A Stuffy's Tale: One Bunny's Journey in the Diaper Dimension (Chapter 17 - Complete)

[Guilend]

I was curious about how the other toys would react to Dash. I'm glad to that Hops immediate group sides with Hop. Dash is a dangerous toy for Littles, maybe even Bigs as well. I just hope his mommy will see the error of her ways before it's too late. 

[Baby Billy]

It seems to me that when they were creating the toys like Hop they put in place a part that care and comfort a little after they were regressed.  Someone must have felt this could cause problems with the toy to soft on the little so Diamond Inc. developed toys like Dash that could not feel anything for the little they were given to.  I feel that once Dash is done breaking Charles he is going to the bottom of the toy box never to be played with again.  A baby that can't talk woould not care what commands Dash had.  The problem for Hop would be that by that time it will be to late for him to help Charrie.

[LostBBoyBear]

I think Big instincts can be too powerful sometimes in the DD in the moment for them to truly be concerned about their Little. Sadly, I think Monica falls into this category as well with Charles. Dash, on the other hand, is just a machine with one goal in mind. Further steps may need to happen before it's too late.

Thanks for all the likes and comments. Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 10: Please. Oh God, Please Help Me

It was a Saturday and Dash had been with the family for over a week now. Charles and I were getting one day of reprieve from that savage gratefully, but not experiencing the effects of the regression myself, I could still see the damage that had already been done as he laid out on the blanket that Monica had kindly put out for him in the backyard.

Older models of toys wouldn’t dare go outside except on the nicest of days for fear of being trashed or ruined permanently by the elements, but my design allowed me to venture out with Charles wherever he wished, at least outside of daycare. It might mean a bath for me later at some point, but I would still come out mostly unscathed. Charles was spending a lot more time outside now. His Littlespace fluctuated tremendously between preschool level at best and maybe pre-teen or teen level, but both longed for the cool breezes and warm sunshine that the outdoors offered. I suspected that it was a last vestige of freedom Charles could still hold on to. Regardless, Dash’s damage had gone so far that Charles could no longer be considered a functional adult, even when not in his Littlespace.

Monica’s bliss in the past week over any new developments with Charles had only encouraged Dash to regress him more deeply to my frustration. Additionally, Charles always was depressed or moody when not In Littlespace, which made everyone around him saddened over his state, including Monica surprisingly enough. I only hoped the spark of her care for Charles would outshine her Big instincts to regress him more. As Dash put Monica’s instinctual desires over Charles’ prospects however, there were no barriers stopping his devastating nightly attacks now. I had tried Tuesday night, but it didn’t go so well…

*              *              *

The day had been rough on Charles. His thumb had slipped into his mouth at daycare and some of the more unregressed individuals had mocked him and called him ‘baby.’ Miss Veronica and a few other attendants had stepped in and reminded them that it would likely be them in a few months at most, but the damage had already been done to Charles’ ego, and he had slipped into Littlespace without complaint.

Charles’ right thumb was becoming a constant companion in his moments of distress, regardless of those present, but the real problem at that moment was that he had been too focused on playing and then the mockery to realize the urgency of his bowels. While was standing up to ask for an attendant’s help, they released, causing the whole room to look at him while he filled his diaper loudly. ‘Entertainment Room’ indeed.

Dash was once again meditating in the bedroom now. At daycare on Monday, Splash and I had deduced that it was him powering up his regression mechanisms internally, particularly if a pulse of that magnitude was involved. More toys had come to my side against Dash during the week and many had advised me to act against the wretched toy. Sarge even went so far as to suggest the element of surprise being paramount. So, with Dash’s eyes shut, I knew I had to act now before the pulse went out. “Dash! I’m warning you. Don’t do this!”

Dash’s eyes only peaked open. The yellow light from them briefly shone out, but he made no other movement. “Don’t do what you’re thinking, Hop. He’s just a Little. Let me do my job and move forward. I’ll be gone in two weeks tops at this point, and then you two can get your cuddle on for the next few decades.”

“No! I care too much about Charles to let you keep regressing him. His Littlespace persona may enjoy all this, but he’s otherwise miserable. Tonight is at least the fifth night in a row that he’s cried himself to sleep.”

“It’s Charley now, Hop. Accept it. All of it. You can’t stop me.”

‘Damn it. He’s right. Charley.’ After his incident today, the daycare workers had begun to call him ‘Charley.’ By the time he was picked up, everyone in the daycare was calling him that, even Georgie and Ian. Jane seemed determined not to still though. Charley had been too preoccupied by the suddenness of his earlier accident and his comforting thumb to pay any attention to when it first happened, so he never once spoke out against it. Of course, Monica had taken to the new name right away.

“No, Dash. You may be the hero in your cartoon, but you’re just a bully now. This is abuse, and anyone can see that. It’s not the way. You’re the villain here.”

Dash’s meditation stopped and his eyes flung open, emitting their sickly yellow beams across the bed. “Last chance, Hopper. This is your first and only real warning.”

“Careful… careful…” Sandy echoed from his perch above.

“No. This is for Charley. He’s who matters.” I crouched defensively.

“Very well…” Dash closed his eyes.

I was confused. ‘Did I win, and the great Dash of Alpha Force has given up?’

Dash’s eyes shot open in rage. ‘I guess not.’ He arched his back low, extending his front paws out. He growled with an unsavory low rumble and his eyes narrowed.

I readied for the impact, but I was no match for the new super toy in every way imaginable.

Within a second, he pounced. It knocked me to the ground. I countered into his exposed hind legs, but his stout tail got in my way and acted as a whip to protect that part of him. He lunged at my arm with his teeth. I dodged it, but his paw battered my face a split second after. I reeled and Dash seized his moment. A few second fight and Dash had me pinned on the ground with all four of his paws.

“Stay down fluffer,” he growled as my left long ear twitched. “Don’t even think it, but I see I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson. Make all this sink in.” Dash raised his right paw, and after a brief mechanical sound, a long pointed white claw extended from one of his toes. In an instant, he slashed and ripped the stitching under my left arm. It was surgical and precise. Nothing devastating but enough so that my stuffing was poking out in places. “Stay down and don’t do that again. This is your second warning. The third won’t be so… kind.”

I nodded my head in fear. Toys with at least a single retractable claw didn’t seem right. ‘Why would a Big ever design a toy like that? And those moves… What toy would need to have learned those?’  It was all very puzzling as he strutted away back to his seated position near the head of the bed. I clung to my ripped underarm in defeat, and I saw Sandy give me a sympathetic look. He was a good friend, but his fragile form and high-up position meant that he was only an observer between Dash and me. ‘At least he’s on my side.’ We didn’t want to talk and upset Dash anymore, so we both just nodded sadly at each other. I could be resewn, but it was obvious that Sandy would only take a light shove and be shattered on the ground below if Dash became upset at him as well.

Bruuum!

Dash let out another pulse. More damage to Charley. I had stood up for him, but the only difference in the morning would be Monica needing to fix me. I only hoped that she didn’t deem the wound worthy enough to get rid of me.

*              *              *

Monica had fixed my wounding within minutes, and I was still here, but the results from Dash letting out another pulse weren’t so easy. Charley only shrank further into the muck of Little regression. At daycare the next day, Charley had even thrown a tantrum, but it was truly hard to tell if it had been his adult ego asserting itself and fighting the regression, or if his Littlespace side was just as equally upset. The lines were even blurrier as Charley had dumped a large chunk of spaghetti on his shirt, which made him realize that now his hands, shirt, and mouth were splattered in a healthy dose of sauce after lunchtime. After calming him down and a change of clothes, a bib was placed over his new firetruck romper to prevent future accidents like that. A bib had been worn at every meal since then in his highchair, regardless of the meal or his mental status as had happened before.

Monica had even started to feed Charley the trickier items at home now. I could only guess how long it would be before his meal options were reduced further and she would take over feeding him full time. Charley’s vocabulary and pronunciation had also taken a hit in Littlespace, so him asking her to stop during those times was seeming less and less likely with each pulse Dash had let out.

Charley and I were now sunning ourselves outside today. He would read what he could or color in his books, and I would be there right by his side, enjoying his company. The conversation he had with me was one-sided, but I just appreciated that Charley was acknowledging my existence as something more than just a toy to bat back and forth.

Honestly, I think we were both just happy that Dash wasn’t around currently. After Wednesday, I had noticed Charley acting more suspicious around the super dog and seemed to drag him around only for the happiness of Monica and the other Bigs when not in Littlespace. For his part, Dash didn’t care. He only viewed it as Charley getting in touch with the brattier side of his regressing mental age. Dash only truly cared about his nightly pulses and their long-term effects.

I gazed at the swing attached to the large oak tree in the back. It had provided us countless hours of joy and alone time, but now it just stood as a reminder of things gone by. Charley had tripped twice on Thursday, but it now seemed that anytime he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. Boom! He would fall butt or headfirst wherever he was. Coordination for mealtimes had only been the first step. The rest was fading away now as well, which meant that swings were just accidents waiting to happen.

Eeeeh. Crunch.

The front door closed and automatically locked, and Monica soon joined us out back. “Hey baby, I’m back. Rebecca had to leave without saying goodbye, but I got a good report for when I was gone. I’m so proud of my big boy,” she beamed.

“Tanks, Mon’.” Charley had begun shortening her name when in Littlespace. Everyone just thought it was cute. I did not.

“Aww. You’re very welcome.” Charley busied himself in coloring once more without a second glance back to her. “Rebecca said she already fed you, so I’ll just leave you be until it’s time for your nap, okay?” Charley just nodded, as he busily finished shading in the grass in the picture. “Okay. I’ll be inside watching if you need me, but we’ll go get Dash from the store after your nap. I’m sure you’ll be happy to have your super buddy back again.”

Charley only switched around and scribbled more intently on the outline of the dragon, having finished the grass. Monica simply smiled and waltzed back in. She had been leaving us alone in the backyard since she had installed the security cameras that monitored the outside of the house. After Charley had been shown those, the Littles’ protection fence surrounding everything, and the alert device that would monitor everything from strangers to escaping or crying Littles, he knew that escape while alone back here would have been impossible.

As Monica was closing the door, I could only hear her faintly muttering to herself, “Some futuristic toy. Shop maintenance once a week while in service. If it was so futuristic, why couldn’t it be done via the Cloud or something. Ugh… Still, better than a few years ago when that Little got mauled. Seventee…” The door sealed shut and I couldn’t hear the rest of her mutterings. It was only another reason to dislike Dash as a toy. Probably best that Charley couldn’t hear as much as I could, as there was no telling how he would react about a toy hurting a Little.

The day was warm, and Charley only wore his single piece romper decorated in colorful safari animals, a prominent bulge protruding from the thick diaper around his midsection. The fantasy coloring book at his feet was one of Charley’s favorites and it was almost full of his past colorings. Initial finished pieces were elaborate and realistic. Pieces while Charley was in Littlespace were becoming chaotic and vibrant if nothing else. The way he colored was a good indication of his current mental state, and his coloring the dragon flames carefully in red instead of purple or lime green clued me into the fact that he was coming out of Littlespace. After a few more minutes, Charley set down the crayon and picked me up. Another round of cops and robbers was just fine to me as long as it made him happy.

“Help me.” Wait, what?’ Charley lunged out and hugged me as forcefully as he could. “Please, oh please. Just let me be right about this.” Charley broke the hug and stared into my eyes. “This place… its super advanced. I know that. Any casual observer would notice the differences between my society and this one. Cars alone would be enough!” He squeezed me again. “But I was thinking if all that is advanced, why not the toys as well? I mean, in my dimension, people 100 years ago had only just started flying and their toys were at best, fragile dolls. When I left, society was more advanced, and toys were becoming interactive. If the technology here is more advanced, it would stand to reason that you all are too. I need to be right about this. I’m desperate. Please…”

I wanted so badly to break character and give Charley a hug back. Acknowledge him. Tell him he wasn’t crazy or alone here. Behind the diaper and romper, Charley had an imaginative and sharp mind brewing still when not in Littlespace, and he was so close to the truth as a result. Still, I couldn’t break the code of toys. Not for this…

“I know you can’t answer me. I don’t even know if there’s a protocol for this, but you have to have some kind of emergency system, right? I mean, you’re one of the reasons I started regressing.”

‘What? Oh no! This is not going well.’ I panicked over the implications. Was I headed for the dumpster for my complicit nature in his downfall? The donation bins? The incinerator?

“It’s okay, Hop. I forgive you.”

‘Whew. What a relief… but wait… why?’

Charley couldn’t hear my thoughts of course, but he always knew just what to say in the moment. “I figured out you were the only factor causing me to regress initially. I hated you for it, but it didn’t take long for me to see there was no way out of this place and that it could have been so much worse for me. I think you were that difference. Plus, there are some upsides to this life. Monica seems… different now, but she still seems to care about me more than any person I’ve ever known in my life. She might not say it, but I could see her protecting me in a life-or-death situation. I really can’t say that about any of the people I left back in my own dimension.”

Charley paused and seemed wistful of his past, as if he was remembering a few people that could have fit the bill, but only sadness filled his eyes afterward. “There were a lot of things I despised, but I grew to accept this life, until… Dash.”

Charley winced and I once more wanted to hug him or at least put my arm on his shoulder and tell him things would be okay. Still, I couldn’t, so I didn’t. “He’s the only thing different since all… this.” He gestured to himself. “A week ago, I was in diapers, true, but now… I can barely feel when I’m wet and… the other stuff is getting harder to control. Almost impossible recently in fact.”

Charley’s diaper had indeed looked like it was drooping when he last stood up, but if he had noticed, he didn’t give any indication as such. “I don’t care if I never leave. I can be happy here, but…” Charley blinked his now watering eyes, “I don’t want to lose what I have left. Every time I go under, I’m worried what I’ll lose. I can already feel the fog rolling in faster and faster and…” Charley hugged me again. “I can be a Little for Monica. I want to be even! But… but I’m slipping!” I was practically getting smooshed underneath his tight embrace, but Charley had just said the magic words.

“Oh god! Please help me, Hop.” Charley let go of me and looked into my eyes again. “Report Dash. Do something. Get Monica’s attention!” He wiped away the rapidly forming tears in his eyes. “I don’t know if I can make it through this… Please don’t let her take me… take my mind.” He paused and his eyes filled with terror. “Oh. Oh no! Anything but that. Not now!”

Pfft!

A small fart let out from Charley’s rear. A week ago, it could mean just some gas during the day, but now… “I just don’t know if I can get used to this side of things. It’s… it’s horrible. Losing control is one thing, but I’m just so worried I’ll regress afterward and want to… enjoy it.”

He said it with such shame, I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. “Or worse… not even realize I did something.” Charley grimaced. “Ah! I can feel it… no!”

Braaap! Toot! Braaaap!

Charley dropped me on the blanket and hunched forward on his hands and knees. From my position, it was obvious when I saw his diaper crinkle and expand outward. The romper was designed to be comfortable, but it was also more form fitting than his other pieces of clothing and left little to the imagination for what was happening in the rear of his diaper now.

“No… I… I barely felt it coming. Not until it was too late. Oh, please. Please, help me, Hop.” Tears now cascaded down his cheeks and onto the blanket around me. Charley looked like the world was coming to an end with his pitiful expression. ‘In a way, I suppose it is for him.’ He reached out for me in comfort but had misjudged his growing lack or coordination and nearly tipped forward. He must have rationalized that rocking backwards would put him back on all fours or in a crouched position. Instead, he overcompensated and after snatching me with one hand in a sudden movement, he thudded backward with a squelch onto his heavily used diaper.

It was too much for him.

“No, no, no!” He tossed me to the side. I was for comfort, and Charley needed anger now. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t! I won’t go quietly. I’m a big…” Charley looked like he wanted to punch himself in the face. He was slipping back. It wouldn’t be long now, but he still had his frustration to vent, regardless of his dimming mental state.

“No! I’m a grown up. Big! Me! I won’t be taken like this! I can cope. I’ll be a good Little for Mon’. I will! I promise! Swear on all the candy and stuffies in the whole world!” He pounded his arms listlessly onto the blanket below us and angry tears sputtered out like a sprinkler onto the manicured lawn.

“Me… me… big! Big boy. Me Charley is all growed up but want to make Mon’ happy! I’m good boy. I’m… I’m her… Little! That’s me! That’s… me?” Charley was reaching his breaking point and his anger was giving over to sadness again. Snot and tears of desperation covered his face. Most Littles would go through these cycles in their regressions, but Charley was accepting his place in this world if for no other reason than to not be regressed anymore. It was enough though for me and for Charley to reach an epiphany.

