Chapter Text
Wind whispered softly in the distance, twirling and swirling around the dark night sky. The moon was full and round, shining silver on the small town. Yellow lights, lit up the streets with a soft golden glow. Atop a shadowy hill, surrounded by thick pines, a wolf let out its unearthly howl, echoing through the night.
The outside was beautiful, but we're not focusing on it now.
Tonight, we're focusing on the inside, the inside of a certain kids restaurant…
The air was dark and musty, with a smell that couldn't exactly be placed. Like something was rotten and someone tried to cover it up with birthday cake and confetti and the shrieks of happy little kids. Light shone through the firmly shut windows, casting eerie shadows on the tile floor. The colourful carousels, which during the day were so full of life and fun, were dead still at night. Posters of five cheery creatures covered the walls, bright colours popping out at the viewer.
The clanking and creaking sound of metal parts and wires rang out from the right hallway. And then again from the left hallway. Something, or someone, was coming…
"Can we get out of these stupid suits?" A male voice groaned, the one that came from the left hallway. His voice had a gruff edge to it. The person was standing in the shadows, so it was too dark to see his face, but his silhouette looked like an anthropomorphic bunny rabbit.
"Yeah, I mean, they're not very flattering," a female voice huffed. Her voice was high and peppier than a head cheerleader. Her shadow was like that of a chicken or duck's.
There was a rustling from the curtains on a small stage to the left, and something tall stepped out. "Shaddup, you salty sea dogs! We got ta wait fer our cap'n, ya hear?" The voice said. This voice was male, with a strong Scottish accent. His dark silhouette looked like a fox, or a wolf.
The rabbit-man groaned. "Cut the pirate talk, dude. But yeah, where is he?" His grumpy voice was muffled by the suit.
Someone stepped into the room with the other three. It was hard to see him in the dark, but his frame was round, and wearing a top hat of some sort.
"Right here. Sorry, I got caught up with cleaning...something.'" This voice was male, deep, and had a good range. You could easily tell this person was a singer, just by his voice.
"Now that we're all here, can I pleeeeaaase get out of this ugly chicken suit?" The girl begged.
"I thought you were a duck," the Scottish fox-man said. The girl shot him a glare, and he backed down.
The bear-man shrugged. "You know you don't have to ask."
And then in a whirlwind of colours, the four animatronics changed. In the place of the big, clunky robots, stood four teenagers. It was like they'd been hiding in the suits the whole time and done a quick costume change. Only, they'd never fully be able to escape the confines of those animal suits.
The young girl admired herself, doing a little twirl. "That's much better! Don't you agree, Bon-Bon?" The girl asked the grumpy rabbit-man.
"Chica, for the last time, dont call me that!" He yelled.
Chica stuck her hands on her hips, pouting teasingly. "Whaaat? Its not like your real name is any less girly, Bon-nie."
Despite being ghosts, they all held some control over the physical world. Namely, clothes. Lucky them.
Chica was wearing a yellow blouse with white lace detailing and puffy sleeves over a baby-pink skirt. Her shoes were orange shiny doll shoes over white lettuce-trimmed socks. Her tail feathers were still there, but her beak was gone, much to her approval. Instead, on her face there were two bright pink cheek circles and long black eyelashes accenting her sky-blue eyes. She had yellow-blonde hair like warm butter that hung just below her shoulders and she'd tied a side ponytail in it with a pink scrunchie.
Bonnie, despite being anything but a cheery guy, was coloured brightly, with his pale blue skin. He had a black Fazbear and Friends hoodie on, with a bright red bow tie and baggy, ripped dark jeans and a punk silver belt. His fluffy short bunny tail poked out of his jeans. He had red circles on his cheeks, and dazzling green eyes framed by long lashes all the girls in the group were envious of, that got covered up by his blue shaggy bangs. Long blue bunny ears poked out of his messy hair. Bonnie often had his headphones around his neck, decorated with stickers of his favourite rock and metal bands.
Freddy, quite the opposite of his bright and unnaturally coloured friends, had light brown skin and fluffy dark hair, and was chubby like his mascot character. He was looking dapper in a brown blazer over a khaki polo and dark jeans. A black bow tie, plus his signature top hat, made him look a little like a magician. His brown fluffy bear ears stuck out beside his hat.
