Sleep Well

Author's Note: This entire story is based on the song by CG5.
== Part One ==
DogDay woke up slowly and groggily as beams of sunlight hit his eyes. A natural alarm clock, if ever one there was. When his eyes opened, he stared at the ceiling, tracing the lines in the wood grain, struggling to will his body into moving. He knew he had to get up, but that didn't mean he wanted to. His lids began to fall once more, turning over so the sunbeams weren't in his face anymore.
"A few more... minutes... won't... hur-"
A loud thud against his window makes him bolt up, breathing heavily. He hears Hoppy gasp outside.
"Kickin'! You kicked that right into DogDay's window! You know how hard it's been trying to get him to sleep!"
Said canine huffs and lies back down, eyelids sealing back shut.
"Hey, it's not my fault! You're standing right next to his house! What am I s'posed to do, kick the ball the other way?"
DogDay's brow furrows as his eyes flick open again, listening to the two argue. Hoppy groans.
"Ugh! I don't know, tell me to move or something?! C'mon, let's just go before we wake him up any more than you already have." DogDay hears the satisfying crunch of leaves fade as they walk away.
'Too late for that,' he thought in annoyance.
The dog groaned and stretched, hearing his joints crackle and pop in different places. DogDay scowled. He felt like he was a bit young for that. He was only twenty-three, yet he felt like he had already reached seventy. He was sure that it couldn't be good.
"I should really join Hoppy for some stretches later..." he muttered.
DogDay was fit, very fit due to how much there was to do physically for the team, but he can't remember the last time he was active for the sake of fitness rather than taking care of issues around the valley. Or, alternatively, running from said issues. He threw his legs off to the side of his bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He looked back down to his bed in longing. Not the softest thing in the world, but it got the job done. When he got a chance to lay in it, at least. He stood guard most of the night, watching for threats and making sure the defenses were still up to snuff until someone else felt well-rested enough to take the reins. Last night, he was out there until 5:30 AM and was willing to stay out for an even more lengthy period of time, until he passed out standing up. ...Or until they came and begged him to go to bed, which is what happened. When DogDay got off his feet and lay in bed, he couldn't keep his eyes open for another minute, and he slept like a rock without a single dream to remember.
DogDay looked at the clock on his wall, reading 8:13 AM. Not for very long, apparently. Turns out he had gotten little more than three hours of sleep secured before the sun's rude awakening. And now he was here, staring at a dark spot on his wall, trying to mentally prepare himself for yet another day. He couldn't get lazy with those... things out there, after all. The comets. They were waiting for the Critters to become complacent in their safety. So they could devour them, or whatever those creatures did with the corpses they created. He shuddered. The last thing he and the others needed was a false sense of security. He remembers when he had no issue with leaving his door unlocked. There was never a need for it. He felt safe. All the Critters did at once. That's what made them such easy targets the first time, he supposed.
***
They were just teens when a fire was set right next to Kickin's home and burned his house to the ground. The others had left their homes when they heard him screaming for help in the dead of night. Thankfully he was already outside, but his house was already ablaze and, quite frankly, out of their control.
"W-what's going on Kickin'?! Are you okay?!" Bobby said as she began checking him for burns.
DogDay watched with wide eyes as the blaze grew, shielding his eyes from the heat. CatNap ran up close behind and grabbed his other paw.
"I-I'm okay, but... S-something started a fire next to my house! I tried to save what I could but... it spread so fast... aw man..." He held his arm with a feathered hand as they watched the blaze. Eventually, licks of embers began to pop onto the dry leaves and grass on the ground. They stood around the home, trying to stomp out any potential wildfires. It got to the point where there were too many flames popping up at once to deal with. They needed to corral the flame.
DogDay ordered everyone to get as much water as they could hold and use the water hoses from their homes to stop it from spreading. CatNap followed close behind him with a bucket as they ran to a nearby pond to collect water. When they returned, a second fire had been sparked near Bubba's home. They doused it before it could destroy his house like poor Kickin's already was. Luckily, their actions kept the flames from spreading at all, but the air was so hazy and difficult to breathe as Kickin's coop blazed and smoked. DogDay coughed, yelling for everyone to regroup at his house. They did. Most of them did. When things had calmed down a bit, as much as they could when mysterious fires sprang up from nothing but cool night air, DogDay did a headcount.
He counted seven critters, including himself.
That's strange. Everyone was talking over each other, about the odd circumstances of the flames. No one saw anything of interest, but Hoppy noted the distinct smell of gasoline while helping fight the flames. Maybe all the talking messed up his counting.
He counted again. Hoppy, Bubba, Crafty, Bobby, Kickin, Picky, DogDay.
The smoke didn't smell natural either, like it was some sort of artificial gas. And now that Bubba had a chance to think about it without the worries of wildfire, the smoke wasn't even behaving as smoke should, sticking to the ground when it should have been floating up, into the sky.
Seven, including him. Only seven.
His heart sank. "W-where's CatNap...?" DogDay was sure CatNap was behind him the whole time. Absolutely sure.
Everyone was still talking over each other, the room only becoming silenced when DogDay sprinted outside and called out for the feline. He couldn't hear anything but his own heartbeat. He called out the cat's name around the valley without a single response back. He checked around Kickin's home, and felt shattered when he found only his pendant, lying on the ground with the lace snapped as if it had been ripped off of him. With this, unease had fully settled into his soul.
The next day, he searched further out into the valley, yelling for him as loud as he could. He checked his favorite tree. He loved napping in that tree. He felt sick to see the brown branches free of that lustrous violet fur. He searched around by that strange bench he and CatNap found once while on a pleasant stroll through the woods. Such a nice place to sit and relax. The feline loved hanging out there. The bench was uncomfortably cold without him now. He searched the cat's home, even after days had already passed and there was no way he'd still be there, sitting wordlessly on his couch, as DogDay hoped he would. They cuddled a lot there on that couch. It helped DogDay get some rest after a long day. Their scents were blended together into a lovely aroma, but the smell no longer brought reassurance. Only yearning.
After about a year, one by one, his friends lost hope. First was Kickin' who was sure CatNap sprung the flame in the first place, trying to get rid of him, and got scared when the plan didn't work. Next was Bubba, who said that it seemed strange because CatNap was always with DogDay. He then gave the canine a friendly pat on the back and reassured him that they'll find him soon. The rest of the Critters left him to conduct his search on his own, the last one to stop searching with him being Bobby. He could tell she wanted to continue as much as he did, but the bear had explained that all of this searching was becoming a fruitless endeavor, that maybe it was best to let it go. Those words alone felt like he was being stabbed right in the heart.
Eventually, those creatures began appearing around Smiling Valley. Comets, Bubba nicknamed them later. Quick, malformed, and dangerous. They were popping up across every inch of the valley, traveling in packs. Their forms were like someone had taken cutouts of the night sky itself, white stars shining and twinkling on a pitch-black body. Bubba said something about crystals capturing loose photons throughout the day and holding them hostage as a form of energy, giving the illusion of sparkling celestial bodies. They moved so strangely, like their limbs were fighting back against their own will. Constantly shaking and stumbling around the way they did. Always... looking for something. Sometimes they were small, and lanky, but other times they were horribly twisted, as if they had been hit by a car going eighty miles-per-hour and just... got up, and shambled off into the valley. Always too many eyes and teeth. Always too many limbs. Always too much screaming. Hoppy said they were like zombies with working brains, looking for someone to lead them to world domination. Bobby said they were monsters from beyond the valley who caught a whiff of fresh blood, now hungry for more. Kickin' said they were space aliens, coming to take over our minds and bodies, maybe even the entire world. DogDay didn't say anything. He hardly listened after the other Critters voted to prohibit future nighttime excursions when Crafty was attacked by a Comet one night.