“Me, Little. Me, Little…” Charley grabbed me and held me close. There was no use in denying his new name anymore as Charley kept repeating, ‘Me… Little,’ over and over again. Charley cradled me gently and collapsed on his side, slowly slipping his thumb in his mouth. He stopped mumbling the phrase and just rocked himself gently with the soft breeze, his heaving chest slowing with each breath and suck of his thumb. My heart ached for Charley, but I knew he was accepting his new role in this world. It was what I had been waiting for.

Not long after, Monica opened the back door and saw the two of us cuddled on the blanket. She seemed shocked over the now peaceful scene; no doubt having come outside in the first place over the alert of someone crying in the backyard and then silence. Her confused expression only turned into contentment though when she unpacked what she was witnessing. I heard a click and realized she must have taken a picture; something she had been doing at many of the large milestones lately that Charley seemed to be passing through with increasing speed.

“Hey, baby boy.” Monica gingerly approached Charley’s still form. He barely moved and just continued to suck his thumb. “Come here, pumpkin.” Monica kneeled down and gently picked Charley up and put him in a seated position. Charley only sat there listlessly holding me; the only sound coming from the rhythmic pulsing of the thumb in his mouth.

“Oh, honey,” Monica said, removing the digit from his slacked mouth. “You shouldn’t suck your thumb. It’s probably all dirty. Here, take this. I’ve been holding off, but I think it’s just what you need.” Monica reached into her back pocket and took out a small blue plastic object, which she fiddled around for a second with before popping the cap off. Before Charley could mourn the loss of his comforting thumb, Monica deposited the baby blue pacifier into his mouth, which he began to immediately suck on with a renewed sense of contentment.

“There, that’s better. Isn’t it?” Charley only nodded and blushed as Monica stroked his cheek.

Charley viewed the invader in his mouth with suspicion, but didn’t remove it. It was another step down for his regression, but even I couldn’t outright reject an object meant for the purpose of comfort. With Dash still in the picture, Charley would need all the assistance he could get on that front, babyish or not.

“I’ll need to get you one of those pacifier clips, but this will do for now, okay?” Charley only continued to suck and seem at peace, despite the still present teary eyes and tear marks down his cheeks. “How about after naptime and when we’re getting Dash? Hmm?” Charley looked pained when she said Dash, but happily nodded along to the rest of Monica’s cheery disposition and suggestion.

“Good. Now,” Monica wiped his tears away carefully with her thumb while sniffing the air with suspicion, “I think I know someone who needs a diapy change, hmm?” Charley only blushed. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on.” Monica reached forward and picked Charley and I up with ease, him squishing and crinkling as she did so. “Boy, I’ve got a stinky Little on my hands. Don’t I?” Monica sang while tickling Charley on his stomach; her other hand supporting his bulging and messy bottom.

“He, he, he,” Charley giggled cutely behind his pacifier, as he made no motion to stop her. After a moment, Monica simply kissed him on the forehead and brought us both inside.

As I was being carried by the momentarily mentally regressed Charley, the full scope of his acceptance over his role as a Little in this society had been completed. It may not have been perfect, but Charley even noted that he would be happy as a Little. For my protocols, that was all that was required. Further regression was no longer technically necessary from me or even from the viewpoint of society, and my only protocol was to make Charley happy now. In fact, further regression seemed to only be giving him pain, so it had to end somehow. I couldn’t do anything about Monica’s role in all this, but Dash… he was another story. Some way, I needed to get rid of the accursed toy before it was too late. My Little and friend had reached out to me and the universe for help, and I was determined to answer his call. I just needed the right moment now.   

[LostBBoyBear]

Chapter 11: A Swing...

Finding an opportunity to strike a super toy was harder than I could have ever imagined. From the few action movies I had seen with Charley before his more major regressions, Dash almost constantly seemed to be scanning the room and standing in the one spot he would least likely be ambushed or attacked without seeing his attacker coming. It was maddening over the next days trying to take advantage of him.

Meanwhile, Charley had only slipped more. While the Saturday without Dash gave Charley little warning for making a mess, his accidents were becoming more frequent and less noticeable to him. Everyone around him would know from his relaxed expression or a small grunt in the middle of a sentence of what he was doing, but Charley would be entirely unaware until he would sit back down or smell something off. He would babble around his now constant clipped pacifier of asking who had made a mess but would inevitably discover that it was him.

These moments would almost always lead to a sudden burst of emotions, only to be quickly calmed by a caregiver, given a change with me to distract him, and then a sippy cup that he would drink while staring off into space. While Charley had swung rapidly between my first two categories of regression with astonishing frequency before, he was now spending longer in the third category of regression with unfocused eyes and coordination. When in Littlespace, Monica or another caregiver would need to do most tasks for him, which inevitably led to babyish clothing full-time. To any casual observer, Charley was fully regressed with only possible and occasional moments of lucidity in between. If his Littlespace side objected at all, it was certainly no longer able to communicate clearly or for long enough for those ideas to come forward.

The most worrying situation however, was the induction into the Meadow group when Charley came back on Monday.

*              *              *

Shortalls, a onesie, a pacifier, a stuffie, and Velcro shoes. Charley looked every ounce as a toddler imaginable. After a quick greeting by Mrs. Gillies at the front desk and a moment whispered between Monica and her, another attendant walked calmly into the scene. I hadn’t seen her before, but overalls, dimples, curly red hair, and the greenest eyes I had ever witnessed were certainly leaving an impression on me, and apparently Charley as well, who was now nearly cowering behind me and Monica. For whatever reason, Monica seemed to be adjusting herself up top, more than paying attention to Charley at the moment. Charley using her as a shield was nothing new in their dynamic lately.

The redhead crouched down. “Hey buddy, I’m Miss Mindy. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you Charley. I’m very glad to meet you.” She reached out a hand to shake, but Charley only squeezed me tighter and leaned into Monica more.

“I think he thinks he’s in trouble,” Mrs. Gillies noted.

Miss Mindy looked saddened. “I promise you’re not in trouble. In fact, as a treat, you and I are going to go on another adventure today. Does that sound fun?”

Charley seemed to open up more with his face, but the rest of his body only shifted me slightly in his arms.

Miss Mindy looked at me with a type of enchantment that only conveyed her curiosity and warmth. “Is this your friend? Does he have a name? I bet it’s a good one.”

Charley loosened his grip on me and looked at Miss Mindy diminutively. “Hop…”

“Hop…” Miss Mindy seemed to swirl the name around in her head. “I like it. How about we go on an adventure, just the three of us? I promise it won’t be scary, but if it makes you feel any better, you can take my hand and squeeze it or Hop if you ever get a little nervous, okay?”

Charley hesitated for a moment, but eventually broke away from Monica and held out his free right hand. Miss Mindy immediately took it and gently guided us along the hallway we would normally use to go to the Canopy Room. Right before the door to the lobby closed, Charley gave a small wave goodbye to Monica, who surprisingly, looked both happy and apprehensive. Once in the hallway, I couldn’t help but think there weren’t any more adventures to be had, until I realized the gravity of the situation after we passed our usual door. Charley was headed for the Meadow Room today.

My hopes that Ian, George, and Jane would be there waiting for us, were quickly dashed when Miss Mindy opened the door to the room. Even the toys were unfamiliar beyond Pete and Nadia, which I realized is why I hardly saw them before in the Canopy Room until a break. Regardless, the Canopy Room was large but packed with eager Littles at various stages. Chaos quickly came to mind whenever thinking of the ebb and flow of everything there. That was not the case here.

A long, curvy blue line meandered in the middle of the room. On the Deer side of the room, large trunks of trees littered the back and side walls. Cribs and changing tables were made to look like rustic cabins amongst the trees. Cubbies were scattered like woodpecker holes in the trees that stood out, rather than be painted on the wall, with storage pods designed to look like rabbit homes and beehives elsewhere. Lighting largely looked like fireflies along the wall and above in the ceiling, which was designed to look like the undersides of trees. A brilliant sunset, casting streaks of reds, purples, and oranges, shot out from one of the upper corners and provided the remainder of the lighting as it was permanently setting behind the painted distant mountains and hills.

In contrast, the other side of the room for the Butterflies was brightly lit with an array of windows to the outside. Large, sprawling fields and puffy clouds dotted the walls with paintings of farms and small villages speckling the more distant views. Cribs and changing tables were made to look like barns and farmhouses, with cubbies taking on the appearance of farm equipment and beaver dams, and the pillows looking like strawbales or cushy rocks.

Charley stood agape for a moment and I couldn’t blame him. The scene before us was intricate and beautiful. Someone had obviously put a lot of love into these rooms, particularly when I spotted the dozens of butterflies fluttering about the sky on the Butterfly side and the silhouettes and horns of the numerous Deer hiding in the woods.

“So, what do you think Charley? Ready for an adventure?” Mindy asked, looking down at Charley intently.

Charley still seemed shocked but only had one thing on his mind. “Whe… where are my friends?”

Sigh. Miss Mindy sighed visibly and bent down to look at Charley more directly and took his hand firmly in a gesture more to reassure and ground him than anything else. “Your friends aren’t here I’m afraid, buddy, but I think they’ll be here before you know it. There’s lots of things to do and you might even make a few new friends as well.” Charley didn’t seem moved by her words and his lower lip began to tremble. “How about this? I know a certain someone who likes art. How about I introduce you to some fingerpainting? Maybe make something for your mo… errr… Monica.”

Charley still clearly showed that he was upset over not being with his friends, but fingerpainting was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up. He only nodded his head and Miss Mindy guided him over to the Butterfly side of the room and the art easels in one corner of it.

*              *              *

To say that day was a mess was an understatement. Charley swung widely between elation, complete with paint or food covering nearly every pore of him within a foot of its intended target, or anger and depression, where unknowingly used diapers and flowing tears were frequent. Monica loved the butterfly Charley had created from his handprints and it was still stuck to the refrigerator downstairs, proudly displayed to anyone walking in.

Currently, Charley was playing with Dash and I on large plastic cars that Georgie’s mom had purchased for him when he had graduated to the Meadow Room. Everyone knew feelings could be running high when he got home, so Monica had thrown a small party for Charley. Toddler and baby gifts abounded, but the real and swift transformation had come with his room. It had become a near perfect nursery.

“Vroom! Vroom! Eek! No Mr. Nibbler!”

Charley used Dash to crash into me wildly with his own car, which sent me hurdling away from the small shelf of toddler books and into the changing table, fully stacked with precision with everything that Charley needed to cleanup after what Monica had begun calling his ‘whoopsies.’ Littlespace Charley only chortled at the name; normal Charley only would grimace and get the required change over with.

“Ha, ha, ha!” Charley laughed maniacally in a deeper tone, playing Dash. I loved how Charley was now using Dash to play the villain. His mind may not have been as sharp as it once was, but Dash likely being evil was something he wasn’t soon going to forget. “Mr. Nibbler is gone. I shall rule the world! Ha, ha, ha!” Charley held Dash, aka, Dr. Waggles aloft above his own plastic car, a piece of machinery that would have intimidated absolutely no one if it had been real.

Charley bent forward to retrieve me, his space-themed onesie stretching tightly to accommodate the ever-present thick diapers Monica had to use constantly now. No doubt, Charley was at least a little wet currently, but that was common. “No. Never, Dr. Waggles. You cannot defeat… Hmphhh.”

Braaap. Pfft.

“…good. Not truly.” Charley grinned and retrieved my car from where it had crashed. If Charley had realized what had just happened in the rear of his diaper, playing with us was too important to stop now at best. ‘Oh, Charley.’

“No! It can’t be. I… I… defeated you,” Charley said, lowering his voice again to talk as Dr. Waggles.

“You are the villain, Dr. Waggles. You will always lose.” I loved playing the hero with Charley. It felt so invigorating, particularly when real life wasn’t so glamorous. ‘If only…’ “Heroes may fall, but they never give in and they never give up.”

“No!” Charley lunged Dash and I at each other. Our battle was epic, and quite loud.

“Knock, knock.” Monica walked in and rapped slightly on the door. “Do I hear my baby boy roughhousing?”

Charley immediately stopped and spun around on the carpet. “Nope! Just Mr. Nibbler here taking down Dr. Waggles. Heroes always win.”

“That’s right. I’m sure they do.” Sniff. Sniff. Monica’s nose picked up what I had witnessed beforehand. “Speaking of evil, did someone make me a whoopsie?”

Charley look dumbfounded for a moment, but then shifted around in his diaper.

Squelch. Squelch.

“Uh… maybe?” Charley said, clearly guessing despite the evidence to the affirmative.

“I think that’s a yes. Come on you little munchkin.” Monica picked up the giggling Charley and went about the work of changing his diaper. Charley picked me once again to fiddle with during the process, as had become our routine over the past week. Monica was becoming an expert, and after a flurry of crinkles, scritches, cooing, and puffs of powder, she finished taping the diaper on and then snapped Charley’s onesie back up. It was impressive, if not depressing, considering her skill was only growing due to Charley’s growing regression.

“Now, all dry and comfy?”

Charley nodded. “Yesss…” His regression had kicked in before the change when he had started giggling. I originally suspected it to be from some chemical she would use to dose him and speed up the process, but I later realized it was more in response to any major babying activity. They seemed to be the key to unlock that side of him, and it was sadly unavoidable at this stage, but I also suspected it was his mind’s way of coping with the added stress.

“Perfect.” Monica checked her watch. “Hmmm… probably need a snack at this point before a good long nap.” Charley only nodded his head haphazardly. “Okay… do you want juice, milk, water, or something else…”

Monica seemed to drift as she was adjusting her top once more. It had almost become a nervous tick of hers and I was no longer sure if she was doing it on purpose. It wouldn’t surprise me, but what did surprise me, was that Charley clearly reached out and grabbed Monica by her breast.

“Woah, there!” Monica stumbled back for a moment and Charley lost his grip. She was obviously shocked, but then grinned her smile that always meant something regressive was about to happen. “Well, I did say something else. Does my baby boy want to feed the old-fashioned way?”

I screamed for Charley to refuse. ‘No, no, no! It’s a trap, Charley!’ Breastfeeding was natural in nearly every dimension, but the women here had something extra when it was introduced to their Littles. Harder regression would always follow, and the long-term effects were hard to gauge, but usually ended up being permanent. Despite my internal screaming, Littlespace Charley only accepted the calming words and shook his head.

Monica seemed flustered for a moment, but picked Charley up and rubbed her nose with him, smiling the entire time. “I thought this day was going to come, but not this soon. I’ve always dreamed about this, but… I just wasn’t sure with you. Even when my milk started coming in after your first day in diapers.” She shook her head a bit and popped out of her own thoughts. “Oh! Mommy just loves her little baby boy!” She held him aloft and looked so proud and lovingly up at Charley.

“I wuv you too, mommy…”

The words rattled in my mind like pinballs against tin foil. Slurred and clearly in Littlespace, but they were out there. Now, even Monica knew of his acceptance of her as his mommy. It was bad if Charley ever left this place one day, but I only hoped that Monica would accept him now as he was, as she walked off with him cradled in her arms. There was only one problem though: Dash.

“Holy… holy… did that all just happen?” Sandy asked from above.

“I’m afraid it did… I…”

“Heck yeah! All right.” Dash began jumping up and down from his position on the floor. “That’s right! Little Char-Char is fully onboard the regression train now. All thanks to me!”

“All thanks to you…” I growled and clinched my paws as tightly as I could.

“Cheer up, Hop. With any luck, in a few days, all this will be over.” Dash bounded up the furniture until he was perched on the dresser by the open window, which Monica had periodically left cracked to air out the nursery for a fresher smell. Charley was too immobile, even in his normal state, for it to be a threat anymore. “Whoop! Whoop!”

The pungent super toy was bragging over practically taking a life. Monica would have probably been happy with Charley as a Little now, even out of Littlespace. I might have taken my time, but she would have had him happy and accepting of everything for the rest of her life without traumatizing him. ‘Was the price of taking longer really so bad?’ Dash had regressed Charley to the point that he would likely need supervision for the rest of his life, even with therapy due to his aggressive tactics and speed. Charley had Monica now, but Dash’s confirmation that he wasn’t even done with him yet chilled me to my core.

Charley would eventually level out and not revert anymore to a younger state to cope with his frustration over regressive situations. All Littles did. They would wholeheartedly accept their caregiver, and both could go onto a life of love and joy. Dash, however, was pushing Charley to the Burrow’s Room faster than his mind could keep up with. Pushing further would rob Charley of all that made him an individual, like a true infant or newborn that was closer to a doll than a Little. One knew it was a bad state of affairs when some dolls were even marketed to the Bigs that wanted a Little regressed to those levels, just to prevent the limited amount of Littles from that fate. It might have been practically toy abuse for some of those toys, but we could be designed or repaired to cope with such situations. Most Littles couldn’t… not after something like that.

