Chapter Text
Malhare had been alone for a very, very long time. He wasn't sure exactly how he'd come to be - he wasn't human, he wasn't entirely virus, and he wasn't entirely ghost. There were memories that poked at the very inside of his mind, memories of a human life once before, but they were far removed from him. He wasn't those memories, he wasn't even the human those memories belonged to. He was more of an echo, something born from the remnants of that human's soul, years ago. When he'd first come to be, he'd been part of a computer program. That had been a special hell, and he'd eventually managed to figure out a way to escape, but in the end had been tricked by those he roped in to help him. Instead of ending up inside a human - the preferred vessel - he'd ended up trapped inside of a plush rabbit.
The irony of this was not lost on him, given his form had always been that of a rabbit.
The people who'd trapped him had intended to burn him, at first. But Malhare had managed to get through to one of them before it was too late. Not enough to control their actions entirely, but he was able to convince them to get his plush body to safety. And they had. Although he'd ended up on a shelf in a second-hand goods shop. It must be, he had to assume, in an area in the middle of nowhere. The shop very rarely had patrons. Sure, a kid or two had picked him up once or twice, but they always seemed far more interested in the giant stuffed tigers or smaller stuffed cats and dogs. He wondered if he gave off some sort of aura that made people avoid him.
It was a perfectly average, incredibly boring day when it finally happened. Malhare was hanging out on his shelf, staring out the window opposite him - as he did daily - when there was a sudden squeal of excitement very close to him. Malhare looked down, as much as he was able, and spotted a young girl peering up at his shelf. Big, brown eyes peered up at him, and she pointed at him with an excited grin.
"Daddy, look!" She said, "it looks like Spring Bonnie!" After a second, a man came up to stand behind the little girl. Malhare looked up, meeting the eyes of an average human man - who tickled something in those pesky memories back in Malhare's mind. Malhare ignored that feeling - he could spend hours trying to force the memories forward and get nothing for his effort. They weren't even really his, anyway.
"Huh, it does look like Spring, doesn't it?" The man asked. Malhare mentally huffed when he was suddenly picked up. The man turned him this way and that - which made Malhare dizzy, especially when he was turned completely upside down. "I think someone might have made this themselves, though," the man continued, "he doesn't quite look like our plushies, does he?"
"Can I see?" The girl asked, and the man handed Malhare down to her without argument. She peered closely at the stuffed rabbit, but at least kept him level, which Malhare appreciated. "I like him anyway," she decided after a moment, "he's cute! Can I have him?"
If Malhare had a more physical form, his ears would have perked at that. Had he finally found a way out of this hellhole of a store? The two humans seemed to get along well, surely the father wouldn't deny the girl this one treat? To Malhare's dismay, though, the man didn't respond right away. Instead, he took Malhare back from his daughter and studied the plush again. Malhare did his best to be perfectly still - he knew that his form could get a bit unnatural if he got too angry or excited.
"Okay," the man agreed, handing the plush back to his daughter, "but that's the only one today, okay? We can hardly see your bed as it is!"
The little girl giggled and crushed the plush close to her, causing Malhare to grunt softly at the mistreatment. "Okay, deal!" She exclaimed. The man smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair lightly, before leading her away. They walked through the store for awhile more, the man picking out a few items for himself. Eventually, though, they left, and Malhare did his best not to hum with excitement.
He was finally free.
The little girl's name was Vanessa - though most of the people she saw on a daily basis just called her 'Ness.' And as it turned out, it was no accident that she'd been so drawn to him. Vanessa was basically heiress apparent to the entire Fazbear Entertainment company, and her father owned his own franchise. Which included, Malhare soon learned, actual sentient animatronics who treated the two humans like family. It seemed the world still held plenty of wonders, after all. Malhare didn't put much stock in the vague memories he carried, but he knew Fazbear's. The company and its history were practically embedded into his code, after all. Could it really be a coincidence then, he wondered, that the child who'd finally freed him was connected to Fazbear's too?
Vanessa didn't think about those things, so much. To her, the plush Malhare inhabited was her new best friend. She carried him everywhere - which was exceedingly wonderful, giving him a chance to see everything - and even snuggled with him in her sleep. He didn't mind that so much either, although the kid did tend to drool on occasion. Still, it was worth it, for all the rest. Even when she dubbed him with the name 'Hopper,' which was almost insulting - and certainly would have been, if she weren't only seven years old.
Malhare held no ill-will towards the girl or her family, especially given that they were his ticket to freedom. Still, when he realized he was close enough with the child to siphon off a bit of consciousness for his own gain - well, that was a temptation he couldn't ignore. But he kept it mild. He didn't hurt her, besides a bit of a headache for a day or two, and stopped when he got what he wanted. With just enough, he could escape the plush on occasion and move around of his own accord. He couldn't go far from the toy, given it was the core of his being, but he could walk through, and even just outside, the house without problem. It would have to be enough, for the moment.