Luckily, Hoppy had been there with her, bat in hand. Who knows what would have happened had she been alone? Hoppy was scratched up a bit, a few scrapes and a nick or two but was fine otherwise. Crafty was luckily unharmed, other than being scared. Hoppy described the creature, its innate agility, its savage pursuit of them as they ran away, and the large white spot on its head that worked as an eye as it stared unblinkingly at them. As it stared at its prey. Hoppy bashed the thing's brains in, the stars twinkling along its corpse fading entirely. Then they ran back home as fast as possible, bursting into Bobby's home to show her the bunny's cuts and bruises. Crafty vouched for it all. The Critters put it to a vote, and it was effortlessly a resounding yes. Any further explorations were not to be conducted at night. 'It's too dangerous. Someone will get killed,' they said. He agreed.
Even still, DogDay didn't vote. He left Bobby's house without a word while all the other critters just stared at him like he was insane. No more night exploration meant almost twelve hours removed from the day. That meant less time to search for CatNap. Now there were these comet things out there too and the cat was probably all alone and... DogDay just felt so useless. So powerless, ever since his best friend disappeared. He was like a brother to him, even though cats and dogs are supposed to be sworn enemies. CatNap always laughed at his jokes, played video games with him (DogDay always let him win), and he even let him play his favorite music genre: smooth, intimate jazz. DogDay remembered the time Bubba taught CatNap how to play the piano for the first time, and ever since then he grew to become the most talented musician the Critters had ever seen and heard.
When Hoppy took them to see the body up close, it was gone. Not a footstep to be found. Not even blood. Then Kickin' began talking about this unnatural chill he was getting. They all felt it. It was like they were being watched. DogDay could swear the sun was dipping a lot faster than usual. The gaze felt increasingly piercing the deeper they got, and it followed them until they finally decided to leave the forest. No one slept easily that night. Not with the imprint of fear that came with that piercing, unknown gaze.
Time began to stretch. Days became weeks, months, years, and not a single sign of him. Concerns about supplies and safety soon turned to issues, and DogDay was forced to devote most, if not all, of his time to helping protect the others on expeditions or even simply doing them himself. CatNap was just... gone. Without a trace. His best friend was gone, and the Smiling Critters were down a member. No corpse was found. No culprit was discovered or even suspected. The others held a sort of funeral service at some point, but DogDay didn't attend it. He couldn't bring himself to look at the picture they placed of the cat around a collection of lavender flowers they had picked in remembrance of him. His smile was radiant the day that picture was taken. But still had that endearing shyness to it. His smile always made DogDay so happy... The dog didn't leave his house much that day. Not when Picky begged him to come have a meal with the others. Some of CatNap's favorite foods. Not when Bobby offered to sit with him to help him feel better, maybe watch some of the cat's favorite movies. Not when Crafty asked him if he wanted to help with the mural she was painting for CatNap on her tower. Bubba, out of respect, never asked if he wanted to say goodbye before they moved the picture and some of CatNap's favorite items to his napping tree up the hill. The elephant knew it would hurt DogDay even more if he did so. He was always a good friend to the dog, but Bubba always suggested that CatNap was DogDay's one and only friend. He was just there to help.
DogDay wouldn't accept CatNap's passing. He couldn't. He's not dead, he thought. The others started getting worried when he started staying up all hours of the night, watching the outskirts of the neighborhood. They tried so hard to get him to go to sleep, but he constantly refused. Not even a nap. He couldn't let anyone else get taken. He got irritated far quicker than usual with the others, started to overwork himself. When they needed guidance and comfort, he no longer offered it. He simply sat by and let them rot while CatNap's vanishing tore him apart. Tore them all apart. Finally, one night, when walking down the street with the canine so he could get some fresh air, Bubba said that if DogDay can't find CatNap in the places he'd normally find, then he'll check the places he'd never go to. The beach or the aquarium, mostly because cats hate water and they eat fish. DogDay smirked at the idea and thanked him. It wasn't a smile, but it was something akin to it.
DogDay only got a wink of sleep at night, but he was indifferent to it at this point. He just needed his friends' happiness and, more importantly, their safety. That's all that mattered.
One funeral was enough.
He stood up, stretching again before collecting himself. He looked at the clock on his wall. It was already almost 8:30 AM. Had he really sat there for almost twenty minutes reminiscing? He was wasting so much daylight. He moved his tongue around his mouth, smacking his lips at how dry it felt.
Tea. He needed tea.
He slips on a fresh pair of clothes and his pendant, and grabs CatNap's pendant as well, admiring the golden sheen of it before slipping the crescent moon into his pocket. He walked to the kitchen, took a kettle from one of the cupboards, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove, turning the heat on. He rubbed his eyes, blindly grabbing some tea bags out of a nearby box, standing by as he waited for the water to reach a boil.
The dog sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. He needs to talk to Crafty after this, he figured. Supplies were getting scarce in the valley, and walking out to a town or city wasn't just a quick stroll. That's at least a day's worth of travel time without a vehicle, to get to and from the town nearby. They'd get overwhelmed and picked off by comets before they stepped a few feet from home. They needed to do some in-depth scavenging to meet food requirements, maybe even pick up what little fruit they could in the forest. Medicine was low, too, and they needed to get creative with any medicinal herbs they could find out there, something Bobby could handle, he was sure.
He sighed once more, irritation evident in the exhale. That was just the essentials. DogDay didn't mind going out into the forest and gathering supplies. He just despised the consequences that could come from said action. If he was left alone, he risked getting ambushed and gutted by a Comet, never to be found or heard from by his team again. They'd be leaderless and inevitably tear each other apart one by one. If he brought them with him, he risked losing one of them, if not all of them with his luck, and the canine couldn't see that as a win, no matter the possible rewards. At least they still had running water and power or else they'd be in an even more desperate state.
He opened his eyes when the kettle started screaming. Pouring the water into a mug, he dipped the tea bags into the scalding liquid. When he was younger, he'd get just a tablespoon of honey, no matter what flavor of tea he had, and mix it in. He loved his tea with honey when he was a puppy. Nowadays, honey is an amenity that DogDay doesn't have easy access to anymore. After letting it sit for a bit, he picks up the mug, and only now does he really get a whiff of it. A grimace spreads across his face as he realizes what it is.
Lavender. It was tender, calming, and wonderful. Lulling him back to sleep. Just like the flower. Just like...
He swallows thickly, trying to push the thought down to the pit of his stomach as fast as possible. The poor dog's paws shook as he set the mug down, rubbing his face. He doesn't swallow fast enough. Thoughts of the cat began to overtake his mind. Memories of soft, purple fur, a shy but endearing smile, and softspoken words graced upon his ears alone overtook him. All qualities of only one Critter he knew. A Critter he couldn't protect. A Critter he failed. He scratched an itch in the back of his head.