‘No.’ I had to stand up for Charley, so while Dash was still bragging at the window and looking away, I climbed down from the changing table where I had been left and then climbed up the shelving to face Dash. ‘For Charley.’ I steeled my form as much as I could and then lunged straight into Dash.

My first hits were wild but strong. My anger was doing most of the work, but Dash’s technology was doing most of his. Dodges and countermoves soon followed. I had learned a few moves from Sarge before the move to the Meadow Room and they came in handy as I dodged several swipes. Dash even gave a surprised look when I blocked his right paw with my left and then plowed into his muzzle with my right.

While it momentarily stunned him, Dash’s eyes quickly lit up in the fiercest yellow flash I had seen yet. Despite the sun still dangling above the buildings outside and the ambient light in the room, everything took on a yellow sheen in that moment. “Today was a happy day, carrot eater.” He nursed his jaw, more in anger that he had been hit there than from true pain. “Last chance…”

Dash closed his eyes and I readied myself for his attack. It was the same move he had pulled in our last fight. His lunge shot out like a lightning bolt. I was nearly convinced the powers shown on the show had been based on the toy and not the other way around. He didn’t sink his teeth into my throat, but instead butted his head at full power into my chest. What normally would have sent me sprawling to the ground, pushed me backward and I caught my left foot on part of the locking mechanism of the open window. With it caught and my backwards momentum, my body tipped up and out of the house.

Fortunately, the mechanism that had tripped me had also caught a chunk of my fur and stitching around the base of my foot, leaving me suspended from the window of the second story of the house. Only an open garbage can lay before me. Dash grinned maniacally at my predicament. “Ha, ha, ha! Poor little rabbit all caught up,” he mocked. “I just love that a rabbit has been saved by their foot. I suppose some superstitions are true.” His grin grew wider. “Perhaps I’ll take a chunk and save it as my good luck token and trophy over my win over your pathetic line.” He bared his teeth and lunged forward with an extended white claw from his right paw.

“Stop! Please.”

“No! You’ve caused me too much trouble already. Charley chose you for comfort… fine! Let the drooling mess take the weak plush. But Monica… Monica! She always choses you when selecting a toy to be played with. You were first, and you’ll always be!” He raised his paw to strike.

“But Charley has accepted being a Little.” He cocked his paw higher. “Even Monica has accepted Charley as he is! Even you can see that,” I tried to justify, holding my paws out to weakly defend myself from him.

“No!” Dash brought his paw down quickly.

“Wait! One last request. Please!”

“What?” Dash hesitated at the last second and moved his paw away in time for me to only feel it pass within a few inches of striking. “Fine… make it quick. A dead toy can get one last request.”

My mind swam with the possibilities. I hadn’t expected Dash to spare me, but my last second tactic gave me more time. At the apparent end of the line, every minute counted. “What are you? Why are you so strong and have so many capabilities for a… toy?”

Dash rolled his eyes. “Fine. Giving this away won’t cause me to lose any sleep anyway. You see, I’m part of a new line of toys. That you know… what you don’t know, is that I have a third protocol to regress a subject below a toddler level but then to ensure that subject remains in that state forever.”

‘Oh god. It’s worse than I could have imagined.’ “But why? Surely Bigs know that permanent regression always led to more problems than it solved originally. The laws? And all the pro-Little groups?“

“Exactly! Half of their ranks were filled with previously regressed Littles. Perhaps diaper dependent, but still causing trouble. They still had a spark of hope that they would change. Regress a subject intensely enough and even the most ardent of freedom fighters will give up on them. This way, once a Little has been regressed, their numbers will only dwindle now. A proper society of Bigs and regressed Littles.” Dash almost seemed proud of that last statement.

“Surely Monica wouldn’t have gone with this, right?” She was a Big for sure, but not heartless, or at least I thought… ‘Did I misjudge her so severely?’

“Relax. Caregivers know nothing about this protocol. Secret project and all. All a barren Big wants is a Little to love, and they’ll love a newborn or infant just as much as a toddler or preschooler. It’s literally in their DNA.”

“But…”

Vrrrn! Boom! Crunch!

Dash and I were both startled by the noise. We looked toward the sound and it was the bi-weekly garbage truck coming for pick-up.

“Right on time…” Dash looked down at me and wickedly smiled. “Sorry, Hopper. You were a good toy. I really mean that, but I have a job to do and you’re in the way. Take comfort in the fact that by the time I’m done with little Char-Char, he won’t even remember you enough to grieve your absence. Best thing really.” The garbage truck got closer and Dash only crouched toward my foot. “End of the line buddy.”

I tried to plead one last time to delay for only a moment, but Dash was done with my delaying tactics. He smiled one last time and calmly swiped at the fur and stitching holding me to the window still. In a second, I plummeted downward and into the open can. Then, blackness.

[Eagle0769]

This super toy is really missing off. The breast feeding will bring Charlie to the last stage of his little space. If Hop does not get back Charlie will be lost forever. I hope our writer knows how this must be corrected. 

[Guilend]

I don't think I've ever wanted to smash a toy so badly before 

[LostBBoyBear]

Getting closer to the end now. There will be a total of 17 chapters and they all just need to be edited now. 

For clarification, because I know some of the rules are a bit flexible in the DD (though I've been collecting and writing a massive reference guide, so let me know if that is something I should post at some point), breastfeeding isn't necessarily the end all for mental regression. Most of the stories I have read use it to speed up the process of mental regression and worsening physical symptoms, but they do not occur instantaneously. If anything, the feeding precipitates their Littlespace, and that begins to become their sole personality with more feedings (rather than a temporary state as before). Additionally, for this story, most of the rest of it will take place in the next day, so while Charley is in danger, he may only be with Dash alone for one night. Keep up the hope for Charley!  

I just want to thank you all for the likes and the comments! They mean a lot with this as my first posted story.

Now, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 12: And A... That Can't Be Good

Blackness. Sharp items. A rumbling really low and then real high. My eyes shot open, and I felt the garbage can lift into the air, everything rotated forward, and then another fall. I’m not alone this time. The filth of our household for the past few days emptied out with me into the garbage truck. Even with Monica composting, things squished and clinked all around me. Charley’s used diapers were gratefully wrapped into a single bag, but their squelching as they hit the rest of the trash was a stark reminder of where I had ended up. The top closed and it’s all blackness and smells once more.

Minutes later, the truck lurched forward, and the top opened again. I managed to avoid used doggy bags, spoiled food in jars and containers, and all manner of items endemic to a typical suburban street. I felt proud of myself for a moment and took a second to rest among the disposed units of society to collect my thoughts. The top remained open, but I assumed it was stuck or something. Less than thirty seconds later however, another large pile entered. I didn’t have time to react, and the trash hit me, with even a large broken dehydrator that smacked me directly on the head. Blackness overtook me.

*              *              *

I woke up with a sore head, but I saw that I had been pulled to one side of the trash area, out of the way of the main landing zone of the garbage truck of where I was before. “Hey… hey bunny-man… wake up.” I felt someone shaking me and I turned toward the figure. Next to me stood a moderately-sized stuffed raccoon. Careful stitching etched around his extremities, but unlike Victor, his were in places prone to tear after years of use. Especially, and judging by his faded appearance and the patching of fabric I could see where the fur had thinned out, older models.

“Who… who are you?” I kneaded the side of my head where the dehydrator had hit me.

“Name’s Wally. Pleasantries aren’t super important right now. We’re on our way to the dump. I’m old, but you… you just need a bath,” he looked at some of my plucked stitches on my foot, “and maybe a few stitches. I’m sure some Little out there would love to have you. Remember, it just takes one Little…”

“Woah… ugh…” I clutched my head, where part of my stuffing was still slightly indented, “woah, woah. Slow down there. I have a Little…”

“I know. It’s hard,” Wally placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks for the concern… Wally. But really… I just got tossed by some super toy trying to regress my Little. He’s… insane.”

“Oh…” his face looked embarrassed and then concerned while removing his hand, “well, that changes things. I think there’s a few metal protrusions over there. Climb up and then when the top opens, pop out.”

“Right. Good thinking.” I got up and headed to where he had pointed. “You coming?”

“No… no. I’m good here. You find your Little… actually, I didn’t get your name…”

“Oh, right Wally. Sorry. Name’s Hop.” I looked at the proposed way out. The outside world was unforgiving and though Wally seemed at peace staying here, I needed him. Two toys were better than one out there. Besides, incineration or whatever happened at the end of these things was no way for anyone to go. “Come with me.”

“What? No. Seriously, go.”

“Wally. This is no way for a toy to go…”

“Leave, before your window of opportunity closes and we’re both ended. My Little isn’t out there…”

It warranted a follow-up conversation, but Wally was right about time being limited, so I insisted further. “I need you out there. Two toys would stand a much better chance together than a measly single bunny in this world, right?”

Wally thought about for a minute. “Well… dang it. You’re right. You need to help me up. My leg got all caught in some broken glass after I pulled you over and some bits rolled around when we got moving again. I can’t make it by myself.”

“Oh… that’s fine. I’ll get you out…” I walked over to Wally and tried helping him up. It was difficult and I grunted for a moment, but I managed to be able to heave him onto my back.

“Still want to take me along?” he grinned jokingly from behind from where his head now rested on my shoulder.

“Yeah… just need to get used to… you.” I shuffled through the garbage, but I managed to find some bits of string and some tissue paper from a party, judging by the wrapping paper around it as well. “Now, hang on to this, and especially to me.” Wally gripped the supplies and my body tighter as I made my way up the bolts inside the vehicle. We waited for only a moment and the top opened to the darkening sky. “Hang on!” It was now or never. I jumped with Wally on my back without thought into the unknown.

Gratefully, the unknown turned out to be a long line of overgrown hedgerows on the side of the road where the truck was parked momentarily. Wally and I got caught in the protruding twigs but were now also nicely hidden by the hedgerow’s thick foliage as a Big waltzed by to get back in the garbage truck for the next stop. Soon, the truck putted off and was out of sight.

Wally and I let go of the branches and dropped to the ground. The neighborhood was quiet and empty, and I knew it would make a good staging area for me to attempt to patch Wally back up. My foot could hold for now; his leg couldn’t. “Here, we need that leg at least working somewhat. You just need some temporary stuffing and a closure. After, we’ll head to…” I honestly hadn’t thought about where we were going next, but it soon seemed obvious. “The daycare! Of course, the daycare. I have friends there and they can help us both out.”

Wally only gave out a tiny smile at the plan. There was something more going on with this Little, but first, his leg. The glass had torn some minor and one large hole where stuffing now threatened to puff out of, but the tissue paper I had snagged would hold nicely and not fall out until we got to the daycare. Sealing the large hole I had to deal with afterward was more concerning without a proper needle and thread. Once the tissue paper had been crumpled up and stuffed though, I managed to use a piece of spare metal lying on the road to poke a few more holes into Wally’s leg.

“Geez! Will you watch it. You’re supposed to be patching me up. Not creating new holes.”

“Just wait.” Wally relaxed back and I threaded the string through many of the small holes around the larger one, each acting like a lace in shoe. Within a few minutes and some awkward knotwork, where I had to use Wally’s paw to hold some areas for, his large hole now only puckered and strained when he moved suddenly. It was temporary but would hold until we got to the daycare.

“Perfect. Now, any idea where we are?” Wally asked as he stood up and checked out my handiwork on his leg. It was wobbly and bulging in areas, but it held firmly, even as he put some weight on it.

I only nodded in satisfaction at it holding together, and then stared at the signposts in the distance. Luck seemed to be with us now, as while I didn’t know the road we were on now, I easily recognized a main road off in the distance as one of the busier routes getting into the main shopping district of this area. Monica loved one of their shops for herself and Charley had obtained his Velcro shoes a few doors down as well.

“Yes. I know roughly where we are. When we get to the main road over there,” I said pointing to the street I had just recognized from the now-illuminated street sign, “I’ll have a clearer picture of where to go.”

“Then let’s get to it. Hours are burning.”

I nodded and headed away, but Wally stopped me suddenly.

“Hop, before I forget. Thanks.” He nodded down. “For the leg and all.”

“Don’t mention it. Think of it as payment for pulling me away from getting pancaked more under all that trash.” Wally smiled back at me, and we started walking. Nothing more needed to be said.

On our way, we chatted a bit about this society and the role of being a toy in it. It was basic ice breaker stuff until we got to the main road just as the sun had finished setting. I recognized where we were within minutes, so we continued onward. After some more basic question and answer from both of us, I had to know about the one actual burning question I had since we had talked in the garbage truck. “Wally, I hope this isn’t too forward, but you said… well, you said you had a Little. As in past tense?”

“Yeah… Jefferson. Little Jeff, or Jeffrey, around here though.”

“Jeffrey,” I said choosing the name that had seemed to hold a bit more weight in his words than the other two, “good name. Mind if I ask what happened?”

Wally looked pained and I thought I had made a mistake asking. Old toys and their owners were almost always tricky. Go one way and they lived a happy life for years together. Another, and the Little outlasted them and threw their wasted body away, opting for a new toy that sparkled or had fresh padding. I saw a lot of those at Mr. Kincade’s.

“It’s not what you think… we had a good run.” Wally shifted around his leg. It was still holding up, but I could tell it was more awkward than his originally stuffed leg would have been. “Jefferson came here as an elderly and lonely man years ago. His dimension was polluted, and war torn. If he had any family, they were all dead and he was sick and too poor for any helpful treatment. He saw an opportunity here and opted to be tested on.”

“God…” I looked at Wally horrified. Old Little experiments were practically the ghost stories toys would tell each other during naptime to freak the others out.

“It’s not like that. He got into one of the good programs. Regressed his body to his mid-20s I think. Amazon… errr… the Bigs technology and a few select cocktails back then kept him that age ever since. Sure, we regressed his mind as well. Preschool was just out of his reach, but that was a nice age, until…”

Wally stumbled a bit walking. It was obviously a lot for him between his busted leg and remembering his Little. “Go on,” I coaxed.

“He passed away last week in his sleep. Nice long stretch. 140 years total I think I heard someone say. The last 60 here… anyway, we were best buds for most of that time. I’ll be 57 next month. I was brought in when all the Little laws were getting more strict and favored younger regressions. Jeffrey was originally about six, but I took him down to where society was accepting their Little at. Just below preschool and all.”

“Oh… does it ever bug you? To be part of why he was ummm… on the younger side?”

“Every day. Can’t call yourself an innocent when you put a Little back in diapers, but I really don’t regret it.” Wally paused and almost seemed lifeless for a moment. “Let me tell you though. I can feel it. My time is nearly done. I’ve seen it before… we just fade.”

“I’ve never seen it myself… only heard about it.” We rounded a corner and entered a neighborhood. The daycare was on the other side of this development.

“It’s… peaceful actually, but it puts things in perspective with a toy.” He paused and stared at the sky for a moment before moving on. “Thinking back hard now, I don’t think I regret anything. Nothing for more than a few moments really.”

“Yeah, but didn’t we steal from them? Something a part of them?”

“Maybe? But let me ask you this. After, Charley was it?” I nodded. “After Charley got over the whole ‘I’m mature and toys are for babies only phase,’ didn’t he show some kind of connection with you every step of the way? Maybe even something that might have shocked you in the beginning?”

“We would hug… the first time… was something else.”

“There you go. Hop, buddy, you can’t be dragged down by what you did or didn’t do. In over 57 years, you bet I stumbled with Jeffrey, but guess what? I got right back up and was there for him every day. Every tantrum, fever, accomplishment, booboo, and celebration. Before all your glitz and shiny wires, a Little hugging their toy was the first sign of the more passive regressions taking hold. It’s a pact of kinds. Littles might be pushed out the airplane by others, if you will, but we are a parachute in this society for them. Gravity, like their society, takes a hold and pulls them down to the ground wherever it may be, but we make sure they don’t splat when they stop falling. We give them something to hold onto.”

“You’re right, I just… I didn’t regress Charley fast enough and Monica brought in another toy. He doesn’t care for him at all. Just the regression. Nothing after. Just burn through him and onto the next. And it’s because of me!”

“Fine. Pull your ear or bop your nose if you want, but right now you could only blame yourself for not being there for him tomorrow or any time after that. Get back to him, Hop. Get rid of… Dash and love Charley every day for as long as you can. Think you can do that?”

“I can try…” I winced and almost touched my stitched side in remembrance of our first fight, “he’s powerful, but I wont stop. I can’t. It’s him or me now. I know that.”

“Good then. Try, fight, and if luck holds, win.” Wally stopped again and stretched his leg. It was bothering him more now as the tissue paper wasn’t flexing as much as it needed to. “We have a bond that can last all this lifetime. I don’t know what’s next, but I hope to find Jeffrey there wherever he is. If that’s not devotion and a sign of the positivity of a Little and their toy, I don’t know what is.”

