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Sun finally returned to his room after hanging out with Monty. He was a little nervous, considering what happened earlier with Foxy. He kinda just freaked out all of a sudden. It was pretty weird. Plus the stuff he said weren't exactly cut and dry. Cruse? Spell? What was that about? Was he being metaphorical or did he actually believe there was some sort of magic at play?
Sun tried to ask Moon about it, but felt himself heat up in embarrassment when he remembered Moon wasn't inside his head anymore. They were separated. It would probably take some time to get used to that. He'd have to start using the messaging feature a lot more.
But still, he dismissed that as he approached the door to his room. Surprisingly, he found Moon waiting outside for him. He immediately smiled as he spotted Sun, walking over to give him a casual hug. He hugged him back before pulling away.
"Hey Moony! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be with DJ or maybe reading with Freddy."
"Nah. DJ wanted to have some privacy. We had a pretty deep talk and he just needs to chill for a while."
"Ah! Understandable. But why are you just standing outside?"
"I… was waiting for you. I don't really want to talk to him alone."
"You mean Foxy?"
"Yeah… I just… his reaction felt off. And I…"
Sun sighed and hugged him again, petting him on the shoulder. "I get it. Not used to being separated yet. Me neither. Don't worry about it, let's just go inside and talk to him."
Moon nodded in agreement and turned to the door, opening it and heading inside. They both entered and saw the lights on in the other room. So they crawled through the tube and looked around for Foxy. Sun spotted him on the balcony, nudging Moon so he could point him out.
Foxy just sat cross legged near the edge, looking out over the daycare. He seemed to be thoughtful, not even noticing the boys returning. They both looked at each other, not sure what to make of the situation. But Moon decided to break the silence and walked over to him.
"Foxy?"
He jolted slightly and turned to look at them both, sheepishly scrambling to get back onto his feet. "AH! HARTIES! Sorry! Sorry. Didn't hear ye coming."
"It's fine. How are you feeling?" Asked Sun.
"I be alright, lads. Just... A wee bit shocked. Ye came out of nowhere, surprising this ol' captain!"
"... Sorry. Didn't mean to… shock you" moon grumbled and rubbed his arm, face a little guilty.
"Yar har har har! Don't be so gloomy, Moonstone! Ye caught me off guard, so clearly I be needin' to sharpen up me wit!"
"You couldn't have known though…"
"Heartie. Ye have not'ing to apologize fer. Ye be fine." He said this while walking over and putting his paw on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. Moon stayed quiet before turning away and huffing softly. "... Thanks."
"But… we really wanted to talk to you about something" Sun cut in and tilted over them slightly. "Yar! Is that so?" Foxy asked, pulling his hand back.
"Mhm. We… um… wanted to ask about earlier. When you suddenly got really quiet and then just ran off. What was that about?"
Foxy's expression turned into a bit of a scowl, sighing heavily before going to take a seat on the bed. Both the daycare attendants followed after and sat down on either side of him.
"Aye… that. Well, like I said, I was shocked. It was… strange. It be feelin' like I just got reunited wit' ye both again, seein' ye both at once. It rattled me system."
"But what about the curse thing you said?" Moon enquired.
He looked at him with a confused glance, as if he said something weird. "What do ya mean, lad? The curse! Ye know, the one keepin' ye in the same body!"
"I don't get it," Sun chimed in.
"Ye really don't remember? When ye be cursed by the wicked sea hag? She be pullin' a nasty trick, bounding ye together an' makin' it so only one of ye can be out, only able to change when the sun and moon switch places."
"..."
"..."
Sun and Moon slowly shifted their gaze from Foxy to each other. Sun looked completely bewildered while Moon just looked lost and confused.
"Um… Foxy. What in the sweet merciful Christ are you talking about?" Moon asked him.
"Don't tell me they be removin' those memories too! Rotten humans…"
"Foxy, what do you mean? Sea hag? Trick? This doesn't make any sense."
"I understand it don't be making much sense to ye boys. But I'll remind ye of the tragic night."
Sun made a weirded out face as he looked at Moon, trying to figure out if he understood all of this anymore than he did. Moon shrugged and gave an equally unsure look.
"It was a stormy night. We be searchin' for treasure in the dreadkeep cave. Ye both be exhausted and needin' a rest. I was foolish. I left ye at the cave entrance to recover while I ventured forth, hopin' to be bringing ye something of value. I had no idea that witch was right there, hidin' and waiting for me to leave so she could take ye away. I should have been there to protect ya when ye were weak. But… when I returned, she was already doing her magic ritual. I tried me best to stop her, but despite me efforts, I be too late. She put up a fight, long enough fer ye both to merge. I… failed me mateys. I'm so sorry fer that."
He raised his head towards both of them, his face very melancholy and apologetic. He didn't even react to the looks of stunned disbelief on their faces. They looked at each other, clearly trying to find any good way to react to the new information.
"... … … Foxy. That's… well… um…" Sun was totally speechless.
"That makes no sense! What are you talking about?" Moon asked, very exasperated.