No.
DogDay shook his head. He wasn't going to let his memories of the feline sour. Not until he knew he needed to mourn. Not until he knew the cat was really gone because, truth be told, DogDay knew he wasn't. He didn't know how or why. He couldn't explain his beliefs. The canine just... knew. And that was all the faith he needed. He was going to find CatNap one day, alive and well. He doesn't realize he's staring into his mug until a knock on his front door shakes him from his thoughts. Gentle and slightly hesitant, those knocks were definitely Crafty's. He slipped on his orange hoodie and opened the door, putting on the best faux smile he could muster on such short notice. The girl smiled back sweetly, a small notepad in her hands.
"DogDay! I hope I didn't wake you. I just wanted to say that I got the list you wanted if you wanted to go over it quickly with the others?" Crafty pointed to the notepad.
DogDay could already see some of it and was thankful that it didn't look as brimming as he thought it would be.
"Yeah, let's walk and talk. I need to start getting ready to head out anyway. And don't worry about it Crafty, you didn't wake me up," he said softly, widening his eyes in an attempt to look less tired.
The bags and dark rings around his eyes helped little with that, though. Sleep was important, sure, but he had things to do. And a band of critters to keep happy, lest they lose their minds.
...Well, any more than they probably already have. At least Crafty looked well-rested, if not worried for her leader.
He closed the door behind him as he exited, exhaling his woes. He could already hear that damn forest calling his name. He forgets entirely about the hot mug on his counter, and so the lavender beverage sit alone, quickly growing cold outside DogDay's grasp.
***
The list was a lot shorter than DogDay had expected. Just a simple grocery run, all things considered. Though he supposed there wasn't much in terms of luxuries out in the middle of the woods. Kickin' and Picky opted to come with for some reason, and despite his constant assurance that he was fine and needed no aid, they insisted they come anyway.
'Some extra protection would be nice', they said.
Now he was anxiously waiting for them to prepare for the expedition, just along the outskirts of the forest.
Waiting... waiting...
Like always.
He looked up at the sun. He always swore it looked like it was setting faster and faster every day. It was as if it was dipping lower every time he closed his eyes. He sighed as crisp Autumn air blew through his clothes, red and gold leaves being shaken from their place in the trees. A little chilly, if he was being honest, but still nice. DogDay smiled softly. CatNap always loved this kind of weather. Not too hot, not too cold, perfect amount of sunny and rainy days. He can imagine the cat lazing about in one of these trees, violet fur contrasting with the yellows and browns of the leaves, tail hanging limply as he dozes. His lazy little grin as he stares down at the dog. 
DogDay shakes his head and readjusts the bag on his back. Now is not the time. Especially now that he could see Picky and Kickin' heading towards him.
Finally.
He slipped his paws into the pocket of his hoodie and leaned up against a tree as they walked up to him.
"We ready to go?" He asked. Kickin' crossed his arms while Picky held her hooves together on her gut.
"Of course." 
"Yup!"
"Then let's get going. We're wasting daylight."
And that was it. No time for idle prattle. Anyone else would've taken this as DogDay being rude or unfriendly, and in a perfect world, it probably was. But they knew the routine. And besides... No one wanted to be caught out here at night. That was just asking for trouble.
As they waded through the sea of dried dead leaves, they picked as many berries and fruit as they could possibly find, which wasn't much considering these were the same trees and bushes they always visited. Picky walked between him and Kickin', who were leading them forward. Even though DogDay knew this forest a lot better, and had already offered to lead, Kickin' said it would be better if he went to the back and watched for threats.
He felt delegated, which was pretty degrading for someone who thought he was considered the leader.
So much for that, he guessed.
He wasn't surprised though. His sleep deprivation in recent months probably made him less trustworthy in their eyes, when it came to decisions. Among other things... But it hadn't gotten that bad. That's what he thought at least... Right?
He sighed.
In less depressing news, Picky, thank goodness for her, had been starting an orchard of sorts for fruits of all kinds. Unfortunately, she was unused to working with fruit trees. It wasn't as simple as putting a seed in the ground and suddenly watching a tree sprout out. She's been putting so much time into studying agriculture that she hasn't had any time to make meals for the Critters, not that they minded. They appreciated what she was doing regardless, and the sprouts they had now were healthy. But still growing, unlike the berry bushes. It would be very slow going, but they'd have a new source of food, besides the vegetables Picky already had growing regularly. And it would hopefully produce every year during the spring.
Just the thought of it boosted morale. ...Had things really gotten so bad that the thought of at least not starving for the entire year had raised their spirits?
DogDay exhaled harshly through his nose. Picky, who was walking next to him now, took notice.
"You alright there, D.D.?" she asked. He inwardly cringed at the concern dripping from her voice. She shouldn't be concerned for him, leaders are tough and resilient. They provide comfort, they don't receive it.  He forces a smile, but inside he feels guilty. It wasn't fair to her to be worried about him when they already had so much more to worry themselves about.
"Just wondering when's the next time you're gonna be able to make some apple pie. I'd stay in this forest for a whole night if it meant I could have a slice when I came back out."
She giggled. "Yeah right, we'd probably find slices of you scattered across Smiling Valley instead."
DogDay chuckles at her grim joke. "Please... For a slice of your apple pie, I'd hunt down every comet in Smiling Valley in an hour, tops."
He was exaggerating of course, but he really could go for some of that right now. The pig always baked the best desserts. Hell, she always made the best meals.
"Count me in with that, but I want some of that delicious peach cobbler instead," Kickin' said, rubbing his stomach and humming in delight. Picky smiled, placing her hoof on her heart.
"Trust me, when all of this nonsense is finally over, and we finally get a chance to relax, I'm going to make full-course meals for everyone," she said, giggling wholeheartedly. 
Kickin' crossed his arms and grinned. "I'm definitely holding you to that one, Picky."
DogDay's smile widened, a little genuine now. He really was glad to see Picky and Kickin' in such good and friendly spirits. It made him a tiny bit hopeful their stagnant situation would improve. Not for himself, but for all the others. They didn't deserve this, in his eyes. They were just critters caught in a sad state of affairs. The comets had no right to keep them stuck here. He wished they could just run away, to safety, and leave the dog behind so he could try and do something right. To... fix all this.
It was his duty as leader to keep them going and keep them safe. That pressure fell on him. They looked to him for guidance, and he's been failing time and time again in providing that. But he'd give his life if it meant that they'd be safe when he was gone. They all deserved a second chance from this hellish life they've been forced into. He believed the others did at least. But DogDay?
Well... he didn't care what happened to himself. Not anymore.
"What the heck...?" Kickin' said, breaking DogDay from his thoughts. The canine's eyes widen when he sees what's happening to the trees that surround them now.
The chicken is walking up to a tree covered in star goo, with Picky and DogDay walking up as well to investigate. The tree itself is... malformed. Mangled. Whole, but... changing. Its trunk is twisting sporadically, its branches are curling in upon itself and winding around each other in a tight embrace. It was as if it was growing, without instructions on how it should. Kickin steps closer, examining the strange phenomenon far too calmly and, in DogDay’s eyes, far too closely.
"Careful Kickin'..." he says.