Unfortunately, it also came with a side-effect he didn't expect. One night, he floated away from the plush to go and sit by the windowsill and watch the outside world. He was humming softly to himself, minding his own business, when a quiet voice spoke up.
"W-who are you?" Vanessa asked. Thinking there might be someone breaking into the girl's room, Malhare whipped around - only to see her staring right at him. Curious, he stood and stepped away from the window and, sure enough, her gaze followed him.
"You can see me?" Malhare asked. Instead of answering, Vanessa's eyes went wide and she started to open her mouth. "Wait, wait!" Malhare said, holding his hands out. His command made her pause, still looking terrified and uncertain. "Don't yell, okay? It's okay! I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm -" he paused, hesitated, then cringed slightly as he continued, "Ness, it's me. Hopper! Your best friend, remember?"
"Hopper?" Vanessa asked, picking up the plush in question. She looked between it and Malhare, clearly not buying it. Malhare nodded eagerly, desperate for her to believe him. He didn't know why she could see him, but he could only assume it had to do with their small exchange of consciousness. Which meant no one else would be likely to see him. Malhare still didn't want her calling out for her dad and telling him, though. The man - Mike, Malhare had learned - was exceedingly careful and protective where Vanessa was concerned. If she told him she was seeing strange bunny-men, he'd probably end up throwing Malhare's plush form in the fire, just to be safe.
"Yeah!" Malhare said, "it's just me. Sorry, Nessie, I didn't mean to spook you!" He hopped in place, once, glad to see it lighten Vanessa's suspicion, even if just a bit.
"You're just a toy," Vanessa said, holding the plush up as if it were proof, "I'm a big girl now, I know toys aren't real."
"Most toys aren't," Malhare answered, "that's true! Very smart. But I'm a special toy, Nessie! See, we're best friends. And because you were so nice to me, I was able to come to life. Isn't that neat?"
"Prove it," She demanded suddenly. Malhare paused in place, tilting his head - the audacity!
"Huh?"
"Prove it," she repeated, gesturing with the plush rabbit at him, "you gotta show me you're really Hopper, or I'm gonna call my dad." Was the kid actually blackmailing him? Malhare huffed, trying to show her how little he appreciated that. But, fine, if she needed proof, he'd give her proof. He flourished his arms to the side, then returned his full consciousness to the plush. Once there, he let his annoyance shine through. He saw the green tint of his digital aura shine on Vanessa's face. He let his eyes light - filling the plush's eyes with a vibrant purple shine.
"You see?" He asked, and Vanessa gasped at the plush in her hands. So she could hear him like this, too. That was important to know. "I'm Hopper. Do you believe me now? I know it's a little scary," He acquiesced, realizing taunting or teasing the girl would get him nowhere, "but you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm still your best friend - and thanks to you, I'm alive!"
"Wow," Vanessa breathed. She didn't say anything else for a long minute, and Malhare waited in tense silence. He couldn't really do anything if she decided to call her father after all, all he could do was hope she didn't. "Are we really best friends?" She asked, finally, and Malhare knew he could relax.
"Of course!" He answered eagerly, "we're best friends, forever." Vanessa watched him for a moment longer, then smiled - the expression genuine and soft. Inexplicably, Malhare felt himself relax even more. "There's something really important you have to do, though," He continued. Vanessa tensed again, and he knew he had to tread carefully - with a father like hers, she was no doubt well warned about secrets. "I'm magic, Ness," Malhare continued, "and magic has rules, okay? The biggest rule is you can't tell anyone about me."
"I'm supposed to tell daddy everything," she immediately argued. Just as Malhare expected.
"And that's good," He agreed, "you should tell him everything, especially if someone could get hurt. But this is special, Nessie. No one's going to get hurt - but if you tell him, I'll have to go away forever!" He left it there - let her draw the important conclusions. She was quiet again, biting at her lip so hard Malhare was sure she'd make herself bleed.
"If you hurt anyone, I'll have to tell," Vanessa finally said. That, Malhare decided, was probably fair. And he could work with it. After all, he truly didn't intend to hurt anyone - least of all Vanessa or her family. He was more free now, than ever. If he hurt any of them, he'd probably end up back on a shelf forever. If he were lucky enough to escape the flames a second time.
"Sure," Malhare agreed easily, "of course! But you have my promise, I won't hurt anyone." Vanessa nodded, then set the plush down on the bed.
"Pinky promise?" She asked, holding out her pinky as an offering. With a genuine chuckle, Malhare materialized in front of her and crossed her pinky with his own.
"Pinky promise," He agreed.
Vanessa took to Malhare’s companionship like a fish to water. She might have been somewhat afraid of him that first night, but after that she accepted his presence without problem. He’d been concerned, at first, that she’d accidentally let their secret slip - she was, after all, only a child. And she did, on occasion. But it wasn’t often enough to be much of a concern, and usually when she did she only said small things that the adults around her just took to be her imagination and adoration of her stuffed rabbit. Malhare did his best to help by keeping himself scarce when they were around others.
