Chapter Text
”…C’mon, we have to go seal the dark fountain.”
“Ralsei, have you seen Tenna?”
“N-no, I, I haven’t been able to find him-“
“TENNA! TENNAAA! WHERE ARE YOU??”
God, why couldn’t that TV just die and be done with it?
The heroes had been trekking through the bright snow for what felt like hours, having long since sent the rest of the TV City residents to Castle Town. It was only Tenna left, a darkner that the dealmakers on Kris’ head was hoping to see dead.
The sight before him was somehow even more pitiful.
Tenna laid there, a bright red stain on the white snow. His screen was completely broken, his arms laying nearby. The faint buzz of static was the only way to tell that he was still alive.
Susie was the first to run over, Ralsei and Kris following behind her.
“Hey- hey, Tenna. Hey, everything’s gonna be alright. Ralsei, we can heal him, right?”
Ralsei shrank, paws digging into the snow, unable to meet Susie’s desperate gaze.
“I….I don’t think healing magic can fix this, Susie. His injuries are-“
“But we can still fix him, right?”
“…”
“RIGHT?”
“Yes, I…I think so.”
The glasses on Kris’s head stared at Ralsei. Perhaps he knew just as well what Tenna’s fate was meant to be. Knew that he should be dead by now.
That TV was always so stubborn.
The rest of the discussion passed like a blur. Something about Tenna being easier to carry in his light world form. To hurry to Castle Town as soon as possible. It took some more traveling through the snow, but the fountain was sealed, and with it, the TV world’s existence.
—
The average teen doesn’t know how to fix a CRT TV, much less a living one.
Susie and Kris had rushed Tenna over to Castle Town as soon as they could, even though it took them breaking into the school. It was fine. Probably. There were more important things than the consequences of trespassing.
They had dragged Tenna over to the cliff area, away from most of the other residents, in hopes of being able to fix him.
If you could even call it fixing. Susie pulled at wires as Ralsei checked an instruction booklet that Tenna carried on him for emergencies, though he struggled to read the faded text. Kris attempted to help Susie, holding onto the wires she pulled out.
They’re killing this TV faster than if they had simply left him in the snow. Spamton was as happy as any other to see the grand finale of TV Time, but…no, not like this. It couldn’t be like this.
“STOP! STOP! [HOLD IT!]”
The dealmakers yelled, leaving their very comfortable spot on Kris’ head. All attempts to fix Tenna stopped as they stared at the puppet that reappeared from the pair of glasses, dusting himself off and checking his jaw.
“You’re all gonna [Killed] him at this [High Ratings!]”
“What are we supposed to do then?!” Susie cried, her voice threatening to break.
What are they supposed to do? They didn’t know how to fix him, the booklet was useless…and his ex employees were still wary of him.
Their best bet was heading back into the light world, but Tenna could be lost at any moment. Unless.
“I can keep his [Engine Up and Running!]”
“What?”
Spamton gave Susie his very best award losing smile, taking a few steps closer.
“With the [Smooth taste of NEO!] I could probably keep him [Wound Up] until you guys are [Back And Better Than Ever!]”
“There is no way we’re letting you do that,” Susie turned to look at the others as she dropped the wires that were in her hand, “There’s a better choice, right?”
Ralsei fidgeted in place, tugging on his scarf, “I can try to talk to some of the TV world darkners, but….”
Kris’s response was simple and deadpan. “It’s our best bet.”
Susie looked back and forth between the two, before finally groaning and turning her glare to Spamton. She stepped away from the CRT, pressing a single claw against the puppet’s chest.
“Alright. Kris and I are gonna go find out how to fix him and Ralsei’s gonna check around town. YOU are going to BEHAVE. Or else. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you [Loud and Clear!]. Trust me, I know my way [around town] a [Cathode Ray Tube]”
For a moment he thought Susie was just gonna punch him right then and there, but instead the response was a huff as she backed away, walking over to Kris.
“Let’s go.”
Soon enough they were gone, leaving a puppet and a goat that wouldn’t stop staring at him.
“…What, waiting for the [Big Event Tickets Now 50% Off!]”
“Ah, er, sorry! Sorry!”
Ralsei murmured a few more apologies as he scurried off, probably to go find some of the shadowguys or pippins, leaving just Spamton and Tenna. Alone.
Even after all these years this TV finds a way to be a thorn in his side.
Well, here goes nothing.