He's pretty sure Kickin' ignores him, but he genuinely can't tell if it's on purpose, or because he is far too enamored by the odd happenings with the trees to hear his words. To the shock of the other two, He touches it with his wing without any forethought. It looks... sappy, like thick viscous syrup. To further astonishment, nothing seems to happen when he pulls his wing away. In fact, his wing is completely dry of any odd goo at all.
“Well... touching it won’t kill us, at least. It feels like syrup, like it should be sticking to my wing... but it feels solid when I pull my hand away,” he says flatly, frowning. “This is so weird...”
“Look! There’s more, further down the path!” Picky says, staring down the trail ahead.
She was right; almost the entire path ahead was no longer the perfect image of an autumn day. It now looked the great expanse of space was being painted over the forest, complete with twinkling, pulsing stars, and the trees along the path were even more distorted than the one Kickin' was examining. The three turn back to said tree as it makes a distressing groaning sound as if it were toppling over. They stare in shock as its branches unfurl, resembling an open palm, and slowly reach for Kickin'. He quickly backs away from it, eyes wide.
DogDay quickly wipes the shock from his face, expression becoming stoic. He turns toward the path, and then to the other two.
"We should keep moving," he said simply, continuing down the pathway, until he was grabbed by the arm by Kickin'.
"You're joking, right? Are you blind or actually just that stupid?!" Kickin' asked. Picky gasped.
"Kickin'!" she exclaimed, shocked by his badmouthing. He simply scoffs and turns to her, gesturing toward DogDay.
"Don't 'Kickin' me! How can you see what's happening here and just decide to keep going?! This fool is going to get himself killed! Or worse, one of us! And he's our leader?! What a joke!"
DogDay smiled grimly at the chicken's wording. 'or worse...'
His look turns serious as he crosses his arms.
"Go home," he said to them both. Kickin' looks indignant.
"W-what? No, we're not gonna let you walk in there alone, DogDay."
"You heard what I said. After what happened to CatNap, I'm not just gonna sit here and let him be another of those 'Little Red Riding Hood' stories. And who knows, maybe he's still alive out there, probably turning himself into a wildman. You may not like him, Kickin', but he's my best friend and I'm not gonna lose him to the darkness -- wherever he is. Now go... before I lose you too." The canine simply turned around and began walking further away without another word. 
"...Is this what this is all about? You're falling apart because CatNap disappeared all those years ago?" This made Kickin's anger boil over. "Dammit, DogDay, look at yourself. You're crumbling because you couldn't just get over it and let go! Maybe he just knew you were going to be a lousy leader! Maybe he just... saw it earlier than we did. Or maybe he just knew how sorry you'd be without him around to coddle you every day. You're weak, and he outgrown you!"
"Kickin'!" Picky yells, and Kickin' realizes what exactly he just said.
The words came out far too fast to stop. He clamps his mouth shut as DogDay tenses up, finally stopping in his tracks. His orange fur bristles, and his ears lower and pull back behind his head. He knew better than to use CatNap against him like that. He knew how much that hurt the dog for him to hear. Maybe that's why his mind told him to do it. So it would hurt.
He watches as the dog's paws clench into fists as if he's using every fiber of his being to hold himself back from doing something drastic. But then he suddenly relaxes and looks over his shoulder, eyes surprisingly gentle, and a soft smile on his face.
"Go home. Please. I'll be okay. Just... trust me. Please..." he said.
The dog sounds so... exhausted, despite his expression. It makes Kickin's own words bounce around his head loudly, repeating over and over... It made him feel guilty. About telling what he believed was the truth.
His frown deepens and he turns around, silently walking back to the forest entrance. Picky watches as he walks away, but then notices DogDay walking away again.
"DogDay, hold on!" she said.
The dog barely has time to repress the sigh that almost escapes him. He turns to the pig as she rushes up to him, his smile becoming incredibly strained at this point. It almost breaks when she hugs him tightly. DogDay hugs her back tenderly. Much to his chagrin, the warmth of the hug is slightly soothing and causes his tail to wag a little. It does nothing to warm the pile of ice smothering his heart, however.
"You better come back... If you don't... I-I'm making your favorite, and you're not getting any, understand...? A-and don't worry about what Kickin' said, okay? CatNap believed in you until the end, I just know it. If he was still here... he'd be right by your side all the way," she says, a slight quaver in her voice.
It takes all that he is not to break down in front of her when he hears it. When her words touch him in a way he's terrified of displaying.
'Stop it... Stop caring about me, stop being scared for me... Just leave and get back home... Go and be safe... please...'
He chuckles. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. You just make it home safe, you and Kickin'."
She pulls away, and inhales deeply, wiping her eyes. She smiles at him one last time before turning around and walking away. When she walks enough distance, the mask DogDay was wearing shatters into hundreds of tiny pieces, and his lip quivers as tears silently drip down his face. He wanted to scream at himself, yell out about everything he loathed about who he was and what he was doing, but that was just a bad idea right now in the middle of enemy territory. So he just stuck to cursing himself internally for even letting tears form in his ducts. 
'You don't deserve to cry. Not when you're the one who's failing everyone. Not when you couldn't protect a single Critter, let alone the rest of them. It's no wonder Kickin' hates you, look at you. You're weak. Just as he said. Just as CatNap knew.'
He takes a deep breath and a second to collect himself. He feels more calm, now that his bout of self-loathing is over. It was stupid of him to cry over something like that. It's not like it's anything he hasn't told himself before.
He proceeds forward, locking that moment away in his head, never to be brought up again. Hopefully.
***
He's been walking for a few minutes now with nothing to really show for it. The trees have been getting more and more corrupt the closer he gets to what he assumes to be the center of the woods. They meld and mesh together unnatural. The odd star syrup was liquifying anything it was painted over. It was like molten lava, melting everything it covered and then mashing it all together into one being, one entity. He swears he can see the trees growing sometimes. Sometimes a gradual rise in the size of the branches, other times a twitch in the trunk as it suddenly sprouts vertically a few inches. It was jarring, to say the least. He could only wonder why for the entire time he was walking. What is the point of this? Is this the work of the comets? It had to be, this looked like the same stuff they were made of after all. Were they... changing the environment to suit them instead...?
'...What would this stuff do to regular people...?'
He looks again at the melting, mangled trees, merging violently with each other. He feels nauseous. It was like a... rot. He didn't want to ever find out the answer to that question.
DogDay scans the area. It was surreal, the combination of the sun's warm, inviting yellow glow and the blue sky above, and the nightmarish, jet-black swamp of stars underfoot. All the light was being absorbed into the void that was now the forest. He was grateful, at least a little, for the equally ominous red hue that keeps glowing inside of every splotch of the star rot, or else he may not be able to find his way through any of this. He hopes he finds something soon. The syrupy ooze underneath his feet was making his legs tired. Just because it didn't stick to his feet, it didn't mean it wasn't sticky at all. He felt like he had to yank his legs up every time he took a step, and it was getting tiring.
His hopes are answered when he spots a bright white building nearby. As he approaches, he notices that it's... completely untouched by the rot. A pristine, sterile white amidst the black umbral rot. It's... unnerving, even though he feels like it should make him feel safe. There are numbers and a few signs next to what DogDay assumes to be the front door, which is rusted and brown. This looked to be a bunker. He was relieved to finally see another color besides black and white without looking up at the sun. The numbers seemed to be some sort of tag. It read A-1216. The signs say things like:
DANGER! KEEP OUT!