"I know it must be hard to wrap ye head around, especially since the bilge rats be erasin' those memories."
"Foxy! None of that happened! We never went to any cave!"
"Moonstone. It be alright. It's all over wit' now. We are back together and the spell be broken. No need to worry about the past now."
Sun put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around so he was facing him fully. Then he grabbed both of his shoulders and gave him a worried, yet serious glare.
"Listen… you have to understand. That never happened. We were never pirates, we never sailed together, we never went treasure hunting."
"Wha… o-of course we did! I remember it like it be yester-"
"It's not possible! Like, literally, it couldn't possibly have happened. You were scrapped before we were even made! You never even got to meet us! It's impossible!"
As he told the pirate that, his face shifted into dawning realization mixed with confusion. He thought about it, eyes shifting around in contemplation as he seemed to be puzzling his memories together.
"... … … Foxy. Do you really believe we have been on adventures together?" Sun asked, his voice laced with worry.
"... I mean… of course. I… I can remember it so clearly. But… I also remember first hearin' 'bout ye from the techs…" his voice got progressively more quiet, his face shifting into scared confusion.
"... … … Hey. I think… there might be an issue with your memory" Moon commented and decided to try and calm him down by rubbing his back.
"N-n-nay! I know we be havin' loads of pirate adventures! It's… I…" he tried to insist that he wasn't making it up, not to convince Sun and Moon, but to assure himself there wasn't something wrong with him.
"Hey… hey… it's alright, Foxy. It's ok. Just calm down. I'm sure that it's just a misunderstanding or some minor issue. Don't be scared. We're here for you" Sun murmured gently as he leaned down and gave the pirate a big hug. Moon joined in, holding them both.
"We'll figure out the problem together. Don't worry. We're here to help no matter what. You're going to be fine."
Foxy remained silent, his system working overtime to make sense of the clear contradictions in his memories. The realization left him shocked and, honestly, a little scared. But he couldn't let himself slip into fear, not in front of his crew. So he forced himself to ignore those thoughts and instead focused on his mateys.
They were being so understanding and sweet to him. They were just such wonderful people. So considerate with such huge hearts. How could he be upset with a crew like that around?
*~*~*
"Oh my. That doesn't seem good."
Sun and Moon had gone to Freddy and Chica to tell them about Foxy, sitting in Chica's room and discussing it. They both looked really worried.
"Poor Foxy! Being down in that smelly dank sewer must have really messed up his system!" Chica commented and gave her head a light bonk.
"Yeah. I'm really worried about him. He seemed so convinced that we had actually been on adventures. Then, when I pointed out how it was impossible, he looked so scared and confused" Sun muttered sadly and looked down at his feet, shuffling them restlessly.
"How is that even possible? How can a glitch occur that creates false memories?" Freddy asked, trying to come up with a reason.
"No clue, Freddy. But we clearly need to find some way to help him" Moon answered.
"Hmmm… OH! I KNOW! Why don't we ask Dr. Kamal to talk to him? She was such a big help to the rest of us!" Chica then suggested proudly.
"Nope. No way. Foxy is still extremely distrustful of the staff, he wouldn't let any of them near him. Plus, if she sees him, she might report it to management and he'll be in danger" Moon shut her down immediately, making her smile drop into a pout.
"What if we… told her not to tell anyone?" Sun asked hesitantly.
Moon didn't answer, looking away with a scowl and closing his eyes. Sun quickly caught onto Moon's vibe and slumped in disappointment. "... I guess she might have to. It is a little beyond her patient confidentiality."
"It's sad, but we really can't involve any humans yet. I tried to convince him that there are some really great ones, like your technician, but he refused to believe me" Freddy signed and leaned back, thinking really hard on a solution.
"... … … Hey…? Maybe we can get some tips from her instead."
Everyone looked at Moon curiously. He continued. "I mean, we could just ask her how to deal with someone with Foxy's symptoms and never bring him up. If we just told her we wanted to keep it private for his sake, then I'm sure she wouldn't pry!"
"That… doesn't sound too bad, actually. She might just assume it's a human employee and leave it at that. That's a great plan, Moon!" Freddy approved of his idea, making him smile and rub his neck sheepishly.
"But… what if she gets suspicious or catches on?" Sun asked.
"Would you rather let Foxy suffer and question his own sanity?" Chica asked him seriously, making the daycare robot shut up and lower his head. "Yeah… guess that's true. I just don't want him to get in trouble."
"Sun." Moon put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "If anything happens, we'll be there to help him. A pirate is always loyal to his captain, right?"
That made him brighten up a bit and give a determined nod. "Yeah! You're right! I'll protect him with everything I have!"
"And so will I. We got this, Sundrop."
"Yeah. We got this. Thanks, Moondrop."
*~*~*
Reopening was crazy.
A week after Sun and Moon returned, things were up and running again! The pizza 'plex could finally open back up to the public.