And finally, Foxy. He was a pirate and looked the part, with his peg leg and sharp silver hook hand. He had russet skin and a large purple trenchcoat with a dramatic - hell, everything Foxy did was dramatic - collar, with two buttons done up in the middle to display his, admittedly very toned, abdomen. Foxy liked to show off. Keeping up with the ripped theme, he was wearing ripped brown cargo shorts with pockets that cut off at his knees. He had an eye patch covering his right eye, and shaggy, poorly cut red hair the same length as Chica's. Two fox ears stuck out of his hair, and he had a fluffy red tail on his back.
They all looked so cute, it was hard to believe they were lethal killers.
Foxy, like Chica, was admiring himself. In particular, he was admiring his hook-hand, holding it so the moonlight from the window glinted off it and cast a silver beam on the wall. "Got to sharpen me best feature.”
“ That's your best feature?” Chica snorted.
Foxy, ever the optimist, pondered this. “Aye, lassie, you've got a point. I'm so handsome, it's hard to pick just one!”
“Or maybe you're so ugly that there's nothing else to pick,” Bonnie muttered under his breath.
“What did you just say?” Foxy roared. “Are ye saying ye don't like me style?”
“Bonnie doesn't like anything .” Chica rolled her eyes, folding her arms.
“That's not true,” Bonnie said defensively. “I do like…things.”
Chica let out an exaggerated gasp. “Awwww, does widdle baby Bon-Bon have a cwush?”
“I'm going to tear out your throat and gnaw on your jugular.” Bonnie deadpanned.
“Jeez, is this how you flirt?” Chica scoffed, wrinkling her nose.
Foxy shrugged. “I’m into it.”
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Foxy cleared his throat and scratched his head with the tip of his hook. “Er, I meant, ah…”
Bonnie patted him on the back. “We all know what you meant… freak."
Foxy decided to change the subject and looked around the party room. "Hey, d'ya know where Mangle's at?"
Mangle was the other animatronic in the pizzeria. She was a fox animatronic like Foxy, only with a white and hot-pink colour scheme. She liked to keep to herself and was fairly guarded and sarcastic towards the others. She had a bit of a soft spot for Chica though, the two of them being the only girls.
"Mangle's in the Parts and Storage room. Some kid ripped out her eye, an' she's trying to fix it." Chica explained, frowning sadly.
Mangle was built to be a less scary version of Foxy, but she kept breaking down. Eventually, the workers just kept her as a thing the kids could rip apart every day. For fun.
Mangle, in her animatronic form, patrolled the tables in Kid's Cove. She wasn't the biggest fan of children, her short temper clashing with the role, but this was her job and she had to stick to it. It wasn't like, the worst thing in the world. She actually enjoyed it sometimes, watching the kids come up with wildly creative ideas on the foam play structures, drawing adorably terrible portraits of Mangle in stubby Crayola and worn-out Magic Markers, building great towers out of wooden blocks and knocking them down with a crash. Yeah, it was a fun job.
When the kids were nice.
“Aw, man! My crayon broke!” complained a little girl in the crafts corner, clutching it's yellow broken body. Her face was starting to work it's way through each shade of red and Mangle knew the beginnings of a temper tantrum when she saw one.
Quickly, she swooped in. Thank God for the dollar store clearance aisle, they were always looking to get rid of their old crayons once the back-to-school shopping craze was over. “Here you are, darling!” Mangle handed her a new crayon, the bright yellow of eggs over-easy.
“Thanks!” the little girl beamed. She went back to shading in a big happy sunshine.
Mangle breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away, crisis averted. “So far, so good.”
Then the door opened with a creak. Mangle looked over.
She spoke too soon.
Three kids stood in the entryway, crossing their arms and smirking like the bullies on a cheap Disney show. There was a large boy in the middle, and a smaller girl and boy flanking him on either side. They all had the same dark curly hair and dark skin. But cowering behind them stood another girl, one with dirty blonde hair and a tan complexion, gazing up at them with wavering brown eyes like a sad puppy.
The biggest boy laughed in the evilest way Mangle had ever heard a little boy laugh. “Alyssa, Eliott, look. It's the cringe furry we owned last week!”
Giggling viciously beside him was the girl, Alyssa, giving Mangle a once-over. “Looks like it's been to the doctor. Why don't we fix it up?”