I nodded at the truth in his words, and I patted him on the shoulder in thanks for his elderly parting wisdom. From what I had heard from others, I wished every toy could hear what Wally had to say, but I was glad to now hear the words myself. Passing a fallen branch, I snapped part of it off and created a makeshift crutch for Wally to get around more easily. He smiled, thanked me, and we both walked on.

Soon, we came to a new yard that was covered in manicured green grass and guarded by several garden gnomes. We were about halfway through the neighborhood and still making good time but needed to get beyond this one house. If we did, we would be at the daycare in three hours at the most. There was one last main road we would somehow have to cross, but it would be at least within spitting distance of where we needed to be.

Tink. Tinking. Tink.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Wally stopped and looked around for what I was asking about. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Probably just the… oh! Run Wally!”

A large and vicious looking dog bounded out of the nearby bushes wearing a fierce metal collar that glinted off the nearby streetlights. Wally and I dodged his first charge, but the dog only took a moment to regroup before it rushed back at us. With Wally’s injured leg slowing him down, he didn’t have time to move far enough away.

“Wally! Move!” He wasn’t fast enough. “No!” I jumped in the path of the dog and shoved Wally out of the way in time. He collapsed to the ground, but the force of the dog knocked me clear across the yard and into the stained wooden fence. The dog seemed confused for a moment as to where I had gone, but once the dizziness from crashing into the fence had finally faded fully, I saw he was staring intently right at me.

“Run! Get out of here Wally.” I saw Wally get up, but the dog had already charged and was furiously coming for me now. Dash was quicker and more skillful, but this dog was bigger. It was too much for me and the dog easily caught and bit into one of my ears.

“Ahhh!”

The force of his head shaking around flung me back and forth. I was grateful for the new sturdier material I had been constructed with, but I knew even it wouldn’t last forever. “Get out of here Wally!” Despite not knowing if he was out there anymore, I had to try. I was pinned and likely doomed now, but Charley was still in danger. “Go! Get to Little Friends Daycare. Talk to Nadia and Pete and tell them about Dash. Ahhh!”

Rip! Stit! Stit! Stit! Rip!

I felt the stitching in my ear give way. Small amounts at first, but the force was too great. Moments later the rest of the stitching gave way and I was flung clear to the other side of the yard, my injured form banging into a small bubbling fountain by the garden and one sailor-themed gnome.

Grrrr!

The gray-furred dog approached me, my ear still dangerously caught in its mouth. I looked around and gratefully, Wally was nowhere to be seen. With any luck he was running as fast as he could to the daycare. When Charley showed up there tomorrow, Dash would be handled in some type of way. Monica was satisfied with the Little she had now so Charley would be safe from further regressions and hopefully live a long and peaceful life under her care. My fate, however, was not so certain. The dog pawed over to me within inches and began to open his mouth with several pointed teeth, my ear still caught on one of them. This was it for me, but Charley would have a future now, and that’s all that mattered.

[Guilend]

It was hard watching him fall out the window, this is much worse. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Chapter 13: Goodbye

I felt his hot, smelly breath pour onto my face and saw his jaws slowly closing in around me. I would be shreds on the ground in moments; lost again to the garbage no doubt by the morning when my pieces were found by whoever lived here. I just hoped my soul, or whatever one would want to call it for a toy, would be gone and out of this body by then. I had no desire to continue to exist as little better than chunks of fluff.

Whish! Crack! Yip!

The dog yelped and drew backward away from me. ‘What the…’ I was deeply confused for a moment.

“Get back!” a voice cried out. I opened my eyes and realized it was Wally, now holding a cord that he was swinging around his head like some lasso of protection. “Now, calm down. Are you going to be calm?”

To my utter surprise and elation, the dog immediately bent down, closed its mouth, and lowered its head to the ground.

“Good.” Wally stopped swinging the cord around and turned to me. “You okay, Hop?”

“Yeah…” I felt where my ear was now missing. “Well, mostly…”

“Yikes…” Wally turned back to the dog. “Drop it!” He held out a finger and pointed to the ground.

The dog whimpered but set my amputated ear on the grass. Despite, and perhaps more so because of his injured leg, I was impressed with how well Wally had gotten him to calm down. In a moment, Wally gingerly crept over to the dog and retrieved my ear. “Here, catch!” Wally threw the ear to me, and I caught it as it sailed into my arms.

There was a bit of a jagged tear at the end, and it was damp all over, but it was certainly not irreparable. “Wally? What are you doing?”

Wally was still by the dog but was now rubbing its muzzle. The dog’s tail was faintly wagging at the same time with each stroke that Wally gave. “Making a friend. I think he’s just lonely and scared by a few intruders onto his property. He’s probably really sorry for your ear.” Wally turned back to the dog and began baby talking to him. “Aren’t you? Yes, you are. Yes, you are!” The dog immediately and happily responded to his increased rubbing and bouncing voice.

“Ugh… come on Wally. We have to go. If beasty here…”

“Woofy.”

“What?”

“You called him beasty. His name is Woofy. Says so right here on his collar.”

“Fine. Woofy. Now, let’s go.”

Wally didn’t move. “We should ask him for a ride.”

“He’s a dog, Wally. Not a GPS or a car. We’d sooner end up at the pet store than the daycare.”

“Dogs here are smarter than you may give them credit. Come on. Give him a chance.”

I could see Wally wasn’t going to budge on this topic, and with his leg, I honestly couldn’t blame the injured raccoon. “Ugh. Fine. We’ll do it your way.” I approached Woofy with more caution than I had ever done with Dash. He might be more mellow now, but Woofy had literally torn a piece of me off. For all his faults, Dash hadn’t done that… yet. I got right next to the pup and spoke as clearly as I could. “Do you know where Little. Friends. Daycare is?” I wasn’t sure if I was getting through to him, but I guessed it was worth a shot, at least to placate Wally if nothing else.

Woofy eyed me strangely for a moment but hunched down and tipped to the side. After a bit of hesitation of Wally and I doing nothing, Woofy shook his back and even jittered his head for a moment as if to beckon us to climb aboard.

“I guess he wants us to get on.” I nodded in agreement. ‘I already asked him for a lift, so might as well go all the way I suppose.’

Wally and I were soon straddled on his back, with him in front and me holding onto my ear and his back for dear life. Having never ridden a horse or anything more than a Little-powered shoulder or car occasionally for that matter, I didn’t know what to expect. With a little prompting from Wally, Woofy set out and around the house at a decent pace.

With luck on our side, Woofy escaped the neighborhood with relative ease. He seemed to know every footpath, muddy patch, and signpost to turn at or avoid, having likely walked the path we were on dozens of times with his owner before. After another 20 minutes of weaving in and out of streets, gardens, and some trees, the brightly lit neon sign of the Little Friends Daycare came into view.

I had begun to view the same signpost with disdain in recent weeks due to Charley’s unknown future there, but like the first day he had taken me with him, I was now filled with both happiness and dread. Though Woofy had miraculously made it to the daycare, a large and busy with nighttime traffic road lay between us and the building now.

“Now what?” I asked Wally. He seemed to have a better connection with Woofy than I did and possess an inherent sense of making plans that would actually work as well.

“I’m thinking. I’m thinking!” Wally held up his own paw to his face and rubbed his mouth while deep in thought. “Ugh. The road is too busy to cross. Even up a way to our left or right is still just as busy, if not more.”

I looked to the left towards downtown and several cars were lined near bumper to bumper as they waited to get onto the main beltway around the city. Monica had driven Charley and I on it once, and I nearly popped as he gripped me so tightly when we went over the bridge spanning the river that cut through the city. Apparently, Littlespace Charley was afraid of heights.

To the right, was a series of communities and small shopping centers. It was less crowded than the left, but motorbikes and cars were pulling out of a bar parking lot like a magician pulling tied handkerchiefs out of his jacket. We could make it, but there was just too high of a chance that we would either be spotted or one of us would be hit by a motorist of some kind. Considering Woofy was alive in the traditional sense, and Wally and I were already beat up and needed some repairs, it didn’t seem like a wise option either.

Woof!

Woofy lived up to his namesake and shook his head toward our left and to the side of the road. Wally and I both saw what he was referencing immediately.

While the road continued straight with a corresponding sidewalk and strip of grass, the embankment on our side dipped severely into a culvert of sorts. Without many options available to us with the time we had, our party decided to investigate further.

At the top of the culvert, we spotted what must have been a drainage tube of sorts that diverted the water away from the other side of the road, under it, and then to the woods on this side. I patted Wally’s shoulder to give my okay, and he patted Woofy to give his own. After we shuffled down the slippery slope into the culvert, we all took a breath and braced for the long dark tunnel ahead.

Small bits of light came in from either side of the tunnel, but only illuminated what was likely a cluster of debris and the small stream of water below us. Despite what Woofy had done to my ear, I appreciated his presence now, as I doubted that Wally or I could have traversed this way on our own. Further, I was immensely grateful the area had been going through a bit of a drier season lately. Any more water around us and over half of Woofy would have been submerged and likely struggling to move further.

A quarter of the way through, I began to hear a noise.

Click. Click. Click.

Being in a hollow tunnel with hard sides, every sound echoed all around us. I thought it was nothing, but it began getting louder.

Click! Click. Click!

“What in the holy carrot sticks is that?” I asked nervously.

“Beats me, Hop. We just need to keep going. Probably river on the rocks ahead.” He then shuddered.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just… need to get out of here.”

“Right…” I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but we were halfway through now. Regardless of whatever the shudder was, a few more minutes in the tunnel, and it would be all over.

Click! Click! Click!

“That has to be something, Wally.”

“I don’t know, Hop. Just…” He paused and sat perfectly still on Woofy.

“What?”

“Did those rocks just move?”

“What? What rocks?” I looked ahead and the clusters I thought were just debris stuck in the tunnel now were now becoming clearer. They were spherical overall but had little ridges piqued all over them. Suddenly, one shifted.

“That! Tell me you saw it.”

Woofy slowed down. We all had seen it. “Yes… Just go slowly. It could have just shifted.” I wasn’t convinced myself, but we were too close to do anything else now.

“Careful, careful.” Wally eased Woofy on. Small splashes popped around the tunnel from Woofy’s gingerly pace but they then halted all at once. One of the rocks jerked to the left.

“Never mind! Let’s go! Go! Go!” Woofy started to trot faster through the water, but the closer we got, the closer we saw they weren’t rocks. They were snapping turtles!

“Go! Go! Go!” I yelled, gripping Wally tighter and bouncing my legs on Woofy to get him to go faster.

The snapping turtles became alerted to our presence and began to moan. Their monstrous forms were notorious for injuring stray Littles and the smaller pets of this area. Being a toy smaller than either of those and with an appendage already torn off for the night, I didn’t want to risk their wrath.

Wraaaagh!

The turtles bellowed out and turned in our direction. It was now clear that three barred our further progress out of the tunnel.

“Go Woofy! Go!” Wally urged, despite the blockade.

“Go now! Woofy! Run!” I chimed in as well. This was our only option considering the traffic above us. Our one advantage was that the turtles were marching slowly toward us. It was still intimidating with their deliberate movement and the fact that each was larger than all three of us combined and even had to be staggered to fit in the tunnel. From the news panel at the mall, I knew their size was an unfortunate result of a chemical spill from a Little-owned company experimenting with growth serums to pass as Bigs. As a result, each of the turtles’ jaws were wide enough to swallow us in a few bites and they had the strength to even break bones. We were all in trouble.

To my everlasting happiness though, Woofy barreled in at them at full speed. The speed that had once terrified me so thoroughly, was now saving our existence from being turtle excrement or nesting material in the morning.

Woofy then arched back and bounded over the slow-moving forms in one leap with the speed he had built up. He flew through the air of the tunnel and both Wall and I clung onto his back for dear life. A few inches higher, and we would have pancaked on the top of the drain.

Snap! Crunch! Snap!

The turtles each tried to bite us but were each thankfully unsuccessful. With their bodies now in our rear and moving only paces to our sprinting, we finally exited the tunnel, dirty and wet, but unscathed.

We breathed a sigh of relief, and after a short walk up the hill on the other side of the road, we were in the parking lot of the daycare. Wally and I both hopped off, each of us struggling for a moment. Wally’s leg was still a mess even through my patchwork, and I didn’t want to let go of my ear so I practically rolled off to keep my grip of it.

“Oh. What a good boy! What a good boy!” Wally had collected himself and was giving Woofy’s belly a scratch. Woofy wagged his tail while Wally urged me onward to thank the dog myself.

“Thanks… Woofy.” I gave him a scratch on his back, which if his tail and leaning into gave any indication, he appreciated. ‘I at least owe you that for getting us out of that tunnel. If only toy dogs were so easy to turn around…’ After a moment, Woofy bowed and then took off, only momentarily barking at the dog in the adjacent yard to the daycare. He was going another way back home, obviously wanting to avoid the snapping turtles if he could. ‘Get back safe…’ Another bark and Pete’s warning about the adjacent dog still stuck with me, so I urged Wally away from the general direction of a much more confirmed toy destroyer.

When stepping up on the curb, however, Wally stumbled. He left the makeshift cane I had gotten for him back in the yard where we had encountered Woofy to be able to hold onto his collar, but this seemed like something more. It seemed like a larger version of his shudder on Woofy in the tunnel. “You okay, old man? Is it the leg?”

“Yeah… I’m fine, but… I’m fading. I can feel it, Hop.”

“Just hold on, buddy. We’ll get you inside.” I wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I began to nearly drag his fading body toward the large entrance of the daycare.

Movement outside the daycare usually caused the toys inside to react. I had seen it at recess numerous times, so by the time we got to the entrance, the toys easily let us in. Each time a new security system had been installed, the toys would quickly learn it and know how to properly turn it on and off to not feel like prisoners inside the building whenever the staff was away.

“Hey, Hop. Who’s your friend?” Nadia asked, leading the crowd of toys that greeted us.

“Wally,” he answered himself while extending the arm not wrapped around me to shake theirs. The simple movement was too much, and he collapsed forward suddenly, despite my efforts to keep him up.

“Wally!” I went to pick him up, but his form just lay there on the ground. He felt weak and almost lifeless.

“Is he okay?” Pete asked, leaning in from his spot in the crowd.

“He said he was fading… is there something we can do?” I looked pleadingly at Pete and Nadia. Both looked solemn. The rest of the toys did as well.

“It’s his time, Hop,” Cassie said, emerging from the back, Victor and Sarge close behind her.

“She’s right, buddy,” Wally croaked out while cradled in my arms. “It’s time…”

“Thank you… for everything.” I held his disheveled form in my hands as he only nodded. His age and the amount of love he was given clearly showed on his body. Stitches in his arm sockets were likely from being swung around too much by an eager Little. Small scorch marks on the underside of his feet were probably from camping trips with the family where he would protect Jeffrey from the monsters in the ghost stories they would tell. Endless series of markings were everywhere and there was even a fading tag at his side exhibiting Jeffrey’s name. His body was a roadmap of all his adventures and the life he had lived with his Little. It was a good one.

“Thanks for saving me from the trash, but you have to promise me something.” I nodded. “Take Dash out of the equation. Any way you can. He’s too dangerous to be out there. Protect Charley. Give him your love every day and be there for all the ups, downs, and everything in between. It’s all too important to be wasted by that disgrace of a toy.” The crowd murmured in agreement.

“But what if I’m too late? Dash is potent. For all I know, Charley could already be gone by tomorrow.”

“Then you love and care for what’s left. If that means hours of naptime and persistent drool, then so be it. He’s your Little. Nothing should be more important than that. Promise me.”

“I promise.” I held his weakening hand tightly.

“Good. I can feel it… I hope to see Jeffrey soon… Swing sets and story time… I hope…”

“I’m sure he’ll be there. Waiting just for you.”

Wally smiled. “That… would be nice…” Wally heaved in for a moment and then out. “Jeffrey…” In a moment, he was gone. The form that had once housed whatever we were was now an empty husk. Still propped up in the usual way like before, but now devoid of all life. I was probably just seeing things, but his faded fur almost even seemed grayer now. I hadn’t known Wally for long, but if toys could cry, small tears would have dropped on my fallen savior.

“I’m sorry, Hop.” Pete outstretched his wing onto my back.

“I’m sorry too, but we should all be so lucky to have that bond with a Little.” I forgot who I was talking to and the toys surrounding us gave out a large sigh. Being played with during the week was great, but it was nothing close to having a Little to call your own. It was a reality sadly too relevant for most toys in this society.

“He seemed like a good toy…” Nadia added.

“He was… even saved me a few times. I wouldn’t have made it here without him.”

“Hop, he said something about Dash.” Victor piped up. “You got a plan for that tool? No offense man, but I’m guessing you lost again if you’re here and things didn’t go so well. So, you got something up your sleeve we don’t know about?”