CAUTION OVERHEAD!
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY!
And the works. All stuff he can't say he's surprised to see. Though it's odd there are no protective measures besides some signs... The door looked far too rusted shut for anyone to have been walking in and out of here recently, so he doubts anyone will care about his trespassing. He digs into his pocket, pulling out CatNap's pendant. He kisses it and smiles. 
"If you're watching me right now, Moonbeam... protect me from whatever danger I'm unwittingly about to step into..." he muttered, holding the pendant close before pocketing it again.
He pulled open the door. Well... he tried to. It was a lot more stubborn than just a simple pull. He had to put some real strength into opening this surprisingly heavy door, but eventually it swung wide open with a loud groan. His face scrunched at the amount of rust covering his paws now, dirtying the orange fur on his hands. He ignored it for now, instead distracted by just how dark it was inside the mysterious bunker. He reached into the small sack on his back, pulling out a heavy flashlight. 
'Always good to come prepared, even when it's daylight,' he thought. He clicked it on, revealing a staircase that led down. Far down.
DogDay sighed. Time for some cardio...
There was another door at the bottom of the staircase, though this time it was far easier to open than the entrance. He shone his flashlight ahead, revealing a long hallway. It was clear that some sort of carnage had occurred here if all the debris lying in the hallway was any indicator. One of the doors near the other end of the hallway has been ripped off of its hinges entirely.
DogDay swallowed. His throat suddenly felt incredibly dry. He walked down the hallway to the defiled door, shining his flashlight on the inside of the room. It was a mess, with filing cabinets tipped over and papers scattered across the ground.  He sees a box and a stack of papers that seem very neat in comparison to the rest of the area lying undisturbed on a table in the room. He walks up to it, reading 'Dr. Delight - Moonchild Logs' on the front of the box.
'Moonchild...? Are they talking about CatNap?'
Inside the box is a large amount of tapes and a tape recorder, each labeled with different words. He wouldn't be able to listen to all these here. Although... from how dusty everything looked, he didn't think anyone would mind if he snatched them up. For safekeeping, of course. He opens his backpack and stuffs all the tapes inside along with the recorder. He picked up and folded the papers as well, stuffing them inside the pack too. He didn't know what they meant, but a tiny voice in his head told him that they were important. He exits the room, swinging his flashlight around the hall. It split off into two directions, possibly with more to uncover... but he didn't want to push his luck. He got something, and that was gonna have to suffice for now. He rubs his eyes tiredly, thankfully not with his rust-covered palm. The effects of his lack of sleep were starting to rear their ugly head, and he could tell he wasn't going to be awake much longer at this rate. He wanted to at least pass out at home. He turned back to the entrance. There was what looked to be a red emergency light glowing above the door to exit the hallway.
He didn't notice that above him when he first walked in. The destruction in the hall was quite distracting, so it wasn't too surprising, but why did this hall feel so much darker before he walked in? He began walking towards the exit, yawning and rubbing his eyes some more. He felt exhausted. Did he actually sleep at all? His movements felt so sluggish and imprecise...
He stumbled over a piece of debris on the ground, falling over onto his hands and knees. When he got back up, something was terribly wrong. That red light... it was larger now. Brighter. Ominous. DogDay was initially curious but was then gripped with paralyzing fear as stars appeared above him. The hallway faded away into a vast inky sea littered with twinkling stars. He watches as that sphere of crimson light grows larger and brighter... And he could see two white pupils just ahead.
"Heretic..."
His ears rise as a voice calls out. He can only assume the title is directed at him, unless someone is standing behind him. He shivered with fear as the figure stepped closer.
"You desecrate these hallowed grounds with your presence."
With more steps, the figure looked like they were getting larger from DogDay's perspective, with the now gigantic red orb behind them. DogDay tried to say something, but it died in his throat. The feeling of fear was so intense that he couldn't do anything but watch as the Critter got closer and closer.
"Our god is merciful. Generous. He grants his gifts without distinction. The gift of the celestial flesh..."
The figure was almost right in front of him, piercing white pupils never averting from the canine. He swallows dryly. He wanted to growl, or whine, or something.
"I... am not so merciful. I refuse to let you destroy the great vision of my lord with your heresy. You do not deserve his gift." 
He can just barely make out features now. Pointy ears, one of them seemingly ripped. Skinny, bony limbs. A ragged... hospital gown? Coarse fur, with a color too dark to see in the current light. The Critter in front of him was quite a few inches shorter than him, coming just up to his chest. They shouldn't be that terrifying. Why was he so unbelievably petrified? Why did death seem so certain in these moments? Why was he so scared of whatever this Critter had in store for him? 
He was hyperventilating now, chest heaving as the Critter held up a hand, arm painted with that same star rot covering the forest on the surface. 
"... wait. why are you... so familiar...?" The resolve in the Critter's voice almost immediately disappears as their hand stops just short of DogDay's snout. A scent is wafting off of the paw in front of him. A scent he... recognizes.
He watches as the paw drifts down to his chest. To his pendant.
They're so close now, and that smell... He knows that smell... He swears up and down that smell is imprinted on him from... somewhere. He's trying desperately to push past the fear clouding his mind, wracking his brain for any ideas.
The Critter gingerly cradles the pendant, their brows furrowed as they seem to be slowly putting together pieces DogDay is struggling to even find. His vision is getting noticeably darker as intense exhaustion starts washing over him. His lids are so heavy, and all this heavy breathing has him dizzy.
The Critter's eyes widen in shock as they examine his face closer. Everything is starting to blur together. His ears are ringing so loudly now, and he feels incredibly faint. It hits him like a freight train.
He knows exactly what that scent is. Who's it is.
The voice, when next he hears it, is soft. Unsure. And so very familiar.
"...DogDay...?"
His eyelids are too heavy to keep open now, and they start falling lower and lower...
DogDay bolts awake with a gasp.
He's... in his bed...?
== Part Two ==
DogDay panted heavily, grasping at his face as his eyes darted around his room. There was a faint orange light indicative of a sunset filtering in through his window. When did he get home...? His memory was faint, but he remembers... being in that strange place, that bunker, before he fell asleep. He remembers standing petrified before a Critter he swore he recognized. And then... then he caught a whiff of that scent. That scent that seemed to make all of the doubts about who he was looking at fall away. He knew that smell. That Critter.
CatNap.
He had to have been dreaming. It was all just a dream, or a nightmare, or a sleep-induced hallucination. It couldn't have been him. I just couldn't. He was just dreaming, that's all it was. A dream that felt... just a little too real. He rubbed his face as his breathing slowed. Yes, that was it. Just a dream. He laid back down, shutting his eyes and exhaling. Despite closing his eyes and laying down, he doesn't really feel tired at all. In fact, he feels more refreshed right now than he has in years.
That was... strange. He can't remember the last time he's felt well rested after taking a nap. He looked at the clock on his wall; It read 7:32 P.M. He slept a lot longer than he did in his dream. But if he went to bed at 5 A.M. last night...
His eyes widened in shock as he shot back up into a sitting position.
"Wait, I slept for fourteen hours?!" he cried. "Why didn't anybody wake me up?!"