“More like destroy it up.”
“Gary, Alyssa, maybe we shouldn't,” the blonde girl coaxed. “Maggie was so nice to me last week. I got a scrape and she gave me a Band-Aid.”
Alyssa scoffed, putting a hand on her hip. “Wimps stick together, Jojo. What else is new?”
The little girl, Jojo looked at the ground, fiddling with the hem of her lime-green polo. “I'm just saying that I don't want you to hurt her.”
“You mean it?” Gary cut her off. “It's just a dumb robot, Jojo. A bunch of wires and code.”
Mangle sighed. “Times like this I wish my programming didn't stop me from teaching these filthy children a lesson,” she muttered under her breath. It allowed for her to tear into anyone over the age of 18, of course, because why wouldn't a performing animatronic need that, but anyone younger was a no-go.
Alyssa turned to the littlest boy and nodded. “Eliott?”
Eliott’s glasses flash. “Kill. It.”
The shadows of the kids loomed over Mangle’s face, ready to smash and tear and destroy. “Oh, goddamniiiIIIIIIT!!!!!!!”
So, Mangle had a pretty great life.
Bonnie winced, picturing the gruesome story. "Poor girl," he muttered. "Had my eye fall out on stage once. Hurt like hell putting it back in.”
“I didn't even get mine back,” Foxy muttered sullenly.
“Gosh, I hope she's okay,” Chica murmured. “I'd be a sobbing wreck if that happened to me. Maggie's probably in the other room, crying her eyes out right now.”
There was a loud crashing sound from Kid's Cove, and Mangle let out a long scream, followed by; “STUPID FREAKING STICKY-FINGERED IPAD KID KINDERGARTEN FAILURE MORONIC LITTLE PIECE OF—"
Muffled profanities ensued.
Freddy shook himself. "Anyways. Sad things aside, did you hear we're getting a new night guard?"
A dark gleam sparked in Bonnie's green eyes. "Finally, something else to kill. It's been forever."
"Yeah, we sure scared off any others last time!" Chica giggled. "And I've been starving for some Remnant. My tummy's been growling like a lion."
Foxy grinned, revealing sharp white-and-gold teeth. He leaned over and sharpened his curled metal hook on a nearby party table's black metal leg. "I'm gonna shred this scallywag! When does he start?" He laughed maniacally.
Freddy shifted his weight from foot to foot. "It's actually a girl."
Foxy stopped sharpening the blade on the table and immediately assumed a different pose. He stroked his chin with his remaining hand. "Oh? Well, I'm sure she'd love it here…" Foxy murmured.
Chica slashed him hard on the shoulder with her long nails. Foxy backed away, holding his shoulder and mouthing an ow. "Foxyyy! Stop being such a dirtbag and focus here! As much as I love women doing this job for a change, she's still a night guard and we have to kill her!" Chica exclaimed. She stopped for a moment. "But. Like. Is she pretty?"
Freddy rolled his eyes at his two friends. They hadn't even met the girl and they were already falling for her. Typical.
Bonnie, who was leaning against a wall and examining his nails, looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Seriously Chica? You guys are idiots. All of you. She's a night guard, she's a human, and therefore, we have to kill her. No questions asked." Bonnie ordered. "Now, what's she like?"
"Her name's Ruby Roxanne, and she's sixteen years old. She's applying to an engineering college next year. She's got long red hair, dresses sort of goth, or so I've heard from the workers." Freddy told them.
Foxy grinned, baring his teeth predatorily. "She sounds hot—” he cut himself off when he saw Chica raise her hand, ready to slash again. “---er, strong and independent and capable—” he saw Freddy raise his eyebrows. “But also easy to kill. I'm sure we'll have buckets o’ Remnant by tomorrow."
“Smooth,” Bonnie droned.
"All I'm gonna say is, everyone better be in your top form tomorrow. Don't let a stupid crush get in the way of duty." Freddy instructed.
Everyone nodded seriously. Chica still looked a bit dreamy.
Freddy pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling. “Chica…?”
She blinked, letting out a panicked laugh. “Crush? Pfft, what the heck are you even talking about you are literally crazy I don't have a crush on—”
“Just stop, this is pathetic even for you.” Bonnie scoffed, looking disgusted.
