I was thinking about the song "Already Over" by RED. I started imagining 9 and the ending. This is just a short drabble about the ending. You could say that this is a songfic, but I didn't include the lyrics in the fic. This is in no way a songfic, I've never written one, but you guys would beg to differ. You could imagine the song playing in the background though.

Yeah, I just had a sudden need to write. That's...all. I must be going through my quarter-life crisis. O_O


Dawn broke out, dimming out the last few stars. The sky was a mix of purple and orange and with the last stars glimmering, it made you want to paint it before it vanished. The rain poured and with it the sun creeping its way to welcome a new day. The rain did well to put out the fire lit by the four ragdolls standing a few yards away. Five crosses stood, bearing swatches of fabric, each with a number written on it. 1. 2. 5. 6. And 8.

9 stood, watching the rain. The sun rising brought more light than he'd ever seen. He, and the other three, 7, 3 and 4, stopped the B.R.A.I.N. and freed the souls of their fallen friends. True, this was never intended when 9 woke up, but it happened. Still that didn't mean 9 didn't blame himself for waking the Machine and setting the wheels into motion. If 9 hadn't inserting the talisman into the slot, none of this would've happen and no one would have died. But that didn't mean they weren't wrong about one thing. The talisman would have been founded without 9 intervening. A beast would have found it and placed it onto the B.R.A.I.N.'s slot. Thinking it over, 9 was glad that he woke up and found the talisman, but he was not proud of activating the Machine.

He was glad that any good could come from this fight. After the souls of his friends ascended the rain came down. It was continuing to rain as 9 and walked a little ways away from the memorial. 7 raised a stitched brow, watching him curiously. She followed him at a distance. The twins became curious and they trailed behind her. The zippered stitchpunk stood on a rusted can, not aware of 7 and the twins following him. Everyone was gone and now it was just the four of them. As the sun rose higher, so did 9's hope. Everyone was gone, but he and 7 and the twins were still here. The B.R.A.I.N. was gone, too, and now that it was raining life can begin again. And he would be sure to watch it flourish.

The Machine's reign was over and 9 never felt better than he had. After what he went through, he could feel his grief lift over him. His actions were forgiven and now he could live without the guilt. 9's accidental mistake started their fight with the Machine. 7 had forgiven him, and so did the twins. Including 5 and 6 and 2 and 8. Even 1, who had been cold towards him. He set them free from the B.R.A.I.N.'s core and now all five of them will continue to watch over them from the heavens.

His audial receptors picked up footsteps. 9 looked over his shoulder to see 7 approaching him. She had that look. The look that made her worry about him. Behind her, 3 and 4 stood an inch away from them, waiting for the right moment to intervene. 9 motioned for the twins to come over. 3 and 4 sidled up to 9 and stood on either side: 3 stood by 9's left; 4 stood by his right. 7 clapped 9 on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging look.

"It's over," she said. The way she said it let 9 know that she wasn't being cold but sincere. His grief had swept over him rapidly and it was only a few hours since the five stitchpunks died. He would always remember them. He couldn't help but feel bad, but things would be fine.

9 looked back at the memorial. The talisman was laying there on the ground. He would have to take it somewhere safe later. An idea formed in 9's mind. The Scientist created him and the others. Maybe he and 7 can take his blueprints and create more stitchpunks to help them protect the world. Then maybe, with time, he can find other humans. They can't all be gone; some must still be out there somewhere, waiting for the machines to die out. 9 and the rest killed the B.R.A.I.N. and its servants. There were no more machines out. But maybe he could be wrong. The Machine was gone, but that doesn't mean that not all the beasts were gone. He, 7, 3 and 4 would have to fight off the remaining ones that might've survived. 9 knew he was never alone in this.

One of the twins, 3, tugged on 9's arm. The zippered stitchpunk turned his head and 3 was pointing at something in the ground. He and 7 also looked. The twins hurried over to a spot clear of any debris. 7 and 9 followed. 4 flickered his optics, telling them to look at the dirt. 9 and 7 peeked and they couldn't believe their eyes. A tiny plant sprouted from the ground. It was green and already thriving. The stitchpunks wondered how long that sprout had waited to taste the rain. 9 ventured that that plant deserved a drink after an indefinite period of time waiting.

The B.R.A.I.N. was dead, the beasts were gone, and things were changing. This sprig of plant was the start to the future. Life was going to go on, just like the Scientist had hoped. And 9 was going to keep that promise and make sure it come to pass. The fight with the Machine was finally over. It was already over.


Oh, and the picture I used for the cover is suppose to be the sunrise from the movie, but I couldn't find an actual screenshot from the movie. :\ So I used another one I found on Google images instead. :|