He tossed his legs over the side of his bed, sighing. His ears rose to the sound of chuckling outside. He looked outside his window and could see the whole gang, sitting around a little campfire. Looks like they're having fun. Maybe he should join them.
'Do they even know I've been sleeping all day?'
He reaches for his pendant nervously. It's... not there? He checks his pockets, and finds no sun medallion. Only CatNap's pendant, still in his pocket. Still in his pocket from when he picked it up the morning in his 'dream.' From when he kissed it before entering the depths of that bunker.
DogDay's face became grim as his eyes grew to the size of pie-pans. "No. No, this can't be happening... This can't be happening..."
He takes a moment to breathe, settling his still jittery nerves before making his way outside and towards the group.
The sun has almost fully set now, the stars coming out to twinkle and blink while their moon guardian watches over them in silence, pale white, and full like always. DogDay wonders when the last time the moon wasn't full. He's never really thought about it before, but when was the last new moon? When was the last time Smiling Valley wasn't being watched by that white, unblinking eye? He stares at it, and a shiver trails down his spine. It stares right back, looking into his soul, judging every move and sound and thought until it knows exactly who he is inside and out. It's a monarch, amongst its sparkling, ever-brilliant subjects. 
He shakes his head. He sounds insane. It probably waned recently, just without his notice. It's not like he has much time to stare at the night sky nowadays. The crackle of embers and orange glow of a fire in front of him snaps him from his thoughts. Bubba notices him first.
"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty! We thought you'd never wake up!" he said, smiling warmly.
The other critters look up from the fire, everyone smiling but Kickin'. He gets up and gives the dog one of his signature spine-shattering hugs (with elephants being the gentle giants they are). It's warm and, admittedly, something he couldn't be upset about, even though he hates the comfort it brings. His tail wags slowly as he hugs him back. He's still grinning at him when they pull away. Seeing him happy makes him feel a little better about Bubba's smile. He smiles back.
"Yeah, sorry. Must've been a lot more tired than I thought, heh. I'm surprised one of you didn't try to wake me up at some point, especially you, big guy."
Hoppy smiles next, eyes half-lidded. She's sitting noticeably further from the fire than the rest. "Not without lack of trying, dude. We had to hold Bobby down so she wouldn't mess with you while you were trying to sleep."
The dog chuckles softly. 'That sounds like her.' 
He did sleep for a while, that's true, but he will begrudgingly admit that he did need some rest, so he figured it wasn't crazy how long he slept. He watches as Bubba meanders back to his chair.
Bobby giggles while remembering the situation. She takes a sip from the bottle of water in her hand. "Yeah, I'll admit, we were getting kinda worried when you made it past the twenty-four hour mark, but we all knew how much you needed the rest."
DogDay's face drops instantly. "W...What...?"
A smile formed on his face again. That was certainly a joke, it was obvious. DogDay barely slept at all, even on a good night.
"Oh, yeah DogDay. You've been asleep for at least an entire day's worth of time. It's crazy! 'Nap would've been proud if he saw it! -Ow!" Bubba said as he got elbowed by Picky, who stared at him with a look that just screams 'You're an idiot.' "What, what'd I say?"
Confusion displays evidently on DogDay's face.
"It's true," Kickin' said. "You've been asleep for at least twenty-four hours since you came home yesterday. A little over, actually."
DogDay looked shocked as his gaze bounced between the group.
"By the way... You didn't have your necklace when you came home, and you were acting a little strange. You were almost overly cheerful. at least... compared to how you've been recently. A lot like your old self," Crafty interjected while drawing idly in her small notebook. She looked up at him with a tiny smile, but it quickly wiped away when she saw the look of confusion on his face.
"I... was...?" He placed a paw on his head. He... didn't remember anything like that at all.
"You... you said something really strange, too..." Bobby started, a small frown on her muzzle.
All the other Critters look at the campfire rather uncomfortably. DogDay looked her square in the eyes. 
"What? What did I say?" he asked, voice shaky.
"Well... when we asked you what happened after Kickin' and Picky split from you, you said that... that CatNap had told you to go to bed. That he could tell you were tired and... told you to get some sleep." She looked sad as she said it. "We were really worried when you said that. We thought you had found him... hurt or... something, and it just kind of..."
She hesitated as if weighing her words on her tongue.
"Broke you, in a sense. But we didn't think much of it when you said you were going to go to bed. It was odd of you, especially nowadays," she said, a smile adorning her features once more. "But we were just glad you finally realized how much you needed to sleep, and figured it was just the sleepiness making you loopy."
Her smile faded as the dog's stare became empty and solemn. He looked down at his paws and began to breathe heavily.
Hoppy's ears sprang straight up in concern and she chuckled nervously. "Yo, you okay, D.D.? You look like you've seen a ghost, heh."
The others turn to look at the dog, who looks like he might just vomit any moment now. He doesn't respond to Hoppy, instead turning and sprinting towards his house. If that was real, if he truly did see CatNap... If none of that was a dream, then he had to make sure he still had those tapes. He didn't know what was on them, but it had to be finally some sort of answers. Some sort of clues as to what the hell was happening in the valley. It just had to be.
"W-wai- DogDay! What's wrong?! Are you okay?!" Bobby said as she gets up and starts running after him, the others follow suit.
When they get to his front door, he's rummaging frantically through his backpack, breathing heavily.
"DogDay what's-" Kickin' started, but he doesn't get to finish when DogDay turns back to them, an emotion he can't quite place on the canine's face. 
"He's alive," is all they got before he turned back to his backpack and reached inside, pulling out an old tape recorder.
They didn't even register what he was holding, still reeling from what he's just said.
"W-what?" was the next sound in the living room, from Crafty.
"He's alive. I found him," he said again, plainly. A scowl was pressed to his face as he stared at the slightly dusty tape recorder. He made a silent agreement in his head with it as his frown deepened. 
'Give me the answers I want, and I won't smash you into a million tiny fucking pieces.'
"Who...?" Kickin' says next, finally breaking the bout of silence after DogDay's statement. DogDay resists the urge to scoff; Who else? Who else could he be talking about that matters enough to mention them? They knew exactly who DogDay was talking about, and he knew it.
They just didn't believe him, except Bubba.
"When we split from each other, I found a bunker deeper in the woods. It wasn't touched by that... rot we saw growing on the trees, but it was surrounded almost completely by it. I went in, deep underground, and found this thing." He showed them the recorder, placing it on a nearby table. "A few tapes to go with it. But when I was about to leave, I... He was there. Like he was waiting for me." DogDay shivered as he remembered the terror he felt in his heart when CatNap first spoke. 
He turns towards them, mouth pulled into a thin line.
"He's alive. CatNap is alive. Alone, and... and changed. But alive. And..." he feels tears well in his eyes as CatNap's final words before he woke up bounced around in his head. "H-he remembered me. Said my name."  His arms are shaking as he stares at them, brows furrowed. "He didn't recognize me at first, but when he got closer to me he..."
He pauses, remembering just how paralyzed he was, how choked he felt under that gaze. "I didn't get to speak to him. I was so exhausted. I passed out and... And I woke up in bed immediately after my eyes closed. I don't even remember what you guys are talking about."
His vision bounced between the critters, and his scowl deepened when all he saw from them was confusion and concern.