I laid Wally’s shell of a body down on the ground and stood up to face the toys. “I do. And all of you are going to help me do it.”

[dirtydingus84]

The last couple of chapters seems a little sad as if the stuffy's job is something akin to that of a battlefield or hospice nurse just there to say and do nice things until the "lights go out" but also very virtuous. Great writing and story telling you have me hooked despite my hatred for the toy story movies

[Guilend]

That was sad, but inevitable. Good story,  good character building. 

[Eagle0769]

What a chapter and what a great writer.

[LostBBoyBear]

Thank you all for your comments and likes! I wanted to bring a bit of realism to a story where realism had to be suspended in some aspects. It can be a little brutal for the toys, but if you're going to give them a soul or whatnot, I think they need a little heartache as well. Particularly with a setting like the DD.

Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 14: Best Laid Plans

“Hold still!” Cassie complained as I struggled against her ministrations with my ear. Her individual fingers gave her greater dexterity for jobs likes these than most of the toys at the daycare and so she had been one of the few put in charge of restitching battered fluffballs like me. “There! Not so bad. Could have been a bit better with a cleaner tear, but…” she adjusted herself to view the different angles of my ear, “yes, all is aligned nicely. You’ve got a nice battle scar there, Hop.”

I smiled and admired her clean stitching. “Thanks, Cassie.” I shook myself out and enjoyed the clean feeling. Before I had done anything else, I needed to wash the grime off from my journey in the garbage and the road getting here. I had done the same for Wally. He deserved that much at least and the bathrooms at the daycare were up to the tasks of removing the grime quickly and thoroughly. Afterall, Littles were prone to their own messes, be it crafts, the outdoors, or the typical accidents many would have.

Nadia slowly gathered the set of the sewing supplies from the Canopy Room where we were to eventually be placed back into the Burrows Room. She had moved it out here for us due to the better light while I had washed myself and Wally’s husk. The Burrows Room was only better to sew in during business hours when it was the most deserted place in the daycare, but it was night now and no one was here except us toys.

Apparently, some of the Littles had originally liked to sew during their free time. Mostly simple things, but Cassie had received a new purple dress a few years ago from one of them who claimed to be a former fashion designer. To say Cassie had been moved by the gesture was a dramatic understatement and she still showed the dress off to any new toy. Even after most of the Littles became to mentally young or clumsy, the toys had snatched the supplies away one day to tend to their own needs, like Cassie had just done with me.

“Cassie. Hop. It’s time.” We nodded at Nadia and headed down into the basement. Old buildings like this were still heated by a clean-burning fuel. It was efficient, lasted a long time, and was almost completely pollution free, but it had been phased out by electric heaters with the new buildings when a nearly perfect efficient and cheap power grid had been set up. Fortunately, the burner was perfect for occasions like this.

All the toys littered the tile flooring as Nadia, Cassie, and I descended the stairs. Victor, Sarge, and a few others were in attendance, with Pete closest to the open grate to the flames beyond. Wally’s body was lying limp on the ground. Once in front of it, I nodded to Pete.

“Oh, eternal universe. We commit the shell of Wally, toy of Jeffrey, back to you. His life was long and full of love. He saved the life of at least one toy and likely gave many more the strength to move through this complicated world. He was well-loved and will be missed.” Pete reached own with his feathered appendages and gently picked up Wally. After a moment of the toys bowing their heads, Pete dropped the shell of Wally into the flames. Within a second, it was ablaze and dark smoke billowed up and was sucked out through the large pipes above. It was a simple ceremony, but we toys had our own way of doing things.

All of us made our ways back upstairs. Most toys began to settle for the night in their own areas, but Nadia, Pete, Sarge, Victor, Cassie, and I gathered around a small and low table illuminated by a single side lamp. “Alright, while we have informed the other toys to watch and wait to help if needed, the core of us here want to help you out directly, Hop,” Pete informed.

“Thank you, Pete. The plan is simple. Dash is enhanced obviously, but he’s not indestructible. There are several ways he can break or be immobilized. I will go in first. I know his fighting style the best and I think, from Sarge’s help the past few times I’ve been here, I’ve found a few weak spots. If I hadn’t tripped backward into the open window, today may have gone very differently. You all will guarantee success if nothing else.”

“What about surprises?” Victor asked.

“Well, I doubt he would have any at this point, but if there are, that’s where you all will likely come in.” The group nodded. “I might need you all no matter what, but I don’t want to put you all in harms way if I’m not willing to even go first. Charley is my Little and I’ll fight as much and for as long as I can.”

“But you could be destroyed!” Cassie concernedly piped up.

“Then I will definitely need you all.” I sighed. “To be honest, this is less of a planning session and more of a pledge meeting. I want all of you… hey, where’d Sarge go?” His brooding form had slipped away into the shadows while we had been discussing the plan.

“Don’t mind him,” Victor said. “I think he’s seen too much in his time here. Wally’s passing reminds him too much of the toys he’s lost here. He used to be with all of them at the end. I think it got to be too much.”

“Well… damn. I didn’t know that.” I put my hand in the middle. “Now, I would like the rest of you to give me your word that Dash will not leave this building tomorrow to hurt Charley anymore. I’ll give you some latitude on that, but I want him… for a lack of better word, neutralized.”

The group quickly shot their hands to the middle. “Agreed.”

“Good. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” The group nodded and began to depart to their usual sleeping corners. It had been a longer night than usual for most of them and daycare would start early tomorrow. If nothing else, we would need our sleep for the coming fight.

I started to walk off when Cassie came back up to me. “Hey, Hop! A few of us were wondering… did you want to join game night? It’s just tycoon money but it’s pretty fun. It’s only for like an hour at most.”

“Thanks, Cassie. Not tonight. I want to go talk to Sarge.”

She looked sad for a moment. “Sometimes you just need to let those types be on their own. Don’t I know it for how many times I’ve tried with that man.”

“I don’t believe the whole solo thing for a second, no offense. Not even with Sarge.”

“None taken, but… we’ve all tried. I was hopping, well… I was hoping I would be different, but it’s all just the same.” Her head drooped in defeat.

“You care about him, don’t you?”

“Who? Luvman?” She looked at me in shock but then quickly to the ground in embarrassment. “Is it that obvious?”

“Maybe not to everyone, but you are the only one who calls him Luvman instead of Sarge. Plus, he seems to actually be happy when you’re around. “

“You think he likes me back then?” Her tone was full of hope and her eyes grew wide as if talking about a dream.

“Absolutely! You should make a move.”

“I w… errr… no. I can’t be rejected. Not again. Not by someone who I care about again. I couldn’t take that.”

“I think you should try, Cassie, but that’s just me.”

“I’m too old for a guy like that.” She was just making excuses now to hide her feelings and keep her walls up. “I’m defective. My right arms squeaks at the shoulder and my hair… it’s too thin. He deserves someone better…”

“Well, I personally don’t care about those things, and therefore, I doubt the great sergeant does either.”

She seemed to think for a moment, but obviously just wanted to move on at this point. Years of rejection wasn’t helping me give her any more hope. I had to try with Sarge as well. ‘Maybe two broken halves good make a whole in this world?’ “Well, good luck tomorrow,” she quickly bounced back. “Maybe check with Victor for where he’s at if you’re so determined. They sometimes hang out together at night.”

“Thank you, Cassie.” She smiled, gave a little wave, and walked off, her pink shoes clacking lightly as she rounded the corner. I had hope for more from her, but I knew these things took time. I walked in the opposite direction she had and soon found Victor fluffing out a stuffed banana as a pillow. “Hey, Victor. Got a minute?”

Victor stopped messing with the banana and turned to face me. “Yeah. Just getting ready for the night, you know?”

“Yeah. I get that. I was wondering… have you seen Sarge?”

“Oh, yeah… he’s up on top of the storage cubbies.”

I looked at the top of the tall shelving units that stretched above everything else. Sure enough, I spotted the edge of a leg hanging off the side. “Thanks man.” I started to walk off, but something seemed to be on Victor’s mind as he now just sat by his banana pillow and stared blankly. “Hey, Victor. Did you want to talk about something else?”

He snapped out of his mindless gaze and looked at me directly with a serious determination I had only seen when discussing Ian. “I just wanted to say to be careful tomorrow. You might win, but just think of the cost. Don’t try to do it purely solo or anything. We don’t need another me walking around here. You’ve already got two bits going for you right now,” he said pointing to my ear and my side. “Both done by Dash even.”

“I hear you, but I’m sure whatever happens tomorrow, will just happen. Can’t do much about it now.”

“That’s just it. You talked tonight like it was tomorrow or bust. You prepared for the possibility of you not making it out. Don’t focus your revenge all on Dash. Be there for Charley.” He looked down at the ground and shuffled his foot for a moment. “I used to hate KH. Did you know that?” I shook my head, but it seemed obvious now.

“Yeah. He was the new toy when I was still there. Ian loved me but I hated KH. Too much. The bond with Ian fell apart, so by the time I got the boot by his mommy, I didn’t have any fight left. That sacred bond and all those years… all gone.”

“I get…”

“You don’t get it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stated the possibility of not making it out. You saw Wally. Our bonds last decades for the real lucky ones. Our connection is the strongest that either Little or toy will ever have in their lives. Maybe more than even one of these Big mommies or daddies.” Victor paused for a moment, and I couldn’t help but agree with some of these Bigs. Most seemed nice, but a few were more torturers than caregivers. Beyond Dash, however, I couldn’t think of a single hateful toy that could compare.

“Think on this. The Little will always love you and never outgrow you. Their life can be a tragedy, but we provide them with love and happiness. We are the light that is with them when everything else is black. We are the protector in the backyard jungles and the proper companions at tea with the queen. All of this is our purpose, and honestly, how can one simply give that up or let some terrible and evil toy take that from you? Take it from you by your destruction or your pursuit of theirs.”

I had never thought of it that way before, despite evidence to support it since I first came into this world. Perhaps Victor knew it too well only from his loss of the delicate connection we held with our Little. “Thank you, Victor. Maybe you all should be closer and help me out, even if I could take him alone…”

“That’s what I’m saying. Just remember Charley is the priority, not Dash, even if it means costing your revenge against him. If it comes to it, choose Charley over anything else. Ask for help at the slightest sign of trouble. Only go for the extremes of his destruction or yours if you don’t have any other options. I don’t see that being the case in a daycare surrounded by toys who care about you or Charley though.”

“Right.” I paused for a moment and looked at Victor. “Hug?” Victor nodded and we both embraced tightly as much as cuddly stuffies could.

After a moment, we broke apart. “I just want to thank you, Hop.”

“What for?”

“You were one of the first non-disposed of toys I had talked to here. You made me feel normal again… all of us, Cassie and Victor I mean… to even interact with all the other toys again. You gave us a little glimmer of hope even… and guess what?”

“What?”

His face grew an unusual, at least for him, smile. “I’ve been claimed by a Little coming here.”

“What? That’s awesome, man! Who are they?”

“It’s some pale goth girl who just started coming. Jenny. I think her family is into all that stuff and she seems to have an oddball streak in her, but when Miss Valerie told her my name… she broke down laughing and hugged me so hard, I thought all my stitches would rip open! So worth it though.” He got a far off and dreamy look. “You know, I may be sipping tea with spiders and some vampire-wannabe doll named ‘V,’ but I think Jenny loves me. Real deal and all.”

“That’s so great, Victor.” I patted his shoulder in a congratulatory gesture. “I hope to meet her someday.”

“I think you will. She wants to take me out of here even. She’s already regressing. Some sleep hypnotics and drugs or whatever. FOY maybe? Might see you in the Meadow Room pretty soon in fact.”

“Man, I hope she takes you home. Congratulations. Really, you deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, and good luck tomorrow.” We both shook hands for our own reasons. “Just remember what I said.” I nodded and left Victor to start plumping his banana pillow back up again.

Sarge was at the top of the case, but gratefully, the birdhouse-shaped cubbies were the perfect non-ladder construction I could climb with all the holes and bird perches for each. Finally, I made it to the top shelf, which was easily was above most of the Bigs heads, while still giving a good 1/3 of the total wall height in clearance up there to move around in. The trees camouflaged the enormity of the room, but it was immediately obvious from up here. I spotted Sarge, who was dangling his feet over the edge. “Hey, Sarge. Missed you at the ending part of that meeting…”

“Oh, right… sorry…” He looked ashamed and distant while still staring out onto the rest of the room.

“It’s okay. Mind if I sit here next to you?”

He scooched over a smidge. “Sure. Just don’t fall. Cassie just finished stitching you up.”

I smiled at his concern. I then balanced on the edge for a moment, before plopping down by Sarge with my own small legs dangling over the edge. After a moment, I noticed him looking at the night sky through one of the skylights. “Good night for stars…”

“Yeah…” Sarge shifted uncomfortably for a moment. “You know, I like coming up here at night. Reminds me of Timmy.” I leaned in and nodded my head to indicate I wanted to know more while arching back a bit to get a better view. “We used to camp out in the woods, with his mommy nearby of course, but looking up at the sky together… it felt like we were utterly alone but surrounded by a whole universe.”

Sarge shifted himself again and leaned back differently so he could still see the stars, but still face in my direction as well. “We would even wake back up at night when it was darker and stare at them some more. We didn’t know the names, but it didn’t matter. It was just… the freedom of it all. I miss those times…”

“I would imagine so… Timmy was a good bean.”

“Yeah… yeah, he was. And I messed it all up.” Sarge continued and looked at me before I could argue against that, “He was just regressed enough to want, and maybe even need me by his side. But he wasn’t regressed enough for his mommy, and she thought I was too mature or violent for him.”

“She wasn’t right. He was happy…”

“He was… I always wondered what became of him.” He stared intently at the night sky again. “I’m sorry about Dash. Sounds like what you’re doing will be good for Littles everywhere though.”

“Yeah. I need to protect my Little. Victor is right that I just need to focus on him. Charley’s all that matters…” I had to get out of my own head now and I also needed to press him more. Sarge couldn’t stay in this funk forever and everyone seemed to be tiptoeing around him. Beyond the advantage he could bring tomorrow against Dash, he was my friend. I had to look out for him, even if it meant kicking him in the butt a bit. “Have you ever thought about having another Little? I heard Victor…”

“My Little is gone. Timmy was my one and he’s gone. Besides, look at me.” I did. “I’m a soldier. I protect and serve, but I also kill. Doesn’t matter if I’ve never taken a life myself. A mommy, or even some daddies out there, look at me one time and just think of storming the beaches or firing bullets into others. Not comfort the Little they just got. I don’t fit in here. Not to a regressing Little anyway. Not even to the toys around here…”

“Well… don’t be too sure about that.” Sarge stopped staring at the stars and cocked his head in curiosity toward me. “Who better to protect a Little from what goes bump in the night than a soldier? Besides, we all noticed you missing from the end of the meeting, and Victor and Cassie both care about you… a lot.”

Sarge seemed to chew on the information for a moment. “Cassie cared about me?”

I internally chuckled at the fact that he ignored everything I had said, except for Cassie. “Yes, mustache man! Good grief. She notices you more than anyone else. A toy without eyes could see that. And you know, I’m willing to stake my life that you care about her too.”

“But she… she never said anything.” It was odd seeing the typically brooding and stoic solider timidly asking about a girl he liked, even if they were both just toys. ‘I suppose we all have something we get nervous about…’

“How could she? You’re Sarge. The protector of the daycare from all evil sitting on your tower high above everyone else. She thinks she’s not good enough for you!”

“She…” Sarge seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. “She’s the most beautiful toy I’ve ever seen.”

“Ha! Wow. Who knew Sarge had a soft spot but come on! Just go tell her.”

“Maybe tomorrow... Dash is dangerous. There’s something about his moves you described that seem familiar. Deadly maybe… I don’t want to tell her, only to lose her the next day.”

“Well, I think there’s no time like the present, but we would be a lot safer with the Sarge around tomorrow. Cassie would as well. We need our soldier. Our Sarge.”

“You… I’m just a toy, Hop. I haven’t been to battle. I would fail. I can’t fail another I care about.”

‘Ugh. Another toy too scared to fail.’ I knew years of being the outcasts of Littles everywhere didn’t help. I said what I needed, and I didn’t want to pester my friend anymore than I had to. “I understand. No matter what happens tomorrow, we’ll still be friends if I come out the other side.” Sarge only nodded, having looked back at the stars once more. I had said my peace and that was it. Only time would tell if any of my words had sunk into the old soldier.

I stayed up there with Sarge for most of the night. We drifted in and out for hours beneath the peaceful stars and the warm glow of the nightlight below. For a place so marred by playful screaming or tears during the day, it was quite serene at night. I couldn’t doubt the beauty of the place with my friend alongside, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous for tomorrow. No matter who won, I knew that either way, one of us would be put down permanently by the end of the day. Charley’s very existence as more than a hollow shell depended on it.