She had always liked talking to him, but now that she knew he could talk back her chatter was almost incessant. Malhare didn’t really mind - after all, he’d spent a long time with nothing but his own thoughts. The talking, even the one-sided chatter of a child, was a welcome change to his life.
It was raining one weekend morning, and Vanessa was roaming her room in clear boredom. She looked at a few activities - picked up a board game, a book, a few Barbie dolls - but ended up abandoning them all within a few minutes. Eventually, she plopped down on her floor with a coloring book, some crayons, and a heavy sigh. She spent a little while drawing something, and Malhare idly switched his attention between the water-laden outside world and Vanessa.
“I’m bored!” Vanessa declared suddenly, a few minutes later. She dropped her crayon to the floor and shut the book with a snap. “It’s so boring .”
Try spending a year on a store shelf, Malhare thought to himself, then tell me about boring. “I’m sure if you go and find your dad, he’ll help you find something to do,” he said out loud, “you know he loves reading with you, or playing games, or whatever.”
“Reading and games are boring,” Vanessa complained. Malhare rolled his eyes and looked over at Vanessa.
“Well, what do you want to do, then? Whatever it is, I’m sure he’d be happy to do it with you.”
“I dunno,” Ness answered. She kicked the heels of her feet against the floor a few times, thinking. Then, suddenly, she brightened and jumped to her feet. “I know! Let’s have a tea party!”
“Sorry, I’m kind of busy,” Malhare responded, looking back out the window, “but you know who would probably love to have a tea party with you? Your dad. ” He didn’t look over - not even when he felt Vanessa hurry closer in order to peer up at his face.
“I want you to have a tea party with me,” she said, “Please, Hopper?” she dragged out the word ‘please,’ and Malhare made the mistake of looking over at her. She was watching him with wide, hopeful eyes - doing her best impression of a beg.
“I can’t even hold the teacup,” he told her, but instead of being discouraged, she just brightened more.
“No one else can either! That’s okay!” She told him. Malhare very much wanted to continue telling her no - but he found the words stuck in his throat at her hopeful look.
“Okay, okay,” he said, “I’ll sit at the table.” Her beaming grin, he decided, was worth the embarrassment of taking part in a child’s tea party. She hurried around the room to grab the parts - setting up a short, small table with a few small seats and a gathering of her favorite stuffed animals. Malhare was almost too tall for the table even sitting, so he sat cross legged on the floor next to it. He watched quietly as Vanessa set out the collection of tiny tea cups and silverware. She even put out a few fake pastries and cakes.
Then, she pulled out a box and, from that box, a collection of various scarves, hats, and other clothing. Most of it was small, meant for Barbie dolls and the other small plushies that she owned. To Malhare’s horror, though, she did pull out a wide-brimmed hat and scarf big enough for a person. Or, in Vanessa’s view, big enough for a sentient rabbit virus ghost. As she approached him, Malhare held his hands up to stop her.
“No, no thank you,” he said, as kindly as he could manage, “I don’t really play dress-up.”
“It’s a tea party,” she informed him matter-of-factly, “you have to dress up!”
“I have a better idea,” he answered, “Why don’t you dress up? And I’ll stay just like this. I already have a bow tie and vest, after all. That’s got to be dressed up enough.”
“These are tea party clothes,” Vanessa argued, “please? It’s part of the game.” Malhare let out a sigh, then shrugged slightly and let her approach - mostly because he knew exactly what was going to happen. Sure enough, Vanessa reached up to lay the hat on his head - and watched as it promptly fell through him and to the ground.
“Sorry kid,” Malhare said, “but I can’t really wear clothes, anyway.” He tilted his head, watching as Vanessa stared at the hat. Then, suddenly, her eyes began to well up with tears. She looked so absolutely heartbroken by the sight of the fallen hat, that all at once Malhare felt like a grade A asshole. “Aw Ness, don’t cry, it’s okay. We can still have a nice tea party!”
“‘s not the same,” she muttered, wiping at her face as she leaned over to pick the hat up. She brushed it off, then turned and laid it on the table, along with the scarf she’d picked out for him. “I don't wanna play anymore,” she continued. Malhare watched her, feeling his ears fall to the sides in a droop. Had dressing up really meant that much to her?
“Well, I do,” he said after a few seconds, “I think I know just what to do. I’ll go back to the plush - then you can put me in a chair and dress me up as much as you want. What do you think?” Vanessa looked at him, and a second later he watched her mood lift. She hurried over to her bed and pulled the rabbit plush from it in order to bring it back over to the table.
“Can I put the polka-dot hat on you?” She asked, much more cheerfully. Malhare somehow managed to avoid visibly shivering. Good thing the grin on his face was eternally fixed.
“Sure, whatever you want,” he answered as his physical form vanished and he returned to the plush rabbit. Taking him at his word, Vanessa hummed and began to dress the little rabbit up. Despite the growing embarrassment of being dressed up for a child’s game, Malhare couldn’t summon much real ire. After all, Vanessa was happy, so what else really mattered?