"You don't believe me..." he said, turning back around and once again digging in his bag, pulling out a bunch of cassette tapes, all labeled with different titles and dates. None of them have years for some reason, just days and months. Thankfully, they're numbered. The first one reads November 12th. 
"DogDay, are you... Are you feeling okay...?" Bobby asked, and DogDay felt nauseous at the concern in her voice. He doesn't turn around, sorting the cassettes into by-date order. 
"I'm fine," He said. He can't explain the anger in the depths of his soul when he hears her hesitantly step closer.
Hoppy steps closer with her. "Are you sure? You... We're just worried D.D., This isn't-"
"I said I'm fine, okay?" He grabbed the oldest tape, inserted it into the recorder, and looked over his shoulder at the Critters. "Stay or go, I don't care. I need to listen to these tapes, so don't bother me..." he stated coldly, rewinding the tape as much as it can go.
His finger lingers on the play button as he stares down at the recorder, waiting for them to make their choice. He listens as their feet patter away from him and out the entrance, the door clicking softly.
He sighed, a feeling of sadness washing over him. He wasn't crazy. He wasn't. Right...?
'No.' He thinks to himself. 'No, don't doubt yourself. You know what you saw DogDay.' 
CatNap was alive, he was. That was the most important thing. He looked different, the cat barely remembered him. But his Moonlight was alive. He was alive and that was all that mattered to him. He just needed some answers, he just needed to figure out how to fix all this, and then things would go back to normal. They'd all be friends again, he'd have his kitty back, and life would be peaceful in the valley.
And then he could stop hating himself. Because he'll finally do something right. Something helpful. It all starts with these tapes, he just knows it.
He presses play.
The tape recorder screeched a bit before a woman's voice was produced from its speaker. She sighed, and DogDay can sense irritation in her tone before she even finished her first sentence.
"This is Recorded research log number one. The Date today is November 12th. I have been asked by my employers to omit the year from the dates of my logs, as well as my real name for 'company security.' I have been given the alias 'Ms. Delight' as a result, and despite numerous attempts to have this... strange name changed, I've yet to receive word back from anyone I have contacted on the matter... so I guess my name is Ms. Delight from now until the end of my time here at Site-1216. I've been told that these end-of-shift recordings are my only option for logging any data or happenings that occur within this facility, and that written documents are strictly prohibited unless approved by and handed off to the director."
DogDay can hear the shuffling of papers as Ms. Delight pauses. 
'Is she reading some sort of script...?'
His wondering is brief as she clears her throat and resumes speaking.
"I've also been told that within the next few days, I will be assigned to Project Moonchild, and that I am to prepare myself mentally for what may lie ahead. I'm no stranger to moral dilemma in the advancement of science, I assure anyone who is listening. To think they even felt the need to warn me of such complications, while giving me next to nothing in terms of information about the goings-on of this project is... grating, to say the least."
DogDay huffed. This tape wasn't getting him anywhere. He stops the tape and ejects it from the recorder, before picking the next one up. It's titled "First contact with Moonchild" and the date is November 25th.
He popped it in and pressed play.
"Recorded research log number two. Date is November 25th. Location, site A-1216. I've had my first interaction with the Critter I've been assigned to on this project: Subject 1188, or as the alias given refers to him, the titular Moonchild. I've yet to see what is so special about him. He won't speak to me, nor the other researchers, and not even the director. We attempted to speak with him for hours, but he simply refused to even say his name. He's quite irksome, practically always sleeping, and has an annoying amount of resolve with the stance of isolation he's taken. I was told he had friends before he was taken from them, 'for their safety.' I'm not so sure."
DogDay felt sick to his stomach. That sounded exactly like...
He halts his thoughts for now, focusing on the log.
"One thing I can note is that the creatures housed within the other testing chambers have seemingly shifted their behaviors to mimic 1188. It's quite... unsettling. The Unblinking, as they have been named, have been animalistic since they were first captured by my employers, if records are correct, but now... they just sit there most of the day. Calm and quiet, constantly staring with that large white eye. Their pitch black bodies twinkling with star-like patterns. It's hard to imagine something so alien being found on our planet, but until you see it, I suppose. I'll make another log once I am able to break through this vow of silence taken on by Moonchild. These are research logs after all, no sense wasting tape when there's nothing to document."
The tape stops, and DogDay removes it from the recorder. He swallows thickly. That sounds exactly like CatNap when he first introduced him to the other Critters. And this tape was dated a few days after CatNap's disappearance. He scowled. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together and get 4. This "Moonchild" thing... it was CatNap wasn't it? Subject 1188, as Ms. Delight had called him. So this is what happened to him? He was... was taken to some sort of facility, the bunker he found. Taken from his home by these people and... what?  He was sure Ms. Delight would let him know exactly what further along.
And these... Unblinking, he thinks she called them. They sounded like comets. Was that their official name? "The Unblinking." He had to admit, it fit. They did nothing if not stare with that giant white spot on their face. The calmness was a bit strange though. The comets- er, "Unblinking" the Critters have ever seen or interacted with have always been savage and animalistic. But it seemed that CatNap was... affecting them somehow? 'shifting their behaviors,' as Ms. Delight had put it. 
DogDay's sighs. This is exactly what he wanted; Forward motion towards the truth. But he couldn't shake the feeling of something terrible looming just above him ever since he rewound the first tape. He still had a decent amount more tapes to go. Tonight was going to be a long night wasn't it?
***
DogDay is in the kitchen, the recorder sitting nearby on his dinner table. He's a couple tapes in now, and he's glad they're numbered as well as date labeled, or else he'd probably be knee deep into the later logs without knowing it, only to suddenly reach log one. He was now onto tapes recorded in June of the next year, and he's learned a lot about the Unblinking, the experiments conducted in the bunker. About another subject, 1006, who Ms. Delight felt was getting 'far too powerful to contain,' but her words fell on deaf ears. She was told she was just being paranoid. She didn't seem very comfortable talking about them, and figured it was better not to. They weren't the subject of her studies anyway, that was the task of a different researcher. And the inhumane conditions and torturous actions that count as punishment for failure to complete tasks or perform well enough would make anyone scared of the consequences of their actions, subject or otherwise.
He's heard far too many stories from Ms. Delight of CatNap's stubbornness getting himself in trouble. How he'd refuse to answer certain questions or perform specific actions the researchers wanted to observe, and be punished for it every time. She sounded emotionless to it at first, but as time went on she began to sound more and more tired when describing it to the recorder. It made DogDay sick every time he heard about his kitty being harmed in such ways. He couldn't help the guilt that pooled deep inside his stomach at the thought. The thought of CatNap just being so close, suffering just beneath their feet. How could they have been so blind? How could he have been so incompetent? It made him want to take the tapes, toss them into his fireplace, and just light it all ablaze. But that wouldn't destroy the past attached to them. Nothing would.
He scratches the back of his head with a sigh. After Ms. Delight's words began to blur together after a few more hours of listening, he decided to make some tea. He did the usual; kettle, water, stove, heat. Ms. Delight was detailing some sort of odd state CatNap was continuously entering between tests. Like he was listening to someone talk, just sitting there, staring up at the non-existent sky on the ceiling.
