If Po Survived (ST3 AU)

Chapter 17: Sleep

When everyone arrived at the new base, Po was the first to step out, and the base did look pretty secure and a nice place for them all to train and stay.

Walten followed, whistling a little. "Well, are you ready?" He asked, looking at Po with a smile.

Po smiled a little back and then grabbed his hand with a nod. "I am. Or as you would say," She suddenly grabbed his hat and put it on her head. "Let's do this!"

Walten smiled at that. 'Ok, now that's cute.' He thought.

The two then headed inside, Ron not too far behind them, but he was helping with the injured along with Fiona. Anne then went up to Walten and Po. "Ok, since this is most definitely the start of a war. I'm just gonna show you basic things for today. Miles will help me later when he wakes up."

"Alright. Sounds simple." The Guardian said with a nod before Po set his hat back on his head, going on her tippy toes since he was taller than her.

"Now, The Guardian already knows how to fight, but he still lacks some things in strength and speed, along with gunfire. Po, you just need to know how to fire a gun."

"Oh! I know how! Watch!" She then grabbed Anne's gun from her holster and then fired it at the ground, but it literally hopped out of her hands the moment it fired and fell onto the ground.

Anne snorted. "Ok, you know how to shoot. Aim needs work."

Po rubbed the back of her head with a small giggle. "Hehe, yeah."

Even Walten laughed a little. "Welp, let's get going."

"Training course is this way." Anne gestured to the two, leading them over.

They went over many practices, since this was more of a practice lesson. They took apart and put back together various weapons, and obstacle courses which Po thought were rather fun even though she could hardly breathe at the end of them.

"Alright, Po. This is just target practice." Anne said as she positioned Po's body in a shooting stance and then put a pistol in her hands. "Ok, that's just a paintball gun since I don't want you to accidentally shoot anybody."

"What's a paintball?" Po asked, tilting her head.

"A plastic ball covered in paint." Anne said simply before gesturing to the target. "The rules are simple. Think of it like a game you're playing. Just hit the target."

Po nodded and then fired the gun, but it jumped out of her hands. She quickly tried to grab it again, but it slipped and then landed on the floor. "Sorry!" She said to Anne before grabbing it again.

"It's alright. But you look a little scared of using a gun."

"I only used it good when I got really, really mad. I hated the loud noises it made." Po said.

Anne thought for a moment before grabbing some headphones and placing it over her ears. "Ok, now try!"

Po nodded and then shot the gun at the target again, even though she missed. It almost jumped out of her hands, but it did not leave her hands.

"Ok, good job! Now just aim. Try to hit that little dot in the middle, ok?" Anne said before stepping back.

Po narrowed her eyes at the dot and then fired the gun, hitting near it, but not the dot itself. She reloaded the gun and then fired it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. But then, she finally hit the dot. Po gasped and then cried out in victory. "I DID IT!!!"

"Great job! Let's keep going. Maybe we can make it up to Walten." Anne laughed. "He's already shooting moving targets with a different gun...and that chainsaw of his. He can swing that thing as quickly and as swiftly as a sword."

Po giggled a little, looking back on memories on how many New Borns and The Announcer fell to the might of Walten's chainsaw, which he could sometimes swing with one arm like an actual sword.

"Po? Po, are you still there?" Anne said, waving her hand in front of her.

"Huh? Oh! I was paying attention!" Po said.

Anne seemed amused before laughing. "Sure you were. Come on, let's keep going!"

Po nodded and then started to follow Anne deeper into the training course.

Slowly, but surely, the day turned into night and everyone headed to sleep. Po, Ron, and Walten sharing a room of theirs. Ron fell asleep almost immediately. But Po couldn't sleep. She was afraid to fall back asleep. She didn't want Shadow invading her mind and making her re-live everything she was scared of.

Walten couldn't sleep either. It may not have seemed like it, but he too was still trying to process everything that was happening to him and everyone. He failed at the ONE job he'd been doing for years. He was sometimes worried that when he would close his eyes, he would wake back up to see Po and Ron dead and covered in blood, with Noo Noo or even Shadow laughing and dancing over their corpses. He wasn't even sure that Noo Noo was even responsible for this catastrophe anymore.

He remembered seeing a glimpse of puppet strings being attached to Noo Noo and being held by the Shadow Tubby. Maybe Noo Noo...wasn't even the one responsible? He had no proof yet, so there wasn't much reason to talk about it.

Over the minutes, Walten's eyes grew heavy, but he forced them open, trying to stay awake. His mind was just screaming at him to stay awake so Po and Ron wouldn't die. He sleeps, they die is what his brain was telling him. He. Couldn't. Sleep.

But then, he heard someone walk over and tap his shoulder. Po was there, clutching a pillow to her chest.

"I can't sleep." She said simply.

Walten sat up. "Yeah. I can't either. Afraid of nightmares?" He asked.

Po nodded slowly as she sat down on Walten's bed. "I don't want another one. And if I fall asleep, I could have one, and then he could go into my head and then find everyone, and I'm just...I'm scared..."

"Aww, Po." He said softly before Po set her pillow down and hugged him. He squeaked, staying still as a statue or something else that stood incredibly stiff and still.

"Can I stay with you...?" She asked, looking up at him.

Walten didn't say anything for a little while, but he nodded, almost a little too quickly. Po then cuddled up with the blanket and the pillow she brought with her, and still hugging Walten.

"Why can't you sleep?" Po asked, not closing her eyes.

Walten saw a glimpse of the image in his mind. The demon dancing over the bloody bodies of his friends. His family. "I...I'm scared too...I don't wanna sleep and fail you..."

Po became confused. "Fail...me?"

Walten was becoming a little sleepy, not knowing completely what he was letting out of his mind and into reality. "I don't...want you to die." He whispered as he began hugging her too.

Po was a bit surprised, but she smiled a little and patted his back. "I won't. Like you tell me, we're gonna be ok."

Walten smiled back. "Then I'll still promise that. You can close your eyes too."

Po was nervous to do so, but she was rather sleepy too. So, she did. "Maybe...Just for a little."

The Guardian then finally closed his eyes, falling asleep seconds later.