[Guilend]

I might have shed a tear on that one. Definitely a tear jerker. I loved. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Getting close to the end now! Depending on how I feel during the edit, there will either be one or two more chapters. In either case, the rest of the story will be posted tomorrow. 

Thank you all for your likes and comments! Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 15: To the Pain, Stitch By Stitch

The next morning, I awoke amongst the nap mats where most of the toys had slept soundly during the night. Last night had steeled me in my resolve to end this conflict with Dash. It would likely be done today in the next few hours. The staff would begin arriving momentarily, and then soon after, all the Littles. Knowing Monica, she would arrive just slightly later than most of the others.

The group from last night, minus Sarge, crowded around the small table once more. “I know I said that today could be the end, but after talking a bit last night, I would like you all to join in if you see me start to slip. This isn’t pistols at dawn or anything. This is for Charley. It needs to be guaranteed, and honestly, I would like to be there for what comes next… no matter what.”

Victor knowingly smiled at me, and I continued. “Now I know that Dash is stronger, faster and more resilient than me, but with you all, I’m sure we will win.”

“Think of using your ears as well,” Pete added. “You are different toys. Use them to your advantage. They could be another card in your favor.”

“Good point.”

“You can still back out of this,” Cassie offered.

“No, Cassie. I need to do this. Dash is a menace to Charley, but he’ll just continue to hurt other Littles. Even when he’s done with Charley, he’ll go on to another Little and destroy them. He must be stopped.”

“Then we’re with you.” Cassie smiled at me. The group seemed confident, and now it was just a matter of tim…

Ring!

The front door to the daycare then opened. The toys scattered but the one thing that I had forgotten about was where I should go while I was waiting for Dash. Before I could make a plan with the rest of the toys, Mrs. Gillies walked into the room. In such a tidy place, I was spotted by the cubbies within minutes of her morning routine. “Hmmm…” she flipped me over and saw ‘Charley’ sewn into my upper thigh with black thread. “I thought so. I swear you went home with him, but…” she shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I’m sure Charley misses his dear Hop. Let’s just put you in his cubby, shall we?”

‘Damn!’ Seeing Charley would have been wonderful, but Dash would see me as well. The element of surprise may have been minor, but every bit of help would be needed to take the super dog down today.

I was walked over to the Meadows Room and placed in Charley’s cubby for safekeeping. Within minutes, Miss Mindy and the others showed up, and after a bit of waiting later, the Littles also began arriving for the day. I had no room or time to escape the cubby without being seen. It didn’t take long for Charley to then be led into the room by an attendant I didn’t know, Dash in hand. “Careful of this one today, Mindy. Apparently, there was some kind of glitch in his toy, and he… skipped a few steps.” ‘Dash! You low-down, piece of garbage.’ “We may consider the Burrows Room for this one after recess depending on how he’s doing.”

“Oh, I’m sure this is just his Littlespace right now. My buddy isn’t ready to leave me just yet, is he?” Mindy bent down and tickled Charley a little bit, but his laugh seemed off. More chaotic… sloppy even.

The other attendant stared deeply at Miss Mindy and didn’t crack a smile. “Mindy… you don’t understand. Charley isn’t in Littlespace right now at all.” ‘What! Oh, what have you done Dash?’ I knew breastfeeding Charley would knock him down a bit, but this was something much more. When I left, Charley may have been hovering around six mentally, but honestly, it was hard to tell exact ages all the time without the benefit of tests or physical spurts of regression like height. Further, due to the Littles’ nature, mental regression and abilities didn’t always coordinate with what thy looked like. Even bearing that in mind though, Charley had certainly not been the drooling toddler I was viewing now. I just hoped that his mind was only coping with the stress, instead of being damaged from the sudden change.

“Oh. Oh my. Maybe I was wrong then. We’ll keep an eye on him… walking assisted only I’m guessing?” The other assistant only nodded. “Alright. I’ve got him.” Miss Mindy bent down and picked up the now-toddler dressed in a cartoon-themed romper, again bulging thickly around the lower midsection. If Charley minded the handling, he didn’t show it. Miss Mindy walked over to one end of the room, rocked him for a moment, and then deposited him in a playpen that took up part of the area on that side. I overheard workers calling it the ‘sty’ one day while Charley had been getting changed and I quickly realized that it was only out at certain times of the day, and more importantly, most of the Littles placed inside were likely headed to the Burrows Room within days. This place was nothing if not regulated, so discovering patterns in the trajectory of the Littles came easily to anyone who watched for more than a moment or actually cared. Charley and many of the others were now always too occupied by the immediate task in front of them, be it playing, getting changed, being fed, or sleeping to notice any such pattern.

From my perch nestled in the cubby, I could view Charley playing mindlessly with Dash one moment, blocks another, and scribbling around some paper the next. Miss Mindy offered to put Dash into Charley’s cubby after a few moments of him being discarded in the playpen, but Charley just started to argue, toss around, and then break into tears. I was relieved to remain hidden, but to any casual observer, it was a typical toddler tantrum. Miss Mindy relented and quickly gave Dash back to Charley. It wasn’t worth upsetting a Little over.

From the interaction, I couldn’t tell what had happened exactly. To any Big, it was a good sign of his regression. Charley was clearly in the ‘me’ stage of being a Little, as only his concerns were valid, and everyone else was just an observer. This was further augmented by that even if he wasn’t using or looking at something, it still had to be within his sight. The loss of object permanence was an important step downward. In all likelihood, Charley probably didn’t want to leave Monica when being dropped off this morning and had either thrown a fit or had been bribed to come along easily. For the second option, while Charley could have been exhibiting a loss of object permanence as well, my lack of a presence could have contributed to his outburst. The loss of a friend would basically be devastating to a Little, so another toy loss was unimaginable to their inner psyche. It may have been self-centered of me to think that way, but I held onto hope that Charley was less and regressed and also still knew me through his drastic regression last night.

After a long round of bouncing between his toddler activities, my keen observation showed me a scene that shook me to my core. Charley was crawling with Dash and pretending to run with him when he suddenly stopped, puffed out his cheeks, look relieved, and then kept crawling. Charley had just messed himself, which had become par for the course, but the difference was that Charley hadn’t registered it at all now and went gleefully back to playing with Dash. A small smile even started to appear on his face afterward. ‘Not good.’

Charley wasn’t paying attention to anything and crawled right into a group of Littles that had been in this room for some time. Two days ago, they seemed so young, but with their fixed glaring at Charley from their standing position, Charley was obviously now the younger candidate of the ‘sty’ today.

“Watch where you’re going, you stupid little baby!” the tallest one jeered.  

“Sowwy…” Charley looked despondent over his mistake, but the knock had seemed to force Charley to pop out of whatever daze he had been in. Still regressed, but maybe clearer. This became more evident when Charley shakily used the playpen’s sturdy sides to brace himself against and stand up. It was a struggle, but he made it. In small moments like these, it was hard not to feel proud of your Little when they were still pushing past everything that they had been through. “I wasn’ pwaying attent’n. I’ll… weally, weally twy.”

“Does it look like we care?” ‘Not good at all.’ The taller and firmly standing Little suddenly shoved Charley back. His strength and coordination had taken a hit already and the shove was too much. Charley fell back onto his butt and sat there stunned for a moment. “You’ll be in the burrows soon. We don’t need promises from the likes of you.”

It was too much for Charley, and he burst out into an audible and visible set of tears. Whatever mental clarity had been gained in that single moment of standing was lost in an instant. Less than 20 seconds later, Mindy was on the scene while another attendant started to berate the older crowd. The standing Little was obviously having a bad morning, even before Charley had bumped into him, and proceeded to flick off the other attendant.

Her reaction was swift and firm. She yanked the Little out of the playpen and carried him away under her arm. He screamed out obscenities I had never even dreamed of before and drummed his fists and legs into her as hard as he could. It made no difference whatsoever as he was escorted out of the room, his screams echoing in the hallways. ‘Idiot.’ This place may have been more liberal in their treatment of Littles, but a fighting and cursing Little was still dealt with harshly.

Meanwhile, Charley had been escorted to one of the changing stations in the back of the room. My view was obscured but I could still make out a series of small coos and eventual giggling from Charley. I didn’t like the babyish squeals that he was emitting afterward, but he at least seemed happy once more. With his regression being as bad as it was now, the small victories had to be savored.

Moments later, Charley was escorted back to the playpen while still clutching Dash. Mindy gave him a bottle and Charley sucked furiously at it while lying on his back. He seemed oblivious to the world, even as the once standing Little had been brought back into the room. Tear marks streaked across his face and mixed with his runny nose, while a small dribble of milk escaped his lips. The formerly standing Little had been punished and likely fed from the source or given one of the more advanced regression formulas. It wouldn’t last more than an hour, but his former friends still regarded his current predicament in fear. Too many of those trips and the effects would only grow longer until becoming permanent.

After Charley finished the bottle, Mindy came back and burped him for a moment, producing a small amount of spit-up. Even in his regressed and milk haze of a state, Charley looked annoyed. I hoped that he didn’t want to be treated so babyishly, but his quick action to resume his unfocused coloring had quickly doused that feeling. He just wanted to color again and not be interrupted. Not long after, the bell rang.

Bring! Bring! Bring!

The bell sounded differently in this room. I had wondered why when Charley and I first came to the Meadows Room before, but from my vantage point now, I could clearly see that the bell was quieter and therefore disturbed few of the Littles in the room. It seemed the bell was more for the nursery attendants than the Littles themselves, as Mindy and the others soon busied themselves with getting the room outside. By the very nature of some of the Littles being more non-ambulatory, the attendants went back and forth to pick one up and then deposit them outside. Within ten minutes, the room was quiet once more.

After spying the other toys beginning to move about, I made my way cautiously down from the cubby. Dash was immediately obvious over his boisterous nature with some of the toys, which allowed me to slink closely to the wall and by some of the windows outside undetected.

I momentarily stopped and spied Charley outside playing in the sandbox with some of the other Littles. He had played in the sandbox before while still in the Canopy Room, but his play had consisted of sandcastles and small reenactments. Now, Charley seemed more interested in the texture of the sand and then dumping it clumsily into a pile before him.

“…and then boom! The kid messes his pants. Right at the breakfast table! It was so loud, the thing seemed to echo off the walls. I know for sure it was loud and big enough to vibrate the highchair he was in!” It was Dash. Even from what I had briefly heard, he was definitely bragging about regressing Charley. For their part, many of the toys around him feigned interest. They knew their role as backup fighters against Dash and hated him as much as a toy meant for a Little could hate a fellow toy. Dash was too preoccupied with his success the night before that he didn’t notice a few of the less subtle seething in the background.

I wanted to be with Charley, but Dash had to be dealt with first. Victor’s messages rang in my head. I pried my eyes away from the window and hobbled over to the crowd that had gathered to hear the stories.

“How long do you think you have left?”

“I might be a super toy, but I’m not that super. It’s mainly Monica’s decision, but I probably won’t stop until he’s a newborn. No chance of growing up then! Ha! Can you…”

“Dash!” The room froze and stared at me in anticipation.

Dash slowly turned and faced me, his eyes glowing yellow and squinted in anger. “You… I knew I should have finished you off good and proper. That’s a weakness on my part. Not again…”

“It’s over, Dash!” I stood my ground and clenched my fists. “You tried to get rid of me once, but it’s just another failure for you.”

“How do you figure that?” He sniffed the air in revulsion and continued before I could counter what he had said. “Hmm. Garbage rabbit of the daycare made it out in one piece.” I saw him looking at my ear. “Well, maybe almost out in one piece.”

I shook the taunt off, especially knowing I smelled like the lavender soap still from last night’s wash. “This ends today, Dash. You’ve hurt Charley too much.”

“Funny. I was just thinking the same about you…” I glared at him. “That’s right, carrot muncher. If you had actually done your job, I wouldn’t have been called in. What good’s a toy that can’t even do their first job?”

The crowd of toys gasped. “You’re wrong, Dash. I may have set up the events that brought you into our lives, but you forget. As a toy for a Little, our longer and more important task is to be there for them afterward. To bond with them until one of us departs this world.” ‘Wally.’ “Something you obviously will never know anything about!”

Dash glared as the crowd of toys ‘oohed’ over my insult. “I don’t have to know, big ears. In two days, tops, the Charley you know will be gone. He won’t even really know what a toy is. Just the feeling of it as it goes in his mouth to be endlessly drooled over.”

The thought stabbed me in the gut. I couldn’t let that happen to Charley, but I had to remain strong. “If that’s the case, then I will still be there for him. I’m his toy and I’ll be there for him through it all. You won’t. You’ll go from toy to toy. You won’t know the love each of us can have. You’re dead inside already. You would have our sympathy but you’re just… broken.” I then noticed the toys from the Canopy Room had now joined us, but I still sadly didn’t see Sarge.

Dash only grinned back at my remark. “Speaking of broken, because you know, you’re right... I do go from toy to toy, and when I’m done… there’s almost nothing left.” Sarge then fell back onto his hind legs and showed his belly. After a moment of fiddling with his outercoat, a swatch of it fell away. “See the names?” Names written in permanent marker were etched along the inside. All were scratched off, except one, Charley. “Phil, Naomi, Jason, Timmy…”

“Oh! No!” The crowd gasped in horror at the revelation.

“I take it you all know a Timmy, huh?” The crowd’s stunned and devastated silence confirmed his suspicions. “Yeah… Timmy. He was a good one. Kept crying when I came in. ‘Sarge, oh Sarge.’ And ‘who will protect me now?’” Dash mocked. “Timmy was begging all the way. Even when his words turned to complete gibberish, he just kept crying instead. Didn’t stop until he was nothing. Just a blank slate for his mommy.”

I cringed and held back my emotions as best as I could. The crowd seemed ready to tear out his throat as well. “Just shut up, Dash. Go away. Charley is regressed enough. You’ve won. Just leave.” I had to try to end this peacefully first. Charley deserved a toy not being held together by thousands of jagged stitches.

“Very well…”

I didn’t want it to end that way, but Dash was dangerous and just needed to leave. This way, everyone could win. I turned around and faced the crowd of toys. They seemed relieved and even happy through their strained emotions from Dash’s recent verbal lashes about Timmy. Pete, Betty, KH, Victor, and many others started coming towards me. Then, they all looked horrified at once.

Just as Pete started to yell out and point his feathered limb behind me, I heard a growl.

“Nobody wins but me!” I heard the scrape of metal and just as I turned, Dash was barreling right into me.

Dash quickly pounced on me, and it didn’t take me long to see his extended metal claws protruding from each paw now, instead of just his single usual one. “The job isn’t over until Charley is nothing! Got that? I should have done this when I first met you!” Dash raised his paw and brought it down at me.

Fortunately, his verbal threats gave me enough time to come up with a quick plan, and I dodged his paw and took advantage of his raised state and rolled away while I wasn’t fully pinned down. He didn’t fall over after my roll but it was enough for me to ready my defensive posture. “We could have been friends.”

“Never!” Dash was determined to end my existence now at any cost. Using his blind fury, I was able to keep up with his lunges and swipes for the first few minutes, but each became more daring and harder to dodge. Part of his attacks felt designed to find my weaknesses and the others always went for the area they could do the most damage. Left paw! Right paw! Lunge with the teeth! Each was more vicious than the last. Dash’s glowing yellow eyes did nothing to ease my apprehension over his growing brutality toward me.

Our fight began to move slowly up the stacks of books, toys, and chairs until we were at the top of one of the smaller storage cubbies. The toys below watched in terror as each attack came closer to nipping me and ripping my body to shreds. My ears began to jump in on the action to serve as further blocks against his attacks, but they only provided so much protection.

The fight wasn’t going well, but at the top, Dash suddenly stopped. Is he giving up? Now?’ I was puzzled over his actions, but only for a moment.

“You’ve gotten better. Defense suits you better, but this ends now.” Dash bared his mouth and each of his normally pearly but dull teeth extended into sharp points. His claws extended out further as well.

“What the…?” I was flabbergasted over such features for a toy. It didn’t add up. “What are you?”

“A last request for a dead rabbit. Fine… in your death, know that I’m a super toy. Designed to protect a Little in case of an emergency. Military grade tech allows me to keep my charge safe from terrorists, murders, kidnappers. All of them. Even defective toys like you.”

“I guess protecting the Little from everyone except for yourself, huh?”

Dash growled. “No one is safe from me, especially not you. You have no chance at beating me.” Dash then lunged out again.