"It's beginning to worry the other researchers, they say they keep feeling this overwhelming sense of dread whenever he does it. Like they're being watched by something above them. I've never felt it myself so I just assume it's some sort of prank to try and freak me out. Despite this, the Director seems pretty happy with the progress we've, apparently, been making. Something I've noticed by watching this occur is that the Unblinking seem to take the same inert state at the same time as this odd spell falls over him, like they're praying. Communing. It's equal in both parts fascinating, and eerie. I can't help but wonder though..."
DogDay shuts his eyes. This water sure is taking a while to boil. Did he forget to put hot water in it? He scratches that itch in the back of his head again.
"Don't you still love me, Sunshine...?"
DogDay's eyes snap open instantly as his blood runs ice cold. He turns slowly towards the recorder on the table. That was the end of the tape. His heartbeat is pounding in his ears. His breathing quickens as his legs shamble slowly towards the recorder. His paws are trembling as he places a finger on the rewind button, letting it rewind just a bit before stopping it. He presses play.
"-arts fascinating, and eerie. I can't help but wonder though..."
He holds his breath as the pause goes on, it feels so much longer than it did the first time.
"Just what are they listening to? And why as a group...? Hm."
The tape ends. He doesn't know whether or not he should feel relieved. He sits down on his couch, with a sigh. Maybe he should take a break, listening to all these tapes was really starting to get to his head. He scratches at that itch again, in the back of his head. It's constant and one of those itches you get deep under your skin that you can't scratch properly without drawing blood, one of the most aggravating kinds in his opinion. He scratches at that annoying itch. And scratches. He's bleeding now. And scratches. He can feel that sanguine warmth running along his fingers. And scratches. The iron smell of the oily substance wafts gently through the air. And scratches. That itch is so close now. Just gotta get past all this flesh in the way. And scratches. He can feel the back of his skull now. The bone is delightfully tender, and he easily starts chipping away at it with his dull nails. Then he gets to the most annoying part. And scratches. The most resistant part. His brain. Where the itch lies deepest.
He shoots awake. He's sitting on his couch. When did he fall asleep...? After all the time he apparently spent sleeping in bed, you'd think he wouldn't be tired enough to fall asleep. And that nightmare... It felt so real. He touches the back of his head, and breathes a sigh of relief that he didn't just pass out and wake up later like earlier.
"You okay, Sunshine?" 
CatNap was standing in front of him. DogDay feels an immense calm wash over him as his friend smiles down at him. There's an odd red light behind him, slightly obscuring his features, but DogDay doesn't mind. He's just happy to see the feline at all, even if it's just his eyes and teeth glinting ever so slightly.
He chuckles and sighs. "Yeah I'm okay. Just... had a nightmare, heh." 
CatNap frowns. "Aw, I'm sorry about that." CatNap opens his arms wide, invitingly. "C'mere, let me help you feel better." 
DogDay blinks, and the world melts away within the single second his eyes are shut. The inky black of space surrounds him, just like it did when he stood before CatNap in the bunker. That Crimson Star shines brightly above, red hue imbuing a sense of calm within his soul. CatNap's purple fur has been replaced with the holy celestial flesh of a god. His body is lanky, monstrous, and his paws are enormous, big enough to pick up and hold the poor dog in one hand. His body is pitch black and star filled.
He is beautiful. He is our Moonchild.
DogDay is no longer sitting on his couch. He is now on his knees, arms raised in reverence and worship. A smile is spread across his face. He loves his beautiful, shining star so much. He hums in delight as one large claw grabs both of his arms, and the other grabs his legs.
"Offer your heretical flesh to be consumed by the cosmos, DogDay, and be free of your sin. You will feel complete, as I am."
A look of elation crosses DogDay's face as he realizes what's about to happen to him. He wriggles as the top and bottom halves of his body are grasped tightly in those enormous paws. Even now, with the threat they pose to his physical form, and how large and dangerous those claws are, the touch is simply electrifying, the feeling of CatNap in any form eases some of the yearning he's had in his heart for so long now. His tail wags happily as CatNap's head nuzzles against him affectionately, lulling him into a sense of security that is completely shattered when CatNap pulls strongly on his halves, away from each other. He can already feel the tendons and muscles in his abdomen tearing. He grits his teeth, and tears well in his eyes as the pain increases substantially within the span of a second. He can hear his body ripping as CatNap pulls harder. The agony is exhilirating. His eyes widen and salty tears spill down his face as his abdomen rips open a little more, blood pouring from the new large tear forming around his waist. He can't even breathe, the pain is so intense.
He screams as CatNap's claws tear viciously at him, ripping more of his disgusting flesh. It's pure bliss and esctacy as his one purpose for existence in this life is made manifest. Feeding the stars. The moon. The life that truly mattered in this world. Like his precious kitty, whom he loved so dearly. The manifestation of his most purest of duties bears within him a feeling most rapturous. His body is almost completely torn in half now. Just some pesky innards connecting his halves together. CatNap makes short work of those bits with a rough tug. The cat almost lovingly cradles his torso as his entrails hang out limply, purring while rubbing his face against the dog's. He'd chuckle, if he wasn't so out of breath now. He can already feel the stars nibbling at his organs. He can feel one of CatNap's enormous paws reach into the fresh wound and tug roughly, pulling out his intestines and a few other organs he can only barely make out from the vignette beginning to encircle his vision.
DogDay's vision is fading, the light in his eyes is dulling incredibly fast, but he doesn't feel fear, or sadness, or regret. Why would he feel those things, when he had just participated in something so ghoulish? So... unholy? No. He feels no fear. No sadness. No regret. He feels only joy. Only joy.
DogDay awakes with a gasp. he's sitting on his couch again. He thinks he's awake again. He curls in on himself, crying as his eyes dart around the room quickly. His body is trembling in terror. His breaths are far too quick, and it's making him light headed. He sobs softly as his dull claws grasp at his ears. He feels incredibly paranoid, every noise feels like another thing, about to devour him whole. Wanting to rip him apart. He felt like he was losing his mind, like at any point the world might melt away again. Everything is starting to blur. He stands up, looking for an escape.
He eyes the front door. He needs to run. He needs to get as far away as possible. He opens his door and sprints out into the moonlit night. There's an immense pressure on top of him. It feels as if he's being gazed at by an entire stadium of people, all staring. All judging. He's still running, and he's ridiculously out of breath now. He's still crying and he can still feel the ache in his waist from when...When CatNap ripped him in half.
He shivered. He's standing at the entrance to the forest now. He can see a faint glow. He can hear an ominous humming. And then he sees him.  His kitty. In his sacred, cosmic glory. That single unblinking eye colored blood red, and bathing him in it's glorious crimson light.
"DogDay... My sweet puppy... My warm, Radiant sun..."
He falls to his knees, and raises his arms. In reverence. In worship.
"Delivering your flesh to me so willingly... Such devotion deserves rich rewards."
His tail cuts through the air quickly. He feels joy in the cat's words. Joy from the way CatNap takes slow steps toward him, arms outstretched and inviting him to fulfill his purpose. Joy from the coalescent mix of paralyzing fear and soothing calm induced by the carmine light he is bathed in. Pure, unbound joy.
Only joy.
Category:NSFW
Category:Creepypastas made by SweetZ1997
Category:Poppy Playtime
Category:Blood and Gore
Category:FanFiction
Category:Disappearances
Category:Nightmare
Category:Dreams/Sleep
Category:Longpasta