his own. No wonder Brain didn’t want to say goodbye to a dummy like him. 

“Poit. I...I’m sorry, Brain,” Pinky whispered. “I j-just wanted to tell you…t-tell you…” 

Ice-cold tears trailed down his muzzle, stinging his eyes and fur. And through them, there were two blurry pinpricks of pinkish-red light just a few feet away. A pair of pink eyes stared in worry, illuminated by the dual orbs of light. 

“Pinky?” 

End AN: Yes, another King and I reference in this chapter. 

I am not ripping Pinky’s current affliction from Anna in Frozen. Haha, no way. 

Pinky’s little just keep walkin’ ditty is a shout out to one of my favorite Pixar movies, Finding Nemo. 

Officers Copper and Booker’s names and personalities are based off the two dog cops in Animal Crossing, one who is very dedicated to his job and the other who is more laidback. Personally I always liked how they played off each other in the old AC games.