His mouth and claws now presented a larger problem for me and I had to work doubly hard to avoid them. Before, his muzzle could be swatted away if I was careful enough. Now, it came at me as the largest problem. It had the intended effect. I was paying too close attention to the razors in his mouth that I didn’t see his left paw coming with his extended claws. I couldn’t dodge them in time.

My right side split open in three spots as he cleaved me from the side. Small bits of stuffing fell out and I collapsed on the ground, holding my insides in as best I could. I couldn’t see the wound he had inflicted, but it felt long in places and fragile in others. I knew that any extreme movements could cause my entire right side to spill out everywhere.

“End of the line, furball.” Dash backed me up to the edge of the cubbies. Due to the area being part of the art station, a garbage shoot led directly to the incinerator with a few buttons, all of which were within reach of Dash now. “You may have gotten out of your last fall,” he looked maniacally at the activation buttons on the wall, “but I doubt it this time.” Dash reached up with his paw to activate the chute.

I closed my eyes and thought of Charley...

“I don’t think so!” My eyes shot open and without any warning, Sarge swung in on a large rope from above, using his full force to knock Dash away from me and off the storage cubby shelving into the blackness behind. I guess my words and Dash’s taunts had made a dent in the aged soldier.

“Sorry for not getting here sooner,” Sarge said as he pulled me up.

“Don’t mention it. You saved my hide,” I looked at the gash under my arm with the stuffing still gently spilling out, “literally.”

We both had a good laugh at that. Sarge still looked sad though and I knew it was from when he had heard Dash talk about Timmy. It could have been any Timmy with just a name, but Dash’s further elaboration of the story left little doubt that it was Sarge’s Timmy more specifically. Without another thought, I gave Sarge a large hug. It was one of my purposes after all, but to my surprise, Sarge only fully embraced me back. I only hoped the news that he had heard today wouldn’t depress him more in the long run. If they did though, he had plenty of friends and one fashionable doll out there to help him through it.

After a few more moments, Sarge broke the hug, and we embraced the crowd below us. All the toys cheered over our victory. It was a nice moment in a series of bad ones since Dash had entered our lives. I turned to Sarge, “Well, hopefully that will have taken care of Dash. Destroyed or not, I think a fall like that would have put him out of action for a bit.”

“Yeah. I just… look out!” Sarge quickly shoved me out of the way.

I landed on my side and nearly fell off the cubby storage. When I looked back, Dash was standing over a fallen Sarge and now looked ravenous and crazed. Apparently, the fall had not hurt him, and he seemed only twice as vicious in his momentary defeat. Unfortunately, his growling and monstrous look was only accentuated by Sarge’s arm firmly clasped in between Dash’s teeth.

“You thought it would be so easy to get rid of me? Me?” Dash shouted as best he could with Sarge’s arm still wedged between his teeth. “Perhaps this will teach you.” In a flash, Dash clenched down harder.

Sarge’s eyes shot open over the sensation now coursing through his trapped arm. “Ahhh!”

[LostBBoyBear]

So, during my edits of the final chapter, I realized how long it was going to be. To keep with the averages for the rest of the story, I ended up splitting it into two parts again. That being said, I will be busy tomorrow and the final chapter is nearly full edited already, so I will just post it later tonight. 

Chapter 16: Putting the Stuffing Back In

“Ahhh! My arm!” Sarge cried out in pain. Before I could mount a defense to aid Sarge, Dash struck me squarely in the gut, which pushed me off the top of the narrow cubby storage.

Due to the short height of the storage cubby and my fluffy padding, the fall only knocked my senses around a bit. After a moment when they resolved, I saw Nadia prowling around me. “Need a lift, Hop?”

“I’ll take one,” I said smiling. I mounted her long, large back and looked up at Dash still biting Sarge’s arm. From the sound of things and the bits I could still see, Sarge was still fighting against him. “Come on, we need to go help Sarge.”

“Follow me.” Cassie stood in front of us and led Nadia up the shelving and stacked books around to get to the top.

Once there, Sarge’s arm was no longer pinned, but Dash was now on top of him and thrashing about with his claws still extended. Bits of clothing flung about, and deep scratches began to appear all over Sarge’s body, despite his on-going efforts to defend himself. Dash was just too strong.

“Get away from him, you mutt!” Cassie jumped in and held a four-tined fork to hold off Dash. With it being metal, Dash could only paw away at it, rather than completely destroy the object as he had tried with the rest of us. Gratefully, it was enough for him to back off. Nadia then ran in, but her attack was anticipated by Dash, who just used her momentum to toss her around and into Cassie, sending them both to the floor and narrowly missing the incinerator chute.

Dash paused for a moment and savagely looked from me to Sarge. We were both his targets, but as Dash refocused his direct attention on me, there was no doubt in my mind who he really wanted to pour out his anger against.

We fought once more. Claw! Ear block! Chomp! Swipe! Punch! Push! Bite! Using my ears more this time, I held him off for a little bit, but my clawed side was slowing me down. Dash had me on my back again after I tried avoiding his bite with a back step, where he took advantage of my off-balance form.

He edged me closer to the incinerator chute, as I crawled on my back. I couldn’t believe my luck of ending in this position for at least the third time in the past two days, but like a prayer answered from above, Pete swooped in with his bright wings extended fully. He couldn’t actually fly, but his perfect dive landed right into Dash’s chest. All three of us went flying to the ground. Pete landed the furthest away and was momentarily dazed. Dash fell headfirst onto the edge of the incinerator but just bounced off limply to the floor. I had bounced myself off the other side which pushed me into the chute of the incinerator, and by a miracle only, I managed to hang on to the thin metal edge.

“Take my hand!”

I looked up and saw Betty holding out her hand from top of the storage cubby. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see someone in my life!”

“That’s great, but seriously, take my hand!” Betty emphasized her outstretched appendage, and I gladly took it. I could already feel the strain and further popping of my injured side. Despite our hand size differences, she managed to cling on and lift me up.

Once back on top of the storage cubby, I saw that Victor was also present and holding onto her other hand to counterbalance my weight. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.”

“Don’t mention it, buddy. Now, I think we have a pooch that needs dealing with.”

“Right.” I nodded and the three of us made our way back to the floor. In Dash’s momentarily dazed state, Nadia had pounced on top of him, and Cassie held her fork to his gullet.

“Hop, what do you want to do with him?” Nadia asked me directly. Dash tried to wiggle around, but Nadia only put more pressure on him, while Cassie dug her fork into his neck, creating an indentation from the pressure.

This was my moment. I could crush the toy, if one could even call him one, that had caused so much pain for so many Littles and toys alike. It would be easy and any Big or Little would chalk his subsequent disappearance up to just another lost toy, but it felt wrong somehow. It didn’t seem like the toy thing to do. “Get rid of him. I don’t want to see you again, Dash. Otherwise, we can start all this again and you’ve seen how that little scenario has ended today. You might have the advantage of one-on-one, but I have people in my corner. You’re just a spiteful and lonely toy at the end of it all.”

The toys murmured and some even groaned but Nadia just nodded her head in my direction. “It is the decision of this daycare that you, Dash, are hereby banished under penalty of incineration from these premises. Take your leave and never return.”

Dash just started laughing. “Banishment? Ha, ha! You’ve gotta be kidding me, right? You’re all toys! Less than toys. You’re all nothing! I’m the future! You’re all just trash!” With his final words, Dash wiggled out of Nadia’s weight and tossed her back. He easily dodged most of the fork from Cassie at his neck and only managed to get scratched on his left hind leg. It barely phased him.

Dash sprinted up, and using his paws and extended claws, managed to open a window. “I won’t be back. It’s not worth it for a pants pooper like little Char-Char. It doesn’t matter and you’ll all soon be trash anyways. Just wait!” Dash then jumped out of the open window, onto the nearby fence, and into the yard beyond.

“Should we warn…?” Betty asked, nodding to the yard.

Nadia smiled. “These things have a way of working themselves out…”

We all gathered on top of and between the shelves to view the chain link fence and Dash’s form quickly run through the yard on the other side. “Ah, yes. Patience is something to be valued,” KH breathed, almost sounding relieved.

I looked at him questioningly and he only pointed to a sign on the far end of the fence, ‘Beware of Dog.’ I smiled and remembered the loud barks that had come from the yard when Woofy had passed by there last night. Pete’s earlier warning rang in my head again.

Sure enough, it only took a moment before a larger and snarling dog slowly crouched from his small doghouse in the yard. Dash had stepped on one too many dried twigs on his way across the yard, and the once sleepy dog was now wide awake and looking for the source of the noise. It didn’t take long.

“Ahhh! Shoot. Help me! Someone! Anyone!” Dash ran around the yard in a desperate ploy to avoid the much larger and real dog. Like he had done with us, the dog quickly caught up with Dash and clamped its jaws around his rigid form. “Ahhh!”

Despite my hatred over what Dash had done to Charley and his hatred for me and most other toys that didn’t seem to bow to his whims, being bitten by a dog was no picnic. I touched my ear in almost a sympathetic gesture to my former rival and enemy. Though Dash had been built tough, the dog was persistent, and fluff and tufts of fur were soon dancing around all over the yard next door.

We all looked away from the inevitable conclusion of a dog versus toy incident. We had won against the super toy, but celebrations had to wait. Now was the time to count what the victory had actually cost and to prepare for what was to come.

“Let’s get you all looked at. Hop, we really need to reunite you with Charley. You’ve more than earned it as a toy,” Nadia nearly purred as she passed by me. “But your work’s not over yet. He’s going to need a friend, now more than ever.”

I nodded but then looked under my arm and then at Sarge. “I think we might need a bit of fixing first, though. Charley is still playing outside for the moment. If he’s going to need me, he needs a fully patched toy.”

“Right.” Nadia turned back toward Cassie. “Cassie…”

Bring! Bring! Bring!

The bell went off again. Being in the Meadows Room, rather than the Canopy Room, meant that the Littles would slowly reenter the building. It gave us toys a few moments to gather up, say our goodbyes for now, and be led away by Cassie and Victor.

“You’re just lucky that Jenny isn’t here today, and Cassie is between Littles right now.”

“Thanks, you two… but where are we going?”

“To the Burrows Room,” Cassie said, holding a large chunk of my stuffing in her arms that had fallen after Pete had flown into Dash and me.

“What? Is Charley there now? Did something happen to him? I’ve got to go!” I bolted for the door.

“Woah, woah. Calm down, Hop.” Victor held me back while still holding Sarge up against his body, still unconscious from the fight with Dash. “Charley isn’t there, but its quiet and we put the supplies back in place from already fixing you up last night. Remember? Plus, it’s almost always naptime around this point in the day, so Littles will be napping and Big presence will be at a minimum, if at all.”

“Oh… sorry about that.”

“Don’t think about it, Hop. Let’s just get you fixed up and back to Charley.”

I nodded in appreciation and followed Victor and Cassie along the ventilation shaft connecting most of the rooms. The vents were extra large and mostly unchecked, so many of the toys used them to pass between rooms during the daytime. Being attached to a Little, I never had the need to use them before. Betty, KH, Splash, and a few others turned left up ahead, while we eventually turned right.

After finally exiting under what I guess was one of the many cribs in a silent room, Victor cautiously checked beyond and then signaled to us that the coast was all clear. On our way to the other side of the room where the repairing supplies were kept by the toys underneath one of the floorboards and hidden away, I took in the room that could one day be my usual place to stay with Charley.

Small warm lights illuminated the gray, brown, and tan walls that were shaped to look like rocks or dug-out mud. Instead of looking dreary or messy though, the whole interior looked like a cozy cave that any creature would love to spend a long winter in. Small root-like structures cascaded gently from the ceiling and the white tendrils of the smaller simulated plants glowed in a faint blue, red, or yellow hue. The larger sets of roots formed column-like structures and intermingled with more sculpted rocks and twig and straw-looking materials to form the cribs and changing tables of the room. Cubbies simply existed as hollowed out holes in the wall. No outside lights could be seen, except through one skylight, and I couldn’t help but feel sleepy myself in the room. If one didn’t peer into the cribs, the room would almost feel pleasant in a subtle and more resigned way.

I, however, did look in the cribs. While all Littles took on characteristics of their age through small manipulations of clothing or haircuts, the Littles asleep in the cribs seemed to vary widely in the ages they were trying to mimic. Though some only appeared to be regressed in their clothing or their actions in their sleep, like thumb sucking, others appeared to be more altered. These altered Littles wouldn’t be like Charley, but they were still a sign of things that once were. I remembered that KH had warned of the previously taken drastic measures to regress Littles, and many in the room seemed to exhibit that previous treatment. It was nightmare fuel for any caring or sane individual.

Nearly all the obviously altered Littles had thinning hair that peaked out from the small knit caps on their heads. Faded scars streaked all over some of their bodies near major tendons and joints, and some even had faint scarring around their heads. Technology here was now advanced but from the PSAs I had seen while waiting in the mall, many Bigs wanted results before the technology had a chance to catch up. To say it would be a miracle for any of the altered Littles to resume their previous lives in any capacity would be a massive understatement.

“Hop!” Victor called to me in a hushed tone. “Stop looking at them. Give them their peace. We need to fix you up anyway.”

I nodded and toddled over to where Victor and Cassie had Sarge laid out now. A smiling pear and an amorphous beach ball huddled nearby and were accessing the floor under one of the cribs to get the sewing supplies. Simpler toys designed for comfort and ease of play were the main staple in this room. Toys like me and most of the rest of the group I had already met were tightly tucked within each Little’s arm and were only reminders of the Littles’ previous mental states. They calmly waved at me as I walked by, but then snuggled back into their Little. Littles at this stage often napped, but sporadically awoke, so their toys had to remain with them for most of the time in case a daycare attendant decided to check back in on them.

Getting closer to the group, I could now see several scratches and puncture marks all over Sarge’s body underneath his mostly ripped clothing. Laid out and under a focused light, his injuries were now obvious. “Can you fix him?”

“We can try…” Victor noted. “Get the iron ready, Cassie.”

Cassie nodded and walked away to the other toys retrieving more supplies. “Iron?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s not pretty, but Sarge is made from a plastic of sorts. We’ve found it to be pretty forgiving if melted back together. He’ll have some scars, for lack of a better word, but we can at least fill the holes he’s got now.” Victor readjusted himself and got out a needle and thread. “As for you… come here into the light. I need to stitch you back up… and maybe add a little fluff back.”

As Victor started the process of patching me up, Sarge began to awake and move around. “Did… did we win?”

“Hey… yeah, man. We won. Dash should be gone for good now. We… well, we need some fixing, but we should be mostly fine. Right, Victor?”

“Yeah… right,” Victor said half-heartedly, trying to thread the needle in his hands. Beyond Cassie, Victor was one of the few with opposable thumbs among the daycare toys. From the minor repairs he had done on himself, he was practically an expert now at sewing toys back up in his own right.

“Just make me pretty, okay? I think I’ve got someone to impress,” Sarge said, dreamily looking in the distance at Cassie.

“You do. She’s lucky to have a toy like you if you would just ask her out. But regardless, I will be the prettiest here,” I joked.

“Fellas, please. Of course, I’m the prettiest. These women love scars and… well, I’m the motherload.” We all laughed at our shared battle scars while Victor finished re-stuffing my side with the extra padding the daycare had on stock.

“Hey, Sarge. Thanks for saving me. I don’t think I would have made it otherwise.” I looked at his deeply punctured arm. “And about your arm and…” I gestured to his entire body. “I’m…”

Sarge held up his mangled hand to stop me. “Please. Hop, you have a Little. One who needs you. I did what any toy would do. For Timmy…”

I patted him on his back as my own unspoken thanks. “Well, regardless of what praise you’ll allow to be heaped on you, going against Dash like that was very brave,” Victor added. “More than even what I did with my Little.”

“And that surprises you all?” Cassie asked, now returned, holding a large soldering iron. “Elliot has always been brave…

“Elliot?” Victor and I exclaimed at the same time.

“Yes. Elliot,” Sarge groaned. “Just don’t spread it around. Only my girl can call me that…”

We both nodded, but Cassie just stood there flabbergasted. “Y… your girl? Does that mean?”

“If you’ll have me…”

Cassie then flew into his arms, dropping the iron in her hand. “Of course! Of course! It’s about darn time.” The two kissed passionately, despite the occasional grimace from Sarge when one of his deep gashes was pressed on accidentally.

After a moment, I decided that priorities needed to be in order and that Sarge would at least like to be in one piece somewhat. “Ahem…”

Cassie and Sarge stopped kissing and seemed embarrassed. “Sorry about that… Twenty years of waiting by myself and ten more and all for El… What was I saying? Oh! Right… And you came back, Hop! That took some guts. Thank you.” Cassie mellowed and held Sarge’s hand gracefully. “It could have gone a lot worse for Elliot here.” Sarge blushed but allowed her tender ministrations and use of his first name. Cassie then turned to Victor. “Speaking of guts, how are we looking Victor? All sewn up?”