Foxy looked disgusted also. “Aye, all I said was that she was hot and moved on.” Chica slapped him right across the face. “Oww! That's me good eye! Ya know, I could report ye for assault! Just cause yer a lass doesn't mean I wont!”
"Stop fighting, you two! Now, let's all get a good night's rest. We gotta get up at 7 tomorrow to play." Freddy said very importantly.
Bonnie chuckled. "Wow, Freddy, for a sixteen-year-old you sure sound like my mom." His gaze shifted to the side. "Or, like, a mom."
"I'll take that as a compliment," laughed Freddy. "Now c'mon you three, let's get to bed."
Chica nodded, and sped off to her room. "'Kay, bye everyone!" She yelled, blowing them all a kiss.
Foxy grinned. "Right then. See you slimy buckets of chum next morning," He walked over to Pirate's Cove and shut the purple starry curtain.
Freddy laughed. "Always with the lovely way of words," he said under his breath. Now it was just him and Bonnie in the room. Bonnie's head was turned away from him, and he was throwing a purple ball from the ball pit nearby in the air and catching it repeatedly. Freddy stood there, feeling awkward from staring at his friend for so long.
"Bonnie," he began, and Bonnie turned his head to Freddy. His eyes, usually bright, were dark and shadowed. Freddy continued, still feeling awkward. "If there's anything you want to talk about...I'm always here." He walked towards Bonnie, and when he didn't respond, Freddy sat down next to him. Bonnie sighed and put his head in his hands.
"It's just that...ever since William Afton stabbed us when we were kids and stuffed us in these suits, killing was just...like a thing we did. It felt natural, you know? But ever since the last kill, I've been feeling...I don't know, like there's something else we're supposed to do. Because I really think that there's more to us being these robots than just singing and playing music in a band and...murder." Bonnie sighed, gaze downcast.
Freddy's gut twisted uncomfortably, the way it always did when William Afton was brought up. "I know what you mean. We're going to live forever, as long as we keep getting Remnant. But maybe we dont have worry about some great purpose in our lives. Or...afterlives. Maybe we just need to keep going, and whatever were supposed to do will happen."
"Jeez, you sure get philosophical at one in the morning," Bonnie huffed with a laugh. But he smiled at him, genuine, and Freddy returned the gesture.
Suddenly, there was an ugly gagging noise coming from Pirate's Cove. Freddy and Bonnie both looked to see what it was and they saw Foxy pretending to barf. "Go to bed, ya pieces o' lovey-dovey fish guts." Foxy shouted.
Bonnie flipped off Foxy, who just grinned sweetly and shut his curtain again.
"Well. I hope I helped you a little, even in the slightest." Freddy told Bonnie, softly.
"Yeah. Yeah, you did. Thanks, Freddles." Bonnie said, and winked as he stood up and walked away down the hallway.
"You too, Bon-Bon!" Freddy called.
"Bon-nie." Bonnie shot him a deadly glare, made a slashing motion across his neck and ran into his room. Bonnie wasn't one for cute nicknames.
"HOW COME HE GETS TO CALL YOUBON-BON?!" Chica cried from down the right hallway in outrage.
Bonnie stuck his head back outside his door. "BECAUSE HE'S NOT AN ANNOYING, TWO-FACED, INSUFFERABLE LITTLE-"
"GO THE HELL TO SLEEP," yelled Mangle from her room, and that was that.
Freddy rolled his eyes with a grin. Freddles. The nickname was stupid, but whatever. He sighed and walked down to the stage, where he drifted peacefully to sleep.
For the first time in years, he dreamed a dream, and not a nightmare.
Light shined through the large bay window as the tall, red-haired girl packed her checkered backpack with items. Phone, candy, earbuds...oh yeah! And the wonderful surprise she had packed for her job the next day.
The girl looked around her quickly, swiftly shutting the door. She really wasn't supposed to have this, but if she was remembering the rumours correctly, she needed to defend herself. Night guards a-plenty had met their demise at the hands - or paws - of the animatronics roaming the halls, and shed need a weapon. Hopefully her mother wouldn't catch her. She smirked as she reached under her bed and picked it up. She tossed it in her bag, pulling her messy red hair into a quick bun and falling into her bed.
The last thing she thought before she drifted off into sleep was;
These rusty robots won't know what hit them.