As soon as the doors opened, there were so many guests, practically flooding in the entrance. A couple of janitor bots were toppled over, the stores and attractions had lines longer than DJ Music Man's average playlist, the dinners were practically running out of food, the shows were totally crowded and the volume in the building was crazy! It was one of the most profitable days they've ever had, apart from opening day.
But the loudest of the facilities had to be the daycare.
Everything began as usual, aside from the daycare assistants taking over the greeting duty and taking the kids in. Parents were a little confused, wondering where the daycare attendant was. The staff promised that they would get to see them soon, they just had to prepare for the big return surprise. That got most people off their backs so they could usher the kids inside to wait.
Once the early pick-ups were done, they were all being directed to wait near the ball pit for Sun.
The animatronic was peeking out from around the wall to his balcony, feeling his chest vibrate with anxiety. His mind was flooded with questions, like if the kids would like his new look, or what he should say to them first. He wondered if they even remembered him. It had been so long.
"Yar, lad. Ye be too harsh on ye-self! Everyt'ing will turn out golden! Ye both have the hearts of a whale! The kids will love ya!"
Sun turned to Foxy and gave him a thankful smile, appreciating the supportive words. "Thank you, Captain. I… I love them too. I just hope I can make up for all the lost time. I really missed them and felt so-"
"Enough wit' yer yabberin'! They be waitin'!" Foxy cut him off and shoved him towards the balcony, causing him to stumble up the stairs and poke his head out a bit. He heard a few astonished gasps from below him, telling him he had to cut his preparations short.
He looked back at the pirate with a pout, only earning a shit-eating grin in return.
So Sun stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony, waiting until he heard the assistants point him out. That's when he got into position.
"Hi-de-ho! Look out below~!" He shouted cheerfully before doing a graceful swan dive straight into the sea of rainbow balls. He quickly disappeared in the plastic, making the kids shout, cheer and apparently cry as they were held back by the human staff.
Sun took a moment to gather himself before emerging again. He appeared with a cute flourish, arms held out above his head theatrically. He grinned happily and looked the kids over with his new brilliant blue eyes.
A lot of the kids grew quiet, examining this new face of his. The returning children seemed to be completely stunned. They just stood there and stared. The sunny robot felt himself grow nervous, looking around a bit as he thought up a good greeting.
"... … … He-"
"MR. SUN!!!"
One of the kids barreled past the human attendants and rushed up to Sun, climbing up the edge of the ball pit and giving him a big bear hug. It was Jeremiah. He was clinging onto Sun with a death grip.
He felt all of his nerves disappear in a puff of smoke at that, being replaced by unrestricted euphoria. He sniffed quietly and hugged him back, mumbling about missing them all.
This seemed to have caused an uproar, as more kids ran over to join in the hug. He couldn't help but laugh and beg them to at least let him get out of the ball pit first. Once he had, he sat down and opened his arms for anyone who would want to give him a hug.
He was swarmed by a sea of children, trying to squeeze themselves into the growing hug pile. He was laughing and grinning like an idiot, trying to pet as many of their heads as possible. They were all so precious.
Then, out of nowhere, the lights in the room began to dim, making the daycare darken. Everyone in the room looked around confused, wondering what was happening. Even some of the staff seemed confused.
"Over the mountain, over the sea,
Back where my heart is longing to be…~"
Everyone looked up towards the source of the voice, which was coming from above them. They saw a crescent moon prop descending from the roof right above their heads, stopping after a few seconds.
"Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love.~"
The kids were watching with bated breaths. It wasn't clear whether they knew what was happening or not. But they were clearly invested to find out what the theatrics were about.
A figure lept from the crescent moon, causing them to soar through the air before swinging back, thanks to the wire attached to them.
"I see the moon; the moon sees me
Down through the leaves of the old oak tree~
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love~"
That was when Moon landed, his feet gently touching the ground before he detached himself. He lifted his head and looked over at the kids, a gentle smile on his face.
"... … … … …"
"Hello, my starlights."
The kids lost their minds. They were so happy and excited and emotional. Some were so overcome with emotion that they burst out crying. A lot of them ran over to dogpile MOON this time in their hug attack. They couldn't believe they were actually seeing Sun and Moon at the same time! It was amazing! The kids were overjoyed.
So was Moon. He was flooded with so many feelings. All of them were positive ones. He felt touched, ecstatic, relieved, loved, content and overall joyous. He just wanted to cry and hold his little stars forever. He was so happy right then. So was Sun, clearly, if him joining in the pile was any indication.
Foxy was watching from the balcony, making sure to stay out of sight so he wouldn't be spotted. He watched the two get completely enveloped by the tiny humans and have the biggest smiles he's ever seen on them.
He couldn't help but smile too. It was sweet, seeing them so blissful and being adored so much. These little things clearly loved the two attendants with all their hearts.
It made a smile spread out on his face, causing him to sigh and move back to lean against the wall. He was so happy for them. But he had to admit, he was a little jealous. He would have loved to be in their places. But… he wouldn't want to admit it out loud. Not yet. He had to uphold an image after all. But he could fantasize about it privately.
… Maybe one day he could join them down there.
Dream come true, that would be.