Victor was now tying a knot in my side, having worked diligently through their make out session. “Well, no lightning bolt, but we should be good.”

“Perfect. You get him to Charley. I’ve got a certain Sergeant who needs my… personal attention…” Cassie said while smiling coyly.

Victor and I looked at each other in mutual understanding of the need to leave as soon as possible. “Uh… right. We’ll leave you to it.” The last Victor and I saw of them was the two of them embracing each other lovingly for a second time.

After walking back to the classroom, we both could hear a Little wailing in distress. It was pitiful and gut wrenching and we both grimaced over what they must be experiencing. Tears were one thing, but this could be felt in one’s gut. It screamed that something precious had been lost; a despair only known by those who let their hearts open but were then crushed. By the time we reached the room, the cries had dissipated, and the room was dark. It was obviously naptime now, but we were confronted by both Nadia and Pete before we could move on.

“Charley needs you,” Pete said.

“Right. That’s why I’m here. All stitched up and ready to go.”

“No, Hop. He needs you, needs you,” Nadia emphasized. I only looked at her in confusion. She sighed. “When Charley was being put down for a nap, no one could find Dash and the staff presumed you had been lost again. Pete here took your place, but Charley was still in distress. For a while there, the staff was freaking out. A Little in distress is more common here than a wet diaper, but a Little in distress from a lost toy in a daycare. Not good for anyone.”

“You mean the crying… that was Charley?”

“Yes… it was awful. You need to go to him,” Pete said, wrapping his wing on my shoulder. “After all you’ve been through, we don’t want Charley to break down fully at this point. The little dude needs his stuffy.”

“I’m on it.”

“Good.” I started to walk away when Nadia touched me with her paw before I could go further. “Hop. We didn’t want to tell you this, but the staff… they were talking that if Charley didn’t calm down before he left for the day when he woke up, they were going to recommend for him to go to the Burrows Room. Permanently.”

“Oh. I understand. They kind of mentioned that this morning. I’ll be with him.” I took a breath in. “It’s going to be okay. I’ve got this.”

“Yes, you do.” Nadia said.

“Good luck,” Victor added as he patted me on the shoulder.

I nodded to them both and walked out from under the crib, being careful to avoid detection by any Big. Fireflies danced around the entire room and gave off a nice and relaxing glow instead of a typical nightlight. I slowly tiptoed over to the crib where Charley was now asleep. A large pacifier pulsed between his lips and a small baby blue blanket had been draped lovingly over him. Tear marks fell down his still-pained face. I knew what I had to do.

[Guilend]

Wow. That was an amazing fight scene. I also love what happened to Dash, he just couldn't dash fast enough ???

[LostBBoyBear]

That's all folks! This is the last chapter and let me just thank everyone who has left a like and a comment. I hope you all enjoyed reading this particular story and I can't wait to finish writing some of the others I had in mind for the DD, Stuffy universe, or beyond.

Without further ado, here's the final chapter!

Chapter 17: Heavenly and Safe

I gingerly climbed up the crib using the knots and bulges in the decorative knobbed wood, walked over to his curled-up position, and deftly inserted myself into one of his arms. The heat from his body, amped up by the blanket, felt heavenly and safe. We may have provided a safety net to the Littles, but their presence soothed us toys alike as well. They were our tether and purpose in this life, and we knew not to take that type of relationship for granted.

As soon as I snuggled in with Charley, his face relaxed, his sucking slowed, and immediately caught me up and held me tight. It was almost too constrictive but Charley, even in his regressed and unconscious state, knew he needed me in this moment. Behind the pacifier I could see a small smile appear and I knew that I had done my job, however tiny, and that all would be well.

I stayed awake the entirety of naptime and constantly hugged and soothed the still-sleeping Charley. The lights then began to flicker slowly on, and the staff started waking up Littles one by one. From the distant noises, it didn’t take long for Charley to be roused from his deep sleep. He seemed distressed for a moment but then looked at me with his large eyes and in a weak voice, asked, “Hop? Ish dath you?”

Charley couldn’t believe my presence and apparently thought he was still dreaming when he started pinching himself. It didn’t last long as he began to make himself tear up from the amount of times he did it, so he then switched tactics and began flipping me over to see if it was really me instead. My freshly resewn ear and side made him suspicious, but there, on my upper thigh in black thread, was stitched ‘Charley.’ “Oh, Hop. Ith ish you.” Charley then gave me the largest and best hug I had ever felt. No fear, hesitation, anger, or desperation. Just love, kindness, and happiness.

Moments later, Miss Mindy came to the crib and looked in on us, Charley with his arms still wrapped tightly around me. “Oh? Who’s this? Where’d Pete go?”

“Dis Hop.” Charley said, acknowledging the world outside beyond our hug for a moment.

“Hop? But…” From my peripheral vision out of the crib, I could see a highly confused Miss Mindy. I had been lost and was found by another worker this morning. They had likely looked in the cubby just to be sure, and while I couldn’t be found then, here I was, now comforting the once upset Little in their charge. “Well… I’m glad you found Hop. We were very worried…”

“Ith's oway.” Charley’s speech had taken a hit even in his non-regressed state, but he still knew who I was, and that’s all that really mattered to me right now anyway. Miss Mindy quickly attended to Charley after his nap, and after a quick diaper change, where I was still cuddled tightly the entire time, he was placed back in the ‘sty.’ We remained there for a bit while Charley occasionally broke his embrace of me to play for a few moments, and then going back to hugging me tightly. Momentary bouts of panic overtook his face occasionally, and my heart wanted to break knowing that Charley was likely still believing this was all a dream and I was still missing. His smile always returned when we hugged though.

A few cycles of that later, I could see the sun falling from outside of the windows beyond the butterflies and I heard a familiar voice once more. “Where’s my baby boy? Is someone happy to see his mommy?” Monica cooed from behind us.

Charley spun around in glee. “Mommy!” The words still stung as they floated in the air for a moment, but my tension was eased over the beaming look Monica exchanged with Charley. There was no pain of wanting more. Just contentment with her loving Little. It was a good sign to see from the mommy Big.

Miss Mindy then appeared next to her. “Miss Monica, ma’am. We wanted to talk to you before you and Charley left for the day.” Charley busied himself with looking at a picture book while the two adults still talked, my body still tucked under his arm. He was too engrossed in the pretty pictures to care about them talking, but I still wanted to listen in.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Well… Charley was having a major meltdown today. As I know you are aware, the primary goal of being a Little is happiness. In cases like Charley’s… we’d normally recommend further regression… into the Burrows Room. Remove the conflict between their former and newer selves, right?”

“Oh. I see.” Monica genuinely looked concerned. ‘That’s actually a good sign in this conversation. Charley had a chance of halting his regression now.’ I only hoped my gut was right and her Big maternal instincts had normalized, which meant that Charley would be okay.

“Yes, but after naptime… Charley had completely calmed down. I think it was… Hop.”

“That makes sense… wait, Hop? As in?”

“As in Hop. His toy. The stuffed animal that never leaves Charley’s side until you brought him in this morning without the bunny…”

Both seemed immensely concerned for a moment and I feared they would suspect something about toy kind. ‘Had I just blown it for the entire toy community here over my actions to save Charley from Dash?’

Monica’s face however, returned to normal as quickly as it had turned to concern. “I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s not like toys can move around on their own. At least not yet, considering where technology has gotten us this far.”

They both let out a small laugh. “You’re right. Of course. Of course…” Miss Mindy looked at me suspiciously for a moment but just turned back to Monica. “I just wanted to let you know what was happening with Charley. We’re not sure what happened between last night and naptime, but Charley honestly seems normalized now. Content.”

“You’re right. As long as he’s happy.” Monica looked sad briefly. “Can I tell you a secret?” Miss Mindy nodded her head. “I was actually thinking of making Charley a newborn. It seemed best suited to what he… we, if I’m being honest, both needed. But now… I can’t imagine him any other way.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I know the Meadows Room will love to have another Deer in our midst. There’s even a whole other room down the hallway for the ones who have transitioned more. Same theme and all but our staff there are dedicated only to keeping the Littles happy.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Monica smiled and broke off from her talk with Miss Mindy to reach down and pick Charley up, my form of course still being clutched tightly in his arms. He gave the cutest hug to Monica, which she returned in a picture-perfect moment. Both were at peace with where they were now.

Miss Mindy sauntered back and handed over Charley’s diaper bag from his cubby nearby. All three said their goodbyes and thanks, Charley doing his best with his current abilities of course. Monica, Charley, and I then exited the daycare, before he was strapped into his car seat. She then calmly placed Charley’s attached pacifier in his mouth, and he contentedly sucked on it while waiting to go home. Monica paused briefly when staring at me but then just shrugged her shoulders and closed the door. If I had to guess, she may have been momentarily thinking of where Dash was, but neither she nor Charley seemed to mind his absence. I definitely did not.

As he held me, I couldn’t help but take stock of the situation and everything that had happened. Charley sat in his car seat and was at peace to just sit and continue to suck on his pacifier while holding onto me. His romper bulged out even more prominently in the seat from his thick diaper that was likely damp at least even now. His eyes stared ahead in peace and ignorance. Not newborn but certainly nowhere near considered at a ‘big boy’ level now. If his actions inside were any indication, Charley would be stuck somewhere in toddlerhood forever. It may have been troubling a month ago to the then-Charles that he would be content in such a state, but he at least had found some joy in his life. That’s all one ever really could hope for.

Further, Monica had even noted her satisfaction verbally to another Big over the state that Charley was in. There was no hint of deceit in her voice. Just calm and affectionate maternal notes that were almost comforting to even a toy like me.

As Monica switched the car into drive, the world passed by outside. Blooming trees and fresh cut grass adorned the seen world. As we passed by the fenced-in yard, I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction over Dash’s fall from power. Charley was safe now. Despite his diminished state, I knew I would be there for him like any loyal toy. To whatever end.

*              *              *

“That was a few weeks ago now, and life has remained mostly the same, but there have been some changes. Sarge and Cassie have moved into together into the dollhouse in the Canopy Room. She doesn’t mind his melted scars. She even thinks they’re manly.” I shudder over the implication between the two. It’s nice they found happiness in each other, but there are limits to how much I want to know about them in their own privacy of a dollhouse. “Moving on, Nadia and Pete still say hello to the group whenever we go to daycare, even when we’re in the second Meadows Room now. And Victor was correct. Jenny claimed him from the daycare. We don’t see him as much anymore sadly, but he’s happy and she might even pop into our daycare room soon. Regardless, Jenny loves him dearly, scars and all, and that’s what matters.”

I shift against the changing table to find a better spot to end my story. “Charley and I still go on playdates with Jane, Georgie, and Ian. It was difficult at first being in two separate rooms from KH, Splash, and Betty while at daycare, but they’re all in the Meadows Room now as well with their Littles. Charley was just ‘too cute’ for them to not to be regressed further… that’s what their mommies said anyway.” I shift uncomfortably again, now feeling awkward in my secondhand involvement in their further regression. “At least now they still seem happy though. Charley has even helped a few of them out in getting used to their new roles as truly regressed Littles. I think it makes him feel useful…” I stare at the room around us once more. In a world where a nursery is your supposed sanctuary, any type of usefulness is likely treasured.

“And Dash… well, Dash was found by the workers later that day. They even offered to give him back to us, but after a resounding ‘no’ from Charley, Monica politely declined. He was just a beat-up toy and Charley had been regressed enough in her eyes. We see him occasionally pop in from the Burrow Room, but it’s all different now. His electronics are mostly spent, and his fur is patched together with bits of other pieces of fabric. Honestly, I feel a bit bad for him at this point, despite all he did. I mean, his only respite is being played with by some of the younger, drooling Littles of the daycare. Not the life he pictured I would imagine.”

I heard the faucet turn off from the bathroom. “His line was even pulled after a vicious Big mayor had been caught sucking their thumb and wetting their pants. That’s the official story so you just never know how far it went, but yikes. Anyway, he’s all alone now. I know some wanted him dead, but I think this is worse for him. All that power and now he gets to be clumsily played with and thrashed about by the very ages that he was trying to regress other Littles to forever. I guess that’s some real karma for you.”

“So, I think that’s it… any questions little guy?” I ask the small lion cub in front of me. We’re about the same size in some areas, but his wide eyes and lack of any mature features of typical lions seem to put him in a younger category than myself. At minimum, his pristine tan fur has certainly seen less action than mine. ‘That’s for sure,’ I slowly stroke my scarred ear. Charley didn’t mind the new stitching when he later noticed the two when we got home that first day. He even called it ‘edgy’ at one point, or at least that’s what I thought he had said through his pacifier at the time.

“Umm… no?” the cub looks around and then shuffles his paws together in shyness.

“It’s okay, bud. Nothing to be nervous about here anymore. I’m sure we’re going to be the best of friends.” I didn’t expect any questions from my little story of how the family got here, but you just never know when a toy has been freshly opened from a box, still lying on the floor with a label from Mr. Kincade’s Toy Store. Their experience level could vary widely, just look at Dash and I after all. Besides, I didn’t want the poor thing to be afraid or anything like that. Charley deserves only the best and most willing of toys these days.

The cub looks up at me directly with his large glossy brown eyes. “Really?”

“Really, really.”

“Don’t forget about me!” Sandy shouts from above.

“Sandy as well,” I concede.

“And Nadia, Cassie, KH, Victor, Pete…?”

“Yes.” ‘Definitely a cub with his questions and self-doubt.’ “Now, do you have a name?”

“Ummm,” the cub looks back down at the floor, “I think Monica called me Leo as a suggestion? Ch…Charley seemed to like it.”

“Leo, hmmm? Leo the lion cub… I like it.” I stretch out my paw to the demure cub in front of me. “Good to meet you, Leo. Welcome to the family.”

Leo lit up and extends his paw to mine for a moment. We shake and for the first time in a while, I don’t feel fear or terror in a new situation. Despite being a new toy, Leo already feels like the friend I had always wanted in Dash in the first place. Leo, being the cub he is, ends the handshake after a moment and barrels into me for a hug. Affectionate little dude, but most definitely kind. He will do well with Charley.

Soon after the hug, Charley comes back in with Monica, all squeaky clean from his recent bath time. A quick change into a thick diaper and baby bear onesie, and Monica sets him on the floor by us. Seconds later, Charley scoops Leo and I into his awaiting arms and hugs us tight. Charley is finally happy, which means that Monica would be happy as well, and their happiness is all that matters now. I lean into Charley as Monica comes back with a camera. Charley gives a great big cheesy smile and poses with both Leo and me. At last, as the flash went off, all felt right in the world.

[Guilend]

That was very good story. I love the part about the Mayor peeing their pants and sucking their thumb. For me, I'll believe it was a woman and I wonder if it started long before her peeing her pants. I'm betting she pooped her panties in her sleep a few times and maybe even started secretly wearing diapers to bed. It definitely makes me curious about what happened once they were caught peeing their pants. They should have been spanked and at least put back in pull ups and had to be temporarily adopted till got back to normal and could prove their "maturity" . I'm also curious if it was permanent regression to the Amazon or temporary, if it was temporary how long did it last? No need to answer any of those questions,  just my brain thinking lol. I absolutely love this story. 

[dirtydingus84]

If you were to do a sequel it should be a redemption story for Dash and he would somehow look up to Hop. This story had everything action, adventure, and romance and it was all well balanced.

[LostBBoyBear]

Thank you for your compliments! I'm actually creating a few other stories that will explore some of the possible unintended side effects of this type of technology or the exploration of this sub-world of the DD right now. I'm not sure how to redeem Dash from this story right now, but it could be an interesting side project in the future. I might brainstorm a few bits and see if any are worth pursuing over the many other stories I have currently in development.

[Guilend]

14 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Thank you for your compliments! I'm actually creating a few other stories that will explore some of the possible unintended side effects of this type of technology or the exploration of this sub-world of the DD right now. I'm not sure how to redeem Dash from this story right now, but it could be an interesting side project in the future. I might brainstorm a few bits and see if any are worth pursuing over the many other stories I have currently in development.

I can't wait to see what you got. I absolutely love it. 

[Les Lea]

Really enjoyed this perspective and loved the story.

Don't often get such drama in a story but was involved from the start and rooting for Hop.

Thanks for sharing.

Les

[DiaperedPrince]

Pretty cool story! Got a bit depressing in the middle and I didn't like how Charley didn't unregress after Dash was gone but still a good read overall ?

[CDfm]

Fantastic Story!  I thought you did a wonderful job writing this.   I can say that it kept me guessing throughout.  When reading these stories I can pretty well predict what is going to happen.  With this story I was constantly finding I was wrong in my assumptions.  That made me enjoy the story even more.